Scriptures: Acts 5:12-42

In the early church stories we read in Acts we see bold belief, amazing growth and passionate people of faith proclaiming Christ. We also read of their stand again persecution and opposition. In Acts 5, the early church has upset the religious establishment of the time and all of the Apostles are arrested and thrown in jail. Today, in our culture, they may have given up. But instead we read that they looked on this supposed setback as an opportunity.

When we face opposition, how do we react? In this message, Dr. James Merritt reminds us of the example of the Apostles in Acts. In fact, as we remember Who Jesus is, and His place in this world and the next, we can act with perseverance and determination to continue preaching the Gospel to our friends and neighbors.

"What was it that made those disciples so bold? What was it that gave them the ability to stand up when they were told to sit down and to speak up when they were told to 'shut-up?' What is it that can give us the boldness we need today to be pro-active in trying to reach people for Jesus Christ? It goes back to what these disciples realized was true about Jesus Christ and what I want to ask us to remember is true about Jesus Christ. He gives the two things that are necessary for us to be right with God and to be able to become what we need to be and do what we need to do--repentance and the forgiveness of sins. The next time you get an opportunity to stand up for Christ and speak up for Christ and the world tries to intimidate you into sitting down and shutting up you need to remember who He is, where He lives and what He does." --Dr. Merritt

Keywords: mission, church, Holy Spirit, ignite, fire, witness, boldness, Acts, Luke, Peter, Gospel, persecution, opposition, Gamaliel, Pharisees, Romans, Jesus, Christ, crucifixion, prison, jail, punishment, flogging, remember, recall, Savior, forgiveness, reaction, truth