Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them………..”
Chapter 4 in the book of Acts is a heavy reminder of the other side of what happens when truth is spoken and the church grows. At Pentecost, Peter stood up and preached the gospel to thousands of people and witnessed revival like no other! Thousands of people cut to the heart with the good news of Jesus, going back to their hometowns and spreading that same joy to their loved ones. We see the church established and true community take place in Acts 2. In Acts 3, healing comes from the work of the Holy Spirit to those in need! So far in our study, the Christian walk has sounded like an amazing adventure. One could think, how could this get any better? Then comes chapter 4.
In this week’s text, the religious leaders have had about enough of all this Jesus talk. They felt their power slipping and were fearful of what would happen if the number of converts kept increasing. So, we see Peter and John go from healing the lame to being thrown into prison.
As followers of Christ, we must realize that as we spread the good news of Jesus and see people come to salvation and faith, people will also come to cause harm and pain. The sound gospel of Jesus Christ attracts true love and hate at the same time. Jesus was no stranger to this reality. In John 15 Jesus tells the disciples, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”
One thing will always ring true, no one is indifferent to the name of Jesus. You either love or hate Him. So, when the name of Jesus is spoken, both hate and love will come running. All through the gospels, Jesus promises His people that His name will attract such aggressive hate. But He also promises that He will always be with us, never leaving, and that the abandonment and hate of the world is evidence of the Spirit that lives in us. Today, if you are faithful in the Great Commission, you will see beautiful wonders of God. You will also see the hate of the enemy. Don’t back down, hold your ground, and……
Stay faithful church!
Scripture to go along with this week’s message
Read 1 Peter 4:12-14 for more verses on this week’s message.
