Short devotion: An Invitation - Acts 26:29

 

Acts 26:29 Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.” (NIV)

 

I love the genial attitude of Paul when he is being interrogated by the local Roman rulers in Acts chapter 26. He knows that his life is on the line, but instead of remaining fearfully silent or pleading for forgiveness, he shares his faith in Christ and hopes that those who listen to him will come to know Jesus, too. It’s not an act of staunch defiance; it’s a simple profession of faith which he compassionately expresses.

 

I think we can all learn a lot from the apostle about how we can share our faith. He doesn’t compel anyone to comply to what he believes, instead Paul offers an invitation to join Christ’s Kingdom to the rulers and their courtiers who are listening to his testimony. The apostle truly wants them to accept Christ as their Savior, but he does not insist that they must do this. He respects their individual freedom to choose what they want for themselves; all that Paul is doing is being the Gospel messenger that Jesus called him to fulfill.

 

As Christians, we witness to Christ every day through our words and deeds. Sometimes we say and do the right things which may complement our faith; on other occasions, our bad behavior and ill-chosen words can repel those around us from knowing Christ, especially when we try to force our beliefs on others who think, live, and do things differently. Remember, Paul did not coerce Agrippa and Festus into becoming believers; he sincerely invited them to consider it.

 

Q: How do I project my faith to others? Am I invitational or confrontational?

 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we were invited to have faith in You through other people who followed Your way. We know that we are flawed and imperfect, so we ask for Your guidance to help invite others to faith through compassion, grace, and, above all, love. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

 

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You check out the church website at www.erinpres.org to see what’s currently happening there.

Gospel devotions: Sharing the Gospel - Acts 26

Acts 26:28       Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" 

I really admire Paul. He never wasted an opportunity to tell the people that he encountered about Jesus and how to be a Christian. Even when he faced leaders and governors, kings and an emperor, he used the meeting to talk about Christ and not his own precarious situation. That’s what makes Paul such a hero in my book. His Christianity is undaunted by circumstances; his faith in Jesus never falters.

This is why I also admire the Christian Church in China. Each day, Christians over there face harassment and opposition, injustice and imprisonment, and yet they keep meeting secretly for Bible studies, worship, and prayer. They are remarkable Christians and put us Western church goers to shame. If we were faced with one percent of the opposition that Chinese Christians encounter on a daily basis, we would back down and make our faith private. We consider it as being impolite and even bigoted to share our Christian beliefs with others of different faiths; Chinese Christians cannot afford that philosophical luxury – nor would they ever want to.

So, here’s the challenge for us today: if God grants us an opportunity to share our faith with the people we encounter, whether it be in the street, at our work, in our homes, or even online via Facebook and Twitter, will we boldly witness for Christ or fearfully choose to ignore it?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we will encounter and meet up with many people today, some of whom You have placed on our path so that we might share Your Love, Your Gospel, and our faith with them. Keep us from being afraid and help us to apply our faith in loving and effective ways. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is of Graystone Presbyterian church in Knoxville, Tennessee. When John and his family first came to Knoxville, he preached there for six weeks. In October, Graystone celebrates its 120^th anniversary. If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click on the following link:  http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4106/5002097480_6095c74e91_b.jpg