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Week 4

April 27-May 3, 2024


FAMILY THEME:

THE CHURCH IS PRESERVED






The Role of the Church in the Great Commission

It's been said there is nothing more beautiful than a bride on her wedding day. Seeing her walk down the aisle in her pure white dress, arm in arm with her father is a sight to behold. There is something so perfect and magnificent about a beautiful bride dressed in white.

As beautiful as this picture is, there is something even more beautiful about the bride of Christ—the Church—walking arm in arm with the Father. As you journey through these four weeks of devotions, we'll be looking together at some of the challenges the early church faced, and how God was with them through it all. Even great marriages face challenges from within and without as they grow on toward maturity.

Not everything was perfect and cheery for the early church. In fact, the preparation for the wedding was far from ideal. Members of the early church were persecuted and even killed for their faith in Christ. Yet as you will see, the church persevered through these trials and expanded. It is also helpful to see how the church conducted itself, even in relation to those forces that opposed and were hostile toward them. There is much we can learn as we reflect on their journey.

SRemember, these weekday devotions are designed to help you build upon, apply, and respond to the Sabbath study. The devotions are meant to follow the Sabbath lesson rather than precede it. In this way, the focus is on integrating God's truth, your faith, and your daily life rather than merely attending a Sabbath school class.


Peter’s Miraculous Escape From Prison

1It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. 5So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. 6The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. 8Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. 9Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. 11Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.” 12When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” 15“You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” 16But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place. 18In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.

Herod’s Death

Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. 20He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply. 21On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” 23Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. 24But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.

Barnabas and Saul Sent Off

25When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.



SUNDAY

Peter’s Miraculous Escape From Prison

1It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. 5So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. 6The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. 8Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. 9Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. 11Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.” 12When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” 15“You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” 16But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place. 18In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.

Herod’s Death

Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. 20He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply. 21On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” 23Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. 24But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.

Barnabas and Saul Sent Off

25When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.

Although the start of the church was marked by deep caring and radical sharing, these early Christians eventually began to face persecution, and some were even killed for their faith in Jesus. Despite these hardships, they were never alone.

1. The Followers of Christ Face Persecution


Peter’s Miraculous Escape From Prison

1It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.


Persecution, though rare for many of us, happens when the way of Jesus unsettles power and privilege. When it does, we can take comfort that we are not alone.

• Why did Herod decide to arrest Peter (verse 3)?

• Have you or someone you know faced persecution for believing in Jesus?


2. God Is With Us Through Tough Times


5So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. 6The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. 8Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. 9Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. 11Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.” 12When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” 15“You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” 16But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.

As followers of Jesus, we can be assured that God is present with us and anyone who suffers violence and exclusion for their faith.

• What position did Peter and John take when commanded to stop sharing the good news about Jesus (verse 19-20)?

• Peter and John were able to maintain a stance of honest integrity when being pressured by authorities.



3. Evil Does Not Last For Ever


18In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.

Herod’s Death

Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. 20He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply. 21On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” 23Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. 24But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.

Barnabas and Saul Sent Off

25When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.

Christians are not to play the role of avenger. We are to trust that, even if we do not see it now, evil will eventually meet its end.

• However it may happen, evil forces do not last and eventually come to an end (verse 23).

• In what ways do you find yourself struggling when bad things happen to good people?



MONDAY

9There he went into a cave and spent the night.

The Lord Appears to Elijah

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 11The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 15The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel-all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”



Elijah poured out his heart to God, bemoaning that he was the only faithful one left and that his enemies were attempting to kill him (verse 10). Elijah was seeking God’s provision and comfort at a time when he felt completely alone and insecure. Still, at the mouth of a lonely cave, God comforted and ministered to Elijah through a gentle whisper (verse 12). God gave both food and rest to Elijah and later would even give him a companion named Elisha, whom Elijah would mentor in the faith for the rest of his life. Feeling alone when facing tough times is a real experience. Sensing the presence of God, and perhaps even finding a good friend, can make a huge difference!


Thought for the Day:

Knowing that God is with us in the midst of tough times (even as a still, small voice) is vital.


TUESDAY

Paul and Silas in Prison

16Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. 19When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” 22The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” 29The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved-you and your household.” 32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. 34The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household. 35When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” 36The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.” 37But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.” 38The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. 39They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. 40After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left.

In Sabbath's lesson, we reflected on Peter's experience of being imprisoned and delivered. Today's story of Paul and Silas is quite similar. In Peter's story, he was let out of prison by an angel and probably narrowly avoided execution by King Herod! In Paul and Silias's case, not only were they freed from a long prison sentence to continue on their missionary journey, but God was also able to reach the jailer who had participated in the persecution! As you reflect on the story in the passage today, consider these questions: How were Paul and Silas coping with being imprisoned? What was helpful to them? What stance did they take toward those who had imprisoned them when God released them? What does this tell you about Paul and Silias? What was the response of the jailer to the amazing grace extended to him by God through Paul and Silas? What insights does this give us?


Thought for the Day

God's grace reaches even those who are enacting cycles of violence.


WEDNESDAY

Love for Enemies

43“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?47And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

"You have heard it said" is a phrase Jesus used often in the Sermon on the Mount. What have you heard said? There are so many things that we hear being said all the time, and much of what we hear shapes how we respond to others. One of the popular things we hear on a regular basis is the same common sense wisdom Jesus addresses in today's passage. "You have heard it said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy." We certainly have heard this said! But Jesus pushes beyond this accepted wisdom. He says if we want to be children of God (which indeed sometimes could lead to opposition), then we need to actually love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us! This is a challenging standard indeed. Among other things it suggests that being attentive to what is happening within our own hearts is as important as ever when people are making life difficult for us. It may be one of the ways that we keep from becoming caught up in cycles of violence and becoming part of the problem. Instead, as those who practice loving enemies as children of our gracious God, we may be able to contribute to solutions that break cycles of violence. There is much to ponder here!


Thought for the Day

Love for enemies is modeled on God's faithful love for all.


THURSDAY

28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

More Than Conquerors

31What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died-more than that, who was raised to life-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Today's passage reminds us of two profound truths! First, Paul says no person can legitimately accuse (verse 33) or condemn (verse 34) because God has not and does not accuse or condemn. We rest secure in that. Second, no one and nothing can separate us from the love of God. That unshakable assurance of God’s mercy and grace toward us is the very thing that allows us to know that we are “more than conquerors” (verse 37). God knows us more deeply than we know ourselves, and God loves us more than we could ever know or imagine. That is indeed grace-saturated love! For many people who experience violence, exclusion, or persecution from others, an added difficulty is the sense of being alone and cut off from others, or even an internalization of the perpetrator's message of worthlessness, inferiority, or sub-humanness. They may even wrestle with a feeling that what is happening is deserved. Paul's assurance is meant to counteract these dark thoughts. God does not condemn us, and nothing can separate us from God's love. Rest in that assurance!


Thought for the Day

God’s grace and mercy give us reason to be confident.


FRIDAY

To the Church in Smyrna

8“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9I know your afflictions and your poverty-yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown. 11Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.

Today's passage in the closing book of the Bible is addressed to a church community that was suffering persecution, and as such speaks to churches and peoples through history that experience such violence and hardship. These are words of encouragement and assurance. John writes a message of support to people who are under enormous pressure. In fact, only two of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation received positive letters like this (Smyrna and Philadelphia; Revelation 3:7-13). Notice how Jesus is described in verse 8: “The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life again.” This is encouragement to people whose lives are being threatened. Jesus reminds them that He has walked this road of suffering ahead of them. They are not alone. What's more, they can expect the same victory that Christ experienced. They may appear afflicted and poor (verse 9), but they are rich in the kingdom of God! In what ways do you find this speaking to your own heart? How might you share this with others that may need to hear it?


Thought for the Day

With Christ, we can have victory over whatever we have to face.


WHEN THINGS GET UGLY

REFLECTIONS FOR THE WEEK:

Our challenge is to trust the love of God and the way of Jesus even when other forces seek to undermine our faith.

The word persecution gets thrown around a lot today for lots of different reasons. We hear it used when learning of people in other parts of the world being killed for their beliefs. We hear it being used when a religious group does not get their way and claims that government or cultural forces are out to get them. We hear it being used by political figures to get people to react in a way that is favorable to them. We might even hear it from a young person who is being held accountable for something they have done. But the kind of persecution the church experienced in the book of Acts had to do with the hostility and opposition they faced as a result of following Jesus. When the way of Jesus expresses solidarity with the weak and confronts power and privilege with justice, grace, and love, it can unsettle authorities and systems. Even the church itself has succumbed to the allure of power and control and has persecuted those who it perceived as a threat to its hegemony. This week we take some time to reflect on this kind of persecution and how we relate to it as followers of Jesus.



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