Chapter 33
WHOM DO WE FEAR?
(Matthew 10:28-33)
Before we begin our study let us pray.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come before You in the Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Holy Father please grant us the spiritual wisdom and understanding to comprehend Your Word. Holy Father we ask this for Your Holy Name’s sake.
Amen
PRELUDE
Before we begin it would be helpful for us to review, as it is used in this study, the meaning of the words “fear and/or afraid.” Specifically, this word is not used to mean a terrifying fear such as one would have when being chased by a serial killer. Instead it means the reverential fear of one’s authority and/power such as one would have for a judge during a trial of a crime. To see this we go to the “Amplified Bible” and read the following,
PSALM 119:113-120
[113] I hate those who are double minded, But I love and treasure Your law.
[114] You are my hiding place and my shield; I wait for Your word.
[115] Leave me, you evildoers, That I may keep the commandments of my God[honoring and obeying them].
[116]Uphold me according to Your word [of promise], so that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my great hope [in Your great goodness].
[118] You have turned Your back on all those who wander from Your statutes. For their deceitfulness is useless.
[119] You have removed all the wicked of the earth like dross [for they have no value]; Therefore my flesh trembles in [reverent] fear of You, And I am afraid and in awe of Your judgments.
INTRODUCTION
We now begin this study by reading from,
Matthew 10:28
"[28] Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."
To help us understand this verse we will reflect upon the following questions: "Do we believe and accept that Jesus Christ is our Lord?” “Do we really and truly believe and accept the fact that no matter what circumstances or situations we may be in, Jesus Christ is still our one and only Lord and our Savior?"
To expand upon these questions we will,
1. Review three examples of men who risked their lives and well being for the sake of our Lord and God.
2. Explore the reason why the men in the above examples along with countless others did what they did for our God.
3. Consider some words of caution.
4. Summarize the message or point of this study.
With this introduction in mind we begin by exploring,
THREE EXAMPLES OF THE FAITHFUL
Our first example is that of,
THE PROPHET ELIJAH AND OBADIAH
The example we are about to read occurred during the reign of Israel's King Ahab. In reading about the kingship of Ahab we discover that he did much evil in the sight of the Lord. To see this let us read from,
1 Kings 16:29-31a
"[29] In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. [30] Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him. [31a] He (Ahab) not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat,
Let us notice the following verse,
31(a) ... Because of King Solomon's idolatry God divided the kingdom of Israel into two. The name of the first kingdom was Judah. It only consisted of two tribes, which were Judah and Benjamin. The first king of this new kingdom of Judah was Rehoboam, the son of King Solomon. The remaining tribes composed the second kingdom. This kingdom retained the name Israel. The first king of the new kingdom of Israel was a man named Jeroboam (see 1 Kings 12:1-24). To maintain his authority and control over Israel and prevent the people of his kingdom from going to worship God at the Temple in Jerusalem, Jeroboam instituted his own form of worship. We find this in,
1 Kings 12:25-30
"[25] Then Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built up Peniel. [26] Jeroboam thought to himself, "The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. [27] If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam." [28] After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." [29] One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. [30] And this thing became a sin; the people went even as far as Dan to worship the one there."
Let us now return to 1 Kings and read the following,
1Kings 16:31b-33
[31b] but he (Ahab) also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. [32] He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. [33] Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him."
31(b)-32 …In the Old Testament, Baal was the name of the weather and fertility god of the Canaanites1. Thus, we find that under the influence of his Canaanite wife, Jezebel, King Ahab and the people of Israel gave homage and worship to the Canaanite god named Baal.
33 … If the worship of Baal was not bad enough, King Ahab also made an Asherah pole. Asherah was considered by the Canaanites to be the goddess of the sea. It was also believed that Baal came forth from her. Asherah was represented by a tree or wooden pole; hence, the Asherah pole. Worship and homage was paid to Asherah around this tree or pole2.
With all this worship and adoration to the Canaanite deities, one could understand why our Lord and Savior was so very angry with Ahab and the people of Israel. Consequently God sent the prophet Elijah to tell the king that because of their evil deeds He was going to send a severe drought upon the land. To see this we go to,
1 Kings 17:1
"[1] Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.""
After Elijah spoke these words to King Ahab God told him to leave Ahab’s presence. This is recorded in,
1 Kings 17:2-6
[2] Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, [3] “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. [4] And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” [5] So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. [6] The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook.
At the end of two plus years God told Elijah to return to King Ahab to tell him that He was now going to end the drought and send rain upon Israel. This is recorded for us in,
1 Kings 18:1
"[1] after a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: "Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.""
Now one might think that Elijah would be welcomed by the king and the people of the land. However, as we continue reading we find that the temperament of the king and the people of Israel was exactly the opposite. What we discover is that King Ahab was not very pleased with Elijah or any of God's prophets. In fact the king had ordered that all of God's prophets be put to death. To see this we continue reading from,
1 Kings 18:2-16
"[2] So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria, [3] and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of his palace. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the LORD. [4] While Jezebel was killing off the Lord's prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.) [5] Ahab had said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals." [6] So they divided the land they were to cover, Ahab going in one direction and Obadiah in another.
Let us notice the following verses,
2 … Because of the severe drought a severe famine had gripped the land of Israel.
3 … Notice that Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord.
4 … Jezebel, King Ahab's wife, commanded that all of the Lord's prophets be put to death. However, Obadiah, who feared God more than Ahab and his wife, risked his own life by hiding and caring for 100 of the Lord's prophets.
5-6 … King Ahab summoned Obadiah to help him look for water.
While King Ahab and Obadiah were looking for water, Elijah, who was going to present himself to the king, met Obadiah. Let us now read what happened between the two of them. Their conversation is recorded in,
1 Kings 18:7-16
[7] As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him, bowed down to the ground, and said, "Is it really you, my lord Elijah?" [8] "Yes," he replied. "Go tell your master, 'Elijah is here.'" [9] "What have I done wrong," asked Obadiah, "that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death? [10] As surely as the LORD your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. And whenever a nation or kingdom claimed you were not there, he made them swear they could not find you. [11] But now you tell me to go to my master and say, 'Elijah is here.' [12] I don't know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn't find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the LORD since my youth. [13] Haven't you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the LORD? I hid a hundred of the Lord's prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water. [14] And now you tell me to go to my master and say, 'Elijah is here.' He will kill me!" [15] Elijah said, "As the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today." [16] So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah."
Let us notice the following verses,
8-11 … Elijah told Obadiah to inform King Ahab that he was coming to see him. Obadiah informed Elijah that from the time he left Israel Ahab was so angry with him (Elijah) that sent his servants throughout the land to find him.
12(a) … Out of fear that Elijah might again disappear, Obadiah was hesitant about telling King Ahab the arrival of the prophet Elijah.
12(b)-14 …Obadiah told Elijah that he had been a faithful servant unto God. In other words, Obadiah had asked Elijah why are you asking me, a faithful servant of God, to risk my life?
15 … Elijah assured Obadiah that he would not forsake him and will certainly present himself to the king.
16 … Knowing the potential danger to his life and well being, Obadiah again demonstrated his faithfulness to our Lord and went to King Ahab to announce the arrival of Elijah. In other words, Obadiah feared God more than King Ahab and his wife Jezebel.
The second example for this portion of the study comes from the New Testament and focuses upon,
STEPHEN
The Bible teaches us that Stephen was one of the church's original deacons, see Acts 1:1-6. In addition, God mightily used Stephen to bear witness to the good news of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, not everyone in Jerusalem accepted truth about Jesus Christ. In fact, many were so infuriated with Stephen that they had him arrested for blasphemy.
It is noted that during this point of time in Israel's history, blasphemy was committed when a person or organization preached, taught or worshipped any other god other than the one revealed in the Old Testament. In today's Western culture this might not seem like a big deal. However, at the time of Stephen and earlier, if a person was convicted of blasphemy, they were sentenced to death by stoning. This punishment was in direct compliance with the Law of Moses, see Deuteronomy 13:1-11. Thus, this accusation against Stephen was an extremely serious one. However, with no fear of its consequences, Steven told the truth about Jesus Christ.
To see this let us now read about the arrest of Stephen as recorded in,
Acts 6:8-12
"[8] Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. [9] Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)--Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen, [10] but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke. [11] Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, "We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God." [12] So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin.
Let us notice the following verses,
9-10 … The Synagogue of the Freedmen were not able to successfully find fault or contend with what the Holy Spirit spoke through Stephen.
11-12 … They stirred up the people to come against Stephen to have him arrested for blasphemy.
To read what occurred in front of the Sanhedrin we continue with,
Acts 6:13-7:1
[13] They produced false witnesses, who testified, "This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. [14] For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us." [15] All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel."
"[7:1] Then the high priest asked him; "Are these charges true?""
Let us notice the following verses,
13-14 … They were so upset with Stephen that in order to get rid of him they perverted and lied about what he had preached and taught.
15 … Notice, while Stephen stood before the religious ruling council of Israel, he was in perfect peace and harmony with God.
Doesn't this whole incident with Stephen, the members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen and the ruling council of Judaism remind us of what Jesus said to His disciples just before He sent them out to preach and teach about the Kingdom of God? To refresh our memories let us read from,
Matthew 10:16-20
"[16] I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. [17] "Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. [18] On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. [19] But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, [20] for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you."
Returning to the account of Stephen and the ruling council let us notice the following verse,
7:1 … The High Priest asked Stephen to give an account for his actions.
Let us reflect upon the scene that is set before us. Stephen, who had been a faithful and mighty witness to the good news of Jesus Christ, is standing before the ruling council of Judaism. He is accused of blasphemy. After hearing all the lies and false accusations against him, he is asked by the High Priest to give a defense for his actions. Stephen knew full well that if he was convicted of blasphemy he would immediately be taken outside the city to be stoned to death. What did Stephen do? Did he fear the power and authority of the elders of Israel and deny Jesus Christ as his Lord and God? (Or) Did Stephen fear Almighty God and remain true to his faith?
As we read his defense in Acts 7:2-53 we discover that Stephen remained steadfast in his faith in Jesus Christ. He bore witness to the truth that He, Jesus Christ, was indeed the Messiah that is the Anointed One. He further said that Jesus Christ was and is the One who the prophets of the Old Testament foretold would come to save Israel.
As a consequence of his speech, Stephen was convicted of blasphemy. He was then taken outside the city of Jerusalem and stoned to death. To see this let us read from,
Acts 7:54-60
"[54] When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. [55] But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. [56] "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." [57] At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, [58] dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. [59] While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." [60] Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep."
It is extremely interesting to note that even under the excruciating pain of being stoned to death Stephen continued to faithfully serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He did this by asking Jesus to forgive those who were stoning him.
Our last example for this section of our study is an example of
THE APOSTLES
To do this let us read from,
Acts 5:12-20
[12] And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch. [13] Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. [14] And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, [15] so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. [16] Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed. [17] Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, [18] and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. [19] But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, [20] “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.”
Let us notice the following verses,
19 … An angel brought the apostles out of prison.
20 The angel told the apostles to go to the Temple and tell the people about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
To read what happened we continue our reading from,
Acts 5: 21-32
[21] And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest and those with him came and called the council together, with all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. [22] But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported, [23] saying, “Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!” [24] Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. [25] So one came and told them, saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” [26] Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. [27] And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, [28] saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!” [29] But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. [30] The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. [31] Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. [32] And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
Let us notice the following verses,
29 … “We ought to obey God rather than men.”
30-32 … The apostles presented the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Upon hearing this, the council became so angry that they debated whether or not to kill the apostles. However, through the advice of Gamaliel (a Pharisee), sanity prevailed and they decided to release them.
To read what happened after the apostle’s release we go to,
Acts 5:40-46
[40] And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. [41] So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. [42] And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
Let us notice the following verses,
41 … They rejoiced that they were worthy to suffer for Jesus’ name.
42 … They continued to teach and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
With the above examples in mind let us now address,
THE REASON FOR THEIR FAITHFULNESS
“Why did Elijah, Obadiah, Stephen, the Apostles and countless others not only risked their physical and social well being but also their lives to remain faithful to God?” The answer to this question lies in the fact that they all had a close and personal knowledge of God.
First of all they knew, believed and had faith in God. They knew of God's majesty and of man's humility. To receive a glimpse of the majesty of God let us read from,
Psalm 95:1-7
"[1] Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. [2] Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. [3] For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. [4] In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. [5] The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. [6] Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; [7] for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. …"
To receive a glimpse of man's humility we go to,
Psalm 103:11-18
"[11] For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; [12] as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. [13] As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; [14] for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. [15] As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; [16] the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. [17] But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children-- [18] with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts."
Secondly, in addition to God's majesty and power they also knew, believed and had faith in the fact that God was and is their only savior. To refresh our memory of this truth let us first prayerfully read what God had said through His prophet Isaiah as recorded in,
Isaiah 43:9-13
"[9] All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Which of them foretold this and proclaimed to us the former things? Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right, so that others may hear and say, "It is true." [10] "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. [11] I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. [12] I have revealed and saved and proclaimed-- I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God. [13] Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?""
To expand upon this we discover that in the New Testament we are told it is only by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we are saved from the penalty and power of our sins.
To see this, let us go to the time when Jesus explained that He was and is the Bread of Life. After hearing Jesus’ teaching of this topic many left Him. Then Jesus asked His twelve disciples if they also wanted to leave Him.
To read Jesus’ question and Peter’s reply we go to,
John 6:67-69
[67] Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” [68] But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom we shall go? You have the words of eternal life. [69] Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
In addition let us now read the following proclamation Peter made to the rulers, scribes, elders, the High Priest and the High Priest's family concerning Jesus Christ. To do this we go to,
Acts 4:12
"[12] Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.""
To place this study in its proper context let us now consider,
SOME WORDS OF CAUTION
Specifically, we are not to go forth with our own initiative and put ourselves in harm’s way to share, defend and/or prove our faithfulness. In other words, we must obey God’s commands and follow His direction. To see this let us review the following,
EXAMPLES
1. After God told Elijah to speak to King Ahab, He told Elijah to leave that is stay away from Ahab’s presence.
1 Kings 17:2-6
[2] Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, [3] “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.
2. After God through, the hands of Elijah, brought down fire from Heaven and after the prophets of Baal were slaughtered, Elijah ran away to save himself from the wrath of Ahab’s wife, Jezebel. To see this we go to,
1Kings 19:1-3
[1] And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. [2] Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” [3] And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
3. To recall that it was an angel who told the apostles to go to the Temple to share the good news of Jesus Christ, we go to,
Acts 5:20
[20] “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.”
4. After Peter was imprisoned three times for sharing and preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ he left Judea and went to Caesarea. This occurred after King Herod decided to imprison Peter. To read how this came about we go to,
Acts 12:3-10
[3] And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. [4] So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. [5] Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. [6] And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. [7] Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. [8] Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” [9] So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. [10] When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the Iron Gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
Let us notice the following verse,
7 … Again God sent an angel to free Peter from his chains and from being in prison.
10 … After Peter was freed from prison and outside the city the angel left. Notice that this time the angel did not tell Peter to go and preach. Consequently, Peter went to Mary’s house, the mother of Mark.
Let us now read what happened in Mary’s house as recorded in,
Acts 12:11-17
[11] And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.” [12] So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. [13] And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. [14] When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. [15] But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.”[16] Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. [17] But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” And he departed and went to another place.
Let us notice the following verse,
17c … Peter departed to another place. This place was outside of Judea and in the city of Caesarea. This is recorded in,
Acts 12:19c
[19c] And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.
5. Post Biblical Times
a. When we read about the Anabaptists, Mennonites, and others during the 16th century (1500-1600) we discover there was a great persecution of the true Christian gatherings. Consequently, these congregations would meet in fields, empty barns, forests and anywhere they would not easily be discovered by the various kings and the religious leaders who were hostile to Christianity.
b. When reading today’s publications of “The Voice of the Martyrs” we discover that throughout the majority of the world great persecutions of the Christians exist. For example, in China, other than the state’s church, Christianity is outlawed. To avoid persecution meetings or gatherings are held outside of the government’s purview. These gatherings are identified as the underground church. They are held in homes, fields and other hidden places.
Given all we have covered in this chapter let us now summarize,
THE MESSAGE OR POINT OF THIS STUDY
First of all, when asked we are to share with those who ask us the reason for our hope. To see this let us read from,
1 Peter 3: 13-16
[13] And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? [14] But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” [15] But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; [16] having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.
Secondly, we must always pray to hear and do the will of God. In other words, we should do what He wants us to do and where to go. Thus, we are not to be presumptuous to do whatever we think is best. Consider the following,
Matthew 7:21-23
[21] “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. [22] Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ [23] And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
In other words He is the Head and we are members of His body to be under His control of. To see this we go to “The Amplified Bible” and read from,
Ephesians 1:22-23
[22] And He put all things [in every realm] in subjection under Christ’s feet, and appointed Him as [supreme and authoritative] head over all things in the church, [23] which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills and completes all things in all [believers].
CLOSING
Let us close with the following prayer Jesus prayed for you and me. As we do this let us remember this prayer was given after He prayed for the disciples He had while He was still physically upon this earth.
John 17:20-26
[20] “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; [21] that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. [22] And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: [23] I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. [24] “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. [25] O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. [26] And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
Blessed be the Lord forever,
Amen and Amen