Clean and Unclean (Acts 9:20 – Acts 10)

Today’s section goes from Acts 9:20 through the end of chapter 10. We don’t have time to read all of the text, so I am going to give you some highlights and encourage you to read all of it yourself. We may revisit parts of it later, but today we need the bigger narrative.  Here is a quick overview before we unpack some of the details.

In Acts 9, after Paul’s encounter with Ananias, he sticks around and does some proclamation of Jesus as Lord. The local Jewish people try to kill him (I’m guessing it’s his former colleagues), but he escapes. He goes to Jerusalem and meets a bunch of the disciples who, as you might imagine, were skeptical. A guy named Barnabas smooths things over. That name will come up later.  The section on Paul ends this way:

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers. (Acts 9:31)

The narrative returns to Peter. He is on the move, and He is crushing it. He’s preaching. He heals a paralyzed man, and,

“All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.” (Acts 9:35)

He raises a woman named Tabitha (Dorcas, in Greek) from the dead. The people love him, and,

“This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.” (9:43)

Then Peter decides to stay with a local tanner (9:44), a guy who was constantly ritually unclean because he handled dead animals. It seems like an odd choice… until it doesn’t. We’ll get to that.

He gets this vision of a sheet descending from heaven with clean and unclean[1] animals mixed together. A voice says, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”

So Peter, faithful adherent to Jewish purity laws, says, “Surely not, Lord.”

God says, “What I have made clean, you must not call unclean.” (Acts 10:13-15)

This happens three times, which is par for the course for Peter (3 denials that he knew Jesus; 3 challenges by Jesus of, "Do you love me?")

Meanwhile, God is speaking in a Roman house to a Gentile family (Acts 10). Cornelius, an important dude in the Roman army, is a praying, generous, devout God-fearer whom the Jewish people respect. Cornelius receives a vision to summon Peter, so he does.

When Peter gets there, he enters a house he was trained to avoid because of ritual impurity – but he had just been in a house like that, so some preparation had been done. There, he announces a tradition - shattering truth:

“God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.” (Acts 10:28)

Then he starts preaching, and the Holy Spirit lands on them, and a bunch of folks get baptized. Then they invite Peter to stay and eat together with a bunch of Gentiles, and he does.

Peter is starting to look a lot like Jesus.

* * * * *

That’s the forest. Let’s look at some beautiful trees.

Healing is Unifying

Peter heals two people:

• Aeneas had been paralyzed for eight years. He couldn’t worship in the temple (beyond the court of the Gentiles), and there was likely plenty of speculation about what sin he had committed to deserve that.

• Tabitha/Dorcas was a disciple beloved by widows, known for good works and helping the poor. Listing both of her names likely highlights that this female disciple was a bridge-builder between the Jewish and Greek cultures.

These healings introduce a theme that’s going to continue in Acts 10.  God’s saving power is not limited by boundaries that create insiders and outsiders. And the restoration is not going to be merely physical. The result will be a building of a community of faith populated by people free of the hierarchy of value labels that traditions and cultures can enforce.

Peter Joins What God Is Already Doing

We talked about Saul’s zeal needing correction, which happened on the road to Damascus.  Now Peter is going to get some holy disruption concerning categories of people he considered clean and unclean.

To be fair to Peter, he’s giving it a go. He’s staying with a tanner, which Jewish people just did not do. There are dead animals, blood, hides, stench, impurity.

“A wife, it is said, could claim a divorce from a husband who became a tanner (Mishna Khethuboth): “It happened at Sidon that a tanner died, and left a brother who was also a tanner. The sages held that his (childless) widow had a right to plead, ‘Thy brother I could bear but I cannot bear thee.’” (Cambridge Bible For Schools And Colleges)

Let’s give Peter the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he’s testing himself. Maybe he’s trying to bring the tanner some honor by staying with him (like Jesus eating with Zaccheus). I don’t know.

Either way, the fact that he needs a vision suggests he hasn’t stopped putting people into categories of clean and unclean. So, he gets a vision of universal equality of human value in the eyes of God. He has to catch up with what God is already doing.

This continues in Acts 10 where, Cornelius doesn’t convert because Peter is persuasive; Cornelius responded to Peter’s message because God had prepared the way first. Cornelius already prayed, gave alms, and was a “God fearer,” a Jewish way of saying revered God. The Jewish people respected him. God was already at work.

 “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ 

So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.” (Acts 10:30-33)

Then, the Holy Spirit manifested before Peter even finished his sermon (10:44).

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in different languages and praising God. (10:44-46)

It’s often viewed as a repeat of Pentecost, but this one is for the Gentiles.  There was no carefully orchestrated moment Peter had to create before the Holy Spirit was ready. Acts 10 is Pentecost without circumcision, without Torah observance, or without markers of “clean” and “unclean”. The Holy Spirit was way ahead of Peter.

Faithfulness is not about getting God to endorse our plans; faithfulness is recognizing where God is already at work and joining His mission.

Doctrinal change = relational change

Back to Peter’s vision. It wasn’t ultimately about food; it was about abolishing hierarchies of human worth. That was going to have massive implications about how Peter needed to interact with people. We are still on a theme of people zealous for God whose incorrect belief and practice – or both – need refinement.

Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection.” (10:27-29)[2]

Their relationship is changing because their understanding of what God is like, and what God is doing, has changed. The story ends with table fellowship:

“They asked Peter to stay with them for several days.” (10:48)

Note the progression: Peter went from living with a tanner (unclean Jewish man) to being in a Gentile home (unclean Gentiles, double whammy)  - and then sharing a meal, which clearly sent a signal of value, dignity and worth.

The gospel doesn’t just save souls; it erases unrighteous categories of value and creates a community that shares a common feast at a common table.

Acts 10 is not the story of Gentiles becoming acceptable to God. It is the story of God teaching the church about those whom God has always invited to be a part of His Kingdom. Which, it turns out, is everybody.

Most of us don’t wrestle with kosher laws, but I am guessing there are ways we still have a tendency to label people and place “unclean” so that we can avoid them, critique them from a distance, and maybe even celebrate how much better we are. Meanwhile, God is already at work in them and is calling us to them: “Don’t call unclean what I have made clean.” 

Note that God said this of Cornelius before Peter went there and before Cornelius converted to faith specifically in Jesus. I think we need to make a distinction between different kinds of clean. There are a lot of verses about how the cross makes it possible for us to be clean because of the sacrificial provision of Jesus.

But if we walk in the light, just as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)

There is also a cleansing baptism done by the Holy Spirit:

[God] saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit…” (Titus 3:5)

Cornelius and friends had not yet been washed by the regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, so this category shift God makes clear to Pter must be something different.

I suspect it addressed the laws of ritual uncleanliness that insisted that Gentiles were so unclean almost by nature that they must be avoided entirely. This is not based on Torah teaching. The idea that Jews shouldn’t be in Gentile homes or eat at their table was a rabbinic tradition that began during the Second Temple period (516 BC to 70 AD).

God tells Peter that distinction is gone. There are no homes or tables he must avoid to be clean; no cities he dare not go to; no people who aren’t worthy enough to be invited into the Kingdom of God.

I wonder if we have lines drawn where the “clean” ends and the “unclean” begins.

• It’s that group that has been so vilified that we just aren’t sure we should go to them with a message that God loves them and we do too.

• It’s the people we just don’t want to have a meal with because we think our reputation might take a hit.

• It’s those we fear have a spiritual darkness around them that’s so strong that we need to avoid them.

If I am reading the story of Cornelius correctly, the Holy Spirit is already standing on the other side of these lines waiting for us to catch up with the work the Holy Spirit is already doing.

We should be in contact with all people, because God is working them already. Isaiah records God saying,

“I made myself available to those who did not ask for me; I appeared to those who did not look for me.” (Isaiah 65:1)

They are, after all, His image bearers. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9), so He’s at work. I’m thinking now also of all the reports of dreams people are having in other countries preparing the way for the missionaries who arrive to introduce Jesus.[3]

When we embrace the reality that Jesus is already at work, our love and mercy will increasingly match the wideness of God’s love and mercy.

A couple questions for us to think about today as I invite us to join Jesus in the work He is already doing?

Where might God already be at work—healing, welcoming, and pouring out the Spirit—while I am still deciding who belongs, who’s clean, and whether I’m willing to enter their house?

Am I following the Spirit into unfamiliar places—or asking the Spirit to stay within my boundaries?”

Is my obedience shaped more by faithfulness to Jesus—or by comfort with people like me?

______________________________________________________________________________________

[1] As described in Old Testament Law

[2] Perhaps there are two miracles here: Cornelius received the Spirit, and Peter stopped resisting Him.

[3] “Have you seen The Man in White? Jesus is appearing to people in dreams” https://www.unreached.network/have-you-seen-the-man-in-white-jesus-is-appearing-to-people-in-dreams/

The Importance of Righteous Zeal (Acts 9; Philippians 3:4-6)

One of the things we talked about last Sunday[1] was Saul’s misplaced zeal. He genuinely believed he was carrying out God’s will by killing the first followers of The Way. He felt like the defender of the faith, the one with the most "biblical" backbone. He makes that clear in Philippians 3:5-6.

“…circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.”

He was the one doing something about idolatry and what he perceived as a betrayal of the faith. He was tragically wrong.

When God stopped Saul on the road to Damascus, God didn’t correct Saul because he hadn’t memorized enough of the Torah, or because he lacked conviction and courage. He corrected Saul because Saul misunderstood what kind of Messiah Jesus is—and therefore what kind of kingdom Jesus brings. Part of his conversion was coming to grips with how badly he had misunderstood God and God’s plan in spite of having all the information he needed.

Then we talked about a few times historically when Christians sincerely believed they were doing God’s will but were, in fact, working against the heart of Christ: The Inquisition; the Crusades; the church’s long defense of slavery in the Southern states, etc.

In nearly every one of these moments, the church was not trying to rebel against God. Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they were convinced they were on the side of righteousness. Like Saul, they were not.  

I started thinking about times in my life where I saw a zeal for righteousness lose its way. I grew up in a denomination where churches split over what kind of covering women should wear, what Bible translation to use, and whether or not Christians would have to go through the tribulation. Yes, they were zealous for honoring Scripture (as they understood it), but surely the division it caused (and the message it sent to people hurt by these positions and arguments) was not what Jesus had in mind for his children.

I couldn’t shake the sense that we aren’t done with this topic. If sincere, Bible-believing Christians have been this wrong before, where might we need Jesus to lovingly interrupt us today?”[2]

To be clear, I love that this church is full of people zealous to follow Jesus. I’ve been here almost 30 years, and I have known some of you that long, and I know your zeal. It’s a beautiful thing. But if you have been here long enough, you’ve been through a whole lot of differences of opinion about how to live in the Kingdom, from worship styles in our Sunday Service, to responding to Covid, to our discussion about immigration and ICE last Sunday in Message+, and to a multitude of other things. We are a people zealous to follow Jesus, and we at times have remarkably different conclusions about what faithful discipleship looks like.

Sometimes, it’s disagreements over matters of personal conviction, aka, “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”[3]  That’s fine; no Damascus Road intervention needed. But sometimes personal convictions were taught or defended as normative for all, and that needs a Damascus Road intervention to teach us something about humility and grace.

Other times, someone was right and someone was wrong about what Jesus is calling us to think and do. That can still happen. In those moments, we need Jesus to confront us on the road we are on.

So. I started a list of things sincere, zealous Christians disagree about, then went online to find what others were saying - and they had things to say. I have pared 15 pages of notes down to 9. As we go through just a portion of them, I want to challenge us to ask,

“Is it possible that I hold a position that reflects a misunderstanding about what it actually looks like for God’s Kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven?“

Keep in mind that the issue will not be, ‘Does that person even care about God’s kingdom?’  Zeal for following Jesus will be assumed. The question for each of us to ask is,

“Does my zeal cause me to look more or less like Jesus, and my community to look more like His kingdom?”

I tried to end up with a list that will challenge all of us at some point - and maybe multiple points – to do one of two things:

1. Challenge us to give grace because we’ve made our opinion a law when it ought to be an issue of conscience, or

2. Challenge us to humility because we might be wrong.

Honestly, I kicked against the goads on this one. There are a lot of ways this could go wrong.  This list will be imperfect and incomplete. Don’t get hung up on things that don’t apply to you. But if the Holy Spirit starts to nudge you about one of these or something that didn’t make the list, I encourage you to be humble and responsive.

We start with the things closest to home. We have a deep, God-given desire to protect what is precious: our children, our bodies, and our health. This zeal is rooted in stewardship. That’s a great start. Does our zeal contain grace, and does it cause us to look more and more like Jesus?

Discipline

The zeal: We parents want to obey Scripture, raise godly children, and take discipline (correction) seriously, as we should.

The distortion: Authority can be emphasized without comfort and relationship, and behavior modification can replace spiritual formation. Some parents may fear using any firm correction because they associate discipline with past trauma or authoritarianism.

The Damascus Road Question. Does our discipline aim merely to control behavior, or to build authentic disciples? Does our zeal contain grace, and does it cause us to look more and more like Jesus?

Vaccines

The zeal: Protecting bodies and communities by getting vaccines and/or protecting autonomy and freedom by rejecting them

The danger: distrust of medical advice becoming unhealthy cynicism OR trust of medical advice becoming unquestioning loyalty.

Damascus Road question: If Jesus were physically present among believers who disagreed on this issue, would our words and posture look more like a conversation at a table of fellowship or more like tribal warfare? Does our zeal contain grace, and does it cause us to look more and more like Jesus?

Psychology vs. Faith for Emotional and Mental Healing

The zeal: Relying exclusively on spiritual maturity/supernatural healing OR relying exclusively on therapy and medicine.

The danger: Spiritualizing pain away or psychologizing sin away. One side fears that psychology denies sin (ignoring the soul's depravity).The other side fears that the church denies trauma (ignoring the body/mind's complexity).

Damascus Road question: Does our approach help people boldly bring their wounds to Jesus and others for healing, or would it cause them to hide and isolate out of shame for what we might say? Does our zeal contain grace, and does it cause us to look more and more like Jesus?

* * * * *

Beyond our homes, we have a zeal for our 'teams'—our nation, our politics, our people. But Saul's story warns us that when we commit ourselves to any identity flag other than Jesus (in Saul’s case, Jewish Pharisaism defended with Zealot means), we risk confusing the Empire’s culture with the way of the Kingdom.

Political Allegiance/Idolatry

The zeal: Wanting good leaders, biblically moral laws, and cultural stability.

The danger: Excusing sin in parties and people to gain cultural power; the temptation to baptize political strategies as “God’s plan”; defending the words and lives of leaders more fiercely than the teachings and the life model of Jesus.[4]

Damascus Road question: If Jesus refused to take the throne of the Empire to save the world, why do need the throne of the Empire to join in his mission? Does our zeal distract us from or cause us to bemore and more focused on Jesus?

Confusing the American Dream with the Kingdom of Heaven

The zeal: Gratitude for freedom, prosperity, and opportunity (which tracks with a just society).

The distortion: Material success, national identity, and personal advancement becoming signs of God’s Kingdom arriving.

Damascus Road question: Does our vision of a “blessed life” look more like Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount—or more like our culture’s promise of comfort, security, and upward mobility?[5] Does our zeal create a life in which we look more and more like Jesus?

Military Action to Stop Christian Persecution (e.g., Nigeria)

The zeal: Protecting persecuted believers, as we would like to be protected.

The danger: On the one side, are we failing to take the action we can to protect God’s persecuted children; on the other, are we trusting violence to do what resurrection love alone can do, and assuming Christ’s kingdom advances the same way empires do?

Damascus Road question: How would Jesus counsel us to protect his persecuted followers?[6] Does our zeal choose a path that looks like the path of Jesus?

Church as Prophetic Voice

The zeal: For the church to offer prophetic critiques of culture and pastoral care within existing cultural structures.

The danger: Becoming ideologically or politically captive to movements that give us platforms, prestige and power, then failing to speak gospel truth to power lest we lose our comfort and privilege.[7]

Damascus Road question: Are we consistently speaking Jesus’ Kingdom truth to the Empire’s power? Does our zealous message cause us to sound more and more like Jesus?

* * * * *

Many of us feel the fire of our zeal most when we see the brokenness of the world. We want to be the hands and feet of Jesus. This is a good impulse. Once again, does our zeal cause us to look more and more like Jesus? I offer one trend often associated with the Left, and one with the Right. In both cases, that challenge is how to respond when we start expecting the State to do the Church's work.

The Social Gospel

The zeal: A sincere concern for justice, the poor, the marginalized, and the oppressed.

The distortion: The fruit of the gospel being treated as the root of the gospel.[8]

Damascus Road Question: Are we proclaiming the same good news Jesus announced—repentance, reconciliation, and restoration—or only the practical outcomes of an embodied Kingdom? Does our zeal contain actions and words that point more and more clearly toward Jesus?

Christian Nationalism

The zeal: A desire to honor God publicly, preserve moral order, protect religious freedom, and see the nation flourish under righteousness.

The distortion: Confusing the Kingdom of God with national identity; prioritizing cultural dominance over cruciform witness.[9]

Damascus Road Question: Are we proclaiming allegiance to a cruciform King who will bring about Kingdom ends by Kingdom means, or are we looking to the Empire to bring about Kingdom ends by Empire means? Does our zeal refuse to step out of the ends and means of the kingdom, and does it cause us to look more and more like Jesus?

* * * * *

Finally, there is our zeal for the 'House of God.' We want to be orthodox. We want to protect the truth. But if our defense of the truth isn't characterized by the fruit of the Spirit, we may find ourselves like Saul: protecting the letter of the Law while dishonoring the heart of the Law – love - by trampling on God’s children. Does our zeal cause us to look more and more like Jesus?

Deconstruction vs…..Not Deconstruction

[Note: it seems like everyone describes deconstruction differently. Here’s what I mean: someone looks at their faith and sees something built shoddily on an unstable foundation because of bad teaching, hypocritical experiences, etc. They decide to tear it down. Some don’t start over and instead walk away. Others start rebuilding their faith, seeking a more stable foundation and more quality building material. This is about the Rebuilders.]

The zeal: On one side: protecting traditional orthodoxy, resisting relativism or cultural syncretism;. On the other: a zeal for authenticity, perhaps also a claim to protecting original orthodoxy; refusing to pretend everything is okay where there is doubt, hurt and confusion.

The danger: The danger for the defender is a defense of traditional orthodoxy without love or humility that might lead them to agree maybe not everything was what it should have been; the danger for the deconstructor who wants to rebuild is revisiting their faith without a humble curiosity that may lead them to reuse some of the material initially torn away..

Damascus Road question: Does our zeal contain both truth and grace that keep us humble and curious (as we always have more to learn), and does it cause us to look more and more like Jesus?

Christian Celebrity Culture

The zeal: Wanting strong leadership, gifted teaching, and effective ministry.

The danger: Confusing gifting with godliness, or excusing abuse because “God is using them.”[10]

Damascus Road question(s): Would Jesus recognize our definition of leadership as resembling His—washing feet, telling the truth, and laying down power—or something else entirely?[11] Does our zeal contain integrity, and does it cause us to look more and more like Jesus?

End-Times Fascination

The zeal: Taking Scripture seriously and longing for Christ’s return.

The danger: A fear-driven faith (when Revelation was meant to be hopeful!); moving from watchfulness to withdrawal and neglecting love, justice, and neighborliness now because it’s all gonna’ burn.

Damascus Road question: Does my focus on the future make me scared of the world, or does it make me care for my neighbor? Does our zeal for Christ’s return fuel loving outreach, and does it cause us to look more and more like Jesus?

* * * * *

In almost every case, the problem is not necessarily what followers of Jesus care about—it’s what we stop caring about. Maybe we stopped caring about people on the other side of an argument, and broke the bruised Isaiah said God would not break.[12] Maybe we are so zealous for a country to look like the Kingdom that we forgot the model of Jesus: sacrifice, love, invitation, example.

The most dangerous thing about being zealous for something is that it often feels indistinguishable from righteousness. Like Saul, we are sincere. Like Saul, we are certain. Like Saul, surely we are wrong in at least some ways in at least some places. And like Saul, we still need Jesus to stop us on the road when we misunderstand what kind of Messiah Jesus is – and, therefore, what kind of kingdom Jesus brings.

If Jesus is interrupting us today, I don’t believe His first words would be condemnation. As with Saul, I believe the first thing He would say would be our names, spoken tenderly, calling us to truth and healing by pointing us back to the nature, life and ministry of Jesus.

_____________________________________________________________________

[1] Acts 10

[2] Pete asked this question in Message +. Good work, Pete!

[3] James 4:17

[4] Zealous to defend our political side as the one that can bring the most good to the nation (good!), but not zealous to confront sin when it wears our team’s colors (not good).

[5] Zealous to enjoy God’s blessings and steward opportunity (good!), but not zealous to embrace the way of the cross when it costs comfort, status, or security (not good).

[6] Zealous to protect persecuted Christians (good!), but not zealous to ask whether the cross, rather than the sword, truly reveals the path of Jesus (not good).

[7] Zealous to be relevant or to be faithful (both good!), but not zealous to remain free from captivity to any power that competes with Jesus’ Kingdom (not good).

[8] Zealous to pursue justice, mercy, and good works (good!), but not zealous to proclaim reconciliation with God as the source of that work (not good).

[9] Zealous to preserve Christian influence and moral order (good!), but not zealous to follow Jesus when His way conflicts with national pride, political power, or cultural dominance (not good).

[10] Zealous to support gifted leaders and effective ministry (good!), but not zealous to insist on Christlike character, humility, and accountability as non-negotiable (not good).

[11] Would I defend or overlook this leader’s message, character and actions if they had no platform but were, instead, my next door neighbor, or led in my church?

[12] Isaiah 42:3; Matthew 12:20

Saul’s Misplaced Zeal (Acts 9, 22, 26)

 Back to Saul— breathing out threatenings and slaughter, who wanted to kill every last one of the Lord’s disciples: he went to the high priest in Jerusalem for authorization to purge all the synagogues in Damascus of followers of the way of Jesus. 

Christianity became known as The Way based on Christ calling Himself “the way” (John 14:6). It also reminds us that there is a path to following Christ. It’s not just a decision in a moment. It’s a lifestyle.[1]

 His plan was to arrest and chain any of Jesus’ followers—women as well as men[2]—and transport them back to Jerusalem. He traveled north toward Damascus with a group of companions.

Damascus was the middle of a huge commerce network, with trade stretching into Mesopotamia, Persia, and Arabia. If the new “Way” of Christianity flourished in Damascus, it would spread fast. To Saul, The Way had to be stopped in Damascus.[3]

Suddenly a light flashes from the sky around Saul, and he falls to the ground at the sound of a voice (speaking in Aramaic – Acts 26).[4] The Lord: Saul, Saul, why are you attacking Me?[5] It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” (Acts 26) Saul: Lord, who are You?

Goads are spikes used to prod farm animals.[6] Sometimes a stubborn ox kicks back against the goad and wounds itself. This proverb has to do with the pointlessness of rebelling against lawful authority.

The Lord: I am Jesus. I am the One you are attacking. Get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. Enter the city. You will learn there what you are to do. 

 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” (Acts 26) 

 His other traveling companions just stand there, paralyzed, speechless because they, too, heard the voice; but there is nobody in sight.  Saul rises to his feet, his eyes wide open, but he can’t see a thing. So his companions lead their blind friend by the hand and take him into Damascus. He waits for three days—completely blind—and does not eat a bite or drink a drop of anything. 

Meanwhile, in Damascus a disciple named Ananias had a vision in which the Lord Jesus spoke to him. (He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. – Acts 22) The Lord: Ananias. Ananias: Here I am, Lord. 

Ananias was likely one of Saul's targets for arrest in Damascus. He served as first bishop of that city.[7]The Greek Church has a tradition that Ananias was one of the seventy-two disciples, and that he was martyred; they celebrate his martyrdom on the first of October.[8]

The Lord: Get up and go to Straight Boulevard. Go to the house of Judas, and inquire about a man from Tarsus, Saul by name. He is praying to Me at this very instant. He has had a vision—a vision of a man by your name who will come, lay hands on him, and heal his eyesight. 

Ananias: Lord, I know whom You’re talking about. I’ve heard rumors about this fellow. He’s an evil man and has caused great harm for Your special people in Jerusalem. I’ve heard that he has been authorized by the religious authorities to come here and chain everyone who associates with Your name. 

The Lord: Yes, but you must go! He is my chosen vessel to bring My name far and wide—to outsiders, to kings, and to the people of Israel as well. I have much to show him, including how much he must suffer for My name. So Ananias went and entered the house where Saul was staying. He laid his hands on Saul and called to him. 

 Ananias: Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, sent me so you can regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 22 - “‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 

 You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.” At that instant, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes,[9]and he could see.  

So he got up, received the ceremonial washing of baptism identifying him as a disciple, ate some food (remember, he had not eaten for three days), and regained his strength. He spent a lot of time with the disciples in Damascus over the next several days.  

 Then he went into the very synagogues he had intended to purge, proclaiming, Saul: Jesus is God’s Son![10]

Let’s see what we can learn from Saul in this passage.   

“Saul, breathing out threatenings and slaughter.” That kind of language is also very frequent in the Greek writers, who use it to represent a remarkable amount of hostility.  Luke wrote in a sophisticated version of Greek called Koine Greek. It is likely he was trained in Greek classics. This kind of language is found often there. For example:

They came into the assembly, breathing mutual slaughter. (Theocritus)

They breathed spears, and pikes, and helmets, and crests, and greaves, and the fury of redoubted heroes. (Aristophanes)

His description of Saul shows someone desperately and incessantly bent on accomplishing the destruction of the objects of its resentment.[11]

Why was Saul so mad? He was convinced that Jesus was dead and buried. He did not believe the resurrection happened. As a Pharisee, a keeper of the law, he was bent on wiping out this idolatrous and blasphemous movement. You see a bit of zealotry shine through as he is determined to kill the enemies of his faith.[12] It’s not clear if he participated in the Zealot movement (as they generally targeted Rome), but his embrace of violence as a means of advancing or protecting God’s kingdom surely had some overlap.

So, envision Saul as a Jewish hero to probably all but the Essenes. He is a Pharisee, using the method of Zealots to kill these Jewish insurrectionists, which the Sadducees probably appreciated, since keeping their own people in line kept them in good standing with Rome.

I don’t think I can overstate this: Saul was profoundly convinced that he was God’s man doing God’s work. He told the church in Philippi,

“If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.” (Philippians 3:4-6)

That was his mindset when God confronted him: “I am crushing it. Surely God is pleased with me!” In this context, Jesus’ greeting to him is either obvious or shocking. “Saul, Saul,” is a repetition that signifies intimate personal address. Here are all the examples in Scripture other than God’s address to Saul.

 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven,“Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. (Genesis 22:11) 

And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”

“Here I am,” he replied. (Genesis 46:2) 

God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” ( Exodus 34:4) 

The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10) 

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things…” (Luke 10:41) 

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31)

In all cases, it is not language of anger or condemnation. It is the gentle address of a caring Heavenly Father.  Here is Saul, violently hunting down and killing followers of Jesus, and Jesus “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,”[13] so of course Jesus loved him in the midst of his sin.

Meanwhile, Saul knows the OT, which is full of stories of God appearing to and speaking to people. This should be amazing for Saul: God is speaking to him! He must be doing GREAT!  But then Jesus says that Saul is actually persecuting him. (At that time, treatment of messengers reflected the attitude toward their sender.)[14]

It must have been overwhelming for Saul to do the math. If by persecuting the followers of Jesus he is persecuting God, then Jesus must be God, which means those pesky rumors about Jesus rising from the dead must be true.

It’s hard to imagine what was going on inside Saul.

In spite of all this, God calls him a “chosen vessel.”  It’s a very Jewish way of describing Saul as an excellent or well-adapted instrument, a choice or eminent person. How can this be? It turns out that Saul has attributes that, if applied to kingdom work, are fantastic.

• His character: dedicated zealously to the purity of his faith  

• His education: trained Jewish; trained in Greek by Roman benefactors, so primed to be all things to all people.

• His reputation: stellar. He was the upcoming next big thing in his circles.

To the early Christians, Paul must have looked like a monster because of the outcome of his actions, and understandably so. As church history unfolds, we continue to see far too many times when zealous followers of God get His will terribly wrong. 

• The Inquisition and other periods of intra-church violence, Christians believed they were protecting truth, saving souls, and guarding orthodoxy, yet used fear, coercion, imprisonment, and torture in the name of Christ. Even John Calvin had a man burned at the stake over theological differences.

• Colonial missionary efforts toward Indigenous peoples, including the forced removal of Native American children into government and church-run schools in order to “kill the Indian and save the man.” Cultural erasure and family separation were framed as obedience to the Great Commission.

• In the Crusades, nations and armies claimed to advance Christendom at the edge of the sword, and large segments of the church supported violence because they believed God’s kingdom would expand through conquest.

• The church’s long defense of slavery. Scripture was quoted sincerely.
  Pulpits defended the system. Faithful Christians believed they were upholding God’s order—while denying the image of God in others.

• Antisemitism within Christian theology and practice. People as famous as Martin Luther portrayed Jews as Christ-killers, cursed, or rejected by God. This theological zeal helped justify centuries of violence, exclusion, and persecution. (Hitler was a fan of Luther.)

• The silencing of abuse “for the sake of the church.” Victims were told to forgive quickly. Leaders were protected to avoid scandal. What was framed as protecting God’s reputation often perpetuated harm.

In nearly every one of these moments, the church was not trying to rebel against God. The church believed it was being faithful – but it wasn’t.

To the victims in all of these circumstances, it must be really hard to see people doing terrible things under the banner of zealous allegiance to God and respond with imprecatory prayers and a desire for their destruction. And I totally get it. It’s a very human response to human rights violations.

But Jesus has a Jesus-like response to Paul (and I assume others who have sincerely used their power and skills in the belief they were doing God’s will, but were actually in the service of evil).

God sees what is possible on the other side of redemption. There is something here about hope and potential.

Don’t hear me say that God does not see what is happening in the moment. A God whose love is just will not be indifferent to injustice. God stopped Saul, after all. The Bible is clear that God is on the side of the oppressed.

Yet a God whose love is merciful and redemptive also knows what could happen in a surrendered and repentant heart, which is why God did not give up on Saul, and God will not give up on…..here you fill in the blank. Think big.

Immediately, God asks His people to trust that He can do transformational miracles. Paul seeks fellowship with the very people he was there to arrest. God could have informed him at once what His will was – He and Saul were having a conversation after all – but God chose to send Saul to God’s people. Why? Believer’s Bible Commentary offers two suggestions. I’m going to paraphrase:

• First, so that those already in the Kingdom clearly understand the love and forgiveness God expects of them.

• Second, so that those new to the kingdom experience the goodness of God through the goodness of God’s people.

Being a follower of Jesus is a high calling. Much has been given to us; much is required. It will be hard to love, forgive, confront, embrace, repent, be peacemakers; it’s a challenge to consistently show gentleness, meekness, and humility when we want so badly to be harsh, blustering, and proud.

Following in the path of Jesus is a high calling and a hard one. There’s a reason Jesus told his disciples to count the cost. (Luke 14:28-30) Following Jesus is a sacrifice that will cost us something if we take it seriously. But when we do, we introduce people to the goodness of God by living as faithful ambassadors of God.

And when you consider that kind of community, does it not sound like a beautiful place to be? A place built on the foundation of the cruciform love of Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and filled with people who increasingly remind us of Jesus. 

No wonder the next thing we read is that Paul began to testify powerfully (Acts 9:20). He had met Jesus; that was life-changing. And then he met the followers of Jesus who faithfully represented Jesus, and that was life-changing.  

* * * * *

Pastor: Lord, when we are full of zeal but mistaken about what You are actually calling us to…

Congregation: Slow us down, open our eyes, and turn our passion toward Your heart.

Pastor: When we are convinced we are defending You, yet our lives reveal fear, anger, pride, or harm…

Congregation: Remind us that You call us by name, not to shame us, but to heal us.

Pastor: When we are confident in our knowledge, our tradition, or our certainty…

Congregation: Teach us again that You are Jesus, the One we meet in mercy, the One we meet in truth.

Pastor: When our blindness is self-inflicted, when we kick against what You are doing in us…

Congregation: Give us the courage to stop resisting and the humility to be led by Your hand.

Pastor: When we struggle to believe that transformation is possible in others, or in ourselves…

Congregation: Remind us that You see not only what is, but also what can be made new.

Pastor: When You call us to love difficult people, to forgive deeply, to welcome boldly…

Congregation: Fill us with Your Spirit, so Your goodness is made visible through Your people.

Pastor: Lord Jesus, You met Saul on the road, You met him through Your people, and You sent him out with good news.

Congregation: As you meet us on our roads, may we respond by declaring Your mercy and Your light.  In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

[1] HT Orthodox Study Bible

[2] The fact that both men and women were targeted makes it clear that women had a prominent role in the early church. (Africa Bible Commentary)

[3] NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible

[4] My commentary crush Adam Clarke sees God using nature as a means of divine revelation: “Verse Acts 9:3.  This might have been an extraordinary flash of [lightning] accompanied with thunder… out of this thunder, or immediately after it, Christ spoke in a distinct voice, which appears to have been understood by Saul only.”

[5] To persecute Jesus’ disciples was to persecute Jesus (Matt. 5:10–12; John 15:19, 20).

[6] “Sometimes used as a metaphor for the promptings of God (Ecc 12:11, “pointed sticks”).” (Orthodox Study Bible)

[7] Orthodox Study Bible

[8] Adam Clarke’s commentary

[9] Some of Luke’s audience may have recalled the scales or films that fell from Tobit’s eyes when he was healed in a traditional Jewish story (Tobit 3:17; 11:11 – 13). (NIV Cultural  Backgrounds Study Bible)

[10] This translation is The Voice, which you can find on Bible Gateway.

[11] Adam Clarke

[12] Paul describes himself several times as “zealous,” which has raised some questions about whether or not he was referencing Old Testament characters who were zealous for Got, the temple or the Torah, or if there was some sense in which he took the approach of the Zealots (who were Pharisees, though not all Pharisees were zealots.)

[13] Romans 5:8

[14] See Exodus 16:8; 1 Samuel 8:7; Luke 10:16).

The Next Right Thing

There is a tension in the Christian life between what God does for us and what God expects us to do. He is always at work doing something in us and for us that we can’t accomplish on our own power. But the Bible is also clear that God expects us to actively participate. Here are two key scriptural passages that offer a foundation for our topic today. 

“Whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock, and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.  

But everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand; and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on the house; and it fell.  And great was its fall.” (Jesus, in Matthew 7:24-27)

Jesus is the rock on which we build a foundation of life that will stand in the midst of storms. But we build. Whether on sand or stone, we build. After talking about people who were commended for their faith, Paul wrote, 

“Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith...” (Paul, in Hebrews 12)

Jesus is the author of our faith and the finisher of our faith. But we “throw off,” “lay aside,” and “run with endurance.” Part of our union with God – the practical outworking of our communion – is that we participate in what God is doing.

There is often little information about 95% of the characters’ lives in the Bible. In the Old Testament especially, we get the details we need to move the narrative along, but it’s portions of their lives. It is easy to get caught up in the big moments that define the lives of Biblical characters. We forget that while they are important, they didn’t suddenly become the kind of people we see. There were years that formed them. 

• We don’t have a lot of biblical detail about Noah’s years before the ark building, but one does not get the reputation for being ‘blameless in his time’ (Genesis 6:9) in a moment. That has to unfold over time to get that title.

• By contrast, I doubt that Jonah become a bitter, rebellious prophet overnight. Something had been building for years in him in the ordinary moments of life.

• When we think of Moses, we often think of him confronting Pharaoh and parting the Red Sea. We can forget the 40 years he spent as a fugitive shepherd in Midian learning humility, patience, and restraint after killing an Egyptian. Before Moses confronted Pharaoh, he had to learn to tend sheep.

• The actions and attitudes we see in the disciples were not some kind of personality quirk that God put in them to teach us a lesson in jealousy or bravery or betrayal. The disciples became those kinds of people over time.

• Even with Jesus, we read that “Jesus grew in wisdom, maturity and in favor with God and people.” (Luke 2:52) There are 15-20 years of Jesus life for which we have no biblical record. There were apparently no marquee moments to add.

• Next week we are going to talk about Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus. That’s his start to becoming a missionary to the Gentiles and church planter. But he lived for years in obscurity after his conversion, studying and training (Galatians 1). His calling was instant, but his formation took some time.

 The high or low points of their lives, their ”ten minutes of fame” experiences that were recorded in Scripture, are related to what happened during the rest of the time in their lives up to that point.

I was watching bowl games this week, and there was a moment that stood out to me. There was a player having a fantastic day, and the announcers noted that this player would go to the school’s training facility during the offseason and work out all by himself. He had put in serious time just ordinary day after ordinary day, which prepared him for his extraordinary moment in the spotlight.

It’s cool to see this in sports, but there are other areas of life where we can observe commitment and then see output. No matter who you are and whether or not life has been good to you or hard for you, there is no substitute for faithful, committed hard work to take you to a better place than you are now.

From what I can see in the Bible, it is no different with character building. God has given us the privilege and responsibility of being what theologians call “significant moral agents.” In other words, what we do matters. Reaping and sowing is a principle God himself embedded in the world.

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap corruption;  whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.  Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:7-10)

On the cross, Jesus took upon himself the cost for all the corruption we have sown into the world and our lives and emerged victorious from the grave. That’s what God has done for us. We are invited to participate in what Jesus accomplished for us.

In the context of the life that Jesus offers, whenever we plant something spiritually or morally in our life, an appropriate crop begins to grow. We learn from this. This is the building of our character.

Here is a biblical truth that can be hard to accept: God does not gift character. God gifts identity and then empowers us to build character. God radically changes our identity through salvation (we are now children of God – Galatians 3:26). That’s salvation, God’s gift to us. But we also talk about sanctification, which means there is still work to be done, because we have a lot of room to grow. All of us in this room are a testimony to this.

It’s important to remember that God does not wait until we are perfect until He can do something with us. The Bible is loaded with stories of flawed people that God used for the good of the world and for His glory. 

So this is not about becoming good enough so God will choose you or use you. If that were the standard, none of us would ever be chosen or rise to the occasion. This is not about God noticing us because of how awesome we are.

This is about how the Bible shows discipline and character developing in the slow, ordinary, plodding times of life as we participate in what God is doing in us.

It’s not a popular thought. We live in a society that encourages us to see life not as a walk of baby steps, but of huge leaps and bounds.

• If I am going to lose weight, I want to be the biggest loser.  20 pounds over a year is hardly worth my time.  I want to win the show on TV by dropping 100 in a week.

• If I want a home makeover, I don’t have time for small improvements over time.  I want an extreme makeover now while I am on vacation.

• I shouldn’t have to be a singer who works my way to the top through hard work and fortitude. I want to be an idol with a big contract.

• And dare I say, we want God to finish working in our life now, and be done teaching us now, to get us past our struggles with sin now, to fix our marriage now, and to answer our prayers now. We don’t have time to just do the next thing.  We want the next big thing !!!!  

 Yet there are plenty of biblical images that reinforce the point that meaningful growth happens over slow, ordinary time. 

• The Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5) Fruit grows slowly - so slowly that I can’t tell from moment to moment that it’s growing, and yet it does.

• Running a race (Hebrews 12)  It’s not a sprint being described. It’s a marathon that requires endurance, time, repetition, dedication, and fatigue.

• ·Building a house (Matthew 7)  It takes a while to build a house. It’s daily devotion, not dramatic moments.

This past week I was reading some prophecies or predictions for 2026. Most of them are pretty bold and startling about major breakthroughs and years of grandness. You know what I didn’t see?  

“God has revealed to me that this next year will be full of countless times when ordinary moments of faithfulness will build His people and His Kingdom. The Holy Spirit will move powerfully and help you not snap at your kids so that over time what you plant as a parent will lead to a good relational harvest.  

You will face temptation, and you will need to train: humble yourself, seek accountability, and do the hard work of resisting temptation. You will be overlooked, under-appreciated, ignored and demeaned, but God’s faithful presence will use this to build your character for the good of the Kingdom and for His glory.”

 I haven’t seen that yet, because that’s just not that exciting to us. Eugene Peterson once said:

“There is a great market for religious experience in our world; there is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue, little inclination to sign up for a long apprenticeship in what earlier generations of Christians called holiness.”

Anyone who tells you there are shortcuts to character are not being honest with you. I once heard a self-proclaimed prophet claim that when God appeared to Him in a vision and told him to be a prophet, God told the man that this calling was so urgent that God would give him 10 years of maturity miraculously. That’s just not how it works. (And as this man’s life unfolded, it was clear that he had not, in fact, been gifted maturity).

There is no escaping this Godly practice of doing the next thing: Being faithful in the walk of life, in little things when there is no apparent inspiration, no applause, no crowd, no obvious, immediate payoff to myself. This is the means through which God so often does His restorative work of grace in us and around us.

Alexander Maclaren once said:

“If our likeness to God does not show itself in trifles, what is there left for it to show itself in?  For our lives are all made up of trifles.  The great things come three or four of them in the seventy years; the little ones every time the clock ticks.”

As I look back, as meaningful as our marriage ceremony was, the vows my wife and I gave each other offered an inaccurate view of what we would face. It kind of presented extremes: better or worse, rich or poor, sickness and health. I wish we had said something about the ordinary.  More often than not the majority of our life has been lived somewhere in between, not leaping from momentous event to momentous event, but taking a Tylenol and a nap and doing the next right thing.

Even as I think back on what became momentous shifts in our relationship, it was the daily ‘next things’ that led to significant change. No one stays married because of a great wedding. Love is built on 52 ordinary Tuesdays throughout the year, not 2-day anniversary get aways. Love deepens through thousands of what seem like unremarkable acts of choosing each other.

Let’s apply this to parenting. Good parents aren’t necessarily good parents because they create momentous moments (though that can be really cool if you can pull it off). Good parents are those whose character has matured by doing the next thing right, day after day. It’s thousands of bedtime prayers and stories, heart-felt apologies, working on consistency, exercising restraint when that one kid makes you late every Sunday.

I’ve been thinking about the past two years of therapy for childhood trauma. I would love so much for God to just clean that up in one dramatic moment of healing. I didn’t want one therapy session at a time; sharing week after week with my small groups; talking with the elders about what was unfolding; and trusting my wife day after day after day to sit with me and endure with me and cry yet again with me. That isn’t glamorous at all. It’s messy, and relentless, and moving at the pace of ordinary. And yet healing and maturity are both happening.

Many spiritual breakthroughs are recognized in hindsight. It turns out that Scripture reading when it feels boring, prayer when nothing dramatic happens, and pursuing community when we’d rather isolate – they all quietly prepare the way for what feels like a breakthrough in the moment, but it turns out it had been building for years.

I’m sure God can make us mature in a moment if He wants to, but there is no record in the Bible that He ever did. He apparently does not want to. He wants us to grow up, moment by moment, relying on His Spirit, reading His Word and living in a community of His people.

Let’s go back to Jesus’ parable in Matthew 7. When the rain comes we as follower of Christ will stand not because we were strong suddenly, by surprise, contrary to all expectations. We will stand because 1) God provided a foundation for our lives, and 2) we built on that foundation by hearing what Jesus has to say about life - and doing it.

This is how discipleship works: committing our lives to following Christ, then learning what it means to walk (with God’s help) in holiness and integrity, putting one foot in front of the other day after day after day, for the good of His Kingdom and the glory of God.

GOD IS LOVE

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. (1 John 4:8-10)

[NOTE: I lost my original notes. This recreation does not have the many footnotes I usually have. I apologize for all the quotes without a source of attribution.]

When Scripture says God is love, it is not offering a mere description—it is giving us a definition of God’s very nature. God does not have love the way we have attributes. God is love. I increasingly lean toward the idea that every attribute we ascribe to God is an attribute of His love. God’s love is:

·  omnipotent

·  all-knowing

·  holy

·  just

·  merciful

·  gracious

These are not competing qualities such that we would have to say, “God is love -but God is also Justice!” as if somehow God stopped loving when God acted justly. There is no expressions of whom God is or what God does that is not a reflection of divine love.

Right away in Scripture, we learn that a key aspect of  God’s love – and the attributes of it - is that it endures. It’s in some of the most ancient confessions of Israel. I’ve introduced you before to The God Creed in Exodus 34:6–7. When God reveals Himself to Moses, He also tells Moses what He is like.

“The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.”

This is Scripture’s own summary of who God is. We see versions of it scattered throughout the Old Testament.

Psalm 103:8 - “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”

Psalm 138:8 - “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.”

Lamentations 3:22–23 - “The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”

Notice what is absent in these texts. There is no expiration date. No asterisk. No sneaky clause that says, “Well, unless you fail Me one too many times!!!” God’s love is not presented as fragile, or easily revoked, or dependent on our consistency. It is presented as durable, stubborn, even relentless.

There are many images the Old Testament gives us to create a picture in our minds of what this loving God is like. These are two that stood out to me this week.

God’s Love Looks Like a Shepherd (Psalm 23)

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He takes me to lush pastures, he leads me to refreshing water. He restores my strength. He leads me down the right paths for the sake of his reputation. Even when I must walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff reassure me.

You prepare a feast before me in plain sight of my enemies. You refresh my head with oil; my cup is completely full. Surely your goodness and faithfulness will pursue me all my days, and I will live in the Lord’s house for the rest of my life. (NET)

So what does this shepherd do?

· The shepherd provides

· The shepherd leads

· The shepherd restores

· The shepherd protects 

· The shepherd pursues

There is nothing that chases away the shepherd’s presence. And notice how the psalm ends—not with the sheep clinging to God, but with God’s goodness and faithfulness pursuing the sheep. This reminds of something Paul wrote:

“I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

This next image is going to sound like a stark contrast, but it’s not. It is still an expression of love.

God’s Love Looks Like a Crucible

Proverbs 17:3 - “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the hearts.”

Zechariah 13:9 - “And I will bring the third part through the fire, refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested, they will call on My name, and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is My God.’”

Malachi 3:3 - “He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness.”

 Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest provides a beautiful illustration.

“The picture here is of an ancient goldsmith who puts his crude gold ore in a crucible, subjects it to intense heat, and thus liquefies the mass. The impurities rise to the surface and are skimmed off. When the metalworker is able to see the reflection of his face clearly mirrored in the surface of the liquid, he takes it off the fire, for he knows that the contents are pure gold…. This, above all, God the Father desires to see. Christlikeness is God’s ideal for His child.”

God does not refine in order to discard. He refines because He intends to keep. The fire is not a sign of rejection—it is a sign of commitment. He who has begun a good work in us will be faithful to continue it. (Philippians 1:6)

Fast forward to the incarnation, in which the ultimate expression of God’s love has a human face. What God’s people had previously only confessed in word is now revealed as a person: the Word become flesh. This Incarnation of God, Jesus, is what we celebrate at Christmas. And as far as a revelation of God goes, this one could not be better.

· Colossians 1:15, 19 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation… in him all the

fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

·  Colossians 2:9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,

· John 10:30 I and the Father are one.”

So we can expect to see in the life of Jesus the full expression of God’s love. If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. If you want to know what God’s love looks like in action, look at Jesus. Now we don’t just hear words and envision images about the Shepherd and the Crucible and all the other things, we see them in action.

Let’s take three main events in Jesus’ life, as well as the final vision in John’s Revelation, to see what God’s love is like as expressed through the life, death, resurrection, and return of Jesus.

God’s Love Is Like a Manger

John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Titus 3:4–7 “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

I like this summary from Thomas Watson:

“See here [in the Incarnation]… the infinite love of God the Father; that when we had lost ourselves by sin, God, in the riches of his grace, sent forth his Son… to redeem us. And behold the infinite love of Christ, in that he was willing thus to condescend [and] did not disdain to take our flesh. Oh, the love of Christ!”

In Bethlehem, the first statement God makes about Himself in Christ is not aloofness, but proximity. Not distance, but nearness. In the Incarnation, God leads by displaying that God’s love shows up in vulnerability, humility, empathy, and genuine relationship.

 God’s Love Looks Like a Cross

Romans 5:8 “But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

John 3:16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

1 John 4:9-10 “God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

A scholar named William Barclay wrote,

“The coming of Christ and the death of Christ, is the proof of God’s love. Sometimes the thing is stated as if on the one side there was a gentle, loving Christ, on the other an angry and vengeful God; and as if Christ did something which changed God’s attitude to [people]. Nothing could be further from the truth…. Jesus did not come to change God’s attitude to [people]; he came to show what it is and always was.”

Philip Keller grew up in a missionary family in Africa, and later became a pastor and prolific author who often focused on Jesus as the Good Shepherd. He once wrote this.

“Here we commemorate the greatest and deepest demonstration of true love the world has ever known. For God looked down upon sorrowing, struggling, sinning humanity and was moved with compassion for the contrary, sheep-like creatures He had made. In spite of the tremendous personal cost it would entail to Himself to deliver them from their dilemma He chose deliberately to descend and live amongst them that He might deliver them…

He knew He would be exposed to terrible privation, to ridicule, to false accusations, to rumor, gossip and malicious charges that branded Him as a glutton, drunkard, friend of sinners and even an imposter. It entailed losing His reputation. It would involve physical suffering, mental anguish and spiritual agony.

In short, His coming to earth as the Christ, as Jesus of Nazareth, was a straightforward case of utter self-sacrifice that culminated in the cross of Calvary. The laid-down life, the poured-out blood were the supreme symbols of total selflessness. This was love.”

It's important to remember that the cross did not persuade God to love us (see John 3;16). The cross reveals that God already loved us. If, “while were yet sinners Christ died for us,” and Christ died because He loves us, it follows that God loved us before the cross. And on that cross, we see that God’s love is cruciform. It is selfless, life-giving sacrifice on our behalf, so that those who are far from God will come near to Him.

God’s Love Is Like an Empty Tomb

Raising yourself from the dead is a pretty convincing way of demonstrating that you have the power to do whatever you claim to be able to do. Jesus claimed to be able to love us in all the ways we have already covered. Contained in His death and resurrection is a promise. C.S. Lewis once wrote:

“In the Christian story God descends to re-ascend. He comes down … down to the very roots and sea-bed of the nature he has created. But he goes down to come up again and bring the whole ruined world up with him.”

 This empty tomb is the culmination of Jesus’ life ministry. It’s another variation on the theme we have been covering. I know some of you enjoy reading A.W. Tozer’s devotionals. He has this to say about the life of Jesus:

“When Jesus died on the cross the mercy of God did not become any greater. It could not become any greater, for it was already infinite. We get the odd notion that God is showing mercy because Jesus died. No--Jesus died because God is showing mercy. It was the mercy of God that gave us Calvary, not Calvary that gave us mercy. If God had not been merciful there would have been no incarnation, no babe in the manger, no man on a cross and no open tomb.”

God’s Love is Like A City Whose Gates Are Never Shut

John writes of a city whose gates are never shut in Revelation 21 and 22.

And in the city, there is no need for the sun to light the day or moon the night because the resplendent glory of the Lord provides the city with warm, beautiful light and the Lamb illumines every corner of the new Jerusalem. And all peoples of all the nations will walk by its unfailing light, and the rulers of the earth will stream into the city bringing with them the symbols of their grandeur and power. During the day, its gates will not be closed; the darkness of night will never settle in.

He’s describing the unending, welcoming, and secure nature of divine love. There is no fear, sin, or sorrow, only perpetual invitation and rest for the redeemed.

(21:3-6) And I heard a great voice, coming from the throne: “See, the home of God is with His people. He will live among them; they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them. The prophecies are fulfilled: He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning no more, crying no more, pain no more, for the first things have gone away.” And the One who sat on the throne announced to His creation, “See, I am making all things new.”

(22:16-21) Then Jesus said, “I, Jesus, have sent My messenger to show you and guide you so that you in turn would share this testimony with the churches. I am the Root and the Descendant of David, the Bright Morning Star. The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let everyone who hears these words say, “Come.” And let those who thirst come. All who desire to drink, let them take and drink freely from the water of life.

* * * * *

So what is God’s love like?

· It is like a Shepherd who pursues us even when we wander.

· It is like a Crucible that refines without rejecting.

· It is like a Manger, choosing nearness over aloofness

· It is like a Cross, laying itself down for the sake of the beloved.

· It is like an Empty Tomb, refusing to let death, sin, or fear have the final word.

· It is like an Eternally Open City, inviting all into the Light of Christ with joyful entry and eternal rest.

When Jesus arrived, it was The Light of the World shining into the darkness. And the darkness did not—and will not—overcome it. This is the love we celebrate this Christmas, and all the year.

Samaritans, Eunuchs, and Philistines (Isaiah 53; Acts 8:26-40)

Before we address today’s passage, we have to start with Isaiah 53.

Isaiah 53 

Who would ever believe it?
    Who would possibly accept what we’ve been told?
    Who has witnessed the awesome power and plan of the Eternal in action?

 Out of emptiness he came, like a tender shoot from rock-hard ground.
He didn’t look like anything or anyone of consequence—
    he had no physical beauty to attract our attention.

So he was despised and forsaken by men,
    this man of suffering, grief’s patient friend.
As if he was a person to avoid, we looked the other way;
    he was despised, forsaken, and we took no notice of him.

Yet it was our suffering he carried,
    our pain and distress, our sick-to-the-soul-ness.
We just figured that God had rejected him,
    that God was the reason he hurt so badly.

 But he was hurt because of us; he suffered so.
    Our wrongdoing wounded and crushed him.
He endured the breaking that made us whole.
    The injuries he suffered became our healing.

 We all have wandered off, like shepherdless sheep,
    scattered by our aimless striving and endless pursuits;
The Eternal One laid on him, this silent sufferer,
    the sins of us all.

And in the face of such oppression and suffering—silence.
    Not a word of protest, not a finger raised to stop it.
Like a sheep to a shearing, like a lamb to be slaughtered,
    he went—oh so quietly, oh so willingly.

Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away.
    From this generation, who was there to complain?
Who was there to cry “Foul”? 

He was, after all, cut off from the land of the living,
Smacked and struck, not on his account, because of how my people (my people!)
disregarded the lines between right and wrong.
    They snuffed out his life.

And when he was dead, he was buried with the disgraced
    in borrowed space (among the rich), even though he did no wrong by word or deed.               Yet the Eternal One planned to crush him all along, to bring him to grief, this innocent servant of God.

When he puts his life in sin’s dark place, in the pit of wrongdoing,
    this servant of God will see his children and have his days prolonged.
For in His servant’s hand, the Eternal’s deepest desire will come to pass and flourish.

As a result of the trials and troubles that wrack his soul,
    God’s servant will see light and be content
Because he knows, he really understands, what it’s about. As God says,   

“My just servant will justify countless others by taking on their punishment and bearing it away. Because he exposed his very self - laid bare his soul to the vicious grasping of death -
and was counted among the worst, I will count him among the best.

I will allot this one, My servant, a share in all that is of any value,
because he took on himself the sin of many
    and acted on behalf of those who broke My law.”[1]

Most rabbinic interpretations thought this was about the nation Israel (see references at 52:14; 53:2, 4, 10) as the suffering servant of God. But, Israel failed in their calling. Just like Jesus is referred to as the new and better Adam, Jesus is also the new and better Israel. Isaiah is writing about Jesus after all; the original audience just didn’t know it.

“Jesus had become a remnant of one. He was the embodiment of faithful Israel, the truly righteous and suffering servant.”[2]

This will be important for today’s passage as we read about Philip introducing someone to Jesus starting with Isaiah 53.

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

This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship,28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet.

Fun fact relating to biblical language: to Greeks and Romans, Ethiopia was at the ends of the earth. Homer said that Ethiopians lived “at the world’s end.” Herodotus claimed that Ethiopia “stretches farthest of the inhabited lands in the direction of the sun’s decline.” When Jesus sent his disciples to “the ends of the earth,” (Acts 1:8) they were probably thinking, “As far as Ethiopia????”[3] Yes, and further, of course :)

Second fact that is not so fun: This particular Ethiopian – who had been to Jerusalem to worship with the Jewish people - was actually an outcast in Judaism since, as a eunuch, he was in a constant state of ritual impurity (Leviticus 21:20; 22:24). Jewish law excluded eunuchs from public worship in the temple.[4]Josephus reflects a general attitude regarding eunuchs:

“Let those that have made themselves eunuchs be had in detestation; and avoid any conversation with them who have deprived themselves of…that fruit of generation which God has given to men for the increase of their kind; let such be driven away, as if they had killed their children, since they beforehand have lost what should procure them.”

The third fact – fun again - is that God directs Philip to southwest Palestine—the OT land of the Philistines. Gaza itself is one of the five cities of the Philistines.[5]  More on this later.

“Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
    Who can speak of his descendants?  For his life was taken from the earth.”[b] 

34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

It is likely that Philip started explaining how Jesus is the new and better Israel, the truly perfect Suffering Servant, the divine Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.  After beginning with Isaiah 53, Philip probably went to some Scriptures called "Scriptures of the Servant of the Lord and the Righteous Sufferer" (i.e., Isaiah 42:1-44:5; 49:1-13; 50:4-11; and Psalms 22, 34, 69, 118).[6]

While a doctrine of a suffering Messiah was largely considered unthinkable (the Messiah would be triumphant; it was Israel that was the Righteous Sufferer), there was a small remnant in Judaism that had a concept of a suffering Messiah.[7]

The Babylonian Talmud[8] says: “The Messiah, what is his name? The Rabbis say, The Leper Scholar, as it is said, ‘surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him a leper, smitten of God and afflicted...’” (Sanhedrin 98b).

Midrash[9] Ruth Rabbah says: “Another explanation (of Ruth 2:14): He is speaking of king Messiah… eat of the bread,’ that is, the bread of the kingdom; ‘and dip thy morsel in the vinegar,’ this refers to his chastisements, as it is said, ‘But he was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities.’”[10]

36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” [37]  38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.

39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.[11] 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.[12]

Everybody had to be immersed in a mikveh, a ritual bath, before entering the temple. In the ancient mikva’ot (plural of mikveh) found in Jerusalem, there  are a set of steps going down to the mikveh in an impure state on one side, and steps going up where the pilgrim will emerge fresh and ritually clean.[13]

Previously, a eunuch could not be baptized into Judaism and was not allowed to worship in the temple. However, it turns out that Isaiah has something important to say to the eunuchs as well:  

“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant—to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off. 

And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to serve him, to love the name of the Lord, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant—these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. 

Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (Isaiah 56:3–8)

This guy has probably been ready to be baptized for a long time. Finally, the outsider was invited in, and he went on his way rejoicing.

 * * * * *

Why does this matter to us today?

Philip goes three places as an evangelist after he is one of those scattered from Jerusalem due to persecution. In each of these places he meets people who represent more than just themselves. There are three types of people to whom Philip took the message of Jesus. We still have these types around us today.

To Samaritans (Jews who worshipped in a rival temple). Samaritans weren’t “outsiders”—they were failed insiders. And failed insiders are often harder to love than total outsiders. They were the group that “should have known better.”  Maybe today, it’s our spiritual cousins inside the larger Christian world whom we believe have deeply intertwined their faith with non-Christian values and priorities – and they should have known better.

• Christians who worship in alternative Christian sects, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses or the LDS church, where they claim additional revelation to the authority of the Bible and present a view of Jesus that is very different from orthodox Christianity.

• I have heard the term “Chrislam” used to describe those who try to make Islam and Christianity compatible in spite of starkly differing views of Jesus.

• When the values of the Empire start to become the values of the church, that probably counts, too.  On the Right, this could be concern for Christians becoming “woke.” On the Left, it’s a concern over Christian Nationalism.

That’s my best analogies for today. In the best case scenario, a Samaritan could simply be the “wrong kind” of Christian – at least as we see it. In the worst case scenario, they have intertwined their faith with non-Christian values and priorities so much that their belief and practice place them somewhere outside of orthodox Christian history and tradition.

What should our response be? Philip did not abandon them. He went to them first. They were not enemies to push away or persecute or mock. They were God’s children, and they needed to hear the truth about who God really is as revealed in Jesus.  

To a eunuch (who wasn’t allowed to worship in the temple.) He carried profound stigma, as he was perceived by pretty much everyone as sexually ambiguous and damaged. Eunuchs were generally an outcast everywhere except by those who castrated them. By cultural and societal standards, he was no longer “a real man.” (I didn’t repeat some of the really blistering things Josephus had to say.) He represents the category of people who had been told - explicitly or implicitly – that they no longer had value. “You are too damaged. God is not for people like you. You are not welcome to worship with us.”

Notice what Philip does. Philip does not distance or degrade him. He runs to him and sits with him and opens Scripture. It turns out this man was just waiting to be told about Jesus. A man who had been widely shunned and always been told he could not be a part of the family of God was now being told that he could be a part of the family of God. No wonder he responds with, “What could possibly stop me from being baptized?”

Societal outcasts are not enemies to push away or persecute or mock. They are God’s image bearers, and they needed to hear the truth about who God really is as revealed in Jesus, and invited to become an insider. 

To Philistines (who worshipped false gods in rival temples). They are the archetypal enemies in Israel’s memory—Goliath’s people, oppressors, idolaters. God’s people simply did not go to Philistia. These are not the “compromised insiders.” They’re not “unvalued outsiders.” These are the people followers of Jesus experience as  actively hostile to our faith. Today, this could include:

• People who are aggressively anti-Christian (mockery, discrimination, persecution)

• People whose culture norms or beliefs directly and publicly challenge Christian faith and practice

What would Philip do? Would he panic, or match hate with hate?  No. He went to Philistia, right into their cities. He actually runs into Philistia. He didn’t avoid or dismiss them; he took Jesus to them.

Unlike Jonah, who really hated that God wanted to spare Ninevah, Philip seems really excited about letting enemies and outcasts know that God wants them to be part of His family. He’s not afraid of them or disgusted by them; he’s on mission. He is going to the highways and byways and compelling them to come in.

They are not enemies to push away or persecute or mock. They are God’s image bearers, and they need to hear the truth about how God as revealed in Jesus loves them and invites them, like Paul, to repentance and restoration. 

* * * * *

Just to recap:  

• for the Samaritans, Philip went to them and told them about Jesus. There was great rejoicing.

• for the eunuch, Philip went to him and told him about Jesus, and there was great rejoicing.

• as for the Philistines, it doesn’t say, but he told them about Jesus, and I’m pretty sure rejoicing continued 

I think Philip reminds us that the whole world is loved by Jesus, not just some people here and there. It’s too easy to create silos filled with “those” that we just can’t imagine interacting with or befriending or caring for. It’s too easy to give harsh nicknames and tell cruel jokes and post memes that paint “them” in the worst possible light.

It’s too easy to be like Jonah, resentful that God cares about them too, and extra resentful that we might be the one with boots on the ground in places that are really uncomfortable and that seem impossible.

What if we were more like Philip, following the prompting of the Holy Spirit to keep moving closer to everyone?

The church must be filled with those reaching out to the Samaritans, the eunuchs, the Philistines. That’s a crucial part of our mission field. If we want to follow in the footsteps of Jesus (and Philip), we will move closer so that the good news of Jesus may bring great rejoicing.

_____________________________________________________________________________

[1] “‘It is written: “And he was numbered with the transgressors”; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.’” —Jesus, in Luke 22:37

[2] Tremper Longman III and Raymond B. Dillard, “Isaiah,” An Introduction to the Old Testament,

[3] Also, Isaiah uses this phrase (Isaiah 45:22: "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth!”), and it would fit well if Isaiah is going to be the starting point of discussion.

[4] “If a man’s testicles are crushed or his penis is cut off, he may not be included in the assembly of the Lord” (Deut. 23:1).

[5] All three points are taken from information from the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary of the New Testament.

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

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

[8] The Talmud is foundational to Rabbinic Judaism as a primary source of Jewish law and theology. It The Babylonian Talmud was written before the time of Jesus.

[9] A teaching within the Mishnah, a sort of commentary on the written law. It was written down starting in AD 200.

[10]“ Is the “The Suffering Servant” prophecy in Isaiah 53 about Jesus?” gotquestions.org

[11] “When Philip had baptized the eunuch, the Spirit of God showed him that it was not the will of God that he should accompany the eunuch to Meroe, but, on the contrary, that he should hasten away to Ashdod; as God had in that, and the neighboring places, work sufficient to employ him in.” (Adam Clarke)

[12] As Philip preached in all the cities of Palestine till he came to Caesarea, he must have preached in the different cities of the Philistine country, Ashdod, Akkaron, and Jamnia, and also in the principal parts of Samaria, as these lay in his way from Gaza to Caesarea. (Adam Clarke)

[13] “THE JEWISH ROOTS OF BAPTISM.” Oneforisrael.org

The Kingdom, Rightly Expressed (Acts 8: 4-25)

In the last sermon in this series, we discussed how the persecution that followed Stephen’s death scattered the church. The persecution was bad, but the scattering was good. It took God’s people out of Jerusalem and into all the world. #greatcomission  This is where we pick up.

4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.

9 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention (“were praying to him”[1]) and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.”[2] 11 They followed him because he had bewitched them for a long time with his sorcery.

 12 But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ,[3]they were baptized, men and women.[4] 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, bewitched by the great signs and miracles he saw.

14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit,16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.[5]

18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability/authority so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

20 Peter answered: “"Your silver will go with you to destruction, because you thought that the gift of God is acquired by the possessions of the world."21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 

22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”[6]24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”[7]

25 After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.

* * * * *

We learn a lot in this passage about how God expects His kingdom to come to earth, as it is in heaven. We will focus on three key things.

The Kingdom, rightly expressed, brings blessing and joy.

Sick and broken people (and those who cared about them) listened to what Philip had to say when their lives got better after a follower of Jesus showed up. He cast out demons and healed the sick. “There was great joy.” You bet there was.[8] How would there not be?  I’ve said more than once that when the Kingdom is clicking on all cylinders, the poor, the sick, the powerless and oppressed are going to say, “Thank God the Christians are here!”

However, if the story stops there, it’s just a contest of miracles vs. magic. Apparently Simon did some really impressive stuff too. I don’t know if he made their lives better, but he had their attention. It seems that people tend to follow both 1) those who impress them, and 2) those would can make their lives better. So, there is going to have to be more to what Philip has to offer than just the practical provision. And there is.

“But Philip proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.”

There are different reasons people follow a spiritual leader—but only one reason people become disciples: they accept a truth that transforms not just their physical bodies but also their hearts and souls.

Great joy came to the city thanks to how Philip was healing people, and that was a good thing. But just like Jesus healing the lame man before he forgave his sins, Philip healed people on the outside in the name of Jesus so they had good reason to believe that Jesus had the power to heal them on the inside.

This could be a whole sermon, but I’ll try to put it succinctly. If the power of God manifesting in ways that people could see served as proof that God can do things inside that they couldn’t see, would that not be true of any manifestation of the power of God? Not just the kind of miracles Philip did, but the tangible expression of God’s love, kindness, mercy, justice, grace, etc.? When we express these things as tangible actions that help the circumstances of others in ways they can see, I suspect it sends a message about what God can do in the intangible spiritual parts of people that they can’t see. To paraphrase an old saying, we can give someone a fish, teach them to fish, and point them to Jesus, who feeds their souls. They all work together.

The Kingdom, rightly expressed, erases unholy fault lines.[9]

The laying on of hands to receive the Holy Spirit is recorded only two other times in Acts (the conversion of Saul in Acts 9, and a group of disciples in Ephesus in Acts 19). There were a lot of other times where the laying on of hands does not seem necessary (like at Pentecost). Why did it matter here?

I’m leaning toward the commentaries that suggest the apostles laid hands on them here because they needed to be a part of a clear sign that the Spirit of God was living and active in Samaritans (!).[10]

The Samaritans were descendants of Israelites who had intermarried with the conquering Assyrians during the exile (2 Kings 17). They kept some Old Testament traditions and doctrine, but they also blended pagan beliefs. Faithful Jews saw Samaritans as corrupt and unclean.

When Jews from the Southern Kingdom returned from Babylonian captivity and began to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, the Samaritans offered help. The Jews refused. So, the Samaritans tried to sabotage what they were doing (Ezra 4:1–5). They also tried to stop the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s wall (Nehemiah 4:2).

The Samaritans finally built a temple of their own. About 130 years before the time of Jesus, a Jewish king defeated the Samaritan nation and destroyed their temple on Mount Gerizim. Though it was never rebuilt, the Samaritans insisted that Gerizim was the only legitimate place of worship – which was part of Jesus discussion with the woman at the well (John 4:20). [11]

Jews and Samaritans had centuries of theological/social hostility. If they weren’t careful, the early church could fracture along old lines of hostility. The apostles themselves needed to participate in ratifying Jesus’ presence with the Samaritans and literally touching a people the Jews would have considered unclean. God made unity visible, with the hands of his people standing in for His hand being upon them.

The gospel doesn’t just heal individuals—it heals communities. It breaks unholy boundaries, confronts old rivalries, and forms what Paul will eventually call “one new humanity.” (Ephesians 2:15)

This could be a whole sermon, so here’s the brief version: There is just no room for unholy fault lines in the church. Paul wrote in Galatians 3:26-28,

It is your faith in the Anointed Jesus that makes all of you children of God because all of you who have been initiated into the Anointed One through the ceremonial washing of baptism have put Him on. It makes no difference whether you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a freeman, a man or a woman, because in Jesus the Anointed, the Liberating King, you are all one.

In that culture, there were fault lines between Jews and Greeks, slave and free, and men and women (I guess the Samaritan one had already been addressed). Today we might talk about separating, judging, and creating hierarchies of value over things like race, nationality, class, education level, gender, age, citizenship, etc. Every culture at every time has its own things that hinder God’s people from uniting in Christ.

One thing is clear. God allows no place for this. God demands that the good news of the saving gospel of Jesus be given to all people at all places at all times, and that when we are genuinely united by the Spirit of God, the ground will be level at the foot of the cross, and whosever will may come.

The Kingdom, rightly expressed, chooses service over control.

Simon will provide us with what an example of at least one thing that will ruin a joyful community: pride; or the need to be in control to elevate oneself.

Justin (The) Martyr, martyred in 165, had Samaritan lineage. He claimed that almost all the Samaritans considered Simon the highest god (our translation gives the title “the Great Power of God.”) Whatever Simon was doing must have been impressive. Yet, Simon appears to have responded to the message of the Gospel: he “believed” and was “baptized.” Then he apparently saw something really powerful when the Holy Spirit arrived, and he wanted a piece of that action.

“Give me also this ability/authority so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit...”

Peter saw into the root of the problem and called it out:

“Your heart is not right before God… you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

Bitterness seems like an odd choice of words – unless it has something to do with being angry that he had lost the spotlight. He seems to have desired power, a stage, a reputation, importance, admiration, etc. To accomplish those things, he was willing to turn the Holy Spirit into a commodity to distribute. It looks like he was more interested in people being impressed by him than transformed by the Holy Spirit.

It’s a terrible practice to use the things of the Kingdom to magnify ourselves. The Kingdom invites surrender; we do not have hearts right before God when we continue to desire control and seek power or try to make sure the spotlight does not waver in its focus on us.

We see Simon’s un-right heart on display when Peter invited repentance.[12] Simon didn’t repent; he just asked Peter to “pray that nothing bad happens to me.” Apparently Peter did, because there is no record that anything bad happened to Simon.[13]  

There’s probably a whole sermon to preach here  but if “hope deferred makes the heart sick,” I wonder if “pride deferred makes the heart bitter.” Here’s something to watch out for: if it makes us mad and/or jealous when the spotlight wavers from us and focuses on someone else, we need a heart check. The church is meant to filled with servants, not attention-seekers. We need servers, not celebrities. Remember what the ground is like at the foot of the cross? That’s the landscape on which God’s church is meant to be built.

Quick recap:

The Kingdom, rightly expressed, brings blessing and joy. It will attract because it makes life better when rightly lived. But that kind of blessing alone doesn’t lead to faith. It opens doors (or eyes and ears) into which “the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” can be preached. Practical provision is an important good that can transform someone’s practical condition, but only the gospel transforms hearts. It’s good to do both.

The Kingdom, rightly expressed, erases unholy fault lines.  God made the apostles lay hands on Samaritans – a people previously loathed by the Jewish people - so that everyone would know that no one is second-class in the kingdom of God. The Spirit unites what all the divisive “-isms”[14] would tear apart.

The Kingdom, rightly expressed, chooses service over control. Simon wanted the benefits of the kingdom without surrendering to its King. He wanted the Spirit’s power in his hands rather than over his life. The King of  this Kingdom confronts this. The kingdom is not magic, manipulation, or power—it is surrender, transformation, and a new kind of life of cruciform love empowered by the Holy Spirit.

* * * * *

Acts 8 gives us a warning and a hope.

The warning: We can go through all the motions—believe, get baptized, follow the miracles—and still miss the heart of the kingdom. Matthew 7:15-23 notes:

“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.

 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 

Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

This is a wild passage. Apparently, people can prophesy, cast out demons, and do miracles, while being practitioners of lawlessness who are not part of the kingdom. Those verses suggest that sometimes prophecy, exorcism and miracles are actually bad fruit. That should sober us when we are drawn to someone’s ministry simply because of signs and wonders.

It’s those who do the will of the Father – those who increasingly look like Jesus - whom Jesus recognizes as his own. There is something about faithful obedience in response to God’s love and grace that is really, really important. It’s the fruit of the Holy Spirit that offers testimony to true discipleship. Let’s never elevate impressiveness over character, or charisma over righteous maturity. 

The hope: When Peter confronted Simon, he invited him to repent. This participates in a theme we see over and over in the Bible.

"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." (Acts 3:19)

"He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them finds mercy." (Proverbs 28:13)

 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

 “Rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.”[15] (Joel 2:13)

Grace remains offered to even the worst offenders. Simon’s sin is pretty terrible: treating the Holy Spirit like a magical toy. And yet he is told,

“Repent and pray to the Lord in hope that he may forgive you.”

Or, as Peter will later say,

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

The is the heart of “the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.” God will make us new, and invites us into life in His kingdom.

 ___________________________________________________________________________

[1] Aramaic Bible in Plain English

[2] “Simon Magus the sorcerer is frequently mentioned in ancient writings outside the Bible as the archenemy of the church and one of the leaders of the Gnostic heresy. Gnosticism (named from the Greek word gnosis, meaning “knowledge”) taught that a person gained salvation not by the merit of Christ’s death for sinners, but by special knowledge about God. Justin Martyr (died c. a.d. 165), himself a Samaritan, says that almost all the Samaritans considered Simon the highest god (the “power of God,” v. 10). Irenaeus (died c. a.d. 180), who wrote extensively against the Gnostics, regards Simon as one of the sources of their heresies.” (ESV Reformation Study Bible) 

[3] HELPS Word-studies 3686 ónoma – name; (figuratively) the manifestation or revelation of someone's character, i.e. as distinguishing them from all others. Thus "praying in the name of Christ" means to pray as directed (authorized) by Him, bringing revelation that flows out of being in His presence. "Praying in Jesus' name" therefore is not a "religious formula" just to end prayers (or get what we want)! 

["According to Hebrew notions, a name is inseparable from the person to whom it belongs, i.e. it is something of his essence. Therefore, in the case of the God, it is specially sacred" (Souter).]

[4] “The eager reception by the people (v. 12) is due in part to the foundation laid by St. Photini, the Samaritan woman of Jn 4, who brought news of the Messiah before His crucifixion (see Jn 4:39).” (Orthodox Study Bible)

[5] The Orthodox call this chrismation, the “anointing for the reception of the Holy Spirit”.

[6] Peter is using language from Isa 58.6.

[7] “He offered Simon an opportunity to repent, for Simon, unlike Ananias and Sapphira who died instantly (5:5, 10), was quick to ask for prayers so that the curse pronounced by Peter would not take effect (8:24).” (Africa Bible Commentary)

[8]  “Spirit-given delight that arises from the redemptive acts and abiding presence of God.” (Topical Lexicon)

[9] Think of things that could bring about relational earthquakes that shake or fracture the church.

[10] “The Lord waited to demonstrate the full power of the Holy Spirit (vv. 15–16) until some of the apostles themselves could be present. This way there would be no question at all that the Samaritans had received the Holy Spirit in the same way that the Jewish Christians had (see Rom. 11:13–24; Eph. 2:11–22).” (ESV Global Study Bible)

[11] I am summarizing parts of an article from The Master’s University called “The Unlikeliest Ally.” https://www.masters.edu/thinking_blog/the-unlikeliest-ally/

[12] Something he had not done with Ananias & Sapphira. They lied to the Spirit; Simon tries to buy the Spirit. That’s seems equally egregious. Hmmmm…..

[13] “According to tradition, he afterwards returned to his magical arts and was a bitter enemy of the Church.” (Orthodox Study Bible)

[14] Racism, sexism, classism, etc.

[15] #Godcreed

The Scattered Preached The Word (Acts 7:54-8:4)

When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.

 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul approved of their killing him.

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 

But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

That scattering is what takes them into all the world to preach the Gospel. #greatcommission This caught my eye, so that is our focus today.

In the Old Testament, it sometimes seems like God wanted His people not to become too comfortable in one place, as if part of His plan was to keep them moving until all the world had heard about Yahweh. When they did settle in places like the Promised Land, it often ended poorly, as if just sitting in one place made them too comfortable or something.

Yet at the same time God did lead them to the Promised Land, and God talks about rest in the land of promise, and the New Testament clearly sees God as the only one who can truly offer us rest.

I want to explore the tension today.

The Patriarchs were nomads by design. Abraham’s calling was to “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.”(Genesis 12:1) The first covenant God makes with His people[1] begins with movement. If they were going to follow Yahweh, they have to leave the land the knew and go somewhere new. Abraham’s faith is tested and expressed through journey.

Hebrews 11 later reflects that Abraham “lived in tents” and looked for a city built by God. Apparently, everywhere he went, he was not meant to feel permanently at home. Jacob continues this pattern.

“The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.” (Genesis 47:9)

The patriarchs were pilgrims, not settlers. Their relationship with God was built on trust, not comfort. When their descendants finally settled, where was it? Egypt. That nation that would enslave them for 430 years.

When the Israelites were rescued, once again they had to move. As they left Egypt, God’s presence moved when them: “When the cloud lifted… they set out; where the cloud settled, there the Israelites encamped.” (Numbers 9:17–23) Israel’s forty-year wandering was not just a punishment; it formed humility and trust:

“The Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness… to humble and test you.” (Deuteronomy 8:2)

Similar to Abraham, their faith is tested by the wilderness, and expressed by their continued allegiance.

When they do make it to the Promised Land, they were still called “sojourners and tenants” before God. (Leviticus 25:23) That language was purposeful. They needed to be ready to move. When they settled in too deeply, the prophets called out the kind of settlement that leads to complacency and injustice:

“Woe to you who are complacent in Zion… you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end.” (Amos 6)

“Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; filled with food, they became heavy and sleek. They abandoned the God who made them and rejected the Rock their Savior….You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.” (Deuteronomy 32:15)

Settlement even in the Land of Promise often led to forgetting to depend on God and dulling the missional heart that was supposed to lead them to bless the nations (Genesis 12:3). When Israel wouldn’t bring Yahweh to the nations, God brought the nations to Israel — or, “scattered [Israel] among the nations.” (Leviticus 26:33; Ezekiel 12:15)

Faithfulness required them to have a journeying posture, literally (and, I will soon propose, spiritually). There is something here about refusing to be complacent, always looking to follow God where God leads.

To balance this, Scripture also affirms that stability and rest were part of God’s intention. God promised Abraham’s descendants “a land where you will dwell in safety.” (Leviticus 25:18–19) The Promised Land was the fulfillment of a promise, not a trap to trick them into laziness.

 “The Lord gave Israel all the land… and they took possession of it and settled there.” (Joshua 21:43–45)

“You will cross the Jordan and settle in the land… and He will give you rest from all your enemies.” (Deuteronomy 12:10)

Maybe the Promised Land was like a geographical Sabbath, part of a rhythm of ceasing from movement: being present, grounded, and whole. Rest in this case was meant to be the fruit of obedience, not the opposite of faithfulness that involved moving and journeying.

Perhaps shalom rooted in righteousness is a good definition for what the prophets had always pointed toward: a future home of ultimate and final rest.

 “My people will live in peaceful dwelling places.” (Isaiah 32:18)

The Old Testament’s tension between pilgrimage and rest carries forward into the New Testament — especially considering how persecution, scattering, and mission fit into the pattern in the Old Testament.

It’s interesting to think of Jesus as the mobile presence of God in the world.

“The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.” (John 1:14)

The tabernacle was God’s moving tent as opposed to the Temple, which was in one place.[2] Jesus himself was that moving presence: Samaritan towns, Gentile regions, lakeshores, tax booths, and cross, with a home town that rejected him and “no place to lay his head.” (Luke 9:58)

His disciples are likewise sent out with no extra bag or sandals (Luke 10:4), learning to rely on hospitality and God’s provision. Their missional posture was one of radical dependence and mobility — just like Israel’s wilderness years.

Speaking of those wilderness years during the exodus from Egypt, Jesus’ death and resurrection are described as an exodus.

“Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure (Greek, ‘exodos’) which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:30-31)

Jesus is going to take His people out of the Egypts of the world (captivity to sin) into a new kind of “Promised Land” that’s spiritual rather than geographic: a kingdom of God made up of people who follow His way. That’s going to involve people moving from darkness into light, from death into life. But then, in the spiritual land of promise, we receive a new promise.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden….and you will find rest for your souls.”  (Matthew 11:28–29)

That was the model and teaching of Jesus. Now, let’s look at the early church.

Before Acts 8, in response to this Good News, the early church grows rapidly - but locally. Up through chapter 7, almost everything still happens in Jerusalem. The community enjoyed the favor of the others, shared meals, cared for each other (Acts 2)…. and stayed local. People from all over the world were coming to Jerusalem and joining them,[3] but they weren’t going to them. Meanwhile, Jesus had given them a commission:

“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

God needs His people to move. I grew up in farming communities, and preachers liked to use an analogy about Christians and manure. We are great fertilizer when you spread us out, but we start to stink if we just keep piling up in one place. Sometimes that happens voluntarily; sometimes we are forced to spread out. This is what happens in Acts 8.

“On that day a great persecution broke out… and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria….Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.”

The very next story we will read involves Phillip – going to Samaria. The persecution became the engine that drove them to their neighbors, and to the world. Like the Babel scattering (Genesis 11), this scattering will move God’s people into places they were reluctant to go – or might not have ever gone.

Eventually, Peter will very clearly reframe the church’s identity even as they form stable, grounded churches in more and more cities:

“To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces…” ( 1 Peter 1:1)
“Live as foreigners here in reverent fear.” (1 Peter 1:17)

In the Old Testament, the scattering of the Israelites (diasopora) was a judgment. Now, the church has been scattered into a missional diaspora as they become living witnesses of God’s character among the nations.

Hebrews returns full circle to the Abraham’s search for a city built by God:

“Here we have no lasting city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.” (Hebrews 13:14)

And yet, it’s not just the rest of the city to come that we look forward to. There is a rest now even as we journey.

"Therefore, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for anyone who enters God’s rest has rested from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest…” (Hebrews 4:9-11)

The act of pilgrimage, if done in obedience to God’s leading, can actually be restful as we rest in the power and provision of God. Spirit-led movement while resting in God becomes our mission.

* * * *

Now, let’s see if I can bring this together. I have a challenge and an encouragement.

I’ve often said that physical realities in the Old Testament are foreshadowing for spiritual realities in the New Testament. In today’s topic there is some overlap.

Sometimes God will call us to literally move (Sheila and I felt that call when we moved here). But I think this is also a call to internal movement. We all have areas of spiritual, emotional or relational immaturity or even sin. God calls us to move into maturity and/or repentance – while resting in and trusting His grace and love. 

So, let’s talk practically about when to move and when to rest. We need to do both, we can do both, but – and I am speaking for myself here -  we are not always good at finding that balance, or knowing when to really focus on rest or movement for a season when we have lost our balance.

Rest without movement becomes stagnation. This is true for individuals and the church. May God save us from settling into too comfortable spaces that:

• never challenge us to move into better relationship with God and others. We need to learn about the depth and breadth of Christian teaching.

• never challenge us to move toward holiness: we must ask God to search us, know our hearts and minds and see if there is wickedness that needs dealing with, and then lean into repentance and a change of direction.

• never challenge our evangelism, asking if and where in our lives we are called to more purposefully present  on behalf of Jesus than we have been.

• never moves us closer to the poor, the lost, the oppressed, and respond with cruciform, sacrificial love that costs us something.

Who needs to hear this today? It’s time to move where Jesus leads you, toward a Land of Promise filled with righteousness and Christ-likeness.

Your marriage needs work and you are not doing anything about it. Move toward accountability with friends, or help from a counselor, but do something for your good, your spouse’s good, and God’s glory.

Your kids need you to be a more Christ-like parent, and you know it, but it’s not yet motivated you to do anything about it. Move. God did not call you to settle into immaturity and unrighteousness.

Maybe there are people that really need to experience the presence of genuine Christ-followers and you know this but you just don’t want to get too close to them. But you can feel the Holy Spirit saying, over and over, “They could use Jesus.” If that’s you, it’s time to move.

Maybe you can’t shake that nagging feeling that you need to make things right with THAT person, and you know God is urging you to move into discomfort and maybe even pain for the sake of reconciliation.

Maybe you know you need help with the brokenness and sin inside. Maybe you are full of self-loathing and shame, or depression, and you have not told anyone and you have been stuck there for years. God wants you to move toward help, and healing, and hope.

Movement without rest becomes exhaustion. This is true for individuals and the church. We must rest. We need to recover. We need to re-connect with God, ourselves, and others. David wrote that God makes us lie down in green pastures by still waters while he restores our souls. (Psalm, 23)

I’m not talking about the times when our kids’ needs can keep us running non-stop, or when you’re an accountant and it is year’s end taxes, or when there is a health crisis and you’re the caregiver. You will still need rest at some point, but those are really busy seasons of life that just happen as life unfolds. I’m talking about always moving because of a drivenness that reflects something unhealthy in us, or perhaps a distrust in God’s power and provision to take care of things even if we aren’t a part of it.

Movement without rest was how I did life for so many years, for complex reasons. I think my identity was wrapped up in being useful or needed, which probably falls under the umbrella of wanting to be liked. I was pretty sure the most productive times in my life were the times when I was getting things done! I ran myself into a nervous breakdown (and a lengthy recovery).

That slowed me down a little; my heart attack slowed me down more. And honestly, spending time literally resting was good for me and those around me. Learning how to rest in the arms of Jesus even more these past two years as I navigated so much pain and sadness has been so good.

Who needs to hear this today? You need to rest in Jesus. I can think of at least three ways.

First, take a literal break. You need to work more Sabbath time into your schedule until you have recovered. You should consider if you have unsustainable or unrealistic ideas about what you can actually do, or need to do. During that rest, spend time doing something that connects you with God: pray, read Scripture, listen to music, take a walk.

Second, trust that Jesus can accomplish His work in the world even while you are taking a break. God loves when you partner with Him in the work He is doing, but His purposes are not thwarted if you need to rest. He factored that in already. He might even have someone else in mind who is a better fit for the mission at that moment.

Third, rest in the goodness and love of God. For me, it’s taking time to listen to songs or read Scripture or books. Last year, in the midst of some really hard therapy, I would go home and literally rest on my bed and invite Jesus to come sit with me and the wounded child in me just as a purposeful invitation. I have to tell you, my rest was sweet. Take time to rest in the goodness and love of God.

_________________________________________________________________________________

[1] The covenants with Adam and Noah happened, of course, but Abraham is the father of Israel.

[2] As Pat pointed out last week.

[3] We saw this at Pentecost

Live Like Jesus

We looked two weeks ago at how the prophets kept warning Israel not to break the covenant and misrepresent God’s character. In so many ways, over so many years – for generations – they kept failing to live up to the calling that God had placed on them. Sometimes, they just rebelled. Other times, it was because they kept misunderstanding what it was that pleased God because they didn’t understand what God was really like..

Either way, it didn’t seem to consistently click with them that because God was “compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and truth," [1], as he told Moses, that they should be looking more and more like that instead of less and less like that.  

The Prophets kept saying: “You’ve broken covenant – repent, turn around, head in the right direction.” They exposed sin and idolatry, and called for repentance and justice and holiness. They kept pointing them toward a really good God with a life-giving path not just for them but for the whole world.

Failing to get it right wasn’t just a failure to properly introduce other nations to Yahweh; it was catastrophic for the children of God. When you don’t follow the path of life, you follow a path toward destruction. If you remember Jewish history, they eventually end up in exile, separated from the Land of Promise and housed in their spiritual opposite, Babylon.

When Jesus arrived as God in the Flesh, he gave a desperately needed revelation for those who saw God through obscurity and darkness.[2]  Jesus told them, “If you have seen me, you have seen the father.”[3]As Jesus’ life unfolded, he demonstrated over and over that God really is “compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and truth.” It was a game-changing revelation to have the Living Word and not just the written word.

John 1:18 – “No one has ever seen God; but the one and only Son, who is himself God… has made him known.”

This may be a silly example, but as a kid, I loved reading about dinosaurs and seeing pictures of what people thought they might have looked like. But when Jurassic Park came out? I was so, so excited. So THAT’S what a dinosaur is actually like!!!  I wonder if the arrival of Jesus was something like that. ( I warned you it was silly.)Their holy scrolls came to life and walked among them as a living image of what God has always been like, even when his people misunderstood Him.

They misunderstood God and His heart as recorded in the written word, so the Living Word incarnated – God in the flesh, fully God and fully human - to show them in person what God is like and what kind of heart God has. People could still misunderstand him, of course. And they did. We still do. But it’s the clearest possible way God could make himself known.

So, we are going to revisit the list from two weeks ago with the prophetic rebukes in the Old Testament and show how Jesus stepped into each of those spaces and revealed what God is like, and what His heart is like.

But Jesus didn’t just reveal God in the flesh. Tom reminded us last week that Jesus intends to take shape in us, through us, as us (in some sense). This is theosis—participation in the very life of God.[4] Jesus invites us to not just follow him but to become the truest image- bearer we can be with the help of Holy Spirit transformation. We are invited to experience the true “life of the age” (aonios or eternal life) that God offers to us.

So we will look at 9 opportunities for theosis by looking at a) what the prophets said, b) what Jesus revealed, c) what that reveals about God, and d) what theosis looks like.

* * * * *

The prophets condemned exploitation of the poor, widows, orphans, and foreigners (Isaiah 10:1–2; Amos 5:11–12, to cite two of many references).

Jesus declares his mission is “good news to the poor, freedom for the oppressed” (Luke 4:18). He singles out the widow’s[5] offering for praise. (Mark 12:41-44) He tells his followers: “When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind” (Luke 14:13).

God defends the vulnerable and the voiceless; God’s power is meek (strength restrained for good), not exploitative. “Call thousands of angels,” said Satan. “Bully your way through the world.” No, not that way. That was not the way of Jesus; it’s not the heart of God.

We experience theosis when we participate in being like Jesus by siding with the vulnerable and voiceless, by advocating for justice and mercy, so that all are invited not only to feast at the banquet of God’s spiritual provision, but also to experience the provision and care of God through the people of God. That looks a lot like Jesus.

The prophets exposed the elevation of external rituals as a cover-up for corrupt hearts (Jeremiah 2:13; Hosea 8:4)

Jesus confronts a temple system that kept the poor and the Gentiles from worshipping in the Temple (Matthew 21:12-13). He taught the Samaritan woman that right worship doesn’t rely on the right buildings; true worship happens “in spirit and truth” (John 4:21-24).

God is known through relationship, not ritual. Rituals may help us order our lives in a way that keeps God on the front burner of our minds, but they are meant to give structure to relationship, not be the relationship. God wants our hearts, our time, our thoughts, our loves, in Spirit and in truth.

We experience theosis when we are in righteous relationships with God and others “in spirit and in truth.” I am pretty sure Jesus meant a) that the worship of our hearts is what matters rather than locations, and b) truth should always put false traditions or teachings in their place. When worship is our lifestyle, when we are in steady communion with God, we look a lot like Jesus.

The Prophets denounced empty sacrifices and lip-service religion (Isaiah 1:11-17; Micah 6:6-8).

So did Jesus:“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” (Matthew 23) because they strained a gnat and swallowed a camel. (Matthew 23:34). Jesus revealed God’s integrity through his priorities. He healed on the Sabbath to show that compassion and care outweigh legalistic boundaries (Mark 3:1-6). He demands authenticity in prayer (Matthew 6:5-6). Grand prayers mean nothing in and of themselves if they are not coming from the right kind of heart.

God desires mercy more than empty sacrifices that might look impressive. He wants integrity over performance. He wants authenticity over a good veneer.

We experience theosis when we let compassion interrupt our legalism. When worship leads us to love, when prayers move us toward action, and when authenticity replaces performance, we participate in life with Jesus.

The Prophets condemned nations that embraced violence and shed innocent blood. (Isaiah 59:7; Amos 1)

Jesus went even further. He commanded his followers to love their enemies (Matthew 5:43-48). He rebuked Peter for using the sword (Matthew 26:52). He forgave his executioners on the cross (Luke 23:34).

God conquers by self-giving love, not force. When Jesus returns in John’s apocalyptic vision in Revelation, Jesus’ robe is dipped in blood before the battle begins. It’s his blood. That’s how the battle is won. By His word (the sword in his mouth) and His blood. God fights with truth and cruciform love.

We experience theosis when we refuse to respond to violence with violence, to harm with harm, to sin with sin. We embody the cruciform power of Christ when we forgive those who damage us, and when we let love have the last word, we look more and more like Jesus.

The Prophets said, “Woe to those who add house to house and join field to field.” (Isaiah 5:8)

Jesus agreed: “You cannot serve both God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). He saw an idol in the heart of the rich young ruler, and he challenged him to sell all and follow him (Mark 10:17-31). When he ate with Zacchaeus, he turned his greed into generosity (Luke 19:1-10).

God owns the cattle on a thousand hills  - and He gives them to his people. God gives good gifts to His children (Matthew 7:11) from the storehouse of His abundance. Abundance is for sharing; possessions exist for love’s sake.

We experience theosis when we hold our resources with open hands, using what we have to bless others. When generosity loosens the grip of greed. When joy replaces anxiety because our trust is in divine provision, not accumulation, then we increasingly look like Jesus.

The Prophets said: “Your heart became proud on account of your beauty” (Ezekiel 28:17), but the arrogant will be humbled (Isaiah 2:11).

Jesus washed his disciples’ feet (John 13). He taught that, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled” (Luke 14:11). He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant (Philippians 2:5-8).

Ezer (helper) is used 16 times in the Old Testament to refer to God as the helper of Israel. God himself offered His people humble service.

We experience theosis when we choose humility over status, and service over self-promotion. When we lift burdens, sit with outcasts, and honor others by serving them, we reflect the God who bent low to raise us up.

The Prophets warned them not to neglect justice and righteousness (Amos 5:24, Micah 6:8, Isaiah 1:17).

Jesus condemned the Pharisees tithing minutiae while “neglecting the weightier matters of the law — justice, mercy, and faithfulness” (Matthew 23:23). He restored societal outcasts (lepers, Samaritans, prostitutes, tax collecters, adulterers). He began the Beatitudes with blessings on the merciful and peacemakers (Matthew 5:7-9).

Justice and mercy are the heartbeat of God’s kingdom. His love is expressed through His just and merciful care of His image bearers.

We experience theosis when we let our hearts break for what breaks God’s heart. When we use our voice for the voiceless, our influence for the oppressed, and our presence for the lonely, we reveal the image of the just and merciful Jesus.

The Prophets claimed that Israel forgot her vocation to bless the nations (Jonah; Isaiah 49:6).

Jesus honored Gentile faith (the centurion, Matthew 8:10; the Canaanite woman, Matthew 15:28). He declared the temple a “house of prayer for all nations” (Mark 11:17). He sent disciples “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8, rooted in his Great Commission).

God’s kingdom breaks the artificial borders the world puts up that separate “us” from “them.” His love reaches to all the people in all the places.

We experience theosis when we cross barriers of culture, class, and comfort to extend the welcome of Christ. When we build tables long enough for all to join us, we become participants in God’s reconciling mission.

The Prophets warned against trusting unholy alliances and military strength (Isaiah 31:1; Hosea 10:13).

Jesus rejected Satan’s offer of worldly kingdoms (Matthew 4:8-10). He enters Jerusalem on a donkey, not a warhorse (Matthew 21:5). He insisted that His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36).

God, the true King, rules through peace, through love. His most powerful moment was demonstrated on the cross. Then He rose again. He doesn’t need any help. There is no need to find worldly allies. God is enough.

We experience theosis when we lay down our need to control outcomes and trust in the Lamb’s way of power. When we choose faithfulness over fear, prayer over panic, and peace over coercion, we manifest a kingdom that cannot be shaken while looking more and more like Jesus.

* * * * *

Let’s use this opportunity to move toward spiritual reflection and theosis. 

Jesus stood with the poor, the sick, and the overlooked.

Jesus’ heart moved him toward the vulnerable; does mine? Is there pain Jesus sees that I don’t want to see because it makes me uncomfortable? Do I use my strength to protect the weak? Do I increasingly look like Jesus to the poor and powerless around me?

We know God desires worship built on relationship.
Am I more focused on doing the right religious things, or on being a Christ-follower in right relationship with God and others? Am I embracing worship as my lifestyle, not just something that happens on Sunday? Do I increasingly look like Jesus as my life reflects true devotion to God in my heart and with my hands?

Jesus warned against praying to be seen, giving to be admired, and fasting to look holy.
Do I serve because I love, or because I like being seen as loving? Am I polishing the outside while neglecting the inside? Where might I be hiding a cold heart or compromised life behind a good image? Do I increasingly look like Jesus in that there is integrity - integration - between inner reality and outer expression?

We know Jesus builds his Kingdom by self-giving love, not force, because Jesus stopped the sword and forgave those who crucified him.
Do I really trust that cruciform love is powerful enough to win the day? When I feel threatened or wronged, do I respond from a place of love? Am I more interested in winning the fight or embodying the cross? Do I increasingly look like Jesus as I use the way of Jesus to partner in accomplishing the purposes of Jesus?

We know Jesus loves to see abundance generously shared.
Does the way I save and share reveal a heart shaped by fear of scarcity or trust in abundance? The heart of God is revealed in Jesus’ open, nail-scarred hands; where am I refusing to open my arms and unclench my hands? Do I increasingly look like Jesus by being 'broken and spilled out' for the sake of others?

Jesus became a servant to all and knelt to wash feet.
How do I respond when I’m asked to serve beneath my status or comfort? Do I believe humility is beneath me, or that it is the truest expression of who I am in Christ? Do I increasingly look like Jesus in my willingness to offer humble service, even if it feels embarrassing and uncomfortable?

Jesus called justice, mercy, and faith/fulness the “weightier matters” of the law. If this is the heart of God revealed in Jesus, am I committed to prioritizing those things too? Am I ignoring injustice, mercilessness, or faithlessness that should be on my radar, or do I increasingly look like Jesus?

Jesus marveled at the faith of Romans and Samaritans and called the temple “a house of prayer for all nations.”
Do I draw lines of separation God is trying to erase?  Do I believe God’s call to love stops where my discomfort begins? Who have I assumed is too far gone, too different, or too wrong to be invited tothe table? Do I increasingly look like Jesus by my invitational posture toward everyone?

Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, not a warhorse, offering a counter-cultural, peace-filled Kingdom.
Do I want a kingdom of power and privilege or one that heals the world through service and love? Can I trust that cruciform love, not coercion or control, is the power of God? As an ambassador for Jesus introducing people to the way of Jesus, do I increasingly look like Jesus?

When compassion replaces indifference, when justice and mercy guide our steps, when humility bends us in service to others, when we forgive as we’ve been forgiven, when generosity opens our hands, when love crosses every border so that “whosoever will may come,” (Revelations 22:17) we experience theosis; Christ lives through us.

This is participation already in eternal life, a life in which the heartbeat of God is shared with and growing in His people. May Christ live through us and continually transform us into his image, until the day when he promises to make all things new (Revelation 21:5)

_________________________________________________________________________________

[1] Exodus 34:6; similar language in Psalm 86:15, Psalm 103:8, and Joel 2:13. 

[2] Isaiah 29:18

[3] John 14:9

[4] The goal is union, not sameness: Theosis does not mean humans become God in being, but that they are filled with God's presence and grace, making them "partakers of the divine nature". “The Orthodox Church understands theosis as a union with the energies of God and not with the essence of God which always remains hidden and unknown.” (Thomas Fitzgerald)

[5] Remember, the Hebrew word for “widow” has the idea of one who has no voice in society.

What Would Stephen Say? (Acts 6:8-15; Acts 7)

Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.  Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen[1] (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. 

But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”

So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 

 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”  All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”

I am not going to read his speech today for the sake of time, but I encourage you to do so. Stephen's speech in Acts 7 (verses 1-50) responds to these accusations by recounting Jewish history in a way that highlights a recurring cycle.

Rejection of God's Messengers: A major recurring element is the people's rejection of God's appointed leaders, specifically Moses, who was rejected in the wilderness (Acts 7:27-29, 35). His final point is that they are doing that yet again with Jesus – and Stephen.

God's Presence Beyond Sacred Spaces: He shows that God was active and faithful before the Temple, the Law, or even the land of Israel was established (Acts 7:2-16). Abraham hears God in Mesopotamia (outside the Holy Land), Joseph thrives in Egypt, and Moses encounters God at the burning bush in the wilderness (vv. 2-4, 9-10, 30-34).

The Temple. The temple is critiqued as a human-made house that can't contain God (vv. 44-50, quoting Isaiah 66:1-2). This hints that the Temple system has become an idol, a substitute for living faith and obedience.

Israel's Consistent Unfaithfulness: Despite receiving the "living words" through angels, the ancestors resist, persecute prophets, and fail to obey. Terms like "stiff-necked" (from Exodus 32:9, after the golden calf) and "uncircumcised hearts" (from Deuteronomy 10:16 and Jeremiah 9:26), emphasize their pattern of resisting the Holy Spirit.

He finishes with this:

“You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him -  you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” (51-53)

This highlights their hypocrisy: they cherish the Law but have completely failed at the core ethical demands of the Law. They are repeating the same pattern of resistance to God’s chosen deliverers and to His Spirit. They prove Stephen’s point immediately by killing him.

# # # # #

I did some research on what the prophets they rejected had to say. I think it’s really important that we learn from our spiritual history. This is going to become a two part series.

• The Old Testament prophets condemned behaviors that broke covenant. That’s going to be our focus today.

• The New Testament apostles will follow in their history but confront behaviors that betray Christ. That will be next week.

So today we are going to let the Old Testament prophets speak to us by looking at 8 primary themes to which they kept returning. We don’t want to reject timeless principles God has given his people that will define what covenant community does and does not look like.

1. Idolatry and Syncretism

What they did: Worshiped other gods, idols, or wealth instead of Yahweh. They sought security in alliances with nations like Egypt or Assyria rather than trusting God. Isaiah (e.g., Isa 30:1–5, 31:1–3) and Jeremiah (e.g., Jer 2:18, 37:5–10) emphasize this, as does Hosea (e.g., Hos 7:11). “Ephraim mixes himself with the nations.” (Hosea 7:8) “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help.” (Isaiah 31:1)
What God called them to: Exclusive covenant loyalty and wholehearted devotion unmixed with other gods, nations, or things (Deuteronomy 6:4–5; Joshua 24:14–15; 1 Samuel 12:24; Matthew 22:37)

2. Injustice and Oppression of the Vulnerable

What they did: Exploited the poor, widows, orphans, and foreigners; bribed the courts; and favored the rich. “Woe to those who make unjust laws…” (Isaiah 10:1–2) Amos is particularly focused on this (e.g., Amos 2:6–7, 5:11–12), as is Micah (e.g., Mic 2:1–2, 3:1–3), Isaiah (e.g., Isa 1:17, 3:14–15) and Jeremiah (e.g., Jer 7:5–7).
What God called them to: Basically, defending the defenseless and giving voice to the voiceless (Isaiah 1:17; Micah 6:8; Zechariah 7:9; Matthew 5:6–7; Luke 4:18).

3. Covenant Betrayal and Unfaithfulness

What they did: This includes neglecting commandments, Sabbaths, and festivals. Jeremiah (e.g., Jer 11:1–8), Ezekiel (e.g., Eze 20:10–26), and Hosea (e.g., Hos 8:1) emphasize this. “There is no faithfulness or steadfast love… only swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery.”  (Hosea 4:1–2)
What God called them to: Faithful love and truth-filled integrity (Deuteronomy 7:9; Hosea 2:19–20; Matthew 19:6; 2 Timothy 2:13).

4. Religious Hypocrisy and Empty Ritual

What they did: They performed sacrifices, fasts, and feasts while ignoring justice and mercy. “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” (Hosea 6:6) “Stop bringing meaningless offerings…” (Isaiah 1:13–17).  See also Jeremiah (e.g., Jer 6:20), Amos (e.g., Amos 5:21–24), and Micah (e.g., Mic 6:6–8).
What God called them to: Authentic worship emerging from righteous integrity (Psalm 51:16–17; Amos 5:21–24; Micah 6:6–8; John 4:23–24).

5. Corrupt Leadership — Political, Priestly, Prophetic

What they did: Jeremiah (e.g., Jer 23:1–2), Ezekiel (e.g., Eze 34:1–10), and Micah (e.g., Mic 3:5–11) devote significant space to condemning shepherds who exploit or mislead. “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep.” (Jeremiah 23:1) Leaders enriched themselves, priests profaned the temple, false prophets flattered for gain. “Her leaders judge for a bribe… her prophets tell fortunes for money.” (Micah 3:11)  
What God called them to: Humble servant leadership that speaks truth while reflecting God’s heart (Ezekiel 34:2–4, 15–16; Jeremiah 3:15; John 13:14–15; 1 Peter 5:2–3).

6. Pride and Arrogance

What they did: Israel’s pride and self-reliance, often linked to prosperity or false security, are rebuked in books like Isaiah (e.g., Isa 2:11–17), Amos (e.g., Amos 6:1–8), and Zephaniah (e.g., Zeph 3:11). They boasted in strength, wealth, and status; they rejected correction. “Though you soar like the eagle… from there I will bring you down.” (Obadiah 4) “Woe to those wise in their own eyes.” (Isaiah 5:2)
What God called them to: Humility, dependence, and repentance (Proverbs 3:34; Micah 6:8; Isaiah 57:15; Philippians 2:3–8).

7. Refusing to Repent or Listen to Correction

What they did: The prophets lament Israel’s refusal to repent despite warnings. This is explicit in Jeremiah (e.g., Jer 5:3, 8:4–7), Ezekiel (e.g., Eze 3:7), and Zechariah (e.g., Zech 7:11–12) They rejected warnings, hardened hearts, and silenced God’s messengers. “They made their hearts as hard as flint.”  (Zechariah 7:12)  “You always resist the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 7:51)

What God called them to: Soft hearts and a repentant readiness to return to God (Ezekiel 18:30–32; Joel 2:12–13; Matthew 11:28–30; Luke 15:20–24).

8. Greed and Materialism

What they did: Hoarded wealth, seized land, crushed the poor. “Woe to those who join house to house.” (Isaiah 5:8) “They covet fields and seize them.” (Micah 2:2)

What God called them to: Generosity and contentment (Deuteronomy 15:7–11; Proverbs 19:17; Luke 12:33–34; 1 Timothy 6:6–10, 17–19).

*****

Stephen’s audience was convinced that they cherished Moses, the Law and the Temple in a way that pleased God. And in principle, their reverence was something that pleased God!! The Law and the Temple played a huge role in understanding who God was, how God intended to interact with humanity,  and what God called them to do. Reverence for these things was a good thing! 

But….they missed the point. They neglected their hearts. They justified their ungodly attitudes. Their motivations became tainted, and eventually the expression of their worship became evil rather than good. #killingJesus

So keep in mind that Stephen wasn’t saying their respect for these things were wrong in principle. He wasn’t trying to stop them from a proper honoring of Moses, the Law and the Temple. They were just wrong either in motivations or in practice. Their observance had stopped being life-giving; now it was robbing people of life. Literally, in the case of Stephen.

This got me thinking. If Stephen were with us today, I wonder what kind of speech he would give to church leaders? What would it sound like to say, “Look! You are not listening to the prophets!!!”

So I am going to offer something Stephen might say to us today. I’m going to do it as a conversation between a (national) Modern Church Leader (MCL)  representing the American church, and Stephen. Think of it as the MCL responding after Stephen’s speech and defening themselves. I hope to do three things

1.  Offer a MCL position about things that are good in principle.

2.  Echo Stephen’s challenge to assess our hearts, our motivation.

3.  Offer an opportunity to ask ourselves if our practice is forming a church community in line with the vision of the Prophets.

Once again, it’s not the position that will be inherently bad. It’s how our sin nature can take something that is good in principle and turn it into something bad in motivation or practice. 

A prophetic voice is supposed to be jarring and even unsettling. I hope to participate fully in that tradition. If I have prepared this right, all of you will be uncomfortable at some point as I have been this week. I think that, at some point in my life, I have probably found myself in all of the categories I am about to offer. I invite you to be uncomfortable with me this morning as we all try to take seriously the kind of discipleship to which God has called us.

In the process, we will use that uncomfortableness to point toward the beauty of what could be in a kingdom community centered around the heart of God for the world.

MCL: We’ve been blessed! Our church is thriving! Three campuses, a broadcast network, thousands tuning in online. We’re showing the world what excellence for God looks like!

Stephen: Spreading the gospel aligns with the Great Commission, so well done. Growth like that can be a sign you are doing church well. Just remember that God does not dwell in houses made by hands (Acts 7:48–50), so be careful not to automatically equate square footage or screen time with success. Growth is empty if it doesn’t reflect Christ’s compassion and love. Imagine a church culture where success is not counted in buildings or clicks, but in hearts transformed and lives shared, as the early believers did (Acts 4:32–35).

MCL: We’ve got influence! We pray with leaders, advise policymakers, and shape culture for Jesus. When it comes to promoting biblical values, we’re making a difference from the top down with laws and policies.

Stephen: When the church is salt and light, that’s beautiful, and it’s needed in all places. But remember the prophets who said, “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help” (Isaiah 31:1), when Israel trusted in worldly alliances. Might you sometimes be tempted to feast at tables of influence rather than tables of those in need? You must guard your heart, lest your political alliances make you blind to systems that harm the vulnerable. Imagine a church culture where influence flows not from proximity to power, but from lifting the lowly, uniting all sides to serve the “least”.

MCL: We are promoting biblical values from the bottom up: marching for justice, raising our voices for the voiceless, and deconstructing toxic systems of oppression in our communities.

Stephen: “Let justice roll down like waters” (Amos 5:24). Your passion for justice reflects God’s own heart. But even as you pursue justice, keep in step with the Spirit (Acts 7:51). Even well-intentioned movements for justice can lose their way.  You risk this when you denounce the sins of the systems but overlook the sins of the soul. The prophets called for repentance alongside justice (Joel 2:12–13), because justice without holiness breeds new injustices. Imagine a church culture where justice and righteousness meet at the cross, where every cause for which you march leads to reconciliation with God and each other.

MCL: We must join the culture wars, fight for what’s right and defend our way of life from the decay around us! We’re standing for our nation’s moral foundation - keeping God in schools, in government, in every institution – so that secularism doesn’t crush us.”

Stephen: The gospel in every sphere is a worthy aim. Just remember how easy it is for compromise to creep in, to let noble ends justify ignoble means. You might bless blistering partisan battles and call them righteous, or use intimidation rather than invitation to further the kingdom, or force your faith into spaces instead of living in such a way that makes others want to join. Imagine a church culture where Jesus’ kingdom grows not through winning debates and “owning” the other side, but through love that shares tables with those who disagree.

MCL: In our church, everyone belongs. No shame, no judgment, no majoring on whatever sin you bring to the table. We just offer love.

Stephen: It is good that all are welcome at a loving table. God’s grace is wide and deep. But don’t forget that the table still belongs to a King. You’ve rightly thrown out harsh judgment that brings shame, but don’t forget that godly sorrow brings a repentance that restores the broken to God (Joel 2:12–13). Jesus is called the Great Physician because He plans to heal people. Imagine a church culture where all are welcomed to a table where the King heals the broken we have already embraced, leading them with truth and grace into transformation.

MCL: We speak loudly in culture for traditional values—strong families, biblical morality, and the historical church stance on sexuality.

Stephen: Faithfulness in family and sexuality absolutely matters deeply to God too. Just don't forget the log in your own eye. There is a reason that “judgment begins in the house of God.” (1 Peter 4:17): too often, “Your faithfulness is like a morning mist” (Hosea 6:4). Without humble, faithful adherence to biblical morality yourselves, your voice will carry no weight with those who need to hear it. Imagine a church culture that beckons to the surrounding culture because biblical morality is consistently modeled in humble obedience, reflecting God’s covenant purity in every aspect of our lives.

MCL: We’ve been blessed! Our people give generously. Our budget is growing. We’re building really beautiful churches for God’s glory.

Stephen: That sounds like a wonderful congregation responding to God’s call to generosity. Just don’t get complacent: "Woe to those who are at ease in Zion" (Amos 6:1) if the outstretched hands of the needy are ignored. “Woe to those who join house to house and field to field!” (Isaiah 5:8) when suffering people lack houses and fields. Be sure you are not expanding your barns while Lazarus sits at your gate unseen. Imagine a church culture where generosity empties hands to serve the poor, building God’s kingdom in hearts before expanding the spaces.

MCL: We’re not like those churches that put so much money into all the bells and whistles. We’ve embraced a simple lifestyle of “fasting” from materialism and practice self-denial in everything!

Stephen: Fasting and self-denial are good spiritual practices, but it’s the Pharisee who prays, “I thank You, Lord, that I am not like them.”  Don’t let your simplicity become your idol. Don’t turn rejection of excess into a self-righteousness built from contempt. Imagine a church culture where simplicity means we are using excessive resources to spread Christ’s love through sincerely and humbly sharing our provision with others as God calls us to.

MCL: We’re training bold leaders—people who speak with authority and even brashness! We tell it like it is! We will own them (liberals or conservatives).

Stephen: Boldness can be a wonderful gift, but don’t resist God’s Spirit through pride (Acts 7:51).Micah once said, “Her prophets tell fortunes for money” – which sounds a lot like viral “gotcha” moments that generate applause and revenue by publicly embarrassing people. A boldness for truth is a gift only when guided by humility and grace. Imagine a church culture where leaders wield a towel and basin first for those to whom they speak truth, with the kind of grace and love that draws even enemies to Christ.

MCL: We’re nothing like those Christians. They’ve lost their way.

Stephen: That’s what every side has said in every generation. Probably some of them were right. But be careful - the desire to be right can build its own golden calf. The prophets warned that some ended up “worshipping the work of their own hands” (Isaiah 2:8) and, “They made their hearts as hard as flint” (Zechariah 7:12). It’s possible to hold the best doctrine possible and still have a poisoned heart. The ground at the cross doesn’t tilt toward your side. Imagine a church where we hold conviction and compassion together, where we kneel together before we speak, and where truth never costs us kindness

* * * *

Pastor:
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: you have spoken through prophets, apostles, and your Son. You have called your people to truth, justice, mercy, and humble faith.

People:
Forgive us, Lord, for the ways we have resisted your Spirit. Turn our hearts again to you.

Pastor:
When our worship or preaching becomes performance, our wealth or our frugality becomes a point of pride, and we compromise a message of holiness with acts that are unholy.

People:
Have mercy, Lord. Create in us clean hearts, and renew a right spirit within us.

Pastor:
When we harden our hearts against correction, or despise true instruction that challenges what we have believed to be righteous in thought or deed,

People:
Break our hearts of stone. Give us hearts of flesh that beat with your love.

Pastor:
When we forget the poor, ignore the broken, or justify the systems that oppress, endanger or dishonor image bearers of God…

People:
Open our eyes, Lord. Show us how to participate as your justice rolls down like waters, and your righteousness like a mighty stream.

All:
Renew your Church, O God. Cleanse us from idols, remove unrighteousness, and renew a purified witness. May your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

[1] Hellenistic Jews who had been freed from slavery.