Those radicals!

"These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also" (Acts 17:6b)

You have to love those radical early Christians. Ousted by the synagogues but set on fire by the Spirit, they became known as men who "turned the world upside down". Their passion was Jesus, their aim was His glory, and they couldn't be controlled. They just couldn't stop talking about Him! And it got them in quite a few jams.

Good thing we've moved beyond that, isn't it? I mean, almost 2000 years later, especially after the Enlightenment brought the triumph of reason, we know that there are far more rational, safe ways to demonstrate our faith. We can be Christians without seeming weird or radical. We've come so far.

Or, maybe not.

When I read the New Testament, I see a lot of things - vigorous debate, radical obedience, serious prayer, the hard work of unity, a passion for the Word and the kingdom. I see the Holy Spirit working in and through imperfect people. What I don't see is safe. What I don't see is comfortable. What I don't see is a lot of things that "make sense".

We forget, I think, that it's really a battle. There are spiritual forces that don't want the kingdom to advance. We rightly rest on Jesus' words that the gates of hell won't prevail against His church ... but we forget that we are to be making a forward assault on those very gates. And if you're at the front of the line, you may get pounded in the process.

For all the craziness of the idea, God uses people in His great plans. Whether it's Peter preaching to a crowd of thousands, Paul teaching in Ephesus, Augustine defending the faith against false teachings, Wilberforce fighting to free slaves and tell of God's glory, Brainerd sharing with the Native Americans and treating them with dignity - God's message and the hope of transformation is always carried in the vehicle of human flesh. This "treasure in earthen vessels" Paul spoke of.

In a sermon dated 1819, Rev. Heman Humphrey delivered a message upon the commissioning of missionaries. After discussing the spiritual battle facing the new kingdom workers, Humphrey observes:

"Although the excellency of the power is of God, this great work is to be accomplished by human instrumentality....How was the Gospel first propagated, even in an age of miracles? By toil, by perseverance, by encountering a thousand dangers."

In other words, by being radical.

As you fight on the front lines, take courage in those who have gone before you - those who know that we never move beyond the simplicity of those first missionaries. May you never be too reasonable to be radical for Jesus.