Constrained and Afflicted

And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that they Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.

Acts 20:22-23

Following the Lord is a gloriously spectacular adventure. To surrender one’s self to the will of God is to ensure a ride like no other. God will work in you and through you to bring about His will. He will allow you to see and experience things that others will never know a thing about. However, it is a risky ride with no guarantee of safety.

I often hear people say things like, “There is no place safer than in the center of God’s will.” Or, “If God is leading you to go then He will keep you safe.” No such promise is ever made in Scripture. Additionally, when you consider that every single disciple was martyred for the faith except John who got off easy by being exiled to the island of Patmos, I am not sure how we came to such a conclusion.

Paul, when speaking with the Ephesian elders tells them, “I don’t know what is going to happen to me, I only know that the Spirit has soundly testified to me that I will end up afflicted and in prison.” Why would anyone continue with any pursuit with such a promised ending? One reason, Paul had put the glory of God ahead of his own comfort. Paul knew what was important for the Kingdom was for him to continue on, regardless of the risk. Paul knew in the end he wanted to be able to stand before God and say, “I completely fulfilled your will for my life.” Paul had learned what it meant to genuinely live a life of purpose.

If we desire to make an impact for the Kingdom of God in our day, we must resolve like Paul to put the Lord’s agenda ahead of our own. Does this mean prison and affliction await us? Possibly. But more likely, we will be asked to lay aside our own agendas and plans and pursue God’s. We will be asked to endure some discomfort or challenge. We will be asked to step out in faith knowing that even if things don’t turn out for the good, we still have honored God with our obedience. It is time for us to move past our sensational, prosperity driven American Christianity and to recklessly abandon ourselves to the Lord. Let us move forward, as did Paul, constrained by the Holy Spirit.

Taking a Stand in a Christ-less Culture

The Apostle Paul’s passion for the gospel never ceases to amaze me. As I have written before, when Paul met Christ, he went from chief persecutor of the church to chief propagator of the church. Paul never missed the opportunity to proclaim the gospel. It is as if it burned within him and no matter the circumstance he had to share it. Sometimes this is in the form of a simple testimony and sometimes he argues his case as if he is standing before the Supreme Court.

A story is recorded in Acts 17 of one such instance when Paul makes a case for Christ. Paul is in the city of Athens. He is waiting for Silas and Timothy to arrive to assist him in the ministry. However, while Paul is waiting on them he begins to take note of all the idols that are within the city. At the same time we are told that, “his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols” (Acts 17:16). As a result, he begins to make his case for Christ and the gospel.

As Paul is making his case, he approaches it in an interesting way. He starts with what they know; he finds common ground with them. He says, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘to the unknown god’” (Acts 17:22-23). Paul found an open door and walks through it. He then says, “What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you” (Acts 17:23). Paul then goes on to make a very detailed argument as to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

As we think about sharing the gospel, there are several things we can learn from Paul. First of all, this event takes place in the normal flow of Paul’s life. He is simply waiting on some friends to arrive and killing time. Second, Paul finds common ground with the Athenians. He does not start a huge argument as to the sinfulness of worshiping idols; he simply uses these idols as a connecting point to share the one true God with them. Third, Paul is not shy about sharing the truth even though idol worship was clearly the accepted practice of the day in Athens. Every believer would do well to model their life and witness after Paul.

Leave It To The Professionals

We better just leave it to the professionals. Need your car fixed? You might want to leave it to the professionals. Need a doctor? You should probably leave it to the professionals. Need a dentist? You definitely should leave it to the professionals. There are a number of things we encounter that we are not capable of doing. In these cases, we look for a professional. However, there are other things we encounter in life that you do not need to be a professional to participate in.

In Acts 1:8 Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” We affectionately call this “the Great Commission.” It is God’s call to the church. It is our mission. It is, in large part, what gives us meaning and purpose. The problem, however, is that we have fallen into the trap of leaving this to the professionals.

In Acts 8 we see the immediate response of Stephen being stoned to death. We are told, “There arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles” (v. 1). We are further told in verse 4, “Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.” There are two things we should take note of in this passage.

First, notice the precise fulfillment of the Great Commission. They were preaching the word and ministering to people in Jerusalem, the first place mentioned in the scope of the Christ’s command. Then, when the persecution became severe they scattered to Judea and Samaria, the second and third areas mentioned by Christ. And of course, we know that later in Acts a great missionary movement was begun. The Great Commission was being specifically fulfilled, not generally.

Second, we need to note who was fulfilling the Great Commission. It was not the professionals. Note the last three words of verse 1, “except the apostles.” The apostles, the professionals, did not leave Jerusalem. They stayed behind, presumably to look after the church in its infantile stage of life. It was the ordinary people, not the professionals, who scattered through the regions beyond Jerusalem and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Each of us need to take the Great Commission seriously. It is the call of God, not just for the professionals, but for each and every believers. If the gospel of Jesus Christ has touched your life, if you have a story to tell, then certainly you ought to be sharing it. This is the call, the purpose, the mission that God has for you. Do not stand by and wait for the professionals to do the job, you do it. And besides, no one is more of an expert as to what God has done for you than you are!