One Heart, One Witness

SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP SERVICE, 23 November 2025
Sermon Series: “The Acts of the Apostles” (#7)
Sermon Text: Acts 4:23-37
Main Points:
Introduction
I. Prayer under pressure
II. Shaken yet unshakable
III. One heart, one witness

Today’s message is the seventh in our series on the book of Acts. Back in the first message, I used a rocket launch to illustrate the connection between Luke’s Gospel and Acts. I said that together, Luke and Acts reveal a carefully orchestrated plan carried out by Jesus Christ, alongside the Father and the Holy Spirit. Luke’s opening chapters are like the control centre preparing for launch: everything is checked, systems aligned, signals ready.

Then, as the story unfolds in Luke’s Gospel, the rocket engine ignites. The countdown starts. Smoke rises, pressure builds, and finally – lift-off! That’s Luke’s Gospel: the story of Christ’s coming, His redeeming work, and His ascent to the cross – the very heart of God’s saving plan.

Once the rocket is airborne, its light spreads across the sky for all people to see. Eyes are drawn upward as it climbs higher and higher. That’s the book of Acts. The gospel is no longer contained; it moves outward, changing lives, transforming hearts, and reshaping history. A new era has begun. A Spirit-filled church is now carrying out the work of the risen Lord Jesus.

Now, as we turn to Acts 4, we see a serious challenge from the Jewish leaders. It’s as if gravity suddenly slows the rocket, tugging at it, making its ascent a bit sluggish. In 4:1-22, Peter and John were detained as if the rocket, which had been rising powerfully, falters for a moment.

But, the rest of ch. 4 gives us amazement. This is the moment when the rocket separates its first stage engine and ignites a booster. With this newly ignited booster, it rises faster than before.

The church of Christ Jesus in Acts 4:23-37 goes forward in ‘one heart’ and delivers ‘one witness’ to the Lord Jesus. The church is reignited, strengthened, and set out in refreshed heart. So, it gives us a clear picture of how Christ Himself strengthens, boosts, and guides His church in the face of opposition – both then and now.

I. Prayer Under Pressure (vs. 23-31a)

To begin with, let’s consider what weighed down the church in Jerusalem. The Jewish leaders had set themselves firmly against the gospel. As we saw last week in the first halt of Acts 4, Peter and John were arrested and held overnight. The next day, they were questioned and then strictly warned not to preach the resurrection of Jesus or to teach in His name. In effect, proclaiming the gospel had just been made unlawful. With that warning came the threat of serious consequences for disobedience. Humanly speaking, the church was shut down. When Peter and John were released, they reported everything to their own people – that’s what v. 23 means.

Now, we’re not in the same situation as the Jerusalem church, but we’re not far removed from pressure of our own. Churches in WA may face legislation that could restrict preaching and even criminalise praying for one another. Five out of eight Australian states and territories already have such laws. Their laws define any attempts to change someone’s sexuality or gender identity as unlawful – and depending on interpretation, that could place ordinary prayer, preaching, pastoral care or biblical teaching under suspicion, then, prosecution. This is only one example among several recent laws Australians have been introduced to.

Another is the newly passed NSW Workplace Protections Acts 2025. Its intended aim is to prevent workplace bullying and harassment which is certainly well-intentioned. But it also means that if a complaint is made against church leadership or any church member, the matter is taken out of the hands of church courts – Session, Presbytery or Assembly – and placed under the state’s investigation process. In one sense, church doors appear open; but if they narrow inch by inch each time, eventually they close.

My intention in mentioning these things is not to warn about a law or a looming one, but to remind you that this is the reality for Christ’s church on earth. When a church experiences a long season without opposition, that’s simply God’s kindness in a broken world. But the reality is that Christ’s church will face hatred in the world. The church in Jerusalem faced it in Acts 4; churches in Australia may be heading into more challenging time.

So, how did the Jerusalem church respond? With prayer! They turned to God and sought His guidance. The entire church gathered and lifted their voices together. Praying wasn’t something new or dramatic – it was their normal pattern. As we saw back in ch. 2, they devoted themselves to much prayer. So, this moment of prayer wasn’t a special, one-off event. It was what they always did – coming together as God’s people to seek Him.

Their prayer is shaped by the truth of God’s Word. Here, they pray Ps. 2. They recognise that the nations raging against them is ultimately rebellion against God and His Christ. They understand that this opposition is not random; it fits within God’s sovereign and predestined plan.

So they do not ask for escape – they don’t waste their time and effort on things of little importance. They pray for boldness instead, and say, “grant to Your servants to continue to speak Your word with all boldness” (v. 29).

That is what we need to hear today. Christ’s church should not be shocked when the world opposes the gospel. It is, in fact, normal – and part of God’s design for refining His people and carrying out His redemption of sinners. This is why we don’t sense panic or fear of the Jerusalem church in reading vs. 23-30. The church sounds calm and clear-minded; their words carry fervency, not turbulency. They understand what is happening and where to turn. They bow together before God and ask Him to grant courage to speak for Christ. This is the church’s confession: that Jesus is the only King and Ruler of the world – risen and powerful!

II. Shaken Yet Unshakable (v. 31)

Look now at what they actually prayed for. Under real pressure, they did not ask for an easy way out; they did not ask for payback. Instead, they asked for boldness. The Jewish leaders unleashed their cold hostility, but the apostles and the wider church sought courage to keep speaking God’s word. What a contrast! The authorities clenched their fists, but the church kept its grip on Christ, asking God to steady their hearts.

Then, something remarkable happened. The place where they were meeting was shaken. Everyone who had gathered in prayer received a special manifestation of the Holy Spirit. The shaking was dramatic, and it was a clear sign that God was present and that He approved of their prayer.

There’s a beautiful irony here. The Jewish authorities had tried to shake the church to its core by banning the name of Jesus Christ. And now, God Himself shakes the house where the believers met. The core of the church’s message was banned, yet, those believers grew bold in witnessing Christ; the building trembled, but the people inside became unshakable as the Holy Spirit filled their hearts!

The outcome is this – they were filled with boldness. Their prayer didn’t remove the pressure, but it renewed their courage, refreshed their focus. Their prayer did not change what they faced, but it changed how they faced it.

This is entirely the work of the Lord, not of man. Our natural instinct under pressure – especially when authorities apply it – is to fear first and then fall in line. We pray for God’s help, of course, but at the same time we start looking for legal advice, wondering what happens if we don’t comply. That’s how most of us would respond.

But the Jerusalem church’s first reaction was nothing like that. They remained calm, recognising the moment as something Jesus had already warned them about. Then, they lifted their eyes to the King of kings and Lord of lords, asking for His strength to keep going with the mission He had entrusted to them. All this is solely the work of the Holy Spirit!

Here’s something that brings this to mind – it happened not too long ago, when the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe. We still remember how difficult that season was. Churches were told not to meet, then, later allowed to gather only in small numbers indoors. It was a trying time for churches everywhere – including us here at St Columba’s.

But one church in Los Angeles responded differently. In July 2020, LA County issued public health-orders limiting churches to 100 people or 25% capacity, and even banned singing. The leadership of Grace Community Church publicly announced that the government had overstepped its God-given authority. They affirmed that Christ – not the state – has final authority over His church. And so, they continued holding full indoor worship services. Their minister, Rev. Dr John MacArthur, preached each week to the thousands who gathered.

Legal action followed. The County issued fines and court orders. The church counter-sued the County. A judge eventually ruled that Grace Community Church could continue meeting indoors. Four months later, LA County lifted the ban on indoor religious gatherings.

Now, it’s important to see the biblical reasons behind Grace Community Church’s stance. They can be summed up in three points – first, worship is commanded by God and cannot be suspended indefinitely; second, the government may not dictate how, when or whether the church gathers; and third, the church must obey God rather than men when state orders contradict Scripture.

These points are deeply biblical! In many ways, what that church in LA did during the pandemic reflects the very heart of what the Jerusalem church sought in prayer in Acts 4. The pressure was meant to shake the church, yet the church remained unshakable as it looked to God for strength and was upheld by the Spirit. The result is that God’s Word is continually preached and the gospel is boldly proclaimed in the name of Jesus Christ.

III. One Heart, One Witness (vs. 32-37)

That is what vs. 32-37 shows us. V. 32 says, “the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul.” After the two occasions of counting the Jerusalem church, the total number would surely have been over 8,000. And yet they were of ‘one heart and soul.’

This was not because they were a different kind of people. It was possible because the Holy Spirit filled every heart. As you know from experience, it’s hard enough to bring full agreement between two people. So, how impossible would it seem to bring thousands to share one heart and soul? But, by the Spirit, all of the Jerusalem church knew the Lord Jesus; they remembered His teaching about the hatred the church faces in the world; and they looked to God – not for an easy way out or vengeance, but strength from above to continue boldly proclaiming God’s Word.

The point is clear: when Christ’s church fixes its eyes solely on the Lord, nothing can shake it. Nothing can instil fear. Once our sight is set on Him, Christ, the Holy Spirit strengthens us to stand firm in our faith and carry out this honoured task of proclaiming Jesus to the world.

Conversely, if a church turns its gaze to the world rather than the Lord, its foundations will be shaken. Instead of receiving peace and power from heaven, such a church experiences fear, confusion, and a tendency to yield to worldly pressures.

We must also recognise that this truth applies not only to the church as a whole, but to each of us personally. Vs. 33-37 shows the life of a church united in one heart in the Lord by the Spirit. Their remarkable achievement is a bold and unified witness to their Lord – our Lord – Jesus Christ!

May God bless us at St Columba’s. May He enlighten us to seek Jesus, so that we may be united in one heart through the Holy Spirit. And may the fruit of our unity be the bold proclamation of God’s Word, to the glory of Christ our King! ***