Reading 24

Acts 4-7

The followers of Christ in this passage faced a great deal of persecution. But what is astonishing to me is that they rejoiced in it. In Acts 5:41, it says the apostles left the Sanhedrin rejoicing that they had been worthy enough to suffer for Jesus. To feel honored to suffer is something foreign to the people of America. We will try our best to limit our suffering as much as possible. The culture tells us to just go with the flow and don’t rock the boat.

The disciples were definitely rocking the boat. They were trying to sink the boat of the old way of thinking. The apostles were not doing it quietly either. You can’t proclaim Jesus affectively without being bold. The followers of Jesus did not care what the consequences were of there actions. Stephan knew what God wanted him to say to the Sanhedrin and he said it with gusto knowing in full that they would be overcome with anger. But he wasn’t thinking of their anger, he was thinking of the mission God had given him. So should we focus our ambitions on the mission.

I admit, I am usually thinking of how my friend will probably look at me differently if I ask him about God, but I pray that God will keep me focused on the commission He has given me to be bold with the good news. No matter how my friend reacts whether it’s with arguments, apathy or he falls on his knees right there and believes in Jesus (I wish that would happen sometimes), I should not regret my actions, for I should know that I was doing what God ask me to do. And in that I will rejoice, and I will rejoice even more when I do see what God can do through me when I do follow Him without thinking what the world will think, but thinking instead of what can I do for my father.

Grant

Reading #24 (audio)