Threats Determined by Thy Counsel

Minister:
Date: PM
Text: Acts 4:27,28
Psalters: 265, 299, 3, 289
  1. The prayer.
    1. Notice what the company of believers did NOT do.
    2. Instead, taking the threats seriously, they turned to the Lord with the confidence that He would sustain them and protect them.
      1. They began their prayer by reminding themselves of Who God is by their address.
      2. And He is the One Who has revealed Himself in Scripture (25).
  2. They prayerfully reminded themselves that God is in control of also these threats.
    1. There is terrible and frightening opposition to God and His holy servant Jesus.
      1. And if against Christ (the anointed of Jehovah), then certainly against His disciples.
      2. Note that the opposition was and is against God’s “child” (and children) who are “holy.”
    2. The quote from Psalm 2:1,2 explains the opposition being faced by the Christians.
      1. The opponents were consciously and willingly full of hatred of God’s Anointed.
      2. Even the worst opposition to Christ will in the end serve the purpose of God.
  3. Conclusions.
    1. First, God’s absolute sovereignty does not remove human responsibility.
    2. The Lord answers immediately: they were “filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness” (31).
      1. This remains God’s promise for Christians today. He calls us to holy boldness and He equips us for holy boldness.
      2. This boldness frees us from the fear of men and all that they can do because we know that God is in control.
      3. Above all we know that Jesus comes to judge the living and the dead (II Tim. 1:12).