Whose Commands Will We Obey? (Acts 4:1-22)

The scene: Peter and John before the Sanhedrin, the ruling authorities for the Jewish people. The back story: Peter and John had just healed a lame man, followed by Peter giving a speech about Jesus to an astonished crowd.

The conversation continued for a few hours there in Solomon’s porch. Suddenly, the head of the temple police and some members of the Sadducean party interrupted Peter and John. They were indignant and angry because Peter and John were enthusiastically teaching that in Jesus, resurrection of the dead is possible—an idea the Sadducees completely rejected.

So they arrested Peter, John, and the man who was healed and kept them in jail overnight.  But Peter and John had now convinced about 5,000 people to believe their message about Jesus (nearly two thousand converts since the day of Pentecost).

The next morning, the Jewish leaders—their officials, elders, and scholars—called a meeting in Jerusalem presided over by Annas (the patriarch of the ruling priestly clan), along with Caiaphas (his son-in-law), John,[1] Alexander,[2] and other members of their clan. They made their prisoners stand in the middle of the assembly and questioned them.

Jewish Leaders: “By what kind of power or what kind of name (whose authority) did you do this?”

Peter[3] (filled with the Spirit):  “Rulers and elders of the people, yesterday a good deed was done. Someone who was sick was healed. If you’re asking us how this happened, I want all of you and all of the people of Israel to know this man standing in front of you—who has been made whole[4] —was healed by the authority of Jesus of Nazareth, the Anointed One.

This is the same Jesus whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead. He is “the stone that you builders rejected who has become the very stone that holds together the entire foundation”[5] on which a new temple is being built. There is no one else who can rescue/save us, and there is no other name under heaven given to any human by whom we may be rescued/saved.”[6]

Now the leaders were surprised and confused. They looked at Peter and John and realized they were typical peasants— they “did not know the scrolls” and were untrained (idios).  The leaders recognized them as companions of Jesus.  But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together.

Jewish Leaders: “What do we do with these fellows? Anyone who lives in Jerusalem will know an unexplainable sign has been performed through these two preachers. We can’t deny their story. The best we can do is try to keep it from spreading. So let’s warn them to stop speaking to anybody in this name.”

The leaders brought the prisoners back in and prohibited them from doing any more speaking or teaching in the name of Jesus. Peter and John listened quietly and then replied,

Peter and John: “You are the judges here, so we’ll leave it up to you to judge whether it is right in the sight of God to obey your commands or God’s. But one thing we can tell you: we cannot possibly restrain ourselves from speaking about what we have seen and heard with our own eyes and ears.”

The council threatened them again, but finally let them go because public opinion strongly supported Peter and John and this man who had received this miraculous sign. He was over 40 years old, so his situation was known to many people, and they couldn’t help but glorify God for his healing.

* * * * *

The Trouble With Truth (it might be different than we think it is)

Jesus said, 

“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)

“IF you hold to my teaching.” The Sanhedrin already had a theological framework about what they assumed God must be like, and it wasn’t Jesus. Peter’s eyewitness accounts of Jesus (and the healed man standing right there) destabilized them. They had to choose: cling to their certainty in something that they were wrong about, or be open to God doing something new in Jesus.[7] This is the way truth works. It isn’t neutral; it always takes a side. It either affirms us or challenges us. When God does work in our lives, whatever is false is going to have to go and get replaced with whatever is true. Don’t be surprised if this hits all areas of our lives.

• Considering 2000 years of different traditions and denominations, could we have misunderstood God’s nature due to distorted teachings or traditions?

• Are we too tied to just one view of the cross, like Penal Substitution, when church history offers other perspectives that also offer beautiful insight?

• What do we do when we find out that a leader we admire is actually drawing us away from Jesus rather than closer either through their words or through the model of their life?

• What if we find out that the way we are representing Jesus is pushing people way instead of drawing them closer?  Could we recognize that our end goal is noble but that our means of getting there is not great?

In all these situations, we have the opportunity to respond to or resist the nudging of the Holy Spirit. Will it bring out humility or a hardness of heart? Will it make us inquisitive or defensive? Will we be excited about learning more, or will we be dismayed that we might have been wrong?

Truth is that it might be different than we thought it was, and we have to make choices about what to do when we find this out.

The Sanhedrin: The Problem of Power and Privilege

This is the problem the Sanhedrin is facing. The Sanhedrin’s resistance to truth was both theological and personal.

First, they had an idea of what the Messiah must look like, and it wasn’t an itinerant carpenter from Galilee who was going to challenge them rather than applaud them.

Second, the religious leaders listed in Acts were very cozy with Rome. The Sadducees blended the leadership of God’s people with the power of Rome.[8] The leader named John apparently “found favor in the eyes of Ceasar,” and Alexander was “highly esteemed by Agrippa.”[9] Rome wasn’t impressed by their witness; Rome was pleased at their subservience. For the Sadducees, embracing Jesus meant risking Rome’s wrath.

The people were offered Jesus, and they chose Barabbas, a Zealot, in hopes of crushing Rome with a more violent Messiah. The Sanhedrin were offered Jesus and they chose Rome, in hopes of keep their status quo comfortable.

When truth challenges our status, comfort, or plans,  we face the same choice. Are we acting in Jesus’ name -embodying His character – or are we acting in the name of someone or something else?

Filled With The Spirit (that he already had)

Unlike the Sanhedrin (who clung to cultural power) or the people (who kept joining Zealot revolutions), Peter and John leaned on the power of the Holy Spirit in their stand for truth.

Peter had received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Yet in Ephesians 5:18, Paul wrote to Christians in Ephesus who already had the Holy Spirit, “Cram yourself full with the Spirit.”[10]

Somehow, we have it – and there’s more! Maybe think of the Holy Spirit as a great lake we have been given. For you Great Lakes fans, there are special types of water movements, called storm surges and seiches, that happen when a storm moves across the lake. There isn’t less water; it just sometimes surges.

There are moments when the Spirit surges in power for witness, courage, and clarity. When this happens, ordinary people represent Jesus well and spread the good news of the gospel in ways they never thought possible. And when we cooperate with the work of the Holy Spirit, the Kingdom of God takes back some ground from the enemy of our souls.

No Other Name Will Save Us

Empowered by the Spirit, Peter boldly told the Sanhedrin that only Jesus saves. That exclusive claim still shapes our witness today. No one but Jesus can take our sins upon Himself and trade it for His righteousness. No one but Jesus conquered the power of death. No one but Jesus has both the power and the love to redeem any soul. John tells us God did this for the world[11] -  whosoever will may come.[12]

This makes Christianity an inclusive faith in that all are invited to the spiritual banquet Jesus provides, but we make the exclusive claim that salvation is found only in Jesus.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5)

It is the unique sufficiency of Christ who alone bears our sin, conquers death, and gives life, and gifts the Holy Spirit of God to fill and guide us. And that will lead to situations where the work God does is impossible to miss.

He Was Standing Right There

Speaking of work God does that is impossible to miss, the healed man was standing right there before the Sanhedrin. After 40 years, he was walking in front of the whole community. People can push back against doctrine – and they do - but it’s much harder to argue with a changed life. When we think of different kinds of “apologetics” for this faith,  a changed life remains powerful.

• The greedy person who is now the most generous in the church

• the addict who is free

• the gossiper who now speaks words of life

• the sexual sinner who chooses a life of purity

• the angry dude who is now the gentlest in the group

• the one who lets go of years of bitterness and rage and forgives the one who hurt them

These stories are all around us to remind us that Jesus does good work in the world. They are standing right there – or sitting right next to you this morning.

Whose Commands Will We Obey?

The story starts with a question: “By what name…?” It ends with, “Whose commands will we obey?” [13] Jesus asks us the same thing: Who will we obey? Who will we cooperate with when we do work in the world?

Peter and John’s witness forced the Sanhedrin to either embrace God’s truth in Jesus and enter the Kingdom, or cling to their old beliefs and miss out. What will we do? Will we let Jesus’ truth reshape our lives? Here’s what that might look like.

• When the world says to hate our enemies, Jesus says the way of the Kingdom is to love them (Matthew 5:43–44; Luke 6:27–28).

• When the world says that “lording it over others” shows who is important, Jesus tells us the way of the Kingdom is to wash each other’s feet in humble service (Mark 10:42–45; John 13:12–15).

• Where the world loves boasting, Jesus values humility (Luke 14:11; Philippians 2:5–8).

• When the world tramples on “the least of these,” Jesus says that those in His kingdom should care for them (Matthew 25:40).

• When the world equates our value with productivity and usefulness to others, Jesus says, “Come to me…in my Kingdom I will give you rest”(Matthew 11:28–30).

• When the world says gentleness and kindness are weak, God gives them as fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23), proof that the Holy Spirit is moving in us with power.

• When the world loves mockery and name-calling, Jesus insists that his Kingdom should be full of words of life (Matthew 5:22; Colossians 4:6; James 3).

• When the world says “It’s your life; do what you want,” Jesus says, “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me” (Luke 9:23–24) as we look out for “one another” (94 verses in the New Testament).

So we are going to have make choices as God’s truth calls us out from the value systems of empires and into the righteous calling of the Kingdom.

But in Acts 4, Peter and John weren’t yet challenging Rome. They were challenging the Sanhedrin. They were challenging religious leaders who claimed to speak for God but did not and were steering God’s people in the wrong direction. With that in mind, let’s look inside the American church to see where, even today, we must be wise in discerning if we are listening to God’s truth or a distortion of it.

When today’s Christian leaders…

• …tell us that wealth and luxury are markers of faith, Jesus challenges us to give generously, store up treasure in heaven, and identify with the poor (Luke 12:15–21; Matthew 25:35–40), warning how hard it is for the wealthy to enter into the Kingdom of God (Mark 10).

• …tell us that the church’s reputation must be protected at all costs by covering up sin and silencing victims, Jesus calls us to expose unfruitful works of darkness, confess our sins, bring hidden things into the light and seek restoration (Ephesians 5:11; James 5:19; Luke 12:2–3; 1 John 1:7).

• …stoke panic over the newest area of cultural decline (“It’s us against them!”), Jesus calls us to trust in His sovereignty and love fearlessly, building bridges across divides (1 John 4:18; Matthew 5:44–45)” (It’s us for them!”) as we go to the highways and byways to let everyone know the King is inviting them the banquet table of His love. (Luke 14).

• …insist that getting every little detail of theology perfectly right is the way to please God, Jesus reminds us that loving God and loving others with justice, mercy and humility pleases God (Micah 6:8; John 13:34-35; Colossians 1:10; Hebrews 13:16)

• …that it’s okay to fight culture wars with culture’s weapons (the ends justify the means), Jesus reminds us not to forget the Jesus way: blessing enemies, and overcoming evil with good (Matthew 5:43–48; Romans 12:20–21), so that the means don’t ruin us in the end (Leviticus 10:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:5).

• …that a proud exclusion of outsiders (people whose sin offends us more than our own sin does) is being faithful to God, Jesus shows us the way of agape love: inviting the outsider in, eating with sinners, and practicing repentance together (John 4; Luke 15:1–2; James 5:16).

Check out the list of what we just covered. If you look at all the wonderful things Jesus calls us to, if this characterizes us consistently, is this not a vision that is life-giving in so many ways?

We would be freed from the pressure to prove ourselves, perform for others, or conform to passing cultural trends. Instead, we could rest in the love of Christ and be filled with the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17–19)

Our church communities would be marked not by scandal, division, or pride, but by cruciform love— lifting up the name of Jesus by bearing each other’s burdens, practicing honesty and repentance, and welcoming whosoever will come (Galatians 6:2; Romans 15:7; Revelation 22:17). The church would be a living witness to God’s kingdom breaking into this world.

Our local community would not look at Christians and see they hypocrisy, greed or unrighteous judgment that headlines love to point out. They would see humility, generosity, and sacrificial love. As Jesus Himself promised: 

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).

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[1] “This was  [likely] Jochanan ben Zaccai, who was very famous at that time in the Jewish nation. Of him it is said in the Talmud, Jucas. fol. 60: "Rabbin Jochanan ben Zaccai the priest lived 120 years. He found favour in the eyes of Caesar.” (Adam Clarke)

[2] “This was probably Alexander Lysimachus, one of the richest Jews of his time, who made great presents to the temple, and was highly esteemed by King Agrippa.” (Adam Clarke)

[3] “Now was fulfilled the promise of Christ, Matthew 10:18-20; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake; but take no thought how or what ye shall speak; for it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you.” (Adam Clarke)

[4] “The verb, as in our Lord’s words, “Thy faith hath made thee whole” (Mark 10:52; Luke 7:50), has a pregnant, underlying meaning, suggesting the thought of a spiritual as well as bodily restoration.” (Ellicott’s Commentary)

[5] (Psalm 118:22)

[6] “St Peter thus intimates that the cure of the lame man is only a sign of the power of salvation for the soul which was in Jesus. The people were to draw from the effect produced by “Arise and walk,” the conclusion that the same power could as surely give the greater blessing, “thy sins be forgiven thee” (Matthew 9:5).” (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges)

[7] Gamaliel’s is soon going to comment that “If this is of God, you will not be able to stop it.” (Acts 5:38-39). And of course, they didn’t stop it. What would the Sanhedrin do with that?

[8] We covered this in a fair amount of detail in our Gospel Harmony series.

[9] According to Adam Clarke

[10] Okay, it is “be filled” with the Holy Spirit in most translations, but the verb tense suggests it’s an ongoing process of being filled to the brim.

[11] John 3

[12] Romans 22:17

[13] The Old Testament prophets had already called the people of God to choose wisely (Joshua 24:15: “Choose this day whom you will serve.”) In Revelation 13 vs. Revelation 14, John uses the image of a beast vs. a Lamb and asks whose mark we will take.

God’s Plan To Bless The World (Acts 3:17-26)

Last week we read that Peter and John healed a lame man. When an astonished crowd gathered, it was time for a speech!

“The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Servant Jesus; whom you delivered up, and denied before the face of Pilate, when Pilate had determined to release him. You denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted unto you,  and killed the Prince of life; whom God raised from the dead, whereof we are witnesses.[1] 

And by faith in his Name has his Name made this man strong, whom you see and know:  the faith which is through him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. 

The good news: Jesus, the Prince of Life, the long awaited Messiah, healed that man. The bad news: you killed him. This week, we are picking up from there.

“Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance (when you crucified Jesus), as did your leaders.[2]  

Ancient Near East thinking had a legal principle that ignorance removes culpability. Judaism had a variation on that. In Jewish thinking, ignorance lessens blame but doesn’t remove guilt in the sense that wrong things still happened and they must be addressed.

“Now if the whole congregation/a leader/one of the common people of Israel strays unintentionally…and they violate any of the LORD’s commandments and incur guilt by doing what is forbidden, when they become aware of the sin they have committed, then [they] must bring [an offering]. (Leviticus 4)

Even if they didn’t mean to do it, it happened, and it must be addressed.  There’s a line in Hamlet where he says to another character, whom he had wronged: “I shot an arrow over the house and hurt my brother.” It’s that idea. He didn’t mean to hit him, but he did – maybe he shouldn’t have been casually shooting arrows over a house? - and now that he is aware, there needs to be a repentant response.

* * * * *

“I know that you acted in ignorance (when you crucified Jesus), as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer.” 

To a Jewish audience, Peter points to the prophecies of suffering Messiah. He will cite Deuteronomy 18:15 in v. 22. He could have added Isaiah 53 (#sufferingservant), Psalm 16:8–11 (#resurrection), and Psalm 22 (#crucifixion). Contrary to the Zealot’s hope, Jesus was a Messiah who would save the world through giving His own blood instead of taking the blood of others. The Messiah was arriving in the power of cruciform love.

* * * * *

 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,  and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 

The idea of blotting out had roots in Israel’s Scriptures and rituals. In Numbers 5, a priest literally washed ink from a scroll into water, erasing the written curse as part of a judgment ritual. In Psalm 51, David pleads for God to “blot out” his transgressions, using the language of wiping a wax tablet clean, while Isaiah 43 and 44 picture God blotting out sins as effortlessly as a cloud vanishing from the sky.

The people had said, “His blood be upon us, and upon our children” (Matthew 27:25). They are going to need some “blotting out” of the curse they called upon themselves. To hear that sins could be “blotted out” was to hear that the record of transgression could be erased, the cloud of guilt could dissipate, and the covenant relationship could be fully renewed.

This repentance brings times of refreshing, which could mean, according to various commentaries: the gift of the Holy Spirit; the ongoing, renewing presence of Jesus; life in the age to come; the millennial reign of Jesus (depending on your view of End Times); a window of time before the fall of the Temple in AD 70.[3]

Though people disagree on some points on that list, this much is clear: a refreshing repentance involves turning away from sin and turning toward God in faith. The image in the original language is that of changing direction. I was going that way; I have pivoted and am not going this way. It’s an active change of habit and lifestyle that reflects the goodness of life in the Kingdom of God.

* * * * *

He has blotted out by his authority the bill of our debts which was adverse to us and he took it from the midst and nailed it to his cross. Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised from ages past[4] through his holy prophets.

“Restoring everything” (apokatastasis) is reversal of brokenness: order instead of chaos, peace where there is strife, a groaning creation restored and whole. The Prophets foretold this:

“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them… They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:6-9)

How thoroughly does water cover the sea? Entirely. Is “the earth” referring to Israel? Humanity? The entire cosmos? Church history has been full of speculation. This is for sure: It points to a renewal of creation (think of the New Heaven and New Earth in Revelation) and the restoration of God’s children. Adam Clarke has a good summary.

In Acts 1:6, when the disciples said to Christ, “Will you at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” they meant, “Will you take the kingdom from the Romans, and give it back to the Jews?” But [the restitution of all things] must mean the accomplishment of all the prophecies and promises contained in the Old Testament relative to the kingdom of Christ upon earth…

The grace of the Gospel was intended to destroy the reign of sin; its energetic influence is represented as restoring all things, destroying the bad state, and establishing the good, taking the kingdom out of the hands of sin and Satan, and putting it into [the hands] of righteousness and truth.

In every believing soul, all things are restored… and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keeps the heart and mind in the knowledge and love of God…Jesus Christ comes to raise up humanity from a state of ruin, and restore to us the image of God, as we possessed it at the beginning.” (Adam Clarke)

* * * * *

For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’  Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets[5] who have spoken have foretold these days.[6] 

His argument is basically that taking Moses seriously will lead to a true belief in Jesus.[7] Jesus was the new and better Moses, a law-giver of new law that would build upon and then supersede the old law. [8]

* * * * *

And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’[9] When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

This is full of hopeful promise. While they may be guilty, they are the heirs of the promise made to Abraham that through them all peoples on earth shall receive blessings.[10] Peter had not yet had the vision to take this message to the Gentiles (Acts 10),[11] so it is possible that Peter did not yet appreciate the full scope of this promise. Everyone, everywhere would benefit from the presentation of Jesus. Like Jesus said, he would draw all people to himself. [12]

Paul will eventually teach that all those who follow Jesus are now “Abraham’s offspring” (Galatians 3:16, 29), the ones through whom God intends to bless the nations. And that’s us  More on that in a minute.

I thought I might try to offer this in one smooth presentation of the passage with all the commentary we just covered blended in. I think it’s helpful to go through each part, but then it’s easy to lose sight of the forest for all of the trees. Let’s check out the forest before we hit some closing points.

Acts 3:17–26, Rewritten with Commentary Embedded

Brothers and sisters, I know you acted in ignorance when you rejected Jesus—and I know your leaders did the same. If you had truly recognized Him as the Messiah, you would not have crucified Him. Even so, ignorance doesn’t erase responsibility.

You still bear guilt. But take heart: your sin is not beyond forgiveness. Remember, even as Jesus was dying, He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Yet all of this—your rejection, His suffering, His death—was not outside of God’s control.

This is precisely what God foretold long ago through His prophets: that the Messiah would suffer. You’ve read of Isaiah’s Servant “pierced for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53). You’ve prayed the Psalms that describe His crucifixion (Psalm 22) and His resurrection (Psalm 16).

You didn’t realize it then, but all of that pointed to Him. So now, repent. Turn away from sin and turn toward God. Do this so your sins may be wiped away—blotted out, erased like ink wiped off parchment. The record of guilt that condemns you, the handwriting of your debts, will be destroyed.

Think of Israel’s rituals, when the curse written in a book was washed away with bitter water. God offers something greater—the erasure of every accusation against you by the cleansing of his blood. Repentance is not loss. It leads to life. It opens the floodgates of refreshment from the Lord.

That refreshment may come as the Spirit’s presence filling you, as the healing you’ve longed for, as renewal of your soul, or as the foretaste of the kingdom still to come. And in the end, when the time is right, God will send the Messiah once more.

But for now, heaven must hold Him, until the day comes for God to restore all things. Remember what the prophets promised: creation renewed, peace between wolf and lamb (Isaiah 11), a new heaven and earth (Isaiah 65), the restoration even of those once cast off (Ezekiel 16).

That is restoration: a world once ruined, brought back to its true order, humanity restored to the image of God. The grace of the gospel destroys the reign of sin and Satan, and gives the kingdom back to righteousness and truth. That restoration will fill the whole earth, as Scripture itself promises.

Moses told our ancestors, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people. You must listen to everything He tells you.” Moses was pointing to the final Prophet, the true Mediator, the new Lawgiver. To listen to Him is to remain in covenant blessing; to refuse Him is to cut yourself off from life itself.

From Samuel onward, every prophet spoke of these days. Samuel anointed David, to whom God promised an everlasting kingdom. You are heirs of those promises. God said to Abraham, “Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.” That offspring is Christ—and through Him the blessing now extends to all nations.

And notice the order of grace: God raised up His Servant, Jesus, and sent Him first to you—to bless you by turning each of you from your wickedness. You, the children of the covenant, the ones who called for His blood, are the first invited to receive the mercy provided by His blood.

And in turning back, you will not only find forgiveness—you will discover the life of faith, love, joy, and hope that He gives.

* * * * *

So where does that leave us?

First, it means we live in hope. That the people could be forgiven for killing Jesus ought to give all of us hope. It’s hard to imagine a greater crime than deicide. And yet here is Peter – who had betrayed Jesus himself – reminding them of the mercy of God. I was thinking of this great song by Julie Miller called “Broken Things.”

“You can have my heart, though it isn't new
It's been used and broken, and only comes in blue
It's been down a long road, and it got dirty along the way
If I give it to you, will you make it clean and wash the shame away?

You can have my heart, if you don't mind broken things
You can have my life; you don't mind these tears
Well, I heard that you make old things new, so I give these pieces all to you
If you want it, you can have my heart

The same God who restored those guilty of crucifying Jesus can restore us from our guilt and shame. Our history is not our destiny. When we are that lost sheep- whether because we sprinted away or we just got lost – how long does Jesus look? Until he finds us.[13] If you are thinking, “I am a lost sheep, and I don’t feel found,” don’t worry – he’s coming for you. He said he would.

Second, it means we live in repentance. Peter calls his audience — and us — to turn back to God, to align ourselves with the Messiah who brings blessing. Repentance isn’t about groveling; it’s about walking into the light of restoration. Awareness of our sin is not meant to drive us to despair. It’s meant to bring about a godly sorrow that leads to repentance and draws us to the grace-filled, loving forgiveness of Jesus. Think of how the Father cut off the Prodigal Son in the midst of his prepared speech. The son didn’t need to grovel. He needed to get ready for a celebration because he was home.

Apparently when we embrace repentance as a normal part of our life, we will experience refreshing.  I suspect it’s more than just an inner spiritual reality; I think it’s also practical. When we learn how to sincerely repent to each other, it’s refreshing to us. We don’t have to carry around our defensiveness and self-justification. We can let go of the anger we use to bully our way through confrontation to avoid acknowledging our own failure. We can be free to honestly asses ourselves an imperfect image bearer of God and be really pleased with what looks like Jesus in us and surrender what doesn’t to the restorative power of Jesus. And it’s refreshing to be able to do that honestly, without shame or hiding. 

Third, it means we live on mission. If God’s heart is to bless all people through Jesus, then our calling as the “body of Christ” is to let everyone around us know that God plans to bless all people through Jesus.

We do this with our words when we speak the good news of the Gospel: God so loved the world that He gave Son so that we may have life and not death.[14] We tell them we know a Great Physician who can heal even the sickest of souls. We tell them and remind each other, “Come, all who are weary and heavy laden, and Christ will give you rest.”[15]

We do this with our lives by embodying cruciform love, expending our lives in expressions of love that follow the lead of Jesus. We love everyone, even our enemies; we bless those who curse us; we protect and provide for “the least of these”; we bring healing where there is hurt; we offer a faithful presence to the lonely and the wandering and invite them into a community of Jesus followers who will be faithfully present with them as God does His work. We get the privilege and responsibility of showing the world — through our words and our lives — what Jesus is like, so that the world experiences the blessing God intends for all.

St. Clement of Rome (A 1st century disciple of Peter)

“Grant us, Lord, to hope in your Name, the source of all creation; open the eyes of our hearts, that we may know you alone are highest among the high, ever faithful, showing mercy to those who trust in you. Through Jesus Christ, the high priest of our offerings, the guardian and helper of our souls, through whom be glory and majesty to you now and for all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

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[1] Note again the collective responsibility we talked about a couple weeks ago. All had some accountability even if they had not participated directly.

[2] Adam Clarke calls this “a very tender excuse for them.” This is a gentle approach for Peter after just pointing out that THEY KILLED JESUS.

[3] For example, “When the times of refreshing shall come —signifies a breathing time, or respite, and may be here applied to the space that elapsed from this time till the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. This was a time of respite, which God gave them to repent of their sins, and be converted to himself.” (Adam Clarke)

[4] “Since the world began. — it is sometimes applied, by way of accommodation, to denote the whole course of any one period, such as the Mosaic dispensation. Genesis 21:33. It may therefore here refer to that state of things from the giving of the law; and as Moses is mentioned in the next verse, and none before him, it is probable that the phrase should be so understood here..” (Adam Clarke)

[5] Samuel was the prophet who anointed David to be king and spoke of the establishment of his kingdom (cf. 1Sa 16:13; see also 13:14; 15:28; 28:17). Furthermore, Nathan's prophecy regarding the establishment of David's "offspring" as recorded in 2Sa 7:12-16 was accepted in certain quarters within Judaism as having messianic relevance and was taken by Christians as having been most completely fulfilled in Jesus (cf. 13:22-23, 34; Heb 1:5). (Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament)

[6] Interestingly, Moses and Samuel are mentioned in the same breath by David. Psalm 99:6 states: "Moses and Aaron were among his priests, and Samuel also was among those who called on his name. They called on the Lord, and he answered them."

[7] Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament

[8] “A new commandment I give to you: Love one another, as I have loved you.”

[9] Genesis 22:18

[10] “Once again we are reminded of the inclusiveness of the gospel (see also 2:39).” (Africa Study Bible)

[11] (Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary of the New Testament)

[12] John 12:32

[13] Luke 15:3-7

[14] John 3:16, my paraphrase

[15] Matthew 11:28

“His Name Made This Man Strong” (Acts 3: 1-26)

Now Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer (the ninth hour). And a certain man who was lame from his mother’s womb they laid daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for some alms. 

And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him, with John, said, “Look on us.” And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none; but what I have, that give I up. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”[1] 

And he took him by the right hand, and raised him up: and immediately his feet and his ankle-bones received strength. And leaping up, he stood, and began to walk; and he entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.[2] 

And all the people saw him walking and praising God,  and they took knowledge of him, that it was he that sat for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. They were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.[3]

And as he held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in Solomon’s Porch[4] greatly wondering. And when Peter saw it, he said to the people, “You people of Israel, why do you marvel at this man? Why do you fasten your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him to walk? 

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Servant Jesus; whom you delivered up, and denied before the face of Pilate, when Pilate had determined to release him. You denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted unto you,  and killed the Prince of life; whom God raised from the dead, whereof we are witnesses.[5] 

And by faith in his Name has his Name made this man strong, whom you see and know:  the faith which is through him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. 

What does it mean that “His Name made this man strong”? I’ve been doing some work on this verse, and I am pleased to tell you…I have a tentative answer that may not satisfy you as we explore our faith and the faithfulness of God :)

First, of all, what is this ‘Name’? And what does it mean that faith in this Name brought strength?

“The Name… is not the syllables which are sounded ‘Jesus Christ.’ They are, in the view of the Old Testament, attempts at a summary description of things by their prominent characteristics… the ‘Name’ of God [is] equivalent to ‘that which God is manifested to be’…[6]

In Acts 5 we read that the Apostles ‘departed from the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for ‘the Name,’ and we find at a much later date that missionaries of the Gospel are described by the Apostle John as going forth ‘for the sake of the Name.’” (Maclaren’s Exposition)

That’s a good summary of what is noted in many commentaries. The Name of God is the being and reputation of God, revealed specifically in Jesus.

When in John 14:13-14, Jesus promises, "Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do," he is saying that when you ask for something that aligns with his character and nature – and thus his will – he will do it.

In Philippians 2:9-11, Paul declares that God has given Jesus ‘the name that is above every name’ – I mean, he was God in the flesh - so that every knee will bow and every tongue joyfully confess the lordship of Jesus. They won’t bow because of the syllables; they will bow in awe of Jesus.[7] Jesus IS the Name above all names.

It reminds me that the commandment not to take God’s name in vain is not about the syllables (though how we treat the spoken name of God reveals something about our heart toward God). Don’t claim to be in God’s family and then blaspheme God’s reputation. [8]

Meanwhile, who is having faith in this verse? Check out this translation, which highlights the ambiguity in the original language.

“And by the faith of his Name, this one whom you see and know, he has restored and healed, and faith in him has given him this health before you all." (Aramaic Bible in Plain English)

In this translation, the man is restored and healed by the faith of his Name – or, the faith/faithfulness of Jesus. There is faith in him, but it’s not clear what the source is. Was it his? It doesn’t seem to be, because he didn’t even ask to be healed. Was it the faithfulness of the Name in him? Was it the faith inside of Peter and John?

This isn’t the only time we see this kind of room for discussion. Galatians 2:20 can be rendered two different ways:

"The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in/by the faith(fulness) of the Son of God."

So, let’s explore the word we translate as “faith” in the New Testament, which has a range of potential meaning. In Scripture, “faith” (pistis) can mean:

·      trust, belief, conviction (something you feel)

·      faithfulness and reliability (something you do)

Both God and humanity are said to have pistis (faith or faithfulness):

·      At times it is what we feel and do (if we have faith in God)

·      Other times, it points toward the posture of God toward us (He is faithful to us).

Romans 3:3 is a great example:

“What if some were unfaithful? Will their faithlessness (apistia) nullify the faithfulness (pistin) of God?”

So, is faith something we work to build, or do we have it in the measure God gives it to us? Or both? Is it like genetics, where we have been dealt a hand and we can decide if we want to maximize it by working at it? Or is it more like being given a finite allotment, and allowance, and some will get more than others? As you are likely already thinking, these differences matter.

If faith – the feeling or belief - is something that we work to build, then it seems like when miraculous things (like the healing of the lame man) do or don’t happen, it’s because of us. This would mean my dad died because he or those of us around him lacked faith. God was just waiting for us to get stronger, and we ran out of time. This would mean that our bad health reflects weak faith. This would look at almost every situation in which there is sin or sickness and lay the blame at our feet for our lack of faith. That’s a heavy burden to carry when we have been promised a yolk that is easy, and a burden that is light.[9] I wonder how Paul would respond to this considering how he prayed for a “thorn in his flesh” to be removed (2 Corinthians 12:9) and Jesus basically said, “No, but relax. My grace is sufficient.”

On the other hand, maybe a big part of understanding faith has to do with understanding God’s faithfulness towards us, how God is faithfully present with all of us in whatever journey we are on, working and moving as God sees fit, sometimes moving by His Holy Spirit, and sometimes moving tangibly through us. This would mean my dad’s story unfolded the way it did not because we didn’t even have faith the size of a mustard seed,[10] but because God’s sovereign plan did not involve my dad’s temporary healing in this world, but instead involved his ultimate healing in the world to come.

This list could go on. Name the situation in your life that did not go or is not going as you hoped it would. In this view, God is present, active, and faithfully at work not either because of our faith or in spite of it. (Here I am thinking of Paul again, when God intervened in his life while he was persecuting followers of Jesus).

The Bible seems to say both these things at different times, almost as if faith is complex and God wants us to wrestle with this together My goal today is to accomplish two things: I want to help us to rest in the confidence that God, the author and finisher of our faith, has given us a measure of faith by His grace. I also want to invite us to embrace what that means as we step into the high calling that comes with faith.

Let’s start with verses (and there are definitely more!) that present faith as something we are given, and then we strengthen it.

·      “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver…”(James 1:6) 

·      “Beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith…keep yourselves in the love of God...” (Jude 20–21).[11]

Then there are the verse that suggest it’s something God gives us.

·      Christ is “the author and finisher of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2)

·       “To another, faith by the same Spirit” in reference to spiritual gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:9)

·       “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has measured out to each of you.” (Romans 12:3)[12]

* * * * *

So, how is it both God’s free gift and something we build?

The Eastern Orthodox church likes to talk about the synergy of faith: God initiates; we respond and build with the help of the Holy Spirit in the process of becoming more and more like Jesus. God's grace-filled gift of a measure of faith is the primary and essential factor, yet we respond to this through our choices, actions, and spiritual striving (think of Paul “pressing on to the high calling of God” in Philippians 3:14). 

In this view, perhaps we could think of faith as a dance. When our boys got married, Sheila and I practiced dancing. This was not in my wheelhouse. It was fascinating to me to slowly learn the subtleties involved in leading and responding in slow dancing. We both had to be attuned to the rhythm of th song, paying attention to nudgings and promptings. It took us a while, but we figured it out. It was such a better way of dancing than we had tried before.

Where God leads with His grace-filled offer of faith, we are invited to respond, to follow His lead through obedience and trust, becoming more like Christ by cooperating with the Holy Spirit. God is always going to lead, and we are daily choosing to follow His lead or not. We will need to be attuned, responding to the nudges of the Holy Spirit. We will need to be focused with that relationship as the primary point of our focus. And then we dance a holy dance filled with faith as we follow the lead of our Savior.

If you like gardening analogies, think of God planting a seed we are called to tend.[13] God’s going to make it grow (1 Corinthians 3), but we participate by adding fertilizer, watering, etc. God gives us the privilege of investing sweat equity in His plan.

You might be thinking that this means we CAN tell who has the most impressive faith. They will have more impressive fruit, right?  (And usually by that we mean an outward sign or wonder like Peter and John did).

Since God “assigns the measure of faith”, we must remember that the result of our cooperation will look different. Don’t forget what we just read:

“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has measured out to each of you.” (Romans 12:3)

When Paul wrote to the church in Corinth about the way they were being generous with the finances they had been given, he noted an important principle:

“For if the willingness is there, the what you give is acceptable according to what your have, not according to what you don’t have.” (2 Corinthians 8:12)

It would have been easy to see what others were giving and reach a conclusion about the state of their heart. Only a dollar? I doubt THEY are righteous and generous. Yeah, but what if they only had ten dollars, while the critic had a thousand and gave ten? Who is the most generous?

This is a good reminder not to compare people and make assumptions about whether or not someone is walking in faith based on marquee events like healing. We don’t know what measure of faith God has given to others; we don’t have insight into how they are tending the seeds of faith God has planted.

Someone who looks like they are crushing it might be squandering an immense gift they have been given. Someone who looks like they are struggling might be tending their mustard seed of faith with great care.

It also might be the case that a different kind of sign and wonder is taking place that others don’t see. A transformed heart, a healed soul, a new ability to love, a first step into repentance or forgiveness, freedom from greed or lust. All of this is indeed a wonder. It’s all a sign that faith is making us whole. (Mark 5:34)

I wonder sometimes if part of what makes faith hard to understand is that we assume it to be grand and showy and outwardly observable, when it is often quiet and ordinary and transformative in ways not so easily seen.

* * * * *

We still haven’t landed on a clean definition of what faith is. I’m looking for foundational things. Let’s go to Hebrews 1. I find this translation to be helpful.

“Now faith is the foundation of that for which we hope, and a conviction of the reality of things which we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

We already noted that a faithful God gives us a measure of faith as a foundation for our lives. What results from that? What does this enable us to do according to Hebrews?

First, it enables us to believe in the reality of things we can’t see with our eyes. I think this is a call back to Jesus telling Thomas that those who didn’t have to see Jesus in order to believe in him were blessed.[14] I do have that faith: I believe that Jesus was who he claimed to be: God in the flesh, the Savior of the world, the Great Physician, the Healer and Restorer we all long for in our hearts. If you believe this too, we are joined together in this kind of faith in Jesus.

Second, having hope in the power and love of God to do hopeful things in the world seems to be a sign of having faith. Another good way to think of this is having trust. If we trust that God has in fact reconciled the world to himself through the cruciform love of Jesus,[15] and that He is going to finish the work He begins in us, and that one day He will make all things new,[16] then we are joined together in our trust in the faithfulness of God.

I have often wondered just what kind of man of faith I am. I’m just looking for a mustard seed’s worth.[17] Like I said, I’ve never healed a lame person. I have prayed for the sick, and sometimes they got better and sometimes they didn’t. I have dealt with anxiety for years, and also had really good stretches of peace. Sheila and I had times of despair in our marriage where it was not at all easy to lean on Jesus in trust and hope, and then other times when it was clear that God had not abandoned us at all. There have been times when, like the Psalmist, I want to yell, “Where are you?” and then other times I think: “Oh. You were right here all along.”

So because I wonder this a lot, I started to make a list this week of what measure God has given me if I gauge what it means to have faith by biblical standards. I am sharing this with you not because I expect it to put me on a pedestal - there will be no healings on this list - but because I am inviting you to find yourself in this list to find the seeds of faith God has given you to nurture.

·      I trust that Jesus is who He said He is: God incarnate, the hope of our salvation, the Risen Savior who takes away the sin of the world. I think that’s faith.

·      I trust that God can do anything God wants to do, and that whatever God wants to do is good even if I can’t see it. I think that’s faith.                                                               

·      I trust that God is love by nature, and that “the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning,”(Lamentations 3:22–23), even when I don’t feel it.  I think that’s faith.

·      I trust that God heals us either by healing us now or by ushering us into eternity for our ultimate healing when He reconciles all things to Himself (Acts 3:21) and will wipe all the bitter tears from my eyes. I think that’s faith.

·      I trust that following His lead in the dance of faith is good, even if I don’t understand it and even while I might question Him about it. I think that’s faith.

·      I trust that the path of righteousness God has laid out is for my good and God’s glory, so I have sought to follow His loving path through my love-motivated obedience. I think that’s faith.

·      When I stumble in the path or wander from it, I trust that He runs toward me not away from me because God is for me, not against me, and a good Father does not abandon His children, but will instead search for His lost sheep until they are found. I think that’s faith.

·      I trust that God can take my life and make something good of it[18], in spite of all my attempts to undermine it, or in spite of the harmful things done to me by others. I think that’s faith.

·      Here is my last, and most important one. I rest in the fact that God’s faithfulness depends on His nature, not my perfection. “If we are faithless (apistoumen), He remains faithful(pistos), for He is not able to deny Himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13). I rest in that. I think that’s faith.  

I invite you to anchor in this unshakeable truth: God is faithful. Whether your faith feels strong or fragile today, God's faithfulness holds you in the measure you have been given. God is enough, and His gift will be enough.

Whatever role Peter and John played in the lame man’s healing, the man ultimately walked because of the faithfulness of Jesus’ Name. We too are being made whole — maybe not always in the ways we expect, but always by the same faithful Name. The Great Physician will complete His good work in you, restoring all things in His time. Let us respond in trust, stepping into His mission with hopeful hearts, knowing His mercies are new every morning

________________________________________________________________________________

[1] Interesting that this isn’t about the lame man’s faith (since he likely didn’t know Jesus).

[2] The Messianic age is here. Isaiah 35:3-6 prophesied the lame leaping like deer in the messianic age.

[3] Quick note: this is a Jewish audience at the Temple. Peter’s upcoming speech is going to pull from their Jewish history.

[4] A covered walkway in the outer courtyard.

[5] Note again the collective responsibility. All had some accountability even if they had not participated directly.

[6] Proverbs 18:10: “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.”

[7] In Acts 4:12, Peter boldly proclaims, ‘There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’ The Name of Jesus isn’t just a label—it’s the embodiment of His authority, His character, and His saving power.

[8] “Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes, “This use of name = power, and even as an absolute equivalent for God, is very Jewish; cp. Acts 4:12. The usage grew out of such passages as Psalm 106:8, “He saved them for His name’s sake.”

[9] Matthew 11:30

[10] Matthew 17:20

[11] Or this one: “[Abraham] grew strong in his faith…” (Romans 4:20-21)

[12] Or these: “By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not from works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)  “It has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him.” (Philippians 1:29) Peter will later talk of believers as those “who by Him do believe in God, that your faith and hope might be in God.” (1 Peter 1:21)  

[13] “Faith is not what makes God’s love true for us; faith is what allows us to enjoy and participate in it.” (Brad Jersak)

[14] John 20:29

[15] 2 Corinthians 5:19

[16] Revelation 21:5

[17] Matthew 17:19

[18] Romans 8:28

“All The Believers Were Together” (Acts 2:42-47)

The Situation: Jerusalem was filled with a TON of Jewish people there for Pentecost. Thousands had just joined the ranks of the church. Maybe think of what is described at the end of Acts 2 as an initial “honeymoon” phase as everyone is really excited about becoming part of the Kingdom of God with all its implications.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.[1] All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.   

Every day they continued to meet in one accord in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.[2] 

If this is how it started, this is probably going to have some implications for how it is going to keep going, even for us. So, let’s take a look at details.

The apostle’s teaching. What is often considered the first creed in the early church is found in 1 Corinthians 15:1-11.

“Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 

After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born (?)[3]. 

For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

I once preached a sermon called, “You Are What You Creed.” I made the point that Christianity is a creedal religion, and I covered a lot of the historical creeds and our Statement of Faith (which is on our website). I am more inclined now to say, “You Are What You Love,”[4] with the idea that Christianity is primarily relational, not creedal. We put structure around the relationship to make sure we don’t get confused about who it is that we love or why we love them – and that’s the creeds.

Here’s an analogy. I can give you a whole creed about who Sheila is. I can tell you her birthday, her favorite foods and TV shows, what her ideal day looks like. I can differentiate her from anybody else. I could even put it in a formal statement and recite it every day. But that’s not the foundation of our relationship, our covenant. I know her; I interact with her; I spend time with her. We fellowship. It’s personal, and it’s defined by love.

Creeds aren’t the heart of our faith; Jesus is. But creeds matter, because they remind us who Jesus is so that our love is properly focused, and we don’t wander or forget.

Fellowship. Fellowship included the sharing of material goods, but it was about more than that. Being “in one place” or “in one accord” had to do with being united around Jesus, on a shared mission, in which they looked out for each other. Remember how I said Acts 2 describes a honeymoon phase? Later, Paul is going to have step in do some correction. Here’s an excerpt from a letter to the church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 10).

For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea.  They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food  and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them.

Everything was really good, until it wasn’t. It turns out there was a problem. (I’m skipping ahead in the chapter).

Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf… “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive.  No one should seek their own good, but the good of others…

A selfish dynamic had crept in. They were together, but not looking out for each other. They were together, but not considering one another. They were all about “me,” not “us.” If you read the whole chapter, Paul calls this idolatry.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God -  even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

As much as it was in his power, Paul wanted to remove anything that would cause others to stumble. If there was a way Paul could say or do something differently to connect to those around him without compromise, he wanted to do that. If he needed to reign in his liberty to protect those around him, he would.

That’s a lot of work. Doing that requires observation, reflection, pray, and patience. We might have to get to know people before we bless them with our profound insight for their lives. We might have to walk with them for a while so that our advice matches what they are going through. 

But if we are all in communion with Jesus – eating and drinking from his provision – that’s what life together will look like. We are going to seek the good of the many, just like Jesus does.

The breaking of bread. This was likely both the Lord’s Supper and a larger fellowship meal.[5] This was often done together. Here is the ideal vision from my commentary crush, Adam Clarke:

They had no severe fasts…and no splendid feasts: all was moderation, and all was contentment. They were full of gladness, spiritual joy and happiness; and singleness of heart, everyone worthy of the confidence of their neighbor; and all walking by the same rule, and minding the same thing.” (Adam Clarke)

That sound great. It’s a beautiful vision of community. It just didn’t always happen. Paul again, having to do some later correction where once again they are looking for their own good instead of the good of others:

“In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good.  In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it.  No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. 

So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? 

What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!... So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 

For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.[6] 

Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world. So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.” (1 Corinthians 11)

In Corinth, partaking of the Lord’s Supper together included a full meal meant to display the unity and love of Christ’s body. But the wealthy were arriving early, eating and drinking to excess, while the poor came later to find little or nothing left. Paul’s warning about eating “in an unworthy manner” has something to do with failing to honor Christ and His body — both in the reverent taking of communion and the reverent care of His people.

I suspect that the judgment was real and practical: some were overindulging and becoming sick, others were going hungry to the point of illness or death. God’s discipline aimed to correct them- and save them in a very practical way. The solution was simple: wait for one another, share equally, and if you’re just hungry, eat at home. The shared supper is not about satisfying appetites but proclaiming the cruciform love displayed in Christ’s death by living with unity and love. Once again, seeking the good of the many.

Prayer. “Prayers is literally “the prayers” in Greek, perhaps referring to specific liturgical prayers, such as the Psalms. Because the Psalms point so clearly to Christ, Christians immediately incorporated them into NT worship.[7] To this day, for example, Psalm 145 is recited three times a day by observant Jewish worshippers, a custom that was in place when Jesus was alive. When the first followers of Jesus met in the temple and prayed, they were almost certainly following this custom. Liturgical churches today would have a similar service. In our non-denominational, evangelical tradition, the equivalent is probably singing together.

They and had everything in common, selling property and possessions to help those in need. The Greek word for “fellowship” is Kiononiai; the word for “common” is Koina. Fellowship is going to mean that every fellow was on the same ship. They were a crew, together, sailing in the same direction, working together for a common goal.

There was an already existing custom in Jerusalem during public religious feasts in which homes, beds, cooking equipment, and water were freely shared. In Acts 2, this seems to have gone further: believers sold possessions and distributed the proceeds to meet needs. This was likely because the new converts were staying longer than planned after Pentecost, and there were a lot of them.

Later instructions for church collections (1 Cor. 16:1) show that both wealthy and poor still existed in the church, and participation in selling goods was voluntary (Acts 5:4).[8] People still had personal possessions (see Acts 12:12; 18:7). But this was the bottom line in Christian community:

“The early Christians… valued people more than property.” (NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)

What we see in Acts and other places in the NT letters is that when churches saw need, they consistently met the need. Sometimes it was great, and the sacrifice was great. Sometimes it was less, and less was required.

“St. Chrysostom noted…that in this poverty of spirit, in this sense of brotherhood, “the poor man knew no shame, the rich no haughtiness.”  (Expositors Greek Testament)

Basically, they responded to the situations in front of them. Our generosity is meant to be a response to God’s generous grace to us, which we can pass on in very practical ways.

This sharing of all one’s real estate and personal property was the inevitable fruit of lives that were filled with the Holy Spirit. It has been said, “A real Christian could not bear to have too much when others have too little.” (Believer’s Bible Commentary)

This is, once again, a commitment to seeking the good of the many even if it is through costly generosity, just as Jesus himself modeled for us.

* * * * *

A final note: “They enjoyed the favor of all the people.” Mark recorded of Jesus that “the common people heard Him gladly.” (Mark 12:37) This seems to be the case with the apostles as well.

“It does not mean that all the people had become reconciled to Christianity; but their humble, serious, and devoted lives won the favor of the great mass of the community, and silenced opposition...there it nothing so well suited to do this as the humble and consistent lives of [Christ’s] friends.” (Barne’s Notes on the Bible)

I had the impression growing up that the more people outside the church disliked me, the more it was likely I was doing something right. If I got along too well with non-Christians, it probably meant I wasn’t standing up boldly enough for my faith. Tension was a good sign of faithful witness.

Sometimes, tension is a sign of faithful witness. If we are going to speak and live with prophetic integrity, we are going to create some tension. We will come across this later in the book of Acts, and we will address that approach when we get to it. And there have certainly been times in church history where Christians have been persecuted by all.

That is true, but this is true also: the first followers of Jesus enjoyed the favor of all the people, and the common people who heard Jesus gladly likely heard what they had to say with the same response.

There can be two dangers I see here. One is thinking that being liked means were being effective, and that’s not necessarily true. Jesus wasn’t always liked, and he was very effective going about his Father’s business. The other is thinking that being disliked means we are being effective, and that’s not necessarily true either. Jesus was often liked, and that didn’t mean he wasn’t being bold enough.

Paul said when he preached of a crucified Christ, it was a stumbling block to his Jewish audience and foolishness to his Greek audience. (1 Corinthians 1:23-25) The Holy Spirit is going to have to do Holy Spirit work. That’s in God’s hands. What is in our hands? How loving and grace-filled we are in the presentation of Jesus, both through our words and our lives.  Maybe think of it this way.

If Morgan Freeman was the spokesperson for a planned community, I would be ready to move there right now, because everything I know about Morgan Freeman is so great. If that community has that kind of people there, I want to be a part of it.

If Jeffrey Epstein was the spokesperson, not only would I not want to live there, but I would actively tell others not to live there. If that community is going to have that kind of person there, no thanks.

The Apostle Paul said that we kind of function like that on behalf of Jesus:

“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.” (1 Corinthians 5:20)

Good ambassadors say good and true things on behalf of the one who sent them – that’s one kind of message. They also live a particular way on behalf of the one who sent them – that’s another kind of message.

Ambassadors for Jesus are called to talk and walk like Jesus. When this happens consistently, something powerful takes place: people catch a glimpse of a better kingdom. Not everyone will want it, but many will — because it looks like Jesus, and Jesus is still good news. The early church showed us that it’s possible to speak truthfully, live humbly, and win the favor of even those who don’t yet believe – but who often soon will.

We cannot control how people respond to the content of our message, but we can embody the message in a way that’s clear, kind, and compelling. “Let your light shine before others,” Jesus said, “so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) Let’s be that kind of people, the kind that make others say, “If that’s what Jesus is like, I want to know Him.”

__________________________________________________________________________

[1] God gave the apostles (this book is called the “Acts of the Apostles ) the power to display the arrival of a new Kingdom through signs and wonders that revealed the heart of God and brought about receptivity to the gospel. Hebrews 2:3-4 “This salvation was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, and was affirmed by God through signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.” 2 Corinthians 12:12 “The marks of a true apostle—signs, wonders, and miracles—were performed among you with great perseverance. ”Romans 15:19 “…by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.”

[2] Also Acts 4: 32-35 “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.”

[3] “The apostle refers to a proverbial way of speaking among the common people at Rome, who used to call such supernumerary senators in the times of Augustus Caesar, who got into the senate house by favor or bribery, "abortives…" and therefore calls himself by this name, as being in his own opinion a supernumerary apostle.” (Adam Clarke)

[4] I highly recommend James K.A. Smith’s book on this. The title is…wait for it…. You Are What You Love.

[5] The same verb [klaō] is used of breaking bread at the ordinary meal (Lu 24:30) or the Lord’s Supper (Lu 22:19)

[6] “His attitude toward the Lord at His table revealed with shocking evidence the spiritual condition of many a Corinthian Christian—his carnality and blindness as one “not distinguishing the body”. (Expositor’s Bible Commentary) This is some type if temporal, not eternal punishment, as the reason assigned for these judgments is that they might not be condemned with the wicked -  1 Corinthians 11:32. (Barne’s Notes On The Bible) “We see from ver. 32 that this "judgment" had a purely merciful and disciplinary character.” (Pulpit Commentary)

[7] Orthodox Study Bible

[8] Peter told Ananias and Sapphira that they did not have to sell their property and give away the money (5:4).

Inaugurating a Righteous Generation (Acts 2)

Last week, we read a large section from Acts 2 about Pentecost, the speech that Peter gave, and his concluding line:

“Let God rescue you from this wicked[1] generation!”

Last week we focused on how God called the geographical nation of His people to be holy, to be separated, from the wickedness found in the nations around them. We then applied it to the church, which Peter describes as a “holy nation” that is intended to “proclaim the praises of Him who called you.”

In addition, Paul had something to say about generations,

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.” (Philippians 2)

We are going to keep talking this morning about how we proclaim the praises of God (“shine like stars”) through the community we create as a church. Of course, the church is made up of individuals, so have a church that proclaims the praises of God with our lives means having churches that are filled with individuals who proclaim the praises of God with their lives.

To do this, I want to offer a contrast we see in Scripture. Let’s look first at Matthew 23, the infamous chapter of “woes” Jesus proclaims to the Pharisees. The religious leaders were doing things that made them part of a warped and crooked generation. In doing so, Jesus sounds a lot like an OT prophet.

Harshness: “They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads (of the Law) and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.” This echoes the OT theme of oppressing the vulnerable through religious or legal systems (see Micah 6:8; Zech. 7:9-10).

Pride: “Everything they do is done for people to see.” This matches OT critiques of arrogant rulers and false piety (see Isaiah 58, where the people fasted to be seen, not to seek justice).

Gatekeeping: “You do not enter [the Kingdom], nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” This parallels the OT call against arrogance and national elitism but not it’s religious elitism, drawing the boundaries for who was allowed in to the community of God’s people (see Jonah, Isaiah 56).

Corruption: “You make [converts] twice as much a child of hell as you are.” Another place Jesus said they were children of their father, the devil, meaning they were like him. (John 8) They didn’t disciple people into the kingdom; they either push them away or turn them into disciples of the devil. This echoes Malachi 2:8, “You have caused many to stumble…”

Oath-breaking. “You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ You blind fools!” In other words, they are finding ways to break their word. This links with OT themes of corrupt courts and false covenants (Amos 2; Isaiah 1:23). The Law had become a tool for lies.

Confused Priorities. “You give a tenth of your spices…you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.” This is the justice neglect theme again (Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8). Do both, of course, but never ignore the weightier matters, the ones that involve people.

Hypocrisy: “You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence…on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” God sees the heart (1 Samuel 16:7), not the outward appearance.

Violence: “You build tombs for the prophets… (but)… complete what your ancestors started!” They prove Jesus to be true when they get him crucified.

Jesus seems to be echoing the Old Testament prophets. In other places we see the Old Testament warning emerge in line with what we talked about last week. Meanwhile, a new vision of what it looks like to be a holy and righteous generation emerges.

Idolatry & Detestable Practices vs True Worship[2]

- Idolatry (Gal. 5:20; Col. 3:5) 
- Trusting in created things (Rom. 1) 
- Sorcery and occult (Gal. 5:20)

- Worship God alone (Rom. 12:1) 
- Serve the Creator, not creation (Rom. 1:25)

Religious Hypocrisy vs. Religious Integrity[3]

- “Having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Tim. 3:5) 
- Saying but not doing (Matt. 23) 
- Pretending righteousness (Matt. 23)

- Genuine faith/obedience (James 1:22) 
- Pure religion: caring for the vulnerable (James 1:27)

Oppression of the Vulnerable vs Care and Generosity[4]

- Exploiting the weak (James 5:4) 
- Favoritism (James 2:1–9) 
- Greed (Eph. 5:3; 1 Tim. 6:10)

- Care for the poor (Rom. 12:13) 
- Generosity and justice (1 Tim. 6:18; 2 Cor. 8:13–15)

Violence and Bloodshed vs Peacemaking[5]

- Murder, rage (Matt. 15:19) 
- Hatred, fits of rage (Gal. 5:20)

- Peacemaking (Rom. 12:18) 
- Kindness and forgiveness (Eph. 4:32)

Greed and Materialism vs Contentment and Generosity[6]

- Covetousness (Col. 3:5) 
- Greed (Eph. 5:3) 
- Love of money (1 Tim. 6:10)

- Contentment (Heb. 13:5) 
- Generosity (1 Tim. 6:18)

Pride and Arrogance vs Humble Service[7]

- Pride (Mark 7:22; 2 Tim. 3:2) 
- Boastfulness, selfish ambition, slander (Phil. 2:3; Gal. 5:20)

- Humility (Phil. 2:3; 1 Pet. 5:5)

- servanthood (Gal. 5:13)

Injustice vs Justice (Righteousness) [8]

- Deceit (Mark 7:22; Col. 3:9) 
- Partiality in courts (James 2:6) 
- Slander and lying (Eph. 4:25; James 4:11)

- Honesty and fairness (Eph. 4:25; James 5:12) 
- Advocacy for justice (Matt. 23:23; James 5:1–6)

Sexual Immorality vs Purity and Honor[9]

- Sexual immorality, impurity, lust (Matt. 15:19; Gal. 5:19; Eph. 5:3) 
- Fornication, adultery (Mark 7:21)

- Holiness, self-control (1 Thess. 4:3–5) 
- Honoring God with the body (1 Cor. 6:18–20)

Breaking Covenants vs. Keeping Covenants[10]

- Swearing deceitfully (James 5:12) 
- Lying and theft (Col. 3:9; Gal 5:20) 

- Truthfulness (Eph. 4:25) 
- Integrity even when it costs (Psalm 15:4; echoed in Matt. 5:37)

Trust in our own Strength vs Trusting in God[11]

- Trusting in riches (1 Tim. 6:17) 
- Boasting in power or wealth (James 4:13–16)

- Trust in God’s provision (Phil. 4:19; Matt. 6:33) 
- Strength in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9–10)

Other Sins of the Heart vs Inward Holiness

- Evil thoughts (Matt. 15:19) 
- Envy (Gal. 5:21; Mark 7:22) 
- Bitterness (Heb. 12:15) 
- Foolishness (Mark 7:22; Eph. 5:15–17)

- Renewed mind (Rom. 12:2) 
- Spiritual wisdom (Col. 1:9–10) 
- Joy and peace in the Spirit (Rom. 14:17; Gal. 5:22)

We are called out of that wickedness and into a Path of Life as a witness to the glory of God not just in what God can do in us, but what God can do in whole communities of people transformed by the cruciform love of Jesus. God, through His love, has shown us the path to life for our good and His glory.

Where the world is marked by cruelty, the church practices compassion.

We don’t burden others with shame or legalism; we gently lift the fallen and bear each other’s burdens. We embrace truth and boldness but we reject harshness in favor of mercy, reflecting the heart of the Shepherd who searches for His lost sheep until he finds it, and then carries it home.

Where the world celebrates image and performance, we embrace authenticity.

Our worship is not a show. Our prayers are not for attention. Our music is not for fame. My sermons are not to impress you. All of these things are a faithful response to the love of God. In God’s Kingdom, we don’t need to pretend to be more righteous than we are. In confession, accountability and vulnerability, we become well acquainted with the grace and love of God as we extend it and receive it from God’s people.

Where the world excludes, we open doors.

This church refuses to be gatekeepers of God’s grace, determining just how many of the “whosoever will” may come. (Revelation 22:17) We welcome the weary, the outsider, the sick, the sinner, the seeker. We welcome our neighbors – which the Parable of the Good Samaritan hints is everybody. We are not tribal or partial for any reason. We embody the radical hospitality of the Kingdom, where all who are weary and heavy laden, and need the rest that Jesus gives, are welcome.

Where the world is full of corruption, we are truthful and trustworthy.

We keep our word, even when it hurts. Our “yes” means “yes”. We don’t manipulate with spiritual language or power games. We don’t take advantage of anyone around us. We never use position, power or proximity to use people. We speak truth in love; we prove we are trustworthy by simply being worthy of trust over and over again. That kind of integrity is a light that chases away the darkness of deceit and duplicity.

Where the world neglects justice(righteousness), we champion it.

We don’t tithe scrupulously while ignoring the cries of the oppressed. We do both the little things and the big things because we know that God has called us to do so, and in His way is the Path of Abundant Life. (John 10:10) We speak for those who have no voice, or whose voices are being drowned out by injustice and corruption whether that is outside the church or inside the church. We advocate for those who are overlooked or left behind. We ask for true justice – for things to be made right - when people are hurt by others. We ask for a wise application of mercy be part of the process.

God willing, the church will be the loudest voice defending the cause of the sick, the exploited, the poor, the powerless and voiceless in our community, our nation, and around the world.

Where the world focuses on appearance, we tend to the heart.

We know that holiness is not a façade or a costume. We examine our motives, not just our actions. We repent sincerely when needed, because we want to live in the blessing of righteous community (one where we are right with God and each other); we forgive freely, even when it’s hard – and it probably will be, because there is something to forgive that hurt us. We don’t want to just look righteous; we want to be righteous. We know that God judges the thoughts and intents of the heart, and we surrender our heart to Him for his purification.

Where the world is shaped by violence, anger, and revenge, we are peacemakers.

We refuse to repay evil for evil, but insist on overcoming evil with good. (Romans 12:21) We love our enemies; we bless those who curse us; pray for those who mistreat us. (Luke 6:27-28) We don’t avenge ourselves; we trust that God will take care of it. (Romans 12:19) We “give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (Romans 12:17-18) Lamech was going to avenge 70 times (Genesis 4:24); we follow Jesus and forgive 70x7.

Where the world flaunts wealth and conspicuous consumption, we practice generosity and simplicity.

We are not lazy or irresponsible, but we are content because we are free from the love of money, which is the root of all kinds of evil. (1 Timothy 6:10) We find financial peace by trusting God. (Hebrews 13:5) We are not driven by consumerism or competition. We know that life is not about an abundance of possessions. (Luke 12:15) We look forward to “giving as we are able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you." (Deuteronomy 16:17) We see our possessions as tools of blessing rather than markers of status. We take care of our neighbors in the church and the community as God provides us the means.

Where the world is full of pride, we are clothed in humility.

We don’t seek titles or positions; we serve joyfully in hidden places. Applause is nice – and we ought to find excuses to give it freely to others! – but we don’t need it. It is enough when God is pleased. We celebrate others’ gifts without jealousy and delight in their success. We don’t brag; we are content to simply be ourselves and let that speak for itself. Once again, we repent when we have hurt others, because we aren’t too proud to do that. We know we aren’t perfect, and that doesn’t fill us with shame. It just makes us aware that there might be times we will have make things right when we have done something wrong, and we do it.

Where the world is ruled by lust and selfish desire, we honor bodies, boundaries, and covenants.

Our love is patient and kind, never coercive or exploitative. It always protects. (1 Corinthians 13) Our relationships are marked by faithfulness, self-control, and deep respect. In a world where desire is often detached from dignity, where “consent” is the only ethic, and commitment is optional, the Church offers a better story. We proclaim that every body is sacred, every person made in the image of God. Sex is not just a transaction—it’s a covenantal act meant to reflect divine faithfulness. Our love sees others not as objects of gratification but as treasures to be protected. We are called to the kind of love that takes responsibility for the emotional, spiritual, and even physical well-being of others. The Church must be a place where the bodies of others are never tools for gratification because they are temples of the Holy Spirit.

Responsive Reading: A People Set Apart

(based on Acts 2, Matthew 23, Galatians 5, and the teachings of Jesus)

Leader: In a world darkened by cruelty and power,
People: We will walk in compassion, clothed with mercy and kindness.
Leader: Where hearts grow cold and violence reigns,
People: We will be peacemakers, bringing hope in the midst of strife.[12]

Leader: In an age obsessed with image and outward appearances,
People: We will value righteousness and purity of heart.
Leader: Where hypocrisy and performance deceive,
People: We will live with authenticity and grace.[13]

Leader: In a culture that rejects with unrighteous judgement,
People: We will move toward others in the name of Christ.
Leader: When others say, “We don’t want you here,”
People: We say, “Come to God’s table, there is room at the feast for all.”[14]

Leader: In a generation that calls evil good and good evil,
People: We will hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Leader: Where injustice is ignored and the weak are crushed,
People: We will act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.[15]

Leader: When the world chases wealth and self-exaltation,
People: We will pursue contentment, generosity, and humility.
Leader: Where pride builds thrones and hoards treasure,
People: We will follow the crucified King who gave himself for all.[16]

Leader: When people trade love for lust and covenant for convenience,
People: We will honor one another with boundaries and sacred trust.
Leader: Where others use and discard,
People: We will protect, cherish, and remain faithful.[17]

Leader: When others stir up hatred and division,
People: We will walk by the Spirit with love, peace, and self-control.
Leader: In the face of a crooked generation,
People: We will shine like stars by following in the footsteps of Jesus.[18]

________________________________________________________________________

[1] Or crooked, bent, or warped.

[2] Other passages: Rom 1:18–25; Gal. 5:20; Col. 3:5

[3] Other passages: Matt. 23; Mark 7:6; 2 Tim. 3:5; James 1:22, 27

[4] Other passages: James 2:1–9; 5:4; Rom. 12:13; 1 Tim. 6:18

[5] Other passages: Gal. 5:20; Matt. 15:19; Eph. 4:32; Rom. 12:18

[6] Other passages: Col. 3:5; Eph. 5:3; 1 Tim. 6:10, 18; Heb. 13:5

[7] Other passages: Mark 7:22; 2 Tim. 3:2; Phil. 2:3; 1 Pet. 5:5

[8] Other passages: Mark 7:22; Eph. 4:25; James 2:6; Col. 3:9

[9] Other passages: Matt. 15:19; Mark 7:21; Gal. 5:19; 1 Thess. 4:3–5; 1 Cor. 6:18–20

[10] Other passages: James 5:12; Col. 3:9; Eph. 4:25; Psalm 15; Matt. 5:37

[11] Other passages: 1 Tim. 6:17; James 4:13–16; Phil. 4:19; 2 Cor. 12:9–10

[12] "Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience."  (Colossians 3:12)

[13] "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." (Matthew 15:8)

[14] "Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." (Romans 15:7)

[15] "But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." (Amos 5:24)

[16] "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves."
(Philippians 2:3)

[17] "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality… that each one know how to control his own body in holiness and honor." (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4)

[18] "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." ( Galatians 5:22-23)

Pentecost: Leaving A Wicked Generation (Acts 2: 1-41)

When the Day of Pentecost[1] had finally arrived, they were all[2] together in the same place. 

The Day of Pentecost comes 50 days after Passover, so this is 50 days after Jesus’ death.

Suddenly there came from heaven a noise like the sound of a strong, blowing wind,[3] and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then tongues, seemingly made of fire, appeared to them, moving apart and coming to rest on each one of them.[4] They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other languages, as the spirit gave them the words to say.

This fulfills the prophecy of John the Baptist that Christ would “baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16). Similar to wind, “fire” in Scripture often indicates God’s presence(Exodus 3:2; 19:18; Isaiah. 4:5).[5]

There were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem at that time. When they heard this noise they gathered in a crowd.[6]They were deeply puzzled, because every single one of them could hear them speaking in his or her own native language. They were astonished and amazed.[7]

These are the same groups separated at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1–9). [8]This is one of the most obvious examples of what the folks at the Bible Project like to say: “the Bible tells a unified story.” Genesis 10 and 11 describe the nations moving apart as God scatters them to temper them. Acts 2 describes people moving inward toward Jerusalem, with the Holy Spirit then gathering nations to unify them. At Babel, people had tried to make a name for themselves. Now they are uniting around the name of Jesus.

This also prefigures the image of the life to come in Revelation, when every tribe and nation (Revelation 5:9 and 7:9) gather around the throne in unity. The Holy Spirit of God the Father, gifted by the Son, intends to bring righteous unity to our beautiful human diversity. Whenever tribes and nations live together in harmony, it’s a foretaste of heaven.

“These men who are doing the speaking are all Galileans,[9] aren’t they?” they said. “So how is it that each of us can hear them in our own mother tongues? There are [people from everywhere]. We can hear them speaking about the powerful things God has done—in our own languages!”

Everyone was astonished and perplexed. “What does it all mean?” they were asking each other. 1But some sneered. “They’re full of new wine!” they said. Then Peter got up, with the eleven. He spoke to them in a loud voice.

“People of Judaea!” he began. “All of you staying here in Jerusalem! There’s something you have to know! Listen to what I’m saying! These people aren’t drunk, as you imagine. It’s only nine o’clock in the morning! No, this is what the prophet Joel was talking about[10] when he said,

 In the last days,[11] declares God, I will pour out my spirit on all people. Your sons and your daughters[12] will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams; yes, even on slaves, men and women alike[13], will I pour out my spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy.

 And I will give signs in the heavens above, and portents on earth beneath, blood and fire and clouds of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and glorious day. And then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

“You people of Israel,” Peter continued, “listen to this. The man Jesus of Nazareth was marked out for you by God through the mighty works, signs and portents which God performed through him right here among you, as you all know.

Just a quick note: Peter says that the “signs and portents” of Joel were the “signs and portents” of Jesus ministry, death and resurrection. The blood, fire, clouds, smoke, darkness, moon turning into blood as part of the glorious day of the Lord. It’s a good reminder that biblical writers use wonderfully creative/apocalyptic language to describe things, and we need to be careful to appreciate the imagery without requiring it to be literal. #biblereadingtip 

 He was handed over in accordance with God’s determined purpose and foreknowledge—and you used people outside the law to nail him up and kill him. But God raised him from the dead! Death had its painful grip on him; but God released him from it, because it wasn’t possible for him to be mastered by it…[14]

My dear family, I can surely speak freely to you about the patriarch David. He died and was buried, and his tomb is here with us to this day.  He was of course a prophet, and he knew that God had sworn an oath to him to set one of his own physical offspring on his throne. He foresaw the Messiah’s resurrection, and spoke about him ‘not being left in Hades,’ and about his flesh ‘not seeing corruption.’

 This is the Jesus we’re talking about! God raised him from the dead, and all of us here are witnesses to the fact! Now he’s been exalted to God’s right hand; and what you see and hear is the result of the fact that he is pouring out the holy spirit,[15] which had been promised, and which he has received from the father…

“So the whole house of Israel must know this for a fact: God has made him Lord and Messiah—this Jesus, the one you crucified.” When they heard this, the people in the crowd were cut to the heart.

“Brothers,” they said to Peter and the other apostles, “what shall we do?” “Turn back!” replied Peter. “Be baptized—every single one of you—in the name of Jesus the Messiah, so that your sins can be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The promise is for you and for your children, and for everyone who is far away, as many as the Lord our God will call.” He carried on explaining things to them with many other words. “Let God rescue you,” he was urging them, “from this wicked generation!”

Those who welcomed his word were baptized. About three thousand people were added to the community that day.

I am going to get two, maybe three sermons out of this. Here’s Part One.

* * * * *

I mentioned last week that the call to repentance and invitation into life in Christ in the speeches in Acts often focused on the difference it would make right now. This is a great example. What will happen when people repent? God will rescue them from a wicked generation. The implication is that he will turn them into a righteous generation.

 This is not the only time we see this language in the Bible, so we have hyperlinks; we have context to know what Peter’s audience thought of when he said this.[16] As far as I can tell, here is the first mention in the OT.

“They (Israelites) are corrupt and not his children…. A perverse generation that is unfaithful… to their shame they are a wicked and perverse generation… (Deuteronomy 32: 5)

 Since we first find the language of a warped and crooked generations in the Old Testament, let’s start there.

I mentioned last week we will see two kinds of calls to repentance in Acts: national and individual. God called the physical, geographical nation of His people to be holy, set apart from the wicked and perverse people around them. They often were not. They would often embrace idolatry, and terrible practices always followed.

As the prophets speak in the Old Testament, we see patterns emerge of the sins God addresses when they show up in not just Israel but in the nations around them. I don’t believe that God holds people responsible for what they don’t know, so the fact that He held all the nations responsible to foundational moral standards tells me that God has put something in all people so that everyone knows foundational moral standards. Here’s what characterized wicked generations.

Idolatry[17]

Specifically, the “detestable practices” linked with it. The worship of idols is called out as foolish, but it’s the practices that follow that are the real problem.

Religious Hypocrisy[18]

This was specific to the Israelites. They were observing ceremonial law while ignoring justice, mercy, and righteousness. (Jesus called out the Pharisees on this.[19]) In the OT, the priests were taking bribes and getting rich from their ministry.

Oppression of the Poor and Vulnerable[20]

Exploiting the poor, widows, orphans, and foreigners (Tim Keller’s Quarter of the Vulnerable); charging excessive interest; confiscating property.

Violence and Bloodshed[21]

A society marked by violence, murder, and warfare. This was Ninevah’s specific sin for which Jonah was sent. Violence against women and children stands out (see Amos 1)

Greed and Materialism[22]

Land grabbing, luxury at others' expense, unchecked consumption, and the economic injustice that follows greed. This wasn’t saying wealth was bad; it was the means by which it was gotten. When others get hurt by those getting rich, it’s not good.

Pride and Arrogance[23]

National arrogance; assuming invincibility; claiming god-like power like Pharoah did. If Israel started to believe they had god-like power, they had forgotten their God.

Injustice in Legal Systems[24]

Courts favoring the wealthy; weighted scales; bribery (which favors the wealthy yet again); corrupt judges; the silencing of truth-tellers.

Sexual Immorality Linked to Idolatry[25]

Ritual prostitution (which even the Israelites participated in at times, which meant they were worshiping idols); adultery, incest and assault.

Breaking Covenants and Agreements[26]

Wicked nations did not keep their word. They betrayed treaties and alliances and committed political treachery. Amos called this breaking the Treaty of Brotherhood which everyone seemed to understand.[27]We could add entering into bad treaties as well: Israel began to make alliances with their pagan neighbors to win battles rather than relying on God.

Trusting in Military or Economic Strength Instead of God[28]

This one was also particular to Israel. God’s admonished Israel that their kings should not gather chariots (a conquering army), gold (wealth) or wives (political alliances that brought in idolatry).[29]That was the way of Egypt, not God’s people. God’s people were not to trust in violence, wealthy, or other gods.

So as far as nations go, there were definitely things that characterized a wicked generation. If you are thinking, “But not every individual in that nation supported what was happening,” I hear you. It’s the same tension we feel when we hear people talk about “systemic injustice” and we think, “But I don’t do that and I’m in the system!” So let’s talk about that 

In the Ancient Near East, virtually all nations had a collectivist culture. This included Israel. People saw themselves primarily as part of a group. Identity, responsibility, and honor/shame were shared communally just as much as individually. The idea was that everyone was to some degree culpable, because it was happening on their watch. Three quick examples:

• Achan’s sin (Joshua 7) brings guilt on all Israel. Somebody – anybody - should have stopped him.

• Daniel confesses his people’s sins, saying “we have sinned,” even though he personally was righteous. (Daniel 9)

• Peter said to his Jewish audience in Acts 1, “You crucified Jesus” when they personally had nothing to do with the actual crucifixion of Jesus. It happened on their watch.

 We have been raised in a very individualistic culture, so this probably feels  unfair to us. But this is the biblical moral ecosystem. The prophets in the Old Testament would call for a national repentance, not just an individual one. Repentance, then, was everyone being committed to the opposite of all the things that got them in trouble.

• Worship of Yahweh

• Religious integrity; actually living within the covenant agreement.

• Protection of the vulnerable

• Peace instead of violence and bloodshed

• Generosity over greed and exploitation

• ·National humility over arrogance

• A just legal system that did not show favoritism

• Sexual purity; honoring, not using, those around them

• Keeping treaties and agreements; being people of their word

• Trusting in God to protect and provide.

Fast forward. In the New Testament, Peter tells us, the church:

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you.” (1 Peter 2:9)

We, the church, are now a spiritual nation situated globally in the midst of all the physical nations in which we live. I’m going to try to modernize the previous list and apply it to the spiritual nation of church – our church, the church in America, and the church globally.

This isn’t a scolding or a scathing rebuke to any of you. This is like when I take my vehicle to the mechanic before a trip and ask him to run that diagnostic to see how my vehicle is doing. Think of this as a diagnostic check for the church: the American church, our church, ourselves.

What does it look like for us to be royal priesthood that proclaims the praises of God?

True Worship over idolatry. Tim Keller used to describe an idol as the things that “when they shake, we shake.” We might not have idols on our shelves, but we may entertain them in our hearts. Are we trusting in anything over God? Is there anything in our lives that when it starts to crumble, we start to crumble? Or do we trust that God is Good, that God loves and cares for us, and that God will provide? Can we rest in Jesus even in the midst of the worst trials? #trueworshipiswitness

Integrity over hypocrisy. Do we live guided by the covenant we have entered into with God? Do people around us know that the church practices what we preach? If we insist that God calls us to love others as Jesus loved us, are we displaying that love? If we call for generosity, are we generous? If we insist that a Christian sexual ethic is good for the culture, how are we doing in that area? If we want God’s Old Testament laws on classroom walls, are we modeling obedience in our own lives of not just those commandments, but of all the commands God gives to us that help us walk in righteous integrity? 

I just saw two stories yesterday where religious leaders of organizations promoting the implementation of Christian values in culture were arrested for the exploitation of children. The prophets would have something to say about that. Demanding a standard we don’t keep is hypocritical; modeling a standard others find compelling and life-giving is world-changing. The early church showed that. #integrityiswitness

Care for the vulnerable.  Are society’s “least of these” on the church’s radar? Are we looking out for them, starting in our family, then our church, then spreading into our community and nation? What practical things (within our means and opportunity) are we doing to ensure their well-being? We have a benevolence fund that can always use a boost; there are numerous non-profits in town that provide crucial services. There are global Christian organizations that care the vulnerable. It might be a personal gift to someone you know. #careiswitness

Meekness (“harnessed power”) over bullying. Is the church using power – whatever that looks like - to protect and not harm? Do people consistently get hurt by the church, or do they feel emotionally and relationally safe? (I don’t mean sheltered from hard and necessary truths; I mean that we aren’t putting stumbling blocks in their way through our words, attitudes, and actions). Does the church – and all of us in it – provide a welcoming presence that offers a compelling oasis to people desperate for safety and belonging? #meeknessiswitness

Contentment over greed[30]. Do those around us need to worry that money matters so much to us that it will be prioritized over people, or will they learn that followers of Jesus see wealth as a tool God gives us to further the Kingdom? Do we ever trample on others when we see the opportunity to make some money? Do we begrudgingly give as little as we can because it’s ridiculous that God thinks our money is His, or do we joyfully tithe/ share our resources as much as we can because generosity is really rewarding? Last week, a friend told me he hoped a business venture would yield a ton of money because, “I have so many places I want to support.” #contentmentiswitness[31]

Humility vs. pride. I think the modern application for the church might have to do with proudly declaring how good we are and how terrible the culture is. Meanwhile, scandal after scandal unfolds in the American church. It’s a discouraging news feed, and it’s crushing to our witness.

It turns out that sin crouches at everyone’s door, and we must “take heed, lest we fall.”[32] There is so much opportunity for humility and repentance. When there is sin in the institution of the church, it needs to be called out for the sake of those getting hurt and as a witness to the world.[33] We need to own it without excuses, repent, and learn from it to move into deeper righteousness and maturity is the way to go.  #humilityiswitness

Sexual Integrity. The world is full of exploitation, objectification and dehumanization. Is the church from top to bottom fighting against it and modeling a better way? Are we building a righteous view not just of sex but of people that is honoring of their imago dei? Are we building a community in which everyone knows they will not be exploited are used or ogled or lusted after, but will be loved with honor and integrity? #honoriswitness

A commitment to justice/righteousness (being right with God and others). It’s not just cultures that grant privilege to a few; the church can do that too. The letters in the New Testament make clear that was a problem right out of the gates. We tend to admire and prioritize some over others for all kinds of reasons. Do we ignore some who walk into our doors because we don’t think they are as important as others, or is everyone equally valued in our church community? God did not intend for there to be hierarchy of value in the Kingdom of God. Often, a huge way people experience the love of Jesus is through the love of the followers of Jesus. #justiceiswitness

Peter wrote that we are a holy nation to “proclaim the praises of Him who called you.” May our lives and communities we create sing His praises even louder than our voices.

______________________________________________________________________________
[1] The Greek word pentekoste means “fiftieth”

[2] The 120 assembled in the upper room (1:15)?

[3] Wind is an image for the Holy Spirit’s presence in Ezekiel 37:9, 13 and John 3:8.(ESV Reformation Study Bible)

[4] “Also significant is Luke's statement that these tokens of the Spirit's presence "separated and came to rest on each of them." This seems to suggest that, though under the old covenant the divine presence rested on Israel as a corporate entity and upon many of its leaders for special purposes, under the new covenant, as established by Jesus and inaugurated at Pentecost, the Spirit now rests upon each believer individually.” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)

[5] ESV Global Study Bible

[6] Fun Fact: The crowd’s presence indicates that the setting is the temple grounds. This was the only Jewish space in Jerusalem that could accommodate this many people. (ESV Global Study Bible)

[7] “According to Jewish tradition, God spoke in 70 languages (voices/qolot)…The Book of Jubilees reinforces this by claiming there were 70 Gentile nations.” (NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible) “These ideas provide an interpretive backdrop for Pentecost (see Ac 2, which contains many parallels to the Sinai revelation. For the early Christian, God’s original intent to speak to all nations expanded in the book of Acts.” (NIV First Century Study Bible)

[8] See “Babel Reversed: Acts 2:9–12, redemptivehistorytheology.com

[9] “Galileans had difficulty pronouncing gutturals and had the habit of swallowing syllables when speaking; so they were looked down upon by the people of Jerusalem as being provincial (cf. Mk 14:70).” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)

[10] The quotation is from the Greek Old Testament text of Joel 2:28–32.

[11] Apparently, the “last days” start at Pentecost 

[12] “The women in the upper room participated in the gift of the Spirit at Pentecost, further confirming Joel’s prophecy.” (ESV Global Study Bible)

[13] Last week, we talked about how the early church filled up with Empire outcasts!

“[14] Peter then quotes Psalms 16:8–11. I’m skipping it for the sake of time this morning. It’s the passage about God the Father not leaving Jesus in Sheol/Hades.

[15] “In the OT, only God could pour out God’s Spirit; Peter thus identifies Jesus as divine — God who pours out the Spirit in Joel 2:28 – 29.” (NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)

[16] We see something similar in other New Testament passages. Paul wrote, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.” (Philippians 2) Jesus rebuked the Pharisees who keep demanding more miracles and signs: “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign!” (Matthew 12)

[17] Isaiah 44, Jeremiah 10, Ezekiel 6, Amos 5:26, Hosea 4

[18] Isaiah 1, Amos 5, Micah 3 and 6, Ezekiel 22

[19] Matthew 23

[20] Amos 5; 3; 2:6–7, Isaiah 10:1–2, Ezekiel 16; 22:29, Zechariah 7:10, Psalm 12

[21] Micah 3:10, Hosea 4:2, Nahum 3:1; Ezekiel 22, Amos 1

[22] Isaiah 5:8, Amos 3, Micah 2

[23] Obadiah 1, Isaiah 14 (Babylon), Ezekiel 28 (Tyre)

[24] Amos 5, Isaiah 5, Micah 3

[25] Hosea 4, Isaiah 57, Ezekiel 22 and 23

[26] Ezekiel 17, Isaiah 33

[27] Amos 1

[28] Isaiah 31, Hosea 10,

[29] Deuteronomy 17

[30] Philippians 4:11-13

[31] On a personal note, this is why you will not hear us demand that you give/tithe to the church. We invite you to be generous as God moves you, as our announcement note  We need to pay the bills, but we would like to use funds God has inspired you to give joyfully.

[32] 1 Corinthians 10:12

[33] Historically, think of many churches that supported slavery, as well as the Doctrine of Discovery, (endorsed by both Catholic and Protestant institutions) which justified killing native Americans and taking their land because the native land was Canaan, and the conquerors were the new Israel. Currently, think of the child abuse/cover up scandal in the Catholic church, and the more recent sex abuse/cover-up scandal in the Southern Baptist Convention.

The Acts of the Apostles: Implementing the Kingdom of God (Acts 1)

Acts was written between 60 and 90 AD. It was written after all of Paul’s letters and after Luke wrote the gospel of Luke. It recounts the early history of the church.

To a lover of God, Theophilus: In my first book, I recounted the events of Jesus’ life—His actions, His teachings—  from the beginning of His life until He was taken up into heaven. After His great suffering and vindication, He showed His apostles that He was alive—appearing to them repeatedly over a period of 40 days, giving them many convincing proofs of His resurrection. 

As before, He spoke constantly of the kingdom of God. During these appearances, He had instructed His chosen messengers through the Holy Spirit, prohibiting them from leaving Jerusalem, but rather requiring them to wait there until they received what He called “the promise of the Father.”

 “This is what you heard Me teach— that just as John ritually cleansed people with water through baptism, so you will be washed with the Holy Spirit very soon.” When they had gathered just outside Jerusalem at the Mount of Olives, they asked Jesus, “Is now the time, Lord—the time when You will reestablish Your kingdom in our land of Israel?

Jesus replied,” The Father, on His own authority, has determined the ages and epochs of history, but you have not been given this knowledge.  Here’s the knowledge you need: you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. And you will be My witnesses, first here in Jerusalem, then beyond to Judea and Samaria, and finally to the farthest places on earth.” (Acts 1:1-8)

If you were here for our series in the Gospels, you may remember that Jesus taught a lot about the Kingdom of God. He also spent a lot of time correcting the misconceptions of what the Kingdom of God was going to look like.

• It wasn’t going to be characterized by legalism, which is how the Pharisees were trying to coax the Messiah to come.

• It wasn’t going to be ushered in with a violent sword, like the Zealots were trying to make happen.

• And it certainly wasn’t going to happen by blending with the Empire, like the Sadducees were doing.

Here is Jesus, raised from the dead, and his disciples are still confused about what is going to happen. But Jesus is patient and kind, so he teaches some more. I love his short explanation: “This is all you need – you will get the Holy Spirit, and then go witness.” I really wish I could have seen the expression on the disciple’s faces. This doesn’t sound like the way to establish a kingdom. And go to the Samaritans and Romans? Really? They are going to be in the Kingdom?

I was downstate doing some teaching for an organization called LEAD, which trains high schoolers on how to be faithfully present as followers of Jesus in business, entertainment, journalism, and government. I got there Wednesday and checked into my room on the campus of Spring Arbor University. I organized all my stuff and went to teach my first class. When I got back, my key would not unlock my door. So I texted Joe, the head honcho, and explained that my key didn’t work.

He sent a Spring Arbor security guy to help me, but that guy couldn’t find me. You know why? I was in the wrong dorm. Fortunately, the security guy found me and we figured it out. I texted Joe:

“It’s so weird how the little things like being in the right building can make such a big difference!”

He texted back,

“On no. Did I give bad directions?”

I said,

“You gave me great directions. I followed them poorly.”

Jesus gave his disciples great directions on how to act. As we get into the book Acts, they will indeed take Jesus’ directions seriously.

Two things stand out to me as important to know in a broad overview: the many speeches introducing the kingdom of God, and the way in which their lives embodied the Kingdom of God.

SPEECHES/SERMONS

There are a ton of speeches primarily from Peter, Stephen and Paul. The primary focus is:

·  Jesus as a Resurrected Lord (Acts 2:24, 3:15, 4:10, 13:30) In his epistles, Paul insists that the bodily resurrection of Jesus must be true, or the whole thing collapses.

·  Jesus as Righteous Judge (Acts 10:42, Acts 17:31: “He has set a day when he will judge the world with justice…” [1] The judging carries the idea of sorting or sifting – Jesus will separate that is righteous from what is unrighteous.[2]

·  The importance of Repentance and Forgiveness (Acts 2:38, 3:19, 10:43, 13:38)

·  The Kingdom of God (Acts 8:12, 28:23, 28:31) They have had a loooooot of teaching about this. There’s not a lot of detail. The text just notes they talked about it a lot, as if the Good News was about far more than life in the world to come; it’s about a Kingdom of Heaven that is here, now.

As they pass on the teaching they received, we will see an interesting variety in how they present the Good News of the Kingdom to Gentiles vs. Jews. I think it’s worth looking at this because it is a good reminder that the first evangelists took different approaches to different audiences.

Speaking to Jews or God-fearers (e.g., Acts 2, 3, 13)

• Jesus as fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, because this audience gave weight to the Old Testament books. Lots of Scriptural proofs from the Law, Prophets, Psalms.

• Emphasis on Abraham, Moses, David, three of their national heroes.

• Israel’s covenant history with God to focus on a shared historical and national identity. Paul in Acts 13 recounts Israel’s history from Egypt to David to Jesus. “What God promised our ancestors  he has fulfilled for us.”

• Messianic expectations. Jesus’ resurrection is confirmation of Jesus’ messianic identity, even if people were expecting a different kind of Messiah.

• Call to repentance (“turning around”) for having rejected Jesus. This is often an appeal to them as a group: "You crucified the Messiah," even though likely nobody in their audience physically did that. This makes sense in a shame/honor culture where identity was established in community. It’s not that individuals don’t repent – that happens all the time. It’s just that there is another layer, a call to a community repentance from a shared responsibility that the community failed to carry out.

Let’s say I’m Peter from a moment. You are the audience of Jewish people and God-fearing Gentiles. A typical speech is going to sound something like this.

"Fellow believers, you know the Scriptures and the prophets. You believe in the God who called Abraham, who led our ancestors through the sea, who spoke through Moses and David and Isaiah and who entered into a covenant with us.

God has fulfilled His covenant promise through Jesus. God revealed himself fully in Jesus by healing the broken, forgiving sinners, welcoming outsiders, speaking truth with authority. Everything the prophets said the Messiah would do—he did.

But we wanted a Messiah who would affirm our religiosity, not challenge it. We wanted a Messiah who reject those Samaritans and pagans and pat the righteous - us -  on the back. We wanted a king with a sword, not a crown of thorns.

So we killed him. But God raised him from the dead as the firstborn from the dead, proof that death itself has been defeated. And now he is exalted—seated at the right hand of God. He has poured out the Holy Spirit of God This isn’t the end of the story—it’s the beginning of the restoration of all things.

Repent. The cornerstone we rejected? God has made him the foundation of new covenant. Turn to him, and you’ll find your sins forgiven, your heart renewed, and your place in the kingdom secured by the free grace of God.

You were baptized with John’s baptism. Now, be baptized as a way of dying and rising with Christ. Enter into new life, and receive the Holy Spirit of God to dwell in you. This is the time the prophets and Jesus spoke of—the time of God’s favor, of restoration, when God is beginning to make all things new.

When Speaking to Gentiles (e.g., Acts 14, 17), the goal doesn’t change, but the approach does.

• They start with the Creation of the cosmos, God as universal Lord of all things, and the brotherhood of mankind. Paul at Athens (Acts 17) quotes Greek poets to note that, “We are his offspring.”

•  They don’t quote Jewish scripture, because the Gentiles didn’t trust or care about that source. It’s more philosophical or natural-theology approach to start.

• There is often a discussion of idolatry and its futility. At this point in Greco-Roman history, they were having their own theological crises as they were developing this growing realization that their pantheon of gods couldn’t actually be gods because they were so bad. Paul doesn’t pile on to their mistake. He acknowledges the religious urge in people, and claims that it is misplaced. He invited them to turn from idols to the true God.

• Jesus’ Resurrection was a sign of coming justice/righteousness. The language implies a sorting and revealing of what is righteous and what is not. Justice/righteousness prevailed in the end for all. Jesus, not Zeus is Caesar, is the appointed Judge to oversee this.

Let’s say I’m Paul for a moment. You are an audience of Greeks and Romans without the background knowledge that Jewish people had. A typical speech is going to sound something like this.

People of this city, listen to me for a moment. I come not to condemn you, but to proclaim something that will change your life. I’m here to tell you about Unknown God to whom you have built alters. This God you’re reaching for is not far from any of you.

He is the one who made everything—the earth beneath your feet and the sky above your head. From one blood, He made all the nations of the earth. As your poets note, we are all his offspring. He gives life and breath and meaning to every one of us. He doesn’t need anything from us; instead, he provides for us.

You believe the gods step into the world at times. The Creator God I am telling you about stepped into our world with healing and mercy and love. Many of you heard at least rumors of him. His name is Jesus.

He walked among us doing righteousness and justice while loving mercy —feeding the hungry, forgiving sinners, confronting the hypocrite, insisting that we love each other well. He told the truth about the Kingdom of God that he offered to all. And for that, he was executed—hung on a cross like a criminal.

But hear me: God raised him from the dead. The risen Jesus appeared to hundreds, and he also revealed himself to me. Though I persecuted his followers, God did not destroy me. He forgave me and filled me with His righteousness.

This risen Jesus is not just a prophet. He is the King of all kings, the Judge of all nations, the Restorer of all things. He is coming again to bring ultimate justice for the oppressed, peace for the weary, and restoration for all who long for it.

God is calling every person, everywhere to change direction—to turn from false gods, whether idols made of stone or ones built in our hearts. So what must you do? Turn from your idols. Trust in Jesus. There is a kingdom breaking in, and its King is Jesus.

When we get to the individual speeches, we will dive into them. For now, let these two different approaches remind us that there is wisdom in knowing your audience. From the beginning of the church, we have a tradition of not requiring that everyone use the same approach or say the same thing all the time. We don’t even need to have the same target audience. It’s okay to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as we consider whom we are talking to. It’s also okay not to demand others seek out the same audience and use the same approach as we do. We are on the same team 

I get worried when I see followers of Jesus insisting that their way of spreading the gospel is THE way of spreading the gospel. Their way of being building Kingdom outposts in culture is THE way. Their way of building the church is THE way. Can we let each other respond to how the Holy Spirit moves us to represent Jesus?

The second thing we will see in Acts in the lifestyle of the early church, the practical implementation of the Kingdom of God. It is, after all, about the acts of the apostles. They were committed to saying and doing things that revealed the kingdom. You can count the public speakers in Acts on one hand. They were important, but history shows us that the early church grew because their lives spoke even more loudly than their words.

They developed communal habits in which everybody took care of each other, sharing money and resources freely. They took care of everyone’s poor, sick, orphaned and widowed. They accepted those rejected by Roman society. In their setting, it was slaves, women, the poor, and the oppressed. When the Holy Spirit descends, God blesses all people and nations into one community, a “new humanity”, so that social barriers or judgments of all kinds fell away. (The people groups in Acts on whom ‘tongues of fire” descend are the same ones separated after the Tower of Babel.)

The church will expand not because Paul was eloquent, but because Billy the butcher treated customers fairly, and Sally the seamstress quietly cared for her customers, and the farmers Fred and Frieda shared their crops with the hungry, and the nurses Nancy and Nathan cared for the babies of Jews and Gentiles alike, and tentmakers Tricia and Terry made some free tents for the poor because the rich in their church gave money to make that happen.

They supported widows, orphans, the sick and disabled. They ransomed people from slavery. Churches helped each other out when they were in trouble. Loving actions toward all saturated the church in the first three centuries.

 Tertullian (160-240) reported that the Romans would exclaim, “See how they love one another!”

 Justin Martyr (100-165) sketched Christian love this way:

“We who used to value the acquisition of wealth and possessions more than anything else now bring what we have into a common fund and share it with anyone who needs it. We used to hate and destroy one another and refused to associate with people of another race or country. Now, because of Christ, we live together with such people and pray for our enemies.”

Clement (150-215), describing a follower of Jesus, wrote,

“He impoverishes himself out of love, so that he is certain he may never overlook a brother in need, especially if he knows he can bear poverty better than his brother. He likewise considers the pain of another as his own pain. And if he suffers any hardship because of having given out of his own poverty, he does not complain.”

The Emperor Julian complained that,

“it is disgraceful when no Jew ever has to beg and the impious Christians support both their own poor and ours as well.”

During a third century plague, while their Roman neighbors were throwing sick family members into the street, Christians cared for the them, and sometimes gave their lives for them. Christians eventually began to formally provide medical care for all. The Council of Nicea in 325 declared that medical care should be provided everywhere churches were opened.

The story is told that when an actor became a Christian, but he realized he had to quit because most plays had a lot of immorality and idolatry. Cyprian (210-258) told the local church that they should support him until he could figure out what to do.  Furthermore, “If your church is financially unable to support him, he may move over to us and here receive whatever he needs for food and clothing.”

Jesus had said, “Love your enemies … and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matt. 5:44), and they were determine to do that. Lactantius (250-325) wrote,

“If we all derive our origin from one man, whom God created, we are plainly all of one family. Therefore it must be considered an abomination to hate another human, no matter how guilty he may be. For this reason, God has decreed that we should hate no one, but that we should eliminate hatred.

So we can comfort our enemies by reminding them of our mutual relationship. For if we have all been given life from the same God, what else are we but brothers? … Because we are all brothers, God teaches us to never do evil to one another, but only good, giving aid to those who are oppressed and experiencing hardship, and giving food to the hungry.”

To those the Empire insisted didn’t matter, those who were denied justice, provision, and care, God’s people always stepped in and said, “Hey! You matter!” [3]

If the good news of the Kingdom of God does not cause poor, the sick, the outcast, the powerless and oppressed to say, “Thank God the Christians are here!” then it’s not the kingdom of God that has come to a community.

These two things – the speeches and the lifestyle – and going to come up again and again in the book of Acts. What we say and what we do matters. Who we are as followers of Jesus has profound consequences.

How we are present in the world is witness to something. May it be a witness to Jesus.

Shepherd of tender youth, guiding in love and truth
Through devious ways; Christ our triumphant King,
We come Thy name to sing, and here our children bring
To join Thy praise.

Thou art our holy Lord, O all subduing Word,
Healer of strife. Thou didst Thyself abase
That from sin’s deep disgrace Thou might save our race
And give us life.

Shepherd of Tender Youth (Clement of Alexandria in about 200 A.D.)

_____________________________________________________________________________

[1] The judgment in these sermons seems to have a different than what we call Hell, as Gehenna is never mentioned, and Hades only twice, and that when the writer quotes Psalm 16 in Acts 2 about how Jesus was not abandoned there. That topic comes up other places in the New Testament, of course, but the Acts speeches do not include it.

[2] Think of the Parable of the  Wheat and the Tares in Matthew 13.

[3] There are a lot of places on line to find lists of what was said about the early Christians. I got this list from “A Love Without Condition.” Earlychurch.com

This Is My Story

As I come off of my sabbatical, I’d like to give you some context about why I needed a break. Yes, sabbaticals are important in ministry work. I can’t deny there is some ‘wear and tear’ that comes with pastoring (like all jobs).

But that’s not the only reason.

 A couple months ago, my wife said, “You aren’t healthy, and you haven’t been healthy for weeks, maybe months, maybe a year.” My wife was being generous. I think it was longer than that, actually, and there was a reason for it that reflected what was happening in my personal life.

I also want to talk about what I hope life looks like on the other side of the break, as Jesus has been faithful and good to me. I am finally learning understand what it means that He will search for his lost, floundering sheep until he finds them. I have on my bedroom wall that shows this. This is how I have come to experience Jesus.

Here is my story.

* * * * *

When I was a child, I had many wonderful experiences. I also experienced two life changing things that were quite traumatic: I was significantly bullied by my peers in really life-altering ways, and I was molested by adults I should have been able to trust both spiritually and relationally. This mostly centered around two years, when I was 9 and 10 years old, though the bullying started earlier and lasted longer.

While I had suspicions and one isolated memory of the abuse (that I had glosses over), about two years ago I began to remember more after someone close to me revealed their childhood trauma. I found out that’s not an unusual reaction: someone very close to me revealed their pain, and it caught the attention of something inside of me. I also found out it’s not unusual for men in their 50s to have this happen.

It was upsetting and destabilizing, to say the least. It’s hard to describe remembering what it was like to be abused. I sought some counsel from Jackie probably about this time of year two years ago on when I would know if it was time to get professional help. She said, “When life becomes unmanageable.”

Well, it eventually did. There was a day when I was in a meeting at church that had some relational tension. It ended well, but I went out to my truck and fell apart. I just sobbed and sobbed. I knew in my head that it wasn’t about the meeting per se; it was about something that meeting reminded me of.

And so, I sought counsel.

I had discovered at Freedom Farm that interacting with horses really confronted some insecurities and fears I had, so I started my therapy as a client at Peace Ranch. It was really helpful. More on that in a bit. After that, a took a break before beginning a different focus with an EMDR trauma therapist in town, which is ongoing.

I am going to have to paint with a broad brush this morning. There are many details that aren’t appropriate to share from the pulpit. I have had so many wonderful friends and experiences in my life, I want to be clear that I feel blessed to have the life I have, but I am feeling the need to share with you about 1) how the threads of trauma were woven into the tapestry of my life, 2) how that legacy shaped me in ways I wasn’t always aware of, and 3) how a path toward healing has been revelatory about myself and God.

It’s been a wild ride. There were days when I just cried for what I started to call Little Me, the child who did not tell others his pain, and for whom no one grieved, so I did. I remember coming home one day after talking with a sweet friend for whom life has been so hard, and I told Sheila, “I cried for her when I left, and then I started thinking about how no one cried for me, so I am going to do that today.” And I did. Sheila did too.

I would take naps and fall asleep holding my hand and telling Little Me he was safe now. I took Little Me fishing. I invited Jesus to sit with us in our sorrow and healing and our fishing, and I know that he did.

Some days, I experienced the world as a 10-year-old. It’s hard to describe, but everything was bigger, and there was a childlike innocence. And fear. And curiosity. And a lot of being overwhelmed.

 So many days I would spend hours in my room, in the dark, in the safest room I knew. I would invite Jesus to join us, and I would remember, and weep, and then sleep.

One of the things that surprised me was how much the legacy of the bullying came roaring back. The first EMDR session was on one of my memories and boy howdy did that lead us into months of discussion.

 I unpacked some really deep emotions that I had never really owned, and in that process began to see more clearly how terribly it damaged my sense of self; how desperate it made me to always want to be liked; how much to this day I react to people who bully others with their words and actions. It’s more than just, “You shouldn’t do that.” It’s, “I know how being treated like that damaged me, and that is not okay.”

As I cared for for Little Me, I started to see just how much of my adult life had been shaped by those childhood wounds of bullying and molestation. I am telling you this because I have become increasingly aware of how I was living a trauma-impacted life that was not a trauma-informedlife. I wasn’t aware just how profoundly the abuse I experienced as a child shaped me.

In some ways, it brought out good things as a reaction to the bad I experienced – I never wanted to pass on what was given to me (except on the basketball court. Oof. I had so many anger issues that I can’t get into right now.)

In other ways, it really messed with my sense of identity and worth, the way I experienced other people (especially those who reminded me of past abusers), my body image, my pursuit to prove my masculinity (by cultural standards), my quest to learn how to control every situation I was in (‘hyper-vigilance’ is a term I have learned to know), my sense that it was never enough to just “be me.” I would need to impress people to be liked (that’s a response to bullying), or I would need to show up how other people expected me to so they could get what they wanted (that’s the response to the abuse).

I remember as a kid that Hulk was my favorite comic book character. Why? Because Hulk is the strongest there is. You didn’t mess with Hulk – if you did, you learned not to, because Hulk would smash. I decided I would get really strong (and hopefully big like Hulk) so that no one would mess with me. That didn’t work out like I had hoped, but it didn’t stop me from trying for decades. I just wanted to be physically present in such a way that people wouldn’t even think about messing with me.

The other thing was that I learned how to use my words.  I could talk. I could get people to laugh. I could steer conversations – sometimes I could even change the tenor of room. To this day, people tell me how good I am with words. It’s true. I am. That can be a good thing, but that skill didn’t come from a place of health. If I could just get the words just right, and read everyone’s emotions, I could keep all my venues safe, and no one would be hurt, most importantly me.[1]  I recently saw a meme from an online therapy group that resonated with me.

“’You're good with words.’ Thanks. My trauma response is to problem solve, sincerely explain myself, and present evidence because of feeling constantly misunderstood and attacked. As as result, I come across as stoic, analytical and an over-communicator; meanwhile, I was suppressing intense emotions. I quickly take on responsibility to fix or clarify things because of the traumatic times when no one had my back. This ‘gift’ with words is a fawning reflex to once feeling overwhelmingly unsafe."

That’s not the whole story of why I am good with words, of course. But it was far more a part of my story than I realized.

Equine therapy at Peace Ranch was revelatory in terms of how I related to others. Horses are amazingly intuitive animals. They read body language, and sense emotions. They communicate with themselves and people in fascinating ways.

I had learned with Julie’s huge draft horse, Hannah, that I had issues about fear of rejection, reaction to what felt like bullying, inability to be with Hannah on her own terms and not mine – like, I didn’t get to control the situation, and I hated it. The first time Hannah bumped into me my anxiety skyrocketed. When she walked away when I tried to pet her, I was devastated. Why is it that a horse makes me do a deep dive into what is going on inside me?!?!?!?

Peace Ranch put me into these dynamics with a whole herd of horses. I remember once walking toward horses and I was nervous how they respond to me, so what did I do? I talked. They didn’t care. They were observing my body language and sensing my presence, but I was convinced that enough words would to the trick. It didn’t. But I remember telling my therapist and saying, “That’s what I do all the time. I lead with words to guide people’s responses to me.”

Part of the grace of God is that I have been able to use my words for so many good things in the world, and for that I am grateful. It turns out being good with words often does have a really good impact on others. Words fitly spoken are like apples of gold in settings of silver (Proverbs 25:11), and I have “fitly spoken” many things. But I have also become more aware of how often my reliance on words to diffuse every tense situation came from a place of fear, and it caused me to manipulate situations and people in way that ended making things worse in the end.

Relationally, when things went wrong – tension, anger, misunderstanding, bullying, molestation – I tended to “fawn”, which is what I had done in response to being hurt as a child. The goal is to let the threat take its toll and move on. Just get out of that place of pain and into a place of safety. Traumatized children tend to think they did something wrong to invite what was happening to them. It was a default assumption as an adult, when I was in similar situations, that when things went wrong – when I was hurt again or someone was angry - it must be my fault. If you are thinking, “Those dots don’t connect,” your right. That part of the legacy of trauma. It deceived me into thinking I deserved what happened to me then, and it was appropriate to believe that I was always the problem now.

In all of this, I developed a real cynicism and maybe even fear of those who had positions of power. My experience for several years as a child was that people with power were to be feared because they hurt you. (And no one in power at that time came to me aid – the good ones didn’t know, and yet that is what I experienced.) \

Since that time I have had really wonderful, godly people in positions of power in my life who showed me what healthy power could look like (I think Jesus called it meekness in the Sermon on the Mount). But there was always a part of me that remembered when power had hurt.

When I was first given the opportunity at Peace Ranch to put a halter on a horse and lead it, I was surprised how much I did NOT want to do that. Why would I make a horse do what I wanted it to do? I did it, and it was great for both of us (I think?) but I just didn’t feel comfortable. I don’t want to make others do what I want them to do.

Of course, all of this struggle with power shaped how I saw God.

MY VIEW OF GOD

God is all-powerful, right? The ultimate authority figure. What do I do with that? Well, for a long time, I had trouble separating my traumatic experiences with people from my relationship with God.

It was too easy to believe that I was valuable and loved only to the extent that I made God happy to have me as His child. And that fact that God would love me – well, that says something about how amazing God is, because look at me. “God loves even me,” I have said so many times from this pulpit, as if I was loathsome to God.

As if I was not created a little lower than the angels, and crowned with glory and honor, and bore His image.

As if God was not pleased to call me friend.

As if the parable of the Prodigal Son meant nothing.

As if God did not love having me as His child.

I spent so many years groveling when the Father was inviting me to a feast at the table he had set – for me.

* * * * *

“Victim” is tough word. It feels weak. The first time I said out loud, “I was a victim of sexual abuse and bullying,” I cried because I didn’t want that to be true. But it was. I had in fact been victimized, and I hated that, which is just part of the terrible fallout of abuse. It wasn’t a label to wear as a point of identity. It was just an honest statement.

But there is another thing that is true also.  I am a child of God. That was sufficient for me to be honored and protected. I was not someone who deserved the evil others did to me; I was the victim of the broken sinfulness of others.

This has impacted me in ways that make sense, and I will not be apologetic or filled with shame for doing the best I could, and I will not beat myself up for the ways in which adult Anthony wrestled as best he could with history. 

For example, I tried for so many years to be culturally masculine. As a child, men had treated me as they did the women in their lives; my peers had treated me as if I was beneath them. How does one respond to that? Well, by proving mymasculinity!!! – not biblically , but culturally. In my circles, it meant sports, muscles, construction work, sweat. It meant that I always compared myself to other “manly men” and successful men – at least as I measured it in my head. Muscles, beards, boy toys, manly skills like fixing cars (which I still can’t do). But I could bench 300+ lbs. Take that. Who’s the man now?

It’s sound so foolish to say out loud, because I don’t think any of those things actually measure masculinity, but that’s where I was for so many years.

As much as I knew it in my head, I couldn’t get it into my heart that what Jesus thought about me was enough. I had to learn that “Child of God” was my core identity, and being a real man (and ladies, I think this also true for being a real woman) was becoming like the model of a perfectly righteous human, Jesus – slow to anger, abounding in mercy, characterized by love.

My identity is meant to be set by the love of Jesus and not the evil of others. That truth has only really sunk in the past two years. It’s been a life-giving revelation. Jesus says I am his image bearer - maybe dented, but never destroyed. Damaged, but never devalued- like kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold.

 Jesus is pleased to love me. He doesn’t endure me; he cherishes me.

I have been clinging to God as revealed in Jesus, because they are One. I needed the Greatest Story Ever Told to be absolutely true: God’s love will overcome all evil, sin, suffering, and pain, and will make all things new.

I needed a God who could redeem the sinful violence done to me – and the sinful violaters. I didn’t want just a good ending for me in which all broken things are made new.  I wanted even those who violated me to be redeemed and restored. Why? Because some of them were people I loved. If God can make that right, that’s the greatest story ever told.

What if  he people who did the worst things are brought to repentance, salvation, and restoration? What if one day I could fully fellowship with those who hurt me, not as a white-washing of their sin, but as redemptive narrative of repentance and reconciliation that ends in loving fellowship?

 I needed a God who is love without remainder, whose very being and every action is a display of love. I needed a Savior:

·       Who, through his crucifixion, “will draw all people to himself.” (John 12:32,32)

·      Who will “… reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:19,20)

·       Who will “…make known to us in all wisdom and insight the secret of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fulness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” (Ephesians 1:9,10)

·      In whom “heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:20-21) 

·       Who is “highly exalted…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue joyfully confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

·       Of whom “every created being in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, will say, ‘To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might into the ages of ages!’” (Revelation 5:12-13)

·      Who “is seated on the throne saying, “Behold, I am making all things new.” (Revelation 21:5)

·      Who "is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)

·      Who “will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 25:6-8)

·      From whom nothing can separate us. “What can come between us and the love of God’s Anointed? Can troubles, hardships, persecution, hunger, poverty, danger, or even death? The answer is, absolutely nothing…. no matter what comes, we will always taste victory through Him who loved us. For I have every confidence that nothing—not death, life, heavenly messengers, dark spirits, the present, the future, spiritual powers, height, depth, nor any created thing—can come between us and the love of God revealed in the Anointed, Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39)

I think Jesus is better than I can imagine. I used to sing a hymn: “The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell.” The God who is sovereign over all of what happened to me was fully revealed in the cruciform and hopeful love of Jesus. God will make all things new, will reconcile a broken, groaning creation to God, and will wipe every tear from our eye. He has promised to do this. To this I cling.

* * * * * *

All things considered, here’s what I hope a healing Anthony can look like as you pastor.

First, I want to become increasingly grounded in my identity as a child of God, keyed in on how God sees me, because that’s truth about who I am. I am who God knows me to be. All kinds of people have all kinds of impressions about me. I have impressions about me, for goodness sakes. While I want to be attuned and open to the input of others in my life (because I have blind spots and flaws that a loving community can help me improve), at the end of the day I want to be sure I am thinking God’s thoughts about me, and having God’s heart for me.

Second, I want to be wise and helpful with my words, God willing. It is really good to use words to heal and not hurt. But I also want to stop trying to control tense situations or regulate other people’s emotions by choosing just the perfect words and tone so that nothing will ever go wrong! I want to remember that it’s entirely unrealistic to expect that we will always live in perfect harmony.

If there is tension, I want to assess if I did something wrong and if so, attempt to make it right. But I’m not going to let anxiety and fear churn inside of me as I wonder what others are thinking and feeling and panic until I fix it.  

If someone needs to address something with me, I will pray that you are comfortable telling me. If you aren’t, I pray you will find someone who can come with you, and I can learn how to be more approachable for you.  I just can’t keep trying to read minds and anticipate offense.

Third, I want to be the kind of pastor in whom God has “worked together for good” (Romans 8:28) a calling, personality and presence from the sum total of my life. Jesus has been sovereign over what I experienced and how he has healed me, and Jesus has a reason for that.

Considering what I said earlier about power dynamics, I have needed (for my own sake) to  differentiate between power and authority particularly in institutions (the church, the state, businesses, etc). These might not even be the right words, but they are the best ones I have, and I am not going to obsess on getting the words just right 

Power, as I’ve come to think of it, is something that’s often tied to a role or title. It can be granted externally—by a system, a position, or a hierarchy—and it gives someone the ability to make people do things. This can be a good things, but I still get uneasy. In my history, for several key formative years, people with institutional power used it to control, manipulate, and harm me.

As I noted earlier, I have had really good experiences with powerful people since then, so the issue isn’t having power per se. It’s when I see people flex—dominate, throw their weight around—It feels unsafe, even if they don’t mean harm, and it actually is safe.

So, I personally am uncomfortable with power. But authority, to me, is different. These are my definitions and distinctions, but it has helped me think through this.

I see authority as having a ‘weight’ in the lives of others not because you demand it, but because they willing give it to you. In this view, authoritative people doesn’t coerce—they invite. They don’t impose—they influence through modeling credibility, consistency, and love.

Jesus had all “delegated power” (Matthew 28:18)[2] in heaven and on earth, and he used it to serve, not to control. He invited; he washed feet. He gave his life. He didn’t demand allegiance through force—he loved people into transformation and invited them into the Kingdom. All followers of Jesus have chosen to give him the “weight” of authority  in their lives in response to who he is and what he has done.

Because of the distinction I just made, I now think of myself as an invitational pastor. It’s my effort to fulfill this role in a way that acknowledges all the ways God has allowed life to form me. Jesus invites us to follow him; I will invite you to follow Jesus ever more deeply.

Do you remember that I didn’t like putting a halter on a horse to lead it? It turns out horses will follow you without a halter. There is a scenario in which someone leads and someone follows -  because they want to do so. That was my favorite day of equine therapy.

For horses, it’s about body language and other subtle things that help them feel safe. It’s different for people – or is it? Maybe it’s that and more? All I know is that I much preferred inviting Vinny (the horse) to follow me rather than making him.

I will invite you to practice repentance when you wrong others, and extend forgiveness to those who wrong you.

 I will invite you to pursue holiness, purity, righteousness, integrity and love. But I’m not going to make you.

 If I could actually make you do those things, I doubt they would stick, because you need to choose them in response to Jesus, not because of pressure from Anthony. People in the recovery community will tell you that forced interventions don’t have a high success rate; when people choose to pursue recovery and health, that’s the starting point that bears the most fruit.

Meanwhile, I believe that any authority I have in the role as a pastor comes not from a title but from two things that ought to be present in all of us: speaking truth with grace, and living with loving, cruciform integrity

To the extent that I am leading us in this role as pastor, I am committed to leading not by cult of personality or coercion or showmanship or anything like that. I am not interested in pastoral flexing.

I must speak true things with grace, guided by Scripture, the Holy Spirit and the community of God’s people around me who hold me accountable. And I must commit to living a life of cruciform love that lines up with the truth I teach so that, as Paul says, I don’t disqualify myself.

Any meaningful authority – “weightiness” -  I have with you must come not from my title or because I flex  or because I have a microphone. It must come from a life characterized by integrity, truth, and cruciform love so that, like Paul said, “follow me – as I follow Christ.” 

Really then, it’s not follow Anthony any more than it’s follow Paul. It’s follow Christ who is in us, a reality that is hopefully on display.

Finally, I will constantly talk about the love of God. A renewed focus on the love of God as revealed through Jesus was the rock I have stood on the past two years to weather this storm. I don’t know how many times I cried listening to podcasts that unpacked what the love of God really looked like, not just for me but for those who did bad things to me. So I will insist that God is love without remainder, and His love extends to all people.

I am increasingly persuaded by the Eastern Orthodox view that God’s only attribute is love, with every other description we use functioning as a description of how God’s love is expressed (a merciful love, a just love, a kind love, and patient love, an all-powerful love, etc.)

And I will insist that the primary sign of our transformation into the image of God is that we are characterized by the love of God and others growing in our lives. What is the first fruit of the Spirit? Love.

The cruciform love of God and the power displayed in the resurrection show us that salvation, redemption, healing and hope are all very real things. I know this, because I have experienced it.  I know this because at least one of my abusers repented and finished his life safe in the arms of Jesus. The person I mentioned at the beginning whose revelation of trauma shook my memories loose? He prays that his abuser makes it to  heaven. He wants the restoration of all things in the end.

I do to. It could happen. It turns out that history is not destiny when Jesus intervenes.

* * * * *

I’m not fully healed yet - but I feel like I’m walking closer than ever with Jesus, who began a good work in me, and promises to complete it.

And I believe more than ever that the love of God is stronger than any pain, any trauma, any wound, any sin in my life and yours.

___________________________________________________________________________________

[1] Interestingly, my introversion has been making itself known. I am pretty sure I subconsciously learned how to be an extrovert to control the environments I was in. The more I have found healing the past two years, the more I am pretty sure I am an introvert at heart. But that’s a side note.

[2] That is how HELPS Word Studies defins “authority,” which is used in most translations.

Harmony #105: Jesus and Peter: Why Our History Is Not Our Destiny (John 21)

John 20 ends with two verses that wrap things up pretty nicely for the book of John.

“Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30-31)

But then there’s John 21. Peter, the Rock of the early church, is clearly singled out again in a story that is not entirely flattering. It is presented as a story after the big story, and it is intensely personal. It’s not like the end of the LOTR when softly glowing happy people hug and smile and cry as they gently say perfect goodbyes. So, we have several questions to ask this morning: Why is John wrapped up this way? What do we learn about Jesus? And why does it matter to us?  Here is today’s text.                              

After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee[1], and two others of His disciples were together.

Only 3 disciples of the 7 who are present are specifically named. If we keep assuming details matter, it’s worth looking at why these three are highlighted. It’s like John is saying, “Hey! Focus!”

·  All three also offered a clear confession of faith at some point in the John’s record. (Peter in John 6:69; Thomas in John 20:28; Nathanael in John 1:49) 

·  All three were “wrestlers” or skeptics of some sort. Thomas is the infamous doubting Thomas (John 20). Nathaniel asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth? (John 1) Peter had betrayed Jesus and is about to wrestle with shame (John 18).

·  Nathanial believed Jesus was the Son of God because Jesus gave him proof (John 1); Thomas believed Jesus had risen after Jesus gave him proof (John 20. We are about to see that Peter is back to his former job as a fisherman. Jesus is going to offer some proof that he still wants Peter to fish for people by going into all the world and preaching the gospel.  

John’s last story highlights what Jesus will do with the wrestlers and the doubters. It turns out that, just like the God of Jacob blessed Jacob when he wrestled, Jesus is going to bless the wrestlers yet again.

Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will also come with you." They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.  But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach.

 Darkness and daybreak set the stage for the story.  

John in the first chapter of his gospel wrote that “In him was life, and that life was the light of mankind; but the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.” (John 1:5)

The symbolism of daytime and nighttime stands out at various points in scriptures, and it does here as well. In Scripture, Night often represents the downside or chaos of life. Peter denied Jesus in the dark just before daybreak. Peter went to the tomb “while it was still dark.”  Here, Peter is fishing in the dark. Here, “the day was now breaking.” Something new and beautiful is dawning.

 The disciples did not know that it was Jesus. So Jesus said to them, "Children, you do not have any fish, do you?" They answered Him, "No." And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch."

So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish.[2].  Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord."  

So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on and threw himself into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish. 

So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have now caught."

Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three;[3] and although there were so many, the net was not torn.

This is the same sea on which Peter had tried to walk on the water and failed.  This time he didn’t even try to walk on the water; he just throws himself in. Maybe he thinks he can outswim the boat. Maybe he tried to walk on water again. I don’t know. Wither way, Peter’s enthusiasm is still there. Note the account says Peter pulled the net in by himself. Dude is pumped!

 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples ventured to question Him, "Who are You?" knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish likewise.

This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.  So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these other disciples love me?"[4]

He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You " He said to him, "Tend My lambs." He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep."

 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep.’”

Three times before the crucifixion, hiding in the darkness, huddled around a charcoal fire, Peter had not loved Jesus more than anything else.  Three times, now, in the light of the morning, huddled around a charcoal fire, by a sea that reminds him of his previous lack of faith, as the day is dawning, he is offered redemption. 

“He does not say ‘Peter,’ but ‘Simon,’ using his former name, as if to remind him of what he was before his calling and to show him that he has fallen from the steadfastness of the rock.”— St. John Chrysostom, Homily 88 on John

Notice Jesus doesn’t act as if nothing happened. Peter needs to experience what’s called kenosis (self-emptying humility). Peter must be humbled before being lifted up. But Jesus is going to once again model the God Creed: lovingkindness over consequences 1,000 to 3.

The first two times, Jesus askes Peter if Peter has agape love for him. Peter responds that he has phileo love. The third time, Jesus asks if he has phileo love, and Peter says, “You know all things. You know that what I have is phileo love.”

The first and second time Peter responds with, “Lord, you know…”  he is referring to knowledge based on perception. But the third time, when Jesus “lowers the bar” and asks if he has phileo love, Peter shifts to a word that means experiential knowledge: 

“Lord, you perceive ALL things; you have experienced my life; we know each other; you have experienced what kind of love I have for you.” I have read a bunch of commentary on this:  Is Peter offended?  Defensive? Exasperated?  Embarrassed? Confused? My sense is that Peter’s last response is a statement of resignation. Jesus is not letting Peter avoid reality. Jesus does know what kind of love Peter has, and it is not yet agape love. Imagine this scene, If you will.

[Setting: sunrises reflects across a sea that brings up a lot of memories for Peter. Peter shifts uncomfortably, the warmth of the coals also stirring old memories. Jesus finally silences the other excited disciples and turns toward Peter.]

Jesus, gently:
Simon, son of John, you once said you would stay faithful even if everyone else – your friends here - fled. Now, I ask you, do you still want to say that you have an unconditional, unwavering, self-giving agape for me more than the other disciples?

[Peter swallows hard). (More than the rest of them? I said I would never fall away, even if they all did. But I fell first. I said I would lay down my life. But I ran. Three times I denied him. In fear—in pride? In weakness. In shame.

Peter, quietly:
Lord… you know that I phileo you. I care for you, I care about you. You’re very dear to me.

Jesus:
Yes, I do know that, Simon. I would like you take care of the Good Shepherd’s sheep.

[Peter, surprised and unsettled, looks down at the fire. He remember how cold he was around that other fire. He remembers the denials and the humiliation and shame that followed. Jesus wants him to lead others now? With that history?]

Jesus – slow to anger and abounding in love – breaks the circle’s silence:
Simon, son of John, again, do you agape me? Are you ready to give me everything and follow me in the path of cruciform love?

Peter: (Am I even capable of that kind of love? Could I have been truthful about knowing him even if it cost me my life?  Could I have stood with him before Pilate? Could I have walked with him to Golgotha? Agape would have. But I didn’t.)

Peter - honest and hesitant:
I think you know that I phileo you. We are deeply connected, like brothers. I know you have great affection for me, and I have great affection for you.

Jesus, strong and kind:
I do have great affection for you. In fact, I want you to be the one who tends my flock of disciples.

[A longer pause. There must be some mistake. This should be the strong, the capable, the dependable – someone who actually is a Rock. Someone whose agape love for Jesus is overwhelmingly strong.)

Jesus breaks the silence again:
So, Simon, son of John, you have phileo love for me, the love of a good friend?

Peter (voice breaking):
Lord… you truly know all things. You have been with me for three years. You know that I don’t yet agape you. What is it you would have someone like me do for you?

Jesus (tenderly):
I would have you, Simon, son of John, to feed my sheep.

Ever have a conversation with someone when your relationship is at its worst?  You have said things or done things that have given the other person every reason to push you away, and when you finally see yourself for the kind of friend or spouse or parent or child that you are, the last thing you have to fall back on is, “I love you, though. I really do.  I have nothing else to say. I’m not very good at it sometimes, and I know when I let you down or hurt you I really let you down and hurt you. But I love you.”  

If I am understanding this correctly, Peter says, in essence, “You have experienced that I am cowardly, and impulsive, and self-centered, and doubting…but I love you the best I can right now.” Then Jesus speaks to Peter’s future, one in which he will show the self-sacrifical, life-surrendering nature of agape love:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go." Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me!"

It turns out that Chapter 21 is a victory song to conclude the gospels. Here we are shown, through Peter, that our shortcomings and failures can be forgiven, and that Jesus wants us broken and imperfect people to follow Him and build His kingdom anyway.   

Peter stands in for all of us in this story. 

·  Peter, who was afraid of servant girls around campfires, will preach to the masses in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fell like fire. 

·  Peter, who cut off a man’s ear, will heal a man crippled from birth. 

·  Peter, the coward, will be called by the apostle Paul a "pillar" of the Church. 

·  If tradition is correct, for nine months, in absolute darkness, the Peter who denied Christ out of fear of the fallout will endure monstrous torture manacled to a post.  He will convert his jailers and forty-seven others.

·  Peter, who once rebuked Jesus for saying the Messiah needed to suffer, will be crucified upside down, and (if tradition is correct) will even speak words of comfort to his wife as she goes to her death.

 Peter’s death will show to all of us that our history does not have to be our destiny. Morning is now coming to be, because the Light Of The World has come.

“The world and the church are littered with smashed lives and vessels ground beneath vengeful, judging feet… cross the line of shame (we think) and there is no way back… Not so because of Easter.  The veil of death is parted; through it a hand reaches out to Peter, shamed and probably resigned to former routines.  

Wherever and however it happened, Peter was turned from death to life. The God who had not abandoned Christ in death would not abandon Peter in his. Against all odds…God proposed to love Peter again…yes, he will follow as once he declared he would.”

We are called from that night where Peter, giving up and back in his old life, fishing in the dark, could catch nothing.  Now, as the light dawns on us, resurrection means we are able to receive the love God proposes us.” (William Loader)

What do I learn about Jesus?

HE CALLS THOSE OF US HIDING IN DARKNESS INTO THE LIGHT.  

We all have a history of which we are ashamed. It has been this way since Peter. We didn’t deny Christ in the courtyard of the palace, but we have denied him with our tv’s, and our computers, and our budgets, and our priorities, and dating, and marriages, and family dynamics, and addictions, and words…. Jesus meets us in the darkness and calls us into the light of his truth, grace and healing.

HE WILL MAKE US FACE THE DEEDS WE DID IN THAT DARKNESS.

It is sometimes easy to put on a front that masks who we know we have been, but Jesus sees through masks. Anybody can come to church and talk it up, and impress people. And we might even believe our own PR campaign.  “Hey, I’m pretty good. Jesus is lucky to have me!”   

David says God desires a “broken and repentant spirit.”  If we want to fully follow Christ, and truly make an impact in His Kingdom, we must be willing to be broken. We must be willing to have the deeds done in darkness brought into the light of Christ. There is no other way.   

He might make this happen in front of other people, by the way. Peter wasn’t alone. Six of his best friends were there. I don’t think this is an accident. God designed His kingdom so that we do life in Christ with others. This is how testimonies work. 

HE WILL EMPOWER US TO FOLLOW HIM AND BUILD HIS KINGDOM.  

That last chapter of John is an encouragement to the church.  History is not destiny when Jesus enters the story.  Your story is not over, because Jesus is working in your life to shine His light into all the dark places, and take your weaknesses and fill them with His strength. 

____________________________________________________________________________

[1] This will include John.

[2] This mirrors the event when Jesus first called Peter as recorded in Luke 5.

[3] There is a lot of discussion about whether or not the specific number of fish matter. Considering how the Gospel writers use details, it’s tempting to think there is. If so, here is my preferred explanation. “The number cliii., is memorable. Jerome, on Ezekiel 47 : [9, 10, “There shall be a very great multitude of fish—their fish shall be according to their kinds”], “They who have written of the natures and peculiar qualities of animals, who have learned ἁλιευτικὰ, as well in the Latin as in the Greek language, of whom Oppian, a Cicilian, is the most learned poet, assert that there are one hundred and fifty-three kinds of fishes, all of which were taken by the apostles, and not one remained uncaptured; whilst both the noble and base-born, the rich and poor, and every class of men, are being drawn out of the sea of the world to salvation.” Comp. Matthew 13:47, “The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind.”—οὐκ ἐσχίσθη, was not broken)  (Bengal’s Gnomen)

[4] “Peter had professed to be ready to die for His Master (John 13:37) and had declared that though all the rest might deny Him, he would never do so (Matthew 26:33). Jesus recalls this boast by asking him whether he now professes to have more loyalty and devotion than the rest.” (Cambridge Bible For Schools And Colleges)

Harmony #104: Believe, Belong, Behave (John 20:30-31)

The Apostle John concludes his gospel in this fashion:

“Jesus performed many other wondrous signs that are not written in this book.[1] These accounts are recorded so that you, too, might believe that Jesus is the Anointed, the Liberating King, the Son of God, because believing grants you life in His name.” John 20: 30-31

Actually, that sounds like a conclusion, but it’s not. There is an epilogue. We will look at chapter 21 next week. John had one goal in writing his gospel: to convince his readers that Jesus was God in the flesh so that they would believe, because believing in what Jesus did for us grants life to us. A couple questions come to mind:

· What life did he come to share?

·  How do we know we are living in it?

That life’s eternal expression will be life that finds it fullness in the New Heaven and New Earth. Throughout the New Testament, the writers cling to the promise of a heavenly reality that points us toward the day when we will see Jesus fully and experience Kingdom life fully.

But that life also starts now. When Jesus said, “the kingdom of Heaven is like…” he gave earthly examples about how life looks when God’s Kingdom comes and His will is done on earth as it is in heaven. Life granted “in his name” happens now. We can participate now in a life in line with the character, nature and will of God. That’s a huge claim, but we can look at what Jesus said and did to get an idea of what that looks like.

·  preached peace, hope, love, gentleness, kindness, and forgiveness.

·  taught respect for authority even as he taught how to respond properly to corrupt or oppressive power.

·  called people away from sin and hypocrisy and into righteous integrity

·  taught generosity over greed.

·   preached repentance and modeled forgiveness.

·  claimed we could really know God and know the truth about how He wants us to live in holiness

·  said that knowing this could set us free from the bondage and wages of sin

·  argued that love included both justice and mercy working together for righteousness

·  demonstrated that God loves the world, not just one race, class, or sex.

·  treated even the most marginalized people with value, worth and dignity.

·  said the world was broken by sin, but He could fix it – at great cost.

·   explained that we were dead in our sins, but he could bring us back to life.

·   proclaimed we could be a part of the Kingdom of Heaven now and for eternity in the ages to come.[2]

This is good news, from top to bottom. The word got out relatively quickly. If we know anything about Rome or Babylon – or empires in general – the vision of the Kingdom lived rightly is really, really compelling.

In AD 100, there were about 25,000 Christians. In AD 300, there were about 20 million. As best I can piece together what historians have to say, the number of Christians went from about ½% of the populations they were in in AD 100 to 15% by AD 300.

Jesus was compelling (as revealed in the compelling presence of his transformed followers). But Jesus wasn’t the first thing outsiders saw. There was something about the life that He promised as expressed by his church body that drew people to join followers of Jesus and get introduced to Jesus.

In about 130 AD, Justin Martyr formalized what the early church was already noticing.  He noted that the Kingdom of God was exploding because followers of Christ were doing three very specific things: they were believing, belonging, and behaving[3] - three words we will need to clarify.  I want to revisit this today not as a formula that promises specific results, but as a general framework for how God intends to mold us into the image of Christ so that our life is truly ‘life in His name.’

BELIEVE

When we see ‘belief’ or “faith” in scripture, it might be helpful to substitute trust, reliance, or dependence. They were talking about placing our trust in Christ, about relying on him so much that we’re holding nothing back, and about a dependence that proves we’ve given up the need to control or be in control. So when we see John or Jesus talking about belief, they aren’t looking for us to merely agree with what they’re saying. They are pointing toward an entire reorientation of our life. Do we place our trust in the love of a crucified and risen Savior?

This belief /trust will only be as helpful as it is accurate. If we are really going to trust, depend, and rely on Jesus, we are going to want to make sure we have an image of Jesus that is true to the character and nature of God. In the years following Christ’s departure the early church revisited the teachings of Jesus and the writing of the apostles and agreed upon a number of things were crucial for Jesus’ followers to know so their faith would grow.

·   God is the personal Creator of the World

·    he Trinity reveals the relational, loving nature of God

·   God became human in Jesus Christ (the ‘incarnation’)

·   We learned what God is like in the most complete revelation in human history, because Jesus is God revealed, so God is just like Jesus.

·   Christ’s death and resurrection conquer the power of sin, death, Hades and the grave.

·   Jesus rose from the dead physically

·   Because of His resurrection, we can be raised to new spiritual life now and an embodied life in the New Heaven and Earth in the age to come

·   We experience salvation by His grace, not our works

Add all that to the earlier list of all the ways in which Jesus brings life. Here’s why believing all these things about Jesus to be true is so important: It is hard for our heart to embrace what our mind rejects. We may love someone or something we don’t fully understand, but it’s probably not possible to commit with genuine trust in a person or idea that our minds reject as untrue, unhealthy, or unsafe in some fashion.  If I don’t think the company I work for is a good company, it will be hard to emotionally really give my heat to my job.  If my mind harbors angry or resentful thoughts toward my wife, it will be hard for my heart to be for her. If I don’t believe that the revelation of Jesus in the Bible is true, why would my heart experience Scripture as comforting?

·If someone who was considering a relationship with someone who was not safe and good, we would never tell them to entrust their heart to that person. If I we don’t believe God is safe and good, why would we tell people to entrust their hearts to God?

Perhaps that is why Paul was so adamant when he wrote:

“I know (perceived; been made aware) whom I have believed (placed my faith in; trusted) and am persuaded (convinced; confident) that he is able to keep that which I have committed (entrusted; deposited) unto him...” (2 Timothy 1:12)

That sure sounds like his confidence in Jesus allowed him to entrust important things to him. That’s head and heart in sync.

If Truth is only some distant, abstract idea, it can become very cold and lifeless. Same with God. But God personalized himself through Jesus Christ. He made himself accessible and knowable by taking on a form we could understand. We obviously don’t experience him like Jesus’ contemporaries did, but John recorded all that he did so that his readers throughout the rest of history would be able to learn about Jesus so that they would but their trust and reliance on Him.

So believing – trusting, relying upon, leaning on – is the first part of following Jesus.

Belong

Step Two is a relational step. The opening line of the Lord’s Prayer reminds us that God is “our” Father, not just “my” Father. We are raised from spiritual death to life in community. It’s easy to think of salvation as an act that pulls us into a vague spiritual family, but that was not God’s intent. We are drawn into a very physical, messy, beautiful and sometimes startling family of other people who are also trying to follow Jesus. A church building is where we meet, but the church – the real church – is composed of a community of Christ followers who commit to doing life together through thick and thin.

I believe God instilled this need for community deep within us. Dartmouth Medical School and the YMCA did a study called “Hardwired to Connect.”  Their conclusion was that “from the moment a baby is born, their brain is physically, biologically, and chemically hardwired to connect with others in relationship.”[4] That’s something God put in place in His image bearers.

Communities matter. Belonging somewhere matters. This is why Cheers, Friends and Big Bang Theory resonate with so many people. Almost every show or movie has a group that matters. The Avengers. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. How To Train Your Dragon. Toy Story. I remember watching the Angry Birds movie with my kids and realizing that I was meant to feel bad for the really angry bird because everybody rejected him. The Joker movie with Joaquinin Phoenix put a magnifying glass on what happens when we have no friends. We are wired for community. That doesn’t mean being an extrovert is the default. It just means that we need other people in our relational village, large or small.

During adolescence, the brain seems most primed to address fundamental questions about life.  There seems to be a strong correlation between young people connecting with God and connecting with others.  One of Darmouth’s fascinating conclusions is that the healthier the human relationships, the healthier the God relationship. One Christian college teacher noted:

‘Some of my students were incredibly intelligent and even showed an interest in Christ, but they never seemed to make a breakthrough. I was trying to convince them of the evidence of Christ, and they just couldn’t get it. Looking back, I realize many of these students were emotionally wounded (or even abandoned) individuals who simply could not connect with what I was saying.”[5]

We are rational and relational beings – we think and we feel. Truth was meant to be given in the context of relationship so it sinks in not just intellectually but also emotionally. Paul noted in one of his letters:

“We cared so deeply for you that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.” (1 Thessalonians 2:8)

This does not mean we are forced into a decision about God by how others interact with us; we have free will, and we will answer to God for our choices, not the choices of those around us.  Nevertheless, people in our communities can have a profound impact on our spiritual formation.

It’s often noted that people associate God the Father with their parental figures in their lives. Personally, I have found this to be true. But that doesn’t mean I should settle for that because the image I pick up of the Ultimate, Perfect Parent is going to be distorted. Just because my view of God the Father was influenced by Leon my father doesn’t mean that my view is correct or complete.

One of the important things about Christian community is that we are surrounded by fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers, who help, through their relationship with us, to give us a broader, deeper, more complete understanding of God as a relational God who draws us into His family.

Growing together like this – growing up together like this? – is a key component in spreading the good news of “life in His name” so that others are drawn to belonging to Christ and His Kingdom. One historian noted how this has looked practically throughout church history:

“Christianity revitalized life in Greek and Roman cities by providing relationships able to cope with urgent problems. To cities filled with the homeless and impoverished, Christianity offered charity as well as hope. To cities filled with newcomers and strangers, Christianity offered an immediate basis for attachments.

To cities filled with orphans and widows, Christianity provided a new and expanded sense of family. To cities torn by violent ethnic strife, Christianity offered a new basis for social solidarity. And to cities faced with epidemics, fires, and earthquakes, Christianity offered effective nursing services.” ( Rodney Stark, “The Rise of Christianity”)

 Justin Martyr, whom I mentioned at the beginning, wrote to Emperor Antoninus Pius and described how the new Christian believers offered a spiritually and relationally compelling home:

"We formerly rejoiced in uncleanness of life, but now love only chastity; before we used the magic arts, but now dedicate ourselves to the true and unbegotten God; before we loved money and possessions more than anything, but now we share what we have and to everyone who is in need.

Before we hated one another and killed one another and would not eat with those of another race, but now since the manifestation of Christ, we have come to a common life and pray for our enemies and try to win over those who hate us without just cause."

So we begin with belief – trusting and relying on God -  and we add to it belonging – becoming embedded in a community of Christ followers who are not perfect, but who are being transformed into the image of Christ so that we increasingly “make real” to those within and without outside the church the abundant life that Jesus offers us by His grace.

If we do not send a message to others that they belong, that they have a place here, we will put a stumbling block in their way. One of the most important ways we build that faith of others is showing them that their trust in Jesus and his family is the right path, because his family demonstrates the love that drew them to Jesus.

Behave

“As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him and reflect (“mirror”) His glory even more.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

This is not “Behave!” like I would say to my students. This is short for “behavior.”  Just as Jesus embodied and lived the Truth, we should embody and live the truth. Our behavior will mirror what our mind and our hearts have embraced. It is in the behavior of our hands that we see what we believe in our head and love in our heart. Our lives will mirror what our mind and our hearts have embraced.

This is not to suggest we will reach perfection, or that the better we behave the more God is obligated to us. This also does not suggest that God’s love for us hinges upon our ability to be good. However, the Bible is pretty clear that our true beliefs and our true sense of where we belong are revealed in our commitment to embracing His plan for how we ought to live as a representative of Christ. “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Or like a popular Christian hymn from the 60’s said, “They will know we are Christians by our love.”)

Let’s put “believe, belong, and behave” together for a moment to see how all three are inseparable is we are wanting to follow Jesus.

What if we believe - but we don’t belong? What if we decide that we don’t need a community of Christians to help grow our faith since we have our own thoughts or an internet bubble that affirms us? As a result, we get lost in our own interpretation of Scripture and judgment of those who disagree with us because we aren’t participating in the ebb and flow of community church life in which the unity around Jesus is found in diversity of opinion and experience.

Now, sometimes community doesn’t look compelling because the people around us are unhelpful jerks or feel unsafe. Churches are not exempt from that. If that’s, that’s heart-breaking. That’s a topic for another time. I’m talking more about rejecting community because of pride (“I don’t need to be around those losers”) or self-sufficiency (“I already have it all figured out – better than any of them, for sure.”

If this is the case, we will come across as proud, aloof or distant – because we are - and we will remain baffled about why other people find their church family so meaningful. We never fully dive into a church because there’s always something wrong with it. We never let “iron sharpen iron” because we bail when someone challenges anything in our lives, so our maturity and character-building stalls.  We never allow ourselves to be fully known and loved by others; our relationship muscle is never developed, and it impacts our understanding of and relationship with God.

What if  we believe and belong -  but our behavior does not consistently reflect God’s will for our lives?Let’s be clear - good behavior won’t earn us salvation or attract the love of God, who simply loves us.  We will, however, harvest a practical reality in our life from what we have spiritually planted. If we plant holy living, we will harvest “life in his name.” But if we plant sin, we will harvest life in our name, and that’s a terrible thing. We will continue to be damaged by our sin even as we harm those around us – because that’s the way sin always works. It’s never just me and my sin. It’s us and my sin. Our actions have a communal impact. We don’t live in a bubble. When our behavior puts the lie to the beliefs we say order our lives, practical, relational, and maybe even spiritual fallout follows.

We belong and our behavior aligns with God’s path, but we have no beliefs that ground our faith. We don’t actually believe Jesus is who he claims, or we dismiss the Bible’s teaching on our sin and our need for salvation. Then church just becomes a self-help club.

We might feel good – we might embrace life principles that work (the Bible is full of them) – but there is no saving faith; there is no transformation by the Holy Spirit into the image of Christ. There is just ordering your life to live well so we are happy. But that will crumble – not because God failed, but because God was never embraced.

But… when these three things work together, the glory of God and the goodness of a life lived “in his name” becomes clear to a world in desperate need of a Savior.

“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved perfection (“I have not reached the final phase”). But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all the Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be.” (Philippians 3:12)

It’s work, but Paul doesn’t seem put off by it. He seems excited about the fact that God has a particular goal in mind for who he wants Paul to be: in this context, God wants Paul to be transformed into the image of Christ, so that his mind thinks God’s thoughts, his heart loves what God loves, and his hands do the things God would have him to do.  And to Paul, that final phase is well worth the spiritual fight. If you read about who Paul was before his life was transformed by Christ, you know why he is excited about this.

If you have experienced spiritual transformation in your life, you know the hard work is worth it.  True spiritual progress and healing builds its own momentum.

·  Maybe you were always angry, or resentful, or greedy. But you believed that Jesus had the answer; you trusted him; you confessed and repented in a church community where you belonged, and you committed to behavior that aligned with God’s will for your life. As God worked in you, you began to see what life was like on the other side of the chains of sins, and the sweeter that life looked, and the true glory and trustworthiness of Christ emerged from behind the cloud of doubt and sin.

·  Maybe your life was a series of heartbreaks because you kept repeating patterns of sinful behavior that looked so appealing in the moment but always brought you crashing down in the end. But then with God’s help you committed to truly dedicating your life to His will and His path, and as hard as it was to break those old patterns, a peace and freedom opened up in your life that you had not experienced before.

Experiencing this changes us. We taste the freedom that comes with surrender, and our behavior increasingly mirrors what our mind and our hearts have embraced. That once again is not just for us; it’s a profound opportunity to spread the gospel.

"According to the early Christians, the church doesn't exist in order to provide a place where people can pursue their private spiritual agendas and develop their own spiritual potential. Nor does it exist in order to provide a safe haven in which people can hide from the wicked world and ensure that they themselves arrive safely at an otherworldly destination...

The purpose is clearly stated in various places in the New Testament: that through the church God will announce to the wider world that he is indeed its wise, loving, and just creator: that through Jesus he has defeated the powers that corrupt and enslave it; and that by his Spirit he is at work to heal and renew it." ~ N.T. Wright

In a world in desperate need of a Savior, where community and relationships are shallow and fleeting or destructive, and hypocrisy splashes across the headlines, our best witness for Christ will be full of true belief, genuine community, and a passionate commitment to living with holy integrity. And when this happens, we experience and we proclaim “life in his name.”

I want to end with a song that invites you to believe, and belong, and let your life be changed by Jesus.

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[1] “Look at the synopsis of the miracles which exhibit the omniscience and omnipotence of Jesus Christ in the Harmony of the Gospels… He gave proofs of His omnipotence when He converted the water into wine, John 2:6, etc.: Purified the temple, ch. John 2:13, etc.; Mark 11:15, etc.: Removed fever, ch. John 4:47, with which comp John 4:52; Matthew 8:14-15 : Cleansed the leper (Matthew 8:2-3), nay, even ten lepers at the same time, Luke 17:12, etc.: Healed those sick of the palsy, Matthew 8:5, etc., Matthew 9:2, etc.: Restrained and cast out demons, Mark 1:23-24; Matthew 8:28-29; Matthew 9:32-33; Matthew 12:22; Matthew 15:22, etc.; Mark 9:17, etc.; Luke 11:14 : Applied His healing power to diseases of years’ continuance, John 12:18; John 12:38; Matthew 9:20, etc.; Luke 13:11, etc.; John 5:5, etc.: Bestowed sight on the blind (Matthew 9:27-28; Mark 8:22-23; Matthew 20:30-31), nay, even on one born blind (John 9:1, etc.): Restored the withered hand, Matthew 12:10-11 : Commanded the wind and sea (Matthew 8:26; Mark 6:51), also the fishes, Luke 5:4-5; Matthew 17:27; John 21:6 : Fed abundantly at one time five, at another time four, thousand with a few loaves, Matthew 14:18-21; Matthew 15:34-38 : Raised the dead, Matthew 9:18, etc.; Luke 7:11, etc.: John 11:1, etc.: Gave to the disciples also power to perform miracles, Matthew 10:1; Matthew 14:28-29; Luke 10:9; Luke 10:17; Luke 10:19; Mark 16:20. To these are to be added, the cursing of the fig-tree, Matthew 21:18 : The efficacy of His word, I am He—let these go their way (His enemies fell to the ground, John 20:6), John 18:4, etc.: The healing of Malchus, Luke 22:51 : The miraculous feast, John 21:9. Very often crowds of sick persons were healed, Matthew 4:23; Luke 5:17; Matthew 9:35; Matthew 12:15; Mark 6:5”  (Bengel’s Gnomen, biblehub.com)

[2] “And that believing ye might have life through his name: believers have their spiritual and eternal life through Christ; their life of grace, of justification on him, of sanctification from him, and communion with him; the support and maintenance of their spiritual life, and all the comforts of it: and also their life of glory, or eternal life, they have through, or in his name; it lies in his person, it comes to them through him as the procuring cause of it; it is for his sake bestowed upon them, yea, it is in his hands to give it, and who does give it to all that believe: not that believing is the cause of their enjoyment of this life, or is their title to it, which is the name, person, blood, and righteousness of Christ; but faith is the way and means in which they enjoy it; and therefore these signs are written by the evangelist for the encouragement of this faith in Christ, which is of such use in the enjoyment of life, in, through, and from him.” (Gill’s Exposition Of The Entire Bible, biblehub.com)

[3] I believe I first read about this in Josh McDowell’s book, The Unshakable Truth

[4] You can read a brief overview here: http://dartmed.dartmouth.edu/winter03/html/vs_connect.shtml

[5] This is recounted in Josh McDowell’s book, The Unshakable Truth