The Spirit Shakes Things Up” Acts 4:23-31

Every relationship has a crisis. Some relationships are built upon crises both big and small, but most relationships try to avoid them.

How a relationship deals with a crisis can tell whether or not the relationship will succeed in the long run, or whether it will falter in some way, possibly end.

It wasn’t long before the Jerusalem church faced its first crisis. The way the early Christians addressed the crisis gives us a model for how to deal with issues both big and small.

Background

This passage comes at the end of the events surrounding the healing of the lame man at the Temple. As you recall, there was a great commotion as people came from all over the Temple to see for themselves what had happened. Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, brought a message that proclaimed Jesus to be the One who had healed the man. The message was filled with warning, with hope and with promise.

Inevitably, the gathering crowd drew the attention of the authorities, and it wasn’t long before Peter and John were arrested and, because it was late in the day, thrown into prison. Taken before the Sanhedrin the next morning, Peter and John again proclaimed with confidence and conviction the work of Jesus in the healing of the man.

Confronted by the courage of the apostles and by the man who had clearly been healed, the Sanhedrin went into a closed session. They tried to figure out what to do, finally deciding on a stern warning for Peter and John to stop proclaiming Christ.

Peter and John’s response is found in 4:19: “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” After further threats, Peter and John were released.

It is here that we pick up the passage.

Central Truth: Confident faith in the Holy Spirit sees us through crises of faith.

A church in crisis:

Shares our concerns with one another (23)

How do you respond to a rather harsh confrontation? Some people find a quiet place to compose themselves, to stew over what could have been said or should have been said. Some people like to brag about how they stood up to the Man. We each find our ways to deal with the confrontation.

When Peter and John were released, the first thing they did was return to the church, or, as Luke writes, “their own people.” The two disciples went to the group of people they knew would appreciate their predicament. They went to those who had shared experiences with Christ, and they believed that it was with the church where they would find support and wise counsel.

Returning to their people, Peter and John told them everything that had happened. They told them of the questioning and of the threats. Recognizing that the threat was not just against Peter and John but against all of them, it was the right thing to do. The church needed to be made aware of the growing opposition and the formidable power that was lined up against them.

It’s still a good idea to take a crisis to the church. One of the things I like most about being a Baptist is that no one person makes decisions for the church. Believing as we do in the priesthood of the believer, we acknowledge that each person in the church has the ability to discern and follow God’s will. Believing this, we have congregational ways of deciding things. If a problem arises that might have an effect on our church, each one of us needs to know what the problem is, and we need to reach a consensus about the matter.

When a church addresses a concern as a body, it only strengthens the body. We know the problem, we have discussed the problem and we have reached a decision. Knowing all this, we are better equipped to deal with the matter in a way that will best help the church as a whole and as individuals.

That’s what they did in Jerusalem. That’s what we need to do in today’s church.

Gives the problem to God (24-30)

It’s not a stretch to say that our churches today are under attack. No, I’m not talking about the manufactured idea of the War against Christianity. I am referring to an ever changing society that seems to be travelling further and further away from God and His will. It’s not that different than what Peter and John had related to the church after their encounter with the Sanhedrin. And their response is an example of how we could and should address the many challenges that confront us each day.

After hearing the report from the two men, the church immediately went before God, expecting Him to show them what to do and how to do it. In their prayer, they set us an example.

As the church began to pray, they first reaffirmed God’s sovereignty. They confess God as Creator and as the One who reveals His will through Scripture. The intent is to reaffirm their absolute confidence in God. As Creator, He has demonstrated not only His power over all things, but also His knowledge of all things. Who better to know how the minds and hearts of men work than the one who created man? By acknowledging God’s sovereignty, the church was reminding themselves that God is in charge, and placing themselves under His Lordship.

In recalling God’s inspired words to David, they reaffirmed their belief that God never hides His will from those who seek Him. In quoting the Bible, the church was confessing their belief that the Bible really is the inspired word of God and that God uses His word to speak to us today. God speaks to us in many ways, but the most accurate is the Bible. We confirm God’s will as we take our perceptions of His will and hold it up to the light of the Bible. In this confession, the early church was reminding themselves and God that they had an abiding faith in God’s ability to reveal His will to us today.

The second part of the prayer is in the citing of examples from current events to show that God’s word rings true today. Taking God’s word to David, they pointed out that the Scripture was fulfilled in the way the authorities joined together to crucify Christ. And they confessed that all this had been done to fulfill God’s plan. In so confessing, the church was reminded that God’s will cannot and will not be thwarted by even the most powerful of opponents. God, Creator and Revealer, Sovereign Lord and Ruler, will not be deterred. His will shall be done.

Having lain the groundwork, the church then comes to the heart of their prayer. “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable Your servants to speak Your word with great boldness. Stretch out Your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus” (vs. 29-30).

What the church is saying in their prayer is, essentially, “God, You have a problem. We know You are more than capable of handling it, but it’s more than we can do. You know what has been demanded of us, and we know what You want us to do. So, since You want us to continue to minister and proclaim in Jesus’ name, enable us to do so. You make it possible for us to continue in Your will.”

Sometimes, God comes to us and speaks to us about what He wants us to do and where He wants us to do it. Our job is not to figure out how to put it into practice. Our job is only to say, “Yes, Lord” and then ask Him for the things we need to get it done. If someone recruits you to play a sport, it’s only reasonable to expect that same person to provide the equipment necessary to play the game. God is the one who leads us, who calls us and who equips us. That should always be the focus of our prayer.

That’s what they did in Jerusalem, and that’s what we should and must do today.

Experiences the Spirit’s movement (31)

It’s an amazing thing to see God at work. It’s a wondrous moment. In Jerusalem that day, the church put themselves in God’s hands, and God did not disappoint. After they finished praying, the Bible says, “The place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly” (vs. 31).

I’ve been to revival services and worship services where I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in a very real way. I know that the Bible says where two or more are gathered in Jesus’ name, He is there. Knowing this, I know that every time God’s people gather together, the Holy Spirit is present.

Sometimes, though, we can sense His movement more strongly than at other times.

There are those who will tell you this verse speaks to the fact that believers are not always filled with the Spirit, but I disagree. There are more than enough verses throughout the New Testament that lets us know the Spirit enters us at salvation and that He never leaves us. Yes, we can quench His influence in us if we fail to walk in obedience, but He never leaves us. This verse is speaking about one of those times when they felt the power of the Spirit in a very real way. The building was shaken, and each of them was strengthened in their faith and in their confidence to speak God’s truth.

Remember what they were praying for. Their prayer was that God is Sovereign, and that He reveals His will. His will cannot be thwarted by powerful rulers and governments, and that His word will continue to be spoken. As a result of this awareness, their prayer was that God would enable them to continue to preach and to minister in the name of Jesus.

The answer was immediate, and they were each filled with the Spirit.

The fact that they were all filled is a reminder that each of us has the power and the responsibility to live out our faith and speak to our faith in our world today. We don’t have to be confrontational, but we must not shirk from confrontation. We do not have to be offensive, but neither should we be defensive in our faith. There is no need to apologize for what we believe and why we believe it. We hold to the truth, and the truth of the Gospel is the power of God to save. We hold the answers, and God empowers each one of us to do exactly that.

That’s what happened in the church at Jerusalem, and it can happen in our church today.

Conclusion

I was told years ago about a man who was well known for tightrope walking. One day, he was demonstrating his ability to walk a tightrope over a swiftly flowing river. The crowd oohed and aahed as he demonstrated his skills.

At one point, the man addressed the crowd. He held up a chair and asked if the crowd believed he could walk across the rope while balancing the chair. There was loud applause. He asked if they believed he could walk across the rope while balancing the chair with a person in it. Again, there was applause. Turning to one of the men in the crowd who had clapped the loudest, the walker pointed to the chair and said simply, “Sit down.”

You see, it’s one thing to say we believe the Holy Spirit can shake up our world, but it’s another thing to actually put it into practice.

The chair sits before us. Are you going to put your faith in the One who can do all things? Are you going to sit in His chair?