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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim.
Background of Pentecost— Today, as we begin taking a look at Acts chapter 2, we will be talking about the Holy Spirit’s coming at Pentecost. Now when we as Christians think of Pentecost, we immediately think of the day the Holy Spirit was given to God’s people. But Pentecost was already a major Jewish feast that had been celebrated all the way back to the time of Moses when God was first giving the Law to His people. And the reason it’s called “Pentecost” (a word that derives from the Greek for “the fiftieth day”) is because it falls on the fiftieth day after the Feast of the Passover, when the Jews celebrate God delivering His people from death in Egypt. And remember how they were delivered; God had told them to spread lamb’s blood on the sides and tops of the doorframes of their houses. And after that the Lord went through the land to strike down the Egyptians, but he saw the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and passed over those doorways, and would not permit the destroyer to enter their houses and strike down their firstborn. And so only the first-born of Egypt fell; because the blood of a lamb covered God’s people and became the means through which they were delivered from death. Death had passed over; hence the Passover. Now in the opening of the book of Acts what had happened at the prior Feast of Passover was that Jesus had been crucified. In fact He (the Lamb of God) died at the exact hour the Passover lambs were being slaughtered. And in doing this Christ satisfied the requirement of the Law of God; which is fascinating because after the exile the feast of Pentecost became a time when Jews celebrated the giving of the Mosaic law; the very law that Jesus had satisfied by the shedding of His blood on the cross in order that you and I might be delivered from death on a much larger scale; an eternal scale. Feast of Unleavened Bread-- Now the day after Passover you have the beginning of another feast called the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And that feast lasts eight days. During that feast, an offering of the firstfruits of the grain harvest was made and the priest would take a sheaf of grain and wave it before the Lord. Now Leviticus 23:15 commands that that offering to be made on the day after the sabbath. And so [the day the first fruits were offered would always be on a Sunday. Now that provides an apt picture of the Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrection because remember that Jesus was raised from the dead (the scripture says) on the first day of the week and therefore “became the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Cor. 15:20). Pentecost— Now Pentecost would happen fifty days later and would also fall on a Sunday. And what would happen during this feast was the priest (instead of waving a sheaf of grain) would present two loaves of bread. Now the reason this is significant for our study of Pentecost today is because it was a visual symbol for how the Church (after the baptism of the Holy Spirit) would be united into one body by the Holy Spirit; the body of Christ (who is the Bread of Life). 3 Manifestations-- Now here in Acts 2 this outpouring of the Holy Spirit is signaled by three different manifestations. And the first of these is wind. While the disciples were gathered together, it says… Acts 2:1-2 (ESV)-- 1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 1. Wind/Breath-- Now [Spirit in both the Greek (pneuma) and the Hebrew (ruach) describes wind or “breath.” Here, the idea of “wind” captures the impact of the Holy Spirit (John 3:8). Just as man did not exist until the life-giving breath of Almighty God (Gen. 2:7), so the Church did not come alive until God breathed forth the Holy Spirit.] And just as in Ezekiel’s encounter with the wind (the breath) of God bringing dead bones to life (Eze 37:5–14), you and I are lifeless until God breathes His Spirit into us and brings us from death to life. 2. Fire— Now the second manifestation we see here is fire. It says in… Acts 2:3 (ESV)-- 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. God’s Presence-- Now in scripture [Fire serves as a symbol of the presence of God (Ex. 3:2-5; 13:21; 19:18; 40:38; Isa. 4:5; Ezek. 1:4) and a representation of the Holy Spirit.] God had appeared to Moses in a flaming bush in Exodus 3:2-5; after the Israelites left Egypt it says the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light in Exodus 13:21; Exodus 19:18 says Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And there are countless other examples (God’s appearing as a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch to Abram (Gen 15:17), Elijah on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:20-40), the visions of Isaiah and Ezekiel, etc.). And so fire was symbolic of the presence of God. Now fire does two things. First, it gives light, which is both physical but also spiritual in the mind of the Jew; it is associated with wisdom and understanding. But fire can also be destructive; and so it is often associated with the judgment of God. Sodom and Gomorrah experienced that judgment in a physical sense, but there is also a spiritual judgment by fire as well. John the Baptist had said in… Matthew 3:11-12 (ESV)-- 11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Purifying Fire-- Now the righteous don’t need to fear the fire, because instead of destroying them, it purifies them; and so the Holy Spirit is the One who remakes us in the image of and helps us to live like Christ; in purity. And fire can also spread in a powerful way; something which we have seen (especially recently) here on the West Coast. Fire is POWERFUL; and so it is a great symbol by which to characterize the spread of the Early Church, as the apostles spoke with purity and power and multitudes came to faith in Christ. The Gift of Tongues-- Now there was a third manifestation in addition to the wind and the fire. And no, it was not earth. Earth, wind, and fire, that’s something else. But rather the third manifestation was an empowerment of the disciples to speak other known languages. It says in… Acts 2:4 (ESV)-- 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Cultural Shock-- Now language is a funny thing. If you don’t have it, it can be a problem. Because nothing can be more frustrating than being unable to communicate what you are trying to communicate or to understand somebody who is not speaking your language. A few years ago my wife and I and the kids took a trip to Ukraine to visit her mom and her sister. And we flew into Detroit and then went from Detroit to Amsterdam (where there were some English speakers). But then we flew from Amsterdam to Ukraine. And boy did everything change. A lot of people were talking, but I could understand very little of what was being said; OR WRITTEN! Suddenly I found myself depending on my wife in a whole new way because without her nothing would have made sense. She became my interpreter, explaining to me what I was seeing and what I was hearing. And during our visit with her mom and sister, she would interpret between us. But even though I couldn’t understand a lot of what was being said, sometimes the emotions were what spoke louder than anything. A smile is the same in every language; tears are the same in every language; laughter doesn't need a translator. And there was plenty of all three, let me tell you. But that tells us something. Dr. Bill Ury: Our Sameness-- Some time ago I was listening to one of my Uncle Dr. Bill Ury’s radio broadcasts. And on this episode of his show The Hour of Holiness he was talking about evangelism and the role that each and every one of us has to play in the evangelism process. He talked a lot about the fear we often face; the intimidation we feel whenever we feel God nudging us in the direction of witnessing. And though he has been in ministry and Christian education for many many years and has seen countless Christians and ministers, he admitted that there were precious few who seemed to evangelize as if it was purely natural; where they we absolutely 100% in their element and absolutely confident. So often times we are so worried about what people are going to think; and wonder how we are going to present the Gospel in such a way that is relevant to their lives (and to where they can see it. But my uncle then said something that was so simple and yet so insightful. He said that when we approach evangelism, one of the things we have to understand about the people we are sharing the Gospel with is that they are exactly the same as us. He said they are the same; all people are the same as us. Now seeing a person wearing a kimono and dancing to Japanese music with white face paint; or in my case seeing the different styles of dress and different way of life of the people of Ukraine, it is easy to see the differences. But his point was that once you get past the paint; past the clothes; past the cultural differences; when you get right down to the most intimate needs of people, we are absolutely and totally the same. We have the same basic needs. The language of our souls is exactly the same. And when we know the language of the soul, then the door is opened for real change to happen through our ministry and through our witness. The Language of The Spirit-- And that is why one author I read said… [The most important language for communicating the gospel is not the language of culture or of common experience. The true language of the soul is the language of the Spirit.] The Holy Spirit is Key-- And that is why all ministry (if it is to be effective) must be entrenched in the saturating, abiding presence of the Holy Spirit’s anointing. Because if it isn’t, it doesn’t matter if we can speak people’s cultural language or not; our words (by themselves) will have no power to produce in them lasting change. The Holy Spirit is the One who must speak to their hearts. He is the link between our message and their hearts. And that is why you and I need to make sure that we are attuned to Him and His voice, which is always speaking into our lives. We just need to listen; to follow; to keep in step with Him. If we can do that, we will be effective witnesses for the Gospel. Let’s tune ourselves to Him today. Amen.
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Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim.
Not Just Another Business Meeting-- You will remember that last week we explored the nature of how the Jews viewed history; and how deeply they loved and sought to ingrain the Word of God into their hearts and minds. And I wanted to lay that foundation for you because when we come to this point in Acts 1, we see that the eyes of the disciples have been opened to understand in a whole new way the scriptures that they had hidden in their hearts; they now understood them in the light of Jesus Christ and were beginning to see how the entirety of God’s plan fit together and what their own place was in it. And when we understand that, the first board meeting of the Church here in chapter 1 (which we might be tempted at first glance to think of as kind of a boring way to kick off the book of Acts) is really a time of wondrous excitement and purpose. Peter (whose name means “rock”), but who had recently denied Jesus, was now standing in the midst of the company of the disciples and is telling them what the Old Testament means and what their immediate plan of action needs to be. And notice nobody is saying to him, “Who are you to tell us anything, you’re not a rock; you’re a chicken!” Nobody is saying anything like that. Because they know Peter is not just speaking from his own wisdom anymore, which we know rarely worked for him. Rather they acknowledge now that he has been led by God into an understanding of the Word of God; and he is speaking out of that understanding. And that was somebody they were willing to follow. It says in… Acts 1:15-17 (ESV)— 15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” God’s Plan Unhindered-- Now the betrayal of Jesus by Judas is a sad story. But what it shows us (and this is key) is that even a betrayal at the most intimate and personal level (the level of a disciple of the Son of God) could do nothing to thwart the plans of God. God’s plan of salvation didn’t miss a beat. And even though it says Satan entered into Judas (twice in scripture it says that), God was able to use even that betrayal to bring about the fulfillment of His plan; the provision of His Son to die on the cross in order to make atonement (to pay for) our sins. Now it says of Judas’ subsequent suicide (after he realized what he had done)… Acts 1:18 (ESV)— 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. Hung vs. Falling-- Now the description here of Judas’ death is very graphic; and it is meant to be so. But why is it so different from Matthew’s account? In Matthew’s account we have a different description of Judas' death than what is given to us here. In Matthew it simply says that Judas went out and hung himself (Mt. 27:5). Is it a contradiction (as some people say it is)? Well, not really. Judas apparently had hung himself on a tree next to a cliff (which is very plausible when you consider the topography of the land). And either the rope broke during his initial attempt to hang himself or the body fell after decomposing for a while and then burst open upon hitting the ground. Why The Variance?— So Luke and Matthew merely emphasize different things. But why? And why does Luke’s emphasis have to be so graphic; so gory? Well remember that Matthew’s account was written to a Jewish audience. And the Jewish mind would have connected Judas being hung with Deuteronomy 21:23, which says “he who is hanged is accursed of God”. And so the emphasis is placed on Judas’ being hung because that is what is going to resonate most deeply with a Jewish audience. However, remember that Luke is a gentile writing to a gentile audience who wouldn’t know the text (at least to the same degree). And you'll remember that the gentiles (especially the Greeks and those influenced by Greek culture, which was pretty much any gentile in the Roman empire) placed an enormous weight of value on the human body. You don’t have to see too much of Greek artwork from that period to understand they pretty much worshiped the body. The body was the picture of perfection in the mind of the Greek. And so for a Greek person to hear of the physical mutilation and destruction of the body of Judas sent home the same emotion a Jew would've felt in hearing about the "hanging" of Judas “on a tree”. So there is no contradiction. Matthew and Luke merely emphasize different details based on who their audience is in order to generate the same gut-wrenching reaction so to speak. Now Peter continues in… Acts 1:19-20 (ESV)-- 19 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “‘Let another take his office.’ 12 Witnesses-- And so once again Peter, who is looking back at these Old Testament prophecies (which are Ps 69:25 and Ps 109:8), now understands what they are supposed to do in preparation for the building of God’s Church. Peter recognized that they needed another eyewitness to the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. And that’s first of all because people take eyewitness testimony more seriously than other claims. But it was also important because Jesus had chosen twelve disciples as representative of the 12 tribes of Israel. In the mind of the Jew that was a very sacred number. And so it was vital that this renewal movement within Israel be marked by this very important number. So Peter takes the initiative (no doubt with the Holy Spirit’s leading) and says they need to choose another apostle who will help them too represent the 12 tribes of Israel to the world. So he says in… Acts 1:21-26 (ESV)-- 21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. 2 Characterizing Words-- Now I love how Barsabbas doesn’t mention any problem in the voting system or demand a recount. He doesn’t say, “Fine, you think Matthias is better than me, I’ll find some other place to go down the street.” No, he (along with all of them) accept it as God’s choice. They are unified in this. And that really serves to drive home the point that if you were to characterize the driving force of this early Christian community in two words, those two words would be “unity” and “prayer”. It says in verse 14 that All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. “with one accord”-- Now that phrase [“with one accord,” {is} a phrase that is found six times in Acts (1:14; 2:1, 46; 4:24; 5:12; 15:25; and note also 2:44). There was among these believers a wonderful unity that bound them together in Christ (Ps. 133; Gal. 3:28), the kind of unity that Christians need today {(especially now in a time of such disunity in the world)}.] Notice how none of them are asking, “Who is the greatest?” or, “Who committed the greatest sin?”] No, they are simply [praying together, standing together in the Lord, and worshipping together as they wait to be prepared for the work ahead of them. Achdut-- One Jewish man I read recently said that [the one precondition G-d said for every miracle that occurred to the Jewish people, and there was only one thing that was a precondition, is unity, achdut. {He said} From when we stood at Mount Sinai as "one people with one heart," …to the time when Queen Esther told Mordecai to "gather all the Jews together" to fast for her success.… It is in every miracle, in the rescue of Ethiopian Jews, of Russian Jews, of Syrian Jews - achdut is the one thing G-d demands of us and all of us have to work to see that this is the case.] And you know, he’s right. This is why Jesus in His High Priestly prayer in John 17 prays over and over again for His disciples to be one, as He and the Father are one. Well, His prayer is finally being answered. They ARE becoming one; and God is using prayer to do it. The Disciples Criticized-- Now some criticize the disciples for this and say that they should've waited until the Holy Spirit was given rather than choosing an apostle themselves. They say that it would've been better for the Holy Spirit of God to choose an apostle than for them to trust such an important choice to blind chance. But it is important to note that the disciples did not believe that their choice (although made by casting lots) was blind choice. It's as it says in Proverbs… Proverbs 16:33 (ESV)-- 33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. Not Chance-- So they understand that it's not blind chance. They're not just rolling the dice as you and I roll dice in Candyland or any other board game that my kids like to play with me. No, after a season of intense prayer (and that is key) and knowing that God is moving in and through them and would guide their decision, they cast lots. God Will Lead Us-- And similarly when we abide in prayer (both corporately but individually) we can trust that God will lead us to make the right decisions and will move in the way we need Him to. That is why we must always persist in prayer. Prayer we see in the book of Acts was the life-blood of the Early Church. In almost every chapter in Acts you find a reference to prayer, and over and over again we see throughout the book clearly demonstrated the truth that things happen when God’s people pray. This is certainly a good lesson for the church today. {It has been said that} Prayer is both the thermometer and the thermostat of the local church, for the “spiritual temperature” either goes up or down, depending on how God’s people pray. John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim’s Progress, said, “Prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge to Satan.” In the book of Acts, you see prayer accomplishing all of these things.] The Word, Unity, & Prayer-- And so I want to encourage you today (and me as well) let us be a people who are characterized by prayer. And may we (in prayer) be united with one another in such a unity so as to cause us to be a force to be reckoned with as we seek to further the Kingdom of God. Amen. Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim.
Experiential History— I want to open up today by talking a little bit about history. What is the goal and purpose of history? You know there is so much difference between our western (Greek rooted) way of viewing history and the Biblical (Eastern-rooted) way of viewing history. We see history as a bunch of facts and dates, which is why so many of our young people think that history is boring. And honestly, most of us are not interested in history for that very reason. But the Jewish way of viewing history is vastly different and infinitely more exciting. And that is because when they study history, when they celebrate their chagim (holidays) it is not just about ritual, but committing themselves to experiencing their history, to learn from it, and to allow it to re-shape the way they live their day to day lives. No Word For History-- I recently learned that in Hebrew there is actually no word for history. The word they use is zechira, which means “remembrance”. And zechira (the act of taking the time to remember) involves not just knowing what happened at any given time, but understanding those things that led to those events and what things came out of those events. And so they believe that it is in our looking back at our history that we begin to understand who we are and our place in God’s overall plan of salvation. And this is what was happening in that 40 day period following Christ's resurrection. Jesus was teaching His disciples about the Kingdom of God, but He was also connecting them back with the Old Testament, showing how He was the fulfillment of all the messianic prophecy’s. 456 Prophecies-- Now, just so you are aware, [In total, there are over 456 prophecies stating specific things that the King {(the Messiah)} would do, and Jesus fulfilled them all right down to the smallest details. {In fact, there are}…twenty-nine prophecies that Jesus fulfilled just in the last twenty-four hours of His life.] How Jesus fulfills prophecy is actually one of the greatest evidences we have of the truth of His claims. Not Contrived or Accidental-- Now some have argued that Jesus tried to fulfill these prophecies in order to deceive us. The reason that hypothesis falls apart is because when you actually look at the prophecies, you discover that many of those prophecies He fulfilled during (and even prior to) the time He was born, while He was a young child, and also prior, during, and following his execution on the cross; all of which (if He were a mere man) He could have had no say over. Now others suggest that He fulfilled these prophecies by accident; that it is just a coincidence. Texas Silver Dollars-- But [In his book, Science Speaks, Peter Stoner applies the modern science of probability to just eight prophecies regarding Christ. He says, "The chance that any man might have ...fulfilled all eight prophecies is one in 10 to the 17th. That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000." (one hundred quadrillion) {And just to give us a picture of these odds} Stoner suggests that "we take 10 to the 17th silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state 2 feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly... Blindfold a man and tell him he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up [that one marked silver dollar.] What chance would he have of getting the right one?" Stoner concludes, "Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing those eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man,...providing they wrote them in their own wisdom.”] Now keep in mind that that is JUST 8 PROPHECIES being fulfilled by Jesus. And yet we now know that there are over 456 prophecies that have been fulfilled by Jesus Christ. This is why it is so important for us to study and know these scriptures; because if we know them we can prove that Jesus is who He says He was. And this is exactly what we will see a man named Apollos do later in the book of Acts. It says in… Acts 18:28 (ESV)-- 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus. Peter’s Use of Prophecy at Pentecost-- Peter did this as well. In fact, when we will come to his famous sermon that immediately followed the Holy Spirit’s coming at Pentecost, we will see (a little more in depth) how that sermon is composed primarily of prophecies about Jesus that Peter pulls directly from the Old Testament. And the rest of his sermon is commentary on those passages; him connecting the dots for his Jewish listeners. And this was an exciting thing for the disciples. They understood for the first time how Jesus was the fulfillment of all the Old Testament promises. And so for those who knew the Old Testament, hearing the apostles show and prove that Jesus is indeed the promised Messiah was a powerful powerful thing. They Understood!!!-- Now one of the things that we wonder as we begin moving through these opening chapters of the book of Acts is: How did the disciples experience such an incredible change in their lives? How did they go from being fearful, Christ-denying and Christ-forsaking cowards to being courageous soldiers of the cross who were ready and able to move mountains on behalf of the gospel? Now you will of course say the Holy Spirit. And you are absolutely correct. The Holy Spirit plays a huge role in the transformation of the hearts and lives of these men (and women). And we will talk about the Holy Spirit more in the coming weeks. But there is another element that is often overlooked, which plays an equal role in their transformation; at it occurred before Pentecost. And that was that for the first time the eyes of the disciples were opened to understand the Old Testament. Now many of these Jewish men had much of the Old Testament memorized; that was just expected during that time. In fact, it was forbidden for any person to speak on any passage of the scripture that they had not first committed to memory. You were expected to know the text before even thinking of teaching it. Even the women were required to have at the very least Psalms, Proverbs, and Deuteronomy completely committed to memory. That’s why, by the way, you will notice that whenever Jesus speaks to a woman, He always quotes to them only from those three books; because those were the books they would have known by memory. And these traditions continue even to this very day. The Only Man Who Hadn’t Memorized-- Recently I was listening to a man talk about his experience beginning Jewish studies. And as he registered for a class, his rabbi told him he wasn't qualified for the class. And he was a little bit offended, because he had his degree and felt that he knew a lot. But he was a gentile and the rabbi explain to him you don't know what you don't know. But he allowed him to join the class, which he did. But it was not long into the class when he realized that he was the only man in that class who did not have the entire Old Testament memorized from cover to cover. And for the first time he realized that he (though a well educated Christian man) knew nothing about the Bible (at least comparatively). And this same man shared how he once was with a group of Jewish 8-year-boys (my son’s age) in Israel and discovered that they also had massive portions of the Old Testament memorized. And he and the group that was with him decided to put them to the test; and so they asked them to name all the birds mentioned in the Old Testament. And together this group of 8-year-olds named those birds one by one merely by mentally working their way through the text. Because the Word of God (the Old Testament) was so deep in their bones! And what the speaker noted was that every time these 8-year-olds had a free moment, instead of pulling out their cell phones or their gaming machines or their iPads or whatever it is, they would pull out their Bibles and continue memorizing the text. Let me tell you something; the Jews understand what it means to hide the Word of God in the hearts of their children. And the reason they do this is because they know that if they don't, then they are only one generation away from being extinct. Their hope as a people (and our hope as well) rests in the promises given by God to our fathers in history (in time and space). Knowing Without Understanding-- Now you can memorize something without ever really truly understanding it. Many Jews today have massive parts (if not the whole) of the Old Testament memorized. And yet they miss the very Messiah that the Old Testament prophesies about. The experience for the disciples here in this upper room as they were awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit was that they finally got it! They understood how God was working (and had worked) to bring his Messiah into the world and the Messiah's role in offering atonement (through his blood) for the sins of the world. And because they understood that, their history came together for them in their minds but also (most importantly) in their hearts; and they were willing to charge into the future under the banner of a risen Christ! Looking Back-- And this is one of the reasons that we must never let ourselves be convinced that the Old Testament (or history in general) doesn't matter. Winston Churchill once said "The further back you look, the further ahead you will see.” And that is true. If you want to understand current events, then you have to look back and truly understand the history of God’s people. And I want to tell you today that (as a whole) we have allowed ourselves to become very ignorant of our history, particularly our Jewish roots. The Jews in the early Church were able to live dynamic and powerful lives because (for the first time) they could truly see. And the reason they could truly see was because they knew the importance of looking back and the veil had been lifted from their eyes to where they could finally see and understand the Word of God; they finally understood God’s plan (at least in part) and their own role in helping that plan unfold. But it came through their wrestling and coming to grips with the Old Testament. Our History-- And so I want to encourage you today (and myself as well); may we also be intentional about studying and knowing the scriptures; because the Old Testament isn’t their heritage. No, it is OUR history. And when their history becomes our history (not just in our minds, but in our hearts), their hope and their joy and their salvation becomes our hope and our joy and our salvation as well. You want to know Jesus (fully) then you must understand His Word. If you want to hear God’s voice clearly; then you must become tuned to His voice in and through His Word. And if you want to have the right words to say at any given moment, fill the reservoir of your heart with His Words; and He will use them at the opportune times both for others and for yourself. And so let us commit (together) to know and walk in the light of His Word. Amen. Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. In our passage today from Acts chapter 1 we find Jesus getting ready to ascend into heaven. Now if I were one of the disciples who had been with Jesus during these 40 days following His resurrection, I cannot even imagine the grief I would feel. I’d be clinging to Jesus’ feet, never wanting to let Him go. To be in a world without the visible presence of Jesus was something these disciples did not want to experience again. But Jesus had said back in…
John 16:7 (ESV)-- 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. Comforter-- And of course He was talking about the Holy Spirit, the One here called the Helper. Some translations read Comforter. And Comforter is not a bad translation; but the word incorporates much more than what we typically mean by our English word “Comforter”. Yes, the Holy Spirit comforts us, but a better translation is Helper or “the one who strengthens/empowers”; because the Holy Spirit is the One who enstrengthens and empowers us to be like Jesus. He is the One who had anointed Jesus’ own life and ministry and is the One Christ promises will empower ours as well, convicting us, drawing people to Christ, shaping us into His image, and helping us to carry out His mission. He is also the one who teaches us and reminds us of what Christ has said (John 14:26). But He is also Jesus’ guarantee that His followers (including us) will never be alone. Because He would bring the presence of God into their very hearts and lives. Jesus (Immanuel) had been God with them. The Holy Spirit would be God in them. And so (as unbelievable as it might seem) the Holy Spirit actually brings God even closer to us than Jesus had been to these disciples when He was on earth. And with God in them, they could finally be empowered to be like Jesus. Jesus had said in… Acts 1:8 (ESV)— 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” “Be My Witnesses”-- Now that verse, [Verse 8 is the thematic statement for all of Acts. It begins with the Spirit’s power that stands behind and drives the witness to Jesus. {And} Then it provides a rough outline of the book: Jerusalem (chs. 1–7), Judea and Samaria (chs. 8–12), and the end of the earth (chs. 13–28).] And so right at the outset we see God’s plan for the Gospel to reach beyond just Jerusalem; beyond just the Jews. God’s salvation would be for the whole world. Now it says in… Acts 1:9 (ESV)-- 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. Here All Along-- Not long ago, after preaching on this passage in my Church, I had a dear woman approach me afterwards with a look of disappointment on her face. And she told me why. She said that she appreciated the message, but wished that I had spoken more about the ascension. And she was right. I had gone through it way too quickly. And maybe that is because we naturally think of the ascension of Christ as kind of small potatoes in comparison to His death and resurrection; or even His future coming. And that is something I think a lot of us pastors I think rush through, missing some of the amazing applications that the ascension of Christ has for you and for me today. A godly man whose writings have been some of the most formative for me in and throughout the years is Dr. Dennis Kinlaw. And even he once said: [As a pastor I had never preached a sermon on the ascension. I had preached on Christ’s birth, his baptism, the events in his life, his death, and his resurrection, but I had never preached on his ascension. {And so he said} Because I thought that there must be something significant in that story, I began to prepare a sermon on it, trying to understand what the significance is. {And he says} As I worked, I thought of two questions: How far did Jesus go? And how long did it take him to get there? Then {he said} I laughed at my own stupidity. How far is a space question. He created space. He was there before there was space. He is not in space; he transcends space. Space is in him. How long is a time question. He created time because it is a reflection of space, a reflection of the creation. Days, hours, and minutes are part of created experience; they are not part of God’s experience. He is not bound by time or space. {And he says} When I reached that point in my thinking, I had a moment of revelation. When Jesus returns, he will not have to travel through space; nor will it take him any time, for he is Lord of space and time. That means he is already here. He never really left. We just don’t have the capacity to recognize his holy presence. We speak of having Christ in our hearts. The reality though is that we are in him because there is nowhere he is not. As Paul said to the Athenians, “He is not far from each one of us; for in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:27–28). {And he says} Suddenly I found that I had a sense of his nearness that I had never had before. When Jesus comes again and our eyes are opened to see him, I think we will realize that he has been here all along.] What an amazing thing to think about; the fact that Jesus (although He ascended) has actually neither left nor forsaken us. Perhaps we also often overlook the end of the Great Commission passage given to us in… Matthew 28:20b (ESV)-- …And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” He Has Never Left You-- The reality is that Jesus has never left you. There has never been one single moment in your walk with Christ where He has ever left you. And He will never leave you. Now it says in… Acts 1:10-11 (ESV)— 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” In A Human Body-- Now a key thing to recognize here is that Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father still bearing His physical resurrected body. [The amazing miracle of the incarnation is not only that the eternal Son of God took human nature on himself and became a person who is simultaneously God and man, but also that he will remain both fully God and fully man forever.] He has brought humanity into the very being of God. God has joined mankind in the flesh of Jesus Christ. And the angels reveal that someday Jesus is going to return just as they saw Him leave; with that same resurrected body. His [return, like his ascension, will be bodily and visible.] Maranatha-- And we as followers of Christ have been looking forward to His return ever since that very day. In fact, the early church didn’t say “hello” or goodbye.” Rather they said “Maranatha”, which is a Syriac expression that means: “our Lord comes.” They were always looking forward to that day when Christ would return. Get Going!!!-- Now I think it is kind of humorous how the angels ask the disciples why they are standing there, as if it was an everyday thing to see our Lord ascend in a cloud into heaven. But it’s the angels’ way of saying, “All right guys, the show’s over. Christ gave you a very important commission to complete. Go prepare for it.” And the disciples turn and leave. And it says in… Acts 1:12-14 (ESV)--12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. Waiting in Prayer— And so we see [The main activity in the upper room was prayer. Jesus had told them “to wait for the promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4), but “waiting” on God and prayer are closely related in several places in the OT, and therefore it is likely that they were praying constantly that the promised Spirit would descend.] An Explosion Through Prayer— Now (perhaps like the ascension) we often also skip over this section because we want to get to the good stuff; Pentecost and the awesome power of the Holy Spirit made manifest in and through the disciples. But what we so often miss is that the Holy Spirit only came after the disciples had a 10 day, nonstop prayer meeting. They were praying together, confessing sins, becoming of one mind and of one accord. They are saturating themselves in prayer. And throughout the book Acts we see that everything the disciples did was centered on prayer. What is revival?— Now I hear a lot of people say how they want to see revival happen in our nation. But do we want revival like this? Are we hungry enough to seek the Lord like these few disciples did? You know, a lot of times we get it backwards when it comes to how we understand how revival comes. We don't want to pray or draw close to God by ourselves. We want God to do all the work for us; so we ask God to bring us revival; to make us hungry for prayer; hungry for him. But God says, “No no no. Pray first; then I’ll make you hungry. I don't think it's an accident that James 4:8 (ESV) says: 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you... First comes obedience— You see, first comes obedience, then comes the presence of God. We obey first; we draw near to Him whether we feel like it or not and then He will draw near to us. We choose to go to church whether we feel like it or not; we read our Bibles whether we feel like it or not; we pray whether we feel like it or not. We seek God out every moment of the day because it is in the times when we don’t feel like doing these things and yet do them out of obedience; it is in those times that God is most pleased and often pours out His greatest blessings. And so I want to encourage you today to draw close to God. Allow His Holy Spirit to fill and renew you in the image of your Creator. And with that renewing will come a mighty power; a power He can use to help change the world. Draw near to Him today. 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
January 2021
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