By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher
Text: Acts
4:23-37
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.
(NKJV)
The ministry of the
apostles now threatens the same religious leaders that Jesus and his ministry
threatened, as they see miracles performed by them. In an effort to stop things
before they get out of hand, they have told Peter and John to stop preaching in
the name of Jesus (Acts
4:18). However, instead of cowering, the Church prays for boldness, with
the place where they assembled shaken (Acts
4:31). The question for the Church today is would we have the same boldness.
Peter and John are released
and go to their companions, giving a report of what the chief priests and
elders said to them (Acts
4:23). Upon hearing the news, everyone raised their voices to God in one
accord, praising God and quoting Psalm
2:1-2, which tells of the rulers gathering together against the Lord and His
Christ (Acts
4:24-26). They continue to tell how Herod, Pilate, the Gentiles, and the
people of Israel gathered together against Jesus to do what God had determined (Acts
4:27-28). They then pray for boldness to speak God’s word and that signs
and wonders would be done through the name of Jesus (Acts
4:29-30). After praying for boldness, the place where they prayed shook,
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking the word of God with
boldness (Acts
4:31).
The multitude of those
who believed were of one heart and soul, believing that what they possessed was
not his or her own, with them having all things in common (Acts
4:32). Their prayer was answered with the apostles powerfully giving
witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ with great grace upon them (Acts
4:33). They were also charitable to each other with anyone in need
receiving from the proceeds of those having land selling it and sharing the
proceeds (Acts
4:34-35). One of those who sold land he owned was Joses, a Levite of the
country of Cyprus (Acts
4:36-37).
We are beginning to see
the persecution of the Church by the Jews, with the Church praying for
boldness, acting in unity, and caring for each other’s needs. This is the
foundation of the early Church and why they were able to accomplish great
things that impacted their world (Acts
17:6).
- Boldness
when threatened with persecution (Acts
4:23-31) – When Peter stood up to address the crowd on the day of
Pentecost in Acts
2:14-39, he was addressing some of the same people who cried for the
crucifixion of Jesus. This man, who was once afraid to admit being a
disciple of Jesus (Matthew
26:69-75), now speaks boldly. He also prays that all would have this
boldness (Acts
4:29).
- Unity
(Acts
4:32-33) – One of the signs that one is a follower of Jesus Christ is
their love for one another (John
13:34-35). The disciples in the early church understood that all they
owned belonged to the Lord (Psalm
50:10). Minus an obsession for worldly possessions, they had a unity
of purpose to focus on being witnesses for the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus.
- Charity
(Acts
4:34-37) – Knowing that being in need could distract someone from a
focus on witnessing for the Lord Jesus, they were charitable and shared
their possessions with those in need. When one is charitable, giving to
the needs of others, it is like doing it to the Lord (Matthew
25:31-46).
The evil in the world
today differs little from the evil in the Roman world of the time of the
apostles. This means that the Church today needs boldness to speak the truth
without compromise, unity in Christ to fulfill its God-given mission (Acts
1:8), and love for one another demonstrated by the willingness to care for
one another’s needs. This requires,
- No
compromise in declaring God’s word empowered by the Spirit of God – Jesus
told the Samaritan woman that true worshippers worshipped the Lord in
Spirit and Truth (John
4:23). The Truth is the Word of God, which the Church must boldly
declare, ignoring what others may say about them, or do to them. Unfortunately,
pastors focused on the numbers may become distracted from declaring
components of the Word of God that may offend someone, concerned that they
may leave and take their contributions with them. This must never be the
case.
- Unity
of purpose – Jesus gave his bride, the Church, a clear mission to be His
witnesses (Acts
1:8). The unity in the church is not a unity where everyone shares the
same opinions, but a unity behind declaring Truth from Scripture with a
lost and dying world. However, the word of God is a two-edged sword with
one end giving hope to those hurting, but the other edge is like a
surgical scalpel, convicting one of sin in their lives. It is this part of
declaring truth that can be painful and may cause some to leave the
Church.
- Caring
for one another without bickering – People in need will have difficulty focusing
on the things of God, becoming focused on the physical needs of the flesh.
The Church should be a hospital for those in need, but if people come to
the Church for help and see people bickering with each other, they will
have difficulty believing this is a place to go to for help. Imagine if
you went to the ER and saw the staff arguing with each other instead of
caring for the patients. I know I would go somewhere else.
If you are reading this
and have never prayed for the forgiveness of your sins and to make Jesus the
Lord of your life, I invite you to pray with me now.
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans
3:23)
and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans
6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse
me as you promise in your Word (1
John 1:9). I believe
you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now
declare you Lord of my life.
If you just prayed, let
someone know of your profession of faith or comment on this post. I also urge
you to find a church of truth, teaching from the Bible that is empowered by the
Holy Spirit, so you can grow in your faith. May God convict, challenge, and
bless everyone reading this post.
