The End of the Day

I have returned home from a day with a Walk to Emmaus. I'm tired -- but it's a good tired. Now I have to get ready for my sermon tomorow morning. I'm going to preach on Acts 5:27-32.
I want to concentrate on the words "We must obey God rather than any human authority" (v. 29)

I wrote the following poem which I will pass out to those in attendance before I preach.

We Must Obey God Rather Than Humans
By Larry R. Linville
Acts 5:27-32

Which side would we have been on
As the Apostles were chastised by the authorities?
It wasn’t the government arresting them.
It was the church leaders
The good guys
Those who represented God.

They thought they had handled it with Jesus dead
But now his followers were carrying on.
We have to put a stop to this.
Let’s nip it in the bud.
Don’t let it gain momentum.
We’ll lock them up and scare them.
Let them know we mean business
Make an example of them.

They had to protect God from these misfits.
But they didn’t know that God was not impressed
By their dedication to what they called the Truth.
God sent angels to unlock the jail doors.
And the next morning
They were back.
Here’s Johnny! --- or rather Here’s Peter.

Both sides thought they were serving God.
Those leaders didn’t realize
Their traditions had become their god.
Obedience is good
But obedience to what
Or to whom?

We must, Peter answered,
Obey God rather than human authority.
We are witnesses
And so is the Holy Spirit.

Through the ages the church has stood in this place.
Luther and Calvin and Wesley.
What will happen if they have followers?
Yet today the descendants
Of Luther and Calvin and Wesley
Are upset at others who have come along.
What about James Jones and his Kool Aid gang?
And David Koresch and Waco crowd?
The radical right and the radical left
The non-denominational denominations?

If we “must obey God”
Why do we disagree so much?
Do we witness only to what we believe?
Or do we witness along with the Holy Spirit
Given to all who obey God?

Larry Linville