10AM Worship One Service
I see two lessons for us in today's passage.
Be stewards of God's grace:
The Psalmist tells us that “the earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it” (Psalm 24:1). This means that everything, including our own self, belongs to God. All that we have and are (all by the Grace of God) is a gift from God and is entrusted to our care. How we care for our world is a stewardship question. How we care for our bodies is a stewardship question. How we use our time is a stewardship question. How we care for our children, how we use our talents, how we make and spend and save our money, and yes give financially to the church -- all of these are stewardship issues. Here, in Acts 24, Paul's stewardship of God's grace is demonstrated by his commitment to his faith in Jesus Christ, even when faced with legal and political challenges.
Tomorrow is not guaranteed for anyone:
Felix, though “well acquainted with the Way,” missed out on a relationship with Jesus because God’s truth felt like an inconvenience in Felix’s indulgences. He tried to take God in small doses. Felix sent for Paul frequently then dismissed Paul when he had enough. It can be easy to slip into comfortable religion, consuming morsels of truth sporadically to dilute their impact. But the same way that eating ice cream for every meal isn't good for our physical health, sticking just to the Scriptures we like isn't good for our spiritual health. God invites us to feast on His Word, to enjoy all of His promises and heed all of His instructions.