Crazy generous and crazy love

 “Blessings from the Nations – The First Payment”

(Acts 11:27-30, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, April 29, 2012)

[27] Now in these days

The days referred to in the very beginning of this passage were exciting days indeed. God's plan for the salvation of the world was entering a great new phase that continues down to this present hour. No longer would the people of God consist only of Jews. Here in Antioch, through the ministry of unnamed heroes who brought the Word of God to Gentiles, a new and exciting spiritual gathering had come into the world. Jews and non-Jews were serving together as brothers and sisters in Christ in a local church.

These days were fruitful days for the church in Antioch because the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great many people were being taught from the Scriptures about the Word of God made flesh, Jesus Christ, and about His death and resurrection. Like most people even in our own area, they believed in a god or in a pantheon of gods. If they were non-Jewish “God-fearers” who attended synagogues, they believed in the real God. Like the Pharisees, they probably believed that there was more to life than the flesh, and they even believed in heaven.

Now they had come to see the truth about Jesus Christ, and their prior belief in God, the soul, and heaven started to yield much more fruit. They wanted to know all of what God had to say about this Jesus, and they wanted to know where this Jesus was leading them; not in order to complain about His leadership, but just for the joy of following Him.

prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

They learned about these important spiritual matters not only from Paul, Barnabas, and any other teachers who were part of the church in Antioch. Others came from Jerusalem who were recognized as prophets. Prophets were spokesmen, chosen by Him, to bring a Word from Him to His people.

[28] And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius).

Faithful prophets spoke what God gave them to say to the church. One of them revealed an opportunity that would soon be coming their way. The Spirit of the Lord allowed this prophet Agabus to tell the church about a future worldwide famine. By the time that Luke wrote Acts, this famine had already taken place in the days of Claudius. But when Agabus originally spoke about this coming famine, he was talking about something that had not yet happened. Would anyone believe him? Would they act on this word from the Spirit of God?

[29] So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. [30] And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.They did move forward in action. These Christian disciples, comprised of Jews and non-Jews worshiping together in the body of Christ, moved ahead in generosity for others, despite the fact that the famine would hit their land too. A radical move. Notice that the prophet did not tell them how to respond to the news. “The disciples determined” what to do. Notice also that the decision was not a law, but an opportunity, so that each Christian in the large city of Antioch could freely give what he believed was right.

The determination of the church was that everyone would give according to his ability. Some could give more and some could give less because some had more to give than others. What they determined to do was to put all this giving together as the church in Antioch, this unusual new church comprised of Jews and Gentiles. They determined that their gift would be given to bring relief to the Jewish brothers living in Judea. And this is what they did, sending it by the hands of two of their respected teachers, Barnabas and Saul.

I want you to consider how crazy this generosity was to the normal ways of even religious living. There were Gentiles in this church that were given their own money for Jews who believed in Jesus in another land, even after hearing that a famine was coming their way. They were responding to a Word that had come to them from a Jewish prophet. They sent it by the hands of two Jewish men who had both spent much time in Jerusalem and were known to the Jewish leaders and the Jewish churches there. They were demonstrating a whole new way of life. They were hearing the Word of God. They were loving the body of Christ. They were giving their money together for people they did not know.

How did all this happen? This was the first installment in a big gift that God had written about through the Old Testament prophets. The “wealth of the nations” would come streaming into the land of the Jews. God would cause Gentiles to be favorably disposed to Jewish brothers and sisters in Christ. Gentiles who had shared in the spiritual riches of Jews did not consider it a bridge too far to give back to Jews out of their own material riches.

How did this happen? One way to answer this question is to just marvel at the wisdom and power of God in bringing about His plan. That is not a bad place to start. But we should inquire further, since God was not forcing the Christians in Antioch to do anything. They wanted to do what they did. How did they want to hear the Word of God and to give out of their poverty?

It might have been normal to people believe in God, to believe in the immortality of the soul, and to believe in heaven. But those beliefs alone don't make a person suddenly want to hear the Word of a prophet, love a church in Judea, and give generously so that others will be held together through a time of trouble? That behavior is not normal. Just because you believe in God, you don't necessarily want hear the Word of a prophet from Judea and receive it as true. Just because you believe that you have an immortal soul, and that there is another realm out there where God is, and even that you will be with Him there after you die, does not mean that you want to give your money to others.

You need something else to happen before you have the kind of willing generosity that we see in the church in Antioch. You need to see Jesus Christ, the cross, and the resurrection for this change to take place. It is fine to believe that you are going to be with God in heaven, but how was a gift like that ever given to you? Christ, the Son of God, came. He lived. He died. He rose again. The cost of all that was tremendous. Not to you, but to God. Jesus was God's gift to you. He was a gift to the whole church. “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.”

You get crazy generous when you receive crazy love from God. Of course, it is not crazy at all. It is the wisdom of God. But Greeks giving out of their poverty to feed Jews that they don't know will definitely seem like foolishness to most Greeks unless they have come to understand that their blessed assurance of heavenly life was as a result of a Jewish gift to them. A Jewish Messiah saved them. They wanted to see His face. They wanted to know what He wanted them to do. They were eager to hear what He had to say. They determined to give, even if others thought they were crazy for doing so.

1. What was the message that came through Agabus? Where did the message come from?

2. Who received the message and how did they respond to it?

3. How did the follow-through on this plan work?

4. How does this entire episode display important truths about Christ and His church?

OT Passage: Isaiah 61:1-7

What's so bad about preaching Jesus from the Scriptures?

“We Really Better Preach the Word”

(2 Timothy 4:1-2)

1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; ...

1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,

With these words to Timothy, the Apostle was solemnly testifying to His younger colleague about a matter of the utmost importance. He reminds Timothy that what he writes to him he writes in the presence of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, the King and Head of the church. It is a wonderful thing to consider that we can say anything in the presence of Almighty God. Whatever we call upon Him to witness, we must be able to say with the utmost sincerity.

who is to judge the living and the dead,

The Christ Jesus, before whom Paul says something to Timothy, not only atoned for our sins through His death on the cross. He not only was the Firstborn among many brethren as the Resurrection Man. He not only sits at the right hand of the Father, ruling and reigning with all power and authority. He is coming. When He comes, He comes as the One appointed as the Leader over all eternal judgment.

and by his appearing and his kingdom:

Still wanting to impress Timothy further with the importance of what He instructs him to do, Paul mentions the appearing of Christ in glory and the fullness of His Kingdom which will come down from heaven upon the earth. What else is left to add solemnity to the words that follow?

2 preach the word; ...

What then is his solemn charge to the young pastor. “Preach the word.” A preacher is supposed to be a herald of a divine message. Like the prophet, he is an authorized messenger bringing an approved message that he has received from God.

How can anyone be sure that He is preaching the message that God has for His children? He can preach the Word of God. If we are unwilling to handle the Word of truth contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, we are running away from the Word of God. But many preach from the Bible without preaching the Word. They bring their own understanding of the Scriptures, or the common expositions that come from their religious tradition. The Pharisees did this, but Jesus spoke against it. He said in John 5:39-40, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.”

To preach the Word, we must not only preach from the written Word of God in the Bible. We must find in that written Word the great Word incarnate, Jesus Christ, and we must preach Him. This is the solemn need of every age, that the children of God would hear the voice of the Messiah through the sure revelation of the Scriptures. Consider the previous context, “All the Scriptures...,” and remember what Jesus said in Luke 24, and you will have to agree that pastors must preach the Scriptures, and preach Jesus Christ.

Visible Grace

 “Behold How Good and How Pleasant It Is!”

(Acts 11:19-26, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, April 22, 2012)

[19] Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.

We have a hard time seeing the goodness of suffering in the moment that we feel the pain. The church in Jerusalem went through some very difficult persecution. They were scattered right out of town. While that was bad, it was also something that God meant for good. With God at work in every detail of life, we should always keep an eye out for His hand of grace. Other people may mean something for evil, but Jesus is working hard toward the fulfillment of a very good eternal purpose.

When Stephen was killed, many people wept, as well they should have. But out of that death, and out of his prayer for forgiveness and the good purposes of Almighty God came the ministry of Paul the Apostle, and the immediate increase of the preaching of the word as far as Phoenicia in the north, the island of Cyprus, and further north to Antioch, which is just barely over the border from Syria in the very southern part of modern Turkey.

Today, the map of the extension of the gospel is truly extraordinary. If people are waiting for a victorious Jewish Messiah, they should wait no more. The Suffering Servant Messiah, Jesus, who died on a cross, has now had undeniable and astounding success everywhere. But this move from Jerusalem moving north through modern Lebanon, Syria, and into southern Turkey was quite the mission success in its day. Everywhere these church people went, they spoke the Word, but only to their kind, to Jews.

Since that time, other walls had begun to come down. Philip went to the Samaritans and he also baptized a court official from Ethiopia. Ananias, a Jesus-receiving Jew in Damascus, had heard a message about Saul of Tarsus, that Saul would be God's chosen instrument to carry the Name of Christ before the Gentiles. Peter had now preached Christ to Cornelius and his family, and a second Pentecost, a Gentile Pentecost this time, had come down from heaven.

[20] But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. [21] And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

These are the names that we know, and the places that we have heard about. Yet very quickly the progress of the exalted Christ and His Spirit working through people would expand so much that we could not possibly keep track of all that the Lord was doing. We have already mentioned the island of Cyprus, off the cost of Lebanon. Cyrene was a coastal town across the Mediterranean Sea from Greece in modern Libya! People from these places were traveling all over the region. There were men from Cyprus and Cyrene who came to Antioch near the border of Turkey and Syria north of Lebanon, and they did something very bold. Maybe without even knowing it, they started to talk to Hellenists, to non-Jews, preaching the Lord Jesus.

This is what a healthy church will do. It is not a strategy or a program. It is the life of the Holy Spirit taking the Word that is on fire in the renewed heart of people who cannot help but speak about the Messiah, eventually telling others that everyone else was ignoring. So while Peter has this amazing set of experiences that convinces him that he would be disobedient to God if he did not bring the gospel to Cornelius, the devout non-Jew centurion, unnamed Jews that came from places like the island of Cyprus and northern Libya are already talking to Gentiles in Antioch. There may have been those who would not have approved of such a missionary approach, but they did not get a say in this. The Lord approved. A great many non-Jews turned to the Lord in the city of Antioch, and they were worshiping God together through Jesus Christ in a vibrant community of faith, hope, and love in the joy of the Holy Spirit.

[22] The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. [23] When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, [24] for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

Now it is very hard to keep good news like that a secret. The church in Jerusalem heard, and they sent a representative, Barnabas, up to Antioch, to see what was taking place. When he came there, He saw the grace of God. What a statement! When you can see the grace of God, you can see something of heaven on earth. That is one way to think about the present heavens, and about what life will be like here when Christ returns, and what the church is right now when we are at our best. You actually see the grace of God.

When the grace of God comes, people love the Lord and they love one another. They listen to one another, and learn new truths from each other. When the grace of God comes to a church, they don't all line up to talk to just one man after church. That's great, but what is even better is when you can talk to the person next to you about how the Lord used the Word to help you that day, and when people expect to grow from each other.

What Barnabas saw in Antioch, Barnabas liked, not just for Antioch, but for the whole world. Jews and Gentiles were worshiping one God through Jesus Christ, and you could see the grace of God. He had the great privilege of bringing the Word to that assembly. His message was an exhortation, coming along side them as a brother, and calling them in the Name of Jesus to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose. That is a message that we need to hear every day. This Barnabas was a prince, a good man, a man full of the Holy Spirit and faith. He was someone trusted by the church in Jerusalem and well able to evaluate the church that had come forward by the grace of God in Antioch. Instead of just going to Antioch and then leaving after looking over the church there, Barnabas became engaged in the ministry in that church, and a great many people were added to the Lord. Isn't that amazing? When they were added to the church, the were added to the One Lord of the church, Jesus, who died for us.

[25] So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, [26] and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.Barnabas not only made Antioch his new home base, he went and got Saul and brought Him there. They spent a whole year there together establishing the foundation of teaching for the church that had seen so much of the grace of God, and included both Jews and non-Jews.

These men taught a great many people there. It is worth noting that in connection with this establishment of a foundation of good teaching, the disciples there began to be called “Christians” for the first time in the history of the world. Christ is at the center of all true teaching of the faith of the Scriptures, and He is at the center of the life of that faith in the church. “Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity.”

1. How did the Lord prepare the way for His mission to the Gentiles?

2. Who was Barnabas and why did the church in Jerusalem send him to Antioch?

3. What did Barnabas find there?

4. What did Saul and Barnabas do in Antioch? Why were the disciples there called Christians?

OT Passage: Psalm 133

Who would have the nerve to speak for God?

“Equipped for Good Work”

(2 Timothy 3:17)

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

that the man of God

The title, “man of God,” refers to the prophet as the appointed spokesman for the Lord. How could it be that a man could be in that position to actually speak for the Almighty King of the universe? The Spirit of God, at work in the Old Testament prophets, has been poured out upon the church. Not only the minister, but the whole church, has this Spirit of the living God. They are to be filled more and more with that Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, making melody in their hearts to the Lord, and hearing the word of God from the mouths of one another in the body of Christ.

may be competent,

Yet not many within the body of Christ should be official teachers. This is what God says in James 3:1 “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”

Not everyone is ready now to have the responsibility to be a teacher of the Word of God. The competency that is referred to hear is not primarily academic, though the learning of the Word is such a precious gift to the whole church. The word translated “competent” has to do with the word “now.” The man of God must be at the ready. Through the whole of the Scriptures, read, meditated upon, studied, prayed, and spoken of, the Spirit of God makes a man ready to be the man of God in a time and place as a shepherd of the flock.

equipped for every good work

Such a man, the man at the ready with an ear that hears, and with the Word that the Lord has for that moment, is equipped by Spirit and Word, for every good work that God calls us to in the ministry of the Word. He is not alone. He is a part of the school of the prophets. The spirits of prophets test the prophets (1 John 4:1).

The word equipped confirms that the idea of “competent” has to do with timing or stage of readiness. This “equipped” is about being ready to move out, like a vessel finished for sailing. It is not only built, but it has the supplies necessary for the journey.

Is the man filled with the Holy Spirit? See Ephesians 5:18-21. How is His life in the Word? Can he listen to and submit to others? Is He able to hear and receive the full range of what the Spirit does with the Word? Having the firm foundation of the full counsel of biblical teaching, can he move from a kind identification of a problem, to pointing the way of life through correction, and then coming alongside in the art of training in righteousness?

Who is sufficient for these things? But we have the Word of God in us who died for our sins. We have the power of His death and resurrection working not only in us but in our hearers. Not only is He saving them; He is saving us. Our hope is in Him, and He has given us the whole of the Scriptures.

God did it...

 “Adventure at Caesarea” (concluded)

(Acts 11:1-18, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, April 15, 2012)

[11:1] Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. [2] So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, [3] “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

Good news travels fast, but in churches that are operating more on traditions than on the Spirit-directed love of the Scriptures, good news can sound like bad news to many. Was it good news that the Gentiles had received the Word of God? Not to many Jewish believers in Jesus who had assumed that while Jesus was the only gate to heaven, Judaism was the only gateway to Jesus.

When they heard that Gentiles, non-Jews, had received the Word of God without first becoming Jews, they were alarmed, and they were ready to convict Peter of heresy. Of course, they were wrong, but they were sure they were right. To us, so many centuries later, it seems shocking that the church was so slow to understand that Jesus was for the nations without the nations having to become Jews before they could have Jesus. They did not see it in the Old Testament Scriptures, though it was there. They did not see the hints of it in Jesus' own ministry. They did not understand it in the Great Commission. They did not appreciate it in the gift of languages at Pentecost. They did not see it in what the Lord had said about Saul of Tarsus. Even Peter did not get it without a vision from heaven about eating “unclean” food, and that given three times.

[4] But Peter began and explained it to them in order: [5] “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. [6] Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. [7] And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ [8] But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ [9] But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ [10] This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. [11] And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. [12] And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house. [13] And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; [14] he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ [15] As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. [16] And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ [17] If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?”

But finally Peter did get it. At long last. Now what? His former colleagues were ready to turn him in for not being sufficiently Jewish. How would he respond to this challenge? I can tell you how ministers respond to this kind of criticism in the flesh. First, they get their feelings hurt. They are trying to serve the Lord. They feel like they have given up everything. Now people they had expected to be for them are against them. They get insulted, and they sulk, they lash out, they complain, and they hope that the problem will go away.

This is not the recommended way to respond. It is also inconsistent with the gospel that we joyfully confess, and the Savior that we truly love.

Peter takes a different approach, an orderly and godly approach. He decides that it is all about God and not himself. He is willing to expose his own difficulty in coming to this truth. He then brings forward the facts of what the Lord did to enlighten him, to help him to break out of what he had once thought was a seemingly undeniable fact, that Jews don't eat with non-Jews.

In explaining how Peter came to eat with Gentiles, Peter lets God be the main character in the story. God gave Peter the vision. God spoke from heaven, rebuking Peter. The Almighty One brought the representatives from Cornelius at just the right time. The Holy Spirit told Peter to go with these men, making no distinction between Jews and Gentiles. It was an angel of God who had appeared to Cornelius and instructed him to send for Peter. It was the Holy Spirit that had fallen upon them in a shocking second Pentecost experience when Peter began to speak to this assembly of Gentile hearers. It was Jesus, the Son of God, who had prepared Peter for this moment by saying, “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

It was only after presenting all this relevant God evidence, that Peter made the logical conclusion that would demolish his previous incorrect ethical absolute that there was no way that a Jew should enter the house of a non-Jew. He said, “If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?” Even in this final point, Peter makes God the focus. Who are we to stand in God's way.

[18] When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

This is the way to honor the Lord, and to diffuse objections when people are overwhelmed with challenges to their belief system. Don't make it about you. Don't get your feelings hurt. What has the Lord said? What has the Lord done? What has the Lord made clear? Let this be much more important to you than your own being right, or your own intelligence, or your own spirituality.

Let God make His case in the obvious facts that will persuade someone who loves the Lord. Be patient if you come under attack. Tell the truth. Honor God. Perhaps the Lord will change the minds of those who believe that you are wrong. It happened here. The people who heard Peter glorified God. They forgot about Peter because of the shining light of the good news of what the Lord had done. “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

Repentance and faith are wonderful gifts of God. Peter did not give these gifts to give to anyone. Neither has any minister of the gospel since his day. Only the Lord can grant them. Whenever He gives repentance and faith, we should rejoice. We should focus on what God has done.

This is not only true of the beginning of the Christian life. It is just as true for every step along the way to glory. God not only brought Gentiles into true contact with His Son through the power of the Holy Spirit. He further healed some Jewish hearts that day, beginning with Peter, and then continuing on to those who had been alarmed when they heard the report that Peter had eaten with non-Jews.

The same Lord is among us today. He still brings forth fresh water for us from the Rock of Jesus Christ. Are you perfectly glorified? I am not. We should expect that God, who drew us mercifully to Himself and who first granted to us repentance unto life, will continue to grant us faith and repentance until Jesus comes again. Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!

1. What was the concern of certain Jews who heard about what happened at Caesarea?

2. How did Peter address their concerns?

3. What was the response of the Jews who listened to Peter's explanation?

4. What are the implications of this potential conflict and its resolution for us?

OT Passage: Exodus 17:1-7

Today, if you hear His voice...

“Peace and Joy in the Resurrection of the Lord”

(Luke 24:36-53)

[36] As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!”

Do you want real peace? The resurrected Jesus announced that peace to His disciples. He did not do that in a Bible verse. He came in person to them, risen from the dead. The resurrection of the Sin-bearer is the ultimate declaration of a new world beyond the curse. It is the greatest good news.

[37] But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.

This was not how it was received by His frightened disciples. They thought that they were seeing a spirit from the land of death, rather than a man of ultimate permanent life.

[38] And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? [39] See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” [40] And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. [41] And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” [42] They gave him a piece of broiled fish, [43] and he took it and ate before them.

Whatever the word “spirit” meant to them, it did not mean a resurrection man. Jesus was and is a resurrection man. A resurrection man has flesh that can be seen and touched. A resurrection man can eat. A resurrection man is realer than anything you have ever seen.

[44] Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

The reality that Jesus would be this forever man in front of their eyes was what he had revealed to them prior to His death. He would be the fulfillment of everything that the Messiah was to be according to the Scriptures.

[45] Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, [46] and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, [47] and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. [48] You are witnesses of these things. [49] And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

They had not understood all this before, but now He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures that taught about the Messiah, His eternal life, and the proclamation of His victory to the world by the promised Holy Spirit of God that would be sent to them.

[50] Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. [51] While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. [52] And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, [53] and were continually in the temple blessing God.His message began with peace and it ends with joy. Jesus Christ, the Resurrection Man has come. We have His blessing upon our lives and upon our new mission. Today, if you hear His voice, worship Him, and rejoice in the promise of the Father, now fulfilled in Christ. He is the living Head of His body. We are His body, His family, the church.

He is Risen!

 “Redeemer”

(Luke 24:13-35, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, April 8, 2012)

[13] That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, [14] and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. [15] While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. [16] But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. [17] And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. [18] Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” [19] And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, [20] and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. [21] But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. [22] Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, [23] and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. [24] Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”

Cleopas and his companion were understandably low as they walked to Emmaus. They were talking about all the things that had happened. While they were reviewing the events of the betrayal and arrest of Jesus, His condemnation by the Jewish religious court, and His torture and crucifixion, who joined them on their journey but Jesus! But they were not able to see Him.

He engaged them in conversation, uncovering their disappointment. At root, their hopes had been dashed. “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. That word “redeem” can have at least two meanings. There is a general meaning, which is probably the one they had in mind, “to deliver from evils of every kind, internal and external.” They had an idea of what a redeemer would be, and had high hopes that Jesus, a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, was their redeemer. He would fix everything. But that had not happened. Just the opposite had come to pass. It seemed like His enemies had utterly defeated Him. How could anything be worse than what happened to Jesus? A true redeemer, by this first definition, would have delivered them from every kind of evil, inside and out. But it appeared that the man that they had hoped was the Messiah was instead delivered over to His enemies. Corrupt and evil men had utterly destroyed their best hope. They were sad. What more can you say.

They were so sad, that they were not able to receive the news of the resurrection, news that they had already heard about from some of the women who had seen the empty tomb and angels claiming that Jesus was alive. They may have heard the words, but they could not allow their hearts to hope any more in Jesus.

[25] And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! [26] Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” [27] And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.This was a great moment. Jesus, the Resurrection Man, was right there with them. He spoke up, though they still did not know it was He; the Redeemer, not only of Israel, but of the new heavens and earth.

Jesus knew well that there was a more specific meaning of this word “redeem.” This meaning was all over the Bible. This second meaning of redeem was “to liberate by payment of ransom.” A price had to be paid for Isaac to live, when his father Abraham was ready to take his life. There had to be a sacrifice, a payment to the Lord of righteousness, a ransom. God provided a lamb, a ram in the thicket. That substitute died, and Isaac was spared. He was redeemed. He came down from the wood of the sacrifice. He was liberated by the payment of a ransom that God Himself had provided.

Of course, a ram in the thicket cannot really die for our sins. That was a picture. Cleopas and his friend needed to see the true Redeemer. According to the Scriptures, the Messiah had to suffer and die for us as a ransom before He entered into His glory as the Resurrection King. According to the Scriptures, the Lord would rise again, long before the final resurrection, that great day of the fullness of the glory of God that is ready today to come down from on high.

[28] So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, [29] but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. [30] When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. [31] And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. [32] They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”

This was all very enlivening to the souls of these two men. When He seemed to be going farther than where they were lodging for the night, they urged Him strongly to stay with them. But when He broke bread with them, they saw Him, they knew Him, they recognized Him. This was no stranger. This was Jesus, their Redeemer and their Friend. Then He vanished from their sight, but they were not distressed anymore. Their hearts were filled with the truth of the Scriptures.

[33] And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, [34] saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” [35] Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

But they could not stay put. They ran back immediately to Jerusalem. They had to say it. They knew it in their hearts now, and so did the other disciples. “The Lord has risen indeed!”

This is where living faith begins to move out in hope and love: Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, is risen from the dead! He had to die. A ransom far better than a ram had to be paid for your liberation. God would have to receive any ransom. He was the One we had sinned against every time. He was the only one who could say, “It is enough. An acceptable ransom has been paid.”

But not only did God have to be the One to receive the ransom. He alone could pay the ransom. No Isaac was worthy enough to pay the price for you and I. And Abraham had nothing more precious to give to God than Isaac, the one God calls Abraham's only son, even though both God and Abraham knew full well that Abraham already had another son named Ishmael.

But one day God the Father would give His only-begotten Son for you. There would be no ram in the thicket to save Jesus. Isaac lives. You live. I live. Abraham lives. Jesus died. But look now, Jesus is alive. The good news is this. This ransom was acceptable. “He is risen indeed!”

1. What was the thinking of the disciples as they met Jesus?

2. How did He address their concerns?

3. How did they receive His words?

4. What is the significance of the Old Testament Scriptures to our faith today?”

OT Passage: Genesis 22:1-14

The Best News

“Peace and Joy in the Resurrection of the Lord”

(Luke 24:36-53)

[36] As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!”

Do you want real peace? The resurrected Jesus announced that peace to His disciples. He did not do that in a Bible verse. He came in person to them, risen from the dead. The resurrection of the Sin-bearer is the ultimate declaration of a new world beyond the curse. It is the greatest good news.

[37] But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.

This was not how it was received by His frightened disciples. They thought that they were seeing a spirit from the land of death, rather than a man of ultimate permanent life.

[38] And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? [39] See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” [40] And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. [41] And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” [42] They gave him a piece of broiled fish, [43] and he took it and ate before them.

Whatever the word “spirit” meant to them, it did not mean a resurrection man. Jesus was and is a resurrection man. A resurrection man has flesh that can be seen and touched. A resurrection man can eat. A resurrection man is realer than anything you have ever seen.

[44] Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

The reality that Jesus would be this forever man in front of their eyes was what he had revealed to them prior to His death. He would be the fulfillment of everything that the Messiah was to be according to the Scriptures.

[45] Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, [46] and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, [47] and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. [48] You are witnesses of these things. [49] And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

They had not understood all this before, but now He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures that taught about the Messiah, His eternal life, and the proclamation of His victory to the world by the promised Holy Spirit of God that would be sent to them.

[50] Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. [51] While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. [52] And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, [53] and were continually in the temple blessing God.His message began with peace and it ends with joy. Jesus Christ, the Resurrection Man has come. We have His blessing upon our lives and upon our new mission. Today, if you hear His voice, worship Him, and rejoice in the promise of the Father, now fulfilled in Christ. He is the living Head of His body. We are His body, His family, the church.

See me, Lord, and remember me.

 “Remember Me”

(Luke 23:42, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee)

“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Jesus Before Pilate
[23:1] Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. [2] And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” [3] And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” [4] Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” [5] But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.”He came to His own people, and they would not receive Him. He was hated without a cause. But He knew who He was, and He made the good confession before Pontius Pilate.

Jesus Before Herod
[6] When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. [7] And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. [8] When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. [9] So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. [10] The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. [11] And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. [12] And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.He was despised and He was rejected, but He opened not His mouth. Powerful leaders took counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed.

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified
[13] Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, [14] and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. [15] Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. [16] I will therefore punish and release him.”
[18] But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”—[19] a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. [20] Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, [21] but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” [22] A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.” [23] But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. [24] So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. [25] He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will.Even when it seemed that it was the will of rulers to beat Him and release Him, they did not gain their desire. Something else was at work here – the will of the Lord. The religious leaders of the Jews did not want this to happen during the Passover. But by the will of the Lord, He would be the Passover Lamb, the Substitute for sinners. He would die, and we would be freed. He was handed over to His enemies for our transgressions.

The Crucifixion
[26] And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. [27] And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. [28] But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. [29] For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ [30] Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ [31] For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”Jesus was not released as Pilate wanted, and He was not stoned to death, as might have been expected under the Jewish Law. He was lifted up on a Roman cross. They pierce His hands and feet. But when He was lifted up, He would draw all men to Him. And we would have a new way to follow, a cross to bear, a love to live. He loved us as the best of all husbands. He thought of our trial, our need. He suffered in that present moment for our future eternal glory.

[32] Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. [33] And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [34] And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. [35] And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” [36] The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine [37] and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” [38] There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”Although He had done no violence and there was no deceit in His mouth, the time had come for Him to die the death of the wicked, to face the public curse of God as the One who is lifted up on a tree. There on the cross, He made intercession for the transgressors, even for those who hated Him.

[39] One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” [40] But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? [41] And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” [42] And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” [43] And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”He had done nothing wrong. Mine is the sin, but Thine the righteousness. Mine is the guilt, but Thine the cleansing blood. For all who take refuge in Him, He had made the way to blessing.

The Death of Jesus
[44] It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, [45] while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. [46] Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. [47] Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” [48] And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. [49] And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.The one innocent Man died. And the people's hearts were broken. Yet this day would become a day that would be called “good.” It was the day that the Lord had made. The day when the sacrifice was offered for sinners.

23:42  καὶ ἔλεγεν Ἰησοῦ μνήσθητί μου ὅταν ἔλθῃς εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν σου

What do you see in the cross of Jesus Christ?

We see three men, not one. Three men publicly exposed as sinners, but only two have sinned. One of the sinners, bloody and naked, disgraced in front of all who would pass by, cannot see Jesus for who He is. But one sinner has eyes to see at this late hour.

This man speaks.

He speaks to a man who is the picture of outward disgrace. Worn down, beaten up, bleeding, naked, ready to take His last breath.

“Jesus.” The Name that means “The Lord is salvation.” The new Joshua who can lead me home.

“Remember me.” Though you die, You will live. You can see me now in my disgrace. You will be able to remember a man who died alongside You. You will be able to remember me.

“Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Not only will You live, but where You are going, You will be King over a great kingdom. If You remember me, I will live with You in Your kingdom.

This is faith. To look at yourself and to see a bloody disgrace that is deserved, because we have sinned against God. But then to look at the bloody disgrace of the Son of God, and to see the King of heaven, and to find hope in His cross for life.

May the Lord grant us faith to see Jesus, to live for Him now, and to enjoy Him forever.

The Same Resurrection Message - The Same Life-Giving Holy Spirit

 “Adventure at Caesarea” (continued)

(Acts 10:25-48, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, April 1, 2012)

[25] When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. [26] But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.”

Cornelius was a good man, a man commended by God. He was so ready to receive the Word of God through the Apostle Peter that when the two men met, he worshiped Peter. For Cornelius, to see God's apostolic representative was to be in the presence of God Himself. Peter gently corrected him. “Stand up. I too am a man.” (When Peter wrote about how to be a godly elder, he wrote as a humble fell-elder. God spoke through this man. There is a greater chance that God will speak through us if we are not full of ourselves. What did Peter suffer to gain humility?)

[27] And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. [28] And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. [29] So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.”

Peter broke the Jew/Gentile barrier by going into the home of Cornelius. Peter was in a Gentile home, and he found that there were many people already gathered there to listen to him. He drew attention to the barrier between them even as he crossed it. God had broken the barrier in the death of His Son. In fulfilling the Law, God had brought down a wall that had to come down. The tearing down of that wall meant peace between God and man. It also meant an end to the division between Jew and Gentile. It was not Peter's idea, nor had Peter taken the wall down. But God had brought him to the point where he accepted and even embraced the tearing down of this formidable, but temporary, divine barrier. God had shown Peter something. Peter could not call any person common or unclean. That's why Peter was standing there among Gentiles.

[30] And Cornelius said, “Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing [31] and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. [32] Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ [33] So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”The tearing down of the Jew/Gentile wall was also not the idea of Cornelius. God had met him through an angelic messenger, directing him to send for Peter. Cornelius had admired the faith of the Jews, believing the God of the Jews, and obeying the God of the Jews. But he had not become a Jew. Now he was eager to hear the Word that God had for him and for all assembled, and he knew that this word would come through the lips of a Jew. He did not know what Peter would say, but he and his guests sensed that they were not only in the presence of one another, but also in the presence of God. They were there to hear, to hear everything that God had told His messenger Peter to say.

[34] So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, [35] but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

Cornelius wanted to learn from God. But it was Peter who had just learned something. Years before he had heard the resurrected Jesus say that the apostles would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the utmost parts of the earth. But had the Lord intended that the Gospel would go forward by people becoming Jews, or could it be that Gentiles could come to Jesus without ever becoming Jews? Now Peter knew. Now he understood. God was not only the God of the Jews. He was also the God of the Gentiles. Faith and repentance would work for anyone. The message that Peter had given to Jews on the day of Pentecost would become the same gateway of life to these eager Gentiles. They could repent too. Anyone who would fear Him and do what was right would be acceptable to the Lord.

[36] As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), [37] you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: [38] how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. [39] And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, [40] but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, [41] not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. [42] And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. [43] To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Jesus, the Jewish Christ, is Lord of all. He is the Word that God sent to Israel, not for Israel only, but for the whole world. This Jesus had displayed who He was through His life and His miracles. He fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures that were written about Him. Everything that Jesus did, He did with the fullness of the Holy Spirit. This same Jesus, was put to death publicly as a sin offering for us. But God raised Him up. This is the message of Christianity. It starts with the resurrection. That message of Christ, the cross, and the resurrection is spread abroad through witnesses, like Peter, chosen by God. Peter ate and drank with Jesus of Nazareth after Jesus rose from the dead. He commanded that Peter and the others should bring this message to the world. They were to tell the nations that this Jesus was the one God appointed to judge the living and the dead. But everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His Name. This message is the very same message that the church brings all over the world today, twenty centuries later. There is hope in the Name of Jesus Christ. There is forgiveness of sins in Him.

[44] While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. [45] And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. [46] For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, [47] “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” [48] And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

This message is for Jews and it is for Gentiles. The same Holy Spirit that authenticated that message with His presence in Acts 2, was also present at the home of Cornelius that day, and He is present among His people here as we call upon His Name. This shocked the Jews that had come with Peter from Joppa. The same signs that were given to Jews in Jerusalem on that first Pentecost were given to Gentiles now who heard the unchanging message of Jesus Christ. The church needed to follow the obvious leading of God. The assembly had been baptized with the Holy Spirit. Who was Peter or anyone else to deny them water baptism and entrance into the church. From this beginning, streams of living water still flow forth from Christ our Rock to Gentile lands everywhere. We want that water from Christ in our lives, and we want that water to flow through us to all who would be thirsty for the Lord of heaven.
1. What did Peter understand about the purpose of this visit when he arrived at Caesarea?

2. What did Cornelius understand about the purpose of this visit?

3. What did both men learn from this encounter?

4. What does it mean that “the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the Word?”

OT Passage: Psalm 121