Work in Progress - Acts 23:11

Acts 23:11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” (NIV)

            When we think about Paul encountering Christ, we tend to recall the story of Paul’s dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus. However, in today’s passage, Acts 23:1-11, we discover that Jesus also visits Paul while he is languishing in a Jerusalem cell. After the rough treatment he received that day, Paul must have wondered if he was going to escape with his life. I think that he would have been worried about either being lynched by the angry mob or crucified by the Roman guards. In either case, his death would have ended his mission for Christ and someone else would have to become the flag bearer of taking the Gospel to the Gentiles.

            But God was not finished with Paul, so in a moment of reassurance and grace, Christ comes to Paul in the barrack cell and lets him know that his work will still carry on. “Take courage!” Christ says, “As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

            This would have been good news to Paul, though not because his life was being extended. Paul knew that the Gospel of Christ needed to be preached and heard in Rome at the heart of the Empire. Paul would do whatever he could to get there, which would involve a direct appeal to Caesar because he was a Roman citizen. It would be the pinnacle of his mission; it would be the top moment of his work for Christ.

            Sometimes we think that God has finished with us and our work for Him is over, but as long as we have life and faith, we can serve God in many important ways. We can pray for our churches; we can increase our Biblical knowledge, and we can continually share our faith in loving and effective ways with the people we encounter. All we have to do is to continue to take each daily opportunity that God gives us to serve Him faithfully, loyally, and effectively.

Point to ponder

What work of service has God given me to do in my church and community? Am I willing to continue that mission?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we each have different gifts and abilities which can serve and honor You throughout our lives. Help us to discern Your role for us in Your Kingdom. 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 or ask questions about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest nativity drawings called ‘Gift of Good News.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Gift.

Daily Devotions: Fellow Elders

1 Peter 5:1 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed:

Eldership is at the heart of what it means to be Presbyterian. All of our Presbyterian churches are led by our ruling elders and teaching elders. They are called by God to seek the Holy Spirit in a particular congregation and to follow that path sincerely, faithfully, and effectively. It’s one of the great strengths of the Presbyterian system and, when it is employed properly, it makes Presbyterianism a great light amongst Christian denominations.

I love being both a Presbyterian Christian and a teaching elder in the church. I feel connected to the apostles like Peter because of the special, mysterious, and holy laying on of hands that is part of the ordination process. I feel connected to the elders around me, both active on Session and pro-active in the congregation. There is a great sense of team work, responsibility, and faith in Christ that we share amongst us.

I also like the fact that Peter refers to elders as being witnesses to Christ’s suffering, which reminds me that being ruling and teaching elders in the church is never an easy process. We think, we question, and we struggle with our faith. We solve problems, seek answers, and look for guidance from the Holy Spirit. We try to keep the church on the right path, just as the world tries to distract our goals and diminish our effectiveness. We are the gate keepers of the faith and are meant to be the visionaries of our churches. Elders are always looking at the bigger picture and what lies ahead. If we only concentrate on the here and now, we will never reach the blessings yet to come.

These are anxious times for our faith, but if our elders across the Presbyterian Church remain faithful to Christ, uphold His teachings, and live according to God’s Word, then we will not only share in Christ’s glory, but we will also be handing over a strong church for the elders yet to be ordained in years to come.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank You for the precious gifts of eldership that You have bestowed upon the Presbyterian Church. We pray that the faithfulness, integrity, and spirituality of our ruling and teaching elders may continue to inspire our people and lead them through these uncertain times into future years of bounty and blessing, discipleship and service for Your Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we fervently 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.

4 Minute Devotions: A Loving Handful

John 3:35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.

I’m the eldest son in my family and in Scotland that means I would have been given the responsibility of looking after my father’s estate. But because I live in America, that wasn’t possible, and so my Dad entrusted it all to my brother Andy.

Andy did a terrific job with what was entrusted to his care. He saw to all the funeral arrangements, the bills that had to be paid, and all of the hundreds of loose ends that had to be tied up. In fact, Andy did a better job of it than I ever could, and my Dad would have been proud of how he handled everything.

Even to this day, Andy looks after the royalties that are still paid on my Dad’s books. Every year, Andy receives them from the publishers and he carefully distributes them to all of the family. In this way, he honors my dad and does what it fair.

I love the fact that God placed everything into Christ’s hands. He knew that Jesus would fulfill His obligations and complete the task of salvation. God had made promises to His people for thousands of years, and when at last He placed them into Christ’s hands, God was giving Jesus the responsibility of keeping God’s Word. It was an awesome thing to do and we are blessed because Jesus did what was required of Him.

Christ honored God by perfectly accomplishing His mission. And we are the benefactors of that complete trust and obedience. If Jesus had wavered one little bit from His task, we would never have been forgiven by God. If He had left one single thing undone, we could never be restored to God’s goodness, perfection, and holy love. God placed everything in Christ’s hands because He loved Him. And Christ returned that love because He completed all that He was told to do.

Christ’s continues that mission by placing into our hands opportunities, responsibilities, and tasks that both honor God and expand His Kingdom. He does this because He loves us. The question for us today is this: are we willing to return that love by completing all that He entrusts to us?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for completing all that God expected of You when He placed everything into Your hands. We are truly grateful for all that You did, for Your accomplishments have brought us eternal blessings. Empower and enable us to fulfill all that You call us to undertake for God’s Kingdom and His glory. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.