Acts 28:26-28

The anti-Christian Jews were spiritually sick. They did not need an ear or eye specialist; they needed a cardiologist. Their inability to hear and believe was not a hearing problem. Their inability to see was not the result of damaged eyesight. Their calloused heart was the root cause of their failure to hear and understand the gospel. They could not see the truth because they would not open their eyes. They did not want to see and hear the truth. Their heart’s desires were not set on God; they had set their desires on the things of the world.

Knowing this, the early church and Paul had a decision to make. They had to decide where to invest the greatest portion of their energy and resources in spreading the gospel. In the beginning, the church was almost completely a congregation of Jewish believers. The non-believing Jews were their family, friends and fellow citizens. They had an emotional investment in leading the ones they loved into salvation. In spite of their emotions, Paul and the leaders of the church listened to God and were obedient. They invested the largest percentage of the church resources in missions and outreach to the gentile world.

Today, people in America most closely parallel the spiritual condition of the anti-Christian Jews. They have grown up in a country rich in Christian traditions. Many attended church in their youth, and have family members who are Christian. Yet, it is as if they are deaf and blind.

The gospel is not hard to understand and the truth is not hard to see. Christ is easy to find; He seeks out the lost. They do not see or hear because they have the same heart problem the Jews had. They have set their hearts on the things the world.

The church has a decision to make. Where are we going to focus our ministry? Do we focus on reaching the unchurched, or those who are already actively rejecting the gospel? Would today’s church make it out of Jerusalem?