Stretch Out Your Hand To Heal part 5 - Audio

Bakersfield First Assembly

Acts 4:27-31 (NIV) – [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 miraculous 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. 2023 Theme: Stretch Out Your Hand to Heal Acts 4:27-28 (NIV) – [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. “While it seemed that Satan had gotten the upper hand when the Son of God was crucified on the cross, in reality everything occurred according to God’s eternal will and plan. The believers declared that God is the sovereign Lord of all events; he rules history to fulfill his purpose. What his will determines, his power carries out. No army, government, or council can stand in God’s way.” (Life Application NT) “Just as God’s sovereign power and will had decided beforehand that Christ should be opposed, so now Peter and John prayed for God’s power to be manifested in… the supernatural ability to heal and to perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of Jesus.” (Bible Knowledge Commentary) 1. God is sovereign. Acts 4:28 (NAS) – [28] …to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose PREDESTINED to occur. Proorizo means to predetermine, to foreordain, to predestine, to decide ahead of time. Romans 8:29-30 (NIV) – [29] For those God foreknew he also PREDESTINED to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. [30] And those he PREDESTINED, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 2. God’s predestination is based upon His foreknowledge. Ephesians 1:4-6 (NIV) – [4] For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love [5] he PREDESTINED us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— [6] to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 3. God sovereignly chose us. John 15:16 (NIV) – [16] You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 4. God is sovereign, but we also have free will. Ephesians 1:11-12 (NIV) – [11] In him we were also chosen, having been PREDESTINED according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, [12] in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 5. God sovereignly heals us.