When Mother’s Day and Pentecost Sunday fall on the same day (a sermon) May 11, 2008
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THE WOMEN OF PENTECOST
Acts 1:12-15; 2:14-18
There has been a lot of talk about how early Easter was this year and how that none of us will probably see Easter come again as early in the year as it has this year. Because of the quirks of the calendar, this year Mother’s Day lands on the same day as Pentecost Sunday, which means that mothers have to share their holiday this year with the Holy Spirit. The last time this happened was 1951. The next time this happens will be in 2035. I will probably preach this same sermon on that day, so you can go ahead and make plans to be elsewhere.
Mother’s Day became an official national holiday in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson signed a decree that the second Sunday of May be a day “for a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.” This year, the fiftieth day after the Resurrection and the second Sunday in May are on the same day — May 11, 2008. Now usually, we do not think of mothers, or of women in general as being important at the first Pentecost but the Scriptures indicate that they were important.
We know that at least one mother, Mary the mother of Jesus, was present in the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost and as we will see later, possibly several. Certainly, there were a number of women present on the day of Pentecost and they were not there simply as window dressing. They had an integral and important part on that day which we will look at today.
These women were from the very beginning recognized as an integral part of the body of Christ (Acts 1:14).
They were devoted disciples. They continued to follow Christ after He ascended to heaven. Luke’s tells how that a group of women from Galilee accompanied Christ on His last trip to Jerusalem (Luke 8:1-3; 23:49; 23:55-24:10). Some of these women like Mary Magdalene were notable for the miracles Christ had performed in their lives in either casting demons out of them or in healing them of some infirmity. Others of these women were known because of their husband or because of their sons. They had ministered to Jesus and to the disciples during this last trip. They had heard many of the great teachings that we find in the book of Luke regarding following Christ. They had been there as He was crucified. They had watched as He was laid in the tomb. They were the first ones to see the resurrected Christ. It is no wonder that they were also there, as devoted disciples.
They were waiting with the apostles for the promise of the Spirit (Acts 1:4-8). They were not there ignorant of Christ’s purposes. They were waiting for the promise of the Spirit. John the Baptist had proclaimed that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself had promised that baptism. This promise had not been fulfilled but Jesus had assured them that it was coming.
“…the Spirit on the day of Pentecost came to these people in answer to the prayer of Jesus, not in answer to their praying…but entirely and absolutely in answer to the request…of Christ Himself (G. Campbell Morgan)” (John 14:16). This waiting was evidence of their faith and trust in the promise of the Father and the prayer of Christ. Probably there is nothing that shows more evidence of trust than patience especially when you are out of the limelight.
One night, a group of ladies were having dinner celebrating the return of a friend form a fabulous trip. One of the ladies was a mother who felt sorry for herself when she compared her life mired in Little League car trips and peanut butter with that of her traveling friend. As she was feeling sorry for herself, her friend turned to her with a package and said, “I brought you this.” It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. Later she read the inscription: “To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.” It does not matter whether you are a mother or whether God has you in some other position that is overlooked and ignored. God sees and it is the patience you have when no one is looking that indicates the depth of your trust in God.
These women were waiting for the promise of the Spirit. They did not know what would come of this promise or how it would work exactly in their lives but they knew that it was necessary for them to wait with the apostles and the other men for that promise. They knew that it was meant for them also.
They were involved in worship with the apostles (Acts 1:14). It is interesting to see what they were doing as they waited. They were praying continually. One of the most common words for worship in the New Testament is connected to continual prayer. It is service to God. When we despise prayer, whether as individuals or as a group, we are despising the service and worship of our Savior.
This prayer meeting strengthened those who were sad and sorrowing because Christ had gone away. Remember, many if not all of these women had spent many days with Christ, serving Him and listening to Him teach. Their lives had been radically transformed by Christ. Their hearts had a huge void that was aching with longing for their Lord but He was gone. I’m sure they were praying for wisdom and strength and praising God for His greatness and mercy but no doubt they were also pouring out their heart in longing for Christ.
The successful prayer meeting is the place where God’s will and the carrying out of God’s will intersected one another. Perhaps I should mention what I mean when I say that the prayer meeting was successful. If they had not prayed in this manner, it is still possible they would have received the Spirit of God. The reason we can consider this prayer meeting successful is the fact that God’s will and man’s will melded together in that upper room. The prayer meeting in a sense is the evidence of this melding and welding together of God’s will. Successful prayer is not my changing God’s mind and will but rather the evidence that God is changing my mind and my will.
The prayer meeting was possible and successful because they were of one accord. This is obviously unnatural. In those days women were not considered significant. There was no Mother’s Day in the Roman Empire. The Pharisees used to thank God that they were not a woman but Jesus had made a change in the lives of these people. The apostles had the positions of authority and the women were at the bottom of the religious and social ladder but they were all in one accord praying. It is likely that some of the apostles’ mothers were there. We know that at least two of them had traveled with Jesus. The mother of James and John had tried to politic for her sons in the kingdom of heaven. There is no hint of such a thing now. Even Mary, the mother of Jesus, is there but notice she is mentioned as an equal with the others in her involvement in prayer and waiting for the Spirit as a follower of Christ. Oh, that we had such a unity in worship. How pleasing that would be to our Lord and Savior.
These women received the same Holy Spirit as the apostles even though their responsibility was not the same (2:14-18). Now before we see the implications of this for women, we need to understand what Peter is trying to tell his listeners.
He is making clear that equality in the Spirit was prophesied (2:14-18) and that it was to a certain extent being fulfilled before there eyes. Obviously, not everything that Joel predicted was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. That fulfillment is still to come when Jesus returns to set up His kingdom. What was fulfilled though was the indwelling of all God’s people with the Spirit of God, young and old, free and slave, man and woman and that the purpose of this fulfillment was to call people to turn to Christ as the Messiah, the Savior of the world.
What Moses wished for (Numbers 11),
What Joel predicted (Joel 2:28-29),
What Peter explained (Acts 2:16-20),
Is now available to every believer (Acts 2:21).
And will be completed when Christ comes to set up His kingdom on this earth.
Now in this case, the ability to prophesy or to speak in tongues was the immediate method God used to testify of the wonderful works of God (Acts 2:11). God has not always used these methods and in fact, I believe, does not use these methods anymore. The significance is not in the method God chooses to use nor in the persons He chooses to use but the Holy Spirit which empowers those persons and methods enabling the gospel of Christ to be revealed through our witness and testimony. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that takes away any excuse not to be bold in our testimony for Christ (Acts 1:8).
Ladies, you need the power of the Holy Spirit just as much as I do. People often pray that I would be filled with the Spirit and I need to be. I need the power of the Spirit to preach, to pray, to work, to minister. The mother, however, who is trying to teach her children the ways of God needs the filling of the Holy Spirit also to empower her, otherwise her efforts will be powerless. She will not be able to pass on to her children the witness of Christ. The ladies who teach our preschoolers need this power. Our teenage girls need this power. Our teenage boys and retired men need this power. We all need this power, otherwise, we will fail in our witness for Christ.
There is more to this though that is implied but not directly taught in this chapter. Equality in the body of Christ was accomplished on that day (I Corinthians 12:12-14). On the day of Pentecost, the believers were empowered and they were indwelt by the Holy Spirit but they were also baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ. When does this baptism take place? Galatians 3:26-27 answers the question clearly: “You are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ.” The order here is crucial. First there is faith which makes you a son of God, then you are baptized into Christ with the result that you are “clothed with” Christ. All of this happens at the moment of conversion. (Parts of this paragraph with thanks to Ray Pritchard). Let’s go on to verses 28-29, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” There may be a difference in gifts or position but every person, no matter there status is equal in the body of Christ because they were all put there the same way. They put their faith in Christ and the Spirit baptizes them into the body of Christ. Now just in case you still doubt that the Spirit makes us equal in Christ, look in the next chapter of Galatians (4:6), “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’”
This Baptism by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ is important because it takes away any excuse we have not to work together, love each other, or forgive each other (Galatians 5:13-16 and 5:22-26). It allows us to walk in the Spirit and not according to the ways of the flesh.
This unity with each other in Christ is the basis of the effectiveness of our service to God (I Corinthians 12-14 and Ephesians 4:7-12).
This unity with each other in Christ is the basis for the way we treat each other as believers (I Corinthians 13; Ephesians 4:1-6).
Ladies, I trust you see the importance you have in God’s family. People, tend to evaluate themselves by what they have and why they do not have. Some women see themselves as lacking because God has not blessed them with children. That pain is real. Those who are mothers often see their weaknesses or compare themselves with career women and feel inferior. Please, let me remind you that your importance as a lady, as a mother, as a person is not based on your outward circumstance but is established in Christ. If you have trusted Him, you are a part of His body by a special working of the Holy Spirit by indwelling you and empowering you and baptizing you into the body of Christ. Walk in that Spirit. Witness in that power. Live with confidence that you are significant to God and to His people as a member of Christ and His body.
Next Week: The Fold and the Feast – Psalm 23:1-6
Dorcas or Tabitha October 28, 2007
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SERVANTS IN ACTS: DORCAS – A PART OF GOD’S GREAT PUZZLE
Acts 9:31, 36-43
We have a Bugs Bunny Puzzle. Some of the pieces of the puzzle are fairly large. Other pieces are considerably smaller. Then there are some pieces that are really small. Even though they are not all of one size, they all interlock together to create a complete puzzle.
Some of the pieces are easy to pick out. If you look through the pieces, the ones with Bugs Bunny’s eyes are immediately noticeable. Others you look at and you wonder what could that possibly be. You cannot even tell by looking whether it is right side up or not. Eventually, though, as you continue to work through the puzzle, you come to a point where it is obvious where the piece belongs.
There are corner pieces and side pieces and inside pieces to the puzzle. Which ones do you think are the most important? You are right. Every piece has its place. Without every piece the puzzle cannot be completed.
We have another puzzle of a castle in Germany called Neuschwanstein. This puzzle has several hundred pieces. We have put it together several times and every time that we put it together we remember, there is a piece missing. We have had that puzzle for years and every time we fail to complete it, to finish it because there is one piece missing.
CHRIST’S PUZZLE
Jesus Christ has plan that appears to us as a puzzle. There are big pieces and little pieces. It is clear where some of the pieces belong and other pieces only Christ Himself knows how they fit in. There are corner pieces and there are side pieces and there are inside pieces but there is never a pieces missing.
The Bible makes it clear that from all eternity God had a plan. His plan and His purposes do not always make sense to us but every piece will fit exactly in the puzzle where He plans on it to fit and will result in His glory. We find in the book of Acts in the story of Dorcas a picture of how each individual believer fits into the plan of God.
THIS IS WHAT ACTS IS ALL ABOUT.
Christ is accomplishing His purposes (verse 31). This is the theme of the book of Acts. In Acts 1:8, Jesus stated His plan and His purpose for the believers. In Acts 9:31, Luke, the author of the book of Acts, takes a short breath to point out that His plan is being accomplished. For the first time we find the word “churches” in the Bible. On Pentecost, the 3000 believers were called those who believed. In Acts 4:32, the believers in Jerusalem are called the multitude who believed. In Acts 5:11, they are first named the church but they are all still in Jerusalem. In Acts 6:2 they are called the multitude of the disciples. Then in Acts 8:1 the church, thanks to Saul, is scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. They cannot come together in Jerusalem anymore. What do they do? According to verse 4 those who are scattered are preaching the gospel everywhere.
Saul does not stop in Jerusalem though. He is hunting down the believers wherever he can. On his way to Damascus to find the Jewish believers there, he is struck with blindness by Christ and becomes himself a disciple of Christ. A time of peace comes and we find that there is no more a church in Jerusalem but that there are churches in all Judea, Samaria, and Galilee and at least scattered believers in other parts of the world as far away as Damascus and Ethiopia. In all this Christ is accomplishing His purposes, He is putting together His puzzle. The gospel is being preached, believers are being baptized, and they are gathering together for the purpose of encouragement and teaching and serving and all those other things that Christ commands us to do. Christ’s church is expanding as He promised.
OUR LIVES ARE THE PIECES.
In the passage we are looking at, Christ uses the lives of people in accomplishing His purposes, in putting together His puzzle (verse 36-43). How then does He do this?
He uses our church relationships (verses 37-38). We do not know a lot about the church in Joppa but we do know that this was a church that cared for each other. There are three indications in this passage that these people truly cared for each other.
HOW DO WE KNOW THEY CARED?
They cared for each other as evidenced by the two messengers sent to get Peter. This woman was important to the church. She did not preach, prophesy, perform miracles, teach, give huge sums of money, or manage important ministries but the church cared for her just the same and went to find Peter for the purpose of having her raised from the dead. They obviously cared for this woman very much.
They cared for each other as evidenced by the ministry of Dorcas to the widows in the church. Widows played a very prominent part in the New Testament church. We find that the first great dispute in the Jerusalem church had to deal with taking care of widows. Paul wrote extensively on the subject. James deals with the subject. Caring for others in tangible ways is of importance in God’s Word.
They cared for each other as evidenced by the fact that Simon the tanner was counted among their number. From the very beginning, although it took a while for the believers to understand it, Christ’s body has included male and female, free man and slave, Jew and Gentile. Simon the tanner worked in an occupation which was considered unclean because he had to handle dead bodies of animals, an occupation which was considered outside of the realm of the holiness of God. This church by including this man and Peter by staying with this man showed that he himself was not outside of the realm of the holiness of God. That is after all, why Christ died, that those who are sinful might be made holy in Christ Jesus.
GOD USES NOT JUST OUR OUTWARD RELATIONSHIPS BUT ALSO OUR INWARD RELATIONSHIP.
Not only does God use our church relationships but He also uses our character (verses 36 & 39). Notice I did not say talents or gifts although that is also important but what God really uses in our lives is our character. Now God can use you even if you do not have a good character but it will be in a limited way. The limit, however, is not that God is limited or that you have limited God but that you have limited yourself and your availability to be used of God.
He produces in our lives good works. Romans 2:5-7 tells us that good works are the proof that one is continuing in the faith. 2 Corinthians 9:8 tells us that God blesses us and enables us for the purpose of showing good works. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we were created for the purpose of doing good works. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that the reason for the Scriptures is to prepare us for good works. In this passage we see a woman who was full of good works and God uses these good works.
He uses her good works to produce charitable deeds. The word we use is benevolence. We do not have a benevolence fund to find an inroad into people’s lives. Sometimes it looks like we are wasting our time helping people. They have no spiritual interest. Sometimes they are not thankful for the help they receive but Christ can use those funds to expand His kingdom, to further His purposes, to put a piece in the puzzle. We have seen that here in this church.
This is why we are making special appeals for the benevolence fund and why we participate in benevolent projects like Operation Christmas Child. We want our good works which come from our faith in Christ to produce charitable deeds. This is money that does not go into this church. Benevolence is not an investment in missions but God does use benevolence for His purposes. Not always in the way that you and I might expect but He does use it.
GOD ANSWERS OUR PRAYERS AND PUTS A PIECE IN THE PUZZLE.
In addition, He uses our prayers (verse 40). Even those prayers for the sick have a higher purpose than getting people well. The point of this passage is not that God answers prayer or that He answers prayer for the sick or that He sometimes answers in miraculous ways. The point of the passage is God’s plan and purposes are advanced through His answer to prayer. Let me make a bold statement. God never answers a prayer that does not further His purposes. Could Christ have raised this woman from the dead without Peter’s prayers? Absolutely, but Christ accomplishes His purposes through His people and one of the ways that He uses us is through our prayers.
We do a lot of praying for sick people here. On Wednesday night at least half of our requests are dealing with physical needs, often of people who we do not know. It is easy for us to discount those requests and not pray for them because we do not know the people (as if that had anything to do with whether God is going to answer our prayers or not). God does not answer my prayers based on whether I am feeling right about my prayers. God answers my prayers because I am His child and He is my God. If I pray to Him, He works in the situation effectually. The main passage of teaching on healing in James 5 uses the example of Elijah as a man of such passions as we are but he prayed and God answered his prayers. James then goes on to say that the effectual prayer of a righteous man makes a big, a BIG difference.
GOD CAN USE BOTH PETS AND POLITICIANS
Recently, we had a discussion on Wednesday night about children praying for pets and how we should handle that situation. I was reminded this week of what G. Campbell Morgan said when someone said that they did not pray about the little things. The British preacher said that in the sight of God, all our requests are little. Rather than teaching our children to only pray for big and important things, we need to teach them that everything, from sick people to sick pets can be used of God to bring others to them. That is how we should pray? Lord, use this thing in my life to put another piece in the puzzle.
This is clearly how God wants us to pray. When Paul taught Timothy about praying for the government in his first epistle, he made it clear that the purpose of our praying for the government is that we might more effectively reach others with the gospel. If Mike Huckabee will make us better witnesses, Lord, give us Mike Huckabee. If Hillary or Rudy or Kucinich or McClain or whoever it might be, Lord, give us a president that will result in God using us to put the pieces in the puzzle. Forget the Supreme Court and forget the balanced budget and the Iraq War and abortion and all the other issues, God give us a government that will enable us to please you, whether through persecution or peace to be better witnesses of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
THERE ARE NO ACCIDENTS OR MISTAKES WITH GOD.
He uses our church, our character, or prayers but, finally, He uses our circumstances (verses 37-42). The circumstances here are not good. This woman is dead. This is a tragedy. She has suffered great pain going through sickness and death but Christ uses these horrible circumstances in combination with a caring church, her good character, and a praying apostle to bring about a situation where more people would come to Jesus Christ as Savior.
Not every tragic situation is used so obviously by God but He does use our circumstances to accomplish His purposes. Think of the circumstances of your life. There are those here who came to Christ because they wanted premarital counseling. Others have come to Christ because they wanted their children to get some religious training. Others were in circumstances where there was no tragedy but God opened their eyes through some sermon or statement or in at least on situation that I am aware of through a rock opera. Some of us were reared in Christian families and God has used that. Others were raised in non-Christian families and God used those specific circumstances to bring us to Him. Circumstances vary as much as people but in every circumstance God’s hand was and is at work.
THE PIECES
Who was most important? Peter? Dorcas? The men who came and got Peter? The widows that Dorcas helped? The church that cared for each other? Everyone of them was essential in Christ’s plan, to make the puzzle complete.
Whatever He is using in our life, it is a part of the puzzle of Christ’s purpose for the universe (verse 42). We are a vital part in Christ’s plan. Why? Because Christ desires it.
LOOK AT YOUR LIFE!
What did Christ do to bring you to this service this morning? You might say, well I decided for myself to come this morning and that is no doubt true but God could have kept you away. Christ has given you an opportunity this morning. What are you going to do with it?
There is no guarantee that you will have another opportunity to take what you have heard this morning and apply it to your life. Do you need to trust Christ as Savior? The same power that raised Dorcas from life and that raised Jesus Christ from the dead will give you eternal life if you will trust Christ as Savior. Take that opportunity today!
Believer, God is working in your life. Are you working with Him? Some of you need to be involved in this church so that God can work more effectively in your life. Others of you need to begin serving others rather than yourselves. Prayer needs to become a greater part in many of your lives. Whatever your situation, you need to be depending on Christ to use the circumstances in your life for His purposes. God wants you!
Links to Sermons on Dorcas and the Surrounding Context October 24, 2007
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The Forgotten Couple (A Sunday Morning Sermon) October 21, 2007
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SERVANTS IN ACTS – AQUILA AND PRISCILLA – SERVING AS A FAMILY
Acts 18:24-28
When one reads the New Testament, it is striking how few couples are mentioned in the first century church. We find men, both married and single, who are prominent and we find women who are prominent in the church but we find very few couples. Of those few, Aquila and Priscilla, especially stand out.
There is something else that stands out in the New Testament and that is that there are very few instructions of family members. There is a reason for this. Paul and James and John and Peter and Luke and the other writers of the New Testament are writing to a larger family, the family of God, the body of Christ, the Church. Usually, they assumed that what they were writing to the church should be applied to the family. In fact, when they are writing to the family, we find that it is always in the context of the local church. We are not going to be able to look at these verses this morning but what we are going to do is look at Aquila and Priscilla and see what principles that were written to the church at large and how they practiced these principles as a couple.
In fact, that is why they seem to be singled out as a couple. They practiced the principles of God’s Word as a couple. They were of one mind in spiritual things. Certainly, this is the ideal for each and every one of us but if you are not able to be of one mind as a couple in spiritual things, it is still possible for you to apply the principles of the Word of God to your life that Aquila and Priscilla applied to their lives.
THIS COUPLE WAS HOSPITABLE.
They Exhibited The New Testament Principle of Hospitality to Strangers. That is the meaning of the word – “love strangers”. The Bible makes it clear that we are not to pull back from each other, even from those believers who we do not know. The leadership of the church is commanded both in 1 Timothy and Titus to be hospitable. Hospitality in the lives of Abraham and Lot and Rahab is shown to be signs of their faith in God. Paul included a passion for hospitality in the lives of the believer as a characteristic of a believer, who is a living sacrifice. A couple of times during the past two years we have preached on this subject. Have you applied what you have learned from God’s Word? Is your attitude toward people an attitude of love?
Now you may ask, what difference does it make? Why does it matter if I make it a point to talk to someone different every week at church? Why does it matter if I seek fellowship with those who are not my closest friends in the church? Why does it matter if I open up my home to visiting Christians? Why does it matter if I show spiritual interest in other people? What difference does it make if I visit or call those who cannot or do not show up at church on Sunday morning?
THE REAL “PILLARS” OF THE CHURCH
Their Hospitality in Corinth to Paul (Acts 18:2) aided the establishment of the church. “When Paul first reached Corinth he was experiencing a great deal of discouragement.” At Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea, Paul had preached the gospel and then was run out of the town. He went to Athens and the response was under whelming. He comes to Corinth, alone because he had sent Timothy and Silas to Thessalonica to make sure that they had remained in the faith. This couple took Paul in gave him work and gave him a home. They sustained him until such time that he was able to renew his strength and throw himself again fully into the work of preaching the gospel of Christ to the city of Corinth, which he did for the next year and a half. Who are you helping and encouraging so that they might be able to minister more effectively in the future?
Their Hospitality in Ephesus to Apollos (Acts 18:24-28) resulted in the transformation of a man. Aquila and Priscilla had moved to Ephesus with Paul and had remained there. Although they were Christians, they continued to go to the synagogue on the Sabbath and hear the Word of God. A visiting preacher by the name of Apollos came to town. This man was a powerful speaker and preached the message of John the Baptist and how that related to Jesus being the Messiah. That was the baptism to which he had committed himself. There was something, however, that was missing. Perhaps Apollos did not know about the resurrection of Christ. Maybe he was not aware that Jesus was not just the Messiah but God Himself. It is possible that he did not understand the implications of the cross. One thing is for sure, Aquila and Priscilla explained the missing component and Apollos was transformed.
Their Hospitality in Ephesus (1 Corinthians 6:19: “The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.”) and in Rome (Romans 16:3-5b: “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house.) within the Church. Because they consistently and constantly hospitable, whether in Corinth or in Ephesus or in Rome, wherever they were they were open to the people of God and had a positive impact on others throughout the whole region of Asia Minor and Greece and Italy. Being hospitable next week will not make a difference. One time going out of your way to encourage a fellow believer has limited value. However, when you day in and day out show the love of God to others, you will have an impact beyond what you could ever do with finances and great gifts like preaching or teaching. One of the greatest needs of the church today might be a revival of love and hospitality among God’s people.
HOSPITALITY MEETS EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL NEEDS.
The two greatest emotions felt when people come to church are often fear and loneliness. Fear that they will be embarrassed and loneliness because no one seems to care whether they are there or not. A friendly church is not one where you greet the same people week after week with great joy. That is a “cliquey” church. If perfect love casts out fear, then let us show God’s love by casting out fear and loneliness through hospitality to others.
PARTNERS IN THE LORD’S WORK
The New Testament Principle of Partnership in Ministry as shown by Their Move from Corinth to Ephesus (Acts 18:18) As Paul’s Fellow Workers (Romans 16:3). When you join a church, you become more than a member. You become a fellow worker. Now what is the task of the church. Reaching the world with the gospel. Everything that we do here is to have as its ultimate go the transformation of men and women, boys and girls through the message of Jesus Christ. That is the basis on which we be rewarded according to 1 Corinthians 3:5-15.
I am afraid that we sometimes misunderstand what it means to be rewarded when we stand before Christ. Just as it is impossible to do enough good works to please God and get Him to forgive us of our sins, it is impossible to do enough good deeds and to avoid enough sins and to have a good enough attitude to get Christ to reward us. Our reward is based on how we build others up in Christ Jesus.
The basis of our reward being in a large part based on our impact on the lives of others cannot be underestimated. Paul wrote the Thessalonians and said that they were his crown of rejoicing at the coming of Christ.
It is interesting that both Paul and Apollos, the planter and the waterer were sustained by they same two people: Aquila and Priscilla. If Paul and Apollos are rewarded for the transformation of the lives of the Corinthian believers than surely Aquila and Priscilla will not be forgotten.
MY WIFE’S THANK YOU…
There is no insignificant work in Christ’s kingdom. When we were on deputation, my wife used to give her testimony to the churches in the form of a thank you. She would tell how that Edgar and Oleta Mitchell came to their town and started a church in their home and how that the young St. Onge family was saved in that little house church and how that from that church came missionaries to German-speaking Europe and to Argentine and to Canada and leaders of other churches came from that little house church but that all the credit was not to go to the Mitchells but to the dozens of churches and hundreds of believers who supported them financially and prayed for them daily and weekly and monthly. My wife was never able to say thank you to those people who supported the Mitchells but she was able to say thank you to those in other churches who were supporting missionaries and praying for missionaries around the world. The Mitchells planted and watered and God gave the increase but certainly those churches and individuals will be rewarded also.
THE GREATEST PRINCIPLE
The New Testament Principle of Expounding Christ Accurately (Acts 18:24-28). Once again we come to the guiding light of our Christian life. It is possible for an unsaved person to be hospitable, to show love to strangers. It is possible for them to partner together with others for the common good. It is not, however, possible for them to expound the gospel of Christ, as Luke puts it, “more accurately.”
I understand that it is possible to be saved without full knowledge of many of the doctrines of Jesus Christ. When I was saved at the age of eight, I did not understand what the Virgin Birth of Christ. I did not understand the meaning of Justification and being made righteous in Christ. I did not know that the Holy Spirit came to live in the heart of the believer or what the Body of Christ was. What I did have though was a very clear picture of my sin and my inability to do anything about my sin but that Jesus through His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead guaranteed salvation from the lake of fire to all who trust Christ. That is the more accurate understanding of Jesus Christ that is absolutely essential to salvation.
As we have already seen, Apollos knew the Scriptures but did not have a fully accurate understanding of who Jesus is. It is amazing that Apollos was willing to listen to this couple but he did. Spurgeon tells of a young man with great gifts and ability but with a different attitude who accompanied a minister friend to the city jail to observe his friend preach.
“…As the minister looked at the audience, he preached to them Jesus with so much earnestness as deeply to impress his companion. On their return home, the young man said, ‘The men to whom you preached to-day must have been moved by the utterance of such truth. Such preaching cannot fail to influence.’ ‘My dear young friend,’ answered the minister, ‘were you influenced? Were you impelled by the words you heard to-day to choose God as your portion?’ ‘You were not preaching to me, but to your convicts,’ was quickly answered. ‘You mistake. I was preaching to you as much as to them. You need the same Saviour as they. For all there is but one way of salvation. Just as much for you as for these poor prisoners was the message of this afternoon. Will you heed it?’ The word so faithfully spoken was blessed of God.” from My Sermon Notes, Volume 3, Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Apollos heard the message and his ministry was changed. The change is evident in 1 Corinthians 3. Apollos is no longer building on the foundation of John’s baptism but on the foundation of Jesus Christ. The reason Paul could write that the church in Corinth has all knowledge was because both the planter and the waterer built on the foundation of Christ. It is vitally important that people understand who Christ is.
The popular thought today is that the only way to keep our young people from leaving the church is to make church more appealing to them. That will not work in the long run. There is nothing wrong with trying to make a church service enjoyable or even more culturally appealing. We desire every week to put our best foot forward in our church service but that will not change people’s lives. They need to see Jesus more accurately. They need to understand Him more fully.
Links to two sermons from Acts 18 October 20, 2007
Posted by roberttalley in Acts, Gospel, Links, Religion, Sermons.add a comment
Here are two sermons that cover Acts 18 and touch on the lives of Aquila and Priscilla. They are both by Ray Stedman.
What really matters… October 14, 2007
Posted by roberttalley in Acts, Baptism, Gospel, Jesus, Religion, Sermons.3 comments
SERVANTS IN ACTS: PHILIP – PROCLAIMING GOOD NEWS
Acts 9:26-40 (with verses 4-6, 12, 25)
We do not know a lot about Philip. We have the opportunity in Scriptures to look at some people’s lives over a period of time and we get a feel for what type of person they are. In the case of Barnabas, who we talked about last week, we get a feel from the Bible for the type of person he was. We see him at high points and low points in his life. He is identified in the Scriptures by his character. He was the type of person who you called on when you needed help.
BUT PHILIP…
The Bible, however, identifies Philip differently. Not that he was not a man of good character. Acts 6:3 tells us that he along with six other men were “…of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom…” Like Barnabas, Philip was typical of the believers presented in the book of Acts. What Philip is known by, however, is the message he proclaimed, the good news of the gospel of Christ.
HIS MESSAGE WAS ANCHORED IN THE WORD OF GOD (verses 28-31)
Circumstances vary and these were unusual circumstances in which Philip found himself (verses 29-30a). The context indicates that Philip was a man on the run (verses 1-5). He was having unusual success in the city of Samaria. His success was so great that the apostles came to see what was going on (verses 5-8 and 14-17). In fact, God uses the events in the city of Samaria to confirm the promise that Jesus made in Acts 1:8. ”And you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem and in Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
But then God took Philip out of place of record breaking, ground breaking success and put him on a lonely road in the desert. Why? Because the message was not to stop with Jerusalem or Judea or Samaria. The message was to go to the ends of the world, even to Ethiopia which in the New Testament times was the area we now know as the Sudan.
The constant, though, even in unusual circumstances for proclaiming the message of God is basing your message on the Word of God and on the proper understanding of the Word of God (verse 30b).
In the book of Acts, there are a lot of unusual things that happen. You have speaking in tongues, casting out of demons, healings of various sorts. There is persecution and there are times of protection during persecution. The gospel is preached to the Jews, the people of God, and it is preached to the Gentile “dogs”. It is preached to the priests in Jerusalem and to the philosophers in Athens and even in the capital city of the world, Rome. The common denominator though, no matter where it is preached, to whom it is preached, or in what circumstances it is preached is that the message is from God’s Word.
MEET THE ETHIOPIAN…
In this passage we find a man of importance in the kingdom of what is then called Ethiopia, who has been to Jerusalem to worship and is now returning home. The Jerusalem he has just come from is deserted of Christians. They are all except for the twelve apostles scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria but the gospel for the moment is not to be found openly in Jerusalem.
This man also had something very expensive in his possession. Likely, he had just purchased it while worshiping in Jerusalem. He had a scroll of the book of Isaiah. Philip hears him reading the scroll. He recognizes the passage and he hollers out, “Hey, I know that passage! You understand what you’re reading!” Now this man had been to the temple and was reading the Word of God but one thing he lacked, understanding.
THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING GOD’S WORD
You must understand the message of the Word of God if you are ever going to be transformed by that message. There are no exceptions. In Acts 8, 9, and 10 we find men from three different stations in life who hearts knew the Word of God. We find in this chapter this Ethiopian. We find in the next chapter, Saul, a Pharisee of the Pharisees who needed to understand the truth of the Word of God. Finally, in chapter 10 we find a Roman centurion, a man who worshiped God but needed the message of the Word of God explained to him before he would be able to turn to Jesus Christ for salvation. All three of them knew something of the Scriptures but had yet to understand that they spoke of Jesus Christ.
This brings me to another fact about the Word of God. God uses people to guide other people to his Word (verse 31). It is true that the Holy Spirit was given to guide us into truth and yet he acts through men and women of God. God intends for his people to guide others out of spiritual darkness and ignorance into the light. That is one reason for emphasizing the gospel over and over and over each week in our worship service. We need to be reminded what it is that men must know in order to come out of darkness. We need to focus on what is absolutely essential in reaching the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So what did Philip do to bring the Ethiopian to an understanding of the Word of God? He preached Jesus Christ to Him! Philip’s Message was Anchored in the Person of Christ.
DOES HUMANKIND REALLY NEED JESUS TO COME TO GOD? YES!!!
Lost men need to understand that God’s Word is about Jesus Christ (verse 34-35). It is not about the Ten Commandments. It is not about keeping the rules. It is about Jesus Christ. These things have their place. In fact, they help us to understand our need for Jesus Christ because we cannot keep the law of God. They help us to see the true character and person of Christ because He in His life here on earth kept the law perfectly.
Obviously, the Ethiopian knew something about the Jewish religion. He no doubt knew about some of the rules of Judaism, he had after all come from south of Egypt, the frontiers of Africa to worship at the designated place of worship, Jerusalem, but he did not know Jesus Christ.
Because this man did not know of Jesus Christ, it was hard for him to understand this passage in Isaiah. Is the prophet writing about himself? Is he writing about some other man? Philip was able to explain to him that the man of whom Isaiah had written was known and had been revealed, Jesus Christ.
WHAT DO WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND BELIEVE ABOUT CHRIST?
Lost men need to understand that God’s Word is about Christ as the crucified God/man (verses 32-33). This passage in Isaiah 53 is about death: an unfair death, a humiliating death, a death endured in silence. No objection is raised against the injustice by the victim. He has no lawyer, no one to plead His case. There is no protest against the humiliation. No cry against his persecutors. Why? This is no doubt the question in the Ethiopian’s mind. Philip had an answer. I think it might have sounded like this, “You’ve quit reading too early. Look at this!
‘8b For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. 9 And they made His grave with the wicked––But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. 10 ¶ Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.’ (Isaiah 53:8b-11)
Philip preached Jesus to the man. He told them of His death. Of His burial in a rich man’s grave. Of His resurrection. Of His ascension into heaven. Of faith in Christ for salvation from sins.
IT DOES NOT STOP WITH THE CRUCIFIXION
Lost men need to understand that God’s Word is about Christ as King (compare verse 12 with verses 36-38). That is the significance of baptism. When one allowed himself to baptized, people understood that they were committing themselves to total allegiance to the message of the baptizer. I have not said a lot about baptism in several months and I need to return to this subject. If you claim to be a believer in Jesus Christ and you refuse to allow yourself to be baptized, your faith is suspect. I am not saying that you are not saved, that I cannot know. I do know, however, that Christ demands total allegiance from those who claim to follow Him and in that day and in this day, the first step of showing total allegiance to Christ is baptism.
The Ethiopian knew something about baptism. Baptism was a common practice among the various sects of the Jewish religion. He no doubt knew if Christ was the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and that he demanded total allegiance, it would be necessary for him to allow himself to be baptized to show his allegiance to Christ.
Remember he served the Candace, the queen of Ethiopia. These women were “…portrayed as ‘powerful figures, enormously fat, covered with jewels and ornament and elaborate fringed and tasseled robes. Their huge frames tower over their diminutive foes, whom they are shown grasping brutally by the hair with one hand and to whom they deal the coup de grace with the other.’” At least one of these women had been reported by their Roman enemies as at the head of her army as they won a victory against the Roman army of Caesar Augustus. This man knew what it was to serve royalty directly, totally, and he was ready. [This paragraph from: Yamauchi, Edwin M. “Acts 8:26-40: Why the Ethiopian Eunuch Was Not from Ethiopia” from Interpreting the New Testament Text: Introduction to the Art and Science of Exegesis ed. Bock, Darrell L. and Fanning, Buist M. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books 2006. (364).]
Jesus is saying through His Word that He is all that really matters. He is the only one to whom allegiance is due. It is not only that Jesus died for sin but He lives today so that you may have the privilege to serve Him. Put your faith in Christ for salvation and surrender yourself to His will.
Sermon Links to Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch October 11, 2007
Posted by roberttalley in Acts, Links, Religion, Sermons.1 comment so far
The Holy Spirit is a popular theme August 16, 2007
Posted by roberttalley in Acts, Baptism of the Holy Spirit, Charismatic Movement, First Corinthians, Holy Spirit, Pentecostalism, Religion, Sermons, Tongues.7 comments
From Latrese “…I have one question that is really burning within me. What are your views on ’speaking in tongues’ and the ‘baptism of the Holy Spirit’? I know people who do this, but I never have. When I prayed ‘the prayer’ to receive this, nothing happened. Is this another false doctrine? If so, then what are the ‘tongues’ that these people I know are speaking?”
There are whole books written on this subject but I will try to be as brief as possible. You can then respond to whichever of my comments you desire and we can go from there if you wish.
Speaking in tongues occurs three times in the book of Acts and is a major part of the discussion of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12-14. On the day of Pentecost, we know that speaking in tongues referred to known languages and there is no overriding reason in any of the other places to assure us that it was otherwise although there is much debate about the Corinthian passage. The purpose of tongues in Acts at Pentecost was to confirm the message the apostles were preaching (which is why the prophecy in Joel is quoted). Later, Cornelius and the Gentiles with him spoke in tongues for the purpose of confirming that the message of Jesus Christ was for both Jew and Gentile. The third time seems to be a confirmation that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the gospel of John the Baptist.
The use and purpose of tongues in Corinth is not totally clear although there were clearly abuses in its practice. For one, it was not being used to edify others but rather to edify one’s self which is against the purpose of spiritual gifts. For another, tongues as well as other spiritual gifts were being practiced in the absence of love for the brethren.
There is no command to speak in tongues and it is debatable whether the gift as practiced in the book of Acts exists today. I myself do not believe it exists. If it does not exist today, then the tongues being spoken are most likely emotionalism or fakery. Tongues are not and have never been a general sign of salvation, sanctification, or spirituality.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit first occurred at Pentecost. It was at this time that the church first began to function with the Holy Spirit indwelling and empowering them. In 1 Corinthians 12:13 the baptism of the Holy Spirit is mentioned as the way in which each believer becomes a part of the body of Christ. The baptism at Pentecost and the baptism in 1 Corinthians 12 are one and the same. It does not require nor automatically produce speaking in tongues. (Here is a link to a sermon I preached last fall on the subject “Baptism By the Holy Spirit”).
Is speaking in tongues in connection with the baptism of the Holy Spirit a false doctrine? First, I should point out that not everyone who believes tongues is possible connect it with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. There are many though who believe that speaking in tongues is proof that one has been baptized with the Holy Spirit. They often believe that this is an evidence of salvation. This is false doctrine. It causes people to look for an experience that is not commanded and many fall into the trap of believing they are not saved or cannot be saved unless they have this experience. In this sense, this false doctrine is similar to the Galatian error where it was taught that salvation came through trusting Christ plus circumcision. Paul was pretty severe in his condemnation of those who taught this doctrine (calling it “another gospel”) when he said in Galatians 1, “…let him be accursed” who preaches this gospel. In other words, those who teach that salvation is through faith in Christ plus speaking in tongues are teaching a false gospel and according to Paul are false prophets.
This is a long answer and I have referred to little Scripture in order to keep it short. Please feel free to respond and we can go into more detail.
Here is a sermon from Ray Pritchard directly dealing with speaking in tongues.
