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| The Christian Martyrs' Last Prayer by Jean-Leon Gerome. |
One of the oldest hymns of the church is called the Te Deum, or the Ambrosian hymn. There’s
an interesting stanza in the Te Deum
that says,
The
glorious company of the Apostles praise you.
The
goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise you.
The
noble army of Martyrs praise you.
The words of this hymn, probably dating back to the fourth
century, show us the high regard the church had for those who had shed their
blood in their witness to Christ. The first several centuries of the church saw
hundreds, perhaps thousands of martyrdoms, and church tradition tells us that each
one of the apostles, except the Apostle John, died a martyrs death. Perhaps
you’ve read some of these stories in books like Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.
That so many of the early Christians died for their faith is
just one of several lines of evidence pointing to the remarkable beginning of
the Christian movement. And one of the amazing things about these stories of
persecution is that the more the Christians were imprisoned, or crucified, or
thrown to the lions in the Roman arenas, the more the church grew. That’s why
the church father Tertullian, in his book Apologeticus,
said, “The blood of the martyrs is the
seed of the church.”
Though we rarely experience this kind of intensity of
persecution in the West, the fact remains that thousands of Christians in the
world today continue to suffer for their faith. And this reminds us that courage is one of
the most essential Christian virtues we need to cultivate in our own lives.
The first outbreak of persecution against the church is
described in Acts 4. This is the first time we see the church come under
fire. It’s an important passage that
gives us a portrait of gospel courage in the face of threatening opposition. The
key word, “boldness,” shows up three times in verses 13, 29, and 31. In verse
13 we see a display of courage, in the boldness of Peter. Then in verse 29,
there is a prayer for boldness or courage, while verse 31 tells us that the
church, having received a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit, continues to speak
the word of God with boldness. This passage shows us the courage we need, how
to cultivate it, and where it comes from.
The Courage We Need
We get a picture of the kind of courage we need in the
response of Peter, John, and the growing community of believers to the
opposition, arrest, and threats from the priests, the captain of the temple,
and the Sadducees.
This story shows us the beginning of persecution against believers.
The church is coming under fire. The pressure is mounting. In response to the
healing of the lame man and Peter’s evangelistic preaching in Acts chapter
three, the leaders of the current religious establishment are annoyed (v. 2)
and decide to arrest Peter and John (v. 3). They stand on trial the next day
(v. 7), but released because of social pressure from the people. But not
without stern warnings and threats to stop preaching and teaching in Jesus’
name (v. 17-19, 21). The response of Peter and John under this pressure shows
us the kind of courage we need: both the courage to speak and the courage to
suffer.
The courage to speak
In his commentary on Acts, David
Peterson points out that words used to describe their boldness were, in the
original, “used to highlight the freedom of speech of those empowered by the
Spirit to speak the word of God” (p. 194). Courage to speak is
therefore an essential part of their courage. You see it on display several
times – Peter and John “speaking to the people” (v. 1); “teaching the people”
(v. 2); and “proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead” (v. 2). Then,
we see Peter’s courageous defense before the council in verses 8-12.
The courage to suffer
We see this courage in Peter and John in verses 18-20.,
where the authorities called them and
charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus (v. 18). But
look at their response in verses 19-20: But
Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to
listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of
what we have seen and heard.”
As the story of the church unfolds in Luke’s narrative,
these seeds of animosity will bloom into violence and even death. Peter and
John will be beaten in chapter 5 and Stephen will be stoned to death in chapter
7. The persecution has begun.
This is just as Jesus said it would be. "If the world
hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you,” he told his
disciples in John 15. “Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not
greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
If they kept my word, they will also keep yours” (John 15: 18, 20). In fact, Jesus taught that suffering
persecution was one of the defining characteristics of citizens of his kingdom.
Remember his words in the Sermon on the Mount?
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed
are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil
against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is
great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you”
(Matt. 5:10-12). And the Apostle Paul said, “Indeed, all who desire to live a
godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12).
This tells us that being persecuted for the faith is to be
expected. However, we do have to balance this with everything Luke tells us about the
church in Acts. On one hand, we certainly have these descriptions of
persecution. But on the other hand, the church continued to have favor with the
people and grow. Look at verse 4: But
many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came
to about five thousand. And then verse 21 tells us that the people were all were praising God for what had happened.
This shows us that the church enjoyed growing popularity and
support from the people, even as they endured the heat of intensifying
persecution. So while some were attracted to the church, others attacked the
church. The church was both hated and loved. And, as Tim Keller points
out in his bible study on Acts,
This
description of the early church cuts us two ways. If on the one hand, we
experience no attacks or persecution for our faith, it means we simply are
being cowards. We are not taking risks in our witness, we are not being bold.
On the other hand, if we experience attacks without a concomitant fruitfulness
and attractiveness (i.e. if we get lots of persecution and no affirmation), it
may mean that we are being persecuted for being harsh or insensitive or
strident. Jesus said we would only be blessed if we were persecuted “for
righteousness’ sake”. It is quite possible (indeed, it is very normal) for
Christians to be persecuted not for their faith, but for their discourtesy,
insensitivity, and lack of warmth and respect in their dealings with others.
Insensitive, harsh Christians will have persecution but not praise. Cowardly
Christians will have praise but not persecution. Most Christians (whose walk
with God is weak) actually get neither! But Christians who are closest to Jesus
will get both, as he did.”
So, we need courage: the courage to speak, the courage to
suffer, and yet courage that is winsome and attractive and respectful to
others. We should take risks, but not be harsh. We should be bold, but not
brash. We should be courageous, but not needlessly offensive.
Perhaps we can describe this best with two words: humble courage. That’s the kind of
courage we need. So, how do we cultivate it? That leads to the second point:
How to Cultivate this
Courage
Verses 23-31 are especially helpful in showing us how to
cultivate this kind of courage. These verses show us the church at prayer. It’s
probably the richest record of the praying church found in the book of Acts. When
we remember the occasion (that this was on the brink of persecution and
suffering) these verses become especially instructive. They show us three ways
to cultivate humble courage.
Develop Gospel Friendships
The first way to cultivate humble courage is to develop
deep, honest gospel friendships. You see this in verses 23-24: “When they were
released, they went to their friends
and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they
heard it, they lifted their voices together…”
Isn’t that significant? The first thing Peter and John do when they are
released is go to their friends. And then they lift up their voices in prayer –
not alone, all by themselves, but together.
I even think that it’s significant that when this whole
story begins, Peter and John are in the temple together. They weren’t doing
ministry alone, but with others. And when persecution started, we find the
church praying together. And later on, when the apostle Paul goes on his three
missionary journeys, he takes people with him – whether Barnabas, Silas, John
Mark, Timothy, or Luke himself.
Christian mission isn’t an individual, solitary endeavor;
it’s a community project. Perhaps one reason our courage sometimes fails in
evangelism is because we try to do it alone, as individuals Christians, instead
of with others, as part of a larger community.
So here’s a practical suggestion. Think about a situation in
your life right now, where you need to exercise humble courage. Maybe it is
having a spiritual conversation with a roommate or an unbelieving family member
or coworker. Maybe it’s just building a relationship with someone in your
neighborhood. Or maybe it’s something more confrontational – like reaching out
to someone in the grip of an alcohol or drug addiction and offering both the
hope of the gospel and some tangible help. Now, instead of trying to handle
that on your own, why not share it with one other person from your small group. Sit down and talk about it, and then spend
some time praying about it together.
Bathe Your Mind in Scripture
The second way to cultivate courage is to bathe your mind in
Scripture. We see this in verses 24-28, where the church prays the Scriptures
together. There are two quotations from the Psalms in these verses, the first
from Psalm 146 (which was our call to worship this morning) and the second from
Psalm 2. And their words show us both their doctrine of Scripture and how to
apply the Scriptures to the real-life situations of our lives.
First, we see their doctrine of Scripture. In a sentence,
they viewed Scripture as the Word of the
Spirit, through the words of men that reveal the fulfillment of God’s sovereign
purpose in Jesus Christ. Thus we see the nature of Scripture, the theme of
Scripture, and the fulfillment of Scripture.
· The nature of Scripture is in verse 25a: “who through the mouth of our father David,
your servant, said by the Holy Spirit.” This shows us that they viewed
Scripture as both human and divine, the Word of the Spirit through the words of
men.
· The theme of Scripture is the sovereign plan and
purpose of God. We see this in verses 25-28. These verses show us that God of
creation is also the God of history and that with inscrutable wisdom he works
out his mysterious plan through the whims and wills of man. Look especially at
verses 27-28: “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 you can already see that the fulfillment of
Scripture is in Jesus Christ. Over and again, the prayers and sermons and
speeches in Acts emphasis this. The Scriptures are fulfilled in Jesus. His life
and death, his crucifixion and resurrection, his humiliation and exaltation
stand at the very center and apex of God’s redemptive plan.
But it’s not sufficient for us to have a right doctrine of
Scripture, if we don’t use Scripture
on our hearts in the concrete, real-life situations of our lives. So, think for
a minute about how they used Scripture to infuse their hearts with courage. Here
they are facing persecution and threats. The natural response of their hearts
would, of course, be timidity and fear. What’s going to happen to us? What’s
coming next? What might we have to suffer?
And what do they do? They bathe themselves in passages of
Scripture that direct them to the greatness of God: his providence, his power,
his wisdom, his sovereign control over every thing. They don’t just ask for
boldness and courage, though they do that. But they don’t just do that. They
also let the Scriptures work directly on the fear and weakness of their hearts
by bathing themselves in passages about the attributes of God that they most
needed to count on and believe.
This shows us something really important about how to use
Scripture in our lives. Our goal isn’t just to accumulate lots of information
about the Bible. Our goal is to let the Scripture heal the deepest needs of our
hearts. So, when we’re sorrowful and full of grief, we bathe ourselves in the
comfort of his steadfast love. When we’re anxious and worried, we meditate on
his goodness and wisdom. When we lack of self-control, we bathe ourselves in
his purity, holiness, and grace. When we’re fearful and afraid, we bathe
ourselves in his power and sovereignty, until the fear begins to wash away. Tim
Keller puts it this way: “We are to heal
our hearts by praying his specific attributes into ourselves.”
Pray Kingdom-Centered Prayers
The third way to cultivate courage is seen in the specific
things they pray for. Look at verses 29-30: “And
now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to
speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal,
and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant
Jesus.”
Notice that they don’t
pray for safety. They don’t pray for protection from persecution. They don’t
pray for vindication or judgment on their enemies. But they do pray for three
things: (i) boldness to speak the word of God; (ii) for God to stretch out his
hand to heal; (iii) for signs and wonders to be performed through the name of
Jesus. In other words, they’re praying for the continuation of the mission.
These are kingdom-centered prayers, not self-centered prayers.
And God answered in verse 31: 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.”
Here then is a prescription for cultivating humble courage.
Develop gospel friendships, bathe your heart in Scripture, and pray big,
kingdom-centered, mission-oriented prayers. I can’t help but wonder, how would
it change us as a church, if this was more true of us?
What if our small groups were characterized by these kinds
of friendships? What if we were devoted not just to expository preaching and
bible study, as important as those things are, but to this kind of deep
meditation on Scripture that heals our hearts of anxiety, fear, and worry? What
if we prayed, not just for one another’s illnesses and travel plans, but for
the advance of the gospel, the spread of the kingdom, and the courage to speak
in the name of Jesus with humble boldness?
So, we’ve seen the kind of courage we need. And we’ve
thought about how to cultivate this courage. But where does it come from? What
is the source of courage? What’s the deep root from which this courage grows?
Where this courage comes
from
This is important for us to see,
because when we read stories like this, it’s all too easy for us to think, “Oh,
the apostles were extraordinary men of God; I’m just an ordinary person. I
could never have that kind of boldness or courage.” Or, “the early church –
well, of course, they were bold and courageous. I mean, they had experienced
the Day of Pentecost. They saw the signs and wonders. They had the apostles,
the very eyewitnesses of the risen Christ, right there with them. But that’s
not me.”
But one of the striking things about
this account is that the apostles were not impressive in and of themselves.
That’s what struck their original audience. Look at verse 13: Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and
John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were
astonished.
And remember, Peter’s courage had
crumbled into a heap of fears and denials, on the night when Jesus was
betrayed, just a couple of months before (Luke 22).
So, where did this courage come
from? The short answer is it came from Jesus himself. Their personal encounter
with the living Christ infused them with courage. Again, look at verse 13: “Now
when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were
uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”
They had been with Jesus. That’s
where the courage came from. It came from Jesus. This is also what we need. And
I think the text shows us two ways that we can experience this for ourselves.
We need to be shaped by the story of Jesus
We see this in verse 11, where Peter
describes Jesus as the rejected cornerstone. “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which
has become the cornerstone” This is a quotation from Psalm 118 that Jesus
himself had used in his own confrontation with unbelieving religious leaders of
the temple.
It’s the image of a stone that the
builders of a temple disregard. They think it’s useless. It’s not worthy of
being included in the temple. But it turns out to be the most important stone
of all – the capstone, or the cornerstone. The stone that holds all the others
together. And there’s a pattern here: rejected, then exalted. This is the
pattern of suffering, followed by triumph, was true of Jesus himself and is
true for all who follow Jesus as well.
And Peter was tremendously shaped by
this pattern in the story of Jesus. He saw the suffering of Jesus as a paradigm
for understanding all Christian suffering. One reason we know this is because
Peter quoted that same passage in another place – in one of his letters. It is
in 1 Peter chapter 2. And then, a few verses later, he says this: For to this you have been called, because
Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow
in his steps (1 Peter 2:21).
Peter’s courage in the face of
suffering was shaped by the story of Jesus’ suffering and exaltation.
There’s a great illustration of this in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. There’s a place where
a fearful hobbit named Merry sees the brave Eowyn stand between a terrible monster
and his prey, with sword drawn, with the “face
of one that goes seeking death, having no hope.” And Tolkien says that when Merry saw this, “Pity filled his heart and great wonder, and suddenly the slow-kindled
courage of his race awoke.” In other words, seeing the self-sacrificial
courage of Eowyn kindled a like courage in him.
And that’s what happens to us when the story of Jesus’
suffering and exaltation sinks deep into our hearts. His example in suffering
becomes our pattern to follow. His sacrifice for us emboldens us. His courage
kindles ours.
We also need to be filled by the Spirit of
Jesus
When we read that these men “had been with Jesus” (v.
13), we might think, “Yes, of course. If I could only have what they had, I would
be that courageous too. If I could see Jesus in person, if I could I have
walked with him for three years, as his student, his disciple. If I could have
been an eyewitness to his resurrection and ascension, of course, I’d have this
kind of courage.”
And, of course, none of us have
that.
But, get this, in John 16, Jesus
said something really stunning to his disciples. He said, “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go
away” (John 16:7a). How could it have been to their advantage that Jesus
went away? The rest of the verse tells us: “Nevertheless,
I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away for if I do not go
away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”
(John 16:7)
And this is actually what made the real difference for the disciples!
Because even after three years of
walking with Jesus, they had been afraid! They deserted him on the night of his
betrayal. They denied him. And even after his resurrection, they were dispirited
and dejected. As vital as it was, they still needed something more than the
incarnate, resurrected Jesus before their eyes. What did they need? They needed
not just the presence of Jesus with them; they needed the Spirit of Jesus
within them.
And that’s what happened to Peter in
verse 8 that made him some bold. That’s what the church received when they
prayed in verse 31. And you and I can
experience that. The Spirit is given to the church. And when we are filled with
the Spirit, that’s also when we get boldness, courage, confidence to speak and
act in Jesus’ name.
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