March 17, 2024 • 1 Peter 4:7–11
The book of Acts describes how the Holy Spirit worked to transform these early Christians into a movement of God’s people focused on God’s mission, all for God’s glory. Like ripples moving across a pond, the Church began to spread out around the world starting in Jerusalem. It is no surprise that the powers of darkness would seek to extinguish the light of Christ kindled by the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. Opposition to life in the Spirit is experienced within the Christian fellowship as is seen in Acts 5:1-10 and 6:1-7, but the Apostles (led by the Holy Spirit), guide the young Church in righteousness and the Church is strengthened. Opposition will also come from the established religious authorities who see this emerging Gospel of Jesus as a threat that must be eliminated. The early Church is about to face its first real threat as violence against them breaks out and the lordship of Jesus is put to the test. We will be taking a short break from the book of Acts. However, take this next week and review the previous passages of Scripture from Acts 1:1-8:3.
It is hard to imagine how exciting it must have been for the early church as they responded to the Holy Spirit’s direction and boldly shared the Good News of salvation found in Christ Jesus. However, the message of forgiveness and new life in Jesus Christ wasn’t received as good news by everyone. The religious leaders who had lobbied for Jesus’ execution were desperate to silence the Apostles who preached the triumphant Jesus. It was inevitable that opposition to this new kingdom community would arise. But how would this newborn church fare in the face of conflict, and could they survive attacks on multiple fronts? In preparation for this coming Sunday read Acts 4:36 - 6:7.
Our final point to our commitment to "PRAY BOLD . . . be humble" is a commitment to deal with our doubts, excuses, and complaints diligently, and choose gratitude instead. Or another way to say it -- Choosing Gratitude over Grievance. Gratitude invited humility. Being truly thankful opens you up to receive a gift to its fullest measure. It is interesting that nearly half of the Psalms are considered Psalms of Lament. While these poems express deep heartache and grievance, they nearly all end with a sense of gratitude; an acknowledgment that the LORD is God and ultimately there is no better place to be than in His sovereign hands. Likewise, the Apostle Paul encourages the Church in Colossae to be thankful and allow their gratitude to empower their prayers and faithful obedience to Christ Jesus. This Palm Sunday, we celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. We know how Holy Week ends, and we know what awaits Jesus’ Disciples on Resurrection Sunday. Though there is deep sorrow all around us, we have MUCH to be thankful for!
