It must have been either the longest--or most boring--sermon in history!
In the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 20, beginning with verse 7, we learn of a young man (Eutychus) who fell asleep sitting on a window sill, listening to Paul talk "on and on."
"Overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and when he was picked up, he was dead."
Paul went down and threw himself on him and we learn that when the boy was taken away he was alive.
I hope a homily never has this affect on you!
Anyway, following this we learn that Paul was trying to make his way to Jerusalem so he could be there for Pentecost. One of his stops, though, was in Miletus, where he summoned the presbyters of the church.
Paul cautioned them and revealed to them that they would never see him again. Before he gave his warning to "keep watch" over themselves and their flock, he gave them an accounting of himself. Clearly he had some street cred.
He reminded them that he "served the Lord with humility."
He recalled that he didn't shrink from his message and taught them in public and in their homes.
Earnestly, he told them, he "bore witness" to repentance before God.
And finally, he told them he was warned by the Holy Spirit to act, knowing imprisonment and hardships awaited him.
If you had to give an accounting of your participation in God's "work," what would your list look like? I came across this quote by a pastor and author (A.W. Tozer) that gave me pause. I'm not sure if it is true, but it is good food for thought:
"If
the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95 percent of what
we do would go on and no one would know the difference. If the Holy
Spirit had withdrawn from the New Testament church, 95 percent of what
they did would stop, and everybody would know the difference."
What do you think? Are we engaged with, and motivated by, the Holy Spirit?
Pray for peace and an end to war.
Janet Cassidy
Email me at: jmctm2@gmail.com
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