June 7, 2019 – Click here to listen
I’ve been studying the book of Acts and it is simply amazing to me that the church rose to the heights it did prior to the internet, television, newspapers, radio, and other forms of media. It was a word of mouth endeavor and rose from a few men fueled by the Holy Spirit walking mile after mile down dusty roads from town to town and occasionally riding in ships to distant lands and preaching the Gospel to anyone who would listen. There were no printing presses for posters, printed Bibles, or Bible study lessons, no campaign buses or planes, no slick advertising campaigns, no biased media; just men enlightened by the Holy Spirit carrying the good news of Jesus Christ to all the world via word of mouth.
I think of political campaigns whereby a run for President costs upwards from a billion dollars as politicians try to get their name and political positions out there to the masses. They have their bevy of consultants for every conceivable situation, even the clothes they wear daily. They spin every situation to make themselves look like darlings to the world. It makes me gag.
The Apostles did not have that attitude. They just wanted to get the truth out to the world that they had been eyewitnesses to the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Athens Greece the city was its own world of ideas with Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, Epicurus and others whose philosophy is still discussed today, they even invited the Apostle Paul to discuss his ideas in a public forum. Athens was comprised of 10,000 people and 30,000 statues to gods; that’s three Gods per person and of course a shrine for the “Unknown God.” Reminds me of India where virtually everything is worshipped by the Hindu sects, especially cows.
Some cities like Athens were religious and open to new ideas and some were downright wicked like Corinth. Paul was beaten, flogged, caned, imprisoned, stoned, and otherwise persecuted in some cities, but welcomed in others. He preached wherever the Lord sent him including in those places where there were those who wanted to kill him. Interesting that God’s word quickly spread like wildfire as no other movement in the history of the world as church after church was planted. Today churches are still being planted all over the world and the good news of Jesus is still being spread. Humanity has not changed much. Unbelievers are still persecuting those who love Jesus just as they did with Paul, Timothy, Peter, and so many others, and yet there are those who come to know Jesus and receive forgiveness.
Today the Bible is the number one selling book in the world with billions having been sold and distributed in every written language on earth, and the Gospel is taught literally on every continent. Missionaries are still teaching, sometimes at great risk to their very lives. It is all part of God’s plan and He has commissioned us to do our utmost to preach the Gospel and disciple the nations. Some will reject Jesus and they have a free will to do so. It breaks my heart to see friends of mine who refuse to allow Jesus into their lives, but it is after all their choice to make. The Holy Spirit is the One who does the persuading, but we are tasked to do our part to make the introduction. You can become a part of this tremendous movement. Ask someone to go to church with you this weekend. Almost certainly they will thank you for inviting them and who knows, just maybe your introduction will lead them to a life filled with peace, joy, and love and an eternal destiny of being with God in heaven . . .
Matthew 24:14
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
Have a great weekend and go to church with some friends this Sunday!