Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 6:4 –

“Therefore, pastors must not think that they have so done their duty that they need to do no more when they have daily spent some time in teaching. There is another manner of study, another manner of zeal, another manner of continuance required that they may indeed boast that they are wholly given to that thing. They adjoin thereunto prayer, not that they alone ought to pray, (for this is an exercise common to all the godly), but because they have peculiar causes to pray above all others” – John Calvin, Commentary on Acts, 193-194.

Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 6:4 –

“A century ago, pastors usually put the initials V. D. M. After their name. This is not an abbreviation of an academic degree but a description of their task. The initials are Latin for Verbi Domini Minister, that is, minister of the Word of the Lord. A pastor, strictly speaking, is not the minister of the church, even if he is ordained by that body. He is not a minister of a local congregation, even though a church council or board supervises his work and pays his salary. A pastor is first and foremost a minister of Christ’s gospel, for Jesus sends him forth to teach and preach the Good News (Matt. 28:19-20). The pastor, then, is a servant of God’s Word. As Paul puts it, ‘How can the people hear unless someone preaches [the Word]?’ (Rom. 10:14). But if the pastor is a servant of the Word, then he ought to devote himself fully to the task of proclaiming the glad gospel tidings. He ought to guard against attractions that take him away from his task. Genuine devotion to prayer and preaching will crown his work with untold blessings” – Simon J. Kistemaker, Acts, 223.

Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 6:2 –

“Therefore, let everyone of us who is called unto the function of teaching addict himself wholly to order this his estate well. For we are inclined to nothing more than to fall to slothfulness” – John Calvin, Commentary on Acts, 192.

Review: "Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear"

Who is not afraid? Living in the world at this time, would we not consider a person strange who did not have fear? We are afraid we don’t matter. We fear we won’t have enough. We fear what our children have to face. We fear the future. We fear doubting God and His Word.

Max Lucado’s new book, Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear, is the latest book I am reviewing for Thomas Nelson Publishers. You can check out the product information on their website at http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=9780849921391&dept_id=110301&TopLevel_id=110000&title=Fearless&author=Max-Lucado

I have long enjoyed Max Lucado’s books. His writing is warm, friendly, and thoroughly based in the Scripture. Lucado knows how to tell a story. His ability to tell a story is extremely effective and approachable by pretty much everyone I can think of. His works would be great for discussion groups and/or Bible studies.

In this latest book, he addresses the things that we fear – those I mentioned above and more. And then he does what every good preacher should do, he directs the reader to the Scripture and more specifically to Christ and how He answers the fears that plague us. He shows the reader that the Only Answer to our fears is Jesus Christ and His Promises. In fact, the book contains a discussion guide which “examines” and “exposes” each fear and then gives a Scriptural battle plan for defeating it.

The one fear that Lucado says we ought to hold on to and, in fact nurture, is our fear of God. He shows through the example of the Transfiguration how our knowledge and understanding of God ought always to be growing as we progress in sanctification, and that is accompanied by a holy fear – an awe and reverence that continues to humble and amaze us.

My one disappointment with the book is Lucado’s reliance on The Message – a paraphrase of the Scripture. It is dangerous and unwise to use a paraphrase as though it is the Scripture because paraphrases, as enjoyable and easy as they may be to read, contain errors. I hope he will refrain from relying on paraphrases in the future and use any legitimate translation – there are plenty of readable ones.

Also released with the book is the booklet, Imagine Your Life Without Fear, which collects several chapters of the main book into an inexpensive handout, which could prove useful in evangelism.

I would recommend the book and applaud Lucado for turning the reader from fears to Jesus, but I would recommend that one reads it with a Bible in hand and look up the actual verses, rather than reading the paraphrases.

[This review appears on my blog and at Amazon.com.]

Review: "Body Count"

Another William X. Kienzle novel, Body Count, begins with Father Koesler hearing the confession of a man who claims to have murdered a local priest. Unbeknownst to Father Koesler, his new associate, Father Nick Dunn, a young, annoying, mystery buff and progressive theologian, overhears the confession. Father Dunn tries to convince Father Koesler that there are times when the bond of confession can be broken, but Father Koesler disagrees.

Then there is another murder.

Check it out!

Review: "Chameleon"

William X. Kienzle, former priest, former journalist, wrote a series of excellent mystery novels with the reluctant Father Robert Koesler as the sleuth. In each novel, one has an excellent mystery (at least none of the novels I have read have disappointed me thus far) plus one encounters some aspect of Roman Catholic Theology, which also proves itself interesting to me – not being a Roman Catholic.

In Chameleon, the hooker sister of a nun who is wearing a habit for one of her john’s fantasies is murdered. As case of mistaken identity of course, or was it? When the diocese’s financial advisor is murdered, something more is thought to be afoot.

And did you know that a married man may become a priest, but if his wife dies, he may not remarry?

Highly recommended for mystery enthusiasts and theology buffs.

"Fulfill Your Call" Sermon: Acts 6:1-7

“Fulfill Your Call”
[Acts 6:1-7]
September 6, 2009 Second Reformed Church

Both the Old and New Testaments have laws to make sure the most vulnerable in society – widows and orphans – receive care from the Church. The Scripture is equally clear that not all widows and orphans need the Church’s care – and those people should be excluded. For example: Ted Kennedy’s wife, though a widow, would not qualify to be supported financially by the Church, because she has plenty herself, and through her family, to provide for her needs.

This morning’s Scripture begins with a problem between two groups of widows who qualify for the Church’s financial support: one was a group of Greek-speaking Jewish Christians and the other group was of Hebrew-speaking Jewish Christians. When the distribution occurred – and this could have been of food or money or both – the Greek-speaking Jewish Christians were being overlooked. And we should understand that the word that is used here does not necessarily mean that they were overlooked due to malicious intent – it may have been accidental, based on the inability to communicate in the Greek language. Whatever the case may be, the Greek-speaking Jewish Christians were not having their needs met, and they qualified to have them met by the Church.

The Greek-speaking Jewish Christians went to the twelve apostles and told them that their widows were being neglected and asked them to intercede. This was a good thing to do. They didn’t attack their fellow Christians or condemn them or accuse them. They went to the apostles to straighten the matter out.

However the apostles were unwilling to take over the distribution and make sure that both groups of widows were receiving what the Church had promised to give them. Why? Were the apostles racists? No. They said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.” Were they saying that serving tables – serving the widows – was beneath them? No. They were saying that they were not called to that work and, as honorable a work as it is to serve the widows, if they spent their time doing that, they would not fulfill their call as pastors, which, primarily, is to preach and teach and study and pray.

We’ve looked at this before – biblically, a pastor should spend most of his time studying, praying, preaching, and teaching. He may do other things, but not to the neglect of studying, praying, peaching, and teaching. Those four make up the primary call on the life of the pastor. That does not make me better than someone who mows the lawn or cleans the building – and I may do those things from time to time – but I have a different call on my life – the apostle’s had a different call on their lives. It is not wrong to do things that are other than the primary call that God has put upon our lives, but we ought to fulfill our primary call – it is not right for us not to do what God has called us to do in order to do other things, no matter how good those other things are.

So the apostles said that they would not take up the distribution because it would keep them from fulfilling the call that God put on their lives as pastors. Instead, they told the Church to choose seven men who were of good repute, full of the Spirit, and full of wisdom.

They were to choose seven men who were well thought of in the Church and the community – men of integrity. They were to choose men who were Christians – who had made a profession of faith – but not just that – men who also were gifted by God the Holy Spirit and lived out those gifts in love of God and neighbor. And they were to choose men who had spiritual wisdom – not just men who were wise, or intelligent, but men who could relate the teaching of the Scripture to everyday living.

The whole Church realized that what the apostles said and did was the right thing – they were going to continue to fulfill the call that God put on their lives to be pastors, and they would allow others, chosen by the Church, to fulfill their call as those who serve tables – that is, “deacons” – the word, “deacon,” means one who serves or serves at the table.

And notice, it was the Church who chose the deacons, not the apostles. Just as we receive nominations for elders and deacons and then vote, they did the same thing in the early Church. And the Church chose for themselves seven men: Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas. These seven were brought before the apostles as the choice of the Church to serve the Church. And the apostles ordained the seven as the first deacons.

How do we know that? Because our text tells us that the apostles prayed for them and laid their hands upon them, sending them out to their work – to fulfill their call. The word, “ordain,” means, “stretching out the hand.”

We can conclude from this, that in a similar manner to our understanding that God the Holy Spirit gifts us and gives us ability as He wills and as it will be useful to the Church and to the glory of God, we may also understand that God has called each of us to specific tasks – specific lifestyles, specific things that we are to do in the Church and in the rest of our lives. And just as every Christian has been gifted by the Holy Spirit – each Christian has been called to something.

Paul wrote, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to anther gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills” (I Corinthians 12:4-11, ESV).

God has gifted you, and God has called you to serve Him and love Him and love your neighbor through fulfilling your call – through doing what He has called you to do. And don’t think that who you are in Christ doesn’t matter – by example – we are warned not to neglect that gift and calling that God has put upon us. As Paul wrote to Timothy, “Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given to you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you” (I Timothy 4:14, ESV). In fact, we are to work hard to maximize what we do with what God has given us and call us to. Again, Paul wrote to Timothy, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of hands, for God gives us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Some may be thinking, “Well, that’s all well and good for you to talk about gift and call – you’re the pastor – but what am I gifted and called to do? I don’t know that I have a call on my life.”

And you would be right – you don’t have a call on your life – you actually have several:

All people on the earth are called to believe in Jesus Alone for their salvation. Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:41b, ESV). Since we are all sinners – every single mere human being – we are all called to repentance and belief in Jesus Alone for our salvation. If you believe in Him, you have fulfilled that part of your call.

We are also called to serve in our families. All of us are sons or daughters and we are obliged to serve as sons and daughters – honoring our mothers and fathers, even in death. Some of us are brothers or sisters, mothers or fathers, cousins, nieces, nephews – in all these different relationships, we are called to be who God has called us to be in the family – to serve in the family in love and in thanks to God for our families.

And we are called to serve in the world, both in our paying jobs and in volunteering in whatever way we can to help others and make this a better world, a better community. You don’t have to save the world, but God has put at least one person in your way that you are able to help in some way, which will show to them the love of Jesus.

Yet, if you are a Christian, you are now called to proclaim the Gospel to the whole world – to let everyone know the Good News of Salvation in Jesus Alone. Again, Jesus said, “Go into the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15b, ESV). And Paul wrote, “I am under obligation both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:14-16, ESV).

This is a call we will work at our whole lives – or until Jesus returns – whichever comes first. We must learn to tell others about Jesus in whatever way we have been gifted to do that – whether it is explaining the Gospel to them, inviting them to Church, giving them some Christian literature, or something else. However God has gifted you – that is how you are to show the Gospel to others.

Also, if we are Christians, we are to be part of a church – part of the life of a church – not because the Church saves us – not because the Church is sinless or perfect – but because God has given us this place to gather for worship and for our good. God has gifted and called each of us to serve in the Church in some way, as we already heard Paul say: “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

If you are involved in Second Reformed Church, it is because – in part – that God has given you a gift or put a call on you to serve here. God put you here because we as a church need you for what God has enabled you and called you to do. I am here at this time because this church needed a pastor and God gifted me and called me to be a pastor. Some of you have been called and gifted as elders or deacons. Some of you have the gift of hospitality, empathy, organization, and so forth. Understand, that doesn’t mean that if you are an accountant for your paying job, you must handle the church’s finances – it may be, but not necessarily. Perhaps you earn a living as an accountant, but you love landscaping. God may have gifted you and sent you here to help maintain the property and the foliage. We need to understand what we can do – what we believe we are called to do – what will fill a need at the church where God has us – and then do it. If you need help finding your place – ask me – ask others in the church. We are here for each other.

We need to also understand that we may be gifted and called in one area and serve in that area at one time and serve in another area another time. God is able to use us in many and various ways as He sees fit and as it brings Him Glory and us joy. Yes, even though we face trials and tribulations in this world, if were are abiding in God’s Will for us – if we are using the gifts that God has given us and working to fulfill the call that God puts on our lives – we will have His Joy.

What happened when the apostles told the Church that they would not serve the distribution because they were called to preach and teach and pray and study? What happened when they told the Church to find persons who were called and gifted to be deacons – to assume the work of the distribution?

First, we’re told that “the Word of God continued to increase.” In other words, the apostles spent their time fulfilling their call preaching as much as possible so people would know that there is Only Salvation in Jesus Alone and to help teach the Christians and mature them in the faith through the workings of the Holy Spirit.

Second, “the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem.” When the Church fulfills its call and uses the gifts God has given it, God is pleased to add to the Church – for His Glory and our joy. Growth comes as God is pleased to bring about growth, but that does not mean that we can sit in our pews and do nothing. God has called us – not to Salvation by works – but to a faith that works. Our faith is an active faith. We are enabled and called to do something. Do give up until you understand what God has called you to do and then do it with all your might.

And thirdly, “a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” Don’t make assumptions about people. The ones who opposed Jesus the most were the religious leaders. Don’t assume that a person believes simply because he wears a clerical collar, or sings in the choir, or holds the Church attendance record.

Jesus said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25b-28, ESV).

With the example of Jesus before us, remember also the words of Peter: “As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s various grace” (I Peter 4:10, ESV).

Let us pray:
Almighty God, we thank You for calling us to be Your sons and daughters, for gifting us by the Holy Spirit and placing various calls upon our lives. We ask that You would give us the grace to know what You have called us to do and be and to fulfill that call in Jesus’ Name. We ask as we receive the elements of the Lord’s Supper that You would meet with us and give us more of Your Grace, that we would be strengthened and renewed for the work You have called us to do. And in all things, keep us from worry and despair, but let us trust wholeheartedly in You, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Great Shepherd of the Sheep. For it is in His Name we pray, Amen.

Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 5:41-42 –

The gospel makes it possible for us to be gentle and loving toward our neighbors and kind to everyone so that we can live in all uprightness and moderation and so that the freedom we seek is the freedom to be servants of God, to the end that when we have to appear before him, we can say we have been his subjects, obedient in all things and in all places” – John Calvin, Sermons on the Acts of the Apostles, Chapters 1-7, 284-285.

Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 5:38-39 –

“From Gamaliel’s remark we can still glean good, useful, and fruitful instruction. Two of these points are true, as I have already said. The first is that whatever is from God man will never destroy. On the other hand, whatever is from men will collapse under its own without assistance. But Gamaliel’s conclusion to do nothing is wrong. According to him, men do not have to do their duty or become involved in anything or foster God’s truth. Yet it is not enough for us to be instructed in what is good and right; we have to what the power and effectiveness of the instruction are, how to profit from it, and why God has given it to us. When we come here to hear the gospel, we must do more than ask God to give us a good understanding of it. He must give us the wisdom and discernment we need when we consider how we are to use it” – John Calvin, Sermons on the Acts of the Apostles, Chapters 1-7, 280-181.

Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 5:33 –

“Whence we can gather that no reasons can prevail with the reprobate, to bring them unto the obedience of Christ; for unless God speak within, the outward doctrine shall be able to do nothing else but beat the ears” – John Calvin, Commentary on Acts, 181.

Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 5:31 (cont.) –

“That is, the papists are so wretched and cursed, so fiendish that they try to do all they could to bring down the Son of God. They have snatched away his glory by usurping what belongs to him alone. There is not a wretched creature among them, no matter how base, who does not think he receives the forgiveness of his sins. A lecher, a panderer, a pillar of a whorehouse, after whoring all year and committing the most damnable abominations you can imagine, acquires forgiveness of his sins, provided he comes and kisses the foot of an idol at Easter. A usurer who spends all his time grasping greedily and perpetrating a thousand extortions against poor people finds himself saved and washed of all his sins, provided he offers up a mea culpa, without giving the Son of God a second thought. Is it not an exceedingly abominable sacrilege when wicked scum full of contagion and stench come like that and usurp the authority which belongs to Jesus Christ? And who are you pitiable creatures who come like that and rise up against the majesty of the Son of God, whom angels bow before and whom the devils are forced to recognize as their Judge because they cannot have him as their Saviour. So whenever the papists want to use the diabolical and infernal word ‘satisfaction,’ being proud to point out that they think they can make satisfaction for their sins, let us realize that theirs is a diabolical doctrine invented by Satan, a are all the other means which they have fabricated for come to Jesus Christ.

“We note among other things the presumptuousness of their mass, which is their principal idol. There are so many damnable blasphemies in the abominations that the devils in hell themselves tremble. Jesus Christ will not have to open his mouth to condemn them. The devils alone will suffice to judge them for committing such damnable things that the thought of them is terrifying”
– John Calvin, Sermons on the Acts of the Apostles, Chapters 1-7, 271-272.

Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 5:31 (cont.) –

“The statement ‘He has God exalted with his right hand’ is a simile taken form the roles of men in the world and indicates that Jesus Christ is like a viceregent of God his Father to exercise all authority and government over us. Do we wish to show that God rules over us and that we honour him as we should? Then we need to yield to Jesus Christ his Son, our Saviour, whom he has given all power and authority. It is he who wants us to take refuge for reconciliation with himself. In short, our Lord wants to reign over us only in the person of Jesus Christ his Son. It is futile for men to try to serve God and exclude Jesus Christ at the same time. This is manifest idolatry We make of God an idol when we want to honour and serve him other than through Jesus Christ. We must mark this passage well, for it tells us God raised Jesus hi Son to his right hand to make him our Prince and Saviour. That shows, as I have just said, that it is a misguided effort to serve God without acknowledging Jesus Christ as Saviour and Mediator between him and us. That is also John’s testimony: ‘He that does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent him’ (John 5:23)” – John Calvin, Sermons on the Acts of the Apostles, Chapters 1-7, 263

Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 5:31 (cont.) –

“In addition, let us bear in mind that man has no capacity to repent unless repentance comes from God, for he alone gives it, as I have just said. The papists teach the opposite, saying that man can generate that repentance himself. It is true, they will say, that if God leaves us where we are, we perish, but when he says, ‘Come,’ it is up to us to get up and go to him. That is how they try to garner for themselves a portion of God’s power and might, saying that they can help man come to God. We, on the other hand, heed what the text says here: that Jesus Christ’s office is to give repentance and forgiveness of sins. It follows that we do not have that capacity within ourselves. We know, therefore, that theirs is a doctrine from hell when they say it is up to them to be converted and within their own power to come to God.

....

“Now how does Jesus Christ bring us to repentance? It is when he strips us of everything that belongs to our human nature and regenerates us by his Holy Spirit. We are then said to be children of God. That is why Jesus Christ’s Spirit is called ‘the Spirit of sanctification’ (Rom. 1:4), for he cleanses us of all our stains so that we may become children of God. As I have said, two things are required in this process, namely that everything in our human nature must be removed, and that cannot be done unless Jesus Christ sheds his grace upon us.

“Now we know that men cannot change themselves and that the Holy Spirit must work within them because they are given to every evil and are even slaves and captives of sin, as Paul says: ‘I am sold under sin’ (Rom. 7:14). That is the way men are in their natural state. Just as a horse is under the control of his mater and must be goaded on, we are wretchedly bound and imprisoned by servitude to sin and the devil until the Lord delivers us by his grace. It is true we will not be able to blame our sins on our being forcibly confined by sin. There is not one of us who does not knowingly and willingly in because we are all naturally corrupt and wicked. Consequently, Jesus has to pour out his grace to cleanse us of all our evil affections and free us of sin’s damnable captivity, which is our natural habitat” – John Calvin, Sermons on the Acts of the Apostles, Chapters 1-7, 268-269.

Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 5:31 –

“The statement ‘He has God exalted with his right hand’ is a simile taken form the roles of men in the world and indicates that Jesus Christ is like a viceregent of God his Father to exercise all authority and government over us. Do we wish to show that God rules over us and that we honour him as we should? Then we need to yield to Jesus Christ his Son, our Saviour, whom he has given all power and authority. It is he who wants us to take refuge for reconciliation with himself. In short, our Lord wants to reign over us only in the person of Jesus Christ his Son. It is futile for men to try to serve God and exclude Jesus Christ at the same time. This is manifest idolatry! We make of God an idol when we want to honour and serve him other than through Jesus Christ. We must mark this passage well, for it tells us God raised Jesus hi Son to his right hand to make him our Prince and Saviour. That shows, as I have just said, that it is a misguided effort to serve God without acknowledging Jesus Christ as Saviour and Mediator between him and us. That is also John’s testimony: ‘He that does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent him’ (John 5:23)” – John Calvin, Sermons on the Acts of the Apostles, Chapters 1-7, 263

Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 5:30 –

“Therefore, as the apostles hit the priests in the teeth with that wicked and heinous offense which they had committed, so they prevent, by a granting, to express the manner of the reproachful death which Christ suffered, lest the authors of the wickedness triumph as having gotten the victory” – John Calvin, Commentary on Acts, 178.

Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 5:28 –

“Consequently, God established the priests on condition that they follow his commands. But if they deviate from them ever so slightly, they are to be treated not only as private individuals but also as devils. Whereas our Lord established them as his angels and his messengers, as we have said, we must consider them as abominable and contemptuously throw mud in their face” – John Calvin, Sermons on the Acts of the Apostles, Chapters 1-7, 256.

Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 5:21 –

“Some infer from the use of the word all, that instead of a mere representation of the elders, as in ordinary cases, the High Priest and his associates, upon this occasion, summoned the whole eldership, so far as was within reach. A striking analogy would then be furnished by the Great Consistory of the Reformed Dutch Churches” – J. A. Alexander, Acts, 221.

Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 5:20 –

“Most people will think that when they hear a sermon on Sunday as a matter of duty, they have done enough. When they return home, instead of discussing, as thy should, what was said in the sermon in order to remember better what was dealt with, they will speak only of unworthy and profane subjects. ‘Not at all! Not at all,’ they will say. ‘That is a heavy subject to think about. Let us not weary our heads with it.’ Still others will be careful not to be offended by the teaching, for with great effort they will come to th sermon once every two months. Consequently, we should not be surprised if men have less understanding and judgment than dumb animals. For animals at least know how to seek the food they need, and men are so wretched they flee from spiritual food, without which they cannot live, although they think they are much at ease in this world. Consequently, we must pay even closer attention to this statement that the gospel is the teaching of life. If we wish to be quickened by God’s power and might and so attain the heavenly kingdom, the gospel must be our doorway. Since God is at work in it and displaying his power through it, it has to be clear to us that there is no other way to come to him. It is certain that we will not enter his kingdom against his will. Only the gospel leads us to him. By it we embrace Jesus Christ, who reconciles us with God. By the gospel, I say, we can come to God and the salvation it promises. That is why our Lord Jesus Christ said, ‘You are not of God, because you refuse to hear his word’ (John 8:47). Therefore, those who are offended by the hearing of God’s word are already marked for being thrown into the fire of hell” – John Calvin, Sermons on the Acts of the Apostles, Chapters 1-7, 242-243.

Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 5:18 –

“This can be a very useful passage provided we apply it gainfully. It warns us that if we abuse God’s word, he will allow our capacity to reason and make judgements to become like that of dumb animals, and we will be no more worthy to be ranked among men than dogs or pigs” – John Calvin, Sermons on the Acts of the Apostles, Chapters 1-7, 236.

Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 5:17 –

“In this account, we have a repetition of what we encountered earlier. God’s kingdom cannot be advanced without Satan’s doing everything he can to hinder it. Consequently, there will always be struggle and dissension” – John Calvin, Sermons on the Acts of the Apostles, Chapters 1-7, 233.

Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 5:15 –

“We see in this passage the trouble the Jews go to in order to ease their neighbors’ pain. There is not one who does not help those in need because of their physical health. As for us, we are not moved even when we see our neighbors perish in body or soul. We would not lift a finger. Their sense of brotherhood does not exist among us today, and that comes from the fact that there is no gratitude in either the small or the great” – John Calvin, Sermons on the Acts of the Apostles, Chapters 1-7, 222.

Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 5:13 –

“Last Sunday, we began to talk about how useful the miracles can be for us. First, we are to use them to strengthen our faith, for our Lord extended his hand and his power to witness to his gospel and to show its sure and infallible truth. We must not, then, ever separate the one from the other. For we understand how quickly the devil inclines us to superstition and perverts miracles so that they do not magnify and exalt God’s glory and power, but blaspheme and dishonor him. Examples of that we have seen and still see through the Papacy” – John Calvin, Sermons on the Acts of the Apostles, Chapters 1-7, 219.

September Sermons

D.V., I plan to preach:

9/6/09 Communion Acts 6:1-7 “Fulfill Your Call”
9/13/09 Acts 6:8-15 “Expect False Witnesses”
9/20/09 Acts 7:1-53 “A History of Persecutions”
9/27/09 Acts 7:54-8:3 “Stephen & Saul”

"You Can't Oppose God" Sermon: Acts 5:12-42

“You Can’t Oppose God”
[Acts 5:12-42]
August 30. 2009 Second Reformed Church

Peter and the other apostles regularly did signs and wonders among the people. The people brought their sick and the demon-possessed, and all of them were healed – they were even bringing the sick in from the neighboring towns – not just Jerusalem. The people held the apostles in high esteem. And multitudes of men and women came to faith in the Lord.

After the violent and terrifying deaths of Ananias and Sapphira, everything seemed to go well for the infant Church. Yet we know that did not and could not continue: Jesus promised that the Gospel will flourish in persecution.

Before we move on to the persecution in this morning’s Scripture, let us remember two things: first, the fact that the apostles did signs and wonders tells us nothing about the existence of signs and wonders today, because there are no more apostles. By definition in the Scripture, an apostle must have sat under Jesus’ teaching while He was alive on earth, and an apostle must have been an eyewitness to the ministry of Jesus, in His Flesh, on earth, after His Resurrection.

But even more importantly, let us understand that the miracles did not happen separate from the preaching of the Word of God. How do we know that? Paul wrote, “But how are they to call on him whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?’ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:14-17, ESV).

Miracles, alone, by themselves, cannot convince anyone of the Gospel; they cannot convey faith to a person. No one ever believed simply by seeing or experiencing a miracle. The only way the Scripture acknowledges for the impartation of faith – for a person coming to faith – to belief – is through the preaching of the Word of God. As Jesus reported of the rich man and Lazarus: “‘And [the rich man] said, “Then I beg you, father, to send [Lazarus] to my father’s house – for I have five brothers – so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.” But Abraham said, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.” And he said, “No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” He said to him, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead”’” (Luke 16:27-31, ESV).

We need to be on guard against those who would say nice things and moral things and claim to be able to heal, but do not preach the Word of God. The Word of God is primary and central in Christianity, and there is no conversion – no faith or belief – without the preaching of the Word. Since a multitude of men and women believed in the Lord, we know that the preaching of the Word of God accompanied the miracles that God did through Peter and the apostles.

Now, what should our response be if we find out that there are multitudes of people coming to Christ – believing faithfully in Him – at a neighbor church? We should rejoice, shouldn’t we? Shouldn’t we give thanks to God for His Mercy and His Work of Salvation in the lives of all those people?

Luke tells us that the high priest and the Sadducees were jealous of the apostles. It was not just a matter of people believing in Jesus and His Physical Resurrection. It was not just believing in Him as the Savior. They weren’t just angry about theology any more. They were jealous because the people were holding the apostles in high esteem. The people were flooding to the apostles for healing and to be taught. The high priest and the Sadducees were jealous of the apostles – the apostles were getting all the attention and they were better liked by the people than the high priest and the Sadducees! Can you imagine?

I’m sure we can – we probably all know people who, above everything else – even above the truth – there are people – pastors, too – who want to be liked and to be popular. There are some churches that are filled with people and money – not because the pastor is preaching the Word of God – but because he has done everything he can to be popular and well-liked by the people.

The high priest and the Sadducees were like that, and they had the authority to imprison people, so they threw the twelve apostles in jail. But during the night, an angel came to them, unlocked the door, unlocked their chains, set them free, told them to go to the temple and preach the Word of Life – the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And then, apparently, the angel locked the prison door and left. The apostles went to the temple and began to preach again.

In the morning, the high priest called the whole counsel and senate together – not merely the Sanhedrin – which would be the high priest and the serving elders – but the whole counsel – something like our Great Consistory – all of the elders (and deacons) who have ever served on the Consistory – it was a much larger group. They gathered together to see how the apostles had fared with the night in prison – to see if they might have decided against preaching in the Name of Jesus now. So the officers went to the prison, unlocked the door, and no one was inside. “Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to” (Acts 5:24, ESV).

“Where’d they go? I know we put twelve men in here last night, but now they’re gone!”

Can you hear God laughing? That’s not sacrilegious to say, remember what David wrote about Jesus’ Coming, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.’ He who sits in heaven laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, ‘As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill’” (Psalm 2:1-6, ESV).

What the high priest and the Sadducees didn’t understand is that though we have the freedom to sin against God – to do what He has forbidden or to not do what He has commanded – ultimately, it is impossible to oppose God. And that is good news for us – God cannot fail. God’s Plan will come to pass, exactly as He planed it from the foundation of the world. Jesus has won! God cannot lose. Even when the high priest and the Sadducees are throwing us in prison, God’s Will for us will not fail to occur. Everything God intends will happen. You and I will be received into Paradise with our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Well, the high priest and the Sadducees did not find the apostles’ disappearance funny, and they found it even less funny when they received word that they were back in the temple, preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ So, they marched to the temple, and because they were afraid of the people – who held the apostles in high esteem – they quietly took the apostles aside and set them before the council.

They were angry: “We forbid you to preach in That Man’s Name. And here you are – again – filling Jerusalem with teaching about That Man. You are trying to put That Man’s Blood upon us.” Isn’t it interesting – they were so mad that they couldn’t even say Jesus’ Name – it was always “That Man.”

Peter responded as we have seen him respond before – the way that we ought to respond when we are asked what we believe about this Jesus – “That Man” – Peter told them that they could not obey the council – just as we cannot obey any authority that commands us to sin, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus” – YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, raised Jesus from the dead – in His Physical Body – “whom you killed by hanging him on a tree” – you are guilty of His Blood, as are all those who deny Him throughout their lives – and you killed Him through the cursed method of hanging on a tree. But God – “God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins” – God restored the Son – now as the God-Man – to His Eternal Throne – at the Right Hand – which we remember means that Jesus has all of the authority of God – He is Leader – in the sense of being the First One, the Originator, the Prince of the Faith – and Savior – the One God Who would Incarnate, Live, Die, and Rise, able to forgive the sins of all those who believe in Him and credit each one of them with His Righteousness, so that they will be eternally saved from the Wrath of God and live eternally with Him.

And, Peter continued, they were eyewitnesses to all that Jesus said and did – twelve eyewitnesses – far more than the courts required as proof. And God the Holy Spirit is also a witness to all these things – God witnesses to Himself and His Work – and the Holy Spirit inhabits all those who believe in Jesus.

When we consider all those things that might be done against God – ways that someone might try to oppose Him – there is no greater way than to try to stop God from providing the Savior that He Promised – especially through murdering the Savior – and murdering Him through crucifixion. Paul wrote, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’ –“ (Galatians 3:13, ESV). And Peter wrote, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to Righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (I Peter 2:24, ESV).

Christ is risen! The greatest attempt by the devil and those who follow him failed by doing exactly what had to happen for Jesus to save us. If “the most spectacular sin” did not defeat God but completed His Plan for Jesus, how can we doubt that God will bring to pass everything that He plans? Jesus gives us hope in confidence as He said to Simon, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18, ESV). Jesus promised that Hell itself cannot not prevail again Peter’s confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16, ESV).

That does not mean that bad things won’t happen – they do – you know they do. We get sick. We fall. We lose money. We die. We don’t get the job we wanted. Our children don’t do what we would like them to do. Our bodies betray us. Our friends betray us. We are uncomfortable. The Church suffers against the evil in the world and in the Church. If our hope was in this world, I couldn’t say how we should go on, but our hope is not in this world, but in Jesus Christ and His Coming Kingdom. If our eyes are on the Promises of Jesus, we can cope with this world, we can even enjoy this world, despite its fallenness. God’s Plan is sure – from before the Creation, God’s Plan stood and God has won and will return triumphant to claim all that is His.

I hope you see and believe what good news that is for we who believe. Once we recognize that everything is about Jesus and Jesus is victorious – there is sure hope for us. If we keep our eyes on that, we need not worry about the noise of Satan and his followers.

We can imagine the high priest and the Sadducees screaming and tearing their robes as Peter spoke – they were so enraged with what he said, they were prepared to kill all of the apostles. But God had placed the Pharisee, Gamaliel, in their midst – we will see him again as the rabbi of a man by the name of Saul of Tarsus, and Gamaliel said, “Wait a minute – let’s not kill them out of hand – let’s think about this.”

Gamaliel brought two historical examples to their memory: There was a man named Theudas, who had about four hundred followers. Theudas claimed to be a magician and said that he could dry up the Jordan River. But after Theudas was killed, his followers disbursed. The same thing happened with Judas the Galilean who, with his followers, opposed the taxing by the Romans at the time of the census. Once he died, his followers disbursed. There had been rebel-rousers in the past, but once they died, their cause went with them. Therefore, Gamaliel gave the advice to let the apostles go, based on this observation: if a thing is not of God, it will pass. But, if a thing is of God, you will not be able to overthrow it – you don’t want to try to oppose God – and, in the end, you can’t oppose God. God is the Almighty, and God will do what God wants, and God’s Plan will come to pass, exactly as He planned it.

It is foolish and futile to try to oppose God. We will see, Lord willing, as Jesus confronted Paul, He said, “‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads’” (Acts 26:14b, ESV). A goad was a sharp stick used to keep oxen moving. If they stopped, or kicked back against it in anger, they would be pierced – stuck – by the sharp stick. How much was God and His Plan hurt by Saul kicking against a sharp stick? So when someone tries to oppose God, he only hurts himself. You and I only hurt ourselves when we sin, right? Maybe sin feels good for the moment, but it really only hurts us. God will accomplish what God intends. If something is not from God, it will pass away – it will die out. But if something is from God, no one can stop it. No one can oppose God.

Gamaliel’s only mistake was to passively wait. Gamaliel should have known that God expects us to test the things that come before us to see if they come from God or not. Paul approvingly said of the Berean Christians, “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11, ESV).

And we ought not merely see if what is taught and if what comes before us is true, but we ought to act on it. Whatever we find in the Scripture that God says we are to do – we are to do it. And all those things that God says we are not to do – we are not to do them. In response – in love and thanksgiving for our salvation – we ought to act on what we find in God’s Word.

Instead of killing the apostles, they beat them, as though they were guilty of something, and then threatened them again not to speak in the Name of Jesus, and then they let them go.

How did they leave? Did they slink off and nurse their wounds and get depressed about the way they were being treated as Christians? No, “[t]hey left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name [of Jesus].”

Paul similarly responded, “From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus” (Galatians 6:17, ESV). And remember what we saw in Peter’s letters: “But rejoice insofar as you share in Christ suffering, that you may rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” (I Peter 4:13, ESV). And Jesus said, “‘If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you’” (John 15:18-20b, ESV).

If we suffer for the cause of Christ – for His Name – we prove ourselves to be His – and in that we should rejoice. That is what the apostles were doing as they left their beating.

And they continued to follow God by teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ – the Savior – in the temple and from house to house – day after day – every day. The apostles obeyed God and not the chief priest and the Sadducees. They continue to preach and teach Jesus Christ as the Only Savior – the Only Hope for humanity.

Let us remember that the suffering we endure – our trials and tribulations – these are only temporary. Let us live in the sure hope of Christ’s Victory and Mighty Power. Let us be sure that we understand what is of God and act on it. Let us trust in the Almighty God – that He will bring to pass everything exactly as He has planned and promised. That is our hope.

Let us pray:
Almighty God, we thank You that You never fail us. We thank You that we can trust You and place our sure hope in You and Your Plan. Strengthen our faith and belief. Instruct us in Your Word. Lead us confidently forward to do all that You have called us to do and to keep from all those things which You have forbidden. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Review: "Christianity in Crisis: 21st Century"

Christianity in Crisis: 21st Century by Hank Hanegraaff is my latest review book from Thomas Nelson publishers. You can go to the following link for product detail:
http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=0849900069.

Hanegraaff’s book is a sequel of sorts to his book twenty years ago, Christianity in Crisis. In that book, he look at the faith movement and its divergence from the Christian Gospel, just as he does in this book, but in the current volume, he addresses the teachings and heresies of today’s Word Faith teachers: the successors to Kenneth Hagin’s heresies.

Hanegraaff’s work is excellent and ought to be sought out by any who wish to understand the movement and its errors. Rather than just describe their errors, Hanegraaff quotes the teachers at lengthork, and I am sure I will use it in presenting and defending the faith against this other gospel, which is no gospel at all.

[This review appears on Amazon.com and on my blog.]

Review: "The Treasure Principle: Discovering the Secret of Joyful Giving"

I read Randy Alcorn’s The Treasure Principle: Discovering the Secret of Joyful Giving as part of my preparation for a recent sermon. It is a book that I had on my list of books to read sooner than later.

Alcorn explains that his study led him to the conclusion that “our approach to money and possessions isn’t just important – it’s central to our spiritual lives” (9). Centering on Matthew 13:44, the parable of the buried treasure and the man who sold everything to get it, Alcorn directs us to what ought be of greatest value to us – Christ and His Gospel.

Alcorn challenges the reader through a tour of the Scripture, culmination in six keys: “God owns everything. I’m His money manager; My heart always goes where I put God’s money.; Heaven, not earth, is my home.; I should not live for the dot but for the line.; Giving is the only antidote to materialism.; God prospers me not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving” (93).

This book has to be experienced: after reading it, I was convinced that I had to significantly increase my giving, and I was joyful about it. D.V., I plan to get copies of this book for all of our people for Stewardship Sunday in November. You should get a copy, too. Be free from money and possessions.

Review: "Preaching: the Man, the Message, the Method"

Preaching: The Man, the Message, the Method, by Geoffrey Thomas, is an unassuming little book which is power-packed. Yet, I can only describe the tone and language of the book as pure honey. I don’t believe I have ever read someone whose writing tasted so sweet. Thomas is obviously a man in love with his Savior and with preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This volume was originally given as the 2000 John Reed Miller Lectures at Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi.

Thomas begins his volume with a chapter called, “The Prospect,” in which he talks about the glorious privilege of being a minister: “I hope you will never join with those ministers who sit around grumbling in their fraternals about all the alleged hardships of being preachers. What a marvelous privileged life we lead. I trust you earnestly believe that if it be God’s will for you to spend the rest of your life caring for this particular congregation you will happily do so and thank the Lord at the end of each day for such blessings” (9). (Thomas has been at his pastorate for almost forty-five years.) He goes on to say to the preacher must preach “with heart, with mouth, and with life” (13). If a man does this, then a long pastorate can be a great blessing. But he warns of problems both for the preacher and the congregation and gives counsel of how to avoid them.

“The Man” begins with the argument that any man who preaches must understand that God is sovereign in the sermon and not the preacher. Then he considers the type of man who is called to the ministry, ending with: “Fear God: stand in awe of the office; don’t enter the ministry if you don’t have to. But I am now adding something else; he that desires the office of a preacher does a good thing, so cultivate your desire” (29). Then, he explains that one must believe in the office of the minister, never believing that the race is run, but pressing on towards holiness and the delivery of the Gospel.

“The Message” opens with the call to the minister to believe in the God of the Bible, to believe that He is Lord. Then to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all three of His Offices: Prophet, Priest, and King.

“The Method,” as he presents it, is seven-fold: believe in the truthfulness of the Bible, endure tough times, toil, depend upon the Holy Spirit, , defend the Gospel, practice discriminatory preaching – by this he means to clearly show the difference between the Christian and the non-Christian, practice applicatory preaching.

A sweet, powerful book. Another that should be read by anyone “considering” the ministry or in the ministry.

"You Can't Lie to God" Sermon: Acts 4:32-5:11

“You Can’t Lie to God”
[Acts 4:32-5:11]
August 9, 2009 Second Reformed Church

Our text begins with another summary statement about the early Church: the Church was of one heart and mind, no one in the Church said that anything was his own, the Good News of the Resurrection of Jesus was preached with power, and grace was received by them all, and everyone in the Church had their needs met. How well do we follow this example?

Luke tells us that the Church was of one heart and mind. That does not mean that everyone liked the same type of ice cream or that everyone liked the same TV program. What Luke is telling us is that they agreed about what they believed, and they responded to that belief by loving God and their neighbor with their whole selves – body, soul, mind, and spirit.

We recite the Apostle’s Creed each week, and one of the reasons we do so is to remind us of those key doctrines – teachings – that we ought all be agreed upon as Christians. There is more in the Word of God than what is contained in the Apostle’s Creed, but it contains the central, pivotal teaching of the faith. Do you believe what we confess each week? Does it mean anything for how you live once you leave this place?

No one in the Church said that anything was his own. Now, some have gotten confused about this and tried to argue that the Church is to propagate socialism – that no one is to have possessions, but all is to be held in common. We see one version of this misunderstanding in monasteries. But that cannot be what Luke is telling us, because in chapter five verse four, Luke records Peter telling Ananias that there is nothing wrong with a Christian having property, selling property, keeping the proceeds of the sale, and/or giving some or all of the proceeds of the sale to the Church. Christians are at liberty to use the blessings that God has given them.

What Luke is telling us is that the Church recognized that they were stewards of all that God has given them, not owners. God blessed them, and they had possessions, but they recognized that they didn’t ultimately own anything – it is God’s, and they were to steward the blessings that God gave them – they were to use all that God had given them to glorify God, to love God and their neighbor. So, they voluntarily shared all that they had so that no one in the Church had any needs. In other words, they understood that God gave more to some so they would be able to share with others.

You and I do not own anything – God is the owner of everything. God has blessed us with all the we possess so our needs will be met, so we can show our love to God and neighbor by giving, and by meeting the needs of those in the Church, especially, who do not have enough to meet their own needs. God does not want us to hoard away what He has given us, but after we have given back the tithe and filled our needs – not everything we could ever want, but our needs – then we are to give generously, liberally, in love, to the Glory of God and to fill the needs, especially, of those in the Church.

Jesus explained this is the form of a parable:

“For [the kingdom of heaven] will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant You knew that I reap where I have not sowed and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent away from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’” (Matthew 25:14-30, ESV).

All that we have received from God, we are to invest for God – for the Gospel – that God would be glorified and His Gospel would be spread throughout the world. Everything we possess is on loan to us from God and God will call us to account one day. Are we investing what He has given us according to His Wisdom?

Luke also tells us that they were preaching – proclaiming – the Gospel of Jesus Christ – His Resurrection with boldness and power. We’ve seen this the past few weeks as we’ve looked at the healing of the lame man and how Peter and John we imprisoned and threatened by the rulers of the temple, and how Peter and John responded to all of this by saying that they could not obey them – they had to obey God – they had to speak of what they had seen and heard of Jesus. They could not help themselves – they were so filled with joy over what Jesus did to save them that they had to tell others.

And as they obeyed Jesus in proclaiming His Gospel, they received grace. They were empowered to be able to do all that God called them to do. They were given Wisdom from the Holy Spirit to understand and remember the Scriptures and to preach them faithfully. They grew in their faith and understanding as the Holy Spirit grew them.

And, finally, Luke tells us that there was not a needy person among them because those who had lands or houses – not everyone who had lands or houses, but those that had been blessed by God with enough lands and houses that they could sell some and still meet their needs – they sold their lands and houses and gave the money to the apostles for them to distribute as there was need.

In response to the Salvation of Jesus Christ that they had received, those who had much, sold some of what they possessed in order to make sure that everyone’s needs were met. Are your needs being met? Do you have more than you need? Are you giving generously to the Church that the needs of the Church and others can be met?

What are our needs? Until God calls us home, our needs are those things we need to be able to live. In the United States, the government has determined that the poverty level is about thirteen thousand dollars – below that, the government says – one does not have enough to live. Do you gross more than thirteen thousand dollars a year? How do you use the money that is not spent on your needs?

Luke gives us two examples of people who had more than enough – their needs had been filled, and they had houses and lands that they could sell and be able to give the proceeds to the Church:

The first example is of a man by the name of Joseph, who was also called, Barnabas, which means, “son of encouragement.” This is the same Barnabas that we will see travel with Paul later in the book of Acts. He was a Levite from Cyprus who owned at least one field. We’re not told how he came to own the field, but we know that Levites were not to own land – when God divided up the Promised Land, the Levites, as a family, were not given land, they were given cities within other tribes to live in, but the land belonged to others. However he came to own the land, Barnabas thought the best way he could use the land for God, in response to the joy of his salvation, was to sell the land and give the whole proceeds to the Church to meet needs. And he did so.

Barnabas was a cheerful, joyful giver. As Paul wrote, “Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly, or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (II Corinthians 9:7, ESV). God is not honored when we give because we think we have to. God desires us to give, cheerfully, joyfully. I say each week that we worship God in the giving of our tithes and offerings – and we do – we ought to joyfully, cheerfully, put what we put in the offering plate. We should give because we love God and are thankful for all that He has done for us. We should give as a way to invest some of the blessings God has given us. That’s what Barnabas did.

Then we are given the example of Ananias and his wife, Sapphira. They, also, had plenty of blessings in the way of houses and land, and they determined that they, too, would sell a piece of property and say that they were giving the whole proceeds to the Church, but they would actually keep part of it for themselves. Now, like we already said, they were free to possess land, to sell land, and/or to give all or some of the proceeds to the Church. There is no law that says every Christians must sell their house and land and give all of the money to the Church. So, it would not have been wrong for them to sell the land and keep some of the money for themselves and give some of the money to the Church. But they wanted everyone to think that they gave all the money, so they decided to lie.

Ananias went to the temple and put the money at the apostles’ feet, “Brothers, I have sold my field, and I have decided to give all of the money I made from the sale for the Church and meeting the needs of the needy. I am holding nothing back, because God has blessed me richly; I want to give every penny to the Lord.”

And Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds from the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? After it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” I want us to make sure that we understand: Christians can possess land and houses. Christians can sell land and houses. Christians can keep any or all of the money from the proceeds of that sale and/or give any or all of the proceeds of the sale to the Church. The sin was not in keeping part of the profits; the sin was in lying about bringing the whole profit as a gift to the Church.

And as Ananias heard Peter utter these words, God struck him dead. Before all of the people of the temple, God struck him dead. And the people who saw it got the point – they were afraid – you can’t lie to God. God knows everything. God knows our hearts. God knows what we do and say. God is not fooled. And God will not be mocked.

Three hours later, Sapphira came to the temple, and Peter asked her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Oh, yes, we received such and such for the land and decided to give the full proceeds for the Church and the needy. We held nothing back, because the Lord has blessed us richly.”

And Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” And before all the people of the temple, God struck her dead. And the people who saw it got the point – they were greatly afraid – you can’t lie to God. God knows everything. God knows our hearts. God knows what we do and say. God is not fooled. And God will not be mocked.

What does this mean for us?

First, it means that we must understand that we are stewards of all that God has given us – not owners – so we ought to find ourselves free to give generously for the sake of the Gospel and meeting the needs of the needy. If we understand that nothing is ours, we will find ourselves free to give more in thanks and love to Jesus and for His Work. Do you love Jesus? Are you thankful for what He has done for you? Would your checkbook agree?

Our typical response to this is to say, “Well, like you already quoted, ‘God loves a cheerful giver.’” And we have tended to mean by that, “I’ll give what I want and when I want, if I feel like it.” But that’s not what the text is about. Paul was writing to the Corinthians, giving them the example of the Macedonian Church, to urge them to participate in the collection for Christians in Jerusalem. He urged them to give, but told them not to give out of guilt or like they have to fulfill a command, but to do so because it fills them with joy.

Paul begins with the example of the Macedonian Church: “We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed with a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints – and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us” (II Corinthians 8:1-7, ESV).

Paul gave the Corinthians the example of the Macedonians, who were suffering and poor, yet for the joy that they received in doing so – for the cheerfulness that it gave them – they gave beyond their means. Paul wanted the Corinthians to see that the Macedonians were filled with joy and gave cheerfully far more than could have been expected of them – because that giving made them joyful – it made them cheerful.

Paul goes on to say, “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, ‘He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’ He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for all your generosity; which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission flowing freely from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift ” (II Corinthians 9:6-15, ESV).

Don’t misunderstand Paul, he is not saying, as some say today, that if you give generously, he will send you a magic handkerchief and you will become healthy, wealthy, and wise. No, what he is saying is if we give generously, God will be glorified and we will continue to increase in Christ-likeness. There is no guarantee that if we give ten dollars, we will receive one hundred dollars. But if we freely, willingly give ten dollars, we will receive joy and be cheerful and be made more fit for the work Christ has for us.

And second, we ought to be aware that God has set a minimum for our giving. After that, no human can judge, but God has set a minimum, not because God needs money, but so we will trust in God’s Providence.

Malachi records God’s words, “Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:8-12, ESV).

We are to give the tithe – ten percent of our gross income – and time and talent, etc. – to the Church. Jesus confirms this in Matthew 23:23-24, if you need a New Testament citation. We begin with ten percent of our gross income. If you are on the poverty level of thirteen thousand dollars a year – that’s two hundred and fifty dollars a week – so that would be a starting point of twenty-five dollars a week.

“But I can’t afford to give ten percent of my gross income a week ” Randy Alcorn in his book, The Treasure Principle, responds to this objection by asking, “Would you die if your income were ten percent less than it is right now?” If the answer is “no,” then you can afford to give the tithe. You may not want to give the tithe. You may want to spend it on pay-per-view or going out. But you can afford it. Don’t lie. No one in this church will hunt you down and demand that you produce your tax records; whatever you give is thankfully received. But understand, God has said that we are to give ten percent of our gross income – so God has promised that we will have at least enough to provide for our needs and to give the tithe, or that if we give the tithe, the Church will step up and help provide for her members, at least. But you can’t lie to God; God has said that He has given each of us enough to give at least ten percent of our gross income – and He has promised us joy in return!

I read Randy Alcorn’s book as part of my study for this sermon, and it in he explains his circumstances and why he does what he does with his blessings. Paul wrote, “For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the Gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me” (I Corinthians 4:15b-16, ESV). Paul said, inasmuch as he imitated Christ, he wanted those he served to imitate him. That’s why Alcorn tells his story. That’s why I am ending with an example from my life – not that you would think one way or another about me, but that you would consider what God has given you, what God requires of us, and how you desire to honestly respond in joy for all of God’s blessings.

I grew up in a family that taught tithing as a biblical principle. As soon as I received any money – from my allowance, from working, etc. – I knew that ten percent of it was to be put aside to give to the Church. And I enjoy giving to the Church – I don’t enjoy giving to the government in the form of taxes – and most of you know that I do everything I can to save money in my own life and here at the church. So, it has been a practice of mine – a joyful one – to give at least ten percent of my gross income to the Church.

At the beginning of this year, I was facing some financial issues for which I decided to decrease my giving to the Church – though I still gave at least ten percent. Over these past few months, I found that having the extra money did not alleviate the issues I was addressing, so I started giving more, and after studying for this sermon, I have decided that I need to give even more. The other morning as I was swimming, I was running numbers in my head, and I came to the conclusion that there is no reason why I can’t give twenty-five percent of my gross income to the Church – to this church – so I am. I was doing a backstroke, so I was able to start laughing as I was swimming. I experienced the joy that we are to receive as we willingly give.

Again, I don’t tell you that so you will think one way or another about me. I don’t tell you that to make you think I’m overpaid. I don’t tell you that to say that everyone should give twenty-five percent. I tell you that in the same way that Paul says to imitate him as he imitates Christ.

Understand that everything you have is a gift on loan from God. God has called us to steward our finances – and everything we have – well and to His Glory. Understand that God has set a minimum standard for our financial giving. Consider what you have been given. Consider Who Christ is – how thankful and joyful He has made you. And then honestly respond as God leads you. God knows what He has given you. God knows your heart. And you can’t lie to God.

Let us pray:
Almighty God, we thank You for giving us so much that our needs are met and we have more to give for Your Work. We ask that You would fill us with joy as we cheerfully worship You by giving. Help us to address the issue of stewardship honestly, knowing that You cannot be deceived. You are worthy of all – take us and make us useful for You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 5:10 –

“Dropping dead is a small thing in comparison with being thrown into eternal fire to endure unending pain” – John Calvin, Sermons on the Acts of the Apostles, Chapters 1-7, 208.

Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 5:8 –

“We see how Paul looks at the matter. After stating categorically that he faithfully executed his office, he adds that he was not thereby justified (1 Cor. 4:1-4). He was well aware that when a man has done his utmost in the service of God, he is still unable to do what he should, not even by a tenth. If Paul, with his degree of perfection, states categorically that he is not justified by having done all that he could for the increase and preservation of God’s church, and if he is bold enough, as I said, to declare openly that he walked in complete uprightness, we need to consider that that will be our lot too. Let us realize, then, that after making every effort to walk before God in complete uprightness, we will not be perfectly acquitted of our responsibility, and that the only thing left for us to do is to begin again. That is because, as I have already said, we have vices in us which God alone can recognize and punish, vices which we cannot see” – John Calvin, Sermons on the Acts of the Apostles, Chapters 1-7, 206-207.

Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 5:4 –

“‘Ananias had lied to God the Spirit, not to men and Peter. Dare, if you can, O Socinian, thus to read it, “He has lied, not to the Spirit and Peter, but to God.” – Bengle. The Holy Ghost, so far from being less than God, is He against whom the sin (against the Holy Ghost,) is more heinous than again the Father or the Son’” – Melancthon W. Jacobus, Notes – Critical and Explanatory – on the Acts of the Apostles, 123.

Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 5:4 –

“Not in common possession, but in common use. Plainly the property belonged to some and not to others. This providential inequality gave room for the exercise of such a precious Christian grace, as it cannot be exercised in heaven. The charm of it was in the light in which they regarded their property – not contending about the ‘mine’ and ‘thine’ – not oppressing a poor brother – not aiming at laying up treasures and acquiring riches to hoard; but holding all that they had at the demand of each other’s necessity, and on the principle that the goods belonged to those who had need, just so far as God had cast the needy brethren upon their care and resources. And so this mutual aid was cheerfully and universally carried on” – Melancthon W. Jacobus, Notes – Critical and Explanatory – on the Acts of the Apostles, 117.

Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 5:4 –

“This shows conclusively, that no compulsory abandonment of property, or absolute community of goods, existed in the primitive church” – J. A. Alexander, Acts, 190.

Reformed Wisdom

On Acts 5:1 –

“Therefore, it is, to say the least, prudent for a man who has an abundance of possessions to be prudent in his use of them to satisfy his brethren’s lack, just as Paul also shows clearly in 2 Corinthians that it is for this purpose that we have the possessions which God gives us in this world (2 Cor. 8:14). Consequently, he who has an abundance is not to waste his excess but to consider that it has been placed in his hands to make him aware that he is not so much its owner as the one who must help his neighbors with it. That is why we cannot impose a definite rule to indicate to what extent everyone is to be generous. But the fact is that we cannot do too much.

“Still, our Lord wants us to have a joyful heart, for he wants the sacrifices which we offer to him to be voluntary (2 Cor. 9:7). He does not want us to act out of constraint but out of our free will. He does not want us to act with pretense and hypocrisy, but whenever we are disposed to help our neighbors, he wants us to do so wholeheartedly and voluntarily, as if opening our hearts to show them our goodwill toward them” – John Calvin, Sermons on the Acts of the Apostles, Chapters 1-7, 192.

Wednesday Night Study

Our Wednesday night study is now on a short hiatus. D.V., we will resume our study of the General Councils and the Crusades on Wednesday, September 2nd at 7PM. Mark your calendars!

"Can You Keep Quiet?" Sermon: Acts 4:13-31

“Can You Keep Quiet?”
[Acts 4:13-31]
August 2, 2009 Second Reformed Church

I got a call last week from the Mayor’s secretary, and she said that the Mayor would like to meet with me and one of our councilwomen this coming Monday – tomorrow. I asked if I could know why the Mayor wanted me to come to his office, and she told me that she didn’t know. Do I have an obligation to go see the Mayor? And more generally, should you and I obey the government?

A lame man had lay at the gate to the temple in Jerusalem, begging for enough to get by from those entering to worship, for his whole life – for over forty years. When Peter and John came upon him, he asked them for money, but they didn’t have any, and instead, in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, they commanded him to walk. The Holy Spirit gave the man the faith to believe, and he believed. He was saved from the Wrath of God, he stood on his own two feet, and walked and leapt and praised God.

The elders, priests, Sadducees, scribes, and the high priest’s family were outraged that Peter and John had said that Jesus Christ of Nazareth had healed the man and that Jesus had physically risen from the dead – and not only that, they proclaimed that there was no other salvation by which humans may be saved except through Jesus. So they grabbed Peter and John and through them in prison and in the morning demanded an explanation from them, but they said the same thing again: Jesus saved and healed the man, and there is no salvation except through Jesus Alone.

The leaders of the temple were confused: where did these common workers get such boldness? Why were they unafraid to stand before the leaders of the temple? And then they remembered, these were not merely believers in Jesus, but these were two of His apostles – men who had trained with the Rabbi for three years – men who adopted the same boldness that Jesus had shown.

But what could the temple leaders do? The crowd had seen the lame man healed – it was a public miracle of someone who was well-known – there was no way they could deny the miracle happened. The people were in the courtyard praising God and thanking Him for the miracle. And they thought, “Let’s threaten them: we’ll let you go, but don’t ever preach or teach in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth again – or else!”

But Peter said, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” Peter said – tongue in cheek, “You must judge, because I don’t know – is it right to obey you over God? All I can say is that we don’t have a choice – we have seen and heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and we can’t keep quiet We can’t keep from teaching and preaching in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth because of what we have seen and heard!”

Have you ever been asked to keep a secret? To hold back telling someone some good news until a certain time? Have you felt it bubbling up in you – feeling like you would burst if you couldn’t announce the news to the person? Is there – or has there been – anything in your life where you have said, “I just have to do this”?

The novelist, Stephen King, was once asked in an interview why he writes horror novels, and he responded, “Who says I have a choice?” For him, there is something in him that makes him need to write the kind of stories he writes. He is compelled to write about the evils of humanity and evils of mythic realms.

Amos said, “The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophecy?” (Amos 3:8, ESV). What Amos was saying is that just as people are naturally, instinctively afraid when they hear the roar of a lion, so he could not but preach when the Word of the Lord came to him.

Jeremiah, when he was angry with God, tried to suppress the Word of God that was given to him, and he said, “If I say, ‘I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,’ there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot’” (Jeremiah 20:9, ESV).

And Paul wrote of his preaching, “For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (I Corinthians 9:16, ESV).

People who are called to the ordained ministry of Word and Sacrament – ministers, pastors, like me – cannot help but preach the Word of God. That inability to hold back the Word of God overcomes every other inability. Many of you know that I am an introvert – I love spending time alone. It is very difficult for me to be in crowds or to get up in front of people and speak – it is not something I would normally choose to do. But the Gospel of Jesus Christ of Nazareth compels me – I can’t help it! And on those Sundays when I am away from you, as much as I enjoy hearing other ministers preach, I miss being in the pulpit delivering God’s Word to you – I long to be in the pulpit whenever and as often as I can.

Yet, that should be true for all Christians. That is, everyone who has received the Gospel of Jesus Christ should have something in them that is bubbling up – something that makes us want to let others know. Like we have said – in various ways, depending on who we are and how God has gifted us. But we know the greatest and only saving news in heaven and earth and throughout all of eternity – can we keep quiet? Can we keep it to ourselves? Can we let our neighbors and friends and family members blindly walk down the corridor of time, never letting them know the Truth that we have received? Never letting them know that there is a hope and a future through Jesus?

I’ve got to tell the story of Jesus Christ of Nazareth! Peter and John had to tell: “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”
The religious government told them to stop teaching and preaching that Jesus had physically risen from the dead and that there is Only Salvation through Him Alone. And they said, “We can’t.” We can’t.

And the temple leaders threatened them again: “Well, you listen to us: you must stop preaching and teaching in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth – or else ” That’s the best they could do to threaten them. The miracle that Jesus performed through them was too public, and the temple leaders were afraid of the people and what they might do if they tried to deny that the man who had been lame for forty years had been healed – he was standing right there – everyone knew him – there was nothing they could do.

Did Peter and John sin by not obeying the religious government? Remember what Paul wrote, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgement” (Romans 13:1-2, ESV). Peter and John did not obey – they resisted the government: did they sin? No.

Why not? Because what the religious government was commanding them to do was a sin. Everyone who holds a position of authority has been given that authority by God: both President Bush and President Obama have held the office of President because God put them there. We are to obey the government because those who are in authority have been put there by God. We may disagree with some of President Bush’s policies. We may disagree with some of President Obama’s policies. And in this country we have the freedom to disagree and express our opinion. But we are to subject ourselves to those in authority – those men and women who God has put in authority over us.

However, if the government commands to us sin, we must disobey the government and accept whatever punishment may follow. Understand, we may only disobey the government when we are clearly, biblically being commanded to sin. And, also understand, that if we disobey the government, we may have to suffer the consequences.

Some of us may believe it is wrong for the government to require us to pay taxes. However, it is not sinful for the government to require us to pay taxes. Paul wrote, “Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed” (Romans 13:7, ESV). It is not sinful to pay taxes, so we must pay the taxes levied on us.

However, if the government commands me – us – to stop preaching that Jesus is the Only Salvation – we must disobey. It would be a sin to preach that there is salvation in anyone other than Jesus Alone.

Another example: there has been an anti-racism bill – a hate crimes bill – floating around for some time that would make it a crime to say that homosexual acts are sinful. If that is ever passed, I will have to disobey it, because God has clearly stated in His Word that homosexual acts are sinful. It would be a sin for me to say that God did not say that something is a sin when God did say that it is a sin.

So, Peter and John were right to say that they couldn’t keep quiet – that they couldn’t obey the command of the religious leaders. And we, also, cannot obey the government when we are command to sin. But let us be careful, because, if something is not clearly a sin in the Scripture, we are to obey the government, even if we don’t agree with the government. And if we disobey the government, we also must be prepared and accept that we may be punished for our disobedience – even if we are right.

The leaders let Peter and John go – there was nothing more they could do at that point. And Peter and John went to their friends and told them what had happened and all that had been said, and they joined together in prayer.

They opened their prayer by recognizing that their God – the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ – is the God of heaven and earth – the God Who created everything that is, Who holds all authority over everything and everyone from before time and through the end of time. They acknowledged their faith and trust and confidence in He Who is Almighty and Sovereign.

Then the Holy Spirit let them understand that this is part of what was prophesied by David in Psalm 2:1-2 when he wrote, “Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed.”

Now, it is true that David was writing this Psalm about himself and how the nations were coming against him – the anointed king – and Israel – and against God, Himself, but the Holy Spirit helped them to understand that this is one of those times when a prophecy has more than one fulfillment – remember I have explained that prophecy is often like looking at a mountain range from a distance – they look like they are one on top of another, but they are actually far apart. So in prophecy, there is often one prophecy that is fulfilled in more than one step or time. Here we see that Psalm 2 is about King David, but also about his Son, King Jesus. As they explained in their prayer, “for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel.”

And lest we forget – the Gentiles and the Jews sinned against Jesus and God for putting Jesus to death, but God also did a good thing – the greatest thing – in predestining the same act – Jesus’ Crucifixion: “to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.” The human murderers of Jesus sinned, but God, in planning the same act, did something righteous and good.

Notice, now, what they asked for, “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.” The Christians prayed that Peter and John and all the Christians, in the face of the sinful command of the temple leaders, would boldly continue to preach and teach in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. They asked that they would be given the gift to be able to heal, to do signs and wonders, through the Name of Jesus. They prayed that they would continue to steadfastly do the same things that they were doing, in the Name of Jesus, and to the Glory of God, that they had been doing since the day of Pentecost – and even before.

Notice what they did not pray for: they did not pray to be delivered from persecution. They did not pray to be delivered from the evil of the temple leaders. They did not pray to be kept from being hunted down for being Christians. Understand, it is not wrong to pray for Christians who are being persecuted – that they would be delivered and kept safe – we are to pray for those Christians around the world who are being persecuted. But the primary issue of their prayer – and our prayer – is not to be that we will be physically safe, but that we will boldly announce the Gospel of Jesus Christ no matter what we may face in the way of opposition. The German martyr, Dietrich Bonhoffer wrote, “When Jesus calls a man, He bids him to come and die.”

When Jesus calls us to Himself, he bids us to die to ourselves, to die to our priorities, to die to everything that does not put the spread of the Gospel first and foremost – and if that means that we must die physically for our faith, so be it. Although that is unlikely in this country at this time, it is still happening around the world: Christians are still being put to death for believing – proclaiming – that Jesus is the Only Salvation. We ought to be in prayer for them. And we ought to be in prayer for those, like us, who are not really experiencing persecution – we need to pray that we will not become lazy, but will boldly continue to tell others that there is Only Salvation in Jesus Alone.

After they prayed, like on the day of Pentecost, God gave them a visible sign – the place where they were meeting shook. At the start of the persecution of the Church, they needed to have the physical sign of God’s approval and reception of their prayer – it’s unlikely that we will experience a physical manifestation to our prayers. But God does hear our prayers – and God answers every prayer that is prayed in Jesus’ Name according to His Will with a “yes.” That means that if we pray that we would also have boldness to let others know that there is salvation only in Jesus Alone, God will give it to us, because He wants us to go out and tell everyone His Gospel.

So, just like on that day, we will be filled with the Holy Spirit – He will gift us with what we need to be His witnesses – and we will “continue[] to speak the word of God with boldness.”

I intend to meet with the Mayor and our congresswoman tomorrow, and I will let you know what it is about – unless it is a secret! But whatever he has to say or ask of me, I will make it clear to him that I cannot compromise the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I will not say anything less than that there is Only Salvation in Jesus Alone. I would ask that you would pray for me to be bold before him for the sake of the Gospel, and let us pray for each other that we would not be afraid of what humans can do to us, but for the joy that we receive through Christ Jesus, let us confess that we “cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

May God give us boldness and the words to speak.

Let us pray:
Sovereign God, Creator, Sustainer, and Ruler of the Creation, we rejoice and give thanks that You have been pleased to let us know Jesus and His Salvation and that You have now called all of us to boldly go out from this place and let others know – through many and various ways – that Jesus is the Only Way, the Only Truth, the Only Life, the Only Salvation. Give us boldness, we pray. Assure us of the Truth of Your Gospel. Minister to us with Your Grace as we receive the bread and the cup of the Sacrament that is before us. Make us useful and use us to Your Glory and the furtherance of Your Kingdom. For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

August Sermons

D.V., I plan to preach:

8/2/09 Communion Acts 4:13-31 "Can You Keep Quiet?"
8/9/09 Acts 4:32-5:11 "You Can't Lie to God"
8/16/09 Guest preacher: Will Lampe
8/23/09 Guest preacher: Will Lampe
8/30/09 Acts 5:12-42 "You Can't Oppose God"

Join us for worship at 10:30 A.M.