Illustration results for acts 24

Suggest a Scripture Reference

GUARDRAILS

A guardrail is actually a system designed to keep vehicles from straying into dangerous or off-limit areas. Now, nobody pays attention to guardrails unless you need one. There are all different kinds of guardrails, but guardrails are that invisible part of our driving experience. We’re glad they’re there when we need them, but for the most part, we pay no attention to them.

You generally find guardrails in one of three areas. You find guardrails on bridges, because on a bridge there’s very, very little margin for error. You also find them in medians to keep us from where we’re very, very close to people moving in the opposite direction. The closer we are to people who are moving in the opposite direction, the
more we need protection. The third area where you find guardrails, specifically, is around curves--unexpected changes in roadside conditions.

Now the really interesting thing about guardrails is that, generally speaking, guardrails are not actually located in
the most dangerous part of the road. Guardrails are actually located and constructed in areas where you could actually drive, if you think about it. The point of a guardrail isn’t to say, don’t drive on this particular piece of real estate. The point of a guardrail is it’s the piece of real estate just beyond the guardrail that’s a point of danger: oncoming traffic, curves, mountainsides, edges of bridges, or whatever it might be. So, generally speaking, guardrails are actually constructed in areas where theoretically and actually you could drive, but guardrails are there to keep us from moving into an area where there’s actual danger.

But when it comes to guardrails, nobody really argues the point and says, Hey, I don’t know why they put guardrails around the edge of the bridge. They need to take the guardrails off, because actually I could drive closer to the edge of the bridge if they would just move the
silly guardrails. We understand in driving that there needs to be some margin for error. The theory behind a guardrail is that you will do less damage to your body, and even in some cases less damage to your car, if you hit a guardrail than if you actually hit what was on the other side
of the guardrail, or if you actually went off the side of something that would cause damage to you or your car. So the whole idea is it’s okay to cause a little bit of damage in order to keep you from creating and experiencing a lot of damage, either to your physical body or to your car. So
that’s kind of the idea behind a guardrail.

The truth is, your greatest regret relationally--your greatest regret financially, your greatest regret morally, your greatest regret ethically, maybe professionally--chances are your greatest regret could have been avoided. And if you think of it in terms of driving, that ditch that you went off into, that cliff that you rolled off into relationally, however you want to describe it, your greatest regret could probably have been avoided and would probably have been avoided if you had had some guardrails in your area, in your life financially, morally, relationally, in your marriage, in your parenting, in your whole perspective on authority, whatever it might be. So
what we want to do is just take this very, very common imagery of the guardrail and apply it to several areas of our lives.

Now, our definition for guardrail is going to go like this, here’s the new definition: We’re going to talk about a guardrail in terms of a standard of behavior. This is your personal standard of behavior that becomes a matter of conscience.

(From a sermon by Andy Stanley, Direct and Protect, 8/23/2011)

View linked Sermon

POLYCARP(2nd Century)

Can you imagine what it was like for the church in Smyrna as they watched their beloved and aged pastor burn at the stake? Polycarp was his name. he was a disciple of Jesus’ disciple, the Apostle John. One could tell it immediately because he possessed the same tenderness and compassion as his mentor.

Polycarp was Bishop of the church at Smyrna (present day Turkey). Persecution broke out in Smyrna and many Christians were fed to the wild beasts in the arena. The godless and bloodthirsty crowd called for the carcass of the leader – Polycarp.

The authorities sent a search party to find him. He had been taken into hiding for some Christians but the Romans tortured two young believers until they finally disclosed his location. When the authorities arrival was announced there was still time to whisk Polycarp away but he refused to go saying, “God’s will be done.”

In one of the most touching instances of Christian grace imaginable Polycarp welcome his captors as if they were friends. He talked with them and insisted they eat a meal. Ha made only one request before being taken away – he asked for one hour to pray. The Roman soldiers listened to his prayer. Their hearts melted and they gave him 2 hours to pray. They had second thoughts as well and were overheard asking each other why they were sent to arrest him?

Other authorities also experienced a warmed heart when Polycarp arrived. The Proconsul tried to find a way to release him too. “curse God and I will let you go!” he pleaded.

Polycarp’s reply was: “For eighty-six years I have served him. He has never done me wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King was has saved me?”

The Proconsul again looked for a way out. “The do this old man, just swear by the spirit of the emperor and that will be sufficient.’

Polycarp’s reply was: “If you imagine for a moment that I would do that, then I think you pretend that you don’t know who I am. Hear it plainly. I am a Christian.”

More entreaties by the Proconsul

Polycarp stood firm.

The proconsul threatened with the wild beasts.

Polycarp’s reply was: “Bring them forth. I would...

Continue reading with a Free PRO Subscription...