"Extraordinary Prayer"

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Yes. Our reading is acts 4 chapter, yeah, chapter 4 verses 23 to 31 found on page 1096 in the church bibles. On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all of 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 sea 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 people plot in vain? The kings of the Earth rise up, and the rulers band together against the lord, and he's anointed 1. Indeed, herod and Paunchest pilot met together with the gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire 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, both boldly. Great. Thank you.

Do keep that passage in the Bible open? And, shall we say that prayer? Father, these are your words. We ask for your help now as We look at them together. We pray, father for for concentration.

We pray for for energy. And lord, we'd pray that you would do what seems good to you. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, it is good to be here. A, to be reminded that it's not just us who have technical problems, well done, tech guys.

And 2, it's a lot warmer in this church than it is in ours. Yeah. So I I'm I'm feeling toasty warm. Let's have a look at this passage. How excuse me.

How do you think you're going to keep on speaking about Jesus? How do you think you're going to keep on speaking about Jesus? So you're a year year old as a plant. Some of you are young. Some of you are a little older.

Some of you maybe have been speaking about Jesus for a long time, some less long. I presume that those who came to this plant, you came because, you knew and you were up for speaking about Jesus. I assume evangelism is high on your agenda. I assume that you're trying to evangelize anything that moves right now. But it sends us some updates, which we get, which we pray for you.

I know you had a fun day last September. You ran CE in October. You probably had Christmas services that we'd prayed for in December. I know you're planning a passion for life joint mission. In March.

That's a lot. And, hopefully, that feels exciting. And, hopefully, you got lots of energy for that. Maybe for some of us, it feels a bit scary. It feels like hard work, and maybe you don't feel like you've got any energy for that.

Maybe because of, what's going on in life, or maybe because you've, you've been a Christian a long time, and and you've got a few dents. Maybe there's already been a bit of opposition. I don't know if you've, faced any. And what about in 3 years? And what about in 5 years?

Good sound effects. Sounded very sinister, isn't it? And what about in 10 years? No. What are you gonna do after 10 years of fun days?

And Christianity explored and Carol Services, and going to the school gate, and trying to work hard in your, social club, and in your sports team, in the curry nights, after 10 years of that, what's going to keep this church speaking about Jesus? Because you can bet by then that, some friendships will be burnt Opposition will have grown. Energy will be waning a bit, and everyone will be a little bit more bruised. How are we gonna keep speaking about Jesus? That's what we're that's what we're thinking about today.

As we take a look at this passage in acts, acts, you you may know is volume 2 of Luke's gospel, In volume 1, the gospel itself, he teaches about, the suffering and the rising of the Messiah. Here in volume 2, he teaches about the preaching of repentance for the forgiveness of sins to all nations. Beginning at Jerusalem. And in Maxwell, we're very much at the beginning of that story. We're still in Jerusalem.

And for the first time, the church, which if we remember, has not existed for very long, you know, since pentecost. Is faced with the problem of how are we going to keep speaking about Jesus? Look at verse 23 with me. It sets the scene with a report from the religious authorities. First 23.

The report, stop speaking in the name of Jesus. K. Verse 23, on their release. Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. Now Peter and John have just been released from prison.

Okay? They were arrested for speaking in the name of Jesus. Those who had arrested them were the rulers, the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole high priestly family. So, basically, everyone who was involved in the murder of Jesus Christ, the crucifixion. And they're told chapter 4 18 not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus, and then they're threatened a little bit more and released.

And verse 23, they head back to the church, and they report So we gotta try and imagine, put ourselves in our shoes. Imagine, your, at your next Sunday bar is arrested. K? It may not be too hard to imagine. I don't know.

And he's put in jail. And the next day, he's released from the local police, and he comes back and you gather, and he tells you that the police, the local church ministers who've gathered together as well, and the council have said you can't speak or teach about Jesus anymore. Hope Church Tolworth cannot speak or teach about Jesus anymore. What are you going to do? Now I I appreciate that is unlikely to happen.

K? Thank thank the lord. That is unlikely to happen in the UK. But this idea of don't speak in this name is all can also be quite subtle, can't it? So we have workplace inclusivity, don't we?

Which subtly threatens jobs for talking about Christian beliefs. We have friends who who leave us out of some of the message chats and some of the social things. Or we might just have friends who go a bit prickly shut the conversation down whenever we mention Jesus. And those are all ways, aren't they of of saying stop speaking this name? Now that is a problem for us, isn't it?

Because we have a conviction. A conviction that there is no other name that is as important to talk about. If we didn't have that conviction, none of this would be a problem. Would it? So if somebody comes to us and says, could you stop talking about Jesus?

We'd say, well, yeah. Okay. Fine. I'll I'll stop talking about him. No problem.

But we have a conviction, and it's a strong 1. And our conviction is that there is no other name. We'll go to that 1. There is no other name. If we go back to chapter 3, you can if you glance at it in your bibles, you'll see that, chapter 3 verse 6, Peter and John heal a a lame man.

And in and Peter announces, it is in the name of Jesus of Nazareth by which the lame man was healed. And then in chapter 3 verse 12, the crowds are gathering. And Peter says, why do you stare at us as if it was our power or our godliness, which made this man walk? No. It's by faith in the name.

That this man was made strong. And then in chapter 4 verse 5, you see the rulers and the elders and the teachers of the law ask, by what power or what name did you do this? And Peter answers, it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth that this man is healed. Salvation is found in no 1 else, but there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. No other name has the power to save.

So here is the dilemma for the church. It's our dilemma, isn't it as well? In this church, they have been ordered not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus, stop doing it. But they have a conviction that the name of Jesus Christ is the only power by which people can be saved. The apostles know, don't they?

That they can't save anyone by their power or their godliness? And if they can't do it, then you and I can't do it. We have no power. All the power for salvation is in the name that we speak. And that is our conviction.

And I hope it's your conviction too. The ministry of Jesus continues through our witness to the world, but it is his power, and it is his name, which saves not us. So his name has to be spoken, and it has to be taught, but the authorities have said, stop doing that. So how does the church keep speaking? How will we keep speaking if people tell us to stop?

Well, amazingly, in our passage versus 24 to 30, we find the answer. Find the solution. And the answer is this, they prayed themselves confident in the power and will of the lord. They prayed themselves, excuse me, cop confident in the power and will of the lord. Now I appreciate that point is a little clumsy.

I don't think it's very good English. Don't think I'd get an a star for that 1. Okay? Let let me try and explain what I mean. What we see in this section is the church praying for confidence to keep proclaiming the name of Jesus.

And they need that confidence because powerful people have asked them to stop, and those those people can hurt them. The confidence they need, they will find by praying through Psalm 2, and what it teaches about god's will and power. Okay? So they are gonna pray themselves confident in the will and power of God by meditating on Psalm 2. So look with me at the words of Psalm 2, and let's try and work out.

Why these should give us great confidence, their words spoken by God through the Holy Spirit and the mouth of King David, who was King over Israel, around 1000 ish BC. Why did the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain, and the kings and rulers rise up against the lord and against his anointed? I'll paraphrase that a bit. Why did the nations rage of the people's plotting vain and the kings and the rulers rise up against the lord and against his anointed 1? That is a great question.

Don't you think? Brilliant question. Why lord do people oppose you and your king? Why why when we speak about Jesus, who is your king, your anointed king, do people tell us to stop? That's a great question.

I'm sure you've asked that question. Now verse 27, the church sort of recognizes the fulfillment of this Psalm in the life of Jesus. Right? So so the kings, herod, the rulers, pilot, the nations, the gentiles, the peoples, Israel conspired plotted against Jesus whom you anointed. Okay?

That's what they've seen in the life of Jesus. Psalm too in action. So what God said would happen in David's day, they see as being fulfilled in the life of Jesus, and actually it's now continuing to be fulfilled in the life of the church. People rise up and oppose Jesus. Now why does that build any confidence?

Look at verse 28. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. See, the opposition against Jesus was exactly what God had willed by his power. It was not a mistake. It was not beyond him.

It was not a problem for him in any way. It was exactly as he decided. So people plotted against Jesus, but they did so in vain. The pharisees, the teachers of the law, Kyophas raged in vain. And the 1 enthroned in heaven, if you read through the rest of Psalm 2, the 1 enthroned in heaven laughed at them, saying I have installed my king on Zona.

All the rulers, all the kings, all the authorities, all the ordinary people who we come across, who oppose God the father and his king Jesus do so in vain. That's what Psalm 2 teaches. You cannot stop god. Jesus is installed on Zion. He's raised to the right hand of the father.

Sam too tells us the nations are his inheritance, the ends of the earth are his possession, all his enemies will either be dashed to pieces like pottery, or they will kiss the sun and take refuge in him. That is confidence for the church. Plotters will plot in vain. God is laughing. Jesus is installed on Zion, and nothing's gonna stop him.

In fact, even when people plot against him, he uses it to grow his kingdom. So as we look around ourselves and as we look around this area, as you go to the school gate, maybe, as you go to a a community enters, you go to the sports club, as you go to your workplace, as you go to the playground. They are all places under the power and will of God and is anointed. And if they become places where you're told not to speak about Jesus, remember plotters plot in vain. God is laughing.

Jesus is installed on Zion, and God will use their threats to grow his kingdom. God is doing his thing, by his will and his power, and nobody's gonna stop him. Now as they go through that farm as they think about it, what do they then pray as a result? What what what what are they convicted versus 29 to 30? 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.

Noticed, they do not ask for the opposition to be removed. Okay. That's what that's what I would do. I'd be like, right, lord, smash them. And then, you know, give me a comfortable ride.

And in fact, as you read through acts, it gets worse. The opposition gets worse. By chapter 8, a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and everyone by the apostles is scattered. Okay? So imagine Bart's been arrested, blah, blah, comes back.

You all pray. And in within a month, you're all scattered because there's so much persecution. But as you know, you may know, by god's power and will, what did that scattering do? It brought the gospel to the whole world. So consider their threats here is not a prayer for protection.

It's a prayer of submission to god's will and power. It's like saying lord, these people are threatening us, do what you will for the good of your kingdom with that. And then equip us equip us to speak with great boldness, the name of Jesus, and stretch out your hand in power to heal and save people. That is a great prayer, isn't it? Lord, when people threaten us, do what your will and power have decided beforehand.

And, like, it's not a surprise to god, is it threats? Do what your will and power have decided beforehand. Give us boldness to keep speaking and use the name of Jesus to save people. What a great prayer? And notice it is a prayer before it is action.

K? The threats were very real. The apostles would be flogged Church members would be imprisoned, and Steven is about to be stoned to death. There is no way they could have faced that in their own strength. In their own sense of personality, in their own sense of boldness and strength, or their own godliness, they had to pray.

Mean, just as Jesus had to pray in the garden, didn't he? For strength and power? And when the church gets together and prays, Well, then there's power, and there's confidence, and there's strength, and there's boldness to keep speaking no matter what. So question, can this church keep speaking to this area about Jesus without prayer. Can you?

There's a few young people here. Can you go into your classrooms? In your own strength and power and keep speaking about Jesus or even start speaking about Jesus because that's that's, you know, that's a bad pit. Right? Or do we need to pray?

Can we keep running evangelistic events like, you're about to in March with enthusiasm and confidence year after year no matter what. Can you do that in your own strength? Can you do it? Cause you've got great people who run events for you? Or do we have to pray?

Can you speak of Jesus to work colleagues or family or friends or teammates or the local people in this area in our own strength, or do we need to pray? First ever church praised themselves confident in the power and will of god. And finally, look what God did. They went in god's power, and spoke boldly. 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.

You wanna be like that? No. Not sure. Not sure. I think sort of we're a bit scared, aren't we?

A little bit scared. Right? But deep down, we're thinking, yeah, I'd quite like to do that. I I'd like this boldness to speak. I I don't wanna be scared.

And we might be a bit fearful. And look, we may not think we have any power in ourselves, and we may not feel very godly. Great news. Don't need it. That's what we've learned, isn't it?

Don't need power. Don't need to be godly. Phew. I can speak about Jesus. We just need to ask for a bit of courage and then speak.

And God does all the rest. Lovely old lady at Kings came in 1 day, and she was she was like beaming, right, you know, beaming. And she told me she talked about Jesus to a friend, and that that that person had become a believer. And she was beaming. Right?

Like, you couldn't wipe that smile off her face. Just a bit of courage from God and a huge act of God saving power. Amazing. She can do it? I can do it.

You can do it. Because the power comes from god. We just need to ask for a little bit of boldness and then just speak. And what is there really to lose? A job?

Yeah. That sounds bad, doesn't it? But God owns all the jobs. A friend. Yeah.

We that's sad. We don't want that. Popularity, status. Even your life. Oh, Jesus was hanging on across.

That looked bad. Right? Everyone laughed. That's not good. He now possesses the ends of the Earth.

The apostles were flogged, exiled, and executed, but there are now 2630000000.00 professing Christians worldwide across all denominations. And the growth of Christianity is outpacing world population growth. 1 in 7 of those Christians faces the high level persecution we're talking about here in acts 4. 1 is 7. Nothing's changed, but they're still speaking boldly about Jesus.

And Jesus is still powerfully saving people. I don't know if you read the the church in China's cracking down again in the last couple of weeks. I think it's something like 90000000 Christians in China. So they they it's not working. The crackdown, is it?

God is laughing. His king is installed. So will you pray? And and look, when we say, will you pray, right, that that that can sound just like a few words. Right?

But but, actually, the reality is that is that's a big thing to do. K? I don't it's a bit like, standing in the queue of a roller coaster. I don't I don't know if you love roller coasters or you hate them. I generally as well, I used to love them now.

I'm old, and I really don't like them anymore. I found that out this summer. But it's like standing in a queue of a roadhouse. Half of you is thinking, gosh, this could go really badly. I'm not sure whether it's gonna be lying.

I don't know if I can do this. And then half of you is like, oh, yeah, but it looks quite fun, doesn't it? And it it's quite exciting. I'm quite up for it. That's what it's like as we get ready to pray this prayer.

Right? So half of us is thinking, oh, I'm not really sure. I'm up for this. Harfer's thinking, yeah, this sounds pretty good. Will you get on the ride?

Today is the day, isn't it? Get on the ride. Pay through Psalm 2. Pay yourself confident in god's power and will for this place and ask for that power to bold to speak boldly. And don't just do it on your own.

Church needs to pray gathered. You have a mission coming up, I know with other local churches. I know you have a joint prayer meeting coming up, I think, at some point. You obviously have your own church prayer meetings. There's a cluster prayer meeting, on the fourth of February to pray for commission.

These are opportunities to be equipped by god's power to speak and to seek god's power in this world to save people. And look, I know many of you will already have been speaking. This is a new church plant, lots of you've been Christians for a long time. And so, but a new church plant is different, isn't it? It's like a speaker thon.

Everyone you meet, you're trying to say something about Jesus or invite them to church or to an event, and we're We're all praying for you, to be honest. We're praying for good things and encouragement. But the truth is you might get a little bit duffed up in the process. A bit bruised. Bit discouraged.

If you've been a Christian for a while, you know, you you'll know that. You live you'll have experienced that from previous iterations of church. And there'll be lots of moments when you'll be tempted to stop speaking. So keep praying. Keep praying yourselves confident in god's power and will.

Keep gathering with your church to pray for boldness to speak and god's power to save. And I am fully confident that Christ will build his church. Here in this place, through you. Isn't that exciting? God's gonna build his kingdom through you.

But we gotta keep praying. Let's take a moment of quiet. Just just for yourself, you might wanna think briefly about something you've thought about and talked to God about it, and then I'll close in a press. So I'm gonna give you minute or 2, just to think, in silence. Oh, no.

This is a bit awkward. And then I will pray. Heavenly father. This is your work. This is your kingdom.

Your son is installed on Zion. He is the king. Nations will rage. People will plot in vain. People will make threats.

People will tell us to stop talking about him and teaching in his name. But father, All of them will only do what your power and will has decided beforehand should happen. So, lord, we ask that you consider their threats and enable your servants here and in commission to speak your word with great boldness. And we ask that you would stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus. And we ask it for his glory, amen.