Bread of His Presence is a ministry centered around leading people into the life-giving presence of God in and through vibrant Biblical teaching, prayer, and active discipleship with the aim of ministering to a world that is in desperate need of the healing touch of Jesus Christ. Every week we broadcast an all-new 15 minute show on KGNW The Word Seattle (820AM) at 1:15pm and on AM1300 The Answer at 8:15pm, hosted by senior pastor and Bible teacher Pastor Cameron Ury. Be sure to subscribe to the Bread of His Presence Podcast and visit us at BreadofHisPresence.org.

The ministry of Bread of His Presence is centered around bringing ourselves and leading others into the life-giving presence of God in and through Bible study, prayer, and ministering to a world that is in desperate need of the healing touch of Jesus Christ.

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Hello and welcome to the show today! It is such a pleasure to have you with us again today as we study the Word of God together.

The Voyage For Rome— You will remember in our study of the book of Acts that Paul has recently stood trial before Governor Festus in Caesarea. And (not getting justice) Paul has been forced to appeal to Caesar. And so he’s going to be transferred to Rome to be tried in Caesar’s court. And so he’s put on board a ship along with Luke and Aristarchus (two men who supported him in ministry); and the ship (which is carrying a bunch of prisoners) sets sail for Rome. And they make a number of stops and change ships at a place called Myra. And from there they continue on their way; but are met with adverse winds that eventually drive them to a port called Fair Havens. From their they wanted to reach Phoenix, which would be a better place to winter in. But Paul warns the captain and Julius (the Roman centurion) not to continue, predicting disaster if they do. However, they don’t listen to him and choose to proceed anyways. And in so doing they get caught in a violent, tempestuous storm known as Euroclydon. And for two harrowing weeks they battle this storm. Now most of the men think they are going to die. And dying at sea was something sailors were terrified of because it was believed that if you died at sea, your soul would never find its way to rest in the realm of the dead; and would wander aimlessly over the surface of the waters in which you had perished. Not a great quality of afterlife to look forward to (at least in their minds), which is why before sailors would set out to sea, they would always offer sacrifices to the gods for special protection. And so we see here that they are absolutely terrified. But there is a person among them who is not afraid: Paul. Paul is calm and courageous in the midst of that storm. And, that is one of the marks of true Christians, by the way.

Moravians Unafraid— You know, it’s interesting. [When John Wesley was on his voyage to North America as a missionary from England, his ship encountered a terrible storm, so bad that they feared for their lives. The English immigrants on the ship were shrieking with fear. Wesley examined himself, as he usually did in all circumstances, “and found to his horror that he was afraid, mortally afraid of dying.” But a group of Moravian Christians from Germany were singing hymns amidst the storm. After the storm had subsided, Wesley went to one of them and asked, “Were you not afraid?” The man replied, “I thank God, no!” Wesley persisted, “But were not your women and children afraid?” “No,” came the reply, “our women and children are not afraid to die.” This experience had a profound influence on Wesley, and these and other Moravians had a big part to play in his subsequent experience of evangelical conversion that sparked off the eighteenth-century revival in England.] The reason many of us are Christians today is because a handful of Christians chose (in the midst of a storm) to live by faith and not by fear.

Faith In God’s Promise— And so Paul was not afraid to die. But he was also courageous for another reason; and that was that he knew that he (and every person on board that ship) were going to live. Paul (after telling them “I told you so!”) encourages them by telling them that an angel came to him and was going to preserve him and enable him to complete his mission. And the angel told him that He had granted to him the lives of those who were with him. And from here on out, Paul directs them until (as he predicts) they run aground, are wrecked on an island, and make their way onto the beach. And that is where our story today picks up. It says in…

Acts 28:1 (NKJV)— 1 Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta.

Malta— Now [Malta was {an island that was} part of the Roman province of Sicily and was located about 60 miles south of that island near the toe of Italy.] It [was known as Melita by the Greeks and Romans.] But the name Malta literally means “refuge”. And that is fitting, because it really was a refuge for them in this time of crisis. It says in…

Acts 28:2 (NKJV)— 2 And the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold.

Barbarians— Now the word “natives” or “islanders” (as your translation may say) is literally “barbarians”. Now before images of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Conan the Barbarian come to mind, the word “barbarian” was a term used by Greeks for all non-Greek speaking people. So I think most of you (no offense) are just a bunch of barbarians. You don’t speak Greek. And neither did these natives of Malta. But that doesn’t mean they were uncivilized tribesmen or anything like that. They just didn’t speak Greek. They were actually [Phoenician in their ancestry and used a Phoenician dialect, although they were otherwise thoroughly Romanized.] But we see that these “barbarians” show them kindness. [It was raining and cold at the end of October or the beginning of November.] And so these natives make a fire for these shipwrecked men, who had probably been cold for some time (even before the shipwreck). And it says in…

Acts 28:3a (NKJV)— 3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, {In other words, Paul gets busy, seeking to help with the task at hand.}

Unhelpful People— Now let me ask you. Have you ever been part of a work group where there was that one person who (for some reason or other) would simply not do anything? Maybe they were a part of your project group at school and didn’t pull their weight but still got a good grade because of everybody else’s work? They weren’t really very helpful. I don’t know if you’ve been in a situation like that before, but it can be very frustrating.

Media’s Portrayal of Christians— Well, that’s how the media often portrays Christians. Christians are sometimes nice, but are almost always close-minded, uneducated, and often so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good, if you know what I mean. They aren’t wise; and are often absolutely useless in real emergencies. Now those media producers would have a hard time reporting on or making a film about Paul because [Paul did not fit into this stereotype, nor did Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, Daniel, Mordecai, Nehemiah, or a host of others known for both their wisdom and their godliness.] And what we see about Paul is that he dives right into the manual labor of doing what needs to be done. Now he didn’t have to. He could have sat this one out. He had so much respect from the men at this point, he probably could have asked for a throne and they would have made him one. But he doesn’t do that.

Too Little Work— I read recently of how [A personnel manager rejected a job applicant because the firm was overstaffed. But the would-be employee persisted, "The little bit of work I'd do won't even be noticed!”] Now sadly, that is how a lot of people live. But true followers of Christ are not that way. And Paul certainly wasn’t. He dives right in to help with the manual labor, despite everything he had already done.

Moody’s Servanthood— You know, [One rainy day, a man accompanied by two women arrived at Northfield, hoping to enroll his daughter in D. L. Moody’s school for young women. The three needed help in getting their luggage from the railway depot to the hotel, so the visitor “drafted” a rather common-looking man with a horse and wagon, assuming he was a local cabby. The “cabby” said he was waiting for students, but the visitor ordered him to take them to the hotel. The visitor was shocked when the “cabby” did not charge him, and was even more shocked to discover that the “cabby” was D. L. Moody himself! Moody was a leader because he knew how to be a servant.] Well, that’s Paul.

A Strong Work Ethic— And you know. That ought to be you and me as well. When people look at us, they ought to see people who are willing to be servants to others and who are not strangers to hard work; people who are always seeking for the next right thing to do and then doing whatever that is faithfully, to the best of our ability and for the glory of God.

“…no earthly good”— Now there have been Christians who were (as they say) “so heavenly minded that they were of no earthly good.” But that is really antithetical to the kind of godliness we find in scripture. Even Jesus (God in the flesh) new what hard labor was and set Himself to it diligently. And we see that with Paul, who supported himself for much of his ministry with his tent-making. He didn’t want to be a burden on anybody. He didn’t have that laid back mentality.

Not Just The Spiritual Stuff— I had a young man recently communicated to me that he felt limited in his spiritual walk. He couldn’t devote all his time to prayer and Bible study and ministry and that kind of thing because he has a fulltime job and a wife and kids. And so he doesn’t have a lot of time for the super spiritual stuff. And God led me immediately to correct him (in love of course) because his perspective was wrong. I told him that we are often tempted to think that God cares only about the spiritual stuff. But that is not true. God can be just as glorified in the daily grind as He is during those moments when you are doing Bible study, prayer, or ministry. Now it’s important to find those times two focus on the spiritual things, but how you carry yourself at work and how you devote yourself to the tasks you are given bears great testimony of your faith in the Lord. And God is just as present and can be just as actively working through you while you were at work as He is when you are by yourself doing the “spiritual stuff.”

And so I want to encourage you today to devote yourself to your work. Whatever God has given to you to do, do it faithfully so that when people will look at you they will have respect and admiration and will see in your life the very reflection of Jesus. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to the show today! It is such a pleasure to have you with us again today as we study the Word of God together. Now you will remember, if you’ve been with us, that in our study of the book of Acts, we have come to Paul’s being shipped off as a prisoner to Rome. Luke and Aristarchus went with him to to be a support to him and to suffer with him for the sake of Christ. They change ships at Myra and eventually come to a small port called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. Now they want to move on, but the season for sailing is now over; and continuing on their journey would be perilous. And so it Paul advises them to wait. They don’t listen and set sail anyways. And not long after that the worst thing imaginable happens to them. They are caught in a deadly, typhoon-like storm known as Euroclydon. And they do everything they can to weather the storm. But is says in…

Acts 27:18-21 (NKJV)— 18 And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship. {So they are throwing overboard all unnecessary gear and cargo in order to lighten the ship.} 19 On the third day we threw the ship’s tackle overboard with our own hands. 20 Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days {(once again, meaning no navigation)}, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up. {But it is at this point that we see the turning point of the story, as it says in…} 21 But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss.

Told Ya So!—Don’t you hate it when somebody says, “It told you so!”? That’s never easy to hear. But Paul, though he does say, “I told you so!”, he is saying it only because he wants the men to see that they need to start listening to him. He doesn’t rub their nose in it. No, instead he offers them a word of encouragement; but a word of encouragement that doesn’t come from him, but once that had been spoken to him by God Himself. And it is here that Paul’s chains begin to pull their faces upwards towards God. He’s says…

Acts 27:22-26 (NKJV)— 22 And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, 24 saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. 26 However, we must run aground on a certain island.”

Reflecting Hope— And so Paul tells of this [last of six visions …{he}… received as recorded by Luke (cf. 9:3-6; 16:9-10; 18:9-10; 22:17-18; 23:11).] And personally this vision must have meant so much to Paul. Often when Paul was going through intense circumstances, God would send him a word of encouragement through a vision. And now is one of those times, and so God gives him a message, reaffirming the promise that Jesus Himself had made to Paul in 23:11; but I love how Paul doesn’t view this vision as just his word of encouragement. No, he shares it with the rest of his shipmates. He receives hope from God but also reflects that into the lives of those who also need to hear it. And that is a great model for the Christian life, by the way. You and I need to be more than receivers from God; we need to be channels of grace; reflectors of grace in people’s lives. Whatever you have been given, whether financially or educationally or spiritually is not meant for you alone. It is meant to be shared. And in sharing it, you will also be blessed.

Granted to Paul— Now I also find it interesting that the angel tells Paul God has granted you all those who sail with you., which shows that the lives of these sailors was a real concern for Paul. And that leads to my next point, which is that the angel is making it very clear that the reason they are being preserved is because of Paul and his mission; and God’s intention of helping him to complete that mission. Paul is the only reason they are going to be spared; and not by whit or cunning, but by the Almighty hand of God. Had Paul been on another ship rather than this one, this ship would have perished. And what you need to see here is how God is establishing Paul as the means of their physical salvation.

Take heart, men, for I believe God—Now note how Paul models what we are supposed to do when God speaks. He tells the rest of the men on board in verse 25: Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. He has absolute faith and trust in God and knows, without a shadow of a doubt that God will be faithful to keep His promises: take heart, men, for I believe God…. I just love that. Here is a man who is in the midst of turmoil, but isn’t himself in turmoil. To borrow the words of a famous hymn, he’s “leaning on the everlasting arms”. And what you absolutely cannot miss about this (I mean, it’s so powerful and yet so obvious) is how his faith creates faith in those around him. He becomes an anchor for these men stronger than any other anchor these men are frantically trying to use (and we’ll see eventually lose). And what you to take from this is the reality that your being anchored in faith and trust in God can be a source of encouragement to others. And that’s a theme we will come back to. But when you are strong in the Lord; when you know who you are, what your purpose is, and have assurance in God’s plans for you, you are like a lighthouse in a world just as dark as this tempest. People will be drawn to you; people will come to trust and follow you and may even come to faith through you.

Acts 27:27-29 (NKJV)— 27 Now when the fourteenth night had come {(meaning the fourteenth night from when they had set out from Fair Havens)}, as we were driven up and down in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors sensed that they were drawing near some land. {(This was probably because they started hearing waves hitting the shore.)} 28 And they took soundings {(which they did with a weight attached to a length of rope with markings on it, by which they could measure the depth of the sea after the weight would hit the bottom. So they did this…)} and found it to be twenty fathoms {(or 120 feet)}; and when they had gone a little farther, they took soundings again and found it to be fifteen fathoms {(or 90 feet)}. 29 Then, fearing lest we should run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern {(And the reason they dropped the anchors was in order to help hold this ship in place, but also to keep the bow pointed toward the shore. But that’s not all they did. It says they dropped the four anchors)}, and prayed for day to come.

No More Prayer Needed— Now who’s praying? Not Paul; the text doesn’t tell us he was praying at all at this point. Now he may have been. But verse 27 has identified the ones engaging in all these actions as being the sailors. I honestly don’t think Paul was praying at this point; or if he was, he certainly not asking God to move on behalf of the situation. Why? Because God has already told him what’s going to happen and Paul already has said he believes in God. You see, Paul is a man of faith; he’s not going to keep frantically praying for something God has already promised him. I think Paul is completely and utterly at peace. These other men are frantically beseeching their gods to act. But Paul knows that (because of God’s promise) this ship has now become invincible, as indestructible as God Himself; because God Has made a promise. Now let me ask you, how sure are you about the promises of God? How deeply do you trust in them? God never goes back on His word. And if He has a plan and a purpose for you, as long as you remain obedient at faithful to Him, He will bring that plan and purpose to completion. All you have to do is keep following Him. Now, contrast this kind of faith-filled, assured way of living with what we see in the very next verse, as it says…

Acts 27:30-40 (NKJV)— 30 And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, when they had let down the skiff into the sea, under pretense of putting out anchors from the prow {(which would have provided additional stability for the ship)}, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the skiff and let it fall off.

33 And as day was about to dawn, Paul implored them all to take food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have waited and continued without food, and eaten nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take nourishment, for this is for your survival, since not a hair will fall from the head of any of you.” 35 And when he had said these things, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it he began to eat. 36 Then they were all encouraged, and also took food themselves. 37 And in all we were two hundred and seventy-six persons on the ship. 38 So when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship and threw out the wheat into the sea.

39 When it was day, they did not recognize the land; but they observed a bay with a beach, onto which they planned to run the ship if possible. 40 And they let go the anchors and left them in the sea, meanwhile loosing the rudder ropes; and they hoisted the mainsail to the wind and made for shore. 41 But striking a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the violence of the waves.

42 And the soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim away and escape. {And that was [because they knew Roman military law. If a prisoner escaped, the soldier or guard would be liable for the punishment of the one who escaped.] Well, that would certainly meant death for them. However, it says…} 43 But the centurion, wanting to save Paul, kept them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get to land, 44 and the rest, some on boards and some on parts of the ship. And so it was that they all escaped safely to land. {And so God we see that God did indeed keep His promise to Paul and the sailors.}

Anchors Found— Now for many years it was believed that all this happened at what is now St. John’s Bay. But for a number geographical reasons, this is likely not the case. But because of the incredibly exacting detail with which Luke records these events, a team of researchers was able to pinpoint the most likely location as actually being St. Thomas Bay. And sure enough, four first-century lead anchors had been found there. Now the divers who first found them didn’t realize what they had found and, over the years, [two of the anchors had been melted down for use in scuba-diving weight belts, and a third was lost—to a place unknown.] But [the fourth anchor was preserved as a part of a deceased diver’s legacy to his widow.] And there is a very strong case that this is indeed one of the anchors. Now we don’t know for sure; perhaps we’ll never know. But what we do know is that that anchor was not what saved the ship; it was the hand of God. And the true anchor for the men on board was the faith of Paul. Paul (because of his faith) was an anchor for those men. But you know, that’s pretty typical.

Anchors for Others— Have you ever noticed how, when times of crisis come in the lives of lost people, it is Christians who step in (or are sought out) as persons who can provide stability and offer answers. The reality is that people look to Christians when times get tough; Christians who have confidence and assurance; Christians who are anchored in Christ and are therefore anchors for other people. That is the central point of this passage; not that Paul simply took leadership but that people came to trust him and follow him because God was speaking though him telling him what would happen and then how things would go after those very things happened. The unsaved crew came to understand that their very lives depended on their following Paul’s instructions to a “T”. Through Paul, they would be delivered. And that was true spiritually as well. Their lives were headed for shipwreck, eternally. And Paul was the bearer of instruction on how to be delivered from THAT shipwreck. And God used this scenario to open their ears not just to yield control of the helm of the ship to God, but to make them also open to hear what Paul had to offer them spiritually as well.

Now what you and I are to take from this story is this: If you are close to Jesus, you are going to find people coming to you. They won’t always ask questions (they may not even know what questions they should ask you). They may not even understand why they find you an anchor for them or a person they want to be around. But (for some reason) they know their life is better with you in it. And the signature mark of a Christian is to allow these kinds of people to come to you or (like Jesus often did) seek those people out; because lost people who find you to be an anchor for them will often not even have the sense to come to you.

Our People— William Booth (founder of the Salvation Army) said “Go straight for souls, and go for the worst.” And that’s why [One Sunday evening, William Booth was walking in London with his son, Bramwell, who was then 12 or 13 years old. The father surprised the son by taking him into a saloon! The place was crowded with men and women, many of them bearing on their faces the marks of vice and crime; some were drunk. The fumes of alcohol and tobacco were poisonous. "Willie," Booth said to his son, "These are our people; these are the people I want you to live for and bring to Christ." Years later, Bramwell Booth wrote, "The impression never left me."]

In Their Midst— The reality is that there are people all around us who are shipwrecking their lives. And after they hit the rocks, the don’t even know how to get back up on their feet and pick up the pieces. And what they need are people like you and me to be Paul’s in their midst. To bring into their midst the hands and feet of Christ; to be anchors who will keep them from washing away and point them to He who can be anchors for their souls. Let’s be anchors for people so that through us they may come to faith in Christ. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to the show today! It is such a pleasure to have you with us again today as we study the Word of God together. In our study of the book of Acts, you will remember that Paul has recently stood trial before Festus in Caesarea. And (not getting justice) Paul has been forced to appeal to Caesar. And so he’s going to be transferred to Rome to be tried in Caesar’s court. And so it says in our passage today in…Acts 27:1 (NKJV)— 1 And when it was decided that we should sail to Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to one named Julius, a centurion of the Augustan Regiment. Luke Returns— Now the word “we” here in the opening verse signals to us that Luke (who has been absent since 21:18) has now re-joined Paul and is accompanying him on this journey. Luke [had likely been living near Caesarea so he could care for Paul during his imprisonment.] But now he is with him again on his voyage to Rome. And you know, that can make all the difference in your life when you go through a trying time; somebody to walk with you. He’s kind of to Paul what Samwise Gamgee was to Frodo in Lord of The Rings. He was willing to walk with him through the worst of circumstances out of love for Paul. And it must have been such a strength to Paul to have Luke there with him. Now we see here that Paul is just one of many prisoners being transported to Rome. Some of these other prisoners may have appealed to Caesar like Paul did, or it could also be that these were prisoners were under the sentence of death and were therefore on their way to Rome to die as combatants in the Colosseum. We don’t know for sure. But it says in…Acts 27:2 (NKJV)—2 So, entering a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, meaning to sail along the coasts of Asia. {[Adramyttium was a city on the northwest coast of Asia Minor (modern Turkey) near Troas, where the centurion planned to find a ship sailing to Italy.] And it also says…} Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us.Aristarchus— Now if you don’t remember Aristarchus, he was the Christian who [had been dragged {by the crowd} into the theater at the beginning of the riot in Ephesus (19:29; 20:4; Philemon 1:24)] [while accompanying Paul to Jerusalem with the offering (20:4).] He would also be with Paul during his first Roman imprisonment. So both he and Luke are definitely fellow sufferers with Paul for the sake of Christ. Paul had some good friends. Now it says in…Acts 27:3 (NKJV)— 3 And the next day we landed at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him liberty to go to his friends and receive care. Julius— Julius was the Roman officer who had been assigned to guard Paul and would therefore have had to remain close to Paul at all times. But, as we can see, as he witnesses the kind of man Paul is, he comes to respect Paul deeply and gives him a generous degree of freedom. And we will see in verse 43 that he even spares Paul’s life. And that kind of makes you wonder, if someone was bound to you (day and night) for any significant period of time, would they (based on your righteous character) be moved into awe and respect, both of you but also of the God you claim to follow? That person stuck at the desk near you at work or beside you at school; your boss or whoever you are chained to daily (so to speak). Does your chain upon them pull them up to Christ or down and away? Or, for us married folks, how is your spouse drawn closer to Jesus because of you? If you are a spirit-filled, devoted, and loving person as Paul was, you will; marriage is a means of grace, ideally for both husband and wife.Acts 27:4-8 (NKJV)— 4 When we had put to sea from there, we sailed under the shelter of Cyprus {(which means they sailed between it and the mainland)}, because the winds were contrary. {(And so they used Cyprus to help block the wind.)} 5 And when we had sailed over the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. {And Myra was [One of the main ports of the imperial grain fleet, whose ships brought Egyptian grain to Italy.]} 6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing to Italy {(which would have been one of the grain ships part of that fleet), significantly larger than their first ship}, and he put us on board. 7 When we had sailed slowly many days, and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus {(which was [on the southwest tip of Asia Minor, some 130 miles from Myra, which would have been their last port of call before sailing across the Aegean Sea to the coast of Greece), it says}, the wind not permitting us to proceed, we sailed under the shelter of Crete off Salmone {(so [again using the island to break the force of the wind])}. 8 Passing it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens {(a small port)}, near the city of Lasea.A Dangerous Time To Sail— Now they have lost a lot of time, which was not good when you consider what time of year it was. You didn’t want to travel in the open sea between mid-September and mid-November if you could avoid it. In fact, all sea travel would cease between mid-November and February. And that was both because of sea conditions, but also because of sky visibility. Keep in mind that they didn’t have GPS or guidance systems or even compasses. No, ancient ships navigated using the stars. And if the weather is overcast, sailing would be both impossible and dangerous. And here we see that the Fast (which was Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement) is already over; so early October (of A.D. 59, if you’d like to know) has already passed. The season for sailing is now over; and continuing on their journey would be very very perilous. And so it says…Acts 27:9-10 (NKJV)— 9 Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, 10 saying, “Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives.” Seen a Thing or Two— And Paul no doubt said this because he was anticipating their wanting to move onwards. But why would they listen to him? I mean he’s just the prisoner. Now he won’t be by the end of the story. At the end of the story roles become so reversed, everyone by that time will be following his leadership; but not yet. However, they probably should have listened to him. He had traveled by sea many many times before this and had actually already been shipwrecked at least three other times, which are accounted for in his writings (2 Cor. 11:25). And so that likely makes this one number four. Now I love the Farmer’s Bank slogan. Anybody know what it is? “We know a thing or two because (what?) we’ve seen a thing or two.” Well Paul would have been a good spokesperson for Farmer’s Bank, because “He knows a thing or two because he’s seen a thing or two.” Right? But unfortunately, they don’t listen to him. It says in…Acts 27:11-12 (NKJV)— 11 Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul. 12 And because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised to set sail from there also, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete opening toward the southwest and northwest, and winter there.On To Phoenix— Now Phoenix wasn’t too far from there (some 40 miles). And that was a better place to winter in both because the harbor there [provided better shelter from the winter storms], but also because keep in mind that they have all this grain on board the ship. And so the owner’s probably thinking that if he can get the ship to a larger port, he can sell it. And the centurion is also looking at Phoenix as a much more suitable place for his men to winter in. And ultimately ([Because the ship was part of the imperial grain fleet…, Julius, not the helmsman nor {even} the ship’s owner, was the ranking official on board.]); and so the decision was ultimately his. And he’s said basically “Let’s go!”, so they went. And things seem pretty good at first. It says in…Acts 27:13-14 (NKJV)— 13 When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their desire, putting out to sea, they sailed close by Crete {(in other words, hugging it for protection. However, it says…)}. 14 But not long after, a tempestuous head wind arose, called Euroclydon.Euroclydon—And this word, which kind of sounds like a creature you’d encounter in Jurassic Park 6, was the name given to [a strong, dangerous {northeasterly} windstorm greatly feared by those who sailed the Mediterranean.] In fact, that Greek word translated as tempestuous that is used to describe it [is the root of our word typhoon.] If this ship had been the Millennium Falcon, some crew member somewhere would have been saying, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” And rightly so, because the ship gets caught in this tempestuous typhoon. And it says in…Acts 27:15-21 (NKJV)— 15 So when the ship was caught, and could not head into the wind, we let her drive. 16 And running under the shelter of an island called Clauda {(which was [An island 23 miles southwest of Crete])}, we secured the skiff with difficulty. {So they take advantage of the shelter of the island and [rig the ship for the storm by hauling the ship’s dinghy on board.]} 17 When they had taken it on board, they used cables to undergird the ship {(and this was a [procedure know and frapping. The cables, wrapped around the hull and winched tight, helped the ship endure the battering of the wind and waves.]}; and fearing lest they should run aground on the Syrtis Sands, they struck sail and so were driven. {The Syrtis Sands is a reference to the sandbars of Syrtis, a place of sandbars and shoals just off the northern coast of Africa, which was [much feared as a graveyard of ships.] You didn’t want to hit those.} 18 And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship. {So they are throwing overboard all unnecessary gear and cargo in order to lighten the ship.} 19 On the third day we threw the ship’s tackle overboard with our own hands. 20 Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days {(once again, meaning no navigation)}, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up. Pulled With You— And next week we will see how they are ultimately delivered; and how God uses Paul to be the means of their deliverance. And he’ll deliver the ultimate “I told your so.” But what we are going to see emphasized over and over again is the fact that the reason they are saved is because of how they have become attached to Paul. And so, like I said before, I think that raises the question of what happens when people attach themselves to you and to me? Are they lifted up closer to Jesus? Are they pulled along with you on the mission God has given you? That is what Jesus meant when he called us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world; we help lead people to redemption. And so my encouragement to you today is to be that redeeming force. Let every one of our interactions with people be tempered with the desire and intention to draw them closer to Jesus. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to the show today! It is such a pleasure to have you with us again today as we study the Word of God together. What To Do With Paul— Over the past few weeks we have been moving in our study of the book of Acts into the final stage of Paul’s ministry, as he is now a prisoner in chains. He has stood before the Roman Tribune and the crowd in Jerusalem; he has stood before the Sanhedrin (the Jewish council responsible for condemning Jesus); he has stood before the Roman Governor Felix (who kept him in prison for 2 years, though he had no grounds to do so), then he stood before the Roman Governor Festus, who wants to do his Jewish accusers a favor and send him back to Jerusalem to be tried. Obviously that would not bode well for Paul; and so Paul is forced to appeal his case to Caesar. And Festus has no choice but to send him. But then Herod Agrippa II and Bernice come to town, and so Festus decides to have Paul stand before them as well; and his hope is that Agrippa might help him to establish charges against Paul that would make sense; charges that would be sent with Paul to Rome. So Paul has had a real time of it. He is really getting bounced around. Nobody really knows what to do with Paul. Oh and let’s not forget that during all this time there are two assassination attempts on Paul’s life. So Paul has REALLY been through a lot. Paul’s Testimony— And so Paul comes to stand before Herod Agrippa II and Bernice (and Festus is there as well). And he’s invited to speak, and so Paul shares the most powerful evidence he could have shared, his testimony. And in it he gives a number of key statements. First, he says “I lived a Pharisee”, meaning that all his life he lived as one of the most educated and most elite Jewish spiritual leaders. And, being zealous to defend Judaism from what he perceived to be a heretical group of people who followed Jesus Christ, he came to viciously ravage the Christian church. But then he say key statement number 2: “I saw a light”. While on the road to Damascus to further his persecution of Christians, he was struck by a blinding light. And then he says key statement number 3, “I heard a voice”. Jesus appeared to him on that road to Damascus and spoke to him; and called him to be His missionary to the Gentiles. And that leads into our passage today, where Paul tells of how he responded to Jesus. He says…Acts 26:19-20 (NKJV)— 19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. KEY STATEMENT 4: “I was not disobedient”— And key statement number 4 is found here: “I was not disobedient”. God said “Jump!” Paul asked, “How high?” At least that’s how obedience was described to me when I was young. Wherever God told him to go, he went. To whomever God called him to go, he went. And that even included the Gentiles. Now the Jews had reacted violently to that, but also to Paul saying something else absolutely unthinkable; that they also needed to repent; that they (just as he had been) were in spiritual darkness and needed to (like he did) turn to faith in Jesus Christ, the very one they had persecuted and crucified. But sadly, that was something that many of them were not willing to do, which is why Paul says…Acts 26:21-23 (NKJV)— 21 For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come— 23 that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”KEY STATEMENT 5: “to this day I stand”— And here we find key statement number 5: “to this day I stand”. Paul didn’t just have a great beginning. No, he (as he tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:7, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. The fact that Paul had continued on in the midst of so much resistance, so much loss of reputation, and so little worldly gain spoke volumes as to the proof of his conversion and was itself evidence of the faithfulness of God in his life. Now after Paul says this, it says…Acts 26:24-26 (NKJV)— 24 Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!”25 But he said, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. 26 For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner.Historically Verifiable— Now what Paul is doing here is he’s appealing to the facts. This wasn’t just some hypothetical philosophical or theological issue. Someone had died and then had come back from the dead. There were still people around who had seen Jesus and witnessed His miracles. The empty tomb could still be seen. People were still alive who had themselves seen Jesus after His resurrection. This wasn’t a philosophical debate. It was a historically reliable event that took place and could be verified. And not only were there present witnesses, but past witnesses as well who prophesied that all these things would come to pass, which is why Paul asks…Acts 26:27-28 (NKJV)— 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.”28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”Sidestepping The Issue— Now this is where things get really interesting because Paul is trying to close the deal. And Agrippa realize it. It suddenly dawns on Agrippa that Paul is not really the one on trial. Agrippa’s on trial. Paul is not just defending himself or his faith; no, he’s actually trying to persuade him to become a follower of Jesus Christ!!! And Paul has really put Agrippa on the spot, because if Agrippa answers Paul saying “I don’t believe the prophets”, he would anger the Jews. But if he acknowledges that he does believe the prophets, then he would have to give weight to Paul’s words. And so he does what so many people (even today) do. He side-steps the issue; and then (as we’ll see in a minute) he simply ends the discussion when it gets a little too close for comfort. But before that happens, Paul responds, saying to Agrippa…Acts 26:29 (NKJV)— 29 And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.”Invisible Chains— Now it is here that Paul really reveals his own heart. He was aware that Agrippa and those in the audience were (because of their lack of faith in Christ) more in bondage spiritually than he was physically. And he was more concerned about that than the fact that he himself was in chains. He cared more about theirs because theirs were the eternal one. And similarly, you and I need to be aware of the spiritual chains of those around us who do not yet know Jesus Christ. And we must be willing to bear anything to help them be rid of those chains. We need to have the burning desire that Paul had to reach those people and (by persuading them to faith) give them the keys by which they can be free and enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Now it says…Acts 26:30-32 (NKJV)— 30 When he had said these things, the king stood up, as well as the governor and Bernice and those who sat with them; 31 and when they had gone aside, they talked among themselves, saying, “This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains.” {(And so once again Luke highlights for us the innocence of Paul.)}32 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”Expedited Shipment— Now that would be a depressing note to end on if we forgot that it was actually Paul’s desire to go to Rome anyway. He wanted to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the epicenter if the empire where he knew it could make a far-reaching impact. And so his appealing to Cesar became the very means of getting exactly where God wanted him to be. Paul was a master of seeing the possibilities in the midst of his problems. Every trial was a divine appointment, through which he found opportunities to lift up the name of Jesus. And that is what you and I need to do as well.Almost— Now one of the things that is depressing, and really saddened my heart in studying this passage, was what Agrippa says to Paul in verse 28: “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” Here we see that he was on the very verge of finding new life in Jesus, but couldn’t or wouldn’t cross the threshold. Why? Because he was too tied to the world. He was too wrapped up in his ungodly relationship with his sister (which we talked about some weeks ago). He was too caught up in his fame and his power. And yet now we see that it is Paul and the Jesus he proclaimed that is remembered. But all that Agrippa had is dead and gone. He chose those things that pass away. Jesus had warned (and continues to warn us) in…Matthew 6:19-21 (NKJV)— 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.Heavenly Treasures— That’s a lesson to each, and everyone of us; because so often we are tempted to entangle ourselves with the things of the world. We can become like the seed sown among the thorns in Jesus’ Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13. He warns us, saying…Matthew 13:22 (NKJV)— 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.Let me ask you, is that you today? If so, let me ask you another question; one that comes straight from the Bible…Mark 8:36 (NKJV)— 36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?Don’t let anything stop you from knowing Christ in all of his fullness today. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to the show today! It is such a pleasure to have you with us again today as we study the Word of God together. Faith Under Trial— You know, if you wanted to find an example of faith under trial in scripture, I don’t know if you can find a better one than Paul. He’s almost like the New Testament version of Job. He is a man who has lost or has forsaken all for the sake of Christ; and has suffered tremendous persecution and hardship for the purposes of carrying out the mission Christ gave him to preach the Gospel. And today we find him on trial. He’s been in prison for some time. He has come under the authority of Governor Felix, but Felix (though he can’t find grounds on which to convict him) won’t acquit him because he doesn’t want to anger the Jewish leaders who are accusing him. And so (as per their request) he offers to send Paul from Caesarea back to Jerusalem to be tried there. But Paul, knowing he had less chance of getting justice there (and wanting to get to Rome anyways) appeals to Caesar, which was his right as a Roman citizen. And so Festus says “You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!” Now Festus can’t quite wipe his hands clean of Paul because it already looked bad that one of the first cases he tried, the defendant had to appeal to Caesar to get justice. And it will look even worse if he sends Paul without any charges that make sense. But (with King Herod Agrippa and Bernice coming to visit him) he decides to have Paul’s hearing in front of Agrippa so that Agrippa can hear and help Festus establish charges. And so King Agrippa and Bernice come, and Festus turns Paul’s hearing into this elaborate pompous show for both of them. And after King Agrippa and Bernice parade in and all of the pompousness has been quieted down, Festus gets up and addresses Agrippa, explaining the situation once again. And it says in…Acts 26:1-5 (NKJV)—1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” {And so Paul gives what is his third apologetic/defense speech in the book of Acts. And [Five key statements summarize Paul’s defense.] It says…}So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself: 2 “I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, 3 especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.4 “My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know. 5 They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. KEY STATEMENT 1: “I lived a Pharisee”— And that is the first key statement: I lived a Pharisee. But of course the Jewish leaders were not willing to testify to that fact because they knew what weight Paul’s former life as a Pharisee would add to his present testimony. So on this they've kept very silent. But Paul declares it; and, using the power of story, he seeks to connect with even them as well. He’s saying, “I was just like you.” And that sets the stage for his explanation of what changed the course of his life and what might change the course of theirs as well. He says…Acts 26:6-8 (NKJV)— 6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. 7 To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. 8 Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead? Resurrection Critical—And the word “you” here is actually plural in the Greek, indicating that Paul is now looking around at and addressing everyone. Now the Greeks and Romans did not believe in the doctrine of the resurrection (Acts 17:31-32). Nor did the Sadducees, who were present (Acts 23:8). But the doctrine of the resurrection was (and is) the (and I mean THE) most critical doctrine of the Christian faith. Paul himself says as much in 1 Corinthians 15. If there is no resurrection, then obviously Jesus could not have been raised; therefore our sins could not have been paid for (and so we would then still be lost in our sins), and Paul would have had no gospel to preach. So Paul brings the focus right where it needs to be, on the resurrection of Jesus and how that historical event made all the difference in his life. He says…Acts 26:9-11 (NKJV)— 9 “Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.He Identifies With Them— Now here he is identifying with the Jewish leaders in his audience. He’s saying, “I understand why you hate me; why you have so set yourselves against me. I was the same way. I was also zealous, but my zeal was not based on knowledge (as he says of them in Romans 10:2). And so I did to them exactly what you guys are seeking to do to me. But then he says in…Acts 26:12-13 (NKJV)— 12 “While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, 13 at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. KEY STATEMENT 2: “I saw a light”— And that’s key statement number 2: “I saw a light”. You might call Paul an enlightened man (literally). He was a Jew (Rom. 9:4-5), a scholar (Acts 22:3), and (at least he thought) a righteous Pharisee. But Paul goes on to describe how he came to discover that while he had thought he was a righteous Pharisee, he (in reality) had been in spiritual darkness. And Jesus had right then and there (on that Damascus road) struck him blind, casting him into the darkness for three days so that he might come to embrace the Light of the World. Now all this is pretty dramatic stuff. But, in a way, it had to be; because there was no other way to explain how such a dedicated and zealous Pharisee so set against Christianity could himself become a Christian. It had to come through seeing the resurrected Lord Jesus personally. And that is what he describes next. He says in…Acts 26:14 (NKJV)— 14 And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ KEY STATEMENT 3: “I heard a voice”— And that’s key statement number 3: “I heard a voice”. And Paul tells his audience that the voice spoke to him in the Hebrew language. Now some say it was Aramaic. I disagree for a number of reasons, two of which I’ll mention here. First of all, the text actually says Hebrew in the original Greek. That alone ought to give us pause. But secondly, why would Paul highlight that detail if it wasn’t actually Hebrew? Who would care? Nobody. The reason he mentions it is because he is connecting the resurrection of Jesus with the promises God made to the Hebrew people. He himself is a Hebrew who met the promised Hebrew Messiah who confirmed His Hebrew-ness by speaking to him in Hebrew, calling him by his Hebrew name (Saul). By the way, it is a common misconception that God changed Saul’s name to Paul. Never happened. Saul was the name he used when amongst Jews in and around Jerusalem; and Paul (his Roman name) was the name he used abroad around Gentiles. Now there is a shift from “Saul” to “Paul”, but the reason we see that shift is because Paul became primarily a minister to the Gentiles. And it’s not until Acts 13:9 that we find the last reference to his name being “Saul”. And here it’s important to note that Jesus called him by his Hebrew name. And, using that Hebrew name, Jesus asks Paul in Hebrew: ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’Goads— Now that’s kind of a weird statement, “kick against the goads.” What does that mean. Well when a young ox was first yoked, that ox would usually resist the yoke and try to kick its way out. If it was a single-handed plow that it was yoked to, what the plowman would do was he would take a long staff with a sharpened end and hold it close to the ox’s heels. Then, if and when the ox would kick, it would strike the spike. Similarly, if the ox was yoked to a wagon, there would be a studded bar with wooden spikes that would serve the same purpose. Now the reason that Jesus had used this imagery was because [the ox had to learn submission to the yoke the hard way.] And Jesus is saying, “Paul, you’re that ox. You’re resisting me.” Do we have any goad-kickers today? If so, there’s hope for you when you respond to the voice as Paul did…Acts 26:15-18 (NKJV)— 15 So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. 17 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’The Promised Inheritance— Now I love how Paul never hides any detail he thinks might hurt his case, particularly those details concerning how God called him as a missionary to the Gentiles (something the Jewish leaders have and will continue to react violently against). No, Paul took every opportunity available to him to proclaim that the Gentiles have an equal share in God’s inheritance in Jesus Christ; and he talks about how this inheritance is the promise and blessing of the covenant that God had made with Abraham; and how Jesus Himself had appointed him to bring this Good News to the gentiles. Chaining Ourselves— And, you know, I’m a gentile. And many of you listening today are too. And so I want to ask you, “How did that happen?” Well, it happened because (somewhere in time past) a Jew (like Paul, but of course there were many others) was willing to cross some social barrier (and perhaps to go through some intense trials and persecutions) to help make that happen. Now if that is true (and it is) then the question is, are you and I returning the favor? Are there people that we are becoming uncomfortable for so that they might have the opportunity to hear the Gospel too? Who have you willingly chained yourself to so that they might come to experience the Light of Life in Jesus Christ? In that sense, become chained this week. Bind yourself to somebody; do what Christ leads and empowers you to do to be a witness to them, so that they might experience the same joy that you now have in Him. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to the show today! It is such a pleasure to have you with us again today as we study the Word of God together.God’s Purpose in Dark Times— One of the things I think God has been helping me to get better at (and He’s been doing this both through the pandemic, but also through my sister-in-law’s situation and her journey here to the United States from war-torn Kiev, Ukraine) is that the trials and tribulations we face are not just something to get through. No, God has a purpose He wants to work in and through those trials. God has purposes He wants to accomplish not just despite the trials we face, but in and through them. God had purposes in preventing Natasha from coming here until the right time. And in preventing what would have been our time-table, her situation became the grounding out of which many Ukrainians ended up getting help, not just her. And so God has been pushing me to get better at recognizing this, even if at the time I might not know what that purpose is. And so I am learning to see my problems; or my family’s problems; or my Church’s problems as God’s opportunities. And that’s one of the areas in which Paul really shined. Here in our passage today we find Paul in prison; literally in chains. And the charges against him are so unabashedly false and unsubstantiated, that he should have been acquitted right away. But instead he has been held in prison by Felix, then Festus, and now he’s going to be made to appear before Herod Agrippa before then getting sent to Caesar. The whole thing is such a farce. It’s just like that recent break-in over at the car park; wrong on so many levels. But is Paul focused on the chains? No. He’s looking for the opportunities. And the one he sees in our passage today comes after military officers and prominent city leaders meet in this grand auditorium with King Agrippa to hear his case. He doesn’t go into victim mode, which might have been easy to do. Instead, he sees a new audience to whom he will have an opportunity to present the Gospel, which of course we will see him do. But what we need to see at the outset is that this mindset is the mindset of Christ; and it’s something we need to have. Now it’s not natural to us, but thankfully it is something the Holy Spirit can create in us if we let Him; to be freed from that first impulse to doubt, despair, and feel like a victim; to look for the possibility in the midst of a lot of difficulty. Go ahead and look with me at verse 23. It says…Acts 25:23 (NKJV)— 23 So the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and had entered the auditorium with the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at Festus’ command Paul was brought in.“Great Pomp”— Now that word “pomp” in the original Greek is phantasia. And this is the only place in the New Testament that it appears. And what it denotes is this large, showy, grandiose pageant. What has happened is that Festus [has turned Paul’s hearing into an occasion to honor {King} Agrippa.] So it is quite the spectacle. Agrippa would have been wearing splendid royal garments, which would have included [a purple robe, golden crown and rings, and likely a scepter.] Bernice would have been elaborately adorned as well. [The five tribunes would have been wearing their full-dress uniforms] and the prominent men of the city would have been wearing their best and finest. And this entourage was very likely escorted to the auditorium by [An immaculately dressed honor guard of soldiers].The One Remembered— Now in thinking about the opening of this passage, I find it humorous that Herod Agrippa II and Bernice are the ones who are given this lavish spectacle of praise while Paul is in chains; because over two thousand years later, Herod Agrippa II and Bernice are the ones historians and preachers have to explain as to who they even were, while Paul is the one everyone knows. I mean, just think. These people (Agrippa II and Bernice, but even bigger guys like Nero) mean pretty much nothing to us. It may be interesting to learn about them simply because they are historical figures and it is good to know history. But there is nothing about their lives that is either wholesome or relevant to us today. However, when it comes to Paul, he’s incredibly relevant to us. Who he was and the writings he left us (or I should say God left us through him) are absolutely fundamental to who we are and how we live. All the pompous people have become diminished and God’s righteous ones have been exalted. True has proved the prophecy that on person so eloquently spoke when they said “The day will come when men will call their dogs Nero and their sons Paul.”. That reminds me so much of what Jesus said in…Matthew 23:11-12 (NKJV)— 11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. {Or, like it says in…}Psalm 1:3-4 (ESV)— 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. 4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.When The Wind Blows— Well, the wind of time has blown; Agrippa II and Bernice are the chaff no longer hardly even remembered, while the the memory of God’s faithful servant Paul is stronger and wider-reaching than ever. And, you know, that should be an encouragement to us.Faithfulness In The Mundane— This week I was talking with a friend of mine who is pastoring a small church out in the country. And we were talking about ministry and he said that honestly, he was little discouraged. He is pouring his life out for Christ in ministry to his Church, but told me he was wondering if he was really making any kind of difference. And I have been in ministry long enough and have talked with enough pastors and mentors of pastors to know that that feeling is pretty common. Many pastors feel like failures. And that can be for many reasons; and sometimes that feeling can come because we come out of seminary thinking we’re going to bring great and visible tidal waves of change in the churches we come to pastor. But then we get into those ministry contexts and find that the fields are not always ripe for harvest. There has to be tilling and plowing and sowing and waiting. Change and growth often does not happen as quickly as we would like. You have to sow faithfully (often for a long period time) before you begin to see the sprouts of change. But I knew that my friend has been faithfully preaching the Word of God and loving on his people. He has been a good shepherd. And good things are sprouting. People in his church who never knew any except the most basic Bible stories are now starting to really (through my friend) receive an understanding of what the Bible is all about. And some are coming to him with questions that they had no framework before to even ask; and are now excitedly telling him what God is revealing to them in the Word. Before my friend had come many of them were not even reading their Bible. Now it’s easy to get discouraged when we are dealing with the small things; the mundane things. But (and scripture backs this up time and time again) faithfulness in the mundane is the seed of the extraordinary. Faithfulness in the mundane is the seed of the extraordinary. The work that you and I do for Christ, though it may seem small, when all of the pomp of the world has been blown away, it will stand as an everlasting, fragrant offering before God as unshakeable as God Himself, because it is in Him that those works have been established. And the people we will see in heaven glorified and adorned most richly will be people we’ve never even heard of; people who never made it out of the prison cell for their faith; people who served behind the scenes; people who obeyed God in the inglorious, day to day task of just being ordinary, faithful, inglorious disciples. Taking a cup of soup to a homeless person; being a mom to a special needs child; walking with someone through an illness; giving of your own resources so that another person might have, even if that might mean you have to do without some things. That’s the stuff of glory. Wherever God has placed you, whoever He has brought into your life; that is your mission field. And in that field are buried crowns just waiting to be dug up and claimed. Now after all of the pompousness has been quieted down, Festus gets up. And it says in…Acts 25:24 (NKJV)— 24 And Festus said: “King Agrippa and all the men who are here present with us, you see this man about whom the whole assembly of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying out that he was not fit to live any longer.Not Honest— Now we know that the Jewish leaders of whom Festus are speaking are like atoms. They make up everything. They’re like people with selfie sticks. They need to take a good, long look at themselves. Or like the people who tell me they do yoga every day. That's a bit of a stretch. I mean, they’re not honest. And Agrippa discovers this after his exam continues…Acts 25:25-27 (NKJV)— 25 But when I found that he had committed nothing deserving of death, and that he himself had appealed to Augustus {(and of course we know that that is because he couldn’t get justice from Agrippa)}, I decided to send him. 26 I have nothing certain to write to my lord concerning him. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the examination has taken place I may have something to write. 27 For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the charges against him.”Formulating A Charge— Now, as we said before, Festus ought to have acquitted Paul. But he wants peace with the Jews (particularly the Jewish leaders who are complaining) and so he cunningly is seeking to use Herod Agrippa (who knew the Jews well both from his father, but also from his having lived in Jerusalem for a long time) to [help him formulate some kind of legal charge against Paul that would make sense to the Romans.] And so it says…Acts 26:1a (NKJV)— 1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.”Nothing Done for Jesus is Small— And next week we will see Paul’s defense. But this week remember that, no matter what God has called you to do, nothing that is done for Jesus is small. A kid’s meal was once placed in the hands of Jesus He was able to multiply and used it to feed over 5,000 people. But that is the key; putting your situation into the hands of Jesus, keeping it there, and looking forward to the day of harvest. Let us continue to sow faithfully today and every day. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to the show today! It is such a pleasure to have you with us again today as we study the Word of God together. In our study of the book of Acts, we have seen Paul arrested in Jerusalem following a riot that is started by a group of unbelieving Jews who hate him and maliciously and falsely accuse him. Paul is brought before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high court of the land (the same governing body that had put Jesus to death), but Paul is not convicted. So the unbelieving Jews hatch a plot to murder Paul, but Paul’s nephew overhears of the plot, tells the Roman Commander in charge of Paul, and the commander has Paul transferred to Roman Governor Felix in Caesarea. He is tried before Felix, but he can’t convict him, and so he keeps Paul imprisoned for two years until Felix is eventually succeeded by Porcius Festus. And when Festus comes into power, those unbelieving Jews try to get Festus to transfer Paul to Jerusalem (supposedly for a trial), but really they want to ambush and kill him along the way. Now Festus denies their request (though he doesn’t know that that is what they had in mind) and, when he comes to Caesarea, has Paul brought before him there to be tried. And it says here in verse 7…Acts 25:7 (ESV)— 7 When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove.Paul’s 4th Defense— And these were no doubt the same arguments; trying to prove that Paul was an insurrectionist in the hopes that Festus might agree with them and put Paul to death (Acts 25:15-16). But once again, nothing can be substantiated. But Festus hears them out to ascertain all the facts; and then it is Paul turn to make his defense. And this is the fourth of Paul’s six defenses. And in it he once again affirms that he has committed no crime against the Jewish law, against the temple, or against Rome. It says in…Acts 25:8-9 (ESV)— 8 Paul argued in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.” 9 But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?”Not Good for Paul— Now once again, though Festus doesn’t know it, this puts Paul in danger of being ambushed and killed. But even if Paul makes it to Jerusalem, the situation is probably worse for him there. And he knows that there is no just reason for him to be sent there. And [a Roman judge could not move a case to another court without the consent of the accused, and Paul refused to go!] So it says in…Acts 25:10-11 (ESV)— 10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. 11 If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.”Why Paul Appeals to Caesar— Now the reason Paul appeals to Caesar (which was the right of every Roman citizen) was threefold. First, he wanted justice. Secondly, he recognized that he was safest under Roman protection. Appealing to Caesar ensured that he would be guarded by the Romans en route to Caesar. But thirdly (and this may in fact be the main reason), his goal was ultimately to get where? Rome. Where is Caesar? Rome. And so he recognizes his appealing to Caesar is the fastest way to get there. So he appeals to Caesar. And it says…Acts 25:12 (ESV)— 12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.”Festus Embarrassed— And, as you can imagine, this no doubt infuriated the Jewish leaders because once again the chance to murder Paul has slipped through their fingers. Festus may have been somewhat pleased, as he no doubt felt this case was beyond him. But at the same time it did not look well for him that one of his first cases he handled so badly that the prisoner felt forced to appeal to Caesar for justice. But he has no choice. He pronounces that Paul shall indeed be sent to Caesar. Now the Caesar to whom Paul has appealed is Nero. Now this didn’t meant that Nero himself would oversee the case. It simply meant that his [case would be tried by the highest courts in the empire.] And despite the fact that Paul’s case would be transferred to Nero, Festus still had a problem. Yes he had avoided offending the Jews, but he had failed to determine the legal charges against Paul. And he doesn’t want to be in the awkward position of sending such a notable prisoner to Caesar without have any of his crimes clearly listed. But it says in…Acts 25:13 (ESV)— 13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus.Herod Agrippa II & Bernice— Now this king who came for a state visit was Herod Agrippa II. He was [the last of the Herodians to rule, was the great-grandson of {Herod the Great,} the Herod who {ruled at the time Jesus was born and} had killed the Bethlehem babes, and {was} the son of the Herod who had killed the apostle James (Acts 12).] [His great-uncle, Herod Antipas, was the Herod of the Gospels (Mark 6:14-29; Luke 3:1; 13:31-33; 23:7-12)]. [He had power over the Temple, controlled the Temple treasury, and could appoint and remove the high priest.] He was in his early thirties at this time. And his sister Bernice had come with him to join him in paying [their respect to the new governor, Festus]. Now Bernice [had married her uncle, Herod Chalcis, had become mistress to her brother Agrippa II, and then had become mistress to the emperor Vespasian’s son, Titus.] And her living with her brother Agrippa II made the Jews uneasy because of how clearly and explicitly God had forbade incest (Lev. 18:1-18; 20:11-21). But Herod Agrippa II had been given [legal jurisdiction over the temple in Jerusalem, so it was logical that Festus share Paul’s case with him.] And so it says in…Acts 25:14-22 (ESV)— 14 And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, “There is a man left prisoner by Felix, 15 and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16 I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. 17 So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. 18 When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. 19 Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20 Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. 21 But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.” 22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.”Festus’ Game— Now we see here that Festus clearly understands that this whole issue has nothing to do with civil law, but rather was a matter of “religion” (Acts 18:14-15; 23:29); particularly the doctrine of resurrection. And verse 19 shows that Paul wasn’t just defending the concept of resurrection abstractly or in a general way, but was focusing specifically on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But all this was beyond Festus’ (and Rome’s) expertise or interest. He was both a pagan Roman and also new in Judea, so it was natural for him not to know the theological differences between Christians and Jews. But note how Festus is deceiving Agrippa, because he is giving him the impression that the reason he had wanted to move the trial to Jerusalem was because these theological issues might be better addressed there; but that wasn’t his real motivation. His [real reason was to please the Jewish leaders, most of whom King Herod knew.] And he’s hoping that Agrippa will supply him with something definite that he can send to the Emperor Nero. And that’s because Agrippa was [an expert in Jewish matters (Acts 26:2-3) and certainly would be keenly interested in knowing more about this man who {supposedly} caused a riot in the temple. And Agrippa is indeed interested to hear Paul. In fact [The Greek verb tense implies Herod had been wanting to hear Paul for a long time. As an expert on Jewish affairs (cf. 26:3), he relished hearing Christianity’s leading spokesman in person.] And Festus promises him that he will. And next week we will see how that unfolds.God Turns Things Around— But I want to close today with a word of encouragement. As demonstrated in our passage today, we see one example among many of how unjust our world often is. But we also see how God protected Paul and even used this trial to open a door of opportunity by which Paul could immediately be escorted to Rome. By setting in motion their plot to kill Paul, the Jewish leaders in fact helped Paul to get exactly where God wanted him to go: Rome. And God does the same for us. You know, every year Jews have been celebrating the Feast of Purim, which commemorates the triumph of God’s people in the book of Esther when Haman had sought to destroy all the Jews in the empire. Haman set himself against the Jews generally and Mordecai (Esther’s cousin) in particular and plotted their destruction. And things got really dark for a while. But what ended up happening was that it was Haman himself who unintentionally (through his trying to exalt himself) actually became instrumental in Mordecai being honored and exalted. Haman’s plot against the Jews ended up falling on his own head; and the book of Esther ends with Haman being hanged and Mordecai assuming his former job as Grand Vizier. And God’s people are delivered. I think also of Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers. Then he’s wrongfully accused and thrown into prison. But God lifts him up and eventually makes him Pharaoh’s right hand man that helps Egypt plan for a coming famine and actually saves the empire and all the lands affected by that famine. But none of that would have happened if Joseph had not been sold or thrown into prison. And there are so many other examples like this.Trust in God— Now all this to say, when we are experiencing the injustice and persecution that go along with following Jesus Christ, we need to take heart. We need to recognize that it may be the furnace, the lion’s den, the prison cell or whatever other place of affliction we might be in that will actually become the engine through which God can bring His greatest work. The hard thing is to trust in that. But if we do, God never disappoints. And so let us trust in Him like that today. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to the show today! It is such a pleasure to have you with us again today as we study the Word of God together.

A Student’s Justice Question— You know, not long ago I read the story of a young boy who once asked his teacher if it was right to get punished for something he didn’t do. And the teacher looked at him and assured him that it wasn’t. And the boy, breathing a sigh of relief, looked back at him and said, “That’s good, because I didn’t do my math homework.” Smart kid.

In The Image of A Just God— But you know, in all sincerity, it can be very frustrating to see somebody accused and punished who never did anything wrong. And I think equally frustrating is seeing evil people get away with doing evil things. There is an innate desire in all of us for justice. And that is because each of us has been created in the image of God; and God is a God of justice. And if you don’t believe that, then you have never really read or understood the Bible; which is so clear that if you oppress the widow or the fatherless; if you mistreat women; if you abuse those who work for you, then you had better watch out because you have set your self against an Almighty justice-loving God. God is very much concerned with justice. Now is He the God of mercy? Absolutely. But there can be no mercy without justice. In fact justice helps us to define what mercy really is. And grace is not some kind of an override to justice. It is not punishment averted/avoided but punishment redirected; the punishment for our sins being placed upon God’s Son so that justice could be satisfied while at the same time allowing God to show us mercy.

Getting Angry— But this whole issue of injustice is something that you and I face every day. We watch television programming that often times infuriates us because various news networks know how to stoke our sense of justice. And in a way, we should get angry. Because a lot of what we see truly is unjust. And the person who never gets angry at injustice doesn’t truly love justice or the people suffering from injustice. And part of the reason we have an angry society is because of injustice, which has been allowed to pervade on many and various fronts. And the truth is that before you can have a happy society, you first must have a just society. That is why God had so many rules regarding how justice ought to be carried out. He wanted to create a secure society so that that society would be free to experience peace, joy, and happiness.

The Supreme Mark— Now in light of that, I have often wondered what it would have been like to live in Paul’s time, under an empire like Rome; where you are constantly under the crushing weight of Rome’s oppression, taxes, and differing standards of justice depending on whether you are a man or a woman, slave, free, a Roman citizen or not. What would it have been like to be a Christian during that time? You know, we complain of injustice; but the supreme mark of injustice during that time was the cross of Jesus. It is the supreme example of how deeply the justice system of mankind can fail. Jesus was declared by Pilate to be without fault and yet was executed in the worst possible way. And, you know, he had asked Jesus the most horrifying question any judge could ever ask: What is truth? That’s a scary thing, because if you have no absolute standard of truth, then you have no absolute understanding of justice. And because of that you ended up with He who is Truth and Justice dying on the cross. Now followers of Jesus (like Paul) also often carry (as part of the crosses they bear) the burden of suffering unjustly for the name and cause of Jesus Christ.

The Nicene Meeting— You know, many of you are probably familiar with the Nicene Creed, one of the most important theological treatises ratified by the church in the 4th century. Many of you have probably at least read it. Some of you may know it by heart. But what you may not know is that [At the Nicene Council, an important church meeting in the 4th century A.D. {that met to establish this creed}, of the 318 delegates attending, fewer than 12 had not lost an eye or lost a hand or did not limp on a leg lamed by torture for their Christian faith.] In their context, suffering injustice for the sake of Christ was just part of being a Christian. And that is what we have been seeing in the life and ministry of Paul; and today’s passage in Acts chapter 25 is only one of many examples of that.

Paul Left In Prison— Now we have most recently seen Paul being brought to trial before Governor Felix in Caesarea. And that trial went pretty well for Paul. None of the claims against him could be substantiated. And so (in a just world) he should have been let go. But Felix decides to hold Paul until Lysias the Tribune comes down and to pass the verdict after that. But it doesn’t look like Lysias ever came. Lysias may in fact never have been sent for. Felix probably didn’t want to anger the Jews and cause potential political problems for himself by passing the inescapable verdict of “not guilty”. And this is somewhat confirmed in the passage that follows because we see that after the trial he holds Paul for two years, sending for him periodically. By the way, just imagine that; suffering two years of imprisonment for false claims that could not be substantiated; two years of experiencing the same kind of wrongful imprisonment that Joseph had experienced when Potiphar’s wife had falsely accused him. And on top of that, the person who is keeping you there (Felix) is constantly sending for you whenever he feels like it. And there might have been this constant hope in Paul’s heart that maybe this would be the time that Felix would say “You’re free to go.” But each time was a disappointment. Each time he was sent back. Now Felix is eventually ousted from office by Emperor Nero two years after Paul’s hearing. His brutality (which had angered the Jews) had led to that. But on his way out, wanting to do the Jews a favor (24:27), he leaves Paul in prison. And so now a new governor comes into power; a man by the name of Porcius Festus.

Porcius Festus— Now we do not actually know that much about Porcius Festus. You will remember that Felix had been an ex-slave whose brother had obtained for him the position of governor. But now this new governor (Porcius Festus) has come into power. And (unlike Felix) Festus [was a member of the Roman nobility]. He was only governor for a brief time, as [he died two years after assuming office], [but the Jewish historian Josephus described him as better than either his predecessor or his successor].

What To Do With Paul?— And he may have intended on leading with integrity and doing what was right. But when it came to Paul and Jewish politics, he found things not so easy to handle. Paul was a Jew whose countrymen wanted him dead, but he was also a Roman whose government did not know what to do with him. And Festus is really caught between a rock and a hard place, because if he lets Paul go, the Jews will cause trouble. That was something that he knew he did not want to risk. On the other hand, if he kept Paul in prison, he might [have to explain why a Roman citizen was being held without any official charges.] And so Paul is like this powder keg that Festus knows is in his best interest to deal with as soon as possible. And we will see in this chapter and the next how Festus is present in three different situations directly related to the apostle Paul. But let’s begin with verse one of chapter 25. It says…

Acts 25:1-3 (ESV)— 1 Now three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.

Festus Comes to Jerusalem— Now the reason he came to Jerusalem was no doubt in part to acquaint himself with the situation there in his new province and to pay his respects to the Holy City. But it was also [to meet the Jewish leaders (the high priest and the Sanhedrin) and, as much as possible, conciliate them. Those leaders, Festus knew, were the key to establishing peace in Judea. And maintaining peace was the highest priority of a Roman provincial governor.] But the Jewish leaders capitalize on his desire to try to make peace with them by pouncing on the opportunity to bring up the case against Paul and try to get him killed. It says…} 2 And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, 3 asking as a favor against Paul that he summon him to Jerusalem—because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way.

Plotters— So here we see that a second ambush is planned. And the Sanhedrin are involved, this time not as the accomplices (23:14-15) but as the plotters, which shows that things are getting more serious. Now Festus likely knew nothing about the previous plot against Paul and probably thought that the Jewish leaders were on the up and up. He probably never suspected that they were out to assassinate Paul. And it would have made sense to have Paul transferred. It was a matter concerning a Jewish prisoner and the Jewish law, and so it would make sense for him to be tried in Jerusalem. And [a Roman court could meet in Jerusalem as well as in Caesarea], so it would have been completely normal procedure to have Paul transferred. And Festus (not suspecting a plot) would probably not send Paul with much protection, so ambushing and killing Paul would have been pretty easy. But Festus [preferred to conduct most of his business from Caesarea, particularly in cases that could be drawn out.] And so he does not comply with their request to have Paul sent to Jerusalem. Instead, it says in…

Acts 25:4-6 (ESV)— 4 Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. 5 “So,” said he, “let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.” {So the chance to ambush Paul slips through their fingers. And it says…} 6 After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought.

Our Crosses— And next week we will see what happens after that. But, you know, this whole story raises the issue concerning how you and I are to respond when you and I face injustice because of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Paul doesn’t become embittered; he doesn’t ask “Why me?” He doesn’t curse his captors. No, he recognizes that this is his present cross to bear and that, in doing so, he was identifying with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in that he was living the life of the cross. And when you and I suffer for the sake of Christ, we also identify with Christ. And if we endure for Christ’s sake and for the sake of those He is seeking to reach, He can use our sufferings to bring about victories that we would never even think possible. And that is what we have seen and will continue to see in the life of Paul. And on the other side of suffering for Christ is reward; eternal reward.

James 1:12 (NIV)— 12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Let’s Endure— And so let us endure so that we also may receive the crown of life. Amen.

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Greetings! As always, it’s good to have you with us today as we continue to move through the book of Acts together, this week continuing our study of Acts 24. You’ll remember that Paul (now a prisoner) has been brought before the Roman governor Felix after a group of Jews began accusing him. As we talked about last week, their consciences were stirred by Paul’s message and they wanted to rid the world of him. So he is brought before Felix and their lawyer (Tertullus) accuses Paul of being a plague, a stirrer of riots (which wasn’t true; they had actually been the ones to start the riot in Jerusalem), a ringleader of the sect known as the Nazarenes, and a profaner of the temple. Every smear they could think up, they level against Paul as they stand before Felix. And now it has come time for Paul to defend himself. And so it says in…

Acts 24:10-22 (ESV)— 10 And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied: “Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. 11 You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, 12 and they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. 13 Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. 14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, 15 having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. 16 So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. {By the way, remember that before this Paul had stood before the Jewish court known as the Sanhedrin. And when Paul had proclaimed that he had a clear conscience in that context, the former high priest Ananias had commanded Paul to be brutally struck. I love here how Paul says the same thing he had been slapped for yet again; and in front of Ananias, who remember is here. But Ananias commands no illegal slap here, where he would be held accountable by Felix. Paul continues…} 17 Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings. 18 While I was doing this, they found me purified in the temple, without any crowd or tumult. But some Jews from Asia— 19 they ought to be here before you and to make an accusation, should they have anything against me. 20 Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council, 21 other than this one thing that I cried out while standing among them: ‘It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.’” {Now notice how twice now in this passage alone he has highlighted the resurrection. He showing that the real motive behind all of this is religious.} 22 But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.”

Subverting Justice— Now the reason he does this is because the witnesses never showed up and the Jewish leaders are unable to prove that Paul committed any kind of crime. So, in keeping with Roman law, the only verdict Felix would be able to render is “not guilty”. But he doesn’t want to give that verdict because of how much he knows it will infuriate the Jews. So, in order to keep the peace, he decides that the best thing to do is to put everything on hold until Lysias comes, which wasn’t necessary because Lysias had already sent his report stating [that the dispute involved questions of Jewish law (23:29), and that Paul was not guilty of any crime (23:29).] It is hard to imagine what else Lysias could have said; and there is no evidence that Felix did in fact send for him. So we see that justice is subverted.

Acts 24:23-25 (ESV)— 23 Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs. 24 After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.”

Locked Away— Now the reason he was alarmed was because this wife who came with him (Drusilla) was actually his third wife. But she was not really HIS wife. She had been Agrippa I’s wife, but Felix (seeing her beauty and being enraptured by her) [had lured her away from her husband. At the time of Paul’s hearing, she was not yet 20 years old.] So we see we have another Malchus’ ear situation. Conviction comes and what does Felix do with the source of that conviction. He locks him away. Then it says…

Acts 24:26-27 (ESV)— 26 At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him. 27 When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.

The Heavenly Vision— One author I have been reading lately (whom I have mentioned to you before; and who is having an extraordinary impact on my life, is Samuel Logan Brengle). Just recently I finished his book Heart Talks on Holiness, in which he shared two stories that had an indelible impact on me. I’d like to share them with you: [Several years ago a girl of eighteen, full of fun and love of society, was induced by a friend to enter a Salvation Army meeting for the first time. No sooner had she entered than the people's faces enchained her eyes and their testimonies went to her heart. She sat for a while, and Jesus came to her, not in visible presence, but in a spiritual vision. She left the meeting convicted of sin. On her way home, the vision spoke with her. "You ought to have gotten saved, tonight." "But I am engaged for that dance next Wednesday night.” "You should give up the dance." “But there are my lovely white dress and slippers. I will get saved after the dance." “But you may die before Wednesday night, and lose your lovely dress and the dance—and your soul." That was sufficient for this young girl. She tore the feathers from her hat and threw them into the fire. She rushed upstairs, got her lovely white dress, cut it up, and cast it into the fire. The next evening she went to the meeting. At last a woman, probably discerning in her face the hunger of her heart, went to her and asked, "Don't you want to get saved tonight?" "Of course I do," replied the girl. "Why did you not come to me before?" Immediately she rushed to the penitent form (the special place for prayer before the altar) where, in obedience to the heavenly vision, she found Jesus almighty to save. And after four years her face shines with the glory of her Lord, and her voice rings with triumph as she testifies to the cleansing power of His blood and the sanctifying power and presence of His Spirit. She was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. A man, a millionaire, came into a meeting and listened to an Army Captain (minister), and the heavenly vision came to him. He saw the cross, the narrow way, and the hard road, and like the rich young man who came to Jesus (see Mark 10:17-22), he went away saying, "If it were not for the red stripes round that fellow's collar (on his Salvation Army uniform), I would have gone forward." He was disobedient to the heavenly vision. Sooner or later the heavenly vision comes to everyone. It comes in the whisperings of conscience, in the strivings of the Spirit, in the calls of duty, in the moments of regret for an evil past, in moments of tenderness and sorrow, in the crises of life, and in the entreaties of God's people. It comes in afflictions and losses; in the thunders of the law; in fearful, ominous threats of eternal judgment; in the death of loved ones; and in crushed hopes, disappointed plans, and thwarted ambitions. In all these things, Jesus hides Himself as He hid Himself in the burning bush, which Moses saw on Horeb. If people would but turn aside and heed the vision as Moses did, a voice would speak and cause them to know the Lord, and if they would not be disobedient to the heavenly vision, Jesus would turn them back from the pit and satisfy every questioning of their minds and every longing of their hearts.]

When The Vision Comes— One of the questions I would like to ask today is “What are you going to do when conviction comes; when Jesus gives you a heavenly vision? Are you going to accept Him and turn to Him in faith? Or are you going to leave without receiving the best thing you could ever receive. Are their dresses and feathers that stand in your way? Or are you willing to do what this young girl did and burn them (to burn those bridges) and embrace the Way of Jesus Christ? My heart broke for the man who turned back because of the collar of all things. But then I felt God impress upon me, “It wasn’t the collar.” You see, some people are willing to be turned back by anything, even if it is something so trivial as a striped collar, rather than give up whatever it is they are clinging to. The question is, is that you or me?

The Way Opened— In Jesus, God has opened up the Way for us to enter into another world. In Him the very gates of Heaven have been opened to us; and we often are found stuck worrying about silly things. Jesus, what about my security? What about my stuff? What about my clothes? We are Marthas worrying about the carnal when the very presence of Jesus is beckoning to us to come and be healed.

God’s Hand Extended— Recently my family and I were driving along on the highway and I looked out over the city and the beautiful clouds hanging overhead. And I imagined God sticking His hand out of those clouds and offering it to anyone who wanted to grab it, whenever they were ready. How long would you wait to seize that hand of God extended unto you? Would you put it off until a reasonable time, or would you bolt for that hand as fast as you could, seize it and kiss and embrace the hand of God? How long would you wait?

Those Who Cling to Idols— You know a verse that God keeps bringing to my mind over and over again. It’s Jonah 2:8. It says: "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. By the way, that word “grace” is hesed, in case you are curious. It’s the deepest, most profound love God can offer you. That’s what we forfeit when we cling to the chaff of the world; the flakes that are here today and gone tomorrow.

Let Go Your Idols— What are you clinging to today that is preventing you from laying hold of the hand of God? What are you holding on to? Whatever that is, let go of it today. If it’s sinful, let it go. If it’s of the world, let it go. Anything that is holding you back in your quest to know and follow Jesus, abandon utterly and completely. Choose to follow Him today. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Greetings! It’s good to have you with us as we continue our journey through the book of Acts together. Today we come to Acts 24, where we find Paul being brought to trial before the Roman governor, Felix by a group of unbelieving Jews. And yet, in the midst of that, we find Paul trusting Himself into the hands of God. And amazingly, by the end of the passage, we will see that it is Felix (rather than Paul) who is brought under conviction. Go ahead and look with me, starting at verse 1…

Acts 24:1 (ESV)— 1 And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before the governor their case against Paul.

Why The Slap?— Now there’s a lot to unpack just in this first verse. Ananias, remember, is not actually the high priest. He has retained the title. But it is Caiaphas who is the acting high priest. And yet it is Ananias who comes. And remember that it is he who had commanded (when Paul was on trial before the Sanhedrin) to have Paul illegal struck on the mouth. And remember that the Greek language conveys a vicious strike, not just a light smack in the face. And all that just for Paul’s saying that he had a clear conscience. Now I have to confess, I had a little Columbo moment this week. I said to myself, “Der’s just dis ting dat bodders me.” It’s been rolling around in my mind. And it has to do with that slap in response to what Paul had said. Because what Paul had said shouldn’t have been that offensive, let alone something for him to get slapped for. All Paul had said was that he had a clean conscience. So I’ve had this question mark bouncing around in my mind. But then I felt God impressing on me the reality that to a dark and sinful world (and particularly to a man like Ananias, who is reported to have been one of the most brutal and sinister high priests the Jews ever had) a clean conscience is a very offensive thing; because somebody who is marked by the Holiness of God is living a life that is a rebuke to others.

The House In The Dark— This week I was reminded of a story of two families. [The O’Learys and the MacMillans lived as neighbors at the turn of the century. One day a young man in a suit came to their village to explain that they would soon have electricity for the first time. The MacMillans responded with their typical enthusiasm and filled out the appropriate papers to have their house wired. The O’Learys were more cautious. After all, they had lived for generations without electricity and had managed just fine. They weren’t about to throw money after every passing fad. So they decided to wait. If electricity was as good as everyone said, they could always sign up later. In the weeks that followed, the MacMillans busily prepared their house for electrical power. They clamped wires and sockets to the walls and hung bulbs from the ceiling. When the big day finally came, the MacMillans invited their neighbors, including the O’Learys, to a grand lighting party. With a dramatic flourish, Mr. MacMillan threw a switch and the bulbs began to glow for the first time. The McMillan house was illuminated more brightly than it had ever been lit before. There was a gasp. “How lovely!” someone said. Then another gasp. "How filthy!” someone else said. It was true. No one had noticed it before in the dim light, but years of oil lamps had left a film of dingy soot over everything. The walls were grimy, there were cobwebs in the corner, and dust covered the floor. The O’Learys decided right then and there that they would never install electricity in their home. They would never suffer the humiliation of having their dirty home exposed by the light. After the party, the MacMillans went to work. They scrubbed the soot off the walls and ceiling, cleaned the cobwebs, and swept away the dust. They had indeed been embarrassed by their dirty home when the lights came on, but within a day, their house was cleaner than it had ever been. Meanwhile, the O'Learys continued to live comfortably in their dimly lit home filled with soot, cobwebs, and filth. Many people today choose to live in the dark. They don't want anyone to see the dirt—what's really going on in their lives. Sometimes they don’t want to see it themselves. They avoid the light for fear that they will see the truth and be forced to clean up their acts.

“This is the verdict {(writes John)}: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God” (John 3:19-21).]

The Ear of Malchus— There is a man in the Bible you may remember: Malchus. He was the servant of the high priest who was with those who arrested Jesus. And you’ll remember Peter drew his sword and hacked off his ear. And Jesus reaches down, picks up the ear off the ground, no doubt brushes it off (maybe gives it a few blows) and sticks it right back on. I mean, can you imagine!!!??? But one author I was reading pointed out how what we often don’t consider is the conversation that no doubt happened later that night when Malchus returned to Caiaphas and Caiaphas asked for a report of what happened? “Did you succeed in arresting Jesus?”, asks Caiaphas. “Yes, High Priest, we did.”, responds Malchus. “Did you have any trouble?” “Well, yes, a little.”, said Malchus, scratching his ear. “Why, what happened?” “Well, one of the disciples got in the way and brazenly sliced off my ear.” “It looks okay to me.” “Well, High Priest, that’s just it. This Jesus, whom you sent us to arrest, picked it up and stuck it right back on.” I imagine things got really quiet at this point. And the author I was reading pointed out something so profound. He said Malchus (and particularly his ear) was God [the Father’s last love note to Caiaphas.…In his gracious mercy Jesus restored Malchus’s ear, and Malchus’s witness to Caiaphas of that event was the high priest’s last chance for repentance. It was God’s final witness to him: he put someone right in Caiaphas’s court who had been touched by the loving hand of Jesus. Oh, the unending mercy of God! If a person is lost, it will be in spite of himself and in spite of the evidence that God stacks up in his life. {But then he says this. And this is the kicker:} I am confident that Caiaphas did not employ Malchus for long after this incident of healing {(he writes)}. I imagine that the sight of Malchus’s ear made Caiaphas uneasy and nervous. When we choose not to obey and do not act on the witness God gives to us, sooner or later we will banish that witness from our lives because we cannot tolerate its suggestive presence. The love of God continues to point to him in all areas of life, even in the lives of the most hardened unbelievers, but some of us refuse to see or hear it.] You want to know why Ananias had Paul slapped; and why He and so many of the Jews were seeking to remove Paul from the face of the earth? I think this was why. And that’s why it only took five days (a very short time) [for the Jewish leaders to put their case together, hire and attorney, and make the trip to Caesarea.] They were afraid that the longer they waited, the more likely Felix was to dismiss Paul’s case. And they were eager to remove the source of their conviction. Now when the court convenes, it says of Paul…

Acts 24:2-3 (ESV)— 2 And when he had been summoned, Tertullus {(he’s the lawyer or orator)} began to accuse him, saying: “Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, 3 in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude.

Ummm….No— This was a lie. [Felix was a former slave whose brother (a favorite of Emperor Claudius) had obtained for him the position as governor.] The Romans did not see him as very influential. And though he had ousted the Egyptian assassin and his followers, the Jews despised him for his brutality; and he (two years after this) will actually be deposed by Emperor Nero. So (at least in his mind) to quote esteemed historian Rabbi Smash Mouth, Tertullus was looking kind of dumb with his finger and his thumb in the shape of a “L” on his forehead. He thought very little of Felix. But with the normal (and I might add “obligatory”) salutations out of the way, he continues. Verse 4…

Acts 24:4-8 (ESV)— 4 But, to detain you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly. 5 For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. 6 He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him {(and some manuscripts add… and we would have judged him according to our law. 7 But the chief captain Lysias came and with great violence took him out of our hands, 8 commanding his accusers to come before you.)}. 8 By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.”

Keep It Vague— Now note how they falsely say they had arrested Paul. That didn’t happen. The Jews had instigated a riot and it was Lysias (the Tribune) who had saved him by taking him into custody. But in their version it is Paul who started it. And I want you to see something else; and it’s the secret to a great accusation. Notice how Tertullus keeps everything vague. Notice the complete lack of any kind of specific detail as to when, where, and how Paul had supposedly instigated a riot. Now Rome took any kind of riot or insurrection very seriously; and if this charge against Paul could have been substantiated, Paul would have faced severe punishment and possibly even execution. But Tertullus knows that if he gets specific (naming specific incidents) Felix could have Paul’s case transferred [to the governor in whose jurisdiction the incident took place. {But that’s not what the Jews wanted.} The Jews wanted Paul tried before a governor over whom they had some influence.] So Tertullus keeps it vague. And so do the rest of his accusers. It says in…

Acts 24:9 (ESV)— 9 The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so.

Bad News & Good News— And next week we will see how Paul defends himself against their charges. But as we close our time together today, I want first say something hard and then something I hope will be an encouragement to you. It’s a bad news/good news kind of a thing. The bad news is that if you are radically committed to Jesus Christ, persecution is always always always going to come from people whose consciences are disturbed by the presence of Christ they see in you. But Jesus himself offers us hope when He says in…

Matthew 5:11-12 (NKJV)— 11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Hold On— That is a truth that Paul held onto. And it is one that you and I should hang onto as well. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Greetings! It’s good to have you with us as we continue our journey through the book of Acts together, this week continuing to look at Acts 23. Now you’ll remember that Paul has been arrested in Jerusalem and has just stood trial before the Sanhedrin. And in that court great dissension arrises over Paul’s message (and the doctrine of the Resurrection in particular) that the Roman commander actually has to take Paul back into the Roman barracks because things had gotten so intense, he feared that Paul would literally be torn apart. And it is heartbreaking to see the center of Jewish religion and justice be a place where God’s message is ultimately rejected and where justice fails in such a profound way; just as it had when Jesus stood before this very same group of religious leaders. Now things go from bad to worse, as it says in…

Acts 23:12-16 (ESV)— 12 When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. 14 They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. 15 Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.” 16 Now the son of Paul's sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul.

Paul’s Nephew— Now, as we observed last week, it seems very likely that Paul was rejected by some or much of his family after he came to faith in Jesus Christ. He likely was seen as a disgrace by them. Paul says in Philippians 3:8 that he had suffered the loss of everything for the sake of Jesus Christ. But whatever Paul’s family situation looked like at this point, we see here that he had a sister who may have been at least somewhat affectionate towards him; as her son (who is there in Jerusalem) seems to be looking out for Paul. And this nephew somehow overhears this plot to murder Paul. And he immediately comes to the barracks to warn Paul. Now this really demonstrates just how much (in every trial we face) God is working behind the scenes, watching out for us; and how He often sends us help from unforeseen places.

An Unsung Hero— Now this boy is one of the unsung heroes of the Bible. God had placed him in the right place at the right time; like Esther, like Daniel. He was a kid who was placed in a difficult and highly unusual circumstance. He was probably terrified. But God used his courage to do the right thing to bring about His plans and purposes; to preserve Paul’s life. Now because Paul was an unconvicted Roman citizen (and not actually under arrest at this point, but merely in protective custody), he was able to receive visits from [relatives and friends, who could bring…{him}…food and other amenities.] And so this boy was able to get to Paul. And after the boy tells Paul of the plot, it says in…

Acts 23:17-23 (ESV)— 17 Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.” 18 So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.” 19 The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” 20 And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him. 21 But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.” 22 So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.” 23 Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night.

To Caesarea— Now when the tribune hears of this plot, he decides that the best thing to do to both to save Paul’s life and to avoid a potentially explosive confrontation with the Jews is to send Paul away. And so we see that the Roman tribune orders that Paul be sent to Caesarea. [Jerusalem was the seat of Jewish government, but Caesarea was the Roman headquarters of the area] and would be a safe place for Paul. Now this whole situation is so ironic because it should be the Jewish leaders who are supporting Paul the most. I mean, he was one of them. And yet we find them being the enemies and Romans (of all people) being the means of saving Paul. I mean, everything’s backwards. But you know, God often can use backwards situations to bring about His glory and plans and purposes. These events may have seemed bad to Paul at the time, but it’s interesting that those events set into motion a chain of events that would eventually lead to Paul’s being taken to Rome, the very place God promised to take him. And God can do that for us as well. He can use our trials, our difficulties, and even our enemies to bring about His purposes in our lives. Unless we give up, they are not able to thwart the plans of God. And we need to remember that.

Soldiers, Horsemen, & Spearmen— Now Lysias sends with Paul 200 soldiers, 70 horsemen, and 200 spearmen. [The “soldiers” were legionnaires, the elite soldiers of the roman army; the “horsemen” were from the garrison’s cavalry detachment; and the “spearmen,” or javelin throwers, were soldiers less heavily armed than the legionnaires.] And what this all amounted to was [almost half of his 1,000 man garrison]. And that just shows how seriously he took this plot and how determined he was that Paul should be kept alive and receive justice. Now Paul is escorted by this quite sizable military force at the third hour of the night. That’s 9:00pm Gentile Time 😊; “savings time”, literally. And the tribune also says in…

Acts 23:24 (ESV)— 24 Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”

Felix— Now [Felix was the Roman governor or procurator of Judea from A.D. 52 to 59). This was the same position Pontius Pilate had held.] The Jews were allowed a lot of freedom to govern themselves, but it was the governor who was responsible for running the army, keeping the peace, and gathering the taxes. And so Lysias sends a letter with Paul for Governor Felix. And I love this letter because you can see just how much of a politician Lysias is; because all that happened that could have shed a negative light on him does not make it into the report. But everything that makes him look good and like he is the shining example of truth and justice is highly emphasized.

Spin— You see, it’s all about spin control. Just recently I re-read an illustration talking about letters of recommendation. I don’t know if you’ve ever had to write a letter of recommendation before, but what I was reading was talking about how [Writing letters of recommendation can be hazardous--tell the truth and you might get sued if the contents are negative. {And so} Robert Thornton, a professor at Lehigh University, has a collection of "virtually litigation-proof" phrases called the Lexicon of Intentionally Ambiguous Recommendations, or LIAR. Here are some examples: (1)To describe an inept person— "I enthusiastically recommend this candidate with no qualifications whatsoever." (2) To describe an ex-employee who had problems getting along with fellow workers— "I am pleased to say that this candidate is a former colleague of mine." (3) To describe an unproductive candidate— "I can assure you that no person would be better for the job." (4) To describe an applicant not worth consideration— “I would urge you to waste no time in making this candidate an offer of employment.”] Now this is the kind of stuff we find in Lysias’ letter to Governor Felix. Just listen. It says in…

Acts 23:25-27 (ESV)— 25 And he wrote a letter to this effect: 26 “Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings. 27 This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen.

Several Pinocchios— Now keep in mind that Lysias did not actually discover this until after he had arrested Paul (22:25,26). But here he makes it sound like he rescued Paul after discovering he was a Roman citizen. Quite different from what actually happened; that he had (albeit unknowingly) illegally bound Paul and had almost illegally scourged him (22:24), not knowing (or even thinking to ask whether or not) he was a Roman citizen. So alters the story to make himself shine at the very point where he had really fallen short. This alone would get his letter at least three or four Pinocchios. But note how he also neglects to mention that he had mistaken Paul for being the notorious Egyptian assassin (21:38). But hey, he doesn’t want to bore Felix with the details, right? I mean “details, shmee-details.” Who needs those? Now Lysias continues, saying…

Acts 23:28-31 (ESV)— 28 And desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council. 29 I found that he was being accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. {Now this was a very important detail for Luke to include, because [Luke’s stress on Paul’s blamelessness before the Roman law is a major theme of this entire passage.]} 30 And when it was disclosed to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him.” 31 So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.

Antipatris— Antipatris was a [Roman military post about 40 mi. from Jerusalem.] Very often travelers from Jerusalem to Caesarea would stop to rest there. And here we see that they made the journey in a single night (v.32), which [would have been an exhausting forced march for the foot soldiers.]

Acts 23:32 (ESV)— 32 And on the next day they returned to the barracks, letting the horsemen go on with him.

Foot Soldiers Leave— So we see that the foot soldiers leave after they reach Samaria because, being in Gentile territory, there was much less chance of being ambushed by a group of Jews. So the foot soldiers go back, but Paul and the horsemen go on to Caesarea. It says…

Acts 23:33-35 (ESV)— 33 When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him. 34 On reading the letter, he asked what province he was from. {[Felix needed to determine whether he had jurisdiction to hear Paul’s case.]} And when he learned that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.” {[Judea and Cilicia were at that time both under the legate of Syria, so Felix had the authority to hear his case.] But he wants to wait until Paul’s accusers arrive. And so it says…} And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod's praetorium {[Felix’s official residence in Caesarea.]}.

“Greater is He”— Now the thought I want to leave you with is a truth I know I have shared with you before, but one which I think God really wants us to keep at the forefront of our minds, especially in these latter days. It applied to Paul in this passage and it applies to us today. And it is that truth John gives us in 1 John 4:4. It reads…

1 John 4:4 (ESV)— 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Take Courage— No matter what you face this week because of your commitment to Christ, take courage in the fact that you are sharing in the sufferings of Christ. And the very forces that set themselves against you will only succeed in helping to bring about God’s will and plan for your life; and your victory will be all the sweeter on the other side. And so this week, may you experience Christ’s steadfast love for you. May you know that He hears you. And though there are many workers of evil who set themselves against you, may you experience the joy of seeing Him bring about His work of deliverance in your life. Amen.

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Greetings! It’s good to have you with us as we continue our journey through the book of Acts together, this week continuing to look at Acts 23. If you were with us last week, you’ll remember that some unbelieving Jews have just seized Paul and stirred up the crowd against him with false accusations. And that’s a common theme we find regarding the unbelieving Jews Paul comes across. They’re kind of like atoms. They make up everything. And here that leads to Paul being violently beaten, arrested, and taken into Roman custody in Jerusalem. He has addressed the Jewish mob (giving his first defense); and we know that they listened until he shared with them God’s giving him a mission to take the message of salvation to the Gentiles. They react violently to that and he is taken back into the Roman barrack for protection. After that, he is brought before the Jewish governing body known as the Sanhedrin, during which he gives his second defense. But the Sanhedrin is not at all friendly to him. I mean, they had already killed Jesus. And that was a part of an ongoing trend. Jerusalem was one of the first non-prophet organizations, you might say; they killed all those sent to her, as Jesus pointed out. And in the midst of this trial, during which Paul is illegally struck just for saying that he has a clean conscience, he realizes he is probably not going to receive a good verdict from them; and so he, knowing that the council was one part Pharisee and the other part Sadducee (and himself being a Pharisee) emphasizes his having been a Pharisee and that all of this dissension had to do with the issue of the resurrection from the dead, which he knew the Pharisees accepted but the Sadducees rejected. And so an argument breaks out between the two parties and the Pharisees actually end up defending Paul, saying in verse 9 “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” And after this Paul is removed because of how violent things had gotten; and he’s taken back to the barracks. Now all of this is incredibly discouraging for Paul, who remember has this deep desire to bring the message of the Gospel to Rome, the epicenter of the empire and a very important strategic target for Christianity. But things are not looking very promising, as he’s sitting there in imprisonment. He doesn’t know it this point, but he’s going to remain imprisoned for the next four years. However that night Jesus comes to Paul and gives him a word of encouragement and a promise. It says…

Acts 23:11 (ESV)— 11 The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”

God’s Preserving Promise— Now in reflecting on that promise, it suddenly dawned on me that Jesus never promises Paul that he’s gonna get through all this unscathed or anything like that. He doesn’t even tell him that his endeavors will prove successful. He doesn’t promise a great response after he eventually gets to Rome; only that he is going to grant the desire of Paul’s heart to do the next right thing. Now that next right thing was pretty big for Paul, because it meant that God was going to keep and preserve his life for the time being. And so, in a sense, Paul was greater than all the gods of the pantheon; because while they could be killed, Paul couldn’t. He was more immortal than they could ever be; because the One true God, who has authority over all things, was holding him up. No outside force (no matter how strong) could pluck him out of God’s hand or this next step God had promised Paul success in. And you know, that same God holds you and me. Now He may not promise you tomorrow, but He is every bit in control of your tomorrow as He was of Paul’s. And He will be just as faithful to help you fulfill His plan and purpose through your life as well.

Refocusing on Paul— Now when the controversy between the Pharisees and the Sadducees of the Sanhedrin dies down, we find that they re-focus their attention on Paul. They had gotten to the point where all reverence for God and the desire to do His will and to act in way that was in accordance with His written Word took a back seat to what was really the center of their concern; politics and position. A that being the case, they perceived Paul as being a real threat and were ready to dispense with him. And we will see in our passage today that, just as they had done with Jesus, they begin making plans to murder Paul. It says in…

Acts 23:12 (ESV)— 12 When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

We’ll See— And so we see that hatred and vengeance is eating them up. And that’s not a good place to be. Somebody recently told me they felt I have an unhealthy preoccupation with revenge. And I said “Well, we’ll see about that.” Okay, kidding. But these guys certainly aren’t. They bind themselves with a very serious oath.

anathematized— Now the phrase bound themselves by an oath is literally translated “anathematized”, which means to curse or condemn. And so they have invoked divine judgment if they fail in their mission to kill Paul. And we see this thing a number of times in scripture…

1 Samuel 14:44 (ESV)— 44 And Saul said, “God do so to me and more also; you shall surely die, Jonathan.”

2 Samuel 3:35 (ESV)— 35 Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was yet day. But David swore, saying, “God do so to me and more also, if I taste bread or anything else till the sun goes down!”

2 Samuel 19:13 (ESV)— 13 And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me and more also, if you are not commander of my army from now on in place of Joab.’”

1 Kings 2:23 (ESV)— 23 Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, “God do so to me and more also if this word does not cost Adonijah his life!

2 Kings 6:31 (ESV)— 31 and he said, “May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today.”

Serious Resolve— Yikes! Those are some pretty serious threats and curses. And the last is most like the one we find here in Acts 23. These Jews who have set themselves Paul are absolutely determined, which we see in their resolve to engage in a total fast from all food and drink until their mission is complete. And it’s not a small group of men either. It says in…

Acts 23:13-14 (ESV)— 13 There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. 14 They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul.

Going To The Sadducees— Now note that they do not go to the Pharisees. Why? Well, the Pharisees had just sided with Paul during the trial before the Sanhedrin; and so they have shown their willingness to defend Paul. And so these Jews go to those of the chief priests and elders because (remember) the chief priests and elders are of the other party, the Sadducees. These Jews knew that the chief priests and elders would be more likely to join them in this murder plot. Note also they do not go to the scribes because the scribes also were mostly Pharisees. No, they go to those of the Sadducees. And they tell them of their oath and their fast and then give their request, saying…

Acts 23:15-16 (ESV)— 15 Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.” 16 Now the son of Paul's sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul.

Paul’s Family— Now amazingly, this is the only clear reference in the Bible that we have to any of the members of Paul’s family. Romans 16:7 and 11 possibly give us a few others, as he makes reference to Andronicus, Junia, and Herodion as being his kinsmen. But there are no other references. Some scholars believe that when Paul became a Christian he was disowned by his family. His father, probably a wealthy person, very likely cut him off and wanted nothing to do with him. Paul may indicate some of this in Philippians 3:8 when he describes how he had suffered the loss of everything for the sake of Jesus Christ. But, you know, that is the case for a lot of men and women who have chosen to follow Jesus. Families do not always understand, which is why Jesus said…

Matthew 10:35-39 (ESV)— 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Crucified by Family— And interestingly, that is what Jesus Himself had experienced. His own family was at odds with him. John 7:5 tells us that not even his brothers believed in him. Now that eventually changed, as His half-brother James converted and became a very important leader in the Church. Jude (another half-brother of Jesus) also was converted and wrote the book of Jude. But before that Jesus carried the weight of his siblings’ scorn and that enmity against him during much of His life and ministry. And that’s a hard burden to bear. And it’s interesting that Jesus seems in this passage in Matthew to be equating that kind of familial pain to taking up your cross. And keep in mind, that was before He had been crucified on an actual cross, which leads me to make the assumption that before being crucified in the body on the cross, He had first been crucified in a metaphorical sense by his family. And Paul definitely seems to be bearing that same kind of cross now.

Meeting The Folks— I don’t know if any of you every brought your boyfriend or girlfriend home to meet your parents, but that can be pretty tense. You’re wondering if they are going to like her, And if momma doesn’t like her, you’re in trouble. But bringing Jesus home to meet the family is often just as hard (if not worse); and especially in Paul’s culture. Paul had become an outcast for the sake of Christ. I mean it must have been hard. But if that is what needs to happen for you to follow Jesus, then you have to do it. That is just part of what it means to be a Christian. And if we are faithful to suffer like that for Jesus, we will be blessed.

1 Peter 4:12-14 (NKJV)— 12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.

Romans 8:16-17 (NKJV)— 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Sharing in Christs Sufferings & Glory— So let us gladly share in Christ’s suffering, so that we also will share in His glory. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Greetings! It’s good to have you with us as we continue our study of the book of Acts today.

A False Accusation— You know, I don’t know if you have ever had somebody try to malign your name before. As a pastor, I have been on the receiving end of that a number of times; and it is painful. And usually that kind of behavior comes from somebody who misunderstands you or something you have done or something you are trying to do. And so they speak against you. And that kind of abuse can be hard to take. Now it is one thing when you are dealing with somebody who is honestly mistaken and quite another when you are dealing with somebody who maligns your name knowing that what they were saying against you was false. Well, that is very much the situation we find here in chapters 22-23 of the book of Acts, as Paul is viciously accused by a group of Judaizers who stir up a mob to attack and beat him. Now he is saved by the commander of the Roman troops (a man by the name of Claudius Lysias), who takes him into custody, brings him into the barracks, asks him if he is a particular murderous criminal, hears Paul explain to him who he really is, and then allows Paul to address the crowd, which he then does. And the crowd listens up until Paul says that the Lord had sent him to minister unto Gentiles. At they point the crowd loses it and Lysias again takes him into the barracks; and this time prepares to scourge Paul until he finds out why the crowd is shouting like this against him. But then Paul reveals that he is a Roman citizen. And that shocks Lysias and the other soldiers; because it meant that they had overstepped their bounds in even binding Paul at all. And so Lysias decides to have Paul stand before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish supreme court of the land comprised of 71 members, including the high priest. And so Paul is brought before them in an unofficial meeting. And it says…

Acts 23:1-5 (ESV)— 1 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” 4 Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God's high priest?” 5 And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

Paul’s Divinely Appointed Mistake— Now in admitting his mistake, Paul shows that he actually had more respect for the law than Ananias did. He acknowledged his mistake and immediately quoted the exact law of God (Exodus 22:28) that he had unwittingly broken. Now, as I said last week, I believe that although Paul may seem harsh here, he had not knowingly broken God’s law; because he had not recognized Ananias. It may be because Paul had eye problems (which Galatians 4:15 seems to indicate). It may be because none of the Sanhedrin were in official dress, because this was an informal meeting. It may also be because Ananias’ treatment of Paul was so unlawful that Paul never would have dreamed he would actually be the judge in that situation. We don’t know. But what seems to be the case regardless of why Paul didn’t recognize Ananias is that God was being this rebuke of Ananias by Paul. I think God allowed Paul to not recognize Ananias so that Paul could say exactly what needed to be said.

Hypocrites— And you know, what Paul said was very much in line with what Jesus Himself said about the religious leaders He encountered. In Matthew 23:15, He called the Pharisees “hypocrites”. And that was because they were actors. Actors during that time would wear these masks. And “hypocrite” meant (literally) to judge someone from behind one of those masks. And so Jesus was calling them out for being impersonators, frauds, and show-offs as opposed to true followers of God. They were pretending to be holy but it was all a show; just a mask that hid their true selves, which were polluted by sin.

Fitted For Hell— In Matthew 23:15, He referred to each Pharisee as being a "child of hell." He mentioned that the converts they thought they had won over to Judaism they in fact made even worse than them. He says: "twofold more the child of hell than yourselves." Yikes. And “child of hell" was a phrase Jesus took right from the Talmud; it [was a Hebraism for an excessively wicked person who might very easily claim Hell for his mother and the devil for his father. It was one who was fitted and destined for Hell.]

Blind, Fools, Tombs, Full of Sin, Snakes, & Murderers— [In Matthew 23:16, He called them - "blind guides.”… In Matthew 23:17, He called them - “fools." In Matthew 23:27, He called them - "whited sepulchres.”] And that was very similar to what Paul had here called Ananias (a “whitewashed wall). And what was behind Jesus’ calling them “whited sepulchres” was the fact that [On the fifteenth day of the month Adar - right before the Passover feast - the Jews would whitewash all the spots where the graves of the poor were situated in the fields or along the roadsides. They did this practice in order to beautify these graves or to alert the pilgrims to the areas where the dead lay. On their way to keeping the Feast of Passover, they did not want to be defiled through contact with the dead. {And so} Jesus referred to the Pharisees in this manner because - on the outside like the "whited sepulchres" they appeared pure and clean - but on the inside, they were filled with death.] He reiterates that in Matthew 23:28 when He tells them that they are "full of...iniquity." [In Matthew 23:33, He called them "serpents" and a "generation of vipers.”… And in in Matthew 23:34, He prophesied that they were - "murderers" - because they would "kill" the "prophets," "wise men," and "scribes" that He would send unto them.] And that (notably) was what they were here starting to do to Paul.

Not Going To Get A Fair Hearing— Now Paul, in witnessing firsthand Ananias’ haughty attitude and flagrant disregard for the Law in commanding that he be brutally and illegally struck realizes (though perhaps he already knew) that he was not going to receive a fair hearing before the Sanhedrin. And so he decides on a very bold and ingenious strategy; one that shows he was very well aware of the tensions between the Sanhedrin’s two factions: the Pharisees and Sadducees.

A Former Sanhedrin Member?— And I do want to add that this may be because he himself might have been a member of the Sanhedrin back before he became a Christian. We see some indication of this in chapter 26, where we find him giving his defense before Herod Agrippa; because he says I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. Now the literal translation of “I cast my vote” is “I threw my pebble”, which is in [reference to the ancient custom of recording votes by means of colored pebbles.] Well, with whom was Paul voting? Well, very likely the Sanhedrin. Now whether or not that is the case, he knows of their internal tensions, which is why he opts for the strategy that he does. It says in…

Acts 23:6-9 (ESV)— 6 Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” 7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. 9 Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?”

The Tide Turns— Now this is quite an extraordinary turn of events. Paul now has a large number of men in the Sanhedrin advocating on his behalf. It truly was a genius move. But what is important for us to realize is that all this wasn’t just some little ploy instigated by Paul to cause a division on some minor point of theology. No, the resurrection of Christ from the dead was (and still is) the central theme of Christianity. The Pharisees believed in a resurrection and an afterlife, but the Sadducees didn’t. And since the high priest and his family were all Sadducees, I simply can’t get over that the fact that the highest spiritual leaders in Israel did not even believe in an afterlife. That just blows my mind. But, you know, that explains why their focus was always on the dangers in the here and now; they never thought from an eternal perspective because they didn’t believe they would survive on into eternity. Some have quipped that that is why they were “sad, you see”. The Pharisees, however, were much closer to the teaching of Christianity, which is why we do read accounts in scripture of some of them being converted (Acts 15:5 and John 3:1). But scripture does not give us a record of a single Sadducee ever coming to faith in Jesus Christ. And that truly is a sad reality. Now what is amazing to me about the next verse is how violent all these supposedly God-fearing men get, to the point where is says in the next verse…

Acts 23:10 (ESV)— 10 And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.

A Discouraging Time— Now Paul is no doubt glad to have gotten out of that scrape (by the grace of God). But imagine how discourage he must have felt and the hardness of heart and even the injustice he had experienced in regard to these men that (years prior) he would have looked up to. You know, as I read this, I wonder what it would be like if all my college Bible and seminary teachers came out and denounced me as a heretic and felt it fit that I be killed. I mean, I would be in a bad place. But I love how God always meets us in those low spots and gives us the strength and encouragement we need, which he does here with Paul. It says in…

Acts 23:11 (ESV)— 11 The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”

The Lord Stood By Him— Now the phrase we need to grasp and hold onto this week is in the first part of this final verse: “the Lord stood by him ”. Jesus stood for Paul because Paul was standing for Him. That is a theme we find over and over again in and throughout scripture. When you and I are faithful to be a voice for Christ, He will also be faithful to stand with us and (in due time) bring the evil our enemies devise for us on their own heads. They will not stand before him. The liars will be destroyed. They will bear their guilt. They will fall by their own counsels. But He is a refuge for His faithful ones; and He will deliver, exalt, and be a shield for them. Let’s thank Him for that today. Amen.

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Greetings! It’s good to have you with us as we continue our study of the book of Acts today. You will remember if you were with us last week that Paul has just (after taking a significant beating) given his first of six defenses that we find in the closing chapters of the book of Acts. And this first defense was given before this angry crowd of people in Jerusalem who had been stirred up into thinking that Paul was against the Law of God and (therefore) anti-Jewish; and hence had to be taken out.

Putin’s Propaganda— Now what really struck a chord with me as I was studying this week was how closely these false accusers were to somebody we all have been seeing a lot of on the news of late: Vladimir Putin. One of the things that has surprised me the most in recent weeks is how effective his propaganda machine is. He has been brainwashing his people with the lie that Ukraine has been taken over by neo-Nazis and therefore an invasion to help free Ukraine from the control of these neo-Nazis is the right thing to do. Now I’m not surprised at his lies (though it is shocking some of the things that he says); but I am surprised at how well he’s able to convince his people. In this day and age with the internet and everything that goes along with that (Facebook, YouTube, etc.) you would think that he wouldn’t be able to stop the free flow of information. But he really is; he knows how to cut his people off from outside influence and perspective; and anything that slips through he labels as Western propaganda. But anything he says is a great gauge of where the truth is because you know that whatever comes out of his mouth, the truth is the complete opposite; and whatever crime he accuses Ukraine and the West of is exactly the crime he himself is committing (sometimes even in a more egregious way).

The Real Lawbreakers— Now why this is relevant to our study today is because of how much those accusing Paul of encouraging law-breaking are themselves breaking the law. I mean Paul has just barely escaped assassination. And, battered and bruised from that, he has taken the stand and makes his first defense. And he does so (like we saw last week) by sharing his own personal testimony of how he had always religiously observed the Jewish law; and what Jesus had to do in his life to bring him into Christianity, which of course is the fulfillment of all their Jewish hopes. And all the people listen to him up until the point where he says that he had a vision right there in the temple in which Jesus spoke to him and told him “…“Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ ” And at this point they go absolutely crazy and so the commander has Paul taken into the barracks, has him bound, and is prepared to scourge him until he gets the information he wants. But before that happens, Paul decides that now is a good time to mention his Roman citizenship. It says…

Acts 22:25-30 (ESV)— 25 But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” 27 So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” 29 So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him. 30 But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them.

The Sanhedrin— Now one thing I found interesting about this verse was that it is the next day and yet (despite their being worried that they had bound Paul) we find here that he is still bound. It is only now that he is finally unbound and brought to the council. And this was a meeting, albeit an unofficial one, of the Sanhedrin; the national ruling body of the Jews and the supreme court, comprised of 71 members, including the high priest. The chief priests were [A small group within the Sanhedrin composed of former high priest and members of influential priestly families…] And [They met daily in the temple to hold court, except on the Sabbath and other holy days.] So Paul is before them and it says…

Acts 23:1-2 (ESV)— 1 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.

Ananias— Now it's important to note that this Ananias is not the Annas of the Gospels. Nor was he (in reality) the actual high priest. Caiaphas was in fact the acting high priest (serving from A.D. 18-36, after Ananias). But though Caiaphas was the official high priest, Ananias had [retained his title and {still} wielded great influence]. And so Ananias is the one who has Paul struck; this former high priest (who had served from A.D. 6-15). Now Ananias had in fact been [one of Israel’s cruelest and most corrupt high priests.] And [His pro-Roman policies alienated him from the Jewish people]. And we’ll see what that leads to. But this command to strike Paul was [An illegal act in keeping with Ananias’ brutal character. The verb translated “strike” is used of the mob’s beating of Paul (21:32) and the Roman soldiers’ beating of Jesus (Matt. 27:30) {So} It was no mere slap on the face, but a vicious blow.] And one that Paul does not take kindly.

Acts 23:3 (ESV)— 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?”

A Whitewashed Wall— And so we see that Paul is outraged by Ananias’ hypocrisy; breaking Jewish law while in the midst of accusing him of showing disregard for the law. And so Paul says to him “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! ” Now to understand why Paul calls him a whitewashed wall, we have to look back at Ezekiel 13. False prophets during that time in history had lulled God’s people into a false sense of security. [Phony “peace” promises, while sin continued on the brink of God’s judgment, was a way, so to speak, of erecting a defective “wall” and white-washing it to make it look good. {But} Such an unsafe “wall” was doomed to collapse (v.11) when God would bring his storm, picturing the invaders’ assault (v.11).] And this storm is of wind, flood, and hail. Now [These descriptions are all images belonging to the illustration of the wall, not meant to convey real wind, flood, and hail. The Babylonians were the actual destroyers of Israel’s hypocritical false spirituality.] And so Paul is saying, basically, that God is going to do the same thing to Ananias. Now those around Paul did not take kindly to Paul’s saying this. And so it says…

Acts 23:4 (ESV)— 4 Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God's high priest?”

Revile— And that word “revile” is a very strong word. It [is the same word used in John 9:28 to describe the Jewish leaders’ insulting remarks to the blind man whom Jesus had healed. Peter {also} used it to speak of the abuse Jesus endured (1 Pet. 2:23). So they see what Paul has just said as a very severe thing because of how saying something like that (knowingly) to Ananias would mean that Paul had disdain not only Ananias, but the office that he held. And so they call him out on it. And Paul is (honestly) taken aback. It says…

Acts 23:5 (ESV)— 5 And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

Name-Calling— Now I love Paul’s response. Because (despite just being wrongfully assaulted) he is immediately willing to acknowledge his mistake. And that is all it was. It was not a sin. If name-calling in itself is a sin, then Jesus also was guilty, because he wasn’t afraid of telling people exactly what they were behaving like. Paul is within the realm of right Christian behavior in what he says. Where the problem comes in is in regards to who he has directed it towards. Paul is fully justified in the content of what he says, but immediately admits that (because of the Law) he would not have said it if he had known who it was he was speaking to. Now this begs the question, “How could Paul not know who Ananias was?” Well, Paul [had been gone from Jerusalem for many years and would not likely have recognized Ananias by sight. {Plus remember} That this was an informal gathering of the Sanhedrin {,which} would have meant the high priest would not have been wearing his official garments.] And so it would have been very easy for Paul to not know who he was, especially considering that Ananias’ behavior was so contradictory to what a high priest should do, BREAK THE LAW! But Paul may also have had some trouble with his eyes, as Galatians 4:15 seems to indicate. But whatever the case, Paul says he didn’t know it was the high priest. Now he never says he was wrong in WHAT he said, only in that he had unknowingly said that to God’s high priest. And I love how he uses the word of God to even pinpoint what he had done wrong. He says: …it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’” And he’s quoting right from the Torah, from Exodus 22:28, which says …

Exodus 22:28 (ESV)— 28 “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

A Deep Respect— And so in all of this, despite his mistake, Paul shows (even in the way he corrects himself) that he truly does have a deep and profound respect for the Law of God. He quotes it verbatim and shows that he himself is willing to submit to it even when he himself is being wrongly treated.

Was Paul Right?— Now some say that Paul was wrong in what he said. Personally, I think God used Paul’s eye problems to prevent his recognizing Ananias so that Paul would say exactly what needed to be said. I think it was important to God for all Christians since this time to read this passage and see this very accurate exposition of who Ananias was and how Paul’s character stood in marked contrast to it. Furthermore, I feel that God honors Paul’s curse; because God did strike Ananias; and He did so through his own people. Because of his pro-Roman policies, at the outset of the revolt against Rome in A.D. 66, the Jewish people end up murdering him. And then of course Rome sweeps in and destroys Jerusalem and the Temple in A.D. 70. Now in light of that, listen to the words of Ezekiel 13 that Paul borrows from to curse him and see if this doesn’t fit. Just listen. It says…

Ezekiel 13:10-16 (ESV)— 10 Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash,[a] 11 say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out. 12 And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the coating with which you smeared it?’ 13 Therefore thus says the Lord God: I will make a stormy wind break out in my wrath, and there shall be a deluge of rain in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to make a full end. 14 And I will break down the wall that you have smeared with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you shall perish in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the Lord. 15 Thus will I spend my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have smeared it with whitewash, and I will say to you, The wall is no more, nor those who smeared it, 16 the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her, when there was no peace, declares the Lord God.

Let Us Proclaim— Now what we learn from all of this is very simply that the world is not friendly to those who proclaim the name of Jesus. There will always be people (even religious people) who will set themselves against us. And yet (as we will see) God stands with Paul. And God will stand with you and me as well. And so let us not shrink from proclaiming His name so that even in biting us the world may taste and see that the Lord is good.

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Greetings! It’s good to have you with us today.

Law Themes— Last week, in our study of Acts, we came to Paul’s being seized by an angry mob shortly after he had come to Jerusalem. And he is preparing to make his defense before the crowd. But as I was pouring over this text, I tried to keep in mind the context. Paul (in the context of Pentecost, during which remember the Jews who have gathered here in Jerusalem are celebrating the giving of the Mosaic Law) is being accused of being anti-Jewish/anti-Law. And so he’s not just making a case for Christianity; he’s showing that (despite what his accusers are saying) he and the message of Christianity are not anti-Jewish or anti-Law. No, Christianity is the fulfillment of Judaism and the Jewish hopes of a Messiah. As Jesus Himself said in…

Matthew 5:17 (ESV)— 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

Judaisms— Now keeping that context in mind helped me to see some things in this passage I had not noticed before; because interwoven throughout Paul’s testimony are language and phrases that would be significant to a Jewish audience and would signify that he was not against them or the Law in any way. And the first, as I’ve said before, is the fact that he speaks to them in their own language. But as we move through his defense, we’ll see other ways Paul hooks his audience; with Hebrew language, phrases, and in the details he chooses to emphasize. And his very first line is just full of them. Look with me at verse 3 and following, where he says…

Acts 22:3 (NKJV)— 3 “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city {(Jerusalem)} at the feet of Gamaliel {(a great Jewish rabbi who was the most revered Jewish teacher of that era)}, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law {(the literal translation here is “ancestral law”)}, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.

Pentecost— Now what festival was it? Pentecost, a festival focused on the Law. And here is where Paul is about to start sharing his testimony, like he had back in chapter 9. But we are going to see some different details emphasized that compliment the earlier account but at the same time are more directly relevant to these people in this context. Now listen as he begins to bridge into his testimony. He says…

Acts 22:4-6 (NKJV)— 4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, 5 as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished. 6 “Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me.

A Great Light— Now keep in mind that light in the Old Testament is almost always connected with the presence of God. And so in his testimony (more so than in chapter 9) Paul emphasizes the light, saying that it was a great light and that it came at noon, which further emphasizes its brightness. Furthermore he says…

Acts 22:7-13 (NKJV)— 7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ {Note that Saul is Paul’s Jewish name.} 8 So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ 9 “And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. 10 So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’ 11 And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. 12 “Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, 13 came to me; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him.

"a devout man according to the law"— Now note how Paul does not mention Ananias’ conversation with God, when God commanded him to go to Saul. He skips that and instead adds a detail that would be significant to this audience; that Ananias was “a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there”.

Acts 22:14-16 (NKJV)— 14 Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers {(there it is again)} has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. 15 For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. {(This detail of Paul’s being Jesus’ witness to all men is new.)} 16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized {(another new detail)}, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

Ananias’ Importance— Now we know from Paul’s defense before Herod Agrippa that God also gave this commission of reaching all men directly to Paul (26:17), but it was important for this Jewish audience to hear that a respected Jew had shared with him this vision he had had of Paul’s future ministry. Paul continues…

Acts 22:17-21 (NKJV)— 17 “Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance 18 and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ 19 So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. 20 And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ 21 Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ ”

The Vision of Paul While Praying— Now this whole description of Paul’s having a vision while praying in the temple and God’s telling him to leave Jerusalem is also new. [Luke’s earlier description of the circumstances surrounding Paul’ departure from Jerusalem is from a different perspective. The brothers heard about a plot against Paul and escorted him to Caesarea, from where he was sent off to Tarsus (9:29-30).] But, as F.F. Bruce points out, “this is not the only place our narrative where divine direction and human action coincide.” Now the Jews seem somewhat receptive until the last phrase where Paul says Jesus told him “Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.” It says…

Acts 22:22-24 (NKJV)— 22 And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!” 23 Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air {(which were both expressions of horror at blasphemy)}, 24 the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging {(in other words, torture)}, so that he might know why they shouted so against him.

Almost Scourged— This [planned flogging was probably the Roman brutal scourging with a whip that had thongs weighted with rough pieces of bone or metal. It could cause great harm and even leave people crippled for life.] Now I love how Paul never just spills all the details of who he is. He waits for the opportune moment when sharing those details will have the greatest impact and work to his advantage the most. He keeps his Roman citizenship a secret until this precise moment, where it says…

Acts 22:25 (NKJV)— 25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?”

Serious Trouble— And of course it wasn’t. Romans citizens could be scourged for crimes, but never as a method of inquiry before they had even had a trial. And so the centurion immediately recognizes they could be in serious trouble, having already going beyond what they were allowed to do to an uncondemned Roman citizen. And so it says…

Acts 22:26-29 (NKJV)— 26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, “Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman.” 27 Then the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.” 28 The commander answered, “With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.” {In other words, he had paid a bribe to acquire Roman citizenship. However, Paul’s was much more legitimate, as it says…} And Paul said, “But I was born a citizen.” 29 Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

A Different Approach— Now what really jumped out at me about this passage was how different Paul’s approach to sharing his faith was from what I might have gravitated towards, especially if I was some highly-educated theological and philosophical mastermind, as he was. I would have tried to present a logical, systematic case for the truth of Christianity. But it’s interesting that Paul doesn’t do that. What does he do? He simply tells them his personal testimony; what God did in his life to bring him to faith in Christ; the dramatic change in who he was that could be explained in no other way than that he had encountered the One he was proclaiming.

A Higher Degree— You know, over 12 years ago I graduated from Wesley Biblical Seminary. And I remember I walked down the aisle of that school and was presented with a shiny new laminated and bound certificate. And you know what it says? “Master of Divinity.” That’s a pretty cool title. But I have to be honest with you; never once in all my years of ministry did I ever feel like a master of divinity. If seminary taught me anything, it was how much I don’t know and still have yet to grasp about the divinity of God. But there is something that is within my grasp (and yours as well); take that same title and let’s make a very slight modification. How about “Mastered by Divinity”? Now that’s something I can have and know I have; to know that God has met me on the Damascus road of my life and mastered me to where all of who I am (my core identity, like Paul’s was) is completely changed. That is the degree that people might throw their robes off and fling dust in the air about, but one they cannot refute or argue with.

Your Testimony— Have you ever written out your personal testimony and/or do you have it ready to share at a drop of a hat? If not, that is your assignment this week. Take time to prepare your testimony, memorize it, and be ready to share it. That will be one of the greatest tools you ever use in your witnessing.

The Greatest Chapter— And if you do not yet know Jesus Christ, I invite you to simply ask Him to come into your life today; to forgive you of all your sins and to make you a child of God. And He will. And you also will have a story to share; the greatest chapter in your life; the moment you said yes to Jesus. May every one of us come experience that initial and then a daily encounter with Jesus Christ. May He so transform us that our lives will be the greatest evidence we can give of the validity of the Gospel message. Amen.

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Greetings! It’s good to have you with us today.

Paul’s Show of Solidarity— If you’ve been with us recently, you’ll know that in our study of the book of Acts we have at last come to Paul’s arrest here in chapter 21. He’s trying to build bridges and discredit false rumors that are spreading about him and Christianity. It says in….

Acts 21:27-22:24 (NKJV)— 27 Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” 29 (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) 30 And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut.

“Beaten by Peacekeepers"— Some time ago on the news following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we saw a large number of Russian protestors who chose to stand up and peacefully yet publicly demonstrate their opposition to the war against Ukraine. But of course they don’t have freedom of speech like we do here and so Putin has been having these people quickly arrested, sometimes beaten, and then carried away to prison, where many of them could spend up to ten years. And one image that was emblazoned on my mind was that of one of these protestors (a man) being picked up and held off the ground by a few of these so-called “peace-keepers” as another “peace-keeper” ruthlessly beat him with a black baton. And the man was being held in such a position that he couldn’t cover himself in any way. All he could do was receive blow after blow.

Beating Paul— Well that is the condition we find Paul in at the opening of our passage today. The unbelieving Jews have stirred the crowd into a frenzy and they are beating him. And they have no intention of stopping. They are intending to beat Paul to death; no trial, no imprisonment; no, they want Paul dead. Paul (and the message he bore) was, in their minds) to dangerous for him to be allowed to live. Now thankfully God intervened before they were able to carry out their plan. It says in…

Acts 21:31 (NKJV)— 31 Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

The Commander Comes— Now around the temple was built Fort Antonia. And they were supervising constantly to make sure that no riot would brake out in Jerusalem and particularly the temple. Now [The commander of the troops at this time was {a man by the name of} Claudius Lysias (23:36). He was commander of a regiment (a special group, part of a legion) of Roman soldiers and was the senior Roman official in Jerusalem.] The word [“commander” (Greek, chiliarch ) {means that he} was responsible for 1,000 soldiers (a regiment)…and he was stationed at the Fortress of Antonia.] It says in verse 32 that…

Acts 21:32 (NKJV)— 32 He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

Battered & Bruised— Now you can imagine how badly shaken, battered and bruised Paul is at this point. He probably has to be picked up off the ground. But he’s obviously a great physical threat to everybody around him, because it says in…

Acts 21:33-34a (NKJV)— 33 Then the commander came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; {then it says} and he asked who he was and what he had done. 34 And some among the multitude cried one thing and some another.

Absentee Accusers— By the way, its interesting how the initial instigators of all of this are now curiously silent if not altogether absent. They’ve stirred the pot and are the true cause of the riot, but now seem to have withdrawn. So you have this mob (this large body without a head) that doesn’t even know why they are there. And because of that, the commander cannot figure out either who Paul is or what he has supposedly done. And so it says in…

Acts 21:34b-37 (NKJV)— So when he could not ascertain the truth because of the tumult, he commanded him to be taken into the barracks. 35 When he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob. 36 For the multitude of the people followed after, crying out, “Away with him!” 37 Then as Paul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander, “May I speak to you?” He replied, “Can you speak Greek? {This surprised the commander because Greek was the language of cultured, educated men, not common criminals as he had at first assumed Paul to be. It was an indication that he was from out of town. And yet Paul could be a troublemaker from somewhere else. Greek was commonly spoken in Egypt, so Lysias thinks he may be a then well-known Egyptian troublemaker. And so he asks Paul…}

Acts 21:38 (NKJV)— 38 Are you not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?”

“The Egyptian”— Now this Egyptian to whom the commander is referring had tried to lead a revolt against Rome (21:37-38). He had taken a large number of people up to the Mount of Olives and promised that the walls of Jerusalem would fall at his command and that the Romans would be driven out. However, Governor Felix swept in with a bunch of Roman troops and routed the Egyptian and his followers, with the loss of many lives; and yet the Egyptian had escaped. So the commander had thought (probably because of the violent animosity of the crowd) that Paul was this Egyptian.

The “Assassins”— Now Lysias describes the followers of this Egyptian as “assassins”. And these “assassins” that he is referring to were actually a terrorist group that had arisen during the time when Felix was governor. Their strong Jewish nationalism caused them to fiercely set themselves against not only Rome, but also against those of the Jews who collaborated with Rome. And the latter were, in fact, the primary targets of these assassins. Now the word “assassin” (Sikariōn) actually derives from the Latin word for dagger (sica). And that was for good reason, because what these assassins would do is they would mingle with the crowds and quickly and stealthily stab their victims. And after they did this, they would do one of two things. Sometimes they would simply melt away into the crowd. Other times they would be so brazen as to feign shock and actually join the mourners in order to escape being detected. I mean, these were scary guys. And they would be particularly active during the Jewish festivals like Pentecost. And so this reaction from the crowd coupled with the fact that these assassination attempts were common, it would have been very natural for Lysias to assume that the crowd had caught one of these assassins in the act (or maybe even the Egyptian himself). However, Paul quickly dispels that idea. It says…

Acts 21:39-22:2 (NKJV)— 39 But Paul said, “I am a Jew from Tarsus, in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; and I implore you, permit me to speak to the people.” 40 So when he had given him permission, Paul stood on the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying, 22:1 “Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now.” 2 And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent.

Their Own Language— Now speaking to them in their own language caused them to get even more quiet because it showed them that he was likely not a Diaspora collaborator with the Gentiles, whom many of them may have supposed him to be. And he addresses them in a words that shows solidarity with them. He calls them “Brethren and fathers”, just as Stephen had done in 7:2. And here Paul says “hear my defense”.

Six Defenses– And the Greek word is apologia. Paul is making an apology for the Christian faith. Now that doesn’t mean what it would mean today; that he says “I’m sorry”. No, apology comes from the Greek word apologia and means to “make a defense” or “to state the case for”. It is where we get our word Apologetics. That is what is behind the admonition in 1 Peter 3:15 to “be ready to give an answer to every man who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have”. Well, that is what we will see Paul do in and throughout the remainder of the book of Acts, as we will find him giving six separate defenses of both himself and of Christianity. The first is before an unruly mob here at Jerusalem (21:27ff.), the second is before the Sanhedrin in 22:30ff, the third before Felix in 24:1ff, the fourth one before Festus (25:1-12), the fifth one before Herod Agrippa (25:13ff), and the sixth one before the Jews at Rome (28:17-28). And so here we find the first one. He stands on the stairs and makes an apologia to them in their own language. And next week we will see what he says.

The Fruit of Suffering— But you know, one of the things that we will continue to see as we move through these final chapters in the book of Acts (which focus on Paul’s ministry in chains) is the truth that God will often use our greatest trials; our greatest tribulations; our greatest hardships to produce some of his greatest fruit. Mind you that it was during his imprisonment at Rome that Paul wrote four New Testament books; Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. And you know, that makes me wonder if Satan didn’t regret the many persecutions he had helped instigate towards Paul; because of just how much fruit came out of those persecutions. I mean whenever Satan sought to crush Paul (and really many of the early Christians) through imprisonment, persecution, and even death, all that he ever succeeded in doing was helping to scatter the seed that would further expand and strengthen the Church. And Paul’s life stands as one of the greatest demonstrations of that principle. And that is a principle that is true for you and me as well. It is often through our hardships that God can produce the greatest fruit for His kingdom. And so I want to encourage you, whatever hardship you might be going through now, don’t linger in discouragement. Know that God is using that hardship for His glory; and that that hardship (if you let it) will draw you nearer to Him and help to bring about His amazing plans and purposes for your life and for the lives of others. And one day those sufferings will hardly even be remembered. I love what Paul himself writes in…

Romans 8:18 (NKJV)— 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Let’s Trust— Let us look forward to that future glory as we lean on God in the present and trust in Him and in His perfect plan for our lives. Amen.

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Greetings! It’s good to have you with us today. If you were with us last week, you will remember that Acts 21 marks a major transition in the life and ministry of the apostle Paul. Ever since he had been converted all the way back in Acts chapter 9, he has been free to evangelize all over the Mediterranean world. He had been imprisoned in Philippi (Acts 16:23ff), but only for a very short period of time, as God sent an earthquake that tore the jail apart and set Paul and Silas free. However, in today’s passage we are entering into a whole new stage of Paul’s ministry, as he is arrested here in Jerusalem and will this time remains a prisoner. From here on out he would be an “ambassador in chains”, as he calls himself in Ephesians 6:20.

Finishing The Vows— Now you will remember that Paul has just arrived in Jerusalem along with a group of men from the gentile churches he helped start. And he is delivering the offering collected by those churches to help the needy in Jerusalem. So he does that and tells the elders of all that God had done through them. And there is great joy. However, the elders of the church want to help Paul discredit the false claims of the Judaizers, who claim that he is teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. (21:21). And so they ask Paul to take four men under his wing who are just finishing up a Jewish Nazirite vow and to be purified with them (made ceremonially clean) and to sponsor their ceremony and sacrifices. And he agrees to do that in order to prove that he wasn’t suddenly anti-Law.. It says in…

Acts 21:26 (NKJV)— 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them.

Paul Spotted— And so Paul was coming to the end of everything that he had to do as regards these Nazirite vows. But as he was in the temple, he is spotted by some of his Jewish opponents. It says in…

Acts 21:27-29 (NKJV)— 27 Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” 29 (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)

Asia?— And so we see that Paul is spotted by these Jews from Asia. Now that word Asia doesn’t mean China or anywhere like that. It means Asia Minor, where Paul had been ministering. These Jews were most likely from Ephesus, because that is where Trophimus had come from; and they recognize him! And so they stir up the the crowd against Paul and have him seized.

Paul Doesn’t Lash Back— But you know, that is something that Paul faced all of his ministry; and not just from people who misunderstood, but from men who willfully and deliberately twisted his words or just simply made up stories about him in order to malign and discredit him. But Paul doesn’t lash back; he doesn’t return hate for hate; anger for anger. He doesn’t malign them or even get defensive. He refutes the accusations, but does so in a spirit of love, with gentleness and respect. That is one of the things we can learn from Paul. When we feel hurt or misunderstood at work, at home, or even at Church, it can be so easy to react in a spirit of defensiveness and anger. But when we respond like Jesus did (with that spirit of love and forgiveness) we can often diffuse those situations and (even if still persecuted) be a testimony to the eyes of others who may be watching.

A Capital Offense— Now the thing they accuse Paul of is bringing Trophimus (a Gentile) into the Temple. They had seen Trophimus with him at one or more other times and just assumed (because of the false label of law-breaker that they had already put on him) that Paul must have done this thing. Now, if true, that would be a very serious crime, because no Gentile (non-Jew) was allowed within the temple under penalty of death. Now there was an outer court they could go into, but that was as far as they could go. Then further into the Temple complex was the court of women where Jewish women could go, then the inner court for the men. Only priests could go into the Temple itself and only the High Priest could go into the Holy of Holies. So Gentiles were on the farthest rung out. In fact, for them to go any further meant certain death. In fact, [In the temple, separating the court of the Gentiles from the other courts, stood a wall beyond which no Gentile was allowed to go (note Eph. 2:14). On the wall was this solemn inscription {(in both Latin and Greek)}: “No foreigner may enter within the barricade which surrounds the sanctuary and enclosure. Anyone who is caught so doing will have himself to blame for his ensuing death.” {And they meant it. And whereas normally the Jews were not permitted to execute anyone without Roman consent,} The Romans had granted the Jewish religious leaders authority to deal with anybody who broke this law, and this included the right of execution.] And some of these warning signs have now been uncovered by archaeologists.

The Perfect Accusation— Now this was the perfect accusation, because whereas before these Jews could not touch Paul in Ephesus because of the Gentiles, here they have Paul surrounded by Jews. Some estimates run as high as 2 million because of the celebration going on there at that time, which was what, by the way? Pentecost, [the Old Testament Feast of Harvest {also} sometimes called the Feast of Weeks, and sometimes called the Day of First Fruits.] Many of these 2 million Jews had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish feast of Pentecost. And what did Pentecost celebrate? The giving of the Law by God to Moses {(they believed)} fifty days after the Exodus from Egypt. And so there is a spirit of devotion and love for the Law; a spirit of celebrating the Temple and its sacredness. And so what could be better than accusing Paul of bringing a Gentile into the Temple!!!???; something that would be sure to churn the stomachs of every one of the Jews there!

Paul Wouldn’t Have Done This— Now Paul of course didn’t do that. And that’s because he wouldn’t undo in one day everything he had done in seven days to show that he still loved and respected the Law of God. Plus, he would never have done that to Trophimus; putting him in a position where he would most certainly be killed. But even if that were true, it wouldn’t have been Paul’s head, it would have (according to the Law) been Trophimus’ because he was the Gentile, not Paul. Paul had ever right to go into the temple and ultimately Trophimus was responsible for his own actions. But of course Trophimus is not the target of the unbelieving Jews; it’s Paul who is the target.

Three Accusations— Now notice that they level against him this accusation, but also three others. They say in verse 28 that Paul is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place. So they accuse Paul first of being against his own people; in other words, he’s anti-Jew. That is a pretty hard claim to make, seeing that Paul was Jewish. But that is what they say. And by the way, this is the same attitude that exists today in the hearts of many Jews in and throughout the world. They see Christianity as absolutely antithetical to what it means to be a Jew; so much so that they will often disown any Jew amongst them who becomes a Christian. And that is because they perceive any Jew who accepts Christ as one who is trying to break with Judaism and their heritage, not realizing that Jesus is the fulfillment of all their Jewish hopes; He’s the Messiah! Now next, the Jews accuse Paul of being against the Law and against the Temple. It is pretty hard to see how they can possibly make this claim because (when you think about it) [all the evidence was against them. Paul had Timothy circumcised before taking him along on that second missionary journey (Acts 16:1–3). Paul had taken a Jewish {Nazirite} vow while in Corinth (Acts 18:18), and it was his custom not to offend the Jews in any way by deliberately violating their customs or the law of Moses (1 Cor. 9:19–23).] Furthermore we see in this very passage that he is willing to come alongside these four men who have undertaken a Nazirite vow, sponsor their practice of the Jewish ceremony involved in the completion of that vow, and himself undergo the necessary rituals in order to make himself ceremonially clean and fit to do so, in keeping with Jewish law. And furthermore, the whole reason he was in Jerusalem to begin with was to observe the Jewish feast of Pentecost, which was a celebration of the giving of the Law to Moses. So their accusations really have no anchor in reality.

Became A Mob— Nevertheless, these unbelieving Jews stirred up the whole crowd (v.27). And that word translated stirred up actually means “to confuse”. The crowds were driven into confusion by these unbelieving Jews. And so they become a mob, which (as you know) is a body of people without a head. It is driven by pure emotion, rage, and group-think. It says…

Acts 21:30 (NKJV)— 30 And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut.

Hate By Association— And next week we will find out what happens to him. Now I want to make one observation with you before we close today. And that is this: ultimately it was not Paul on trial, it was Jesus. All these events happened right near where Jesus himself had been tried and then crucified. In fact, in verse 36 they cry out against Paul “Away with him!”, the exact same thing the crowds in that place (27 years earlier) had cried out against Jesus. You see, the two are connected. Paul was ultimately hated because of his association with Jesus. The Jews who opposed him were not doing so because they were offended by Paul. Paul was a very likable guy. He loved everyone tremendously, he gave generously, and he spoke the truth in love (which we will see later even in this very chapter, even after he is beaten nearly to death). No, the people weren’t offended by him, but by the NAME he was proclaiming; the name of Jesus.

Associated With Christ— And let me tell you, when you get serious about Jesus, you are going to be (in the eyes of the world) guilty by association. People are going to hate you for no good reason. They are going to accuse you of things that have no basis in reality. And that’s because of the truth of what Jesus says in…

John 15:19-20 (NKJV)— 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

Emboldened— So ultimately Paul is on trial because his proclamation of the name of Jesus is (as Jesus Himself said it would be) an offense to the world. Now did that stop Paul? No it didn’t. If anything, it emboldened him. And that is because of what he said back in…

Willing To Suffer— And so let us be willing to suffer for Jesus, sharing with Him in his sufferings so that we also may share in His glory. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Greetings! It’s good to have you with us today. You know, just recently I had a friend of mine (also a pastor) share with me about a recent cruise he and his family had gone on. He had been a little reluctant to go because of his workload at the church. But he and his family went. And what was interesting about the story he shared with me was not just the cruise (and all the fun things to do while on a cruise), but what God did through him while on that cruise. On three separate occasions God brought people to him with whom he had the opportunity to share the gospel. And he found that God had already been preparing each of them and that they were “ripe for harvest” so to speak. And so he invited them to receive Christ. And all three of them did. Now imagine his church’s surprise on hearing (after he got back) that he (in the midst of his vacation) had the opportunity to lead three people to Christ. What a great report! And I just loved how (even on vacation) my friend didn’t just switch (as is so easy to do) into self-serve mode. No, he was still thinking missionally; who he could reach for Jesus. May we all be like that. And what an amazing story he had to tell because of it. Now in our passage today here in Acts 21, we find that Paul and his companions have at last arrived at Jerusalem. And they have some amazing stories as well. And so they have come before James and the elders and (after delivering the offering collected for the needy church there) share all that God had done through their ministry. And what a great missions report it was! And it says of James and the elders in…

Acts 21:20a (NKJV)— 20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord.

The Stories— Now Paul’s report was (as verse 19 says) in detail. And what this meant was that he didn’t just run them through the number of conversions, sanctifications, and various other statistics. No, he was sharing with them the stories of what God had done; the personal God-sightings he had had in the lives of those touched by his ministry; how God had moved in amazing ways in and through himself and his team. And the elders are thrilled to hear this. But their joy was also mixed with concern. It says in…

Acts 21:20b-21 (NKJV)— And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads {(which, by the way means tens of thousands)} of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law; 21 but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.

The Ceremonies Still Observed— Now these Jewish Christians of whom the elders are speaking (who are hearing these false rumors) are still observing all the rituals and customs of the Old Covenant. They had not yet forsaken them. Now they didn’t see any of those things as saving in and of themselves. They did believe in salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone; that issue had already been settled. But their faith was still very intertwined with their Judaism. In fact their faith in Christ drove them to become even more zealously motivated to obey the rites and ceremonies of the Old Covenant; the required feasts, Sabbath regulations, ritual vows (v.23), and dietary restrictions. And that was fine. The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) forbade those things being placed upon the Gentiles, but allowed the Jewish believers to continue to observe them. And so this lie being spread by the false Judaizers had a lot of power to cause division in the church. Plus it would hurt the Church’s witness to non-believing Jews, who were hearing that Paul was teaching that to become Christians meant they had to forsake their Judaism, when nothing could be further from the truth.

The Running Lie— Now the underlying Greek word behind the phrase they have been informed in verse 21 is κατηχέω, where we get out word catechism, which is of course is a method of learning by repetition. And so what it signifies is that these lies are being repeated over and over again and really being drilled into the minds of the Jewish believers by these false teachers. It has been said “If you tell a lie loud enough and long enough, eventually everyone will believe it.” And sadly, that’s true in our age as well. Now here, just as with our modern-day politicians, their stories change based upon who their audience is. In Galatia the Judaizers falsely accused Paul of advocating circumcision (Gal. 5:11); but here in Jerusalem they falsely accuse him wanting to do away with circumcision. So they say whatever they know will incite whatever particular group they are speaking to. It’s kind of depressing to note that nothing has changed in 2,000 years. But (as we well know) none of this was true. Even some of the letters Paul had already written (such as Romans and Galatians) confirmed this. But these Jewish believers didn’t all have access to those writings. And even if they did, it is sadly often the case that slander spreads more quickly than truth. It’s as Mark Twain said, “A lie can travel around the world and back again while the truth is lacing up its boots.” And sadly that was the case here. So the elders (anticipating a confrontation between Paul and the zealous Jewish Christians) try to get ahead of this and settle the issue before any serious conflict arises. So they say in…

Acts 21:22-24 (NKJV)— 22 What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come. 23 Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow. 24 Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law.

Paul’s Sponsorship— Now these four men were under (as the detail about head-shaving reveals) were under a Nazirite vow, which was a period of separation to God in which the vower was to abstain [from alcoholic beverages and all other products derived from grapes, letting the hair of the head grow long, and avoiding contact with dead bodies.] Paul himself had taken a Nazirite vow earlier in Acts 18 and then in that same chapter he goes up to Jerusalem, where he most likely completed his vow (18:22). And then in the very next verse he began his third missionary journey, which has now just come to a close. And (like Paul was in chapter 18) these four men were likely at the very end of their vow. And so what the elders are likely telling Paul to do is twofold. First, they advise that Paul [participate in the ceremony marking the culmination of the four men’s vows.] That would show that he was not against the rules and regulations they were observing (which were pretty extreme for those undergoing a Nazirite vow. But before he could do that (since he himself has just returned from Gentile lands and was therefore considered by the Jews to be ceremonially unclean) he would have to undergo ritual purification himself. So once again, that shows he is not against the Jewish law. Furthermore, they advise him to [pay the four men’s expenses in order that they might shave their heads. The expenses connected with he Nazirite vow (including paying for the hair-cutting ceremony in the temple and several expensive sacrifices [Num. 6:14ff.]) were considerable, and undertaking them for another was considered an act of piety. That would be further proof that the Judaizers’ charge against Paul were false.]

A Good Compromise— Now the elders weren’t asking Paul to compromise on his beliefs. And Paul certainly didn’t see it that way. They simply wanted him to discredit the claims of the Judaizers in order to preserve the unity of the Church. Paul wasn’t being asked to compromise doctrine (which we know he was never under any circumstance willing to do) but only to demonstrate by performing these Jewish rituals that he was not against them. And they affirm once again the decision of the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. They say in…

Acts 21:25-26 (NKJV)— 25 But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.” 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them.

He Does It— And so Paul agrees to all of this, which is (by the way) another demonstration of his remarkable humility, as he was willing to go through all these rituals to try to help keep the peace. He really illustrates the principle he laid down in…

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (NKJV)— 19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

Let Us Love— Now sadly we will see that despite all of this, Paul will still end up in chains. But nevertheless, we see demonstrated in all of this an extraordinary willingness to do whatever it takes (short of doctrinal compromise) to bring people to Christ. And you know, you and I need to have that same mindset. You and I need to be willing to put ourselves in uncomfortable situations in order to reach people. That may mean uncomfortable situations at home. For others of us it might mean suffering for Christ on the mission field; or maybe allowing you son or your daughter to follow God’s call to go to the mission field. No matter how you look at it, sacrifice is involved. But that is what love is. Love (if it is true love) is ALWAYS sacrificial; it always involves humbling ourselves and doing whatever it takes to be God’s channel of blessing in somebody else’s life. Because every one of us is here today because of a missionary, somebody who was willing to get out of their comfort zone for you. And so let us (like Paul) also be willing to do that for others. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Greetings! It’s good to have you with us today. In our passage today here in Acts 21, we find Paul returning from his third missionary journey. He has been visiting the churches in Asia Minor and Greece with the purpose of edifying and building them up. And as he is visiting all these Gentile churches he had previously helped to establish, he has been collecting an offering for the Church in Jerusalem; an offering of money that was much needed by the believers there and one which would help solidify the bond between the Jewish and Gentile Christians. Now everyone is warning Paul not to go to Jerusalem because of how the Holy Spirit of God is revealing through many Christians the fact that awaiting for Paul in Jerusalem are trials and persecutions. And Paul accepts that, but continues onwards because he senses that the Holy Spirit (despite the danger) is compelling him to go; the mission of helping to minister to the needs of and unite the Church is more important than his own personal safety. Here was a man who was utterly and completely sold out in his love for God, his love for the Church, and his desire to pour his life out as an offering to both.

An Ambassador In Chains— And today’s passage is Paul’s last one as a free man. From here on (in his own words in Ephesians 6:20) he will be an ambassador in chains. This passage is a transitional one in that it tells of the events leading up to his arrest. Now you would think that chains would limit (or at least severely handicap his ministry). But instead we will see that despite the intentions of others, those chains will have no effect on his ministry whatsoever. God was able to use him even in his chains. And that is something that God has done (and continues to do) often. If I were to ask each of you to name your favorite verse, I’m sure at least several (perhaps more) of you would say Romans 8:28. It reads…

Romans 8:28 (NIV)— 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Still True— Now this verse is a great source of comfort to any person who is going through any trial or tribulation because it reminds us that God is in control and that whatever suffering we are going through He will go with us and give us victory. But do we really believe that? Do we really believe that in any situation God can bring something good. It is hard to think that way. But it is true. There is no situation you are going through that God cannot bring His glory. But we have to trust Him. We have to believe that He is going to remain faithful to us.

Brengle’s Trials— Lately I have been (with my grandfather) reading through the works of Samuel Logan Brengle, who wrote some of the most helpful books on holiness ever written; such as Heart Talks on Holiness, The Way of Holiness, and When the Holy Ghost Is Come. But what is really incredible about these books is the story behind them. [Brengle was a brilliant young preacher whom God led into the Salvation Army. He became the Salvation Army’s great spokesman for the message of personal holiness. One night a drunken man continually interrupted a service Brengle was leading. Finally, Brengle put the man outside the service. After the meeting was over, Brengle was the last one to leave, so he turned the lights off and stepped into the street. The drunken man was waiting for him. He struck one side of Brengle’s head with a …{brick}…, and smashed the other side against the building. Samuel Brengle was in the hospital for an extended period, hovering between life and death. When he finally began to recover, it was a long time before he could resume his former activities, so the editor of the Salvation Army’s magazine asked him to write] [a series of articles on holiness. These were later gathered and published as a little red book entitled Helps to Holiness. That book would become an international success, and the first of nine by Samuel Logan Brengle, causing him later to remark, “If there had been no little brick, there would have been no little book!”[4] By the time of his death in 1936, Commissioner Brengle was an internationally renowned preacher and worldwide ambassador of holiness. His influence continues today, perhaps more than that of any Salvationist in history other than the founders, William and Catherine Booth.] And his story is a reminder to us that [We must believe that God is running our lives. The devil can create minor complications, but God is in control whether you are in a hospital bed like Brengle, in a prison like Paul, or anywhere else. God can and will use your circumstances to accomplish his purposes. He is the only one who can produce fruit out of an apparent disaster.] And (as we will see in the coming chapters) incredible fruit will be produced by God through Paul even in the midst of his chains.

Gentile Companions— Now as Paul comes to Jerusalem, he has with him a group of Gentiles who are representatives of those Gentile churches Paul helped start who have come to actively show love, compassion, and solidarity with the Jerusalem church. And they arrive (most likely) at Pentecost. Now the text doesn’t say explicitly that it was Pentecost, but it being Paul’s plan to arrive at Pentecost coupled with the fact that (as we will see) there are multitudes there in Jerusalem, it would seem that Paul made it back in time to celebrate this very important Jewish feast.

Pentecost— Now [Pentecost means “fiftieth” because this feast was held fifty days after the Feast of …{Passover}…. The calendar of Jewish feasts in Leviticus 23 is an outline of the work of Jesus Christ. Passover pictures His death as the Lamb of God (John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7), and the Feast of Firstfruits pictures His resurrection from the dead (1 Cor. 15:20–23). …Pentecost….pictures the formation of the church. At Pentecost, the Jews celebrated the giving of the law, but Christians celebrate it because of the giving of the Holy Spirit to the church.] And really it is a celebration of when God took the Law of God and gave it again, not on tablets of stone this time but wrote it upon our heart in and through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. And Paul is no doubt reflecting about these realities as he himself prepares two celebrate. Now it says in…

Acts 21:17-18 (NKJV)— 17 And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. {Now this was an initial, unofficial reception; the meeting before the meeting, so to speak. But the next verse says…} 18 On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.

From Apostles to Elders— Now notice it says James, and all the elders; but it does not mention the apostles. Why? Because they aren’t there anymore. Well, where are they? Well, as you know, they had been very key in the establishing of the Jerusalem Church. And they were the leaders of the Church in the beginning (2:42; 4:35-37; 5:2). But remember, as the Church grew, they recognized the need for assistance in running the whole administrative side of thing; and so they chose seven to serve under them and help with these tasks (6:2-6). Elders are mentioned for the first time in 11:30 and we see that by the time the Jerusalem Council convenes, the elders had taken a very prominent role in the leadership of the Church (15:2,4,6,22,23; 16:4). Now the elders are the full leaders and the apostles are gone. Now where did they go? Well at least one (James the brother of John) had already been killed (Acts 12:2). But the rest (after turning over the leadership of the Church to the elders) had [left the city to engage in missionary work. Elder rule was thus being established as the New Testament pattern of church government (cf. Acts 14:23; 20:17; 1 Tim. 5:17; Titus 1:5; James 5:14; 1 Pet. 5:1, 5).]

Number of Elders— Now we are not told the number of elders present. Some speculate that there may have been seventy, paralleling the number of members in the Jewish Sanhedrin. And when we consider the enormous number of Christians there in Jerusalem, there were probably at least that and probably more. But however many there were, we see they receive him and his team gladly. Now having a large offering with them no doubt helped. But that wasn’t the only reason; most likely not even the main reason, which is evident in that it is not even mentioned here in the text. No, they focus on (at least at first) what Paul and his team has been up to.

Missionary Sunday— In one congregation I pastored there was an unusually high emphasis placed on missions; and once a month we would have missionaries come to share. But even in a congregation as mission-focused as that, I remember there was a small handful who were very religious about not being in Church on missionary Sunday. They didn’t think we had any business galavanting across the world when there were plenty of local needs right there. It was kind of like a silent protest every month in our Church from these people. But let me tell you, none of them ever visited a foreign country; and so they never saw the need. And the heart cannot feel what the eye has not seen. Now there were other people who would never miss a missionary Sunday. And you could see in their eyes this hungry eagerness to hear about all that God was doing and were eager to support and come alongside those missionaries. And often these were people who had gone on missions trips before; and so they knew. These elders were like the latter group. They were hungry to hear from Paul and his team.

Key Characteristics— Now in and throughout Paul’s ministry, we have seen demonstrated quite a number characteristics that made him a truly godly man. We talked about his powerful preaching, his powerful teaching, His persistence, his discipline, his courage, his commitment, his convictions. And last week we focused in on his courage. And as we move through this passage, we are going to see another one of Paul’s characteristics that we will see envelops and permeates the events that transpire here; and that is the characteristic of humility. We are going to see that this quality saturates virtually everything he does. It says in…

Acts 21:19 (NKJV)— 19 When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things {(he had so wisely and thoughtfully done by his own whit, charm, and speaking ability. The elders gave him a standing ovation and presented him with a plaque he hung on the wall of the office he never had and he admired it for years to come. Does it say that? No. It says he told in detail those things)} which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

Geempa’s Epitaph: Behold The Lamb— You see it was it was all about what God had done; not what he had done. It was never about him. He reminds me of my Grandfather on my dad’s side (we called him Geempa). Just about every time I am able to make it back to Kentucky to visit my family, I stop by his grave site. And let me tell you, there are thousands in heaven right now (and more to come) because of the ministry of that man; because of his ministry stateside, but also throughout Asia. But on his epitaph are three very simple words printed below his name: “Behold the Lamb”. And let me tell you, that is how he lived his life. He did a lot of tremendous things for Christ. But he never took glory for a single one of them. It was all about pointing people to Jesus. And let me tell you, that is the supreme mark of a sanctified person; a deflection of all glory to where it truly belongs, the face of God.

Paul’s Humility— And it is that kind of humility we see in Paul. [Paul expressed his humility in his rebuke of the hero-worshiping Corinthians. Writing to them in 1 Corinthians 3:5–7 he declared: What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Later in that same letter he added, “By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me” (1 Cor. 15:10). To the Romans he wrote, “I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed” (Rom. 15:18). {You see,} It is the mark of a godly man that he exalts the Lord and not himself. “He who boasts,” wrote Paul in 2 Corinthians 10:17, “let him boast in the Lord.”] Now that kind of orientation is contagious. And we see that in the very next verse, where the elders (as Paul did) gave the glory where it belonged. It says…

Acts 21:20a (NKJV)— 20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord.

Let Us Point To God— And so this week, let us also be careful (in everything) to give glory to God. Let us be people who choose to say (in whatever way fits the situation in which we find blessing) “Behold the Lamb of God”. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Greetings! It’s good to have you with us today. In our passage today here in Acts 21, we find Paul and his companions on their way to Jerusalem to deliver a special offering. And they are about to leave the city of Tyre, where (if you were with us last week) you’ll remember they found a community of believers with whom they stayed seven days. And now they are getting ready to leave. And in looking at this passage, I found it so astounding how quickly these believers in Tyre grew to love Paul. Or perhaps it’s not so amazing. It seems to be the case in many of the churches Paul goes to. It is easy to fall in love with somebody who genuinely loves and shows care for you. Maybe you know somebody who, whenever they enter a room, immediately makes you and other people there feel like the most important people in the world and who seems to communicate that you are the best thing to have happened to his/her day. There are people like that. I know people like that. I want to be a person like that. And Paul definitely was, which is why we see that even after just one week Paul and his missionary team are accompanied to the shore not just by the church leaders; and not just by the men, but by everyone; all the men, accompanied by their wives and children. Look at verse five. It says…

Acts 21:5 (NKJV)— 5 When we had come to the end of those days, we departed and went on our way; and they all accompanied us, with wives and children, till we were out of the city. And we knelt down on the shore and prayed.

Kneeling— And one scholar notes that normally the custom during that time was to stand when praying. We see that in Mark 11:25 Luke 18:11-13. And so here the fact that we see them kneeling together publicly shows just how intense, solemn, and sincere their prayers for Paul’s protection really were. Now after they pray together, it says in…

Acts 21:6-7 (NKJV)— 6 When we had taken our leave of one another, we boarded the ship, and they returned home. 7 And when we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, greeted the brethren, and stayed with them one day.

At Ptolemais— Now Ptolemais was only a few miles south of Tyre. Paul and his missionary team stay there just one day, but take the opportunity to greet the believers there and spend some time with them. After that, it says…

Acts 21:8 (NKJV)— 8 On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.

Philip The Evangelist— Now Philip of course had been one of the original deacons (Acts 6:1-6) of the church who also served as an evangelist (Acts 8:5ff). He was both a public evangelist, which we saw in his ministry in Samaria; but he was also a personal evangelist, as he was the one who remember led the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ (Acts 8). But he had also been an associate of Stephen, who’s murder Paul had been a part of. So in another very personal way, it is amazing to see how God can bring good out of bad, as we see these men (20 years later) coming together under the banner of ministry for Christ. Now it says of Philip…

Acts 21:9 (NKJV)— 9 Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.

Philip’s Daughters— Now this is an interesting little detail given to us. The Greek word that Luke uses here to describe them (parthenoi) probably indicates that they are a young, under the age of sixteen. And prophecy wasn’t unusual in the early church. In fact it was one of the most cherished gifts (1 Corinthians 14:5, 39). But why this verse is important (and maybe why Luke includes it) is because women (and especially unmarried women) usually did not have a very high standing in culture. And so this little verse shows that people of low status in society were often included in positions of prominence in the Church. Now we do know a little bit more about them outside of the Bible. [Eusebius refers to these daughters twice, mentioning that they lived and were buried in Hierapolis, which is in Phrygia in Asia Minor. Papias, bishop of Hierapolis, said that these daughters were sources of valuable information of what happened in the early years of Christianity. Philip and his daughters may have been one of Luke’s information sources.] Now it says…

Acts 21:10 (NKJV)— 10 And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

Agabus Comes Down— Now this prophet Agabus was not a stranger to Paul. Fifteen years prior he had worked together with Paul in a famine relief program for Judea (Acts 11:27-30). It was he who had predicted the famine (accurately) which remember prompted a collection from the church in Antioch. And here we see that he comes to deliver a message to Paul. And it is a very dramatic and visually powerful acted prophecy, which was a familiar method used by many of the Old Testament prophets. It says in…

Acts 21:11 (NKJV)— 11 When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ”

Fighting For Unity— Now note that the Holy Spirit does not forbid Paul to go to Jerusalem here either. Agabus doesn’t say that. He just merely tells what will happen to Paul if he does go. And Paul, who sees the growing division between the “far right“ legalistic Jews and the believing Gentiles, sees the task of fighting for the unity of the church as being more important than his very life. He knew that he was part of the answer to the problem and that he could not solve it remotely through a representative. No, he had to go to Jerusalem personally. Now the believers try to convince him otherwise. It says in…

Acts 21:12-13 (NKJV)— 12 Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place {(so not Agabus, which is something to observe)} pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Was Paul Right or Not?— Now people have argued back-and-forth about whether or not Paul was right or not in making this trip to Jerusalem. And for us it may seem wrong to question an apostle; but we need to remember that Paul wasn’t infallible. He was a human being just like us. His writings were inspired, but that doesn’t mean that everything he did was perfect or that he always made the right choice. To the believers Paul encountered, as well as to us, these repeated messages to Paul through the ministry of prophetic Christians do sound like warnings for Paul to stay out of Jerusalem. And over 20 years prior, the Lord had commanded Paul to get out of Jerusalem because he knew that the Jews would not receive Paul’s testimony (Acts 22:18). But that was not a permanent command, and we see afterwards that the Lord did allow him to return to Jerusalem on other occasions: with famine relief (Acts 11:27–30); to attend the Jerusalem Conference (Acts 15:1ff.); and after his second missionary journey (Acts 18:22 – “going up to greet the church” refers to Jerusalem). But Paul seems to see things differently here. He doesn’t sense any prohibition from God. As we said before, he felt compelled by God. But even before these prophecies, Paul was aware of the dangers that awaited for him should he go to Jerusalem. Paul had written in his letter to the Romans concerning the dangers in Judea (Acts 15:30–31) and had shared these same feelings with the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:22–23). So he was obviously fully aware of the dangers. But these warnings (and this is what Paul sensed) may not in fact to be prohibitions at all. Rather than God saying “You must not go”, God may in fact be saying “Get ready!”.

Acts 21:14-16 (NKJV)— 14 So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.” {Now after this it says… } 15 And after those days we packed and went up to Jerusalem. 16 Also some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us and brought with them a certain Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to lodge.

From Caesarea to Jerusalem— And so the Christians in Caesarea leave and travel with Paul to Jerusalem, probably intending to celebrate the feast themselves. Now this was a sixty-five mile trek that took three days if they went on foot – two days if they had animals. So they had some time together, no doubt fellowshipping, praying with one another, worshiping together, sharing stories about what God had done in and through them, but also anticipating the challenges that they ahead of them; and particularly the persecution that awaited Paul. But Paul was no doubt greatly encouraged by their companionship as he took this difficult journey up to Jerusalem.

Arrival At Jerusalem— Now it’s a long trip, so they stop somewhere along the way at the house of a man named Mnason, who is described as “an early disciple”. We don’t know exactly who he is. It is possible that he came to faith after hearing Peter preach at Pentecost at the beginning of the book of Acts. Or he may have come to faith later in and through the ministry of Barnabas (Acts 4:36). We don’t know. But what we do know is that now he is traveling with them. He had been visiting Caesarea (where they just were), but he had a house somewhere along the route to Jerusalem. And so, apparently being given to hospitality, he opens his home to Paul to help him and his team at this very important time in his ministry. Now after this Paul and his team make the rest of the trek to Jerusalem and arrive there. The city is crowded with other pilgrims who have come up for the feast. And Paul and his missionary team are received by the Church there.

How Was The Gift Received?— Now we don’t know how the first meeting with the church leaders in Jerusalem went. It would’ve been nice for Luke to give us more detail on that. We do know that James and the other leaders in Jerusalem received Paul and his missionary team gladly; but it would’ve been great to see their reaction at receiving this gift from Paul. Did they all receive it gladly or did some of them look on it with suspicion? A few years after this, the Roman writer Martial said “gifts are like hooks!” And maybe some of the Jewish leaders looked at Paul’s gift that way. The legalistic wing of the church would certainly have questioned anything that Paul said or did.

What To Worry About— But you and I can’t always worry about how other people will look at or receive the good things we do. And we shouldn’t. All we need to worry about is pleasing our Lord. Paul did not let what his adversaries thought of him affect either the way he viewed himself or the way that he did his ministry. He didn’t even allow well-meaning believers to dissuade him from what he thought was right. He always acted confidently and with full assurance, knowing that his security was in his relationship with God. And the same is true of us. You and I must always remember that when we live our lives on purpose for Christ, He can give us confidence and courage to accomplish all that He wants us to accomplish. And so let’s live on purpose for Him. Amen.

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Hello, it’s good to have you with us today. If you have your bible, go ahead and turn with me to Acts chapter 21. We’ll get through just the first several verses today. That’s Acts 21 chapter 21. But before we get into the meat of the text, I’d just like to draw your attention to a characteristic of Paul that we see crop up again and again, not just in this chapter but in and throughout the course of his whole ministry. And that is courage. What is courage? As I say the word “courage”, I wonder what images might come to your mind? What stories? Maybe there is somebody you know who has shown an extraordinary amount or level of courage.

Columbine— Not long ago I read of a couple of stories that came out of a very dark day in American history: April 20th 1999, the date of the Columbine High School massacre, when two young men (Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold) gunned down a dozen students and a teacher. It was one of the worst school shootings to ever have taken place in our nation. To this day I am sure many of you remember just how much that event grieved and shocked our nation. And afterwards we learned of some incredibly heroic acts of courage that people performed during those events, perhaps the most well-known being that of Cassie Bernal. She was in the library quietly reading her Bible when one of the killers confronted her and put a gun to her head. Now it wasn’t widely reported at the time, but these two killers had made videotapes in which both of them showed a very intense hatred of Christianity and Christians. And three students were apparently targeted because of their faith in Christ. And Cassie was one of them. Now I can’t imagine the fear this young teenager must have felt as that gun was put to her head. But the killer asked her a very simple question. He asked her “Do you believe in God?” And it was clear that her life hung in the answer to that question. “Yes, I believe in God”, she replied. “Why?” asked the killer in the dark trench coat. And before Cassie had a chance to answer, he pulled the trigger. And Cassie tragically lost her life. What would you have said? What would I have said if you and I were put in a similar situation? Where does that kind of courage come from? For her, it came from knowing who she was in Jesus Christ and knowing where she was ultimately going.

Live on Purpose— Well, that is definitely something we see in the life and ministry of Paul. Here is a man who knew who he was and where he was going. He had a goal, a vision, a plan for his life; and that was to do God’s will for him in expanding the Kingdom of God in any way that he could be reaching the lost. Now everything else (including care for his own life) came second to that. Now many people never experience this kind of courage because their lives are stuck on idle; they aren’t doing anything. If you were to ask them what their vision or goal in life is, they might just look at you with a blank stare. Now that is not a good place to be. It speaks to a life that is aimed at nothing. And if you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time. Every one of us ought to know who we are and what our reason for being here is. Paul never went more than five minutes without thinking about his purpose. And it kept him active. No matter where he went, he was always strategizing about the place after that and the place after that. He was fiercely intentional. He lived life on purpose. And it was in the midst of fighting the good fight that he had opportunity, time and time again, to show courage. And we see that especially demonstrated in this chapter.

At Miletus— Now as you’re turning there you will remember that Paul is on his way to Jerusalem. He has stopped at Miletus, from which he calls the elders of the Ephesian church to come so that he can admonish and encourage them one final time. And so they come and Paul gives to them a beautiful exhortation. But afterwards he and his missionary team leaves, as Paul (like Christ) sets his face towards Jerusalem. It says…

Acts 21:1a (NKJV)— 1 Now it came to pass, that when we had departed from them

Wrenching From— Now the Greek word here, ἀποσπάω, can actually mean “torn from, wrench away from, drag away”. And that is very much what was happening. Paul’s heart had become entangled with those of the Ephesian elders. They loved each other very dearly. But Paul was on an important mission. He had to deliver the offering he had collected over the past few years for the Church in Jerusalem. And he’s trying to get there by the feast of Pentecost.

Strengthening The Jew-Gentile Bond— Now why was this trip so urgent? Well, first bear in mind that the Jerusalem church had many who were very poor; pilgrims and those dealing with alienation and persecution. Though the church there had given generously in the early years, by this time it no doubt had depleted its resources (Acts 4:32-37) and consequently needed help. Now at this time there was a lot of potential for division between the Jewish Christians in Judea and the new Gentile believers that had come to faith in and through the ministry of Paul. Jewish extremists (the Judaizers) wanted the Gentiles to basically become Jews and live like them and live under the full weight of the ceremonial law of Moses (Acts 15:1ff.). And they were always trying to hinder the work of Paul and steal his converts. But it was Paul’s hope that his visit to Jerusalem with this offering that he had collected from the Gentile churches would help strengthen and solidify the fellowship of love shared between the Jews and Gentiles, as it was a way for the Gentile believers to repay with a very practical kindness their Jewish brothers for sharing the Gospel with them (Romans 15:25–27). And so Paul and his missionary team tear themselves away…

Acts 21:1b (NKJV)— and set sail, running a straight course we came to Cos, the following day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.

A Bigger Boat— Now in the summer the north wind on the Aegean Sea only blows from very early morning until late afternoon. And so they, no doubt in a small local coastal ship, would sail within that window, stopping at every port for the night along the way. And so progress is somewhat slow. And so what Paul decides to do is (rather than to continue to hug the coastline) to instead sail directly across the Mediterranean to Phoenicia; a five day, 400 mile trip on the high seas. And so it says…

Acts 21:2-3 (NKJV)— 2 And finding a ship sailing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. 3 When we had sighted Cyprus, we passed it on the left, sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre {(which was a Phoenician port city)}; for there the ship was to unload her cargo.

A Bigger Boat— Now though the text doesn’t say specifically how large the boat was, we can surmise that it must’ve been pretty large, perhaps similar in size to the ship he would later take on his voyage to Rome; a ship that carried 276 people (Acts 27:37). Now the reason this is probably accurate is because just the process of unloading and reloading it takes a week. But they have made good time and are still on track to get to Jerusalem before Pentecost. Now while they are in Tyre they connect with the church there, a church that was probably born out of the great persecution that begin with the stoning Stephen, because remember it said back in…

Acts 11:19 (NKJV)— 19 Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. {So it says…}

Acts 21:4a (NKJV)— 4 And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days.

The Church at Tyre— Now the church apparently was not very large, because there was no synagogue and Paul and his team had to really search for this church. The word translated “finding“ here in verse four means “to learn the location of something by intentional searching.” But they eventually find this small group of believers and stay with them. Now this would’ve been Paul’s first contact with the believers here in Tyre. And when you think about how Paul had been the one to lead that great persecution that had led to the birth of this church, it’s quite incredible to see him visiting and ministering to these believers who came out of that persecution. Whereas once they were enemies, now they are brothers. Now while they are staying with them, it says…

Acts 21:4b (NKJV)— They told Paul {(the literal Greek actually says “kept on saying to him”)} through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.

Warning From The Believers at Tyre— Apparently they had received a prophecy from the Holy Spirit of the dangers that awaited Paul if he was to stay on course. But it is important to note here that the Holy Spirit was not forbidding Paul to go to Jerusalem, but only warning him of what he would face if he did. The phrase through the Spirit simply means that he was warned by someone with the gift of prophecy. And the word not in the original Greek is not the word used in an absolute prohibition, though it reads a bit stronger in our English translations. Rather it is a softer Greek word that shows the believers were advising Paul in light of what the Holy Spirit was revealing to them concerning his impending persecution. However, we see that (because of their love for Paul) they see this prophecy as the Holy Spirit’s means of stopping Paul. But Paul does not see it that way. In fact in 20:22 he says that his trip to Jerusalem was “compelled by the Spirit”. And so for him, the Holy Spirit was just allowing him to see (and perhaps emotionally prepare himself for) the difficulties he was going to face. Paul knew that suffering was just a part of God’s allotment for him. Remember all the way back in Acts chapter 9, when God first approaches Ananias and tells him to go and baptize Paul (and Ananias is all afraid, knowing what kind of man Paul had been) it says…

Acts 9:15-16 (NKJV)— 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

A Destiny Wedded With Suffering— You see, Paul never experienced suffering and looked up to heaven and said “Why God?!” Nor did he think that because he suffered, he must therefore be on the wrong path. No, Paul saw his destiny as being necessarily intertwined with suffering. Jesus Himself had decreed it. And Paul had already made peace with that. And that is something you and I need to do as well. We must never allow suffering to deter us from the will of Jesus; because it is often through our suffering that God may use us to make the greatest difference. And if we are faithful; if we are courageous enough to move forward through God (even if it may mean suffering), we will (like Paul did) get to see the mighty moving of the hand of God and may even get to see the gates of hell shaken in our suffering that may never have been shaken otherwise; people warmed to and set free by Christ. And so let us not flee from suffering, but to courageously face it knowing that no pain will go without bearing fruit if we keep our hand in the hand of Jesus. Let’s live courageously this week. Amen.

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Hello, it’s good to have you with us today. Last week, you will remember we began looking at Paul’s famous final farewell address to the Ephesian elders who had come to see him in Miletus before he continued on his journey to Jerusalem. And in the first section of his address, he relates to the Ephesian elders the example he has set (20:18-27). He had identified with those under him in every way possible. He had taught them (v.20). He was a witness to the gospel (v.21). And last but not least, he had suffered because of his obedience to Christ’s call upon his life. And that is characteristic of all God’s faithful ones; the life of the cross. But now let’s move on to the next section, which we find in verses 28-31. He says…

Acts 20:28-31 (NKJV)— 28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

SECTION 2: PAUL’S CHARGE & WARNING (20:28-31)— Now this second section of Paul’s message is his charge and his warning (20:28–31). Paul knew how quickly things could go bad in a church; and especially at a church located in a place like Ephesus, where Satan really had a stronghold and where the spiritual forces at work against them were very strong. Keep in mind Ephesus is where the whole “sons of Sceva” episode happened, where these runners of an exorcism business get thrashed, beaten, and sent away naked by a man they (being unbelievers) tried to exorcise in the name of Christ, unsuccessfully. It’s a very dark place. And so Paul charges the Ephesian elders with three things:

Keep Watch Over Yourselves— (1) First, they are to keep watch over themselves (v. 28). That is because even mighty men of God who may even be spiritual leaders in their congregations are susceptible to the attacks of Satan. And Satan knows that if he can get a Christian leader to fall, he can wound his flock through that leader. Plus a leader who falls into sin becomes (because of that sin) distant from God and less susceptible to the leading and anointing of the Holy Spirit. That can lead to (1) messages without the power of God and (2) leadership for the church that is man’s leadership rather than God’s, because the minister may no longer be able to discern the voice of God. That is why a minister must always remember that, as Robert Murray McCheyne once so eloquently put it, “My people’s greatest need is my personal holiness.”

Keep Watch Over The Flock— (2) Secondly, Paul charges the elders to watch over the flock as “overseers”. And the word “overseers” here in Greek is “episkopos”, a word that has often been translated “bishop” but is used elsewhere in scripture as a synonym for “elder” (see v. 17). By the way, “elder” is the word “presbyteroi” in Greek. It simply refers to a mature man; one who is mature not in age, but spiritually. The term “elder” focuses more on the maturity of the minister, whereas the word “overseer” focuses on the function, which is to care for the people as a shepherd/pastor. Now what does a shepherd do? He/she keeps watch over sheep; and that involves feeding, caring for, and guarding them from predators. And so it fits with Paul’s imagery to begin the next section by talking about savage predatory wolves who will (not might, but will) seek to ravage the flock of God.

The Lions of Tsavo— Some time ago I re-watched a movie called The Ghost and The Darkness. If you are unaware of that movie, it tells the true story of the building of the railroad across the continent of Africa. And there was a bridge that needed to be built over the river in the southern Kenyan region of Tsavo; and a particular Christian architect (Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson) had been hired to oversee its construction. But for 9 months in 1898, during the construction of the bridge, two lions began attacking and terrorizing the crew. Now this had never happened before. Man-eating lions always hunted alone. But these lions hunted and coordinated their attacks together. They would sneak into men’s tents and drag them off. But they didn’t eat the men. They would just drag them off and have fun killing them. In fact you see in the movie that they eventually find their den, in which there are piles of human bones that these lions collected, both from the railroad and elsewhere. And there are varied reports about how many men specifically working on the railroad were killed; some go as high as 135. That may be exaggerated. But they still killed a very high number of people. They would attack during the day as well as during the night. Men would shoot at them and hit nothing but air. And this among other things suggested to many then and afterwards that those lions were somehow being influenced by the demonic. Even in the movie Patterson reflects on how they might be Satan’s means of trying to keep the railroad (a means of spreading the Gospel further into Africa) from happening. Now Patterson and another gentleman eventually track down and are finally able to kill these lions; and they then go on to build the bridge. But you get this sense (even in the movie) that not only were two lions killed, but a much deeper darkness had been conquered. Now Patterson had the lions stuffed and you can go and see them today at The Field Museum in Chicago. But in the movie you really get this sense of fear; because all around the encampment is this very tall grass. And you never knew what or when something might come out of it. Now all of this was a very real and tangible representation of the truth we read about in…

1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV)— 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

The Wolves— Now in a spiritual sense, this is what Paul is worried about regarding these elders and those under their care; he knew (with amazing foresight that must have come from God) that they would come under the influence of those who would seek to destroy their faith. Now these wolves he said would come from both without and also from within the church, and would be those who seek to distort the truth (vv. 29-30). They would be twisters of the Word of God. And Paul here reminds them that when he was with them in Ephesus, he warned them about these wolves day and night with tears (v. 31). And here he does the same.

Costly Liquid— Now just recently I had to do something very painful; I had to fill up my car with gas. Costed me almost an arm and a leg. I couldn’t believe it; and that was at one of the cheaper stations. And unfortunately the cost of gas is expected to rise even more. Is there any more fluid more precious and costly than gas right now? Well yes, there is.

A High Price— (3) The third element to Paul’s charge is that the elders must shepherd the flock because of its value in having been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ blood is the most costly currency there ever was. And so these elders need to tend, care for, feed, protect, and lead their flocks with that in mind. And what’s more (and we’ll come back to this) just as Jesus gave his own blood as the good shepherd in order that they might live (cf. John 10:11), so also these elders were to give their lives for the people under them. Now go ahead and look with me at the third section in…

Acts 20:32-35 (NKJV)— 32 “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34 Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. 35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

SECTION 3: COMMITTING THE PEOPLE TO GOD AND HIS WORD (20:32)— Now this third section of Paul’s message to the Ephesian elders finds Paul committing them “to God and to the word of his grace.” The teaching of the message that they received from him would enable them to stay close to God, to stay pure in their doctrine, and to be safe from the wolves. Now at that time they did not have a New Testament, and so they had to rely strictly on what they had been taught through Paul in order to understand what that message was. But today we have the full Word of God, which gives us that message in its fullness. And so we (like they) need to devote ourselves to knowing that message. Heresies and divisions most creep in when people do not know and abide in the Word of God.

Back To Example— Now in verses 33 to 35 Paul again returns to his own personal example, finishing his speech by once again presenting his own life as an example for these elders to follow. When he had been with them, he showed undying and sincere commitment. Also, he says he did not covet anything that anybody else had (v. 33). Instead he worked hard with his own hands to provide for his own needs and the needs of his team (v. 34). And in doing that he really demonstrated one of the chief aims for the Christian’s earning of money: helping those who are in need. In fact, he wrote to them in…

Ephesians 4:28 (NKJV)— 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

Paul’s Generosity— And so whenever Paul appealed for money for the poor, his request always rang with credibility because it was not just an dictatorial command he gave for the members of his congregations to obey, but was something that he himself led the way in, being extraordinarily generous with everything God had given him. I mean even now he is bringing with him to Jerusalem an offering for the impoverished Christians there. And some of that money was his own; tent-making money he had made by the sweat of his own brow. May we also be just as generous and oriented towards meeting the needs of the weak and poor as he was. Now let’s look at the final section. It says in…

Acts 20:36-38 (NKJV)— 36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, 38 sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.

SECTION 4: A GRIEF-FILLED FAREWELL— Now this last section of this passage is of course the farewell itself (20:36-38). This is where he actually kneels down and prays with them, they all weep bitterly, and then fall upon Paul’s neck and kiss him. And, like we said before, this overflow of grief and emotion reveals to us just how much these Christians had to come to love Paul; because first and foremost he loved them and poured out his life to them, opening his life to them in every possible way. And here they return that love in a very real and powerful way. They accompany him to the ship and he (like his Master Jesus before him) sets his face towards Jerusalem, knowing that suffering would await him there.

The Example of Christ – Now one of the things that we need to remember is that shepherds are leaders who are willing to lay down their lives and even die for their flock. We don’t often think about that element of leadership, but it is one of the chief ones given to us in Scripture. And of course Jesus is our primary example of this. As Jesus had said in…

John 10:11 (NKJV)— 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

Not So Easy— Now that is all fine and dandy when Christ does that for us. Most of us have been raised to understand that basic element of the Gospel; and we who are naturally self-oriented don’t have much trouble receiving that. But the idea that what Jesus did for us, we are to do for others? That’s not so easy. But Jesus says clearly in…

John 15:12-13 (NKJV)— 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

Miniature Good Shepherds— So we see that He laid down his life for us; therefore we must be willing to lay down our lives for our friends. And that is what Paul was (even at that moment) demonstrating to them and calling them to do as well. As miniature “good shepherds,” they were to lay down their lives for their flocks just as he (and Christ) had done. And it is Christ’s call to us today to live that way for each other. May we embody all of Paul’s love, generosity, selflessness, and devotion to truth and to the Word; because we know that that was also the pattern of Christ. Let’s do so. Amen.

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You know, I don’t know if you have ever had to write a farewell speech before. Maybe for you, it was a letter of resignation. Maybe you got hired somewhere else and had to say goodbye to your boss, your coworkers, or perhaps even your parents if you had to then move long distance. Twice I have had to do that; in fact very much what Paul is doing in our passage today; and that is say goodbye to men and women I loved and ministered to and served alongside with for years. And both times were very very painful, even when people (after I explained in those board meetings and during those worship services) understood how God was leading and accepted it. But honestly, I have never fully accepted it. I miss those people. That is one of the blessings and the curses of ministry; getting attached to people and then sometimes having to say goodbye. And during both those transitions and in the years that have followed, I have hoped that (1) those churches were blessed by my being there and (2) that my ministry will have produced lasting fruit. And if God ever calls me to leave the church I am pastoring now (if so, hopefully many years down the road), I want to leave the church thriving, growing, and anchored deeply in Christ Jesus and in the Word of God. Well that is the situation we find Paul in in our passage today here in Acts chapter 20. He and his team have arrived at Miletus and are probably waiting for their ship to be unloaded and re-loaded. And the elders of the Ephesian Church he had helped start come to see him for what Paul knows will be the last time. And so he wants to encourage and exhort them. And so he gives this beautiful farewell speech to these Ephesian elders. And it is a very special speech, because it is the only record we have of a speech that Paul gave specifically to believers. And in it we have three primary themes. (1) First, Paul defends his behavior; but even more so was able to present it as an example to the Ephesian elders (vv. 18-27, 33-35). (2) Secondly, Paul presents both a charge and a warning to them. (3) And third, Paul commits these Ephesian elders to God and to His Word (v. 32). And so those three elements will form the outline of our discussion today and in the weeks ahead. Go ahead and look with me at the first section in of Paul’s speech here in Acts 20, verses 18-38. Starting with 17, it says…

Acts 20:17-27 (NKJV) The Ephesian Elders Exhorted— 17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. 18 And when they had come to him, he said to them: “You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, 19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; 20 how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, 21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. 24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25 “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.

SECTION 1: PAUL’S EXAMPLE (20:18-27)— And so in this first section we find Paul relating to the Ephesian elders the example he has set (20:18-27). And in Paul’s example we see him highlighting four major things in his example that he wanted the Ephesian elders to emulate:

(1) The first was that he had identified with the people, having lived among them (v. 18). He knew what their own personal struggles were and identified with them in those struggles, much as Jesus Himself did. He had served God with humility and tears (v. 19), going from house to house (v. 20). And he did that because in doing that he was able to identify what his people’s own personal needs were and then share specific points of the gospel message that were directly relevant to their own situation. He didn’t have a “one-size-fits-all“ approach to ministry. He knew his people. And what this also shows us is that he was very available to people, which we see not only in this passage, but also earlier in this chapter while he was in Troas (vv. 9–10), where he spent a whole night eating with, chatting with, and teaching the believers there. He wasn’t just a preacher, who comes and preaches and leaves and nobody really cares. No, he was a shepherd; a pastor who was deeply involved with his people, which is why we see people grieving whenever and from wherever he leaves.

(2) Now the second element of Paul’s example was that he was a teacher. He identified what the Ephesians needed to hear and taught them constantly both publicly and from house to house (v. 20). He wanted to make sure that they were fully equipped to be able to endure in their faith in the midst of a very pagan and worldly context.

(3) Now the third element of Paul’s example was that he was a witness to the gospel (v. 21). And the Greek word behind this word “witness” actually means “declared”. And it carries the idea that evangelism is a very serious and awesome responsibility because in it you are calling people to repent of their sins and turn to faith in Jesus Christ. Both in this verse, but also in verses 26–27, there is this reminder to us that we are called to be watchmen. We have an awesome responsibility to warn people of God’s coming judgment and implore them to seek life in Christ. And in Paul’s talking about his being innocent of the blood of all men, he is drawing directly from the Old Testament book of Ezekiel (particularly chapters 3 and 33). Just to give you a glimpse, listen to the words of just the first part of Ezekiel chapter 3. It says in…

Ezekiel 3:16-19 (NKJV)— 16 Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: 18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.

A Faithful Watchman— And so what Paul is saying here is that he has been a faithful watchmen. He has been faithful to warn and instruct the people and now their fate is in their own hands. And that is something you and I need to be sure we are doing as well. God will not hold you guilty of the blood of your brother or sister if you witness to them and they don’t listen. He won’t even hold you guilty if (in trying your best) you don’t even do it all that well. But He will hold you accountable if you keep silent. All of us are watchmen. The question is whether or not we are faithful watchmen.

(4) Now the fourth element of Paul’s example is something that is intimately tied to his commitment to evangelism. And that was that Paul suffered because of obedience. We see in verses 22–23 that there are two key things that he says the Holy Spirit is doing in his life. First, the Holy Spirit is compelling him towards Jerusalem. And secondly, through the voices of prophetic believers he has encountered, the Holy Spirit is revealing that he will suffer if he does go to Jerusalem. And what that shows you and me is that our ultimate goal is not “long life and happiness”. No, our ultimate calling in life is to be faithful to “declare” the message of the Gospel. And that may mean having to go through some very unpleasant circumstances. It may mean facing persecution, suffering, imprisonment, or even death. But our goal is to strive towards the Kingdom of God and the storing up of wealth there, not becoming comfortable here; because this world is not our forever home. All of it will pass away.

Olaf’s Dilemma— Just recently I watched with my kids the movie Frozen II. And in it there’s this little magic snowman named Olaf, one of my favorite Disney characters, perhaps because he is so much like me; oddly shaped and slightly misunderstood. But in this movie he is having an emotional crisis. He’s laying in the grass next to Princess Anna and starts pondering the deeper questions of life. And he says to Anna, “Tell me, you're older, and thus all-knowing, do you ever worry about the notion that nothing is permanent?” Anna replies, “Uh, no.” “Really?”, asks Olaf. “Wow, I can't wait until I've aged just like you, so I don't have to worry about important things.” And of course she is a little taken aback by that. But Paul knew what Olaf pointed out; and that is that nothing in this world is permanent. However, there is a world that is. And so if we want to make investments that last, we need to make them there.

You will not see my face again – Now after revealing to the Ephesian elders what the Holy Spirit has been communicating to him, he tells them very frankly that because of this they will not see him again (v. 25). And this of course prompts his declaration that he is “innocent of the blood of all men” because he had been faithful to warn them of God’s truth (vv. 26-27).

On That Day— Now that phrase prompts me to ask some questions. What about you and me? Have we been faithful to warn people of God’s coming judgment? When we get to heaven, are there going to be people there because we had the courage to speak up? Or is there going to be blood on our hands? Have we been faithful watchmen? When I get to heaven, I want Jesus to say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” I want Him to say, “Cameron, just look at how much fuller heaven is because you were faithful to do the most important thing I told you to do in the world.” I want Jesus to start pulling people from the crowds in heaven; people who will come up to me and say “Hey Cameron, you may not know this, but I am here because of you; because you took the time, because you had the courage, because you valued me enough to (in whatever small way you could) put my hand in the hand of Jesus.” What will be said of you and me? Let that scene so permeate your mind that any fear or hesitation that might come the next time the Holy Spirit prompts you might evaporate and be squelched by your even greater desire to see that your life made not just a long-lasting impact, but an everlasting one; an eternal one. Let’s live under that weight of glory. Amen.

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You know, if you had to pinpoint the number one characteristic of the Christian; the one that would most clearly identify him or her as a follower of Jesus Christ, that one characteristic would (without question) have to be a holy love for God that spills over into a consequent holy love for other people.

John 13:34-35 (ESV)— 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Romans 12:10-13 (ESV)— 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

1 John 4:21 (ESV)— 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Devoted to The Church— Now I say all of this because we see here in Acts 20 Paul’s love spilling over on those he is lovingly nurturing and mentoring. He and his traveling companions have just left the city of Troas. And Luke writes…

Acts 20:13 (LSB)— 13 But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending from there to take Paul on board; for so he had arranged it, intending himself to go by land.

Investing in People— Now why does Paul choose to walk by land? Well, here we get another window into the heart of Paul. When we read between the lines here, we see just how dedicated Paul was to investing in the lives of other people. Now keep in mind that Paul had recently finished an over two year teaching stint in Ephesus. While he was there, for five hours a day, seven days a week he was teaching there in the school of Tyrannus. Like we said before, he would wake up in the morning (probably early), make tents till 11:00 AM, teach in the school of Tyrannus from 11:00am till 4 PM, then go back to making tents till 8:00 PM, then teach till 1:00 AM or 2:00 AM; then he would go to bed, get up, and repeat. And that doesn’t even take into account the Bible studies that he did in peoples’ homes. He never missed an opportunity to give himself for his greatest love, the people of the church, which was an extension of his love for Christ. His whole life was a living sacrifice for the church, the bride of Christ. And we see the same thing in this chapter. He comes to Troas (no doubt exhausted) and yet still makes the time to pour into the believers from the moment he arrives at that church service until midnight that night, when Eutychus falls asleep at the window and falls down and dies. Then Paul rushes down and raises him from the dead. And even after he raises Eutychus from the dead, what does he do? He goes right back up into that upper room and continues to teach; and they go until dawn. I mean the man is absolutely incredible; just 100% sold out in love for the Church. And it gets even more unbelievable, because look at the very next verse. Remember that Paul is anxious to get to Jerusalem before Pentecost and then wants to begin making his way to Rome. So after this he leaves. And he has a very long journey to take. And so Luke writes…

Acts 20:13 (LSB)— 13 But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending from there to take Paul on board; for so he had arranged it, intending himself to go by land.

On Foot For The Church— Now your translation may say “on foot”, which is also correct. Paul went by land, on foot. The rest of his ministry team gets on a boat, but he goes for 30 miles on foot. Now you might ask, “Well, why does he want to do that.” Well, saying goodbye was very different in the ancient world than it is in our culture. When you and I have a guest leave we wave at the door and often times we will continue to wave until they’re out of sight. But in the Biblical world it was customary to actually go with your guest part of the way on their journey. You would walk with them quite a ways. It was a very long, drawn-out kind of a thing. And so now we see why Paul walked. He could have easily got on board the ship with the rest of his ministry team and sailed away and been done with the believers in Troas. He could have laid down in the boat after teaching all night and finally gotten some rest. But no, he chooses to walk 30 miles so that the believers in Troas could have the opportunity to walk with him and he could teach them and pour into their lives for as long as they wanted to walk with him and receive that teaching. I mean, imagine it. I often walk with my family on a local trail. We walk about 6 miles; and let me tell you, by the end of it we are tired and ready to rest. And that’s often after having had a good night’s sleep. But Paul walked 30 miles, just to spend time with these believers who were hungry to be discipled. You know he probably only walked alone the last 5 or 10 miles of the trip. Can you begin to see why this chapter might just be on par with 1 Corinthians 13? And guess what he was not doubt doing that last 5 or 10 miles by himself; praying and thinking about what he is going to say to the Ephesian elders, whom we find him ministering to in the very next section. Let me tell you, I almost got kind of emotional in my study on this because I felt like I came to see Paul’s heart in a way I hadn’t before. I mean I always saw him as a powerful, brilliant speaker who was devoted to fighting for truth. But I think I just never really noticed the heart of Paul. And my heart began crying out for Jesus to help me to love and serve my people as this man did.

Gifts Not Our Own— But you know, what we see demonstrated here in this passage (and in his life as a whole) is the reminder that our gifts are not our own. God has given you a gift(s). And whatever that is, whether it’s teaching, preaching, hospitality, encouragement, mercy ministry, even cooking; whatever your spiritual gift is, that gift is meant to be a blessing not just for you, but for the Church; it is to be available through you to all of God’s people. And Paul knew that. His gifts he made available to God’s people in every possible way. You want a picture of what a 1 Corinthians 13 kind love looks like? That’s it. Now from here, Luke says in…

Acts 20:14-15 (LSB)— 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. 15 And sailing from there, we arrived the following day opposite Chios; and the next day we crossed over to Samos; and the day following we came to Miletus.

The Miletus Stop— Now I am not going to go into the geography of all of these cities. But one interesting thing to note about these cities is that each [is about 30 miles past the next one, all down the little coast of Asia Minor. And the thing was that the winds only blew from early morning to late afternoon; so, they would just travel from early morning to late afternoon, 30 miles, stay overnight; 30 miles, stay overnight; 30 miles stay overnight; 30 miles, stay overnight. That’s how they journeyed. And so, that’s why it tells us about all those little stops. And it says they came to Miletus. And Miletus was a town, the ancient capital of Ionia. It was not too far from Ephesus. It was originally composed of a colony of Cretans; {it} became extremely powerful and built one of the world’s great, magnificent temples dedicated to the God Apollo. So, it was somewhat famous. But they came to Miletus, not too far from Ephesus. Verse 16 tells us]…

Acts 20:16 (LSB)— 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

Calling For The Ephesian Elders— Now I want to make something clear to you that may not be obvious on a first reading of the text. Paul is not by any means seeking to avoid the Ephesians. He wants to make time for them as well (and we will see that he does). But what is happening here is that the ship going to Ephesus was apparently going to stay too long; it was going to linger longer in Ephesus than he was able to stay, because remember he is trying to make it to Jerusalem for Pentecost. So he chooses not to take the ship to Ephesus, but rather took the one that was going to stop at Miletus. Apparently he had a choice which ship to take. But notice verse 17, which (although it’s a part of next weeks passage, you need to see here. It says…

Acts 20:17 (LSB)— 17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.

Still Pouring Out— Now you might ask why that is important. Well, here’s why. Paul is in the middle of his journey and has stopped here in Miletus. He has a few days before his ship leaves. So what does he do? Get some much needed R and R? No, he sends for all the elders of Ephesus to come and meet him there in Miletus so that he can teach, exhort, and pray over them some more. I mean, he’s unbelievable. What a radical commitment to the people God placed under him. When Jesus had asked Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me?” and Peter said “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” and Jesus said “Feed my sheep.”, this is exactly what he meant. And what happens next is one of the most beautiful scenes in all of scripture. When the elders get there, they give back to Paul all the love he gave them. And we’ll talk about in the coming weeks. But you know, what are we to take from all of this? You know, sometimes we look at men and women in the early church (like Paul) as spiritual giants. We mythologize them and make them more than what they were. They weren’t superheroes. They didn’t have limitless power and energy. They were just men and women who allowed Jesus to change their hearts; and the rest of their lives was an explosion of that love; not a weighty chore, but a joy-filled outpouring and expression of love for their Savior. And what you and I need to understand is that you and I can have that same kind of love they had. In fact, listen to what Paul writes in…

Philippians 3:17 (ESV)— 17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.

Not Arrogance— Now some might say that’s a little arrogant, thinking that people should imitate him as the supreme standard. But that is not what he is saying at all. Note how he says to the Corinthians in…

1 Corinthians 11:1 (ESV)— 11 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Paul’s Greatest Gift— You see, it was all about modeling what it means to live like Jesus. And perhaps that is Paul’s greatest gift to the Church; not his preaching or his teaching, but the proof that you and I really can walk in the love of Christ. Why? Because Paul did it; a human being just like us. It was his being like Christ and having the love of Christ that drew people to him in such an amazing way. And when we allow Jesus to create that love in our hearts, one of the first expressions of that love for Christ will be (as it was with Paul) our love for the Church. Paul writes to the Philippians again in…

Philippians 4:9 (ESV)— 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Love The Church— Paul loved the Church. You need to; I need to as well. And so let us ask the Holy Spirit to create in us that kind of love, which flows from hearts fully given over to Jesus Christ. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Greetings! So good to have you with us today as we continue our study of the book of Acts together. In our passage today in Acts chapter 20 Paul has been traveling with a group of representatives of some of the gentile churches to bring a financial offering to the church in Jerusalem, which had a tremendous amount of need. And they have come to the city of Troas, where they end up staying for a week. And while there they take part in an evening worship service held in the upper room of a house. And all the believers are very eager to hear Paul and so he teaches them a very long while. And midnight comes and he’s still going strong. And a young man by the name of Eutychus was getting tired, and so he moved by an open window where he was hoping the fresh air would keep him awake. That didn’t work. He fell asleep anyway; and lo and behold he fell out of the window, fell three stories, and died. But Paul immediately runs out, throws himself upon the boy (just as Elijah and Elisha had also done to a couple of young men who had died during their ministries) and God brings Eutychus back to life. And afterwards they go right back into that upper room, have communion together and Paul resumes conversing with them a long while, until daybreak. Now at this point Paul and his party start to leave, first the rest of the party and then Paul. It says in…

Acts 20:13-16 (LSB)— 13 But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending from there to take Paul on board; for so he had arranged it, intending himself to go by land. 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. 15 And sailing from there, we arrived the following day opposite Chios; and the next day we crossed over to Samos; and the day following we came to Miletus. 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

[The Perfect Pastor— {You know, I read some time ago about how now,} After hundreds of years the perfect pastor's been found. He is the church elder who'll please everyone.

He preaches exactly 20 minutes and then sits down.
He condemns sin, but never steps on anybody's toes.
He works from 8 in the morning to 10 at night, doing everything from preaching sermons to sweeping.
He makes $400 per week, gives $100 a week to the church, drives a late model car, buys lots of books, wears fine clothes, and has a nice family.
He always stands ready to contribute to every other good cause, too, and to help panhandlers who drop by the church on their way to somewhere.
He is 36 years old, and has been preaching 40 years.
He is tall on the short side, heavy-set in a thin sort of way, and handsome.
He has eyes of blue or brown, (to fit the occasion) and wears his hair parted in the middle - left side, dark and straight, right side, brown and wavy.
He has a burning desire to work with the youth, and spends all his time with the senior citizens.
He smiles all the time while keeping a straight face, because he has a keen sense of humor that finds him seriously dedicated.
He makes 15 calls a day on church members, spends all his time evangelizing non-members, and is always found in his study if he is needed. Unfortunately he burnt himself out and died at the age of 32.]

Number One Quality— You know, if I was to ask you today what the most important qualities of a minister of God are, what would you say? You might say preaching and teaching, boldness, or godliness. You might say shepherding ability, wise oversight, or the ability to work with people. All of those are critical. But behind all those things (the driving force behind them) ought to be a passionate, burning love for the Lord, for the truth, and for the Church. Now we’re not talking about the building or the organization, but rather the people.

History’s Loving Pastors— One author I was reading said: [There have always been dedicated pastors who sacrificed in life and death for the church. It was love for the church that drove the busy Reformers Luther and Calvin to preach constantly to their flocks—not merely on Sundays, but throughout the week. Many Puritan pastors continued to preach the Word after being forbidden to do so by the authorities. They knew they risked being imprisoned (as was John Bunyan), but love for the church compelled them to take that risk. Love for the church consumed the godly nineteenth-century Scottish pastor Robert Murray McCheyne. Ill health could not deter him from his loving service, and, consequently, he died at a young age. It was his love for the church that motivated Charles Spurgeon to speak out against the modernism that was creeping into the evangelical church of his day. During the resulting “Down-Grade Controversy,” Spurgeon was sharply criticized for his stand. Some of those close to him deserted him. Yet he refused to back down, although the stress the controversy generated hastened his death. Church history is replete with examples of those who sacrificially loved the church.] Paul’s Love Expressed— But standing over and above them all (without doubt) was the Apostle Paul. You cannot read anything he ever wrote to any church (even his letters of rebuke) and not sense the overwhelming love that he felt for those persons who were under his care. And I mean you read some of the things that he wrote and the language is almost like that between a husband and a wife; or a mother and her nursing child. I mean, [To the Philippians he wrote:

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart. (Phil. 1:3–7)

“You are our letter, “he told the Corinthians, “written in our hearts” (2 Cor. 3:2). He also wrote to them, “You are in our hearts to die together and to live together” (2 Cor. 7:3). In 1 Thessalonians 2:7–8, Paul expressed his intimate love for the Thessalonian church: We proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. Having thus a fond affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.]

In Deed & Truth— But Paul [did not merely “love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:18). Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”]

Laying Down Your Life— Now of course Paul did end up dying for the Church. But you know, I’ve always found Jesus’ choice of wording in that verse very interesting. He doesn’t say, “Greater love has no one than this, that one die for his friends.” Now of course that is part of what He meant, because keep in mind He was preparing His disciples in order that they might understand His atoning work on the cross. But over the years I have come to believe that Jesus meant more than just dying for people (though that alone is a very big deal). But no, He says “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” It’s one thing to die for someone and quite another to live for them and then die for them. I know that I would die for either of my kids (or my wife) in a heartbeat. But I do find it a struggle to live for them; to give of my time, my ears, my heart. But you know I think that is what Jesus (and Paul) did so well. They (in every sense of the word) laid down their lives for their people because they loved them.

Love Demonstrated— You know, when we think of the passages in scripture on love, one of the first ones we think about is that written by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13, which has become known as the great love chapter of scripture. And you know (when it comes to the verbal description of what love is) it probably is. But one commentator I read pointed out that this chapter (Acts 20) is just as much a love chapter as 1 Corinthians 13. The word “love” isn’t mentioned once; no, Paul just lives it out in some amazing ways, pouring out all his time and energy into serving and meeting the needs of the Church. So you might say that 1 Corinthians 13 is Pauls description of love. Acts 20 is his demonstration of that love. And you need both.

Love is a verb— I am reminded of that old DC Talk song where they remind us that “love is a verb”; or that song by Michael W. Smith in which he says “love isn’t love until you give it away.” Love is more than emotion; it is making a conscious effort to live sacrificially for those you claim to love.

The Disintegrated Aqueduct— [Unamuno, the Spanish philosopher, tells about the Roman aqueduct at Segovia, in his native Spain. It was built in 109 A.D. For eighteen hundred years, it carried cool water from the mountains to the hot and thirsty city. Nearly sixty generations of men drank from its flow. Then came another generation, a recent one, who said, "This aqueduct is so great a marvel that it ought to be preserved for our children, as a museum piece. We shall relieve it of its centuries-long labor." They did; they laid modern iron pipes. They gave the ancient bricks and mortar a reverent rest. And the aqueduct began to fall apart. The sun beating on the dry mortar caused it to crumble. The bricks and stone sagged and threatened to fall. What ages of service could not destroy idleness disintegrated.] How sad this is. But it can also be true of the Christian. When we cease to live outwardly in holy, self-giving, sacrificial love, our Christianity (no matter how solid our belief may be) will begin to disintegrate. This is why Paul writes in Galatians 6:10…

Galatians 6:10 (ESV)— 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

“when we have opportunity”— Now notice how it doesn’t say “when we have opportunity”, but “as we have opportunity”. It is now that we have [opportunity. This Gr. word refers to a distinct, fixed time period, rather than occasional moments. Paul’s point is that the believer’s entire life provides the unique privilege by which he can serve others in Christ’s name. especially… the household of faith. Our love for fellow Christians is the primary test of our love for God (see notes on John 13: 34, 35; Rom. 12: 10– 13; 1 John 4: 21).]

Let’s Recognize— And so this week, recognize the opportunities that God has given you to do good in the lives of other people (and especially the Church). Seize those opportunities. And in blessing, may you also be blessed. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. It’s good to have you with us today as we continue our study of the book of Acts together. But before we get into our passage today I’d like to first ask you if maybe at some time in your life you have fallen asleep at time or in a place you shouldn’t have; and then maybe things got a little awkward?

Nudged to Pray— At the Christian college I attended, in chapel on time, one of the students fell asleep during the preacher’s message. And his buddy, noting that he was fast asleep, nudged him and said, “Hey, wake up. The preacher just called on you to pray.” And, startled awake and not yet coming to his full senses, the young man quickly stood up and began praying right there in front of several hundred other college students. Now imagine his embarrassment when he realized what had happened; and what his friend had done to him. I’m not sure they were friends after that. Now something very similar happens in our story today; only this time there are deadly consequences. And yet it gives God an extraordinary means of showing His power through the apostle Paul. Go ahead and look with me at chapter 20 of the book of Acts. You may remember from our episode last week how Paul and a group of pastors from various churches that he had helped plant are making their way towards Jerusalem with an offering for the church there. And they stop at the city of Troas, of which Luke writes in verse 6: and there we stayed seven days. And on Sunday they gather for a local evening worship service in a house likely belonging to one of the believers. They eat, have communion together, and then Paul begins teaching them. It says in…

Acts 20:7 (LSB)— 7 And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began speaking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight.

A Final Message— Now Paul knew that this would likely be his last meeting with these Christians here in Troas. And so, understandably, he preaches a longer sermon because he wants to make sure that he leaves them with as much as possible that can help them in the days ahead when they will no longer have him. And it is in the context of that prolonged message that something very unexpected happens. It says…

Acts 20:8-9a (LSB)— 8 Now there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together. 9 And there was a young man named Eutychus sitting on the windowsill, sinking into a deep sleep.

Young Man— Now the word used to describe Eutychus’ age here in verse 9 (manias) [means a man from twenty-four to forty years of age.] However, the word in verse 12 (pais) means [a young child or youth. Dr. Howard Marshall, an eminent Greek scholar, says he was a “young lad of eight to fourteen years.] My son falls within that age range, and so this could have been him! Now [Since the word pais can mean “a servant,” Eutychus may have been a young man who was also a servant.] So he might very well have been weary from working hard that day. That coupled with the fact that it was late in the evening (and the possible stuffiness of the room) caused him to be very tired. Plus all those oil lamps (which is what they were) combined with a lot of people served to make the room nice and warm. It was most likely not because Paul’s sermon was boring, as everyone else (including those who probably should have been watching Eutychus) seemed to be so engrossed, they don’t even notice Eutychus falling asleep next to a window he could potentially fall out of. And poor Eutychus; he’s trying his best to stay awake. [The tense of the Greek verb indicates that he was gradually overcome, not suddenly.] But he just can’t stay awake. Now his name adds to the humor of the story because his name actually means [“lucky, fortunate.” {And so} The "many lamps" (v. 8) and long sermon likely led "Lucky" to seek air in the window {(where there was better ventilation and the cool air might help to keep him awake)}, but he fell asleep anyway]. It says in…

Acts 20:9b (LSB)— And as Paul kept on talking, he sunk into that sleep and fell down from the third floor

Falling Out— And so, no doubt leaning and then tipping out the window, Eutychus fell three stories to the ground below. Now I don’t know if you’ve ever had a dream before where you are falling and you suddenly wake up. But it’s terrifying!!! Well here Eutychus is, awakened by that sensation, and (to his horror) it’s not a dream. He hits the ground and is killed. It says of him that he…

Acts 20:9c (LSB)— fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead.

All Dead, Or Just Mostly Dead— Now some of your translations may say “as dead”. And so the question obviously arises, was he completely dead or just mostly dead? Just recently I watched one of my favorite scenes in one of my family’s favorite movies The Princess Bride. This scene came to my mind when I was reading this passage because in this scene a man who has died recently is being carried by his friends to somebody who they think might be able to restore him to life; a miracle-worker by the name of Miracle Max. And when Miracle Max looks at him he says, “The good news is that he’s not all-dead, just mostly dead. There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all-dead.” What’s the difference, one of the friends asks. “Well, if mostly dead, he’s slightly alive. But with all-dead, there’s really only one thing you can do.” What’s that, asks the friend. “Go through his pockets and start looking for loose change.”

All Dead— So was he “mostly dead” or “all dead”? Well, there is actually less room for misinterpretation in the Greek; as the Greek word is νεκρός, which in its adjectival form here means “dead/lifeless”. As a noun it would mean “a dead body/corpse”. And so he is picked up νεκρός/dead (not "as dead”). He has actually died.

His life is in him— Now this story has a touch of humor because of the circumstances involved (and plus we know how it ends). But keep in mind what a horror this must have been to the boys mother and father, who were no doubt there; and even to Paul. I mean we don’t know if it was the scream of somebody who say Eutychus fall or if it was the scream of Eutychus himself that alerted everyone. But when Paul realizes what has happened (maybe even seen it himself) he obviously stops teaching and (in horror) quickly runs down the stairs, which keep in mind ran outside the house. And it says…

Acts 20:10 (LSB)— 10 But Paul went down and fell upon him, and after embracing him, he said, “Do not be troubled, for his life is in him.”

Fell Upon— Now as I was reading Paul’s response here “Do not be troubled, for his life is in him.”, I was really hearing him say, “Don’t worry, he’s not all-dead; he’s only MOSTLY dead.” And so which is it? Is Paul lying or bending the truth a little? No, because before he says that, it says first that he went down and fell upon him. And that phraseology is key because remember God had also performed resurrections through Elijah and Elisha after they had fallen upon and embraced two young boys who had died. So Paul’s falling upon Eutychus was the means through which God brought him back to life, after which Paul (seeing the boy alive) then cries out “Do not be troubled, for his life is in him.”

Acts 20:11-12 (LSB)— 11 And when he had gone back up and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked with them a long while until daybreak, and then left. 12 And they took away the boy alive, and were not a little comforted.

He kept preaching!— By the way, I love how Paul went right back to preaching. And I guarantee you Eutychus was now awake the whole time; partially because of what had happened, but also because when God brings you back to life, you come back refreshed, walking and leaping and praising Him. He had a lot to be thankful for.

Sacred Spots— You know, sometimes you don’t know what you are thankful for until you don’t have it. Now this story has a happy ending because Eutychus lived to die another day (perhaps as an aged man after having live a rich and full life). We don’t know. But can you imagine being his mom or his dad that day? You know, I often worry about my kids. I’m not a put-your-kid-in-a-bubble parent, but I am very protective of my kids. And almost every day I worry about them having a Eutychus moment; losing attention for that split second; that little blip of time that can end or forever change the course of their lives. And that’s compounded by the fact that I know there’s no Apostle Paul to bring them back if anything like that happens to them. Our kids and I were in a car accident now about two years ago, right near their school. Another car (not watching) veered into us and hit us very hard; every airbag in the car deployed. Airbags came out of places I didn’t even know airbags could be. The one that deployed just left of my head knocked my hearing out for a little while. And after impact I (ears ringing) turned to see my kids; and I saw the fear written all over their faces. And for months afterwards, often when I would drive through that spot (now extra-cautiously), I had this kind of gut-clenching, physical reaction. Now I know we are not to live in fear; and on the other side of that I have seen so many times how God has protected them, as He did then. But I am also aware of how quickly life can change. And whenever I go through that spot I feel this overwhelming gratitude for my kids’ lives; and for my life too. There is another spot that holds similar significance to me; and I know it does to you as well. It is the site of the cross. What a horrible place to be; at the foot of a cross. And yet was there that Jesus (in such a brief window of time) gave us back everything we might have lost; eternal life in fellowship with God. I don’t know what your plans are this week, but I would like to encourage you to make time to give thanks to God for saving you in that sacred place. Like these early Christians did, orient yourself around a remembrance of what God has done for you in and through Jesus. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. If you have your Bible, go ahead and turn with me to Acts chapter 20. As you may remember, Paul is traveling with a group of men who each represented churches that Paul had started in Asia. And each of them is [carrying an offering from his home church to be given to the believers in Jerusalem], which remember had a tremendous amount of need. [Having each man deliver the gift {really offered} a personal touch and strengthened the unity of the believers.] The Church was being the Church for one another. You know, this coming Sunday at our Church (Renton Park Church) I am preaching on the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus; and what is remarkable to me about that prayer is how often Jesus prays for the unity of all believers; that they may be one even as He and the Father are one. Now I can’t even begin to unpack that today. But Jesus says in that prayer…

John 17:21 (ESV)— 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

John 17:23 (ESV)— 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

Testimony to the world— The fundamental purpose of our unity is to bear testimony to the world of the fact that the Father did indeed send His beloved Son Jesus (and that He is their salvation) and that God loves them just as He loves Jesus. That is what our unity points the world to. Jesus had said in…

John 13:35 (ESV)— 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

No Excuse— Now if there is disunity; if there is a lack of love and care for one another; this gives the world an excuse not to take us seriously. But when we are unified and loving and caring for one another, we pave the way for the Holy Spirit to bring conviction to them and often a longing to be a part of that same kind of unified body of believers. And that is part of what this love offering helped to demonstrate. It was a very personal and tender-hearted gesture.

A New Goal— Paul had wanted to arrive in Jerusalem by Passover; but they had been delayed, so that didn’t happen. So now he is trying to get there at least by Pentecost (Acts 20:16). And here we see that they have come to the city of Troas, of which Luke writes in verse 6: and there we stayed seven days.

“We” to “Us”— Now note how in verse 5 and here in verse 6 there is a [pronoun change {from “he”} to “us” and “we,” for Dr. Luke has now joined the party (see Acts 16:17). He had probably been ministering at Philippi where he joined Paul for the last leg of the journey. {And} Paul must have rejoiced to have Luke, Titus, and Timothy at his side again. {But} The men remained at Troas a week so that they might fellowship with the believers there. Perhaps they were also waiting for the departure of the next ship. {But they are waiting there; and as they are waiting there,} Luke gives us a brief report of a local church service in Troas, and from it we learn something of how these early Christians met and worshipped the Lord.] It says in…

“On the first day of the week”— Now note the very first phrase: on the first day of the week,. This is actually the first reference in the book of Acts to Christian worship taking place on Sunday rather than on the seventh day (the Sabbath). And this day of course came to be known as “the Lord’s Day” because it was the day on which the Lord Jesus had risen from the dead (Rev. 1:10). So that alone gave the first day of the week an amazing significance. But keep in mind that it was also on the first day of the week that the Holy Spirit had come at Pentecost and birthed the Christian Church. And so the first day of the week became (for multiple reasons) the primary day of worship. Now as the Church was just starting off, they would (during those early years) still [maintain some of the Jewish traditions, such as the hours of prayer (Acts 3:1). But as time went on, they moved away from the Mosaic calendar and developed their own pattern of worship as the Spirit taught them.]

In The Evening— Now the second thing that we see from this verse is that the church met in the evening. And the reason [the church met in the evening {was} because {keep in mind that} Sunday was not a holiday during which people were free from daily employments.] Some of you may remember the days when that was the case here in the states. But sadly, that is not the case now and certainly wasn’t during these times.} And keep in mind that some of these believers were slaves; and so they couldn’t come to church until they had finished their duties. Now these early believers didn’t have any church building in which they could meet, and so they would meet in the private homes of believers. And this room was likely in the private home (or was the home) of one of the believers. And these believers would have been of all different nationalities and social statuses. But none of that mattered anymore. As far as they were concerned, they were “all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).

to break bread— Now the fellowship of these early believers was a beautiful thing. They would fellowship around a “potluck” meal that they called a “love feast” (agape). And after they would finish eating, they would observe the Lord’s Supper together (Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 11:17–34). And that is what we see here in their breaking bread together. Here in Acts 20:7 we have reference to Lord’s Supper and then Acts 20:11 describes the regular meal that would have preceded it. And remember how we talked before about how (in that culture; particularly Jewish culture) to eat with someone was to show commonality with them. That is why if two parties were at enmity with one another and sought restoration, that restoration would never be considered complete until they had shared a meal together. That is part of what made the story of Zacchaeus so powerful. Jesus shared a meal with him that showed they had commonality and peace between each other; and more so, that there was peace between Zacchaeus and God. And of course we also need to understand the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in light of that custom because in that meal is the consummation of our restoration to God. And these “love feasts” were beautiful pictures of the healing that had taken place across social and racial lines in those communities, as men and women of different races and social statuses (think about it, even slaves and their masters) were eating, sharing, and enjoying fellowship with one another as equals under Jesus Christ. That was something never heard of before; and that alone bore such an incredible witness to those communities (and to the world). And I love how that fellowship and unity was built around Thanksgiving; the remembrance of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us. Now you and I sometimes worry that taking communion too often will cause it to become simply routine and we will miss (or grow cold to) the blessings involved. And that may be true. But the early Christians had it at least once a week as a group and many of them likely, even when they were by themselves during their regular meals at home, would conclude their own personal meals by taking the bread and wine. Now Scripture doesn’t give us any specific command to do this (“as often”, 1 Cor. 11:26); but what it shows is that they wanted to keep before them always that reminder of what Jesus had done for them. For them, Thanksgiving (Eucharist, which comes from the Greek word for Thanksgiving) wasn’t once a year, it was all the time. And that is a beautiful thing. And it challenges us also to live every day in that spirit of Thanksgiving.

The Lord’s Message— Now another thing we see in this passage is the centrality of the Word of God, which was always preached in these Christian churches. And this involved [the public reading of the Old Testament Scriptures (1 Tim. 4:13) as well as whatever apostolic letters had been received (Col. 4:16).] Now sadly, in many churches nowadays, we find the Word of God being neglected. Many (even Christians) know very little of what the Word of God actually says and therefore are unequipped to defend themselves against those who (by twisting the original meaning of the Word of God) might lead them astray. That is why any strong Church will be a Biblically literate one. Paul himself writes in…

2 Timothy 4:2 (ESV)— 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

The Decadent Periods— And as Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said “the decadent periods and eras in the history of the church have always been those periods when preaching has declined”]

The Power of The Book— An unknown writer said, "This Book is the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding; its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's character. Here paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. Follow its precepts and it will lead you to Calvary, to the empty tomb, to a resurrected life in Christ; yes, to glory itself, for eternity."

Bearing Testimony— And so today, let us commit to know and walk in keeping with the Word of God; and in doing so we will (through our unity and holy love for one another) bear testimony to the world of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. If you have your Bible, go ahead and turn with me to Acts chapter 20. We will look at verses 1-6 today. And as you are turning there, let me remind you that Paul is preparing at this point to leave the city of Ephesus due to a riot that has taken place, caused by Demetrius (a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis/Diana). He saw how Paul’s message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was pulling people away from worship of Artemis and therefore hurting his business; and so he riles up all the other craftsmen in similar trades and instigates a riot. Now the riot is quelled, but apparently Paul took this riot as a sign that it was time for him to put his plan to go to Jerusalem (and eventually to Rome) into motion. And so it says…

Acts 20:1 (LSB)— 1 Now after the uproar had ceased, Paul having summoned and exhorted the disciples, said farewell and left to go to Macedonia.

Visiting His Church— Now the reason the Paul wanted to visit Macedonia first was because he wanted to collect an offering for the much poorer church in Jerusalem; but also he wanted to pay at least one more visit to these various churches that he had helped to found in that region. And that was because he deeply cared for every single one of those churches. We see in 2 Corinthians 11:23–28 that the "The care of all the churches" was his greatest joy and (at the same time) his heaviest burden. He wasn’t just a preacher; he was a pastor; he was a shepherd, one who truly loved each and every person he ministered to. He was the kind of pastor who worried constantly about his spiritual children and would do anything he could to minister to their physical and spiritual needs.

Departing for Macedonia— And so he leaves Ephesus and begins heading towards Macedonia and Achaia (Acts 19:21). He probably went first to Philippi. Now we know that sometime during his final days in Ephesus, after writing 1 Corinthians, Paul had had a considerable amount of conflict with the Corinthian church. He visited them (likely by sea); and what he saw grieved his heart. And upon returning to Ephesus he wrote to them a “tearful” letter, which we see in 2 Corinthians 7:8-9 that he at first regretted having sent. He had sender’s remorse. I don’t know if that has ever happened to you.

The Angry Letter— I remember a number of years ago, when I was just starting off in ministry, I made some typical mistakes that many new pastors make. And one was that I was too willing to absorb elements of ministry I had no business absorbing. I was preaching three times a week, visiting many people in their homes and in the hospitals (most of which were far away) leading prayer meetings, sometimes leading Sunday school, leading a monthly men’s breakfast, leading a monthly Veteran’s home ministry, and then being the chief organizer of most of our church events. Anywhere where there was slack, I thought it was my duty to be a nice pastor and pick it up. And I remember one day in particular when the lady doing the bulletin at that time said that it had become too much for her and she would have to give it up. Well, who do you think volunteered to do it? I did. And while I was at it, I also absorbed all the secretarial duties (us not having a secretary at the time). And all the while I felt I was being a good pastor. It was only later I realized how much this absorbing way of doing ministry can actually damage a church and cripple its ministries (because nothing is getting done as well when one person is doing most of it); and so I learned to take a more biblical approach and started delegating. And I also learned the freeing power of “no”; politely refusing those things that are not part of what God wanted me to do; and which are also opportunities for somebody else to step up and find their place within the body of Christ. But it was in that time and context of absorbing that I had a member of my congregation criticize me in a very harsh and unfair way, implying I wasn’t doing enough. And I went home very angry. And I sat down and wrote an angry letter, which basically laid out everything I was doing and was lashing back at this person. But (thank the Lord) I showed it to my mentor first, a wonderful man of God that I owe so much to, especially in those early years of ministry. He listened as I read aloud my angry letter and said “Cameron, everything you said was true. But you can’t deliver it.” And I was bummed about that. But I listened and instead allowed myself to cool down and addressed the issue in a much calmer and wiser fashion. And you know what, looking back I realize now that virtually no one in my church had any idea how much I had absorbed. Not even my board knew. Stuff was getting done but I never was communicating what it was I was doing. It was a complete failure of communication on my part. And so this person’s criticism (although not based on fact) was actually my fault, not theirs. And if I had delivered my angry letter, I would have wounded that person (and maybe my church) irreparably.

Burning the First Letter— You know it’s interesting, [When Abraham Lincoln had to write a letter to someone who had irritated him, he would often write two letters. The first letter was deliberately insulting. Then, having gotten those feelings out of his system, he would tear it up and write a second letter, this one tactful and discreet.] And that is a very good practice.

Testing The Waters— Now here in this passage, Paul wasn’t worried about the truth of what he wrote as much as whether or not he was too severe. And we will never know exactly what he wrote because that epistle has been lost; and maybe that was a God-thing. But whatever the case, he had sent it. And now that he’s getting ready to leave Ephesus, he wants to visit Corinth again. However, in light of this harsh letter that he sent, he is afraid of how he might be received by the church there. And so what does he do? He sends Titus ahead of him to “test the waters” at Corinth. And in the meantime (after leaving Ephesus (Acts 20:1), he doesn’t head directly to Corinth by sea. Instead he goes north, [visiting the Christian communities along the way and hoping to meet up with Titus returning from Corinth.] And so he goes [to Troas, and then possibly on to other churches in Macedonia (2 Cor. 2:12-13).] And it is in the region of [Macedonia (perhaps at Philippi, Thessalonica, or Berea) {that} Titus finally joined him and brought the good news that the church {in Corinth} had repented of its opposition to Paul's leadership and had become reconciled to him (2 Cor. 7:5-16). {And so no doubt with huge joy and relief} Paul then wrote 2 Corinthians.] So he’s in Macedonia. And it says in…

Acts 20:2-3 (LSB)— 2 And when he had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece {(the greek word is [“Hellas”, which is simply another name for the province of Achaia, where Corinth was located.])}. 3 And there he spent three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.

Paul’s Stay in Corinth— And so we see that Paul stays in Corinth for three months. He [had originally planned to make two visits to Corinth (2 Cor. 1:15-16), but instead he made one visit that lasted three months (Acts 20:3; 1 Cor. 16:5-6).] These were [likely the winter months (see 1 Cor. 16:6), when sea travel was more dangerous.] And it is during this final trip to Corinth that Paul writes his letter to the Romans (c. A.D. 57). And in that letter he explains why he wants to go to Jerusalem, and that was {not just to encourage and strengthen the Christians in those churches, but also} for the purpose of taking an offering [from his Gentile churches to the needy Christians in Jerusalem]. The Church there was very poor and needed a lot of support. And Paul sought to provide that by any means possible. And that was one of his main reasons for revisiting the churches of Macedonia and Achaia this final time, which took Paul [to the churches of Berea, Thessalonica, and Philippi.] He wanted to collect money for that offering. And verses 4-5 tell us…

Acts 20:4 (LSB)— 4 And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.

Church Representation— Now these [men who accompanied him (Acts 20:4) were {official} representatives of the churches, appointed to travel with Paul and help handle the funds (2 Cor. 8:18-24).] [Their presence would give safety from robbery and also would provide a public guarantee of Paul's integrity in handling the funds. The men listed here (Acts 20:4) as accompanying Paul represent all the areas of his missionary work. And it says…

Acts 20:5 (LSB)— 5 But these had gone on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas.

A Jewish Plot— Now although Paul would have sailed from Corinth, we see that there is a plot by the unbelieving Jews to kill him at sea. And sadly (as was almost always the case) that plot came from Paul’s own fellow countrymen (cf. 2 Cor. 11:26). And remember that [The Jewish community of Corinth {in particular} hated Paul because of its humiliating debacle before Gallio (18:12-17), and the stunning conversions of two of its most prominent leaders, Crispus (18:8) and Sosthenes (18:17; 1 Cor. 1:1).] And so some of that Jewish group there in Corinth are plotting to kill Paul. Now [Luke does not record the details of the Jews’ plot, but it undoubtedly involved murdering Paul during the voyage to Syria. The apostle would have been an easy target on a small ship packed with Jewish pilgrims.] They could very easily have pushed him overboard and made Paul (as a Cicilian might say) “sleep with the fishes.” And so (because of this plot) he has to instead travel north [overland through Achaia and Macedonia, {then cross the Aegean Sea to Asia Minor,} sailing from Philippi to Troas, where his “team” agreed to rendezvous.] And so it says…

Acts 20:6 (LSB)— 6 And we sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas within five days; {(it was no doubt due to unfavorable winds that this crossing took 5 days, because when Paul had crossed earlier from Troas to Neapolis (Philippi’s port) it had only taken two days (16:11). But nevertheless, they arrive there at Troas and Luke writes:)} and there we stayed seven days. And next week we will see what happens to Paul during those seven days. But as we close out time together today, I want to encourage you to be courageous enough to speak the truth in love (as Paul learned to do). Learn to burn the first letter. Secondly, we (like Paul) need to always be seeking to meet the needs of other people. There is always at least one person who needs our compassion and love. And we need to be faithful to help them (as Paul was). And thirdly, let us (as we follow Christ) expect opposition and neither be surprised nor afraid when it surfaces. God will be our shield during those times and (even in persecution) will work out His plans and purposes in an amazing way. And so let us trust in Him. Amen.

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In our study of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus here in Acts 19, we have seen some amazing things. Through Paul people are being delivered from sickness and disease, from the demonic forces that were holding sway over their lives, and were even burning all their magic paraphernalia that they had up until this time devoted themselves to. They are also turning from worship of their various false gods (gods made with hands, which of course are not really gods at all) and are instead turning to the Living God and are finding redemption in the name of His Son Jesus Christ. And so Paul is bringing them out of what destroys into what will bring life to them.

Dangerous Things— I’ll never forget when my son William was young and we were in this teeny tiny house during the first couple years of my pastoral ministry. Somehow we had failed to clean off the kitchen counter and he (who had just then barely learned to walk) had gone into the kitchen by himself. And when we came in, he started walking towards us brandishing two steak knives, one in each hand. And you can imagine the fear that suddenly leapt into our hearts. It was kind of like one of those moments were you don’t know exactly what to do. But we slowly and carefully walked towards him and took those steak knives out of his hands. Now that wasn’t because we were mean or obsessed with being “the adults; the rule makers” but because we wanted to remove from him those objects of destruction that could harm or even end his very life.

Paul’s Open Correction— Well the same is true here. Paul is doing what he can to open peoples eyes to the understanding that what they are playing around with in regards to their idols is destructive to their lives. And so, with love and respect (and that is always key), he is speaking against idolatry. And Demetrius (a silversmith who was making idols of the goddess Artemis/Diana) doesn’t take issue with Paul’s teaching except at the point at which it might affect his and the other craftsmen’s money belts. And so the issue is not a doctrinal one. There were plenty of Jews in Ephesus who would have rejected belief in Artemis/Diana. That was nothing new. The center of Demetrius’ concern was how that doctrine might affect their business.

Selling Salvation— It’s interesting how false religions always want you to "buy into" them. Catholics at one time sold indulgences; actual physical payment for sins. There was even a time when you could pre-pay for the sins you were intending to commit. All of that is false and antithetical to the message of the Gospel, which is why anywhere that the true Gospel is preached, there will always be opposition from those who are preying upon the fears of people; who have turned religion into an industry. The message of salvation by grace through faith alone is a dangerous doctrine for those who seek to sell people salvation. And we see in our passage today a very negative reaction from Demetrius and the craftsmen he began talking to, as it says in…

Acts 19:28 (LSB)— 28 When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

Selfish Motives Masked— Now Demetrius had a brilliant strategy for stirring up this riot. Because while he pointed out the financial loss they would incur, he gets them to mask their greed behind the false front of patriotism and religious loyalty. They had selfish motives, but the way he argued helped them cleverly conceal them (even from themselves), as they no doubt come to see themselves as heroes who are protecting their city and their beliefs. And so they stir up this riot, and it says in…

Acts 19:29 (LSB)— 29 And the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.

Aristarchus & Gaius— Paul seemed to always have traveling companions with him who her ministering to him and to whom he was himself discipling. In this case, we find these two traveling companions to be Aristarchus (who would accompany Paul on other journeys, which we see in 20:3-4 and 27:1-2) and Gaius (who is probably not the same Gaius mentioned in Romans 16:23 or 1 Corinthians 1:14). This is likely another Gaius. But both of them are seized. And when Paul hears of this, he wants to rush to their aid. It says in…

Acts 19:30 (LSB)— 30 And when Paul wanted to go into the assembly, the disciples would not let him.

Safety & Wisdom— And this was both because they feared for his safety, but also because they thought Paul's presence there might exacerbate the situation and make the riot even worse, as he was at the very center of this conflict. But it wasn’t just the Christians who were telling him not to go in. It says in…

Acts 19:31 (LSB)— 31 Also some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater.

Asiarchs— And these Asiarchs were actually government officials. It was their responsibility to maintain religious and political order in the region. And interestingly, we see here that they had become friends of Paul, showing that the effectiveness of his ministry had reached every level of society, from the poor to the rich. Christianity was crossing all the social barriers of the day, which gave Paul some friends in high places. Now the mob grew so quickly and emotions were so heated that chaos was ensuing. It says in…

Acts 19:32-33 (LSB)— 32 So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the meeting was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together. 33 And some of the crowd concluded it was Alexander, since the Jews had put him forward; and having motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the assembly.

Alexander— Now we don't know who this Alexander was. There was a [false teacher later active at Ephesus (1 Tim. 1:20)] named Alexander. There was also another Alexander [who opposed Paul at Rome (2 Tim. 4:14)]. This was probably not either of those. Alexander was a very common name during that time. This particular Alexander could have been either a Christian Jew or perhaps a spokesman for the Jewish community of Ephesus. But whether he was a Christian, a Jew, of a Christian Jew, [the motive for putting him forward was the same—to disassociate themselves from the Christians and avoid a massacre of the Jews.] And so he prepares to make a defense (either of Christianity or the Jews). But all of this backfires when the crowd recognizes that he is a Jew, which shows that this [mob had become anti-Jewish as well as anti-Christian.] It says…

Acts 19:34 (LSB)— 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single cry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

The Intervention— Can you imagine?! FOR TWO HOURS!!! I mean this is a war-cry. And this goes on until finally the city clerk intervenes. Now in modern terms, the city clerk was the Mayor of Ephesus. It was his responsibility (just like any local city leader) to simply maintain peace and order. But keep in mind that it is the Roman empire that was in ultimate control of Ephesus. And Rome was absolutely devastating in its punishment of any kind of riotous outbreak. And this official knows that if he cannot quickly quell this riot, he could very well be removed from office and the entire town placed under martial law, which would result in the loss of many of their civic freedoms. So he is trying his best to quickly re-establish order. It says in…

Acts 19:35-41 (LSB)— 35 Now after calming the crowd, the city clerk *said, “Men of Ephesus, what man is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image which fell down from heaven? {[This probably refers to a meteorite, since meteorites were incorporated with the worship of Diana.]} 36 “So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash. 37 “For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38 “So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another. 39 “But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the lawful meeting. 40 “For indeed we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today’s events, since there is no cause for which we can give as an account for this disorderly gathering.” 41 After saying this he dismissed the meeting.

Follow The Rule of Law— Now thankfully this city clerk had a head on his shoulders. He also seems to have a had a deep respect for the rule of law. He doesn't give in to the crowd and have Paul punished. In fact, he recognizes that it is not his responsibility at all (nor the crowd’s) to resolve this issue. It is the job of the courts. And so he openly blames the crowd for not following the proper judicial procedure, saying that they should have gone to the courts and proconsuls. This would help to ensure that justice was done and that they would avoid incurring the wrath of Rome. And so he dismisses them. Riot quelled.

A Sign to Move On— Now although the riot was over, Paul apparently took this as a sign that it was time for him to move on from Ephesus. However, it was encouraging to see that the law did still provide some protection for Christians [as they challenged the worship of the goddess Artemis in the most idolatrous region in Asia.]

Faithful To Challenge— Now there is so much that we can glean from this passage; because you and I also live in a day and age where people are in bondage to false beliefs; especially here in the Seattle area, where there are so many different religions. When my family first moved here, we were amazed just how many palm-readers and psychics there are in the area; businesses built to prey upon people’s hopes and fears. And if we are to truly be the Church, we need to connect people with the truth of the Gospel; share the Word with them (even those parts that might offend them) so that the Holy Spirit can convict them and (hopefully) bring them into a knowledge of the truth. But that begins with us being faithful; faithful to lovingly challenge them. Now we might face rejection or persecution for that. But on the other side of that God will (as He always does) bring about fruit. So let’s commit to be God’s voice in the lives of people. Amen.

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Persecution— You know, I don't know if you have ever faced a time of persecution in your life. But if you have, you will know that it can be a very scary and difficult experience. And you can often wonder how God could possibly be at work in such a circumstance. We might even think that that persecution is a sign that we have done something wrong or that God is somehow absent. But nothing could be further from the truth, especially when we are talking about the Church; because when we look back at the broad scope of church history (of which the book of Acts plays a major part) we find that persecution never really slowed down (much less stopped) the growth of Christianity; rather it caused Christianity to thrive and grow in its purest form. Wherever persecution arose, it would end with the Church being stronger and the growth of Christianity more widespread; and I would also add deeply committed.

Why Persecution?— Now why does that persecution come? It isn't because of the positive difference the church might make in a community. Nobody has a problem with any religious group for feeding the hungry or taking care of the needy. In fact, there have been instances where churches have received rewards for doing those kinds of things; and those things are good, and I would even say are signature marks of being true believers because that is what Christ did. And being rewarded or recognized for that may not be bad in and of itself. But often the world loving and rewarding you can be a negative sign; because what it can signify is that a Church has become too much like the world and that it is failing to preach the true message of the Gospel, which is offensive to those who are still lost. Being rewarded by the world system would have never happened in the book of Acts. And the reason for that was because the early Church recognized that they were called not to be the comforters of a community (at least not centrally), but were called to be the conscience of the community. And the reason persecution would often rise against Christianity was because the Church was revealing and challenging by the Word of God what was wrong in the lives of the people of whatever community it resided in. They met people’s physical needs, but they also challenged people’s worldviews and talked about sin and their need for repentance. And that is where things get heated; when Satan rises and begins to stir people to try to silence or dispel the Church. And that is what we will see in our passage today as well. If you have it, go ahead and look with me at Acts 19:21. It says…

Acts 19:21 (LSB)— 21 Now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”

Macedonia & Achaia— Now Macedonia was [The region located across the Aegean Sea on the mainland of Greece. The cities of Philippi and Thessalonica {and also Berea} were located there.] And it was here that the Gospel had first crossed from Asia into Europe. [Achaia included the church in Corinth]. Now what this verse does is it [provides an outline for the rest of the book of Acts; because after Paul leaves Ephesus, he would return to the churches in “Macedonia” and “Achaia” (or Greece, 20:1-2), then go back to Jerusalem (21:17), and then eventually proceed to Rome (28:14).]

Why Rome?— Now why did Paul want to go to Rome? Well, everywhere that Paul went, he could see the influence of Rome. And so he wanted to take the message of the [to the world center of influence and power.] If he was living in our day and age, he would be setting his sights on Washington D.C., or perhaps Hollywood. But for him, that was Rome. Plus we see in Romans 15:22-24 that he intended to use Rome as a launching point for a ministry in the strategic region of Spain. And so we have a crucial turning point here in the book of Acts as [from this point on, Rome became Paul’s goal. {And we know that} He would ultimately arrive there as a Roman prisoner (Acts 28:16).] Now it says here in…

Acts 19:22 (LSB)— 22 And having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.

Timothy & Erastus— Now Timothy was of course a dear assistant (and really an adopted son) of Paul, to whom Paul wrote two letters known as first and second Timothy. But Erastus is a little bit less well known. However, he also [was a committed follower of Christ who was not only Paul's helpful assistant but also Corinth’s city treasurer (see Romans 16:23).] And part of Erastus’ and Timothy’s job on this journey to Macedonia is in fact to collect an offering for the church in Jerusalem, which was very poor; there were a lot of needy people in that church. And so [Paul wanted to take a love offering from his churches as a gift to the church at Jerusalem. {And} The reason he wanted to go {back} to Macedonia and Achaia was to collect this offering.] And that just shows how dedicated Paul (and all the Church) was to making sure that the needs of people were being met.

1 Corinthians Being Delivered— Now [Paul apparently wrote 1 Corinthians during the springtime, near the end of his time in Ephesus (cf. v.21; also 1 Cor. 16:5-10). Paul sent the letter to Corinth with Timothy and Erastus (see 1 Cor. 16:10), and then later left Ephesus to go through Macedonia and eventually to Corinth himself as well (see Acts 20:1-2; 1 Cor. 16:5, 8-9).] So Paul sends them into Macedonia while he himself lingers for a time in Asia. Look with me at…

Acts 19:23 (LSB)— 23 Now about that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way.

The Way— Now what is the way? Mandalorian fans, don’t answer that. This trouble was not caused by a group of Mandalorians. No, [“The Way” {was a phrase used to designate}…those who followed the way of Christ—the Christians.] And so the teachings of Christianity (propagated by Paul) are really what is at the center of this conflict. It says in…

Acts 19:24 (LSB)— 24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen;

Artemis/Diana— Now Artemis (or Diana, as she was also known) was a fertility goddess, much like the Baals of the Old Testament. And because she represented fertility, she was depicted as a woman with many breasts. And there was a large statue of her that was said to have come from heaven (19:35). And this image was in the great temple at Ephesus, a temple which was so great it was one of the wonders of the ancient world. But there would be festivals held in her honor; and these involved orgies, carousing, and many unspeakable things. And [It is likely that the riot described in this passage took place during the annual {week-long} spring festival held in her honor at Ephesus.] And (like we saw recently) there was a huge industry that was built around her that [had become more significant in the time of Paul since the city was beginning to lose its significance as a center for international trade] and became more dependent on foreigners who would come and deposit money at her temple, buy idols of her, etc. And so people in that industry were very highly interested in keeping the worship of her going, because that had become more of the center of their economy. And one of these men who was involved in that industry became very concerned when he saw people beginning to abandon Artemis in favor of this Jesus whom Paul was preaching about; a man by the name of Demetrius, who is described as a silversmith, who made silver shrines to Artemis,…bringing no little business to the craftsmen {which [suggests Demetrius may have been the head of the silversmiths’ guild—which would explain his taking the lead in opposing the Christian preachers.]}. And of these other fellow silversmiths it says…

Acts 19:25-27 (LSB)— 25 these he gathered together with the workers of similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity is from this business. 26 “And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable crowd, saying that things made with hands are not gods. 27 “And not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be considered as worthless and that she, whom all of Asia and the world worship, is even about to be brought down from her majesty.”

Profit, Not Doctrine— Now notice that Demetrius raises no particular disagreement with Paul's teachings about Jesus Christ other than the fact that Paul is saying that things made with hands are not gods. And when you think about it, that is a pretty gutsy thing for him to say in that context. And it shows that he is not of the mindset that Christians (like many say Christians need to do) just need to keep to themselves and never tell anybody else they are wrong in what they believe. The early Christians did not have that mindset at all; and Paul certainly didn’t. He wasn’t afraid to tell people what was right and what was wrong.

Being God’s Voice— And you know, that has direct implications for us as individuals, because you and I also are to be the convicting voice of God for those around us. But somehow we modern Christians have gotten into our heads that the chief commandment in Scripture is to just get along with everybody else. Don’t make waves and do not (by any means) ever be judgmental. And we think that that is being loving to other people. However, that is not being loving at all when we consider that many of the things that people are playing around with are destructive to their lives. And if sinful people can be completely comfortable around us, then we aren’t doing our jobs; we are not being the Church. We are not really striking at the heart of what can bring lasting, eternal change to people’s lives. That is one of the things that I so admire about my church, Renton Park Chapel; because while we want to be a church where everyone feels welcome to attend, we also want what they encounter in our lives and in our worship to bring conviction to their souls. That is something that the early Church clearly understood and practiced. They weren’t afraid to call a spade a spade. And that’s not just in the interest of “being right“, but was an expression of love. We want people to come as they are; but we also recognize that God loves them too much to leave them enslaved to the things that are bringing destruction to their lives. He wants to free them from all those things by conforming them into the image of His Son Jesus. And that means making significant changes to their lives. And any church that is more interested in keeping its attendees happy than in helping them to be holy is not being the Church. And so let’s be the Church. Let’s strive to (in love) be the conscience of our community, pointing the way to Christ. Then we will have the gift of seeing God’s light overcome their darkness. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. So glad you could join us today for a time of Bible Study as we continue to look at the book of Acts together. In recent weeks we have been in chapter 19, taking a look at Paul’s ministry in the city of Ephesus. And really God has been doing some amazing things through the apostle Paul. Paul has been preaching and teaching, but also performing many amazing miracles, healing people of various diseases and also driving out demons. And it that last point that is of central importance in our passage today; because here God is revealing through Paul the authenticity and authority of the person of Jesus Christ; and that Paul is in fact speaking for God. And much of what we encounter in our passage today has to do with that authority; what happens to the sicknesses; how the demons respond to that authority.

“I’m a Lighthouse”— I am reminded of a story shared [In U.S. Navel Institute Proceedings, the magazine of the Naval Institute, {in which} Frank Koch illustrates the importance of obeying… Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather for several days. {He says} I was serving on the lead battleship and was on watch on the bridge as night fell. The visibility was poor with patchy fog, so the captain remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all activities. Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing reported, "Light, bearing on the starboard bow." "Is it steady or moving astern?" the captain called out. The lookout replied, "Steady, Captain," which meant we were on a dangerous collision course with that ship. The captain then called to the signalman, "Signal that ship: 'We are on a collision course, advise you change course twenty degrees.'" Back came the signal, "Advisable for you to change course twenty degrees." The captain said, "Send: "I'm a captain, change course twenty degrees.'" "I'm a seaman second-class," came the reply. "You had better change course twenty degrees." By that time the captain was furious. He spat out, "Send: 'I'm a battleship. Change course twenty degrees.'" Back came the flashing light, "I'm a lighthouse." We changed course.] Well, this is kind of like what was happening with Paul. Mighty battleships that had held sway over the lives of people for years and years (battleships of sickness, fear, and superstition) were now giving way to a much greater power; the Light of Jesus Christ. And Paul was like the keeper of that lighthouse, sharing the Light of Christ.

Authority vs. No Authority— And in a second we are going to see the difference between having the authority of God on your life and not having that authority. Because, within this context of healing and expulsion of demons, we find that some men come to town who are part of the exorcism business; and (seeing all these great works) they try to cast out demons by the same name that Paul was casting them out. And that is because, as [John Polhill explains, Ancient magicians were syncretists and would borrow terms from any religion that sounded sufficiently strange to be deemed effective….Paul’s “spell” (if you want to call it that, though of course it wasn’t) in Jesus’ name seemed effective for him, so they gave it a try.]. It says in…

Acts 19:13 (LSB)— 13 But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to invoke over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I implore you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.”

Exorcists— Now here the word exorcist refers to someone who uses a name to bind and cast out a demon. Interestingly, this is the only place in scripture where this word occurs. Demons are often cast out by Jesus and His followers, but those were not true exorcisms because exorcisms always involved formulaic rituals in which you would use a name to drive out a demon. Exorcists during that time would often recite a whole list of names in their incantations in order to be sure they included the right deity, by whose name they hoped to drive the demon out. And they would often do this for money. Now you might ask, “Well, what if they failed to pay the exorcist? Did they get repossessed?” I don’t know. Maybe so. But one of the most important things we need to recognize about these so-called exorcists is that they were frauds. No doubt they had some success in their business, or else they wouldn’t be in business; but what we have to understand is that people like this are often used by Satan to further his hold on people. And though demons may leave after one of their ridiculous incantations, this was not because of their authority or the effectiveness of those incantations. Rather, the demons might leave in order to help keep the superstitions and fears of the people alive. [As Ed Murphy points out, this was a case of evil spirits battling each other—that is, the evil spirit in the possessed person battled the demonized exorcists. {Now} How can we harmonize this fact with Christ's statement that Satan will not be divided against Satan? {Well, that’s easy; because there is no division.} Demons can expel and attack other demons {when doing so serves} to enhance the control of demons over people. {Because} Such demon-to-demon attacks only increase Satan's hold over people.] And that also includes the exorcists, who believe they have this power. And here they see that the name of Jesus has great affect over demons, and so a group of Jewish exorcists (and there were a good number of these during this time) began trying to use the name of Jesus as part of their incantations. Now it may surprise you to see Jews dabbling in this kind of thing; and even more so to know that there were Jews during this time who dabbled in magic. But F.F. Bruce points out that “among practitioners of magic in ancient times Jews enjoyed high respect, for they were believed to have exceptionally effective spells at their command.” And in verse 14 we meet seven of these so-called Jewish exorcists. It says…

Acts 19:14 (LSB)— 14 Now seven sons of one named Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.

Sons of Sceva— Now there is no record of any Jewish chief priest named Sceva, leading some (like F.F. Bruce) to think that the title “Jewish chief priest” may have in fact been a self-designation taken on by Sceva to lend credibility to himself and his practice. And this may be because (as F.F. Bruce points out) ["the fact that the name of God was not pronounced by vulgar lips was generally known among pagans, and misrepresented by them according to regular magical principles." By contrast, "the Jewish high priest was the one man who was authorized to pronounce the otherwise ineffable name {of God}. {And so} Such a person would therefore enjoy prestige among magicians."] Can you see why that might have motivated Sceva to take on that title? However, despite that, we will see that through his seven sons, their practice will be discredited as the fraud that it was; because they come to a man who is demon-possessed and try to cast out the demon through the practice of exorcism. However, they were in for a surprise, as it says…

Acts 19:15-16 (LSB)— 15 And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” 16 And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them, subdued all of them, and utterly prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Didn’t Know Jesus— You know, it’s amazing to see how completely and utterly they fail; and the reason they failed was because they tried to use the name of Jesus like an incantation. Now although we recognize that there is power in the name of Jesus, we must also recognize that we ought never to seek to exercise the power of that name apart from a relationship with Jesus. These sons of Sceva were doing just that; calling on the name of Jesus without knowing or even being interested to know Him personally; they were only hoping to use Him. But God was not willing to allow His Son to be manipulated or used. And these sons of Sceva discover this in a very potent way, as the demon (through the man) leaps upon them, subdues them, tears off their clothes, and sends them running for their lives buck naked. And so we have the birth of the practice of streaking.

Demons Profane The Sacred Image— Now at my church (Renton Park Chapel) I preached not long ago on Jesus’ driving out a host of demons out of a man who had been wandering among some tombs. And one thing that leapt out at me (I might say) about that passage (and which I think relates to this one) is that when the demon-possessed man came to Jesus, he was completely naked. And that is because the demonic forces at work in our lives always seek to dehumanize us and humiliate us. They seek to profane and mar the sacredness of the image of God in Whom we are created. And we see this here as well. The demon dehumanizes these Jewish exorcists and sends them running away naked. And it says in…

Acts 19:17-18 (LSB)— 17 And this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified. {Now notice the transition. In the beginning of our passage all of the focus was on Paul; but now the focus has shifted to where it belongs, on the name of Jesus. It says:} 18 Also, many of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.

Spells Rendered Inoperative— And what this probably means is that the people are [revealing the content of their spells. {And the reason for this is because} “According to magical theory, the potency of a spell is bound up with its secrecy; if it be divulged, it becomes in-effective. So these converted magicians renounced their imagined power by rendering their spells inoperative.”] Furthermore, it says in…

Acts 19:19-20 (LSB)— 19 And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together {(meaning scrolls of magical spells and formulae; “Magical papyri were rolled up in small cylinders or lockets used as amulets around the neck.” So they brought them together)} and were burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. {And those pieces of silver were what are known as drachmas. One drachma was a day’s wage for an average worker. And so what we have here is fifty thousand days’ worth of wages. What an amazing thing to see these Ephesians breaking with all that opened the door for Satan to move in. And after this Luke highlights the ripple effect even more. He writes:} 20 So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.

3 Lessons— Now we learn a number of things from this passage. First, demons are very real and they are very powerful. So don’t underestimate them (see Jude 1:8-8). Secondly (and this is good news for us), they recognize and always submit to the authority of God. That is why we don’t have to be afraid of them; because (as 1 John 4:4 says) greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. And third, Jesus’ name is not some magic word by which demons can be cast out. No incantation (even ones that use Jesus’ name) can genuinely cast out demons. Because the power is ultimately in Jesus, not in any ritual. The power belongs to Him and to Him alone. And the greatest mistake made by the sons of Sceva was that they failed to realize that it wasn’t Paul who was driving out the demons. It was Jesus who was freeing people through Paul. And he was doing that because Paul had a relationship with Jesus; not one where Paul was using Jesus to do things; but where Jesus was using Paul to work out His plans and His purposes. And you know, the same is true with us. If we want to have victory over sin and the powers of darkness, the greatest thing we can do is be in a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is in Him and in Him alone that the forces of evil in our lives are driven out and we become lighthouses who in turn help to drive away the shrouds that lay upon the lives of other people. So let us commit to truly know and walk with and allow ourselves to be used by Jesus. Amen.

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Hello, it’s good to have you with us today as we continue our study of the book of Acts. If you have your Bible with you, I’d invite you to go ahead and turn with me to Acts chapter 19, which finds Paul ministering in Ephesus, where he has been focusing so much of his time and energy on preaching and teaching the Word of God and edifying and raising up leaders for the church there in Ephesus. And, like we talked about last week, he had an absolutely grueling teaching schedule; but he knew that the Ephesian Christians had to go deep before they could go wide. They needed to be poured into so that they would have an abundance out of which they could pour into others; because you can only take someone else as far as you yourself have gone. You can’t teach others what you do not know yourself. And so Paul pours into the lives of these Ephesian Christians (as he says in 20:27) the whole counsel of God. Now in verse 10 of our passage last week we saw the effect of this. God rewarded that kind of mindset. It says…

Acts 19:10-12 (LSB)— 10 This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. {Now look with me at verses 11-12…} 11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that cloths or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.

God’s Validation– And so we see that Paul is performing many great signs and miracles. Now, if we want to weigh the veracity of something, what do we turn to? Wikipedia, right? No, we turn to the Word of God. Now this is important because keep in mind that there was no New Testament at this time by which you could measure the authenticity of someone’s teaching. And so what God did was He validated the message of the apostles with signs and wonders, which is what we see here in our passage today. Paul affirms this in his second letter to the Corinthians, in which he says in…

2 Corinthians 12:12 (LSB)-- 12 The signs of a true apostle were worked out among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles. {The writer of Hebrews also says…}

Hebrews 2:3-4 (LSB)-- 3 how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? That salvation, first spoken by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4 God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.

Signs & Wonders-- And so we see that signs, wonders, miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit showed those who heard the apostles (and here Paul in particular) that what they were saying was authorized by God. And if you will remember the life and ministry of Jesus, you will note that this was also how God validated Jesus’ own ministry and identity. Remember how Peter had pointed out in his sermon in Acts 2:22s, saying…

Acts 2:22 (LSB)-- 22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God did through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know--

What Sign Would You Like to See?-- By the way, if you could have witnessed any one of those miracles, which would you choose? Seeing the man born blind receive his sight would probably be right at the top of my list, not just because it would be amazing to see a man receive a new set of eyeballs, but also because of his reaction to that miracle; seeing him step into a world where (for the first time) he could see. I think it probably took him a little while to see just because of all the tears. And I’d probably not see much of him either because I feel like I would be crying right along with him.

Great Authority-- But whatever miracle of Jesus you would choose, keep in mind that Jesus was doing works that far exceeded anything that could be attributed to demonic activity (though some tried to attribute it to that). No, Jesus had authority over the winds and the waves, over sicknesses and demons, and even over the power of death. And so the signs validated His message and the otherwise unbelievable things He was saying; not only that He was of God, but that He is God the Son; the very God they worshipped in the flesh. Now as difficult as that was to accept, it had to be true because His miracles were things only God could do; and God would never validate a false prophet. And in a similar way, God would not validate the messages of followers of Jesus if they were indeed followers of a false prophet. But Paul was performing these kinds of signs, which showed that God was undoubtedly with Paul, who (by extension) carried the true authority of the name of Jesus that dovetailed with a message that therefore HAD to be true.

Misunderstanding Paul-- Now many of the Ephesians were not yet thinking about the name of Jesus. They were thinking about the name of Paul. They thought that Paul was something special. They thought he was the originator of all these works, not realizing that he was merely the means through which God was bringing them healing. And that is something that Luke is very careful to highlight. He says in verse 11: And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,. Now the people do not yet understand this, which is why we see them obsessed with obtaining some of Paul’s possessions. It says in verse 12 that cloths or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.

Magical Objects-- Now it was common in the ancient world to believe that magic could be transmitted through objects. And so, because of the Ephesian’s deep roots in magic, superstition, and the occult we find them treating things that had been in contact with Paul as they did any of the other magical artifacts of Ephesus. And so handkerchiefs, sweat bands, and aprons that Paul wore during his tent making were carried from his body to those who were sick and demon possessed. And amazingly, they were healed of their infirmities and the demons left them. Now does that mean we should practice these kinds of things? Ought we to order our prayer cloths from those televangelists so that we also can experience miraculous healing and blessings? Of course not, as all of that is deeply pagan. But what this does show us is that God was willing to heal through these means both as a loving temporary accommodation to them, seeing as (though in the wrong way) they were still reaching out, but also because they needed to have validated for them that Paul was in fact speaking for God; because that would open the door for them to be able and ready to receive his message, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And, as we’ll see later in the chapter, they end up giving up these kinds of superstitious practices. But what we need to realize is that the reason they are willing to this is because they see something greater at work in Paul than anything they had ever seen before; a demonstration of the power and the authority abiding in the apostles who were preaching in the name of Jesus.

Darkness Pushed Out-- And so we see the evil forces that had been at work in Ephesus being driven out by the Light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

A New Season— You know, late last year I remember I found myself in a department store in the Halloween aisle, perusing the after-halloween sales in preparation for our Church’s harvest party this coming fall. That’s the best time to snag next-years costume and items. And this aisle had wigs and prosthetic noses and a few gory items I won’t mention, save for a number of bottles of fake blood stacked on the shelves. Now when I turned to the other side of the aisle, I found facing me the first wave of Christmas items that were moving in and would soon push out all the Halloween items. And that is something I am always glad to see. Halloween is one my least favorite holidays (though I don’t even want to call it that). And I am always glad when all that dark stuff is cleared away and the shelves become filled with items that honor Christmas. But you know, standing there in that aisle made me think about what Christianity was really doing at this point (and really throughout much of) history, which we see particularly here in our passage today. And that was that, as the Gospel was being proclaimed, the forces of darkness were being overcome. The season of darkness was giving way to the power of Jesus Christ. The satanic was moving out and Christ was moving in. And, as we’ll see, those highly invested in the Halloween industry of that time (if I might borrow that imagery to describe the magic, sorcery, witchcraft, exorcism industry, and everything else of that nature going on in Ephesus); they were not happy about this and therefore resisted. And we’ll see this more later. But at this point it is simply important for us to note that, like with the slot-machine-winner who tripped, change is in the air.

A Stronghold of Satan-- Now this change did not come easily. People (even many Christians) were heavily involved in demonic practices. Some of the first Christians, after they came to Christ, only later came to realize the perverseness of these practices and eventually abandoned them. And this was particularly true in Ephesus. Remember that Ephesus was a key stronghold for Satan because it was [a center for the learning and practice of magical arts.] This kind of thing was everywhere. In fact, in antiquity, the phrase “Ephesian writings” (Ephesia grammata) was commonly used for documents that contained spells and formulae. So here is a place dominated with demonic stuff like this. And when you understand this, Paul’s letter to the Ephesians begins to make a little more sense because (as Clinton Arnold, in his study Ephesians, Power and Magic points out) it is the [most complete study of spiritual powers and of the battle Christians face against them]. They needed that epistle because amidst them was the cloud of spiritual darkness constantly working against them.

Forces Behind The Scene-- Now you and I are also surrounded by unseen forces of evil that are constantly at work against us, both individually and corporately. Behind our struggles with individuals or with our government is a battle going on that is just as real as the physical world. When you are praying for somebody who is not a Christian, there are demonic forces working against you. You feel them. Why do you think it is so easy to read ordinary books but find it so much more difficult to read the Bible? Why do you think you are able to carry on a perfectly normal conversation with another person (even if that person is not talking), but find it difficult to talk to God for any significant length of time? Is it because you are not spiritually experienced enough; or simply because it’s hard to talk to a God you cannot see? No, because even seasoned prayer warriors have said that the discipline of prayer (of making yourself do it) often continues to be something they struggle with; that they have to force themselves to do (at least initially); and then the blessing of God comes and often they hardly wanted to get up. But the reason it is so hard is because every time you pray, there are spiritual forces going on behind the curtain that you cannot see; some that are working very hard to render your prayers ineffective. And you and I need to recognize this. At your place of work or any other place, there are forces of evil that have a stranglehold on people’s lives. They are destroying them and will seek to keep them in that darkness. But you and I need to do what Paul did. He comes right into their darkness bearing the message of the Gospel. And people are made free. And so let us also be bearers of that light in the Ephesian places you and I abide in. Let us be faithful to pray for and lead people into the Light of Christ Jesus. Who knows how great a darkness could be overcome by the Light in you this week. Let’s shine brightly for Him. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. As always, it is good to have you with us. If you’ve been following us in our study of the book of Acts, you’ll remember that Paul (now on his third missionary journey) has come back to the city of Ephesus. And it says in…

Acts 19:8 (ESV)— 8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.

Reasoning & Persuading— So for three months it says he is reasoning and persuading. Now those two words (reasoning & persuading) keep cropping up in and throughout the book of Acts. And the first one (διαλέγομαι) simply means reasoning; it’s where we get dialectic or dialogue; [it’s a back-and-forth, question-and-answer-type thing.] And the second word (πείθω) simply means to persuade or convince. Well, what was he reasoning and persuading them about? Verse 8: about the kingdom of God. Now what does that mean? Well, he no doubt focused not on explaining the inner workings of the coming Kingdom of God, but rather on how people could gain access to that kingdom. Because fast forward to the last two verses of the book of Acts, which find Paul in Rome, where it says…

Acts 28:30-31 (ESV)— 30 He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

Rising Opposition— You see, at the center of all of it is the teaching about the nature and person of Jesus Christ; who is is, what He came to do, and how in Him we can have eternal life. It is only in Him that we can have access to the Kingdom of Heaven. And so Paul’s focus is on teaching the Word, expounding what it says about Christ, and defending the Christian faith. Now unfortunately (as always happens eventually) some harden themselves against Paul and what he is preaching. It says in…

Acts 19:9 (ESV)— 9 But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.

Hardening to Hardened— So these particular Jews from the synagogue became stubborn (or hardened, your translation might say). By the way (just a side note) the word in the Greek here for hardened/stubborn is in the imperfect tense. And so once this is an ongoing process by which they slowly became more and more hardened. It didn’t happen all at once; no, it was progressive. They had slowly but surely hardened themselves against Jesus Christ and gradually grew in their rejection of the Gospel until eventually their hearts were like rocks and they vehemently refused to believe. Now unfortunately they were not content to merely passively and respectfully disagree. No, as Jesus said, darkness cannot abide the light. And so we see that they begin speaking evil of the Way, which was the name given to early Christianity. In Matthew and Mark this same word (κακολογέω) is actually translated “they cursed”. So it is a vicious attack aimed at the Way. And this was no doubt because Christians were proclaiming that the Way to the Kingdom of Heaven was through Jesus Christ and Him alone. They weren’t “a” Way. No, they were THE Way. They knew and proclaimed that there is only one way to salvation. And that is a message that still (even today) invites the curse of the world, but is the message the Church still needs to proclaim. However, here (as we’ve said) it invites the curses of these unbelievers who are cursing the Way in front of the whole multitude (your translation may saying congregation, which isn’t wrong; just keep in mind we’re not talking just the church congregation; the word (πλῆθος, from which we get our word plethora) is literally used to describe [a multitude, crowd, great number, assemblage.]

Tyrannus— Now you can imagine how disrupting it must have been for Paul to be preaching in the synagogue and have these hardened Jews stand up and literally curse him, his message, his Lord, and the disciples. And so understandably this forces Paul to withdraw from the synagogue, which he does. And it says he took the disciples with him. And so he moves his teaching ministry to a local schoolhouse; the teaching hall of Tyrannus. Now we don’t know too much about this guy. His name literally mean tyrant. I’m sure many of you had teachers who were called tyrants, but most likely not because that was their name. And hopefully that wasn’t a reflection on this guys’ teaching style. But you know, I’d love to know more about this guy’s parents. Pretty cruel to actually give that name to your child. But nonetheless, he appears to have been a teacher of some renown; and Paul uses his school to carry on the teaching ministry of the Church; and thus this is the first Christian church in a school. And thankfully, there have been many since then. Some of you may have attended a church started in a school. Or (as I did) a school born out of a church (which my kids do now as well). Now some might say “Well, isn’t Paul here allowing the church to become unequally yoked with this Tyrannus” guys? But the answer is of course no; because they weren’t sharing philosophies or becoming yoked in their beliefs. They were simply sharing a building. And it’s perfectly fine to meet almost anywhere as long as the church keeps the purity of its identity and doctrine, which of course they were doing. Now (like I said) we know nothing about Tyrannus other than he was likely a philosopher who (like any successful philosopher of his time) started a school and was teaching others his philosophy. And he seems to have done pretty well; and people are coming to hear him. But the school was available during the day. And at this point let me share with you something very interesting. [There’s an ancient Greek manuscript that adds the fact that Paul taught in this hall of Tyrannus from the 5th to the 10th hour. Now that would be from 11:00am to 4:00pm. Five hours.] And notice how verse 9 tells us how often he did this. How often? Daily. That’s a pretty heavy schedule to do in addition to your leather-making business. There’s no way he could have kept that up for long! But look at verse 10…

Acts 19:10a (ESV)— 10 This continued for two years,

Scheduled Teaching— So for two years, five hours a day, seven days a week, Paul is teaching the Ephesian Church. That is how dedicated Paul was to the ministry of the Word; how important he saw it was for people to get deeply (and I mean deeply) ingrained in the Word of God. Now let me expound that just a little bit more because that reality is further enhanced when we know a little more about Ephesus; because Ephesus (like all the Ionian cities) had a very interesting schedule. Everybody would work until 11:00am and then stop, and then would pick up work again at 4:00pm. Can anyone guess why? The heat; the absolutely oppressive heat. People would sleep mid-day, then get up at 4:00 and work into the night/early morning. [In fact, one Asian writer says there’s more people awake in Ephesus at 1:00 a.m. then there are at 1:00 p.m.]. So what would happen was Tyrannus would teach in his school in the mornings and probably resume for a bit in the evening. And so the time available to Paul was 11:00-4:00. And so he takes that time slot and uses it to deliver 730 five-hour sermons over the course of two years. Let me say that again; 730 five-hour sermons over the course of two years.

Their Commitment— Now that tells us two things. First, it shows us the level of commitment Paul had to this ministry. He took advantage of whatever opportunity God gave him to preach the word of God. But you know, it also tells us something of the tremendous commitment of these early Christians; because keep in mind they were giving up sleep to hear Paul preach. Not only that, but they were sitting there in that lecture hall cooking in the heat, just so that they might come to know “the Way” more fully. We here in the Seattle/Renton area complain of our yearly heat wave (and yes it is unpleasant). Some churches even shut down; and some for justifiable reasons (such as keeping watch over the elderly who might try to come when they shouldn’t). But nevertheless, I want you to see how hungry these Christians were to hear the Word of God. I don’t know if I’ve ever been THAT hungry for the word of God. But these Christians were. And that is what made ministry in Ephesus so explosive; because God always meets with those Christians who devote themselves as students of His word. May we also be that hungry. Now was this the only time that Paul taught? No. As unbelievable as it might seem, he is also leading evening Bible studies. Don’t believe me? Look at what he says to the Ephesian elders in…

Acts 20:20 (ESV)— …I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house,

Acts 20:31 (ESV)— 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.

Paul’s Schedule— And that three years includes the two years, the three months, and a little extra time. Now let me tell you what this looked like for Paul in terms of schedule. He’d make tents till 11:00am, teach till 4:00pm, make tents till 8:00pm, then teach till 1am or 2am; go to bed, get up, and repeat. And in light of that I want you to look at chapter 20, verse 27, because I promise you you will never look at this verse the same way again. To those Ephesian elders he is preparing to leave in charge he says…

Acts 20:27 (ESV)— 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

The Fruit— Boy, he sure did. He wasn’t exaggerating. He really did declare unto them the whole counsel of God. And do you know what the result was; what the result of one man setting himself to proclaiming the Word of God that fervently was? Verse 10…

Acts 19:10 (ESV)— 10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

7 Churches of Revelation— How incredible is that! And you know what else we discover when we dig a little deeper? [All seven of the churches in Revelation 2 and 3 were most likely founded during these two years.] All of them. And so [at least six other churches] were born out of the ministry of this mighty minister of the Word of God. Now how did all of this happen? By spreading out all over Asia Minor trying to make sure everybody hears at least a basic presentation of the Gospel? No. It came by teaching the Word of God; making disciples who were deeply ingrained in their faith; and those disciples naturally reproduced themselves all over Asia Minor. And when Paul eventually left Ephesus, he left it strong and filled with elders ready to become pastors, to whom he entrusted the ministry of the Word…

Burning Hearts— Now let me make one more comment about the evening Bible studies Paul had. Because I want you to picture this mighty man of God (after a long day of tent-making and teaching) coming to your door. You say, “Would he do that?” Absolutely. That is what he did. Why? Because Paul had the heart of a shepherd. He cared about people. His heart burned for every person to know the Light of God’s Word. Let me ask you something? Is your heart burning like that for anyone else to know what you know; to experience what you have experienced? Are you willing to give of your time, to give of your sleep, to become uncomfortable so that somebody may come to understand the Word of God and the Gospel more deeply? Who are you doing that for? If you don’t have anybody, then I implore you to find somebody. Somewhere out there (and probably not far from you) there is someone waiting for you to help guide them into knowing God’s Word and walking with Jesus Christ. Let us be faithful to find those people and pour into them the full counsel of God. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today as we seek the Lord Jesus Christ (our Bread and our Life) in His Word today.

Paul in Ephesus— In our study of the book of Acts, you will remember that Paul has recently embarked on his third missionary journey, which started (just like the previous two) in Antioch, which was his home base where he pastored alongside Barnabas and three other men of God. But after spending some time there, he departs, and travels through the regions of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening the disciples. And finally he comes back to the town of Ephesus, where he had left Priscilla and Aquila not too long before this; after he himself had spoken at the synagogue there and then left for Jerusalem. But now, upon his return, he finds a group of John the Baptist’s disciples and wins them over to Jesus Christ. They are baptized in the name of Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit, the signature mark of every true child of God.

The Nucleus of The Ephesian Church— And so we see that there is a strong nucleus begun in the church in Ephesus. We have Aquila and Priscilla there, a group of believers that Paul himself had led to Christ (including these 12 disciples of John), and then we have whoever Aquila and Priscilla have led to Christ. So the church there in Ephesus is off to a good start.

The Beating Heart of Asia Minor— But before we begin to work our way through the text, I need to kind of help set the scene a little bit, because the city of Ephesus was a very interesting city. [The city of Ephesus probably ranked with Corinth as the two most important cities on the road east from Rome. In the eastern division of the Roman Empire, the three main cities would be Antioch, Alexandria and Ephesus.] But Ephesus was the beating heart of Asia Minor, being a commercial center at which four main roads crossed. And so it was a place caravans would come to trade. But it was also a port city, because although it was three miles inland, the Cayster River flowed into Ephesus and (though it had a dredging problem and had to be dredged periodically) it was navigable by ships, which would also come to trade. Now that is not the case today; because [over the centuries, sedimentation gradually filled in the inlet around the city…{And so}…The coastlines moved seaward, and the ruins of Ephesus are now some 8 km inland from the coast.] But back then it was accessible via the Cayster River; and all this served to make Ephesus a lavish, rich, and fascinating place to be. And it had quite an immense population because of this. Everywhere you went, the markets glistened with the art of that world and the air was described as “salubrious”, meaning it was healthy or wholesome.

John’s Vision— Now John the Apostle was here, and in fact would later be exiled from here to the Isle of Patmos, which was off the coast just a little ways. And interestingly, when he wrote the book of Revelation, we find that in chapter 18 the Lord gave John a picture of the wealth, commerce, and sophistication of the world. It’s very possible that Ephesus came to John’s mind in relationship to that picture. In fact, listen to…

Revelation 18:12 (ESV)— 12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble,

A Picture— Now that is not a description of Ephesus, but it was a description that very much matched Ephesus and may have brought Ephesus to John’s mind as he pondered the picture God had given him.

A Dark Place— But keep in mind that Ephesus was also a dark place because it was the center of worship of Diana or Artemis, whose temple was the centerpiece of Ephesus. And she was to be worshiped in and through prostitution, orgies, and that kind of thing. Ephesus was also a haven for criminals, who flocked to Ephesus for sanctuary. It was also a place entrenched in sorcery, witchcraft, magicians, and exorcists. And so talk about being a place of spiritual warfare. Suddenly Paul’s letter (when he wrote back to the Ephesians) makes a little more sense. He writes in…

Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)— 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Spiritual Warfare— And we will see that it is in Ephesus that those evil forces come to a head against Paul and against the message of the Gospel. But Paul arrives in Ephesus. And he sets up leather-working business (the literal translation of the word), which probably included the making of tents. And this was because it was his custom not to make himself a burden, but to support himself. We know this because when he’s getting ready to leave Ephesus, he writes in…

Acts 20:33-34 (ESV)— 33 I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.

Not A Burden— And so we see that not only did he support himself, but he also was even able to support others. He worked hard in order to not be a burden and also to have the means to help others. And that just gives us one window into the heart Paul; his kindness and love towards those who needed help. That is why he worked.

The Central Word— Now although Paul had to work, that wasn’t where his heart was. No, the driving force and the very center of his ministry was without question the Word of God. It says in verse 20: So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily. And then when he eventually leaves Ephesus, he will say to the elders of the Ephesian Church…

Acts 20:32 (ESV)— 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Saturated With The Word— Everything Paul did was centered on helping to bring people into an understanding of the scriptures (in this case the Old Testament); what it foretold about the Christ, how Jesus is the fulfillment of all those Messianic hopes, and how now all can experience forgiveness from God through Jesus and have fellowship with God in and through Him. And what we have to understand is that the reason we will see such a strong Church built up in Ephesus; the reason why we will see Satan defeated in such an incredible way in the upcoming verses is because Paul saturated this Church with the teaching of the Word of God. Now why did the word of the Lord continue to increase and prevail mightily? Because it was proclaimed. Now that may seem obvious and simplistic. But at the same time it is easy to forget. The Word of God has the power to change people, but in order to do that it needs the hands and feet of faithful Christian ambassadors who will bring it to them. And that is what we see Paul doing in verse 8. It says…

Acts 19:8 (ESV)— 8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.

Stayed Three Months— Now one of the things important to note here is that Paul had already formed relationships with many of the Jews attached to the synagogue there. When he had left Ephesus before in chapter 18, it says in verse 20: they asked him to stay for a longer period. Now that must have been so refreshing to Paul because (think about it) every other synagogue he has gone to the unbelieving Jews have gotten angry and sought to drive him away. But this group doesn’t. They not only don’t set themselves against him, but are actually eager to hear what he has to say. And so he comes back and stays with them for a period of three whole months, which may not seem long to us but was unusually long for Paul, who sadly had become all too familiar with rejection. But these Jews were different. They were hungry.

Speaking Boldly— Now you might ask what Paul did for those three months. Well, it tells us that he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly. Now the Greek word translated as “spoke boldly” is actually a single word in the Greek (παρρησιάζομαι); it is a type of speech that is bold. It is the same word used to describe the speech of Apollos in 18:26. And here it is in the imperfect tense, which simply means it is ongoing rather than being finished or completed. And so the text is better translated “and he was continuing to speak boldly.” And this is one of the signature marks of apostolic preaching by the way that we see occurring again and again in the book of Acts. In chapter 4, verse 29 the disciples (after a bout with persecution) pray to God for boldness and God gives them (and continues to give them) that boldness. And as time progresses they just keep getting bolder and bolder. And it is a boldness that is both strong, yet meek; powerful, yet not bullheaded and needlessly offensive. It is the kind of boldness that aligns with 1 Peter 3:15, which says…

1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)— 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Now this kind of boldness is for you and me as well. Paul says that each and every one of us needs to have in our lives this boldness that comes through our faith in Christ. He says in…

1 Corinthians 16:13 (ESV)— 13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

2 Corinthians 3:12 (ESV)— 12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold,

And so let us be bold. Let us proclaim the Word of God powerfully, with gentleness and respect, knowing that as we do God will be sowing seeds in people’s hearts that will bear fruit unto salvation. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today as we seek the Lord Jesus Christ (our Bread and our Life) in His Word today.

“In the hole he goes”— Just recently I read of [Three small siblings {who} had a pet sparrow, which, to everyone’s disappointment, died. The children were very sad, and they decided to give the dead bird a really good burial service. Their families were faithful members of the church, so the children had some ideas of how to go about it. The first step was to dig the grave in a carefully chosen spot in a corner of the yard. Then they solemnly prepared for the actual interment. One child held the sparrow over the grave, and another recited, “In the name of the Father, the Son, and in the hole he goes.”] Now sadly, I’m sorry to say, the knowledge of many people regarding the Holy Ghost (or Holy Spirit) often does not rise too much above this child’s understanding.

We Don’t Talk About…— Every week, my family has movie night on Fridays. And not long ago we watched one of the new Disney movies, Encanto. And it was very fun and entertaining. And the music is very memorable. And one of the songs is “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”. And that is the refrain that you hear over and over again, “We don’t talk about Bruno, no no no no”. It’s quite catchy, no matter how much you might want to “Let it Go!, Let it Go!” But in thinking about it, I feel that if you were to replace the word “Bruno” with “Holy Spirit” or “Holy Ghost”, the song would fairly accurate. “We don’t talk about the Holy Ghost, no no no no." And I wonder why that is. I think for many of us, we just don’t understand the Holy Spirit. We get the Father (at least we think we do; though I think our understanding of Him is also very warped at times; we think we get the Son (though honestly, if you don’t understand the Father, you won’t understand the Son either, who came to reveal to us the Father); but the Holy Spirit is the one I feel we understand the least. What or who is the Holy Spirit? What role does the Holy Spirit have to play in our day-to-day lives? Those are questions I hope to be able to at least scratch the surface in answering today. And our passage today provides the perfect opportunity to do so. Because here in Acts 19, verses 1-7, we find Paul (now on his third missionary journey) coming back to Ephesus and encountering a group of men who (through him) receive the Holy Spirit. It says in…

Acts 19:1a (ESV)— 1 And it happened that while Apollos {(whom we talked about last week)} was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus.

Ephesus— Now [Ephesus was the capital and leading business center of the Roman province of Asia (part of present-day Turkey). {It was} A hub of of sea and land transportation, {and} it ranked with Antioch in Syria and Alexandria in Egypt as one of the great cities on the Mediterranean Sea.] And it is here that Paul would be staying for a little over two years and would write his first letter to the Corinthians in order to help to counter several problems the church in Corinth was facing. And we will see later that during his imprisonment in Rome, Paul will write a letter to the Ephesian church (the book of Ephesians). And so we see that Paul kept his promise to return to the Ephesian church that he had made back in 18:21. When he had left them, they had been spiritually hungry to hear more; and now that he is returning he is hoping that the Jews will still be eager to hear. And when he arrives, it says in the rest of verse 1…

Acts 19:1b-2a (ESV)— There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

Now the answer to this question is absolutely critical because it is the Holy Spirit who marks us believers in Christ. Paul in fact writes to the Ephesians, saying in…

Ephesians 1:13-14 (ESV)— 13 In him {(Jesus)} you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Our Sanctifier— But the Holy Spirit also has another role. Not only does He mark us as believers and children of God, but He is the One who sanctifies us, re-molding and re-shaping us into the very image of Jesus, leading us out of the old way of the flesh into the new way of the Spirit. Paul writes of this clearly in…

Galatians 5:16-25 (ESV)— 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. {Now these “disciples” did not yet have the Holy Spirit in their lives. And so it says in…}

Acts 19:2b-3 (ESV)— And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John's baptism.”

Hadn’t Heard— And so Paul comes to this group of disciples who we see have a faith, but a faith that is incomplete, because not only had they not heard of what had happened at Pentecost (the Holy Spirit being given) but they say that they have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit. Now this does not mean that they had not heard of the Holy Spirit or even that they were not expecting the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. No. They would have known about the Holy Spirit through the Old Testament, which has clear teachings about the Holy Spirit of God and promises that He will one day be poured out (Joel 2:28). But they also would have known about the Holy Spirit in and through John the Baptist (whom verse three says they were baptized by); because he said very clearly that the Messiah/Lamb of God would “baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16). And so all this phrase means is that they were simply ignorant of the fact that this expectation had been realized at Pentecost. They were Old Testament Saints still waiting for that promised gift of God, not knowing that it had actually already come. In fact, F.F. Bruce translates their answer, “We never even heard that the Holy Spirit is available.” And so these men were disciples of John the Baptist who had received John’s Baptism, which was an outward sign of repentance from sin, but was not a sign (as it is now) of new life in Christ. John’s Baptism looked forward in anticipation to the atoning work of Christ. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit looks back at the atoning work of Christ, resting on its completion. Well, these men had apparently believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but (like Apollos) they needed to come to understand the significance of his death, resurrection, ascension, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. And so it says in…

Acts 19:4 (ESV)— 4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.”

Start With Jesus— Now notice that Paul doesn’t explain to them about what it means to receive the Holy Spirit. Instead, he talks to them about the person of Jesus. And this is for two reasons. First of all (like we already talked about) they already knew who the Holy Spirit was and were anticipating His coming. But secondly (and this is what is key for us) Paul begins with Jesus because it is only in and through Jesus that we can receive the Holy Spirit. You have to start with Jesus; because it is in and through His atoning work alone that we are reconciled to God, given the Holy Spirit, and consequently are transformed by the Holy Spirit into the likeness of Christ. That is why if you have somebody in your life who is living in darkness; who is making bad choices; who seems bent on self-destruction (and I have known people like this), the best thing you can do is bring them to Jesus. Draw them to Christ with your words and actions; inspire them to Christ with your testimony of what He has done for you. Drive them to Christ with your prayers. Whatever it takes, if you can get that person to Him, He can reconcile them to Himself and give them the One (the ONLY One) who has the power to change a human heart. And that is what Paul does here. And they believe. And it says…

Acts 19:5-7 (ESV)— 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

A Unified Church— Now this does not mean that speaking in tongues is necessary for salvation. But in the book of Acts (for every people group that received Christ) it was given as an outward sign in order to both ease the spread of the Gospel, but also as a sign to the Church that God was the one bringing this new people group into the fold. [And in each case apostles were present to verify that all received the same Holy Spirit in the same way. That having been completed, Paul could write to the Ephesians, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Eph. 4:4–5). From then on, the Holy Spirit would come to every heart at salvation, as the epistles teach.]

A Sad Discord— Now I find it amazing how the Holy Spirit, who was the means of bringing the Church together in the book of Acts, has since become the center of much controversy and division. And what is worse, in our day and age (perhaps because we don’t really understand the Holy Spirit; who He is and what He can do in us) we neglect Him. We know He’s there and acknowledge Him occasionally, but don’t know what it means to truly know the One who abides in us and be fully surrendered to Him. And what is so scary to me about the modern church (as somebody I read recently pointed out) is the fact that our churches are [so rigidly programmed that it seems we need no longer depend on Him—yet Jesus said, "Without Me you can do nothing.”]

95%— [The late Dr. A. W. Tozer, author and pastor, said, "If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95 percent of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference. If the Holy spirit had been withdrawn from the New Testament church, 95 percent of what they did would stop, and everybody would know the difference.”] Let me ask you this, do you truly know the presence of God’s Holy Spirit in your life? Are you abiding in constant communion with Him and allowing Him to keep you in God’s Holy way?

A Monopoly— Once [A committee of ministers in a certain city was discussing the possibility of having D. L. Moody to serve as the evangelist during a city-wide evangelistic campaign. Finally, one young minister who did not want to invite Moody stood up and said: “Why Moody? Does he have a monopoly of the Holy Spirit?” There was silence. Then an old, godly minister spoke up: “No, he does not have a monopoly of the Holy Spirit; but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly of D. L. Moody.” Does the Holy Spirit have a monopoly on your life?] Do you have the Holy Spirit? If not, He is available to you know in and through faith in Jesus Christ. And if you are already a believer, is the Holy Spirit more than just in you? Are you fully given over to Him in utter and complete surrender? If not, give yourself to Him today; let Him have a monopoly on your life; and in the world He will make you like Christ and use you in amazing ways. Surrender to Him today. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. So glad you could join us today as we study the Word of God together; specifically in the book of Acts. Last week we found in our study of the book of Acts chapter 18 that Paul has now begun his third missionary journey. And he had come to the city of Ephesus. Now with him were Priscilla and Aquila (a Jewish couple who were companions of his in ministry). Now Paul had to leave in order to make it to Jerusalem for Pentecost, where he wanted to complete his vow. And he leaves Priscilla and Aquila to carry on the work of building up the Church there. And he promises to return. But meanwhile, while Priscilla and Aquila are there, a Jewish man from Alexandria, Egypt by the name of Apollos comes to Ephesus. And it says…

Acts 18:24b (ESV)— He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures.

γραφή— And while it may be obvious to some, I want to make sure it is clear that we are talking about the Old Testament scriptures, not the New. The word “scriptures” that is used here is the Greek word γραφή. And whenever that word occurs in the New Testament, it always is referring to the Old Testament. Apollos is an Old Testament scholar who is skilled at teaching Old Testament scripture. But all of that eloquence and knowledge and giftedness (which we expounded upon last week) was based on his natural ability, not on his having the Gifts of the Holy Spirit; because he was not yet a Christian. Now of course every gift comes from God, but Apollos did not yet have the fruit or gifts of the Holy Spirit because he had not yet come to faith in Jesus Christ. Now some say he was a Christian because of the very next phrase, which says of Apollos…

Acts 18:25a (ESV)— 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord.

“instructed in the way of the Lord”— That has led some to conclude that (because Jesus is Lord) that Apollos had already been instructed in the Christian faith; and his knowledge simply was not yet as full as it needed to be. However, many who take that interpretation fail to take into account the fact that that phrase the way of the Lord is not a new phrase coined by Christians. No, it is a phrase used throughout the Old Testament beginning all the way back in the book of Genesis, the very first book of the Bible. It is a very broad, general term for Old Testament instruction in the things of God; the standards that God has set for people to follow. There is no reason to infer from that phrase that Apollos was a Christian. It is way too general a phrase.

κατηχέω— Plus look at the word that precedes the phrase the way of the Lord; the word “instructed”. This may help us to understand what kind of knowledge Apollos had. The Greek word is κατηχέω. And κατηχέω means to teach orally by repetition. By the way, what word does κατηχέω sound like? Catechism. And what is a catechism? It’s a method of teaching in which you learn orally by repetition; you read a line (the question) and then you read the answer. And then you go on to the next. It is something you repeat over and over again until you have it ingrained in your brain. And so this is how Apollos learned the way of the Lord. Now having said all this, we do see that phrase the way of the Lord funnel in and become more focused in…

Isaiah 40:3 (ESV)— 3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

A Fruit of John’s Ministry— Now who is that a prophecy of? John the Baptist, who came to prepare the way for Jesus Christ. That is where the knowledge of Apollos had stopped. He did know at least something about Jesus, which we will see in a minute. And that may be because of the ministry of John the Baptist; it is possible that (because Alexandria was such a center of learning) that some of John the Baptist’s disciples came there during Jesus’ earthly ministry and proclaimed that He was the Messiah. It is even believed by some that Apollos may have been a disciple of John the Baptist. We don’t know. But he apparently had learned at least a little bit about Jesus and His teachings because it says in…

Acts 18:25b (ESV)— And being fervent in spirit,[a] he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.

An Incomplete Knowledge— And so while Apollos may have known some of the basic facts about Jesus he may not have yet known about Jesus' atoning work on the cross, His resurrection, or the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. But whatever the case, his knowledge was incomplete. Now everything he said was true, but he did not yet have the rest of the picture.

A New Map— I remember once Tanya and I were on our way to visit my parents in Kentucky. And we had been following GPS; not on our phones but on an actual GPS unit that (in the good old days) you bought as a separate unit. Ours was a TomTom; and I remember you even had to pay to get the maps it contained updated. Oh how things have changed. But that night I remember we got to about twenty minutes from where my folks were living but the GPS suddenly showed that were were going off-road, even though we were definitely still on the road. And the directions suddenly went all wonky and we lost our way. Now what had happened is that some major road revisions were made (actually a new road), but (because we hadn’t updated the map on our TomTom) the TomTom was still operating with the old map, which of course did not match up with the current roads. We needed a new map. Well, the same was true of Apollos. He was preaching the Old Testament the best he knew how, but he likely did not yet have the new information he needed concerning the atoning work of Christ. And so he couldn’t get people to where they needed to go. Well, here’s where the providence of God comes in. Because one day he goes in to the synagogue to preach. And it says in…

Acts 18:26 (ESV)— 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Gentle Instruction— Now I love how Priscilla and Aquila see someone who does not yet fully understand and are courageous enough and loving enough to try to help to point him in the right direction. And they do very lovingly; because note that they do not rebuke him publicly, which would have just confused the Jews he was preaching to. No, they quietly pull him aside (maybe even taking them home with them for a Sabbath dinner) and tell him what he still needed to know about Jesus and also about the coming of the Holy Spirit. And I also love how teachable he was. He didn’t brush them off, but seems to have eagerly received the knowledge that they had to offer. And that may have been the secret to some of his incredible knowledge, by the way. He was humble enough to be taught. He didn’t have an I-already-know-it-all attitude.

Not Familiar With The Sensation— Some time ago my wife and I watched the show Downton Abbey. And in it there is a highly-opinionated mother. And once another character in the show asked her, “How does it feel to be wrong?” And she (always quick on her feet) responded (puffing up like a peacock), “Wouldn’t know, my dear. I’m not familiar with the sensation.” Now let me tell you, a person who has that kind of attitude, who can never admit they’re wrong or that their knowledge is deficient in any way, can learn very little. If you want to know it all, then you have to truly believe and posture yourself as if you don’t. Because only those who remain teachable and humble actually become true know-it-alls.

Apollos’ Conversion— Well, this was Apollos’ spirit. He humbly received their instruction. And it was at this time that he became a convert to Christianity, received the Holy Spirit, and then went out to proclaim the message of the Gospel. And he may have even gone back to the synagogue the following Sabbath to share with the Jews the rest of the story. But he didn’t stop there. Like any person who has received the Good News of Jesus Christ and placed his/her faith in Him, Apollos was eager to help spread the Good News about Jesus; and he is therefore eager to cross into Achaia. And the Ephesian church already highly recommended him, because it says in…

Acts 18:27a-28 (ESV)— 27 And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. {And in the following verses we see that immediate fruit is born out of his ministry. It says…} When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

A Powerful Witness— And so we see that Apollos quickly became a monumental force for the kingdom of God. We see in the very next chapter that Apollos ministers for a time in Corinth. And hardly any time has gone by at all before Paul writes back in 1 Corinthians to the Corinthians (who are quarreling and becoming faction-oriented) and says (1 Cor. 1:10-12, 3:4-6, 22, 4:6)…

1 Corinthians 1:12b (ESV)— …one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” {Then in}…

1 Corinthians 3:5 (ESV)— 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.

Quickly Esteemed— And so what happened is that (perhaps because of Apollos’ great gifts) [Some of the Corinthians became more enamored with Apollos than with His message.] And so they became faction-oriented. Now these factions were not Apollos’ fault any more than they were Paul’s or Peter’s. But I mention it here because of how remarkable it is that at this very early stage of Apollos’ ministry, he already had become so highly esteemed, to where he (though not an apostle) is placed right after Paul and even before Cephas. It is amazing to see how mightily God was at work through him.

Three Elements— And there were three elements to this that are directly relevant to us. First, he had pursued and gained a solid understanding of the Word of God. Secondly, he was skilled in his presentation; he took time to hone in his skills in presenting the Word of God in a way that would be effective. But there was also something else; and we see it in verse 25, which says that he was fervent in spirit. In Greek it literally means boiling in spirit. The only other time that word is used is in…

Romans 12:11 (ESV)— 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

Hearts on Fire— Some of my favorite movies of all time (watched them many times over) are the Rocky movies. And in those movies one of the things Rocky demonstrates (though sometimes it has to be re-kindled) is a heart on fire; the burning heart. And that is what this word means; and it is what is lacking in the chests of many Christians today. What the world needs most are men and women of God whose hearts are on fire for Him; who have a determination and drive (purified and directed by the Holy Spirit) to serve the Lord with all of who they are; with their hearts, souls, mind, and strength. Men and women who are mighty men and women of the word who know how to bring its truth to hungry souls. If we have hearts like that, the world will have no other recourse but to acknowledge that we know and walk with He who truly is the Savior of the world.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. So glad you could join us today as we study the Word of God together. You know, I don’t know how you are in the are of gratitude, but I have had the Lord point out to me numerous times how poor I often am in this area. I don’t usually forget to thank people. But for some reason I do often forget to thank God for both answered prayers, but also even just the everyday blessings. You know, devout Jews thank God every morning for the gift of life. And lately I have been trying to change the way I start my day; to thank God for His gift of life and acknowledge my dependence on Him the moment I wake up in the morning. Now I mention this because when it comes to the life of Paul, I am amazed how much he always managed to live in that grateful orientation of heart. Here in Acts chapter 18 we find him leaving the city of Corinth for Syria (where Palestine is). And he does so with his companions Pricilla and Aquila. But when they reach Cenchrea (the port town of Corinth) Paul has his hair cut on account of the fact that he had taken a Nazirite vow, which was a vow of special devotion to God that Jews would sometimes take as a symbol of thanksgiving to God for a special blessing they had received from Him. And Paul had received a special blessing; the fulfillment of God’s promise to both protect him and bless his ministry in Corinth. But now that his vow has been completed, he has his hair ceremonially cut and will eventually complete the ceremony (where you would burn the hair) when he eventually arrives at Jerusalem. But what is remarkable to me is that, as he’s moving around from place to place now, he is carrying around this lump of hair with him (a symbol of his thanksgiving towards God) which he hopes to be able to offer at the temple in Jerusalem. And this week that caused me to stop and ask myself what symbols there are in your life and in mine to remind us to live in constant awareness and thanksgiving for what God has done for us. Something to think about. Now in verse 19 it says…

Acts 18:19a (NKJV)— 19 And he came to Ephesus, and left them there;

Dropped Off— Left who there? Priscilla and Aquila. It’s funny how Paul always seems to be dropping people off. It must’ve been such an adventure to follow Paul, because you never knew where he might place you. He’s dropping off Timothy and Silas here and there; and Priscilla and Aquila are getting dropped off places and then picked back up later. You never knew where you were going to be when you were with Paul and where Paul might place you and then leave you to carry on the work. And here he places them in Ephesus. It is about the year 52 and its not until year 57 that they appear again in Rome. So they could have remained here as long as five years. But what is awesome to see is that Paul writes back to the Corinthians, saying, “The church has been established in their house.” So once again, we see how effective Paul’s ministry strategy was. Now while Paul is here in Ephesus, it says…

Acts 18:19b-23 (NKJV)— but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, 21 but took leave of them, saying, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; {(and now we know why Paul is in such a hurry to get back to Jerusalem. There is a festival in Jerusalem; during which he wants to complete his vow as an expression of thanks to God. We don’t know what feast it was; very possibly the Feast of Pentecost, which would be extraordinarily significant because it was also during Pentecost that the Holy Spirit had been given, who would empower all Christians to live in such a way that the Nazirite vow only anticipated. But whatever feast it was, Paul no doubt turns these new Ephesian converts over to Priscilla and Aquila for further discipleship and then says)} but I will return again to you, God willing.” {And he leaves. But he does keep that promise to return, which we will see later. But for now it says:} And he sailed from Ephesus. 22 And when he had landed at Caesarea {(that’s the Mediterranean seaport west and just a little north of Jerusalem)}, and gone up and greeted the church {by which Luke means “the church in Jerusalem”, because you always go up to Jerusalem because of how much higher it is than everything around it. You don’t have to mention the city; the preposition gives it away. And it is here in Jerusalem that Paul no doubt went through all the rituals related to his vow, after which it says}, he went down to Antioch. 23 After he had spent some time there, he departed and went over the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.

Paul's 3rd Missionary Journey— And what this means is that Paul has now started his third missionary journey. Where did he go? All the places he went on his second missionary journey? Where were those places? Well, they were all the places he went on his first missionary journey.

Start With A Few— A famous missionary once said this: “No man has the right to hear the gospel twice until every man has heard it once.” Let me tell you, that is absolutely false. Paul (not to mention Jesus) would totally disagree with that principle. Paul went back to the same group of people three times. And that’s because the kingdom of God isn’t built by people running all over the globe, frantically trying to quickly share an overly simplified version of the Gospel at least once to every person. No, the way you change the world is like Jesus did; like His apostles did. Start with a few, pour into them. Give them the full Gospel; declare (as Paul says in Acts 20:27) the whole counsel of God. Take time to show them how to bring all of their lives under the authority of Christ; train them to disciple others. And then they will go and do likewise. And God’s kingdom will grow not a mile wide and an inch deep, but will grow exponentially both in scope, but also in depth.

Back To Ephesus— Now, as I said, this marks the beginning of Paul’s third missionary journey. But at this point the narrative shifts away from Paul back to Ephesus, from which he had recently departed and left Priscilla and Aquila to carry on the ministry there. And Ephesus was a very pagan city, as it was the center of worship of the Greek goddess Artemis, whose Roman name was Diana; a multi-breasted fertility god whose temple there in Ephesus was so magnificent, it [was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.] However, during Paul’s time we see that while the city had been an important political and commercial center, at this time it had lost some of that importance and [was turning more to the temple to support its economy.]

Apollos— Now it is in Ephesus that we meet an extraordinary man; a man who happened to come there at the right time for Priscilla and Aquila to minister to and lead to Christ; a man by the name of Apollos. It says in…

Acts 18:24a (ESV)— 24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus.

Alexandria— And so we see that Apollos is from Alexandria, which of course is in Egypt. There was actually a very large group of Jews living in Egypt during this time, estimates running in at around 1 million. You had four different sections/quarters of the city that were populated by Jews. And it is important to remember this whenever we think about the flight of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus into Egypt. We always have this image like they were strangers in a foreign land, when in reality (although they were outside of Israel) they were living in and amongst a very significant Jewish population. And this is relevant to our discussion of Apollos, because although he was in Egypt, we will see that he is still very much a part of Jewish society and education. And Alexandria in general was an Egyptian city that was very much centered on education. In fact it was [the most learned city in the Greco-Roman world.] It boasted of both a university and a library; the library containing almost 700,000 volumes. And we’re not talking printed, but hand-copied volumes; a massive treasury of very valued knowledge. And this man Apollos had been raised there in Alexandria and we see was very educated, being especially grounded in the principles and practices of Judaism and especially in the scriptures. It says in...

Acts 18:24b (ESV)— He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures.

an eloquent man— And the phrase “eloquent man” is actually a translation of a very unique word in the Greek; in fact it doesn’t occur anywhere else in scripture. It is a word that combines the idea of learning with eloquence. And so what it tells us is that not only was the content of his preaching rock solid, but his presentation (his skills and giftedness as an orator) were tremendous. In fact, he may have been a much better speaker than Paul was, which might be inferred from 2 Corinthians 10:10, in which Paul says…

2 Corinthians 10:10 (ESV)— 10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.”

δυνατὸς— And so it seems that Paul’s writing was where he shined best. His physical presence wasn’t very impressive and his oratory skills even less so. Now that’s not to put down Paul. But it does help us to understand the power and might of this man Apollos. He was a very gifted speaker, but even more so, he was (the text says) competent in the Scriptures. Now that is a very boring translating of a powerful Greek word. The word translated “competent” is actually the word δυνατὸς. It means “mighty”. In fact δυνατὸς is where we get our English word “dynamite”. And so here is a man who knows how to rightly divide the Word of Truth, but also how to deliver that truth in a powerful and compelling way. He is eloquent, dramatic and dynamic. You never fell asleep and fell out of a window, and died on impact while listening to Apollos. By the way, that actually happened during one of Paul’s messages, which we will see when we come to chapter 20. But nothing like that ever happened with Apollos. You were wide awake for every one of his messages. He was eloquent and mighty in the scriptures.

Mighty In The Word— And let me tell you, we need more men and women of God who are mighty in the scriptures; who have saturated themselves with the Word of God and can accurately teach it, defend its truth and be able to safeguard it against those who might want to twist it to their own ends. Now you and I want to be able to do that, but that kind of knowledge and ability comes at a cost.

Give The World— There was once a [young man who came to a Bible teacher after he taught and he was so overawed by the teaching and the strength of the man and his teaching and the – and the ability and the power and the knowledge. And he said to him, he said, “I just was so thrilled by your teaching.” He said, “I’d give the world to be able to teach the Bible like that.” And the man said, “Good, because that’s exactly what it will cost you.”] And you know, he’s right. Christ can use anybody, but the extent to which He can use you may be limited by your dedication and willingness to pursue the knowledge He has already made available to you in His Word. If we want to be effective, we must first know Him; and the only way to know Him is in and through prayerful engagement with His Word. And so let that be our challenge this week. Let’s be intentional about making time to engage with God in and through His Word so that He might equip us with everything we need for life and for ministry. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. In recently weeks we have been discussing Paul’s ministry in the city of Corinth. It was a city that was so lost to paganism and idolatry that Paul probably wondered if it was possible for God to do anything there at all. But then Paul receives a vision in which God gives Him a command and a promise. He commands Paul to speak boldly (so there’s that faith element, which almost always comes first) and then promises to protect him. And so Paul takes that step of faith and lo and behold God steps in; because though some of the unbelieving Jews sought to get the proconsul (Gallio) to prosecute Paul, Gallio does the complete opposite and sets a precedent that Rome was not going to get involved in Jewish affairs (which they saw Christianity as being, seeing it as just another sect of Judaism). And so God kept His promise. But not only did God protect Paul, but He also blessed his ministry, as it tells us that Paul was even able to establish a church there in Corinth; a church that bore tremendous fruit. And this is a reminder to us that when things seem darkest and we feel the most broken, it is then that God is often able to produce some of His greatest fruit. One of the greatest verses in scripture that you and I can ever lean on actually comes from one of his letters to this Corinthian Church. It says in…

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV)— 9 And He {(“the Lord”)} said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

God Always Comes Through— What a wonderful reminder that even we we might feel we have nothing left to give, God still promises to use us and come through for us. Now because of this reprieve, Paul was able to stay in Corinth and minister without any hindrance. It says in…

Acts 18:18a (NKJV)— 18 So Paul still remained a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria,

Syria— Now Syria is where Palestine is. But remember that Paul’s all the way over in Greece. And that’s no small distance. And so what he had to do was he had to get on a boat and sail about 15 miles which, when you consider how slow boats were during this time, it was a fairly long trip. And it’s interesting that it tells us…

Acts 18:18b (NKJV)— and Priscilla and Aquila were with him.

Priscilla & Aquila Come— Now the only way Paul would have allowed this was if there were others who could take on the responsibility of pastoring the Corinthian Church. And so the fact that the church there no longer needed him and no longer needed Pricilla and Aquila tells us how Paul was building up that church. Did he preach and teach? Yes, we are told that in verse 11. But just as importantly we see that that included training church leaders. And that is so key, because the way you know your church is doing well or not is by answering a simple question: What would happen if my pastor (like Paul) left for a prolonged period of time? Would the church fall apart because he had absorbed all the focus and ministry? Or would the church carry on as usual (completely un-phased) because he had given proper attention to the discipleship and training of new leaders? That’s one of the strength of Paul’s ministry, which of course is a reflection of the ministry of Jesus. Invest in the few to reach the many. That is how the Church is built up. So we see that Paul leaves with Priscilla and Aquila. And Priscilla and Aquila don’t abandon their leather-working & tent-making business. They simply pick up and move it. And all three make their way to Cenchrea. And it says of Paul in…

Acts 18:18c (NKJV)— He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea,

“hair cut off”— Now this is kind of an unusual event to have recorded for us in scripture. We don’t typically think of haircuts as a big deal; unless of course men it’s your wife who has gotten her hair cut; and then it is a big deal and you better notice. But even so, why do we have THIS haircut recorded for us for all Christians to read about for the rest of time? We know that the Holy Spirit inspired and guided Luke to include only what He wanted; but it seems like such an odd thing to focus on. This is further seen when we note that at this time Cenchrea (and we know this from Romans 16) had a church. But the Holy Spirit skips any mention of that church and jumps right to the haircut, only using the location of Cenchrea to signify where it was that Paul’s haircut took place. But we begin to see the significance of this when it says of Paul in…

Acts 18:18d (NKJV)— for he had taken a vow.

The Nazirite Vow— And so we see that this haircut has to do with vow; a special kind of a vow that we find in the Old Testament (and which described in detail in Numbers 6:1-21) called the Nazirite Vow. It was a special kind of vow taken when a Jew wanted to thank God in a special way for some blessing that he had received from God. Now what had Paul received from God? Well, he had received a promise from God (in a vision) to protect him and bless his ministry. And so (like any good Jew whose heart is filled with gratitude towards God) Paul wants to express his thankfulness. And the Nazirite Vow was the best ways he could of think of to do that.

Origin of Nazirite Vow— But what is a Nazirite Vow and where did it come from? Well, no one knows exactly where the Nazirite practice first came from. The directives given in Numbers 6 didn’t actually establish the practice, but rather regulated it in order to bring it into harmony with the larger body of the Mosaic law. It was likely around for much longer.

Meaning of “Nazirite”— But we are well-equipped to tell what it means; because the term “Nazirite” [comes from the verb nāzar, to “separate,”]. And so the Nazirite is someone who has separated themselves from certain things so that they might be more fully devoted to God (cf. Gen. 49:26; Deut. 33:16). And those things the Nazirite was to abstain from were the eating of meat, partaking of the grapes of the vine (which included abstaining from drinking wine), and coming into any contact with a dead body (even the body of a close relative). And the key physical trait that distinguished the Nazirite was that the Nazirite would allow his hair to grow for the full length of whatever was the period of his vow. The typical period for a Nazirite Vow was 30 days, though some went for 60 days, some for 100 days, and some were for life. We have only three examples of Nazirites who were Nazirites for life: Samson (Judg. 13:5, 12-14), Samuel (1 Sam. 1:11), and John the Baptist (Luke 1:15). Now we don’t know how long Paul had been under this Nazirite Vow; perhaps he began when he started making preparations to leave Corinth. But whatever the span of time, he was abstaining from meat, the fruit of the vine, and anything dead. And he’s allowing his hair to grow long.

Why The Hair?— Now why was the hair (of all things) chosen as the outward symbol for the Nazirite? Well the word nēzer in Hebrew (which contains the original idea of nāzar) means a “diadem”. What is a diadem? A crown. Where does a crown go? On the head. And so the hair was seen as the crown, the ornament of the head (6:5; cf. 2 Sam. 14:25-26). And so [the Nazirite is {seen to be} a “crowned one,” because “his separation to God is on his head” (Num. 6:7). Now long uncut hair (though ordinarily not thought appropriate for a Jewish man to have) was nevertheless a symbol of strength and abundant vitality (see 2 Sam. 14:25-26). But for the Nazirite there was also a spiritual side to it, because it was an outward reminder that he was dedicated to God; that he belonged to God in a special way. It was a diadem not just because having long hair was luxurious (as every hair product commercial will tell you) but because he had become crowned with God Himself. And so Paul is, in a posture of thanksgiving, living under a symbol of gratitude, sanctification, and awareness of the presence of God in His life. Now you and I may never take a Nazirite Vow, partially because we are not Jews. But nevertheless, shouldn’t there also be in our lives symbols of thanksgiving and consecration? What can I do to demonstrate (to consummate with my actions) the love and devotion I say I have for God? That is something worth taking the time to answer.

Closure of the Vow— Now at the time of the end of the vow, what would happen (and this is no doubt what Paul did) was he would bring an offering to the temple and would then [cut off his “dedicated head of hair” (i.e., the hair that had grown during the period of his consecration) at the door of the Tabernacle {(though we see Paul cut his off earlier)} and…put it into the fire under the sacrifice on the altar.….When all the service was concluded the late Nazirite was again at liberty to drink wine (Num. 6:20).]

A Priestly Life— Now all this may seem kind of strange to us, but when we understand the purpose of this practice (being consecrated to God in a special way) and how the Nazirite was considered to be “holy to the Lord” (as Numbers 6:8 says), we see that there is a lot of significance in this for us as well. It is interesting that two Jewish philosophers (Philo and Maimonides) describe the Nazirite as being similar in their standing with God as the priests themselves. The only difference was that Nazirites had no official service at the sanctuary and their time of dedication was temporary and voluntary. But the Nazirites were to live a priestly life during the period of their vows, being free of anything connected with death or the sinful pattern of this world. They were to live during the period of their vow lives of self-surrender to God. Now this is incredible, because you will remember that on Sinai, God gave Moses a vision of what He wanted Israel to become. It says…

Exodus 19:3-6 (NKJV)— 3 And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I [a]bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

A Picture of Sanctification— And so we see that God’s goal, of which the Nazirite’s sanctification was a picture, was that all people might become His priests; that they might be consecrated to Him and live lives holy/set apart to Him, free from anything that might defile. And that cleansing was to be not temporary (like the Nazirite Vow) but permanent. In fact, listen to Paul talk about this when he writes to the Corinthian church in…

2 Corinthians 6:17 (NKJV)— 17 Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”

Us Set Apart— You see, Paul saw it necessary that every Christian live lives set apart to God. Now although this was simply a vow (a work) that the Nazirite gave, we have to recognize that [it was also a work of the Spirit of God which dwelt in the congregation of Israel]. Because the prophet Amos describes [the raising up of Nazirites along with prophets as a special manifestation of divine grace”]. And anywhere in Israel’s history where they were doing really well spiritually, there was an abundance of Nazirites. When Israel was the sickest spiritually was also when there were the fewest Nazirites. There was usually a strong strong correlation between the two.

Few Set Apart— And the same thing is true in our nation. Our nation is more spiritually weak now than it has ever been. And that is not because of a lack of Christians. It is because many of the Christians we have are not yet fully given over to Jesus Christ. We are looking forward to future crowns in heaven, but are not wearing in this world the diadems of lives sanctified and set apart to God. We are not living as sojourners in this world. We are living as permanent residents. But Paul definitely saw himself differently; and he certainly was not a permanent resident of this world or really any place in this world. He was constantly moving from place to place, his eyes set on the Kingdom and doing what he could to grow that Kingdom.

Be Set Apart— And you know, that is how you and I need to live; not necessarily as Nazirites, but as people set apart, recognizing that we have been called out from the world to be holy unto God. Let us commit to allow God to make us holy unto Him, in every way. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. In our study of Acts chapter 18 we have been taking a look at Paul’s ministry in Corinth. And it has been a tough season for Paul. Paul has been facing a lot of rejection, particularly from his own people. And so he no doubt was going through a time of deep discouragement. But God came to Paul in that season and gave a promise. It says in…

Acts 18:9-10 (NKJV)— 9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.”

Promised Fruit— And so we see that Paul is encouraged by God's promise to be with him. But he is also encouraged by the fact that he will be safe because he is not alone there in Corinth. God has many people in this city.

SATAN WANTS YOU TO FEEL ALONE— Now I have found that one of Satan’s chief strategies that he works upon Christians is the feeling that we are alone. Because out of that feeling he can get us feeling depressed and can suppress our desire to push forward. What Satan doesn't want us to figure out is that there are other people just like us going through similar things; people who can be an encouragement and a strength to us. One of Satan's greatest strategies is to divide and conquer. And he does that first by driving apart people who are already in a relationship with one another, but he also does that by keeping people apart who might be able to pour grace and love and encouragement into one another's lives. And that is what he no doubt wants to do here with Paul. He wants Paul to feel alone, afraid, and therefore to go into protection mode. But God, defending Paul against that temptation, quickly stomps that snake and says “Don’t be afraid. First of all, I’m with you, which is enough in itself. But also you are surrounded by unknown friends you haven’t met yet who fear my name (or will soon, through your ministry) and who are going to be a source of protection for you.” And so instead of clamming up or leaving, Paul continues his ministry. It says in…

Acts 18:11 (NKJV)—11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

Converts in Corinth— And Paul’s ministry bore tremendous fruit. He established a church there in Corinth. And just a few of those [who became Christians in Corinth were Phoebe (Romans 16:1—Cenchrea was the port city of Corinth), Tertius (Romans 16:22), Erastus (Romans 16:23), Quartus (Romans 16:23), Chloe (1 Corinthians 1:11), Gaius (1 Corinthians 1:14), Stephanas and his household (1 Corinthians 16:15), Fortunatus (1 Corinthians 16:17), and Achaicus (1 Corinthians 16:17).] Now the church in Corinth was not full of mighty and noble people (1 Cor. 1:26–31), but rather with sinners whose lives were transformed by the grace of God (1 Cor. 6:9–11). And not only was Paul’s local ministry fruitful, but also his ministry of writing was as well, as during this time he also [wrote two letters to the believers in Thessalonica (the books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians).]

The Unseen Hand— Now I would love to see the many ways that God protected Paul during this time. But you know, Paul probably knew very few of them. He probably didn’t realize until he got to heaven the many ways God had His hand over his life. And the same is true of us. We don’t get to see all the things we have been spared from; or the “could have been” disasters. And therefore Luke (the great historian) shares only one example of God’s protection over Paul that he could clearly see and communicate; and it is one that is enormously significant, for reason’s we will see in a few moments.

A New Proconsul: Gallio— But first, the “governor” (proconsul) of Achaia (modern Greece) was a Roman senator by the name of Gallio. He served from A.D. 51-52 and was the brother of Seneca the philosopher. And when he comes into power during this time, the unbelieving Jews see this as an opportunity to try to manipulate Rome into declaring this new “Christian sect” illegal. And so they break the law [by attacking Paul and forcing him to go to court.] It says in…

Acts 18:12-13 (NKJV)—12 When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, 13 saying, “This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.”

The Best Speech Never Given— And what they were really charging Paul with was his [promoting a religion not approved by Roman Law.] And you have to understand that if you are going to understand the miracle of what will soon take place. They want to make Paul (and Christianity) the enemy of Rome. And this seems to be their go-to strategy, because [This was not the first time that fanatical Jews had tried to prove that Paul was breaking the Roman law.] They had tried similar tactics also in Philippi (Acts 16:19-24) and then in Thessalonica (Acts 17:6–7). But Paul knew his rights as a Roman citizen and was more than ready to defend himself. And he opens his mouth to deliver the best speech never given. That’s right, Paul never had a chance to deliver it; because while God had commanded Paul to speak in verse 9, here He seems to step in and basically says, “Paul, I got this one.” And we see this in that instead of Paul making his defense, Gallio (the ROMAN PROCONSUL) makes his defense!!! It says…

Acts 18:14-16 (NKJV)— 14 And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be reason why I should bear with you. 15 But if it is a question of words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves; for I do not want to be a judge of such matters.” 16 And he drove them from the judgment seat.

An Unexpected Advocate— And so Gallio was not the fool these Jews took him to be and [immediately saw that the real issue was not the application of the Roman law but the interpretation of the Jewish religion, so he refused to try the case!] And so while [The Jews tried to force the Roman proconsul to declare the Christian faith illegal, …Gallio ended up doing just the opposite. {Because} By refusing to try the case, Gallio made it clear that Rome would not get involved in cases involving Jewish religious disputes. As far as he was concerned, Paul and his disciples had as much right as the Jews to practice their religion and share it with others.] Now it may come as a surprise, but that kind of response is very typical of the relationship between the Roman and Christian Church here in the book of Acts. Yes, the apostles were forbidden to preach (Acts 4:17-21; 5:40), but that was by the Jewish council, not a Roman one. In fact there is no evidence in the book of Acts that Rome ever did this. Actually, the opposite seems to have been the case. We see [in Philippi (Acts 16:35-40), Corinth, and Ephesus (Acts 19:31), the Roman officials were not only tolerant but almost cooperative.] And this was partially because of Paul. He [knew how to use his Roman citizenship wisely so that the government worked for him and not against him, and he was careful not to accuse the government or try to escape its authority (Acts 25:10-12).] Now this was not the end of the matter. It says in…

Acts 18:17 (NKJV)— 17 Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. But Gallio took no notice of these things.

Sosthenes Beaten & Redeemed— Now what in the world is this all about? And who is this guy Sosthenes? What happened to Crispus, who is described as the synagogue ruler in the beginning of the passage. Well, remember Crispus had been converted to Christianity by Paul. And you can imagine how outraged many of the Jews were. What seems to have happened is that Crispus was removed from his position and replaced by a new synagogue ruler, a man by the name of Sosthenes. And it is this man who is attacked by the Greeks, who beat the tar out of him right in front of the proconsul, who simply looks the other way. Now we don’t know exactly who was doing the beating. [The mob could have been Greeks venting their feelings against the Jews for causing turmoil, or the crowd may have included some Jews. In any case, they beat Sosthenes for losing the case and leaving the synagogue worse off than before.] Now the irony here is that [If this is the same Sosthenes mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:1, then {apparently he too got converted, and the Jews had to find {yet} another ruler for their synagogue!] I would love to know how that all came about. Maybe somebody was there that day to pick Sosthenes up off the ground; maybe a Christian. Maybe it was Paul himself or Crispus who helped to wash his wounds, using it as an opportunity to share the love of Christ. But whatever the case, what this shows us is that no matter how much Satan opposes us, because God is with us, those oppositions simply become God’s opportunities to do something great. And so the central thrust of this passage is that God is both with us and is protecting us sometimes in seen but most often in unseen ways. And knowing that can give us the courage to “Fear not!” and speak boldly the name of Jesus.

John Paton’s Unseen Army— [John Paton was a missionary in the New Hebrides Islands. One night hostile natives surrounded the mission station, intent on burning out the Patons and killing them. Paton and his wife prayed during that terror-filled night that God would deliver them. When daylight came they were amazed to see their attackers leave. A year later, the chief of the tribe was converted to Christ. Remembering what had happened, Paton asked the chief what had kept him from burning down the house and killing them. The chief replied in surprise, "Who were all those men with you there?" Paton knew no men were present--but the chief said he was afraid to attack because he had seen hundreds of big men in shining garments with drawn swords circling the mission station.]

Never Alone— Now you and I may feel alone when we live out Christ’s call to be a light in the world. But what scripture always reminds us of is the “fact” that God is with us. And though He won’t always shield us from pain and death, we can rest assured that His perfect plan for our lives will come to fruition if we (like Paul) remain obedient to speak out. And many people will be forever changed by your commitment to Christ.

Psalm 121:7-8 (NKJV) 7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. 8 The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Let us therefore trust in the Lord this week. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. Today we will be continuing our study of Acts chapter 18. So if you have your Bible, go ahead and turn with me there. You will remember that Paul has (most recently) entered into the city of Corinth, the political and commercial center of Greece. And it is here that he works as a tentmaker alongside a Jewish man and woman (Aquila and Priscilla) who themselves have been driven out (as all the Jews were) from Rome. And so during the week they make leather tents (and perhaps other leather items as well) and sell them. But on the Sabbath Paul would reason in the synagogue with the Jews and Gentiles who had gathered there to worship and persuaded some of them of the truth of the Gospel. Now Silas and Timothy eventually arrive. And 2 Corinthians 11:9 tells us that they do so bringing financial aid. And this allowed Paul to be more freed to devote himself fully to preaching the Gospel. But enemies had set themselves against Paul; and Paul had faced the rejection of many of his own people, most recently here in Corinth. And so it is a time of discouragement. And he may be wondering how he is ever going to do what God has called him to do. But God gave Paul an amazing promise that extends to you and me as well. And today I would like to take a look at that promise.

Remembering 9/11— You know, most of you (myself included) remember right where you were when you heard the news that terrorists had hit the World Trade Center buildings on 9/11. It’s a day we will never forget. But recently I read (I think for the first time, though I had seen part of it before) the 911 call from United Airlines Flight 93, where a very terrified passenger by the name of Todd Beamer was frantically telling the dispatcher about the hijacking of their plane. And the dispatcher confirmed for him what he had already heard, that hijackers had crashed two planes into the World Trade Center and that both towers were gone. “Oh God —help us!” he said. She told him that a third plane was taken over by terrorists, who crashed it into the pentagon; and his plane may also be part of their plan. Then Todd, in shock, asked the dispatcher (whose name was Lisa) to call his pregnant wife (whose name, surprisingly, was also Lisa) and their two boys, tell them what happened, and tell her that he loves her and will always love her; and to tell his boys that their daddy loves them and that he is so proud of them. Later in the call another dispatcher joins in the conversation.

Goodwin: Hello Todd. This is Agent Goodwin with the FBI. We have been monitoring your flight. Your plane is on a course for Washington, DC. These terrorists sent two planes into the World Trade Center and one plane into the Pentagon. Our best guess is that they plan to fly your plane into either the White House or the United States Capital Building. Todd: I understand…hold on……I’ll…….I’ll be back.. Lisa: Mr. Goodwin, how much time do they have before they get to Washington? Goodwin: Not long ma’am. They changed course over Cleveland; they’re approaching Pittsburgh now. Washington may be twenty minutes away. Todd: (breathing a little heavier) The plane seems to be changing directions just a little. It’s getting pretty rough up here. The plane is flying real erratic….We’re not going to make it out of here. Listen to me….I want you to hear this….I have talked with the others….we have decided we would not be pawns in these hijackers suicidal plot. Lisa: Todd, what are you going to do? Todd: We’ve hatched a plan. Four of us are going to rush the hijacker with the bomb. After we take him out, we’ll break into the cockpit. A stewardess is getting some boiling water to throw on the hijackers at the controls. We’ll get them….and we’ll take them out. Lisa, …..will you do one last thing for me? Lisa: Yes…What is it? Todd: Would you pray with me? They pray: Our father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy name, Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive our trespassers, And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory Forever…..Amen

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want… He makes me to lie down in green pastures He leads me beside the still waters He restores my soul He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for thou art with me…..

Todd: (softer) God help me…Jesus help me….(clears throat and louder) Are you guys ready?…….. Let’s Roll……………………

Thou Art With Me— And of course we know that Todd and the other passengers succeeded. They (at the cost of their own lives) were able to overcome the terrorists and crash the plane, saving God knows how many lives in what is no doubt one of the greatest acts of heroism in American history. Now I cannot imagine how afraid Todd and those passengers must have been. Yet they were somehow able to rise above that fear and take action. And the secret to that courage might be found in the last words Todd prayed from Psalm 23: for thou art with me. I don’t know if there are any more encouraging words in scripture than those; to know that in the midst of whatever we face, God is with us. Perhaps that is why God has seen fit to interweave this promise throughout all of scripture. He says in…

Genesis 28:15 ESV— Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Joshua 1:9— "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

Isaiah 41:10— "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Isaiah 43:2 ESV— When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Deuteronomy 31:6— "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Zephaniah 3:17— "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”

Matthew 28:20— "Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

A Promise That Carries Us— It is this promise of God to be with us no matter what that can help us to carry on His work in the face of the most intense trials and persecutions. And it is no surprise that it is this promise that God gives to Paul as he is no doubt discouraged from his having faced rejection and adversity in just about every place he has been ministering in, most recently from his Jewish brothers there in Corinth. And so God comes to him by night and appears to him in a vision. It says in…

A Dark Situation— Now the reason that God said this was because remember that recently Crispus, the synagogue ruler, converted to faith in Christ in and through the ministry of Paul. And that was great, because it opened up more opportunities for Paul to evangelize. But it also brought more opposition from the enemy. The unbelieving Jews in Corinth were furious at Paul's success and set themselves against him and his ministry with the aim to silence and get rid of him. Now Luke does not give us much detail on this, but it seems that between verses 8 and 9 the situation has become especially difficult and dangerous for Paul; so dangerous that Paul may have even been thinking about leaving Corinth altogether, as he had been forced to do from some of the other cities he had ministered in. But, as we have been talking about, God always provides encouragement when we need it most. And that encouragement can come through His Word, through the ministry of other people, or even directly from God through prayer. But no matter how He does it, God speaks to us when we need Him most. And God tells Paul that because He is with him, he doesn’t need to be afraid, but can speak freely without feeling like he needs to keep silent in order to be safe.

Fear Not— Now there have probably been times in your life when you have heard God speaking a soft and tender “Fear not!” into your life to quiet your heart and give you peace amidst the storms of life. “Fear not!” [is the way He assured Abraham (Gen. 15:1), Isaac (Gen. 26:24), and Jacob (Gen. 46:3), as well as Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. 20:15–17), Daniel (Dan. 10:12, 19), Mary (Luke 1:30), and Peter (Luke 5:10).] And that is how God assures us as well.

“it is a fact!”— [British preacher G. Campbell Morgan used to read the Bible each week to two elderly women. One evening, when he finished reading the closing words of Matthew 28, Morgan said to the women, “Isn’t that a wonderful promise!” and one of them replied, “Young man, that is not a promise—it is a fact!”]

Paul Experiences “Immanuel”— And that was definitely a fact for Paul. [Jesus had already appeared to Paul on the Damascus road (Acts 9:1–6; 26:12–18) and also in the temple (Acts 22:17–18). Paul would be encouraged by Him again when he was imprisoned in Jerusalem (Acts 23:11) and later in Rome (2 Tim. 4:16–17). Our Lord’s angel would also appear to Paul in the midst of the storm and give him a word of assurance for the passengers and crew (Acts 27:23–25).] And this really shows that the title we call Jesus by (especially during Christmas time), “Immanuel—God with us” (Matt. 1:23) is a name that our Savior really lives up to.

And I want to tell you today that Jesus is with you. And therefore you can take courage. One hymn speak this Word of God into our lives like no other:

“Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed, For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid; I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.”

“When through the deep waters I call thee to go, The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow; For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.”

Know this week that Christ is with you in whatever you are facing; and that, if you abide in Him, He will do His work through you. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. So good to have you with us today as we study the Word of God together. You know, one of the men who has had one of the most tremendous impacts on history was a man by the name of John Wesley; not only for the content of his teaching, but also for his absolute persistence in the midst of some of the most intense rejection, persecution, and trials.

Wesley’s Journal— Not long ago I was reading an excerpt from John Wesley’s diary. In it he writes... Sunday, A.M., May 5 Preached in St. Anne's. Was asked not to come back anymore. Sunday, P.M., May 5 Preached in St. John's. Deacons said "Get out and stay out." Sunday, A.M., May 12 Preached in St. Jude's. Can't go back there, either. Sunday, A.M., May 19 Preached in St. Somebody Else's. Deacons called special meeting and said I couldn't return. Sunday, P.M., May 19 Preached on street. Kicked off street. Sunday, A.M., May 26 Preached in meadow. Chased out of meadow as bull was turned loose during service. Sunday, A.M., June 2 Preached out at the edge of town. Kicked off the highway. Sunday, P.M., June 2 Afternoon, preached in a pasture. Ten thousand people came out to hear me.

The Big Picture— You know, some of the greatest people in all of history; the people that God was able to use the most, were those who never gave up in the face of trials. People who didn’t let persecution make them bitter, but just said, “Jesus, I don’t know why this is happening to me, but I know that you are in control and will work this out for your glory.” John Wesley didn’t see the big picture of where those rejections he had encountered would lead. He didn’t need to see the big picture. All he needed was to say to God as Jesus did, “Thy will be done” and trust Him with the rest.

Steadfast Biblical Heroes— As you and I go through scripture, we find that some of God’s greatest heroes were men and women who (at least at first) had no grasp of the big picture. All they could do was trust God in the moment. I think of Abraham called to sacrifice his son. I think of Job; about the purpose of his suffering; Joseph, sold by his brothers into slavery, then into prison because of a false accusation; but he ends up being used by God to save Egypt and the surrounding countries from famine. I think of Daniel, brought into captivity never knowing God was going to use him mightily; even young everyday couples like Mary and Joseph (Jesus’ parents); Mary undergoing rejection from of her community from a pregnancy she couldn’t explain; Joseph feeling cheated by Mary (at first), choosing to believe and obey God, and then sharing with Mary in that same persecution. Few of these men and women ever saw the big picture. But they didn’t need to. Each and every one of them were able to trust that God is good, He is in control, and He is working through their suffering to fulfill His plan. Now those men and women modeled a steadfastness, a patience, and wisdom that may at times seem unreachable to us. But these weren’t spiritual giants; they were men and women (like you and me) who simply said Lord I will trust you; I will do what you have asked me to do in the moment. And the only reason that you and I are believers today is because of men and women in the past like John Wesley who chose to remain steadfast under some of the most intense persecution, trusting in God.

Our Trust— Do we have that kind of trust in the Lord? That is the kind of faith James wants all Christians to have. He wants them to be a people who, through obedience and trust, are overcomers. And God wants to make us overcomers as well. James writes in...

James 1:12 (ESV)— 12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

2 Images of Judgment— Now I say all of this because here in our passage today we find Paul facing the same kind of rejection and trials that are typical of any true follower of God. But he recognizes how God is using those trials to change his direction/focus. And that is why we see here in Acts chapter 18 a dramatic shift in the ministry of Paul. It says that after these Jews opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” And here we have two very interesting Old Testament images. The first (the shaking of his garments) [was an act of judgment that said, “You have had your opportunity, but now it’s over!” Today we might say that we were washing our hands of a situation.] Now this didn’t mean that Paul would stop witnessing to the Jews, but [his primary calling was to evangelize the Gentiles (Acts 13:46-48; 28:28).] Now the second image (the proclamation that their blood be upon their own heads) was also a proclamation of judgment. [To have blood on your hands means that you bear the responsibility for another’s death because you were not faithful to warn him. The image comes from the watchman on the city walls whose task it was to stay alert and warn of coming danger (see Ezek. 3:17–21; 33:1–9). But to have blood on your head means that you are to blame for your own judgment. You had the opportunity to be saved, but you turned it down (see Josh. 2:19). Paul’s hands were clean (Acts 20:26) because he had been faithful to declare the message of the gospel. The Jews had their own blood on their own heads because they rejected God’s truth.] And Paul is deeply pained about this (which he relays in great detail in Romans 9). And no doubt he is feeling discouraged again. But remember the key point of our passage last week: God sends encouragement when we need it most. And here we see that once again (just at the right time) God brings somebody into Paul’s life to be a friend and a support to him, a God-fearing Gentile name Titus Justus, whose full name may have been Gaius Titus Justus, very likely making him the “Gaius, my host” Paul refers to in Romans 16:23. And here we see that Justus opens his home for Paul to stay in and use as his preaching station, which was located in the perfect spot. It says in…

Acts 18:7 (NKJV)— 7 And he departed from there and entered the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue.

Connection With The Synagogue— Now this was awesome because it gave Paul [continued contact with the Jews and Gentile proselytes], with whom Paul continues to share the Gospel. Now in that synagogue there was a man by the name of Crispus. And Crispus was in fact the ruler of the synagogue, which meant that it was his [job to see to it that the synagogue building was cared for and that the services were held in a regular and orderly manner.] And look at what happens after he hears the Gospel. It says…

Acts 18:8 (NKJV)— 8 Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.

Another Household— And so once again, just as with Cornelius and his household in Acts 10, Lydia and her household and the Philippian Jailer and his household in Acts 16, we have yet another person and their whole household coming to faith in Christ. And this no doubt stirred the Jewish population in Corinth in a BIG way!

Pessimists, Optimists, & Realists— But once again, this reinforces the truth we have been talking about; and that is that where Satan brings opposition, God creates opportunity. Now some people are pessimists. They are the ones who only see the problems. Other people are optimists. They are those who only see the positive. Now neither of those extremes is the right one. We are not called to be pessimists; nor are we called to be optimists. We are called to be realists. Now what is a realist? A lot of people who say they are realists are merely pessimists in disguise. But the true realist is one who sees the potential in the problems. And Paul was a realist. He wasn’t blind to the dangers and difficulties of the situation in Corinth. But he saw in those problems God’s great opportunities. And so one of the things you I must always remember is to not focus on what you can’t do, but what you can.

What We Can Do— Now one of the things I love about our Church, Renton Park Chapel, (and this was really highlighted for me when Covid hit), because when our leadership met to re-group and seek the Lord as to how we were (and are) going to get through this, I loved how our team didn’t focus on what we couldn’t do. No, our team focused on what we could do; and what opportunities might arise through this pandemic that perhaps were not available (or recognized) before. And because of that our reach grew wider, not smaller. People’s giving of their time and resources went up, not down.

Be Realists— But in thinking about this passage (and this truth in particular) God’s greatest heroes were not people with great resources or abilities. They were simply realists who were willing to seek God’s opportunities in the midst of the world’s problems. And so I want to encourage you today, let us be realists who are seeking for those opportunities. Satan may try to kick you and beat you down. He may try to fill your life with discouragement, trying to get you to quit. But when he does, remember that God sends encouragement when we need it. Remember also that where Satan brings opposition, God brings opportunity. And lastly, don’t focus on what you can’t do, but what you can do. Let’s remember those three things today. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. So glad you could join us today as we continue to study the book of Acts together. I’d like to start off today by sharing with you a brief story I came across involving a very interesting spacecraft.

The Little Satellite That Could— Back [In 1972, NASA launched the exploratory space probe Pioneer 10. {Some of you may remember Pioneer 10; others of you it may be a bit before you time (as it was mine). But} According to Leon Jaroff in Time, the {Pioneer 10} satellite’s primary mission was to reach Jupiter, photograph the planet and its moons, and beam data to earth about Jupiter's magnetic field, radiation belts, and atmosphere. Scientists regarded this as a bold plan, for at that time no earth satellite had ever gone beyond Mars, and they feared the asteroid belt would destroy the satellite before it could reach its target. But Pioneer 10 accomplished its mission and much, much more. Swinging past the giant planet in November 1973, Jupiter's immense gravity hurled Pioneer 10 at a higher rate of speed toward the edge of the solar system. At one billion miles from the sun, Pioneer 10 passed Saturn. At some two billion miles, it hurtled past Uranus; Neptune at nearly three billion miles; Pluto at almost four billion miles. By 1997, twenty-five years after its launch, Pioneer 10 was more than six billion miles from the sun. And despite that immense distance, Pioneer 10 continued to beam back radio signals to scientists on Earth. "Perhaps most remarkable," writes Jaroff, "those signals emanate from an 8-watt transmitter, which radiates about as much power as a bedroom night light, and takes more than nine hours to reach Earth.” The Little Satellite That Could was not qualified to do what it did. Engineers designed Pioneer 10 with a useful life of just three years. But it kept going and going. By simple longevity, its tiny 8-watt transmitter radio accomplished more than anyone thought possible. So it is when we offer ourselves to serve the Lord. God can work even through someone with 8-watt abilities. God cannot work, however, through someone who quits.]

Paul Wouldn’t Quit— Well, Paul was not a quitter. It didn’t matter what difficulties, persecutions, imprisonments, or beatings he faced. He (just like Pioneer 10) just kept plugging away. And through him seeds were being planted that would eventually result in the world becoming turned upside down (or I should say right-side-up) with the good news of the Gospel. It says in…

Acts 18:1 (NKJV)— 1 After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth.

Corinth— So we see that Paul has come to Corinth. And he would need all his resilience and grit to start a church here in this place. A city of 200,000 people, [Corinth was the political and commercial center of Greece, surpassing Athens in importance. {But what would make it such a challenge was that} It had a reputation for great wickedness and immorality] that [was known all over the Roman Empire. (Rom. 1:18–32 was written in Corinth!)] And this immorality was largely due to the fact that on a large hill behind the city there was a temple to Aphrodite, goddess of love and war. And the way to show your devotion to her was by giving money to her temple and engaging in illicit sexual acts with male and female temple prostitutes. And that would make Corinth a real challenge for Paul because although there was great opportunity for ministry in Corinth, the church that would be founded there would always be tempted by the immorality that surrounded them on a daily basis. And that is why Paul wrote a series of letters to the Corinthians that dealt in part with the problems of immorality. [First and Second Corinthians are two of those letters.] Now I don't know about you, but whenever I look around me at the darkness of the world, I am often tempted to get discouraged. The news doesn't help. But, I have found that my time in the Word does. Because it reminds us that the darkness we feel is nothing new. The world has been dark since the fall. And while we are in the midst of the darkness, God has done great things; and He will continue to do great things. No matter how dark things get, God can still use His little Pioneer 10’s to change the world. And as we persevere, God will bring people into our lives who will help encourage us along the way. And that is the first point I want you to remember today. God sends encouragement when we need it most. Paul had come to Corinth alone. And yet it says in…

Acts 18:2 (NKJV)— 2 And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them.

Jews Expelled— And this is just another illustration of how God can used a very dark circumstance to work about His plan and purpose; because during this time Emperor Claudius had expelled all the Jews from Rome. And the Roman historian Suetonius wrote (mind you, 70 years later) that Claudius did this because they “were indulging in constant riots at the instigation of Chrestus”. Now Chrestus was a common misspelling of Christus (the Latin for “Christ”; and so [it is commonly assumed that Suetonius refers to disturbances in the Jewish community sparked by the preaching of Christ. Writing seventy years after the fact, he wrongly assumed Chrestus (Christ) to have been in Rome instigating the riots.] However, we know it was really particular Jews who had set themselves against this new movement of Christianity. But out of this expulsion God brought Aquila and Priscilla to Corinth. And because of that they would become for Paul some of his dearest friends; friends who we read in Romans 16:3-4 would even be willing to risk their lives for him.

Different From The Philosophers— And the way they came together was also important; because remember that Paul had just finished ministering to the philosophers in Athens. But there were many philosophers and itinerant preachers in Corinth as well. And these philosophers and teachers preyed on ignorant and superstitious citizens there. And so it would have been very easy for Paul and his ministry to be lumped in with them and therefore misunderstood. And so it was important for Paul to demonstrate to people that he was different. And one of the ways he did this was by supporting himself as a tentmaker. And that was one of the things that made he and Aquila such a good fit. It says in…

Acts 18:3 (NKJV)— 3 So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers.

A Tentmaker— Now in Jewish culture, Rabbis [did not accept money from their students but earned their way by practicing a trade. All Jewish boys were expected to learn a trade, no matter what profession they might enter.] The Rabbis used to say, “He who does not teach his son to work, teaches him to steal!” And so every boy would learn a trade that would allow him to earn a living. And Paul and Aquila were no exception. Both had been trained to be tentmakers, which is a rendering of the Greek word skēnopoios. Another possible rending of that word is “leather workers”, which is [a trade that included the making of tents, which were often made out of leather.] And in this time and place [Tents were used to house soldiers, so these tents may have been sold to the Roman army.] But this was an occupation that was well suited to Paul and his ministry because (since he was always traveling) he had to have a business that he could just pick up and move from place to place; and that is what he was able to do as a tentmaker. Now when he wasn’t making tents, Paul was sharing the Gospel. Where? The synagogue. It says in…

Acts 18:4 (NKJV)— 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.

Financial Aid Comes— And we know that that was really his main reason and purpose for being there in Corinth to begin with. Now sometime during this time Silas and Timothy re-join him from Macedonia. And 2 Corinthians 11:9 tells us that they did so bringing financial aid. And this freed Paul to devote himself more fully to the preaching of the Gospel. It says in…

Acts 18:5-6 (NKJV)— 5 When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. 6 But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

When Satan Kicks— Now this brings us to point number 2, which is this: Where Satan brings opposition, God creates opportunity. Now the opposition that Satan created came through unbelieving Jews. Unbelieving Jews had been Paul’s adversaries in Thessalonica and Berea (Acts 17:5-13) and were now (in Corinth) demonstrating the same rejection of the Gospel, beginning to once again stir up trouble for Paul and his friends (see 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16). Now this kind of [opposition is usually proof that God is at work, and this ought to encourage us. Spurgeon used to say that “the Devil never kicks a dead horse!”] And here we find Satan kicking because he sees the awesome power of what is happening. Wherever Christianity is going, culture is changing. People are being freed from slavery to sin and fear. They are experiencing restoration into a relationship with God and being freed from his clutches. And so Satan is trying to counteract that. And he’s no doubt hoping that Paul will get discouraged and quit; that his 8 watt strength will finally give out. But Paul remains undaunted. While this kind of opposition had forced him to leave Thessalonica and Berea, we find that here in Corinth he is determined to stay. And next week we will see his response to that opposition.

God’s Word of Encouragement to Paul— But in your own life today, maybe you feel like Pioneer 10; like your 8 watts of energy could give out at any moment. Maybe you feel the attacks of Satan against your life and against your ministry. If so let me encourage you with what Paul said God revealed to him in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. Paul says the Lord said to him…

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV)— …“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore {(Paul says)} I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Let Christ be your strength this week and use whatever you offer Him to produce great fruit for His kingdom. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. If you were with us last week, you’ll know that in our study of Acts chapter 17 we began taking a look at how Paul has been forced to flee from Berea to the city Athens, where he is awaiting Silas and Timothy to join him. And while there he has an opportunity to share the Gospel with the people there and so he is brought to the Areopagus (the council) which [met on a low hill in Athens near the Acropolis.] And it says…

Acts 17:22-23 (NKJV)— 22 Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; 23 for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:

The Unknown God— Now this is powerful evangelism right here. Notice how Paul does exactly what we have been observing him doing frequently in his evangelism; and that is finding that common ground, that point of entry where you can meet someone where they are at, build on what they know or believe, and then lead them into what they do not yet know. These [Athenians had built an idol to the unknown god for fear of missing blessings or receiving punishment.] And so Paul begins his witness by saying that he is proclaiming the God they do not know. Now he wasn’t endorsing whoever this god was (at least in their minds), but simply used it as a stepping stone into talking about the One true God. And he begins with that bit of Judeo-Christian theology which has (since earliest times) set Judaism and Christianity apart from every other world religion; and that is that God is not a part of creation (being conceived by and born into nature), and therefore enslaved to it just as we are. No, He is the maker of heaven and earth; and because He is the maker of all things (heaven and earth) is the Lord of all things. That is where any good Jew would begin. It’s the reality the Psalmists always pointed back to. In a world where people looked to the high places (where pagan worship was carried out in their feeble attempts to try to manipulate gods who were bound to this world), a different theology was produced by God in Israel (and it could have only come from God; it is too big for us).

Psalm 121:1-2 (NIV) A song of ascents.— 1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? {Now we always get this wrong, because we think the Psalmist is finding hope from the mountain. But no, he’s looking to the mountain (the high place where all his pagan neighbors look to) and he’s saying “my help doesn’t come from there and that whole pagan system. No,…} 2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. {That is what set Yahweh apart from all other in the mind of the Jew, which is why Paul (a Jew to the core) responds the way he does…}

Acts 17:24-28 (NKJV)— 24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’

Closely Involved— So God has created the world and everything in it (v.24) and also is closely involved with His creation. While He is not trapped within His creation (because He is transcendent) nevertheless he is close to each and every one of us. And He (Paul says) is the source of our life, an is in absolute control of our lives. It is in Him that we live, being dependent on Him; He is not dependent on us (as the pagans believed all gods were). No, we need Him. And Paul quotes from one of their own poets who talked about how all man is the offspring of a god. So, once again, another touching point.

The Media Medium— Now when we watch a secular movie or listen to a secular song that sheds light on a particular issue, it gives us (like it did here with Paul) a place to start in the conversation. Now I’m not advocating you watch every secular movie or listen to every secular song. Many (if not most) we need to say no to. But nevertheless we need to be aware of what those movies are saying because that is how this generation expresses their philosophy. And we need to know what it is they are saying so we can reflect back those things they are saying that is true, with the aim of helping them to grow in their understanding. And that is what Paul has just done here with his first point: God is sovereign because He is the Maker of heaven and earth. Now for point 2:

Acts 17:29-31 (NKJV)— 29 Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. {So, in other words, “the gods you are worshipping are false gods that do not accurately represent the divine. That’s his second point. And his third is…} 30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

Judgment Day— So point 3 is that they are in need of repentance because a day of judgment is coming, a day where Jesus Himself will judge the earth as God’s ordained judge. Now this was important for these Athenians to hear because obviously [Most of them preferred worshipping many gods instead of just one,] but Paul is saying they need to repent of this because judgment from the one and only Sovereign God is coming. Now [The Greeks had no concept of judgment.] And it would take a very big piece of evidence to make them believe that they needed to forsake all the other gods they worshipped and prepare themselves for some kind of future judgment day from a one and only God. And so Paul gives them that necessary piece of evidence. He says of God: He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

The Heart of The Message— Now to the Greeks [the concept of resurrection was unbelievable and offensive]. But it is what Paul (and all the Christians) pointed back to because it happened not in some ethereal realm, but in space and time; in their very midst. And because of that (and what it meant in terms of our having the potential of a restored relationship with God) it was always the focal point of their message. Now that may be offensive to some people (as much of the Gospel is), but though Paul often [changed his approach to fit his audience,…he never changed his basic message.] He never compromised his beliefs. He kept proclaiming the resurrection, not only because he had met with many eyewitnesses to it, but because he himself had seen the resurrected Lord. However, some of the Greeks were so repulsed by this teaching (so close-minded) they were not even willing to ask further questions about this; to ask what evidence there was to support their claims that such an event had taken place (which there was much). Instead it says…

Acts 17:32-33 (NKJV)— 32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, {However, while some mocked, it does say…} while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” {So there were those who (like we said before) were intellectually courageous and honest enough to examine their own belief in light of new evidence. And so it says…} 33 So Paul departed from among them. 34 However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Bringing Truth— Now here in this passage we have seen how Paul went about bringing truth to lost people. He began with what they knew, he used illustrations they were aware of, and boldly proclaimed God’s Sovereignty, our need to repent of all idolatry in preparation for the coming day of judgment, and how our belief in that coming day of judgment is supported by the truth of the resurrection. Now if we are to be like Paul in this passage, then you and I need to recognize that we are to be bringers of these truths to our culture; because (as Paul said) time is running out. Christ is coming back and He is coming back soon. And if we are truly in Christ, then we will be moved into action as Paul was. If we really love our neighbor, we will seek to meet them where they are spiritually and help them; because we recognize that they are either going to spend an eternity with Jesus or an eternity without Jesus. Just recently I re-read one of my favorite quotes, which I have talked about in recent days. It’s from C.S. Lewis’ Weight of Glory. Listen to what he writes. He says…

The weight of glory— [The load, or weight, or burden of my neighbor’s glory should be laid on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken. It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations,—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously—no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. And our charity must be real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner—no mere tolerance, or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment. Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses. If he is your Christian neighbour, he is holy in almost the same way, for in him also Christ veer latitat—the glorifier and the glorified, Glory Himself, is truly hidden.]

A CHALLENGE— This morning I want us to get really practical; because a lot of times it is easy to say that we are going to try harder to be better witness for Christ in the world. And that’s good, but I don’t think that that is specific enough to be practical. How can you and I better engage the world for Christ? What are some specific ways you can think of where you can bear testimony of the hope that is in you? This week, I want to give each of you a mission. Your mission is to witness to at the very least one unsaved person. I want you to: (1) Ask what they believe about the divine/god, (2) What they think about Jesus, and (3) Build on what they know, perhaps even sharing some of your own personal testimony. Who knows what God might be able to do. And so let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. As you know, it has been a very challenging time for Paul and his missionary team here in the book of Acts. Paul and Silas have recently been released from prison, have continued ministry in both Thessalonica and Berea, and are facing fierce opposition from the Jewish leaders in Thessalonica who then come to Berea as well to try to inhibit their ministry. And Paul has therefore been forced to flee to Athens, where he is awaiting Silas and Timothy to join him. And so that is where the story of our passage today takes place; in Athens. It says in…

Acts 17:16 (NKJV)— 16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols.

Deeply Disturbed— Now the word translated as “provoked” here [is the Greek word “paroxysm,” meaning “sudden, violent emotion.”] Paul looked at the spiritual lostness of these people who had been deceived and blinded by Satan and who are trapped within a pagan culture and system that was without hope and without salvation and was filled with a combination of both righteous anger and grief, which ought to erupt from the heart of any believer when they see either physical or spiritual slavery.

Futile Idolatry— I remember having that feeling at times during my visits to countries like China, Singapore, Malaysia, or the Asian supermarket down the street (which they said I don’t need my passport to get into). But honestly, here in the Seattle area there is a lot of it, as people have come here from all over the world and have brought their idols with them. I mean it’s a very sad thing to see. My family and I sometimes go out to Asian restaurants and see those little golden cats waving at us; they sometimes have their little shrines set up; and there’s often a statue of Buddha to greet us as we walk in and out. I feel sad because I know that many of these people trust in these things to save them when they really have no power to save.

Impotent gods— Some time ago I read a story of how [Hideyoshi, a Japanese warlord who ruled over Japan in the late 1500s, commissioned a colossal statue of Buddha for a shrine in Kyoto. It took 50,000 men five years to build, but the work had scarcely been completed when the earthquake of 1596 brought the roof of the shrine crashing down and wrecked the statue. In a rage Hideyoshi shot an arrow at the fallen colossus. "I put you here at great expense," he shouted, "and you can't even look after your own temple.”] But you know, that is how useless idols are. And you and are grieved when we see people living in worship of those false gods.

Compassion That Moves Us— And here I think Paul feels this similar overwhelming compassion when he sees the idolatry so prevalent there in Athens, where people are worshiping things rather than the Creator; things that have no power to save. And note how he is not just feeling sorry for lost people. No, he is demonstrating Biblical compassion, which is always something that moves you into action. If you and I feel concern for our lost loved ones (or anybody else we know who doesn’t know Jesus), but never take action; never witness; never take the time to enter into their world to bring them the light of Christ, then we don’t really have compassion on them. Compassion (in the Biblical sense) is a movement in your soul that translates into a movement of your body. And that is what Paul is demonstrating. He’s being compelled into action, it says in…

Acts 17:17 (NKJV)— 17 Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there.

A Balanced Ministry— Now I’d like to point out that here you have a demonstration of a healthy balance in ministry. You preach the Word in Church, but then you also carry that Word out into the marketplace; the world. Paul was no doubt at home in the synagogue. But in the marketplace with lost pagans? That was probably outside his comfort zone. But that is where the need was and so that is where he went. And sometimes when it comes to us and our ministry, God may call us out of our comfort zone. He may even call us to another country; another culture. And though we might feel intimidated by that, as with Paul we can see great things happen if we are just willing to step out and obey that calling. Now as Paul is engaging with people in the marketplace, it says in…

Acts 17:18a (NKJV)— 18 Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him.

The Epicureans & Stoics— Now [The Epicureans and Stoics were the dominant philosophers in Greek culture. The Epicureans believed that seeking happiness or pleasure was the primary goal of life. By contrast, the Stoics placed thinking above feeling and tried to live in harmony with nature and reason, suppressing their desire for pleasure. Thus, they were very disciplined.] So you have two very polar opposite philosophical groups. And it says…

Acts 17:18b (NKJV)— And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?”

“Babbler”— Now I find it funny that the word they use to mock Paul is “babbler”. Where does the word “babbler” come from? Babel; the place where mankind rebelled against God and God drove them apart by confusing their languages. And early in our study of the book of Acts we talked about how (in many ways) Pentecost (where every person heard the Gospel in their own native tongue) was a picture of mankind’s reunification with God in and through the atoning work of Christ, resulting in the outpouring of the presence of God in the person of the Holy Spirit. How ironic it was then that they called the man who brought to them this good news “babbler”, which was actually the complete opposite of what he was really doing. Let me tell you, people may call you a bigot, intolerant, or any plethora of other things, when in fact you are the complete opposite. You are bringing the good news of perfect love, not hate; of salvation and freedom; not anger and condemnation. So, as my mentor Roman Miller used to say, “Have a thick hide and a warm heart.” And Paul obviously does. Now while some called him “babbler”, it says…

Acts 17:18c-21 (NKJV)— Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? 20 For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.” 21 For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.

“some new thing”— Now that last part of the description is not a compliment. These are not people who are just curious about new ideas and who want to grow their understanding. No, these are people who are enslaved to novelty. They are very much like us in our day and age; a people who always think the new is better than the old. The new generation in our day and age, for example, thinks the old is foolish or (even worse) evil, which is why our founding fathers have come under such strong attack. And our progressive schools are getting more and more bold in their helping to shape their students to think ill of their ancestors and their “foolish”/“evil” beliefs. Because, after all, they weren’t as scientifically sophisticated as we are in our day and age. And so what Satan has done is he’s driven between us and our history a wedge of pride and arrogance that makes us incapable of fully understanding both who we are and who we are meant to be. That is what it means to be enslaved to novelty. And the way you break out of that mindset is through committing yourself to humbly examine all the facts and weigh your beliefs against them. You need to reason through your beliefs. And that is what Paul helps them (and all he comes into contact with) to do. It says “he reasoned with” them.

Reasoning With Them— Now this is so important for us to grasp because Paul is not just preaching at them with passion and conviction. No, if you are going to convince thinking non-believers, you need more than just passion and conviction. You need to show how the evidence supports what you are saying. And this is what made Paul God’s perfect choice for this ministry because these men of Athens were (despite their slavery to novelty) very intelligent, thinking people. Athens was not just a city of magnificent buildings and a plethora of gods; no, it was [a center for Greek culture, philosophy, and education.] And so Paul is the perfect one to bring these men the Good News of Jesus Christ because he himself was from a city that was considered an educational center: Tarsus. He was a rabbi who had trained under a great rabbi, Gamaliel (the finest scholar of his day), and had therefore spent much of his life thinking and reasoning through the scriptures. But not only did he receive training and knowledge in Jewish philosophy and in the Hebrew Scriptures, but he was (as we will see) also deeply familiar with Gentile works, poets, and philosophers as well. And so he was the perfect one to help Gentile pagans understand and connect with a Jewish Messiah. And next week we will see how he does that.

Preparing Ourselves— But what we need to glean from our passage today is the reminder that you and I also need to prepare ourselves to be strong witnesses for Christ. You and I need to know our stuff and be ready to give an answer. Because [The more we know about the Bible, what it means, and how to apply it to life, the more convincing our words will be.] Now does that mean that we should wait until we feel we know a lot before witnessing? Of course not. We ought to start immediately with what we already know and understand, but at the same time seeking always to grow our understanding so that our witness will become more and more effective as we are able to answer more and more of people’s questions and arguments. It’s like it says in…

1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)— 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

Let us ready and prepare ourselves this week. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. In our study of Acts 17 last week, we found Paul and Silas sharing the Gospel in the city of Thessalonica. For three Sabbaths Paul reasoned in the synagogue with all who would listen. And there is a very positive response, as it says…

Acts 17:4-10a (NKJV)— 4 And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. 5 But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. 7 Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.” 8 And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. 9 So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. 10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea.

Berea— Now Berea was a town located about fifty miles from Thessalonica. It was much less important city than Thessalonica. In fact [the Roman writer Cicero described it as “off the beaten track.”] And yet though it may have been a less important city (at least by the world’s standards) the atmosphere there was very different and lended itself better to hearing the Gospel and responding appropriately. It says in…

Acts 17:10b-11 (NKJV)— When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

Examining The Evidence— And the word “searched” or “examined” depending on what translation you are reading is from the Greek word [anakrinō, a word sometimes used of a judicial investigation.] You see, they were carefully sifting all the evidence to see if these things were true and (because they had an open mind, without the prejudices of the Thessalonians) they came to the conclusion that Jesus truly was the Messiah prophesied about in the Old Testament. And that is the conclusion anybody who is willing to be intellectually honest will inevitably come to; because the evidence truly is undeniable.

Modern Security— You know, I am amazed with some of technology available nowadays on computers and phones, particularly in the area of identity protection. They come equipped now not only with multiple layers of password protection, but many even have fingerprint readers on their buttons and facial recognition in their cameras that scan you to make sure its you before allowing access to your device.

Identity Verification— Sometimes it may seem a little over the top, but identity verification is very important; because before you trust somebody, you need to make sure they are who they claim to be and that their identity is not in fact stolen. And never is this more true than when we come to the person of Jesus. Is Jesus the Son of God or was He an impostor? And if He is the Son of God, how can we know for certain? Well, there are a number of ways that we can know for certain. And one of these is fulfilled prophecy; does the identity of Jesus in the New Testament match the prophecies given to us of the Messiah in the Old Testament. And the answer is, of course, it does.

Matthew’s Overview of Fulfilled Prophecies— [Isaiah said the the coming King would give sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf (Isa. 29:18-19; Matt. 5:3; 11:5). Jeremiah said that the coming King would be from the lineage of King David (Jer. 23:5-6). Ezekiel declared that the King would be a tree planted by God (Ezekiel 17:22-24; Matt. 13:31-32). Hosea said that He would take flight to Egypt (Hos. 11:1; Matt. 2:15). Amos said that the sun would go dark when He died (Amos 8:9; Matt. 24:29). Micah stated that He would be born in Bethlehem (Mic 5:1-5); Matt. 2:1). Zechariah said that He would make a triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Zech. 9:9-10; Matt. 21:4-5). In total, there are over 456 prophecies stating specific things that the King would do, and Jesus fulfilled them all right down to the smallest details. In addition to all the prophecies that foretold of Jesus’ coming, Matthew records nineteen of the twenty-nine prophecies that Jesus fulfilled just in the last twenty-four hours of His life.] And so once again I want to reiterate that how Jesus fulfills prophecy is one of the greatest evidences we have of the truth of His claims.

Not Contrived or Accidental— Now some have argued that Jesus tried to fulfill these prophecies in order to deceive us. But that is not plausible because many of those prophecies He fulfilled during (and even prior to) the time He was born, while He was a young child, and prior, during, and following his execution on the cross (all of which if He were a mere man, He could have had no say over. Others suggest that He fulfilled these prophecies by accident; that it is just a coincidence.

Texas Silver Dollars— But [In his book, Science Speaks, Peter Stoner applies the modern science of probability to just eight prophecies regarding Christ. He says, "The chance that any man might have ...fulfilled all eight prophecies is one in 10 to the 17th. That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000." (one hundred quadrillion) {And just to give us a picture of these odds} Stoner suggests that "we take 10 to the 17th silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state 2 feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly... Blindfold a man and tell him he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up [that one marked silver dollar.] What chance would he have of getting the right one?" Stoner concludes, "Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing those eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man,...providing they wrote them in their own wisdom.”] And Stoner’s research has been examined thoroughly and found to be accurate. Now keep in mind that that is JUST 8 PROPHECIES being fulfilled by Jesus. And yet we now know that there are over 456 prophecies that have been fulfilled by Jesus. And so it is important for us to study and know these scriptures because if we know them we can prove that Jesus is who He says He was.

Jesus Points To The O.T.— And that is what Jesus Himself implores people to do. [In John 5:39, Jesus said to the Jewish leaders, “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me.” In verse 46 He added, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote of Me.” In John 7:17 Jesus called for a willing heart when He said, “If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself.” In Luke 24:25–27 Jesus Himself used the Old Testament Scripture to convince the disciples: And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.]

Despite The Evidence— Now what Jesus is saying is that those who reject the Gospel do so despite the evidence, not because of a lack of it. In fact, most people who reject the Gospel actually have very little knowledge of what the Word of God actually says and reveals. [The primary duty in evangelism, then, must be to demonstrate the truth of Christianity from the Scriptures.] And you and I need to be like the Bereans. We need to make sure that whenever we hear someone making radical claims, we need to weigh those claims against what the Word of God says. And that will always result in two things. The first is that it will help keep us doctrinally sound; believing rightly. But it will also do something else. Because God has placed seeds of change deeply in His Word, there can be in every generation amongst those who expose themselves to His Word the potential to bring great revival and change.

The Next Awakening— I am currently reading a book by Dr. Dennis Kinlaw, in which he shares a powerful personal story of what happened one day when he was sitting in an Old Testament theology class taught by Otto Piper. He tells of how another student asked Otto Piper a question: “Dr. Piper, many of us are going to be graduating in a few weeks. We will be going out into the ministry. Is there a list of ‘must’ books for every pastor? Is there a list of books that every pastor should have read?” Well, I became rather interested at that point and looked up. Dr. Piper looked away and then looked back with that unmoving face of his and said, “I know of only one ‘must’ book.” I caught my breath. Otto Piper was, in my estimation, the greatest scholar I ever sat under. He was a brilliant man. But not only was he a brilliant man, he was also a humble man and incredibly broadly educated. And he looked at bunch of us and said, “I know of only one ‘must’ book.” And then he waited a moment and said, “You know, we make a mistake. Somehow in our Reformed tradition we think that Luther and Calvin produced the Reformation. It wasn’t Luther or Calvin who produced the Reformation. What produced the Reformation was that Luther studied the Word of God. And as he studied, it began to explode inside him. And when it began to explode inside him, he didn’t know any better than to turn it loose on Germany. And it was the Word of God that transformed Germany. “Now,” he said, “the same thing was true of Calvin. You knew what Calvin was going to preach on next Sunday. He would start with the verse after the one where he had stopped on the last Sunday, and he preached his way right through the Bible. Now, the tragedy of the Reformation was that when Luther and Calvin died, Melancthon and Beza edited their work. And so all the Lutherans began to read the Bible to find Luther and all the Calvinists began to read the Bible to find Calvin. And,” he said, “the great corruption was on its way.” He said, “Do you know there is enough undiscovered truth in the Scripture to produce a Reformation and an evangelical awakening in every generation if we would simply expose ourselves to it until it explodes within us and then we turn it loose?”

The Berean Explosion— Now this is what happened with the many of the early Christians; and is what happened here to the Bereans. They looked at the Old Testament, saw the truth of what Paul and Silas were telling them about Jesus, and the truth exploded inside them. And because of their faithfulness to examine the scriptures, it says in…

Acts 17:12 (NKJV)— 12 Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.

Opposition From Outside— So we see that there is a response in Berea like that of many of the people in Thessalonica. They believe. But (also like in Thessalonica) an opposition forms; though this time the the opposition starts from outside the city rather than inside it. It says in…

Acts 17:13-15 (NKJV)— 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds. 14 Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away, to go to the sea; but both Silas and Timothy remained there {(no doubt to continue to minister to the Church there)}. 15 So those who conducted Paul brought him to Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed.

Our Mission— Now what we learn from this passage is two-fold. First, we learn that the greatest potential for change in our culture lies in the Word of God; particularly in what it reveals about Jesus. And secondly, though the darkness may at times hate the light, there are countless people out there (like many of the Thessalonians; and many of the Bereans as well) who are waiting for men and women like you and me to step up and (having the Word of God exploding inside us) bring them the Good news of God’s message of salvation. And so this week, I want to challenge you to do two things. First, commit yourself to a deeper love and study of the Word of God. And second, find somebody who needs to hear the Good News and begin the process of sharing it with them. It doesn’t have to be elaborate or deeply theological. Like we said last week, begin with what they know (find that common ground) and then move into what they don’t know. When you do that, God will be with you and will use you to bring about fruit for His Kingdom. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. If you have been following the show, you’ll know that we have come to chapter 17 of our study of the book of Acts; a chapter in which we find Paul and Silas coming to the city of Thessalonica to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the people there. And Paul begins, as was his custom, in the synagogue. And it says in verse 2 and following…

Acts 17:2b-3 (NKJV)— and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.”

Don’t Skip Out— And so right away we see that Paul begins to witness to a large crowd of unbelievers. Now I am going to be painfully honest with you today. Even as a pastor, I still find witnessing to be difficult. I don’t have a problem sharing the Gospel with believers (which I do every week) but every time I have had to preach before an unbelieving crowd (which of course I had to do when I was involved in prison ministry), I was always (and I mean ALWAYS) reluctant to do it. In fact one week I remember I decided to skip the ministry that week; and the leader of our group called me and said “Where are you?” And I told him I wasn’t going to make it that week. And he told me I needed to come. And, somewhat embarrassed, I went. And from then on out I didn’t dare to skip. Now what I learned from that (and am still learning) is that regardless of how hard it is, you and I need to be faithful to share the Gospel; because Jesus doesn’t ask us to. No, He commands us to. If you claim to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, then His Great Commission applies to you. It is amazing to me how often we talk about sins we need to avoid committing but we often fail to talk about sins of omission; things we should have done, but didn’t. And witnessing (I think) is one of those things for me.

Our Greatest Fear— Now what are you and I worried about? Why is it so hard? Well, it’s intimidating for one thing. Statistics say that the number one fear (even more than the fear of death) is the fear of public speaking. Jerry Seinfeld made the hilarious observation that what that actually means is that at a funeral you and I would rather be the person in the casket than the person giving the eulogy. And maybe sometimes that’s the case. But you know I also think that we are (more than just being afraid of crowds) we are also afraid (and we see this even in individual evangelism) that we will somehow do a bad job and make people’s spiritual conditions somehow worse. And so we say, “Better leave it to the experts.” But you know, God doesn’t ask us to do it well. Now He often does want us to prepare for it as best we can. But He doesn’t say, “You have to do it right or don’t do it at all.” No, what does he say? Jesus says in Mark 13:11 “do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.”

Salvation on The Prison Floor— And let me tell you, EVERY time I have been willing to step out and be that voice for God, God has shown up and has spoken through me. I remember one week we showed up at that prison and I preached (probably pathetically) and none of the prisoners seemed to be listening. All of them were involved in other things. But as I turned to leave (feeling the pangs of discouragement), one of the guards beckoned me to a prisoner I had not even seen (didn’t even know was listening) who was still locked up in his cell. He was asking for me. And I came over and he stuck his fingers out through the bottom of the door and wanted me to hold them and pray with him to receive Christ. And so I prostrated myself on the floor and held his hand. And there and then he gave his life to Christ. What if I had not showed up that night? What if I had said to Jesus, “I’m sorry, I just don’t feel equipped enough.” A soul may have been lost for the kingdom.

Where To Start— Now sometimes you and I simply don’t know where to start. Well, Paul (in his sermon here in this synagogue in Thessalonica) offers us a clue. Because the first thing we see him do is he tells his listeners (very simply) what the Word of God says. And that is the secret of all great preaching by the way; not eloquence or speaking ability, but being willing to simply get out of the way and let the Word of God be spoken by God to people through you. That is what Paul always did.

Anchored in Scripture— Notice how he anchors his arguments in what God has revealed in and through His Word; the very Word these Jews revered. He began with what they knew, which is where we also need to start when we minister to others. It is always a good idea to begin with whatever truth somebody does know (finding that common ground) and then move into what they don’t know. Paul knew they were expecting the Messiah/the Christ to come, though they were expecting Him to be this great military figure who would come and deliver them from all physical oppression (particularly Rome). And eventually Rome would fall, but God knew that that would not solve their primary issue, which wasn’t external bondage, but internal bondage. And that is why Paul moves from what they know about the Messiah to what they don’t know, explaining to them (using the scriptures) how before the Messiah could deliver them physically, he had to first deliver them spiritually. He had to first suffer, die, and be raised again in order to deal with the root of their true problem, which was the problem of sin. Now Luke doesn’t tell us what scriptures he used, though he no doubt referenced the foreshadowing of Christ’s death in the sacrificial system of Israel. He probably referenced passages like Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 to prove how the Messiah had to die, and to passages like Psalm 16 that showed that the Messiah would rise from the dead. But whatever scriptures he used, he pulled them all together to show them that without a doubt Jesus is the Christ so clearly prophesied about in the Old Testament. Now it says in…

Acts 17:4-5 (NKJV)— 4 And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. 5 But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar {(ironically, the very thing they were accusing the missionaries of doing, which is how it usually is)} and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

Jealous Motivation— By the way, it’s interesting; notice how they never try to refute Paul and Silas’ theology. They don’t respond with logical counterarguments. And that’s because they were jealous of Paul and Silas; and that jealousy was what was motivating them; not a desire to keep doctrinal purity. And that is what we also will find when we share the Gospel; sometimes people will scoff at us and might even begin maligning us, not because they disagree with us, but because they are jealous or threatened by the truth of what you are saying. And that is what we see was driving this mob. And here we see they begin searching for Paul and Silas in the house of a man by the name of Jason. Now we don’t know that much about Jason. He is one of the un-sung heroes of scripture. “Jason” was common name for Jewish men living in the diaspora; and Paul and Silas were apparently staying in his home, as that is where the mob comes looking for them. And Jason takes the heat for Paul and Silas. It says…

Acts 17:6-7 (NKJV)— 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. 7 Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.”

Accused of Treason— And the reason they say this is because they knew the Romans would not care about any theological disagreement between them and these preachers. However, they would care about treason, which was a very serious crime in the Roman Empire. And so that is what they are accused of, as their allegiance to Jesus (whom they claimed was a King, though we know He was a very different kind of King) would sound suspicious. And that is what people will do to us as well. They will skew the truth in whatever way suits their fancy in order to make us look bad. For the rest of time, Christians like you and me are going to get labeled with words like “biggot”, “intolerant”, “anti-progress”, “narrow-minded”, (or even worse) “close-minded”. And we just need to recognize that that is par for the course. If we follow Jesus (who was wrongfully accused Himself with the same accusation we see here being leveled against Paul and Silas), we ought not to expect anything less. Now these accusations serve to poison many against Paul and Silas, as it says in…

Acts 17:8-9 (NKJV)— 8 And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. 9 So when they had taken security {(or bond)} from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

Fleeing Thessalonica— So [Jason posted bond—putting up cash for freedom. By doing so, he promised that the trouble would cease or his own property and possibly his own life would be taken.] But [since that bond would be forfeited if there was any more trouble, Paul and his companions had no choice but to leave.] So they flee from Thessalonica because of Jewish opposition. However, don’t think for a minute that the ministry in Thessalonica was dead. No, the church there was actually thriving and growing. [Two of its members, Aristarchus and Secundus, joined Paul in his evangelistic work (Acts 20:4). Paul commended all the church members in 1 Thessalonians 1:8, because “the word of the Lord [had] sounded forth from [them], not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place [their] faith toward God [had] gone forth.” The Thessalonians used their strategic location on the Egnatian Way to spread the gospel far beyond their own city.] Nevertheless, because of opposition, Paul and Silas had to flee the city. And it says in…

Acts 17:10a (NKJV)— 10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea.

Let’s Step Out— And next week we will see what God does through Paul and Silas while there in Berea. But this week I want to encourage you to get out there and begin sharing your faith. Start conversations, find out what truths the people you speak to already believe and then build on that and eventually connect them with Jesus Christ. Don’t worry about how well equipped you are. God Himself will equip you as you step out in faith and trust in Him. Let’s do so this week. Amen.

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An Upside Down World— Hello and welcome to the show today. Before we dive into our study of Acts 17 today, I’d just like to say how fascinating it is that today in our increasingly god-less society (where belief in the Christian God is being systematically attacked) at the same time you have an ever-increasing awareness that there is a deep brokenness in our world. It doesn't matter who you are talking to or what positions they hold to; what their world-views even are. There is not a person alive who looks at our world today and says "this is exactly how it is supposed to be.” Even those who claim there is no god and who's worldview claims that everything has come about out of chaos, is naturally uncomfortable with that chaos. They crave order; a higher standard. And one might argue that the fact that they are craving for something greater than what we experience in this world is evidence that there is a standard outside of ourselves to which all things were designed to conform to. But many people don't make that logical deduction. Now Christians understand this better than most because the Bible reveals to us that the world was in fact created by a benevolent God; and it was created perfect. However, because of the fall of mankind, the world fell under a curse. And that curse has twisted everything around, turning the world upside down to where we find ourselves trapped in a world system that is hostile to God.

Where People Walk Upside Down— In the classic children’s novel Alice in Wonderland, Alice follows a white rabbit into a hole and suddenly falls down towards a world of chaos (wonderland). And she is falling and falling for a long time. And while falling, she says “What if I should fall right through the center of the earth... oh, and come out the other side, where people walk upside down.” Now to us that is silly. But when she eventually comes to Wonderland, she does discover a land filled with people who are upside down; not physically, but mentally. Nothing makes sense in Wonderland. Nothing is logical. And that (sadly) is what our world seems to be becoming more like every single day. And Christians, who carry the Gospel to people into our world find that their light is hated by the darkness (John 3:20). People who are living in Wonderland are committed to the ways they are living their lives and are deeply threatened by anybody who challenges them, even though Christians are not (as claimed in this passage) trying to turn the world upside down, but rather are trying to turn the world right side up. But when we do that; when we upset the system and disturb the comfort of sinners, we are going to meet resistance; sometimes violent resistance. And this has been the case stretching all the way back to the Old Testament.

Elijah— In the book of 1 Kings you remember that king Ahab, who was more wicked than all of his predecessors, was sitting on the throne of Israel. And to make matters worse, he was married to Jezebel, who was the wicked daughter of the pagan king of Sidon and incredibly wicked herself. And she incited Ahab and caused him to lead Israel into idolatry. Now God sent a man by the name of Elijah (a man whose name literally means "Yahweh is God”) to confront Ahab. And Elijah declares that there will be a drought that will strike Israel. And when Ahab and Elijah eventually meet face to face, the exasperated Ahab exclaims, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” (1 Kings 18:17). In other words, it is not his fault but Elijah’s!

Jeremiah— Another King that we read about in the book of Jeremiah is the last king of Judah, Zedekiah. Jerusalem had been besieged by Babylon, but now the Babylonian army has withdrawn temporarily to deal with the threat of Pharaoh’s forces (Jer. 37:11). But despite this, Jeremiah insisted that Judah would fall and anybody remaining in the city would be killed either by the sword, by famine, or by pestilence. And a group of court officials were infuriated at Jeremiah and dragged him before King Zedekiah, beseeching the King, saying “Please, let this man be put to death, for thus he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man does not seek the welfare of this people, but their harm.” (Jer. 38:4) And so we see that because Jeremiah was willing to proclaim God’s message to His people, because they had an upside-down perspective, they accused him (basically) of treason.

Amos— During the period of the divided kingdom there was a prophet of God by the name of Amos, who was a native of the southern kingdom of Judah. However, God sent him to the northern kingdom of Israel with a message of doom. But it says in…

Amos 7:10-12 (NKJV)— 10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. 11 For thus Amos has said: ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, And Israel shall surely be led away captive From their own land.’ ” 12 Then Amaziah said to Amos: “Go, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah. There eat bread, And there prophesy.

A Recurring Pattern— You see, Amos was turning Amaziah’s world upside down, and Amaziah wouldn’t have it. Now these are just a few examples. But you can see this pattern all over. Joseph is thrown into pit and prison for dreaming. Daniel is thrown into the lion’s den for praying. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image. Wherever we look in scripture and find men and women proclaiming God’s message, we most often find them suffering because of their message. And Jesus tells us why this is in…

John 15:18-21 (NKJV)— 18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

Disturbers of The Peace— And we definitely see that here in the book of Acts as Christians (like Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke) face that same enmity from the world, as in every city they minister in, there is often first a positive response to their message followed by a subsequent disturbance from those who do not want to face the truth and turn away from their sin to Jesus Christ. And this missionary team has most recently left Philippi (where their ministry upset the pagan Greeks) and now they are moving on to the next city, where they will encounter similar resistance. It says in…

Acts 17:1 (NKJV)— 1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

From Philippi to Thessalonica— Now note the shift back to the third person, which seems to signify that Luke stayed behind in Philippi to minister to the Church there. As a Gentile, he would have been less of a target and therefore a good man to choose to do that. It is also possible that Timothy (a half-Jew) remained behind as well. But the rest of the team moves on. And so [Leaving Philippi, the missionaries traveled southwest along the important Roman highway known as the Egnatian Way, through Amphipolis and Apollonia]. Now they don’t seem to have ministered in Amphipolis and Apollonia, likely because there were no synagogues in those cities and Paul no doubt expected the Philippian Christians to carry the message to them. [It was Paul’s policy to minister in the larger cities and make them centers for evangelizing a whole district (see Acts 19:10, 26; 1 Thess. 1:8).] And so they move on to Thessalonica. And these places were somewhat far apart from each other. [Amphipolis was about thirty miles from Philippi, Apollonia about thirty miles from Amphipolis, and Thessalonica just under forty miles from Apollonia. The narrative implies that they made the journey from Philippi to Thessalonica in three days, stopping for the night at Amphipolis and again at Apollonia. If so, they covered about thirty miles a day, leading some commentators to speculate that they traveled on horses (perhaps supplied through the generosity of the Philippian church). {And that is because} It is difficult to imagine that Paul and Silas, weakened by their beating at Philippi, could have walked nearly one hundred miles in three days.] But whatever the case, they arrive at Thessalonica.

Thessalonica— Now Thessalonica was the capital and most important city of Macedonia and had a population of about 200,000 people. It [was a major port and an important commercial center.] And it has remained a significant city in Greece even up to the present day. And when they arrive there, Paul does what he always does when possible; he goes to the local synagogue and begins to courageously proclaim the Gospel. It says in…

Acts 17:2-3 (NKJV)— 2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.”

A Dialogue— Now that word “Reasoned” [is from {the Greek word} dialegomai, from which the English word dialogue derives.] And so Paul is not standing up and delivering a long lecture, with his listeners just sitting and listening. No, this was a discussion; a dialogue. Paul is fielding questions, which was (by the way) how teaching was done in Jewish culture, and how Paul typically ministered in synagogues (cf. Acts 18:4,19; 19:8–9). And that is why, if we are going to be effective witnesses for Christ, we need to be able to answer people’s questions about our faith.

Coffee & Questions— Some time ago I had the opportunity to witness to a young man in a coffee shop. He used to be a Christian (even a youth pastor) but eventually left the faith because he had questions that Christians he knew wouldn’t answer and actually looked down on him for having. And so I talked with him for a few hours and did my best to shed light on those issues for him. I didn’t ridicule his views, but simply offered insight where I could in a way that made him feel heard. And he said that he never had anyone talk with him like that. But the conversation ended by his saying he was going to start going back to church. All because of one conversation! And that has always reminded me of 1 Peter 3:15, which says…

1 Peter 3:15 (NKJV)— 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

Prepare to Answer— And so let us be men and women who are prepared to engage with people, answer their questions, and present the reasons for our faith. Who knows? Some may just choose to follow Jesus because of you. Let’s be faithful witnesses this week. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to the show today. As you may know, we have been in the book of Acts; and if you were with us last week, you will remember that we saw that Paul and Silas have just been thrown into prison because of their having driven a demon out of a girl who (with the aid of that demon/a python spirit, as the actual Greek text says) was able to tell the future. With the hope of making profit off her now gone, her handlers/owners (who didn’t care one whit about her, by the way) stir up the crowds and have Paul and Silas severely beaten and thrown into a maximum security prison.

They Couldn’t Sleep— Now I don’t know how you would feel after having all this happen to you. Paul and Silas obviously didn’t feel good. They are in pain from their having been severely beaten; they have been humiliated and are now sitting in a filthy dungeon. On top of that [Their feet were fastened in stocks designed to induce painful cramping by spreading their legs as wide as possible.] And so they obviously cannot sleep. But instead of moaning and groaning; instead of complaining; instead of cursing the ones who did this to them (as any of the other prisoners might have; and maybe some of them were) it says in…

Acts 16:25 (ESV)— 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,

How Christians Suffer— And let me tell you, there is nothing more powerful to a non-believer than observing the way that Christians suffer; because there is no other way to explain it than by the Spirit of God. It is the Spirit who can transform us and empower us to show love and hope in the direst of circumstances, focusing our attention on the eternal reward rather than the temporal suffering. Paul himself writes in…

2 Corinthians 4:16-17 (ESV)— 16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

Yielding Themselves— So Paul and Silas are not losing heart, but focusing instead on the eternal; and maybe even more so on the invisible presence of Jesus right there in that prison with them. And as they are yielding themselves into the will of God and focusing themselves on the presence of Jesus with them, they are experiencing joy and peace; so much so that they can even pray and sing hymns. Now it is when we place our faith and trust in God like that that then the unthinkable can happen and God is willing to move most powerfully. And we see this here, as it says in…

Acts 16:26-27 (ESV)— 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. {Now the jailer’s house was probably located next to the prison, and so the earthquake no doubt rocked his house as well, waking him up. And it says…} 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

An Almost Suicide— [He knew all too well that a Roman soldier who allowed a prisoner to escape, no matter what the cause, paid with his own life (cf. Acts 12:19; 27:42). {And so} Rather than anticipate facing the humiliating and painful execution that would surely follow, the jailer chose to kill himself immediately.] But a voice calling out of the darkness stops him. It says…

Acts 16:28 (ESV)— 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”

All Remained— And interestingly, this included all the prisoners (who were probably in the same dungeon). None of them had attempted to escape. Why? We don’t know. Maybe they were afraid of the consequences should they be re-captured. Maybe they were afraid of aftershocks. Or maybe their respect for Paul and Silas caused them to want to stay. We don’t know. I’m also interested in why Paul and Silas didn’t choose to try to escape, especially when they would have recognized this as a mighty moving of the hand of God. But for some reason, they and the others choose to remain. Perhaps Paul and Silas sensed God wanting them to remain. Whatever the reason, the jailer is amazed. It says in…

Acts 16:29-34 (ESV)— 29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. {And obviously seeing this earthquake as being divine confirmation of their message, it says…} 30 Then he brought them out {(no doubt after re-securing the prisoners)} and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. {And this, even if it was not done out in the open, would have quickly gotten around because no doubt a lot of people had gathered in that area because of the earthquake. Now furthermore it says…} 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them {(showing hospitality, just as Lydia had done)}. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

His Life Given Back— And you can really sense his joy. Moments before he had been facing death. And now his life has been given back to him. And he (recognizing that this was a gift of God) does what each and every one of us who knows of Jesus’ salvation ought to do; he gives his life right back to God. And in so doing he obtains eternal life, which makes him rejoice all the more.

Celebrate— Do you rejoice daily in your salvation? You should. There is nothing better than experiencing in your own life the redemption of Christ Jesus. Because of that empty tomb and our being received into the family of God, every day ought to be a celebration; because (no matter what we are facing) we have become inheritors of a great and glorious Kingdom and are one day going to walk the those streets of gold hand in hand with God. And so let us remember to celebrate. Now it says in…

Acts 16:35 (ESV)— 35 But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.”

Not Gonna Go Quietly— And they were no doubt hoping that Paul and Silas would, having learned their lesson, limp quietly out of town. But it says in…

Acts 16:36-37 (ESV)— 36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.”

Paul’s Stand— And so we see that Paul kind of has a Clint Eastwood moment and decides he's not going to go quietly. But contrary to how this might first appear, this is not because he wants to exact some kind of revenge. Keep in mind that he has just become the shepherd of the church there in Philippi. And if he were to leave quietly after having been treated so wrongly (and illegally), it would have set a dangerous precedent for how future missionaries would be treated; not to mention the potential mistreatment of the church there in Philippi by those same magistrates. And he knew full well that [To inflict corporal punishment on a citizen was a grave violation of Roman law, all the more so since it had been done without trial. The consequences, both for the magistrates and for the city, were potentially very serious. The magistrates could have been removed from office, and the emperor could have rescinded Philippi’s privileges as a Roman colony.] And so he takes a stand for justice and demands that they at least escort them out, showing them the respect due to Roman citizens.

Standing for Justice— And you know, often we get into our minds that being a Christian means we have to let people walk all over us; that we need to always take abuse with a smile. And we have been led to mean that that is what Jesus meant by “turn the other cheek” or “if anybody takes your cloak”; that kind of thing. But God is a God of justice just as much as He is a God of love. And if we only remain passive and don’t stand against injustice, then we are not just allowing abuse on ourselves, but are also allowing a behavior to continue that might spill onto somebody else. And Paul recognized that, which is why he chose to take a stand. And it proves very effective.

Acts 16:38-40 (ESV)— 38 The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. 39 So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. 40 So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

Satan Thwarted Again— And so once again we see how Satan’s plans to infiltrate and persecute the church in Philippi only resulted in another family being added to it and it’s gaining the protection of the city rulers.

God’s Can Use The Bad— And so this morning I want to leave you with the message that God is with you in every situation you face. And though Satan might try to infiltrate your heart; and when that fails persecute you from every other direction, if you remain faithful to God, God will make all the bad merely the seed for some of His greatest blessings. But we have to trust in Him; and rejoice even in the midst of the darkest circumstances, knowing that He truly is working all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Let’s trust in Him. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to the show today. If you have your Bible, go ahead and look with me at Acts 16. That’s Acts 16. You will remember that Paul is on his second missionary, having with him Silas, Timothy (whom they picked up in Lystra), and now Luke (the author of the book of Acts). Now God has re-directed them as they have sought to share the Gospel. They tried to enter Asia, but God prevented them. They tried to enter Bithynia, but again God prevented them. So they end up in Troas, where God finally reveals to them where they are to go, giving Paul a vision of a man from Macedonia calling out “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” (16:9) And so they go to Macedonia, coming to the city of Philippi, a leading city of the district of Macedonia. And on the Sabbath they go to a place of prayer by the waterfront where they meet a group of women who have met there for Bible study. They sit down with them and share the Gospel with them and a woman named Lydia converts and is baptized along with her entire household. And so is started the Philippian church.

Satan Moves In-- But as the church in Philippi took root, Satan moved in to attack it, just as he had done in Samaria (8:9) and in Cyprus (13:6ff). And he tries the same two strategies he always tries. First, he tries to infiltrate the church and then (when that doesn’t succeed) he resorts to persecuting the church. And in our passage today we will see both strategies at play: Infiltration and then Persecution. Let’s begin by looking at his attempt at infiltration. Go ahead and look with me at verse 16. Luke writes…

Acts 16:16 (ESV)— 16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling.

The Place of Attack-- Now I find it interesting that when Satan chooses to use this emissary of his is when Paul and his companions are going to the place of prayer. And that is because it is when the Church comes together to study God’s Word and engage in prayer that Satan is most in danger of having his plans and purposes thwarted. And so we have to be prepared. Because when God moves in a special way, Satan moves right in to try to sow in tares and dissension. And here the tare was in the form of a slave-girl whom the text said had a spirit of divination. Now the Greek text actually literally here reads “a python spirit.” And for you and I that immediately calls to attention the snake in the Garden of Eden. But it’s interesting, the phrase “a python spirit” actually [derives from Greek mythology, in which the Python was a snake that guarded the famous oracle at Delphi. Eventually, the Python was killed by Apollo, the god of prophecy. Since it was believed that Apollo spoke through the oracle at Delphi, the term “python” came to refer to anyone in contact with Apollo. In modern terms, she was a medium in contact with demons.] And those demons apparently were helping her to see and know hidden things and was being used by her masters for profit as a fortune-teller. Now fortune-telling was big business in the Greco-Roman world by both Greeks and Romans. In that culture, any commander who was about to set out on a major military campaign or any emperor who was about to make an important decree would first consult an oracle to see if things would turn out good or ill. Now that made this girl a source of real profit for her owners. However, when the Christians are going to the place of prayer, Satan leads this girl to them and it says…

Acts 16:17 (ESV)— 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she kept doing for many days.

A Sneaky Merger-- Now you and I, when we first look at this, might think that this is a good thing. After all, people know and no doubt believe in this girl’s clairvoyant abilities. So isn’t this good advertisement for the Church? Actually no; this was really bad because it was a subtle and very dangerous attempt for Satan to infiltrate one of his own into the Church, sowing a tare among the wheat. You see, what was happening was this girl with a demon was saying things that were absolutely true. And not only were they true, but she (or I should say the demon) was even using [biblical terminology. The term Most High God was an Old Testament designation of the God of Israel (Ps. 78:35; Dan. 5:18) {But} She also spoke of the way of salvation.] And Satan will often speak truth when it suits his purposes. He is the father of lies, but he knows (and we know this too) that the best lies are those that have some truth mingled in. He draws people into false belief all the time by emphasizing some true thing or genuinely beautiful aspect of that false belief. Now here what we have to understand is that because this demon-possessed girl was agreeing with Paul and his followers, people were going to come to the natural conclusion that she is a part of that same group. And appearing as part of the Christian Church, she could do great damage to the followers and cause of Christ.

Bad Publicity-- And so what we learn is that no matter how good publicity from Satan might at first appear, we don’t want that kind of publicity. In Mark 1:34 and Luke 4:41 Jesus silenced the demons rather than let them speak on his behalf. He did not want Satan to do His advertising. And neither did Paul. Furthermore, while her owners had reduced her to nothing more than a source of income, Paul genuinely cared for the girl. And so it says in…

Acts 16:18b (ESV)— Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

The Second Weapon-- And so we see that Satan’s attempt at infiltrating the church to destroy it from the inside did not work; he was cast out. But now we will see that he turns to his second weapon: persecution, where he attempts to destroy the Church from the outside. But as we will see, Satan’s attacks again will fail; and more than that, God will bring great fruit out of this persecution. And this is something that God is renowned for. He is able to bring about awesome things often in the bleakest of trials or the darkest of circumstances. I love what Paul writes in Romans 8:28...

Romans 8:28 (NIV)-- 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

He Experienced This-- Now that is a beautiful promise; but you know I think it is made all the more meaningful when we consider who penned it; because Paul, throughout the course of his entire ministry, face I meant the absolute worst of circumstances. And yet he was still able to pen this. Why? Because he saw demonstrated time after time God doing this for him in his own life. And you and I can know that God will do the same thing for us as well. No matter what we are facing, scripture promises that God is right in the middle of that storm with us and (though our ship might be getting tossed about) He is still guiding us in those circumstances to His perfect plan and purpose for us.

Some Key Examples-- God did it with Joseph in Egypt, who was sold into slavery by his brothers. He raised Joseph up to become second in command over all of Egypt. And because of that he could provide for the needs of his family but also save many lands from starvation from famine. Later, even though Israel was sent into captivity because of their going after other gods; in the midst of that captivity God raised up people like Daniel, Ezekiel, Ezra, and Esther to bring deliverance and hope to His people. And even out of the greatest evil ever committed, the murder of the Son of God, God brought about His greatest provision; salvation from sin and death. And up until this point in the book of Acts (in chapters 4,5,7,8, and 12) we see that every single time the Church is persecuted, it ends up being bigger and stronger on the other side of that persecution. And that pattern doesn’t stop; and our passage today here in Acts 16 is just another example of it. Look at verse 19, where the reaction of the slave girl’s owners is given…

Acts 16:19-20 (ESV)— 19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city.

Anti-Semitism-- Now note how they highlight the fact that Paul and Silas are both Jews. There’s strategy in this; because there was a lot of anti-semitism going on at this time. I say that a bit tongue-in-cheek because they seem to be persecuted at all times and in all places. But notably at this time the anti-semitism was very high and about this time [Emperor Claudius {actually} issued an order expelling the Jews from Rome (Acts 18:2).] And so observe how the owners only grab Paul and Silas, but leave Timothy (who was only half-Jewish) and Luke (a Gentile) alone. They choose the ones that will be most repugnant and suspect before the magistrates and the crowds. And after bringing them, they say that they are the cause of disturbing the entire city, which was completely false. But they say the way they are doing this is by (verse 21)…

Acts 16:21 (ESV)— 21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.”

The Charges-- And technically that was true because [There was a law forbidding Roman citizens to practice any foreign religion that had not been sanctioned by the state, although this law was rarely enforced.] But they certainly were not causing any kind of mass confusion like what these men were accusing them of. As the text highlights, they were angry merely because of their loss of the profits they were gaining from the slave girl. However, they are able to stir the crowd into a frenzy, as it says in…

Acts 16:22a (ESV)— 22 The crowd joined in attacking them,

No Investigation-- And the rulers amazingly, without bothering to investigate the charges or give Paul and Silas a fair hearing and a chance to defend themselves (any of [the highly prized standards of Roman justice.], which by the way would have revealed to the rulers that Paul and Silas were also Roman citizens) they just give in to the mob. It says in…

Acts 16:22b (ESV)— and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods.

Lictors-- [The beating was administered by the lictors (the “policemen” of vv. 35, 38), who were under the command of the magistrates (v. 35). Each lictor carried a bundle of rods tied together—ironically, as a symbol of Roman law and justice. With those rods they brutally beat the men, a punishment Paul endured three times (2 Cor. 11:25).]

Acts 16:23-24 (ESV)— 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison {(so in other words, “maximum security”)} and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Trust in Him-- He was not taking any chances. But like Herod in chapter 12 and the Sanhedrin in Acts 5, the rulers in Philippi were going to learn that no prison is strong enough to hold those God means to be released. Because despite the Python spirits of this world, God is always with those who lean on and trust in Him. Let us always remember that and (in a similar way) trust Him. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to the show today. Last week we saw how Timothy has now joined Paul and Silas on their second missionary journey. And, leaving his mother Eunice and Grandmother Lois in Lystra, it says in…

Acts 16:6 (ESV)— 6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

Other Plans— Now we don’t know why God prevented them from entering Asia. Yet later there would be some very important churches that would be founded there; [churches in such cities as Ephesus, Smyrna, Philadelphia, Laodicea, Colossae, Sardis, Pergamum, and Thyatira.] But for now, God had other plans for them and communicated to them through the Holy Spirit that for now Asia was off limits. And that was no doubt very discouraging for Paul. And it can be discouraging to us too when God says no to something that (at the time) might seem like the right thing. But what we have to remember is that God knows what is needed and when those things are needed and can be used most. And we have to trust His timing.

Don’t Fight The Air Currents— Sometimes my kids watch a movie I used to watch as a kid called The Sword In The Stone; a story about King Arthur coming under the magical teachings of Merlin, whose talking owl Archimedes also helps to instruct the boy. And one day Merlin turns Arthur into a bird and Archimedes (a bird himself) is trying to teach Arthur to fly. But he is struggling against the air currents and can’t get lift. And Archimedes says, “Don’t fight the air currents! Use them!” And Arthur does, and suddenly (for the first time) really begins to fly. And you know, the same is true of the Holy Spirit, the Ruach, the Wind of God. If we can keep in step with the Spirit (Gal. 5:25), which is another way of saying “move our wings in accordance with how He is moving” we will soar. And so while God’s saying no may be discouraging, we must do what Paul did and allow that “no” to propel us into the better thing God has for us. And so they turned to Mysia, which is the region north of Asia. But it says in…

Acts 16:7-8 (ESV)— 7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia {(which is farther north)}, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. {So again they are repelled.} 8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.

Keep Moving— Now I love how they don’t stop and wait. They keep moving forward, knowing that God will redirect. You and I also are often called to wait on God not by standing still, but by following the next logical step; the next right thing. You can turn the steering wheel of car, but that will only change the car’s direction if that car is in motion. The same with us. Do what makes sense and leave yourself open for God’s redirection. Now we don’t know [how they were prevented {by Jesus here}, but with nowhere else to turn, they came down to Troas, a port on the Aegean Sea. They knew God would eventually reveal where He wanted them to go if they kept moving. At last, in dramatic fashion, He did so.] It says in…

Acts 16:9 (ESV)— 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

Macedonia— Now [Macedonia was across the Aegean Sea on the mainland of Greece. In it were located the important cities of Philippi and Thessalonica. More significant, this would be the first entry of the gospel into the continent of Europe.] Now after Paul sees this vision, he doesn’t waste any time. It says in…

Acts 16:10 (ESV)— 10 And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Luke Joins The Team— And so Luke is indicating that they knew immediately that that is where they were to go. But there is also something else here that can be easily overlooked. And that is the word “we”. This is [the first of the “we” passages in Acts], which indicates that [Luke, the writer of Acts, has now joined the missionary team. {And} Like Timothy, he was to be Paul’s faithful friend and loyal companion for the rest of the apostle’s life.]

Acts 16:11-12 (ESV)— 11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace {([Samothrace is an island in the Aegean Sea, approximately half way between Asia Minor and the Greek mainland. There they stayed overnight (to avoid the hazards of sailing in the dark)])}, and the following day to Neapolis {([the port city of Philippi])},12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. {And ([The winds must have been favorable, for the reverse trip from Philippi to Troas on the third missionary journey took five days (Acts 20:6).]) And so [When the missionary team landed in Neapolis, Paul’s ministry finally reached Europe.] But [The team did not stop to preach in Neapolis, but from there went on to Philippi, about ten miles inland.] And Luke writes, saying} We remained in this city some days. {Now it says…}

Acts 16:13a (ESV)—13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer,

A Place of Prayer— Now the reason they do this is because (although it was Paul’s custom to preach first in the synagogue of every city he visited) in order to form a synagogue you had to have the presence of ten Jewish men who were heads of households. And so Philippi’s Jewish community was apparently too small to form a synagogue. And [In such cases, a place of prayer, under the open sky and near a river or the sea, was to be arranged for. {And} The one in Philippi was located outside the gate by a riverside, probably where the road leading out of Philippi crossed the Gangites River.] They choose to go there in the best hope of finding people to witness to and (seeing a group of women) it says…

Acts 16:13b (ESV)— and we sat down {(which was [the normal posture for teaching])} and spoke to the women who had come together.

Paul’s Value for Women— And notice that there are no men mentioned, which is [further evidence of the small size of the Jewish community at Philippi. {And so} Lacking a man to lead them, these women met to pray, read from the Old Testament law, and discuss what they had read.] Now imagine their surprise to have Paul and his missionary team join them. And for them to have Paul (a traveling rabbi, who was not only a rabbi but had been a student of a great rabbi, Gamaliel) was no doubt a very rare privilege. Now I love how the very first people in Europe that Paul ever shared the Gospel with were women. That is important, because a lot of misguided people have characterized Paul as some kind of male chauvinist, particularly because of Paul’s teaching on the role of women in the church. And they conclude that he had some kind of prejudice against women. But we see here that that is not the case. He is eager to share the Gospel with them and to even teach them, which is more than could be said about the Pharisees. The Pharisees [would not deign to teach a woman, and regularly in their rote prayers they thanked God that they were neither Gentiles, slaves, nor women. {And yet we see that Paul both teaches and sees the value in women, which by the way} ran counter to the treatment of women in Greco-Roman society. {When we look through the New Testament we see that} Paul valued the ministry of women such as Phoebe (Rom. 16:1), the various women among those he greeted in Romans 16:3ff., and even Euodia and Syntyche (Phil. 4:2–3).] And that of course stemmed from Jesus’ treatment of women, which also ran counter to the norms of that day. Just to give you an example of this, notice how the scripture describes women “sitting at the feet” of Jesus. Well “sitting at the feet of” is not merely a description of their posture. No, to sit at the feet of a rabbi was a phrase used to describe talmudim, disciples of a rabbi. Now only men were allowed to be disciples and it was very unusual for a woman be allowed. And yet Jesus was perfectly comfortable bringing women into that discipleship relationship. And we see here that Paul imbibes that same attitude. Now Luke writes…

Acts 16:14a (ESV)— 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God.

a seller of purple goods— Now Lydia was the Roman province in which the city of Thyatira was located. And so Lydia may be named after her province or Lydia may have just been [her name in business; she may have been known as “the Lydian lady.”] But whatever the case, her city (Thyatira, which is the cite of one of the seven church of Revelation) [was noted for its manufacture of purple dye and dyed goods. Not surprisingly, Lydia herself was a seller of purple fabrics. {Now} Purple dye, whether made from the glands of the murex shellfish or from the roots of the madder plant, was prohibitively expensive. {Thus} Purple garments were worn by royalty and the wealthy, and the selling of purple fabrics was a very profitable business.] And she herself was (apparently) very wealthy. And that we will see in that her house is large enough to accommodate the entire missionary team (v. 15) and later the new church at Philippi (v. 40). Now aside from her wealth, there are a couple of things we can string together (every pun intended) about Lydia. And the first is that she was a worshiper of God. This shows that she (like Cornelius) believed in and worshipped the God of Israel, but had not yet become a full proselyte to Judaism. And secondly, she was truly listening; not just hearing audibly, but paying attention and seeking to understand. And that is the kind of posture that God can work with. There are so many who hear, yet never understand because they are not truly listening.

Eyes Glazed— Have you ever been in a conversation with somebody and you see their eyes glaze over and you realize they aren’t hearing a word? Maybe some of you are doing that right now. I don’t know. But in all seriousness, I remember one particular instance where that happened to me while I was talking with somebody several months back. I was having a conversation with somebody who must have had a lot on their mind because not long after I began sharing what I had to say they completely checked out and were no longer paying attention. And a little voice in my head said “just stop talking and leave.” I heard that little voice but then (because I knew what I was about to say would, under normal circumstances, really interest this person) decided to plow ahead and somehow try to be more interesting. It didn’t work. But Lydia wasn’t checked out. She was fully engaged. And it says in…

Acts 16:14b-15 (ESV)— The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

Lydia’s Hospitality— And so we see that Lydia and her entire household came to faith in Christ. And in gratitude, she insists that they stay at her house. Now hospitality [is required of all Christians (Rom. 12:13; Heb. 13:2; 1 Pet. 4:9), especially women (1 Tim. 5:10) and church leaders (Titus 1:8). {And} It was critical in the ancient world, where inns were often unsuitable {places} for Christians to stay in. They were filthy, dangerous, expensive, and often little more than brothels. {And so} To make a home where travelers could be exposed to Christian love, family life, and fellowship was a high priority for Christian women (cf. 1 Tim. 5:9–10).] And Lydia’s offering them her hospitality shows that she had in her the love and fear of God, which had now become more fully realized in Christ Jesus.

Use The Currents— Now what this passage shows us is that when God says no to us or no at that moment (like He did with Paul and his team entering Asia at that time), it is only because He has an awesome plan that He wants you to be a part of. And so don’t fight the air currents; use them. And even if that might mean stepping into some dangerous situations, God’s greatest blessings often lie in those situations. And so let us commit to trust and follow Him as He seeks to guide us into the fulfillment of His purposes. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to the show today. In our study of Acts chapter 16 we have been taking a look at Paul’s setting out from Antioch on a second missionary journey; one that was aimed at strengthening all the churches that had been founded on his first missionary journey. And so naturally he wants to take Barnabas with him, as Barnabas had been with him on that first missionary journey and was such an encouragement to him; that’s what his name means, “son of encouragement”, which was given to him by the apostles. But Barnabas insists that John Mark also come. Paul doesn’t think that is a good idea because of how John Mark had abandoned them on their first missionary journey; and so they have a sharp disagreement about this and end up splitting up. Barnabas and John Mark go to Cyprus (which is where Paul and Barnabas had entered Asia Minor on their first trip, but with Barnabas and John Mark going, Paul chooses instead to enter Galatia from the opposite direction, traveling through Syria and Cilicia. And that may seem like an arbitrary decision (and may have been to Paul); but we will see in a few moments how God was at work in that in a huge way. Now [Syria was the region around Antioch, and the neighboring region of Cilicia contained Paul’s home city of Tarsus. {And so} Many of its churches had no doubt been founded by Paul himself. {And} As Paul and Silas traveled through those areas, they were busy with their priority, strengthening the churches.] Now as they [crossed the rugged Taurus Mountains through the Cilician Gates north of Tarsus, the missionaries came to Derbe and to Lystra. Paul and Barnabas had visited these cities on their first missionary journey (Acts 14:6ff.), and Lystra had been the scene of some remarkable events. It was there that Paul had healed a lame man (14:8–10). In response, the astonished crowd proclaimed the two missionaries gods (14:11–18). Following that, Paul had been stoned nearly to death by jealous Jews from Antioch and Iconium (14:19).] Now if it were me, I’d be a little nervous coming back to Lystra. But as for Paul, the mission of reaching people always trumped concerns for his own personal safety. Like we talked about recently, he always felt that weight of glory; that burden for people who were lost or who needed Jesus. And so unless God said otherwise, he was going to go.

Timothy— Now it is sometimes when we choose to show courage to obey God even in the midst of fear or danger that God often rewards us. And we definitely see that here; because while they are [At Lystra, the missionaries were joined by a certain disciple named Timothy.] And this young man Timothy (who was probably in his late teens or early twenties at this time) would come [to play a key role in Paul’s life, eventually becoming his right-hand man (1 Cor. 4:17; 1 Thess. 3:2; Phil. 2:19).] He would also be Paul’s “true child in the faith” (1 Tim. 1:2; cf. 1 Cor. 4:17; 2 Tim. 1:2)]. And this was primarily because [he had been led to Christ by Paul when the apostle visited Lystra on the first missionary journey.] But it was also because of how Paul continued to pour into his life during the many years that followed. And for Timothy this was such a blessing because the way the his father is described in the imperfect tense (“was”) rather than the present suggests that he had already passed on. And so Timothy (a young man still in great need of a father figure) was blessed to find one in Paul. Now Timothy’s father had been a Greek, while his mother (Eunice) was Jewish. And so [Timothy had access to both cultures—an important qualification for missionary service at that time.]

Lois & Eunice— But another thing I don’t want to overlook is the fact that his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois were also both believers (2 Timothy 1:5). And that just reminds me that behind most successful men are righteous mothers and grandmother’s who have equipped, trained and prayed their men into they eventually end up in. And I can attest to that personally. My mom has been and still is a constant source of encouragement to me. And my grandmothers (both of whom are still living) are constantly praying for me; and only eternity will show how many pitfalls I have avoided; how many physical and spiritual attacks have been driven back; and even how much of my ministry itself I owe to all three of these mighty women of God ministering to me. Now we don’t know Eunice’s story or Lois’ story. But what we do know is that they no doubt were in Lystra during the time of (and may have even witnessed) Paul and Barnabas’ persecution and Paul’s near death by stoning. And yet here they seem willing, amazingly, to allow Timothy to join with Paul in his ministry. And so if we knew nothing else about them, that alone would tell us that here were women of faith and obedience; women who also felt that “weight of glory”; and the reason we know their names today is because of their faithfulness to release this young man Timothy into the dangerous calling of following God.

Paul Chooses Timothy— Now because Timothy had been mentored and discipled by Lois and Eunice, he no doubt carried over into his own life their righteous character. Because we read in verse 2 that: He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. And Paul sees great potential in him and therefore chooses him as a disciple. And so [After being commissioned by the elders of the local assembly of believers (1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6), he joined Paul and Silas, and the course of his life was set.]

A Providential Blessing— Now remember earlier I talked about how it is significant that Paul and Silas entered Asia Minor from the opposite direction; because if they had followed the same route as they did on the first missionary journey, they would not have come to Lystra until the very end of their trip. But God’s providence was at work in an amazing way as Timothy (because they came to Lystra first) now can be of help to them for their entire trip. And so God is showing that even when he calls us into difficult circumstances, we often find His greatest blessings in and during those situations.

Stepping Out To WBS— You know, in looking back at when God called me to go to seminary, I remember I wanted to wait, partially because the idea of seminary seemed way too daunting to me. I imagined myself surrounded by scholarly geniuses who would leave me in the dust. But my grandparents (because my family was in China during that time) were staying in my parents’ home, which was near Asbury College where I had been attending. And I visited them and told them of my intention to wait awhile. But (just like Eunice and Lois did with Timothy) they encouraged me not to wait. They even drove me down from Kentucky to Jackson, Mississippi to visit Wesley Biblical Seminary to kind of warm me up to the idea of starting seminary right away. And after receiving assurance that this was God’s will for my life and that it wasn’t totally beyond me and I could do this, I enrolled for that fall. And that was a big step of faith for me. And reflecting back, I think about how I never would have met and married Tanya had I chosen to wait. And so I would have missed out on who was without doubt God’s greatest blessing in my life. I don’t know who is Paul and who is Timothy in her and my relationship, but what I do know is that my life suddenly got a whole lot better after I met her. Even my grades made a marked improvement after she came into my life; because of both her belief in me and also her constant stream of encouragement, which has never stopped. Well, Timothy was kind of like that for Paul; and Paul was that for Timothy. God knew the right time and place to bring them together.

Timothy’s Circumcision— Now immediately following Timothy’s appointment to this ministry, Paul has Timothy circumcised. And some have criticized Paul for this, saying that he ended up falling into the same heresy he had fought against at the Jerusalem Council; that circumcision was necessary for salvation. However, nowhere does it say or imply that he did this in order that Timothy might be saved. Rather, it says in verse 3 that he did this because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. You see, circumcision was the number one condition that was seen as absolutely necessary for every Jew. And if Timothy did not become circumcised, all the Jews that they would meet on their missionary endeavors would assume that Timothy was renouncing his Jewish heritage; and that would place a stumbling block in the way of reaching those Jews with the message of Christianity, which remember is a fulfillment of Judaism. Also keep in mind that Paul always started his ministry in the local synagogues; and if Timothy wanted full access to those synagogues, he needed to be circumcised. And so it had nothing to do with salvation, but rather doing what is necessary in order to reach people for Jesus. Listen to the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:19-22, because it really encapsulates Paul’s thinking on this…

1 Corinthians 9:19-22 (ESV)— 19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.

The Meaning Behind The Action— Now having said this, I want to point out that later Paul did refuse to circumcise Titus (Gal. 2:3). And why was that? Because [Titus, unlike Timothy, was a full-blooded Gentile. {And} To have circumcised him would have been to capitulate to legalism. And what this reveals to us is that something might be okay to do in one culture and wrong in another; or right in one situation and wrong in another. It’s not always the action itself, but what the meaning is behind that action. Kind of like kicking a door down. That is wrong to do if you are trying to break into somebody’s house to rob them. But it is a good thing to do if their house is on fire and you are trying to save them. And so with Timothy, Paul saw circumcision as a means of avoiding unnecessary offense; but in refusing to circumcise Titus, Paul was showing that we cannot and must not compromise on any of the essential doctrines and teachings of scripture. In one circumstance circumcision is a means of helping to save people; in the other it is a practice that will rob people of the essential teaching of the Gospel, which is that salvation is by grace through faith alone. And that message (along with the council’s admonition that the gentiles live by love in being sensitive to the Jews and their ways) they are communicating to all these cities, which we see in that it says in…

Acts 16:4-5 (ESV)— 4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.

Sold Out— Now what we can’t miss in our study today is this passage’s emphasis on what these early Christians were willing to lay on the altar for the sake of the Gospel. Timothy was willing to leave his entire old life to embrace a ministry that was permeated with danger and uncertainty. And (perhaps even more amazingly) Timothy’s mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois were willing to release him into that ministry. They were like military moms and wives, releasing their men into danger for the sake of a greater cause. But that is what it means to be a Christian; to lay it all down for the sake of Christ and the Gospel. I hope that you and I will be just as faithful. Let’s remember that we are called to be 100% sold out to Jesus. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Anchors— You know, in reflecting back on my life, there have been quite a number of people who have been anchors for me in my Christian faith; men and women who took time to invest in my life so that I could be thoroughly equipped both to know Jesus Christ in intimate and personal relationship, but also so that I could be thoroughly equipped to carry His Gospel into the world. And one of those people was one of my seminary professors, Dr. Matt Friedeman. Few people have helped shape my thinking about ministry as much as he did. He was not only my professor, but also the leader of a discipleship group I was blessed to be a part of; and it was a discipleship group that was very different from your typical one nowadays, with everyone sitting and talking about the Bible. No, not with Matt. His philosophy of discipleship (which is most akin to what we find here in the book of Acts, and which he would state often) was this: “If you make disciples by sitting around and talking, don’t be surprised if all your disciples do is sit around and talk.” “If you make disciples by sitting around and talking, don’t be surprised if all your disciples do is sit around and talk.” And so yes, we would do Bible study and prayer (and even sing hymns) together, but it wasn’t in the comfort of a home, but in a van on the way to the local prison. He would (like Jesus did) split the group into pairs and send each into a different prison block to preach. Now let me tell you, for a young man who had never preached a sermon before in his life, that was baptism under fire. And furthermore, he wouldn’t tell you when you were going to preach. He would just point at you before boarding the van and say, “Cameron (or whoever it was), you’re preaching tonight.” And (if you weren’t already prepared) you had the van ride over to prepare. Let me tell you, there were few things that I faced that were more intimidating. But looking back, there are few things I am more thankful for; because it taught me that though Jesus had called me to learn, it wasn’t so I could sit in a group of my peers and exchange meaningful ideas; it was so I could go into the darkest of places and bring into the places (and the people there) the transforming power of the Gospel.

Timothy Follows— Now the reason I say all of this is because here in Acts chapter 16 we see that Paul takes under his wing a young man by the name of Timothy, who joins Paul in ministry; and so Timothy becomes his disciple in the “following” sense of the word because he follows Paul into the spiritually darkest places in the world and joins in his ministry. It is discipleship by hands on training in meeting the physical and spiritual needs of people. And today we will begin to see how all that came about. It says in…

Acts 16:1-5 (ESV)— 1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.

Paul’s Living Fruit— Now this young man Timothy that joins Paul and Silas in their ministry was actually the living fruit of Paul’s ministry; because remember that on Paul’s first missionary journey into Asia Minor, Paul and Barnabas visited the city of Lystra, where it says in…

Acts 14:1b (NKJV)— …that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed.

A Constant Companion— Well Timothy was likely one of that multitude. And he was a young man who already had solid Jewish training in the Scriptures from his mother and grandmother. And so when Paul and Silas return to Lystra here on their 2nd missionary journey, they find him, are impressed by his dedication to Christ and willingness to serve, and so Paul takes Timothy under his wing and begins to disciple him. And Timothy [would ultimately become Paul’s constant companion, traveling with him throughout Asia, Macedonia, and Greece. He was also in Rome for part or all of the apostle’s two-year house arrest—and is named as one of the senders in the letters Paul wrote from Rome to the Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon (as well as 2 Corinthians and 1 and 2 Thessalonians).] And we see his dedication even here as (as an adult) he allows himself to be circumcised in order to not create an obstacle for the Jews they would be witnessing to who might know of his mixed Greek/Jewish background and be offended because of their concern to keep the covenant of circumcision. So he is very dedicated. Now not only that, but (as we will see later) Timothy is one of the most self-less Christians in scripture. Paul writes to the Philippians in…

Philippians 2:19-22 (ESV)— 19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy's[a] proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. {And so we see modeled in Timothy’s life the selflessness of Jesus Christ, which is the supreme mark of the true believer.}

Not Making Disciples— Now at this point I would like to return to something I said last week; and that has to do with what we were talking about in regards to discipleship, because I think that there are many churches that know how to make converts. But there are very few churches that know how to make disciples; who know how to establish new converts firmly in their faith; who know how to teach them the Word and ground them in sound doctrine; who know how to make disciples who will also be thoroughly equipped to make disciples of their own. That is the supreme weakness of the Church today, making disciples who can make disciples. Well, what is a disciple?

Wiersbe on Discipleship— Warren Wiersbe once said: [A disciple, then, is one who has believed on Jesus Christ and expressed this faith by being baptized. He remains in the fellowship of the believers that he might be taught the truths of the faith (Acts 2: 41– 47). He is then able to go out and win others and teach them. This was the pattern of the New Testament church (2 Tim. 2:1-2). In many respects, we have departed from this pattern. In most churches, the congregation pays the pastor to preach, win the lost, and build up the saved— while the church members function as cheerleaders (if they are enthusiastic) or spectators. The “converts” are won, baptized, and given the right hand of fellowship, then they join the other spectators. How much faster our churches would grow, and how much stronger and happier our church members would be, if each one were discipling another believer. The only way a local church can “be fruitful and multiply” (instead of growing by “additions”) is with a systematic discipleship program. This is the responsibility of every believer, and not just a small group that has been “called to go.” Jesus had opened the minds of His disciples to understand the Scriptures (Luke 24: 44– 45). They knew what He wanted them to teach to their own converts. It is not enough to win people to the Savior; we must also teach them the Word of God. This is also a part of the Great Commission.]

Jesus’ Pattern for Discipleship— And you know, he’s absolutely right. That was the pattern for discipleship modeled to us by Jesus. He chose a handful of guys and poured everything He had into those few men. He then showed them how to do ministry; he gave them His authority. Then at Pentecost He gave them His Spirit. And it was that handful of men who ended up changing the world. He trained disciples who could make disciples. Paul was himself discipled under the teachings of the other apostles. Then he takes a disciple of his own; Timothy; and pours everything he has into him. And he trains Timothy until he is ready for service. And Paul’s letters to Timothy contain much of that training. [Paul tells Timothy how to confront false teachers, how to order the church’s worship, how to select church leaders, and how to conduct himself as a young leader in a difficult situation. {And} Speaking as a father to a son, the apostle urges Timothy not only to stand up for the truth in public but also to guard his own soul from the errors all around him (1 Tim. 6:20, 21)].

Timothy’s Ordination— And when Timothy is ready for service, [In a ceremony that serves as the basis for modern-day ordination of ministers of the gospel, Paul and an “eldership” (group of church elders, or leaders) … laid hands on Timothy to set him apart for God’s service (1:18; 4:14). And we see that he becomes Paul’s handpicked choice to oversee the troubled Church in Ephesus; somebody that he himself had discipled. And Paul calls Timothy by a very personal title in his greeting to Timothy. He says…

1 Timothy 1:2a (NKJV) Greeting— 2 To Timothy, a true son in the faith:

Son Language— You know, that is pretty close and personal language. You can hardly get more personal than a relationship between a father and a son; a parent and a child. That is one of the closest, most intimate bonds there is. A child is dependent on you utterly and completely for sustenance. A child absorbs so much what you teach them. You bear them and then you lead them to maturity until they one day leave your home and go off to start families of their own.

Our Fruit— And the question I want to leave you with is, what children are you bearing for the kingdom of God? Who is the Timothy in your life? What young or new Christian are you pouring yourself into? Who are you carrying in prayer? To whom are you writing letters of discipleship and encouragement? If we want our nation to experience true freedom in Christ, then we have to start making disciples. It’s in our obedience to make disciples that we can help bring our nation back into right relationship with God. And so let us commit to do that.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. Thank you for tuning in today as we continue on our journey through the book of Acts.

The 2nd Missionary Journey— Today’s passage is an important one, as it marks the beginning of Paul’s second missionary journey. After this interlude with the Jerusalem Council, Paul is eager to get back to the work of the ministry, which had been interrupted by this debate with the legalists. Now this wasn’t because Paul was bored with the ministry in Antioch. There are many things pastors are. Bored is rarely one of them. In full-time ministry there is always something to do. And helping to pastor the church in Antioch, where (think about it) there were so many new believers was no doubt a great challenge. But something happens when you truly encounter Jesus and allow His mindset to shape yours; and that is that you begin to think eternally. And that is a good thing. But with that will also come a burden. You will no longer be able to ignore the needy and the lost. You will (like God does) feel the weight of eternity on your shoulders as you become awakened to people’s spiritual conditions.

The Big Heat Wave— This past summer (which if you live around here you will know was unusually hot) I read of a man who drove all the way to Arizona during the heat wave in order to buy air conditioners for his friends and neighbors back home, which he then brought back and gave to them. It was apparently a big enough story to make the news. And this man no doubt did it because he knew the dangers of the coming heat. Well, how much more ought we as Christians who (seeing the heat wave of Judgment Day and Hell coming) do what we can to prepare people for it. You see, with an eternal mindset comes what Paul calls in 2 Corinthians 4:17 “The Weight of Glory”; recognizing that every person we meet is going to live forever in one of two places; and God has called us to share His burden in helping to lead people into the life that is found only in His Son Jesus Christ.

Paul On The Move— Well Paul is one of those who always felt that weight of glory, which is why when we look at the broad spectrum of his life, we see that he was never content to remain in one place for very long. No, he was always on the move. Anywhere he went was a step to somewhere else. Even Rome, which you would think would be a place he would be content to remain in (seeing as it was the capital of the greatest empire the world had ever known and therefore probably the best place to remain strategically); it was not his ultimate destination. He longed to visit there (which we read about in Romans 15:22-23); but even in his letter to them he writes “whenever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while…I will go on by way of you to Spain” (Romans 15:24,28). And the reason he was always on the move was because of how keenly aware he was that there were always other people in other places who had not yet been told about the way of salvation. And he always felt compelled to reach those people. Listen to his own words in 1 Corinthians 9:16: “I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel”.

Hudson Taylor’s Burden— [Paul’s passionate concern for those without Christ found an echo in the heart of J. Hudson Taylor, the nineteenth-century English missionary to China. He wrote: I have a stronger desire than ever to go to China. That land is ever in my thoughts. Think of it—360 million souls, without God or hope in the world! Think of more than twelve millions of our fellow creatures dying every year without any of the consolations of the Gospel. Barnsley including the Common has only 15,000 inhabitants. Imagine what it would be if all these were to die in twelve months! Yet in China year by year, hundreds are dying, for every man, woman and child in Barnsley. Poor, neglected China! Scarcely anyone cares about it.]

A Needed Burden— Now we can read every ministry strategy book out there (and let me tell you, there are tons of them), but none of them will ever replace that internal concern for lost souls that motivates us (or as Paul says “compels us”) to witness. That burden (as hard as it is to bear or even to think about at times) is what every Church needs more than anything else; the burden for the lost that only comes from being close enough to Jesus to have His mindset become our own. And so, feeling that burden, it says in…

Acts 15:36 (ESV)— 36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.”

Make Disciples, Not Merely Converts— Now even though some have called Paul the greatest human evangelist the world has ever known, we see that he is markedly differently from the modern, 20th & 21st-century stereotypical evangelist, who travels from city to city to win converts, but then leaves them to either grow on their own or be discipled by others. No, Paul didn’t believe in making converts; he believed in making disciples. Well, what is a disciple? Well, a disciple is a follower of Jesus Christ who is rooted in and growing in faith and is becoming fruitful, leading others into faith in Christ and able to disciple them. Now how do you make a disciple? By taking a new believer under your wing (becoming a friend and mentor to them) and giving of your time to help them to become established in their faith. Now we’ll come back to this theme, because it is very important. But I want you to see how ingrained this concept was in the mind of Paul right from the outset, as he wants to return to all the places where he won converts to Christ in order to make sure that they are rooted and growing in Christ. Now Barnabas no doubt thought this second missionary trip was a great idea. But it says in…

Acts 15:37-38 (ESV)— 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. {The actual language in the Greek carries a tone of being adamant. Barnabas is determined to take him.} 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.

John Mark Leaves— Now the reason that Mark had not gone with them was probably because, after he had arrived with Paul and Barnabas to Perga in Pamphylia and got a glimpse into the interior of Asia Minor and sees all the paganism and danger that lay before them, he gets scared (Acts 13:13). And so he decides to turn and go back to Jerusalem and (more specifically) to his mother, who was a prominent member of the Church there. Now here in this passage we get a glimpse into how Paul felt about that. He sees John Mark as lacking courage and commitment and therefore doesn’t want to take him. He sees Mark as more of a hindrance and a burden than an asset. And so he refuses to take him. Now Barnabas (whose name means “son of encouragement”) wants to give his cousin (Col 4:10) Mark another chance and to allow Mark to show courage where he had shown fear before. And this is typical of Barnabas. In fact years earlier it was he who recognized Paul’s calling (11:25-26). But remember that the other believers were afraid of Paul because of what he had done to the Church. And so Barnabas took him to the apostles (Acts 9:27) and insisted that he be given a chance to prove himself. And he is given that chance. But interestingly, here Paul doesn’t back down in his dispute with Barnabas. He is thoroughly convinced that Mark is not the right person to come along with them at this time. Now we don’t know all the reasons why. But Paul may have had in mind [the immediate needs and demands of such a rigorous journey. Undoubtedly, Mark’s earlier departure {had} placed increased demands on Paul and Barnabas, and he was unwilling to risk that again.] And so, sadly, immediately following the Jerusalem Council, where we see the Church coming together and becoming absolutely unified in their decision, we find in the very next section the opposite. Between Paul and Barnabas it says…

Acts 15:39-41 (ESV)— 39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus {(which, by the way, was Barnabas’ home (Acts 4:36))}, 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Was Paul or Barnabas Right?— Now I don’t know how you feel about this story; who was right and who was wrong. Scripture doesn’t explicitly say, though the weight of the evidence seems to actually favor Paul; because (think about it) Paul was an apostle, whereas Barnabas was not. That alone is enough reason for Barnabas to submit to Paul’s authority. But even if it wasn’t, Barnabas probably should have recognized that it would be unwise and difficult to take along someone Paul didn’t trust. And last but not least, it is important to note that it was Paul and Silas (not Barnabas and Mark) who are commended by the church in verse 40. Now does that mean Paul was completely in the right? Not necessarily. Maybe he should have shown more mercy. We don’t know enough concerning the circumstances involved to make a decision one way or the other. But what we do know is that [Although they apparently never again ministered together (this is the last mention of Barnabas in Acts), we know Paul and Barnabas eventually reconciled their differences, because Paul later wrote approvingly of Barnabas’s ministry (1 Cor. 9:6). Even John Mark, the cause of all the trouble, later became one of Paul’s valued co-laborers (Col. 4:10; Philem. 24; 2 Tim. 4:11). He also became a close associate of the apostle Peter (1 Pet. 5:13) and was privileged to write one of the four gospels. {And so} Barnabas did a remarkable job in helping to turn around the life and ministry career of his young cousin.]

God Used It— But at this point there is a very painful split. Yet even though it was painful, we see that God was able to use it for good in that because of the split, there are now two missionary endeavors instead of just one. And what that shows us is that God can use even the rough patches to further expand His Kingdom work.

Our Burden— And you know, it is a comfort to me to see that the early Church struggled with many of things that you and I face today. But they were always able to push through their differences and find healing and reconciliation. Why? Because the mission mattered more than their differences; that weight of glory was heavier than any individual’s own personal opinion regarding the way things ought to be done. And the same is true today. The Churches that are the strongest and the most unified are Churches who are living under that weight of glory and keep Christ’s Great Commission central. And so that is the challenge I want to leave you with today. Let us seek to live (like Paul did) under that weight of glory. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! In our study of Acts 15 we have been talking about the events set in motion by this group of Judaizers (or Jew-makers) who came to the new Gentile Christians in Antioch and tried to impose upon them all of the ceremonial Law of Moses; specifically the right of circumcision. This caused quite an uproar, so that Paul and Barnabas traveled to Jerusalem to have the council give an official answer to this issue. And, after some debate, a decision is reached. And the council concludes that all the evidence shows that the Gentiles have already been fully accepted by God (having the Holy Spirit and the transformation of heart and life that goes along with Him); and so they prescribe only a few rules for the Gentiles to obey not in order to live lives of legalism, but to protect them from immorality and help preserve their relationships with their Jewish brothers and sisters in Christ. And we expounded each of those last week. But now the time has come for the decision to be brought to the church in Antioch. And so it says in…

Acts 15:22-23 (NKJV)— 22 Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren. 23 They wrote this letter by them: The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.

Now notice the loving language of this letter. They call them “the brethren who are of the Gentiles”. So right from the outset they are communicating that the gentile Christians ARE indeed one of them.

Acts 15:24 (NKJV)— 24 Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words {[The word translated “troubling” (from anaskeuazo) is “a military metaphor for plundering a town.”]}, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law”—to whom we gave no such commandment—

And so the council is reiterating that these Judaizers who had come to them had no authority or sanction from the Jerusalem Council and therefore what they said could be disregarded. And in a similar way with us, if anyone tries to place us under the law, we can know that they are not speaking with God’s (or the true Church’s) authority and can therefore (standing on the authority of the Word of God) reject what they are saying and cling to salvation by grace through faith alone. Now next they write…

Acts 15:25-26 (NKJV)— 25 it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And so the council sends to them men who have been tested; men who have risked life and limb for the sake of the Gospel.

Acts 15:27 (NKJV)— 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth.

Judas & Silas— Now the reason they did this was because if only Barnabas and Paul were sent, the people might say, “Well, of course these two men would give us this kind of report.” So they send along Judas and Silas as well in order to confirm to the gentiles that this was indeed the decision of the council. Now the rest of the letter once again ties all this back to the moving hand of God and how He Himself was leading. It says…

Acts 15:28-29 (NKJV)— 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.

And that is all. No in-depth theological treatise. Just a loving letter releasing them from all obligation to live under the law. Now after the men receive this letter from the council, it says…

Acts 15:30-31 (NKJV)— 30 So when they were sent off, they came to Antioch; and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter. 31 When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement.

Comfort & Liberation— And that is what always happen wherever the TRUE Gospel is proclaimed. The Gospel of Christ is always one of consolation, comfort, and liberation. The Law (in the end) brings condemnation because it is a mirror that shows us how ugly our spiritual condition really is. But the Gospel brings hope that in Jesus we have received forgiveness from sin and the power to live a life that the Law had no power to help me live. Now after this it says…

Acts 15:32-34 (NKJV)— 32 Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words. 33 And after they had stayed there for a time, they were sent back with greetings from the brethren to the apostles. 34 However, it seemed good to Silas to remain there.

Silas Stays— Now Silas and Paul obviously got along really well together. Silas must have really like Paul, enjoyed working with him, and probably learned a lot from him. And so he stays in Antioch with Paul and Barnabas to help grow the church there. It says…

Acts 15:35 (NKJV)— 35 Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

And Paul and Barnabas were actually the pastors of the church there in Antioch.

The First Diversity— Now the challenge that the Church will continue to face after this council is not just the salvation by grace alone issue. Rather, it is how to bring together people from all different races and people groups; people who often had very little in common except their faith in the Lord Jesus. They had their own cultures and subcultures; different histories; different traditions and practices; they had different customs and even languages. And so to try to imagine how you can bring unity and oneness to such a diverse group would be difficult. One solution is simply to decide that it is impossible and not do it. Instead, [segregate, isolate, and study each other with suspicion.] But that approach [profoundly affects Christianity’s effective and attractiveness]. It leads to snobbery and a generally judgmental atmosphere, which would betray the teachings of Jesus and His desire to see His followers be one as He and the Father are one (John 17); and Christianity would lose it’s appeal. Now the other solution is to lay down our presuppositions at the feet of Christ and choose to imitate Him (as Ephesians 5:1 tells us to do) and [become tolerant, understanding, and accepting.] Now that of course doesn’t meant we are to tolerate sin or sinful lifestyles. [James mentioned a few laws the the Gentile believers should see, with an understanding that basic morality and living for God would cover the rest.] But nothing brings greater joy and glory to God than believers of all different racial and ethnic backgrounds and all different social strata coming together in worship of Christ and around the fulfillment of His mission.

These 5 Fingers— [In a Peanuts cartoon Lucy demanded that Linus change TV channels, threatening him with her fist if he didn't. "What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?" asks Linus. "These five fingers," says Lucy. "Individually they're nothing but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold." "Which channel do you want?" asks Linus. Turning away, he looks at his fingers and says, "Why can't you guys get organized like that?”]

The Three Results— Now this decision by the council accomplished three practical things. First, it preserved and strengthened the unity of the Church, keeping it from splitting into two extreme “law” and “grace” groups. Rather, they demonstrated the right kind of compromise. They didn’t compromise on doctrine (which is always wrong, as Jude 3 warns us about), but were willing to give and take in the practical arrangements of life so that the various members could work and live together in love and unbroken harmonious fellowship. Secondly, this united decision allowed the Church to present a united witness to lost Jews (Acts 15:21). And the compromise of the gentiles allowed Jews to be drawn to the Christian faith without being repelled by unneeded offense. Third, this letter brought blessing to all who heard it. Not only was this letter read to the gentile believers in Antioch, but Paul (on his second missionary journey) also shared this letter with all the churches he had founded on his first missionary journey. The result was that those churches grew in their faith and also in their numbers (Acts 16:5).

Christ of The Andes— This week I read an interesting story of how [Years ago, a large statue of Christ was erected high in the Andes on the border between Argentina and Chile. Called "Christ of the Andes," the statue symbolizes a pledge between the two countries that as long as the statue stands, there will be peace between Chile and Argentina. Shortly after the statue was erected, the Chileans began to protest that they had been slighted -- the statue had its back turned to Chile. Just when tempers were at their highest in Chile, a Chilean newspaperman saved the day. In an editorial that not only satisfied the people but made them laugh, he simply said, "The people of Argentina need more watching over than the Chileans.]

Share The Grace— You know, it’s amazing what impact one person can have in bringing unity in a situation. And the way you and I can help do that is by being careful not to put stumbling blocks in front of people by forcing them to conform to what might not be a theological belief, but more of a traditional practice. We can easily fall into the trap of thinking that we are honoring and obeying God with our traditionalism, structure, and legalistic requirements when in fact we may be creating distance between God and others. Freedom and life are what we give others when we share with them the true message of the Gospel, not rules and ceremonies. And so let us share that life; that freedom in Christ Jesus with those to whom we witness. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! Today we will be continuing to look at Acts chapter 15, which tells of group of Judaizers (or Jew-makers) who had come to Antioch and began causing some major dissension by trying to impose the Jewish practice of circumcision on the Gentiles who had come to faith in Jesus Christ. And the Gentiles (understandably) were very taken aback by this; particularly by the idea that they might not yet be right in God’s eyes; that there was a work they needed to perform (an actual operation they had to undergo) if they were going to be able to be followers of Jesus. And really this issue could have created a lot of division and might even have split the Church. And it was about more than just circumcision, but had to do with the issue of whether or not gentiles ought to keep the Mosaic law. And there was a lot of debate on this; but in the end the Jerusalem Council agreed that the Spirit of God was leading them away from placing that burden of the Law upon them, seeing as the Gentiles already had in their lives the marks of being believers. And so James, the head of the Jerusalem council, saying in…

Acts 15:19-20 (NKJV)— 19 Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God {(And [The Gr. word for “trouble” means “to throw something in the path of someone to annoy them.”])}, 20 but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.

Polluted by Idols— And so Gentiles who have come to faith in Christ are not to be put under the weight of the Mosaic system. However, we see that they are asked to abstain from certain practices out of loving courtesy to their Jewish brethren in order to preserve the fellowship. And the first of these is that they are asked “to abstain from things polluted by idols”. Now the eating of food that had been offered to idols was a huge issue in the Early Church, which is why we see the issue discussed again in 1 Corinthians. And what the situation was was that the pagan gentile world of that time would worship idols, physical statues/images that represented spiritual beings. And in places like Corinth (to which 1 Corinthians was written) what people would do was they would take an animal into a pagan temple and offer that animal to the idol. And the “spiritual” god represented by the physical idol would eat the “spiritual” animal. And then you could use the actual physical meat however you wanted. Well, people were very clever about this. They would take their best animals for sacrifices and then (after the supposed god had eaten the spiritual animal) they would sell that meat in the meat markets at those pagan temples. You see it was quite different from Judaism, where you actually had to offer the physical animal (not just the spiritual one).

Hell Money— When I was visiting my parents in China a number of years ago, my dad took me to kind of a Chinese funeral home. And they had a whole lot of normal items you would buy in everyday life, except they were paper. Paper houses (mansions), paper cars, paper watches, purses, you name it. And what you would do is you would buy and burn the paper item so that your loved one could have the real item in the afterlife. And you can actually buy money (they call it hell money) that (when you burn it) your loved one supposedly receives it in real money in the afterlife and they can then buy what they want. Now, I don’t know if they have gift cards. If they do, and I die, do me a favor and burn a few paper Best Buy and Amazon gift cards for me, will you? Now, in all seriousness, it seems to me that if you really believed in this, you would put your money where your mouth is so to speak and burn real money. But you don’t, just like in these pagan temples you don’t burn the animal; no you just offer the spirit of the animal. How different this is from Judaism, where you give God (truly give Him) the animal.

The Offense— But what you need to grasp from all this is that because of all this, the place to buy the best meat was at those heathen temples because that is where people had come to offer their best animals and (consequently) to then sell their best meat. So if you wanted to buy the best steak; the filet mignon; the porterhouse; the New York cuts, you would go to the pagan temples to get it. Now the Gentiles were not offended by this practice because they had always bought their meat at these markets. However, for the Jewish Christian who had been brought up knowing what God said about idolatry (Ex. 20:3; 34:17; Deut. 5:7), they would avoid anything to do with idols, including meat that had been offered to those idols (1 Cor. 8:1-13). And so the thought is that if a gentile were to have that Jewish Christian over for dinner, he would not offend his Jewish brother by offering that food that had been offered to that idol. And this is key for us to understand because (as we have already said) this request given by the council was not an attempt to put the Gentiles under the Mosaic Law, but was rather a request that they not do anything that might harm the unity between them and their Jewish brothers.

Paul’s Stance— And it ought to be noted that later we will see that Paul seems to have taken [a more liberal approach to the issue of food offered to idols in 1 Corinthians 8, which was written six or seven years after the council (c. A.D. 55), and perhaps in Romans 14, which was written eight years after the council (c. A.D. 56).] In certain contexts that may be okay. But they needed to be sensitive to the scruples of their Jewish brothers and sisters and abstain when necessary in order not to wound them. [This is the stance that Paul takes in his discussions in Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8. He recommends sensitivity to people’s consciences, to the weaker brother, and to putting a stumbling block in the way of someone else. {And so} Our convictions must always be tempered by love. Love will make us do things that we have fought against legislating.] In fact we will see that Paul (after all this) will have Timothy circumcised in order to not alienate Jews who might otherwise be open to the Gospel.

Sexual Immorality— Now next we see that the council requests the gentiles to abstain from sexual immorality. And interestingly, this is the one that it markedly different from the other three. It’s the only one that wasn’t a dietary restriction and the only one that seems to be an explicit evil in itself. And once again, we need to understand the background of what was happening at that time to see why this is specifically mentioned. What we are talking about here is likely the kind of orgies that were associated (once again) with the pagan worship the Gentiles had up until this point been a part of. This kind of immorality was so common among the Gentiles, to the point where their consciences had become completely numb to it. It was a part of the pagan religious system. And so these new gentile Christians who are coming out of that pagan background have to be told explicitly not do something that to us might seem obvious. But you know, in America we have been slowly yet steadily moving back to that way of doing life. The sexual revolution in the 70’s played a major part in that. And the ironic thing is that many today think that to cast off all sexual restrictions or boundaries is progress. But this “new morality” or “progressive thinking” is really nothing more than old-time paganism dressed up in new language. And in any culture where immorality has been allowed to pervade and the sexual lines crossed, that culture has crashed.

Purity & Revival— This week I read a devotional by Dr. Dennis Kinlaw in which he says this: There is an important link between our purity in physical relationships and our vitality in spiritual relationships. It is quite clear biblically that God’s purposes for us are tied up with our sexuality. He can only accomplish his purposes in human history, in human society, and in human lives if his followers use their sexuality according to his design and plan. I have noticed a startling truth in the history of the church: the Holy Spirit has a particular affinity for people who are very careful in the sexual aspect of their lives. You will have a difficult time finding an outpouring of the Holy Spirit among people where there is substantial sexual laxity. For some reason, purity and revival are linked inseparably together; God seems to have a particular sensitivity for protecting his creation in this way. Perhaps human sexuality is especially important to God because it is a prime symbol of the depth of intimacy that God desires with each human person. God uses most effectively those individuals who are committed to personal holiness and purity, and he seems to have a special blessing for groups who are committed to corporate holiness and purity. In our day, when such holy behavior is an anomaly, we need to set our course by his standards and not by the standards of the world. Whether you are married or single, young or old, are the thoughts, imaginations, and actions of your heart as pure as Jesus would have them be? If there is any impurity in you, you can expect spiritual impotence.] And you know, he’s absolutely right. And that is why we find here the council taking such a strong stand against sexual immorality. They knew that the power and effectiveness of the Church and it’s ability to be filled with and used by the Holy Spirit was largely dependent on their remaining holy before God. And that is something we need to remember in our day and age as well.

Things Strangled & Blood— Now after this they also add that the gentiles ought to abstain from things strangled, and from blood. This, once again, was a matter of courtesy to the Jewish Christians, who refrained from eating such things and who were careful to cut their animals in such a way so as to drain out all the blood; because God had specifically commanded them not to eat blood.

Where The Lines Are— Now you and I are always interested in knowing where the lines are. We want to know what we are and what we are not allowed to do. And that is good; and is what the Gentiles needed to know. But (and I think the Jerusalem council was aware of this), it isn’t always about what you do as much as how that action might affect your relationship with God or your brother or sister in Christ and their relationship with God.

Susannah Wesley’s Definition of Sin— For this reason, I have come to really appreciate how Susannah Wesley defined sin. This was how Susannah Wesley defined "sin" to her young son, John Wesley. She said: "If you would judge of the lawfulness or the unlawfulness of pleasure, then take this simple rule: Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, and takes off the relish of spiritual things—that to you is sin.”

Let’s Evaluate— Now I love that definition because it puts the focus right where it needs to be; on our relationship with God. How might the action I am considering affect the communion I share with God and (consequently) with other people? Will it nourish me? Will it enhance my love for Jesus and keeps me centered in His will and in love for those He loves? Let us learn to evaluate all things by that standard. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! In our study of Acts chapter 15, we have seen that the Church in Antioch is thriving and growing as a multitude of Gentiles have come to faith in Jesus Christ. However, some particular Jews come in among these Gentiles and tell them that in addition to Jesus, they must also become circumcised (as they are) if they are to be truly saved. And so the Gentiles are being led by these men to severely question their faith. Now Paul and Barnabas immediately seek to free the Gentiles from this false teaching by immediately heading to Jerusalem to appear before the church leaders there and explain the situation so that the church leadership can make an official response to all of this. And so the council discusses and debates this issue and eventually come to a decision; and this decision is announced through a series of speeches delivered by Peter, Paul and Barnabas, and then James, each of whom expounds the truth that salvation is by grace alone through faith, and is something wholly set apart from any kind of ritual or law-keeping. And collectively they present six proofs for this. And last week we looked at the first three: the proof of past revelation (where Peter points out that God already settled this years ago by saving Cornelius (who was a Gentile) and his household (also Gentiles) without their having to become Jews, the fact that the gentiles here in Antioch (like Cornelius and his household) had received the Spirit (as confirmed by their having spoken in tongues; who is only given to believers, as the Bible clearly teaches), and (lastly) these Gentiles having been cleansed from sin, having a transformation of heart and life that bore witness that they truly had become children of God. All of these were powerful evidences that God had already saved the Gentiles. But Peter continues. He says in…

Acts 15:10-11 (ESV)— 10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

The Unneeded Yoke— Now here we find the fourth proof; and that is the inability of the law to save. And Peter’s description of a yoke (a heavy burden) being placed upon them was so fitting. It was one that the Jews themselves had been unable to bear, seeing as none of Peter’s listeners had been saved by the Law, purified & cleansed by the Law, or received the Holy Spirit by the Law. These vital things came from God by grace through faith alone. Why then put upon the Gentiles what had not worked for them? And I love the way that Peter closes. He doesn’t say they will be saved just as we are. No, he says “…we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” He emphasizes once again that NONE of them can be saved by works (not the Gentile nor even the Jew), but by the grace of the Lord Jesus. Now at this point it says…

Acts 15:12 (ESV)— 12 And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

Confirming Signs— And so here we see presented proof number five, the fact of miracles. And this is important because remember we talked about how, at every major turning point in Israelite history when God was leading His people in a new or deeper direction, He confirmed the message of His spokesperson through signs and wonders. Well, Paul and Barnabas are showing that God has done the same thing again through them, confirming that they are indeed his spokesmen (2 Corinthians 12:12). The Judaizers (on the other hand) had no miracles from God to back up their teaching. And that is because God does not back up false teachers. But He has backed up Paul and Barnabas; and therefore their teaching (that salvation was by grace alone) must be true.

Prophetic Promise— Now after this James (the half-brother of Jesus and head of the Jerusalem council) gives the final speech. And in it he gives proof number six; and that is prophetic promise.

Acts 15:13-18 (ESV)—13 After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, 16 “‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, 17 that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things 18 known from of old.’

James’ Word-Centered Response— Now it is so awesome to see the response of James here. After summarizing Peter’s message (thereby affirming it), that God saved the Gentiles by grace years earlier, he then reinforces Peter’s point by noting that the words of the prophets agree, supporting this. And he turns to what was for him (and most of his audience) his primary gauge of truth: The Word of God. Now I say “turn” figuratively because note that he doesn’t have a Bible in front of him. There was no such thing as your own personal Bible. The only Bible you had was the one you had hidden in his heart. And so from that Bible (what was hidden in James’ heart), he says “You know, it’s interesting what the Bible says in.… And then he quotes Amos 9:11-12. That is one way to help unify the Church, by the way; having such a deep shared knowledge of the Word that can be appealed to when guidance is needed in a particular situation. Because ultimately it’s not about what you and I think; it’s about what God thinks. And until we have internalized God’s Word in our hearts, we won’t be able to discern what God’s thinks.

The Millennial Kingdom— And so James brings to the forefront of all their memories this passage in Amos, which speaks of the millennial kingdom, during which God will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;…rebuild its ruins,…and…restore it,. And during the millennial kingdom the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old.’

Saved As Gentiles— And in this passage from Amos we see that Gentiles will be saved as Gentiles (not having to first become Jews) or verse 17 wouldn’t make any sense. Amos was talking about those outside of the covenant community of Israel being saved and made no mention of their first becoming proselytes to Judaism. And so James’ point is that Amos had clearly told that during the millennial kingdom Gentiles would become part of the kingdom of God without first becoming Jews. And so the question is why would they require that of them in this age? The obvious answer is “You wouldn’t”. Now James’ conclusion is very fitting; Peter had stressed how Gentiles in the past were saved by grace through faith alone; James concludes by showing that Gentiles in the future are saved by grace through faith alone (during the Millennial Kingdom). Therefore, salvation for the Gentiles in the present must clearly also be by grace through faith alone. Now at this point James (as head of the Jerusalem Council) says…

Acts 15:19-21 (ESV)— 19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, {(which meant that the Judaizers were forbidden from troubling the Gentiles further)} 20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. 21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”

Fellowship Rules— Now this final list of rules (it is very important to understand) were NOT a part of the salvation discussion. James isn’t saying, “The Gentiles need to obey at least these rules in order to be saved.” No, that would undercut the whole decision. No, what is happening here is that now that the major doctrinal issues are out of the way, being resolved by the Jerusalem Council, James is now turning to practical matters of fellowship. Now that the Gentiles were protected against being troubled by the Jews, James and the Jewish leaders want to also ensure that the Jews are not going to be troubled by the Gentiles. Well how would that happen? Well, the Gentiles might start reveling in their new freedom in Christ and begin pressuring the Jewish believers to exercise that same freedom and (in-so-doing) violate their consciences. And so James proposes that they write a letter to the Gentiles ordering them to abstain from four particular things: things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. Now each of these were direct violations of the law of Moses, whom James points out “…has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.” So we see that James and the Jewish leaders do believe that the moral Law given through Moses (though not saving in itself) was still applicable. Now I’m not talking about the ceremonial law (those laws relating to purification and sacrifice), which all have been fulfilled in and through Jesus Christ; but those laws relating to the way you and I are to live morally (like the Ten Commandments). The Gentiles were to obey those, which James highlights are read every Sabbath in the synagogues. But as to the ceremonial law of Moses, the Jewish leaders wanted to encourage also that the Gentiles not needlessly violate them if doing so might destroy the Church’s credibility with non-believing Jews and also offend their believing Jewish brothers and sisters in Christ. And so we see that James and the Jerusalem leaders wanted (just as the Gentiles had been shown grace) for the Gentiles also to show grace to their Jewish brothers and sisters so that their fellowship might remain healthy and strong; so that nothing would needlessly come between them. And I want you to catch that, because you will remember that Paul will later (despite all of this debate regarding circumcision and circumcision being declared us unnecessary for salvation) still have Timothy circumcised. And that wasn’t because he thought Timothy should be circumcised in order to be saved or to seal his salvation or anything like that. No, it was for the sake of the Jews that he knew they would be ministering to. Paul didn’t want anything to unnecessarily impede his Jewish brethren from having an openness to the Gospel. And you know, I wish more Christians had that mindset; not “How much am I allowed to do?” but “In what way can I live that will most draw myself and others into the presence Jesus?”

A Considerate Freedom— In what I am doing, am I showing that my love for Christ and my desire to see others come to Christ is greater than my need to exercise my freedom to do things that (although I might be able to justify some of them Biblically) might injure someone’s weaker faith? You see that was the mindset of these early Christians. James, Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and the whole Jerusalem Council wanted to keep anything from unnecessarily coming between believers or preventing people from becoming believers. And you know, you and I need to have that same mindset. This passage is our Magna Carta of freedom, but it is freedom for a purpose; it is freedom meant to drive us closer to God, not farther away; it is a freedom to love God by loving those He came to save. It is about being all things to all people, that by all means I might save some., as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:22. And so let us, therefore, as we celebrate a salvation that is by grace through faith alone also show, love, grace, and consideration to those we want to inspire to come to Jesus. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! You know, it’s interesting how, whenever God is doing a new thing, there almost always arises a small group of persons who want to kind of rob people of the joy of what is happening. Well, that even happened in the Early Church. You will remember that last week in our story of Acts chapter 15 that after a massive number of Gentiles in Antioch were coming to faith in Jesus, a group of legalistic Jewish men decided to go to Antioch and tell these new Gentile converts that they need to become circumcised if they wanted to share in God’s salvation. In other words, they were saying they had to have an actual physical operation in order to be a Christian.

Works, Faith, & Salvation— And last week we began to explore the mindset of these legalists and why they were saying what they were saying. They thought that these new Gentiles were getting in on very easy terms when they themselves (as Jews) had lived very strict, self-denying and self-righteous lives. And of course there was a lot of pride involved here. They wanted to get the credit for their good works. And if they could get these Gentiles to become as they are, then that would validate them and imply that they themselves had a higher status with God because of their works. But the reality is that none of us can tip the scales of eternity at all in our favor due to the magnitude of our sin. It is grace and grace alone that can redeem us. That is what Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant clearly demonstrated. Every one of us owed a sum we could never pay on our own by our own works. We needed forgiveness. Now are works are an important part of the redeemed life? Of course. Both Paul and James taught that works and faith must go hand in hand in the life of the believer. But the question is not what the Christian ought to do to live a God-pleasing life. The question is, “What must a person do to be saved?” And that is the question the Church had to answer once and for all, which they do here in Acts 15. It says…

Acts 15:2 (ESV)— 2 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.

The Wedge— Now in all honesty, this controversy had the explosive fire power to split the Church. The Judaizers were declaring these Gentiles unsaved, which must have devastated them; and they no doubt refused to eat with them (which also meant not sharing in the Lord’s Supper with them). And so they were rebuilding the wall between Jews and Gentiles that Jesus had torn down through His work on the cross (Eph. 2:14-16). And so Paul and Barnabas rally to the Gentiles’ defense and begin to fight for the Gospel and against the wedge that was once again driving apart Jew and Gentile, seeking to preserve the unity of the Church around the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith alone. And they, along with a group of others (which we read in Galatians 2:1,3 also included Titus), are sent by the Church in Antioch to Jerusalem to settle this debate); and they leave with that unity-preserving mindset. And they employ a bit of strategy along they way. It says in…

Acts 15:3 (ESV)— 3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers.

Phoenicia & Samaria— Now Phoenicia and Samaria were both regions that were highly populated with Hellenistic Jews and Samaritans, who were [more open to the salvation of Gentiles than the Palestinian Jews were.] And when they heard the good news of the salvation of the Gentiles, they rejoiced. Now keep in mind that these were the spiritual children of Stephen, Philip, Peter, and John; and because of that they did not share the views of the Judaizers that were then troubling those in Antioch. And so what Paul and Barnabas are doing is they are building support as they are journeying towards Jerusalem. And eventually, they arrive at Jerusalem. And it says…

Acts 15:4 (ESV)— 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them.

A God Thing— Now notice where they put the focus; not on themselves, but on God. Their report is all about what God had done with them. They want to show that their ministry to the Gentiles and the amazing response was a God thing and not something they just thought up as some kind of man-made, man-motivated thing. And it must have been amazing to hear of all God had brought them through and done through them. Yet despite that, it says in…

Acts 15:5 (ESV)— 5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

A Different Group— Now this is not the same group as in verse 1. The Jews who came to Antioch were described as “some men”, whereas this group is described as “some believers”. The first were clearly not Christians, since they taught that circumcision was necessary for salvation. But these men were believers and accepted the doctrine of salvation by faith alone. And so it is important to note that this group of men within the Jerusalem council, though they were of the legalistic party of the Pharisees, were not arguing circumcision and the keeping of the law as being necessary for salvation. They were simply saying that believers are still obligated to keep the law following salvation. Obedience to the law (in their minds) was necessary after salvation. And that is a very important distinction. These Pharisees were salvation by faith alone Christians, but as Pharisees they were still deeply committed to the ceremonial law, not realizing the liberating truth that the ceremonial law had actually been fulfilled in Jesus Christ; and we are no longer bound to the rituals of the Old Covenant but are “under the law of Christ” (1 Cor. 9:21). Now after receiving the men from Antioch, it says…

Acts 15:6-7a (ESV)— 6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. {Note that it is not the full congregation, but only the leaders and elders.} 7 And after there had been much debate,

The Church’s Magna Carta— Now Luke does not give us the minutes of the meeting. I’m sure we would love to read them. I’m sure it would have been amazing to hear these mighty men of God arguing their positions with passion, fervor, and deep Biblical insight. But Luke skips forward to when the entire congregation has gathered to hear what the leaders have decided. And this decision is announced through a series of speeches delivered by Peter, Paul and Barnabas, and then James, each of whom expounds the truth that salvation is by grace alone through faith, and is something wholly set apart from any kind of ritual or law-keeping. And this series of speeches contain what has been called the Magna Carta of the Christian Church. And collectively they present six proofs that salvation is by grace and grace alone. The first proof is past revelation, the second is the gift of the Spirit, the third is the cleansing from sin, the fourth is the inability of the law to save, the fifth is the fact of miracles, and the sixth is prophetic promise. And Peter, as the one to whom Jesus gave the key to the kingdom, is allowed to speak first. And he begins with the proof of past revelation. It says in…

Acts 15:7 (ESV)— Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.

Already Divinely Settled— And Peter is of course talking about the salvation of Cornelius and his household, years ago. And Peter argues that God saved them apart from circumcision, law-keeping, or any kind of ritual (Acts 10:44-48). And Peter’s point is clear. If God had not required these things of Gentile believers, what right did they have to require it? Did they know something that God didn’t. Obviously not. Peter was saying that this matter has already been divinely settled years ago. And then he proceeds to the second proof, which was God’s confirmation of the salvation of Cornelius and his household. He says in…

Acts 15:8-9a (ESV)— 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them,

Confirmed By The Spirit— Now here Peter very skillfully anticipates and refutes a possible objection to his first point. The Judaizers could have argued that because Cornelius and his household didn’t meet the necessary legalistic requirements for salvation, then they were not really saved. But Peter shatters that argument by pointing out that God (knowing the heart) bore witness of the genuiness of their salvation by giving them the Holy Spirit just as He had done for the Jewish Christians on Pentecost, making no distinction, which was evidenced by the fact that Cornelius and his household were allowed by God to speak in tongues to confirm that the same kind and level of blessing had been given also to them. And this is powerful evidence, because everyone knew that the Holy Spirit was for believers and believers alone (Rom 8:9, 1 Cor 6:19, 12:13, Gal 3:14, 4:6). And so Peter’s argument is that God was saving Gentiles through faith and then confirming that salvation by giving them the Holy Spirit. And then he moves on to the third proof, which is that God did something else. He (verse 9)…

Acts 15:9b (ESV)— having cleansed their hearts by faith.

Our Mark— And this of course is connected with proof number 2, because the Holy Spirit always brings with Him radical change and transformation. It is His role to make us like Christ. He is really the Holy Making Spirit. And these converts had in their lives that unmistakable transformation that proved they must have the Holy Spirit; and if they have the Holy Spirit, then they must have Christ. Now that ought to say something to us about how the world will know that we are truly saved? It won’t chiefly be because our doctrine sounds nice (it probably won’t, at least at first). No, it will be the living doctrine enfleshed in the transformation they see in your life and in mine. In us people will encounter Jesus. And so let us make sure that in every way, we also are living out this signature marks of every believer. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! I hope you are doing well and that this week you have experienced the nearness of Jesus Christ.

“Go Premium”— As we begin, I want ask you today, how many of you have subscriptions to any service that have following that service the word “premium“ or “plus”? For a while now, I have made use of a program that is available to pastors free of charge. But you have to pay for their “pro“ version. It is one of those yearly subscription things. And as you are using that program there is this constant marketing interwoven throughout that shows you snippets of the content that could be available to you if you were to spring for the “pro” version. Well interestingly, our denomination recently decided to go ahead and purchase the “pro” versions for any pastor in our conference who would like it. And so I excitedly said yes and went through the process of having my account upgraded to their “pro” package. And I delightedly began to peruse the content that had previously been unavailable to me. But it was not long after this, as I was going through the content, that I came across a bit of material that I was interested in, but when I clicked on it it immediately said that this content was available not in the “pro” package but in the even more exalted “platinum” package. But that’s always how it is, isn’t it. Companies are very good at making you feel inferior with what you already have so that you will attach yourselves to them and have something that is supposedly better than what you had before. And this has always been the case, both in the world of physical goods, but also in the world of spiritual goods. There are sellers of physical things and their are sellers of spiritual things. And no matter what it is, there is always somebody trying to upsell you from the free version to the premium package. Well, this is what we see in a huge way here in Acts chapter 15. A massive number of Gentiles have been coming to faith in Jesus Christ and experiencing the free gift of salvation. But a number of the Jews (who I would like to point out were completely unauthorized by the Church) entered in among these Gentile converts and immediately began trying to sell them the “plus“ version of Christianity. If they truly wanted to be part of the program and have salvation, then they needed to subscribe to the full weight of the Jewish law; all the rules and regulations that were a part of the Jewish religious system. Now I cannot stress to you enough the importance of this issue in this chapter. Because here is hammered out the most significant doctrine in Christianity; the doctrine of salvation. This is without a doubt the most important doctrine, because you can be a little off in your understanding about the end times, what the gifts of God are and how they are to be used in the Church, and so on and so forth. But the doctrine of salvation (how we get to heaven); there is no room for error on that point. Because a wrong understanding of the doctrine of salvation can cost you eternity. And so in the coming weeks we will be carefully moving through this chapter, expounding what the church clearly recognized regarding the way all people (including Gentiles like most of us) are saved. Go ahead and look with me at first one of Acts 15. It reads…

Acts 15:1 (ESV) The Jerusalem Council— 1 But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

The Primary Issue— Now throughout the history of the church, often times church leaders have gathered in order to settle doctrinal issues. And in fact historians recognize seven major councils that met during the first several centuries of the Church. And you are perhaps familiar with some of the most significant ones, such as the Councils of Nicea (325) and Chalcedon (451), which met in order to confront and condemn false teachings about the person and nature of Jesus Christ and to clearly define what the Bible actually teaches about Him. But as important as these councils were, none were as significant or important as this first one that we find in our chapter today because it answered the most important question that could ever be asked: What must a person do to be saved?

Jesus Plus Something— Now these Judaizers said that in order to be saved, you needed Jesus plus circumcision. Jesus + Circumcision = Salvation. Now many of our men nowadays have been circumcised whether or not we wanted to be when we were very young; and so for most of us, this may seem like a discussion that doesn’t really matter to us. But it does in fact matter a great deal because what we are talking about is more than just circumcision. No, we are talking about what it is that saves us. Is it faith in Jesus alone or is it Jesus plus something else? I guarantee that most of you have heard at least one person say in and through the course of your life “You need to be baptized to be saved.” That’s a little rough on the thief on the cross, who never got that opportunity. Or you might have heard somebody say “You need to go to Church every week” or “You must complete catechism” or “You must do….” any number of things. Now all those things might be beneficial (as many traditions of the Jews are); but the question is whether or not those things save you.

Become Jews?— I myself am fascinated by Jewish traditions and culture. I believe that there is a wealth of treasures that remain untapped by many of us Westerners that could breath so much depth into our Christian walk if we only new better the Jewish roots of our faith; and that’s a large part of what this show (Lechem Panim) is about. To participate in many of the traditions of the Jews (like Passover; like the feast of Purim) is actually to visually live out the history of our faith. However, I am very wary of anyone who (having filled their minds with that depth of understanding, then fails to distinguish between what can complement your salvation from what gives you salvation). And some even go so far as to at least imply (if not outright say) that we must become Jews in how we live our lives if we are going to share in salvation. THAT is the heresy that was at this time starting to creep into the Church and needed to be confronted. The central question is: Do I need Jesus or do I need Jesus plus…?

The Fulfillment of Judaism— Now one thing we need to grasp if we are to understand the mindset of these Judaizers (men who sought to make Jews of others) is the fact that they (like all the early Christians) saw Christianity not as a separate religion from Judaism, but as a fulfillment of Judaism. Christianity was the climax of a process that had begun thousands of years prior. And so for a Gentile to kind of squeeze in for the end result (not having to go through the process they as Jews had gone through) was a real difficulty for them. Now they were willing to receive a comparatively small group of Samaritans into the Church. And they even allowed Cornelius (a Roman) to somehow squeeze in, though it is doubtful they really understood what that was all about. But it is one thing to allow a few Gentiles to squeeze in and quite another to go galavanting all over the Mediterranean world seeking out and bringing multitudes of Gentiles into the Church. That was something that was (in the minds of many Jewish Christians) completely unacceptable.

Unfair?— Now it may surprise you, but I actually sympathize a lot with the Judaizers on this; and I think you will too as we proceed through the text. I don’t agree with them, but I know where they are coming from. These were men and women who (all their lives) had strived in the best way they knew how to do everything right. Most had grown up under very very strict rules and had said “no” to a great many things. And to see these Gentiles now be openly received as equal sharers in the salvation of God was profoundly disturbing to them. Why should Gentiles share in our inheritance?

The Prodigal— They were like the other son in Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son, who watched as his brother rebelled against their father, took much of their wealth and then went to the city and squandered it all on wild living. And then that son comes back and instead of facing judgment, the father receives him with open arms and receives him right back into the home. And he clothes him with a robe, puts a ring on his finger, and then shoes for his feet; and not only that, THEN HE THROWS A PARTY FOR HIM!!!! A party in which the father serves the fattened calf (the best calf)! And you will remember the other son (the son who had not run off) comes in from the field and hears the dancing and the music and (after inquiring about it and hearing the explanation) can’t believe it and refuses to join the party. And so the father goes out to him where he is sulking and entreats him to come in. But it says…

Luke 15:29-32— 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

The Son Who Stayed— Now you and I have heard many sermons preached about the sinful son who left. But what about the self-righteous son who stayed? We rarely focus (maybe mention but rarely focus) on this second part of the story. But it is this part of the story that I think may in fact be the most important for the Jews listening to Jesus to hear. Because Jesus knew (and of course it was always his intention) that the unclean, lawless Gentiles might be allowed into the family of God. Because ultimately (and here’s the thrust of it) God is their Father too just as much as He is of the Jew. And as their Father, God loves and desires that they also might know His salvation.

A Happy Ending— Now (spoiler alert) this story has a wonderful ending. The Church does come to unite around the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith alone and does not become yet another works-based religion. And we will see how all this unfolded in the coming weeks. But I want to leave you today with all that Jesus requires of you to be saved. It is found in…

Romans 10:8-13 (ESV)— 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Call Upon Jesus— If you haven’t done so yet, call upon Jesus in faith and ask Him to be the Lord of your life. And you will be saved. And He will be all you ever need; no plus required. Call upon Him today. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! If you’ve been following us, you’ll know that we have been studying the first great missionary journey of the apostle Paul. He and Barnabas have been traveling through many cities proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ; and God of course performs many miraculous signs through them to confirm their message. Now some people are receptive to the message (some even eager and ready to accept and follow Christ), but others feel threatened and end up persecuting Paul and Barnabas. But here in chapter 14, when they come to the city of Lystra, they are met by the opposite extreme. Paul heals a crippled man who had never walked before; and the people are so taken aback by the sign that they conclude that Paul and Barnabas must be gods; and so they seek to worship them. But Paul and Barnabas (in grief) begin telling them that not only are they not those gods, but that their belief in those kinds of gods is futile and that they need to instead trust in the Living God. Unlike their gods, Yahweh is the one who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. And because He is the Maker of all things, He is therefore the Lord of all things. Now Paul and Barnabas continue. They say of God that (verse 16)…

Acts 14:16-17 (ESV)—16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”

Natural Revelation— Now Paul and Barnabas know that many of the people they are speaking to do not know the Old Testament or the fundamental tenets of the Jewish faith. And so they start with what the people do know and are able to recognize for themselves. They start with the rains and the seasons, which they point out are evidence of the goodness of God, who provides the world with what it needs to survive. And what Paul and Barnabas are pointing the people to here is what is known as the natural revelation of God; the things anyone can come to understand about Him just by looking at the natural world we live in. And Paul and Barnabas zero in on the fact that God never leaves people without evidence of His existence and His loving kindness. Later Paul would write further on this in Romans 1:20, saying that the evidence in nature is so strong, that people are really without excuse for not believing. There is abundant evidence all around us (more now than ever); we just need to open our eyes and look. Now despite Paul and Barnabas’ words, it says in…

Acts 14:18-19 (ESV)— 18 Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them. {Now here is where things again take a turn for the worse, as Jewish leaders come to oppose Paul and Barnabas. It says…} 19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.

Fickle People— Now unfortunately, this passage offers us a very realistic look at human nature; how fickle we can be at times (John 2:24-25). Here it didn’t matter what the people had seen; the voice of persuasion from the Jewish leaders was stronger. And the same is true today. Sometimes people can become so wrapped up in a political party or a news network or what some false teacher is telling them that they can literally be convinced to look away from the evidence before them. It’s scary, but it happens all the time. And it happened here. The people of Lystra, though they had just thought Paul and Barnabas were gods and therefore sought to worship and offer sacrifices to them, now stone Paul and leave him for dead. And what you and I learn from this is that though we might feel good when people approve of us and affirm us, we need to be careful not to allow that desire for approval to cloud our reasoning or affect our decisions. We are not to be about pleasing the crowds, but are to seek to be like Jesus no matter what anybody else might think. Our faith and trust need to be in Him and Him alone; because unlike people, God never changes (James 1:17). Now it says in…

Acts 14:20a (ESV)— 20 But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city,

Persistent— And this just shows how persistent Paul and Barnabas were in preaching the good news of Jesus. They counted the cost and thought it worth the persecution and pain to obey Christ. And think about it; they had just escaped being stoned in Iconium (14:1-7); but here the Jews from Pisidian Antioch and Iconium track Paul down and stone him, to the point where he nearly dies. And yet he gets right back up and goes into the city to continue to preach the Gospel!!! And I just think what an incredible amount of commitment! But that is what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. You and I have to be totally committed to Him. Our lives are His; and we ought to be willing to lay them down in a heartbeat if He calls us to. Paul writes in…

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV)— 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Paul Lived It— Now that’s remarkable because we discover from this passage that this wasn’t just a concept that Paul casually preached about in his sermons. No, this was something he lived. He glorified God in his body, often suffering in ways that Jesus had suffered. And we are called to do the same. Now it says of Paul in…

Acts 14:20b-23 (ESV)— and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. 21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Returning to Disciple— And so we see that Paul and Barnabas return to the cities in which they have just been threatened and physically attacked; and they do this in order to visit with the new believers. Now that may sound foolish to us, but they knew that these new Christians didn’t have anybody to mentor, disciple, and help establish them in the faith. And so Paul and Barnabas return to encourage/strengthen them; to build them up, and to establish leadership in the church that can help lead them and help them to grow in their faith. And what we learn from this is that no matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient it is to spend time with new believers (mentoring and discipling them) that is what we are called to do. And that’s because people need more than just initial salvation; they need to be taught how to actually follow Jesus Christ. And every one of us has the responsibility to try to help that to happen in the lives of new believers. Now Paul and Barnabas center their focus on raising up church leaders. And that’s because when a Church has Spirit-led leaders, laypersons, and pastors, that church will grows. That’s why we need to pray for our church leaders and support them in any way that we can. But also, if God nudges you to enter into a leadership role in the Church, you need to be humbly willing to accept that responsibility. Now it says in…

Acts 14:24-28 (ESV)— 24 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, 26 and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. 27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they remained no little time with the disciples.

Celebration— Now that must have been a wonderful time of celebration. There is nothing better than celebrating the salvation of those you helped lead to Jesus. But in reflecting on this passage, I wonder, “are we just as burdened in our hearts for those who do not know Jesus? Do we so desire them to be saved that we are willing to endure any kind of suffering in order that they might come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ?”

Tears of Burden— You know, I only got to hear my late grandfather (we called him Geempa) preach one time in person during his life. I have heard him preach on tape before, but only one time in person. And I remember he was in a church setting. And there was a special missionary banquet. And I remember him, having been a missionary in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and China, sharing a message with that church's congregation. And I was very young at the time and don't remember the entirety of this message. But I do remember that as he began talking about how there are people in the world who are lost; people he had been striving all of his life to reach with the gospel; his eyes began to well up with tears. He knew that every day people were slipping into an eternity without Jesus. And he, like Paul and Barnabas, anguished over that. And his love for the lost and his desire to reach them drove him into some of the most intense situations. One time he was ministering to a tribe that 30 years prior had murdered people brutally, until it was colonized by the British. And he was in the large room where he was to sleep and, laying down to go to sleep, he stared up at the ceiling. And there, hanging from the ceiling were the severed and shrunken heads of a few of the numerous people this tribe had killed only a few decades before. Now as scary as that was for him; scary enough to drive many people away from those kinds of people (some he ministered to having probably participated in those killings); it was not his greatest fear. His greatest fear was people from that tribe never knowing about Jesus. And it was that sense of urgency that was the driving force of His life. Is that the driving force of our lives? Do we have a healthy sense of anguish for those who do not yet know Christ?

Robert Moffat, who inspired David Livingstone, once said, "In the vast plain to the north I have sometimes seen, in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been”.

William Carey, pioneer missionary to India said, ”To know the will of God, we need an open Bible and an open map."

Hudson Taylor once said, ”If I had 1,000 lives, I'd give them all for China”. He also said, "The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed"

Oswald J. Smith once said, “Any church that is not seriously involved in helping fulfill the Great Commission has forfeited its biblical right to exist.” What a powerful statement!

Our Commission— And in light of that, are we taking the fulfillment of Christ's great commission seriously enough? Are we bathing the lost with prayer every day? Are we following the spiritual needs of other countries and remaining open to God's calling us to do something about it? If not, we need to be. And so let us this week commit to be God’s instruments through which the world might come to know Him. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! You will remember from our study of Acts chapter 13 last week that Paul and Barnabas (on what would be Paul’s first missionary journey) were sharing the good news of the Gospel in Pisidian Antioch. And they were met with a very positive response from the people. The whole town shows up the following Sabbath to hear them speak and a great many believe. And the Gentiles especially are encouraged to hear from Paul and Barnabas that the way of salvation has been opened even to them. However, it says in...

Acts 13:50-52 (ESV)— 50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. 51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

On To Iconium— So Paul and Barnabas do what you and I are to do when we encounter persecution. They shake it off and move on. And the next place they journey to is the city of Iconium, a city that was [A cultural melting pot of native Phrygians, Greeks, Jews, and Roman colonists, located 80 mi. SE of {where they had just been in} Pisidian Antioch.] And (as always) they started first in the synagogue. It says in...

Acts 14:1-3 (ESV)— 1 Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

Wishing for Signs?— Now have you ever wished that you could perform a sign or miracle? I know I have. Now because I have done magic tricks ever since I was a little kid, I have gotten to have the experience of having somebody look at me in wonder and amazement, having just witnessed a compelling illusion. But at the end of the day, they are just illusions; and certainly nothing as compelling as what we find the apostles doing here in the book of acts. None of their signs or wonders could ever be mistaken for illusions, as there was irrefutable proof that those whom they healed truly were lame, blind, or even dead. It would be amazing to be able to perform miracles like they did. And what you and I often think is that if we could perform signs and wonders, we would be able to convince everybody once and for all that Jesus is God. But what we discover in this passage (and in and throughout the Gospels as well) is that even if we could perform miracles, that will not convince everyone. Jesus had said in His parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:31 that “…‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” Now I am sure that the disciples reacted the same way to that statement as you and I do; thinking that Jesus is overstating His case. Surely that wasn’t true. But here we see play out the kind of unbelief Jesus was talking about. God had given Paul and Barnabas the ability to perform miracles (in abundance), but still not everyone was convinced. We see that the people were divided. It says in…

Acts 14:4 (ESV)— 4 But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles.

Sowing— Now what that says to you and to me is that in our own Christian walks we need to not waste any time thinking that if we could perform miracles or signs people would believe; or even if we were just dynamic and powerful orators. No, it is the Holy Spirit who convinces people. And so all you and I are called to do is to simply sow the seeds of the Gospel wherever he leads us to. If we do that, then God will be faithful to yield a crop.

Acts 14:5-11 (ESV)— 5 When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, 6 they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, 7 and there they continued to preach the gospel. {Now while in Lystra (the second of these three cities), Paul has the door opened to perform another miraculous sign. It says:} 8 Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, 10 said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking. 11 And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”

Language Barrier— Now Paul and Barnabas don’t immediately recognize what the people are saying because neither of them speak Lycaonian. The people probably sounded like they were merely expressing wonder or amazement. But no, they were in fact deifying Paul and Barnabas. And they actually thought Paul and Barnabas were two gods in particular. It says in…

Acts 14:12 (ESV)— 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

The Legend of Zeus & Hermes— Now this reaction may seem kind of strange to us. But why the people responded the way that they did was directly tied to a very important piece of local folklore that they embraced as true. According to tradition, two popular gods in the Roman world, Zeus and Hermes (who were also known as Jupiter and Mercury, after whom two of the planets are named) had once come down in disguise to visit the city of Lystra. And according to legend, they had sought food and lodging from the people. However, nobody in the city of Lystra showed them what would have been the common courtesy of hospitality that people generally practiced during that time; nobody except an old couple, a peasant by the name of Philemon and his wife Baucis. So Zeus and Hermes took vengeance on the people of Lystra by killing all of its inhabitants in a localized flood. But Philemon and Baucis they rewarded by turning their lowly cottage into a temple, of which both of them would serve as priest and priestess. Now this is important to understand because when the people of Lystra saw these miraculous signs Paul and Barnabas were performing, they immediately put that within the context of their own religion and assume that Paul and Barnabas were Zeus and Hermes again visiting their city. And so they are determined that this time they as a people are not going to fail to give Zeus and Hermes the love and worship that they think they deserve. And so they immediately shower Paul and Barnabas with worship and with gifts.

Social Context— And this is a reminder to us that when we go to witness in places we are unfamiliar with, we need to be sensitive to the context, because people are not always going to receive our message the way we might intend them to. They have their own framework of understanding that we need to take the time to know and understand if we expect them to ever truly hear the message of the Gospel as they are meant to. Now it says in…

Acts 14:13 (ESV)— 13 And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.

The Priest— And this was because as priest of Zeus, it was his responsibility to lead the people in worship. Now eventually, wind of what is going on finally reaches Paul and Barnabas and they finally understand what is happening. It says in…

Acts 14:14-15 (ESV)—14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments {(which was [A Jewish expression of horror and revulsion at blasphemy.])} and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, 15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.

Vain Things— Now I love how open and honest Paul and Barnabas are about the nature of what the people of Lystra believe. They blatantly call the things they worship “vain”, but the word can also be translated “useless” or “worthless.” Now that is not something we in our all-inclusive society would often be willing to say to somebody. It doesn’t jive with the multiculturalism that our culture typically subscribes to. But Paul and Barnabas openly declare that their worship of other gods rather than Yahweh (the God of Israel) is worthless because these gods have no power to save. Indeed, they don’t even exist; hence their contrast with the God of Israel, whom Paul and Barnabas call the Living God. Now in the ancient religions of the world, people believed in a syncretism between the realm of the gods and nature. You have to understand that. The gods were as much a part of creation as we are; and are enslaved to the same appetites; the same needs. They are dependent on the natural world. And therefore they have no power to save because (ultimately) they are as enslaved as we are. Now we take for granted that God (Yahweh) is the Creator of heaven and earth because that is what many of us have been raised to believe. But back then no one except the Jews talked like that. But that is the reality that Paul and Barnabas try to steer the people to. Yahweh is the maker of heaven and earth and therefore He is the Lord of heaven and earth in a way that Zeus, Hermes, or any other false god could never be. He is not bound to our world; that is what is behind this fancy theological word “transcendent” that we use in describing God. God is not one with creation; no, He is distinct. And He interacts with His creation not because He needs us, but because He loves us. What a fundamentally different way of looking at things! And I think, what a powerful message to bring to the people of Lystra! But you know, that is a message you and I need to bring to the people of our generation. There is a God who is Lord of all things; who made us and loves us, so much so that He sent His Son into our world to bridge the gap between Him and us created by our sin, so that in and through coming into a relationship with His Son Jesus we might have our sins forgiven and (like runaway children who have at last come home) we can be brought back into the family of God. And so I want to encourage you today, embrace the living God. Pray to Him and tell Him you want to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and be in a relationship with Him. If you do that, you will escape the tyranny of a life lived in vain for vain things and will find that you have placed at your very center what in fact adds meaning to everything you do and all that you are. Do so today. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! We have been looking at the first missionary journey of Paul, who sets out with Barnabas from Jerusalem and have now come to Pisidian Antioch. And they go into the synagogue to share with those who have gathered there about the Good News of Jesus Christ. And there is a tremendous positive response. And word of Paul’s message spread like wildfire; and it says in…

Acts 13:44-45 (ESV)— 44 The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. {Now there was a also a negative reaction to this as well, as it says…} 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him.

Jealous— And the chief word we have to latch onto here is jealousy. While the Jewish leaders undoubtedly tried to refute Paul with theological arguments, Luke emphasizes that their disdain was not because Paul was preaching things that were not true, but rather because he was winning the hearts of the people in a way that they never could; and so they were jealous. Now jealousy (unfortunately) is a common reaction; one that we often have when we see other’s excelling in ways we haven’t but want to; or when we see others receiving affirmation or praise in ways that we want to be affirmed or praised. And like it can happen with us today, these Jewish leaders allowed their jealousy to actually lead them into trying to stop the work of God. But the way we fight that jealousy in our hearts is by learning to rejoice in the work of God, no matter who is doing it.

Smart Hopis— You know, [Not long after the I.Q. (Intelligence Quotient) test was developed, several studies were conducted to find out how different groups of people scored on the test as groups. The test was administered to men and women, young and old, rich and poor, and many ethnic groups as well. It was in this context that the I.Q. test was given to a group of Hopi {(hoe-pee)} Indians. When the Hopi {(hoe-pee)} received the test, they immediately started to ask each other questions and to compare their answers. The instructor saw this happening, and quickly intervened, telling them that they each had to take the test alone. “You are not permitted to help each other or to share your answers among yourselves,” he told them. When the Hopi {(hoe-pee)} heard this, they were outraged and refused to take the test, saying, “It is not important that I am smarter than my brother, or that my brother is smarter than me. It is only important what we can do together!” Unfortunately, we live in a world that puts a big emphasis on what we do alone. As a result, we suffer from all sorts of maladies: low self-esteem, competitiveness, jealousy, greed, anger, and hostility, to name a few. But God created us to live in community with each other—to work together, to share our resources with each other, to help each other out. The principle is love, not competitiveness and greed. In the body of Christ, no one is greater or more important than anyone else (see 1 Corinthians 12). Christianity is not a religion for “Lone Rangers.” We really do need each other.] But that was obviously not something these Jewish leaders understood. Now in response to the jealousy and persecution of the Jewish leaders, it says…

Acts 13:46 (ESV)— 46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.

To The Jew First— And so we see here stressed once again the fact that God’s plan has always been that the Jewish nation would be the ones through whom the rest of the world would come to know God. God had said to Abram in…

Genesis 12:3 (ESV)— 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” {And Paul highlights this in his continuing to quote from the Old Testament, saying in)…

Acts 13:47 (ESV)— 47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

Keeping The Pattern— You see, [God had planned for Israel to be this light (Isaiah 49:6.] Through Israel, Jesus (the Light of the World) came (Luke 3:32). And that light was meant to spread out even to the Gentiles. And so Paul still seeks to keep to that “Jew-first” pattern, preaching first to the Jew because he loved his people (Romans 9:1-5) and wanted them to experience the joy of joining with Him in proclaiming God’s salvation to the world. But unfortunately (as we said before) many Jews were resistant to the idea of Jesus being the Messiah because He didn’t fit into their mold of who they thought and wanted the Messiah to be; and many of them did not see (or want to believe) that God was offering salvation to anyone (Jew or Gentile) who was willing to place their faith in Christ. Now you can imagine what a shock this must have been to the Gentiles in the crowd; what a wonderful message of hope that even they might be brought into the family of God, which is why it says in…

Acts 13:48-50 (ESV)— 48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. 50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.

The Truth Rejected— And so instead of accepting what God was saying through Paul, they reject the truth and drive both Paul and Barnabas out of town. And that’s what people almost always do when they come across a truth they don’t want to hear. It is much easier to close our ears or disregard the person sharing that truth than it is to receive that truth, especially if it is a truth that will require us to humble ourselves and make serious changes. But when God points something out in our lives that needs changing, we need to be sure not to pull away from Him; because if we continue to do that, we will eventually push the truth so far away from us that it will no longer affect us; and we will miss out on what God wants to do in and through each of our lives. And that’s what happened to the Jewish leaders in our passage today. But it says of Paul and Barnabas in…

Acts 13:51-52 (ESV)— 51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Shaking The Dust— Now what’s with the shaking of the dust from their feet all about? Well it was actually customary during the time, whenever a Jew would leave a Gentile town to make their way back to their own land, to shake the dust off of their feet. Because remember they saw the Gentile regions as unclean; and so it was a symbolic way of cleansing themselves from the contamination of those people who did not worship God. Now what is remarkable here is that Paul and Barnabas are doing this not to Gentiles, but to the Jewish leaders, which was a powerful way of saying that because they had rejected the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus, they were not truly a part of Israel and were (in fact) no better than pagans. And this was something that Jesus Himself had commanded His followers to do in Mark 6:11. He [had told his disciples to shake from their feet the dust of any town that would not accept or listen to them (Mark 6:11).] The disciples were not at fault if the message was rejected. They only had to present it faithfully. And you know, the same is true of us. So often we think we are responsible for how people respond to our sharing of the message of the Gospel; but that is not true. We are only responsible for sharing the Gospel the best we can and trusting God for the rest. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the hearer to respond; and for God to do the best He can to make that person as ready as possible to receive that word from you. And so for us, all we need to worry about is getting out there. We will not be judged for people’s rejection of the Gospel. But we will be judged for not sharing the Gospel. And so let that be an encouragement to you. If somebody rejects you, simply shake it off and keep going. In sharing in the rejection of Jesus, you are in the company of great men and women who have gone before you.

Maybe The Hearer— But maybe today you are not the speaker; maybe you are the hearer. Maybe God is moving you to respond to the Gospel in a way you haven’t before; maybe even to make a decision to receive Jesus Christ for the first time. If that is the case, I would like to invite you to pray this prayer with me today: Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. If you prayed that prayer today, then you have crossed from death to life; and you have cause to celebrate, because you also have become a part of the family of God. And so rejoice today. But also remember that that joy is not for you alone; you must take the light you have embraced and received into the world so that the world also may know the light of God’s salvation. The Lord has made you a light for the nations, so that you might bring salvation to the ends of the earth. May you be a blessing to all the families of the earth as you seek for those open doors to share the Good News of Christ with those you encounter. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! You will remember from our passage last week in Acts chapter 13 that Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark have been sharing the Gospel on the island of Cyprus. And from there it says in…

Acts 13:13 (ESV)— 13 Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem,

John Mark Leaves— Now Luke doesn’t go into further detail at this point about why John Mark left them. But we come to see later that John Mark seems to have had a yellow streak in him. When they arrive and John Mark gets a glimpse into the interior of Asia Minor and sees all the paganism and all the danger that lay ahead, he decides to turn back. You will remember that his mother was a prominent member of the Church in Jerusalem; and that is where and to whom he turns back to. He runs home to momma. And we will find out later that Paul was very unhappy about it. He implicitly accuses John Mark of lacking courage and commitment and refuses to take him along on another missionary journey (see 15:37-38). And he and Barnabas have a very heated argument over this and end up separating because of it; Barnabas going one way and Paul another. Now Paul was wrong on this issue. God hadn’t thrown John Mark away because of one failure. And neither does He reject us when we fail. God gives John Mark another chance. And Paul later comes to realize this and is man enough to admit that he was wrong. When we come to Paul's later letters, we find that he actually grew to respect John Mark a lot (Colossians 4:10) and came to understand how much he needed Mark to be involved in his ministry (2 Timothy 4:11). In fact, he writes in…

2 Timothy 4:11 (ESV)— 11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.

A 2nd Chance— And so we will see that God always gives us a second chance. And we need to be careful not to write people off for their mistakes. We need to allow them the opportunity to grow out of them; to change in our eyes. And that can be hard to do; but it is often our encouragement (not our judgment) that can most help them to do that. Now at this point John Mark leaves and Paul and Barnabas (and those with them) head for the interior of Asia Minor, as it says they set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And then it says…

Acts 13:14 (ESV)— 14 but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.

Antioch of Pisidia— Now [Antioch of Pisidia was a different city from Antioch of Syria, where {they had been ministering before and where} there was already a flourishing church (11:26). This Antioch, in the region of Pisidia, was a hub of good roads and trade, with a large Jewish population.]

The Synagogue First— And that is who they try to reach first. As we talked about before, whenever Paul and Barnabas would go to a new city to share the Gospel of Christ, they would start first in the synagogue. And that was very strategic for a number of reasons. First and foremost, those who attended synagogue believed in the Jewish God and studied the Hebrew Scriptures; the Old Testament. And so Paul and Barnabas remain heavily attached to the synagogues because they wanted to show the Jewish people that Christianity was not some new religious cult. No, Christianity is a fulfillment of Judaism. The Old Testament, almost on every page, points to the hope of a Redeemer (a Messiah) who would come to atone for the sins of the world.

A Wrong View of Messiah— Now tragically, we know that many of the Jews they witnessed to did not accept the fact that Jesus is the Messiah because they had very different expectations as to who the Messiah would be. They thought that the Messiah would be a great military king who would overthrow and deliver them from Rome. They did not recognize what Old Testament passages like Isaiah 53 were talking about when they talked about the Messiah as a suffering servant; a servant-king whose primary goal was not to defeat physical kingdoms (at least at first) but rather the sin that rules in the hearts of people, which is what causes enslavement and oppression to begin with. Would He judge the nations and the world? Yes, but that will happen when He returns in the future.

A Typical Synagogue Service— And so Paul and Barnabas come to the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch on the Sabbath. And in a few moments we will hear one of Paul’s first sermons; and it is one of his best. Now I don’t actually want to offer to much commentary on our passage today because Paul’s message is so clear, it doesn’t warrant too much explanation. But there are a few things I’ll add as we move through the text; things that will help to augment our understanding just a little bit. And the first of these things has to do with what a synagogue service would look like in the 1st century world. The way that we structure our services today is founded on these synagogues; and so there are a lot of similarities. The first thing they would do in service would be that they would recite the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4); and that was something the Jewish people actually did several times throughout the day. Next, certain prayers would be spoken; and then there would be a reading from the law (the books of Genesis through Deuteronomy). Then there would be a reading from the Prophets with the intention of helping to illustrate the law, and then finally there would come the sermon. Now the synagogue leaders would decide who would lead the service and give the sermon; and that person would change from week to week. But there was also another custom; and this one is the key custom for understanding our passage today, as it was another reason that Paul and Barnabas implemented the strategy that they did. And that was that synagogue leaders would customarily invite visiting rabbis to speak. And this was great because pretty much everywhere they went, Paul and Barnabas were visitors; and so they could always go into a synagogue knowing that there was probably going to be an open door to share the Gospel. Now that door did not always remain open once they started speaking about Jesus as the Messiah; sometimes the door would quickly slam shut in their faces, and they would not be invited invited back. Sometimes they were even thrown out of town. But nevertheless, they took advantage of the opportunities they had and trusted God with the results, not allowing the rejection of some to discourage them. And so now they have reached that key part of the service. And it says in…

Acts 13:15 (ESV)— 15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.”

“any word of encouragement”— Now I will say this about that word “encouragement”, which jumped out at me in a special way as I was preparing for this message; because of some of the issues the people in my own church are facing, but also what people in general have been facing this past year and a half; because (as you know) it has been difficult. But when I came across that word “encouragement”, I thought about the audience Paul and Barnabas were preaching to. This was a crowd that was living under constant threat; constant persecution. This was a crowd that wondered (like we do at times) where God was in the midst of all that they were facing. And so note what the synagogue leaders ask Paul and Barnabas for. They don’t ask for just any message; no, they ask for it says “any word of encouragement”. Here was a crowd that needed a word of encouragement. And Paul is about to give them the greatest Word of encouragement they could ever hope for; the encouragement of the Word made flesh; the Messiah having come in the person of Jesus Christ to bring forgiveness and redemption from sin. And he begins with what he knew would be a point of agreement with them, emphasizing God’s covenant with Israel; because all Jews were proud to be God’s chosen people; and the Good News Paul was preparing to share was that that covenant had been fulfilled in Jesus. So that was the appropriate place to begin. And so it says in…

Acts 13:16-30 (ESV)— 16 So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. {Apparently there were some visitors there, probably Gentiles, as they are distinguished from the “Men of Israel”.} 17 The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. 18 And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. 19 And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. 20 All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. {Now what is Paul doing? Well, he’s beginning to do the same thing that Stephen did before the Sanhedrin. He begins recounting their history as a nation. And he continues, saying…} 21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ 23 Of this man's offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. {And so we see that he is beginning to present the person of Jesus Christ to them. And he says…} 24 Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. {Now these people had apparently heard of John the Baptist and were familiar with his ministry. And so Paul builds on what they already know and continues…} 25 And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’ 26 “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. {Now he is getting to the heart of the message. Listen to him. He says…} 27 For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. 28 And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. {And so Paul’s recounting the history, saying that all of this was in fulfillment of prophecy. These people in Pisidian Antioch had been reading the prophets, but did not yet understand what they were reading or to whom the prophets ultimately pointed: and that was Jesus. He continues…} 29 And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead,

The Central Message— And you know, that is what was at the core (the center) of every New Testament sermon; the resurrection of Jesus and how it is His death and resurrection that makes it possible for us to receive from God the free gift of salvation offered through belief and faith in Jesus. Simon Peter had preached this; now Paul preaches this. And that is the message that remains central in and throughout the book of Acts (and really all of the New Testament). Now Paul continues, saying…

Acts 13:31-39 (ESV)— 31 and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. 32 And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, 33 this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’ {And it is important to note that this verse is not referencing the birth of Christ, but the resurrection of Christ. This word “begotten” is not referring to the virgin birth of Jesus, but to His being raised from the dead.} 34 And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ {Notice how Paul enlarges upon the resurrection…} 35 Therefore he says also in another psalm,“‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’ {Same thing Peter had said on the day of Pentecost.} 36 For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, 37 but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. 38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers {(and here is where Paul begins to pin them down and ask for a decision; to believe in the Lord Jesus)}, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. 40 Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about: 41 “‘Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.’” 42 As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath. 43 And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism {(and these were Gentiles)} followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.

A Personal Decision— Now what Paul was saying was that anyone can experience forgiveness of sins and freedom from both its guilt and its power over our lives in and through faith in Jesus Christ. But it is not something that is forced upon us; it is a gift that is offered to us. And it is only ours if we come to the point of making a decision to receive Christ and place our faith and trust in Him for salvation. Now not everyone who came to Church that day was saved; and not everyone who comes to Church nowadays is saved. No, we have to make a decision. And so where are you today? Have you received that forgiveness? Do you have washing over you every day the peace of knowing that you are right with God? If not, place your faith in Jesus today and you will also will have eternal life. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! You will remember that last week we saw in the beginning of Acts 13 a coming together of a diverse group of leaders in Antioch. And they make a priority what every Christian leadership team ought to make a priority; they pray and fast together, seeking the will of God. And you know whenever that happens, God moves in a special way; because it says in…

Acts 13:2-3 (ESV)— 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

Saul & Barnabas Commissioned— And so we see that God commissions them, the church leaders confirm their commission, and Barnabas and Saul are sent forth into ministry. And that is the model that is given to us in commissioning leaders. It is God who calls, but it is the church that confirms and equips them for that calling. Now my church (Renton Park Chapel) supports a number of missions organizations. And those missions organizations send out missionaries. However, they are only "sending agencies" that help to expedite the commissioning work authorized by the local church. It is always the local church that is central and key to the whole process of sending people out into ministry. That is why churches need to be intentional about training people for ministry.

John Mark, The Assistant— And we see (and we’ll see more and more as we progress through the book of Acts) that Saul and Barnabas (and really all the Christians) are very intentional about making sure that leaders are being raised up in the Church; that they’re discipling new believers into becoming mature followers of Jesus Christ. And we see Saul and Barnabas doing this even here in this passage. It says they take John Mark along with them as their assistant. John Mark was actually Barnabas’ cousin (Col. 4:10); and John Mark’s [mother’s home in Jerusalem was a gathering place for the believers (Acts 12:12).] It is very likely that John Mark came to faith in Jesus Christ in and through the ministry of Peter (1 Peter 5:13). And now he was no doubt being discipled by Saul and Barnabas as he assisted them in numerous ways, helping to free them for their task of preaching and teaching the Gospel. And so as a team, Barnabas, Saul, and John Mark set out on what would be for Saul the first of three missionary journeys. You know the popular phrase “A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.”? Well [Scholars estimate from the journeys recorded in Acts that Paul must have covered over 10,000 miles during his missionary career.] That’s a lot of miles.

One Small Step— You know, a couple weeks ago I watched the movie Apollo 13, which chronicled not only the disastrous yet miraculous deliverance of the Apollo 13 space shuttle after an onboard explosion, but also helped more modern viewers to understand the weight or the gravity of what it meant for Neil Armstrong to take those first steps on the moon, which of course then led to the Apollo 13 mission, during which Armstrong said those famous words: “One small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.” Now after watching the moon landing on his television (and that famous first step), Jim Lovell (played by Tom Hanks) said (in awe): “From now on we live in a world where man has walked on the Moon.” Now, as amazing as those first steps were, I think even more so were these first steps of Paul, as this empire and then the world would soon be impacted by the ministry about to take place. It says in…

Acts 13:4 (ESV)— 4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

From The Port of Seleucia— Now Seleucia was the seaport of Syrian Antioch, 16 miles (26 km) to the west and 5 miles (8 km) upstream from the mouth of the Orontes River. That was where they left Antioch to journey towards Cyprus. And it made sense for them to go to Cyprus first because that was where Barnabas’ home was (Acts 4:36). It was familiar territory for them. Now they arrive at Cyprus; specifically Salamis. And it says…

Acts 13:5 (ESV)— 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them.

The Jew First— And by the way, that is how Saul would always do it; he would start in the synagogues, following the model “to the Jew first and then to the Gentile”. But there were god-fearing Gentiles in the synagogues who would also hear the message as well; and in fact would be the best types of Gentiles to reach at first.

From Salamis to Paphos— Now Salamis was the great commercial center at the east end of the central plain of Cyprus. Luke gives us no details of this visit. However, they likely preached the Word of God, some people believed, and then they would have helped form a local Christian assembly. Now from here they went on to minister to the rest of the island until they reached the city of Paphos, which was the capital (and administrative center) of Cyprus on the west end of the island, 90 miles from where they started in Salamis. And it is here that they meet their first opposition. It says…

Acts 13:4 (ESV)— 6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.

Bar-Jesus— Now in this verse I find it interesting the order in which Luke introduces the characters. He chooses to introduce the false prophet Bar-Jesus first and then the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. It’s kind of like the story of Aladdin, where you are introduced first to the sorcerer Jafar before being introduced to the Sultan who is under his power and influence, being deceived by him. The Sultan is less significant to the story. The main character in focus is Jafar. Well, so it is here with Bar-Jesus, who also went by the name Elymas, which is a Semitic name that means “sorcerer”, “magician”, or “wise man” and was probably a self-assumed designation.

Magus— But the word for sorcerer here used to describe him is in fact the word “magus”, the same word used to describe Simon the Magician in Acts 8:9. And this word “magus” is actually what we translate “magi” in the birth narrative of Jesus given to us in Matthew 2. And the Magi were [Originally a religious caste among the Persians…devoted to astrology, divination and the interpretation of dreams.] They [were likely from Persia or southern Arabia, both of which lay east of the Holy Land.] However, by the first century B.C. this term “magus” was used in a more general sense to describe the various fortune tellers and people who belonged to various religious cults throughout the Mediterranean world. Leaders often kept private sorcerers. And this is what Bar-Jesus was. Now we can tell from the name Bar-Jesus that he is Jewish. Bar is a word meaning “son of” and Jesus is of course the Greek rendering of the Hebrew name Joshua (Yeshua), a very common name both then and now. But what is uncommon about Bar-Jesus is that he was a Jewish sorcerer; and that was uncommon because traditionally Jews shunned anyone who practiced demonic activities. And yet here was a Jew who was practicing these things.

Sergius Paulus— And he was influencing the Roman proconsul Sergius Paulus, who is described as: a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. So Paul and Barnabas are sharing the Gospel with Sergius Paulus, but it says…

Acts 13:8-11 (ESV)— 8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. {And this was because [Bar-Jesus realized that if Sergius Paulus believed in Jesus, he would soon be out of a job.]} 9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.

Blindness, Round 2— Now this was a powerful thing because the Seer (the fortune teller) was now unable to see anything. He was struck with a physical blindness that matched his spiritual blindness. Now do you recognize anything familiar about this? This is exactly what had happened to Saul when he was on the road to Damascus to persecute the Christians and himself tried to stop the spread of the Gospel. It’s interesting that Saul inflicts the same punishment on Elymas. Now unfortunately, Elymas does not repent as Saul did. In fact later we will see that he is instrumental in the death of Barnabas. But for now, he is humbled. And the passage closes by giving us the response of Sergius Paulus. It says…

Acts 13:12 (ESV)— 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Wheat & Tares— Now this passage graphically illustrates what Jesus had taught in his parable of the wheat and the tares (Matt. 13:24–30, 36–43). Wherever God sows His true children (the wheat), Satan will come along to sow his counterfeits (his tares), the children of the Devil. And Paul recognized in Elymas the counterfeit; and was willing to proclaim on him the judgment of God.

Our Confronting— And you know, there is a time to be nice and kind to people; but there’s also a time to boldly confront them. And it’s sometimes hard to know when to do what, which is why we must always follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, which is what Saul was doing here. But we need to not be afraid to stand up for what is right, because there are people like Sergius Paulus who are depending on us to help silence the evil influences in their life and connect them with the one who truly does have all the answers for their lives. In this miracle Sergius Paulus saw by the authority they demonstrated that Barnabas and Saul were servants of the true God and that they were preaching the true message of salvation (Heb. 2:3-4). And he believed. And it is my prayer that many in our community might come to know Jesus by seeing Him at work in our lives as well. Let’s demonstrate that to them. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! In recent weeks we have been talking about the ministry of Peter, who was imprisoned by Herod and yet was freed miraculously by the hand of God because a group of believers started praying. And it truly was an amazing miracle. But in our passage today we transition back to the ministry of Paul and Barnabas. You will remember that a great famine has broken out against the Church; and the newly founded church in Antioch (comprised mainly of Gentiles) has decided to send relief to the believers in Jerusalem. And Paul and Barnabas deliver that financial aid. But now that they have delivered the aid, it says here in…

Acts 12:25 (ESV)— 25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.

Chiefly Urban— And in today’s passage we will see how God once again uses them in an amazing way. But before we get too deep into the text, there is a shift in the geography of the Church that we need to recognize first. It is tempting for us to imagine the spread of the gospel as happening chiefly in the quiet rural villages of Palestine where Jesus himself had ministered. However, this is not the case. The early church actually was almost entirely urban.

Palestine Left Behind— [Historian Wayne A. Meeks writes that “within a decade of the crucifixion of Jesus, the village culture of Palestine had been left behind, and the Greco-Roman city became the dominant environment of the Christian movement”.]

The Geographical Spread— And so what happened is that [The church began in Jerusalem and then spread to other cities including Samaria, Damascus, Caesarea, and Antioch in Syria. At least forty different cities are named in Acts….In fact, the record given in Acts 13—28 is almost a review of ancient geography. About the year 56, the apostle Paul was able to write, “So that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ” (Rom. 15:19). What a record!] [From Antioch {(where Paul and Barnabas ministered for about a year)}, Paul and his helpers {then} carried the gospel throughout the then-known world.] And [In these {next} two chapters {alone}, Dr. Luke described Paul’s ministry in six different cities, beginning and ending at Antioch.]

A Commissional Church— Now this shift ought to tell us something about the commissional nature of the Church. Whereas we often think the Church was surrounded by religious Jews (as during the ministry of Jesus) what we actually discover when we come to the text of Acts is that the Church was actually chiefly surrounded people who were in fact of different races, cultures, and who also held to regions beliefs not only not compatible with Christianity but in fact polar opposite to it. And so right off the bat we see that the early Church was very much like many Christians today are (and we in the Seattle area definitely are), surrounded by people very different from us. And just like it was then, so also it is now our duty to bring the light of the Gospel to them. And anywhere where the Church (Christ’s Church) truly exists, the Word of God will be spreading.

The Spirit of Missions— It’s as [That sainted missionary to India and Persia, Henry Martyn, once said, “The Spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions, and the nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we must become.”]

Drawn Into Mission— And this is what was happening with Saul (Paul), Barnabas, and John as they drew near to Christ. Because of their relationship with him, they were drawn into missions and began to minister in Antioch and then (being called by the Spirit) they proceeded to take the Gospel to the rest of the Greco-Roman world. And so the Gospel is on the move!

A Shift in Leadership— Now here in this chapter see not only a shift in the geography of the Church, but also in which lead apostle is in the spotlight. Up until this point, Jerusalem had been the center of ministry and consequently Peter is seen to be the key apostle. But now, as Antioch in Syria becomes the new center of the Christian church (Acts 11:19ff.), we see that Peter begins to fade from the scene, as the primary focus shifts to Paul, who becomes the new leader of the Church in Antioch. And that is where our story today begins, at a prayer meeting in Antioch. By the way, it’s amazing in the book of Acts how many times great things in the Church are preceded by prayer meetings. That alone should say something to us. But let’s look at who’s in this prayer meeting. It says in…

Acts 13:1 (ESV)— 1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

Some Chief Ministers— And so we see here that Luke lists five specific men who are ministering there at the church at Antioch: we have of course Barnabas (whom we have already become familiar with (Acts 4:36–37; 9:27; 11:22–26); we have Simeon who was nicknamed “Niger” (13:1), which seems to suggest that he may have been from Africa; we have [Lucius, who came from Cyrene and may have been one of the founders of the church in Antioch (Acts 11:20); Manaen, who was an intimate friend (or perhaps an adopted foster brother) of Herod Antipas, who had killed John the Baptist; and Saul (Paul), last on the list but soon to become first.]

Early Church Variety— Now what is amazing about this list of men is the variety we see here in the leadership of the Church. They are of different races, likely different skin colors, different nationalities, and (in some cases) vastly different backgrounds. And yet here they are, ministering together. And the reason the leadership here is diverse is because the Church has started doing what it is supposed to do; it is ministering to a diverse group of a people. And so their leadership team became reflective of the type of people they were ministering to. And that is a good sign of a healthy church, by the way; when the leadership of that church looks like the people it is supposedly ministering to. If you are a church in the middle of neighborhood filled with people of color, but you don’t have a person of color in your Church, then that may be a sign that there is a problem.

Do We Need To Be Ethnically Diverse?— Now there are some churches that fall into the trap of thinking that every church needs to be ethnically diverse. But that isn’t true. Nor is it even possible in many areas of the world. The goal of a Church ought not (in itself) to be ethnically diverse, but rather to look like the community it is ministering to. Your Church membership ought to reflect the demographics of you community; and consequently your Church leadership ought to reflect the demographics of your congregation. And what stands out in this passage is the reality that there is a diversity in the leadership, which means there is a diversity in the congregation, which means that the Church is ministering to the wide range of cultures reflected in its environment. And that was an unbelievable and awesome thing to see. But one thing which this hints at, but I think needs to be stated explicitly (for clarity’s sake) is that the Church didn’t sit down and say, “Hey, we need to make sure that our leadership team is ethnically diverse.” We need to make sure that our Church is comprised of a certain number of people from every demographic.” No, they simply ministered to all, welcomed all, loved all; and the body of believers naturally came to reflect the demographics of the surrounding population.

How Racism Dies— They valued diversity, but that wasn’t their primary focus. Their focus was simply on loving everyone equally, just as Christ had loved them. And equal treatment of others flowed out of that. And that is why racism will never die in and through our government passing more and more equality laws. Now those might be helpful at times; but (let’s be honest) the government has no power to actually deal with the real issue; and that is our hearts. Racism will only die when each of us has allowed Christ to touch us in the realm of our hearts and to create in us a love for others that is reflective of His love for us.

Prophets— Now of this diverse group of leaders it says that [These men were serving as “prophets and teachers”] in the local church. But what did these roles entail? Well, whenever we think of prophets, we often think of people who are telling us the future. But that would not be an accurate definition of the Biblical concept of prophet. Yes, prophets did at times make prophecies concerning future events (as we saw in Acts 11:27-30 with Agabus, who had predicted the coming of the great famine). But most often prophets were more “forth-tellers” than “foretellers”. Their chief role was to help [lay the foundation for the church as they proclaimed the Word of God (Eph. 2:20; 1 Cor. 14:29–32).]

Teachers— Now teachers in the early church were those who helped ground the new believers in the doctrines of the Christian faith (2 Tim. 2:2). What do we believe? Why do we believe it? Helping new believers answer those questions and be able to articulate those answers is of key importance to the health and vibrancy of the Church. And it was something these Christians in Antioch desperately needed; because many of them didn’t come from a Jewish background; and so they needed to be taught the basics.

Ready for Gentile Ministry— And Saul/Paul was uniquely gifted for this because not only was he a highly educated Jews, but he was a highly educated Jew from Tarsus. And the Jewish students in Tarsus studied a lot of Greek literature as well as Jewish literature; so Saul was able to communicate Hebrew concepts to a Gentile audience using language and illustrations they would understand. And God had always intended to use Saul in a special way for this ministry. You will remember from Acts 9:15 that God had called Saul right at the time of his conversion to be a minister to the Gentiles (see also 21:17-21). But Saul had to go through a period of preparation, which we talked about before. However, now he is ready and God meets these Church leaders in the midst of their prayer meeting, initiating the next phase of their ministry (which is, by the way, how things always ought to be done; saturated in prayer and at the leading of the voice and hand of God). And next week we will see what comes out of this prayer meeting.

Burning For The Lost— But this week, I want to encourage you to also draw near to the Lord in prayer; because prayer is what aligns us to the Spirit of God. And when we become conformed to His image, we will have burning in our hearts the desire to see lost people experience the healing touch of Jesus Christ. And when we bring them Christ, we will have the glory of witnessing the chains of racism, hatred, hopelessness, and every other wicked thing break and fall away. And so let’s commit ourselves to always be sharing with others the way of Jesus. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! You will remember that last week we read in Acts chapter 12 of Peter’s imprisonment at the hands of Herod. Peter is sitting in chains and is kept in maximum security conditions. But something stronger than the prison; stronger than the chains was at play; and that was the prayers of the believers who were earnestly seeking the Lord on Peter’s behalf. And today we will see what God does through those prayers. It says in…

Acts 12:6 (ESV)— 6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison.

Peter’s Peace— Now how Peter was able to sleep on the eve of his execution is amazing. Would you be able to sleep? I know I wouldn’t. You know, reading between the lines, Peter seems remarkably at peace in the midst of this whole situation; so at peace that the angel actually had to strike him on the side just to get him to wake up! Where did this kind of peace come from? Did it come from the fact that God had delivered him from prison in the past? Maybe in part, but that was not the primary source of his peace. Do you know what it was? Well, first of all, he knew that many believers were praying for him (Acts 12:12) (day and night) all that week. And he was no doubt praying too. He (and they) were applying the truth of…

Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)— 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

God’s Promises— And this is important because prayer has a tendency of bringing to our minds the various promises of God that we have in His Word. [“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me to dwell in safety” (Ps. 4:8). Or “Fear thou not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isa. 41:10).] All of these were verses Peter may have been prayerfully reminding himself of.

Peter Immortal— But you know even prayer may not have been the main source of Peter’s peace. The main source of Peter’s peace may have been the knowledge that Herod was actually not capable of killing him. Now what do I mean by that? Well, remember Peter has already been told by Jesus exactly (in John 21:18-19) exactly how he is going to die; on a Roman cross as an old man. And so Peter recognized that this period in time did not match with what Jesus had revealed to him and so he (like Jesus did in the midst of the mighty tempest at sea) did what any rational, faith-filled person would do; he went to sleep. That ship on the crashing sea (unlike the Titanic) truly was an unsinkable ship. Why? Because Jesus was in the boat. And so here Peter (resting on the promise of Jesus) is resting in the knowledge that nobody can touch him until Jesus lets them; and he knows Jesus won’t let them for a while. And so he goes to sleep. Now (like us) he doesn’t know how things are going to play out or in what form deliverance is going to come, but nevertheless he has peace. And it says in…

Acts 12:7-10 (ESV)— 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him.

The 3rd Deliverance— Now this was the third time that Peter had been rescued from prison by an angel of the Lord. But this time he thought (at first) that he was seeing only a vision. Perhaps he wasn’t fully awake. And that’s understandable because coffee had not yet been invented. Drinking coffee as a beverage probably originated in Yemen in the 15th century in the Sufi Shrines. Before that, Hebrews (he-brews) meant something very different than it does now; and people had to wake up naturally, which always takes longer. However, at this point Peter apparently wakes up enough to realize what has happened. It says in…

Acts 12:11 (ESV)— 11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

Another Passover— Now it is important to note that this deliverance took place during the Passover season because what is Passover about? It is the time of year when Jews celebrate their deliverance from bondage in Egypt. Now Jesus had fulfilled Passover to the highest degree, delivering all humanity from the power of sin and death on the cross. And here God is still demonstrating that same kind of deliverance. In fact, the word “delivered” here in verse 11 is the same word that Stephen had used when he had spoken about the exodus of God’s people from Egypt (7:34). And so we see that history is repeating itself. But what this shows us is that God not only delivers His people on a large scale, but is willing to be our personal deliverers. He cares for more than just the Church universal. He cares about you. He wants to be your deliverer; my deliverer. Now Peter eventually realizes that this was not just a vision. And it says…

Acts 12:12-14 (ESV)— 12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter's voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!”

The Disciples Disbelieve— Now you have to feel for this girl Rhoda (and for Peter), because nobody seems to take her seriously and Peter (because of Rhoda’s excitement) gets left out in the cold. I mean, just try to understand for a second how comical this is. Peter has just passed by un-passable guards, gotten through prison doors that there was no way he could get through; but now he’s stuck outside unable to get through a locked door into a prayer meeting that is centered on praying for his deliverance! He’s at the door, but when Rhoda tells them he’s there, they tell her she’s lost her marbles. But she keeps insisting, and so they suggest it is Peter’s angel. By the way, we’re probably not talking about his soul or his ghost. The Jews commonly believed in guardian angels, which is what they are saying she is seeing, which doesn’t make sense because whether it is his ghost or his guardian angel, knocking wouldn’t be necessary. But this [shows how serious the persecutions had become, for it was believed that a guardian angel would sometimes appear shortly after death. Thus it seems the crowd of believers was better prepared to believe Peter had been executed than that he had been released.] But it says…

Acts 12:16 (ESV)— 16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed.

Plural Nouns— Now [Note the plural pronouns in Acts 12:16: “They … opened the door, and … they were astonished.”] It is likely that [for safety’s sake, they decided to open the door together and face together whatever might be on the other side.] Imagine their surprise when (opening the door) they see Peter standing there. Apparently they all let out no little uproar because it says in…

Acts 12:16 (ESV)— 17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place.

Peter Departs— And his departing was no doubt to [throw Herod and the Jewish authorities off his trail. God had freed him miraculously but this did not mean Peter could flaunt his freedom or act imprudently. Peter instructed those present to report his freedom to James, Jesus’ brother, mentioned here for the first time in Acts.] This was the James who, [after the resurrection, emerged as a leader in the Jerusalem church (Gal. 1:19).] Now it says…

Acts 12:18-19 (ESV)— 18 Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. {And this was because [Under ancient Roman law, any guard who allowed a prisoner to escape was liable for the same penalty that was due the prisoner. In Peter’s case, that meant death.]} 19 And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and {(sure enough)} ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.

Truth #3— Now here is where we see truth number 3 (that God Deals With Our Enemies (12:18-25)) come into play. Psalm 34 says: “But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil” (1 Peter 3:12). And this we see played out in…

Acts 12:20-23 (ESV)— 20 Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king's chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king's country for food. 21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. 22 And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.

God Strikes Herod— And so we see that [Herod arranged to receive praise from his subjects, but God had other plans. Herod died because he claimed for himself the honor and glory that belongs only to God.] And so we see that ultimately God will always exalt the humble and humble the proud. And so [With Herod out of the way, there were fewer hindrances to the spread of the good news.] And so it says in…

Acts 12:24 (ESV)— 24 But the word of God increased and multiplied.

[You Are My Sunshine— Now I’d like to close with just one more thought on prayer.{Just recently I read the true story of a mother named Karen.} Karen was expecting another child and so she worked to prepare little three year old Michael for the birth of his baby sister. Every night Michael sang to his sister in his mother’s tummy. During the delivery of the baby serious complications developed. After many hours of struggle, Michael’s little sister was born. But she was in very serious condition. She was rushed to a neonatal intensive care unit in another hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee. Instead of getting better, the little girl continued to decline. The pediatric specialist told Karen and her husband, “There is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst.” The parents contacted a local cemetery about a burial plot. Meanwhile Michael continued to beg his parents to let him see his sister. “I want to sing to her,” he said. But kids were never allowed in intensive care. The second week of his sister’s intensive care stay, Michael’s sister looked like she wouldn’t make it through the week. So Karen made up her mind that she would take Michael to see his sister whether the hospital liked it or not. If Michael didn’t see her right away, he might never get to see her at all. Karen dressed him in an over-sized scrub suit and marched him into ICU. The head nurse demanded that they leave. The mother instinct rose up strong in Karen and she looked at the head nurse with steel-eyed determination: “He’s not leaving until he sees his sister!” Karen took Michael to his sister’s bedside. After a few moments of looking at his sister all connected to tubes, three year old Michael began to sing. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You’ll never know dear how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.” Instantly the baby seemed to respond. Her pulse slowed and became steady. “Sing it again, Michael!” said Karen. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You’ll never know dear how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.” The strained breathing of his sister became as smooth as a kitten’s purr. The head nurse now stood transfixed with tears in her eyes. Michael sang that chorus again and again. And the next day - the very next day - Michael’s little sister was well enough to go home. Women’s Day Magazine called it “The Miracle of the Brothers Song”. The medical staff just called it a miracle. Karen called it a miracle of God’s love….]

The Small Thing— Now what is incredible is that is was the voice of a child (not the doctors) who delivered that baby. And similarly with us, the most powerful thing we can offer in the midst of the difficult circumstances we face is often what the little boy who was at first kept out of the ICU offered, and that is prayer. Prayer seems so small; and at times even inappropriate to a lot of people. But what we have to remember is that prayer really does move the hand of God.

The Fetching— I love what Puritan preacher Thomas Watson points out about our passage today. He said, “The angel fetched Peter out of prison, but it was prayer that fetched the angel.” And you know, that makes me wonder how many angels are standing by waiting to move on our behalf if only we might lift our voices up in prayer and intercession. And with that in mind, let us commit to be faithful pray-ers, that God might move through us in incredible ways. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim!

Angelic Alarm Clock— I don’t know what it takes to for you to wake you in the morning. Maybe you’re a morning person or maybe not. I, for one, am not. Sometimes it takes a couple strikings of the snooze button before I am ready to get up. But imagine one day, instead of being awakened by an alarm clock, you’re wakened by an angel. Well that’s what happened to Peter during his third incarceration in prison, as he was awaiting his execution. And aside from the fact that Peter was definitely not a morning person, we are going to learn a few other things as well; in fact three things that are absolutely crucial when we (like Peter) go through times of intense difficulty. And these three things are all about God; things that Peter may have been reminded of as he reflected on the miraculous events that happened in this passage. It’s interesting, in his first epistle, Peter quotes from Psalm 34:15-16. And it is very likely that he had this experience in mind as he was writing it because of how closely it parallels what he experienced in and through the events in this story. He writes in 1 Peter 3:12: “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil”. And those are the three points of our passage, which we will explore both today and next week: (1) God Sees Our Trials (12:1-4), (2) God Hears Our Prayers (12:5-17), and (3) God Deals With Our Enemies (12:18-25). No matter what you are facing today, God wants to remind you and me of those three truths, which can be anchors for us as we go through difficult times. Now our story opens today with trials and difficulties, as it says in…

Acts 12:1 (ESV)— 1 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.

Herod Agrippa I— Now there were a number of Herods in and around the time of Christ. You had Herod the Great who rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem (and was one of the greatest builders in history), who was responsible for the slaughtering of the children in Bethlehem after hearing from the Wise Men about the birth of the Messiah; you had Herod Antipas, who reigned during the time of Jesus (and against whom Jesus would speak in a veiled manner, calling him a fox, a reed shaking in the wind, and other unflattering things because of how wicked he truly was; remember he was the one who had John the Baptist beheaded), and then we have here Antipas’ nephew Herod Agrippa I, who ruled Judea and Galilee from A.D. 37-44. And this is the Herod we encounter here during this period of the book of Acts. And we see that he is little better than his predecessors. All three Herods were a part of the same family, and the whole family was a bunch of schemers and murderers.

A Bad Family— My wife and I not long ago met a gentleman who told us that was a descendant of Dracula; not the fictional Dracula, but the actual historic ruler of 15th-century Wallachia, Vlad Dracula (called Vlad the Impaler) who murdered somewhere in the vicinity of 80,000, 20,000 of whom he had impaled (hence his name). And afterwards I thought, “Man, that’s not a family I would like to be connected to. Well, the same was true of the family of Herod. Herod the Great [had a large number of people executed or assassinated, including members of his broader family and even some of his own wives and sons.] Even Emperor Augustus (who observed how Herod lived like a Jew, and therefore wouldn’t eat pork) once quipped (in jest), “It is better to be Herod’s pig than son”. His pigs were safer than his sons. And even people of that time didn’t want to be connected with the Herod family. And just think, this was the family ruling the Jewish people. And they hated (and I mean absolutely hated) this; and not just because of the wickedness of the Herod family, but also because all of them were Edomites. They weren’t Jews, but were trying to be. And all of this is key to understanding why Herod Agrippa here begins to attack Christianity; because persecuting the Christians was a way for him to show the Jewish people that he was loyal to the traditions of their fathers. He wanted to appear good in their eyes. And he found this even easier to justify now that the Gentiles were being allowed to be a part of the Church because that was something that many traditional Jews would have reacted very negatively to, still being very nationalistic in their thinking and seeing no place for these “pagans” in their religious body. And so Herod has several Christians arrested, among whom is James the brother of John. And it says in…

Acts 12:2 (ESV)— 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword,

Which James?— Now (kind of like with Herod) there were also multiple men named James in the gospels and in the Early Church; at least three. You had two disciples of Jesus named James: James son of Zebedee and James son of Alphaeus. But then you also had James the half-brother of Jesus (12:17; Mark 6:3), who later became a believer and an important leader in the Early Church, and most likely authored the book of James. But this was James son of Zebedee, one of the “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17); who was in fact the first apostle to be martyred in the Early Church, though obviously not the last. But the fact that he was the first of the twelve disciples to be martyred is incredibly significant because you will remember that back in Matthew 20:2-28 both James and John had approached Jesus with their mother, seeking two thrones of glory at Jesus’ right and left hand when He came into His kingdom. But remember that Jesus made it clear to them that they didn’t know what they were asking; that to follow Him was intimately intertwined with suffering; indeed there could be no glory at all without suffering. He had asked them “Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” And they of course boldly proclaimed “We are able.” Now obviously they did not know what they were asking for; or what was involved in obtaining a throne of glory. But here we see that James is given the honor of being the first to join Jesus. And that was (in a way) a granting of his request, though not the answer he was originally intending; but one which (at this point in his faith journey) he would have been honored by. And similarly John (who also asked for this place of glory) became an exile on the Isle of Patmos, a prisoner of Rome (Rev. 1:9). And so we see that both did get to participate in the suffering of Jesus; in the sharing of His cup. Now it says of Herod Agrippa in…

Acts 12:3 (ESV)— 3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. {If they’re this happy when James is killed, just think how delighted they would be if he killed Peter! Now the text adds} This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. {And what that meant was that this was the anniversary of the passion of Jesus Christ. And so even that adds a little bit more dimension to the death of James. But Peter is only captured, though (and this will be clarified as we move further into the story) Peter also was on the path towards martyrdom. It says…}

Acts 12:4 (ESV)— 4 And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.

Truth 1— And so we see that things are getting pretty bad for Peter. But this is where the first truth (that God sees our trials) comes into play. As Psalm 34 says, “The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous” (1 Peter 3:12). God has neither forgotten nor forsaken Peter, even though He allows for Herod to arrest him and put him under heavy guard in prison. And that heavy guard was comprised of sixteen soldiers (four for each watch), with two of those soldiers chained to Peter and two others watching the doors. Now the reason [Peter was {so} heavily guarded {was} because Herod was concerned he would escape from prison as he had once before (5:19, 20).] Last time Peter was arrested, he somehow mysteriously got out of jail. And Herod is determined to make sure that that doesn’t happen again. Now let me ask you something. Don’t you find it interesting that Herod seems more awake to the possibility of Peter’s escape than the disciples were?

The Believing Tavern Owner— In studying this passage I was reminded of [A tale…about a small town that had historically been "dry," but then a local businessman decided to build a tavern. A group of Christians from a local church were concerned and planned an all-night prayer meeting to ask God to intervene. It just so happened that shortly thereafter lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground. The owner of the bar sued the church, claiming that the prayers of the congregation were responsible, but the church hired a lawyer to argue in court that they were not responsible. The presiding judge, after his initial review of the case, stated that "no matter how this case comes out, one thing is clear. The tavern owner believes in prayer and the Christians do not.”] And this is something we see demonstrated in our passage today. Now it says in…

Acts 12:5 (ESV)— 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

Muscles Stretched— And so we see that [Something stronger than Herod’s army was at work: constant prayer was offered for Peter by the church.] Just recently I read a short conversation between two people. Person number 1 asked what person number 2’s favorite exercise was. And person number 2 said, “chewing.” And you know, I could relate to that. But let me ask you, what is your favorite spiritual exercise? If ought to be prayer; because when the people of God pray, miracles happen in an amazing way. But sometimes it is hard to pray, especially when a situation may seem pretty hopeless, like the situation in this passage. But pay attention to the phrase constant/earnest prayer here in this verse because here is where a little of Luke’s medical background comes into play as he’s writing the book of Acts. [The Greek word for constant is {actually} a medical term used to describe the stretching of a muscle to its limits. “Earnest” would be another way to translate the nature of their prayers. {And so what we see is that in the midst of this difficult circumstance when they are forcing themselves to pray in the midst of a seemingly hopeless situation, which lasted a full week,} The faith of the saints was being stretched.] And by being stretched, it would grow stronger. And that is how you and I grow as well. It is the prayer offered in seasons of hardship that most grow us in our faith and walk with the Lord. But (as we will see in our passage next week) God rewards those prayers in an incredible way, though at first (like the tavern owner) they did not believe. Yet their earnest prayers (though they didn’t recognize it at the time) in fact mark the turning point of the story, as truth number 2 (that God Hears Our Prayers (12:5-17)) is fulfilled. As Peter quotes from Psalm 34 in speaking about God: “And his ears are open unto their prayers” (1 Peter 3:12). And so this week, let us commit to pray just as earnestly, so that through our prayers we might see the hand of God move in incredible ways. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! Last week we saw in Acts chapter 11 how the Gospel was brought to the city of Antioch by some Christians from Cyprus and Cyrene, who come and share the Good News of Jesus Christ with the Hellenists there. And there is a great spiritual harvest as many of those Hellenists turn in faith to Jesus Christ. And it says in…

Acts 11:22 (ESV)— 22 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

Why Barnabas?— Now you will remember Barnabas from chapter 4, in which he sold a piece of property and donated all the proceeds from that sale to meet the needs of the poor. He was the one Ananias and Sapphira were trying to appear as good as. And he truly was a good man because of how sold out he was to Jesus; and because of that God was able to use him in some amazing ways. He was used by God to be an influence on the Jerusalem Church on Paul’s behalf, helping them to accept him (Acts 9:27). He was also a leading teacher in the Church and demonstrated love, a gentle spirit, generosity, and (perhaps most importantly) encouragement. The name Barnabas (which remember had been given to him by the apostles) literally means “son of encouragement.” And it was likely because of this chief defining characteristic in his life that the apostles sent him as their representative. They knew they couldn’t send someone who was rigid and legalistic. No, they needed someone who knew how to show others the love of Christ.

From $1,000 Bill to Quarters— [Fred Craddock, who taught at Candler School of Theology, Emory University, once {said it best when he} said: “To give my life for Christ appears glorious. To pour myself out for others ... to pay the ultimate price of martyrdom — I’ll do it. I’m ready, Lord, to go out in a blaze of glory. We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking a $1,000 bill and laying it on the table — ‘Here’s my life, Lord. I’m giving it all.’ But the reality for most of us is that he sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $1,000 for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there. Listen to the neighbor kid’s troubles instead of saying, ‘Get lost.’ Go to a committee meeting. Give a cup of water to a shaky old man in a nursing home. Usually giving our life to Christ isn’t glorious. It’s done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a time. It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory; it’s harder to live the Christian life little by little over the long haul.”] And it was this type of conversion that made the ministry of Barnabas so powerful. Everywhere he went he had a handful of quarters ready to hand out. And in addition to this, he also had the spiritual discernment to recognize how God was moving and how to respond (which we will see in a minute). But he was also the perfect choice because he was a Cypriot Jew (4:36-37) and would therefore be perceived as one of them rather than at outsider. All of these things combined to make him the perfect man for the job. And we see it in the very next verse. It says…

Acts 11:23a (ESV)— 23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad,

He Rejoiced— Now not all Jews would have been glad. Some would have been extraordinarily displeased. But not Barnabas. He rejoiced at this new outpouring of the grace of God. It didn’t matter what race these people were. He was simply thrilled to be witnessing the hand of God at work. And (like always) he was eager to encourage them. And so it says in…

Acts 11:23a-24 (ESV)— and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

Growing Too Fast— Now at this point the church in Antioch is running into a problem; it’s growing too fast. Would that every church might have that problem. But it was a real problem. And Barnabas suddenly finds himself overwhelmed with converts. And he knows he needs help. And so it says in…

Acts 11:25 (ESV)— 25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,

Looking for Saul— And this was not easy, because several years had passed since Saul had fled to his home in Tarsus (Acts 9:30). Philippians 3:8 reveals that Saul had apparently been disinherited because of faith and forced to leave his home in Jerusalem. And at this point he was very difficult to find. It says Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul. And that phrase “to look for” (Anazēteō in Greek) actually suggests a laborious search; one that is very difficult. Now eventually Barnabas catches up with Saul. It says…

Acts 11:26a (ESV)— 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people.

Saul Teaching Gentiles— Now I would have loved to get to sit under their teaching. And think about it; I mean Saul (a Pharisee of Pharisees; a man who had formerly despised gentiles and who persecuted all the followers of Christ he could) is now ministering to gentiles and helping to disciple gentile Christians! Once again, God has an awesome sense of humor. Now once again, keep in mind that these gentiles knew very little (if any) scripture. They weren’t like the Jews (many of whom could quote massage chunks if not the whole Old Testament by memory). No, they had to be taught the very basics. And Saul and Barnabas are therefore introducing these new believers to much of what you and I first learned in Sunday School or Vacation Bible School or Awanas; the very basics. But the basics (as we said before) were enough to churn up a mighty moving of the hand of God. And we see that in what follows. Luke adds here what might seem at first glance to be only nice little fact to have tucked away in a footnote somewhere. He says in…

Acts 11:26b (ESV)— And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

“Christian”— Now this term “Christian” literally means “of the party of Christ”. And it was a term of derision and scorn. That is why Peter wrote in…

1 Peter 4:16 (ESV)— 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.

A Badge of Honor— And that is what these early believers did. They glorified God in that name. They took that name and they owned it, even wearing it as a badge of honor. It interesting; the historian Eusebius, in writing about the Christian martyr Sanctus, said that Sanctus, when being questioned by his torturers, gave them a simple answer: “I am a Christian”. He bore that name with pride. Now what this title Christian also reveals to us is that in addition to being a badge of honor, it also showed that these early believers were starting to have an identity apart from other Jews (cf. also 26:28 and 1 Peter 4:16). Now at this point in the history of the Church there is an interesting turn of events. It says in…

Acts 11:27-28 (ESV)— 27 Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius).

Famines— And this was during the years A.D. 41-45. Just as Agabus predicted, severe famines inflicted Israel. And there were several ancient writers such as Tacitus (Annals XI.43), Josephus (Antiquities XX.ii.5), and Suetonius (Claudius 18) who attest to this.

The Test of a Movement— Now when evaluating a new Christian movement (or perhaps a specific church like this one here in Antioch), one of the first things to always look for is whether or not the people are demonstrating the same love and compassion for people that Jesus Himself demonstrated. Because if not; if that movement (or church) is more focused on programs than it is on people; or on causes rather than on actually meeting the needs of the lost and needy, look somewhere else; because that movement or church has nothing to do with Christ. But the church here in Antioch (even at this early stage) passed this test with flying colors, because it says in…

Acts 11:29-30 (ESV)— 29 So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. 30 And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

Everyone Gave To The Max— Now this is amazing because normally when a church takes an offering on behalf of a special mission, rarely will every person in the Church give. And even on the rare occasions where that happens, people rarely give until it hurts. Yet here, the members of the church in Antioch (the text says every one) took a look at their finances and evaluated how much they could possibly give and then gave according to that amount (and even then may have pushed the envelope on that a little). There’s no talk of percentages or bumping up their tithe a tad; there’s simply the picture of every Christian saying (by God’s grace) “I see a need and I’m going to do as much as I possibly can to meet that need.” And you know, that ought to lead us to ask what needs there might be in our area that we have not yet thought of. Coronavirus has put a lot of things on hold; unfortunately not poverty, hunger, addiction, or any of the many other things afflicting society and culture today. And that is why more than ever the world needs us to be the Church; to be people like Barnabas, Saul, and these early Christians; to be the very hands and feet of Christ.

Given to Give— Every week my kids have chapel at their Christian school. And on many of the mornings they have chapel, we will put a dollar in their backpacks for them to put in the offering plate. And when that offering plate comes to them, they proudly put it in, feeling like they made their contribution. But let me ask you, where did that bill ultimately come from? From us. We gave those bills to them so that they could experience the joy of contributing to a mission we in fact were supporting. But sometimes we as adults forget that in a similar way, what has been given to us from God is not meant for us either. God has entrusted to us the talents and means He always intended us to use to invest in the lives of others. The question is, “Are we doing so?” Is my Christian walk all about what Christ has done FOR us; or is it also about what Christ has done THROUGH us? Let us be a body of believers that gives faithfully our talents, our time, and our means to meet the needs of a lost and needy world. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! You will remember that back in chapter 8 of the book of Acts, following Stephen’s murder there was a great persecution that broke out against the Christian Church. Well, our passage today in chapter 11 describes in further detail what happened in the wake of that persecution. And you’ll also recall that Saul of Tarsus led a monumental persecution against the Church in Jerusalem, causing the fellowship there to be driven out and scattered abroad. And it says in…

Acts 11:19a (ESV)— 19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch,…

The Scattering— Some of them went to Samaria (8:5, 25); some went to Caesarea (8:40; 10:24ff.), and others fled to places like Damascus (9:10), Lydda, Joppa, and Sharon (9:35–36). But while Christians are being driven into those regions, in the north (among the Gentiles) a church was also being established by displaced Jews who made their way to the coastal region of Phoenicia immediately north of Judea. Tyre and Sidon were two cities located in this region. And from here these Jews could take a ship for Cyprus, a major island sixty miles offshore. And from here they could continue up the coast to the city of Antioch, which was about 200 miles north of Sidon. But keep in mind that these Jews do not yet know that the Gospel has been made available to the Gentiles because they had fled Jerusalem before that had happened. And so they are still very nationalistic in their view of salvation, which they still thought was only for the Jew. And so verse 19 says that they were…

Acts 11:19b-20 (ESV)— …speaking the word to no one except Jews. {But all that was about to change, as it says} 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus.

The First Gentile Church— Now these men of Cyprus and Cyrene were Greek-speaking Jews who were from predominantly Gentile areas. They themselves were Hellenists and were therefore more open to sharing their faith with Gentiles than Palestinian Jews were during that time. And so out of their outreach the first Gentile church was born in Antioch.

Antioch— Now Antioch was a major ancient metropolis in the first century world. The only other two metropolises that were bigger during that time were Rome and Alexandria. And so Antioch was a very significant city; and was noted for its culture and its commerce, because you had many Roman trade routes that passed directly through it. And (as the Roman author Cicero described) it was a place of learned men and liberal studies. However, it was also a despicably evil place, full of pagan worship and sexual immorality, which often is intimately tied to pagan worship. The temple of Daphne was only five miles from there, where open prostitution took place. And so it was a very dark place, certainly not where most people would want to start a Church. But you know, it is the dark places of the world that need the Church the most.

Within A Yard— I love this quote by C.T. Studd. He said “Some want to live within the sound Of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop, Within a yard of hell.”

The Basic Gospel— Now what interests me about that quote is that it assumes the Church/chapel is in the safe place; the place where we in our day and age often want to build our churches; the clean places. But here in the first century, the earliest churches often were those rescue shops built within a yard of hell. And the early Christians were therefore constantly coming into contact with broken, abused, and disenfranchised people; people who (think about it) had no framework for understanding what a Jewish Messiah could have to do with them to begin with. And so these Hellenists who were sharing their faith in this Gentile region had to start with the person of Jesus; His identity as the Son of God, the facts concerning His life, His death and what that meant for them as people in need of a Savior, and His resurrection. Now this is important for us to note because many times we are tempted to think that (because we aren’t great theologians) we are not very well suited to sharing the Gospel. We think “somebody else will get this person because I’m not qualified”; when the reality is that the amount of theology you know (even if you just know the basic tenets of the Gospel) is actually pretty monumental. What little you think you have to offer is actually an abundance to somebody bound to paganism and therefore to a hopeless view of the world. Even just the Christian songs you may have already listened to today probably have enough good theology in them to forever change the lives of people if you are only willing to share it.

Music & Spiritual Warfare— And Satan knows that by the way, which is why anywhere Christian music is played, he tries to interfere. My wife and I know a lady who owned a business that had music playing in the background. And there were always pagan songs playing; and I mean literally pagan songs. But one day one of her employees changed the music to Christian music and immediately this lady reacted and said, “We don’t want to offend people.” And so she switched it right back to her pagan music. Now she never saw the disconnect. It it is pagan, that’s fine. If it praises Buddha, Krishna, or any other pagan deity, that’s fine. But the moment it becomes about Christ, Satan moves in to attack. Because one Christian song has the power to forever change the course of someone’s life. You know enough theology (enough of the Gospel) to bring a revival to your area like nothing you’ve ever seen before. And let me tell you, as scary as those Daphne temples were in that culture; and the dark places here in and around our city are, none of them can even hold a candle to the power of the Gospel.

Paper Tigers— Many years ago Jaci Velasquez (in her very first album) wrote a song called Paper Tigers, the words of which are very moving and powerful. And what she was saying in that song was that the worst Satan had to offer (and what all her worries and fears were based on) were only paper tigers, paper tigers that only looked scary, but which would fold over and fall in a second at a mere puff of the breath of God. And let me tell you, the worst Satan has to offer cannot stand in the face of the power of God at work in you. And there are gates of hell in your city that rattle every time you get up in the morning to brush your teeth; gates that shake as you pull into your place of work; gates that are within a hairs breadth of collapse if only you are willing to walk over and (in the name of Jesus) push them over. Jericho falls every day at the hands of obedient Christians. And that is what we see happening right here in the church at Antioch, as it says in…

Acts 11:21 (ESV)— 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

Spreading Like Wildfire— Now nothing could have prepared the Jerusalem Church for what happened in Antioch. Yes, prior to this you had the conversions of the Ethiopian eunuch and of Cornelius and his household. But here in Antioch the Gospel was spreading on a much larger scale; and it was spreading like a wildfire. And that makes sense; because it is in those areas that are most devoid of the Gospel; those areas that are most pagan that are also those areas that are the most starving and desperate for something more.

A New Diet— I want you to imagine going to a restaurant. Imagine that for all of your life, every time you sat to eat at this (or any) restaurant, you were served only dry, overcooked, taste-less, freezer-burned mystery meat. Now you might not complain, if that is all you ever knew. But what it something new was offered to you one day? Well that’s kind of what it was like in the religious world of Antioch. For these pagan gentiles, hearing the Gospel for the first time was like their sitting at their table in front of a plate of the only thing they had ever eaten; dry mystery meat. And then (out of nowhere) a Christian sits down next to you and when the waiter brings their plate, you see that says it contains a large marinated salisbury steak complete with buttered mashed potatoes and a fried onion blossom. And then the Christian eats it in front of you. And you see all love and joy written on their face. Imagine how the your eyes would widen; how your mouth would water. And then imagine the joy of having the Christian then turn to you half-way through and say, “Hey, my order was bigger than I thought it was going to be. Here, could you help me eat some of this?” and suddenly replace your plate of dry mystery meat with their plate of salisbury steak. Well, that is what it was like for these pagans to first encounter the message of the free gift of salvation offered to them in the name of Jesus. It wasn’t until Christians offered to them the hope of salvation in and through Jesus Christ that they realized that what they had been living on wasn’t even fit for dogs. You might say they were experiencing the fulfillment of…

Psalm 34:8 (NIV)— 8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

The fall of the gods— They had tasted Christ and suddenly knew what they had been missing. And it would not be long before Christianity would spread beyond Antioch and overtake all of the Roman Empire. And the worship of most of these pagan gods would fall to the point where now most of the names of these pagan gods your average Joe doesn’t even recognize; and those names that might be familiar to people tend to be (when you think about it) assigned to their animals rather than to their children (with few exceptions, such as Daphne). But in general, we call our dogs Zeus or Apollos or Hercules, but we call our children Paul, John, Peter, Rebeka, Kristie (Christ), or Jeremiah (or Jeremy), or Michael. You might say that the pagan gods of that time Yahweh not only wiped out, but profanes daily on the collars of our pets. Now God has a sense of humor; I truly believe that. But this joke God meant to be a running joke. And with that in mind, I’d just like to say, “May it be on the collars of the dogs of our children, our grandchildren, and our great-grandchildren that the pagan gods of our time might one day find their proper place as a result of our decision to (in our time) offer hungry souls something infinitely better. That’s what these Jewish Christians did for these gentiles, and the Church therefore began exploding with this huge influx of gentile believers. And may that encourage us to this week share the Good News of the Gospel; the salisbury steak of the Gospel with someone who may be starving for it and not even know it. Bring them then Jesus so that they also may taste and see that the Lord is good. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to the show today! In our study of Acts chapter 11 we have seen how Peter has followed God’s instructions to bring the Gospel to a man by the name of Cornelius (a Roman centurion). And what ends up happening is not only does he come to faith in Christ, but his entire household comes to embrace Jesus. And this is a key moment, because it marks the entrance of the first Gentiles into the Church. Now this was shock to the other Jewish church members. And so it says in…

Acts 11:1-18 (NKJV)— 1 Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, 3 saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!” 4 But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me. 6 When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’ 9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’ 10 Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven. 11 At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea. 12 Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, 14 who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’ 15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?” 18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”

3 Pieces of Evidence— Now in his response, Peter presents these Jews with three key pieces of evidence. In verses 5-11 he gives them the evidence of the vision he personally received from God. In verses 12-15 and in verse 17 he gives to them the witness of the Spirit, who was poured out on the Gentile believers, and in verse 16 he gives the evidence of the witness of the Word of Jesus himself, who had said “John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Now the first piece of evidence (the vision) these Jews had not themselves witnessed. However they did know Peter and trusted him because they knew his character and that he (like them) had been an orthodox Jew all of his life (10:14). They knew he was not likely to go to the Gentiles of his own accord and then make up a story to justify his actions. No, that wouldn’t add up. Now the second piece of evidence (the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the Gentiles speaking in tongues) was even stronger, because that was God’s way of bearing witness that He had indeed accepted the Gentiles; and that was something that many people (and particularly the Jews who had been with Peter) had witnessed. And so the witness of the Holy Spirit was a crucial piece of evidence; because this kind of outpouring directly from heaven followed by the gift of tongues was not a common, everyday experience. We kind of think of it as happening all the time in the book of Acts. But it doesn’t. It is interesting that in order to find an example of what had happened in Cornelius’ home, Peter had to go all the way back to Pentecost ten years earlier. He couldn’t use the example of the Holy Spirit being given to the Samaritans in 8:14-17 because that was very different, as the Holy Spirit was given to the Samaritans through the laying on of the apostles’ hands. But this was much more dramatic, as it came instantly and directly from God himself. And that leads into Peter’s closing argument.

Arguing With Questions— Now when Jews argue or debate, they use a different form than we do in our Western culture. We like to make statements and then back up those statements with evidence; evidence we hope the other person will accept. However Jews typically argue through asking questions. And that’s because a question is often much more powerful and thought-provoking than a statement. If you can implant a question into somebody’s mind, that question will cause them to wrestle with themselves until they reach an answer. And when they find that answer, that answer is their own. When it is a statement made by you, it is yours. But if it is an answer your question has forced them to come up with, that answer becomes theirs and touches them on a much deeper level. And this is something that Jesus did all the time. Notice in the Good Samaritan parable how (when Jesus closes), he doesn’t say, “Look, the Samaritan (not the Priest or Levite) was the true neighbor and you need to be like him.” No, that’s just a statement. A true statement, but nothing more. And they could ignore it if they wanted to. But the genius of how Rabbis during that time imparted education was that they turned everything into a question; because a question leads their listeners to uncover the truth for themselves, which they will be much more likely to accept. That is why Jesus asks (not tells the man, but asks) in…

Luke 10:36 (ESV)— 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”

An Answer Applied— And that forced the man He was talking to to think, accept, and even verbalize his own answer, which was that it was the Samaritan who truly was the neighbor. Then (and only then, after the man had come to the answer himself) does Jesus tell him to “go and do likewise” (Lk. 10:37); to apply the truth he himself had come to acknowledge. And in a similar way, it is interesting here how Peter, who remember is a Jew and argues like a Jew and is following in the footsteps of Jesus as one Jesus had called to come and be like him, responds with a question rather than a statement. It says in…

Acts 11:17 (NKJV)— 17 If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”

Peter’s Question— And that question (which showed the humility of Peter’s heart and his desire to follow the will of God) helped to establish in their minds the reality that this so clearly was a God thing and neither they nor Peter could go against it, lest they find themselves fighting against God Himself. And once they answer that question in their own minds, Peter’s personal answer to that question becomes their answer as well. They realize they are in no position to set themselves against these Gentiles whom God had so clearly accepted. And once Peter leads them to that point, it says in…

Acts 11:18 (NKJV)— 18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”

Continued Debate— Now this did not end all debate on this issue. We see later in 14:26-15:2 that this same legalistic party again engaged in debate with Paul over the salvation of the Gentiles. [Even after the Jerusalem Conference, legalistic teachers continued to attack Paul and invade the churches he founded.] And what they (and some of the other Jewish Christians) were fighting for was for the Gentiles to become Jews and to live by the Law as they themselves had lived by the Law. And on the flip side, there were some Gentiles who wanted the Jews to stop being Jews and to become Gentiles. And so it took a while for this transplant to really take and for unity to begin to form. And (as we will see) [In later years, God would use the letters of Paul to explain the “one body,” how believing Jews and believing Gentiles are united in Christ (Eph. 2:11—3:12).]

1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (ESV)— 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

Heavenly Prep— Now the reason Jesus wanted to create a Church that was “one” and not divided was because the earthly kingdom of God was to be preparation ground for the heavenly kingdom of God, in which there are truly going to be NO distinctions. It says in…

Revelation 7:9-10 (NIV)— 9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

A Pebble In The Shoe— Now I knew a man who saw one race of people as unfit for him to worship with. And so when a person of that race came to Church one Sunday, he grumbled and complained about it. But then another Church member asked him this question (and I paraphrase), “Brother, what do you think it’s going to be like in heaven?” You see? A question. And the man stopped and thought. And the person continued, “Do you think that Jesus is going to have that same kind of division in heaven?” And the answer was obviously “no”, which the man acknowledged. And that question led to another question, “If there is no distinction in heaven (which this passage in Revelation indicates) why would we make that kind of distinction now?” Now that didn’t change the man’s mind that day, but it put a pebble in his shoe and got him thinking.

Jesus’ Question To Us— Now some of the greatest revelations that will come in your own personal life will come when you also begin asking and answering the right questions. And there are several that Jesus may be asking you today. Maybe there is somebody that when you think of the words “common” or “unclean” or “sinful” they immediately come into your mind. Perhaps this is somebody of a race you don’t approve of worshiping with; or maybe it is somebody's who has wounded you that you are not yet willing to come to table with and say (as Jesus said in his breaking bread of bread with Zacchaeus) “I love and accept you and acknowledge a mutual commonality between you and me.” Now whoever that is that came to your mind, Jesus is asking you today, “Does the way you treat that person mirror the way that I have treated you?” And (if not) “Do you have the right to make a distinction?” Now in our hearts we know the answers to those questions. We know that the the cross is the great equalizer of all persons; because there is no one good enough so as not to need the blood of Jesus. All of us are unclean before the touch of Christ. But does that knowledge translate into our treatment of those poorer than us; different from us? “Are we going to take that knowledge and apply it?” How are we going to receive those Jesus sends to us who may not be like us? Are we going to be used by the Spirit to help the people He’s trying to graft into the Church, or are we going to resist? God’s challenge for us today is for you and I to commit right here and now to be men and women who (like Peter) are able and willing (and even seeking) to be used by God to draw all people unto Himself. Let’s do so. And may the words God spoke to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 be true also for you and me. God says…

Genesis 12:3 (NKJV)— 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Be a blessing this week. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to the show today! In our study of the book of Acts we have just witnessed a Gentile centurion named Cornelius (along with his entire household) coming to faith in Christ after Peter shares with them the good news that God’s salvation is available not just to the Jew, but to the Gentile as well (10:35). In Jesus, anyone can become a child of God. As Paul writes in…

Galatians 3:26-28 (NKJV)— 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

3 Responses of The Church— And so we are entering into a new stage of the Church. And in Acts 11 we will see the three ways the Jewish Christians responded to these new Gentile believers. And these responses help us also to know how to relate to one another as Christians. Here in verses 1-18 we see that THEY ACCEPTED THE GENTILES. In verses 19-26 we will see that THEY ENCOURAGED THE GENTILES. And in verses 27-30 we will see that THEY RECEIVED HELP FROM THE GENTILES.

A Transplant Needed— Just recently I heard the story of a young teenage girl who suddenly out of the blue was rushed to the hospital after suffering serious symptoms, after which she was told she could not leave. And that was because her liver was failing. And because of her age, she was placed as top priority on the transplant list and they soon found her a new liver. And they replaced her failed liver with the new one, which she was very grateful for and even met with the family whose loved one had passed away to thank them for giving her the gift of life; even out of the pain of their own personal loss. It was an amazing story.

Failed Transplants— But you know, as amazing as that whole process is, sadly it doesn’t always take. Sometimes a person experiences this miracle of modern medicine, is ecstatic at the gift of life that has been given back to them, but then it is discovered that the body’s immune system refuses to recognize the new organ and instead attacks it like a foreign objects. Some transplants (unfortunately) don’t take. Now doctors can give medication in order to suppress the immune system in order to help the new organ to get established and for the body to accept it, but even then there is sometimes the risk that that may fail.

Will God’s Transplant Fail?— And you know, this imagery is very helpful in helping us to understand the nature of what was happening here in Acts 11 and throughout much of the history of the Early Church. God had transplanted a new element into the Church; Gentiles (non-Jews). And Romans 11 describes them as being like wild olive shoots grafted into a domestic olive tree. The question is, is this transplant going to take? Is the body going to accept and receive them? Or is the immune system of the Early Church (which is responsible for helping to protect the Body against infection) going to reject the transplant, not recognizing what God (the Great Physician) understands; and that is that the new element is not only not harmful, but will even bring life to the Church? That is the central question of this passage. And it is one that pops up right away. Now news of the Gentiles coming to faith in Christ had spread like wildfire. It says in…

Acts 11:1-3 (NKJV)— 1 Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, 3 saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”

Peter Rebuked— And so Peter returned to Jerusalem and was immediately met by a group of angry church members. And these were church members of the legalistic party in the church in Judea, which is why they are described as those who were "of the circumcision”. And they rebuke Peter for entering into the house of Gentiles and eating with them.

Commonality at Table— And the reason it was so offensive to them that Peter ate with them was not just because he was around people considered by the Jews of that time to be unclean (which would have been bad enough), but because in Jewish culture to eat someone was a very intimate and personal thing. You only did that with people you were at peace with, which is why in Jewish culture if there was a grievance between two parties seeking reconciliation, the forgiveness process was never considered complete until both parties had shared meal together. Because to eat with someone was a way of saying (often in a public way) that there is a commonality between you; a mutual acceptance. That is why people were so offended when Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners. Remember the story of Zacchaeus in particular and how people reacted to Jesus’ going into his home, undoubtedly to eat with him. Jesus was saying that the barriers between he and Zacchaeus had come down.

The Church’s Immune System— And this is what is happening here with Peter and those of the circumcision. These Jews of this legalistic party in the church in Judea were like the immune system of the Church. They wanted to make sure that the Church was not aligning itself with anything that might pollute it. And so they say exclaim to Peter (and you can really feel the anger in their accusation): “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”

Only Half of The Story— Now I find it interesting that that is the piece of information they latch onto and accuse Peter with. Notice they don’t say a word about the Holy Spirit’s being given to the Gentiles or anything like that. And do you know why that is? Well, in verse 18, after Peter tells them the full story, they seem genuinely surprised and willing to accept what God was so clearly doing. And so what is likely the case is that these men of the circumcision simply did not know before approaching Peter the other half of the story. They only knew the part that would be offensive to them. But why is that? Why did they not know? How is it that they were unaware? Well, it seems that whoever brought the news to them had only given them half of the story; the half that would really make their blood boil. The other part had been left out. And let me tell you, that is how most conflict in the Church starts out; with somebody spreading around something that is only half-true or that leaves out those details that might challenge the views of the person spreading the gossip. Any of you ever witness this before?

Sensational Deceit— It’s like if somebody were to tell you “Such and such Church member hasn’t taken a bath in months.” And that’s true. They haven’t. Things sound pretty bad until it comes out later that they take showers not baths; and do so frequently. Okay then, things are not as disgusting as they first appeared. Now you might say there is no way that kind of thing really goes on, but let me tell you, it does. We see it everyday on the news, which is built on sensationalism. News networks want to keep you hooked. And anger is a great way of doing that. And so they so often feed you what are often only half-truths in order to keep you angry; because if they can create that emotional response in you, you will keep tuning in. They know that deep down we crave for justice; and so if they can convince us there is gross injustice, they will excite you (or even incite you). But so often what happens is the full story comes out later and what then seemed like something heinous is seen in its fullest light to be something only moderately bad, somewhat acceptable, or even good; sometimes even great.

Dealing With Stories— And so one of the truths we can glean here from this passage is not always to accept immediately as true the stories we hear about other people. And this is something I have tried to be very careful about in my ministry, especially when I am counseling somebody. I try always to remember Proverbs 18:17 says, which says that…

Proverbs 18:17 (ESV)— 17 The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.

Hear The Other Side— And that is so true. The first person always seems right until you hear the other side; which is why it is so important to forego making a judgment until you are sure that you have all the facts. And this is something these Jews who confronted Peter should have done.

Peter Tells The FULL Story— Now Peter deals with the situation remarkably well. Ever since Jesus restored him after his 3 denials (and after Pentecost) Peter has demonstrate a wonderful humility; a humility that makes him such wonderful Church leader. I had a mentor (Roman Miller) who used to tell me numerous times that to be a good pastor you need to have two things: (1) A thick hide and (2) A warm heart. Well, it is clear in this passage that Peter has both. He doesn’t show signs of being offended or hurt. He doesn’t bite back or pull rank on them, which he probably could have done. No, he calmly and humbly relays to them the full story in its entirety. And all the missing pieces begin to come together for them, which we will unpack more next week.

God’s View— But as we think about this passage and what it might mean for us, one of the things that jumps out at us is that you and I are called to stand for what God thinks about issues. And ultimately (even though we may see things differently) we need to submit all our beliefs and prejudices to God. Because when you think about it, Peter’s racism might have led him (as it did with Jonah) to reject God’s call for him to carry God’s message to the Gentiles. At this point Peter was probably more like this group of legalists in his beliefs about the Gentiles than he was like Christ. But nevertheless, Peter was determined to embrace God’s view over and against his own; and to take heavy criticism, because ultimately God’s way was what mattered to him most. And that is something you and I ought always to apply. What does God have to say about the issue; what is revealed in His Word? Racism and hate has always and will always die and unity and healing will always be found when Christians commit themselves to live according to the way of the Lord in accordance with His Word. It is when we become united with God in His Spirit, sanctified by His Word (John 17:17) that we will consequently become more united with one another and bring true healing to the world. So let us commit ourselves to know and submit to the Word of God. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to the show today!

The First Missionary to Gentiles— In chapter 10 of our study of the book of Acts, we have encountered a Roman Centurion by the name of Cornelius; a man full of good works living the best way that he knew how. But he did not yet know about Jesus. And so God has sent Peter to him and to his entire household, who have gathered to hear the wonderful news that not only has God’s salvation come in the person of Jesus Christ, but that that salvation is available to even them, even though they are Gentiles. Now this would mean some radical changes for Cornelius and his household; changes would radically affect their views of God, their way of worship, and ultimately their mission and purposes. And this would fly in the face of many of the customs and elements of their culture that had become the norm for them. Paul (the first real missionary to the Gentiles) had set into motion something that would radically change them and their culture.

Below The Surface— And you know missionaries are often criticized for this very reason; for imposing their religion and way of doing things on other cultures. Sometimes it’s even painted as if missionaries are the ones who come in and destroy culture. Now we know that that is devilish propaganda. Yes, you might have a few bad apples here and there, but for the most part missionaries have made a world of positive difference in the various cultures they have touched, bringing hope, healing, education, and so much more. I have been to a lot of places in the world where the the main religion(s) is a false religion. And there is often beautiful artistry and fascinating tradition connected with it. But what we have to remember is that just because a religion may be beautiful on the outside and there may be gorgeous religious icons and captivating rituals that have become a part of a nation’s heritage, that doesn’t mean that things are beautiful below the surface. Don’t believe me? Start asking the followers of those religions questions like, “Where do you believe you are going to go when you die?” “If you believe in heaven, how do you believe you can get there?” “In your belief system, is it possible for you to even know if you are going there?” And what you’ll find is that in no other religion can you truly know that you are going to heaven. Why? Because they are all works-based; and you can never know if you have done enough to earn your way there. And so you can never really have peace. It is only Christianity that requires works as a result of salvation; not as the means of salvation. And it is only after salvation that works can be truly good anyways because we can finally perform good works without the selfish motivation for personal salvation. But if we are to receive salvation first, then our sins must be paid for in advance; hence our need for Christ. Only He was good enough to be a sacrifice for our sins and so it is only in and through Him that we can be saved. And that’s why it doesn’t matter how devout Cornelius is; how good his works are. It is only in Jesus that we can experience deliverance from sin and have eternal life. And Peter knows this, which is why he is about to share with all these men and women about the person of Jesus. It says…

Acts 10:34-35 (NKJV)— 34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.

God Accepts All Who Fear Him— I love how Peter starts with what God was teaching him right at that time; and that is that God will receive any person from any nation who fears Him and works righteousness. Now it may seem from verse 35 that Peter is preaching salvation by works. However, we will see in verse 43 just the opposite, as he will proclaim that salvation only comes though belief in Jesus. And so the phrase “fears Him {(God)} and works righteousness” is a description of the outflow of a Christian’s life. It is the outward sign that the inward work has been accomplished. Now Peter’s audience had heard a good bit about Jesus already, which is why Peter says in…

Acts 10:36-43 (NKJV)— 36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all— 37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. 40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”

The Shortest Sermon— Now this is perhaps one of the shortest sermons ever preached, and yet it had everything that Cornelius and his family and friends needed to know. Jesus is Lord of all (which speaks to both His divinity, but also His availability; He is Lord of all ); He had led a perfect life of servanthood and obedience before God; He died on the cross, was raised on the third day, many (including Peter) were witnesses of this; Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures concerning the Messiah; and salvation through remission of sins is available to whoever believes in Him. You can’t get more basic than that. And similarly, when you and I share Christ, we need to remember that we don’t need to be long to be effective. All we need to do is allow ourselves to (like Peter) be led by the Spirit and do what we can to center our message on the person and work of Christ, the Way, the Truth, and The Life.

Laying Hold of “whoever”— Now these men and women immediately reacted to Peter’s sermon, particularly laying hold of that word whoever. They immediately recognize Christ’s availability to them, receive Him in faith, and are saved. And Peter no doubt intended to continue his sermon; he was just getting started. But the greatest thing that can happen while preaching happens. It says in…

Acts 10:44 (NKJV)— 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.

Peter Interrupted— What an awesome thing when God breaks in! But you know, Peter was probably kind of getting used to God interrupting him. You will remember that [God the Father interrupted Peter on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:4–5), and God the Son interrupted him in the matter of the temple tax (Matt. 17:24–27). Now, God the Spirit interrupted him—] Peter was interrupted by every member of the Trinity. But you, know, it is a good thing when God interrupts. Would that every sermon be interrupted with an outpouring of the Spirit of God. And it says than in response to this…

Acts 10:45-46a (NKJV)— 45 And those of the circumcision {(the Jews)} who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.

A 2nd Pentecost— And so the six Jews who came with Peter as witnesses suddenly became witness to the Holy Spirt, who was Himself bearing witness that God (through faith in Christ) had accepted these Gentile believers. And this was important because remember that they had not been privy to the vision of Peter. And so God needed to enact a second Pentecost so that these Jews could see that God had indeed put these new Gentile believers on equal footing with them. This is why God empowered these Gentiles also to speak in tongues. This doesn’t mean that every believer will receive the gift of tongues. It was merely a way for God to prove without question that the same Spirit that had been poured out on the Jews was also on the Gentiles. And [With this event, the period of transition in the early history of the church comes to an end. Believers among the Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles have all received the Spirit of God and are united in the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27).] And it says in…

Acts 10:46b-48a (NKJV)— Then Peter answered, 47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.

The Salvation Process— Now this passage shows us very clearly the process of salvation. We hear the Word, we place our faith in Christ, we receive the Holy Spirit, and then we are baptized as an outward sign of that inward work. These men and women were not baptized in order to obtain salvation, but rather [they were baptized because they gave evidence of being saved.] The Holy Spirit had already been given to them. And we know that the Holy Spirit is only given to those who are in Christ Jesus. Now following salvation, something else ought always to take place; and it takes place here. They [unite with other believers in the church to serve and worship God.] And that begins right here, where it says…

Acts 10:48b (NKJV)— Then they asked him {(Peter)} to stay a few days.

The Chain of Discipleship— And so Peter tarries there in Caesarea to help ground these new believers in their faith. And Philip (who remember was already in Caesarea) may have joined him in this task of discipleship. But there they are, doing what neither of them could have ever imagined themselves doing; discipling Gentiles who would go and disciple other Gentiles who would go and disciples other Gentiles. And you and I are part of that glorious chain of discipleship. The question is, who are we going to bring the good news to? Who are we going to make disciples for Jesus?

Debtors— P.F. Bresee, founder of the Church of Nazarene once said this: "We are debtors to every man to give him the gospel in the same measure in which we have received it.”

How beautiful are your feet?— Let me ask you a personal question. Any of you gotten a pedicure lately? Men, you don’t have to answer. Any of you ladies get a pedicure lately? How do your feet feel after you get a pedicure? How do they look? When my wife has gotten pedicures, her feet are always extra soft afterwards; the calluses are gone; the toenails are all shiny and colored, sometimes even with sparkles. I mean they are just beautiful! But do you know there is such a thing as a Biblical pedicure? It’s right here in…

Romans 10:15b (NKJV)— As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

Beautiful Feet— You want your feet to be truly beautiful in the eyes of God? Use them to bring to others the good news of Jesus Christ. Present and future generations are relying on your feet; on my feet; to bring them this message of life. In this very passage in Romans Paul asks…

Romans 10:14-15a (NKJV)— 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent?

Eternity Without— You know, it was once estimated that [158,857 people die each day with approximately 66,000 of those people dying each day having had no access to the Gospel. According to those numbers, every 15 minutes (the length of our broadcast today) 1,654 people will die.] How many of them will enter an eternity without Jesus?

In Time— Carl F.H. Henry once pointed out that “The gospel is only good news if it gets there in time.”

Our Part— Now you and I can’t reach every person. But the Church of Christ is called to try. And (as Keith Green once said) "This generation of Christians is responsible for this generation of souls on the earth!” You may not reach the masses; but you may be able to reach somebody. There is somebody out there right now that God is preparing for you to introduce to Jesus. The question is, “Are you ready to play the part God wants you to play in that person’s journey towards salvation?"

Called To Missions— And you know, one of the things we also learn from this story is that you don't have to go overseas to be a missionary, though God may want you to. But you can be a missionary right here in Renton, Washington. But no matter where God has placed you, He has called you to be a missionary. And the closer you draw to Jesus, the more you will recognize that call upon your life.

The More Missionary— Henry Martyn, who was a missionary to both India and Persia, once said “The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become." And you know, he’s right.

At Least One Person— Many of you have heard of Dwight L. Moody. Well, [D.L. Moody made an covenant with God that he would witness for Christ to at least one person each day. One night, about ten o-clock, he realized that he had not yet witnessed; so he went out in to the street and spoke to a man standing by a lamppost, asking him, "Are you a Christian?" The man flew into a violent rage and threatened to knock Moody into the gutter. Later, that same man went to an elder in the church and complained that Moody was "doing more harm in Chicago than ten men were doing good." The elder begged Moody to temper his zeal with knowledge. Three months later, Moody was awakened at the YMCA by a man knocking at the door. It was the man he had witnessed to. "I want to talk to you about my soul," he said to Moody. He apologized for the way he had treated Moody and said that he had had no peace ever since that night on Lake Street when Moody witnessed to him. Moody led the man to Christ and he became a zealous worker in the Sunday school.]

Our Feet Are Needed— Now just think; what would have happened if Moody had looked at his watch that evening and (seeing the time) just decided to let this one slide? A life would have failed to be touched. The message of the gospel is a powerful thing. But it needs our feet. And even if somebody rejects you, the power of the seed of the gospel you planted can still do its work. All we have to do is be faithful to plant and God will yield the increase. And so let us be faithful to be obedient ambassadors for Christ. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to the show today! Over the past couple of weeks we have been looking at the Roman Centurion Cornelius, who we see in Acts 10 was serving God the best he knew how; but he did not yet know Jesus. And so an angel appears to him in a dream, telling him to send men to Joppa to find and bring a man by the name of Simon Peter who was lodging there. And so Cornelius obeys and sends men to find Peter. Now while all of this is happening, Peter himself has a vision, in which he is given from heaven a lot of food (some of which is unclean; not kosher) and a voice from heaven tells him “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” (v.13) But Peter refuses, saying in verse 14, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” Yet the voice persists, saying “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” And this scenario is repeated 2 more times before the food is lifted back to heaven. Now Peter, no doubt puzzled by this vision, is pondering what this means when the men sent from Cornelius show up at his gate. And the Holy Spirit says to Peter “Behold, three men are seeking you. Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.” (v.19-20) And so Peter goes down to meet them, listens to their explanation of Cornelius’ being instructed by an angel to send for him. And it says…

Acts 10:23a (NKJV)— 23 Then he invited them in and lodged them.

Barriers Toppling— And in that last phrase we already begin to see the barriers coming down because no self-respecting Jew would ever invite a Gentile into their home, and especially not a soldier of the extremely hated Roman army. But Peter receives both the two Gentile servants and the soldier into that home and then (on the next day) begins to journey with them from Joppa to Caesarea. It says…

Acts 10:23b (NKJV)— On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

Leaving With Witnesses— And we see later in 11:12 that these brethren who accompanied Peter were six Jewish believers who in v. 45 of this chapter are identified as “those of the circumcision”. And these were men that Peter himself had selected to come along with him as witnesses; and it’s interesting (in light of just how big and controversial this whole scenario is) he chooses to bring three times the official number of witnesses needed. And so he and this whole party begin their two-day, 30-mile trek from Joppa to Caesarea. It says in…

Acts 10:24 (NKJV)— 24 And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends.

Already A Witness— And this is great; because here we see already in Cornelius a recognition that whatever blessing he is about to receive, that blessing is not just for him. No, it’s something to be shared. He has already gathered his relatives and friends (those closest to him) so that they also can hear the message of life. Even before becoming a Christian Cornelius is already being a witness. Now it says in…

Acts 10:25-26 (NKJV)— 25 As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I myself am also a man.”

A Humble Peter— So once again (just as when Peter had healed Aeneas and gave all the glory to Christ) we find (unlike in the Gospels) a humble Peter; a Peter who is unwilling to accept the glory, praise, and worship and who is instead very careful to re-direct all that attention where it belongs; on Jesus and Jesus alone. And it says in…

Acts 10:27-29a (NKJV)— 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together. 28 Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. 29 Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?”

An Honest Peter— Now I love how honest Peter is here. He doesn’t disguise the fact that God has recently challenged and corrected his worldview in regards to his way of treating non-Jewish people. And as you know, it takes a lot of guts to admit when you are wrong; to say you believed one way but God said, “No, that’s not right.” How willing are you and I to receive the correction of the Lord and (more than that) to be open with others about how God is changing and re-shaping us? And this is important because before even beginning to preach, we see that Peter is demonstrating (and highlighting) for them what obedience to Christ looks like. And similarly, if you and I want our witness to be effective, there also ought to be an obedience to the Lord that is demonstrated in our lives as well.

Lee’s Example— [One Sunday morning in 1865, a black man entered a fashionable church in Richmond, Virginia. When Communion was served, he walked down the aisle and knelt at the altar. A rustle of resentment swept the congregation. How dare he! After all, believers in that church used the common cup. {And nobody wanted to share a cup with a black man. But then} Suddenly a distinguished layman stood up, stepped forward to the altar, and knelt beside the black man. {And that man was Robert E. Lee. And} With Robert E. Lee setting the example, the rest of the congregation soon followed his lead.] Sometimes all it takes for real change to take place is for one Christian to choose to set the example; to obey God even even if it might ruffle a few feathers. And you and I will never know what an impact our own personal obedience can have.

An Amazed Crowd— Now what these non-Jewish men and women hear Peter saying to them absolutely astounds them. We cannot even being to imagine the shock and amazement (and even the rejoicing) that came over them when Peter announced to them that he no longer saw Gentiles as untouchables; because for centuries up until this point the Jews (on the basis of Old Testament law) had declared them to be unclean, some even going so far to refer to Gentiles as “dogs.” So to hear that barrier and hatred is now being erased must have moved them in such a real and profound way. Now Peter (although he gets that part) he amazingly still doesn’t know why he is there, because he says in…

Acts 10:29b (NKJV)— I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?”

Shouldn’t Peter Have Known?— And the reason this is remarkable is because it seems to show that Peter is still not really dialed in when it comes to the full scope of Christ’s mission for him. I mean, shouldn’t he have known that Jesus had called him there to preach the Gospel? You would think that would be pretty obvious, especially in light of Acts 1:8, in which Jesus had commissioned His Disciples to go to “the uttermost part of the earth”. And what this shows us is that while we have kind of this birds-eye picture of what God was doing, remember that those who were living in the midst of all of this didn’t not know where God was taking His Church, even though it seems to us (especially in light of what Jesus’ Great Commission) to be so obvious. But that’s always how it is. It’s often only after we obey God in taking a step in a new direction that we then (at a later time) look back at scripture and realize that that command was there long before that; and we wonder why it took us so long to get there.

An Obedient Couple— I once knew a man and woman whose beliefs were directly challenged when an African-American woman started coming to their Church. Up until that point that was something they would not have been okay with. Now they had been Christians for many many years; they had read all the passages about God’s making no distinction and how in Christ all races are equal and ought to be able to worship together, but it never clicked. But the Holy Spirit began speaking to them in and through their pastor’s preaching and one day in their home they sat down together and said (as a couple) “We are no longer going to be against black people coming to our Church.” For the first time, it just clicked and they realized that they (although they had been faithful Christians for such a long time) God had a new level of Christ-like-ness that he wanted to draw them into. And so they (like Peter) chose to take that step of obedience and to no longer make a distinction. But it took a while for those pieces to come together. And the same was true with Peter, and really ALL of the Jerusalem Church who (in 11:1-18) question Peter as to his actions, which shouldn’t have but DID alarm them. And we’ll see in Acts 15 that they even call for a conference to deal with the place of the Gentiles in the Church. This whole process took some time, and Peter’s eyes have not yet been opened to what God is doing on a larger scale. So he asks them why they have sent for him. And it says in…

Acts 10:30-33 (NKJV)— 30 So Cornelius said, “Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.’ 33 So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God.”

The First Missionary to Gentiles— And so the floor is now open for Peter to speak as the first real missionary to the Gentiles, as he has before him a captive audience of foreigners; foreigners who had customs very different from his own; they had their own culture and way of doing things, some of which were going to be changed in a radical way.

Re-Shaping Us— But that is what the Gospel and the Word of God does. It challenges us. And the reason it challenges us is because it comes from the mind of God rather than the mind of man. If Christianity were just another man-made religion of the world, it (like all the other religions) would simply be a reflection of what we already believe, aligning with all our natural prejudices and warped ways of seeing the world. But the very fact that it moves us beyond all of these is evidence that there is a God behind all of this; a God who is much more loving and much more wise than we are. And if we are to become like Him, we have to allow His Word and His Worldview to shape us. And so this week, as always, I want to challenge you to read His Word; and to do so in prayer with a spirit of humility, being willing to allow His Word to read and re-shape you; to teach you. If we can foster that ability (by His grace) there is no doubt that (just like here with Peter) God can use you and me in incredible ways to bring His light to the world. Let’s allow Him to reshape us today. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to the show today! In our study of Acts chapter 10, we have been taking a look at a Roman centurion by the name of Cornelius, who we see is striving in every way that he can to follow God. But he does not yet know about Jesus. But he is drawing near to God in the best way that he knows how. And that is something that God will always honor. God promises in…

James 4:8a (NKJV)— 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

Well that is what Cornelius has been doing. And so therefore Jesus is preparing to draw near to him in a powerful way. Now it says in…

Acts 10:3-8 (NKJV)— 3 About the ninth hour of the day {([3:00 p.m.])} he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” 4 And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. {(So we see that God is acknowledging that what Cornelius intended has in fact been the reality. [Cornelius’ prayers, devotion, faith, and goodness were like a fragrant offering rising up to God.] And God is about to reward him. Now the Angel continues, saying:) 5 Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. 6 He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.” 7 And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. 8 So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.

The Right Servant— Now you can definitely sense how military-minded Cornelius is. After the angel gives him these instructions, he immediately obeys. Now God could have had him send for Philip, who was already in Caesarea (Acts 8:40), but he doesn’t; because remember [it was Peter, not Philip, who had been given the “keys.” {And what this shows us is that} God not only works at the right time, but He also works through the right servant, and both are essential.] There are people God isn’t sending to others because His intention is to send them to you. You are the one He wants to open the door for them. The question is, are you and I going to respond to that call?

Peter’s Preparation— Now it was not only necessary for Cornelius to be prepared for this event; Peter had to be as well. After all, [he had lived as an orthodox Jew all of his life (Acts 10:14).] And because of that (being a product of his culture) he did not see the Gentiles as a part of God’s salvation plan. For the Jews of the time there was a strong barrier between them and the Gentiles; and they considered them aliens and strangers [as far as the Jewish covenants and promises were concerned (vv. 11-13).] However, we know that that barrier was [broken down at the cross (Eph. 2:14–18).] And now [“There is no difference” either in condemnation (Rom. 3:22–23) or in salvation (10:12–13).]

A Seed In The Declaration— And you know, a very similar circumstance took place when the United States was founded. God no doubt inspired Thomas Jefferson to write these incredible words into our Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Now you’d think that this would mean that America (from the moment it was conceived when that Declaration was signed on July 4, 1776) would be a nation free of racism and slavery (which is often a product of that racism). But no, it took a long time for that to trickle down. It wasn’t until almost a hundred years later that the Thirteenth Amendment finally abolished slavery in 1865. And it wasn’t until 1870 (5 years later) that the Fifteenth Amendment gave African Americans the right to vote, which was a landmark decision. And then in 1954 there was another landmark decision made by the Supreme Court. And that was the Brown vs. the Topeka Board of Education, which ended segregation in public education. And then in 1964 of course you had the Civil Rights Act, which gave equal opportunity to all. Now did any of these decisions fix all our problems or completely eradicate racism? No. But each of them was another step in the right direction. And when you take a step back you can see how God placed a seed in the minds of our founding founders (some of whom owned slaves) and caused that seed to grow and eventually bring freedom and desegregation to our land and a recognized equality that has become so complete that on January 20, 2009 we inaugurated our first African-American president. And whether you liked his politics or not, that (for many people) was a milestone because it revealed just how unified the United States had become under the idea that all of us are equal. Now we have a long way to go still, but that equality (for much of our history) has been recognized as having its roots in the very the nature of God Himself, in whose image we are created.

Losing The Seed— Now unfortunately that concept has been vehemently attacked in recent years. And that is sad, because it was that concept that got the ball rolling in the right direction to begin with. And without that foundational belief in our being created in the image of a loving God, we will always be open for that racism to creep back in. Because without God, there is nobody to hold us accountable for how we treat one another. And if naturalism is true (the belief that we were only created through natural processes) and we are all just highly evolved primates, who is to say that one race is not better than another? Actually that’s exactly what Evolution teaches in its doctrine of the Survival of the Fittest. There are some people who are lower on the evolutionary food chain and may even need to die so that the fittest can survive. That was one of the key fundamental ideas that drove the Nazis. And they ended up committing the most heinous acts imaginable on other human beings not because they were insane (though many of them were) but because they took these evolutionary ideas to their logical conclusion. Now not everyone who rejects God will embrace that kind of hatred, because all of have demonstrated at least some of the effect of our having been created in the image of God; but anywhere from which the fear of God has been removed, history will always repeat itself. Because you will have lost the very foundation that supports every individual’s inherent worth. And furthermore, it is only through Jesus that we can be renewed in the image of our Creator and receive the spiritual equipment we need to overcome our evil tendencies and defeat racism. And that is what was starting to happen in our passage today; and things will eventually progress to the point where Paul can write in…

Colossians 3:11 (ESV)— 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

But this was a big transition; one that God had to prepare Peter for. And so it says in…

Acts 10:9-16 (NKJV)— 9 The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour {(12:00 noon)}. 10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” 15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” 16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.

Unclean— Now what was going on with this vision, and why did God choose to use this imagery to teach Peter to start to see the Gentiles as He did? Well, keep in mind that the text says Peter was hungry. And so what better way to “speak to his condition” (as the Quakers used to say) than to give him a vision involving food. He’s longing for food and so God gives him food; just not the food he was expecting. He is given food that (according to Jewish dietary regulations) was ceremonially unclean. And [the distinction between “clean and unclean foods” was a major problem between the Jews and the Gentiles in that day. In fact, {we will see in the very next chapter that} Peter’s Christian friends {actually} criticized him for eating with the Gentiles (Acts 11:1–3)! {And so} God used this centuries-old regulation (Lev. 11) to teach Peter an important spiritual lesson.]

Peter Refuses— Now (though it shouldn’t have) this command to eat ceremonially unclean food came as quite a shock to Peter. And he politely but vehemently refuses God! And though he meant well, it was still wrong for him to respond the way he did. As Dr. W. Graham Scroggie wrote, “You can say ‘No,’ and you can say ‘Lord’; but you cannot say ‘No, Lord!’” If He is truly our Lord, then we can only say “Yes!” to Him and obey His commands.] But God is very merciful and patient with Peter, which should be an encouragement to us because He is just as patient with us. But the angel responds to Peter. Verse 15…

Acts 10:15 (NKJV)—15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.”

Both Unclean— Now I want you to hear this, because this is very important. The lesson here is not that the Jews were clean and the Gentiles were just as clean. No, it was that both Jew and Gentile alike are unclean in the sight of God. Both needed cleansing. The Jew is just as unclean and in need of the cleansing of God as the Gentile is. And the reason that is important for us to understand is because what this [meant {was} that a Gentile did not have to become a Jew in order to become a Christian.] The Jew was not at some kind of higher spiritual level just by being a Jew. No, ALL of us need the cleansing work of Jesus Christ. Now Peter doesn’t understand the meaning of the vision right away, but (as we saw with Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, God’s timing is perfect. It says in…

Acts 10:17-20 (NKJV)— 17 Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate. 18 And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there. 19 While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are seeking you. 20 Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.”

Doubting Nothing— And that [phrase “doubting nothing” (Acts 10:20) means “making no distinctions.” You find it again in Acts 11:12, and a similar word is used in Acts 11:2 (“contended with him” = “made a difference”). Peter was no longer to make any distinctions between the Jews and the Gentiles.] And it says in…

Acts 10:21-23a (NKJV)— 21 Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, “Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?” 22 And they said, “Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you.” 23 Then he invited them in and lodged them.

Who's Your Cornelius?— You know, this story has so much to say to us about allowing God to challenge and re-shape our world-views. Even we as Gentiles who (by God’s grace) have been grafted into His family can still look down on others. We can become exclusive in our thinking. And I don’t think there are many of us here today (if any) who are openly racist or prejudice; who would say there is a person or a people group that we hate or openly reject. But I don’t think this passage is just about not openly rejecting people. Sometimes we reject by neglect. And the way we reject by neglect is by simply choosing to overlook people. And I think that for each of us, there probably is a Cornelius in our life that needs what we have in Christ Jesus, the Good News of the Gospel. The question is, are we willing to go to them? Are we willing to cross whatever barriers we have to in order to introduce them to Jesus? As we close today, I want to challenge you to ask God to show you the Cornelius in your life; and after revealing that person to you, ask Him to give you the courage and strength to reach out to them with the love and message of Jesus Christ. Because if you do, they will be blessed, you will be blessed, and the Church will be blessed. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to the show today! You will remember that last week we talked about God’s raising a woman by the name of Tabitha from the dead. And he does this through Peter, who is following the leadership of the Holy Spirit speaking both to him but also through the believers around him. Now the healing of the lame man Aeneas (immediately prior) had been a great miracle. The raising of Tabitha had been a greater miracle. And now in our passage today we come to the greatest miracle, as the way of salvation becomes opened to a gentile by the name of Cornelius.

The Most Important Chapter— Now I don’t think I’m overstating things a bit when I say that for us, this is the most important chapter in the book of Acts. In fact, I would go so far to say that no other chapter of scripture (outside of those chapters that tell us of the redeeming work of Jesus) is more directly relevant to us than this one. There are very few (if any) of you tuned in today who would be a part of the family of God if it were not for what happened in this chapter, because in it we have God revealing to (or I should say “making more clear to”) Peter that we (Gentiles) are also part of His salvation plan. Jesus is not just for the Jew, but for the Gentile as well. And you will remember that Jesus had told Peter that he would be given the keys to the kingdom of heaven, which meant that Peter would be the one to open up the way of salvation for every major people group. He opened the door of faith to the Jews in Acts 2; for the Samaritans in Acts 8, and now God was telling him to use his keys for the third and last time to open up the way for Gentiles also to be brought into the Church (see Gal. 3:27-28; Eph. 2:11-22).

After 10 Years— Now it may surprise you to know the length of time that has transpired between Acts chapter 2 and our chapter today. [This event {actually} took place about ten years after Pentecost.] And that is surprising because we wonder why it took the apostles so long to try to reach the Gentiles. In John 3:16 Jesus had clearly said that God loved the whole world and had sent His Son for whosoever would believe in Him. And in the Great Commission Jesus had given to His disciples, He so clearly said…

Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV)— 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Door 3— So we see that clearly there was no mistaking what Jesus had told them to do. And yet we see they had not yet broken into that third phase of outreach. Now God is patient; and no doubt things are moving according to His timetable. But it is fascinating to me how (for some reason) that had not yet clicked in the minds of these Jewish Christians, especially when it seems (at least in hindsight) so clear. It makes me wonder at the things I don’t yet understand simply because my own worldview constrains me from really hearing the things Jesus is saying. Do I approach scripture with a theological lens through which I have already (whether intentionally or intentionally) what God can say to me and what He couldn’t possibly be saying? Something to think about. But we see here that (in the mind of God), the time has come for Peter to use his keys for a third time to open the door of faith to the Gentiles (Acts 14:27). And in this incredible drama that plays out, there are four major “acts” (you might say). In verses 1-22 you have The Preparation, in verses 23-33 you have The Explanation, in verses 34-43 you have The Proclamation, and in verses 44-48 you have The Vindication. And today we will be looking at the first of these acts: The Preparation. Go ahead and look with me, starting at…

Acts 10:1 (NKJV)— 1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment,

A Certain Man— Now there’s Luke’s key phrase “a certain man” again, signaling to us that Cornelius is a non-believer, just like Aeneas had been. And this “certain man” was a centurion. And of course a centurion is Roman officer who commands 100 soldiers. And he is stationed in Caesarea, which was then [sometimes called Palestinian Caesarea, {and} was located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, 32 miles north of Joppa.] It was [The largest and most important port city on the Mediterranean in Palestine], [boasted of many beautiful public buildings.], and [served as the capital of the Roman province of Judea.] This would be [the first city to have Gentile Christians and a non-Jewish church.] Now Cornelius was probably not going to be in Caesarea too much longer. It is very likely that he would soon be returning to Rome. And when we think about that (and how God of course foresaw that) we can begin to see how God orchestrated the circumstances leading up to his conversion because He wanted to use Cornelius as a key stepping-stone to further the spread of the Gospel into the empire’s capital city. Now we know a few things about this man Cornelius. It says that Cornelius was (verse 2)…

Acts 10:2 (NKJV)— 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.

Truth’s Funeral— So here we have a Roman who is worshipping the God of Israel. How he came to do so, we are not told. But Rome of course had a whole Pantheon of gods to choose from (if you wanted to choose). And this was because the people Rome would conquer were often deeply committed to their gods. And so in order to help integrate people into Roman society and culture, they would simply absorb into their Pantheon the gods of those nations they conquered. It was a way to keep everybody happy. And that is what we have done in the United States today. We have absorbed all the false of gods of the world, allowed idolatry to thrive, and call it multiculturalism. Now we think we are helping people by doing this; that we’re being tolerant and accepting. But what is ending up happening to us here in the United States is exactly what had happened to Rome. When all things (particularly religions) are true, then nothing is really true anymore. And I want you to remember that. When all things are true, then nothing is true anymore. Remember what Pilate had asked Jesus in John 18. It says…

John 18:37-38a (NKJV)— 37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” 38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?”…

Seeking Hope In Judaism— Now that’s a pretty scary thing to hear your leader say, isn’t it? But you see, Pilate (in the interest of what could have been called tolerant multiculturalism) had distanced himself from the one true God; and in doing that he lost the very concept of absolute truth that is necessary to even come to God. And Cornelius knows this. He knows the religious bankruptcy of his culture and has become tired of the myths and empty religious rituals of Rome and has therefore turned to Judaism in the hopes that in that belief system he might find salvation. And really he [was as close to Judaism as he could get without becoming a proselyte. There were many “God fearers” like him in the ancient world (Acts 13:16), and they proved to be a ready field for spiritual harvest.] And note how he is already demonstrating the fruit of a heart that is genuinely seeking God. It says that he was (verse 2)…

Acts 10:2 (NKJV)— 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.

Close To Salvation— Now here we see demonstrated clearly just how close somebody can be to the salvation and not have it. I mean Cornelius had a lot together spiritually; and you can find a lot of similarities between him and the centurion that Jesus had encountered back in Luke 7:1-10. He is being faithful to lead his household in the fear of God, he is giving generously to the needy, and he is praying to God (the text says “always”). And keep in mind that he [was not permitted to offer sacrifices in the temple, so {what he did was} he presented his prayers to God as his sacrifices (Ps. 141:1–2).]

Psalm 141:1-2 (NKJV)— 1 Lord, I cry out to You; Make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You. 2 Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

A Model Religious Person— So that is what he’s doing. And [In every way, he was a model of religious respectability—and yet he was not a saved man.] But he was different from many other religious people both in his day and ours because he knew that his religious devotion was not enough to save him. Whereas people so often try to earn their way to heaven through good works and sometimes even character, Cornelius knew that that wasn’t enough; and so we find him praying fervently before God, asking Him to reveal to him the path to salvation.

Like John Wesley— One author wrote that: [In many respects, John Wesley was like Cornelius. He was a religious man, a church member, a minister, and the son of a minister. He belonged to a “religious club” at Oxford, the purpose of which was the perfecting of the Christian life. Wesley served as a foreign missionary, but even as he preached to others, he had no assurance of his own personal salvation. On May 24, 1738, Wesley reluctantly attended a small meeting in London where someone was reading aloud from Martin Luther’s commentary on Romans. “About a quarter before nine,” Wesley wrote in his journal, “while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed, I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.” The result was the great Wesleyan revival that not only swept many into the kingdom, but also helped transform British society through Christian social action.]

Those Who Haven’t Heard— Now sometimes people ask the question (and it is a valid one); “What will happen to the unsaved men and women who have never heard about Jesus? And that’s an important question; one that we often grapple with in relation to the justice of God. But note here that while Cornelius wasn’t a believer, he was still seeking God and living a God-pleasing and God-seeking life as best he knew how; demonstrating both reverence for God and generosity towards others. And scripture promises that God will make Himself known to people who are actively seeking Him like that. It says in…

Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)— 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

James 4:8a (NKJV)— 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

Well here we see God keeping He promise. He uses some pretty extraordinary means to reach Cornelius and make Himself known to him (which we will see later in this chapter) because Cornelius is already seeking (in everything) to draw near to God. And that is the message of hope I want to leave you with today. If you have a heart that is earnestly seeking God, He will make Himself known to you.

Jeremiah 29:13-14a (NKJV)— 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the Lord,…

So I encourage you today, seek the Lord. No matter what you are going through, what questions you might have, or where you are on your spiritual journey. God will not leave you in the dark. If you are seeking Him, He will reveal Himself and His truth to you, just as we see He will do for Cornelius. So seek Him today. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to the show today! You will remember that last week we talked about Peter’s healing of a lame man by the name of Aeneas and how for (Aeneas) that healing completely changed the way he would live his life forever. And today Peter will perform another healing; and in many ways it is a healing that grows out of the people’s response to the healing of Aeneas. It says in…

Acts 9:35 (NKJV)— 35 So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

People Established— Sharon is the plain surrounding Lydda and Joppa, and which extends N to Caesarea.] And so, as we see so often in the book of Acts (cf. ch. 3), this healing leads to the further spread of the Gospel, as [The news spread beyond the town of Lydda to the whole coastal plain of Sharon.] And I mean just seeing this man {walking} was enough to convince everyone who saw him that Jesus was indeed alive and that they needed to place their faith in Him (See John 12:10–11 for a similar instance.). And Peter no doubt was engaging these people, teaching them; discipling them; moving them beyond just the fireworks of the healing to their being able to actually experience in their own lives the presence of God in and through Jesus Christ and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit as well. And so Peter was being faithful to the commission Jesus had given him in John 21:15-17 to care for the sheep and help them to get established in the faith. And if we are to truly be the Church, that must always be our focus as well. Now it says…

Acts 9:36a (NKJV)— 36 At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas.

Joppa— Now Joppa was a seacoast harbor town that is known today as Jaffa/Yaffa, and is S of Tel Aviv and 11 miles (18km) northwest of Lydda. It [sits 125 feet above sea level overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. {And it may interest you to know that} Joppa was the town into which the cedars of Lebanon had been floated to be shipped to Jerusalem for use in the Temple construction (2 Chronicles 2:16; Ezra 3:7 ).] But perhaps even more emblazoned in your memory is the fact that it was from the port at Joppa that Jonah left in his attempt to flee from God’s call to go to the Gentile city of Nineveh (Jonah 1:3). And that was both because of Jonah’s hatred of the Ninevites, but also (more generally) because of his nationalist attitude when it came to his faith. In his mind God was for Israel and Israel alone. But God has such a wonderful sense of humor; and sometimes we don’t notice it unless we step back and look at the overall spread of human history. Because (as we will see in our passage next week) it is in Joppa that Peter receives his call to go to the Gentiles! The Jews of the time probably immediately picked up on the irony here. And in both stories God sends a mighty wind. In Jonah’s story it took the form of a storm that causes the Gentile sailors to tremble in fear. But we will see that here it will be the “wind of the Spirit”, who will bring to the Gentiles joy and peace. Such an amazing and beautiful contrast.

The Gazelle— Now in Joppa it says there was a certain disciple named Tabitha. And she may have been [more commonly known by her Gr. name, “Dorcas.”] Now while we don’t know too much about her, if she is anything like her name, she was a very beautiful person because “Tabitha” (like Dorcas) [means Gazelle, "the creature with the beautiful look" (or eyes)… {If you know a bit about ancient writings, you’ll know that} The gazelle was a favourite type for beauty in the orient (Song of Solomon, Acts 2:9, 17; Acts 4:5; Acts 7:3).] But I don’t think it was her outward beauty that most attracted people. It says in the rest of verse 36…

Acts 9:36b (NKJV)— This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did.

Who God Uses— And so we see that the way Tabitha impacted her community was by [“always doing kind things for others and helping the poor,” by making “coats and other clothing” (9:39). {And we see that} When she died, the room was filled with mourners, very likely many of the people she had helped.] And you know that speaks volumes to us about the nature of how and who God uses.

Kelcie Huffman’s Funeral— I remember being part of a funeral service for a man from our former church in Ohio; a man by the name of Kelcie Huffman; the kindest, sweetest guy you could ever meet. When I think of men who truly embody what it means to live a godly life, his life will ever be a picture to me of what that looks like. A man always looking for ways to help others. In fact right when I got to that Church he asked me if he could come with me on hospital visitations to help be an encouragement to those in the church who needed it. And looking back, I could count on one hand the people who have ever offered to do that. And I remember just how astonished I was; of all the ministries to volunteer for, that can often be one of the most difficult and (at times) disheartening. But he didn’t care. He wanted to be right where the greatest needs was. Now you know what position he held in the Church? He was our janitor. And yet at his viewing would you guess it, the line of people who came to see him and say their goodbyes stretched around our huge sanctuary and out into the parking lot. And usually you’d expect the lines to dissipate after a while, which is what I expected. But hour after hour the line of people continued to move in through our double doors in the back; people who had been impacted by this tiny little man. It was the largest gathering I ever participated in in all my years of pastoral ministry. And for who? Not a big church leader; not a mighty evangelist; but for a quiet and assuming man who was simply willing to show God’s love to other people. And what this shows you and me is that while God can (and often does) use great preachers like Peter and Paul, he also uses the Tabithas; the Kelcies of the world as instruments of His kindness and healing in the world. And so maybe rather than looking around and wanting the gifts of other Christians, we ought instead to ask God to help us to make good use of the gifts God has already given us.

Now it must have seemed so tragic to lose such a beloved person like Tabitha, especially because people like her are so greatly needed by the Church today. But it says…

Acts 9:37 (NKJV)— 37 But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.

Irreplaceable— You know, in recent days we at our Church here at Renton Park Chapel have faced a very similar loss as a couple of weeks ago we had a memorial service for a very dear member of our congregation. And that is a hard blow to take. During ministry over the years I have seen heaven gain so many great men and women who were very difficult to replace; never were really replaced, honestly. And in times like that, all we can can really say is what Job proclaimed in Job 1:21: “The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD”. But death can be hard to process. And it was no different here.

The Interment— It says that when they had washed Tabitha, they laid her in an upper room. [This arrangement was similar to that of the upstairs room in 1:13; 2:1.] [It was a Jewish custom first to wash the dead body, and then to anoint it with spices for burial.] And it is important to note that the interment was not hurried as it probably would have been in Jerusalem, where it was customary to bury the body immediately, as they did with Ananias and Sapphira. Here they take their time, even though the final result they expected to be the same. However, then comes a wonderful bit of news. It says in…

Acts 9:38 (NKJV)— 38 And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them.

Faith-filled Believers— Now it is very clear that these early Christians recognized [that an unusual level of the Holy Spirit’s power was present in the apostles.] But at the same time, this shows a tremendous amount of faith because there is no record in Acts that any of the apostles had raised the dead. And yet here they are convinced that the God who would heal a lame person in Lydda could also raise a dead woman in Joppa. And their logic was probably very simple; like the faith of a child. If Jesus raised the dead during His ministry on earth, is He any less powerful now that He is sitting on His heavenly throne? No, if anything, you would think He was MORE powerful. And you know what, I just LOVE that rationale. What could God do through us if we were to believe like that? Now does that mean that God will raise every dead person; that He will heal every lame or sick person. No it doesn’t. Note that Stephen (whom you could also argue was greatly needed by the Church); God didn’t choose to raise him. And there were sicknesses and infirmities in Paul’s life that God allowed him to struggle with. But that doesn’t mean we should believe in God’s power any less. It just means that God is going to be glorified differently in that situation or circumstance. But this passage does reveal to us that God will be faithful to do whatever He impresses upon our hearts to ask Him to do; whatever He is leading you to pray for. Remember that Peter wasn’t acting on the basis of his own wishes; but rather was being led by the Holy Spirit into doing what God already intended to do from the start. And not just through the Holy Spirit speaking directly to him; but also the Holy Spirit speaking to him through other believers.

Serving The People— And something interesting that can often times get overlooked about Peter’s ministry (and really that of all the apostles) is the fact that while at times they may have told other people what to do, we see that [often the people commanded them!… {I love how here in this verse, not only do they send two men to implore Peter to come, but to come without delay. In other words “Don’t be tardy! Get here quickly!” And Peter obeys. You see Peter was a leader who {recognized that he} served the people and {therefore he} was ready to respond to their call.] That (in and of itself) is an incredible picture to me of what godly leadership looks like. It says in…

Acts 9:39 (NKJV)— 39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.

The Widows— So we see that [When Peter arrived in the upper room where Dorcas lay in death, he finds a group of weeping widows who had been helped by her ministry. Keep in mind that there was no “government aid” in those days for either widows or orphans, and needy people had to depend on their “network” for assistance. {Well, Tabitha was a part of that network. And we must never forget that} The church {still} has an obligation to help people who are truly in need (1 Tim. 5:3–16; James 1:27).] Government programs can sometimes do some good; but no entity is as powerful and effective at ministering to the poor and needy as the Church; because the Church is the very extension of the hand of God. And you can’t beat God when it comes to loving the poor and disenfranchised.

Garments— Now as these widows are standing around Peter, weeping, they are presenting (literally pointing to) the garments she had made. And these were both inner garments (which were worn underneath), but also outer garments (very similar to the Latin tunica and toga). And I mean this was such a heart-breaking scene. But it says…

Acts 9:40-41 (NKJV)— 40 But Peter put them all out {(just as Jesus had done when He was about to raise Jairus’ daughter; Peter is following the pattern of his Master. And then it says}, and knelt down and prayed {(which, by the way is very similar to what Elijah had done before raising the dead son of the widow in 1 Kings 17:20 and what Elisha had done before raising the Shunammite’s son in 2 Kings 4:33) Peter didn’t just somehow know what to do; no, he followed the pattern of Jesus, which was also the pattern given in scripture. And it says…}. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. 41 Then {(just as Jesus had done with Jairus’ daughter)} he gave her his hand {(not being afraid to be defiled)} and lifted her up {(By the way, [The Greek verb for raised her up is the same word used throughout the NT for Jesus’ resurrection (Gk. anistēmi). {And so} Though her restoration to life was not permanent, it served to remind Christians of their promised resurrection in Christ.] Now after Peter lifted her up, it says…)}; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive.

Joyous Celebration— And we cannot even begin to imagine the eruption of joy this created amongst all the people. I mean imagine the celebration; the partying. They probably had the funeral dinner all ready and set to go (probably with all of Tabitha’s favorite foods) and (lo and behold) she gets to partake of it. How awesome is that! And I would even say that this was a blessing for Peter as well, who was not only excited that God had raised Tabitha, but that He was willing to do so through him just as He had done through His Master Jesus. And let me tell you, we need to learn exactly what Peter learned that day; that God is willing to move in and through us as well to do His mighty works. Now it says of this miracle…

Acts 9:42 (NKJV)— 42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord.

And of course those believers needed a Shepherd; a discipler. And so the kind-hearted, Jesus-like Peter does exactly what he had done in Samaria. It says in…

Acts 9:43 (NKJV)— 43 So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner.

Peter’s Preparation— And so we see that (because a faith based on miracles is not enough) Peter takes the opportunity to ground these new believers in the truth of God’s Word. And it is a good thing he tarried here in Joppa, because (as we will see) God meets him here in an amazing new way, instructing him to use his keys to the Kingdom of Heaven to open up the kingdom to the next group of people; the Gentiles. And even now we see God breaking down the barriers Peter had previously had for certain types of people, as we see that he is staying with a man by the name of Simon, a tanner. Not only was this a smelly job (because it involved working with animal hides; which would explain his location close to the ocean breezes (10:6), but this also meant he was often left in an unclean state,] which is why it was [an occupation despised by Jewish society because the tanner dealt with the skins of dead animals. The local synagogue probably shunned Simon.] [One of the rabbis said: "It is impossible for the world to do without tanners; but woe to him who is a tanner." A Jewess could {actually} sue for divorce if she discovered that her husband was a tanner.] But lo and behold Peter (once again, just like Jesus) is willing to break out of the prejudice in order to meet the needs of people. And so God is already at work in Peter’s heart. And as we close today, let us also ask God to work in our heart; to make us like Peter and like Tabitha; to (no matter what ministry He calls us to) to keep at the forefront the needs of people; and for us to have the faith that God can and is willing to do whatever He is calling and leading us to do in the lives of those around us. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to the show today! Over the past several weeks we have been looking at the beginning of the ministry of Paul. But at this point in the book of Acts there is a shift back to the ministry of Peter. And during our time together today we will be beginning to take a look at the miracle ministry of Peter, which is highlighted in a special way in 9:32-10:48. In verses 32-35 we have first a great miracle; the healing of Aeneas. Then in verses 36-43 we have a greater miracle; the raising of Tabitha from the dead. And then in 10:1-48 we have the greatest miracle; that of lost sinners coming to faith in Jesus Christ; and not only sinners, but Gentile sinners at that, which we will see even in this passage God is already making His Church (and particularly Peter) ready for. Now the Church is currently experiencing a time of peace. It says in…

Acts 9:31a (NKJV)— 31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified.

The Church Universal— Now [There must have been hundreds of churches in the small cities and towns throughout this large region, but all of them together can be called a “church” (Gk. ekklēsia, {and it’s actually} singular in the earliest and best manuscripts of this verse, though some later manuscripts have the plural). {But this is significant because now} The NT can apply the singular word “church” to the church meeting in a home (Rom. 16:5 ; 1 Cor. 16:19), in an entire city (1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 1:1), in a large region (as here), or throughout the whole world (1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 5:25 ).] Wherever the people of God is, there Christ’s Church is. Now it says of these churches (or the Church)…

Acts 9:31b (NKJV)— And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

“they were multiplied”— And this description of the growth of the Church is Luke’s key way of signaling the closing of a section. At every major transition of the Church here in the book of Acts, you find at the end some phrase like this describing the resulting blessing of God as seen in the growing fruitfulness of the Church (1:15; 2:41, 47; 4:4; 5:14; 6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 13:49; 16:5; 19:20). And though this is a God thing, we see that the believers were not idle. They were taking Jesus admonition that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few very seriously. They themselves see that the fields are white for harvest and are now actively seeking to bring the Gospel to those places that have yet to hear it. And that is what we find Peter doing. We last saw him witnessing to the Samaritans in 8:25, having come there after Philip was used by God to spark a massive response to the Gospel there in Samaria. But now Peter sets his sights on and moves into the fertile coastal plain of Sharon, where we will witness the next two recorded miracles taking place. And this is important because it shows that Peter is already moving outwards from Jerusalem. It says…

Acts 9:32 (NKJV)— 32 Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda.

Lydda— Now Lydda was actually known as Lod in the Old Testament. It was a regional administrative town (toparchy) for Judea, and was on an important trade route. Located about 10 miles Southeast of Joppa, it was a hub that serviced roads from Egypt to Syria and from Joppa to Jerusalem. And while Peter is here it says…

Acts 9:33 (NKJV)— 33 There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed.

“a certain man”— Now that phrase “a certain man” that is used to describe this man named Aeneas is actually a key phrase that Luke uses here to clue us in to the fact that Aeneas was an unbeliever. In the following miracle, involving Tabitha, we see that she is described not as “a certain woman” but as “a disciple named Tabitha” (v.36). You can also look back earlier in this very chapter to a similar description given to us of Ananias. In verse 10 he is described as “a disciple at Damascus” (v.10). So this man Aeneas Luke is careful to distinguish as an unbeliever. And for some reason or other, he has become paralyzed and bedridden.

A Hurting Member— You know, as I was beginning preparation for this message I had an interesting situation develop involving a dear member of our Church here at Renton Park Chapel. A gentleman, as a result of a terrible fall off a tall ladder onto solid concrete many years ago was on the road to becoming paralyzed. Doctors said that he would be paralyzed within a few months if he did not get a vital surgery on his neck. And I took him to that surgery; it was a three-hour surgery that took two doctors working very carefully to place a metal rod in his neck and attempt to stem the coming paralysis. Now thankfully that surgery was a success, but he still has a long road of recovery in front of him. And in the months that have followed I have witnessed first-hand both the ongoing struggles he has had to face in that recovery process, but also have gotten to see the miracles of modern medicine that we have available to us today. I got to see him slowly begin to improve; and I got to see the ex-rays in which you can see (clearly visible) this rod that has been inserted to help straighten his neck. It is truly incredible what doctors are able to do today. But having gone through this experience with my friend, it kind of helped me to see through new eyes the situation of Aeneas in our passage today. Now we don’t know what his story is; what treatments he had possibly gone through; certainly nothing like what we have today. But there is no doubt that for him the game is over. There were no modern surgeries like there are today that can sometimes correct these kinds of issues. No, he is incurably paralyzed. And yet it says in…

Acts 9:34a (NKJV)— 34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you.

Glory To Jesus— Now I love this because though we usually think of Peter (now at least) as this awesome rock in the Church, he is much more humble than he was during the earthly ministry of Jesus. Peter understands that it is not him but Jesus who is invisibly working to build the Church. And this is such a key thing for us to remember; and is a criteria we should apply to any Christian leader before deciding to follow them. False prophets always point to themselves. But true prophets of God (like John the Baptist) always point away from themselves to Jesus (“Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”); seeking Him to receive all the glory and praise. And that is something we need to watch in ourselves in all we do. What are our intentions? Are we seeking to bring glory to ourselves or glory to Jesus. Because (honestly) God will never work through you as fully as He might if you are not willing to recognize and give glory to Him for what He is doing through you. Humility is the gateway to being usable by God. Now, following Peter’s saying to Aeneas “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you…”, Peter adds to this…

Acts 9:34b (NKJV)— Arise and make your bed.” Then he arose immediately.

Make Your Bed— Now I don’t know about you, but here Peter almost sounds like a mom; “Make your bed!” And, honestly, Peter sounds very much like Jesus here; because Jesus had said similar things to the lame people that He healed. But it wasn’t until my study of this passage that I really asked why? Why this phrase “make your bed.”? I mean, what a mundane thing; to make your bed. Why not just say, “Arise! Be healed!”, which would have involved enough faith for Aeneas to be healed; as he would have obeyed enough just to attempt to stand up. Why this imperative (and that is what it is in the Greek); why this imperative for him to make his bed, which [probably refers to folding the mat on which he was lying.]? Well, I raised this question recently to my secretary (Miss Donna, a very insightful woman who has walked with the Lord for many many years) and she said something that really kind of got me thinking. And I think she hit the nail right on the head. She said that “When you make your bed, there’s no going back.” And you know I thought; my goodness, she’s absolutely right. There is an arising; a step of faith into the healing of Jesus, but there is also a closure behind him of the door to his old way of doing life. And one of the best NT commentaries I read, confirmed this. It said that the phrase here means [Literally, spread thy bed for thyself (dative case), what others for eight years have done for thee.] There is a transformation not just of his legs, but in the whole way he is to view and live his life.

Samuel L. Brengle: "I had to go forward”— Now all of this struck a chord with me because I have been reading a book by Samuel Logan Brengle, a mighty man of God in the Salvation Army who described in his book “Helps to Holiness” the very moment that (following his salvation) God moved him beyond mere forgiveness from sin and into an experience of actual deliverance from the power of sin; to freedom from sin where God actually purges you of your old self and creates in you (as the Psalmist anticipated) a clean heart; a united heart that is made altogether new. Listen to what Brengle writes; and I love how he knows precisely when this work of grace happened for him. He says: [On January 9, 1885, at about 9 o'clock in the morning, God sanctified my soul. I was in my own room at the time, but in a few minutes I went out and met a man and told him what God had done for me. The next morning, I met another friend on the street and told him the story. He shouted and praised God and urged me to preach full salvation and confess it everywhere. God used him to encourage and help me. So the following day I preached on the subject as clearly and forcibly as I could, and ended with my testimony. God mightily blessed the Word to others, but I think He blessed it most to me. That confession put me on record. It cut down the bridges behind me. Three worlds were now looking at me as one who professed that God had given him a clean heart. I could not go back now. I had to go forward.] And you know, that is what the Christian life is all about; leaving your life of sinfulness and embracing a transformed life. And that is what we are called to do as well. And that is what we see Aeneas does. He arises, finds himself healed, and makes his bed.

Have You Made Your Bed?— Now let me ask you, have you made your bed? Not your physical bed (though that is important), but your spiritual bed. Have you closed the door behind you to that old way of life? Have you allowed Jesus to do more in your life than just forgive you of your sin? Have you surrendered to Him fully and completely; allowing Him to actually empower you to rise against/out of that old way of life and begin to walk (un-crippled) in holiness before Him? If not, I want to tell you that there is no greater joy than allowing Him to create in you a clean heart (as the Psalmist says) and to walk in that “newness of life” (Romans 6:4). Ask for Him to do that for you today and He will do it, by His grace through your faith in Him. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to the show today! As you know, we have been talking about the conversion of Saul on the road to Damascus in Acts chapter 9. Saul encounters Jesus; and that encounter forever changes the course of his life. And we see that right after he leaves the presence of Ananias, through whom God gave Saul the Holy Spirit. Saul goes out and (as anybody who truly encounters Jesus is always compelled to do) he immediately begins sharing the Good News of the Gospel. It says…

Acts 9:20-22 (NKJV)— 20 Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. 21 Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?” 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

The Jews— Now the phrase [The Jews does not mean all Jews, of course, since many Jews had believed in Jesus and Paul himself was a Jew. But from this point forward in the book of Acts, Luke often uses the phrase “the Jews” as a shorthand expression to refer to Jewish people who opposed the gospel (see esv footnote; see also 12:3; 13:45,50; 14:4; 17:5,13; 18:12; etc.). Often it is the leaders of communities who are involved in this rejection.] But after these unbelieving Jews are confounded by Saul’s witness and testimony, it says…

Acts 9:23a (NKJV)— 23 Now after many days were past,

Saul’s Arabian Ministry— And that period of many days was very likely a period of 3 years; a period Paul writes about in his epistle to the Galatians. And many believe this period of three years actually took place between verses 21 and 22. Saul, rather than immediately traveling to Jerusalem to be instructed by the apostles, instead went to minister in Nabatean Arabia, which was a wilderness desert that stretched east of Damascus all the way down to the Sinai peninsula. Now why God wanted him to go there, we don’t really know fully. But it seems that God wanted to get him to a quiet place where He could teach him His Word through the new lens of Christ Jesus; to instruct him and prepare him to be an effective apostle. And he did this to Saul directly, because Saul says very clearly of this experience in…

Galatians 1:16b-17 (NKJV)— …I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.

A Time of Preparation— So the first part of Saul’s Christian education seems to have been given by God Himself. And this was because God knew that Saul was not yet ready for ministry. No, he had to re-process the Old Testament through the lens of Jesus. Until he did that, he was not ready for the full ministry that God had called him to. And you know, that is a lesson to us as well. While Saul did not wait to evangelize, there was a time of preparation that was necessary to his overall ministry. That is why if you want to go into full-time Christian ministry, you will most likely want to go to seminary. That’s not to say God can’t use a non-seminary grad. But you will never be able to give people what you don’t already know and what you haven’t already experienced. That is why it is so important for Church leaders to be educated. And I’m telling you, you don’t know what you don’t know. When I got to seminary, I was blown away with how little I actually knew and how much more there was for me to learn in order to be not just a Christian leader, but even just an informed Christian. I remember feeling (as I sat in those classes) “There is not a Christian alive who doesn’t need to hear what I am hearing right now.”

Church Education— And that is why it is so critical that the Church as a whole re-capture an emphasis on Christian education; even (and especially) inside the Church itself. Church is supposed to be more than just a place of worship; it is to be a place of teaching. You ought to come to Church and not only be fed, but taught how to be able to find nourishment and strength in God’s Word yourself. You ought to be taught how to do Bible Study; how to apply your Christian worldview to your understanding of the times and the culture; how to witness and contend for the faith. Church was (and is) just as much a place of the mind as it is the heart. In fact in Hebrew you cannot separate those two concepts. Heart and mind always go together. This is why Paul, in writing to the Philippian Church, writes in…

Philippians 1:8-9— 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.

Love To Learn— You see, if you want to be an effective Christian, you need to cultivate a love for learning, which always always always accompanies a Christ-like faith. There is a transformation; a renewal of the mind that accompanies the renewal of the heart (which Romans 12:2 talks about). And that is something Saul definitely experienced in his own life; and in a special way during his wilderness experience.

In The Wilderness— Now it is possible that during this time Saul went to the area near Mount Sinai (Gal. 4:25), which was a journey that would have taken a considerable amount of courage and strength. It may have been during this time that he experienced the “perils of robbers” and “perils in the wilderness” that he writes about 2 Corinthians 11:26). We don’t know for sure. But it seems likely that he also did some evangelizing because when he returns to Damascus after that 3-year period in Nabatean Arabia (and wherever else he journeyed during that 3-year stint), we find that he is already a marked man. So once again I want to emphasize that while there is a time of preparation, we should never wait to share the Gospel. Saul was sharing the Gospel from the moment he first received Christ (Immediately); and he started doing so right where he was, first in Damascus and then in the wilderness. And that is what we are to do as well. Don’t wait to share the miracle of what Christ has done for you. Yes, God may call you somewhere else; He may call you into the ministry or as a missionary (both of which require a lot of prep); but we can also begin sharing Christ right away. In fact we have to. If we don’t, our faith will always wither. It is often when we are sharing Christ (participating with Him in His ministry) that we are most growing in our walk with Christ.

Now at this point Saul returns to minister in Damascus; and the narrative in Acts picks up here in verse 23. It says…

Acts 9:23-25 (NKJV)— 23 Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. 24 But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. 25 Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket.

Basket— And this [“Basket” was a large woven hamper suitable for hay, straw, or bales of wool.] It’s an unusual but effective means for his escape. And after this we are not sure about the time gap. Some actually place Saul’s 3-year stint at this point (between verses 25 and 26) instead of earlier. But regardless, it is not until 3 years after his conversion that Saul finally makes it to Jerusalem. And it says…

Acts 9:26-30 (NKJV)— 26 And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. {And we know from Galatians 1:18-19 that he actually only met two of the apostles at this point; and these two apostles were Peter and James. And it says} And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. {And after hearing this, they receive Saul into their fellowship, which is made clear in verse 28, which says} 28 So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. {And Galatians 1:18-19 also reveals that this was a period of only 15 days. But in that time, Saul is witnessing. It says in…} 29 And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. 30 When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus.

Caesarea— Now Caesarea was [An important port city on the Mediterranean located 30 mi. N of Joppa. As the capital of the Roman province of Judea and the home of the Roman procurator, it served as the headquarters of a large Roman garrison.] And so it was a safe place for Saul to withdraw to. And then from there it says the disciples sent him out to Tarsus. And it is at this point that [Paul disappeared from prominent ministry for several years, although he possibly founded some churches around Syria and Cilicia (15:23; Gal. 1:21).] And then it says in…

Acts 9:31a (NKJV)— 31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified.

A Time of Peace— And this was due in large part to Saul’s conversion (which in itself greatly reduced the persecution the Church had been facing); but also there were a number of key political changes that also contributed to this time of peace and rest. You had a stricter Roman governor and also Herod Agrippa’s authority also was extended; and both of these served to help restrict the persecution. And this just shows how God can use evil people to work out His plan in the world. But even if the political climate didn’t change, the early Christians would not have been phased a bit. For it says in…

Acts 9:31b (NKJV)— And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

Our Shield— You see, it was the Spirit of God who was their comfort and strength; not what was going on in the world. And that is why they thrived even when times weren’t so good. And you know, the same ought to apply to us even today. As bad as this world seems to be getting, for we who fear the Lord, we don’t have to be worried. We don’t have to pull our hair in anxiety and fear. We know that God has not abandoned His Church and that He will preserve and keep us. And that goes for the Church as a whole, which we see here in the book of Acts, but it also goes for us as individuals, which we see also here in the book of Acts. You and I may have to crawl into a few baskets ourselves here and there. But God will be faithful to be a shield and fortress for us as we continue to do His work.

Meet With Jesus— And so what we need to learn from this is that if we choose to strive for anything, we must strive for the experience that Saul had in this chapter. We need to strive to meet Jesus in every possible way; to meet Him in song; to meet Him in prayer; to meet Him in Church; to meet Him in our Bible Study; in our devotions; to meet Him in ministry to those who need His touch. If we meet Jesus, our lives will forever be transformed; and the world just might be impacted and forever changed because of you. And so let us be intentional to, as often as we can, meet with Jesus. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to the show today! In our study of the book of Acts we have been looking at one of the great persecutors of the early Church, a man by the name of Saul. And in our passage last week you will remember that Saul has just met Jesus on the road to Damascus, where he was seeking to further his persecution of Christianity. And yet it is on that very road that he encountered Jesus; and that encounter marked the greatest turning point of his life as (being struck blind) he was commanded to go into Damascus and wait further instructions. And so he does, staying with a man named Judas. And Jesus then appears to a Christian named Ananias and tells him to go and tells him to go to Saul and lay hands on him so that he might receive his sight. And Ananias is obviously terrified, fearing Saul. But he goes. And it says…

Acts 9:17-18 (NKJV)— 17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.

From Grey To Color— I recently watched quite a number of videos on YouTube of color blind people receiving a very special gift. Because of modern technology, special glasses that appear just like ordinary sunglasses have been developed that actually correct color blindness. And so these people in the videos (who often received these expensive glasses from friends or loved ones) would open up the special box they came in (often not knowing what they were) and (seeing these ordinary-looking glasses) prepare to put them on. I remember one old tough guy in particular kind of shrugging the gift off, saying, “Guys, I have gone 70+ years without seeing color and I don’t really care whether or not I see it now. This means way more to you guys than it does to me.” And he said he certainly wasn’t going to get emotional or anything like that (like other people he had heard of); he said “I was a body builder; I’m tough.” And then (kind of shrugging to himself) he put the glasses on. And after a few seconds he began to look around. And suddenly you could see the emotion welling up in him (even with the glasses on) and he began weeping. He could not believe how beautiful the world was. Up until that point all he had seen were different shades of grey. Can you imagine seeing color for the first time? And he kept crying because he could not believe what he had been missing. And he went over to his wife and embraced her, thanking her (through tears) for the gift that she had given him. That was only one of many videos I watched. I saw a young man on his wedding day receive the glasses from his fiancé and he got to see her in color for the first time. I saw a mother get to see her two children in color for the first time. Another woman had just gotten the glasses and had a picture of her daughter ready so that the first thing she would see would be the color of her daughter’s eyes. And she was expecting kind of a neat experience. But when she saw her daughter’s eyes for the first time, she suddenly had a hard times seeing through all the tears. Imagine what it would be like to have your whole view of the world changed in an instant. For Saul, that was very much like it was. When the scales fell from Saul’s eyes in those moments, it was more than just physical blindness that went away; Saul was awakened to a whole new way of seeing life; and that was seeing it through the lens of Jesus. In Jesus, Saul met (and continued in fellowship with) the very God whom He loved and worshiped. And from that time onwards His fellowship with God would never be the same.

A Personal Burial & Resurrection— It’s interesting how Ananias comes to Saul after 3 days of blindness. You see, God has a sense of humor. The sign of Jonah was 3 days in the belly of a fish; Jesus’ spent 3 days in the belly of the earth; and here (because Saul rejected the Gospel of Jesus) God put Saul right in the tomb where Jesus had been, so to speak. He had to endure three days of death before he could experience a personal resurrection; his own personal new beginning. And just like a humble person in mourning, he had not eaten or drunk for the entirety of those three day. But now that he has been given the the Holy Spirit, it is time for him to eat and drink. It says…

Acts 9:19 (NKJV)— 19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.

Sauls Being Discipled— Now I can’t imagine what that must have been like. Here Saul is, in the midst of the very people he has been persecuting; and he’s not in the position of instructor, which he probably would have put himself in only a short while prior. No, he is the student, learning all about the life and ministry of Jesus. Now that is pretty incredible when you think about it. These ordinary Christians are discipling the great Saul of Tarsus. And that just goes to show that it doesn’t matter who you are talking to; how smart they are; what their pedigree is. If that person doesn’t know Christ, you have something to offer them; actually you have everything to offer them (even if you might feel small in comparison, by worldly standards). Think of Ananias (the one to whom God sent to Saul). He was one of the Christians we would never consider to be extraordinary; yet God used him in an amazing way to influence Saul. And Saul of course became one of the most significant figures in all of world history, which is something even secular historians admit. Now we don’t know much about this Ananias. But you know, that may be the point. There are always those Ananias-type people behind the scenes, quietly being used of God to move His Kingdom forward.

Kimball & Harrison— [On April 21, 1855, {a man by the name of} Edward Kimball led one of the young men in his Sunday school to faith in Christ. Little did he realize that Dwight L. Moody would one day become the world’s leading evangelist. The ministry of Norman B. Harrison in an obscure Bible conference was used of God to bring Theodore Epp to faith in Christ, and God used Theodore Epp to build the Back to the Bible ministry around the world.] You see, the Ananias’ of the world can have a great impact. And so maybe we need to cultivate the habit (the practice) of asking God on a regular basis, “Who can I influence for You today, Lord? Even if it’s just one person; Lord, help me to find a way to be that influence.” And be prepared to respond; because if you mean that with sincerity, He will lead people into your life. And who knows; the quietest word; the smallest nudge on your part might just be that nudge that ends up forever changing to the course of history.

Eyes Still Opening— Now Saul’s eyes have just been opened; but the spiritual opening of Saul’s eyes wasn’t finished when he left Ananias. No, they continued to be opened day by day as he dwelt with the disciples in Damascus and had poured into his life the message of Jesus Christ. Now anybody who truly meets Jesus can’t be quiet about it. Look at what it says. It says in…

Acts 9:20 (NKJV)— 20 Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

"Son of God"— Now take a guess. How many times do you think that Jesus is referred to in the book of Acts as the Son of God. I asked somebody this just recently and they replied, “I don’t know. A hundred?” And you might think so. But you know, that’s not even close. It may surprise you, but interestingly this is the only place in the book of Acts where Jesus is called by that title. And it is so interesting how the one person who uses it in this book is a Jew zealous for the name of the Lord; a Jew who would have been the most reluctant to use that title out of fear of blasphemy. But it is a title that Saul used at least 15 times in and throughout his epistles. Now this was a shock to everyone who heard him; that Saul would claim a divine title for one he had up until that time persecuted. And that is why it says in…

Acts 9:21-22 (NKJV)— 21 Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?” 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

Proving With Scripture— Now Saul was proving that Jesus is the Christ in two ways. First and foremost, he is connecting the dots for people, helping them to see that the Jesus they crucified matched the identity of the Messiah prophesied about in the Old Testament. He knew scripture already like the back of hand. He no doubt could quote the entire Old Testament by memory; that was very typical of any highly educated Jewish man.

Proving With His Testimony— But there was also another way that Saul was proving that this Jesus is the Christ. And that was by His own conversion. And I don’t think we fully grasp how absolutely unbelievable this was. There was no less likely convert in all of history. And you know, that is why the conversion of Paul stands as one of the strongest testimonies to the truth of Jesus Christ’s resurrection because it doesn’t come from somebody who wished Jesus would rise; it came from one who was glad Jesus was dead and wouldn’t have it any other way. Yet not only did the desire of his heart change; not only did he himself become a Christian, but He (like many of those early Christians) was willing to undergo some of the most intense persecution, torture, and even death for what he believed (some of which we see right here; right at the outset of his ministry). Why is he willing to go through all of that? Well, it wasn’t because he believed in some merely religious idea that Christianity was true; no, it was because he had SEEN Jesus. He himself had encountered the resurrected Lord. And when doubters arose amidst his path, all he had to do was point them towards his own personal testimony and say, “Hey, just look at the difference this Jesus has MADE in my life!; where I was then and where I am now! You cannot explain it ANY other way than that I encountered the resurrected LORD; this Jesus of Nazareth!”

Our Testimony; Their Encounter— And you know, the greatest testimony that you and I will ever bear is that testimony born by the change that God has brought about in OUR lives; where we were then and where we are now. Because people can see it with their own eyes. In us the world encounters the Resurrected Lord! And so this week, let people encounter Christ in you. Live for Him and let His Spirit also work in and through you. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to the show today! In our study of the book of Acts, we have been taking a look at one of the most important conversion stories in all of history, the salvation of Saul on the road to Damascus. Saul had been violently persecuting the Christian Church and was on his way to Damascus to further persecute Christians and prevent them from winning converts in the synagogues there. But something amazing happens to Saul on this road to Damascus in our passage today! He meets the risen Lord! And after he meets Jesus, he was no longer Saul the Jew! He was no longer Saul the Roman; Saul of Tarsus; Saul the highly educated; or even Saul the Pharisee of Pharisees. He was Paul, first and foremost, a what? Listen to…

Romans 1:1– 1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,

A Genuine Encounter— Saul became an apostle of Jesus Christ. And when you think about the power of that; how the unlikeliest convert (one who hated Christianity) became one of its chief advocates and missionaries, it really speaks to the genuineness and the power of the encounter that he had with Jesus there on that road to Damascus. And today I want you to see in Paul’s testimony what a true encounter with Christ ought to produce in the life of a person.

Point 1: Dealing With Sin— First, a Genuine Encounter with God Deals with Sin. The first thing God does is confront Saul with the sin that is at the heart of the issue. He first points out his sin in persecuting the Christians, which is (in essence) persecuting Christ Himself. Then he tells Saul to go into the city and await further instruction. And Saul gets up to leave and realizes he has been struck blind. Now this is an interesting part of the story because he is the only one who is struck blind. Why does Jesus strike him blind? What is the purpose of this?

God’s Light Taken— Well remember how the Jews viewed light and the ability to see? In scripture, God Himself is light and those who know Him walked in the light. In Egypt darkness covered the whole land, except for Goshen, where God’s people dwelt. Why did they have light? Because they followed God. And in and throughout the Old Testament those who are fools; those who reject God and his wisdom are said to be those who stumble in the darkness. Jesus even calls the Pharisees blind leaders of the blind, making the point that they do not know either God or His truth. So what I think Jesus is doing here is making Saul experience his own spiritual darkness; his own spiritual blindness. He is making him bear physically what he is spiritually. And so through this Jesus is saying to Saul, “You are so blind, you persecute the very God you claim to serve. You think you are walking in the light of truth when in fact you are lost. I want to communicate with you just how lost you are. Here, let me take away your sight. And then He says to him, “Now stumble on over into the city and you will be told what to do.”

Point 2: Producing Humility— Now the second characteristic of a Genuine Encounter with God is humility. Now picture this. Saul, who was expecting to come to Damascus in might and in strength, overwhelming the Christians there with his persecuting power, is now sent into that same city the weakest, most powerless person you could imagine. And sometimes this has to happen to us. We have to be humbled before God can do anything with us.

Two Ships Illustration— [In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea off the coast of Russia. Hundreds of passengers died as they were hurled into the icy waters below. News of the disaster was further darkened when an investigation revealed the cause of the accident. It wasn't a technology problem like radar malfunction—or even thick fog. The cause was human stubbornness. Each captain was aware of the other ship's presence nearby. Both could have steered clear, but according to news reports, neither captain wanted to give way to the other. Each was too proud to yield first. By the time they came to their senses, it was too late.]

Humbling Ourselves— Now that story may sound may sound ridiculous to us. But let me ask you, are there areas in your life that you are not willing to humble yourself and submit to God? Are you so determined to grip the steering wheel of your own life that you are even willing to crash it into disaster just to escape from having to humble yourself and submit to God’s way; God’s plan for your life? Now even those of us who are followers of Christ still have to wrestle with this on a day to day basis. Are we going to obey God in humility; or try to do things our own way? And there was another man in this story that also had to learn this lesson. Look with me at verses 10 to 16...

Acts 9:10-16 [NIV]— 10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. 11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” 13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

Ananias’ Doubt— Now I really feel for Ananias. He is a Christian who has already heard that Saul is coming and he is possibly even in hiding. And God says to him, “You know Saul of Tarsus?” “You mean that guy I and a lot of other Christians are hiding from; the guy who has every Christian he meets thrown into prison? That Saul of Tarsus?” “Yes. That’s the one. I just revealed to him a vision of a man named Ananias coming to restore his sight.” I Love God’s sense of humor here. He doesn’t say that Saul saw just anybody, but somebody in particular: a man named Ananias! And Ananias is probably talking out loud, “Wow, God, that’s pretty specific. You know God, Ananias is a pretty common name. Why don’t you grab an Ananias who’s a little bit less me. I was on my way to get my name changed anyways. How about Sapphira’s husband?” And God says, “Well, he can’t.” “Why?” “He’s dead.” “Really?” “Yes, he tried to deceive the Holy Spirit.” And Ananias says, “God, I was seriously kidding about that whole name-changing thing. I wasn’t really on my way to change it.” And God says, “Go!” So Ananias goes and finds the house Paul is staying in. Look at verse 17...

Acts 9:17-19 [NIV]— 17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Point 3: Being Brought To Repentance:— And this brings us to the third point, which is this: A Genuine Encounter with God leads you to Repentance. Paul not only had his sight restored, but his soul as well, as he received the Holy Spirit into his life. He arose and was baptized, becoming a follower of Jesus Christ; that very Jesus he had met on the road. Now look at the instant change that was wrought about in his life. It says in…

Acts 9:20-22 [NIV]— 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.

Point 4: An Evangelistic Drive— And so we see that the fourth thing A Genuine Encounter with God leads you to is Evangelism. Anybody who has been genuinely touched by Christ and filled with His Holy Spirit will want to carry that new hope he has found to those who have yet to receive it. And the irony now is that Saul (who had been an enslaver of Christians) has now become an Evangelist for that very faith. Before he was the persecutor; now he is the persecuted, which we see in the very next section. It says…

Acts 9:23-26 [NIV]— 23 After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, 24 but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall. 26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.

A Trojan Horse?— Now you can really understand where they are coming from. How would you know if he were telling the truth or not? What if he’s just faking it to gain information; information he can later use to cause great harm to the Church. Might be kind of a Trojan Horse situation; where you welcome in as a gift the very one who would destroy you. Well, that is what these early Christians were afraid of. And think about it, what are the chances that he would happen to have this kind of change of right now when you know he is seeking out Christians. I guarantee you most of you would not believe him. I probably wouldn’t. But what is remarkable is that he really was telling the truth! Yet nobody believes him. It just sounded too good to be true! But look at what is says. It says…

Acts 9:27-28 [NIV]— 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.

When We Avoid Encountering God— You know, Paul had a real, genuine encounter with God. And it changed his life forever. But you know, sometimes I feel we avoid genuine encounters with God. Because He’s like a mirror for our hearts, we often don’t want Him to be near enough for Him to reveal those areas in our lives we would prefer to keep hidden and un-dealt with. We often forget to humble ourselves before God and submit our way to His. It is not that we don’t want to be good Christians. We are just afraid to let God take the wheel of our lives. It’s strange. We think we can manage and steer our lives better than the One who made us. And we have all been guilty of this. But what the reality scripture points us to is that if we are to walk in the light as Christ is in the light, we must allow God to deal with our spiritual blindness. We must acknowledge our sins before Him. We must humbly accept His way. We must repent and turn from those sins we are clinging to in our lives. And lastly, we need to take the hope of the Gospel to those who need to hear it. And so today I want to encourage you (if you want to have a genuine encounter with God today) to humble yourself and confess your shortcomings and sins. Repent before the Lord now in this moment and ask Him to give you the strength to do the work He has for you. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome again to Lechem Panim. In our study of the book of Acts, we have come to chapter 9, in which we read of the conversion of a man who was at one time one of the fiercest persecutors of early Christianity, and yet became God’s chief instrument in bringing the good news of the Gospel to the gentiles. And of course I’m talking about Saul, who was also known as Paul. I say “also known as” because there is a widely-spread belief that God (or Jesus specifically) changed Saul’s name to Paul. But that is not the case. Saul in fact always kept both names. “Saul" was his Hebrew name and “Paul” was his Greek name. And having that kind of duel name was actually very common during that time. Simon Peter’s name is another example: Simon/Shimeon (a Hebrew name), and Peter (a Greek name). Now there definitely is a shift from the use of “Saul” in the beginning of the book of Acts to “Paul” later in the book of Acts; but the reason for that shift has nothing to do with Saul's conversion. Rather it has to do with where he was ministering. In and around Jerusalem he would use his Hebrew name (“Saul”) and in Gentile regions he would use his Greek name (“Paul”). And you will note here that when Jesus confronts him here on the road to Damascus, he calls him by his Hebrew name; not his Greek one.

The Importance of Saul’s Conversion— Now the story of Saul’s conversion is very important for at least two reasons. First, it helps us to get to know who he is, the problems he struggled with, and how Christ changed who he was. Secondly, Paul’s testimony is important because his apostleship (which is the source of his authority) is based upon this very important encounter he had with Jesus while on the road to Damascus. In fact, Paul’s testimony is so important that the event is described three separate times here in the book of Acts (Acts 9:1-9; 22:3-21; 26:1-23). And what makes Paul’s testimony so important is that it shows us that he did not receive his authority from either himself or the other apostles. His authority came from the fact that he met Jesus face to face and was called (by Christ Himself) to go and be a minister of God’s word; a messenger who would carry His authority and do great things in His name. And over and over again Paul points back to Christ as the one who gave him this authority. He doesn’t consider himself worthy to do the work God has for him. In fact, he even describes how the other disciples met Christ in 1 Corinthians 15 (NIV) and then says in verse eight, “and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.” You see, he recognizes that it is only by the grace of God’s love that he was chosen to be God’s special instrument. And I am sure that all of us here today recognize our own unworthiness in being chosen by God not only to be His special instruments, but His children. It was not because we were anything special, but because He is good.

Zealous Rage— Now although Saul became a mighty instrument for God, at this time Saul is violently persecuting the Christian Church. And behind this is a misguided zealousness for God, whom he thinks these Christians are in rebellion against. And so he is enraged (really) against these Christians. And you know, that is not very different from how the world often responds to you and to me in our day and age as well.

An Answer Forum— Some time ago I was looking something up online and I stumbled across this website where people could ask any question they wanted and other people could answer. And as I was looking through some of the religious questions people were asking and some of the answers other people were giving, I was struck with how easily you could tell who was a Christian and who wasn’t by how differently they responded. The Christians, though not always on track, were honestly trying to answer the questions while those who weren’t Christians were often flippant and rude. And not only that, they were vindictive, speaking hatefully and mockingly towards Christianity. And I found it interesting how people who reject the truth of Christ are rarely content to just say, “I respectfully disagree with you.” No, they often feel the need to lash out and vent their hatred, even when what they are venting about how little or nothing to do with the question that had been originally asked. And through my interactions with unbelievers in those kinds of forums (but even in person) I have really come to understand more and more that very often it is not merely a matter of respectful debate. No, there is an underlying hatred; an enmity that is working against you right from the outset. And you know, that is because of the truth of what Jesus expressed in…

John 3:20-21 (NIV)— 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

Thick Hide/Warm Heart— And so when we come to interact with people who are lost, we need to do expect that there are unseen emotions and forces at play in their lives that will be working against us. Satan will seek to deaden their reason and cloud their thinking. He will place before their mind’s eye a manufactured picture of Christians that would be detestable to anybody. He will seek to stir up their spirit against you. And so, as my mentor once told me, you need to “have a thick hide and a warm heart”. Be willing to take the abuse, remembering what we talked about last week; that those who often respond to us with the most anger are often those who are under the greatest conviction.

The Storm Before Salvation— I remember one time in the early years of my ministry trying to be there for a man who had lost his mother, who had gone to our church. But he himself was a drunkard who did not know the Lord; and it showed in his unsettled (and often angry) spirit and in the way he chose to grieve for his mother, without hope. He was one of those people you would look at and wonder if there really was any hope for him because of how incapable he had rendered himself of hearing God’s voice. How could God ever break through to a man like him? But I kept visiting him. And I would sit with him, listen, and try to offer the hope of Jesus wherever I could. But then one day something happened; he told me he didn’t want to see me anymore. He had misread a situation and thought I had said something to somebody else about him, which I hadn’t. But he said he didn’t want to see me anymore. Now I was a little stubborn and came back later anyway to talk to him and try to restore the relationship, but after I knocked on his trailer door and he opened it, I found that I had interrupted his cleaning of his rifle. And he very menacingly said he didn’t want to see me again. And so I got back into my car and left. But as I was driving down the road back towards the church, I just said, “Okay God, I can’t do anything else. He’s in your hands now. I turn him over to you.” One week later my phone rings and I pick it up and it’s him. And he said he wanted to see me. And so I went and saw him. And when I came to him and sat down with him, he began sharing his own personal despair; the darkness that had closed in upon him. And once again I offered him Jesus. And this time he said he was ready; and he received Christ that night, one week after saying he never wanted to see me again. Later he gave me a plaque that had a cross on it made out of railroad spikes. And I hung it in my office to remind me of what God had shown me through that experience; that there is nobody beyond His reach and ability to save. And even when somebody may be biting into you (as their conviction is at it’s worst), let them do so, all the while recognizing that that chastisement (like the stripes of Jesus) may just be the last croaking of the darkness before the sunrise. So let them bite. And perhaps even in their biting they might taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8). Now Saul has definitely come to this turning point. His anger is at it’s peak. And so it says…

Acts 9:1-2 (NIV)— 1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

En Route To Damascus— Now what is happening is these Christians are spreading the Gospel by teaching in their local synagogues. And Saul wants to put a stop to this in order to prevent those people who come to the synagogue to debate and to learn from being led into what he perceives to be a wicked cult. So he receives permission and is on his way to Damascus in Syria, which [was the nearest important city outside the Holy Land. It also had a large Jewish population. The distance from Jerusalem to Damascus was about 150 miles, four to six days’ travel.] And he is at the end of his journey, drawing near to the city. Look at verse 3...

Acts 9:3-9 (NIV)— 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

Only Through Encounter— Now here we find that Saul, who thought he had had a clear vision of God and what He wanted; and who had intended on riding into Damascus in might and in strength, now has been rendered vision-less (physical blindness to match his spiritual blindness) that now necessitates his having to be led into the very place he had intended to bring persecution. And it was Jesus Himself who confronted Saul and (as we will see) works about a marvelous transformation in his life. And what that shows us is that it is the presence of Jesus that ultimately changes a person; not anything you and I say or do (though God will most certainly use that). But ultimately it is He who confronts, convicts, and brings people to repentance. Our job is simply to lead them to Him. And so this week, seek to bring the presence of Jesus to those around you. It may be in something you say; or it may be in how you respond to their mistreatment of you. Let them see reflected in you and me the presence of Jesus. Amen.

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Hello and welcome again to Lechem Panim. In our study of the book of Acts, we have come to chapter 9, which we will begin looking at during our time together today. But first, I want to tell you a little about a young girl I’m sure many of you have heard of named Anne Frank. Her story is one that has been remembered throughout the decades due to the tragedies that she faced and the sad and cruel way that her life came to an end during the World War II era. At the age of thirteen [she and her family went into hiding in Amsterdam. She kept a diary, which was given to her on her birthday, in which she chronicled the events of the war and her and her families suffering under the Nazi persecution. They had a hiding place called the Annex in which they concealed themselves. But then they were betrayed and captured and sent to the Nazi death camp Auschwitz in Poland in 1944. Anne, her sister Margot, and their mother Edith died in Bergen-Belsen, another camp. The father (miraculously) survived. But later [a friend of the Franks who had brought them food and clothing while they were in hiding, found Anne’s diary by her bed and saved it], giving it to Anne’s father who survived. It was later published and really [gave a voice and face to all those who suffered Nazi persecution.] Personally, I cannot imagine what it would have been like to live through the trials and persecutions that they faced. But you know, Anne’s story is not unique. Sadly, the story of the Jewish people is filled with stories like hers; stories of persecution and fear. There has been in almost every generation of God’s people a Pharoah, a Nebuchadnezzar, a Darius, a Haman, a Herod, a Nero, or a Hitler. And the same continues to be true today. And yet God showed His providence in each of those situations and often even used what those rulers intended for evil to actually produce or lead to the good of God’s people. God judged Pharoah and delivered Israel out of Egypt. God helped his people endure during the reign of Nebuchadnezzer, delivering Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the flames. He helped them endure the reign of Darius, during which He saved Daniel from the mouths of the lions (and the rulers who were trying to bring about his death). Haman tried to exterminate all the Jews much like Hitler did, yet God used a young girl named Esther to bring about deliverance and (in the end) it was Haman who died and Esther’s cousin Mordecai who came to rule in Haman’s former position as Grand Vizier to the king. In the New Testament Herod killed the Jewish boys in an attempt to kill the Messiah. But in the end, he died and the Messiah survived (the One who would bring God’s salvation to the world). Nero also failed to exterminate the Christians, whom he blamed for all the ills of Rome (including a fire which he himself started). And in the case of the Nazis, they were defeated and shortly afterwards a great and glorious prophecy was fulfilled for the Jewish people as they became a nation once again. Over and over again God’s people are attacked, yet God brings them through. And they (as a people) keep the celebration of that reality at the forefront of their lives. The Jews often sum up their history in three simple phrases: (1) They tried to kill us. (2) We won. (3) Let’s eat.

The First Great Persecutor of Christianity— Now I say all of this because in our passage today we encounter the first great persecutor of the Christian Church; a man by the name of Saul, a very important religious man who (in ignorance) set himself against Christ and His followers, who at that time were almost entirely Jews. And so this time the enemy came from within the Jewish people. And yet right on cue we see continued this glorious theme of God’s providence in working His salvation in the midst of (and even through) times of enormous trial and persecution.

The Stoning of Stephen— Now remember that not long before this, Stephen (one of seven church leaders selected to minister to the Hellenists) has just born witness to the Jewish leaders not only of the truth of Jesus being the Christ; the Son of God, but also of their guilt in putting Him to death. And the leaders are outraged at him and verse 7:58 (NIV) says they 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. And it says in verse 8:1 (NIV) And Saul approved of their killing him.

An Illegal Act— Now not only was the stoning of Stephen a morally evil act, but it was also an illegal one. Because [under Roman rule the Sanhedrin did not have the legal right to execute without Roman concurrence (see John 18:31).] But they did anyway. And the very first glimpse we have of this man named Saul is when he is standing by, passively watching these Jews murder this innocent man while he watches over their clothes. The very first place we meet Saul in scripture, he’s an accessory to murder. He doesn’t exactly sound like a pleasant sort of fellow. But he would have been very highly respected by his fellow Jews; and for good reason.

Paul’s Education at Tarsus— First of all, he was very highly educated. We know this for at least two reasons. First, he was from Tarsus. And [Tarsus was “no ordinary city” (Acts 21:39)] It was a city of intellectual elites; very highly educated people. In fact, [The inhabitants of Tarsus were so well known for learning that Strabo, the Roman geographer, remarked, “The people at Tarsus have devoted themselves so eagerly, not only to philosophy, but also to the whole round of education in general, that they have surpassed Athens, Alexandria, or any other place” (Geography 14.5.13).] And so here was a guy who, having studied abroad in Jerusalem under Rabbi Gamaliel (grandson of a famous Rabbi), has a mastery of Torah, as well as other fields of study normal Jews were not permitted to touch, such as Homer, Euripides, and other Greek literature that was normally considered unclean by the Jews. And that, by the way, would have prepared Saul to better be used by God to communicate the Gospel to the gentiles. But not yet.

He Was A Pharisee— Now on top of this Saul was also a Pharisee, which meant that he was a part of the religious elite in Israel. The name “pharisees” means [‘the separate ones’, i.e. the holy ones, the true community of Israel,] And so Saul was a very highly respected Jewish leader who would have been among the upper classes sociologically.

He was Roman— Now in addition to all of this Saul was also a Roman, which gave him an advantage in certain situations because he had more rights than the average person; such as rights to a trial.

The Road To Damascus— And so, all this to say, Saul was a very important and influential man. In fact he says later (after his conversion) in his epistle to the Philippians basically, “If anybody had anything to brag about, I did! As far as the world was concerned, I was doing pretty good. And I thought so too. And I thought I was winning extra points with God by squelching out this blasphemous new religion called Christianity.”

Zealous History— And by the way [The zeal Paul demonstrated in persecuting the church is not simply religious fanaticism. Paul saw his devotion for God and his law as part of a noble history in Israel, which lauded those who showed outstanding courage to defend and avenge what was holy.] So Saul is trying to do the right thing. But, because of ignorance of the Gospel and misplaced zeal, he believes he is doing God a service by persecuting these Christians, whom he believes are leading God’s people astray, never realizing that they are leading the people to God Himself; to the Messiah. And so it says that after the stoning of Stephen…

[Acts 8:1-4 (NIV)]— ...On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. {(As we said before, the Greek underlying this phrase sometimes describes the ravages of wild animals.)} Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. 4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

Not Scared Into Silence— Now I love how these Christian believers weren’t scared into silence. No, even though they were forced to scatter, they never stopped sharing the Gospel even though they knew that doing so increased their chances of getting caught or killed. And it makes me think about my life and my ministry. Am I far easily scared into silence? We sometimes think, “What if I offend the other person?” “What if they get angry?” And of course we don’t want to do so needlessly. But let me tell you, the message of the Gospel (that all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God; that we are in desperate need of a Savior who can bring us forgiveness and change because we need changing because of how desperately wicked we are); that message is offensive. But you know, most people (at base) recognize the truth of this, which is why they sometimes respond the way that they do. It is the conviction of the Holy Spirit working through you that is causing them to get angry. But you know, we really shouldn’t worry about that. As long as we are presenting the Gospel in a Christ-like manner, we are doing our part. And often on the other side of that angry and malicious response is conversion.

Ministry Outside A Clinic— I used to be a part of a ministry that met outside of an abortion clinic. We weren’t there to protest, but just to offer help to the women and men going in and out and to encourage them to love their baby. And we shared the Gospel where we could and sang hymns together. Now some of these men and women would be infuriated with us. They’d storm past and say they didn’t need our religion. But then often they would come out of the clinic later and come up to us and say (often in tears) that because of us (or the hymn that they heard us sing while in there) they had decided to keep their baby. Some of them even came to faith in Jesus. Now over the years (we kept track) hundreds of babies were reported to us by their mothers as having been saved through that ministry. Some of these parents even came back later and joined our ministry, often with their babies, who then became young children. And what we found was that it was often those who got the angriest with us who were actually being convicted the most and who were the closest to making a decision to turn to Jesus and to love their baby.

Push Through!— Now remember that this week as you minister to that family member, friend, or stranger. Don’t get discouraged when things get rough. If you push through the anger (and sometimes even the persecution) you will often find that the darkness of their response was actually the smoke being produced by the fire of God’s conviction. And God can cause that conviction to bring salvation to that person’s life if you are faithful to share even when it’s tough. And so let us be faithful to always share the hope of the Gospel. Amen.

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Hello and welcome again to Lechem Panim. We are continuing our study today of Acts chapter 8, looking at verses 26-40 today, which of course is the story of Philip’s sharing the Good News of the Gospel with an Ethiopian Eunuch, who comes to faith in Jesus Christ.

An Example of Genuine Faith— Now you'll remember that a couple of weeks ago we talked about the sorcerer Simon and the false nature of his faith. He became a part of Christianity for selfish personal gain rather than to be used by the Holy Spirit of God to join with God in his mission of reaching the world. However, in our passage today we are given an example of true, genuine saving faith; a faith that is demonstrated by three very important elements; the proper preparation (as the Eunuch was seeking truth in the Word of God, the proper presentation (as Philip came alongside of the Ethiopian to explain the Gospel message to him), and the proper response, which is seen in the Ethiopian being baptized and truly repenting.

Witnessing Not Overwhelming— Now I don’t know how you feel about witnessing. I think we all agree that it has to be done. But often we have qualms about who is supposed to do it. It can be uncomfortable. But that is because we complicate it too much; or we place to much of the burden on ourselves rather than God. We think that if we slip up then we’ll push people farther away. But that view completely takes God out of the equation. It is humanistic because in thinking that way we are assuming it is us doing the work; but it’s not. You are just called to play a part in God’s work. And that doesn’t have to be a complete sharing of the Gospel. Sometimes it can be (like it was with Philip in our passage today) coming alongside of a person and answering some questions; working with them through an issue they might be facing and offering them the hope that you have found if you feel God leading you to. I think that we get overwhelmed by thinking witnessing means you have to give a full presentation of the Gospel and be able to (afterwards) convince them of their sin and to accept Christ. But most of the time that’s a multi-person job. Don’t worry about the big picture of whether or not they come to Christ; because that’s in God’s hands. Just focus on the opportunities God is leading you into. You may be the planter; you may be the waterer; and only occasionally the harvester; and that’s okay. Just be content with the part God has called you to play. That’s how it was with Phillip.

Moved Into Ministry— Now Philip had the unexpected joy of causing something big to happen merely because he was willing to obey an immediate call from God to come alongside a stranger. Now keep in mind this is not Philip the Apostle, but Phillip the Evangelist, one of seven men chosen to help distribute food to the Greek-speaking Jewish widows who had been overlooked in the daily distribution (probably because of a language barrier); because the Jews in Palestine spoke mainly Aramaic. So Philip was originally called to serve the Lord by waiting on tables so that the apostles could devote themselves more fully to prayer and to the ministry of the word. But then something happened nobody expected. Stephen, who had proclaimed the Gospel of Christ to the Sanhedrin, was stoned and killed. And on that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. (Acts 8:1) But, like we said before, this scattering only served to strengthen and grow the Church rather than weaken it.

Ministering in Samaria— Now Philip (who was a Hellenist; a Greek-speaking Jew; and therefore one of the primary targets of this great persecution) goes to Samaria and actually becomes a mighty preacher of the Word. And God moved through him in incredible ways. He becomes the first ever Christian missionary to non-Jews; to these half-breed Samaritans, as they were called. He performed miraculous signs, he cast out demons, he healed paralytics and cripples. And the people of Samaria listened to him and rejoiced at what God was doing through him. But then God kind of shifts gears on him by calling him to an unexpected place. It says in…

Acts 8:26 (ESV)— 26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”

Now what kind of place is this? Luke tells us: This is a desert place. So from great revival in Samaria to a desert place. But it says…

Acts 8:27-28 (ESV)— 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.

Eunuch— Now the word “eunuch” […can refer to one who had been emasculated or generally, to a government official. It is likely he was both since Luke refers to him as a eunuch and as one who held a position of authority in the queen’s court—that of treasurer, much like a Minister of Finance or Secretary of the Treasury. {But listen to this; because this is very important} As a physical eunuch, he would have been denied access to the temple (Deut. 23:1) and the opportunity to become a full proselyte to Judaism.] And maybe just as bad (at least in the mind of a Jew) is the fact that he will not have any descendants to carry on his name and his heritage.

Hope for A Better Heritage— And in ancient culture your value was very much dependent on the heritage you left. Well here is a guy who probably physically cannot have children because he has (because of his job) been made a eunuch. And yet [Isaiah held out the promise that God would grant devout eunuchs a heritage “better than sons and daughters” (Isa. 56:3–5).] Well, what is that heritage? Salvation in Jesus Christ. So as he’s drawing near that chapter in Isaiah, here comes Philip to share the message of Christ with him so that he can be part of that heritage. How AWESOME is that! Now the way the Holy Spirit timed this encounter is simply amazing, which we will see more in a minute. But it says…

Acts 8:29-34 (ESV)— 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” 34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?”

A Sheep Before It’s Shearers— And we know that this passage from Isaiah is actually a prophecy of Jesus, who was silent before Pilate and those who were persecuting Him. And so here Philip has been given a golden opportunity to share Christ with him. And of course he does. It says…

Acts 8:35-36a (ESV)— 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water,

Now just think… [Philip and the eunuch arrive at a rare watering place in the desert precisely when the eunuch requested baptism.] Once again the Holy Spirit is leading in a very clear and amazing way.

Acts 8:36b-40 (ESV)— and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away [much like Elijah was (2 Kings 2:11).], and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

From Seed to Great Harvest— Now Philip probably didn’t know this, but Church tradition tells us that this Ethiopian eunuch also became a preacher of the Gospel and that in fact that place where Philip baptized the Ethiopian eunuch (in Gaza) [marks the start of the Ethiopian Church], of which one branch today, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has a membership of 36 million. You see, God can use our obedience to witness to bring about great change in people’s lives.

A "sign" to start witnessing?— [Norman Cates shared the humorous story of a guy who prayed this prayer every morning: "Lord, if you want me to witness to someone today, please give me a sign to show me who it is." One day he found himself on a bus when a big, burly man sat next to him. The bus was nearly empty but this guy sat next to our praying friend. The timid Christian anxiously waited for his stop so he could exit the bus. But before he could get very nervous about the man next to him, the big guy burst into tears and began to weep. He then cried out with a loud voice, "I need to be saved. I’m a lost sinner and I need the Lord. Won’t somebody tell me how to be saved?" He turned to the Christian and pleaded, "Can you show me how to be saved?" The believer immediately bowed his head and prayed, "Lord, is this a sign?" Are you looking for a "sign" to start witnessing?]

God Waiting For Us— The fact is there are people all around us who are (like the Ethiopian) waiting for us to connect the dots for them; to make the scripture connect with them so that they might find Jesus Christ. God is simply waiting on us to be willing to be His hands, His feet, and His voice in those moments that He opens for us to share. And the question is, are we going to be faithful? If we are, God can also use us in amazing ways. And so let’s commit to God today to come alongside people and help them to encounter Jesus. Amen.

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Hello and welcome again to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today as we continue our study of the book of Acts. We have been in chapter 8, which of course tells of how Philip brought the Gospel to the region of Samaria and a great many Samaritans have come to faith in Jesus Christ. And after Peter and John come and open the door for these Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit it says in…

Acts 8:25 (ESV)— 25 Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

For The World— Now this is a crucial turning point in the book of Acts, because it is here that we begin to see the message of the Gospel breaking out from being just a Jewish reality to being a message for everyone. God is starting to remind His people of something that they had forgotten; and that is that His salvation is for a whole world.

Another Woman Not My Wife— Some time ago I read of [A preacher, who shall we say was “humor inspired”, {and who} attended a conference to help encourage and better equip pastors for their ministry. Among the speakers were many well-known and dynamic speakers. One such speaker, boldly approached the pulpit, gathered the entire crowd’s attention, and said, “the best years of my life were spent in the arms of a woman that wasn’t my wife!” The crowd was shocked! He followed up by saying, “And that woman was my mother!” The crowd burst into laughter and he delivered the rest of his speech, which went quite well. The next week, the pastor decided he’d give this humor thing a try, and used that joke in his sermon. As he approached the pulpit that sunny Sunday morning, he tried to rehearse this joke in his head. It suddenly seemed a bit foggy to him. Getting to the microphone, he said loudly, “The greatest years of my life were spent in the arms of another woman that was not my wife!” The congregation inhaled half the air in the room! [And he began to get excited. But when he got ready to deliver the punch line, he found that in his excitement he couldn’t remember it. So] After standing there for almost 10 seconds in stunned silence, trying to recall the second half of the joke, the pastor finally blurted out, “…and I can’t remember for the life of me who she was!”]

Rooted in Israel— Forgetting things can sometimes be very painful. But we I think are prone to forgetting things; particularly about the Christian faith. And one of the basic things we forget (or choose to ignore; perhaps because we don’t recognize the importance of it) is the place of Israel in God's overall plan in bringing redemption to the world. Especially we in our western culture. We forget that God had always intended Israel to be a light to the nations. All the way back in Genesis 1:28 God had told Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it,…” And he repeats that command to Noah in Genesis 9:7 immediately following the flood. And later, when God entered into covenant with Abraham, he made a promise to him, saying in Genesis 12:3 “…in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” And so we see that when God established Israel, they were to be a light to the nations. God says in…

Isaiah 42:6 (ESV)— 6 “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations,

Isaiah 49:6 (ESV)— 6 he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Isaiah 52:10 (ESV)— 10 The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

Isaiah 60:3 (ESV)— 3 And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

Now, fast forward to the New Testament. Listen to the words of Jesus in…

John 8:12 (ESV)— 12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

God’s Love for The World— Now first of all notice how Jesus’ claim to be the Light connects back to concept of salvation given in Isaiah. It is very important to understand that Jesus saw himself as the embodiment (literally) of God’s salvation that God had always planned on giving to the world through Israel. Now that must have sounded a bit jarring to those who heard Jesus; because notice Jesus doesn’t say “I am the Light of Israel.” That is what his Jewish audience probably would have expected Him to say. But no, He was speaking to them in the spirit of Isaiah, pointing them back to the reality that they had forgotten; which was that God’s salvation is for a whole world. And so He says, “I am the Light of the world.” Even in His conversation with Nicodemus he had begun to hammer this point. What did he say to Nicodemus in John 3:16? “For God so loved the world…”; another all-inclusive statement. Now this is so important because the Early Church saw Jesus as the fulfillment of these passages in Isaiah and therefore took these passages as their own personal commission. When Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch in Pisidia, it says in…

Acts 13:44-48 (ESV)— 44 The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. 46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” 48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

Channels of Blessing— You see, God’s plan has always been for Israel to be the means through which his salvation would be brought to the world. And though God had made a covenant with Abraham and with his people to bless them, the blessing was never meant for them alone. No, they were to channel that blessing to the world. Now the sad reality that we are confronted with is that Israel failed to live out this call, and instead gravitated towards either of two extremes.

Nationalism— The first was that Israel gave in to a separatistic nationalism in which Israel resisted contact with all the surrounding Gentile nations. We see this attitude very much alive in the person of Jonah. He was commanded by God directly to preach to Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire. But not wanting them to experience God's salvation, he took off in the opposite direction. And God had to use some mighty big circumstances in order to turn him around. Now we know that Assyria had caused Israel a lot of grief; and they were a very wicked empire. But the nationalistic attitude of Israel during that time had all but completely cut them off from engaging in God's mission to reach the world. And unfortunately this attitude pervaded much of Israel's history.

Compromise— Now the second extreme was that of compromise. Israel was called to influence the surrounding nations to God; however what ended up happening was that Israel became influenced by the surrounding nations. They were seduced by the paganism and the idolatry. And so they allowed themselves to become tainted by that spiritual adultery. And because they were tainted by that sin and false religion, they didn't have anything that they could give to the surrounding Gentile nations. They had become the very thing that they were supposed to fight against. Now God was able to cleanse Israel of her idolatry; which He did through the Babylonian exile, after which Israel never returned to their former idolatry again.

The New Idolatry— However, they did embrace a new kind of idolatry; and that was that they allowed their religion to become corrupted into a system of salvation by works. The temple itself became an idol. The religious rights and sacrifices became idols; so much so that when God Himself visited His temple in the New Testament, they did not even recognize Him. And they even hated many of the people that Christ came to save. But all of that changed with the birth of the Christian Church, as each new stage of growth pushes the Church farther out in its scope.

God’s New Instrument— And what I want you to see is that the Church has now become God’s new instrument to further the work He had always intended for Israel. They are His great new means of reaching the world. And while Israel had up until this time been very nationalistic in its focus, we find that the Church would be an entity that would embrace people of every race and culture and nation. But (as we have said before) this happened in stages. At Pentecost the spread of Christianity began first in Jerusalem to an exclusively Jewish body. It wasn't long after that that the Church soon began to reach out to minister to the half-breed Samaritans, as they were called. And then in our passage next week we find the third great milestone of the Church as the Gospel finally begins to reach a Gentile audience as well; as through the ministry of Philip a high official in the court of the Ethiopian queen comes to faith in Jesus Christ. But not only him, but we will see also that through him the Gospel would eventually reach those in the great African continent as well.

Is Israel’s Problem Ours As Well?— But what we need to be careful of is to keep Israel’s problem from becoming our problem. Are we thinking globally? Are we fulfilling God’s call to carry the Good News of the Gospel to the ends of the earth? Oswald J. Smith has rightly pointed out that “Any church that is not seriously involved in helping fulfill the Great Commission has forfeited its biblical right to exist.” But you know, in light of that (every pun intended), let us not forget our central purpose; and that is to join Christ in the work He is doing in the world. Let’s join Him this week. Amen.

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Hello and welcome again to Lechem Panim. I hope you are doing well and that today you are experiencing all the fullness of Christ in your life. As we have been proceeding through our study of Acts chapter 8, we have seen how a man by the name of Philip (not the Apostle Philip, but one of the Greek-speaking men chosen by the apostles to wait on tables) has (in addition to that ministry) also been preaching the Gospel. He is the first missionary named in Scripture and the first to be given the title “evangelist” (21:8). And he has just recently brought the Gospel to the region of Samaria. Now God (as he always does at a new turning point of His salvation plan) confirms His message with miracles; and (lo and behold) a multitude of the Samaritans come to faith in Jesus Christ. And it says in…

Acts 8:12-13 (ESV)— 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.

Now Simon Magus was a practicer of sorcery and probably a con-artist to whom the people had previously looked up to; a man who (although he believed) was not saved because he had a wrong view of self, a wrong view of salvation, a wrong view of the Holy Spirit, and a wrong view of sin.

The Wrong Reasons— Now although the text says Simon Magus “believed”, we will continue to see that he came to that belief for all the wrong reasons. Because of the Samaritan revival, he knew his own popularity would begin to decline as he ceased to be seen as the Messianic figure that he had marketed himself as as people began turning to Jesus as their true Messiah. He was also motived by a desire [to learn what he perceived to be Philip’s power]. And so he follows Phillip after he is baptized for three apparent reasons. [First, he wanted to sustain contact with the people following the preacher. By joining Philip’s movement, he went where the action was and kept his opportunity for influence alive. Second, as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed. He had, so to speak, a professional interest in finding out the source of Philip’s amazing powers. Third, as his later conduct shows, he wanted to figure out how to acquire that power for himself.] And in the next section he thinks he sees his opportunity. It says in…

Acts 8:14-16 (ESV)— 14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Peter & John Come— And so word has spread of the incredible success of Phillip’s ministry. And the apostles in Jerusalem receive this word of what is going on in Samaria and they send Peter and John to investigate. And their [Peter and John’s mission was threefold: First, they came to help Philip with the spiritual harvest. The response of the Samaritans was too great for one man to handle. Second, they came to give apostolic sanction and blessing to Philip’s work among the Samaritans. {Because remember that up until this time the Samaritans had been despised by the Jews as halfbreed outcasts. And so the apostles (who were leaders of the church even after the church spread out from Jerusalem) come to officially validate this new branch of the body of Christ. And thirdly}…, they came down from Jerusalem and prayed for the Samaritans that they might receive the Holy Spirit. Although they had believed and been baptized, the Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.]

The Holy Spirit At Conversion— Now some use this passage to argue that Christians nowadays do not receive the Holy Spirit until sometime after conversion, which is not true. At this point in the book of Acts we are in a transitional period into what would later become normative in the Church. All of us receive the Holy Spirit when we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior. But at this point in the history of the Church God withheld that outpouring until the apostles came for a very specific reason. Remember [Jesus had given Peter the “keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 16:13–20), which meant that Peter had the privilege of “opening the door of faith” to others. He opened the door to the Jews at Pentecost, and now he opened the door to the Samaritans. Later, he would open the door of faith to the Gentiles (Acts 10).] He was God’s chief instrument in the early days of the early Church. But there is another very important reason; and that was (as one author I was reading this week pointed out) that [For centuries, the Samaritans and the Jews had been bitter rivals. If the Samaritans had received the Spirit independent of the Jerusalem church, that rift would have been perpetuated. There could well have been two separate churches, a Jewish church and a Samaritan church. But God had designed one church, in which “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female,” but “all [are] one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). {And so} By delaying the Spirit’s coming until Peter and John arrived, God preserved the unity of the church. The apostles needed to see {what God was doing amongst the Samaritans} for themselves, and give firsthand testimony to the Jerusalem church, that the Spirit came upon the Samaritans and confirmed their salvation. The Samaritans also needed to learn that they were subject to apostolic authority. And so that is why we see here that (at this point) the gift must come through Peter and John. And so it says in…

Acts 8:17-19 (ESV)— 17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

A Wrong View of The Spirit— And so the third fault in Simons’ theology was that he had a wrong view of the Spirit. [When he saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money. Evidently, the believers were speaking in tongues as on the Day of Pentecost so that there was a perceivable sign of this great reality sufficient to arouse Simon’s interest. Philip had impressed him, but Peter and John overwhelmed him. Simon asked them brashly and excitedly, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” He treated the two apostles as though they were fellow practitioners of magic, and was ready to negotiate the price to buy the secret of their power.] And this was not unusual during that time. [Magicians often sold each other their tricks and incantations.]

Expensive Magic— When I was younger I was very much into the world of magic; not this kind of evil magic, but rather the world of illusions. And I would go to the local magic shop that had a huge selection of magic tricks. If my mom had shopping to do, she’d drop me off there and I would be content for hours. But the world of magic is very expensive. Tricks that costed a very small amount of money to make would cost the consumer many times over. And that’s because you’re not just buying the prop; you’re buying the secret. But that’s where my lawn-mowing money went because I wanted to be able to perform the greatest magical illusions.

Not For Sale— Well here, Simon sees Peter and John displaying God’s power and immediately wants to have that same power; which wasn’t bad in and of itself (because we ARE to desire the Holy Spirit and the work He can perform in and through us; but (as we said before) Simon had wrong motivations. It was all about how he was going to use that power of the Holy Spirit; not how he was going to be used BY the Holy Spirit. And not only that, but he went about trying to get that power by attempting to buy it like he would any incantation or magic trick. And [By this act, Simon gave his name to the term “simony,” which through history has referred to the buying and selling of ecclesiastical offices.] However, nothing God has to offer is for sale (and especially not His Holy Spirit). And that’s because there is nothing we have that God could possibly need or benefit Him. However, there is something of ours that God does desire; and that is our love. He is the Great Groom of Heaven who desires followers who will truly love Him as His Bridegroom. And for any who are willing to be His, He will give us His precious gifts. Listen to the words of…

Isaiah 55:1 (ESV)— 55 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Deadly To The Gospel— Now I'm sorry to say that there are millions of people today who are still desperately and futilely striving to earn salvation. Even many of us Christians can fall into that salvation by works mentality. And this is the first time that we really see it expressed in the early Church. And Peter (through whom God is speaking) makes a radical stand against this. And he does so because the Gospel will always die on the threshold of our manufactured attempts to purchase or earn it. It says in…

Acts 8:20 (ESV)— 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!

To Hell— By the way, Peter was being more inflammatory here than what most of our translations show. They have been softened from what really should be read (as J.B. Phillips renders it) “To hell with you and your money!” That is the actual sense of Peter’s words. And Peter wasn’t being profane. He was just truthfully declaring Simon’s spiritual condition. And he emphasizes this as he continues, saying…

Acts 8:21-24 (ESV)— 21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” 24 And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”

No Sugarcoating— Now we see that following his condemnation of Simon, Peter calls for Simon to repent of his sin so that God might forgive him the wickedness of his heart. He doesn't sugarcoat what Simon has done, but lays it out in all of it heinousness and wretchedness. By [using Old Testament expressions for the most serious offenses against God (cf. Deut. 19:18–20), {Peter} warns Simon of the seriousness of his situation: “I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.” The phrase gall of bitterness is very strong. Chole (gall) refers to a bitter ingredient or bile. Coupled with pikria (bitterness), it conveys an extremely bitter, harsh, and distasteful condition. It vividly pictures the reality of one in the bondage of iniquity.] Peter wants Simon to recognize it’s severity so that he will have the desire to abandon it. And God often walks us through the same process as well. He wants us to confront our sin and to acknowledge how bad it is so that we might hate as He does.

Becoming Our Pain— I remember sitting in a detention center with a young man who (for years) had been battling drug addiction. I had ministered to him, to his parents, and to his grandparents who were all suffering under the weight of his addiction. And he wanted to turn his life around and did (at least for a little while); but he went back to it, partially because he allowed the influence of his drug-addicted friends to come back into his life. Now eventually he became free, but it was only after the heinousness of his sin and realizing what it had done to him and his family. Now those who loved him could have told him (and did tell him) how bad his sin was and where it would lead. But it wasn’t until he confronted that for himself that he was truly able to repent and pursue a new life. And that is the path Peter tries to put Simon on. The fourth major problem in Simons theology was that he had a wrong view of sin; particularly his sin. And so Peter confronts him with it and calls for Simon to repent and pray for forgiveness.

God Would’ve Forgave— Now if Simon had done so, God definitely would have forgiven him. However, interestingly, Simon is not persuaded to repent. Now he is terrified, but notice that although Peter has told him to repent and to pray to God for forgiveness, instead he asks for Peter to pray on his behalf; and not for God to forgive him, or for God to receive his commitment to turn from his sin, but rather that God would not inflict upon him the punishment Peter described. He only wanted to escape the consequences of his sin; not the sin itself. And sadly, that is the camp many people fall into; even today. People want forgiveness without repentance. But notice how Peter places repentance first. You have to come to God with the intent of truly turning; that’s what Biblical repentance means.

Have You Turned?— What camp do you fall in? Do you pray only that God might withhold punishment from you? Or do you seek the fullness of God and the transforming work He wants to do in you? You and I must repent of all sin; and when we do, we find that in that repentance we receive freely the gift of the Holy Spirit who will empower that change in our lives. Let us do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome again to Lechem Panim. We are continuing our study today of Acts chapter 8. You will remember that Stephen has recently been stoned and a great persecution has broken out against the Church in the wake of that, causing many of the believers (particularly the Hellenists) to be driven outside of Jerusalem to minister in the surrounding areas, one of which was Samaria. Now one of the Hellenists, a man by the name of Phillip, was the one to bring the Gospel to Samaria. And he tells the Samaritans of both of heaven and of the way they can get there; through faith in the name of Jesus. And this message of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ (along with the signs that are being worked through Philip) invokes a huge response as multitudes come to saving faith in Jesus Christ and are baptized. But in this great revival, one of the men the people had previously looked up to (and even deified) was a sorcerer by the name of Simon. And Simon appeared to convert along with the rest of the believers; believing, being baptized, and even following Philip in what looks to be a discipleship relationship. However, as we will see in the rest of Simon’s story, his motives were quite sinister, as he wanted to use Christianity for his own ends; which consisted mainly of his keeping the spotlight and glory on himself. And so because of that he fell into the same category of believers as Ananias and Sapphira had been. He had the appearance, but was in reality a deceiver; a con artist.

Don’t Buy That Bridge!— Now it’s interesting. [In the long history of con artists, George C. Parker holds a special place of dishonor. He is remembered as one of the most successful and daring swindlers in American history. He set up an office in New York City and “sold” some of the city’s most famous attractions to tourists. His favorite was the Brooklyn Bridge, but he also sold the Statue of Liberty, Madison Square Garden, and Grant’s Tomb. He produced elaborately forged documents and deeds to convince his targets that he was the rightful owner of the landmarks he was selling. Parker was so persuasive that on more than one occasion, police had to come and explain why the new “owners” of the Brooklyn Bridge couldn’t put up tollbooths to collect money from those who tried to cross. After his third conviction for fraud, Parker was sentenced to life at Sing Sing Prison in New York, where he spent the last eight years of his life. He dishonestly made a fortune preying on people who foolishly believed his empty words. He not only was an expert salesman, but he realized that many people were gullible and he could use that to his advantage.]

Self-Deceived— Now one of the amazing things about watching false prophets and con-artists is how convincing they can be. And this can be complicated by the fact that many charlatans actually believe the lies they are telling other people. There is such a thing as being self-deceived; and those who have been deceiving themselves for a long time can lose their ability to distinguish between what is reality and what is make-believe. They become kind of like walking fiction novels that they themselves are writing. But the fact that Simon may have been self deceived did not make him any less dangerous. In fact it made him more dangerous because he did not have the air of a liar. He really believed that he was the special power of God. And everybody was paying attention to him because he was able to astonish them with his magical arts. And the reason they were eager to believe was because they were clinging onto hopes of the Messiah. And when somebody is hopeful about something, that can make them particularly vulnerable to false dealers of hope. And that is not just then, but now as well. Even people in our day and age can be susceptible to being swindled by miracle workers who claim to be acting with the power and in the authority of God.

4 Major Faults— Now last week we began exploring four major faults in Simons theology; faults that were severe enough to cause him to miss out on experiencing true saving faith. And having a wrong view of self was the first one. He had a glorified view of himself that kept him from ever reaching true repentance. And therefore He misses his salvation. Jesus Himself gives a demonstration of this in one of His parables. It says in…

Luke 18:9-14 (ESV)— 9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

James’ Sermon— James the brother of Jesus may have had this passage in mind when he wrote [one of the most powerful invitations {ever} to sinners]. He writes in…

James 4:6-10 (ESV)— 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Our Pride-full Culture— One of the things that our culture is discovering as it is moving away from God is that we are becoming so full of pride that we are rendering ourselves incapable of healing and restoration. There are multitudes of people who see themselves (not God; but themselves) as the arbiters of truth. And they look around at anybody who disagrees with them with hatred and animosity. Have you noticed there is no humility in dialogue anymore? So many people arrive to the conversation with no intent of learning anything about the positions or beliefs of the other side. And really they can’t learn. Because in order to learn you must first be humble. But you cannot be humble before another person before you are first humble before God. And we live in a culture that (in so many ways) has turned its back on God. In our humanism we think we know better; that we are good; and not only good but the very standard by which all goods ought to be measured. And this was Simon’s problem. But if you and I want to come to Jesus, then we have to come with that sense of our own lostness; that recognition of our own inadequacies, shortcomings, sinfulness, and pride. Because without that brokenness we cannot receive Christ. That is what Jesus was saying in the Beatitude section of His great Sermon on The Mount when He said…

Matthew 5:3 (ESV)— 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Lost Without Jesus— He’s not saying be sad and depressed all the time. He’s saying understand your sinfulness and approach God with the recognition that apart from Him you are utterly and completely lost.

A Wrong View of Salvation— Now Simon had a second fault in his theology. Beyond his false view of himself, he also had a wrong view of salvation. The text does say that Simon himself believed. And he was even baptized. And for many nowadays, that is enough. And when you ask a person about their salvation, they will very often give you the date of their baptism. Now the two often go hand-in-hand, but not always. We see here in this passage that although Simon was baptized, that baptism did not save him; in fact he remained lost. And this is because more than just baptism is necessary for the forgiveness of our sins. It is an important part of the salvation process, but it is not the instrument of salvation. It is rather an outward sign of an inward work. It is an outward washing that reflects an inward cleansing of the soul by the blood of Jesus Christ. But in and of itself it has no power to take away sin or to save us. And people run into problems when they see their salvation as a ritualistic thing.

My Ritualistic Religion— I know this because I was one of those people. For far to many years for me it was all about crossing my T’s and dotting my I’s; making sure I said the sinner’s prayer so many times a day in case I had lost my salvation so that I wouldn’t go to hell. But ritual alone doesn’t save you. Faith is what saves you; resting in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Now belief is a part of that. But it takes more than belief. Baptism is a part of that; but it takes more than just baptism. You have to believe and then (by faith) walk in newness of life, which is what baptism is a picture of. There has to be a repentance that leads to transformation. Listen to the words of…

2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)— 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

And so we see that [Faith that does not transform the life is not saving faith.] Listen to what James writes in…

James 2:14 (ESV)— 14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? {And that’s a rhetorical question by the way. The answer (obviously) is no. And then he says in…}

James 2:17-19 (ESV)— 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

Transformation— And so the difference between saving faith and the non-saving faith (that of the demons) is that saving faith always produces in us a love of righteousness and a hatred of sin. The demons believe, but that doesn’t produce in them a love for God and a hatred of sin. But if you have given your life to Christ, and that love for God leading to transformation is at play in your life, that is strong evidence of your salvation. But Simon’s problem was that he believed in the signs, but he did not believe or walk in faith with the One behind the signs. And because of that he never experienced [the divine transformation of the soul from love of self to love of God, from love of sin to love of holiness.] The question is, have you and I experienced that transformation? If not, it is available to you today; all you have to do is ask God and He will give it to you. Ask Him today, and you will receive from Him today a true and saving faith. Amen.

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Hello and welcome again to Lechem Panim. In recent weeks in our study of the book of Acts we have been talking about the persecution that broke out against the Church in the wake of the stoning of Stephen. And this [persecution scattered the Jerusalem fellowship and led to the first missionary outreach of the Church. And Philip, whose ministry begin with waiting on tables with the rest of the Hellenists, is now being used by God as a mighty minister to bring the Gospel to the Samaritans. But in the midst of this incredible story, there was a man who (despite outward appearance) was in fact a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It says in…

Acts 8:9-11 (ESV)— 9 But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. 10 They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” 11 And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.

A Contrast— Now it’s important in our study of this passage to also look ahead; because the book of Acts is about to present us with a stunning example of what it means to place saving faith in Jesus Christ. And that is demonstrated in the conversion of an Ethiopian eunuch, which we are about to come to later in this chapter. But before we get to his story, we are first given the account of Simon Magus, who represents the first known Satanic attempt to sew a tare in the Church. He’s a Samaritan; and one whose beliefs are very unorthodox and (as we will see) very much self-worshipping.

Bargain Emeralds— Now I know most of us are not traveling much during these days; but if you ever do plan on traveling out of the country and [If you're planning to vacation in Zambia, beware of the street-corner "emerald vendors." And if you're driving, be prepared for some confusion in the streets, owing to stolen traffic lights. The two warnings are related: The traffic light thieves are selling green glass chips to unsuspecting tourists who think they're getting bargain-basement emeralds.]

All The Earmarks— Well, Simon Magus was one of those who at first appeared to be a stunning emerald; a monument and testimony to what God can do in a person’s life. He had all the ear-marks of being a genuine Christian. And he even managed to deceive Philip, who was very godly and discerning. And no wonder. Simon had believed, had been baptized, and he had “continued on with Philip” (verse 13), which are the three major marks of the true believer. And in reality, he was very close to being a Christian. So where did he go wrong? Well, we will see as we proceed through this passage four major faults in Simon’s theology; faults that were severe enough to cause him to miss salvation. (1) He had a wrong view of self, (2) a wrong view of salvation, (3) a wrong view of the Holy Spirit, and (4) a wrong view of sin.

A Wrong View of Himself— And the first of these is seen in that he sees himself as not just good, but “somebody great“. And that is antithetical to what the Bible tells us about mankind before we enter into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. But this faulty philosophy is still being taught today. A myriad of people will tell you that man is basically good; and if we can reach deep down inside of ourselves and tap into our inner goodness (who we really are underneath), then the world would be a better place. However, scripture tells us that sin has so marred us, that our hearts are wretchedly sinful; so much so that we are incapable (without Christ) of doing any works that aren’t (in the eyes of God) like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). The reality is that we are desperately wicked and in need of a Savior. And without that necessary starting point of humility (recognizing our need of a Savior), we are incapable of receiving saving grace. And Simon Magus never seemed to come to that point; and certainly wasn’t there in the beginning, which is seen in his declaring himself to be “somebody great”. And that greatness he and others believed flowed from his ability to perform magic. Now that word “magic“ obviously comes from the word “magi“, which remember referred to the high-priestly tribe of the Medo-Persians. And those beliefs were a mixture of science and superstition. They combined astrology, divination, and cultic practices with history, mathematics, and agriculture. Now were these magical feats trickery or were they demonic? We don’t know for sure, but it very well could’ve been a mixture of both. Those who are possessed by or using the power of demons can sometimes perform feats similar to God’s, but on a much smaller scale. But whatever those miracles were, they gave Simon Magus an incredible hold on the people of Samaria. Everybody was paying attention to him and held him in the highest respect. They even said “This man is what is called the Great Power of God.” Now remember what Jesus had said in…

Mark 14:62 (ESV)— 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

Claiming Deity— Simon is claiming a very similar description. And this seems to suggest that Simon was even claiming deity of himself, which is the most heretical view that you can have of yourself. And the early church fathers report that Simon was in fact one of the founders of Gnosticism and that he actually viewed himself as God incarnate (like Jesus). And so we see that his false teaching actually did a lot of damage not just to this group of Samaritans, but to the Church as a whole. And that is always where Satan wants to bring us; to where we attempt to place ourselves on the throne of God. That was the heart of his temptation of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden; and we see this same temptation even today. It is at the heart of virtually every key issue we are facing in our culture. Who has the ultimate say-so over our lives?

Our Bodies?— Whether it is the issue of abortion, homosexuality, or the myriad of other practices that involve our bodies, it is very important to pay attention to the language used to defend those practices. It is said “You have the right to do with your body whatever you wish.” “It is your body, your choice.” I talked with a homosexual man this week who told me “Yes, I am a Christian, but I live my life how I want to.” Now that (to me) was a very interesting and telling statement; one that rubs against what the scriptures tell us about the Lordship of Christ over our bodies. Listen to the words of...

The Crux of It— Let me tell you, those two verses have the power to change the world and can completely reverse the downward spiral of our nation. The crux of many of the issues we are facing today in these great culture wars boils down to this single question; am I God or is God God? Do I have the freedom to define who I am and use my body how I see fit or do I trust in God’s Lordship over my body? If God is God, then when it comes to the issue of abortion, we have no right to kill the works of creation He has established in us, even if (for a time) they are dependent on us. And when it comes to our sexual identities as well, He has a plan that is not ours to redefine. We are not our own. We were created by and bought anew by the blood of Jesus Christ. And until we are willing to receive Jesus Christ (to borrow the words of Thomas) as “My Lord and my God”, we will miss salvation just like Simon Magus did. Pride (the elevation of ourselves to the place of God) is the enemy of salvation. And that was Simon‘s problem.

Pride’s Masquerade— Now Simon Magus didn’t recognize his pride. And nor do we most of the time and that is because pride can masquerade under seemingly upright motives. With Herod, it masked itself as integrity when he beheaded John the Baptist. With the Pharisees, pride masked itself as holiness; and they ironically ended up rejecting the Holy One Himself. With the Jewish authorities, pride masked itself as zeal for God, but ended with their killing the very Son of God. Pride caused the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah. Pride cost Nebuchadnezzar his reason, Rehoboam his kingdom, Uzziah his health, and (as we studied in the book of Esther) it cost Haman his very life. This is why there is so much emphasis in scripture on humility as the starting point of salvation.

The Kiddie Door— The other day on our day off my wife and I spent the day together while the kids were in school. And let me tell you, even after 11 years of marriage we still know how to have a romantic date. Of all the frivolous ordinary things we could have done, we sprang for the ultimate; we went shopping. And one of the places we shopped at was a kids consignment store. Now I very chivalrously offered to stay and guard the car (because, you know, you can’t be too careful these days), but my wife didn’t think that was necessary and “requested” that I come in with her. And of course I was MORE than happy to do so; at least that’s what I’ve been told. But there were two doors into this kids clothing store; one normal sized door and then a much shorter door for the children. And my wife frivolously and cheerfully ducked under the kids door. However I (in all my dignity) walked through the regular run-of-the mill door for big people. I was not about to duck and look ridiculous stooping to fit through that small kiddie door. After all, I’m a man. But you know, as I was preparing this message I thought again of that small kiddie door. Jesus had said the most remarkable thing in...

Matthew 18:1-4 (ESV)— 1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

We Have to Stoop— You know what Jesus was saying? “You have to stoop.” There IS no big person door to heaven. Until we become as little children (as Jesus says) we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. There’s only one way. And it begins with humbly accepting Christ’s Lordship over our lives and our bodies, and recognizing that our ways are not His ways; they’re not even good ways; they are (without Christ) desperately wicked. And it also means we must we see ourselves as weak, lost, and utterly helpless without the intervention of Christ. There is no other door but through the humble door of submission to Christ Jesus. Have you entered that door? Have you humbled yourself and accepted Christ’s Lordship over your life? If not, I would like to encourage you to do that today. Receive Him as Lord and He will fulfill you in a far better way than you ever could have doing things your own way. Receive Him today as the Lord of your life. Amen.

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Hello and welcome again to Lechem Panim. We have been talking about the first great persecution of the Early Church, which begins in Acts chapter 7 with the stoning of the first Christian martyr; Stephen. After his death, the Church is driven out of Jerusalem and Philip the apostle even goes so far as to take the good news of the Gospel of Christ into the region of Samaria.

And today I would like for us to take a look at a passage of scripture that ties in and really helps for us to apply what is happening here in Acts chapter 8 to our own lives. And that is James chapter 1. We’ll start with verses 1-2. It reads…

James 1:1-2 (ESV)— 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,

Now James was probably written before A.D. 50. If that dating is correct, then it makes James [the earliest of all the NT writings—with the possible exception of Galatians.]

A Greeting Command to Rejoice-- And so imagine, the first command given in what is very likely the very first Christian epistle, is a command that completely changes forever how Christians are to think about trials, tribulations, and persecutions. First he says "Greetings" which (as we’ll talk about later) is actually a call to Rejoice. Then he says in verse 2: Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,

Why God?!!!!-- Now when you and I face trials in our lives, our tendency is often to immediately shift into frustration. God, why are you allowing this in my life? Did I do something wrong? Are you angry with me? Do you really care about? If you do, how can you allow this to happen to me?

Count It Joy— But the very first point made in what is likely the very first book ever written in the New Testament is that suffering is not something to complain about, but something to rejoice about. Notice I didn’t say we are to rejoice in. Many people say that we are to maintain joy even in difficult circumstances. And that is true. But James isn’t talking about only keeping joy in the midst of trials. James says to count it joy when we meet trials. Trials themselves are what he says ought to produce joy in us. And I want you to catch that because that was one of the most profound concepts these early Christians in the book of Acts had.

Martyrs Embracing Trials-- And when you look at the early Christian martyrs (of whom Stephen here is the first), that’s exactly what you find; Christians who rejoice not only within difficult circumstances, but rejoice because of difficult circumstances. And part of that is that they have the privilege in partaking with Christ in His sufferings. But again it goes further than that. They rejoice not only because they are participating with Christ in His suffering, but because that suffering is the means through which Christ is maturing their faith and developing and drawing them close to Him.

Taking our Arm— James Packer makes this point pretty clear in his book Your Father Loves You. He says [This is the ultimate reason, from our standpoint, why God fills our lives with troubles ... of one sort and another -- to ensure that we shall learn to hold him fast. ...When we walk along a clear road feeling fine, and someone takes our arm to help us, likely we would impatiently shake him off; but when we are caught in rough country in the dark, with a storm brewing and our strength spent, and someone takes our arm to help us, we would thankfully lean on him. And God wants us to feel that our way through life is rough... , so that we may learn to lean on him thankfully. Therefore he takes steps to drive us out of self-confidence to trust in himself, to -- in the classic scriptural phrase for the secret of the godly man's life -- "wait on the Lord."]

Persecution the Engine of the Church-- Some time ago I remember I had a conversation with a gentleman about the persecution that the Church is going through. And we talked about the reality that in and throughout history, persecution became the engine that drove the Church. The harder the Church was persecuted, the more they grew. And I think part of that was that people witnessed how these Christians suffered; the joy they found in and through suffering. And they wanted that in their lives too.

“I am one of them”-- In the third century, a famous Christian name St. Cyprian (on his way to die a martyr’s death) wrote from Carthage to a friend of his named Donatus: “This seems a cheerful world, Donatus, when I view it from this fair garden under the shadow of these vines. But if I climbed some great mountain and looked out over the wide lands, you know very well what I would see; brigands on the high road, pirates on the seas, in the amphitheaters men murdered to please the applauding crowds, under all roofs misery and selfishness. It really is a bad world, Donatus, an incredibly bad world. Yet, in the midst of it, I have found a quiet and holy people. They have discovered a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of this sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people, Donatus, are the Christians…and I am one of them.”

I love what he says, “They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world.” These Christians had that strength of character; the steadfastness that trials produce;.

Steadfastness Through Testing— And James’ second point is that that steadfastness comes through testing. He says...

James 1:3 (ESV)— 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

In fact, you might also accurately say that steadfastness comes only through testing. We are never growing more than when we are tested; than when we are meeting resistance.

Resistance Suits— [On December 29, 1987, a Soviet cosmonaut returned to the earth after 326 days in orbit. He was in good health, which hasn't always been the case in those record-breaking voyages. Five years earlier, touching down after 211 days in space, two cosmonauts suffered from dizziness, high pulse rates, and heart palpitations. They couldn't walk for a week, and after 30 days, they were still undergoing therapy for atrophied muscles and weakened hearts. At zero gravity, the muscles of the body begin to waste away because there is no resistance. To counteract this, the Soviets prescribed a vigorous exercise program for the cosmonauts. They invented the "penguin suit," a running suit laced with elastic bands. It resists every move the cosmonauts make, forcing them to exert their strength. Apparently the regimen is working. We often long dreamily for days without difficulty, but God knows better. The easier our life, the weaker our spiritual fiber, for strength of any kind grows only by exertion.]

Perfect & Complete— But there was another thing that Cyprian, on his way to die, pointed out that is absolutely important for us to grasp if we are to understand what fruit steadfastness produces in our lives. He says of Christians, “They are masters of their souls.” In other words they are not in bondage to sin any longer, but are living lives free of sin. Sin has no authority over their souls whatsoever. And that is James’ third and last point. He says...

James 1:4 (ESV)— 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Becoming Holy-- He doesn’t say partially holy; partially perfect but still sinning occasionally. No, the kind of perfection that he is talking about is a present perfection that is complete, lacking in nothing. God offers us, in the trials we face every day, the means of becoming holy. Why can we rejoice in suffering? Because in it we become more like Christ; in it we become perfect and complete, lacking nothing. The first teaching given in the New Testament to some of the very first believers in the early church is that we are called to be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. We are called to be holy; not perfect in the sense that we won’t make mistakes, but perfect in the sense that we are so filled with God’s love and presence that He gives us the necessary spiritual equipment to resist temptation and be and remain victorious over sin; to be masters of our souls.

Pushing Through-- And so what I think what James wants us to understand about trials and suffering is that when we know what the purpose of suffering is, though we might not immediately see why we are going through a particular suffering, we can get through it because we know that in that suffering God is making us more like Himself. Even if we don’t know why we are going through it or why God has allowed it, we know what God is using it for in our lives; to move us towards that perfection in holiness. And it is in those moments that we are closest to Him and and growing the most.

“Rejoice”-- In the first line of James, he says “Greetings”. But that word [“Greeting”--that translation is a little stilted, for the word in the Greek literally means “rejoice.” He writes to them and says, “Rejoice.”] Joy in Christ through trials is, in the mind of James, the starting point of what it means to be a Christian. Not to get overwhelmed; not to ask “why me”, but to rejoice that in our suffering we are being made perfect, lacking nothing.

Joining Hands— Are you overwhelmed with life today? Or are you rejoicing in your Lord? Are you allowing trials to break your spirit, or are you allowing those trials to produce the steadfastness of Christ in you? As you go to work this week; as you take life day by day, you will face trials. There may be people like Saul who seek to ravage you; circumstances that are bringing you down. But the question is, “Will you allow those trials to draw you closer to God or drive you farther away from Him.” “Will you allow Christ to take your hand and, drawing you closer to Him, lead you through the darkness?” This week, rejoice that God is using your trials and persecutions to make you more like Him and to further His salvation work. Glory in your suffering so that in your suffering the world might see in you the glory of Jesus. Amen.

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Hello and welcome again to Lechem Panim. We have been studying the growth of the Early Church in the beginning chapters of the book of Acts. And (as we have been talking about in recent weeks), the Church has been growing at an incredible rate within the confines of Jerusalem. But as the church continues to grow and expand, it also continues to run into conflict with some of the Jewish leaders. And the tension climaxes in Acts 6:8-8:1 with the seizing and stoning of Stephen, who becomes the first martyr of the Christian Church. And last we recently read of his death at the hands of the Jewish leaders there in Acts chapter 7. But there is a person present at Stephen’s stoning who was watching the garments of those stoning Stephen; and this was a man who would have enormous significance for the Church. And of course I am speaking of Saul (also known as Paul).

Paul’s Early Life— Now we can glean much from the book of Acts and the Epistles about the early life of Paul. [He was born in Tarsus in Cilicia (Acts 22:3), a “Hebrew of the Hebrews” (see 2 Cor. 11:22; Phil. 3:5), the “son of a Pharisee” (Acts 23:6), and a Roman citizen (16:37; 22:25–28). He was educated in Jerusalem by Gamaliel (22:3) and became a devoted Pharisee (26:4–5; Phil. 3:5). Measured by the law, his life was blameless (Phil. 3:6). He was one of the most promising young Pharisees in Jerusalem, well on his way to becoming a great leader for the Jewish faith (Gal. 1:14). {And} Saul’s zeal for the law was displayed most vividly in his persecution of the church (Gal. 1:13–14; Phil. 3:6). He really thought that persecuting the believers was one way of serving God. {He had no idea that he was in fact persecuting God Himself, which Jesus confronts him with in chapter 9.} He obeyed the light that he had {at that time}, and when God gave him more light, he obeyed that and became a Christian!]

The Dual Names of Saul/Paul— Now some will say that it was at that point that he became known as Paul. But that is not in fact what the Bible teaches. Throughout the course of his life, he always had and maintained two names; one a Jewish name (Saul) and one a Greek name (Paul). [The custom of dual names was common in those days.] It is a common misconception that Saul’s name was changed to Paul. Many Christians think that Saul had his name changed, much like Abram’s was changed to Abraham; or any other of the famous name changes of scripture. Some even go so far as to say that it was Jesus who changed Saul’s name after appearing to him on the Damascus Road; a story that we will cover in depth in the next chapter. However, the reality is that Saul actually never changed his name. [Jesus addresses him as “Saul, Saul” during the christophany (Acts 9:4).] [Ananias addresses him as “Saul” after his conversion (Acts 9:17).] [The Holy Spirit calls him “Saul” before his first missionary trip.] [After the conversion experience, he is {in fact} called “Saul” 11 more times.] And in fact he isn’t even called Paul at all until Acts 13:9 while he is on the island of Cyprus. Now there is a definite shift to his using the name Paul more than he uses Saul, but it is not for the reasons we might assume. [The decisive shift from “Saul” to “Paul” in Acts happens only once Paul sets off on his missionary journeys away from Jerusalem.] In Jerusalem he used his Jewish name, “Saul” and outside of Jerusalem when he was ministering to Gentiles, he chose to use his Greek name “Paul”. As we will see when we come to chapter 9, he not only had an exquisite Hebrew education, but a secular (and even Greek) one as well. And so (depending on his audience) he could adapt not only the way he presented the Gospel, but even his very name to help relate best to those to whom he was bearing witness; which we will see will eventually be primarily to Gentiles (hence the shift to his Gentile name). But [Saul and Paul were two names for the same person all along.] Now Saul is far from being a Christian at this point in the book of Acts. Not only is he watching the garments of those killing Stephen, but it says in…

Acts 8:1 (ESV)— 1 And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

Scattered— And so we see the Church is scattered. The apostles remain in the city; and rightfully so. They knew they had to remain there to care for the Church. But the believers are scattered out into the rest of Judea and even Samaria. And [The word translated “scattered” (diaspeiro, Acts 8:1,4) {literally} means “to scatter seed.”] And so we see that instead of persecution killing the church, [Persecution does to the church what wind does to seed: It scatters it and only produces a greater harvest.] And that harvest now begins to move outwards into the rest of Judea and even into Samaria. But we see later in Acts that the death of Stephen pushed the Gospel even farther than Samaria. It says in…

Acts 11:19-21 (ESV)— 19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. [So you have persecution causing the spread of the Gospel] 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists[a] also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

So persecution is driving the Church to spread out across the empire. And though we see it as a wonderful and even a necessary part of God’s plan, think about how they must have been processing all of this. They don’t see the big picture yet. All they know is that one of their most anointed leaders has been killed. And they are still in mourning over that. It says in…

Acts 8:2-3 (ESV)— 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. {And then it says.} 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.

Saul’s Ravaging— Now your Bibles probably say of Saul something like he began to destroy the church. That phrase is actually a Greek phrase that is sometimes used to describe the ravages of wild animals. So this was an intense persecution; and because of it, the Church at Jerusalem is scattered all throughout Judea and Samaria. Now when you and I face persecution, we also don’t always see the big picture. And though it might be hard at times for us to understand, persecution is not always a bad thing. In fact Tertullian, an early church theologian once pointed out that "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” Well, that is what we see. It says in…

Acts 8:4-5 (ESV)— 4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. 5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ.

Samaria— Now who lives in Samaria? Samaritans. Well, who are they? Well, you will remember that after the reign of King Solomon in the Old Testament, the kingdom of Israel was split in two. You had the northern kingdom of Israel, whose capital King Omri named "Samaria" (1 Kings 16:24). And then you had the southern kingdom of Judah. But the northern kingdom of Israel was the region that, in 722 BC, was conquered by the Assyrians and taken into captivity into Assyria. Now we remember that Israel was called by God to remain ethnically pure. They were not to intermarry with and of the surrounding nations. However, during those years that the northern kingdom of Israel was in captivity in Syria, the Jews ignored those prohibitions and began intermarrying with the non-Jews around them. And so they lost their ethnical purity. Now the southern kingdom of Judah was also taken into captivity in 586 BC by the Babylonians. Yet we find that while they were in captivity they maintained their ethnical purity and did not intermarry with the Babylonians. They kept themselves pure. And Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (Shadrach, Mishach, and Abednego) were stalwart examples of this kind of resolve to keep themselves pure unto God. However, when both captivities were ended and everyone came home, the Jews from the southern kingdom of Judah began to regard the Jews from the northern kingdom of Israel as half-breeds—Samaritans because they had mingled blood. And so they despised them. And that hatred was passed down throughout the generations and was still every bit as alive in Jesus’ day as it was in the beginning. In fact, so deep was the hatred that [A popular prayer in those days among some of the southern-kingdom Jews was, “Lord, do not remember the Samaritans in the resurrection.”] Praise God that He doesn’t say “yes” to all our prayers. Now I say all of this because I want you to understand what a miracle it is that the early Christians brought the Gospel to Samaria; because it means that the love of God shed abroad in their hearts has moved them to cast aside their racism and their hate and embrace those they had until recently despised. It’s a powerful thing. And you can imagine what an impact this had on those who were recipients of Philip’s ministry. It says in…

Acts 8:6-8 (ESV)— 6 And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was much joy in that city.

Philip’s Ministry in Samaria— So we see that Philip goes to Samaria and actually becomes a preacher of the word. And God moved through him mightily. He becomes the first ever Christian missionary to non-Jews. He performed miraculous signs, he cast out demons, he healed paralytics and cripples. And the people of Samaria listened to him and rejoiced at what God was doing through him. And I’m sure Philip rejoiced as well.

But all of that would not have happened at all if there had not been a mighty wave of persecution in the Church; a persecution that touched many of these believers on a very deep and personal level. And what that ought to tell you and me is that when things seem darkest (even after the death of a great leader) or in the midst of friends, family members, or co-workers who are trying to persecute you, God may be doing a mighty work; because others are watching and seeing the righteousness of Christ being lived out through you in those moments. And so don’t give up; don’t get discouraged. Hold fast to Jesus; as Stephen did, look up into the eyes of the Savior and trust that even though we might not see the big picture, God is using us and will continue to use us if we but remain faithful to him. Let’s hold fast to Him today. Amen.

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Hello and welcome again to Lechem Panim. In recent weeks we have been taking a look at the life and ministry of Stephen, one of the men chosen by the apostles to help wait on tables. And yet (as we have seen) God was also using him to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel and to perform miraculous signs and wonders that confirmed his message. Yet when he started proclaiming the Gospel in some of the synagogues, he was met by violent opposition. At the end of chapter 6 (6:13-14) Stephen is accused by a group of men from various Hellenistic synagogues of threatening God’s temple and rejecting the Law of Moses (the Torah). And these are very serious accusations; and are the same ones (interestingly) that had been leveled against Jesus Himself. And so it seems that the men of these synagogues apparently are so threatened by Stephen, that they are after his very life.

Stephen’s Apologia— Now our chapter today (chapter 7) is really quite an amazing chapter; because in it we have Stephen’s apologia (his defense) of both himself and of the Gospel. Now I don’t think Stephen was so interested in preserving his own life as much as much as he was interested in defending what it was that Christianity was really teaching. Christianity wasn’t about throwing out the law of Moses or those things that had been at the heart of the Jewish faith, but rather was a fulfillment of all of those things. And we see this in his apologia (his defense) here in our passage today, which he roots in the Old Testament scriptures themselves; particularly in the Law of Moses, whom his accusers are saying he is rejecting. And it is significant to note that this address is the longest of any address in the book of Acts; and it is a summary of the Old Testament, particularly of the lives and ministries of some of Israel’s greatest leaders. We have Abraham in verses 2-8; we have Joseph in verses 9-17; we have Moses in verses 18-44; Joshua in verse 45; and David and Solomon in verses 46-50. And the reason that Stephen brings up these men is both to defend himself against the indictments made against him by his accusers, but also to indict the religious leaders themselves (and Israel as a whole) for rejecting the Messiah. Stephen shows in a very powerful way how there was a pattern of behavior in Israel; a destructive pattern that had caused them serious problems throughout the entirety of their history, and which would ultimately lead to their downfall if they did not repent; and that pattern of behavior is seen in that Israel had this tendency to always resist the will of God and even persecute those whom God was using as His instruments through whom he was moving His salvation plan forward. All of these leaders Stephen mentions dealt with rejection by the Jewish people. And Stephen very clearly says that the Jewish leaders are practicing that same behavior. Now this is remarkable because while it is supposed to be Stephen on trial, like when Peter and the apostles had stood trial, Stephen (the defendant) turns the tables on them and becomes the prosecuting attorney!

Temple-Focus— And in his prosecution; his indictment, we see two major overarching themes. The first is of course Israel’s rejection of God’s messengers. And that theme is climaxed in their rejection of the Messiah. But then you have another theme; and that is in relation to God’s sovereignty and His glory. Notice the title Stephen uses when talking about God. It says in…

Acts 7:2 (ESV)— 2 And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,

The God of Glory— He calls God by this title The God of glory. And then in verse 55 it says that as he is gazing into heaven he saw the glory of God. And keep in mind that this whole time he is there, standing before the Sanhedrin on trial, his very face is radiating with that same glory, as it says his face was like that of an angel. There is so much emphasis in this passage on the glory of God. Why is that? Well, it’s because Israel was unique in that they were a people who had been hand-chosen by God to have His glory as part of their inheritance. And Paul really hones in on this in Romans 9:4 when he says of the Jewish people…

Romans 9:4 (ESV)— 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.

Their Privilege Lost— Now remember that though Israel had had the privilege of having in their midst the very glory of God, the glory of God left them, first from the tabernacle (which we read about in 1 Sam. 4:19–22) and then later from the temple (which we read about in Ezek. 10:4,18). And so the tabernacle and temple became places void of the glory of the presence of God when they were supposed to be places filled with the glory of God. And rather than the seeking the glory of God, we find (especially when we come to the New Testament) that the Sadducees had made the temple (not God) the focal point of their religion. Everything had become about the temple; a temple that was ultimately a man-made thing. Now God wanted to bring His glory back, but (interestingly) not to the temple. No, He wanted to reveal Himself in a much more intimate and personal way than that; and so He reveals His glory in the person of His Son Jesus Christ (John 1:14), who became man in order to bring God’s glory into the very flesh of our humanity. That is how personal God gets with us. And the writer of Hebrews really wants his listeners to catch the awesomeness of that, which is why the book opens with his saying of Jesus in…

Hebrews 1:3 (ESV)— 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

At God’s Right Hand— So in Jesus the glory of God is revealed. And Stephen sees that glory at the end of chapter 7 as he is being stoned; executed at the hands of these religious leaders. And (as the author of Hebrews says) Jesus is at the right hand of God; and that is how Stephen sees Him. But notice that (unlike the passage in Hebrews) Jesus isn’t sitting. No, look again. It says in…

Acts 7:55 (ESV)— 55 But he {(Stephen)}, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

Jesus Standing— So Jesus isn’t sitting; he’s standing. Do you know why? It is most likely because it was customary during that time (as it still is today), when you were making a defense before a judge, to stand. You stand when you are presenting your case. And so what is Jesus doing? He’s standing for Stephen. How beautiful is that! Remember, Jesus had promised all the way back in…

Matthew 10:32-33 (ESV)— 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Jesus Stands for Us— Here we find Stephen standing for Jesus. And as he’s doing that, we get a glimpse into what happens also in our day to day lives when we choose to stand for Jesus. Jesus stands for us! He stands for us before our accusers; and He stands for us before the Father and bears testimony that yes we are His. Now we might still face persecution and death (which Stephen does at the close of this chapter); but ultimately when we get to heaven we will know that we are welcome because Jesus will have already stood for us.

The Glorious Plan— Now one more thing needs to be highlighted about Stephen’s summation of Israel’s history. And that is that from the beginning, we see that God had a glorious plan for the salvation of the world; a plan that He faithfully worked out in and through His people and (eventually) in and through His Son Jesus.

God’s Plan Not Thwarted— And you know what? God hasn’t changed; neither has His promises. God has a plan for your life and for my life as well. And let me tell you, that plan isn’t thwarted by our persecution or our trials. Whatever those are in your life, God foresaw them; and He has a plan to reveal His glory to you in those persecutions and trials and to actually use them to further his plan, which (if you are faithful to Him) will lead ultimately to your salvation.

I want to point out something that I think we know, but we often forget. And that is that in the story of Joseph, after God had revealed through Joseph’s dreams that he would rule over his brothers, his brothers subsequently sold him into slavery to nullify that promise of God. But how does the story end? Were they able to thwart God’s plan? No; in fact they only helped to further it. And that was one of the reasons Joseph was able to forgive them; because he recognized how God used even their sin against him to further His plan and to save an empire and the surrounding countries from utter ruin. At the time of the Exodus, Pharaoh couldn’t stop God’s plan either. He tried to resist as well, but instead his resistance only served to make the deliverance of God’s people all the more fruitful, as Israel consequently gained favor in the eyes of the humbled Egyptians, who gave them whatever they asked for; and thus they were able to plunder the Egyptians (Exodus 12:36); and it was that plundering of the Egyptians that may have furnished them with much of the necessary materials they would need to build the Tabernacle. In the New Testament, Herod also set himself to resist God in his attempt to kill the Jesus, the Messiah, the true King of the Jews; but ended up only fulfilling many of the prophecies God had given through his prophets hundreds of year prior about the Messiah and the events in and surrounding His birth. Pilate couldn’t thwart God’s plan either; even when he sentenced Jesus to death; again, that only fulfilled God’s plan. And even the Israelites themselves who stood up against God’s chosen leaders all throughout Israel’s history could not thwart God’s plan. God’s Messiah came and His gift of salvation has been made available to all through the very cross they condemned Jesus to death on. And so what God’s Word is revealing to us in our passage today is that in the days ahead, no matter what the future holds, we know that God’s plan is not going to be thwarted.

Personal Faith— And if you grasp nothing else from our time together today, at the very least walk away with the knowledge that God is in control over all thing’s and wants you to live in a relationship of faith and trust in Him. If we can do that, the story of God’s salvation will be our story as well. Let’s embrace Him in faith in and through His Son Jesus today. Amen.

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Hello and welcome again to Lechem Panim. Today we will be continuing to take a look at one of the most remarkable early Christians we find in the book of Acts; a man by the name of Stephen, whose life was characterized by “fullness”. In Acts 6:5 he is first described as being a man full of faith. And that faith was foundational to his life.

Full of The Spirit— And flowing from that fullness of faith was also a fullness of the Holy Spirit (cf. 7:55). And it was the Holy Spirit who empowered him, taught him, and re-made him in the image of Christ so that he lived like Jesus. And that is always the mark of somebody filled with the Spirit; not miracles or prophecy or any other dramatic gifts, but whether or not they look like Jesus. And Stephen apparently did, which is why he ended up facing much of the rejection and persecution that Jesus Himself had experienced.

Full of Grace— Now the third spiritual reality that Stephen had fullness of was grace; a lovingkindness that flowed from his trust, obedience, and submission to the Holy Spirit. And it was probably for this characteristic that the Church chose him to help minister to the widows. But nowhere do we see the grace of Stephen more graphically lived out than in the final moments of Stephen’s life when (as he is being pelted with stones in 7:60) he looks up to heaven and (just as Jesus had done on the cross) asks God that this sin might not be held against them. Now I don’t know what I would say if faced with similar circumstances. But in those moments his heart didn’t burn with anger, or even fear or terror. He was both at peace with the death coming upon him in those moments and also able to (even then) demonstrate the love of God in a way that no doubt shook the hearts of many who were watching. Because that kind of grace doesn’t happen naturally. That is a God-empowered, Holy Spirit filled kind of love which can only come from a heart that has been transformed by the reality of what Christ did for us on the cross. And it is that kind of grace that will most draw people to Christ through us as well.

Full of Power— Now the last thing Stephen was full of was power. [Stephen was full of power. That was a direct result of his being filled with the Spirit (cf. Acts 1:8). That he was performing great wonders and signs among the people suggests he was far more than simply a deacon. Instead, his deeds of power show his close link with the apostles. In the New Testament church only the apostles, Stephen, Philip (Acts 8:6–7), and Barnabas (15:12) performed miracles. {And} The imperfect tense of poieō (was performing) shows Stephen was continually doing those mighty works, no doubt with the same impact as the apostles (5:12–14). {Now} Taken together, verses 5 and 8 give both the Godward and man-ward sides of Christian character. {Stephen was} A man full of faith toward God, and yielded to the Spirit’s control,]. And anybody who is like that [will be gracious toward others and manifest great spiritual power.]

Under God’s Control— So [The emphasis in Stephen’s life is on fullness: He was full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3,10), full of faith (v. 5), and full of {grace and} power (v. 8).]. What a great description for a person. Are any of you full today? Stephen was a guy who was full; able to be used by God because He was completely surrendered to Him. Now in the midst of his proclaiming the Gospel, Stephen encounters a few different groups of religious leaders. It says in…

Acts 6:9 (ESV)— 9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen.

The Role of Synagogues— Now synagogues were places of worship that began during the inter-Testamental period all the way back to in and around the Babylonian captivity. Remember that Jews who were dispersed (of the dispersion) (usually Hellenists) (Because they did not have access to the temple in Jerusalem) needed a place to worship and read the Old Testament. Hence synagogues were developed. And because you had [Jews from many nations {who} resided in Jerusalem in their own “quarters,”…some of these ethnic groups had their own synagogues.]

3 Synagogues— And here we likely have mentioned [3 synagogues: {the first being} the Synagogue of the Freedmen, a second composed of Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and a third composed of those from Cilicia and Asia. Cultural and linguistic differences among the 3 groups make it unlikely they all attended the same synagogue.]

Freedmen— But let’s look at these groups one by one just to give us an understanding of who these guys were. First, we have a group known as the Freedmen (“libertines”). You will remember from your history books about the city of Pompeii in western Italy, southeast of Naples. Mount Vesuvius would later erupt in AD 79 and the volcanic ash would perfectly preserve the remains of buildings, mosaics, furniture, the personal possessions of the people, and many of the people themselves in that city. Well the freedmen mentioned here were [Descendants of Jewish slaves captured by {the city of} Pompeii (63 B.C.) and taken to Rome. They were later freed and formed a Jewish community there.]

Cyrenians— Now for the second group; the [Cyrenians. {The Cyrenians were} Men from Cyrene, a city in North Africa. {You will remember that} Simon, the man conscripted to carry Jesus’ cross, was a native of Cyrene (Luke 23:26).]

Alexandrians— Now next we have the [Alexandrians. Alexandria, another major North African city, was located near the mouth of the Nile River. The powerful preacher Apollos {(whom we will encounter later in Acts 18)} was from Alexandria (see note on 18:24).]

Cilicia and Asia— Now the last group of men were from [Cilicia and Asia. {These were} Roman provinces in Asia Minor (modern Turkey). Since Paul’s hometown (Tarsus) was located in Cilicia {(Acts 21:39)}, he probably attended this synagogue.] And [it is possible that he heard Stephen in the synagogue and may have {even} debated with him.] We don’t know.

Formal debate— So you have these men from each of these synagogues beginning to dispute with Stephen. Now [The word translated “disputing” signifies a formal debate. {It doesn’t say what they debated about, but} They no doubt focused on such themes as the death and resurrection of Jesus, and the OT evidence that He was the Messiah.] And though they no doubt disagreed with much of what Stephen was saying (particularly about Jesus) it says…

Acts 6:10 (ESV)— 10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.

Stephen’s Victory— And so we see that they were making arguments, but at every point Stephen proved victorious. And the text says that this was first because of his superior wisdom (which no doubt includes knowledge of the scriptures; but more importantly, understanding what the scriptures mean and how Jesus Christ had fulfilled them). And secondly, because he was full of the Spirit. He was being empowered by God Himself to deliver His message to these Jewish leaders. And so it says that none of them could withstand his wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit in which he was speaking. And this (in and of itself) was a fulfillment of prophecy; because Jesus had said to his disciples all the way back in…

Luke 21:15 (ESV)— 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.

And that is exactly what we see here. They could not withstand his arguments. And we know that this will eventually lead to Stephen’s death. But even that was a fulfillment of prophecy. Because in the very next verse of Luke 21 Jesus had said…

Luke 21:16-17 (ESV)— 16 You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17 You will be hated by all for my name's sake. {And we definitely see here some of that hatred. It says…}

Acts 6:11-14 (ESV)— 11 Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, 13 and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.”

Stephen Like Jesus— Now because they could not win against Stephen with rational argument, we see that (because of their unwillingness to accept where the evidence pointed) they decided that their only remaining option was to kill Stephen. And so these men intentionally instigate others to make false accusations; skewing what Stephen was saying and obviously adding things that he himself had never said. And you know, their treatment of him closely resembles how the Jewish leaders had treated Jesus Himself. They hired false witnesses (as they had done with Jesus) and stirred up the people (as they had done with Jesus), who accused Stephen of attacking the law of Moses and temple, just as the Jewish leaders had done with Jesus (Matthew 26:59-61). And the reason this [group falsely accused Stephen of wanting to change Moses’ customs…{was}… because they knew that the Sadducees, who controlled the council, believed only in Moses’ laws.] And they would be highly offended by that. And they also knew the Sadducees’ love of the temple (which was their primary focus); and so they say that Stephen has been claiming that [Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place. {This was} Another lie, since Jesus’ words (John 2:19) referred to His own body (John 2:21).] But it was the same lie the Jewish leaders had used at Jesus’ own trial. Now you would expect that especially in light of what had happened to Jesus, Stephen might be afraid. But it says in…

Acts 6:15 (ESV)— 15 And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Face of An Angel— And what this means was the Stephen was demonstrating [Pure, calm, unruffled composure, reflecting the presence of God (cf. Ex. 34:29–35).] Moses’ face had shown with the presence of God after encountering Him in and intimate way. And here we see Stephen reflecting that same glory that had been on the face of Moses; a glory that flowed from his intimacy with Jesus. And that shows that he was at one with God and even at one with Moses.

Now I don’t know what word you thought of when thinking about the central defining characteristic of your life. I kind of like “angel-face”; having a face that reflects the presence of Jesus. You know we talked last week a bit about waves. Most waves start off pretty small. They don’t become large right away. And a wave that might become a large wave will have no idea the significance it could have later down the road. But you know, that is the same with us. Stephen had the steady breath of God on blowing upon his life; and in later chapters (after his death) we will see the incredible impact of this simple man’s life; this simple man who was called to wait on tables but who ended up moving mountains. If you think God can’t do the same through you, you’re wrong. He can. All you need is to be full; to be full of faith, to be full of the Spirit, to be full of wisdom and grace, and in so doing you will be filled with the very power of God. Be full today.

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Hello and welcome again to Lechem Panim.

Hittin The Waves— You know, several months ago my family and I got to visit Cannon Beach in Oregon; one of our favorite places to go. Now the sun wasn’t out and the weather was a little chilly, but do you think that was going to stop our kids going into the cold water? No. They were determined to live out all that they had been looking forward to. And its fun collecting shells and dodging the waves. And the view of the waves crashing against Haystack rock is always breathtaking. And what’s also amazing is the drive we usually take from Cannon Beach to the Tillamook Factory; always my favorite place to go. But the drive there along the coast has some amazing views; at times you are very high up looking down at the ocean; and you can see not just the waves hitting the shore, but you can see them long before they reach the shore; slowly moving inwards towards land. And waves are funny things. [Waves on the ocean surface are usually formed by wind. When wind blows, it transfers the energy through friction. The faster the wind, the longer it blows, or the farther it can blow uninterrupted, the bigger the waves.] And those waves can grow tremendously by the time they reach shore. And perhaps the imagery of waves is most helpful when thinking about the rapid outward growth of early Christianity. The Holy Spirit came with the sound of a mighty rushing wind and got the waters moving; and those ripples slowly began to move outwards and gain more and more strength. And by the time we reach Acts 5, we see just how big the wave has gotten; as the high priest says in verse 28…

Acts 5:28 (ESV)— 28…“We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching,…

A Rogue Wave— Wow! Filled all of Jerusalem?!!! That’s a pretty big wave. Remember back when Hurricane Dorian hit back in 2019? That was a pretty massive hurricane. Did you know that [hurricane Dorian…created a wave over 100 feet high in the northern Atlantic]? And even farther away from shore there are special waves that often form called “rogue waves”. And let me tell you, you don’t ever want to encounter a rogue wave. There are reports of rogue waves reaching 112 feet high; just imagine!!! And they [can be extremely unpredictable. To sailors, they look like walls of water. No one knows for sure what causes a rogue wave to appear, but some scientists think that they tend to form when different ocean swells reinforce one another.] Well, that is what the Church is experiencing. They have that initial ripple effect from Pentecost, but the Church is continuing to grow and the throngs of Christians are reinforcing one another like great ocean swells. And the Church is just like this massive rogue wave crashing through all the sin; all the darkness; all the brokenness; and is shaking the core of the establishment that had grown “comfortably numb” to spiritual things. And now the apex of the wave has reached such a height, look what it says in…

Acts 6:7 (ESV)— 7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

Converted Priests— Now, like we said before, [These were, of course, not the chief priests or members of the Sanhedrin, but a very large number of the rank and file priests who ministered in the temple.] [It has been estimated that there were eight thousand Jewish priests attached to the temple ministry in Jerusalem, and “a great company” of them trusted Jesus Christ as Savior!] Now that decision could cost them greatly, as it was an [obvious violation of the wishes of the high council that would endanger their position.] But it shows that the Gospel message had now gotten to the point where it [had infiltrated the entire city and all levels of society.]

Stephen— Now in our passage last week, we saw the appointing of seven men who would wait on tables (dealing with the food and money distribution) so that the apostles could focus more on the ministry of the Word. And today we are introduced further to one of these Hellenist disciples. And he was a man by the name of Stephen, a man whose [ministry {mainly to Jews from Gentile lands} was the catalyst that catapulted the church out of Jerusalem into the rest of the world (8:1).]; the next major wave. And the way that he did ministry seems to have been very similar to that of Paul in that he boldly confronts the synagogues of foreign Jews there in Jerusalem, [possibly even entering them to debate their members (6:9). {And, as we will see later, in a similar way whenever Paul}…entered a new city to minister, …{he}… would habitually go first to a synagogue (17:2). {And as we will see in in the coming weeks,} Like Paul, Stephen encountered fierce opposition, even to the point of physical persecution (7:54–60; cf. 2 Cor. 11:23–25).] And we will see that (because of his faith) he would become the first Christian martyr.

Also Doing Miracles— Now I find it interesting that right after this man is chosen to “wait on tables” so that the apostles might minister, we find this man fearlessly proclaiming the Gospel. And not only that, but he’s also doing miracles; which is strange because up until this point in the book of Acts, it has only been the apostles who have performed miracles (Acts 2:43; 5:12). But we see here that God also empowered Stephen in this special way as well, as it says in…

Acts 6:8 (ESV)— 8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.

Everyone Is To Witness— Now the reason this is important for us to note is because often we can interpret the previous passage (in which we find men being chosen to wait on tables so that the apostles could devote themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word) as meaning that we need to allow the pastors to do the evangelizing and witnessing and the super spiritual stuff and those who have other gifts can simply use the gifts they have been given. But no, we don’t see that here at all. Instead, what this passage reveals is that it doesn’t matter what your position is in the Church; ALL OF US are called to be witnesses. God can anoint you and use you just as much as He can use any one of His pastor-types. And here He chose this common man to be his instrument [to bear witness to the leaders of Israel. Stephen’s powerful testimony would be the climax of the church’s witness to the Jews. Then the message would go out to the Samaritans and then to the Gentiles.]

Describe Yourself— Now have you ever had a job interview before and the person interviewing you asked you to describe yourself; perhaps even in one word. One pastor, when being interviewed by a Church board, was asked that question. And he responded “condescending”. And then he said, “That’s when….you know….you talk down to people.” They all got a laugh out of that. Now hopefully that is not your word. But what IS your word? If those around you were to describe you in one word, what would it be? Are you an encourager; maybe you’re a inspirer; maybe you are a servant; maybe you’re an anchor for other people. What is your central defining characteristic?

"Fullness"— Well, for Stephen it was the word “full”. Over and over again we will see that he is described by this word “full”. Now what does it mean to be full? Well [In Scripture, to be “full of” means “to be controlled by.”] It’s what has you. And so let’s look at what the scripture says Stephen was full of; what controlled his life.

Full of Faith— First, we see that Stephen was totally controlled by faith; a faith he demonstrates in everything he does; whether waiting on tables or when sharing his faith. He is a man who seeks to live faithfully in every area of his life. Now when it comes to his faith, we are talking more than just a warm belief in something. No, keep in mind (like we talked about last week) the content of belief is just as important as the devotion to that belief. It is not enough to have courage in your convictions, you must be willing to examine your beliefs to make sure they are indeed true. And this is something that Stephen no doubt did; and in so doing he came to the conclusion that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. And in his sermon that he gives before the Sanhedrin later in chapter 7, Stephen clearly explains how his faith is deeply rooted in the historical facts agreed upon and accepted by all his fellow Jews, as he walks them through the main tenets of Jewish history. And in that we see that he accepts both God’s sovereign control over that history (7:1-51); but also God’s sovereign control over his own individual life as well. He didn’t just know God had a plan for the Jewish people as a whole; but he also knew that God had a plan for him. And so he was willing to face anything (even death) knowing that God was in control (7:59-60).

God Is Small— Now let me ask you something. Do you find it easier to trust God with your eternal destiny than to to trust Him with the concerns of your everyday life? I don’t know; sometimes we think that God can handle all that future religious stuff (by which we mean heaven) but we often have a hard time trusting Him with the concerns of everyday life. What about that battle with cancer? What about that loss of a job? What about dealing with that child who might have special needs? Or that family member who is giving you grief? Sometimes we don’t struggle with believing that God is big enough. Sometimes we struggle to believe that God is small enough; small enough to enter through the doorways of our homes; or even the doorways of our hearts. I’m gonna sound like a heretic today, but I want to tell you that God is small. Is He big? Yes. We all know that. But He’s also small. Jesus was the embodiment of that; He was God made small enough to enter into our everyday world. And if we can wrap our minds around that, I think we will come to the starting point of faith; Jesus is not just the world’s Savior; He’s your Savior; He’s your Redeemer. And Stephen understood this. And because of that (no matter what he might face) Stephen could say right along with Paul “If we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s” (Rom. 14:8). May you and I be able to say that as well. May God bless your week and may you experience all the fullness of faith in your own life. Amen.

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Hello and welcome again to Lechem Panim.

The 1st Organizational Crisis— In chapter 6 of the book of Acts we have been taking a look at the beginning stages of the Early Church, which in this passage we see is facing its first serious organizational crisis, as it is brought to the attention of the apostles that the needs of the Hellenist Jewish widows are being overlooked in the daily distribution. Due to the rapid growth of the Church, it was becoming harder and harder for the apostles to do all the work themselves; and so we see people beginning to slip through the cracks. And what is so admirable about the apostles is that they are smart enough to recognize that this way of doing ministry is simply not sustainable. They simply cannot handle the full weight of the ministry by themselves. And if the Church was going to remain stable and able to move on to the next stage of the Great Commission, moving out into Samaria and then beyond into the world and to the very ends of the earth, further planning and structuring would become necessary. And so it says in…

Acts 6:2 (ESV)— 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.

Table— Now the word here for tables is “trapeza”, which is a Greek word that can mean the kind of table you eat at. But it can also mean “a table or counter of a money changer” or “money matters” (as we see in Matt. 21:12 when Jesus overturns the tables (the “trapeza”) of the moneychangers. But whether we are talking about serving food or dealing with the finances, the apostles recognized that performing these additional ministries themselves would take them away from their central calling, which was to devote themselves to prayer, preaching, teaching, and studying the Word of God. And so they demonstrate one of the rare gifts that any pastor of any successful church has mastered; and that is the ability to say “no”.

A Black Hole Man— You know, that is a word that I wish I had learned much earlier in my life; it would have save me and and my family a lot of pain. In fact, looking back, I wish that my college or seminary had offered a class called something like “100 Ways to Politely and Lovingly say ‘No’”; because when I first entered ministry, let me tell you, I was was like a black hole. I absorbed so many responsibilities, it was borderline insane. In fact, I don’t know how I survived into my 2nd year of ministry. Fresh out of seminary, I found myself preaching/teaching a bare minimum of three messages a week, each of which required a lot of sermon prep. And added onto that were preparations for our monthly men’s breakfast (during which I would share a devotional I had prepared) and also helping to lead worship at a monthly worship service at the local veterans home, during which I would also share another devotional. I was also leading a weekly prayer meeting, teaching the occasional Sunday school class, and (because our Church had no secretary) I absorbed all the secretarial responsibilities as well. And I remember one night at a board meeting the person doing our Church bulletins announced they no longer wanted to do them (it had become too much of a burden), and so I willingly stepped in on what I thought would be a temporary basis to take over that responsibility, but unfortunately never stopped. Now naturally, because it was a small church, I was also responsible for the pastoral home visitations and hospital visitations. But since most of our people wanted to go to the city for medical care (and hour and 15 minutes away), that meant 2 and 1/2 hrs travel time alone plus whatever time I spent there with the person. And what made matters worse is I did not even communicate with my leadership what I was doing and so they had no idea the tremendous load that I was carrying. Now thankfully I eventually did learn how to delegate, but it wasn’t natural for me at first because I thought it was wrong for me to say “no”. But it wasn’t. But there are many pastors (and people in general) whose lives and ministries are a constant burden to them simply because they haven’t experienced the liberation of that two-letter word “no”.

The Best “Yes”— And the reasons the apostles were restrictive of their time wasn’t because they were mean or because they didn’t want to help. It was because they recognized that in order for them to say their best “yes” to the things God had appointed them to do, they had to say “no” to a lot of other things that were not God’s will for them do to themselves. They knew where their priorities lay and decided (together) that they were not going to allow anything, however pressing, to distract them from those duties. And so they propose a solution. They say in…

Acts 6:3-4 (ESV)— 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

Did The Apostles Err?— Now there’s a mighty man of God I look up to in so many ways. And the insights he draws from the text are both very good and very applicable. But he has made the point on a number of occasions, saying that this decision of the apostles was not a good one because in their devotion to the Word they were neglecting to live out the Word in people’s lives in and through compassionate ministry. They had turned away from a key element of what it means to be a Christian and passed it off to somebody else, wrongly elevating the ministry of the Word over tasks that they thought were beneath them. But that viewpoint is wrong for a number of reasons. First, there is no evidence to suggest that the apostles were completely giving up the meeting of people’s physical needs themselves. They no doubt continued to wait on the occasional table (whatever that might look like) now and again. No, what we are are talking about here comes down to the nature of our specific callings. I agree with my friend that we are all to be involved in compassionate ministry. However, while we are all called to help to meet the physical needs of people to some degree, what we are talking about here is the importance of defining what a person’s central role in the Church is to be. Because the person who tries to do everything, will do none of it very well. That is why Paul says in…

Romans 12:4-8 (ESV)— 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

So while we may wear the occasion extra hat when needed (as is typical and needed in a small church), the goal must always be not to try to be the whole body of Christ yourself, but to be the best ear; the best toe; or the best mouth you can be. Because you try to be a toe AND a mouth; that’s just nasty. It tastes funny, if you know what I mean. But you know, it’s interesting…

No Mowing— I have a friend who, when he was being interviewed for a pastoral position at a church, was asked whether or not he would help keep up the Church grounds. And he said, “No.” And the board was shocked at first. And he said, “First of all, let me tell you. I can do that. But YOU don’t want me doing that. There are other areas you are going to want me to focus on.” And he was right. There were plenty of people in that church who could do it and (after the church hired him) those people did step up and found their place in the ministry of the Church. Now I admire his courage to help lead that church into a better way of doing things. Delegation is key; because my pastor friend was not the one God had called to do that job. And he didn’t want to rob someone else of their opportunity to follow God in serving in that capacity, which would also result in my friend having less time to devote himself to prayer and the ministry of the Word, which is a pastor’s central role. And that is why one of the key roles of a pastor is to recognize the gifts and abilities of others and help them to use them for God’s glory; and that includes connecting their gifts with the Church. Because if you don’t, you hurt the Church and you hurt the people who are receiving your services; because you’re not the one whom God has chosen for that. You may not be the best-equipped person in your Church for that or (as is often the case) you may be wearing too many hats to do all these services as well as they could be done by individuals who can make them their primary focus. But worst of all, you may be hurting the other Church members because you are denying them a means through which they can use and express the gifts that God has given them. And those churches that don’t delegate well simply do not grow. It’s as simple as that. And while a church may survive for some time like that, it (and the pastor) will be severely unhealthy and crippled. This is what Moses himself had to discover after leading God’s people out of Egypt. He quickly felt the weight of trying to do everything himself. And thankfully, he had a father-in-law who had the courage to confront him about it and say, “what you are doing is wrong.” And then he taught him how to delegate. And being the humble, teachable man that he was, Moses listened to his father-in-law and delegated; and the problem was fixed. But this is the Biblical pattern (Ex. 18:17-23). And what’s significant is that the early Church recognized this and accepted it unanimously. It says in…

Acts 6:5-6 (ESV)— 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.

All Greek— Now notice two things. First, how many were there? Seven. And seven is God’s number; it symbolizes completeness and perfection. But notice something else; something about the names themselves. Does anything stand out to you about those names? Which of those names are Jewish? None. None of them are Jewish. All seven bore Greek names. So what group of people were these men most likely a part of? The Hellenists. Now that is important because in that we see demonstrated the love and unity of the Church. Because remember it was the Hellenists who felt they were feeling neglected. And so the Church appointed seven of the Hellenists themselves to oversee them. They chose people who would be the most in tune with their needs and who were most qualified to be a voice on their behalf. And it was that loving act that probably held the Church together when it so easily could have split apart. And so Satan’s 3rd strategy (his strategy of dissension) failed, because the Church was willing to come together rather than be driven apart; to restructure around what God was doing, and to (following the Holy Spirit) choose those best equipped for that ministry.

The Closing: God’s Confirmation Blessing— Now up until this point Luke has closed each major section of the book of Acts with a description of the growth of the Church. And this has been a way of Luke’s highlighting God’s backing and approval of the way the apostles were leading. God had no problems confronting sin in the Church and bringing it to light, as He did with Ananias and Sapphira. And if the apostles sinned or erred on this matter, God would no doubt have confronted them about it as well. Yet instead we find again a description of the blessing of God. It says…

Acts 6:7 (ESV)— 7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

Converted Priests— Now don’t miss this. It says a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. [These were, of course, not the chief priests or members of the Sanhedrin, but a very large number of the rank and file priests who ministered in the temple.] In fact [It has been estimated that there were eight thousand Jewish priests attached to the temple ministry in Jerusalem, and {so it is more than just some nice little bit of icing on the cake; this is a big piece of the cake. According to this} “a great company” of them trusted Jesus Christ as Savior!] It’s amazing what God can do through a Church that is flexible and malleable in His hands; a Church that knows how to delegate. And remember, flexible churches are always filled with flexible people; with moldable, shapeable individuals. And so I want to challenge you today to be shapeable in the hands of God. Be willing to adjust to the needs of those around you. And if you have a gift that God is calling you to use, give that gift to Him today. Let’s commit to do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome again to Lechem Panim.

Models of Growth— Being a pastor for close to a decade, I have read a lot about church growth; the different kinds of growth, what healthy growth looks like, how it happens, etc. And one of the things that any church growth book worth its salt will tell you is that there is a difference between the organizational structure of a small church and that of a large church. And though an organizational model may have worked out great when a church first started out, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will continue to be the best model moving forward. For instance, in every church I have pastored I have always been the primary source of pastoral care. I have been the one to visit people in hospitals, to visit them in their homes; to serve them communion; to perform all the funerals and those kinds of things. And that’s fine when your church is small. But let’s say a church grows to 200, 300 or more people. That pastor better not be the only source of pastoral care for that congregation because 1st) There’s too many people for him to be able to give quality care to, 2nd) It’s going to take away time from his sermon preparation and prayer time, 3rd) It’s going to rob his family of his time, and 4th) He’s eventually going to get burned out and probably leave that ministry. Churches must change as growth takes place if they are going to remain stable and effective.

Growing Pains— Now in today’s passage here in Acts chapter 6 we see that the Early Church is starting to face problems. And this wasn’t a bad thing. I don’t know if when you were young you ever experienced growing pains or not; l know I did. My bones would just ache for no apparent reason. It often happens when you are just growing really fast. My son now has the same thing going on in his body. But that isn’t bad pain; it’s good pain. And you are always stronger and more physically mature on the other side of it. Well, the same was true here of the Church in Acts 6. You have thousands upon thousands of people coming to faith in Christ, joining the Church; and (as with any organization) the system which worked fine when the organization was smaller didn’t scale up. Remember the Church is growing at an incredible rate. Early on they were able to keep track of the number of converts (2:41) and members (4:4). But even then those figures only represent the men. And now the Church has grown beyond count. According to some estimates, it was probably around 20,000 at this point. And so the apostles were finding it increasingly difficult to minister to everybody. The old structure wasn’t working. And so it is no surprise that it says in…

Acts 6:1 (ESV)— 1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.

Satan’s New Strategy— Now up until this point there had been many ways that Satan had sought to cripple Christ’s Church. In 4:1-31 and 5:17-41) he had tried persecution. But that only caused the Church to grow faster; because they responded to that persecution in the right way. Next Satan (in 5:1-11) tried to introduce sin into the body of Christ in and through Ananias and Sapphira. But the Church immediately (with the God’s full backing) dealt with that sin. And so now Satan tries a third tactic: dissension.

The Two Battleships— There’s a story of two battleships that met in the night and began to attack each other. In the conflict, a number of crewmen were severely wounded, and both vessels were damaged. As daylight broke, the sailors on the ships discovered to their amazement that both vessels flew the English flag. Sometimes it is easy to forget that we are on the same team, even when we might not see eye to eye. And Satan can often use the smallest of issues (like the one in this passage) to divide the Church. And so was the threat in our passage today.

The Hellenist Widows Overlooked— Because the issue here in this passage had the potential to create a LOT of division in the Church. That word used to describe the first group of people is “Hellenists”; and here that term is referring to Greek-speaking Jews from other nations who had come to Palestine. Now the second description (the description “Hebrews”) here is referring specifically to the residents of Palestine; and they could speak both Aramaic and Greek and often Hebrew. But most of these Jews from outside may not have been able to speak Aramaic or Hebrew. And they used the Septuagint (a Greek version of the Hebrew Bible) rather than the Hebrew Scriptures. Now they had remained loyal to Judaism, but at the same time they had absorbed some of their surrounding Greek culture. And that made them suspect to the Palestinian Jews, especially the Pharisees. But they were a minority in the church, which helps explain why their needs were overlooked.

Care For Widows— Now care for widows was a traditional part of Jewish society; clear instructions for their care being given in numerous places in the book of Deuteronomy. God cares about widows, which is why He made sure the Law laid out specific guidelines for their care. And because at this point Christianity was mainly a Jewish phenomenon, this by default carried over into the early Church. Paul (in 1 Timothy 5:33ff) clearly defines care for widows as being one of the chief responsibilities of the Church.

Meeting God Where He’s Working— And so the Church had to deal with this problem of the Hellenist widows being overlooked in the daily distribution (which was an outflow of what you remember happened in Acts 4:32, where we saw how the Church came together to pool their resources to help any that were in need. Now if a Church is Biblical, it will align itself with what the Holy Spirit is already doing. It meets God where He is at rather than trying to pull Him into their own organization and structure. Does that make sense? And God is interested in the needs of people; every need, no matter what it is. And so the TRUE Church is always characterized by a willingness to respond to the needs of people. That’s why most of our hospitals have names like St. Mary’s or St. John’s or names like that; because people who are truly awakened by Christ are awakened to the needs of the world and have in their hearts an awakening of love that drives them to meet those needs. Now hospitals have structure, but it is structured in accordance with the needs of people; or at least it ought to be. The same with the Church. The needs of people ought not to conform to the structure of the Church. The structure of the Church needs to conform to the needs of people.

A School’s Flexibility— One of the things that impressed us about our kids’ school was how quickly they adjusted when Covid-19 hit. I mean they didn’t even miss a beat. They recognized the needs of the children for an unbroken education experience and immediately switched to an online format that honestly (even at its early stages) was very solid. But it’s no coincidence that the school was born out of and is an intimate part of a thriving Church. The Church is thriving because of its adaptability to the needs of people; and therefore so was the school.

Our Flexibility During Covid— And similarly, those Churches that are doing the best during these Covid times are not those who have said “We are either going to meet in person or not at all”, but rather those that immediately recognized that the needs of people were going to change very dramatically because of this epidemic and were willing to adjust the way they did church in order to meet those needs. Now I’m happy to say that our church was one of those churches. Right off the bat we had online giving up and running; our worship went online; our messages went online; our website was upgraded. And though we had to make some tough decisions as a leadership team, we made them and not only did we maintain, but we even grew our numbers during that time. And that has been the experience even of churches that were willing to just make bare minimum changes. Our leadership here at Renton Park Chapel didn’t see Covid as just something to get through; no, we saw it as God’s means of doing something new in His Church. And because we strived to bring ourselves alongside what God was doing (and is still doing), He saw fit to bless us. And that has been the experience of many churches.

Our Individual Flexibility— Now what is true of the Church as a whole is also true of the individual. The people who make the best church members, the best parents, the best friends, the best employees, the best co-workers are those men and women who are malleable and shapable in God’s hands; who can take a hit without floundering and who are able to stand firm even when things get messy.

The Flexible Church— And Churches that are going to be most effective at reaching the lost are those that are filled with people who are flexible. Because let me tell you; lost people are not always pleasant to be around. They may not act nice, look nice, or smell nice. And they will often drag all their brokenness and baggage right into the Church.

The Drunk Visitor— I remember a number of years ago a man came into the church I was pastoring at that time drunk. He hadn’t bathed in who knows how long and he smelled to high heaven. But he came and sat in the back pew. And it was not a pleasant experience to be around him. And you know how it is when an outsider like that comes; people are somewhat disturbed. And it is disturbing and disrupting when somebody like that comes; because we want our services to be nice and neat and distraction-free. And sometimes we just don’t know what to do. And we may wonder, “Why’s that guy here?” But you know why this man had come? He had come because his mother had just died (in fact I had just done her funeral) and he wanted to visit his mom’s church. Now I was proud of how the congregation responded. Yeah there were some who turned their nose up; there’s most often a couple of those in any church. But most were willing to pray for this man and come alongside of him in his grief. And you know that’s the kind of Church that God can honor.

The Central Mission— What we find with Jesus and will see with the disciples here in this passage is that the mission is always the focus; never deviating from the task of meeting the physical and spiritual needs of the lost. And so let us not deviate. Let us also keep Christ and His mission central. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome again to Lechem Panim. In recent weeks in our study of the book of Acts we have been talking about the signs and wonders being performed through the apostles, particularly in chapter 5. And these signs evoke a positive response from most of the people of Jerusalem, who are excited to see what God is doing through them; and yet the religious leaders are not so enthused, and have them arrested and thrown into jail. But amazingly, an angel delivers them and tells them to right back to preaching, which they do. And when the religious leaders find out, they have the apostles brought before the high religious court of the land known as the Sanhedrin, which interestingly was the very group of religious leaders who had had a hand in crucifying Jesus. And now these apostles, who are following in the footsteps of Jesus are seen by these religious leaders as a threat; and so they tell them to no longer preach or teach in the name of Jesus. But the apostles verbally commit to obey God rather than men; at least at this point where the command of these authorities goes explicitly against Christ’s command to make disciples of all nations. And Peter shares with them the Gospel message, during which he also indicts them with the crime of having killed the Savior. And this accusation invokes an immediate, furious response from the Jewish leaders, who suddenly begin plotting to kill them. But before things turn really ugly, someone intervenes. It says…

Acts 5:34 (ESV)— 34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while.

Gamaliel— Now this teacher of the law named Gamaliel is actually a pretty famous guy. [He was easily the most prominent rabbi of that time and one of the greatest of all antiquity. He was the grandson of another prominent rabbi, Hillel, and his successor as leader of the liberal wing of the Pharisees. Gamaliel was one of the few honored with the title rabban, instead of the usual title “rabbi”…. How highly he was respected by all the people may be seen in the following quotation from the Mishna: “When Rabban Gamaliel the Elder died, the glory of the Law ceased and purity and abstinence died”…. {So he was a pretty important guy. And of course} His most famous student was the apostle Paul (Acts 22:3).] And so this guy who is deeply revered by the Jewish people stands up, orders the apostles be put out of the room, and then it says…

Acts 5:35-39 (ESV)— 35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36 For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice,

Just Another Rebel?— Now the fact [That the Sadducees {(who made up most of the Sanhedrin)} would heed the words of a Pharisee shows how distinguished a man Gamaliel was.] But when we look closely, we find that although Gamaliel was supposed to be this great Jewish thinker, the advice he gives is actually very bad. Now God uses that bad advice for the apostles’ benefit, but the advice itself is horrible. Now he’s trying to be the cool head in all of this, but he is also trying to sit on both sides of the fence. And you just can’t do that with Jesus. Jesus is somebody you cannot be neutral about. Now to start off with, Gamaliel classifies Jesus and the apostles as just another group of false prophets, like two of the recent rebels in Israel’s recent history; Theudas and Judas). The problem is that these two guys (whom we don’t know that much about) were unlike Jesus and the apostles in just about every respect; primarily in that they never did any of the miraculous things that Jesus and the apostles did. They didn’t heal everyone of every disease and neither of them ever rose from the dead. In fact, the fact that Theudas and Judas died (and remained dead) is the crux of Gamaliel’s argument. And so even at that point alone Gamaliel’s argument falls flat on it’s face; and it shows that he (like the Sanhedrin) had already chosen to reject the evidence before them; the evidence of the empty tomb and the evidence of the signs being worked by the Holy Spirit through the apostles.

Will It Just Dissipate?— Now Gamaliel continues, saying that just as these particular heretical movements fell apart, so will this one if it is not of God. Now that is another faulty statement because there are plenty of things that DO succeed that are not of God. Just take a look at the many false religions and cults in the world today. And many of them spread (by Satan’s power) at an alarming rate; often faster than the Church. It’s as Mark Twain said: “a lie runs around the world while truth is still putting on her shoes.” And that’s true. Now will God be victorious in the end? Of course, but in the meantime multitudes of people can be led astray. And so Gamaliel’s advice is for them to just wait and see when he really should have been calling them to action. What he should have done was call for the Sanhedrin to follow him in examining the evidence thoroughly and honestly. But instead he just adopts this whole “lets just see how this all plays out” kind of position. Now there are some issues you can remain neutral on; but there are others that require you to take a stand; to make a choice. And this was the time to stand. And yet Gamaliel chooses to play it safe and ends up missing out on salvation because He didn’t make a choice about Jesus. Now for whatever reason his advice seems reasonable to the Sanhedrin, and so it says…

Acts 5:39b-40 (ESV)— So they took his advice, 40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

Beaten— Now the word “beat” here refers to the [beating of forty lashes, less one to avoid violating the legal limit (Deut. 25:3).] And it is important to note that [The flogging was {itself} criminally unjust and {was} done to frighten them…. {But} Apparently Gamaliel had no problem with the whipping, again revealing his {passive} indifference.] But it says…

Acts 5:41-42 (ESV)— 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.

The State of Evangelism— Not long ago my father sent me some disturbing statistics on evangelism in the modern Church. They read: 99% of believers hold that ALL Christians are commanded to evangelize...and yet only 5% have ever won anyone to Christ! Only 2% are active in evangelism! 80% never share their faith! 49% of leaders never minister outside church! 63% haven't evangelized in the last 2 years. Yet amazingly, 96% believe churches would grow faster if ALL Christians were more involved in evangelism.

“Little Faith”— Now when we see this we ask, “Why is that?” Especially seeing as the men and women in the early Church had "boldness" to share the Gospel, it raises the question of what is missing in our day and age. Is it a belief problem? Is it a love problem? If having the mind of Christ means to be truly evangelical in our thinking and the way we live our lives, do we REALLY have the mind of Christ? It’s interesting, when I asked my dad about this, he said that (for the most part) it is a faith issue. He pointed out that all 5 times Jesus uses the word oligópistoi (ὀλιγόπιστοι)—meaning "little-faith"—He’s chastising the 12 disciples for not actually following His teachings. Bible dictionaries define the word as “dull to hearing the Lord's voice; disinterested in walking intimately with Him;” or “trusting too little!” And he said there are too many oligópistoi/cheap grace {disciples} today; not enough radical disciples who understand a costly grace. And you know, I think he’s right. These apostles knew what grace and salvation had costed God. They had just witnessed it first-hand on the cross. And that empowered them to live lives of radical self-sacrifice in their quest to make disciples of all nations.

An Honest Confession— Just recently I read a true account about something that happened in a particular church’s board meeting. And the board members [were listening to the pastor talk about evangelism. He shared from his heart about lost souls and caring for our neighbors. {But} One board member interrupted with something raw, real, and straight from his heart. {And} The essence {of what he said} was, “I don’t really care about my neighbors, at least not enough to move me to action, but I want to.” {And you know, I think} What an incredibly honest statement. {And if we’re honest, would we say the same thing? Now you’d think that would kind of kill the mood of the board meeting right there. But what actually happened is that} The board member’s candid and courageous admission broke him right in that moment. He had been praying that God would give him a heart of genuine love and concern, and that night, God answered his prayer. {Now} That {kind of} honesty and authenticity {is contagious; and it} caught fire among other board members, and then among leaders of the church. {And what ended up happening was} A movement swept across the church resulting in tremendous outreach, evangelism, and hundreds saying yes to Jesus. {How amazing it is that} God used a business executive who wasn’t sure he cared about his neighbors to start a revival in a local church. {Now this offers hope to you and to me. As the author I was reading pointed out:} If you don’t love others like you want to or feel you should, God can teach you to get there through his Word and prompts from the Holy Spirit. If you don’t care about others as deeply as you want to, God will place that emotion within you if you ask him.]

From Obstacles to Living Sacrifices— Now (looking back) we don’t know what the disciples prayed in Acts chapter 1 as they awaited the Holy Spirit’s coming at Pentecost. But what we do know is this. Before Pentecost they had little to no compassion on the lost. They were more obstacles to people coming to Jesus than anything else; and were rather focused on who was going to sit at the right and left hand of Jesus when He came into His kingdom; not on carrying the cross of Christ into the dark places of the world and being (as Romans 12:1 says) living sacrifices. And yet here we find that not only has God changed their hearts and given them a brokenness for the lost (as Christ Himself had) but that brokenness is so strong, that nothing (not even the ruling authorities of the land who had killed their Messiah) could stand in their way. And similarly, you and I are called to have that same boldness driven by that same brokenness for the lost. But that brokenness will never come until we also have our own personal Pentecosts; until we allow the Holy Spirit to create in us a perfect love of God that will translate into a perfect love of our neighbors. And so let us ask God to create in us that perfect love today. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome again to Lechem Panim. As you know, we are in the season of Lent, which is a time for us to seek the Lord in repentance from any and all sin and (especially as we approach Good Friday in the coming weeks) to reflect in a special way upon the sufferings of Jesus Christ. And I love one of the songs we tend to sing during this time: How Deep The Father’s Love For Us, which is a beautiful song that talks in a very moving and powerful way about the sufferings of Jesus Christ. But what I love about the song is that it doesn’t allow us to remain passive as we remember Christ’s death and suffering. The most memorable lines in the song read:

Behold the man upon a cross My sin upon His shoulders Ashamed I hear my mocking voice Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there Until it was accomplished His dying breath has brought me life I know that it is finished

We’re Complicit— One of the things this song reminds us of is the fact that all of us have be complicit in the death of Jesus Christ; because (as Romans 3:23 says) all of us have sinned and therefore fall short of the glory of God; and all of us are therefore in need of a Savior. And in the book of Acts we see very early on a reckoning; people having to face the reality that they killed their Messiah. Peter and the apostles don’t hold back on this accusation, which they keep making it again and again; they don’t try to brush over what the people of God did to their Messiah; they don’t rush to the empty tomb and the resurrection so they can simply focus on the forgiveness of God made available to them in Jesus. No, there is a process. Just like us, the people first have to come to terms with their own personal sin and therefore their need of a Savior. Now the religious leaders have at this point in our study of Acts chapter 5 seized the apostles and thrown them into the public jail. But remember God sends an angel to set them free; and the angel tells them to go right back where they were arrested from and to continue to preach the Good News of the Gospel of Christ. And so they do. And when the Jewish leaders sent to have them brought, the jail is found empty, and then they of course hear that the apostles have gone right back to preaching; and so they have them brought (though not by force, for fear of the people; who are now standing is support of the apostles) and it says in…

Acts 5:27-28 (ESV)— 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.”

“you intend”— Now notice how the High Priest says to the apostles: “…you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.”

Did He Forget?— You see, the High Priest doesn’t want to accept the guilt of having killed the Messiah. Now this is so important, because we have to remember back to what the High Priest had said along with the rest of the Jewish people to Pilate back in…

Matthew 27:25 (ESV)— 25 And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”

Bloodguilt— Isn’t it interesting how quickly the Jewish leaders are now trying to distance themselves from Jesus and what they did to Him? They had freely accepted His blood upon them. But now the High Priest recognizes the full weight of what that would mean if the people accepted that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. And so he and the rest of the Jewish leaders feign innocence. But what is so remarkable about this “trial” is that as it progresses, the apostles become the judges and the council becomes the accused. The council wants them to be silent, but it says in…

Acts 5:29-32 (ESV)— 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Accusing Testimony— Now this testimony of Peter is so powerful for a number of reasons. First of all (once again) he is insisting that they must obey God rather than men. To be in alignment with God was to be at odds with the Sanhedrin. Now this was a very gutsy thing to say, because he was basically saying that the Sanhedrin had set themselves against God Himself and God was in fact working against them, not with them. And Peter highlights this in his pointing out how God raised Jesus from the dead despite their having killed Him by hanging him on a tree, which was a bad enough way for anyone to die, as it was associated with being accursed of God. But the Sanhedrin had done this not just to anyone, but to their Messiah! And the word Peter here uses that we translate “you killed” (Diacheirizō) appears only here and in Acts 26:21; and it actually means “to put to death with one’s own hands.” And so Peter is far from backing off here. No, he is intensifying the accusation. [He had previously charged the Jewish authorities with responsibility for Jesus’ death (2:23–24, 36; 3:13–15; 4:10). {But} Now he insists they are as guilty as if they had killed Him with their own hands.] And in the most shameful way possible. And yet despite that, God raised Jesus from the dead (cf. 2:23–24, 36; 3:13–15; 4:10) and lifted Him out of the shame to which they had subjected Him. Now when the Jewish leaders hear Peter’s accusation, they are livid. It says…

Acts 5:33 (ESV)— 33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.

Cut In Two— And that word “enraged” in the original Greek literally refers to the cutting of something in two. But what is being cut? Well, they are! Remember what it says in…

Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)— 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Deep Down— Well here the Jewish leaders are being convicted; yet instead of embracing the repentance Peter is calling them to, coming to grips with their sin and humbling themselves before God and seeking forgiveness, they choose to harden their hearts and treat the apostles (despite the evidence of the signs that proved otherwise) as blasphemers. And what this says to us is that whenever we share the Gospel, there will always be the possibility that the person we are sharing the Gospel with will reject us. And that’s people don’t typically like to be told that they are sinful; and that’s because most people have been raised on the philosophy that deep down inside all of us are basically good; and all we need to do to change society and become better people is to tap into our inner goodness. But that is not what the Bible says. What the Bible reveals is that that deep down all of us are sinful; full of sin. That’s what the word “sinful” means. Apart from the goodness shed abroad in our hearts by the mercy and grace of God, we are completely and utterly depraved. And the cross is the ultimate picture of that. No matter how good we think we are, we all have been bad enough so as to warrant the death of the Son of God. And until we come to recognize that for ourselves and also communicate that faithfully to others, we (and they) will never fully understand the grace and forgiveness of God. And that’s because we have to recognize we are sick before we will then be willing to accept the cure. And that’s Peter’s point. He isn’t interested in just making the people and the Jewish leaders feel bad, but wants them to go through the process through which they can come to repentance and embrace Jesus for who He truly is and the fullness of what He has done for them. And similarly with us, our Easter celebrations are made all the more meaningful when we allow ourselves to go through our own Lenten and Good Friday seasons; when we examine ourselves and freely confess to God our own personal sins and the part that each of us had to play in the death of His son. We grow downwards in order to experience the hand of God lifting us up, raising us unto new life as we participate in the resurrection of Jesus.

Crisis Men— Now one more thing needs to be said about the apostles in this passage; and that is that they were crisis men. What do I mean by that? I mean that they were men whose lives and message forced those around them to make a decision.

[JIM ELLIOT’S PRAYER— {One great hero of the Christian faith was a man by the name of Jim Elliot.} Jim Elliot was one of the martyred missionaries {killed by the Auca tribe back} in 1956. He was a passionate Christian who journaled many of his thoughts and prayers. One such entry addressed his concern about impact. {Listen to what He wrote.} He wrote, “Father, make of me a crisis man. Bring those I contact to decision. Let me not be a milepost on a single road; make me a fork, that men must turn one way or another on facing Christ in me.” His impact continues on even though he died over sixty-five years ago at the age of twenty-nine.] All of these apostles were crisis men. They were forks in the road. You could not encounter them and simply go on your way. No, people had to make a decision regarding Jesus after facing them. And you know, that is how it is supposed to be with you and I as well. We are to be crisis men and women in the lives of others; men and women who cause people (after encountering us) to have to make a decision about Jesus Christ. And so let us commit today in a special way to be those crisis people in the lives of others.

Closing Prayer— Dear heavenly Father, we want to thank you today for the gift of your Son Jesus, who died on our behalf to take away the sins of the world. Help us never to forget the power of the sacrifice made on our behalf; and let us be faithful to share the good news of that sacrifice with the world. And let us, Lord, be crisis people, who through our message of Your love and forgiveness, might draw others into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. It’s in His name we pray, Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. You will remember that last week in our study of Acts chapter 5 we talked about the arrest and imprisonment of the apostles by the Sanhedrin, who were upset that they were proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. But that night an angel came and set them free; and he told them to go right to the place where they were arrested and to continue proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which he calls all the words of this Life. And that’s because the Good News of the Gospel is that though we were spiritually dead, Jesus Christ came into our world to give us abundant and eternal life (cf. John 1:4; 11:25; 14:6; 1 John 5:20). And (without hesitation or fear; and with a courage empowered by the Holy Spirit) it says in…

Acts 5:21a (ESV)— 21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.

Right Back To It— So [Before the Sadducees were even aware that they had been released they were back preaching.] And it says…

Acts 5:21b (ESV)— Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

Before The Sanhedrin— Now “council” and “senate” are both referring to the high Jewish court of the land known as the Sanhedrin. This was the court that Peter and John had just appeared before and was the very court that was responsible for the death of Jesus, which Peter will highlight. But they send for the apostles to have them brought in order to stand trial. However, there’s a problem. It says…

Acts 5:22-23 (ESV)— 22 But when the officers {(meaning Levites of the temple police)} came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.”

They’re Gone!!!— In other words: [Everything was as it should have been with one exception—the prisoners were gone!])} Now can [you imagine the surprised looks on the faces of the guards when they discovered that their most important prisoners were gone.]? But even more so the religious leaders! It says…

Acts 5:24 (ESV)— 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to.

Greatly Perplexed— I mean [Here they were trying to stop the miracles, but their actions only multiplied the miracles!] Up until this point they had been besides themselves trying to figure out how to stop this new movement that was spreading so rapidly. And it was becoming quickly apparent to them (and to everyone) that their efforts were proving futile, which caused them great alarm. And the reason that they were so alarmed was that the apostles were openly defying their authority and proclaiming what was to them a heretical doctrine (a resurrection, which would have been bad enough; but a resurrection of one of the men they had killed; and not only that, BUT THE MESSIAH!!!). So at every point the apostles were undermining their credibility. And even though the signs that were being performed through the apostles were powerful confirmations that God stood with and was working through the apostles (and were drawing people from all over Jerusalem and the surrounding regions), the Sanhedrin seem resolute in their decision to ignore the signs entirely, as we see they will do here as well. Now when they hear of the apostles’ escape, they are really at their wits end as to what to do. What could have happened to the men they had securely locked away? But then their ruminations are interrupted by some very unexpected news. It says…

Acts 5:25 (ESV)—25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.”

Open Defiance— Now this compounded the problem because (once again) it was an open defiance of the authority of the Sanhedrin. [Had the apostles gone into hiding after their escape it would have been bad enough. That they had the audacity to go right back into the temple and resume preaching was the ultimate act of insolence.] And so these religious leaders take immediate action. It says in…

Acts 5:26 (ESV)— 26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

Proceeding Cautiously— Now they no doubt wanted to take extreme measures to quell this rebellion, but found that they could not lest they themselves be stoned by the people. And that just shows the level of support from the people; that the people were so convinced that God stood with the apostles that they would even be willing to stone the High Priest if he should lay hands on them; I mean that in itself is incredible. And so the religious leaders proceed with extreme caution. Now another reason the Sanhedrin found it difficult to move against the apostles more strongly was that although the apostles were defying their orders, they were not resisting arrest; neither had Peter and John. Even in the midst of their civil disobedience they are modeling respect and submission. And that’s because their goal is not to defy the Sanhedrin; but to obey God. And so they comply with the Sanhedrin as much as they can on those points that are not in conflict with what God has told them to do. And that is an important point to distinguish. We can practice civil disobedience without displaying a universal rejection of all we are being asked to do. We ought only to disobey at those points that are in conflict with what God has told us to do or not to do. And in doing so we can still demonstrate a Christ-like submission. So the apostles (in that submission) are brought. And the stage is set for the apostles’ second sermon before the Sanhedrin. It says…

2 Indictments— Now the high priest here opens the proceedings by giving the first indictment against the apostles; and that was that (in spite of the Sanhedrin’s having given them strict orders not to teach or preach in the name of Jesus, the apostles had instead proceeded to fill all of Jerusalem with their teaching. They had defied the court, which was true. And then he proceeds with the second indictment. And that was that the apostles were trying to bring this man’s blood upon them. And that was true as well. [Peter and the rest had boldly indicted the Jewish leaders for their role in Jesus’ death (cf. 2:23, 36; 3:15; 4:10–11).] And rightfully so. The Jewish leaders had been the ones who instigated and led the crowd to cry out for the death of Jesus.

You have filled Jerusalem— Now this opening rebuke by the high priest is fascinating. Because even though it is a hateful indictment against them, it reveals that in the midst of all of this the Church has already evangelized the entire city of Jerusalem. He says you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching,; quite an amazing admission when you think about it. Even the wrath of the Sanhedrin was being used to bring praise to God (Ps. 76:10).

Doesn’t Mention The Escape— Now the reason that people are coming to faith in Jesus is because of the signs and wonders being performed through the apostles, who are healing all who come to them with various sickness, diseases, and evil spirits. And this last sign (their being released from prison by an angel) is a mighty climax to all that the disciples have been doing up until this point. Yet, as we talked about last week, any mention of the apostles’ escape from prison is conspicuously absent from the High Priest’s address. And this was because the Sadducees could not explain it while at the same time maintaining their pre-conceived worldview and belief system (which rejected belief in a resurrection, an afterlife, and angels). And so, because they had already made their minds up, they didn’t want to be confused with the facts, so to speak. So they just simply choose to ignore the miracle entirely, just as they had done with the crippled beggar whom Peter and John healed.

No Name— Now notice that also absent in the High Priest’s address is the name of Jesus. Nowhere is the name of Jesus mentioned by the High Priest. He won’t do it. He uses the phrases “this name” and “this man’s blood”, but he is careful not to defile his own lips by speaking the name of Jesus. And there is also some strategy in this. You start mentioning somebody by name, it personalizes them. They aren’t “the criminal” or the “heretic”; he doesn’t say Rabbi Yeshua Ben Joseph of Nazareth; the one in whose name people found physical and spiritual healing; the one who left behind a grieving mother. The High Priest is very careful to keep Jesus nameless. It is a subtle way of de-valuing and de-personalizing Jesus while at the same time distancing himself from Him. But you know what is so fascinating is that here in Luke’s account the high priest himself is not named in the passage. Notice that? Luke (I think very intentionally) leaves his name out, emphasizing that while the High Priest may choose to forget the name of his Messiah (Jesus), the only name that really counts at all is the name of Jesus; the very name the High Priest would not mention. Do you know that we don’t even know who Luke is referring to in this passage by that title. It could be either Caiaphas or Annas; both were going by that title during this time. And so we don’t know who is even speaking here. But you know, I think that’s intentional. This past Wednesday in my personal devotions I studied carefully Proverbs 10. And I came across this phrase in…

Proverbs 10:7 (ESV)— 7 The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.

Remember His Name— Let me ask you something before we close today. How many of you know (or even heard of) anyone else named Annas or Caiaphas? I bet you can’t name one. But you know what, I bet every one of you listening today could name a handful of men named John and Peter. You know what I see in that? A fulfillment of Proverbs 10:7. And what that says to us is that if we are willing to stand with Jesus; to remember His name in the midst of a culture that is desperate to forget it, we will be blessed; and more than that, we will be a blessing to the world. Let us remember (always) to proclaim His name. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. I’d like to start out today by reading the opening of the passage we will be discussing today; and that’s…

Acts 5:12-16 (ESV)— 12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Signs, Wonders, & The Gospel— Now in this passage we see that signs and wonders are being performed through the hands of the apostles, as everyone who came to them with all sorts of diseases and illnesses were healed. And this wasn’t just for the people of Jerusalem. [Additional people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits; and they were all being healed. This is the first record of the church’s influence spreading beyond Jerusalem. They were beginning to fulfill the Lord’s charge to be His witnesses not only in Jerusalem but also “in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).] And this was glorious to see. The worst conditions imaginable were leaving the people by the hands of the apostles. And this demonstrated not just that God’s power was at work through them, but also that God was authenticating by these glorious displays of His power the name they were proclaiming; the name of Jesus, the one whom the people had crucified. And we see that it is that element of their ministry (the central element; the message of the Gospel) that causes such a strong reaction against them from the Jewish leaders; particularly the Sadducees. It says in…

Acts 5:17-18 (ESV)— 17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.

Satan’s Counterattack— Now anytime the Gospel is preached, Satan will always launch a counterattack of persecution. And as difficult a reality as that is, it simply goes with the territory. Jesus Himself had said in…

Matthew 5:10-12 (ESV)— 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. {(By the way, it’s interesting He says “when”, not “if”. If we follow Christ, persecution is going to happen. But Jesus says in the midst of that persecution:)} 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Opposition from The Sadducees— And so it is no surprise, then, that those in power respond to this dynamic moving of the hand of God is a wave of opposition. And that wave comes mostly from the Sadducees. [While the Pharisees led the opposition to Jesus in the gospels, the Sadducees were the chief opponents of the early church.] And they are in opposition to the Church for three reasons. First, because Peter and John had not submitted to their authority in that they continued to preach and teach the Gospel. So they were (in the minds of the Sadducees) in open rebellion. But secondly, what they were teaching was at odds with the the theology of the Sadducees because the apostles were proclaiming that Jesus (though He had been dead and buried) was now alive, which (if true) would undermine their disbelief in a resurrection and an afterlife. But third (and this is something our text today highlights) they were also filled with jealousy. And the reason for that was that these apostles (who were untrained, unauthorized, ordinary men) had so quickly won such a great following; something that they themselves (with all their traditions and religious prowess) had been unable to do. They had had a hold on the people, but that hold was fragile; because at any moment the Romans could sweep in if they caught even a whiff of insurrection and take away their place of prominence. And so the Sadducees disguise their jealousy under a garb of concern for “doctrinal purity” and arrest the apostles (this time all 12) and throw them into the public jail, which is where the common prisoners were kept.] And notice again how the apostles are now living in the pattern of Jesus. Isaiah 53 had predicted that Jesus would be numbered with the transgressors (v.12) and that He would be chastised (v.5). And so the apostles are sharing in that same persecution. They are also numbered with the transgressors and (by the end of the passage) we will see also that they are chastised as well. Now you would think that after all the miracles that the Sadducees had seen they would have come to understand that prison bars could not hold them. If death couldn’t hold Jesus, certainly flimsy old prison bars would not be able to hold back the hand of God moving through His followers. And that is what we see. It says in…

Acts 5:19a (ESV) — 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out,

Another Display— And so the Sadducees had sought to contain the Gospel. However, they only succeeded in providing God with yet another opportunity to display his power, as an angel comes during the night and sets the apostles free. And [God’s use of an angel to free them was especially ironic, since the Sadducees denied the existence of angels.] And when we come to the section where the Sadducees are questioning the apostles, we will see that never once (amidst all the questions) do the Sadducees ask how they got out. Now I’m an amateur magician; always have been ever since I was a little kid. And what prompted my curiosity was this perpetual need to always know how a magic trick was done. Now what interests me about this passage (and we’ll see this) is that the Sadducees would witness the greatest escape act of all time; but notice how not one of them asks how they did it. Because (once again) their theology can’t handle the weight of the evidence. They were unable to look where the facts are pointing. So once again instead of dealing with the facts, they will look the other way. Now after the angel sets the apostles free, it says he…

Acts 5:19b-21a (ESV) — brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” {In other words, “Where you were just arrested from; go right back there and continue preaching and teaching the Gospel. And there’s no protest; no fear. It simply says:} 21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.

No Conflict Please!— You know it's interesting; there are many different personality types in any group of people. And I don't know if you have ever taken a personality test to see if you are the type a personality or perhaps some other letter. I took one not long ago and it was remarkably accurate and helped me to better understand myself. But no matter what personality you have, there are few people who wake up in the morning and think "boy, I just can’t wait for conflict today!" Maybe there are those kinds of people, but I have rarely (if ever) met one. Usually we shy away from conflict. Now we should try to steer away from unnecessary conflict; and we are to be peacemakers. But we are never to be peacemakers at the expense of the truth. Biblically, we have a mandate to stand up for what is right; and especially when somebody's salvation is on the line. This was what was behind Peter and John’s response when the Sanhedrin had previously said to Peter and John back in chapter 4 to no longer preach or teach in the name of Jesus, it says…

Acts 4:19-20 (ESV)— 19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

Truth & Deliverance— Peter and John (and we see here ALL of the apostles) were willing to stand in boldness for the sake of the truth. But there was also something else. They weren’t just concerned about making sure a new mental concept got across to the people in Jerusalem; it wasn’t just a theological debate or them saying, “Hey, here’s a nice new teaching to follow. No, they were concerned about the people themselves; people who would be impacted (eternally) by this new revelation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Burning Beam— This past week my wife and I watched a scene on TV where a boy and his brother had just survived a bombing. And the older brother (after being knocked unconscious) slowly woke up and found around him piles of burning rubble. And he gets up and immediately starts looking for his brother; and finds his brother lying on the ground with a burning beam laying across his burning legs. And the older brother (without hesitation) seizes the burning beam with his hands and pulls up with all his might, freeing his brother. And afterwards, for the rest of his life, he carried those scars (those burn marks) on his hands. You want a picture of the cross this Lenten season? That’s it. Jesus grabbing the beams so that He could lift the weight of sin off our shoulders. We were important enough for Him to sacrifice Himself (His very life) for our salvation. And that reveals two things. First, His love for us…

1 John 3:16 (ESV)— 16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, {But listen to the rest of the verse:} and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

Feeling the Weight— You see, we are to have in our lives that same kind of love. There ought to be in our souls a desperation to see people come to Jesus; a sense of urgency that causes us to move and head directly into the flames in order to pull them from death to life. Well, enter the apostles. These were men who were healing and preaching to the lost not because they thought it might be a good idea to grow their following. No, it was so much more than that. These were men who were awake to the spiritual war going on for people’s souls. These were men who felt on their shoulders the weight of eternity (as C.S. Lewis calls it, “The Weight of Glory”) and they were sold out hook, line, and sinker to their mission. Somebody says, “Sinners are going to hell.” You know what the response of the apostles would have been? “Over my dead body!” And they meant it! And you know, we ought to have that same tenacity when it comes to spreading the Gospel.

Spurgeon’s Passion For The Lost— Charles Spurgeon once wrote: “If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for."

Let Us Proclaim— I love that. And so I want to challenge you today (and myself as well) to refrain from being the silent witnesses of the Church; let us speak out boldly (even in the face of persecution) so that others will come to know the hope that we have in Christ Jesus. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim.

God’s Triumph Over Satan— In our study of the book of Acts, we have seen the beginning of the persecution of the Church at the hands of the religious leaders. And yet in our passage today here in Acts chapter 5 we see that despite this opposition, spiritual victory is still being won in an incredible way. You will remember that back in chapter 4 the Church cried out to God in the words of Psalm 2, saying in…

Acts 4:25b-26 (ESV)— “‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’—

A Spiritual War— Now in doing so you will remember that these believers were recognizing how even from times of old Satan has been at war against God and His plan of salvation for the world. But remember that although they only quoted the first line of the Psalm they would have known the rest of the Psalm by memory (even the women would have, who were less educated during that time). And the end of this particular Psalm says that the Lord will bring judgment on those who have set themselves against the Lord’s anointed. And they recognized in that a prophecy of Jesus Christ, His resurrection, and also the world’s rejection of Him. And in the Sanhedrin (this high council of Jewish leaders) we see Satan at work, trying once again to keep the message of the Gospel from spreading. And the bent of his aim was to divide and conquer the Church. Yet we see here in verse 12 that (despite his continued attacks) the Church actually became more unified than ever. In the very place the lame beggar was healed and Peter preached his second sermon (and where Jesus had Himself preached in John 10:23ff), these early believers formed their fellowship as they [met there daily for prayer and worship.] It says in…

Acts 5:12b-13 (ESV)— And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. {Now the next phrase is very interesting. It says…} 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.

Why The Hesitation?— Now you would think that if the disciples were held in such high esteem, people would be eager to join the Church. Why then did so many hesitate? Well, remember what has just happened a few verses earlier; God struck dead a couple (Ananias and Sapphira) who had tried to lie to the Holy Spirit of God; they were counterfeit Christians masquerading as genuine disciples sold out to Jesus Christ. They had tried to appear like Barnabas, who really HAD sold out (literally) to Jesus when really they only wanted to have the appearance. And their death (which was also a sign from God; a negative one) sent the spiritual message very strongly that God would not tolerate sin in the Church. Ananias and Sapphira (with their sin) had brought discord into the Church. And [Now that the sin of Ananias and Sapphira had been dealt with, the church was again in one accord.] The Church being of one heart and soul God takes VERY seriously. God wanted a Church that was united in purity. And this is something we cannot fail to see. God values purity more than you and I can possibly imagine. And sadly, this is something that the Church as a whole has decreasingly emphasized nowadays. But it says in…

2 Timothy 2:19-21 (ESV)— 19 But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” 20 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

You Have To Be Pure— Now what we learn from that is that if we want to be useful to God, then we have to be pure. [No one {has} stated that truth any more clearly than the noble nineteenth-century Scottish pastor and evangelist Robert Murray McCheyne. He gave the following sage advice to a young man entering the ministry: Do not forget the culture of the inner man—I mean of the heart. How diligently the cavalry officer keeps his sabre clean and sharp; every stain he rubs off with the greatest care. Remember you are God’s sword, His instrument—I trust a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name. In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hands of God. ]

Confronting Sin— Now this is true both of the believer individually, but also corporately in the Church. If we are to be successful in reaching the world with the good news of Jesus Christ, then we must be a Church that is pure. And for that to happen, the Church needs to have the courage to confront and deal with sin. God was the first one to do this in the Church with Ananias and Sapphira. But now the responsibility of disciplining sinning believers falls to the local church. Now we just don't do that in this day and age; and that is largely due to the fact that we have come to believe that tolerating people (and their sins) and building up their self-esteem are the chief ways that we show God’s love to them. But that just isn’t Biblical. If you truly love someone, you are not going to let them continue in those patterns of behavior that are destructive for them. And you are going to fight for their purity. This is why it says in…

Proverbs 27:6 (ESV)— 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

Scriptural Support for Discipline— And in Luke 17:3, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself commanded, “If your brother sins, rebuke him.” You will remember that [Paul put Hymenaeus and Alexander out of the Ephesian church because of their blasphemies (1 Tim. 1:20). He commanded the Corinthians to remove from their fellowship a man guilty of gross sexual immorality (1 Cor. 5:1–7). He instructed his young protégé Titus to “reprove [believers] severely that they may be sound in the faith” (Titus 1:13). Even church leaders are not exempt from public rebuke (1 Tim. 5:20; cf. Gal. 2:11–14). {But} The most extensive teaching on how to exercise church discipline comes from our Lord Himself: If your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer. Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst. (Matt. 18:15–20)]

Context of Discipline— Now we all focus on the last part of that verse; the promise of God’s abiding with those who are gathered in His name. But what we often fail to remember is why God comes in their midst in the first place in that context. That passage is connected and tied to Jesus’ discussion about discipline in the Church; it is about God coming alongside those who are gathered in His name to help lead others out of sin and into living lives of spiritual purity!

A Holy Challenge— Now we shy away from this because we don't want to be labeled as "judgmental". After all, who is going to want to join a church that might confront them about their sin? But what God demonstrated was that if the Church was going to keep its integrity and remain effective, it also had to keep pure. If it didn’t actually challenge and lead people into become more like Jesus, what is the point? And yes we see here in verse 13 that that kept some people away. It says…

Acts 5:13 (ESV)— 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.

You see, people respected them chiefly because they WERE that committed to purity. And that proved effective, because while verse 13 says some were kept away, it says in…

Acts 5:14 (ESV)— 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,

The Count is Lost— And it is fascinating to note that it is at this point where the multitude grows so much, everyone loses count. Luke stops recording the numbers. All he can say is multitudes of both men and women,. From that point onwards the Church was too big to count. And I want to highlight that for you; the point at which the Church can no longer keep track of it’s numerical growth is at this precise moment when the Church (through God) becomes radically committed to purity.

Committed to Purity— And what that shows us is that if we want to be effective and fruitful Christians (both individually and corporately), we have to be radically committed to living lives of purity and holiness. And it is our responsibility to help one another to achieve that purity, even if that might mean an unpleasant conversation or even Church discipline at times. If we truly love one another, we won’t allow one another to walk in sin; we will lovingly step in. We will encourage, guide, direct, and help God to re-shape that person. If we want the power of God to be made manifest in and through us both individually and corporately, there are no shortcuts. We have to go through the cross. We must, as it says in…

Colossians 3:9b-10 (ESV)— put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Mutual Support— And so let us commit to live lives of purity and holiness; and let us support, encourage, challenge, and even discipline one another as we (together) become the very image of Christ to the world. If we can do that, the world will esteem us and God will be able not just to grow His Church, but to grow it in the right way; with people who are willing to live lives truly sold out to Jesus Christ. Let’s commit ourselves to Him, His Life, and His character in a special way today. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. In our study of the book of Acts, we have seen how God has been establishing His Church. And in our passage today we see one of the means by which He is doing that. It says in…

Acts 5:12b (ESV)— 12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles.

Signs & Wonders— So right off the bat we see that the apostles are carrying on the healing ministry of Jesus. And these healings verse 12 calls signs and wonders. Now what is a sign?

"Shoulder Use Permitted"— The other day my wife and I were driving home and I saw a sign that brought me immediate joy. In fact I was so thankful I immediately turned to my wife and said. “That sign said ‘shoulder use permitted’”. And so I immediately started stretching and rotating my shoulders. And I said, “Awwww, that’s nice, to which she promptly rolled her eyes (as all wives do when their husbands make corny jokes).

What’s A Sign— But signs are important. They are there for more than just our admiration and wonder. They actually mean something; and what a particular sign means is important. And this is especially true when it comes to Biblical signs, which are a lot like road signs. We always think of them as being miracles; and they often are. But they are more than just miracles. They are miracles with a point. Just like a road sign, they point us to something; something we need to recognize, which is often a deeper spiritual (and often divine) reality that God is trying to make known to us. In the Gospels (particularly John’s gospel) signs play a key role in revealing to us who Jesus is. And they have the same purpose here in the book of Acts as well. And one of the things these signs clearly reveal is that God is at work through the apostles; they are a way of authenticating their ministry and the name of Jesus whom they were proclaiming. Now there have been many impostors who have tried to use miraculous signs to gain a following.

A Fake Miracle— Just recently I saw a purported miracle somebody posted on Facebook. A crippled woman in Africa was listening to a preacher preach. And her arm was all malformed and short. But the preacher suddenly claimed he was going to heal the woman. And he began ranting and raving and the woman hunched over and let her short deformed arm point towards the ground. And slowly but surely the arm began to extend. And the preacher kept ranting and raving; he started throwing water on her (probably holy water). And her arm kept extending until it was a normal length; AN APPARENT MIRACLE!!! Now I so wanted to believe this; but I looked it up and sadly discovered that it was a hoax. This woman was used on multiple occasions by at least two different charismatic pastors who wanted to display their healing powers. I watched two services where it looks like the same woman was healed twice for the same thing. She has missing bone structure in her arm that allows her to crush up her arm and then (as she relaxes her muscles) the arm extends. And that is why she needs to hunch over, because she cannot lift up her arm (because there is no bone structure inside). And you can catch it in one video where you see that arm flop back a little bit; farther than a normal arm would be able to do. And so the miracle was a fake, used by the pastors in a sinister way to manipulate people into thinking they had the power of God; so that they would follow them.

A Genuine Miracle— However, the miracles the apostles were performing were nothing like this. They weren’t isolated healings done to a few people no-one knew. Rather they were healing many people (too many to be some kind of elaborate hoax); and these were people that those around them could validate had indeed been crippled. The crippled man at Solomon’s Portico is an excellent example. Everyone knew he had always been crippled; his legs were deformed; he had never walked. And now he was walking and leaping and praising God.

Miracles & Message True To God’s Word— Now miracles don’t always come from God. Just because someone performs a miracle (or a supposed miracle) that doesn’t mean God is at work in them. It could (at times) be Satan. And we will see some of that later in the book of Acts. But what sets the signs of Jesus and the apostles apart was that the signs they were performing complimented a message that was true to the Word of God and His revealed mission. They were not proclaiming a new doctrine; they were proclaiming the fulfillment of an already existing promise of salvation. And I would argue further that the nature and authority of the miracles the apostles were performing was vastly superior to what any sorcerer would be able to perform. Their miracles were like that performed through Moses back in Exodus. The miracles of God could only be denied by those who could not accept His message (like Pharaoh, in whose image the Sanhedrin had allowed themselves to become fashioned into, as they demonstrate continuously that same hardness of heart; “We are not willing to go where the evidence points because we are not willing to change our position.”).

The Same Healing Pattern— Now I want you to also recognize something else; and this is something the Sanhedrin no doubt recognized; and that is that the apostles were not just healing people, but they’re doing so in a way that mirrored how Jesus Himself had healed people. Notice how the apostles (like Jesus) were healing EVERYBODY. It says in…

Acts 5:16 (ESV)— 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

And this is of course reminiscent of…

Luke 4:38-41 Jesus Heals Many— 38 And he {(Jesus)} arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. 39 And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them. 40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. {And Matthew 12:15 also reveals that Jesus was healing all who came to Him.}

Demons Banished— Now notice how in both passages we find demons being driven out; something Satan would never do, for it would mean that Satan’s house would be divided against itself and therefore would not be able to stand, which Jesus Himself points out in Matthew 12:26. So there was no reason to doubt that it truly was the power of God that had been at work in and through Jesus; and that the apostles (who were preaching and teaching in His name) were carrying on that same power and authority. It was not just that people were getting healed. No, it was the scope and nature of the miracles being performed combined with a message that was true to God’s Word. And in the demons being driven out we see revealed how Jesus (through the apostles), is defeating the great enemy of God (Satan). The head of the snake was once again being crushed.

The Role of Signs— Now there is a lot of debate over the role of signs and healings in the Church today. And I don’t doubt for a minute that God does often heal when we cry out to Him. That is part of the role of the Church, as we read about in James 5:13-15. We are to bring the sick before the elders of the Church so that they can receive healing from God if it is His will to do so. But what we also have to recognize is that while there were ordinary Church members who performed signs and healings (like Stephen in Acts 6:8), verse 12 indicates that it was the apostles who were the primary ones performing these “signs and wonders”. And as we said before, that was God’s way of authenticating their message (Rom. 15:18–19; 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:4). This was a new era in the Church (and really in the story of salvation as a whole). And in scripture we see that whenever God moved His people into a new era (the next stage of His great plan of salvation) He always made sure that the inauguration of that era was supported by miraculous signs that confirmed He was the one behind it. When the age of the Law began, God empowered Moses to perform signs and wonders. At the inauguration of the era of the prophets, God allowed those prophets at the beginning of that era (Elijah and Elisha) to also perform great signs and wonders. When the age of the Gospel was inaugurated, God validated that era with signs and wonders performed in and through His Son Jesus. And that is one of the reasons Jesus was always so careful to stress that the signs He performed were not done in His own power, but rather were God’s power at work through Him. He wanted to show that this was God’s way of validating this new era of the Gospel as legitimate; as God had validated the other eras in and throughout the Old Testament. And similarly, in this new era of the Church, as the apostles carry that Gospel into the world, God is allowing signs and wonders to confirm this new era as well. One scholar said: “Each time God opened a new door, He called man’s attention to it. It was His way of saying, ‘Follow these leaders because I have sent them.’”] Now [This certainly does not mean that God is limited and can no longer perform miracles for His people! But it does mean that the need for confirming miracles has passed away. We now have the completed Word of God, and we test teachers and weigh their teachings by their message, not by miracles (1 John 2:18–29; 4:1–6).]

The Greatest Miracle— And even more important than the physical healing, was the spiritual healing that was being brought to the people. It says that multitudes were being added to the fellowship. And so one thing we need to be sure not to overlook is the fact that the people were finding in Jesus the deepest healing they needed; healing from sin. That is the greatest miracle of all; seeing a lost person come into the fold of God and become one of His children; seeing a life that is broken be restored. [That is the miracle that meets the greatest need, lasts the longest, and costs the greatest price—the blood of God’s Son. And that is one miracle we can all participate in as we share the message of the gospel, “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Rom. 1:16).] This week, let us commit ourselves in a special way to helping to spread that Gospel message. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim.

Tricky Animals— You know, growing up, I was always a nature kid. I loved to be outside and I loved animals. And to this day every animal I discover speaks to me of the awesome creativity of God. And recently I had fun looking at a number of creatures with a very unique ability; the ability to disguise themselves as other animals that their would-be predators are afraid of; a butterfly that disguises itself to look like an owl, a caterpillar that disguises itself to look like a snake; it’s interesting, the hognose snake that can either mimic a cobra or simply play dead (even giving off an odor that smells like a dead animal). But perhaps the most interesting (at least to me) is an octopus called the mimic octopus. [This eight-armed sea creature is a master of disguise. It can make itself look like some of the other creatures that live in its watery home, including sea snakes, jellyfish, starfish, you name it. It changes the color and texture of its skin to match these creatures. And then it takes its trickery a step further. The mimic octopus even changes the way it moves its arms. For instance, when it’s imitating a sea snake, the octopus slips into its burrow and pulls in all but two of its arms. It leaves two arms resting on the ocean bottom, so they look like a venomous sea snake. {Now as I said before,} As for why it acts like other creatures, it all comes down to survival. By imitating other animals, like the deadly sea snake, the mimic octopus keeps its predators away and keeps itself out of danger.] It’s amazing how in nature one animal can mimic another. Now in nature that is pretty cool. However, a very similar phenomenon was taking place right at the outset of the early Church. And this was unfortunately NOT beneficial for the Body of Christ. You will remember that all the Church is unified at this point and out of that unity and mutual love for one another, people are selling their possessions and distributing to any who have need. And at the outset of our passage today we are given the name of one of these self-giving Christians. It says in…

Acts 4:36-37 (ESV)— 36 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, 37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.

Joseph Surrendered— Now pay attention to this guy Joseph. Because the reason I believe he is mentioned here is because he is the undisguised “real deal”. He is the guy who embodies what it means to really live a life sold out to Jesus Christ. And because of that God uses him in some amazing ways. In fact, later in the book of Acts we see that he is the one who introduces the newly converted Paul to the apostles when everyone else is skeptical about him (9:27). He is the one who brings Paul to Antioch to participate in the outreach to the Gentiles (11:25-26). And he’s also the one who sticks up for John Mark after John Mark’s failing and Paul does not want to take him with them (15:36-39). And of course John Mark goes on to become of major importance, most notably in his eventually recording for us Peter’s account of the words and deeds of Jesus Christ in his Gospel; the gospel of Mark.

A New Name: Barnabas— But notice that Joseph is given a new name by the apostles. They call him Barnabas, a name meaning “son of encouragement”. Now in Jewish culture names were very very significant.

Hebrew Names— In our culture names don’t have a lot of meaning. We name our children based on what names sound good; or the names of famous people or sometimes family members. But in Jewish and much of ancient culture names were much more significant. Names were not only a way of identifying you, but also a way of defining you; and I would even go so far as to say to even determine ahead of time who you are going to be.

Biblical Names— Just think of some of the big names found in the Old Testament: Adam— Adam is not just a name; it is the Hebrew word for “human”— Adam was the first Adam (the first human). His name also means “red”, which may even refer to the color of the earthy ground He was created from.

Abram— Think of Abram. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, which means “father of a great multitude”. So in naming Abraham, God was determining to bring about His promise.

Jacob— Jacob, whose name means “supplanter” supplanted his brother Esau. But God changed His name to “Israel”, meaning “who prevails with God”.

Jonah— In the Bible, the dove was a symbol of God’s grace and provision. It was a dove that brought an olive branch to Noah, heralding God’s deliverance. At Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit came down upon Jesus as a dove, heralding Jesus as God’s means of deliverance. And the Hebrew word for dove is in fact Jonah. Jonah’s name means dove. Now Jonah (remember) didn’t want to live up to his name, but God made him. God had determined in his very name that he would bring hope to Nineveh. But Jonah tried to deny his own name; God’s plan and purpose to use him in that way.

Micah— In a similar way, the prophet Micah (whose name means “messenger”) was sent as a messenger to God’s people, actually foreshadowing (some think) John the Baptist’s ministry.

Simon— Simon, likely [a contraction of the Heb. Shimeon] whose name means “hear” (notice the root Shema); he was one who heard the call of Jesus and followed (which is what Shema is all about). But Jesus changes his name to Peter (Gk. petros, “a rock”). And Peter you would definitely say now embodies that name in some amazing ways.

Immanuel— Even the name given to us in Isaiah in prophecy of Jesus Himself (Immanuel) means “God with us”; not just a name for Jesus, but an actual definition of who He is. He IS God with us.

Jesus— Even the name Jesus; it is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Yeshua (Joshua) (meaning “Yahweh Saves”). And this fits because in Jesus Yahweh was saving His people. Just as Joshua led the people to the promised land, so also Jesus leads God’s people to the Kingdom of Heaven. He (Jesus) is the ultimate Savior and Deliverer; the second, greater Joshua.

Identity Change— Now we have to understand this unique way names are used because for somebody’s name to be changed was a huge deal in the Biblical world. It showed a complete change in identity. That is why many of the early Christians took new names. And it’s interesting to note that whenever someone is given a new name in the Bible, the one giving that name is almost always (with very few exceptions) God. It is God who changes a person’s name; their identity; who they are destined to be. Now I say all of this because I want you to recognize the depth of change that Joseph (now Barnabas) has allowed God to work in his life and also what an honor this must have been viewed as by the rest of the Church. And (as we all know) any time a good person is honored, there are often sinful people who get jealous. And here the story transitions to two such people; a couple by the name of Ananias and Sapphira. Now Ananias means "favoured of the LORD” and Sapphira (sapphire) is a precious gem. But they certainly don’t feel “favored of the LORD”; they don’t feel like precious gems. It says in…

Acts 5:1-2 (ESV)— 1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet.

“kept back”— So we see that Ananias and Sapphira kept back some of their earnings. And that phrase kept back actually translates an uncommon word that, interestingly enough, is also used (in the Septuagint) of Achan who, in Joshua 7:1, was the one who held back some of the spoils of Jericho that were dedicated to God, burying them in his tent. And he was discovered and put to death for his crime. And so also were Ananias and Sapphira. Look at verse 3 and following…

Acts 5:3-6 (ESV)— 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? (Notice that word “καρδία” again; his “καρδία” was not in accord with the rest of the body of Christ. Peter says…)You have not lied to man but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.

“breathed his last”— Now notice that Luke doesn’t simply tell us that Ananias died. No, it says he breathed his last. Isn’t it interesting that his soul; his ψυχὴ; the breath that God breathed into him; the breath that united the Christian Church, was taken from him? He lies to the Holy Spirit, the Ruach; the breath of God; and therefore his breath is taken from him. And we see a similar thing happen with his wife. The text says…

Acts 5:7-11 (ESV)— 7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” 9 But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.

Lying About Their Surrender— Now, I’d love to know what the offering was the following Sunday. I bet it was an all new record. But this passage is more than just about tithing or trying to be honest about what you have or what you don’t have. No, it goes even further than that. Ananias and Sapphira’s sin was that they had attempted to give the appearance of being as surrendered to God as wholly and completely as Barnabas had been when really, they had not. They wanted to live an illusion of surrender, but not really surrender. They were just a couple of hognose snakes; a couple of mimic octopi. Their keeping the money wasn’t the issue (as Peter himself had said); the issue was their trying to give the appearance to those around them that they had held nothing back from Jesus when (in reality) they had. The life they were living before their brothers and sisters in Christ was a lie. And God would not tolerate that lie; and so He therefore pulls His sustaining breath from them and they die.

Are we real?— Now that ought to prompt us to ask ourselves “Are we the real deal?” Have we allowed God to touch us at the very heart; the very name; the very center of who we are? Or is it all a show? Now if your answer to that question is anything but “yes”, Christ is offering that transformation to you today. And He can do it. He can make you altogether new. But you have to want it. You have to ask for it in faith. You have to be willing to stop pretending and allow Him to make you the real deal; utterly and completely sold out to Him. Let’s give ourselves to him like that today. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim.

Tonto’s Forsaking— I don’t know how many of you have seen the old television show “The Lone Ranger”. If you have, you might remember one episode where [Tonto and the Lone Ranger were riding through a canyon together when all of a sudden both sides were filled with Native American warriors on horses, dressed for battle. The Lone Ranger turned to Tonto and asked, "What are we going to do?" Tonto replied, "What you mean 'we,' Whiteman?”] It’s amazing how adversity can drive people apart, isn’t it?

The Church’s Resolve Strengthened— Well you might expect that to happen at this point in the story of the book of Acts. You will remember that Peter and John have just been tried by the Sanhedrin, who command them to no longer teach or preach in the name of Jesus. And so for the first time the Church is facing political persecution. Now Peter and John resolve to continue to preach the Gospel of Christ because (as Peter had put it, and states again in 5:29 as well): “We must obey God rather than men.” Now that wasn’t a universal rejection of authority; but they understood that when authority and the Word of God are in conflict with each other, you always have to side with God. But one of the things that amazes me about this passage is that what you would think would happen at this point in the Church’s history doesn’t happen. You’d think that the Church would become divided on this issue. Who do we obey? Who do we follow? But what is so fascinating is that this persecution only serves to drive the Church together; together in prayer and together in unity. And the depth of this unity is truly profound. It says in…

Acts 4:32a (ESV)— 32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul,

One— So the first thing that we see is that the Church has become one. But what does that look like?

Which One?— It has been said that [When a man marries a woman, they become one but the trouble starts when they try to decide which one.] And you know, there’s some truth to that. We often think that there could be peace and unity if everybody would think and act just like us. But let me tell you, in all honesty, if all the people of the world were like me, we’d be in trouble. And if all the people of the world were like you we’d also be in trouble. And a Church filled with people who are all trying to be like one another is destined for trouble as well. And actually, the Church’s central aim ought not to be to strive for unity with one another, but to strive to be at unity with Christ. It is in becoming like Jesus that we are consequently brought into unity with one another.

Tuned to The Same Fork— This is why A.W. Tozer once asked: [Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers [meeting] together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to become 'unity' conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.] And you know, he’s right. If a congregation will commit to draw closer to Jesus as individuals, they will consequently find that they will also be more at one with each other.

One Heart & Soul— Now the text says that these believers were {(v.32)} of one heart and soul. And that phrase means more than just that they had something in common; or had a common bond in Christ Jesus. No, they were of one heart and soul. Now that language intrigues me.

καρδία— First that word “heart”. It is the Greek word (all you in the medical field know it well) “καρδία” (cardia) (like cardiology). But here it does not mean physical heart, or even just our emotions. No, the literal definition involves the mind, the character, the inner self, the will, our intentions; our very center. So they were united in mind (having the same mind of Christ), they were united in character (the holiness of God made real in their lives), they were united in the inner self in selfless agape love of God, and were even united in their will and intentions with one another. The very center of who they were was united one with another. Now what does it mean to be united with your brother or sister in Christ at that kind of level? And what implications does that have for how we think about the unity of the Church? What could a Church do that was united in Christ like that?

ψυχὴ— Now the second word also astounds me. It says that they were also one not just in their heart, but in their soul. And the Greek word used here for soul is “ψυχὴ” (psuché). And as I was looking up the meaning behind this word ψυχὴ, I was amazed to discover that the first phrase used to help to define this word “ψυχὴ” was the vital breath; the breath of life. In fact, it is from the very word that means "to breathe, blow”. And that harkens back to the very creation of mankind. “The soul is the direct aftermath of God breathing (blowing) His gift of life into a person, making them an ensouled being.” And in thinking about how God’s Holy Spirit is synonymous with His breath (that same Hebrew word “Ruach”) we see once again that the source of their unity of soul (or breath) was the very Spirit of God. They are united by the very breath of God. But “ψυχὴ” also refers to a person's distinct identity; who I am as an individual. So in a sense, in Christ, we become so one with one another in such a deep way that our very identities become intermingled; intertwined with one another, to the point where scripture even calls us one singular body.

Romans 12:5 (ESV)— 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Now every body has a head. And scripture teaches us that Christ Himself is the head.

Colossians 1:18 (ESV)— 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

All-Encompassing Oneness— So as we come under the headship of Christ, we also become united with one another as we are together brought under His control. And this oneness was so profound, it encompassed every area of the lives of those in the early Church, beginning with their very possessions, wealth, and property. Look with me at verse 32…

Acts 4:32b (ESV)— and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.

Nothing Their Own— Now that phrase “no one” is so profound to me. You mean to tell me that there was not a single Christian convert who thought it appropriate to call anything his or her own? Everything; all of who they were was surrendered fully and completely to the body of Christ? I don’t know about you, but that is incredibly convicting to me.

“My”— It is amazing how much of our lives and culture is centered around the word “my”. You know, there were many words I had to spend a lot of time teaching my kids as they grew up; words like “thank you” or “please”. But you know, “my” was not one of them. They learned that word very quickly with little assistance from me. “That’s my stuffed bunny.” “That’s my cookie.” “My, my, my.” Now that’s pretty expected when it comes to young children, but as we mature there ought to be a growth into a new reality of seeing outside the walls of our own personal needs and wants. But I know adults; you know adults who are very difficult to be around because (unfortunately) they have never grown out of that self-centered way of living life. And relating with them can be extremely difficult, especially if that person has any kind of power over you. But you know I don’t think we ever really just grow out of that. That re-orientation of our hearts doesn’t just happen automatically. No, there has to come a point in our lives when we allow God to actually put that old self-centered self to death. That is what it really means when Jesus says to Nicodemus back in John 3 that he needs to be born again; and what He means when He says to His disciples that to follow Him they must take up their cross. To follow Jesus means to put to death our “my” way of doing life and experiencing an awakening into a brand new way of living; under a recognition that all of who we are (our hopes, our dreams, and our futures) and all that we have (our homes, our finances; all of that) belongs to God and are His to do with as He pleases. That is what happens when we allow ourselves to become turned outwards upon Him. And when that happens; when we become focused on Him, then what and who He values will become what and who we value as well. And as Jesus gave His life for the world, so also will we give of our time, our finances, and YES even our very lives to meet the spiritual and physical needs of those around us.

Complete Surrender— The question is, are we that surrendered? Does God have full control over my life; my time; my plans; and yes, even my finances? Does He truly have all of my heart and all of my soul. Power in our lives as individuals and power in the Church collectively is directly connected to the full surrender of all of who we are to Christ and to His Body. And we see the results of this played out in a really magnificent way, as it says in the following verses…

Acts 4:33-35 (ESV)— 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

May we also, as children of God who are men and women who claim to be part of the body of Christ, be that sold out. And as we are sold out to Jesus, may we also find ourselves to be of one heart and one soul with one another. Let us do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. We have been taking a look at Peter and John’s healing of a lame beggar here in Acts chapter 4; we have seen the crowds gathering in response, Peter and John’s using this as an opportunity to share the Gospel, the angry response from the Jewish leaders, their duplicity in overlooking the evidence in front of them, and their command for Peter and John to no longer preach or teach in the name of Jesus, which of course invokes a response from Peter and John that no doubt shocked and angered them. It says in…

Their Release & The Growth of The Church— Now the Jewish leaders don’t really have a strong case against Peter and John. Plus Peter and John obviously have the strong support of the people. And also the man who was healed was standing right in front of them; and so they have no choice but to let them go. And following this we see that despite this persecution the Church grows in an incredible way. From 120 praying men and women in Acts 1 to more than three thousand on the day of Pentecost, to now, where (in response to this miracle) the Church grows to over 5,000 disciples. [In the days that followed, “believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women” (Acts 5:14; and see 6:1,7). {And so we see that} Satan’s attempts to silence the Church only led to a stronger witness for the Lord.] And that is often how it is today as well. The harder the Church is persecuted, the more multiplied is the spread of the Gospel. Now it says in…

Acts 4:23-26 (ESV)— 23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, “‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’—

Entering Into Prayer— Now I love this. The first thing that happens after this righteous protest is Peter and John immediately start praying with fellow believers. And that’s a good test of a righteous protest. If you can immediately enter into Spirit-filled fellowship with God and fellow Christians in prayer after a protest, you have probably done it right. And this is truly one of the great prayers recorded for us in scripture. And I love how it is born out of the Church coming together to unite in the midst of adversity.

"One Accord"— But you know, that was typical of the early Church. Over and over again throughout the book of Acts we run into the phrase “of one accord”, which shows up again here in verse 24. The disciples always fought hard to keep that spirit of unity. And one of the chief ways they so often managed to do this was in and through prayer. They prayed with fervency, because they knew it was absolutely critical to maintaining unity in the Body of Christ and to further the work of helping to build His Church. In and through prayer they (together) sought the heart and mind of God and God was therefore pleased to answer their requests.

Referencing the Entire Psalm— Now remember what I told you several weeks ago. Jewish men and women during that time would have massive amounts of scripture memorized that they could quote at any moment verbatim. Many still do. Men would often have the entire Old Testament memorized and could (at the drop of a hat) recite and portion of the Old Testament you asked them to. Even women (who were less educated and rarely received training from rabbis) were all expected to have Psalms, Proverbs, and Deuteronomy memorized. By the way, that is why you notice that whenever Jesus is talking with women, he only speaks to them using passages from those three books; from the books they would have known by memory. Now keep in mind that the chapter and verse references were not a part of the text during that time. And so the way that you would reference a passage is by quoting the first line. And then your audience (who had the entire text you were referencing memorized) would mentally pull up and have it (in its entirety) in their mind. It was like our saying “Open your Bibles to…” Only they didn’t have to open up their Bibles. They would just mentally turn to the text you were referencing. Now you need to understand this key part of Jewish culture because note how the passage they quote (from Psalm 2) is the very beginning of the Psalm. And so why are they doing this? You see, the disciples here are more than just pulling a nice little pithy passage to use in their prayer time. No, they are quoting the first line in order to bring to the minds of all those who are a part of that prayer meeting the entirety of Psalm 2. And since most of us don’t have it memorized, let me go ahead and read it. In this psalm David writes…

Psalm 2 (ESV)— 1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. 5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6 “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” 7 I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.” 10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Why Psalm 2 Encouraged Them— Now why do the disciples use this psalm as the basis of their prayer meeting? It may interest you to note that [This psalm is often mentioned in the New Testament (see Acts 4:25-26; 13:33; Hebrews 1:5-6; 5:5; Revelation 2:26-27; 12:5; 19:15 ).] It was one of those psalms Christians found very encouraging, particularly during times of persecution. Why? Well, first of all, it’s because this is a Messianic psalm. And there are [Several psalms {that} are called “messianic” because of their prophetic descriptions of Jesus the Messiah (Christ)—his life, death, resurrection, and future reign.] And this psalm in particular [describes the rebellion of the nations and the coming of Christ to establish his eternal reign.] And [David may have written these words during a conspiracy against Israel by some of the surrounding pagan nations.] And so what this reminded the early believers of (and should remind us as well) is the fact that Satan has always been at war against God’s plan of salvation. All who were chosen and anointed by God had to face intense persecution in the midst of Satan’s attempt to thwart God’s plan. And the disciples here in this prayer meeting are acknowledging this reality. And you know Satan is still at war with us. The nations are still raging. And Peter and John’s rejection and persecution by the Sanhedrin was just another one of Satan’s many, typical attacks. But in David’s case, note how he didn’t lose faith. He knew that he had been chosen and anointed by God. And because of that, he [knew that God would fulfill his promise to bring the Messiah into the world through his bloodline (2 Samuel 7:16; 1 Chronicles 17:11-12).] And what this Psalm shows us is that the disciples (in a similar way) were trusting in God to work out His plan of salvation regardless of the resistance they might meet along the way. They (as the last verse says) take refuge in him knowing that though the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain, the Lord will eventually break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. The Lord will be victorious; and their mission will succeed because it is a mission that is endorsed and empowered by God Himself. God’s anointed (Jesus Christ) will sit on the throne; and nothing can thwart the coming of the Kingdom of God. Can you begin to see the roots of their boldness? They stood in a very real and tangible way on the promises of God. Now after referencing this psalm, they say in…

Acts 4:27-28 (ESV)— 27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

Prayer and Politicians— Now I love this because while many pastors are told to keep politics out of their service (which means don’t mention the name of your president, your governor, or any other politician), we find here in the early Church the early Christians mentioning two politicians by name whom they recognized had set themselves against Christ. But we also find that the early Christians did so in a spirit of prayer, praying for their leaders; even those at enmity with them; at war against Christ and His Church. And that was no doubt the spirit here as well. But note also how they acknowledge the actions of these politicians to still be under the sovereign hand of God. God had a plan that was not only not thwarted by these men who had set themselves against God in their feeble attempts to de-rail God’s plan, but had actually only succeeded in helping to further His plan. And listen to what these Christians pray. It says in…

Acts 4:29-31 (ESV)— 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

“With Boldness”— And note that word “boldness”. It comes up again and again. The early Christians were bold. But it wasn’t a boldness that came from arrogance or righteous indignation. It was a boldness that came from the Holy Spirit of God.

A Right Pattern— And so today I want to encourage you, as we continue to face a government that is increasingly at odds with us, to follow the pattern set by these early Christians. The temptation to divide is only going to become stronger. And so we need to be Christians who are committed to unity with Christ and with one another; Christians who are committed to truth; Christians who are committed to following the clear mandates of God as revealed to us in scripture; Christians who are committed to taking a stand for God (even against authority when necessary), but to do while demonstrating the love and self-sacrifice of the one we are proclaiming; with a conviction and integrity that touches every area of our lives. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. If you have been following our study of the book of Acts, you will know that for the past several weeks we have been taking a look at chapter 4, in which Peter and John find and heal a crippled beggar outside of the temple gate. And seeing the crowds that gathered around them as a result of that miracle, they use it as a launching point to tell them about Jesus, in whose name the miracle was performed. And they’re proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. Now the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees don’t appreciate that; because remember the Sadducees rejected the concept of a resurrection and an afterlife); and so they seize Peter and John, hold them in custody until the following day, and then make them stand before the Jewish religious court known as the Sanhedrin, the members of whom were supposed to be the keepers of truth in the land. And yet here we find them ignoring the truth; being unwilling to follow where the evidence pointed because of what it would mean for their own personal worldview. And we see in the text that they are not even willing to deal with the evidence. They choose to ignore it. And they resolve amongst themselves to try to silence Peter and John. So they threaten them and order them to no longer preach or teach in the name of Jesus.

Satan’s Strategy— And you know, that is what Satan always does; he seeks to stifle the Gospel by getting Christians to remain silent. And sadly, this often works. Christians have often allowed themselves to become the “silent witnesses” of the Church, even in a day and age of unparalleled freedom (at least here in the United States). And I just wonder “Why is that?” Why are we so reluctant and timid when it comes to sharing the Gospel?

Penn Jillette’s Encounter With A Christian— Recently I re-watched a video of famous magician Penn Jillette as he shared about his encounter with a man who sought to give him a Gideon Bible and to share with Him the good news of the Gospel of Christ. And Penn of course is a stout atheist. But in this video he shared about his encounter with this Christian and what an impact this man had on him in the few moments he had contact with him. And he said this. “…I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. I don’t respect that at all. If you believe that there’s a heaven and hell and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life or whatever and you think that “well it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward.” And atheists who think that people shouldn’t proselytize; just leave me alone; just keep your religion to yourself. How much do you have to hate someone to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that. I mean if I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you and you didn’t believe it; that truck was bearing down on you; there’s a certain point where I tackle you; and this is more important than that….This guy was a really good guy. He was polite, and honest, and sane; and he cared enough about me to proselytize and give me a bible…”.

Albert Camus— I love what [the existential philosopher Albert Camus said, “What the world expects of Christians is that Christians should speak out, loud and clear … in such a way that never a doubt, never the slightest doubt, could arise in the heart of the simplest man.”

They Cared Enough— Part of the reason Peter and John were unwilling to comply was because they cared enough about the people they were ministering to to take a stand. Why? Souls were at stake. And so they chose to openly defy the Sanhedrin. It says in…

Commanded to Proclaim— Now one of the key prerequisites to Peter and John openly choosing to disobey these authorities was that they had a clear inarguable command from Jesus Himself to proclaim the Gospel. It says in…

Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)— 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Standing on The Word— And similarly, if we are going to take a stand, we need to do so being sure that we are following the clear directive of the Word of God. This is especially important when we are challenging the authority of our government. We need to be sure that we are standing not on the basis of our own perspective or our own righteous indignation, but on the clear teaching of the Word of God. And I say this because there are many groups today that seek to oppose and defy government. But they do so on the basis of what they think is right or wrong (or merely on what is popular at the time) rather than on the basis of what the Word of God says.

How to Stand— Now while at times it is important and necessary for Christians to practice "civil disobedience", we need also to understand how to do so while still living out the teaching and principles of scripture. Peter and John were obviously not the first ones to take a stand for what they knew was right. Think of the Jewish midwives in Exodus 1 who refused to follow the command of Pharaoh to (when delivering the Hebrew babies and if they see that the baby is a boy, to) kill it because of the (what was perceived to be) the overpopulation of the Jews. Or think about Moses’ parents who hid their child against the edict of the king (Hebrews 11:23). Or you might think of Daniel, who resolved not to eat the king’s food in Daniel 1, or later in chapter 6 when he refuses to cease praying to his God and pray only to the king. Daniel’s three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (also known as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) also took a stand and refused to pray to the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had made of himself and commanded that all should worship (Daniel 3). Now on the surface their protesting might look similar to other modern protests. But when we look closely, we see that each of these biblical characters were operating on a specific set of principles. The midwives who refused to murder the Hebrew babies did so out of a recognition that to do so would go against God Himself. That is what it means when it says in Exodus 1:17 (and please note carefully how it opens; it says)...

Exodus 1:17 (ESV)— 17 But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.

Fearing God— You see, they feared God, which meant they knew where He stood on the issue of the sanctity of human life and therefore chose to act in alignment with His will rather than Pharaoh’s. Moses’ parent’s no doubt refused for similar reasons. Daniel refused to eat the king’s food for reasons that are highly debated; we don’t know all the reasons. Some have suggested that it was because the food was not kosher; some have suggested that it was food that had been offered to idols; others say that it merely represented Nebuchadnezzar’s overall attempt to get these young men to acknowledge that he was the center of their lives; replacing their former God. Or it may have been a combination of those three. But regardless, Daniel knew where God stood on the issue and therefore he knew both where he stood and what he needed to do (or not do). And later Daniel couldn’t worship the king and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah would not fall down and worship the statue of Nebuchadnezzar because they knew…

Exodus 20:2-3 (ESV)— 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

Exodus 34:14 (ESV)— 14 (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),

Now in a similar way Peter and John knew they could not obey the command given them to not speak of Jesus and the resurrection because of how it went against what Christ had so clearly commanded them to do. And so (at least in this instance) it would have been wrong for them to obey.

An Integral Conviction— But note something else about each of these examples of conscientious objectors given to us in the Old Testament. Not only were all of them obeying the clear directives of God given to them in scripture, but they also protested out of a conviction that touched every area of their lives rather than just manifesting itself when it came to that particular issue. Does that make sense?

Unrighteous Protest— For example, take the man who has no qualm about cheating on his taxes, cheating on exams, driving while drunk, or beating his wife but who (for whatever reason) is suddenly moved to take a stand against police brutality. Now there may be a place for that kind of protest; and there is a right way to do that, but you see there is a lack of integrity in the whole of that person’s life that gives credibility to that particular area in which he is choosing to take his stand. And sadly we often see a lack of integrity in much of the mob violence taking place today. Somebody who loots and burns is obviously NOT demonstrating the righteousness of their cause. No, it is the righteous people who seem to command the most attention when they protest because people recognize in them an integrated conviction.

Love-Centered Conviction— The Biblical characters we mentioned were all people of integrity whose convictions touched every area of their lives, not just what they happened to be protesting about in that moment. And if you look closely, you will note also that each of them (though they were defying the law) were also at the same time maintaining an attitude of both respect and courtesy. Daniel took special measures to make sure that the chief of the eunuchs did not get into trouble because of his refusal to eat the king’s food. Similarly here Peter and John used their arrest as an opportunity to tell the Sanhedrin the good news of the Gospel of Christ. And really all the apostles and Christians in and throughout the book of Acts used their arrests as an opportunity to bless and witness. And so we learn from this that it is important for us as Christians to (when we must disobey) to at the same time show respect and love for those persecuting us (see Rom. 13; Titus 3:1–2; 1 Peter 2:13–25). And this obviously is in keeping with the pattern of Christ, whom 1 Peter 2:13-25 calls us to imitate. Christ also protested against injustice, but He always did so with a spirit of self-sacrifice and with a central motivation that people might come to know God and experience the joy and love that comes through a right relationship with God, made possible through the shedding of His own blood.

What’s Your Motivation?— And so we must always (when we choose to take a stand) ask ourselves what our motivation is. Are we clearly standing on the Word of God? Does our protest flow from a conviction that touches every area of our lives? And does that protest flow from a spirit of love and self-sacrifice? Answer those questions truthfully and you will know if, when, and how to take a stand. Let us (like Peter and John) be willing to take a stand for Christ and His Word. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. I hope all of you are keeping safe. I’m not sure how the weather is where you are, but here in and around the Seattle area this week the winds have been absolutely unbelievable. The other night my wife and I were laying awake in bed terrified, positive that one of the trees surrounding our house back in the woods was going to keel over on top of us. And though that didn’t happen (thankfully), the following morning we found branches strewn all over our yard. Unfortunately in our neighborhood it was trash night and so everyone had put their trash out just before this windstorm. And so these gusts of wind toppled many a trash can and strew garbage all across the streets. I got to speak with our trash man and I said, “I’m sure glad I’m not you today. And he said powerlines in nearby neighborhoods were down. I mean, a real mess. It’s amazing what a little wind can do. But you know it’s interesting, I read that the fastest windspeed possible on our planet is 250mph. And I mean nothing survives that kind of force. However, on the planet Saturn, the windspeeds there actually reach a whopping 1,118mph. Now I cannot even begin to wrap my mind around how fast that is. Good luck trying to stand up there. I am very glad to be from planet earth where the windspeed (at least most of the time) is just perfect to allow for life; the atmosphere is just right (don’t even get me started on Saturn’s atmosphere; it’s all gas). In fact they say that if you were to put Saturn in an ocean of water (if you could) it would float; it can’t sink, it is that gaseous. But we have clear air to breath; water, which is so rare and yet absolutely essential for life. The earth is just the right size so as to provide the perfect level of gravity. We have the moon to give us the tides we need, not to mention light at night; we are precisely the right distance from the sun to provide just the perfect amount of heat where we’re not iced or burnt; we are perfectly placed. Our rotation around the sun; the tilt of the earth; the speed that earth rotates on its axis; I mean all of those things are just right; I mean to the point where it really (if we are going to be honest) defies comprehension. You could not create a planet more conducive to life than ours.

Grandma’s Violin— The other day I was playing my Grandmother’s violin (actually I should say “attempting to play”). And in studying its construction, I marveled at just how many things have to be perfectly right to create music. I struggled for a while just to get the thing in tune; all the micro-adjustments that needed to be made. The bow needs to be tightened to a certain degree. And not only that, but the bow has to be rosined, where you rub this stuff (rosin) on it to give the horse hair on the bow to give it friction enough so that it will create sound. I mean everything has to be fine-tuned just perfectly. And then I put the bow to the strings and play sweet, melodious…….(okay, let’s be honest) mind-destroying screeching. Yeah, I’m still at that stage. But you know the universe is fine-tuned just like that violin. No matter how you look at it, the world has been engineered according to a blueprint that right down to the structure of our DNA speaks to the incredible design of a Creator. Scientists are discovering day by day new levels of that design that are making it harder and harder for any rational, thinking person to hold to the belief that all of what we know (and more) exploded from a grain of sand so many trillions of years ago and slowly self-created itself out of some kind of primordial soup, which is what you have to believe if you don’t accept that God did it. That’s why I confess I could never be an atheist. I don’t have that kind of faith. I feel like I would have to shut my eyes to what so clearly seems to me to be the work of God around me.

Avoiding The Evidence— But that is what I believe is happening in our passage today with the religious leaders here in Acts chapter 4. John and Peter (whom they have taken into custody) have just healed a lame beggar in the name of Jesus. And yet (despite the evidence) which was absolutely irrefutable, as there were a plethora of witnesses; and witnesses who had known this lame beggar for a long time, these religious leaders refused to believe. But they cannot refute the evidence, because the man with the shriveled legs was now standing right there in front of them with Peter and John. And so, not knowing what to do, they have Peter and John (and the man) removed so that they can secretly confer with one another. And it says in…

Acts 4:15-16 (ESV)— 15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, 16 saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.

Not Truth-Seekers— Now if anything is clear from our passage today, it is that the council (the Sanhedrin) were not really seeking the truth. They were not seriously considering the evidence and allowing the evidence to lead them to the only possible conclusion, which is that Jesus is indeed the Savior of the world. Instead, we find that they avoid the truth! They allowed their pride and the hardness of their hearts to keep them from accepting the truth of what Peter and John were proclaiming to them. Their hard hearts stood in the way. And because of that, they actually saw the healing of the man as a problem rather than a mighty work of God; perhaps even a problem that needed to be removed. And you know that was nothing new. Remember that after Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, everyone was starting to follow Jesus. And the triumphal entry was actually the avalanche that had been started by that miracle. But listen to what it says in…

John 11:47-53 (ESV)— 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. (SO INSTEAD OF ACCEPTING WHAT THE MIRACLE REVEALED, THEM DECIDED TO KILL THE MIRACLE WORKER) But that’s not all! It says in…

John 12:10-11 (ESV)— 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

Get Rid of The Evidence— You see, it’s was much easier for them to get rid of the evidence than to deal with where the evidence pointed; because to accept the evidence would be to allow God to re-shape their worldview. And that was not something they were willing to let God or anybody else do. And you know the same is often true today. But remember that they had done the same thing with the empty tomb, saying the disciples had stolen the body. By the way it’s interesting that nobody ever really seems to make that claim again anywhere in the book of Acts. The religious leaders themselves don’t even seem willing anymore to back that story anymore. And yet they are still unwilling to follow where the evidence points. And note how they never seek to answer any of Peter’s arguments. Instead they just agree (amongst themselves) that a notable sign has indeed been performed and to try to hush this movement up. And so they say…

Acts 4:17-18 (ESV)— 17 But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” 18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

Pillars of Justice— Now I love this next part, because these are the guys who are supposed to be the pillars of justice and truth in Israel. You know how you always see statues of Lady Justice (with her eyes blindfolded). Well, if you were to picture justice in the 1st century world, you would have a statue of these guys. They were supposedly the most righteous judges in Israel. And yet listen to how Peter chooses to answer them.

Acts 4:19-22 (ESV)— 19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” {You see, he plays right on the position they say they hold. And they can’t really do anything at this point so it says…} 21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.

Who’s More Crippled— Let me ask you a question. Who is the more crippled in this story, the lame beggar or the Sadducees. Whose situation was more hopeless? The beggar was healed and saved (according to the text), and stood for Jesus with Peter and John. The Sadducees ducked the truth. And so who was really more crippled?

Resurrection In Us— You know, this passage challenges us because it reminds us of just how much the resurrection of Jesus Christ ought to challenge and re-shape our world-views. We might not have the same objections to Christ that the Sadducees had, but there are beliefs and patterns of thought in us that the truth of the Resurrection challenges and demands we change. You might believe in the empty tomb, but what condition is the Jesus in your heart in? Has He be raised in you? You might believe in God’s healing of this lame beggar, but do you believe in His power to meet your physical and spiritual needs right here and now; and to heal you completely of sin in and through His Holy Spirit. If you were to describe your spiritual position today, what would it be. Are you standing? Are you lame? Maybe even spiritually dead? As Peter and John stood before the Sanhedrin in our passage today, so the Holy Spirit I believe is standing before you and I right now in this moment. And He’s asking, just like Jesus asked the blind man in Mark 10:51 “What do you want me to do for you?” And basically He’s asking, as he asked the lame beggar by the pool of Bethesda “Do you want to be healed.” (John 5:6) Are you going to accept the truth of the Resurrection for your life and the healing that Jesus is offering you now in this moment? I want to challenge you as we close today to accept the truth of Christ’s resurrection for you. Ask God to bring the healing to your heart and life today that He so greatly desires to bring to you. And He will touch as much of your life as you are willing to give Him. Give Him your whole life today. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. In recent weeks we have been discussing Acts chapter 4; a marvelous chapter in which Peter and John heal a crippled beggar outside of the Temple in Jerusalem. And everyone is captivated and eager to learn from them the means by which this man was healed; and so Peter and John explain that it is by the power of Jesus that this man was healed. And that prompts a very negative reaction from the religious leaders, who seize Peter and John, hold them for the night, and them make them stand on trial before the Sanhedrin, the very council that was responsible for condemning their Rabbi (Jesus) to death not long before this. And they pointedly ask/demand of them the answer to a question, which is given to us in verse 7. It says…

Acts 4:7 (ESV)— 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”

By God or Satan?— And the reason they ask this is because they don’t know if this is a miracle done by an evil power or a good one. If it was as work of God or a work of Satan. And (when you think about that) don’t you find that rather sad? I mean to think that these guys are the spiritual leaders of Israel; and yet apparently they have become so spiritually blind that they cannot even distinguish between a miracle of God and a miracle of Satan. Having noted that Peter and John had been with Jesus (which we see in verse 13), they should have been able to recognize that this was the same power and authority that Jesus had Himself demonstrated throughout the course of His ministry. And Jesus did things that only God could do (or someone working for God), so they should have recognized that this miracle as also having come from God. But, having been blind to the source of Jesus’ miracles (often willingly), it is no surprise they are here blind to the source of Peter’s and John’s as well. But Peter declares it boldly. It says in…

Acts 4:8-12 (ESV)— 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Peter’s Hutzpah— Now in studying this passage, I was amazed at the Hutzpah here of Peter. I mean Peter had not long before this (out of fear) denied three times that he even knew Jesus. And yet here (before the very council that condemned Jesus; the chief leaders of whom were Sadducees and therefore denied that there even is a resurrection and an afterlife) Peter was willing to respectfully yet forcefully declare their guilt in having killed the Messiah and to declare (basically) that their whole theology about the resurrection was wrong and that Jesus (the One they crucified) has not only been raised, but is their only Way of salvation. And it is clear from verse 8 that this boldness and fearlessness came directly from the Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit who wrought the greatest transformation in Peter and was now empowering His messages. And you know, if we are to have that same boldness, it doesn’t matter how many speaking seminars or witnessing books we read; what is going to give our message authority and power is the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the One who gives us understanding and who moves in the hearts of those we are witnessing to, bringing conviction and (hopefully) change.

Peter’s War Cry— Now the members of the Sanhedrin (like many in the crowd) had no doubt seen this crippled man many times. They had no doubt even given him alms or perhaps even piously prayed for or even over him. He was a common fixture there at the temple Gate Beautiful. But now (apparently) he’s right there in the courtroom with Peter and John (as verse 10 seems to indicate); a living testimony so to speak. You might say Peter and John’s testimony stood. And Peter declares that it is through the power of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom they crucified and whom God raised from the dead that this man is standing before them (v.10). And considering what their beliefs were and what they had done to Jesus only a short time before this, just think about how these words must have pierced and convicted the hearts of these Jewish leaders. They had thought that when they killed Jesus, they were finished hearing about this small-time prophet from the back hills of nowhere (which is what Nazareth was). But now two of His disciples are standing before them in all the might and power of their Rabbi Jesus, declaring to them (and all the people) that Jesus is alive! I mean, these guys (the Sadducees) reject the resurrection. And so on two fronts Peter’s declaration must have sounded to them like a declaration of war! “You killed the Messiah, but then God raised Him.” And in saying this, Peter is also implying that they had set themselves against God Himself.

The Rejected Rock— Now after this Peter (as he always does) starts quoting the Old Testament, this time from Psalm 118:2 when he says This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. (v.11) And this is a messianic reference, one which Jesus Himself quoted in Matthew 21:42 (and which Peter uses again later in 1 Peter 2:4-8). And [They knew that the “Rock” was a symbol of God {Himself} (Deut. 32:4, 15, 18, 31; 2 Sam. 22:2; Ps. 18:2; Isa. 28:16), and that the prophet Daniel had used the rock to picture the Messiah and the coming of His kingdom on earth (Dan. 2:31–45).] And so Peter is using imagery that they were familiar with; and he interprets the Psalm for them. They (the members of the council) were “the builders” and Jesus (the Son of God) was God’s Stone that they had rejected. They had stumbled over the Rock (Rom. 9:32; 1 Cor. 1:23) and rejected Him, just as Psalm 118:22 had predicted. And yet that rock (for those who have trusted in Him; in Jesus) that rock has become the chief Cornerstone (1 Peter 2:4–8, Eph. 2:20); the very source of Salvation itself (as Peter declares in verse 12).

A “WHOLE” Salvation— And this healing of the beggar was a picture of that, which Peter indicates. He says in verse 9 that the man was “made whole”, which in Greek is the word σῴζω (literally meaning “saved”) which is the foundation for the word he uses for salvation in verse 12 (σωτηρία). And this is very Jewish, because the Jews saw a [human being as a psychosomatic unity, an indivisible amalgam of body and soul in which if either goes wrong, the other is affected.] This is why [the Greek verb sozo was used in Jesus' day to mean both ""to save"" and ""to heal,"" and soter could signify either ""savior"" or “”physician.""] And that fits Jesus so perfectly. He is our Savior and our Great Physician. And as such, He and He alone can heal mankind of its greatest disease, the sickness of sin (Mark 2:14–17), which Peter highlights when he says in verse 12: 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” And you’ll remember Jesus’ own words in…

John 14:6 (ESV)— 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

The Life— Jesus is Life itself; He’s not just living or life-giving. No, He is the source of all life; He is Life. And therefore there can’t be salvation in anyone else. To choose Jesus is to choose life. To reject Jesus is to reject life. It’s that simple. And Peter is very clear on this, which is why he says in verse 12: there is salvation in no one else,

Acts 4:13-14 (ESV)— 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.

It’s A Trap!!!— You see, they recognized that they were “trapped.” Either way they approach this, they lose. They couldn’t deny the miracle (which would be tough to do with the man standing right there in front of them; a man everyone knew had been lame since birth; whose legs and even his mental capacity to walk had never developed; and therefore could not be healed any other way). Neither could they explain how these (the text says) “uneducated, common men” could perform such a miracle. They weren’t mighty Rabbis (at least by the standards of the Sadducees) and certainly didn’t have the backing of the Jewish authorities as ministers and scribes. They were simple fishermen from an unholy place (Galilee; known as Galilee of the Gentiles) whose only qualification on their resume was that they had been with Jesus. Now the council could say that the miracle they performed was powered by Satan, but the problem is that false prophets and workers of demonic miracles always seek to undermine the Word of God, something that Peter and John were clearly not doing. In both sermons that Peter has preached, we find Peter preaching straight from the Word of God (in context), using the Old Testament [to support and explain his claims, {which}… is one evidence of a true prophet of God (Deut. 13:1–5; Isa. 8:20).] He is standing on, not undermining the Old Testament. And the Sanhedrin doesn’t know what to do. The miracle, coupled with what Peter and John were saying, was clear [evidence that Jesus Christ was alive and at work in the church by His Holy Spirit.] And yet (as we will continue to see as we proceed) these Jewish leaders continue to choose to look away; away from the sign; away from the evidence; even a piece of evidence that could not only speak, but stood (literally) in their presence, bearing testimony to them of Jesus.

The Mundane Miracles— You know, the thing that bothers me the most about both myself and our culture is how completely oblivious we so often are to the magnificent power of God moving in our midst. There is so much we take for granted. And some intentionally look away for the same reason the Sanhedrin looked away. Others are like me; we have just become so desensitized to the mundane, everyday miracles. I was reading in bed with my kids the other night a devotional book; and in that devotional book the author was talking about the development of the eye in an unborn child and how the optic nerve slowly moves from the eye towards the brain while at the same time the optic nerve is growing from the brain towards the eye. And the end of each of those nerves growing towards one another contains 2 million connection points, all of which have to match up perfectly. And when the two ends of that optic nerve meet, all the connections somehow manage to find their way to each other. It’s funny, I was taking a parishioner to his eye appointment this past week. And I told him this. And he and I sort of laughed together. We just thought that it is so funny how often we complain when things go bad, never realizing the miracle in their ever having worked at all. What evidence is there of the presence of Jesus in your life? Are you overlooking the miracles He has worked in and through you? Maybe this year, the challenge we can take from this passage is simply to look; to truly see and acknowledge what God has done for us, even in the mundane everyday miracles that you and I take for granted. Because if we can do that, I think we will recapture the awe of what it means to know in Jesus the One who is both our Creator and (as with this man) also our Re-Creator as well. Let’s commit to look. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. In our study of Acts chapter 4, you will remember that Peter and John have just healed a crippled beggar outside of the temple and (seeing the crowds) used that as a launching point to declare the Gospel to them. Now you’d think that everyone would be thrilled to hear the message of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and what that means, but there was a group of people who were not happy about it. It says in…

Acts 4:1 (ESV)— 1 And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them,

Burst Upon— You know, I have always been fascinated with nature shows; have been ever since I was a kid. And now I enjoy watching them with my kids. And this week I watched some particularly amazing footage of the Kingfisher bird. Now the Kingfisher bird is a bird of prey that dives into the water to catch fish. And in this footage the perspective of the camera was below the fish. The fish was going about its business and you could see the bird above the fish plummeting down towards the water. And suddenly the bird broke through the water and the beak of the bird was wrapped around the fish. And it plucked that fish out of the water and flew away. Well, that imagery is similar to that which is behind this phrase “came upon them” here in verse 1. These religious leaders [Burst upon them suddenly or stood by them in a hostile attitude].

The Afterlife-less Pastor— I remember back when I was ordained, the leaders of our denomination put me through quite a thorough doctrinal examination. They wanted to make sure that I held to the essential teachings of the Christian faith and that what I would preach and teach had its anchor in scripture. Now this is not what happened, but let’s say that in the course of the follow-up interview, one member of the board, looking over my answers, says, “Hey Cameron, I notice that all you put in the section on your beliefs concerning the resurrection and afterlife was ‘not applicable’. What do you mean by that? And I say, “Well, I put that because (simply put) I don’t believe in resurrection or an afterlife. There’s a long silence. “Ummmm, what?” “I don’t believe in either a resurrection or an afterlife. Is that going to be a problem?” Another long silence. What do you think? Would it be a problem for you to have a pastor who doesn’t believe in a resurrection or an afterlife? Let me put it in a slightly more focused context. I have done many funerals over the years. And funerals (for anybody) are difficult. The grief of being separated from a loved one (even when we know it is only temporary) can be excruciatingly painful. But what would it be like to have a preacher for your loved one’s funeral who doesn’t believe in or preach a resurrection or an afterlife? Would you be okay with that?

The Afterlife-less Leaders— Now I want you to think about that because (as you know) the Sadducees of Jesus day rejected the concept of a resurrection and an afterlife. But did you know that the High Priest and his family were all Sadducees? The spiritual shepherds of Israel during the time of Christ and the Early Church did not even believe in an afterlife. Pretty astounding to think about, isn’t it? And so you can begin to understand then why so much of their focus was on the here and now; why the focus of their concern was on their danger from Rome (losing their position, their place); how their perspective was always temporal. Because that is all they believed in.

He’s Moving!!!— Once a Pharisee, a Scribe, and a Sadducee were once discussing what they would like people to say after they die and their bodies are on display in open caskets. Pharisee: “I would like someone to say, ‘He was a righteous man, an honest man, and very generous.’” Scribe: “I would like someone to say, ‘He was very kind and fair, and he was very good to his parishioners.’” Sadducee: “I want someone to say ‘LOOK! HE’S MOVING!!’”] When you’re a Sadducee, that’s how it is. There’s nothing else you’d wish for because (for you) there’s no afterlife!

Beliefs of the Sadducees— Contrary to the Pharisees (a rival faction) […the Sadducees denied the resurrection of the dead (Mt 22:23 – 33; Ac 4:1 – 2 ; 23:6 – 8 ), the immortality of the soul, the doctrine of reward and punishment and the validity of the oral law (regulations passed down by rabbinic tradition). They accepted as binding only those laws based directly upon the written text of the Pentateuch {(Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy)}. It is for this reason that Jesus defended the doctrine of the resurrection to them from the standpoint of Exodus 3:6 rather than from the prophets (Mt 22:32).], who were much clearer on the resurrection. Now, as we see in the Gospels (and we see here and in and later in the book of Acts as well), the Sadducees vehemently defended their beliefs, which is why they seize Peter and John. It says they were…

Acts 4:2-4 (ESV)— 2 greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

Reading Them Their Rights— So they arrest Peter and John, and not doubt read them their rights in typical Sadducee fashion: [You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted then used against you.] Unfortunately that seems so often to be the case in and throughout the book of Acts (not to mention the ministry of Jesus). And it says…

Acts 4:5-6 (ESV)— 5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family.

Why Annas and not Caiaphas?— Now you may be wondering why (instead of Caiaphas) this guy [Annas is designated as high priest. {Well} (Much like U.S. presidents, high priests seem to have retained their title for life.) He had served in that role earlier (A.D. 6–15) and was the controlling figure in the high-priestly circle, which may also explain why he is given the title here. His son-in-law Caiaphas was the official high priest at this time (serving A.D. 18–36), and Annas’s son John would serve in the role later (36–37).] Now this was not how things ought to be, because essentially what this meant was that [The court was essentially composed of the high priest’s family. The Jewish religious system had become so corrupt that the offices were {simply} passed from one relative to another.…In fact, five of Annas’s sons held the office of High Priest at one time or another. Somebody has defined a “nepotist” as “a man who, being evil, knows how to give good gifts to his children.” Annas certainly qualified.] Now it says in…

Acts 4:7 (ESV)— 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”

A Right to Investigate— Now what is going on here is not unusual. [This was an official meeting of the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:15).… {And} The Sanhedrin {was the Jewish court of the land that} was charged with the responsibility of protecting the Jewish faith, and this meant that they had to examine every new teacher and teaching that appeared in the land (see Deut. 13).] And that is not in and of itself a bad thing. A lot of times when John the Baptist or Jesus was questioned, it wasn’t always malicious. Sometimes they were just being tested to see if what they were teaching matched what the scriptures teach. And the Sadducees certainly had the right to investigate this new movement and to enquire as to what this new teaching was and on what authority Peter and John (not to mention Jesus) were preaching. The problem is that they weren’t do so honestly. They arrested innocent men and ignored the evidence presented in their favor. And they had done the same with Jesus. Keep in mind, this was [the same council that a few months before had condemned Jesus to die. In fact, these officials recognized Peter and John as the associates of Jesus (Acts 4:13).] And they had done everything wrong at that trial. You will notice here that (because it was evening) they postponed the meeting until the morning. That was how things were always supposed to be done. But remember that Jesus had been tried at night, which was actually against Jewish law. They were law-breakers. And their willingness to subvert justice is seen here as well, as (despite the miracle) they [did everything they could to avoid admitting that a miracle had taken place (Acts 4:14).] Note that in verse 7 they say “By what power or by what name did you do this?” It’s interesting that (publicly) [They were evasive and merely referred to the miracle as “this.”] It is only later in v. 16 that (in private amongst themselves) they acknowledge it is as a notable sign.

Avoiding Christ’s Lordship— And so here are a group of guys who are trying to avoid the full reality of what has taken place; they are trying to deny that it truly is God who is at work through Peter and John. And as we will see next week, Peter has no problem telling them exactly whose name is the source of this healing. But of course they will not want to accept that because if God is at work through them, then their message is validated; and therefore their indictment against them would stand. Remember the same thing had happened to Jesus. The religious authorities always seemed to avoid what the signs Jesus was performing actually pointed to; that He truly was the Son of God. Because if Jesus is more than just a man speaking on His own behalf; if He is the Son of God speaking with all of the authority of God, then His indictment against of their sin would stand. And you know, the same is true today. People don’t want to look too closely at the person and works of Jesus or the evidence that supports His divine claims because if He truly is who He claimed to be, then He has authority over my life. And we don’t like that. We want to be in authority over our own lives. Even us Christians can often fall into (as we begin the New Year) this mentality of “This year I’m going to take the bull by the horns and achieve all the things I want to accomplish.” Now it’s not wrong to want to become a better person. That is what Christianity is all about. But it is amazing how quickly we can go from the manger (to a celebration of Christ being born into our existence to bring the very presence and authority of God into our flesh) to thinking that we are going to take better control of our own lives. There is something missing in the lives of many Christians; and that is the sincere belief that Jesus truly is Lord of your life and mine. But if we make Him Lord this coming year, His favor will abide on us and He will see fit to grant us success in those things we purse that are in keeping with His Lordship. And so let us this year seek to (in every way) honor Jesus Christ as the Lord of our lives. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. I hope all of you had a good Christmas this past week.

The Frozen Lock— I don’t know where you are listening from today, but let me tell you, it has definitely been cold here in the Seattle area. Particularly this past Wednesday, I remember I went outside to warm up my wife’s car before she left for work and found ice all over both our windshields. Knowing that she would not be able to see, I went ahead and got the defroster going. But, not wanting to open the gate while the car was going, I waited until she began pulling out of the driveway before I attempted to unlock the gate. And she was running a little bit late for work and so I was anxious to get the gate open as quickly as possible. However, to my dismay, I found that the lock was frozen. I remember I could not even get the key into the keyhole. I kept pushing and pushing, but it simply would not go in. But after a great deal of effort, I finally managed to get the key in and turn it and get the lock off. After which she was able to leave. But you know, it made me think. I could not open the gate because the lock was frozen. And it was frozen because the world (or at least my world) was touched by a bitterly cold frost.

Narnia Thawing— It is interesting how in C.S. Lewis’ book "The Chronicles of Narnia" the way that Lewis describes the sin-enslaved land of Narnia is in terms of winter. It is bitterly cold in Narnia, under the spell of the White Witch. And (as Lewis says through one of his main characters) "It is always winter, but never Christmas”. And it is not until Aslan (the great lion; representative of the lion of Judah) comes that the world begins to thaw and come back to life. In a similar way, our world was frozen until Jesus came. The warmth of that quiet stable in Bethlehem marked the beginning of the thawing of the world. And it is through Jesus that the lock to the gate of heaven has been made unfrozen and opened; not by a merely human hand, but by a human hand that was at the same time the very hand of God; a person who was (at the same time) both God and man. That is what was needed in order to break the power of sin and death; the Son of God in the person of Jesus Christ. It is through Him that the defroster was set on the world, as through Him we are enabled to be united again with the sin-melting, holy-making, love-creating presence of God.

Their “Ignorant” Crime— And it is this person that Peter and John are seeking to connect the crowd with here in Acts chapter 3. They have just healed a lame beggar; and so Peter is explaining to the crowd how this beggar was healed; by the very name of Jesus, the one they had crucified. And Peter tells them point blank that they committed the greatest crime in human history; they killed the Son of God. Before salvation could be offered, they first had to come to terms with that reality; with an understanding of who Jesus is and what they had done to Him. Now at this point Peter begins to use a softer tone with his audience. He tells them that he understands that they (and the Jewish leaders) killed Jesus out of ignorance. He says…

Acts 3:17 (ESV)— 17 “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.

Sins of Ignorance— And this ignorance is key. Because [In the Old Testament law, there is a difference between deliberate sins and sins of ignorance (see Lev. 4—5; Num. 15:22–31). The person who sinned presumptuously was a rebel against God and was guilty of great sin. He was to be “cut off” from his people (Num. 15:30–31), which could mean excommunication and even death. The defiant “high-handed” sinner was condemned, but the person who sinned unwittingly and without deliberate intent was given opportunity to repent and seek God’s forgiveness. {Now} Ignorance does not remove the sinner’s guilt, but it does mitigate the circumstances. {Remember} Jesus had prayed {from the cross,} “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34), and God had answered that prayer. Instead of sending judgment, He sent the Holy Spirit to empower His church and to convict lost sinners.] Peter continues…

Acts 3:18-19 (ESV)— 18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. {And so Peter encourages them by telling them how all of this was foretold by God through the prophets and was a part of his divine plan for the salvation of the world. Then he says…} 19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,

Erasers— Now I’m the dad of two amazing kids; I am blessed with both a son and a daughter; both of whom are in school now; and both of whom have a considerable amount of homework. And every time my wife and I sit down with them to help them, there are two things we need personally. The first is patience, which I confess I am not always the best at. And the second is an eraser. We use a lot of erasers at my house. We have big erasers for big mistakes and little erasers for little mistakes. But you know, none of them work perfectly. No matter how hard you scrub, most of the time you can still see where that mistake was and can often times even read what was written there. However, not so with God’s eraser.

Blotted Out— This phrase [“Blotted out” {that Peter uses} compares forgiveness to the complete wiping away of ink from the surface of a document (Col. 2:14).] Once again, this is Old Testament theology. God had said in…

Isaiah 43:25 (ESV)— 25 “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

A Clean Slate— How awesome it is that God when we confess our sins to Him and receive His forgiveness in and through Christ Jesus, we have a clean slate; God remembers our sins no more. And at any moment you are ready to repent, you can have a fresh start with God. Anybody listening need a fresh start with God today? It’s available to you. All we have to do is (as Peter says here) “repent” and “turn”.

A Communal Blessing— And Peter is offering this crowd not only the opportunity of experiencing the overwhelming joy of having the weight of their personal sins removed, but he is also promising them they they will experience a communal blessing if they corporately turn to faith in Christ. Peter says in…

Acts 3:20-22 (ESV)— 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you.

The 2nd Moses— Now Peter is here quoting [from Deut. 18:15. Moses {(if you remember)} was revered by the Jews as their first and greatest prophet, and the Jews viewed the prophet “like him” to refer to the Messiah.] And Jesus really was like Moses in so many ways. [Both were born into a Hebrew world under Gentile domination (Egyptian and Roman). Both had unusual cots at birth (basket and manger). Both were saved from death at the King's order (Pharaoh, Herod). Both were raised in the home of one who was not their father (Pharaoh, Joseph). Both had to put up with criticism and persecution from their own people. Both appointed 70 chosen helpers (Numbers 11:16, Luke 10:1). Both sent out 12 men on special missions (Numbers 13:1-2, Matthew 10:1,5). Both experienced 40 day fasts (Exodus 34:38, Matthew 4:1-2). Both fed multitudes through miraculous means (manna and quails, bread and fish). Both were touched by God so that their faces shone (Exodus 34:29-30, Matthew 17:1-2). Both heard God as an audible voice (Exodus 19:9,19, John 12:23,27-28). Both acted as mediators of a covenant that was sealed by blood (Exodus 24:7-8, Matthew 26:26-28). Both interceded for their people with God (Numbers 11:1-2, Luke 23:33-34). Both delivered their people from bondage (Exodus 3:9-10, Acts 7:25). Both performed miracles (Exodus 3:20, John 5:19-20). Both appeared after death (transfiguration, resurrection)]. And so Peter is saying that this is who Jesus is; the 2nd Moses they had been waiting for. But Peter warns them, saying…

Acts 3:23 (ESV)— 23 And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’

Losing Blessings— And once again Peter is quoting [from Deut. 18:19 ; cf. Lev. 23:29. Peter’s audience was in the precarious position of losing covenant blessings by rejecting the Messiah.] Peter says…

Acts 3:24-25 (ESV)— 24 And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. 25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’

The Fulfillment of The Covenant— And here Peter is quoting [from Gen. 22:18 ; 26:4. Jesus Christ was the ultimate fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant and its blessings (Gal. 3:16), which are still available to the Jews.] And he concludes once again with the resurrection and what God’s purpose was in sending Jesus into the world. He says…

Acts 3:26 (ESV)— 26 God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”

Repentance & Faith— And that is the ultimate healing that Jesus offers to us. And it is a healing that comes through faith and repentance. Now the two go hand in hand. You can’t have faith without repentance and you can’t have repentance without faith. It is not enough to believe in Jesus; no, we must (like true disciples) choose to follow Him; to leave our old lives behind (our self-destructive, crippled, wicked ways) and embrace lives that (like the beggar’s) are made entirely new. Let us embrace that life today, made possible in and through Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. I hope all of you are doing well as you prepare for what promises to be a very unusual Christmas; I know it will be for my family. It can be hard celebrating when we cannot be with friends and loved ones to the extent that I know many of us would like to be. But you know, I think this may actually prompt us to think a little more about what Christmas really means.

The other night my family and I drove around a nearby neighborhood looking at all the Christmas decorations, many of which were absolutely beautiful. I mean, what better way to celebrate the Light of the World than to look at all the Christmas lights. But I remember in the midst of all the decorations one item in particular; a snowman (you know, the inflatable kind) who wasn’t quite making it. For some reason or other, it was a bit deflated. And you know, honestly, while I’d say that that is often times how we feel at Christmas time (which is true) I kind of feel like our entire year has been kind of like that (at least for many people). It has been a tough year. And for some, Christmas is sort of an escape from all of that. It is a time to forget about the problems of the world and to pretend (at least for a little while) that everything is okay. It’s kind of like how we often tend to think about Church. We escape our normal week for a day and think higher, happier thoughts before setting them aside again when we return to our regular schedule on Monday. Now something like this happened the other night when my family and I were looking at all those Christmas decorations. We left our worries at home for an hour or so and simply went out to enjoy something beautiful. But ironically, after cruising around looking at all the beautiful lights, we came home; and after we got settled I got a phone call from a lady in my church that utterly deflated me. Her father (also a member of our church, who always made sure that I had a cup of water by the pulpit should I need it during or after I preach); he had passed away. And man, I will tell you, I became just like that snowman, as all the harsh reality of the world we live in just kind of came flooding back in that moment. And today is the first Sunday I preached today where his seat was empty and I knew wouldn’t be occupied by him again. And I will miss him dearly.

But you know, Jesus keeps challenging me with the way that I tend to think about Christmas. He keeps asking me about the nice pretty nativity scene picture that we tend to imagine; all the perfection. And He keeps asking me, “Is that what it was really like?” “Was it really as perfect as what we like to think it was?” “Was the first Christmas a nice pretty picture or was it something else entirely?”

The Wright View of Christmas— There’s this quote by N.T. Wright that I keep coming back to; and it is one of those quotes that has become more and more dear to me as I walk through periods of personal suffering. Listen to what he says. He captures it so beautifully. He says “For many, Christianity is just a beautiful dream. It's a world in which everyday reality goes a bit blurred. It's nostalgic, cosy, and comforting. But real Christianity isn't like that at all. Take Christmas, for instance: a season of nostalgia, of carols and candles and firelight and happy children. But that misses the point completely. Christmas is not a reminder that the world is really quite a nice old place. It reminds us that the world is a shockingly bad old place, where wickedness flourishes unchecked, where children are murdered, where civilized countries make a lot of money by selling weapons to uncivilized ones so they can blow each other apart. Christmas is God lighting a candle; and you don't light a candle in a room that's already full of sunlight. You light a candle in a room that's so murky the candle, when lit, reveals just how bad things really are. The light shines in the darkness, says St John, and the darkness has not overcome it."

And you know, the more I read the Christmas story, the more I find that statement to be proven true, as Jesus keeps showing me new levels of pain and suffering I hadn’t seen before; or at least allowed to sink in as deeply as I ought. For starters, think of the fear of rejection Mary no doubt feared when she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Even though she knew it was of God (because the angel had told her), what did she think Joseph would say? And God (for some reason) saw fit to allow Joseph to also wrestle with this for a time after finding Mary to be pregnant. He knew it wasn’t his child, and so he was no doubt uncertain as to the faithfulness of Mary; and just as uncertain about what path he should take. And when God reveals that path to Him, it isn’t an easy one. He’s to take a pregnant woman as his wife knowing that doing so might impinge on his own personal reputation. And that is a microcosm of God’s relationship with us by the way; as God welcome us into relationship with Him even though we (unlike Mary) are truly unfaithful; at least until Christ gets ahold of us. Think about Joseph and Mary’s having to travel to Bethlehem at the whim of a tyrannical leader imposing a census. Think about the poor birthing conditions; the manger; the stench of the animals; the subsequent dream revealing that Herod would be after them to kill the child; their flight to Egypt; the murder of all the young boys in Bethlehem by Herod (and think about it; some of those boys may have been part of the families of the very shepherds who had come to see Jesus. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around that one). Think about Joseph, Mary, and Jesus’ return to Israel only to be warned that Archelaus (who was reigning in place of his father Herod) might also try to kill the child; and finally their settling in Nazareth (the no-wheres-ville of Israel) to eek out a humble existence that we know left them barely scraping by. And the reason we know that is because of the level of sacrifice Joseph and Mary had offered at the temple not long before that; “a pair of doves or two young pigeons” instead of a lamb. This was a concession that was given in Leviticus 2:28 for the poorest of the poor who could not afford a lamb. Amazing to think the Lamb of God was born into a family that was so poor, they couldn’t even afford a lamb? And maybe that’s the message of Christmas in a nutshell; God giving us a sacrifice (the perfect gift) that none of us could afford.

But my point is that the reality that we are confronted with when we come to the Christmas story is that the Christmas story is not a story of escape from trouble; it is the story of a God who loved us so much that He was willing to enter into our struggle; into our suffering; into our death. He was part of a family that was in turmoil right from the start; He grew up in poverty-stricken conditions; He knew what it was like to be cheated by tax collectors as he helped his dad with the family business. And we know (though we don’t know when or how it happened; other than that it definitely happened before Jesus began his ministry); but we know that Joseph (Jesus’ non-biological earthly father) died. And Jesus had to go through the process of grieving and burying his father. Now I don’t know about you, but that says something to me. It says to me that Jesus was not willing to try to escape from one single dimension of the way that you and I suffer in this life. Every element of suffering that we face, He also was willing to face. And you think about it; He could have raised Joseph again in a heartbeat. He (the author and sustainer of all things) could have kept his earthly father alive till the end of time; keeping himself from having to go through that pain. But He didn’t. He didn’t take the easy way out. No, He chose to weep, cry, bury, and mourn right along with us.

Now I feel in my heart of hearts that that is the message of Christmas we most need to hear right now; the reality that in the flesh of Jesus Christ (born in that stable 2,000 years ago) God met us (and continues to meet us) in all of our brokenness; in all of our pain in order to offer us life.

You know, over the past few weeks we have been taking a look at Acts chapter 3, which of course tells of the lame beggar who was begging at the temple gate called “Beautiful”. And I don’t know about you, but the more I look at that story, the more I think of the many ways it perfectly embodies the experience (at least in symbol) of every single person alive today. Here was a man sitting in darkness; in absolute hopelessness. The text says he had been lame since birth. And you know, that is how all of us come into the world (at least in a spiritual sense). We are born into this world lost in sin and darkness; incapable of walking with God. And in ourselves, we are hopeless, just like this man was hopeless. We don’t have what it takes to be the men and women God has called us to be; has designed us to be. No matter how hard we might try on our own strength, we will always fall short of the glory of God. You can never be good enough or do enough to merit or earn your salvation. No; just like this lame beggar had to happen with this lame beggar, healing had to come from outside of himself. He couldn’t find healing by tapping into his inner goodness; or by simply trying to engage in more positive thinking. No, he needed a healer; a Savior. Because without the touch of the Savior, we know that there was no chance for him to ever be healed. Now (like any of us would have) this lame beggar no doubt resolved in himself that that is just how things were always going to be for him; that was how he was destined to live out the remainder of his existence. But then, lo and behold, Peter and John come to the temple at the hour of prayer. And seeing this lame man, who had asked them for money, Peter speaks into this man’s brokenness the name of Jesus. And the moment Jesus’ name is called upon, the impossible takes place. The man is healed; so healed in fact that the next passage finds him not just walking, but also leaping and praising God. From hopelessness to restoration in a single moment. What do you think Jesus is trying to offer you this Christmas season? Maybe it’s the message that when we are weakest and most broken, He is right there with us offering us life in Himself; a light that (in the end) will not be overcome by the darkness but will overcome all the temporal suffering that you and I face. It is my hope and prayer that He may be God with you this Christmas season; that through His being born in you, He also might be the light in your darkness this day and every day. God bless and Merry Christmas.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. We are glad you are with us today as we continue looking at Acts chapter 3 together.

A Beggar Healed— You will remember that we have been talking about Peter and John’s healing of a lame beggar outside of the Temple Gate Beautiful in Jerusalem following Pentecost. And the crowds are amazed at the healing, so they are running together to share in this miraculous event. But (like we said before) Peter responds by guiding their focus towards the source of the healing, which wasn’t either him or John; no, it was the name of Jesus Christ. He says in…

Acts 3:12b-16 (ESV) Peter Speaks in Solomon's Portico— “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. 14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16 And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.

Guilty— Now Peter uses the word "you" four times here to confront his listeners with what they had done to the Messiah. And he doesn't pull any punches. He wants them to feel the enormity of what they’ve done. And this wasn’t to be cruel, but rather flowed from his desire for them to find the healing and forgiveness that comes through faith in Christ. But before they or anybody can do that, there has to be a reckoning. We have to come to terms with our guiltiness before God and the severity of what we have done.

Peter’s Names for Jesus— And in order to highlight what they had done not just to a man, but to the Messiah, Peter uses several different names and titles for Jesus that each had significant Messianic meaning for those in his Jewish audience. And the first of these is:

His “Servant” Jesus— “His (God’s) Servant Jesus”; a title that is only used four other times in the New Testament (v. 26 ; 4:27 , 30 ; Matt. 12:18 ), but many more times in the Old Testament in reference to the Messiah who was to come. Especially in Isaiah 52:13–53:12 (the last and most memorable of the 4 Messiah/Servant songs) we see the Messiah depicted as God’s Suffering Servant.

Isaiah 53:2 talks about how the suffering servant had no special beauty or majesty to attract others to him. Now this doesn’t mean Jesus was ugly or anything like that; but there was an ordinary-ness to Jesus’ appearance. He wasn’t a supermodel or anything like that. He didn’t glow, as he often does in the paintings. No, there was this beautiful ordinariness to Jesus. He didn’t come to wow us with His appearance, but rather to identify with ordinary people like you and me, which is pretty extraordinary when you think about it.

Isaiah 53:3 discusses how mankind despised and rejected this servant of God. And when Jesus was on earth, we do see that many (including His own people) rejected Him; because Jesus wanted more than just to save them from Rome. He wanted to confront and deal with their sin. And many people (just like nowadays) didn’t want that; and so they rejected Him and handed Him over to be killed.

Now in Isaiah 53:4-5 we find that it is through suffering that the Messiah would take our place as the recipient of God judgment against sin and bring us ultimate healing. And when you think about it, this really could not be used to describe any of the Old Testament prophets. Although many of them did suffer, Israel (or the world in general) wasn’t healed by their wounds. And that’s the distinction. Isaiah is very clear that by the wounds of this suffering servant, we would be healed.

In Isaiah 53:7 we see that the Suffering Servant doesn’t open his mouth in the face of execution. And you’ll remember that when Jesus was on trial, he didn’t answer any of the charges (Matthew 27:14) brought against Him. No, He remained silent.

In Isaiah 53:9 we find that the Suffering Servant would be assigned a grave with the wicked and yet in death he would be assigned with the rich. And we see that when Jesus dies, He does so between two thieves (the wicked), and yet He is buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea (the rich). Now the chances that any man could fulfill all these prophecies without actually being the Messiah is astronomical. [The details are so minute that no human could have predicted them by accident, and no imposter fulfilled them by cunning.]

Surprised By Prophecy— In fact there’s a true story of a Christian man I heard of who took a piece of paper with Isaiah 53:5 on it to his secular place of work; only he left out the reference. But he took that piece of paper to all his coworkers and asked them to read it and tell him who the passage was writing about and where it came from in the Bible. And of course the passage reads…

Isaiah 53:5 (NIV)— 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

And without fail, every one of his coworkers said that that passage was about Jesus and it comes from the New Testament. And the Christian man would smile and say “No, that’s what’s so awesome. It’s not from the New Testament at all. It is from the Old Testament, written 700 hundred years before Jesus was even born.” And when he said that, he could tell that many of his coworkers were a bit jarred by this, seeing in this prophecy such a clear description of Jesus. And that’s why Peter draws his people’s attention to it; because it so clearly reveals how Jesus is the Suffering Servant that Isaiah had prophesied about.

The Holy One— Now the next title Peter uses is the title “The Holy One”; and “The Holy One” is another Old Testament title for the Messiah, seen particularly in Psalm 16:10, which Peter had quoted in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost. It reads…

Psalm 16:10 (ESV)— 10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.

And we see that even during the ministry of Jesus, Peter already recognized Jesus as the fulfillment of this title. Speaking for the rest of the disciples, Peter had said to Jesus in…

John 6:69 (ESV)— 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

There was not a Jew alive who would not have recognized the Messiah by that title.

The Just/Righteous One— Next, Peter calls Jesus the Just/Righteous One. And this title [carries the idea of being innocent of any crime.] You will remember that Pilate would at every Passover release to the Jews a prisoner. And so he had given them a choice between Jesus, their innocent Messiah, and the guilty murderer Barabbas. And (instigated by the Jewish leaders) the people chose Barabbas. And what makes this story so unbelievable and tragic is that even pagans, such as Pilate, Pilate’s wife (Matt. 27:19) and the Roman centurion (Luke 23:47) standing near the cross recognized what Israel could not; and that was that Jesus was innocent and righteous. And so Peter’s indictment here of this grave sin of hiss people is both devastatingly direct and convicting.

Prince of Life— And the next title Peter uses to describe Jesus is “The Prince of Life.” And the Greek word here for “prince” actually [means originator, pioneer, or beginner of something. Both Heb. 2:10 and 12:2 translate it “author.” {And your translation may have that here as well. But} It describes Jesus as the Divine Originator of life (cf. Ps. 36:9; Heb. 2:10; 12:2; 1 John 5:11, 20 ).] [That is a claim of deity for Jesus, since Psalm 36:9 describes God as the “fountain of life.”] He is the source of all that is living.

The Resurrection— Now in verse 15 Peter shifts from talking about the gravity of their sin (the murder of the Messiah) and states two very important facts. The first is that God raised Jesus from the dead and the second is that they (the apostles) are witnesses of that. Now you’ll notice that every sermon in the book of Acts is built around the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That historical event was the foundation of everything else. And the reason for this is most clearly stated in…

1 Corinthians 15:17 (ESV)— 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.

Validation— If Jesus has been raised, His claims to be the Messiah, the Son of God, and his ability to forgive sins would all be validated. If Jesus was not raised, Christianity would fall apart. Now Peter is able to proclaim the resurrection boldly because really at this point it was undeniable. If Jesus had not been raised (because the disciples went to the wrong tomb or some other mistake had been made) all the Jewish leaders would have had to do would have been to produce the body; to say “No, wait! Here it is!” But they never did. And what would have made Jesus’ resurrection even harder to refute at this point was the fact that this lame beggar was healed. You see Peter and John had healed this man in the name of Jesus. And they themselves were only ordinary fishermen. How could they do this unless God was with them; and God would not validate men preaching in the name of a false messiah. And so what we see Peter doing is he’s basically turning the temple here into a courtroom, laying out clearly irrefutable evidence that Jesus is that very messiah. And I mean it would have been pretty hard for anybody to argue against their claims because (think about it) the beggar was standing right there in front of them all in (the text says) “perfect soundness” (Acts 3:16; 4:14). And yet if they were to accept this miracle, they would have to accept what this miracle pointed to; namely that Jesus is the Messiah and the very Son of God.

Believe in His Name— And similarly with us, our salvation must begin with our belief in Jesus as the Resurrected Son of God. If (as John 20:30-31 says) we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, we will have life in his name. Let us believe in Him today. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. We are glad you are with us today as we continue to take a look at Acts chapter 3 together.

Becoming Like Your Rabbi— Now over the last couple of weeks we have been talking about what it meant to be a disciple of a rabbi in the 1st century world of Jesus. Being a disciple meant so much more than just studying so that you could know what your rabbi knew. No, it was about becoming what your rabbi is. You wanted (in every area of your life) to be just like your rabbi. Well, Rabbi Jesus has gone into heaven; and His disciples are left behind to follow in His footsteps; to image Him; to be miniature copies of Him in the world so that the world might look to them but (in doing so) to experience Him. And that is what we see here in the opening chapters of the book of Acts; people are looking to Peter and John, but are discovering Christ. They are seeing in Peter and John the same authority over sickness that Jesus Himself had demonstrated while on earth. And this was experienced first right here at the temple gate called “Beautiful” in the healing of this lame beggar here. This man had been lame since birth and had been laid there by someone else in order to beg. And that in itself is a picture of prevenient grace. The man had been carried to the very place where he could meet the presence of Jesus. And the same is true of us. At my church (Renton Park Chapel) we have been talking about the reality of the fact that very rarely does anybody come to faith in Christ on their own. There is almost always somebody else involved; somebody who is pointing us to (or even carrying us into) the presence of Jesus.

Calling the Disciples— And the same was true even at the beginning of the ministry of Jesus. You know, we often have this idea that Jesus was the one to find His first disciples and initiate that first point of contact. But that isn’t true. [According to the gospel of John, only one of the first five disciples was reached directly by Christ. That was Philip. Jesus said to him, “Follow me” (John 1:43). The other four were reached by someone else’s witness to Christ. Andrew and an unnamed disciple, perhaps John, came as the result of John the Baptist’s witness. Simon came because of his brother Andrew, and Nathanael came because of his friend Philip.] Now that has huge implications for how we think about how Jesus calls men and women to Himself. He doesn’t always call them directly, but does so through the ministry of another person. There is always somebody in the background (like whoever it was that brought this lame beggar to the temple gate; perhaps who did so faithfully for some time) who is helping us to come to Jesus. And that is what we see here. Now this lame beggar came this day only to beg; to have his financial needs met. And that is often when we come to Jesus; when there is a need. But what is amazing is that the healing that Peter and John provide for this beggar in the name of Jesus goes so much further than anything he could have ever hoped for or even prayed for himself. His legs were restored, yes. But even more importantly, he experienced a restoration of his heart as well, as he came to faith in Jesus Christ. His healing was a complete and total restoration.

What About Our Healing?— Now what does the story of this healing mean for you and for me? How do we apply this passage? Sometimes (if I am going to be honest) I struggle with passages like this because (unlike those who encountered the disciples or Jesus Himself), we don’t always get to experience the physical side of the healing. Often times there is that “thorn in the flesh” we have to deal with like Paul had to deal with; there’s that illness or struggle or burden that God doesn’t see fit to remove right away (or at all) while we are on earth. And so the question we often ask is, “How ought we to participate in Christ’s ministry of healing?” Are we to perform healings in the same way that Peter and John did on a regular basis? Or did God use healings to validate the truth of the Gospel, but then withdraw much of that healing power after the Church was established? That’s a tough question. There is no question that to image Jesus must involve our being agents of healing in culture. But what does that look like, especially considering that while God sometimes does heal through us (which I myself have experienced in and throughout my years of ministry) there are other times when you pray for that person who is sick or lame and God doesn’t heal them, at least in the way we might have originally been praying for. You may be grappling with that question now. Maybe you or someone you love is battling a very serious illness. And you want to know what (if any) healing is available to you for your own situation. And there are often no easy answers to those kinds of questions. But I love what Tony Campolo shares…

[He Was Healed— Tony Campolo tells a story about being in a church in Oregon where he was asked to pray for a man who had cancer. Campolo prayed boldly for the man’s healing. That next week he got a telephone call from the man’s wife. She said, “You prayed for my husband. He had cancer.” Campolo thought when he heard her use the past tense verb that his cancer had been eradicated! But before he could think much about it she said, “He died.” Campolo felt terrible. But she continued, “Don’t feel bad. When he came into that church that Sunday he was filled with anger. He knew he was going to be dead in a short period of time, and he hated God. He was 58 years old, and he wanted to see his children and grandchildren grow up. He was angry that this all-powerful God didn’t take away his sickness and heal him. He would lie in bed and curse God. The more his anger grew towards God, the more miserable he was to everybody around him. It was an awful thing to be in his presence.” But the lady told Campolo, “After you prayed for him, a peace had come over him and a joy had come into him. Tony, the last three days have been the best days of our lives. We’ve sung. We’ve laughed. We’ve read Scripture. We prayed. Oh, they’ve been wonderful days. And I called to thank you for laying your hands on him and praying for healing.” And then she said something incredibly profound. She said, “He wasn’t cured, but he was healed.”]

The Right Healing— Today you and I need to recognize that while healing might not always look the way we want it to, God does answer our prayers and does bring the kind of healing that He deems right for us at that time. And in this instance in our passage today, it meant total healing for this man who had been lame since birth. It was physical; it was mental; and it was spiritual. And in this instance it is evident that God wanted to give everyone there at Solomon’s Porch a picture of what He hoped to do spiritually in their hearts in and through faith in Jesus Christ. Now, as you can imagine, the beggar is beside himself with gratitude. We already read of his walking and leaping and praising God. But his joy is further evidenced in verse 11, where it says…

Acts 3:11-16 (ESV)— 11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's. 12 And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. 14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16 And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.

Refutations— Now [In his sermon at Pentecost, Peter had to refute the accusation that the believers were drunk. In this sermon, he had to refute the notion that he and John had healed the man by their own power. (Paul and Barnabas would face a similar situation after healing a lame man. See Acts 14:8–18.)]

Directed to Jesus— Now in this we need to notice something foundational to the pattern of Peter's preaching; and really all true Christian preaching. And that is that he doesn’t ever allow the miracles themselves to become the main focus. No, he chooses rather to emphasize the power of the presence of God moving in the midst of His people; that is the focus. And so notice how he directs the attention of the people away from the miracle itself and towards God (particularly Jesus Christ). Even after Pentecost, when so much of the focus of Peter’s message could have been on the gift of tongues and how awesome that was, he instead immediately moves into how it was something God prophesied about, had come to fulfillment, and then he immediately moves into talking about Jesus. And so it is here as well. Right off the bat, the miracle becomes the launching point for talking about Jesus. And that is how it ought to be for us as well. If we truly believe that Jesus is the best thing we can offer the world, we won’t let our conversations get bogged down with much else. We will always find those avenues through which we can begin to share Christ with others.

Coronavirus: A Launching Point— And by the way, one avenue that God has given you that might not have dawned on you yet is the Corona Virus. I don’t know how things are for where you live, but here in the Seattle area we have an incredibly diverse population; so many cultures so vastly different from one another jam packed together. And think about it; one year ago you would have had little (if anything) in common with many of those cultures, but now you have a touching point. God has given every one of us a common experience; a shared pain that can be a launching point for our talking about the root of all sickness (including spiritual sickness); and that root goes back beyond any lab in China. It stretches all the way back to a garden in Eden, where all our problems first began; and that root is sin. And yet God saw fit to help us by bringing a cure to mankind in and through His Son Jesus Christ.

Common Experiences— Now in our passage today almost all the people present had recently had a number of shared common experiences. They were all of the same culture (they were all Jews), they had all been there for Passover and Pentecost, and (in being there) they had witnessed (and some even participated in) the death of Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth. And it is that common experience Peter chooses to capitalize on and use as his launching point for sharing the Gospel.

Let’s Carry— And similarly, you and I need to be taking advantage of every opportunity we can to tell people about Jesus. Because God’s greatest means of bringing healing to culture isn’t any vaccine or drug; it isn’t a shower of healing power from on high. His greatest means of healing are you and me. You and I are the hands and feet of Christ. And so let us commit today to (in every way that we can) be the ones who will carry into the presence of Jesus Christ those who need His touch. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. We are glad you are with us today as we take a look at our next passage in our series on the book of Acts. Last week we started chapter 3, talking about the nature of a true disciple; which was to mirror your rabbi in his character, in his actions, and even in his authority. And here in chapter 3 we find Peter and John doing this together. They are following in the pattern of their rabbi. Now it says in…

Acts 3:1 (ESV)— 1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

Peter & John Together— Now [Peter and John are often found together in Scripture. They were partners in the fishing business {together} (Luke 5:10); they prepared the last Passover for Jesus {together} (Luke 22:8); they ran to the tomb {together} on the first Easter Sunday morning (John 20:3–4); and they ministered {together} to the Samaritans who believed on Jesus Christ (Acts 8:14). {And} Now that they were filled with the Holy Spirit, {they and really all of} the apostles were no longer competing for greatness, but were at last working faithfully together to build the church {of Christ} (Ps. 133).]

Like Their Rabbi— But notice something else about these two men. Peter and John were two of the first three disciples Jesus had called to come and be like Him. And now their Rabbi has gone, it is up to them (and really to the Church as a whole) to demonstrate to the world who Jesus is. And it is so interesting how that imaging of Christ begins here, on the steps of the temple, with their doing exactly what their rabbi had done; allowing their schedule to be interrupted by a poor and needy person. It says in…

Acts 3:2 (ESV)— 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple.

The Beautiful Gate— So the man is laid down [at the Beautiful Gate. {Now} There were nine gates that led from the court of the Gentiles into the temple itself. Scholars are not agreed, but the Beautiful Gate was probably the “Eastern Gate” that led into the court of the women. Made of Corinthian bronze, the gate looked like gold, and it certainly was a choice place for a lame man to beg.]

The Role of Alms in Jewish Society— Because remember that [The giving of alms was an important part of the Jewish faith, so beggars found it profitable to be near the temple.] And for them it was […the best site to operate because {(as we see when Jesus came to the temple and observed people coming to make their donations)} the daily throngs came to impress God with their pious good works, including offerings at the temple treasury.] But keep in mind also that this was around the time of Passover and Pentecost; so a much larger crowd was there than usual. So it was probably looking like it was going to be a good day for the beggar; though he had no idea how good of a day he was about to have. It says in…

Acts 3:3 (ESV)—3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms.

Atrophied Asking— Amazing to think that of two of the most important men in history; the two who had walked with Jesus the closest, this beggar asks for money. Now he simply didn’t know yet the power of God available to him through Peter and John. And so his asking is limited to what is only going to be the pavement in heaven when you think about it. But it leads us to wonder how often our asking is limited; how often our prayers are as atrophied as this man’s legs simply because we don’t know the power of God available to us. And yet God is merciful. Even when we don’t know the greatness of what He can provide, He is often already on the way to bring it to us.

Eye Contact— You know, I have been honored and blessed to have visited many different countries in the world; some of which were very poor or at least had very high poverty levels. But I don’t think I have ever seen anywhere else the level of homelessness I have seen in and around the Seattle area. I mean everywhere you go you find people begging on the street corners. And there are rules that we have learned (subconsciously often) about how to deal with the homeless. First of all, don’t look at them. Right? Don’t make eye contact. Because you know what will happen when you do. You pull up to that stoplight and there’s that guy with a sign looking for anyone who looks like they might be willing to give them money. You don’t want to make eye contact because either you don’t want to give them money or you feel ashamed of them; or you feel ashamed of yourself (maybe even a little bit guilty that you get to sit in an air-conditioned car while they have nothing). But I want you to listen to the next phrase in this passage and really let sink in how Luke chooses to phrase this verse; he’s very careful here. It says in…

Acts 3:4 (ESV)— 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them.

Peter Noticed— Peter and John looked; they directed their gaze. The text is very specific. They didn’t happen to make eye contact inadvertently. No, they looked intentionally. They allowed God to break into their schedule with a more immediately important divine appointment. And by the way, it is interesting that while Acts 2 (the Pentecost chapter) is filled with the mention of the Holy Spirit, in chapter 3 the Holy Spirit is not named one single time. NOT ONCE! And yet He’s just as present. Because while [No doubt thousands of people were near the temple (Acts 4:4), and perhaps scores of beggars, …the Lord {directed the gaze of Peter and John and} told Peter to heal …{THIS}… lame man lying at the Beautiful Gate.] And the fact [That Peter noticed …{THIS}… lame beggar is … evidence of the Spirit’s ministry.] Now the man sees that Peter and John have made eye contact. So naturally (like all beggars would) he expects that that means he’s about to get something. And so he’s probably already sticking out his beggar’s cup. But it says…

Acts 3:6-8 (ESV)— 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. {Now catch this. It says} 8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

Jumping Before Walking— Isn’t it amazing that the man jumped before he had even walked? Now keep in mind the man had never walked before. The Bible says he had been lame since birth. So he had little to no muscle tissue. His legs were not developed; they were atrophied. HE HAD NEVER EVEN LEARNED HOW TO WALK!!! His brain didn’t even know what to do; he had no muscle memory; any of the mental capability to walk, much less jump. And yet when Peter had lifted him to his feet, he felt his legs grow strong. And his mind was touched. He got his muscle memory (and the whole mental side of walking) straight from God; sent heavenly express mail right to his mind and legs!!! [Through the power of the name of Jesus, the beggar was completely healed, and he was so happy and excited that he acted like a child, leaping and praising God.]

A Picture of Salvation— And I love what one author I read said on this. He said that [It is easy to see in this {(and in the joy and excitement) of this} man an illustration of what salvation is like. He was born lame, and all of us are born unable to walk so as to please God. Our father Adam had a fall and passed his lameness on to all of his descendants (Rom. 5:12–21). The man was also poor, and we as sinners are bankrupt before God, unable to pay the tremendous debt that we owe Him (Luke 7:36–50). He was “outside the temple,” and all sinners are separated from God, no matter how near to the door they might be. The man was healed wholly by the grace of God (Eph. 2:8–9), and the healing was immediate (Acts 3:7). He gave evidence of what God had done by “walking, and leaping, and praising God” (v. 8) and by publicly identifying himself with the apostles, both in the temple (v. 11) and in their arrest (4:14). Now that he could stand, there was no question where this man stood!] [Now that he could stand, there was no question where this man stood!] This man now stood for Jesus. And he is so filled with joy, he can’t stop walking and leaping and praising God. He himself could have sang (as we in my church sing on a regular basis), “On Christ the solid rock I stand.” And the whole crowd joins in. It says in…

Acts 3:9-10 (ESV)— 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

A New Living— Now God more than just gave this man’s feet back; but rather God (through healing his feet) completely transformed the way that he would live his life.

Directing Our Gaze— And that is what Christ does for us as well. He touches us and heals us; he regenerates the crippled-ness of our own hearts so that we might embrace a whole new way of living life; in holiness, free from sin and in love for our neighbor. He touches our minds as well as our hearts, transforming the way we think; elevating our thoughts so that we think as God thinks. Our calling is changed; our mission is changed. And we begin to truly see people; to truly care. We start directing our gaze to them and truly look. Because we have something far greater than anything they might think they need or be asking for. We have the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And being bearers of that Gospel, we have the power (the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven) to lead people from death to life in the name of Jesus. But it takes time; a willingness to allow God to interrupt our schedules; to allow Him to work in us and make us like Him (to make us true disciples); and to allow Him to use us to pour into the lives of those around us. And so let us be true disciples from this moment onwards. Let us turn our eyes upon Jesus and (having our hearts united with his) let us also turn our eyes upon those who need Him. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. Thank’s for tuning in to us today as we continue our study of the book of Acts together. Today we will be beginning chapter 3, which opens with Peter and John’s healing of a lame beggar outside of the Temple gate called “Beautiful”. But before we get into the meat of our study, I would like to give you a bird’s-eye view of one of the central themes in Acts 3 and 4; and that is the name of Jesus.

Fruit Stand— You know, it’s interesting. [When the 1960s ended, San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district reverted to high rent, and many hippies moved down the coast to Santa Cruz. They had children and got married, too, though in no particular sequence. But they didn't name their children {common names like} Melissa or Brett. {No,} People in the mountains around Santa Cruz grew accustomed to their children playing Frisbee with little Time Warp or Spring Fever. And eventually Moonbeam, Earth, Love and Precious Promise all ended up in public school. That's when the kindergarten teachers first met Fruit Stand. Every fall, according to tradition, parents bravely apply name tags to their children, kiss them good-bye and send them off to school on the bus. So it was for Fruit Stand. The teachers thought the boy's name was odd, but they tried to make the best of it. "Would you like to play with the blocks, Fruit Stand?" they offered. And later, "Fruit Stand, how about a snack?" He accepted hesitantly. By the end of the day, his name didn't seem much odder than …{Moonbeam’s}… or Sun Ray's. At dismissal time, the teachers led the children out to the buses. "Fruit Stand, do you know which one is your bus?" He didn't answer. That wasn't strange. He hadn't answered them all day. Lots of children are shy on the first day of school. It didn't matter. The teachers had instructed the parents to write the names of their children's bus stops on the reverse side of their name tags. The teacher simply turned over the tag. There, neatly printed, was the word “Anthony.”] It is amazing what can happen when we miss somebody’s name. Names are significant; names are important. And that is why we find so much emphasis in the book of Acts on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Name of Jesus Christ— [The {overarching theme and} emphasis in Acts 3 and 4 is on the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 3:6, 16; 4:7, 10, 12, 17–18, 30). {Now} A name, of course, implies much more than identification; it carries with it authority, reputation, and power….If an order is given in the name of the President of the United States…, those who receive the order know that they are obligated to obey. If I were to issue orders at the White House…(even if I could get in), nobody would pay much attention because my name has no official authority behind it. But the name of the Lord Jesus has all authority behind it, for He is the Son of God (Matt. 28:18). {And} Because His name is “above every name” (Phil. 2:9–11), He deserves our worship and obedience. {Now this is important for us to understand because} The great concern of the first Christians was that the name of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, be glorified, and {we as} believers today should have that same concern {that (in everything we do) we are bringing glory to the name of Jesus}.]

Dust of The Rabbi— But how do we bring glory to the name of Jesus? Sometime I would like to talk about that in greater detail. But, to keep it simple and relevant to our passage today, just remember this. When a rabbi called a disciple in the 1st century world of Jesus, it was not so that the disciple would follow him around and simply learn what the Rabbi knew. All of us here have at one time been students. And being students we all had teachers in whose classes we (either willingly or unwillingly) sat because they or somebody else thought we should be there to learn what they know. And we had a whole string of teachers from whom we wanted to learn so that we could get the facts we needed to pass the tests and hopefully get into a good college and eventually go on to get a good job; and so on and so forth. But in Jewish culture, the Talmudim (the disciples of a Rabbi); their concern stretched far beyond that. It was about so much more than simply knowing what the Rabbi knew. No, it was about becoming what the Rabbi is. Now that has enormous significance for how we understand the call of Jesus. And I just don’t have the time to get too into it now. But for now, just remember that the call of a rabbi was a call to be like him in his practice, in his nature, in his character, and even in his authority. And disciples of a Rabbi would dedicate every moment of their lives to following and observing their Rabbi. It didn’t matter where he went; they would be right behind him. And because the ground was always dry and you would naturally kick up dust everywhere you went, there developed this concept that Talmudim would be so close to their Rabbi that the very dust he kicked up would cover them. And that is right where you wanted to be; covered in the dust of your Rabbi. That is the heart of what it meant to be disciple; to be covered in his dust because of your desire (and his promise to make you) to be like him. Now I say this because in the 1st century world, how would someone learn what a rabbi was like without ever meeting him? Well, they would look at the Talmudim; the disciples. And they could see in those disciples the very image of their rabbi. So let me ask you this, how is the world going to know what Jesus is like? By looking at us.

"Christian": Little Christs— In the coming weeks we will find that it is in Antioch that those of what was then known as “The Way” would first be called Christians, a title of mockery; but one which the early believers gladly accepted; because the word “Christian” means “little Christ”. And that’s exactly what the believers wanted to be. Why? Because they were Talmudim. They wanted the world to experience in them the very image of the Savior. So, let me ask you again, “How do we bring glory to the name of Jesus?” By being a miniature copy of Him. That is the whole idea behind this word “Christian”. It is a title in which the holder is claiming to be like Jesus. And so the question is “Are our lives characterized by what it means to truly be a Christian?” One excellent gauge of this is this: Do we care about who Christ cared about? Is the drive of His heart the drive of our hearts? If so, this mission statement of Jesus will be your soul-cry as well…

Luke 19:10 (ESV)— 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

The Diamond Chandelier— Just the other day I watched a mystery show in which the criminal was searching for his victim’s stolen diamonds. And during the whole show everybody was looking for these diamonds. But then at the end of the show, the detective, leading the criminal into one of the victim’s rooms (which the criminal had been in many times) pointed up at the chandelier. And there (interwoven into that chandelier) was ten million dollars worth of diamonds; hidden right there in plain sight.

Divine Interruptions— You know, I discovered something a number of years ago that absolutely blew me away about the ministry of Jesus. It is something so obvious I overlooked it (like those diamonds hidden in plain sight). And that is this. Jesus embraced interruptions. In fact I read a quote several years ago by G.H. Morling that completely affected the way I saw much of Christ’s earthly ministry. It was a little pebble that started an avalanche of thinking in my own mind. He said…

G. H. Morling: Jesus Interrupted— [“A valuable study of the Gospels could be made, noticing how many times Jesus gave some of His greatest teachings in circumstances where he had simply been interrupted. How different this is from us; we hate to be interrupted. To Jesus, the importance seemed to lie in the person whose path had crossed His own. Things don’t just “happen” in the providence of God. The interruption may well be our highest task at that very moment.”] “The interruption may well be our highest task at that very moment.”

Jesus’ Interruptions— Now that was a life-changing quote for me. What would have happened if Jesus had not stopped for those who interrupted Him; what would have happened if He hadn’t taken time? Most of his miracles would have never taken place! Just think of [Jesus’ visit to Zacchaeus' house, the widow at Nain whose son was healed, and the man let down through the ceiling by his four friends who was both forgiven and healed?] Think of the healing of the bleeding woman. Jesus had interrupted His schedule to heal Jairus’ daughter. And then {(in the midst of that interruption)} he’s interrupted again by this woman who suffered from bleeding. He even allowed His interruptions to be interrupted!!! All these miracles were interruptions. But Jesus never saw them that way; He saw them as divine appointments! [The same went for His teaching. Yes, He did lay out systematic discourse in the Sermon on the Mount, the Kingdom parables, and the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 5–7, 13, 24, 25). {But} Look at a sampling, however, of what He taught as a result of responding to interruptions. An expert in the Law tested Him on “Who is my neighbor?” and we gained the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10). The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law muttered against Him welcoming sinners, and He responded with the stories of the lost sheep, lost coin, and lost son (Luke 15). We would have missed the discipleship of Matthew and Zacchaeus if Jesus had not interrupted His schedule. We would not have the teaching on the new birth had Jesus not taken time with Nicodemus (John 3), or the teaching on worship had Jesus ignored the Samaritan woman (John 4).] The fact is, if Jesus had never allowed His schedule to be interrupted, our Bibles would be pretty thin. Now what does that mean for us? Exactly what G.H. Morling said: “Things don’t just “happen” in the providence of God. The interruption may well be our highest task at that very moment.” Now I say all of this because of the context of this story that is given to us. It says in…

Acts 3:1 (ESV)— 1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

Our Flexibility— You see, they were on their way to do the spiritual stuff. But (as we’ll see next week) they were willing to put that on hold in order to enter into the world of a crippled beggar and to bring him both physical and spiritual healing. And you know, one of the things I’ve learned in ministry (but you know, I think it applies to all of us) is that we have to allow our schedules to be interrupted; because those interruptions may be God’s divine appointments. And like with Abraham, Moses, and Paul, those divine appointments may even result in their (or someone else’s) commission. And so let us allow God to interrupt our schedules so that He can use us to meet the physical and spiritual needs of those who need Jesus. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. We’re glad you are here today. In our study of the second chapter of the book of Acts, we have been taking a look at some of the fundamental practices of the early Church that began to take place in the wake of the Holy Spirit’s coming. Devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship were the first two. And the temple was still very much the central place they would go together to to receive that teaching. But then we come to the next one: the breaking of bread together.

Breaking Bread— And this third fundament practice of the early Church continues to show the depth of their unity. And there is actually a lot of debate about whether this was a common meal they shared together or actually the Lord’s Supper. In Luke’s Gospel, [The {Greek} word…κλαω is used of breaking bread at the ordinary meal (Lu 24:30 ) or the Lord's Supper (Lu 22:19 ). {But} It is generally supposed that the early disciples attached so much significance to the breaking of bread at the ordinary meals, more than our saying grace, that they followed the meal with the Lord's Supper at first, a combination called αγαπα or love-feasts.] And I just think what a great concept, by the way; love-feasts. The fellowship of Jesus Christ is characterized by feasting together on a shared receiving of the love of Christ pictured by the body and blood of Christ! I LOVE THAT!!!! But it’s more than just the Lord’s Supper. To say it is just about taking communion together [is to…mar the picture of family life, which the text places before us as the ideal of the early believers”.] These early believers really saw themselves as family. They were regularly eating and fellowshipping together.

Forgiveness— Now there is something else I would like to add to this. In Jewish culture, to break bread with somebody was a very intimate thing. Keep in mind that you always laid down at table, with your head at the chest of whoever was sitting next to you. So you are very close, intimate and personal. And so you would only eat with people that you were one good terms with. Now keep in mind that Jesus intentionally ate with tax collectors and sinners; something that no self-respecting Jew (and especially a Rabbi) would do. Because to do that was a way of saying that they are part of your crowd; they are your friends; there is a special relationship you have with them, which is why the Jewish leaders reacted so strongly to Jesus’ eating and associating with people like that. But they were the very people that Jesus most wanted to reach; and so He breaks bread and eats with them. Now there is something else you need to know about Jewish custom in that time. If you had a fallout with someone and the relationship was broken and needed to be mended, you could verbally try to fix the situation. But in Jewish culture the forgiveness process was never considered complete until you actually shared a meal with that person. That was the outward sign that forgiveness had taken place.

Zacchaeus’ Reconciliation— This is part of what makes the story of Zacchaeus such a radical thing. Because remember that Zacchaeus was a wicked, cheating tax collector; and yet Jesus invited Himself to Zacchaeus’ home, which meant that he was going to break bread with Zacchaeus? Do you begin to see now what Jesus was visually communicating to everybody and why Zacchaeus was probably bawling his eyes out in joy. Because Jesus was saying (with a picture) that forgiveness had taken place. Now how did the people react? They went crazy! ARE YOU KIDDING US JESUS?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? And yet Jesus says in…

Luke 19:9-10 (NIV)— 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house {which by the way implied that God had forgiven Zacchaeus his sin}, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Zacchaeus Excited— Can you begin to understand why Zacchaeus reacted to this meal the way that he did? He knew what it meant for him personally and spiritually. Now I say all of this because here (and throughout the book of Acts) you have people from all over the empire (from different walks of life; different social statuses; different races; different political alignments; democrats; republicans; men, women, boys, and girls; barbarians, scythians, slaves, and free) who are all breaking bread together. What does that tell you? Forgiveness and healing has been made between them all at the deepest possible level. And where does this take place? AT THE VERY TABLE OF CHRIST JESUS.

Coming To The Table— Now I don’t know how much that impacts you. But let me tell you, THAT is the key to healing culture. Social reform? We need it. Fighting for a good government? That is our responsibility (especially in the United States where we have a say in who comes into office). But let me tell you, our differences are never going to be reconciled and true healing is never going to happen until we are willing to come together to the very table of Jesus Christ. Christ and Christ alone is the starting point of true forgiveness and healing; because He offers reconciliation with God Himself out of which comes the overflow of healing in all our earthly relationships as well.

Prayer— Now the fourth practice is one of the biggest things that brings us into unity with one another. And sadly it is something that we often neglect. And that is [Prayer. Prayer was a constant practice in the early church (1:14; 3:1; 4:23-31; 6:4; 10:4, 31; 12:5; 16:13,16). The apostles prayed for those they ministered to.… But prayer was not only in response to crises and needs. Because of the references to worship, we can assume that prayers of praise were a significant part of the community life of the early church.] The air of prayer was the lifeblood of the Church. And these [prayers {were made both} in house meetings and likely also in the temple (vv. 42, 46).] So all these Christians are eating together, worshiping together, and praying together. And it’s interesting; anywhere in life you find lack of prayer, you will always find tension.

From Hate to Love through Prayer— A number of years ago my wife and I went to Dublin, GA for our former denomination’s annual conference. And after one of the evening services we headed for the fellowship hall. And there we had the privilege of talking with a couple (the Pastor and his wife of a local Church there in Dublin). And they were obviously deeply in love with one another. And during our conversation with them they told us that they were celebrating their anniversary. They had been married for over 30 years. And I asked them what their secret was; because it seemed to me that they had the perfect relationship. But then his face grew very serious. And he confessed that during their first years of marriage; there was actually a lot of tension. And it actually led them to hate one another. That’s the word he used. But then he said everything changed when his wife was led by God to begin praying for him more. And she said that as she did, not only did God bring about change in his life, but God began revealing her own faults as well. And then he began praying fervently for her. And their marriage grew to becoming totally and completely healed. And now they experience true unity and true love in their marriage.

The Secret To Unity— What is the secret to unity in the Body of Christ? Prayer with one another and for one another. And that ought to lead us to ask ourselves, “Are we lifting one another up before the throne of grace on a regular basis? Are we interceding before God on behalf of one another?” If we want to be a Spirit-filled Church, we have to pray. Prayer always precedes healing and transformation. Just look at what it produced in…

Acts 2:43-45 (ESV)— 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.

“I Have A Dollar— Once there was a Junior Sunday School Teacher who was teaching her kids. And [The Junior Sunday School Teacher asked her eight eager 10 year-olds if they would give a $1,000,000 to the missionaries. “Yes!” they all screamed! “Would you give $1,000?” Again, they shouted “YES!” How about $100?” “Oh, yes we would!” they all agreed! “Would you just give a dollar to the missionaries?” she asked. The boys exclaimed, “Yes!” just as before, except for Johnny. “Johnny,” the teacher said as she noticed the boy clutching his pocket, “Why didn’t you say ‘yes’ this time?” “Well,” the boy stammered, “I have a dollar!”] How great is our attachment to those things we have?

Generosity and Service— The fifth practice of the Early Church that we see here is: [Generosity and Service. The sharing of personal belongings and financial resources among members of the early church was impressive. {And} This generosity was not dictated. There was no obligation to pool their resources, as in modern Communism, or to unselfishly serve each other or reach out to strangers. Rather, it was voluntarily done for the sake of those in need (see the example of Barnabas in 4:36, 37, and later the Macedonians in 2 Cor. 8:1-4).] By the way, you can tell a lot about the level of someone’s salvation by observing their relationship with their stuff. What comes first? People and the fulfilling of the ministry and mission of Jesus? Or their stuff?

A Release of Possessions— You know, some ancient groups (like the Pythagoreans) rejected having private property altogether. But Christianity (interestingly) never went there. It was okay to have your personal property and possessions. Rather [the early Christians {(when it was necessary)} sold property whenever anyone had need (4:34–35 ); they valued people more than property without rejecting private property altogether.] This was incredibly rare during that time; and what made it even more rare was that it wasn’t something done just by a small group of radicals, but was something that was characteristic of all the followers of Christ. And what this shows us is that when we walk in the Spirit, we cease to see our possessions and our money as our own; it’s God’s. And when we see our possessions like that, we allow God access to them in order to do with them what He wills. The question is, “Is all that we have accessible to God to meet the needs of another person?” If not, they need to be.

Joy Overflowing as Evangelism— Now the sixth practice we see is [Joy Overflowing as Evangelism. Whether corporately in the temple or within each other’s homes, the believers lived “with one accord” and “with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (2:46, 47). {And what I want you to note here is that} Evangelism wasn’t a program in the Jerusalem church; it was a way of life. The believers’ lives and behaviors created such favor with the population of Jerusalem that people were drawn to the Lord.] And that is why [In our churches today, we should examine our mission {and practice in order} to ensure these basic tenets are being fully lived out before {anything else}. Whenever a group of believers return to their foundation {(as lived out in these foundational, life-giving practices)}, they find the strongest connection to the heart of Christ. And seeing His heart on display will draw others to Him.]

“Day By Day”— Now I want you to notice three final words given to us here that ought to re-shape how you and I think about Church. It says in verse 46 that they were doing these things together day by day. Not once a week, but daily.

The Secret Service— Once there was a church service that took place; and [At the end of the service the minister was standing at the door of the church shaking hands. He grabbed a man by the hand and pulled him aside and asked him, “Are you a soldier in the Army of the Lord?” The man replied, “Why, yes I am.” The minister then asked, “Then why do we only see you at Christmas and Easter?” The man quickly whispered, “I’m in the Secret Service.”] Now we laugh at that, but what we need to ask ourselves is “Are we true Koinonia Christians or are we Secret Service Christians?” Are we fighting to make our faith, our Church, and our abiding in fellowship with one another a DAILY reality? Because what we see here in this [daily sharing…is {so} unusual in antiquity and most resembles how people treated members of their own family.] But you know that is exactly how we are supposed to think of the Body of Christ; we ARE TRULY the FAMILY OF GOD! And so Christ’s challenge to us today is for us to live our faith together in community in a real and powerful way. Let us be a Church made of people who have allowed themselves to be filled with the presence of God; a Church that shares together; a Church that prays for one another; a Church that seeks to be united towards that single purpose of embracing the God who loves us; and let us be a Church that is reaching out to the lost so that they might also experience His presence. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is so good to have you with us today as we continue our study of the book of Acts.

“It wasn’t THAT good!”— I’d like to open by sharing with you a story of a small church that met not too long ago. One particular Sunday, [The pastor was greeting folks at the door after the service. And a woman said, “Pastor, that was a very good sermon.” The pastor says, “Oh, I have to give the credit to the Holy Spirit.” “Oh,” she immediately responded, “It wasn’t THAT good!”] Now Peter’s sermon here in Acts chapter 2 (thankfully) WAS that good because he was filled with the Holy Spirit of God. And verses 40-41 reveal what can happen when we speak with the anointing of the Holy Spirit. It says in…

Acts 2:40-41 (ESV)— 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Early Christian Practice— Now immediately after these early Christians were baptized and received the Holy Spirit, they entered into community with one another; a community that was marked by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit of God. And in that community we begin to see expressed the fundamental practices of the Church. We see Doctrine, Fellowship, The Lord’s Supper, Prayer, Generosity and Service, and Joy Overflowing as Evangelism.

The Most Important Things— And all these practices may seem basic without any higher hierarchical Church structure, but that doesn’t mean they are somehow less important. Picture them [like eating, breathing, and sleeping are to an infant]. Basic? Yes, but absolutely necessary to the growth of the Body of Christ. And they remain the most important things for mature Christians as well, which is why it doesn’t say that these disciples just made them a part of their lives (like some kind of tacked-on thing). No, it says they devoted themselves to these things. They became the absolute new foundation for their lives. And today we’ll be beginning to explore these practices one by one. Now the first thing it says they devoted themselves to was Doctrine. It says in…

Acts 2:42 (ESV)— 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching…

Doctrine— Now I find it interesting that the first practice listed was not fellowship, prayer, or evangelism. No, the practice that is mentioned first is Doctrine (what the Apostles were teaching). And that is because all those other things are meaningless without right doctrine. Many religions (including the cults) practice fellowship, prayer, and evangelism. And those things are important to the Christian faith as well, but the content of our belief is just as important as the practice. What we believe (doctrine) was and is of utmost importance. In fact, unity actually needs to come second to truth.

Spurgeon: Truth before unity— Charles Spurgeon points out that you’ll hear a lot of preachers say, ["To remain divided is sinful! Did not our Lord pray {to the Father}, that they may be one, even as we are one"? (John 17:22). A chorus of ecumenical voices keep harping the unity tune. What they are saying is, "Christians of all doctrinal shades and beliefs must come together in one visible organization, regardless... Unite, unite!" Such teaching is false, reckless and dangerous. Truth alone must determine our alignments. Truth comes before unity. Unity without truth is hazardous. Our Lord's prayer in John 17 must be read in its full context. Look at verse 17: "Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth." Only those sanctified through the Word can be one in Christ. To teach otherwise is to betray the Gospel.]

Not always agree— And you know, he’s absolutely correct. We cannot compromise on the essentials, or we will betray the Gospel. Now does this mean we have to agree on every theological point? Of course not. Even the early Church was comprised of people who occasionally had different opinions on things; but they had agreement on the essential points of the Gospel. They knew that their fellowship must be anchored in the truth of the Word of God and in sound theology and doctrine. And this was why the teaching of the Apostles was so vitally important because remember that [In the time of Acts, there was no written NT. The earliest letter from the apostles (probably either James or Galatians) did not appear until two decades after the birth of the Church at Pentecost. {Imagine being a Christian without having a New Testament! What would you do? You’d devote yourself to listening to eyewitnesses who could verbally convey the accounts and teachings of Jesus to you, as well as explain how Jesus was the hope and “consolation of Israel” (Luke 2:25) promised in the OT. And so that is what we see;} …the church in Jerusalem took in the apostles’ teaching on Jesus of Nazareth as…the promised Jewish Messiah. {And} Their Bible was the OT, supplemented by what Christ had taught them. {Now} As the various epistles of the apostles were written and delivered to churches established beyond Jerusalem, their authority came to be recognized alongside the OT (“they were} “the rest of the Scriptures”; 2 Pet. 3:16).] But at this point the verbal teachings of the apostles were absolutely essential as the means by which they could be established doctrinally.

Fellowship— Now the second fundamental thing the believers in the early Church devoted themselves to was the fellowship.

“Fellowship” in Context— Now some have taken this concept of fellowship to mean that all the early Christians drove Hondas. And I understand where they’re coming from. The text does say (elsewhere in numerous places in and throughout the book of Acts) they were all in one Accord. However (like good Biblical scholars) I think we need to put that word against the backdrop of it’s historical context. Because when we do, we see that the word here actually means has to do with the kind of “fellowship” they shared with one another.

One Accord: OT— [In the Old Testament, the phrase in one accord is always used to describe unanimous participation in a particular action. In Joshua 9:2, the pagan kings “gathered themselves together to fight with one accord against Joshua and Israel” (LEB). Speaking of the conversion of heathen nations, Zephaniah 3:9 says, “For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD and serve him with one accord” (ESV){, which in the Hebrew is}…translated…literally…“with one shoulder.” It likely comes from the practice of yoking oxen together for plowing. The NIV translates the idea with a similar English expression, “shoulder to shoulder.”] So we are to be one of shoulder with one another.

One Accord: NT— Now [In the New Testament, in one accord is used to emphasize the internal unanimity{/unity} of a community. In Acts 12:20, that community is “the people of Tyre and Sidon” who are angry with Herod. In Acts 8:6, it describes the crowd of people who are listening to Philip’s teachings: “And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did” (ESV). It illustrates how the community of Christian believers worshiped, prayed, and fellowshipped together (Acts 1:14; 2:46; 4:24; 5:12; Romans 15:6).]

Koinonia— Now we use the word fellowship often merely to describe social activities in the context of congregational life.] If it happens in our Fellowship Halls at Church, then it must be fellowship, right? Well, often that is the case. But the word here that we translate “fellowship” is the Greek [word koinonia {and it} signifies oneness or commonality—true community. (The adjective form of the word is found in 2:44: the believers “had all things in common [koina].”] And this type of community takes things to a whole new level because fellowship was more than just their talking together, joking together, or even just about discussing the latest sermon. No, it was about being united in mind, body, and spirit with one another as they were united with Christ. You will remember how [Jesus prayed that his followers would be one with Him and the Father, just as He and the Father are one (John 17:11, 21-23; 1 John 1:3, 6, 7).] Now we could spend weeks just beginning to unpack what that means. But suffice it to say, this kind of koinonia fellowship goes so much deeper; so much higher than what we typically mean by fellowship and is in fact the key to moving not only individuals, but the whole body of Christ on into maturity and fruitfulness. It is not just a group of people having a good time together; no, it is a common bond that drives that group to complete a desired task. This is why the NIV sometimes translates koinonia as “partnership” (which we see in Philippians). It is kind of like a sports-team; it is task-driven; it is goal-oriented. It is a kind of fellowship that exists when all who partake in that fellowship are driven to fulfill the same task; to accomplish the same goal. Now there may be some disagreements at times (and we will read of some of them here in Acts) but these early Christians were able to work through those growing pains because they were focused on the prize. They shared this like-minded desire to attain the prize. And so they learned to work together and utilize each other’s gifts because (to put it bluntly) THERE’S A GAME TO WIN!!!! THERE’S A MISSION TO ACCOMPLISH!!!! Souls (people’s eternities) were depending on their unity and strength.

Our Unity— And you know, the same is true today, which is why I think Satan is working overtime to try to divide and even fracture the Church by sowing division. And some of those issues are displayed in how we are reacting to Covid-19. Do we wear masks or do we not wear masks? Do we open our Church doors again or do we stay closed? Do we challenge a government that in so many ways has set itself against Christianity? Or do we practice submission to authority? Or do we do both? And so many people have different opinions on this; and I find myself amongst a group of Church leaders and pastors who honestly are trying to please people on both sides of the spectrum. But what concerns me the most (and I thing what concerns God the most) is whether or not we are keeping centered on His Word; and on maintaining the kind of unity with one another that Christ Himself prayed for; where instead of looking out for our own wants and desires, we are compassionately looking to meet the needs of those around us. What the world sees of Christ during these tumultuous days is greatly dependent how we choose to deal with these crises we are currently facing. Will we allow them to divide us; or will we stand together as the single body of Christ?

Remaining Devoted— This passage’s challenge for us today is to remain devoted to sound teaching and to the preservation of the fellowship. If we can do that, then not just us (but the whole world) will come out of this more blessed and much stronger for having experienced Christ in us. Let’s remain devoted to sound teaching and to the fellowship. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. It’s so good to have you with us as we continue to embark on our journey together through the book of Acts.

The Meaning of Life— Today’s topic is on the meaning of life. Now that may seem a little too ambitious of a topic to cover in such a short radio segment. But actually for the Christian, the question of the meaning of life is not all that complicated. In fact, you can sum up the meaning of life in three very simple statements. 1) To know and receive God’s love for you made available through Christ Jesus, 2) to allow that love to enable you to love Him with all of who you are through the Holy Spirit, and 3) to join with God in His work (which on earth is focused primarily on making disciples of all nations). Those three elements constitute the meaning of life. And note that God is foundational to all three of those. He’s not just one of many categories. No, all the things we consider dear to us (friends, family, personal fulfillment, our sexuality, our future) all fit under and are rooted in one or more of those categories: Receiving God’s love for us through Christ, loving Him wholeheartedly in return in the Holy Spirit, and joining His work (which on earth involves making disciples of all nations).

Building On Each Other— But notice how each of these builds upon the other. You cannot have a heart broken for the world until you have a heart like Christ’s. And you cannot have a heart like Christ’s until you love Him with all of who you are. And you cannot love Him with all of who you are without first recognizing and receiving His own love for you. And so knowing God’s love for you; that’s the starting point. And that is where Peter begins here in his first sermon here in Acts chapter 2; he begins with the death of Jesus at the hands of the very people that he’s preaching to. Christ died for them and (even though they killed Him) Peter promises a path of forgiveness which must have sounded unthinkable; that God would ever forgive us for killing His Son. But Peter promises that not only will God forgive, but will also pour out His Spirit on those who receive Christ. It says in…

Acts 2:38-39 (ESV)— 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

Is Our Love Enfleshed?— And so the first step of salvation is receiving the love and forgiveness of God made available to us in Christ Jesus. That is the starting point of salvation. Because once we receive His love for us and the Holy Spirit enters into our lives, then the Holy Spirit can enable us to love God with all of who we are. And if we then love God with all of who we are, then out of that relationship with God will also come a love for others that will drive us to share the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them, so that they too might experience the love of God and the transformation He can bring to their lives. But if there is no evangelistic drive in our hearts, then there is something wrong in one of those three areas, even if you might feel that deep down you really do care about the lost. Because a true love for God will always work itself out in loving and ministering to others. There cannot be an inward work without producing external fruit. That is why when Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, He met with such resistance from Peter. Was Peter too humble to have Jesus wash his feet? Is that why he said, “Lord, you will never wash my feet.”? Maybe. But what is more likely is that Peter recognized the power and the implications of what was happening to him. And Jesus points this out. He says…

John 13:14-15 (ESV)— 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.

Does Love Move Us Into Mission?— And so we see that our service, our love, and our mission of evangelism is the outflow of what Christ first did for us. It says in…

1 John 4:19 (ESV)— 19 We love because he first loved us.

Compassion Enfleshed— We are called to make disciples of all nations because Christ first loved us enough to make us disciples of Him. We are to be shepherds of other peoples’ souls because He first shepherd our souls. So the question is “have we (in our own lives) experienced God’s transforming love in such a way so as to move us into joining with Him in making disciples of all nations? Are we moved? Is our love and compassion an active love and compassion?” Just as Jesus had to become enfleshed in order to become God’s instrument of love in our lives, so also our love and compassion need to become enfleshed by what we actually say and do. Because it is in-so-far as our love is enfleshed and lived out that it really becomes real.

Screwtape’s Concentric Circles— Now Satan doesn’t want our love to become real; He wants to keep it in the realm of our feelings; in our minds. C.S. Lewis stresses this so strongly in his book The Screwtape Letters. In it he describes a Christian as being a set of three circles; each inside the other. The innermost circle is our will (our actions), the next circle out being the intellect/mind, and then the outer circle as our imagination (or fantasy). Now what Satan’s strategy is is not to eliminate our love and compassion, but merely to paralyze them. Lewis says that while there is always going to be kindness in a Christian’s soul no matter what he does, he says that what Satan does is he tries to get us to move that kindness from our immediate neighbors whom we meet every day and to push our kindness out to groups of people in general (in a non-personal sense), and then eventually into the realm of fantasy. And Lewis is right on point here; and he masterfully points out that it is only in so far as the virtues in our life reach the will and are there embodied in habits that they actually become a threat to Satan.

Loving Mankind But Not Liking Men— You know, someone once pointed out how [a philanthropist {(a person who seeks the welfare of others)} may give money and/or time to help humanity but then treat individual men and women like dirt, loving mankind but not liking {individual} men {or women}. Charles Dickens paints a picture of such a person in Mrs. Jellyby, one of his memorable characters in Bleak House. Mrs. Jellyby is working on starting a philanthropic project at "Borrioboola-Gha, on the left bank of the Niger {River}.” And this engages her attention to the extent that, in her first scene in the book, one of her children gets his head caught in a railing and another tumbles down the stairs — yet she never notices. Dickens says her eyes seem "to look a long way off. As if . . . they could see nothing nearer than Africa!" {Now there’s nothing wrong with missions to Africa. That’s not his point. His point was that} She loves the idea of serving mankind corporately, but she fails to serve even her own children individually.]

Fantasy Love— Now I say all of this because many Christians (myself included); we love the idea of ministry and missions generally or corporately, but not individually; with our hands and our feet (which is what we see here in this early fellowship (koinonia) of the early Church. For many Christians today, it’s all in the mind. But it needs to get to the hands and the feet. But it can’t do that without first going through the heart. Until your heart is united with Christ, it will never be broken for the lost as His heart was broken for you. It is having the heart of Christ that moves us to reach a dying world.

God Loved Us With His Will— God doesn’t love you corporately or in a general sense. No, He loved (and still loves you) individually. Seeing you redeemed was more than a nice idea in His head. No, His love became enfleshed. He entered into our sickness; into our death; He washed our feet; He touched our wounds; and He even allowed Himself to be executed on our behalf in order to pay for our sins. God’s love for us was enfleshed in the provision of Jesus for our sins!

Isaiah 53:5 (ESV)— 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

Are We Desperate— And so the question is, what about our love. Is our love enfleshed in the lives of those around us? If it is Godly love, then it has to be. Are we desperate enough to see those around us find Christ? Are we willing enough to change our environment; to change our profession; to leave our worldly dreams behind in order to become instruments of salvation in another person’s life?

John 1:14 (ESV)— 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Not Ritual, But Heart Change— It is so interesting how often, when I am talking with a person about their faith, when I ask about their relationship with Christ, how they will tell me how often they go to Church; or how they grew up in the Church; or when or where they were baptized. And you know, that bothers me because that is Pharisee talk; that is “Hey, I’ve got the temple; I’ve done the rituals; I am impervious to the judgment of God.”

When It Becomes Real— Let me tell you, while all those things are important, they will not do you one whit of good if you have not allowed God to touch you in the realm of your heart. It is when He touches your heart that everything becomes real; when you come to realize His love for you. Because then that love moves you to love Him with all of who you are (with a united; whole; complete heart); and then finally that love for Him moves you to seek to join with Him in His work. It all starts with the heart. The question is, has the Gospel truly reached our hearts? Because when it does, living out the Great Commission becomes as natural as breathing; because we will not be able to contain the love we have found in Christ Jesus. The question is "Are we there yet? What circle does our love fall into? Has your inner circle been touched by the Holy Spirit?

Change Me— I want to encourage you today, if you have not yet experienced the kind of transformation we’ve been talking about, ask for the Holy Spirit to apply (or to apply anew) the death and resurrection of Christ to your life. Tell the Holy Spirit that you (now, in this moment) want to give full control of your life to Him. Ask Him to make you altogether new. If you receive that work of grace in your life today, every corner of your life will be forever changed and there will be no telling the lives that will be touched for the Kingdom of God. Please do so. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. In our study of the book of Acts we have been talking about the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, where the disciples of Christ were anointed with the Holy Spirit and given the gift to speak in other known tongues so that ALL might understand the Gospel and have it speak through their own mother-tongues (their heart languages) so that it might touch and resonate with them at the deepest possible level. And a crowd gathers because of this mighty outpouring and they want to know what all of this means. So Peter has been explaining how this coming of the Holy Spirit proves that Jesus (whom they crucified) was indeed the Messiah because Jesus had foretold that all this would happen following His ascension. And Peter goes on to show from the Old Testament how Jesus is the fulfillment of all the prophecies of the Messiah they had been waiting for. And it says…

Acts 2:37-41 (ESV)— 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Church on Fire— [When trying to motivate Christians, Billy Sunday used to speak graphically of the well-known village atheist, who was seen running vigorously to a burning church building, intent on joining with others in subduing the flames. A neighbor, observing him, exclaimed facetiously, “This is something new for you! I never saw you going to church before.” “Well,” the atheist replied, “this is the first time I have ever seen a church on fire.”] OUCH!!!!

The Source of Spiritual Power— Some time ago I was asked a very difficult and troubling question by someone. And that was: Why is it that the Church (at least in America) seems to be losing its ability to affect culture; at least to the degree it has in times past? And you know that is an excellent question, especially as we talk about Pentecost; when the Holy Spirit came and birthed the Christian Church. And you saw so much change; this upheaval of culture. We look and see the explosion of growth that took place in the early church; how people were changed; how communities were changed; how cities were won; then nations; and eventually much of the world. Christianity spread like an uncontrollable wildfire. But now often we find ourselves struggling to maintain the ground we already have, much less gaining new ground. And the ground we have seems to be slipping away day by day. What is the source of spiritual power and how can we have a fresh outpouring of that power so that we can start gaining more ground?

Relationship With The Spirit— First of all, the key to having spiritual power lies in our relationship to the One from whom spiritual power comes; the Spirit of God. When the Holy Spirit came, He consecrated the Christian Church, setting it apart as holy unto God. It was no longer conformed to the pattern of the world, but became conformed to the image of Christ. It was in and through the Church’s being set apart to Christ and conforming to His image that it found its spiritual power. So the question comes down to this: “Are we truly consecrated to Christ?” Do our minds, our hearts, our patterns of behavior, our use of finances, and especially our use of time reflect a life consecrated unto God? Does what I fill my mind with build me as a Christian or steal the opportunity for God to give me something truly good.

Time— As a pastor, I have found that one of the chief causes of relational discord between couples is caused by a breakdown in communication. When we cease to communicate and give of our time, we lose closeness and intimacy with our spouses. And this is true in our relationship with God as well. I am finding more and more that the most sacred and important thing we can give God is our time; time in the Word; time in prayer; time in communal worship and fellowship. In and through these means of grace we are brought into the very presence of God; and it is in His presence that we discover His power made available to us in Christ Jesus. That is what these early Christians were discovering as it says in…

Acts 2:42-47 (ESV) The Fellowship of the Believers— 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Being Consecrated— Now we will explore these practices more in the coming weeks. But the bird’s-eye message I want you to catch today is that these disciples lived life in such an incredible way as a result of a personal encounter with the Holy Spirit. And these verses give us a window into the hearts of what was driving these early believers; an energy and excitement that flowed out of their being consecrated to Jesus Christ.

The Individual— Let’s go back to the question we asked earlier. How does change (lasting change that can truly transform culture) take place? Well, it comes through Christians who have consecrated themselves (who have set themselves apart) from the world to Christ Jesus. And that begins on a personal level; with the individual. A man who has had an incredible impact on my life in and through his preaching and his writing is Dr. Dennis Kinlaw. Of all devotionals I have used over the years, his devotional This Day With The Master is the one I come back to time and time again; because it is both profound and yet simple enough for people like me to understand it. And in it he says this…

People, Not Institutions— “We live in a day when most people believe that institutions are the determining factors. They declare that if we could just change institutions, then we could change society. This is the appeal of the politician. Scripture tantalizes us with the amount of space it devotes to individual people rather than institutions. People seem to be the tools that God uses to bring change. The implication is clear. Ultimately, persons determine institutions; institutions do not determine persons. The decisions that are made deep in the heart of an individual in the intimacy of aloneness with God are the decisions that will be historically significant for deciding the future.”

Personal Consecration— The key to bringing spiritual power back into our churches and lasting change to our culture lies in our first becoming consecrated to God in our own personal lives; making the decision to conform to His image and to receive a new mind, a new heart, and a new nature. And that is something only the Holy Spirit can do.

Awaiting The Spirit— Now I really want to clarify this because Jesus was very adamant that the disciples wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit. And that was (partially) because they did not yet have the spiritual equipment needed to accomplish all that He intended for them to accomplish. Because keep in mind the message of the Gospel is more than just information; about knowing what Christ did on the cross; more than about knowing that He rose from the dead. It’s not just about embracing these doctrinal statements as being true; no, it has to go further than that; to where we experience those realities in our own lives. Yes Jesus died on the cross, but then he tells His disciples (and us) to take up our cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24-25). Yes, He rose from the dead, but (as Colossians 3:1 says) we also have been raised with Christ. Our old self has died with Christ and we are given a new resurrected self. Christ’s death and resurrection are realities that you and I participate in. And the same is true of Pentecost. Pentecost is more than just an important event to remember. It is a present reality.

Not Then, But Now— And that why it is always so dangerous to preach a message on Pentecost, because we always talk about it in the past tense and never allow it to gain access to our present. But Christ wants Pentecost to be every bit as real and present in our lives today as it was then. Christ wants you to have a Pentecost in your home that changes your relationship with your spouse for the better; that enables you to be a better parent; that empowers you to be a spiritual leader in your home; that gives you victory over temptation and keeps you holy in Christ Jesus. Pentecost can happen to any of us right now; if we but remain open for the Holy Spirit to actually apply Christ’s death and resurrection to our own hearts.

An Attractive Love— I’m telling you, it was more than doctrine that drew all these people to become followers of Christ; it was doctrine enfleshed in these disciples; a transformation that was unexplainable except by the mighty work of God that drew all these people to early Christianity. And whether it was through their fellowshipping together, their praying together, their eating together, their compassionate acts of ministry, their selling what they had to meet one another’s needs, the thing that marked these early Christians the most was their absolute love and willingness to serve one another. Now this was a fulfillment of what Jesus had said all the way back in…

John 13:35 (ESV)— 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Love Caused Growth— Well here the world is beginning to witness that love in the lives of the disciples. And that love is making them hungry to know just what all this Jesus business is about. And in discovering the secret, it says (verse 47) And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

A Pentecost for Us— All this because of a personal Pentecost in the lives of each of these disciples. And I want to tell you today that the power of Pentecost is available to you as well. You can have done in your heart and life exactly what happened to these first disciples. All it takes is a willingness to surrender your life to Christ. So let us surrender to Him today. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. I am so glad you could join us today as we continue our study of the book of Acts. You will remember that last week we talked about the Holy Spirit’s coming at Pentecost and Peter’s explanation to the crowds of what they were witnessing. And it is that explanation that Peter continues in our passage today. He says in…

Acts 2:22-35 (ESV)— 22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him, “‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; 26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. 27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ 29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, 35 until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

How It Happened— Now the first part of Peter’s focus here was on what was happening. The Holy Spirit had come. And next [He explained how it happened: Jesus was alive]. Now Jews and proselytes to Judaism had come from all over the empire to celebrate Passover; and many of them stayed for Pentecost as well. And so everybody there was keenly aware of the events in and surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus. They had heard of His miracles, and had known (and in some cases witnessed) His arrest, His trial, and His crucifixion. Many of them had no doubt heard of the empty tomb, though the religious leaders had put out an official statement that Jesus’ disciples had stolen Jesus’ body in order to convince people that He had been raised from the dead as He said He would be. But Peter counteracts that statement with four major proofs of the resurrection:

Proof 1: The Person of Jesus (vv. 22-44)— And the first of these regarded the person of Jesus Himself. The people knew that Jesus was a teacher from Nazareth who had performed many signs and miracles. And those signs pointed to who He is. You will remember that Nicodemus (a member of the Sanhedrin) acknowledged this all the way back in John 3:2 when he said: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

They Were Witnesses— And so this crowd is filled with witnesses to many of these signs as well, and to what and how Jesus had taught (with that amazing divine authority). These things were not done in a corner (as Paul states clearly to Festus and King Agrippa in Acts 26:26). Everyone could see that God’s hand was on Jesus in a special way. And yet (as Peter reminds them) Jesus died (which would ordinarily look like defeat). But Peter (interestingly) describes Jesus’ death in terms of pain/pangs (meaning “birth pangs”) thereby [suggesting that the tomb was a “womb” out of which Jesus was “born” in resurrection glory (see Acts 13:33).]

Proof 2: The Prophecy of David (vv. 25-31)— Now [Peter’s second proof was the prophecy of David (vv. 25–31). He quoted Psalm 16:8–11 {(which talks about One who was released from the power of death;)}, verses that obviously could not apply to David, who {at this time} was already dead and buried. {Rather, what Peter says is that David was a prophet; and} Being a prophet of God, David wrote about the Messiah, that His soul would not remain in hades (the realm of the dead) or His body in the grave where it would decay.] So (as always) there is a pointing back to the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. The Old Testament supports the resurrection of the Messiah.

Proof 3: The Witness of The Believers (v.33)— Now [The third proof {Peter offered} was the witness of the believers (v. 33) {themselves}], who (think about it) had just spent 40 days with a resurrected Jesus. Now you can say they were all hallucinating a resurrected Lord. Some modern theories suggest that there was a certain type of hallucinogenic mushroom that all of them were smoking (I’m not kidding) that caused this group hallucination. But any psychiatrist will tell you that people rarely hallucinate the same thing (and certainly not all at the same time). And here we would be talking about 120 believers all hallucinating the same thing simultaneously. And this is further complicated by the fact that the disciples were not even expecting Jesus to rise from the dead and had to themselves be convinced that it was true (Mark 16:9–14; Acts 1:3). And they had nothing to gain and really everything to lose (facing official opposition and even imprisonment and death) for embracing and teaching a resurrected Christ. So why would they do this if they knew it to be false? While there have been people throughout history who sacrificed themselves on the basis of false information, few (if any) did so knowing their belief to be false; and that’s the difference. But that is what the disciples would have been doing if they had stolen the body. Nobody does that. And so all this points to the reliability of the disciples as credible witnesses. They can be trusted! And this is further evidenced by their message being backed up (repeatedly) by miracles in and throughout the book of Acts, which we will see as we proceed.

Proof 4: The Presence of The Holy Spirit (vv. 33-35)— Now the fourth proof Peter offers is what the people are here experiencing: [the presence {and power} of the Holy Spirit (vv. 33–35). Follow his logic. {Peter is saying that} If the Holy Spirit is in the world, then God must have sent Him. The prophet Joel (whom we mentioned last week) promised that one day the Spirit would come, and Jesus Himself had promised to send the gift of the Holy Spirit to His people (Luke 24:49; John 14:26; 15:26; Acts 1:4). But if Jesus is dead, He cannot send the Spirit; therefore (because the crowds can see the Holy Spirit at work) He must be alive. Furthermore, Jesus could not send the Spirit unless He had returned to heaven to the Father (John 16:7); so, Jesus has ascended to heaven! To back up this statement, Peter quoted Psalm 110:1 {(which talks about One who would sit at the right hand of God)}, a verse that certainly could not be applied to David (note Matt. 22:41–46).] So Peter’s conclusion is clear. Jesus is the Messiah, He had risen and sits at the right hand of God, and has sent the Holy Spirit.

Seeker-Friendly or Confrontational?— Now there is a lot of discussion among many churches today about how to be more seeker-friendly; how to make your church a place new people will feel comfortable and safe. And the one thing they say you never ever want to do is sound judgmental or condemning. Why? Because you might offend someone and they won’t come back; and if they don’t come back, how will they ever find a relationship with Jesus? But I love this first sermon of the Christian Church that Peter preaches because Peter ignores all that “let’s try to be nice” kind of philosophy and preaches exactly how Jesus Himself had preached. His message directly confronted their sin. Now in verse 23 Peter says (basically) “Jesus is your Messiah, but you crucified Him!” And he says again in…

Acts 2:36 (ESV)— 36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Not General, But Specific— Now he could have presented this message in a general sense. He could have said that the cross was the place where Christ (as the sinless lamb of God) died as a substitute for the sins of the whole world. But no; Peter doesn’t gloss over the painful reality of how personal all of this was. They (Israel) killed their own Messiah. That (more than the any other atrocity every committed; greater than the holocaust; greater than any mass extermination ever committed on this planet); nothing even compares to what Peter said these men and women did. They killed the Son of God! Can you imagine preaching a message like that? Peter did. Why? Because it is often only when we come to grips with the full weight of our sin that we are willing to then seek forgiveness and restoration from that sin. Niceness doesn’t save people. A Gospel watered down to not offend anyone can’t save people. It is only through Christ crucified for you and for me that we can be saved. And that is why we also need to be confronted by the fact that it was for our sins that held him there on the cross.

The Soldier’s Hand— One movie that has had a great impact on the world is The Passion of The Christ, a film directed by Mel Gibson. But one interesting behind-the-scenes fact about that movie is that while the crucifixion scene was being filmed, and the soldier was getting ready to drive the nail through the hand of Jesus, the camera moved to a closeup shot of the soldier’s hand. But it was actually Mel Gibson’s own hand that hammered the nail into Jesus. And Mel Gibson wanted to drive home the point (literally) that all of us are responsible for the death of the Son of God.

Now the people here (after hearing Peter) have happen to them exactly what always happens when the Gospel is presented as it is meant to be presented. It says in…

Their Season of Grace— Now unfortunately we don’t have the rest of Peter’s sermon. But it’s core message was one of repentance. Believe, repent, be baptized as a sign of that repentance and come and follow Christ. And we see that for these first Christians, it meant radical change; a change in their hearts; a change in their minds (through the Holy Spirit) that re-oriented the entire way they did life. And we will explore this more in the coming weeks. But God’s message to you and to me today is exactly the same. Peter said to the people “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” (v.40) You will remember that during Israel’s 40-year banishment in the wilderness, [the new generation “saved itself” from the older generation that rebelled against God.] [{And similarly here}…the nation {of Israel} would have about forty years before Rome would come and destroy the city and the temple and scatter the people. History was repeating itself.] And yet God was giving grace (another forty year period) to repent, believe, and be saved. And we see here that three thousand people did so.

Our Season of Grace— Now you and I are in another season of grace. And from the signs of the times it looks like that time of grace is coming to an end. God’s judgment is coming. And so now is the time to examine ourselves and ask ourselves, "Have we truly repented; have we truly let go of all our sin and chosen to follow Christ with all of who we are. Have we embraced the Spirit-filled life? If not, or if you are not sure, then Peter’s message of believing, repenting, and following Jesus is for you today. Tell Christ that you are giving your sins to Him today, that you receive His forgiveness, and that you (with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength) will follow Him. If you commit to do that today; if you give yourself to Christ like that, the Holy Spirit will enter into your life and your life will be altogether changed; altogether new. If you haven’t done that, do it today. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim.

In our study of the book of Acts last week we talked about the outbreaking of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, where the disciples of Christ were anointed with His presence and given the gift to speak in other known languages so that ALL might understand the Gospel and have it speak through their own mother-tongues (their heart languages) so that it might touch and resonate with them at the deepest possible level. And we will continue speaking about the giving of the Holy Spirit today. Now this event naturally drew a crowd, many of which immediately recognized that something supernatural was taking place. And so naturally they wanted an explanation. And some hecklers try to write off this phenomenon as being the drunken ravings of these supposedly intoxicated disciples. It says in…

Acts 2:13 (ESV)— 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

Divine Inebriation— Now it is ironic that the mockers of the crowd should accuse the believers of being drunk, because of how completely opposite being drunk is from the filling of the Holy Spirit. During ancient times people saw drunkenness as a way of connecting with the spiritual world. We remember from our study of the book of Esther how much alcohol permeated the culture and dramatically affected countless people. The king banished Vashti while in a drunken stupor. And that was because [{as} The Greek historian Herodotus explained…the Persians drank as they deliberated matters of state (cf. 3:15 ), believing that intoxication put them in closer touch with the spiritual world.] And that is likely what King Ahasuerus was doing with his leadership as they were preparing to march against Greece. They thought you could be more spiritual by being drunk. And when we look at many of the [ancient writers, especially the Jewish philosopher Philo, {we find that they in fact} depicted divine inspiration as a form of spiritual inebriation.] Now I want to stress this to you because there is a tendency (even today) to see being filled with the Holy Spirit to be kind of like getting high. Rather than a focusing of the mind on God; an engagement of your mental faculties on Him and His truth, it is sometimes seen as an emptying of the mind (like pagan meditation) in order to connect yourself with the spiritual flow of the universe, as in many of the religions of the Orient. Now I’m not saying that alcohol is always involved, but the reason it sometimes is is because it supposedly gets the mind out of the way so that your spirit can more easily connect with the flow of the universe. That is what eastern meditation is largely about. Yoga is an excellent example of this. Emptying the mind and putting your body in pagan positions of worship to allow the flow of the universe to flow through your body more easily. In China, there is the art of Feng-Shue, which is all about ordering everything (your life, your home, your country) in such a way so as to allow the Chi of the universe to flow through it most easily. Buildings are often constructed with Chi in mind. In fact (I kid you not) there are buildings in China with holes in the middle of them as part of their construction that were designed with Chi in mind, so that the Chi could more easily flow through the building.

Star Wars Theology— George Lucas, in creating Star Wars, drew heavily from these eastern pagan religions when developing his concept of the force. In the very first Star Wars film, there is a famous conversation between the Old Jedi Knight Obi-wan Kenobi and the young Luke Skywalker. And Luke asks Obi-wan about the force. And Obi-wan says, “The force is what gives a Jedi his power. It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.” Now that is eastern pagan philosophy. That’s why Darth Vader’s helmet (if you notice) is shaped exactly like the headdress of a Samurai. George Lucas admitted that this is because he is a Samurai; obviously one who has embraced the dark side of the Chi (the “yin” vs. the “yang”).

Full-Mindedness— But all this is deeply pagan and at complete odds with what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God. Aside from the fact that the Holy Spirit is a person; not an impersonal force, rather than an emptying of the mind, Christians are to fill their minds with God’s Word and to meditate on what it says about God. It is an active thoughtfulness. And drunkenness (and any supposed enlightenment that drunkenness might produce) is part of a larger system that is at odds with Christianity to the core. This is why Paul places the two in contrast in…

Ephesians 5:18 (ESV)— 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

Self-Control— When a person is inebriated, he/she loses control and ends up doing things they would normally be ashamed of doing. Think of Noah; how he became uncovered in his tent after becoming drunk. Think of Lot’s daughters, who made their father drunk and committed incest with him; and they became pregnant with Moab (father of the Moabites) and Ben-ammi (father of the Ammonites). Interesting to think how two of the greatest persecutors of Israel came out of a man’s decision to allow himself to become drunk. However, a person who is filled with the Holy Spirit of God is characterized by self-control; a self-control that brings glory to God (Galatians 5:23). And though alcohol may give you a temporary exhilaration, the Holy Spirit can give you lasting joy; lasting fulfillment. Now at the suggestion of the gift of tongues being an alcohol-induced thing, Peter immediately stands up and denounces this false judgement. It says…

Acts 2:14-15 (ESV)— 14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.

9:00am— Now the Jewish day starts at 6:00am, so it was only 9:00am. People don’t usually drink at that hour and [Orthodox Jews did not eat or drink before nine a.m. on the Sabbath or on a holy day, nor did they usually drink wine except with meals.] So Peter immediately shows how that explanation does not make sense. Plus drunken people babble, a word that comes from Babel, where language was initially confused. But here (as we mentioned last week) we see a reversal of Babel. There is understanding; there’s coherence (nothing like a drunken stupor). And so Peter says in…

Acts 2:16-21 (ESV)— 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: 17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; 20 the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. 21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Joel Not Fulfilled— Now it is important to note that Peter was not saying that Pentecost was a fulfillment of this prophecy given in Joel, at least in its entirety. The signs and wonders Joel here describes have not yet come about. We see in its original context that Joel was not writing about Pentecost but rather the nation of Israel in the end times, in connection with “the day of the Lord.” Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit has led Peter to see in this prophecy a present application for the Church. Peter said, “This is that same Holy Spirit that Joel wrote about. He is here!” Now that would have been astonishing for these Jews to hear because they had been under the impression that God’s Spirit was only for a select and privileged few. And yet here they were witnessing [120 of their fellow Jews, men and women, enjoying the blessing of the same Holy Spirit that had empowered Moses, David, and the prophets.]

The Desire of Moses— You will remember that when Israel set out from Mount Sinai to go to the promised land, the people started to complain about the manna they were tired of eating and began hungering for the food of Egypt; and God became angry with them. And Moses also was tired of their grumbling and complained to God about his having to care for all these grumblers. And so God tells Moses what to do. It says in…

Numbers 11:24-29 (ESV)— 24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. 25 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it. 26 Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” 29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”

A New Age of The Spirit— You see, Moses had a dream; and that dream (which was also God’s dream), was to see a people (a community) anointed by the Spirit of God and being used by God as His instruments to reach a lost and broken world. You see Moses saw the power of what was happening. And His heart began crying out for that reality to be experienced by all of God’s people. And then later down the road comes this incredible prophecy from Joel about the Spirit of God being poured out on all flesh. Moses’ dream would be fulfilled! Now while the full prophecy of Joel is yet to be fulfilled, we see that the arrival of the Holy Spirit has come. [It was indeed the dawning of a new age, the “last days”] in which God has put His Spirit upon men and women to minister to them, to prepare them for the coming of the Kingdom of God (which means enabling them to live lives like Christ; lives of victory over sin), and also empowering them to complete Jesus’ commission of reaching the world with the Good News of the Gospel of Christ. And that presence of the Holy Spirit of God is available to all who come to faith in Jesus Christ. When we receive Christ, the Holy Spirit comes into our lives and frees us from all worldly entanglements so that we can be like Jesus. Do you want to be like Jesus today. Well that begins by our saying yes to Him and allowing the Holy Spirit into our lives. If you haven’t done that, do so today. Amen.

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Heart Language— You know, I remember after my wife Tanya and I first got engaged many years ago we sat down with our dear mentor, friend, and former professor Dr. Gareth Cockerill, who actually performed our wedding ceremony. And I will never forget one piece of advice he offered me. He told me, “Cameron, one of the things you are probably going to want to do is you’re going to want to learn to speak Tanya’s native language.” He understood that she could speak English fluently, but he said, “The reason you want to do this is because her original language (and this is true of anybody’s native language); her native language is the language of her heart.” He said, “If you want to speak her heart language, you need to learn her native language.” Now I had learned some phrases, but I did not really know her language. But he said there is something about hearing a message (especially an important message like a love message) in your own language that speaks to your heart in such a profound way.

More Than Understanding— And you know, he had a point. Now does the Holy Spirit transcend language? Yes. Can He overcome language barriers. Absolutely. But here in Acts chapter 2 while the Holy Spirit does transcend and overcome the language barrier, I find it interesting that the Holy Spirit doesn’t bypass our language. He didn’t just somehow impress the truth of what the people were hearing upon their hearts to where they just somehow understood what was being said. No, He pay respect to all languages in allowing all people to hear the Gospel in their own native tongues. The scripture is very clear on this point. It says…

Acts 2:5-12 (ESV)— 5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”

Known Languages— Now I’d like to point out that [The listing of specific countries and ethnic groups proves…that these utterances were known human languages.] This was a use of known tongues that brought clarity of understanding, not a mysterious tongue that might cause confusion and division. Some denominations teach that if you do not speak in a heavenly kind of tongue, you are not a genuine Christian and are going to Hell. Tongues is your confirmation from God that you are saved. However, nowhere in scripture does the Bible say that you need to speak in tongues to be saved. Apart from it being listed with the spiritual gifts (which were understood to be distributed differently amongst Christians), the gift of tongues is not required by any of the early church fathers; it isn’t required by any of the creeds of the early church. In fact, if you look at the text, you will find that what might be interpreted as a kind of secret tongue is not mentioned once in the entire account of Pentecost. That kind of tongue; “tongues of… angels”, as referenced only in 1 Corinthians 13:1, (if it comes on the scene at all; at least in the way some say it does) it most certainly doesn’t come on the scene until after the Church has already been established; but even then, that is debatable. More likely Paul is merely using that phrase “tongues of…angels” as a hyperbolic way of saying “eloquent speech”; not an actual heavenly tongue. Now you can disagree on that, and that’s okay. We ought to feel free to disagree with one another without letting issues like this to divide the Church. But no matter where you stand on the gift of tongues, what is not up for debate is how tongues is to be understood in this passage; because Luke is very careful to emphasize the known places (and therefore the known languages) of the people who were hearing the Gospel in their own native tongues.

After The Heart— Now why did God want this? Why not just empower people to be able to understand what the disciples were saying. Well, it’s because (as someone once put it): [one has not really heard the message of the gospel until one has heard it in one’s own language.] God wanted people to not just understand the Gospel cognitively, but for it to be spoken to them in such a way so as to touch their hearts and resonate with them at the deepest possible level. God wanted to speak to their hearts; not just their minds.

Babel’s Undoing— Now there is another element to all of this; and it has to do with the ancient city of Babel. You will remember the story of the Tower of Babel in the Old Testament. And that is a story that very much centers around the rebellious nature of people. Nimrod, if you remember, leads the people into sin by instead of scattering and filling the whole earth (as God had commanded) choosing instead to settle in a plain and to erect for themselves a massive ziggurat that would be the center of their society and worship. It was to be their ladder to God and a symbol of their strength and power. Yet God, interestingly comes down to see the tower (which in itself is humorous; that He has to step down) and decides to frustrate their language. And so He does; He confuses the language of the people, which is why we speak so many various languages today. So you have rebellion which leads to a fracturing of our very language. But here in Acts 2, immediately after the Holy Spirit enters into the life of the Church, there is a reversal of Babel. And I think what God may be doing (at least in part) is He’s giving us a visual sign that the inner rebellion of man has now been cleansed by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit of God. It was an outward sign of an inward work; and one that foreshadowed a day in which that fracturing of language which was caused by that rebellion will be altogether restored and we will all speak the same language; the language of the Spirit, which will be the cultural language of heaven.

Healing Our Rebellion— And so the miracle we see here is more than just audible; it is a sign of an inner transformation of the lives of the disciples. The Holy Spirit isn’t just an anointing power to help make our evangelism effective. No, He is a Person of God who comes into our lives in order to mold and reshape us; to purify and refine us. Tongues happened here in Acts chapter 2 because when the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, He cleanses us of that pride and self-will that was the cause of that language break to begin with. And God knew that the disciples would never be able to impact the world the way He wanted them to without their first experiencing the cleansing, holy-making power of the Holy Spirit. And the same is true of us. If we are to be true Christians, then we must allow the Holy Spirit of God to set us apart completely to Him. And that involves full surrender.

Remote Access— When we visited my wife’s mom and sister in Ukraine a number of years ago, one of the things that we brought for them was a computer; a computer that we hoped would open up their world and allow them to communicate with friends and family more easily. And it did. But teaching them how to use the computer was an interesting process because they had never used one before. And Tanya’s sister would sometimes click on something and something would pop up and she would not know what it meant or what she should do. Now when I was there, it was very easy for me to simply fix whatever issue she had as it arose. But now that I am back here in the U.S., fixing her computer is much less straightforward. But there is a tool that I use to help us overcome that problem. It is a program on my computer and hers that (when I initiate it) will cause a code to appear on her screen. And when she gives me that code over the phone and I put it into my program, that program gives me full control over her computer. My screen changes and shows what is on her screen. And I control everything her computer does. But she has to give me that code. If she doesn't then I can’t access her computer and I cannot fix her problem.

Our Access Code— You know, I find our walk in the Spirit to be very similar. We receive a new element in our hearts upon conversion; we receive the Person of the Holy Spirit. He is given to us as God's means through which He can access all the dysfunction in our hearts. But we have to give God the go-ahead; we have to give Him the code; we have to say, “Lord, you can assume full control over my life.” It is only then that we can become true disciples and also true missionaries of the Gospel.

A White Funeral— I remember a phone call I had several years ago with my Grandmother on my dad’s side, who began talking with me about my late Grandfather’s life and ministry. And she began telling me about his early days in and around the time he was in seminary. And she told me that he would go out in evangelistic groups into the community to share the Gospel. But before their leader would send them out, he would always tell them, “Make sure that before you go out that there is nothing that you have not surrendered to Jesus. Make sure that there is nothing you are holding back.” Now that had an enormous impact on my Grandfather, who realized that sin that was not dealt with in his own life could affect both his anointing to preach the Gospel and also the ability of the people he would be ministering to to receive it. And so he began learning about and pursuing a life of holiness before God. And it was during this time that my Grandfather had his experience of entire sanctification, where he fully surrendered all of who He was to Jesus and committed to walking in the Spirit and to allowing the Holy Spirit to empower him to live a holy life. And (from the many conversations I had with him over the years) one thing I realized was that that surrender to the Holy Spirit was not about trying to muscle out sin. That would never be how he would describe it. For him it meant that the Holy Spirit created in him such a love for Jesus, there wasn’t room for anything else. And looking back, in talking about the moment he chose to fully surrender himself to Christ (it was too sacred for him to talk about often; but when he did) he described it as his “white funeral”; a death, yes; but a glorious death; the day he died to himself; when he learned to hold nothing back from Jesus; when he emptied his hands of everything so that he could embrace Christ fully.

Embracing Surrender— Now let me tell you; that is the work that God wants most to perform in your life and in mine lives. And I’m sorry to say many people (Christians included) can go years; even decades in the Church without ever knowing the wonder of what it means to live a life fully given over to Jesus Christ; and the life and freedom that comes from that. That is why I want to encourage you today to commit yourself to Christ and to living a life of surrender to the Holy Spirit; choose to be entirely His. When we do, we give God the access code to our hearts; and He can do great things in us; and He can do great things through us. Let us embrace that surrender today. May we come to experience in our lives the fullness of God that comes from the surrender of every area of our lives to Him. And may He use our anointing (our personal Pentecosts) to draw all people unto Himself. Amen.

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Background of Pentecost— Today, as we begin taking a look at Acts chapter 2, we will be talking about the Holy Spirit’s coming at Pentecost. Now when we as Christians think of Pentecost, we immediately think of the day the Holy Spirit was given to God’s people. But Pentecost was already a major Jewish feast that had been celebrated all the way back to the time of Moses when God was first giving the Law to His people. And the reason it’s called “Pentecost” (a word that derives from the Greek for “the fiftieth day”) is because it falls on the fiftieth day after the Feast of the Passover, when the Jews celebrate God delivering His people from death in Egypt. And remember how they were delivered; God had told them to spread lamb’s blood on the sides and tops of the doorframes of their houses. And after that the Lord went through the land to strike down the Egyptians, but he saw the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and passed over those doorways, and would not permit the destroyer to enter their houses and strike down their firstborn. And so only the first-born of Egypt fell; because the blood of a lamb covered God’s people and became the means through which they were delivered from death. Death had passed over; hence the Passover. Now in the opening of the book of Acts what had happened at the prior Feast of Passover was that Jesus had been crucified. In fact He (the Lamb of God) died at the exact hour the Passover lambs were being slaughtered. And in doing this Christ satisfied the requirement of the Law of God; which is fascinating because after the exile the feast of Pentecost became a time when Jews celebrated the giving of the Mosaic law; the very law that Jesus had satisfied by the shedding of His blood on the cross in order that you and I might be delivered from death on a much larger scale; an eternal scale.

Feast of Unleavened Bread— Now the day after Passover you have the beginning of another feast called the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And that feast lasts eight days. During that feast, an offering of the firstfruits of the grain harvest was made and the priest would take a sheaf of grain and wave it before the Lord. Now Leviticus 23:15 commands that that offering to be made on the day after the sabbath. And so [the day the first fruits were offered would always be on a Sunday. Now that provides an apt picture of the Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrection because remember that Jesus was raised from the dead (the scripture says) on the first day of the week and therefore “became the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Cor. 15:20).

Pentecost— Now Pentecost would happen fifty days later and would also fall on a Sunday. And what would happen during this feast was the priest (instead of waving a sheaf of grain) would present two loaves of bread. Now the reason this is significant for our study of Pentecost today is because it was a visual symbol for how the Church (after the baptism of the Holy Spirit) would be united into one body by the Holy Spirit; the body of Christ (who is the Bread of Life).

3 Manifestations— Now here in Acts 2 this outpouring of the Holy Spirit is signaled by three different manifestations. And the first of these is wind. While the disciples were gathered together, it says…

Acts 2:1-2 (ESV)— 1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

Wind/Breath— Now [Spirit in both the Greek (pneuma) and the Hebrew (ruach) describes wind or “breath.” Here, the idea of “wind” captures the impact of the Holy Spirit (John 3:8). Just as man did not exist until the life-giving breath of Almighty God (Gen. 2:7), so the Church did not come alive until God breathed forth the Holy Spirit.] And just as in Ezekiel’s encounter with the wind (the breath) of God bringing dead bones to life (Eze 37:5–14), you and I are lifeless until God breathes His Spirit into us and brings us from death to life.
Fire— Now the second manifestation we see here is fire. It says in…

Acts 2:3 (ESV)— 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.

God’s Presence— Now in scripture [Fire serves as a symbol of the presence of God (Ex. 3:2-5; 13:21; 19:18; 40:38; Isa. 4:5; Ezek. 1:4) and a representation of the Holy Spirit.] God had appeared to Moses in a flaming bush in Exodus 3:2-5; after the Israelites left Egypt it says the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light in Exodus 13:21; Exodus 19:18 says Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And there are countless other examples (God’s appearing as a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch to Abram (Gen 15:17), Elijah on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:20-40), the visions of Isaiah and Ezekiel, etc.). And so fire was symbolic of the presence of God. Now fire does two things. First, it gives light, which is both physical but also spiritual in the mind of the Jew; it is associated with wisdom and understanding. But fire can also be destructive; and so it is often associated with the judgment of God. Sodom and Gomorrah experienced that judgment in a physical sense, but there is also a spiritual judgment by fire as well. John the Baptist had said in…

Matthew 3:11-12 (ESV)— 11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Purifying Fire— Now the righteous don’t need to fear the fire, because instead of destroying them, it purifies them; and so the Holy Spirit is the One who remakes us in the image of and helps us to live like Christ; in purity. And fire can also spread in a powerful way; something which we have seen (especially recently) here on the West Coast. Fire is POWERFUL; and so it is a great symbol by which to characterize the spread of the Early Church, as the apostles spoke with purity and power and multitudes came to faith in Christ.

The Gift of Tongues— Now there was a third manifestation in addition to the wind and the fire. And no, it was not earth. Earth, wind, and fire, that’s something else. But rather the third manifestation was an empowerment of the disciples to speak other known languages. It says in…

Acts 2:4 (ESV)— 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Cultural Shock— Now language is a funny thing. If you don’t have it, it can be a problem. Because nothing can be more frustrating than being unable to communicate what you are trying to communicate or to understand somebody who is not speaking your language. A few years ago my wife and I and the kids took a trip to Ukraine to visit her mom and her sister. And we flew into Detroit and then went from Detroit to Amsterdam (where there were some English speakers). But then we flew from Amsterdam to Ukraine. And boy did everything change. A lot of people were talking, but I could understand very little of what was being said; OR WRITTEN! Suddenly I found myself depending on my wife in a whole new way because without her nothing would have made sense. She became my interpreter, explaining to me what I was seeing and what I was hearing. And during our visit with her mom and sister, she would interpret between us. But even though I couldn’t understand a lot of what was being said, sometimes the emotions were what spoke louder than anything. A smile is the same in every language; tears are the same in every language; laughter doesn't need a translator. And there was plenty of all three, let me tell you. But that tells us something.

Dr. Bill Ury: Our Sameness— Some time ago I was listening to one of my Uncle Dr. Bill Ury’s radio broadcasts. And on this episode of his show The Hour of Holiness he was talking about evangelism and the role that each and every one of us has to play in the evangelism process. He talked a lot about the fear we often face; the intimidation we feel whenever we feel God nudging us in the direction of witnessing. And though he has been in ministry and Christian education for many many years and has seen countless Christians and ministers, he admitted that there were precious few who seemed to evangelize as if it was purely natural; where they we absolutely 100% in their element and absolutely confident. So often times we are so worried about what people are going to think; and wonder how we are going to present the Gospel in such a way that is relevant to their lives (and to where they can see it. But my uncle then said something that was so simple and yet so insightful. He said that when we approach evangelism, one of the things we have to understand about the people we are sharing the Gospel with is that they are exactly the same as us. He said they are the same; all people are the same as us. Now seeing a person wearing a kimono and dancing to Japanese music with white face paint; or in my case seeing the different styles of dress and different way of life of the people of Ukraine, it is easy to see the differences. But his point was that once you get past the paint; past the clothes; past the cultural differences; when you get right down to the most intimate needs of people, we are absolutely and totally the same. We have the same basic needs. The language of our souls is exactly the same. And when we know the language of the soul, then the door is opened for real change to happen through our ministry and through our witness.

The Language of The Spirit— And that is why one author I read said… [The most important language for communicating the gospel is not the language of culture or of common experience. The true language of the soul is the language of the Spirit.]

The Holy Spirit is Key— And that is why all ministry (if it is to be effective) must be entrenched in the saturating, abiding presence of the Holy Spirit’s anointing. Because if it isn’t, it doesn’t matter if we can speak people’s cultural language or not; our words (by themselves) will have no power to produce in them lasting change. The Holy Spirit is the One who must speak to their hearts. He is the link between our message and their hearts. And that is why you and I need to make sure that we are attuned to Him and His voice, which is always speaking into our lives. We just need to listen; to follow; to keep in step with Him. If we can do that, we will be effective witnesses for the Gospel. Let’s tune ourselves to Him today. Amen.

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Not Just Another Business Meeting— You will remember that last week we explored the nature of how the Jews viewed history; and how deeply they loved and sought to ingrain the Word of God into their hearts and minds. And I wanted to lay that foundation for you because when we come to this point in Acts 1, we see that the eyes of the disciples have been opened to understand in a whole new way the scriptures that they had hidden in their hearts; they now understood them in the light of Jesus Christ and were beginning to see how the entirety of God’s plan fit together and what their own place was in it. And when we understand that, the first board meeting of the Church here in chapter 1 (which we might be tempted at first glance to think of as kind of a boring way to kick off the book of Acts) is really a time of wondrous excitement and purpose. Peter (whose name means “rock”), but who had recently denied Jesus, was now standing in the midst of the company of the disciples and is telling them what the Old Testament means and what their immediate plan of action needs to be. And notice nobody is saying to him, “Who are you to tell us anything, you’re not a rock; you’re a chicken!” Nobody is saying anything like that. Because they know Peter is not just speaking from his own wisdom anymore, which we know rarely worked for him. Rather they acknowledge now that he has been led by God into an understanding of the Word of God; and he is speaking out of that understanding. And that was somebody they were willing to follow. It says in…

Acts 1:15-17 (ESV)— 15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.”

God’s Plan Unhindered— Now the betrayal of Jesus by Judas is a sad story. But what it shows us (and this is key) is that even a betrayal at the most intimate and personal level (the level of a disciple of the Son of God) could do nothing to thwart the plans of God. God’s plan of salvation didn’t miss a beat. And even though it says Satan entered into Judas (twice in scripture it says that), God was able to use even that betrayal to bring about the fulfillment of His plan; the provision of His Son to die on the cross in order to make atonement (to pay for) our sins. Now it says of Judas’ subsequent suicide (after he realized what he had done)…

Acts 1:18 (ESV)— 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out.

Hung vs. Falling— Now the description here of Judas’ death is very graphic; and it is meant to be so. But why is it so different from Matthew’s account? In Matthew’s account we have a different description of Judas' death than what is given to us here. In Matthew it simply says that Judas went out and hung himself (Mt. 27:5). Is it a contradiction (as some people say it is)? Well, not really. Judas apparently had hung himself on a tree next to a cliff (which is very plausible when you consider the topography of the land). And either the rope broke during his initial attempt to hang himself or the body fell after decomposing for a while and then burst open upon hitting the ground.

Why The Variance?— So Luke and Matthew merely emphasize different things. But why? And why does Luke’s emphasis have to be so graphic; so gory? Well remember that Matthew’s account was written to a Jewish audience. And the Jewish mind would have connected Judas being hung with Deuteronomy 21:23, which says “he who is hanged is accursed of God”. And so the emphasis is placed on Judas’ being hung because that is what is going to resonate most deeply with a Jewish audience. However, remember that Luke is a gentile writing to a gentile audience who wouldn’t know the text (at least to the same degree). And you'll remember that the gentiles (especially the Greeks and those influenced by Greek culture, which was pretty much any gentile in the Roman empire) placed an enormous weight of value on the human body. You don’t have to see too much of Greek artwork from that period to understand they pretty much worshiped the body. The body was the picture of perfection in the mind of the Greek. And so for a Greek person to hear of the physical mutilation and destruction of the body of Judas sent home the same emotion a Jew would've felt in hearing about the "hanging" of Judas “on a tree”. So there is no contradiction. Matthew and Luke merely emphasize different details based on who their audience is in order to generate the same gut-wrenching reaction so to speak. Now Peter continues in…

Acts 1:19-20 (ESV)— 19 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “‘Let another take his office.’

12 Witnesses— And so once again Peter, who is looking back at these Old Testament prophecies (which are Ps 69:25 and Ps 109:8), now understands what they are supposed to do in preparation for the building of God’s Church. Peter recognized that they needed another eyewitness to the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. And that’s first of all because people take eyewitness testimony more seriously than other claims. But it was also important because Jesus had chosen twelve disciples as representative of the 12 tribes of Israel. In the mind of the Jew that was a very sacred number. And so it was vital that this renewal movement within Israel be marked by this very important number. So Peter takes the initiative (no doubt with the Holy Spirit’s leading) and says they need to choose another apostle who will help them too represent the 12 tribes of Israel to the world. So he says in…

Acts 1:21-26 (ESV)— 21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

2 Characterizing Words— Now I love how Barsabbas doesn’t mention any problem in the voting system or demand a recount. He doesn’t say, “Fine, you think Matthias is better than me, I’ll find some other place to go down the street.” No, he (along with all of them) accept it as God’s choice. They are unified in this. And that really serves to drive home the point that if you were to characterize the driving force of this early Christian community in two words, those two words would be “unity” and “prayer”. It says in verse 14 that All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

“with one accord”— Now that phrase [“with one accord,” {is} a phrase that is found six times in Acts (1:14; 2:1, 46; 4:24; 5:12; 15:25; and note also 2:44). There was among these believers a wonderful unity that bound them together in Christ (Ps. 133; Gal. 3:28), the kind of unity that Christians need today {(especially now in a time of such disunity in the world)}.] Notice how none of them are asking, “Who is the greatest?” or, “Who committed the greatest sin?”] No, they are simply [praying together, standing together in the Lord, and worshipping together as they wait to be prepared for the work ahead of them.

Achdut— One Jewish man I read recently said that [the one precondition G-d said for every miracle that occurred to the Jewish people, and there was only one thing that was a precondition, is unity, achdut. {He said} From when we stood at Mount Sinai as "one people with one heart," …to the time when Queen Esther told Mordecai to "gather all the Jews together" to fast for her success.… It is in every miracle, in the rescue of Ethiopian Jews, of Russian Jews, of Syrian Jews - achdut is the one thing G-d demands of us and all of us have to work to see that this is the case.] And you know, he’s right. This is why Jesus in His High Priestly prayer in John 17 prays over and over again for His disciples to be one, as He and the Father are one. Well, His prayer is finally being answered. They ARE becoming one; and God is using prayer to do it.

The Disciples Criticized— Now some criticize the disciples for this and say that they should've waited until the Holy Spirit was given rather than choosing an apostle themselves. They say that it would've been better for the Holy Spirit of God to choose an apostle than for them to trust such an important choice to blind chance. But it is important to note that the disciples did not believe that their choice (although made by casting lots) was blind choice. It's as it says in Proverbs…

Proverbs 16:33 (ESV)— 33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.

Not Chance— So they understand that it's not blind chance. They're not just rolling the dice as you and I roll dice in Candyland or any other board game that my kids like to play with me. No, after a season of intense prayer (and that is key) and knowing that God is moving in and through them and would guide their decision, they cast lots.

God Will Lead Us— And similarly when we abide in prayer (both corporately but individually) we can trust that God will lead us to make the right decisions and will move in the way we need Him to. That is why we must always persist in prayer. Prayer we see in the book of Acts was the life-blood of the Early Church. In almost every chapter in Acts you find a reference to prayer, and over and over again we see throughout the book clearly demonstrated the truth that things happen when God’s people pray. This is certainly a good lesson for the church today. {It has been said that} Prayer is both the thermometer and the thermostat of the local church, for the “spiritual temperature” either goes up or down, depending on how God’s people pray. John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim’s Progress, said, “Prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge to Satan.” In the book of Acts, you see prayer accomplishing all of these things.]

The Word, Unity, & Prayer— And so I want to encourage you today (and me as well) let us be a people who are characterized by prayer. And may we (in prayer) be united with one another in such a unity so as to cause us to be a force to be reckoned with as we seek to further the Kingdom of God. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim.

Experiential History— I want to open up today by talking a little bit about history. What is the goal and purpose of history? You know there is so much difference between our western (Greek rooted) way of viewing history and the Biblical (Eastern-rooted) way of viewing history. We see history as a bunch of facts and dates, which is why so many of our young people think that history is boring. And honestly, most of us are not interested in history for that very reason. But the Jewish way of viewing history is vastly different and infinitely more exciting. And that is because when they study history, when they celebrate their chagim (holidays) it is not just about ritual, but committing themselves to experiencing their history, to learn from it, and to allow it to re-shape the way they live their day to day lives.

No Word For History-- I recently learned that in Hebrew there is actually no word for history. The word they use is zechira, which means “remembrance”. And zechira (the act of taking the time to remember) involves not just knowing what happened at any given time, but understanding those things that led to those events and what things came out of those events. And so they believe that it is in our looking back at our history that we begin to understand who we are and our place in God’s overall plan of salvation. And this is what was happening in that 40 day period following Christ's resurrection. Jesus was teaching His disciples about the Kingdom of God, but He was also connecting them back with the Old Testament, showing how He was the fulfillment of all the messianic prophecy’s.

456 Prophecies-- Now, just so you are aware, [In total, there are over 456 prophecies stating specific things that the King {(the Messiah)} would do, and Jesus fulfilled them all right down to the smallest details. {In fact, there are}…twenty-nine prophecies that Jesus fulfilled just in the last twenty-four hours of His life.] How Jesus fulfills prophecy is actually one of the greatest evidences we have of the truth of His claims.

Not Contrived or Accidental-- Now some have argued that Jesus tried to fulfill these prophecies in order to deceive us. The reason that hypothesis falls apart is because when you actually look at the prophecies, you discover that many of those prophecies He fulfilled during (and even prior to) the time He was born, while He was a young child, and also prior, during, and following his execution on the cross; all of which (if He were a mere man) He could have had no say over. Now others suggest that He fulfilled these prophecies by accident; that it is just a coincidence.

Texas Silver Dollars-- But [In his book, Science Speaks, Peter Stoner applies the modern science of probability to just eight prophecies regarding Christ. He says, "The chance that any man might have ...fulfilled all eight prophecies is one in 10 to the 17th. That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000." (one hundred quadrillion) {And just to give us a picture of these odds} Stoner suggests that "we take 10 to the 17th silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state 2 feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly... Blindfold a man and tell him he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up [that one marked silver dollar.] What chance would he have of getting the right one?" Stoner concludes, "Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing those eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man,...providing they wrote them in their own wisdom.”] Now keep in mind that that is JUST 8 PROPHECIES being fulfilled by Jesus. And yet we now know that there are over 456 prophecies that have been fulfilled by Jesus Christ. This is why it is so important for us to study and know these scriptures; because if we know them we can prove that Jesus is who He says He was. And this is exactly what we will see a man named Apollos do later in the book of Acts. It says in…

Acts 18:28 (ESV)-- 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

Peter’s Use of Prophecy at Pentecost-- Peter did this as well. In fact, when we will come to his famous sermon that immediately followed the Holy Spirit’s coming at Pentecost, we will see (a little more in depth) how that sermon is composed primarily of prophecies about Jesus that Peter pulls directly from the Old Testament. And the rest of his sermon is commentary on those passages; him connecting the dots for his Jewish listeners. And this was an exciting thing for the disciples. They understood for the first time how Jesus was the fulfillment of all the Old Testament promises. And so for those who knew the Old Testament, hearing the apostles show and prove that Jesus is indeed the promised Messiah was a powerful powerful thing.

They Understood!!!-- Now one of the things that we wonder as we begin moving through these opening chapters of the book of Acts is: How did the disciples experience such an incredible change in their lives? How did they go from being fearful, Christ-denying and Christ-forsaking cowards to being courageous soldiers of the cross who were ready and able to move mountains on behalf of the gospel? Now you will of course say the Holy Spirit. And you are absolutely correct. The Holy Spirit plays a huge role in the transformation of the hearts and lives of these men (and women). And we will talk about the Holy Spirit more in the coming weeks. But there is another element that is often overlooked, which plays an equal role in their transformation; at it occurred before Pentecost. And that was that for the first time the eyes of the disciples were opened to understand the Old Testament. Now many of these Jewish men had much of the Old Testament memorized; that was just expected during that time. In fact, it was forbidden for any person to speak on any passage of the scripture that they had not first committed to memory. You were expected to know the text before even thinking of teaching it. Even the women were required to have at the very least Psalms, Proverbs, and Deuteronomy completely committed to memory. That’s why, by the way, you will notice that whenever Jesus speaks to a woman, He always quotes to them only from those three books; because those were the books they would have known by memory. And these traditions continue even to this very day.

The Only Man Who Hadn’t Memorized-- Recently I was listening to a man talk about his experience beginning Jewish studies. And as he registered for a class, his rabbi told him he wasn't qualified for the class. And he was a little bit offended, because he had his degree and felt that he knew a lot. But he was a gentile and the rabbi explain to him you don't know what you don't know. But he allowed him to join the class, which he did. But it was not long into the class when he realized that he was the only man in that class who did not have the entire Old Testament memorized from cover to cover. And for the first time he realized that he (though a well educated Christian man) knew nothing about the Bible (at least comparatively). And this same man shared how he once was with a group of Jewish 8-year-boys (my son’s age) in Israel and discovered that they also had massive portions of the Old Testament memorized. And he and the group that was with him decided to put them to the test; and so they asked them to name all the birds mentioned in the Old Testament. And together this group of 8-year-olds named those birds one by one merely by mentally working their way through the text. Because the Word of God (the Old Testament) was so deep in their bones! And what the speaker noted was that every time these 8-year-olds had a free moment, instead of pulling out their cell phones or their gaming machines or their iPads or whatever it is, they would pull out their Bibles and continue memorizing the text. Let me tell you something; the Jews understand what it means to hide the Word of God in the hearts of their children. And the reason they do this is because they know that if they don't, then they are only one generation away from being extinct. Their hope as a people (and our hope as well) rests in the promises given by God to our fathers in history (in time and space).

Knowing Without Understanding-- Now you can memorize something without ever really truly understanding it. Many Jews today have massive parts (if not the whole) of the Old Testament memorized. And yet they miss the very Messiah that the Old Testament prophesies about. The experience for the disciples here in this upper room as they were awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit was that they finally got it! They understood how God was working (and had worked) to bring his Messiah into the world and the Messiah's role in offering atonement (through his blood) for the sins of the world. And because they understood that, their history came together for them in their minds but also (most importantly) in their hearts; and they were willing to charge into the future under the banner of a risen Christ!

Looking Back-- And this is one of the reasons that we must never let ourselves be convinced that the Old Testament (or history in general) doesn't matter. Winston Churchill once said "The further back you look, the further ahead you will see.” And that is true. If you want to understand current events, then you have to look back and truly understand the history of God’s people. And I want to tell you today that (as a whole) we have allowed ourselves to become very ignorant of our history, particularly our Jewish roots. The Jews in the early Church were able to live dynamic and powerful lives because (for the first time) they could truly see. And the reason they could truly see was because they knew the importance of looking back and the veil had been lifted from their eyes to where they could finally see and understand the Word of God; they finally understood God’s plan (at least in part) and their own role in helping that plan unfold. But it came through their wrestling and coming to grips with the Old Testament.

Our History-- And so I want to encourage you today (and myself as well); may we also be intentional about studying and knowing the scriptures; because the Old Testament isn’t their heritage. No, it is OUR history. And when their history becomes our history (not just in our minds, but in our hearts), their hope and their joy and their salvation becomes our hope and our joy and our salvation as well. You want to know Jesus (fully) then you must understand His Word. If you want to hear God’s voice clearly; then you must become tuned to His voice in and through His Word. And if you want to have the right words to say at any given moment, fill the reservoir of your heart with His Words; and He will use them at the opportune times both for others and for yourself. And so let us commit (together) to know and walk in the light of His Word. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. In our passage today from Acts chapter 1 we find Jesus getting ready to ascend into heaven. Now if I were one of the disciples who had been with Jesus during these 40 days following His resurrection, I cannot even imagine the grief I would feel. I’d be clinging to Jesus’ feet, never wanting to let Him go. To be in a world without the visible presence of Jesus was something these disciples did not want to experience again. But Jesus had said back in…

John 16:7 (ESV)— 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

Comforter— And of course He was talking about the Holy Spirit, the One here called the Helper. Some translations read Comforter. And Comforter is not a bad translation; but the word incorporates much more than what we typically mean by our English word “Comforter”. Yes, the Holy Spirit comforts us, but a better translation is Helper or “the one who strengthens/empowers”; because the Holy Spirit is the One who enstrengthens and empowers us to be like Jesus. He is the One who had anointed Jesus’ own life and ministry and is the One Christ promises will empower ours as well, convicting us, drawing people to Christ, shaping us into His image, and helping us to carry out His mission. He is also the one who teaches us and reminds us of what Christ has said (John 14:26). But He is also Jesus’ guarantee that His followers (including us) will never be alone. Because He would bring the presence of God into their very hearts and lives. Jesus (Immanuel) had been God with them. The Holy Spirit would be God in them. And so (as unbelievable as it might seem) the Holy Spirit actually brings God even closer to us than Jesus had been to these disciples when He was on earth. And with God in them, they could finally be empowered to be like Jesus. Jesus had said in…

Acts 1:8 (ESV)— 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

“Be My Witnesses”— Now that verse, [Verse 8 is the thematic statement for all of Acts. It begins with the Spirit’s power that stands behind and drives the witness to Jesus. {And} Then it provides a rough outline of the book: Jerusalem (chs. 1–7), Judea and Samaria (chs. 8–12), and the end of the earth (chs. 13–28).] And so right at the outset we see God’s plan for the Gospel to reach beyond just Jerusalem; beyond just the Jews. God’s salvation would be for the whole world. Now it says in…

Acts 1:9 (ESV)— 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

Here All Along— Not long ago, after preaching on this passage in my Church, I had a dear woman approach me afterwards with a look of disappointment on her face. And she told me why. She said that she appreciated the message, but wished that I had spoken more about the ascension. And she was right. I had gone through it way too quickly. And maybe that is because we naturally think of the ascension of Christ as kind of small potatoes in comparison to His death and resurrection; or even His future coming. And that is something I think a lot of us pastors I think rush through, missing some of the amazing applications that the ascension of Christ has for you and for me today. A godly man whose writings have been some of the most formative for me in and throughout the years is Dr. Dennis Kinlaw. And even he once said: [As a pastor I had never preached a sermon on the ascension. I had preached on Christ’s birth, his baptism, the events in his life, his death, and his resurrection, but I had never preached on his ascension. {And so he said} Because I thought that there must be something significant in that story, I began to prepare a sermon on it, trying to understand what the significance is. {And he says} As I worked, I thought of two questions: How far did Jesus go? And how long did it take him to get there? Then {he said} I laughed at my own stupidity. How far is a space question. He created space. He was there before there was space. He is not in space; he transcends space. Space is in him. How long is a time question. He created time because it is a reflection of space, a reflection of the creation. Days, hours, and minutes are part of created experience; they are not part of God’s experience. He is not bound by time or space. {And he says} When I reached that point in my thinking, I had a moment of revelation. When Jesus returns, he will not have to travel through space; nor will it take him any time, for he is Lord of space and time. That means he is already here. He never really left. We just don’t have the capacity to recognize his holy presence. We speak of having Christ in our hearts. The reality though is that we are in him because there is nowhere he is not. As Paul said to the Athenians, “He is not far from each one of us; for in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:27–28). {And he says} Suddenly I found that I had a sense of his nearness that I had never had before. When Jesus comes again and our eyes are opened to see him, I think we will realize that he has been here all along.] What an amazing thing to think about; the fact that Jesus (although He ascended) has actually neither left nor forsaken us. Perhaps we also often overlook the end of the Great Commission passage given to us in…

Matthew 28:20b (ESV)— …And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

He Has Never Left You— The reality is that Jesus has never left you. There has never been one single moment in your walk with Christ where He has ever left you. And He will never leave you. Now it says in…

Acts 1:10-11 (ESV)— 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

In A Human Body— Now a key thing to recognize here is that Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father still bearing His physical resurrected body. [The amazing miracle of the incarnation is not only that the eternal Son of God took human nature on himself and became a person who is simultaneously God and man, but also that he will remain both fully God and fully man forever.] He has brought humanity into the very being of God. God has joined mankind in the flesh of Jesus Christ. And the angels reveal that someday Jesus is going to return just as they saw Him leave; with that same resurrected body. His [return, like his ascension, will be bodily and visible.]

Maranatha— And we as followers of Christ have been looking forward to His return ever since that very day. In fact, the early church didn’t say “hello” or goodbye.” Rather they said “Maranatha”, which is a Syriac expression that means: “our Lord comes.” They were always looking forward to that day when Christ would return.

Get Going!!!— Now I think it is kind of humorous how the angels ask the disciples why they are standing there, as if it was an everyday thing to see our Lord ascend in a cloud into heaven. But it’s the angels’ way of saying, “All right guys, the show’s over. Christ gave you a very important commission to complete. Go prepare for it.” And the disciples turn and leave. And it says in…

Acts 1:12-14 (ESV)—12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

Waiting in Prayer— And so we see [The main activity in the upper room was prayer. Jesus had told them “to wait for the promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4), but “waiting” on God and prayer are closely related in several places in the OT, and therefore it is likely that they were praying constantly that the promised Spirit would descend.]

An Explosion Through Prayer— Now (perhaps like the ascension) we often also skip over this section because we want to get to the good stuff; Pentecost and the awesome power of the Holy Spirit made manifest in and through the disciples. But what we so often miss is that the Holy Spirit only came after the disciples had a 10 day, nonstop prayer meeting. They were praying together, confessing sins, becoming of one mind and of one accord. They are saturating themselves in prayer. And throughout the book Acts we see that everything the disciples did was centered on prayer.

What is revival?— Now I hear a lot of people say how they want to see revival happen in our nation. But do we want revival like this? Are we hungry enough to seek the Lord like these few disciples did? You know, a lot of times we get it backwards when it comes to how we understand how revival comes. We don't want to pray or draw close to God by ourselves. We want God to do all the work for us; so we ask God to bring us revival; to make us hungry for prayer; hungry for him. But God says, “No no no. Pray first; then I’ll make you hungry. I don't think it's an accident that James 4:8 (ESV) says: 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you...

First comes obedience— You see, first comes obedience, then comes the presence of God. We obey first; we draw near to Him whether we feel like it or not and then He will draw near to us. We choose to go to church whether we feel like it or not; we read our Bibles whether we feel like it or not; we pray whether we feel like it or not. We seek God out every moment of the day because it is in the times when we don’t feel like doing these things and yet do them out of obedience; it is in those times that God is most pleased and often pours out His greatest blessings. And so I want to encourage you today to draw close to God. Allow His Holy Spirit to fill and renew you in the image of your Creator. And with that renewing will come a mighty power; a power He can use to help change the world. Draw near to Him today. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. In today’s message from the book of Acts, we are going to discuss the greatest call that you and I can have on our lives.

Close to Extinction— I remember in one of the writings of the late Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias, his asking: [And what is the first call for each one of us? It is to understand God’s primary description of who and what we are. {Ravi Zacharias put it thus:} All the other accolades that people want to thrust at us are secondary at best. The fact that someone writes, another speaks, still others invest or play sports, is merely the means to express the greater end. {He said} Some time ago, I attended a Bible study session with some sports professionals. The speaker that morning challenged the players to leave a legacy they could be proud of. He began by asking them how many knew the name of their great-grandfather. A handful of hands went up. Then he asked how many of them knew where their great-grandfather was buried. Most of the hands stayed down. With each more specific question, fewer hands went up. He then made his point: “Each one of us is just three to four generations away from extinction.” {Ravi said} Silence gripped the room. How sobering to think that, just a few generations down the family tree, no one would even know I had ever existed! Then the speaker challenged these men about the legacy they would leave behind. One after another, the players responded. But then one said, “Really, I don’t care whether or not my great-great-grandson or great-granddaughter knows that I played ball professionally. It really doesn’t matter that much. I just want them to know the God I served and loved.” The words came from the heart, and for a moment, in the silence, {Ravi said} we all knew the truth of both thoughts. Our devotion to God’s call and to his claim on our lives provides the groundwork of all that ultimately matters. Words like those of the professional ballplayer are all the more profound, because many of our youth consider his calling a dream. But the greatest dream of all is to know God and to know what he has intended for your life.] The greatest call upon your life is the call He has given for you to follow Him in radical, world-changing discipleship.

Soldiers of the Cross— And that was Jesus’ ultimate mission while here on earth (aside from the cross); to make disciples who would be world-changers. As someone once pointed out: [He did not want to be just a Bible teacher to a group of spiritually hungry souls who would get their only ration of spiritual food once a week from his sermons. He wanted to train a band of strong, rugged soldiers of the Cross who would then collaborate with him in the work of the ministry in the church.]

No Other Plan— And the man who said that (LeRoy Eims) also shared a personal story in his book The Lost Art of Disciple Making. He said: [I had gone to a Christian conference and in one of the messages the speaker was emphasizing how vital these men were to Jesus’ mission. He told us a story that stirred our imaginations. He spoke of the return of Jesus to heaven—His ascension—and the excitement that it caused among the angels. He painted quite a picture, for he was good with words. He told of one of the angels who asked the returned Son of God a question, “What plan do You have to continue the work You began on earth?” Without hesitation Jesus answered, “I left it in the hands of the apostles.” Another angel asked, “What if they fail?” Again there was no hesitation, “I have no other plan.” The speaker assured us it was only a story, but it got the point across. The future of Christianity, humanly speaking, rose or fell on the ministry of these men.]

Our Responsibility— Now when you think about that, the implications are profound. Jesus has entrusted the success of His Great Commission to you and to me. He has placed the fate of the world in our hands. It is up to the obedience of individual men and women who (daily) have to choose how sold out they are to Jesus Christ; just how dedicated they are to Christ’s mission of discipleship. And that is a choice that you and I have to make as well. Are we going to orient our lives around Jesus Christ and His mission?

The 40-day gap— Now in our passage today, Jesus had recently risen. But the ascension doesn’t happen right away. There is a forty-day gap between the resurrection and the ascension in which Jesus is appearing to the disciples, instructing them, training them, and preparing them for His ministry that they are about to continue in the world. Verse 3 says that He was also speaking to them about the kingdom of God; that kingdom they would soon be bringing people into. And it says in…

Acts 1:4-5 (ESV)— 4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Awaiting The Holy Spirit— So we see here that Jesus doesn’t want the disciples to leave Jerusalem until they have received the Holy Spirit. Why? Because He knows that in order for any ministry to be affective, we must have the Holy Spirit go with us (and also “before us”), because it is not ultimately our work. Rather we join in the work the Holy Spirit is already doing. And so Jesus is preparing the disciples for the more immediate event of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit will come down upon them and cleanse them and empower their lives and ministry.

A Time of Excitement— Now just imagine the excitement the disciples had during this time. Their Lord had risen; He was walking and talking with them once again. The hope in Him as their Messiah, that hope they lost at His death, was restored. And they are beginning to get excited about knowing what comes next. And we see that Jesus has led them to [the Mount of Olives (v. 12), at the foot of which lay Bethany (Luke 24:50).]

My Journey to Olivet— I remember when I went to Israel, coming to the Mount of Olives. And one of the things I remember seeing that I did not expect was a massive number of tombs; white sepulchers all over. And in fact there are an estimated 150,000 graves on the Mount. Tombs traditionally associated with Zechariah, Haggai, Malachi, and Absalom are among them. Numerous rabbis and Jews are buried there even to the present age; though at an exorbitant price. It is very expensive to be buried there. And when I asked why, our guide said it was because of a very interesting prophecy in the Old Testament. It says in…

Zechariah 14:3-4, 9 (ESV)— 3 Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. {And verse 9 says…} 9 And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.

They Missed It— Now after telling me this, our guide said of many of the Jews then, “They missed it.” And you know, they still miss it even today because they are not being told. But the disciples see what is happening; they see Jesus, their Messiah, leading them up the Mount of Olives. And the whole time their knees are like buckling and shaking. They’re thinking “Is this the moment?” “I don’t know.” “Should we ask the Master?” So verse 6 says...

Acts 1:6 (ESV)— 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

What The Disciples Expected— And they asked Him this because they had drawn the conclusion from his resurrection and promise of the Holy Spirit that era of the Messiah had dawned and Israel’s final salvation and restoration was at hand. But keep in mind that they were still expecting the Messiah to drive out the Romans and restore Israel to physical, military, and political glory, as God had done numerous times in and throughout the Old Testament. But look at Jesus’ response. He says…

Acts 1:7 (ESV)— 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

And in that we see that Jesus is not interested in revealing to us the hour of His return. Rather He wants us to focus on abiding in Him in the present, doing the work that He has commissioned us (as His ambassadors) to do in the world. Look at what He says in…

Acts 1:8 (ESV)— 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

“Be My Witnesses”— [Jesus corrected them...but by telling them (Acts 1:8) that they would receive power from the Holy Spirit, not in order to triumph over Roman armies but to spread the good news of the gospel throughout the world.] The disciples wanted to know the hour of the coming of Christ’s kingdom. Jesus says, “Don’t worry about that. It’s in God’s hands. But until then, you are to proclaim my name; be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. And then He gives them the Great Commission, which is recorded for us in…

Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)— 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

I am with you always— Now that last phrase I am with you always is an intriguing phrase. We often treat it like a separate promise of His presence to be with all believers. And that may be true. But you almost get the sense that this promise is also connected with the commission He just gave. It’s almost like He’s saying, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” as you continue in the work of making disciples. And what this may be hinting at is the reality that you and I are never going to experience Christ more fully or more closely (in our own lives) than when we are bringing somebody to Jesus or into a closer walk with Him. You want to experience Jesus Christ? Go where He’s at work and join with Him. And when you do, you will find that you will have connected yourself with one of the central purposes of your life; and that will allow God to bless you in ways He otherwise would never be able to. And so let us commit to live lives where we are intentionally reaching out to make disciples. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. As we have started a new series on the book of Acts, we have been taking a look at the testimony of Luke (author of the both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts). Luke had become the companion of Paul and one the early Church’s greatest historians. Now although Luke writes as a historian, Luke’s occupation before this had been quite different. He had been a physician.

Medical Machinery— I remember not long ago I went to visit a gentleman in the hospital; to both minister and pray with him and just be with him through a very difficult time. And as I stepped into that hospital room I found myself almost instantly surrounded by all kinds of medical equipment. Now I didn’t know what much of that equipment does. But I remember a nurse came in with a rather large piece of machinery. And as she proceeded to hook my friend up to it and to press other pieces of machinery onto his chest, I saw on the computer screen live video images of my friend’s heart. And as she moved the equipment around, she began to take precise computer measurements, calculating every sound; every pulse. Laid out in visual form were the wavelengths; the very heartbeat of my friend.

Now that kind of thing is awe-inspiring to me. But it also leads me to wonder what it must have been like to receive medical care in the first-century world of Jesus. In talking about this, my wife remarked to me how she could not even imagine giving birth during that time. And in fact, if she had, she would probably never have made it because of how our son was positioned in her womb. She very likely would have died in childbirth. Conditions and injuries that we would consider relatively minor were so much more dangerous then. Some of you tuning in today may be in the medical field. Have you ever imagined what it would have been like to treat somebody in ancient times or during this time period in and around the life of Christ?

Luke’s Focus on Christ’s Birth— Well, Luke didn’t have to imagine, because that was his primary occupation; he was a physician. And interestingly, he is the gospel writer who gives us the most details concerning the events in and surrounding the birth of Jesus. Maybe as a physician he was just so captivated and couldn’t get over the fact that in the womb of Mary; that womb that medically sustained Jesus, was the very Creator of the Universe who was at that moment already sustaining her; that her very blood which was bringing Him life would one day be poured out on the cross, bringing life to her.

Luke’s Focus on The Healings of Jesus— Also we find that Luke places special emphasis on the healing ministry of Jesus; and when we understand he was a physician, we can kind of see through his eyes and recognize why he was so fascinated by it. Jesus needed no equipment; Jesus never prescribed any medication; He never had to make a single surgical cut. He merely spoke and the worst conditions imaginable; even those that were beyond the hope of cure; conditions that Luke had encountered over and over again, were cured. I wonder how many times Luke had to tell someone, “I’m sorry, you will never see again,” “I’m sorry, you will never walk again,” “I’m sorry, but this infliction is incurable.” Luke presents Jesus in a way that only a physician could; because Jesus had succeeded in many of the same kinds of situations where Luke himself had failed. Only one time in all four of the Gospel accounts is Jesus called or thought of as a medical Physician; and it is here in the Gospel of Luke; Luke 4:23. Luke simply could not get over the power of God made manifest in Jesus Christ in the absolute worst of medical situations; how every illness and every defect left at the mere touch (or even just the mere spoken word) of Jesus. And Luke, like Matthew, also recognizes this as a fulfillment of prophecy.

Isaiah 35:5-6a (NIV)— 5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6 Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.

At one point John the Baptist sends messengers to ask Jesus if He truly is the promised Messiah. And Luke says in…

Luke 7:20-22 (NIV)— 20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’” 21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.

So Luke points out how Jesus knowingly fulfilled these prophecies from Isaiah; the last of which is that the good news is proclaimed to the poor.

Luke the Gentile— And this is another one of Luke’s major themes (particularly in his Gospel); [Jesus’ compassion for Gentiles, Samaritans, women, children, tax collectors, sinners, and others often regarded as outcasts in Israel. Every time he mentions a tax collector (3:12; 5:27; 7:29; 15:1; 18:10-13; 19:2), it is in a positive sense.] In a time in which women were on the bottom rung of society, [Luke emphasized the central role of women in the life and ministry of our Lord (e.g., 7:12-15, 37-50; 8:2-3, 43-48; 10:38-42; 13:11-13; 21:2-4; 23:27-29, 49, 55-56).] And the reason Luke has a special place in his heart for outcasts was because he himself was an outcast. In Colossians 4:11-14, Luke is clearly distinguished from those of Paul’s fellow workers who are of the circumcision. He isn’t circumcised because he’s a gentile. And in fact, that makes him the only non-Jewish writer of the New Testament. And because he was not a Jew, according to Jewish thought he was not an inheritor of the promise. And yet in his Gospel Luke shows how Jesus opened up the way for anybody, no matter who they were or what they had been through, to become a part of the family of God; that the mercy of God has been extended to all people; whether Jew or Gentile. And in Luke’s first book, the Gospel of Luke, he reveals this as the mission of Jesus; and here in Luke’s sequel to the book (the sequel being, of course, the book of Acts) we see revealed how that mission unfolded in the early life of the Church. Both books are united by that same central theme, and together they make up the largest part of the New Testament. Now where did Luke get this idea? Well, remember he was a companion of Paul, who wrote the epistles long before he wrote his gospel and no doubt mentored him. And Paul had said in…

Galatians 3:28 (NIV)— 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

The Compassion of Jesus— Luke found hope and exceeding joy that he, though an outcast, could become a part of the family of God. This is why Luke was so fascinated by the compassion Jesus extended to all who were considered lost. In his Gospel he therefore records more of the parables of Jesus than any other gospel; many in which God’s mission (carried out by Jesus Christ) is shown to be one of pursuing; God being likened to characters who are searching for something that has been lost. He is like a shepherd seeking a lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7); He is like a woman searching for a lost wedding coin (Luke 15:8-10); He is like a father yearning for the return of a lost son (Luke 15:11-32). A.W. Tozer once wrote a book that has since become one of the great Christian classics, entitled The Pursuit of God. Yet this is somewhat of a misnomer because here we find that what Luke was captivated with was God’s pursuit of us; Jesus is seen to be the one who pursues us into the darkness; into the night; so that He might bring us back to God. This was absolutely central to Luke’s theology.

Luke 19:10 (ESV)— 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

A Misplaced Phone and Document— I remember one week when my wife and I misplaced two things. She misplaced her cell phone and I misplaced a very important document. And so on two separate occasions in that same week we found ourselves searching all over the house, overturning all kinds of things in order to find that cell phone and that document. And in each case there was joy when that item was discovered.

A Misplaced Engagement Ring— I can still remember back when she and I first got engaged, her tearfully telling me some days afterwards that she had misplaced her engagement ring. She had woken up, looked at her hand, and discovered that it was gone. And she had been going frantically through every part of her dorm looking for it. And soon afterwards, after being allowed in to help her search, we found it in her bed; having slipped off while she was asleep. And I still remember the joy in her face and the tears in her eyes when she joyously put the ring back on her finger.

God’s Pursuit of us— And I just think, what an amazing thing that God pursues each and every one of us with just as much (in fact infinitely more) fervency. God does not leave one stone unturned in His pursuit of us. We are all valuable to Him; Jew or Gentile, man or woman, adult or child, righteous or sinner; rich or poor. God is pursuing you. And He will find you if you let Him. And He will make you His own. And in every healing Luke records, he shows how Jesus points people to the part of them that needs to be healed the most; their hearts. In Jesus, God has provided that ultimate healing. All we have to do is receive Him, surrender to Him, and allow Him (as our Great Physician) to heal and transform our hearts. And so I want to encourage you today, if you need to receive that healing today, invite Him into your life and say, “Lord, I need you to heal my sin; I need you to heal my brokenness; I am crippled, blind, deaf and mute without the abiding presence of your Holy Spirit in my life. Come fill me, heal me, change, and transform me.” Receive healing from Jesus. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. Last week we started a new series on the book of Acts, beginning first by taking a look at the life and ministry of the author (Luke), who had formerly been a physician but who left everything to follow Christ and come alongside and minister with the Apostle Paul. And (as we will see today) God used Luke in remarkable way and (as He so often does) redirects Luke in a way he himself probably could never have imagined, as he went on to become the historian of the early Church.

Our Historian— You know, it’s interesting; whenever we visit my Grandmother in Kentucky, she will often tell us various stories of when she and my grandfather (and their children, my father, aunts, and uncles) were missionaries in Taiwan. And those stories are fascinating to listen to. But more often than not, when she is telling these stories, she has sitting by her side my dear Aunt Faith, whose memory surpasses the memory of anybody I have ever known. She can remember many addresses and phone numbers not only from the current time, but can also tell you what they were at any given stage of their life. She can remember every fact and every detail. She is, without a doubt, our family’s personal historian. She catches the mistakes and (when necessary) points them out in order to make sure the story is accurately passed down. And so far (thanks to her) they have been.

Luke the Historian-- And so we see here (and really throughout the entirety of his Gospel) that Luke writes with the same kind of precision as any first-class historian. He had said back in his introduction to his Gospel (which is the prequel to the book of Acts written to the same recipient: Theophilus)…

Luke 1:1-4 (NIV)— 1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

Three Atheists Converted— Luke wanted his recipient Theophilus and all else who would read this account to know the facts, so that (knowing the facts) they might reasonably place their faith in Jesus Christ. Three great men I would put Luke in the same category with are C.S. Lewis, Josh McDowell, and Lee Strobel. All three of them were unbelievers until they began investigating the reliability of the accounts given to us in scripture. C.S. Lewis said he was very reluctant to the idea of becoming a Christian, but eventually was dragged (in his own words) “kicking and screaming into the kingdom” because the evidence he found for Christianity was so absolute and irrefutable. Josh McDowell likewise was very cynical of Christianity, but was challenged by a group of loving friends of his who were Christians to actually look at the evidence. And so he set out on a personal vendetta to try to disprove Christianity. He ended up also becoming a Christian; because of the overwhelming amount of evidence. Lee Stobel, author of The Case for Christ was a reporter for the Chicago Tribune; and a devout atheist. And the worst thing he thought could happen happened; his wife became a Christian. And he was terrified that she was going to become some kind of religious prude, and so he decided to take all his skills as an investigative journalist and expose Christianity for the cult he knew it had to be and convince his wife to get out of it. And his book chronicles his journey, as he interviewed scholars and numerous experts and authorities on the issue. But he was surprised at what he found; and that was that there are mountains of evidence stacked in Christianity’s favor. And he says he finally sat down and wrote a list of all the positive evidences for Christianity and then another (what he perceived to be) negative list of the evidences against Christianity and put the lists side by side. And he said he found (to his amazement) that after comparing those lists it would actually take more faith for him to maintain his atheism. And so he also was compelled to become a Christian.

Luke’s Desire for Proof-- Now I say all this because Luke would have been like these men; he would have wanted proof beyond a reasonable doubt, which is why he investigated as thoroughly as he did. He wanted to be sure for himself; but he also knew that others were not going to believe unless they also had sufficient evidence. And so he became a historian; perhaps the greatest historian of all time. And as we move through the book of Acts, one of the things we will see is that Luke is a guy who (like in his Gospel) is very much concerned with the details; the facts in and surrounding the life and ministry of Jesus. This is why he is careful to give us the [details that helped identify the historical context of the events he described] He takes time to explain when they happened and what was going on during that time period. Phrases like In the time of…, In those days…, In the ____ year of.… Over and over again Luke ties his Gospel in with known history. And these details can be checked out.

Sir William Ramsay-- In the [Late 1800’s/early 1900’s Sir William Ramsay was a well-known archaeologist and historian…{and} was considered to be the world's most imminent scholar on Asia-Minor, and it's geography and history. He read the book of Acts and said,“the book of Acts is a highly imaginative and carefully colored account of primitive Christianity” (in essence, “of my knowledge of history, I have no respect for Luke as a historian”). {But} Then he went to the middle east for the express purpose of proving the Bible wrong in its history. He came home and wrote the book, “Luke, The Beloved Physician” in which he proclaimed Dr. Luke to be one of the worlds foremost historians. Here’s a quote from Sir William Ramsey…this was after looking carefully at the evidence: “I take the view that Luke’s history is unsurpassed in its trustworthiness. You may press the words of Luke in a degree beyond any other historian, and they will stand the keenest scrutiny, and the harshest treatment.”] [Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements trustworthy . . . this author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians”]

Pretending The Bible Was True-- Now what is fascinating about the story of Sir William Ramsey is that he had decided (almost as a joke) to pretend that the Bible was true and to start using the Bible as the basis for his archeological digs. And what ended up happening is he made discovery after discovery after discovery using the Bible as his starting point. And he came to this conclusion (and we don’t know if he ever became a Christian or not). But this is the conclusion he came to (and I paraphrase): “If the Bible (Luke in particular) can be trusted at every single point that it can be checked out, I wonder if I shouldn’t take more seriously those areas that can’t be checked out.”

An Accurate Habit of Mind-- And this was his reasoning. He said: “There is a certain presumption that a writer who proves to be exact and correct in one point will show the same qualities in other matters. No writer is correct by mere chance, or accurate sporadically. He is accurate by virtue of a certain habit of mind. Some men are accurate by nature; some are by nature loose and inaccurate.” And so his conclusion was that Luke was this kind of accurate person; consistently accurate.

Why Luke Wanted To Get The Details Straight-- Luke was trustworthy in his investigation; and the reason was because Luke didn’t want have a false picture of Jesus (remember his own salvation was on the line); rather he wanted to know for certain who this Jesus really was. And he had to be thorough in his investigation because, unlike Matthew and John, he was not an eyewitness of the events of Christ’s life. And so he had to get most of that information second-hand.

Positioned to Examine Witnesses-- And Luke is in a fantastic position to gather information about Jesus because he was (as we said before) a close friend and traveling companion of Paul, which allowed him to come into contact with and interview those who were eyewitnesses; not just the disciples, but the many others as well. Jesus touched a lot of people and therefore there were a lot of witnesses. Think about all the people He touched; all the miracles He performed. It says in John’s Gospel…

John 21:25 (NIV)-- 25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

Many Witnesses— And so we see that there would be many accounts because there were many witnesses of all these events. Even just the number of those who were witnesses to the Resurrection (to whom Jesus appeared to after He rose from the dead) is staggering. Paul writes in…

1 Corinthians 15:5-8 (NIV)-- 5…that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

Eyewitness Records-- And Paul was a reluctant witness as well. He didn’t want to believe. But then he encountered the risen Christ and had to change his beliefs based on what he saw. But all this to say, there was a multitude of witnesses to all these events and therefore there was a multitude of stories and accounts. And many endeavored to write them down, as we see in verses 1-2 of Luke chapter 1.

Luke 1:1-2 (ESV)— 1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us,

A Reasonable Faith-- Now I say all this because sometimes we need to be reminded that the Bible is unlike other religious works in that (by giving us specific historical details) it puts kind of puts its neck on the line and says “come and see”; come and check this out; come verify that this is true. Are we to accept what it says by faith? Yes. But what we must always remember that it is not a blind faith (believing not having any real reason to) but rather we have a faith in Christ and His Word that rests on the sufficiency of the evidence. It is a reasonable faith. We can trust the scriptures and find in them solid reason to believe that Christ is who says He is. And consequently (because of that) we can also have assurance that He can do for us what He says He can do; and that is to redeem us from all our sins. And so let us give Him thanks for that today. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. Thank you for joining us today as we begin a new series on a book of the Bible that has so much to say to us as we face these difficult and unusual times. If you are seeking a book that shows what God can do in and through men and women sold out to Him, this is it, as it gives us an account of the dynamic birth and explosive growth of the Early Church. And of course I am talking about the book of Acts, a book that (in the midst of what we are facing now) will really help us to grasp what it means to be the Church during all these trials that we are facing in these days.

Who’d You Follow?— Now the way I want us to start off today is by having you think of the many giants of the faith in and throughout all of scripture; the men and women you admire the most. And I want you to think; which is the one (besides Jesus, of course) that (if you were given the opportunity) you would want to follow around the most? If you had the opportunity to minister with and be discipled by anybody (to share in their life experiences) who would that be? Would you join Noah in his ministry of building the ark and preaching repentance to the people? Would you sit under Daniel in Babylon and then Persia, joining him in prayer in that room with its windows open facing Jerusalem; would you even be willing to join him in a den of lions? Would you follow David through his many excursions; joining him on the battlefield to face Goliath or running with him in fear from King Saul, who would be seeking to take both of your lives? You know, what is amazing when we think of these giants of the faith is that nobody that we would want to seek to follow, to sit under, and to emulate had a perfect or stress-free life. Many (if not all) of them faced persecutions and dangers like we can’t even imagine.

Following Paul— There are a number of men (and women) in scripture I look up to and would love to follow, but whom I also think would be very challenging to follow in ministry. And one of these in particular (although I would love to follow him), it would be incredibly difficult because of what he faced. He was the victim of numerous hate crimes, being pelted with stones; being whipped mercilessly; dealing with imprisonment and even shipwreck. And of course I am talking about the apostle Paul. I can think of few people I admire more than him; and yet at the same time I think about how difficult it would be to share in his ministry. And [We know enough of what Paul and his fellow travelers endured to know that anyone identifying with Paul and the cause of Christ were candidates for the same sufferings.]

Growing Pain— But suffering (especially for the sake of Christ) is not something we should seek to avoid. And that’s because suffering and difficulty is what causes us to grow. This is why James writes in…

James 1:2-4 (ESV)— 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Strengthened Character— And so while in looking at the life of Paul our flesh might hesitate to want to share in his sufferings, we know that to walk with somebody like that through the things that they faced would be both an honor and a privilege; and would produce such a strength of character in us.

Luke, A Companion of Paul— Paul had that steadfastness; and those who walked with him had that steadfastness as well. And one of those men who walked with Paul is the author of our book; a man who was willing to follow Paul to the ends of the earth for the sake of the Gospel; and that was a gentile convert to Christianity by the name of Luke; author of both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. [Although some of the material in Acts was no doubt collected from different sources by Luke, much of the material comes from his own experiences traveling with Paul (Col 4:14; 2Tm 4:11; Phm 24). {There are}…many instances in Acts where the point of view changes from “he/they” to “we,” implying that the author himself was there with Paul during those periods.] He was with Paul in the midst of many of his trials and tribulations. He was with Paul on Paul’s second missionary journey and saw the savage and brutal attacks on Paul and Silas, their subsequent imprisonment, and their miraculous release (16:10-17). He was with Paul on Paul’s sea voyage from Caesarea to Rome when (as you remember) the ship was overcome by a storm of hurricane-like force that battered and ultimately wrecked their ship upon the coast of Malta. Luke had swum with Paul through the breakers as the ship ran aground before being broken apart by the waves. We also know that (among other circumstances) Dr. Luke also stayed by Paul’s side when Paul was under arrest in Rome (27:1—28:16; Col. 4:14). Now the question is, “Why go through all of this?” Why would anyone choose a religion like Christianity that would involve so much pain and suffering?

Beans or Songs— [Tim Stafford, a senior writer for Christianity Today, wrote in one of his articles, saying: A pastor I know, Stephey Belynskyj, starts each confirmation class with a jar full of beans. He asks his students to guess how many beans are in the jar, and on a big pad of paper writes down their estimates. Then, next to those estimates, he helps them make another list: their favorite songs. When the lists are complete, he reveals the actual number of beans in the jar. The whole class looks over their guesses, to see which estimate was closest to being right. Belynskyj then turns to the list of favorite songs. "And which one of these is closest to being right?" he asks. The students protest that there is no "right answer"; a person's favorite song is purely a matter of taste. Belynskyj, who holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Notre Dame asks, "When you decide what to believe in terms of your faith, is that more like guessing the number of beans, or more like choosing your favorite song?" Always, Belynskyj says, from old as well as young, he gets the same answer: Choosing one's faith is more like choosing a favorite song. Tim Stafford writes: When Belynskyj told me this, it took my breath away. "After they say that, do you confirm them?" I asked him. "Well," smiled Belynskyj, "First I try to argue them out of it.”]

Meaningful or True?— The concept of truth is an important issue because it affects how we view Christianity. Are we Christians only because it is meaningful to us, or is it because we know it to be true? You see a lot of people today (even many Christians) think that what is true for me is true for me and that what is true for you is true for you. But what they really mean is “what is meaningful for me is meaningful for me and what is meaningful for you is meaningful for you.” It is pretty much the same as choosing your favorite music artist; it simply comes down to what you feel speaks to you. But I want to stress to you that this is not how the early Christians came to faith in Christ. If choosing Christianity was like choosing a song, I am sure they would have sought a different tune. No, for the disciples it was more than that. Listen to what Luke writes in…

Luke 1:1-4 (ESV)— 1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

Eyewitnesses —> Certainty— You have the word “eyewitnesses”, which is why there were ministers by the way. People were willing to be ministers because there was eyewitness evidence that Christianity (founded on the resurrection of Christ) was actually true. And then you have in verse 4 this amazing word. And that is the word “certainty”. Luke writes to Theophilus in order (he says) that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. Now look at the rest of Luke’s introduction at the opening of the book of Acts. It says in…

Acts 1:1-3 (ESV)— 1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

Why Luke Followed Christ— Any Christian who says you can’t prove (at least beyond a reasonable doubt) that Christianity is true has not really read Luke; because Luke believed the resurrection was a proven event. And the evidence he uncovered is what provided Luke with the intellectual groundwork to be able to receive and accept Christ. You see, if you were a Christian at that time, you had a good reason. It wasn’t just because you found Christianity to be meaningful or because it gave you warm fuzzies inside. No, it is because it was true; it was verifiable; it was rooted in facts; in history; in geography. It wasn’t out there somewhere in the cosmos. No, Jesus had happened right there in their very midst! There were witnesses (hundreds of witnesses) to His resurrection. And these early Christians had nothing to gain in this world for following Christ other than pain, persecution, and even death. And what I want you to note is that Luke’s decision to follow Christ could not have been an easy one. Luke abandoned his whole livelihood. His whole medical career he abandoned completely to follow Christ. As the disciples who had been fishermen left their nets to become fishers of men, so Luke left his practice to become a physician (not just for people’s physical bodies) but for THE Body of Christ; for the sake of the Kingdom. He went from a clinic (whatever that looked like) to binding Paul’s many wounds and no doubt caring for him and nursing him back to health after his many beatings; and he himself may have endured some of that. This was a major life change for Luke; a change that can only be explained (not by the latest fad religion on the block) but rather in encountering the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The truth changed him; and Luke allowed it to re-shape and change the course of his entire life.

Truth Shaping Us— And that is how it always is when we truly encounter Jesus. It changes us; it empowers us; it moves us out of our comfort zone and makes us willing to face any persecution necessary in order to bring people the good news of the hope of salvation in Jesus. My hope is that in and throughout our study, we also might not just learn the history of the early Church, but that we will also experience the same kind of Spirit-empowered change that Luke, the apostles, and the rest of the believers experienced as they followed Christ. May we embrace the truth as fully as they did. And may it shape us into being the men and women Christ has called us to be. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. Thank you for joining us from wherever you are choosing to listen today.

Jesus' Deliverance Foreshadowed— As you know, we have in the book of Esther; and today we will be wrapping up this 20-week journey we have been taking together through this marvelous book. And the overall theme of the book of Esther has been the victory of God on behalf of His people; and so it is very pertinent to us today, as we need hope; we need victory during these very unusual and difficult times. In this book God gave His people victory over their enemies who sought to destroy them. He is shown to raise up the smallest of people (like Esther; like Mordecai) to bring about that divine victory. And in our passage today that victory has already taken place. The enemies of God’s people have fallen and His people are preserved. Now anytime there is an awesome victory, there is almost always celebration. And that is what we see here in Esther chapter 9. After the Jews experience this incredible victory that God has given them, they break out in spontaneous celebration. Verse 17 and following says…

Esther 9:17-19 (ESV)— 17 This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar [(February-March)], and on the fourteenth day they rested and made that a day of feasting and gladness. 18 But the Jews who were in Susa gathered on the thirteenth day and on the fourteenth, and rested on the fifteenth day, making that a day of feasting and gladness. 19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, who live in the rural towns, hold the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day for gladness and feasting, as a holiday, and as a day on which they send gifts of food to one another.

From Victory to Celebration— You know when God breaks through; whenever you have victory, there must always be celebration; a recognition of who God is and what He has done for you and for me. And that is what we see here, as Jews (all throughout the Persian empire) celebrate the faithfulness of God. But you know, we often forget the things God has done for us because we don’t take the time to look back. And you know, that harms our faith. Because it is in looking back that we observe how God has faithfully led us in the past and therefore it provides us the rational grounding we need to trust God also with our future. And so God therefore wanted His people to be a people who were constantly looking back; constantly remembering How He had moved faithfully in their midst time and time again.

Institution of Festivals— And one of the ways He led them to look back was in and through festivals. He had written into the lives of the Jewish people 7 festivals for them to observe throughout the year. And they would come together as a community at specific times of the year to throw (basically I’ll call them) God-parties. He wanted His people to come together to joyfully and collectively and remember. Now festivals (unlike just written reminders of God’s faithfulness) are participatory; they would not only help His people to remember, but they would also give them a personal way to actively and joyously orient their hearts, their minds, and really their entire lives around remembering and personally engaging with God.

Jesus Within a Culture of Remembrance— What would it be like to be a part of a culture in which every holiday; every feast; every communal celebration all revolved around remembering what God has done for us? That is what it was like to live as a Jew. And it is important to note that Jesus Himself observed all these festivals. In fact, many of the main events in His life took place in accordance with the timing of these Jewish festivals. And we’ll talk more about that in the future. But Jesus observed them.

Post-exile (Ordained by Man)— And I want to point out that the Feast of Purim is not among the feasts that God instituted, which were all instituted before Israel was sent into exile in Babylon and then Persia. Two human-ordained feasts were established post-exile that are still being observed even until today. And those are Hanukkah and Purim. But Jesus still observes both of them, Hanukkah in John 10:22 (also called the Feast of Dedication) and Purim, which is most likely the unnamed feast mentioned in John 5:1, which verse 9 reveals took place on a Sabbath. And chronologically, the only feast that occurred on Sabbath between the years of 25-35 CE was in fact Purim (in the year 28 CE). And it is ironic that this feast is not named explicitly in John because remember that the book of Esther doesn’t explicitly mention the name of God. And so perhaps God (who guided the Gospel writers) is showing a little bit of humor here. As His name is concealed in Esther, so in John the name of the feast is also concealed.

Establishing Purim— But although Purim was not a festival ordained and commanded by God, Mordecai and Esther established it because they wanted God’s people to always remember what He had done for them in Persia. So they take this spontaneous outbreak of celebration by the people, and officially establish it as a feast to be kept annually from generation to generation. Verse 20 and following says…

Esther 9:20-22 (ESV)— 20 And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, 22 as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

Now those Jews in Susa fought an extra day and therefore celebrated a day later. [Mordecai avoids any difficulties this might cause by ordering that both days be observed.] We see also that there were [gifts of food. This would enable all alike to share in the feasting, including the poor (cf. Deut. 16:11; Neh. 8:10, 12; note on Est. 2:18).] Everybody’s to celebrate. Nobody is left out. Verses 23 and following say…

Esther 9:23-32 (ESV)— 23 So the Jews accepted what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur (that is, cast lots), to crush and to destroy them. 25 But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter, and of what they had faced in this matter, and of what had happened to them, 27 the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring and all who joined them, that without fail they would keep these two days according to what was written and at the time appointed every year, 28 that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, in every clan, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants. 29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew gave full written authority, confirming this second letter about Purim. 30 Letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth, 31 that these days of Purim should be observed at their appointed seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had obligated themselves and their offspring, with regard to their fasts and their lamenting. 32 The command of Queen Esther confirmed these practices of Purim, and it was recorded in writing.

Purim Celebrated Today— Now the Jews still celebrate and remember the feast of Purim even to this day. And the way they do that is: [the day preceding (13th Adar) is kept as a fast day (called "the Fast of Esther"), in accordance with the command of the queen (4:15-16). As soon as the stars appear the festival commences, candles are lit, and all the Jews go to the synagogue, where, after the evening service, the benediction is pronounced, and the book of Esther is read {in its entirety}… As often as the name of Haman is mentioned in the reading, the congregation stamps on the floor, saying, "Let his name be blotted out. The name of the wicked shall rot!" While the children shake rattles. After the reading the congregation exclaims, "Cursed be Haman; blessed be Mordecai!" etc.; the benediction is said, and all go home and partake of milk and eggs. On the 14th, in the morning, the people go to the synagogue; several prayers are inserted into the regular ritual; Ex 17:8-16 is read as the lesson from the law, and Esther, as on the previous evening. The rest of the festival is given up to rejoicing, exchanging of presents, games, etc. Rejoicing continues on the 15th, and the festival terminates on the evening of this day.] And that is how they remember what God did for them.

Remembering Our Heritage— Now this leads me to ask, “How are we passing true remembrance and communal worship of God down to the next generation? What symbols do we have in our homes to remind us of what God has done for us?” God instituted these festivals so the Jews would constantly live in a spirit of remembrance. Do we remember? The book of Esther was written so that the Jews of a later generation might understand the mighty hand of God that moved on their behalf. What steps are we taking to make sure that the next generation knows what God has done for them? Are we modeling to them lives that are truly centered on Jesus Christ and on living in remembrance of what He has done for us on the cross, and in the empty tomb, and in the giving of His Holy Spirit and Pentecost? We need to; future generations are depending on our remembering and our teaching them to remember.

The Greatness of Mordecai— Now the book of Esther closes by telling us what happened to Mordecai; the one who remembered and obeyed the Lord; the one who (though Haman sought to destroy him) God chose to lift up. It says…

Esther 10:1-3 (ESV) The Greatness of Mordecai— 1 King Ahasuerus imposed tax on the land and on the coastlands of the sea. 2 And all the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the high honor of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? 3 For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people.

Lifted Up— If we are obedient to God as Esther and Mordecai were, He will lift us up. If we choose to live in remembrance and in the fear of Him, He will bless us and He will preserve us; and His favor will be and will remain with us. Let us be a people who are obedient; who remember; let us be a body that is truly centered on our Lord in every way. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. We appreciate your tuning in to us today. We have begun to wrap up our study of the book of Esther, in which we have seen how God used a young Jewish girl by the name of Esther to be His instrument through whom He saved His people from a mass genocide at the hands of the wicked Haman, the king’s former right-hand man who had tricked the king into signing into irrevocable law that on one day (in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day) the Jews all throughout Persia would be rounded up and killed. Now through Esther this plot becomes known and Haman is executed. And the king allows a second decree to be written allowing the Jews to defend themselves and to attack those who were intent on bringing them harm. And so on that day, when Israel was supposed to fall at the hands of their enemies, they instead gained mastery over their enemies. And so there is a dramatic reversal that we observe. And the author of the book of Esther really highlights this in how he has structured the text.

[Chiastic Structure of Reversals— In 3:10 - the king gives Haman his ring. In 8:2 - the king gives Mordecai that same ring. In 3:12 - Haman summons the king’s scribes. In 8:9 - Mordecai summons the king’s scribes. In 3:12 - letters are written and sealed with the king’s ring. In 8:10 letters are written and sealed with that same ring now given to Mordecai. In 3:13 we see that the Jews, even women and children, are to be killed on one day. In 8:11 - the enemies of the Jews, even women and children, are to be killed on one day (though that was never carried out; it was just part of the law given to directly confront Haman’s decree). In 3:14 - Haman’s decree is publicly displayed as law. In 8:13 - Mordecai’s decree is publicly displayed as law. In 3:15 - couriers go out in haste. In 8:14 - couriers go out in haste. In 3:15 - the city of Susa is bewildered. In 8:15 - the city of Susa rejoices. In 4:1 - Mordecai wears sackcloth and ashes. In 8:15 - Mordecai wears royal robes] So in this we see a dramatic reversal of the fate of Israel.

But one of the questions we need to ask (especially in this latter part of the book of Esther) is “How does this passage (and really the book as a whole) shape our understanding of how you and I are to relate with our enemies? And moreover, how do we balance a desire for God’s justice with an understanding of His love and forgiveness?”

Our Motivation To Seek God’s Justice— What scripture points us to as we wrestle with this question is to how we are to model our justice after the pattern of a God who chooses to receive the just punishment due us upon Himself and to forgive the wounds inflicted upon Himself. God hates sin, but He loves the sinner and is always seeking to redeem each and every one of us. And you know the same ought to be true of us. Our central desire must not be to see our enemies pay, but to see sin conquered and people freed from the power of death. Whenever we cry out for the justice of God, it cannot be from a desire to see our enemies perish because of their wounding us. Our cry for the justice of God must always be tempered with the desire to see the hearts and lives of our enemies changed by the power of Jesus Christ. If your desire is to see people receive hell from Jesus, then your spirit is not right. The disciples, when offended by the Samaritans, make this mistake in Luke 9:54-55, where it says…

Luke 9:54-55 (ESV)— 54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But he turned and rebuked them.

Jesus was not out to punish, but to redeem. That is why He says in…

John 3:17 (ESV)— 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

John 12:47 (ESV)— 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.

Not Against People, But Against Sin— Now you can argue from the Old Testament that Holy War was often used by Israel at the instruction of God. But what we must always remember is that [The essence of holy war in the Old Testament is not about two nations in warfare, one of which happens to be Israel. Holy war is about God warring against sin and evil on the earth.] It’s not against people; it’s against sin. And whenever God does wages war on a people, it is because those people have not repented and accepted the redemption offered to them. You see, God’s Holy War is not against people, but against the sin that enslaves people. Now given those who bind themselves to sin and never allow Christ to set them free have bound themselves to their own destruction. But even then Jesus is fighting tooth and nail for them to come to repentance in order that they might be saved. Hence, the CROSS!!!

The Cross Changes Everything— And really the cross changes everything in regards to how we think about the justice of God; because Jesus doesn’t cry out from the cross a plea for God to destroy those who pressed that crown of thorns into the capillaries of His forehead; who lacerated his back; who nailed his hands; who pierced his feet; who hung His body in such a way (from what we know of Roman crucifixions) so that every time he had to breath out he had to pull himself up. No, instead, with what strength He could muster between these breaths he was struggling to work out, Jesus uttered these words: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34 ESV) I confess to you, I have been a Christian for most of my life; I have been pastoring for many years now and have preached on that statement of Jesus many many times. And yet I still have trouble processing that. I still cannot wrap my mind around that kind of forgiveness.

Karen Jobes and Holy War— Holy War ends at the cross. An author I was recently reading said that: [The death of Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel, provides the only basis for the cessation of holy war, and the infilling of the Holy Spirit provides the only power by which one may love one’s enemies as oneself. All of the vengeance God’s people would like to wreak on those who practice evil has now been satisfied in the suffering and death of Jesus. He has taken the wages of sin, he has suffered the vengeance of evil. The vengeance due to us for our sins against others and due to them for their sins against us has been satisfied in Jesus’ body on the cross. It is only on the basis of recognizing that the penalty has been paid by Jesus that we can forgive others as we have been forgiven. True holy war in human history has ceased because Jesus has fought its last episode on the cross. It is no accident of history that the modern nations that still endorse the concept of holy war (Arabic, jihad) are nations that reject the gospel of Jesus Christ and the moral system he commands.]

Jonah’s Attitude— Now you and I can cry out for the judgment of God. There’s a place for that. But what we have to remember is that God’s judgment is always redemptive. If Jonah had had the right perspective, He would have rejoiced at Nineveh’s repentance. But did he? No. He wanted to see the justice of God exacted in the form of vengeance. He wanted to see Nineveh burn. Why? Because of their wickedness and particularly how they (Assyria, of which Nineveh was the capital) had injured his people.

What Would We Do?— But where do we stand on this issue? If your greatest enemy; the one who persecuted you the most; who was the greatest thorn in your flesh repented and therefore escaped the judgment of God, would you be happy for them? Or would there be bitterness in your heart? Would you be like the second son in the story of the prodigal son; angry because of the mercy of the father? Or would you, recognizing God’s own mercy towards YOU, be able to rejoice in their escaping God’s wrath? And more so; do we go beyond that to actually seek their salvation and help them to escape God’s wrath? One of the verses I find to be the most difficult passages in all of scripture to apply; and I think it is virtually impossible to apply without the infilling of the Holy Spirit is…

Matthew 5:43-45a (ESV)— 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.

Agape your enemies— Now that word “love” here in Matthew is a special kind of love in Greek. It’s not a casual kind of love or an entry-level kind of love; no, it’s agape; a sacrificial kind of love; the very kind of love Jesus Christ Himself demonstrated in His life and ministry and then on the cross. Well, how does sacrificial love translate into my relationship with my enemy? Do I extend to them the agape of Christ? Many of us struggle just to pray regularly for those close to us. How about how much time we actually devote to praying for our enemies? In thinking about our world, we often pray for justice. Yet I think the cross challenges what we mean when we pray for justice; because ultimately the Christian’s cry for justice is always and must always be a cry for people to find forgiveness and redemption from sin and find healing. And that can be hard to desire for those who have wounded us. And that leads me to think about the question, “Are we truly yearning for people to find freedom from God’s judgment in and through Jesus Christ?” Now we say we do. But if we are to take what Jesus says seriously, “How does our prayer life reflect that?” “What kind of prayers are we offering on behalf of those who have set themselves against us, against Christ, and against His Church?” “What kind of love are we showing to our enemies?” A love that merely tolerates? Or a pro-active, sacrificial, pouring out kind of love; an agape kind of love?

Burned Hands— [Corrie Ten Boom in the book, Reflections of God’s Glory (page 69), wrote, “In Africa a man came to a meeting with bandaged hands. I asked him how he had been injured. He said, “My neighbor’s straw roof was on fire; I helped him to put it out and that’s how my hands were burned. “Later I heard the whole story. The neighbor hated him and had set his roof on fire while his wife and children were asleep in the hut. They were in great danger. Fortunately, he was able to put out the fire in his house on time. But sparks flew over to the roof of the man who had set the house on fire and his house started to burn. There was no hate in the heart of this Christian; there was love for his enemy and he did everything he could to put out the fire in his neighbor’s house. That is how his own hands were burned.”] What a remarkable story.

Our Focus/Central Concern— We live in a culture that is in flames; and as we watch the news we see that is now often literally true. When we get to heaven, Jesus is going to ask us, “Where are your burn marks? Where are the marks of your intercession for those who needed me?” Folks, we need to make sure that we are actively seeking the redemption of those who are lost; that we are praying for them; that we are ministering to them; that we are leading them to Jesus. We need to allow Christ’s mission to seek and to save the lost to become the very center and focus of our lives. Peace is only found at the foot of the cross. Because it is through our reconciliation with God that we can then become reconciled with one another. That is is the message of the Gospel. And so let us make the decision to be instruments of peace by bringing people the Good News of the Gospel of Christ. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today as we continue our study of the book of Esther.

The Second Decree— We are entering into the final chapters of the book. You will remember that Haman (who had conspired to have all the Jews in the Persian empire exterminated) has himself just been executed; and executed in the very manner that he had wickedly devised for Esther’s cousin Mordecai. And so King Xerxes gives Esther the estate of Haman. And Mordecai comes into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. And the king gives Mordecai his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman.; giving Mordecai his own authority and power; just as he had previously given to Haman. And Esther appoints Mordecai over the estate of Haman. Yet even though Haman has been killed, God’s people are still in danger from this decree that has been issued against them; this decree that has authorized the complete destruction of the Jews. So Esther pleads again for her people. Now the king cannot revoke or cancel the previous decree according to Medo-Persian law, but he can offset it by empowering the Jews to fight back and defend themselves. And so King Ahasuerus tells Esther and Mordecai to write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to them and to seal it with his ring, encouraging them by saying, “for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.” And so Mordecai writes the decree. And it says in…

Esther 8:9-12 (ESV)— 9 The king's scribes were summoned at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day. And an edict was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded concerning the Jews, to the satraps and the governors and the officials of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, and also to the Jews in their script and their language. 10 And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king's signet ring. Then he sent the letters by mounted couriers riding on swift horses that were used in the king's service, bred from the royal stud, 11 saying that the king allowed the Jews who were in every city to gather and defend their lives, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, children and women included, and to plunder their goods,12 on one day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.

A Cold War Missile Silo— Not long ago I was watching a show about an underground nuclear missile silo that was manned during the Cold War. President Eisenhower had given the military pre-authorization to launch their nuclear missiles from that silo if they were attacked by the Soviet Union. Now there was a reason they were buried deep underground. The idea was that although above-ground bases could be damaged by the Soviet attack, the silo would survive and be able to launch a whopping counter-attack. Now the silo never needed to be used. It was enough of a deterrent just to be there. Well, this counter-decree formed by Mordecai was to have a similar affect. Yes, you can attack us as Haman’s decree will allow you to do. But be prepared for a ready defense; a whopping counterattack backed by the king’s new right-hand man, Mordecai.

Esther 8:13-15 (ESV)— 13 A copy of what was written was to be issued as a decree in every province, being publicly displayed to all peoples, and the Jews were to be ready on that day to take vengeance on their enemies. 14 So the couriers, mounted on their swift horses that were used in the king's service, rode out hurriedly, urged by the king's command. And the decree was issued in Susa the citadel. 15 Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown and a robe of fine linen and purple, and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. 16 The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor. 17 And in every province and in every city, wherever the king's command and his edict reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews had fallen on them.

The Robes of Mordecai— Now we see here that this second rewarding of Mordecai exceeded the first (cf. 6:6-9). Because blue and white (these colors that he is clothed with) were the royal colors of the Persian empire. He’s royalty now. Just think of that! Mordecai (the one who only a short time before this was sitting in sackcloth and ashes) is now adorned in the clothes of royalty. Now what I want to highlight for you in this is that God has the power to bring us from ashes to glory. He will (ultimately) humble our enemies and will lift us up. And that is God’s resounding promise to you and to me in every page of scripture, and especially here in the book of Esther.

The Tables Turn— Now after this Mordecai is seen to leave the king’s presence wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen it says that Susa has a joyous celebration. The Jews, filled with gladness and joy, are feasting and celebrating. And Mordecai rises in prominence; and fear comes on the people to the point that many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews had fallen on them. Now just think about how ironic this is; because God’s people who (were hated and despised by many around them) have now become the desired people. Almost everybody wants to associate with Jews now, help them, and be on their side because the balance of power has shifted suddenly into Jewish hands. And so on the appointed day, the second edict is carried out; and Haman’s evil plot falls on his own head (9:25). It says…

Esther 9:1-10 (ESV)— 1 Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's command and edict were about to be carried out, on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred: the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them. 2 The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could stand against them, for the fear of them had fallen on all peoples. 3 All the officials of the provinces and the satraps and the governors and the royal agents also helped the Jews, for the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them. 4 For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces, for the man Mordecai grew more and more powerful. 5 The Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and did as they pleased to those who hated them. 6 In Susa the citadel itself the Jews killed and destroyed 500 men, 7 and also killed Parshandatha and Dalphon and Aspatha 8 and Poratha and Adalia and Aridatha 9 and Parmashta and Arisai and Aridai and Vaizatha, 10 the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they laid no hand on the plunder.

His Boast Was Toast— By the way it is so interesting how the text highlights how Haman lost everything he had bragged about back in 5:10-11; even his sons, who suffer the consequences of his sin. Now the next passage reveals what could be seen as very uncharacteristic of Esther, who up until this point has seemed like such a sweet, kind, innocent girl; but listen to what she says. It says in…

Esther 9:11-16 (ESV)— 11 That very day the number of those killed in Susa the citadel was reported to the king. 12 And the king said to Queen Esther, “In Susa the citadel the Jews have killed and destroyed 500 men and also the ten sons of Haman. What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! Now what is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what further is your request? It shall be fulfilled.” 13 And Esther said, “If it please the king, let the Jews who are in Susa be allowed tomorrow also to do according to this day's edict {(in other words, let there be another day of killing here in Susa)}. And let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows.” 14 So the king commanded this to be done. A decree was issued in Susa, and the ten sons of Haman were hanged. 15 The Jews who were in Susa gathered also on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and they killed 300 men in Susa, but they laid no hands on the plunder. 16 Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king's provinces also gathered to defend their lives, and got relief from their enemies and killed 75,000 of those who hated them, but they laid no hands on the plunder.

Not Vengeance, But Self-Defense— So you have this massive slaughter of Israel’s enemies, including Haman’s 10 sons. And honestly, there are some Christians who shy away from the book of Esther (particularly this last section) because of what they perceive to be Esther’s (and the people in general’s) vengeful nature. How can a God who commands that we love our enemies and do good to them be pleased with this slaughtering of Israel’s enemies? But you know what I think we have to realize is that these were not merely enemies (people who hated them (9:5)); these were people 9:2 says sought their harm. This isn’t vengeance in the sense that you and I think about vengeance; this is self-preservation; we are talking here about self defense here. I want to make that very clear.

Taking Steps to Protect Themselves— Notice that although the edict allowed them to, the Jews are not said to have killed any women or children. They are only said to have killed men; 8:11 says any armed force. You see, we have to be careful to not miss the details given to us in the text. They were not trying to do what Haman tried to do to them. Haman was going to exterminate all of them (men, women, and children). But they, though the edict allowed (as a reversal to Haman’s decree), didn’t do that; but rather killed only those who were actively seeking their harm; any armed force that sought their harm. Now remember also that Haman sought to lay hands on their plunder; yet here the Bible emphasizes over and over again that they did not touch the plunder. It wasn’t about money; it wasn’t about vengeance. They were concerned for their very lives. And the same thing with hanging Haman’s ten sons on the gallows after they had been killed. Some see that as vindictive or vengeful. I see it as, “Hey, don’t ever touch us or your fate will be like these guys.” It was not for some barbaric purpose, but to be a deterrent against further attack. And it works. Israel prevails over their enemies and there eventually is peace. And so in a pagan land God establishes His people. And what this shows us is that God has always and will always stand with His people. Those who set themselves against His sheep He will bring down.

The Enemies Fall— Just recently I was talking with a woman who (though very kind and godly) had some people at her place of work who had set themselves against her (and against some other women of character and integrity who worked at the same establishment). And I remember praying with this woman and have been carrying her in prayer for some time, ever since she first let me know the situation. But just recently she approached me and told me that over the past several months, the most amazing thing has happened; almost ALL of those malicious people who had set themselves against her had started to drop off one by one due to various circumstances. And not only that, but her employers have begun showing her a greatly increasing amount of respect for the skill, character, and kindness that they say they see in her. There is a favor that seems to be going before and with her.

And I’m telling you, God always does this kind of thing. He always stands with His faithful ones. He always brings justice in due season, even if He allows us to suffer for a while. That is why I want to encourage you today to trust in Him. Give yourself over into God’s hands and (as He did for Esther, Mordecai, and the rest of His people) He will prove Himself to be a faithful Deliverer for you. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today as we continue our study of the book of Esther. Now I have to share with you a story I read not long ago that made me laugh.

[The Gossiping Priest— Four priests met for a friendly gathering. During the conversation one priest said, “Our people come to us and pour out their hearts confessing certain sins and needs. Let’s do the same. Confession is good for the soul.” In due time all agreed. One confessed he liked to go to R-rated movies and would sneak off when away from his church. The second confessed to smoking cigars, and the third one confessed to gambling. When it came to the fourth one, he wouldn’t confess. The others pressed him saying, “Come now, we confessed ours. What is your secret or vice?” Finally he answered, “It is gossiping and I can hardly wait to get out of here.”]

It Takes One To Blow The Horn— It is easy to think that our sins will never be exposed; that we can get away with the wrong things we have thought, done, or intended to do. This was certainly true in the life of Haman, who set himself against God and His people Israel. Yet it only takes one person to blow the horn. And in this story it is Esther who, because of her faithfulness to act in obedience according to the will and timing of God, brings to light the wickedness of Haman and thwarts his plans. And what we ought to learn from this is that all sin will ultimately be exposed.

Numbers 32:23 (ESV)— 23 But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out.

Job 20:27 (ESV)— 27 The heavens will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him.

Proverbs 26:26 (ESV)— 26 though his hatred be covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

Ecclesiastes 12:14 (ESV)— 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Luke 12:2 (ESV)— 2 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

1 Corinthians 4:5 (ESV)— 5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

The Ashley Madison Accounts Exposed— You will remember that a number of years ago the famous website “Ashley Madison" (a website that was designed to promote marital unfaithfulness by encouraging married people to have an affair) was hacked; and numerous accounts were exposed. And many lives have been drastically affected by that exposure. Some even went so far as to take their own lives. They never thought that their sin would be found out. But it was.

The Exposed Purposes of the Heart— All sin will ultimately be exposed. And that last part of 1 Corinthians 4:5 is scary because it stretches beyond just outward sin into the very realm of the heart and mind. It says the Lord will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. So this brings us to the question, “Are we clean not only outwardly (like the Pharisees were), but inwardly?” Have we allowed Christ to change our hearts? Because one day our hearts and minds are going to be opened and the real depth of our Christian faith revealed. How deep did we allow Christ to touch us?

Haman’s Sins— Our sins will find us out. And Haman’s most certainly were. In the king’s eyes, he was guilty of three capital crimes. [One, he manipulated the king in planning to kill the queen’s people. Two, he was perceived to accost the queen. Three, he planned to execute a man whom the king had just greatly honored for extreme loyalty to the kingdom.]

God Reverses the Attack— And after his dark deeds have finally been revealed Haman is punished. And the very pole he set up for Mordecai to be impaled on, which towered above the city in its height to make a display of Mordecai’s corpse, he himself is impaled on. Now your translation may say that Haman was hung. But it is not what we typically think of when we think of hanging. He wasn’t hung with a noose, but on a pole. And the [Hebrew word translated “poles” literally means “tree” or “wooden object.”] And it was actually common practice during that time to impale victims on wooden stakes. And sometime it was an actual method of execution, but more often criminals were killed by other means and their bodies then impaled for public display. Now having said that, the [Persians {also} practiced crucifixion, and the punishment spoken of here might refer to that practice: impaling people alive on wooden posts and allowing them to die of exposure.]

The Attack Reversed— Now I know all of this is very graphic. But it very clearly demonstrates an important Biblical truth. And that is that God turns upon the very heads of the enemies of His people the persecution they themselves had sought to inflict. And this is the central theme we see in these closing chapters of Esther; God reverses the attack and His sovereign plan remains un-thwarted. And we will explore this more in our time together today. Go ahead and look with me at chapter 8, starting at verse 1…

Esther 8:1-2 (ESV)— 1 On that day King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her. 2 And the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

Haman’s Estate Given to Esther— And so with the King’s giving Mordecai that signet ring, he is giving Mordecai the very power and authority that had previously been Haman’s. And ironically, Mordecai would never have had that power had Haman not sought to destroy him to begin with. And the next turn of events is just as ironic. [Haman’s plot to destroy Mordecai leads to Mordecai’s acquiring both Haman’s position and property.] He gets control of Haman’s estate. And what is important for us to note is that it is not Mordecai who takes that vengeance. It is God who brought it about by His sovereign hand. And this is how it is with us as well. God stands with us and He will bring justice; we never have to seize it for ourselves. And similarly, it is also God who protected Mordecai. Consider that Mordecai very likely knew nothing about Haman's plot to hang him. And yet despite that, God showed Himself to be a shield for Mordecai as well. Now it was Persian custom during that time for the property of a traitor to be returned to the king. And in this case the king gives that estate over to Esther, who places Mordecai in charge of it. But for Esther, this is not enough; because her ultimate concern was not for honor; or for an estate; but for her people. Therefore it says in verse 3…

Esther 8:3-7 (ESV)— 3 Then Esther spoke again to the king. She fell at his feet and wept and pleaded with him to avert the evil plan of Haman the Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews. 4 When the king held out the golden scepter to Esther, 5 Esther rose and stood before the king. And she said, “If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king. 6 For how can I bear to see the calamity that is coming to my people? Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?” 7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows, because he intended to lay hands on the Jews.

A Counter-Decree— Now I want to point out that the King had promised to grant Esther whatever she requested. He said, “Even up to half my kingdom, it will be given you.” And yet here we find that he is unable to grant Esther’s request; for doing so would mean rescinding the decree he had already made; something that he was not legally allowed by Medo-Persian law to do. And the reason behind this law could very likely be because revoking a previously made law would cause the king to lose face and would also undermine his authority. And so as frustrating as this is, we find that the decree of death instituted by Haman cannot be revoked by a mere word from the king. Yet although King Ahasuerus cannot revoke the first decree he has made, he can institute a counter-decree. It says in verse 8 and following...

Esther 8:8 (ESV)— 8 But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king's ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's ring cannot be revoked.”

Sin’s Consequences Cannot Be Rescinded— And we will see that this is exactly what Mordecai will do; he issues a counter-decree. Now the idea that the decree of death cannot merely be taken back is very important because it reflects (in a way) the larger decree of death pronounced on all of mankind as the natural result of sin. Now we know the king’s decree was unjust here. However, God’s decree against sin and the penalty of death that is the result of that sin is not unjust. And in a similar way, God cannot simply call off His decree without compromising who He is as a just and Holy God.

All Sin Will Be Punished— All sin will (and must) be punished. Now in and throughout the book of Esther, we see the effects of sin. And as we know from scripture, sin always leads to death. And the lie of sin is that you can continue in it without there being any consequences. It should be noted that the first thing Satan ever says about sin is, "You shall not surely die." The lie of sin is that we can engage in it without consequence. Yet what we must realize is that all sin must and will be punished.

God’s Counter-Decree— An author I was reading just recently pointed out that: [Just as {Ahasuerus/} Xerxes king of Persia could not simply rescind the first decree of death, God, King of the universe, cannot simply rescind the decree of death pronounced in the Garden of Eden against humanity. Instead, he issues a counter-decree of life, the gospel of Jesus Christ.] Now I think he’s exactly right. The power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ lies in the fact that although God’s decree of punishment for sin cannot be undone, a counter-decree can and was made to preserve us from that death. Jesus Christ Himself became the recipient of God’s punishment. Jesus Himself was God’s counter-decree against sin and death. God’s judgement fell on Him, therefore paying for our sin and liberating us. And that salvation is available to anyone who is willing to receive and follow Christ. And if you have never done that, I encourage you to simply ask Him today to forgive your sins; and tell Him that you receive that counter-decree against the sin in your life and that you want to follow Him. And (as all of God’s people were delivered in this book) so you will be delivered also and given eternal life in Him. Choose Christ today. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. We have reached an exciting turning point in the book of Esther. Up until our passage last week, evil has seemed to have been prevailing. Mordecai had uncovered a murder plot against the king’s life, but instead of him being rewarded, the following chapter (chapter 3) sees the rise of an evil man named Haman, who (because of Mordecai’s refusal to bow down to him) tricks the king into signing an edict to annihilate all the Jewish people in the Persian empire. Mordecai pleads with Esther to go to the king unannounced on behalf of her people, an act that could cost her her life; because it broke Persian protocol and might be seen by others as the same kind of rebellion the first Queen (Vashti) had committed all the way back in chapter 1. But Esther chooses to do this, and finds that the king receives her with favor, and agrees to come to a banquet she has prepared in order to hear her request. And she asks for Haman to be there too, to which the king agrees. So the king comes (with Haman) to Esther’s first banquet to hear her request, but Esther senses God telling her to remain silent and to not share her request at that time, which is kind of frustrating for her because there is some urgency to her request. But she chooses to follow God’s leading and to instead invite the king and Haman to a second banquet, during which she will then share her request. After that Haman has a pole erected for Mordecai on which to have him impaled as soon as he can get the king’s permission. But of course that night the king can’t sleep and so the royal records are read to him and he comes across the account of how Mordecai had saved his life from that assassination plot 5 years earlier. And so he decides to reward Mordecai, so he asks who is in the court; and of course it is Haman; Haman has come to issue his own request (to have Mordecai impaled); but the king speaks first and asks what ought to be done for the man the king delights to honor. And Haman, thinking it is him, gives him a long list of things that ought to be done for him (including exalting him publicly). And so the king tells him to go and do all these things (leaving nothing out) for Mordecai the Jew. And Haman (horrified) finds himself compelled to obey the king and ends up exalting the very man he had sought to destroy. And the text says that afterwards he went home with his face covered in grief. And so (in the midst of a lot of grief and pain) we see that God is working in an amazing; and we have already begun to see how God’s plans are unfolding and the tables are beginning to turn on the enemies of His people. Last week I read to you Deuteronomy 7:9, which reads:

Deuteronomy 7:9 (NIV)— 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

But I intentionally left the following verse for today, because of how it sets the tone for our discussion. It says in verse 10…

Deuteronomy 7:10 (NIV)— 10 But those who hate him he will repay to their face by destruction; he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him.

The Hidden Face— Now notice that twice it says in this verse that God will repay to their face; because there is a lot of Old Testament imagery and meaning behind that phrase. You will remember that in breathing life into Adam, God gave life to Adam from His very face. When man sinned, he was cut off from the face of God. When Cain committed murder in killing his brother Abel, he says Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. When we sin, (in the Hebrew mind) our face is always affected; we are cut off from God’s face. Yet later in the Tabernacle (and even later the temple) there was kept there the bread of the presence of God. In Hebrew it was known as the Lechem Panim, which literally meant “bread of the faces”; signifying that bread for life was found as man looked into the face/faces of God. It was a promise; because in Jesus (the bread of life), who was born in a bakery (that’s what Bet-Lechem means; “house of bread”), man got to look once again into the face of God in Jesus. Now I say all this because of how Haman in our story today has just covered his face because of his having to exalt Mordecai. He races home with his face covered. There is a spiritual overtone to all of this. And his friends and family tell him he’s doomed because Mordecai is a Jew (interesting how they seem to understand that God stands with His people). And it says…

Esther 6:14-7:1— 14 While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman away to the banquet Esther had prepared. 7:1 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet,

So Haman is ushered to Esther’s second banquet. And his heart is still racing and he’s trying to regain his composure the best he can. And so he comes in and sits down, only to experience another horrifying surprise. It says…

Esther 7:2-4 (NIV)— 2 and as they were drinking wine [there's that theme of wine again] on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.” 3 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. 4 For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.”

Now the king suddenly becomes wild with fury. Who would dare set themselves against His queen (the woman he loved) and her people? And Haman’s eyes are growing wide as well. He begins to feel the drumbeat of his own heart. And he thinks to himself, “Surely Esther is not a Jew!” But it says…

Esther 7:5-6 (NIV)— 5 King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?” 6 Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!”

And Haman’s jaw drops to the floor. And the king’s eyes lock onto Haman like a bulldog’s on lamb chops. And all the blood drains from Haman’s face. It says Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. And the King is beside himself with rage. He gets up and storms out. And look what it says...

Esther 7:7-8a (NIV)— 7 The king got up in a rage, left his wine [there’s that wine mentioned again; something bad is about to happen] and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life. 8 Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining.

And for some reason this looks to Xerxes like an assault upon the queen; probably because of how aggressively Haman is pleading for his life; I mean HE IS TERRIFIED!!!

Esther 7:8b-10 (NIV)— The king exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?” As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. 9 Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A pole reaching to a height of fifty cubits stands by Haman’s house. He had it set up for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.” The king said, “Impale him on it!” 10 So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.

God Lifting Us Up— Now I’m sure most of you have gone through times of persecution and oppression; and maybe you have wondered when and how God would deliver you. And especially we Christians in the United States have a skewed understanding of what it means to be in favor with God. We think it means prosperity and feeling close and connected with God all the time. Prosperity gospel prophets will tell us that if we are suffering in some way, then something is wrong with our relationship with God and we need to have a deeper kind of faith; because obviously our faith is not strong enough. I’m not sure why we tend to gravitate towards that heresy so easily, especially when Jesus speaks so clearly about our taking up our crosses (our emblems of suffering and shame) and following Him in His suffering. In the early church there were precious few Christians who expected anything less than pain and suffering on behalf of the Gospel. And looking back through the Old Testament, we discover that God’s faithful ones lived lives that were characterized by suffering. Think of Abraham’s and Sarah’s childlessness; think of Joseph’s imprisonment; Moses’ flight from Egypt and living in isolated seclusion for decades because of his having killed an Egyptian; or just look at the Psalms. Incredible works of poetry? Yes. But they were written (many of them) out of circumstance of intense persecution and pain. David had to deal with enemies who set themselves against him all of his life (from Goliath of Gath to Saul to even members of his own family). Those on whom God’s favor rested in a special way were those who (facing hardship) chose to rely on God in a special way. And in so doing, they found deliverance. Abraham’s wife Sarah conceived and gave birth. Joseph was freed from prison and God made him second in command over all of Egypt; God called Moses out of hiding and (in his senior years) made him His chosen leader for His people; God helped David defeat Goliath, to supersede Saul as king, and delivered him from his enemies time and time again. And so in all these accounts, we discover that the dark times were not God’s vacation days or God somehow backing off for a while. No, it was often during those times that God was working the most. And the same is true of us; if we can rely on God in the hard times, we will find ourselves joining in some of His greatest work. That is one of the key truths we discover in Scripture and is something we see demonstrated so clearly here in the book of Esther. And so I want to encourage you today (in whatever you are facing). Trust in God. If you are anchored to Him (in Christ Jesus) He will not always keep you from the dark times, but He will bring you through those dark times; and He will use those times to do mighty works both in you and through you. So let us trust in Him today. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. We are glad you are with us today for another message from the book of Esther, which today will focus on the faithfulness of God to humble those who are sinful and arrogant and to exalt those who are righteous and humble.

A Flex Cam Showdown— Not long ago, at a Philadelphia Soul football game, they've had something called “Flex Cam.” The camera panned out to the crowd, tasking them to flex their muscles. It’s a fun thing, kids and adults showing up on the big screen flexing. However, during once of these events there was a young man on whom the camera fell who wanted to show his fairly large muscles. So he stood up and flexed his biceps and even turned to the girl behind and began flexing in front of her. And then he turned back to the camera to flex some more. But unbeknownst to him, the girl he had been flexing to quietly stood up behind him and slipped off her jean jacket, revealing bulging, body-builder arms. And he turned again, just in time to see her (with a look of pure pleasure) flexing her vastly superior arms over him; after which he quietly slumped back into his seat with a look of absolute embarrassment on his face.

Humbling Fun To Watch— You know, I don’t care whether it is in a movie or television show, or even in day to day life, the funniest moments are often when somebody who is proud or arrogant or full of themselves is humbled. And we will see this happen in a big way in our story today in the book of Esther.

Esther Stands for God’s People— Now we left Queen Esther last week immediately following the first banquet she had prepared for the King and his advisor Haman. Because Esther’s cousin Mordecai wouldn’t bow down to him at the city gate, Haman tricked the King into signing an edict that would cause all of the Jews in Persia (not just Mordecai) to be exterminated. However, Haman knows neither of Esther’s connection with Mordecai nor the fact that she is herself a Jew. And so Esther is preparing to reveal Haman’s plot to the king and could have done so at her first banquet, but (apparently) senses God telling her to wait. So she invites the King and Haman to a second banquet, during which she will make her request. And this of course gives God the opportunity not just to bring Haman to justice, but to humble him and bring about the exaltation (the lifting up) of Mordecai, which we will cover. But after this first banquet, Haman (who has no idea what is coming) is on cloud 9. He is excited. It says in…

Esther 5:9-14 (NIV)— 9 Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai. 10 Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home. Calling together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, 11 Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials. 12 “And that’s not all,” Haman added. “I’m the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow. 13 But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.” 14 His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a pole set up, reaching to a height of fifty cubits [(this was about 75 feet or almost 8 stories high)], and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai impaled on it. Then go with the king to the banquet and enjoy yourself.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the pole set up.

Impaling— Now this pole (and impaling) was a pre-cursor to crucifixion, which some believe the Persians were the inventors of. It was a graphic way to display the corpses of your enemies and instill fear in the hearts of your people. Ahasuerus’ grandfather Darius at one time had 3,000 citizens who had been a part of a revolt impaled at one time. It was very graphic and humiliating; and therefore a method Haman chooses with glee. And Haman (after instituting this plan) probably then turns in for the night and smiles as he drifts into sleep, dreaming of his revenge against Mordecai.

Sleeping Haman vs. Sleepless Ahasuerus— But that night, Ahasuerus, by the providence of God, cannot sleep. He’s tossing and turning, but to no avail. And he calls for his servants and commands that the royal records be read to him. And he is expecting the monotony of the records to lull him to sleep (like counting sheep or reading the phone book). So the royal records are brought, a scroll is chosen, and his servant begins reading. But instead of a boring record, he is read the record of his being saved by Mordecai from the plot against his life made by his two doorkeepers (Bigthan and Teresh) five years (cf. 2:16 with 3:7) earlier.

Divine Orchestrating— Now the royal records recorded not only the years of Ahasuerus’ reign, but also the reign of his father and grandfather. So you can imagine how many records there were. What are the chances that this scroll was chosen? Well it wasn’t chance. God brought it about. Don’t ever tell me this is a God-less book. God is very present in this story on every page; He is behind the scenes orchestrating every event towards the fulfillment of His purposes.

The King’s Inquiry— Now Xerxes, eagerly asks, 3 “What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?” And his attendants answer “Nothing has been done for him,” And so the King resolves to rectify that right away.

Haman’s Pride Backfires— Yet, first thing in the morning, Haman comes before the king at the royal court with a gleam in his eye ready to ask the king for authorization to execute Mordecai. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time! And he’s thinking about that stake being set up for Mordecai. And he comes to the king. And the king speaks first. But can you even imagine what would have happened if Haman had spoken first? That expression, “He put his foot in his mouth” just wouldn’t cut it. But the king speaks first. It says…

Esther 6:6-10 (NIV)— 6 When Haman entered, the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?” {And Haman thinks it’s HIM!!! And his ego and head begins to swell; his chest begins to puff out. It says…} Now Haman thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?” 7 So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honor, 8 have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. 9 Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!’” {And Haman smiles ear to ear as the king puffs his own chest out and gets ready to declare the recipient of this honor. Verse 10…} 10 “Go at once,” the king commanded Haman. “Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended.”

Haman Leading Mordecai’s Parade— Now I don't think words can describe the shock and frustration this little man Haman was feeling. Maybe its like that commercial on tv where the man puts his head close to the bushes as he’s working on them and a squirrel leaps out, latches onto his face and begins tearing him up. Hamon receives a similar, nasty surprise. And a whole field of emotions are bubbling up in Haman right now. But it says…

Esther 6:11 (NIV)— 11 So Haman got the robe and the horse. He robed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!”

Haman Head of The Parade!— Now you have to get this. Haman has to be the person not only to dress Mordecai in the royal robes and a royal crown and help him onto the royal horse, he has to be the guy who leads the parade for Mordecai as they go though the city. And as he’s leading Mordecai, he has to say, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!” And it says in verse 12...

Esther 6:12 (NIV)— 12 Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief, 13 and told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him.

No comfort from his wife— And he’s expecting them to comfort him and to placate his wounded ego. However, they don’t. In fact, just the opposite. It says…

His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him—you will surely come to ruin!”

Not quite the pick-me-up he was looking for. And that prophecy (unlike many) didn’t predict events in the distant future; but was more of a just-around-the-corner kind of prophecy. It says…

And we will see next week how things are going to play out for Haman. But God’s word to us for today is this. Although we know that God promises to reward us for our good deeds, we can often times feel that the “payoff” is too far away. And we often wonder if it is worth it. Mordecai went without being rewarded (or even recognized) for what he had done for five years. But though the king may have forgotten, one thing we see here is that God never forgets. And God will reward us in due season when that reward will do the greatest possible good. But we need to patient, just as both Esther AND Mordecai were willing to wait for God’s timing. One of the greatest points of security that will come in your life will come when you come to grips with the truth that God truly is faithful; He has been, He is, and He always will be faithful to you and to me.

Let us know today in a special way the faithfulness of our God. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today as we continue our study of the book of Esther.

Esther Stands for God’s People— In our passage last week we saw how Haman has begun to implement his plot against the Jews. He has gotten the king to sign a royal decree that all Jews in the empire are to be exterminated. And the decree has been sent out throughout all the empire. And news of this has reached Mordecai, who implores Esther to go before the king and plead their case. And Esther’s obviously scared, knowing that Persian law dictated that she could be executed for appearing before the king un-summoned. But rather than letting her fear master her, she chooses to align herself with God’s purpose and places the needs of her people over her own and chooses to go in to see the king. And as she enters that inner court (4:11), she knows she is placing her very life at the king’s mercy. Yet Proverbs 21:1 may have given her hope. It says…

Proverbs 21:1 (ESV)— 21 The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.

And that’s what we see here. Because Esther has placed herself in the hands of God and found favor in His eyes, she finds that those same divine hands are at work in the heart of the king. And when the king sees her, it says she won favor in his sight (5:2), and he extends to her his scepter, sparing her life. And he says “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.” (5:3)

What Esther Requests-- Now Esther has come before the king; not to seek anything for herself (as Haman, by contrast, will in just a little while), but in order that the lives of her and her people might be spared. But what is interesting is that she doesn’t at this time make her request before the king. Instead, it says…

Esther 5:4-5 (NIV)— 4 “If it pleases the king,” replied Esther, “let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.” 5 “Bring Haman at once,” the king said, “so that we may do what Esther asks.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared.

Sensitivity & Timing-- Now Esther chooses the banquet as the place to make her plea. As we talked about last week, she does this to protect the king; so that he might not be placed in a situation where he could publicly lose face; because remember it was he who had authorized this edict to begin with, so it would have made him look bad. But even more importantly, Esther is moving on God’s timetable. Probably because she took that time to fast and pray, she seems to have this sense of the Lord’s timing; and she is moving in accordance with that timing.

Led by the Spirit, not our sense of our needs-- And you know, that is something you and I can really learn from. Are we led by our fears or our own sense or perception of what our needs are? Or are we led by the Spirit of God? The truth is, when we focus on God and on living in obedience and in accordance with His timing, our needs are met; but we have to take our eyes off our needs and set them on Him. It is when we try to grasp too soon what may not be for us (or at least not yet) that we fall into trouble.

A Banquet “Prepared”-- Now this banquet was not something Esther decided to do on the spur of the moment. No, she prepared this banquet before even going before the king, which in itself is a beautiful picture of faith, as it shows she was actively trusting that God would move on her behalf. The banquet is already made. And so the king orders Haman to be brought and they leave immediately for the banquet. It says …

Esther 5:5b-6 (NIV)— So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared. 6 As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther, “Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”

Wine & Darkness— You know, it’s interesting how much wine appears in the book of Esther. Wine is sometimes presented in the Old Testament as a symbol of God’s favor and blessing. But not always; and certainly not so far in this book. In the very first chapter you have wine; and that drunkenness it produced that led to the merciless exile of Queen Vashti; not much favor there. Then you have Haman’s deceiving the King into signing the edict that would have led to the extermination; the genocide of an entire race of people (including Esther); and the text says right after the edict was issued, the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion. (3:15) And the very next time alcohol is mentioned is here in this verse; at this banquet where this wicked man Haman; this schemer of evil is brought in the midst of his planning to annihilate the Jews. So wine is more of a symbol of foreboding in this book. It is explicitly mentioned at every plot turn. And so the author’s pointing us to the wine is meant to foreshadow something grim; a dark event associated with wickedness. Proverbs 4:17 says of wicked people...

Proverbs 4:14-17 (NIV)— 16 For they cannot rest until they do evil; they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.17 They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

Everywhere you have wine in this book; you have violence showing up in some way, shape, or form. So they are there at the banquet and the king says to Esther…

Esther 5:6b-8 (NIV)-- “Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.” 7 Esther replied, “My petition and my request is this: 8 If the king regards me with favor and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.”

The Time Wasn’t Right-- Now why the wait? For some reason Esther doesn’t feel like the timing is right; it seems that God is impressing upon her to wait. And she probably has no idea why. In fact it may even bother her because there is quite a bit of urgency to her making this request. Her people are about to be annihilated. But she chooses to wait. And this may be because she has a sense of the Lord’s timing. She chooses to obey the leading of the Lord and wait; she chooses to possibly even allow herself to be made to look foolish in order to act in accordance with the timing of the Lord. Now we in hindsight know why the Lord wanted her to wait; it was because He wanted to not only bring about the salvation of the Jews; He wanted to also humble Haman and exalt Mordecai. And this is one of the things God does quite often. He humbles the proud.

Proverbs 3:34 (NIV)-- 34 He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.

Proverbs 29:23 (NIV)-- 23 Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor.

Matthew 23:11-12 (NIV)-- 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

1 Peter 5:5b-6 (NIV)-- …All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Pride Sickness— I recently watched some of a special on the Corona Virus. And they were talking about how they believe the virus originated with bats. And they said bats are fascinating creatures because although they can carry Corona Virus and other diseases, they are (interestingly) not affected by them. And you know. Pride is similar. It’s as Buddy Robinson once said, “Pride is the only disease known to man that makes everyone sick except the person who has it.” And he’s right.

Pharaoh Humbled-- And before God’s will can be perfected in your life and in my life, God must first pull us out of the quicksand of pride. In Egypt it was not enough for God to deliver Israel. He could have stretched out his hand and immediately brought death to Pharaoh and all the Egyptians. But no; He takes the longer path and (through Moses and Aaron) brings humility to Israel’s captors to the point where they give of their own possessions to the Israelites; He humbles them. And ultimately the reason Pharaoh’s army is annihilated by the waters coming upon them was not God; it was Pharaoh’s own pride that led to the destruction of his army and his land. It was because of his heart, hardened by pride, that caused the plagues of Egypt that left it in ruin.

Nebuchadnezzar Humbled-- Later, just before the story of Esther; during the time of Daniel, reigned the proud King Nebuchadnezzar. Now God could have killed Nebuchadnezzar for his arrogance and sins. But God takes the longer path. He chooses to humble Nebuchadnezzar; remember, after praising himself and failing to give glory to God, God makes him like an animal; he loses his mind, his nails grow long, and he eats the grass of the field until he lifts up his eyes to heaven and lets go of His pride and gives worship to God. Then (and only then) does God restore him.

Haman Must Be Humbled-- And here we see the same thing. God has determined not only to save Israel (which could have been done at Esther’s first banquet). No; once again God takes the longer path; the one that will humble the enemy of God’s people before Him.

Mordecai Must Be Exalted-- And if Esther had made her request at this time, then Haman may have still been executed, but not humbled; and Mordecai would never have been exalted. And God saw both as necessary because He had plans to make Mordecai King Ahasuerus’ righthand man. And we will see in the closing chapters of this book that Mordecai himself plays a very key role in God’s plan. The proud must fall and the humble must be exalted.

We may miss out if we don’t wait on God’s timing-- You know, you and I can act on things before God’s timing; and things may turn out ok; but we may miss out on a huge part of the blessing God has in store for us or for someone we are connected with if we fail to move in accordance with His timing. We must learn to be patient and wait; even when it is frustrating or we may not understand why. You may be in a time of waiting right now; and those times of waiting can be very fearful; very scary. And we often want God to grant us what we think we need right away. Although we will never say it, we often think that God ought to act on our timetable. But if we can trust ourselves to God’s timing, pieces that are in play for our benefit God can use to bring us the greatest possible good. And that is ultimately what God was doing for Esther and her people; and it is what He wants to do for you and for me as well. And so I want to encourage you today (and myself as well); let us commit ourselves to following God’s timing in a deeper way. Let’s do so. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today as we continue our study of the book of Esther. In recent weeks we have talked about the rise (in the Persian empire) of a wicked man named Haman, an enemy of the Jews who (because of a personal grudge against Queen Esther’s cousin Mordecai and the specific line Mordecai comes from) has convinced the king to allow him to wipe out all of the Jews in the empire. Now nobody knows at this point that Esther is a Jew, for Mordecai has urged her to keep that a secret. But Mordecai informs Queen Esther of Haman’s plot and implores her to speak to the king on behalf of her people, though appearing before him unannounced would cost her her life, unless the king were to spare her life by holding out to her his golden scepter. And so the fate of God’s people is placed into the hands of this young Jewish girl, who has to decide whether to let her fear master her or to rise above that fear and act in courage in accordance with the will of God. And of course we know she will make the right choice. Now I am sure she felt an enormous weight. And so would we if we were in her shoes. And in the midst of burdens like that, you know I think we often wonder why God allows us to go through times of intense fear and pain. I know many may be struggling with that question now during this Covid-19 crisis. And so I’d like to open with a story today that I think speaks to that fear and why God allows us to carry burdens.

[THE PERIL OF NO BURDEN— {Some time ago I remember reading how} Shortly after coming to Christ, Sadhu Sundar, a Hindu convert to Christ, felt called to become a missionary to India. Late one afternoon Sadhu was traveling on foot through the Himalayas with a Buddhist monk. It was bitterly cold and the wind felt like sharp blades slicing into Sadhu's skin. Night was approaching fast when the monk warned Sadhu that they were in danger of freezing to death if they did not reach the monastery before darkness fell.

Just as they were traversing a narrow path above a steep cliff, they heard a cry for help. Down the cliff lay a man, fallen and badly hurt. The monk looked at Sadhu and said, "Do not stop. God has brought this man to his fate. He must work it out for himself." Then he quickly added while walking on, "Let us hurry on before we, too, perish."

But Sadhu replied, "God has sent me here to help my brother. I cannot abandon him."

The monk continued trudging off through the whirling snow, while the missionary clambered down the steep embankment. The man's leg was broken and he could not walk. So Sadhu took his blanket and made a sling of it and tied the man on his back. Then, bending under his burden, he began a body-torturing climb. By the time he reached the narrow path again, he was drenched in perspiration.

Doggedly, he made his way through the deepening snow and darkness. It was all he could do to follow the path. But he persevered, though faint with fatigue and overheated from exertion. Finally he saw ahead the lights of the monastery.

Then, for the first time, Sadhu stumbled and nearly fell. But not from weakness. He had stumbled over an object lying in the snow-covered road. Slowly he bent down on one knee and brushed the snow off the object. It was the body of the monk, frozen to death.

Years later a disciple of Sadhu's asked him, "What is life's most difficult task?"

Without hesitation Sadhu replied: "To have no burden to carry."]

Esther's Burden— Now the same is true of us. The burdens we carry (the pains and the fears) are often God’s ways of actually preserving us. And if we can be obedient to Him in the midst of those fears, God can work great things through us. But we have to be willing to accept those burdens; like Esther did. Esther didn’t overlook those who would die whom she had the power to save. She recognized that they were her burden. And when she chooses to shoulder that burden, the result is that she saves herself as well.

Esther 4:15-16a (ESV)— 15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 16 “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do….

Prayer Always Accompanied Fasting— Now [By calling for a fast, Esther was asking the Jews to pray for God’s help on her dangerous mission. In the Old Testament, prayer always accompanied fasting (see Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9; Ezra 8:21-23).] So she determine’s a course of action and moves ahead very boldly. She says that after she and her maids do this, in verse 16 she says…

Esther 4:16b (ESV)— …Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.”

Pouring the Jug— [I once heard a story of a man who got lost in the desert. After wandering around for a long time his throat became very dry, about that time he saw a little shack in the distance. He made his way over to the shack and found a water pump with a small jug of water and a note. The note read: “pour all the water into the top of the pump to prime it, if you do this you will get all the water you need”. Now the man had a choice to make, if he trusted the note and poured the water in and it worked he would have all the water he needed. If it didn’t work he would still be thirsty and he might die. Or he could choose to drink the water in the jug and get immediate satisfaction, but it might not be enough and he still might die. After thinking about it the man decided to risk it. He poured the entire jug into the pump and began to work the handle, at first nothing happened and he got a little scared but he kept going and water started coming out. So much water came out he drank all he wanted, took a shower, and filled all the containers he could find. Because he was willing to give up momentary satisfaction, he got all the water he needed. Now the note also said: after you have finished, please refill the jug for the next traveler.” The man refilled the jug and added to the note: “Please prime the pump, believe me it works”! …]

Esther has made the decision to risk the immediate urge to try to preserve her own life and chooses to take that step of faith. It says in…

Esther 5:1-3 (ESV)— 1 On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, in front of the king's quarters, while the king was sitting on his royal throne inside the throne room opposite the entrance to the palace. 2 And when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his sight, and he held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. 3 And the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.”

Only Favor— Now in all the movies, after Esther pushes open those huge doors and steps into the room there is a hush amongst all the crowd. And everybody looks in amazement. And there's a look of questioning and almost even frustration from the king. He looks perplexed. Yet, hesitantly, he holds out his scepter and Esther touches the tip, and her life is spared. Yet that is not what we see in the Bible. It says when he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his sight. He is pleased with her! There’s no frustration; there's no anxiety; there's only favor. And that favor he demonstrates to her was really an extension of God's favor to her. God’s favor was working through him to Esther.

A Sign of Love— In 2:17, it says of the king that he loved Esther more than all the other women. Now some commentators say that this was not love as you and I think of love; a self-giving kind of love. This was the King’s attraction to or even objectifying of Esther, much the same as he had objectified Queen Vashti. But I disagree with them. When Vashti showed defiance, he was filled with rage and was merciless towards her. Yet here Esther shows what could be interpreted as defiance, yet we don't see any hint of any displeasure from the king. In fact we see that he is pleased to see her. There's no hesitation in his extending to her the scepter. And what is remarkable to me is that he never even brings up the fact that she broke the law; not a word! The first thing that comes out of his mouth is, basically, "How can I serve you?"

Esther 5:3 (ESV)— 3 And the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.”

Making Himself Vulnerable— And he means it. He is stating that publicly. Now Xerxes is putting himself in a vulnerable position; because he doesn't know what Esther is going to ask. Remember what happened when Herod made a similar promise to Herodias in Mark 6:23? It backfired. She asked for the head of John the Baptist, which he then gave her because she put him in a politically awkward position.

Esther Protects Her Husband’s Position— But it's interesting that Esther doesn't do that. She doesn't make her request publicly. And her request would have put him in a politically awkward position because it would challenge the very law he had just put out. And though he most likely would have granted her request, it would have hurt his position. What we see instead is that Esther protects the king by calling for a private meeting in which to give her request. It says…

Esther 5:4 (ESV)— 4 And Esther said, “If it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to a feast that I have prepared for the king.”

So we see that Esther acts with wisdom. She is very wise, very tactful, and very considerate of her husband. Even in accusing Haman (which we will see later), we see that she is very careful not to accuse the king, who was (honestly) just as at fault as Haman was. Haman devised the scheme but it was the king who put it into action; he was responsible as well. But Esther never mentions that; she shows tact. She is very careful to only finger Haman in the crime.

Reciprocal Love— So my point is that Ahasuerus really does love and protect Esther and Esther reciprocates that in her treatment of Him. And what this shows is that when we choose to obey the will of God, and do so with tact; with wisdom and in love, there is no need to fear because God will prepare the way; He will open the doors; because His favor went before her. And His favor goes before us as well. And you and I can do the right thing knowing that He stands with us in a very real, though often (as in the book of Esther) an “unseen” way. We can live boldly in knowing that through His power, God can help us to overcome and do His will in the world; because He has raised us up “for such a time as this.” Be encouraged by that this week. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today as we continue our study of the book of Esther, beginning chapter 4 today.

Call Him a Saint-- But before we get into the text, I’d like to share a story of [two brothers {I once heard of. Both were}, well known around town for their crooked business dealings and underworld connections. They were as mean and cold-blooded as you could imagine. One day one of the brothers died, and the surviving brother wanted to give his dead brother a funeral fit for a king. He called the funeral home and made all the arrangements, then he called the town’s minister and made him an offer, as they say, he couldn’t refuse. He said, "I’ll give you $10,000 to put that new roof on the church if, in eulogizing my brother, you call him a saint." The minister agreed. The whole town turned out for the funeral, and the minister began: "The man you see in the coffin was a vile and debauched individual. He was a liar, a thief, a deceiver, a manipulator, a reprobate, and a hedonist. He destroyed the fortunes, careers, and lives of countless people in this city, some of whom are here today. This man did every dirty, rotten thing you can think of. But compared to his brother, he was a saint"]

Mordecai’s Predicament-- Now I don’t know what the repercussions of that minister’s saying that was; but I imagine the brother was not very happy. But…. One of the key truths we have been learning is you cannot call good what God has condemned. And this is the situation Mordecai (Queen Esther’s cousin) has found himself in. He has been serving as a judge at the king’s gate. And King Ahasuerus decides to make an evil man by the name of Haman (a descendant of the Amalekites, the enemies of the Jews; and a hater of the Jews himself) his right-hand man and commands that all the king's servants who were at the king's gate bow down to him. And Haman, a slave to vanity, enjoys all the royal officials kneeling down and paying him honor (3:2). But Mordecai refuses to bow down to him. And it wounds the pride and vanity of Haman; and he cannot let it go. It’s like the Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil in the garden of Eden. Haman already has all the trees he could ever need (he has the favor of everyone); he has access to the tree of life (he has the favor of the King himself); but it is that one tree that he cannot have (Mordecai) that consumes his mind. And therefore Haman conspires to kill Mordecai; and not just Mordecai, but all the Jews. And he does this by convincing the king (who does not know his own wife Esther’s people) that the Jews are a threat to the Persian empire. He says they have different customs from those of all the other people and that they do not obey the king’s laws (v.8) (by which of course is meant that Mordecai would not bow). And the thrust of Haman’s argument is that they will create instability in the empire. And he asks for permission to have them destroyed. And the King agrees to this genocide and gives him his signet ring to seal the decree in the king’s name. It is amazing how little information the king asks of this man who wants to wipe out an entire people. But he does!!! He gives Haman his signet ring; his authority, and the decree is written in every language of the peoples and dispatches are sent. And the close of chapter 3 is really unbelievable.

Esther 3:15 (ESV)— 15 The couriers went out hurriedly by order of the king, and the decree was issued in Susa the citadel. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.

A Holocaust Event-- Recently in our Sunday school class at Renton Park Chapel, our conversation shifted towards a discussion of the events in and surrounding the Holocaust. And we cannot even imagine what many of the people of that time had to go through; in a way it seems almost too removed from us. But imagine waking up one morning, making breakfast, and as your turn on the news you hear an announcement that it has been determined that your people are responsible for all the disunity in the country, for the instability in our nation, and for every disastrous choice this country has made. And there is only one solution; a “final solution”. All your people (including you and your family) are going to be rounded up and systematically exterminated. Now that may sound like a foolish fantasy; but remember the Holocaust was not really that long ago. That kind of persecution has been a common thread of God’s people throughout history; and it will continue to be until Christ returns. But imagine receiving that news update. What would you do in Mordecai’s shoes? You’d probably start calling your family; and at the same time you’re getting calls from loved ones, panicking. And you’d be grieving.

Esther 4:1-3 (ESV)-- 1 When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry. 2 He went up to the entrance of the king's gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king's gate clothed in sackcloth. 3 And in every province, wherever the king's command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.

The Fasting and Prayer of the Jews-- Can you imagine the fear; the terror? The dreadful anticipation. I mean what do you do? In times like that the only thing you can do is turn to God; lift up your voice to Him and pray for deliverance. And that is what the Jews are doing, as fasting was almost always accompanied prayer. Now it says in…

Esther 4:4 (ESV)— 4 When Esther's young women and her eunuchs came and told her, the queen was deeply distressed. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai, so that he might take off his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.

Why Esther Seeks to Clothe Mordecai-- Now the reason she sends him the clothes is not to try to get him to snap out of whatever it is he is going through. Esther knows that whatever is happening is important. She is sending him clothes so that he [could then enter the king’s gate (cf. 4:2) and talk with Esther directly (cf. Neh. 2:2)] Because remember that verse 2 tells us no one can enter the king’s gate (that official building) clothed in sackcloth. That’s Persian law. I mention this to you to show you that Esther isn’t discounting his feelings here or his means of expressing them, but is seeking to clothe him so she can find out as soon as possible what is going on. It says in…

Esther 4:5-8 (ESV)-- 5 Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs, who had been appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was and why it was. 6 Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king's gate, 7 and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king's treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. 8 Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her and command her to go to the king to beg his favor and plead with him on behalf of her people.

Further Evidence of Prominent Position-- By the way, [That Mordecai possessed this specific knowledge and a copy of the edict further evidences his prominent position in Persia.] And after this it says…

Esther 4:5-12 (ESV)-- 9 And Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. 10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to go to Mordecai and say, 11 “All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.” {(You see, she is counting the cost; not in an unhealthy way, but in a rational way. She understands that her own life is at stake.) Now it says…} 12 And they told Mordecai what Esther had said.

Set Priorities-- Now it is never wrong to acknowledge the danger in your doing what is right. It is even okay to be afraid. I am not sure how you could be in Esther’s position and not be afraid. But the thing about fear is that it always needs to be taken captive and placed in perspective. And that is what we see Esther do; she sets priorities and she get’s perspective. And Mordecai really helps her with this. It says…

Esther 4:13-14 (ESV)-- 13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. [keep in mind that if she is exposed, it doesn’t matter who she is; her life could be in danger because the king is not above the Law of the Medes and Persians. She could be killed even despite her royal position.] 14 For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

What Disobedience Could Cause-- Now this really shows that Mordecai has a strong understanding of the providence of God. [Haman’s death decree was against all Jews in the Persian Empire; thus, it would have included the land of Israel. If his decree had been carried out, all of God’s chosen people could have been exterminated, and God’s plan to send his Son to earth as a Jew could have been ruined. But God’s plans cannot be stopped.] And Mordecai recognizes this. But he also recognizes that there are immediate consequences for not following the will of God. Israel did not obey God when told to enter the promised land. They had been too afraid. And God therefore made them to wander the desert 40 years until that generation died off because of their lack of faith. And Mordecai is afraid the same thing will happen here. Yes God could raise up deliverance in another way, but Esther and her own relatives would be lost if she was not courageous enough to take that step of faith and obedience. And Mordecai basically tells her that where she is now is not an accident. She has been placed where she is; with the influence she has; by God for a purpose. And that purpose (not her life) is her most important priority.

Our Time and Calling-- And you know the same is true of each and every one of us. God has placed us where we are; for a purpose. He has given each of us a sphere of influence. Are we going to be faithful to use that influence for His glory? Are we going to be courageous enough to step out and witness to that person; are we going to be bold enough to stand up for what is right; are we going to be faithful to meet the needs of those who are oppressed and needy. Are we willing to become unsafe to glorify God? That phrase “for such a time as this” makes me think of the needs present in our own time; the need for men and women of God to not only talk about holiness, but be the salt and light in the world. God has laid a call upon your life and my life “for such a time as this.” The question is, how are we going to respond? It is my hope and prayer that you and I will respond as Esther did; in faith and in courage. And faith and courage are choices, not feelings. We have to choose to have faith and courage, even in the midst of contexts where the temptation is to fear, despair, and fall back. And so let us choose to be men and women of faith and courage. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today.

A Worldview of Providence vs. Blind Chance— This past week I was helping my son with his schoolwork (which is all online for the moment due to the current state of things); and he was learning about fossils and dinosaurs. And because he goes to a Christian school, he is learning those things from a Biblical perspective, which I am very thankful for. But I remember one night last week sitting with him in bed reading from his Bible the Genesis account of creation. And I told him that some people do not believe that God created everything; some people believe that at one time nothing existed except a tiny little speck, which they believe exploded and everything somehow came together from that explosion. And of course I was talking about the big bang. And I remember he simply couldn’t believe that by chance everything in the world that seemed so rich with design could come together randomly by chance. And I directed him across the room to his box of Legos and said it is like believing that your Lego box could explode and somehow form a house. And he immediately saw that as being complete nonsense. There would have to be intelligence behind any creation like that. If there is a design, there has to be a designer. And I think agreed with me when I pointed out how much more sense it made that God created the world. But though we as Christians know that, sometimes we forget that the God who created the world is also the God who sustains the world. And (to get specific), let’s consider the major world events like the ones we are facing today). Some people (even some Christians I know) seem imprisoned by fear. But what we as Christians have to remember is that we believe in a Divine Creator; a being who is orchestrating all things together for the good of those who love Him. Nothing is outside of His control; and while things may seem chaotic, we know that God has a purpose and plan that is being worked out. And this is what we see so clearly here in the book of Esther. The name of God is not mentioned anywhere in the book, but the author still points to Him as the main character; as the Great Orchestrator, defending and shielding His people as He slowly but steadily moves everything towards the fulfillment of His purposes. And we will see this theme play out more and more as we progress through the book. God is the great Defender of His people.

Haman the Agagite— Now last week (as we began Esther chapter 3) we saw a man come to power who comes from the Amalekite people generally (the ancient enemies of the Jews whom God had cursed for coming against and attacking His people when they first left Egypt) and from the line of King Agag specifically, the Amalekite king whom Saul had failed to put to death as God had instructed him to. And so this man who comes on the scene here carries a centuries-old grudge against the Jewish people. And of course his name is Haman. Haman is honored by the king and all are ordered to bow down and pay him homage. However, there is one man who refuses. And this was Queen Esther’s cousin Mordecai (an official who sits at the kings gate, most likely in the role of a judge). He refuses to bow to Haman. And this is a very public refusal. Verses 3-5 say…

Esther 3:3-5 (ESV)— 3 Then the king's servants who were at the king's gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the king's command?” 4 And when they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai's words would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew. 5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage to him, Haman was filled with fury.The “Wrath” of Haman— So we see that when Haman is told about Mordecai’s refusal and when he sees it himself, he is absolutely livid. In fact, [Haman’s name sounds something like the Hebrew word for wrath (Heb., hemah), an apt description of his temperament and role in this story.]

Mordecai Open About His Jewish Identity— Now one of the fascinating things in this passage about Mordecai is that it says [he had told them that he was a Jew. Mordecai did the very thing he had told Esther not to do in her situation (Est. 2:10, 20).] He tells the king’s servants he’s a Jew. And no doubt Haman wasted little time finding out what family he came from, his history; and when he found out, that made Haman hate him all the more, so much so that the scripture says…

Esther 3:6 (ESV)— 6 But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.An Excuse to Destroy the Jews— Now Haman’s pride is hurt. And he has been hating the Jews all along. And so he determines to exterminate them throughout all the kingdom (which by the way included Jerusalem; those who had returned from exile). And so it says in…

Esther 3:7 (ESV)— 7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus {(And the twelfth year reveals to us that [Haman has been biding his time for five years.)]}, they cast Pur (that is, they cast lots) (Pur is the persian word for “lot”; [A lot would be like modern dice which were cast to determine future decisions (cf. the Hebrew lot, 1 Chr. 26:14; Neh. 10:34; Jonah 1:7).] It was [A traditional way of seeking divine guidance (Josh. 18:6; Prov. 16:33) or, as here, finding the most opportune time to do something.] And so these lots were being cast, it says…) before Haman day after day; and they cast it month after month till the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.Biding Time; Passover Connection— Nisan was [The first month of the Jewish religious calendar, which began in spring with the Passover (Ex. 12:1–2). While the Jews prepared to celebrate their deliverance from Egypt, Haman plotted their destruction.] And until the twelfth month (the month of Adar) Haman has been casting lots against God’s people. Now Haman may have cast the lots, but neither he nor chance were in control. God was in control. It says in…

Proverbs 16:33 (ESV)— 33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. [God providentially controlled the outcome of the lot.] It says in…

Esther 3:8-13 (ESV)— 8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king's laws, so that it is not to the king's profit to tolerate them. (Notice how he is making it seem like this is in the king’s best interest.) 9 If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay (by which he means collect)10,000 talents of silver [that’s a huge sum, by the way; about 12 million ounces; over 300 tons of silver] into the hands of those who have charge of the king's business, that they may put it into the king's treasuries.” [Haman…appeals to the king’s need to replenish the treasury depleted by Xerxes’ disastrous war with Greece.] 10 So the king took his signet ring from his hand ([A ring used to seal official documents (Jer. 22:24).]) and gave it to Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews (which of course made it so that [Haman is empowered to act with royal authority.]).11 And the king said to Haman, “The money is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.” (So [Ahasuerus authorizes Haman to use as much of the 10,000 talents of silver as he needs to implement his plan.])

12 Then the king's scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month ([Presumably of the following (13th) year of Ahasuerus’s reign (see v. 7).]), and an edict, according to all that Haman commanded, was written to the king's satraps and to the governors over all the provinces and to the officials of all the peoples, to every province in its own script and every people in its own language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king's signet ring.13 Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces with instruction to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. 14 A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province by proclamation to all the peoples to be ready for that day. 15 The couriers went out hurriedly by order of the king, and the decree was issued in Susa the citadel. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.God Preserves The Righteous— Now one of the things you are going to see in the next few chapters is an unraveling of Haman’s plans. Everything just kind of goes haywire. And out of this story rises the theme of God’s victory over the enemies of God’s people and the lifting up of the righteous. Those who are righteous; those who walk with God may be hated by the world; yet we see that God defends those who walk in faithfulness with Him. It says in…

Job 5:12 (ESV)— 12 He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success.God’s Deliverance of His Righteous Ones— And this is really one of the central themes in this book. God thwarts the plans of the wicked and helps the cause of the righteous. He blesses the humble and humbles the proud. He honors those who place Him first and remain obedient to Him. And we can take courage in the fact that, even though we are going through persecution, God will deliver us by His sovereign hand. When we walk with Christ, we will often find that people will take offense at us; because our lives (the Light we live in) exposes their darkness. If everything is dark, nobody seems to care. But when you have somebody stand for something, it shames those who are bowing to everything.

Mordecai and Obedience— But in Mordecai we are reminded that we (as followers of Christ) cannot pay homage to anything that God has cursed. We cannot leave anything alive in our hearts that God has called us to destroy. We have to commit to walk with Christ in obedience because obedience in our hearts and lives to His will is the very fruit of salvation. And if we see anything from this story, we see that God never overlooks disobedience. He didn’t overlook Saul’s; Saul was punished. He didn’t overlook Israel’s (His own people’s sin); even they were punished, having been sent into exile. And God won’t overlook your sin and mine. Saul tried to separate his love for God from his obedience to God. But that is something we cannot do. Jesus Himself said in…

John 14:15 (ESV)— 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.1 John 5:3-4 (ESV)— 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.May we overcome the world the world through our faith this week. And may we discover the freedom that comes through living lives of obedience to God. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. Today we are continuing our study of the book of Esther. Last week, following the rise of Esther, we talked about how Esther’s cousin Mordecai (an official appointed by the king who judges at the king’s gate), uncovers a plot to assassinate the king and therefore saves the king’s life. But instead of the following passage opening with his promotion, as the original readers would have expected, we find instead honor being given to another man. It says in…

Esther 3:1-2a (ESV)— 1 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, and advanced him and set his throne above all the officials who were with him. 2 And all the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. …Consuming Credit— It is interesting that our story last week closes with Mordecai not receiving or even looking to receive credit for saving the King from a deadly plot on his life. And yet our passage today (which immediately follows) is introduced by a man who consumes credit. For Mordecai, it was enough for him just to know that he had done the right thing and that his master the King was safe. Haman on the other hand (as we will see) feels the perpetual need to always glorify himself. He was an egotist; or (in other words) […a person…me-deep in conversation.] And (as we will see later in the story) it is Haman’s pride and vanity that will be his undoing.

Vanity Confession— I remember reading a story of how [Once a girl knelt in a confessional and said, "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.” "What is it, child?” "Father, I have committed the sin of vanity. Twice a day I gaze at myself in the mirror and tell myself how beautiful I am.” The priest turned, took a good look at the girl, and said, "My dear, I have good news. That isn’t a sin - it’s only a mistake.”] Sometimes it only takes one person to unravel our own false perceptions of ourselves. Every time Haman rides through the king’s gate, everyone at the king’s gate bows to him. Well, everyone except one. The Bible says…

Esther 3:2b (ESV)— …But Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage.Why The Refusal?— Now why doesn’t Mordecai bow? It is believed by many that the reason that he did not bow was because bowing means worship; and because he worshiped God alone, he could therefore not bow to anybody but God. However, that interpretation is most likely not correct because it was a universal custom during this time to bow before your superiors. In fact, [It is known from other sources that in general, Jews did bow to pagan officials of the Persian court. It was not a religious act but one of court protocol, much as moderns still curtsey or bow to the British queen.] In fact, we know that later in the story Mordecai will eventually receive Haman’s former job as grand vizier. And in order for him to receive that job he would have had to pay King Xerxes the very honors he here refuses to Haman. So why then does he here refuse?

Hebrew Introductions— Well [In Hebrew narrative the characteristic described when a character is introduced is key to understanding his or her role in the story….When Haman is introduced, he is identified as an Agagite.]

The Agagites— And the Agagites were the ancient enemy of the Jews. When Israel left Egypt, remember they were attacked by these people called the Amalekites, [whose lineage began with Amalek, grandson of Esau (Gen. 36:2).] And so God curses them. And when God gave the covenant at Sinai, He said He promised [to protect Israel and to be at war with Amalek {(those who set themselves against His people)} in every generation]. Well, the king of the Amalekites during the reign of Saul was a King by the name of Agag. And in the book of 1 Samuel, God says to Saul through the prophet Samuel: ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’” (1 Samuel 15:2b-3 ESV) But remember Saul doesn’t listen. He defeats the Amalekites (who are led by king Agag)….

1 Samuel 15:9 (ESV)— 9 But {(it says)} Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction.

But Samuel the prophet comes to Saul. And Saul is all proud of himself (probably like Haman) and boasts about his obeying the commandment of God. But Samuel puts his hands to his ears and says, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?” And Saul starts making excuses. Well, I saved the best animals to be an offering for the Lord. And he starts trying to justify himself. But then Samuel says that famous statement…

1 Samuel 15:22-23 (ESV)— 22 And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”1 Samuel 15:32-33 (ESV)— 32 Then Samuel said, “Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” 33 And Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.Expel the Evil— Wow; that’s pretty intense. But you have to understand that the Amalekites were so intensely evil (practicing child-sacrifice and other horrific practices) that God wanted them out of His land; and even more importantly, He didn’t want Israel to adopt those kinds of practices. And yet we see that the Israelites never fully drive the Canaanites from their land. And because of that, they did indeed fall into those same practices. And really Saul’s failure in this conflict with Agag really foreshadows Israel’s continual inability to expel all evil from the promised land. Now why does all this matter? Because it says here that Haman is an Agagite; he’s a descendant of King Agag. And that is what drives his hatred the Jews; and especially Mordecai. Why Mordecai? It’s not just because Mordecai is a Jew. No, Mordecai comes from a very specific line, which is given to us when he is first introduced in Esther 2:5 (which means that it is also key to understanding the story). It says…

Esther 2:5 (ESV)— 5 Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite,Colliding Heritages— Now remember that [Kish.{..was} Mordecai’s great grandfather who actually experienced the Babylonian deportation… {But} Kish {also} represents a Benjaminite family name that could be traced back (ca. 1100 B.C.) to Saul’s father {(whose name was also Kish)} (1 Sam. 9:1).] So this is the family Mordecai is a descendant of; the royal family of Saul, who slew the Amalekites and should have killed Agag. So in this chapter you have more than two men colliding; you have their whole heritages colliding!

Why Mordecai Refuses— Now by order of the king, every man is to bow down to Haman and pay him homage. But Mordecai doesn’t. Why? Very likely because [no self-respecting Benjaminite could bow before the seed of the ancient enemy of the Jews.] And next week we will see just how well Haman takes this. If you think it is not very well, then (as Sherlock Holmes once said) “you have a very keen insight into the obvious.”

Our Homage— But what our passage today shows us is that we need to be careful not to pay homage to anything that God has called us to put to death; anything that might rob you of the fullness of God’s presence. This past week my daughter Ally asked Jesus into her life for the first time. And she knew she was making a very important decision to follow Jesus. But as a father, as I look into her beautiful blonde-haired face (I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a more beautiful face), I think “What is my precious Ally’s walk with Jesus going to look like if I’m not completely sold out to Jesus?” What are the ungodly things I still choose to pay homage to? When she gets married, how is her marriage; her kids; her grandkids; how are they going to be affected by my present willingness to be sold out to Jesus? Saul thought his sin was no big deal. And yet it affected generations. And so I wonder if those small choices we make every day to choose godliness over worldliness might not be so small after all. They could affect a lot of people.

Choosing Cleanness— This week I have been remembering the life of Ravi Zacharias, a wonderful Christian thinker and apologist who just went home to be with the Lord; and thinking about the millions of people (myself included) who have been touched by his extraordinary life and ministry. So much of my faith and thinking has been shaped by his faithfulness. But you know I wondered this week in my reflecting, “What does a person like him have to give up to be able to be used by God so mightily?” And maybe there are some major things, but I think most of what true men and women of God give up are little things; any little thing that might rob them of the presence of God. God anoints people and blesses people who are sold out to Him; who will not call clean or okay anything that He has called unclean. And so my challenge to you today (and to me) is: let us (like Mordecai) choose to live lives that are free of uncleanness; let us commit to living lives of holiness and obedience to God. If do, then we (like Esther and Mordecai) will experience the favor and blessing of God. Let’s commit to that today Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. In our study of the book of Esther, we have come to Esther’s coronation. Out of a group of 400 girls, she has been chosen to be the next queen of Persia. And King Ahasuerus throws a huge party to celebrate. So it is a time of joy and feasting. But in the midst of all this there is also plot and intrigue, as two men secretly lay plans to try to assassinate the king; Esther’s new husband. It says in…

Esther 2:19 (ESV)— 19 Now when the virgins were gathered together the second time {(most likely so King Ahasuerus could choose more concubines for himself in addition to Esther, it says}, Mordecai {(Esther’s elder cousin)} was sitting at the king's gate.The King’s Gate— Now [the courthouse of the ancient world was the gate of the city.] If you had a legal matter to settle, you went to the city gate to do it. Court would convene at the city gate. And so Mordecai, we see, holds a position of prominence at the gate; very likely a judgeship. But he was more than just your run of the mill judge because he is not just at the city gate; no, he is at (the text says) the king’s gate. And the king’s gate was where officials appointed by the king sat to administer justice (2 Sam. 15:2–6; cf. Ruth 4:1–11). And so Mordecai (though Jewish) was an important official appointed by the king. And it seems very plausible that Esther was the one who had him appointed to that position, as he is not mentioned as being in that position until after her coronation. But even if that were the case, we see that she kept her connection to him as her cousin a secret. It says in verse 20…

Esther 2:20-21 (ESV)— 20 Esther had not made known her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had commanded her, for Esther obeyed Mordecai just as when she was brought up by him. {Now it says in…} 21 In those days, as Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.The Threshold— Now these two men were guardians of the threshold, the door to the king’s private quarters. So these are guys who have direct access to the king. They have opportunity. And apparently they have motive, though we don’t know exactly what that was. Esther’s crowning may have had something to do with it. Perhaps those in the palace who were supporters of Queen Vashti resented Ahasuerus for de-throning and replacing her. Or it is possible these two men didn’t like that Esther was an outsider, because (although it wasn’t consistently obeyed) tradition dictated that wives for the Kings of Persia should be selected from within the seven noble families of the land. And so these men might have been traditionalists who saw Esther’s becoming queen an offensive thing. We don’t know. But whatever the motive, they are plotting together to kill the king. Now it says in…

Ecclesiastes 10:20 (ESV) — 20 Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter.

Well that little bird was Mordecai. The text says…

Esther 2:22a (ESV)— 22 And this came to the knowledge of Mordecai,Not Overhearing, But Being Informed— Now in the movies, Mordecai somehow overhears this conversation and reports it to Esther. But that is not what the scripture says. It says that this plot came to the knowledge of Mordecai. He did not overhear it; but acquired the information, probably because of his prominent position. It seems that because of his integrity (being one of the few righteous politicians in history), somebody gave him this information knowing that he would do the right thing.

Can We Be Counted On?— And that just makes me think how wonderful it would be if all the people we came into contact with on a day to day basis could know that no matter what happened, you and I could always be counted on to do the right thing. Now some people won’t like you for that, but they will know where you stand. And you will often win their favor in the end. And that’s because the greatest testimony that you and I will ever bear to the world is the testimony of our living our lives in integrity. You want people to accept the Gospel. Then live it before them; and they will be drawn to it.

Now why did Mordecai feel compelled to try to stop the assassination of Ahasuerus? We aren’t sure. Perhaps it was for Esther’s sake. Yet in the book of Jeremiah we see that God says through Jeremiah about the coming captivity…

Jeremiah 29:7 (ESV)— 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.Mordecai Seeks Persia’s Welfare— And here we see Mordecai acts in accord with the spirit of this verse. He seeks the welfare of Persia by actively preserving the life of the king. Now Mordecai thinks he is doing the right thing by saving the life of the Persian king. Yet what he doesn’t realize is that it will be that very act that will cause his own life, the life of Esther, and the lives of God’s people to be preserved years down the line. And an important principle is revealed here. When you preserve the life of another person, you also find (perhaps unexpectedly) that you have brought life to yourself as well. This can be in a physical sense (as in our passage this today) or it can be in a spiritual sense. Any of you who have ever had the privilege of bringing somebody to Christ know exactly what I am talking about. When you lead somebody to Jesus, your own faith is strengthened. Why? Because we are called to be agents; to be bringers of life. And you are never closer to Jesus than when you bring His life to another person. And Mordecai demonstrates this spirit in his choosing to be faithful to the king. It says…

Esther 2:22-23 (ESV)— 22 And this came to the knowledge of Mordecai, and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai. 23 When the affair was investigated and found to be so, the men were both hanged on the gallows. And it was recorded in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.Book of the Chronicles— Now that last fact is what makes this account relevant to God’s plan of redemption here in this story, as it will play a key role in the following chapters; this whole incident is recorded in the minutes of the king.

Mordecai’s Reward Overlooked— Now kings during that time, just like rulers nowadays, know that it is just as important to reward good behavior as to punish bad behavior. You fail or betray the king; your life was probably forfeit. You serve the king in a responsible or extra-ordinary way; you are honored. And [Acts of loyalty were usually rewarded immediately and generously by Persian kings.] But what is interesting here is that Mordecai gets overlooked by Ahasuerus. And this is understandable. Ahasuerus is so enamored by his new wife that all he remembers is her telling him about the plot. Yes the text says she warned him in the name of Mordecai and that is what was recorded. But you can really see how his human mind would have associated that memory with Esther. So Mordecai (for the time being) goes unrecognized. He is neither honored or promoted. And what is interesting is that Mordecai never draws attention to it, even though he could have expected a reward; that is what we would expect to see. Yet instead of Mordecai being honored, the next section opens with the honoring of someone else; a man named Haman.

Esther 3:1-2a (ESV)— 1 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, and advanced him and set his throne above all the officials who were with him. 2 And all the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. …Juxtaposed Rewarded with Unrewarded— Now here [The author places the promotion of Haman just where the original readers would have expected a report of Mordecai’s reward as a benefactor of the king.] And so [Haman’s introduction forms an unexpected twist when juxtaposed with Mordecai’s unrewarded loyalty.] And what is more frustrating is that we know that Haman will be shown to be an unrighteous, devious person, while Mordecai is upright and honest.

The Unrighteous Rewarded— But you know, we experience this kind of thing in our day and age as well; don’t we? Those who are often the most unrighteous are often the ones who are promoted; who are honored; and the good people are overlooked. Yet God eventually does bring judgment where judgement is due and glory where glory is due. Now it may take time. Here it probably took years. But God is a faithful judge. And if Mordecai could be trusted to do what is right, how much more can we trust God (the Divine Judge) to do right. But we have to learn to operate independently from praise; not for reward or our own glory, but for the glory of God.

Bach’s Glory to God— For those of you who love music, it is interesting that Johann Sebastian Bach once said ["All music should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the soul's refreshment; where this is not remembered there is no real music but only a devilish hub-bub." He headed his compositions: "J.J." "Jesus Juva" which means "Jesus help me." He ended them "S.D.G." "Soli Dei gratia" which means "To God alone the praise."]

Our Reward— When we live our life for the glory of God, it doesn’t matter who sees or what reward we receive. Now will we receive a reward for doing right? Yes. Jesus himself said in Matthew 6:4, “your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” But scripture also reveals to us the understanding that righteousness before God is it’s own reward. It says in…

Proverbs 11:18 (ESV)— 18 The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward.Isaiah 3:10-11 (ESV)— 10 Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. {Now on the flip side, it says in…} 11 Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him.God Will Reward— Now that last verse we see will be very clearly fulfilled in Mordecai’s relationship with Haman. The evil that Haman will intend for Mordecai will fall on his own head. And the same will come of those who oppose Christ and His people. We may have to suffer persecution for a time; we may go a long time without being rewarded for the everyday acts of righteousness that we perform. But God will be faithful to reward us if we, like Mordecai; like Esther, choose to do what is right no matter what the cost. Let us commit to that integrity as we abide in Christ. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. In our study of Esther, we have come to the part of the story where Esther (along with 400 women) is taken into the palace of Xerxes, King of Persia. Many of these women were to become concubines for the king and one them was to be chosen as Xerxes’ next queen. Now Hegai (you will remember) was one of the men in charge of the women. And he is taken aback by this young woman he encounters named Esther. It says in…

Not just another pretty face— And we know why. Because there was more to Esther than physical beauty; she was not just another pretty face. Nor was it just that she had a likable personality. There are a lot of people with likable personalities. No, there was something different about the way Esther lived her life that made her stand out from everyone else around her. And we see at least three important characteristics in particular that set her apart as being one on whom the Lord’s favor rested. And these are three basic things that we as Christians can and should implement in our lives as well.

POINT 1: ESTHER’S OBEDIENCE— First of all, Esther was obedient. Remember verse…

Esther 2:10 (ESV)—10 Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known.She respects and obeys her elders; particularly Mordecai. And we will see this much more as we progress through the book. She honors and obeys those who have been placed in authority over her.

Unhappy Under Authority— Now often people don’t deal with authority very well; and that can be anywhere, but especially the workplace. For some people, it doesn’t matter what job they have, they are never happy simply because of the fact that they cannot work under another person’s authority. They want to be the one in control of themselves and (ironically) often over the lives of others. Submission is a dirty word for them; and that is true for many in our day and age. But scripture teaches us that happiness in our lives can never be found until we learn how to submit to the authorities God has placed over our lives; until we learn how to follow. Even Jesus modeled this kind of submission in His relationship to the Father. But the problem in our culture is that we always want to be the ones to lead; never the ones to follow.

Are You a Leader?— There's [a story of a young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read the question on the application blank that asked, “Are you a leader?” Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, “No,” and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received this letter from the college: “Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower.”]

We have too many people nowadays who are unable to follow; people who want to lead their own lives. But the Christlike life is the life that is characterized by the ability to submit to authority and to honor those placed in positions above us. Not that we can’t challenge authority when they are wrong, but even then we can do so with a Christ-like attitude and spirit. But how can we be sure we have that right attitude? First, we must be submitted to God. If we are fully submitted to God, then we can be submitted to those He has placed in authority over us. Because (remember this) our submission to others is an extension of our submission to God.

POINT 2: ESTHER’S HUMILITY & TEACHABILITY— Now the second characteristic we see in Esther's life is that she acts not on impulse, but with wisdom; being both humble and teachable. How do we know this? Look at verse 15…

Esther 2:15a (ESV)— 15 When the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king's eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised.So she takes the time to listen to advice. She doesn’t just grab the richest; most elaborate things. No, she chooses to take less (only what Hegai advises and nothing more). So she exercises restraint; she demonstrates a listening ear, which shows teachability and humility. Now how are we when it comes to being teachable? Are we humble enough to allow somebody else to show us a better way?

Proverbs 1:5 (ESV)— 5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,Proverbs 12:15 (ESV)— 15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.Proverbs 19:20 (ESV)— 20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.So Esther showed herself to be teachable. She trusts not in her wisdom, but in the wisdom of Hegai.

POINT 3: ESTHER’S REFUSAL TO GRASP— But her actions here also reveal something else about her character; her unwillingness to grasp.

David vs. Saul— Earlier in Israel’s history you had two famous kings: Saul (Israel’s first king) and then immediately following his reign you have the reign of David. And you will remember that the way in which they ruled was night and day. Saul incurred God’s curse and a withdrawal of His presence (His Spirit). David on the other hand was called a man after God’s own heart; he was pleasing in the eyes of God. Yet what made the difference? The difference is this. David never forgot whose kingdom it was. Saul did. Saul thought it was his kingdom; he thought that he was the king. David, on the other hand, recognized that he was not the king; God was the true king of Israel. That is why he never tried to take the throne by force; why he didn’t kill Saul, whom (even after his own anointing) he still calls "the Lord's anointed"); even though he had the chance (multiple chances) to take his life and seize the throne. David is hiding from Saul in a cave. And Saul comes into the cave to relieve himself. And David’s men are whispering to him, saying, “Look, the Lord has delivered him into your hand. Let’s kill him!” But David resists. He resists the temptation to seize; to grasp and instead He trusted that God would bring it about in His own time and patiently waited for the Lord. And that attitude; that demeanor really characterized the majority of his reign.

Esther doesn't grasp— And here we see the same attitude with Esther. She could seize anything she wanted. She could use the various adornments available to her to try to tip the scales in her favor. But no; she resists. She chooses the wiser path, saying “If God wills for me to be queen, He will do it by His outstretched hand, not my grasping hand.”

Our grasping— And I just think, “How often do you and I reach for things; take hold of things; grasp for things that either God doesn’t want us to have or that are not in accordance with His perfect timing? Saul chose the kingdom over God's presence; David chose the presence of God over the kingdom. And God's anointing could therefore remain on David. And here we find an anointing of Esther that went deeper than the perfumes that covered her body. What caused her to stand out was the aromatic fragrance of the presence of God made manifest in her life. She didn't grasp, but instead listened to the voice of wisdom, which IS the very voice of God. God wants to bless us. But first we must be willing to cease grasping for ourselves. Now it is because of these three things that the next part of the verse follows…

Esther 2:15b (ESV)— Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her.When you and I are obedient to those God has placed in positions of authority over us; when we honor them; we win the favor of others. When you and I remain humble and teachable, we win the favor of others. When you and I keep from grasping and trust that God is in control and will give us good things in His perfect timing, we win the favor of others. And sure enough, it says in…

Esther 2:16-18 (ESV)— 16 And when Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, [by the way this is four years after the King has banished Vashti ] 17 the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 Then the king gave a great feast for all his officials and servants; it was Esther's feast. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity.Esther’s Coronation— And so ends the coronation of Esther; and yet another feast. Yet this is a feast that stands in contrast to that feast in the opening chapter, because it is one which is permeated with the favor of God. This week, live in the favor and joy of walking in obedience and humility with God. Remain teachable before Him and others. And trust in Him to meet your needs (even in difficult circumstances, such as the ones we’re facing during these Covid-19 days). Refrain from grasping and instead let your hands be outstretched to receive those the gifts God has for you when and how He wants to give them to you. And may His peace and favor rest on you. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim.

Winning Things— I don’t know how many of you have every won anything before. Winning things can be exciting. Once I remember entering a contest for a Canon digital camera. And I actually won, which absolutely made my week! It is fun to win things. And sometimes that desire to win things can be intoxicating; even addictive. I've never played the lottery before. And I don't think it is a right way to use the money God has given me. But sometimes it appears on the news, especially when there is a record-breaking jackpot. And a lot of people are interested in that event. And many many people buy lottery tickets just so that they can have a chance of winning that money. Now the chances of winning are astronomical! They say you have better chances of getting struck by lightning. Now I think my odds would be better. Chances are, I’d get struck by lightning twice; probably. But you know, it doesn't matter how impossible those odds are, when the winner is announced those people who have entered are glued to that announcement. Because no matter how small their chances are, there is a chance. A chance of their lives being changed in one single moment. When your number is called.

The Ultimate Win— What if the prize was more than money? What if it was also a relationship; the chance of being married to a wealthy or good-looking person? You know, it’s fascinating how many people are captivated by the royal family. Well, have you ever imagined what it would be like to be somebody like Kate Middleton, instantly ushered into an enormous amount of wealth and into a relationship with another person; and more than that, into Royalty!? What would it be like to have your name called, for you to be chosen?

Women’s Lives Forever Changed— Well that is the situation that Esther has found herself in, whether she wanted it or not. She has been chosen from 50 million people to be a part of a harem of 400 girls. And the way the King (Ahasuerus) is going to choose his next queen is by having each individual woman spend a night with him in his bed. And the one who pleases him the most will be made queen. Now just think about what this would mean for Esther; being made to enter into the bed of a gentile king. And Esther is often criticized for this. Yet what we must realize is that this is completely out of her control. There's no such thing as women's rights. Ahasuerus made that pretty clear in his dealings with Vashti in chapter 1. Women were to remain subject to their husbands as the rulers of the household. And if women were to be subject to their husbands, how much more so to the will of the king. Esther is made to enter into a relationship that she knows is unholy. Yet she cannot resist. And so she also must prepare herself for her one night with the king. And King Ahasuerus clearly spares no expense in preparing these girls for their special one night with him. It says in…

Esther 2:12 (ESV)— 12 Now when the turn came for each young woman to go in to King Ahasuerus, after being twelve months under the regulations for the women, since this was the regular period of their beautifying, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and ointments for women—Princess Diaries— Now there's a movie that I remember watching with my wife a long time ago called Princess Diaries. Some of you may remember it. The story centers around a young girl who finds out that she is a princess and her journey towards becoming a queen; and the whole beautification process and learning that she has to go through in order to prepare herself to be queen. Everything from her hair being cut and straightened, eyebrows being waxed, makeup being done. Learning how to wave like a queen; walk like a queen; have the mannerisms of a queen; how to eat right at the royal table. And it takes time; time for her to go from being an ordinary, messy teenager to being an extra-ordinary, royal woman. And that is part of the humor of the movie, watching her as she tries to become this whole new person.

Preparing for Royal Life— And in many respects, this is the exact same thing that Esther had to go through. She is being prepared for royal life. She is learning how to operate within a royal court. And more than that, she is beautifying herself. The text says that the women were given twelve months to beautify themselves. That’s a lot of Maybelline, Loreal Paris, and everything else. Well, what is going on during those twelve months? The text says that they spent six of those months with oil of myrrh and another six months with spices and ointments for women—.

Cosmetic Burners— One of the unique things that archaeologists have found in Lachish in Israel are some cube-shaped spice burners. And these were originally thought to be used for burning incense during religious rituals. However, now it is believed that what these actually are are cosmetic burners used by women therapeutically and for hygienic purposes. A woman would take oil of roses, oil of cloves, or essence of musk (scents that are still being used today by the way) and place them in the cosmetic burners and heat them in the fire. Just wearing a robe that she would drape over her body like a tent, she would crouch over one of those burners and let that aroma cover and perfume her and scent her clothes. And one very famous archaeologist cites this passage as a biblical example of this very common ancient practice, which would make sense because aromatic oils and spices were actually Persia’s major export. Persia was known for it. Remember the Magi who came to see Jesus, whom many scholars believe came from Medo-Persia? Two out of the three gifts they brought were aromatic oils (Frankincense and Myrrh).

One Night— Now this entire year of preparation is for one night; that first encounter with the king that each girl will have (as indicated in verse 12). And now that year is over; and each girl is preparing for her special night with the king. And it says of each woman in…

Esther 2:13 (ESV)—13 when the young woman went in to the king in this way, she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the harem to the king's palace.

They have prepared themselves physically and now each girl has the privilege of picking out those things she is going to adorn herself with to make herself stand out.

Dress for the Job You Want— Now you know that piece of wisdom, “Don’t dress for the job you have, dress for the job you want to have.” Well that applies here. These girls want to make themselves look the part. And more than this, it is believed that these women were also allowed to keep whatever they chose. So you can imagine that each woman is trying to pick out the most expensive; the most elaborate; the most queenly things she can find. And you can imagine the spirit of competition; the bickering; the squabbling over who has the best whatever. This is all about who is the most beautiful; who has mastered the art of seduction better. I mean, talk about an uncomfortable environment. And yet what is amazing is that Esther keeps clear of all of that, as we will see. Now the text says of each woman…

Esther 2:14a (ESV)— 14 In the evening she would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second harem in custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the concubines.Concubines— Ok, now what is going on here? We have mention of another second harem, another eunuch (Shaashgaz), and suddenly this word concubine. What is a concubine? Well a concubine is like a wife, but of lower status. They were women who were [officially recognized as the king’s mistresses]. And this is what most (if not all) the women became after their one night with the king. Remember, Ahasuerus is not choosing one woman. He is choosing one Queen. After these women lost their virginity to the king during their one night, they became his concubines. And in fact [Each woman’s first night with the king was her initiation as a concubine.] And this is who that second harem is for; for those women who had become concubines. And what this meant was that she could never return to her family; she could never marry. She went to the king's harem of concubines [where she would spend the rest of her life in luxurious but desolate seclusion...The woman would not even see the king again, unless he asked for her by name.] The text says…

Esther 2:14b (ESV)—She would not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.Old Dreams Died— Now I think it is important for us to understand the position that Esther has found herself in. Was it really a good thing for her to be chosen to be a part of this glorified beauty contest? Would she have seen it this way? I think sometimes we forget exactly what this would mean for her in that context. No hope of having a normal marriage between her and a man who would keep himself only for her; small chance of ever even seeing him again; small chance of raising a family of her own; and little chance of ever getting to see her friends and loved ones ever again. A new place; a beautiful and rich place, yes; but a place of isolation and loneliness among other women who most likely operated with a very different value system. Before we think she hit the jackpot too quickly, we must realize that every dream Esther ever had up until this point as to what her future would look like and her future relationships would look like have all died, as she is thrust into an environment and a situation she probably never would have chosen for herself. And yet she trusts God. And we will see just how much He is involved in all of this and how much He will take care of her as she moves in step with Him.

A Present Trust in Christ— And you know, maybe things have taken a sudden turn in your life recently. Maybe your future that you at least had a general idea of what it would look like has suddenly either changed or become very uncertain. What we learn from Esther (and really the entire Bible) is this; and I want you to remember this; write it down; engrave it in your memory. It doesn’t matter where life takes you. What matters is that wherever that might be, you are hand in hand with the Savior. God is less concerned about destinations than we think. He is more concerned about how we walk with Him. And for Esther that was in a relationship of faith and trust. And so I want to encourage you today (to encourage myself) to learn to walk in that relationship of faith and trust. If we can do that, we can have a peace that surpasses all understanding no matter what circumstances or trials life throws at us. Let us trust in Christ today. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to the show today. We have been studying the book of Esther during our time together, last week seeing what was going on in the Persian empire during this time, which included Xerxes’ war against Greece. After throwing a party for his military personnel just before he left to show how capable he was of winning the war, Xerxes (or Ahasuerus, as he’s also known) goes on to fight Greece and suffers a massive defeat. And so he comes back in shame and disgrace and is seeking comfort in the arms of someone who can lift him up during this difficult time. Normally that would have been his wife Vashti; but due to her unwillingness to disgrace herself before his guests, he had had her banished just before he left. And so now he is wife-less and miserable. But his men (whose idea it was to banish Vashti to begin with) no doubt feel a little fear and quickly seek to rectify the problem. And so they suggest that Ahasuerus throw an empire-wide beauty pageant in order to help him choose a new queen. And he apparently likes that idea very very much. And so women are gathered and brought to him from all over the kingdom. And it is at this point that the author introduces to us an orphan girl named Hadassah living in the care of her cousin Mordecai. Esther was her Persian name, but those closest to her would have known her as Hadassah.

A Fragrant Myrtle— Now Hadassah’s name means “myrtle” in Hebrew; as in the myrtle tree; which gives off a very fragrant smell. [And in scripture we find that the behaviors of people often align with their name. Well, this was especially true of Hadassah. Hadassah is more than just her name. It (like many Biblical names) was a description of who she is.] There was a prophet just before this time by the name of Zechariah who began his prophetic ministry in 520 B.C. under Darius (Xerxes’ father). And during that time Zechariah has this vision in which a man on a red horse stands amidst a bunch of myrtle trees in a ravine. And in his vision [the myrtle trees in the ravine represented Israel under Gentile subjection.] And here we see that Esther is very much a myrtle tree brought under Gentile subjection. It says in…

Esther 2:8 (ESV)— 8 So when the king's order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in Susa the citadel in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king's palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women.In The Care of Hegai— So she is taken into an environment that (for a Jewish girl) would be absolutely unclean, unholy, and even frightening, as she is placed under the authority of a Persian officer named Hegai. Now it’s often times when we are put in stressful situations that our true selves are seen most visibly. And Hegai likes what he sees in Hadassah. It says…

Esther 2:9 (ESV)— 9 And the young woman pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king's palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem.Righteous Myrtle— What did this man Hegai see in Esther? You know, it’s interesting; in Israelite culture myrtle trees were often associated with righteousness. [The Talmud (a book of Jewish teaching) explains why Queen Esther was also called Hadassah: Why was she called Hadassah? Because the righteous are called myrtles. The sages in the Midrash (an ancient commentary on part of the Hebrew scriptures) take this one step further: Just as a myrtle has a sweet smell and a bitter taste, so too Esther was good and listened (“sweet”) to the righteous Mordechai, and was adverse (“bitter”) to the wicked Haman.] So once again she lives according to her name. And because she does live according to her name; in righteousness, God’s favor rests upon her.

The Favor of God— Now what does it mean that God’s favor rests upon a person? We often think of it as meaning that your life is unusually blessed by the Lord; where everything seems to go right and your life is whole and complete. And when things don’t go right, it must mean God’s favor is no longer with you. But here we find that Esther, on whom God’s favor so clearly rests, is a person whose life is not perfect. She doesn’t have the ideal family situation; she doesn’t have a good social status. And things go from bad to worse. She (a good Jewish girl) is taken and placed in the harem of a pagan king. But we see so clearly that even in the midst of a whole world of bad, God’s favor never leaves her. He is with her every step of the way. And this is what King Solomon had prayed for back in…

1 Kings 8:50 (ESV)— 50 and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions that they have committed against you, and grant them compassion in the sight of those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on themTrend of Favor— And we see that favor resting on Esther. Now Esther never had a special verbal call from God. God never gave her specifics as to how He was going to use her (at least not audibly). She simply found herself being placed in situations that she did not expect and probably didn't want to be in. But her story encourage us because of the simple fact that God didn’t appear to her in a cloud or in a burning bush, or in a voice from heaven. And yet God was still able to use her in amazing ways. Why? What was it that gave her this special favor from the Lord? Well, we see that it has much to do with her character; her righteousness and willingness to walk with God in the midst of very difficult circumstances; because she chose to deny herself and obey God in what He was leading her to do. And it is because of that; the obedience of an insignificant Jewish girl that the fate of an entire race of people was saved out of the hands of those who were seeking to wipe out the Jewish people.

Obedience the Key to God’s Favor— And what we learn from this is that God doesn’t need you to have a huge religious experience for Him to use you. He just needs your obedience. Obedience to God is the key to having His favor rest on you.

Do you have the sense in your own life that God’s favor rests with you? Do you feel like you're moving with God, or do you feel like you're moving against or away from God? What is the key to living in the favor of God? The key is to allow him to transform and reshape your character. And you cannot wait until he places some dynamic call upon your life. He may not appear to you as he did to Moses in the burning bush; there may not be any clear audible call from heaven. But, like with Esther, God’s call for you and I to be holy unto Him is every bit as real; and He can do incredible things through our lives if we choose to live in accordance with His will and character. Then God’s favor can rest upon us in a special way.

The People God Can Use— God is not limited by your past; who you are; or even your circumstances. He only wants your obedience. And at every point, Esther models that obedience in her relationship to God, and also in her relationship to her cousin Mordecai. Verse 10 says…

Esther 2:10 (ESV)— 10 Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known.What are the Chances?— Now what are the chances that Esther would be chosen queen? This pageant stretched throughout the whole kingdom of Persia, consisting of about 50 million people at that time. That’s a pretty big pageant. What are the chances that out of all those people, Esther would be selected (by chance)?

Lou Gehrig’s Disease— Once a father was telling his son about baseball legend Lou Gehrig. And he mentioned that he died in 1941. And the son asked, “What did he die of.” “Well {(the father replied)}, he died of Lou Gehrig’s disease.” And the boy’s eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open. And he said in awe, “What are the chances?” Well, it wasn’t chance. The disease was named after him.Well, what are the chances that out of 50 million people, Esther would be selected? I mean even just to be among the 400 women who were brought to the harem; the odds are astronomical! How is this possible? Well, the moment we ask that question, we have already missed the point; because it wasn’t chance at all. God had brought about all these events (from the banishment of Vashti to Esther’s being taken) in order that Esther might come into that position. None of this was chance, but was part of God’s will and plan for the salvation of His people; which He brought by His divine hand. God orchestrated all of it. And we really see how Mordecai recognizes this later in the book, when he says to Esther…

Esther 4:14b (ESV)— …And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”You know what this says to me? The situations you and I face every day; the jobs we work; the people we come into contact with. That’s not chance. Rather God has placed us in those specific spheres of influence because He has ordained ahead of time that we ought to be His instruments to those people? God has raised us up in those circumstances to fulfill His purposes; to give Christ to another. You know what passage scares the living daylights out of me? It’s when Jesus calls His disciples (which includes us) His hands and His feet. Because what it reveals is that Christ chooses to work through us. And if we are not willing to do what Christ is moving us to do, then we are impeding His Kingdom work.

And so we need to remember that God has raised us up in this time in this place to make a difference for His Kingdom. Don’t be afraid to stand for Christ; don’t be afraid to share your faith. He may be using you and moving you towards the fulfillment of a grand purpose for your life that you will never reach unless you obey Him in the moment. We may not be able to see the end, but we can take the path He puts immediately before us, as Esther did time and time again.. Let us commit to obey God as she did, so that in every way we might also experience the favor of God in a special way. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to the show today. We have been studying together the book of Esther; a marvelous book that has so much to speak to regarding the unique situations we are facing today. And last week we highlighted how Xerxes (or in our English Bibles: Ahasuerus) is preparing to march on Greece (which we know will be unsuccessful). And he throws this massive feast during which he is showing his army how great Persia is and (more importantly) how great he is; and he decides he wants to put his wife (the Queen) Vashti on display. So he commands that she be brought before them; but she refuses. And Xerxes reacts in the worst way possible (following the advice of his advisor Memucan) and banishes Vashti. So chapter one ends in brokenness. And soon after that Xerxes leads his army out of Persia to face Greece.

God’s Humbling of Xerxes— Now Xerxes obviously had a pride problem. And if there’s anything we learn from scripture (especially the book of Proverbs) is that pride always comes before a fall. And if we don’t humble ourselves, God must find a way to humble us. And that is not a bad thing. Sometimes it is in our falling (after we have reached rock bottom) that we can then be in a position to receive God‘s grace. This is certainly what happened in the life of Xerxes. He had to go through a process of intense humiliation before he was prepared to receive what was for him one of God’s greatest graces in his life (Esther). And similarly in our own lives, before God can show us His primary objects of grace, He must first show us the grace of His humbling, so that we will be ready to receive those objects of grace. And really the instrument that God used to humble Ahasuerus was the Persian war against Greece.

Thermopylae and The 300— There was more than one battle, but one of the most significant battles was the Battle of Thermopylae. Xerxes remember had amassed this incredible force and they are marching to try to defeat Greece. And the King of Sparta, Leonidas, marches to Thermopylae with the 300 men of his royal bodyguard, gathering troops as they go (as many as they can) to meet the Persians. [The Greeks were not able to muster a large force immediately because of some religious prohibitions. In progress at the time were two major religious festivals. The first was the Spartan’s Carnea in honor of the Greek god Apollo; and the second was the famous Olympic Games.] So in other words, sports was distracting people from what was really going on.

King Leonidas no doubt felt some frustration as he marched with his 300 men. Who cares about the Olympics? Xerxes is marching right now to defeat us! Nevertheless, he amasses a force of about 7,100 men by the time they reach the pass of Thermopylae, which was nothing compared to the army of Persia (around 250,000 men). But the Greek’s advantage lay in the fact that although they were hopelessly outnumbered, the Persians had to enter through a narrow pass (kind of like a funnel). So suddenly numbers didn’t count for anything. And the Greeks fight valiantly and are able to even repel the Persian forces for a period of time. And these Greeks are tough; they are fearless; they are the fight-to-the-death kind of warriors. They believed themselves to be descendants of the demi-god Hercules; they thought he was their ancestor. And they strived to live up to that in the fierceness of their fighting.

Now this battle took place in the blistering heat of August. And just to let you know how fearless these guys were; during the battle (as the historian Herodotus records) a Spartan by the name of Dieneces is told that [the Medes were so many that when they shoot their multitudes of arrows it would block the sun light. Dieneces reportedly quipped, “Our friend…brings us right good news, for if the Medes hide the sun we shall fight them in the shade and not in the sunshine” (Persian Wars 7.226; LCL 3: 543).] These guys are willing to go to the grave before surrendering to Xerxes. And so Greece succeeds in repelling (at least for the time) the Medo-Persian forces, until they are betrayed by a Greek man who shows the Persian forces another way to get to them. And Leonidas and his 300 Spartan warriors are the only ones who stay to make that last stand. And they of course are killed. But the battle is so demoralizing for Xerxes that after they eventually defeated the Greeks, Xerxes had his men quickly bury the bodies of the 300 Greeks and 19,000 corpses of his own men (leaving only 1,000) so that his massive army would not know that they had just been obliterated by so few men. And they go on to sack Athens, but are then defeated by the Greeks at the Battle of Salamis. And Xerxes returns to Persia with his tail between his legs.

All this happens between chapters 1 and 2 of Esther. When the text says in verse 1 of chapter 2, “after these things”, all this has happened in between. So he and his army arrive home. And what is the first thing Ahasuerus wants to do?

Olympic Defeat— I remember once my wife Tanya and I were watching the olympics and there was man who was skying down the mountain making incredible time! And his wife is there supporting him and cheering him on. She was a professional sportswoman herself. And he crosses the finish line in place for gold. And they both watch as the other skiers compete, hoping that his time will not be beat. But finally, another skier beats his time. And realizing the gold has just slipped from his hands, he puts his face down on his wife’s shoulder. And she says to him, “It’s going to be ok.”

You know, you can be the toughest guy in the world, but when you fall, sometimes you need someone there to pick you up. Well that is how Ahasuerus is feeling.

Esther 2:1 (ESV)— 1 After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her.Ahasuerus Wanted Comfort— You see, Ahasuerus wants to crawl up into his palace, put his head on his wife’s shoulder and receive comfort from her. But there’s a problem with that. He had banished her just before he left!!! No more Vashti! And he can’t simply re-instate her because of the nature of the law of the Medes and the Persians, which could not be repealed. So his men come up with a brilliant idea. It says…

Esther 2:2-4 (ESV)— 2 Then the king's young men who attended him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king. 3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in Susa the citadel, under custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women. Let their cosmetics be given them. 4 And let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This pleased the king, and he did so.An Empire-wide Beauty Pageant— So Xerxes decides to throw an empire-wide beauty pageant to select his new queen. Now this is ingenious because what better way can you come up with to help your nation forget that you were just beaten (royally) on the battlefield than telling your kingdom that you are going to select a woman from amongst them (it could be anybody) to be their queen. It’s kind of like the media does today. Major political scandal happens? Yeah, we can talk about that. But hey look what’s on! The Bachelor. Which lovely lady will he choose?! People tend to be much more interested in stars than in what people are really going through in and throughout the world. And that was the same in ancient times as well as today. Leaders are often masters of distraction. And it is no different here when Ahasuerus throws this beauty pageant. Welcome to The Bachelor; season 1; Persian edition, except we will see that Esther is a few grades above your typical Bachelor contestant.

The Star That Reveals— The people want a star; and the people will soon be given a star Esther is the Persian word for star. But when we study and examine her story, we find that Esther is not the kind of star that distracts people from what is really going on; but is a star that illuminates and calls attention to it; and we will see this specifically later in how she will bring to light the dark plot of Haman the Agagite.

Esther 2:5-6 (ESV)— 5 Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, 6 who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away.

So Mordecai is [among the fourth generation of deported Jews.] His great grandfather Kish experienced the Babylonian deportation. And the text says in…

Esther 2:7 (ESV)—7 He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

So the first thing told to us about Hadassah is that she is an orphan living in the care of her cousin Mordecai.

Ally Playing Orphan— Not long ago our daughter Ally discovered a new game; playing orphan. She likes to pretend that she is all alone and that she has no parents or grandparents. She likes to be little Annie I guess. The funny thing is I remember doing the same thing with my sister Bethany growing up. We loved to play orphans like the Boxcar children (if you remember them).

But in reality, being an orphan is tough. It is very difficult to lose your parents, no matter what age you are. Not long ago I took a trip back to the church where I had begun pastoral ministry years ago to help do the funeral for one of our dear friends who had died of lung cancer. And just recently I was reading a post from her daughter about how much she misses her mom, and how those feelings had been most recently triggered by a familiar smell that had brought back a flood of memories. And dealing with not only the initial pain of losing somebody, but the void they leave behind, is difficult. Now I know that we must all, at some point, lose our parents. But the earlier you lose them, sometimes it can be harder because they don’t get to see you arrive, if you know what I mean. Esther (for instance) would never experience the joy of having her parents share in her growing up, her engagement, her wedding, her first child, any of it (not to mention becoming queen). And that is especially painful. And you know I love how scripture doesn’t leave out the fact that while God is in sovereign control over the nations, He is also sovereign on a smaller scale in each and every one of our own individual lives. He is the Lord even in times of brokenness; and despite our brokenness (maybe even at times because of our brokenness) God can do amazing things in and through us. Just about everybody in scripture who was used by God in a mighty way had some kind of brokenness in their lives or situations. And Esther’s life is no exception.

Now I don’t know where you are today. Maybe you are dealing with brokenness in some way. Maybe you feel that that brokenness is your fault (like Ahasuerus no doubt did). Or maybe you feel that your brokenness is rooted in circumstances that were dealt to you and are completely outside of your control, as Esther probably felt. Either way, God has something to offer to you today. Not something that will automatically take all the pain away (though He does bring healing); but the assurance of knowing that He is in control and He can use even (I would say especially) our darkest circumstances to do the greatest things. But we need to trust Him and His plan, even when we might not see that overall plan yet (if ever). And we need to trust that God does love us and that He will neither leave us or forsake us. That is His promise to you and to me. So let us (in every way) trust in Him. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to the show today. We have been studying the book of Esther, last week talking about the rise of Xerxes and the war that he was engaged in with Greece, the next major world empire. And this helps us to understand this feast in our passage today in Esther chapter 1; how it was one that was meant to display Xerxes’ greatness and ability not just to rule well, but to be strong enough to lead his army into victory in this war against the Greeks. It says in verses 5-8…

Esther 1:5-8 (ESV)— 5 And when these days were completed, the king gave for all the people present in Susa the citadel, ([Susa the citadel refers to the fortified palace complex.]) both great and small, a feast lasting for seven days in the court of the garden of the king's palace (Now this was [An enclosed courtyard for entertaining in the summer months (see 7:7).]). 6 There were white cotton curtains and violet hangings fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rods and marble pillars, and also couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and precious stones. 7 Drinks were served in golden vessels, vessels of different kinds, and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of the king. 8 And drinking was according to this edict: “There is no compulsion.” For the king had given orders to all the staff of his palace to do as each man desired.No Compulsion— Now what this “no compulsion” meant was that [King Ahasuerus set aside the custom that everyone had to drink whenever the king drank.] Guests could drink whenever they wanted; as much as they wanted. And in addition to drinking for fun and leisure, [The Greek historian Herodotus explained that the Persians drank as they deliberated matters of state (cf. 3:15 ), believing that intoxication put them in closer touch with the spiritual world.] And so you have this prolonged, drunken, pervasively worldly and pagan feast going on in Susa. And on top of this feast, you also have another feast for the women. It says in verse 9…

Esther 1:9 (ESV)— 9 Queen Vashti also gave a feast for the women in the palace that belonged to King Ahasuerus.A book of feasts— So you have feast after feast. And in fact the book of Esther is filled with feasts. [The word mishteh, “banquet, feast(ing),” occurs fifty-five times in the Old Testament, twenty of which are in Esther,] [In fact, there are nine of them (or ten if one splits the ninth into two feasts)] [seven of Esther’s ten chapters refer to somebody throwing a party.] In fact the purpose of the whole book of Esther is to show how one major feast Jews celebrate even to today came into being; the feast of Purim. And we’ll talk more about that in upcoming weeks. But for now, keep this feast theme in the back of your mind.

Esther 1:10-11 (ESV)— Queen Vashti's Refusal— 10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha and Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, 11 to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown,[b] in order to show the peoples and the princes her beauty, for she was lovely to look at.Ahasuerus Objectifies Vashti— Now imagine this. Your husband invites you to come out in front of a bunch of his guests (who are slobbering drunk, by the way) so they can stare at you and see what a trophy your husband has. Yet what gets me is here King Ahasuerus is inviting his men to lust after his wife and devour her with their drunken eyes. Now what is disgusting to me (and should be disgusting to you too) is that he is treating her like an object; he is objectifying her. And he’s inviting all his friends to do the same. And to engage in this kind of behavior is absolutely wrong. Remember Jesus says in Matthew 5 (in the Sermon on the Mount)…

Matthew 5:27-28 (ESV)— 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Anything that objectifies a woman is wrong; when you use a woman for your own selfish pleasure (degrading her), you are in sin. Jesus doesn’t want us to have any part of that. And guess what; Queen Vashti doesn’t want any part of that either. Verse 12 says…

Esther 1:12a (ESV)— 12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command delivered by the eunuchs.Why Vashti Refuses— Now we are not told why Vashti refuses to come. Some have suggested that perhaps she refused because lewd behavior was expected. Some have suggested that the command for her to wear her crown was really a command to come wearing only her crown. And that might be the case. However, it is interesting to note that, from what we know from history, she actually is seen to give birth to Ahasuerus’ third son, Artaxerxes in c. 483 B.C. So it is very possible that she is pregnant during this time.

Pregnancy and Culture— Now in our culture we have made pregnancy a very public thing. But in ancient culture you would often go into seclusion. It was an embarrassing, sometimes shameful thing to be seen when you were pregnant. And it is possible that this is why Vashti is so resistant. And even the fact that he tells her to do this shows a lack of care for her. He is very much focused on himself; and therefore when he hears about Vashti’s refusal, the text says…

Esther 1:12b (ESV)— Queen Vashti's Refusal— At this the king became enraged, and his anger burned within him.The Anger of Ahasuerus— Now one thing you are going to see (not only here, but throughout this book) is that Ahasuerus has a very hot and violent temper. And if you know anyone who is prone to anger, you will know that they are in bondage to that anger. It controls them. In fact, a year after this, when Ahasuerus eventually marches against Greece, he has to cross the Hellespont, a narrow body of water that lies between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. So he orders bridges to be built. And so they were built. But before his troops could use them, a storm destroys them. And Ahasuerus is so enraged, he gathers all the engineers together who designed the bridges and has them beheaded. Then he turns in his rage to the water that had swallowed his bridges. History tells us he sent some of his soldiers into water with whips, telling them to lash the water 300 times as punishment for swallowing his bridges. So they lash the waves with those whips 300 times. Then he has his soldiers throw shackles into the water to bind the water and even has them take red-hot irons and stab the waves with them. Now imagine having a ruler like that. Or even worse, imagine having a husband like that! Some of you may have grown up in a home where you saw that kind of anger often; maybe on an even daily basis. I have counseled people who have been in those kinds of situations. And let me tell you, Jesus doesn’t want there to be any room for this kind of anger in our lives…

Colossians 3:8a (NIV)— 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice,…Don’t Be Slaves to Anger— Jesus doesn’t want anger to control our lives. Anger destroys relationships and it ultimately destroys ourselves. And someone who has rage as a part of their life is a slave to that anger. There is righteous anger that moves us to act in accordance with God’s will and then there is selfish anger and rage that is destructive rather than constructive. And it is that kind of anger that is sin. And we see that Ahasuerus (at least at this point in his life) is a slave to his anger. Now it says in…

Esther 1:13-22 (ESV)— 13 Then the king said to the wise men who knew the times (for this was the king's procedure toward all who were versed in law and judgment, 14 the men next to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and sat first in the kingdom): 15 “According to the law, what is to be done to Queen Vashti, because she has not performed the command of King Ahasuerus delivered by the eunuchs?” 16 Then Memucan said in the presence of the king and the officials, “Not only against the king has Queen Vashti done wrong, but also against all the officials and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17 For the queen's behavior will be made known to all women, causing them to look at their husbands with contempt, since they will say, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, and she did not come.’ 18 This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen's behavior will say the same to all the king's officials, and there will be contempt and wrath in plenty. [You see, they are afraid that Vashti’s disobedience will spark a women’s liberation movement. So they say…] 19 If it please the king, let a royal order go out from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes so that it may not be repealed, that Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus. And let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she. 20 So when the decree made by the king is proclaimed throughout all his kingdom, for it is vast, all women will give honor to their husbands, high and low alike.” 21 This advice pleased the king and the princes, and the king did as Memucan proposed. 22 He sent letters to all the royal provinces, to every province in its own script and to every people in its own language, that every man be master in his own household and speak according to the language of his people.Vashti De-Throned— Now here Ahasuerus is told not just to command that Vashti be de-throned, but that he do it in such a way so as to make it impossible for anyone (including himself) to repeal that command. And so he does. He de-thrones her for her disobedience. He is so concerned about how she made him look that he never stopped to consider how he made her look. But you know what?; I think Ahasuerus regretted his mistake. Why? Because it says in…

Esther 2:1 (ESV)— 1 After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her.He regrets his actions— You see, he regrets his actions. And ultimately that is where anger leads us; regret. He drives his wife away. And when he comes to his senses, it is too late. And what bothers me about this situation is that their relationship could have been restored in the first place if only he had been willing to acknowledge he had made a mistake and sought to treat his wife more fairly. But he doesn’t. Instead he does what is in his own self-interest and what is in the interest of those around him; not what is in the best interest of his wife.

He treats Esther differently— But you know, I think he may have had a change of heart after this. And the reason I tend to think this way is because we see in and throughout this story that he treats Esther differently. There is no evidence that he objectified her in the same way he did Vashti. And when she appears to model the same kind of defiance when she later approaches the king uninvited, he shows mercy where he could have shown anger. I think her marriage to him may have affected his demeanor in a positive way. There was something special about Esther. And next week we will begin to explore what that was.

But there are some key lessons we can learn from Ahasuerus. This book opens up with a sense of lostness and brokenness; lostness and brokenness that is the natural result of pride and anger. Ahasuerus sent into exile the very person he cared about. And maybe sin in your life has cost you something. Maybe it is already hurting your marriage or your relationships. It might be anger; it might be lust; maybe it’s putting your own needs ahead of someone else’s. Jesus wants us to be willing to surrender our pride; to admit when we are wrong; and to help us to treat those we claim to love lovingly; even as He first loved us. Let us commit to do so. Amen.

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Hello, and welcome to the show today. You know, in recent days I have been reflecting on the uniqueness of Christianity amongst the many other religions of the world. There are many religious works today, each offering differing (and often mutually exclusive) worldviews; meaning they make claims that are at opposition with other worldviews; and therefore you have to choose (you can’t have it both ways). And so you have to evaluate which religion (or religious work) is true based on a set of criteria. And for many it is enough that the religious book in question be the cause of some kind of special emotion or experience that they have while reading it. For others, it is that the philosophy of the book resonates with them, challenges them, or aligns with one’s own set of beliefs held even prior to picking up the book. But virtually none of these books has anything to offer that is independently verifiable historically or scientifically. And those that try are often shown later to be erroneous and false. That is, until we come to the Christian Bible. One of the key things that separates the Bible from every other religious book is that it ties itself to known history. Every page bleeds with the challenge “come and check this out. Here is what REALLY happened; here are the facts.” Even Jesus, the embodiment of the Word of God, begs people to come and check out the facts; to have faith, yes, but not a blind faith, but rather a faith that rests on the sufficiency of the evidence. He always gave people a sign (whether it was a healing, a miracle of nature, etc.) that showed that He is who He claimed to be. And that formed the foundation for their (hopefully) then coming to put their faith and trust in Him. And the Bible is the same way because it is His Word. The Bible offers to us not just a set of beliefs we should ascribe to, but a history of God Himself interacting in time and space with His people; performing real miracles; doing real things. And then it invites us to (based on the evidence) to place our faith in Him. The first seventeen books of the Old Testament are historical. The first 5 books of the New Testament are historical, by which I mean they are meant to be read (primarily) as history. And I think what God might be trying to say to us is that before you get into poetry, into prophecy, into instruction and teaching, you must first come to grips with the understanding that I have acted in time and space with real people in real places and my entire Word is historically accurate and worthy of your trust.

And I want to emphasize this as we enter into this first chapter of Esther because the author begins not with “Once upon a time” or some other vague backdrop, but with a number of key historical markers that help his readers to understand where exactly this story took place in known history and who specifically we are talking about. He says…

Esther 1:1-3a (ESV)— 1 Now in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, 2 in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa, the citadel, 3 in the third year of his reign he gave a feast for all his officials and servants.

Xerxes is Ahasuerus— Now we see that the first name given to us in the book of Esther is that of the King, Ahasuerus. Ahasuerus is the name many of us have in our Bibles, which comes from a Hebrew transliteration. But we know him in history primarily by his Greek name, Xerxes. Ahasuerus is none other than the mighty Xerxes.

Cyrus Conquers Babylon— Now let’s back-track a tad. You will remember from last week that not too long before this, Cyrus (king of Persia comes to power). Israel had been in exile to Babylon, but then Cyrus conquers the Babylonian empire; and what is incredible is that he does this without a fight. Remember in Daniel chapter 5 we see the Babylonian king Belshazzar throwing a drunken party using the vessels of gold and silver stolen from the temple in Jerusalem. And the fingers of a human hand appear and write on the wall “Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. (Dan. 5)”. And Daniel reveals to Belshazzar that God is going to immediately bring his kingdom to an end. And He does. That very night (the night of October 12, 539 B.C.) the army of Persia waded up the waters of the Euphrates River through the canals of the city of Babylon and took the city. And in fact Belshazzar was such a terrible leader that Cyrus was actually welcomed by the Babylonians as a liberator. And so all the lands previously under Babylonian rule (including Jerusalem and Judah) now fell under the control of the ever-expanding Persian empire.

Darius and the Beginning of the Persian Wars— Now after Cyrus died, the throne went to Cambyses and then to Darius 1 (the Great). And Darius the Great goes on to conquer Greece in 550 B.C. and following. But Greece is never totally conquered. In fact later they fight back relentlessly against Persia, defeating them at the battle of Marathon in 490 B.C., that famous battle where a man ran 26 miles, which is where we get our distance for modern-day marathons. And Darius is furious at having lost this battle and therefore swears revenge. However, on his way back to try to crush the Greeks and gain revenge, he dies, leaving the duty of crushing the Greeks to his son, Xerxes, who comes to power in 486 B.C. Now despite strong advice not to go to war with Greece again, Xerxes decides to ignore that counsel and in 481 he is finally able to set out; and does so with a massive army. Persia (the largest empire in history; now with a population of around 50 million people) puts on a massive military display, boasting hundreds of thousands if not close to a million soldiers. So this battle against the Greeks should be no contest. However, unbelievably, the Greeks are able to repel Xerxes. And there are some very famous battles you may remember from your history class when you studied the Persian War. The Battle of Thermopylae (the battle of the 300 Spartans); the Battle of Salamis, where the Greeks annihilate the Persian navy, Persia losing around 300 warships.

Eventual Defeat by Alexander the Great— So there is constant fighting between Persia (the reigning world empire) and Greece, the next major world empire. And Xerxes continues fighting (mostly unsuccessfully) until Alexander the Great finally comes on the scene and defeats Persia for good.

Important Backstory— Now the reason this whole backstory is so important is because unless you understand what historical events are going on in the background, you won’t really get what this feast (or feasts) is about. [In the book of Esther, the Persian war against the Greeks, takes place between chapters 1 and 2 of the book. It would be included in the “after these things” (2:1).] So this banquet in chapter 1 is more than just a banquet. It is a war-related banquet. How do we know this? Who is at this banquet?

Esther 1:3b-4 (ESV)— The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of the provinces were before him, 4 while he showed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor and pomp of his greatness for many days, 180 days.

Building Support— [The time (483 b.c., the third year of Xerxes’ reign), and the presence of the army, suggest that Xerxes may have been building support for his invasion of Greece (preparations c. 483–480; the Battle of Thermopylae took place in 480).] So Xerxes/Ahasuerus is getting ready to march against the Greeks. But remember there are those who don’t think he can or should do this; and so he throws this massive banquet to display his greatness and kind of get everyone hyped up into believing that he can do it. And so this is not just a “let’s get our groove on kind of party.” There’s purpose behind it. To show that he is all-powerful and in complete control and able to do whatever he wants to do. That is how the book opens up; with a king thinking he’s in absolute control. And yet, as we will see, he is humbled in some amazing ways.

And by the end of the book we discover that it was never him who was in control of history, but God. History is His Story. And nobody can thwart His plans or His purposes. And the same is true for you and for me today. We can have assurance in the midst of all this craziness going on in the world today because we know that behind the scenes the hand of God is moving, working all things together for His glory and our benefit. Let’s give thanks to Him for that today. Amen.

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Greetings! Welcome to the show today. I don’t know how all of you are faring during this unusual crisis in our nation (and really the whole world). It is not an easy time economically. I am sure many of you have been laid off, as my wife (who is a dental assistant) has been laid off from her job. Many of you are probably wondering what the future might hold for you and your family and may even be wondering if you are going to make it financially. I mean these are uncertain times. And who would have thought that we would go through something like this.

Recently I was reading an author in my studies of the book of Esther and he made the remark about how ordinary and regular it is for people to go through trials and difficulties. And I remember thinking, “actually, I am doing okay. Not really going through anything difficult right now.” But then he said, “And if you think you are doing okay right now, watch out, because there’s a trial just around the corner.” And I thought something like, “Well, aren’t you just a bright little ray of sunshine.” But he was right. It was not long after that that all of this began to unravel. And his point was not to discourage, but to encourage. He was making the point (in his commentary) that the story of the book of Esther is not a light and airy fairytale, but a powerful story born out of pain and uncertainty. Persia (as we will see) was not the place to be, particularly if you were a Jew. Everyone in this book is afraid. And yet God uses those dark circumstances for some incredibly good things and Israel comes out of these trials far stronger than it had been before this time of intense darkness.

And the same is true of us. I believe that on the other side of this the United States is going to be stronger and better. I believe God’s Church is going to be stronger and better. We are being forced to think creatively in how we interact with one another, how we do Church. And many Churches are being forced to catch up in a lot of ways. Has this been difficult? Yes. But I’m telling you, these past few Sundays have probably yielded more livestreams of the Gospel than at any other time in history. And I know in my Church (Renton Park Chapel) we are having many people view our service online whom I know would probably not darken the door of my Church (or maybe any Church). And that is only one small refraction of how God is using these circumstances for good.

But all of this is still hard. And I think about how my family (and many of you) are affected by this. But you know, it gives us a chance to ask ourselves, “Do we really believe many of the things we talk about on a regular basis regarding God and His faithfulness; His love for us and therefore His provision for us?”

Pilots— You know in my church we have two pilots, both of whom own airplanes and both of whom have built or did major rebuilding on their airplanes. Now I don’t know too much about airplanes, other than what I have gleaned from conversations with guys who do. But I do know that building an airplane can be a long project and requires a lot of time and care. And I (who live about ten minutes from Boeing) am very thankful to those who know how to build airplanes. But there comes a point when the building stops and you have to actually get into the airplane and fly it. One of these men in our church finished his little red plane and eventually took it for a test-fly. Now that kind of takes faith to the next level, doesn’t it. I mean yeah you can brag about whatever parts you put into it (how shiny you got the wings) and how well it has been put together. But then come a moment when you climb into that cockpit, turn the ignition, and begin rolling down the runway. And if it was me, a thousand different questions would probably be going through my mind. Did I remember to do this, that, or whatever? Or, if it’s like any of the pieces of furniture I have put together over the years, why are there extra pieces afterwards? Now when it comes to a dresser, I might be able to get by. But an airplane. Ummmmm……..maybe not so much. But for these men, their faith in their planes was probably more real afterwards than before. Their talk of trust became an active faith.

And so it is during these trying times. It is easy to have faith in the good times. But what about now when uncertainty clouds so much of our future? Now is the time to ask when we sing about God being our rock, our deliverer, our foundation, the One in whom we place our faith and trust, do we really believe that? All of this gives us the opportunity to demonstrate (not just talk, but demonstrate) our faith in God. Do we really believe Jesus is who He says He, that He can do what He says He can do, and that He can be for us who He says He can be for us?

The is the question Israel was forced to ask themselves about God over and over again; and never more so than in the book of Esther, which we began studying during out time together last week.

The State of Exile— Now you will remember that we have begun exploring the state of exile Israel had experienced during that time; the judgment of God; but also the nature of God’s judgment. Remember we said that whenever God judges, His judgment is alway redemptive; it is to bring healing through repentance; which manifests itself in a change of heart (the inner person) and also a change of direction in how we outwardly act. God judges sin not to destroy or hurt us, but to move His people to turn from those sinful behaviors that are by nature destructive. Secondly, whenever God judges, He always leaves His people with hope; hope that His judgment will not last forever; but that at the right time He will restore them when they turn back to Him with all their hearts. And just prior to the book of Esther we see this restoration begin to take place. Cyrus the Great, the king of Persia, allows the Jews to return to their homeland to rebuild the temple; and on top of that, he has Persia finance it. His proclamation, recorded in Ezra 1:4, says this…

Ezra 1:4 (ESV)— 4 And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”

The Persians Paid For It— How amazing it is that God not only sets them free; not only has the king that ruled over them given them permission to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple, but even has their enemies (the Persians) pay for it.

Does God’s Covenant Still Stand?— Now during this time one of the chief concerns of the Jews was (because their was no more temple, no more priesthood, no more sacrifices, and no monarchy); where they stood in relationship to God and His covenant.

“Is God going to back our efforts?”— I was reading an author who said that even though they were set free to go home and even rebuild the temple, this question still remained in their minds because the command to rebuild the temple didn’t come from God, but from a pagan king; and not out of love for God, but in order to further his own political agenda. So the question becomes, “Is God going to back our efforts?” Because they could rebuild the temple, but that doesn’t automatically mean God is going to restore His presence; that He will reestablish His covenant with them. Would God respond to them and move in their midst once again? That was the soul-cry of their hearts.

Not the First Plundering— But this bit of history about those in the Persian empire being commanded to give to the Jews of their resources intrigues me, because it is not the first time their enemies have financed their undertakings. Remember when Israel first left their bondage in Egypt it says...

Exodus 12:35-36 (ESV)— 35 The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. 36 And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

Remember What God Did Before— And this made we wonder if God isn’t almost beginning to answer their ultimate question even as they are asking it. God not only sets them free from Egypt but grants them favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, causing them to give silver and gold to them. And in this way God shows that He is with them. And I wonder if here, at this point in Israel’s history, it may be that God, through the plundering of the Persians, is saying to them, “Remember what I did for you before when I called you out of Egypt? Look; I’m doing it again. I’m still with you; yes, my covenant still stands.”

The Prodigal’s Surprise— How like God this is; to as we look up from the slop we are eating and ask if He will receive us again (like the Prodigal son wondered as he moved from the slop back towards His father’s house), we find Him already moving towards us; already making way for our restoration. If you remember nothing else today from God’s message this morning, remember this: If you find yourself beginning to want to return to Jesus, you will find He has already begun moving towards you. Our God is the God who forgave us while still on the cross (that blessed cross we sing about in so many of our songs); our God is the God who begins to restore us before we have sense enough to even seek restoration. Perhaps the most powerful verse on prayer in all of scripture comes from the book of Isaiah…

Isaiah 65:24 (ESV)— 24 Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.

Already Making Way For Your Restoration— If you find yourself desiring restoration to God, it is because God has already begun to make way for your restoration. And this is what we see here. Israel is wondering if God will restore them; but through Cyrus and this incredible decree Cyrus gives, God is showing them that yes, He is still with them and has indeed already begun to restore them.

And that is his message for you and for me today. It doesn’t matter what we have done, or how lost we feel. God has given us His Son as a real and tangible sign that He still loves us; that He still wants to have a relationship with us; and He will redeem us if only we put our trust in Christ. Put your trust in Him today. Even if you have believed for many many years, choose to get in the cockpit and allow that cognitive trust to become a living and breathing (actively trusting) faith. Amen.

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Greetings! Welcome to the show today. I hope all of our listeners today are faring as well as you can during this very unusual time. And I hope today’s message of hope will be an encouragement to you.

Intro To Esther— Today we will be beginning a journey through one of my favorite books of the Bible, a book that has a message that is very relevant to some of the things we are facing right now. It is a story filled with plot and intrigue; love and passion; danger and courage. God’s people are faced with annihilation; and yet they are saved by God’s mighty hand through one of history’s most important heroes; a young Jewish girl who, because of her obedience and trust in God’s plan, saved God’s people from certain destruction. And of course we know her as Esther.

Mordecai— Now just to give you a little bit of background, God had sent the Jews into captivity for their failure to keep themselves free from false gods. But at this point they have been released from exile; yet there are many who still remain. And among these was a man by the name of Mordecai, a Jew whose great grandfather Kish was very likely carried away into the Babylonian captivity. And Mordecai (as elder cousin to Esther) plays a very key role in this story.

Authorship— Now we don’t know who wrote the book of Esther (it is anonymous). However it had to be someone who had access to the records taken in Persia, and someone who also had a very strong interest in Jewish affairs. This as unusual combination, leading some (myself included) to think the author could very well have been Mordecai himself, who seems to have had some position in the king’s palace. And his most important role in this story is the fatherly role he takes on for a young Jewish orphan girl named Esther.

Hadassah the “Star” of God’s Presence— Now Hadassah is her Jewish name. But the Persian name she is given is Esther, which means “star.” And this makes sense because in Persia (where this story takes place), astrology (using the stars to practice divination in order to learn the future) was a serious thing. Even today, the number of people who check their horoscopes is staggering. Paganism is very much alive today, let me tell you. Now the Wise men (the Magi) of Media and Persia were very into this kind of thing. And remember Daniel not too long before this was actually head of the wise men of Babylon/Media/Persia. And because of his faithfulness to God, God gave him understanding of visions and dreams, some of the very gifts that the Magi claimed to possess. And so Daniel rose to become head of the Magi. And in that position he no doubt was an ambassador on God’s behalf, teaching the other wise men about the one true God, Yahweh, and may have revealed to them signs of a coming Messiah, using their own astrology to do it.

The Magi and the Star— And so when we come to the birth of Christ, it says Wise Men (Magi) came from the East, following a star; these men whose ancestors had most likely been influenced by Daniel back in his Babylonian captivity, and whose influence could still be felt in the Medo-Persian empire, which was still alive and well during the time of the birth of Christ. There was still a strong Jewish presence there even at the beginning of the New Testament; Jews who never left even after the exile was over. Many chose to stay, Esther and Mordecai being among them. But back to the Magi; that is most likely how they (the Magi) knew of the coming Messiah. And I want to make that connection for you because that star the Magi followed revealed the presence of God; there “with us”. That is the meaning of “Immanuel”; God with us.

God Not Mentioned— But in the book of Esther, one of the perplexing things is that the word "God" is not mentioned anywhere in the book. We have the pagan Persian king Ahasuerus mentioned at least once in ever chapter, but God is never mentioned. Yet despite that we find that God is in fact the main character. Yet He is not revealed on a mountain; in a pillar of fire; or in a voice from heaven. No, we see His presence revealed in Esther and in how He moves and directs the events in her life to save His people from destruction. God doesn’t speak through prophets in this book; we have no divine revelation; there are no miracles or signs from heaven. Instead God is behind the scenes, quietly guiding these events towards His purposes. And Esther (like the star of the Magi) is in a sense that star that reveals the presence of God; that reveals to Israel that God is still with them and is still their deliverer.

Post-exile in Persia— And this was easy for them to forget. They had been carried into exile in Babylon. Then Babylon fell to Persia and Cyrus the Great came to power, the founder of the Persian Empire. And miracle of miracles, he allows Israel to return to their homeland and rebuild their temple. And not only does he allow Israel to return home to rebuild the temple, but even allows them to use the resources of Persia to do it! Now Cyrus had a bit of strategy here. From what we know of history, his sending former captives back to their homeland was actually part of his overall strategy to help him strengthen his authority in those more remote parts of his empire. But regardless, it served Israel well. And it goes to show how quickly God can bring redemption and restoration to a people that truly repents.

Looking Back to Egypt— Now you can say God was harsh in sending them into exile. But remember that this was an issue that God had wrestled with them over for hundreds of years, ever since He delivered them out of Egypt and that whole pagan culture. We know that there were times that they looked back in physical hunger, longing for what was familiar to them in Egypt. And that included paganism and idolatry. But God knew that though He delivered them out of slavery in Egypt, they would never be free (even after reaching the Promised Land) until they forsook their false gods and embraced Him (Yahweh) as the center of their reality and the sole recipient of their worship. And the same is true of us. You may not bow before a statue; an idol. But I am telling you, there ARE things we worship other than God; that we give ourselves to other than God that will bring us no life and will in fact produce death in us. And God knows it, which is why He fights so hard (even being willing to allow us to suffer for a while) in order that we might let go of those things and come to experience life in His very presence; before His very face. Lechem Panim (the bread of the presence of God in the tabernacle) was a reminder to them of that reality.

They Are Cured!— And one of my mentors pointed out to me that after this Israel never again fell into idolatry. God’s judgment in sending them into exile worked. And the God who was holy enough to send them into captivity was also loving enough to bring them out. You can never separate God’s holiness from His love. You can never separate God’s holiness from His love. And that is how we ought to see God’s judgment; as an extension of God’s love. It is always redemptive; it is always constructive. In fact, it proves to us (as Hebrews 12:5-11 says) that He has accepted us as His children.

Now some say America is too far gone to make any kind of significant spiritual turnaround. But I don’t believe that for a minute. There is hope for our nation. But that hope lies not in our being able to sway major institutions, though we should always strive to do so. Our hope lies in the salvation, obedience, and consecration of normal everyday people; in the individual rather than the institution.

Individuals, Not Institutions— One scholar I read often said something that has always stuck with me; and which is very important for us to remember in and throughout our study of this book. He says: We live in a day when most people believe that institutions are the determining factors. They declare that if we could just change institutions, then we could change society. This is the appeal of the politician. Scripture tantalizes us with the amount of space it devotes to individual people rather than institutions. People seem to be the tools that God uses to bring change. The implication is clear. Ultimately, persons determine institutions; institutions do not determine persons. The decisions that are made deep in the heart of an individual in the intimacy of aloneness with God are the decisions that will be historically significant for deciding the future.What God Can Do Through One Obedient Person— Herein lies our hope. It isn’t going to be institutions that have the greatest impact on turning our country around; it’s individual people like you and me who, as the darkness closes in, will choose to remain faithful to God. Nowhere in scripture is it more clearly shown to us what God can do through one obedient person to affect the course and the fate of a nation than right here in the book of Esther. An insignificant Jewish girl, through the providence of God and her obedience, changed the fate of a nation.

Our Potential Power— Now many of us may feel powerless when it comes to affecting change; I know I do; at least significant change on any kind of large scale. But what God wants you to understand today is that you have a power you can’t even fathom; power that is released through your personal commitment to Christ to remain consecrated to Him. John Wesley said an amazing thing. He said, “Give me ten men that hate nothing but sin and love nothing but God and we will change the world.” It is important to note that he did. And there is no telling what God can do through you if you (like Daniel and Esther), even in the face of leadership that is telling you it is okay to do something else, still choose to do and to stand for the right thing. God can do great things through us.

God is Present— And even when God may seem absent (like in the book of Esther, where His name is never even mentioned; and maybe that’s the point), He is never more present even when we can't see Him. This is the message of the book of Esther. And it is His message for you and for me this week.

This week, may we live a lives that are characterized by true repentance. May we seek God with all of our hearts. And may you and experience (in every way) His redemption, His restoration, and His love for Us. Amen.

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Greetings! Welcome to the show today. Last week we talked about one of my favorite heroes, the prophet Daniel; an amazing man who had an amazing impact on everyone who had the privilege of falling under his influence, from the lowest servant to the king himself; and there were multiple kings he served under. And he did so during a very difficult time; a time when God’s people were in exile. And you will remember that one of the things that set Daniel apart form everybody else was his prayer life.

Intro to Daniel 9— And so today I want us to take a look briefly at the first half of Daniel chapter 9 and see if we can draw some insight into how Daniel prayed and why His prayers proved to be so effective. Daniel, who is an old man at this time, over 80 years old, is serving under Darius (the king of Persia). And he is pouring over the scriptures; particularly over Jeremiah, who had written prophecies concerning Israel’s upcoming captivity in Babylon. And Daniel comes across Jeremiah 29:10-12, which says…

Jeremiah 29:10-12— “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”Just Three Years Away!— And Daniel begins to think, and is beginning to do the math, “Huh...wait a minute. That puts our captivity around about 67 years. Let’s see.....year 605 to 538....yeah that’s right. Well, wait a minute....that would mean our captivity is almost over!” And just imagine his excitement. Never before has he come across a passage of scripture that has gotten him this pumped; this shaken with joy. “My God, are you telling me that we are going to be free in three years? In three years I may get to set foot in Jerusalem (Your city) once again!” And he immediately starts praying. And we will get to his prayer in a minute.

Praying Scripture— But let me ask you, do you ever have difficulty knowing what to pray? Sometimes when you start praying (I know I have experienced this) you kind of have writer’s block. You think to yourself “If I only knew where to begin.” Well here it is interesting to see that Daniel begins in the scriptures. And his prayers have strong content and amazing power because they flow out of his meditation on the Word of God.

Meditating on The Word— Now some of us, when we make our new year’s resolution to “read the Bible more” start by trying to bulldoze through a large chunk of scripture. And when we get to the end, we feel pretty good about the amount of scripture we covered, but (honestly) we didn’t get much out of it. Why? Because we didn’t take the time to meditate on the Word of God. It’s much better to read a shorter passage of scripture and meditate on it. We need to let it’s roots sink into our minds and hearts throughout the day.

The Cow and The Cud Illustration— Dawson Trotman illustrated Biblical meditation by comparing the way cows {(who have 4 stomachs)} get the cud on which they chew:

A cow eats grass as it grazes early in the morning. When the sun gets hot, it will lie in the shade of a tree, and through the use of a unique elevator system it will bring up the grass from one stomach and thoroughly masticate it. When this is finished, it will put it into another stomach, having gotten from it everything possible in the way of nutrients.Chewing the Word— That is how we need to meditate on the scriptures. Just like Daniel, we need to be willing to stop and chew the cud. And when we do, we will discover such blessings from God’s holy word that our lives cannot help but be transformed, because we have allowed God the time to make that scripture personal to us and our own individual situations. Have you ever noticed a difference in your life when you didn’t get much into the Word a particular week? And you felt dry and weak, lacking the power of God because maybe you did not take the time to chew the cud? Daniel really kept the disciplines of prayer and meditation at the forefront of his life. Not only did he pray three times a day, but he took the time to chew on the Word of God. And I think that is key. He says in verse 3…

Daniel 9:3 (ESV)— 3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.Daniel’s Mourning— Now picture this. Daniel (a high official) takes off his beautiful royal robes and jewelry and clothes himself with “sackcloth and ashes”, both of which were visual ways of demonstrating to God his need for Him and his willingness to conform to the will of God. And interestingly, our season of Lent begins for many Christians with this symbolic use of ashes. And Lent is also a time when many people give up certain things (a form of fasting) in order to outwardly demonstrate a repentant heart as we anticipate Good Friday. It is a way for us to humble ourselves before God. Now whether or not you fast from something during Lent or receive the ashes or not, nevertheless, humility is always key when it comes to entering in to the presence of God.

What is Humility?— But what is humility? Some of us have been taught that it means we have to convince ourselves that we are garbage in comparison to everyone else. But if Christ has called you clean, and has adopted you as His child, who are we to put ourselves down? Should we put down what God has glorified? I don’t think so.

Measured Against the Greater— I think Phillip Brooks said it best when he said, "The true way to be humble is not to stoop until you are smaller than yourself, but to stand at your real height against some higher nature that will show you what the real smallness of your greatness is."

Looking To The Cross— And you know, he’s absolutely right. What we ought to be thinking about is the greatness of God and how small any man’s righteousness is by comparison. Don’t puff yourself up; but be humbled by the fact that no matter how Holy God has made you, it was your sin and my sin that held Christ to that cross (which is part of what Lent is all about).

Wrestling With God— The next thing we can learn from Daniel concerning prayer is that he prayed with intensity. We see in verse 3 that Daniel pleads with the Lord. And that word “plea” in Hebrew means “to wrestle”. So Daniel wrestles with God, similar to the time when Jacob wrestled with God in a physical sense in Genesis chapter 32. And verse 4 says, “I prayed to the Lord my God...” The Hebrew word “prayed” is an emphatic imperative that denotes extreme intensity.

Avoiding Vain Repetition— So many of our prayers are just vain repetitions…Many of us are like the little boy who said his prayers one night and got confused with his rhymes, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If he hollers let him go . . . eeny, meeny, miney, mo.” What?!

Have you ever prayed to God a ritualistic prayer without ever stopping to think about what you were praying. We need to take our prayers a little more seriously. Daniel’s prayer was filled with urgency and fervency. Ten times he says something like, “O, Lord” or “O My God.” The word “O” is actually an untranslatable word that represents a groan. Romans 8:26 says that when we are praying in the Spirit there are often groans that can’t be uttered. Have you agonized in prayer? Have you wrestled and groaned when you prayed?...

People Groaning for Us— I can testify that the only reason I am where I am today is because I had godly parents and grandparents faithfully praying for me in and throughout my life. God heard their groans for me and He answered them. And the same to you who are listening today. Many of you are followers of Christ today because there were faithful Christians (maybe your mom or your dad, your grandparents, or somebody like that) who were willing to groan and plead about you to the Lord. And there are more people yet to be touched by Christ’s Gospel of salvation and a transformed life who are going to be touched because you (when the time and opportunity presents itself) are going to groan before the Savior for the salvation of their souls.

The next thing Daniel does is he confesses sins specifically. He says in verses 4-5…

Daniel 9:4-6 ESV— [4] I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, [5] we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. [6] We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.Faithful Daniel Identifies With Israel— Now what is interesting to me is that Daniel is actually one of the Jews who has remained obedient to God and has been faithful to keep His law in and throughout His whole life. At every single point at which he is tested, he has proved faithful. Yet he still identifies himself with his nation of Israel and recognizes that he is part of a community that has lived in rebellion against God.

You see, he takes responsibility. He not only admits that his nation is at fault, but is willing to take some of the blame on their behalf. Now I have heard a lot of preachers who stand up and speak about the evil that is going on in our country. I am one of them. But how often do you see a Christian who is willing to admit that he/she is partially to blame? Sadly you don’t see that too often. No, we as Christians are often too busy playing the blame game rather than accepting fault, confessing it before God, and asking Him for healing not just for our nation, but for us specifically; because it is often our sin that is at least a contributing factor to the problem.

Confessing— But what Daniel is demonstrating is that confession must remain a constant element in our prayers. If we lose our ability to confess (and not just confess general sin, but specific sins in our lives), then we will lose our ability to recognize, deal with, and turn from the sin that is in our lives and be, as the scriptures say, Holy as He is Holy. We have to repent. We have to confess and be willing to come clean with our sin before God.

Expect God to Answer— Now the last element of prayer that Daniel demonstrated is so obvious, but should never be taken for granted; and that is that when we pray, we ought to expect God to answer. Because He always will. When Daniel prayed, he received an answer even before he finished prayer. And there have been times in my life (and I am sure yours as well) where that has happened. But that does not always happen. Sometimes you pray and pray and pray, but nothing seems to happen. And this can be a real struggle for a lot of people. It is sometimes hard to continue praying for something or someone when, after a long time of praying, nothing happens. There are people I have prayed for for years who have still not received Christ. And if we let it, that can discourage us.

He Will Answer— But even when our prayers don’t get answered right away, we must persist and not cease in praying because God has promised to hear and answer our prayers.

1 John 5:14-15 (NIV)— 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Let us have that confidence today and pray faithfully, so that we might see God move through our prayers in amazing ways. Amen.

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