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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim.
God’s Triumph Over Satan-- In our study of the book of Acts, we have seen the beginning of the persecution of the Church at the hands of the religious leaders. And yet in our passage today here in Acts chapter 5 we see that despite this opposition, spiritual victory is still being won in an incredible way. You will remember that back in chapter 4 the Church cried out to God in the words of Psalm 2, saying in… Acts 4:25b-26 (ESV)-- “‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’-- A Spiritual War-- Now in doing so you will remember that these believers were recognizing how even from times of old Satan has been at war against God and His plan of salvation for the world. But remember that although they only quoted the first line of the Psalm they would have known the rest of the Psalm by memory (even the women would have, who were less educated during that time). And the end of this particular Psalm says that the Lord will bring judgment on those who have set themselves against the Lord’s anointed. And they recognized in that a prophecy of Jesus Christ, His resurrection, and also the world’s rejection of Him. And in the Sanhedrin (this high council of Jewish leaders) we see Satan at work, trying once again to keep the message of the Gospel from spreading. And the bent of his aim was to divide and conquer the Church. Yet we see here in verse 12 that (despite his continued attacks) the Church actually became more unified than ever. In the very place the lame beggar was healed and Peter preached his second sermon (and where Jesus had Himself preached in John 10:23ff), these early believers formed their fellowship as they [met there daily for prayer and worship.] It says in… Acts 5:12b-13 (ESV)— And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. {Now the next phrase is very interesting. It says…} 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. Why The Hesitation?-- Now you would think that if the disciples were held in such high esteem, people would be eager to join the Church. Why then did so many hesitate? Well, remember what has just happened a few verses earlier; God struck dead a couple (Ananias and Sapphira) who had tried to lie to the Holy Spirit of God; they were counterfeit Christians masquerading as genuine disciples sold out to Jesus Christ. They had tried to appear like Barnabas, who really HAD sold out (literally) to Jesus when really they only wanted to have the appearance. And their death (which was also a sign from God; a negative one) sent the spiritual message very strongly that God would not tolerate sin in the Church. Ananias and Sapphira (with their sin) had brought discord into the Church. And [Now that the sin of Ananias and Sapphira had been dealt with, the church was again in one accord.] The Church being of one heart and soul God takes VERY seriously. God wanted a Church that was united in purity. And this is something we cannot fail to see. God values purity more than you and I can possibly imagine. And sadly, this is something that the Church as a whole has decreasingly emphasized nowadays. But it says in… 2 Timothy 2:19-21 (ESV)-- 19 But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” 20 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. You Have To Be Pure-- Now what we learn from that is that if we want to be useful to God, then we have to be pure. [No one {has} stated that truth any more clearly than the noble nineteenth-century Scottish pastor and evangelist Robert Murray McCheyne. He gave the following sage advice to a young man entering the ministry: Do not forget the culture of the inner man—I mean of the heart. How diligently the cavalry officer keeps his sabre clean and sharp; every stain he rubs off with the greatest care. Remember you are God’s sword, His instrument—I trust a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name. In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hands of God. ] Confronting Sin— Now this is true both of the believer individually, but also corporately in the Church. If we are to be successful in reaching the world with the good news of Jesus Christ, then we must be a Church that is pure. And for that to happen, the Church needs to have the courage to confront and deal with sin. God was the first one to do this in the Church with Ananias and Sapphira. But now the responsibility of disciplining sinning believers falls to the local church. Now we just don't do that in this day and age; and that is largely due to the fact that we have come to believe that tolerating people (and their sins) and building up their self-esteem are the chief ways that we show God’s love to them. But that just isn’t Biblical. If you truly love someone, you are not going to let them continue in those patterns of behavior that are destructive for them. And you are going to fight for their purity. This is why it says in… Proverbs 27:6 (ESV)-- 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. Scriptural Support for Discipline-- And in Luke 17:3, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself commanded, “If your brother sins, rebuke him.” You will remember that [Paul put Hymenaeus and Alexander out of the Ephesian church because of their blasphemies (1 Tim. 1:20). He commanded the Corinthians to remove from their fellowship a man guilty of gross sexual immorality (1 Cor. 5:1–7). He instructed his young protégé Titus to “reprove [believers] severely that they may be sound in the faith” (Titus 1:13). Even church leaders are not exempt from public rebuke (1 Tim. 5:20; cf. Gal. 2:11–14). {But} The most extensive teaching on how to exercise church discipline comes from our Lord Himself: If your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer. Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst. (Matt. 18:15–20)] Context of Discipline-- Now we all focus on the last part of that verse; the promise of God’s abiding with those who are gathered in His name. But what we often fail to remember is why God comes in their midst in the first place in that context. That passage is connected and tied to Jesus’ discussion about discipline in the Church; it is about God coming alongside those who are gathered in His name to help lead others out of sin and into living lives of spiritual purity! A Holy Challenge-- Now we shy away from this because we don't want to be labeled as "judgmental". After all, who is going to want to join a church that might confront them about their sin? But what God demonstrated was that if the Church was going to keep its integrity and remain effective, it also had to keep pure. If it didn’t actually challenge and lead people into become more like Jesus, what is the point? And yes we see here in verse 13 that that kept some people away. It says… Acts 5:13 (ESV)— 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. You see, people respected them chiefly because they WERE that committed to purity. And that proved effective, because while verse 13 says some were kept away, it says in… Acts 5:14 (ESV)— 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, The Count is Lost-- And it is fascinating to note that it is at this point where the multitude grows so much, everyone loses count. Luke stops recording the numbers. All he can say is multitudes of both men and women,. From that point onwards the Church was too big to count. And I want to highlight that for you; the point at which the Church can no longer keep track of it’s numerical growth is at this precise moment when the Church (through God) becomes radically committed to purity. Committed to Purity-- And what that shows us is that if we want to be effective and fruitful Christians (both individually and corporately), we have to be radically committed to living lives of purity and holiness. And it is our responsibility to help one another to achieve that purity, even if that might mean an unpleasant conversation or even Church discipline at times. If we truly love one another, we won’t allow one another to walk in sin; we will lovingly step in. We will encourage, guide, direct, and help God to re-shape that person. If we want the power of God to be made manifest in and through us both individually and corporately, there are no shortcuts. We have to go through the cross. We must, as it says in… Colossians 3:9b-10 (ESV)-- put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Mutual Support-- And so let us commit to live lives of purity and holiness; and let us support, encourage, challenge, and even discipline one another as we (together) become the very image of Christ to the world. If we can do that, the world will esteem us and God will be able not just to grow His Church, but to grow it in the right way; with people who are willing to live lives truly sold out to Jesus Christ. Let’s commit ourselves to Him, His Life, and His character in a special way today. Amen.
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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. In our study of the book of Acts, we have seen how God has been establishing His Church. And in our passage today we see one of the means by which He is doing that. It says in…
Acts 5:12b (ESV)— 12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. Signs & Wonders— So right off the bat we see that the apostles are carrying on the healing ministry of Jesus. And these healings verse 12 calls signs and wonders. Now what is a sign? "Shoulder Use Permitted"-- The other day my wife and I were driving home and I saw a sign that brought me immediate joy. In fact I was so thankful I immediately turned to my wife and said. “That sign said ‘shoulder use permitted’”. And so I immediately started stretching and rotating my shoulders. And I said, “Awwww, that’s nice, to which she promptly rolled her eyes (as all wives do when their husbands make corny jokes). What’s A Sign-- But signs are important. They are there for more than just our admiration and wonder. They actually mean something; and what a particular sign means is important. And this is especially true when it comes to Biblical signs, which are a lot like road signs. We always think of them as being miracles; and they often are. But they are more than just miracles. They are miracles with a point. Just like a road sign, they point us to something; something we need to recognize, which is often a deeper spiritual (and often divine) reality that God is trying to make known to us. In the Gospels (particularly John’s gospel) signs play a key role in revealing to us who Jesus is. And they have the same purpose here in the book of Acts as well. And one of the things these signs clearly reveal is that God is at work through the apostles; they are a way of authenticating their ministry and the name of Jesus whom they were proclaiming. Now there have been many impostors who have tried to use miraculous signs to gain a following. A Fake Miracle-- Just recently I saw a purported miracle somebody posted on Facebook. A crippled woman in Africa was listening to a preacher preach. And her arm was all malformed and short. But the preacher suddenly claimed he was going to heal the woman. And he began ranting and raving and the woman hunched over and let her short deformed arm point towards the ground. And slowly but surely the arm began to extend. And the preacher kept ranting and raving; he started throwing water on her (probably holy water). And her arm kept extending until it was a normal length; AN APPARENT MIRACLE!!! Now I so wanted to believe this; but I looked it up and sadly discovered that it was a hoax. This woman was used on multiple occasions by at least two different charismatic pastors who wanted to display their healing powers. I watched two services where it looks like the same woman was healed twice for the same thing. She has missing bone structure in her arm that allows her to crush up her arm and then (as she relaxes her muscles) the arm extends. And that is why she needs to hunch over, because she cannot lift up her arm (because there is no bone structure inside). And you can catch it in one video where you see that arm flop back a little bit; farther than a normal arm would be able to do. And so the miracle was a fake, used by the pastors in a sinister way to manipulate people into thinking they had the power of God; so that they would follow them. A Genuine Miracle-- However, the miracles the apostles were performing were nothing like this. They weren’t isolated healings done to a few people no-one knew. Rather they were healing many people (too many to be some kind of elaborate hoax); and these were people that those around them could validate had indeed been crippled. The crippled man at Solomon’s Portico is an excellent example. Everyone knew he had always been crippled; his legs were deformed; he had never walked. And now he was walking and leaping and praising God. Miracles & Message True To God’s Word-- Now miracles don’t always come from God. Just because someone performs a miracle (or a supposed miracle) that doesn’t mean God is at work in them. It could (at times) be Satan. And we will see some of that later in the book of Acts. But what sets the signs of Jesus and the apostles apart was that the signs they were performing complimented a message that was true to the Word of God and His revealed mission. They were not proclaiming a new doctrine; they were proclaiming the fulfillment of an already existing promise of salvation. And I would argue further that the nature and authority of the miracles the apostles were performing was vastly superior to what any sorcerer would be able to perform. Their miracles were like that performed through Moses back in Exodus. The miracles of God could only be denied by those who could not accept His message (like Pharaoh, in whose image the Sanhedrin had allowed themselves to become fashioned into, as they demonstrate continuously that same hardness of heart; “We are not willing to go where the evidence points because we are not willing to change our position.”). The Same Healing Pattern-- Now I want you to also recognize something else; and this is something the Sanhedrin no doubt recognized; and that is that the apostles were not just healing people, but they’re doing so in a way that mirrored how Jesus Himself had healed people. Notice how the apostles (like Jesus) were healing EVERYBODY. It says in… Acts 5:16 (ESV)-- 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed. And this is of course reminiscent of… Luke 4:38-41 Jesus Heals Many-- 38 And he {(Jesus)} arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. 39 And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them. 40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. {And Matthew 12:15 also reveals that Jesus was healing all who came to Him.} Demons Banished-- Now notice how in both passages we find demons being driven out; something Satan would never do, for it would mean that Satan’s house would be divided against itself and therefore would not be able to stand, which Jesus Himself points out in Matthew 12:26. So there was no reason to doubt that it truly was the power of God that had been at work in and through Jesus; and that the apostles (who were preaching and teaching in His name) were carrying on that same power and authority. It was not just that people were getting healed. No, it was the scope and nature of the miracles being performed combined with a message that was true to God’s Word. And in the demons being driven out we see revealed how Jesus (through the apostles), is defeating the great enemy of God (Satan). The head of the snake was once again being crushed. The Role of Signs-- Now there is a lot of debate over the role of signs and healings in the Church today. And I don’t doubt for a minute that God does often heal when we cry out to Him. That is part of the role of the Church, as we read about in James 5:13-15. We are to bring the sick before the elders of the Church so that they can receive healing from God if it is His will to do so. But what we also have to recognize is that while there were ordinary Church members who performed signs and healings (like Stephen in Acts 6:8), verse 12 indicates that it was the apostles who were the primary ones performing these “signs and wonders”. And as we said before, that was God’s way of authenticating their message (Rom. 15:18–19; 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:4). This was a new era in the Church (and really in the story of salvation as a whole). And in scripture we see that whenever God moved His people into a new era (the next stage of His great plan of salvation) He always made sure that the inauguration of that era was supported by miraculous signs that confirmed He was the one behind it. When the age of the Law began, God empowered Moses to perform signs and wonders. At the inauguration of the era of the prophets, God allowed those prophets at the beginning of that era (Elijah and Elisha) to also perform great signs and wonders. When the age of the Gospel was inaugurated, God validated that era with signs and wonders performed in and through His Son Jesus. And that is one of the reasons Jesus was always so careful to stress that the signs He performed were not done in His own power, but rather were God’s power at work through Him. He wanted to show that this was God’s way of validating this new era of the Gospel as legitimate; as God had validated the other eras in and throughout the Old Testament. And similarly, in this new era of the Church, as the apostles carry that Gospel into the world, God is allowing signs and wonders to confirm this new era as well. One scholar said: “Each time God opened a new door, He called man’s attention to it. It was His way of saying, ‘Follow these leaders because I have sent them.’”] Now [This certainly does not mean that God is limited and can no longer perform miracles for His people! But it does mean that the need for confirming miracles has passed away. We now have the completed Word of God, and we test teachers and weigh their teachings by their message, not by miracles (1 John 2:18–29; 4:1–6).] The Greatest Miracle-- And even more important than the physical healing, was the spiritual healing that was being brought to the people. It says that multitudes were being added to the fellowship. And so one thing we need to be sure not to overlook is the fact that the people were finding in Jesus the deepest healing they needed; healing from sin. That is the greatest miracle of all; seeing a lost person come into the fold of God and become one of His children; seeing a life that is broken be restored. [That is the miracle that meets the greatest need, lasts the longest, and costs the greatest price—the blood of God’s Son. And that is one miracle we can all participate in as we share the message of the gospel, “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Rom. 1:16).] This week, let us commit ourselves in a special way to helping to spread that Gospel message. Let’s do so. Amen. Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim.
Tricky Animals— You know, growing up, I was always a nature kid. I loved to be outside and I loved animals. And to this day every animal I discover speaks to me of the awesome creativity of God. And recently I had fun looking at a number of creatures with a very unique ability; the ability to disguise themselves as other animals that their would-be predators are afraid of; a butterfly that disguises itself to look like an owl, a caterpillar that disguises itself to look like a snake; it’s interesting, the hognose snake that can either mimic a cobra or simply play dead (even giving off an odor that smells like a dead animal). But perhaps the most interesting (at least to me) is an octopus called the mimic octopus. [This eight-armed sea creature is a master of disguise. It can make itself look like some of the other creatures that live in its watery home, including sea snakes, jellyfish, starfish, you name it. It changes the color and texture of its skin to match these creatures. And then it takes its trickery a step further. The mimic octopus even changes the way it moves its arms. For instance, when it’s imitating a sea snake, the octopus slips into its burrow and pulls in all but two of its arms. It leaves two arms resting on the ocean bottom, so they look like a venomous sea snake. {Now as I said before,} As for why it acts like other creatures, it all comes down to survival. By imitating other animals, like the deadly sea snake, the mimic octopus keeps its predators away and keeps itself out of danger.] It’s amazing how in nature one animal can mimic another. Now in nature that is pretty cool. However, a very similar phenomenon was taking place right at the outset of the early Church. And this was unfortunately NOT beneficial for the Body of Christ. You will remember that all the Church is unified at this point and out of that unity and mutual love for one another, people are selling their possessions and distributing to any who have need. And at the outset of our passage today we are given the name of one of these self-giving Christians. It says in… Acts 4:36-37 (ESV)— 36 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, 37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. Joseph Surrendered-- Now pay attention to this guy Joseph. Because the reason I believe he is mentioned here is because he is the undisguised “real deal”. He is the guy who embodies what it means to really live a life sold out to Jesus Christ. And because of that God uses him in some amazing ways. In fact, later in the book of Acts we see that he is the one who introduces the newly converted Paul to the apostles when everyone else is skeptical about him (9:27). He is the one who brings Paul to Antioch to participate in the outreach to the Gentiles (11:25-26). And he’s also the one who sticks up for John Mark after John Mark’s failing and Paul does not want to take him with them (15:36-39). And of course John Mark goes on to become of major importance, most notably in his eventually recording for us Peter’s account of the words and deeds of Jesus Christ in his Gospel; the gospel of Mark. A New Name: Barnabas-- But notice that Joseph is given a new name by the apostles. They call him Barnabas, a name meaning “son of encouragement”. Now in Jewish culture names were very very significant. Hebrew Names— In our culture names don’t have a lot of meaning. We name our children based on what names sound good; or the names of famous people or sometimes family members. But in Jewish and much of ancient culture names were much more significant. Names were not only a way of identifying you, but also a way of defining you; and I would even go so far as to say to even determine ahead of time who you are going to be. Biblical Names— Just think of some of the big names found in the Old Testament: Adam-- Adam is not just a name; it is the Hebrew word for “human”— Adam was the first Adam (the first human). His name also means “red”, which may even refer to the color of the earthy ground He was created from. Abram-- Think of Abram. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, which means “father of a great multitude”. So in naming Abraham, God was determining to bring about His promise. Jacob— Jacob, whose name means “supplanter” supplanted his brother Esau. But God changed His name to “Israel”, meaning “who prevails with God”. Jonah-- In the Bible, the dove was a symbol of God’s grace and provision. It was a dove that brought an olive branch to Noah, heralding God’s deliverance. At Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit came down upon Jesus as a dove, heralding Jesus as God’s means of deliverance. And the Hebrew word for dove is in fact Jonah. Jonah’s name means dove. Now Jonah (remember) didn’t want to live up to his name, but God made him. God had determined in his very name that he would bring hope to Nineveh. But Jonah tried to deny his own name; God’s plan and purpose to use him in that way. Micah— In a similar way, the prophet Micah (whose name means “messenger”) was sent as a messenger to God’s people, actually foreshadowing (some think) John the Baptist’s ministry. Simon— Simon, likely [a contraction of the Heb. Shimeon] whose name means “hear” (notice the root Shema); he was one who heard the call of Jesus and followed (which is what Shema is all about). But Jesus changes his name to Peter (Gk. petros, “a rock”). And Peter you would definitely say now embodies that name in some amazing ways. Immanuel-- Even the name given to us in Isaiah in prophecy of Jesus Himself (Immanuel) means “God with us”; not just a name for Jesus, but an actual definition of who He is. He IS God with us. Jesus-- Even the name Jesus; it is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Yeshua (Joshua) (meaning “Yahweh Saves”). And this fits because in Jesus Yahweh was saving His people. Just as Joshua led the people to the promised land, so also Jesus leads God’s people to the Kingdom of Heaven. He (Jesus) is the ultimate Savior and Deliverer; the second, greater Joshua. Identity Change-- Now we have to understand this unique way names are used because for somebody’s name to be changed was a huge deal in the Biblical world. It showed a complete change in identity. That is why many of the early Christians took new names. And it’s interesting to note that whenever someone is given a new name in the Bible, the one giving that name is almost always (with very few exceptions) God. It is God who changes a person’s name; their identity; who they are destined to be. Now I say all of this because I want you to recognize the depth of change that Joseph (now Barnabas) has allowed God to work in his life and also what an honor this must have been viewed as by the rest of the Church. And (as we all know) any time a good person is honored, there are often sinful people who get jealous. And here the story transitions to two such people; a couple by the name of Ananias and Sapphira. Now Ananias means "favoured of the LORD” and Sapphira (sapphire) is a precious gem. But they certainly don’t feel “favored of the LORD”; they don’t feel like precious gems. It says in… Acts 5:1-2 (ESV)— 1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. “kept back”-- So we see that Ananias and Sapphira kept back some of their earnings. And that phrase kept back actually translates an uncommon word that, interestingly enough, is also used (in the Septuagint) of Achan who, in Joshua 7:1, was the one who held back some of the spoils of Jericho that were dedicated to God, burying them in his tent. And he was discovered and put to death for his crime. And so also were Ananias and Sapphira. Look at verse 3 and following… Acts 5:3-6 (ESV)-- 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? (Notice that word “καρδία” again; his “καρδία” was not in accord with the rest of the body of Christ. Peter says…)You have not lied to man but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. “breathed his last”-- Now notice that Luke doesn’t simply tell us that Ananias died. No, it says he breathed his last. Isn’t it interesting that his soul; his ψυχὴ; the breath that God breathed into him; the breath that united the Christian Church, was taken from him? He lies to the Holy Spirit, the Ruach; the breath of God; and therefore his breath is taken from him. And we see a similar thing happen with his wife. The text says… Acts 5:7-11 (ESV)-- 7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” 9 But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. Lying About Their Surrender-- Now, I’d love to know what the offering was the following Sunday. I bet it was an all new record. But this passage is more than just about tithing or trying to be honest about what you have or what you don’t have. No, it goes even further than that. Ananias and Sapphira’s sin was that they had attempted to give the appearance of being as surrendered to God as wholly and completely as Barnabas had been when really, they had not. They wanted to live an illusion of surrender, but not really surrender. They were just a couple of hognose snakes; a couple of mimic octopi. Their keeping the money wasn’t the issue (as Peter himself had said); the issue was their trying to give the appearance to those around them that they had held nothing back from Jesus when (in reality) they had. The life they were living before their brothers and sisters in Christ was a lie. And God would not tolerate that lie; and so He therefore pulls His sustaining breath from them and they die. Are we real?— Now that ought to prompt us to ask ourselves “Are we the real deal?” Have we allowed God to touch us at the very heart; the very name; the very center of who we are? Or is it all a show? Now if your answer to that question is anything but “yes”, Christ is offering that transformation to you today. And He can do it. He can make you altogether new. But you have to want it. You have to ask for it in faith. You have to be willing to stop pretending and allow Him to make you the real deal; utterly and completely sold out to Him. Let’s give ourselves to him like that today. Let’s do so. Amen. Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim.
Tonto’s Forsaking-- I don’t know how many of you have seen the old television show “The Lone Ranger”. If you have, you might remember one episode where [Tonto and the Lone Ranger were riding through a canyon together when all of a sudden both sides were filled with Native American warriors on horses, dressed for battle. The Lone Ranger turned to Tonto and asked, "What are we going to do?" Tonto replied, "What you mean 'we,' Whiteman?”] It’s amazing how adversity can drive people apart, isn’t it? The Church’s Resolve Strengthened-- Well you might expect that to happen at this point in the story of the book of Acts. You will remember that Peter and John have just been tried by the Sanhedrin, who command them to no longer teach or preach in the name of Jesus. And so for the first time the Church is facing political persecution. Now Peter and John resolve to continue to preach the Gospel of Christ because (as Peter had put it, and states again in 5:29 as well): “We must obey God rather than men.” Now that wasn’t a universal rejection of authority; but they understood that when authority and the Word of God are in conflict with each other, you always have to side with God. But one of the things that amazes me about this passage is that what you would think would happen at this point in the Church’s history doesn’t happen. You’d think that the Church would become divided on this issue. Who do we obey? Who do we follow? But what is so fascinating is that this persecution only serves to drive the Church together; together in prayer and together in unity. And the depth of this unity is truly profound. It says in… Acts 4:32a (ESV)— 32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, One-- So the first thing that we see is that the Church has become one. But what does that look like? Which One?-- It has been said that [When a man marries a woman, they become one but the trouble starts when they try to decide which one.] And you know, there’s some truth to that. We often think that there could be peace and unity if everybody would think and act just like us. But let me tell you, in all honesty, if all the people of the world were like me, we’d be in trouble. And if all the people of the world were like you we’d also be in trouble. And a Church filled with people who are all trying to be like one another is destined for trouble as well. And actually, the Church’s central aim ought not to be to strive for unity with one another, but to strive to be at unity with Christ. It is in becoming like Jesus that we are consequently brought into unity with one another. Tuned to The Same Fork— This is why A.W. Tozer once asked: [Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers [meeting] together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to become 'unity' conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.] And you know, he’s right. If a congregation will commit to draw closer to Jesus as individuals, they will consequently find that they will also be more at one with each other. One Heart & Soul— Now the text says that these believers were {(v.32)} of one heart and soul. And that phrase means more than just that they had something in common; or had a common bond in Christ Jesus. No, they were of one heart and soul. Now that language intrigues me. καρδία— First that word “heart”. It is the Greek word (all you in the medical field know it well) “καρδία” (cardia) (like cardiology). But here it does not mean physical heart, or even just our emotions. No, the literal definition involves the mind, the character, the inner self, the will, our intentions; our very center. So they were united in mind (having the same mind of Christ), they were united in character (the holiness of God made real in their lives), they were united in the inner self in selfless agape love of God, and were even united in their will and intentions with one another. The very center of who they were was united one with another. Now what does it mean to be united with your brother or sister in Christ at that kind of level? And what implications does that have for how we think about the unity of the Church? What could a Church do that was united in Christ like that? ψυχὴ-- Now the second word also astounds me. It says that they were also one not just in their heart, but in their soul. And the Greek word used here for soul is “ψυχὴ” (psuché). And as I was looking up the meaning behind this word ψυχὴ, I was amazed to discover that the first phrase used to help to define this word “ψυχὴ” was the vital breath; the breath of life. In fact, it is from the very word that means "to breathe, blow”. And that harkens back to the very creation of mankind. “The soul is the direct aftermath of God breathing (blowing) His gift of life into a person, making them an ensouled being.” And in thinking about how God’s Holy Spirit is synonymous with His breath (that same Hebrew word “Ruach”) we see once again that the source of their unity of soul (or breath) was the very Spirit of God. They are united by the very breath of God. But “ψυχὴ” also refers to a person's distinct identity; who I am as an individual. So in a sense, in Christ, we become so one with one another in such a deep way that our very identities become intermingled; intertwined with one another, to the point where scripture even calls us one singular body. Romans 12:5 (ESV)-- 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Now every body has a head. And scripture teaches us that Christ Himself is the head. Colossians 1:18 (ESV)-- 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. All-Encompassing Oneness-- So as we come under the headship of Christ, we also become united with one another as we are together brought under His control. And this oneness was so profound, it encompassed every area of the lives of those in the early Church, beginning with their very possessions, wealth, and property. Look with me at verse 32… Acts 4:32b (ESV)-- and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. Nothing Their Own-- Now that phrase “no one” is so profound to me. You mean to tell me that there was not a single Christian convert who thought it appropriate to call anything his or her own? Everything; all of who they were was surrendered fully and completely to the body of Christ? I don’t know about you, but that is incredibly convicting to me. “My”-- It is amazing how much of our lives and culture is centered around the word “my”. You know, there were many words I had to spend a lot of time teaching my kids as they grew up; words like “thank you” or “please”. But you know, “my” was not one of them. They learned that word very quickly with little assistance from me. “That’s my stuffed bunny.” “That’s my cookie.” “My, my, my.” Now that’s pretty expected when it comes to young children, but as we mature there ought to be a growth into a new reality of seeing outside the walls of our own personal needs and wants. But I know adults; you know adults who are very difficult to be around because (unfortunately) they have never grown out of that self-centered way of living life. And relating with them can be extremely difficult, especially if that person has any kind of power over you. But you know I don’t think we ever really just grow out of that. That re-orientation of our hearts doesn’t just happen automatically. No, there has to come a point in our lives when we allow God to actually put that old self-centered self to death. That is what it really means when Jesus says to Nicodemus back in John 3 that he needs to be born again; and what He means when He says to His disciples that to follow Him they must take up their cross. To follow Jesus means to put to death our “my” way of doing life and experiencing an awakening into a brand new way of living; under a recognition that all of who we are (our hopes, our dreams, and our futures) and all that we have (our homes, our finances; all of that) belongs to God and are His to do with as He pleases. That is what happens when we allow ourselves to become turned outwards upon Him. And when that happens; when we become focused on Him, then what and who He values will become what and who we value as well. And as Jesus gave His life for the world, so also will we give of our time, our finances, and YES even our very lives to meet the spiritual and physical needs of those around us. Complete Surrender-- The question is, are we that surrendered? Does God have full control over my life; my time; my plans; and yes, even my finances? Does He truly have all of my heart and all of my soul. Power in our lives as individuals and power in the Church collectively is directly connected to the full surrender of all of who we are to Christ and to His Body. And we see the results of this played out in a really magnificent way, as it says in the following verses… Acts 4:33-35 (ESV)— 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. May we also, as children of God who are men and women who claim to be part of the body of Christ, be that sold out. And as we are sold out to Jesus, may we also find ourselves to be of one heart and one soul with one another. Let us do so. Amen. |
Rev. Cameron Ury graduated from Asbury University in 2007 with a B.A. in Bible and Theology. From there he continued his studies at Wesley Biblical Seminary in Jackson, MS. It was there that he met his wife Tanya, who graduated from WBS with her M.A. and M.Div. degrees. Cameron and Tanya got married in 2009. Cameron then graduated with his M.Div. degree with a pastoral concentration in 2011.
After shepherding churches in both Mississippi and Ohio, they joined the ministry team at Renton Park Chapel in January of 2018, where Cameron serves as Senior Pastor and Teacher. Cameron is also the founder and host of Lechem Panim, a weekly radio show that airs on KGNW 820AM "The Word Seattle". The ministry of Lechem Panim is centered around leading people into the life-giving presence of God in and through Bible study, prayer, and active discipleship with the aim of ministering to a world that is in desperate need of the healing touch of Jesus Christ. Archives
February 2021
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