I. A Season Of Peace
A. Saul’s Persecution Ends
1. Saul’s Recent History
a. Acts 7:57-8:2 Agreeing w/and voting for the death of Stephen
b. Acts 8:3; 9:1,2 Saul hunts for Christians
2. Saul’s Conversion To Christianity Acts 9
3. Saul Preaches Christ Acts 9:20-22
4. Saul goes to Arabia for three years. Gal. 1:11-23
5. Saul’s absence took momentum away from Jewish persecution.
6. Saul returns to Damascus, and again preaches Christ. Acts 9:23
7. Saul the persecutor becomes Saul the preacher of Jesus.
B. Jews’ Persecution Lessened
1. Saul, one of their leaders, had become a Christian
2. Efforts of Jewish leaders re-directed against Caligula: per Josephus.
a. 37 A.D. Roman Emperor Tiberius succeeded by Caligula.
b. Caligula- very wicked and hostile against the Jews.
c. 39 A.D. Caligula seeks to have his statue set up in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. This was an abomination to the Jews.
d. Petronius, president of Syria, was to carry out this mission.
e. Any Jew that resisted that action was to be killed.
f. The entire nation was to be enslaved.
g. The Jewish leaders met w/Petronius, and said that the entire nation would die rather than allow the Temple to be defiled.
h. Rome backed down. This Roman threat shifted the Jewish leadership away from persecuting the Christian church, and they focused more on protecting themselves during this time. i. First persecution of Christian church ended. A season of peace.
C. Different Seasons In Our Lives
1. Ecclesiastes. 3:1-3 1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: 2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; 3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up;…
2. Seasons Of Trials– We often cry out to the Lord in hard times
3. Seasons Of Peace- We often become self-reliant, independent of God.
4. The early church grew during persecution. God dependent.
5. The early church also grew during times of peace. Still God dependent.
6. Many Christians only grow during times of adversity.
7. Early church took advantage of the season of peace. They grew.
II. The Early Church’s Efforts
A. Walked In The Fear Of The Lord
1. Fear- phobos- dread, terror, reverence- godly piety, concern for God
2. There is a danger of not fearing God during seasons of blessings.
3. Results in lack of carefulness re. sin; a minimizing of God’s holiness.
4. Adam Clarke- Keeping a continually tender conscience; abhorring all sin; having respect to every Divine precept; dreading to offend him from whom the soul has derived its being and its blessings. Without this salutary fear of God there never can be any circumspect walking.
5. 2 Cor. 7:1 “…let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
6. Heb. 12:28,29 let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably w/reverence & godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.
B. Walked In The Comfort Of The Holy Spirit
1. Comfort- paraklesis- calling near for help, consolation.
2. Same root word as the name of the Holy Spirit: parakletos- Comforter
3. John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
4. Romans 8:16,17 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,…
5. The early church didn’t look for comfort somewhere else, especially during times of peace. Their only source for comfort was the H.S.
6. The early Christians didn’t walk in the comfort of temporary and circumstantial peace, but in the eternal comfort of the H.S.’s ministry.
III. The Results
A. They Were Edified
1. To build (up from the foundation), restore by building, repair
2. Growth in Christian wisdom, affection, grace, virtue, holiness.
3. The early Christians didn’t focus on how to become built up, or how to grow in wisdom or holiness.
4. They focused on fearing God, & receiving comfort from the H. S.
5. That resulted in edification, maturing, repair, restoration.
6. They became more than they were.
7. Do you want to grow up, be restored, be repaired, grow in maturity?
Walk in the comfort & fear of God.
8. Don’t wait until difficult times. Do it in seasons of peace.
B. They Were Multiplied
1. To increase, to abound. The church continued to grow numerically.
2. Early church didn’t focus on how to grow the church. No programs.
3. They walked in holiness (fear of God), and in the comfort of the H.S.
4. Those kinds of Christians attract others to Christ.