Roblin Wesleyan Church

Handling hardship from the Book of Acts

If we are to fulfill God’s purposes in life we have to increase our capacity to face hardships

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matt. 11:28

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test. he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance. Rom. 5:3

"Loss and hardships are unavoidable in life, however, "how" we deal with our pain is what will make us or break us.” - Melanie Willard.

I. They Faced the Stress of Vital Decisions

a. They faced the issue before them

b. They consulted one another

c. They consulted God

d. They took action

II. They Faced the Disappointment of Misunderstanding

Acts 2:13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine. ”Once again God shows up and the first thing to emerge is ridicule!

a. They kept focused on speaking truth.

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

But do this with gentleness and respect -1 Pet. 3:15

You do your part and let people do what they will and let God work.

b.  They Served and Loved in spite of the Misunderstanding

III. They Faced the Responsibility that Comes from Successful Outcomes

"Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." Acts 2: 41

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matt 28:19-20

IV. They Faced the Messiness of Human Suffering

Acts 3:2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.

Matt. 26:11 The poor you will always have with you

Acts 3:6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you.

We believe in alleviating poverty but we believe the highest form of alleviation is introducing someone to Christ who raises them up with new purpose, faith, and hope for both now and eternity!

V. They Faced the Pressure of Surprising Opposition.

Acts 4:1-3 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed ... 3 They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day.

They acted with Courage and reliance upon God

a. They turned Opposition into an opportunity to Share Truth

b. They Shared the Burden of Opposition with the Church

c. They Asked God for boldness to speak not a back door to escape

d. They Depended on the Holy Spirit - they prayed

Acts 4:31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Be patient in discipleship

30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” - Mark 12:30-31

22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ - Matthew 7:22-23

Jesus taught his disciples:

Discipleship:

Part 3 of Jesus' teachings "All I've Commanded You"

`...teach them to obey all I commanded you' - Jesus, Matthew 28

Repent, Remember, Pray

Be Perfect

"You therefore must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" - Matthew 5:48

Psalm 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."

Don't Be Anxious

John 17:3 "and this is eternal life - to know the one true God and Jesus Christ who he has sent"

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

What does Jesus command?

Matthew 4:17 – Repent for the Kingdom of heaven has come near

Repent: To change your mind, understanding or focus.

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. - Matthew 3:8

Flexibility is the new superpower - Carey Neuhoff

Our Father in Heaven hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come, your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For it is your Kingdom, Power, and Glory, Forever and Ever, Amen.

What is God saying to you?

Matt 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Rom 8:29 “… to be conformed to the image of his Son ..."

Is. 6:5   “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips …

Is 64:5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved? 6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. 7 No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to our sins. 8 Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. 9 Do not be angry beyond measure, LORD; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look on us, we pray, for we are all your people.

1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins …

Acts 2:38 “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Is 53:4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering…

Is 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Psa. 99:9 Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy.

Heb. 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

1Pet. 1:15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Acts 10:34 Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. 35 In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.

Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death…

2 Cor. 5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Rom. 3:23 says: “… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

…’Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’ Matt 6:9-10

Acts 1:3 3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

Acts 28:23   They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.

Matt. 4:23a Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom …

… Jason has welcomed them (Paul and Silas) into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” Acts 17:7

Acts 2:21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Acts 19:8   Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.

Eph 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

John 3:3   … “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

Matt. 4:17   From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God —

…’Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’ Matt 6:9-10

Finding Yourself in the Book of Acts - Part 7

5:20 - Acts 1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

7:45 - 2 Timothy 3:1 "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days."

9:05 - Philippians 3:20 "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,"

9:22 - James 4:4 "You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."

13:28 - Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,"

14:15 - 1 Peter 4:7 "The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray."

14:30 - Matthew 24:7-8 "7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains."

14:49 - Luke 21:28 "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

15:23 - 2 Timothy 3:1 "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days."

18:05 - 2 Timothy 3:5 "having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people."

23:15 - Ephesians 1:19-20 "19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,"

25:01 - Romans 1:25a "They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator"

25:59 - Genesis 3:5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

32:34 - Romans 8:29a "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son,"

33:44 - Acts 3:6b "...In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

34:31 - Acts 4:10b "It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed."

38:09 - Ephesians 4:27 "and do not give the devil a foothold."

39:34 - John 8:32 "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

40:27 - Romans 1:25 "They exchanged the truth about God for a lie,"

Finding Yourself in the Book of Acts - Part 7

16:00 - Acts 1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

17:58 - This was a Church of Power

18:29 - Power = Greek dynamis (doo-nam-is) ... ability - power, strength, force - force miraculous

20:32 - Luke 1:35 "The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God."

24:26 - Acts 3:6b "“Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

26:22 - "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?

30:06 - Acts 4:10b "...It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed."

37:18 - John 14:26 "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."

39:32 - 2 Peter 1:3 "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."

Finding yourself in the book of Acts - Part 6