All Roads Lead To Antioch (Acts 11:19-30)

“Meanwhile, back at the ranch” is a cliché we’ve all heard. Originally it was a subtitle shown in silent films. It was also used in radio dramas, where scene changes had to be signaled verbally. Later, it became a catchphrase in westerns and cowboy shows, where our heroes were carrying on with their duties and adventures, sometimes unaware of what was happening on the other side of the prairie.

In the last few chapters, some monumental things have been happening. The foremost enemy of the Church has been converted and is on his way to becoming a great Apostle, in one of the most epic origin stories of all time. The door of salvation has been flung wide to all the nations. Revival has broken out in Samaria. People are being healed and raised from the dead, angels are appearing.

Though the story Luke is telling has focused mostly on a few individuals like Peter or Philip or a bit of Saul, it’s clear that God’s work was not localized. We’ve been seeing His astounding providence on display as people from far and wide are being drawn to Him, to hear the magnificent news that Jesus Christ has made a way for man to be saved. And, what a comfort it is, to know that our God has left no corner of this world unnoticed, no stone unturned in His desire that none should perish. Tonight, as we go home to lay our heads down and get that sleep we need every day, we can be sure that God is not slumbering. He is still busy, still working, still unfolding His plan and His will, by His grace, through His people, in all sorts of ways.

Luke has made our eyes wide with what God is capable of doing through just a few, humble people. But now, in the back half of chapter 11, he gives us a “meanwhile, back at the ranch” moment, and shows that the work of the Gospel wasn’t only being accomplished by a few, but by many as each, average Christian, went moving through the world, sharing the truth of Jesus as they went.

As Luke widens the lens, we’ll see the start of a brand new, local church and how it operated. It’s not presented as a model to be mimicked, but as an exhibition and demonstration of what God can do in the lives of people who love Him, are full of His Spirit and submitted to His word.

In the context of the Book, we’ll also see that God was beginning a long and consequential work in a new place: Antioch, the capital of Syria and one of the most remarkable cities in the Roman Empire. As the Lord established a new thing in that place, we’ll see many roads, from near and far, leading to this city and to the church there. It becomes a ministry magnet.

Acts 11:19 – 19 Now those who had been scattered as a result of the persecution that started because of Stephen made their way as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.

Many commentators are quick to suggest that the dispersion of Christians from Jerusalem was a result of the Church’s failure to take up the great commission. They say God had to jump start His Bride, who had fallen into a rut. Then, looking at Luke’s pivot to focus on the story in Antioch, they say that, because the church in Jerusalem was still failing, God moved His base of operations up north to Syria, because, after all, the 12 in Jerusalem were a bunch of losers.

I’ve got a few issues with this sort of perspective. First of all, we’re given no such assessment from the Lord in the Word itself. God’s not shy when it comes to calling out His people. Second, church history records that the 12 did carry the Gospel far and wide. John to Asia. Andrew to the Scythians and Thracians. Bartholomew and Thomas to India. Peter to Bythinia, Cappadocia and Italy. Third, dividing out the Jerusalem church as a failure is an entirely grace-less attitude.

Instead, we might look from this perspective: God was obviously doing many things, not just throughout the region, but now increasingly around the Roman world. Luke, as an author, cannot tell every story, and he doesn’t pretend to. He’s leading us into part 2 of his Acts account, which will largely center on his traveling companion, the Apostle Paul. And, in doing so, he shows us how God can use any of us to do Kingdom work.

These Christians, on the run from persecution, are a great example of that wonderful truth. It wasn’t God who scattered them out. Luke says, outright, it was a result of persecution. To say that it was a tool, used by God, to motivate His Church is to make Him like the abusive husband who beats his wife when he doesn’t like the way she cooked the potatoes. Rather, in Job we read:

Job 34:12 – 12 Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly and the Almighty does not pervert justice.

Saul, before becoming a Christian, had hoped to shatter the church and sweep it into the waste bin of history. Instead, his impact caused believers to scatter like seeds everywhere they went. It reminds us that the Christian life and its Gospel work can be carried out no matter the setting. You can do the Lord’s work while living large or running for your life. You and I can minister whether we feel strong or weak, whether we’re in headwinds or tailwinds, because God is always the same, His truth is always sure and His Spirit is always with us. Acts, on the whole, shows us the incredible adaptability of the Christian life. We find it growing and bearing fruit in dungeons, on the shoreline, lost at sea, in palaces, among friends, among enemies. Wherever you’re making your way, you’re to do so as a Spirit-filled agent of grace.

Now, in this case, we see that these believers, who were all Jewish had dispersed through the empire, but were only speaking to Jews. We’ve talked about this issue at length in our previous studies, but suffice it to say that, while we don’t condone their behavior, we can identify with it. For most of us it’s not not easy to interact with people who are not like us. But, we remember that God’s intention is that we be a light to the world. We’re not to hide our lamp under a basket, but to let it shine, and that means sharing with those who are not like us.

Acts 11:20 – 20 But there were some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus.

Such a simple choice made an incredible difference. These folks from Cyprus and Cyrene show great courage here. It would’ve been tough to be Jewish believers bringing the Gospel to the pagan, Gentile world. There was no knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus up here. These people were polytheists! And the Jews had been culturally trained to resist and separate from Gentiles. But here, these nameless Christians thought to themselves, “This information I have isn’t just good news for a few people, it’s good news for everyone.”

The Gospel is for everyone, everywhere. Every place, every class, every strata, every ability. Kings or cripples. And these men from Cyprus and Cyrene step out into absolutely uncharted territory, to let the Greeks of Antioch in on the secret.

What did they share? They talked about Jesus. They talked about who He is and what He had done. That’s what the good news is. The good news of the Gospel is not how YOU live your best life now. It’s about our King, Jesus Christ.

Language scholars point out that Luke used a term here when he said “began speaking” which refers to “simple speech…the common…conversation of traveling people.” It wasn’t formal or rehearsed, it was just people talking to people. As we go, let’s find ways to speak casually about the Lord and His Kingdom and see whether those words might not fall on ready soil.

Acts 11:21 – 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.

The Christian life is a hands on thing. God’s hand on us, our hands on the plow, as we do personal work, engaging with actual people around us. It’s a strange thing that the world is becoming, technologically, more and more connected, but that same technology makes it all the easier to become isolated and withdrawn, interacting not with individuals, but with screens. But, just as we wouldn’t want God to automate His work in our lives, we want to be careful not to disengage from true, face to face interaction with others.

Now, here we see a great number of people not only believing what they’re being told about Christ, but turning to Him in response. The Gospel requires not only intellectual agreement, but the choice to repent, turn from sin and toward God in obedience and worship. We see it happening in large numbers here, but it was happening organically. The Christians weren’t trying to replicate the Samaritan Revival. They were simply living out their faith, and the Spirit yielded a great harvest.

As these Greeks became believers, we note that there was very little being “offered” to them at the church level. The ministries available were very simple and minimal. And yet, who among us wouldn’t want to be a part of this passage? Sometimes we start to think that we need certain styles or mechanisms or segmentations for proper ministry to be done. Acts refutes that idea, wholesale.

Acts 11:22 – 22 News about them reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to travel as far as Antioch.

Why Barnabas? It turns out to be a very good choice, but it doesn’t seem like the obvious one. Previously, when they had heard about a revival in Samaria, the church had sent Peter and John. We know that Nicolaus, one of the seven chosen to serve in Acts 6, was from Antioch. We don’t know what or why, other than that the Holy Spirit was drawing Barnabas into this good work.

The leadership sent him in response to what they had heard on what looks like a short term missions trip. He wasn’t going simply because he wanted to, but because he was under authority of the Apostles and part of a local fellowship. God gives us these connections on purpose so that we’re not following our own whims, but part of the collective work.

Acts 11:23 – 23 When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged all of them to remain true to the Lord with devoted hearts,

How can you see the grace of God? Apparently it’s possible. But we know what Luke means here. It was obvious that these new Christians were full of Godly character and spiritual fruit. You could see the joy on their faces. You could see compassion in their behavior.

Isn’t it an interesting thing that we show our emotions on our faces? What do our muscles have to do with anger or happiness? Yet, we can see a person 100 feet away and take stock.

The question demanded of us by verse 23 is: When people look at us, Calvary Hanford, as a group of Christians, what do they see? Is it grace? I hope so. Let’s think of the most negative example possible: Westboro Baptist Church. That’s the group that used to be in the news a lot more, holding vile signs at funerals, talking about how God hates people. No one, anywhere, sees the grace of God in that group, because it’s not there. What about us? Is God’s grace seen in us? Grace has long been one of the defining aspects of the Calvary Chapel style of ministry. As a group we want to cling to it and apply it, not just institutionally, but to our own faith individually.

Barnabas stepped into a leadership position in Antioch. It’s unsurprising. He’s going to be listed as an apostle in Acts 14. To this brand new group of Christians here’s what his assignment was: “Remain true to the Lord with devoted hearts.” That’s what they needed. Not a capital campaign. Not a strategic program. Abide in Jesus. Continue in grace. Keep moving forward in your personal, spiritual purpose. The term used for “devoted” is one used of the showbread in the Temple, dedicated to the continual service of Yahweh, while in His presence. That’s what this church plant needed.

Barnabas’ example here shows us the significance of good leadership in the Church. Imagine if some brute had come from Jerusalem, or some man seeking prominence for himself. Think of the damage he would have done. Instead, this is what we’re told about Barnabas:

Acts 11:24 – 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And large numbers of people were added to the Lord.

Bible students know that, eventually, we’re going to get to Acts 15 where Paul and Barnabas divide and go their separate ways. But here, writing long after the fact, we see Luke, who was himself on #TeamPaul, held no grudge against Barnabas. No hard feelings.

Why were people added to the Lord? It was through grace-filled preaching. They weren’t added through argument or bribery or entertainment, but through the proclamation of the Gospel. Christians and churches do need to have answers to arguments, we do need to be full of joy and anticipation, we should be excited to gather. But when we’re taking a look at the methods of our ministry, we should always remember that our goal is grace. Numbers aren’t our business, they’re God’s business. Our part is to abide and continue in grace and allow the Lord to give the increase.

Acts 11:25 – 25 Then he went to Tarsus to search for Saul,

One commentator pointed out that, apparently, in Antioch they had a lot of evangelists, but no teachers. At some point, Barnabas decided he needed to bring on a partner. Sending a letter wouldn’t do because, apparently, no one really knew where Saul was. It had been quite a few years since he had come to Jerusalem. So, Barnabas went to find his friend and bring him. We should note that there wasn’t a dry, committee formalism to the way things were done here. Barnabas didn’t have to send an official request to Jerusalem. The local church, though part of the universal work, was being operated as an independent group. Unified in spirit, submitted to the same doctrine, but led particularly by the Spirit through the local leadership.

Acts 11:26 – 26 and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught large numbers. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.

As leaders, they dedicated their time to teaching people about doctrine, about God’s word, about living the Christian life. This is what happened back in Acts 2, when the Jerusalem church first began. And, Paul will later write that God’s house is built upon the foundation of teaching. From a right understanding of God’s word flows the necessary growth in a church. Individually, the Christians needed to abide and continue in the Lord. Organizationally, that was accomplished as people were taught and had God’s word rightly divided and explained to them.

We’re told that the disciples were first called “Christians” here in Antioch. Perhaps you’ve heard that the word means “little Christs,” but, really there’s no evidence of that. The term is simply a compound which means “belonging to the party of Jesus Christ.” But what a beautiful reminder, We belong to Christ. We’re not just trailing after someone who is disinterested in us. We are His. His treasure. His friends. His beloved. The sheep of His hand.

This was evident of the believers in Antioch. It was clear they weren’t just some new philosophy or sect of Judaism. They were Christian. Their belief system led to a visible life change. They no longer looked like Antiochenes. They were set apart. They are an inspiration in a world where, sometimes, Christians are looking more and more indistinguishable from the world around them.

Acts 11:27-28 – 27 In those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine throughout the Roman world. This took place during the reign of Claudius.

Though the Christians in Judea would be the ones hit hard by this famine, God sent prophets to Syria to sound the alarm. Why? Because these people in Antioch would be in a position to send help and because it is God’s plan to make us aware of the needs of others and be a part of bringing relief. We live in such a time, right now. We know that God gives us opportunity to bear each other’s burdens, to show generosity to those in need. What we’ve seen again and again in Acts is not that we need to figure out some scheme or one-size-fits-all approach to ministry, but to invite the Lord to lead us as to what to do in response to the needs of the world.

We note also a very important aspect of this exercise of prophecy: A person made a prophecy, claiming to have revelation from God, and then what he said actually happened. There are many folks today who claim to have a “prophetic” ministry. There’s a very easy way to tell whether they’re true or false.

But here we’re noticing a magnetism in Antioch. People are streaming in from Africa, from the island of Cyprus. Saul is coming. Barnabas is coming. Prophets have come. God was doing something great and wonderful in this city, and though that specific work has since faded, we ask the Lord to do a new work like it, maybe in our own city.

The church, having heard the prophecy, asked: “What should we do?”

Acts 11:29-30 – 29 Each of the disciples, according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brothers and sisters who lived in Judea. 30 They did this, sending it to the elders by means of Barnabas and Saul.

There was a coordinated effort, but it was based on individual leading and personal sacrifice. Each Christian sought the Lord and how he or she could participate in the cumulative work of sending relief. We recognize that the Lord’s is a volunteer army. Working together toward specific goals, on particular missions, but as soldiers we’re not conscripted. Who will go? Who will give? Who will be Christ to those in need? That’s the call that goes out day after day. May our answer ever be, “Here am I, Lord, send me!” Not according to the designs of man, but the leading of God the Holy Spirit.

These Gentile Christians did not withhold from their needy, Jewish brothers. What a beautiful thing. The Jews had, at the first, held back the Gospel from the Greeks, but the walls kept coming down. The Church was unified and connected. And so, when help was needed, they sent relief, according to each one’s ability. And, as this church in Antioch grew, they were able to make a big difference in the lives of those in Judea. And we see how quickly the Lord was able to establish this fellowship and cause it to thrive. In verse 19, Jerusalem had sent them exiles. By verse 30, Antioch was sending back Apostles of their own. What a great work of God.

There is much going on all over the world. Meanwhile, we’re here, on our ranch, the place where God has planted us. The best thing we can do, the most essential thing, is to abide in Christ and continue in the submissive study of His word. As we do, the Holy Spirit will help us, direct us, supply us and send us as He continues His wonderful work. We pray that His work in our lives and our church and our city would be dramatic and lasting, like He did in Antioch. The size and scope is His business. Ours is to continue in our devotion to Christ, operating in grace, doing what we can as He leads and thereby being a bright light in a dark world.

Across The Great Divide (Acts 11:1-18)

Not long before His death, Jesus had encouraged His disciples saying, “Don’t worry when you stand trial about what to say. The Holy Spirit will speak through you in that moment.” I doubt that Theophilus, the first recipient of the book of Acts, would’ve ever guessed that this 3rd trial Peter had to face was to be among his own brothers in the Church.

It wasn’t official, but it was serious. A faction of Christians contend against the apostle and his part in the preaching of the Gospel to Gentiles. What follows is a tense exchange, that seems to us to be totally ungracious, overtly racist, and obviously unChristian. But is it fair for us to see it that way? We, of course, have the benefit of thousands of years of Church history and the completed revelation of Scripture. Part of that revelation, which these believers didn’t yet have, was Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, where he explains that God had revealed to him a mystery, something previously unknown to the church. He said, “Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me.”

Hadn’t God, for thousands of years, said that Israel was a special, separate, called out people among the nations of the earth? Hadn’t the Jews been forbidden from marrying Gentiles and being assimilated into their societies?

On the other hand, why weren’t the Jewish Christians ready for this next step of including all people in the Gospel? Hadn’t Jesus given them a clear directive about going into all the world? Now, with the benefit of the Holy Spirit illuminating their understanding of the Scriptures, couldn’t they see God’s love for those outside of Israel? For every Hagar and Rahab and Ruth?

It was a difficult issue. So, were the men who opposed Peter right for what they did? Sometimes, our friends need to stand up to us. To tell us where we’re going is not where God’s leading. Proverbs 27:6 says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” We should take seriously those moments when fellow Christians, who love us, come and say, “We think what you’re doing is not right.” But, when that happens, it doesn’t automatically mean that they are correct in their complaint.

When we look at the complaint, the case and the candor of these guys in Acts 11, it shows an obvious misalignment with the heart of God. They’re saved, they’re not undercover Pharisees or anything like that, but in the end we can see that they were out of step with the Lord and it led to some serious errors in the way they were living and relating to others.

Paul would later write to the church at Corinth: “there must be divisions among you so that you who have God’s approval will be recognized!” So we know that these sort of disagreements will be part of church life. When differences arise, we can take a lesson from Acts 11 about how to proceed and how to be on the Lord’s side, moving forward in grace.

We begin in verse 1.

Acts 11:1 – The apostles and the brothers and sisters who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.

It had maybe only been a week since Peter preached to Corenlius, but word spread fast through the Christian community. Without telephones, without social media, without marketing. Throughout the region people had heard what happened. And it was big news.

In passing I’d have us dog ear this idea from the example of the apostles: They weren’t the kinds of guys to hold press conferences. They didn’t go around saying, “Look at what we’re doing!” We live in a day and age where everyone feels the need to broadcast everything, to constantly self-promote. To make sure everybody knows the service programs the church is doing or different things we’re volunteering in. I’m not saying it’s always wrong to post what you did to serve the Lord on Instagram, but I do notice that’s not what the disciples did. And, the constant self admiration that is cultivated through social media doesn’t really leave room for the kind of meek and modest humility that Jesus modeled for us.

Acts 11:2-3 – 2 When Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, 3 saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

These were Jewish Christians who were still trying to keep many aspects of the Law of Moses. They wouldn’t have been sacrificing animals in the Temple anymore, but the other code of conduct, dietary restrictions, observing days, washing, circumcision, those sorts of things, were still seen as essential in their eyes. Now, taking a look as a jury at this court martial, we can see that, even here, this was no mere personal conviction they were following, but it was an issue of culture, tradition, and self-righteous legalism. They wouldn’t have agreed with that, but it’s clearly true.

Now, there are legitimate restrictions that God leads individuals into in their personal walks with Him. We call them liberties. Of course, there are broader boundaries that we all are commanded to obey, but on the individual level God asks some of His people to do or not do certain things that He does not ask of everyone. Celibacy is a good example. The New Testament says that God will give some Christians the gift of celibacy. And, if they are given that gift, God is asking them to not be married.

Another example is given to us in the two Simons of chapter 10. Simon Peter had been asked by God to leave his nets. And he did. God said, “I want you to give that up to follow Me.” But then we see Simon the Tanner. He was not asked to leave his tents. He remained there, working the leather as a faithful Christian. Both were used by God. Both were led by God. Different requirements.

So, how can we tell the difference between self-righteous legalism and Spirit-led convictions? The circumcision party here gives us a few ways to tell. First of all, this was a partisan affair. They came as card-carrying circumcisionists. They had a pre-set bias. We note they were categorically opposed to the idea that people who weren’t part of their party would not only be given the gift of salvation, but that Peter would even pay them a visit. The biggest indicator of legalism is this: They wanted to force their conviction onto everyone else. Listen, if God leads you to follow a certain diet as a matter of conscience, that’s fine. Do what He says. But conviction is for the individual. Legalism is put on everyone else. When someone comes to you and draws a line in the sand, not about a truly essential issue like the deity of Christ or the virgin birth or the resurrection, but about some application of the Christian life, some behavior, some observance, when they come and try to force on you some mode of being, that is legalism.

Paul said clearly in Ephesians 2 that God has ended the system of law with its commandments and regulations. So beware of legalists trying to chain you in self-righteousness.

What do we see when these men come before Peter? Rather than celebrate the grace of God, they criticized their brother. They should’ve noticed that their criticism was almost identical to what the Pharisees had said about Jesus in Luke 15. “We don’t like who you associate with. We don’t approve of that meal you just had.”

Now, this would’ve been a truly difficult moment for Peter. This issue threatened to divide the Church altogether. And we know that he felt enormous pressure from this group of Christians. Later in Galatians 2, we’re told “he was afraid of criticism” from these guys. But on this day in Acts 11, the Lord made good on His promise to speak through His servants in situations like this.

In his defense, it’s clear Peter’s goal was not to simply vindicate himself or get back in their good opinion, but to magnify God’s grace and to try to bring these guys along. That’s an important element, too.

Peter’s doesn’t have a knee-jerk reaction and immediately kick these guys out. He doesn’t quickly form a group around himself and devolve into party politics. In times of division, the goal should be unity. It’s not always possible, but always our goal as we vigilantly defend grace.

Let’s look at what Peter said.

Acts 11:4 – 4 Peter began to explain to them step by step:

He didn’t play the apostle card. He didn’t say, “I’m Peter. Deal with it.” He didn’t say, “I’m casting vision, you just get in line behind whatever I want to do.” He didn’t threaten to sue them or start a campaign against them. Instead, he walked them, slowly, step by step through God’s leading and His work in the situation. He’ll highlight God’s word. He’ll highlight God working wonders. He’ll highlight the witnesses. What had happened could be explained and defended according to Godly and Biblical principles.

This is important, not only when we deal with disagreements in the church, but in your own life. When we move into a big decision, some big change, some pivot of opinion or behavior, we should be able to explain how we were led to take that path by the Lord. Peter’s movements weren’t done on a whim. God had directed him. Let’s take big life choices as an example. Christians believe that God gives us particular gifts and particular opportunities and particular works that we are to discover and walk in. So, when a Christian decides to make a big move to another community, another church, another career, it should be accompanied by identifiable leading from God the Holy Spirit. If a person makes a big change and other Christians ask, “Why did you do that?” And the answer is, “More money.” That’s probably a problem. Peter takes them step by step through the clear leading of God, proving that this was not some human desire, but part of the wonderful work of God.

We’ll move quickly through the next verses, as we’ve commented on them already when they were first shard.

Acts 11:5-10 – 5 “I was in the town of Joppa praying, and I saw, in a trance, an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners from heaven, and it came to me. 6 When I looked closely and considered it, I saw the four-footed animals of the earth, the wild beasts, the reptiles, and the birds of the sky. 7 I also heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 “ ‘No, Lord!’ I said. ‘For nothing impure or ritually unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9 But a voice answered from heaven a second time, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call impure.’ 10 “Now this happened three times, and everything was drawn up again into heaven.

Here’s what we note about Peter’s retelling: He doesn’t inflate himself in the story. He doesn’t reference the fact that he had worked astounding miracles in Joppa. He doesn’t make himself look great or important. He doesn’t remove the warts from the story. These apostles are such a great model for real, Christian leadership. Beware of swagger!

Acts 11:11-12a – 11 At that very moment, three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were. 12 The Spirit told me to accompany them with no doubts at all.

Any reasonable listener would come to the conclusion that this was an obvious move of God. Peter hadn’t gone out looking to stir the pot. He hadn’t done all of this try to stick it to his ultra-conservative brothers. His motivation was spiritual. It wasn’t about demographics or market share or influence. He was cooperating in the providential work of God as God led him.

The Lord doesn’t need our devices to spread the word about Jesus Christ. “At that very moment.” This whole story shows that our God can harness all of time and all of creation to accomplish His work. Why settle for human schemes when we’re invited to participate in providence? It seems today that more and more Christians and churches are being swallowed up with an obsession with image and with hype and with cultural machinery found in the world. That’s not how the Lord does things. Be led. Be led. Be led!

Acts 11:12b – These six brothers also accompanied me, and we went into the man’s house.

Peter had anticipated that there would be trouble in Jerusalem, or at least that there would need to be an accounting for what was going on. That reveals just how serious the average, Jewish Christian was in their separation from Gentiles. There was clearly no motivation to reach the world with the Gospel. But praise God that He does that impossible, even through imperfect vessels like us.

But, Peter acted wisely here, not just out of fear. Often we think about the division within the early church between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians, but what was happening here was monumental from another angle, too. You see, at this point the book of Acts has said that the Christians, after riding out one wave of persecution led by Saul, were now well respected by the Jewish community. They interacted in the temple. There wasn’t a lot of friction between them and, even, the Sanhedrin during these years. But now, having opened their arms to the Gentiles, a violent wedge will be forced between the Church and the non-Christian Jews. In fact, after this text, the next time we visit Jerusalem we’ll see a new period of violent persecution breaking out against the believers.

In the news today we frequently see Christians doing controversial things. If they must be done, they should be done wisely and by the true leading of God. Now, if that’s the case, come what may. But, Peter here must have understood some of the serious implications of his actions, and he carried himself with wisdom, bringing these guys along, not only to witness what happened in Caesarea, but to stand with him in Jerusalem. And we commend these 6 guys. They didn’t shrink under the pressure. They may not have had a speaking role in this drama, but their part was still important. Their role was one of presence and support, standing on God’s side even in the face of opposition.

Acts 11:13-15 – 13 He reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa, and call for Simon, who is also named Peter. 14 He will speak a message to you by which you and all your household will be saved.’ 15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came down on them, just as on us at the beginning.

Peter reminds them that the issue was salvation. This wasn’t about politics or press or anything like that. They were talking about people whose eternal souls hung in the balance. Not just 1 man, but his whole household and his whole world by extension. Wives and children. Servants and soldiers.

Think of the unsaved masses of humanity walking the earth today. A study done in 2015 suggested that 31% of the world’s population identifies as Christian. Let’s say all of those people really are saved. That means 7 out of every 10 people are headed to hell. 5.5billion people are about to lose their lives forever, unless they become born again. In the mean time, some Christians are arguing over whether we should only sing hymns in church! Let’s keep salvation in the forefront of our minds.

Acts 11:16 – 16 I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’

We note that Peter here, remembering the prophetic word of the Lord, saw a dual fulfillment. This is an important aspect of how we, as futurists, interpret Scripture. Frequently in the Bible, the book of Acts included, we see prophecies having a multi-stage or multi-part fulfillment. It’s Biblical to read prophecy that way and it’s the only way to harmonize prophecy, in a broad sense.

So, by now, through Peter’s defense we see that what had happened was confirmed by a vision, confirmed by the Holy Spirit, confirmed by providence, confirmed by miracles, confirmed by the word of God and confirmed by witnesses. They were all in agreement.

When Joseph Smith arrives on the scene and says, “I’ve seen a vision and have a new message from God,” but that message contradicts the revelation of Scripture, or is given without witnesses, it’s not reliable. It’s not Biblical. It’s not the way God does things. Smith is an extreme example, but the principles can be brought down to any teaching or statement made by people who claim to be servants of God. And, remember, the general context is a disagreement being dealt with in the church body.

Act 11:17 – 17 If, then, God gave them the same gift that he also gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, how could I possibly hinder God?”

Peter acknowledges here that Cornelius and his household were saved by belief. Not by baptism. Not by circumcision. Not by observing the Sabbath. We are saved by grace, through faith, that’s it.

As Peter closes his statements we notice how frighteningly close this whole thing is to that time when they were before the Sanhedrin. The apostles had said, “We’ve got to obey God, rather than men.” Gamaliel had said, “Hey, leave these guys alone, we don’t want to be fighting against God.” But this scene is not between Christians and Sadducees, but between Christian brothers! It’s amazing how easily even a Spirit-filled believer can wander into serious error.

With all this talk of providence and God’s power, how could we possibly “hinder” Him? Well, the Bible says that we’re able to “quench” the Holy Spirit. The example of the wilderness wanderings and Peter’s own epistle reveal that, through our choices, we can impact God’s timeline in certain ways. Certainly we can hinder the work of God in the lives of others by discouraging them or placing burdens on them. What we do matters and we do not want to be hindering the Lord’s work.

Acts 11:18 – 18 When they heard this they became silent. And they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has given repentance resulting in life even to the Gentiles.”

We weren’t there, so it’s hard to say just how these guys reacted to what they’d heard. We know that this circumcision problem would dog the church for many years. The way it reads, it seems to me that they held their peace (how could you not?). But, when they say, “So then…” it feels more like them admitting the truth than applauding it. God’s glory will ring out from the rocks if need be, and it seems in this case it came from their rock hard hearts, rather than an overflow of excitement.

In Jeremiah 9, God laments that the stubbornness of His people’s hearts had led them to idolatry and off the path which followed Him. It broke God’s heart and resulted in a terrible desolation, where God had wanted celebration and fruitfulness and His glory to reign as a light to the whole world.

We want to be people who are soft-hearted, relying on the leading of the Holy Spirit and ready to do whatever God asks us to do. We should expect divisions and differences to arise. When they do, we should stand on the side of God’s grace, God’s word, God’s effort to save, not clinging to tradition, self-righteousness or bias. If we stand with the Lord, whether on trial before brothers or adversaries, we can know that we have honored our Master and done His bidding, magnifying His glory through our lives.

Acts 10:24-48 – God’s Mission, Should You Choose To Accept It

In Tolkien’s classic book, The Hobbit, Gandalf, the wise wizard, foists a situation on the narrow-minded Bilbo which offers him a chance at adventure, importance and great rewards. The journey will be challenging and unpredictable, bringing Bilbo into company of new friends, dangerous foes and out of his own comfortable way of doing things. By the end of the story, the hobbit has grown and developed in ways he never could have predicted, he returns home with wonderful treasures in tow and his world is better for his having gone. Victories were won, lives were saved and right was reigning over middle earth.

The broad strokes are not so unlike the story playing out in Acts chapter 10. God had a great adventure in mind, sending His people to go with Him and do battle against the dragon, to take back what he stole. In the Lord’s case, we’re not talking about mere silver and gold, but about undying human spirits. And here, we drop in as God starts an amazing new era of Gospel work which would ultimately cover the whole earth. Like Gandalf, He wants to bring those along who wouldn’t have naturally signed up. In reality, none of us would naturally sign up to take up our cross and follow the Lord, but our Father knows that that is exactly what we need to do. And so, after bringing an unexpected party to Peter’s front door, God sends him down a road that would change his life, change the Church forever and change the course of human history, to our direct benefit by the way.

God invites each of us to follow Him on our own Gospel adventure as we continue the work of Acts. As we go with Him, He doesn’t leave our progress to chance or to our own ability. Instead, we know from the revelation of Scripture, in passages like this one tonight, that the Lord has intentional plans He wants to execute in our lives. We see some the character of these plans as we read about Peter bringing the Gospel to Cornelius at what some refer to as the Gentile Pentecost.

We start in at verse 24.

Acts 10:24 – 24 The following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.

In this verse we first see that God’s mission is to get us intermingled with people who need ministry. In the midst of this pandemic, the governments of the world are all about isolation and separation. As a general principle, God’s plan is to mix us up with others. Already we’ve seen Peter interacting with Jews and Samaritans, with Scribes and sorcerers, with cripples and converts. Sometimes he talks to one person, sometimes to a crowd of thousands. Of course, none of these encounters were by his design, but they were part of his adventure as he followed the leading of God the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes we get the feeling that, to be a real Christian, we’ve got to go to some strange and far off land. And, it’s true that in some cases, God does great work through people far from home, among a people altogether different from them. Certainly, in this text, there is a wide gap between the subjugated, Jewish fisherman and the Roman Centurion. But we just as often see people ministering to those immediately around them. That’s what Cornelius did, for example. He gathered friends and family. Andrew had a family ministry. So did Timothy’s mother, Eunice. The principle is not that we must travel a certain number of miles, but, rather, that God’s intention is to get us mingled with others, be they many or few, near or far, so that we can bring the Gospel to them.

Now, Peter and his fellows from Joppa still didn’t know exactly what was going on. I’m guessing it was an interesting couple of days walking to Caesarea. The Gentiles didn’t know what to expect either. And yet, they all pressed on in anticipation.

In verses 25 through 33, we see God’s mission is not only to intermingle us with others, but also to get us into right relationship with them.

Acts 10:25-26 – 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell at his feet, and worshiped him.26 But Peter helped him up and said, “Stand up! I myself am also a man.”

Some commentators try to say Cornelius was only giving Peter an oriental-style welcome, but it doesn’t seem like that’s what Peter thought. To Peter’s credit, he immediately lifted Cornelius up and declared their equality, which is an astounding statement, no matter what angle you look at it. On the one hand, Peter is an apostle. He is a miracle worker. He’s one of the 3 in the inner circle of Jesus Christ the Messiah. He had just raised a woman from the dead. He held the keys to the Kingdom. But, looking on this misinformed unbeliever, who clearly assumed Peter was much higher than him, he said, “We’re the same.” From the other angle, his assertion is just as remarkable. Cornelius is the strong arm of the occupying power. He was a man with wealth and prominence and position. A man of valuable skill and strength. Peter was a penniless, semi-retired fisherman who frequently had run-ins with the Jewish authorities.

But in God’s eyes, we are all His most precious creation: Man. Each loved. Each hand-crafted in the womb. Each of us are the object of His fervent affection. Priceless pearls in His eyes.

As we go out as representatives of Christ, we’re to be in right relationship with the people we encounter. There’s no place for pride or prejudice in Gospel work. We note that Peter didn’t think he needed to be hailed as ‘great.’ He wouldn’t try to pocket any of Christ’s glory for himself, like Elisha’s greedy servant Gehazi. No one needed to kiss Peter’s feet or prostrate themselves. The Bible explains that being in right relationship with others means we place their needs before our own, that we treat others the way we want to be treated and that we do so with humility and kindness. We’re not to lord over others or put burdens on them. We’re to “help them up” that they might be fortified and encouraged and brought nearer to the Lover of their souls.

Acts 10:27-29 – 27 While talking with him, he went on in and found that many had come together there. 28 Peter said to them, “You know it’s forbidden for a Jewish man to associate with or visit a foreigner. But God has shown me that I must not call any person common or unclean. 29 That’s why I came without any objection when I was sent for. So I ask: Why did you send for me?”

Being in right relationship with people means being honest and forthright with them. Peter, perhaps, was a bit short on tact in his words, but he was by no means dishonest or unkind. He didn’t posture or parade. He didn’t scheme or seek to impress. Neither did he demean or berate. He spoke the truth of what God had done for him. But then he asks a key question: Why did you send for me? What were their expectations? Were they hoping to see a wonder worked before them? Were they hoping to be entertained by this man who knew things about Jesus others did not?

We should commend this group of Gentiles for their hunger for the truth. It’s clear they were all well-versed in Judaism, particularly Cornelius who, we know, though short of fully converting to the Jewish faith, went as far as he could as a God-fearer. Yet, as Peter pointed out, “they knew” that they were outside of Israel, seen by many Jews not even as humans but as animals. And yet, they gathered there that day, in hopes that the God of Abraham would, perhaps, show them mercy. He is the God of mercy. The God who loves the undeserving sinners of this world who have no claim to Him. This scene is a good reminder of the mercy of the God we preach. He offers salvation not to those who work for it or bribe for it. It’s not for popularity or for merit. It’s the free offer of grace to any and to all who will call on Him and believe on His Son.

God’s plan to put us in right relationship with others demands that we value them the way He does. And we see that His call on our lives must supersede any bias we have, any trepidation. It must precede our own pre-conceived schedules and plans. We are to respond as soon as we are sent for. Because we are the agents of grace sent on God’s mission of mercy.

Acts 10:30-33 – 30 Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this hour, at three in the afternoon, I was praying in my house. Just then a man in a dazzling robe stood before me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your acts of charity have been remembered in God’s sight. 32 Therefore send someone to Joppa and invite Simon here, who is also named Peter. He is lodging in Simon the tanner’s house by the sea.’ 33 Therefore I immediately sent for you, and you did the right thing in coming. So we are all present before God, to hear everything you have been commanded by the Lord.”

We can imagine the anticipation in the house as they waited for Peter’s arrival. Maybe someone in the group had gently suggested to Cornelius, “This man is a Jew. He can’t come here, let alone speak with us.” But Cornelius would’ve simply said, “He’ll come. He’ll be here.” Thank God Peter did the right thing and obeyed when the Lord sent him out.

Many of you have heard of a Christian named Brother Yun. In his autobiography he tells the story of how, as a young man in China, he became desperate to get a Bible. No one they knew had one. His mother walked him to a village where she had heard a man had a Bible. The man was too afraid to show Yun his copy, but told him to pray for one of his own.

For 100 days Yun fasted and prayed for a Bible. “One morning, there was a knock at the door. Two men had brought a Bible to Yun. Three months before, an evangelist in another town had been instructed by the Lord in a vision to give his Bible to Brother Yun. Although he did not know this young boy, the Lord had showed him the village and house where Yun lived in a vision. It had taken him three months to decide to obey the Lord.”

Thank God Peter didn’t wait, but obeyed when he was sent. Now, God’s mission is not only to send us, but to speak through us. Peter was not meant to only come to Cornelius’ house, but to communicate to him and his family. We cannot always anticipate when God will use us to preach or to minister in some way, but we can ready ourselves to deliver the truth when called upon. What has the Lord commanded? What is the Way by which a person might be saved? How can someone receive forgiveness for their sins? These are questions we can prepare ourselves to answer.

There are countless, rousing speeches in movies just before a battle breaks out. The general stands before his troops or the hero rides along in front of his fellow soldiers, stirring their hearts with talk of valor and honor and glory. Imagine those scenes if the leaders had nothing to say. “Well, I’m here at least.” Peter had done the right thing in coming, but the purpose was to deliver revelation to them.

In verses 34 through 43 we see that God’s mission is not only to intermingle us with others and to get us into right relationship with them, but also to lead us into a deeper understanding of truth.

Acts 10:34-43 – 34 Then Peter began to speak: “Now I really understand that God doesn’t show favoritism, 35 but in every nation the person who fears Him and does righteousness is acceptable to Him. 36 He sent the message to the Israelites, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all. 37 You know the events that took place throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were under the tyranny of the Devil, because God was with Him. 39 We ourselves are witnesses of everything He did in both the Judean country and in Jerusalem, yet they killed Him by hanging Him on a tree. 40 God raised up this man on the third day and permitted Him to be seen, 41 not by all the people, but by us, witnesses appointed beforehand by God, who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to solemnly testify that He is the One appointed by God to be the Judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about Him that through His name everyone who believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins.”

On that long walk to Caesarea, in light of the vision he had received, pieces of a puzzle began to fall into place in Peter’s mind. Suddenly, he was realizing that his perspective on many issues were incomplete or askew. Suddenly, passages from the prophets and scenes from his 3 years with his Lord were all coming together in a unified picture of God’s unlimited grace.

Peter and Paul would both later write about their hope that we, God’s people, would continue to grow in our knowledge of the Lord and His truth. Not so that we could be puffed up or keep some cosmic scorecard of who is more right, but so that we would be more useful in His service and have a greater appreciation for what God has done. Here, in our text, we see that a purpose for growing in our understanding of the Lord’s truth is so we can proclaim it and testify that Jesus Christ is the One Messiah, the One Way to everlasting life.

Acts 10:44-46a – 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came down on all those who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speaking in other languages and declaring the greatness of God.

God is on a mission to intermingle us with others, to get us in right relationship with them, to lead us into a deeper understanding of His truth and to fill us with the Holy Spirit. That baptism was not meant only for the 12 or the 120 in Jerusalem, but for every Christian everywhere. It is the regular operation of the Spirit in the life of a believer. Not that we demand an experience of tongues or some other visible manifestation, but we should expect the Holy Spirit to fill and infuse us in a life-changing way. Because, as this passage makes altogether clear, God does not class certain Christians high and others low. The Jewish brothers, listening to the same words Peter had just been speaking, were still astonished that the Gentiles really were being saved the same way that they had been. That God didn’t have multiple tiers of access. But what a marvelous thing that God has the same Spirit and the same grace and the same love for you and for me that He had for Peter or for any other great Christian hero of history.

In passing, we note that the filling of the Holy Spirit here was manifest, not just in a miracle of languages, but in the passionate overflow of praise.

Finally, in verses 47 and 48 we see that God’s mission is to get us obeying.

Acts 10:46b-48 – Then Peter responded, 47 “Can anyone withhold water and prevent these people from being baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for a few days.

These Gentiles had earnestly sought after God. They had believed in their hearts unto salvation. And now, their life of obedience was to begin as they set out on their own adventure of faith, following after the Lord. Peter led the charge to, in a sense, make it official: “Let’s get these people baptized!” Of course, it wasn’t necessary for their salvation – they were already saved – it was to start them off in their life of obedience to Christ and to make it official to the Jews in the group. They had been saved the same and so they were to be treated the same. As the Gentiles were being commanded to obey, the Jewish believers, too, were given the opportunity to obey God’s leading – to get on board with this amazing work of grace. Not only were they to agree to it, they were to do it. The 6 Jewish brothers from Joppa would be the ones baptizing Cornelius and his family.

The road from Joppa to Caesarea is relatively straight. You go right up the coast from one town to the other. But, for Peter and his friends, the trip had some surprising turns. But they were turns that lead to the immeasurable expansion of God’s mercy through the Gentile world. They were not only agents of that wonderful change, but were changed themselves, as they were brought into a deeper understanding of grace and brought out of their narrow mode of ministry.

We look forward to how God will lead us on, in His grace, to continue the ministry of the Gospel in whatever ways He desires, and making us more like Him as we go along.

The Pigs Are All Right (Acts 10:9-23)

In Marvel’s Black Panther, a key theme in the plot is what the leaders of Wakanda should do with the rich resources of their kingdom when faced with the mounting problems in the nations around them. Historically, the kings had chosen to stay hidden, turning a blind eye to the needs of the wider world. In an emotionally climactic scene, T’Challa, the Black Panther, hovering somewhere between life and death has a conversation with a group of his ancestors in the afterlife and accuses them of wrongdoing. His father says, “I chose our people.” To which T’Challa responds, “All of you were wrong to turn your backs on the rest of the world.” He then returns to earth to try to chart a new course for the people of Wakanda, doing what should’ve been done from the beginning.

Last week we were introduced to a Roman centurion named Cornelius. He was a devout man and had received a message from an angel as God began to accomplish a pivotal work in human history: Opening the Church to the Gentile world. It wasn’t a new idea coming out of heaven. It had been the plan from the beginning that, through God’s people, the hope of redemption would go out to the entire world. Sadly, the Jews had turned their backs on the Gentile nations and now the Lord was going to finally build the bridge of the Gospel from the Church to all people.

Last week, we saw the groundwork being laid on the Gentile side. Tonight we see the other side of the bridge being built as the Lord interacts with the apostle Peter.

When we look at the two representatives, Peter and Cornelius, it’s obvious that it’s the Gentile who is further from God. After all, he’s not born again. He doesn’t have the Holy Spirit dwelling within him. Yet, in this effort, it’s Peter who has the longer trip to take. Though he lived with Jesus for three and a half years, though he was a leader in the church, though he was the preacher at Pentecost, a miracle worker, one of The Twelve, tonight’s text shows us something remarkable: The apostle was wrong. He was wrong in an area of his faith, wrong in his thoughts concerning the Gentile world and wrong about what he thought the Lord would and wouldn’t do.

Wonderfully, we’ll see that his wrongness didn’t make him unusable or distasteful to the Lord. God was going to lead Peter out of his error and into a greater experience of grace. One that would cause him to grow and have direct impact on the world. Just as Christ was drawing Cornelius into truth, so He was drawing Peter into greater truth, greater grace, greater intimacy with the King.

This episode in Peter’s life reveals the fact that all of us have room for growth in our understanding of grace and our walk with the Lord. That shouldn’t surprise us and it doesn’t need to discourage us. It’s the reality of following God in a body of flesh. One day we’ll be finished. One day we’ll be fully sanctified, fully glorified. Until then, we need the Lord to lead us forward, not only in our callings but also in our understanding. And, as we see with Peter, it’s possible that there might be some barrier that we don’t recognize that is keeping us from something the Lord desires. We’ll also see that God’s leading, even of mature, seasoned Christians, is not always as crystal clear as we would like it to be. We know that from experience, but it’s helpful to see it in the examples of Scripture too. What we can be sure of us that God does want to lead us on, more and more into His grace, His peace, His truth and, at the same time, use us to minister to a needy world along the way.

We pick up the story in verse 9.

Acts 10:9 – 9 The next day, as they were traveling and nearing the city, Peter went up to pray on the housetop about noon.

Luke builds anticipation in our minds as we move from watching the hurried, urgent quest of these 3 men from Caesarea and pan over to Peter, unaware of what’s coming, relaxing on the rooftop looking over the sea, in a time of quiet prayer with the Lord. It’s amazing how quickly things can change, right? Peter’s planning lunch at the time and has no idea a completely new era of ministry and history is about to begin. Not to mention that the Lord is going to require something very challenging of him.

Before moving on, it’s worth mentioning that both of these remarkable interactions with the Lord, for Peter and Cornelius, happened during a prayer time. As we endeavor to grow spiritually, growing in our prayer life with the Lord should always be a priority.

Acts 10:10 – 10 Then he became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing something, he went into a visionary state.

The term Luke used seems to indicate intense hunger. But, in this case, God was going to put the spiritual thing first. The Lord decided that, at this point, Peter could wait to eat. Sometimes the Lord has us forego physical things in order for us to accomplish spiritual things. Not always, but sometimes. That principle is perhaps most emphasized in the story of the healing of the paralytic let through the roof of the house. There, at the feet of Jesus, obviously in desperate need of physical attention, the Lord said, “Your sins are forgiven.” Of course, he was ultimately healed, but, in that case, the spiritual work came first. That’s not always how the Lord does things, but sometimes. And we see it here with Peter. He was hungry. He needed food. That’s a legitimate need. But it could wait while something spiritual was being done.

Acts 10:11-12 – 11 He saw heaven opened and an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners to the earth. 12 In it were all the four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, and the birds of the sky.

Peter, as an individual, and many of the other Jewish Christians like him, needed to understand that God had done away with the dietary restrictions from the Mosaic law. The Lord had taught that back in the Gospels, but they hadn’t really gotten the message yet. This would be an issue that Peter struggled with, not only here, but later on in life too. But the wider point of this vision was that the Church, which is represented here by the sheet, is a heavenly work. And in the Church there is no exclusion. Every race. Every ethnicity. Every social class. Every background. Everyone is invited to join in the work that the Lord is doing before that time when the Church will be caught up to heaven in the rapture.

On that sheet were clean animals and creepy animals. The royal lion and the gentle lamb and the off-putting hyena. There were animals you’d like to look at and have around, and lots you wouldn’t. But, in the Church, the Lord sees them all as equal. All as worthwhile. All as part of the family. And, the animals weren’t killing each other on the sheet. They were there, side-by-side, living together.

Acts 10:13 – 13 Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat!”

In your Bible these words may be in red. There are in mine. It’s not explicitly stated that Jesus was speaking, but it seems as though Peter recognized the voice as his Lord’s.

The command was simple: Get up and devour. Now, Peter was being led out of legalism and being prepared for his work with the ‘unclean’ Gentiles, but it did give me a devotional thought: We want to be hungry for souls. It doesn’t fit in perfectly, these animals are already on the sheet. But, I know I need the Lord to work in my heart and help me develop a greater hunger for souls. He’s sent us out to go and be fishers of men, so this image was a good motivator for me.

Acts 10:14 – 14 “No, Lord!” Peter said. “For I have never eaten anything common and ritually unclean!”

Commentators are quick to point out that you can’t say both “No” and “Lord.” But the truth is, Peter kind of did a lot. Maybe not a lot, but 3 or 4 times in the record of the New Testament. And, in reality, we do too. Maybe we don’t say, “No, Lord,” as often, but we’re prone to say, “I can’t, Lord.” “I can’t forgive that person. I can’t be at peace in this uncertainty. I can’t not be anxious. I can’t love my wife the way Christ loves the Church. I can’t give sacrificially.” God gives us many commands and mandates in His Word, and when we think “I can’t,” it’s the same as Peter saying “no.”

In this case, Peter told the Lord, “No, I can’t obey what you said, because if I do, I won’t be properly religious.” It seems silly when we hear it like that, but Christians and churches tend to get hung up on manmade rules and traditions, sometimes choosing them over God’s leading. In the histories of revival there are those who won’t accept what God is doing and say that it’s all wrong. Dave Hunt, in his autobiographical book Confessions Of A Heretic, tells of these great things God was doing in his life – miraculous things – and how there was a great deal of resistance in his own heart to it at first. Then, there was a lot of resistance coming from his very conservative denomination. Even when the Holy Spirit fell on his local congregation in an undeniable way, the ultimate result was that Dave Hunt, a leader in their group, was excommunicated! Very sad, but all too common.

Here’s a generic example: The Bible says you have liberty in Christ and that no one can judge you for celebrating or not celebrating certain days. And yet, there are Christians and traditions who say you can’t be a true Christian and celebrate Christmas. The Bible says let no one judge you concerning Sabbaths. And yet, there are still many groups and traditions who say that all Christians must observe the Sabbath in some way. Those rigid, legalistic positions are just like the one Peter is demonstrating here, and God has gone to great lengths to usher us into grace.

Acts 10:15 – 15 Again, a second time, a voice said to him, “What God has made clean, you must not call common.”

God does what He wants. He always acts in truth and according to His nature and character, but He is the decider. He is the definer. He is the director. Our part is to discover what His desire is, what His will is and line ourselves up with that. He is not subject to us or our understanding or our sensibilities, we are to subject ourselves to Him.

Acts 10:16 – 16 This happened three times, and then the object was taken up into heaven.

There was emphasis, but not clarity. We’re going to see Peter pondering, wondering. He doesn’t get what this all means. So, the question is: Why not just be explicit and clear with Peter, the way the angel had been with Cornelius?

We can’t understand all the ways of God, but we remember that, as Christians, we’re invited to mediate on Him. He wants us to draw near to Him. He wants us to apply our hearts and our minds to Him. He wants us to think and listen and inquire and wait on Him. God doesn’t want to have a purely mechanical relationship with us, and we don’t want that either. Now, that means that sometimes God will speak to us in ways that aren’t clear at first, but, when that happens, it’s an invitation to press into the Lord, seek His face, wait on Him and anticipate more from Him.

Acts 10:17 – 17 While Peter was deeply perplexed about what the vision he had seen might mean, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions to Simon’s house, stood at the gate.

We have to marvel at God’s timing. His providence is magnificent. But, seeing Peter perplexed while these guys stood at the door reminds us that we can’t always figure everything out before we minister to people. Sometimes we’re going to have to walk by faith with less insight or clarity about how everything’s going to work, trusting that God is preparing us and will walk with us.

Acts 10:18 – 18 They called out, asking if Simon, who was also named Peter, was lodging there.

I imagine this was a tense moment for Simon the tanner and his family. You probably don’t want a Roman soldier showing up to your house unannounced.

For their part, the Gentiles were being polite, not barging into the Jewish home, but waiting at the gate, respecting the Jewish sensibilities.

Acts 10:19-20 – 19 While Peter was thinking about the vision, the Spirit told him, “Three men are here looking for you. 20 Get up, go downstairs, and accompany them with no doubts at all, because I have sent them.”

Now the Lord gives Peter some direct clarity, not about the vision itself, but about what he should do next. We should notice that this was a very matter of fact interaction with the Holy Spirit. We don’t see Peter laughing uncontrollably or doing anything weird. The Spirit didn’t possess him. He just spoke, like a friend, giving direction.

I do find it humorous that God didn’t mention, “Oh, and the 3 men down there are Gentiles.” He let Peter find out on his own. So, “go with them. Accompany them. They’re from Me.” Forgot to mention they’re Gentiles. God’s got a fun streak, to be sure.

Acts 10:21-22 – 21 Then Peter went down to the men and said, “Here I am, the one you’re looking for. What is the reason you’re here?” 22 They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who has a good reputation with the whole Jewish nation, was divinely directed by a holy angel to call you to his house and to hear a message from you.”

Clearly, these three Romans know that Peter, as a Jew, will be hesitant to engage with them, so they immediately start making an appeal to Peter’s Jewishness. “Cornelius is a God-fearer…the whole Jewish nation knows he’s a good guy…the God of Israel sent an angel.” Peter is being drawn into a greater grace, one that perhaps he should’ve anticipated but hadn’t so far. For our part, we want to operate in grace in such a way that people don’t feel like they have to beg in order to receive ministry from us. Freely we have received, freely we should give.

Acts 10:23 – 23 Peter then invited them in and gave them lodging. The next day he got up and set out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went with him.

Peter obeyed. And he obeyed in a big way. By inviting in these Gentiles and eating with them, he was violating terms of the Levitical code. But Peter acted with grace and compassion and care. And, notice, they didn’t leave right away. Now, when Cornelius had his vision it was about 3pm. The servants and soldier left immediately.

Here, it’s just about noon. But, rather than set off right away, Peter can tell these guys need rest. They need a meal. They need to refresh and get supplied. So, in this moment, the physical need was addressed first. They waited till the next morning to set out. And so, in the same text, we see God moving in slightly different ways. And that just reinforces the idea that we really need to be led and directed by the Holy Spirit as He works out the incredible, providential work of the Gospel. Because on the Lord knows, in a given moment, whether the best way for you to minister in a situation is through a meal or a message.

What we do know is that God doesn’t want us to turn our backs on the world. He wants us to go out and minister in grace, even to the difficult, undesirable, prickly and creepy folks out there. We have a limitless supply of heavenly power available to us. Let’s not hinder ourselves with legalistic traditions, human prejudice or an unwillingness to obey. Instead, let’s wait on the Lord, accept His rule and invite Him to direct us into new ventures of faith.

The Motion Of Devotion (Acts 10:1-8)

Reggie White was one of the most awarded players in NFL history. As defensive end, he was, arguably, the greatest pass rusher of all time. J.J. Watt, a more recent defensive end who was once called the NFL’s best player, talked in an interview last year about how he still studies footage of Reggie White’s performance on the field, hoping to pick up a thing or two.

If you know anything about Reggie White, you know that not only was he one of the best to ever play the game, but that he was an outspoken Christian. His boldness for Jesus earned him the nickname “the minister of defense.” After his untimely death, one author wrote: “Perhaps no professional athlete had evangelized more often or more publicly than Reggie White.” Reggie’s story is a remarkable one that teaches and inspires us.

In our text tonight we’ll read about another man who is remembered for both his faith and his vocation. A man whose experience paved the way for Reggie White to get saved. In fact, our passage this evening chronicles a pivotal moment in the story of the Church, and, really, a turning point in human history, as the Gospel is made equally and officially available to the Gentile world.

Acts chapter 10 is somewhere around 8 to 10 years after Pentecost. But, up until now, the entire church is Jewish. There was probably an exception or two, perhaps a few more than the Ethiopian Eunuch who weren’t born Hebrews and had been born again, though some argue that, even then, all those may have been Jewish proselytes. But now, something dramatic and unexpected had happened: The Gospel had been received in Samaria. These half-Jewish, ancient kinsmen of Israel were getting saved. But what about the Gentile world? So far, there had been no apostolic preaching to non-Jews. Even when the Ethiopian Eunuch was saved, it hadn’t been an official invitation, but a spur of the minute, Divine appointment.

It’s clear from the rest of Acts that there was no assumption that God’s offer of salvation was going to go out to the Gentile world. In fact, for years some church leaders and Jewish Christians resisted the idea. At very least, they thought, Gentiles would first have to convert to Judaism and then be able to be saved. It’s a battle the Apostle Paul would have to fight again and again.

But Acts 10 shows what God had in mind. He makes it plain and clear that the Gospel was for everyone. And the way that He does so is bold and striking as we see a man named Cornelius coming to faith in Jesus Christ. It’s a significant event that Luke gives a lot of attention to. And, through this work, God makes some strong statements both to the unbelieving world and to the all Jewish church at the time.

Most of you are familiar with this story already and know what a remarkable man Cornelius was. We’ll see he was a man of great integrity, of deep religious conviction. He was a man of generosity and humility. He was a man with a missionary mindset.

The truth is, good commentators find themselves in disagreement over when exactly Cornelius was regenerated. Rather than debate that, I rather us step back and take a look at something else from his example and that’s that God was pleased with this man’s heart and his behavior. We’ll be told that God heard his prayers and responded to his efforts. I would tend to agree that Cornelius wasn’t yet born in again in verses 1 through 8, but as born again Christians, wouldn’t we say that we want to please God? For God to hear our prayers? For the Lord to reveal more of Himself as we seek Him? Cornelius is described to us as a “devout” man. Now we, Gentiles who have the additional benefits of the completed word of God, the lessons of Church history and the indwelling Holy Spirit, can be encouraged in our own devotion to the Lord and meditate on the kind of life that pleases the Lord. We begin in verse 1, where we read:

Acts 10:1 – There was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment.

The opening phrase of this pivotal event is important: There was a man. A certain man. A particular individual and his family were the targets of God’s work that day. I say that because the way we do things today is to target a region and set up a church or a ministry there. The metric you hear all the time is, “in this city, this huge percentage of the population is unchurched.” And so, the reasoning is, God must want to establish something in that city. And, maybe that’s true. Paul, we know, had specific regions he wanted to go to, like Asia and Spain. It’s not that the Lord never works that way. But what do we see much more often in the Bible? We see God connecting individuals to other individuals. Philip wasn’t sent to Ethiopia, he was sent to an Ethiopian. Even in Paul’s ministry, churches were established after people got saved, not before. Had God wanted to be strategic the way we so often try to be in our own thinking, He would’ve launched the Gentile outreach in China, which probably contained 20% of the world’s population at the time. Or at least in Rome, which was the most important city. But the Lord was interested more in a person than a place.

That person was a soldier named Cornelius. Not just a soldier, but a centurion, in command of others. And not just any centurion, but one in an elite squad known as the Italian Regiment. The Lord was making a statement here. He was starting this new work in the Gentile world in a blatant, unapologetic way. Cornelius is the poster-boy for Rome: An Italian soldier, tasked with protecting of the governor in Caesarea, as in the land of Caesar! He’s not just a member of the empire, he’s the strong arm of the empire. If you wanted to get as far away from a Jew as possible, this guy is definitely in the running. And that’s who the Lord was going to publicly display as the very first Gentile member of the Church.

This should encourage us in a variety of ways. First, that anyone can get saved. Second, the Gospel plays offense, not just defense. Third, we should ask God for the kind of boldness He has.

Now, Cornelius’ career was impressive, but it’s who he was as a person that put him on God’s radar.

Acts 10:2 – 2 He was a devout man and feared God along with his whole household. He did many charitable deeds for the Jewish people and always prayed to God.

As we get into his religious life, let’s remind ourselves that Cornelius didn’t earn salvation or buy God’s favor with good works. That’s never how it works with the Lord. Cornelius, like all people, would be saved by grace through faith. But, we see that He was pleased with Cornelius. And in this verse we’re given a lot of description about his spiritual life. There was a lot of motion in his devotion. In fact, Vines Dictionary of the New Testament points out that the term Luke used here for ‘devout’ is meant to convey a sense of energy and activity. Not just a mindset, but that Cornelius directed expressions of his faith toward God.

We learn that he was a man of prayer. A man of spiritual action. He shared his faith with his family and household staff. We’ll see he also influenced the soldiers in his command. He was generous and sacrificial. He had a vibrant, active spiritual life at home, on the field, and everywhere in between.

Categorically, he would’ve been known as a “God-fearer,” which was a classification among the Jews of a Gentile who believed in the God of the Old Testament, even attended synagogue, but had not become a circumcised proselyte. Therefore, even though he was in mental agreement with the teachings of Israel, he would’ve been considered ceremonially unclean and restricted from worship.

Despite being held at arms length by the Jews around him, and despite being undoubtedly hated by many as an enforcer of Roman occupation, Cornelius still engaged with the community of God’s people, still prayed to the God of Israel, still sought God, day in and day out. He didn’t know Jesus yet, and the Lord was going to take care of that, but during this time of great transition in God’s dealings with man, he serves as a wonderful example of vibrant, God-pleasing faith in the Old Testament sense.

He’s also a wonderful example of the truth revealed in the Scripture that, if a person will respond to the light they’ve been given, God will make a way that they receive more light. “What about the tribesman who’s never heard the Gospel?” They’re no farther off than an Ethiopian Eunuch or a Roman Centurion. The Bible promises “Seek and you will find.”

Acts 10:3 – 3 About three in the afternoon he distinctly saw in a vision an angel of God who came in and said to him, “Cornelius!”

One thing we should notice throughout the whole situation is the amount of clarity experienced. He saw distinctly. He will be given clear directions. The same will be true of Peter’s vision up next.

Why does that matter? Well, it seems to be more and more popular for people to make claims about visions or supernatural manifestations – that they’ve seen the face of God or an angel or something similar – and frequently there is a complete lack of clarity.

For example: Paula White is a name you might have heard. She’s an author and peddler of the prosperity gospel. She’s said to be a spiritual advisor and personal pastor to our president. She considers herself an apostle. Recently she claimed to have seen the face of God in the throne room of God. She said she couldn’t see it clearly because of a mist. What she could see clearly was the golden mantle given to her. So, naturally we need to listen to her and donate to her ministry and all that. There are many Biblical problems with her claims. But, other people and groups and books are making similar claims about supernatural visions. When you hear them, evaluate them. Pay attention to the details. Do they align with the teaching of Scripture? An encounter like this one between Cornelius and the angel can serve as a measuring tool for when others make claims to have heard from God.

Now, we remember that Jesus appeared to Saul in a vision. Why not here? If He wants Gentiles to be saved, why send an angel? There were two sides to God’s work in this situation. On the one side, His desire was to save Cornelius and his family. On the other side was His desire to show the Jewish Christians that Gentiles had full and equal access to salvation and the Church, not by first jumping through a hoop of converting to Mosaic Judaism, but through faith in Jesus Christ. There would be no difference, no exclusion and no pre-qualifications necessary. If the Church had any hope for unity, it would have to be clear and evident that God was reaching out to the Gentile world in the same way that He was reaching out to Israel. And, toward that end, we can see a dramatic statement being made to the Jewish believers. It was, “Yes, even a Roman centurion can be saved. Even he can have the forgiveness of sins and the exact same filling of the Spirit that you received.” That’s a big statement. One that will be hard for some of the Church members to accept in Jerusalem.

Acts 10:4a – 4 Looking intently at him, he became afraid and said, “What is it, lord?”

I’d say this serves as another marker or measuring tool for us when people make claims about seeing angels or going to heaven. In the presence of that kind of power, even this battle hardened, special forces warrior was terrified. To his credit, he didn’t turn and run – he was a courageous man – but faced the angel and waited for instruction.

Acts 10:4b – The angel told him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity have come up as a memorial offering before God.

What an amazing thing to be told! Try to imagine what has just been said? There on the altar of heaven, as incense rises, pleasing the Lord, a wisp is somehow identified as belonging to Cornelius. “There is his prayer. There is his act of compassion to a Jew in the town. There is his kindness and generosity.” Those things, accomplished on earth, are seen as a memorial offering in heaven.

We live in the dispensation of grace, but that doesn’t mean we’re done with offerings. We no longer have to make sacrifices for atonement, but we are now free and commanded to make daily, ongoing offerings to our Lord that we might honor God and please Him and glorify Him through our lives.

Here are some New Testament references for us:

Hebrews 13:15 – …let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips that confess His name.

2 Corinthians 8:19 – [Titus] was appointed by the churches to accompany us as we take the offering to Jerusalem—a service that glorifies the Lord…

Philippians 2:17 – I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God.

Philippians 4:18 – I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God.

Romans 12:1 – Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.

We are to be people who continually put offerings on the altar of heaven through our devotion on earth. Cornelius was told that these things were memorial offerings. The memorial offering, detailed in the Levitical law, was always a representative portion. It was given in acknowledgement that all the crop belonged to God. So, when we see these ideas brought together with the imperatives in the New Testament we find that all our praise, all our words, all our money, all our service, all our lives belong to God and we can regularly, joyfully give portion after portion to the Lord that He might be pleased and glorified.

The angel continued:

Acts 10:5 – 5 Now send men to Joppa and call for Simon, who is also named Peter.

I think we can sense God’s grace here. He didn’t demand that Cornelius go AWOL. Rather, the Lord instructed him to send others to go and fetch a messenger who would come and tell them what they needed to do. You see, God didn’t only want to save the impressive head of the house, He wanted to save them all, down to the lowliest house servant.

Acts 10:6 – 6 He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

This encounter ends with clear direction. He’s given all the information he needs to find who he’s looking for. There was no GPS. No addresses. No Find My Friends. But, you know, God can get a lot done even without modern conveniences. That’s a silly thing to say, but, again, sometimes we slip into a mentality that we have to have certain things in order to accomplish ministry. A common pattern I see these days is that when a new church plant is being established, they say, “We need $250,000 to get started.” Even this week I was on a church’s website, it’s a fine church, I’m not against them, but they’ve got a fundraising campaign going. They want 100% of their people to pledge toward a 3 year, $3.5million goal. Here’s what they say on the site: “Build to Reach is a three-year campaign to raise funds to build a dedicated sanctuary for the church that will seat many more people and allow [us] to reach more souls for the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

I know what they mean and I’m sure they mean well. But, you don’t actually have to spend $3.5million before you reach more souls for Jesus Christ. God can get it done in the first century without programs or gimmicks or PayPal. Look what God was able to do through a few, barely literate fishermen!

Acts 10:7-8 – 7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, he called two of his household slaves and a devout soldier, who was one of those who attended him. 8 After explaining everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

Cornelius was quick to obey. That’s a very important part of devotion that pleases God. Though it was late in the day, with little sunlight left, he sent his servants on the long, 35 mile trip to Joppa. But, being a man of care and concern, he made sure to send them with protection. He couldn’t go himself, but he fully outfitted them to get where they needed to go. And he was willing to sacrifice his own comfort for the sake of the Lord. He sent his personal attendant to help some slaves rather than keep him back at the house. And, we see Cornelius was an open man. He explained everything. He didn’t lord over these guys, even though it was his station to do so. He didn’t behave as if he was some special, mystical, religious person. He was humble and helpful.

His devotion is an inspiration. And he doesn’t even have the Holy Spirit yet! Just imagine what he would’ve been like after verse 46! We don’t have to just imagine it, we can live it out. We’re the Gentiles on the field now. We’re the ones to whom Cornelius has handed the baton.

J.J. Watt, who talked about studying Reggie White’s play style, admits that he’s been unable to copy one of his signature moves. Of course, that’s ok. Because Watt isn’t White. He’s not supposed to copy. He became a great player in his own right while learning from guys before him.

We’re not to copy either. We don’t please God by trying to copy Cornelius. That’s not going to work. But we can learn from him about the motion of devotion. About living out our faith in a way that is pleasing to the Lord as we seek Him and obey Him and offer portion after portion onto the altar of heaven. A portion of praise. A portion of prayer. A portion of service. A portion of charity. Of generosity.

Reggie White once said this: “I’ve always believed since I was a kid that God was gonna allow me to play professional football, to use it as a platform to proclaim and live out the name of Jesus. And, you know, that’s the most exciting part about my life because God has done things in me to change my character to benefit the kingdom.” In a sense, he was a modern day Cornelius. We can be too as we live life to proclaim Jesus.

Get Up, Stand Up, Stand Up In Your Christ (Acts 9:32-43)

In this age, dominated by social media, you made have heard the term ‘slactivism.’ It’s defined as “the practice of supporting a cause by means such as social media or online petitions, characterized as involving very little effort or commitment.” Someone clicks a like button, or shares a link, maybe goes as far as changing the color overlay on their account’s avatar, and thereby declare to the world that they’re part of a movement, all without having to leave the house. It certainly makes the slactivist feel good as they convince themselves that they are “raising awareness” and voicing important concerns.

Pundits and researchers argue over whether slactivism or “armchair activism” (as it’s sometimes called) has any beneficial results. However, some individuals and groups that actually work to solve problems are snapping back. One volunteer-run, Christian disaster relief group called Crisis Relief Singapore launched a campaign a few years ago called “Liking isn’t helping” using real photos of people impacted by flood, war and earthquake. “The idea [behind the campaign] was simple: virtual things don’t count in real life, and even a billion ‘Likes’ on Facebook won’t help those facing crises in their everyday lives.” Instead of giving a thumbs up, the ads carried this tagline: “Be a volunteer. Change a life.”

As Christians, we’re called out of the armchair and into the real world, to use actions and words as we serve as Christ’s Body. We’re invited to busy ourselves with real efforts to lovingly fill every corner of the earth with the knowledge of God. This has been the function of the Church right from the beginning. Acts records for us the start of the story that we’re still a part of today.

In verse 31, Dr. Luke had given one of his many assessments of the Church’s health and activity. He likes to take the vitals and add them to the chart every few chapters or so, and here’s what he wrote:

Acts 9:31 – 31 So the church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace, being built up and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, and it increased in numbers.

The violent wave of persecution, led by Saul, had passed. Now, things were peaceful. The Church was encouraged. It was being built up. It was increasing, not just in Jerusalem, but throughout the region. Having made this assessment, Luke spends the rest of the chapter giving us a few “for instances.” These aren’t the only things that were going on, but they were typical of the work being done in and through God’s people at the time. Our passage tonight will generally focus on Peter, he’s a main character of the book after all, but the book of Acts has made it clear that it wasn’t just 1 or 2 people who were accomplishing great things by God’s power. Almost every Christian listed so far has been a great example to us. Not just Peter and Paul, but Stephen and Barnabas, Ananias who lived in Damascus and the other believers in that city. Philip and the other guys chosen to serve. Tonight we’ll see not just one spiritual superstar, but multiple individuals who were used by God and whole communities of Christians who were full of the Spirit and making a difference where they lived by the power of Jesus Christ. We’ll see different ministries, different gifts, and we’ll be reminded that this kind of encouragement and building up is still the plan for us today.

As Luke showcases these examples for us, he keeps using a particular word over and over again. For us, it’s translated as: “Get up,” or “arise.” We’ll see it 5 times in 12 verses! It’s used toward people receiving ministry and toward those doing the ministry. And, though it’s a common term, it’s hard not to think that Luke was trying to get us thinking about getting up and going about the Lord’s business. When you read (5 times tonight) “get up” or “arise,” it’s a term that means to awaken, recover, begin an action. It’s the same word used when we’re told that Matthew “got up” and followed Jesus when the Lord said, “Follow Me!” It’s the same word Jesus used in the Garden of Gethsemane when the disciples kept falling asleep and He came to them, saying, “Get up and pray.”

The Bible beseeches us to stay awake, to stand firm, to be on the move and tonight we see pointed examples of how the Church was up and walking in remarkable ways.

Acts 9:32 – 32 As Peter was traveling from place to place, he also came down to the saints who lived in Lydda.

Some commentators feel that this is when Peter was traveling home to Jerusalem after being in Samaria, which we saw back in chapter 8. Others think it was a later time. Remember: the last passage covered a decade of Saul’s life. We’re not sure, but what we do see is that, while Peter doesn’t seem to have some ultra-strategic plan of attack (he’s just going ‘place to place’), he had made a plan to minister. That’s what he set out to do.

He reminds me here of a honeybee out looking to do his job. Sometimes we can make very definitive plans for ministry with specific targets and specific goals. That’s great. When that’s not happening, go about your business, flower-to-flower as it were, with a plan to minister. That’s not a job just for Apostles. As we’ve seen, this was the mindset of all the Spirit-filled Christians. They were, of course, ready for those surprise, Divine appointments when they came up. In the mean time, they behaved as workers ready to plant and harvest and be used place to place, even if they were on their own.

Acts 9:33 – 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years.

It’s not clear whether this man was already a believer or not. What we know is that he had been living through a long period of significant suffering. And, the way Luke writes it, Peter finds him. It comes across as if Peter took the initiative to reach out to this guy. And that’s a great encouragement for us tonight. Each and every one of us can think of someone who we could reach out to in some way. Whether that’s reaching out with compassion or with a presentation of the Gospel or with some act of generosity, maybe prayer. We know there are all sorts of ways to demonstrate the love of God, so we should be “finding” someone and asking the Lord to use us for His purposes in their lives.

Acts 9:34 – 34 Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed,” and immediately he got up.

Here we have the first 2 uses of that term, “Get up.” Peter said “get up,” so Aeneas “got up.” He was put on his feet, restored to strength, invigorated and made whole. Peter’s message to him was simple and straightforward: Jesus Christ heals you. Our Savior is enough to address any problem in the body, the mind, or the soul. There is no insufficiency in Him. He is the ultimate solution to any problem individually or globally. Whatever we face, we face with Christ as our fortress and refuge.

Now, Peter said that Jesus had healed this man and, because of that, Aeneas had an immediate job to do. “Arise and make your bed.” Some translate it as “get ready to eat.” Either works on a devotional level as we think about getting up and walking in the power of the Lord. As we do, we want to be sure to be nourishing our spiritual lives and we want to remember to be faithful to get our lives in order. That doesn’t mean everything we do has to be perfect all the time, but the Lord gives us power for living our regular lives. This idea comes out when the New Testament talks about qualifications for overseers in the church when it says, “they need to have their houses in order.” Make your bed. Love your wife. Love your husband. Don’t exasperate your kids. Christians shouldn’t be defined by personal lives that are full of chaos and inconsistency.

Acts 9:35 – 35 So all who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

Lydda’s a city, Sharon is a region. This one interaction with the paralytic led to a huge response throughout the district. Tons of people were being converted. And this result can speak to us in a couple of different ways. First, it encourages us to go out and minister. As the story goes, if Peter had just stayed home, Aeneas doesn’t get healed and these people don’t turn to the Lord. Since he made himself available and purposefully went about the business of ministry, an amazing harvest took place. But the second encouragement is this: Trust the Lord to work out the increase. We see again and again in Acts that the Lord was “adding to the Church,” the church was increasing in numbers. But Peter didn’t have a strategy meeting and determine that Lydda was going to be the best place for a revival meeting. Sometimes, when Christians are talking or trying to make a plan, they’ll say something like, “What are we going to do to reach all of Hanford?” Not necessarily a bad desire, but look at what ‘reached’ the whole region in this text: Peter had one conversation with a guy. And, because of the amazing power of the Spirit, countless lives were impacted. You can’t plan that. You can’t schedule that. What we can do is be available and show up to work.

Acts 9:36 – 36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. She was always doing good works and acts of charity.

This coast city, west of Lydda, was home to a remarkable Christian lady named Tabitha. No, she wasn’t an apostle or an evangelist or a church planter. But in a moment we’ll see that she made a big difference in the lives of a lot of people. Her ministry was different than that of Stephens, she didn’t debate. Different than Barnabas. She didn’t sell property. Different than Peter. She wasn’t in charge of a congregation. Her gifts were in compassion, generosity and service. And her acts of tangible kindness were essential. Very different than what Paul was doing at the time, but still the same Holy Spirit working in and through her.

This illustrates why we need to resist the urge to get on the bandwagon that “every Christian needs to be doing X.” This happens on the large, cultural level and on the local level. “Every Christian needs to do this program or ministry.” That’s just not the way the Lord does things. It’s election week, so we can use politics as an example. If you read or listen to topical ministry stuff enough, you’ll eventually hear “every Christian needs to get involved in the political process.” I just heard that sentiment on a church webcast this week. But it’s just not true. God lifts up Peters and Pauls and Stephens and Barnabases and Tabithas. What every Christian needs to do is be led by God as they walk in the good works that have been set before them to do.

Tabitha wasn’t traveling city to city, but she was busy all the time in the ministry and it was meaningful and needful. And what an encouragement her example is. God can use any one of us here. He can use our voices. He can use our sewing needles. Whether our work is in a kitchen or a legislative hall, God is big enough to use all those various means to do what He wants to do.

Acts 9:37 – 37 In those days she became sick and died. After washing her, they placed her in a room upstairs.

Compared to Aeneas, Tabitha’s suffering was much shorter, but much more severe. And the Lord was mindful of both. If you’re suffering tonight, God knows and He cares and He wants to minister to you in that suffering. It may end in healing, it may not, but the Lord loves you know is with you.

After Tabitha died, they did what was normal in their culture, preparing her for burial.

Acts 9:38 – 38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to him who begged him, “Don’t delay in coming with us.”

It’s possible that these two guys left for Lydda before Tabitha had died. But, either way, they felt compelled to reach out to Peter, I’m guessing with the hope that God would do the impossible. Now, when they arrived, they put a lot of pressure on Peter. They beg him. They say, “Don’t hesitate! Don’t wait!” I’m sure they meant well, they were desperate, but we want to be sure it’s the Lord leading us, not pressure leading us. There’s always something that needs doing. There’s more spiritual work that needs doing just in Hanford than any of us has the time or the capacity to do. And, sometimes even well-meaning fellow Christians come and heap pressure on us to be a part of something or to meet some need, and we want to be ready to respond, but responding where the Lord sends us.

What if every soldier and sailor and marine had shown up to Normandy beach? Normandy was obviously essential, but there was a Pacific theater, too. Or a less extreme example: When people run marathons, the race organizers set up hydration stations usually about every 2 miles. So, somewhere between 8 and 12 stops. What if all the volunteers go to the first station? All the water’s there. All the helpers are there. You’re gonna have a problem down on mile 22. So, be patient when people pile on the pressure. Figure out what the Lord wants you to do.

With that said, never in Acts do we see the Holy Spirit saying to some Christian, “I have NOTHING for you to do!” We want to be careful we’re not become slacktivist Christians. As the story shakes out, it’s clear the Holy Spirit wanted Peter in Joppa, so he’s given the all-clear to go. And, while he’s been doing what ministry he could, now he’s suddenly in the midst of one of those great, spontaneous, Divine appointments. And Peter is flexible enough to be used.

Acts 9:39a – 39 So Peter got up and went with them.

He got up. Same term that was used of the paralytic. The Lord’s desire is to continually lift us up and renew us and invigorate us for service. He continually invites us to act according to His will and in His power. So, even if you’ve been a believer for many decades, stay awake, keep following, be about the business of Christianity.

Acts 9:39b – When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs. And all the widows approached him, weeping and showing him the robes and clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them.

Peter had made no promises, he didn’t claim he’d heal her or raise her, but he said, “I’ll go with you and we’ll be together.” He responded to this need, even though it doesn’t seem like he knew what his part was going to be to play. He’s a great example of faith and flexibility in this section.

Acts 9:40 – 40 Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down, prayed, and turning toward the body said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up.

It seems like Peter wasn’t exactly sure what was going to happen at first. Elsewhere in the book he’s quicker to move. Think of the two paralytics he’s healed. Walks up, has some assurance from the Lord so he immediately says, “Get up!” But here, it seems he’s not as clear. He sends the people out. He spends some time in prayer. We notice that he mimics what he saw His Lord do in the similar situation. Not that the Lord was unsure, but since Peter wasn’t immediately aware of God’s plan to bring Tabitha back from the dead, he proceeded as Jesus would proceed. Always a good plan.

We talk about sermons in the Bible that we wish were recorded like Philip’s sermon to the Ethiopian Eunuch or Jesus’ sermon on the Road to Emmaus. I wish this prayer was recorded. But, at some point, the Lord revealed to Peter what was going to happen and Peter responded in faith.

Once again, Luke uses that term “Get up!” Come alive again. Be restored. And she does. I wonder if she was briefed in heaven before this happened. I imagine she must have been. Her example reminds us of how real and how simple resurrection is for us because of Jesus Christ. Because Christ died and rose again, we will leave death behind. Those believing loved ones you have lost you, will see again because they’ve left death behind. And so will you one day, if you’re in Christ. And we’ll be reunited in perfect strength and everlasting life.

On a devotional level, if you’re a Christian who feels spiritually dead or spiritually asleep, be like Tabitha. Wake up. Get up. Leave that death behind. God gives you the power to do it. Respond as she did. Believe that it is Jesus Christ who heals you and be renewed in your life with Him.

Acts 9:41a – 41 He gave her his hand and helped her stand up.

Stand up is that term yet again. Here we see Peter assisting this sister. We want to be helpers. This is a great failing of the turn or burn street preachers. You may be pronouncing something that is ‘true,’ but you’re not doing with love and you’re not helping people stand up. God sends His Church to help one another stand. 1 Thessalonians: “Help the weak.” Isaiah 35: “Strengthen the weak hands, steady the shaking knees.” Romans 15: “help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord.” Behave like Peter does here.

Acts 9:41b – Then he called the saints and widows and presented her alive.

What a great moment this would’ve been. Peter not only restores her to life, he restores her to ministry. “Here are your widows, Tabitha!” This scene reminds us that God puts us in a community of believers and knits our lives together. Be a living part of your local body. Present yourself for service to the Lord and to your brothers and sisters.

Acts 9:42-43 – 42 This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43 And Peter stayed on many days in Joppa with Simon, a leather tanner.

Notice the choice of words: When the paralytic was healed “all” believed and turned to the Lord. Not just in one city, but a whole region! Now, a woman dies and is brought back from the grave and “many” believe. It’s more proof that you can’t predict the work of the Spirit. We’ve got to be led. If we try to plan and strategize everything, we’re going to get it wrong. But the Lord does it all right. And what He does is lift us up, renew us, strengthen us, and then sets us on a course of action that we’re to stand and walk in. Acts shows that’s not just God’s plan for an Apostle or two, but for all of us. Along the way, we are able to minister to people, receive ministry, strengthen one another, make a difference in this world, using the gifts and opportunities God has given to us. Various people, various activities, one grand effort, overseen and directed by the God who loves to encourage, build up and add to His Church.

For He’s A Jolly Good Follow (Acts 9:1-19)

You basketball fans are probably familiar with an iconic picture taken on December 17, 1997. In it you see Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan standing shoulder to shoulder, in the middle of a Bulls/Lakers game. At 19 years old, it’s Kobe’s 2nd season, while Jordan is back from his first of three retirements from the NBA. In the picture you can see Jordan is talking and Kobe is listening. After the game, reporters asked the guys what had happened. With 7 minutes left in the game, during a free throw, Kobe had gone over and asked Jordan a question. One interviewer said, “Was he willing to give you any advice or any secrets?” Kobe replied that he did. When they asked Michael Jordan he said, “He wanted to know how, when I turn around on my jump shot, how I feel the defense.”

It’s a moment that many look back on as a passing of the torch between eras in NBA history. Kobe would, in many ways, pick up where Jordan left off. MJ would eventually, actually retire, but there would be many more games to play. And there would be new players to play them.

In some ways, that speaks to us of the continuing work of God through His Church. If you’re a part of Christ’s Body, you’re not a spectator in the stands, at least you’re not supposed to be, you’re a player on the court. The ball is live and the clock is ticking. You have a position that you’ve been put in and a part to play. You’re a member of a team but also given a lot of personal responsibility and personal opportunity. As we make our way down the court we have the chance to learn from those who’ve come before us. This is one of the great purposes of the book of Acts. Not that we’re just impressed with it, but that we’re instructed by it. That we take a look at those great disciples of the past and listen to their example, learning more about how to be successful in our own walks with the Lord. Not by simply trying to mimic their movements, any more than Kobe just tried to mirror MJ. But by learning from their lives and from these situations where God worked in them.

We want to be used. We want to serve the Lord. And He wants that too. So, how can we be encouraged or instructed in our spiritual game today? Well, we’ve got a great example tonight as we see an ordinary guy, living his ordinary life, being remarkably used by an extraordinary God. And his example of how to follow Jesus Christ is made all the more informative as he is contrasted with history’s greatest Anti-Christian – Saul – who thought he was following God all along.

Acts 9:1a – Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord.

A lot was happening in this “meanwhile.” The Church was being scattered out of Jerusalem. A great awakening had come to Samaria. The Gospel is being brought to the African continent. The Lord’s sheep were headed out to the wider world. But, at the same time, The Devil raised up a wolf to try to destroy them. Saul was a ferocious enemy of the Church. He didn’t breathe oxygen to survive, he breathed murder. One of the most enduring sound effects of all time is Darth Vader’s hoo-per. That breathing is simultaneous with dread and villainy and danger. That’s Saul.

Acts 9:1b-2 – He went to the high priest 2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

At this point, Christians were called ‘the Way.’ While this reminds us that there is one exclusive avenue by which mankind can be saved, it also highlights the continuous, forward-looking activity of the Christian life. It’s a way. It’s a walk. Jesus tells us to follow Him. We’re on the move. We’re headed to a definite destination and we’re to be actively engaged as we move along.

There’s a lot tucked into this verse and a half. First of all, we see that the disciples were not anti-Jew. They still had connection to the synagogues. It’s a horrible mistake when the church allows any attitude of anti-semitism to creep in. That’s happened in church history and it’s a grievous sin.

We also see Saul as a great, contrasting example to what following God really is all about. He’s on a mission, but his mission is to make captives. Christ sends us out to set captives free. His goal was to destroy his enemies. Our goal is to reconcile them to God. He went to the High Priest and received epistles that served as death warrants. Later, Saul would be transformed into the great epistle-writer himself, sending letters to help people grow and be encouraged and receive God’s grace.

But why Damascus? It’s over a hundred miles from Jerusalem, in a different country. We can make some guesses as to why providence led him there. For one thing, Damascus was an important city with many comings and goings and it’s estimated that there were 30 or 40 Jewish synagogues there. Perhaps Saul thought it would be a ‘target’ of this Christian sect. There were some political reasons why they’d be allowed to continue their persecution in Damascus. Interestingly, with Saul’s attention focused on a city so far north, the much closer region of Samaria, where a fledgling group of disciples were just getting their start would be protected from his wrath. And, finally, there was a particular Christian in Damascus that God wanted to use like He had wanted to use Philip to preach to the Ethiopian Eunuch.

Acts 9:3 – 3 As he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him.

We’ll find out that the believers in Damascus knew Saul was on his way. No doubt they had been gathering for prayer, asking God to intervene. And yet, day after day, mile after mile, the Lord let him in closer and closer. On a practical level, this was necessary. Had Jesus knocked Saul down too early in his trip, he’d have just returned to Jerusalem. But, in His grace, the Lord draws His enemies in. Look at Judas. Look at Nebuchadnezzar.

Saul’s approach to Damascus also reminds us that God is more concerned with us relying on Him, trusting in His power, than feeling safe and secure. From our vantage point we know the Christians were bracing for impact, but all the while, Saul was being monitored. He was being followed. He was not outside of the Lord’s jurisdiction.

Acts 9:4 – 4 Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

These words are probably red in your Bible. The last time we saw Jesus speaking was back in chapter 1 where He had addressed His people at the Ascension. And now He’s back to have a talk with the man who hates Christ more than anyone else on the planet.

The Lord uses an interesting play on words here. The term used for “persecuting,” though most often translated this way, is sometimes translated as “pursue.” It can mean running after or following in haste. Saul thought he was following after God, following God’s word. In reality, he was traveling in the opposite direction. But now, the hunter had become the hunted.

Acts 9:5 – 5 “Who are You, Lord?” he said. “I am Jesus, the One you are persecuting,” He replied.

In Avengers: Endgame, the Incredible Hulk goes to a New York rooftop to retrieve an infinity stone. There, he encounters the Sorcerer Supreme, who, with one easy palm to the chest, knocks the strongest avenger out cold, surprising him and the audience. Then they have an important conversation.

Here the Lord Jesus reveals, once again, His personal attachment to His people. Of course Saul could do nothing to harm the GodMan, but Jesus sees any attack on disciples as an attack on Himself. You and I are not nameless pawns on His chessboard or drones in His army. We’re God’s children. We’re the Bride. We are dearly loved. When you suffer, the Lord knows and He cares.

Acts 9:6 – 6 “But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

Jesus’ treatment of Saul is somewhat harsh. He’s physically knocked him down. He’s leveled a serious accusation against him. Here, the Lord let’s Saul know, “I’m the captain now.” But of course this is all much, much less than Saul deserves. The Lord shows patience and grace toward this wicked man. And thank God that’s true. Because, while you and I may not be guilty of the same actions that Saul was, our sin is just as evil. Just as disqualifying. Just as deserving of judgment and death. But a God of grace has intervened that we might be saved from ourselves and for eternity.

Acts 9:7 – 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the sound but seeing no one.

You know, God didn’t have anything to say to those other guys at the moment. That may seem strange, but it’s true. If you’ve ever tried to share the Gospel with more than 1 person at a time you’ve probably experienced this. In a group of 2 or 3, as you preach you’ll notice that maybe 1 of them is listening and is having a divine appointment while the others don’t seem to be hearing what you’re saying. If you’re preaching the Gospel and that happens, don’t worry about it. Just be sensitive to the people who are hearing what you have to say, focus your attention on them.

Acts 9:8-9 – 8 Then Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. 9 He was unable to see for three days and did not eat or drink.

In a literal flash, the Church’s biggest, most dangerous enemy was neutralized. He who had dragged off men and women to suffer and die now had to be led by the hand like a little child, unable to fend for himself. It’s amazing what the Lord can do in a moment of time!

We see Saul was profoundly impacted by these events. He’s unable to eat or drink. His mind is reeling. His sin has been shown to him. Surely, thousands of passages of Scripture were coming to mind as he started to piece together that he’s been wrong about everything he’s done and thought for all these years.

Now we get to our forerunner, a great example, the disciple Ananias.

Acts 9:10 – 10 There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. And the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Here I am, Lord!” he said.

We’re told later in Acts that Ananias was known to the Jews in Damascus synagogues. He was a good man. A man of integrity. It’s altogether possible that his name was already on the hit list in Saul’s pocket. The Lord calls him by name, just as He called Saul by name. I just want to keep reminding us that God knows us. He knows you, personally. Joe Biden created a memorable gaffe awhile back when asked who his potential VP candidates would be. He said he had 4 but then he couldn’t remember a single one of their names. He roughly described them but even that was a struggle. Not so with the Lord. He actually knows you. He actually loves you. You are His.

Ananias’ name means “Jehovah is gracious.” And he’s going to get a chance to live it out. We’re called “Christians” and every day we have the opportunity to live it out. To live out the life of Christ and the truth of Christ to the world around us. As with Ananias, that task is not for the faint of heart.

Acts 9:11 – 11 “Get up and go to the street called Straight,” the Lord said to him, “to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, since he is praying there.

God not only knows your name, He knows your address. He knows where you’re from. He knows what you’re doing. He is attentive to us, keeping watch as we come and go.

Now, I can’t help but think of the Lord delivering this message with a twinkle in His eye. It’s almost playful. Because, He knows that Ananias knows exactly who Saul is. And yet, He says, “Ok, in this house a few streets over, there’s a guy named Saul and you’ll know him because he’s from Tarsus.” He doesn’t fill in Ananias yet about the Damascus road encounter. He just says, “Saul’s praying.” “…to who?” The Lord continues:

Acts 9:12 – 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him so he can regain his sight.”

Have you ever been name checked like this? Or have you ever been volunteered to do something that you really hadn’t signed up for? It’s interesting: In God’s program there are times where the Lord gives an open invitation for certain tasks. Think Esther. “Hey, if you don’t help deliver Israel, someone else will.” Or the exiles returning to the land. “Who wants to go back and rebuild?” And then, other times, it’s like this, “Hey, it’s going to be YOU.” Saul was waiting for this particular guy to come and perform a miracle for him!

The application for us is that while we’re all sent into the world generally to do God’s work, there are certain, imperative, individual things God has prepared for each of us to do and it is our job to discover what they are and then to do them. And when He calls us we want to be ready to answer and obey. Still, Ananias had some questions.

Acts 9:13-14 – 13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on Your name.”

Some commentators feel Ananias was being reluctant to obey. I don’t think we need to go that far. More importantly, he becomes another good example for us of how faithful servants are not afraid to be frank with God. God doesn’t want us to pretend when we pray. He knows what’s going on in our hearts and He invites us to honestly communicate with Him. Look at the Psalms. Those people are speaking frankly with the Lord about their concerns and their confusions and their worries.

Acts 9:15-16 – 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go! For this man is My chosen instrument to take My name to Gentiles, kings, and the Israelites. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for My name!”

Saul will become the most prominent instrument in the rest of the book. But, as an instrument, his life’s melody won’t play like a delicate harp, it’ll be beaten loudly like a drum. Ananias had a good work to do in this man’s life, but a hard message to deliver.

Acts 9:17 – 17 So Ananias left and entered the house. Then he placed his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road you were traveling, has sent me so that you can regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Ananias shows real courage here. He enters the home of someone who was, undoubtedly, a hater of Christians just as Saul had been. There, in the villain’s lair, surround by members of the Sanhedrin’s SS, he walks in, identifies himself as a Christian, and proceeds to show unconditional love to the man who came to town to kill him. He calls him ‘brother’ and does not recoil, but puts his hands on the weak and vulnerable Saul. If this were the book of Judges, this story would’ve had a much different ending, right? But this is Acts. This is the resurrection power of God working through ordinary people to seek and to save those who are lost. To give spiritual sight to the spiritually blind.

Ananias trusted his Lord. And, because of that, he will be the one to bring the most effective Christian of all time into the Kingdom. What an incredible opportunity!

Acts 9:18-19a – 18 At once something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. 19 And after taking some food, he regained his strength.

When Saul tells this story later in the book he fills in a few of the details that Luke skips in this chapter. Jesus said to him: “ I will rescue you from the people and from the Gentiles. I now send you to them to open their eyes so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that by faith in Me they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified.”

Saul was able to do that because he actually lived it. The message he would eventually preach wasn’t theoretical. It was real. He went and did what had been done for him. He had been blind. He had needed rescue. And God had sent a messenger to come and open his eyes. Later, Paul would take up the torch and continue the work. Then Timothy and Titus. And countless more across the globe and through the decades coming all the way down to you and me. Like Ananias, we’re ordinary Christians living ordinary lives. But also like Ananias, we’ve been commissioned and invited into the work of God. The play clock is running. Since we want to be effective and useful in our Lord’s hands, we can learn from these examples. What do we see? We see prayer. Obedience. Faith and truth. We see a man who was willing to be led by the Spirit and willing to sacrifice for God’s glory. We see compassion and mercy and forgiveness toward the most undeserving enemy of God. And we see the world changed as a result. We are to go and do likewise as we continue the work, following along in the Way.

Standard Ops (Acts 8:26-40)

When I hear someone described as being an “operative” I can’t help but think in terms of special ops. People who have “a very particular set of skills” like Jack Bauer or James Bond or Jason Bourne (Apparently, it helps to have JB as initials). These elite operatives are called in to do the impossible – sent on missions that few, if any, other agents would be able to accomplish.

But being “operative” isn’t just for 00’s or Delta Force. In it’s everyday sense the word ‘operative’ simply means “functioning or having effect.” It describes something that is ready for use. Something that’s put together properly and powered sufficiently to operate according to its purpose.

You and I are meant to be operatives, carrying out incredible heavenly functions in the world today. Our purpose is not simply to commemorate the work that began on the Day of Pentecost, but to continue it in our day to day lives.

The Book of Acts is not meant to simply be impressive to us or even just inspirational as we see what these Christians did so long ago, it’s mean to be instructional to us as Christians who carry on where they left off. When we get to the last page of Acts we notice that there is no conclusion. It’s more like the end of The Fellowship Of The Ring, where there’s no resolution at all. Instead, the team splits up to take on quests of their own. They have a common set of goals, but will walk different roads, fighting the good fight in different parts of the world until the King returns.

That’s us. We’re sent out on mission, empowered and directed by God to fulfill His incredible purposes. What we want to consider as we look at our passage tonight is how we can properly function as operatives for the Lord.

In our text we’re given 3 different operatives to study. They’ve got different backgrounds, different circumstances and they’re all at different levels of experience and capability. But each of them will be used by God to accomplish significant work.

We begin in verse 26.

Acts 8:26 – 26 An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is the desert road.)

The first operative is an angel, sent by God to give a message of direction to Philip. We, of course, are not angels. We’re not going to become angels. But what can we learn from his part in the story? Well, there’s a devotional thought for us in his example. Think about the amazing power and capability of an angelic being. All their strength and potential and effectiveness. They who stand in the presence of God and can travel between time and eternity. Doesn’t it seem like this angel is overqualified for the errand he was sent on that day? “Go down to Samaria and tell a guy to go to Gaza.” Philip was a man who knew how to follow God’s leading. Why didn’t the Holy Spirit simply pass along this message?

He could have, but God loves to include His creatures in His work. He has no need of any servants, yet He loves to utilize them all the time. It’s an incredible attribute of His grace. What He could easily do Himself He shares with His family so that they can be a part of His everlasting work and then be rewarded for it.

My little daughter, Nora, loves to come out and ‘help’ me wash my truck. I use the term ‘help’ very loosely. Obviously she can’t reach certain parts of the car and, yes, in many ways I would do the job better and faster if I just did it alone, but it’s fun to have her help. It’s a silly time together. And I enjoy showing the kids how to do the job and sharing laughs and smiles together. God, our Father, feels this way to a much, much greater degree.

This angel also demonstrates for us an important aspect of being fully operational: No service to the Lord should be beneath us. It was, in a sense, unnecessary for the Lord to send this mighty angel, but it was His delight to include him in the work. And the angel didn’t balk or complain.

Maybe in the coming days the Lord will give you some small opportunity to do something that is downright beneath your talents or abilities. Be like this angel and do whatever you’re given to do. What a beautiful thing that God can divide His work down to even menial tasks so that we can participate and be rewarded for them.

The verse ends: “This is the desert road.” Luke is setting a scene for us here. Philip, you’ll recall, has been busy in a vibrant time of revival and miracles in Samaria. People are getting saved left and right. Now the Lord says: “Leave all that and go sit by yourself in the desert.” Sometimes we think of when the Bible says that when we’re faithful over small things we’ll be given greater things and it’s easy to start thinking of serving God in terms of upward mobility. That our ministry will continually be growing in prominence and influence and scope. But the Lord doesn’t use material measurements like we do. Here, Philip is being told to leave the crowd to go speak to an individual. He doesn’t know that yet. Like Abraham, the Lord simply told him, “Head that way.” The way was back down through Jerusalem and to Gaza in the south. Why had Philip left Jerusalem? He was escaping violent persecution. And so God was asking him to walk through the valley of the shadow of death. There was no time for Philip to take the coastal highway. The window of opportunity to accomplish this new mission was short. To obey God, Philip would have to trust Him with his very life.

Being an operative that’s used by God means obeying the orders we’re given. As Christians, we no longer have the right to self-direct. And that’s not really a bad thing, because if we go our own way we’ll inevitably go astray. And we know we can trust the Lord and that all His ways are good. But the reminder here is that God’s word is often going to challenge us and demand we surrender. It will confront us in such a way that we either have to disobey or bow before our King and say, “Nevertheless at Your word I will.”

Philip was willing to obey this surprising command. And he is the next operative we want to look at.

Acts 8:27-29 – 27 So he got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to worship in Jerusalem 28 and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go and join that chariot.”

I wonder how long Philip was hanging out on the deserted road before this encounter. Was the eunuch’s caravan the first one that passed by? We don’t know. What we can be confident of is that, once Philip was in place, he must have been waiting with real expectation. Looking down at the horizon, he saw a blip that slowly grew large as it came toward him. He would’ve undoubtedly thought, “Is this it? Is this the reason why I was sent here?”

Expectation is an essential part of our proper operation as Christians. We’re to expect God’s word to be speaking to us. We’re to expect God to direct us. We’re to expect God to do things when we gather together to worship Him. We’re to expect God to bring people into our path that He wants us to minister to and share the Gospel with. Expectation helps us to stay focused on heavenly things rather than be distracted with the cares of this world. And having this spiritual expectation will help us to not miss the subtle opportunities the Lord might bring our way. Probably none of us had an angel show up and give us a message today, but that doesn’t mean the Lord doesn’t have some mission for us to be a part of. Though every chariot we come across may not be our assignment, perhaps one of them is. That expectation will help us stay in tune with what God may want to do.

We don’t know how the eunuch had heard about the God of Israel. But he had and he believed. Or, at least he wanted to believe. And that, in and of itself, is another testament to the far-reaching grace of God, drawing people from every place that they might know Him and be saved.

Here we meet this fellow who had come to Jerusalem to worship and while in town two significant things had happened. First, he would’ve learned that, as a non-Jew, he did not have full access to the Temple. That probably wouldn’t been unusual for someone who had direct contact with the Queen in her palace. Not only that, but he would’ve also learned that, as a eunuch, he could never be regarded as a full part of God’s family, at least as far as the Mosaic law was concerned. There were specific prohibitions directed at eunuchs. This is probably not what he envisioned when he first set out on this trip.

But, the second thing that happened while he was in town was that he got a hold of God’s word. At least the book of Isaiah. It could’ve been the whole Old Testament. Now, on the long road back to Africa, he’s reading aloud from the scroll.

Acts 8:30 – 30 When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”

Philip is such a great example to us of how to be an effective operative for the Lord. His first words to the eunuch aren’t, “Hi there. I’m Philip, the great miracle worker.” They weren’t, “I’m Philip, an amazingly spiritual man.” He doesn’t even introduce himself. Instead, in kindness he says, “does that book you’re reading make sense to you?”

His focus and desire is to talk to this man about the word of God, because it is the word of God that has power. It is alive and well and does not need to be smuggled in under a cloak of hype or sensationalism. Again and again we see the Christians in Acts focusing on the teaching and understanding of God’s word rather than focusing on experiences or feelings or manifestations. The apostles and men like Stephen and Philip were preachers not performers. And it is God’s word preached through us that advances His work.

Acts 8:31 –  “How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

Philip has been sent on a mission to bring this man to Christ. But he wasn’t sent as a billboard. He was sent as a guide. We want to take care that we don’t become billboard Christians. Silent. Motionless. We’re sent out to do the personal work of bringing people to Christ and bringing Christ to them.

You know, the eunuch was in need of actual answers. Actual guidance. He needed someone who could explain what God’s word was saying and interpret the truth for him. The Bible reveals that the unbelieving world is unable to receive the truth without the ministry of the Holy Spirit. And we’re the ones God has sent to accomplish that ministry, through preaching, so that people might believe.

The eunuch needed more than some little sign that said, “God’s that way.” That’s effectively what he had somehow received in Ethiopia. Somehow, at some point, he had heard about the God of Israel and, in his heart, he longed to know Him. So he makes the trip to Jerusalem. And, surely, once he finally made it to the city, he would’ve been asking the locals, “Where can I find the God of Israel?” And probably a lot of people just pointed, “The Temple’s over there.” And when he went to try to worship there, among the crowds and among the Pharisees who, of course, had no real, living relationship with God, they who had made the word of God of no effect, so the eunuch found no real answers, but was left with even more questions.

At the end of his trip, he buys a scroll or two, packs up and starts off home. But he’s still hungry for salvation. And he needed someone to walk him through the message of the Gospel so that he might finally understand the truth. He needed real guidance, not clichés. And the Lord had sent Philip for just that purpose at just the right time.

Acts 8:32-33 – 32 Now the Scripture passage he was reading was this: He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb is silent before its shearer, so He does not open His mouth. 33 In His humiliation justice was denied Him. Who will describe His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.

The eunuch found himself at what we call Isaiah 53. Which means that he would’ve read quite a bit already. Specifically, he would have already made it through Isaiah 20 and 43 and 45 where there are some not-so-encouraging things said about his home country, Ethiopia!

So, here you are, one of the highest ranking officials of the nation, and this strange book from Israel, whose God you believe in, is talking to you, not only about judgments on your nation, but also your personal iniquity that would be laid on some Suffering Servant.

This is a reminder that the Bible actually speaks to each of us if we allow it to. It isn’t antiquated or out of touch. It cuts right into who we are and where we are and what’s going on in the world around us so that we might be reconciled to God. It speaks not just generically, but with precision to you and me and to the circumstances we find ourselves in.

The eunuch paused on this passage which says that Christ was led as a sheep to the slaughter and he didn’t know what to make of it.

Acts 8:34-35 – 34 The eunuch replied to Philip, “I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about—himself or another person?” 35 So Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning from that Scripture.

Philip’s mode of operation here was to bring the eunuch back to the Scriptures. They needed to be explained, but that’s where the answers were going to be found. Not in feelings, but in revelation. This passage demonstrates that God’s word has real power for us and for others. It is a current message for God’s people corporately and individually. It comes with active direction, personal application and essential instruction for each day of our lives.
This story is a profound example of just how personal and just how powerful God’s word is. Why Isaiah? Why was that the scroll in the eunuch’s lap that day? Because the Holy Spirit was not only working in Philip, he was working in this eunuch as well and here we see a beautiful demonstration of how God uses His word to speak powerfully and precisely. There he had come across a passage that arrested his heart and attention, presenting him with his own sin but also the Savior, chapter 53. Suddenly he’s in this conversation with some guy he met on the road, a guy who can’t wait to talk to him about the very book he’s reading. And then, in just a few paragraphs, over in what we call chapter 56 Philip would be able to read this to him:

Isaiah 56:1, 3-5 – This is what the Lord says…3 “Don’t let foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord say, ‘The Lord will never let me be part of his people.’ And don’t let the eunuchs say, ‘I’m a dried-up tree with no children and no future.’ 4 For this is what the Lord says: I will bless those eunuchs who keep my Sabbath days holy and who choose to do what pleases me and commit their lives to me. 5 I will give them—within the walls of my house— a memorial and a name far greater than sons and daughters could give. For the name I give them is an everlasting one. It will never disappear!

What a perfect book for this guy to be reading! What a comfort it is that we do not have to rely solely on ourselves to convince or influence people to believe in Christ. God sends us out with power and He sends His word out with power. While we minister from the outside, we can be sure that the Holy Spirit is working intricately and personally from the inside, bringing all these elements together so that the Scriptures can cut right in and show us who we are and who God is and what He has done.

Acts 8:35 says that Philip preached Jesus to him. Like the sermon given on the Road to Emmaus, the text of this message isn’t recorded. But we know what the focus of both of those sermons were: Jesus. I may not be a Bible scholar, but if I’m a Christian, that means I have Jesus to preach. I know the Messiah who has been revealed in the Bible. And though Christ Himself would obviously teach a better message than me, He’s given you and me the privilege of preaching to others. Whether we’re in a pulpit or a chariot. What made Philip fully operational for this mission was that he was obedient, he was full of the Holy Spirit, and he had a Jesus to preach. And we can have more and more to preach about Jesus as we walk with Him and draw near to Him day after day.

Acs 8:36 – 36 As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, there’s water! What would keep me from being baptized?”

Clearly, Philip didn’t just deliver facts about Jesus, he told the eunuch how a person must follow Christ as Savior and King. We don’t know how long this conversation lasted, but by the time they got to a body of water, the eunuch understood that a person must choose to publicly identify with Christ and dedicate their lives to Him.

As operatives, we must make the message of the Gospel personal by not just sharing information about God, but sharing the imperatives about following Him.

Acts 8:37 – 37 And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

Philip didn’t add any requirements or works to the eunuch’s shoulders. He was clear and straightforward. God had been orchestrating countless elements to bring this situation together, and then, in that moment, we see how simple it is. Because the Lord has done all the heavy lifting.

Acts 8:38-40 – 38 Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer. But he went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip appeared in Azotus, and he was traveling and evangelizing all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Philip didn’t have to be an apostle to qualify for all sorts of service to the Lord. He was a man ready to be used, ready to obey. Whether that meant waiting tables or preaching a message or having a conversation or interacting with demon possessed people, he was fully operational. And, as a result, he changed the world. And even though he had been used to work miracles, this was the better work that day.

You and I are ministers of the Gospel just like he was. We, too, can be used in God’s great work. The work of God isn’t reserved for just a few special operatives like James Bond or Jack Bauer. The Lord invites all of His people who are ready to function, ready to be powered up and sent out.

But there’s one more operative in the story that we can learn from. And that’s the eunuch himself. He got saved and we’re told that, coming up out of the water, he never saw Philip again. But he goes his way rejoicing, back home to Ethiopia, as the only Christian in the entire nation. I found myself thinking, “Wait! This guy how only heard one Bible study in his life! He needs more training and development and instruction!” If the angel was overqualified for his mission, the eunuch seems to be terribly under-qualified to bring the Gospel to an entire country. There were no churches there. No Bible schools. No apostles. No miracle workers.

But the Lord looked at this eunuch and said, “You’re good to go!” He would be the only Christian in Ethiopia upon his return, but church history records that, through him, the Gospel went out with power. He had returned home as an operative, powered up, with the word of God in his hands and the Holy Spirit in his heart. And though he wouldn’t yet have an understanding of every Scripture or every teaching, we know he had all the training he need to start being used by God. He had been shown by Philip how to get an understanding of God’s word, and that was to find Christ on every page. And, with these equippings, the Holy Spirit marked him as ready to operate. He was sufficient to start because of the sufficiency of Scripture and the power of the Holy Spirit within him.

The encounter ends with the eunuch heading south, rejoicing. Philip heading north, preaching. Where there had been 1 servant of God, now there were 2. The eunuch had become another one of God’s vineyard workers, sent throughout the world to save lives for time and for eternity. He was immediately equipped and deputized to be an effective operative for the Kingdom.

So, as we close, we remember that we are God’s operatives. Maybe we have specialized skills, maybe we don’t. What matters is not our qualifications, but our functionality. Are we ready to function in God’s service? Are the pieces in place for us to be used by God? Maybe the Lord will give us a great work to be a part of. Maybe He’ll just put one little brick in our hand tomorrow and say, “Just go put that one little, spiritual brick over there.” We can trust Him either way and know that, if He’s sent us out to work, the work is significant in His elaborate plan for this world. And we can rejoice that He has commissioned us to be a part of it in His grace. We can trust that God sends us out with real power and real direction. We’re not meant to just float aimlessly as disciples, but to follow His orders.

We are operatives who are able to accomplish incredible, impossible things because of the power of God working in and through us. And we stay operational as we trust, obey, allow ourselves to be led and rely on the word of God in whatever situation we find ourselves in.

Mega Man (Acts 8:5-25)

If you want to start an argument, pick a sport and poll people about who the greatest player in that sport’s history is. Whether it’s basketball, golf, baseball or boxing, there are always different ideas.

There’s really only one sport I can think of where we’d probably have consensus on who the greatest of all time is, and that’s swimming. Michael Phelps has won 23 gold medals, broken numerous world records, and singlehandedly changed his sport. It’s hard to put anyone in the same category as the most decorated Olympian of all time. On the other hand, his status might not last forever. Just this past summer two of his world records, both in his signature stroke (butterfly) were broken by up and comers. In July, 19 year old Hungarian swimmer Kristof Milak beat Phelps’ time in the 200 meter butterfly by more than 3/4 of a second.

Commenting to the press, Phelps said: “As frustrated as I am to see that record go down, I couldn’t be happier to see how he did it…It happened because there was a kid who wanted to do it, who dreamed of doing it, who figured out what it would take to do it, who worked on his technique until it was beautiful and who put in the really, really hard work that it takes to do it. My hat’s off to him.”

In competitive athletics there will always be the unending pursuit of greatness. And new generations of players are constantly studying, evaluating, learning from the great ones around them. Caeleb Dressel, the 23 year old who broke Phelps’ other butterfly record in 2019, has spoken of watching Phelps swim his historic 2009 race “plenty of times,” looking at the race strategy. He even swam with Phelps as a teammate in the 2016 Olympics.

For sports, this is all well and good. But tonight we’ll see this mentality of personal ambition and the quest for ‘greatness’ trying to make its way into the Church. The results aren’t pretty. Along the way, we see the kind of faithful humility that God does use to accomplish truly great things.

We begin in verse 5 of chapter 8. A tidal wave of violent persecution has forced most Christians out of Jerusalem and into the surrounding regions. Luke zooms in on one of those Christians, Philip.

Acts 8:5 – 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.

Luke calls Philip a “herald” in this verse. Heralds were the means by which sovereigns got the word out, serving as messengers and diplomats. Philip is in the Kingly service and has a very important message, but there’s a lot stacked against him. He’s got Saul, the vicious murderer on his trail and he finds himself in a Samaritan city. Not the most welcoming location for a Jew who has a religious message. Most of you are familiar with the deep, cultural and religious divides between Jews and Samaritans. And yet, here is Philip, proclaiming the Messiah to them.

This on its own is a remarkable reminder that Jesus Christ is the Savior of all men. He wasn’t just a Jewish Messiah. He would save Jews or Samaritans. The New Testament lays it out clearly: Free or slave. Rich or poor. civilized or barbarian. Men, women or children.

In Norse Mythology, Valhalla is only open to men and only to men who have died in combat. And, of those who died in combat, Odin only chooses half. The rest go elsewhere.

Imagine Philip coming with a message concerning the eternal, Jewish King. But this King is not a racist or respecter of persons. He doesn’t see the Samaritans as mongrels or half-breeds, but as dearly loved children, who He wants to invite into a full share of His Kingdom.

Acts 8:6-7 – 6 The crowds paid attention with one mind to what Philip said, as they heard and saw the signs he was performing. 7 For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed, and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.

Philip didn’t launch any initiatives or raise any start-up money or do anything strategic. He preached and the Holy Spirit anointed the message and blessed the work with signs and miracles. This city was suddenly in the middle of a genuine revival. While this sort of awakening doesn’t always happen, it is a helpful reminder that the Gospel actually makes a difference in life. The Gospel actually has power to transform lives and change communities and set people free. God’s message to the world is not just sent for psychological comfort or some other feel-goodery that is so often peddled today. It’s sent so that people can be released from the captivity of sin and be made whole by the power of Jesus Christ, the coming King.

Acts 8:8 – 8 So there was great joy in that city.

Real ministry is more than hype. It’s more than marketing. It’s the real power of God at work which produces real joy. Imagine what it would be like to have the people you know who are sick or injured or dying to be made well. And for all your neighbors to have the guarantee of forgiveness and everlasting life. These must have been such wonderful days in the marketplaces and house to house in this city. We pray the Lord would do something like this in our own town.

Acts 8:9 – 9 A man named Simon had previously practiced sorcery in that city and astounded the Samaritan people, while claiming to be somebody great.

Luke uses a fun word when describing Simon here. He says, Simon claimed to be MEGA! He was the original Mega Man. What the extent of Simon’s powers and practices were, we’re not sure. Sorcery can refer to fortune telling, black magic, drug use, all sorts of things. What we know is that sorcery is condemned in both the Old and New Testaments. And, it seems from how he’s described, Simon was more than a simple conman or snake oil salesman. He had hung around this area for quite some time and here’s what their assessment of Simon was:

Acts 8:10-11 – 10 They all paid attention to him, from the least of them to the greatest, and they said, “This man is called the Great Power of God!” 11 They were attentive to him because he had astounded them with his sorceries for a long time.

So, Simon let everyone know that he was a great, MEGA man. And he had some sort of satanic power backing him up. He was so effective, he was known as the ‘Great Power of God.’ But, when the lame limped by him, they stayed lame. Some of his fellow citizens were tormented by the demons he had sold his soul to. The power of God only seemed to benefit Simon and no one else.

Acts 8:12 – 12 But when they believed Philip, as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.

Now we have the dramatic contrast. A table waiting refugee arrives talking not about his own greatness, but the greatness of His King. A King they had probably heard about, named Jesus, who once sat down for a talk with a woman at a well. A King who didn’t make Himself great by taking advantage of others, but rather took anyone who was willing and made a place for them in His Kingdom. And, while it’s true that Philip was performing miracles, Luke is clearly putting the emphasis on the message that was being preached, which was good news indeed.

Acts 8:13 – 13 Then even Simon himself believed. And after he was baptized, he went around constantly with Philip and was astounded as he observed the signs and great miracles that were being performed.

While Luke presents the people as focusing on the message, he presents Simon as being obsessed with the miracles. And here, he is found, somewhat creepily, following Philip, taking notes, observing like a spectator trying to figure out how the trick is done. Penn and Teller have that show Fool Us where other magicians come on and try to perform a trick that they can’t figure out. If you play an instrument, you’ve probably watched someone else play and started watching how they formed chords or how they moved their hands. In that moment you stop really listening and, instead, are more like doing reconnaissance.

But, doesn’t it say that Simon believed and was baptized? Well, it’s going to become pretty clear that Peter receives a word of knowledge and marks him as an unsaved individual, on his way to hell. So was Simon, who is sometimes referred to as Simon Magus, just a liar or what was going on?

The Bible is clear that sometimes the Devil plants counterfeits among God’s people in order to try to disrupt God’s work from within. Jesus talked about him being an enemy sowing tares among the wheat. We also know that there are people who think they’re in right standing with God, but are, in fact, lost. Jesus said that, in the end, many will say, “Lord! Lord! We did this and that and worked powerful things in your name!” And He will reply, “I never knew you.” In the book of James we’re given an important verse:

James 1:22 – be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

So, whether Simon was just faking it or whether he had even tricked himself, we’re not quite sure. We know that the Bible says, “even the demons believe.” That certainly doesn’t mean they’re saved.

Acts 8:14 – 14 When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had welcomed God’s message, they sent Peter and John to them.

One of the sub-themes we’ve been trying to notice in these studies is how un-strategic the disciples were in this period of time. Philip doesn’t send a message to bring in the big guns or anything like that. He’s just doing his thing. The apostles hear it through the grapevine. And so they send Peter and John to check it out. They’re not going to try to keep Philip from becoming too popular or anything like that. It seemed good to go down and witness this remarkable work, and it’s a good thing they did, for the Samaritans’ sake.

Acts 8:15-17 – 15 After they went down there, they prayed for them, so the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For He had not yet come down on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Couple of issues here. Let’s get the easier one out of the way. Was Philip baptizing contrary to what Jesus had said after His resurrection? He told the disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Is that why there was a problem with the Holy Spirit coming on the Samaritans? There’s no reason to think that. In fact, the same phrase “baptized in the name of Jesus” is going to be used in chapter 10 when Peter baptizes Cornelius and in chapter 19 when there are found believers who had only received John’s baptism. So, no reason to fault Philip here.

So why hadn’t the Holy Spirit come down on them? Luke doesn’t make it altogether clear. The best reason that commentators put forward is that something very new was happening: The Gospel was, for the first time, going outside of Israel and outside of Jewish communities. The Samaritans and Jews did not have dealings with each other. Had there not been an apostolic connection, it’s very possible that two, separate churches would’ve developed from the beginning. Not just 2 churches in 2 cities, but a Church divided by race. That was going to be a nagging issue, especially once Paul is on the scene, and so, it seems God waited to send the Holy Spirit until these Jewish apostles came and put their own hands on these previously separate Samaritans, acknowledging that they were one in Christ, that they were one Body, one Church, brothers and sisters together.

I believe there was another benefit to the apostles being there at the time, and it has to do with what follows:

Acts 8:18-19 – 18 When Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power too, so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”

Simon had made a profession of faith, but it’s clear he had not turned away from his idols of power, selfish ambition and a desire to rule over others. He felt that position and authority in the Church was for sale. And, it’s clear that when the Holy Spirit came upon some, it did not come upon him. He didn’t see the Holy Spirit as a Person, but as a power to be wielded for personal benefit.

Now, who would the Samaritans have put in charge of the church once Philip moved on? They already thought Simon was a great, spiritual man (he had told him that much himself). I think that, without this apostolic intervention, Simon would’ve becoming the leader of the church in this city. An unregenerate, power hungry, self-aggrandizing, greedy man. It would’ve been devastating.

From time to time we hear unseemly stories about influential people “buying” ambassadorships to cushy postings. That doesn’t sit well with any of us, nor should it. But it should bother us much more when people think they should receive some sort of prominence or priority within God’s Church because they made some contribution. That’s what Simon was attempting here. Only, he didn’t just want position, he wanted to be a gatekeeper between people and God the Holy Spirit. When, all along, Philip and the apostles were preaching the message of grace – of free access to God’s wonderful gifts.

A few years ago I was watching the video of a church. It wasn’t the Crystal Cathedral. It wasn’t some notorious prosperity ministry. But the church and the pastor had been moving more and more into that style of Christianity that is so popular today, where everything is about hype and image and swagger. Well, at the end of a message about serving God and giving Him your best gifts, the pastor drew everyone’s attention to the front of the stage where giving boxes had been set up. And he said, “This is going to be a special, spiritual time…and if you need prayer for what you’re asking God to multiply in your heart or if you’re sick and you wanna be touched so you can be healed…then you come up and ask them to pray for you after you’ve given your gift.”

That’s a lot more like Simon Magus than Simon Peter. God doesn’t charge a toll because the price has been paid.

Here’s what Peter thought of Simon’s idea:

Acts 8:20-23 – 20 But Peter told him, “May your silver be destroyed with you, because you thought the gift of God could be obtained with money! 21 You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”

Peter demonstrates a word of knowledge here, as God gives him a glimpse inside the heart of Simon. What’s most remarkable was that the door of forgiveness was still open to this man. A man who wanted to buy the power to stand between God and others. A man who, some historians say, had claimed to be the messiah. A man whose whole life was a tree bearing the evil fruit of jealousy and wickedness. God would forgive even this if Simon would truly surrender and repent. Sadly, Simon still wasn’t really listening.

Acts 8:24 – 24 “Please pray to the Lord for me,” Simon replied, “so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

Peter had just told him that there was no go between. That he was free to pray to God directly and ask Him for forgiveness. But Simon is still bound up by his fleshly mindset. “You pray for me. You undo the hex you just pronounced on me.”

And that’s where his story ends, as far as the Scripture is concerned. Some early church fathers wrote that he did not repent, but went further into heresy, but we’re not totally sure what happened.

What we know is that, in his quest for greatness, he completely missed the work of God and the opportunity to be a meaningful part of it. It’s not a strategy. It’s not a system. It’s not for sale. It’s accomplished by having a real relationship with God and being full of His Holy Spirit. That’s not reserved for a few elites who go around telling everyone how great they are. Access is given to anyone who has been born again.

The section closes out with Peter and John’s trip home:

Acts 8:25 – 25 Then, after they had testified and spoken the message of the Lord, they traveled back to Jerusalem, evangelizing many villages of the Samaritans.

You know what I love about this? The apostles take a page from Philip’s book and herald the message to the little neighborhoods they come across on their walk home to Jerusalem. They don’t try to take over what God was doing in the city. They just leave Philip and the Holy Spirit there to do their thing. All around, as you watch these 3 disciples (Philip, Peter and John), there’s no one-upmanship, no jockeying for position, no jealousy and no lust for numeric success. There’s just faithful heraldry.

There are a few countries who still have an active heraldry. The UK, Ireland, Canada and South Africa. In the United Kingdom, most heralds are full-time employees of the sovereign and are called “Heralds of Arms in Ordinary.” In the days of chivalry, heralds would often wear clothing decorated with the coat of arms of their master. The practice still continues today in Britain. The website internationalheraldry.com gives some information about the right to wear a coat of arms. They write: “Coats of arms belong to individuals…For any person to have a right to a coat of arms they must either have had it granted to them or be descended in the legitimate male line from a person to whom arms were granted or confirmed in the past. Simply adopting someone else’s arms is the height of boorish bad taste – and guaranteed to impress people for the wrong reasons.”

Our position in God’s Kingdom and ministry should have nothing to do with how great we think we are. It should simply be the duty we’ve been personally assigned by our Sovereign.

In applying tonight’s text we might think in 3 different ways. We’re not apostles, but we can put ourselves in the place of Philip. If so, the application is to do the work of an evangelist. Proclaim your King and remember that He loves all people, no matter their heritage, ethnicity, or any other differentiator.

A person could put themselves in the place of Simon Magus. Perhaps you’re trying to buy your way into spiritual influence. That sort of behavior has no place in God’s church. Or, perhaps you’ve never really turned from some of the idols in your life. Check to be sure that you’ve been born again and that you haven’t simply deceived yourself.

Or, a person might put themselves in the place of the Samaritans. The audience in our text. They at one point, are attentive to Simon. A man who claimed to be great and seemed to have some power. They’re also shown giving their attention to Philip and his message of truth. There are a lot of voices out there vying for your attention. Many of them claim to be ‘the power of God.’ Just remember this: The Lord doesn’t swagger and neither did His apostles. Neither did Philip. They didn’t withhold access to truth or ministry until you coughed up some money. They didn’t parade themselves as being ‘great.’ They were humble and servant-hearted. They were constantly decreasing so that the Lord could increase. When you’re being taught by a podcast or a video or some book or an instagram account or whatever it is, take a look. Is the person speaking presenting themselves to you as a Mega Man? If so, they’re Simon Magus, not Simon Peter. Be careful out there.

There’s Good News And Bad News (Acts 7:54-8:4)

Tim and Gerald had been friends as long as they could remember. They bonded over America’s favorite pastime, baseball, playing with other neighborhood kids at the local sand lot. Tim could really hit and Gerald threw a mean fastball. Raised in Christian homes, Tim and Gerald would sometimes talk about what heaven would be like. As youngsters, they made a pact, that if one of them died, they’d come back and tell the other what heaven really was like. After years of friendship, playing baseball together in high school and college, Tim’s life was cut short. But one day, a few weeks after the funeral, he showed up in Gerald’s room. He said, “I’m here to tell you about heaven!” Gerald was excited and said, “Ok, let’s hear it!” Tim said, “Well, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that there’s baseball in heaven. We’ve got a great league up here and the games are never rained out.” Gerald answered, “That’s great! What’s the bad news?” “The bad news is that you’re pitching this Friday.”

Our text tonight is a mix of good news and bad news. The good news is that one of God’s children was going into glory to receive his inheritance and be forever with the Lord. The other good news was that a new, thrilling era in the life of the Church was beginning as the Gospel spread throughout the nation and into the wider world.

The bad news is that Stephen’s reward would come by means of his sudden, horrific murder. And the new era of Church history was instigated by violent, unchecked persecution.

In general, it’s easier for people to focus on the bad news in life. Around the world, news outlets have become measurably more negative since the 1970s. Happy headlines don’t sell papers. But we should notice that, as the bad unfolds, for the Christians in our text, Stephen as an individual and the Church at large scattered out of Jerusalem, the good news was still good. And though their circumstances were entirely negative, they were able to continue walking with God in fullness, progressing in their relationship with Him and furthering His message of hope to a more and more hostile world.

When we left off, Stephen had just concluded his sermon to the supreme court of Israel. For the Sanhedrin, there was good news and bad news. The good news was that the Messiah had come. The bad news was that they had joined the long tradition of resisting God and had, in fact, killed the Savior of the world.

Acts 7:54 – 54 When they heard these things, they were enraged in their hearts and gnashed their teeth at him.

These days, we no longer expect much of our nation’s leaders when it comes to civility or decorum, but I doubt any of us can imagine Ruth Bader Ginsburg or John Roberts jumping down from the bench to personally murder a witness in their courtroom. But on that day, the pot of malice boiled over. In an earlier chapter, when the apostles had been in front of this same group, we were told that, even then, they were full of this rage toward the Christians. But that time cooler heads prevailed, as the Pharisee Gamaliel urged everyone to stay calm. But, not today. Having been cut to the heart by the truth of Stephen’s message, they attacked him like wounded animals. In fact, Luke describes them in beastly terms as they scream and run and grind their teeth in a violent frenzy.

In contrast, throughout the scene, Stephen will be shockingly calm, almost as if he’s unaware of what’s going on all around him. That’s not true, of course, but take note of how he is described in the last moments of his life. While they’re swarming around him, he’s serene. While they’re foaming at the mouth, he’s unruffled. Why? Because his attention is firmly fixed elsewhere.

Acts 7:55-56 – 55 But Stephen, filled by the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven. He saw God’s glory, with Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and he said, 56 “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

As we read these accounts, Luke wants us to know that Stephen was a man full of God. It’s a term he keeps using again and again. Stephen was full of the Spirit. Full of faith. Full of grace and power. He was brimming with real spirituality. That full, robust Christianity not only made him very useful in God’s service, it also provided him with great peace and great perspective. It made it possible for him to stand firm as all this came crashing down around him. The peace of God was ruling in his heart and guarding his mind. And so, instead of being distracted by circumstance, he was able to receive a special vision of heaven. And in it he saw Jesus Christ standing beside the throne of God, ready to receive His servant into eternity.

What an amazing image this is. It’s a testimony to God’s tender, personal, care for His people. God loves you personally and individually. You’re not just another brick in the pile or a number in a ledger. Christ, here, demonstrates that He was personally “taking the time” to watch what was happening. You are not forgotten or unimportant to the Lord. You’re an object of His attention, a child He loves.

Stephen called out for anyone there to “look” and see the Lord in His glory. It seems that this vision was just for him, that if any of the others had looked up they would’ve seen only sky, but his invitation is consistent with the attitude of Christians at the time. Ministry and communion with God and filling with His Spirit was understood to be a universal offer. All believers were included in the reservoirs of grace. All were invited to be a part of the work. All were delivered gifts and callings and opportunities to glorify the King. There was never meant to be more than one class of Christian.

And Stephen’s call out here also reinforces what we’ve seen so many times already – that Christian’s are meant to be in the invitation business. Here, in his last moments, Stephen invites his own killers to turn their eyes upon Jesus. The Church has been commanded by God to appeal to everyone, even our worst enemies. To welcome them and plead with them to join our ranks and be born again.

Acts 7:57-58 – 57 Then they screamed at the top of their voices, covered their ears, and together rushed against him. 58 They threw him out of the city and began to stone him. And the witnesses laid their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

If this were an Old Testament story, this is the moment we’d expect God to dramatically act to rescue His child. As the chariots rush toward the bank of the Red Sea, the Cloud shoots down to keep them away. But here, it’s as if Daniel is thrown in the lions den and the lions tear him apart.

For centuries, Israel was preserved and protected in amazing ways so that the Messiah could be born through the line of Abraham and Judah and David. Now, in the Church age, God’s people are sent out to preach the message of redemption in Jesus Christ. And we’re sent with power and grace and with the truth on our side. But, in this plan, God allows there to be casualties, at least in the earthly sense. A report conducted in 2019 and reported by various outlets like the BBC, showed that Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world today, suffering at near ‘genocide levels’ in certain parts of the globe.

Of course, we know from what God has promised and from the record of history that the Church thrives under persecution. Paul, the man who quarterbacked the first violence against Christians and who suffered himself in incredible ways would later give us the Biblical perspective on suffering:

Romans 8:18 – 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.

Perhaps that’s why, with his dying breaths, Stephen doesn’t pray for rescue, at least not for himself:

Acts 7:59-60 – 59 They were stoning Stephen as he called out: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin!” And saying this, he fell asleep.

Again, the way Luke writes, it’s as if Stephen is unencumbered by the proceedings. Did he kneel because of the rocks pelting him or because he felt like settling down for one last prayer? The whole things reads as if he’s just getting ready for a good night’s sleep.

It reminds me a little bit of the climactic scene in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, where Kylo Ren and his evil army confront Luke Skywalker as he stands alone on the battlefield. They unleash all their fury onto him, firing everything they’ve got, but it seems to have no effect. Finally, after one last lightsaber duel, it’s revealed that Luke is there but not there. And though the fight results in the end of Luke’s “temporal” life, it’s clear he cannot be defeated by the forces of evil and he dies peacefully.

Stephen’s God is strong enough and loving enough to forgive people who are guilty of even the most heinous sins. And that is good news, indeed. In fact, God was willing to forgive these killers if they would repent. At least one ultimately would, the man Saul, who would become one of the most significant Christians of all time. Augustine said, “The Church owes Paul to [this] prayer of Stephen.”

Stephen had withstood the Sanhedrin, debated in the synagogue. He had passionately held the line on the truth of Jesus Christ, but he was no enemy of the Jews. His last breaths were given in hopes that these people would be saved. His full spirituality was not only characterized by effectiveness and strength and peace, but by compassion and divine love for the lost.

Acts 8:1a – Saul agreed with putting him to death.

We’re not sure exactly what Saul’s role was in this scene. Some scholars think that he was simply a bystander who was happy to keep the coats clean while this blasphemer was executed. Others suggest he may have been the legal expert the group referred to in some hasty vote to kill Stephen. What’s clear from what follows and from Paul’s own autobiography is that no one hated Christianity more than he did.

It must have been a strange thing for Dr. Luke to write these words. By the time he sat down to pen this account to Theophilus, Paul was his dear friend, a man who spread the Gospel like no one else, into new cities and new continents. A man who preached to governors and emperors and who wrote much of the New Testament. A man who forfeited his own life, suffering immensely, even being stoned to death himself, for the sake of Jesus Christ.

Isn’t it amazing what God is able to do? Verse 1 here is full of bad news. The bad news was Saul. The good news is that in a very short time, Saul would be gone and Paul would be born.

Acts 8:1b – On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria.

The killing of Stephen had happened in a frenzy. It was illegal and unjust. But, Rome didn’t care. Later, when Paul goes to Ephesus and the local silversmiths start a riot, no one is even killed, but the city clerk freaks out and says, “Hey, everyone needs to cool it or we’re going to be charged by the Roman government for this disorderly behavior.” And so everyone goes home. Undoubtedly, news of Stephen’s slaying would’ve made its way up the chain to the Romans, but they turned a blind eye to it, which gave the Jews the go-ahead to do even more to the Christians. And so, the hunt was on.

The Church in Jerusalem had some incredible fluctuations. They had started as about 120 people. Then suddenly they were 25 times larger! A short time later, they at least doubled again. The bad news is that, just as quickly, they were down to a very small handful. The good news is that the Church was not destroyed, just scattered. And new congregations would begin to take root throughout Judea and Samaria. Now, multiplication of the saved would increase exponentially.

Acts 8:2 – 2 Devout men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him.

It’s unclear whether these fellows were Christians or if they were earnest Jews who did not agree with what was happening to the Christians. Either way, their courage and dignity and willingness to bury Stephen is a good reminder that devotion to God is not just something we have, it’s something we express. Think of these men: They got up from wherever they were and decided, “We’re going to bury this man, despite the fact that it may be unpopular or dangerous or disgusting.” Hopefully, our own devotion has an ever-growing resume of service to the Lord.

Acts 8:3 – 3 Saul, however, was ravaging the church. He would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison.

Saul is contrasted, not as a devout man, but as a destroyer. His friend, Dr. Luke, shows a bit of grace here as he reports Saul’s brutality against the Church. Paul later fills out the report himself saying he not only dragged innocent people off to prison, but also: “I persecuted [Christians] to the death…in synagogue after synagogue I had those who believed in [Christ] imprisoned and beaten…When they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. In all the synagogues I often tried to make them blaspheme…I persecuted God’s church to an extreme degree and tried to destroy it.”

Running for their lives, having been thoroughly rejected by the leaders of Israel, the Christians did not lose heart or declare God unfaithful. Rather, this is what happened:

Acts 8:4 – 4 So those who were scattered went on their way preaching the message of good news.

It was still good news. And they still wanted to tell their Jewish countrymen about it. In fact, when Luke circles back to talk about this time period in chapter 11, he writes, “Those who had been scattered as a result of the persecution that started because of Stephen made their way as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the message to no one except Jews.”

So, remarkably, despite the violence and the danger and the difficulty, the message remained the same and, at first, even the audience remained the same. The circumstances had changed, but Christianity had not. They didn’t get together and decide to rebrand or change their messaging to be more culturally acceptable. Neither did a powerful wave of persecution lead to a massive falling away. Instead, it was like a wind blowing seeds into far fields, where new crops would grow. The good news propelled the Christians and secured them and filled them, even as exiles on the run.

If you read commentaries, a majority of them will, at this point, suggest or outright declare that it was God who sent the persecution in order to get Christians out of Jerusalem and into Judea and Samaria. They say that the Church was in a ‘rut’ and were ‘unwilling to voluntarily obey’ what Jesus had told them to do. They say that, had God not compelled them to leave and forced them out by using this violence, many of the Christians ‘would never have discovered their gifts.’

What an awful thing to say about our God. For one thing, if He ‘had’ to send persecution because the Church refused to preach outside of Jerusalem, why is it that none of the apostles made their way out? If this was God’s way of getting Christians out to fulfill the great commission, why did they not immediately start preaching to the Gentiles? It will be Peter, an apostle still in Jerusalem who will break that seal in chapter 10.

Imagine a man who has a wife. His hope is that, each day, his wife would have the home cleaned and dinner served by 5 o’clock sharp. And let’s say he’s asked this of his wife a few times over the years. Well, life happens, and the man finds they’re not always eating at the stroke of 5 and there’s still some laundry to fold or some dishes in the sink. So, the husband decides he’s going to hire a gang to break into the house and beat his wife without mercy. That’ll be the motivation she needs to do what he wants her to do! Can you imagine such a man? But how quick many writers are to describe God this way.

Rather, Luke describes in these verses a God of tender care. A God who stands to welcome His servants home. A God who cares about your suffering. A God who is willing to forgive and redeem the worst man on the planet and transform him into the greatest Christian of all time. A God whose good is greater than any bad the world can unleash. Filling His people with such love and such grace that they can go happily into exile, with the Gospel on their lips, preaching a message of hope to their enemies. That’s the Lord!

In this world we may face bad news. It may be sudden and severe. But the good news is that when even those things happen to us, the result can still be the advance of the Gospel and the transformation of lives. And we know that we are looking forward to eternal glory. Life everlasting in heaven where we will once and for all be separated from sin and suffering and difficulty and opposition and death. So, wherever you’ve been scattered, be filled by the Holy Spirit, gaze toward heaven, and proclaim the message of good news about the Lord Jesus Christ.