Bonus post: The Preaching of John the Baptist (Sandra Oliver)
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During Vacation Bible School, this year we studied some of the people in the book of Acts. Our Sunday School lessons this fall will also be from the book of Acts. In preparing the lessons, I have been thinking about how I want to approach some of the stories since five of them will be repeat lessons from this summer. One of the things that struck me is that there are a lot of the stories that center around those who were dedicated to doing the wrong thing. If you think about it, that is true throughout the Bible. It is also very true in our society today. That is certainly something I will want to address in my lessons.
In chapter one, Peter addresses a group of 120 and reminds them of a man that formerly walked among them, but now lies dead in a potter’s field. That man was Judas Iscariot. He was chosen by Jesus as one of the twelve but turned out to be a thief and a betrayer. Poor Judas was dedicated to the wrong purpose.
In chapter two, Peter speaks directly to those who have gathered to worship and celebrate Pentecost. He told them they had crucified the Son of God. Their souls are hanging in the balance, and they will be eternally lost if they don’t change.
In chapter four, rulers and elders of Israel commanded Peter and John not to teach in the name of Jesus. They were beaten, but they returned to the synagogue to teach about the crucified Jesus. Some of these people had been dedicated to getting rid of one they thought was an imposter.
In chapter five, Ananias and Sapphira lied about the money they donated to the church. Both of them were struck dead, not because they didn’t give enough, but because they lied about what they gave. And they didn’t have to lie! They were dedicated to a wrong attitude—giving to draw attention to themselves.
Chapters 7 and 8 follow one of the first century preachers as he performed miracles and served the Grecian widows in their needs. But certain groups of people didn’t like his preaching and they brought in false witnesses to discredit him. Stephen exposed these men who were dedicated to wrongdoing, and they stoned him to death. They were dedicated to public opinion.
Peter encountered a man named Simon that was converted from a world of magic and who tried to buy the ability to pass on the gifts given by the Holy Spirit. He was trying to live in both his world of magic and in the environment of the Christian faith. Simon evidently enjoyed the recognition he received as a magician.
Chapter 9 is one of the most extreme examples of being dedicated to wrong in the entire book. A man named Saul of Tarsus traveled from city to city dragging Christians out of their homes and either throwing them in prison or killing them. He was dedicated to murdering those that served God. As he traveled the road toward Damascus, he encountered a bright light that blinded him, but not before he was introduced to the man that caused him to persecute Christians. The Lord sent him into the city where he met a man named Ananias. Ananias was sent to restore his sight, teach him about Jesus, and baptize him into Christ.
When Saul, later called Paul, retells this story in Acts 22, he gives a complete account of what Ananias told him. Ananias said, “Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”
The rest of the book of Acts is filled with people that were dedicated to wrong. They weren’t always knowingly doing wrong like Ananias and Sapphira; but some, like Paul, thought they were doing the right thing. Some changed, but some didn’t.
Saul did change. After he spent some time with other Christians in Damascus, he went into the synagogues and preached that Jesus is the Son of God (Acts 9:20). The people that heard him couldn’t believe this was the same man.
These stories teach us some valuable lessons. First, anyone can change. If a man guilty of murdering Christians can change, anyone can change.
Second, everyone deserves a second chance if they truly repent. Those that crucified Jesus got a second chance on Pentecost. Some of them changed, and some did not. We have no record of what happened to the men that killed Stephen; but with the church growing so rapidly, we know they had other opportunities to change their ways. Ananias and Sapphira were given a chance to change their story, but they chose to continue to lie. Peter confronted Simon about his sin of greed, and Simon begged for forgiveness.
Third, we learn that when God forgives, He forgets. He never held Paul’s persecuting Christians against him.
Fourth, we can’t run away from wrongdoing. When we do wrong, we have to live with what we did. Knowing the nature of people, some would have confronted Paul with the fact that he had killed innocent Christians. He had to live with that knowledge all of his life, but he also knew God loved him and had forgiven him (First Timothy 4:7-8).
We need to look carefully at those things to which we are dedicated. Do they prevent us from obeying God? Being dedicated is not enough. We must be dedicated to serving God.
Sandra Oliver