Sermon Outline for Acts 21:1-26

October 25, 2009

First Church of the Brethren

H. Kevin Derr

Acts 21:1-26

“Arrested in Jerusalem”

¹ After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. ² We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. ³ After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. ⁴ We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. ⁵ When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. ⁶ After saying good-by to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.

⁷ We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the believers and stayed with them for a day. ⁸ Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. ⁹ He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.

¹⁰ After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’ ”

¹² When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” ¹⁴ When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

¹⁵ After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶ Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples.

¹⁷ When we arrived at Jerusalem, the believers received us warmly. ¹⁸ The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. ¹⁹ Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

²⁰ When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. ²¹ They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. ²² What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, ²³ so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. ²⁴ Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. ²⁵ As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.”

²⁶ The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.

Prayer:

1. The narrative at this point makes several jumps in geography, moving quickly from place to place, and while travel at this time involved a great deal more than it does now, it is still present and addressed.
   1. Looking at the first six verses, we see a lot of cities and travel, with not a great deal of content.  Luke writes, ¹ After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. ² We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. ³ After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. ⁴ We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. ⁵ When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. ⁶ After saying good-by to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.
   2. We leave the Ephesian elders and move onto new stops, from Troas to Kos, from Kos to Rhodes, from Rhodes to Patara and then to Phoenicia to Syria.
      1. i.      They landed at Tyre and spent seven days with the disciples who lived at Tyre, and they warned Paul not to go to Jerusalem.
      2. ii.      The whole Christian community at Tyre walked with them out of the city, they gathered on the beach for prayer, Paul and his company got on board the ship, the local believers went home.
         1. They took time to pray together at their departure, it is an example of how prayer was understood in the community.
         2. It was not limited to special places or times, nor was it ritualized to the point that it could not be spontaneous and applied at any point prayer was needed or desired.
   3. The journey continues, and we find new connections with the earliest believers.  Luke writes, ⁷ We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the believers and stayed with them for a day. ⁸ Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. ⁹ He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.
      1. i.      From Tyre to Ptolemais with time for gathering the church and spending time with them.
      2. ii.      The following day the group is on to Caesarea, here they stay with Phillip the evangelist
         1. Phillip as you recall was one of the seven deacons chosen in Jerusalem to care for the needs of the church.
            1. Philip the Evangelist appears several times in the Acts of the Apostles. He was one of the Seven Deacons chosen to care for the poor of the Christian community in Jerusalem (Acts 6). He preached and performed miracles in Samaria, converted Simon Magus, and met and baptized the Ethiopian eunuch in Gaza, traditionally marking the start of the Ethiopian Church (Acts 8). Later
            2. Philip, is well rooted in the followers of Christ Jesus, and he welcomes Paul and his company into his home.
         2. Philip also has four daughters who are prophets
            1. It would seem that he and his household are committed to Christ
            2. As was noted in the 2^nd chapter of Acts, God had poured out his spirit on all flesh, both male and female.  This would clearly be seen as an indication of this reality.
   4. Now, Paul and his company are staying with Philip and his family, when a prophetic message comes to Paul from a prophet we have seen before.  ¹⁰ After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’ ”
      1. i.      Agabus the prophet:  Agabus was an early follower of Jesus who is named in the Acts of the Apostles as a prophet. He is traditionally remembered as one of the Seventy Disciples described in Luke 10:1-24. According to Acts 11:27-28, he was one of a group of prophets who came to Antioch from Jerusalem, while there he predicted a severe famine that the author says came under the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius; this is identified with events that happened in AD 45. Agabus is revered as a saint in most branches of Christianity. The Roman Catholic Church celebrates his feast day on February 13, while the Orthodox Church celebrates it on March 8. According to Christian tradition he died a martyr in Antioch.
      2. ii.      Agabus came down to Caesarea from Judah is not telling direction, north and south but rather elevation, going from the Judean Hill country down to the coast is a major change in elevation, so it is going down to Caesarea.
         1. Agabus comes to Paul, takes off Paul’s belt and then ties his own feet and hands.  This is a symbolic action of the prophet, we often find OT prophets doing such things to send a message.
         2. Agabus also gives the meaning of this action, “the Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and hand him over to the gentiles.”
            1. In other words, going to Jerusalem is going to be dangerous trip, one that will not leave Paul free to make his own travel plans.
            2. Again, this is not new information; we knew that Paul anticipated prison and even death in connection with a trip to Jerusalem.  Yet his primary goal is to fulfill his calling to preach the good news.
      3. iii.      So, Paul is again warned of what will happen.  The church does not want him to go, it would seem God is warning, and yet, his calling to complete the task given to him by God drives him to Jerusalem.
2. II. The believers at Caesarea attempt to dissuade Paul from going to Jerusalem.  He goes with a purpose, to bring the gift of the gentile churches to the saints in Jerusalem, and perhaps even to ensure that the gentiles are accepted as part of the community as well.  God has given him a task and his only goal is to see it through.  Luke speaks of it this way, ¹² When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” ¹⁴ When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”
   1. The believers plead with Paul not to go
      1. i.      Paul says “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart?”
         1. Paul clearly understands this trip to Jerusalem is part and parcel of his calling.
         2. He is willing not only to be bound in Jerusalem, but also to die for the Lord’s name.
            1. It would not make him the first martyr, but he is clearly willing to join their company.
            2. He is committed to doing this, and not even the pleading of some of his closest friends and an esteemed member of the church will push him from this calling.
      2. ii.      The crowd comes to understand all of this as the Lord’s will
   2. This begins the journey toward Rome, but it begins here, with the trip to Jerusalem.
      1. i.      Luke writes, ¹⁵ After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶ Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples.
         1. Again, we find Paul lodging with some of the early believers who live outside of Jerusalem.  Clearly one of the items that this trip coveys is that the faithful, the church have accepted Paul and his mission to the Gentiles, and in doing so accepted gentile believers as part of the church.
   3. c. The trip concludes with a visit to James the brother of Jesus, and here too Paul is welcomed.  Luke recounts the events like this, ¹⁷ When we arrived at Jerusalem, the believers received us warmly. ¹⁸ The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. ¹⁹ Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
      1. i.      Paul and his company are warmly welcomed
         1. They go to see James and all the Elders at Jerusalem
            1. Paul greeted them and reported what God had been doing among the Gentiles through his ministry
            2. They’ve been received, welcomed warmly and so has Paul’s report of his activities.
      2. ii. It is from this point that we begin to see the tensions that are present in Jerusalem.  Luke records the response of the church at Jerusalem.  ²⁰ When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. ²¹ They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. ²² What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, ²³ so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. ²⁴ Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. ²⁵ As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.”
         1. Their first reaction is to Praise God, a typical response to good news and they are happy that the good news of Jesus is spreading among the gentiles.
         2. The church has been growing in Jewish circles as well.  There are more Jewish believers as well.
            1. The good news about Jesus is spreading in both Jewish and Gentile circles.
            2. The Jewish believers are still zealous for the Law, because the law pointed them to Christ.
               1. i.      There is also a rumor spreading about Paul, one that is not true.
               2. ii.      Among the zealous Jewish there is the notion that Paul is telling Jews in the Diaspora that they no longer need to follow the ways of their ancestors, no longer pay head to the Law.
         3. The plan to deal with this problem is to display that Paul himself is still living in obedience to the customs and practices of Judaism.
            1. So, James and the Elders instruct Paul to take four men and go join in their purification rites
            2. The thinking is that this will send the message that Paul is not only practicing the customs but teaching them as well.
            3. At the same time they, the elders will explain that Gentile believers must do some very specific things as well.
               1. i.      Abstain from food sacrificed to idols
               2. ii.      From blood
               3. iii.      From the meat of strangled animals
               4. iv.      From sexual immorality
         4. The trouble is not from an external source, but from zealous Jews within the church.  Zealous Jews outside the church would not be concerned about what Gentile followers of Jesus are to do, but they would be concerned about what Paul was teaching in the synagogue.  It might be well understood that the troubles in some of the cities Paul stayed had been reported in Jerusalem.
   4. Paul is in agreement with this plan or if he is not, he clearly submitted to the wishes of the leadership of the church.  Luke writes, ²⁶ The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.

The Trinity: The first in a series of newsletter articles

One of the central doctrines of the church is that of the Trinity. It is central to our theology and our practice, and yet at the same time I believe it is one of the most misunderstood and least comprehended doctrines of the church. In the next few articles I hope to broaden our understanding and appreciation of the Trinity. I pray that this will be both helpful and edifying for you, and an exercise that will deepen your faith and commitment to our Lord and God. We will begin our examination of the doctrine of the Trinity we will look at the Biblical Background of this doctrine.

It is important to state at the outset the term Trinity does not appear in the scriptures, neither New or Old Testament. However, there are some very specific things that inform our understanding of the Trinity found in both the Old and New Testaments. One of the key understandings of the Trinity, one God revealed in three persons, is that God is one and that there is only one God. The Old Testament clearly assumes the unity of God, that there is one God and only one God. The Old Testament informs our understanding of the monotheistic nature of our faith and theology. This primary attribute of God is the reason that we do not have three gods in our theology, and while it may have been simpler to develop a theology that has three gods but it would have indicated that Christianity is not connected to the God of the Old Testament, and that Jesus and his disciples could not have remained Jewish in any sense.

The New Testament holds to the unity of God and while it does not explicitly state the Trinity, it is alluded to on many occasions. While affirming the understanding of one God, the New testament presents the formula for the Trinity and it does so in numerous locations. The come it two primary formats the twofold and threefold patterns The twofold or Binitarian formulas are found in the following: Romans 8:11, 2 Corinthians 4:14, Galatians 1:1, Ephesians 1:20, 1 Timothy 1:2, 1 Peter 1:21 and 2 John 1:13. Galatians 1:1-2a gives a nice understanding of the twofold pattern. Paul writes, “1Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2and all the brothers with me.”

The threefold or Trinitarian formulas are also displayed in the New Testament. The following passages will show this threefold pattern: Matthew 28:19, 1 Corinthians 6:11, 1 Corinthians 12:4ff, Galatians 3:11-14, Hebrews 10:29 and 1 Peter 1:2. Matthew 28:18-20 may well be one of the best known of these threefold patterns. The apostle recounts the words of Jesus, “18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Clearly both patterns exist in the writings of the New Testaments, arguments about which is the older, which is the earliest format are much bigger that which was written first, this is because within the Gospel of Matthew, for example, there are traditions that predate the earliest of Paul’s letters. It is fair to say that both two fold and three fold patterns are present early in the Christian tradition, and there is good evidence that Jesus himself gave us the patter of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

What we do not find in the New Testament  is a fully developed doctrine of the Trinity. This doctrinal development will come as the church continues to mature and wrestle with the revelation of God in three persons, and yet retain the unity of One God.

October 4, 2009

First Church of the Brethren

Love Feast

Gathering

Gathering Music:

“Come into his Presence”

“Create In Me a Clean Heart”

“Make Me a Servant”

Scripture Reading: Romans 12:9-21

⁹ Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³ Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not think you are superior.

¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Invocation

Welcome

The Service of the Word

Scripture Reading:  Acts 18:1-28

¹ After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. ² There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, ³ and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. ⁴ Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

⁵ When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. ⁶ But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

⁷ Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. ⁸ Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

⁹ One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. ¹⁰ For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” ¹¹ So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

¹² While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. ¹³ “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”

¹⁴ Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. ¹⁵ But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” ¹⁶ So he drove them off. ¹⁷ Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.

¹⁸ Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the believers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. ¹⁹ They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰ When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. ²¹ But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. ²² When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.

²³ After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

²⁴ Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. ²⁵ He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. ²⁶ He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

²⁷ When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the believers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. ²⁸ For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.

Hymn of Praise:  “Will You Let Me Be Your Servant”                                             # 307

Message: “Corinth with Friends”

1. Our text today begins with Paul in Corinth, He is alone, this companions have not joined him yet, but he is still about the work of an evangelist, speaking first to Jews and then to Gentiles.
   1. Luke tells the account in this fashion:  ¹ After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. ² There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, ³ and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. ⁴ Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.
      1. i.      Our text is set in the reign on the emperor Claudius.  This is Claudius Nero Germanicus born in 10 BC and died in 54 A.D.  He reigned as emperor from 41-54 A.D.  He was the third emperor of the Julio-Claudian  dynasty.
      2. ii.      He also expelled the Jews from Rome in 49 AD, so we can reasonably assume that Paul’s trip to Corinth is in 49 at the earliest or in 50.  The ironic issue here is that the Jews were expelled from Rome because of a disturbance in the Christian community about Jesus.  The Roman author Suetonius wrote, “Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he [Emperor Claudius] expelled them from Rome” (Suetonius, Life of Claudius, 25:4; Acts 18:2).
      3. iii.      Aquila and Pricilla came to Corinth because they were expelled from Rome with the other Jews, both followers of Jesus and not.
         1. Paul met Aquila of Pontus there and they began working together making tents, because this was the trade of both men.
         2. On the Sabbath when Paul was free from tent making, he began to speak in the synagogue, reasoning with those there attempting to persuade them that Jesus was the Messiah.  This was true of both Jews and God-fearing Greeks who were there.
      4. iv.      It would seem that when the party arrives from Macedonia, Paul shifts his work habits.  Luke tells us, ⁵When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. ⁶ But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
         1. Paul stops tent making when Silas and Timothy arrive in Corinth.  It may be because Silas and Timothy come with financial support for the mission from believers in Macedonia, or because they could now work to support the mission
         2. Paul begins to devote himself fully to preaching
            1. This would be a proclamation of the teaching of the apostles, or the Kyrigma
               1. i.      Paul is specifically preaching to the Jews and God-fearers in the city
               2. ii.      His focus is on those who are ethnically and religiously Jewish
               3. Some portion of the Jewish population opposed Paul, and became abusive to him.  Luke does not tell us if it was physically or verbally
               4. So Paul declares that he is finished with trying to reach his fellow Jews.  He says this symbolically by shaking out his clothes, shaking the dust of them off of his cloths, as Jesus instructed the disciples to do.  And he also does this verbally, “Your blood be on your own heads”.  Essentially saying, the long term effects of your decision are not my responsibility but your own.
         3. 3. To further make the point, Paul also physically leaves the synagogue.  ⁷Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. ⁸ Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.
            1. Paul leaves the synagogue and goes to the home of a Greek God-fearer, Titius Justus.  There the Synagogue leader Crispus and his household were baptized.
            2. Additionally many of those who heard Paul preach both Jew and gentile believed and were baptized.
2. I imagine that Paul is excited about the progress that has been made, but at the same time is concerned about the threat against him.  He’s been forced out of at least two cities by those who opposed him and the message of the gospel.  It was at this time that Paul has vision. Remember that dreams and visions play an important role in the book of Acts, all the major characters have them, most have not been as significant as Peter’s on the roof tope, but they are import for those who have them.  Luke tells us of Paul’s vision in Corinth.  ⁹ One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. ¹⁰ For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” ¹¹ So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.
   1. This is essentially a vision that brings a clear sense of support and encouragement for Paul.
      1. i.      The Lord indicates clearly that he is not in danger here in Corinth
         1. God says, I have many people in the city
         2. No one will attack and harm you, some may attack, but they will not harm.
         3. Because of this, Paul ends up staying in Corinth for a year and a half.
            1. Now why is he here that long?
               1. i.      Perhaps because Corinth was the Las Vegas of the ancient world.  It was a place known for being immoral.
               2. ii.      If the church takes root in the capital of immorality, and people’s lives are transformed, what will people say of the faith, they will speak positively.
   2. Some time after the vision that Paul has, an attack comes.  ¹² While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. ¹³ “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.” ¹⁴ Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. ¹⁵ But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” ¹⁶ So he drove them off. ¹⁷ Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.
      1. i.      Luke enables us to date the time period of the events and he does so by giving us the name of the proconsul of the region.    Gallio was proconsul of Achaia from July 1, 51 AD to July 1, 52 AD
         1. This is also confirmed by archeological discovers of inscriptions dated to 52 AD.
         2. So, we can establish this in time, by the known dates of Gallio’s work as proconsul
      2. ii.      The Jews of Corinth brought Paul before Gallio at the place of judgment on religious charges.
         1. They stated that “Paul is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the Law”
            1. They did not accuse Paul of doing things in violation of the Roman law.
               1. i.      Because he had not done so.
               2. ii.      Jews were exempt from offering sacrifice to the emperor
               3. iii.      They were excluded from some taxes because they paid the temple tax
               4. iv.      So, things that would have been unlawful for Romans, are not so for Jews
               5. So they bring a charge against Paul on religious grounds
                  1. i.      These are not property issues, but issues of how to observe the faith as a Jew
      3. iii.      Now before Paul has a chance to speak, Gallio says, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. ¹⁵ But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.”
         1. This may be one of the first examples of the separation of Church and State
            1. And while it may seem odd for us to take religious issues to the state, in the ancient world most people did not conceive of a separation between church and state, so it made sense for them to do this
            2. I would assume had this been a standard Roman religious, Gallio would have become involved.
         2. The crowd also felt like this was a waste of time, or so it seems because they beat Sosthenes the synagogue leader right in front of Gallio and he did nothing about it
            1. I wonder how a crowd beating someone who is accused of bringing a frivols law suite would affect our court system today?  I am not advocating this, but it does give one pause.
3. This sets up Paul’s stay in Corinth, he does not need to leave.  The crowd is on his side or at least not on the side of his opponents.  Luke writes, ¹⁸ Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the believers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. ¹⁹ They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰ When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. ²¹ But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. ²² When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.
   1. After his time in Corinth, which seems to have been longer than any of his other stays, he sets off for Syria, accompanied by Pricilla and Aquila.
      1. i.      It seems that at some point in the trip Paul had taken the vows of a Nazarite.
         1. Like an Old Testament prophet, he does not cut his hair nor his beard, he does not partake of wine or strong drink
         2. A summary of the Nazarite vows follow, He shall separate himself from wine and similar drink; he shall drink neither vinegar made from wine nor vinegar made from similar drink; neither shall he drink any grape juice, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins. All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, from seed to skin. All the days of the vow of his separation no razor shall come upon his head; until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the Lord, he shall be holy. Then he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. All the days that he separates himself to the Lord he shall not go near a dead body. He shall not make himself unclean even for his father or his mother, for his brother or his sister, when they die, because his separation to God is on his head. All the days of his separation he shall be holy to the Lord.
      2. ii.      Known biblical nazarites, There were several remarkable Nazirites in the Bible: Samson (Judges 13:5), John the Baptist (Luke 1:15), and Paul (Acts 18:18); the vow was certainly open to women, but we have no Biblical example of a woman taking the vow, except for Manoah’s wife during her pregnancy with Samson (Judges 13:4).
      3. iii.      Why would Paul take a Nazarite’s vows?  To reach a Jewish population in exile.  To the Jew first and then to the Gentile.  Paul said that to those under the law be became as one under the law.
   2. Paul left Priscilla an Aquila in Ephesus, where he went into the synagogue alone and reasoned with them.  The believers there asked him to stay, but he left, promising to return if it was the Lord’s will and then went on to Jerusalem and then down to Antioch.
      1. i. Paul moves on from Antioch, as Luke tells us, ²³ After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
   3. Pricilla and Aquila in Ephesus come to know a new preacher and teacher out speaking the name of Jesus, Apollos. ²⁴ Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. ²⁵ He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. ²⁶ He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.
      1. i. Apollos, a native of the cultural and educational center of Alexandria comes to Ephesus
         1. 1. He has a good knowledge of the scriptures
         2. 2. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord
         3. 3. He spoke well and with great enthusiasm
         4. 4. However he had some gapes in his understanding
            1. a. He only know of the baptism of John, a baptism of repentance
            2. b. We can ask if he know of the baptism of Jesus or if the baptism of Jesus was equated with the baptism of John.
            3. c. Clearly he did not know of the baptism of the Holy Spirit
      2. ii. Pricilla and Aquila who it would seem have been believers for sometime, they were believers in Rome before Paul was on his first missionary trip.  They may have been in Jerusalem on Pentecost. 
         1. 1. They are mature believers, Apollos is not a mature believer, well educated yes, well spoken yes, brave and willing yes.  But not fully instructed in the way of the Lord
         2. 2. Pricilla and Aquila invite them into their home and explained to him in more depth the way of the Lord.
   4. d. Apollos is a well loved and genuine believer.  He is not an apostle, but he is an evangelist and willing to engage people so that they will become followers of Jesus.  Luke writes of him: ²⁷ When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the believers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. ²⁸ For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah
      1. i. He has the support of the church, letters of reference and encouragement
      2. ii. He is an able speaker and persuader
      3. iii. He is a good example of what some early believers were called to do

Pastoral Prayer

The Response:

The Offering

Offertory Thought:

²⁹ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. ³⁰ And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ ³¹ So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. ³² Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your ancestors!

Offertory Music

Doxology

Prayer of Blessing

The Sharing of our Faith

Time for Confession

Hymn of Meditation:  “Gracious Spirit, Dwell With Me”                 # 507

Blessings & Burdens

The People’s Prayer & The Lord’s Prayer

The Feetwashing:

Scripture Reading: John 13:1-7

¹ It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

² The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

Remarks Concerning the Feetwashing

We come today seeking a deeper and more substantial encounter with the Living God.  We understand that God has revealed himself to humanity in the person of  the Father, and then more completely in the person of Jesus Christ, the Son and now in an ongoing experience of the indwelling of the person of the Holy Ghost.  We understand God as Father, Son and Holy Ghost, One God in three persons.  Today, we reenact the ancient Jewish custom of washing feet.  We may ask how is it that we encounter the Triune God in his action of washing feet.  It is not so much the action of washing feet, but what Jesus did as he washed the feet of his disciples.

Washing feet is an ancient custom of welcome and hospitality.  It was practiced by the lowest of servants in the household, but it was never the role of the master of the household.  Here we find Jesus taking the role of the least of servants, the first becoming last.  But, why does he do this?  He could have simply told one of his disciples to wash feet, they may have objected, but they would have eventually complied.  So, what is it that Jesus is attempting to tell us here?  It is obviously not about simply washing the feet of guests.  There is a greater lesson wrapped up in the mystery of washing feet.

It is important for us to realize this at the outset; it is first of all not about dirty feet.

The disciples no doubt had dirty feet, but for us today dust clad toes are not the issue.  For us as it was for the first disciples of Jesus, this is about you and I becoming mature followers of Jesus.  The washing of feet in reality points us toward the transformation of our minds and our characters; it is about becoming Christ-like.

It would seem that the next obvious question would be, what does washing feet have to do with being like Jesus?  Dallas Willard writes, “The ultimate freedom we have as human beings is the power to select what we will allow our minds to dwell upon.  We are not totally free in this respect.  But we do have great freedom here, and even though, “dead in our trespasses and sins,” we still have the ability to and responsibility to try to retain God in our knowledge- if only in an inadequate and halting manner^[1].”  When we begin to ponder why it is that Jesus washed his disciple’s feet, rather than selecting the one to do the washing, we begin to enter into the world of motivations and issues of character.  When we strive to be Christ-like we do not seek to dress like Jesus, nor do we seek to match voice and inflection as an impersonator would.  What we seek to do is to have our character formed so that it will reflect the character of Jesus.

What do we learn of Jesus’ character as we consider the account of Jesus washing his disciple’s feet?   On numerous occasions we have heard this account, and it does not even seem odd to us that Jesus would do such a thing, rather it seems opposite, it seems normal.  Yet, for someone of Jesus’ standing in his culture this was not only unorthodox but entirely scandalous.  We have the Master washing the feet of his disciples, what does that tell us?  We must be cautious here, because we have a tendency entrap people, even Jesus, in the box of our expectations.  And if we are honest we will realize most of our disappointments come not from flaws in other people, but when people do not meet our anticipated expectations.  This is an excellent opportunity to raise the question, “What do we expect from Jesus?” Typically, we expect very little.  Our culture relegates Jesus to an oath, an anthropological cult star or some irrelevant and unneeded figure from our superstitious past.

If our expectations are similar to those of the world, we will spend little effort attempting to think and act in a manner that will reflect Jesus life or teaching.  If we think Jesus is irreverent to what we do and how we do it, we will not attempt to incorporate Jesus teaching into our thought patterns.  Here we find the heart of the matter!  What do we expect of Jesus and how have wee sought to incorporate his example into our lives?

If we are to imitate Jesus, we have to know Jesus.  It may sound an odd, but you cannot imitate some you do not know.  In a similar fashion, if we are not convinced that his life and teaching have something to offer the world in which we live, we will not seek to know Jesus.  We must be convinced that Jesus has some contribution to make to all of our daily activities; otherwise, we will relegate Jesus to a corner of our lives.  The washing of feet by Jesus becomes not only a call to service, but a call to live in a fashion that displays Jesus to the world.  In the end, washing feet is not about water and basins, but about minds and living.  Are we willing to live in a fashion that says to the world, Jesus is relevant to all that I do.  Then we are prepared to enter into the water and be cleansed as we were on the day of our baptism, if not then we are simply practicing an ancient custom with no impact of the modern world.

Hymn of Reflection: “Have thy own way” # 504 (Vs. 1 & 2)

The Feetwashing

The Agape Meal

Scripture Reading: John 15:9-17

⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because servants do not know their master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other.

Remarks Concerning the Meal

Are there points that our culture has something good to offer the world?  Yes, of course it does.  We, through all our busy days and myriad commitments, we still value gathering at a table and enjoying one an others company.   We value friends, family and relationships.  We foster community in a number of ways, some of which reflect our biblical values.  There is in truth a great deal to be pleased with in our culture.   At the same time there is a great deal that should give us pause.  And then there are elements of our culture that are destructive and abusive.

There are a few points that we as Christians can connect with our culture.  One of these points is found in the common example of a shared meal.  This is example is common in human history, and is a potent connection between our faith and culture.  Our culture understands the table as a place for friendship and family and it is an example that is within grasp of most people.  We can also see that it is an experience we often reserve those for people we care for and love.  While there are the occasional business lunches and the like, there is something special about a meal with close friends, with loved ones, with family.  That is what this meal is about as well, a meal with loved ones.  I did not say with those we like, with those we get along with, with those who are perfect, but with those we love.

There are those in our family that we love, but don’t always like.  Those we love the most have often been the ones who have hurt us the most as well.  Yet we continue to hold them close and to welcome them to the table.  Consider what Jesus did, he invited his disciples to the table, be that only the twelve or many more, it does not matter.  Of those we know to be present, there is Judas who will betray Jesus and there is Peter who will deny Jesus, not once but three times.

Even if Jesus didn’t know what they were about to do, these are not the first times that these two disciples have fallen short of what Jesus desired for them and from them.  He knew their character, their tendencies, and their habits of mind.  Yet, he wants them to be present, to share at the table for this last supper.

We are here together.  None of us are perfect, without fault or without sin.  Yet, Jesus welcomes all of us to his table, but what of how we feel about each other, and even others who are followers of Jesus.  Do we welcome them to the table of the Lord?  Do we forgive as Jesus has forgiven?  Do we put on the character of Jesus?  Do we eat with them as Jesus eats with us?

Blessing for the Meal

The Fellowship Meal

Hymn of Fellowship: “Blessed Be the Tie That Binds” # 421 (Vs. 1 & 2)

The Eucharist

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 53:1-6

¹ Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?  ² He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.  He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. ³ He was despised and rejected by others, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. ⁴ Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.  We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him     the iniquity of us all.

Remarks Concerning the Bread & Cup

We come now to a memorial, a remembrance of Jesus life, his death and his resurrection.  The bread and the cup are more than just symbols that remind us of Jesus, they are agents of grace and hope.  They remind us of Jesus, they call us to live in a way that is faithful to his life, his teaching and his revelation of God to us, and it anticipates our own resurrection.

These elements, the bread and the wine draw us to the Cross of Christ, to remember his body broken, beaten, torn and lifeless.  They call us to remember his blood spilt out on the ground of Jerusalem and on the cross of Calvary.   They call us bear witness to Jesus death and invite us to crucify the sinful person who dwells in our flesh.  At the same time it speaks of hope, the hope of a life lived in a Christlike fashion, knowing full well that our lives too may be demanded of us, just as Jesus’ life was demanded of him.  It is a reminder to take up our crosses and to follow Jesus every moment of every day.  It is also a reminder of what follows death, and that is resurrection, life in the presence of the Living God.

While at present, these elements seem to be nothing more than bread and juice of grapes, yet they hold great promise if we are willing to follow after Jesus, the Son of Man, and the Son of God.  If you too hear the call to life in the way of Jesus, if your heart desires to find full life in Christ Jesus, prepare to partake of the Lord’s Supper.

Hymn:  “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” # 259 (V. 1)

The Invitation

If you have felt again to day the call of Christ, if your heart and mind are free of conflict, with God or your neighbor, and if you desire to life the life that Christ Jesus has called you to live, then come into a more intimate relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son, let the Holy Spirit guide you now and come to the table of the Lord and partake in the Bread and the Wine.

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-24

²³ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

Prayer of Blessing

Declaration of Faith

“The bread which we break is the communion of the body of Christ”

Partaking of the Bread

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:25-26

²⁵ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Prayer of Blessing

Declaration of Faith

“The cup which we bless is the communion of the blood of Christ”

Partaking of the Cup

The Sending

Moments of Silent Meditation

Hymn of Thanksgiving “Great is thy faithfulness” # 327

Closing Prayer & Benediction

Postlude

---

[1] Willard, D.  2002.  “Renovation of the heart: Putting on the Character of Christ.”  NavPress.  Colorado Springs, Co.

bethinking.org – Spirituality – 1. Spiritual Formation: The Need for Spiritual Formation

bethinking.org – Spirituality – 1. Spiritual Formation: The Need for Spiritual Formation

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Book Review: Spiritual Disciplines Devotional: A Year of Readings

Spiritual Disciplines Devotional A Year of Readings

I just finished reviewing the first chapter in book from the IVPress Formatio series called Spiritual Disciplines Devotional: A Year of Readings By Valerie E. Hess. While I have not yet seen the whole of this work, what I saw I liked very much. Her writing style is clear and vivid, with an accessible feel. She is not overly verbose but succinct and filled with very practical examples both of concepts and practices.

I particularly appreciate the way in which she addresses issues in North American Christian Culture with out the need for defining the long baggage associated with an issue. She presents the tension within protestant Christians today about Spiritual Formation, and especially in some very specific areas like meditation. Hess succinctly differentiates between Christian Meditation and other forms of meditation. I felt that her work deserved a full quote.

“If the idea of Christian meditation seems like an oxymoron to you, then let me assure you that it is not at all the same thing as non-Christian forms of meditation. In those practices, many of which have become popular in the last twenty-five or thirty years, the focus is on emptying the mind. In Christian meditation we seek to clear our minds of the clutter that prevents us from focusing fully on God. We push aside that which keeps us from filling our minds with God’s Word and his work in creation, the world and other people.”

There is no question that Hess’s work is based in an orthodox expression of Evangelical Christianity. She repeatedly identifies important elements that are necessary for these disciplines to be fully and uniquely Christian practices and not trends that have drifted in from other spiritual traditions. One example is found in the follow, “We must be careful what we fill our minds with. It is very important that meditating on Scripture be our first priority.” Her concern to keep the discipline of mediation rooted in a the biblical tradition is apparent. And there is a practical reason for this it keeps us attuned to voice of the Lord, knowing his word allows us to hear the living Word. It is important to remember that this is the foundation and not the end, Hess builds on the discipline of meditation by asking us to meditate on what God is doing in our lives and in the lives of people we know, and even in considering God’s creation.

One of the elements that Hess builds upon is the need for the disciplines to be practiced in community, not in isolation. Hess indicates that what we find revealed to us in the time of meditation must be shared with the body of Christ lest we lose our way; the body of Christ provides an essential anchor and corrective for our selfish treks of will and sin.

Hess also provides useful suggestions for how a person may explore the discipline of meditation. They are insightful and practical in nature, and this is a boon to a reader who seriously whishes to deepen their life in faith. There is also a section of suggestions for each discipline geared for children, and this is indeed a delight. Consider how many of use actually received instruction as children in spiritual disciplines. Now imagine how life may have been different if we had received such training, such spiritual formation as children.

Remember this is a daily devotional, and it is a good devotional with readings, scriptures and thoughts for each day. The daily readings are not long, but they are rich. They are of sufficient length to allow a reading and time for meditation. It works well together. From what I have seen, I highly recommend this devotional.

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Acts 3:1-26 “The Beggar and the Crowd”

Acts 3:1-26

February 1, 2009

First Church of the Brethren

H. Kevin Derr

“A Beggar and the Crowd”

1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 11 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “People of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see. 17 “Now, brothers and sisters, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21 Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22 For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’ 24 “Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. 25 And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ 26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

One of the things we often forget is that Jesus, and the disciples were Jewish, continued to be Jewish. Our text today reminds us of this clear fact. The disciples, as Jesus had been, continued to be observant Jews. They understood no conflict in being both Jewish and followers of Jesus. They did not assume that all people of Jewish descent would be followers of Jesus, but they attempt to convince people to follow Jesus, to believe that he was indeed the Messiah. Today, there should be no difference either, being a follower of Jesus does not suggest or demand that one leave the synagogue and come to the church. Over the centuries, gentile followers of Jesus have not embraced this truth.

Prayer

I. Our text begins with this account of apostolic activity.

a. 1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.

b. Peter and John are going up to the temple, not on a missionary trip, but to pray. They are going to the temple to pray at the appointed time of prayer.

i. There is no mystery here as to why, they continued to be observant Jews, they are following the example of Jesus.

ii. It sets up for us several key examples:

1. They were worshiping the true God,

2. Their worship of God was valid, though incomplete

3. The disciples continued to worshiping as Jews

4. So, at three in the afternoon, they are in the temple at the time of prayer.

c. This trip to the temple to pray sets up an encounter and a miracle. Luke recounts the events in this fashion.

2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.

i. There was a man, lame from birth, who came to the temple gate called Beautiful, to beg every day.

ii. In a time when there is no security net, this is how people survived.

iii. This is how this man supported himself.

1. Remember Almsgiving was an important part of Judaism at the time.

2. So, while he is not honored for his activity, neither is he chased away from the temple, but nor is he allowed in.

iv. The plot of the story unfolds in a very predictable fashion. He sees Peter and John coming to pray, he asks for money.

3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.

4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!”

5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

1. He sees Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asks for money. A reasonable and pious request.

2. Then Peter demands “look at us!”

3. The man assumes that they are going to make some type of display about giving alms to him, and he is anticipating a gift of money.

a. All of this is well within the normal pattern of how things like this should progress

b. And then just as we should see the man getting a gift of money, something else happens.

v. Now here is the twist,

6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.

1. They don’t have money to give. The disciples continue to live an austere lifestyle, just as Jesus had done before. If they have been in Jerusalem since Passover, two months before, they just may have run out of cash. After all, they never had much in the way of money, they were blue collar workers.

2. So, now Peter tells him, they cannot give him what they don’t have, but there is something that they can give.

a. So, Peter says, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth , Walk!”

b. Peter then takes him by the hand, and pulls him up onto strong feet and ankles.

c. Notice there was no:

i. Committee to see if Peter and John should do something for this man, and then to figure out what should be done.

ii. There was no prayer before the event

iii. There was no doubt

iv. There was attempt.

v. Peter just said, “In the name of Jesus of Nazareth walk!

d. As you look at this, consider what else is missing. Listen to the text 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

i. The man is jumping, walking, and in the temple courts praising God.

1. There is no indication that this man is now a follower, nor is there an attempt to specifically convert this man.

2. Rather they let him praise God in the temple courts, walking on his own two feet, for the first time in his life.

a. The people who saw this were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to this man

b. These people had seen him sitting at the temple gate, all of his life, for as along as they had been coming to the temple to pray.

c. Now they see him running, jumping and praising God. Amazed to say the least.

II. Now, after the people see, after the men in the temple see this man, see him clinging to Peter and John, they come to see what has transpired. Luke tells the story, 11 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “People of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.

a. While this man was holding onto Peter and John, people in the temple come to see what has happened, they ran to see.

i. Peter says to them, “Why does this surprise you?”

1. It would be surprising if we did this of our own power and godliness.

2. It would be surprising if we had done this on our own.

3. It was not who did this,

4. It was the work of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our Fathers, who has glorified the name of Jesus.

a. This man was healed in the name of Jesus of Nazareth

b. This Jesus is a man you know

i. You disowned him

ii. Handed him over to be killed

iii. Though Pilate wanted to release him you wanted a murderer

iv. You killed the author of life but God raised him from the dead, and we are witnesses to his fact.

ii. By faith in the name of Jesus this man, the beggar now walks

1. It was not the faith of the man who was healed

2. It was the faith of Peter and John

3. This becomes center point of the healing, by faith in the name of Jesus, this man now walks.

a. It was not this man’s obedience, nor was it is ability to pray, to read the scriptures, rather it was the prayer offered in faith that made the man well.

i. God working in and through those who believe in the name of Jesus.

ii. Those who trust in the name of Jesus. b. Now they begin to teach the crowd about Jesus. Peter says, 17 “Now, brothers and sisters, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.

i. Peter says that they acted in ignorance, not that gives them a pass, but rather to point them to God.

ii. You didn’t know, so, let me tell you.

1. God has fulfilled what he promised

a. That the Messiah would suffer

b. Most people did not expect this, though the prophets make it clear.

2. We know scripture, but we focus on some things we like.

3. For example, Jesus said, “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” In Matthew 10:34. The point is that people in all ages focus on specific things, though the prophets did say the Messiah would suffer, it does not mean that people spent time meditating on the passages.

4. So, now that we know the Messiah did need to suffer, the crucifixion did need to happen, what is next?

5. Repent, turn to God a. Be forgiven b. Let the refreshment of God come c. Hope for the Messiah to return, for Jesus of Nazareth to return.

III. Jesus is in essence their inheritance, what those who are listening rightly should receive as their own. Peter says, 24 “Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. 25 And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ 26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.” a. Peter starts with Samuel, and declares that all who follow say the same thing.

i. In reality, those listening to Peter should know these things

ii. The prophets are theirs, they have heard them since they were children, it is part of their world view.

iii. They, those listening, are also heirs of the covenant God made Abraham, and this is part of that covenant. iv. God promised Abraham, that through your offspring, specifically Jesus of Nazareth, all people on earth will be blessed.

1. Do you wish to partake of God’s blessing?

2. It is that simple? v. So, the first to be blessed by God’s servant is those who are Abraham’s descendents, but then the gentiles will also be blessed.

b. They start to tell the message first to the Jew and then to the Gentile, the pattern first established by Jesus, now be enacted by the disciples.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22 “A Time for Everything”

November 25, 2008

First Church of the Brethren

H. Kevin Derr

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22

“A Time for Everything”

 

¹ There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

² a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

⁹ What do workers gain from their toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ¹² I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. ¹³ That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. ¹⁴ I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.

¹⁵ Whatever is has already been,
and what will be has been before;
and God will call the past to account.

¹⁶ And I saw something else under the sun:
In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
in the place of justice—wickedness was there.

¹⁷ I said to myself,
“God will bring into judgment
both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
a time to judge every deed.”

¹⁸ I also said to myself, “As for human beings, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. ¹⁹ Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. ²⁰ All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. ²¹ Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”

²² So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

Prayer

I. Ecclesiastes reflects some common ideas that we see in the Scriptures, one that comes into focus here is that of a sense of order, and a time that is appropriate for the various activities of life. We see the idea of order emerge in Genesis in the creation, God brings order out of Chaos. Paul will later tell us that God is a God of order not disorder. This idea of an appropriate time and season for all the activities of life is echoed here by Ecclesiastes.

a. Here in the third chapter, we find the controlling thought expressed clearly in the first verse, he writes, ¹There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

i. The world that God has created also includes a time and a place for all the activities of humanity. There are times and places were some activities and behaviors are fine, but others that are not appropriate.

1. It is not to necessarily suggest that some of these things are evil, just that there is an appropriate time and place.

2. That is not to say that all behavior is fine, it just needs the appropriate time and place.

a. This is not an uncommon idea in the ancient world, for example Aristotle said that there is no appropriate time and place for adultery. It is wrong.

b. This is also true in the Scriptures, Solomon is not saying that there is a time that is right for adultery.

ii. He does say ²a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,

1. A time for beginnings and endings, a time to plant and a time to uproot, likely a reference to trees or vineyards, but that is not the issue at hand. All things come to an end. People, plants, animals, we all come to and end.

2. There is a beginning point and an ending point, this is true of all of creation, from the whole of the universe, to the smallest gain of sand.

iii. Ecclesiastes goes on to give us a much bigger sense of this movement in life. He says, ³a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

1. This may be understood in different ways, but following the agricultural theme, a time to kill animals that are wounded, and a time to heal them.

2. There are times to tear down our buildings and time to build new ones. There are beginnings and endings to all we know.

iv. There are times for tears and laughter, dancing and sitting with those who have lost loved ones. ⁴a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

1. There are times and places for these activities, a time to mourn a reference to death, and a time to dance, a reference to birth.

2. weeping and laughing, events of life we know all to well. Each is fine in its context, in the right place and time.

v. This line of thinking continues, ⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

1. gathering and scattering stones, building and tearing down.

2. A time for marriage and a time for abstinence

vi. Ecclesiastes is clearly taking us to a very specific place with this line of thinking, he is not specifically address the activities themselves their value or righteousness, but he is taking us to a specific destination. He continues

1. ⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away, ⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, ⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

2. So where is he taking us?

II. Here it is, here is our destination.

⁹ What do workers gain from their toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ¹² I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. ¹³ That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. ¹⁴ I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.

a. What do workers gain from their toil? What do we get from all our work? What comes of it? That is the question of Ecclesiastes.

i. He says he has seen the burden that God has laid on all humanity, to work and toil for our food, an echo of the curse from Genesis 1

ii. But then there is a shift, he says “God has made everything beautiful in its time.”

1. There is a fundamental beauty to life and all of creation, that is not to say that it is without difficulty, he already mentioned the cruse, the result of the fall.

2. But, even with that burden, there is beauty, this is a gift from God.

3. He also tells us that God has set eternity in the human heart.

a. We realize that there is more to the universe than just ourselves, we understand that time goes well beyond the short span of our days

b. We comprehend that there is more than just what we see

c. Yet, even though creation hints to the reality of the creator, though our hearts and minds attempt to grasp that there is more, we still do not understand God, nor what God has done from the beginning of time to the end of time.

iii. Then he says,. ¹² I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. ¹³ That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God

1. What is good for people? To be happy and do good, to be righteous.

2. To eat and drink and find enjoyment in their work these things are to be seen as a gift from God.

3. This is dependable, because the universe that God created will endure, we cannot add to or take away from, and God had done this so that we will fear him, that we will know him and be in relationship with him.

III. We then move into a restatement of some things we have been over, but then it is expanded, Ecclesiastes says,

¹⁵ Whatever is has already been,
and what will be has been before;
and God will call the past to account.

¹⁶ And I saw something else under the sun:
In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
in the place of justice—wickedness was there.

¹⁷ I said to myself,
“God will bring into judgment
both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
a time to judge every deed.”

a. Whatever is has been, what will be was already, here is the change, God will judge what has been done and what will be done.

b. Then Ecclesiastes notes what he has seen, wickedness.

i. In the place of Judgment, wickedness, corruption in those who judge and oversee people

ii. In the place where there should be the granting of justice, wickedness, corruption, and favoritism

iii. Then he comes to this realization, God will judge what humans do under the sun.

1. The righteous and the wicked will be examined by the Lord God.

2. Just as there as been time and place for all that humanity does under the sun, so too will God take time to see that every activity, every deed is considered.

3. Here will be the realization of the wise and the foolish, the righteous and the wicked, while death may face both, there will be an accounting to God for foolishness, for sinfulness and for wickedness.

IV. Now He pushes us just a little further, Ecclesiastes writes, ¹⁸ I also said to myself, “As for human beings, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. ¹⁹ Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. ²⁰ All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. ²¹ Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”

a. God tests us so that we may see we are like the animals.

i. How are we like the animals, sometimes in our behavior

ii. But all the time in that like they draw their last breath so will we.

iii. We are both formed from the dust and return to the dust.

1. We have the same breath, in this we have no advantage over animals.

2. We are all bound to breath our last, to return to the earth.

b. Then he asks the question that so much of humanity asks, What happens after we die. Is there life or isn’t there beyond the last breath?

i. We of course have the assurance of Jesus that for those who believe in him, death is not an issue,. If you would consider how often this topic emerges in popular culture.

ii. Ecclesiastes was addressing the same question in his day, what happens when we die?

c. At the end of the day, he says, ²² So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

i. Here is the best hope for those who do not know Christ Jesus, to simply be able to enjoy their work, because work is their lot.

1. Who can convince them that there is something more?

2. Who can change the mind of the man or woman who refuses to see that Jesus is the Christ.

ii. Yet, for you and I there is more to life, there is genuine life, Jesus said it this way: ⁷ Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸ All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. ⁹ I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. ^[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

1. Those who are not the Messiah, those who are not pointing to the Messiah, are thieves robbers and are not here for the benefit of the people of God.

2. Jesus is the Shepherd, the gate, the way we come to life.

a. The thief comes to steal and destroy

b. But the shepherd, Jesus comes to bring life, life to the full or abundantly.

c. While Ecclesiastes hints at this coming revelation, he did not fully understand what he was point us too, yet he none the less points us to life that will be abundant, more than just a chasing after the wind, more than just another beginning and ending point.

d. He directs us toward Jesus the Christ.

Climate Change and the Church

It’s about time the church takes an active role in looking at how to care for creation, here is an interesting article on the Church and climate change

Rabbi Reveals name of the Messiah

I ran into this article to day, thought some of you may enjoy reading it.

Monday, April 30, 2007

Rabbi Reveals Name of the Messiah Shortly before he died, one of Israel’s most prominent rabbis wrote the name of the Messiah on a small note which he requested would remain sealed until now. When the note was opened, it revealed what many have known for centuries: Yehoshua, or Yeshua (Jesus), is the Messiah.Here is the link from Israel Today