A Right Response: Applications from Acts
“...if I choose to place my confidence in this world and the man-made theologies that come with it, I will only sink deeper into the pit.”
Before I started pursuing the Lord fully, and before I was discipled, I had some pretty big career aspirations. At that time, I was getting my undergrad at UMKC and was planning to continue my education in either Tennessee or Colorado. I was going to get my doctorate in psychology and devote my life to helping others. I was set in my ways and was convinced that this was my calling. Thankfully, it only took about four months and one Mission Focus to show me what my true calling actually is: to follow the Lord and live out his mission in my life.
I did, however, still minor in psychology. The classes were interesting and I knew that the information could still be beneficial for a number of reasons. The thing that I kept coming back to while I sat in these classes was the fact that this world literally has nothing to offer. The solutions and ideas that have been studied, analyzed and used for years lack success and leave people feeling just as depressed as they were before, if not more. I know from my own personal testimony and experiences that if I choose to place my confidence in this world and the man-made theologies that come with it, I will only sink deeper into the pit. It wasn’t until I placed my confidence in the Lord that I was able to climb out of that pit and see victory.
Throughout the New Testament, the apostle Paul is the shining example of what it means to place your confidence in the Lord. For starters, look at his testimony in Acts 22 and Philippians 3. The guy was intelligent, powerful, feared and downright mean. It was only by Jesus’ saving grace that he was transformed into a man who loved the Lord and desperately wanted to see souls saved. From the world’s point of view, he had it all before he devoted his life to Christ. Why would he so willingly let go of his reputation for a life of near-death persecutions and turmoil? He did it because he was confronted by Jesus, and he immediately knew that his own strength wasn’t enough. Life was no longer about his achievements or how others perceived him — it was about worshiping his Creator and trusting Him to do the leading.
In our college and young adult fellowship, we’ve been making our way through the book of Acts. The applications from this series and from Paul have been so valuable to my Christian walk. As I write this our pastor, Brandon Briscoe, just started preaching through chapter 25. If you’re familiar with this book, you know that the end of Acts means a lot of standing before counsels and a lot of angry Jews. The Jews were angry because Paul showed up full of faith, ready to minister and to preach the gospel. If we go all the way back to chapter 21, we see Paul make his way into Jerusalem with the goal of ministering to the Jewish Christians. To strengthen his testimony with them, he makes the decision to participate in a Nazarite vow (a ritual cleansing). While in the temple, he’s confronted by a group of Jews from Asia who begin to proclaim false allegations against him. These allegations cause chaos and wrath amongst the other Jews, leading to Paul being thrown out of the temple and almost put to death (Acts 21:30-31).
“I don’t have to fear the unknown because I’m confident in what I do know: God is with me.”
This sets the context for the chapters to come. In a brief summary, Paul is brought from Jerusalem to Caesarea to be put on trial. There’s a governor named Felix who puts him on house arrest even though he admits that he has nothing to charge Paul with (he’s a suck-up and wants to look good for the Jews). Two years go by and Felix is thrown out of leadership, with a man named Porcius Festus taking over. From here, Festus basically asks Paul to do him a solid and go to Jerusalem before the Jews to be judged, but Paul is over it, and would rather offer himself up to the supreme court (Acts 25:9-12).
Paul couldn’t trust anyone. He was in a helpless situation, so he turned to God. He knew that the circumstance he was in could only be resolved by God’s strength and not his own.
The first point of the sermon was: Be confident in God’s strength. Brandon made jokes about how this sounds cliche, and it does, but it’s one of the biggest things that I struggle to do. The example of the thorn in Paul’s flesh (2 Cor 12:7) was a good heart check for me. God used that in the Apostle’s life to remind him that he wasn’t anything special. As strange as it sounds, I often see my desire to take control over everything in my life as a good thing. I’m tempted to think of myself as self-sufficient, responsible and hardworking (this is that worldly mindset that I mentioned earlier). It’s not that those qualities are necessarily bad (we should be responsible and hardworking), but the issue is my lack of humility before the Lord. It was mentioned during the sermon that if we don’t recognize that we are actually weak, we will assert our own control over anything and everything. As I move forward in life and in ministry, as I lead and as I disciple, I want to always remember that I’m nothing in light of who God is. And even then, He desires to use the weak and the foolish (1 Cor 1:27). Brandon’s second point was: Be confident in God’s providence. Paul was willing to give every situation to God. He trusted Him so much that he wasn’t afraid to go before the supreme court, which would have been Emperor Nero at the time. Nero was a terrible man with a lot of power. He caused a great deal of suffering to many Christians. Some were crucified, others were burned to death. At times, he would even give them over to beasts to be eaten. He despised them. Paul was aware of this, and yet he willingly surrendered the issue over to his heavenly Father. I can’t even wrap my head around the idea of being in a situation like this — something so challenging and scary. What I do know is that I don’t have to be in a position like Paul’s to practice having faith. Something as simple as figuring out hospitality for our new building should be done with as much faith, trusting that God is going to provide what we need (1 Pet 5:7; Phil 4:19; Eph 1:19-21). As for more personal things, like my career path or my role as a wife, God will meet me in those with protection and guidance as long as I’m faithful to actively engage with Him throughout the process (and throughout my life).
The third and last point of the message was: Be confident in God’s outcomes. In Acts 25:11, Paul says, “I refuse not to die.” He didn’t care about dying because he was confident in the outcome. Eternity with Christ made facing Nero seem like an easy decision. During this section, Brandon posed the question, “What can the enemy do to someone who thinks this way?” He followed the question up with this key point: “A mission-minded believer has nothing to lose and everything to gain” (Phil 1:21-23). There is supernatural security in following Christ, and it is far better than anything this world promises.
When I was in elementary school, I went barn swinging with my dad. I remember when he asked me to go on the biggest one with him, and I was freaked out. I would have wimped out if I had gone alone or with anyone else, but the reason I so willingly followed through is because I was strapped in right next to my dad. That was enough to keep me from thinking about the potential negative outcomes of the ride. I felt peace as I held on to him, and obviously everything worked out. As I move forward in my walk, as I take on more things, as I share the gospel, and as I go through hardships, God and His promises need to be the things I hold on to. I don’t have to fear the unknown because I’m confident in what I do know: God is with me. My heart is full knowing that I can place my confidence in Him (Phil 3:3; Psa 73:26).
Becca is a member of Midtown Baptist Temple and is a part of C&YA. She leads a C&YA Hospitality Team, disciples, and is a part of a UMKC women’s Bible study.