Acts 5:33-42
When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36 For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, 40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.
The saddest verse in the Bible is not, “Jesus wept.” It is Judges 2:10, “And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.” There are times I fear that is the case today. Every study I see replicates this same conclusion: the coming generation is leaving the church (and many the faith) at record numbers. Fewer and fewer people are finding their way into the church these days. It is an alarming reality.
It is also a clouded view of reality. I don’t mean to gloss over the alarming decline in the numbers of people not connected to the church these days. But it is not this way everywhere. The Christian church in Africa and South Asia is growing at remarkable rates. There are thousands of 7000 who have not bowed their knees to Baal.
Our vision is clouded because of our affluence and likely also because our faith has been largely a faith never tested. We have not faced persecution or resistance as did the Early Church believers. Tertullian famously said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” By that he meant that when people give up their lives rather than abandon their faith, or even more pointedly rather than cease witnessing to Jesus, they plant seeds of conviction. People begin to conclude, this Christian faith, this message of Jesus must be true and important if people are willing to die for it.
Consider the opposite actions and their attendant conclusions. When people force their convictions on others, and put others to death in their zeal for their cause it may frighten people into compliance. But it does not engender true faith. The Christian faith is not built on coercion, guilt, threat, or demand.
The apostles threaten no one, and are willing to face severe consequences for continuing to witness to Jesus’ death and resurrection. And in the words of Luke, “the Word of the Lord grew” (Acts 19:20). Years ago televangelist Pat Robertson formed the 700 club. It was a select group of 700 people who pledged $10 per month to support his program. Today I’m inviting people to join the 7000+ club, not with pledges to donate money, but with a resolute faith in God’s promises and desire to do whatever we may do to see to it that the next generation does not grow up knowing nothing of what God has done in Jesus of Nazareth. I wonder what it will take to see that happen. 3
David Bahn - Reflections 
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