Acts 4:23-31

Acts chapter 4, it really is from verses 23 onwards, I think it's the first prayer recorded in Acts.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

! It's the first major crisis certainly. Peter and John have been imprisoned, they've been threatened, they've been warned to stop preaching in the name of Christ.

And then verse 23, when they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them, and when they heard it, they lifted up their voices together to God.

And the substance of this prayer, as someone has described, really is the basic conviction of the whole Bible.

I think it is probably the central theme of the whole Bible, and that is the conviction that God is sovereign.

And that he reigns, and he rules as king and as lord over the whole universe that he's created.

And that he sits today on the throne.

And that God exercises absolute sovereign control over the whole created order, and over the whole historical process.

And that is the conviction that underlies this prayer, and I want to argue truly undergirds the whole teaching of the Bible.

It is indeed, in many ways, the central Christian conviction.

That God our Saviour reigns enthroned in glory.

And so the prayer begins, doesn't it, in verse 24, sovereign Lord.

That is the conviction that God is on the throne, and that he is overruling even the wrath of his enemies that we've seen at the start of chapter 4.

He's overruling even the wrath of his enemies to his own purpose.

And that was vital, wasn't it, for the apostles to understand at that particular stage.

But it's equally vital for you and I to understand it.

It is the answer, isn't it, to one of the basic questions of the human heart.

Francis Schaeffer says that this question grumbles under the skin of every thinking man.

The question of to whom does ultimate power belong.

Is there any controlling hand on the apparent madness of the world in which we live?

When you look at history with all the seeming chaos and confusion and foolishness.

Is it possible that there is a sovereign hand controlling everything?

In the history of this world.

Or personally, is this the answer to the question that burns in all our hearts, sometimes more acutely than at other times.

Is it really true that God is working all things together for good to those who love him?

Is God really sovereign over my personal circumstances today, right now?

And they are crucial questions.

And they are answered by two questions addressed to God in verse 24.

Sovereign Lord, they call him.

And the rest of this prayer in Acts 4 is really an extension of that conviction.

The apostles take everything that is contained in those two words, sovereign Lord, and they unpack it.

And they do so in four ways.

First of all, do you see the sovereign Lord of creation?

Look at verse 24.

Sovereign Lord who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything through them.

And then they address God as the sovereign Lord of history.

Verse 25.

Who through the mouth of our father David said by the Holy Spirit,

Why did the Gentiles rage and the people's plot in vain?

The kings of the earth have set themselves and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his anointed.

They are speaking of God's sovereign rule in history.

And thirdly, they address God as the sovereign Lord of redemption.

Look at verses 27 and 28.

For truly in this city they were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus,

whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, among the Gentiles and the people of Israel,

to do whatever your hand and your plan would have predestined to take place.

And finally in verses 29 to 30, you see the sovereign Lord of the contemporary scene.

And now Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants and continue to speak your word with all boldness

while you stretch out your hand to heal.

And signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.

God is the sovereign Lord above all things.

And that is the conviction that lies behind all true Christian prayer.

And when we come to God and we wait on him and we pray to him and cry to him as these men did in Acts 4,

the basic conviction we have is as we plead with God in such a situation or in any situation,

it's that God reigns sovereignly over all the affairs of men and of nations,

of heaven and earth and hell.

And we come to him on that basis.

As the sovereign Lord so that we might think aright and live aright and pray aright.

So first of all, the sovereign Lord of creation, verse 24.

Sovereign Lord who made the heaven and earth and the sea and everything in them.

That's the first thing that persuades these apostles of God's unlimited power and sovereignty.

They are persuaded of his sovereignty when they look at God's acts in creation.

Here they are in the midst of a situation where fear is entered into their hearts.

Obviously by reason of the opposition that they've experienced.

The threats are still sounding in their ears.

And what they're saying now as they come to plead with God,

they are reminding themselves that God is sovereign in creation.

They say you are the Lord who's formed this universe in which we live.

You've given life and breath to these very men that are our enemies.

You are the Lord who keeps them alive.

You are the Lord who's made all that is and that enables them to plead with God.

And to press him concerning their particular need.

It's one of the great basis of our thinking about God.

That he is the sovereign Lord of creation.

And if he has the power to create the heavens and earth,

then he is able to act in your situation.

And you are able to go and say to him,

look upon us now Lord.

You see creation is presented in the Bible as a sovereign act of God.

He speaks as kingly creator.

And he brings into being out of nothing all that is made.

That's why the doctrine of creation is so vital for us in our understanding of God,

in our thinking about the world,

and in our thinking about prayer.

The whole doctrine of creation is fundamental in its importance for us.

Because again and again,

this is the argument that people in the Bible use when they come into God's presence.

To plead with him again and again.

So let's go to Jeremiah chapter 32.

Jeremiah 32 · chapter mention

We're going to go to a couple of passages tonight.

As I said, I haven't got page numbers.

So Jeremiah 32.

It's a big book right in the middle of the Bible.

Don't be embarrassed if you can't find it.

Jeremiah chapter 32.

Jeremiah 32 · chapter mention

Okay?

Jeremiah 32.

And they come to God and they plead with God.

As for God who is first sovereign in creation.

And so Jeremiah, this great prophet,

he cries to the Lord in 32 and verses 16 to 20.

He says,

Our pride given the deed of purchase to Barak the son of Neriah,

I prayed to the Lord saying,

Our Lord God,

it is you who made the heavens and the earth by your great power

and by your outstretched arm.

Nothing is too hard for you.

You should steadfast love to thousands,

but you repay the guilt of fathers,

their children after them.

O great and mighty God,

whose name is the Lord of hosts,

great in counsel,

and mighty in deed,

whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man,

rewarding each one according to his ways

and according to the fruit of his deeds.

You have shown signs and wonders in the land of Egypt

to this day in Israel and among all mankind

and have made a name for yourself as this day.

Now do you see how this vision of God that he has

as the sovereign Lord who has called creation into being,

it makes such a difference, doesn't it,

to people thinking.

But it's not only used by people as an argument

as they plead with God,

it is used by God as an argument

to persuade his people to trust him.

So if you remember in Isaiah,

the prophecy of Isaiah,

God comes to his people who are,

they are wilting in the midst of all the difficulties

and tribulations

through which he passed

and he says to them,

lift up your eyes on high and see.

What is it that they're to see?

It's Isaiah chapter 40.

Isaiah 40 · chapter mention

Isaiah chapter 40.

Isaiah 40 · chapter mention

What vision is it that

Isaiah longs that they might have?

It's Isaiah 40 verses 25 to 28.

Isaiah 40:25–28

To whom will you compare me?

That I should be like him,

says the Holy One.

Lift up your eyes on high

and see who created these.

He who brings out their hosts by number,

calling them all by name,

by the greatness of his might.

And because he is strong in power,

not one is missing.

Why do you say, O Jacob,

and speak, O Israel,

my way is hidden from the Lord

and my right is disregarded by my God?

Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the creator of the ends of the earth.

Now do you see what God is doing?

He's using the doctrine of creation

and his sovereignty in creation

to persuade his people to trust him.

Now here's what the apostles are doing

when they come into God's presence

and you'll see how immensely relevant

all of this is

to the mood of so many of us today.

We're so easily, secretly despondent

and discouraged.

So many of us are bowed down

and weighed down.

And in a sense,

we're always on the defensive.

And so we greatly need in our generation

an opening of our eyes

to see the great glory

and the majesty of God as the creator.

There's an awesomeness, isn't there,

to creation that does us good.

And so go to the lake district

and stand on the hills

and look at them.

Go to South Wales.

See the valleys.

Stand on the beach

and look at the sea.

I don't know what it is that does it for you.

That's what does it for me.

You stand and you look at the power of the sea.

And there will be times

when you will feel your soul exalted.

And God means us to do that.

To find our hearts lifted up

with a sense of the sheer majesty of God

who by his word

has called all of this into being.

And I tell you what I think

that the kingly Lord

who created that infinite beauty

is the same God

who is setting about his purpose

of creating in me,

of creating Christ in me.

Well that is a great encouragement, isn't it?

Francis Schaeffer again said

our generation has a unique capacity

of thinking great thoughts of men

and petty thoughts of God.

And so we need to see him

as the sovereign Lord of creation.

Secondly in verses 25 and 26 of Acts 4

we need to see him

as the sovereign Lord of history.

And these two verses

they are a quotation

from Psalm 2.

It's one of the most quoted psalms

in the New Testament.

And one commentator writes this.

He says this psalm bears witness

to a God who is present

and active in world history.

And who knows how to make himself

respected

by those who don't want to give it.

And he accomplishes his purpose

even though men rebel against him.

The immediate picture of Psalm 2

is there's a king

and there's a king who is

in his accession

to the throne.

An anointing of a new king.

A king whom God has chosen

as much property

and David himself.

And there's the rebellion

of kings and the rulers

of the earth

against this earthly king.

And that rebellion

the psalmist sees

actually is a rebellion

against the Lord

and against his anointage.

And so the apostles

they recollect this psalm

and they interpret it correctly.

The idea of the rage

in nations

and the vaunting

of human beings

against God

is ludicrous.

Because he who sits

in the heavens

will laugh at them.

He will hold them

in derision.

The idea of man

rebelling against

the king of kings

and lord of glories

is ludicrous.

Because the Lord

is the one who reigns

and whose government

over the affairs

of men and nations

will be vindicated.

Whatever the scene

in the world

whatever the rage

of men against God

however men

choose to ignore him

he who sits

in the heavens

will have the last word.

And so to whom

does ultimate power belong?

I really hope

you're clear on this.

It does not reside

in Washington

or in London

or in Moscow

or in Beijing.

It resides on the throne

of the Lord God

omnipotent

on whose shoulders

the government

has been placed.

Let me quote again

from another commentator

on the psalm.

What the psalmist sees

is that the centre

of history

is no longer

the struggle

of the great powers

but God

whose relationship

with the earthly powers

will determine

their destiny.

His vision of history

is theocentric.

And that's

an unfamiliar word

so we don't use

that word very much

but all it means

is this

that God

is at the centre

of history.

How do you see that?

And when you read

at the BBC

online

when you watch

the news

and the chaos

of Brexit

do you see at all

that God

is at the centre

of history

of history

God's

this conviction

of God's lordship

of history

in these two

similar ways

it is used

by the people

of God

as a source

of strength

and a bullhook

to their confidence

in God

so in 2 Chronicles 20

I won't make you

go there

but Jehoshaphat

the king

he had news

of the impending

disaster

that was about

to come upon

his people

and as he saw

the Moabites

and the Ammonites

coming upon them

he heard words

that there was

a great multitude

coming against you

from Edom

and Jehoshaphat

feared

and set himself

to seek the Lord

and Judah

assembles

to seek help

from the Lord

and Jehoshaphat

stood in the assembly

of Judah

and Jerusalem

and he cried out this

he said

O Lord

God of our fathers

are you not

God in heaven

you rule

of the kingdoms

of the nations

in your hand

are power

and might

so that none

is able

to withstand you

and that is

the conviction

of a man

who has come

to see that

ultimate power

belongs to God

not to men

but again

it's also used

by God

to persuade

men and women

to trust him

and so you

find again

and again

don't you

when you read

the Old Testament

that God

recalls history

it's a significant

thing

and you find

God doing that

again and again

and again

God will say

I am the God

of Abraham

and Isaac

and Jacob

I am the Lord

your God

who brought you

out of the land

of slavery

and into the land

of promise

and he goes on

to recount

doesn't he to them

how he has ordered

their circumstances

and how he has

knocked aside

their enemies

and how he has

cast down kings

and men

who rebel

against him

and opened a way

for his people

what's he doing

he's not merely

giving them

a history lesson

he's giving them

a lesson

in God's sovereignty

in history

and so therefore

he appeals to them

that now

in this situation

they will trust

and obey him

because he's

the sovereign

lord of history

that's true

in our personal

history isn't it

no one in the

bible speaks

as clearly

or powerfully

about this

than Joseph does

so his brothers

come to him

don't they

when he's in Egypt

right at the end

of Genesis

with their sorry

story of treachery

and cruelty

and that begins

to be poured out

and they find out

don't they

that their sin

well has been

found out

and Joseph

looks at them

and even as

he speaks

of that kind

of experience

in his life

he says in

Genesis 50

you meant it

for evil to me

but God meant it

for good

do you see the point

he had seen

that God was not

just the sovereign

lord of history

I can level up

the hair

in general

but he is the

sovereign lord

of history

personally

and that leads

us to the third

way they address

God

he's not only

sovereign lord

of creation

and of history

but he's also

the sovereign lord

of redemption

look at verses 27

and 28

because the apostle

looks at Psalm 2

and he sees that

it's a messianic

psalm

that it's about

Christ

they believed

that the psalmist

sang better than

he knew

and more than

he thought

but what was he

singing about

he was really

singing about

the exalted

king of kings

and lord of lords

the lord Jesus

Christ

against whom

the nations

of the earth

still rage

and they would

plot and

divide

his downfall

and so we

move from

history in

general

to the

history of

redemption

in particular

and here

above

everywhere else

they see

God

turning the

wrath of

men to

praise him

and to

bless us

verse 27

for truly

in this city

this place

where we are

they were

gathered

together

against

your holy

servant

Jesus

whom they

anointed

whom you

anointed

and both

Herod and

Pondis

Pilate along

with the

Gentiles and

the people

of Israel

to do

whatever your

hand and

your plan

are predestined

to take

place

he shuts

the scene

he says

this is the

stage of

where it

happened

where the

lord Jesus

was brought

to trial

and judgment

now what

was really

happening

there

this is

what the

apostles

are grasping

and they

are leading

us into

the sovereignty

of God

in our

redemption

what was

happening

in Jerusalem

when Jesus

died

is it to be

explained by

Herod and

Pontius Pilate

and the people

of Israel

and the Gentiles

and the raging

of men

and the gnashing

of teeth

and the anger

of the crowd

and the cruelty

of the Roman

soldiers

is that how

it's all to be

explained

just a tragic

miscarriage

justice

knowing Jesus

listen

he says

verse 27

he says

to do whatever

your hand and

your plan

predestined

to take place

doesn't mean

that God

was the author

of wickedness

and evil

what it means

is this

that God

rules in the

midst

of his

enemies

and when

they do

their wicked

will

they are

fulfilling

his purpose

when they do

their wicked

worst

they are

mere tools

for his

high and

blessed

purpose

and that's

what's happening

at Calvary

it's not that

men have done

this

it's that

God

gave him

up

and the

initiative

in all

that was

happening

there on

Calvary

was God's

they are

saying

aren't they

Lord it

was you

sovereign

Lord who

was presiding

at Golgotha

the real

king was

Jesus

and Jesus

brings this

home

doesn't he

to Pilate

do you

remember how

little

Pontius

find us

full of his

own self

importance

and full of

his own

authority

he trots

around in

front of

Jesus

and he

says

do you

not know

I have

power to

release you

and power

to crucify

you

I would

love

to have

seen his

face

wouldn't

you

when Jesus

says to him

you have

no power

over me

except it

was given

you by

God

and Pilate

and Herod

and the

people of

Israel

and the

Gentiles

and the

Roman

soldiers

they are

instruments

of God's

infinite

grace

in the

glorious

plan of

redemption

but it

encompassed

some of

the darkest

hours of

human history

and I guess

that's what

these

apostles are

saying

it is

out of

that

infinite

darkness

that God

could bring

our full

salvation

and what

might he

not bring

out of

this hour

and our

struggles

at this

time

and that

speaks to

us of

God's

sovereignty

in accomplishing

our

redemption

scripture

also tells

us that

God is

sovereign

in applying

redemption

as well

and that

is a

glorious

kind of

authority

and motivation

we have

in evangelism

that it

is God

who is

drawing

people

to

Christ

that it

is God

who is

the author

of salvation

that it

is God

who prepares

people's

hearts

and I'm

sure it

was a new

vision of

that that

gave these

men heart

to go out

and with

great power

we read

in verse

33

great power

the apostles

were giving

their testimony

to the

resurrection

of the Lord

Jesus

and great

grace was

upon them

all

sovereign

lord over

creation

over history

over redemption

and finally

let's see

sovereign lord

over the

contemporary

scene

it's not

merely true

of the past

is it

it's not

something they

look back on

as a kind of

curious freak

of history

it's the most

relevant reality

for the

contemporary

situation

in which

they find

themselves

and it

is for

us

this

evening

and so

they say

now lord

look upon

our

present

situation

and on

account of

your

sovereign

lordship

in creation

and history

and redemption

look upon

our present

situation

and grant

your servants

boldness

to speak

your word

and stretch

out your

hand

to heal

and signs

and wonders

because the

character of

God does

not change

they may

now appeal

to him

for their

present

situation

this is the

God who is

not the

great I

was

but the

great I

am

he is

the unchanging

God who is

in sovereign

control

who is able

to touch

the present

situation

of his

children's

lives

and to

bring them

into that

glorious

assurance

that here

is a

God who

does all

things

well

and so

what I

want to do

is I

want to

close and

I want to

give you

three words

this week

which I

think are

the application

of the

doctrine of

the sovereignty

of God

that help

us in our

own lives

three words

that we

need to

ask God

to write

on our

hearts

from this

passage

and from

this

doctrine

the first

is rest

do you

see the

significant

thing is

that because

God

reigns

we may

rest

in him

and we

may rest

in his

wisdom

and in

his

power

and in

his

sovereignty

Jeremiah

says in

his prayer

doesn't he

there is

nothing

too hard

for you

and so

we may

therefore

rest

in God

the

sovereignty

of God

is the

doctrine

above all

else

which brings

rest

into the

hearts

and minds

of believers

I was at a

minister's

conference once

and he said

to me

he was

berating

ministers

that don't

take a

day off

and he

says it's

an extraordinary

thing how

we have

the view

that the

almighty

is incapable

of looking

after his

cause

while we

take a

day off

and it's

an amazing

thing isn't

it how we

can find a

lack of

rest and

what is

behind that

is because

we have a

lack of

confidence in

God's

absolute

sovereign

control

it's like

when you

go on

holiday and

you say to

the person

who's driving

do you

mind if I

sleep

while you

watch the

road

while you

drive

it's like

we imagine

God needs

us to

kind of

help us

to keep

our eye

on things

for him

in all

kind of

circumstances

we need

to learn

what it

is to

rest in

the

Lord

because

he is

the

sovereign

one

second

word is

hope

hope

and this

is what

transformed

the attitude

of the

apostles

in the

early

church

and they

were

overwhelmed

they were

outnumbered

certainly

and it

seemed

that there

was nothing

but despair

it's

precisely

the same

sense in

the modern

world

secular

society

and secular

men and

women and

boys and

girls are

obsessed with

despair

for all the

nonsense of

believing in

yourself

there's very

very little

hope in

our world

why is that

well it's

because they

do not know

God

and it's

because they're

blind to the

fact that

our God

reigns in

glory

and ultimate

power belongs

to him

and you and

I need to

live in the

light of that

solid glorious

hope

it's not the

kind of hope

that has

doubt attached

to it

I hope it's

a sunny day

next Saturday

for the

barbecue

but we know

full well it

might not be

but the

confidence of

the hope of

the gospel

is certain

and there's

this is true

of personal

life too

isn't it

because the

sovereign

control of

God upon

the lives

of his

people too

is such

that all

things work

together

for the

good of

those who

love him

so do you

believe

that this

evening

do you

believe that

there's not

an area of

your life

not an

atom of

your experience

which God

is not

controlling

altogether

for your

good and

his glory

there may

be very

difficult

things in

your life

and there

may be a

family situation

which you're

finding very

difficult

there may

be enormous

health concerns

you may be

very very

unhappy in

work at the

moment

but there's

not an area

of your life

not an atom

of your

experience

which God

is not

controlling

together for

your good

and his

glory

that's what

this doctrine

implies

rest

hope

and then the

last thing is

obedience

God's

kingly rule

is always

personal

and the

sovereignty

of God

is not a

doctrine

to be held

in isolation

from a

servant's

obedience

we may

not claim

in a kind

of critical

abstract

clinical

theoretical

sense

the primary

aim of this

doctrine

is upon

the glad

bowing

of every

area of

life

before him

as king

of lord

crown him

the lord

of life

and if

rest and

hope are

the comfort

of this

doctrine

obedience is

the challenge

of it

the lord is

king

is he

really

is he

king over

every area

of your life

this evening

or are you

among those

who rebel

against the

lord

you conspire

against him

thinking he

can't see you

thinking he

doesn't know

against his

anointed in

some area of

your life

god give us

obedience

god give us

hope

god give us

rest

let's pray

a