So, do you believe that people can change? Let’s put some flesh and bone on this question. Walk with me…
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Last week, we watched as Paul got stopped, dead in his tracks, on the way to Damascus. He knew he was right. He knew exactly what he was going to do. The man marched down the road, surrounded by people who hurried to keep up. All of this was true until the instant it wasn’t.
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Whatever else you may think about Saul, the man was a real pit bull.
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A long time ago, I was golfing with the most honest pastor that I’ve ever known. He was a generation ahead of me. As a result, he was a mentor. As we stood together on the tee for the next hole, he looked at me and said, “Marky…do you know what the problem with ministry is?”
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Last week, we watched something extraordinary unfold. The disciples and many other followers of Christ were assembled in a large upper room. They were waiting and praying and worshiping together. Then, in an instant, everything changed.
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The three central days of the Christian life are Christmas, Easter and Pentecost.
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I have a black lab who lives for one thing and one thing only. Sure…walks are nice. She loves her people, too. Of course, if there is something dead or disgusting on the trail, well, she will roll in it and you will swear she’s smiling from ear to ear. However, when all is said and done, my girlfriend is always on guard for any evidence of…chicken.
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So, let’s pause to consider some recent news. Researchers have studied religious membership (churches, synagogues and mosques) since 1937. From 1937 to 1998, these numbers were relatively steady, coming in at 70% or above. Within Christianity, there were shifts toward evangelical Protestantism. However, the overall numbers seemed steady. Since 1999, membership in religious institutions in the United States has fallen from 70% to below 50%. Even among those who are members, people are far less likely to attend services regularly.
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“Go to Jerusalem and wait.” That’s where we left the disciples. Jesus is gone. His words are still ringing in their ears. The disciples will be “clothed in power from on high.” In the meantime, they need to wait…
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So, last week we ended with a question: how does the grand finale’ end?
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This morning, I want to consider our text from three perspectives…
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So, a couple of weeks ago, on Palm Sunday, I offered a historical perspective on Luke’s gospel. After a Jewish uprising in 66 AD which temporarily cast the Romans out of Israel, Rome, eventually, took action. They allowed the population to swell at Passover and then refused to let anyone leave. They walled off the city. They cut off food and water supplies. After four months of starvation, the Romans killed almost everyone and destroyed almost everything in Jerusalem. Ten years later, when Luke’s gospel was written, that destruction was the defining event for the nation.
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