Praying For Gospel Boldness

where we finished reading.

And this encompasses the prayer of those who at that time formed the church

and were concerned, obviously, for the gospel and the advance of the gospel.

The book of Acts is crucial for the church and every generation.

It's not that we set it above any other book of scripture, any other part of scripture,

but the book of Acts is the establishing of the church in the age of the Spirit,

the age of the Holy Spirit, who came down at Pentecost

in accordance with a promise given in the Old Testament scriptures.

And because of that, it's a book that we need to come back to again and again

to remind ourselves of what it means really to belong to the church of God,

what it means to belong to a church that seeks to go out with the news of the gospel

to the world in which God has placed them.

Because this passage itself is a passage where we find such things as imprisonments,

intimidation, persecution, threats, all of these things that were faced then

and are faced now and are faced in every generation by the people of God

as they seek to live faithful lives and commend Christ to the particular time of day

that they themselves, the time of history that they themselves actually live in.

And what it did for them here as they were facing such things,

it actually fed into their prayers.

And one of the things this passage tells us is that they drew from the Old Testament scriptures

words which were very relevant, they found relevant,

to that aid to these circumstances in which they found themselves here.

Example, Psalm 2 here is quoted there in verses 25 and 26.

Well, they went back to Psalm 2 and found in Psalm 2 a very apt description,

a very relevant portion of God's word to apply to their own generation.

And that, by the way, is a reminder to us that we don't have two testaments,

as you were, in our Bibles that are cut off from each other.

The one flows into the other as God revealed himself down through the ages

as the one God to his one covenant people.

There's no church in the Old Testament then cut off,

and there's a new church in the New Testament.

It is God's church, God's redeemed people, God's covenant people,

all the way through history.

But, of course, changes are effected by the likes of the coming of Christ himself

and the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost

to have the church now in the age of the Spirit,

the age of fulfillment of all things following the death and resurrection of Christ himself.

And Psalm 2 is relevant because it speaks about the antagonism against the Lord's people

by the powers of the world, the political powers, even the religious powers of the world.

And God's response to that is also set out in Psalm 2 and quoted here in these two verses.

Now, verse 18, you first of all find orders given against gospel teaching.

How relevant is that?

Orders given against gospel teaching.

As you see there in verse 18,

the rulers called the people and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

And that charge or that order against gospel teaching is really acting against the evidence.

You know, one of the things that's really frustrating but understandable in the light of Scripture

is that when you present the gospel, when you witness to the gospel,

when you actually speak to people about their soul and about the Lord and about all that the gospel is,

you'll find that so often they actually go against what evidence is provided by God,

sometimes very clear evidence of his work.

For example, verse 16 here,

verse 16 speaks about the miracle done to the man who had been healed.

So when they came in verse 14,

seeing the man who was healed standing beside them,

they had nothing to say in opposition,

but then commanded them to leave the council they conferred,

and they asked each other then,

this is still the authorities,

what shall we do with these men?

For that a notable sign has been performed through them

is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem,

and we cannot deny it.

And then, of course,

instead of saying,

well, let's consider this more,

let's give this more of our attention,

let's really just take this as possibly

something that we might have to reckon with

as true and important.

Instead of that,

in order that it spread no further among the people,

let us warn them not to speak any more in this name.

And that's the frustrating thing you find still,

even today.

And why Psalm 2,

the likes of Psalm 2,

is so important.

Because Psalm 2 began,

as you well know by these words,

why do the people rage against God?

Why such a thing

in the experience of God's people?

And as you look at Psalm 2

and the way it proceeds,

why do the nations rage?

And the people's plot in vain,

the kings of the earth set themselves,

and the rulers take counsel together.

And then the Psalm actually answers the question

that's posed there by saying,

let us burst their bonds apart

and cast away their cords from us.

In other words,

they're combining forces against the Lord,

but it's against especially

the way in which the Lord has specific commands

and precepts and rules

and, in fact,

his whole entire word.

And that,

why is this right through history?

Why do the nations rage?

Why do the people plot in vain?

Why is there such antagonism today to the gospel?

Why is there such opposition

to the church preaching the gospel?

Why is there some opposition

even in parts of the wider church

to the gospel truly being preached

rather than what we heard already

in prayer as a social message

that really at the end of the day

doesn't save anybody?

Well, it's because they're plotting

against the Lord

and against his anointed.

And if you go then

to the passage in Acts we're looking at,

why do the Gentiles rage

and the people rage in vain,

plot in vain?

The rulers were gathered together

against the Lord

and against his anointed.

And the word anointed there

is literally the word Christ.

That's what Christ means.

To plot against the Lord

and against his Christ.

And that really is why

today there's such an opposition

still against the gospel.

And it always will be that way

as long as human beings

stand in opposition to God.

Because this is a gospel

that calls them to repent.

A gospel that calls them

to turn from their way

and seek the Lord.

A gospel that calls upon people

to leave the way of sin

and turn into the ways of righteousness.

And to look to the commands of God

and to the promises of God

and to the whole word of God.

And of course that's something

that we don't naturally like.

And so we turn against it

and find so, so many different ways

in which that opposition

and antagonism to the gospel

is fed into our society

from different streams of thought.

And it's all to do with this

plot against the Lord

and against his anointed.

Whether it's in terms of

what happens in our schools,

in our education system,

in our universities and colleges,

any place in our society

that has any semblance

of truth presented to it,

you will always find this reaction

on the part of sadly too many people.

And of course,

it says there in verse 25,

why did the Gentiles rage

on the people's plot

in vain?

Futility.

And yet,

it's something that people

continue doing.

And that again takes up,

as it's taken up from Psalm number 2,

reminds us of what God does

in the face of all that.

He that sits in heaven

shall laugh.

The Lord shall have them

in derision.

And of course,

that doesn't mean

that the Lord is just

treating this lightly,

that he's just having

a laugh at them,

that he just finds

the whole thing very amusing.

When it says there,

the Lord laughs at all this,

what it means is that

he views all of these attempts

as absolutely futile

because his plan

and his purpose

is not going to be diverted.

I mentioned this

on the Lord's day.

His plan is not

in any way affected

by the opposition

of the world,

even of the highest authorities

in any particular generation.

And his own plan,

as you can see there

from verse 28,

it's interesting

that it says there,

when they prayed

to the Lord,

what they mentioned

in prayer was

that Herod

and Pontius Pilate

along with the Gentiles

and the people of Israel

lauded together

and gathered

to do whatever

your hand

and your plan

had predestined

to take place.

You see,

they're finding

a measure of comfort

in all of this.

They began the prayer

as sovereign Lord.

They prayed to him

as the sovereign Lord

in verse 24.

And because they prayed

to him

as the one they knew

as the sovereign Lord,

instead of actually

coming now

to say

Herod and Pontius Pilate

together with the Gentiles

and the people of Israel

were gathered

to do what they

themselves purposed

against the Lord

and against your anointed,

that was the case

but it's actually

God's plan

they're carrying out.

to do whatever

your hand

and your plan

had predestined

to take place.

And sometimes

that's where

we've got to find

our refuge.

Find our refuge

there all the time.

But there are

many times

when we can't

ourselves

get beyond

a certain stage

in our thinking

and our conclusions

and coming to

a conclusion

as to why

things are

as they are

and how we

go about

dealing with it.

And so we leave

it with the Lord

and say

Sovereign Lord

it's your plan.

You're carrying

out your purpose.

We can't understand

how all of these

oppositions

to your gospel

fit into your plan

but we know

it's your plan.

We would want

to see them changed

but they still

go on unchanged.

So Lord

give us

we pray

to find ourselves

taking refuge

within your sovereignty.

You know

when I

started

what seems

many years

ago now

in the ministry

the ministry

we hadn't back

the late

Murdo McCauley

he was still

then in active

ministry

not in a

congregation

but he was

still preaching

and I was

speaking to him

one day

and he said

I'm just going

to say this

to you

he said

I could say

much to you

by way of

advice

from a long

time in ministry

but one thing

you will always

find

is that

you have to

fall back

on the sovereignty

of God.

You have to

fall back

on the sovereignty

of God.

You meet with

things you didn't

plan

you wouldn't

want to have

planned.

You meet with

surprises

you meet with

changes

you meet with

challenges

you meet with

difficulties

you meet with

disappointments

you meet with

all sorts of

things that

challenged your

soul and

challenged your

faith and

sometimes even

shake you up

but you can

always fall

back on the

sovereignty of

God.

And that's not

you know when

you fall back

on the sovereignty

of God it's

not just ducking

out of the

issue.

It's not that

you're just

refusing to

think things

through.

What he meant

by that was

you've thought

things through

you've prayed

over things

you still believe

in God

you pray for

his blessing

but you reach

the point where

you've done

that and still

you have all

of this to

face.

fall back

on his

sovereignty

and of

course in

our personal

lives that

really is so

important isn't

it?

And that really

is what happened

at the cross

itself.

There is the

world's view of

the cross come

down from the

cross and we

will believe.

Do it the way

that we prefer

the way we

think best.

Do it in

accordance with

our ideology.

let our

ideology actually

shape what

the cross

is, what

Jesus Christ

is, who

he is, what

he's in the

world for, what

salvation is, what

the Bible is

about.

Do it this

way and we

will believe.

Well that's

really the world

of today and

what the world

is saying by

that is well

we believe in

our own way

anyway and

we're not going

to believe

anything else.

Now sovereign

Lord he says

they say

sovereign Lord

who made the

heaven and

the earth

and who

through the

mouth of our

father David

said by the

Holy Spirit

now Lord look

upon their

threats and

grant to your

servants to

continue to

speak your

word with

all boldness.

So the

orders against

gospel teaching

are very

applicable to

the situation

you and I

face.

It doesn't

matter where

you look

around in

society you'll

find people

in power,

people of

influence,

people who

are very

persuasive in

actually getting

others to join

their bandwagon

whatever it is

and against the

gospel you'll

find so many

joining these

campaigns whether

it's in

education,

medical issues,

very many other

aspects of our

society's life.

people of

God.

But you come

back to the

way that it's

all fitting

together in

God's plan and

you wait upon

the Lord to

answer your

prayers in due

time.

And that's

where you come

to the prayers

that they then

prayed.

And one thing

that struck me

during the

prayers here

actually was how

obviously this

passage had

registered with

too many who

were praying

because they

both mentioned

at least once

if not more

the whole

emphasis here

on boldness.

The boldness

of these people

we began reading

at verse 13.

When they saw

the boldness of

Peter and John

and perceived

that they were

uneducated common

men they were

astonished.

And where we

finished in

verse 31 the

place was shaken

they were all

filled with the

Holy Spirit and

continued to speak

the word of God

with boldness.

What is it to

speak the word

of God with

boldness?

What is this

boldness that

they were praying

for more of?

What is this

boldness that you

and I have the

privilege of

knowing for

ourselves and

of exercising

ourselves?

Well it's not

the boldness of

the world.

It's not the

boldness of

aggressiveness.

It's not the

boldness of

speech you find

in people shouting

down the arguments

of others.

It's not boldness

of self-confidence

in our own

ability.

It's not the

boldness of

human intellect.

It's not the

boldness of

anything other

than confidence

in God.

That's what it's

meant by

boldness.

It's the

boldness that

comes through

faith through

trust in God.

Boldness that

his word is

truth.

Boldness that

he is always

sovereign and

right.

Boldness that

the gospel will

not return to

him void.

It will

accomplish the

purposes of

God.

Some will be

hardened under

it.

Some will

be melted.

Some will

be saved.

Some will

be lost.

But God

will not be

mocked and

God will not

be diverted

from his

purpose.

And you see

they lifted up

their voices

together.

They lifted up

there in verse

24.

When they

heard it,

they lifted up

their voices

together to

God and

said,

Sovereign

Lord.

I didn't

find any of

those people

saying,

well,

we need

to pray

to God,

but you

guys are

in charge

of the

meeting.

You're the

ones who are

doing the

prayer.

We'll just

follow.

They all

lifted up

their voices

together to

God and

said they

were united

in praying to

God and

calling upon

the Lord.

They all

joined in the

prayers.

They all

joined in,

whether spoken

or otherwise,

but they were

all part of

that movement

of prayer.

prayer.

That's why

we're here

tonight.

We had two

men engaged

in prayer

audibly,

but you were

all praying,

weren't you?

We're all part

of praying

to God.

And the more

the Lord

actually impresses

on us the

need for boldness

as it is in

our particular

day to answer

the taunts

and the aggression

of the world,

that's where we

come together

to pray.

one of the

great things

about having

this meeting

in the middle

of the week

is that we

come together

to pray,

and being

together to

pray is an

inestimable

privilege.

You can do

a lot of

praying on

your own,

and you have

to do,

and I have

to do a lot

of praying

on our own

if we're really

in that

relationship with

God that

seeks as

blessing as

we trust we

do.

But there's

something

particularly

special,

and something

particularly

noteworthy

about being

as they

were here

lifting up

their voices

together to

God.

All of us

gathered together

and joined

in mentally

and spiritually

with what is

ascending to

God by way

of worship

and appeal

in prayer.

prayer.

Sometimes

perhaps we

are over

critical of

churches or

congregations

that are full

of amens

during the

time that

people pray.

Certainly

that can be

overdone,

there's no

doubt.

But nevertheless,

reasonably done,

it's a good

indicator,

isn't it,

that people

are actually

following what's

being spoken

in prayer by

those who are

praying publicly,

and their

hearts are

engaged in it

and their

minds are

engaged in it

and they're

actually being

together,

joined together

in that

concert of

prayer,

in that

corporate

prayer,

following those

who may be

individually engaged

in it publicly.

In any case,

that's what they

were doing here.

They lifted up

their voices

together to

God and

said,

Sovereign

Lord,

we pray

to you.

that is

where we

have our

comfort and

our boldness

from,

from being

together and

being together

and lifting up

our voices

to God.

I think the

days in which

we live

certainly call

for gathered

prayer,

for concerted

prayer,

for congregational

prayer,

for gatherings

for prayer,

and in

facing that

world in

all its

antagonism

to the

gospel.

One of the

great privileges

and antidotes

that we have

to that,

one of the

counteractions

to the

actions of

a hostile

world,

is to be

concerted in

prayer together

and to value

the time

when we can

be together

to pray to

God.

So,

Sovereign

Lord,

they saw

that as

significant

against the

background of

Psalm 2.

Grant

that you,

your people,

grant to

us,

Lord,

to speak

your word

with all

boldness.

Now,

it might have

been some

people that

would advise

you against

that.

Here they were

facing

imprisonment,

intimidation,

and threat,

and persecution,

and yet what

do they want

to do?

They want to

speak more

with more

boldness.

Some might

have advised

them,

let's just

keep things

quiet for a

while.

Let's not

just be as

forthright in

presenting these

claims of

Christ.

No,

that's not

what they

went.

They went

the other

way altogether.

Now,

they said,

let's grant

to your

servants,

Lord,

look upon

their threats

and grant

to your

servants to

continue to

speak your

word with

all boldness

while you

stretch out

your hand

to heal

and signs

and wonders

are performed.

It wasn't

a time

to be

quiet.

And isn't

it interesting

as well

and significant

that despite

having been

so abused

and so badly

treated,

they didn't

pray to the

Lord for

vengeance.

They didn't

pray to the

Lord that

God would

come and

punish these

people who

had done

such things

to them.

No,

they prayed

for healings

for them.

they prayed

for their

well-being.

They prayed

that God

would be

merciful to

them,

that God

would turn

them into

his way.

And that,

of course,

is for our

context as

well,

as we

follow the

example and

the pattern

that our

Lord himself

said.

Colossians,

remember

Colossians

Colossians 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4

gives us

that spirit

of prayer

and of not

just of

prayer but

also of

speaking to

people and

witnessing to

people for

the gospel.

Colossians

Colossians 4:5–6

chapter 4

verses 5

to 6,

conduct

yourselves

wisely

towards

outsiders,

making the

best use

of the

time.

Let your

speech

always be

gracious,

seasoned

with salt,

so that you

may know

how you

ought to

answer

each

person.

That's

really just

following the

example of

the Lord

himself,

1 Peter

1 Peter 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2,

which tells

us that

when he

was reviled,

he did

not respond

by reviling

again in

return,

but he

committed

himself to

him who

judges

righteously,

to him

who was

the father,

his father

had sent

him into

the world.

And so

here is

the spirit

of speech

as well as

of prayer,

as you

find it

brought out

for us

there in

the pattern

that Jesus

himself

said.

And there's

God's

answer in

verse 31

and what an

answer it

was.

When they

had prayed,

the place

in which they

were gathered

together was

shaken,

and they

were all

filled with

the Holy

Spirit and

continued to

speak the

word of

God with

boldness.

That was

God saying,

I've heard

you,

and this is

my answer.

They were

asking God

to enable

them to

continue to

speak with

boldness.

That's what

he enabled

them to

do,

but he

gave a

sign of

it by

the place

that they

were gathered

in was

actually shaken

and they

were all

filled with

the Holy

Spirit.

That has

happened,

of course,

at other

times in

the history

of the

church as

well,

even within

our own

island here.

I've

never been

in a

situation

where that's

actually

happened,

but I

did meet

some in

the course

of my

life thus

far who

were in

that kind

of situation,

who were

in a

building,

usually

somebody's

home,

and where

the Holy

Spirit's

power and

presence was

so evident

there that

people felt

the place

itself

vibrating,

trembling,

God was

there.

God was

manifesting

himself there.

I wonder

what we

say tonight,

if it had

happened here,

what would

we then say

when we went

out into the

world?

Well, it

might be

something you'd

find very

difficult to

describe,

I'm sure,

but the

reality of

that would

be evident

through your

life and

through your

witness much

more than

if it had

never happened

at all,

because what

it says is

the place

they were

in was

filled with

the Holy

Spirit,

where they

were gathered,

it was shaken,

they were

filled with

the Holy

Spirit,

and continued

to speak

the word

of God

with boldness.

It came

through in

their speech

following this

incident,

as they went

out with the

gospel to the

world,

and their

boldness

was spirit-filled

boldness.

One of the

old commenters

from long,

long ago,

John Chrysostom,

who lived

from 347

to 407

AD,

he comments

just on this

particular passage

here,

this verse,

that they were

filled with

the Holy

Spirit,

continued to

speak with

boldness,

the shaking,

he said,

of this

place,

made them

all the more

unshaken,

the shaking

of this

place,

made them

all the more

unshaken,

unshaken in

their commitment

to the gospel,

commitment to

the Lord,

in their

determination to

speak with

all boldness.

Nothing

assures us

as the

evidence of

God's

presence,

and God's

blessing,

assures us

that when we

go out with

the gospel,

whether it's

in preaching

ministry or

in your own

witness to

God,

the presence

of God,

the assurance

of God,

the ability

to speak

tactfully,

and the way

we saw in

Colossians

there,

but with

boldness,

because your

boldness comes

from knowing

who your

God is,

from knowing

where your

life is

anchored,

from knowing

what the

gospel is,

what his

promises are,

and from

knowing that

his word

will never

return to

him void

or empty.

Let's pray.

We give

thanks to

our Lord

God that

you are

almighty,

that your

power is

so great

that you

could easily

shake this

place to

its foundations,

whether it

you will to

do so.

We pray,

Lord, that

you would

grant to

us, as we

have thought

upon this

great passage,

as we

have thought

upon your

people in

these times

when they

experience such

a power and

blessing from

God.

O Lord, help

us, we pray,

to be together

in prayer,

even if we're

not together,

actually gathered

as we are

here tonight.

Nevertheless,

Lord, give us

to be bound

together by

your spirit

in common

prayer.

prayer.

We ask, O

Lord, that

the blessing

that we seek

from this

passage for

ourselves would

be evident to

us in days

to come.

Lord, grant

us that

boldness.

Grant us

that confidence

in your

word.

Grant us

that confidence

in yourself.

Grant us

the speech,

Lord, by

which we

would make

Christ known

to the world

of our day.

Give us

confidence

against the

confidence of

the world.

Give us the

boldness of

your spirit,

O Lord,

against the

boldness of

unbelief and

of atheism and

of antagonism to

your great name.

We ask all of

these things,

and now as we

confess our sins,

seeking pardon

and cleansing

for Jesus'

sake.

Amen.