Your Honor is On the Line.

It’s funny how as soon as you go to actually DO what you believe God wants you to do discouragement comes and shakes you to the core.

Maybe it’s because you aren’t realizing how you are opening yourself up, you’re only thinking about how awesome it’s going to be. All the great things that will happen. How everyone you invite will totally come.

Then you make an announcement… maybe it’s “we’re planting a church!” or “we’re starting a ministry for the homeless!” For me right now it’s “I”m having an easter service!”

And then it hits you… “what did I just set myself up for?” No one’s gonna come. No one’s gonna help. It’s gonna be stupid it’s gonna suck. If anyone comes they’re going to hate it. I’m going to hate it. I’m an idiot.

I’m not saying it’s rational, it’s just how it goes. Weird, right? What the heck?

It’s in this season that the LORD spoke to me yesterday out of Acts 5.

In verse 17 Peter and the apostles were arrested because of the Name in which they preached and did miracles. While they were in prison (which, I suppose, is probably more discouraging than inviting people to an easter service) the LORD sends an angel to rescue them and they escape. This angel then commands them in verse 20, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.”

They obeyed. Next, the officers come to bring the apostles out of the prison. They find all the doors locked but no one is inside. They receive word that the men are, indeed, not in prison where they were left but rather preaching in the temple about Jesus.

They were brought once again to the high priest who told them not to teach in the Name of Jesus for the second time. The verse that God used to speak to me was verse 29:

“But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.”

That is why I’m doing this. I am obeying God. And while I’m not being pressured by authorities NOT to obey God, I am being pressured by people’s perceptions and people’s responses. But that is not who I am supposed to obey. Let’s look a little further in the chapter…

In verse 40 the council decides what to do with the apostles. They bring them back in, beat the CRAP out of them, tell them not to talk about Jesus anymore, and then let them go… for now. Not the most encouraging ending, for the apostles or for me! Yet look at their response in verse 41-42:

“Then they left the presence of the council, REJOICING that they were COUNTED WORTHY to SUFFER DISHONOR for the name. And EVERY DAY, in the temple and from house to house, they DID NOT CEASE teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.”

I added the emphases. What a perspective… I cannot be afraid of people. Maybe no one will show up to your church plant’s launch service. Maybe everyone will hate my easter service. In that case, I hope I can follow the example of the apostles and rejoice. I hope I can continue to obey God rather than men.

I hope that every day I can put my honor on the line for His honor.

Thanks.

Mark