[Acts 8:1-8 (ESV)]
And Saul approved of his execution.
And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city.
{Rev. Dwight Yoo}
Perspective Check
So, we've been talking about mission for awhile. But you're thinking... life has been hard. It's been difficult. So, because of these things, we put missions on hold. until things get better. until our lives are in order.
But the gospel doesn't tell us to take hardship lightly. God wants us to be honest to Him about our sufferings. In the psalms, David comes to God honestly about his suffering. In the gospel, we are told of a God who came through hardship personally. God is not some being far away, but rather one who has intimately experienced the human experience, including suffering.
On the other side, the gospel also gives us power during the times of hardship & suffering. Outreach, relationships, and ministry does not need to be put on hold during difficulty. While there are times for us to mourn and rest, in wisdom, putting these callings "on hold" should not be our default action. In the scriptures, we find that sufferings are used for the advancement of the kingdom. Paul's ministry was not a cakewalk. It was tough, but much fruit came of that suffering through ministry.
"Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good." - 1 Peter 4:19 (ESV)
So how does this work?
For context of our passage.
"Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep." - Acts 7:54-60 (ESV)
The church loses one of it's leaders. The persecution of the church was escalating. People were suffering. But what happens... the people of the church are scattered and where they go, they preach the gospel.
Scattering
The "scattering" here is not a haphazard scattering. But rather scattering like a farmer scattering seeds. In other words, purposeful planting. Notice, that not everyone was scattered. The apostles stayed behind in Judea. Up until this point, the apostles were doing all the ministry. Suddenly, in light of all this persecution, the everyday christian goes preaching and into ministering to people. Phillip goes to Samaria. He preaches the gospel and does work in the name of Christ. (Word & Deed)
Consider how WE would have done it.
Certainly, we would not have chosen suffering. We would make a banner. We would send people out. Letting people die? Killing one of the church leaders? God is throwing a curve ball here. This is not what we think it is. God uses suffering to mobilize the church.
The main story line of the Gospel is God ins His Sovereignty using hardship to bring about good... not through ease, comfort, and strength... but hardship.
The christian path is one of hardship. It is not the easy road. Consider the apostles. Consider Paul. Consider Jesus.
Consider the case of China.
When the communists came to power, they kicked out all the foreign missionaries in 1949. The missionaries were heartbroken. They believed it was the end of the road for the church. But now there are 30-40 more Christians than in 1949. What happened? The Chinese pastors and lay people stepped up. The foreign missionaries went to various unreached Asian nations. The kingdom advanced.
Consider where Renewal came from.
We were originally part of Emmanuel. A suburbanite church. We went to church and we went home to the suburbs. No one wanted to live in the city. We saw it as a dangerous place. Then one of the deacons was murdered. A carjacking by local kids. There were people in the church who wanted to leave. It's dangerous in the city. But others said, God is doing something. Now the church has turned outwards toward the city. Now, the west philly campus' purpose and vision is to reach the city.
Application - How God can use your suffering to accomplish His mission...
1. As you come alongside fellow suffers...
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." - 2 Cor 1:3-4
When we have suffered, we can comfort others in their suffering. We have been there.
2. As the world watches the way you suffer...
C.S. Lewis was once asked the question that eventually appears on every believer’s radar screen, "Why do the righteous suffer?" His reply was, "Why not? They’re the only ones who can take it."
Believers can go through suffering and still rejoice. People who have faith in Christ are not crushed during tough times. Because we know of Jesus who went through suffering, yet it ended in glory and kingdom advancement.
Consider the family of Ed Thomas...
Jul 25, 2010
Jun 27, 2010
The Blueprint of the Church on Mission
[Acts 2:40-47]
And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
{Rev. Charles Han}
I'm hoping this message will give us a perspective on why this is important to our church in this moment of our church. Picture this. In 30 years, Christianity went from a sect of Judaism to spreading across the entire known world. This is not just a historical thought. This is where we are now. God moves in this passage, just as He works now in His church. From Acts, we can take our cues on fellowship, on community, on how the church should look like.
The passage tells us two things:
The evidence of what a spirit-filled church looks like.
The actions of a church that puts themselves in a place where the spirit will move.
1) Learning Community
2) Worshiping Community
3) Sacrificially Caring Community
4) Missional Community
Learning Community
Paul testified to the people. And when he did so, it cut people to the heart and 3,000 people joined the church. It went from 150 people to 3,000 people. Can you imagine the logistics? Insanity for those who were dealing with administrative things.
What were they devoted to? The teachings of the apostles. They were a learning community devoted to learning. Learning about how their lives should be lived in light of the gospel. 3,000 spiritual babies devoting time & energy to learning.
Reasons to be intensely devoted to the word: The gospel grows richer as we devote more time to it. The mundane practice of daily reading, group bible studies, and preaching are all there for God to challenge & grow us.
"What is interesting to me is that the means God appointed to help the children of Israel were to remember what was important. In his dealings with Moses, God had established a set of repetitive processes by which the Israelites would be constantly reminded of all that God had done for them. Thus, for example, in Exodus 12, God establishes the Passover Feast, the performance of which is designed in part to provoke later generations to ask the question of why this is done. This will then require parents to tell their children about God’s great act of saving grace in bringing the children of Israel out of Egypt even as this was by means of an awesome and terrifying judgment against the Egyptians.
The Passover is just one example of many rituals outlined in the Torah which functioned on one level as reminders of who God was, who the Israelites were, and how they related to each other. Thus, when we come in to the Promised Land and we find the Israelites suffering persistent recurrences of amnesia, it does not take a genius to assume that part of the immediate cause of this was their abject neglect of the means which God had established for keeping his name and his acts fresh in their minds.
What this kind of amnesia tells us is that we need constant reminders of who God is and what he has done if we are to stay on the straight and narrow; and that these are provided by the routines and rituals which God specifies in Scripture. For the Christian, under the terms of the NT age, these are the Word of God, read and preached and heard, and the sacraments, or, if you are a Baptist, the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. These things are given to remind us of who God is; and the neglect of them will only help to accelerate any proclivities towards forgetfulness that our instinctive rebellion of God encourages.
To spend the week voyaging at the far reaches of intellectual seas of scholarship, and then the weekends listening to some person standing in a pulpit and simply expounding the text or serving bread and wine? What is the value in that? One can imagine the Israelites in the Book of Judges raising similar questions. Do we need to do that Passover thing again? Do we not all know what it means? Do we really need the law read to us so often? Surely once we know what it says, we can move beyond it? The net result in Judges is, of course, that the values of Sodom come to flourish within the very boundaries of the Promised Land and within the very practices of the Lord’s people, with fatal consequences for at least one young woman. Neglect of the boring, day-to-day routines led to absolute disaster.
This is why church is vitally important...
It is the same today. I have yet to come across a student who struggled with, or even abandoned, the faith, who did not, at some early point in their struggle, abandon the mundane routines of the Christian life: regular attendance at the preaching of the word, prayer, etc. etc. Boring they may be, but they are God’s means of preventing amnesia; and we forget them at our peril." - Carl Trueman, Lest We Forget
Daily neglect is how sin works in our lives. When we neglect the mundane everyday practices, keep us close to God.
Worshiping Community
This 3,000 person church gathered in two ways. They gathered in one corporate body. They also gathered in smaller groups in their homes. In both of these gatherings, they are characterized by "awe came upon every soul" and "glad and generous hearts."
So for us, how do the meetings with fellow Christians look like? Do you encounter the awesomeness of God? Is there intimate joy in your heart when you leave these meetings? This is what the early church looks like. Consider the nature & quality of the community we are in...
Sacrificially Caring Community
"they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need." How much did they care for one another? The rich among them sold their wealth and provided for those who were struggling. This looks like communism to some. But there's a significant difference. There is no forceful coercion.
The people were not individualistic. There was a communal consideration for each other. They were all members of the body. But for us nowadays, we ask... is it enough to give 10% regularly to the church. What is the biblical answer? Our standard of measure is the Cross. God gave everything to us, can we withhold anything from his body?
Missional Community
And the LORD added to their number, people who were being saved. This church was in the world, but they were not of the world. They were not small, ingrown, self-centered enclaves. They were on mission with God to reach people. They saw incredible numbers come to Christ. What does this look like? Let's take a step back. In our history, Renewal has grown by being an attractional church. We set up events and invite people in. But the problem is that non-Christians have stopped coming to us. The visitors are usually Christians looking for a church. So what does it look like for our church to engage the skeptics and the non-believers? How do we encounter and engage those outside the Church?
This is the missional church.
The way our church did "missional activity," we would cram our schedule with evangelistic meetings. And this would take us away from our individual communities. Instead, we are trying to clear the schedule. Basically, the only meetings would be meeting together to worship the LORD. Otherwise, we want you to work in your community of non-believers. We want you to scatter throughout the rest of the week. Won't you join us in reaching people for Christ?
And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
{Rev. Charles Han}
I'm hoping this message will give us a perspective on why this is important to our church in this moment of our church. Picture this. In 30 years, Christianity went from a sect of Judaism to spreading across the entire known world. This is not just a historical thought. This is where we are now. God moves in this passage, just as He works now in His church. From Acts, we can take our cues on fellowship, on community, on how the church should look like.
The passage tells us two things:
The evidence of what a spirit-filled church looks like.
The actions of a church that puts themselves in a place where the spirit will move.
1) Learning Community
2) Worshiping Community
3) Sacrificially Caring Community
4) Missional Community
Learning Community
Paul testified to the people. And when he did so, it cut people to the heart and 3,000 people joined the church. It went from 150 people to 3,000 people. Can you imagine the logistics? Insanity for those who were dealing with administrative things.
What were they devoted to? The teachings of the apostles. They were a learning community devoted to learning. Learning about how their lives should be lived in light of the gospel. 3,000 spiritual babies devoting time & energy to learning.
Reasons to be intensely devoted to the word: The gospel grows richer as we devote more time to it. The mundane practice of daily reading, group bible studies, and preaching are all there for God to challenge & grow us.
"What is interesting to me is that the means God appointed to help the children of Israel were to remember what was important. In his dealings with Moses, God had established a set of repetitive processes by which the Israelites would be constantly reminded of all that God had done for them. Thus, for example, in Exodus 12, God establishes the Passover Feast, the performance of which is designed in part to provoke later generations to ask the question of why this is done. This will then require parents to tell their children about God’s great act of saving grace in bringing the children of Israel out of Egypt even as this was by means of an awesome and terrifying judgment against the Egyptians.
The Passover is just one example of many rituals outlined in the Torah which functioned on one level as reminders of who God was, who the Israelites were, and how they related to each other. Thus, when we come in to the Promised Land and we find the Israelites suffering persistent recurrences of amnesia, it does not take a genius to assume that part of the immediate cause of this was their abject neglect of the means which God had established for keeping his name and his acts fresh in their minds.
What this kind of amnesia tells us is that we need constant reminders of who God is and what he has done if we are to stay on the straight and narrow; and that these are provided by the routines and rituals which God specifies in Scripture. For the Christian, under the terms of the NT age, these are the Word of God, read and preached and heard, and the sacraments, or, if you are a Baptist, the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. These things are given to remind us of who God is; and the neglect of them will only help to accelerate any proclivities towards forgetfulness that our instinctive rebellion of God encourages.
To spend the week voyaging at the far reaches of intellectual seas of scholarship, and then the weekends listening to some person standing in a pulpit and simply expounding the text or serving bread and wine? What is the value in that? One can imagine the Israelites in the Book of Judges raising similar questions. Do we need to do that Passover thing again? Do we not all know what it means? Do we really need the law read to us so often? Surely once we know what it says, we can move beyond it? The net result in Judges is, of course, that the values of Sodom come to flourish within the very boundaries of the Promised Land and within the very practices of the Lord’s people, with fatal consequences for at least one young woman. Neglect of the boring, day-to-day routines led to absolute disaster.
This is why church is vitally important...
It is the same today. I have yet to come across a student who struggled with, or even abandoned, the faith, who did not, at some early point in their struggle, abandon the mundane routines of the Christian life: regular attendance at the preaching of the word, prayer, etc. etc. Boring they may be, but they are God’s means of preventing amnesia; and we forget them at our peril." - Carl Trueman, Lest We Forget
Daily neglect is how sin works in our lives. When we neglect the mundane everyday practices, keep us close to God.
Worshiping Community
This 3,000 person church gathered in two ways. They gathered in one corporate body. They also gathered in smaller groups in their homes. In both of these gatherings, they are characterized by "awe came upon every soul" and "glad and generous hearts."
So for us, how do the meetings with fellow Christians look like? Do you encounter the awesomeness of God? Is there intimate joy in your heart when you leave these meetings? This is what the early church looks like. Consider the nature & quality of the community we are in...
Sacrificially Caring Community
"they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need." How much did they care for one another? The rich among them sold their wealth and provided for those who were struggling. This looks like communism to some. But there's a significant difference. There is no forceful coercion.
The people were not individualistic. There was a communal consideration for each other. They were all members of the body. But for us nowadays, we ask... is it enough to give 10% regularly to the church. What is the biblical answer? Our standard of measure is the Cross. God gave everything to us, can we withhold anything from his body?
Missional Community
And the LORD added to their number, people who were being saved. This church was in the world, but they were not of the world. They were not small, ingrown, self-centered enclaves. They were on mission with God to reach people. They saw incredible numbers come to Christ. What does this look like? Let's take a step back. In our history, Renewal has grown by being an attractional church. We set up events and invite people in. But the problem is that non-Christians have stopped coming to us. The visitors are usually Christians looking for a church. So what does it look like for our church to engage the skeptics and the non-believers? How do we encounter and engage those outside the Church?
This is the missional church.
The way our church did "missional activity," we would cram our schedule with evangelistic meetings. And this would take us away from our individual communities. Instead, we are trying to clear the schedule. Basically, the only meetings would be meeting together to worship the LORD. Otherwise, we want you to work in your community of non-believers. We want you to scatter throughout the rest of the week. Won't you join us in reaching people for Christ?
Jun 20, 2010
The Message of the Church on Mission
But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
"'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'
"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him,
"'I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.'
"Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
"'The Lord said to my Lord,Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.'
Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
{Acts 2:14-41}
[Dwight Yoo]
This is where Peter is explaining Pentecost. It is also the first sermon of the church.
"The Gospel then, is not something that exists solely for our progress and personal fulfillment (although it does include these things). Rather , the gospel is something to which we are to give ourselves for its progress and fulfillment." - Walt Russell (Talbot Seminary)
Peter answers the questions of onlookers. He explains exactly what does Pentecost mean for those who were there. This is a secondary point, but worth spending time on. We, the church, should be able to answer society's questions. For example, How can you claim that there is only one way to heaven? What is worth living for?
Christianity practiced w/o Christ in the center is not Christian living. Many religions believe in heaven. Good morals. So what is different? Christ's death & resurrection. It is central to the Christian faith.
The gospel requires a response. People will either repent & follow Christ or reject Christ. What does this mean for us? For those of us who are ministering to unbeliever, at some point, we need to ask unbelievers to follow Christ. We need to tell them that those who do not accept Christ's offer of salvation are under the judgment of God. We need to ask people to accept the promises of God through Christ.
"'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'
"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him,
"'I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.'
"Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
"'The Lord said to my Lord,Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.'
Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
{Acts 2:14-41}
[Dwight Yoo]
This is where Peter is explaining Pentecost. It is also the first sermon of the church.
"The Gospel then, is not something that exists solely for our progress and personal fulfillment (although it does include these things). Rather , the gospel is something to which we are to give ourselves for its progress and fulfillment." - Walt Russell (Talbot Seminary)
Peter answers the questions of onlookers. He explains exactly what does Pentecost mean for those who were there. This is a secondary point, but worth spending time on. We, the church, should be able to answer society's questions. For example, How can you claim that there is only one way to heaven? What is worth living for?
Christianity practiced w/o Christ in the center is not Christian living. Many religions believe in heaven. Good morals. So what is different? Christ's death & resurrection. It is central to the Christian faith.
The gospel requires a response. People will either repent & follow Christ or reject Christ. What does this mean for us? For those of us who are ministering to unbeliever, at some point, we need to ask unbelievers to follow Christ. We need to tell them that those who do not accept Christ's offer of salvation are under the judgment of God. We need to ask people to accept the promises of God through Christ.
Jun 13, 2010
Spirit-Filled Church on Mission
{Acts 2:1-13}
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God." And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others mocking said, "They are filled with new wine."
[Rev. Dwight Yoo]
Picture of inner city ministry - http://www.strochcc.org/
Sharing / Testimony of Ben McLeish and Kayti Chung
Background on the Pentecost
Pentecost literally means 50th. That day was the 50th day after the first day of Passover. In Jewish traditions, it was the day of firstfruits. This day was when Israelites started bringing in the harvest. It was one of the great pilgrimages in the Jewish tradition. Also 50 days after the liberation of the people from Egypt was when Moses came down from the mountain with the law.
So why Pentecost? God was probably portraying the harvest. Not the harvest of crops, nor grain, nor fruit. But rather the spiritual harvest, the salvation of souls.
The important point is the giving of the Spirit rather than just the giving of the law. "And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statues and be careful to obey my rules."- Ezekiel 36:27 So we are no longer just trying to follow rules, but the Spirit works within our hearts. God is changing us to become like Him.
Events
Verse 2 describes the sounds of violent wind. In Greek & Hebrew, ("Ruwah") the word for wind also refers to breath and spirit. So why did God choose to make this sound? For those in the ancient days, wind meant rain. Rain meant life.
Also there were tongues of fire. Jesus said his disciples would be bathed with the Holy Spirit and fire. God presents himself as fire. A burning bush. A pillar of fire. These were not normal flames. These were "tongue" flames. In these passages, the tongues are referring to earthly dialects. We know this because the pilgrims heard of God's works in their own languages.
Application(s)
The event of Pentecost only happened once. So what does it mean to us?
We need to remember that the same spirit is in work in our lives & hearts. The same Holy Spirit is still enabling spiritual gifts.
How is the Spirit working?
We need to remember that the Spirit not only affects us internally. But being spirit-filled also means we share the Gospel. It is not only internal effects, but also has an external effect. It means testifying to God's work powerfully, effectively, and fruitfully.
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God." And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others mocking said, "They are filled with new wine."
[Rev. Dwight Yoo]
Picture of inner city ministry - http://www.strochcc.org/
Sharing / Testimony of Ben McLeish and Kayti Chung
Background on the Pentecost
Pentecost literally means 50th. That day was the 50th day after the first day of Passover. In Jewish traditions, it was the day of firstfruits. This day was when Israelites started bringing in the harvest. It was one of the great pilgrimages in the Jewish tradition. Also 50 days after the liberation of the people from Egypt was when Moses came down from the mountain with the law.
So why Pentecost? God was probably portraying the harvest. Not the harvest of crops, nor grain, nor fruit. But rather the spiritual harvest, the salvation of souls.
The important point is the giving of the Spirit rather than just the giving of the law. "And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statues and be careful to obey my rules."- Ezekiel 36:27 So we are no longer just trying to follow rules, but the Spirit works within our hearts. God is changing us to become like Him.
Events
Verse 2 describes the sounds of violent wind. In Greek & Hebrew, ("Ruwah") the word for wind also refers to breath and spirit. So why did God choose to make this sound? For those in the ancient days, wind meant rain. Rain meant life.
Also there were tongues of fire. Jesus said his disciples would be bathed with the Holy Spirit and fire. God presents himself as fire. A burning bush. A pillar of fire. These were not normal flames. These were "tongue" flames. In these passages, the tongues are referring to earthly dialects. We know this because the pilgrims heard of God's works in their own languages.
Application(s)
The event of Pentecost only happened once. So what does it mean to us?
We need to remember that the same spirit is in work in our lives & hearts. The same Holy Spirit is still enabling spiritual gifts.
How is the Spirit working?
- The Spirit works to bring life.
- The Spirit assures us of His Presence, and we experience God by the Spirit.
- The Spirit forms Kingdom character in us, the character of King Jesus.
- The Spirit empowers us to share the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
We need to remember that the Spirit not only affects us internally. But being spirit-filled also means we share the Gospel. It is not only internal effects, but also has an external effect. It means testifying to God's work powerfully, effectively, and fruitfully.
Jun 6, 2010
The Church on Mission
{Acts 1:1-14}
In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
[Rev. Dwight Yoo]
Major Points
The Continuing Mission
In verses 1&2, Luke refers to the gospel book. Then Luke indicates that he plans to outline Jesus' continuing work.. Verse 3 tells of Jesus, the Risen Lord who spends 40 days with the apostles. This is no hallucination. This sounds crazy, but it is not. A single person experiencing hallucinations, very possible. Mass hallucination over an extended period of time? Highly unlikely.
In verse 6, the apostles ask whether the coming kingdom is coming now. They were hoping for instant, nationally minded... kingdom come. Specifically, they were hoping for Israel to overthrow Rome. They were hoping that Jesus would be the King of the earthly kingdom, Israel. Political power. National restoration. Jesus was telling them otherwise...
The Power for Mission
In verse 8, the Holy Spirit will empower us to continue Jesus' mission. It is not enough to just do it in our own power. We need the Holy Spirit to minister. This power changed people from fearful to courageous, from timid to bold.
Preparation for Mission
In verse 14, we see the apostles go back to gather and pray.
There are three things that appear in this community.
Obedience - Even through all these changes, the people are willing to follow. This reflects a spirit of faith and care. People only pay attention, if they care. People only do, if they believe in someone or something.
Prayer - They were ready and willing to chase after God in prayer.
Unity - They loved one another.
In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
[Rev. Dwight Yoo]
Major Points
The Continuing Mission
In verses 1&2, Luke refers to the gospel book. Then Luke indicates that he plans to outline Jesus' continuing work.. Verse 3 tells of Jesus, the Risen Lord who spends 40 days with the apostles. This is no hallucination. This sounds crazy, but it is not. A single person experiencing hallucinations, very possible. Mass hallucination over an extended period of time? Highly unlikely.
In verse 6, the apostles ask whether the coming kingdom is coming now. They were hoping for instant, nationally minded... kingdom come. Specifically, they were hoping for Israel to overthrow Rome. They were hoping that Jesus would be the King of the earthly kingdom, Israel. Political power. National restoration. Jesus was telling them otherwise...
The Power for Mission
In verse 8, the Holy Spirit will empower us to continue Jesus' mission. It is not enough to just do it in our own power. We need the Holy Spirit to minister. This power changed people from fearful to courageous, from timid to bold.
Preparation for Mission
In verse 14, we see the apostles go back to gather and pray.
There are three things that appear in this community.
Obedience - Even through all these changes, the people are willing to follow. This reflects a spirit of faith and care. People only pay attention, if they care. People only do, if they believe in someone or something.
Prayer - They were ready and willing to chase after God in prayer.
Unity - They loved one another.
May 30, 2010
Fighting with the Full Armor of God: Prayer - The Summoning of Divine Power
{Ephesians 6:16-20}
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
[Rev. Dan Whang]
I will be covering the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, and prayer.
When we refer to the FULL armor of God, it is the full protection... nothing is left lacking. We will be equipped for battle.
Helmet of Salvation
I would like to refer to this as the "Hope of Salvation"
"But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation." - 1 Thessalonians 5:8
We differ this from our faith in that our faith is based on what has already been done for us. Hope is for what we has not yet come to pass. It is what drives us forward.
Sword of the Spirit
Everything else we've covered is for our defense. The sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon.
"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." - Hebrews 4:12
Most of the time, we think of the sword in fighting the enemies and trying to kill them. But I would like to introduce the idea that the sword should first be used on ourselves. We should use the sword to help us reveal our own hearts. Don't get suicidal thoughts now...
Three powers of the Spirit
Power to search and convict - The spirit can reveal hidden sins that we are unaware of. It can convict us of things we should do or things we should not.
Power to comfort - When we are broken and dejected over sin, it can restore us even in the face of our most heinous sins.
Power to convert - The Spirit works to change our hearts and turn us to God.
Prayer in the Spirit
"praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints"
There is this all encompassing language. We should be praying at all times, in every situation.
Prayer as Empowerment - Prayer summons divine power. It is like the heavenly walkie talkie in the middle of the battle. We can and should call for spiritual backup, support, & supplies..
Prayer as Life - Prayer is not our focus. God is our focus. It is like having a conversation and trying to focus on conversation instead of the other person.
I have an encouragement about prayer. It is simply this...
Make prayer your #1 response to everything in life.
Like this oil spill in the gulf of Mexico. All this blame and fishing industry collapsing... What can we as a single human being do? I thought, we should pray.
Application
"...The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16 (NIV)
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
[Rev. Dan Whang]
I will be covering the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, and prayer.
When we refer to the FULL armor of God, it is the full protection... nothing is left lacking. We will be equipped for battle.
Helmet of Salvation
I would like to refer to this as the "Hope of Salvation"
"But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation." - 1 Thessalonians 5:8
We differ this from our faith in that our faith is based on what has already been done for us. Hope is for what we has not yet come to pass. It is what drives us forward.
Sword of the Spirit
Everything else we've covered is for our defense. The sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon.
"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." - Hebrews 4:12
Most of the time, we think of the sword in fighting the enemies and trying to kill them. But I would like to introduce the idea that the sword should first be used on ourselves. We should use the sword to help us reveal our own hearts. Don't get suicidal thoughts now...
Three powers of the Spirit
Power to search and convict - The spirit can reveal hidden sins that we are unaware of. It can convict us of things we should do or things we should not.
Power to comfort - When we are broken and dejected over sin, it can restore us even in the face of our most heinous sins.
Power to convert - The Spirit works to change our hearts and turn us to God.
Prayer in the Spirit
"praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints"
There is this all encompassing language. We should be praying at all times, in every situation.
Prayer as Empowerment - Prayer summons divine power. It is like the heavenly walkie talkie in the middle of the battle. We can and should call for spiritual backup, support, & supplies..
Prayer as Life - Prayer is not our focus. God is our focus. It is like having a conversation and trying to focus on conversation instead of the other person.
I have an encouragement about prayer. It is simply this...
Make prayer your #1 response to everything in life.
Like this oil spill in the gulf of Mexico. All this blame and fishing industry collapsing... What can we as a single human being do? I thought, we should pray.
Application
- Make Time
- Make Lists
- Make Partners
"...The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16 (NIV)
May 23, 2010
Fighting with the Full Armor of God: The Shield of Faith
{Ephesians 6:10-16}
The enemy attacks us in two ways:
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
[Rev. Dwight Yoo]
The shield provides overall protection.
How the Shield of Faith protects.
The enemy attacks us in two ways:
Attacks of Enticement
Satan wants us to place our satisfaction in money, hobbies, food, our family, our job... everything but God. All these things are good things and they are not inherently sinful. The problem comes when they become the ultimate thing. Say our job becomes where we get our ultimate satisfaction... we will become insecure. Because our worth, our joy is tied to our performance at work. We become jealous of co-workers that may be doing a better job than us. We get a bad performance review and we are crushed.
Faith gives us a long-term view, exposing short-term quality of sinful gratification and its consequences.
By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. - Hebrews 11:24-26
Faith pursues the greater pleasure, treasure, and satisfaction that we have in Christ
We do not always experience the pleasure, joy, & satisfaction in Christ. So very often we chase more immediate, but fleeting pleasure.
Attacks of Fear
When the devil attacks us in this way, he is trying to provoke us to the following:
Atheism - We start wondering if God even exists...
Blasphemy - We think God is not good. Or he is unjust....
Despair - We lose hope. We consider ourselves failures.
Faith recognizes the limits of reason and clings only to what God says about himself.
Faith takes hold of promises because Faith sees the trustworthiness of the Promiser.
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