Written by Mark Driskill:
Friday January 28, 2011
Read Acts 5:40-42
“Rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.”
When the apostles were beaten and tried for their faith they saw it as an affirmation that they had been counted worthy. They understood that the path of following Jesus is often a path of difficulty and blatant opposition. One could imagine that if things had become too easy they would have thought something was wrong. Now two millennia later we tend to have the opposite perspective. If we suffer for our faith we respond with cries of “Not fair!” We think something is wrong if we have to endure discomfort or inconvenience for the crucified one. Then when things are going smoothly we think God must be smiling on us. This is completely backwards.
The apostles of the first century saw opposition as a sign that God was at work through them. Today we have many so called Apostles measuring success by fancy cars, designer clothes, and million dollar homes. They live by the philosophy, “God wants everybody rich, but me first.” What is even more distressing is to see the masses of discouraged ministers who think they have failed in the ministry because they are suffering instead of prospering.
On one side of town there is a pastor who is getting discouraged. Every Sunday he preaches to hard hearts, struggles to make ends meet, and endures ridicule for the stands he takes. He wants to be faithful to God in every way but at the moment there seems to be no fruit for his labors. The road of ministry has been filled with difficulty. Many a night has been spent weeping before the Lord over the onslaught the enemy has unleashed against him. Sometimes he wonders if he made a mistake by going into the ministry. Life is tough as he keeps on preaching and ministering for his Lord. But sometimes he looks across town and wonders why God isn’t blessing him.
On the other side of town there is a pastor living it up in a nice church filled with nice people who never seem to have any difficulty. Everyone gathers together three times a week for a nice service. The pastor knows just what to preach on and what not to preach on in order to protect his sizeable pension and his place on the denominational board. No one ever criticizes him because he never says anything that would offend. If he has difficulty finding a message he just goes online and downloads the sermon of the week and tweaks it to fit his personal style. His ministry is cozy. His congregation is satisfied. His life is like a fine tuned machine where everything happens just as expected every day and everyone knows the rules of the church game. Life is good. Or so it seems.
Both pastors here have forgotten that Jesus doesn’t measure success by comfort but by commitment. We are not called to be fashionable but to be faithful. In the kingdom of God the badge of honor goes to the believer who endures suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:3) and the rebuke goes to the one who loves this life. The travesty is to live a life that is not worth persecuting. I want my life to be a threat to the darkness.
Today you may be enduring a great amount of affliction for your faith. You think all this trouble is a sign that God has left you. Nothing could be farther from the truth. God is with you in this battle. You are on the front lines of God’s purpose in the world. Stand firm, keep praying, keep holding the line. God has his hand on you and you have been counted worthy to suffer for his sake. Rejoice that your father sees his son in you, and with him he is well pleased.
Mark Driskill and his wife Mary are homeschooling community ministers in Breathitt County Kentucky. They have four children. They co pastor Emmanuel fellowship Church, serve as Camp Pastors at Bethel Mennonite Camp, and Mark Teaches at Oakdale Christian Academy.
Mark is web minister for Begotten by theWord , a ministry of Helping Hands Christian Resources.
Once a month he preaches on the local radio station through the “Lion of Judah” program. Mark also preaches in youth rallies and revivals upon request at no charge. Their vision is to see true spiritual awakening come to the mountains of Eastern Kentucky and to the nation.
Contact information:
Email: driskill@hilbillymail.com
Facebook: Mark Driskill
Address: PO Box 1159 Jackson KY.
