David Bahn – Reflections

I remember the deodorant commercial from decades ago: Stay cool, calm, and collected. Sometime later I borrowed that phrase with a twist: We need to be cool, calm, and correctable. In other words, we must always hold our convictions carefully – with a balance of certainty and curiosity constantly correcting each other. We must not be so curious and cautious that we stand for nothing and fall for anything. Nor must we be so convinced and certain that we are not willing to reexamine our ideas and beliefs in light of further evidence.

The most profound example of one who will not reexamine his beliefs is the conspiracy theorist. You can tell if someone is such a one if you ask, “What would it take to convince you that you’re wrong?” And he answers, “Nothing can convince me I’m wrong.” That’s a dangerous place to live. Ask Paul about that. He had to learn a thing or two. Jesus asked him, “How long will you kick against the goads?” There comes a time when our convictions fail to serve us well.

On the other hand there is great danger if we are constantly swayed by the latest wind of doctrine. One day we believe in Jesus. The next day it’s Joseph Smith, or Jim Jones. One day we’re committed to God, the next day it’s the latest worldview fad.

There is danger on both sides of that road. We can lose Christ, or fail to recognize him for who he is – depending on which way we are leaning on any particular day. If we’re far from God and refuse to consider the claims of witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection we will be forever sorry.

Paul was struck to the ground and had to hear from Jesus directly. He had to be asked, “How long will you kick against the goads?” The reference there is to a sharp stick (goad) used to urge beasts of burden forward. Kicking against them will only hurt, not get rid of them. If Paul had continued in his rigid and strong opposition to the message of Jesus, it would have served only to cause himself great harm. Jesus wasn’t going away.

Perhaps you are kicking against goads. Maybe you wish to get rid of a pesky intrusion into your life. Even Christians struggle against God’s ways and calling. There comes a time when we must stop pushing him away. It will only hurt us. Or maybe you’re casting about wondering which truth is true. Jesus is the embodiment of truth…and grace. That is a good place to take your stand.

The most challenging question in the Bible is asked by God speaking to Adam immediately after their disobedience, “Adam, where are you?” The most defiant question is asked by Cain: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The easiest question in the Bible is the question of the angels to the dumbfounded disciples after Jesus’ ascension: “Why do you stand there looking into the sky?” Answer: Because we’ve never seeen anything like this before!” But I think this is Easy Question # 2: “Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?” 

It is a wonderful question. It has to do with God’s power, God’s grace, and Jesus’ righteousness. Without God’s power – even over death – there would be no hope of a resurrection. Without God’s grace the resurrection would mean little to us. Jesus’ righteousness – full and complete – required that he be raised from the dead.

“God is not a wimp,” said my counselor one time. He was probing deep things in my heart and pushing me to consider what God wanted from me in the face of some very difficult things I had experienced in my life. Indeed he is not. God is able to do whatever is needed in every situation. His arm is not too short. He is all powerful. God can raise the dead.

Jesus’ resurrection avails to our eternal good – starting today. Just the fact that Jesus rose from the dead is a hard reality for the devil and his minions. Those who oppose Jesus will one day bow the knee to Jesus when he returns on the Great Last Day. But this is not God’s desire. He wants all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Jesus resurrection is the first fruits of redemption, life, and hope. By God’s grace, Jesus’ resurrection opens heaven’s gates for all who believe.

Jesus’ resurrection vindicates Jesus. He is shown to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the grave. All the taunts of the demons. All the jeers of the mob at his crucifixion. All the self-righteous dismissals of the religious leaders. All these evaporate on the First Easter.

Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead? Because our faith is weak. Because we don’t understand the depth of God’s grace and love. Because we don’t know the power and grace of God. 

But we do know this. We do believe – even if our faith his weak. Jesus has been raised from the dead. It may be thought to be incredible. But it’s true. And it is profoundly good news. There’s no question about that.

I am at the Circuit Visitors Conference at Camp Lone Star in La Grange, Texas. We are discussing a number of important issues. Most recently we are discussing pastoral formation – the process of training and equipping men to serve as faithful Lutheran pastors. Our District President spoke of his days at the seminary. He was told, “We are not here to help you grow spiritually. We are here to teach you theology.” He said there was little attention given to character and spiritual maturity.

Contrast that with what we teach in PLI today. Our approach is not only leadership training, but it is leadership within the context of a well-formed character. Character is not only contextual, but intentionally formed. Our District President is a man of remarkable character. Singular in his faithfulness, integrity, and good will. And it all started for him as a youth.

Paul’s comment, “My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem,” indicates that his character was well-formed from his earliest years. It manifested itself in his extreme dedication to the Jewish religious practices and education. He identified himself as part of the strictest part of his religion. 

But character needs constantly to be shaped. Sometimes it is a matter of little corrections. A friendly word, a challenge from a pastor, a request from a brother or sister in Christ can serve to make these little corrections. Sometimes there may need to be a stronger reshaping. Once I had to ask an elder to step aside from his duties until he and his wife repaired their fractured relationship. Thankfully he did. Another time I had to remove a confirmation teacher who was in an immoral sexual relationship. Sadly it does not seem to have reshaped him.

I’ve never seen anyone struck to the ground, hearing Jesus speak to him or her! But Paul’s conversion was dramatic, and his character radically reshaped!

My own spiritual journey is unlike Paul’s except in regard to my earliest spiritual formation. I was raised in a Christian family, and attended Sunday School and church throughout my youth. It was not a strict religious environment, but it was dedicated. My character has experienced reshaping throughout my life. Some of those reshaping moments have been difficult. Other have been almost pleasant.

But I am very much like Paul as he expresses in Philippians 3:12, “Not that I…am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” God is at work in our lives to shape us more and more into the image of Christ – whatever our training from our youth may have been. So we must not think we’re finished growing in our faith or character, but remain humble and open to the Holy Spirit’s work in our hearts and minds.

He was a young and dedicated pastor. The worship center was new and beautiful. Yet, there was something missing. An eternal light would adorn the chancel and serve as a reminder of God’s eternal presence with his people. It would symbolize the conviction that although God is everywhere present (cf. Psalm 139:7-10), he is specifically present in this place when people gathered in Jesus’ name. But should the soon-to-be installed eternal flame glass globe be clear or red? He was in charge of this decision. He was convinced of one color. Others believed it should be the other. I finally had to ask him, “Do you really want to die on this hill?” He realized the issue wasn’t worthy of the relational loss it would cost.

Paul, on the other hand, will not budge from his conviction about Jesus’ resurrection. He realized this was not about a little matter. This was about Jesus’ resurrection, eternal salvation, forgiveness of sins, and God’s ultimate plan for his kingdom goal. He makes this clear in his opening words of defense:

I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, ⁷ to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king! ⁸ Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?

His conviction of Christ’s resurrection, his belief in Jesus’ gracious power, his commitment to his part in the Mission of God are solid. He will not be moved from this conviction. This is not a matter of red or clear. It is a matter of eternal truth and grace. Jesus has been raised from the dead. He has won forgiveness of sins and salvation for all. Whoever believes in him will be saved.

I wonder how many times we stand on hills too small for principles too minor and bloody ourselves in battles that need not be fought. Whenever I help church leaders formulate strategic plans, I like to make the distinction between God’s good provision for his mission: the people, pastors, facilities, and programs on the one hand, and God’s mission on the other hand. People get stuck on what color the carpet should be, or what program must be retained or abandoned. Or what color should the eternal light be. But carpet wears out. Programs come and go. God’s mission goes on until Jesus returns.

Jesus went to a hill and died for the sins of the world. He won salvation for us by his death. His resurrection vindicates his whole ministry. It also give us hope, and reminds us in the face of every challenge or trouble: The tomb is empty. We stand on that truth with confidence and hope.

My intention is to put together a photographic portfolio titled, Can I Get a Witness?  I want to highlight the way once-living trees can give witness to events that happened during the time that they were alive. Whether it is disease, chain saw, storm or simply the natural circle of life, they all bear witness to a history of their own.

Paul’s witness is significantly different. His is a living witness. He is very much alive at this point. And that, in spite of the plans and schemes of Paul’s enemies. But he is very much alive – protected by Felix, Festus, and now Agrippa. There will come a time when Paul will not be protected. He will give up his life as a martyr of the Christian faith. But for how he is alive.

Every witness has a “before” and an “after.” And as Paul recounts his before he does so at the earliest stages of his life. He recounts his life as a faithful Jewish youth. He does not – at this time – mention his circumcision although he does so when he makes his defence in Jerusalem at the temple. But he does set all of this within the context of the Jewish faith. His witness is two-fold. It’s all about Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament. It’s also all about the resurrection of Jesus. The first validates Jesus’ ministry. The second testifies to Jesus’ identity as the Son of God.

Sometimes people make much of dramatic conversions and lives of profligate immorality and ungodliness. It’s almost as though a person has to have lived an extremely sinful life in order to have a testimony.

Few of us have such a lifestyle to brag about – even if it is to brag about how Jesus changed our lives. All of us, however, have something to say about Jesus. It might be a Bible passage that is particularly meaningful. There are special accounts of Jesus’ miracles that we can point to. A prayer answered. A touch of God’s grace and peace. It’s not up to us to fabricate amazing stories or dramatic transformations. It can be as simple as, “I used to believe…but now I realize Jesus…” That is a true living testimony worth sharing.

A drug cartel boss was recently captured. Evil thwarted – at least for a while. A sting operation netted a human trafficker. Evil thwarted. A police raid netted a trove of documents detailing organized crime’s financial dealings. Crime bosses were sent to prison. Evil thwarted. Undercover agents intercepted communications about a pending terrorist attack. Arrests were made. Evil thwarted.

It just doesn’t seem to happen often enough. We pastors were talking today at our circuit meeting about crime. One person said, “Crime doesn’t pay.” Another said, “Crime does pay.” Too often it does.

Embezzlement, tax evasion, or terrorist plots are truly evil; not to mention human trafficking. And rather than try to compare those things to what is happening here, I want to celebrate when evil is thwarted in any arena.

The implications in the case of Paul’s imprisonment and the plot to kill him are far-reaching. Not only is his safety at stake, but the spread of the Gospel could be seriously set back if Paul’s enemies succeed in their plots. But their evil plans are thwarted first by Felix, then Festus, and now Agrippa stands in the way of those who want to see Paul silenced at all costs. They may not know they are agents of God. But they are. Paul will be saved from evil’s plans. Evil thwarted.

Any time evil is thwarted the implications go far beyond the immediate befit of those saved from evil’s plans. Certainly, the people who will not be subject to human trafficking are rescued when the traffickers are caught. And when fewer drugs hit the streets our children and grandchildren are better for it. But consider the far-reaching impact of drug addiction, or human trafficking. Think about the financial ruin of those who are robbed of their retirement savings.

If one is not robbed of his retirement savings, yet doesn’t hear the Gospel, is not called to faith in Jesus, and brought into the fellowship of the redeemed, the gain is for nothing. And what if a person sells drugs and is caught, but learns about Jesus in prison? No matter what may happen to him from there, the blessings of the Gospel echoes through eternity.

Evil will always collapse under its own weight. And when evil is thwarted we can rejoice that God has good things in store for us through his Son. Jesus and his eternally-good plans will not be thwarted.

What do Michael Jackson, Johnny Depp, Bruce Willis, George Harrison, and Stephen King have in common? They all have cameo appearances in various movies. They show up as a shopkeeper, an alien, or as themselves. In and out in a few minutes, or seconds. People enjoy seeing these – at least I do when I see one of the 12 people I can name in one of these films. In fact it seems some of the movies are actually written to set up these cameos.

But notice this. Paul is spoken of throughout these verses but never really makes an appearance. He is brought in. But Festus does all the speaking. King Agrippa and Bernice are there, but the king has only one line. And this guy is a significant leader. Herod Agrippa II was a member of the Herodian dynasty, a line of rulers with strong ties to the Roman Empire. Agrippa II was the son of Herod Agrippa I (who is mentioned in Acts 12) and the great-grandson of Herod the Great, who ruled during the time of Jesus’ birth. This is no lightweight. No matter. Festus will hog the limelight. It seems he can’t help himself.

But there is much more going on here than Festus’ posturing and Paul’s waiting in the wings. King Agrippa will play a pivotal role in getting Paul to Rome. He doesn’t have to say much because he is king. But he will have much to say as this saga unfolds. All this is to set up some important dialogue between Paul and Agrippa, and Paul’s continuing missionary work.

There is another not-even-a-cameo Actor involved in this story. Jesus’ name is mentioned, but in passing. It’s almost a throw away comment about, “certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.”

But Jesus isn’t waiting in the wings to be brought on stage. He has had center stage. His prop was a cross. His exit was to a tomb. But his ultimate Prop is an empty tomb, and his final exit is to the right hand of God.

Paul will make more than a cameo appearance as this episode unfolds. But his appearance – even as it continues through his long and eventful travel to Rome – is not eternal. Jesus’ ultimate appearance will be forever, and every tongue will confess his lordship and reign for all eternity. His final appearance will be The Starring Role, no mere cameo.

People are falling all over themselves congratulating each other. Or clamoring for each other’s places of honor. That’s what I see happening in this account. Festus and Agrippa are enjoying their mutual admiration society meeting. Can’t you just hear it? Luke records the scene:

“So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. ²⁴ And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us,…”

Now he’s schmoozing with all these honorific people. Notice, “all who are present…” Earlier Festus had thrown Felix under the bus. “There is a man left prisoner by Felix,” he says. In other words, it’s not my fault. But now Agrippa asks to see Paul and Festus says, “Tomorrow you shall.” I can almost hear Festus’ glee. He is so happy to be able to provide something to the king. 

Compare that to the manner in which Jesus – King of the Universe, King of kings, the First and Last – behaves with his disciples and before Caiaphas, Pilate, and King Herod. Humility. Washing feet. Keeping silent before his accusers. Refusing still to play Pilate’s game. Knowing and believing he will One Day have The Last Word.

I’m not much for pomp and circumstance – with two exceptions. One was when our son was promoted to an officer in the Navy. The most powerful moment was when our youngest son gave Tim his first salute. A hand shake later, along with a palmed silver dollar, and the deed was done. The other pomp and circumstance that I’m all in for is when a soldier is buried. The bugle plays taps. Seven rifles fire three rounds each for the 21 gun salute. Those I can get behind. And one more…a beloved pastor and church leader dies and the clergy form an honor guard for the family and casket to pass from the church to the hearse.

I imagine the day of Christ’s return when every knee will bow to him. I imagine how the kings of the earth casting down their golden crowns before him. I imagine the glorious scene witnessed by John in Revelation 7:10, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” That’s no game of thrones. That’s true glory. It belongs to God alone. We all do well to remember that.

Just yesterday, I attended the second of three installations of pastors in churches in our area who have been calling a pastor. Next Sunday, I will attend a third. All of this within the last two months. This is quite a relief, for I was, for a while working with 10 congregations just in my area that were seeking pastors. It appears that # 4 is on the horizon. And there are pastors in six of those ten congregations.

The Call Committees in those churches pray over the list of pastors, seeking to discern who best would fit in their congregation. Once they have determined who to call, the have a vote of the congregation to extend a Divine Call to their chosen candidate. Then they wait. Will he, or not? Will he accept the Divine Call and come to serve as our pastor? Or will he choose to stay at the congregation at which he is currently serving? He prays, talks with his wife and family, his leaders, and his colleagues. He prays some more. Then he announces his decision. Until he does, we wait for word from him. No matter what he decides, there is usually some degree of disappointment in either his church or the one who is calling him.

I think of this as I stumbled upon this comment of Festus, about the dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. And I thought about the waiting of the disciples on that first Saturday and Sunday after Jesus had been crucified. Was he or wasn’t he alive? The women told them he was alive. Jesus, himself, had told them he would be killed and be raised from the dead on the third day. But they had not seen him for themselves. Was he or wasn’t he alive?

I also thought about the ongoing mission of God through Paul. Festus had his doubts. He wasn’t sure Jesus had risen from the dead – not by any means. But it seems, also, that he wasn’t sure he hadn’t been raised. There is a lot hanging on that balance of life and death. If Jesus is alive that would mean something. He would have to reckon with the message Paul had been sharing with the people there.

All that puts into perspective the challenges and waiting we must do today. Whether it’s waiting for the results of a pregnancy test, (or a COVID test!), waiting to learn about a doctor’s diagnosis, or waiting to see if your wayward daughter is going to show up before 3 AM tomorrow morning: we are all waiting for something. But as we wait, we can remember that the tomb is empty. We can be sure of the eternal outcome of all of life. We can rejoice in God’s faithfulness, love, grace, and salvation. For Jesus has been raised. He is alive. Our salvation has been won. Our eternity is secured.

Tonight I will send this prayer to one of the congregations I am helping through the Call Process. We pray every night at 9 PM. Another call committee sends their prayer text “Amen” at 8. You are more than welcome to pray it with me at whatever time you wish.

Merciful and loving Father, we praise you for the hope we have in your Son, Jesus Christ. He has won the victory over sin and death. He has triumphed over Satan. He has saved us and given us a living hope, through his resurrection from the dead. We look to you for a senior pastor who will lead us and serve you so that we may celebrate and share your word of hope. Guide us as we consider the men on this list. Bless us with patience, grace, unity, courage, and joy in this process. Give us your wisdom and guide us to the one you know to be our next senior pastor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen