The Book of Acts (July 7, 2024)

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’— 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.”

The true believer shall suffer persecution. Christ suffered persecution; the early church suffered persecution; believers today shall suffer persecution; but don’t think just because people are trying to help you that you can call that persecution. Persecution is inevitable:

• It may take the form of abuse, anger, slander, gossip, mockery, cursing, isolation or violence.
• It may take place in the market place, church, home, community, or school.

As believers, we need not deliverance from persecution, but victory and triumph over it. Believers need a conviction of mission, a conviction so strong that they become immovable.

Let’s look at Peter and John; as soon as they were released, they sought out their fellow believers, the church. Most likely the church was already meeting together, praying for Peter and John.

• They reported and shared their experience with the church. Note several striking facts.
  • Peter and John were not depressed, discouraged, or downcast. Neither were they stricken with fear and trembling. They were not suggesting the church withdraw into a hole and keep its message to itself. They had been imprisoned and tried by the Supreme Court itself, threatened and warned, but they were not defeated and silenced.
  • Peter and John were not puffed up. They had suffered undue strain and pressure in serving Christ, and God had marvelously used them as witnesses to the highest rulers of the land. Yet there is no mention, no suggestion, not even a tinge …
    • of boasting
    • of being God’s special servants
    • of being more used by God
    • of self-glorying
    • of conceit
    • of being exalted above fellow believers
  • The concern of Peter and John was to encourage and edify (build up) the church and to warn them of the coming persecution that lay over the horizon. Note the words “reported all.” They shared all that the court had said: their questioning, their threats, their warnings. They shared how persecution would come if they continued to preach Jesus, and they shared how God had so wonderfully defended them.
  • Whether or not to continue preaching was not even considered. The decision to carry the gospel to the whole world was made by Christ. It is not up for debate. Believers are commanded to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
• The church could do but one thing: it triumphantly lifted its voice to God in prayer. But note: the prayer was triumphant and united “with one accord.” The triumph of the church is seen in the points of its convictions throughout the prayer. The “one accord” means they prayed with one mind and one spirit. They focused and concentrated upon what was being prayed. Their minds were not wandering about. They were not halfheartedly praying, some praying and others thinking about their own affairs. They were “all of one accord,” zeroing in on God and His wonderful care and provision. It is such group prayers that God hears and answers.

We also see there was a conviction of God’s power. God is the One who created the universe in all its massiveness. God alone is the One who has such omnipotent power to create. Therefore, there is no one—no person, no being, no ruling body, no nation—not even a world that can stand and stop His will and power. This was the church’s great conviction of God’s power.

Notice in verse 24, LORD. The word here means sovereign Master, sovereign Lord, sovereign Ruler. It is the word used by slaves in referring to their Master, slaves who are totally subjected to the Lord and Master of their domain. God is being addressed as “Lord, thou art God,” the Sovereign Majesty, the Creator, Ruler, and Lord of the whole universe and of all life. He alone is God and Sovereign Lord. No one else is—no person, no being, no ruling power, visible or invisible, physical or spiritual.

Looking at verses 25-28; there was a conviction of man’s futility and God’s plan or providence. The thought is that man will do evil. Man will persecute believers and attempt to stamp out the gospel and the church. But they will fail, for God has a plan and He will overrule and carry out His plan. Now note a critical fact: God’s plan—His providence and His working all things out for good—had already been proven. David’s prophecy and the death of Christ had proven it.

• Man will oppose God. God through David foretold their opposition in Scripture (Look at Psalms 2:1–2).
  • The heathen, that is, the lost of the world, “rage” (ephruaxan): to neigh, stomp the ground like a fierce horse; to act untamed, haughty, unruly.
  • The people, that is, the worldly, “imagine vain things”: to be anxious over empty things; to focus one’s life, time and energy upon meaningless possessions and material things, the empty, unsatisfying things of the world.
  • The kings and rulers stand up and gather together against God and His Christ, the Messiah. They stand against; stand in an opposite direction; stand in opposition and hostility to God and Christ.

• God planned and overruled man’s opposition. God’s counsel determined what was to be done.
  • The prophecy was primarily fulfilled in the death of Christ. Man stood against God’s “holy child Jesus”; they gathered together against Him and killed Him. But God overruled and raised Him from the dead. God took the events—all the evil of man—and worked it all out for good. His will to save the world is still marching on. God’s counsel—His deliberation, His knowing all things and His possessing all power—worked everything out for good.
  • The prophecy is still being fulfilled in the lives of believers and the church. The world …
    • still rages,
    • still imagines empty things,
    • still stands and gathers together against God, His Messiah and His church,
  • … but to no avail. God’s will and purpose still marches on. He overrules all the meanness and persecution of evil men. He sees to it that the glorious message of salvation is not stopped, the Word of God is not bound. He causes it to be spread and to save all who hear and will believe.

Verses 29-30 tells us that there was a conviction of God’s mission and of God’s concern.

• Their mission was to “speak God’s Word.” Note what they needed and what they prayed. They did not pray, did not need
  • for evil men to be destroyed
  • for the persecution to stop
  • for God to allow them to stop witnessing until things quieted down
• They prayed for boldness, for more courage to bear testimony, no matter the abuse and opposition. They asked to be fearless, for God to remove their fear. Note they asked for “all boldness.”
  • The word “now” (nun) is stressed; there is heavy emphasis upon it. The church desperately needed its fear removed, and it wanted a strong courage to get about its business of witnessing.
  • The word “behold” (epide epi) means to look upon. The church was asking God to concentrate and focus upon the persecution; to deal with it and to overrule the enemy; to give whatever was necessary to endure through it all.
    • To consider the persecution and remove what He would of it; to remove whatever fury was not to be used for His glory.
    • To consider the persecution and to give the faith and endurance to bear testimony through it; to use the persecution to praise His name.
  • Their need was also for power to heal and for signs and wonders, for a demonstration of God’s power to prove their claim, the claim that …
    • God’s Son did come to earth
    • God’s Son did die
    • God’s Son did arise
    • God’s Son was exalted to the right hand of God
    • God’s Son was still active and working in men’s lives today
  • Only one thing could prove such a message, the power of the live Lord proving itself in the signs and wonders.
    • The power lies in the name of Jesus ONLY
    • The power is for the glory of Jesus ALONE

Verse 31 tells us the results of the church’s prayer and it was threefold.

• The place was shaken. The shaking was a miracle, a sign showing that God controlled the physical universe, just as they had prayed.
• They were filled with the Holy Spirit. They needed a very special manifestation, a fresh experience with the Spirit.
• They received the boldness for which they had asked. They bored strong testimony, speaking the Word of God with boldness and courage.