Reflections

Today was a good sermon on Acts 19 and living life to the fullest for the glory of God. I have a few points I want to make/echo on this.

1. We aren't dependent enough on God. It's all on God to save His people. (v.8-9)

Not I but Christ in me. It's not up to me to ensure people are saved. My responsibility is to present the gospel. If the people reject it like the Jews did in verses 8-9 then that's on them.

This is antithetical to the post Charles Finney and Billy Graham world, but it is the truth nonetheless.

2. We should take sin seriously. (v.18-19)

The pagans that repented burned their books. They weren't satisfied with half-measures and trying to see how much they could keep.

Jesus said this during the sermon on the mount:

Matthew 5:27–30 (NET 2nd ed.)

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell. 30 If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell.

Where we see a fundamental misunderstanding of this truth today is with the oxymoronic 'Gay Christians.' You cannot 'be gay' and be a Christian. I've heard it said that as long as you don't act on your 'gay orientation' you are good. That couldn't be further from the truth according to Jesus. Sin happens long before an external act, it happens in the heart.

3. We should also listen to the warnings of God and those that came before us.

Those who don't study history are doomed to repeat it. Those that scoff at the fathers of the faith that came before us are doomed to repeat the doctrinal errors of their opponents. We suffer greatly from the ridiculous attitude of doctrinal minimalism. How little can we get by with and still call ourselves Christians? How much can we jettison before we run into problems?

What this attitude brings is people that won't call anything a heresy, and will call everything an unimportant secondary issue that we will get to never. Doctrinal clarity is what brings disunity according to them. This couldn't be further from the truth.

God warns us repeatedly in Scripture to practice discernment and be wary of false teachers, of wolves in sheep's clothing. This is not a popular thing to do, but do it we must. It was nice to hear this sentiment from the pulpit because I seem to be surrounded with doctrinal minimalists and narrow Biblicists that want to water down and explain away everything in Scripture so that everyone can get along and we can say 'Peace, Peace!' regardless of there being any true peace.

Closing

Take sin seriously, and be bold in your dependence on God, and don't mock reproof like the fool in the book Proverbs.