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As Though By Our Own

In recent years, the world has grown aggressively antagonistic to Christianity, and yet the church’s response has been to compromise with the culture and blend in to with every secular help agency to win souls.  Rather, let us hold out the treasure of the gospel and point to Jesus no matter what the cost.

I. Acts 3:5-16.  Peter healed a man lame from birth and an utterly astounded crowd soon came running.  Had it been the expected alms, like the silver or gold that everyone expected, then perhaps no one would have taken note.  But a complete healing of the man so that he could leap and praise God stood out dramatically.  Instead of blending in, God’s power was at work.  The gospel also heals us completely from sin, yet the church would rather be like every other agency to keep from being noticed.

II. Hebrews 7:11-16.  Peter was quick to tell the gathering crowd that it was not by their own power or piety that the man was healed.  Rather, he pointed to Jesus’ authority, power, and indestructible life.  Being sinful, we can do little (Romans 7:18-20), but Jesus was sinless (Hebrews 4:15).  Christians have often served without thanks, but when great things happen because God worked through us, we should acknowledge Him who is able to do all things.

III. Acts 12:21-24.  Peter then preaches the gospel to them (1 Corinthians 15:3-5), explaining that is faith through Jesus (John 8:24) that distinguishes us.  Yet, the Lord’s church attempts to compete with the world by means of the world.  We strive to have the same programs and ministries, the same facilities and advertising campaigns that the world has.  In doing so, we hope we’ll stand out enough to grow in numbers while not enough to incur the world’s wrath.

Because our Savior was on a mission (Luke 19:10), we who wear His name must be as well.  We must have the courage to stand out in a world that stands against us.

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He Presented Himself Alive

In the 50 days from Passover to Pentecost, Jesus was busy!  The first 40 was spent the work of the gospel (Titus 3:5) and in convincing proofs that He indeed had overcome death (Acts 1:3).  In the last 10, He came into His Kingdom while His followers waited for His promise of power and mission to be given (Acts 1:4-8), a promise and mission that would include all those whom He would call to Himself (Acts 36-39).

I.  Acts 1:3.  After His suffering, which would include the events of Passover, Jesus “presented himself alive … by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.”  His purpose was two-fold and can be seen in these two examples: Luke 24:13-27 and John 20:19-28.  Jesus’ work during this period is included in the 1 Corinthians 15:1-7 description of the gospel.

II.  Acts 1:9-11.  Jesus ascending alive into heaven (Luke 24:50-51) answers two questions: where did He go and why did He go?  The first is important for believers to know and explain to others where the One who has conquered death is today and to know that He will return (Hebrews 9:28).  The second shows His work as Priest, Savior, and Intercessor (Hebrews 7:23-25) and His role as He comes into His Kingdom with authority over all, even the church (Ephesians 1:19-23).

III.  Acts 1:4-8.  While Jesus came into His Kingdom, His followers waited in Jerusalem for the fulfillment of His promise to them of power and mission (Luke 24:52-53).  It was fulfilled by the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon them (Acts 2:1-4) and the first gospel message that instructed so many from all over the known world that Jesus was indeed alive and had conquered death for all those who obey the gospel (Acts 2:36-41), which includes us if we indeed die with Christ to live with Him (Romans 6:8-11).

Given the gift of the Holy Spirit when we believe, confess ‘Jesus as Lord’ (cut to the heart), repent, and are baptized into Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins, we too accept the mission to spread the message that Jesus is alive to the ends of the earth.  How are you doing with it?

 

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Pull off all the knobs!

A man bought a new radio, took it home, and placed it on the refrigerator. He plugged it in, tuned to WSM in Nashville (home of the Grand Ole Opry) and proceeded to do the most unusual thing. He pulled all the knobs off!

He had already tuned in all he ever wanted or expected to hear, so he chose to limit his radio reception to one station.

Perhaps if more people would do this with the word of God we would have a lot less religious confusion in the world. Too many are turning to every “channel” of doctrine. Paul warns,

“Be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Eph. 4:14).

We must tune only into God’s channel — His holy word — for our direction. This is why Jeremiah declared,

“O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jer. 10:23).

—Tom Moore, revised, taken from “The Sower“

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Bible.03: By What Authority

“Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him.  ‘By what authority are you doing these things?’ they asked.  ‘And who gave you this authority?’” Matthew 21:23.  One of my students at a secular college once tried to argue in a paper with the question, “What gives God the right …?”  I told her that if she was going to refute God, she needed to prove that He wasn’t the sovereign Creator who did not have the right to establish His creation how He wanted to.  She chose a different argument.  God has all authority.  After the cross and His resurrection, Jesus said that all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Him.  With His authority, we who are baptized into Him, are to “go and make disciples … teaching them everything [He has] commanded.”  To know what to teach, the Holy Spirit brought men into all truth and carried them along to record His inspired Word.  For a while, that authority entrusted to us was in spoken and written forms and confirmed by various gifts, but by the end of the 1st Century, we had His completed Word that thoroughly equips us written.  Does His Word have authority over you?

I.  Matthew 21:23-27.  The chief priests and elders believed they were in authority and so demanded from the Son of God in the flesh “by what authority” He was teaching and who gave it to Him.  They knew of course that God, as the sovereign Creator, had all authority but were unwilling to accept that Jesus had authority (Luke 5:20-24).  But, God now speaks to us through His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2).

II.  Hebrews 2:3-4.  What a confusing time the 1st Century must have been before the completed Word of God was written.  Before the cross, Jesus had promised that the Holy Spirit would lead them into all truth (John 14:26), and so through various gifts, God’s Word was spoken (1 Corinthians 14:1-5) and written down (2 Peter 1:19-21) until His authority was revealed (1 Corinthians 13:8-13).

III.  Matthew 28:18-20.  Because of mankind’s sin, the devil claimed to have authority to give Jesus if only He would worship him (Luke 4:5-8), but Jesus took the more difficult road to gaining all authority through the cross.  By His authority, now revealed to us through the completed Word of God that thoroughly equips us (2 Timothy 3:16-17), we are to go and make disciples of all nations.

Our reaction to the question “By what authority?” posed to Jesus should be “By what authority!”