Habits of a healthy church: A healthy church is a praying church

So this evening, from the book of Acts, we're thinking about this truth, that a healthy church

is a praying church. And we're going to look at various texts in the book of Acts

in a few moments to see that, but it's important for us to remember that prayer changes the world.

That's how Doug Kelly begins his really helpful book on prayer. He says,

A prayer makes good things happen because it gets God's will done and thus brings down his best

blessings. We pray your kingdom come, your will be done. James O. Fraser, a famous missionary in

southwest China to the Lizu people, said, it will only be known on the last day how much has been

accomplished in missions by the prayers of earnest believers at home. Echoing what people in church

history and mission history have said, that prayer is the work of mission. J.D. Greer, in his recent

book, Just Ask, which I know some of us have been reading, he says, prayer is a preordained way

that God has appointed for executing his will on earth. He goes on to say, we were saved to pray.

God's design is that his people's prayers be instruments achieving his purposes. That's the way God has

wired the world. So since all those things are true, prayer changes the world, prayer changes mission,

prayer is designed by God to achieve his purpose, then we need to ask ourselves the question, why

do we struggle to pray? Why don't we pray? Perhaps a moment of honesty, I would have us say, well,

often it's because we're busy. Perhaps we'd say, well, often it just seems really ordinary, or I find it

really awkward. Maybe we would say, well, I pray and nothing seems to change, I kind of give up. Or I don't

seem to change, so it seems pointless. If prayer is the oxygen of the soul, do we find

ourselves tonight as Christians and as a local church gasping for breath? Are we lacking power

because we are not praying? The Bible reminds us over and over that our efforts, even our good

efforts at serving God without prayer and without the Holy Spirit will serve no effect.

A healthy church is a praying church. But we struggle with prayer. The church struggles with

prayer. So to counter our struggles, in part, I want to remind us from the book of Acts of the vital

place of prayer in the church from the beginning, and also to remind us of stories from God's Word and

church history to encourage us about the value of prayer, the priority of prayer, so that we would

pray, that we'd pray together, that we'd be praying often. Spurgeon, the great preacher, said,

asking is the rule of the kingdom, so that we've learned to ask boldly because we understand

that God has made us to pray for his kingdom to come. So the first section of God's Word we're

going to look at tonight is from Acts chapter 1, verses 6 to 14, and our big point that we're going

Acts 1:6–14

to see is that a healthy church is united in prayer. So Acts chapter 1, this is just as Jesus is about to

Acts 1 · chapter mention

depart. Then they gathered round him, so that's the eleven disciples around Jesus, and asked him,

Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? He said to them, it is not for

you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority, but you will receive power when

the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria

and to the ends of the earth. After he had said this, he was taken up before their very eyes,

and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going,

when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. Men of Galilee, they said, why do you stand

here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in

the same way you have seen him go into heaven. Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill

called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath-stay's walk from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to

the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas,

Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.

They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus,

and with his brothers. So that's their pattern as they are waiting for the Spirit. And then

Acts chapter 2, verse 42, after Peter's sermon at Pentecost, after the Spirit has come to the church,

Acts 2:42

we read, they devoted themselves to the following things, to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship,

to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. So a healthy church is united in prayer, and we see that

because that's the pattern from the beginning. So here's the apostles, and the apostles are appointed

by Jesus as witnesses to Christ. And Jesus has told them, and they know that they need the Spirit.

And Jesus said to them, the Spirit will help you to remember all that I taught.

And Jesus said to them, the Spirit will help you to speak when you find yourself having to

bear witness for Jesus, even in the face of opposition. And the Spirit within them would

cause them to seek the glory of Jesus, because that's what the Spirit wants, for Jesus to be

glorified. So their first task, in verse 4, is to wait for the gift my Father promised.

To wait for the gift of the Spirit before beginning the mission of Jesus, continuing the mission of Jesus

in the world. And so we find them waiting, we find them seeing Jesus ascend, and then they return

back to the city as they were commanded. And in verse 13 and 14, we meet this church, and they're a church

who are praying together, and they're a mixed group, aren't they? So the apostles are there, the 11 disciples,

with the exception of Judas, are there. And we find that women are there gathering to pray.

We find a special mention of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and also the brothers of Jesus. So sceptical

of him, before meeting the risen Lord Jesus, now they're believers in him as Lord, God, and Savior.

And what does it say? They all join together constantly in prayer. So the beginning of church life

was marked by seasons of united prayer. There is togetherness. They are in one place, and they have one heart.

This isn't a one-off thing. This is something they're doing constantly, because they are aware

of the size of their task. Jesus has left.

They need to continue the mission of Jesus. They need to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth.

By their preaching and teaching, by the life that they live together, they'll be drawing people into

the kingdom of God. They are representing Jesus, and they know they need the Spirit, and they know

they need prayer. And then after Pentecost, the first church, so these 3,000 people who are converted by

Peter's sermon, what does it say about them? It says they, 242, are devoted to prayer.

Here's how they express their fellowship. Here's how they express their worship in meeting together

to pray. Sometimes they would do that in a formal setting. So chapter 3, verse 1, we read,

one day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer, at three in the afternoon.

So as every Jewish person in the vicinity would gather to pray, so these first Christians would

gather to pray. Their prayers are different, because Jesus said, we call God Father. But other times,

their prayers were informal. In their house meetings, they were still devoted to prayer. So at all times,

formal, informal, this is a church united and devoted to prayer. And that makes sense.

The apostles had been with Jesus. Jesus, the ultimate man of prayer. Remember, they asked Jesus,

teach us to pray. They heard Jesus teach. When you pray, say this. Not if you pray.

Followers of Jesus pray. Instinct. They heard Jesus invite them to call God Father. They know they have

this wonderful new relationship. And so these brothers and sisters prayed together for the Spirit

in order that they would be witnesses. Now let's just pause for breath for a moment.

What connects the Lewis revivals of the 1940s and 50s? There's Duncan Campbell up there. Perhaps some

of us have read the account of the Lewis revivals. Perhaps some of us have heard the stories firsthand.

What connects the Lewis revivals with the growth of the church in Korea?

So we're really used to seeing Koreans come to study and to come to church and we hear about

Korean fellowships. In 1900, only 1% of Korea was Christian. 2000, 29%.

What accounts for the revival, what accounts for the growth of church?

Church is prayer. God answers prayer. We can think about that from God's Word. Perhaps one of the most

fascinating accounts is when we find Moses in the Old Testament pleading for sinful Israel

after they made and began worshipping before the golden calf. And God comes to Moses and says,

these people have rebelled. And do you know what? I'm going to start again with you. And what's

God doing? He's inviting Moses to stand in the gap, to be an intercessor, to mediate for the people,

to claim the promises of God, to claim the covenant. And he prays and God answers.

Peggy and Christine Smith, two elderly sisters on the island of Lewis, praying God's promises for Lewis.

And God answered and revival came. Prayer is God's means of building the kingdom. And he asks his people

to commit to praying together for his kingdom to come and his will to be done.

And I think the question for us is, do we believe that? And if we do, will we commit to praying

and praying together? So we have lots of different opportunities to pray, whether that's online on a

Monday, whether that's Sunday at five o'clock, whether that's at Wednesdays in community group or centrally.

And do you know, if we understood the importance of prayer, this place would be packed out, wouldn't it?

As we'd be calling on God to work in our church and in our city.

It would be a priority for us if we remind ourselves that healthy church is united in prayer

and our prayers change the world. So us praying together is vital to God's work in our community

and it's vital for us knowing God's power as a church.

Will we commit to praying together?

So a healthy church is united in prayer. In a way, building on what we said last week,

a healthy church supports preaching with prayer. That's the second thing I want us to notice,

and that's from Acts chapter 4. So Acts 3 and 4, in a one long narrative, you find Peter and John,

Acts 4 · chapter mention

and Peter heals a lame beggar. And this gets the attention of the Sanhedrin, and they eventually

end up being arrested and they're told to stop speaking about Jesus. Chapter 4.

They're then let out and we find the disciples on their release, Peter and John, coming back to the

church. So Acts chapter 4, verse 23 to 31. On their release, Peter and John went back to their own

Acts 4:23–31

people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this,

they raised their voices together in prayer to God. Sovereign Lord, they said, you made the heavens

and the earth and the sea and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your

servant, our father David. Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth

rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.

Psalm 2. Indeed, Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel

in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed. They did what your power

and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your

servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and

wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus. After they prayed, the place where they were

meeting was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

So Peter and John are released. They go back to the church and they go back to prayer. This is their

instinct. This is their oxygen. They're in a stressful and a dangerous situation. Just as Jesus faced

persecution, he told his followers they too would face persecution. They are experiencing that in their

arrest and that in their arrest and that becomes for them a reason to pray. First thing they do, though,

is they worship God as they pray. And I think there's a really helpful reminder for us as we

pause. In our anxious times,

when our hearts get all unsettled,

it's an invitation for us to talk to our hearts about our God.

That's where peace comes from. That's where restoration

in the midst of anxiety is going to come from when we talk to our hearts about who

our God is. And that's what they do here.

And again, just as an aside,

we recognize

that these first followers of Jesus, that the way that they pray matches the prayer focus of Jesus.

Concern for the kingdom of God. Concern for the glory of the Father, just as they saw in Jesus,

the Savior. So how do they worship as they pray?

Well, notice that they pray to God, acknowledging him as creator.

Verse 24,

Sovereign Lord, you made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them.

And that's good news. They pray to the one who is in charge.

They pray to the God of revelation.

So as they pray, Psalm 2, they are seeing it fulfilled in their day.

Jesus is God's anointed king,

and the leaders and the nations have conspired against him,

but they are powerless to defeat him and his purposes.

In Psalm 2, God laughs at his enemies.

His victory is certain and sure,

and the resurrection is that demonstration.

And they pray and they worship the God of history.

So in verse 27,

they can recognize Herod and Pontius Pilate meeting together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel,

and they're all conspiring against Jesus, God's holy servant.

But, verse 28,

they did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.

So these evil acts from evil men fulfill God's powerful, loving will to save sinners through the blood of Jesus.

So as they pray, they remember those lessons that they learned from Jesus.

Focus on God first.

The Lord's Prayer,

Hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done.

Because that's a reminder to the church.

It's a reminder to us.

Our God is in heaven.

He does what pleases him.

He is powerful.

He is faithful.

So when we find ourselves with anxious or doubtful hearts,

speak to your heart about God.

But the next thing,

and this is where we're going to focus,

verse 29,

Now, Lord, consider their threats

and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.

Perhaps that surprises us how they finish that sentence.

God, pay attention to the opposition that we are facing,

the persecution that we're experiencing.

We might expect and make it go away.

But that's not how they pray.

Because they heard Jesus say,

persecution and suffering is normal.

So they pray,

please make us bold to preach.

And then in verse 30,

they say,

stretch out your hand to heal

and perform signs and wonders

through the name of your holy servant, Jesus.

In the early church,

those miracles were a sign that these were God's men.

So they're praying,

please set your seal of approval on us.

Please show that you are working,

you are alive,

and you are powerful.

And see how God answered.

After they prayed,

the place where they were meeting was shaken,

and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit

and spoke the word of God boldly.

So they pray as a church.

God answers.

The power of the Holy Spirit comes,

and there is more bold preaching that happens.

The church functions as witnesses of Jesus.

Jesus.

John Chrysostom makes the observation

that the room was shaken,

but these disciples were all the more unshaken.

They pray.

They have prayer support.

They have the Spirit.

It made me think of the story

we've probably,

many of us heard about Spurgeon's church boiler room.

There was one time where some visitors came

to meet the famed preacher

and to see around his church,

and he took them to the huge sanctuary

that could see 5,000 in one sitting.

And then he took them downstairs,

and he said,

well, here is the boiler room.

I imagine they were perhaps curious

as to why he would pay such attention to that.

But when he opened the door,

there was 100 people gathering

to pray before the service

for the preaching of God's Word.

Spurgeon always knew

and was happy to testify,

my people pray for me.

And he understood

that was such a significant part

of his fruitful ministry.

In a different era,

William Carey,

famous as a missionary to India,

he had four lifelong friends,

some of whom were in ministry,

some were Christian friends.

And he said of going to the mission field,

so of using the idea of,

I guess, coal mines in the day,

he said,

I will go down into the pits

if you will hold the ropes.

He was relying on those friends'

steadfast prayer ministry

as he looked to preach the gospel in India.

A healthy church supports preaching

with prayer,

is the pattern we find in the book of Acts.

I was reading this week

about some of the prayers

that the persecuted church

ask for themselves.

And again, it's so striking and humbling.

Just as Peter and John,

they want prayer for boldness

to keep preaching.

So my favorite,

this is one of my favorite stories of all time,

but my favorite story this week

from the persecuted church,

from an evangelist

a number of years ago in China

called Wang Mingdao,

who found himself imprisoned

for his faith.

And the church was praying for him.

And so he was downhearted.

He's in prison.

He's an evangelist.

He loves to tell people about Jesus,

but there's nobody else in his cell.

So what is he going to do?

He has a brainwave.

He realizes,

this could be a ministry for some of us,

if he preaches down his toilet,

then the sound will carry along the pipes.

And so he begins

a wonderful gospel toilet bowl ministry,

and he discovers months later

that 96 people were converted

by those sermons.

The church prayed to support his preaching,

and he preached in a novel way,

and God worked and was glorified.

Last week we said a healthy church

is committed to proclaiming God's Word.

That's a Sunday by Sunday pulpit thing,

but that's an everyday witness

from the people of God thing as well.

And that needs us to pray,

to pray for me and whoever's preaching,

but to pray for one another,

that we'd have wisdom and boldness

as we look to share our faith.

So again,

as we think about this principle

and as we look to apply it,

will we commit together

to make time to pray

for Sunday services

and for daily conversations

and for global mission

and for those who desperately need to hear?

So think about William Carey's image.

There are people all over the world

going down into the pits,

engaging in gospel ministry.

Will we hold the ropes for them

by faithfully praying?

A healthy church supports preaching with prayer.

And the last thing I want to say

is that a healthy church

seeks spiritual protection in prayer.

And this takes us to Paul's farewell

to the Ephesian elders.

So Acts chapter 20,

Acts 20 · chapter mention

and we're going to read from verse 25 to 36.

Now, so Paul gathers these elders.

He's been with them for three years.

He's been in the region

for seven or eight years or so.

Now he's returning to Jerusalem

and he loves this church

and he shows it in his prayerful concern.

So let's read Acts 20 from verse 25.

Now I know that none of you

among whom I have gone about

preaching the kingdom

will ever see me again.

Therefore, I declare to you today

that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.

For I have not hesitated

to proclaim to you the whole will of God.

Keep watch over yourselves

and all the flock of which

the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.

Be shepherds of the church of God,

which he bought with his own blood.

I know that after I leave,

savage wolves will come in among you

and will not spare the flock.

Even from your own number,

men will arise and distort the truth

in order to draw away disciples after them.

So be on your guard.

Remember that for three years,

I never stopped warning each of you

night and day with tears.

Now, I commit you to God

and to the word of his grace,

which can build you up

and give you an inheritance

among all those who are sanctified.

I have not coveted anyone's silver

or gold or clothing.

You yourselves know

that these hands of mine

have supplied my own needs

and the needs of my companions.

In everything I did,

I showed you that by this kind of hard work

we must help the weak.

Remembering the words

the Lord Jesus himself said,

it is more blessed to give

than to receive.

When Paul had finished speaking,

he knelt down with all of them

and prayed.

So in verse 25 to 27,

we have that testimony

that he has faithfully preached

the whole will of God

among them.

He says,

I'm innocent of

the blood of anyone.

It's the language of Ezekiel.

He sounded a warning.

The warning of sin,

the warning of God's judgment.

He also announced

the good news of salvation

through faith in Jesus.

And then he gives instruction

to the elders.

Did you notice it?

Keep watch.

Be shepherds.

Be on guard.

Using that powerful

biblical image

of sheep and shepherds.

They are to be shepherds

over the flock,

aware, Paul is aware,

that they need to be on guard

from wolves.

They need to be guarding the truth.

There will be threats

from within the church.

There will be threats

from outside the church.

And so no doubt,

as Paul brings this message,

he anticipates

that this will,

at very least,

lead them to pray

for the church

and its protection.

Paul won't be there

to act as shepherd any longer.

So what can he do?

What does he do?

In verse 32,

we see him pray.

It says there,

Now I commit you to God

and to the word

of his grace.

Committing them to God,

the good and true shepherd.

Committing them to the word

of grace,

that word that's saved,

that word that is building

them in faith,

that word that will,

if they persevere in it,

give assurance

of future inheritance.

He prays,

commits them to God

and to the word of God.

And you read the letter

of Ephesians,

and you see Paul's

consistent pattern

of praying

for this church

that he loves

and seeking their

spiritual good.

But he is aware

of the danger

and of their need

of spiritual protection.

It says,

Jesus taught

in the Lord's Prayer,

lead us not into temptation,

internal sinful desires.

Deliver us from evil,

external pressures

and temptations.

Paul shows us,

it says,

Jesus shows us

that we are to seek

the spiritual health

and protection

of the church

as we pray,

as we pray

for one another.

John Knox,

church history,

gives us a powerful

example of this.

As he was dying,

these words of his

are recorded.

He said,

I have been in meditation

these last two nights

upon the troubled

kirk of God,

the church of God,

despised of the world

but precious

in his sight,

and have called

to God for it

and commended it

to Christ,

her head.

A similar language

as Paul used.

I have been fighting

against Satan

who is ever ready

to assault.

I have fought

against spiritual

wickednesses

and have prevailed.

John Knox,

fighting until his

last breath

for the spiritual

health and protection

of the church

in this country.

Paul knew.

Knox knew.

Prayer is necessary

to keep the church

strong,

to keep the church

pure,

so that the gospel

will be effective

in bringing many

to salvation.

So again,

as we think about

our own prayers,

will we commit

as we pray

to pray

for spiritual health,

to pray protection

over our local church,

indeed,

over our

denomination

as well.

Book of Acts

tells us

in so many places

a healthy church

is a praying church.

The Norwegian

theologian

Halsby,

he says,

the essence

of prayer

is opening

the door

of our lives

to the risen

Christ.

Prayer is

asking him

to come into

our human

situation

with his

resurrection

power.

again,

what a wonderful

motivation

to pray,

to know the

resurrection power

of the Lord Jesus

in our own lives,

in the life

of our church,

in the life

of our city.

We pray

because Jesus

loves his church.

We pray

because Jesus

bought his bride

with his own

precious blood.

We pray

because Jesus,

the good shepherd,

is seeking

after calling

other lost

sheep to

himself.

And we pray

because Jesus

works through

his church

and through

our prayers.

Absolutely,

yes,

through our

witness,

but absolutely,

yes,

through our

prayers

to build

his kingdom.

So,

the question

for each

one of us

and the question

we always need

to ask of

ourselves

as a local

church is,

am I committed

to prayer?

And will we

commit to

praying together

for God's

kingdom to

come,

for God's

will to be

done

on earth

as it is

in heaven?

Let's

pray

briefly

now.

Lord God,

thank you for

the wonderful

book of Acts

and for the

way that we

can look

through its

pages

and see

how often

your people

found themselves

praying,

how essential

and vital

and basic

it was

to their

spiritual life.

Lord,

we confess

as a church

and as individuals

often we lack

motivation to

pray.

Often we

don't make

time to

pray.

Often we'd

rather do

anything but

pray.

But Lord,

we ask that

by your

spirit you

would remind

us of

your purpose

in prayer,

of the

privilege and

priority of

prayer,

so that you

might draw us

to your throne

of grace

often,

that you

would draw

us together

to your throne

of grace,

that we

would be a

church united

in our

devotion to

prayer,

that we

would be

supporting

gospel work

at home

and abroad

in prayer,

that we

would be

seeking the

spiritual

good and

welfare of

your church

as we

pray.

Lord,

all of us

will need

to make

changes in

order to

respond.

Give us

wisdom to

know how

to make

prayer a

priority.

Give us

wisdom as

church leaders

to know

how to

keep

prayer as

a priority

for us as

a local

church.

Lord,

without you

we can do

nothing.

Without you

we are

lost.

Teach us

to pray.

Amen.