"Unstoppable" September 13 Readings: Acts 5:1-6:7

Today's Reading -  Acts 5:1-6:7

Background

The resistance of the Pharisees which began in chapters 3 and 4 is ratcheted up in the readings today. The disciples continued to testify to Christ in spite of the obstacles. That is one of the key themes of Acts - overcoming obstacles to proclaim Christ. There are three key obstacles encountered and hurdled here for the cause of Christ. 

• False Christianity - there will always be some who are inside the church but are not what they seem. Ananias and Sapphira sinned not by holding back part of the money for themselves - giving was voluntary. Their sin was lying and pretending to be what they were not. Faking faith is an affront to the God of truth. 
• Persecution - The resistance from the outside became more aggressive than it was in the first encounter in chapter 4. No mere command was enough. Here the disciples were actually imprisoned and beaten for Christ, but they considered it a privilege to suffer for him and continued to rejoice. 
• Busyness - the burdens of ministry are the hurdle in chapter 6. In the growing church, the Apostles were being distracted from their spiritual ministry by the day-to-day tasks of food distribution. So the church appointed a group of seven men who would take care of those daily tasks so that the Apostles could minister the word and pray. 

The key here is that the church faced each of these and continued to grow! By the Spirit's power, every obstacle was overcome. 

Devotional - Unstoppable!

You had to feel just a little bit sorry for the Pharisees and other opponents of the work of Jesus Christ in the Early Church.

They seemed to have all the power, or they thought they did. The Temple authorities had arrested the Apostles in an attempt to intimidate them and keep them from preaching about Jesus Christ. But the next day when they got up, thinking the Apostles were where they had placed them, they found that the troublesome followers of Jesus were back out in the Temple courts proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and stirring up more trouble.

There was nothing to do but to tighten the screws a little.  They arrested them again and upped the ante on the threats against them, warning them to stop their evangelistic work. This didn't work any better than their previous efforts had.

In Acts 5:29 the Apostles replied that they had to obey God and could not obey their commands. They continued to tell the world that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead no matter what anyone did to them. If they warned them, they proclaimed Christ. If they arrested them, they proclaimed Christ. If they beat them, they rejoiced and proclaimed Christ. If they killed them, those who were left continued to proclaim Christ.

The Pharisees could hate Jesus and could oppress those who sided with him, those who believed in and served him. But they could not stop the work of God in the church. They grew angrier, more frustrated, more aggressive, but nothing they did worked to stop the gospel story from spreading. Every attempt to stop the church only served to advance the kingdom.

We can rejoice that nothing can stop the work of God in us and in his church. Opposition will come, even perhaps persecution, but the gospel goes forward. Satan can sow lies, but the truth prevails. When we serve Christ we can overcome any obstacle and endure through any hardship that is put in our path.

Father, come what may, I thank you for your power and your victory. 

Think and Pray

What obstacles and trials are you facing in your life? 

Remember that in the power of the Spirit you can overcome them and continue in the work of Christ. do not allow trials to discourage or derail you from the work of God. They are normal, but they are overcome by the power of Christ's Spirit.