We find ourselves in the thirteenth chapter of Acts, verses forty-two through fifty-one. Paul and Barnabas are on their first missionary journey. According to the text, they are on the island of Cyprus and, as in other stories in Acts, their method of teaching was straightforward. They entered a community, located the synagogue, and told people about Jesus. Up to this point, everyone seems to be open to their message. At first, this community, Pisidian Antioch, was no different.
This chapter gives us the outline of Paul’s message. It is chronological in nature. First, he reminded them what God had done for their ancestors. God had liberated their people from Egypt. Second, he reminded them of the period of the judges. Third, he reminded them of the period of the Kings. Then, he told them of the one God chose from all the rest, David. Through his line the Savior would be born. In time, it happened. Two thousand years ago, the Savior was born and given the name Jesus. You know his story. His time in this world was brief but he had a long-lasting effect. His sad death looked like the end, but it was just the beginning. Death could not hold him. Jesus’s resurrection changed everything. God’s love was no longer reserved for the Jews. God’s love is universal. Salvation is available to all who believe in his resurrection. That means, your belief in the resurrection is not optional, it is indispensable! According to the text, the news of Paul’s message spread throughout that community. Everyone reacted to his message in their own way. They still do.
One of my favorite movies is The Good, the Bad and the Ugly? Filmed in Italy, it was released in 1966 and made for $1.2 million. It made more than $25 million at the box office. The movie stars Clint Eastwood (born 1930), Lee Van Cleef (1925-1989) and Eli Wallach (1915-2014) in the title roles. Set in 1862 New Mexico, the plot revolves around three gunslingers who are searching for Confederate gold. It came out to mixed reviews, but it is now considered a classic. It teaches us about the dangers of greed, but today it acts as the perfect outline for this blog about how people respond to Jesus. Look at the text with me.
Paul stood before the crowd and told them about Jesus. Many responded and asked him to stay longer. They wanted to hear more about Jesus. The good responded to Paul’s message in a positive way. They were open to Jesus and their lives were transformed. I am assuming you are a good person if you are reading this blog. I have known many good people in my life. The good are open to Jesus.
I am beginning my second year of retirement. I find myself reviewing my time in the ministry. I am proud of many things I accomplished. Near the top of that list are the youth mission trips my church supported. For over twenty years, my church annually sent youth on a Group mission trip. Each year they went to a different community. The location was always different, but the program was the same. Our group of approximately twenty were part of a camp of 400 youth from around the country, who performed some basic home repairs in that community. However, the camp was more than just free manual labor. The camps were really about Jesus! Every night the entire camp gathered for worship. Every night after worship they would gather for devotions. Thursday nights were always special. For it was on that night the entire camp was asked to commit, or recommit, their lives to Jesus. I do not know how many lives have been changed at a Group Work Camp. However, the organization reports that 90% of participants were closer to Jesus leaving the camp than they were when they came to camp. I believe that figure is accurate and that is why so many have worked so hard to make those trips possible. If we are not offering our youngest to Jesus, then we are not offering them anything at all. The people who supported and attended those camps were good people because they were open to the Good News. The good accept Jesus. Look at the text again.
Paul stood before the crowd and told them about Jesus. The bad rejected the message about Jesus. Their problem was not theological in nature, they understood what Paul was saying. Their problem was, they refused to believe it. That leads to a series of questions. How many people do you know don’t want to have anything to do with Jesus? How many people do you know have altered the Gospel message to fit their opinions? How many people do you know have used the Gospel message to promote their politics? How many people do you know have watered the Gospel message down to make it more comfortable? The Christian faith was never designed to be comfortable. The good accept the Good News of Jesus Christ. The bad reject the Good News of Jesus Christ. The bad are still with us.
What do these ten people have in common?
Steve Jobs
Tina Turner
George Harrison
Julia Roberts
Lew Alcindor
Cassius Clay
Fidel Castro
Napoleon Bonaparte
Brad Pitt
Joseph Stalin
I hope that list is wrong. I found it on the internet. If true, each one of the ten people walked away from Christianity. Steve Jobs and Tina Turner became Buddhists. George Harrison and Julia Roberts became Hindu. Lew Alcindor became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali; they became Muslim. Fidel Castro, Napoleon Bonaparte, Brad Pitt, and Joseph Stalin said, or say, there is no God. That list bothers me. How can you walk away from Jesus and be something else? This is an even harder question. How can you walk away from Jesus and say there is nothing at all? How many bad people do you know? The bad rejected Jesus. Look at the text again.
Paul stood before the crowd and told them about Jesus. The ugly do their best to frustrate people from talking about Jesus. In the scripture lesson, a select few caused all the problems. They used their influence to have Paul and Barnabas silenced. They got them expelled so no one could hear about Jesus. Sadly, the ugly are still with us.
It was back on June 24, 2015, that a Christian was shot in Suez, Egypt. It was not an accident. He was shot twice in the chest. The violence was shocking, but the reason for the shooting was sinister. He was murdered because he refused to denounce his Christian faith and accept Islam. Does anything else have to be said? Things are not getting better in our world. The spiritual tension in our world is growing. Being a Christian is no longer a safe thing. The world seems to be against us. The ugly do their best to frustrate people from talking about Jesus. That leads us to an interesting question.
When was the last time you told someone what Jesus means to you? Please don’t misunderstand the question. I am not talking about preaching to your loved ones. I am not talking about judging the people in your lives. I am not talking about leaving a Christian track in a public place for someone to find. I am not talking about reporting your local church history or most recent debate. I am not talking about how you feel about your minister. I am not talking about long heavy theology. I am talking about speaking from the heart and being able to tell someone what Jesus means to you. It is not really an option. God expects two things from us. First, God expects us to be living the faith. There is nothing worse than being a hypocrite. Second, God expects us to be able to articulate the faith. When was the last time you told someone, what Jesus means to you? Dallas Theological professor Howard Hendricks (1924-2013) once said, “In the midst of a generation screaming for answers, Christians are stuttering.” You know it is true.
When you do, you will get the same reactions as Paul. Some will love to hear it; they are the good. Some won’t want to hear it; they are the bad. Others will be mad they heard it and will try to get you to stop talking about Jesus; they are the ugly. American clergyman Warren Wiersbe (1929-2019) once said, “Let God be the judge. Your job is to be the witness.”
Russ Adams 