PURITY Series 7/15 Purity Under Persecution Acts 5-7 John 15:18, 20, 16:1
Can you tell me anything that God cannot do? I know! I know!
Bishop Bledsoe said that the South Central Jurisdiction episcopacy committee had recently summoned him to a meeting. There, he said, he was told that the North Texas Conference... did not want him back and that his leadership was so bad that no other conference in the jurisdiction would have him.
Context: Acts 5:11 And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all who heard of these things. 12 Now many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high honor. When people get serious, God gets busy.
Acts 5:14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed. When God gets busy, People get helped and healed.
Acts 5:17 But the high priest rose up and all who were with him, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the common prison. Sadducees: religious traditionals temple politics and power. Visible success always creates a target for political persecution.
Acts 5:27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, "We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us." 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men... When God gets busy, the enemies of God get busy.
Acts 6:7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. 8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people... 12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, 13 and set up false witnesses......the enemies of God get busy.
Acts 7:59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60 And he knelt down and cried with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep. 1 And Saul was consenting to his death. And on that day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. What did Jesus say about this?
John 15:18 "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you... 20 Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also... 16:1 "I have said all this to you to keep you from falling away... When the enemies of God get busy, remember the words of...
Persecution happens.
Friends, I have good news and bad news: Not everyone will like you or what you stand for.
Friends, I have good news and bad news: You're not going to please everybody.
Friends, I have good news and bad news: You cannot know enough, be nice enough, or be powerful enough to cause everyone to like you or respect you.
Friends, I have good news and bad news: You are not going to be popular with everyone. It's not about who is popular.
Persecution happens. What should we do? What did Jesus say about this?
Matthew 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Matthew 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Αγαλλιασθε: leap for joy... seriously.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Amen.
Don't just stand there! Pentecost Jump for joy! Present Day