Read Acts 19:30-41. 

 "But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians" (v. 34).

    Mob mentality is not a new concept! There are a couple of characteristics of this phenomenon seen both in our text and our society. First, it leaves those in its grasp much less inclined to think logically and independently. Second, it creates the illusion that the smaller group is the enemy. Mob mentality was active in the Ephesus of our text and is often seen in the protests that take place in American cities.

But before we condemn those who give us to such reasonless actions, let's remember that church history is full of examples when people who called themselves the church committed atrocities and justified them either with misused Bible texts or church governing rules. Even in Jesus' day, the Sanhedrin declared, "We have a law, and by our law, he ought to die" (John 19:7).

It is easy when someone upsets the "status quo" for mob mentality to take over, and for the larger group to take actions that are neither necessary nor logical or biblical. The church should stand against sin, but it should also stand against mob mentality!

"Lord, help me not to condemn anyone today simply because my group does!

Help me instead to exercise righteous judgment" (John 7:24). (Gordon L. Snider)