“Don’t Trust Circumstances” from Acts 8:1-3

In Acts 4 God was blessing the church.  It seemed like it would go on forever.  But we read in Acts 8:1, “On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.”   We’ve all had that moment where we’ve had a mountain top experience and then life hits you in the face.  Reality returns.  You wonder why God would let that happen.

In Acts 6-7, we see the story of Stephen, a godly man killed for his faith.  I think, ’Come on, Jesus.  Save him!  Step in and have an angel protect him.  Where is the miracle?’  I don’t want life to be uncomfortable.

My faith is often dependent on the circumstances.  Living with no regrets means following in Jesus’ footsteps.  As we do that, we should expect the same treatment our master received.  The One we say we want to follow was abandoned by his friends, he was tortured for hours.  Jesus says, in John 16:33,  that while you are “in this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”  These difficult situations are not beautiful by themselves, but in the hands of God, they can become something of beauty.

Living with no regrets means living outside the circumstances of life.  Do you think any of the believers that saw Stephen killed thought that the young man holding the coats of those who were killing Stephen would one day spread the gospel around the world?  Just because God hasn’t shown up to be your knight in shining armor, doesn’t mean that God isn’t around and in full control.