Speak the Word with Boldness

Let me pray now for the reading and preaching of God's Word.

Heavenly Father,

You have entrusted to us

the mystery of the Gospel.

That precious message,

good news of salvation in Jesus.

And Lord, we want to be faithful stewards of that message.

We want to cherish it,

pass on the deposit,

that apostolic deposit that has been passed down to us.

We want to share the good news of Jesus Christ

with our friends and neighbors and our family.

But Lord, in order to do that,

we need boldness.

We need to be empowered by Your Holy Spirit.

So we ask that You would do that tonight

by speaking to us through Your Word,

in Your Word.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Acts chapter 4, verses 13 through 31.

Acts 4:13–31

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John

and perceived that they were uneducated, common men,

they were astonished,

and they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them,

they had nothing to say in opposition.

But when they had commanded them to leave the council,

they conferred with one another,

saying,

What shall we do with these men?

For that a notable sign that has been performed through them

is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem,

and we cannot deny it.

But in order that it may spread no further among the people,

let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.

So they called them and charged them

not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

But Peter and John answered them,

Whether it is right in the sight of God

to listen to you rather than to God,

you must judge.

For we cannot but speak

of what we have seen and heard.

And when they had further threatened them,

they let them go,

finding no way to punish them

because of the people.

For all were praising God for what had happened.

For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed

was more than 40 years old.

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 their voices together to God

and said,

Sovereign Lord,

who made the heaven and the earth

and the sea and everything in them,

who through the mouth of our father David,

your servant,

said by the Holy Spirit,

why did the Gentiles rage

and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth set themselves

and the rulers were gathered together

against the Lord

and against his anointed.

For truly,

in this city,

there were gathered together

against your holy servant Jesus,

whom you anointed,

both Herod and Pontius Pilate,

along with the Gentiles

and the peoples of Israel,

to do whatever your hand

and your plan

had predestined to take place.

And now,

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 through the name

of your holy servant Jesus.

And 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.

This is God's holy

and authoritative word.

In 1521,

Martin Luther stood on trial

before the Holy Roman Emperor

in the Diet of Worms.

He was being charged for heresy

because he published

the 95 Theses,

which denounced the use

of indulgences

by the Roman Catholic Church.

An indulgence was something

that believers can purchase

with money

in order to reduce

their punishment for sin.

A popular preacher

and really a precursor

to the modern prosperity

gospel preachers

was Johann Tetzel.

And the Pope was engaged

in the most expensive

church building project

up to that point,

St. Peter's Basilica.

And he needed a lot of fundraisers.

And Johann Tetzel

was one of the most effective

fundraisers he had.

He would often repeat this refrain

in front of captivated audiences.

As soon as the coin

in the coffer rings,

the soul into heaven springs.

But Martin Luther challenged

this claim on the basis

of Scripture,

insisting that forgiveness

for sin cannot be purchased

with money.

And that salvation

is only by God's grace alone,

through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

And for his stand

for this biblical truth,

Luther was now standing

trial for heresy

at the Diet of Worms.

And at the end

of the interrogation,

after he had been commanded

to recant all that he had taught,

Luther,

standing before

Charles V,

the emperor

of the Roman Empire,

standing before

Dr. Jeremy Scherf,

the Wittenberg professor

in canon law,

standing before

Dr. Johann Eck,

the renowned

German scholastic theologian,

so standing before

basically the highest

political authority,

the academic authority,

and the clerical authority,

all the movers

and shakers

of his world,

Luther said this,

quote,

unless I am convinced

by the testimony

of the Scriptures

or by clear reason,

for I do not trust

either in the Pope

or in councils alone,

since it is well known

that they have often

erred and contradicted

themselves,

I am bound

by the Scriptures

I have quoted,

and my conscience

is captive

to the Word of God.

I cannot

and will not

recant anything,

since it is neither safe

nor right

to go against conscience.

Here I stand.

I can do no other.

May God help me.

Amen.

He was immediately

declared a heretic

and an outlaw,

and the council

permitted anyone

to kill Luther

without legal consequence.

But Luther's bold testimony

was an inflection point

in church history.

It propelled

the Protestant Reformation

and changed the course

of world history.

But where does

such boldness

come from?

What is its origin?

What is the basis

for such boldness?

If you are like me,

there have been times

you didn't feel bold at all.

Perhaps you are familiar

with the feeling

of being in a group conversation

that is disparaging

of Christ and His Word,

but you are cowered

by the sneering

and mocking

and just go along

with the flow

of the conversation

without saying anything.

Perhaps you are familiar

with the feeling

of not being able

to share the good news

of Jesus Christ,

even when your conversation

with your friend

or neighbor

presents a wonderful

opportunity for it

because you feel awkward

and afraid,

maybe even ashamed.

Maybe you have wondered,

how can I be more bold

for the sake of Christ?

Acts chapter 4,

Acts 4 · chapter mention

13 to 31,

teaches us this,

that we must speak

the Word of God

with boldness

despite opposition

from the powers that be.

It tells us the reason

to speak the Word

with boldness,

the authority

to speak the Word

with boldness,

and finally,

the power

to speak the Word

with boldness.

So let's look at those

three things in turn.

Verse 13 tells us

that when the Jewish rulers,

elders, and scribes

saw the boldness

of Peter and John

and perceived

that they were

uneducated common men,

they were astonished.

The word boldness

refers to how

Peter and John

frankly, freely,

and fearlessly

taught the people

about Jesus Christ.

But it's not simply

their boldness

that astonishes

these Jewish rulers.

It's their boldness

despite the fact

that they were

uneducated common men.

Human pride, too,

can produce boldness.

Degrees,

noble birth,

societal rank,

fame,

celebrity,

power,

authority,

they can make

people bold.

That's what made

these Jewish rulers

bold

in their own way.

If you remember

from earlier

in chapter 4,

they barged in

aggressively,

interrupted Peter and John

as they were teaching

the people,

and they apprehended them.

They were so bold

to do such things

because they thought

to themselves,

well, this is our jurisdiction.

We are the religious

authorities.

We have the

scholarly education

and the proper

credentials.

That's why

they were bold.

Peter and John

had no such things.

They were uneducated

common men,

fishermen by trade,

manual laborers.

They had no formal

rabbinical training.

They were ordinary men,

lay people,

amateurs.

And yet,

before the leading

politicians

and scholars

and lawyers

and judges

and the clerics

of their day,

they had boldness

because this boldness

rested not on

themselves

and their abilities,

but on the authority

of Christ

who had commissioned them.

In Matthew chapter 28,

Matthew 28 · chapter mention

18 to 20,

when Jesus commissions

his disciples,

he says,

all authority

in heaven and on earth

has been given to me.

Go therefore

and make disciples

of all nations.

Jesus' authority

in all of heaven

and earth

is the basis

for the commission

to go out

and make disciples

of all nations.

And for this reason,

Peter and John

needed no further

accreditation

or authorization

from the Jewish leaders.

Likewise,

you don't need

to have

a seminary degree

or be a pastor

to be a bold witness

for Christ.

You don't need

to have read

all the apologetics books

in order to be

a bold witness

for Christ.

But you do need

one thing.

You must know Christ.

You need to have

been with Him.

And the Jewish rulers

make this connection

at the end

of verse 13.

It says that

they recognize

that Peter and John

had been with Jesus.

In Mark 3, 14,

Jesus appoints

His 12 apostles

to follow Him.

And He says explicitly

that He did so

in order that

they might be with Him

and He might send them

out to preach.

The phrase

to be with Jesus

is a language

of discipleship.

It means to be

a follower of Jesus,

to accompany Him,

imitate Him,

to learn from Him,

be His apprentice.

This is the one condition

for bearing

bold witness

to Jesus.

In order to bear witness

to Jesus,

you must be

His follower.

You have to have

been with Him.

Peter and John

say later in verse 20,

for we cannot

but speak

of what we have

seen and heard.

Peter and John

have seen

Jesus' signs

and wonders.

They had heard

His teachings.

They had a relationship

with Him.

They knew His character.

They witnessed

His life,

death,

and resurrection,

and ascension

to heaven.

In short,

they had been

with Jesus

and those

who have been

with Jesus

can't help

but speak

of what they

have seen

and heard.

Because Jesus

is so real

to them,

so compelling

to them,

they can't be silent.

Peter and John

can't help

but speak

of what they

have seen

and heard,

but in contrast,

the Jewish rulers

are silenced.

It says in verse 14,

But seeing the man

who was healed

standing beside them,

they had nothing

to say

in opposition.

The proof

of the authority

and power

of the name

of Jesus

is clearly

in display here

with the man

who had been

born lame

now standing

healed

beside them.

So the Jewish rulers

have nothing

to say

because the proof

is right there

in that man.

They can say

nothing to contradict

Peter and John's

claims.

And you would think

that this would lead

them to faith

in Jesus,

but it doesn't.

It says in verses

15 to 17,

But when they had

commanded them

to leave the council,

they considered

with one another,

saying,

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.

But in order

that it may spread

no further

among the people,

let us warn them

to speak no more

to anyone

in this name.

This is in stark

contrast

to the congregation's

response to Peter's

sermon earlier

in Acts chapter 2

Acts 2:37

verse 37.

When they heard

Peter's teaching,

it says that

they asked themselves,

Brothers,

what shall we do?

In contrast,

here the Jewish rulers

in our passage,

in chapter 4

verse 16,

asked themselves,

What shall we do

with these men?

They are not concerned

with the claim

of the gospel

of Jesus Christ,

the claim of God's word

upon their lives.

They are not concerned

with reforming

their own erroneous beliefs

and are instead

only concerned

with shushing up

Peter and John,

who has become

a nuisance for them.

Instead of listening

to their message,

they are only concerned

with shutting them up.

This is the kind

of hard-heartedness

that our sinful

human hearts

are capable of.

These Jewish rulers

have witnessed

a clear miracle.

They call it themselves

a notable sign,

a sign that points

to the work of God.

They admit that

it is undeniable

and yet still

they try to figure out

a way to silence

the first Christians.

They don't want

the teaching

accompanied,

accompanying that

notable sign

that they have admitted.

Here's clear proof

that faith

is necessary,

is a necessary

divinely appointed means

by which God saves us.

It's impossible

to demonstrate

the truth

of the gospel

in such a way

that no faith

is necessary.

It's impossible.

No matter how clear

the proof,

there will always

be people

who refuse

to believe

because God

has ordained

that we can be

saved by His grace

through faith

in Jesus Christ alone.

We can only see

through eyes of faith.

God

and what the Jewish

rulers

are opposing

here is clear.

Look at verse 17.

It says,

Let us warn them

to speak no more

to anyone in this name.

And again,

in verse 18,

they charge them

not to speak

or teach

at all

in the name of Jesus.

These Jewish rulers

have no problem

with the apostles

going around

and healing people

and doing good deeds.

but they do

have a problem

if they're speaking

in the name

of Jesus.

Isn't this the case

in our day

and age also?

People have

no problem

with Christians

doing charity work,

community service.

They have no problem

whatsoever

with you being

a spiritual person.

People don't object

to you praying

or meditating.

Most people

don't even object

to us talking

generally about God

and faith.

But as soon

as we start speaking

of the name

of Jesus,

people squirm

and withdraw.

Or at times

become downright

dismissive

or hostile.

That's because,

as we said

early in verse 12,

there is no

one else.

There's salvation

in no one else

for there is

no other name

under heaven

given among men

by which we must

be saved.

Satan and his minions

know this well.

And as the prince

of the power

of the air,

the ruler

of this fallen world

as the Bible calls it,

Satan shudders

at the name

of Jesus.

And he opposes

with all his might

the spread

of the name

of Jesus.

And as Christians,

as followers

of Christ,

we must expect

this resistance

and persevere

in proclaiming

the name

of Jesus.

It says in

verses 19-20,

but Peter and John

answer them,

whether it is right

in the sight of God

to listen to you

rather than to God,

you must judge,

for we cannot

but speak

of what we have

seen and heard.

Peter and John

are Jews,

so they did have

some obligation

to these Jewish rulers.

The high priests,

the elders of Jerusalem,

the scribes,

the Sanhedrin,

they were subject

to these authorities.

And yet,

Peter and John

insist that they have

a higher allegiance

to God.

Contrast Peter and John's

stand here

in verses 19-20

with the Jewish rulers,

compromise,

and cowardice

in verses 21-22.

He says,

And when they had

further threatened them,

they let them go,

finding no way

to punish them

because of the people.

For all were praising God

for what had happened.

For the man on whom

this sign of healing

was performed

was more than 40 years old.

The lame man

that was healed

was more than 40 years old,

meaning his healing

was well beyond

the realm

of natural possibilities.

It cannot be explained

by anything but a miracle.

And because they cannot

deny the miracle

and knowing that

the people

were quite excited

about this sign

from God

and were praising God

in response,

they decide merely

to threaten

Peter and John

and let them go.

They want to do more.

They want to

put them in jail.

They want to punish them.

Maybe they even

want to harm them.

But they're afraid

of the people.

Afraid that there might

be a riot,

an uproar.

They make this decision

because of the people.

In contrast,

Peter and John

do what they do

because that's what

is right in the sight

of God.

This is the difference

between the fear

of God

and the fear

of man.

Fear of man

manifests itself

in our susceptibility

to peer pressure

or our preoccupation

with self-esteem.

Both of these things

reveal that our lives

revolve around

what others think of us.

And the heart

of the problem

with the fear of man

is that we need

people for our own glory

rather than loving

people for God's glory.

And the antidote

to the fear

of man

is the fear

of God.

To be so consumed

by God's glory,

to be so aware

of God's importance,

that what a mere man

says about us

matters little.

If you seek to do

what is right

in the sight of man,

you will learn quickly

that you cannot

please everyone

and that human beings

are quite fickle.

You will need

constantly to update

your beliefs

and behaviors,

to conform

to their ever-changing

whims.

But that's not

what Christians

are called to do.

We are called to do

what is right

in the sight

of God.

We are to speak

and act

not because of the people,

but because of God.

If we are controlled

by the fear of man

rather than the fear

of God,

we will never be

bold witnesses

for Jesus Christ.

Frederick the Great,

the 18th century

king of Prussia,

is said to have

once invited

some of the nobles

and notable people

to his royal table

to dine with him,

and that included

an invitation

to all of his

top-ranking generals

in the army.

One of those generals

was Hans Joachim

von Zieten.

He declined

this invitation

because he wanted

to partake

in corporate worship

of the church

and communion

in his church.

And at a later banquet

when von Zieten

was present

to dine with

the king of Prussia,

Frederick the Great,

Frederick mocked

the general

for his religious beliefs.

And the other guests

gladly joined in

on the fun,

joking about

the Lord's Supper,

making fun

of General von Zieten.

And finally,

the general stood up

and respectfully

addressed the monarch.

Quote,

Our Majesty knows well

that in war

I have never feared

any danger

and have everywhere

boldly risked my life

for you

and my country.

But there is one

above us

who is greater

than you or me,

greater than all men.

He is the Savior

and Redeemer

who has died

also for your majesty

and has dearly

bought us

with his own blood.

This one

I can never

allow to be insulted

for on him

I repose my faith,

my comfort,

and my hope

in life and death.

And then the general

asked to be excused.

The stunned guests

silently trembled

realizing that

von Zieten

very well might get killed.

However,

Frederick recognized

von Zieten's

quality of character

and knew that

he was exactly

the kind of man

he wanted

as his courageous general.

And so he quickly

grasped his hands

and asked his forgiveness

and requested

that he remain.

He promised

that he would never

again allow

such a travesty

to be made

of sacred things.

Of course,

the response

from people

will not always

be favorable

as was in the case

of von Zieten.

In certain parts

of the world,

it will lead

to overt persecution

and even martyrdom.

Even in free

and open

democratic societies

like ours,

Christians can face

ostracism

and discrimination

for standing firm

on their beliefs.

Remember what Jesus

told us in John 15

John 15:20

verse 20,

A servant is not

greater than his master.

If they persecuted me,

they will also

persecute you.

But regardless

of the outcome,

we must speak

the word of God

with boldness

despite opposition

from the powers

that be.

Why?

Because there is

salvation in no one else.

For there is no

other name

under heaven

given among men

by which we must

be saved.

Why?

Must we proclaim

with boldness

because we have

been with Jesus.

because we cannot

but speak

of what we have

seen and heard.

This is the reason

to speak the word

with boldness.

Now let's look

at verses 23 to 28

which teaches

about the authority

to speak the word

with boldness.

It says in verse 23,

When they were released,

they went to their friends

and reported

what the chief priests

and the elders

had said to them.

Having been assailed

and threatened

by others,

Peter and John

returned to their friends.

The phrase literally means

they went to their own.

In other words,

they went to those

to whom they belong.

They went to those

with whom they shared

their allegiance

to Jesus.

And then,

gathered together,

they called out

to God in prayer

in verses 24 to 25.

And when they heard it,

they lifted their voices

together to God

and said,

Sovereign Lord,

who made heaven

and earth

and the sea

and everything in them,

who through the mouth

of our father David,

your servant,

said by the Holy Spirit.

The Jewish rulers,

early in verse 15,

conferred with one another,

but we cannot,

we not only can confer

with our friends,

with one another,

we can also confer

with God himself

through prayer.

That's the power

we have access to.

And the disciples explicitly

quote Psalm chapter 2,

Psalms 2:1–2

verses 1 to 2,

and verses 25 to 26.

But in addition to that,

they also echo the language

of several other psalms

in their prayer.

So first,

the way they address God here

in their prayer

echoes Psalm 146,

Psalms 146:3–6

verses 3 to 6,

where God is addressed

as the Lord

who made heaven and earth,

the sea and all

that is in them.

It's notable

in that very same psalm

in verse 3,

it says,

put not your trust

in princes,

in a son of man

in whom there is

no salvation.

In the Greek translation

of the Old Testament

that the early believers used,

the word princes

is the same Greek word

as the one used

in Acts 4,

Acts 4:5

verse 5 and verse 8

to refer to

the Jewish rulers.

It's the same word

that is used

in the citation

of Psalm chapter 2,

Psalms 2:2

verse 2 and verse 16

to refer to the rulers.

And this allusion

to rulers

is intentional.

We are not

to put our trust

in human rulers,

including these

Jewish rulers,

because there is

no salvation in them,

as Psalm 146

makes clear.

Instead,

we are to put our trust

in the Lord Jesus,

King Jesus,

in whose name alone

there is salvation.

Anas,

Caiaphas,

John,

Alexander,

the members

of the high priestly family,

the rulers of Israel

cannot save anyone.

They do not offer salvation,

which can only be found

in the name of Jesus Christ.

So Peter and John

and the other Christians

who are praying

in this moment

are saying,

is the temple

your domain,

you Jewish rulers?

Is Jerusalem

your jurisdiction?

Well,

we are praying

to the sovereign Lord

whose jurisdiction

is the heaven

and the earth

and the sea

and everything

that is in them.

It is by His authority

that we proclaim

the name of Jesus

and His authority

trumps yours.

This is the authority

to speak the word

with boldness.

And then in verses

25 to 26,

they quote Psalm chapter 2

Psalms 2:1–2

verses 1 to 2.

Why did the Gentiles

rage

and the peoples

plot in vain?

The kings of the earth

set themselves

and the rulers

were gathered together

against the Lord

and against His anointed.

The main point

of Psalm 2

is that even when

we are embattled

by the nations

and their rulers

who oppose God

and His anointed,

we can take refuge

in God

because He remains

enthroned as King

over all.

It's a wonderful psalm

that we can't explore

in all its fullness

right now,

but in it,

the nations of the earth

and their rulers

oppose God

and His anointed King,

which points to Jesus,

the Messianic King.

And they conspire together

and marshal

all their forces

against God.

But it says

in verse 4

of Psalm 2,

He who sits

in the heavens

laughs.

The Lord holds them

in derision.

The phrase

He who sits

is a literal translation

that can be rendered

He is enthroned.

and it highlights

God's sovereign worship.

When the kings

and rulers

of the nations

are plotting

and assembling

together

against God,

God is not

standing up

and leaning forward,

looking out,

concerned.

God is not

pacing around

wracked

with anxiety

as the nations

are gathering together

and marshaling

their forces.

No,

He is rather

sitting

and laughing.

When I was

a young boy,

I used to love

wrestling

with one of my uncles.

Being an

undersized

but spirited

boy that I was,

I always thought

I had a fighting chance

and I'd use

all my strength

to try to trip him up.

But my uncle,

being the strong

and heavyset man

that he was,

would never budge.

And it drove me crazy

that every time

he wrestled,

he was laughing.

I'd be grunting

and sweating

and straining

and he'd be laughing.

He was laughing

because he was

having fun

and because he was

never at any point

threatened.

He was laughing

because it was amusing

to watch

me struggle.

In a similar way,

God cannot

be threatened.

He is the

sovereign

Lord.

The word

Lord

means

master.

And this is

highlighted further

by the repetition

of the word

servant,

which can also

be translated

slave

in verses 25,

27,

29,

and 30.

We are God's

servants.

King David

is God's

servant.

Jesus was his

holy servant,

the set-apart servant,

special servant

like no other.

God is the

sovereign

Lord,

the master,

and there is no

higher authority.

He is not

accountable to

anyone.

He is not

subject to

anyone.

He can do

as he pleases.

That's what it

means to be

sovereign.

And then

verses 27

to 28

explain the

significance

of this

reference to

Psalm 2.

For truly

in this city

there were

gathered together

against their

holy servant

Jesus,

whom you

anointed,

both Herod

and Pontius

Pilate,

along with

the Gentiles

and the

peoples of

Israel,

to do

whatever

your hand

and your

plan

had predestined

to take

place.

Jesus

is the

Lord's

anointed

king,

mentioned

in Psalm 2.

He is the

one whom

God has

appointed to

reign forever

over all

the people.

But the

kings of

the earth

set themselves

up against

him.

They gathered

against him,

both Herod

Antipas and

Pontius Pilate.

They represent

respectively the

Jewish ruler

and the

Gentile ruler.

Along with

the Gentiles

and the

peoples of

Israel,

including all

the Jewish

elders,

scribes,

high priests,

the Sanhedrin,

the Jewish

rulers,

were gathered

all conspiring

against the

Lord to

oppose Jesus

Christ.

But they

are saying,

the already

Christians are

saying,

it was all

in vain.

Because they

could not

stop what

the Lord,

what God's

hand and

plan had

predestined to

take place.

Verses 27 to

28.

The reference

to Jesus as

God's servant

is an allusion

to Isaiah

53,

where Jesus

is described

as the

suffering

servant of

the Lord

who bears

our

iniquities,

our sins

and transgressions

and dies

on the cross

in our

place so

that we

might be

forgiven and

redeemed from

our slavery

to sin.

And these

rulers of

the earth

thought that

they had

gotten the

better of

Jesus,

the Lord's

anointed,

by crucifying

him.

But God

raised him

from the

dead

triumphantly,

and Jesus

ascended into

the right hand

of God

the Father,

there to

reign forever.

And that's

the word,

that's that

good news of

Jesus and

his reign,

the salvation

that is found

in the death

and resurrection

of Jesus.

That is the

word that we

are to boldly

proclaim.

And it's

because we

are commissioned

by the

unimpeachable

sovereign Lord,

and because we

are commissioned

by the ascended

Lord Jesus who

reigns from the

right hand of

the Father,

we have

the authority

and the

warrant to

speak the

word with

boldness.

But where

does the

power to

speak the

word with

boldness come

from?

We've looked

at the

reason to

speak the

word with

boldness and

the authority

to speak the

word with

boldness,

but where

do we get

the power

to do so?

Authority is

the right

to do

something.

Power is

the might

to do

something.

authority

authorizes

you to

act in

a certain

capacity.

Power

enables

you or

empowers

you to

act in

a certain

capacity.

And we

see the

answer in

verses 29

to 31.

And now

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

through the

name of your

holy servant

Jesus.

And 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.

This is a

very challenging

prayer and I

think if we

are honest

with ourselves,

we'd admit

that the way

these believers

pray is quite

different from

the way

modern day

Christians

pray.

Imagine that

you were

threatened

with bodily

harm and

charged to

never again

speak in the

name of the

Lord Jesus

by the very

people who

killed our

Lord Jesus

just over a

month or so

ago.

How would

you respond?

How would

you pray?

We might

pray for

God's

protection

protection

from their

threats.

We might

pray for

God's

wisdom

about how

we might

go about

preaching the

gospel in

light of

these new

threats.

We might

pray that

God would

change these

rulers'

hearts for

a change of

policy so

that one day

in the future

we might

speak God's

word.

But the

early church

doesn't do

that.

They do

not pray for

protection from

the threats of

the Sanhedrin.

They do not

pray that they

might be spared

from persecution

and execution.

They are

completely disposed

to the will of

God as his

servants or

better as his

slaves.

Instead they

pray that God

would help them

to continue to

speak God's

word with all

boldness.

they are

not concerned

for their

safety and

well-being but

for the

exaltation and

the spread of

the name of

the Lord

Jesus.

That's what

drives them.

And this is

why this

passage began

with the

mention of

Peter and

John's boldness

in verse 13

and it ends

with the

prayer for

continued

boldness in

verse 29

and 31.

God is

comforting us

and exhorting

us by the

hand of

Luke to

be bold in

our witness

for Jesus.

We don't

need to

concern

ourselves with

how people

respond to

our declaration

of Jesus.

Some people

will be

receptive.

Others will

be resistant.

Some people

will listen

and believe.

Others will

reject our

message.

Some people

will honor

us and

thank us.

Others will

revile us

and persecute

us.

But their

response is

not our

responsibility.

Our

responsibility is

simply to

speak the

word of

Christ.

To

proclaim the

gospel of

Jesus.

This is why

I don't want

any of you

to be

discouraged

when people

that you

share the

gospel with

don't turn

to Jesus

in faith.

God

if you

have

shared it

if you

have spoken

the word

then you

have been

a faithful

servant of

the Lord

Jesus.

Don't

count how

many people

have been

converted by

your witness

to Christ

for that's

not ultimately

in our

control.

Count

instead the

number of

times you

have shared

the good

news of

Jesus with

those who

do not

know him.

verses 29

and 30

compliment each

other.

It says

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

through the

name of

your holy

servant

Jesus.

To put it

simply

we do

the speaking

God

does the

healing.

We do

the telling

God

does the

saving.

We do

the proclaiming

God

does

the

demonstrating.

Leave

God's

part

up to

God

and focus

on your

part.

The

signs and

wonders

that God

performs

are God's

sovereign

prerogative.

They are

not something

we can

manipulate

and control

with different

formulas

and rituals.

We can't

guarantee

God's

healing

by naming

it and

claiming

it.

We can't

demand

that God

heal

because we

have faith

or because we

have already

given thanks to

God ahead of

time for the

miracle.

Such

attitudes

betray human

pride and

presumption

rather than

humble

dependence on

God.

We can

in faith

ask God

to heal

certainly

and we

should

but we

must leave

the results

to God.

God

it is

God

who

stretches

out

his

hand