It didn’t take long for opposition to come upon the early church. A compassionate act in Jesus’ name by Peter and John towards a lame beggar in the temple becomes the grounds for hostility and threat by the Sanhedrin. E. K. Maltby was right when he said, “Jesus promised His disciples three things: that they would be absurdly happy; that they would be completely fearless; and, that they would be in constant trouble.” Such is the blessing and the cost for all those who would follow Jesus. In this study we will see three things important to understand as we follow Jesus in a hostile world:
- The explosive power of the Holy Spirit
- The persistent hostility of the world
- The unwavering resolve of the apostles