In his sermon Christ's Purpose in Evangelism, John Piper points out a passage from Luke that is completely applicable to today's text.
Luke 21:12 says
But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.
And what does verse 13 say?
And so you will bear testimony to me.
Imprisonment will be a time to witness!
And so it happens exactly this way to Paul. Paul is arrested on trumped up accusations and ends up preaching the gospel to a Jewish crowd, the Sanhedrin (yesterday's readings), Felix & his wife Drusilla, Festus as well as King Agrippa and Bernice.
How else could he possibly have had a chance to preach the gospel to such influential people?
Did Paul plan this?
No. But God did.
And in the midst of it all was a two year imprisonment where apparently not much happened. It seemed like a spiritual detour. We can't check out when we experience spiritual detours - God is still working!!
And during Paul's testimony he relays this command from Jesus in Acts 26:17b-18
I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.
I am sending you to them.
God is sending us to a world in need of a saviour.
God is telling us to go and preach the Good News.
Romans 10:14-15 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
Paul had beautiful feet.
Do we?
Tomorrow's passage: Acts 27
1 comment:
I find it's so easy to slip into the "holding pattern" while we wait for audible directions from God ~ you know, 'cauze stay-at-home motherhood couldn't possibly be my calling! And yet, if we've learned anything from the life of Paul, it's that he considered every moment an opportunity to serve God, even if things weren't exactly going according to his plan.
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