The Church: Together
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
Saying Goodbye - Ravi Zacharias
Church Survey:
Diverse Church
Of those polled
Drive In Service: 50%
40% PPE
50% social distancing
63% of our church is 65 or over.
One Word: Together...
Most responses had something to say about togetherness. The desire for in-person fellowship was expressed in almost every
Acts 21:1-14
Acts 21:1-14
1 When we had parted from them and had set sail, we ran a straight course to Cos and the next day to Rhodes and from there to Patara;
2 and having found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail.
3 When we came in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we kept sailing to Syria and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload its cargo.
4 After looking up the disciples, we stayed there seven days; and they kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.
Background
It was common that at major ports, ships might have to take some time to remove cargo and take on cargo before heading to their next destination. Could have given Paul some time to spend with Christians.
Pentecost
Paul was close, like us, to Pentecost and wanted to make it to Jerusalem before then.
Pentecost (Fiftieth).
The Lexham Bible Dictionary Pentecost in the Hebrew Bible
Pentecost in the Hebrew Bible
Leviticus 23:15–21 instructs the Israelites to hold an annual one-day harvest festival seven weeks, or 50 days, after Passover (see also Exod 34:22).
The Lexham Bible Dictionary Pentecost
It became an important Christian holiday after God poured out the Holy Spirit upon the Jerusalem church on the first Pentecost after Christ’s resurrection.
Headed for Pentecost next week. Please stay tuned to the phone, emails, and social media posts. We will be talking today about
I. The Church: Together in Suffering
I. The Church: Together in Suffering
We suffer together
This is similar to Christ’s ministry. He know that at many times in his ministry, going to Jerusalem would be dangerous.
Matt 16:21-23
From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.
Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.”
But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”
Paul’s Ministry seems a Parallel to Christ’s ministry.
Paul and Jesus both had people that wanted to kill them.
Jerusalem was a dangerous place for them.
The Jewish authorities (most of them) wanted them dead.
Paul and Jesus willingly went to what they believed the Father wanted them to do.
Paul and Jesus both were arrested.
Paul and Jesus wee both martyred for their conviction.
Paul knew sufferings were in his life.
Acts 9:13-16
But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem;
and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”
But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;
for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
Paul also had a life of suffering thus far.
2 Cor 11:23-29
Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.
Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.
Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.
I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;
I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.
Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?
Paul wrote 2 Corinthians as he was going back to Corinth after his Ephesian Ministry. This is the Paul we see now. This is what he has already gone through BEFORE his Roman imprisonment.
John 16:33
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
Christ is our fix and stay, our hope in the midst of suffering. It is in His hands that we stay aloft in a broken world.
The comfortable experience of Christians in the West has actually been an anomaly in this regard. Because of the Christian heritage of Western civilization, combined with democratic freedoms and historic rule of law, Western Christians have largely been left alone for their faith. Even today, as Western nations become increasingly post-Christian (and even anti-Christian), the opposition experienced by most Christians goes little beyond mockery. However, there are signs that this protected status may be changing. If it continues to do so, it will simply put Western Christians in the same boat as their brothers and sisters all over the world. (https://www.imb.org/2017/03/28/suffering-persecution-prepare/)
Yes, the Christian life has suffering. But it does not destroy us.
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.
We can stand with Paul and say
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
5 When our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, escorted us until we were out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another.
Prayer position in scripture and in that culture was often times standing. This, perhaps, speaks to their mood. Consider how whole families went out to see Paul. It was not uncommon near eastern hospitality that you walked with someone as far as you could when saying goodbye, but having the whole family with them speaks to their love for Paul and that this Christian ministry was not Men’s Ministry, nor Women’s Ministry, but a family ministry.
6 Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home again.
7 When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and after greeting the brethren, we stayed with them for a day.
8 On the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and entering the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we stayed with him.
II. The Church: Together in Friendship
II. The Church: Together in Friendship
Philip
Haven’t seen Philip for a bit. This was the Philip from Acts 6, who was appointed a deacon of the church in Jerusalem and the same who pursued a ministry in Samaria in Acts 8 (the first missionary to Samaria). I would argue that Jesus was the first missionary with his ministry with the woman at the well (John 4).
Paul’s “Ministry against the Church” (Acts 8:1-5)
Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death.
And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him.
But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.
Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them.
Philip’s predicament
Let’s go back 20-25 years in the past.
Philip was a young man. He and Stephen had recently been appointed deacons in the Jerusalem church, tasked with serving the Hellenistic Jewish widows.
They likely acquaintances if not friends.
Philip then watched, in a likely short period of time, his friend arrested and murdered. Then, one of his killers takes up the cause and begins hunting down Christians in a similar manner. This man starts a crusade which causes much of the Church in Jerusalem to flee.
Philip leaves and ministers in Samaria before eventually settling in Caesarea, a very Romanized city on the Judean coast.
Could you imagine being a Jew who fled Nazi Germany only twenty years later to be hosting Adolf Hitler as your houseguest?
God Can Turn Foes into Friendlies
Now it’s fair to see, Paul had been in Caesarea before and may have met Philip, but this is their first recorded meeting in scripture. My point is, God is very capable of turning our “enemies” into allies. He turns those who killed our family into brothers and sisters.
Our enemies are not flesh and blood
How many of us may have pictured our Governor, a congressman, or our president as an enemy?
Ephesians 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
1 Tim 2:1
First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men,
Romans 13:1
Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
Can we agree that about our disagreements, one day we’ll both agree. When we are together before the Lord, His perfect will will be evident to all and you and I can either say, “I was wrong” or can say with an unreserved heart, “I forgive you”
Gal 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
What does this mean? There are not two classes of Christians.
Different gifts, different roles, same Baptism, same Faith, same Lord (Jesus Christ)
9 Now this man had four virgin daughters who were prophetesses.
10 As we were staying there for some days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
III. The Church: Together in Family
III. The Church: Together in Family
Family Ministry: Philip’s four daughters. They were with him, Philip the Evangelist. they prophesied. This gift was given to men and women by the Holy Spirit. This were likely young women. That they were in their father’s house not only meant that they were unmarried, but the word used implies they were past puberty, and perhaps only teens.
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 9.39 παρθένος, ου
παρθένοςa, ου f: a female person beyond puberty but not yet married and a virgin (though in some contexts virginity is not a focal component of meaning)—‘virgin, young woman.
Philip, later in life, moved northward into Asia and his daughters were said to be stalwart Christians, living to old age, and teaching the early church about it’s Judean heritage and early ministry as witnesses of it. It is said that they were some of the witnesses that Luke used to compile Luke and Acts.
The Home is to be the primary place of Ministry
The Home is to be the primary place of Ministry
Paul didn’t stay in Church buildings, he stayed in homes. We would call these “House Churches”
This building we meet in is a place to facilitate ministry, not to be ministry.
The building is a tool of ministry, not it’s end.
Working from Home
How many of us found out the we can work from home?
Companies are discovering that many of their workers can work better from home than from an office.
When Churches closed, how many of us found that we don’t need the building to be the Church?
Can the building limit us? If we let it.
It’s not uncommon for people to associate a special building or place with certain powers.
High Places
Temple
Jerusalem
High Places removed
The temple was destroyed in 70-AD by Rome
Jerusalem fell as well.
Hebrews 13:13-14
So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.
The Home wasn’t destroyed. In his persecution and wandering, Philip had a family. The home is the foundational unit of the church. It was the first church, a congregation,a gathering of 2 or more. I would venture to you that God made the first church in the first family.
Philip couldn’t leave his family’s religious instruction to a location or institution
History testifies to their influence and ministry in the early church.
Look at Paul. There were 9 of them travelling together.
We forget sometimes, that Paul wasn’t alone in his travels.
We are a family in Christ, and we travel and serve together.
IMB Missionaries in South Sudan.
Missionary Robert Lane
"As we see starvation up close, as we see hopelessness up close, as we see violence up close, as we lay in the bed and we hear the gunshots, we ask, ‘what is it going to take for us to stay?’ Because leaving wasn’t an option. In order for us to do that, we had to walk in the fellowship of Jesus Christ. We will endure the sickness and isolation and what goes along with what we are doing, however, Christ is worth it. ...
As they share the good news with them, that the God who created the world loves them and cares about them, they see these people stand up and want to share this with their neighbors and those far off. (The missionaries are seeing people saved, who want to become missionaries). He says, ‘They can’t do this alone, they wouldn’t be able to stand. But if we send them out as the church, then they can stand against the world. ”
When you hear gunfire in the night and you wonder if they are coming for you. What do you do? You remember that God has not left you alone. There is a church family around you to support you.
Jesus sent Luke 10:1
Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come.
We don’t go alone.
Church tradition says that one of those seventy that Jesus sent out was Agabus
IV. The Church: Together in Prophecy
IV. The Church: Together in Prophecy
Agabus was not unknown to us (Acts 11:27-28)
15 years earlier, predicted a famine across the world (inhabited earth - ouikumenay), which did come to pass. during Claudius’ reign.
Claudius was the Roman Empire who expelled the Jews from Rome around (Sometime between AD 41-AD 49).
There is extra-biblical evidence of major famines occuring during this time.
Church tradition puts Agabus as one of Jesus’ 70 sent ones in Luke 10:1
Pentecost Powers
Acts 1:4-5, 8
Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me;
for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Acts 2:1-5
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.
And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.
Prophecy
The Holy Spirit had given some believers remarkable gifts for the building of His Church.
God used a prophetic gift
Foretelling
Future predictions
Forth-telling
Bringing forward the declaration of God.
1 Cor 14:1-4
Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries.
But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation.
One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church.
Edification, Exhortation, and Consolation
Build Up the Church. Encourage the Church, Comfort the Church
God put a very powerful and useful gift in young ladies. Consider the cultural ramifications. Not a man. Not an adult. Not married. They had nothing their society valued, but God valued them and blessed them.
Prophet, Priest, and King
Institutes of the Christian Religion Chapter 15: Three Things to Be Regarded in Christ
Therefore, that faith may find in Christ a solid ground of salvation, and so rest in him, we must set out with this principle, that the office which he received from the Father consists of three parts. For he was appointed both Prophet, King, and Priest
Meshiach/Christ = annointed one.
In the Old Testament Prophets, Priests, and Kings were anointed for service.
Priests: Mediate Relationship (sacrifices)
Before: Only from a particular tribe and only from a particular person
Now: we, who are in Christ, are a holy priesthood.
1 Pet 2:9
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
Kings: Mediate God’s Authority
Apply His Law to the people.
Jesus is the true King.
We share in His authority. Believers in Christ are co-heirs with Christ
Romans 8:16-17
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
Prophets: Mediate God’s Word
Delivered divine messages, whether is be future, exhortative, or accusatory.
Jesus is the true Prophet.
Deut 8:15-19
Confirmed by Peter in
Acts 3:22-23
“Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you.
‘And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’
11 And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ”
12 When we had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him not to go up to Jerusalem.
Holy Spirit to Paul - Acts 20:22-23
“And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there,
except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.
Is there any contradiction in God? NO
We can look at this section of scripture and say that Paul is wrong. He got it wrong. Paul already has a track record of walking in the Spirit and, from what we read, being obedient to go or not go somewhere.
Is God inerrant? YES
Is Paul? NO.
Not Every Prophecy is a warning. Not every promise of suffering is to be avoided.
Jesus.
Matthew 16:21-23
From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.
Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.”
But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”
While some believe that these are warnings from the Spirit to Paul, I’d like to offer another possibility.
Prescriptive versus Descriptive.
Sometimes God is just telling us about something in Scripture, not necessarily telling us what to do with it.
There are Three Aspects of Prophecy
The Revelation, The Interpretation, The Application
The Spirit made it clear that Paul was headed for arrest (Revelation). It was clear that he would be bound (The Interpretation). It was not clear, though, if it was God’s will that Paul should go to Jerusalem at this time (Application). Paul seemed determined in his mind that this was God’s will for him.
You and I can receive wise counsel and other’s opinions with grace, but at the end of the day, we have to depend on what we think God is telling us. We can’t always just listen to friends, family, and even pastors. We have to decide what God is saying, what he means, and what I’m going to do about it.
You and I have the Prophecy of God
But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,
for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
We have a perfect book of Prophecy in our hands. The Revelation has been made!
You need the Holy Spirit to interpret it and his guidance to apply it. Don’t settle for anything less than all three.
13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
14 And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, remarking, “The will of the Lord be done!”
V. The Church: Together in God’s Will
V. The Church: Together in God’s Will
What is our number one? What do we put ahead of everything else.
Is it our comfort, our financial security, our family? Paul put His Lord above all else.
A child of God says, “Your will be done, not mine” Why? We learned it from Jesus.
Luke 22:41-42
And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray,
saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”
Whether we find ourselves in Paul’s shoes or those of his friends, we ought desire God’s will above all else. Not my will (desire) but Yours be done.
May we be impossible to restrain in the pursuit of God’s calling.
Has anyone ever tried to talk you out of something you felt God wanted you to do?
I spoke to well meaning people in my life who tried to talk me out of what I feel God called me to. Even sometimes, like Paul, caring people confirmed the call, but were concerned for me. I can’t
Make “my will”, “Thy Will”
VI. The Church: To Gather Together
VI. The Church: To Gather Together
We fell silent
Paul did not go alone.
Who is the we? Luke. Paul had traveling companions. Even though he travelled into peril, He did it together. The Church is not the building. The Church is not the pastor. It is the people who have trusted in Christ for their salvation. He is their Lord. If you don’t trust Him like that yet, if you don’t know Him, you are not part of the Church.
Paul went not only following God’s plan for his life, but with the Church, his friends.
When the course of action was decided, the Church trusted in God, and moved forward together, as a family.
Preach the cross, preach redemption, call them to a biblical worldview,
I urge you to take nourishment. This is for your survival. We need God’s word
We pastors may need to give our lives for Christ so that others might live. Be willing to give your lives for Christ.