Friday, May 23rd - Acts 21

If Paul isn’t your hero yet, I have a feeling he will be by the time you read the next eight chapters. A man of conviction, self-deprecation, incredible intelligence, willingness to sacrifice, idealism…he’s just the best.

INSIGHTS

“Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.” Paul has me baffled in this section of scripture. If so many along the way are being led by the Holy Spirit to discourage Paul from going to Jerusalem, why does he still go? When those around us collectively agree about a course of action we should take, it is very unwise to counter it. But, Paul was compelled. Some sort of internal conviction trumped the testimonies of all of these other men and women.

Tyre … Ptolemais … Caesarea … the church planting movement had certainly covered its bases, hadn’t it? Jerusalem. I wonder how often Paul’s mind went back to the bloodshed he condoned as Saul, the young persecutor of the church. The brother received us warmly. This won’t last … these kinds of greetings can be deceiving.

Join them in their purification rites. Here Paul is asked to do something very, very Jewish, so the Jews in Jerusalem would know that Paul isn’t anti-law. I have to think that Paul was less than excited about this, since his gospel boldly proclaimed that the only “purification rite” one needs is the one that comes by grace through faith in the blood of Christ! He doesn’t need to do this, but does it to promote peace and unity among the brothers.

Then, after seven days of this good will gesture, another group of Jews, not even locals, did the old “stir up the crowd” technique (it seems the people of Jerusalem are regularly and habitually worked up into a lather by whoever has the issue of the day). False charges and a mob scene…very Jesus-like.

So, Paul is beaten behind closed doors by the Jews, but they relent at the sight of the Roman guards. Like bullies who talk a big talk until the bigger kid walks into the schoolyard. “Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the desert some time ago?” This makes me laugh out loud. Amazing how you can get tagged with a rumor!

He speaks Greek to the guards, then Aramaic to the people. He’s so good!

If you can keep yourself from reading chapter 22, you have more will power than I do!

CHALLENGES

1. What would you do to keep the peace? “But I shouldn’t have to do that,” you might say. That’s what Paul would have said. What are you doing that you don’t have to do, but choose to do, for the sake of others?

2. All of these churches across the empire were interconnected, and shared with each other when guests would come through town. Our American churches seem so isolated in contrast. What can we do to be more involved with other Christians around us?

3. How firm is your backbone? Can someone get you stirred up along with the crowd? Or, do you know what you’re about, with your foundation firmly set by the Word of God?

Tomorrow … Paul’s concise autobiography to the crowd.

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Thursday, May 22nd - Acts 20

Wow…what a passage we have today.

Sure, we could all have a good laugh about Eutychus falling out the window during Paul’s prolonged sermon (amazing that, after he was healed at midnight, Paul kept preaching until daybreak!), or we could break down Paul’s amazing travelogue, and the great lengths he went to to avoid Ephesus, because he loved them so much!

But, what we really need to do is look at Paul’s final words to some of his favorite Elders, the ones who made the 20+ mile trip from Miletus just to say goodbye for the last time. (Please, if you’re prone to just reading the blog, but not the text, take a minute to grab your Bible, and read through verses 17-38).

INSIGHTS

As a pastor, I am rocked by Paul’s description of his ministry. Specifically, there are words he repeats that cause me to reassess my own ministry: shrink, and solemn (NASB).

“I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable…I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.” This is an important consideration, because it was a legitimate temptation. Paul’s gospel included “repentance”, “faith”, and his need to “admonish.” In our day, there are many that offer a message of Christ that is sugar-coated, and avoids the tough truths. The contemporary church “shrinks” from telling the whole truth, because the message of the kingdom is one of sacrifice, discipline, self-denial, and even death. No shortcuts for Paul, no dessert without the vegetables. And, because it was a temptation for him, he knows it will be a temptation for even for those “from among your own selves”, from amongst these Elders in whom he had invested for three years.

“”Solemnly testifying of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ”…”The ministry which I received from the Lord, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.” Solemn. Solemnity. When was the last time you were solemn? When was the last time your were in a context that could be described as solemn? Our contemporary world just doesn’t do solemn very often. We don’t like it. Instead, we like banter, laughs, amusement, and pithy comments. But Paul understood that the proclamation of the gospel is not a light-hearted endeavor. Rather, as I look into the thesaurus, the gospel is somber, grave, serious, sobering, earnest, sincere, firm, fervent.

When we shrink, we lose the gravity, the solemnity. When we lost the solemnity, we lose the full impact of the gospel.

Finally, a bit out Paul’s final charge. His last words…what would he say? Make sure you pray a lot? Make sure you evangelize your neighbors? Make sure you organize some service projects? Make sure you mobilize an anti-Diana rally downtown? No…one item: Protect the deposit of truth. Be on the alert for any semblance of heresy, shrinking, or a watered-down gospel! Men of Mesa, the charge for us is the same. We need to know and live the full counsel of God, protect it in our community, and faithfully transfer it to the next generation.

CHALLENGES

1. The people in Troas listened to Paul all night long! That’s how much they valued the truth! We have Paul’s teaching in our Bibles, right there in our hands! Do we value it enough to read it, say, a few minutes a day?

2. Are you ready to own up to the the incredible challenge of “holding to the deep truths of the faith” (1 Tim. 3:9), in all of its boldness and gravity?

3. “They began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him.” Are we ready to be this close in our ministry together?

I love you guys more and more each day.

Off to Jerusalem…

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Wednesday, May 21 - Acts 19

Before we begin, thanks to those of you who were at the Paradise Bakery yesterday morning for our 4th Seed gathering. Great stuff! For those who missed it, we took some time to break down Paul’s sermon on the Aereopagus in Athens. Jason Haas made the great point that, when Paul preaches to a Jewish audience, he opens with the Old Testament covenant stories. With Gentiles, he opens with God as the creator of all things. We talked about how we need to perceive things about the person with whom we are sharing, and attempt to lay out the gospel truth on a foundation of a shared understanding of some kind. I wish you all could have joined us. Maybe next week?

To the text…

INSIGHTS

We are told that in “two years…all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord.” Paul certainly knew what he was about, and he worked hard to get the gospel message out. What will it take for us to say “all the residents of Mesa heard the word of the Lord”? Certainly a level and boldness beyond what we are practicing now…

The miraculous hankies: Interesting…one commentator points out that “Such is the authority of the Kingdom of God. That physical objects (handkerchiefs and aprons) are instruments of healing demonstrates that God became Man in order to redeem all creation and make all creation a vehicle of grace.” I like that last phrase - “all creation a vehicle of grace.” In Christ, Creator became creation in order to reach creation. It is true that God can and does use what he has made to reach those he made.

“Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” There are no shortcuts to intimacy with God. The only way to truly know God is to spend the time waiting in eager expectation for the filling of the Holy Spirit. That’s why Jesus told the disciples not to leave Jerusalem until after that filling took place. Does the Spirit know you?

“The name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.” This, on the heals of an evil spirit leaping on the false prophets, stripping them, and beating them. God can glorify Himself in extraordinary ways, can’t he?

What was the bottom line for the leaders in Ephesus? Economic prosperity (v. 25) and the glory of their iconic temple (and its revenues!) (v. 27). The world system needs us to play its game, or else it will turn on us and persecute us. And, it’s true…the wisdom of God often counters the attempts of the men of the world to build their kingdoms. (Example: We could take our new income tax rebate, and spend it on ourselves, the way our government wants us to…or, we could see it as a blessing, and choose to give it to a worthy charity or ministry.)

Verse 32 is funny: “The assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together.” I know a man who, in his days at UCLA in the ’60s, would jump in line on a protest march not having any idea what the issue of protest was! I guess it was just cool to be a part of the action. All this to say, just because people are “ganging up” against the gospel, they may not be serious, or even cogent, about their expression of antagonism.

The city clerk seems like a level-headed guy. Cooler heads prevail as he ascribes worth to these men’s character and actions. I think it’s good to point out that we as believers don’t have to talk down someone else’s heresy in order to present our truth (”They are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess”). Being positive about Jesus is enough!

And right smack dab in the middle of the chapter, one of those great verses: “The word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed!”

CHALLENGES

1. Let’s make sure everyone in Mesa hears the word of the Lord over the next two years…but how?

2. Let’s pray deeply with God, so we can honestly say we know Him…and He knows us!

3. In every chapter, we see controversy connected to the proclamation of the gospel. We can expect no less - though I doubt they will pick up stones to stone us! Are you ready to stand for Christ in the face of aggressive adversity? If not, ignore challenges 1 and 2. If you are ready, let’s go for it!

Tomorrow, it’s Paul’s farewell to the Ephesus Elders - an incredibly powerful passage that is used often to guide our church life today. Don’t miss it!

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Tuesday, May 20th - Acts 18

As a change of pace, I’m reading out of The Message today, a contemporary paraphrase of the scriptures by Eugene Peterson (Peterson is one of my favorite authors, and I am also currently reading his latest book called The Jesus Way, which I heartily recommend!). Today, our reading takes us to the church that will receive from Paul more epistle content than any other - Corinth.

INSIGHTS

Aquila and Priscilla seem like great people. Jews, forcefully evacuated from Italy, they became fast friends with Paul, partly because of the craft they had in common - they were tent makers. That’s true, isn’t it? Our world is filled with little subcultures, that have their own points of reference, and even their own language. It feels good to find some people like you. In this case, Paul is the beneficiary.

When Paul leaves the synagogue for good, and begins teaching regularly at Titius’ house, I wonder if he felt a sense of relief, or a sense of loss. Or maybe both. In this case, Paul is finding himself at odds with the subculture of his past, and is now leading a new subculture of the gospel. New and fresh, yes…but it’s hard to say goodbye to things of emotional value. What subculture did you give up when you were saved by Christ? It’s okay to miss aspects of that…as long as you don’t end up, like the Jews during the Exodus, wanting the “leaks and onions of the Nile” more than the redemption of Christ!

Corinth was a tough place to do ministry, but Paul stuck it out for 18 months. God’s word of encouragement to Paul included: “You have no idea how many people I have on my side in the this city.” Nor do we have any idea about our cities…but we know the harvest is plentiful. We, too, need to work hard for the gospel, and stick it out until God calls us otherwise.

I like Gallio. “It sounds to me like one more Jewish squabble, another of your endless hairsplitting quarrels over religion,” he tells the Jews. We truly look ridiculous in the eyes of the world when we fight with each other. I’m thankful that Gallio tells it like it is. “He could not have cared less.” Sad that the actions of the religious crowd made him indifferent to issues of ultimate truth.

Ephesus was an important town - second only to Rome as a hub for commerce in the Empire during this time. With a population of 4-500,000, this is a place where a large church could develop. And it did. Ultimately, the Apostle John would be the head pastor for this city and region. Only a passing mention of this important city, at least in this chapter.

Apollos…take a look at this man. Very interesting. He’s from Alexandria, which is a bit like being from Harvard. Alexandria was the city of high culture, and higher education. A product of that environment, he is now in Asia Minor, equipped with great smarts, great enthusiasm, and great speaking ability. But, for all his skills, he was missing something…the Holy Spirit! It took a couple of wandering tent makers to make this scholar become aware of his short-comings. With this addition, he becomes a powerhouse on Team Paul.

CHALLENGES

If Paul asked you to leave your town and accompany him to some new places, would you go? Or is your allegiance to your home turf? It’s been said that believers “need to pack lightly” … we need to be ready to go where God calls. How flexible are you to make those kinds of moves?

Do you have issues with your church? Do you have broken relationships with people because of some theological dispute? Beware: You may be a big turn-off to someone who needs to not only hear the gospel, but see the gospel in the way you live. Are you willing to bury the hatchet for the sake of your and the church’s reputation?

Are you like Apollos? Do you have head knowledge of Christianity, but you’re lacking something inside? If this is true of you, would you be willing to admit it? (HINT: You should be willing, and you ought to do it…today!).

Back to Ephesus tomorrow!

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om the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

Monday, May 19th - Acts 17

An action packed chapter to start off your week! Let’s get to it…

INSIGHTS

Thessalonica…three weeks of preaching yielded a) some Jews, b) a lot of Gentiles, and c) a good number of prominent women. Even though only “some Jews” believed, the other Jews were “jealous.” And their spiritual pride gave rise to violence. I find myself wanting to step in and say, “Look, if you’re right, and Paul is wrong, just explain yourselves! Shoot down the evidence, or refute it from scripture…but, please, don’t resort to schmoozing with the Roman government, or hiring hoodlums to kidnap upstanding local residents!”

(Probably just as well that I wasn’t able to do that - I don’t think they would have listened!)

Berea…I used to be the pastor of a church called Berean Bible Fellowship. The idea was that we should be like the Bereans in Acts 17 - “of more noble character” than run-of-the-mill Christians like those in Thessalonica (which is why we weren’t Thessalonian Bible Fellowship, I guess). The dividing line? The combination of eager acceptance and daily scriptural examination. God loves this. We should be about this. Is this a hallmark of your life?

Athens…One of my favorite passages of scripture. Here, Paul tries to explain Christ in unique terms for his unique audience. Think about it…if you were trying to explain the gospel to a group of cowhands at the Apache Junction feed store, what would you say? The same thing you’d say over coffee with a professor at ASU? I think not! Same gospel, different contexts of explanation needed.

Here, Paul was sharing with the equivalent of the ASU crowd. “Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him…All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.” Paul could have said, “no way…they’ll never listen”, and head back to the synagogue or market. He could have tossed out the same presentation he gave in Thessalonica or Berea. Rather, he shaped his message around their culture - their religiosity, their civic idols, their philosophical framework. But, he didn’t hedge on the gospel. He boldly proclaimed resurrection, which put a big dent in his credibility, and his popularity. “A few men” believed, but most scoffed. Not the success of the previous cities, but a level of success I would gladly take here and now in Mesa!

CHALLENGES

1. Are you spiritually prideful? Denominationally patriotic? If so, do you really have the capacity to explain your understanding of the truth, or do you just depend on the study and testimony of others? At worst, do you get jealous of the successes of other groups you think are off base? What do you do with that internal emotion?

2. Are you noble, like the Bereans? Do you study hard? If not…why not? Is it time? Or, really, is it just lack of interest?

3. How are you at adapting your presentation of the gospel to the uniqueness of the people around you? Paul says “I become all things to all people.” Do we do that? How can we get better at it?

Are we having fun yet? If Paul isn’t your hero yet, keep reading. And, if this doesn’t whet your appetite for being involved in outreach, the preaching of the gospel, and the advance of the Kingdom…well, hang in there some more. It just keeps on coming!

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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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