Defining Popularity

Hey everyone, I was busy with church service and family yesterday and didn't have a chance to blog, but I wanted to blog today on yesterday's reading since God spoke some powerful things to me that I'd like to share. I also wanted to mention that when I list the reading for the day I'm referring to the assigned reading from the Life Journal plan, and generally I will just choose one passage from the daily reading to write about. So, hopefully it's not confusing that I don't pull scripture from all of the chapters and instead focus on one main verse(s).

Reading: Exodus 23-24, Psalm 14, Acts 5

Acts 5:12-14 "The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number."

The early church was a crazy thing. They were a dynamic group of on-fire, sold-out, never-look-back followers of the example of Jesus Christ. There was an excitement and urgency in their presence that was impossible to ignore. Everywhere they went people noticed them, wanted to hear what they had to say, and their numbers increased rapidly. They performed miracles, healed people, and were highly regarded by the people in Jerusalem. Everyone knew who they were. They had a reputation. People could see just by looking at them and they authority they carried themselves with that there was something different about them. Christians were popular among people who desired a changed life. They wanted to see them, they wanted to know what it was that made them different, how they could do such amazing things.

The disciples of the early church were powerful people through the Holy Spirit and were able to perform great works. In fact, it even says that "people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed (Acts 5:15-16)."


That's some Jesus-like stuff...healing sick people just by being passed over with a shadow? But let me tell you, that's faith. Faith that the power of God will accomplish what He has said. Peter wasn't a super hero. He was discipled personally by Jesus so sometimes it seems like some of that Jesus power just rubbed off on him so that's why he was able to do the things that he did. I mean, it's true that Peter was the guy who walked on water with Jesus, so I mean, he must have some supernatural power, right? Well...yeah, he did have supernatural power...the power of the Holy Spirit. The same Holy Spirit that empowered Jesus while he was alive, that was gifted to the believers at Pentecost, is the very same Holy Spirit that abides in all of us the moment we are saved. We have that same power and authority if we would only have the faith to walk it out and use it. It wasn't Peter's shadow that was magical, it was the power of the faith he and the sick who were healed had that God would deliver on what he had promised.

And people took notice. Including the leaders of the traditional Jewish faith. There was power in the early Christian church and it was growing, which made the leaders jealous and feel threatened. They worried that if too many people believed in Jesus and were actually changed that the Sanhedrin (the elders of Israel) would been seen as guilty for the death of Christ, and also that they would lose authority as religious leaders.

So they arrested the apostles and put them in prison. But guess what happened? The apostles miraculously escaped from prison in the night without the guards even knowing. An angel came to them, opened the doors, and said, "Go, stand in the temple courts, and tell the people the full message of this new life (Acts 5:20)". Their faith was so powerful that a jail could not hold them, literally.

When the Sanhedrin finally figured out what had happened, they found them in the courtyard preaching the gospel as usual. They brought them in for questioning, saying "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood (Acts 5:28)".

I can just see the apostles laughing under their breath in this situation, because their reply shows how confident they were in the truth...

"Peter and the other apostles replied: 'We must obey God rather than men! (Acts 5:29)"

Come jail, persecution, hell or high water, they answer to God, not men.

Right about now Christianity might seem pretty unpopular, right? I mean...how many people are going to jump up and volunteer for a life calling that's going to get them arrested and thrown in prison?
Why were the people of Jerusalem so captivated by the Christians? Why were they held in high regard?

Because there was EVIDENCE of something different in their lives that you couldn't find anywhere else. They had already proven that they could not be contained in a jail, and went on their way to continue proclaiming the name of Jesus and walking out the example of what a changed life really looks like. They had a genuine community of people who cared for each other instead of just expecting donations in the sanctuary and ritualistic requirements. They took notice of peoples' needs and did something about it. You can talk about Jesus all you want, but until there is something tangible to show that you are different because of Him, then it is just a story, a philosophical idea, or a religious obligation you have adopted.

Ultimately the Sanhedrin weren't threatened by the Christians talking about Jesus, they were threatened because it was changing peoples' lives in a radical way that they could not control.

Why doesn't the church today look like that? Why don't people line the streets in hopes that we will just pass by them...why don't OUR shadows heal people? The apostles were just normal people. They were just average guys who had no extraordinary talents, and they certainly didn't have the resources we have today to reach out, connect, and communicate with people (hello...I bet they would have given their left leg to have a blog like this one). All they had was an amazing, earth-shaking, mountain-moving kind of faith.

Why can't the church look like that today? If people could see the great work of God through the lives of Christians...if we didn't just look and act like everybody else...maybe people would be compelled to come and check the Jesus thing out, just see what the deal is, what it is that causes a Christian to be someone who is different, why Christians love crazy and care crazy and reach out crazy and actually do stuff that makes things change around them.

Maybe, just maybe, if we followed the example of Jesus himself, just like the early Christians did...something radical would happen...and it would begin to spread...until the whole world was changed.

Father...please show me how to be a living example of your goodness and grace. To teach about your love, even (and especially) when it is unpopular...so that maybe through my life you would be glorified and people would see that their lives can truly be transformed. And maybe, one by one, day by day, your name would become popular. And that we as a church would stand up and proclaim your name, even in the face of social consequences, because we answer to you, not to men.