Come and see an encouraging photo report on how Mercy Ships are providing state of the art medical services to the poorest of the poor in West Africa.   John Van Huizen has returned from his third tour of volunteer service on the newest flag ship, the Africa Mercy.  This time he was one of the ship’s photographers.  He has documented the physical transformation of some beautiful people.

See and hear some of the personal stories and enjoy some of the scenery of the west African country of Benin.  You will also learn how the law enforcement community of Clackamas County is assisting the orphans in the war torn nation of Liberia.  Question/answer and coffee time will follow.

March 14, 2010

Liberal Evangelical Chapel

29079 S. Hwy 213

10:00 a.m.

“Cornelius”

March 7, 2010

This chapter records the 3^rd Pentecost for Peter.  After Jesus ascended 120 disciples were waiting in the upper room and the Holy Spirit came on them.   Tongues illustrated the need to witness.  After Stephen’s stoning the church was scattered.  Philip planted a large church in Samaria.  Peter went to encourage them and the Holy Spirit came on these half Jews.  Now in this chapter Peter goes into a Gentile home and is surprised that the Holy Spirit comes on them just like He had come in the upper room 10 years earlier.  The people spoke in tongues to praise God and confirm God’s plan that they should be witnesses.

Luke uses a lot of papyrus to tell and retell this story (11,15).  It is a very important event for the Church.  Most of us are Gentiles.  It is especially important to us.  The leader of the Jewish Christians, Peter, goes into a Gentile home and has his cultural assumptions totally upset.  He may have had some reservations about going to Samaria, but Jesus had visited a woman by the well in Samaria.  Samaria was different from Caesarea.  Going to Caesarea is a major paradigm shift for Peter.  For the first 10 years the church grew among the Jews.  The disciples assumed that when Jesus commanded them to go into all the world He was only thinking about the Jews in all the world.  The only recorded exception seems to be the Ethiopian that Philip had shared the gospel with and several proselytes and God-fearers who were at the first Pentecost.  But the Ethiopian’s conversion and the others did not disturb the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem.  However, when the head of the church eats a meal in a Gentile’s home there are a lot of raised eyebrows.

10:1-8

God sent an angel to deliver a message to Cornelius and he responds in true military fashion.  Angels can only deliver messages.  They are not witnesses.  They are messengers.  They cannot preach the Gospel.  They do not know the joy of sins forgiven

Caesarea was not a little Jewish village.  It was a Roman military capital city built on the Mediterranean 30 miles north of Joppa.  It was a new city built by Herod the Great.  Already the population was the 8^th largest in the Roman world.

Cornelius was a Centurion.  That means he was in charge of 100 men.  He was 1 of 6 Centurions in the Italian Cohort, battalion, or regiment.  It was not common for Centurions to be married.  They were moved frequently.  It was more common to have a mistress in every city.

Cornelius was an exception.  He and his household were devout and feared God.  They were well-loved by their community (22) even among the Jews.  In contrast to other Greeks who worshiped every god that might help them or hurt their enemy, Cornelius was a God-fearer.  He worshiped the one God of the Jews and rejected the polytheism, immorality, and mysticism of the Greeks.

He gave generously and prayed regularly.  He was seeking God.  How devout is my devotion?  God accepts people from every nation who fear God and do good (35) even the uncircumcised, the non-kosher, the barbarian Gentile.

God did not send the angel to teach Cornelius some more facts.  Maybe Cornelius had heard Philip’s preaching.  There was a hunger in his heart for more of God.  The angel called him by name at 3 in the afternoon.  Can you picture this situation?  My first thought would be, what have I done wrong?  Cornelius gives him the proper respect.

The angel reports to him the mind of God and tells him to go get Peter.  Why didn’t God use Philip?  Because He wanted Peter to be involved in the coming of the Holy Spirit to these Gentiles.  God knew Peter was stubborn but he was the respected leader.  He uses Roman soldiers and a vivid vision to get Peter to come to Caesarea.  If Peter had been with friends in Jerusalem, would Cornelius have sent soldiers there?  Would Peter have traveled to a Roman military city from Jerusalem?  God’s plan has Peter in a tanner’s home.

Cornelius immediately obeyed.  He did not send his men blindly, but told them why they were going to get Peter.  This is not a military mission.  This is a godly mission.

10:9-22

A tanner’s occupation was regarded as unclean by strict Jews.  Their home had to be at least 50 cubits from any town.  It was usually on a rocky seashore so they could use the sea water in their processing.  This home had a gate (18) which suggests wealth.  The home had a flat roof and may have had an awning.  The Aussies call a large backyard awning a sail.

Rooftops were like a family room.  It was a good place to find a little peace and quiet for prayer.  Noon was not a required time to pray, but Peter prayed and the Lord met him.  Maybe he saw some sail boats on the sea.  Maybe the awning over his head was flapping a little.  In his vision he saw a sail deliberately let down from heaven with all kinds of animals, reptiles, and birds on it.  The Lord said, “Peter, I’ve set up a little picnic for us here.  Join me on the blanket and start eating.”

Peter replies with a stupid statement we all have made at one time or another.  “Not so, Lord!”  He identifies Him as Lord and tells Him “no”.

This is such an important event for Peter that it is repeated 3 times.

In the beginning God created the world and it was good.  Everything was common and good.  Then because of man’s sin Noah had to make distinctions between clean and unclean animals.  Moses later clarified how unclean can become clean or common and how the holy can be defiled by the unclean or make the unclean common or holy.

When God makes something clean we better not treat it as common or redefine it by our definitions.  The Bible declares that your body is holy to the Lord.  If you defile your body you will suffer the consequences of disobedience.

Peter was trying to sort this all out.  In 17 he is wondering and in 19 he is still thinking.  He was so focused on the meaning of the vision he did not hear the men calling out at the gate.  God’s timing is always perfect, and the 3 men from Caesarea arrive while Peter is thinking and questioning.

These Romans had the authority to walk right in, but they were respectful of the Jewish custom of separation from Gentiles.  Jews were not to go into Gentile homes nor were they to offer hospitality to Gentiles.

Peter’s vision is not explained by the Spirit, but Peter is told to do something and in the doing, his questions about the vision were answered.  Obedience leads to an understanding of God’s heart.  God can’t steer a parked car.  Obey today so the Lord can direct you to the next open door.

Peter meets the soldiers at the gate and says, “I’ve been told in a vision that you are looking for me.”  The soldiers reply, “Our commander had a vision and an angel gave him this address and said you would come to his home and talk with him.”

Peter had more questions than answers.  What is God doing?  He had just heard the Spirit clearly identify these men as Spirit directed and now they are telling me their God-fearing commander is hearing angels mention my name.  Somehow these events must be connected with my vision of the picnic blanket.

Acts 10:23-43

What cultural conflicts do we have?  What groups do we keep ourselves separate from?  Mexican, Russian, Chinese, unemployed, uneducated, divorced, homos, California seal lovers?  Humans are the same in Caesarea as they are in Jerusalem, Samaria and Joppa.

Peter invites these Gentiles in for lunch.  They stayed overnight.  Peter’s cultural walls were coming down.  Peter selected 6 Jewish believers to go along as witnesses (11:12).  That makes 7 witnesses.  For most situations 2 witnesses is all that is required by Jewish law.  Seven is the number of witnesses required for important legal documents.  The deed to creation in Revelation had 7 seals.

It seems common for many today to assume that one religion is as good as another.  Cornelius was a good man who worshipped God.  Some would say just leave him alone or let him start a new church.  But God does not see it that way.  God wants you to know that Jesus is The Way to salvation and freedom from the shackles of sin.

Cornelius shows Peter respect as the answer to his prayers.  Maybe he respects him as the leader of the disciples.  Maybe in the last 3 days he had done a Google search on who this Peter was that the angel had told him about.  He greets Peter with a bow and Peter says stand up.  There is no hierarchy in the church.  Cornelius met him at the door maybe wondering if Peter would enter his home.

The Evangelical church and the Nazarene church try to motivate people with the Great Commission in their church Discipline or Manual.  Was Peter motivated by this external command that we have labeled ‘The Great Commission’?  It was not in his mind at all.  Notice what Peter says when he finds the ideal evangelistic situation.  He found a large homogeneous group wanting to hear his words.  They were ready to listen, believe, and obey his words.

What was on Peter’s mind was not Jesus last command but the picnic blanket.  Peter reminds them that he was a Jew and brought up to believe that God did not want him to associate with Gentiles.  But God has been talking to him.  “God has shown me clearly that the distinction between clean and unclean foods has been removed.  God has declared all foods clean.  He showed me this vision so that I could see that He has also removed the distinction between Jew and Gentile.  God is changing my perspectives.”  God is doing a new thing among us.

10:29  “May I ask why you have sent for me?”  He knew God was talking to Cornelius just like He was talking to him.  Peter did not feel superior to Cornelius.  He did not assume he could improve on what God had been doing.  Peter was not sure the gospel was for Gentiles.

Cornelius was a God-fearer.  But Cornelius had a hunger in his heart for more of God.  And he repeats the story to Peter, thanks Peter for coming, and says he has just been obeying the vision.  “God is here so everything you say we will listen to.”

Peter senses God’s presence and begins to speak.  “I’m beginning to see that God is pleased with all who fear Him and do good.  His laws are a lot simpler than I was taught.  From the beginning God made it clear that He would bless all nations through Israel (Gen 12:1-3).”  Peter summarizes the gospel story like he does in the gospel of Mark.  This sermon is different from his earlier sermons.

10:39  “We are witnesses.”  Jesus did not appear to unbelievers after the resurrection.  He commanded the disciples to preach and testify (42) to the people that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness.  But the everyone seemed to mean just the Jews until now.

10:44-48

Peter had not finished speaking.  Maybe he would like to tell them why the Jews followed the laws of Moses.  Why the Jews practiced circumcision.  Why Jews fasted and prayed and attended the Temple regularly.  But the Spirit interrupted Peter.  The hunger in the heart of Cornelius and his household was filled by the Holy Spirit and confirmed to the 7 Jews with the speaking in tongues and praising God.

At the first Pentecost Peter had exhorted the people to repent, to be baptized, and to receive the Holy Spirit.  Now God just scrambled Peter’s thinking a little more.  The same Spirit who had come on the Jewish believers had now come on the Gentiles.  No wonder the men were astonished!  They had no doubts that God was present, but this was different.

The gift of tongues confirmed that God was treating Jews and Gentiles the same.  Peter at once recognized that these Gentiles were just like them and could be baptized in the name of Jesus to confirm their oneness in the fellowship of believers.  Peter does not baptize them.  They may have baptized one another.  Maybe the other Jews baptized them.  They did not have to be baptized by a minister.  The believers received believers as part of their fellowship by baptism.

Believers among the Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles have all received the Spirit of God and are now united in the body of Christ.  This is an amazing truth.  Jew and Gentile can be one in Christ.  Jesus is the cornerstone or capstone.  There is no intent here for denominations.  If Jew and Gentile can get along, then Baptists and Liberal Evangelicals can get along.  Jews and Gentiles were really different.  They had different ways of being born.  Different views on abortion, different calendars, different holidays, different legal systems, different militaries, different economies, different clothes, different foods, and yet God sees them as united in Christ Jesus.

The Jewish ways will not satisfy the hunger in your heart.  The Gentile ways will not satisfy the hunger in your heart.  Only Jesus will satisfy your soul.

Being baptized is not the end of the road for Christians.  It is the beginning.  Peter stayed with them several days to share Jesus.  Jesus is Lord of all.  Those who believed on Jesus become brothers to all who believe and follow Him as Lord.

When you hunger and thirst for righteousness you will be filled.  If you are not hungry for God you are too busy or eating too much junk food.  Pray that God will send you a Peter to tell you more about God.

Saul’s Conversion

February 28, 2010

Have you ever been very certain about something and later found out that you were wrong in being right?  Many years ago when I was doing a lot of studying in the Greek text of the New Testament I enjoyed counting words, comparing, and getting excited about the precise shades of meaning that were used to tell the gospel story.  Paul often used words with double meanings.  Rather than choose one meaning or the other I believe Paul wants us to sometimes consider both meanings.  Peter invented words that no one else used like ‘supergreat’ when he talked about the grace of God.

Back in the 70’s and 80’s when Bill Gothard and Peter Wagner were popular and everyone was trying to find their spiritual gift, I taught a graduate class in Spiritual Gifts.  I did a fairly complete word study of all the popular Biblical verses that mention spiritual gifts.  The gift of tongues has historically been controversial.  300 years before the time of Christ, Plato forbade his disciples to speak in ecstatic utterances.  Ecstatic utterances were common in the Greek mystery religions.  In my studies I found that Paul gives a very tight, logical argument against tongues in the church.  In the context of love, Paul points out that the grace that all Christians receive from God at conversion is for the edification of the church, never for self-edification.  He commands the Corinthians to stop acting like children.  Then the verse that eventually convicted me was 1 Cor 14:39.  Paul says it is not worth arguing about.  Don’t forbid the speaking in tongues.

I was trying to argue everyone into seeing the truth about spiritual gifts.  I had the numbers.  I had the definitions.  I had Paul’s argument.  I pointed out that the love chapter tells us that some gifts will cease when the church grows up and some will not cease until Jesus returns.  The argument was really important to me.  Then I began to realize my attitude was not Christlike.  I quit teaching the class.  I quit criticizing my brothers in Christ.  I realized the letter of the law is not the main thing.  My change was more gradual than Saul’s.  He had a radical conversion into the grace of Jesus Christ.

Saul was a Pharisee of the Pharisees.  He was trained by the best.  He had committed his life to serve God.  With intense energy he was trying to purify the people of God.  He was defending the proper understanding of Scripture.  He was considering bombing the abortion clinics and flying a plane into the IRS offices.  He was willing to give his life for what He felt was the truth.

His plan was to force these Christians to deny their heretical faith in Jesus.  He had the power to intimidate and imprison.  The Sanhedrin could put them on trial and condemn these false Jews.  Word got out.  The Christian Jews quit worshiping in the Jerusalem Temple and synagogues.  Philip went to Samaria.  Many went to Damascus, 140 miles north of Jerusalem, and Paul was going to bring them back to prison and give them a chance to see the error of their ways.

Acts 9:1-9  Saul meets Jesus.

Saul made sure he had the proper extradition papers from the Jerusalem priests to take to Damascus to bring back the Christian heretics who had left Jerusalem.  These heretics believed a dead man was the Messiah.  This man died by hanging on a cross, which was a double curse.  Would God take a cursed false prophet and make him the Messiah?  This is a dangerous sect.  They are using satan’s power to do miracles.  These followers of Jesus were subversive to the true religion.  They claimed to be Jews.  Christians were not yet called Christians.  They still considered themselves Jews and here they are called people of The Way.

Damascus was an ancient city.  Some feel it is the oldest city in the world.  At this time the population was probably 15-20,000.  It is estimated that there were 30-40 synagogues in the city.  There were enough Christians there already to be of concern to the Pharisees in Jerusalem.

A fanatic is one who redoubles his effort once he loses sight of his goal.  Saul had not lost sight of his goal, but I wonder if he had some doubts about his violence.  It is interesting that after he is converted he preaches the gospel in the very synagogue that Stephen attended.

The men who walked the 140 miles with Saul were police officers from the Sanhedrin.  As a Pharisee, Saul could not talk with these Sadducees.  He walked these miles in silence with his thoughts.  In one sense Saul’s conversion was gradual, but his surrender was sudden.

As Saul’s swat team neared Damascus his life was changed by a blinding light.  When he tells this story later in Acts (22&26), he says he saw a quick glimpse of Jesus around noon.  He immediately recognized that the words were spoken with divine authority.

The Lord did not ask, “Why are you persecuting My church?”  Because “In as much as you have done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto Me.”  Here is one of the mysteries of our faith.  We abide in Him and His Spirit abides in us.  Jesus clearly identifies with His disciples.  Instantly Saul knows that Jesus of Nazareth was actually alive.

Up to this point Saul was in charge of his life.  He did what he liked.  He did what he thought best.  But all things changed when he saw Jesus.  Now he will be told what to do.  Saul was not disobedient to the vision.  He surrendered to the will of God.  It was no longer him, but Christ living in him.

The NIV has not included a couple phrases in verses 5-6.  The KJV reads, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest; it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.  And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?  And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city…”

Paul’s beliefs about Jesus had been wrong.  He had made some big mistakes.  His future was no longer a rigid plan.  His Day-Timer was just vaporized.  His future was a blank.  He did not know what to do next.  He was obedient to his heavenly vision.

Pricks were goads used on oxen.  Like hobbles on a cow, the more you kick the more it hurts and the more you hurt yourself.  It is hard for you to go against your conscience.  It is not good for you to go against what you already know to be true.  Listen to your conscience.  Do not harden your conscience.

Saul got up without sight.  He was led like a child.  The leader had to be led.  The one who had authority to arrest has been arrested by Jesus.  The legalistic persecutor is about to become a preacher of love and grace.

Acts 9:10-19  Saul meets Ananias.

We do not know how Christianity was established in Damascus.  They had heard of the persecution in Jerusalem and Saul’s plans for Damascus.  Saul and his swat team had been in town a couple days.  They were secluded someplace.  The Lord spoke to Ananias in a vision.  Ananias recognized the voice of the Lord.  He has a conversation with the Lord like a friend talking with a friend.  The Lord tells him where Saul was staying but he had no desire to meet Saul.

Note what Ananias is told about Saul.  Saul is praying (11).  He knows you are coming (12).  Contrary to the reports in the Newspaper, the Lord said, “He is my chosen instrument.”

The Lord said Saul was really praying.  Can the Lord look at me and say, “He’s praying.”  Does Jesus think my praying is praying?  When is my prayer God’s kind of prayer?  When I am serious.  Saul was not eating or drinking.  His life was unsettled and experiencing a radical change of direction.  He wanted to hear from God.  He wanted to know who he was and why was he born.  It was time to fast and pray.  When we face a crisis, we are more serious about prayer.

The Lord told Ananias that Saul already knows him by name.  He was not on Saul’s hit list.  He was on his healer list.  God was making Himself known by speaking to both servants.

For 3 days Saul is in darkness, fasting and praying.  I can’t imagine the sorrow he had for his sin of unbelief.  I can’t imagine the grief he felt for hurting so many good people.  I imagine he was reviewing all the Scripture in his mind trying to see how Jesus could be the expected Messiah.  I imagine he was thinking about Isaiah’s suffering servant Scriptures and how little he has had to suffer, but how much suffering he had caused.  Our suffering connects us with the Messiah.

Ananias obeys his vision(17).  Placing his hands on Saul, he calls him brother.  Saul heard the voice and felt the hands.  Saul did not have any brothers.  He was independent.  He did not need anyone until now.  That one word ‘brother’ expresses a lot of love and forgiveness.  Bitter enemies were now brothers.  Ananias was identifying with Saul as a fellow member of the community of Christians.

Ananias lays his hands on Saul and gets right to the point (17).  “The Lord Jesus told me he was talking to you and told you I was coming.  The reason he sent me is so you can see with your eyes and be filled with the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit confirms that Jesus is Lord.  God could have done it without me, but He didn’t.

Saul eyes were opened, his heart was filled with the Holy Spirit, and then he was baptized in water to testify that he was changing religions.  He was identifying with Jesus the Messiah and his followers.

9:19-25  Saul meets opposition.

Saul had been told that he was to carry the name of Jesus to the Gentiles (15).  But as soon as he eats and gets his strength back he visits the Christian community then goes to Arabia for 3 years (Gal 1:15-17).  He returns to Damascus to preach to the Jews (20).  He was prepared to argue with the Jews.  All his training was in the Jewish way of thinking.  He loved the Jewish people.  He knew all the mistakes the Jews were making.  He could really set them straight.  He confronted the Jews but did not convert the Jews.  They were not ready to hear.  And Saul became a basket case.  The Damascus Jews wanted to assassinate Saul, but he was able to escape to Jerusalem.

9:26-31  Saul meets Barnabas and Peter.

His old associates and the few Christians who remained in the city suspected that his profession of faith was a ploy.  The only apostles in Jerusalem at that time were Peter and James.

Barnabas was an encourager.

Saul preached to the Grecian Jews (29).  These are the ones who stoned Stephen.  Saul must have wanted to pick up where Stephen left off.  Maybe he wanted to somehow salve his conscience for the vote he had cast against Stephen.  These Jews plot to assassinate him.

The Christians escorted Saul to Caesarea where Philip was living.  They got him on a boat back to his home in Tarsus.  We will see him again in 11:35.

About this same time in history the Roman emperor Caligula issued an order to place a statue of himself in the Temple in Jerusalem.  This was a real threat to the Jewish leaders.  They ignored the Christians for a while.  The Romans could really mess things up.

By now the Christians were in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria.  During this time of peace there was encouragement and growth both numerically and spiritually.

Acts 9:32-43 Peter visits churches in the area.

The apostles apparently went on mission tours as the Holy Spirit directed them.  Sharon is a fertile plain along the Mediterranean 40 miles long including Joppa and Caesarea.

Peter found a group of Christians in Lydda, about 25 miles from Jerusalem.  Philip had evangelized this area.  Peter was a respected leader but took time to just hang out with people.  He served the people and was ready to respond to their call.  He received power to heal.

Aeneas had been crippled 8 years.  He was already a Christian.  So Peter just reminded him that Jesus heals him.

When 2 men asked Peter to come to Joppa, he went at once.  Joppa was 10-11 miles north of Lydda.  Peter had seen Jesus give life to dead people.  But Jesus never kneeled down and prayed.  Both these miracles convinced the people that Jesus was alive and they could trust Him.

Dorcas was an important lady to many people.  She was a seamstress.  She made quilts.  She did practical, good stuff for people.

Peter stays with a tanner, an unclean profession because it dealt with blood and dead animals.  Peter is starting to put aside some Jewish prejudice.  Peter did not keep regular office hours in his Jerusalem office.  Most church executives do not stay in the Motel 6, but Peter is right where the Lord wanted him.  (see the next chapter)  Are you right where God wants you for your next assignment?

Being very right can be very wrong.

Counterfeit Christianity is always safe.  Genuine Christianity is risky.

The people that Saul met shaped his ministry.

Every person you meet can be a divine appointment.

Your hands may be healing hands to one person.

Has God told someone in a vision that you are coming to visit them?

Does God see you praying?

You’ve heard truth.  What are you going to do about it?

“Philip’s Story”

February 21, 2010

When is persecution good?  How do you define persecution and good?  The American Indians defined good by how something would effect the next 7 generations.  How does Haiti define good?  What will people think about the earthquake in 7 generations?  God seems to use persecution and tragedies like parents use discipline.  When you were disciplined, did it feel good?  But was it good for you?  Good carries a lot of meaning.  It can mean beneficial like a gift or a blessing.  “That was a good meal.”  Or it can mean the opposite of evil, like a good man.  “He has a good heart.”

Severe persecution of the church follows the death of Stephen.  Was persecution good?  Saul thought it was good.  Saul, a Pharisee of the Pharisees was determined to correct the Christian distortion of the holy Scriptures.  Some might say Saul had a good heart.  He was defending God’s word and the Temple that God had established.  He saw these Greek Jews falsely claiming that Jesus was the promised Messiah.  Saul was going to straighten out their thinking.  But God is going to use Saul to scatter the Christians.  Saul thought he was doing good.  God used it for good.  But did the Christians think it was good?  Probably not.

8:1-3

This says Saul voted for Stephen’s death.  To literally vote Saul had to be a member.  To be a member he had to be married.  From this point there is a lot of speculation.  Was Saul married?  Maybe he was not a member and he only gave consent and did not formally vote.  Maybe Saul’s wife left him when he became a persecutor or a Christian.  Later Paul says he is single.

All except the apostles were scattered.  The apostles had been preaching the story of Jesus, His life, death, resurrection, and ascension.  Stephen, a leader among the Greek-speaking Christian Jews, preached about God’s plan for change.  He showed from Scripture that the Temple was not God’s idea and was not necessary.  Saul heard this and got furious.

The apostles were probably not exempt from persecution, but they weren’t Saul’s focus.  They apparently felt it their responsibility to stay in Jerusalem even while Saul ravaged the church.

Philip went north to Samaria.  Samaria was a safe district for persecuted Christians to hide in because a good Pharisee would not go to Samaria.  Even the air in Samaria would contaminate you.  Samaritans were half Jews.  After the fall of the northern tribes, the Assyrians removed half of the Jews and brought in other conquered people to settle in with the northern Jews.  After they lived together and intermarried, they were considered half-breeds by the pure Jews.  The Samaritan Scripture was the 5 books of Moses.  They were expecting God to send a prophet like Moses.  Jesus’ last words had promised that the disciples would be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the world.  Now we read of Philip going to Samaria, not because he remembered Jesus’ last words, but because he was running for his life.

8:4-8

Everyone preached.  The word for scattered is the word ‘to sow’.  God sows seed.  God scatters us so we might grow and bear fruit.

Philip, one of the 7, was a respected leader.  He was becoming a cross-cultural missionary.  Many think he planted this church in Sychar.  When Jesus had to go through Samaria He stopped at the well and then stayed in Sychar two days (John 4).  Many believed without seeing any miracles at that time.  Now Philip updates these people on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and confirms the truth of his message with miracles.  There was joy in the city.  Many of these had visited with Jesus just 3 or 4 years ago.  Think about the growth and excitement in this church.

What these people had looked forward to for centuries has now been fulfilled.  Many may have considered Moses’ prediction a fable, or symbolic promise.  The story of another Moses is something the old people talked about and believed in.  The woman at the well had suggested that Jesus was the expected Messiah.  But Philip is confirming how Jesus is the fulfillment of all prophecy.  News of this revival will get back to Jerusalem in the next paragraph, but first we read about a clever magician.  He claimed a lot of power.  Our kids are interested in magic and unseen powers.  Satan has power and should not be messed with.  Don’t buy a Oiji board so you can fight satan.  Jesus never picked a fight with satan.  He just went about doing good and satan was defeated.

8:9-13

Simon was into sorcery, magic, and miracles.  History calls him Simon Magnus or Simon the magician.  He bragged about his abilities but now recognized some greater power or magic in Philip that he did not have.  He wanted more power so he attached himself as a student to Philip.  He was well known in Samaria and boasted about his credentials.  For a long time he had amazed the people with his magic.

Philip did not criticize or rebuke Simon (12).  He just kept preaching that the kingdom of God has come.  The kingdom of God is in the heart of every Christian.  God rules and reigns today in the heart of everyone who obeys Him.  Philip preached the name of Jesus Christ.  Jesus was Messiah, Son of Man, Son of God, and giver of the Spirit.  Jesus died, rose again, and reigns in heaven.

He reminded them that during His visit a few years back, Jesus preached to them repentance, forgiveness, and the coming kingdom of God.  Now the kingdom has come.  Jesus has died to atone for our sins.  He can forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  He is the Lamb of God seated at the right hand of the Father, Lord of all today.

When the people heard this they wanted to be baptized as believers in Jesus the Christ.  They wanted to be identified with Philip’s ministry.  Simon also believed Philip and was baptized.  It looked like he was sincere, but he seemed overly interested in miracles.  Simon wanted to be like Philip.  He followed Philip everywhere and kept track of all the miracles Philip was doing.  The church was growing and the news got back to Jerusalem.

8:14-25

Peter and John came to help Philip.  They felt a responsibility to share what they knew about Jesus and His promise to send the Holy Spirit.

The people had already been baptized ‘into the name’ or into the sphere in which Jesus is acknowledged as Lord.  They were citizens in the kingdom where Jesus was reigning.  In the NT some people think there is a distinction in the Holy Spirit’s ministry made with prepositions.  Before we are Christians the Holy Spirit is with us.  When we become Christians the Holy Spirit is in us.  When we are filled with the Spirit He comes upon us.  I’m not sure the use of prepositions is always that exact.

The laying on of hands was primarily a token of fellowship and solidarity.  It was an assurance to the Samaritans that they were no longer outsiders but fellow members of the Christian community.

Simon did not offer himself to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, but he offered money to buy it.  Simon had been impressed with Philip’s power now here was something more impressive.  Simon wanted the power that Peter and John had.  They were leaving town soon and he wanted their power before they left.  His attitude has become known as ‘simony’, the buying or selling of spiritual offices.

Today Peter would say, “May you and your money go to hell.”  Simon believed with his head, but his heart was full of selfish ambition.  The devils also believe, but they do not repent and ask forgiveness.  Peter tells Simon his profession of Christ and his baptism are worthless because his heart was not right (21).  Peter tells him to repent, but he doesn’t.  Instead of repenting and praying he begged Peter to pray for him.  Simon did not want to pray to God.  He tries to explain that he did not mean any harm.  He just wanted to help people.  Tradition says that Simon founded the Gnostic movement and opposed Peter the rest of his life.

I wonder if Peter is more perceptive than Philip because he had spent 3 years with Jesus.  He heard Jesus rebuke the religious hypocrites.  Did Peter try to find the woman at the well who had five husbands?

8:26-40

We’ve seen a violent persecutor in Saul, a successful preacher in Philip, and a power seeking pretender in Simon.  Now we see an honest seeker.  The false conversion of Simon is now contrasted with an honest conversion.

Think about what is going on in Philip’s life.  He has been a very successful church planter and pastor.  He is well known and respected by the whole city.  He has the support of the apostles.  God was using him mightily.  Why did the angel take him away from his ministry to go to visit one man?  Why didn’t the angel go directly to the Ethiopian, appear to him, and answer his questions?  Why didn’t God just give him the answer?  Philip had a great ministry and a lot of responsibility.  Why would God choose Philip to go walking on a 50-60 mile long road with very few homes and villages?  Why does God use people to do His work?

This Ethiopian was a very important government official from Africa.  He had a personal copy of the Isaiah scroll.  He rode an enclosed chariot, which meant he had an entourage of men with him.  He was a god-fearer who had gone to Jerusalem to worship and was returning.  He was discontent and still seeking to know God’s will and ways better.  He would travel faster than Philip would walk.

Philip had probably been walking for over a day greeting everyone and trying to find God’s next step for him.  Maybe he had healed a couple sick or crippled on the way.  He had obeyed instantly.  He had left his church and started walking.  Maybe he was planning to go to the river and then walk back to Caesarea.

Then the Spirit told Philip (29) to run over to that chariot.  This was not the angel talking that had sent him on this errand.  This was an inner voice.  He obeys that too.  He arrives at the chariot as the Ethiopian is reading out loud.  God’s timing is perfect with those who obey.  Philip had been ministering to the whole city of Sychar and now he is ministering to one.  He was faithful in all things.

This Ethiopian was noble in his humility.  He asks a dusty foot-traveler to join him in his elegantly covered wagon.  Philip began where the man was in his thinking and preached the good news about Jesus.  The Jews had never understood this Scripture because it described the Messiah as a suffering servant rather than a conquering king.  Jesus was the Lamb of God who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, not a white horse.

The Ethiopian experienced the joy of seeing God’s promise fulfilled and receiving forgiveness for his sins.  He knew the joy of Scripture coming alive.  He wanted to identify with God’s plan of salvation as revealed by Jesus.  He could not be baptized in the synagogue without circumcision.  But in Jesus he just had his heart circumcised and he wanted to be baptized.  He did not claim to be a Christian.  He did not agree to join Philip’s church.  In fact Philip does not go back to his church.  The Ethiopian had not finished his confirmation class.  He just saw all the pieces of God’s plan now fitting together in Jesus.  Everything now made sense and he wanted to be baptized.

Philip’s ministry had brought great joy to a city and now to one honest seeker.

After the baptism, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away.  It sounds like he went up the seacoast and preached from town to town until he reached Caesarea.  There he settled down and raised a family.  Godliness with contentment is great gain.  His 4 daughters were all preachers (21:9).  Saul was the one who chased him out of Jerusalem and then his home becomes a refuge for Paul.  I bet they had a lot to talk about when Paul stopped to visit.

“Stephens Story”

February 14, 2010

The congregation of new believers was multiplying.  Many were added to the church daily.  Since Ananias and Sapphira had died, the people were taking God very seriously.  The disciples were preaching Jesus and God was confirming the truth of their preaching with signs and wonders.  Everything was going well until some growth pains appeared.  Some leaders or family members noticed that there was not equity in the meals on wheels program.  Not all the widows were being treated equally.  Notice it is not the widows who are complaining.

Acts 6:1-7

The Jews who worshiped in the Greek-speaking synagogue murmured against the Hebrew speaking Jews.  The Greek translation of the OT, the Septuagint, had been translated in Alexandria, Egypt.  The Jews who knew Greek or wanted to learn Greek better would worship in the Synagogues where the Septuagint was read and everything was conducted in Greek.  At this time there were more Greek speaking Jews in Egypt than there were Hebrew speaking Jews in Jerusalem.  Egypt had more Jewish scholars.  The Jewish graduate school in Egypt was known around the world.  In verse 9 we see that opposition to Stephen began in a Greek-speaking synagogue.  It is interesting that Stephen quotes from the Greek Septuagint rather than the Hebrew text in his sermon.  If these widows spoke only Greek, they had been raised in Egypt and did not know their way around Jerusalem.  Maybe it was like our migrant workers here in Oregon.

The 12 apostles promptly called a congregational meeting.  They felt an inner motivation to preach and tell the story of Jesus.  They must have felt the responsibility to quote Jesus accurately and share the life He lived.  If they did not share all the words of Jesus, the story may never be complete.  Leading the church in prayer, remembering what Jesus said and preaching the gospel took all their time.  They set some priorities.

Problems give us the opportunity to examine our ministry and discover what changes must be made.

The word ‘ministry’ is the verb form of the word deacon.  Some consider this chapter as the beginning of deacons in the church.  But the office of a deacon is not mentioned.  It is the function of deaconing that is mentioned.  These 7 are not deacons, but they minister or do deaconing.  “The Son of Man came to ‘minister’ and give His life for many (Matt 20:26).  He did not come to hold the office of minister.  The word to deacon means to stir up the dust.  Just as the apostles were ministering/deaconing the word (4) the 7 were ministering/deaconing tables.  There is no hint of hierarchy here.  In 1 Tim 3 Paul describes the functions of a bishop and deacon with a focus on the character of the person not the status of the position.

The church was not setting up a program.  They were meeting needs.  Perfect harmony was restored.  Everyone is happy when my mom is being treated fairly.

The 7 appointees all have Greek names.  They were probably already recognized as leaders.  We will hear about Philip in chapter 8.  They worshiped in Greek synagogues and also met with Christians daily.

The apostles confirmed the choice of the congregation and in the traditional manner ordained these men for service.  As the word of God multiplies, so the ministry through the congregation multiplies.  The gospel is spreading among the Temple officiates.

Acts 6:8-15

Stephen was full of grace and power.  He had a spiritual charm and divine power that infuriated men who were refusing to see God’s work.  Stephen was able to see the implications of the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ.  He saw the radical changes that were coming for Jewish worship.  Opposition started in the Greek synagogue.  Maybe Stephen was a Sunday School teacher in this synagogue.  There may have been 4 different synagogues or one Greek synagogue where Greek speaking Jews from 4 different nations attended (9).

An intolerance and hatred was growing.  Stephen was disrupting their teaching and way of doing things.  God was making Himself known and hard hearts were getting harder.  But they could not argue against Stephen’s testimony.  They were not stumped by his knowledge, but his wisdom and spirit that were evident in his testimony was making them uncomfortable.  People cannot refute your testimony.  If you share it with grace and power, hearts will be convicted.

They brought 2 charges against Stephen.  He is accused of blaspheming God and Moses.  His words against the Temple were considered blasphemy against God.  His words against the Law were considered blasphemy against Moses.

The Sanhedrin could not keep their eyes off Stephen.  They saw his face shining like the face of an angel.  It is interesting that in Greek there are 2 words for crown.  One is diadem, a king’s crown and the other is stephanos, a victor’s crown.

My dentist was joking with me this week and said he was going to crown me.  A gold crown is not the kind I’m looking forward to.  When I have finished the race and stand before Jesus, I want to hear, “well done good and faithful servant.”  Stephen is about to receive the victor’s crown from a race well run.

Acts 7:1-8

I believe this is a very important sermon for us.  The methods and places that God uses to bless His people have always been changing.  Notice what changes and what does not change?  The people that stone Stephen are fundamentalists.  They are conservative.  The apostles are also fundamentalists and conservatives.  Who determines the meaning that our labels wear?  Maybe it was like our ‘emerging church’ discussions today.  Some focus on the letter of the law and others focus on the spirit of the law.  Stephen is reviewing the spirit of the law.  The scholar’s discussions were more often about the letter of the law.

This sermon reviews the history of God’s people.  We can just take a few snapshots as we try to understand Stephen’s main argument.  He does not deny the charges, but explains why the accusations made against him are a distortion of the big truth.  Stephen does not give a 4 point sermon to make us feel good.  He does not ask, ‘what does this mean to me?’  He just tells the story of God and trusts the Holy Spirit to convict hard hearts.

Addressing the audience in general Stephen begins, ‘Brethren’ and addressing the Sanhedrin he says, ‘Fathers’.  He is reviewing history in front of the experts.  He is putting the parts of history together differently than these men had ever done before.  He is talking about change to these men who were not into change.  He sees change throughout the history of the Jews, but the Jews only saw justification for their tradition.  He opens with the God of glory and closes with (55) seeing the glory of God.

Abraham did a lot of changing.  He was in a place that was not God’s first choice.  The Sadducees were in a way like Abraham.  They had settled in their Haran, short of God’s best.  God’s presence is not limited to one of Abraham’s tenting places.  The tabernacle was a tent.  Worship was not limited to a specific site.  The people of God were to worship God, not the tent site or camp site(8).

Stephen implies that their Scriptures taught a coming change.  For centuries they had no temple, ritual, or home they could call their own and still God was pleased with their worship.  If true worship existed before this Jerusalem temple and before this city then maybe worship can still exist when these are destroyed.

Acts 7:9-16

God brought Joseph through change.  Joseph’s brothers rejected him, yet later he became their deliverer.  They recognized Joseph during their second visit.

Acts 7:17-36

Both Joseph and Moses were rejected as deliverers the first time, but were accepted the second time.  Israel rejected Moses when he first tried to take his ministry in his own hands, but 40 years later when he came back they accepted him.  To the Egyptian, a shepherd was the lowest of the low.  But the Lord called Moses to ministry while he was a humble shepherd.  Joseph and Moses illustrate how Israel treated Jesus.  When He comes again, they will recognize Him (Zech 12:10; Rev 1:7).

Acts 7:37-53

Stephen quotes some Scriptures that these men understood.  There seems to be a pilgrim focus.  The Sadducees had become settlers.  God’s people are pilgrims.  God keeps His promises.

Jesus is the prophet that Moses had predicted.  Stephen is suggesting that these leaders were blaspheming Moses by rejecting Jesus, the Living Word of God.

Our forefathers (44) had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them, but replaced it with the tent of Moloch.  God was in their presence and they rejected Him for other gods.  Your body is not the tent of God’s presence.

David found favor (46) before God because he was quick to repent.  Remember the story of Nabal and Abigail?  David and his 600 men had been protecting Nabal’s flocks and David expected to receive some compensation.  Nabal was very rich, but he was a fool.  He is one of the idiots of the Bible.  Abigail was a woman of faith who put her life on the line for her idiot husband.  She saw David as the coming king.  David got furious with Nabal’s refusal, but admits that he is wrong and Abigail is right.  Because he stopped and repented, he found favor with God.

God had never asked for a Temple.  The tabernacle was more suitable for a pilgrim people than a fixed structure in one locality.  God had given them instructions for the Tabernacle, but not the Temple.  God cannot be limited to any particular site.  Jesus was the Pioneer of our Faith and we are to have a pioneer mentality.  All things are become new.

ILLUSTRATE: The Settler’s mentality vs. the Pioneer spirit as told in Brennan Manning’s book The Lion and Lamb.

Settlers see life as a possession to be guarded.  They have built some buildings and made some laws.  They have an answer for most questions and have a great definition of God.  The church is like the settlers’ courthouse, in the center of town life.  This is the place where records are kept; they collect taxes, hold trials for law breakers.  The courthouse symbolizes law, order, stability, and security.  Every Sunday there is an ice cream party in the Courthouse.

God = the mayor, the man upstairs that sees everything, but no one sees him.  The mayor is predictable, always on schedule, makes sure there is peace and quiet.

Jesus = the sheriff who checks on the pioneers who ride into town.  He is sent by the mayor to enforce the rules.  He wears the white hat and can outdraw the bad guys.

Holy Spirit = the saloon girl.  Her job is to comfort the settlers.  When life gets dull, dangerous, or lonely, settlers come to her and she tickles them under the chin.  She squeals to the sheriff when someone starts disturbing the peace.

Pastor = the banker keeps the valuables of the town.  He and the sheriff have a lot in common because they both have to protect the bank.

Faith = believing the mayor is in the courthouse, obeying the laws, trusting in the sheriff.

Sin = breaking a town ordinance

Salvation = living close to home and hanging around the courthouse.

Pioneers see life as a wild exciting gift.  The church is like the covered wagon always on the move.  This is where pioneers eat, sleep, fight, love, die.  The wagon is scarred from battle, held together with baling wire, not built for comfort.  It moves toward the future and does not glorify its ruts.  The pioneer feels sorry for the settler.  He finds fulfillment of life on the trail.

God = the trail boss.  He is rough, rugged, full of life, lives, eats, sleeps, and fights with His people.  Their well being is his concern.  He’ll get down in the mud to help push a stuck wagon.  He prods the pioneers when they get soft and want to turn back.

Jesus = the scout.  He rides ahead to find the way.  He lives all the dangers of the trail.  He’s attacked by Indians, suffers hardship.  He reveals the true intentions of the trail boss.  He is the example pioneer.

Holy Spirit = the buffalo hunter.  He furnishes the fresh meat.  He is a strange character.  You never know what he will do next.  He has a big black gun that goes off like a cannon.  He seems to enjoy riding in town and shaking up the settlers, often during their ice cream party.

Pastor = cook.  He dishes up what the buffalo hunter provides.  He sees himself as just another pioneer who has learned to cook.

Faith = obedience to the trail boss, the readiness to move, to risk everything on the trail.

Sin = wanting to turn back

Salvation = trusting the trail boss, following the scout, while living on the meat provided by the buffalo hunter.

Stephen has shown the temporary nature of Jewish traditions reflected in Jewish history.  Now he will remind them that the Jews had always been unfaithful to their trust.  Jews received the law (53) but have not kept it.  Jews have proved themselves unworthy of the greatest honor ever offered to a people.  The Sanhedrin understood perfectly, but did not think about repenting.

Acts 7:54-60

These old men act like children, plugging their ears and yelling.  Contrast this with Stephen.  These men join the ranks of idiots in the Bible.

Stephen dies while seeing Jesus.  There’s a lesson here.  Don’t look down on people and condemn them.  Look up to Jesus and when you see Him you will be like him and forgive the idiots around you.

Stephen fell asleep.  Jesus said Lazarus was sleeping.  Jesus describes the mystery of death as sleeping.  While the world sees nothing beyond death, Jesus sees continued life, rest, and waking.  The pagans called the graveyard a burying-place, a hiding-place, a monumentum (memorial of something gone), a columarium (dove-cot, pigeon-hole).  The Christians see death as sleep and used the word cemetery, the place to lie down to sleep.  Some have literally called it the chamber of rest.

The results of Stephen’s death were:

1. The Sanhedrin condemned themselves by stoning one without getting Roman approval.

2. The church was scattered.  They saw reality and life more clearly in Stephen’s death.

3. The salvation for Saul/Paul began at this event.  Stephen was his Christian teacher.

4. Stephen received the victor’s crown.

We will probably not have to die physically for Jesus, but we are called to live our lives as a living sacrifice.  Living sacrifices can squirm off the altar.  I must daily choose to live radically for Jesus.  We probably won’t die from a barrage of stones, but can we handle one stone?

Learn from Stephen.  Tell God’s story of Jesus in your life.  When the stones start flying look up to Jesus and pray.

“Don’t play games with God!”

January 31, 2010

The apostles’ story continues in Acts 5.  The first deceit in the church was attempted by Ananias and Sapphira.  Peter states the seriousness of trying to fool God then gets arrested and preaches his 5th sermon, “We must obey God rather than men.”  Gamaliel, a highly respected Pharisee, prevents another crucifixion by trying to be reasonable without making a decision about Jesus.  And the apostles keep preaching.

Chapter 4 ended with Barnabas selling some property and bringing the proceeds to the apostles for distribution.  The Christians were sharing and taking care of one another.  God was doing a new thing among His people and Satan was ticked.  He had tried to destroy the Messiah by using the jealousy of the Jewish leaders, but God overruled.  He tried persecuting the apostles by using the jealousy of the Jewish leaders, but the apostles just kept declaring the resurrection of Jesus.  The Christians were the talk of the town.  Solomon’s porch was the ‘in place’ to be seen.

Maybe Ananias and Sapphira were Real Estate agents looking for more contacts.  Maybe they had friends attending.  With ulterior motives they joined the Christians for worship.  They met in Solomon’s porch, which was a beautiful area of the Temple and everyone who was somebody used this gate to the Temple.  This was a good place to be seen and this was a popular group to be part of.  Miracles were happening.  These Christians made you feel like family.

Now Satan is going to use Christians in the group to quench the Spirit and kill God’s work.  He uses the man whose name means ‘God is gracious’ and his wife’s name means ‘beautiful’.  They were the perfect couple.  They can really help the church.  “They will make good Christians.”  But satan fills the heart of gracious and beautiful people.  The Holy Spirit fills the heart of Christians.

Acts 5:1-11

Some feel that God was too harsh.  But throughout history God has reminded us that He takes sin very seriously.  At the very beginning of creation satan tried to destroy God’s work and tempted Eve.  At the very beginning of the nation Israel, soon after the Law was given to Moses, Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron presumed on God and were struck dead with fire.  At the begging of their settlement in Canaan, Achan took what belonged to the Lord and he and his family were stoned.  At the beginning of the reign of David, the priest was taking the Ark back to Jerusalem on a cart rather than poles and he was struck dead by God.  At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry satan came to tempt and deceive.

So here at the beginning of the church, satan tempts some new Christians that are weakened by the desire for status and popularity.  They wanted to look as spiritual as Barnabas.  Pseudo spirituality does not please God.  Hypocrisy was satan’s attempt to attack the church.

Everyone is tempted.  Satan still wants to destroy you.  You are God’s best work.  Since the resurrection of Jesus, satan has no power unless you believe his lies.  If you resist the devil he will flee from you.  We sin by our own choice to yield to temptation, to believe satan’s lies.

You don’t have to teach a child how to be selfish.  You don’t have to teach a child how to lie.  You don’t have to teach kids how to be homosexual, lesbian, or how to have sex before marriage.  Satan knows how to use our selfish desires and people to tempt us to sin.  But God takes sin seriously.  God has given us an owner’s manual.  There are some do’s and don’ts that are clearly stated that are for our good.  Sin is not bad for you because it is forbidden.  It is forbidden because it is bad for you.  When we don’t follow the owner’s manual, our beautiful truck starts falling apart.  If we don’t change the oil, clean the windshield, and keep air in the tires, our truck will be destroyed.

Ananias and Sapphira were pretending to be devoted to God.  Satan fills their hearts to conspire and deceive.  They lie.  They die.  This was not a case of church discipline.  Peter did not call a church meeting, but God dealt directly with sinners.  Peter simply said “You have not lied to men, but to God.”

5:11 Great fear seized the whole church.  The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.  I’m glad that this was a lesson for the church and for us.  If God’s grace was not greater than all our sin, we would all be dead.  God does not want you to lie, because honesty is healthier.  God does not want you to sin, but He offers grace to the repentant.  This story is a lesson and an opportunity for you to repent and thank God for His grace.

5:12-16

Just as Jesus had promised, the apostles were doing many signs and wonders.  This is the only miracle of judgment that occurs through the apostles.  Once Jesus judged a tree for having leaves but no fruit.  All other miracles are demonstrations of God’s grace.

Solomon’s porch was now the regular meeting place.  No other place was big enough.

The community was no longer attending the church meetings as a social networking site.  Those who were not serious about following the Jesus Way kept away from the church.  It was no longer a safe place to hangout.  McDonalds and Starbucks lost interest in putting a franchise in Solomon’s porch.  God was in that area.

People had a very high respect for the church.  When we are filled with awe because God is present, then the little pretenses and games we play with one another are gone.

It was a popular belief that your shadow was part of you.  In Jewish law you were not suppose to let even your shadow touch a corpse.  Unbelievers had a great respect for Christians.  They saw God working miracles, but did not want to bring their sick friends to church and get zapped by God.  So they figured out the apostle’s routines and laid the sick by the side of the road where Peter’s shadow would pass.  They were all healed.

Jesus had said the apostles would do signs and wonders to confirm the word.  That is happening.

5:17-26

The apostles were arrested again.  Not primarily because of their teaching, but because of their popularity.  The Sadducees were jealous.  Everyone was asking them about the apostles.  They felt they had to do something.

The Sadducees put the apostles in prison but…  These arrogant leaders who denied the existence of angels are now the men helping God demonstrate that He uses angels to protect His people.  Silently and unnoticed the angel of the Lord opened the doors and gave the apostles a command.  He did not tell the apostles to run and hide.  He did not tell them to back off and play it safe.  He did not tell them to be a silent witness.  The angel said I’ve set up an appointment for you to go on the Good Morning America show and the Jay Leno Show to tell the world the full message of this new life.

They were not to flee or fight.  They were told by the angel to preach Jesus in the corporate headquarters of the men who were threatening to kill them.  These same men had killed Jesus.  This is the same place where Jesus had taught.  So early in the morning they go to the temple courts and began to teach about this new life in Christ.

Though their release demonstrated an unusual power, the priests ignored it and the apostles did not use any of their power against the priests.  Remember the miracles were only to confirm the word.

Probably a couple hours later, the CEO and his board members came to the Temple through their special private entrance.  The first thing on the schedule was the heretics that they put in prison last night.  The captain of the temple went to get the apostles but they were gone.  He came back and reported a supernatural prison escape.  The men had just disappeared.  There was no sign of forced entry.  The doors were still locked.  The guards still had the keys.  The men just disappeared.  The highest religious powers of Israel were gathered to judge prisoners they did not have.

One of the guards had apparently gone out to the temple area to see if anyone had seen the apostles and there they were teaching just like they have been doing the last few weeks.

5:27-42

Two times in 5:28 the high priest uses the pronoun to avoid pronouncing the name ‘Jesus’.  He reminds the apostles that he had commanded them not to mention ‘this man’.  I told you to stop doing this.  And you are trying to bring division by accusing us of killing ‘this man’.

5:29-32  With boldness Peter repeats his previous sermon.  Kind of like the pastor in Brazil who preached the exact same sermon 3 Sundays in a row and the elders called a special meeting to admonish him.  He replied, “When you start living what I’m preaching in this sermon, I’ll move on to another one.”

The apostles say, “We must obey God rather than men.”  The Sadducees are commanding things contrary to God.  God is a higher authority than the great and powerful high priest seated here today.  Peter clearly says ‘this man’ you are referring to is the resurrected Jesus.  Again Peter says, “You killed Him” but he adds that God has provided repentance and forgiveness through His sacrifice.  Peter is reminding these leaders that they made a big mistake.  They sinned against God, but if they will repent they can receive forgiveness and salvation.

Think about verse 29.  Do you remember the Beatitudes?  “You have heard that it was said, do not murder, but I tell you.”  You have heard that it was said, do not commit adultery, but I tell you.”  At least 6 times in Matthew 5 Jesus says that His teaching is different from what the world commonly says.

“We ought to obey God rather than men.”  What is the world telling us?  Don’t spank your kids.  Don’t be homophobic.   Don’t be like Tim Tebow and publically thank your mom that she did not abort you.  Don’t be so fundamental about pre-marital sex.  Don’t get up tight about God’s gift of mind altering drugs.  Don’t get too concerned about buying things that ruin our planet or keep other people in bondage.

God says we are to walk justly.  His promise in Proverbs 20:7 says “The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him.”  Are you concerned about your kids and grand kids?  Then live a holy life and they will be blessed.

What does the world say is good for you?  What does your owners manual say is good for you?  Have you had a check up?  Have you checked your oil and brakes?  Do you have some squeaks?

When we do what the world says, there will be death.  When we walk the Jesus way, there is abundant life now and also life to come.

How do we obey God rather than men?  “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee.”  Be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

What happens when you obey God rather than men?  You will know real freedom.  Freedom has been compared to playing the piano.  When do you have freedom to play the piano?  I would like to invite you to come up and we all give you freedom to play any of Bach’s music you want to play.  You are free to play any classical piece you want to play.  But your freedom is hindered because you don’t know the rules or math of music nor have you practiced for 10,000 hours.

As Christians we are free.  When we know the rules of God and obey the rules.  Real freedom comes when we put His yoke on our shoulder.  His yoke is easy.  There is no better place to be than on the road that leads to heaven.  Our world is not on that road.

5:33 When they heard the gospel, the good news, they were furious.  Remember the Sadducees were wealthy, concerned about preserving their prestige and power with the Romans.  The Pharisees had no political ambitions.  They conscientiously tried to keep the letter of the Law.  They were respected by the common people.  Gamaliel was honored with the title Rabban.  He was known as a kind man and loved by the people.  He was Paul the apostle’s teacher.

Opinion is divided on the wisdom of Gamaliel’s counsel to the Sanhedrin.   He does not mention any Scriptures.  He refers to history.  Is he trying to avoid a theological debate?  Is he not sure about Jesus himself?  The Pharisees believed in the sovereignty of God and the free choice of man.  They said everything is decreed by God except the fear of God.  So Gamaliel’s point is that the Sadducees should be careful so their free will does not go against the will of God.

Gamaliel was trying to be neutral about Jesus, but Jesus said you are either for Him or against Him.  Gamaliel was trying to avoid making a decision about the truth and counseling them to do the same.  He tells them to leave these men alone.  If it is not of God they will self-destruct.  If it is of God you can’t stop them.

5:41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin rejoicing that God has counted them worthy to suffer for Jesus, and they continued teaching and proclaiming the good news.

If Peter was miraculously sent here to Liberal what would he preach here today?  What would he teach?  What would he say about Obama?  In Chapter 10 Peter tells his first Gentile congregation to “Fear God and do good.”  Take time to develop a relationship with God.  To know Him is to love Him.  Jesus calls Him our Father.  Do you give Him respect?  Do you obey?

Acts 4

The movie “Rocky” is based on a true story of a big comeback.  In the scripture we see Peter making a big comeback.  Just 2 months earlier he had denied Christ and huddled with friends in a locked room.  Jesus had warned Peter that Satan would sift him as wheat (Lk 22:31).  Satan had knocked Peter down a few times.

The inspiration for the Rocky movies was Chuck Wepner, nicknamed “The Bayonne Bleeder.”  He debuted as a professional boxer in 1964 and began posting many wins and some losses.  He had formerly boxed while a member of the United States Marine Corps, and had worked as a security guard before turning pro.  He was the New Jersey State Heavyweight Boxing Champion and popular fighter in the Northeast’s Club Boxing circuit.  But after being knocked out by George Foreman in three and Sonny Liston in ten, many boxing fans thought that his days as a contender were numbered.  After the fight with Liston, Wepner needed over 120 stitches in his face. He also lost a fight to Jose King Roman by a decision in Puerto Rico.

However, after losing to Joe Bugner in England by a knockout in three rounds, Wepner won nine of his next eleven fights, including victories over Charlie Polite and former WBA Heavyweight champion Ernie Terrell.

Then, in 1975, it was announced Wepner would challenge Muhammad Ali for the world’s Heavyweight title.  According to a Time magazine article, Ali was guaranteed $1.5 million and Wepner signed for $100,000.  This was considerably more than Wepner had ever earned and he therefore did not need any coaxing.  Ali bragged, “I’m getting paid $1.5 million to fight this pug, and it’s fool’s gold.  I’ll knock him out in the 3^rd round.”

In the ninth round, Wepner landed a punch to Ali’s chest and Ali was knocked down.  Wepner went to his corner and said to his manager, “Hey, I knocked him down.”  ”Yeah,” Wepner’s manager replied, “but he looks really mad now…”

In the remaining rounds, Ali opened up cuts above both Wepner’s eyes and broke his nose. However, the far-behind-in-points Wepner made a dramatic comeback but lost in the final minutes.

Young actor Sylvester Stallone watched the fight at home on television and was inspired to write the script for Rocky, based on Wepner’s gutsy challenge.

The apostle Peter also made a comeback after several knockdowns.  Like us, he was engaged in a spiritual battle.  It is a battle we can never win on our own.  Our conflict is not against flesh and blood, but spiritual realities (Eph 6:12).  When we become Christians we step in the ring for Jesus.  When we pray, we step in the ring for Jesus.  In our routines Peter tells us to be self controlled and alert because Satan is prowling about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8).

Satan’s plan is to knock you down and destroy you morally, mentally, and physically.  He wants to hurt you so badly that you will never be a threat to his plans.  He wants you to quit the battle.

In Acts 4 notice the attitudes of the disciples as they overcome evil with good.

4:1-4

The Sanhedrin rulers are not happy with Peter and John.  This is the very same group that condemned Jesus and sent Him to Pilate for crucifixion.  Pete and John are not expecting justice.  They are expecting to die.

The captain of the guard was a high officer next in authority to the high priest and his responsibility was to keep peace and order in the Temple area.  5,000 men believed the gospel message so there was a large crowd gathered.  Some translations include the 3,000 in the 5,000; however the text indicates these 5,000 are an addition to the original number.  To put that in perspective, estimates of Jerusalem’s population at this time vary from 25,000 to 85,000.  And Josephus says there were only 6,000 Pharisees in Palestine at this time.  The Pharisees were students of the scribes.  Peter’s teaching of the resurrection was not a threat to the Pharisees, but the large crowd was making the authorities nervous.

Most of the Sanhedrin were Sadducees.  The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the body.  They denied the existence of angels or spirits.  They were loyal to the Roman government.  They wanted to maintain their influence.  They associated only with the rich.  They were uncomfortable with miracles.  Their Scripture was the 5 books of Moses.  The Sadducees were not mentioned in John.  They were not threatened by Jesus’ teachings but His resurrection.  The Sadducees and Sanhedrin were in charge of protecting the Jewish faith.

“They were greatly disturbed!”  (4:2a)

4:5-12

Annas was Caiaphas’ father-in-law.  He had been high priest from A.D. 6 to 15 and was replaced by one of his sons.  Caiaphas was priest from A.D. 18 to 36 and he was replaced by another son of Annas.  John and Alexander were 2 of his 4 sons.

“By what power or name did you walk in here and preach?”  Everyone knew there was no higher authority than the high priest.  The disciples are being asked to confess their wrong and admit it. (7)

“Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit…”  Peter is bold, respectful, and heart-filled.  The old Peter would have gotten angry and argued from his own strength.  He had argued with Jesus.  He rebuked Jesus.  But when we let Jesus lead there is no need to argue.  We can be patient, kind, gentle and self-controlled.

The Sanhedrin did not mention the man healed.  They did not mention the resurrection or Jesus.  But Peter respectfully reminds them of what is going on.

4:10 Jesus is resurrected, seated with God in heaven, and sent His Spirit to heal this man.  The resurrection is God’s confirmation of Jesus the Messiah.

4:11 Jesus is the stone ‘you’ builders rejected.  Psalm 118:22 says “the stone the builders rejected” but Peter identifies this council as the builders.  They have rejected God’s stone.  They knew the OT used a ‘rock’ as a symbol of God.  Daniel indentified the Messiah as a rock.  They rejected the stone and God put it in place permanently.  Jesus quoted this same Psalm in Matt 21:42-44, probably before this same group of men.

Peter goes on to explain that God has made Him a capstone.  Later in a letter Peter calls Jesus a precious cornerstone (1 Pet 2:4) that brings unity to Jew and Gentile.  Peter is allowing the members of the Sanhedrin to see the facts and confess their sin.

4:12 Jesus is the only Savior.  Salvation is to be found through Jesus alone.  This man has been made whole and complete (been saved) because of Jesus.  God is fulfilling Scripture before you today.  Isn’t this exciting?

4:13-17

The Sanhedrin was used to arguments, but Peter does not argue.  They were used to discussing the fine points of the law.  But Peter just states the big plan of God.  When we listen to the Spirit of Jesus we have courage and conviction.  When we respect others and treat them kindly, they are astonished.

Following Jesus and respecting people is a great way to defeat Satan.

Jewish law forbade punishing an unschooled or common person for a first offense, assuming he acted in ignorance.  Instead he was instructed and then punished if a second offense occurred.  This policy was followed here.  Peter and John were warned and threatened.  In 5:40 they are arrested a second time.

4:14 The healed man was standing there.  Everyone knew this man.  Their witness to what the Lord had done could not be refuted.  They could not explain his healing.  There was no precedent.  They believed no one crippled from birth could be healed.  None of the 70 scholars responded.  In the silence they ordered Peter and John out so they could confer with one another.

4;16-17 These leaders pool their ignorance and decide to threaten Peter and John.  They did not discuss the gospel that Peter preached.  They ignored Peter’s explanation and tried to cover the facts. They did not seek the truth but how to avoid the truth.  Miracles never convince anyone of truth.  Belief is a choice.

God uses the ignorant to confound the wise.  God uses the weak to confound the strong.  These big fishermen have been with Jesus 40 days after the resurrection.  Moses was on the Mount 40 days and people noticed.  How do people know we have been with Jesus?   Does our life show it?  Does our face glow?

4:18-22

Peter and John were respectful.  Maybe they were thinking of the Egyptian midwives who disobeyed the king.  Maybe they were thinking Moses’ mom and dad who disobeyed the king.  Maybe Daniel who disobeyed the king.  Whatever they were thinking, they believed in God’s sovereignty and His plan.  They had no more plans to preach in the Temple unless God told them to.  They were respectfully saying, “If God is speaking through you and telling us to stop, we’ll stop.”

4:23-31

The disciples did not go out the door and start preaching.  What we call the great commission was not their motivation for doing good.  Their motivation was internal, not external.  (see the story of Cornelius in chapter 10)  They were praising the Lord because they were not scheduled for crucifixion.  They went back and reported to the church what had happened.  The church prayed and things got shook up a little.

Too often I have gone to prayer meetings like I go to concerts, or plays, or other events.  There is little sense of urgency in prayer because my life is so comfortable.  But when I am out of my comfort zone or when I realize I can’t control the situations in my life, then there is more urgency in prayer and blessing for the church.

They do not ask for protection.  They do not ask God to destroy their enemies.  They quote Scripture.  They see the plan of God.  They submit to God’s sovereignty.  They ask for boldness and power to glorify Jesus and do God’s will.  They do not tell God what to do.  They do not name it and claim it.

They admit that God already knows what He is going to do and they want to be part of that plan.  They did not form a committee to plan an evangelism program.  The church does not need more slick methods.

There is only 1 Pentecost, but many fillings of the Spirit.

4:32-37

The filling of the Spirit created a unity among the people and a greater desire to sacrifice and share with one another.  They enjoyed great power and great grace, which are marks of a growing church.  One example of that was Barnabas.

If we want to defeat Satan and evil in our neighborhood, we need to pray.  We need fresh fillings of the Spirit.  We need to love the Lord with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves.  Jesus’ only weapon was love.  Take up the sword of the Spirit.  God is gong before you.

Acts 3

While you were getting ready for church this morning, did you get interrupted?  Or if you are like me, you probably interrupted yourself.  This chapter begins with Peter and John heading to a regular prayer meeting and someone is going to make them a little late.

Acts 3:1-10

The Jews had regular prayer times after sunrise, at 3 pm and before sunset.  Peter and John are planning to attend the afternoon prayer time.  Jesus had not commanded them to quit attending because the leaders were corrupt and the sacrifices are no longer necessary.  There was no sudden break with their former routines of worship.  Judaism was not to be overthrown, but gradually transformed by the Spirit of Christ in the lives of believers.

3:2  They come to worship through the Beautiful gate.  If you’ve seen pictures of Jerusalem, you’ve seen the Eastern gate walled up to prevent the Messiah from returning.  Inside that gate was Solomon’s porch with columns over 80 feet high.  As you continue west you are in the court of the Gentiles.  You come to this beautiful gate that leads into the Court of Women.  On the steps up to this gate we are told about one cripple.  There were probably many beggars at this entrance.  This was a popular tourist site.  The columns of this gate were plated in brass.  They were topped with elaborate Corinthian capitals.  It was very impressive and if you wanted to be seen by others, you would come to worship through this gate.

It was a busy intersection of many people.  Because the crippled were considered unclean, they were not allowed inside the Temple to join in prayer.  Giving alms to the poor was a required Jewish practice.  Those coming to worship should be more sensitive to the poor.  If you gave to invalids at this gate you would be seen by many and get a tax credit or popularity credit, or reputation credit.

This man has been crippled from birth.  He was so crippled that he could not hobble along by himself.  He had been dependent on family and friends all his life.  Chapter 4 tells us he was 40 years old.  He knew the best place to get alms and he knew the best time of day to be there.  And God was going to make his day.

3:3  What did the cripple want?  What did he need?  He thought he needed the world’s systems and solutions.  The world offers solutions.  The world had labeled him a helpless dependent beggar.  He had been on welfare all his life.  He has no expectations that his life will ever change.  He assumes the solution is more money.

Think about the application.  When you sin, you become a cripple.  You assume there should be help at church so you go lay on the steps or bang on the windows at the parsonage and ask for money.  You’ve been attending church all your life and you have not been healed.  The real solution to your problem is not the world’s systems or the church’s systems.  Jesus died and rose again that you might be forgiven and be whole. There is hope in Jesus

3:4-5  Was this beggar avoiding eye contact?  Did he see the disciples as rich?  Did the disciples see him as poor?  Were Peter and John different from other worshippers coming to pray?  Were they wondering why they had forgotten to bring alms for the poor?  All their spare cash was in the new Community Christian Credit Union.

Peter and John were sensitive to the Holy Spirit.  They were beginning to realize that every event in their lives was a God event.  Did they wonder why God had directed them to a man who needed money?  Did they remember how Jesus had healed many lame?

3:6  The temptation is to give people what they are asking for.  Peter and John could have gone back and got some funds for this man.  Peter was broke, but had a joy and relationship that he had to share.

The story of Thomas Aquinas is often told and I did not check the original source, but apparently one time when Thomas went to visit Pope Innocent II, he found the Pope counting a large sum of money.  Some say the Pope took him on a tour of all the gifts and treasures that the Vatican had received.  At some point the Pope stopped and said, “Ah Thomas, the church can no longer say, ‘silver and gold have I none.’”  “That is true” replied Thomas, “but then, neither can it now say, ‘Arise and walk.’”

Peter commands the man to get up and walk.  (Shamans and witch doctors would use potions, prayers or incantations to try to heal the sick.  They never commanded the sick person to be healed.)  He had never walked.  He could not even crawl.  There must have been something in Peter’s gaze that kindled faith in the man’s heart.  While he was trying to figure out how to use his legs to get up and walk…

3:7-8  Peter took him by the right hand and helped him up just like Jesus had done to Peter’s mother-in-law.  Something started happening to the man’s body.  His burden of deformity was lifted.  He felt light as a feather.  He legs held him up.  He felt the exhilaration of keeping his balance on his feet.  He started walking.  He walked with Peter and John into the Court of the Women where he had never been before.  Maybe he did not know how to act.  Were you supposed to bow your head?  Were you supposed to kneel?  Were you supposed to sing praise choruses or hymns?  He was jumping and dancing in church during the time of prayer!  He was acting like a child.  It is beautiful to see spontaneous praise.

There is no record of Peter and John praying for this lame man at all.

3:9-11  This man was well known.  A miracle has happened.  He had not been anointed with oil.  He had not asked anyone to pray for him.  But he is praising God.  He is experiencing the real presence of God.

When the Spirit of God is present there is a sense a wonder and amazement just as 2:43 said.

3:12-16

3:12-13  Peter disclaims any credit for the miracle.  Jesus said, “Let men see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”  We belong to Jesus and God is glorifying Jesus through us.  Jesus is the suffering servant of God that Isaiah talked about.  This Jesus whom you handed over to Pilate is the one responsible for this healing.  Pilate recognized His innocence, but you did not see.

3:14-15  Peter is helping them see their guilt in an unthinkable crime.  It had been a case of mob hysteria causing mistaken identity.  They had demanded the release of a murderer and put to death the Holy and Righteous One.  Peter uses several different names and titles for Jesus.  This was no ordinary man they handed over to Pilate.  He was God’s gift to mankind.

You killed the Author of life, but God raised Him and took Him back to heaven.  The enthroned Christ has sent His Holy Spirit.  The healed beggar is proof that Jesus is alive, seated on the right hand of the Father, and Lord of All.  Peter does not curse them for killing Jesus, but offers them hope.  He is telling them what happened and reminding them that God is in it.

3:16  The name of Jesus has no magic, but faith in his name brought healing to this man as you can see.  The Spirit of Jesus has healed this man.

3:17-18  Peter spoke plainly with gentleness and hope.  You and your leaders did not know what you were doing.  In fact God fulfilled many prophecies with your sin.  You meant it for evil, but God used it for good.  You shed the blood of the Messiah and God now offers that blood for your forgiveness and cleansing.  Jesus suffered and became a sacrifice for you just like the prophets had foretold.

Peter’s preaching stated the facts:  Jesus is a historical person.  Jesus was crucified.  Jesus was raised from the dead by God and “we’ve seen Him.”  This is in harmony with OT prophecy.  Jesus was made Christ and Lord of All.  Mankind’s response is repentance and choosing to believe.

3:19-26

Now what are you going to do about it?

3:19 There are 2 things to do:  Repent and be converted.  Repent means to change your mind.  Converted or turn to God means to change your life style.  Don’t turn your back on God.  Look closely at this verse.  Repent so that your sins may be wiped out.  Change your life style so that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.  Turn from your sins and turn to God.  When you are doing your own thing with your backside towards God, He can’t forgive you or bless you.

Repentance is more than saying you’re sorry.  Repentance is being sorry enough to quit.

3:20 This verse is clarifying our times of refreshing.  Times are really refreshing when we live a righteous life style and God sends the Spirit of Jesus to cleanse us and fill us.  God is also sending Jesus again just before we go to heaven.

3:21 The return of Jesus will not happen right away.

3:22-24 While we wait, we must listen to everything the Spirit of Jesus tells us.  If you don’t listen, you won’t make it to heaven.  Moses, Samuel, and other prophets were predicting this day.

3:25-26 As Jews we have a special blessing and responsibility because these truths had been revealed to us first so that through us all the peoples on earth will be blessed.  If you, your family, your church, your nation want to continue to be blessed by God, turn from your wicked ways.

The requirements of God are the same for all mankind, repent and believe.  We are witnesses of these things.  Turn to God.

The Temple was to be the House of God, the home of God’s presence.  But a cripple had come to the doorstep for years and had not changed.  2 men filled with the Spirit of Jesus brought God’s presence to the doorstep and into the Temple.

Hudson Taylor’s life motto was “Attempt great things for God; expect great things from God.”  He also said “Many Christians estimate difficulties in the light of their own resources, and thus attempt little and often fail in the little they attempt.  All God’s giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on His power and presence with them.”

Is God great?  Is God faithful?  Has God changed?  Are we insulting God when we come before Him without a sense of expectancy or wonder?  Do I really live like God’s child could live?  Am I expecting anything to happen?

Repent and turn to God.

Acts 2

Jesus had warned his disciples that He was going to be crucified and return to His Father.  But He promised to send His Spirit as a comforter to them and to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.  The Holy Spirit would also teach them and bring to their mind everything Jesus had told them.

Before His final ascension, Jesus commanded them to wait for the Gift the Father would send to them when He was seated on His throne.

How many of us like to wait?  Why is it hard to wait?  Some things we have to wait for.  God has set the time for seeds to grow.  Some things we grab prematurely.  It may look like it’s ready to pick, but it will turn your stomach sour.  Some things we can speed up a little, but every throttle needs to be used the way it was designed.

Satan’s major temptations have to do with instant satisfaction.  He says you can have it now.  That’s a lie.

Jesus told them to wait.  We no longer have to wait for the Holy Spirit.  That Gift is now available to everybody.

2:1-13

2:1 The Day of Pentecost was one of 3 major feasts.  It means 50^th in the Greek.  The Jews called it the Feast of Weeks or Feast of Harvest.  It has been 7 weeks plus one day since the Passover Feast.  The Holy Spirit was given on a Sunday.  It was also called the Feast of the joy of the Law because some believed it was the 50^th day after the Exodus that the Law was given to Moses.

At the same time the lambs were being slain for Passover, Christ was crucified on the cross.  Now while the Jews are celebrating the giving of the Law to Moses, the Holy Spirit is given to the disciples.  God wrote the first Law on stone.  Now He writes it on our heart.

Lev 23:15 gives the instructions for the feast of weeks.  From the first sheaves of the grain harvest you make 2 bread loaves with yeast as part of your wave offering to the Lord.  Leaven in the OT sacrifice was to remind them of their sin just as the Spirit would convict them of their sin.

2:2 They were in a house (It could mean the temple) sitting, waiting, expecting, worshiping.  Then a sound came.  I sounded like a major wind storm, but there was no dust blowing, no breath of movement, just a violent noise that was filling all the rooms in the house.  Why didn’t they say it sounded like a train, a low flying jet, a helicopter, or thunder?  Spirit and wind are the same word.

The Holy Spirit came like the sound of a wind.  Wind is unpredictable.  We do not schedule its coming, its direction, its destination, its force, or its duration.  It was too noisy to carry on a conversation.

2:3 In the stillness of the violent noise they see something.  Were they holding hands?  It looked like a brush fire moving rapidly in a dry wind.  (They were not to be God’s chosen frozen.)  They saw this light come quickly, separate itself, and rest on each one of them.  The air was still, but the noise continued and each one had a light.

2:4 The Holy Spirit was not in the noise and light, but came as a still small voice to their hearts.  The Spirit of God entered the hearts of man and they were enabled to speak the languages of all the nations represented at this feast.  They could share the light.  The tongue is declaring the praises of God.  They have become witnesses just as Jesus had promised.  Man speaks what the Spirit inspires.  Has the noise faded?  Are all the halos gone?

2:7  Some were amazed.

2:9 The list of nations mentioned are from the far reaches of the Roman Empire.

2:12  Others were perplexed and some mocked.  They did not think about the tower of Babel.  Is this the reversal of the judgment when God confused man’s language (Gen 11:1-9)?  The curse at Babel scattered people, but Pentecost offers a unity of believers in the Spirit.  At Babel the people could not understand each other; but at Pentecost all men heard God’s praises and understood what was said.  Babel was an event caused by man’s arrogance and pride.  Pentecost followed man’s obedience and humble community.

2:14 There are 2 reasons why these believers can’t be drunk.  First, a drunk person loses control of himself and these people are expressing joy decently and in order.  Secondly, its only 9 am.  It is time for morning prayers.  After praying the Jew could have breakfast and then he could have a drink, which was usually after 10 am.  It was just about a sin for a Jew to eat or drink before his morning prayers which were usually at 9 am.

2:17-36 Peter had given a speech in chapter 1, but this is the first sermon every preached.

He explains what has just happened – the Spirit has come

He explains how it happened – prophecies of Jesus

He explains why it happened – Jesus is Lord

2:17 What has just happened?  The Spirit has come like Joel predicted, not on just prophets, priests, and kings, but on men, women, young and old, rich and poor.

2:19 All people will prophecy, speak forth the Word of God, be witnesses.  And God will confirm their witness with signs and wonders on earth and in the sky.

2:21 Salvation has become available to everyone who calls on Jesus as Lord.  Salvation is individual and personal without exception.

2:22 As you know, God has confirmed the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  You are guilty of handing him over, but God had a plan.

2:25 David also prophesied of this event.  He may have thought he was speaking of himself, but Jesus was even then speaking through David.  We know Jesus was speaking because David did not rise up from the dead before his body decayed.

2:34 And David did not ascend to heaven and sit at God’s right hand.

2:36 Why has all of this happened?  Why did Joel and David prophecy?  Why did God work through Jesus with signs, wonders, and miracles?  Why has the Holy Spirit come?  What does all of this mean?

2:36  Jesus is Lord of all and seated at the right hand of the Father!  Jesus had said He would send the Spirit when He returned to the Father.  Jesus is Lord of all.

2:37 The effect of the first sermon was conviction.  They were pierced to the heart and felt condemned.

2:38 The cure for guilt and conviction is repentance and baptism.  Repentance means to change your mind.  Repent so you can be forgiven of your sin and receive the baptism of the Spirit.  This promise is for everyone, men, women, and children.

Many assume Peter means water baptism.  For the Jews, baptism was something you did to yourself.  And it meant you were changing religions.  Jewish proselytes were expected to be circumcised and baptize themselves.  The God-fearing Gentiles were not circumcised, but were baptized.  Jesus allowed Himself to be baptized by John to fulfill the law, but God then anointed Him with the Spirit.  In Ephesians 4:4-6 Paul reminds us that there is only one baptism.

John the Baptist had preached that the Messiah would baptize us with the Holy Spirit.  Jesus told them in Acts 1:5 that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

Did you know that the Greek verb ‘to baptize’ occurs 80 times in the NT, eleven occurrences are in 1 Corinthians but only one occurrence is after Galatians 3:27?  The Greek noun ‘baptism’ occurs 22 times, and only 4 of those occur after Acts 19:4.

2:42 Notice what the growing church was doing.

1. They received instruction from those who had walked with Jesus.

2. They fellowshipped and grew together as a community.

3. They ate together and remembered the Lord’s last supper.

4. They devoted themselves to prayer.

2:43-47 When we practice these disciplines, what happens?

1. We develop a child-like spirit of wonder.  There is a divine discontent that hungers and thirsts for righteousness.

2. We build one another up.

3. We are generous.

4. We delight to meet every day together in the Temple

5. We practice hospitality with gladness

6. We praise God with sincere hearts

7. We are a blessing to our neighbors

8. We see the power of God changing lives.

Acts 1

The desire of most devout Christians has been to recapture the days of the early church.  Many have tried to restructure their church organization to be like the NT.  Some have focused on the receiving of the Holy Spirit.  Others have tried to identify methods for growing large gatherings.  The disciples had some expectations.  Is it at this time that God will give us some political power?

Jesus gentle answer was, “It is not at this time.”  Some prophetic promises are still in the future.

1:1-5

The Acts of the apostolic men is a continuation of what Jesus began in Luke’s gospel story.

Theophilus means lover of God.  In Luke’s gospel Theophilus was called ‘most excellent’ which was a title for a Roman leader.  He was probably Luke’s master who had paid for his training as a doctor.  In those days doctors were slaves.  Luke is the only non-Jewish writer in the Bible.  I think it is interesting that Theophilus asks or hires a non-Jew to write about Jewish events.

Maybe God was in it?  Luke and Acts are the 2 longest scrolls in the NT.

1:1  Jesus had said on the cross, “It is finished.”  But Luke says that was just the beginning of what Jesus began to do and to teach.  NOTE it is proper to do before you teach.

1:3  Forty days seems to be God’s time period for doing business.  And Paul says that over 500 people saw him during this time (1 Cor 15:6).

Some wonder why he made sporadic appearances for 40 days.  Maybe He knew the disciples would not wait more than 10 days.  Maybe because His ministry began with 40 days in the wilderness, He wanted to declare His victory over Satan for 40 days.

Some argue that the laws of gravity make it impossible for a body to just float up in the air.  But this argument overlooks the fact that the laws of aerodynamics can overcome the laws of gravity.  Maybe God has some additional laws that overcome gravity, like the laws that raised Him from the dead?

It sounds like Jesus would make an appearance and then just disappear for a while.  He would come and go from the presence of God.  His resurrected physical presence was limited to one place at time.  He could have just appeared to them less and less until they realized He was seated at the right hand of the Father forever.  That would have caused confusion.  Instead He makes a definite final exit.

1:4 His resurrected body was able to enjoy eating with his friends.  During this last meal He commands them to wait.  Wait for a special gift from God.  God has someone to give you.

Isaiah says those who wait on the Lord will learn to fly like eagles.  The Psalmist says, “Be still and know that I am God.”  Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God.”  Jesus said in John that God would send the Holy Spirit and He will teach you what has been going on (Jn 14:25).

They were waiting for something they knew nothing about.  I wonder if they connected the gift to the upcoming Pentecost feast.  This was the feast when they celebrated the giving of the written law to Moses and the first fruits of harvest.  God spoke to Moses and they had His word in stone.

1:6  After Peter had cut off the servant’s ear (Jn 18:10) Jesus had told them that His kingdom is not of this world (Jn 18:36).  Now they ask, “Are you going to kill the Romans now?”  How do you feel when your parents don’t listen?

1:7  Jesus was very gentle.  “It is not at this time.”  The time is set, but it won’t happen in your lifetime.

1:8  In John 14:17 Jesus promised the Holy Spirit will be with us and live in us.  Here Jesus says the Holy Spirit will come upon you.  There will times when the Holy Spirit comes upon you like He did Samson and you will be witnesses.

He does not say you are to witness, but you will be witnesses.  The empowering of the Holy Spirit is real.  It will be evident in some way.  We will sense a power in us.

What is this power we receive?  What does this power have to do with my witness?

We seem to be a power hungry society.  Men are seeking alternate power sources.  We harness water power, wind power, solar power, horse power, man power, nuclear power, mental power, political power.  We talk about the power of the pen, the power of the media, the power of nations, the power of rockets, the power to leap tall buildings.

But the power that Jesus is talking about is a different power.  I believe this power is the love and knowledge of God.  Some people think this power is the ability to heal, to handle snakes, to drink poison, to move mountains, to get rich, etc.  But I believe Jesus is not talking about a physical power.  I think He is talking about the power of a personal relationship with the Son of God.

Peter reminds us in Acts 3:12 that the power that works through us is not our power.  So when those very leaders who condemned Jesus to the cross asked Peter by what power he could heal the beggar, Peter said it was their relationship with Jesus.  The source of the power that the leaders saw was an evidence of the Spirit of Jesus in them.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that this power is the result of knowing God because to know God is to love God and the love of God has overcome the world.  There is no greater power than love.

Romans 1:16 says the gospel is the power of God to those who believe.  The gospel is Jesus.

1:9-11

Jesus did not walk through a wall and disappear.  He did not vanish over the horizon.  And the way he ascended is the way He is coming back.  It was physical, at a particular place and time.  Every eye will see him.

The Ascension assures us that the work of salvation is complete.  It teaches us that Jesus has gone to heaven.  It promises us a Second Coming.

1:12-14

They returned to Jerusalem with expectancy.  They were not broken-hearted.

Mary and Jesus’ brothers were in the room.  This is the last thing we see Mary doing – praying and waiting for the Holy Spirit.  When Jesus had met the other Mary in the garden He told her to tell his disciples, “I am ascending to my Father” as if the process had already begun with the resurrection.

Praying together brings unity.

1:15-26

Peter stood up and spoke with the authority of the Word.  He was a student of the Scriptures.  He was a student of prophecy.

Two times (16, 21) Peter says, “It is necessary!”  This gives us a clue to Peter’s motivation for life and mission.

I. What God says must be fulfilled. (Acts 1:15-20)

II. It is necessary for us to do something. (1:20-23)

III. It is necessary for God to direct our activity. (1:24-26)

What do you feel is really necessary in life?  What is your motivation to obey God?  Is it God’s wrath, His love, or His presence in your heart?

Decisions are to be made by seeking God with a group of leaders.  They did not know the Spirit’s guidance, but they knew that God can control the rolling of the dice.

Peter may have prayed a narrow prayer.  “Lord do I buy this model car or that model car?”  Maybe God had a 3^rd option.  Maybe Paul was the 12^th apostle?  Maybe they should have waited for the promised gift?  Maybe they could have waited a couple years for Paul?  Peter was right about the Scripture, but maybe his timing was off.

There is no place in the NT where they cast lots again to know the will of God.  There is no place where the church voted to identify the will of God.  The early church based their decisions on the Word of God and sought the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

Peter made this speech because he felt compelled by an inner belief in a great God whose Word never fails.  His religious teaching told him the group witness of the 12 was incomplete with 11.  It is necessary for the Scripture to be fulfilled.  We need the perfect size group to please God.  It is necessary for us to do something when we become aware of the need.  It is necessary for us to help God a little while we are waiting.  But Jesus said, “Wait.”

Search the Scriptures.  Wait for the Spirit.  Leave room for God to act and direct you