Praire Hill CC: Archive of "Sermons"
Vision 3/7/10
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010Sermon Series: Acts – Faith Explosion
Title: Vision
Text: Acts 12:24-13:3
“But the word of God increased and multiplied. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark. Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.”
Introduction: It is amazing how what we know affects what we see. (the story of the motor-home that Ray and I went to pick up that the tree had fallen across) While I saw a pile of miscellaneous broken pieces Ray had a whole different vision for what we were looking at.
Transition: The passage which we are going to examine today straddles two different chapters. There is a reason why this makes sense. Sometimes in our English bibles the chapter and verse designations do not accurately reflect the paragraph breaks in the original text, this is one of those places. Verse 24 is the start of the next paragraph not the end of the preceding one. So when we read that – “the word of God increased and multiplied.” – we are not being introduced to the next train of thought, not finishing up the incident which took place when Herod Agrippa was killed.
As we begin the study this week it is important to see that this is one of those places in the text of Acts where a big shift is occurring. The church is beginning to intentionally fulfill the commands which Jesus left for them which we read at the beginning of this book when Jesus said to them – “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” As we have been reading the text you might have noticed that while the Church has definitely been following God’s leading His work of spreading the good news of His redemptive plan with mankind it has been just that following. Now as we turn the corner we see that the Church in Antioch is given the vision of stepping out on unproven ground, the horizon of their world has taken on an entirely different cast, now it is the background for the wondrous kingdom of heaven. It has now become the place where God is going to capture the world back from the brokenness which has engulfed it since the fall of mankind into sin, and they get to be a part of that plan.
Opposition 2/28/10
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010Sermon Series: Acts – Faith Explosion
Title: Opposition
Text: Acts 12:1-5
“About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.”
Introduction: It seems like every John Wayne movie you ever see has basically the same basic theme. There is something going on that is unjust and big John has to wade into the middle of it with fists swinging and guns blazing in order to set things right.
Transition: As we continue to study the relatively young movement of Christianity which has exploded across the ancient world we see both ends of the spectrum. On one hand Luke records incredible conversion stories several times. We see 3000 converted one day, 5000 another time; the incredible movement of God among the Samaritans and the conversion of Saul and Cornelius and the Greeks at Antioch; but on the other hand that they also faced incredible opposition to their message and faith. In the passage that we are studying today we see not only the scope of the opposition but the answer to it as well as we live out our own faith in a world which is becoming increasingly incompatible to people of genuine Christianity.
Posted in Sermons |
Magic 1/17
Friday, February 26th, 2010Sermon Series: Acts – Faith Explosion
Title: Magic
Text: Acts 8:5-25
But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.” Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.” (Acts 8:5-25, ESV)
Introduction: The Criss angel clip of him going through a glass window without breaking it.
Transition: I would imagine that all of us have seen magic. We have all encountered things that we couldn’t explain that we knew were some kind of illusion. But I wonder have you ever encountered something that is completely supernatural: Something that the only explanation is that the regular physical laws that we live under had to be temporarily aborted in order for the event to happen.
The trick that Criss Angel performed in this clip is just that it is an illusion. I don’t know how he did it but somehow he got us all to look at something that he wanted us to see rather than to focus on what really happened.
Today as we study the story of Simon the Magician we find someone who has spent a lot of time becoming famous for his illusions but then he comes face to face with something more real then he has ever experienced.
Planting 1/10/10
Friday, February 26th, 2010Sermon Series: Acts – Faith Explosion
Title: Planting
Text: Acts 8:5-25
“Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. For unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city. But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed. Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.” Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.” (Acts 8:5-25, ESV)
Introduction: Long-time actress and comedienne Gracie Allen once received a small, live alligator as a gag. Not knowing what to do with it, Gracie placed it in the bathtub and then left for an appointment. When she returned home, she found this note from her maid: “Dear Miss Allen: Sorry, but I have quit. I don’t work in houses where there is an alligator. I’d a told you this when I took on the job, but I never thought it would come up.
Transition: As we study this text today we will explore the fact that God’s plans rarely would be those orchestrated by us. Instead He uses ordinary people through extraordinary circumstances to obtain the goals He has set for the church.
Posted in Sermons |Dispersion 1/3/10
Friday, February 26th, 2010Sermon Series: Acts – Faith Explosion
Title: Dispersion
Text: Acts 8:1-4
“And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.”
Introduction: Chickens are totally without character. When I was a kid we bought a ranch that had an egg laying operation on it which included about 3000 white leghorn chickens. I learned a lot about chickens over the next few years but mainly I learned that they are nasty creatures without any positive character whatsoever.
When you drop a chicken that looks different into a population of 2000 all white chickens it is not a pretty sight. The chickens gang up like a swarm of piranhas and kill the chicken in minutes.
Transition: As much as I hate to say it a lot of times we people seem to demonstrate about the same character as those chickens. People who are out of the norm for a society can quickly be deemed dangerous and subversive. In today’s passage we will study the dispersion which took place because the Jews in Jerusalem began a wide spread persecution of the Christ believers there.
Posted in Sermons |Effectiveness 12/26
Friday, February 26th, 2010Sermon Series: Acts – Faith Explosion
Title: Effectiveness
Text: Acts 6:8-15
“And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” (Acts 6:8-15, ESV)
Introduction: I am always amazed at the manner in which God uses people to accomplish His will. He almost never picks the people that we would expect Him to choose.
- To unite His broken, enslaved people, He uses an 80 year old shepherd who has dropped out of society.
- To lead His people as the eternal type of Christ He chooses a shepherd boy who is impetuous and selfish.
- To save His people in exile from death He picks a young Jewish girl, named Hadassah, and makes her a queen.
- To takes God’s message of reconciliation and Grace to the entire world He chooses.
o Backwater fishermen from an obscure fishing village on a tiny lake in the middle of nowhere.
o A drop out Jewish theological student.
Transition: As we stand at this place which is the precipice of the end of the year before and the mountain which is the year ahead we have an opportunity to reevaluate the mission which God has given us here in Chariton County.
As we study God’s work with that infant congregation in Jerusalem and the way in which He worked with people in that place and time we can begin to see the backdrop of our own mission which God has invested with us at this place and time.
The passage which we are looking at today marks a brand new way in which God is moving the Church forward and out of its narrow beginnings.
For the first time someone other than Jesus or one of the Apostles is the driving force of movement in the Church.
Organization 12/13
Friday, February 26th, 2010Sermon Series: Acts – Faith Explosion
Title: Organization
Text: Acts 6:1-7
“Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” (Acts 6:1-7, ESV)
Introduction: In a Peanuts cartoon Lucy demanded that Linus change TV channels, threatening him with her fist if he didn’t.
“What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?” asks Linus.
“These five fingers,” says Lucy. “Individually they’re nothing but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold.”
“Which channel do you want?” asks Linus. Turning away, he looks at his fingers and says, “Why can’t you guys get organized like that?”
Charles Schultz.
Transition: As the Church had reached huge proportions in Jerusalem, Satan changed his tactics in attacking the Church there. He first tried simple persecution among the leadership, when this only strengthened the body, he tried to attack through corruption as Ananias and Saphira acted out their deception. This attack failed miserably as well. He then brought a new wave of more intense persecution which backfired even further. Finally in this passage we see him try another more subtle form of attack, a program which he continues to use to great affect still today in the Church, he attacked through distraction.
As we study this passage we need to be reminded of a couple of things:
1) The church has increased to a pretty formidable number by this time in Jerusalem probably in the mid thirties A.D. There may be as many as 20,000 believers living in the Jerusalem area. There was certainly several thousand by this time.
2) The only mechanics to administer at this time seems to be the 12 Apostles. I cannot imagine how they were managing to do all of the preaching and teaching necessary to accommodate this many people.
In this passage we see how this early Church handled the first major administrative problem which the Church faced and managed to keep the main focus clear.
Persecution 12/6
Friday, February 26th, 2010Sermon Series: Acts – Faith Explosion
Title: Persecution
Text: Acts 5:17-42 (excerpt from17-21 & 29-32)
“But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council and all the senate of Israel and sent to the prison to have them brought.” (Acts 5:17-21, ESV)
“But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”” (Acts 5:29-32, ESV)
Introduction: The great German reformer and theologian Martin Luther was called to task by the Papal authority in 1521 at the Imperial Diet of Worms for his writings which called into question the authority of the Papacy and condemned them for their abuse of authority. As he stood before the august body which include the Holy Roman Emperor Charles his nerve almost seemed to fail him when he was asked to make a defense of himself and he asked for the night to think it over. The next morning, after a night strengthened by prayer and contemplation, he addressed the body once more and intoned these memorable words. “…I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other – my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me amen.”
Transition: Standing up to persecution is not a new concept to Christians. From the very earliest days of the Church we have had to stand before those who would tear us down because we worship God and have relationship with Him through Jesus the Savior and Son. In today’s text we see the necessary steps to stand firm during persecution.
Connection 11/22
Thursday, February 18th, 2010Sermon Series: Acts – Faith Explosion
Title: Connection
Text: Acts 4:23-31
“When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, “ ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’— for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”
Theme: If there is one glaring difference between the church of the first century and the church of the twenty first century it is in the area of commited connectedness. We manage to live such solitary lives in our modern communities a concept which was not even considered in the first century. This text teaches us about the connectedness of those early believers with each other and how that enhanced the connectedness which they shared with God.
Conviction 11/15
Thursday, February 18th, 2010Sermon Series: Acts – Faith Explosion
Title: Conviction
Text: Acts 4:1-22
Introduction: Conviction - we use that word in two almost contradictory ways. In one sense a conviction is when a person is found guilty of a crime, after a trial they are convicted. In another sense conviction describes the intense will associated with someone who believes in something very strongly, maybe even so strongly that even death pales in comparison.
During China’s Boxer Rebellion of 1900, insurgents captured a mission station, blocked all the gates but one, and in front of that one gate placed a cross flat on the ground. Then the word was passed to those inside that any who trampled the cross underfoot would be permitted their freedom and life, but that any refusing would be shot. Terribly frightened, the first seven students trampled the cross under their feet and were allowed to go free. But the eighth student, a young girl, refused to commit the sacrilegious act. Kneeling beside the cross in prayer for strength, she arose and moved carefully around the cross, and went out to face the firing squad. Strengthened by her example, every one of the remaining ninety-two students followed her to the firing squad.
Theme: The event that we are studying today seems to me to be one of those which is very pertinent to the modern church and one that we rarely view with the incredulity with which it deserves. Peter gives the second rousing and effective sermon that we find him deliver in the book of Acts and upon the completion of this work for the Lord he receives his just reward, he and John are arrested. They spend the night locked up on the Temple grounds because it is too late to do anything with them and the next morning they are brought before the Sanhedrin to face their accusers.
Before we begin looking at the trial itself there is something here that we need to understand. The passage says that the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees were upset at them because they had been preaching about the resurrection from the dead in Jesus.
This idea of resurrection after death was a hot theological topic of the day. There were two factions which fought over this issue all of the time. The Sadducees, who held that there was no bodily resurrection after death and the Pharisees who believed that we were raised from the dead? The Sadducees, earlier in Jesus’ ministry, had tried to rope Jesus into the battle over this issue. Mark 12:18-27 The other thing that you need to be aware of is the fact that it was the Sadducees who controlled the temple. The Pharisees had a much wider geographical base of support in the Synagogues but in the Temple the Sadducees were in control and the temple guard was directly under their authority. That is why we see the Captain of the Temple guard here in such a dither over the event and showing up with the Sadducees here as they went to confront Peter and John.
