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THEY KEPT RIGHT ON!
For the second time the apostles had
been imprisoned and given strict orders not to do further teaching in
the name of Jesus (Acts 5:28). Now, after their third arrest and facing
almost sure prospects of death, the highly regarded Gamaliel intervenes
on their behalf, resulting in their release with a beating and a warning
to "speak no more in the name of Jesus". The remarkable response of
these dedicated men is seen in the last two verses of Acts 5. Not only
did they rejoice in being considered worthy to suffer for His name, but
"every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on
teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ" (NASV).
That "they kept right on" speaks volumes in regard to the faith and
character of these Godly men -- and it shows us why Jerusalem (vs. 28)
and the whole Roman empire (Col. 1:23) had come to be filled with the
gospel message in a relatively short time. And neither was such
dedication limited to just these apostles. In Acts 2 we read of how
other saints also kept right on "in the apostles' doctrine and
fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers" (vs. 42). Later,
when scattered abroad because of the great persecution against the
church, they still kept right on "preaching the Word" (Acts 8:4). In
persecution, in poverty, in prison, in palaces; in public, in private,
in season and out, let it ever be said to their credit, they kept right
on teaching the gospel. Without benefit of newspaper, radio or
television; without auto or airplane; without internet, even without
comfortable meeting places in good locations, they kept right on! For a
time many of the young churches were without elders and "fulltime"
preachers, but you know what? They just kept right on! Sure, they had
their "church" problems. They had squabbles, false teachers divisions,
weak and sinful brethren to be reckoned with. So they reckoned; no doubt
some quit. But the faithful just kept right on anyway.
The pressing need of our day is for saints like that -- men and women of
such faith and character as to keep right on serving God without having
to be begged and pampered; men and women concerned enough about lost
souls to keep right on trying to help save them. Our need is for the
abiding sense of urgency that motivated our first century brethren --
the kind that made Paul say, "I press on". Without it, we're not likely
to fill even the local church with the teaching of Christ, much less our
neighborhoods and cities. What a tragedy that so many who profess
allegiance to such an urgent cause would do so little to advance it --
or would give up at the slightest obstacle or discouragement! -- and
this in the midst of the most favorable circumstances possible. Oh we of
little faith! Just think of the amazing results possible if every member
in every local church would begin and just keep on doing all he knows to
do for the Lord (as per 1 Cor. 15:58)! Why, we may just keep on having
good results, like in the first century. Why not resolve to put away our
intermittent and sputtering efforts of the past, realizing what we could
do -- and then, just keep right on doing it?
-- Dan S. Shipley
via Gospel Power, Vol. 13, No. 30, July 23, 2006. |
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