We Cannot Stop

But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” [Acts 4.19-20] 

Want to know the difference between a saved person and an unsaved person? Peter and John summed it up nicely: “We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” 

It's one thing to purposefully do a thing. Many of us are aware that some things we do are the result of painful and persistent discipline. But, it's another thing altogether to do something simply because you cannot stop.

It is not uncommon to hear people trapped by vices and addictions say, "I cannot stop..." and most of us understand that condition in some way or another. However, there are precious few people who have, before they know what they have done, blurted out the marvelous Good News of Jesus.

There is a reason a person with vices and addictions cannot stop: that person first gave themselves to that vice or addiction by experimenting with it. "I cannot stop" is only the uncontrollable rest of the story that started with a willful first drink, first bite, first pill, first injection, first look, or first etcetera.

Peter's and John's willful first thing was following Jesus: they yielded to what they had seen and heard. So powerful was what they yielded to that it took control of their lives: "We cannot stop..."

Is it possible that seeing and hearing Jesus does not affect everyone the same way? Is it possible that some can experiment with Jesus and not become addicted to the point of no control? Our human experience would answer this question, "yes." However, in the case of Jesus Christ, we are not talking about human experience: we are talking about God With Us. Only the slightest willful yielding to Him is enough to eternally change a person - to "addict" them for eternity.

Now, it should be understood that "going to the party" does not necessarily mean "taking the drugs or alcohol." I hesitate to continue with such a base comparison, but it quite effectively illustrates the person who goes to church but does not really see or hear Jesus. The "churchgoer" who has neither seen nor heard Jesus will never say, "I cannot stop," regarding telling about Jesus because, frankly, they are not "under His control."

What would prevent a person who goes to church from seeing or hearing Jesus?

Ready for this answer? God!

But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in him. This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted: “Lord, who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?” But the people couldn’t believe, for as Isaiah also said, “The Lord has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts— so that their eyes cannot see, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and have me heal them.” [John 12.37-40] 

WHAT?!!?

Yes, it's true. The Word says it - that's the way it is. But why? The answer is also very much in the Word and it starts with idols:

“You must not have any other god but me. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. [Exodus 20,3-7]

Having idols and misusing the LORD's name specifies there will be consequences. The Psalms details the consequences:

Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 115.4-8]

The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have  mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and mouths but cannot breathe. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 135.15-18] 

A person will never see or hear Jesus and be forever changed until He (as God With Us, Immanuel) is looked upon singularly (no other god, no idols...) and purely (no misuse of His name, attributing His work to idols (i.e. "God uses debt, insurance, medicine, technology, etc.")).

There is much to digest here, but every scripture stated clearly implicates the powerless Church today as idolatrous. 

Few have actually seen and heard Jesus thus revealing the "We cannot stop" tell-tale signs of addiction to Him:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

As God With Us, Jesus' all-or-nothing approach should come as no surprise. Again,

“You must not have any other god but me. [Exodus 20.3]

"Giving up our own way" is tough, ...unless, of course, we have so seen and heard Jesus to the point that, "We cannot stop..."

It seems safe to say the Church today has some seeing and hearing to do. HOWEVER, that seeing and hearing is effectively and unapologetically blocked by God not only because of our trust in idols, but because we attribute those idols' benefits to God.

The sad truth is, the only thing we struggle with is that "we cannot stop" trusting our idols! Bob Dylan was right when he sang: "it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord, but you gonna serve somebody."

Father, Your Word is clear. The only thing I find myself unable to stop is my trust in idols... How long will You put up with me? May my heart be radically transformed and dedicated to Jesus and Jesus ALONE. So be it.