On their release, Peter and John returned to their own people and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them.Being let go, they came to their own company and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.And being let go, they came to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said unto them.
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Acts chapter 4 and verse 23. When they, that is Peter and John, were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, why did the Gentiles rage and the peoples plod in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his anointed. For truly, in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant, Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness while you stretch out your hand to heal and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. Amen. Just a brief prayer, an old Anglican prayer. Father, what we know not, teach us, what we have not give us, what we are not make us. We ask it in Christ's name. Amen. …
… But before we even dive in, I want to show you two stories in particular that highlight the role of prayer in the early church. So turn to Acts chapter 4. Look at Acts chapter 4, verse 23. Let me set the context for this story, because these two stories are going to kind of serve as a foundation for all of our time together this morning. In Acts chapter 4, the apostles begin to experience persecution, and they've been brought before the ruling body of the day, and they've had accusations made against them, and they're having threats made against them and their families and against the church, and so they gather together to pray. Look at Acts chapter 4, verse 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. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in what? In prayer to God. And they said, Sovereign Lord, you made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them. This was the prayer of early church as they were experiencing persecution. …
… They prayed for boldness more than protection. On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. Sovereign Lord. I'm telling you, I've read this prayer a couple dozen times, if least a hundred times in the last few weeks. You just don't hear a lot of us praying like this. We're like, dear Lord, do you understand such and such and such and such? This prayer, again, is astonishing to me. Sovereign Lord, you made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. This is a prayer you pray on a night like last night. You start with sovereign Lord, you made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father, David. And then they're quoting now to God, his own word. Why do the nations rage and the people's plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one. And then they recap. There's a lot of recapping going on in these people's preaching and praying. 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. …