How should the believer responds to a negative world.
Text Acts 4.13-35
Peter and John had healed the man and were immediately taken into custody by the religious officials. Then came the back room drama as the religious officials tried to figure out how to handle them. They had a few problems including a large crowd of witnesses and the man who had been healed. They wanted to get things under control before it got any worse. They had killed Jesus and thought that would end it. The only problem was that so many had seen him alive after the resurrection that they did not know what to do with them. If it were just a few they could have been dealt with.
This week Outreach magazine published its annual list of the 100 largest and the 100 fastest growing churches in America. (I looked and my church was not on the list. As Maxwell Smart would say, "Missed it by that much.") The fastest growing church was 12 Stone Church in Lawrenceville, GA. It had an increase of 30% with a +2,226 new members added this last year. WOW! The largest church is Lakewood Church in Houston, TX with 43,500 attendance over any given weekend. The problem with the critics today is they face the same problem they did in the book of Acts. There are too many of us and the miracles of changed lives are everywhere.
We have to be careful or we will be SHAPED BY THE WORLD of non-believers. If we pay too much attention to those who do not believe we will forget that we have been with Jesus and he is the greatest influence on our lives. We may be surrounded by a non-believing secular world, but we are filled with the spirit of God. We have to avoid of giving into the fear pressure that non-believers try to use against us.
We have to make sure that we are not SILENCED BY NON-BELIEVERS. They know the truth and can see the results of the lives changed by Jesus but they are not willing to submit and surrender their earthly power to a living God. Their solution is always the same. They don't want us to teach or speak to anyone in the name of Jesus because we are a security threat to their power structure. Peter and John refused to be silenced and we should follow their lead.
Following their return together they were SHAKEN AND FILLED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. They returned from their worldly encounter and began to share together what had happened. Then they raised their voices together in prayer and praise for the protection and direction God was taking them.
The results of this experience UNITED them in heart and mind. They had faced those who were opposed to Jesus and found that Jesus and his Holy Spirit were more powerful. They SHARED what they had whenever there was a need. Their testimony was clearly seen by the world of non-believers and grace was upon them all.
The next time you are feeling attacked or defeated remember that we are part of a very large army. You are not alone. Remember that God's Holy Spirit is there to help you. Remember when the world says hush that you are on the right track.
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