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Sunday, December 14, 2008

2008 Christmas Preparation Message

CHRISTIAN KOINONIA

1 John 1:1-10 Christmas 2008
Key Verse: 1:3 NIU UBF 12/7/08

"We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ."
Every Christmas my mind scans the Bible, trying to find original passages to preach about, concerning the birth of Jesus into the world. We have had messages from Isaiah. Micah, and the Gospels. This year I came to realize that 1 John chapter 1 was an excellent passage to think about the meaning of Jesus’ birth into this world. 1 John 1 concerns Jesus coming in the flesh. And isn’t that we are celebrating this Christmas season? Are we not celebrating the fact that Jesus, came into this world as a tiny baby in a manger to save people from their sins? So let us mediate on this passage and come to understand more deeply, the meaning of this season.
1 John was written by John the Apostle. John was the brother of James. They were sons of Zebedee. When God called them on the shores of the Sea of Galilee they left their boat and nets to follow Jesus. John felt a special closeness to Jesus, calling himself "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (Jn 21:20). He felt like this, but we all know that Jesus loved all of them equally. Later on, John wrote John's Gospel. In his senior years he pastured God's people in Ephesus. In his late eighties, he was exiled to the Isle of Patmos, a Roman quarry, where he wrote the book of Revelation.
John had authority to write about the truth of Jesus. Look at verses 1 and 2. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.” John had personal experience with Jesus. John and Jesus were tight. John was an eyewitness to Jesus' life and death and resurrection. He had followed Jesus for 3 ½ years during his earthly ministry. John knew Jesus the man. He saw him and heard him and touched him. And he loved Jesus. He was changed into an apostle of love. He also came to believe and know that Jesus is the eternal Word of life, the Son who was with the Father from the beginning.
These three letters, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John were written to believers who were being confronted by false teachers--especially by those with Gnostic ideas. 1 John was written to dispel doubts and plant assurance that Jesus was God. He presents God as light, love and life. He describes in simple and practical terms what it means to have fellowship with God. John wanted to get the believers back on track, showing the difference between light and darkness and to encourage the church to grow in love for God and for one another. When we keep all of these things in mind, everything in this chapter fits together and it makes perfect sense why we must study it for Christmas.
Part l: Jesus Is God Who Came In The Flesh
First, what do we know about this Gnosticism that plagued the early church? The Gnostics taught that flesh is evil and spirit is good. This is an unbiblical idea, and it leads to the denial of the true humanity of Christ. In practical life, those who embrace Gnosticism fall into one of two extremes: They either become ascetic to the point of mistreating their bodies, or they throw off all moral restraints, saying that it doesn't matter what we do with our physical bodies as long as we believe in Jesus, for the body is corruptible and perishing anyway. This is incredibly false teaching.
The Bible teaches that God created man-- body and spirit--and said, "It is good." Jesus is God. He is the Word who became flesh and made his dwelling among us (Jn 1:14). The idea that spirit is good and all matter is evil should be abhorrent to Christians who know that Jesus is God incarnate. John once wrote in John 1;14, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Many Christians were becoming uncertain of this Biblical fact that there was now two or three generations separating them from the beginning of the Christian church and also due to the hard work of, and bad influence of these false teachers. This false teaching would have enormous consequences on their concept of God, their knowledge of his love and the character of the church.

The Bible teaches that Jesus is God. Contrary to Gnostic teachings, Jesus is the Word who became flesh and made his dwelling among us (Jn 1:14). He preached the word of God to our hearts. He served people day in and day out, practically and with prayer. He raised up his 12 disciples as the future spiritual leaders of the world. After pouring out his life, Jesus went on to died on the cross. He was very God and very man, who shared in all of sufferings. Hebrews 4:15 reads “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” He experienced all that we experienced and overcame. We can band together with Jesus for Jesus truly understands us. Jesus understands Tim and Andrew’s hard studies because he spent many years as a young man mastering the Old Testament Scriptures. Jesus understands my kids, who have to do chores, because he was a carpenter’s apprentice. Jesus understands those who have lost a father, because Biblical scholars believe that Joseph died before Jesus began his ministry. Jesus understands those who are tired because he stayed up many nights praying and teaching the Bible to his disciples. Jesus understood all of us who are tempted by sin, because he was tempted every, but struggled and overcame victoriously.

Part ll: Deep Meaningful Koininia (1b-10)

Jesus really wants to have a relationship with us. Verse 1b reads, “… —this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.” This brings to mind what John had written in the opening verses of his Gospel. John 1:1-3 reads, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” John describes Jesus as the Word. We use words to communicate. Jennifer was using words in her forensics competition on Saturday to try to convey her ideas to the judges. I am trying to communicate about God’s love to you with words. I am not sure how successful I am at it. We use words to communicate and to have relationships with others. God really wants to communicate with us. Sin broke communication with God. But God in his love tried his best, in many different ways, to speak to our hearts. But we, in our darkness, would not open the door to let him and listen to him. God did not give up. Finally he went to the extreme to establish a relationship. He sent his one and only Son, Jesus into this world as the living Word of God. Through Jesus, our Heavenly Father is breaking through the barrier of sin and is communicating his amazing love into each of our hearts. He is establishing deep and meaningful fellowship with us. This fellowship we call Koininia.

So what is this "fellowship" or "koinonia" that God went to such great lengths to establish? Let’s read verse 3 together, “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” Fellowship has deep meaning. It is described by the Greek Word, Koininia. This word has become associated with our spiritual fellowship with God and with others believers. John and the apostles proclaimed what they had seen and heard so that we might know Jesus and have fellowship with him, and have fellowship with all believers down throughout history.

Jesus demonstrated this koinonia during his earthly ministry. He ate with sinners and tax collectors. (Mk 2:16). Jesus spent years serving the disciples and giving them discipleship training. (Mk 3:14). Jesus served and served and served some more, even giving his life as a ransom for many. (Mk 10:45) How beautiful is Jesus’ serving life. We have a great opportunity to serve others this Christmas by inviting them to our Christmas service and offering so that wheat can be trained into North Korea to help feed starving people there. Maybe we can find some other practical ways to serve others around NIU and DeKalb this Christmas.

The early church knew God’s heart and understood his insatiable desire to have koinonia with us. This understanding manifested itself into practical living. Look at the beautiful fellowship they had in Acts 4:32-35, “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.” These early Christians were bound together by some common threads.

First, All the believers wanted to know Jesus. They knew the grace of Jesus very personally and deeply. This love of God caused them to want to know Jesus. Paul was one who knew the grace of Jesus. One of the motivating forces in his life and ministry is expressed in Philippians 3:10, “I want to know Christ and the fellowship of sharing in his suffering becoming like him in his death.” All Christians, experience Koininia through their desire to know Christ.
Second, they had commitment to God and to one another in unity. Unity of our fellowship is achieved when we all walk with God. (Ge 5:21-24), It can happen when we make a commitment to those who do the will of God. (Mk 3:31-35). Koininia does not have to occur in large groups in a mega church setting. It is more profoundly manifest through small groups. In Matthew 18:20, Jesus said, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” In fact much of the work of God going on in the 10/40 window, the frontlines of world evangelism, is happening though small house churches. Think about China and the Middle East. A Christian revolution is happening in Iran through small house churches of 3-4 people. (Voice Of The Martyrs Nov, 2008) You can be a member of a 10,000 person church and still have no fellowship with others. You could have five people and have deep and meaningful Koininia.
Proclaiming the word of God is very important in forming Christian koinonia? (1b; 3; 1Thes 1:8a; 2Thes 3:1; 1Co 1:18) Let’s read verse 1b; “…—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.” and verse 3, “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” “Proclaim” is repeated many times. Christian fellowship is not just having coffee together. (although this is important and necessary at times.) It involves proclaiming the word of God together as a team. Christian fellowship happens when we proclaim God’s word. When we proclaim the Gospel we have fellowship. To proclaim is a very positive thing. It means to go out of your way to proclaim what you believe as true. Proclaiming the gospel involves the sharing in the remaining suffering of Jesus. Some Christians in other countries suffer in unimaginable ways in order to proclaim the gospel. We have our own unique forms of suffering. Tim and Andrew are in the midst of their exams. But they took time out to prepare for the Sunday worship service. Tim lost his part time job at a bagel shop in order to worship God in Sunday. Sharing in the suffering of Jesus is the most fundamental meaning of Christian fellowship. God has called us here to proclaim his word among campus students though 1:1 Bible study. I doing so together, we are experiencing some great Koinina.!

Living in Koinina is a lifestyle. Look at verses 5-7, “5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin.” False teachers were saying that they can still live in the light and also walk in darkness. The body is going to be destroyed anyway, so who cares? (This is what the Gnostics say.) Walking in the darkness is walking with the devil and walking selfishness. Darkness is the darkness of sin. It is a lifestyle. Sin breaks our fellowship with God and with others. It makes us fatalistic and dark, and robs our lives of meaning. Sin is at the root of most broken relationships with God and with each other. When we are selfish, proud, self centered and thankless and arrogant we can never have fellowship. (even with our pets.) We must overcome and struggle to overcome the darkness of selfishness and pride and struggle to live by the word of God.

The good news is that we don't have to live in the darkness of sin. God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5) God is perfectly holy and pure and he alone can guide us out of the darkness of sin. If we repent before him, he exposes our sin, and the blood of Jesus his Son purifies us from all sin. We can walk joyfully with God in his light. Walking in the light is also a lifestyle. Walking in the light is walking in the truth of Jesus and walking in the footsteps of Jesus. This is fellowship, walking together in the same lifestyle, walking together in the footsteps of Jesus. It involves life together. It involves struggling, laughing, and yes, even crying together. There can be nothing more solid, meaningful, and intimate than this. (Learning, struggling together, having communion, sharing in Jesus’ suffering together.) Common life is a good opportunity to learn the lifestyle of walking in the light. It is also a decision and so let’s decide to walk in the light.

If the darkness of sin hinders Koinina, how can we overcome? Look at verses 8-10, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” John is countering another claim of the false teachers. Gnostics claimed that people had no natural tendency towards sin. They thought, that in their spirits, they were incapable of sinning. It is a self deception. Practically speaking, they refused to take sin seriously. They felt they had no need to confess and repent. But the truth is that in life, we are always capable of sinning and fall into it constantly. That is why confession is so important. John makes it very clear what confession is. Confession is not just listing our sinful activities. Look at verse8. First we acknowledge sin as sin. This is the first step in bringing us closer to Jesus. Sin brings shame, guilt, and when we confess and repent, humility of heart. We break down our pride and accept the love of God and experience God’s mercy. We taste God’s forgiveness and his grace. This strengthens our fellowship with God. Our foundation of fellowship with God and with each other is confession, repentance and forgiveness.

God wants us to have Koinina to make our joy complete. Verse 4 reads, “4We write this to make our[a] joy complete.” How can our joy be complete? It is linked to proclaiming the Gospel. The most unhappy times in our Christian lives is when we are not proclaiming the Gospel. Lately my joy has been made more complete through my Bible study with Jay and Casandra. I thank you all of your co-working in proclaiming the word of God together here as a team.

Koinonia brings unity among us. God’s desire for our unity us revealed in Jesus’ prayer, “That they may be one as we are one.” (Jn 17:11) God wants to glorify his name though his unified people. The hardest thing in life is maintaining our fellowship with Jesus. If we maintain this Koininia then Jesus’ name is glorified. Through our unity with God and with one another the world will know that Jesus Christ is Lord. One of the most damaging things to our Christian message is not atheists or Islam. It is our own disunity. They must know our unified message, our unified life and our unifying love.

John does not stop telling us how important it is to build up fellowship with Christ and unite with one another. The deepest desire of Christians is to fellowship with God and with one another. There are three C’s in finding and maintaining koinonia, communion, community, and commitment. God wants us to have fellowship with him and with each other. John invites us to walk with Jesus in the light of his love and truth. He wants us to know the real joy of fellowship with God and fellowship with one another, receiving the word and proclaiming it together.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Psalm 103- Thanksgiving Message 2008

PRAISE THE LORD, O MY SOUL

Psalm 103:1-22 NIU UBF Thanksgiving message 2008
Key Verse: 103:2 Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 11/23/08
“ Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- .”
We’ve heard the term, praise the Lord! Christmas is coming and there will be lots of Christmas cards depicting angels praising God for the birth of Jesus. We’ve seen people in worship with their hands held up towards heaven. We’ve had people exhort us to praise the Lord. They look us in the eye and say in a loud voice, “Praise the Lord, brother!” In this world that seems to be filled with bad news, why should we praise the Lord? What does it mean to praise the Lord? How do we praise the Lord? What do we praise the Lord for? May Psalm 103 give us some insight into praising the Lord? So, let us praise God for more reasons other than just our daily bread.
First, we need to define who we are praising. Look at verse 1a, ““Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.” When I was driving to Chicago there was a billboard about brothers. It had a picture of two boys walking hand in hand. It read, “Brothers…a gift from nature.” The billboard’s creators did not want to state the truth that brothers are a gift from God. In order to not offend, they implied that it is more proper to thank nature rather God. But we know the truth. This thanksgiving we are not praising nature, or good fortune, or being thankful to nobody or nothing in particular. We praise Jesus, the God of the Bible. Jesus is the only one worthy of our praise.

Second, praise the Lord with your inmost being. Look at verse 1a, ““Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being,…” What is our inmost being…literally? Your heart? Your intestines? Your liver and kidneys? Our praise of God could emanate from the very core of our being. It can be guttural. But the psalmist is referring to our souls. Mark 12:30 says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'” To command your soul praise God means to praise God with every fiber of your being. It means to praise God with all that we have and all that we are. It involves having an open heart and being ready to respond to God’s love. We can not be superficial in our praising of God, it must be deep and sincere, from our soul, from our inmost being.

There are so many reasons to praise God. First, there are personal reasons. Look at verses 2, “Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-“ Let’s think about the benefits of living our life in God. We are going to list many of them today. But some of the greatest benefits of our life in Christ are found in verses 3-5. “who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.” He forgives our sins; he heals our diseases; he redeems our lives from the pit. He crowns us with love and compassion and satisfies us with good things so that our youth is renewed like the eagle's. We receive all of these benefits without deserving any of them. It is all by God’s grace. It is interesting to note the definite progression here. The subject here goes from being sick, to being healed, to being crowned, to flying like an eagle. God’s grace to us is that we are lifted up from the pit, revived and strengthened to do good work for the glory of God. God makes us to soar like an eagle. Do you know the characteristics of an eagle? Isaiah 40:31, “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Those who belong to Jesus will always have a youthful spirit. They will run and not grow weary. They will not be faint. It is like having strength like that of a twenty year old person.

God’s benefits are not just personal benefits for just you and your family. They are also international in scope, for God is the Lord of the whole world. Verses 6-18 read, “The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.” When we look at the world and all of its suffering we can doubt God’s righteousness and justice. Sure, there may be many terrible things happening, but we can have faith that God is working out his perfect justice through it all. From our point of view we can not understand everything, but from God’s point of view, his perfect love and justice is maintained from generation to generation. Many of our young people suffer unjust treatment at the hands of evil persons. Some suffer because of others’ selfishness. They seem to be abandoned. What should they do? They need to come to Jesus. His perfect love and perfect justice are revealed on the cross. Jesus brings his perfect justice into our lives and frees us from oppression, especially the oppression nurtured and fertilized by our own sin. Do you have any doubt about God’s righteous justice? We may not understand everything, but we must trust God. God is just and righteous. He is ruling over all the world with righteousness and justice.

God’s grace is revealed in his treatment of the people of Israel. Look at verse 7, “He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” God’s law was given first to Moses and the people of Israel. It was God’s training manual to prepare his people to serve him and to follow his ways. God blessed His people so much. He lead provided for them in the desert. He gave them victory over their enemies. But in response to God’s blessings they only became very unthankful to God. God should have wiped them out. But he did not. Look at verses 9-10, “ He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” He did not treat them as their sins deserved. He forgave them. He raised them us as his chosen, holy people.

Many young people think that God is some angry, punishing God that they don’t want anything to do with. Do you think like that? But our God is very compassionate. Some scholars have researched how many times God was angry in the Bible. It was about 100 times. It seemed like a lot of times, but actually if you consider the time frame, it was only once every twenty years. We get angry every day. Some of us pride themselves of being very gentle who rarely get angry. But even if we get angry once a year in reality we are still 20 times more angry than God. It’s good to place everything in perspective.
God completely forgives our sins. Look at verses 11 and 12. “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” God’s love is immense. How high is the heavens? Mars, the red star in the night sky, takes seven years, round trip. Beyond Mars the universe goes on for what appears to be forever. East from west are how far apart? If one runs east and the other runs west they will meet after each has run 13,000 miles, for the circumference of the earth at the equator is about 26,000 miles. Actually, this is a symbolic portrait of God’s forgiveness. East and west can never meet. When he forgives our sin, he separates or sin from us and doesn’t even remember it. That is a whole lot of forgiveness. And it is all given to those who come to Jesus by faith, repenting of their sins before God. God forgives and forgets. When we repent of our sins, coming to Jesus by faith, God wipes our record clean. If we are to follow God, we must model his forgiveness…forgiving one another, and also forgetting the sin.
God has great compassion on weak sinners like ourselves. Look at verses 13-16, “ As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.” We understand a parent’s love. A parent’s heart goes out to their children, especially the weakest of their children. God’s compassion is like this. Like babes, people are actually very weak. The Bible says that we are like grass. We are easily blown away by the winds trouble and change. We are fragile, but God’s care is very tender and compassionate. When God examines our lives, he is mindful of our human condition. His mercy takes everything into account. We must trust him.

We can never forget the grace of Jesus. Look at verses 17-18, “But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children- 18 with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.” Though we are to forgive and forget others sins when they come to Jesus, there is one thing that we must never forget. That is the grace of our Lord Jesus. But the truth is that is so easy to forget. We are actually infected with the disease of forgetting. We get blessed on day and then we return the next day as if nothing has happened. Take a lesson from the parable of the ten lepers. After being healed by Jesus, nine former lepers went home and forget about Jesus, but one came back and thanked Jesus. (Luke 17) That is why celebrating Thanksgiving is so important. It is a day where we can dedicate to remembering the grace of Jesus in a very meaningful way. Ephesians 1:16, “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Giving thanks to God should be part of our constitution. It should be our duty. Actually giving thanks is going to be our main activity in the Kingdom of God. Many people ask, “What am I going to do in the kingdom of God?” Giving thanks will be the main contents of our life in the kingdom of God. Revelation 7:12, “2saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" We need to get used to thanking God here below so we can really get into it when we are make it to heaven.

Everyone likes grace. They want love, but God’s grace comes to those who love, know and fear God and have faith in him. Look at Verses 11,13b,17a, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;… so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;… 17 But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him.” Fearing God does not mean being terrified of God. It is having a deep respect for God and a desire to do what is right before his eyes. Who are those who fear him? Verses 18,20b, “with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts…. you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.” They are those who obey the word of God. We, who call on his name, love and obey him willingly with a thankful heart. Nowadays it is not easy to fear God. It requires an absolute attitude towards God, otherwise we become very relativistic in our relationship with him and relativistic in our obedience to his word.

There is only one sovereign Lord and his name is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only ruler over the whole universe, over the heavens as well as over all the earth. Verse 19, “The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.” And this sovereign Lord commands even angelic beings to praise him. Look at verses 20-22, “ Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. 21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. 22 Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, O my soul.” Quite simply, everything, everywhere is to praise the Lord: all angels – mighty ones and heavenly hosts – all God’s works! God created all things for his glory. Therefore let all creatures join in praising him. How much more should we the object of his immeasurable grace.

In this world of woe and endless struggles, it is easy to complain about life, but David’s list here in Psalm 103 gives us plenty for which to praise God – he forgives our sins, heals our diseases, redeems us from death, crowns us with love and compassion, satisfies our desires, and gives us righteousness and justice. May God teach our hearts and souls to praise him every day. May we promote the praise of Jesus in the hearts of others around us by sharing the gospel of God’s grace with them. Amen!
One word: Praise the Lord, O my soul

Acts 21:40-22:29 Message

PAUL'S TESTIMONY TO HIS FELLOW JEWS

Acts 21:40-22:29 Lesson 25
Key Verses: 22:14,15 Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 11/16/08

"Then he said: `The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.'"

In today's passage Paul shares his personal testimony with the Jews in Jerusalem. He did so to help them accept Jesus as the Messiah and to accept their mission as a shepherd nation for the Gentiles. Paul spoke in a way that would be credible and convincing to Jews. He was culturally sensitive. Through Paul's testimony we learn the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to save sinners and use us in his work. May God help us to humbly accept this grace in our hearts today.

First, Jesus Saved Paul By His Grace (21:40-22:9).

Let’s think about the fact that he wanted to share his personal testimony with them in the first place. After getting the attention of the crowd through the wise use of language, Paul shared his personal testimony with them. Talking to people who hate you is one of the hardest things that you can do. How could Paul speak to the crowd after they have beaten him up? It was because Paul knew the perfect love of Jesus. And because of this, Paul could love them enough to share the Gospel with them. 1 John 4:18 reads, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” Perfect love drives out all fear. There is no fear in love. How can we overcome fear of persecution and people? The secret is to know the perfect love of God through Christ Jesus. When we let love grow; then fear subsides. Missionaries can have no fear of native people because they love God and therefore they can love the people. Let us draw near to Jesus and love even our enemies enough to share God’s word with them.

Paul began by sharing his personal testimony. Look at verse 3. "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today." Paul's religious training and zeal were top notch. The problem was that his religious zeal did not lead him to know Jesus personally. He only became self-righteous, proud and even vicious towards God’s people. Proverbs 19:2 reads,” It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.” Paul was zealous for his religion, but he did not have the knowledge of God through a personal experience with Jesus. And as a result he lost the way. He arrested both men and women and threw them into prison. He was so passionate for Judaism and so determined to stop Christianity that he did not hesitate to put Christians to death. In fact, he wanted to destroy all Christians throughout the whole world. When he finished in Jerusalem, he went to Damascus to persecute Christians there. In this way, he became an enemy of Christ. Religious training, that does not lead to Christ, only makes people self-righteous, proud and destructive. Staunch churchgoing people who do not know Christ, as well as Muslim brothers and sisters, actually adherents to any religion, have the same problem. Jesus warned the Pharisees, "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life" (Jn 5:39-40). Our Bible study and spiritual life must lead us to Jesus and not to religious formalism.

But God had mercy on this self-righteous and dangerous man? Look at verses 6-7. "About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, `Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me?'" The Risen Christ visited Paul personally. At that time, his name was Saul, which means, “Great One.” The Risen Christ revealed himself to Saul as a bright light from heaven flashing around him. It was so powerful that Saul was knocked to the ground. The Risen Christ gave this most glorious revelation of himself to Saul, the chief enemy of the early Christians. Later Paul understood why. It was to reveal the depth of Jesus' grace. So Paul said in 1Timothy 1:15-16. "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners---of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life."

The immediate effect of Christ's appearance to Saul was profound. Look at verse 8. "`Who are you, Lord?' I asked. `I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied." Jesus emphasized that Saul was persecuting him. Saul's intense effort to destroy Christians was the same as persecuting the Risen Christ. Saul realized that he was wrong, totally and completely wrong. His life direction and purpose were against God. His actions were those of God's enemy. Saul had to admit that he was wrong. This realization did not come through Saul's intellect, but through revelation from Christ himself. When Saul met the Risen Christ, he knew that he was a sinner.

Saul also realized who Jesus is. Look at verse 8 again. Jesus is the Lord. Jesus is the Risen Christ. Jesus is God Almighty. Jesus could have crushed Saul long before this. But he did not. Instead, Jesus bore all of Saul's mistreatment. Each time Saul humiliated a Christian, Jesus bore the shame. Each time Saul beat a Christian, Jesus bore the pain. Jesus did this, not because he was weak, but because he was willing to suffer to save people from their sins. He was willing to suffer to save Saul from his sins. Jesus did not come to condemn people, but to save people from their sins. To do so, Jesus suffered on the cross and died. Jesus continues to suffer together with his servants who are persecuted for his name's sake. In this way, Jesus reveals God's love to sinners. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Paul's testimony is not really about himself. It is about the grace of Christ and the love of God. Paul's testimony is given to us so that we may believe in Jesus and be saved. Before meeting the Risen Christ, most people are blindly self-righteous. We don’t have to hunt down Christians and throw them into prison to be an enemy of God. We can become God’s enemies by resisting the ways of Jesus. We can lead his precious flock astray through our influence. When we realize these things, good things happen. We can come to Jesus and receive the grace of forgiveness and new life.

Second, Jesus Chose Paul As His Witness To All Men (10-16).

When Saul realized his own sinfulness and the divine grace of the Risen Christ, he could not but surrender to Jesus, saying, "What shall I do, Lord?" From this moment, Saul is no longer his old self. Now he had a new identity. He was a servant of Jesus Christ. His life and future belonged to Christ. The Risen Christ told him, "Get up and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do" (10). The Risen Christ had a definite assignment for Saul. But he did not tell him directly what it was. Instead, he sent Ananias to Saul. Look at verses 12-13. "A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. He stood beside me and said, `Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very moment I was able to see him." Here Paul emphasizes the Jewishness of Ananias. It was to establish the credibility of his testimony. Ananias was highly respected by the Jews there. His word meant a lot. Jewish people believed that if two Jewish witnesses agreed on something, their testimony was valid (Jn 8:17,18). Paul was a Jew. Ananias was a Jew. Their testimony agreed. Furthermore, it was accompanied by a miracle: the restoration of Paul's sight. Jews believed that only the Messiah could open the eyes of the blind. Paul's testimony clearly met the Jewish standard for credibility.

God's assignment for Paul is stated in verses 14-15. Ananias said to him, "The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard." "The God of our fathers" refers to the God of the Jewish people, the God of the Bible. God had chosen Paul to know his will. This refers to a divine mystery hidden in God---his plan to send the Messiah through the Jews and then spread the gospel to all nations for world salvation. God's plan was mentioned in the Old Testament and taught by Jesus himself. But few understood it. By God's revelation, Paul deeply understood God's plan for world salvation. We too have been chosen to know his will for world salvation. It is in honor and a privilege to know it and it carries with it a great responsibility to share it.

God also chose Paul to see the Righteous One. "The Righteous One" was a Jewish expression for the Messiah (Ac 3:14; 7:52). "To see the Righteous One" means to see the Risen Christ in glory. After seeing him, Paul understood Christ in light of the entire Bible's teaching. He found in Christ the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. He found Christ to be God's Righteousness for all who believe. It is by God’s grace that we can behold Jesus with the eyes of our hearts. Again…a great privilege and honor.

God also chose Paul to hear words from his mouth. The Jews believed that God chose certain men and spoke to them. Then these men spoke to their people with divine authority. They were to be respected, listened to, and obeyed. Such were the Old Testament prophets. Paul was claiming similar authority. He heard the words of God through Jesus. He was not sharing human ideas with them, but the very word of God through Jesus. Paul wrote most of the New Testament. The New Testament is not merely Paul's thoughts, but the word of God.

Why did God give Paul special revelation? It was nothing but God's grace to him for he surely did not deserve it. God wanted to use him as his witness. Through Paul, God wanted to reveal Jesus to all people so that those who believed the word of God through him would be saved from their sins, receive eternal life, and be members of God's kingdom. Of course, Paul's calling was unique. However, all Christians are called to share the task of being Jesus' witnesses. Paul said in Romans 1:5, "Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith." Pray that we can be good witnesses of Jesus from our young age to all of our work mates and school mates.

God was very urgent in what he wanted Paul to do. Ananias concluded in verse 16. "And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name." There was no procrastination in the hearts of these Christians. Saul was just processing all of these incredible events that were taking place in his life. But God wasted no time to push him to respond quickly. Through this we can see the spirit of these early Christians and the heart of God. The early Christians knew the importance of their immediate response to God’s command. They knew God’s heart to spread his Gospel to the ends of the earth. They knew that millions of lives and souls depended on their response to Jesus’ world mission command.

Words similar to, “what are you waiting for? Get up” are found in Acts. The disciples were witnessing the Risen Jesus ascend into heaven. Acts 1:10-11 reads, “ They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." The angel wanted these disciples to not just stand around looking into the sky, having no direction, but to go and try their best to obey the world mission command of Jesus.

In Genesis, Jacob and his family were facing famine and extreme hardships. They needed to go to Egypt in order to get supplies. It was time to act and do something decisive. Lives depended on their immediate actions. So Jacob took charge. He gave direction to his sons that required their immediate decision . Genesis 42:1-3 reads, “When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you just keep looking at each other?" 2 He continued, "I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die." 3 Then ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.”

As Christians, we have many good intentions, but so often these good intentions are ignored over and over again. We procrastinate and fail to act on what God wants us to do. Years go by. Decades go by. Before you know it, we are in our forties and fifties. If we don’t make some hard and quick decisions then we may die with the epitaph, “It might have been.” Carpe Diem”. Carpe diem is a phrase from a Latin poem by Horace. It is translated as "seize the day". The general definition of carpe is "pick, pluck, pluck off, gather" as in plucking or picking a rose or apple, although Horace uses the word in the sense of "enjoy, make use of, seize." There is an emphasis on making the most of current opportunities because life is short and time is fleeting. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpe_diem) Let us reflect this same sense of urgency in our own Christian lives… “what are you waiting for? Get up”

God wanted Paul to enter into the right relationship with Jesus immediately. Look at verse 16 again. "And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name." All Paul had to do was to call on Jesus' name for the forgiveness of his sins. Paul's sins were many and the Risen Christ knew them in detail. The Risen Christ knew each person he had punched, each person he had spit on, and each person he had kicked in the buttocks. But he did not ask Paul to write a detailed account of his sins and meditate on his own wickedness. He challenged Paul to accept the grace of forgiveness and begin his life of mission right away. Paul had to be baptized. This required a clear decision. He would be misunderstood and persecuted. But Paul got up, accepted Christ's forgiveness and began his life of mission. Many people psychoanalyze their inner persons endlessly, wallow in guilt and self-pity, and despair of life. Like Paul, we must absolutely and completely accept the grace of forgiveness of sins with a clear decision of faith and get on with the life of mission that God has called us to. 2 Corinthians 6:2
“For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.”

Third, God Sends Paul To The Gentiles (17-29).

After spending some time in Damascus, Paul returned to Jerusalem as a Christian. While praying in the temple, he fell into a trance and saw the Lord speaking, "Quick! Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me." Paul was sure that the Jews in Jerusalem would accept his testimony. He knew them very well and they knew him. Paul had been the chief persecutor of the early Christians. But now he had become a Christian. What could possibly explain his conversion except that Christ was living? Paul was so sure about this that he almost argued with the Lord. But the Lord spoke to him forcefully. "Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles" (21). God's plan was different than Paul's plan. God's plan was to use Paul as the apostle to the Gentiles. God works in his own way. We may have strong ideas about how God should work or about how God should use us. But God is not bound by our ideas and plans. God does his own work. God sent Paul to the Gentiles and used him greatly as we have seen through his mission journeys. Sometimes we have fixed ideas about how God should work. But we must submit to God's will in doing his work.

Paul knew that mentioning the Gentile ministry was putting his finger right on the sore spot of the Jewish people. But he did so boldly and clearly. This is the hard part of being a Bible teacher and shepherd. The crowd reacted strongly. They became irrational and violent. They were like some British soccer fans.

The commander again stepped into the situation and ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks. He wanted to flog Paul as a way to get at the truth of this event. He needed to understand that the Jews were angry at Paul simply because Paul helped the Gentiles receive God's blessing. The Roman commander was one of the Gentiles. The Jews despised him and wanted to dissociate from him. Paul, on the other hand, was a shepherd for Gentiles, including Roman people. In the senselessness of the violent demonstration the Roman commander almost flogged Paul. It would have been foolish and totally unnecessary. Paul stopped him by revealing that he was a Roman citizen. This ended the effort to flog Paul. Here we learn that although Paul was ready to be bound and to die in Jerusalem, he did not suffer senselessly when it was not necessary. He was a man of mission who was willing to give his life to fulfill God's purpose for him.

In this passage, through Paul's testimony, we learned the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ suffered and died for our sins. He is ready to forgive our sins. He wants to gives us a glorious mission. He wants us to share his grace with others. May God help each of us to humbly and boldly accept God's grace of forgiveness and mission. When? ”Carpe diem”. Today is the day of salvation. Today is the first day of the rest of lives in Jesus and of our mission in Jesus.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Acts 21:1-39

“Ready To Be Bound…”

Acts 21:1-39 Lesson 24
Key verses 21:13 NIU UBF 11/9/08


“Then Paul answered, ‘Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’”

In today’s passage Paul reaches Jerusalem. Paul went there hoping to unite the Gentile churches with the Jerusalem church. But the unification doesn’t seem to work among the majority of the Jews. Nevertheless, Paul acted by faith and did what was right in the sight of God. Today we learn God’s broken shepherd heart for the people of Israel. We also learn Paul’s zealous spirit and absolute obedience to God’s mission. May the Spirit guide us to accept one word of God through this passage.

First, God’s Broken Heart And Paul’s Obedience (1-14).

The Christians had genuine love, or Koininia, for one another. Look at verse 1. “After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos….” It was not easy for Paul to leave the Ephesian elders, nor for them to say good-by to him Their love relationship was deep and genuine. Their parting is described as tearing themselves away. I think all people long for this type of pure love relationship with others, but “outside of Christ” it sadly eludes them. But it is very much a reality in Christ, when we commit ourselves to him and to the body of believers.

Once underway, there was no hesitation in Paul nor delay. Paul sailed straight to Cos, to Rhodes, and on to Patara. Paul took the most direct route to Jerusalem. They found a ship sailing for Phoenicia (2). It seems to have been a cargo ship…a most uncomfortable vessel. Maybe they sat atop some boxes or in between come clay vessels (amphora) filled with olive oil. But with no thought to comfort, only to speed, they went on board and set sail. Soon, they sighted Cyprus and passed to the south of it (3). At last, they landed at Tyre (4), putting their feet on Palestinian soil. While the ship unloaded its cargo, Paul and his companions found the disciples of Jesus. They stayed with them seven days. These Christians were not “Paul’s disciples.” However, they were his spiritual family in Christ. Paul loved the whole body of Christ, all fellow Christians wherever he found them. By the same token, the Christians at Tyre loved Paul dearly. They must have heard how God had used Paul for world mission and participated in prayer with him and for him.

The Christians there expressed their love for Paul. Verse 4b says, “Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.” This can be confusing. The Holy Spirit had been compelling Paul to go to Jerusalem (20:22). Was the Holy Spirit now telling Paul not to go to Jerusalem though these Christians? No, not at all. Rather, the Christians in Tyre expressed their deep compassion and love for Paul through the Holy Spirit. Perhaps they urged him to continue preaching the gospel to the Gentiles since God had been using him so greatly. But they did not want to see him got to Jerusalem to suffer. They were like a loving mother sending her son off to war. She may know that he has to go, but she expresses undying affection for him and seeks any alternative to spare him. Paul was touched by their love. However, when the time came, Paul went on his way. Paul did not waver in his course. Realizing this, all the disciples in Tyre, together with their wives and children cried and prayed together with Paul on the beach. Then Paul continued his voyage. Their love for each other is amazing and inspiring!

Paul met found a spiritual house church to stay with. Look at verse 8. They came to Caesarea, the home of Philip the evangelist. He was one of the original seven deacons (Ac 6:5). According to Acts 8, Philip had preached the gospel powerfully in Samaria and then, led by the Spirit, evangelized the Ethiopian eunuch by teaching him who Jesus is based on Isaiah chapter 53. Then Philip went to Caesarea, where he must have lived since then. (Ac 8:40). Now he had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. While other teenage girls talked about clothes, shopping and “boys,” Philip’s daughters liked prophesy. That necessarily means that they liked to study the Bible, talk about God and pray for world mission.

Philip’s home was spiritual. There might have been many suitors visiting, too afraid to ask Philip’s daughters out on a date. There must have been daily devotionals and many of God’s flock coming and going from their home. The word of God was overflowing. There must have been praise, singing and deep fellowship among the believers. It was a good place for Paul to spend time in prayer. There, he must have confirmed his decision to obey God in prayer. He must have asked God’s wisdom how to enter Jerusalem. He probably counseled his Gentile coworkers on how to get accustomed to Jewish life. It was a wonderful time of spiritual preparation. But this stay could not be permanent. It was the calm before the storm.

I am very much encouraged by the house church of Philip. Nowadays there is a feeling that Christian children are bound to succumb to the temptations of the world and fall away from Christ. There is scarcely a Christian family where the majority of their kids have not either fallen away from Jesus or who do not follow Christ. At the hospital, I talk to other nurses about our kids. I tell them about the activities of my house church. They say, “Just wait…they will rebel.” They speak as if this is the norm and the only hope for my kids…to rebel against the Lord and possibly come to Christ later in life. In a recent article by Meredith Miller, she states that students develop an identity lock box, where they store their religious beliefs, practices and convictions during their college years, as they develop other areas of their identity. In an attempt to fit into the American mainstream, they put parts of their identity that does not fit into the cultural mainstream, into a lock box. Their religious identity is such a thing that goes in. They navigate the remainder of their college life, with this identity locked away hoping to re-open it later in life. When they do, they hope to find it unharmed but the reality is they often find their religious identities disengaged with the realities of the world around them. (The Lockbox Theory’s Implication for Your Students. Meredith Miller, Oct 7,2008) I ask myself, “Why is this the expected norm for our house churches?” It does not have to be. We can have house churches like that of Philip the Evangelist where all of our children prophesy the word of God to their own generation. Acts 2:17-18 reads, “'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.” May God raise up house churches for every campus in the USA and Canada so that our nations my become Kingdoms of Priests and Holy Nations.

Future hardships were prophesied to Paul. Look at verse 10. A prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. This is his second appearance in the book of Acts. At Antioch, Agabus had prophesied that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. The church members believed this and sent a relief offering to the Christians in Jerusalem. And indeed, it happened just as Agabus had prophesied (Ac 11:28). Now Agabus came up to Paul, took his belt and tied his own hands and feet with it. Then he said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles’” (11). Agabus’ prophetic words cut to the heart. Everyone realized that Paul would be arrested and handed over to the Gentiles in Jerusalem.

How did Paul’s company react? Look at verse 12. “When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.” They pleaded tearfully with Paul not to go. Perhaps it was because Agabus’ prophecy was very convincing. Perhaps it was because they were near Jerusalem and the reality of the danger to Paul was apparent to all. In any case, their inner hearts were revealed. They did not want Paul to suffer and die. They loved Paul and wanted to spare him. They were so grieved at the thought of his trials in Jerusalem that they wept. It is understandable for they loved him, but it was not helpful for Paul to do what God wanted him to do. They made it more difficult for Paul to obey God’s will, from which he could not deviate.

How did Paul respond? Look at verse 13. “Then Paul answered, ‘Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’” Paul’s heart was breaking. He could not ignore the tears and pleading of his beloved coworkers. Nevertheless, Paul stated clearly, “I am ready to die in Jerusalem for the name of Jesus.” Though Paul’s heart was breaking, he was steadfast in his obedience to the will of God. Paul had prayerfully decided to submit his will to God’s will. Paul’s surrender to God’s will was complete. Paul was no longer living by his will; he was dwelling in God’s will (Gal 2:20). When he heard Agabus’ prophecy, he was not afraid. He accepted it. He was ready to fulfill God’s mission at the cost of his life. Let’s read verse 13 together. “Then Paul answered, ‘Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’”

Why was it so important for Paul to go to Jerusalem? Of course, it was God’s will, so he had to obey it. However, Paul’s obedience was not slavish, saying with a sad face, “Oh well. I guess I have to do this.” No! It came from his gratitude for Jesus’ grace. It came from his understanding of God’s heart. God had chosen Israel to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. God wanted to plant world mission vision in Jerusalem. Otherwise, she would be a hindrance to gospel work. Paul hoped and prayed for their restoration. Paul believed that when Israel turned to God, a great blessing would be poured out on the whole world. He said in Romans 11:11-12, “Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!” Many Puritan Bible scholars believed that the restoration of the Jews would be the beginning of a worldwide spiritual revival.

Though Paul’s vision was great, the cost to go to Jerusalem was very high. Paul had to decide to give his life. Paul has the image of our Lord Jesus Christ who went to Jerusalem to die on the cross to obey God’s will for world salvation. In order to obey the will of God, Jesus struggled hard. Hebrews 5:8,9 says, “Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” Obedience was not easy, even for Jesus. At the last moment, Jesus had to fight a fierce spiritual battle in prayer. In Luke 22:42 Jesus prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

Paul said, “I am ready....” Look at verse 13 again. Paul did not suddenly decide to obey Christ at the risk of his life. Rather, by God’s help and through deep and continual spiritual struggle, he was now ready. Tracing his steps, we can see how this came about. He had been compelled by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem (Ac 20:22). It was what God really wanted him to do. However, God did not make it easy for him. The Holy Spirit did not overwhelm him constantly with peace and joy. Rather, the Holy Spirit made him face reality. The Holy Spirit warned him that prison and hardships awaited him (Ac 20:23). Paul had to decide to take the pain that awaited him for the sole purpose of fulfilling the will of God. Paul must have renewed his decision every day. He said in 1 Corinthians 15:31, “I die every day–I mean that brothers....” Jesus taught his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Lk 9:23). Paul fought a daily spiritual battle in prayer. Finally, he submitted his will to God and was ready to obey. The weeping of his coworkers was like a final exam. Paul passed with A marks. Paul was ready to embrace anything that happened to him in Jerusalem for Jesus’ names’ sake.

When someone has made a decision to die for Jesus to fulfill his mission, there will be resistance even from coworkers. Like Paul, in the final analysis, we must obey God, even when our hearts are breaking because of our dear coworkers. A couple of years ago M and I and their son N decided to move to the capital of an African Muslim nation in order to be American missionaries. What! American missionaries in a African Muslim city? In the same city where Islamists habitate? In the same city where people hate Americans let alone Christians? No wonder many people tried to persuade them not to go. But they were praying to go for years. They were confident that God prepared them for this very task. They knew it was the will of God. They not only knew it was the will of God to go, but last year they moved into a neighborhood and an apartment block occupied by Muslims. Though mindful of other peoples’ concern, they made the journey anyway. It was to obey the will of Christ. Now we can see that God is going to use their family to reach out to Muslim souls in that country. God has been blessing them thus far. Their decision of faith and their life of mission expands our own world mission vision.

There is a day in which all America honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. What made him great? It was his decision to obey the will of God at the cost of his life. He realized that challenging the racism and elitism of American society was dangerous. Yet, just before his assassination, he said, “Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will, and He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over and I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight, that we as a people will get to the Promised Land. And I’m happy tonight; I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.” Others had the same spirit. Think of Abraham Lincoln. President elect Obama has some of this “metal” in him for he knows the dangers of what he is doing, but he moved forward with what he believed.

We believe that God is making North America like a city on a hill, a light to the Gentiles, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. God is raising spiritual leaders who can spread the gospel and bring healing to wounded young souls. God is raising Ph.D. shepherds and lay shepherds, who will transform our society into one that reveals his glory in the world. God is raising missionaries who are willing to go to all nations to spread the gospel of salvation in a dying world. It is not really nations who obey God’s will. It is individual people who obey God’s will. One person who decides to obey God’s will at the cost of his life is like a holy nation. What kind of decision of obedience have you made? Bob Vonmoss decided to stay in Mongolia as a permanent missionary, even marrying a Mongolian. Chris Sagel decided to 10 years ago to remain in Korea as a permanent missionary, 2,000 miles from his beloved family. Josh and Mary Jeong decided to go to North Korea as missionaries as God opens the way. May God help each of us to struggle daily in prayer until we can decide to obey God’s will for us. This requires a personal decision that each of us must make; no one can make it for us. May God strengthen you in your daily spiritual struggle until you can say like Paul, “I am ready to be bound; ready to die for Jesus.”

Second, Praise God, But... (15-26).

After Paul clearly expressed his obedience to Christ, the company of coworkers gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.” Then they made their final ascent to Jerusalem. They went quietly to the home of Mnason, an early disciple and a native of Cyprus. Paul’s Gentile companions would probably have been comfortable there. They met the brothers in Jerusalem who received them warmly. Then Paul and his company greeted James, the leader of the Jerusalem church, and all the elders who were present. Paul reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

The Jerusalem church members praised God for his work among the Gentiles (20). They also reiterated their decision to accept the Gentiles with some conditions (25). But they were most concerned about how to deal with the controversy surrounding Paul. Many Christian Jews were confused by false reports that Paul was anti-Jewish. They did not realize that Paul’s motto was, “First for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” To clear up this misunderstanding, the Jerusalem church leaders proposed that Paul join in some purification rites to clearly identify himself as a Jew who kept the law. In this way, they hoped to break down barriers between Jewish and Gentile Christians. Paul humbly agreed to this. However, it did not work as they had hoped.

Third, Paul’s Courage Under Trial (27-39).

Look at verse 27. Bad elements among Asian Jews made false accusations against Paul, starting a riot. It became so violent that Paul’s life was in danger. The whole city seemed to participate in it. However, through the Roman commander and his soldiers, God spared Paul’s life. Look at verse 33. They arrested Paul and bound him with two chains. It was the exact fulfillment of Agabus’ prophecy. In that situation, many people would be so frightened that they would panic. But Paul did not. He was well prepared spiritually. He faced the situation with God’s peace and wisdom. He spoke to the commander in Greek. This opened the way for him to speak to the crowd. By faith, Paul turned the chaotic situation into the opportunity to deliver his message. Paul was indeed prepared to die in Jerusalem. So he was fearless. We learn here that a person who decides to obey God at the cost of his life becomes courageous and wise. We can see here that when Paul said he was ready to die for Jesus in Jerusalem, he meant it.

Many people only try to save their lives moment by moment. But Jesus said, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it” (Mk 8:35). May God help each of us to follow the example of St. Paul and give our lives for Jesus and the gospel. Then we can please God. We can be courageous and victorious in this life and gain eternal life in the age to come.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Acts 20:1-38 Message

Be Shepherds Of God’s Flock

Be Shepherds Of God’s Flock


Acts 20: 1-38 Lesson 23

Key verse 20: 28 NIU UBF 11-02-08


Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.[a] Be shepherds of the church of God,[b] which he bought with his own blood.”


In this passage we learn a little more about being shepherds of God’s flock through the practical life of Apostle Paul. Paul’s shepherd heart is revealed for the churches, in this the last portion of his third missionary journey. In the midst of danger and hardships he constantly encouraged the believers. He constantly taught people, even writing letters to other churches. From him we learn how to live as shepherds of God’s flock in this generation. We also learn how to please God as we live out our calling to world mission. May God bless you.


Part l: Paul The Good Shepherd (1-6)


Paul was encouraging the new believers and strengthening the church leaders wherever God led him. Look at verses 1, “When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said good-by and set out for Macedonia.” Paul faithfully lived his life as a good shepherd for the growing flock of God. He stayed in Ephesus, encouraging the disciples, during the rioting which was led by Demetrius the Silversmith. This reminds us of Msn Andrew who stayed with his the flock in Belgrade during the Allied bombing of Yugoslavia. After the danger was over Paul said his “good-byes” and left after giving them many words of encouragement. Look at verse 2-3a, After leaving Ephesus “He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, 3where he stayed three months….” What did he do in Greece for three months? I believe that he visited the new believers and held many Bible studies and had staff meetings for the leaders. He gave the word of God and gave them the latest news concerning the burgeoning work of God going on among the Gentiles. Maybe he held Bible Schools like he held in the Lecture Hall of Tyrannus. We do know that Paul wrote the letter to the Romans while he was here.


His entourage reflected the new Gentile Church. Look at verses 3b-6, “Because the Jews made a plot against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. 4He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6But we sailed from Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.” Where there was a great work of God going on there was also a great work of the devil. The Jews made a plot to take Paul’s life. It was time to move on to continue the work of God elsewhere. In these verses we see several of Paul’s travel companions. These men represented churches that Paul had started in Asia. Each man was carrying and offering from his home church to be given to the believers in Jerusalem. By having each man deliver the gift, the gifts had a personal touch, and the unity of believers was strengthened. These men were able to report back to their home churches the way God was working through their offering. Everything Paul did was for the glory of God and the strengthening of his church.


Part ll: The Work Of God At Troas. (7-11)


Paul ministered to the flock of God as Troas. Look at verses 7-8, “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. 8There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.” The disciples at Troas observed the Lord’s Supper weekly and studied the Bible diligently. They had a great sense of unity among them. When a special event took place and special speaker was coming they all changed their own plans and came to hear the word of God. They had great unity of heart and mind.


But this was not going to be your average prayer meeting. One day, while Paul was having an all night Bible study with the fellowship of believers. The upper room they used was lit by many lamps. The crowds and the lamps made the room very hot. Then the unthinkable happened. Young Eutychus, who may have worked hard all day, at the bottom of society, sank into a deep sleep on the window ledge and then fell to the ground from the third story where he was found dead. What did Paul do? Let’s read verses 10-12, “Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!" 11Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. 12The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.” Paul came down and threw himself on the boy. He probably cried out many loud prayers, shedding tears for this man’s life. Then a miracle happened. The boy was alive! Resurrection faith welled up in very one’s heart. We would probably call 911 and have the boy checked out at the local ER. But they didn’t have a hospital. So they thanked God and went back to the upper room. They ate together with glad and sincere hearts.

Part lll: Paul's Farewell to the Ephesian Elders (13-21)

Paul had a clear agenda and a sense of deep urgency. We see this as Paul continued on his journey in verses 13-16. Let’s read these verses together. We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. 14When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Kios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 16Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.” Paul could not stay in Troas, nor did he want to go back to Ephesus. He wanted to reach Jerusalem by Pentecost. Paul had missed attending the Passover in Jerusalem, so he was especially interested in arriving for Pentecost, which was 50 days after Passover. He was carrying with him gifts for the Jerusalem believers from churches in Asia and Greece (see Romans 15:25,26; 1 Corinthians 16:1; 2 Corinthians 8:9) The Jerusalem church was experiencing difficult times. He wanted to give the offering in the most meaningful way possible. If Paul delivered the gift at Pentecost it would have been the most meaningful time, for the day of Pentecost was a day of celebration and thanksgiving to God his provision.

After that, Paul’s mission team traveled until they reached Miletus. There he called for a farewell meeting with the Ephesian elders. Let’s read verses 17-21 all together. “From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews. 20You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.” From Miletus Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church, where he began to make a farewell speech to them. In his speech Paul reveals the heart and the mind of the shepherd. From him we learn how to live as shepherds of God’s flock. We also learn how to please God as we live out our calling to world mission. Let’s see.

First, Paul served the Lord with great humility and tears. Look at verse 19. “I served the Lord with great humility and tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews.” Paul served the Lord among the Ephesians with great humility and with tears. What is humility? It is not being a quiet person who never wants to press his own agenda on others. No. True humility is to use all of your God-given gifts and talents to serve others with in Jesus’ name. To serve God in humility and tears, Paul had to practice Jesus’ servantship to others. He had to serve as Jesus served, by laying down his life for the sheep. He served them thus, with Bible study and with prayer, until the gospel was formed in their hearts and lives. Indeed, humility is servantship, the secret of the fruitful shepherd life. I thank God for teaching us servantship through our maintaining our house church ministry, our Friday night fellowships and our Bible Schools. May we all grow through learning humble servantship especially during our student years.


Second, Paul taught them the life of repentance and faith in Jesus. Look at verse 21. “I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.” In teaching the Bible, Paul helped people to acknowledge that God is the Sovereign and Almighty God. People had lived without God, driven not by the truth, but by the sinful nature. As such, they were dying in their sins. But Paul led them to God. To lead them to God, Paul taught them the life of repentance. Repentance is not some offensive word that we need avoid or apologize for saying in public. Repentance is beautiful, life giving word for repentance purifies the heart and brings us close to God through faith in Jesus. We too must teach, “Turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.” We can teach it when we teach it to ourselves first.


Third, Paul’s attitude towards God’s high calling was exemplary. Look at verses 22-24. Verse 24 reads, “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” In serving the life-giving gospel, which Jesus had commissioned him to preach, Paul met many hardships, persecutions and sufferings, risking his very life. But he neither betrayed the mission Jesus gave him, nor was he deterred from fulfilling it. Why?


Paul had committed himself to the life of suffering. Look at verse 23. “I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.” At the time Jesus called him to serve the gospel, Paul became convinced that God’s servant “must go through many hardships…” (14:22) He was certain that he must share in the remaining sufferings of his Lord Jesus. (Rom 8:17; Php 3:10; 1 Pe 4:13; 2 Tim 1:8) But according to verse 24, Paul carried his mission to the end because he loved Jesus and the gospel more than he loved his own life. Paul knew in his heart that in this world, there is nothing worth living for other than serving the gospel. Indeed, for the gospel, he was ready to lose his life. Now he was going to Jerusalem. (22) His mission in Jerusalem was twofold. First, he wanted to bring a sense of unity between all Christian brothers, be they Jew or Gentile in origin. Second, he wanted to stir his people’s hearts to world missions, reminding them of their calling to be “a light to the Gentiles.” And third he wanted to deliver the offering. To fulfill his mission, Paul was ready to lay down his life. In reflecting on Paul’s life of mission, we are reminded of Jesus’ words in Mark 8:35, “For whoever wants to save his life will loose it, but whoever looses his life for me and the gospel will save it.” This is hard teaching in a world filled with a “what’s in it for me” attitude. But let’s pray that we may loose our lives as we serve our Lord Jesus.


Fourth, Paul commanded them, “Be shepherds.” Read verses 28-31. “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” Paul had many things to say as his final words. But he did not say, “Take care of yourself.” or “take it easy.” He said to the Ephesian elders, “Be shepherds.” Of course Paul knew that shepherd life was not easy for it involves much self-sacrifice. It also meant a whole lot of personal, spiritual vigilance. He said, “Keep watch over yourselves.” You can’t keep watch over anyone if you do not keep watch over yourselves through personal prayer, Bible study and repentance. Paul commissioned them to be shepherds of the flock of God like the Good Shepherd Jesus. He went on to teach them the sacrifice of the true shepherd in verse 31. Indeed, a shepherd must personally take care of the flock, not for one or two days, but even for more than three years, night and day, serving them with humility and tears.


Fifth, “Live by the word of God’s grace.” (32) Look at verse 32. “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all the those who are sanctified.” Paul had to leave his beloved disciples behind and go forward with the mission God gave him. How could he leave them, and to whose care would he entrust them? Paul committed them to God for God is able to protect his flock and lead them in truth. (It reminds us of Hannah who entrusted young Samuel to Eli’s care.) Paul also committed them to the word of God’s grace. God’s grace is God’s sacrificial love for unworthy sinners. God’s grace is God’s forgiving love. Paul wanted them to grow in the grace of God, which is the foundation of their Christian lives and the assurance of their spiritual inheritance. Paul urged them to live, not by their feelings, which led them astray from God, but by the word of God’s grace so that they become spiritual giants, unshaken by the world. It is true that those who forget the grace of God in their lives eventually become estranged from God. However, those who grow and stand firm on the grace of God become good shepherds who can lead others in the word of God’s grace and unto the kingdom of God.


Sixth, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (33-38) Look at verses 33-35, “I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. 34You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' " Here, Paul taught the Ephesian elders to struggle hard to overcome selfishness and serve the Lord and his flock sacrificially. He taught them that love is not in words, but in deeds, the deeds of giving one’s self to others. As Jesus’ people, he urged them to grow in the sacrificial love of our Lord Jesus.

They loved each other so much. Look at verses 36-38, “ 36When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.” Paul and the elders parted company in tears for they loved Paul and appreciated his precious sacrifices in helping them grow as the shepherds of God’s flock. I realize that my own heart is cold to others. I rarely weep for others. My heart does not go out to others as it should. I pray that my own heart may love others with this kind of love. Lord, give me and all of our co-workers the same love as Apostle Paul and the early Christians.


How inspiring is Paul’s third missionary journey! Through his life’s example we see how we can make an offering of our own lives for the advancement of the kingdom of God. We learn how we can grow in the sacrificial love of our Lord Jesus, building up the foundations of a young ministry through 1:1 Bible study and personal shepherding. Apostle Paul served others with humility and tears as he faithfully taught a life of repentance and faith in Jesus. Have you ever shed tears over anything other than your own sufferings? Let’s be humble and shed tears for others and for the work of God. Let us also commit ourselves and our sheep to the word of God’s grace, the full gospel, so that we can all grow to become spiritual giants in this generation, able to stand unshaken by the world. Amen!

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Acts 19:1-41 Message

“I Must Visit Rome Also”

Acts 19:1-41 Lesson 22
Key verse 19: 21 NIU UBF 10-26-08

“After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. ‘After I have been there,’ he said, ‘I must visit Rome also.’”

This passage tells us about Paul’s ministry in Ephesus during his third missionary journey. In Ephesus, Paul concentrated on raising disciples of Jesus through intensive Bible study and God worked mightily through his ministry. The vision for world evangelization burned in Paul’s heart until he said, “I must visit Rome also.” May the Holy Spirit teach us today about Paul’s disciple raising ministry and give us new vision for world mission.

First, The Work Of The Holy Spirit (1-7).

Paul began his third missionary journey by going through Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening the disciples (18:23). Then he took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. Ephesus was a port city on the western coast of Asia Minor. It was home to the temple of Artemis, the fertility goddess. This temple was one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Around this temple swarmed tradesmen and prostitutes who made their living from the temple business.

As Paul surveyed Ephesus, he found some disciples. Look at verses 1-3. These disciples looked incomplete. And so he asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (2a) They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” (2b) They had received only John’s baptism, a baptism of repentance. What does it mean, “a baptism of repentance?” It means that they were repentant people. They admitted, in specific ways, that they were sinners. They knew they deserved God’s righteous judgment. They were in a state of perpetual repentance. But one thing they lacked was that they did not know the marvelous grace of Jesus Christ or the work of the Holy Spirit. They were “on the way” but they were stuck. They remind us of people who always feel condemned and subsequently look grumpy. Their testimonies were joyless and hopeless as they pummeled themselves over their sins. To such people, nothing is possible. To have a repentant heart is not bad. But we can not stay there. We need to move on towards accepting Christ. Some people want to bypass this stage. But we must all pass through this stage in our spiritual pilgrimage. These young disciples were simply on their way and Paul want to help them. Let’s see.

Let’s read verse 4, “Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." Paul explained to them the coming of Jesus Christ as the whole point of John’s ministry. He proclaimed that Jesus died for our sins and rose again to give us eternal life in the kingdom of God. He invited them to accept Jesus as their Lord and Christ. And when they did a miracle happened. Let’s read verse 5-7, “On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7There were about twelve men in all.” They were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Paul placed his hands on them, and the Holy Spirit came on them. They spoke in tongues and prophesied. They were filled with power and joy. They could speak about God and his marvelous work. They could see the coming of the kingdom of God. There were twelve of them. That means that it was the beginning of God’s great work in Ephesus. That is why most UBF chapters pray that 12 disciples of Jesus may be raised up among the students of their campus. Let us renew our prayer topic that 12 disciples may be raised among NIU students in the upcoming semester.

Let’s think more about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We can see that God’s work begins with the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus launched his earthly messianic ministry by submitting to John’s baptism. As Jesus was praying, the Holy Spirit descended on him (Lk 3:22). Then Jesus began to drive out evil spirits and heal the sick. After Jesus’ ascension, when the apostles prayed together in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit came upon them in power. Their fear vanished and they became bold witnesses of Jesus Christ (Ac 2:4). To do God’s work, we need one thing: the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God himself. The Holy Spirit is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Young Timothy was willing to serve God together with Apostle Paul. But he was timid and weak. Paul did not give up on him for Paul believed Timothy would be changed into a spiritual general for God’s work…by the Holy Spirit. So Paul said to him, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” (2 Tim 1:7). The Holy Spirit sets our minds free from the gravity of sin and enables us to think of heavenly things. Romans 8:6 says, “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” When going to the theater we see previews of the latest horror films. These images are horrific and require days for them to leave our thought world. They weaken us and fill us with fear. Yet our young people are saturating their minds and hearts with images from such films, especially this Halloween season. They need to avoid such images, but they also need the Holy Spirit to set their minds completely free to think of God and his kingdom. The Holy Spirit drives out fear from our hearts, fills us with God’s love and makes us really strong in order to glorify him with our lives. (Ro 8:15).

Then, how can we receive the Holy Spirit? It is encouraging to know that God really wants to give each of us the Holy Spirit. God is our heavenly Father who wants to help us in the best way according to our specific needs. Jesus explained that even human fathers, though they are evil, know how to give good gifts to their children. Then Jesus goes on to say, “...how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Lk 11:13) God really wants to give us the Holy Spirit. As we finish off this semester and enter into this Christmas season, let’s ask God for the Holy Spirit.

Second, Daily Bible Study In The Lecture Hall Of Tyrannus (8-12).

Paul was a good shepherd. Look at verse 8. “Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.” Paul entered the synagogue. The twelve men he had baptized followed him like eager young disciples. Paul spoke boldly in the synagogue, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God (8).
What is the Kingdom of God? Books can be written on the subject, but in a nutshell the kingdom of God is where God reigns. God sent Jesus to this world as King. Jesus restores God’s reign in this world and in peoples’ hearts. To accept the kingdom of God is to accept Jesus as our King. To those who accept him, Jesus is the Savior who drives out sin, death and the devil. Jesus rules us with peace, joy and the love of God. Jesus gives eternal life. Jesus gives us heaven as our eternal home. Those who reject King Jesus cannot escape the rule of the devil nor can they dwell in God’s glorious kingdom.

Some people want to be their own king, such as W. E. Henley, who said in one poem, “I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.” This is a popular way of thinking among the young people of our time but is a great deception. It is a deadly deception that threatens to rob us of all the godly fruit that God wants to bear in our lives and also rob us of eternal life. For you see, those who reject King Jesus will be ruled by the devil. There is no middle ground. Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus’ disciples. He was cared for so dearly by Jesus every day for 3 ½ years. But when he rejected Jesus as King, Satan entered into him. (John 13:27)

On the other hand, Paul accepted Jesus as his King and Savior. Once, Paul had been Saul. He thought of himself as a great man and he worked hard to advance his career as a Pharisee. But objectively, he was a slave of his selfish ambitions. He was under the power of sin and death. He became an instrument of the devil, even imprisoning Christians to their death. (Acts 8:1) But the Risen Christ had mercy on him. (Acts 9:5-6) The Risen Christ revealed the light of truth to Paul. Paul realized that he was nothing but a sinner (1 Cor 15:9) and that Jesus is the Savior of the world, God’s King. The Risen Christ forgave his sins. The Risen Christ gave him peace. The Risen Christ called him to serve world mission. (Acts 9:15) The Risen Christ gave him eternal life in the kingdom of God. Jesus became Paul’s King and Paul dwelt in Jesus’ Kingdom daily and lived to expand that kingdom.

When Paul taught the kingdom of God, he was very biblical. He also shared his personal testimony. He must have drawn on his vast experience in doing gospel work for many years. His illustrations and examples were so interesting. At first people liked his teaching. After all, how could he teach in their synagogue every Sabbath for three months? That is twelve lectures. But as the application crystalized, many began to resist his message. They did not want to turn from the world to God. They did not want to transfer their hope from the mundane world to God’s kingdom. They did not want to yield to Christ as their true king. They became obstinate. Obstinate means, “Fixed firmly in resolution; not yielding to reason or argument,…” (New Webster’s Dictionary) They knew Paul was right, but they refused to believe.

Then Paul left them. Look at verse 9c. “He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.” Here “the disciples” seems to refer to those who had received the Holy Spirit. They had been born again. Now they needed to grow in the word of God. They followed Paul to learn from him. No doubt, Paul proclaimed the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the coming of the kingdom of God. But he did not preach one-sidedly. He started a Bible school and encouraged discussion. Anyone could ask questions. Some must have presented the ideas of the popular scholars of the day. Then Paul shared with them the truth of the gospel. In the end, only the gospel remained in people’s hearts as the absolute truth of God that stands forever. The gospel is the only way of salvation which God has given to men.

At one time, communism was considered the way of salvation by some. To actualize the communist ideal, its proponents killed many people. In a recent History Channel documentary, 20 million Soviet people were killed in WWll, but under Stalin, 60 million Soviets died modernizing Russia. Communism is merely a human idea. It failed completely and collapsed in the course of time. (In 1986 the Iron Curtain fell.) Islam, like communism, it is nothing more than a fallen man’s idea. And like communism, it will fall completely in the course of time. In a free discussion, the gospel always prevails. This is why some Muslim countries do not allow freedom of religion. They know that Islam cannot endure the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They fear most the message of the gospel. Surely it is only a matter of time until the gospel sets free those living in darkness. We thank God for our UBF missionaries in Muslim lands, who preach the gospel boldly where it is forbidden by law. Nowadays people think that money and entering into the right romantic relationship is their savior. But with the recent mortgage crisis and recession and with almost everybody trying to recover after a failed relationship, we can see that these too are false messiahs. Soon people will run after the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul persistently preached the life giving gospel. Look at verse 10. “This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.” Paul’s discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus went on daily for two years. During that time, the disciples could really learn Paul’s gospel message and spirit. They also learned his lifestyle. This rigorous disciple training laid the foundation to spread the gospel throughout Ephesus and Asia Minor.

How could the word of the Lord spread across the whole province of Asia? Many people came to the lecture hall. Those who heard the gospel shared it with others. The gospel spread by word of mouth. In the course of two years, all people in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. The secret to effective evangelism is not having an engaging marketing technique. It is devotion to God’s word and to raising disciples. It is not easy for anyone to spend several hours a day in Bible study. It requires self-denial and constant meditation on the word of God. It is not easy to meet the same people daily and to teach them again and again. It requires the patient endurance of the Holy Spirit. Still, devotion to Bible study and disciple raising is God’s wisdom to spread the word of God. And look at the results of such a ministry. Look at verses 11-12. “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.” God did these miracles through Paul to authenticate his gospel message. God wanted people to believe the gospel and be saved.

Third, Paul’s Vision For Rome (13-22).

Something very interesting happened during Paul’s ministry in Ephesus. Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, went around driving out evil spirits. They tried to invoke Jesus’ name as though it were a magic word to drive out evil spirits. Then something happened that revealed the true power and unique nature of Jesus. One day, the evil spirit answered them, saying, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding (15-16). The people of Ephesus realized that evil spirits were real and dangerous. Yet the evil spirits were afraid of Jesus. The people were all seized with fear and held Jesus’ name in high honor. Jesus’ light shone into the darkness; the darkness fled before it. Deeds hidden in darkness were confessed openly. Sorcery scrolls were burned publicly. The word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.

When Paul saw God’s work, he was sure that Ephesus had been fully pioneered. Now it was time to move on. He decided to go to Jerusalem, and then to Rome. As the book of Romans explains, Paul went to Jerusalem to take an offering from the Gentile churches to the Jerusalem church (Ro 15:24-27). Paul wanted the Gentiles to acknowledge their spiritual debt to the Jews, and he wanted the Jews to embrace the Gentiles with world mission vision. Paul wanted to unite the Christian church and inspire it to march forward for the sake of world mission. Personally, he decided to visit Rome. Paul said, “I must visit Rome also” (21). Rome was the center of the world. Paul believed that God would conquer Rome with the gospel as he had done in Ephesus. Paul was burning with vision to spread the gospel to the whole world through Roman roads. Paul believed that God’s kingdom would come on earth as it is in heaven during his lifetime. This vision was the fruit of his lifetime obedience to the Holy Spirit. Sometimes our vision is limited to our person benefits and to our atomic family. But when we obey God’s leading and give our hearts to one-to-one Bible study and disciple raising, God will lead us to have a great vision for world mission.

UBF has a ministry wide prayer topic for the evangelization of Muslim countries, China and North Korea. We pray that God may make America into a Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation. At NIU UBF we have vision for the western suburbs of Chicago, extending all the way to Rockford. (D.E.A.R. means Dekalb/Elgin/Aurora/Rockford) May God help each of us give our hearts to one-to-one Bible study until we each have God’s vision for world mission.

Fourth, God Protects His Work (23-41).

As God’s work was flourishing and Paul was burning with world mission vision, the devil did not sit back. He attacked God’s work through a selfish silversmith named Demetrius. Demetrius appealed to Ephesian craftsmen and citizens on the basis of their bank accounts, their civic pride, and sentimental attachment to their religion. He manipulated them into an emotional frenzy. They rushed as one man into the theater, shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” Most of the people did not even know why they were there.

Here Luke wants us to think about the real source of evil and chaos. It is the devil, working through selfish people like Demetrius. Later, Paul wrote, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Tim 6:10a). People who love money more than God become the devil’s agents. They cause trouble for many innocent people. Luke encourages us to see the “money motive” behind chaotic events. It is interesting that journalists and detectives are taught to “trace the money” in solving mysteries. In the midst of danger, Paul was not frightened. He wanted to address the crowd. But many coworkers begged him not to do so. Paul was courageous; he had a great vision for world salvation.

Finally, the city clerk appealed to the crowd on the basis of law. He reminded them that there was no reason for their gathering and that they were in danger of being charged with rioting by the Roman government. After speaking these words, he dismissed the assembly. In fact, through the rule of law, God protected Paul and the gospel ministry.

In this passage we learn many things. Let’s remember three things. First, God wants us to live the Christian life by the power of the Holy Spirit. When we ask, he gives the Holy Spirit to us. Second, where there is devotion to the word of God and to disciple training, there will be a great work of God. Third, God’s vision is for the evangelization of the whole world in our generation. We can have this great vision when we commit our lives to God’s work. May God help each of us to serve him daily until we can say like Apostle Paul, “I must visit Rome also.”