The Prayer of the Sent Church
Passage:
“When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, ‘Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against this Anointed’ – for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever you hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue 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.’ And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:23-31).
Prayer:
Introduction:
We see the believers entrust themselves to God – in tension -and I think there is some powerful things for us here – there are three things I want to highlight about the prayer of the sent church in tension –
- The sent church entrusts themselves to God’s POWER
- the sent church entrusts themselves to God’s PLAN
- the sent church entrusts themselves to God’s MISSION
Let’s look at that first one there –
The sent church entrusts themselves to God’s POWER
And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, ‘Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against this Anointed’ – (vv. 24-26)
- they take time to acknowledge God’s limitless power.
Rather than stressing out about how big their problems were – and stressing out about how much trouble could be coming down the way – they took comfort in how big God is –
- They start by talking about creation and how big everything in creation is –
- Colossians says “for by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things were created through him and for him” – he is over every thing – he is the Lord of all –
the sent church entrusts themselves to God’s PLAN
for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever you hand and your plan had predestined to take place. (27-28)
- the next thing that the church takes comfort in – is that God always accomplishes his purposes – even if it doesn’t look like it at the moment –
the sent church entrusts themselves to God’s MISSION
And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue 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.’ And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” (29-31)
They close their prayer – with a commitment to obey God no matter what – Regardless of the situation that they would be met with – they purposed in their heart to obey God with everything they had –