Our Time is in His hand Acts 12

Our Times are in His Hands

Acts 12:1-19

Introduction:  I told you before the story of my nephew who died of leukemia at the age of 6.  Even back then we were given much hope when he was diagnosed.  The kind of leukemia he had had a 90% cure rate.  Even so, six weeks later he had died. Nine out of ten lived, he was one who did not. Does life at times seem random? Two children with the same disease, one lives, the other is taken at a young age. An IED explodes on a roadside in Afganistan, one soldier is killed instantly, another escapes, unscathed.  There is a car accident, one teenager is killed, another has only a few scratches.  Two healthcare workers giving their time and expertise to help Ebola sufferers in west Africa, seemingly taking the same precautions, yet one contracts the disease, while the other remains healthy.  We’ve heard the stories of missionaries, some who serve 40 or 50 years without incident, others, like Jim Eliot and Nate Saint and their team, martyred seemingly before they get started. All by chance?  Here in Acts 12 we see a similar study in contrast: One leader is put to death, another is miraculously delivered from prison.  Why? And how does God’s sovereign plan relate to His call to His people to pray? We don’t have a lot of details concerning the general persecution that is happening in Acts 12, or the death of James, the emphasis is on the deliverance of Peter and the continued growth of the church as the Lord works out His will in and through the believers.

The Big Idea: God alone numbers our days, and the safest place always is to be at the center of His will.

I. “In the world you will have tribulation…” (1-5). When Jesus made that statement in John 16:33 He was talking to His disciples, his chosen and beloved followers.  The principle applies to every subsequent follower of Jesus: at some level, in some way, we are going to experience suffering in this life. The scene here shows the initiation of yet another period of intense persecution against the believers. This time the apostles are again at the center, specifically two who were part of Jesus’ inner circle. We read in Acts 12:1-5,

About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.  ² He killed James the brother of John with the sword,  ³ and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread.  ⁴ And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.  ⁵ So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

            “About that time…” gives a temporal setting, shifting our attention back to the end of chapter 11 and the offering that was sent by the believers in Antioch to help the church in Jerusalem with famine relief (see also 12:25).  The persecution in Jerusalem makes the willingness of Paul and Barnabas to come to the city with aid all the more impressive, they were risking their own safety it seems to help brothers and sisters in need.  It also tells us that one kind of tribulation, the natural disaster of a famine and drought, is followed by another kind of tribulation, persecution of the Christ followers. 

            Herod is the instigator of this persecution (at a human level at least!). This is one family with a family tree marked by resistance to God! This Herod is the grandson of Herod the Great, who had the innocents slaughtered in Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth.  He is the nephew of Herod Antipas, who was king at the time of Jesus’ public ministry, and the Father of Herod Agrippa II before whom Paul would appear later in Acts. I don’t know if its “nature” or “nurture”, but the apple didn’t fall far from the tree with these guys! Hungry for power, disregard for human life, rejection of the sovereign rule of God, failure to recognize the presence of God in Christ, characterized each of them.

            The extent of the persecution isn’t too clear; it was against “some who belonged to the church.” Then we are told bluntly, “He put James the brother of John to death with the sword.” James, one of the three that formed the “inner circle,” closest to Jesus during His earthly ministry.  They were there at the transfiguration, they were there in the garden when Jesus is praying passionately on the eve of his arrest and execution.  Simply stated, no details, only that it was with the sword.  This is not just a story, it’s history.  We’ve seen lately in the news images of ISIS terrorists with swords ready to execute those they deem infidels. This is the kind of barbarism the church was experiencing at this moment as well.  In the story of Acts we see the truth that God’s people will not escape pain and suffering in this life. In fact choosing to follow Jesus may make you a target for the enemy! But we are also assured that Jesus is in control, and that He is building His church. Nothing we face, no obstacle the enemy can put before us, will impede what God is doing. As Jesus said elsewhere, “In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world!” (John 16:33b).

            V.5b offers hope in the midst of crisis, Peter was arrested, “…but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church…” In the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts the author, Luke the beloved physician, wants his readers to know the importance and the power of prayer. In Luke we see Jesus teaching his disciples, by word and by example, that prayer is necessary, and a privilege and a resource given us by the Father. So Jesus is found praying before every major step of his public ministry. The lesson is clear: if it was important for Jesus to pray while He was in the world, how much more important is it for us!  In Acts the church follows His example. They learned from the Master the importance of prayer. Have we forgotten that lesson? Do we value prayer for what it is, coming into the presence of the Father in the name of the Son and empowered by the Spirit, opening our hearts to the God who is, the God who loves us, the God who invites us to call Him Abba, “Daddy”?  We can pray in faith in any situation, because God is in control, He alone numbers our days, and the safest place always is to be at the center of His will.

II. God is able to rescue us in our time of deepest need (6-11). God didn’t rescue James, but he did deliver Peter. Why? The point is made that the church was “…praying earnestly to God…” for him. Does this imply that prayer was not made for James? It doesn’t say, it is possible that he had been arrested and executed before it was known to the church. It is also possible that prayer had been offered for James as well, and the answer was not what the believers had hoped and asked, we just don’t know with certainty.  For most of the Old Testament book of Job, Job is crying out to God in his pain and misery, with no idea as to why he was passing through such tribulation. At several points and in several ways he says “I cry out to you, God, but you do not answer…” (cf. Job 30:20).  When my nephew was diagnosed with leukemia I remember praying fervently, pleading with God for his healing.  Sometimes God’s purpose is not known to us. After James’ death, perhaps Peter wondered what was coming. The story of Peter’s deliverance is reported simply in 12:6-11,

⁶ Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison.  ⁷ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, "Get up quickly." And the chains fell off his hands.  ⁸ And the angel said to him, "Dress yourself and put on your sandals." And he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me."  ⁹ And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.  ¹⁰ When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him.  ¹¹ When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting."

A couple of take aways here:

First, The Lord knows where we are even in our darkest moments (6-7). Notice the timing of the miracle, “When Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night…” God is never in a hurry, but his timing is always perfect. The hour was approaching when Peter would face the executioner’s sword as James had, that very night, but this time it would be different, this time God intervened.  Eventually, tradition tells us, Peter too would be martyred, crucified upside down. Though James is the only apostle killed in the New Testament, history tells us that all of the apostles, except John who spent his later years in exile, were martyred for their faith. We don’t always know why one is delivered and another is not, but we do know that God had an important part for Peter to play in the counsel in Jerusalem in Acts 15.  His testimony about his role in God’s program expanding to include the gentiles was important at that strategic moment.  He promises to be with us always, even in  the darkest valley, or the darkest prison, or the lonely hospital bed, the moments we would be tempted to despair, He is there.

Secondly, no obstacle we face is too difficult for Him (8-11). This was a desperate situation from a human perspective. James had just been killed, so the threat was real. Chained between two soldiers, two more guarding the door. No hope of escape. Had the end come, was his time at hand? It may have looked that way to Peter and to the church. Peter had been miraculously delivered from prison before, but could he expect such a miracle again (cf. Acts 5:19,20)? Such a miracle had not come for James after all!

Remember the story of Daniel’s friends and the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:17,18)? They refused to bow to the image erected by Nebuchadnezzar,

^“…our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.  ¹⁸ But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."

  Our God is able to deliver us. But even if he doesn’t we’ll stay faithful! Ultimately we know God will deliver us. We know that at least if we have an eternal perspective. We don’t live for this life only.  In fact Paul would later write “...If we have hope in this life only we are of all men most to be pitied!” (I Cor 15:19). Whatever trial or tribulation you face, our God is able to deliver. There is no crisis too difficult, no sickness too severe, no tribulation so intense that our God is stymied by it. He is able. And in His way and His time, He will deliver His people. When it serves His purpose and brings Him glory in this life, or ultimately in the resurrection and the New Heaven and the New Earth, we will be delivered.  Jesus is Lord, and He is sovereign, and He alone numbers our days. The safest place always is to be at the center of His will.

III. God is bigger than we know: He is able to do more than we ask or think (11-17).  This part of the story is almost laughable in how it is told, I think Luke must have smiled as he wrote it.  Can you almost picture the scene? 

¹¹ When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting."  ¹² When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.  ¹³ And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer.  ¹⁴ Recognizing Peter's voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate.  ¹⁵ They said to her, "You are out of your mind." But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, "It is his angel!"  ¹⁶ But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed.  ¹⁷ But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Tell these things to James and to the brothers." Then he departed and went to another place.

Peter goes to the house of Mary the mother of John, expecting to find believers gathered there (v.12). They are praying fervently, based on v.5, for the release of Peter. Rhoda recognizes Peter’s voice, but rather than letting him in, she is so excited that she leaves him locked out and runs back into the meeting to report who is outside! First they think she is crazy, then they think it must be an angel, when they finally look, they are “amazed.” It was impossible, inexplicable, yet there he stood!  Notice something about prayer: they were gathered, they were praying, and then they were shocked by God’s answer! Some theology would say that if we don’t get what we are asking for from God, we mustn’t have enough faith. We don’t need great faith to pray, we have a great God who wants us to come, with our mustard seeds of faith mixed with doubt and struggle, crying out to Him, Abba, Daddy, we need you, we are desperate for you! God is in control, He alone numbers our days, and the safest place always is to be at the center of His will.

IV.  Not everyone gets it: Some will be hardened by the revelation Of God (18-19). We see that hardening here with Herod…

¹⁸ Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.  ¹⁹ And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.

Morning came, and the guards were shocked, what had happened? How could the prisoner be gone?  There was a “disturbance” among the guards, probably one accusing the other, both shock at the seemingly impossible disappearance of Peter, and fear over what this meant to them. They were in trouble and they knew it!

The reaction of Herod illustrates the hardness of his unbelieving heart. Rather than considering all the options of what had happened, including the supernatural, he has the guards put to death, they must be lying, anything else was unthinkable! He could not, he would not believe anything else.

P.S. The final scene in this chapter, 20-24, is a study in contrast.

²⁰ Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king's chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king's country for food. [Remember, there was a famine] ²¹ On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them.  ²² And the people were shouting, "The voice of a god, and not of a man!"  ²³ Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last…

If the best place to be is at the center of God’s will, walking by faith, trusting in His presence, this scene shows the worst place to be: in rebellion against God, in this case committing idolatry by accepting the praise of men, putting yourself in the place of God. Though Herod embodied this kind of rebellion at a profound level, it is really a graphic illustration of all sin. We choose our word or our reason or our way instead of God’s revealed truth, that is sin at its core. Though we don’t always see such immediate and decisive judgment of sinners in this life, we can be assured that everyone one day will give an account before God, and He will judge the world in righteousness.

What is God saying to me in this passage? Jesus is Lord. Nothing and no one can touch us without His permission. He alone numbers our days, and the safest place always is to be at the center of His will.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? Have you ever been in the midst of a dark valley, a time of despair or pain or hopelessness, even like Job crying out, “Where are you Lord? Why don’t you answer my prayers?” I’ve been there. Remember Joseph, hated and sold into slavery by his brothers, despite his faithful service falsely accused of sexual assault by the wife of Potiphar and cast into prison, forgotten for a time, but exactly where God wanted him. At the center of his will. And ultimately he was used to save those who had hated and betrayed him.  God was working in Joseph’s life and He is working in yours if you know Him. You will have tribulation in the world, but listen, this is a promise, Jesus has overcome the world, he is, and he will be with you and bring you through whatever valley you experience.  Talk to Him, be honest with Him, trust Him, and believe that His answer is going to be better than you could possibly imagine.  Think about that, AMEN.

The Church Planting Churches - Acts 11:19-30

The Church Planting Churches (or, "God's 3-G Network!")

Acts 11:19-30

Introduction: The world has been changed by technology in many ways, one is the instant communication we have. Once a week we "Skype" with our daughter's family down in NJ, and it's been fascinating to us to see our granddaughter interacting with us over the computer screen – it’s all perfectly natural to her, I held my hand up by the camera and said "give me five" and she smacked the computer screen!  I subtitled the message today "God's 3-G Network" but I am not talking about modern technology or smart phones, but rather I'm referring to God's sovereign hand guiding and growing and graciously knitting together a worldwide network of churches that together are His church.

       Lately we have had some opportunities for the body reaching inward, as we seek to encourage one another, and bear each other’s burdens. We are a family, and when we act like it our witness to the world is also enhanced. Remember Jesus’ words, “By this men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  The unity of the body also enhances our ability to carry out our mission in the world.  Acts has shown us the biblical model of disciples making disciples. God doesn’t send angels or speak directly in a voice from heaven to most people, rather He speaks through His followers, people like us, to reach those who need to hear, and to build up those who are in the faith. Disciples making disciples. This passage reminds us that healthy disciple making must occur in relationship to the church as diverse gifts work together in a unified body to build each other up and to carry out our mission to reach the lost. We also see here that the multiplication of healthy churches will be the eventual result. 

The Big Idea: God will use the diverse gifts of his people to build healthy, growing, reproducing churches.

I. The Guided Expansion of the Church: Jesus is building His church even through times of persecution and hardship (19-21). I almost titled this point “the Spontaneous Expansion of the Church,” since that is what it might look like at one level. After all, it was birthed out of persecution, the scattering that happened after Stephen was killed and persecution intensified against the believers in Jerusalem and Judea. However behind the scenes, we see the hand of the Lord providentially guiding the circumstances, working through His Spirit empowered followers, to build His church.  That’s really the big idea in Acts, it’s not just, “Well, look at that, it all worked out in the end!”  Rather, it is “Well, look at that, nothing could stop what Jesus is doing, He works it all out in the end!” So I want to emphasize what God is doing, rather than “The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church,” we see “The Guided expansion of the church,” that’s the first “G” in God’s 3G network.

·        Persecution, Providence, and the Plan of God: Luke reminds us that God worked through a painful situation to accomplish His good purpose…

Remember back in Acts 8:1,4 in the aftermath of the stoning of Stephen we read,

“…And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles...  ⁴ Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word...”

Even though the opposition to the church had taken a violent and deadly turn, God was not finished, Jesus was still working.  Here at the end of chapter 11, Luke, the master historian and story teller shows us the connection between that event and the next stage in the outward expansion of the church.

¹⁹ Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen [see Acts 8:1,4] traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.  ²⁰ But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 

It’s a dramatic flashback in the story, reminding us of the persecution that followed the brutal killing of Stephen and resulted in the “scattering” of the believers in Jerusalem. They weren’t merely dispersed, they were scattered like seeds, preaching the word of Christ as they went.  Even this part of the mission began with an emphasis on the Jews, but the story now takes a momentous turn: some preached the Gospel “to the Greeks also” in Antioch.  Acts has been preparing us for this transition.  The movement outward has been gaining momentum. First the Samaritans and a lone Ethiopian eunuch come to saving faith (Acts 8). Then the persecutor Saul is converted and we are told that he would bring the Gospel, as a chosen instrument of Christ, to the nations (9:1-6, 15,16). Then Peter returns to the story and He receives the vision of a sheet descending from heaven, and the message that there is a deeper significance to that vision, and goes to the home of a gentile to preach Christ. As he is speaking they believe and the Spirit falls, making clear to all the Jews present the connection with the day of Pentecost. Now Luke takes us back to those who were scattered, and shows how they began reaching out to the Greeks as well as to the Jews. All by chance? The Lord is guiding His people as He builds His church. 

·          The Lord’s Hand in the Mission (v.21)  ²¹ And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 

Notice that it wasn’t cleverly designed church growth strategies, it wasn’t a well planned gospel presentation, it was the “hand of the Lord,” the presence and power of Christ, that brought the growth.  A great number believed and turned to the Lord.  That truth hasn’t changed. The same Jesus is alive, building His church. The same Spirit that filled and empowered the believers in the New Testament is with us and in us today.  Will we yield to Him, available, willing to have a part in His program? You see, nothing has really changed, God will still use the diverse gifts of his people to build healthy, growing, reproducing churches.

II. The Growth of a Missions Minded Church: The church will discern what God is doing and rejoice, and send the workers he has raised up (22-26).

·        An Encouraging development in leadership: Barnabas is sent (22-24)

²² The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.  ²³ When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose,  ²⁴ for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

If we’ve been reading Acts carefully we probably aren’t too surprised that the Jerusalem church sends Barnabas to Antioch.  He’s appeared in the story a couple of times before this, and even his name (Barnabas = “Son of Encouragement”) reminds us that he is an encourager. He was there in Jerusalem selling land and giving radically and generously to meet the needs of the believers.  He showed up when the Jerusalem church leaders were skeptical of Saul’s conversion and they were afraid to accept him.  And now here he is sent to bring encouragement and stability to a new and growing church.  Since he was from Cyprus he immediately had a connection with the other leaders who were from Cyprus and Cyrene. God has a way of preparing specific people to fill specific needs in his Mission.  And that includes you!  You have been uniquely prepared by God to fill a gap that only you can fill. God is the potter, He has shaped you into the person you are. Your “SHAPE,” as Rick Warren calls it: your spiritual gifts, heart’s desire, abilities, personality, and experiences have all been given and guided by Him to prepare you for the work he wants you to do!

            Barnabas “saw the grace of God and was glad…” How do you see grace? You can see the evidence of it, lives changed, hearts transformed, the handprint of God’s mercy and grace overflowing all around him… And he encouraged them, exhorting them to stay faithful to the Lord, to be intentional in their walk as his disciples.  It was his nature, he was “a good man,” and he was filled with the Spirit, and He believed God…. And God blessed, the church was growing. It seems that new believers were coming into the body, and that believers were using their gifts and growing in the faith.  As Barnabas saw the evidence of God’s grace in those believers, it seems that he remembered a powerful illustration of grace, an example of God’s unmerited favor, the persecutor who was transformed into a preacher of the gospel of Christ.

·        An Expansion of the Team bears fruit: Saul joins the team (25-26)

²⁵ So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, ²⁶ and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

Barnabas saw the work growing and he remembered someone who’s gifts and talent and calling seemed an excellent fit. And so he went and got Saul, the very one who was at the heart of the persecution that scattered the believers from Jerusalem in the first place, no doubt including some who were now a part of this new church in Antioch!  Maybe he saw gifts and abilities, aspects of Saul’s divinely given “S.H.A.P.E.,” that he could envision filling needs in the church in Antioch.  God was not only giving this new church an expert Bible teacher, but he was giving them a living, breathing, example of God’s amazing grace, an illustration of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in a human life!

            Notice that Luke mentions that here, in this church, the disciples were first called “Christians.” The “Christ-people” were probably identified by those around them in a mocking way, “Oh, he’s one of those!” After you came to faith in Christ, were you surrounded by those who accepted and affirmed your new faith in a positive way, or did they mock you? My brothers called me “preacher-boy” but I didn’t mind! I think those who were called “Christians” were not ashamed to be identified with the Lord Jesus Christ, their Savior and Master.  Are we peculiar people? I hope so! God will use the diverse gifts of his people to build healthy, growing, reproducing churches.

III.  The Generosity of a Church Engaged in Mission: A healthy, missions minded church will see needs as God sees them, and be moved to compassion (27-30).

·        Believers too can pass through times of hardship (27,28).

²⁷ Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.  ²⁸ And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). 

Any of us can come into a situation where unexpectedly we have need or hardship. Sometimes it will be situations that we face individually, sometimes the broader economy, but it can happen. It does happen. We need to care for one another, help one another. In some cases that may involve counselling with the intent of helping people see how they can live within their means, make better choices. In some cases it will mean giving financially to help in emergencies. That is one of the functions of our deacons and deaconesses as they help in the shepherding ministry of the church.  We take a “deacon’s fund” offering once a month, on communion Sunday, not just because that’s what we’ve always done, but to have some funds on hand so that the church can respond to emergency needs, first in the body, and also in the community. We don’t normally know when they will come, only that they will come. So we have a deacons’ fund available to respond. In this passage in Acts the Lord let the church in Antioch know, through Agabus, that there would be a famine in the land, so they determined to give, “…everyone according to his ability…” Agabus will appear again later in the story, warning Paul that He was going to be arrested when he went to Jerusalem.

·          Believers will respond generously to brothers in need (29, 30).

²⁹ So the disciples determined, everyone according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea.  ³⁰ And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

I think that generosity is another evidence of the grace of God, something we can see, something we should be thankful for.

What is God saying to me in this passage? God will use the diverse gifts of his people to build healthy, growing, reproducing churches.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? Let’s start with the last point, the radical sharing that was part of the early church. Everyone gave “…according to this ability…”  Sometimes its just the opposite, the proportionately most generous are those who have the least, like the widow who had two mites, and gave it all. I remember the story of the guy who went to his pastor and said when his salary was small he didn't have any problem giving 10% or more to the Lord’s work, but now, it just seemed too much since his salary was so large. The pastor prayed, “Lord, please help this brother to give in proportion to his income, or, bring his income down to the level of his giving!”  I don’t know about individual giving in this church, only that with our tithes and offerings we are able to meet our needs and give to missions, so praise the Lord! But it’s good to be reminded that we are stewards: we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out. It is not only the 10% or so we might give, but 100% of what we have has been entrusted to us by God. We are required to be good stewards. Are we willing to see the needs around us, and be open to what God would have us to do?

            Stewardship extends to another area as well, that is the gifts and talents God has given us. All that we have is because of  Him, our SHAPE, as as I mentioned earlier, our Spiritual gifts, Heart’s desire, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences, are all a part of how God, the Master potter, has formed us. Are we willing to dedicate ourselves to discovering and fulfilling our part in God’s mission?

            Do you recognize God’s sovereign hand providentially guiding circumstances in your life? Have you come to grips with the fact that by grace your story is part of His story?  Even as the story of Jesus was unfolding, even that last week as He went the Cross, He had you in mind. He died for you. In fact, according to the Bible, He knew you from before the foundation of the world! The Lord’s table invites us to remember that, and to love Him more for what He has done.  Think about that, AMEN.

Grace for the Nations! Acts 11:1-18

Grace for the Nations!

Acts 11:1-18

Introduction: News travels fast. Today with Facebook, and Twitter, and e-mail and text messages, news of what’s happening with our family and friends, and news of what’s happening in the world, can travel almost instantly around the globe, literally.  However even before there was such a thing as an I-pad or a smart phone, we see in the Bible that some news seemed to spread quickly even back then. If it is news that challenges the status quo, especially news that seems shocking or offensive to us, then and now it travels even more quickly. The news of Peter fellowshipping with Gentiles got back to Jerusalem and he had some explaining to do. Essentially they ask him, “What were you thinking brother!?”

For centuries the Jews had maintained a strict practice of separating themselves from the nations. If this was to be changed, there needed to be a good explanation!  You notice in the reading (Acts 11:1-18) that there is quite a bit of repetition of what happened in Chapter 10 of Acts in Peter’s report on his return to Jerusalem in these verses.  We will try to focus on the context of the retelling, and the additional details that we are given here.  It may be difficult for us to grasp the significance of this expansion of God’s people to include the nations. After centuries of separation, the dividing wall between Jews and the rest of the nations (gentiles, i.e., non-Jews) was coming down in Christ (see also Ephesians 2:11-22). In Jesus, the Son of God, there is hope for every son of Adam. That brings us to…

The Big Idea: The gospel of grace offers the only hope for sinful humans. We are called to extend that hope to every race and every nation.

I. Our “religion” can limit our understanding of grace: People may find fault with what we believe God has said and what He has led us to do (1-3).

“Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.  ² So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying,  ³ ‘You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.’."

            First we see that a report about what had happened had gotten back to Jerusalem, and the leaders weren’t completely good with the news.  The gentiles had received the Word of God?  What did that mean? And Peter ate with them?

            They heard, and so, for this reason, “Peter went up.”  Peter did not simply ignore the rumblings of discontent, but he “went up to Jerusalem,” to the others apostles and leaders of the church, with the intention of speaking about what had happened.  He loved the Lord’s Church, and longed to maintain the unity of the body, and so he was willing to take the risk of facing his critics about the matter, speaking the truth to his brothers about what had happened, about what God had done.   While respecting their insights and the authority of the apostolic band he was anxious to share his story and have it evaluated by them. He trusted them as brothers in Christ and loved them enough to be willing to take a risk. Remember, the church is the Church of Christ.  We shouldn’t want to build the church in our image and according to our limited understanding.  We need to be humble, and teachable. The day came when Peter needed to be corrected on some of the implications of this very issue. We read about that incident in Galatians 2:11-14 where Paul says,   

¹¹ But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.  ¹² For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.  ¹³ And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.  ¹⁴ But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, "If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?"

If it happened to Peter it can happen to us! We need to be “on guard” against slipping back into our prejudices, be it culture, race, or country of origin.

            Remember what is the same about then and now, and also what is different. The apostles were unique in authority and in calling. The New Testament was not yet written and they had the authority as the representatives of Jesus to bring his Word to the world. Even so, here in Acts 10-11, Peter did not run willy-nilly on his own, forgetting to submit his teaching and his interpretation of what was happening to the church.  Many times I hear people say, “The Lord has led me to do this or that…”  Well, maybe, but let’s examine the Scriptures, the first step since God will never contradict Himself. And let’s pray with the church, let’s seek together a consensus about what God is calling us to do.

When we talk about people forgetting the doctrine of Grace and replacing it with tradition, or with what we are comfortable with, we immediately think of other traditions and don’t imagine that as God fearing Baptists we could be susceptible.  Yet we can have the same tendency to canonize our understanding of doctrine or practice, forgetting that He is the Head and He is building up the body.  There was a lot at stake, since the gospel of grace offers the only hope for sinful humans. We must extend that hope to every race and every nation.

II. Our testimony can be a powerful witness to the grace of God: We should carefully and respectfully share what God is doing (4-18).

            Peter establishes a connection with his offended brothers by talking about how he got to the point that he was at, starting with the thrice repeated vision he had received (which we looked at last week), including his initial reaction: “By no means Lord…” (4-10, N.B. v.8). He is not shocked by their initial skepticism; in fact he could honestly say that initially he shared it!  Think about our witness to the unsaved: without glorifying our sinful conduct before trusting Christ, we can identify with our unsaved neighbors in their unbelief because at least for a time, we were there!  Your testimony is simply a statement of what you were “B.C.” (before Christ), the story of how you came to believe in Him and trust Him for your salvation, and finally the difference that He has made, what you are now, “in Christ.”  Peter tells his story of how God sent him to the gentiles, and he starts with his resistance to the vision he had received.

            Next Peter explains the timing of the arrival of the men, the Spirit’s explicit instruction to go with them, their trip to Caesarea, and Cornelius’ testimony about what the Angel had told him (vv.11-14).  Notice especially v.14, “…he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.”  This explicit prediction of salvation through the message preached by Peter is a detail we didn’t get in Acts 10.  We see it happen, but now we know more about what was said in Acts 10:33,  “Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord." Yes, they recognized God was working, He had sent Peter and in fact He was present. They also understood that this message was the Word by which they would be saved (11:14)! This is the precise form of the verb used in Acts 16:31 and Romans 10:9…

“And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household…’" (Acts 16:31).

“…because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved…” (Romans 10:9).

The verb in all three contexts is a future indicative, it is something that is going to happen to those who believe, and it is in the passive voice, it is going to happen to you. No wonder they were ready and waiting to hear!  Peter also understood more about the fact that God was receiving the gentiles, but tells how God dramatically made the point that they were being saved by grace through faith, that there was no need for a conversion to Judaism first. He explains in Acts 11:15-17,   

“As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning.  ¹⁶ And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'  ¹⁷ If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?"

First of all, notice the timing: it happened as he began speaking.  We read about it last week in Acts 10:43-45,

  “…everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."  ⁴⁴ While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.  ⁴⁵ And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed…”

Peter didn’t get very far apparently, he began speaking, they heard, they believed, and the Spirit fell on them. There was no laying on of hands, nothing that they did or had done to them, they heard and believed. Period.  In 11:15 Peter testifies,

 “…The Holy Spirit fell on them just as He did upon us in the beginning…”

What is the beginning to which Peter is referring?  Normally when the phrase en arche  is used in the New Testament it has an expressed object, it’s the beginning of something specific. One of the only other places where it stands alone is in John 1:1, “In the beginning, (en arche) was the Word…”  In that context John is clearly referring back to Genesis 1:1 (see also Proverbs 8:23), to the very beginning, to creation.  This was a “beginning” of that magnitude. A “New Creation” has begun in Christ, a new age had dawned, and that starts with the birth of the New Testament church on the day of Pentecost.  It was such a fundamental, foundational beginning that there was no need to give more detail.  Everyone knew that the beginning to which he referred, when the Holy Spirit fell, was the day of Pentecost.  This may have been about six years (or so) afterward, still it is to that day, Pentecost, that moment in history that Peter points. 

[A side point here, certainly not the main idea but worth mentioning, is that Peter points back to the “beginning,” to Pentecost, an event perhaps six years in the past, and does not mention what is repeatedly or typically happening as people come to believe in Jesus and receive the indwelling Spirit. On Pentecost, speaking in tongues was a sign that the age predicted by Joel the prophet was at hand, the age of the Messiah, the last days. That foundational, eschatological event is the beginning of a new presence of the Spirit in the people of God.  Samaria (Acts 8) and now the house of Cornelius (Acts 10) confirm the breadth and the unity of the new people of God. Pentecost was a unique, eschatological event, and the ripples of Pentecost move outward in Acts to include the nations.]

            He also tells us that he remembered what Jesus had repeated the teaching of John the Baptist about a future messianic ministry of baptism in the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16,17; John 7:38,39; Acts 1:6-8). The initial fulfillment of the prediction of Jesus happened in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost, and the ripples of that event continue through Acts. The Samaritans are included in Acts 8 as John and Peter (representing the Apostles) follow Philip into Samaria (though Acts does not mention tongues in this context, it may have been the sign that allowed the bystanders to “see” that the Samaritans received the Spirit) and lay  hands on the Samaritans. Again in Acts 10 we see the expansion continuing as Peter goes to the house of Cornelius and preaches Jesus. The gospel of grace offers the only hope for sinful humans. We are called to extend that hope to every race and every nation.

III. Our story of God’s Grace will resonate with those who have experienced it (18). “When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life."

            They fell silent. The testimony was compelling, God’s presence and handprints were all over what had happened.  Remember when God spoke to Job after he had lamented his unjust suffering, Job replies, “…what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth…” (40:4).  Here, after hearing Peter’s testimony of what had happened, it rings true, there is no more to say, the objections fall away, “…they fell silent…”  Peter’s testimony would silence the skeptics again a few years later, as the church gathered in council to discuss the question of the gentiles and he referred back to this event.  We read about it in Acts 15:7-12,

^“And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, ‘Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.  ⁸ And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,  ⁹ and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.  ¹⁰ Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?  ¹¹ But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.’  ¹² And all the assembly fell silent…”

They recognized what God was doing and understood that it made no sense to ask gentiles to obey the civil and ceremonial requirements of the Law.  Here in Acts 11:18, their silence is followed by praise, glorifying the Lord. This underscores an understanding of grace, it’s not about Peter’s boldness or ingenuity or insight.  “…they glorified God…”   The heart of the doctrine of grace is that it expresses God’s unmerited favor. So He alone gets the praise. 

What is God saying to me in this passage? The gospel of grace offers the only hope for sinful humans. We are called to extend that hope to every race and every nation.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? One conclusion that we have to draw is that since God is no respecter of persons, since he extends the offer of salvation by grace through faith to every people group, we need to have our Father’s eyes, we need to see people, created in His image, desperately needing the only message that saves, the Gospel of Christ. We need to be reminded that the whole world is God’s world, and world evangelization is God’s work.  Remember, first of all, that God is with us and in us if we have believed in Jesus. As we yield to His presence He will empower and guide our witness.

 How can we be more effective in doing our part to to bring the message of grace to the nations?

·        It needs to start with reaching our neighbors and family. They are our first “mission field,” the one where we can have the most influence.

·        We need to support those who God has called to go, especially those who are willing to sacrifice their comfort and security to go long term and live among those who need to hear. Emily is our newest missionary, and the Lord has burdened her to go, currently helping a team working with Syrian refugees.

·        We need to be sensitive to the opportunities at our door, as seasonal workers and summer visitors come to our area. How can we reach out to them?

·        Jason has reminded us that in the cities around us we have refugees and immigrants who are open and hungry. How can we respond?

·        And we need to be “on guard” against slipping back into our prejudices, be it culture, race, or country of origin. If it happened to Peter, it could happen to us.

Let’s choose to be faithful in bringing the message of His amazing grace to the nations!                             AMEN,

A Church without Walls Acts 10

A Church without Walls

Acts 10 (Read 10:1-15; 34-48)

Introduction: Today after the morning service we’ll be gathering out front for an all church photo – the building will be in the background but that is not the church. The church is the people (so we need you there, please plan to stay!). The word “church” is actually used a couple of different ways in the Bible, but it always refers to people, not bricks and mortar. The local “church” is the people, the born again followers of Jesus, who are united in a local congregation for worship and ministry. The church universal, by definition and design, is diverse, and will include a remnant from every race, tribe, and nation.  As we’ve seen in the book of Acts, it didn’t start that way. The first believers were all ethnic Jews who had come to Jerusalem for the pilgrim feast of Pentecost. It took a while for the church to begin reaching outward with the gospel. Persecution after Stephen’s death was one motivator. And when Philip went down to Samaria and the Samaritans believed, Peter and John came to lay hands on them, confirming the unity of the church. There would not be a Jewish church and a Samaritan church, but a single church, united through faith in Christ. The Lord was showing that the apostles had a foundational role-Jesus was the cornerstone-and the apostles, as His authorized representatives, would bring the Word of Christ to the world (Ephesians 2:20; 3:5).   Now things would move a step further, and the gentiles also would be grafted in.

Context: Peter’s Geographical movement away from Jerusalem, and his residence with Simon, a tanner, someone who worked with the skins of dead animals and so may have been considered “unclean,” were preparation for another step outward in God’s mission. The miracles God did at his hands affirmed his apostolic authority, and the Lord would speak to him so that he could speak to those present in the house of Cornelius, a gentile “god-fearer,” and then report back to the other leaders in Jerusalem (first in chapter 11 and then again at the Jerusalem Council in chapter 15 when the church addresses the question of what should be required of non-Jews who believe in Messiah Jesus).

The Big Idea: God’s plan is for a diverse people to be gathered in one body through faith in Christ. Are we willing to speak up without prejudice and point people to Jesus?

I. Our Sovereign God prepares those who will believe (1-8).

            The passage opens with a description of Cornelius, and it is clear that God had been working in his heart for some time. We get some information about this man that is a study in contrast. On the one hand he is a centurion, someone in charge of a hundred men in the occupying Roman army. In that sense he is not someone you would necessarily expect to be sympathetic to the faith of the Jews. We are not told how or when, but somehow this man had heard about God and was drawn to the Truth.  He believed the Scriptures of the Jews were a true revelation of the story of the one true God. He reverenced that God, and prayed to him, and gave generously to the poor in his name.

            He is described as a “devout man who feared God…” The context of Acts will make clear that he was not a proselyte, a convert to Judaism, but a “God-fearer,” that is, a gentile who believed in and placed his hope and trust in the God of Israel, without becoming a full convert to Judaism. He wouldn’t have taken the step of circumcision which was required of all Hebrew males. He is described as a “God-fearer.” We are not talking about someone who is afraid of God. “Fear” for the believer is reverence, an overwhelming respect for the awesome Creator of the universe. It’s what Proverbs 1:7 is talking about, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, and fools despise wisdom and instruction…”  Notice that it wasn’t only Cornelius, but his entire “house” had reverence for the God who is (v.2).  “God-fearer” had become a semi-technical term and they were gentiles who typically became associated with a synagogue where they heard the Scriptures read and at some level had embraced the monotheism of the Jews.  Cornelius was such a one, and he was also generous and was given to persistent prayer, he “prayed always.”

By the way, in this transitional period that the Book of Acts is describing, Jews and Gentiles like Cornelius, men and women who revered and hoped in the God of the Bible, were “ripe fruit,” prepared to hear and respond to the message that Jesus is the promised Messiah.  They had responded to the “light” they had, the Old Testament Scriptures, but now they were awaiting the full revelation of the Gospel of Christ.  One objection that people sometimes raise to the Christian message is “If Jesus is the only way, what about those who have never heard?” This is a good illustration of the fact that God is not sending someone to hell for not believing in a Jesus of whom they have never heard. They will be judged for rejecting the light that they have – in creation (Romans 1:18-21), in the conscience (Romans 2:14ff), in Scripture (Romans 3:10-19).  If their hearts are opened to respond to the Light, God, the sovereign, omniscient and omnipotent Lord of the universe, will find a way for the gospel to get to them.  We have stories of missionaries coming to tribal groups that had never heard the gospel turning in faith to Jesus as soon as they hear the message.  God prepares the hearts of those who will come to him in faith. And so Jesus could say in John 10:26,27, “…you do not believe because you are not part of my flock.  ²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”  We see Cornelius, hearing the words from the Angel of the Lord, and believing.

N.B. again that the angel didn’t simply spell out the good news that God so loved us that he sent the Son to die for our sins, and that he defeated death in the resurrection. Rather he tells him to send for Peter. Why? Well, because God said so! That’s God’s plan: to work through humans to bring the message of His grace to humans!  God was preparing the heart of Cornelius, and he would use Peter to preach the Word.   God was working in the life of Cornelius, preparing him to hear and respond to the gospel message. He continues to prepare those who will believe, and believe they will. God’s plan is for a diverse people to be gathered in one body through faith in Christ. Are we willing to be His messengers, to speak up without prejudice and point people to Jesus?

II. Our Sovereign God positions those who are His in mission (9-23a).

            Peter was in Joppa, just thirty or thirty five miles down the coast from Caesarea.  The angel gave precise information about Peter, and about where He was staying. At the same time He was preparing Peter for what would come next.  Notice again Peter needs to learn to interpret and apply the revelation that he receives.  Could the Lord have simply spoken from heaven and said, ok, you know that ham and cheese sandwich, and that bacon cheeseburger you always wanted to try?  The pepperoni pizza? The seafood chowder (now your talking!)?  It’s all good!  He could have gone further and said, the message of Jesus is for everyone, not only your fellow Jews!  Instead he gave the vision, repeated three times, of the sheet descending from heaven and the voice saying, “take, eat.”  Initially Peter objected, but then he began considering the implications of what he saw and heard.  Peter realized that there was more than “diet” at stake.  Notice the timing of the divine appointment that follows in Acts 10:17-20,

¹⁷ Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate.  ¹⁸ And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there.  ¹⁹ While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are seeking you.  ²⁰ "Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them."

God was preparing Peter for a paradigm shift. He was dealing with relatively easy things, like food, to open his heart and mind to a bigger change concerning people.  It would not only be a message to the Jews that the Messiah, Son of God, is Jesus, but the news of the Savior would be extended to the nations.

        God had Peter exactly where he wanted him, and he was preparing him for the next stage of the ministry in which he was to be engaged. By using Peter, a leader of leaders from among the twelve, the one Jesus called a “rock,” He assured that there would be one church, a united church, under the authority of the apostles.  He was preparing Peter to lead and to be a witness, and He continues to prepare those who are sent (that’s us!).  God’s plan is for a diverse people to be gathered in one body through faith in Christ. Are we willing to speak up without prejudice and point people to Jesus?

III. Our Sovereign God works through the message preached to save those who believe (23b-48).  Notice the process that God uses: testimony and witness leads to preaching the gospel, which leads to faith, and the gift of the Spirit.

-       First we see Explanation: Testifying to what God is doing (23-33). Peter received the men, and heard what they had to say: an angel had appeared to Cornelius and told him to send for Peter. Because of the message Peter had received, he was prepared to go with them.  It was one thing to receive these men and let them stay the night, another to go with them, a day’s journey, to the home of their master, a gentile. One thing I see here is humility and teachability, recognizing that God is working in others as well as us, leading and preparing. When he gets there the next day, Peter explains what God had taught him, and he asks Cornelius why he had sent for him (v.29).  He is anxious to hear what God was saying to Cornelius, perhaps to discern where to start in sharing Christ.  We can be encouraged by hearing testimonies of what God is doing. In our small groups and in one-on-one discipleship situations we learn together, we learn from each other. The bottom line for Cornelius is that he and his household are present and ready, waiting to hear the truth.

“Now therefore we are all present before God to hear all the things commanded you by God” (v.33).

What a great attitude as we come to hear the Word! We need to be discerning, like the Bereans (Acts 17:11), examining what we hear in the light of the Scriptures. But we need to be hungry and open, and teachable.  Do we come together, in our small groups, in Sunday School, in this morning worship service, expecting to meet with God and hear from Him? Warren Wiersbe used to say, “Attitude determines outcome!” There is truth in that when we hear the Word.

-       Next we see Proclamation of the Gospel: A Christ Centered message for all: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus (34-43). The message Peter shares points away from himself, and lifts up Jesus. Cornelius had been wrong to bow down to Peter and was immediately corrected. We should not exalt humans unduly. We should love one another, and respect those in authority, but it can become idolatry if the pastor becomes a “star” around which the church circles. In the church at Corinth that became a problem, some saying “I’m of Peter” or “I am of Paul” or “I am of Apollos.”  They were proud and divisive instead of being humble, and united in their faith in Christ.  Sometimes churches can be built around a human leader, his personality and attractiveness draw a crowd.  Human leaders can be a blessing to us, but they are pilgrims just like us, and they are fallible. People will inevitably let us down at one time or another.  The writer to the Hebrews says, “…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,  ² looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…” (Heb 12:1,2).  He will never fail us, and He is the Good Shepherd, our Master, our King.

       V.34 says “Peter opened his mouth and said…” That is a formula that is used to introduce a weighty, important teaching. As a rabbi instructing his students or a prophet bring a word from the Lord, Peter is about to bring a word from the Lord.   A key realization that had come to Peter at this point in the story sets the stage for what happens. We read in Acts 10:34,35,

“So Peter opened his mouth and said: ‘Truly I understand that God shows no partiality,  ³⁵ but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.’”

He is not going to hold back the message of life from these gentiles, God had taught Peter, and now Peter will preach Jesus. He is “Lord of all,” by his death and resurrection He has made possible forgiveness, and v.43, "To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins." It is through faith that the work is Christ is personally appropriated.

-       Vindication:  One Spirit, One Faith, One Baptism (44-48). Notice v.44, “While Peter was yet speaking the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard…” There was nothing that Cornelius and his family did, they heard, believed, and received the Word of God as it was preached. And as confirmation of their new faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit fell on those present, just as it had on the Jews who believed on the day of Pentecost. NB. this is only the second time speaking in tongues is mentioned in Acts. Chapter 2, on the day of Pentecost, and here, as Peter is preaching in the house of Cornelius. I think it probably happened in Acts 8 as Peter and John laid hands on the Samaritans (how else would they know that they had received the Holy Spirit with the laying on of hands?) but the Bible doesn’t say so we can’t know for sure. But here it is explicitly stated, this time with no laying on of hands, simply hearing and believing the message, and Peter sees the connection with Pentecost. On Pentecost it was a sign that the New Age, the age of Messiah, had arrived. Now the ripples of Pentecost have moved outward to the Samaritans (8) and the gentiles (10).  It is a confirmation, a vindication of the truth that God is not a respecter of persons, that he accepts all humans on the same basis, by grace, through faith.

What is God saying to me in this passage? God continues to prepare those who will believe and those who will go. And God’s plan is for a diverse people to be gathered in one body through faith in Christ. Are we willing to speak up without prejudice and point people to Jesus?

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? Are you sensitized to the truth that God is working in you, teaching you, preparing you for your ongoing part in His mission?  Your story is a part of His story because of His amazing grace!  Are you doing your best to maintain a “teachable spirit,” or are you pretty sure you’ve got it all figured out?  I’m a little slow, after 35 years in the faith I’m still learning how much I don’t know! We need to be constantly asking God how we can most effectively be available to Him as He carries out His mission – are we willing to sacrifice our comfort, even our security, as we respond to Him? There are some around us, in our sphere of influence, whom God is convicting, and drawing, preparing to hear the truth and trust in Jesus. We need to be alert, vigilant, looking for every opportunity to lift up His name and to point others to Him as the the Way, the Truth, and the Life.    Think about that.         AMEN.