A Prayer for Boldness
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Were You Encouraged this Week?
After they were released, they went to their own people and reported everything the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together to God and said, “Master, you are the one who made the heaven, the earth, and the sea, and everything in them. You said through the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David your servant:
Why do the Gentiles rage
and the peoples plot futile things?
The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers assemble together
against the Lord and against his Messiah.
“For, in fact, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, to do whatever your hand and your will had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that your servants may speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand for healing, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly.
Pray
This is a prayer. Given by Peter, John and their Friends other believers. After Peter and John had been released by the Sanhedrin from their prison, they lifted up there prayer to the Lord together.
Let’s Look at this prayer.
Sovereign Lord, Despota, Common Greek title for rulers. With this statement they are declaring that God is over all other rulers and has the highest authority. Including over their ruling Sanhedrin, which if you remember last week we saw that the Sanhedrin was the ruling counsel of Jewish religious life, and it was they that had just arrested Peter and John.
The one who created all things, therefore all creation is under your command.
As they pray they quote scriptures
Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth take their stand,
and the rulers conspire together
against the Lord and his Anointed One:
Here the psalmist express astonishment that the rulers of the earth even tried to counsel together against God. As if the psalmist were saying “why do the nations bother?”. Making it very clear that it is in vain that they set themselves against God. Not necessarily with any plot or design but rather they set themselves emotionally against God’s rule. Set against the Lords Anointed. The Lords Messiah in the Hebrew.
In the context of the Psalms David is talking about himself as the Lord’s Anointed King, and the nations that opposed him. But These men pray and claim it for the one that is Greater than David, THE MESSIAH, Jesus the Christ.
Who was anointed for a predestined plan. Along with Herod and Pontius Pilate and the Gentiles and the people of Israel. They all have their predestined role to play in the scheme of God’s plan. Just as we all do. But now in your predestined plan (though we don’t understand or even really like this part) They threaten us and imprison us. But grant us to speak you world with boldness as we continue in the mission that Jesus your servant put us on.
Notice that they are not praying for relief. They are not praying for things to stop. For the world just to conform magically. They are praying for boldness. And the Holy Spirit came in power to empower these people.
Boldness
Boldness
They are praying for boldness. Which means that they were a little afraid. They were a little worried. They were a little stressed. They a little upset. But they prayed to be bold despite all this and didn’t ask it to go away.
Too often we as American Christians want God’s “hedge of protection” which means we want everything to be great. Which is why health and wealth preaching does so well. Everyone wants a piece of that pie. But that’s not what’s promised in the scriptures. We are promised that God will be with us, And that His plan will come about.
We need to be bold in our mission as he has called us too
So are you willing to say, In spite of my fears I will be bold. I will pray for that boldness.
Your first reaction might be to say of course, But when is the last time you actually prayed for boldness at work, at job, at home, at school, at diner. It’s a hard prayer to pray. Because like patience if we ask for it. God will give us the opportunity to grow in it.
So when you ask for boldness better be ready to grow in you boldness by small steps of boldness
Are you ready to be bold?
Are you ready to be bold?
How can you be bold today? This week? In weeks to come?
Pray