I Will Build My Church

I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH

a prayer to open

Holy Spirit, come. Center my heart.

Fill my mind. Guide my steps.

The high priest and his officials . . . were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. Then he told them, “Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!”

So at daybreak the apostles entered the Temple . . . and immediately began teaching.

When the high priest and his officials arrived, they convened . . . the full assembly of the elders of Israel. Then they sent for the apostles to be brought from the jail for trial. But when the Temple guards went to the jail, the men were gone. So they returned to the council and reported, “The jail was securely locked, with the guards standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!”

When the captain of the Temple guard and the leading priests heard this, they were perplexed, wondering where it would all end. Then someone arrived with startling news: “The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple, teaching the people!”

The captain went with his Temple guards and arrested the apostles, but without violence, for they were afraid the people would stone them. Then they brought the apostles before the high council. . . . “We gave you strict orders never again to teach in this man’s name!” [the high priest] said. “Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!”

But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him. . . . Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven. We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.”

When they heard this, the high council was furious and decided to kill them. But one member, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who was an expert in religious law and respected by all the people, stood up and ordered that the men be sent outside. . . . Then he said to his colleagues, “Men of Israel, take care what you are planning to do to these men! Some time ago there was that fellow Theudas, who pretended to be someone great. About 400 others joined him, but he was killed, and all his followers went their various ways. The whole movement came to nothing. After him, at the time of the census, there was Judas of Galilee. He got people to follow him, but he was killed, too, and all his followers were scattered.

“So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!”

The others accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.

The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. And every day . . . they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.”

“I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18, NIV). These words of Jesus to Peter come to life in the book of Acts as we read about Peter’s persecution, imprisonment, and flogging. God intervened in two significant ways to free Peter and the other apostles so they could continue their Jesus-ordained mission. First, God opened the prison doors in the middle of the night. Second, he used a member of the Sanhedrin (the highest Jewish authoritative body) to free the apostles. These supernatural acts show Jesus’ faithfulness to his promise to build his church. They should fill us with hope that nothing then or now will prevent or inhibit him from making good on that promise.

• Read this passage again. What word or phrase stands out to you? Sit quietly, reminding yourself that you are in God’s loving presence, and ask him to show you how that word or phrase connects to your life.
• Reflect on whether your life—your decisions, relationships, calendar, words—demonstrates your belief that Jesus’ promises are true. Where do you see gaps? What do the gaps reveal to you?
• What experiences and truths remind you of Christ’s faithfulness? How might you keep those experiences and truths close at hand when doubt creeps into your mind and heart?

Father, thank you for your faithfulness. Whether I am filled with faith or overcome by doubt, you remain trustworthy. Help me live a life that reflects my belief in your promises. Remind me of how you have been faithful. When my circumstances or the circumstances of the world overwhelm me, bring to mind the promises you have made in your Scriptures. May my words and actions evidence the hope I have in you. Amen.