Bob’s Blog

Jesus-followers are to become a renewed community, obediently following the creativity of God to the people, and life situations into which he leads us.

God continues to disclose to us in this message series that Jesus-followers in the book of Acts experienced a renewed community. God stirred the early church through four movements. The church was renewed through the first movement of God: a renewed community, empowered by the Holy Spirit. The second movement of God highlighted a renewed community, living boldly for the Lord and showing loyalty to one another. The third movement of God transitioned the believers into a renewed community, concerned about caring and sharing with others the joy of their circle of fellowship. In our last message the disciples were concerned about caring for the perceived needs of one another, even in the midst of prevailing conflict. God will disclose to us through his Word in this message the renewal of creativity.

Creativity basically symbolizes imaginative skill. It brings to life invention, intuition, and inspiration. To create means to be open to learning in more than one way. One of the ways we create is to express in words what we imagine or wonder about life. For example, writing is a discipline of creativity.

One of my greatest joys in ministry is creatively handcrafting a message from God’s Word. I write not because I am educated but because I am called by the need to communicate the Word of God with clarity and conviction. Behind the need to communicate is the need to share. Behind the need to share is the need to be understood. I’m discovering that I want to be understood much more than I want to be respected or praised or even loved. And that perhaps is what may make writers creatively different from let’s say artists or musicians.

We look yet, another time, at a passage from the experiences of the early church from the Book of Acts. We are discovering in our message series on Acts the principle that out of the insignificant can come the significant, infinitely important things the Holy Spirit is trying to teach us and is using for a greater strategy.

This passage from Acts is a dynamic gem of scripture on creative guidance. The basis for our message is the story of Philip. It is the story of God; it highlights the way God creatively works with us. It is primarily the story of the indwelling, guiding Holy Spirit who leads us in our daily decisions for living. The setting for the story is Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel. And the feast of Pentecost had just occurred when the Holy Spirit had come down and was living inside of the people. There was an incredible amount of inner power and guidance. The experience of the Holy Spirit was fresh and new.

Luke records how Philip shows us receptivity to the Spirit and obedience in Acts 8:26-27…

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship.

We know from our last message that Philip was appointed as a deacon. He wasn’t a famous preacher like Peter who went and preached a grand sermon and three thousand people were converted in one day. He wasn’t like the famous missionary like Paul who went with the Gospel of Jesus from nation to nation throughout his world. We can observe from these verses how God’s indwelling power came down on Philip, the evangelist. Philip was empowered to talk to people one-on-one about Jesus Christ and his love for all people.

Communicating with the Sprit’s Power

What happened to Philip is a powerful analysis of communication to others about what Christ means to us. Philip has much to teach us from what he did to share with others the joy of his circle of fellowship. His ministry brought about conversion and new life in Christ. Like Philip, God presses us on to another challenge that keeps our eyes on him and his power. God has someone waiting when he has prepared us to be ready for what we have to say.

1. God’s guidance begins through receptivity and obedience

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”

Most people who ask, “How can I know God’s will for my life?” are really asking, “How can I find guidance from the Lord for my daily choices and decisions?” Philip shows us how. It requires receptivity to the Spirit and obedience. Often the guidance we get does not fit with our practicality or prejudices.

The key to understand this passage is the Greek words for “south to the road—the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” These words can also mean “at high noon along the road.” The Greek understanding here can mean middle-day or south. Now Philip already knew that Gaza was south. He did not need that for guidance. And the instruction to go on the sun-baked Gaza south in the desert must have seemed strange.

The issue is obedience. We don’t know what the Lord has planned in the circumstances into which he leads us. In this case with Philip, God had a meeting with an Ethiopian eunuch planned. God often guides us to people and situations we wonder about at the time. Looking back, we can see that God used what was at the time a difficult order to follow but that blessings flowed from it. God will use everything available to convince us of a direction…

the prompting of the Holy Spirit

insight from Scripture

discernment from Prayer

wise counsel

changing circumstances or events

consecrated thinking

When we are willing, God will help us to want what he wants for us. God can lead us when we are on the move for him. Guidance is difficult when we are stopped on dead center with our volitional gearshift set in neutral!

Now at this moment in time, we need to remember that the Jesus-followers wanted to remain in Jerusalem with all the other Jewish Christians. They didn’t want to advance out into the countryside or out into other villages or out into other nations with the Gospel; these first Jesus-followers basically wanted to remain just in Jerusalem where they could huddle together in numbers and safety. So what did God do? God sent a believer like Philip to go out and share the Gospel, even if it was one-on-one! What was Philip’s response?

2. God’s guidance continues through rightness and closeness

27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship.

The Scripture says that Philip obediently “started out.” There were no arguments or discussion of the hour of the day. Philip didn’t question, whine or moan, “Hey, God? Don’t you know that high noon in the desert is not the place to go, let alone to minister? Nobody in their right mind will be caught dead in a wasteland during that time of day. Besides, I’ve been successful in ministering to the masses and now you’re asking me to go to the desert where I might share Jesus Christ with only one person? Come on God, don’t you have a different direction and assignment?

Guidance comes from…

habitual prayer

consistent Bible study

total surrender to be used

teachable spirit

Out of the flow of the Holy Spirit, the next move in an ongoing obedience is baptized with a feeling of “rightness,” not because it is logical but because closeness with Jesus Christ has made it the thing we want to do. When an opportunity comes, we are ready. What happened to Philip because he obeyed has given us a rich treasure of how we can share our faith under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The Ethiopian treasurer was probably a convert to Judaism. He had a great yearning to know the God of Israel, as demonstrated by his reading of Isaiah 53 and by the fact that he had to travel at least 750 miles one way to worship in Jerusalem. The trip would have taken him and his servants at least 30 days by chariot. How long would he have stayed? A month? Then he faced a return trip. So he spent at least a quarter of a year to travel to Jerusalem to worship God. Reading ahead in Philip’s encounter with this Ethiopian treasurer records the fact that he responded warmly to Philip and the message about Jesus Christ, and became the first known witness—black or white—to Africa.

So we are led into relationships with people who don’t know Jesus Christ. We remember again, this story in the book of Acts is about a lay person who shared his faith with a stranger. This story is not about Peter, the gifted preacher, who preached and three thousand people were converted in one day. This story is not about the Apostle Paul who courageously traveled through the whole world as the greatest missionary for Jesus Christ who ever lived. This story is not about Peter or Paul but about Philip, the deacon who cares for poor people in his church. Philip goes and has a one-on-one relationship with someone, the Ethiopian eunuch. God’s word to Philip was “go”. We go to that person and share with that person what we know about Jesus. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus’ love, we go to others and share our faith in Christ, what we know and have experienced with Jesus, one-on-one.

The lesson to be learned from Philip is that he was the kind of Jesus-follower who listened to the guiding voice of God inside of him. It wasn’t merely his conscience. It wasn’t an angel with wings; it wasn’t an auditory voice; it was not a delusion or a nightmare. It was the inner guiding voice of God, the Spirit of Jesus. And so we like Philip, listen to the inner guiding voice as God talks with us about our marriage, our kids, buying a car, finding a house, getting an education, being on the track team, or even changing jobs or vocations. What do we want to learn from this story? We listen through a rightness and closeness. We listen to the voice of God inside us as we approach our daily decisions.

Jesus-followers are to become a renewed community, concerned about caring for the perceived needs of one another even in the center of prevailing conflict.

God has been disclosing to us in this message series that Jesus-followers in the book of Acts experienced a renewed community. God stirred the early church through four movements. The church was renewed through the first movement of God: a renewed community, empowered by the Holy Spirit. The second movement of God highlighted a renewed community, living boldly for the Lord and showing loyalty to one another. In our last message the boldness the disciples displayed beyond the fellowship was dependent on the loyalty they experienced in that fellowship.

The third movement of God transitioned the believers into a renewed community, concerned about caring and sharing with others the joy of their circle of fellowship. God will disclose to us through his Word in this message the renewal of caring. The outward characteristics of the first church community were quite different, but early on the apostles had to make decisions regarding the division of responsibility and the logistics of maintaining a fair and caring community in the midst of existing conflict.

Caring, in essence, denotes watchful attention. It personifies concern, compassion and cooperativeness. Caring is advocacy. To care means to advocate for the needs of others by developing the characteristics of understanding, action, and perseverance.

The words conflict and caring are seldom linked. They do not enjoy the complementary relationship shared by peanut butter and jelly, knife and fork, salt and pepper, love and marriage, and other common pairs. Yet what two words are more strategically complementary than conflict and caring? Tragically, they are usually viewed as counter to one another, mutually exclusive. So this is not just a message about caring; it is also a message about conflict. It is a message that explains why conflict developed, not only in the first church, but also among some of the finest people and in some of the best churches today. What may be unique is that this message also suggests how conflict and caring interact.

Care-fronting = offering genuine concern that stimulates others to grow

Now, we won’t find this word in the dictionary, but care-fronting is offering real confrontation that calls out careful insight and understanding. It unites love and power. It unifies concern for relationship with concerns for purpose. So we can have something to stand for (purpose) as well as someone to stand with (relationship) without sacrificing one for the other. They are complementary. Care-fronting is the way to communicate with both impact and respect, with truth and love.

We are discovering in our message series on Acts the principle that out of the insignificant can come the infinitely important things the Holy Spirit is trying to teach us and is using for a greater strategy. The organization of the first church was not laid out for the apostles by the Holy Spirit. They simply were in the flow of his power; and when a conflict arose, they did what seemed guided by the Spirit.

This transitional chapter of Acts tells us that we should be open to the Spirit’s guidance in the mundane of life’s common experiences. Luke uses his narrative as a step onward from something mundane to magnificent in Acts 6:1-7…

1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented them to the apostles, who prayed and laid hands on them.

7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

Luke’s words help us to understand that conflict should not signal the departure of caring. Instead, it should elevate the urgency of caring. The Jerusalem church was experiencing rapid growth. We can imagine the excitement that growth generated. Their group was constantly growing and changing. There was amazing agreement among them. And their material needs were being met through sacrificial generosity. Nevertheless, a situation developed that threatened to fracture this growing movement.

The Potential in Every Problem

Growth never means the end of problems; it just means a new set of potentials. The community of believers discovered this reality as they experienced significant development in their life together. However, a variety of conflict stands out. The first church experienced the problems of discrimination, and distraction from the ministry of prayer and the word. These same problems still exist today in many twenty-first century churches.

1. The problem of discrimination

1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

The immediate problem had to do with the fair treatment to Greek widows in the daily food distribution, but the underlying issue was ethnic tension between the Hebrews, Jews born in Judea and Galilee, and the Hellenists, Greek-speaking Jews born outside of Palestine. A complaint arose from the Greek-speaking widows.

The church’s responsibility was to help the needy. In this case, it was the Greek-speaking widows. We discovered the fact in our last message that the believers contributed to a common fund and placed their offerings at the feet of the apostles. Each day the church would take something from that account and use it to help the widows. The problem began with the new kid in town. A different kind of person came to church. The congregation was no longer made exclusively of Palestinian Jews. There was an immigrant emergence from Greek-speaking lands. The Greek-speaking Jewish Christians did things differently. They spoke Greek and not the more common Palestinian language of Aramaic. That is the only difference our text mentions, but the language barrier illustrates the larger cultural barrier. Such barriers often lead to discrimination.

Many people experienced ethnic discriminations when they first immigrated to the United States. We had a boarder living with us as I was growing up. His name was Sven. He was a citizen of Denmark, and he came to the United States to become an American citizen. His accent differed from our neighbors; his native tongue was not English. He felt second class as a result. Sometimes those feelings were warranted and sometimes imagined. Either way, he felt discriminated against. The same was true in the early church—cultural barriers resulted in neglect and ultimately discord. In addition, there are other forms of discrimination as well. It may be that a poor church refuses wealthier Jesus-followers, or a cushy, elegant church has lost contact with the poor. It may be that the spiritual gifts of women are not recognized. It may be the distinction between worship and learning styles. Paul says, “there is no partiality with God” (Romans 2:11). No Jew or Greek; no slave or free; no male or female. It need not be as blatant as language or race discrimination. Sometimes we discriminate merely because we resist change due to the personal preferences and persuasions we hold.

This issue describes the perception that a five generation church like Christ First has concerning multiple ministry needs and age-groups.

We want engaging worship with sound biblical preaching and variety in music styles.

We want edifying discipleship opportunities in classes, studies, and small groups.

We want enriching fellowship events that are relational and seasonal.

We want practical service/outreach opportunities that are local and global.

We want a trustworthy governing structure in which to function in ministry.

Age 55 and under Age 55 and older

Worship

celebrative with praise team, band reflective with choir, organ, piano,

and choruses. handbells and hymns.

Discipleship

small groups and faith-based seminars. Sunday school classes and Bible studies.

Fellowship

activities which affirm seasons of activities which affirm seasons of

Easter, Christmas, camping along Easter, Christmas, patriotic celebrations

with family related events, etc. along with hymn sings, etc.

Service/Outreach

sponsor local and global ministry sponsor local and global ministry

through prayer, service mission trips through prayer, financial mission support

and community events. and community events.

Structure

biblical model of church structure institutional model of church structure

that is Council protected, staff led, that is Council led, staff run, congregation

Congregation serving and outward served and inward focused.

focused.

We need to note in the above comparison in multiple ministry needs that this contrast is not meant to stereotype one age-grouping over another or to infer that one age-grouping is more important than the other, but merely shows by distinction between the preferences and persuasions towards which each particular age group may lean.

Oftentimes the values that a culture holds are reflected in and embraced by the church whether they are biblical or not. Coming to faith in Christ does not automatically change our view of the world and its people. We may reproduce and even defend sinful attitudes and actions that are normal for our surrounding culture. The gospel of Jesus must challenge and change these attitudes as evidenced in the early church in dealing with the problem of discrimination.

2. The problem of distraction

2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” 5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented them to the apostles, who prayed and laid hands on them.

The second and compounding problem had to do with the apostles’ concentration on the need to settle this food distribution conflict at the expense of neglecting the ministry of the word of God. We must be impressed with the lack of defensiveness among the apostles as, with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, they confronted—may we say?—“care-fronted” the problem head on without causing distraction in the responsibility they had been given to prayer and the ministry of the word.

The apostles could have actually done the work themselves which would have distracted them from their concentration upon the ministry of the word. Instead, the apostles proposed a plan to have the people themselves select from among them men who were full of the Spirit of wisdom to be put in charge of this task. All believers are called to be ministers (diakoneo), which means “to serve.” Some people feel that “the ministers” are the pastoral team and “the ministry” is their profession. But growing churches cannot afford to think this way.

A number of years ago cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was unheard of outside the medical profession. Today, CPR is being taught on college campuses, through the Red Cross, through the training of paramedics, and even many schools and businesses are training their teachers and workers in CPR. As a result, thousands of lives have been saved because lay men and women have learned how to serve in an emergency. The church today faces a similar emergency and we cannot afford to leave its work exclusively to the professionals.

So if the Hellenists were disturbed about a seeming inequality, put Hellenists in charge of the distribution! Ingenious? Yes. But more than that: guided and wise. The qualifications of the Hellenists to be selected are very significant. They were to be “from among you.” Not just Greek-speaking Jews, but people who were involved in the church because of conversion and transformation in the new life.

However, the ultimate quality mentioned for each of these seven servants was that they were… “known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom.”

Certainly the apostles wanted people reported to have the reputation of impeccable character, but that character should be a witness to Christ in them and activate involvement in communicating that love to others. The test of that character was based upon the certainty that they be full of the Holy Spirit. This was to be exemplified in all dimensions of their lives—intellectually, emotionally, and volitionally. The acid test would be in the gift of wisdom. The evidence of the Spirit’s indwelling would be the gift to penetrate the deep mysteries of God and apply them in guidance for daily life.

These qualities should be the basis of leadership in the church today. So often our temptation is to bypass these criteria and select people with natural abilities or training in an area. Important as these are, without the maximizing power of the Spirit, they can stand in the way of spiritual leadership of the church. It is dangerous to lead a church on human training and conditioning alone.

Let’s summarize seven ways how the apostles responded with care in the midst of discrimination and distraction:

They met face-to-face with the Hellenists (the powerful with the powerless).

They listened to the complaints and acknowledged their legitimacy.

Together with the Hellenists, they devised guidelines for godly leaders and chose seven with names that suggest they were from among the Hellenist minority.

They approved and commissioned the new leaders through the laying on of hands and committed themselves to work with them.

They gave the new leaders authority over the distribution.

They shared power and resources and affirmed the dignity of the newly chosen leaders.

They continued to give their attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.

What was the result of their guidance and wisdom?

7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

The blessing of God continued and increased! The church was still unified and it multiplied. This verse is one of several “summaries” found in the book, statements that let us know that the story has reached an important juncture. The word of God spread and the number of disciples in Jerusalem increase rapidly. But another amazing result was that a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. It has been estimated that there were 8,000 Jewish priests attached to the temple ministry in Jerusalem, and “a large number” of them trusted Jesus Christ as Savior!

The following illustration affirms the truth that small efforts of care have tremendous impact. A pastor was asked to conduct the funeral for a man who had helped develop the famous Boeing 747 aircraft. After the service, the pastor spoke with the widow and commented on how remarkable it was that her late husband had helped build that marvelous machine. She said, “The truth is, he worked on one little switchbox smaller than a loaf of bread. That’s all he worked on for 15 years. But when that 747 lifted off the ground for the first time, it was the happiest day of his life.” He worked with great care and precision on one small switchbox for more than a decade. Yet the huge plane couldn’t have lifted off without this man’s contribution. Often we see only our seemingly small efforts of caring and feel we aren’t very important. But when the great kingdom of God “lifts off,” we’ll be thrilled to find out that all of our efforts were not only essential, but they were marked by God for eternity!

Our efforts to see the work of Christ advance in this church is dependent upon the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, coupled with our desire to allow problems to give us potential to carefully exercise our faith. We not only exercise our faith in the Lord, but also faith in each other. When structure and ministry collide, conflict and care connect. May the blessing of God be ignited, and may the ministry of caring be rekindled in these challenging, yet exciting days of ministry! Amen.

Jesus-followers are to become a renewed community, by showing an unlimited commitment to Jesus Christ and each other which is expressed in unrestrained loyalty.

God has been disclosing to us in this message series that Jesus-followers in the book of Acts experienced a renewed community. God stirred the early church through four movements. The church was renewed through the first movement of God: a renewed community, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Through the experience of Pentecost, the believers were promised and received the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The second movement of God highlighted a renewed community, living boldly for the Lord and showing loyalty to one another. In our last message the believers spoke boldly, taking a stand and speaking straightforwardly what they believed with faithfulness and obedience. God will disclose to us through his Word in this message the renewal of loyalty. We now turn our attention to the blessing the Holy Spirit helped them to be to each other. The courage the disciples displayed beyond the fellowship was dependent on the quality of life they experienced in that fellowship.

Loyalty is all about quality of life. It exemplifies devotion, dependability and trustworthiness. Loyalty has been pictured in the following ways…

We are all in the same boat in a stormy sea, and we owe each other a terrible loyalty. –G. K. Chesterton

Leadership is a two-way street, loyalty up and loyalty down. Respect for one’s superiors; care for one’s crew. –Grace Murray Hopper

Loyalty means nothing unless it has at its heart the absolute principle of self-sacrifice. –Woodrow T. Wilson

Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul. –Mark Twain

Unless you can find some sort of loyalty, you cannot find unity and peace in your active living. –Josiah Royce

Loyalty may be illustrated by the following amusing example: two friends were traveling together through the woods in Yosemite National Park, when a bear rushed out upon them. One of the travelers happened to be in front, and he seized hold of the branch of a tree, and hid himself among the leaves. The other, seeing no help for it, threw himself flat down upon the ground, with his face in the dust. The bear, coming up to him, put his muzzle close to his ear, and sniffed and sniffed. But at last with a growl he shook his head and slouched off, for bears will not touch dead meat. Then the friend in the tree came down to his comrade, and, laughing, said “What was it that Master Bruin whispered to you?” “He told me,” said the other, “Never trust a friend who deserts you at a pinch.”

A church may be doing a lot of things from a quantitative standpoint in its life and ministry, but it may still struggle with the quality of life they experience in their fellowship. Luke tells us about an essential ingredient of a great church: of one heart and mind with loyal commitment to Christ and loyalty to each other. Our text in this message fits together as a unit; it has a cause-and-effect-progression of thought in Acts 4:32—5:11…

32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. 36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. 3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.

7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” 9 Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of those who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” 10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

In a very stirring way Luke describes the effectiveness of the church. There were signs and wonders done among the people of Jerusalem. The power of the Holy Spirit was being released through them. Changes lives, reconciliations, healings, and joy were the evidence of the church alive with the Holy Spirit. The church was growing and dynamic. Would we truly like to be a part of a church like this first church? The church was a vital movement. That’s the effect. What was the cause? Now we are ready to go back to the beginning of the passage for the answer.

Liberated for Loyalty

Luke gives us a moving, narrative description of a church liberated for loyalty and then provides two illustrations—one to show what loyalty really represents, and the other to alarm us as to what happens when it is lacking. The first is very positive and the second is equally negative.

1. Commitment is spelled l-o-y-a-l-t-y

32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

Luke has been sharing the things happening in the most exalted atmosphere: great thoughts of God; prayers for the Holy Spirit; and exultant quotes from the Old Testament. Now there is a sudden change which is typical of Christianity. Without warning the narrative changes to the most practical things. However much these early Jesus-followers had their moments on the heights, they never forgot that someone had not enough and that all must help. Prayer was supremely important, a witness of words was supremely important, but the result was the loyalty of love of the Jesus-followers.

Two things are to be noted about them. They had an intense sense of responsibility for each other. This stirred in them a real desire to share all they had with each another. We need to note one thing above all—this sharing was not the result of legislation; it was spontaneously sacrificial. It is not when the law compels us to share but when the heart moves us to share that our culture is really Christian.

Let’s just list in rapid order how loyalty was experienced…

Believers were one in heart and mind

No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own

They shared everything they had

They testified to the resurrection of Jesus Christ

God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all

There were no needy persons among them as money was gathered as land or houses were sold

But all this would not be possible without the assurance of loyalty. We all need a handful of people who are loyal to us and to whom we are loyal because of Jesus’ unswerving loyalty to us. He is for us; he will never leave or forsake us when we succeed or fail. When Jesus lives in our heart and mind to repeat Luke’s words, he enables his own loyalty within us—first to him and then to people.

2. Barnabas, son of encouragement

36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

Luke is generous in his praise of Barnabas as demonstrating loyalty. We will open up our inner heart and share only when we have an assurance of loyalty which keeps confidences and supports us under the fire of criticism from others. Luke’s example of that kind of person is Barnabas, the “Son of Encouragement.” Only two brief verses introduce us to one of the most admirable personalities of the New Testament.

This “Son of Encouragement” embodied the following characteristics recorded in Acts…

Sympathy (Acts 4:36, 37)

Non-judgmental (Acts 9:26, 27)

Gift of exhortation (Acts 11:23)

Spirit Filled (Acts 11:24

Inspiring influence (Acts 11:25, 26)

Trustworthy (Acts 11:29, 30)

Adapted to missionary work (13:2)

Thus, the apostles chose the perfect Christian name for Joseph of Cyprus when they called him Barnabas—Son of Encouragement. Every appearance of Barnabas in Scripture finds him encouraging others in the faith. In fact, he serves as the supreme model for how to mentor young believers. Numerous churches can trace their beginnings back to the efforts of “Joe Encouragement.”

There are a couple of interesting sidelights on Barnabas. One, though Levites traditionally lived off the temple system, Barnabas had real estate. But on coming into the faith, he sold it and donated the proceeds for the care of the poor. Later, he joined with Paul in refusing to make a living from the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:6). Two, over time, with Barnabas’s mentoring and encouragement, Paul became the central figure in the early spread of the gospel. Barnabas also took John Mark aside and mentored him when Paul refused to take the future gospel writer with him on his missionary journey.

Close observation reveals that Barnabas fulfilled four key functions of a kingdom-style mentor: he cared about those who followed him; he conveyed wisdom and skill to his followers; he corrected his followers when they were wrong; and he connected his followers to significant others. Quite often, the loyalty it takes to mentor someone can mean the difference between success and failure in a person’s life. Perhaps it would be good for us to begin a “Barnabas Bunch” which is made up of people whose basic purpose for being together consistently is to mentor and encourage one another in their ministry, and to be supportive of each other in attempts to be channels of the Holy Spirit. It can be exciting to see a group of people adopt the words of Paul from Ephesians 4:1-3; 30-32, and Luke’s example of them in Acts and allow the Holy Spirit to guide them in living them.

Barnabas Bunch Blessings…

Give an hour of your time to someone who needs you.

Give a note of encouragement to someone who is down.

Give a hug of appreciation to someone in your family.

Give a visit of mercy to someone who is needy.

Give a meal you prepared to someone who is sick.

Give a word of compassion to someone who is grieving.

Give a deed of kindness to someone who is overlooked.

Give an act of generosity to someone who is financially in need.

Jesus taught: “…Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). Be really unselfishness, give yourself away!

Sadly, there are few people like Barnabas in the church today. As we will discover next, Christianity still has its Ananiases and Sapphiras. They are examples of offspring of discouragement, who play games with God.

3. Ananias and Sapphira, offspring of discouragement

1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. 3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.

7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” 9 Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of those who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” 10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

Luke is honest with us about Ananias and Sapphira as an example of the denial of loyalty. This dramatic account of Ananias and Sapphira immediately after the mention of Barnabas draws a stark contrast between two kinds of people—the loyal and the disloyal. Barnabas serves as a positive model of sincere faithfulness, as evidenced by his openhanded generosity. On the other hand, Ananias and Sapphira serve as negative models.

Externally, they appeared the same. Like Barnabas, they sold land and brought money to the church, where they put it at the apostles’ feet. But internally, they had a radically different commitment. The sins that Peter named—lying to the Holy Spirit and testing the Spirit—indicate that they were playing games with God. Peter noted that the source of their deception was Satan. As the ultimate liar (John 8:44), Satan had filled their hearts with lies, in contrast to the Holy Spirit who fills the heart with truth (John 14:16-17; Ephesians 5:6-21). And like Israel, they were testing the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 10:1-13), testing the limits of what he would permit, trying to see how much they could get away with, not getting caught. In this contrast between Barnabas and Ananias and Sapphira, God also calls us as Jesus-followers to authentically hold our resources lightly. After all, everything that we have comes from him. God gives it to us as a trust to be managed—not a treasure to be hoarded.

God dealt severely with this couple by making an example of them. As a result, fear came upon the church—not a cringing fear of dread, but a heightened respect for God’s holiness, and his moral purity. The members of the body saw the wondrous things the Holy Spirit could do with a willing Barnabas, and with Ananias who refused to allow the Lord to be gracious. The incident still stands as a bold warning to Jesus-followers today about relating to God. No one is perfect, and God forgives. But when given a chance to confess the truth, it’s important to speak honestly, not lie as they did.

Luke closes out this section of his account (verses 12-16) by reporting that the church which resulted from being of one heart and mind with loyal commitment to the risen Christ and loyalty to each other, had undeniable miracles. Those miracles are still applicable today in the twenty-first century church. We can become a supernatural church, a respected and growing church, and a healing church.

We can bring this message to its conclusion by learning the lessons of migratory geese. These birds teach us that if we have the sense of a goose, we will support one another being liberated for loyalty.

The fantastic annual migration that birds make between their breeding and wintering grounds is one of the wonders of God’s world. Most of the world’s 29 or so species of geese are no strangers to migration, and some routinely accomplish amazing feats. In Asia, Bar-headed Geese regularly migrate over the Himalayan Mountains, even over Mt. Everest at an altitude of 30,750 feet where the air is thin and the temperatures drop to minus 60 degrees F. When we see geese flying along in “V” formation, we might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in “V” formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust of one another. When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone - and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those people who are headed the same way we are.

When the head goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point. It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs, whether with people or with geese flying south. Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. What messages do we give when we honk from behind?

Finally - and this is important - when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshot, and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their group.

If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other with undivided loyalty. How do we do that? How do we make every effort to support loyalty in the body of Christ? Does that mean we compromise our convictions? No. Does that mean we abandon the truths we cherish? No. But it does mean we look long and hard at the attitudes we carry.

Loyalty doesn’t begin in examining others but in examining self. Loyalty begins, not in demanding that others change, but in admitting that we aren’t prefect ourselves. Loyalty grows as we learn to accept other people’s differences and to forgive when wronged. Loyalty continues as we humbly serve those who are different. Loyalty is fulfilled as we focus on who we believe in rather what we believe in. Loyalty is favored as we become a renewed community based in the authentic, Spirit-filled church of people called to the Lord and then called to loyalty to the members of his body. Amen.

Jesus-followers are to become a renewed community, boldly taking a stand and speaking straightforwardly what we believe with faithfulness and obedience, whatever the cost.

Jesus-followers in the book of Acts experienced a renewed community. God stirred the early church through four movements. The church was renewed through the first movement of God: a renewed community, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Through the experience of Pentecost, the believers were promised and received the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The second movement of God highlights a renewed community, living boldly for the Lord and showing loyalty to one another. God will disclose to us through his Word in this message the renewal of boldness. The believers boldly preached with power a message of forgiveness of sins and reconciliation.

There are times when boldly preaching a message is difficult and comes with a price. But I’m reminded of the following illustration… Hugh Lattimer once preached before King Henry VIII. Henry was greatly displeased by the boldness in the sermon and ordered Lattimer to preach again on the following Sunday and apologize for the offence he had given. The next Sunday, after reading his text, he thus began his sermon: “Hugh Lattimer, dost thou know before whom thou are this day to speak? To the high and mighty monarch, the king’s most excellent majesty, who can take away thy life, if thou offendest. Therefore, take heed that thou speakest not a word that may displease. But then consider well, Hugh, dost thou not know from whence thou comest–upon Whose message thou are sent? Even by the great and mighty God, Who is all-present and Who beholdeth all thy ways and Who is able to cast thy soul into hell! Therefore, take care that thou deliverest thy message faithfully.” He then preached the same sermon he had preached the preceding Sunday–and with considerably more energy.

So let’s be courageous and talk about the renewal of boldness. Boldness is showing a fearless, daring spirit. It embodies courage, confidence and self-assurance. Boldness has been described in the following ways…

Fortune favors the bold, but abandons the timid. –Latin Proverb

Finite to fail, but infinite to venture. –Emily Dickinson

It is wonderful what strength of purpose and boldness and energy of will are roused by the assurance that we are doing our duty. –Walter Scott

When the mouse laughs at the cat, there’s a hole nearby. –Nigerian Proverb

Who bravely dares must sometimes risk a fall. –Tobias G. Smollett

The following saying is commonly attributed to Goethe, a German poet […The moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meeting and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.

We discovered in our last message the fact that Pentecost had instilled in the believers God’s boldness. Encountering God’s power through the Holy Spirit had happened. Being filled with the Spirit had happened. A transformation had happened, not only in Peter’s life but in the lives of all the believers. Peter appeared different because he was different. Indeed, something had happened to the man. He was now operating, not in his own ability, but in God’s sufficiency. Peter turned from cowardice in himself to confidence in God.

Now as we move deeper into the text of the book of Acts, Peter had made it very clear that Jesus alone is the way to heaven in Acts 4:12…“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved.”

That is always a tough message for people to hear. People don’t like those who are narrow-minded and think their way is the only way. But in this case Peter and John were hardly narrow-minded, instead they were forward-thinking. So let us proceed keeping the context in mind. The world will say that Jesus-followers are narrow-minded, but to an extent we should be narrow-minded because the road to heaven is a narrow one! And so our gospel presentation should not be broad but bold—the narrow way. We live in a day where people seem to want to make the road to heaven wider, but Jesus said it is narrow.

The ordinary and the extraordinary collide in Acts 4:13-22…

13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”

18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.

Peter and John were classed by the religious elite as “unschooled, ordinary men.” However, Peter and John, though ordinary, had a personal relationship with Jesus that gave them the spiritual power to perform a miracle that not one of the elite could duplicate. Like Peter and John, confident of our relationship with Jesus will cause us to obey God rather than mere people, and speak boldly about what we have seen and heard.

The Gift of Boldness

An undeniable sign of the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit is boldness. It’s the inner delight of a liberated person expressed in daring adventure. In the midst of human helplessness and the timidity of institutionalized religion, the great need is for boldness in loving, forgiving, speaking the truth in love, and obedience to the strategy of God.

Let’s consider in this portion of Acts, the substance and spirit of authentic boldness in two penetrating ways:

1. The boldness of the transformed life

13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.

We’ve already noted in our last message that the moment the presence and power of the Holy Spirit came upon all the believers in the early church, they experienced the transformed life. So that’s the explanation why Peter and John, unschooled and ordinary, amazed the Sanhedrin leaders.

Peter and John had not been trained in the professional rabbinical schools of Hillel or Shammai. Where did they get their wisdom and logical speech? We must note the progression of the dawning comprehension of the Sanhedrin. They saw the boldness of Peter and John, realized that they were laymen, and took note that they had been with Jesus. A remarkable compliment!

The same can be true for us as Jesus-followers today. A Christ-captivated life enables us to live an extraordinary life. We are not limited to the confines of our own intellect or talent. The secret of the Christian life is not only that we have been with Jesus but that Jesus is in us! Paul wrote in Colossians 1:27…Christ in you, the hope of glory.

This truth transforms. So because Christ is in us we can be like Jesus.

The story is told of a mother who was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, age 5, and Ryan, age 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. “If Jesus were sitting here, he would say ‘Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.’ Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus!”

Christ manifests himself in us and transforms us into his own image. There should be daily astonishment—first in us and then in others—at what we are able to discern, dare, and do. Christ in us is the inner source of…

wisdom beyond human shrewdness

discernment beyond comprehension

love beyond our cautious affection

truth beyond our experience.

The deeper we grow in Christ, the more people will be forced to wonder.

But most telling of all, there will be changed lives around us because of Christ in us. The apostles had the lame man as evidence that Christ had used them as agents of healing. And yet, the greatest miracle is in the conversion and transformation of a person with whom we have shared the love of Christ. When we give ourselves away in caring, costly relationships of affirmation and encouragement with those who do not know Christ, he uses us to model the Holy Spirit’s power and introduce them to him. People will live forever because of the Lord’s ministry to them through us.

The result is that Christ will get the glory. We can enjoy being a vessel of his grace. All the compliments and commendations go to him. Our reward is a boldness in knowing who we are, whose we are, and for what we were born. People will see…we must be sure of that. They will wonder what has happened to us; they will marvel at what has happened around us; and then finally, they will realize what is happening in us. Jesus. There can be no other explanation!

2. The boldness from opposition

15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.” 18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.

Opposition crystallizes boldness. Difficulties deepen our determination. Conflict forces us to clarify the irreducible maximum of what we believe. So the ruling of the Sanhedrin was a gift of God. Startling? Perhaps. But let’s look at it this way: the prohibition against speaking and teaching in the name of Jesus solidified the apostles and the church in courageous witness in a way that could never have happened without opposition.

Joseph Salon, a Romanian pastor. The communist came to him and said we will let you preach but you must register as a state preacher. He had to think about it. He knew that if he registered with the communist he could continue preaching, but he would have to say that the state is sovereign not just God. And the state would control what he said. So Joseph went to a place of solace in the mountains and prayed and fasted. God made it clear to him not to register. Joseph went to his wife and told her that God told him not to register. So they prayed together. He knew that if they killed him it would be worse on her. He would be in heaven. They agreed that they would trust God. Remarkably, they said they slept very soundly that night knowing that God was with them. The next day that communist came to him and asked if he was going to register. He said sir, I will not register. He said Mr. Salon do you know what I can do to you? Joseph said I’m aware that you can take my life. But I want you to know that your greatest weapon is killing, and mine is death. My greatest weapon is dying. They said what do you mean? Joseph said I preach the gospel at church, on the radio, my sermons have been printed and circulated. People know the life I have lived and what I have preached. Now if you kill me you are going to baptize everything I have preached in my blood. They will know that I believed my message enough to die for it. Joseph finished up by saying, “if you use your weapon, I will be forced to use mine! That communist official left and told his superiors to leave that man alone because he is crazy. Today Joseph Salon is the head of the missionary committee in Romania.

Like this Romanian pastor, Peter and John had to decide whether to be obedient to God or to human authority. Now they could understand first-hand what Jesus had meant when he had challenged them to seek first the kingdom of God and put him first before family, friends, recognition, or popularity.

Just a personal note. I struggle with this principle because I’m a people pleaser. I want to make sure that every person is satisfied with life. But realistically, I know of no truly bold person who has not experienced the sharp razor’s edge of the decision to put God first no matter what the circumstance. When we know who we are and what we are to do because of prolonged time in prayer, we can play to the right audience. Pressure comes in our lives when we vacillate in trying to please everyone. Our insecurity often makes life a popularity contest and we must win people’s approval at all costs. The cost is always overpriced. We live in a time when strong convictions about anything are suspect. Our need to be liked drains our ability to adhere resolutely to what we believe.

C. S. Lewis says about a character in one of his novels: “Mark liked to be liked. There was a good deal of spaniel in him.” So there may be a good deal of spaniel in all of us. But when the issues are focused, we are forced to discover the real center of our security in Christ.

Praise God for opposition! Lives are not changed without it, churches are not renewed without its pain, and we do not become the toughened followers of Jesus we were meant to be without its sharpening discipline. The opposition of the Sanhedrin has given us a motto for bold and courageous living. We would be less without it. Peter’s and John’s response to the threats of the frightened high priest should be memorized and kept ready for life’s tight places where and when we are tempted to give in or give up:

“Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Difficult people populate everyone’s life. Some of us need healing. The Lord is going to break through! He will meet our needs beyond our wildest expectations. All so that our gratitude can be expressed by speaking about what we have seen and heard. Opposition cannot silence the gospel—what a vital message for the church to hear today!

We need to picture ourselves as bold people. How would we act; what would we say; what would we dare? Perhaps it’s an act of love which we’ve resisted doing, or an opportunity to share our faith which has been neglected because of embarrassment or timidity. Or perhaps it’s forgiveness we need to express, or taking a stand and speaking straightforwardly what we believe. Most of all, it’s following Jesus’ guidance with faithfulness and obedience, regardless of the cost. Let’s ask for a special infilling of the Holy Spirit. God is faithful. God will renew us and give us power to speak with boldness! Amen.

Jesus-followers are to become a renewed community, living dynamically by facing our inadequacy and encountering God’s sufficiency through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus-followers in the book of Acts experienced a renewed community. In our first message we discovered that God stirs the early church through four movements. The first movement of God was empowered by Holy Spirit. This message continues to affirm the empowering of the Holy Spirit in the life of the early church as they experienced the event of Pentecost.

A sense of our own inadequacy is a gift. To recognize that we have a need may be the first step in seeing that need met. Feeling our own inability or insufficiency may seem like a negative thing, when in fact it may be quite the opposite.

There is a notion in our contemporary culture that recognizing our inability or insufficiency is somehow contrary to the principles of success. Self-confidence and high-powered, aggressive personalities seem to be what takes the day. The truth is that most of us simply do not live there. Oh, we might put on a facade in order to appear confident and assertive, but if the truth be known, many times we feel just the opposite. In the wisdom of the great purveyors of television commercial truth we hear the maxim, “Never let ‘em see you sweat.” But, in reality, we do sweat like prisoners trapped in the sauna. We are worried about the future. In fact, we are worried about the present; trying to balance job and family; trying to be good parents, grandparents and providers, good role models, good wives and husbands. Sometimes it’s tough. No, oftentimes it’s tough. And many times we feel totally inadequate.

We can imagine how the apostles felt in the days preceding Pentecost. For several years they had really been living. They were following one of the most exciting figures of history. Daily they were experiencing the miraculous. They were listening to the most insightful teacher of truth who had ever appeared on the face of history. It was indeed a time for high adventure. But they had recently experienced Jesus’ crucifixion. What a sense of despair and defeat that must have been! But Jesus had risen from the dead and appeared to them. What an exhilarating experience that had been!

But now Jesus had left them. He had challenged them with what we know of as the Great Commission. In our last message Jesus had told them to go to Jerusalem and to wait. We can be sure they didn’t quite understand what that meant. But they were waiting. We can be sure as they waited, one terrible truth closed in upon them. JESUS WAS GONE! This powerful figure around whom their lives had been built for so long was now gone and they were alone. Certainly they had themselves, but it wasn’t the same without Jesus. What must they have felt?

We can picture that they must have questioned much, “What would it be like now? Who among them could ever fill Jesus’ shoes? How could they ever fulfill his Great Commission? Was it all a dream? Was it now over? Questions — many questions, but no answers. Whatever else they thought or felt, they must have felt empty. Jesus was gone and they were empty.

This sense of emptiness is shared by many today. Even many Jesus-followers feel empty. There is something missing in their lives; something they can’t quite put their finger on. But they recognize a real need. They feel the need for power in their own personal lives. They feel the need for a sense of adequacy.

We can be sure all of the apostles felt that need, and especially one. Peter is an example of the spiritual pilgrimage of many Jesus-followers. He went through what many of us have gone through or are going through. Facing our inadequacy is an ongoing challenge of life. It doesn’t sound like an exciting thing to do, but in many ways it’s the first step to a fulfilled life. It was for Peter. He needed it desperately. And it can be a first step for us as we face our inadequacy in the grace of God.

Peter is a wonderful picture of a regular guy. He is a most appealing character. He was just an ordinary guy. There was nothing extraordinary about his life. He was a working stiff like the rest of us, just a fisherman. He and his father and brothers had a fishing business. Every day they went to work. Every day they faced the pressures of the marketplace. He wasn’t overly educated. He didn’t belong to the elite social class. He was just like you and me.

Peter was headstrong and he thought he would never deny his Lord. But we know that he denied Jesus three times. He didn’t even have the courage to stand up before a servant girl and confess his faith in Christ. He wasn’t willing to identify himself with the Savior.

Luke records Peter disowning Jesus in Luke 22:54-62…

54 Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55 And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” 57 But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said. 58 A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied. 59 About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” 60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.

How could he do such a thing? Let’s remember that Peter was filled with frustration and a deep sense of failure. Disappointment was probably too weak a word. Total discouragement is far better; perhaps even despair. These are all emotions Peter must have felt. His heart must have ached.

Peter had come face to face with the reality of his own inadequacy. The irony was that he truly did not want to deny his Lord, yet he had. Yet, as Jesus had said only a few short hours before, “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38).

We can imagine Peter in his discontent saying, “Oh, God, how could I have done such a thing? I said I would never deny you and I have done the very thing I said I would never do! What’s the matter with me? Oh, God, I’m a failure.”

Have we ever felt that way? Sure we have. It’s common to all of us. In our jobs, or at home, school and even in the church. Many times we come face to face with our own inadequacy and failure. It’s not encouraging. Additionally, we all feel a deep sense of frustration at times at our efforts to follow Jesus Christ. It’s called the frustration index.

The frustration index is the amount of tension we feel at the gap between what we know to do and our performance of it. You see, we know to do far more than we do. Our level of spiritual knowledge may be high, while our level of performance is much lower. There is a tension created, a sense of frustration felt when we recognize that we are not living up to our own understanding of what God expects of us. And sometimes we must come face to face with our own inadequacy. It’s almost like competing in the high jump. We know we can soar over that bar, but the level of our performance knocks down that bar.

Peter came face to face with his own inadequacy, and so must we. It may be the very thing we need. Facing our own inadequacy is good for us. I believe it prepares us for God’s work in our lives. Someone said, “God only fills empty vessels.” There is a real sense in which that is true. What we may need is to come to a place of emptying in our own lives. We may need to come to a place of brokenness. That may be the very thing we need to give us the right perspective on our lives. The perspective we need in order for God to begin his work in us. That may be the preparation for our personal Pentecost. It was for the apostles and for Peter. It can be for us.

What happened at Pentecost was a transforming event as recorded by Luke in Acts 2:1-4…

1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

The result of Pentecost has one key penetrating lesson:

Only by facing our inadequacy will we come to a place of encountering God’s sufficiency of the Holy Spirit.

Encountering God’s Sufficiency

Pentecost was all about encountering God’s sufficiency. More succinctly, Pentecost was an encounter with God. This is its real significance. We must be careful not to miss that in the details of the day. The real significance of Pentecost is not the rushing, mighty wind or the visible tongues of fire, or even the fact that they spoke in many other languages. The real significance of Pentecost was an encounter with God. God moved in. By his Spirit, God took over. They were filled with God’s Spirit and clothed with power. Pentecost means that God is in charge!

What happened at Pentecost was a transforming event. Like the caterpillar which spins its cocoon and waits there while an inner work of transformation takes place, so the disciples were waiting as God did his unseen work in their hearts to prepare them for that day. Then as the caterpillar emerges, something wonderful has happened. It is no longer a caterpillar, but a beautiful butterfly. Its life has been changed. It’s been transformed, from the inside out!

On the day of Pentecost, God came down in power and changed the lives of a multitude. Like the butterfly, they would never be the same again. They didn’t even act the same. They were intoxicated by the Spirit. They were doing strange things. They weren’t acting like normal people. Some accused them of being drunk, and they were. They were not drunk with wine, they were drunk with the Spirit of God. They were overwhelmed because God had taken over.

But don’t we see the correlation? That’s precisely what we need today. That is what the church needs today. As we see our insufficiency, and as we encounter God’s sufficiency, we understand the dynamic of how to live. Pentecost was an encounter with the sufficiency of God. They had been emptied only to be filled. It finally had clicked; it all made sense now. They understood how to live above the level of their inadequacy. They must learn to depend upon God’s sufficiency, not their own inadequacy. They must learn to live in God’s power. And that is what we need today. We need our own personal Pentecost because, as we encounter God, we will find the power to live our lives through the Holy Spirit. Renewal is given.

What happened at Pentecost was also an empowering event as recorded in Acts 2:14…

14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.

The result of Pentecost has one key piercing application:

Facing our inadequacy not only brings us to a place of encountering God’s sufficiency, but both taken together, produce ability for living dynamically.

Living Dynamically

Let’s notice what happened to Peter. Something has changed! This is a different Peter. A few days prior to this, he could not even admit before a servant girl around a campfire that he knew Jesus. He had acted like a coward. And now, with multiplied thousands gathered together, he dares to stand up and command the attention of the entire multitude? This is a different Peter! Something has happened. What has happened to the man?

Pentecost had happened. Encountering God’s power through the Holy Spirit had happened. Being filled with the Spirit had happened. A transformation had happened. Peter appears different because he is different. Indeed, something has happened to the man. He is now operating, not in his own ability, but in God’s sufficiency. He is moving by the power of God. God is in charge now. The Spirit is in control, and this is precisely what makes for dynamic living. It is living in the power, the “dúnamis” of God. Renewal is given.

Peter’s cowardice had been turned into confidence. But his confidence now was in God. He began to understand what Paul would later write, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). And this was a result of encountering the very presence of God.

Peter and John are before the religious leaders and it is said of them in Act 4:13…

13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

Have people around us noticed that we have been with Jesus? Encountering the presence of Jesus Christ is what will give us confidence. It is the confidence of knowing that God indwells us by his Spirit, that God empowers us by his Spirit, and that God lives in us and through us by his Spirit.

Indeed, it was a life-changing experience for all. On Pentecost, 3,000 came to know the Lord Jesus Christ, and the church was born in Jerusalem. It was a dynamic church, filled with dynamic people who were living out their Christianity in the midst of a secular society. This is the picture of a living, dynamic fellowship of believers who are empowered by the Holy Spirit of God. These are people who have seen their own inadequacy. They have encountered the sufficiency of God. And because they have been filled with the Holy Spirit, they are now empowered to live dynamically changed lives in the midst of a society which runs counter to the principles of God’s Word. It is a Church made up of ordinary people, living extraordinary lives by the power of the Spirit.

I would like to bring this message to a close by sharing with you the example of one Jesus-follower who encountered and learned to live with the sufficiency of God in her life. Pamela Rheude, a member of Christ First who passed away three-weeks ago today, experienced a devastating auto accident in April of 1979 which left her a C-5 quadriplegic. The accident may have broken her body, but not her spirit or will power. These are the words she wrote concerning this experience she lived with in a wheelchair for almost 30 years.

This day, Jesus, I can feel sorry for myself or victorious in You. Show me how to choose the latter.

For me, the real miracle means sitting in this wheelchair and smiling. Everyday I experience miracles of patience and perseverance, endurance and self-control. This ordinary (which is so very extraordinary) work of the Spirit is sufficient. I am more concerned with a heart that works than with hands that function.

Pamela experienced and became victorious over her inadequacy. She learned the lesson that facing her inadequacy not only brought her to a place of encountering God’s sufficiency, but both taken together, produced ability for living dynamically.

Have we come face to face with our inadequacy? Perhaps we have. Maybe we even feel it keenly today. We need not despair — there is hope. It may be just the place God has brought us to. God may be bringing us to the point where we can be filled with his grace and love and power. God fills empty vessels. If we sense our inadequacy today, we can come to God and allow him to fill us up with himself. As we encounter God’ sufficiency, we will be empowered to live dynamically. We will truly experience God’s renewal in spirit! Amen.

Many of us would agree together that we are living in times that are full of great turmoil and uncertainty. All around us it seems like our culture is literally coming apart at the seams. It seems like we have lost our moorings, our absolutes. It’s as though we no longer have black and white, just varying shades of gray. It appears this world of ours is going from bad to worse with no real end to this trend in sight. We live in times in which it seems that is right is wrong and wrong is right.

This message series on Acts—a Renewed Community displays the actions of the early church in four movements. Whenever a new movement gains momentum, we ask basic questions about it. How did it start? What were the obstacles? Who was associated with it? What is its present condition? Where is it going? The early chapters of the book of Acts (1-12) answer these questions about the church of Jesus Christ .

So the church of the first century dramatically impacted their world for Christ with the life-changing message of the gospel. It was said of them that they had turned their world “right side up”. If we apply the same principles that the early church did and allow God’s Holy Spirit to work through us the same can happen in our time.

We will see what the account of their lives, the book of Acts 1-12, has to say to us as Jesus-followers today. As we seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance we will be able to say along with the two disciples who heard Jesus’ words, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32)
According to the surveys of George Gallup, the number one need people have is “the need to believe that life is meaningful and has a purpose.” People want their lives to count. Someone said, “The great purpose of life is to spend it on something that will outlast it.” In attempting to recruit John Sculley, the 38-year-old President of Pepsi-Cola, Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computer, issued a tremendous challenge to Sculley. He asked: “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?”

Many people today are afraid that their lives will be lived without any real sense of fulfilling the real purpose God has for them. People everywhere feel this dissatisfaction, this uneasiness about the way in which the purpose of their lives is unfolding. Today many young people feel it. Somehow they know that there is more to life than merely going to school, getting an education, finding a job, marrying the right person, raising a family, gathering the usual security symbols and settling into the ruts of routine.

Deep down within us we all know this is true. The thought of working all our life only to retire with nothing to do but sit in the rocking chair all alone on the back porch just somehow doesn’t seem like enough. Shouldn’t there be some overriding purpose and significance to our pilgrimage on this earth? Surely God is up to more than living in mundane mediocrity.

Well, God is up to more than this. But tragically, too many churches are not into what God is “up to.” One Christian thinker said, “The problem is that faith has been domesticated to suit our culturally conditioned lives, rather than dramatized as the ultimate purpose which gives meaning and direction to all other secondary loyalties.” He goes on to say, “I am convinced that we are living in an unprecedented time of potential blessing and power and this is God’s appointed hour to liberate the church from being a memorial society to becoming a society of movers.”

Our text gives us a foundation upon which we can build lives of purpose because we will be energized by the dynamic of the Spirit’s power in Acts 1:4-8…

⁴ On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem , but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. ⁵ For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” ⁶ So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel ?” ⁷ He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The Dynamic of the Spirit

What was it that changed that small band of discouraged disciples into courageous ambassadors of Jesus? The answer is one great act of God made up many acts of God’s power. Those acts of power were the daily experience of the Jesus-followers. What evidence do we find of that power?

1. The promise from Jesus to believe

⁴ On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem , but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. ⁵ For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

As the book of Acts unfolds, several important things have happened. The Lord has been crucified and raised from the dead. He has appeared to many of his disciples. He has spoken to them about the kingdom of God . And he is about to be taken away from them into heaven.

Now, we cannot be sure what we would be thinking had we been there, but we can feel certain that these disciples were wondering just what was next. How would they live in the secular society of which they had been a part? How would this encounter with Jesus Christ change their lives? He had commanded them to share this Gospel of the kingdom with every person. How would they do it? What resources would they need? Who would organize it? Who would carry it out? They had many questions just as we have many questions today. Coming to Christ is only the beginning. As we enter into this Christian life, there are still many questions that are unanswered. There are still many fears to be conquered, many issues to resolve. What is really important? What is the next step?

Jesus, of course, anticipated their needs and gave them a promise. What he promised them here was to be the essential ingredient for their future ministry. It was for them, and is for us, foundational to effective Christian living in any secular society. What they needed and what every Jesus-follower needs is power from on high, a mighty baptism in the Holy Spirit. This, Jesus said, is “the gift my Father promised.“

It is interesting that Jesus told them that they must wait in Jerusalem for this promise. We can be sure that many of the disciples were fairly impulsive. Now that they had witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ, they were ready to share that news with everybody. What Jesus told them to do was to wait. They needed to wait because they needed the power which the Holy Spirit would provide.

In fact, the profound implication behind this single instruction of waiting is clear: There’s only one need at this time, and that’s for the power of the Holy Spirit. Don’t go anywhere—don’t do anything—until you receive it. What is true for the individual believer is true for the church.

But waiting is one of the hardest things to do. Even when we are waiting for something good, it is still difficult. Waiting for the results of an exam on which we think we did well is difficult. Waiting for the test results from the doctor can seem terribly long. Waiting for someone in surgery can cause one to count the minutes as if they were hours. Waiting for someone to understand or to change can seem to go on forever.

Waiting on God can be the most difficult waiting of all. But we must wait for guidance and direction. We must wait for enablement and power. The disciples were called to wait. Only by waiting and seeking God would they find the promise of God to be real. But if they were to wait, they would be met by God.

There is always a promise. Jesus knows our every need and there is always a promise of his provision for those needs. We may be in a situation today which is difficult. We may have problems and circumstances in our lives around which we cannot see. We may be questioning God, finding it impossible to understand how even God could bring something good into our lives. Or, we may simply be confused by life’s challenging and changing circumstances. Everything seems to be going well, but there is that nagging discontent. There is that desire for something more and we wonder just how to find it. There is a promise for us and it is the same promise that these early Jesus-followers received. It is the promise of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Jesus told us in John 14:15-16 that he would have to go away, but that when he did go away, he would send us “another advocate.” He was talking about the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God is the Father’s gift to every believer in Christ. Through his indwelling presence in our lives, we are connected to God. We have the very life of God living in us. He has been given to us to be our resource and guide, to help us through every problem, to make the Word of God alive to us, and to make Jesus real to us. The gift of the Holy Spirit is given to every Jesus-follower to enable us to live an exciting, dynamic, abundant life of the Spirit. The promise given to the early Jesus-followers is the same promise we need today. And, of course, it is the promise given to us.

In Acts 2:39 we read, “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

The promise is for every Jesus-follower.

2. The priority from God to receive

⁶ So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel ?” ⁷ He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

However wonderful the promise was, we find that the disciples had their minds on other things. Their priority was a different one. They needed to focus on God’s priority, not their own, but they were distracted by this life. That is why they said what they did.

Jesus was speaking to them about a spiritual reality which would change their lives. But they were thinking of a temporal kingdom of a physical nature. Perhaps the reason was because they were bound up in their own traditional interpretations of what Messiah would do. The Jews believed that Messiah would come to liberate them from the oppressive iron hand of Rome . It is certain that these disciples knew of those teachings and wanted to see Israel returned to its previous glory. But that was not what God was about. As a matter of fact, God wanted them to anticipate the future.

Are we aware that reverence for the past can sometimes block what God wants to do in the present?

All too often churches try to return to something wonderful that happened years ago, when God is attempting to do a new thing in their midst. Many times the Spirit is grieved and quenched by well meaning Jesus-followers who are unwilling to move forward into the future because they will not let go of the past.

So Jesus responds to their question by telling them that they are not thinking in the right way. They should not be worrying about timetables for earthly concerns; they should be open to what God was trying to tell them. God was trying to introduce them to a new dimension of living and they were not listening.

It is hard for us to change our way of viewing things. Over the years we have done things a certain way and thought about things a certain way. It’s hard to change. The preferences and prejudices of people die hard, even when they are wrong. But we must never close ourselves off to new ways of doing things, especially when they are born of God. The message never changes, but the methods do. And if we are to be on the cutting edge of what God is doing in trying to reach this world, we must be ready to take risks and try new things. This is true both in our personal lives and in our life as a church. Our priority must be to hear God’s voice and be sensitive to his Spirit’s guidance.

3. The power from the Spirit to achieve

⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

We have seen that there is a promise given to us of the gift of the Holy Spirit, and that we need to focus in on God’s priority to do a new thing in us. Now let’s look at the kind of power the Holy Spirit wishes to give us.

The promise of the Holy Spirit was a promise of power. The word for power is the Greek word dúnamis. From that word we derive our English word dynamite and dynamic. The power of God is the dynamic and explosive force of the Spirit in the lives of believers. There is incredible power there. But power to do what?

The power we receive is the power to be witnesses. Here we are encountered by another interesting word. It is the word for witness in Greek — the word mártus. It is from this word mártus that we derive our English word martyr. The martyrs for the faith were those who testified for Jesus even with their death. In many ways God is calling us to become witnesses in this same sense. While we may not have to lay down our lives in an arena with real lions, we must lay our lives down in terms of our privacy and schedules and become available to others to share what Christ means to us and what he can mean to them.

This is what it means to be a witness. To be a witness means that there is not only an inflow to our lives, but that there is also an outflow. And without such an outflow, we become like a stagnant swamp or the Dead Sea . Our lives will become dull and dreary and devoid of vibrant life, no matter how much we take in through Bible study and teaching. We are to be flowing channels, not holding tanks. A free flowing river purifies itself and is alive with life. So the Jesus-followers who become involved with others in sharing the gospel discover the reason for their existence on planet earth.

D.L Moody said, “I believe firmly that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and everything that is contrary to God’s law, the Holy Spirit will fill every corner of our hearts. But if we are full of pride and conceit and ambition and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God. We must be emptied before we can be filled.”

The Holy Spirit’s power and gifts are never given to be spent on ourselves. There are some like this — people who want a private experience of the Spirit without pouring themselves out for people or giving themselves away to touch human suffering. They are like “Spiritual Butterflies.” They flit from one meeting to another, from one seminar to another, from one Bible study to another, sipping a little spiritual nectar here, a little there, but never becoming committed anywhere so they can give out in service as well as take in. We are called to be witnesses personally—this task is accomplished sequentially and simultaneously.

Let’s see the extent of that witness. They were to start in Jerusalem . That was their own community. Mission begins at home; right where we live. We must never mistakenly think that mission is only out there across the ocean somewhere. Hell is no less hot for the lost of the Covina Valley. This is the place to begin. This is our primary mission field.

Then they were to move to Judea . That was their country. Then on to Samaria . That extended the ministry further into their continent. And finally, they were to go into the remotest parts of the earth. Beginning at home they were to be witnesses in ever widening circles to the entire planet earth. That was their call. But it is ours as well. The great commission is given to every Jesus-follower. We must see that as the great underlying purpose for which we exist on this planet. Only as we go about fulfilling that purpose will we find purpose and meaning for our lives.

But it will take power to do it. And that is what we get in the gift of the Holy Spirit. We receive power to witness! And as we witness, we receive greater power — for ourselves to live for Jesus and to share his love. We must turn to Christ that he may fill us with the power of his Holy Spirit. God’s Word commands us to be continually “filled with the Spirit” in Ephesians 5:18. It’s possible to be a believer and not have power, but it is impossible to live the fulfilling, abundant Christian life without it.

How can we get the air out of a glass? We can try to suck it out with a pump but that would create a vacuum and shatter the glass. The only way we can get air out of a glass is by pouring water into the glass and filling it to the brim. All the air is now removed. Continual pouring of water will insure that the glass will be continually filled. Victory in our lives as Jesus-followers is not accomplished by “sucking out a sin here and there,” but by being continually filled with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
“How do we become filled and stay filled?” We do so by an initial and ongoing act of surrender to Jesus. We do so by prayer, inviting him to take control of our lives. PRAYER: “Jesus, thank you for loving me so much that you died on the cross to pay in full for all of my sins. I am sorry for going my own way for so long. I now admit that I am a sinner who needs a Savior. I believe that Heaven is a gift that you alone can give me, a gift that I cannot earn and will never deserve. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and help me to become your child—the individual you created me to be as I choose to be renewed, follow you and become a worldchanger.”

Renewal is promised, so as we seek him with our whole heart, the Lord fills us with his Spirit and the power will come. The dynamic of the Holy Spirit will become the energizing dynamic of our lives. The reason why we are here — our purpose in life — is to be filled with God! Amen.