“I am afraid we are in danger of being charged with rioting by the Roman government, since there is no cause for all this commotion. And if Rome demands an explanation, we won’t know what to say.”
Acts 19:40 (NLT)
In the middle of all the commotion in the amphitheater, the mayor finally turns the volume down enough to speak sense into the crowd. He tells them the temple of Artemis is not threatened. These Christians have not stolen from it, damaged it, or spoken publicly against their goddess. They were not known for what they were against. These believers were known for what they were for.
That struck me. These believers spoke the yes of God instead of building their lives around the no of other religions. When we taste and see that the Lord is good, everything else starts to lose its flavor. If we have good news, we do not have to make everything else look bad to convince people the Gospel is true. The good news can do that work. If we preach the yes of God, the no’s will work themselves out.
The mayor warns the crowd that Rome could charge them with rioting because there is no cause for all this commotion. If someone demanded an explanation, they would have no good answer. And I heard the Lord in that phrase. If we just believe in Jesus, there is no reason for a riot. We are not left in the chaos of the world. We become one family in Christ, one body, unified by our faith. We know why we are here on earth. We have purpose, clarity, a new vision for life, and an answer when the world demands an explanation of our faith.
When we believe in Jesus, the commotion of this world begins to cease, wane, dim, and fade away. Our hope is not in the crowd, the noise, the news, the workplace, or the confusion around us. Our hope is in a person, Jesus Christ. When we confess Him as Lord and put all our trust, focus, and love in Him, we do not need to join the riot. So say yes to God today. Put your hope in Jesus, make Him King of your heart, and do not worry about all the commotion in the world.