Acts Devotional Week 16

Acts: A Fearless Testimony

August 19, 2012

Acts 26:16-23

Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. You are to tell the world what you have seen and what I will show you in the future.  And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’  “And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven.  I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.  Some Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me.  But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen— that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike.”

Paul spends two years in prison for a crime that everybody agrees isn’t really a crime at all.  He uses every opportunity he gets to share the message of Christ.  The Roman leaders don’t know what to do with him.  If they release him, his Jewish enemies will kill him.  If they keep him, they knowingly imprison a man who has done nothing wrong.  So they decide to send him to Rome.  Before Paul leaves he meets King Agrippa.  Paul stands before the leaders of the local Jewish and Roman societies in chains and uses his time to share about what Christ did in his life.  He tells about the ministry Christ was doing through him.  He paints a picture of what the Christian life looks like.  His message is simple.  1. God calls all people.  2.  People are to repent or turn from an old (wrong) way of living to the new life Christ offers.  3.  Turn to God (make the active choice to make God central to life).  4.  Live a life worthy of God by making sure a person’s deeds match his beliefs.

Agrippa sees what Paul is doing.  Paul is trying to convert to Christianity these powerful leaders.  He is not shy about it.  They are shocked at his fearlessness.  They are also intrigued.  They did not accept Paul’s attempt, but they recognized him as innocent.  While they still sent Paul to Rome, Paul’s testimony made a lasting impact.  How shy are we about sharing our testimony?  How willing are we to speak of God in difficult situations or in places where such things may not be accepted?  What if we were as fearless as Paul?

Acts Devotional Week 15

Acts: Go, I Will Send You

August 12, 2012

Acts 22:14-22

Then he (Ananias) said (to Paul), ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear his own voice; for you will be his witness to all the world of what you have seen and heard.  And now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.’  “After I had returned to Jerusalem and while I was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance and saw Jesus saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’  And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you.  And while the blood of your witness Stephen was shed, I myself was standing by, approving and keeping the coats of those who killed him.’ Then he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ” Up to this point they listened to him, but then they shouted, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.”

 Paul has been rescued from the crowd that was trying to kill him.  He asks to speak to them.  He wants to share his message with people trying to kill him.  He is allowed this by the Roman soldiers.  He tells of his life, how he came to believe in Jesus Christ.  He speaks in a language that the crowd understands.  Paul makes clear who he is and what he believes.  Paul is called by God.  Paul is to be a witness of the saving work of Jesus Christ.  Paul is to be a disciple, baptized, forgiven, and living every day in the name of Jesus.

Yet Paul is not welcome.  The Holy Spirit even warned Paul that the message God had given him would not be accepted among the Jews and those in Jerusalem.  Paul resists this.  He wants to give the message to his people.  He thinks that the change they see in him will help them change and add emphasis to the message.  This was proven not to work.  Even Jesus was not accepted in his hometown.  Sometimes people see only what they want to see.  Sometimes we have a priceless gift to give to those we love that will not be accepted.  Unfortunately there is little we can do about it. 

The people hear Paul’s testimony and still refuse to listen.  When they rejected the message God had given Paul, Paul followed the leading of the Spirit and went to the Gentiles (not-Jews).  They heard the message and the work of God spread like fire.  In just a few short years faith in Jesus spread from a small group in Jerusalem to the “ends of the earth” with thousands of believers.  Still Paul is not accepted.  The crowds do not think he should be allowed to live. His greatest work for the Lord is seen as a crime.  Let us never be like these crowds.

Acts Devotional Week 14

Acts: Worship Interrupted

August 5, 2012

Acts 21:26-32

So Paul went to the Temple the next day with the other men. They had already started the purification ritual, so he publicly announced the date when their vows would end and sacrifices would be offered for each of them.  The seven days were almost ended when some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in the Temple and roused a mob against him. They grabbed him, yelling, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who preaches against our people everywhere and tells everybody to disobey the Jewish laws. He speaks against the Temple—and even defiles this holy place by bringing in Gentiles.”  (For earlier that day they had seen him in the city with Trophimus, a Gentile from Ephesus, and they assumed Paul had taken him into the Temple.)  The whole city was rocked by these accusations, and a great riot followed. Paul was grabbed and dragged out of the Temple, and immediately the gates were closed behind him.  As they were trying to kill him, word reached the commander of the Roman regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.  He immediately called out his soldiers and officers and ran down among the crowd. When the mob saw the commander and the troops coming, they stopped beating Paul.

 Paul has arrived in Jerusalem.  He has told others about what God has done.  They have received this news with praise.  They also face the reality that some fear and hate Paul. They accuse Paul of not following the Law of God.  They accuse Paul of not doing things right (as they understand what is right).  So Paul pays for the purification rights of four men and himself.  This is an act of devotion to God.  It is a time of serious contemplation and spiritual connection to God.  This is a time of sacrifice and worship.  It was definitely the “right” way to do things.

Near the end of this purification ritual some of those who opposed Paul saw him and raised a mob under false pretenses.  They didn’t even work hard to find a real reason to be upset, they just spouted off and started a riot.  Paul is taken out from his purification ritual of worship, cast out of the Temple, and his opponents began to beat him with the intent of killing him.  If not for Roman (non-believer) intervention Paul’s life would have ended right there.

Paul’s heartfelt and expressed desire was to follow God.  Paul was outnumbered and out-influenced.  He stood alone in a riot of righteous violence just because he followed God.  What happens when Christians loose site of God’s work?  What happens when our way becomes more “right” than God’s way?  What happens when accusation replaced love, grace, and understanding?

Acts Devotional Week 13

Acts: Finishing the Work

July 29, 2012

Acts 20:18-28

When they arrived he declared, “You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now  I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews.  I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes.  I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.  “And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead.  But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.  “And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again.  I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it’s not my fault, for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know.  “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders.

 This is a sad farewell.  Paul’s missionary journey is leading him into danger and he knows it.  He is speaking to his friends and fellow ministers.  He is also saying what needs to be said to prepare himself for the unknown trial ahead.  First, he recognizes where he has come from.  He has endured trouble before and it never stopped him from doing the Lord’s work.  This was the work the Holy Spirit led him too.  It was a work that saw the message of Christ shared with boldness, honesty, and humility wherever it needed to be shared. 

Second, Paul expresses where he is going.  Sometimes we need to say something out loud for it to become a reality.  The same faith that led Paul to successfully do God’s work in Asia is leading him to Jerusalem.  Speaking his intention brings clarity and accountability.  It is a reassurance.  In order to do what God has called him to do, Paul must go to Jerusalem no matter the risk.  He will have to trust God for the rest and he knows it.  He will finish the work.

Finally, Paul speaks to his friends.  He has set himself as an example to them.  Now he is going away and does not expect to return.  These disciples of his will need to continue the work.  They must not shrink from the task the Lord has given them.  They are the guardians of God’s message and the one’s responsible for the discipleship of God’s people.  They must also finish the work God began through Paul.  Will we finish the work God has begun in our lives?

Acts Devotional Week 12

Acts: Confusion, Riots, and The Way

July 22, 2012

Acts 19:23-31

About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way.  It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis. He kept many craftsmen busy.  He called them together, along with others employed in similar trades, and addressed them as follows: “Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business.  But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all. And he’s done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province!  Of course, I’m not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business. I’m also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and that Artemis—this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia and all around the world—will be robbed of her great prestige!”  At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”  Soon the whole city was filled with confusion. Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.  Paul wanted to go in, too, but the believers wouldn’t let him. Some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, also sent a message to him, begging him not to risk his life by entering the amphitheater.

 Ephesus contains the temple of Artemis, which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.  The town was very wealthy and very active.  Paul spends three years preaching the message of Jesus (The Way) here.  God is working in such a powerful way that the political and business leaders are beginning to notice.  Things are changing.  The town is becoming different and it is hitting the businessmen in their pocketbooks and the political leaders in maintaining public order.  It all comes to a head in a near riot started by a man named Demetrius who was concerned about business (and Artemis worship).

This entire event can be boiled down to one idea.  Safety.  Demetrius and the business leaders felt threatened while their profits and jobs were not safe.  The politicians (town clerk) in Acts 19:35-41 were afraid of Roman retaliation if a riot were to break out.  Their goal was staying safe.  Paul’s desire was to rush into the riot.  He wanted in.  His goal was not safety.  He saw an opportunity to stand up for God and he was eager to take it, even if it was not safe.  Paul’s traveling companions faced the wrath of a mob and Paul wanted to stand next to them.  How often does our desire to be “safe” keep us from following God?  Are we more like the business leaders and politicians or Paul in our service to God?

Vacation Bible School "Sky" 2012

Vacation Bible School is done for the year!  We had a great time.  This video is the highlight video.  Sky was our theme this year.  Everything is possible with God!  Our kids and leaders all had a great time.  Thanks to all for your hard work.  We are excited to see how God will use this years VBS in the life of the church.

Acts Devotional Week 11

Acts: Shaking Off the Dust

July 15, 2012

Acts 18:4-11

Each Sabbath found Paul at the synagogue, trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike.  And after Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul spent all his time preaching the word. He testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.  But when they opposed and insulted him, Paul shook the dust from his clothes and said, “Your blood is upon your own heads—I am innocent. From now on I will go preach to the Gentiles.”  Then he left and went to the home of Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God and lived next door to the synagogue.  Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and everyone in his household believed in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also heard Paul, became believers, and were baptized.  One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent!  For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.”  So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God.

What drove Paul?  His trade is tentmaking or leatherworking (Acts 18:1-4).  Yet he stops this when Silas and Timothy arrive.  Their financial support empowers Paul to focus on sharing the Word of God.  This was his passion, but did it drive him?  He shared God’s Word with the Jews in the synagogue every Sabbath, yet they did not listen.  They continued to refuse Jesus as the Messiah.

Paul’s response to this refusal is to shake the dust from his clothes.  This symbolizes a cleaning out, removal from, or separation from.  Interestingly, Paul doesn’t see their opposition to God’s Word as an attack against him.  Instead, he views their rejection of Christ as opposition against themselves.  Their refusal to take God’s Word seriously is harmful to themselves first and foremost.  By shaking the dust from his clothes Paul leaves the fate of those who refuse to listen in their hands and walks away.

Walking away may seem harsh, but Paul was driven to make disciples and that work was happening among the Gentiles.  Paul walked away from those who refused God and walked toward those searching for God.  Sometimes there are things a people we need to walk away from in order to do God’s work.  Paul’s refocused attention led to many being baptized.  Perhaps walking away from some things will open us up to a greater work of the Lord.  In the end, Paul received a message of assurance from the Lord.  God encouraged Paul.  God protected Paul.  God still works this way in us. Let us follow Him.