Keeping On

I have been preaching through the book of Acts for some time now. The last section of the book of Acts relates Paul's visit to Jerusalem, a visit he had undertaken due to a Spirit-given compulsion and in spite of repeated urgings by other believers not to go because of the dangers he would face.

Now, there are those that thing Paul was mistaken to go. That seems difficult to prove in light of all that is said in Acts.

There are those who think Paul goofed big time once he got there, agreeing to a purification rite in order to appease those who wrongly said that Paul taught all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses.

There are those who point out that his efforts were totally unsuccessfully, thereby proving that he never should have been there in the first place and that he only compromised the gospel by what he did.

I don't agree with those who think Paul should not have gone to Jerusalem or that he compromised the gospel. But regardless of how one vies his actions,  no one can miss the tremendous love and courage Paul demonstrated by being where he was and by doing what he did. It was, in fact, a courage fueled by love.

Paul loved the Church. He was in Jerusalem to present money given by the Gentile churches to help the Jerusalem church because of the recent famine the area had suffered. While they needed the help, Paul had an even greater motive, encouraging the unity of believers at a time when many Gentile and Jews were coming to know Christ.

Even as he is seeking to build bridges and to demonstrate His regard for certain Jewish practices, Paul was attacked by an angry mob who acted solely on the basis of misunderstandings, misinformation, and mischaracterizations (o.k., maybe we can say "lies"?). He was rescued by the Roman commander who had wrongly assumed Paul to be the leader of a terrorist group that had appeared in Jerusalem several years earlier. And though the Roman commander rescued him, the same man later ordered Paul to be flogged.

A rough day, wasn't it? And it would get worse.

But Paul continued because he so loved the Lord, so loved the Church, and so loved the gospel that he could not do otherwise.

Think about that the next time you want to quit the church, or give up doing something in the church, because someone hurt your feelings, or has a personality conflict, or because the room is too cold or too hot, or because you don't like the music, or because someone didn't speak to you, or you are tired, or morale is low.....(insert your own excuse).

Better yet, think of Christ who "for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame,and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).