Godly Life Followers Persecuted
Dear Foothills Family and Friends,
Last week, Pastor Dave Martinez did an exceptional job of helping us enter into the conversion experience where the Lord saved Saul on the road to Damascus. We are reminded no one is too sinful for God's saving love and grace!
This week we will pick up the narrative in Acts 9:19-31. Please read and prayerfully contemplate this passage in preparation for our time together.
When the church is living its mission, there are some spiritual exercises, and some partnerships in which God works to bring about God’s intended outcomes.
As we read this section of the Biblical story, we notice that Paul’s exercises included:
1. (verse 19) BEING WITH OTHERS. The challenge for us is to intentionally find and create ways to gather with God’s people.
2. (verses 20-21) SHARING JESUS. Paul had just been “instantly” converted—he didn’t know a great amount about Christianity yet, but he immediately began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues. He proclaimed the deity of Jesus and the people who heard him were “astounded” because they remembered Saul causing “havoc” and arresting Christians.
3. (verse 22) BEGIN GROWING. Paul began to grow more capable in his understanding and ability to “explain and prove” that Jesus is the Christ.
4. (verses 23-24) PREPARE FOR OPPOSITION. The Jews planned to kill Paul. Opposition and adversity are themes throughout the Book of Acts. According to 2 Timothy 3:12 we must prepare or brace for it because persecution is a promise for each of us.
“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
Suffering and resistance helps us grow spiritually. To summarize, this section of Scripture shows us that disciples look for ways to disciple others by:
- Helping a brother or sister out when there is a need
- Bringing a sister or brother into the fellowship of the faith community
- Helping send a brother or sister along to where God is calling them next.
Some of the outcomes of partnering with God in the discipleship process include:
- Rest: the spiritually growing church experiences God’s peace.
- Reinforcement: God builds the church up and constructs it.
- Reverence: Believers walk in a healthy respect and “fear of the Lord.”
- Reassurance: Believers receive the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
- Replication: God multiplies the church—literally: “the church increases in magnitude by being made full.”
Have you, in faith, received Christ as your Savior? Are you growing as a follower (disciple) of Jesus?
As we receive, believe, live and share the Gospel of Christ’s salvation, we’ll experience something similar to Acts 16:5 “So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.”
What a privilege to partner with Jesus in the joyful walk of salvation!
See you on Sabbath at 11 a.m.,
Pastor Duff
