Rev Jim Lyons_The Church in Prayer_26th April 26_am

Rev Lyons continues with our study in Acts. The Bible reading this morning is Acts chapter 4 v 23-31

Transcript

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Turning back to Acts chapter four, and we will take up where we left off. So the reading this morning is from verse 23 through to verse 31. And we're in this section, chapter 3 and chapter 4, and this is the closing part of this section, which began, of course, with the miracle of the lay man in chapter 3, and then that of course led so flew flowed so naturally into the sermon by Peter. Chapter 4 began with the response to that sermon. One part negative, most of it was negative and positive as well, with 5,000 coming to the Lord. And Peter and John are arrested. They're before the Sanhedrin. We refer to that again today. They were faithful to God in that situation. So they have been told to leave the council. And they came up with their deliberations and brought about the judgment and threatened them to go and not teach and preach in the name of Jesus any more. And so they're leaving that gathering, and we pick it up in verse 23. And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said, Lord, you are God who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the mouth of your servant David have said, Why did the nations rage, and the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ or against his anointed. For truly, against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever your hand and your purpose determined before to be done. Now, Lord, look on their threats and grant to your servants that with all boldness they may speak your word, by stretching out your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. Just a short prayer. Father, we bow before you again, and we just look to you in Jesus' name. By your Holy Spirit, you would speak into our hearts. We ask you for the understanding that is so vital when reading and Lord seeking to explain your word, and we pray that you will give us grace to Lord, just do whatever you say to us from it this morning for Jesus' sake. In 2015, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, better known as ISIS or ISIL. If you want to know what the difference is, you can talk to me afterwards. Don't want to digress into that. They marched 21 Egyptian Christians to the seashore. They made them kneel and proceeded to give them the opportunity to recant their Christian faith. However, these faithful believers, in the face of their execution, remained faithful and refused to recant. So in response to their captors, in response, their captors took their swords and beheaded them all. And as they were about to do this, it was heard that those, all of those Christians in their breath muttered, Jesus, help me. There is a sense in which every believer faces persecution. Paul said that to Timothy, we refer to it often in his second epistle, 3 verse 10 to 12. But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long suffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions which happened to be at Antioch and Iconium and Lystrim. What persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me, yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. We know that when we know the Lord Jesus as our Savior and seek to put him first in our lives, spiritual oppression will never be far away. We will be persecuted, so for some, this may mean they will be bypassed in an up-and-coming promotion because they won't follow the party line. And they won't do this and do that because as a Christian, they have red lines that they won't cross. It may also come in the area of friendships, as our friends may think that we're just a wee bit too fanatic for them. There are those who have felt the rebuff in the family family circle, and those who have been recipients of more severe treatment. And what Paul is referring to here is a bit more serious. It's a bit more serious in the sense it's hands-on persecution, where you face bodily harm, imprisonment, and even your life may be in the line like those Egyptian believers. In those words to Timothy, Paul mentions places like Antioch, where he was thrown out of the city for preaching the gospel. We referred to Iconium and Lystra and the prayer meeting on Wednesday night. Iconium where they planned to stone him, and of course Lystra, where they actually did stone him, left him for dead, a planned assassination. In our world today, according to open doors, more than 388 million Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith. As we return to Acts 4, we have noticed, noted that this is the first or the seeds of persecution to come upon the church. Because what is happening is a severe threat to Judaism. And these religious religious leaders know this. What is happening is that Judaism has in their midst an explosion of people turning to the Lord Jesus. So we constantly go back to chapter 2, where there were 3,000, and it ended by telling us that every day people were turning to the Lord. In chapter 4, it's 5,000 men. It's not mentioning women there, but it's mentioning just the men. So this movement of God is getting to a point where it's not really where you can't really calculate how many people are part of this movement. But some have estimated that at that point there were probably about 20,000 people. This is nothing short of revival. God is on the move, and the spiritual elite in Israel don't know how to handle it, and certainly don't know how to contain it. Their popularity is on the increase. So when they arrest Peter and John, they really don't know what to do with these two individuals. Because there's no law against performing a miracle, because it's not something that was a daily occurrence. So they let them go, but threatened them not to preach in the name of Jesus anymore. As we noted last week in the response, they didn't promise to comply. But the opposite is mentioned in verse 19. Peter and John answered and said to them, Whether it's right in the sight of God to listen to you more than God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. They had to be true to what they had seen and what they had heard. And the Bible explains to us what they saw and what they heard. John says in his first epistle, that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen, which our eyes have seen, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled concerning the word of life. And in this gospel account in chapter one, Paul tells us what this word of life is. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God, and the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory. The glory is of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. So they had seen the Lord Jesus, they heard him, they touched him, they handled him, they he is the one who called them to be his witnesses. Therefore, the only response that they can make when the state goes against the will of God is to obey God. So the Sanhedrin told them, No preaching. But that wasn't an option because that's what Jesus called them to go and do. So what will we do if the state says to us, No more preaching? How would we respond? Well, you may say today, Well, that's up to you, Pastor. You're the preacher. That's what we pay you for. And that may be so. But the command to make Jesus known is to every believer. I think as we look at this section before us, as I've looked at it and tried to think a bit about it, I I think I have to honestly come to the conclusion and the place and say that evangelical Christianity in 2026, especially me included, is a long way off from the early church. A long way off. So in verse 21, they've been released, and it's interesting how they respond to the treatment they have received. In verse 23, they've responded by returning to the group of believers and they give a report of all that happened, and I think that's the way it should be. Missionary comes back and reports to the church. There's a connection between missionary and church. In verse 24, we see that after the report was given, they went to pray. And although it doesn't highlight what they didn't do, yet let's not stop our imagination running a little bit. What they didn't do. Well, James and John, the sons of thunder, didn't boil over and didn't seek for revenge. They are not Christian militants. And Christians shouldn't be militant. And by that I mean what the literal meaning of the word militant is. It means to be confrontational with the use of violence. So in that meaning, Christians shouldn't be militant. In another way, we should be militant in the spreading of the gospel. But also they didn't go into panic and go into hiding for fear. Nor did they march up to the Roman authorities and have a protest at the way they have been treated by the Jews. There is no evidence of any of that taking place. They just took everything to God in prayer. And we will note the three parts of their prayer. You say, finally, you're getting to it. Well, we're here. The significance of their prayer, the request in their prayer, and the answer to their prayer. So, first of all, the significance of their prayer 24 to 28. The significance of their prayer is in how they began and how they didn't begin, given their circumstances. So we notice how they commenced in verse 24. So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said, Lord, you are God who made the heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them. Now looking at their situation, they have a pressing need. And apart from the injustice they've received, is also the restriction upon their witness for the Lord Jesus. So all of this is pressing stuff. If that were our situation, that would be the bulletin in prayer. That would be the first point for prayer. When you look at it logically, it would seem that their need demanded real prayer. Yet it isn't until verse 29 that they bring any petition before the Lord. So first they came and they set their focus upon the greatness of God, which is significant given their situation. So they prayed, Lord, you are God. It could also be read, sovereign Lord, as from this word we get the English word despot. It gives the meaning of one who rules over another like a slave or subject. So they focus upon his sovereign rule over all creation. The situation they were in brought its own pressure. Yet despite the control of the Jewish leaders and what they seemed to have, the church believed, and these people believed that there is a higher throne than this world has known. Therefore, that is a source of the greater power. They are resting in God's control, and that's evident through the narrative of the arrest and interrogation of Peter and John. The response to persecution is one of submission and accepting, believing that God is the greater power, his throne is higher than any throne in the world. Therefore, they believe that God had a purpose of permitting this, which is, of course, to give them the opportunity to preach the gospel to the Sanhedrin. What a turnaround in these disciples. When you contrast this with Peter's reaction to a previous arrest, in Gethsemane, Judas approached with a detachment of soldiers, officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees with the purpose of arresting Jesus. Peter's reaction on that occasion saw him take a sword, bulletincy, and cut off the high priest's servant's ear. Jesus told him, Peter, you just put that sword away, son. You put it away. We're not here to fight with the flesh. And you need to accept this, Peter. This is the Father's will for me. Peter learned to submit to God's will and control in all things. And that is what made the difference. What made the real difference was the resurrection of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Because now the minds of these apostles are being opened to the word of God. They have known scriptures, they have known. As when Jesus foretold his suffering, death, and resurrection, they couldn't get it. They really couldn't get it. And do you remember what when Jesus told all of that, and Peter gave the great anointment, you're the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and Jesus talked about his suffering and his death and resurrection. Oh no, no, Lord. No, no, no, no, no. Not so. Couldn't get it. Just couldn't get it. But now, because of the resurrection, because of the coming of the Spirit, they can make the connection between Old Testament passages and how they relate it to the Lord Jesus. Because the Holy Spirit has taken, as Jesus said, the things of Christ and revealed it unto them. The Holy Spirit of truth is now leading them into all truth. God's word that they have known for years has come alive. Come alive to them with meaning and significance. Like never before. And you will find this to be so when your life is yielded constantly, continually, to the Holy Spirit's control. Therefore, as they pray, they can draw in the scriptures and connect the bigger plan of God. And that's why it's good to pray scripture and to think of scripture as we pray. And that is the work of the Holy Spirit as well. Because it helps us to appreciate and to remember that there is a bigger plan than my situation. And so they come with the scriptures and they connect this big plan of God as it's now unfolding before them. And the bulk of this prayer is a quotation from Psalm 2. And how it relates to their present circumstance. So we read verse 25 and 26. David said, Who by the mouth of your servant David have said, Why did the nations rage? And the people plot vain things. The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ. Psalm 2 is about the rebellion of people against God and throwing off the restraints that God places upon them for their good. It points out that rebellion against God and God's will is a pointless position and exercise to take. The nations are raging, the people are plotting, the kings standing and rulers gathering, as if to attack Almighty God and his Messiah. What utter arrogance and foolishness to take a stand against God and against his Christ. They sought to oppose him, to mount a challenge to him. But how fruitless are the exploits of kings and nations of the earth who set themselves against the sovereign ruling God. So now with a clear understanding of Scripture, they can apply the Psalm and the predicted rebellion against God as foretelling what is taking place here in the events of the gospel accounts as they unfold. So they say in verse 27 and 28, for truly, against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever your hand and your purpose determined before to be done. They reveal this is what the Jewish leaders have been seeking to do in collaborating under the leadership of Pontius Pilate and Herod. They've set themselves against God and this Christ. They've sought to destroy him through the cross. But how futile this is. Carrying out the will of God. So this focus gives their prayer significance in the light of their situation. But why did they begin this way? They conclude that if God was in control of the recent events in Jerusalem regarding his son, then surely he's still in control regarding the situation and opposition they're facing. They believed in his sovereign rule when they were arrested, imprisoned, and restricted in their witness. This is only the beginning of persecution, and it's going to get worse. In chapter 5, when the work is blessed and the people are imprisoned, and God sets them free from prison, and there's the relief. And they're told again not to preach or teach in the name of Jesus. And they didn't just tell them there, they beat them. Do you think they believed any less in God's sovereign rule? Of course not. Because they departed rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for his name's sake. It gets worse than that as in chapter 7 they stoned Stephen to death. And in chapter 8, the persecution is great against the church. In chapter 12, wicked Herod put James to death. They were committed to God's sovereign rule unto the end. This is the focus of their prayers. And God's sovereign rule needs to be the focus of our praying. Especially in these times of so many wars and conflicts. God was in control. He was in control in Egypt when his people were in bondage. He was in control when the people were in captivity for 70 years. Therefore, we keep our eyes upon him. And these days we pray, your will be done, your kingdom come. Our takeaway from this is that if God is sovereign over creation, if God is sovereign over history, he's sovereign over the circumstances in our lives as well. That's the main thing and the biggest thing regarding preaching time, okay? Secondly, the request in prayer, verse 29 to 30. Now they're ready to bring their petition to God. And it's interesting to note there's no room here for asking God to take the problem away. There's no room in even contemplating. Lord, deal with the leadership in Israel. They certainly would have prayed that God's word would take effect upon them. What the leaders should have done, given the evidence before them, was to repent of their sin and trust in the Lord Jesus, but they're embittered against him and now against his followers. So we note what they prayed for. Now, Lord, look on their threats. Grant to your servants that with all boldness they may speak your word, by stretching out your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus. Although their focus is not upon the enemy, yet they acknowledge their power to intimidate and frustrate God's work. Therefore they ask God to look upon their threats. It could be translated as some said, keep your eye upon their threatening that they may not be accomplished. Then they ask for boldness to preach God's word. Despite the threats, they knew they ought to obey God rather than men. So being acutely aware of their own weakness, they pray for courage greater than the spirit of intimidation against them. They ask God to make them adequate for the task ahead. And isn't that a prayer that we can all pray? That God will make us adequate. They are kingdom-minded, they are gospel focused in their praying. Their quest was not about their comfort, it's not about their safety, but it's strength to persevere, it's strength to press on with the work of God. And it is a prayer that we need to constantly pray that God will keep us faithful and that God will give us impetus just to keep on going in the work of God. It's so easy to become selfish in our praying, and then that it becomes more about us and our comforts instead of God's will and God's work. Then they request in verse 30 that God would accompany the preaching with signs and wonders. This was not a request for the spectacular, so that the apostles would have a dramatic flavor to their ministry. It was to show that their ministry had God's approval upon it. The people who need to hear, the people who hear need to know that this was not a word from man, but that this was God's word with them. And that is the request that they made known to the Lord that he would give them boldness. They had boldness. And that was one aspect why that group of people, the Sanhedrin, thought, these people have been with Jesus. Because they knew all about the boldness in Jesus' life. They had him before them. He was bold and he was confident in the will of his Father. Finally, the answer to their prayer in verse 31. And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. Three parts to that, as quick as I can be. Firstly, the place was shaken. In Acts 2, there were signs given. And here we have the phenomenon. It is like God is saying here, Well, you asked me to step in. So here I am. It was during the Lewis Revival in 1949 to 52, in the village of Arnold, which is not far from the village of Barvas, which is the main focus in people's minds regarding that revival. And there a similar sign occurred. And I want to read you from a book. If you haven't got this book, that's a good book to get. So I'm going to read it to you. It happened in Arnold, just two miles south of Barbas. The meetings were hard at the beginning, so in Christ's prayer was required, and the praying men of the district rallied round. They gathered in a large home in Arnold for an extended period of prayer. Was in the home of Donald and Bella Smith. The meeting was making heavy weather. Prayers were not flowing freely. It was a hard bottle, as one after another attempted to break through in prayer. So sometime after midnight, Duncan Campbell asked John Smith, the blacksmith, to pray. He had not prayed all night. Yet he rose and prayed for some time. And then he said, Lord, I do not know how Mr. Campbell or any of these other men stand with you. But if I know my heart, I know that I'm thirsty. You promise to pour water on him that is thirsty. If you don't do it, how can I ever believe you again? Your honor is at stake. You're a covenant-keeping God. Fulfill your covenant engagement. It was a prayer from a man who was walking with God. At that moment it said the house shook. Someone next to Duncan Campbell said to him, Mr. Campbell, an earthquake. The next day they were to discover that no other house in the village shook. It was a mighty moment that Donald McPheel, I met Donald McPheel many years ago, and he remembered it, for he was sitting on the crowded stairs beside two unsaved neighbors, Christine Campbell and Donald McLeod. They had been dozing, but in a moment they were wide awake under deep conviction of sin. They began to cry for mercy. In fact, Christina wept and cried aloud for help, and both were saved that very night. In the final paragraph, it says, Campbell pronounced the benediction, and they left the house to discover that at the hour the people were moving, at that the hour, that hour the people were moving to the meeting hall. Some people were carrying chairs, wondering if there would be room enough for them. Torchlight shone in the darkness. As the folk moved towards the hall, God had stepped into a scene that seemed so hard and difficult. The move of the Spirit and Arnold had begun. On another occasion in a mission house in Park, in the South Locks area of the Isle of Lewis, a tremendous shower of heel was heard rattling on the roof until the whole place literally shook. Those inside were understandably perplexed. For when they opened the outside door, they discovered that it was a fine evening and there hadn't even been a drop of rain. Can't explain that stuff. Also in Gardevard, which is down Point in Lewis, in the house meeting, several became aware of a noticeable presence where the atmosphere seemed to be spiritually charged. Then an echoing sound resonated through the whole house. A booming sound was heard by all present. It was reported that the house shook from its very foundation. God says, You asked me to come. He says, Here I am. The house shook. God answered their prayer for boldness through the power of the Holy Spirit. It wasn't just Peter and it wasn't just John. But it says all of the room, all of them were filled. The final part of it, so they spoke the word of God with boldness. Testimony to that is verse 33. And with great power, the apostles give witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. God came. Book of Acts is a book of revival. It's about God coming. And God came at this point. Many of us today can look to a time when God came to us, brought us into the family of God. And maybe you're here this morning, you're not a believer, and God has been coming to you. And you just know that something's going on in your life. You can't explain it and you can't explain it away. It's just there. It's there with you when you go to bed at night. It's there with you when there's nobody else around you. It's just there. You can't you don't know what's going on. You think you're sick even. Just God's working. And God works in by your conscience, and sometimes we can't sleep. Sometimes our thoughts are interrupted. And we're thinking about spiritual matters and we never intended to. That's God at work. And God comes to us. Gotten many of us into the kingdom of God. It wouldn't be here now. But there are specific times. There are specific moments. And I I I know I've had some of my Christian experience. You know, when God came in a particular way, a particular way. But revival is something that stands out of them all. That's when God comes in a powerful way. And He did it here in Lan, and specifically He did it here in Koran. Specifically. God came. It's not about shaking houses. It's about God turning up. And we don't need to go and look for shaking houses. We don't need to go and look for the demonstration of how God revealed Himself in the past. We just need to take the principle of God coming. And that's what we need. We need God to come to us in our Christian lives. Sometimes, like a house, we need a good shake. We need a good shake. So that the things of this earth might go strangely dim. And the things that matter would come to the fore. So that's the prayer that the days men prayed. They focused on the God of creation, the God who's in absolute control, in control of history, and the God's control of our lives today. Amen.