Acts 24 A Faithful Witness On Trial
We are steadily approaching the conclusion of our exposition in the book of Acts. This Sunday we will look at chapter 24 in its entirety. In chapter 23, Paul was sent to the governor in Caesarea for his own protection. A plot to kill him was providentially discovered and the Roman Tribune sent Paul to Felix under the protection of the Roman army. Now in chapter 24 Paul will be tried by Felix. In this chapter we see the first of several trials in which Paul will bear witness. Through them all, as Paul is on his way to Rome, he shows himself faithful to his calling to bear witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. As all faithful witnesses of Christ, Paul is facing lies and false accusations of his beliefs and behavior. But in chapter 24 he shows all believers how to remain faithful to our calling through the persecution and biases of this world. He speaks the truth from a clear conscience toward God and men, taking every opportunity to share the message of the gospel to all people. There is much to learn from this chapter as we ourselves face mounting misinformation in the world about what Christianity is and what the Bible teaches. Because we will have to work quickly to get through all of chapter 24, it will be beneficial for us all to read the chapter before Sunday. I hope to see you there.
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Acts 23:12-35 Resting In God's Providence
As we examine Acts 23:12-35, we will see God’s providence as he works to fulfill His purposes in the ordinary and unexpected events of this life. God will send Paul to Rome just as He promised, yet He will not do so through miraculous deliverance. He will do so through the schemes of the enemy, the unexpected appearance of a relative, and the selfish intentions of the authorities. Yet in all these unpredictable and unexpected "happenings" God is in control. We might not know what God is doing through certain situations, but we know that He knows what He is doing, and we can trust His providence.
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Hebrews 2:14-18 Why God Became Man
Sunday we will continue focusing on the birth of the Savior. Last week in Philippians 2:5-11, we studied how the eternal God emptied Himself to become man and then humbled Himself to become obedient to death. And we rejoiced in the fact that now, the eternal Son of God is now the exalted Lord who is both God and Man. This Sunday we will turn our focus to the question, "Why?" Why did the eternal God become Man. Why was it necessary? What does it accomplish for us? How do we walk in what Jesus has done? To answer these questions, we will delve into Hebrews 2:14-18 and examine the reasons given to us by the Spirit through the author of Hebrews. In His coming, His death, and His resurrection, Jesus destroyed the one with the power of death, He delivered us from our slavery to the fear of death, He became our perfect High Priest, and He is able to help us who are being tempted. Sunday we will examine these four reasons in depth, and what they mean for our lives.
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Philippians 2:5-11 The Glory of The Gospel At Christmas
This Sunday, we will take a break from our exposition of Acts to focus ourselves on celebrating the birth of the Savior. Of course, we can’t discuss the birth of Jesus without also having an eye toward His purpose in coming. So Sunday, we will examine one of my very favorite passages of Scripture, Philippians 2:5-11. Often called the "emptying" passage, we will see how the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, emptied himself by taking the nature of a human being and entering into His own creation. Not only did He enter His creation, being born in Bethlehem, but He humbled Himself even becoming obedient to death so that the wages of others’ sin would be paid in full. And finally we see Jesus exalted to the right hand of the Father and given the name above every name. We will examine all these things in full and marvel at the love of God in the coming of the Savior. The story of Christmas and the truth of Jesus’ exaltation as God and Man is the foundation of everything. It is the joy of our lives, the glory above all others, and the very need of our souls. I hope you can join us the Sunday.
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Acts 22:22-23:11 Wisdom For Witnesses In Hostile Situations
This Sunday we find Paul in a very unenviable situation. In fact, it looks utterly hopeless. Paul has been mobbed and arrested by the Romans. The Roman Tribune allowed him to speak to the crowd in the hopes that he would calm them and disperse them. Last week we examined what Paul said to the crowd as he explained the testimony of how the Lord Jesus transformed and called him. However, Paul is not allowed to finish his proclamation to the mob in the Temple courts. As we pick up in Acts 22:22, the crowd again goes berserk at the mention of Paul being sent to invite the Gentiles into God’s covenant. At this point, things go from bad to worse. From Acts 22:22-23:11 we will examine how Paul navigates the impossible situation he now finds himself in. Though Paul does not act sinlessly throughout the next events, we do see some principles of wisdom in his actions that Jesus’ witnesses must understand in order to be faithful in hostile situations. Whether we are speaking of overt persecution and attacks from the world or hostility from individuals to whom we bear witness, we must be ready to give a defense for the hope that is within us, and to do so with gentleness and respect. Sunday we will see how to do so even when circumstances seem chaotic and hopeless.
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Acts 22:1-21 Prepared To Make A Defense
Paul speaks to the crowd that just mobbed him in the temple court. He delivers the testimony of how Christ transformed his life
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Acts 21:27-40 A Witness In Chains
This Sunday we will look at the rest of chapter 21. This will be part 1 of Paul’s first defense after his arrest. Acts 21:27-22:29 is actually one unit so we will take it in two parts. Over the course of Paul’s journey back to Jerusalem multiple people warned him not to go because imprisonments and afflictions awaited him. And once he arrived in Jerusalem, he was immediately confronted with a problem among Jewish Christians. They had heard rumors about his teaching about Moses and Jewish customs. To ease the consciences of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, Paul humbles himself and participates in a purification ritual in the temple. Our text Sunday picks up as he is in the temple doing just that. While Paul is doing all he can to honor God, keep peace among the churches, and show love to the Jewish Christians, he is accused and mobbed by the Jews in the Temple court. They are intent on killing him and the only thing that stops them is the Roman garrison stationed there. But things go from bad to worse as Paul himself is arrested and put in chains. From this point in Acts, Paul will not again be a free man.
Christ’s witness are accused wrongfully and treated unjustly all through scripture and all through church history. Jesus has sent us into a fallen world intent on using any means necessary to silence His message. It should not come as a surprise when suffering, affliction, and even imprisonment happens to disciples because of their witness for Christ. We are often slandered, misrepresented, and demonized in the culture and media. And things may get alot worse in the near future. But what we see in this passage is Paul sees all this injustice and affliction happening to him because God has called him to it. Paul sees this as an opportunity to preach the gospel to this mob intent on killing him. He understands that God’s priority is the glory of His name and the furthering of His kingdom. Paul’s safety, comfort, and preference is irrelevant. God places his witnesses where he wills so that they will be His witnesses especially through hardship. So even when obeying Christ means risk to our health, safety, reputation, or comfort - we can be faithful knowing that this world is not our home, and this life is meant for honoring Jesus.
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Acts 21:17-26 All Things To All Men
As we continue in Acts 21 this Sunday, we are quickly coming to the last time that we see Paul as a free man. Over the last few weeks, we have seen much of Paul’s heart for Christ and for the gospel mission. Last week in Acts 21:1-16, we saw Paul committed to finish the course Jesus had set him upon, despite everyone around him counseling against it. Paul said that he was not only ready to be imprisoned but ready to die for the name of Jesus. That is what Jesus commands of all those who follow Him. Jesus said, "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it." (Mark 8:35). In Acts 21:17-36, we find that Paul was not only willing to give his physical life but was also willing to humble himself and lay down some of his personal liberties in Christ for the sake of unity among the body of Christ. As he enters Jerusalem and meets with the elders of the Jerusalem church, they share that misinformation has been circulating about him among the Jerusalem church. The Jewish Christians have been told that Paul is teaching all Jews outside of Jerusalem that they must stop living like Jews in order to be faithful to Christ. To remedy this, they propose Paul go through a "purification" ritual in the temple so that the Jewish Christians will know these things are not true. That sounds like something Paul, who rails against anyone suggesting the law (or any part of it) can be added to the gospel, would never do. But he does! Why? That is the question we will examine this Sunday.
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Acts 21:1-16 Faithful To Finish The Course
There is definitely alot going on at FBC! I am thankful for our church’s faithfulness to follow God’s calling wherever He is leading. That is exemplified in our text for Sunday. In Acts 20:1-16 Paul is on his final journey back to Jerusalem as a free man. As he spoke passionately to the Ephesian elders in ch. 20, he told them that in every city the Spirit was revealing to him that imprisonment and afflictions awaited him in Jerusalem. Yet, Paul did not sway from his calling. As we follow him on his return journey, Paul will stop in several places and minister to believers in the churches of different cities. The love and hospitality between all the believers is striking as Paul and his ministry team lodge with different believers. But everywhere Paul stays, everyone around him warns him not to go to Jerusalem. Indeed, even his own ministry team will join the chorus to keep him from heading into danger and tribulation. They love him dearly and want him to avoid suffering. This has a profound effect upon Paul’s heart, but he does not deviate from what he knows Jesus has called him to do. He is quite literally following in the footsteps of his Lord.
Paul is devoted to the will of Christ despite what everyone around him thinks and despite the consequences that he knows will result. He is living out Jesus’ call for the one who would follow Him to "deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Him."
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Acts 20:28-38 Faithful Pastoral Ministry Part 2
Sunday we continue examining Paul’s final words to the elders of the Ephesian church in Acts 20:28-38. As we saw last week in verses 17-27, Paul began by reminding them of his example among them. He lived and served among them for three years with humility and tears, despite the trials he faced. He taught the whole counsel of God unapologetically and therefore was innocent of anyone’s blood. Paul gave this reminder as an example of what the pastors of the church must do now that he is leaving them for good. As we examine the rest of his speech (v. 28-38) Paul moves to the direct exhortation of what pastors and church leaders are called to do. Without ambiguity, he lays out their responsibility before God as well as the ways and means they are to fulfill their calling.
This passage has been particularly convicting and formative for me over these last two weeks. Here we find God’s infallible testimony of what elders / pastors are called to be and to do. Here we find Paul’s pastoral theology and practice laid out in the Holy Scriptures, and it is here that the church is informed as to what God expects of those who are called to teach and lead as overseers of Christ’s church. Sunday we will look at what it must look like for the God called pastors to "shepherd the church of God, which He obtained with His own blood." We will also examine the under-shepherd’s call regarding "keeping watch" for the "fierce wolves" that arise from outside and inside the church.
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Acts 20:13-27 Faithful Pastoral Ministry Part 1
With all the incredible things happening at FBC, I though about taking a break from Acts for a few weeks. I assumed I would focus on what the church would need to do - who we needed to be during this time. But, as we have seen so many times, God has placed us in the exact text we need, at exactly the right time. Sunday we will continue in Acts 20, examining the final instructions that Paul gives to the elders (the pastors) of the church in Ephesus. He is on his way back to Jerusalem and instead of stopping in Ephesus, he stops nearby and calls the leaders of the church out to meet with him.
Because of the depth of Paul’s speech to the Ephesian elders, we will break it up into two parts. This Sunday we will look at the example of Paul’s life and ministry (v.17-27) and next Sunday we will look at his exhortation for the elders to shepherd and oversee the church of God in v.28-35. But it would do well for you to prepare by reading the entire passage.
In our text Sunday (v.17-27), Paul reminds the elders of the example that he set for them in the three years he served the Lord among them. He reminds them how he lived, how he taught, and how with humility and tears he invested into them. He reminds them of how he preached the gospel to all people, leaving nothing out from the whole counsel of God. Paul isn’t just telling them these things to jog their memory. He is putting forth his ministry as an example of how they are to shepherd the church as he leaves them for the last time. Paul’s speech to the Ephesian elders shows the body of Christ the calling, responsibility, and demands of those whom God calls to shepherd His church. Yet the application of this passage does not end there. As Paul gives the example of his ministry we see an example of the heart and practices for all those who make disciples.
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Acts 20:1-12 The Ministry Of Encouragement
One of the commands of disciple-making and the Christian life is for believers to encourage one another. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." Many more commands to encourage one another are found throughout the New Testament. As we examine Acts 20:1-12 this Sunday, we will see the importance of Paul’s ministry of encouragement among the churches.
Acts 20 begins the last phase of the book. Paul begins heading back to Jerusalem where he will be arrested and taken to Rome. Acts 20 is Paul’s farewell tour of the churches among his missionary journeys. He will never return to them again. Therefore, he spends significant time and energy visiting them again to encourage them in verses 1-12. The rest of the chapter chronicles Paul’s farewell speech to the Ephesian elders. Paul understands the importance of encouraging one another as we see the day approaching.
When the Bible speaks of encouragement (also translated exhort or comfort), it isn’t just patting each other on the back and saying kind words. Encouragement is not just telling people they are good enough, strong enough, smart enough, or more able than they think. It is to come alongside another believer bringing Christ-centered truth and help to their greatest need. It is reminding other disciples of God’s promise and the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is to help other disciples stand in truth regardless of the circumstances. That is what Paul is doing in these verses.
But what does that have to do with a young man falling asleep, tumbling to his death, and being raised miraculously by Paul? We will discover that together Sunday.
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Acts 19:21-41 The Gospel Confronts Culture
In the final section of Acts 19:21-41, we witness a riot in Ephesus. A group of silversmiths who make idols for the great temple of Artemis in Ephesus recognize that their business has slowed down considerably. People have changed. They are no longer buying their idols and visiting the Temple of Artemis. The leader of the silversmiths, who’s name is Demetrius, correctly diagnoses the problem. That guy named Paul has filled the province of Asia with the teaching of Jesus Christ. The gospel has gone forth in not just Ephesus, but all of Asia and it has changed people’s lives. Churches have been planted and souls have been saved. And because of the gospel’s advance in this region, the culture has changed. Paul and the disciples have not been picketing the temple or causing disturbances to get idolatry outlawed. They have been plodding along day after day, sharing the gospel and making disciples.
This is how cultures are turned to the living God - one heart at a time. A society’s culture (meaning their shared values, beliefs, and way of life) doesn’t come from anything except the hearts of the people within the culture. In order to turn a culture back to God, people’s hearts must be changed and only the gospel can do that. Idolatry wasn’t diminishing in Ephesus because of any political or social action. It was diminishing because more and more people were being won to Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit was changing their values, beliefs, and practices.
But we must also be ready, because when people’s idols are threatened they lash out just as this emotional mob does in Ephesus. They are enraged that their goddess Artemis and her temple were being dishonored. They had their identity wrapped up in their idolatry so when it was threatened, they devolved into an emotional frenzy shouting "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" Yet here we are two thousand years later - there are no more Artemis worshipers. Her temple in Ephesus is in pitiful ruin - but the gospel of Jesus Christ still stands and still saves. There is hope for culture. There is hope for lost loved ones. There is hope for eternity. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. And our call is to plod along for all of our lives sharing that good news and watch God change lives.
Acts 19:8-20 Power In The Name
"Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven..." That is what Jesus taught the disciples to pray. And that is indeed our prayer today. Christ’s followers long for the day when the kingdom of God is fully consummated in a new heavens and new earth, where there is no more sin, suffering, sickness, death, or evil. When everything will be as God intended in the garden of Eden forever. And as God moves miraculously in the book of Acts, we have seen that kingdom breaking into reality as diseases are healed and evil spirits are cast out. The kingdom of God is advancing in the gospel’s spread and all the effects of the fall flee before it.
As we study Acts 19:8-20, we see power of Jesus’ name as the gospel continues going forth conquering the domain of darkness. In this passage, Paul stays in Ephesus for over two years preaching and teaching in a single location and God uses him to reach the entire Roman province of Asia. But also we find a very strange occurrence of miracles here, even for the context of Acts. God brings healing and deliverance from evil spirits through the handkerchiefs and aprons of the Apostle Paul. Even Luke calls these "extraordinary" miracles.
Through these "extraordinary" miracles and the preaching of Paul, the name of Jesus is infamous in the city of Ephesus. So much so that some professional Jewish exorcists begin using the name of Jesus in their business as a magic formula to wield His power over spirits. And when you compare these two scenes together, you see the power of Jesus name. Seven exorcists are overpowered by a single man with an evil spirit as the domain of darkness reigns over fallen man. Parroting Jesus’ name offers no help for those who don’t know Jesus. But, so great is our King and the gospel of His kingdom that in His name, an inanimate napkin conquers the darkness of this world. The power of Jesus name is such that even the most feeble of instruments is used mightily for His kingdom. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. And His kingdom has come in power in our hearts.
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Acts 19:1-7 Almost Disciples
Sunday we will examine the first seven verses of Acts 19. These verses are infamous for being misused as proof-texts by many different groups. One need only read through Acts 19:1-7 to understand how various theological groups hang their hat on this passage. In the text, Paul runs into some "disciples" as he returns to Ephesus. Paul asks if they received the Spirit when they believed. They reveal that they are actually disciples of John the Baptist and Paul tells them of the fulfillment of John’s ministry in the gospel of Jesus. These disciples of John received the gospel and are Baptized into the name of Jesus. Yet it isn’t until Paul lays his hands on them that the Holy Spirit falls on them and they begin speaking in tongues and prophesying.
Sunday we will address the many questions concerning this passage. Why does the Holy Spirit delay coming until Paul lays his hands on them? Why does Paul ask about their baptism? What does it mean to be baptized in Jesus’ name? Why do we see tongues and prophesying happen again? As we study the passage we will seek clarity on all these questions, but this text is also the word of God for the church today, so the most important question we will answer is, "What is the Spirit saying to us in this text, and how must we respond?"
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Acts 18:18-28 Lives Devoted
Acts 18:1-17 showed us the encouragement Jesus provided the weary and fearful Paul in Corinth. Jesus came to Paul telling him not to be afraid and gave him promises of Christ’s presence and protection. Jesus fulfilled His promise as Paul stood before the Roman proconsul in Corinth and was set free. In the second half of chapter 18, Paul begins the return journey to his home church of Antioch. But as Luke transitions from Paul’s second missionary journey to his third, we get a glimpse of a cross section of faithful disciple-makers in the early church.
Of course Luke continues to show us Paul, who has devoted himself to the Lord and separated himself for Christ’s service. But as he begins the third journey on his way to Ephesus, we find him going back through the same territory he visited on the first two journeys. It would have been much quicker and easier to sail back to Ephesus, but Paul was just as devoted to strengthening the believers (i.e. making disciples) as he was planting churches.
That is par for the course where Paul is concerned. We have seen that before. But we are also shown that investing in making disciples was also the practice of Priscilla and Aquila, as they come along side a man named Apollos and explain the way of God to him more accurately. And then Apollos himself goes to Corinth to help the church there. From the sending out of Paul, we see a cascading wave of new disciples, becoming disciple-makers, who become disciple-makers. Investing ourselves in making disciples is the calling Jesus gave to every believer. As we devote ourselves to the service of Christ, we find that first our lives must be devoted to Him, and then to the mission He has given to make disciples.
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Acts 17:16-34 God's Worldview
Sunday we will examine Paul’s preaching in the city of Athens. Athens was the intellectual center of the ancient world. It was the city of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. It was a city of grand architecture and philosophy. As Paul encounters the city of Athens, he is struck by how much the city’s culture is immersed in idolatry. And as he reasons with people in the synagogues and in the marketplace, he is quickly noticed by the city’s philosophers and academics. The intellectual elite in Athens come from a completely different worldview than Paul and the Jews, so as Paul preaches at the Areopagus, he does not quote from the Old Testament. However, he does preach the bible’s message in a way the Athenians can understand. He presents the biblical worldview in a way that answers all mankind’s greatest needs. Regardless of what culture, nation, or philosophical worldview a person comes from, we all ask the same questions. Why am I here? Who am I in this world? Who is God and what does He want from me?
These questions are answered differently by differing religions, philosophies, and cultures, but in Acts 17:16-34, Luke presents Paul’s sermon (answering these questions) as the only answers to these fundamental questions that is true, glorifying to God, and satisfying the soul. All other worldviews are empty and can only promise what they cannot deliver. The gospel for the Athenians is the same gospel for the Jews - and for you today. It shows us who our God is and what our purpose is in this world.
Acts 17:1-15 The Authority of Scripture
After Paul and Silas leave Philippi, they head to Thessalonica and then Berea. Luke contrasts the Jewish populations in these two cities by how they respond to the authority of the Scriptures. As Paul, the faithful witness opens the Hebrew Scriptures and proves that all the Bible points to Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Thessalonians rebel against what God’s word says. Though they were members of the synagogue, studied the scriptures every sabbath, and no doubt believed in the authority of the scriptures, they would not submit themselves to the message and command of those scriptures. They incite a mob to hunt the missionaries down and attack any who are associated with them. They hate the true message of God’s word so much that they chase Paul and Silas to Berea and stir up a mob against them there also.
But on the opposite end of the spectrum, we are shown the Jews in Berea. Luke says that they were more noble than the Thessalonican Jews, even though they were not believers in Christ until Paul evangelized them. They were more noble because they loved the word of God and were eager to receive it. And yet, they were also not gullible. They didn’t just take Paul’s word. They examined the scriptures daily to see if what Paul was telling them was true. They studied the scriptures themselves because they were eager for the word of God, not necessarily the word of Paul. And when they found that Paul’s message was proven in God’s word, they submitted themselves to the word of God and believed the gospel.
Several applications stand out in this text which we will flesh out on Sunday. Especially as Christians, we should have an eager hunger for God’s word. It indeed is the food of our souls for we don’t live by bread alone. If we are not hungry for God’s word, something is wrong. But we must also examine it for ourselves and place no authority above it. Anyone can twist a single verse or a section and invest their own meaning into it and teach something that doesn’t come from the meaning of the text. Every word uttered from the pulpit of First Baptist Church Mulvane should be tested, examined, and scrutinized by God’s word. And when the message of God’s word is clear from the text itself, then like the Bereans, we must submit to its authority and live according to its truth.
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