Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. [Acts 4:13]
What is sorely lacking in the church today? Many features of the early church are missing. Boldness is the first that comes to mind. Miracles, conversions, persecution, Apostolic authority in preaching, but especially their bold proclamation of the Gospel in the public square, this is what I want to see again. I long for God to step into our midst and stir His church and the unbelieving world through us, just as He did in the book of Acts. Why doesn't God act? I say it is because He has called us to act. We say the word every time we mention the book, but we don't "get it", do we!
Certainly He is here. But He has given to US the job of doing the work, which He promised to honor and use and bear fruit. While we sit about complaining that He isn't doing His part in miracles and stirring of souls to repentance, we (speaking for myself) are doing nothing at all. How can this be right? Isn't it that we don't really believe, don't deeply cling to the gospel as our one true hope and glory, don't really care that without it there is no hope? Aren't we rather clinging to other hopes, such as education, political reform, the law and the Constitution, and perhaps even some kind of utopian dream, either of the "new world order" or "make America great again" sorts? Are we putting our hope in the future "Millennial kingdom" of Christ in lieu of proclaiming the Kingdom over which He already reigns?
In the Book of Acts, the apostles Peter and John were out there publicly preaching and healing in the streets and in the Temple. And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. For this he was attacked and "canceled" by the religious leaders---canceled being my deliberately anachronistic euphemism for death by stoning.
I've long wondered where to get such boldness. But I'm beginning to believe that it will never come to me in advance. The boldness I need is going to have to come by faith---that faith which compels me to climb out of the boat and walk at Jesus' command ... on the water; that faith that opens my mouth out there in front of everyone and proclaims Christ crucified; that faith which marches into the "Temple" and gathers up neglected souls.
Exactly what "Temple" do I mean? Of course it is the University. While these aren't temples in the Jewish sense, consider the similarities: They are man-made "temples" of learning, devoted to the glory of Man, dedicated to the advance of human honor and prosperity, filled with hypocrites proclaiming Themselves, feigning the love of science and knowledge while vehemently suppressing the knowledge of God and promoting wickedness, arrogance and rebellion. Christians need to get onto the universities and colleges just as the disciples needed to be in the Jerusalem Temple and any synagogue they could gain admission, even though they were "unlearned and ignorant men", whether misjudged so or in fact.
The boldness didn't come first. Their faith and love for Jesus came first. Then they obeyed that holy mandate, GO, from the Lord's Great Commission, and only then was their trepidation was turned to the boldness and valor we see in the Book of Acts. Act! That's the operative word. Yes, they had a short wait, but then they acted out in faith.
It is time for us to ACT, to go in bold faith, believing He will anoint our action, especially the act of going and proclaiming the gospel to a wrecked world, shining the light in a dark generation, right in the heart of the "temple".
No comments:
Post a Comment