The Scattered & Underground Church - Following the Spirit - Acts 8

⁴ Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.⁵ Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. ⁶ When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. ⁷ For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. ⁸ So there was great joy in that city. -Acts 8:4-8

From someone in the church at that time, this must have seemed like a disaster.  The church is being scattered through persecution.  I can imagine the burdened prayers going up to God praying for God to save their church.  Was God answering that prayer?  Yes.  But, unless the church was filled with the Spirit, they would not have known God was answering that prayer and just accepted it.  They would have been in despair believing the church was being crushed and living in fear. 

When things happen at our church or in our lives today, do we react confidently in the Spirit or in fear?  We had this homeless debate among the whole church some time ago in our community.  Were people working in the Spirit or in fear?  This is a difficult thing for the members of the church because people don’t have signs over them that let you know if they are walking in the Spirit or in fear.  I believe half the church was in fear and the other half in the Spirit.  The result was confusion and a bunch of unhappy people.  The church has to be of one accord, all in the Spirit.  When it is, it becomes dynamic in all areas.

I believe that the church is afraid to pray for the Holy Spirit.  We are afraid that the Spirit will come in and change everything.  We won’t have control of our church anymore.  It won’t be ours.  The church isn’t supposed to be ours!  It is the body of Christ!  We are members of His body.  He is the head; He determines the direction; we follow Him as the body.  Jesus used persecution to grow the first church while they followed Him through the Spirit.  What will happen to our churches today if we become filled with the Spirit and follow Him?  We don’t know, but we need to learn to trust God completely and turn the control of the church over to Him.  Otherwise, we need to go fishing on Sunday, we are wasting our time in this social club.

What would happen in our lives if we would pray for the Holy Spirit to fill us and we would follow His leading?  People are afraid they will lose their life!!  They might not get to do what they want to do.  They don't want to be seen as a fanatic.  I believe they have made their choice.  They choose the world.  They choose themselves as their own god.  If you claim to be a Christian, it's time to pray for the Holy Spirit to fill you and become alive again!

The people of this first church are scattering to surrounding areas.  Yet, God is using this to spread the gospel.  Those who scattered preached the gospel wherever they went.  Do we do that today?  Is this true of the church members in our church?  During the week, do you preach the gospel?  Or do you hope that nobody can figure out that you’re a Christian?

Approving Murder - Acts 8

And Saul approved of their killing him. - Acts 8:1

This is such a damning statement.  This is an accountability statement.  If you have an accountability partner, someone who will hold you accountable to live the Christian life and pray for you, but who is willing to tell you directly when you don’t live correctly, this is the type of statement you should be getting when you mess up.  They tell you what you did, then they tell you that you approve of it.  Such a thing will cut your heart out and cause you pain, but it is necessary to hopefully cause you to repent and turn back to God.  This statement is like that.  Saul approved the killing of Stephen.  He approved murder.

There is no subjection in Saul here, it was the good duty to perform and he approved the stoning of Stephen.  Paul addresses this in 1 Timothy 1:12-17:

¹² I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that He considered me trustworthy, appointing me to His service. ¹³ Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. ¹⁴ The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.¹⁶ But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in Him and receive eternal life.¹⁷ Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Saul’s description of himself is that he was a blasphemer, yet he killed Stephen for blasphemy.  How can he have been a blasphemer?  It is because once he met Jesus, he realized all the things he said that were against the living Christ.  It was he and the Sanhedrin who were the blasphemers, not the apostles and first church who were proclaiming the gospel.  He was a persecutor and a violent man.  Yes, we have an written record in Stephen, but I’m sure there were many more.

But, even so, Jesus poured His grace upon him.  He came to save sinners.  That was His purpose.  Of all the sinners, Saul says he was the chief, the worst.  How could he feel differently?  He had pursued believers, convicted believers, oversaw the death of believers, and approved all of it.  He had killed the very people who were preaching the gospel and who were full of the Holy Spirit. The same people who would later befriend him, protect him, and encourage him.

The fact that Saul did so much AFTER his salvation is amazing and should be a testament to us about how God can use us even after we have sinned.  We are not good for nothing just because we sinned and were lost.  Once we’ve repented and turned back to God, God has a purpose for us.  It is incumbent upon us to follow Him closely, like Saul did.  To love Him forever, for His grace, and to be grateful forever, for His mercy.  We are not lost because we sin, but we are lost if we don’t seek repentance before our Savior, Jesus.  Repentance is not seeking God on our terms, but on His.

Paul also understood that everything he was before being saved was worthless.  He said in Philippians 3:4-9, If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

⁷ But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ ⁹and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

Paul lists seven reasons why the world would consider him noteworthy, a person of value, a person to be respected.  All the single ladies wanted him for a husband.  He was in the news and received awards and honors for being a person of honor.  He would have had the most followers on Twitter and Instagram.  He was that guy.  Yet, he considers all of that he was as a natural man garbage, good for nothing as it was apart from Jesus.  It was worthless because the worth or value of Jesus is so great that any thing we can do as humans is so small by comparison that it is of no value, infinitesimal, not worth counting. 

Saul would have probably been able to do a good job of convincing people that all that he was doing was for the benefit of others.  His work was a good work.  As sinners, we can justify any action.  I am sure he was able to justify the murder of Stephen and the persecution of others.  Yet every "good" action he believed he was doing for everyone else, he later saw as of no value.  

Today, we would do well to have this same understanding.  Whatever we knew or were before we knew Jesus is of no value.  Whatever we do now without Jesus or without following the Spirit is worthless and of no value.  There is no pride or accomplishment to be had except being used by God as we follow His guidance to act and speak His message and care for people He loves.  Preaching and teaching the gospel message is the greatest act of love for others. 

Stephen - A Pure Heart - Acts 6

⁸ Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. ⁹ Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. ¹⁰ But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

(The Synagogue of the Freedman is considered to be a Greek speaking Jewish synagogue in Jerusalem.  These would be Hellenistic Jews that were not converted to the faith.  Some think that this could have been a synagogue of Jews who had formerly been in captivity or slaves in other parts of the world who united into a synagogue, but it might just have been Jews that had lived in other parts of the world and who spoke Greek.  Evidence of a 1^st century Greek speaking synagogue was discovered by Archaeologists.)

Note that the frustration is that the wisdom from the Spirit through Stephen is too much to overcome.  Rather than accept the truth, they choose to destroy.  This is always the first effort of Satan.  Remove the Word of God so truth can’t be heard.  He always misquotes God for his own benefit, then works to remove the Words of God altogether and replace them with confusion and lies (often man's wisdom is enough).

¹¹ Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”

¹² So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. ¹³ They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. ¹⁴ For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”

¹⁵ All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

What do they do since they can’t overcome the truth?  They replace it with lies.  They did the same to Jesus.  They brought false witnesses against Him. 

Something different happens here than had happened to Peter, John or the other apostles.  Stephen’s face is different.  I don’t know what they saw, but I assume they saw a man who appeared as a type of glowing grace, peaceful and blameless, with confidence in his eyes.  We must remember that Stephen was a man full of God’s grace and power and had performed great wonders and signs (v8), just as the apostles were doing, yet he wasn’t one of the Twelve.

We all often know when looking at people when they are guilty or lying.  I imagine that everyone was looking intently at him and only saw an innocent man who spoke the truth.  And the false witnesses would have appeared quite the opposite by comparison.  This is a way of saying, the Sanhedrin saw no fault in him.

The Scriptures tell us that God looks upon our heart.  He knows when we are living in a lie and confusion or when we are living in His truth, Jesus.

When God look upon your heart, are you peaceful and blameless as Stephen was, full of the Holy Spirit?  Or, do you look quite the opposite?

Repent and be at peace with God today.  Start following His Word and not your own today.

Are You Counted Worthy to Suffer? - Acts 5

⁴¹ The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. ⁴² Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah. - Acts 5:41-42

How often do we consider being persecuted a reason for celebration?  I do not believe that I have ever felt that way.  This tells me that there is something wrong with my heart.  We should be joyous when someone rejects us for standing on God’s Word.  Just as Christ was rejected by His own people, we are rejected on account of Jesus.  While it is very difficult not be defeated for such a thing, rejoice just as the apostles did, because you have “been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name”.  At least it is clear to Whom you belong.

Are we counted worthy to suffer today?  How about yesterday?  What about tomorrow?

Has following Jesus and His Word cost you anything?

Do you rejoice when you are counted worthy to suffer disgrace as a follower of Jesus?  

Persecution - Acts 5

²⁷ The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. ²⁸ “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”

²⁹ Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! ³⁰ The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. ³¹ God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. ³² We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” - Acts 5:27-32

Peter and John have already been through this once before.  Peter and John had been told to not preach the gospel anymore.  This time it is all the apostles who are brought in after miraculously being brought out of jail during the night and who were found preaching the gospel in the temple courts.

The first time Peter and John responded asking the Sanhedrin a question, “But Peter and John replied, 'Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!  As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.' (Acts 4:19-20).”  This time, they answer the question for the Sanhedrin.  "We must obey God rather than human beings."  

Each time Peter preaches the gospel message and the counsel members are unwilling to receive it. 

For me, an interesting human occurrence is happening.  Both sides believe they are doing the right thing for the same God.  The apostles believe they are following God’s directions through the divine intervention of the Holy Spirit.  The Sanhedrin believe they are doing the right thing in following their interpretation of God’s law and protecting the society and traditional church.

The difference here, to me, is actions.  God is with the apostles and it is evidenced by what is happening around them.  The first time they were brought to the Sanhedrin they had healed a lame man who had been that way since birth.  Now, there are many signs, wonder, and healings surrounding what they are doing.  People are bringing all the sick to them for healing.  A miraculous jail break has occurred under the authority of the Sanhedrin.

On the Sanhedrin side of things, nothing of note has occurred.  There are no spectacular or wondrous events happening.  

The sin here is idol worship.  The Sanhedrin idolize their own goodliness and value their intelligence and “clean” walk according to the laws.  They believe that because of THEIR actions they are more important and valuable than others.  If any of us humans ever believe that we are not the same humans as everyone else, but better in some way, then we must believe that somehow, we are gods, a partial god, or a super hero of some kind.  I sincerely doubt anyone ever thinks of themselves in this way, but it is their reality.  Either way, it is idol worship.

This is the original sin and the root of all sin, to be like God.  “’You will not certainly die,’ the serpent said to the woman.  ^‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’” (Genesis 3:4-5).  The Sanhedrin believed they knew good and evil, but they did not see that they were evil and only God is good.  Jesus taught this.  A young ruler called Him “good teacher” while asking a question.  Jesus responded saying, “’Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good—except God alone.’” (Luke 18:19).

If we believe we are good, then we are as evil as the Sanhedrin.  We are sinners and if God wasn’t in our life we’d be sinning for our own benefit even now.  We are men and women and we are sinners.  God is Lord and we are not.  We are dependent upon His mercy to love us and His grace so provide a way to Him, and that way is Jesus.

Isaiah wrote (30:1) “’Woe to the rebellious children,’ says the Lord, ‘Who take counsel, but not of Me, and who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, that they may add sin to sin … (9-10) this is a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of the Lord; who say to the seers, “Do not see,” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us right things; Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits.’”

The Sanhedrin is taking counsel, but with one another.  They make plans, but apart from the Holy Spirit.  We are told multiple times that the apostles have the Holy Spirit upon them.  They are making plans in accordance with the Holy Spirit.  The Sanhedrin is telling the prophets, the ones performing signs, healing people, and proclaiming witness to Jesus to not speak the truth.  They fit the description from Isaiah of rebellious children, devising plans, and not hearing the law of the Lord.

((On a person note: Such things happen in relationships.  Two different sides with both sides thinking they are correct.  Often, both sides think they are spiritually right.  It causes very difficult circumstances.  However, it seems like it is possible to look at the spiritual walk of people at least somewhat.  We will never truly know their heart, but what they take pride in, what they value on social media, and what their actions are help us to "see" or figure out who is following God and who is following themselves.  Answering questions such as, How has the Spirit of God led you to do (name an action they have done)" is very helpful when trying to resolve if someone is following their own actions or not.  This type of question is also very helpful when doing analysis on your own actions.))