“Counted Worthy”
Acts 5
17 The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.
18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.
19 But 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!”
21 So at daybreak the apostles entered the Temple, as they were told, and immediately began teaching.
When the high priest and his officials arrived, they convened the high council —the full assembly of the elders of Israel. Then they sent for the apostles to be brought from the jail for trial.
22 But when the Temple guards went to the jail, the men were gone. So they returned to the council and reported,
23 “The jail was securely locked, with the guards standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!”
24 When the captain of the Temple guard and the leading priests heard this, they were perplexed, wondering where it would all end.
25 Then someone arrived with startling news: “The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple, teaching the people!”
26 The captain went with his Temple guards and arrested the apostles, but without violence, for they were afraid the people would stone them.
27 Then they brought the apostles before the high council, where the high priest confronted them.
28 “We gave you strict orders never again to teach in this man’s name!” he said. “Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!”
29 But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.
30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross.
31 Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven.
32 We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.”
33 When they heard this, the high council was furious and decided to kill them.
34 But one member, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who was an expert in religious law and respected by all the people, stood up and ordered that the men be sent outside the council chamber for a while.
35 Then he said to his colleagues, “Men of Israel, take care what you are planning to do to these men!
36 Some time ago there was that fellow Theudas, who pretended to be someone great. About 400 others joined him, but he was killed, and all his followers went their various ways. The whole movement came to nothing.
37 After him, at the time of the census, there was Judas of Galilee. He got people to follow him, but he was killed, too, and all his followers were scattered.
38 “So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown.
39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!”
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.”
How Does Persecution Fit With Being Jesus’ follower / apprentice / disciple?
- Be With Jesus
- Become Like Jesus
- Do What Jesus Did
Matthew 16
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.
25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?
27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.
28 And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”
John 15
18 “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.
19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.
20 Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you.
21 They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me.
22 They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin.
23 Anyone who hates me also hates my Father.
24 If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be guilty. But as it is, they have seen everything I did, yet they still hate me and my Father.
25 This fulfills what is written in their Scriptures: ‘They hated me without cause.’
26 “But I will send you the Advocate —the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.
27 And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry.
Philippians 3
7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.
8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ
9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.
10 I want to know Christ
and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.
I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,
11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
Romans 5
Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom we have also obtained access into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of God’s glory.
3 Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
4 and endurance, character, and character, hope.
5 And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Peter in the garden vs. Peter on the Beach: Which way, believer?
- Peter in the garden. Congratulations, you wielded the sword and cut off a servant’s ear.
- Peter is bold in wielding the sword, ready to ‘go to guns’. That quickly fades, Peter runs off, tries to follow from a distance and now sword-less, he is unable to admit to even knowing Jesus.
- What did Jesus say about wielding or yielding?
John 21
17 A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.
18 “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.”
19 Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God.
Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”
20 Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved—the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, “Lord, who will betray you?”
21 Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?”
22 Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.”
1 Peter 4
So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too.
For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.
2 You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.
Philippians 2.13
God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
Matthew 5 – “Bookends”
3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
…
10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.
12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.
Luke 9 (The Message)
Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how.
Matthew 11.28-30
Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
The Message:
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
