Pastor Marshall Ochs | April 24, 2022
In this message, Pastor Marshall teaches from Acts 21-22. This chapter covers Paul’s return to Jerusalem and the condition of the early church. God was working in tremendous ways in the Gentile churches of Turkey and Greece, but the Jerusalem church struggled with gossip. Believers were spreading and believing lies about Paul and his ministry, and the Jerusalem elders asked Paul to associate himself with four men under a vow. This requirement was designed to quiet the gossip in church, but it didn’t work. The best way to handle gossip and lies is to respond with truth, in-person. These chapters remind us how important it is to live in close community with each other, and combat gossip with the truth.
Watch
Listen
Reflect
Are you willing to follow in Paul’s footsteps and sacrifice your freedoms, pride, and comforts to gain opportunities to share Jesus and preach the gospel?
Are you living in such a way where accusations against you would not be believable?
Paul shared his testimony when he addressed the crowd. Can you articulate the transformation God has done in your life so that you minimize yourself and give God the glory?
Do you value living in a close community where you know what is going on in people’s lives? Does your calendar reflect that value?
Will you pray:
Lord, open my eyes to how easy it is to believe a lie instead of spreading the truth.
Lord, open my eyes to how easy it is to join the mob and compromise my convictions.
Lord, open my eyes to how easy it is to forget my testimony and force you to prove yourself to me again.
Lord, change me and keep on changing me.