At this point in the book of Acts Peter and John find themselves in quite a predicament. They had been on their way to the temple to pray, when God interrupted their plan by healing a man who was lame from birth. A crowd gathered, the disciples shared the message of Jesus, and now they have been called before the Jewish authorities who are now trying to determine what to do to them.
Acts 4
15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
16 saying, "What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
They could not undo the miracle…
They could not deny the miracle…
But they had to do something!
17 But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name."
Notice they didn’t even want to say the name Jesus.
18 So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
No more speaking the name of Jesus
No more teaching in the name of Jesus
To please us and to stay on our good side, just don’t mention Jesus ever again!
19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.
20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."
Peter and John the choice was clear…we can go along with what man wants, or we can do what God wants.
21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done.
22 For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.
They further threatened them. One of the ways that satan has always worked is through intimidation. Listen to what Peter writes years later:
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
He us not a roaring lion, but imitates one.
I know you remember the classic account of intimidation.
1 Samuel 17
2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array against the Philistines.
3 The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.
4 And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath , from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
5 He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze.
6 And he had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders.
7 Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels; and a shield-bearer went before him.
8 Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, "Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.
9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us."
10 And the Philistine said, "I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together."
11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
You know that Goliath was not invincible. You know that because David took him out. Remember David did not come against Goliath with a weapon but with a name.
1 Samuel 17:45 “Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”
If you have the name, the weapon does not matter…David used a sling and a stone, but he could have used anything, because the power was not in the sling or the stone, but in the name. Does this sound familiar?
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ
We don’t have to be intimidated, because we have THE NAME
Philippians 2
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
All the Jewish elders could do was threaten them to stop using THE NAME. There is something you need to do anytime you are being threatened or intimidated and it is what the disciples did next, they prayed!
23 And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.
24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,
25 who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: 'Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things?
26 The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the LORD and against His Christ.'
27 "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together
28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.
29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word,
30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus."
That was a serious prayer! Let’s look at the elements of that prayer:
1. They shared the details
reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them
James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
2. They prayed in agreement
they raised their voice to God with one accord
Matthew 18:19 “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.”
3. They declared God’s power
Lord, You are God, who made…
Psalms 147:5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.
4. They prayed the word
who by the mouth of Your servant David have said
Psalms 119:172 My tongue shall speak of Your word, for all Your commandments are righteousness.
5. They proclaimed that God is in control
to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined
Psalms 135:6 Whatever the LORD pleases He does, In heaven and in earth, In the seas and in all deep places.
6. They asked big
grant to Your servants…boldness
stretch out your hand…heal
show…signs and wonders
Mark 11:24 “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
Prayer is our part…
1. We share the details
2. We pray in agreement
3. We declare God’s power
4. We pray the word
5. We proclaim that God is in control
6. We ask big
Prayer is our part…answering is God’s part
Look how God answered their prayer:
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
The place was shaken…they were filled…the spoke boldly.
The fact that they were filled with the Holy Spirit is significant because that lets us know that
Being filled with the Holy Spirit
is not a one time experience
God’s work in us is not a one time work in the same way being filled with the Spirit is not a one time work.
Ephesians 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit
Filled “to make replete, i.e. (literally) to cram (a net), level up (a hollow), or (figuratively) to furnish (or imbue, diffuse, influence), to satisfy”
Don’t let there be any area of emptiness!
Listen to a few things we are to be doing “in the Spirit”
Worship in the Spirit
Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,
Walk in the Spirit
Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit , and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Love in the Spirit
Colossians 1:7-8 as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, who also declared to us your love in the Spirit
Pray in the Spirit
Ephesians 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints
Live in the Spirit
Galatians 5
24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live in the Spirit , let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
If you have had a one time experience being filled with the Spirit and you think that is all there is, take to heart what happened to the disciples in Acts 4.
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. Shake us/ fill us/ embolden us