Acts 4:23-37 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Acts 4:23-37. As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below. Let’s go!
Acts 4:23-36 (NIV)
23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.
24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.
25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.
On verses 24-26: Notice how much the early church relied on two habits: prayer and studying the Scriptures. Before the book of Acts, we see no record of the disciples searching and quoting the Scriptures themselves, but now after seeing the resurrected Jesus and after being filled with the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures become so important and alive to them. They begin to use the Scriptures to preach, to pray and to make decisions. Here in verses 25-26 these Christians are quoting Psalm 2:1-2 in their prayer.
What can we learn from this? The Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures go hand in hand. If you want to grow in your relationship with God, you need to cherish both the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures. When you draw near to the Holy Spirit, He can give you insight into the Scriptures, and your understanding of the Scriptures can in turn teach you how to relate to the Holy Spirit. When you focus a lot on the Holy Spirit but spend no time in the Holy Scriptures, you blow up. When you spend much time in the Holy Scriptures but don’t draw near to the Holy Spirit, you dry up. But when you seek both the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures together, you grow up.
Acts 4:27-28 (NIV)
27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.
28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.
On verses 27-28: An ongoing lesson in Acts is that God is sovereign (that is, ultimately in control) (See, for example, Acts 3:17-18 and here in Acts 4:27-28). God uses even the problems, the challenges, the persecution and the evil we face to ultimately fulfill His own purposes. That’s why the church here can look at how Jesus’ opponents conspired against Jesus and still say, “They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.” (v28) The difficulties we go through in life are not beyond God’s ability to control. In all things God works for our good and for His glory (Romans 8:28). So if you’re facing a difficult situation right now, know that God has sovereignly allowed that situation because He is using it to accomplish His greater purposes.
Acts 4:29-31 (NIV)
29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.
30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
On verses 29-31: In addition to the Scriptures, the early church relied so much on praying to Jesus and asking Jesus for boldness and power to speak and serve in His name. Over and over in the book of Acts we see the power of prayer. Verse 31 says that after the church prayed together “the place where they were meeting was shaken” and “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” That is the power of drawing near to Jesus through prayer. Prayer changes the atmosphere. Prayer changes the individual praying. And prayer changes the church. I encourage you to keep a record of the times when God answers your prayers in wonderful ways. Nothing is impossible with God!
Acts 4:32-33 (NIV)
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.
33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.
On verses 32-33: Where did this incredible unity and power in the church come from? I believe it’s because the believers were committed to drawing near to God together, especially in prayer and in the Scriptures. When we are committed to drawing near to God together in prayer and in the Scriptures, and when we do this with a humble heart, we become like a power station from which God’s power can be seen and distributed.
Acts 4:34-35 (NIV)
34 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales
35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.
On verses 34-35: Why was the church able to take care of so many people in need? It’s because people with wealth were willing to give what they had toward God’s purposes. What wealth has God given you that you can lay at Jesus’ feet to be used to help others? Perhaps it’s wealth in the form of financial assets, or talents, or time to volunteer. Let’s be people who willingly give what we have for God’s greater purposes, knowing that we will be blessed both on earth and in heaven even while we equip our church to do greater things.
Acts 4:36-37 (NIV)
36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement),
37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.
On verses 36-37: As an example of the generosity and unity that typified the early church, we read of Joseph. Joseph was so well known for the way he encouraged others, people nicknamed him “Barnabas” (meaning “Son of Encouragement”). The first time we see Barnabas in Acts he’s selling a field he owned and putting the money at the apostles’ feet for the church to use as needed. Before God would elevate Barnabas to a position of prominence and influence in the church, God would first deal with Barnabas on this private matter about how he would use his wealth. I could imagine that because Barnabas was faithful to pass a private test, God gave him more assignments and more influence later. Likewise, God will often have us deal with private issues in our lives before releasing us into public leadership. When we are faithful to honour God with what we have today, no matter how small it might seem to us, God will honour us with more assignments and responsibility later.
Another reason Luke mentions Barnabas here is to juxtapose Barnabas’ very positive example of giving with the negative example of Ananias and Sapphira, whom we will look at in the next chapter, Acts 5.
Sovereign Lord, thank You that You are in control and You work in all things, even the most difficult situations, to bring about good for us and glory for Yourself. Thank You for every lesson we can learn from Your Word today. May we as a church cherish Your Word and Your Holy Spirit together. Thank You that when I am faithful to honour You with what You have given to me, You will honour me in return and expand my territory. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
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