Live Free Or Die Hard?

Fellowship Part 1
Andrew K. Fox
Year of alignment

A boy was becoming an irritant to his family members so his parents sent him to his room. As dinner was being served he was asked to come to the table and give thanks. He prayed, 'you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.' The enemy was King George 3rd and the pending war would be over taxation without representation, unfair trading and the strong desire to be separate, called out, no longer conformed to its pattern and to be called by another name. In 1776 not only was a Declaration penned out but war was declared.

First Congressional prayer

September 7th 1774 in the Carpenters Hall Philadelphia two years before the Declaration of Independence: "Lord our Heavenly Father, High and Mighty King of kings, and Lord of lords, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all the Kingdoms, Empires and Governments; look down in mercy, we beseech thee, on these our American States, who have fled to thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent on Thee, to Thee have they appealed for the righteousness of their cause; to Thee do they now look up for that countenance and support, which Thou alone canst give; take them, therefore, Heavenly Father, under Thy nurturing care; give them wisdom in Council and valor in the field; defeat the malicious designs of our cruel adversaries; convince them of the unrighteousness of their Cause and if they persist in their purposes, of own unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain them to drop the weapons of war from their unnerved hands in the day of battle! Be Thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct the councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation. That the scene of blood may be speedily closed; that order, harmony and peace may be effectually restored, and truth and justice, religion and piety, prevail and flourish amongst Thy people. Preserve the health of their bodies and vigor of their minds; shower down on them and the millions they here represent, such temporal blessings as Thou seest expedient for them in this world and crown them with everlasting glory in the world to come. All this we ask In the Name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior. Amen."

A different scene

The circumstance was the first wave of persecution in a post resurrection and post ascension church. A group of 120 people that had gathered experienced the fulfillment of Christ sending the promise of the Father in the Holy Spirit. But Peter and John had been tried before the Sanhedrin Council and banned from speaking in the name of Christ as the church was earnestly praying for them.

Acts 4:23-31

Enemies

We fail to comprehend that we are a gathering of people purchased with a great price not to be enslaved but to be free. The Statues of Liberty, Lady of Justice, Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, and the national flag are all powerful symbols of freedom. But in addition to all these the most powerful symbol is the cross. In Revelation we see a dragon whose tail sweeps a third of heaven away. He stands poised salivating at the birth of a child that will rule and reign over nations with a holy scepter and staff. God snatched him away and there was war in heaven between the archangel Michael and his legions against the dragon. He is cast down to the earth as heaven makes a great declaration 'now has come the salvation of God.' But then we read that the child that had been rescued at the moment of birth by his father is slain by his father from the foundation of the earth. As Zechariah said he would draw his sword and strike his own shepherd. Heaven makes another declaration, 'they overcame him by the blood of the lamb.' But the lamb that was slain is resurrected and marches through the eastern sky to bind the dragon in chains and cast him into an eternity of hell. It sounds like a screenplay from a fantasy movie. There has been war in heaven and the dragon has been cast down. The Lamb of God has been slain from the foundations of the earth and Christ has been raised and we can sing that we have overcome by the blood of the lamb. But he is yet to march through the eastern sky at the loud command, voice of the archangel and the trumpet blast. That dragon has not yet been bound in chains. So the church continues to pray the prayer of our text.

Great cloud of witness

We live in the presence of our enemies as a church. Not the oppression of a foreign king but the poison of Satan the dragon. John Wesley said at the end of 35 years preaching Christ, 'I have incurred the anger of the world and I expected nothing less.' Hebrews tells us we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witness with Christ as the cornerstone, his apostles and prophets as the foundation, all of those in Christ that have passed away with Christ as the capstone. Paul reminds us that we cannot be separated by trouble, hardship, famine, plague, pestilence or sword. There is a conviction in the spirit of the church that we shall not be separated by angels or demons, present or future, powers in height or depth. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Our church on earth is just as connected to those who have fallen asleep in Christ hidden with God as we are with each other today. It is in you and it is in me. Therefore I cannot be separate from you or you from me and you from each other? If I cannot be separated from Christ then I cannot be separated from those who are in Christ. Our text comes alive to this. Peter and John are being tried but cannot be separated from those who are praying for them.

Going to church

(Acts 4:23) "On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people…" After the death of a loved one, a period of sickness, a divorce, bankruptcy or recovery they went back to their own people. Not Pentecostals, Methodists, Evangelicals or Catholics but the community of faith called the church. There is a great need for like-minded fellowship that means something more than a Sunday service. I witnessed last week a man who has been enticed and snared with sin come back to our church. The way he was greeted and received was a living reality of the fowler's snare being broken and the sinful man set free. The greatest agenda of God works through the singular body called his church. We have law symbolized through the Lady of Justice but it does not prevent sin. But change in the most personal and intimate way can only come through the cross preached, declared and lived out by the church. If Peter and John had fled from their trial and gone somewhere other than their church what affect do you think that would have had on the church? In the face of Loan Ranger Christianity the fellowship of the saints is needed now more than ever. The challenge is that people compartmentalize their lives. Work, family, marriage, recreation and church life where each compartment is unaffected by the other. The Bible shows an incredible growth in the church where this did not exist. You need someone watching your life in the general sense. It is not government, laws, policies, cold and impersonal doctrine and creeds but the living reality of the church. Most vacation locations are designed for you not the natives. People will drink to get drunk, gamble, take in a sinful show and flirt with the opposite sex. The motto is 'what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas' but when you come back to your own people like Peter and John there should be an integrity written across your face because of the community of faith called the church. John Wesley would ask you three questions: 'What are you reading in the Bible?' 'What did you pray for today?' 'Is it well with your soul?' There are steps to ruin that Lot took:
" (Genesis 13:1-2) "So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him."

" (Genesis 13:11) "So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company."

" (Genesis 14:12) "They also carried off Abram's nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom."

" (Genesis 14:16) "He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and other people."

" (Genesis 19:1) "The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city."

" (Genesis 19:8) "Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them to you, and you can do what you like with them."

" (Genesis 19:26) "But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt."

" (Genesis 19:32) "Let's get our father to drink wine and then lie with him and preserve our family line through our father."

Conclusion

The Moab and Ammon was born from these two women that were Israel's worst nightmare. If Lot had lived under the tents of Abraham he would not have lost his wife and two children. Peter and John went to their church after a very difficult day in front of the Sanhedrin Council because they knew that the love of God in Christ was never meant to be fractured and separated.

Going to God

(Acts 4:24) "…they raised their voices together in prayer to God." Peter and John went to the church and the church went to God. The conclusion of the Bible is 'the Spirit and the bride say, 'come!' It is the declaration of the Holy Spirit and the church saying the same thing. What does this sound like? To the sinful man who kneels at the cross in repentance it is like a thunder clap in his soul. To the believer who is like Israel on their journey to the Promised Land whose hearts are hardened it is a confusing silence in the soul that has no affect on you. During the Week of Faith in January this year I met with 75 people on a Monday to pray. It did something to me and in me. Things happen not just to you but in you. The agreement of Spirit and bride is 'symphonium' where the wind, brass, strings and percussion come together with the altos, tenors, sopranos and bass singers. Each one unique but aligned with the same composition. Christ said we are to learn from him. It is where Paul said we are partakers in the divine nature. It happens in you. It is where we are no longer being conformed by the pattern of this world but being transformed by the renewing of our minds and it is immensely uncomfortable. When people come together in prayer there is no compartentalizing your life.
" (Luke 24:49) "I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

" (Acts 1:4) "On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: 'Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about."

" (Acts 2:1) "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place."

Conclusion

Luke records the activity of the church was exactly what the Spirit was saying to do. I am sure that all the church had other things they could have done but chose to be together as a church.

God coming to you

(Acts 4:31) "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit…" This is the place where God is here not by words or embodied in doctrine. It is where you can reach out and touch the hem of his garment where two or three can agree on anything touching God. It is where the Spirit and the bride say 'come!' It is where you are fearful of lifting up holy hands in case you touch his holiness. It is where secret sin makes you leave or be transformed but you cannot stay and get away with it. When Peter and John were on trial the logical prayer would have been, 'protect us from trouble and challenge' but they prayed that they would be enabled to speak with boldness with an outstretched hand. When God saw that among his people he came to them in power. Peter and John went to their church, their church go to God in prayer and God comes to them in power.

" (Hebrews 8:5) "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."

" (Jeremiah 1:7) "You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you."

" (Joshua 1:7) "Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go."

Conclusion

Do you want God to come to you, your marriage and family? Are you asking God for things to change or are you asking God like David to create in you a clean heart and renew a right spirit within you? Are your plans what the Spirit is saying or are they your plans? Like the first Congressional prayer in the face of impending war the church prayed together and God came to them in power. Are you going to live free or die hard?

If you would like to see previous transcripts you can find them here: Teaching Series