May it please the Lord to bless
us together this evening as we continue our meditation in the
Acts of the Apostles in the fourth chapter. This evening we'll speak
from verse 23 down to verse 30. Verse 23 to verse 30. You may remember that two weeks
ago when we thought upon this chapter we actually included
the 23rd verse as we spoke. But we'll commence again at the
23rd verse here this evening. The position is that as we follow
through this account really of how this man, this lame man was
healed and what a wonderful outcome it had. It didn't just stop with
that healing. It had a big effect and many
were blessed and instructed by it and many were perhaps brought
to consider these things as we know they were. And so we should
realise that in our lives things can run on and go far beyond
what we might perhaps anticipate. Now you may remember that the
case was that Peter and John had been apprehended and they'd
been brought before the rulers and the elders and the scribes
and the high priest and Annas and Caiaphas and they told them
of the situation which they had done, and why they had done it,
and how they had done it. And this of course was not liked,
but they realised, these people who they spoke to, that it was
something very special, and something which had occurred, and they
could not deny it. But they wanted to stop any of
this message about the Lord Jesus being spread abroad, and so therefore
they told them to not say anything, and having said that they let
them go and now we pick it up and we read and being let go
they went to their own company and reported all the chief priests
and elders had said unto them. There is good instruction here
because the truth is that as soon as they had the opportunity
when they were freed, they went to their own company. That means
they went to their own people, to fellow believers. And they
didn't just go there and not say anything. They gave a description
of what had happened. They reported all that the chief
priests and elders had said unto them. It wasn't something which
they just passed by. It was a full disclosure of what
had been said. And then we see what followed,
and what followed really is the remainder of the verses we've
read together this evening, down to verse 30, which was a prayer. They had come together, and this
is what we read, and when they heard that, they were, they lifted
up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord our God,
which has made heaven and earth and the sea and all that in them
is. Well they were united in the prayer. And it would probably
be that one of the disciples prayed and there was that accord
with the rest of them. And in a similar way perhaps
as we come together for prayer is one prays that we may join
together in accord with that prayer. And may it be the true
desires of our heart, as indeed it was the desires of these people
here. And they lifted up their voice
to God. It would seem it wasn't just a whispering statement,
it was a very clear word. They lifted up their voice to
God in one accord, and they said, and they acknowledged who God
was. It's good if we, when we come
to God, if we acknowledge who He is. We have many examples
of prayer in the Word of God, and many occasions we see when
those who address the Lord God, they come in this way, extolling
Him, demonstrating how great He is, and it's a good thing
if we come in prayer to our God, and we remember how great He
is, and what a wonderful God we have. And so this is a statement
here, they said, Lord our God which has made heaven and earth
and the sea and all that is them is, all that in them is. It was a very big statement,
wasn't it? It's a very true statement and
it's something that we always want to recognise when we come
to God in prayer, that we are coming to the great God, the
God who has created all things and so these people came in just
that way at this time and they went on and they said who by
the mouth of thy servant David has said why did the heathen
rage and the people imagined vain things the kings of the
earth stood up And the rulers were gathered together against
the Lord and against His Christ. Well, we know, do we not, the
anger in natural man's heart against the things of God. And
so we see here this statement, they stood up against these things. And we know that those who stood
up were eminent people and they desired to destroy the things
of God. And so it is today. We have a
similar battle. There are those who are standing
up and are gathered together against the Lord and against
His Christ. Now, the blessing is, if we are
enabled still, to still continue, like these who prayed in this
way for of a truth against Thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast
anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and
the people of Israel were gathered together there was no doubt in
their minds as to who had done this and who they were speaking
against and they speak so clearly whom thou hast anointed both
Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of
Israel were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand
and thy counsel determined before to be done." Today we're thankful
the Lord's hand is not shortened. The hand of the Lord. And these
disciples, remembering they spoke in the name of the Lord Jesus,
And it was through his name that this man was healed. And it is
today still, the same power is through the anointed one, the
Lord Jesus Christ. For to do whatsoever thy hand
and thy counsel determined before to be done. And then they come
and they say, and now Lord, behold their threatenings. Well, of
course they had threatened the disciples. And I suppose today
we see it, don't we? In our nation, threatenings. And every opportunity we find
the humanists and the secularists rising up and threatening the
Christian church and endeavouring to stop them speaking and preaching
and conveying the truth of the gospel. And so, they said, behold
their threatenings. We might ask the Lord also today
to behold their threatenings and grant unto thy servants,
and this is so relevant for us today, and grant unto thy servants
that with all boldness they may speak thy word. Now, it was not
easy for these disciples. It was not an easy day. They'd
been apprehended. They'd been criticised. They'd
been spoken against. They've been told not to declare
the truth with regards to the Lord Jesus Christ. But this didn't
deter the disciples. And my friends, may it not deter
us today. And may we have like faith as
they had when they came and said, pray to the Lord. Oh, we have
the same God today. I pray to the Lord, behold their
threatenings and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness
they may speak thy word. Well, may we pray that we may
be bold in the things of God to declare his truth, to declare
his name, and may speak thy word by stretching forth thine hands
to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy
holy child Jesus. Now we need God today to heal
the souls of people. My friends, they are destitute,
they are sick, they are ill, they are diseased, and they need
to be healed. So we have this word here, by
stretching forth thine hand, and we know the Lord can, by
His Spirit, stretch forth His hand and touch the heart of one
and another, so that they are healed, and the effect is there
will be then signs and wonders because when a soul is converted
it is a wonder and there is a wonderful evidence and sign in that conversion
to the honour and glory of God by stretching forth thine hand
to heal and that signs and wonders may be done. And of course they
come right round to this great truth, by the name of thy holy
child Jesus. How important it is that we set
forth the name of the Lord Jesus, that it is His power, it is through
His name there is that healing. And we would desire there may
yet be in our land and much blessing, indeed, in the nations of the
world that the Lord may come and stretch forth His hand and
touch hearts and move spirits, convince of sin and turn to the
Lord Jesus Christ. My friends, we're thankful today
to know the Lord's arm is not shortened, that it cannot save. And we pray that it may be evident
in many lives, many people that we're able that come in contact
with, that we may be able to speak forth in boldness, humbleness,
meekness, but nevertheless with boldness the truth of God and
remembering that these things are only done through the name,
by the name of the Holy Child Jesus. So we consider this prayer
on this memorable occasion. We thank God we have such prayers
in the Word of God to encourage us today to pray on and to see
that the Lord will do great things for His honour and for His glory. Amen.