What Happens When a Church Really Prays?

Acts 4:29-33

 

 This chapter can easily be discussed under these three headings.

(1) You can observe the Apostles Defending Christ’s name, vs. 5-14.

(2) Then, there is the Council Opposing His name, vs. 15-22.

(3) Finally, you will see the Church Calling on His name, vs. 23-31.

The leaders and believers in the church at Jerusalem were in a crisis.  The church staff has been arrested, v. 3.  Yet, look at the very next verse.  “Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand,” v. 4.  Amazing!  Phenomenal! 

The church leaders were held overnight in jail.  For what reason?  They were preaching the resurrection from the dead through Jesus, v. 2.  Look at verse 12.  These apostles were not very politically correct.  They preached exclusive salvation by the exclusive Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Well, these leaders were brought out the next morning and commanded “not to speak at all not teaching the name of Jesus,” v. 18.  That was no option for Peter and John, vs. 19-20.  They were further “threthened” (v. 21) and then released.

How did they respond?

· They circulated a petition and had hundreds sign it to take to Caesar for this infringement of their rights?

· They posted stickers on their chariots calling for an end to the oppression of religious expression?

· They rented a large sign of the out-shirts of Jerusalem demanding an end to this injustice?

No, they prayed, v. 23-24.  Prayer links…

...our inadequacies with God’s sufficiency.

...our finiteness with God infiniteness.

...our situation with God’s sovereignty.

...our problems with God’s power.

 

What happens with a church really prays?

1. The Presence of God is Manifested. 

Do you see what happened when these people prayed?  “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together,” v. 31.

I am not saying that when we really pray that this building will “shake” as a sign of God’s presence manifested.  I would say that is not impossible, although not necessary.  I am saying that when God shows up we can expect some “shaking going on.”  Sometimes that shaking is (1) inside and it may also be (2) outside.  Christian friend, if we want God to shake the world, He must first shake us!

What does “manifest” mean? 

· 2 Chronicles 16:9  “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.” 

God is looking for the opportunity in someone’s life and in a church to show Himself strong—that is the manifested presence of God—when God shows up and when God shows off.

You see, the thing that occurred that day among those believers could not be explained on a human level.  The things that went on was a “God-thing.”

When a church really prays... 

2.  The Power of God is Received. 
 

“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost…”  This is the 3rd time this is mentioned so far in Acts.

· Acts 2:4  “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

· Acts 4:8  “Then, Peer, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them…”

· Acts 4:31

 

What is that?  It is a divine enablement to….

· Love unconditionally

· Serve appropriately

· Witness convincingly

·  Joy plentifully

· Work productively

Because of all the crazy things people have seen and have about told being filled with the Spirit some are frightened by this idea.  I suggest we should be frightened by the possibility of not being filled with the Spirit.

Why did they need to be “filled with the Holy Ghost”?  You will notice it was not in response to a request for a filling with the Holy Spirit.  Look what their request in verse 29.  They prayed for boldness to speak, and they were filled the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God with boldness.  Can you connect the dots?  They needed boldness for the hour, the Holy Spirit took over their hears and lives, and they had the boldness they needed for the great work of soul-winning.

You see, for the first time the Jerusalem church  was facing persecution.  It was the first, but certainly not the last.  Many more would follow.  Stephen would be stoned; Saul would led an assault of persecution before he was gloriously saved; James would be beheaded; Peter would be jailed; Paul and Silas would be beaten and jailed; all of the apostles but one would be martyred and received the martyr’s crown.

These people knew what they were facing in the future.  There were only two options:

· Are we going on with God?

· Or, are we going to go back?  Peter, are you going back to fishing?  Matthew, are you going back to tax-collecting? 

· Would they be silent?

· Or, would they keep speaking up and speaking out for Jesus?

v. 19-20  “God, at any cost, we are going on with You!  All we need is your help!”  These people weren’t praying for “comfort;” they were praying for “courage” and “convictions!”  You remember that Christ had commanded them to be “witnesses,” Acts 1:9.  They were now praying to do what they had been told to do!  They were praying to be faithful.

No wonder these people were filled with the Spirit.

Here was their secret:  (1) They gazed at God but (2) only glanced at their problems.  Isn’t that where we fail to experience the power of God in our lives?  We (1) gaze at our problems and (2) only occasionally glance at God.

Look at this prayer in vs. 24-28.  These people knew God!  They had their theology down.

· They knew God as Creator, v. 24.  We are not accidents of random evolution; we are the incidents of an intentional Creator.

· They knew God as the Communicator, the Author of Scripture, v. 25.  These people applied Psalm 2:1 to their personal situation.  That tells us that nothing ever comes into our lives that takes God by surprise.  God created you; God knew you before you were born.

· They knew God as the Controller of all people and all events, vs. 26-28.  And every event in our lives come through the planned or permitted will of God.

· They knew God as the Conqueror of all problems, v. 29a.  “Lord, behold their threatening….”  They were saying, “Lord, you know the problem.  We are turning it over to You.”

Now here is a very important truth: God will not do a work through you until He has done a work in you.  “Grant unto thy servants…”  Not “dialonos,” which means minister, but “doulos” which means “slave.” These people were all about pleasing their Master.

That leads us to the third thing that happens when a church really prays.

 

3.  The Purposes of God are Accomplished.

I have been around this hill in Lake Worth for the better part of 55 years.  The initial vision for the church became know in 1937 when 20 people, including the man for whom I am named, Jerry L. Davis, gathered together and declared themselves a church for Jesus Christ.  But really, this church came out of the heart of God Himself for the people of Northwest Tarrant County.  This is His church.  That is why we are to be committed to His Church—to carry out God’s purposes.

vs. 32-33. 

 God raised up this church to say….

Jesus is alive in heaven, vs. 33a.  Jesus is not in some grave in Jerusalem.  He is risen and ascended into heaven for us.  What does that mean?

· He can heal your broken heart.

· He can put purpose into your empty life.

· He can forgiven your of your mountain of sin.

· He can deliver you from sin’s bondage—drugs, alcohol, immorality.

· He can save you for time and eternity.

 

Jesus is alive in here—the church, v. 33b.  “Great grace was upon them all.”  God raised up this church to put Himself on display to an unbelieving world and we show the world what God is up to by our unity, harmony and purity as a church.   Jesus is Lord of His churches.  If He is not, we are playing danger religious games.  When the letters to the churches in the book of the Revelation  was written where do you find Christ?  He is walking in the midst of the seven candlesticks (His churches in Asia), with His seven stars (he pastors) in His right hand, Revelation 1:12, 16.

Its amazing what God can do in our hearts.  Look at v. 32.  “The multitude of them that believers were of one heart and of one soul.”  No one saw themselves as individuals free to do whatever, whenever, wherever.  They were now a part of the church—the body and bride of Christ.  They were His.  They were are part of each other.  God not only got into their hearts, He got into their pocketbook, their checkbooks.  “Neither said any of them that aught of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common,” v. 32b. 

Why did they set aside their person agendas?  Why were they willing to give up their personal possessions to meet the needs of others?  It was to accomplish God’s purposes.