Acts 6:1-7, Seven Leaders for the Church

 A lot of people were now becoming followers of the Lord. But some of the ones who spoke Greek started complaining about the ones who spoke Aramaic. They complained that the Greek-speaking widows were not given their share when the food supplies were handed out each day.

    The twelve apostles called the whole group of followers together and said, "We should not give up preaching God's message in order to serve at tables. My friends, choose seven men who are respected and wise and filled with God's Spirit. We will put them in charge of these things. We can spend our time praying and serving God by preaching." This suggestion pleased everyone, and they began by choosing Stephen. He had great faith and was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they chose Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and also Nicolaus, who worshiped with the Jewish people in Antioch. These men were brought to the apostles. Then the apostles prayed and placed their hands on the men to show that they had been chosen to do this work. God's message spread, and many more people in Jerusalem became followers. Even a large number of priests put their faith in the Lord.

Organization is key to success...even in the church. Today the Apostles recognize they don't have enough time to preach the gospel and serve the Body of Christ at the same time. So, they appointed servants (deacons).

What does it take to be a good servant? How about "teachable, humble, obedient, deferential and respectful?" Sounds about right, but those qualities aren't mentioned in this text. Would we say "respected"? "Wise"? "Filled with the Holy Spirit"? Probably not...those seem to be qualities of a good leader.


So, I find myself wondering...how have we gotten so mixed up?


Mali has always suggested that one of the biggest problems with preachers is they think they can do everything well...when God has not called them to do everything. Usually the result is that we do alot of things in passable fashion.

But I digress...

Might I suggest that if we chose our deacons in the same way the Apostles did we might be far more effective. The preachers could stick to praying and preaching, the elders could stick to faith and practice, while our deacons could focus on running (serving) the church.

But we have such difficulty leaving them alone to do it. I wonder if its because we've used the wrong list of qualifications...or like Mali suggests...we want to do it all? Either way, it's not the deacons' fault.

And...the Body of Christ suffers...

Live boldly out there today...

Acts 5:17-42, Trouble for the Apostles

 The high priest and all the other Sadducees who were with him became jealous. They arrested the apostles and put them in the city jail. But that night an angel from the Lord opened the doors of the jail and led the apostles out. The angel said, "Go to the temple and tell the people everything about this new life." So they went into the temple before sunrise and started teaching.

   The high priest and his men called together their council, which included all of Israel's leaders. Then they ordered the apostles to be brought to them from the jail. The temple police who were sent to the jail did not find the apostles. They returned and said, "We found the jail locked tight and the guards standing at the doors. But when we opened the doors and went in, we didn't find anyone there." ⁴The captain of the temple police and the chief priests listened to their report, but they did not know what to think about it.

    Just then someone came in and said, "Right now those men you put in jail are in the temple, teaching the people!" The captain went with some of the temple police and brought the apostles back. But they did not use force. They were afraid that the people might start throwing stones at them.

    When the apostles were brought before the council, the high priest said to them, "We told you plainly not to teach in the name of Jesus. But look what you have done! You have been teaching all over Jerusalem, and you are trying to blame us for his death."

    Peter and the apostles replied:

   We don't obey people. We obey God. You killed Jesus by nailing him to a cross. But the God our ancestors worshiped raised him to life and made him our Leader and Savior. Then God gave him a place at his right side,  so that the people of Israel would turn back to him and be forgiven. We are here to tell you about all this, and so is the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to everyone who obeys God. When the council members heard this, they became so angry that they wanted to kill the apostles. But one of the members was the Pharisee Gamaliel, a highly respected teacher. He ordered the apostles to be taken out of the room for a little while. Then he said to the council:

   People of Israel, be careful what you do with these men. Not long ago Theudas claimed to be someone important, and about four hundred men joined him. But he was killed. All his followers were scattered, and that was the end of that.

    Later, when the people of our nation were being counted, Judas from Galilee showed up. A lot of people followed him, but he was killed, and all his followers were scattered.

    So I advise you to stay away from these men. Leave them alone. If what they are planning is something of their own doing, it will fail. But if God is behind it, you cannot stop it anyway, unless you want to fight against God.

   The council members agreed with what he said, and they called the apostles back in. They had them beaten with a whip and warned them not to speak in the name of Jesus. Then they let them go.

    The apostles left the council and were happy, because God had considered them worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus. Every day they spent time in the temple and in one home after another. They never stopped teaching and telling the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

Life is tough...and happiness seems to be so elusive for many of us. Most of the time I look around and my Christian friends don't appear very happy. I was driving with a friend once and while we were stopped at a traffic light he said "see that lady in the car next to us? I'll bet she's a Christian". "How do you know that?" I asked. Because she looks grumpy" he replied.

I get it. Our culture today is very anti-christian. If we try to live faithful lives it is bound to be uncomfortable.

Even when our surroundings are not hostile life is tough. Look at today's text. Finally, after 28 chapters of Matthew and 4 chapters of Acts, we get a voice of reason. Gamaliel, a highly respected teacher, ordered the apostles to be taken out of the room for a little while. Then he said to the council: I advise you to stay away from these men. Leave them alone. If what they are planning is something of their own doing, it will fail. But if God is behind it, you cannot stop it anyway, unless you want to fight against God.

Where was he the last three years of Jesus' life? I suppose God had him stashed away so His will could be done. Well, now he speaks up and it sounds like good advice. The council members agreed with what he said. Then...they do something inexplicable. They called the apostles back in. They had them beaten with a whip and warned them not to speak in the name of Jesus. Then they let them go.

Remember, these are the guys who crucified Jesus. In context, they probably figured a simple beating was the same as "leaving them alone." Even at that...they were unable to  influence the apostles. They left the council and were happy, because God had considered them worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus. Every day they spent time in the temple and in one home after another. They never stopped teaching and telling the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

Happy to have been beaten?

I'm not quite that way. I'm good at keeping a record of the ways I've been wronged. I have a good memory and a better sense of justice. That may have something to do with my inability to live a more happy satisfied life. How does Paul say it in 1st Corinthians 13? "Love keeps no record of wrongs"

Once I do that, I may be able to be thankful God counts me worthy of it all.

Live boldly out there today...

Acts 5:12-16, Peter's Unusual Power

 The apostles worked many miracles and wonders among the people. All of the Lord's followers often met in the part of the temple known as Solomon's Porch. No one outside their group dared join them, even though everyone liked them very much. Many men and women started having faith in the Lord. Then sick people were brought out to the road and placed on cots and mats. It was hoped that Peter would walk by, and his shadow would fall on them and heal them. A lot of people living in the towns near Jerusalem brought those who were sick or troubled by evil spirits, and they were all healed.

Which of the following answers best describes life in the Spirit?

T Unbelievers are fearful of Spirit-filled Christians

T Everybody likes Spirit-filled Christians

T People become believers through Spirit-filled Christians

T Sick people are healed through Spirit-filled Christians

And the answer is..."all of the above!"

Now, which of the following answers best describes my life?

T Unbelievers are fearful of Spirit-filled Christians (no so much)

T Everybody likes Spirit-filled Christians (No a chance)

T People become believers through Spirit-filled Christians (not often enough)

T Sick people are healed through Spirit-filled Christians (not often enough)

I'll be the first to admit...I'm embarrassed. I have some serious work to do. How about you?

Live boldly out there today...

Acts 5:1-11, Peter Condemns Ananias and Sapphira

 ¹Ananias and his wife Sapphira also sold a piece of property. ²But

 they agreed to cheat and keep some of the money for themselves.

   So when Ananias took the rest of the money to the apostles, ³Peter said, "Why has Satan made you keep back some of the money from the sale of the property? Why have you lied to the Holy Spirit? ⁴The property was yours before you sold it, and even after you sold it, the money was still yours. What made you do such a thing? You didn't lie to people. You lied to God!"

    ⁵As soon as Ananias heard this, he dropped dead, and everyone who heard about it was frightened. ⁶Some young men came in and wrapped up his body. Then they took it out and buried it.

    ⁷Three hours later Sapphira came in, but she did not know what had happened to her husband. ⁸Peter asked her, "Tell me, did you sell the property for this amount?"

   "Yes," she answered, "that's the amount."

    ⁹Then Peter said, "Why did the two of you agree to test the Lord's Spirit? The men who buried Ananias are by the door, and they will carry you out!" ¹⁰At once she fell at Peter's feet and died.

   When the young men came back in, they found Sapphira lying there dead. So they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. ¹¹The church members were afraid, and so was everyone else who heard what had happened.

When I was working at the Air Force Academy a young cadet was killed when he attempted to jump from his dorm window to a nearby light pole.  I’m sure he thought he would be successful.

We rarely know the true consequences of our actions ahead of time. Sometimes we can anticipate them with a fair degree of accuracy. But, not always.

Ask Ananias and sapphire…

I’m pretty sure they expected to be lauded for their generosity. I’m positive they didn’t anticipate what actually happened. In their case, it was more than just a minor miscalculation.

I’ve heard it said that “we can’t fool Mother Nature”. We now know it’s at least as true that we cannot fool the Holy Spirit. The irony here is that Ananias and Sapphira were under no obligation to give anything to the church. They could have kept every dollar. It appears they wanted to appear charitable when they were they were actually selfish.

So, I suppose the real sin here is selfishness (putting ourselves ahead of everything else). Actually, why else would we ever tell a lie? The real transgression is not the lie…lying is just a symptom.

Fortunately, every lie is not immediately fatal. That means we can learn. Next time we are tempted to be untruthful (or actually are) we should use that occasion to ask “what’s going on in my spirit that’s tempting me to do this?” Whatever it is…God doesn’t like it…and He will know. I promise.

I might not kill us immediately but the cumulative effect eventually will.

Most of us have learned, from experience, that it would be nice to be able to forecast our future. I, for one, could have prevented a good deal of trouble in my life if I could just see a little way into the future. Since it’s a gift we will never have, I suggest we just keep it honest…

Live boldly out there today…

Acts 4:32-38, Sharing Possessions

 ³²The group of followers all felt the same way about everything. None of them claimed that their possessions were their own, and they shared everything they had with each other. ³³In a powerful way the apostles told everyone that the Lord Jesus was now alive. God greatly blessed his followers, ³⁴and no one went in need of anything. Everyone who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money ³⁵to the apostles. Then they would give the money to anyone who needed it. ^36-37Joseph was one of the followers who had sold a piece of property and brought the money to the apostles. He was a Levite from Cyprus, and the apostles called him Barnabas, which means "one who encourages others."

I doubt this is prescriptive, but I do think it is indicative of how Spirit filled Christians operate. God is not telling us, corporately, to divest ourselves of all our possessions. He is telling us here that possessions seem to be less important for people who are filled with the Spirit.

If I could speculate as to how this happens I’d say Spirit-filled Christians have more of a heart for others than they do for themselves. So, when they see a need the tendency is to say “I’ve got some stuff I don’t need…I can help”.  I don’t even think God inclines all of us to do it all the time (although He might). I’m tempted to think God inclines enough people to do it often enough to take care of the needs.

This would seem to be a good indicator for us. How much control does the Holy Spirit have? The answer might be in how much stuff we have. The answer would, at least, be found in how tightly we hang on to our stuff.

A wealthy man was once quoted as saying “if you know how much money you have, it means too much to you”. We could probably say the same thing about stuff. If tomorrow the Holy Spirit said “give it away” could we? If not, it means too much…which means the Holy Spirit doesn’t mean enough.

Live boldly out there today…

Acts 4:23-31, Peter and Others Pray for Courage

²³As soon as Peter and John had been set free, they went back and told the others everything that the chief priests and the leaders had said to them. ²⁴When the rest of the Lord's followers heard this, they prayed together and said:

   Master, you created heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. ²⁵And by the Holy Spirit you spoke to our ancestor David. He was your servant, and you told him to say:

   "Why are all the Gentiles so furious? Why do people make foolish plans?  ²⁶The kings of earth prepare for war, and the rulers join together  against the Lord and his Messiah."

    ²⁷Here in Jerusalem, Herod and Pontius Pilate got together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel. Then they turned against your holy Servant  Jesus, your chosen Messiah. ²⁸They did what you in your power and wisdom had already decided would happen. ²⁹Lord, listen to their threats! We are your servants. So make us brave enough to speak your message. ³⁰Show your mighty power, as we heal people and work miracles and wonders in the name of your holy Servant Jesus. ³¹After they had prayed, the meeting place shook. They were all

 filled with the Holy Spirit and bravely spoke God's message.


We have a couple of important lessons here but I'll begin with the one from the last verse. After they prayed "They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and bravely spoke God's message".


There are only a couple of ways to understand this The most obvious understanding is that many who had been filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost were now filled once again. The clear implication being, that the filling of the Holy Spirit comes and goes. We have the possibility that this was an entire new group of believers that had not yet been filled...which is unlikely. Plus...it says "all" were filled and Peter was there...who we know was filled with the Holy Spirit only recently when he testified before the elders.


We know, the importance of this is it highlights our need to maintain a constant intimacy with God to ensure His filling. We cannot assume...from one moment to the next...that we lay any claim to the Spirit's continued power and filling. It's probably a moment-by-moment thing. You and I can agree our need is virtually constant but practically, we never know when we will be in need of God's power. the best response is to stay "prayed up".


Don't be caught without it...


The other lesson is our need to realize how frightening this is. Their prayer was "make us brave enough to speak your message". The pressure is constantly on. We never know when the demand to speak God's message will arise. People who think it's easy haven't done much of it...at least with a hostile audience. I can tell the difference between preaching boldly in church on Sunday and speaking boldly at work on Monday.


Will we be faithful? Only to the degree we depend on God for confidence and the Holy Spirit for power.


Live boldly out there today...

Acts 4:1-22, Peter and John Are Brought in Front of the Council

The apostles were still talking to the people, when some priests, the captain of the temple guard, and some Sadducees arrived. These men were angry because the apostles were teaching the people that the dead would be raised from death, just as Jesus had been raised from death. It was already late in the afternoon, and they arrested Peter and John and put them in jail for the night. But a lot of people who had heard the message believed it. So by now there were about five thousand followers of the Lord.

The next morning the leaders, the elders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses met in Jerusalem. The high priest Annas was there, as well as Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other members of the high priest's family. They brought in Peter and John and made them stand in the middle while they questioned them. They asked, "By what power and in whose name have you done this?"

Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and told the nation's leaders and the elders:

You are questioning us today about a kind deed in which a crippled man was healed. But there is something we must tell you and everyone else in Israel. This man is standing here completely well because of the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth. You put Jesus to death on a cross, but God raised him to life. He is the stone that you builders thought was worthless, and now he is the most important stone of all. Only Jesus has the power to save! His name is the only one in all the world that can save anyone.

The officials were amazed to see how brave Peter and John were, and they knew that these two apostles were only ordinary men and not well educated. The officials were certain that these men had been with Jesus. But they could not deny what had happened. The man who had been healed was standing there with the apostles.
The officials commanded them to leave the council room. Then the officials said to each other, "What can we do with these men? Everyone in Jerusalem knows about this miracle, and we cannot say it didn't happen. But to keep this thing from spreading, we will warn them never again to speak to anyone about the name of Jesus." So they called the two apostles back in and told them that they must never, for any reason, teach anything about the name of Jesus.
Peter and John answered, "Do you think God wants us to obey you or to obey him? We cannot keep quiet about what we have seen and heard."

The officials could not find any reason to punish Peter and John. So they threatened them and let them go. The man who was healed by this miracle was more than forty years old, and everyone was praising God for what had happened.


Well, that didn't take long...Peter and John are in jail. The charge? Teaching people that the dead will rise.

In a brilliant line of questioning the Apostles are asked "By what power and in whose name have you done this?" It meant these religious leaders hadn't done a single bit of investigation. Remember what Peter had said to the man? "In the name of Jesus Christ from Nazareth, get up and start walking". Later, in the temple, Peter said "You see this man, and you know him. He put his faith in the name of Jesus and was made strong" .


I'm beginning to believe the leaders learned nothing from the trial of Jesus. Well, how would they? As far as they knew, they got their way. Although, they were getting nervous.


But..."Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit". No contest. We can anticipate his answer."We didn't do it...Jesus did it.


Ooops! The guy they just killed. Think anybody might notice? Probably, so they needed to stop them before the entire city found out. They prohibited the disciples from teaching about Jesus. As we might suspect, the Apostles said they couldn't do that.


We should always remember a couple things about following the Spirit...
1. People get mad..."These men were angry because the Apostles were teaching"
2. People fight back..."Never teach anything about the name of Jesus"


In spite of the opposition God accomplished the most important thing..."Everyone was praising God" It can be frightening when we have to make a choice. Peter understood what was at stake. "Do you think God wants us to obey you or to obey him?
 It all makes me think...if my community is content with me maybe the Holy Spirit doesn't have enough of me to work with. That's a problem. It probably boils down to confusion about who I serve.


Live boldly out there today...