I introduced my sermon with the following anecdote: “This actually did happen to a real person, and the real person is me. I had gone to catch a train. This was April 1976, in Cambridge, UK. I was a bit early for the train. I’d gotten the time of the train wrong. I went to get myself a newspaper to do the crossword, and a cup of coffee and a packet of eight cookies. I went and sat at a table. I want you to picture the scene. It’s very important that you get this very clear in your mind. Here’s the table, newspaper, cup of coffee, packet of cookies. There’s a guy sitting opposite me, perfectly ordinary-looking guy wearing a business suit, carrying a briefcase. It didn’t look like he was going to do anything weird. What he did was this: he suddenly leaned across, picked up the packet of cookies, tore it open, took one out, and ate it.
Now this, I have to say, is the sort of thing the British are very bad at dealing with. There’s nothing in our background, upbringing, or education that teaches you how to deal with someone who in broad daylight has just stolen your cookies. In the end I thought, Nothing for it, I’ll just have to go for it, and I tried very hard not to notice the fact that the packet was already mysteriously opened. I took out a cookie for myself. I thought, That settled him. But it hadn’t because a moment or two later he did it again. He took another cookie. Having not mentioned it the first time, it was somehow even harder to raise the subject the second time around.
We went through the whole packet like this and it felt like a lifetime. He took one, I took one, he took one, I took one. Finally, when we got to the end, he stood up and walked away. Well, we exchanged meaningful looks, then he walked away, and I breathed a sigh of relief and sat back.
A moment or two later the train was coming in, so I tossed back the rest of my coffee, stood up, picked up the newspaper, and underneath the newspaper were my cookies. The thing I like particularly about this story is the sensation that somewhere in England there has been wandering around for the last quarter-century a perfectly ordinary guy who’s had the same exact story, only he doesn’t have the punch line.”

Two Names Matthew 1:18-23 & Luke 1:31
Heather’s devotional, yesterday, centered on the two names of Christ given to Joseph and Mary, recorded in Matthew and Luke. The two names are Jesus and Emmanuel. The Name Jesus refers to the personal name of God (Yahweh) and adds the verb for “to save” - translated Yeshua means Yahweh saves. The angel gives the explanation in that He will save His people from their sins. God is a personal Savior. The second name of Jesus, Emmanuel, explains how God will accomplish this. El is at the end of this name and is the generic reference to God (it is used in Scripture of false gods as well). The verb in this name is translated among us, meaning that He is the “among us God”. God personally saves by becoming the among us God. The gospel in two names.
I would like to plumb the depths of these two names this morning, by looking at Christmas from a different perspective; namely God’s. MacArthur called this passage the “theology of Christmas”, because it gives us a look behind the scenes, before Jesus is the helpless babe lying in a manger in Bethlehem.

Two Humiliations Philippians 2:6-8
This passage is called a Christ hymn and divides into two sections: 6-8 and 9-11. This first half is named His condescension. Jesus is introduced as God. Don’t be distracted by the wording that Paul uses here. “In the form of God” is a reference to things that we do not understand: God is spirit (John 4) and therefore His nature is somewhat of a mystery to us. The Greek word makes reference to “the outward appearance of the true nature.” Make no mistake that Jesus is truly God. The text continues to explain that He did not consider His position and majesty as God as a thing to cling to and willingly emptied Himself of this glory in order to take on human form (same word: referring to human nature).
The emptying of Christ might be illustrated in drawing a stick figure on paper. What might you have to give up in order to become part of a two-dimensional world in order to explain to stick figures that there is hope? Impossible and incomprehensible? Exactly… the transcendent Creator of all that we know became part of His creation in order to save us. Emmanuel.
But He humbled Himself further by becoming obedient to his (parents first, but also) Father and submitted to death on the cross. Why? To save us from our sins… Jesus.

Two Exaltations Philippians 2:9-11
Because of this God, the Father exalted the Son and gave Him a Name above all names, with such authority and strength that every knee will bow at His Name. Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. This Christ hymn began with Jesus Christ as God. The hymn ends with Jesus Christ revealed and acknowledged as Lord over all. In emptying Himself, Jesus Christ regained all glory and authority. That is the theology of Christmas. That is Christmas from God’s perspective.
Now, here is my closing thought. There will come a day that you acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord. Will you recognize Him as personal Savior from your sins? Or will you recognize Him in the end as the righteous Judge, who will judge your sins?
How should you respond to this? Peter says is best in Acts: Repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

In considering his own life he begins with the heart. Solomon will advise us to guard our hearts, for out of it flow the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23) In the heart choices are made, there is where temptation to sin begins. David employs the perfect tense, which carries the idea of “to this point I have not…” David launches his self-examination of his heart: he has not been proud; of his eyes: he has not looked down upon; and of his walk: I do not want for things that are too great for me. In this last one, David echoes the words of Job in chapter 42 when he acknowledges that he spoke out of turn and drew conclusions about things that are too wonderful for him.

So here are the questions:
What is my heart after?
What are my eyes looking at?
Where is my walk leading me?

We generally do not spend enough time looking deeply into our hearts, what captures our attention and what motivates our daily living.

David moves into a familiar picture: the weaned child. This isn’t a newborn… but this picture is also necessary to understand the first. A newborn baby is restless. He roots around in his mother’s arms for the breast to find its nourishment. A newborn baby associates mom’s presence with mealtime and until she is satisfied there is struggle. The weaned child, however doesn’t view mom this way. This child can be in its mother’s presence without thinking about food. The picture here is of a child sitting contented on his mother’s lap, leaning against her bosom and finding comfort without thinking about his needs. This picture explains David’s expression at the beginning of verse two: I have calmed and quieted my soul. He has grown up spiritually. He finds His rest in Yahweh… His soul is quieted with His God. His spirit satisfied to be with God and not needing anything else.
The noise of the world has been turned down.

And then flows the confident challenge to Israel to hope in God in this manner… to find your rest in Him… forever! And as this becomes your prayer through introspection to satisfaction, you will also invite others around you to join you in hoping in God alone. Forever.

To be Continued…
Acts 28:17-31

This the twelfth and closing sermon to our series through the book of Acts. I don’t know about you, but I have enjoyed this journey from 120 disciples in a room, who received the promised Holy Spirit and became Jesus’ witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. 3000 people that first day, 4000 a week later, Stephen dies, Philip evangelizes, Peter accepts Samaritans and Gentiles into the Church. The Church multiplies and it is incredible that a mere fifteen years later the Church in Antioch is led by the Spirit to send Paul and Barnabas into modern-day Turkey to plant Churches among the Gentiles. When Paul reaches Rome at least 22 Churches have been planted across the Mediterranean. Understand that this is unheard of. Never before has a religion crossed ethnic and cultural boundaries. Every city had its own deity (think of Ephesus in chapter 19) - a protector and provider, if you will. Even Judaism was confined (by and large) to the borders of Israel. Others believed in the God of the Jews, but such conversions were not wholescale like we see in Acts.
Threats do not stop the gospel, jails cannot hold the witness, and persecution only multiplies the spread of the message of Jesus Christ. This historical report is invigorating!
Now thirty years after our Lord has ascended back into heaven, Paul finally walks through the gates of Rome and we quickly find out that there are no accusers waiting for him - the letters may have been lost in the shipwreck or perhaps the Sanhedrin was just happy to have Paul taken far away from Jerusalem. The Jews are intrigued by Paul and listen to his testimony and give us their assessment of the success of the mission: “it is everywhere spoken against.” (verse 22) Mission accomplished. There could be no greater feeling of satisfaction for Paul, the missionary. You may speak against it… but you have heard it!
Paul does what he does best and from morning to night time he explains from the Old Testament that Christ is the expected Messiah. When many do not believe he explains from the Old Testament why: this people is stubborn and had closed its eyes to the truth (25-27). And again… he will take the gospel to the Gentiles in Rome… and they WILL listen (28-29). Dr. Luke reports that Paul stayed under house arrest for two years, that he received anyone that came to visit him and it tells us the two things that kept him busy - which are instructive to us:
He preached the Kingdom of God.
He taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why does the book end so abruptly? Two years are covered in the two closing verses. What about his trial? What about the rest of Paul’s life? How did Paul die? Was he martyred?
There is the point of the book of Acts… it never was about Paul. It was about the gospel and how the Holy Spirit accomplished the mission Jesus laid out in 1:8. And as chapter 28 closes, we are left pondering and thinking… and that’s because the Mission isn’t over. You and I are continue.
The gospel spread to Spain next and by AD80 France and Tunisia have been reached by evangelists. The gospel spreads into Europe and the continent of Africa. By the end of the second century large well-documented Churches have been established in Portugal, Morocco, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium. In AD313 Christianity becomes an acknowledged religion of Rome in the edict of Milan under Constantine.
The gospel continues to spread and now where the gospel has been forgotten we seek to re-introduce people to Jesus Christ and expect the Church to multiply, because the mission still continues.

So Paul preached and taught. I want to draw our attention to this last verse. (1) He preached the Kingdom of God. What does that mean? The kingdom of God refers to God the Father’s absolute rule in the broadest sense… He is the absolute Ruler of all and His plan through the Ages has been the same. 1 Corinthians 15 teaches us that Christ will rule the Kingdom, promised to the Jews, but once He has gathered everything - including death - under his rule, he will submit it all, including Himself to God the Father (1 Cor. 15:24-28). Now here is the question… do you preach God’s absolute rule over your life? And we preach plenty before we have even uttered a word. Do you testify to God’s complete control of the good, the bad, and the ugly? Even intense persecution served God’s purposes. Wednesday night we were reminded of some of our history… struggle and division. But look around you at what God has done! And consider what He will do next… He uses it all to accomplish His purposes… because He is the ultimate Ruler of all. What does your life preach about the kingdom of God and your citizenship?
(2) He taught about Jesus Christ. There is the next tier… when someone asks you about the hope that is in you… you teach… it’s called making a disciple and teaching him. Who are you teaching about Jesus? Now, we wanted to help you in this, so together with Peter and Marnix - two evangelists in our Church - we have put together a gospel tract that you can use to teach about our Church.

So, where does the book end? One word: unhindered. A Greek word that is only found here… it is one of those words that begins with -a- in order to indicate the opposite of the verb that follows. The root verb is used 17 times in Acts. It was used in Acts 8 and 10 when asked about being baptized… can anyone refuse his baptism? The gospel cannot be resisted. It was used in 11:17 when Peter defended his actions in Caesarea… if God saved them in exactly the same way as he did us, could I stop God? The gospel cannot be stopped. It was used in chapter 16 of the Holy Spirit who hindered Paul and Silas from going to Asia Minor. The gospel cannot be hindered. It was used in chapter 27 of the Centurion who forbad his men from killing the prisoners in order to protect Paul. The gospel cannot be forbidden.
And that is what should be left lingering in your mind as we close Acts… the gospel multiplies. You preach it with your life. You teach it with your mouth. And the gospel cannot be stopped, cannot be hindered, cannot be resisted and cannot be forbidden. So go and multiply!

Kingdoms in Conflict
Acts 18:23-21:14

The Church was characterized by JOY, SIMPLICITY, and UNITY. Paul is committed to strengthening the Church and sets out on a third missionary journey that takes him to Ephesus, where he invests three years in a teaching ministry that greatly multiplies the Church in the Roman province of Asia. Before sailing to Jerusalem Paul visits the Churches in Greece and says farewell to the Ephesus elders in Miletus.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Luke chooses to focus particularly on the Word of the Lord and the Name of the Lord.

Chapter 19 unfolds the following elements in Paul’s ministry: Regular Bible teaching, Religious Superstition and Radical Conversions. This is going to be my outline this morning.

Regular Bible Teaching [19:1-10]
The passage opens with the account of twelve disciples of John the Baptist. Paul asks them an unexpected question. Unexpected, because we don’t ask this of people today: “Do you have the Holy Spirit?” For Paul this may have been a litmus test for Jewish converts and to the Jew the question might sound a bit more like: “Have you partaken of the New Covenant?” The Holy Spirit is the promised seal… that’s what Paul writes in Ephesians 1: In him [Christ] you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (1:13-14) They do not know of the Spirit and have believed an incomplete gospel. He corrects their hope and directs them to Christ. They believe and are re-baptized in the Name of Christ and the signs of Acts 2, 8 and 10 accompany the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Why did this happen? There are many explanations, but they all boil down to: confirming John the Baptist as the forerunner to Christ, confirming Paul as an Apostle of Christ, and confirming the faith of these believing Jews - far away from Jerusalem. (cf. Acts 1:8) This is the last time that these signs appear in the book of Acts.
Paul evangelizes the synagogue - as is his habit - for three months. They eventually harden their hearts and so Paul opens up shop in the hall of Tyrannus and teaches daily for two years.
We trace many responses to the gospel in chapter 19.
> There is proper faith in the proper person, leading to a proper baptism (1-7)
> There is a hardening, followed by disobedience to the Word and a critical heart that speaks disparagingly of the “way”. (8-9)
> There is the syncretism of the Ephesian people, specifically seven Jewish exorcists that incorporate Jesus’ name into their demonism without believing in Christ themselves. (13)
> There is fear, leading to faith, resulting in confession and a radical departure from their old ways. (17-19)
> There is religious fanaticism that is driven by economic motives. (24-40)

Paul also provides a pattern for these believers to follow. In his farewell to the elders in chapter 21, he discusses how he ministered among them - carefully, lovingly, firmly.

Religious Superstition [19:11-17]
Chapter 19 also presents us with interesting and relatively inexplicable events. Towels that heal and demons that beat up charletains. So what do we do with these events? First of all, Luke calls it “extraordinary”, which is just a but more specific in the original Greek: “not the usual”. What is described here is certainly not normal and should not be something we except in any way, shape, or form. Furthermore, it is God that does this… he is the subject of the sentence. He chooses to use the superstition of the day (rags contain healing powers) to show the strength of the Name of Christ. In a heathen culture stooped in magic and demon worship, Christ’s Name is shown to be strongest.
The text also speaks negatively of the practice of speaking to demons - this is the only place where such a practice is described and it is by unbelieving Jewish demonizers. The result? Fear in the region, which leads to faith among many.
A sidenote… nowhere in Scripture are we commanded to speak to demons, name demons, or bind demons. When the apostles encounter demons they command them to leave (with the simplest term for going away or travel). They do not have conversations with them. Not even Christ even really speaks with demons… He commands their silence. Once He asks for a name and gets a number. The Scriptural pattern for our dealing with Satan is to resist him (1 Peter 5), which is in the context of submitting to God. We don’t speak to demons… we speak to God.
The text describes how the people abandon their superstitions and burn their books. All of these things lead to a major uproar as Demetrius leads the people to re-commit to Artemis, chanting “Great is Artemis” for two hours in the grand theater.

Radical Conversions [19:18-20]
This passage reveals many radical decisions for Christ. The disciples of John that have their faith completed and get baptized again in order to identify their faith with Christ. The Ephesians come to faith in Christ and leave behind their old practices - even burning their books of incantations. The impact of Christians in the area is radical in that it leads to a civil unrest. This truly speaks of kingdoms in conflict. Satan loses a foothold here… a major magic-religion is feeling the pressure of the Name of Christ and the Word of Christ… and it is verse 20 that explains it all: So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

And this is where I bring our application to us… This Church in Ephesus - according to Revelation and Colossians - spawns seven Churches… this Church multiplies in the region.
Are we a Church that multiplies? Do you consider your mandate to live out your faith?

Divide to Multiply
Acts 15:35-18:22

The Church was characterized by JOY, SIMPLICITY, and UNITY. These nouns ought to characterize our Church, but as we have seen more than once in Acts, these are the areas that Satan attempts to destroy. Two weeks ago we handled a threat to the doctrinal simplicity of the Church - a conflict arose. The end-result: a Jerusalem resolution that faith is by grace alone through faith in Christ alone. No additional external rule of law required for salvation. You don’t need Judaism, you don’t need circumcision, you don’t need a rigorous set of laws or traditions… Christ’s accomplished work on the cross covers it all. Gospel math… Jesus plus nothing equals everything!

But chapter 15 does not end on a high note. It does, but it doesn’t… as we will see this morning. A contention arises between Paul and Barnabas and the dream team separates. Barnabas essentially slips from the pages of Scripture into Cyprus and Paul goes to Europe with a new team. So what happened? And what may we learn?

Division [15:35-41]
Paul and Barnabas seem to be two peas in a pod. They had worked well together during their first missionary endeavour through Galatia and Pamphilia, and successfully defended the foundations of the gospel against the attack of the believing Pharisees. Paul suggests revisiting and strengthening the Churches that had been established. Paul says in one of his later letters that there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11:28) Paul was deeply concerned for the faith of these young Churches and so he desires to return.
Barnabas wants to take John Mark. And there’s the rub. John Mark had deserted them on the first missionary venture (Acts 13:13) and Paul didn’t want to chance it. Their contention leads to heated discussions, which leads to disagreement, which leads to hurt feelings, and Barnabas takes John Mark and sails to Cyprus. If that was the first time you read this… it’s not how you expected this paragraph to end.
The question that always gets asked is: Who was right?
There are some suggestions, but they always end up spiritualizing the text, which isn’t helpful. For instance, some suggest that Barnabas was more people-oriented, which Paul was mission-oriented. Possible, but the entire reason for this trip was Paul’s people-orientation (see verse 36). Others point out Barnabas’ focus on second chances, where Paul’s focus is on proven character. If there was anyone that understood second chances is was Paul… or should we call him Saul? Yet another suggestion is that Barnabas is blinded by family (John Mark is his cousin).
I propose that was is happening here is something that we see more often in ministry: God has given Barnabas a new passion and wants to divide Paul and Barnabas so that the gospel might multiply greatly. In this respect, both men are right. And yet both men are wrong for allowing this Spirit-led change to have turned into a sharp disagreement and hurt feelings.
We know that these men reconcile. Not in the pages of Scripture, but Paul calls John Mark “useful for ministry” and even commends him (Colossians 4). According to tradition Mark becomes Peter’s companion and writes the Gospel of Mark. But Paul would not have been able to write 3:13-15 if he had not reconciled with his friend.

Multiplication [16-18:22]
What we read next is that Paul picks Silas, is commissioned by the Church in Antioch, finds Timothy in Lystra and travels with this this team through Galatia and Pamphilia. They make their way to Troas, where they meet Dr. Luke (the tense of the narrative changes to we in 16:10). Paul receives his Macedonian call in a vision and this new team crosses over to modern Greece.
Lydia is converted in Philippi together with a jailor, Jason in Thessalonica, Diodysius in Athens and Cryspus in Corinth. What’s interesting to notice is how Paul has learned a bit about division for multiplication, as he leaves Luke in Philippi (the narrative returns to second person plural in 16:40; cf. 20:13), leaves Silas in Berea and sends Timothy back to Thessalonica, while he goes on to Athens. Churches are established and strengthened and then they meet up again in Corinth, where a large Church develops and they spend a year-and-a-half there.
What does this picture paint? The work of God multiplying… and let’s add Barnabas to this list… he goes to Cyprus. The gospel is spreading! It’s invigorating and exciting! And it proves that the Holy Spirit is at work… despite all of man’s “stuff.” We can even add Aquila and Priscilla to this list… they meet Paul in Corinth and follow him to Ephesus. They meet Apollos and they lead him to Christ and he gets sent to Corinth. People are ending up where God wants them.

Three lessons
>> God has a plan. Do you follow Him--even if others have a different passion? However, this is no license for harsh words or growing conflict. Conflict happens… that’s true, but that doesn’t mean we have license to hurt one anothers feelings. Colossians 3:13-15 is very helpful here.
>> God leads. Do you ask where He wants to use you, though? It may not be where you thought… and are you willing, even when you need to say goodbye?
>> God uses everything. Do you trust him through human conflict, the ups and downs and even suffering? God uses it all to multiply his message.

You know, the same word for “sharp disagreement” is used in Hebrews 10:24: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” So, I guess we have a choice… do we passionately pursue God and stir up disagreements? Or do we stir up love and good works in others… because there is our calling: discipleship. Investing in others.

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