The Lord's Doing (AM)

Scripture Reading:  Psalm 118:22–25

Introduction      

A.  In its infancy, the church seemed particularly vulnerable to the many hostile forces that threatened to destroy it.

B.  There is really no human reason it should have survived, but thankfully there was a divine reason that it did.

Discussion

I.  Threats against the church made survival seem impossible.

A.  Perhaps the most serious threats were those which began to appear from within (Acts 5:1–11; 6:1–7).

B.  One might also expect fear to check the church’s rapid growth (Acts 5:11–14).

C.  There were threats made by powerful human authorities (Acts 5:17–18, 41–42).

D.  Historical precedent was also strongly opposed to this effort (Acts 5:34–39).

II.  God’s kingdom will not be defeated.

A.  No human effort can destroy it (Galatians 1:13).

B.  It cannot be defeated by sin or even by death itself (Matthew 16:18).

Conclusion

A.  The world is never going to like our stand for truth, and it would love to silence us or to make us go away.

B.  As we go about the work with which Jesus has commissioned us, may we never become discouraged, and may we remember that this is His doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.