Lately, I have been going through the book of Acts with a few friends. The more I read Acts, the more motivated I become. The passion the early church had for serving Christ was absolutely incredible! Nothing else mattered except spreading the truth about how Christ came from His throne in Heaven to this fallen and broken world to save humanity from the death we deserve. There was a sense of urgency among the disciples during this time. They preached the truth with boldness and fearlessness. They didn't care what others thought about them, they were living for an audience of One. It didn't matter if they were going to be made fun of, if they were going to be rejected, if they were going to be brutally beaten, or if they were going to be killed. I love Paul's attitude. In Acts 20:22-24, Paul says this...
"And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."
This is one of my favorite passages in all of Scripture. Paul was compelled by the Spirit. While reading through Acts I have realized how Spirit-led Paul and the disciples were. Their ministry was successful because they had an intimate relationship with the Spirit. Everything Paul did was for the glory of God because he felt the Holy Spirit leading him. He knew the importance of living for eternity. Keep in mind, this is a guy who was persecuting Christians not long before. And when the Bible says he was persecuting Christians, it doesn't mean he was just making fun of them. He was ripping families apart. In Acts 8:3 it reads this, "But Saul (the name of Paul before God intervened) began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison."
The life Paul was living was beautifully interrupted by God's grace, which set in motion one of the best examples of what it looks like to passionately pursue Jesus. This is the power of the gospel. It doesn't matter what we have done, or the things we have said, Jesus still wants to have an intimate relationship with us. Humbling for sure.
From the moment Paul's life was interrupted by Jesus, he passionately served the LORD. Acts 9:20 says this of Paul, "At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God." Paul didn't hesitate after entering a relationship with Jesus. He immediately started sharing the gospel with others. My question is, do we have the same passion Paul had? Do we, as people who profess to follow Christ, have a burning desire for others to enter into the incredibly JOYFUL relationship with Christ?
Paul was not afraid to publicly preach that Jesus was the Son of God. Paul wasn't afraid to enter the synagogues and preach about Jesus to the teachers of the law. He was just an ordinary person like you and me. He had no official title of "Pastor" or "Pharisee". Every city Paul visited, he typically entered the Jewish synagogue. He wasn't afraid of confrontation. If there was false teaching, he would speak up and preach the truth. He had a deep desire for everyone to know Jesus as the Messiah. Heated discussions over truth were not uncommon to Paul. Oh, and Paul was led by the Holy Spirit.
Another man who fearlessly preached Jesus as LORD was Apollos. Apollos busts onto the scene in Acts 18. Starting in verse 24, we begin to learn about Apollos. Scripture says, "He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures." Apollos wanted to go to the province of Achaia (lower part of Greece) to the city of Corinth. He went there to preach the truth to the Jews who did not believe Jesus as the Messiah. In Acts 18:28, Luke writes this of Apollos, "For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ." Apollos didn't just casually say, "Yeah, you all may want to take a look at these Scriptures. I think there's some truth in here that may help you. Here's a copy of the Scriptures. I'll be praying for you guys." No, he "...vigorously refuted the Jews."
Acts 19:8 reads this, "Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God."
Paul, Apollos, and many other disciples during this time were not afraid to preach truth to those who did not believe. I feel like we have strayed sooooo far from that. Today we're told to respect other's opinions and not "step on other people's toes." If we offend someone, then we have definitely crossed the line. I personally think this is ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, I believe we should respect others. If people are not willing to argue the truth, then we need to respect that. But if people are willing to argue the truth, then argue it. We're talking about LIFE and DEATH here. Eternal life and death. It doesn't get anymore urgent than that. If we truly love others, then we need to share the truth with them before it's too late. There should be a sense of urgency among followers of Christ today to preach Jesus as the Son of God.
St. Francis of Assisi said this, "Preach the gospel always, if necessary use words." Yeah, this sounds great, but what if we actually lived this way? What if Paul and Apollos lived this way? What if Paul hardly ever used words to proclaim Jesus as the Son of God? Where would the body of Christ be today if Paul didn't have the boldness to argue persuasively about the Kingdom of God? I'm guessing you (if you profess to follow Christ) and I wouldn't be Christians right now. We have to use words to preach the gospel. We have to preach the gospel always through word and deed. The Holy Spirit's work through Paul is one of the main reasons the story of Jesus as LORD continues today.
Remember, Paul was just another ordinary person. He wasn't a pastor or teacher of the law, he built tents for a living. So many people who profess to follow Christ think, "Well, I'm not a pastor so it's not really my job to preach the gospel." They think they don't have the qualifications or credentials to preach to others. Some may think, "Well, I don't want others to think I'm too 'Holy'." Others may have the idea that they will be viewed as above everyone else if they preach Jesus. If Paul had this attitude then we would all be in trouble. Thankfully, Paul didn't care what others thought of him and lived solely for God. His only mission was to faithfully serve Christ, no matter what the cost. We are called to do the same.
My prayer for us as followers of Christ, is that we would develop an intimacy with the Holy Spirit, and would boldly and fearlessly share the gospel. Just because you may be in high school or college doesn't mean you can't be mature in the faith and boldly preach Jesus as the Son of God. God is no respecter of age. Don't be afraid to argue the truth with others. It just may lead to their eternal salvation.
