8In Lystra there was a man who had been born with crippled feet and had never been able to walk. 9The man was listening to Paul speak, when Paul saw that he had faith in Jesus and could be healed. So he looked straight at the man 10and shouted, "Stand up!" The man jumped up and started walking around.
11When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they yelled out in the language of Lycaonia, "The gods have turned into humans and have come down to us!" 12The people then gave Barnabas the name Zeus, and they gave Paul the name Hermes, [b] because he did the talking. 13The temple of Zeus was near the entrance to the city. Its priest and the crowds wanted to offer a sacrifice to Barnabas and Paul. So the priest brought some bulls and flowers to the city gates. 14When the two apostles found out about this, they tore their clothes in horror and ran to the crowd, shouting:
15Why are you doing this? We are humans just like you. Please give up all this foolishness. Turn to the living God, who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. 16In times past, God let each nation go its own way. 17But he showed that he was there by the good things he did. God sends rain from heaven and makes your crops grow. He gives food to you and makes your hearts glad.
18Even after Paul and Barnabas had said all this, they could hardly keep the people from offering a sacrifice to them.
19Some Jewish leaders from Antioch and Iconium came and turned the crowds against Paul. They hit him with stones and dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead. 20But when the Lord's followers gathered around Paul, he stood up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas went to Derbe.
As we know, all the sincerity in the world won't get us anything if we're sincerely wrong. Even so, we are quick to positively judge those who are so passionate in their sincerity.
I was watching a 5 year old bowl. He refused to use the gutter bumpers because his dad didn't. Every ball he rolled went into the gutter. He kept telling himself he could do it. Three games...every ball a gutter ball. By the time he was finished he was weeping with frustration over his failure. His parents were encouraging him and telling him how proud they were of his efforts. What they should have done was put in the gutter bumpers. But, no...the kid didn't want them.
But bowling isn't very important. How about eternal life.
The Lysterines were so impressed this Paul and Barnabas that they were sure they were gods. They wanted to make an offering. The Apostles would have none of it. They set the record straight as soon as they knew.
In 2011 we're far more tolerant. We would have handed out certificates for religious fervor and invited them to join our church. A few wrinkles in their theology wouldn't be a big deal...we'll straighten them out in small group.
Purity of doctrine doesn't seem to be as important as it used to be. Today we seem to judge the authority of biblical doctrine by how closely it aligns with our worldly preferences. So, we ordain homosexuals because it's just not nice to discriminate. We refuse to take a stand against abortion because we want to be compassionate. We no longer require our children to go to church because they need to learn to make their own decisions.
Well...that's not my church. Fine
But, I'd never say those people lack sincerity. I just wonder how moved God is with that sincerity. And, if people who hold those views can be so wrong...while believing they are so right...what is the possibility that I'm just as vulnerable? When we are making decisions we need to constantly ask ours "What does the Bible say?" Not, "what can I make the Bible say?"
Otherwise, we're no different that the Lysterines...may just a bit more sophisticated.
Live boldly out there today...
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