Our text for this morning is going to be verses 23 through 31, but before we get into that, let me set the scene for you a bit and talk a little about the last two weeks and what we've discussed together in chapter 4.
In chapter 3, you'll note that Peter and John are going up to the temple at the hour of prayer.
They encounter a lame man who's been lame since birth.
We find out later in chapter 4 that he's more than 40 years old.
For a significant amount of time, he sat at this gate and he's begged.
He's begged for alms, for his daily sustenance.
And they come by him and Peter looks at him and he's healed.
This sets a great stage up.
God ordains this, that they're able now in the temple to preach.
A great crowd has gathered.
We find out in chapter 4 that the number of the church is now 5,000 men.
So many more, many more responses of faith to Peter's preaching.
So many responding favorably, but some not so much.
We see at the beginning of chapter 4, their arrest.
We saw that they were imprisoned overnight and that they then stood a trial before the Sanhedrin,
which were the ruling Jews of the day.
It's the first picture of Christian persecution.
This is the first time that a member of the church has been arrested and imprisoned because of the gospel.
And I spoke to you over the past two weeks of the normalcy of Christian persecution.
The fact that it should be the regular experience of the Christian.
Christian persecution.
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
We have taken persecution and we have narrowed it down to a particular type of persecution.
And that is the persecution of the body.
It's what we witness here.
The imprisonment, arrest and imprisonment of Peter and John.
And we have made persecution a far-off thing.
A maybe one day thing.
If we live in another place or if suddenly the political environment in our country changes,
maybe then we'll deal with persecution.
But it's very difficult to get around what Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3.12.
And so there are varying kinds of persecution.
Certainly the persecution of the body.
It is something to be considered around the world as believers are beheaded for their faith in Christ.
And imprisoned and tortured.
The church has a great history of physical persecution.
But there is also a persecution of the ego.
And I'm not trying to equate the two.
And I'm not trying to suggest that ours would be the same as others.
But what I'm simply trying to say to you is that it ought not be a thing that we don't experience.
Some form of objection to the gospel of Jesus Christ boldly proclaimed in this world.
The more we, as the people of God, push against the system of this world,
the more this world will push back.
I would love to think that as we boldly go forth and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ,
that everyone we proclaim it to will accept it with open arms.
The scripture consistently tells us this will not be the case.
Many will, but many will not.
Don't let American religious freedom numb you to this reality.
If you preach the good news of Jesus Christ boldly,
you may lose your reputation, your status, some position, possibly your job.
People may think you strange or narrow-minded, judgmental.
People may not like you.
They may not want to have you around because you talk about sin.
And you present to them God's holy standard.
And with great love, you ask them to repent, turn from their sin, and turn to God.
They may not want to hear that message.
The problem of us not experiencing this type of persecution is not because of where we live.
It's because of a lack of boldness on our part.
And I am not suggesting that we go out and we seek out this type of thing.
But what I am saying is that we need to be boldly proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.
And then not surprised when the persecution comes.
And so, because persecution of one kind to another,
if you live here in the States or someday God takes you across this world,
it will happen, it should be the normative experience,
we begin to prepare for it by considering from our text
seven ways to honor God in the midst of persecution.
But I hope you're hearing that this shouldn't be a far-off thing for you.
That this is a thing you need to be hearing for this week.
That if you are a follower of Jesus Christ,
you will go and be about the work of Jesus Christ in the world.
He came to seek and to save the lost.
He came to give His life as a ransom for many.
And just as the Father sent Him into the world,
in the same way He sends us into the world
to proclaim the good news
and to call people to respond in faith to that good news.
So this has bearing for this week.
This has bearing for today.
And I hope you hear it as such.
In the past two weeks,
we've considered the first four of these seven ways to honor God
in the midst of persecution.
The first week, the first three.
Last week, an additional one.
Let me recap those quickly for you
and then we'll look at our text.
The first was to be expendable,
which is implicitly taught in the text, right?
You have Peter and John.
Peter, the great ear lopper,
as Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane,
like rebelling against,
now willfully accepting, right?
His seizure and His imprisonment,
willing to lay His life down.
That was the possible eventual outcome
of being arrested by these men
and standing trial before them.
These are the men that were intrinsically involved
in seeing Christ put to death.
So being expendable,
verse 4, chapter 4,
but many of those who had heard the word
believed,
and the number of the men came
to about 5,000,
willing to boldly proclaim
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In Solomon's portico,
the very place where Jesus gave
the good shepherd dialogue, right?
The lamb that was led to slaughter.
This is where they're standing
and He's preaching.
So hold your life,
your reputation,
your position,
your job loosely
for the sake of others.
Be expendable.
Second, be filled with the Spirit.
Verse 8,
as Peter stands before the Sanhedrin,
we see that He was filled
with the Spirit.
And I fear that summary statements
on this matter
cause a lot of confusion.
So at this point,
I'm just going to say,
please go back and listen to part 2
of Acts 2, 1-12.
If you want to know more about this,
if you haven't been here,
let me encourage you to that.
We will talk more about
what it means to be filled with the Spirit
as we work through the book of Acts.
But number 1, be expendable.
Number 2, be filled with the Spirit.
Number 3, be bold.
Here is Peter standing before the Sanhedrin
and he presses forward
instead of shrinking back.
And it's so difficult for me
to think myself in his shoes
and to wonder what I might do.
I hope by the power of the Spirit
I would do what he did.
He presses in.
Boy, they ask him a question.
Under whose authority
or by whose name do you do this?
And it's as if he says,
well, since you asked.
And he launches into
this third sermon he preaches
as recorded by Luke.
He doesn't remove any offense
of the Gospel from his preaching,
but he rather boldly indicts them.
These are the men.
These are the builders
who have rejected the cornerstone,
he says,
who have put to death
the Christ.
In verse 12 of chapter 4,
he says,
there is salvation in no one else,
for there is no other name
under heaven given among men
by which we must be saved.
He's saying to these men,
this is the Messiah.
This is the anointed one of God.
This is the one you've been waiting for.
And you killed him.
If you don't hang
all of your hope of salvation
in the personal work of Jesus Christ,
you will be destroyed.
It's a narrow path.
To be expendable,
be filled with the Spirit,
be bold,
and last week,
be obedient.
I added to that,
be obedient at all costs,
despite the cost.
We obey God
before we obey men.
So in summary,
we could say,
be humbly and boldly obedient
by the power of the Spirit.
Be humbly and boldly obedient
by the power of the Spirit.
Let me give to you an example
from history
of humble,
bold obedience
in the missionary
John G. Patton.
One of my favorite missionaries
lived in the 19th century,
just barely into the 20th century.
He was a missionary
from Glasgow, Scotland,
to a group of islands
that were then known as
the New Hebrides.
The Hebrides are a group of islands
off the coast of Scotland,
so they called it
New Hebrides
if you want to look it up on a map.
It's in the South Pacific.
It's now called Vanuatu.
If you care to see
where he served
in the 19th century.
And these islands
were known
for their cannibalism.
The very first missionaries
to go to Vanuatu
in 1839,
John Williams
and James Harris
were clubbed to death
and eaten on the shore
in the sight of the ship
that had dropped them off.
They stood on the ship
and watched this happen.
The first two missionaries there.
And John G. Patton,
moved by God,
decides to go.
And from his journal,
let me read to you
one of the objections
to him going.
He wrote,
Amongst many
who sought to deter me,
one was a dear old
Christian gentleman
whose crowning argument
always was,
the cannibals.
You will be eaten
by cannibals.
At last I replied,
Mr. Dixon,
you are advanced
in years now
and your own prospect
is soon to be laid
in the grave,
there to be eaten
by worms.
I confess to you
that if I can but live
and die serving
and honoring
the Lord Jesus,
it will make no difference
to me whether I am
eaten by cannibals
or by worms.
And in the great day,
my resurrection body
will arise
as fair as yours
in the likeness
of our risen Redeemer.
Then he records,
the old gentleman,
raising his hands
in a deprecating attitude,
left the room exclaiming,
After that,
I have nothing more to say.
The boldness on his part
and his account goes on
to talk about how
these cannibals
would come to kill him
and he would get in arguments
with the chief
with a machete in his hand.
He'd hold him by the wrist
and he would lecture him
on how evil
the thing he was trying to do was
and the man would finally feel
some conviction
for the evil of it
and they'd flee back off
into the jungle.
A great deal of boldness,
holding his life loosely
for the sake of others.
And so this week,
we will address
the final three ways
to honor God
in the midst of persecution.
So Acts 4, 23-31.
Beloved, this is God's Word to us.
It was written for His glory
and our good.
We would all do well
to listen to it
in order to believe
its promises
and obey its commands.
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 people's 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
they 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.
And so the fifth way
to honor God
in the midst of persecution
is to be committed
to fellowship.
Be committed to fellowship.
Verse 23
and the first part of 24,
notice that the very first thing
that they did
was go to their friends
and report what the chief priests
and the elders
had said to them.
I find it so fascinating
that they've gone through now
this epic trial,
spent a night in prison,
and the very first thing
that they do
is they go to their friends.
And it seems to me, beloved,
that when we have trouble
in this world,
we are less likely
to gather with believers.
Something just doesn't go
quite right in our day.
The morning starts out
a little rough
and we choose
to not gather together.
Beloved, when things
aren't going well
in our lives,
that's all the more reason
to be with the people of God.
And this speaks
to the plasticity
of our environment.
All of us as people
have a front stage
and a backstage.
We hang a great curtain
between the two
and we have the front stage
all neat
and all tidied up.
And when something
spills out of the backstage
onto the front stage,
we're so quick
to run people
out of the theater.
Are we not?
The very best thing
for all of us
would be if the curtain
would be torn down.
That you would truly
know me.
And what better way
to do that
than when things
aren't going well,
we get together.
If you have a fever
or you're throwing up,
don't come to church
on Sunday.
Don't meet
with your community
outreach group.
But if you're in town,
otherwise,
you should be
with the people of God
when the people of God
gather.
Think about the way
I would have felt
after having spent
a night in prison.
This is not
a fancy accommodation
that they spent.
It was likely
not much more
than a hole
in the ground
where they spent
their time.
I think I could have
gone for a shower
and a nap
before I showed up
to fellowship
with the people of God.
But they go
immediately.
They desired
fellowship
after leaving
the council.
And they go
to see their
friends.
This should not
be limited
to the apostles.
I also don't think
it should be expanded
to the entire church.
There wasn't really
a great place
for them all
to meet together.
It could have been
that initial
120 that received
the Spirit
on the day of Pentecost
or some subset
of that number.
But they were
their friends.
It's a single word
in the Greek.
the NASV
renders that phrase
their own companions
which helps give
more meaning
to the idea.
We could say
in the ESV
we could add
the word
own their own
friends.
It signifies
that they belonged
to one another.
Here not many days
into the birth
of the Christian church
and because of what
Christ had done
on their behalf
they already saw
themselves
as belonging
to one another.
They were a
faith family
as I love Kyle
says so often.
They went to
their own
friends
and they
shared the news
and the first part
of verse 24
what did they do
when they gathered
together?
They prayed.
They did spiritual
things together.
When they heard it
they lifted their
voices together
to God.
So persecution
draws the church
of God
together.
And we should be
experiencing that
beloved.
We should be
feeling so strange
out in the world
rejected so often
by the world
that we come
together
when we can
whenever we can
to just not feel
crazy.
Other people
believe in this
Christ.
Other people
have been changed
by Him.
We come together
to rejoice.
Our singing
together should be
so warming to
your heart
because you go
I'm not losing
my mind.
Other people
believe this.
It creates
solidarity
amongst
God's people.
You might not
care to meet
with God's people
because you don't
need God's people.
Because you don't
experience
the hatred
of God's people
in the world.
It creates
solidarity.
We can see an
example of that
in a very practical
way on into
chapter 4
verses 32
through 35.
The way in which
they come and
share their
possessions together
and meet each
other's needs.
It creates
solidarity.
On the front
of your bulletin
is a Charles
Spurgeon
quotation.
Some Christians
try to go to
heaven alone
in solitude,
but believers
are not compared
to bears
or lions
or other animals
that wander
alone,
but those
who belong
to Christ
are sheep
in this respect
that they love
to get
together.
Sheep go in
flocks
and so do
God's
people.
So the fifth
way to honor
God in the
midst of persecution
is to be committed
to fellowship.
The sixth way
is to be
thankful.
It's to be
thankful.
Last part of
verse 24
through 28.
This is the
beginning of
their prayer.
They were
thankful for
the fulfillment
of God's
eternal
plan.
Thankful for
the fulfillment
of God's
eternal
plan.
The persecution
of Peter and
John was no
surprise to
them.
And they
start out
this prayer,
Sovereign
Lord.
Some of your
translations might
simply say,
O Lord.
It's one
word,
which is why
it's translated
that way in
some translations.
ESV tries to
give us a little
more meaning
to what they
meant by
Lord.
Sovereign
Lord.
It's only
used five
other places
in the
entirety of
the New
Testament.
So ESV
is weighting
it,
giving it
this
larger
title,
because it
denotes
an
absolute
master,
sovereign
Lord.
They were
thankful for
God's
complete
control
of
all
things.
They go
on to say,
who made
the heaven
and the
earth
and the
sea
and
everything
in them.
You are
creator.
You created
all things
and you
sustain all
things
by your
sovereign
hand.
I don't
understand how
Christians who
don't believe in
the sovereignty
of God go
through difficult
times.
It makes
absolutely no
sense to me
whatsoever.
God is
fully in
control of
everything and
nothing
escapes
his grasp.
They have
great reason
to be
thankful,
to see
his sovereign
purposes
working out.
They understood
that what
was happening
was the
fulfillment of
what God
had said
would
happen.
And they
cite Psalm
chapter 2
verses 1
through 2.
See the
sovereign
Lord,
verse 25,
who through
the mouth
of our
father David,
who penned
Psalm 2,
you,
your servant,
said by the
Holy Spirit.
So they
recognized that
God wrote
by the
inspiration of
the Spirit
and the
pen of
David,
Psalm 2,
1 and
2.
Why did
the Gentiles
rage?
And the
people's plot
in vain.
The kings
of the earth
set themselves
and the
rulers were
gathered
together
against the
Lord,
against
His
anointed.
In
Hebrew,
Messiah.
In
Greek,
Christ.
Against
God and
Christ.
So they
reference
canonized
Scripture.
They knew
to be the
Word of
God,
to see
this
fulfillment.
Now we
have a
broader
canon now,
do we not?
We have
John's
writing,
which came
after the
record of
what's
happening
here.
They
didn't have
John's
writing yet,
but let's
think about
together
some
broader
canon.
John 15,
18-20.
Jesus says,
If the
world hates
you,
know that
it has
hated
me before
it hated
you.
If you
were of
the world,
the world
would love
you as
its own.
But because
you were
not of
the world,
but I
chose you
out of
the world,
therefore
the world
hates you.
Remember
the word
that I
said to
you,
a servant
is not
greater
than his
master.
If they
persecute
me,
they will
also
persecute
you.
If they
kept
my word,
they will
also keep
yours.
So they're
remembering
these
things,
right?
It's
yet to
be
canonized.
They're
citing
from
Psalm
2,
1 and
2,
but they're
bringing
to their
remembrance
the things
that Jesus
had spoken
to them.
So the
persecution
of Peter
and John
serves
as further
confirmation
that Jesus
is the
Christ.
A great
deal to
rejoice in
at this
point.
So they
go on to
simply say
in verses
27,
28,
that there
were in
fact people
in the
city gathered
against your
holy servant
Jesus.
Fulfillment
of 2,
1 through
2,
Psalm
2,
1,
2,
through,
whom you
anointed,
your
anointed
one,
your
Messiah,
the
Christ,
Herod and
Pontius
Pilate with
the Gentiles
and the
peoples of
Israel to
do what
your hand
and your
plan had
predestined
to take
place.
Christ was
crucified by
the preordained
purpose
of God.
Their
thanksgiving
in the
midst of
persecution
reminds me
of the
instruction of
Paul in
Philippians
chapter 4,
verses 4
through 7.
So here
they are
rejoicing,
being thankful
for the
thing that
has happened.
Verse 4,
Philippians 4,
rejoice in
the Lord
always.
Again, I
will say
rejoice.
Let your
reasonableness
be known
to everyone.
The Lord
is at
hand or
He is
present.
Do not
be anxious
about anything
but in
everything by
prayer and
supplication.
With
thanksgiving,
let your
requests be
made known
to God
and the
peace of
God which
surpasses all
understanding
will guard
your hearts
and your
minds in
Christ Jesus.
They're
recognizing the
presence of
God in
fulfilling
His
promises.
and they're
thankful for
it.
So be
committed to
fellowship.
Be thankful.
And finally,
the seventh
way to
honor God
in the
midst of
persecution
is to
be prayerful.
Now, they've
already been
praying.
I recognize
that previously
in our text.
I want to
pick up in
verse 29
through the
end
through 31
through the
end of our
text.
be
prayerful.
Verse 29,
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.
Be
prayerful.
Certainly be
prayerful
independently.
Closet
prayer is an
important part
of the
Christian
life,
but
specifically
the
exhortation
here is to
be prayerful
corporately.
The example
of corporate
prayer is
found in
a multitude
of places
in the
book of
Acts.
I just
want to
show you
a few.
Ready?
Chapter 1
verse 14
and chapter 2
verse 42
see the
church
devoted
to prayer.
Today's
text,
424,
they lifted
their voices
together
to God.
Chapter 6
verse 6
the church
chooses
seven
deacons
and they
pray
for them.
Chapter 12
verse 5
Peter is
in prison
and earnest
prayer is
made for
him to
God
by the
church.
And when
he escapes
from prison
he finds
many gathered
together
and praying.
That's
chapter 12
verse 12.
Chapter 13
verse 3
after fasting
and praying
the church
in Antioch
sends Paul
and Barnabas
on the
first missionary
journey.
Chapter 14
verse 23
elders are
appointed
and committed
to the
Lord
with prayer
and fasting.
Chapter 16
verse 25
Paul and
Silas
are imprisoned
and they're
praying
and singing
hymns
while in
jail.
Chapter 20
verse 36
Paul prays
with the
Ephesian
elders
when departing
from them.
So we're
seeing a
clearly
prescriptive
pattern
of corporate
prayer
just in
the book
of Acts
and it's
commanded of
us
elsewhere.
So they're
praying
together.
Be
prayerful.
And what
is it that
they request
of God?
More
boldness.
And that
just astounds
me.
On the
heels of
such great
boldness
they ask
for
more
boldness.
They know
that they
need the
power of
God
to fulfill
the purposes
of God.
Grant
to your
servants
to continue
to speak
your word
with all
boldness.
And interestingly
they ask
that while
God works
miracles
notice verse
30
while you
stretch out
your hand
to heal
and signs
and wonders
are performed
through the name
of your
holy servant
Jesus
give us
boldness
to speak.
Amidst the
miracles
amidst the
things that
are going
on around
us
grant us
boldness.
And you
can see
that this
is a
prayer
that's
within
the will
of God
because
in verse
31
it says
at the
very end
of verse
31
they were
filled
with the
Holy Spirit
and continued
to speak
the word
of God
with boldness.
They have
been commanded
by the
Sanhedrin
to no
longer
speak
in the
name
of Jesus.
And before
the Sanhedrin
Peter and
John
collectively
have said
for we
cannot
but speak
of what
we have
seen
and heard.
And I
think that
they know
how sheepish
their own
hearts
could be.
And so
they pray
for more
boldness
and God
grants it
to them
and they
act
accordingly.
So we're
to be
bold
proclaimers
of the
gospel
of Jesus
Christ.
And we're
to be
prepared
and expect
that some
people will
respond
unfavorably
to that
message.
John writes
in 1 John
3.13
Do not be
surprised
for others
that the
world
hates you.
So when you
are hated
for the message
of Christ
as you go
out from
this place
and you
preach it
boldly
to people
who desperately
need it
remember
these seven
ways to
honor God
in the midst
of persecution.
Be expendable.
Be filled
with the
Spirit.
Be bold.
Be obedient
at all
cost.
Be committed
to fellowship.
Be thankful
and be
prayerful.
And I
want to
conclude
with another
quotation
from C.T.
Studd.
He was a
late 19th
early 20th
century
contemporary
of John
G.
Patton
on the
front of
your
bulletin.
Some
want to
live
within
the
sound
of
church
or
chapel
bell.
I
want to
run
a
rescue
shop
within
a
yard
of
hell.
Let's
pray
together.