Persecuted, But Not Abandoned
The Role of the Church in the Great Commission
What if the gospel message were to “go viral”? What if everyone around the earth heard and saw it? How does something go viral, anyway? Share and interact! As Christ’s followers, it is our job to share the gospel. Yet, sometimes it’s hard to know how to start.
Perhaps a good first step would be to learn from the very first Christians. As you read in Acts about the church’s earliest days, take note of the believers’ boldness, faithfulness, and determination in making sure the message of truth, rather than disappearing like some dying fad, went viral.
Week 4 - April 27-May 3, 2024
FAMILY THEME
THE CHURCH IS PRESERVED
16God made two great lights-the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.
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.
This story shows us a beautiful picture of the family of God. While Peter was in jail, the church was praying for him. As you see in the first couple verses of this chapter, he was only there because Herod simply wanted to
harass believers. He hadn’t done anything wrong. You might find yourself in a similar position. There may be times you’re singled out and harassed simply because you’re a Christian.
The Bible reminds us that we shouldn’t be surprised when persecution happens. In these
difficult times, we can take comfort in knowing we have a God who won’t forget us and a family of believers that won’t stop praying for us. In fact, we have a God who fights for us when people mistreat us.
Why is it important to take prayer seriously? Do I believe in the power of prayer? Why or why not?
Reread what Peter told the persecuted church in 1 Peter 3:8-12.
Reflect on how he lived out those words in Acts 12.
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.”
You’ve probably heard of the popular poem “Footprints in the Sand,” written from the perspective of a man talking to God. Looking back at his life in the form of a beach, he sees two sets of footprints, except when times got hard. Where there was one set, he questioned God and wondered why he had been left alone. The answer was that there was only one set of footprints
because God had carried him during those times.
When we feel alone, God understands that what we need most is to feel God’spresence. Elijah had let the persecution he was facing get the best of him, but God brought him out of his isolation. God will not leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). We might feel the most alone when times are hard, yet those are the times God is the closest-close enough to speak in a still, small voice, while carrying us through the persecution.
When have I felt the most alone in my desire to live for God (verse 10)?
When life gets tough, it’s easy to wonder if God is near or even cares about our problems. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you’re all alone. God has provided you with friends, family, a church, and the Holy Spirit. You can trust God.
Saying 20
1Do not envy the wicked, do not desire their company;
2for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble.
Saying 21
3By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established;
4through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.
Saying 22
5The wise prevail through great power, and those who have knowledge muster their strength.
6Surely you need guidance to wage war, and victory is won through many advisers.
Saying 23
7Wisdom is too high for fools; in the assembly at the gate they must not open their mouths.
Saying 24
8Whoever plots evil
will be known as a schemer.
9The schemes of folly are sin, and people detest a mocker.
Saying 25
10If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength! 11Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
12If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?
Saying 26
13Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
14Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.
Saying 27
15Do not lurk like a thief near the house of the righteous, do not plunder their dwelling place;
16for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.
Saying 28
17Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,
18or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them.
Saying 29
19Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked,
20for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
Saying 30
21Fear the Lord and the king, my son, and do not join with rebellious officials,
22for those two will send sudden destruction on them, and who knows what calamities they can bring?
Further Sayings of the Wise
23These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judging is not good:
24Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent,” will be cursed by peoples and denounced by nations.
25But it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come on them.
26An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.
27Put your outdoor work in order
and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.
28Do not testify against your neighbor without cause- would you use your lips to mislead?
29Do not say, “I’ll do to them as they have done to me; I’ll pay them back for what they did.”
30I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense;
31thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.
32I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw:
33A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-
34and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.
A quick scroll through my social media feeds shows
memes and videos of people humorously warning that you don’t want to get on their bad side. In the proverb you read today, you were told to avoid grudges and vengeance. This is the opposite of what our culture tells us, isn’t it? How terrible a life it would be to walk around waiting for somebody to upset you so you can go off on them! As Christians, we should embrace an opposite perspective. We should always be ready to offer love and compassion, knowing that God will handle justice.
What do these verses tell me about revenge and wishing evil on others?
Take a minute to ask God to change your heart and attitude toward your enemies.
Love for Enemies
27“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
29If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.
30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
31Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.
33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.
34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.
35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
We can’t control others, but we can control our response
to them. Unfortunately, some people on earth are so miserable that they’ve made it their goal to make others miserable too. It’s likely you’ve met a few of these angry and spiteful people. But remember, each person is worth
reaching, and there is no better way to reach them than by loving the person, even when it seems impossible.
Abraham Lincoln is often credited with saying, “The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend.” It’s easy to love someone who loves you. It’s tough to love those who hate you-and it can’t be done without Christ.
What would it look like to love my enemies? Is this easy or hard to do? Why?
Challenge yourself to memorize
verses 27 and 31. Keep these verses in mind when you’re treated unfairly and you’re tempted to respond in a negative way.
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.
Many people worry about their physical safety, but the
Christian is never promised safety in this world. However, whatever physical danger we may face, we can rest assured that the God who has already suffered like us and for us is the same God who lives in our hearts. Through our hardships God makes us not just conquerors, but more than conquerors through Jesus Christ.
It takes the right perspective to become the kind of believer who can say the things found in these verses today. It takes a believer who trusts in God and finds security in the hope of heaven. It takes deciding to accept the pain and persecution rather than resent it, because it’ll bring you closer to God. The very last verse shows the motivating factor for all that we endure: God’s unchanging love. No persecution can ever separate us from it.
What do these verses teach me about suffering?
Read Psalm 44:22-26. The writer
was going through hard times
and expressed his struggles to
God. You can do the same when
life hurts. Also, you can make
verse 26 your prayer during your struggles.
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.
The church was persecuted in the very beginning, and it still is today. There are endless distractions in our country that work to undermine our faith in Jesus. We might not face physical adversaries wanting to kill us, but we hear the verbal jabs. We live in a
country where it is becoming less and less popular to be a Christian. In the verses you read today, the church was being told to remain faithful even during their persecution.
This is a true test of any relationship. Are we living a Christian life now just because it’s easy? Or are we willing to go through the obstacles to remain close to Christ? Tough times will reveal the truth. Think of the reward for those who endure faithfully. The cost of being a Christian is worth it.
What warnings do I find in these verses?
Take some time to consider how you would handle persecution or mockery. Pray for the strength to overcome temptation and endure
suffering. Ask God to help you be a faithful follower without fear of persecution.
