{"id":155,"date":"2009-03-02T12:19:40","date_gmt":"2009-03-02T17:19:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/?p=155"},"modified":"2009-03-02T12:19:40","modified_gmt":"2009-03-02T17:19:40","slug":"sovereignty-responsibility-and-boldness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/2009\/03\/02\/sovereignty-responsibility-and-boldness\/","title":{"rendered":"Sovereignty, Responsibility, and Boldness"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>(This sermon on Acts 4:23-31was preached 11\/9\/08. The audio is available <a href=\"http:\/\/www.eqotw.org\/media\/?p=166\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Imagine that you are engaged in a personal ministry. You are confident that you are following God, and it seems that you are having some success. Then, suddenly, there\u2019s a huge obstacle in your path,<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-top: 0in;\" type=\"disc\">\n<li class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">It might be a failure on your part,<\/li>\n<li class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">It might be a rejection or betrayal by former      colleagues,<\/li>\n<li class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">It might be a financial barrier,<\/li>\n<li class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">It might be opposition, or threats from others.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">How do you respond?<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">In Acts 4, that\u2019s the situation Peter and John and all the apostles find themselves in.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Jesus was killed just a few months ago. That itself had seemed to be the end of their hopes. But God raised Him from dead. Jesus opened their eyes to Scripture and to His own prophecies to see that the crucifixion had to happen, to see the role of Christ\u2019s suffering in God\u2019s plan. The apostles now know that Jesus is living, active, still at work.<span> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">He then sent the Holy Spirit on them with power at Pentecost, baptizing them and filling them for their special task. These apostles saw three thousand saved that day \u2013 and they themselves baptized every one. They\u2019ve seen more come to faith day by day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Then God worked through Peter and John to heal a man who was lame from birth. A crowd gathered, and Peter preached; once again, thousands more were saved.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">It would be understandable if, at this point, the apostles thought, \u201cWow! Look at God work! What success! Everything is just going to get better and better!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">But things didn\u2019t get better and better.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">As we saw last week, the Jewish authorities arrest Peter and John. They threaten them, warning them not to speak any more in the name of Jesus. Peter speaks boldly in their presence, saying there is no other name by which men must be saved, saying that they cannot but speak about what they have seen and heard, saying they must obey God rather than men. But the Jewish authorities just threaten all the more. They release Peter and John, but make their point absolutely clear: \u201cIf you continue to speak in the name of Jesus, watch out. We\u2019re here. You know what happened to Jesus. If you love your families, if you want to see your children grow up, you had better keep quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">This is the first serious challenge to the young church.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Put yourself in their shoes: These are not supermen. They have families, worries, and cares. If they are put to death, there are no food stamps, there is no welfare, there is no social security for their children. They must be facing a strong temptation to be quiet. Satan undoubtedly tempted them in these terms: \u201cThink about how many are already saved! Let\u2019s just teach them. Let\u2019s just live together and enjoy each other, be family to each other. We can stop<span> <\/span>this proselytizing. For it\u2019s this speaking in public that will get us in trouble. Indeed, maybe this is a sign from God \u2013we\u2019ve been spreading the Gospel, and we\u2019ve had our success. Now maybe we\u2019re supposed to stop and focus on deepening our joy in Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Imagine what would have happened if apostles had done that. That would have been the end of the church. Or, possibly, the church would have been a tiny enclave, a minor sect within Judaism. In other words, that would have been disastrous.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">So how do the apostles fight this temptation? How can we, facing our own obstacles, fight the temptation to quit, to change, to adapt in ways that destroy our ministry?<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Peter and John fight in four ways that are applicable to us:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-top: 0in;\" type=\"disc\">\n<li class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Acknowledge your weakness<\/li>\n<li class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Know the truth<\/li>\n<li class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Trust the truth<\/li>\n<li class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Ask for God\u2019s enabling<!--more--><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\"><strong>1) Acknowledge Your Weakness<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">The apostles begin by acknowledging their weakness. That is, they don\u2019t get themselves pumped up, and do a rah-rah football cheer, saying, \u201cThose chief priests are wimps! We can take them on! Be strong! Fight! Fight! Fight!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">No. They realize this is a serious threat. They know that they face the temptation to give up. They know that they are weak<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Peter will later write,<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Consider: How much chance does an unarmed man have if he goes one-on-one with a lion \u2013<span> <\/span>no matter how pumped up he might be?<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">So what do Peter and John do? They acknowledge their weakness in two ways:<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">a) They acknowledge they need other believers<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Verse 23 tells us, \u201cthey went to their friends\u201d \u2013 presumably to a church meeting in a home. They went to their fellow believers and reported the threats of the Jewish leaders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">God doesn\u2019t intend for us to face battles against temptations, against persecution, against Satan, against spiritual forces on our own. Indeed, Satan tries to isolate us, to keep us from sharing our trials and troubles. He is happy if we are isolated, regardless of whether we are all bravado or all worried and concerned. God gives us one another to support each other, to hold each other up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">b) They acknowledge they need God\u2019s help <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Though they need each other, even altogether they cannot stand against the powers arrayed against them. So the believers go to God, and seek His power, His assistance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">They lift up their voices \u201ctogether\u201d or \u201cwith one accord.\u201d They unite in prayer, crying out to God. They know they need God<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Do we know the same?<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Most all of us would answer that question \u201cYes\u201d on an exam. But do we live it out? When faced with temptations and trials, do you turn to other believers for help, and then together turn to prayer? On issues facing us as a church \u2013 such as our venue, and the church budget &#8211; are we praying together? Are we fervent in prayer together for this weekly service, for sanctification, for outreach?<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">For me personally, it is very easy to go through the motions of prayer, but deep down to really think that I can do it. What about for you?<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">May we push each other to depend together on God, acknowledging our weakness through prayer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\"><strong>2) Know the Truth<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">After acknowledging their weakness, the gathered believers pray an extraordinary prayer. They are in personal and corporate crisis. They are in danger. They face the temptation to abandon the community, to go back to being regular Jews. So they are dealing with deep relational issues \u2013 their relationship to each other and well as their relationship to God. They are dealing with a crisis that could fracture their community.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">So how do they pray?<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">They pray a doctrine-filled prayer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">We\u2019re going to detail the doctrines they cite shortly. But first: Note how contrary this is to our present culture. Prominent forces within the church today say,<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">\u201cDoctrine divides! We want relationships, not doctrine!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">\u201cDoctrine is for the head! We want our hearts to be moved!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">\u201cWe\u2019re not interested in propositions, in truth claims \u2013 we\u2019re interested in genuine experience!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Such statements would be nonsensical to the apostles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">When their community is tempted to fall apart because of temptation, they depend on doctrine in their prayer to God.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">When fearful, they turn in prayer to doctrine to settle their hearts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">But this is not in contrast to experience &#8211; the experience that results from this doctrinal prayer is powerful.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">So let\u2019s look at this prayer and note twelve doctrines they cite or allude to. We don\u2019t know who spoke this prayer, though clearly all present agreed with it. Peter may have been the speaker, and I\u2019ll refer to him as such.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Acts 4:24<span> <\/span>&#8220;Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them,<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">a) <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The doctrine of the existence of God<\/span>. They address God. He must exist.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">b) <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The doctrine of the sovereignty of God<\/span>: They call Him, \u201cSovereign Lord.\u201d The Greek word is the root of our word \u201cdespot.\u201d It means absolute master. They will elaborate on God\u2019s sovereignty later in the prayer:<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">c) <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The doctrine of creation<\/span>: God created all things, seen and unseen. He even created us, and all human beings! He thus has the rights of a creator over us.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">v25a<span> <\/span>who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">d) God speaks! <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The doctrine of revelation<\/span>. Thus Peter rules out deism, the idea that God created the world, set it in motion, but then left it to operate on its own. He rules out the idea of God as an impersonal force. And he rules out any notion about God as unknowable. He tells us about Himself, so He must be knowable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">e) <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The doctrine of inspiration<\/span>: God speaks through men moved by the Holy Spirit<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">At this point in his prayer, Peter quotes Psalm 2:1-2. Let me read this psalm in its entirety, for Peter surely expects his fellow believers to have the context of his quotation in mind:<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?<span> <\/span>2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying,<span> <\/span>3 &#8220;Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.&#8221;<span> <\/span>4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.<span> <\/span>5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,<span> <\/span>6 &#8220;As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.&#8221;<span> <\/span>7 I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, &#8220;You are my Son; today I have begotten you.<span> <\/span>8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.<span> <\/span>9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter&#8217;s vessel.&#8221;<span> <\/span>10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.<span> <\/span>11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.<span> <\/span>12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">What doctrines come out in this psalm?<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">f) <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">More on God\u2019s sovereignty<\/span>: No human power is a threat to God. For how does God respond to all these kings and rulers plotting against Him, and against His Christ? Y Verse 4 tells us He laughs at them! All they do is \u201cin vain.\u201d They have no power to thwart His purposes. Have you ever seen a two-year-old shake his fist at an adult? Many two-year-olds assert their power and authority. But the adult is perfectly capable of maintaining control. The two-year-old has much less power than the adult, no matter how much he expresses his anger. It\u2019s always helpful to remember that the difference between us and God is much greater than the difference between a two-year-old and an adult. And while some parents, unfortunately, seem to take the threats of two-year-olds seriously, God never takes out threats seriously. We are no threat to Him. Whatever nations, whatever forces are arrayed against Him, He\u2019s not frightened. He is in control. He laughs at His enemies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">g) Psalm 2 abounds in <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">the doctrine of the person of Christ<\/span>:. Just note a few points<span> <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>He is God\u2019s chosen Messiah, verse 2.<\/li>\n<li>He is God\u2019s chosen king, verse 6,<\/li>\n<li>He is the ruler of every nation, of all the earth, verse 8.<\/li>\n<li>He is the one who will destroy God\u2019s enemies, verse 9.<\/li>\n<li>He is God\u2019s Son, verses 7 and 12.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">h) The psalm hints at <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">the doctrine of salvation<\/span> in verses 10-12, as the psalmist calls these rebels to repentance. These kings must see the Son as the Lord; they must serve Him and rejoice in Him. And if they do so, they will be saved, they will have a refuge. The alternative is judgment and condemnation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Let\u2019s go back to Peter\u2019s prayer in Acts 4:<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">4:27 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,<span> <\/span>28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">i) Peter elaborates on <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">the doctrine of the person of Christ<\/span>. He calls Jesus God\u2019s holy servant. Like David, He is God\u2019s servant as the anointed King who does the will of God. This title is also an allusion to the \u201cservant songs\u201d in the book of Isaiah, particularly to Isaiah 52 and 53, which prophesy the suffering of the servant.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">j) <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The doctrine of prophecy<\/span>. Peter applies Psalm 2 to recent events, including Jesus\u2019 arrest, trial, and crucifixion. So: God spoke centuries before Christ about events that would happen during His life.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">k) <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The doctrine of the covenants<\/span>. Look at verse 27. Peter alludes to the first sentence of the psalm, \u201cWhy do the nations (or \u201cGentiles\u201d) rage and the peoples plot.\u201d In the psalm, the words \u201cnations\u201d and \u201cpeoples\u201d are in parallel; both words refer to all ethnic groups other than Israel. Peter says those gathered against Jesus include kings and rulers, as mentioned in Psalm 2:2 \u2013 that is Herod and Pilate. Then Peter mentions Gentiles or nations \u2013 non-Israelites. But then note what Peter says: Those gathered against God include not just the \u201cpeoples,\u201d in parallel with nations; instead, Peter calls them the peoples of Israel! Those gathered against the Messiah, against the Davidic ruler, include the peoples of Israel! Instead of being God\u2019s people, the people of Israel have conspired with the \u201ckings of the earth\u201d to fight against God\u2019s anointed Messiah.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Peter had said this might happen in Acts 3:23. He is speaking of Jesus as the prophet who is to come:<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\"><span> <\/span>23 And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">The prophet like Moses is coming: All who don\u2019t listen to him will be cut off from the people. Thus, to reject Jesus is to be cut off from true Israel. He is the true Israel. Only those united to Him are in God\u2019s new covenant.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">There is much more we could say: But for today, just note that Peter brings up the doctrine of God\u2019s covenant with His people.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">l) Peter elaborates on <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">the doctrine of God\u2019s sovereignty<\/span> over all that happens. These kings and rulers are gathered against Jesus, rebelling against His authority. Yet verse 28 tells us that they are doing exactly what God predestined to happen. Each of them is following his own desires, each is making choices, doing whatever he perceives is in his own self-interest; each is responsible for those choices; and yet each is doing exactly what God, centuries earlier, had predestined would happen. This is always the case with every opponent of God. He is in control, even of the evil deeds of evil men.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Do you see the depth of doctrine Peter depends on here? We could outline an entire semester of Systematic Theology from this prayer!<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">All this doctrine is either true or it is not true. If it is not true, it provides these believers with no basis for their upcoming appeal. <span> <\/span>If it is not true, it gives them no basis for their relationship with God or with each other. But it is true. They know it is true.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">So clearly, this doctrine doesn\u2019t divide! This doctrine isn\u2019t for the head only! This deep doctrine is exactly what these believers need in this crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">So let\u2019s see how these very doctrines then spur the Jerusalem church to bold witness in the face of persecution:<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\"><strong>3) Trust the truth<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Overarching all the doctrines we\u2019ve seen is the name Peter chooses to use to address God: Sovereign Lord. Peter highlights God\u2019s sovereignty \u2013 for trust in God\u2019s sovereignty is key for the church at this point. If they are to risk their lives, to risk their income, to risk their families, they need to have confidence in the great truth of God\u2019s sovereignty. They need to know that just as God planned the crucifixion of Jesus, God planned the arrest of Peter and John. God created these Jewish leaders, and He laughs at their resistance to His Christ. God will use their evil acts for His good purposes, just as He used the crucifixion for His good purposes<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">So they not only need to know the truth. They need to trust the truth.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">So do we.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Doctrine is central. But one can have correct doctrine and be completely impotent. These great truths about God and Christ transform us when we know them and trust them &#8211; so that when we face trials and suffering we trust that God is in control. When we face dangers, we trust that God will permit only what is for our good and His glory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">We can then say with the psalmist,<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. (Psalm 43:5)<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\"><strong>4) Ask for God\u2019s Enabling<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">But Peter does more than recall great truths about God and trust in those truths. He asks God to do three things. Listen for these three in verses 29-30:<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,<span> <\/span>30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">a) <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Look upon their threats<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">In Psalm 2, God sees the opposing kings and laughs at them. That\u2019s what Peter is asking God to do here: To see their threats and to respond in such a way that they are frustrated in their plans to attack God and His people.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">This may seem trivial \u2013 why ask God to do what He always does? Why ask the all-seeing god to notice what is happening? Indeed, Peter\u2019s request may even seem to imply that God is not already taking notice. He needs our prompting or He\u2019ll fall asleep on the watch!<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">That\u2019s clearly not the case. But note that in Scripture God\u2019s people frequently pray this way.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Consider Solomon\u2019s prayer at the dedication of the temple:<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">2 Chronicles 6:40 Now, O my God, let your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayer of this place.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Or Hezekiah\u2019s prayer when the Assyrian king Sennacherib threatens Jerusalem:<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Isaiah 37:17 Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Or Daniel\u2019s great prayer asking God to fulfill Jeremiah\u2019s prophesy of returning the people to Jerusalem after exile in Babylon, despite their continued rebellion:<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Daniel 9:18 O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Thus, God wants us to know His character, and to call upon Him to act in accordance with that character. Far from demeaning Him, that is to His glory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">He is the all-seeing God. So we say, \u201cLord, look upon the evil around us. Look upon the suffering. Act, for the good of Your people and the glory of Your Name.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">That\u2019s Peter\u2019s first request. The next two requests ask that God act in particular ways as He sees those who threaten the early church. Let\u2019s jump to his third request, and then come back to the second:<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">b) <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">while you stretch out your hand<\/span> to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">That is: \u201cAct miraculously to establish the truth of Your word, to show that our bold words are true.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Do you pray like that? Is it right to pray like that? Does God work miraculously today?<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">God performs a mighty miracle every time He brings someone to Himself, every time He replaces a heart of stone with a heart of flesh \u2013 every time He takes a spiritually dead person and makes him spiritually alive.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Furthermore, He is sovereign! He is creator! He always works to the glory of His Name, and is well able at any time in any place to act with signs and wonders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Biblically we see signs and wonders concentrated in specific periods:<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">The time of the Exodus<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">The time of Elijah and Elisha<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">The time of Jesus and the apostles<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">So it\u2019s not surprising to find that such signs and wonders are rare in many places and at many times. In addition, we know that such signs and wonders are not in and of themselves central to salvation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">But God has used them in history, particularly to verify the truths spoken by His messengers, and He does seem to be doing that today, particularly when the Gospel is spreading to new people groups who have been enslaved to false religion for centuries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">So don\u2019t be reluctant to pray this way. Always pray for God\u2019s glory to be shown. You can suggest ways that He might act. And then trust Him to magnify His glory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">c) <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Peter and John spoke God\u2019s Word boldly before the council. They now face serious threats. And they ask that they and all the believers might continue to speak boldly, forthrightly, with confidence and courage. They pray that they might continue to proclaim the hard points \u2013 such as saying, \u201cThis Jesus, whom you crucified\u201d &#8211; not fearing the results, but trusting God with whatever might happen, knowing that God laughs in derision at His opponents! He is sovereign! So, says Peter, \u201cLet us act in knowledge of your sovereignty. Give us boldness!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Do you pray this way?<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Or do you simply say, \u201cI\u2019m not a bold person. I just witness in quiet ways.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Of course we differ in personality. Of course we differ in giftedness. So did those in the early church. But note that Peter didn\u2019t say, \u201cGrant to your apostles to continue to speak with boldness.\u201d <span> <\/span>He said, \u201cGrant to your servants, your slaves.\u201d That\u2019s you. That\u2019s me. Every believer is a slave of God.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Every one of us is called to be bold in our witness for Christ. And every one of us needs God\u2019s power if we are to be bold and courageous and effective in our witness.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">So pray for boldness!<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">And when you have been bold \u2013 like Peter and John \u2013 pray for more boldness! Don\u2019t take for granted that you will be tomorrow.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">When you\u2019re frightened, and you know you shouldn\u2019t be, don\u2019t just be quiet. Don\u2019t just say, \u201cMaybe God won\u2019t notice how frightened I am of this threat.\u201d Say, \u201cLook on this threat, O God! Frustrate their plans! Give me your Holy Spirit! Enable me to hold firmly to Your truth, to proclaim it through my words and through my life!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Pray for boldness!<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">What happened as a result of this prayer?<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 6pt 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;\">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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">God manifested His presence among them. They knew He was there. He gave them a special filling with His Holy Spirit. And, despite obstacles, despite threats, they spoke the Gospel with great boldness.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">And we are here today as a result.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">We opened by asking you to imagine an obstacle you face in ministry, a roadblock that seems to keep you from continuing. Sometimes we should change direction as a result of an obstacle &#8211; for sometimes God puts obstacles in our way to cause us to change. We will see some examples of that later in the book of Acts. He\u2019s sovereign after all.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">But when faced with such obstacles, always ask:<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Is this God\u2019s command to all believers, and it\u2019s simply hard to do? There\u2019s no surprise in such difficulties! We are to persevere through hardship.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Or is this God\u2019s specific calling to me, that I must follow, regardless of the obstacles?<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">If the answer to either question is \u201cyes,\u201d go forward just as Peter and John went forward! Follow the same steps they took:<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Acknowledge your weakness \u2013 before other believers and before God. You will not fulfill God\u2019s purposes on your own.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Know the truth! Love God\u2019s Word; meditate on it day and night; learn God\u2019s character. Don\u2019t be swayed by the latest fads and winds of doctrine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Trust the truth! Look to God\u2019s sovereignty, His goodness, His mercy, and step out in confidence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Pray for His enabling! Pray that God would fulfill His character in Your life. Pray that you might so trust His character that you are bold, courageous, winsome, and wise.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">The Sovereign God, the Creator of all things, calls to Himself rebellious sinners who deserve hell, forgiving them through the death on the cross of His Son Jesus. All who turn to Jesus, all who repent and trust Him as Savior and Lord, become God\u2019s children, Christ\u2019s witnesses, God\u2019s ambassadors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Are you His child?<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Are you His bold witness?<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 6pt;\">Are you His ambassador \u2013 by His power?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(This sermon on Acts 4:23-31was preached 11\/9\/08. The audio is available here.) Imagine that you are engaged in a personal ministry. You are confident that you are following God, and&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,21,24],"tags":[101,229,426,644,1195],"class_list":["post-155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-acts-blog","category-prayer-blog","category-sermons","tag-acts-423-31","tag-boldness","tag-doctrine","tag-gods-sovereignty","tag-prayer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=155"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}