Bread of His Presence

Lechem Panim #177 “Paul At Pisidian Antioch” (Acts 13:13-43) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim!  You will remember from our passage last week in Acts chapter 13 that Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark have been sharing the Gospel on the island of Cyprus. And from there it says in…

Acts 13:13 (ESV)— 13 Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, 

John Mark Leaves— Now Luke doesn’t go into further detail at this point about why John Mark left them. But we come to see later that John Mark seems to have had a yellow streak in him. When they arrive and John Mark gets a glimpse into the interior of Asia Minor and sees all the paganism and all the danger that lay ahead, he decides to turn back. You will remember that his mother was a prominent member of the Church in Jerusalem; and that is where and to whom he turns back to. He runs home to momma. And we will find out later that Paul was very unhappy about it. He implicitly accuses John Mark of lacking courage and commitment and refuses to take him along on another missionary journey (see 15:37-38). And he and Barnabas have a very heated argument over this and end up separating because of it; Barnabas going one way and Paul another. Now Paul was wrong on this issue. God hadn’t thrown John Mark away because of one failure. And neither does He reject us when we fail. God gives John Mark another chance. And Paul later comes to realize this and is man enough to admit that he was wrong. When we come to Paul's later letters, we find that he actually grew to respect John Mark a lot (Colossians 4:10) and came to understand how much he needed Mark to be involved in his ministry (2 Timothy 4:11). In fact, he writes in…

2 Timothy 4:11 (ESV)— 11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.

A 2nd Chance— And so we will see that God always gives us a second chance. And we need to be careful not to write people off for their mistakes. We need to allow them the opportunity to grow out of them; to change in our eyes. And that can be hard to do; but it is often our encouragement (not our judgment) that can most help them to do that. Now at this point John Mark leaves and Paul and Barnabas (and those with them) head for the interior of Asia Minor, as it says they set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And then it says…

Acts 13:14 (ESV)— 14 but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.

Antioch of Pisidia— Now [Antioch of Pisidia was a different city from Antioch of Syria, where {they had been ministering before and where} there was already a flourishing church (11:26). This Antioch, in the region of Pisidia, was a hub of good roads and trade, with a large Jewish population.]

The Synagogue First— And that is who they try to reach first. As we talked about before, whenever Paul and Barnabas would go to a new city to share the Gospel of Christ, they would start first in the synagogue. And that was very strategic for a number of reasons. First and foremost, those who attended synagogue believed in the Jewish God and studied the Hebrew Scriptures; the Old Testament. And so Paul and Barnabas remain heavily attached to the synagogues because they wanted to show the Jewish people that Christianity was not some new religious cult. No, Christianity is a fulfillment of Judaism. The Old Testament, almost on every page, points to the hope of a Redeemer (a Messiah) who would come to atone for the sins of the world. 

A Wrong View of Messiah— Now tragically, we know that many of the Jews they witnessed to did not accept the fact that Jesus is the Messiah because they had very different expectations as to who the Messiah would be. They thought that the Messiah would be a great military king who would overthrow and deliver them from Rome. They did not recognize what Old Testament passages like Isaiah 53 were talking about when they talked about the Messiah as a suffering servant; a servant-king whose primary goal was not to defeat physical kingdoms (at least at first) but rather the sin that rules in the hearts of people, which is what causes enslavement and oppression to begin with. Would He judge the nations and the world? Yes, but that will happen when He returns in the future. 

A Typical Synagogue Service— And so Paul and Barnabas come to the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch on the Sabbath. And in a few moments we will hear one of Paul’s first sermons; and it is one of his best. Now I don’t actually want to offer to much commentary on our passage today because Paul’s message is so clear, it doesn’t warrant too much explanation. But there are a few things I’ll add as we move through the text; things that will help to augment our understanding just a little bit. And the first of these things has to do with what a synagogue service would look like in the 1st century world. The way that we structure our services today is founded on these synagogues; and so there are a lot of similarities. The first thing they would do in service would be that they would recite the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4); and that was something the Jewish people actually did several times throughout the day. Next, certain prayers would be spoken; and then there would be a reading from the law (the books of Genesis through Deuteronomy). Then there would be a reading from the Prophets with the intention of helping to illustrate the law, and then finally there would come the sermon. Now the synagogue leaders would decide who would lead the service and give the sermon; and that person would change from week to week. But there was also another custom; and this one is the key custom for understanding our passage today, as it was another reason that Paul and Barnabas implemented the strategy that they did. And that was that synagogue leaders would customarily invite visiting rabbis to speak. And this was great because pretty much everywhere they went, Paul and Barnabas were visitors; and so they could always go into a synagogue knowing that there was probably going to be an open door to share the Gospel. Now that door did not always remain open once they started speaking about Jesus as the Messiah; sometimes the door would quickly slam shut in their faces, and they would not be invited invited back. Sometimes they were even thrown out of town. But nevertheless, they took advantage of the opportunities they had and trusted God with the results, not allowing the rejection of some to discourage them. And so now they have reached that key part of the service. And it says in…

Acts 13:15 (ESV)— 15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.”

“any word of encouragement”— Now I will say this about that word “encouragement”, which jumped out at me in a special way as I was preparing for this message; because of some of the issues the people in my own church are facing, but also what people in general have been facing this past year and a half; because (as you know) it has been difficult. But when I came across that word “encouragement”, I thought about the audience Paul and Barnabas were preaching to. This was a crowd that was living under constant threat; constant persecution. This was a crowd that wondered (like we do at times) where God was in the midst of all that they were facing. And so note what the synagogue leaders ask Paul and Barnabas for. They don’t ask for just any message; no, they ask for it says “any word of encouragement”. Here was a crowd that needed a word of encouragement. And Paul is about to give them the greatest Word of encouragement they could ever hope for; the encouragement of the Word made flesh; the Messiah having come in the person of Jesus Christ to bring forgiveness and redemption from sin. And he begins with what he knew would be a point of agreement with them, emphasizing God’s covenant with Israel; because all Jews were proud to be God’s chosen people; and the Good News Paul was preparing to share was that that covenant had been fulfilled in Jesus. So that was the appropriate place to begin. And so it says in…

Acts 13:16-30 (ESV)— 16 So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. {Apparently there were some visitors there, probably Gentiles, as they are distinguished from the “Men of Israel”.} 17 The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. 18 And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. 19 And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. 20 All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. {Now what is Paul doing? Well, he’s beginning to do the same thing that Stephen did before the Sanhedrin. He begins recounting their history as a nation. And he continues, saying…} 21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ 23 Of this man's offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. {And so we see that he is beginning to present the person of Jesus Christ to them. And he says…} 24 Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. {Now these people had apparently heard of John the Baptist and were familiar with his ministry. And so Paul builds on what they already know and continues…} 25 And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’ 26 “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. {Now he is getting to the heart of the message. Listen to him. He says…} 27 For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. 28 And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. {And so Paul’s recounting the history, saying that all of this was in fulfillment of prophecy. These people in Pisidian Antioch had been reading the prophets, but did not yet understand what they were reading or to whom the prophets ultimately pointed: and that was Jesus. He continues…} 29 And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 

The Central Message— And you know, that is what was at the core (the center) of every New Testament sermon; the resurrection of Jesus and how it is His death and resurrection that makes it possible for us to receive from God the free gift of salvation offered through belief and faith in Jesus. Simon Peter had preached this; now Paul preaches this. And that is the message that remains central in and throughout the book of Acts (and really all of the New Testament). Now Paul continues, saying…

Acts 13:31-39 (ESV)— 31 and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. 32 And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, 33 this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’ {And it is important to note that this verse is not referencing the birth of Christ, but the resurrection of Christ. This word “begotten” is not referring to the virgin birth of Jesus, but to His being raised from the dead.} 34 And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ {Notice how Paul enlarges upon the resurrection…} 35 Therefore he says also in another psalm,“‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’ {Same thing Peter had said on the day of Pentecost.} 36 For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, 37 but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. 38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers {(and here is where Paul begins to pin them down and ask for a decision; to believe in the Lord Jesus)}, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. 40 Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about: 41 “‘Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.’” 42 As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath. 43 And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism {(and these were Gentiles)} followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.

A Personal Decision— Now what Paul was saying was that anyone can experience forgiveness of sins and freedom from both its guilt and its power over our lives in and through faith in Jesus Christ. But it is not something that is forced upon us; it is a gift that is offered to us. And it is only ours if we come to the point of making a decision to receive Christ and place our faith and trust in Him for salvation. Now not everyone who came to Church that day was saved; and not everyone who comes to Church nowadays is saved. No, we have to make a decision. And so where are you today? Have you received that forgiveness? Do you have washing over you every day the peace of knowing that you are right with God? If not, place your faith in Jesus today and you will also will have eternal life. Amen.

Lechem Panim #176 “Saul and Barnabas‘ First Steps” (Acts 13:2-12) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! You will remember that last week we saw in the beginning of Acts 13 a coming together of a diverse group of leaders in Antioch. And they make a priority what every Christian leadership team ought to make a priority; they pray and fast together, seeking the will of God. And you know whenever that happens, God moves in a special way; because it says in…

Acts 13:2-3 (ESV)— 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

Saul & Barnabas Commissioned— And so we see that God commissions them, the church leaders confirm their commission, and Barnabas and Saul are sent forth into ministry. And that is the model that is given to us in commissioning leaders. It is God who calls, but it is the church that confirms and equips them for that calling. Now my church (Renton Park Chapel) supports a number of missions organizations. And those missions organizations send out missionaries. However, they are only "sending agencies" that help to expedite the commissioning work authorized by the local church. It is always the local church that is central and key to the whole process of sending people out into ministry. That is why churches need to be intentional about training people for ministry.

John Mark, The Assistant— And we see (and we’ll see more and more as we progress through the book of Acts) that Saul and Barnabas (and really all the Christians) are very intentional about making sure that leaders are being raised up in the Church; that they’re discipling new believers into becoming mature followers of Jesus Christ. And we see Saul and Barnabas doing this even here in this passage. It says they take John Mark along with them as their assistant. John Mark was actually Barnabas’ cousin (Col. 4:10); and John Mark’s [mother’s home in Jerusalem was a gathering place for the believers (Acts 12:12).] It is very likely that John Mark came to faith in Jesus Christ in and through the ministry of Peter (1 Peter 5:13). And now he was no doubt being discipled by Saul and Barnabas as he assisted them in numerous ways, helping to free them for their task of preaching and teaching the Gospel. And so as a team, Barnabas, Saul, and John Mark set out on what would be for Saul the first of three missionary journeys. You know the popular phrase “A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.”? Well [Scholars estimate from the journeys recorded in Acts that Paul must have covered over 10,000 miles during his missionary career.] That’s a lot of miles.

One Small Step— You know, a couple weeks ago I watched the movie Apollo 13, which chronicled not only the disastrous yet miraculous deliverance of the Apollo 13 space shuttle after an onboard explosion, but also helped more modern viewers to understand the weight or the gravity of what it meant for Neil Armstrong to take those first steps on the moon, which of course then led to the Apollo 13 mission, during which Armstrong said those famous words: “One small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.” Now after watching the moon landing on his television (and that famous first step), Jim Lovell (played by Tom Hanks) said (in awe): “From now on we live in a world where man has walked on the Moon.” Now, as amazing as those first steps were, I think even more so were these first steps of Paul, as this empire and then the world would soon be impacted by the ministry about to take place. It says in…

Acts 13:4 (ESV)— 4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 

From The Port of Seleucia— Now Seleucia was the seaport of Syrian Antioch, 16 miles (26 km) to the west and 5 miles (8 km) upstream from the mouth of the Orontes River. That was where they left Antioch to journey towards Cyprus. And it made sense for them to go to Cyprus first because that was where Barnabas’ home was (Acts 4:36). It was familiar territory for them. Now they arrive at Cyprus; specifically Salamis. And it says…

Acts 13:5 (ESV)— 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. 

The Jew First— And by the way, that is how Saul would always do it; he would start in the synagogues, following the model “to the Jew first and then to the Gentile”. But there were god-fearing Gentiles in the synagogues who would also hear the message as well; and in fact would be the best types of Gentiles to reach at first.

From Salamis to Paphos— Now Salamis was the great commercial center at the east end of the central plain of Cyprus. Luke gives us no details of this visit. However, they likely preached the Word of God, some people believed, and then they would have helped form a local Christian assembly. Now from here they went on to minister to the rest of the island until they reached the city of Paphos, which was the capital (and administrative center) of Cyprus on the west end of the island, 90 miles from where they started in Salamis. And it is here that they meet their first opposition. It says…

Acts 13:4 (ESV)— 6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.

Bar-Jesus— Now in this verse I find it interesting the order in which Luke introduces the characters. He chooses to introduce the false prophet Bar-Jesus first and then the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. It’s kind of like the story of Aladdin, where you are introduced first to the sorcerer Jafar before being introduced to the Sultan who is under his power and influence, being deceived by him. The Sultan is less significant to the story. The main character in focus is Jafar. Well, so it is here with Bar-Jesus, who also went by the name Elymas, which is a Semitic name that means “sorcerer”, “magician”, or “wise man” and was probably a self-assumed designation. 

Magus— But the word for sorcerer here used to describe him is in fact the word “magus”, the same word used to describe Simon the Magician in Acts 8:9. And this word “magus” is actually what we translate “magi” in the birth narrative of Jesus given to us in Matthew 2. And the Magi were [Originally a religious caste among the Persians…devoted to astrology, divination and the interpretation of dreams.] They [were likely from Persia or southern Arabia, both of which lay east of the Holy Land.] However, by the first century B.C. this term “magus” was used in a more general sense to describe the various fortune tellers and people who belonged to various religious cults throughout the Mediterranean world. Leaders often kept private sorcerers. And this is what Bar-Jesus was. Now we can tell from the name Bar-Jesus that he is Jewish. Bar is a word meaning “son of” and Jesus is of course the Greek rendering of the Hebrew name Joshua (Yeshua), a very common name both then and now. But what is uncommon about Bar-Jesus is that he was a Jewish sorcerer; and that was uncommon because traditionally Jews shunned anyone who practiced demonic activities. And yet here was a Jew who was practicing these things. 

Sergius Paulus— And he was influencing the Roman proconsul Sergius Paulus, who is described as: a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. So Paul and Barnabas are sharing the Gospel with Sergius Paulus, but it says…

Acts 13:8-11 (ESV)— 8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. {And this was because [Bar-Jesus realized that if Sergius Paulus believed in Jesus, he would soon be out of a job.]} 9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. 

Blindness, Round 2— Now this was a powerful thing because the Seer (the fortune teller) was now unable to see anything. He was struck with a physical blindness that matched his spiritual blindness. Now do you recognize anything familiar about this? This is exactly what had happened to Saul when he was on the road to Damascus to persecute the Christians and himself tried to stop the spread of the Gospel. It’s interesting that Saul inflicts the same punishment on Elymas. Now unfortunately, Elymas does not repent as Saul did. In fact later we will see that he is instrumental in the death of Barnabas. But for now, he is humbled. And the passage closes by giving us the response of Sergius Paulus. It says…

Acts 13:12 (ESV)— 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Wheat & Tares— Now this passage graphically illustrates what Jesus had taught in his parable of the wheat and the tares (Matt. 13:24–30, 36–43). Wherever God sows His true children (the wheat), Satan will come along to sow his counterfeits (his tares), the children of the Devil. And Paul recognized in Elymas the counterfeit; and was willing to proclaim on him the judgment of God. 

Our Confronting— And you know, there is a time to be nice and kind to people; but there’s also a time to boldly confront them. And it’s sometimes hard to know when to do what, which is why we must always follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, which is what Saul was doing here. But we need to not be afraid to stand up for what is right, because there are people like Sergius Paulus who are depending on us to help silence the evil influences in their life and connect them with the one who truly does have all the answers for their lives. In this miracle Sergius Paulus saw by the authority they demonstrated that Barnabas and Saul were servants of the true God and that they were preaching the true message of salvation (Heb. 2:3-4). And he believed. And it is my prayer that many in our community might come to know Jesus by seeing Him at work in our lives as well. Let’s demonstrate that to them. Amen.

Lechem Panim #175 “A Diverse Leadership” (Acts 12:25-13:1) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! In recent weeks we have been talking about the ministry of Peter, who was imprisoned by Herod and yet was freed miraculously by the hand of God because a group of believers started praying. And it truly was an amazing miracle. But in our passage today we transition back to the ministry of Paul and Barnabas. You will remember that a great famine has broken out against the Church; and the newly founded church in Antioch (comprised mainly of Gentiles) has decided to send relief to the believers in Jerusalem. And Paul and Barnabas deliver that financial aid. But now that they have delivered the aid, it says here in…

Acts 12:25 (ESV)— 25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.

Chiefly Urban— And in today’s passage we will see how God once again uses them in an amazing way. But before we get too deep into the text, there is a shift in the geography of the Church that we need to recognize first. It is tempting for us to imagine the spread of the gospel as happening chiefly in the quiet rural villages of Palestine where Jesus himself had ministered. However, this is not the case. The early church actually was almost entirely urban.

Palestine Left Behind— [Historian Wayne A. Meeks writes that “within a decade of the crucifixion of Jesus, the village culture of Palestine had been left behind, and the Greco-Roman city became the dominant environment of the Christian movement”.]

The Geographical Spread— And so what happened is that [The church began in Jerusalem and then spread to other cities including Samaria, Damascus, Caesarea, and Antioch in Syria. At least forty different cities are named in Acts….In fact, the record given in Acts 13—28 is almost a review of ancient geography. About the year 56, the apostle Paul was able to write, “So that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ” (Rom. 15:19). What a record!] [From Antioch {(where Paul and Barnabas ministered for about a year)}, Paul and his helpers {then} carried the gospel throughout the then-known world.] And [In these {next} two chapters {alone}, Dr. Luke described Paul’s ministry in six different cities, beginning and ending at Antioch.]

A Commissional Church— Now this shift ought to tell us something about the commissional nature of the Church. Whereas we often think the Church was surrounded by religious Jews (as during the ministry of Jesus) what we actually discover when we come to the text of Acts is that the Church was actually chiefly surrounded people who were in fact of different races, cultures, and who also held to regions beliefs not only not compatible with Christianity but in fact polar opposite to it. And so right off the bat we see that the early Church was very much like many Christians today are (and we in the Seattle area definitely are), surrounded by people very different from us. And just like it was then, so also it is now our duty to bring the light of the Gospel to them. And anywhere where the Church (Christ’s Church) truly exists, the Word of God will be spreading.

The Spirit of Missions— It’s as [That sainted missionary to India and Persia, Henry Martyn, once said, “The Spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions, and the nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we must become.”]

Drawn Into Mission— And this is what was happening with Saul (Paul), Barnabas, and John as they drew near to Christ. Because of their relationship with him, they were drawn into missions and began to minister in Antioch and then (being called by the Spirit) they proceeded to take the Gospel to the rest of the Greco-Roman world. And so the Gospel is on the move!

A Shift in Leadership— Now here in this chapter see not only a shift in the geography of the Church, but also in which lead apostle is in the spotlight. Up until this point, Jerusalem had been the center of ministry and consequently Peter is seen to be the key apostle. But now, as Antioch in Syria becomes the new center of the Christian church (Acts 11:19ff.), we see that Peter begins to fade from the scene, as the primary focus shifts to Paul, who becomes the new leader of the Church in Antioch. And that is where our story today begins, at a prayer meeting in Antioch. By the way, it’s amazing in the book of Acts how many times great things in the Church are preceded by prayer meetings. That alone should say something to us. But let’s look at who’s in this prayer meeting. It says in…

Acts 13:1 (ESV)— 1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

Some Chief Ministers— And so we see here that Luke lists five specific men who are ministering there at the church at Antioch: we have of course Barnabas (whom we have already become familiar with (Acts 4:36–37; 9:27; 11:22–26); we have Simeon who was nicknamed “Niger” (13:1), which seems to suggest that he may have been from Africa; we have [Lucius, who came from Cyrene and may have been one of the founders of the church in Antioch (Acts 11:20); Manaen, who was an intimate friend (or perhaps an adopted foster brother) of Herod Antipas, who had killed John the Baptist; and Saul (Paul), last on the list but soon to become first.]

Early Church Variety— Now what is amazing about this list of men is the variety we see here in the leadership of the Church. They are of different races, likely different skin colors, different nationalities, and (in some cases) vastly different backgrounds. And yet here they are, ministering together. And the reason the leadership here is diverse is because the Church has started doing what it is supposed to do; it is ministering to a diverse group of a people. And so their leadership team became reflective of the type of people they were ministering to. And that is a good sign of a healthy church, by the way; when the leadership of that church looks like the people it is supposedly ministering to. If you are a church in the middle of neighborhood filled with people of color, but you don’t have a person of color in your Church, then that may be a sign that there is a problem.

Do We Need To Be Ethnically Diverse?— Now there are some churches that fall into the trap of thinking that every church needs to be ethnically diverse. But that isn’t true. Nor is it even possible in many areas of the world. The goal of a Church ought not (in itself) to be ethnically diverse, but rather to look like the community it is ministering to. Your Church membership ought to reflect the demographics of you community; and consequently your Church leadership ought to reflect the demographics of your congregation. And what stands out in this passage is the reality that there is a diversity in the leadership, which means there is a diversity in the congregation, which means that the Church is ministering to the wide range of cultures reflected in its environment. And that was an unbelievable and awesome thing to see. But one thing which this hints at, but I think needs to be stated explicitly (for clarity’s sake) is that the Church didn’t sit down and say, “Hey, we need to make sure that our leadership team is ethnically diverse.” We need to make sure that our Church is comprised of a certain number of people from every demographic.” No, they simply ministered to all, welcomed all, loved all; and the body of believers naturally came to reflect the demographics of the surrounding population.

How Racism Dies— They valued diversity, but that wasn’t their primary focus. Their focus was simply on loving everyone equally, just as Christ had loved them. And equal treatment of others flowed out of that. And that is why racism will never die in and through our government passing more and more equality laws. Now those might be helpful at times; but (let’s be honest) the government has no power to actually deal with the real issue; and that is our hearts. Racism will only die when each of us has allowed Christ to touch us in the realm of our hearts and to create in us a love for others that is reflective of His love for us.

Prophets— Now of this diverse group of leaders it says that [These men were serving as “prophets and teachers”] in the local church. But what did these roles entail? Well, whenever we think of prophets, we often think of people who are telling us the future. But that would not be an accurate definition of the Biblical concept of prophet. Yes, prophets did at times make prophecies concerning future events (as we saw in Acts 11:27-30 with Agabus, who had predicted the coming of the great famine). But most often prophets were more “forth-tellers” than “foretellers”. Their chief role was to help [lay the foundation for the church as they proclaimed the Word of God (Eph. 2:20; 1 Cor. 14:29–32).]

Teachers— Now teachers in the early church were those who helped ground the new believers in the doctrines of the Christian faith (2 Tim. 2:2). What do we believe? Why do we believe it? Helping new believers answer those questions and be able to articulate those answers is of key importance to the health and vibrancy of the Church. And it was something these Christians in Antioch desperately needed; because many of them didn’t come from a Jewish background; and so they needed to be taught the basics.

Ready for Gentile Ministry— And Saul/Paul was uniquely gifted for this because not only was he a highly educated Jews, but he was a highly educated Jew from Tarsus. And the Jewish students in Tarsus studied a lot of Greek literature as well as Jewish literature; so Saul was able to communicate Hebrew concepts to a Gentile audience using language and illustrations they would understand. And God had always intended to use Saul in a special way for this ministry. You will remember from Acts 9:15 that God had called Saul right at the time of his conversion to be a minister to the Gentiles (see also 21:17-21). But Saul had to go through a period of preparation, which we talked about before. However, now he is ready and God meets these Church leaders in the midst of their prayer meeting, initiating the next phase of their ministry (which is, by the way, how things always ought to be done; saturated in prayer and at the leading of the voice and hand of God). And next week we will see what comes out of this prayer meeting.

Burning For The Lost— But this week, I want to encourage you to also draw near to the Lord in prayer; because prayer is what aligns us to the Spirit of God. And when we become conformed to His image, we will have burning in our hearts the desire to see lost people experience the healing touch of Jesus Christ. And when we bring them Christ, we will have the glory of witnessing the chains of racism, hatred, hopelessness, and every other wicked thing break and fall away. And so let’s commit ourselves to always be sharing with others the way of Jesus. Let’s do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #174 “Peter Delivered” (Acts 12:6-24) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! You will remember that last week we read in Acts chapter 12 of Peter’s imprisonment at the hands of Herod. Peter is sitting in chains and is kept in maximum security conditions. But something stronger than the prison; stronger than the chains was at play; and that was the prayers of the believers who were earnestly seeking the Lord on Peter’s behalf. And today we will see what God does through those prayers. It says in…

Acts 12:6 (ESV)— 6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison.

Peter’s Peace— Now how Peter was able to sleep on the eve of his execution is amazing. Would you be able to sleep? I know I wouldn’t. You know, reading between the lines, Peter seems remarkably at peace in the midst of this whole situation; so at peace that the angel actually had to strike him on the side just to get him to wake up! Where did this kind of peace come from? Did it come from the fact that God had delivered him from prison in the past? Maybe in part, but that was not the primary source of his peace. Do you know what it was? Well, first of all, he knew that many believers were praying for him (Acts 12:12) (day and night) all that week. And he was no doubt praying too. He (and they) were applying the truth of…

Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)— 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

God’s Promises— And this is important because prayer has a tendency of bringing to our minds the various promises of God that we have in His Word. [“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me to dwell in safety” (Ps. 4:8). Or “Fear thou not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isa. 41:10).] All of these were verses Peter may have been prayerfully reminding himself of.

Peter Immortal— But you know even prayer may not have been the main source of Peter’s peace. The main source of Peter’s peace may have been the knowledge that Herod was actually not capable of killing him. Now what do I mean by that? Well, remember Peter has already been told by Jesus exactly (in John 21:18-19) exactly how he is going to die; on a Roman cross as an old man. And so Peter recognized that this period in time did not match with what Jesus had revealed to him and so he (like Jesus did in the midst of the mighty tempest at sea) did what any rational, faith-filled person would do; he went to sleep. That ship on the crashing sea (unlike the Titanic) truly was an unsinkable ship. Why? Because Jesus was in the boat. And so here Peter (resting on the promise of Jesus) is resting in the knowledge that nobody can touch him until Jesus lets them; and he knows Jesus won’t let them for a while. And so he goes to sleep. Now (like us) he doesn’t know how things are going to play out or in what form deliverance is going to come, but nevertheless he has peace. And it says in…

Acts 12:7-10 (ESV)— 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him.

The 3rd Deliverance— Now this was the third time that Peter had been rescued from prison by an angel of the Lord. But this time he thought (at first) that he was seeing only a vision. Perhaps he wasn’t fully awake. And that’s understandable because coffee had not yet been invented. Drinking coffee as a beverage probably originated in Yemen in the 15th century in the Sufi Shrines. Before that, Hebrews (he-brews) meant something very different than it does now; and people had to wake up naturally, which always takes longer. However, at this point Peter apparently wakes up enough to realize what has happened. It says in…

Acts 12:11 (ESV)— 11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

Another Passover— Now it is important to note that this deliverance took place during the Passover season because what is Passover about? It is the time of year when Jews celebrate their deliverance from bondage in Egypt. Now Jesus had fulfilled Passover to the highest degree, delivering all humanity from the power of sin and death on the cross. And here God is still demonstrating that same kind of deliverance. In fact, the word “delivered” here in verse 11 is the same word that Stephen had used when he had spoken about the exodus of God’s people from Egypt (7:34). And so we see that history is repeating itself. But what this shows us is that God not only delivers His people on a large scale, but is willing to be our personal deliverers. He cares for more than just the Church universal. He cares about you. He wants to be your deliverer; my deliverer. Now Peter eventually realizes that this was not just a vision. And it says…

Acts 12:12-14 (ESV)— 12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter's voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!”

The Disciples Disbelieve— Now you have to feel for this girl Rhoda (and for Peter), because nobody seems to take her seriously and Peter (because of Rhoda’s excitement) gets left out in the cold. I mean, just try to understand for a second how comical this is. Peter has just passed by un-passable guards, gotten through prison doors that there was no way he could get through; but now he’s stuck outside unable to get through a locked door into a prayer meeting that is centered on praying for his deliverance! He’s at the door, but when Rhoda tells them he’s there, they tell her she’s lost her marbles. But she keeps insisting, and so they suggest it is Peter’s angel. By the way, we’re probably not talking about his soul or his ghost. The Jews commonly believed in guardian angels, which is what they are saying she is seeing, which doesn’t make sense because whether it is his ghost or his guardian angel, knocking wouldn’t be necessary. But this [shows how serious the persecutions had become, for it was believed that a guardian angel would sometimes appear shortly after death. Thus it seems the crowd of believers was better prepared to believe Peter had been executed than that he had been released.] But it says…

Acts 12:16 (ESV)— 16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed.

Plural Nouns— Now [Note the plural pronouns in Acts 12:16: “They … opened the door, and … they were astonished.”] It is likely that [for safety’s sake, they decided to open the door together and face together whatever might be on the other side.] Imagine their surprise when (opening the door) they see Peter standing there. Apparently they all let out no little uproar because it says in…

Acts 12:16 (ESV)— 17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place.

Peter Departs— And his departing was no doubt to [throw Herod and the Jewish authorities off his trail. God had freed him miraculously but this did not mean Peter could flaunt his freedom or act imprudently. Peter instructed those present to report his freedom to James, Jesus’ brother, mentioned here for the first time in Acts.] This was the James who, [after the resurrection, emerged as a leader in the Jerusalem church (Gal. 1:19).] Now it says…

Acts 12:18-19 (ESV)— 18 Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. {And this was because [Under ancient Roman law, any guard who allowed a prisoner to escape was liable for the same penalty that was due the prisoner. In Peter’s case, that meant death.]} 19 And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and {(sure enough)} ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.

Truth #3— Now here is where we see truth number 3 (that God Deals With Our Enemies (12:18-25)) come into play. Psalm 34 says: “But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil” (1 Peter 3:12). And this we see played out in…

Acts 12:20-23 (ESV)— 20 Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king's chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king's country for food. 21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. 22 And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.

God Strikes Herod— And so we see that [Herod arranged to receive praise from his subjects, but God had other plans. Herod died because he claimed for himself the honor and glory that belongs only to God.] And so we see that ultimately God will always exalt the humble and humble the proud. And so [With Herod out of the way, there were fewer hindrances to the spread of the good news.] And so it says in…

Acts 12:24 (ESV)— 24 But the word of God increased and multiplied.

[You Are My Sunshine— Now I’d like to close with just one more thought on prayer.{Just recently I read the true story of a mother named Karen.} Karen was expecting another child and so she worked to prepare little three year old Michael for the birth of his baby sister. Every night Michael sang to his sister in his mother’s tummy. During the delivery of the baby serious complications developed. After many hours of struggle, Michael’s little sister was born. But she was in very serious condition. She was rushed to a neonatal intensive care unit in another hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee. Instead of getting better, the little girl continued to decline. The pediatric specialist told Karen and her husband, “There is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst.” The parents contacted a local cemetery about a burial plot. Meanwhile Michael continued to beg his parents to let him see his sister. “I want to sing to her,” he said. But kids were never allowed in intensive care. The second week of his sister’s intensive care stay, Michael’s sister looked like she wouldn’t make it through the week. So Karen made up her mind that she would take Michael to see his sister whether the hospital liked it or not. If Michael didn’t see her right away, he might never get to see her at all. Karen dressed him in an over-sized scrub suit and marched him into ICU. The head nurse demanded that they leave. The mother instinct rose up strong in Karen and she looked at the head nurse with steel-eyed determination: “He’s not leaving until he sees his sister!” Karen took Michael to his sister’s bedside. After a few moments of looking at his sister all connected to tubes, three year old Michael began to sing. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You’ll never know dear how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.” Instantly the baby seemed to respond. Her pulse slowed and became steady. “Sing it again, Michael!” said Karen. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You’ll never know dear how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.” The strained breathing of his sister became as smooth as a kitten’s purr. The head nurse now stood transfixed with tears in her eyes. Michael sang that chorus again and again. And the next day - the very next day - Michael’s little sister was well enough to go home. Women’s Day Magazine called it “The Miracle of the Brothers Song”. The medical staff just called it a miracle. Karen called it a miracle of God’s love….]

The Small Thing— Now what is incredible is that is was the voice of a child (not the doctors) who delivered that baby. And similarly with us, the most powerful thing we can offer in the midst of the difficult circumstances we face is often what the little boy who was at first kept out of the ICU offered, and that is prayer. Prayer seems so small; and at times even inappropriate to a lot of people. But what we have to remember is that prayer really does move the hand of God.

The Fetching— I love what Puritan preacher Thomas Watson points out about our passage today. He said, “The angel fetched Peter out of prison, but it was prayer that fetched the angel.” And you know, that makes me wonder how many angels are standing by waiting to move on our behalf if only we might lift our voices up in prayer and intercession. And with that in mind, let us commit to be faithful pray-ers, that God might move through us in incredible ways. Let’s do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #173 ”Peter Imprisoned” (Acts 12:1-5) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim!

Angelic Alarm Clock— I don’t know what it takes to for you to wake you in the morning. Maybe you’re a morning person or maybe not. I, for one, am not. Sometimes it takes a couple strikings of the snooze button before I am ready to get up. But imagine one day, instead of being awakened by an alarm clock, you’re wakened by an angel. Well that’s what happened to Peter during his third incarceration in prison, as he was awaiting his execution. And aside from the fact that Peter was definitely not a morning person, we are going to learn a few other things as well; in fact three things that are absolutely crucial when we (like Peter) go through times of intense difficulty. And these three things are all about God; things that Peter may have been reminded of as he reflected on the miraculous events that happened in this passage. It’s interesting, in his first epistle, Peter quotes from Psalm 34:15-16. And it is very likely that he had this experience in mind as he was writing it because of how closely it parallels what he experienced in and through the events in this story. He writes in 1 Peter 3:12: “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil”. And those are the three points of our passage, which we will explore both today and next week: (1) God Sees Our Trials (12:1-4), (2) God Hears Our Prayers (12:5-17), and (3) God Deals With Our Enemies (12:18-25). No matter what you are facing today, God wants to remind you and me of those three truths, which can be anchors for us as we go through difficult times. Now our story opens today with trials and difficulties, as it says in…

Acts 12:1 (ESV)— 1 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.

Herod Agrippa I— Now there were a number of Herods in and around the time of Christ. You had Herod the Great who rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem (and was one of the greatest builders in history), who was responsible for the slaughtering of the children in Bethlehem after hearing from the Wise Men about the birth of the Messiah; you had Herod Antipas, who reigned during the time of Jesus (and against whom Jesus would speak in a veiled manner, calling him a fox, a reed shaking in the wind, and other unflattering things because of how wicked he truly was; remember he was the one who had John the Baptist beheaded), and then we have here Antipas’ nephew Herod Agrippa I, who ruled Judea and Galilee from A.D. 37-44. And this is the Herod we encounter here during this period of the book of Acts. And we see that he is little better than his predecessors. All three Herods were a part of the same family, and the whole family was a bunch of schemers and murderers.

A Bad Family— My wife and I not long ago met a gentleman who told us that was a descendant of Dracula; not the fictional Dracula, but the actual historic ruler of 15th-century Wallachia, Vlad Dracula (called Vlad the Impaler) who murdered somewhere in the vicinity of 80,000, 20,000 of whom he had impaled (hence his name). And afterwards I thought, “Man, that’s not a family I would like to be connected to. Well, the same was true of the family of Herod. Herod the Great [had a large number of people executed or assassinated, including members of his broader family and even some of his own wives and sons.] Even Emperor Augustus (who observed how Herod lived like a Jew, and therefore wouldn’t eat pork) once quipped (in jest), “It is better to be Herod’s pig than son”. His pigs were safer than his sons. And even people of that time didn’t want to be connected with the Herod family. And just think, this was the family ruling the Jewish people. And they hated (and I mean absolutely hated) this; and not just because of the wickedness of the Herod family, but also because all of them were Edomites. They weren’t Jews, but were trying to be. And all of this is key to understanding why Herod Agrippa here begins to attack Christianity; because persecuting the Christians was a way for him to show the Jewish people that he was loyal to the traditions of their fathers. He wanted to appear good in their eyes. And he found this even easier to justify now that the Gentiles were being allowed to be a part of the Church because that was something that many traditional Jews would have reacted very negatively to, still being very nationalistic in their thinking and seeing no place for these “pagans” in their religious body. And so Herod has several Christians arrested, among whom is James the brother of John. And it says in…

Acts 12:2 (ESV)— 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword,

Which James?— Now (kind of like with Herod) there were also multiple men named James in the gospels and in the Early Church; at least three. You had two disciples of Jesus named James: James son of Zebedee and James son of Alphaeus. But then you also had James the half-brother of Jesus (12:17; Mark 6:3), who later became a believer and an important leader in the Early Church, and most likely authored the book of James. But this was James son of Zebedee, one of the “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17); who was in fact the first apostle to be martyred in the Early Church, though obviously not the last. But the fact that he was the first of the twelve disciples to be martyred is incredibly significant because you will remember that back in Matthew 20:2-28 both James and John had approached Jesus with their mother, seeking two thrones of glory at Jesus’ right and left hand when He came into His kingdom. But remember that Jesus made it clear to them that they didn’t know what they were asking; that to follow Him was intimately intertwined with suffering; indeed there could be no glory at all without suffering. He had asked them “Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” And they of course boldly proclaimed “We are able.” Now obviously they did not know what they were asking for; or what was involved in obtaining a throne of glory. But here we see that James is given the honor of being the first to join Jesus. And that was (in a way) a granting of his request, though not the answer he was originally intending; but one which (at this point in his faith journey) he would have been honored by. And similarly John (who also asked for this place of glory) became an exile on the Isle of Patmos, a prisoner of Rome (Rev. 1:9). And so we see that both did get to participate in the suffering of Jesus; in the sharing of His cup. Now it says of Herod Agrippa in…

Acts 12:3 (ESV)— 3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. {If they’re this happy when James is killed, just think how delighted they would be if he killed Peter! Now the text adds} This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. {And what that meant was that this was the anniversary of the passion of Jesus Christ. And so even that adds a little bit more dimension to the death of James. But Peter is only captured, though (and this will be clarified as we move further into the story) Peter also was on the path towards martyrdom. It says…}

Acts 12:4 (ESV)— 4 And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.

Truth 1— And so we see that things are getting pretty bad for Peter. But this is where the first truth (that God sees our trials) comes into play. As Psalm 34 says, “The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous” (1 Peter 3:12). God has neither forgotten nor forsaken Peter, even though He allows for Herod to arrest him and put him under heavy guard in prison. And that heavy guard was comprised of sixteen soldiers (four for each watch), with two of those soldiers chained to Peter and two others watching the doors. Now the reason [Peter was {so} heavily guarded {was} because Herod was concerned he would escape from prison as he had once before (5:19, 20).] Last time Peter was arrested, he somehow mysteriously got out of jail. And Herod is determined to make sure that that doesn’t happen again. Now let me ask you something. Don’t you find it interesting that Herod seems more awake to the possibility of Peter’s escape than the disciples were?

The Believing Tavern Owner— In studying this passage I was reminded  of [A tale…about a small town that had historically been "dry," but then a local businessman decided to build a tavern. A group of Christians from a local church were concerned and planned an all-night prayer meeting to ask God to intervene. It just so happened that shortly thereafter lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground. The owner of the bar sued the church, claiming that the prayers of the congregation were responsible, but the church hired a lawyer to argue in court that they were not responsible. The presiding judge, after his initial review of the case, stated that "no matter how this case comes out, one thing is clear. The tavern owner believes in prayer and the Christians do not.”] And this is something we see demonstrated in our passage today. Now it says in…

Acts 12:5 (ESV)— 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

Muscles Stretched— And so we see that [Something stronger than Herod’s army was at work: constant prayer was offered for Peter by the church.] Just recently I read a short conversation between two people. Person number 1 asked what person number 2’s favorite exercise was. And person number 2 said, “chewing.” And you know, I could relate to that. But let me ask you, what is your favorite spiritual exercise? If ought to be prayer; because when the people of God pray, miracles happen in an amazing way. But sometimes it is hard to pray, especially when a situation may seem pretty hopeless, like the situation in this passage. But pay attention to the phrase constant/earnest prayer here in this verse because here is where a little of Luke’s medical background comes into play as he’s writing the book of Acts. [The Greek word for constant is {actually} a medical term used to describe the stretching of a muscle to its limits. “Earnest” would be another way to translate the nature of their prayers. {And so what we see is that in the midst of this difficult circumstance when they are forcing themselves to pray in the midst of a seemingly hopeless situation, which lasted a full week,} The faith of the saints was being stretched.] And by being stretched, it would grow stronger. And that is how you and I grow as well. It is the prayer offered in seasons of hardship that most grow us in our faith and walk with the Lord. But (as we will see in our passage next week) God rewards those prayers in an incredible way, though at first (like the tavern owner) they did not believe. Yet their earnest prayers (though they didn’t recognize it at the time) in fact mark the turning point of the story, as truth number 2 (that God Hears Our Prayers (12:5-17)) is fulfilled. As Peter quotes from Psalm 34 in speaking about God: “And his ears are open unto their prayers” (1 Peter 3:12). And so this week, let us commit to pray just as earnestly, so that through our prayers we might see the hand of God move in incredible ways. Let’s do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #172 “The Son of Encouragement” (Acts 11:22-30) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! Last week we saw in Acts chapter 11 how the Gospel was brought to the city of Antioch by some Christians from Cyprus and Cyrene, who come and share the Good News of Jesus Christ with the Hellenists there. And there is a great spiritual harvest as many of those Hellenists turn in faith to Jesus Christ. And it says in…

Acts 11:22 (ESV)— 22 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

Why Barnabas?— Now you will remember Barnabas from chapter 4, in which he sold a piece of property and donated all the proceeds from that sale to meet the needs of the poor. He was the one Ananias and Sapphira were trying to appear as good as. And he truly was a good man because of how sold out he was to Jesus; and because of that God was able to use him in some amazing ways. He was used by God to be an influence on the Jerusalem Church on Paul’s behalf, helping them to accept him (Acts 9:27). He was also a leading teacher in the Church and demonstrated love, a gentle spirit, generosity, and (perhaps most importantly) encouragement. The name Barnabas (which remember had been given to him by the apostles) literally means “son of encouragement.” And it was likely because of this chief defining characteristic in his life that the apostles sent him as their representative. They knew they couldn’t send someone who was rigid and legalistic. No, they needed someone who knew how to show others the love of Christ.

From $1,000 Bill to Quarters— [Fred Craddock, who taught at Candler School of Theology, Emory University, once {said it best when he} said: “To give my life for Christ appears glorious. To pour myself out for others ... to pay the ultimate price of martyrdom — I’ll do it. I’m ready, Lord, to go out in a blaze of glory. We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking a $1,000 bill and laying it on the table — ‘Here’s my life, Lord. I’m giving it all.’ But the reality for most of us is that he sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $1,000 for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there. Listen to the neighbor kid’s troubles instead of saying, ‘Get lost.’ Go to a committee meeting. Give a cup of water to a shaky old man in a nursing home. Usually giving our life to Christ isn’t glorious. It’s done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a time. It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory; it’s harder to live the Christian life little by little over the long haul.”]
    And it was this type of conversion that made the ministry of Barnabas so powerful. Everywhere he went he had a handful of quarters ready to hand out. And in addition to this, he also had the spiritual discernment to recognize how God was moving and how to respond (which we will see in a minute). But he was also the perfect choice because he was a Cypriot Jew (4:36-37) and would therefore be perceived as one of them rather than at outsider. All of these things combined to make him the perfect man for the job. And we see it in the very next verse. It says…

Acts 11:23a (ESV)— 23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad,

He Rejoiced— Now not all Jews would have been glad. Some would have been extraordinarily displeased. But not Barnabas. He rejoiced at this new outpouring of the grace of God. It didn’t matter what race these people were. He was simply thrilled to be witnessing the hand of God at work. And (like always) he was eager to encourage them. And so it says in…

Acts 11:23a-24 (ESV)— and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

Growing Too Fast— Now at this point the church in Antioch is running into a problem; it’s growing too fast. Would that every church might have that problem. But it was a real problem. And Barnabas suddenly finds himself overwhelmed with converts. And he knows he needs help. And so it says in…

Acts 11:25 (ESV)— 25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,

Looking for Saul— And this was not easy, because several years had passed since Saul had fled to his home in Tarsus (Acts 9:30). Philippians 3:8 reveals that Saul had apparently been disinherited because of faith and forced to leave his home in Jerusalem. And at this point he was very difficult to find. It says Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul. And that phrase “to look for” (Anazēteō in Greek) actually suggests a laborious search; one that is very difficult. Now eventually Barnabas catches up with Saul. It says…

Acts 11:26a (ESV)— 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people.

Saul Teaching Gentiles— Now I would have loved to get to sit under their teaching. And think about it; I mean Saul (a Pharisee of Pharisees; a man who had formerly despised gentiles and who persecuted all the followers of Christ he could) is now ministering to gentiles and helping to disciple gentile Christians! Once again, God has an awesome sense of humor. Now once again, keep in mind that these gentiles knew very little (if any) scripture. They weren’t like the Jews (many of whom could quote massage chunks if not the whole Old Testament by memory). No, they had to be taught the very basics. And Saul and Barnabas are therefore introducing these new believers to much of what you and I first learned in Sunday School or Vacation Bible School or Awanas; the very basics. But the basics (as we said before) were enough to churn up a mighty moving of the hand of God. And we see that in what follows. Luke adds here what might seem at first glance to be only nice little fact to have tucked away in a footnote somewhere. He says in…

Acts 11:26b (ESV)— And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

“Christian”— Now this term “Christian” literally means “of the party of Christ”. And it was a term of derision and scorn. That is why Peter wrote in…

1 Peter 4:16 (ESV)— 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.

A Badge of Honor— And that is what these early believers did. They glorified God in that name. They took that name and they owned it, even wearing it as a badge of honor. It interesting; the historian Eusebius, in writing about the Christian martyr Sanctus, said that Sanctus, when being questioned by his torturers, gave them a simple answer: “I am a Christian”. He bore that name with pride. Now what this title Christian also reveals to us is that in addition to being a badge of honor, it also showed that these early believers were starting to have an identity apart from other Jews (cf. also 26:28 and 1 Peter 4:16). Now at this point in the history of the Church there is an interesting turn of events. It says in…

Acts 11:27-28 (ESV)— 27 Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius).

Famines— And this was during the years A.D. 41-45. Just as Agabus predicted, severe famines inflicted Israel. And there were several ancient writers such as Tacitus (Annals XI.43), Josephus (Antiquities XX.ii.5), and Suetonius (Claudius 18) who attest to this.

The Test of a Movement— Now when evaluating a new Christian movement (or perhaps a specific church like this one here in Antioch), one of the first things to always look for is whether or not the people are demonstrating the same love and compassion for people that Jesus Himself demonstrated. Because if not; if that movement (or church) is more focused on programs than it is on people; or on causes rather than on actually meeting the needs of the lost and needy, look somewhere else; because that movement or church has nothing to do with Christ. But the church here in Antioch (even at this early stage) passed this test with flying colors, because it says in…

Acts 11:29-30 (ESV)— 29 So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. 30 And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

Everyone Gave To The Max— Now this is amazing because normally when a church takes an offering on behalf of a special mission, rarely will every person in the Church give. And even on the rare occasions where that happens, people rarely give until it hurts. Yet here, the members of the church in Antioch (the text says every one) took a look at their finances and evaluated how much they could possibly give and then gave according to that amount (and even then may have pushed the envelope on that a little). There’s no talk of percentages or bumping up their tithe a tad; there’s simply the picture of every Christian saying (by God’s grace) “I see a need and I’m going to do as much as I possibly can to meet that need.” And you know, that ought to lead us to ask what needs there might be in our area that we have not yet thought of. Coronavirus has put a lot of things on hold; unfortunately not poverty, hunger, addiction, or any of the many other things afflicting society and culture today. And that is why more than ever the world needs us to be the Church; to be people like Barnabas, Saul, and these early Christians; to be the very hands and feet of Christ.

Given to Give— Every week my kids have chapel at their Christian school. And on many of the mornings they have chapel, we will put a dollar in their backpacks for them to put in the offering plate. And when that offering plate comes to them, they proudly put it in, feeling like they made their contribution. But let me ask you, where did that bill ultimately come from? From us. We gave those bills to them so that they could experience the joy of contributing to a mission we in fact were supporting. But sometimes we as adults forget that in a similar way, what has been given to us from God is not meant for us either. God has entrusted to us the talents and means He always intended us to use to invest in the lives of others. The question is, “Are we doing so?” Is my Christian walk all about what Christ has done FOR us; or is it also about what Christ has done THROUGH us? Let us be a body of believers that gives faithfully our talents, our time, and our means to meet the needs of a lost and needy world. Let’s do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #171 “The Church Within A Yard of Hell” (Acts 11:19-21) Pastor Cameron Ury

​Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! You will remember that back in chapter 8 of the book of Acts, following Stephen’s murder there was a great persecution that broke out against the Christian Church. Well, our passage today in chapter 11 describes in further detail what happened in the wake of that persecution. And you’ll also recall that Saul of Tarsus led a monumental persecution against the Church in Jerusalem, causing the fellowship there to be driven out and scattered abroad. And it says in…

Acts 11:19a (ESV)— 19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch,…

The Scattering— Some of them went to Samaria (8:5, 25); some went to Caesarea (8:40; 10:24ff.), and others fled to places like Damascus (9:10), Lydda, Joppa, and Sharon (9:35–36). But while Christians are being driven into those regions, in the north (among the Gentiles) a church was also being established by displaced Jews who made their way to the coastal region of Phoenicia immediately north of Judea. Tyre and Sidon were two cities located in this region. And from here these Jews could take a ship for Cyprus, a major island sixty miles offshore. And from here they could continue up the coast to the city of Antioch, which was about 200 miles north of Sidon. But keep in mind that these Jews do not yet know that the Gospel has been made available to the Gentiles because they had fled Jerusalem before that had happened. And so they are still very nationalistic in their view of salvation, which they still thought was only for the Jew. And so verse 19 says that they were…

Acts 11:19b-20 (ESV)— …speaking the word to no one except Jews. {But all that was about to change, as it says} 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus.

The First Gentile Church— Now these men of Cyprus and Cyrene were Greek-speaking Jews who were from predominantly Gentile areas. They themselves were Hellenists and were therefore more open to sharing their faith with Gentiles than Palestinian Jews were during that time. And so out of their outreach the first Gentile church was born in Antioch.

Antioch— Now Antioch was a major ancient metropolis in the first century world. The only other two metropolises that were bigger during that time were Rome and Alexandria. And so Antioch was a very significant city; and was noted for its culture and its commerce, because you had many Roman trade routes that passed directly through it. And (as the Roman author Cicero described) it was a place of learned men and liberal studies. However, it was also a despicably evil place, full of pagan worship and sexual immorality, which often is intimately tied to pagan worship. The temple of Daphne was only five miles from there, where open prostitution took place. And so it was a very dark place, certainly not where most people would want to start a Church. But you know, it is the dark places of the world that need the Church the most.

Within A Yard— I love this quote by C.T. Studd. He said “Some want to live within the sound Of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop, Within a yard of hell.”

The Basic Gospel— Now what interests me about that quote is that it assumes the Church/chapel is in the safe place; the place where we in our day and age often want to build our churches; the clean places. But here in the first century, the earliest churches often were those rescue shops built within a yard of hell. And the early Christians were therefore constantly coming into contact with broken, abused, and disenfranchised people; people who (think about it) had no framework for understanding what a Jewish Messiah could have to do with them to begin with. And so these Hellenists who were sharing their faith in this Gentile region had to start with the person of Jesus; His identity as the Son of God, the facts concerning His life, His death and what that meant for them as people in need of a Savior, and His resurrection. Now this is important for us to note because many times we are tempted to think that (because we aren’t great theologians) we are not very well suited to sharing the Gospel. We think “somebody else will get this person because I’m not qualified”; when the reality is that the amount of theology you know (even if you just know the basic tenets of the Gospel) is actually pretty monumental. What little you think you have to offer is actually an abundance to somebody bound to paganism and therefore to a hopeless view of the world. Even just the Christian songs you may have already listened to today probably have enough good theology in them to forever change the lives of people if you are only willing to share it.

Music & Spiritual Warfare— And Satan knows that by the way, which is why anywhere Christian music is played, he tries to interfere. My wife and I know a lady who owned a business that had music playing in the background. And there were always pagan songs playing; and I mean literally pagan songs. But one day one of her employees changed the music to Christian music and immediately this lady reacted and said, “We don’t want to offend people.” And so she switched it right back to her pagan music. Now she never saw the disconnect. It it is pagan, that’s fine. If it praises Buddha, Krishna, or any other pagan deity, that’s fine. But the moment it becomes about Christ, Satan moves in to attack. Because one Christian song has the power to forever change the course of someone’s life. You know enough theology (enough of the Gospel) to bring a revival to your area like nothing you’ve ever seen before. And let me tell you, as scary as those Daphne temples were in that culture; and the dark places here in and around our city are, none of them can even hold a candle to the power of the Gospel.

Paper Tigers— Many years ago Jaci Velasquez (in her very first album) wrote a song called Paper Tigers, the words of which are very moving and powerful. And what she was saying in that song was that the worst Satan had to offer (and what all her worries and fears were based on) were only paper tigers, paper tigers that only looked scary, but which would fold over and fall in a second at a mere puff of the breath of God. And let me tell you, the worst Satan has to offer cannot stand in the face of the power of God at work in you. And there are gates of hell in your city that rattle every time you get up in the morning to brush your teeth; gates that shake as you pull into your place of work; gates that are within a hairs breadth of collapse if only you are willing to walk over and (in the name of Jesus) push them over. Jericho falls every day at the hands of obedient Christians. And that is what we see happening right here in the church at Antioch, as it says in…

Acts 11:21 (ESV)— 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

Spreading Like Wildfire— Now nothing could have prepared the Jerusalem Church for what happened in Antioch. Yes, prior to this you had the conversions of the Ethiopian eunuch and of Cornelius and his household. But here in Antioch the Gospel was spreading on a much larger scale; and it was spreading like a wildfire. And that makes sense; because it is in those areas that are most devoid of the Gospel; those areas that are most pagan that are also those areas that are the most starving and desperate for something more.

A New Diet— I want you to imagine going to a restaurant. Imagine that for all of your life, every time you sat to eat at this (or any) restaurant, you were served only dry, overcooked, taste-less, freezer-burned mystery meat. Now you might not complain, if that is all you ever knew. But what it something new was offered to you one day? Well that’s kind of what it was like in the religious world of Antioch. For these pagan gentiles, hearing the Gospel for the first time was like their sitting at their table in front of a plate of the only thing they had ever eaten; dry mystery meat. And then (out of nowhere) a Christian sits down next to you and when the waiter brings their plate, you see that says it contains a large marinated salisbury steak complete with buttered mashed potatoes and a fried onion blossom. And then the Christian eats it in front of you. And you see all love and joy written on their face. Imagine how the your eyes would widen; how your mouth would water. And then imagine the joy of having the Christian then turn to you half-way through and say, “Hey, my order was bigger than I thought it was going to be. Here, could you help me eat some of this?” and suddenly replace your plate of dry mystery meat with their plate of salisbury steak. Well, that is what it was like for these pagans to first encounter the message of the free gift of salvation offered to them in the name of Jesus. It wasn’t until Christians offered to them the hope of salvation in and through Jesus Christ that they realized that what they had been living on wasn’t even fit for dogs. You might say they were experiencing the fulfillment of…

Psalm 34:8 (NIV)— 8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

The fall of the gods— They had tasted Christ and suddenly knew what they had been missing. And it would not be long before Christianity would spread beyond Antioch and overtake all of the Roman Empire. And the worship of most of these pagan gods would fall to the point where now most of the names of these pagan gods your average Joe doesn’t even recognize; and those names that might be familiar to people tend to be (when you think about it) assigned to their animals rather than to their children (with few exceptions, such as Daphne). But in general, we call our dogs Zeus or Apollos or Hercules, but we call our children Paul, John, Peter, Rebeka, Kristie (Christ), or Jeremiah (or Jeremy), or Michael. You might say that the pagan gods of that time Yahweh not only wiped out, but profanes daily on the collars of our pets. Now God has a sense of humor; I truly believe that. But this joke God meant to be a running joke. And with that in mind, I’d just like to say, “May it be on the collars of the dogs of our children, our grandchildren, and our great-grandchildren that the pagan gods of our time might one day find their proper place as a result of our decision to (in our time) offer hungry souls something infinitely better. That’s what these Jewish Christians did for these gentiles, and the Church therefore began exploding with this huge influx of gentile believers. And may that encourage us to this week share the Good News of the Gospel; the salisbury steak of the Gospel with someone who may be starving for it and not even know it. Bring them then Jesus so that they also may taste and see that the Lord is good. Let’s do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #170 “The Right Question” (Acts 11:4-18) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello and welcome to the show today! In our study of Acts chapter 11 we have seen how Peter has followed God’s instructions to bring the Gospel to a man by the name of Cornelius (a Roman centurion). And what ends up happening is not only does he come to faith in Christ, but his entire household comes to embrace Jesus. And this is a key moment, because it marks the entrance of the first Gentiles into the Church. Now this was shock to the other Jewish church members. And so it says in…

Acts 11:1-18 (NKJV)— 1 Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, 3 saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!” 4 But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me. 6 When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’ 9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’ 10 Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven. 11 At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea. 12 Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, 14 who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’ 15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”
18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”

3 Pieces of Evidence—  Now in his response, Peter presents these Jews with three key pieces of evidence. In verses 5-11 he gives them the evidence of the vision he personally received from God. In verses 12-15 and in verse 17 he gives to them the witness of the Spirit, who was poured out on the Gentile believers, and in verse 16 he gives the evidence of the witness of the Word of Jesus himself, who had said “John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Now the first piece of evidence (the vision) these Jews had not themselves witnessed. However they did know Peter and trusted him because they knew his character and that he (like them) had been an orthodox Jew all of his life (10:14). They knew he was not likely to go to the Gentiles of his own accord and then make up a story to justify his actions. No, that wouldn’t add up. Now the second piece of evidence (the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the Gentiles speaking in tongues) was even stronger, because that was God’s way of bearing witness that He had indeed accepted the Gentiles; and that was something that many people (and particularly the Jews who had been with Peter) had witnessed. And so the witness of the Holy Spirit was a crucial piece of evidence; because this kind of outpouring directly from heaven followed by the gift of tongues was not a common, everyday experience. We kind of think of it as happening all the time in the book of Acts. But it doesn’t. It is interesting that in order to find an example of what had happened in Cornelius’ home, Peter had to go all the way back to Pentecost ten years earlier. He couldn’t use the example of the Holy Spirit being given to the Samaritans in 8:14-17 because that was very different, as the Holy Spirit was given to the Samaritans through the laying on of the apostles’ hands. But this was much more dramatic, as it came instantly and directly from God himself. And that leads into Peter’s closing argument.

Arguing With Questions— Now when Jews argue or debate, they use a different form than we do in our Western culture. We like to make statements and then back up those statements with evidence; evidence we hope the other person will accept. However Jews typically argue through asking questions. And that’s because a question is often much more powerful and thought-provoking than a statement. If you can implant a question into somebody’s mind, that question will cause them to wrestle with themselves until they reach an answer. And when they find that answer, that answer is their own. When it is a statement made by you, it is yours. But if it is an answer your question has forced them to come up with, that answer becomes theirs and touches them on a much deeper level. And this is something that Jesus did all the time. Notice in the Good Samaritan parable how (when Jesus closes), he doesn’t say, “Look, the Samaritan (not the Priest or Levite) was the true neighbor and you need to be like him.” No, that’s just a statement. A true statement, but nothing more. And they could ignore it if they wanted to. But the genius of how Rabbis during that time imparted education was that they turned everything into a question; because a question leads their listeners to uncover the truth for themselves, which they will be much more likely to accept. That is why Jesus asks (not tells the man, but asks) in…

Luke 10:36 (ESV)— 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”

An Answer Applied— And that forced the man He was talking to to think, accept, and even verbalize his own answer, which was that it was the Samaritan who truly was the neighbor. Then (and only then, after the man had come to the answer himself) does Jesus tell him to “go and do likewise” (Lk. 10:37); to apply the truth he himself had come to acknowledge. And in a similar way, it is interesting here how Peter, who remember is a Jew and argues like a Jew and is following in the footsteps of Jesus as one Jesus had called to come and be like him, responds with a question rather than a statement. It says in…

Acts 11:17 (NKJV)— 17 If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”

Peter’s Question— And that question (which showed the humility of Peter’s heart and his desire to follow the will of God) helped to establish in their minds the reality that this so clearly was a God thing and neither they nor Peter could go against it, lest they find themselves fighting against God Himself. And once they answer that question in their own minds, Peter’s personal answer to that question becomes their answer as well. They realize they are in no position to set themselves against these Gentiles whom God had so clearly accepted. And once Peter leads them to that point, it says in…

Acts 11:18 (NKJV)— 18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”

Continued Debate— Now this did not end all debate on this issue. We see later in 14:26-15:2 that this same legalistic party again engaged in debate with Paul over the salvation of the Gentiles. [Even after the Jerusalem Conference, legalistic teachers continued to attack Paul and invade the churches he founded.] And what they (and some of the other Jewish Christians) were fighting for was for the Gentiles to become Jews and to live by the Law as they themselves had lived by the Law. And on the flip side, there were some Gentiles who wanted the Jews to stop being Jews and to become Gentiles. And so it took a while for this transplant to really take and for unity to begin to form. And (as we will see) [In later years, God would use the letters of Paul to explain the “one body,” how believing Jews and believing Gentiles are united in Christ (Eph. 2:11—3:12).]

1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (ESV)— 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

Heavenly Prep— Now the reason Jesus wanted to create a Church that was “one” and not divided was because the earthly kingdom of God was to be preparation ground for the heavenly kingdom of God, in which there are truly going to be NO distinctions. It says in…

Revelation 7:9-10 (NIV)— 9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

A Pebble In The Shoe— Now I knew a man who saw one race of people as unfit for him to worship with. And so when a person of that race came to Church one Sunday, he grumbled and complained about it. But then another Church member asked him this question (and I paraphrase), “Brother, what do you think it’s going to be like in heaven?” You see? A question. And the man stopped and thought. And the person continued, “Do you think that Jesus is going to have that same kind of division in heaven?” And the answer was obviously “no”, which the man acknowledged. And that question led to another question, “If there is no distinction in heaven (which this passage in Revelation indicates) why would we make that kind of distinction now?” Now that didn’t change the man’s mind that day, but it put a pebble in his shoe and got him thinking.

Jesus’ Question To Us— Now some of the greatest revelations that will come in your own personal life will come when you also begin asking and answering the right questions. And there are several that Jesus may be asking you today. Maybe there is somebody that when you think of the words “common” or “unclean” or “sinful” they immediately come into your mind. Perhaps this is somebody of a race you don’t approve of worshiping with; or maybe it is somebody's who has wounded you that you are not yet willing to come to table with and say (as Jesus said in his breaking bread of bread with Zacchaeus) “I love and accept you and acknowledge a mutual commonality between you and me.” Now whoever that is that came to your mind, Jesus is asking you today, “Does the way you treat that person mirror the way that I have treated you?” And (if not) “Do you have the right to make a distinction?” Now in our hearts we know the answers to those questions. We know that the the cross is the great equalizer of all persons; because there is no one good enough so as not to need the blood of Jesus. All of us are unclean before the touch of Christ. But does that knowledge translate into our treatment of those poorer than us; different from us? “Are we going to take that knowledge and apply it?” How are we going to receive those Jesus sends to us who may not be like us? Are we going to be used by the Spirit to help the people He’s trying to graft into the Church, or are we going to resist? God’s challenge for us today is for you and I to commit right here and now to be men and women who (like Peter) are able and willing (and even seeking) to be used by God to draw all people unto Himself. Let’s do so. And may the words God spoke to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 be true also for you and me. God says…

Genesis 12:3 (NKJV)— 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Be a blessing this week. Amen.

Lechem Panim #169 “The Church Challenges Peter” (Acts 11:1-3) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello and welcome to the show today! In our study of the book of Acts we have just witnessed a Gentile centurion named Cornelius (along with his entire household) coming to faith in Christ after Peter shares with them the good news that God’s salvation is available not just to the Jew, but to the Gentile as well (10:35). In Jesus, anyone can become a child of God. As Paul writes in…

Galatians 3:26-28 (NKJV)— 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

3 Responses of The Church— And so we are entering into a new stage of the Church. And in Acts 11 we will see the three ways the Jewish Christians responded to these new Gentile believers. And these responses help us also to know how to relate to one another as Christians. Here in verses 1-18 we see that THEY ACCEPTED THE GENTILES. In verses 19-26 we will see that THEY ENCOURAGED THE GENTILES. And in verses 27-30 we will see that THEY RECEIVED HELP FROM THE GENTILES.

A Transplant Needed— Just recently I heard the story of a young teenage girl who suddenly out of the blue was rushed to the hospital after suffering serious symptoms, after which she was told she could not leave. And that was because her liver was failing. And because of her age, she was placed as top priority on the transplant list and they soon found her a new liver. And they replaced her failed liver with the new one, which she was very grateful for and even met with the family whose loved one had passed away to thank them for giving her the gift of life; even out of the pain of their own personal loss. It was an amazing story.

Failed Transplants— But you know, as amazing as that whole process is, sadly it doesn’t always take. Sometimes a person experiences this miracle of modern medicine, is ecstatic at the gift of life that has been given back to them, but then it is discovered that the body’s immune system refuses to recognize the new organ and instead attacks it like a foreign objects. Some transplants (unfortunately) don’t take. Now doctors can give medication in order to suppress the immune system in order to help the new organ to get established and for the body to accept it, but even then there is sometimes the risk that that may fail.

Will God’s Transplant Fail?— And you know, this imagery is very helpful in helping us to understand the nature of what was happening here in Acts 11 and throughout much of the history of the Early Church. God had transplanted a new element into the Church; Gentiles (non-Jews). And Romans 11 describes them as being like wild olive shoots grafted into a domestic olive tree. The question is, is this transplant going to take? Is the body going to accept and receive them? Or is the immune system of the Early Church (which is responsible for helping to protect the Body against infection) going to reject the transplant, not recognizing what God (the Great Physician) understands; and that is that the new element is not only not harmful, but will even bring life to the Church? That is the central question of this passage. And it is one that pops up right away. Now news of the Gentiles coming to faith in Christ had spread like wildfire. It says in…

Acts 11:1-3 (NKJV)— 1 Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, 3 saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”

Peter Rebuked— And so Peter returned to Jerusalem and was immediately met by a group of angry church members. And these were church members of the legalistic party in the church in Judea, which is why they are described as those who were "of the circumcision”. And they rebuke Peter for entering into the house of Gentiles and eating with them.

Commonality at Table— And the reason it was so offensive to them that Peter ate with them was not just because he was around people considered by the Jews of that time to be unclean (which would have been bad enough), but because in Jewish culture to eat someone was a very intimate and personal thing. You only did that with people you were at peace with, which is why in Jewish culture if there was a grievance between two parties seeking reconciliation, the forgiveness process was never considered complete until both parties had shared meal together. Because to eat with someone was a way of saying (often in a public way) that there is a commonality between you; a mutual acceptance. That is why people were so offended when Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners. Remember the story of Zacchaeus in particular and how people reacted to Jesus’ going into his home, undoubtedly to eat with him. Jesus was saying that the barriers between he and Zacchaeus had come down.

The Church’s Immune System— And this is what is happening here with Peter and those of the circumcision. These Jews of this legalistic party in the church in Judea were like the immune system of the Church. They wanted to make sure that the Church was not aligning itself with anything that might pollute it. And so they say exclaim to Peter (and you can really feel the anger in their accusation): “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”

Only Half of The Story— Now I find it interesting that that is the piece of information they latch onto and accuse Peter with. Notice they don’t say a word about the Holy Spirit’s being given to the Gentiles or anything like that. And do you know why that is? Well, in verse 18, after Peter tells them the full story, they seem genuinely surprised and willing to accept what God was so clearly doing. And so what is likely the case is that these men of the circumcision simply did not know before approaching Peter the other half of the story. They only knew the part that would be offensive to them. But why is that? Why did they not know? How is it that they were unaware? Well, it seems that whoever brought the news to them had only given them half of the story; the half that would really make their blood boil. The other part had been left out. And let me tell you, that is how most conflict in the Church starts out; with somebody spreading around something that is only half-true or that leaves out those details that might challenge the views of the person spreading the gossip. Any of you ever witness this before?

Sensational Deceit— It’s like if somebody were to tell you “Such and such Church member hasn’t taken a bath in months.” And that’s true. They haven’t. Things sound pretty bad until it comes out later that they take showers not baths; and do so frequently.  Okay then, things are not as disgusting as they first appeared. Now you might say there is no way that kind of thing really goes on, but let me tell you, it does. We see it everyday on the news, which is built on sensationalism. News networks want to keep you hooked. And anger is a great way of doing that. And so they so often feed you what are often only half-truths in order to keep you angry; because if they can create that emotional response in you, you will keep tuning in. They know that deep down we crave for justice; and so if they can convince us there is gross injustice, they will excite you (or even incite you). But so often what happens is the full story comes out later and what then seemed like something heinous is seen in its fullest light to be something only moderately bad, somewhat acceptable, or even good; sometimes even great.

Dealing With Stories— And so one of the truths we can glean here from this passage is not always to accept immediately as true the stories we hear about other people. And this is something I have tried to be very careful about in my ministry, especially when I am counseling somebody. I try always to remember Proverbs 18:17 says, which says that…

Proverbs 18:17 (ESV)— 17 The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.

Hear The Other Side— And that is so true. The first person always seems right until you hear the other side; which is why it is so important to forego making a judgment until you are sure that you have all the facts. And this is something these Jews who confronted Peter should have done.

Peter Tells The FULL Story— Now Peter deals with the situation remarkably well. Ever since Jesus restored him after his 3 denials (and after Pentecost) Peter has demonstrate a wonderful humility; a humility that makes him such wonderful Church leader. I had a mentor (Roman Miller) who used to tell me numerous times that to be a good pastor you need to have two things: (1) A thick hide and (2) A warm heart. Well, it is clear in this passage that Peter has both. He doesn’t show signs of being offended or hurt. He doesn’t bite back or pull rank on them, which he probably could have done. No, he calmly and humbly relays to them the full story in its entirety. And all the missing pieces begin to come together for them, which we will unpack more next week.

God’s View— But as we think about this passage and what it might mean for us, one of the things that jumps out at us is that you and I are called to stand for what God thinks about issues. And ultimately (even though we may see things differently) we need to submit all our beliefs and prejudices to God. Because when you think about it, Peter’s racism might have led him (as it did with Jonah) to reject God’s call for him to carry God’s message to  the Gentiles. At this point Peter was probably more like this group of legalists in his beliefs about the Gentiles than he was like Christ. But nevertheless, Peter was determined to embrace God’s view over and against his own; and to take heavy criticism, because ultimately God’s way was what mattered to him most. And that is something you and I ought always to apply. What does God have to say about the issue; what is revealed in His Word? Racism and hate has always and will always die and unity and healing will always be found when Christians commit themselves to live according to the way of the Lord in accordance with His Word. It is when we become united with God in His Spirit, sanctified by His Word (John 17:17) that we will consequently become more united with one another and bring true healing to the world. So let us commit ourselves to know and submit to the Word of God. Amen.

Lechem Panim #168 “Salvation Comes To Cornelius” (Acts 10:34-48) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello and welcome to the show today!

The First Missionary to Gentiles— In chapter 10 of our study of the book of Acts, we have encountered a Roman Centurion by the name of Cornelius; a man full of good works living the best way that he knew how. But he did not yet know about Jesus. And so God has sent Peter to him and to his entire household, who have gathered to hear the wonderful news that not only has God’s salvation come in the person of Jesus Christ, but that that salvation is available to even them, even though they are Gentiles. Now this would mean some radical changes for Cornelius and his household; changes would radically affect their views of God, their way of worship, and ultimately their mission and purposes. And this would fly in the face of many of the customs and elements of their culture that had become the norm for them. Paul (the first real missionary to the Gentiles) had set into motion something that would radically change them and their culture.

Below The Surface— And you know missionaries are often criticized for this very reason; for imposing their religion and way of doing things on other cultures. Sometimes it’s even painted as if missionaries are the ones who come in and destroy culture. Now we know that that is devilish propaganda. Yes, you might have a few bad apples here and there, but for the most part missionaries have made a world of positive difference in the various cultures they have touched, bringing hope, healing, education, and so much more. I have been to a lot of places in the world where the the main religion(s) is a false religion. And there is often beautiful artistry and fascinating tradition connected with it. But what we have to remember is that just because a religion may be beautiful on the outside and there may be gorgeous religious icons and captivating rituals that have become a part of a nation’s heritage, that doesn’t mean that things are beautiful below the surface. Don’t believe me? Start asking the followers of those religions questions like, “Where do you believe you are going to go when you die?” “If you believe in heaven, how do you believe you can get there?” “In your belief system, is it possible for you to even know if you are going there?” And what you’ll find is that in no other religion can you truly know that you are going to heaven. Why? Because they are all works-based; and you can never know if you have done enough to earn your way there. And so you can never really have peace. It is only Christianity that requires works as a result of salvation; not as the means of salvation. And it is only after salvation that works can be truly good anyways because we can finally perform good works without the selfish motivation for personal salvation. But if we are to receive salvation first, then our sins must be paid for in advance; hence our need for Christ. Only He was good enough to be a sacrifice for our sins and so it is only in and through Him that we can be saved. And that’s why it doesn’t matter how devout Cornelius is; how good his works are. It is only in Jesus that we can experience deliverance from sin and have eternal life. And Peter knows this, which is why he is about to share with all these men and women about the person of Jesus. It says…

Acts 10:34-35 (NKJV)— 34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. 

God Accepts All Who Fear Him— I love how Peter starts with what God was teaching him right at that time; and that is that God will receive any person from any nation who fears Him and works righteousness. Now it may seem from verse 35 that Peter is preaching salvation by works. However, we will see in verse 43 just the opposite, as he will proclaim that salvation only comes though belief in Jesus. And so the phrase “fears Him {(God)} and works righteousness” is a description of the outflow of a Christian’s life. It is the outward sign that the inward work has been accomplished. Now Peter’s audience had heard a good bit about Jesus already, which is why Peter says in…

Acts 10:36-43 (NKJV)— 36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all— 37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. 40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”

The Shortest Sermon— Now this is perhaps one of the shortest sermons ever preached, and yet it had everything that Cornelius and his family and friends needed to know. Jesus is Lord of all (which speaks to both His divinity, but also His availability; He is Lord of all ); He had led a perfect life of servanthood and obedience before God; He died on the cross, was raised on the third day, many (including Peter) were witnesses of this; Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures concerning the Messiah; and salvation through remission of sins is available to whoever believes in Him. You can’t get more basic than that. And similarly, when you and I share Christ, we need to remember that we don’t need to be long to be effective. All we need to do is allow ourselves to (like Peter) be led by the Spirit and do what we can to center our message on the person and work of Christ, the Way, the Truth, and The Life.

Laying Hold of “whoever”— Now these men and women immediately reacted to Peter’s sermon, particularly laying hold of that word whoever. They immediately recognize Christ’s availability to them, receive Him in faith, and are saved. And Peter no doubt intended to continue his sermon; he was just getting started. But the greatest thing that can happen while preaching happens. It says in…

Acts 10:44 (NKJV)— 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 

Peter Interrupted— What an awesome thing when God breaks in! But you know, Peter was probably kind of getting used to God interrupting him. You will remember that [God the Father interrupted Peter on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:4–5), and God the Son interrupted him in the matter of the temple tax (Matt. 17:24–27). Now, God the Spirit interrupted him—] Peter was interrupted by every member of the Trinity. But you, know, it is a good thing when God interrupts. Would that every sermon be interrupted with an outpouring of the Spirit of God. And it says than in response to this… 

Acts 10:45-46a (NKJV)— 45 And those of the circumcision {(the Jews)} who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. 

A 2nd Pentecost— And so the six Jews who came with Peter as witnesses suddenly became witness to the Holy Spirt, who was Himself bearing witness that God (through faith in Christ) had accepted these Gentile believers. And this was important because remember that they had not been privy to the vision of Peter. And so God needed to enact a second Pentecost so that these Jews could see that God had indeed put these new Gentile believers on equal footing with them. This is why God empowered these Gentiles also to speak in tongues. This doesn’t mean that every believer will receive the gift of tongues. It was merely a way for God to prove without question that the same Spirit that had been poured out on the Jews was also on the Gentiles. And [With this event, the period of transition in the early history of the church comes to an end. Believers among the Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles have all received the Spirit of God and are united in the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27).] And it says in…

Acts 10:46b-48a (NKJV)— Then Peter answered, 47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. 

The Salvation Process— Now this passage shows us very clearly the process of salvation. We hear the Word, we place our faith in Christ, we receive the Holy Spirit, and then we are baptized as an outward sign of that inward work. These men and women were not baptized in order to obtain salvation, but rather [they were baptized because they gave evidence of being saved.] The Holy Spirit had already been given to them. And we know that the Holy Spirit is only given to those who are in Christ Jesus. Now following salvation, something else ought always to take place; and it takes place here. They [unite with other believers in the church to serve and worship God.] And that begins right here, where it says…

Acts 10:48b (NKJV)— Then they asked him {(Peter)} to stay a few days.

The Chain of Discipleship— And so Peter tarries there in Caesarea to help ground these new believers in their faith. And Philip (who remember was already in Caesarea) may have joined him in this task of discipleship. But there they are, doing what neither of them could have ever imagined themselves doing; discipling Gentiles who would go and disciple other Gentiles who would go and disciples other Gentiles. And you and I are part of that glorious chain of discipleship. The question is, who are we going to bring the good news to? Who are we going to make disciples for Jesus?

Debtors— P.F. Bresee, founder of the Church of Nazarene once said this: "We are debtors to every man to give him the gospel in the same measure in which we have received it.”

How beautiful are your feet?— Let me ask you a personal question. Any of you gotten a pedicure lately? Men, you don’t have to answer. Any of you ladies get a pedicure lately? How do your feet feel after you get a pedicure? How do they look? When my wife has gotten pedicures, her feet are always extra soft afterwards; the calluses are gone; the toenails are all shiny and colored, sometimes even with sparkles. I mean they are just beautiful! But do you know there is such a thing as a Biblical pedicure? It’s right here in… 

Romans 10:15b (NKJV)— As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

Beautiful Feet— You want your feet to be truly beautiful in the eyes of God? Use them to bring to others the good news of Jesus Christ. Present and future generations are relying on your feet; on my feet; to bring them this message of life. In this very passage in Romans Paul asks…

Romans 10:14-15a (NKJV)— 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? 

Eternity Without— You know, it was once estimated that [158,857 people die each day with approximately 66,000 of those people dying each day having had no access to the Gospel. According to those numbers, every 15 minutes (the length of our broadcast today) 1,654 people will die.] How many of them will enter an eternity without Jesus?

In Time— Carl F.H. Henry once pointed out that “The gospel is only good news if it gets there in time.” 

Our Part— Now you and I can’t reach every person. But the Church of Christ is called to try. And (as Keith Green once said) "This generation of Christians is responsible for this generation of souls on the earth!” You may not reach the masses; but you may be able to reach somebody. There is somebody out there right now that God is preparing for you to introduce to Jesus. The question is, “Are you ready to play the part God wants you to play in that person’s journey towards salvation?"

Called To Missions— And you know, one of the things we also learn from this story is that you don't have to go overseas to be a missionary, though God may want you to. But you can be a missionary right here in Renton, Washington. But no matter where God has placed you, He has called you to be a missionary. And the closer you draw to Jesus, the more you will recognize that call upon your life. 

The More Missionary— Henry Martyn, who was a missionary to both India and Persia, once said “The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become." And you know, he’s right.

At Least One Person— Many of you have heard of Dwight L. Moody. Well, [D.L. Moody made an covenant with God that he would witness for Christ to at least one person each day. One night, about ten o-clock, he realized that he had not yet witnessed; so he went out in to the street and spoke to a man standing by a lamppost, asking him, "Are you a Christian?" The man flew into a violent rage and threatened to knock Moody into the gutter. Later, that same man went to an elder in the church and complained that Moody was "doing more harm in Chicago than ten men were doing good." The elder begged Moody to temper his zeal with knowledge. Three months later, Moody was awakened at the YMCA by a man knocking at the door. It was the man he had witnessed to. "I want to talk to you about my soul," he said to Moody. He apologized for the way he had treated Moody and said that he had had no peace ever since that night on Lake Street when Moody witnessed to him. Moody led the man to Christ and he became a zealous worker in the Sunday school.]

Our Feet Are Needed— Now just think; what would have happened if Moody had looked at his watch that evening and (seeing the time) just decided to let this one slide? A life would have failed to be touched. The message of the gospel is a powerful thing. But it needs our feet. And even if somebody rejects you, the power of the seed of the gospel you planted can still do its work. All we have to do is be faithful to plant and God will yield the increase. And so let us be faithful to be obedient ambassadors for Christ. Amen.