Sunday, May 18th - Acts 16

First of all, I hope to see all of you at the BBQ today, 12:20 in the Commons!

Okay…to the text…

INSIGHTS

Timothy…half Jew, half Gentile. A young convert, somehow known in two cities. He was circumcised…not because he should be as a Gentile convert, but because of his Jewish lineage. Paul wanted to bring him along…why? What purpose did he serve? I’d love to know the details…but the Word gives us only this vital statistic: that as they ministered together, “the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.”

Paul originally worked with Barnabas, and now with Silas. With Timothy, we see Paul the recruiter begin to build his team, which will consist of Timothy, Titus, Apollos, and many more (My secret historical ambition has always been to be a part of Team Paul!).

“Kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia…the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to [enter Bithynia].” First, how did the Spirit get this message to Paul? Second, I find it interesting that He is called “Holy Spirit” once, then “Spirit of Jesus” second…

“Come over to Macedonia and help us.” I’m trying to figure out what I would do if I had some sort of vision where the people of Apache Junction called out to me for help. I would likely have a hard time believing my own vision. And I almost certainly wouldn’t do what Paul did - “we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia.” Paul knew what “help” they needed though:“God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” Always the gospel.

Interesting that, as we go about doing the right things, God opens doors. Paul thought it was time to pray, but God turned it into time to evangelize…which then turned into a group baptism, and an evening spent enjoying Lydia’s hospitality. Good thing Paul had flexibility in his schedule!

Wow…the fortune-telling servant girl. Her owners would rather see her bound up in evil to line their pockets than to be freed from the tyranny of the devil! Unfortunately, our world is surrounded by such thinking. Their resulting antagonism gave cause for Paul and Silas to be publicly scorned, then stripped, beaten, flogged, imprisoned, and put in the stocks.

Then the prison story! Midnight hymns…the other prisoners stayed up to listen!…quite an earthquake - one that opens doors, and even picks locks!…open doors, loosed locks - yet Paul and Silas don’t flee!…the jailer knows an act of God when he sees one…“they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house”, which means they must have gone over to his house (who was left to mind the ransacked prison?)…“When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: ‘Release those men.”‘ - that’s funny, since they’ve already been dining at the jailer’s house!…and one last encouragement of Lydia and the new believers before they leave town. Great stuff!

CHALLENGES

1. When we receive Christ, there are circumstances in our lives that need to be put in order for the sake of the gospel. For Timothy, it was his lack of circumcision. What is it for you? What area of your life still looks B.C. instead of A.D., and could therefore confuse people who hear the Word?

2. Have you ever been “kept by the Holy Spirit” from speaking with someone? Or, as is my case, do you lack the initiative to begin with, so there’s never the chance for the Spirit to say “stop”? Paul has far more “gos” than “stops”, which I think should be the case for us, too…ya think?

3. I find this very challenging…the Prince of this world, the Devil, would like to “own” (possess) you. Those in line with the world’s ways also want you to be a product of the culture. Christ and His gospel can set you free - but it may cause repercussions in the world’s context. Are you ready to give up your bondage, even if your bondage is profitable?

That was a long one…and on a Sunday, too! Thanks for reading, and leaving your comments. On to chapter 17 tomorrow, where we meet three great churches: Thessalonica, Berea and Athens. Hang in there…only 12 chapters to go!

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Saturday, May 17th - Acts 15

Agreeing. Sometimes it’s hard to do as friends. It can be extraordinarily difficult as a congregation. The Word tells us to be united in our thinking, but how do you do that when the issues are really tough? In today’s text, we have a couple of disagreements, worked out in two different ways. What can we learn?

INSIGHTS

The big church-wide issue that was circulating among the new followers was the necessity of circumcision for new converts to Christianity…which was the headliner of a wider issue: How much of the Old Testament law should Gentile Christians practice?

“The apostles and elders met to consider this question. After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them.” These kinds of decisions take serious wrestling amongst church leaders. It truly tests the mettle not only of our theology, but of our love for one another.

“Why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” Peter gives a definitive “no”.

“It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” James, rather than an outright “no”, offers a compromise solution - a bit of the law, some basics that, if not obeyed, will truly confuse and confound new hearers of the gospel (because of the blanket familiarity with the Torah).

“It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us”…an interesting phrase! Often, this is where our decision-making takes us. It’s not black and white, but it “seems good to us”, we have a spiritual sense of God’s favor, and is not contradictory to the Spirit-inspired scriptures.

“Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him…they had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company.” Here, after the entire church could come together on a weighty theological issue, two colleagues/friends can’t even agree on a church-planting staffing issue. Paul would not recommend Mark for the task (though Mark ultimately proved to do excellent work over the years). Was one right and the other wrong? Were these just opinions? Should one of them have yielded? At any rate, this is the last we hear of Barnabas in the book of Acts.

CHALLENGES

1. An interpretive challenge today: Is everything that happened in Acts 15 what was supposed to have happened? Did the council make the right decision? Was Paul and Barnabas’ argument legitimate? Or “should” Acts 15 have happened in another way?

2. Does false doctrine bother you? We’re surrounded by it here in the valley (Mormonism, prosperity gospels, specifics of Catholicism, etc.). In the early church, they felt something had to be done about it. What needs to be done about it today?

3. Barnabas, a keynote speaker at the Jerusalem council, now finds himself at odds with Paul, the “chief spokesman” of the missions movement. Paul and Silas were “commended by the brothers” as they set out - it doesn’t say this about Barnabas and Mark. It seems Barnabas had a vision of working with Mark, and was going to do it even if Paul and the Antioch church were not behind him. Was this the right thing for Barnabas to do?

I’d love to hear from you on any or all of these challenges! Tomorrow, we meet Timothy, Lydia, and the Macedonians! Great stuff…see you then!

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Friday, May 16th - Acts 14

As we read these missionary stories, I find myself with snapshot images in my mind. I would love to have been there to see for myself! In today’s blog, I offer some random reflections of Paul and Barnabas’ time in Asia Minor.

INSIGHTS

ICONIUM:

Clearly both Paul and Barnabas were gifted communicators - it’s nice to see a team approach like this (we see in Lystra that Paul was the “chief speaker”)…

Poisoned minds require a longer stay, not a hasty exit…

Miracles are designed to “confirm the message of His grace”, not be a circus side-show of their own (it makes me doubt all the more the popular miracle workers of today, when they’re gospel has become so distorted)…

Why the incredible anger, especially among Gentiles?…

LYSTRA

Paul “saw that he had faith” — how? Is it possible for us to see if someone has faith, or was this a prophetic gift for the apostles only?…

The people of this world love to take people and convert them into the leaders of their own making, and will turn on them in an instant if they won’t bend to their ideas!…

There’s that gospel again: good news, creator God, man’s sin, God’s grace…

From sacrificing to them, to stoning them. People sure are fickle…

He went back into the city? I probably would have called it quits after the attempted stoning…

DERBE

“Won a large number of disciples.” I wonder what a “large number” was to Luke…

THE WAY BACK HOME

“Encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” The had great success, but this was not like today’s “seeker sensitive” message. They called for sacrifice from the beginning…

“Appointed elders in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord.” From new convert to elder in a matter of weeks. Probably devout Jews-turn Christians, with advanced understanding of the scriptures, and good standing in the community…

Lystra, Iconium, Pisidian Antioch, Pamphylia, Perga, Attalia. Just names, but I’m sure there are marvelous stories behind those names…

ANTIOCH

“The work they had now completed.” One trip was all that was commissioned at the beginning, but Paul was to become a life-long missionary…

“They stayed there a long time with the disciples.” A long furlough at home base before they embark on the next trip…

CHALLENGES

1. Not every seed sown by these men were “4th Seeds.” Not only did some of the seeds not sprout, but some seemed to attack back! Are you willing to faithfully sow seeds like Paul and Barnabas, even if the response is violent?

2. How would you like to be an elder in the city where they tried to stone the founding church planter? Now that is a tough call!

Tomorrow, the most famous church leadership meeting in the New Testament! See you then…

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Thursday, May 15th - Acts 13

I’ve been excited about sharing some thoughts about Acts 13, because I had an “aha!” moment as I took a more detailed look at some of the circumstances surrounding Paul and Barnabas’ call to the mission field. Check this out…

INSIGHTS

First of all, let’s remember what is happening to this point in Antioch. In chapter 11 we read that some out-of-town evangelists, from Cyprus and Africa, effectively reached “a great number” of gentiles with the gospel. Barnabas was sent from Jerusalem to check it out. Not only did he give the movement his stamp of approval, but he then went and fetched Paul from Tarsus, and brought him to Antioch for a year, during which time “great numbers of people” became Christians.

Do you see what an international movement this is? Cyprus, Africa, Jerusalem, Tarsus…no locals are listed. among the leaders. And, it continues in chapter 13, when an incredibly important leadership meeting is taking place. “Prophets and teachers” (not elders) from Cyprus, Africa, Galilee and Tarsus. An authoritative call from God comes out of this meeting, which ends with the Holy Spirit sending Paul and Barnabas out into the world with the gospel.

In many ways, Antioch reminds me of EVBC. Something wonderful has happened in Gilbert, as it had in Antioch. “A great number” have come to believe. But now, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, men are being sent beyond the thrill of the local success, and into a dangerous world that is both thirsty for and and antagonistic to the gospel. Huge highs and lows were on the horizon for Paul and Barnabas. They will take some very hard knocks along the way. They will also be used by God to completely change the world!

First stop, Barnabas’ home turf, Cyprus. The preaching begins, and so do the attacks. The same blindness Paul experienced in chapter 9 comes upon Bar-Jesus, the sorcerer who tried to defy the true gospel. Sergius Paulus, a key city leader, was “amazed at the teaching,” and believed. Yes, it seems like the Antioch experience can translate to other places!

Second stop, Pisidian Antioch (the other Antioch). Paul preaches another solid message (a synopsis of the Old Testament from Moses to David, John the Baptist to Jesus, from the cross to the resurrection), finishing with the glorious promise of the gospel: “through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.”

“As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue…” They had done their job. Like Acts 2, there is no altar call, no solicitation to join the club…just a proclamation of the truth. They were truly functioning like the “salt of the earth”, because the people had become thirsty…for more of their teaching! They were invited back to next week’s meeting, and people wanted to hear them every day between now and then! A week later “almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.”

But crowds are easy. It’s one thing to have a big audience, but people actually becoming Christians is something else. A key phrase from verse 48 clarifies the divine perspective: “All who were appointed for eternal life believed.”

CHALLENGES

1. Are we ready for a fresh ministry from God that comes from someplace different than our own? Do we have it within us to be led by people who are very different than us? Ethnically? Socially? Economically?

2. That prayer meeting that launched Paul and Barnabas…do you have a prayer meeting like that? If God was to send you into a new ministry, how would he tell you? Do you have the appropriate contexts with other brothers and sisters where you wait on the Lord together, like they did?

3. What if Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, because they were enjoying the huge movement of God there so much that they didn’t want to miss it? What if we at EVBC cling to the Gilbert campus experience so tightly that revivals like Pisidian Antioch are denied to other cities? Are you ready, willing and able to go?

It’s on now…Saul is now Paul (v. 9), and we will now follow his adventure for the next 15 chapters! Tomorrow, the rest of their initial journey, and their return to the mother church to celebrate!

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Wednesday, May 14th - Acts 12

(I’m out of town for a few days, so I’m posting a few days early. If you’re looking for chapters 10 or 11, you can find them by either scrolling or clicking on a link. – bh)

The church’s first martyr. An almost-comical prison break. A gruesome judgment of God on a worldly leader. An action-packed chapter! Enjoy the reading…then, let’s break it down.

INSIGHTS

James, son of Zebedee, one of the two “sons of thunder”, becomes the first apostle to lose his life for his faith. He, along with Peter and John, were the three most well-known leaders of the movement, so this would have been seen as a terrible loss. Interesting that it only gets a passing mention in the Biblical text.

Herod imprisons Peter because it brought pleasure to one of his political constituencies – though he himself could not have cared less about the Jews or one of their “sects.” Be careful when politicians cater to you – it can often come from someplace rather than the heart!

I love it when Peter is led out of prison by the angel, and is taken down a single street, and then…you’re on your own Peter! If I were Peter, I would have liked for the angel to keep on leading a bit longer. But, God’s level of interaction with us is up to Him, not us. God often delivers us from something, then leaves it to our initiative to move on from there.

While Peter was in prison, “the church was earnestly praying to God for him.” In fact, “many people had gathered and were praying.” They were meeting to do this in the evening, during what is normally sleep time. Then, after Peter visits them and tells his story, he instructs them to go tell James and some others, and it says he went to yet another place. Ministry doesn’t fit into our 8-to-5, don’t-bother-me-at-home, don’t-call-after-9:00 lives, does it?

They’re praying for Peter’s release. When

it happens, they don’t even believe it. When we pray, do we really expect answers? Or, like these at the prayer meeting, do we pray out of duty rather than genuine expectation?

They prayed for Peter’s release, and God answered! There was much rejoicing in the church, though this “yes” answer from God ended up taking the lives of 16 soldiers, who were executed for something they could not have controlled. 16 families rocked, some little children now fatherless. We forget when we pray that many dominoes fall in a lot of different directions in whatever way God answers.

Finally, Herod. As a worship leader, I have enjoyed sharing this passage, then charging the people to “praise God, or else you’ll be eaten by worms and die!” A bit out of context, I know…but, do you see how seriously God takes our praise (or lack thereof)?

“But the word of God continued to increase and spread.”

CHALLENGES

1. Pray deep into the night with your church family, and expect God to do great things.

2. Does God have you by the hand, unlocking doors for you? Or does he have you improvising the best you can? Either way, keep believing, and keep moving.

3. Praise God…I mean it! (More importantly, HE means it!)

I love Acts 13! It’s time for Paul to get launched as a missionary…great stuff ahead!

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Tuesday, May 13th - Acts 11

(I’m off for a few days this week, so this blog post is a day early. Looking for Acts 10? Scroll down…you’ll find it! - bh)

In the life of the church, there is often the need for us to get in line with what God is doing, even when it doesn’t seem to match what we expect. This is hard to do, especially when it rubs again the grain of our personal preferences. We have three episodes in this chapter which test the flexibility of the early believers.

INSIGHTS

Peter has just witnessed the “Gentile Pentecost” in Caesarea. He is now going back to Jerusalem to let the founding leaders of the movement know about it. How do they take it? “They criticized him,” and pointed out the violation to their legalism rather than the amazing work of God that had taken place (exactly like the Pharisees did during Jesus’ ministry).

So, Peter unfolds the story, detail by detail. The vision. His initial refusal. The divine appointment. The gospel. The Spirit.

I love their reply in verse 18. At first, they were silent…and indication to me that they were mentally processing the conflict between their preconceptions and the undeniable realities before them. Which would give? Cling to your thinking, or be malleable in light of the evidence? “They had no further objections.” They simply can’t deny the miracle. So, they “praised God,” and began the task of trying to embrace the program. Everything about their lives – how they pray, how they understand the word, how they fellowship, how they evangelize…it all changes.

I admire their flexibility…if not always their follow-through. This tension follows the church into the next centuries, and continues even into today. But it was a good start!

Next, the Antioch Pentecost. Some non-Jerusalem preachers from Cyprus and Africa start evangelizing gentiles, and they start coming to Christ! The Jerusalem church sends Barnabas to check it out (“Oh no, it’s Caesarea all over again!”), and…sure enough, God is saving all kinds of people! Barnabas “was glad”, “encouraged them”, and even went and got a guest speaker – Saul, from Tarsus – and brought him back for a year-long teaching ministry to build this new, international church up!

Finally, the church has to react to distress. Very practical needs are emerging (the famine), and the church senses the need to take care of each other. The faith is more than evangelism and Bible studies – so, it’s time to roll up the sleeves and serve. This is the call to a scattered group, with a brand new emerging identity, working through internal conflicts. But the reality now is obvious – we have to take care of our own. So, the new gentile churches send financial offerings to the home church in Judea – the church that is struggling to even accept the truth of their conversions! Do you think this act of generosity helped them work through the tension?

CHALLENGES

1. Anything going on in the life of the church that goes against your grain? Perhaps it’s time to be silent, cease arguing, acknowledge God’s motion, and offer Him praise,

2. This chapter points to the broad, international mission of the church. Has this gripped your heart? Do you pray for and give toward the work of God beyond your immediate people group?

3. Would people describe you like they did Barnabas? “He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.” If not…why not?

Meanwhile, the church in Jerusalem has some other problems brewing…more on that tomorrow!

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Monday, May 12th - Acts 10

When giving the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20). He ends with “Lo, I am with you always.” Jesus is truly with us, setting up divine appointments to advance His Kingdom. We are called to be a part of this! As you read this passage, ask the Lord to please allow us to have moments like Peter’s with Cornelius…’cause He can set them up!

INSIGHTS

Cornelius is an extraordinary mix of godliness, and the perfect circumstances for the task at hand. He was a devout, God-fearing, generous and prayerful man, with a strong family, and esteemed by gentiles and Jews alike. But also, a powerful Roman military man, from outside of Judea. God meets him in prayer, and utilizes his position for an extraordinary appointment. “Dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon.” Not everyone has some men to dispatch, and not everyone would be able to explain a divine vision to his team, and get them to buy into the assignment!

Meanwhile, Peter is hungry, and having visions of lunch (been there, but not to this divine extent!). He sees the ceremonially unclean animals, is told “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!”, and then utters a phrase that got him in real trouble back in Matthew 16: “”By no means, Lord!” Peter still has that confident streak, even in the face of God being God in extraordinary ways right before his eyes! And, of course, the angel has to repeat himself three times to get through to Peter (e.g., “you will deny me three times”, “feed my sheep”).

When Peter finally obeys and goes with his visitors to Caesarea and makes his appointment with Cornelius, there are a few awkward moments. Peter is torn between the vision and his heritage. Cornelius debates between his instincts and the truth. Neither knows exactly why this meeting has been summoned: Peter knows he should go to Cornelius, and Cornelius knows he should hear what Peter has to say. What could this be?

Peter knows: It’s the gospel. So, here it comes again: Jesus, his works, the cross, the resurrection, the great commission, the promise of forgiveness and salvation. Then, the God’s gospel action: the giving of the Holy Spirit. And, the church’s gospel action: baptism into the community of faith!

CHALLENGES

1. Peter and Cornelius have something in common: They are both committed to prayer! Do you have this in common with them? If not, perhaps this is what keeps you from being used by God for these types of appointments.

2. Having an unusual relational moment you weren’t expecting? What should you say? Peter knew…it’s always gospel time! Do you have your gospel ready, like Peter did?

3. Peter had to get over his idea that other people were somehow not as, well, “clean” as he. Who is there in your life who you find distasteful? Let’s take our pride to the Lord, and have Him remove it, like He did for Peter!

Now, Peter has to share this amazing event with his church back home. Do you think they’ll take this meat-eating, gentile-loving experience easily? We’ll see tomorrow…

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Sunday, May 11th - Acts 9

(Over 60 blog readers now…we’re picking up steam! Thanks for checking in!)

Before reading today, think in your head about those people who you wish could become believers, but you think God could never break through their hard hearts. Offer a prayer for them — because, as you’ll see, God can save anyone, even the toughest of customers.

INSIGHTS

Just how evil was Saul? He oversaw the executions of Christians (7:58, 8:1), he organized religious death squads that went house to house (8:3), and now he’s working the legal system to pave the way to legalized extermination (9:1-2). “A person who terrorizes or frightens others; a person, usually a member of a group, who uses or advocates terrorism.” That’s the definition of a terrorist. Saul was a Jewish terrorist.

Saul was literally on about to enter Damascus, where he was going to go from synagogue to synagogue, looking for Christians to extradite back to Jerusalem. Do you suppose the churches in Damascus were praying for some relief? (We see in verse 14 that they knew Saul was coming.)

The voice of Jesus interrupts his gruesome agenda with His first post-ascension revelation. He says, “Saul, why do you persecute me? I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Not the Christians, not the church, but “me…Jesus.” In God’s eyes, shots taken at the church are equivalent to direct shots at Jesus Himself.

Paul never answers this question, and I wish he did, because it’s a question I have for so many antagonists to the faith. Why do you take on Jesus? If he’s a deceiver or a crazy man, why not just leave him alone? Saul’s entire life was dedicated to eradicating a belief system that he had to have determined was ludicrous. Seems like a waste of valuable energy – especially in light of Gamaliel’s wisdom in chapter 5.

Paul’s bout of blindness reminds me of Jesus’ words to the Pharisees in John 9:41: “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” It seems every person who goes from death to life needs to pass through a season of blindness…where we realize that, on our own, we simply can’t see our way through.

And what a call to Ananias! “Go to ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.” Right! Kind of like a word from God saying, “Go visit with Osama Bin-Laden – he’s waiting for you to lead him to Christ.” How eager are you to obey that call?

Interesting…when Saul does get saved, it says “At once he began to preach.” Not a lot of training, schooling…just call and giftedness! And soon, the Jews were trying to kill him – quite a role reversal! The basket escape shows that the ingenuity of the church can often be used by God to help continue His plan.

Barnabas…you’ve got to love Barnabas! He’s the one who decides to venture out into the relational choppy water that would become his friendship with Saul/Paul. They will have their issues in the future, too.

Finally, a season of peace for the church, which featured internal and numerical growth…and a healthy dose of “living in the fear of the Lord.”

CHALLENGES

1. Are we praying about things as though God can truly and radically changes lives and circumstances? Or, if Jesus was here, would he say to us “oh, you of little faith”?

2. We have been experiencing a season of peace in the American Church for over 200 years. Peace yes…but stronger? More Spirit-driven? More reverent? Surely we could be growing stronger during these peaceful days!

Next up – Peter’s big lesson from God about the gentiles! See you tomorrow. Make sure you post your insights if you’ve got ’em!

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Saturday, May 10th - Acts 8

So, the church gets blown up in Jerusalem, and has to spread around the world. Bad news or good news? Tragic, or just what the doctor ordered?

INSIGHTS

“All except the apostles were scattered.” I find myself wondering why they didn’t scatter, too. History tells us that they eventually did…but why did they stick around during those first months and years? Just curious…

Do you see in Philip the marks of a truly powerful, Spirit-blessed ministry? 1. Bold proclamation, 2. powerful works, 3. the close attention of his listeners, 4. genuinely changed lives, and 5. joy for the entire city (not just the church). It looks great — so great that Simon the sorcerer wanted his “ministry” to look like that, too.

Simon seems to be a good guy - he’s excited, he gets baptized, and simply wants to be a part of the action. He has always really wanted to be somebody, and had received a degree of attention through being an illusionist. But now, he has encountered real divine power…and tendency toward self-promotion gets in the way. It’s not enough to be around the power…he wants to be the one that controls and dispenses it.

(Don’t you? Wouldn’t you want to be able to lay hands on people, and have them receive the Holy Spirit? Wouldn’t you want to miraculously heal people? I can’t blame Simon for wanting to be “a player” in the gospel ministry.)

So, he does what any sharp-thinking capitalist would do - he attempts to exchange his wealth for power. This happens in the church all the time. Those with resources tend to think that what they bring to the table in terms of resources should therefore amplify their role in leadership. Needless to say, Peter is not impressed, and is rather repulsed: “May your money perish with you…you have no part or share in this ministry…your heart is not right before God…you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

Simon repents. So should we.

Philip has a great moment of ministry on the road to Gaza in verses 26-40. He leads a man to Christ…and then the Spirit takes him away, and he never sees the man again. No applause, no glory…not even the enjoyment of watching the man walk in His new Christian life. That’s more like it. That’s the kind of ministry Simon should embrace.

CHALLENGES

1. “The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.” The world is full of people who have been through the ritual of baptism, but have not been born again. This is not triviality…this is life or death. Have you been born again? If your answer is, “no”, or only “I think so,” then we need to talk!

2. Talk about an uncomfortable, out-of-the-comfort zone encounter! On a desert road in Samaria, away from his home turf (heading southwest, away from his northeastern homeland of Galilee), a eunuch (kind of creepy weird), and Ethiopian (international strangeness), a rich guy (bigger net worth than a fisherman), and an important official with political power — in the days of massive persecution. If you’re ready to go up to that chariot, then you should be ready for any chariot in Mesa. If the Spirit prompted you, would you even hear Him? And, if you did, would you be willing like Philip to move on it?

3. “On his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet.” There are people out there dabbling in scripture with no clear idea of what it means. Are you ready, spiritually and educationally, to go and explain the Biblical truths?

Meanwhile, another guy is heading north to Damascus…oh, wait…that’s tomorrow!

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Friday, May 9th - Acts 7

Today, we have our one and only account of Deacon Stephen’s sermon before the religious leaders in Jerusalem. Let’s break it down:

Section 1: Verses 2-50 give a summary version of the unfolding covenant between God and His chosen people. Beginning with Abraham, and working through the lives of Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David and Solomon, Stephen recounts a series of stories that would have been incredibly well-known to his audience.

Section 2: Stephen suddenly gets very confrontational beginning in verse 51. In three short verses, he goes from being an ethnic insider with a shared history, to being hated, and eventually executed. What did he say that was so problematic for them?

These inflammatory accusations: “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts … You always resist the Holy Spirit … your fathers were prophet killers … you murdered Jesus … you’re lawbreakers.’ (not very seeker sensitive, eh?). But, even more than those character attacks, Stephen proclaims that the recently killed Jesus is, in fact, “the coming Righteous One,” that is, the Jewish Messiah. And, in verse 56, he claims he actually sees the risen Jesus in heaven, at the right hand of God. This they couldn’t handle. They gnashed, they covered their ears, they yelled, they attacked, they dragged, and they finally executed Jesus by stoning.

CHALLENGES

1. Stephen demonstrates that our understanding of the gospel is made possible by a deep understanding of God’s interaction with His people through time. How’s your Old Testament understanding?

2. Face of an angel, words sharp as a sword. If Stephen is the measure of boldness … how do you measure up? (Take a moment to praise God for the bold ones around the world who are dying like Stephen for the gospel even today).

3. Verse 55 says Stephen was “full of the Holy Spirit.” This is the obvious key, yes? he was not one of the 11 apostles, but still had an extraordinarily powerful relationship with God. This kind of depth of encounter is possible for us! Do we want it? Will we do what we ought to receive it?

Enter Saul in verse 58 … don’t worry, more about him in the coming chapters! Tomorrow, we bust out of Jerusalem! See you then…

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