THEME: THE CHURCH LIFE IN TIMES OF TROUBLES/TRIBULATIONS

LESSON: Five

TEXT: Acts 6:7-15, 7:57-60, John 16:1-3 MEMORY TRACK

By the grace of God, in our last lesson, we began looking at tribulation in the church, using the church in Thessalonica as a case study. We saw how tribulation shaped the Thessalonian brethren to excel in brotherly love, kept them in tune with the seasons in the spirit, and also detached them from the present, preparing them for Entrance into the kingdom of God.

In today’s lessona we shall continue to look at tribulation in the churches, by looking at the church in Jerusalem and the effect of tribulation on their journey of salvation.

THE EARLY CHURCH: SHAPED BY PERSECUTION (Act 4:1-3, 6:1,7, 15, 8:1)

The early church, specifically the church in Jerusalem was one that was not immediately launched into persecution from the beginning, though there were a few incidents around our Lord Jesus and the initial crop of disciples when Jesus was on earth. The Lord kept adding to the church in Jerusalem and as the numbers grew, with the increase came the challenges that ultimately led to the great persecution of their day. From the account in Acts of the Apostles, we see that the initial instigators of persecution (just as it was in the time of Jesus and also seen amidst the Thessalonian brethren) were the Sanhedrin, the upholders of the Law of Moses. What began as a single lynching, escalated into a city-wide manhunt for all the faithful followers of Jesus through the Apostles’ doctrine.

IMPACT OF TRIBULATION ON THE CHURCH IN JERUSALEM

One thing that cannot be taken away from the early church during the season of persecution is the spread the church achieved. Contrary to Satanic postulation, that persecution would negatively impact upon the number of followers of Jesus, persecution actually caused quite a bit of increase in the geographic spread of the church. Prior to this persecution, the church was restricted to Jerusalem alone, with various nationalities, of devout proselytes and Grecians, having travelled to Jerusalem on pilgrimage, remain there after being born again. Persecution and tribulation led to the scattering abroad of not just the proselytes, but also quite a few native Jews and Grecians. It was this set of believers that the Apostles Peter and James directed their epistles to (Acts 8:1, 1Pet 1:1, James 1:1).

From these epistles, we saw a people hardened against sin and death by the sufferings they underwent. It is people like this that could handle being told to count it all joy when they fall into diverse temptations (James 1:2), or be instructed to arm themselves with a mind to suffer in the flesh (1Pet 4:1) and to think of trials as something not strange (1Pet 4:12-14)

Other things to note concerning the Church in Jerusalem, are as follows:
  • Their faith was tried and Precious (1Pet 1:6-7, 2Pet 1:1): The brethren scattered from Jerusalem had gone through enough to prove their faith. Untested faith is not regarded as reliable by heaven. The Lord could boast of the preciousness of the faith of the saints scattered abroad, because of their allegiance to Him inspite of their manifold temptations and trials. That praise can still ascend out of the earth amidst afflictions and troubles is one of the strong points that make for the hastening of the coming of the Lord.
  • They experienced angelic ministrations (Acts 8:1,4,26-29, Rev 1:1): One would also observe that for some reason, angelic presence seemed prevalent in the season of tribulation. From Philip who was instructed of an angel to be positioned for to minister to the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:1,3,26-29), to Peter who was escorted out of prison by and angel (Acts 2 12:1-11), and Paul who was comforted by an angelic visitation prior to his encounter with Euroclydon (Acts 27:14-24).

It is obvious from Scripture that a major part of what sharpened the Jerusalem church and brethren was the hardness they had to endure. These battle-hardened believers were able to withstand the threatening of spirits and battle territorial beasts in order to advance the agenda of God amidst the earth.

TO BE CONTINUED…