Acts chapter 16 recounts the event of a divine prison break that did not happen for apostles Paul and Silas. Why not? If you are imprisoned unjustly, an earthquake dramatically disrupts the prison building such that the doors fly open, and miraculously even the chains drop off, wouldn't you take that as a huge hint to escape? Yet, because of their close relationship with the risen Christ Jesus, the two apostles instead prayed aloud and sand hymns to God - and the others even remained in their cells. Not one moved to escape!
     The greater freedom came to be the jailer and his family responding to such an event by asking for guidance to attain salvation from God. The captor becomes the disciple and even servant, tending to the wounded prisoners.
      We can find in this response of Paul to the questioner, and other portions of scriptural narrative that the process and behavior needed for salvation from God is very simple. 
      Pastor Dave offers the memorable outline of ABC: Admit, Believe, Confess. Admit the reality of one's sinful condition and separation from God, then believe the promise and offer of forgiveness from Jesus through the cross and resurrection. Then confess that Jesus is now Lord even of one's own life.

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     It can seem like deja vu to read the account of Paul's vision to change course and go to an unplanned meeting in which the Holy Spirit extends the range of the Kingdom of God (Acts 16:9-15) Just last week we saw the event of Peter's vision leading to a new expansion of mission among the Gentiles. 
     There can be a strange disconnect between contemporary Western culture disciples' view of life experiences and those whose experiences are so familiar in the scriptures. We see how common it is for significant spiritual and physical blessing to follow tragedy and disaster and personal suffering and loss. Yet in our day we tend to miss the view of the Holy Spirit working through our version of such difficult experiences. 
     Noteworthy: both Peter and Paul had such game-change visions as they practiced a praying lifestyle. They discerned unexpected leading of God in mission because they were looking for it. May we not miss the potential fruitful mission impact by being solely focused on our experiences of suffering and loss. 

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After Peter experiences a mind and heart stretching spiritual experience with the Holy Spirit doing the unexpected, he then had to face upset colleagues. They reacted with insecurity over allowing for boundary stretching grace of God toward the outer world. Then like a miracle change of heart and thinking, they "see" God's good work in Peter's relating of his vision and resulting spiritual fruitfulness from obedience.
How could the Jewish disciples so suddenly accept that the Holy Spirit had moved the boundaries of religious behavioral requirements? They began to see how the previous sign in circumcision had been replaced by baptism into a spiritual rebirth in Jesus Christ.  
Yet, also vital is their response affirming God's offer of the "privilege" of following the same path of repentance as they had done. Repentance from self-directed independence into receptiveness to character transformation as a whole life process.
All may be rescued by turning to Christ as Lord and receive the gift of promised eternal life.

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Pastor Dave shares from the narrative of the early Church from Acts chapters 8 and 9. God's unexpected activity is to bring fruitful expansion of the mission to share the news about the crucified and risen Jesus - with persecution and suffering to push disciples out of their homes and into the surrounding lands! What appears to be devastating hardship and the undermining of "progress" is a catalyst for dramatic growth! So we have the experiential experience of our own lives: where is God when this hard stuff is happening with me - and what good can it possibly bring, if any?

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     The event reported the first of three occasions in Luke's writing known as "Acts" in chapter 9, verses 1-20, shows not only Jesus' powerful conversion of Saul, but his call to trust and obey for Ananias to let go of resistance to news of a most unlikely ally in the faith. Despite honest misgivings, Ananias ultimately obeys his call and serves as the hands of Jesus to bring healing of body and spirit to the former enemy. Only because of Jesus can Ananias call Saul a "brother" in Christ.
     Are you as a disciple of Jesus open to his unwanted call to trust beyond what makes sense, serving as an instrument of grace to reconcile relationship with Christ in the life of an unlikely brother or sister in faith? Are you even open to the possibility?
     The closing response is a series of prayer statements to take the first step toward removing our self-imposed limitations to God's grace working through our lives toward "enemies."

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 What's next after the Easter celebration of Jesus Christ rising from the dead?
     This is first in a series from the book of Acts, focusing on the unexpected ways God worked to establish the formation of the earliest assemblies of disciples. The apostles carried out their commission to take the message of Jesus' death and resurrection to all the world, so that all may come to saving faith in Christ and be transformed by the renewing of their minds. From Acts 4 and 5 we see an amazing turnabout between the established religious leaders in Jerusalem, known as the High Council, and the Holy Spirit led apostles of Jesus. 
     Because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross of execution anyone may be reconciled by turning from self and sin to Jesus with commitment to follow faithfully. Relationship comes from the reconciliation. Because of Jesus' rising from death back to life in his resurrection body, his promises to his disciples realized: He is the first to rise and gives the same assurance to his faithful followers.

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Despite training and expectations, when real life happens in one of those huge categories - the kind that can drastically alter your life going forward - it somehow seems to surprise us. Why is that? Look at the apostle Peter peering into Jesus' empty tomb on the first Easter morning. Why is he unable to grasp what this means? 
So if you wrestle with the huge implications of such an event - Jesus of Nazareth rising from death back to life again, just as he said he would - you can take heart. Human perception of reality, of life and death, radically changed that morning. No longer would death have the apparent last word and leave us wondering what could be next. 
Soon after the stunning realization for Peter and the others, Jesus makes himself unmistakably known to his close friends. He satisfies the essential questions about what is possible through life connection with him. And just as it took time with the risen Jesus for his followers to grasp this, so it is with us. We require time in committed relationship with him in order to give our trust to this amazing truth.

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A medley of Holy Week songs share the message from Jesus' triumphant arrival to Jerusalem, until days later when he is crucified, and buried. Then the miracle and wonder: Jesus is raised again to life and is forever to be honored and worshipped as Lord of all, our Savior. Pastor Greg then follows this with a brief message inviting response to the musical message of witnessing the achievement of Jesus and offer of grace and new life as his follower.

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Pastor Greg's message follows the musical presentation of the Holy Week experience of Jesus with his disciples, culminating in his death and resurrection celebrated.
Just as "Hosanna!" has the double meaning of both praise and plea for rescue ("Save us!"), so the role of the sacrificial lamb is offered up with its blood accomplishing forgiveness and acceptance by God. But in Jesus' death on the cross, He fulfills the purpose of a once for all time final sacrifice, providing in himself the forgiveness that is the way to restored relationship between fallen humanity and a holy and loving God. What is the appropriate response to such a testimonial of sacrifice for each of us? What is your response?

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Our Connections Pastor, David Moenning, shares this message of how the mission of Christ Jesus is for all disciples, regardless of experience or training or any other difference. Anyone who seeks relationship with Christ is automatically eligible for Kingdom service through their lives to impact all contacts. In Acts 15 and Ephesians 3 we find the blessing of God's holy nation, Israel, extends to non-Jews ("Gentiles") just as much and with the same expectation for joining in Jesus' mission of love for the world around us.

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