RIOTS AND REVIVAL

"And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut. And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar." - Acts 21:30-31

These are dark days in our nation. First, the Covid-19 virus brought fear and isolation. Eventually, it led to the worst economic downturn in many years. Our nation's attention has been diverted to other matters, giving Americans the false assurance that the virus scare is past. It is not. In fact, our false assurance may be putting us in greater danger than before.

Also, our days have been darkened because of the matters of police brutality, racism and rioting. Our news broadcasts have been bombarded with stories of demonstrations and riots in American streets. Although demonstrations are often legal, riots are not. The riots we have witnessed on news broadcasts have included defacing historical monuments, destruction of private property, arson and even the brutal murder of shop keepers.

In the book of Acts, we find two things going on: riots and revival. Yes, riots occurred in the book of Acts. Yet these riots occurred because of Christians and their message. I believe that if the Church were as vocal about the Gospel as we should be, we would probably see similar demonstrations and riots against us.

What happened to the believers in the book of Acts? Why were they the target of persecution, hostility, and even riots? What did they do in response to the riots? Why did they experience revival during such civil unrest? I believe that if we emphasized what they did, we'd see revival --- even during times of civil unrest. So what did the first century Church do?

1. THEY PRAYED

First of all, they prayed. For us, prayer is just a segment of a church service or something we do in a crisis. In our day, if something doesn't go the way we want, we call a congressman, talk to a local news reporter or pursue a lawsuit. The believers in the book of Acts sought God. Yet they did not pray for the persecution to be removed. Instead, they prayed for God to empower them to be faithful in spite of the persecution. In Acts 4, when they were commanded to quit preaching the truth, the believers gathered for prayer. In verse 29, the Bible says that they prayed, "And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word." As a result, the Bible states in verse 31, "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness." That leads us to the second thing that they did.

2. THEY PREACHED

Believers faithfully preached the Word. They didn't compromise the truth in order to appease the crowd. They didn't water-down the message in order to conform to political correctness. They preached the Word. The message of the cross is an offense to the world. Unbelievers often respond negatively, some even harshly, to the message of the Gospel. And yet the same message that turns many off is the same message that draws others to Jesus. A compromised message is ineffective. We wouldn't think of diluting medicine. We knew that if we diluted medicine, it would limit its power. The same is true for the message of the Gospel. Today many well-meaning ministers are compromising the truth in order to "reach" their culture. Subjects like sin, repentance and judgment are noticeably absent from the message that many are proclaiming. We have a mission. That mission is to spread the Gospel.

3. THEY PERSISTED

Finally, the early believers were persistent about praying and preaching. They didn't stray from the primary mission they were given. They knew what was most important and gave themselves to it. When Paul was placed under arrest, he was given an opportunity to speak to many prominent leaders. Yet if you look at Paul's words, he did not appeal for the relaxing of persecution against believers. He did not appeal for social reform. Instead, he proclaimed the Gospel.

Is it wrong to speak out about injustice or racism? No! However, if we speak loudly about these matters but never speak loudly about Jesus, we must examine ourselves. While it is important to stand up for the innocent, the poor, the sick and the abused, let us never forget that our primary mission to make Christ known. Political and social reform are good, but temporary. The Gospel of Jesus Christ makes an eternal difference.

The ills of our land are spiritual in nature. Spiritual problems require spiritual solutions. Our nation's problems are due to sin. The answer is Jesus. It is time we make Him known --- for the glory of God!!!