SCRIPTURE:
40 The others accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.
41 The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. 42 And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.”
Acts 5:40-42
OBSERVATION:
As we continue on in Acts, we see that the story of the early church is not one of easiness, but one of resilience. With great growth comes great opposition, and we see the twelve apostles––the twelve church builders appointed by Jesus––face great struggles. After multiple run ins with the Sadducees and Sanhedrin, once again the apostles are put in prison simply because of the jealousy and insecurity of the Sadducees. And what we see today in Acts 5 is that God always has their back. Yes, opposition may come against them, but He always has the victory. So even though they are thrown in jail again, God sends an angel to free them and command them to continue preaching. In verses 19 and 20, “an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. Then he told them, 20 “Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!”” So they did. They didn’t stop as commanded by man, they continued to preach boldly, as commanded by God. And this only makes the Sanhedrin even more angry. They want to kill them. So they put them on trial, and this is the result of that trial. Listen to what happened in Acts 5:40-42:
40 The others accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.
41 The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. 42 And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.”
What great faith! They were persecuted, jailed, and threatened to stop preaching the name of Jesus, and they did not stop. And the most striking part of their response was that they rejoiced. They thanked God for it. They left the high council “rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.” They rejoiced because they were worthy of suffering.
What do you rejoice in? What do you count yourself worthy of? What do you praise God for?
Today, as we close out “Start Strong” on Instagram, I want to talk to you about suffering for Christ. Not suffering because of our stupidity or foolishness, but suffering for the sake of Christ. It’s important we do so because suffering is an inevitable part of our lives––but suffering for Christ is a privilege afforded only by some. A big reason why we don’t finish strong is because we quit when we suffer. We give up when we face hardship. We get mad at God for not giving us the easy way out. But should you choose to suffer well for Christ, you’ll discover that despite its discomfort, it really is a blessing.
Why?
- Suffering is God’s greenhouse for growth.
Have you ever been in a greenhouse? It’s uncomfortable. It’s hot, humid, and not someplace you’d want to hang out in. But despite its discomfort, it is this environment that is most conducive to growth in plants. The same is true for you. Suffering is God’s greenhouse for growth. As the apostle Paul writes in Romans 5:3-5 “3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Through your suffering, God is producing perseverance, character, and hope. And through suffering, God, in His love, is giving you the opportunity to grow into your full potential. Nothing of great value came without great suffering. Suffer well, knowing that through it, God is growing you.
- Suffering is a privilege not afforded to all
Not all people get to suffer for Christ. In the same way that not all flyers get to enter into an airport lounge, not all people get to suffer for Christ. As Paul writes in Philippians 1:29 “for it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.” Suffering for Christ is not a punishment; it is a gift that is preparing you for a higher calling. Have you ever looked at everyone around you and wondered why they’re not suffering the same as you? It’s because God is preparing you for your purpose that others will not get to complete. And the trials you are facing is a sign of the privilege of your calling. As James writes in James 1:2-4 “2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Suffering is not a privilege afforded to all. But you get to suffer because God has a high calling on your life.
- Suffering draws you closer to the heart of God.
When we suffer, we realize how much Jesus loved us––for He suffered for us. And when we share in His sufferings, we share in the privilege of loving God and loving people by becoming a living sacrifice for God. As Peter, the very man going through these trials, writes in 1 Peter 4:12-14, “12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. 14 If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you.” Suffering for Christ is a sign of the hand of God on your life. And when you suffer for Him, you get to know He is with you in that present moment.
Do you realize how much of a privilege His presence is? The convicting reality is that most times, we do not. And this is our problem when it comes to suffering. We don’t see His presence as a privilege. We see it as an entitlement. We look at the grace, and mercy, and goodness of God on our lives and we take it for granted because we have become entitled to Him. Yes, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and yes, He will always be good because He is unchanging, but if we do not recognize the privilege of His presence in our lives, then we are taking advantage of Him. And today, it’s time for you and I must recognize how privileged we are to have God in our lives.
Imagine with me that you got an invitation to the White House to meet the presence. You could pick any president, any administration, at any time––pick your favorite. You’d dress in your finest clothes, arrive early for your meeting time, and treat him with utmost honor and respect. Ahead of that meeting, you would deny any other conflicts that came up, and after that meeting, you might even give him a gift. And when you returned to your ordinary life, you’d probably brag about how you got to meet the president.
Is God more powerful than the president? Yes. Is God more worthy of honor than the president? Of course. But does your life show it? You tell me. If meeting the president is an honorable privilege, then how much more is the privilege of getting to do life with the God of the universe! And how much more is the privilege of getting to suffer for Him––the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Savior of the World.
APPLICATION:
The apostles of the early church recognized this. They saw getting to suffer for Christ as a privilege they were not worthy of because they realized who they got to suffer for. Suffering for Christ is not a punishment; it’s a privilege. And today, I want to leave you with three questions you can ask yourself in the midst of suffering for Christ to help you see it as a privilege.
- Who is God to you?
If you don’t know who God is, then suffering for Christ won’t mean anything to you. It’s only when you realize the power, goodness, and glory of God that suffering becomes a privilege. Do you realize the One you get to suffer for? The One you get to do life with? The One who has given you every good and perfect thing you have. Realize the greatness of the one you get to suffer for.
- What do you believe you’re worthy of?
If you believe that you are worthy of goodness, I hate to break it to you, but you’re not. As Paul writes in Romans 3:23 “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That includes you. And as he goes on to write in Romans 6:23 “for the wages of sin is death.” You don’t deserve blessings––you deserve death. But the Good News is that this verse does not end there. It goes on to say, “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Regardless of what you think you’re entitled to, you aren’t entitled to anything. You aren’t worthy of God’s goodness, God’s blessings, and God’s calling––but in His love for you, He freely gives it to you. We are not worthy of His presence, yet He chooses to remain with us and never leave us, nor forsake us. And like the apostles, we need to recognize that we are not worthy to even suffer for Him. And yet, He allows us to suffer as we bear His name as “CHRISTians.” We are not worthy of anything, yet God calls us worthy of being His children.
- What does your suffering say about what you believe?
Do you live a life of entitlements or privileges? We are not entitled to blessings. We must not take advantage of God’s goodness. We must realize the privileged life we get to live because of Him and the privilege of getting to suffer for Him. 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 says “16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Through your suffering, God is transforming you from glory to glory. He is allowing you to recognize how much He loves you and how much He believed in you. When you suffer, suffer well. Let the way you suffer preach to other what you believe about Christ. And when you do, you won’t just start strong––you’ll continue strong, so that you can finish strong.
PRAYER:
Jesus,
Thank You for the privilege of suffering. We are not worthy of your presence, let alone the privilege of getting to suffer for you, but today, we realize that You allow us to suffer because You love us, and because you believe in us. So Jesus, we pray that You help us to suffer well. Help us to fix our eyes on You, see our trials through your own eyes, and not lose hope, for You are with us. Thank You that we get to suffer for you. We love You, Lord. Thank you for loving us.
In Your name we pray,
Amen
