This may be one of the if not the most practical, convicting, and/or instructive pieces in the book of Acts to this point. It confronts how we deal with negative circumstances, how we live as a community of believers, and how cowardly or bravely we live and speak the Gospel of truth. So, if we'll remember from our last reading, that the apostles were arrested, and though freed, they were freed with a threat. These nine verses summarize the apostles reaction to that threat, and should also summarize what our reaction to threats, temptations, doubts, fears, or negative circumstances should be as well, let's read:
Acts 4:23-31
23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 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, 25 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?
26 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’—
26 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’—
27 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, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 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.
So, that being said, what was the apostles reaction to the Council's threats? First, lets mention what they didn't do: They didn't sulk. They didn't get mad at God for making it so hard on them for doing His will. They didn't bow out thinking, "well, if God really wanted us to do this, he would make it easier." Which usually represents how we often react to temptations, threats, negative circumstances, fears, doubts, etc... However the apostles simply, went to their friends and reported what the chief priests had said...and they lifted their voices together to God. In short, they ran back to their community of believing friends and family, shared what was going on, and together PRAYED, before they came up with a game plan, before they griped, before they reacted...in unity they PRAYED!
In the second chapter of Acts Luke tells us what the new Community of Faith looked like, now we get to see what that new Community (koinonia) looked like in action.
Just as important as it is to see that they joined in unity together for support and prayer, I think it is important to see how they prayed. This was not a prayer focused on security and pleasure like much of our prosperity prayers are. This was not a 'the world is so evil' like much of our fear based prayers are. This was a prayer that was all about the fame and sovereignty of God - period! Their prayers didn't start off with request, but rather an all encompassing acknowledgment! Their prayers didn't start off with complaints, but a cry for the glory of God! Before this new community of faith petitioned anything they filled their minds with the sovereignty of God: (1) He is the Sovereign Lord of all creation, who who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them... (2) He is the God of revelation, who was and is and is to come, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit and predicted that the world would rage and plot against his son Jesus and all those who would live for him, and that the result of these against us would be in vain (3) He is the sovereign God who is in complete control of Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, who thinking they were killing this Jesus according to their own will, actually only did what God had predestined to take place. Is this not how Jesus instructed us to pray anyway, "Our Father who is in heaven, glory to your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven..."?
Why do we do this? Because now, with their (our) vision of God established, and their (our) posture of humility, we can more accurately make petitions according to God's will. The apostles make three main requests: (1) God would look upon their threats and bear them in your mind. (2) Because those threats/circumstances can cause us to get off track, they then request that God grant to your servants the ability to continue to speak your word with all boldness, and allow his will and truth to guide them rather than their fear and circumstances. (3) and while they speak this anointed word, that it would not be their own words or power, but rather that while they speak God would stretch out his hand to heal, and perform signs and wonders through the name of his holy servant Jesus.
God's response to their prayers was that (1) the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, as if to say that they were filled with confidence of and from God through his Holy Spirit-true fear in God constitues no fear in anything else. (2) they were all filled with the Holy Spirit [I guess there goes that argument, "are you filled at salvation or after?" Obviously we are humans who leak, so BOTH] (3) They continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
In the second chapter of Acts Luke tells us what the new Community of Faith looked like, now we get to see what that new Community (koinonia) looked like in action.
Just as important as it is to see that they joined in unity together for support and prayer, I think it is important to see how they prayed. This was not a prayer focused on security and pleasure like much of our prosperity prayers are. This was not a 'the world is so evil' like much of our fear based prayers are. This was a prayer that was all about the fame and sovereignty of God - period! Their prayers didn't start off with request, but rather an all encompassing acknowledgment! Their prayers didn't start off with complaints, but a cry for the glory of God! Before this new community of faith petitioned anything they filled their minds with the sovereignty of God: (1) He is the Sovereign Lord of all creation, who who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them... (2) He is the God of revelation, who was and is and is to come, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit and predicted that the world would rage and plot against his son Jesus and all those who would live for him, and that the result of these against us would be in vain (3) He is the sovereign God who is in complete control of Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, who thinking they were killing this Jesus according to their own will, actually only did what God had predestined to take place. Is this not how Jesus instructed us to pray anyway, "Our Father who is in heaven, glory to your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven..."?
Why do we do this? Because now, with their (our) vision of God established, and their (our) posture of humility, we can more accurately make petitions according to God's will. The apostles make three main requests: (1) God would look upon their threats and bear them in your mind. (2) Because those threats/circumstances can cause us to get off track, they then request that God grant to your servants the ability to continue to speak your word with all boldness, and allow his will and truth to guide them rather than their fear and circumstances. (3) and while they speak this anointed word, that it would not be their own words or power, but rather that while they speak God would stretch out his hand to heal, and perform signs and wonders through the name of his holy servant Jesus.
God's response to their prayers was that (1) the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, as if to say that they were filled with confidence of and from God through his Holy Spirit-true fear in God constitues no fear in anything else. (2) they were all filled with the Holy Spirit [I guess there goes that argument, "are you filled at salvation or after?" Obviously we are humans who leak, so BOTH] (3) They continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
May this be the focus of our prayers, my our focus be on those who do not know him, and may God shake us at our core, fill us with his Holy Spirit, and give us the ability to speak His word with boldness!
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