THIS IS TABLE ROCK FELLOWSHIP – PASTOR RYAN LADEN
In the services this weekend, we listened to the message that Jesus Christ gave to his disciples concerning the reality of Christian persecution and our response to the same.
This message from the Lord begins:
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Real Example:
In the book of Acts, chapter 5, we hear about a time of real persecution. In this situation, the apostles, led by Peter, were enjoying a season of success as the Lord enabled them to perform miracles so as to capture the attention of all that were willing to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and believe.
The religious leaders did not like all of this attention being paid to these men or to the person of Jesus of Nazareth as they were the ones who had petitioned to have him crucified. These religious people then arrested the apostles, who then escaped with the aid of an angel of the Lord. They were re-arrested and then threatened with violence if they did not speaking in the name of Jesus. We can hear about this in the following passage:
“The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
“Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead —whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
“When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.”
· How serious do you believe this threat was from the religious crowd?
· What does it mean to you to hear the response of the apostles as heard in verse 29?
· How did these common men achieve such a confident faith even in the face of persecution and suffering?
· What causes a person to be as angry toward the good news of the gospel of Christ as these religious leaders were in verse 33?
Conclusion:
As the apostles faced their own mortality due to persecution, a man named Gamaliel addressed the crowd and cautioned them against taking rash action. This Gamaliel was also
the same man who taught a young man named Saul who would become the Apostle Paul in a few short years (Acts 22:3).
We pick up the story as it comes to its conclusion:
“His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
“The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.”
· What action was taken against the apostles in verse 40?
· In verse 41, how did the apostles respond to being whipped in public like this?
· Why did these men celebrate when others would have collapsed under such a threat?
Reflection:
As you reflect on these events today, ask the Lord to help you share in the same Spirit of boldness and compassion that allowed these men to keep serving the Lord even when it cost them everything.
In Christ,
Ryan Laden
OUR MISSION AS A CHURCH
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