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Call to worship: Psalm 2

Text: Acts 4:23-31

Sermon Outline:

1. The context of the text: the threat of persecution, 3:1-4:23.
2. The church's first inclination to that threat: prayer, 4:24-30.
   • Its corporate nature, 4:24a.
   • Its sure foundation, 4:24b-28.
   • Its supernatural petition, 4:29-30
3. The Lord's response to that prayer: prayer answered, 4:31.
   • A shaken place.
   • A filled people.
   • Satan's problem: the church praying, the church powerful.

Prepare

Questions:

1. Read Acts 4:23-31 throughout the rest of this week. As an encouragement to family worship and personal preparation, use the questions that follow:
2. I would encourage you to read Acts 3:1-4:31 so that you are familiar with the context of this prayer. What has happened?
3. According to 4:24, what is the church's first inclination when faced with the threat of persecution? Would that be ours? By 'that', I mean *corporate prayer?
4. According to 4:24b-30, what makes up their prayer? Do we address God as 'Sovereign Lord'? In what two main ways do they highlight the Lord's sovereignty? What role does Scripture play in the early church's prayers? How do these two ways serve as a sure foundation for the petition they want to make? What is the petition they make? Is it the petition that we would make? Is it our habit to pray for boldness to identify with Jesus in whatever crosses His glory demands?
5. In 4:31, let's not take for granted that God actually hears and answers their prayer! Let's not take for granted what's been done to establish our place at the throne of grace, i.e., Christ's intercession! How does God answer their prayer? What is the effect of the Holy Spirit's filling in this passage? How does the church praying together impact the world for Jesus? How might we need to rearrange our hearts so that this receives practical priority in our lives as part of this church?