Big Beginnings, Big Results
Notes
Transcript
Looking back...
Looking back...
It is important to understand the context the the Apostles are speaking into
For nearly 4,000 years the message about God has been about the law.
For nearly 4,000 years the law has been obeyed and enforced mostly to serve the law. The law has been fulfilled in the law.
As a result… the Jews began to think of themselves far better than others in the world.
God had other plans! God had a “Scarlet Thread of Redemption” in mind every step of His way and our way. It’s just up to us to willingly follow.
The Old Testament is filled ideas and 30 or more verses that are absolutely inclusive in all that we can do.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
It is just not one or two or one group over another group it is ALL people on earth will be blessed through you
27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him,
6 he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”
11 “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.
Those are just three examples of the 34 verses at least and prophecies that are included in the Old Testament that point to this inclusion.
There is a key verse in the New Testament that is worth talking about.
Paul saw favoritism in the world, he saw relatively new Christians and seasoned disciples being exclusive.
Actively moving against the total counsel of scripture, moving to a place that Paul knew was NOT what God had laid out for the 4,000 years that was ignored.
This is a familiar verse, listen
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Christ is the GREAT EQUALIZER!
Let me modernize this a bit...
There is neither in God’s eye
Dutch, German, Irish, Scandinavian, Mexican, Salvadoran, Brazilian, Chinese, African American, or from any other part of the world — Christ sees one person who He died for
Legal or illegal immigration status — All the same to him
Landowner, farmer, business owner, employer, — farm worker, employee — All needing redemption that is only found in Christ
Male or female — God created us exactly as we are with all of our faults, with all of our divisions, with all of stuff that goes on between the sexes
“… For you are all one in Christ Jesus
Paul laid out CLEARLY what is required for ALL to be one in Christ Jesus.
21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
They MUST TURN to God, repent and have Faith in Jesus.
Question: So your going to ask why didn’t the Jews see this concept 4,000 year ago?
That’s a really great question… there are libraries of books written about the topic.
I believe that it boiled down to a few things
The Jews where of one race with many exceptions, they called themselves “Children of Abraham.”
They found their way around the truth of scripture,
They looked at the promises given in the Old Testament as promises only given to them.
They didn’t see the scarlet thread of redemption that God was laying out for everyone. The Jews defaulted to the law and didn’t acknowledge God working with all others.
For me here is the net-net of it… The Jews were primarily exclusive. .
It is interesting that this chapter in Acts pops up during a time like this. Like maybe ALL of us have something to learn from it.
They didn’t hear the words of the prophets, they didn’t see the what was in front of them. They didn’t want to see the story of all of scripture.
The Scarlet Thread of Redemption weaves its way through all of scripture
This plan of redemption was already in motion even before Adam and Eve ate the apple.
God didn’t want to be separated from His finest creation, but He couldn’t (and still can’t) tolerate sin in His perfect, holy presence.
Because God is life and the penalty for sin is death, only a perfect sacrifice could reconcile us to Him.
So, He sent His only son to be the perfect blood sacrifice that would pay the debt of sin eternally for all of us.
This is the same blood spilled, body beaten, broken and crucified Christ that we are disciples of.
We preach, teach and disciple this same perfect sacrifice that is only available in a relationship with Jesus!
This is God’s plan for the world, it is his only plan!
I have a friend, his name is Abe. I think Abe is 15 or more years younger than I am. Abe comes in an out of my life. But the Thread of his voice seems to be always present. Challenging, speaking truth, influencing, arguing, molding and shaping.
Abe influences me in ways he will probably never know. Abe helps me come to new realizations. Abe helps me move along the Scarlet Thread of Redemption.
34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism
35 but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.
36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
37 You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree,
40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.
41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.
43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
Please be seated
This Scarlet Thread of Redemption makes its stop in Acts Chapter 10. Beginning here!
Peter was about to blow their miniscule minds apart.., yes he said it
34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism
35 but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.
“...I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism...”
Let me be bold… and I’ll duck the eggs and tomatoes as you throw.
If we show favoritism in any aspect of our lives… any aspect we are acting like we are God.
Changing God’s word, changing God’s intention for the world he has created.
The Jews, the non-confessing that Jesus is Lord group will NOT enjoy heaven in the same way Spirit led way followers of God will [period].
36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
There are NO qualifiers in this verse
No… Ya buts
No… Exceptions
No… Carve outs
There is little to no wiggle room here!
God sent His only begotten Son! Anointed with the Holy Spirit to do good, to heal. to save
39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree,
40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.
“They” killed him…they crucified Him
God rose him from the dead!
Death would not defeat the mighty King of Kings and Lord of Lords…He arose, he arose, Christ Jesus he arose.
I think at this point it is necessary to ask a couple questions. First a reality check
This is the Nuts and Bolts of the Gospel
Christ is King (we much acknowledge Christ as the “King in our lives”)
This “Gospel” is costly. Debt and debtors are accumulated in our lives. The debt is sin, the penalty is death. But Jesus took all of that on his back.
And died, a painful death, on a cross bore our sin and the sin of the world.
But on that Easter so long ago… He defeated satan, he defeated death. In doing so he sealed everlasting life. For all who believe!
To these Questions
#1 -How “freely” do we live the Gospel?
Notice I did NOT say preach the Gospel, I said “live” the Gospel. Do we preach the Gospel to ourselves every morning as we wake up.
REMEMBER...
First and foremost, Do you understand that Jesus died for you.
#2 - Do we understand the weight of our sin?
It is more than our souls can bare. Our souls will be crushed under the weight of our own sin.
#3 - Is there any hope for us?or are we a lost, truly lost people with without a rudder just circling life’s oceans.
#4 Will this weight eventually destroy us?
Simple answer… YES!!
That is exactly what Peter is saying here...
43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
No matter what generation you come from.. no matter your history, no matter your past, NO MATTER
“Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness”!!!
I’d like to come back to my friend Abe, He is a warrior for the Gospel, He is husband, father, he is a teacher, he is a preacher, he is an advisor, he is a friend to many.
My friend Abe, as strong as he is, as fruitful as his ministry is desires, strives for a closer relationship with God every day.
Yet he is a failed man, a man prone to sin. Abe understands that the “Scarlet Thread of Redemption” is for everyone.
Some have not found this thread yet, others have just picked it up and are exploring it, still others are walking down the thread looking ahead to the time when they finally get to the end
The end you ask… if you are a follower of Jesus we will all get there we will all see the Glorious end. In heaven for ever.
Think about those things as we sing our last song!
Invitation
I would invite you, if you have not found your way to Christ, or need to restart your relationship, in a new different way that you start it today. By simply praying and asking God into your heart and to be the King, the Lord and Savior of you for the forgiveness of sin.
If you did that today or want to take those next steps in your journey, call me, talk to you, that’s have a meal together.
Next week we are going to move on to another topic that really burned in the soul of the early Apostles.
The Law and what should we do with it then and now!