One of the great truths about God is that he is personal. He is not an impersonal force at work in humanity. He is a personal being who relates to his people.
When Jesus’ first followers traveled with him through the villages of Galilee, they experienced his presence every day. After he rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit. They discovered they could experience the same presence of Jesus through their relationship with the Holy Spirit.
A consistent theme in Paul’s writings is that being “in Christ” the same as being “in the Spirit.” Eduard Schweizer was right when he said that everything Jesus was to His disciples, the Holy Spirit is to us today. This is exactly what the disciples experienced after meeting with the religious leaders following the healing of the lame man at the Beautiful Gate.
Prayer and Preaching
The early church faced the power of religious authorities who controlled the temple and held great influence over the people. But the believers knew a greater power. When they faced earthly authority, they turned to the Lord.
After they were released, they went to their own people and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard it, they raised their voices together to God and said:
“Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth, the sea, and everything in them…” (Acts 4:23-24)
I once had an illuminating encounter with a grasshopper. It climbed onto my pickup truck while I was driving from Missouri to Kansas to officiate a wedding. The whole way, going 70 miles an hour, it stayed right beside my windshield wiper blade.
As I drove, I thought, You are such a little bug. Yet, I could never create you.
When the early church faced religious authorities, they knew they were praying to the Creator of all things. Those authorities could not create even a flea. The authorities may have viewed the early church as “fleas,” but they were no match for the One to whom they prayed.
Psalm Two Applied
If the temple officials had heard the early church pray and place them in the same group as God’s opponents in Psalm 2, they would have been outraged.
“It is you who said by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant:
‘Why did the gentiles rage
and the peoples imagine vain things?
The kings of the earth took their stand,
and the rulers have gathered together
against the Lord and against his Messiah.'” (Acts 4:24b-26)
We can only imagine the irony of religious leaders, called to represent God, being grouped with those who joined forces against the Messiah Israel had awaited for centuries.
This is a strong example for us to consider in our own lives. Spiritual pride, the need to be right, and the desire to control situations or gain power can blind us to what God is doing. Humility and healthy respect for God, on the other hand, help us see his work even when it challenges our opinions.
Not Safety, but Boldness and Power
Did you notice what Jesus’ first followers prayed for? They did not pray for safety. Instead, they prayed for boldness and for the Holy Spirit’s power to show others the reality of Jesus’ life.
“And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” (Acts 4:29-30)
This is a good time to pause and ask what we are praying about today. When was the last time we prayed for boldness to share the truth about Jesus? When did we pray that our lives would shine so people could see who Jesus is, honor him, and want to receive him as their friend and Savior?
When we pray for boldness and the ability to show Jesus’ true nature, we can trust the Holy Spirit to answer.
“When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:31)
Our experience may not be like the first followers of Jesus, with the room shaking where we pray, but our hearts will be stirred, and we will be empowered. If it has been a while since you asked God for bold words and behavior that honors Jesus, today may be a good day to begin praying that way again.
Let’s do it together for God’s glory and for the good of those around us.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed Acts 4:23-31 on YouTube today.
