where we finished reading.
And this encompasses the prayer of those who at that time formed the church
and were concerned, obviously, for the gospel and the advance of the gospel.
The book of Acts is crucial for the church and every generation.
It's not that we set it above any other book of scripture, any other part of scripture,
but the book of Acts is the establishing of the church in the age of the Spirit,
the age of the Holy Spirit, who came down at Pentecost
in accordance with a promise given in the Old Testament scriptures.
And because of that, it's a book that we need to come back to again and again
to remind ourselves of what it means really to belong to the church of God,
what it means to belong to a church that seeks to go out with the news of the gospel
to the world in which God has placed them.
Because this passage itself is a passage where we find such things as imprisonments,
intimidation, persecution, threats, all of these things that were faced then
and are faced now and are faced in every generation by the people of God
as they seek to live faithful lives and commend Christ to the particular time of day
that they themselves, the time of history that they themselves actually live in.
And what it did for them here as they were facing such things,
it actually fed into their prayers.
And one of the things this passage tells us is that they drew from the Old Testament scriptures
words which were very relevant, they found relevant,
to that aid to these circumstances in which they found themselves here.
Example, Psalm 2 here is quoted there in verses 25 and 26.
Well, they went back to Psalm 2 and found in Psalm 2 a very apt description,
a very relevant portion of God's word to apply to their own generation.
And that, by the way, is a reminder to us that we don't have two testaments,
as you were, in our Bibles that are cut off from each other.
The one flows into the other as God revealed himself down through the ages
as the one God to his one covenant people.
There's no church in the Old Testament then cut off,
and there's a new church in the New Testament.
It is God's church, God's redeemed people, God's covenant people,
all the way through history.
But, of course, changes are effected by the likes of the coming of Christ himself
and the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost
to have the church now in the age of the Spirit,
the age of fulfillment of all things following the death and resurrection of Christ himself.
And Psalm 2 is relevant because it speaks about the antagonism against the Lord's people
by the powers of the world, the political powers, even the religious powers of the world.
And God's response to that is also set out in Psalm 2 and quoted here in these two verses.
Now, verse 18, you first of all find orders given against gospel teaching.
How relevant is that?
Orders given against gospel teaching.
As you see there in verse 18,
the rulers called the people and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
And that charge or that order against gospel teaching is really acting against the evidence.
You know, one of the things that's really frustrating but understandable in the light of Scripture
is that when you present the gospel, when you witness to the gospel,
when you actually speak to people about their soul and about the Lord and about all that the gospel is,
you'll find that so often they actually go against what evidence is provided by God,
sometimes very clear evidence of his work.
For example, verse 16 here,
verse 16 speaks about the miracle done to the man who had been healed.
So when they came in verse 14,
seeing the man who was healed standing beside them,
they had nothing to say in opposition,
but then commanded them to leave the council they conferred,
and they asked each other then,
this is still the authorities,
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.
And then, of course,
instead of saying,
well, let's consider this more,
let's give this more of our attention,
let's really just take this as possibly
something that we might have to reckon with
as true and important.
Instead of that,
in order that it spread no further among the people,
let us warn them not to speak any more in this name.
And that's the frustrating thing you find still,
even today.
And why Psalm 2,
the likes of Psalm 2,
is so important.
Because Psalm 2 began,
as you well know by these words,
why do the people rage against God?
Why such a thing
in the experience of God's people?
And as you look at Psalm 2
and the way it proceeds,
why do the nations rage?
And the people's plot in vain,
the kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together.
And then the Psalm actually answers the question
that's posed there by saying,
let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.
In other words,
they're combining forces against the Lord,
but it's against especially
the way in which the Lord has specific commands
and precepts and rules
and, in fact,
his whole entire word.
And that,
why is this right through history?
Why do the nations rage?
Why do the people plot in vain?
Why is there such antagonism today to the gospel?
Why is there such opposition
to the church preaching the gospel?
Why is there some opposition
even in parts of the wider church
to the gospel truly being preached
rather than what we heard already
in prayer as a social message
that really at the end of the day
doesn't save anybody?
Well, it's because they're plotting
against the Lord
and against his anointed.
And if you go then
to the passage in Acts we're looking at,
why do the Gentiles rage
and the people rage in vain,
plot in vain?
The rulers were gathered together
against the Lord
and against his anointed.
And the word anointed there
is literally the word Christ.
That's what Christ means.
To plot against the Lord
and against his Christ.
And that really is why
today there's such an opposition
still against the gospel.
And it always will be that way
as long as human beings
stand in opposition to God.
Because this is a gospel
that calls them to repent.
A gospel that calls them
to turn from their way
and seek the Lord.
A gospel that calls upon people
to leave the way of sin
and turn into the ways of righteousness.
And to look to the commands of God
and to the promises of God
and to the whole word of God.
And of course that's something
that we don't naturally like.
And so we turn against it
and find so, so many different ways
in which that opposition
and antagonism to the gospel
is fed into our society
from different streams of thought.
And it's all to do with this
plot against the Lord
and against his anointed.
Whether it's in terms of
what happens in our schools,
in our education system,
in our universities and colleges,
any place in our society
that has any semblance
of truth presented to it,
you will always find this reaction
on the part of sadly too many people.
And of course,
it says there in verse 25,
why did the Gentiles rage
on the people's plot
in vain?
Futility.
And yet,
it's something that people
continue doing.
And that again takes up,
as it's taken up from Psalm number 2,
reminds us of what God does
in the face of all that.
He that sits in heaven
shall laugh.
The Lord shall have them
in derision.
And of course,
that doesn't mean
that the Lord is just
treating this lightly,
that he's just having
a laugh at them,
that he just finds
the whole thing very amusing.
When it says there,
the Lord laughs at all this,
what it means is that
he views all of these attempts
as absolutely futile
because his plan
and his purpose
is not going to be diverted.
I mentioned this
on the Lord's day.
His plan is not
in any way affected
by the opposition
of the world,
even of the highest authorities
in any particular generation.
And his own plan,
as you can see there
from verse 28,
it's interesting
that it says there,
when they prayed
to the Lord,
what they mentioned
in prayer was
that Herod
and Pontius Pilate
along with the Gentiles
and the people of Israel
lauded together
and gathered
to do whatever
your hand
and your plan
had predestined
to take place.
You see,
they're finding
a measure of comfort
in all of this.
They began the prayer
as sovereign Lord.
They prayed to him
as the sovereign Lord
in verse 24.
And because they prayed
to him
as the one they knew
as the sovereign Lord,
instead of actually
coming now
to say
Herod and Pontius Pilate
together with the Gentiles
and the people of Israel
were gathered
to do what they
themselves purposed
against the Lord
and against your anointed,
that was the case
but it's actually
God's plan
they're carrying out.
to do whatever
your hand
and your plan
had predestined
to take place.
And sometimes
that's where
we've got to find
our refuge.
Find our refuge
there all the time.
But there are
many times
when we can't
ourselves
get beyond
a certain stage
in our thinking
and our conclusions
and coming to
a conclusion
as to why
things are
as they are
and how we
go about
dealing with it.
And so we leave
it with the Lord
and say
Sovereign Lord
it's your plan.
You're carrying
out your purpose.
We can't understand
how all of these
oppositions
to your gospel
fit into your plan
but we know
it's your plan.
We would want
to see them changed
but they still
go on unchanged.
So Lord
give us
we pray
to find ourselves
taking refuge
within your sovereignty.
You know
when I
started
what seems
many years
ago now
in the ministry
the ministry
we hadn't back
the late
Murdo McCauley
he was still
then in active
ministry
not in a
congregation
but he was
still preaching
and I was
speaking to him
one day
and he said
I'm just going
to say this
to you
he said
I could say
much to you
by way of
advice
from a long
time in ministry
but one thing
you will always
find
is that
you have to
fall back
on the sovereignty
of God.
You have to
fall back
on the sovereignty
of God.
You meet with
things you didn't
plan
you wouldn't
want to have
planned.
You meet with
surprises
you meet with
changes
you meet with
challenges
you meet with
difficulties
you meet with
disappointments
you meet with
all sorts of
things that
challenged your
soul and
challenged your
faith and
sometimes even
shake you up
but you can
always fall
back on the
sovereignty of
God.
And that's not
you know when
you fall back
on the sovereignty
of God it's
not just ducking
out of the
issue.
It's not that
you're just
refusing to
think things
through.
What he meant
by that was
you've thought
things through
you've prayed
over things
you still believe
in God
you pray for
his blessing
but you reach
the point where
you've done
that and still
you have all
of this to
face.
fall back
on his
sovereignty
and of
course in
our personal
lives that
really is so
important isn't
it?
And that really
is what happened
at the cross
itself.
There is the
world's view of
the cross come
down from the
cross and we
will believe.
Do it the way
that we prefer
the way we
think best.
Do it in
accordance with
our ideology.
let our
ideology actually
shape what
the cross
is, what
Jesus Christ
is, who
he is, what
he's in the
world for, what
salvation is, what
the Bible is
about.
Do it this
way and we
will believe.
Well that's
really the world
of today and
what the world
is saying by
that is well
we believe in
our own way
anyway and
we're not going
to believe
anything else.
Now sovereign
Lord he says
they say
sovereign Lord
who made the
heaven and
the earth
and who
through the
mouth of our
father David
said by the
Holy Spirit
now Lord look
upon their
threats and
grant to your
servants to
continue to
speak your
word with
all boldness.
So the
orders against
gospel teaching
are very
applicable to
the situation
you and I
face.
It doesn't
matter where
you look
around in
society you'll
find people
in power,
people of
influence,
people who
are very
persuasive in
actually getting
others to join
their bandwagon
whatever it is
and against the
gospel you'll
find so many
joining these
campaigns whether
it's in
education,
medical issues,
very many other
aspects of our
society's life.
people of
God.
But you come
back to the
way that it's
all fitting
together in
God's plan and
you wait upon
the Lord to
answer your
prayers in due
time.
And that's
where you come
to the prayers
that they then
prayed.
And one thing
that struck me
during the
prayers here
actually was how
obviously this
passage had
registered with
too many who
were praying
because they
both mentioned
at least once
if not more
the whole
emphasis here
on boldness.
The boldness
of these people
we began reading
at verse 13.
When they saw
the boldness of
Peter and John
and perceived
that they were
uneducated common
men they were
astonished.
And where we
finished in
verse 31 the
place was shaken
they were all
filled with the
Holy Spirit and
continued to speak
the word of God
with boldness.
What is it to
speak the word
of God with
boldness?
What is this
boldness that
they were praying
for more of?
What is this
boldness that you
and I have the
privilege of
knowing for
ourselves and
of exercising
ourselves?
Well it's not
the boldness of
the world.
It's not the
boldness of
aggressiveness.
It's not the
boldness of
speech you find
in people shouting
down the arguments
of others.
It's not boldness
of self-confidence
in our own
ability.
It's not the
boldness of
human intellect.
It's not the
boldness of
anything other
than confidence
in God.
That's what it's
meant by
boldness.
It's the
boldness that
comes through
faith through
trust in God.
Boldness that
his word is
truth.
Boldness that
he is always
sovereign and
right.
Boldness that
the gospel will
not return to
him void.
It will
accomplish the
purposes of
God.
Some will be
hardened under
it.
Some will
be melted.
Some will
be saved.
Some will
be lost.
But God
will not be
mocked and
God will not
be diverted
from his
purpose.
And you see
they lifted up
their voices
together.
They lifted up
there in verse
24.
When they
heard it,
they lifted up
their voices
together to
God and
said,
Sovereign
Lord.
I didn't
find any of
those people
saying,
well,
we need
to pray
to God,
but you
guys are
in charge
of the
meeting.
You're the
ones who are
doing the
prayer.
We'll just
follow.
They all
lifted up
their voices
together to
God and
said they
were united
in praying to
God and
calling upon
the Lord.
They all
joined in the
prayers.
They all
joined in,
whether spoken
or otherwise,
but they were
all part of
that movement
of prayer.
prayer.
That's why
we're here
tonight.
We had two
men engaged
in prayer
audibly,
but you were
all praying,
weren't you?
We're all part
of praying
to God.
And the more
the Lord
actually impresses
on us the
need for boldness
as it is in
our particular
day to answer
the taunts
and the aggression
of the world,
that's where we
come together
to pray.
one of the
great things
about having
this meeting
in the middle
of the week
is that we
come together
to pray,
and being
together to
pray is an
inestimable
privilege.
You can do
a lot of
praying on
your own,
and you have
to do,
and I have
to do a lot
of praying
on our own
if we're really
in that
relationship with
God that
seeks as
blessing as
we trust we
do.
But there's
something
particularly
special,
and something
particularly
noteworthy
about being
as they
were here
lifting up
their voices
together to
God.
All of us
gathered together
and joined
in mentally
and spiritually
with what is
ascending to
God by way
of worship
and appeal
in prayer.
prayer.
Sometimes
perhaps we
are over
critical of
churches or
congregations
that are full
of amens
during the
time that
people pray.
Certainly
that can be
overdone,
there's no
doubt.
But nevertheless,
reasonably done,
it's a good
indicator,
isn't it,
that people
are actually
following what's
being spoken
in prayer by
those who are
praying publicly,
and their
hearts are
engaged in it
and their
minds are
engaged in it
and they're
actually being
together,
joined together
in that
concert of
prayer,
in that
corporate
prayer,
following those
who may be
individually engaged
in it publicly.
In any case,
that's what they
were doing here.
They lifted up
their voices
together to
God and
said,
Sovereign
Lord,
we pray
to you.
that is
where we
have our
comfort and
our boldness
from,
from being
together and
being together
and lifting up
our voices
to God.
I think the
days in which
we live
certainly call
for gathered
prayer,
for concerted
prayer,
for congregational
prayer,
for gatherings
for prayer,
and in
facing that
world in
all its
antagonism
to the
gospel.
One of the
great privileges
and antidotes
that we have
to that,
one of the
counteractions
to the
actions of
a hostile
world,
is to be
concerted in
prayer together
and to value
the time
when we can
be together
to pray to
God.
So,
Sovereign
Lord,
they saw
that as
significant
against the
background of
Psalm 2.
Grant
that you,
your people,
grant to
us,
Lord,
to speak
your word
with all
boldness.
Now,
it might have
been some
people that
would advise
you against
that.
Here they were
facing
imprisonment,
intimidation,
and threat,
and persecution,
and yet what
do they want
to do?
They want to
speak more
with more
boldness.
Some might
have advised
them,
let's just
keep things
quiet for a
while.
Let's not
just be as
forthright in
presenting these
claims of
Christ.
No,
that's not
what they
went.
They went
the other
way altogether.
Now,
they said,
let's grant
to your
servants,
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.
It wasn't
a time
to be
quiet.
And isn't
it interesting
as well
and significant
that despite
having been
so abused
and so badly
treated,
they didn't
pray to the
Lord for
vengeance.
They didn't
pray to the
Lord that
God would
come and
punish these
people who
had done
such things
to them.
No,
they prayed
for healings
for them.
they prayed
for their
well-being.
They prayed
that God
would be
merciful to
them,
that God
would turn
them into
his way.
And that,
of course,
is for our
context as
well,
as we
follow the
example and
the pattern
that our
Lord himself
said.
Colossians,
remember
Colossians
chapter 4
gives us
that spirit
of prayer
and of not
just of
prayer but
also of
speaking to
people and
witnessing to
people for
the gospel.
Colossians
chapter 4
verses 5
to 6,
conduct
yourselves
wisely
towards
outsiders,
making the
best use
of the
time.
Let your
speech
always be
gracious,
seasoned
with salt,
so that you
may know
how you
ought to
answer
each
person.
That's
really just
following the
example of
the Lord
himself,
1 Peter
chapter 2,
which tells
us that
when he
was reviled,
he did
not respond
by reviling
again in
return,
but he
committed
himself to
him who
judges
righteously,
to him
who was
the father,
his father
had sent
him into
the world.
And so
here is
the spirit
of speech
as well as
of prayer,
as you
find it
brought out
for us
there in
the pattern
that Jesus
himself
said.
And there's
God's
answer in
verse 31
and what an
answer it
was.
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.
That was
God saying,
I've heard
you,
and this is
my answer.
They were
asking God
to enable
them to
continue to
speak with
boldness.
That's what
he enabled
them to
do,
but he
gave a
sign of
it by
the place
that they
were gathered
in was
actually shaken
and they
were all
filled with
the Holy
Spirit.
That has
happened,
of course,
at other
times in
the history
of the
church as
well,
even within
our own
island here.
I've
never been
in a
situation
where that's
actually
happened,
but I
did meet
some in
the course
of my
life thus
far who
were in
that kind
of situation,
who were
in a
building,
usually
somebody's
home,
and where
the Holy
Spirit's
power and
presence was
so evident
there that
people felt
the place
itself
vibrating,
trembling,
God was
there.
God was
manifesting
himself there.
I wonder
what we
say tonight,
if it had
happened here,
what would
we then say
when we went
out into the
world?
Well, it
might be
something you'd
find very
difficult to
describe,
I'm sure,
but the
reality of
that would
be evident
through your
life and
through your
witness much
more than
if it had
never happened
at all,
because what
it says is
the place
they were
in was
filled with
the Holy
Spirit,
where they
were gathered,
it was shaken,
they were
filled with
the Holy
Spirit,
and continued
to speak
the word
of God
with boldness.
It came
through in
their speech
following this
incident,
as they went
out with the
gospel to the
world,
and their
boldness
was spirit-filled
boldness.
One of the
old commenters
from long,
long ago,
John Chrysostom,
who lived
from 347
to 407
AD,
he comments
just on this
particular passage
here,
this verse,
that they were
filled with
the Holy
Spirit,
continued to
speak with
boldness,
the shaking,
he said,
of this
place,
made them
all the more
unshaken,
the shaking
of this
place,
made them
all the more
unshaken,
unshaken in
their commitment
to the gospel,
commitment to
the Lord,
in their
determination to
speak with
all boldness.
Nothing
assures us
as the
evidence of
God's
presence,
and God's
blessing,
assures us
that when we
go out with
the gospel,
whether it's
in preaching
ministry or
in your own
witness to
God,
the presence
of God,
the assurance
of God,
the ability
to speak
tactfully,
and the way
we saw in
Colossians
there,
but with
boldness,
because your
boldness comes
from knowing
who your
God is,
from knowing
where your
life is
anchored,
from knowing
what the
gospel is,
what his
promises are,
and from
knowing that
his word
will never
return to
him void
or empty.
Let's pray.
We give
thanks to
our Lord
God that
you are
almighty,
that your
power is
so great
that you
could easily
shake this
place to
its foundations,
whether it
you will to
do so.
We pray,
Lord, that
you would
grant to
us, as we
have thought
upon this
great passage,
as we
have thought
upon your
people in
these times
when they
experience such
a power and
blessing from
God.
O Lord, help
us, we pray,
to be together
in prayer,
even if we're
not together,
actually gathered
as we are
here tonight.
Nevertheless,
Lord, give us
to be bound
together by
your spirit
in common
prayer.
We ask, O
Lord, that
the blessing
that we seek
from this
passage for
ourselves would
be evident to
us in days
to come.
Lord, grant
us that
boldness.
Grant us
that confidence
in your
word.
Grant us
that confidence
in yourself.
Grant us
the speech,
Lord, by
which we
would make
Christ known
to the world
of our day.
Give us
confidence
against the
confidence of
the world.
Give us the
boldness of
your spirit,
O Lord,
against the
boldness of
unbelief and
of atheism and
of antagonism to
your great name.
We ask all of
these things,
and now as we
confess our sins,
seeking pardon
and cleansing
for Jesus'
sake.
Amen.