THE CHURCH: PERSECUTED, TRUSTING, GROWING (12 OF 56)
Scripture: Acts 4:23-37
This content is part of a series.
The Church: Persecuted, Trusting, Growing (12 of 56)
Series: The Church in ACTSion
Wyman Richardson
Acts 4:23-37
Read Acts 4:23-37
In William Faulkner's Sanctuary, a character identified only as ''the stranger'' is speaking to a young woman and says this:
''You see,'' he said, ''I lack courage: that was left out of me. The machinery is all here, but it won't run.''
That is an interesting confession. It would be hard to admit that you do not have courage, but, in truth, how many of us would have to admit precisely that? Many of us do not know if we have courage or not because we have never truly been in situations where courage was required. But time and again human beings show that ''the machinery is all there, but it won't run.''
I am thinking here of pedestrians who stand idly by while a man beats a woman to death on the street in broad daylight. I am thinking here of church officials who stand idly by while predator priests pray on children. I am thinking here of young people in schools who let bullied kids continue to get bullied instead of getting involved. The examples go on and on.
Yes, perhaps there is at least anecdotal evidence to suggest that we human beings are not as courageous as we like to think. There are acts of amazing heroism, to be sure, but does it not sometimes seem as if these acts pale in comparison to acts of cowardice.
Courage.
Among the Christian virtues we tend to stress, courage is usually absent. Why? Because we have not grown up in a persecuted context. We have not had to exercise courage. Even so, as the culture is increasingly secularized, it will take more and more courage to follow Jesus. We will increasingly have to decide (a) whether we are willing to suffer for our King and (b) what we will do when we do suffer for our King.
The second half of Acts 4 is interesting in that it shows us what the early band of Christians decided to do in the face of persecution. Their response is illuminating. It re ...
Series: The Church in ACTSion
Wyman Richardson
Acts 4:23-37
Read Acts 4:23-37
In William Faulkner's Sanctuary, a character identified only as ''the stranger'' is speaking to a young woman and says this:
''You see,'' he said, ''I lack courage: that was left out of me. The machinery is all here, but it won't run.''
That is an interesting confession. It would be hard to admit that you do not have courage, but, in truth, how many of us would have to admit precisely that? Many of us do not know if we have courage or not because we have never truly been in situations where courage was required. But time and again human beings show that ''the machinery is all there, but it won't run.''
I am thinking here of pedestrians who stand idly by while a man beats a woman to death on the street in broad daylight. I am thinking here of church officials who stand idly by while predator priests pray on children. I am thinking here of young people in schools who let bullied kids continue to get bullied instead of getting involved. The examples go on and on.
Yes, perhaps there is at least anecdotal evidence to suggest that we human beings are not as courageous as we like to think. There are acts of amazing heroism, to be sure, but does it not sometimes seem as if these acts pale in comparison to acts of cowardice.
Courage.
Among the Christian virtues we tend to stress, courage is usually absent. Why? Because we have not grown up in a persecuted context. We have not had to exercise courage. Even so, as the culture is increasingly secularized, it will take more and more courage to follow Jesus. We will increasingly have to decide (a) whether we are willing to suffer for our King and (b) what we will do when we do suffer for our King.
The second half of Acts 4 is interesting in that it shows us what the early band of Christians decided to do in the face of persecution. Their response is illuminating. It re ...
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