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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. In recently weeks we have been discussing Paul’s ministry in the city of Corinth. It was a city that was so lost to paganism and idolatry that Paul probably wondered if it was possible for God to do anything there at all. But then Paul receives a vision in which God gives Him a command and a promise. He commands Paul to speak boldly (so there’s that faith element, which almost always comes first) and then promises to protect him. And so Paul takes that step of faith and lo and behold God steps in; because though some of the unbelieving Jews sought to get the proconsul (Gallio) to prosecute Paul, Gallio does the complete opposite and sets a precedent that Rome was not going to get involved in Jewish affairs (which they saw Christianity as being, seeing it as just another sect of Judaism). And so God kept His promise. But not only did God protect Paul, but He also blessed his ministry, as it tells us that Paul was even able to establish a church there in Corinth; a church that bore tremendous fruit. And this is a reminder to us that when things seem darkest and we feel the most broken, it is then that God is often able to produce some of His greatest fruit. One of the greatest verses in scripture that you and I can ever lean on actually comes from one of his letters to this Corinthian Church. It says in…
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV)-- 9 And He {(“the Lord”)} said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. God Always Comes Through-- What a wonderful reminder that even we we might feel we have nothing left to give, God still promises to use us and come through for us. Now because of this reprieve, Paul was able to stay in Corinth and minister without any hindrance. It says in… Acts 18:18a (NKJV)-- 18 So Paul still remained a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, Syria-- Now Syria is where Palestine is. But remember that Paul’s all the way over in Greece. And that’s no small distance. And so what he had to do was he had to get on a boat and sail about 15 miles which, when you consider how slow boats were during this time, it was a fairly long trip. And it’s interesting that it tells us… Acts 18:18b (NKJV)— and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. Priscilla & Aquila Come— Now the only way Paul would have allowed this was if there were others who could take on the responsibility of pastoring the Corinthian Church. And so the fact that the church there no longer needed him and no longer needed Pricilla and Aquila tells us how Paul was building up that church. Did he preach and teach? Yes, we are told that in verse 11. But just as importantly we see that that included training church leaders. And that is so key, because the way you know your church is doing well or not is by answering a simple question: What would happen if my pastor (like Paul) left for a prolonged period of time? Would the church fall apart because he had absorbed all the focus and ministry? Or would the church carry on as usual (completely un-phased) because he had given proper attention to the discipleship and training of new leaders? That’s one of the strength of Paul’s ministry, which of course is a reflection of the ministry of Jesus. Invest in the few to reach the many. That is how the Church is built up. So we see that Paul leaves with Priscilla and Aquila. And Priscilla and Aquila don’t abandon their leather-working & tent-making business. They simply pick up and move it. And all three make their way to Cenchrea. And it says of Paul in… Acts 18:18c (NKJV)-- He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, “hair cut off”-- Now this is kind of an unusual event to have recorded for us in scripture. We don’t typically think of haircuts as a big deal; unless of course men it’s your wife who has gotten her hair cut; and then it is a big deal and you better notice. But even so, why do we have THIS haircut recorded for us for all Christians to read about for the rest of time? We know that the Holy Spirit inspired and guided Luke to include only what He wanted; but it seems like such an odd thing to focus on. This is further seen when we note that at this time Cenchrea (and we know this from Romans 16) had a church. But the Holy Spirit skips any mention of that church and jumps right to the haircut, only using the location of Cenchrea to signify where it was that Paul’s haircut took place. But we begin to see the significance of this when it says of Paul in… Acts 18:18d (NKJV)-- for he had taken a vow. The Nazirite Vow-- And so we see that this haircut has to do with vow; a special kind of a vow that we find in the Old Testament (and which described in detail in Numbers 6:1-21) called the Nazirite Vow. It was a special kind of vow taken when a Jew wanted to thank God in a special way for some blessing that he had received from God. Now what had Paul received from God? Well, he had received a promise from God (in a vision) to protect him and bless his ministry. And so (like any good Jew whose heart is filled with gratitude towards God) Paul wants to express his thankfulness. And the Nazirite Vow was the best ways he could of think of to do that. Origin of Nazirite Vow-- But what is a Nazirite Vow and where did it come from? Well, no one knows exactly where the Nazirite practice first came from. The directives given in Numbers 6 didn’t actually establish the practice, but rather regulated it in order to bring it into harmony with the larger body of the Mosaic law. It was likely around for much longer. Meaning of “Nazirite”-- But we are well-equipped to tell what it means; because the term “Nazirite” [comes from the verb nāzar, to “separate,”]. And so the Nazirite is someone who has separated themselves from certain things so that they might be more fully devoted to God (cf. Gen. 49:26; Deut. 33:16). And those things the Nazirite was to abstain from were the eating of meat, partaking of the grapes of the vine (which included abstaining from drinking wine), and coming into any contact with a dead body (even the body of a close relative). And the key physical trait that distinguished the Nazirite was that the Nazirite would allow his hair to grow for the full length of whatever was the period of his vow. The typical period for a Nazirite Vow was 30 days, though some went for 60 days, some for 100 days, and some were for life. We have only three examples of Nazirites who were Nazirites for life: Samson (Judg. 13:5, 12-14), Samuel (1 Sam. 1:11), and John the Baptist (Luke 1:15). Now we don’t know how long Paul had been under this Nazirite Vow; perhaps he began when he started making preparations to leave Corinth. But whatever the span of time, he was abstaining from meat, the fruit of the vine, and anything dead. And he’s allowing his hair to grow long. Why The Hair?-- Now why was the hair (of all things) chosen as the outward symbol for the Nazirite? Well the word nēzer in Hebrew (which contains the original idea of nāzar) means a “diadem”. What is a diadem? A crown. Where does a crown go? On the head. And so the hair was seen as the crown, the ornament of the head (6:5; cf. 2 Sam. 14:25-26). And so [the Nazirite is {seen to be} a “crowned one,” because “his separation to God is on his head” (Num. 6:7). Now long uncut hair (though ordinarily not thought appropriate for a Jewish man to have) was nevertheless a symbol of strength and abundant vitality (see 2 Sam. 14:25-26). But for the Nazirite there was also a spiritual side to it, because it was an outward reminder that he was dedicated to God; that he belonged to God in a special way. It was a diadem not just because having long hair was luxurious (as every hair product commercial will tell you) but because he had become crowned with God Himself. And so Paul is, in a posture of thanksgiving, living under a symbol of gratitude, sanctification, and awareness of the presence of God in His life. Now you and I may never take a Nazirite Vow, partially because we are not Jews. But nevertheless, shouldn’t there also be in our lives symbols of thanksgiving and consecration? What can I do to demonstrate (to consummate with my actions) the love and devotion I say I have for God? That is something worth taking the time to answer. Closure of the Vow-- Now at the time of the end of the vow, what would happen (and this is no doubt what Paul did) was he would bring an offering to the temple and would then [cut off his “dedicated head of hair” (i.e., the hair that had grown during the period of his consecration) at the door of the Tabernacle {(though we see Paul cut his off earlier)} and…put it into the fire under the sacrifice on the altar.….When all the service was concluded the late Nazirite was again at liberty to drink wine (Num. 6:20).] A Priestly Life-- Now all this may seem kind of strange to us, but when we understand the purpose of this practice (being consecrated to God in a special way) and how the Nazirite was considered to be “holy to the Lord” (as Numbers 6:8 says), we see that there is a lot of significance in this for us as well. It is interesting that two Jewish philosophers (Philo and Maimonides) describe the Nazirite as being similar in their standing with God as the priests themselves. The only difference was that Nazirites had no official service at the sanctuary and their time of dedication was temporary and voluntary. But the Nazirites were to live a priestly life during the period of their vows, being free of anything connected with death or the sinful pattern of this world. They were to live during the period of their vow lives of self-surrender to God. Now this is incredible, because you will remember that on Sinai, God gave Moses a vision of what He wanted Israel to become. It says… Exodus 19:3-6 (NKJV)-- 3 And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I [a]bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” A Picture of Sanctification-- And so we see that God’s goal, of which the Nazirite’s sanctification was a picture, was that all people might become His priests; that they might be consecrated to Him and live lives holy/set apart to Him, free from anything that might defile. And that cleansing was to be not temporary (like the Nazirite Vow) but permanent. In fact, listen to Paul talk about this when he writes to the Corinthian church in… 2 Corinthians 6:17 (NKJV)-- 17 Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” Us Set Apart-- You see, Paul saw it necessary that every Christian live lives set apart to God. Now although this was simply a vow (a work) that the Nazirite gave, we have to recognize that [it was also a work of the Spirit of God which dwelt in the congregation of Israel]. Because the prophet Amos describes [the raising up of Nazirites along with prophets as a special manifestation of divine grace”]. And anywhere in Israel’s history where they were doing really well spiritually, there was an abundance of Nazirites. When Israel was the sickest spiritually was also when there were the fewest Nazirites. There was usually a strong strong correlation between the two. Few Set Apart-- And the same thing is true in our nation. Our nation is more spiritually weak now than it has ever been. And that is not because of a lack of Christians. It is because many of the Christians we have are not yet fully given over to Jesus Christ. We are looking forward to future crowns in heaven, but are not wearing in this world the diadems of lives sanctified and set apart to God. We are not living as sojourners in this world. We are living as permanent residents. But Paul definitely saw himself differently; and he certainly was not a permanent resident of this world or really any place in this world. He was constantly moving from place to place, his eyes set on the Kingdom and doing what he could to grow that Kingdom. Be Set Apart-- And you know, that is how you and I need to live; not necessarily as Nazirites, but as people set apart, recognizing that we have been called out from the world to be holy unto God. Let us commit to allow God to make us holy unto Him, in every way. Amen.
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Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. In our study of Acts chapter 18 we have been taking a look at Paul’s ministry in Corinth. And it has been a tough season for Paul. Paul has been facing a lot of rejection, particularly from his own people. And so he no doubt was going through a time of deep discouragement. But God came to Paul in that season and gave a promise. It says in…
Acts 18:9-10 (NKJV)-- 9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.” Promised Fruit-- And so we see that Paul is encouraged by God's promise to be with him. But he is also encouraged by the fact that he will be safe because he is not alone there in Corinth. God has many people in this city. SATAN WANTS YOU TO FEEL ALONE-- Now I have found that one of Satan’s chief strategies that he works upon Christians is the feeling that we are alone. Because out of that feeling he can get us feeling depressed and can suppress our desire to push forward. What Satan doesn't want us to figure out is that there are other people just like us going through similar things; people who can be an encouragement and a strength to us. One of Satan's greatest strategies is to divide and conquer. And he does that first by driving apart people who are already in a relationship with one another, but he also does that by keeping people apart who might be able to pour grace and love and encouragement into one another's lives. And that is what he no doubt wants to do here with Paul. He wants Paul to feel alone, afraid, and therefore to go into protection mode. But God, defending Paul against that temptation, quickly stomps that snake and says “Don’t be afraid. First of all, I’m with you, which is enough in itself. But also you are surrounded by unknown friends you haven’t met yet who fear my name (or will soon, through your ministry) and who are going to be a source of protection for you.” And so instead of clamming up or leaving, Paul continues his ministry. It says in… Acts 18:11 (NKJV)--11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. Converts in Corinth-- And Paul’s ministry bore tremendous fruit. He established a church there in Corinth. And just a few of those [who became Christians in Corinth were Phoebe (Romans 16:1—Cenchrea was the port city of Corinth), Tertius (Romans 16:22), Erastus (Romans 16:23), Quartus (Romans 16:23), Chloe (1 Corinthians 1:11), Gaius (1 Corinthians 1:14), Stephanas and his household (1 Corinthians 16:15), Fortunatus (1 Corinthians 16:17), and Achaicus (1 Corinthians 16:17).] Now the church in Corinth was not full of mighty and noble people (1 Cor. 1:26–31), but rather with sinners whose lives were transformed by the grace of God (1 Cor. 6:9–11). And not only was Paul’s local ministry fruitful, but also his ministry of writing was as well, as during this time he also [wrote two letters to the believers in Thessalonica (the books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians).] The Unseen Hand-- Now I would love to see the many ways that God protected Paul during this time. But you know, Paul probably knew very few of them. He probably didn’t realize until he got to heaven the many ways God had His hand over his life. And the same is true of us. We don’t get to see all the things we have been spared from; or the “could have been” disasters. And therefore Luke (the great historian) shares only one example of God’s protection over Paul that he could clearly see and communicate; and it is one that is enormously significant, for reason’s we will see in a few moments. A New Proconsul: Gallio-- But first, the “governor” (proconsul) of Achaia (modern Greece) was a Roman senator by the name of Gallio. He served from A.D. 51-52 and was the brother of Seneca the philosopher. And when he comes into power during this time, the unbelieving Jews see this as an opportunity to try to manipulate Rome into declaring this new “Christian sect” illegal. And so they break the law [by attacking Paul and forcing him to go to court.] It says in… Acts 18:12-13 (NKJV)--12 When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, 13 saying, “This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.” The Best Speech Never Given-- And what they were really charging Paul with was his [promoting a religion not approved by Roman Law.] And you have to understand that if you are going to understand the miracle of what will soon take place. They want to make Paul (and Christianity) the enemy of Rome. And this seems to be their go-to strategy, because [This was not the first time that fanatical Jews had tried to prove that Paul was breaking the Roman law.] They had tried similar tactics also in Philippi (Acts 16:19-24) and then in Thessalonica (Acts 17:6–7). But Paul knew his rights as a Roman citizen and was more than ready to defend himself. And he opens his mouth to deliver the best speech never given. That’s right, Paul never had a chance to deliver it; because while God had commanded Paul to speak in verse 9, here He seems to step in and basically says, “Paul, I got this one.” And we see this in that instead of Paul making his defense, Gallio (the ROMAN PROCONSUL) makes his defense!!! It says… Acts 18:14-16 (NKJV)— 14 And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be reason why I should bear with you. 15 But if it is a question of words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves; for I do not want to be a judge of such matters.” 16 And he drove them from the judgment seat. An Unexpected Advocate-- And so Gallio was not the fool these Jews took him to be and [immediately saw that the real issue was not the application of the Roman law but the interpretation of the Jewish religion, so he refused to try the case!] And so while [The Jews tried to force the Roman proconsul to declare the Christian faith illegal, …Gallio ended up doing just the opposite. {Because} By refusing to try the case, Gallio made it clear that Rome would not get involved in cases involving Jewish religious disputes. As far as he was concerned, Paul and his disciples had as much right as the Jews to practice their religion and share it with others.] Now it may come as a surprise, but that kind of response is very typical of the relationship between the Roman and Christian Church here in the book of Acts. Yes, the apostles were forbidden to preach (Acts 4:17-21; 5:40), but that was by the Jewish council, not a Roman one. In fact there is no evidence in the book of Acts that Rome ever did this. Actually, the opposite seems to have been the case. We see [in Philippi (Acts 16:35-40), Corinth, and Ephesus (Acts 19:31), the Roman officials were not only tolerant but almost cooperative.] And this was partially because of Paul. He [knew how to use his Roman citizenship wisely so that the government worked for him and not against him, and he was careful not to accuse the government or try to escape its authority (Acts 25:10-12).] Now this was not the end of the matter. It says in… Acts 18:17 (NKJV)— 17 Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. But Gallio took no notice of these things. Sosthenes Beaten & Redeemed— Now what in the world is this all about? And who is this guy Sosthenes? What happened to Crispus, who is described as the synagogue ruler in the beginning of the passage. Well, remember Crispus had been converted to Christianity by Paul. And you can imagine how outraged many of the Jews were. What seems to have happened is that Crispus was removed from his position and replaced by a new synagogue ruler, a man by the name of Sosthenes. And it is this man who is attacked by the Greeks, who beat the tar out of him right in front of the proconsul, who simply looks the other way. Now we don’t know exactly who was doing the beating. [The mob could have been Greeks venting their feelings against the Jews for causing turmoil, or the crowd may have included some Jews. In any case, they beat Sosthenes for losing the case and leaving the synagogue worse off than before.] Now the irony here is that [If this is the same Sosthenes mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:1, then {apparently he too got converted, and the Jews had to find {yet} another ruler for their synagogue!] I would love to know how that all came about. Maybe somebody was there that day to pick Sosthenes up off the ground; maybe a Christian. Maybe it was Paul himself or Crispus who helped to wash his wounds, using it as an opportunity to share the love of Christ. But whatever the case, what this shows us is that no matter how much Satan opposes us, because God is with us, those oppositions simply become God’s opportunities to do something great. And so the central thrust of this passage is that God is both with us and is protecting us sometimes in seen but most often in unseen ways. And knowing that can give us the courage to “Fear not!” and speak boldly the name of Jesus. John Paton’s Unseen Army-- [John Paton was a missionary in the New Hebrides Islands. One night hostile natives surrounded the mission station, intent on burning out the Patons and killing them. Paton and his wife prayed during that terror-filled night that God would deliver them. When daylight came they were amazed to see their attackers leave. A year later, the chief of the tribe was converted to Christ. Remembering what had happened, Paton asked the chief what had kept him from burning down the house and killing them. The chief replied in surprise, "Who were all those men with you there?" Paton knew no men were present--but the chief said he was afraid to attack because he had seen hundreds of big men in shining garments with drawn swords circling the mission station.] Never Alone— Now you and I may feel alone when we live out Christ’s call to be a light in the world. But what scripture always reminds us of is the “fact” that God is with us. And though He won’t always shield us from pain and death, we can rest assured that His perfect plan for our lives will come to fruition if we (like Paul) remain obedient to speak out. And many people will be forever changed by your commitment to Christ. Psalm 121:7-8 (NKJV) 7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. 8 The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore. Let us therefore trust in the Lord this week. Amen. Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. Today we will be continuing our study of Acts chapter 18. So if you have your Bible, go ahead and turn with me there. You will remember that Paul has (most recently) entered into the city of Corinth, the political and commercial center of Greece. And it is here that he works as a tentmaker alongside a Jewish man and woman (Aquila and Priscilla) who themselves have been driven out (as all the Jews were) from Rome. And so during the week they make leather tents (and perhaps other leather items as well) and sell them. But on the Sabbath Paul would reason in the synagogue with the Jews and Gentiles who had gathered there to worship and persuaded some of them of the truth of the Gospel. Now Silas and Timothy eventually arrive. And 2 Corinthians 11:9 tells us that they do so bringing financial aid. And this allowed Paul to be more freed to devote himself fully to preaching the Gospel. But enemies had set themselves against Paul; and Paul had faced the rejection of many of his own people, most recently here in Corinth. And so it is a time of discouragement. And he may be wondering how he is ever going to do what God has called him to do. But God gave Paul an amazing promise that extends to you and me as well. And today I would like to take a look at that promise.
Remembering 9/11-- You know, most of you (myself included) remember right where you were when you heard the news that terrorists had hit the World Trade Center buildings on 9/11. It’s a day we will never forget. But recently I read (I think for the first time, though I had seen part of it before) the 911 call from United Airlines Flight 93, where a very terrified passenger by the name of Todd Beamer was frantically telling the dispatcher about the hijacking of their plane. And the dispatcher confirmed for him what he had already heard, that hijackers had crashed two planes into the World Trade Center and that both towers were gone. “Oh God —help us!” he said. She told him that a third plane was taken over by terrorists, who crashed it into the pentagon; and his plane may also be part of their plan. Then Todd, in shock, asked the dispatcher (whose name was Lisa) to call his pregnant wife (whose name, surprisingly, was also Lisa) and their two boys, tell them what happened, and tell her that he loves her and will always love her; and to tell his boys that their daddy loves them and that he is so proud of them. Later in the call another dispatcher joins in the conversation. Goodwin: Hello Todd. This is Agent Goodwin with the FBI. We have been monitoring your flight. Your plane is on a course for Washington, DC. These terrorists sent two planes into the World Trade Center and one plane into the Pentagon. Our best guess is that they plan to fly your plane into either the White House or the United States Capital Building. Todd: I understand…hold on……I’ll…….I’ll be back.. Lisa: Mr. Goodwin, how much time do they have before they get to Washington? Goodwin: Not long ma’am. They changed course over Cleveland; they’re approaching Pittsburgh now. Washington may be twenty minutes away. Todd: (breathing a little heavier) The plane seems to be changing directions just a little. It’s getting pretty rough up here. The plane is flying real erratic….We’re not going to make it out of here. Listen to me….I want you to hear this….I have talked with the others….we have decided we would not be pawns in these hijackers suicidal plot. Lisa: Todd, what are you going to do? Todd: We’ve hatched a plan. Four of us are going to rush the hijacker with the bomb. After we take him out, we’ll break into the cockpit. A stewardess is getting some boiling water to throw on the hijackers at the controls. We’ll get them….and we’ll take them out. Lisa, …..will you do one last thing for me? Lisa: Yes…What is it? Todd: Would you pray with me? They pray: Our father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy name, Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive our trespassers, And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory Forever…..Amen The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want… He makes me to lie down in green pastures He leads me beside the still waters He restores my soul He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for thou art with me….. Todd: (softer) God help me…Jesus help me….(clears throat and louder) Are you guys ready?…….. Let’s Roll…………………… Thou Art With Me-- And of course we know that Todd and the other passengers succeeded. They (at the cost of their own lives) were able to overcome the terrorists and crash the plane, saving God knows how many lives in what is no doubt one of the greatest acts of heroism in American history. Now I cannot imagine how afraid Todd and those passengers must have been. Yet they were somehow able to rise above that fear and take action. And the secret to that courage might be found in the last words Todd prayed from Psalm 23: for thou art with me. I don’t know if there are any more encouraging words in scripture than those; to know that in the midst of whatever we face, God is with us. Perhaps that is why God has seen fit to interweave this promise throughout all of scripture. He says in… Genesis 28:15 ESV-- Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Joshua 1:9-- "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Isaiah 41:10-- "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 43:2 ESV-- When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. Deuteronomy 31:6-- "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Zephaniah 3:17-- "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” Matthew 28:20-- "Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” A Promise That Carries Us-- It is this promise of God to be with us no matter what that can help us to carry on His work in the face of the most intense trials and persecutions. And it is no surprise that it is this promise that God gives to Paul as he is no doubt discouraged from his having faced rejection and adversity in just about every place he has been ministering in, most recently from his Jewish brothers there in Corinth. And so God comes to him by night and appears to him in a vision. It says in… Acts 18:9-10 (NKJV)-- 9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.” A Dark Situation-- Now the reason that God said this was because remember that recently Crispus, the synagogue ruler, converted to faith in Christ in and through the ministry of Paul. And that was great, because it opened up more opportunities for Paul to evangelize. But it also brought more opposition from the enemy. The unbelieving Jews in Corinth were furious at Paul's success and set themselves against him and his ministry with the aim to silence and get rid of him. Now Luke does not give us much detail on this, but it seems that between verses 8 and 9 the situation has become especially difficult and dangerous for Paul; so dangerous that Paul may have even been thinking about leaving Corinth altogether, as he had been forced to do from some of the other cities he had ministered in. But, as we have been talking about, God always provides encouragement when we need it most. And that encouragement can come through His Word, through the ministry of other people, or even directly from God through prayer. But no matter how He does it, God speaks to us when we need Him most. And God tells Paul that because He is with him, he doesn’t need to be afraid, but can speak freely without feeling like he needs to keep silent in order to be safe. Fear Not-- Now there have probably been times in your life when you have heard God speaking a soft and tender “Fear not!” into your life to quiet your heart and give you peace amidst the storms of life. “Fear not!” [is the way He assured Abraham (Gen. 15:1), Isaac (Gen. 26:24), and Jacob (Gen. 46:3), as well as Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. 20:15–17), Daniel (Dan. 10:12, 19), Mary (Luke 1:30), and Peter (Luke 5:10).] And that is how God assures us as well. “it is a fact!”-- [British preacher G. Campbell Morgan used to read the Bible each week to two elderly women. One evening, when he finished reading the closing words of Matthew 28, Morgan said to the women, “Isn’t that a wonderful promise!” and one of them replied, “Young man, that is not a promise—it is a fact!”] Paul Experiences “Immanuel”-- And that was definitely a fact for Paul. [Jesus had already appeared to Paul on the Damascus road (Acts 9:1–6; 26:12–18) and also in the temple (Acts 22:17–18). Paul would be encouraged by Him again when he was imprisoned in Jerusalem (Acts 23:11) and later in Rome (2 Tim. 4:16–17). Our Lord’s angel would also appear to Paul in the midst of the storm and give him a word of assurance for the passengers and crew (Acts 27:23–25).] And this really shows that the title we call Jesus by (especially during Christmas time), “Immanuel—God with us” (Matt. 1:23) is a name that our Savior really lives up to. And I want to tell you today that Jesus is with you. And therefore you can take courage. One hymn speak this Word of God into our lives like no other: “Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed, For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid; I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.” “When through the deep waters I call thee to go, The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow; For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.” Know this week that Christ is with you in whatever you are facing; and that, if you abide in Him, He will do His work through you. 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
November 2022
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