Acts and Action

The last few chapters in the book of Acts document Paul’s arrest at the hands of the Jews and the subsequent trial. Within the tale, however, there are several important lessons to be had. The first is a word about the reputations of Christians. The second is a model picture of Christian evangelism.

As you read through the end of Acts one thing that you may or may not have noticed is the way Paul is treated once it is known he is a Christian. The governor, Felix, is hard-pressed to believe that Paul is guilty of the charges the Jews have brought before him, in large part due to the reputation Christians have already gained for peacefulness. As I’m sure you all are aware, this brief illustration falls in contrast with the view unbelievers share about Christians today. Think of some of the stigmas that surround Christianity. That we are all hypocrites, or narrow-minded, or self-serving, or arrogant, or child molesters! Or all at once! It is indeed a sad state of affairs. Sadder still is that there are many reasons why Christians are cast in this light that have a lot less to do with Paul and a lot more to do with you and me. Not to say that we are arrogant, or self-serving etc. But we have, or at least I have, dropped the ball in a few key areas, which brings me to my next point.

In a recent epidemic of passivity a doctrine has swirled up into Christian circles and put a choke-hold on evangelism. We’ve probably all heard it in one form or another, but it pretty much goes like this: If you behave like a Christian when you are out in the world, people will come to you to find out what you have that they don’t. The flip side: You don’t have to worry about telling everyone you meet about Jesus. There are a few problems with this view, 1. It is inconsistent with Scripture, 2. It doesn’t work very well. For my Cottonwood attendees you may recall several weeks ago when Clay preached on this same topic. He shared his experience that in his whole life as a Christian perhaps two people have ever inquired about his behavior. Two! In another circle I’m a part of the same topic came up with the same result, bupkis. As one man put it, “No one knows that I’m a Christian, they just think I’m a nice guy.” Sound familiar?

Let’s take another look at Paul. While it is true that his reputation as a Christian preceded him, that was not enough. He took every chance he got to testify about the Good News of Jesus Christ. And not just to crowds of peasants or people that expressed curiosity, but to pagan governors and kings! This is the model that we as Christians really need to pay attention to. It is our calling not only to show the world what Jesus taught, but also to tell the world what He has done for us. And there is no such thing as a boring testimony! As another friend put it, the fact that Jesus can walk with someone their entire life is just as amazing as the fact that He can transform a dead life into a new living one.

It is time to take a page from Paul’s book and reject complacency. Let that urgency catch at your heart and cause you to tell someone new everyday that Jesus Christ has saved your life! And maybe change the world’s perception of what it really means to be a Christian while you’re at it.

By Aaron Blackwell

Strange Changes

The book of Acts has many interesting stories to tell, but none quite like that of the Jews that were around during the first years of the Church. As we read about Paul's missions all around the modern day Middle East and South Europe, there is a recurring theme. While some of the Jews become believers after hearing Paul speak the Good News, a large number of them respond with anger, sometimes even hatred, and many even try to do him physical harm! What is the cause of this? In my opinion...comfort. Those Jews were comfortable. They were comfortable with their laws, customs, beliefs, and practices. So comfortable, in fact, that they were willing to do almost anything to maintain the status quo.

It's easy to get flustered by their attitude. God's chosen people finally received their Messiah and they...reject him? What?! I think it might be better though, to learn from them. Think about your own life. How open to radical change are you? Are you ready to give up your job? Your house? Your wealth? Your city? Your country? Your...life? It's easy to be flummoxed by those Jews, or even to condemn them, but how different are we really?

Most of us are uncomfortable with change. (I know a few people that start turning in circles if you try to move lunch from 4 to 3:30.) The truth is though, change shouldn't scare us, or even surprise us. From the day we accepted Jesus as our Savior, we should have been expecting it. Do a quick Gospel scan: How many people meet Jesus and don't have their lives radically altered? Mary and Joseph did, Peter did, a few blind men did, a few cripples did, the woman at the well did, the Pharisees did, Lazarus did, Pilate did, the thief did, Saul did.... In fact, can you find one person anywhere in the Bible whose life didn't change after encountering Jesus? (Take your time and get back to me.)

The point is, we're not that much different from those Jews. We love Jesus, but get a little uncomfortable when He starts to shake our foundations. If the Scripture tells us one thing, however, it's that Jesus is all about change. We need to start embracing the changes Jesus calls us to make on a daily basis, and be receptive to His will. Tonight, pray that God radically changes your life tomorrow, and that you're not too comfortable to miss it.

By Aaron Blackwell