Acts 4:31-34
This whole episode began as a result of a healing miracle of a 40 years plus man who had been crippled from birth. His healing opened an opportunity to the Apostles to witness about the resurrection of Christ to the Jews and others who were present. Many people believed. But the Priests, leaders of the temple and Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection arrested the Apostles, Peter and John. They inquired of them by what name and power they performed the miracle. The Apostles challenged them that it was the name of Jesus, who they put to death but God raised from the dead and that there is no other name by which any man could be saved except by the name of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!
After that, they were threatened to stop preaching in the name of Jesus Christ. But the Apostle Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, again challenged them to think whether it was right for them to obey the elders rather than God. The elders upon hearing this recognized their BOLDNESS and that these men had been with Jesus Christ. So, they further threatened them not to speak in the name of Jesus.
Why is the world threatened by the name of Jesus? Even Coca-Cola, I watched a video on Social media, in one of their marketing strategies, asked customers to customize their own bottles by putting whatever name they desired and it will be done. You can put all religious leaders names and even Satan and the tech engine will accept but not the name of Jesus. School children were asked to write about their favorite personalities. While others wrote about contemporary celebrities and famous historical religious leaders, one wrote about Jesus Christ as her favorite personality and what was the result? She was scored Zero and disqualified. Why? The world is under the influence and power of the god of this world- Satan who is God’s adversary and of His people. The world is antichrist and can never befriend the church. The church must never imagine that both would partner together. As light is to darkness so is the church to the world. One appears, the other disappears. Both cannot stand side by side.
So it was this threat that the Apostles reported to their fellows in fellowship- the first church. And upon hearing it they lifted up their voices in prayer to God.
Why was this their first line of action? Why was prayer their immediate response to such a threat? Why did they think that prayer was necessary to overcome such threat- that could keep them from obeying their beloved Master?
- They recognized that they were without powers of themselves to confront the religious and worldly system of their day. They could not succeed against these sons of Belial unless by God’s help.
- They remembered the words of David in Psa 56:3, he said, When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you- NASB. How do we put our trust in God? Through prayer. Prayer is our act of dependence on God by which we express our need for Him in our helplessness and sometimes hopelessness.
- They remembered the promise of the LORD in Mat 18:19 and 20, Jesus said, “Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Two things motivate us to prayer-
- The first is the assurance of being heard by God by which we know our requests shall granted (1 John 5:14-15)
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of him NIV
- Secondly, the manifest presence of Jesus Christ when we come together to pray. This promised presence is like no other. Notice that the Sadducees and elders noticed by the boldness of the Apostles that they had been with Jesus. Our approach to God in prayers is our being with Christ and the result is confidence, assurance, boldness and courage to represent Him.
The Apostles knew this, so, they cashed in on it! The result was that they were given boldness to continue to speak about the resurrection of Christ as the ground shook as an evidence of Christ’s presence with them.
- They understood the purpose of the church. In John 2:12-16, Jesus entered the temple and was disgusted by what the temple had been turned into- a place of merchandise. So he made a whip and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple. Why did he do that? Matthew helped us to answer that question in Matthew 12:13- Jesus speaking, “And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” Mark added that all nations shall call the church a house of prayer Mk 11:17. The expectation of all nations and of God is that the church will be a place of prayer. The Apostles clearly understood this and they did not fail that expectation.
Presented at Foursquare Gospel Church Mission Sunday