We Will Not Be Silent
Read the Text: Acts 12
Memorize the Text: After they had preached the gospel in that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch, strengthening the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith by telling them, “It is necessary to go through many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:21-22)
Consider the Text: Acts 12
The world attempts to silence the message of the gospel at all costs. People will speak for the ability of individuals to believe whatever they desire but attempt to stop any activity of trying to change people with the message of the gospel. This reality is not new but existed even in the first century and impacted first-century believers. In Acts 12, believers model the proper response to this threat through the commitment not to be silent.
The early church faced extreme PERSECUTION. The church faced the threat of political leaders. The political leaders did not like the movement of the church because it threatened their power and ability to have complete control over people. The message of the gospel and the life of a believer countered the desires and ways of the political leaders, and thus they desired to stop that which they did not understand. Persecution from the political realm became the response as believers faced the threat of death or imprisonment for believing in and proclaiming Jesus.
The persecution did not arise from the political arena alone, but this struggle came from the religious leaders of the day. The religious leaders of the Jews, the Sanhedrin, did not like the movement of the church because it threatened their traditions and way of life. Thus, they attempted to cause chaos and pain in the lives of those who followed Jesus. These religious leaders should have known and recognized the truth, but they were motivated by power and prestige.
The early church could have remained silent and believed in secret. This approach would have minimized the struggle they faced through persecution, but the early church would not be silent. The first-century believers stood for truth and knew that the declaration of Christ was essential. These followers of Christ willfully faced imprisonment and death for faithfully following the Lord. Thus, they would not be silent.
The world today attempts to find various means to silence the message of the gospel. These threats come from various groups that include political, religious, and social arenas. They attempt to minimize the message and silence the messengers through threats. However, like the first-century church, a believer must be committed to the proclamation of the gospel and make the commitment, “We will not be silent.”
The early church responded with PRAYER. The first-century believers sought the Lord for the strength and ability to carry out the task of evangelism in the face of persecution. Their engagement in prayer came as a first response instead of a secondary one. They understood that to fulfill the calling to be the witnesses of the Lord would require the presence and work of the Lord. Therefore, they did not start with complaints, but they went to the Lord. They refused to be silent, but they chose to seek the Lord first and foremost.
Believers today must keep prayer as a primary response to all dynamics in life. This commitment means that prayer becomes the initial response retroactively and the desire for constant communication in a pre-emptive sense. Believers need to face the calling to be God’s witnesses with a commitment to share and seek the Lord in prayer for the strength and passion for being faithful. Thus, believers need to commit not to be silent in their communication with the Lord.
Christians need to commit not to be silent. They must not be silent with the gospel, and they must not be silent in their communication with the Lord. There needs to be an intentional evaluation to see where greater commitment is needed in life to be faithful to the commitment, “We will not be silent.”
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
