In a year like 2020 that has brought a great deal of societal division, political polarization, pandemic fears, and economic woes, it is easy for people to turn their eyes to their struggles and allow the despair of anxiety to wash over them. However, we must remember that nothing has escaped God’s gaze. He knew from the foundation of the world that you would be in this exact position at this exact time in history. You can trust that He knows your heart struggles and has a path of victory prepared for you even if you don’t see it.
The church in Jerusalem had gone through a tremendous amount of persecution. In Acts 4, they saw theological persecution from the Jews putting the disciples in jail, only to have God step in and see them freed. In Acts 7, Stephen was stoned by the religious Jews and the church of God in Jerusalem was scattered abroad. During that time the church spread throughout the region. It even saw Saul, the persecutor of the church, repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. While all of this was going on, God knew the situation better than any of those who were going through it. They simply needed to trust God.
In Acts 12 we find another documented situation in which the church in Jerusalem began to experience a tremendous amount of persecution. Acts 12:1 declares that Herod had stretched out his hand and began “vexing” or persecuting the leaders of the church. He went as far as to kill James, the brother of John, with the sword.
He didn’t stop there and continued persecuting because it pleased the Jews. He then decided he would put Peter in prison. Imagine having the leaders of your church imprisoned or killed, for nothing more than preaching the truth of God’s Word. Yet still, God knew the situation!
The church in Jerusalem did the only thing they could. They cried out to God in continuous prayer (Acts 12:5). They could not control what Herod did. They could not control what the Pharisees and Sadducees did.
However, they knew the God who knew the situation and had the path of victory already planned.
In the end, God miraculously released Peter, encouraged the church, and judged Herod. All the church had to do was go to God.
God is just as much in control today as he was when the early church was being vexed. There are a few things that can be learned from the way the early church responded to the situation.
- They Trusted God Despite the Governmental Leadership – The great commission was never dependent upon political allowance. Authority was given by God (Matthew 28:18) to preach the Gospel and effectively serve as His body on the earth. The church trusted God and was faithful to that task, even though the government was against them.
- They Trusted God Despite the Situation – The church could not stop the political and theological persecution. They had no authority to see Peter released. However, they knew they had the ear of God. They purposed to pray continuously for Peter. God heard those prayers and miraculously saw Peter freed from prison, standing on the door of the house church, knocking and asking for entrance. Only God can do that.
- They Trusted God to Have His Way – The Church in Jerusalem did not lobby for acceptance by Herod. They did not take Herod to court for wrongly persecuting them. They simply trusted God to have His way. They busied themselves with serving God, trusting God to make a path of victory. God dealt harshly with Herod because of his pride and arrogance.
In a world of difficulty, the early church chose to trust God. They knew that God knew their situation and would be faithful to them. Let me remind you, God knows your situation as well. Trust Him and let Him provide the path to victory!