Kingdoms in Conflict – Acts 24
February 1, 2015Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Speaker: Jerry Cisar
In 2007, 20 years after it became a best seller, Chuck Colson’s book, Kingdoms in Conflict, was updated and revised, and so was the title. Kingdoms in Conflict became God and Government. In our text this Sunday, God and His Kingdom are no doubt in conflict with Rome and its Government.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe God ordains government, law, and order for society. The problem is that governments are run by people. People with selfish-ambition, greed, and lust for power, who constantly position themselves for self-preservation. This corruption affects lives, affects the powerless, and affects the Christian. This corruption affects you.
How will the Gospel and the advancing Kingdom of Christ fare in the face of political bureaucracy, corruption, and injustice? In this conflict with the Gospel, the power-thirsty rulers of the empire are added to the mix with the murderous religious leaders of Jerusalem. How does Paul fare? How does He respond? What is the effect?
As our own newspaper headlines are filled with examples of the good and bad decisions of political leaders and judges, we miss the relevance of these issues to our own lives. Can the sin-ridden, self-centered decisions of human leaders derail the plans of Christ and His Kingdom? Can they derail the purposes of God for you? As we worship our Savior together, we will explore these questions and more in Acts 24.