Day 315, or November the 11th. You are free to
choose or refuse. Our thoughts today come from
Acts chapter 28, verse 24. Some were convinced
by what he said, but others would not believe.
And now the big picture surrounding this verse.
The last two chapters are part of the 'we sections'
of Acts. So called because the writer, Luke,
includes himself in the narrative that proves
he was there with Paul and the others. He tells
us that on their way to Rome for Paul's trial
before Caesar, they are shipwrecked off the coast
of Malta, where Paul makes quite an impression
for Christ before the crew, his captors, and
the local Maltese people. They continue their
journey to Rome with a few days on the island
of Sicily, and a brief stop on the southern tip
of Italy, before sailing north and on to Rome.
Luke's record closes abruptly with Paul under
house arrest in Rome. The fact he fails to record
Paul's trial and subsequent death indicates Acts
was written as early as AD 62. And now for our
action step for today. As we reach the end of
this record of the expansion of the early church
and the acts of some of the apostles, especially
Peter and Paul, there is real sadness in our
verse today. Luke records the visit of a group
of leading Jews to debate with Paul from his
house prison in Rome. Luke tells us that some
were convinced and believed, but that others
would not believe. Not that they were not convinced,
but that they would not believe. Whichever you
look at, it's tinged with the tragedy that these
men came so close, but missed out. Back in 1973,
I was in London for a business meeting, the day
before the FA Cup final, between First Division
high -flyers Leeds United and my struggling Second
Division team, Sunderland. A colleague suggested
staying in London and trying to get tickets.
I didn't think Sunderland would win, so I refused.
Lack of faith. Amazingly, Sunderland won 1 -0,
but I wasn't there. I missed out. Don't miss
out on the far more important prize of salvation,
like Paul's Jewish hearers did. Why not listen
to day 21 again?