- Joined
- Apr 25, 2006
- Messages
- 18,404
Don't try this at home (2)
'JESUS I KNOW, AND PAUL I KNOW...BUT WHO ARE YOU?' ACTS 19:15
o what else can we learn from the scrap we read about yesterday involving the sons of this Jewish priest guy?
1) Success is not as easy as it looks! These men showed up later on in Paul's ministry. They weren't there in the beginning when he was blinded by an encounter with the risen Jesus on a dusty out-of-town road. They were looking for shortcuts that just aren't there! When you see someone else doing great things it can really get you fired up to want to do it too. However, only a short-sighted person expects to achieve overnight what it took years of experience to bring them into
2) Big numbers don't necessarily mean big results! These seven men together couldn't do what one Spirit-empowered Jesus-follower did. Yes, their dad was one of the top priests, so they knew plenty about 'religion', but they were a classic case of: 'Having a form of godliness, but denying its power' (2 Timothy 3:5 NIV).
3) Those around you are not always with you! Just because somebody hangs out with you, paying you compliments and bigging you up doesn't mean they're to be trusted. These men followed Paul not because they wanted to make Jesus famous but because they wanted to make themselves famous. They had the wrong heart motive! John writes: 'These people came from our own group, yet they were not part of us. If they had been part of us, they would have stayed with us.' (1 John 2:19 CEV). When God removes someone from your life because they don't belong, trust Him, He knows what's best!
written by Bob Gass
