Power in Persecution
A Sermon on Acts 4:23-24
Scripture
23¶ And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. 24And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made …
Sermon Description
Christians all around the world face varying levels of persecution—some believers are murdered or physically harmed for their faith, while others are merely scoffed at by those who think Christianity is foolish. What can the Christian do to combat this? In this sermon on Acts 4:23–24 titled “Power in Persecution,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains how the church can stand strong in the midst of trying times by pointing back to the early church and the examples of Peter and John. First, believers must not compromise their message. After being released from prison, Peter and John continued to preach the gospel even though they had been forbidden to on penalty of death. Second, they must go to God in prayer. It is so easy for Christians to become anxious about what they need to do, yet Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that Peter and John acknowledged that it was God’s problem to handle, not theirs. This brought immense peace because they were choosing to rest in God’s sovereignty by trusting His plan rather than becoming worried about the circumstances. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones unpacks how Christians today can stand strong for the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst of persecution.
Sermon Breakdown
- The passage describes the first persecution faced by the early church.
- Peter and John were arrested for preaching about Jesus and the resurrection.
- The authorities warned them not to preach anymore in the name of Jesus or face death.
- Peter and John reported to the church what the authorities told them.
- The church prayed in response. They started by worshipping God and acknowledging His power and sovereignty.
- They reminded God that the authorities were opposing Him, not just the apostles. The issue was God's, not theirs.
- They asked God for boldness to continue preaching the gospel, not for protection or comfort.
- God answered their prayer by shaking the building they were in. This showed His power and comforted them.
- The believers were then filled with the Holy Spirit, giving them boldness, clarity, and unity.
- They continued preaching about Jesus with power and grace.
- We need to pray like the early church did, acknowledging God's power and asking for boldness, not comfort.
- True unity comes from being filled with the Spirit, not organizational efforts.
- We rely too much on our own inadequate resources instead of God's power.
- We need to realize the cause is God's, not ours, and pray for Him to move.
Sermon Q&A
Key Questions about Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Prayer and Revival
What was the context of the sermon Dr. Lloyd-Jones analyzed from Acts 4?
The sermon analyzes the incident in Acts 4 where Peter and John were arrested after healing a lame man, then threatened by the authorities not to preach in Jesus' name again. Upon their release, they went to "their own company" (the church) and reported what had happened. This was the first persecution experienced by the early Christian church, and Dr. Lloyd-Jones draws parallels to the challenges facing the modern church.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say the early church responded to persecution?
The early church responded to persecution not with committees, strategy sessions, or watering down their message, but by immediately turning to prayer. When they heard the report of the apostles, "they lifted up their voice to God with one accord" (Acts 4:24). They recognized their complete helplessness against the powerful authorities and understood that their only hope was in God.
What mistake does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe modern Christians make in their prayers?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones says modern Christians often rush into God's presence in "frantic prayer," starting with themselves and their problems rather than acknowledging who God is. He states: "Our prayers are not answered because far too often they're an insult to God and not prayer at all." We typically blurt out our requests without first worshipping, praising, and adoring God for who He is.
What pattern of prayer does Lloyd-Jones recommend based on the early church?
Lloyd-Jones outlines this pattern from Acts 4: 1. Begin with worship and acknowledgment of who God is: "Lord, thou art God" 2. Remember God's power and sovereignty: "which hast made heaven and earth" 3. Recall God's past faithfulness and biblical promises (they quoted Psalm 2) 4. Recognize that your problem is God's problem, not just yours 5. Only then make your specific request
What did the early Christians pray for when facing persecution?
Remarkably, they didn't pray for protection, peace, or comfort. Instead, they prayed: "Grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word." They asked only for power to continue preaching the very message they were being forbidden to share. They were more concerned about God's name and kingdom than their own safety.
What happened when the early church prayed according to Acts 4?
When they prayed, several things happened: 1. "The place was shaken where they were assembled together" 2. "They were all filled with the Holy Ghost" 3. "They spoke the word of God with boldness" 4. "The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul" 5. "With great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection" 6. "Great grace was upon them all"
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones view the concept of church unity compared to modern approaches?
Lloyd-Jones rejects the modern notion of "organizational unity" or "ecumenicity" that tries to "sink our differences" to create "one church." Instead, he argues true unity comes when all believers are filled with the Holy Spirit and focused on Christ rather than each other: "When we are all filled with the Spirit, we'll all become one...You can't get unity by organization, [only] unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
What does Lloyd-Jones believe is the only hope for the church today?
The only hope for the church is to return to the apostolic pattern of acknowledging complete dependence on God through unified, God-centered prayer. He states: "If I were to believe that the future of the Christian church depended upon us and our committees and organizations, I'd go out of the pulpit. No, there's only one hope. It's in God."
Itinerant Preaching
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.