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Day 29: Greatly Disturbed (Acts 4:1-4)
Have you ever been pulled over by the police? Chances are it wasn’t a fun experience. Whenever I see a police car, or get pulled over, or get a speeding fine, my attitude to risk changes. I drive slower, I turn my music down, and I make sure my behaviour doesn’t prompt another altercation with the long arm of the law. Often it’s tempting to change your behaviour to avoid conflict but what if that conflict has to do with your following God?
Peter and John were gladly proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They were telling them not only that Jesus had risen from the dead but that so will all who trust in Jesus and receive the righteousness he won for them on the cross. This naturally upsets the priests and particularly the Sadducees who didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead. The Gospel is upsetting for those who are perishing, but Peter and John weren’t sharing the Gospel because they wanted to upset people, they did it because they were compelled by the Spirit.
Following Jesus will put you in conflict with those who live by the flesh but this is not a good enough reason to suppress your faith or stop sharing it. If you have the Holy Spirit inside of you, you will live differently to those around you. Your flesh, self-consciousness, and sometimes your friends and family might tell you to live in a particular way but following Jesus means that we listen to the Holy Spirit and let him inform how we live our lives. DB
QuestionsWhy do you think John and Peter were so persistent in sharing their faith, even when they were thrown in jail because of it?
Where do you see opposition to the Gospel in our world today and where do you see people coming to faith?
Do you find it tempting sometimes to pretend you aren’t a Christian or to tone down your faith to avoid upsetting others?
God of freedom and hope, please fill me with your Holy Spirit so I may resist the temptation to suppress my faith. Help me to see opportunities to share my faith with others and continue to faithfully proclaim in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. Amen
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By St Bart's Anglican ChurchHave you ever been pulled over by the police? Chances are it wasn’t a fun experience. Whenever I see a police car, or get pulled over, or get a speeding fine, my attitude to risk changes. I drive slower, I turn my music down, and I make sure my behaviour doesn’t prompt another altercation with the long arm of the law. Often it’s tempting to change your behaviour to avoid conflict but what if that conflict has to do with your following God?
Peter and John were gladly proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They were telling them not only that Jesus had risen from the dead but that so will all who trust in Jesus and receive the righteousness he won for them on the cross. This naturally upsets the priests and particularly the Sadducees who didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead. The Gospel is upsetting for those who are perishing, but Peter and John weren’t sharing the Gospel because they wanted to upset people, they did it because they were compelled by the Spirit.
Following Jesus will put you in conflict with those who live by the flesh but this is not a good enough reason to suppress your faith or stop sharing it. If you have the Holy Spirit inside of you, you will live differently to those around you. Your flesh, self-consciousness, and sometimes your friends and family might tell you to live in a particular way but following Jesus means that we listen to the Holy Spirit and let him inform how we live our lives. DB
QuestionsWhy do you think John and Peter were so persistent in sharing their faith, even when they were thrown in jail because of it?
Where do you see opposition to the Gospel in our world today and where do you see people coming to faith?
Do you find it tempting sometimes to pretend you aren’t a Christian or to tone down your faith to avoid upsetting others?
God of freedom and hope, please fill me with your Holy Spirit so I may resist the temptation to suppress my faith. Help me to see opportunities to share my faith with others and continue to faithfully proclaim in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. Amen