Acts 26:24–32

Acts 26:24–32

Festus was a hard man, a Roman, who had one cause: his own advancement. He was ruthless and practical, so a conversation about God and salvation and the spiritual kingdom of darkness and Satan mattered little to him. “Can you touch it?” “Can you spend it?” “Can you use it for your benefit?” These were the questions he might ask. If the answers were anything other than “yes” he wasn’t interested. “Paul you were out of your mind”. He was a cynic who believed that too much reflection would drive you mad.

But Agrippa was another case. The heart was not completely severed from his links to his Jewish past. The prophets still haunted him. There were nagging questions that pop up in quiet moments or in conversations about all things Jewish. There was a shadow over his life, the shadow of a reality that he could not deny but only ignore. Now Paul is making ignoring that reality, that shadow, hard to do. He may not have liked the priestly delegation. They may have been his rivals but he knew the temple and sacrifices meant something. He may have not studied the law and the prophets but they rose from his past like a ghost to tell him you know something is not right.

Agrippa’s response is telling in both and what he doesn’t say and what he does say. He doesn’t say “Paul do you want me to be moral?” “Study the Bible?” “Participate in Temple worship?” Nor does he ask about any other activity that might be religious. His response to Paul’s defense, “In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian”. We don’t know if Agrippa was being ironic or sincere. Was he wavering on becoming a disciple or merely mocking the earnestness of Paul? Scholars are divided and we will never know this side of Heaven. However one point is clear and sharp as a needle: the ultimate call is to be a follower, a disciple of Jesus. Often the gross immorality, injustice, and rampant wickedness of our world distress us. We rally to causes to change the behaviors on the outside. But in reality we are called to lead people to follow Christ. Once they follow him He will change them from the inside out.

"Lord, haunt me if I ever begin to drift. AMEN"

Acts 26:1–23

Acts 26:1–23

In response to the attacks on the church Jesus asked “Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me?” To attack the church is to attack Jesus. That is not to say that there is no need or occasion for congregations to be rebuked and corrected. However the Church is the body of Christ. We need to be very careful to distinguish between the Church Universal and the local congregation.  We often take a view of the church that is too secular, too social, and too institutional. But the reality is that the church is Holy, Heavenly, and Eternal. We are too quick to speak ill of the Church as a result of our bad experiences with local congregations and malignant Christians. Some congregations are travesties, being little more than religion clubs dedicated to their own religious entertainment and self-congratulations. Some congregations, even those not experiencing declining numbers, ought to close their doors (see Malachi 1:10). But too often in our rejection of  a bad congregation we  inadvertently throw away our commitment to the Church.

There are two extreme dangers for us regarding the church. The first is that we become an enabler of a sick local congregation. We justify its existence and behaviors without any willingness to express or consider corrections. Some leaders  would rather see hell’s kingdom come than to lose power or control in their local congregation. This dysfunction at its extreme will protect the most evil of vices and behaviors. The second extreme and equal danger we face is to become a dabbling religious gourmet. Sampling here and there offering a critique of personal opinions but never committing to the work of the local ministry. Religious gourmets may attend a congregation for years and never actually carry the cross in that congregation. Typically these people have been deeply hurt and are afraid of being wounded again.

Between the Church and the congregation there is a chasm as wide as any broken heart. Our job as Disciples is to love the Church and move our congregations toward her. A disciple without a fellowship is an oxymoron. Moving our faith community toward the Church is part of our calling as a disciple. Attacking or corrupting the Church is the work of the enemy and an attack on Christ.

“Lord, help me to love Your Church and encourage my congregation.  AMEN”