An Example of Prayer

On May 13, 2013 By BrianIn Book of Acts, Church Life, Habit of Prayer

In Acts 12, Herod throws Peter in prison. How does the church respond? With prayer. They seek the aid of the King of Kings who is greater than a mere earthly king. Their prayer response provides us with a good example for prayer today. Consider that their prayer was:

Corporate – Verse 12 says, “…many were gathered together and were praying.” They believed in the importance of corporate prayer. They believed in the church coming together to pray. In our individualistic culture, we often miss this. But the early church was a community, and they prayed together. Do we pray corporately?
Earnest – Verse 5 says, “…earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.” Their prayer was earnest. The same word is used of Jesus’ prayer in the garden as he sweated blood. Their prayer was not half-hearted or mere duty. They cried out to God. They pleaded with God. Do we pray earnestly?
Extended – Verses 4-6 make clear that Peter was in prison for at least a couple of days. And during that whole time, the church prayed. Day in and day out. They were even praying through the night when Peter escaped. Undoubtedly they had to stop to work and sleep, but when they could, they gathered to pray. When a significant trial comes upon our church, do we pray extendedly?
Expectant – Lest we think the early church were super-Christians, verses 13-16 make clear that they failed in this area of prayer. When Rhoda tells them Peter is at the door, they think that she is out of her mind. What irony that they are knocking on the door of heaven, and the answer to their prayer is knocking on their door – and they don’t believe it. Do we pray expectantly?

Conference Considerations

On May 8, 2013March 26, 2016 By BrianIn Church Life1 Comment

Last week I attended the RHMA Small Town Pastors’ Conference in Illinois with my wife. Here are a few take-home points:

I am useless on my own, but God can use me.
I need to seriously pray for situations instead of rashly attacking problems in my own strength.
I must minister out of love, not anger. Regular forgiveness is essential.
I must trust God in times of opposition.

Full of Faith

On April 4, 2013 By BrianIn Book of Acts1 Comment

In Acts 6, we were told that Stephan was a man full of faith. And so as Stephen nears the end of his life in Acts 7, it should be no surprise to us that we find him full of faith. He is full of faith and we too should be full of faith in:

The Promise of Heaven – He cries out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (v59). He is confident that his spirit is going to be with Jesus in heaven. And his confidence is not found in himself or his good works, but in the one he addresses – in Jesus. When the stones are flying in our lives, we need this faith in the promise of heaven. We need to be able to look past the trials to the reward when there will be no more flying stones. And when the final stone is flying, and it is our time to die, we need that faith in Jesus who promises heaven for his people.
The Providence of God – Stephan prays that the Lord will not hold this sin against his attackers (v60). How can he forgive as the stones are flying? Because he believes God is in control. Like in Joseph’s life, what they meant for evil, God would use for good. He was trusting in God’s plan for him even if it meant his death. When the stones are flying in our lives, we too need this faith in God’s providence. We too need to trust God when the situation makes no sense to us.
The Priority of Jesus – His approach to Christianity was not tacking Jesus onto his story to make his life better. If his story was central, he couldn’t stand as the stones are flying because his story was ending. But he understood the priority of Jesus. It was all about Jesus – the one Stephen had been proclaiming. Stephen had been tacked onto Jesus’ story, and that story would continue when Stephen died. When the stones are flying in our lives, we need this faith in the priority of Jesus – that it is all about him, and our purpose is simply to point to him.
The Presence of God – Stephen saw Jesus. He knew God was with him, and that gave him strength to persevere. When the stones are flying in our lives, we may not see a vision like Stephen did, but we need that firm faith in God’s presence with us. And because God is with us, we can be strong and courageous when the stones are flying.

The Thief and Us

On March 29, 2013 By BrianIn Book of Luke, Holidays

The thief on the cross gives us a good look at the cross and at ourselves.

His Crime and Ours (v32) – Luke calls him a criminal or lawbreaker. In Matthew, he is called thief or rebel. His crime is ours. We too are all lawbreakers – breaking the law of God. We are thieves. God created us to live for his glory and we live for our own – stealing God of the glory he deserves in our lives. We are rebels against our Creator. This is our crime.

His Sight and Ours (v33) – The thief is hung on a cross next to Jesus. If the thief turned his head he could see the suffering of Jesus. He could see Jesus’ back ripped open from the lashings. He could see Jesus’ head pierced by the thorns. He could see Jesus’ agony as he hung on the cross striving for breath. May his sight be ours. It is good for us to stop and see the suffering of our Savior, to remember what he endured for us. May this be our sight.

His Need and Ours (v34) – The thief hears the words of Jesus as he asks the Father to forgive those who hung him there. This was the thief’s need too – to be forgiven of his sins. To be forgiven of his crimes, his law-breaking, his thievery, his rebellion. His need is ours. We too need to be forgiven for our disobedience and rebellion. We too need to have our sin and guilt washed away. This is our need.

His Mocking and Ours (v35-38) – The thief hears the rulers and soldiers mocking Jesus. In Matthew 27, we read that both criminals joined in the mocking. Before he repented, this thief ridiculed Jesus like all the others. Perhaps his mockery was yours. At one time you mocked, you ridiculed, you scoffed at Jesus being your Savior. Was this your mockery?

His Change and Ours (v39-40) – As they hang there the on those crosses, the other thief continues to mock, but something happens to the thief we are considering. He has an incredible change of heart. He stops ridiculing Jesus and starts rebuking the other thief. What brought such a change? Grace. God graciously changed his heart. His change is ours. We too were changed by God’s grace. This is our change.

His Sentence and Ours (v40) – The thief was under a sentence of condemnation. He was dying for what he had done. His sentence was ours. We too were under a sentence of condemnation for our sins. The wrath of God laid heavy upon us – we too deserved to die. This was our sentence.

His Confession and Ours (v41) – The thief confesses that he is a criminal, a sinner. He confesses that he deserves the punishment he is receiving. His confession is ours. We too confess that we are sinners deserving God’s punishment. This is our confession.

His Cry and Ours (v42) – The thief cries out for Jesus to remember him. This is a cry of faith. He can do nothing to save himself, and so he looks to Jesus. He puts his trust in Jesus. His cry is ours. We too cry out to God in faith, trusting in him alone to save us. This is our cry.

His Hope and Ours (v43) – Finally the thief hears the promise of Jesus that gives him hope. Jesus promises that the thief will be with him in paradise that very day. His hope is ours. In the midst of trials and in the face of death, our hope is that we will one day be with Jesus in paradise with no more suffering or pain or death. This is our hope.

In the thief we see ourselves. We see our crime, our mocking, our sentence, and our need of forgiveness. We see our Savior’s suffering, our change by grace, our confession, our cry of faith, and our hope that comes through the cross of Jesus.

Full and Standing

On March 13, 2013 By BrianIn Book of Acts, Habit of Scripture

Stephen was preaching the gospel. There arose opposition, and these men disputed with him, “but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking” (Acts 6:10). He was full of the Spirit and wisdom, and it showed. His opponents gathered false witnesses and brought him before the Sanhedrin. The high priest asked if the charges were true, and Stephen begins to speak to them from the Scriptures. He was full of the Word, and it showed.

We too must be full of the Spirit and wisdom and the Word so that we might use the Word in the face of persecution or even simple discussion of the gospel with others. We must be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks us for a reason for the hope that is in us (I Peter 3:15). Are you ready like Stephen was?

We must be full of the Spirit and wisdom and the Word in our temptations so that we might follow the Spirit’s leading and wisely discern which verses to use against them. Are you, like Jesus, well equipped with verses to throw in the devil’s face?

We must be full of the Spirit and wisdom and the Word in our trials so that we can follow the leading of the Spirit and wisely discern where we might find encouragement and strength from God’s Word. Do you have an arsenal of verses at your disposal to use in times of trial?

If we are going to stand when the opposition comes against us – whether persecution, temptation, or trial – we must be full of the Spirit, wisdom, and the Word. Are you?

Becoming Full

On March 11, 2013 By BrianIn Book of Acts, Habit of Prayer, Habit of Scripture

Last week we looked at three areas where we should be full. We should be full of the Spirit, full of wisdom, and full of faith. But how do we get full? How can we be filled? This is not something we can do on our own. Each of these things comes from God, and so if we are going to be full we must look to God.

First, we must look to God in prayer. In Acts 4, the early church prayed and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. James 1:5 tells us that if any lack wisdom, they should ask of God, and God will give wisdom. In Mark 9:24, a man cries out to Jesus that he might overcome his unbelief. If we want to be full, we must pray. Do you pray to be full?
Second, we must look to God in His Word. In Ephesians 5:18-20, we are told to be full of the Spirit. In a parallel passage in Colossians 3:16, we are told to be full of the Word. The Spirit and the Word work together. The Word is the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). Psalm 19:7 tells us that God’s Word makes people wise. Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes from hearing the Word. If we want to be full, we must be in the Word. Are you filling yourself with God’s Word?

Full

On March 6, 2013 By BrianIn Book of Acts1 Comment

When the members of the early church were given the task of choosing seven men to make sure the church’s widows were fed, the apostles gave some important criteria (Acts 6:1-7). These men must be of good repute, and they must be full. They must be full of:

The Spirit: To be full of the Spirit is to be empowered and enabled by the Spirit to accomplish the ministry (Acts 4:31). A person filled with the Spirit will follow the leading of the Spirit and show forth the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26).
Wisdom: Undoubtedly practical wisdom would be required to take care of the details of feeding so many people. Beyond that, they needed Biblical wisdom to discern right from wrong, and in the fear of the Lord (which is the beginning of wisdom) choose what is right. As they were entrusted with much money to buy much food, they had to be trustworthy.
Faith: This was not a criteria but an observation about Stephen. He was full of faith. To be full of faith is to have a firm faith in Jesus for salvation. A full faith will trust God in trials and persecutions.

It must be recognized that these seven men came from the membership of the church. The only way leaders could be chosen is if the members were growing in these areas, which means we all should be growing in these areas. Looked at another way, leaders are to be an example to the church so that all of the church might follow their example, and so we too should follow their example and seek to grow in these areas.

Are you living in the power and leading of the Spirit, showing his fruit in your life?

Are you discerning between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right?

Are you growing in your faith in God for salvation, and trusting him in your trials?

Are you being filled?

Are you full?

Six Clear Commitments for the Church

On February 25, 2013 By BrianIn Book of Acts, Church Life

In Acts 6:1-7, we see six clear commitments of the early church. These same commitments should be true of our churches today as well:

Unity – The occasion behind this passage is a real threat to unity. Diverse backgrounds, neglect, and complaining all threaten the church. The apostles deal decisively with the problems to preserve unity in the church. So should we.
Caring Fellowship – The early church was daily feeding widows in need. Acts 2 tells us they gave to anyone in the church who was in need. Plus they met regularly in homes. They cared about each other in tangible ways, and so should we.
Prayer and the Word – The apostles wouldn’t neglect prayer and the Word. Indeed throughout Acts, we see prayer and the Word continually. These were central to the early church, and they should be central in our churches today.
Diverse Roles – If the church was going to commit to caring fellowship and the Word and prayer, it became clear that diverse roles were necessary. Some needed to focus on caring for people’s physical needs, while others focused on people’s spiritual needs. Diverse roles are just as important today.
Active Membership – The full number of the disciples assembled for essentially a business meeting to deal with the issue at hand. They were involved in choosing the seven. These same disciples were devoted to the ministries of the church (Acts 2:41-42). We need an active membership today.
Qualified Leadership – The apostles gave clear guidelines for choosing the seven. This was not a popular vote. Each leader had to have a good reputation, and be full of the Spirit and full of wisdom. We need leaders like that today as well.

As the early church lived out these six commitments, the gospel continued to spread. May God help our churches to live out these six clear commitments, and may the Lord cause the gospel to spread through us today!

What Are We Willing To Risk?

On February 11, 2013 By BrianIn Book of Acts

In Acts 4-5, we see the apostles taking risks for the gospel. In Acts 4, when Peter and John had been arrested, the Jewish leaders charged them not to speak any more about Jesus. Upon being further threatened and then released, the apostles convened a prayer meeting to pray for boldness to continue to speak of Jesus. And they continued to proclaim the gospel with boldness and power (4:31, 33). They took risks for the sake of the gospel and multitudes were being saved (5:14).

The chief priests driven by jealousy, arrested the apostles and put them in prison (5:17-18). God sent an angel to bring them out and command them to go into the temple and continue preaching the gospel. And so they did. They continued to take risks for the gospel. After finding the prison empty and the apostles in the temple, the chief priests arrested the apostles again. Standing before the Sanhedrin, the apostles began proclaiming the gospel to the very men who opposed them (5:30-32). They were again taking risks for the gospel. Indeed the Sanhedrin wanted to kill the apostles!

The advice of a Pharisee named Gamaliel saved their lives, but they were beaten for proclaiming the gospel before they were released. And what did they do? They continued to proclaim the gospel (5:42). They continued to risk everything for the sake of the gospel.

Which brings us to the question: What are we willing to risk for the sake of the gospel? Are we willing to risk it all? Risk our lives? Our wealth? Our comfort? Our jobs? Our popularity? Are we willing to risk ridicule and rejection? What are we willing to risk to make use of the opportunities God gives us to share the gospel? What are we willing to risk for the One who gave his life for us?

The Lord’s Supper

On February 4, 2013 By BrianIn Church Life

Our church looked at the significance of the Lord’s Supper yesterday from I Corinthians 11:23-26. As we think about what the Lord’s Supper is all about, at least four things come out of the passage.

It is a meal of remembrance. We are to eat and drink in remembrance of Jesus. Specifically we remember his suffering and death for us. And we remember his great love that led him to make this sacrifice on our behalf. And so our time around the table is a somber, reverent time of remembrance. We dare not partake in a flippant, careless manner.
It is a meal of affirmation. “This cup is the new covenant in my blood” (v25). The Lord’s Supper is then a covenant meal. In participating we affirm our place in the new covenant. We affirm our relationship with God thru Jesus. We affirm that our sins are forgiven through Jesus. We affirm our new life in the Spirit. We affirm our faith in Jesus. And so only believers should partake of the Lord’s Supper, for only believers can affirm these things.
It is a meal of proclamation. In eating and drinking we “proclaim the Lord’s death” (v26). It is a visible tangible proclamation of his death and hence the gospel. We proclaim the gospel to each other as we partake. And we proclaim the gospel to any unbelievers who may be present as they see the central importance of Christ’s death.
It is a meal of anticipation. We “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (v26). As we remember his death we recognize that he did not remain dead, but rose, ascended, and is one day returning. We look forward to the day when we will partake of a new meal – the wedding feast of the Lamb (Revelation 19). We look forward to the day when we will be with the Lord forever, and there will be no more suffering or pain or death or sin.