ACTS 4:23-31
²³ 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. ²⁴ When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. ²⁵ You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
“‘Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
²⁶ The kings of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the Lord
and against his anointed one.’
²⁷ 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. ²⁸ They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. ²⁹ Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. ³⁰ Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
³¹ After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

END TIMES

-PERSECUTION - ANTI CHRISTIAN-

MATTHEW 24:4-14
⁴ Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. ⁵ For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. ⁶ You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁷ Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of birth pains.
⁹ “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. ¹⁰ At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, ¹¹ and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. ¹² Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, ¹³ but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

RESPONSE

²⁹ Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.

THEY PRAYED! DIDN’T FIGHT, RUN, ARGUE, COMPROMISE!

KEY WORDS:
- CONSIDER
- ENABLE
- SERVANTS
- SPEAK
- GREAT BOLDNESS

³⁰ Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

KEY WORDS:
- STRETCH OUT YOUR HAND
- HEAL
- PERFORM MIRACLES
- HOW? THROUGH JESUS’ NAME

³¹ After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

KEY WORDS:
- PRAYED
- ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
- SPOKE THE WORD OF GOD BOLDLY

APPLICATION FROM NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH:

1. FAITH OVER FEAR
2. FAITHFULNESS OVER COMPROMISE
3. HOLY SPIRIT POWER LEADS TO BOLDNESS