Exploring God’s Word with Brad Thurston

Now the church in Jerusalem is central to the start of this “Life”. Cyrene in Libya is mentioned several times: one who carries Jesus’s cross, at Pentecost, and now again here. The difference between this account and the others concerning the spread of the Gospel, is that we do not know who is involved.  Philip and Peter have been prominent, and the accounting of what happened in Caesarea was given in Jerusalem!  But now we do not know who these people are who are breaking with tradition in Antioch!

The Grace, or “charis” speaks of gifts and power.  Often we associate the power with certain individuals.  But this is not a kingdom of celebrities, but of faithful ones to Jesus. The Gifts and graces are not dependent upon fancy words, rhetoric, or argumentation – rather upon the Lord.  The growth in our faith, dependence, and trust in the Lord comes from walking in His presence. Knowing him and through whom the gifts come, can be as much a surprise to them as to the ones who receive the gift! In each instance, it is the Lord who gives and who works!

The response of the church is also significant: they send someone whom they trust to see about what is happening.  This seems to not just be a singular phenomenon, but a movement of God! The travelers from this city in Syria are talking about it as they travel. The central control of this movement is now getting out of hand, and folks are losing control of it. There are many challenges coming. What about dealing with sin? How do we keep the purity of faith? How do we train new leaders and disciple new believers? How do we organize our ministries to the poor and our evangelistic movements? Who handles the finances and who does the administration? This thing is getting out of control. 

The focus can shift from knowing Jesus as Lord of his church to trusting in our own abilities! And this becomes crucial:  as we worship and seek him, our trust and reliance upon him grows! We can grow through praise, and through singing, and by resting in him!

At This Point, Barnabas remembers Saul. He goes to get him and uses this time as a Father to help lead and guide these new believers.  He helps them grow in the understanding of building a multi-national and multi-cultural group under the Lordship of Jesus who brought them together in the first place!  This is the next step in a growing movement.  And to distinguish them from the Pagans, they were called “Messianists”, or Messiah followers. Originally it appears to have been used by antagonists to label them, not a name they had adopted by themselves.

Conclusion

The cross is confounding to people. The way of the cross is even more confounding! It is despised by outsiders, misunderstood by those who see the kingdoms of this world, and it can appear to be a riddle as to how life is so utterly transformed by a new understanding of how to live!

For those who choose to seek the Kingdom of God first, it becomes an adventure!

God’s gifts are precious, especially when we are the recipients. We grow to become those through whom God’s gifts flow to others! The resulting praise, worship and joy, the result of our gratitude becomes the foundation for our growth! We live to please God and others before ourselves. We call on God as Father which solidifies our identity as the children of God!

Watching basketball during the playoffs is a lot of fun.  I do enjoy the great offensive plays, the trick shots and the no look passing leading to great baskets and shimmies. But spending some time with my son in law and hearing him talk about the game, I see the importance of having a great defense.  Draymond Green is brilliant at defense. And that leads to wins!

The same is true with Jesus, when I see his defense before pilot, which leads to victory over the devil!

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The obvious question is: Why the repetition?

The Answer lies in the opening verses of the account:

1. The apostles and the brothers and sisters had heard about how the Gentiles had received the Word of God. As had they and the folks in Samaria when Peter and John went to them
2. It is those of the circumcision who criticize Peter for entering the house and eating with Gentiles
3. The messianic movement did not see following Jesus as a separate religion!
4. They do not see how their zeal for God should be minimized by association with Idol worshippers.
5. They are not against Gentiles becoming a part of the Jewish community and sharing in all the benefits of believing in the Messiah
6. They are against diluting their status as those who hold fast to the law God gave and the fear of the lord as in the one true God.  The status of the Gentiles has not yet been determined. In their minds, they should be circumcised, thought the Torah, and keep the festivals and traditions. “For a Jew to eat without attending to ritual purity or to dietary regulations meant loss of identity, for the entire rationale for such regulations was the “holiness”, that is the separateness, of this people, based on the commandments of God.” – Luke Johnson this is a major problem to them – one we will continue to see battled out in the books of the New Testament.
7. Peter’s defense
8. The sequence of events that were orchestrated by God
9. Two visions given in separate locations to very different people that complemented one another - a response to divine initiative!
10. The command by the spirit to not doubt, debate, or complaint (which is what these circumcizers were doing)
11. The presence of witnesses, both Jew and Gentile
12. The crowning event was the outpouring of the Spirit
13. Peter’s reply is: “Was I powerful enough to prevent God?” vs 17
14. The consequence of this is the following: If God accepts them, who are we to reject them? If they are participants of the same Spirit as us without all the religious traditions we have grown up with, why should we burden them with what they know nothing about?
15. This issue will not resolve itself for quite a while yet because it means that God is no respecter of person, male or female, jew or Greek, young or old, slave or free, rich, or poor: these tags mean nothing to God who gives abundantly all that we need for life and godliness.  All who seek God can be saved!  For Peter the sign of conversion is the evidence of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life and then their baptism to seal their clear commitment to the Lordship of Jesus.
16. We see Peter’s growth in his understanding of the vision God gave him, and his interpretation of the words of Jesus take on new meaning:  In Acts 1:5 Jesus spoke of the baptism on the Spirit to a small group of Jewish followers, but he clearly intends it for all followers!
17. How do we apply this understanding to us today?
18. See what Church history teaches us:  Hudson Taylor taught his people to be Chinese in all things except sin.
19. How do we approach people who have different cultural ways of praising God?
20. In Korea they all pray out loud at once
21. In Polynesia they dance in church
22. In East Africa they play drums like church bells in England
23. In Mozambique they cast out demons and prove to the Imams that Jesus is still alive
24. In Brazil the small churches have large loudspeakers to preach to all the neighbors
25. In our community, all the different churches have their idiosyncrasies that keep us apart from one another – to which Jesus says, “All men shall know you are my disciples if you love one another, not if you love one another in your little corner.  You can start there, but we need to have a greater understanding of the vision that Jesus gives to his church!  His church ought to be international, intercultural, and diverse – loving the ones that Jesus loves and hating sin with a passion whenever it shows up in our lives or others to destroy them. We need to see God intervene in people’s lives working miracles of deliverance, forgiveness, and reconciliation.  We need to celebrate when God breaks the barriers down that separate us and not complain about how they affect our sensitive traditions and preferences.  This battle is not just visible in the distant past but touches our lives in the here and now….
26. Whatever sin your life is hiding, you are not hiding it from God. And he wants to break through into your heart and give you his Spirit without condemnation. His salvation is for all who believe and put their trust in him.  Will you do it today?

Growth in understanding 

From the beginning the Old Testament speaks of God’s desire for all to come to a knowledge of the truth.  The promises are not just for Abraham and his descendants, but for all who will call upon the name of the Lord! But the Jews see their purpose as defending God’s honor through their traditions and laws.  So though the prophets declared it, it is not something that their understanding could comprehend. As a result, they did little about it.  This passage is about a major change in understanding, and in application.  This is the greatest paradigm shift in the history of the Jewish people and nation.  It is an event that will alter the course of peoples, nations, and all of history.  How people understand this event will affect how they live and how they relate to others. This is a climatic event that Peter cannot imagine, nor will he be able to fully comprehend it’s significance while it is happening.  He is instructed to face it without doubt or debate!

There are two aspects to what happens in this passage:

First, the experience that Peter has and second the experience these Pious Gentiles have who had gathered to hear him speak.

Let us examine Peter’s growth in understanding as he begins to understand the vision and takes steps in growing in faith!  The first thing is he makes a connection to the vision!

1. The insight of fellowshipping with gentiles whom he had considered unclean 
2. The insight of preaching about Jesus as the Lord leading to believing and receiving forgiveness
3. The impact of God’s action leading him to certain conclusions. They belong to the family!

The impact on the gathered Gentiles must have been just as dramatic to the Jews present as to the Gentiles themselves.  Notice, there is no instruction about how to receive the Holy Spirit or speak in tongues or who can praise God!  The internal event was as much a surprise to them as to the Jews, perhaps even more so than on the day of Pentecost since they had no direct promise that it would happen, and none expected it.  So what happened to them?

1. They Heard- and understood the message: Caesar is not the Lord of all!
2. They believed and received forgiveness of their sins.
3. God baptized them in the Spirit with the same visible signs as they had experienced (surprise!)

What does this show us?

“They probably weren’t thinking in terms of labels (ie. becoming Christians instead of pagans). They would have bonded with any who had had the same experience of the Spirit. A new family/household was coming into existence that defied old categories. I think we get into tribalistic thinking only when we loose our sense of the living presence of God. We seem to divide over issues related to what we know versus who we know.” Andy Wiegand

Related Verses:

“For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.”

Romans 14:9 NASB1995

“who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,”

Romans 1:4 NASB1995

“but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.”

Romans 2:10-11 NASB1995

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Galatians 3:28 NASB1995

Means of communication: we often take communication for grated and assume that the way we do it is perhaps the only way, or the right way to communicate sometimes this is quite funny! We have a lot of fun on the mission field thinking of the ways miscommunication plays in our lives: for example, assuming a person is deaf, when they don’t know the language we are using.  Or not knowing how to communicate with a deaf or blind person. Or using facial or other body language. Or inflections or vocal tones. Then there are artistic ways of communicating, or writing, or singing, giving gifts, and so forth.  We are all multitalented when it comes to communication, and this reflects how God communicates. He is a creative communicator. And in his communication, he involves a lot of people, to build his family connections and to lead us out of our own little groups! He builds relationships by his means of communication. He is not isolated, nor is he individualistic, but relational and interested in building people together – even in some unusual ways.  Look at our text:

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One obvious observation is God’s great imagination in communicating to his people.

One obvious question is this: why didn’t he just save Cornelius when he saw all his piety? What is with all this miracle stuff? Why involve so many people? Why go through so many hoops?

The answer lies in both the complexity and the conflict caused by God’s action and his intention to communicate the future direction and growth of this movement.  From our perspective today we may not understand just how inappropriate this event is for the religious Jews who are still discovering the greatness and extent of God’s love and grace, but also dealing with the human side of decision making to catch up with what God is doing.  But we can identify with the reasons behind wanting to exclude people from our community who are radically different to us. (Even though we have been sinners like them as well!

God is involving a greater community – one with enemies and uncleanness, and Gentiles, and who knows what. Peter is commanded to go without doubt or misgivings, or debate!

So, he offers these “unclean ones” hospitality, and accompanies them because not only Cornelius sent them, but Jesus!  

The unraveling of this puzzle is going to lead us to understand more about the nature and scope of Gods character and his actions.  The procedure and the means of communication is vital for the impact that it makes on all the players for them to understand this is of God and not my idea!

Where does this leave us?  When we pray for God to add to us, can we anticipate that he will only send folks like us to be a part of this move of his Spirit? Or can he determine who is to come and be a part?

Like Jan said, you must catch the fish before you can clean them! 

Who are we to tell Jesus whom he can love? Whom can he save? Whom can he deliver?

Whom can he forgive?  The cross of Jesus points to all who are afar off.  All who are broken and downtrodden, all who are lonely, all who are failures.  All who want to come, let them come.

Introduction

“I can worship God anywhere”. “Church is full of hypocrites.” Church is not a castle for elitist people, it is more like a hospital full of every kind of human sickness where folks seek to be healed.  It is not intended to be a cruise ship with every kind of luxury, it is supposed to be a lifeboat rescuing those drowning in human misery. The church was never intended to be a club for select elites, but for those who are desperate for hope, forgiveness, and acceptance. We need to be loved, not in a lustful sensuous way, but in an uplifting, pure and encouraging way.  For that to happen, we need each other to build each other up in love.  This does not happen on our own, but in community where we face our own character faults as well as learning to manage with those of others, all the while yearning to grow in our faith into the likeness of Jesus from one level of glory to the next.

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Paul does not become the person he is going to be on his own.  When he met Jesus, it was not only his concept of god that changed! But everything.  He switched sides, which means those he was representing, his friends were about to desert him! How would the other Messiah followers accept him?  Would others be willing to accept him for real, or would they suspect them? Look at who is involved in his growth as a new Christian:

The virtues that the church shares! Forgiveness, Reconciliation, trust, and love.

Friends who become enemies! Enemies of truth, God, and his church!

The focus of the church is greater than “what does it bring me”. It is about us all and God’s love for all who are different than I am. The focus on God keeps us sensitive to Him and HIS WAYS!

My friend Wilkin in Holland wrote a book recently: God is Love, Period.  Here is an excerpt:

"Sometimes I get asked if I'm not afraid we'll develop a hug theology if we emphasize so strongly that God is love. 'God is first and foremost holy, right? "I always answer this question with another question: "Did God create Adam and Eve because He is holy, or because He is love?" "An extension of that is: "Did God send His Son into the world because He is holy or because He is love? “The answer is clear: ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that everyone who believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16, GN). It is not a question of whether God is love than that He is holy. He's both. God’s love and His holiness are both constant – they never become less or more. But it makes sense whether we start with God's holiness or with God's love. If we begin to emphasize that God is first and foremost holy, then there is a danger that we develop a distorted image of God. Then the God of heaven and earth - who as a father loves his children – may seem to be distant, numb, or even unattainable in our minds. Then we could continue to ask: 'Can I ever meet the standards that a perfect and holy God asks of me? ‘Whoever constantly hammers that God is holy, highly exalted, and a mystery – and that is all true – creates a greater distance between God and people that He loves. As a result, people on their own will try to meet God's standard, and holiness is devalued to appearance. The God that is love is becoming more and more the God of must and cannot. God knows how we can get stuck in our thought patterns, rules of behavior and rituals. We must go to church twice on Sunday. We need to pray, read the Bible, and give our tithes. We must evangelize and believe without doubting. In one church you are not allowed to do this. In the other church you are not allowed to do that. Church sometimes looks more like a prison than a house of God. It can appear to be a Christian bubble full of human rules, instead of a house of love where lost sons and daughters may come home to the arms of their Heavenly Father."

From: God is love period! by Wilkin van de Kamp

For Paul, he left his anger, murderous heart, threats, and evil desires to find a community of love where he, of all people, did not deserve it.

Meeting people who leave important footprints in our lives affect us and others as well. I have met a lot of well-known people in this world, but they were not the ones who impacted me the most. Some impacted me with a sentence, or a particular teaching, or their lifestyle.  Over the course of my life, there have been many mentors who have profoundly influenced me. Some don’t know me or how their connection to me affected my life. Still, I am exceedingly grateful. As is the fellow in the text today:

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Committed to God and defending his honor, following his understanding of the scriptures Saul is going to stamp out this new movement of Messiah followers.  He is going to keep the traditions handed down through his forefathers.  He is waiting for a real deliverer who will establish the Kingdom of David again and return all to the glory days of old. His zeal has blinded him. This Jesus they are talking about is dead and cannot fulfill the goals expected by the real Messiah.  These rebels are deceived.  Jesus was cursed by dying on a tree.  Saul’s zeal for God drives him to rid the world of this menace.  Notice that the church is already expanding beyond what was already noted!

Saul was not prepared for the Damascus Road encounter:  

1. He knew he was not up to the task of combating this powerful one, and calls him Lord, acknowledging his superiority
2. He questions him, as to who he is, wondering what he wants, and why this has happened to him.
3. He is shocked to discover that it is the very one against whom he has been railing. The proof of the resurrection had just encountered him in a real and powerful way.
4. He then tells him the next step to take without revealing why, what, where or when. The only thing he has answered is the question: Who?

Life Changing Encounters

            Sins, transgressions, iniquity: gross injustice or wickedness 

3 Dark Days – and a radical transformation 

            What goes on in his head during this time? Seeing his iniquity Isaiah 53:6

            The resurrection is not just an historical event, it is a personal experience for all who meet him

            Chuck Colson the former White House advisor knows the reality of the Resurrection from the lying perspective! Now we don’t just look back we look at our need now for the activity of God in our lives. He can change everything!  The gross transformation he needed; is what we all need. From a self based perspective on life to a God based perspective on life! Relying on the activity of Jesus to do what he promises in his way and time. This includes many surprising activities when we expect him to show up!

A calling and a promise

            At his conversion, Saul receives his life’s calling

            The means involvement of the community and action of the Holy Spirit who is obviously in charge of building trust, relationships, obedience in the face of danger.

            God’s perspective is greater than ours! From individualistic to building a Kingdom that cannot be defeated and covers the earth over all time!

What God does with broken vessels

            Here is an example of what God does with those who trust him:

            Takes our misconceptions and our own abilities to change and he carries them on our behalf- and then gives us the power to conquer the devil’s activity in our lives. He delivers us from great and small things! From sin, transgression, and iniquity!

Who is this Lord? He is the Lord of all! He breaks down the racial divides, the cultural divides, as well as the sin, transgression, and iniquity divides! He unites his followers with His Father!

Introduction

On the way into Jerusalem, the crowds gathered and waved their Palm branches and shouted out praise as Jesus rode on a donkey into the city of Jerusalem.  It was a strange mixture of misunderstood preconceived ideas and Jesus accepting their worship even though he knew they were not properly interpreting the scriptures. All would be revealed at the right time! They would see that the King of Glory was going to cover the whole Earth with his Glory!

Psalm 24:7,8 and “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea.” Habakkuk 2:14 But the question does arise, how can we understand? A question our text today poses for us.  “They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:9 

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A funny story, full of amazing miracles, incredible growth of God’s Kingdom, a deep encounter with God, and an answer to the question!

Retell the story of the rich influential man who is most likely a proselyte Jew who came to Jerusalem to worship: on his way home reading from Isaiah 53:7,8

Angel speaks to Philip, and then he runs alongside the chariot chatting to this fellow, who then stops to let him in!

Shares Jesus from the passage, and the exclamation to be baptized, and from there you have the start of the church in Ethiopia, - a major expansion without the help of the apostles!

Look at the message paradox: humility and power.

Look at the signs and wonders: Philip showing up to explain the Gospel, able to run and chat, being taken and deposited somewhere else. This man of influence is suddenly a key person in the Kingdom.

What is the difference? It is the activity of the Holy Spirit of God. The Teacher that Jesus promised. He is the one who convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgement. He is the Spirit of truth, and the guide in life.  He is the one who gives great joy and the one who reveals Jesus in the Scriptures!

There is a lot that is said about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but most of all, it is the Holy Spirit who honors and reveals the Son! The Holy Spirit is a gift that not only infills us but also teaches, leads, directs, reveals, and demonstrates the reality of the Life of Jesus.  There is always more, and we need to be as curious as the Ethiopian was and desirous as the Samaritans were.  We need to be eager to discover Jesus for ourselves in the reading of the word.  We cannot tell God what he is able to do, what he is allowed to do.  When we pray: Here is your servant, we must be willing to do anything the master tells us know that he will not give us anything bad when he does give his Spirit to us?

What is one of the great signs of being filled with the Holy Spirit? Great joy! Great love of God! Great desire to become like him.