"Incredible Gospel Community"

We're gonna hear the word of the lord. It's from Acts chapter 4 verse 23 to 31, and it's page 1 0 9 6. On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to god. Sovereign lord, they said, you made the heavens and the earth and the see and everything in them, you spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father, David.

Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain The kings of the earth rise up, and rulers band together against the lord and against his anointed 1. Indeed, herod and pontius pilot met together with the gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to con spire against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your Holy servant Jesus.

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke the Word of God boldly. Thank you, David, for reading that. Okay. Please keep the passage open in front of you. Now, we do need just need to do a little bit of, preparation where before we get started with with the sermon.

And that is we've got a sheet for children to fill out. So if you're sort of primary school age or under, we've got a sheet that you can fill out during the sermon. So I think Cara and Bev have got them. So put a hand up if you need a sheet, And there are some pens as well. If you've not brought any pens, so you need a sheet to fill out.

And just to say while they're doing that, there is a danger with these all age services. So we're doing 2 all age services. There's a danger with them that no 1 thinks this is for them. Because, because, children you're in through the service, and you're thinking, well, I'd normally go out to Hope kids. And therefore, you're thinking, this isn't really for me.

And adults, you're thinking, well, this is a bit more aimed at the kids, so this isn't really for me. So no 1 thinks this is for them, and therefore this would be a complete waste of time. But I want you to assume this is for you. Okay? So this is all age.

In other words, this is for everyone, and that includes you. Alright? So children, you've got a sheet that you can fill out. Parents, or carers. If you're if you've got a child with you and you need to talk to them to help them concentrate, to help them think about what's being said, please feel free to do so.

That means there will be a bit of noise, and that's fine. That's alright. I don't mind that. Help your children to concentrate, help them to listen, help them to engage, that'll be good. Okay.

So, if you've got sheets, you've got pens, and you need the passage open as well. So, ah, I don't think this is doing anything. But you're doing it for me. So that's fine. So you need the passage opener, Acts chapter 4, which is page 1 0 9 6.

Okay? So you need that open as well. Alright? And let's pray as we come to god's word. Father, we need your help.

Whether we're children, whether we're adults, whatever our age, we need your help because we're coming to your word, to read it and to understand it and to live it out. So father, please would you help us, teach us by your spirit as we read your word and help us to know what to do as a result of reading this? R men. Okay. Nope.

Still not. Go for it. Boys and girls. I want you to imagine your starting school in September, starting back at school in September, and you've got an assembly. The head teacher stands in front of you all and makes an announcement.

And this is the announcement. Boys and girls from now on, no 1 is allowed to speak about Jesus. And if you speak about Jesus, you'll be expelled from the school. You won't be able to stay in the school. What would you do?

I it's pretty unlikely this is gonna happen. Alright? But what would you do if the head teacher said that don't worry hands down. We're gonna think about that throughout the rest of this summer. Alright?

What would you do? It would be kind of scary, wouldn't it? Or imagine if there was an announcement in your workplace, saying you are now no longer allowed to speak about Jesus. What would you do? In some countries, it is illegal to speak about Jesus.

People speak about Jesus. They get arrested it. In some countries, you're not allowed to own a Bible. You're allowed to have 1 on you. And some Christians hide their bibles so that they won't be found.

Some, are so scared of this. They they won't have a Bible in their house, but they hide their Bible in a forest somewhere. And if they want to read their Bible, they have to go out to the forest, dig it up, find their Bible and read it, and then re hide it to go back home. Now that would be scary to live in a place like that. And it's great that we live in a country.

We live in a place where we don't have to be frightened of that. We can meet like this. And we can own Bibles, and we can have them at home. But some adults here are in jobs where you probably feel if you were to speak openly about Jesus, you could get into trouble. You might even feel if you spoke openly about Jesus that you might lose your job.

Okay. There hasn't been an announcement to say you can't speak about Jesus, but I reckon there are some here who would say, I feel I can't. What should we do? Well, the passage we're gonna look at today will help us because it teaches us what the early Christians did when they were told they couldn't speak about Jesus. There were 2 people in particular, Yeah.

No. It's still not working. Could you move it on? Thank you. Peter and John.

AI reckons, that's what they look like. Who knows? Maybe. They were handsome chaps with great beards. That's not in the Bible.

That's what AI reckons. Peter and John had done something amazing. Through Jesus, through speaking about Jesus, they had seen a lame person, someone who couldn't walk, healed. And a crowded gathered, and they'd spoken about Jesus, But then they were arrested and put in prison for speaking about Jesus. They were put in prison overnight and then brought before a court, a group of people who were gonna decide what was gonna happen to them, and it was really scary for them.

They stood in front of this court because they'd been arrested for speaking about Jesus. And Peter stood up and spoke, and guess what he talked about. He talked about Jesus, and the court were really not happy with him. And they said to him, you must stop speaking about Jesus. And Peter said to them, Peter and John replied, which is right in god's eyes to listen to you or to listen to him?

You be the judges. As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we've seen and heard. Well, the court really, really, really didn't like this. And they threatened them and let them go. Now those threats would have been big serious threats.

Things like if you keep speaking about Jesus, will arrest you again. We'll put you in prison again. Maybe they threatened to have them beaten up. Maybe they threatened to have them killed for speaking about Jesus. Now what are Peter and John gonna do?

They're being threatened for speaking about Jesus? Well, they go back to their people, it says, and they prayed together. And just to give away the ending, in case you're not that concentrated by end. Just to give away the ending, this is what they prayed for. It's gonna come up on the screen.

If people tell you to stop speaking about Jesus, next slide, pray for boldness and keep speaking. Pray for boldness and keep speaking. Boys and girls, we've got a bit of an action going on there. Can you help me with this? Adults you do it too.

You're not too old for this. Okay? If people tell you to stop speaking about Jesus, you pray for boldness, and keep speaking. Boys and girls, you were filling out your sheets. Well done can just pause for a moment and join in the actions.

If people to tell you to stop speaking about Jesus, pray for boldness, and keep speaking. That's what they did, and that's what we should do. But why? Why? Why should we do this?

Well, in the prayer that they prayed together, there are 3 things that we're gonna see about why you should keep go why you should pray for boldness and keep speaking. And you've got those headings on your sheet, and there are gaps for you to fill in, and you'll see what they are as we go through. Why? The first reason is let's have it on the screen. God is the biggest boss there is.

K. You fill that in on your sheet. God is the biggest boss there is. So when they prayed, have a look at verse 24. Says, when they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to god.

Sovereign lord, they said. Now when it says sovereign lord there, that's a slightly unusual word. I mean, it is used elsewhere for speaking of god. But it's a word which means the person who has in the greatest position of authority, who is above everyone and everything. Sovereign lord.

That's how they begin. They've been threatened, and they begin by saying, you are the sovereign lord. You're in control. And then it says, what god may So can we have the next slide? Okay.

You need to help me to fill in these blanks. These aren't on your sheet, but you need to help me fill in these blanks. Sovereign lord, they said, you made the what does it say? Verse 24. Can someone shouted out.

You made the heavens. Thank you. And, yeah, so you move on. That's it. You made the heavens and the Thank you.

Earth. Great. And you made the heavens and the earth and Where does it say? And the sea? Oh, I've missed a bit out there, haven't I?

You guys are better than me. Okay. You're right. Then heavens and the earth and the sea and and everything in them. That's right.

The heavens, the earth, the see everything in them? Do you see Peter, the the the these people, as they're praying, they're saying, god, you made everything? You made absolutely everything because there's nothing not included in that list, is there? Now that's really important to remember. That god is in control of everything.

God is over everything. He is the biggest boss there is. Because it can feel like other people are in charge. If your head teacher said to you, you can't speak about Jesus. It feels like they're the boss.

If your boss at work tells you you can't speak about Jesus, it feels like they're the boss, and they are in authority over you. But you need to remember there is a bigger boss, the lord god. He made everything. He made your head teacher. He made your boss at work.

He's over everyone. Okay. Minecraft is not in the passage. Minecraft. I gather from others that there are baddies in Minecraft.

Is that true? There are bosses in Minecraft. Someone said, yes. Thank you. I think it might have been you who gave me this information through your parents.

There are bosses in Minecraft. If you're not into Minecraft, don't worry. You'll be able to understand this, it'll be fine. Can you name some bosses in Minecraft? Can you tell me some bosses?

Have a think? Talk to someone with it, talk to an adult, talk to a parent, or their bosses in Minecraft? Who are the bosses in Minecraft? Can you remember any year ago, Nizzy? Oh, hang on.

You gotta you're gonna have to shout this a bit louder. Wow. Very good. Anyone know any others? That's more than I knew.

Okay. You might be the only 1 who's into Minecraft here. This point is just for you then. Who's the big boss in Minecraft? Anyone other than Ziki know?

Who's the big boss? We go for the Arrance and the family. Okay. Yeah. Go for it.

2 months. Ender Dragon. Everyone going with that? Adults going with that? Yeah.

You have no idea. Okay. Yes. Good then. Steve You're dad.

No. No. Not your dad. I I don't know. You're gonna have to tell me afterwards.

Alright. I gather it is Ender Dragon is the big boss. Okay. You know this kind of thing. In games, computer games, that kind of thing, you got a boss and you've got other bosses, and then you've got the big boss.

This passage is saying above all bosses is the lord god. However, big to your boss at where it may seem god is bigger. And god is good. And god is on your side. You're on his side.

Now, therefore, you don't need to fear. God is the biggest boss there is. In general, at work or at school, you're to do what those in authority say. So you are to do what your teacher say, what your head teacher says. You are to do what your boss at work says, but there are times when you shouldn't do what they say.

If they tell you to do something that god says not to do. Or if god tells you to do something, and they say not to do it. Because god is the bigger boss, you do what god says. If your boss at work tells you to lie, say, well, no, I'm not gonna do that because god is the bigger boss. And he tells me not to lie.

If your head teacher were to tell you, not to tell people about Jesus, you say, well, god is the bigger boss. And therefore, I'm gonna do what he says. And he tells me I can talk to people about Jesus. God is the biggest boss there is. Second, second point, by the way, we're gonna do the second point, then we're gonna sing a song, and then we'll come back and finish off.

Alright? So we can have a little break. So you've got second point on your sheet. The world hates Scott. The world hates God.

You've got a bit to fill in on that. In their prayer, they remembered a bit from Psalm 2. So verse 25 onwards. Says you spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father, David. Why did the nations rage and the people's plot in vain, the kings of the Earth rise up, and the rulers band together against the lord and against his anointed 1?

Okay. That verse from Psalm 2 is saying important things about how people react to God. So, again, I need you to help me fill in the blanks. I hope I've got got it right this time. So from the verse, What does it say?

Why do the nations rage? Thank you. So next slide. Thank you. And the people's thank you.

Well done, plot in vain. You're doing really well at this. The kings of the Earth rise up, well done, and the rulers what was it? Band. Well done.

Band together. Good concentrating. Do you see what that's saying? Why do the nations rage and the people's plot in vain? The kings of the Earth rise up and the rulers band together.

In other words, it's like nations, peoples are coming together because they've got an enemy that they want to fight. The nations gather. People gather, kings gather. Who are they fighting against? We'll see next slide in the next verse.

Against the lord. Well done. And against his, let's have someone else. Anointed 1. That's Jesus.

So it's saying the nation's rage, they gather together, they plot. They want to come against who the lord got. And then in their prayer, they remember that this is what happened to Jesus. So it's verse 27, indeed, herod and pontius pilot met together with the gentiles, and the people of Israel in this city to can inspire against your Holy servant Jesus whom you anointed. They're saying, this is exactly what happened.

God said in Psalm 2 written hundreds of years ago that people would plot against god against his anointed 1. In other words, Jesus, and saying that's exactly what happened. The people gathered, the kings, the rulers gathered against Jesus, and they had him killed. Now why is that important to remember? Why was that important for them to remember?

They needed to remember it because this is saying the world was against god, and the world is still against God. People hated God, and we had Jesus killed. And therefore, don't be surprised if people are against you speaking about Jesus. They shouldn't be surprised about it. I we shouldn't be surprised either.

Now, maybe you find it a bit strong to say the world hates god. Maybe you find that. Really? Does the world hate god? This isn't saying everyone is as angry as they could possibly be against god?

But as you look around the world, there are certainly places where people do hate god, hate Jesus and hate people following Jesus. But often, it's just that people are indifferent that they just don't do very much about it, but they don't like god, and you can see that because, well, we don't really want god to be god to rule over us, to tell us what's good and bad and right and wrong. But people don't like that. So we shouldn't be prized if people don't like us talking about Jesus. The overall position of mankind is to be against Scott.

Okay. So we've seen 2 reasons why the people, god's people, when they were threatened, when they were told they had to stop speaking about Jesus, they prayed for boldness and kept speaking. And the 2 things we've seen are the first 1, god is the biggest boss there is, and the second, the world hates god. Now we're gonna come to our third 1 in a little bit, but it's really important. Okay.

We'll come back to it in a moment. First off, we're gonna sing a song. So if the music group could get, get back up. Thank you. And we're gonna sing about the fact that god sits in the highest place, he's the biggest boss there is That's the theme of our next song.

So let's stand and sit. Please have a seat. Okay. So let's have the next slide up. And the next 1.

Thank you. Okay. Let's see if you can remember the actions as well as the words. If people tell you to stop speaking about Jesus, pray for boldness and keep speaking. It's it.

Pray for boldness and keep speaking. We've thought about already about 2 reasons why. The first, next slide, please. God is the biggest boss there is. Second, the World hates God.

Now our third point is really important, and it is this. Comes up on the screen. God, now this takes some thinking about. Okay. Boys and girls, you are gonna have to think about this.

God is so in control, even his enemies do what he wants. Okay. Verse 28. Okay. Verse 28.

Have a look at it. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now who's the they? The they there is those people who are plotting against Jesus. It's the Kings.

It's herod, it's pilot, it's the people gathering together. And it's saying they okay. We've got oh, no. We've already filled it in on them. Oh, no.

There we go. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Do you see what that's saying? That's saying those people who plotted against Jesus, Those people who decided they were gonna have Jesus killed, those kings, those rulers, they did what god had decided beforehand was gonna happen. They didn't know They didn't realize they were doing what god wanted.

It looked like they were the boss. It looked like they were in charge, but actually god was in charge all along, and they only did what god had decided beforehand was going to happen. The lord was in charge. Okay. If you play football let's say you play football for a team, let's have the have the next slide.

Okay. Let's say if you play football, you know, your coach can only control his players. And if you're coach of a football team, you know, you can't even control them. But imagine if there was a coach of your team who not only could control what his players were doing, but could control what the opposition players were doing. And they didn't realize is, but they were only doing exactly what your coach wanted to do.

That would be amazing. Imagine the halftime talk. Your coach gathers you together her. Because look, I know that we're 3 milled down, but don't worry. I'm in complete control.

Those goals that the opposition scored against us, it may have felt like a defeat, may have felt rubbish, I'm in complete control. They did exactly what I wanted them to do. Don't worry. It will be fine. How would you go out into the second half.

You'd feel quite common. We're all up. You'd have a bit of swagger about you, maybe. The crowd would think you're nuts. Your story nailed down.

But you think We're alright because the coach is in control. He's even in control of what the the opposition are doing. What difference would that make to those students as they gathered together. Imagine them. It's like they're in a halftime talk, isn't it?

They gather together, and they pray to the lord god, and they remember that the lord god is in control Eve of what their enemies are doing. Wouldn't that then mean that they would think well, since God had told them to go and speak about Jesus, that makes sense that they pray for boldness and go and keep speaking. But they've been threatened. They might be killed, but only if that's god's plan, they might lose their jobs. But only if that's god's plan.

You see god's in complete control. That means they can go out from there with a bit of swagger almost to go We'll pray for boldness, and we'll keep speaking. So here are the big reasons for keeping on speaking about Jesus. Even if people don't like you doing it, because god is in total control. And even if suffering comes, he's still in control.

And don't forget almost all the were killed for speaking about Jesus. But yet they trusted the lord god is in control. They can only do to me what my loving father has determined what happened. Okay. So have you got it?

This is what they prayed then. First 29. This is why it makes sense. Now, lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.

Do you see they prayed for god to give them boldness. They also prayed about signs and wonders. We can talk about that afterwards, if you like. I think the purpose of those in acts is that they show that the apostles are genuine that they're authentic. But the people went and spoke boldly.

Okay. You're back in assembly. It's the beginning of the new term. I know we're trying not to think about it, but you're back in assembly. It's the beginning of the new term, and the head teacher gets up and says, from now on, you're not allowed to speak about Jesus.

What do you do? You pray for boldness and you keep speaking. Now, act sleep, I don't think your head teacher is gonna do that. Isn't that even more reason to say? Let's pray for boldness and keep speaking.

Keep speaking about Jesus because who's gonna tell your friends about how great Jesus is. Who's gonna tell them that Jesus is the only way to be saved? This task of telling others about Jesus is for you and me. See, it wasn't just the apost who went out and spoke about Jesus. It was all the Christians.

First 31, after they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of god boldly. There's something I think there's something significant in that of saying, this was all of those who were gathered, who were filled with the Holy Spirit, went and spoke boldly. So will you go this week? Okay. You're not at school, maybe.

But with your friends, with others, will we go and speak? And boys and girls, I want you to think about this for the future as well to think, how can I do this best? How can I tell more people about Jesus? And as you grow up, as you get jobs, as you do that kind of thing, you need to think wherever I'm going, I'm going as someone sent by god, filled with his spirit to go and speak boldly about Jesus. And for some of you, maybe that means going abroad to other countries, to tell people about Jesus, maybe even to dangerous countries to tell people about Jesus.

Mums and dads wanna encourage that? Or maybe it's getting a job in this country where you're doing full time paid ministry. We need more pastor teachers. We need more people to go and tell others about Jesus. But you do that whether you're in full time paid ministry or whether you're in another job.

But you need to think about it. Now adults we said at the beginning, some of you are in jobs where you think, well, you feel you could get into trouble if you speak about Jesus. I think we need a challenge on this because I think some of us have taken on board an idea not just that I feel a bit scared about it, but that it would actually be wrong for me to speak about Jesus in my workplace. Why do you think that if that's you? Why would it be wrong to speak about Jesus?

I'm not saying there are wise or ways of doing it, but why would it be wrong? Is god not the boss over your workplace? Yeah. Yes. And he sent you there, to your workplace, to your school, to your street, to your neighbors to go and tell them about Jesus.

So you can hold out the word of life. The lord is the biggest boss of all. We should expect that people will hate us because the world hates god, and the lord is even in control of whatever they do to you. They need to hear about Jesus because he's the only way to be saved. Now you might say, but that's scary.

I'm frightened. I think these Christians were frightened too. That's why they prayed for boldness. If they weren't frightened, there was no need for them to pray for boldness. If they were going, yeah, we're bold anyway, they'd only pray for it, but they did.

I think that's because they were scared, but they prayed for boldness and went anyway. And the lord reassured them shaking the place they were meeting in, filling them with his spirit, and they went. So let's pray for boldness and keep speaking. Okay? I'm gonna lead us in prayer where we're gonna ask to give us boldness.

Okay. That's correct. Emily father, this is a great challenge for us because father, we admit it's a bit scary going and telling others about Jesus, because we don't know how they're gonna react. And we can be frightened, and we can keep quiet. And we're sorry that we do that.

Father, we need you to fill us with your spirit. We need you to give us boldness. Please would you do that? Help us to be bold, to go from here, and to take the opportunities you give us to speak of Jesus, and help us to trust you, to trust you for how other people will react, knowing that you're even in control of what your enemies do. So help us to trust June and to go and to speak.