Divine Compulsion

Divine Compulsion

For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

Acts 4:20

As we continue to consider how Christ uses us to accomplish His greater Purpose, we come to consider how the disciples spoke the message of Christ during the days which followed Pentecost. What is quite fascinating, is that these ‘uneducated and untrained,’ men were speaking Christ in spite of all the threatenings of the religious authorities. ‘So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.’ Our text is part of the disciples’ response. Let us concentrate on this portion today: ‘For we cannot but speak….’ The disciples are reflecting a Divine Compulsion. They had ‘seen and heard’ life-transforming things because ‘they had been with Jesus.’ The Message which they preached was Christ Himself. This was what compelled them to continue in the face of all opposition. In essence, they were saying, ‘We have to do this, not because we are being forced, but because it has changed us, and will change the world. Christ is the answer to every question that is worth asking.’  For us, this Message is exactly the same. It has not changed in the intervening years. There is no other message that supercedes it. We who have seen Christ clearly are also Divinely compelled. We also can say, ‘we cannot but speak.’ Christ lays before us opportunity after opportunity to make much of Him. We have a high privilege and a holy compulsion. Now is our hour. Here is our field. The world is our audience.

Our Good and Glorious God,
we praise You that Your Message will go forth to the ends of the earth.
We rejoice that we have the high and holy privilege of making Christ known
and that You, by Your Holy Spirit, compel us so to do.

Tomm Tice
Where The Bush is Burning