Conspiracy

I am all geared up to teach Sunday School this coming week.  We, me and anywhere from two to 15 kids, are studying Acts.  This week our story is taken from Acts 23:12-33.  An oath by 40 men is taken to kill Paul before ever eating again (not an oath I would ever be tempted to take... I have harbored murder in my heart but the thought of not eating would put me off this particular oath).  Their plot, we read is to ambush Paul before they ever taste food again!  Paul's nephew discovers the evil plan and secretly reveals the conspiracy to the local Tribune (ancient Roman leader) subsequently the Tribune orders that 200 soldiers, 200 spearmen, and 70 horsemen are to travel with Paul.  Paul, a prisoner, is even to be given a horse to ride.  They are to journey through the night to a higher court.  It is riveting stuff.  Full of espionage, ambush and conspiracy.

However, worse is the conspiracy of the Sunday School curriculum.  The curriculum states that I should teach, from this story, that we should do good to others.  For example, be kind to your sister, share a toy, obey your mom and dad.  That is the SINGULAR application.  I am not to read the story from the Word but simply say that the nephew obeyed God and this was good because Paul was saved.  This leads us to the application obey your mom and dad, a popular application found in almost all stories of Acts according to this curriculum.

I believe it is a conspiracy.  A conspiracy to keep kids out of the Word.  To stop them from thinking about who God is and who Christ is in them.  The applications of the curriculum acan be found in scripture but are they found in the text?  When you read verse 11 a beautiful tapestry unfolds in this story hand written for small boys with a heart for adventure.   

.......... the night after Paul is taken into Roman custody "The Lord stood by [Paul] and said, "Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.""

God gives Paul a charge and then in a powerful, intricate, exciting tale God shows His will will not be thwarted by any man.  He calls Paul to courage and then gives him FOUR HUNDRED and SEVENTY ARMED (and dangerous) MEN.  470 men seems a little overkill against a mere 40 hungry men but God in his might and his wonderful awesome power shows his hand.  No weapon formed against Paul will stand until God himself allows it.  

I want to call the little 5 year old girl sporting pink and heels, the rascally boy with the biggest brown eyes and curly mop, another with a huge toothless grin and a heart to belt out all the songs, and the young man who comes to Sunday School so he doesn't have to sit in the service, I want to call them to COURAGE.  Courage in a God who is Sovereign and Good.  I want them to see that God's plan is good and cannot, even by 40 hungry men, be thwarted.  

Have courage today.  Maybe God called you to something difficult long ago or yesterday or today.  That same God who called you is faithful!  Don't forget that promise in the face of all that may conspire against you.  God has not deserted you.  He is moving on your behalf for your good and for the glory of His name to be spread! 

Oh and by the way..... Honor your parents.