God always keeps His covenant - but often in surprising ways! Acts 10:1–23 (NASB95) 1 Now there was a man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, “Cornelius!” 4 And fixing his gaze on him and being much alarmed, he said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5 Now dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; 6 he is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the sea.” 7 When the angel who was speaking to him had left, he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier of those who were his personal attendants, 8 and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa. 9 On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; 11 and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12 and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. 13 A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.” 15 Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky. 17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon’s house, appeared at the gate; 18 and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there. 19 While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.” 21 Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?” 22 They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear a message from you.” 23 So he invited them in and gave them lodging. And on the next day he got up and went away with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 54 Q. What do you believe concerning “the holy catholic church”? A. I believe that the Son of God through his Spirit and Word, out of the entire human race, from the beginning of the world to its end, gathers, protects, and preserves for himself a community chosen for eternal life and united in true faith. And of this community I am and always will be a living member. Summary Who is today's episode primarily about - Cornelius, or Peter? Luke actually tells us quite a bit about Cornelius, to whom we're introduced for the first (and only) time in Acts 10-11. First of all, he's a centurion - an impressive post for sure, but somewhat of a middle management position in the Roman military. More importantly, he's a devout man and one who feared God. No matter what else you've accomplished in life, there's nothing better that could be said about you than this! It's what you ought to aspire to! But Luke is imparting more than a compliment with these words as he describes Cornelius; what he meant in calling him a devout God fearer was that Gentiles like Cornelius worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but weren't really full fledged Jews. They literally were kept outside the Temple looking in. So is this episode about how devout people would now be welcomed in as full participants in God's covenant, or is it about how those who'd always been God's people suddenly needed to let go of traditions and customs that had been their identity markers for centuries? That's exactly what Peter's vision is all about. We've come to know Peter well - he's a central character all throughout the New Testament. So when we see the otherwise impusively courageous Peter, of all people, hesitate to take a bold step, it's a key indicator of how massively shocking Jesus' command that came down with a meat laden sheet was. Dig Deeper But as fascinating as what the two protagonists in today's story are, neither one of them are the primary actor. That role falls, of course, to the Triune and Living God, who sovereignly set two men, who would have never otherwise crossed paths, on a collusion course that would change history. Up until this point, the Church has revolved around a very Jewish orbit. Sure, there's been a convert or two that was welcomed in from the outside, but for the most part, Christianity is shaping up to be Judaism 2.0, exclusively centered around a particular ethnicity. But it's here in Acts 10 that God makes good on a promise He'd made two millennia earlier: that through God's covenant, all the families of the earth will be blessed (Genesis 12:3). AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who always remains faithful to His covenant promises; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you'd be devout like Cornelius and obedient no matter what like Peter; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

God has worked all things for you to have faith, just like He did for Paul SINCE WE LAST LEFT OFF... Last week we read about how the seemingly refined and cultured Sanhedrin completely flipped out as Stephen preached to them. While yelling and covering their ears, they drug him out of the city stoned him to death, all under the approving eye of a young up and coming leader named Saul. Acts 9:1–9 (NASB95) 1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; 4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, 6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.” 7 The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Canons of Dordt Point III/IV, Article 14: The Way God Gives Faith Faith is a gift of God, not in the sense that it is offered by God for man to choose, but that it is in actual fact bestowed on man, breathed and infused into him. Nor is it a gift in the sense that God bestows only the potential to believe, but then awaits assent - the act of believing - from man’s choice; rather, it is a gift in the sense that he who works both willing and acting and, indeed, works all things in all people produces in man both the will to believe and the belief itself. Summary I like how Luke puts it; Saul wasn't just occasionally speaking out against Christ and His Church every now and then, he was continually breathing out threats and murder. Most people don't demonstrate such violent symptoms, but be aware of how invasively sin seeps into your entire being when you detach yourself from the Truth. Temptations that begin as isolated thoughts or comments can so quickly become the very air you breath if left unchecked! Saul is so affected by sin that he wasn't content to just root out Christians - or as the Church was first known as: those who belonged to the Way - in Jerusalem, but he asked the high priest for authority to conduct raids way up north in Damascus. He intended to bring these rebels, both men and women, bound and back to Jerusalem. But everything changed on that now famous road to Damascus, when suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him, knocking Saul to the ground. Then he heard a voice, which didn't say much, but said enough, simply asking Saul why he was persecuting Me. Saul immediately wanted to know who this mysterious Me was, and the answer was stunning. I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. And then Jesus flipped the script on Saul. Saul would no longer be giving out orders - he'd now be taking them. And that first order for this newly minted member of the Way was to get up, enter the city, and wait to be told what you must do. Dig Deeper Very few, if any, of us reading this have experienced a dramatic come to Jesus moment at all, much less one as amazing as what Saul, who of course is better known by his Roman name Paul, had happen to him on his way to Damascus. In fact, it's far more likely that you don't even remember your 'conversion experience' at all, so maybe you're a bit like me and have always been jealous of people who, like Paul, have an awesome story to tell about how Jesus saved them. But just like you, Jesus began working in Paul's life long before He stood before him in a flashing light from heaven. The Bible first introduces us to this young man named Saul as he gives his nod to Stephen's stoning, and it's in this introduction that our author Luke, slips in one of his characteristically cryptic clues. Back in 8:58, we read that the witnesses at Stephen's 'trial' laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. Saul was a celebrity for a reason - he was the star student of Gamaliel, one of Judaism's most famous and respected rabbis and member of the Sanhedrin. God had sovereignly worked out all things in such a way that His primary apostle was given top notch scholarly training and was recognized as an expert in Scripture. Paul's expertise is on display in all of the epistles he wrote which still form and guide our theology today. So, while it's not likely that your back story and conversion experience are as unique as Paul's, you can be absolutely assured that whether you came follow the Way all at once, or had the blessing of a life long Biblical education, that God has been at work in your life just as much as He was in Paul's. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who sovereignly works out all things for our salvation; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will be able to see and live into all of the ways God has been at work in your life; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Ordinarily, the Spirit works through ordinary people (like you!) in ordinary ways. Acts 8:26–40 (NASB95) 26 ...An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) 27 So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” 30 Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “He was led as a sheep to slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He does not open His mouth. 33 In humiliation His judgment was taken away; Who will relate His generation? For His life is removed from the earth.” 34 The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. 36 As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” {37 And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”}a 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea. a Some of the earliest Greek manuscripts do not include verse 37 Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 65 Q. It is by faith alone that we share in Christ and all his blessings: where then does that faith come from? A. The Holy Spirit produces it in our hearts by the preaching of the holy gospel, and confirms it through our use of the holy sacraments. Summary "Go where?!?" That must have been the first thing Philip thought to himself when an angel of the Lord told him to go to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza. Luke even confirms the audacity of this request, parenthetically informing us that this is a desert road. It was a harsh environment in the middle of nowhere. It certainly wasn't the place for a leisurely stroll. But Philip, like so many heroes of the Bible before him, immediately responds to the Lord's instruction, so he got up and went. And it doesn't take long before he discovers the Spirit's purpose in sending him on this field trip, for there, right in the exact same forlorn place at the exact same time, there 'just happened' to be a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians - an African empire so powerful and wealthy that Rome couldn't conquer them. And this wasn't some middle management bureaucrat. He was in charge of all Candace's treasure. Interestingly, he was Jewish proselyte, for he had come up to Jerusalem to worship. The Spirit had been at work in this man for quite some time, slowly moving him from paganism to Biblical truth. Certainly the Holy Spirit didn't need Philip's or anybody else's help to bring the Ethiopian's conversion to completion, as we'll see when we read about Paul's dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus tomorrow. But ordinarily, the Spirit works through ordinary people in ordinary ways, as is demonstrated here today. The Spirit only gave Philip two prompts: go to the desert road, and go up and join the chariot. The rest He left up to Philip. Dig Deeper The eunuch asks Philip one of the Bible's most profound questions as he 'just happened' to be reading from Isaiah 53 - How can I understand what I'm reading unless someone guides me? Theology books explain a doctrine called the perpiscuity of Scripture, which means that even though there are aspects of the Bible that are really hard to make sense of, the overall message of Scripture can be understood by even the simplest of minds. But even so, ordinarily the Bible is used best when it's proclaimed and explained. This is why Reformed churches emphasize preaching as the ordinary means of grace by which the Spirit conveys salvation. But not all preaching comes from behind a pulpit. Sometimes it comes from a preacher jogging alongside a chariot in the middle of the desert. The Ethiopian official invited Philip to join him, for he wanted to know who it was that was led as a sheep to slaughter, silent as a lamb before its shearers. Was this Isaiah himself, or someone else? So right then and there, Philip opened his mouth and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. Would you be ready to do that today - that is, to succinctly explain how all of the Bible points to Jesus to a friend, coworker, or anybody else that you 'just happen' to come alongside today? Certainly you can count on the Spirit's equipping (which He's promised), but the best way to prepare yourself is to, just like Philip, know what the Bible says and what it means as best as you can. Practice, practice, practice. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who leads and guides us through His Spirit; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you'll be ready to preach Jesus from Scripture to all whom the Spirit leads you to; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Do you ever feel stuck in reverse? Psalm 115 can help! It's hard to look cool when backing a boat stuck into reverse into the marina. Keep this in mind before you go boating with Pastor Chad. PSALM 115 1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, But to Your name give glory Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth. 2 Why should the nations say, “Where, now, is their God?” 3 But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. 4 Their idols are silver and gold, The work of man’s hands. 5 They have mouths, but they cannot speak; They have eyes, but they cannot see; 6 They have ears, but they cannot hear; They have noses, but they cannot smell; 7 They have hands, but they cannot feel; They have feet, but they cannot walk; They cannot make a sound with their throat. 8 Those who make them will become like them, Everyone who trusts in them. 9 O Israel, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. 10 O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. 11 You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. 12 The LORD has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. 13 He will bless those who fear the LORD, The small together with the great. 14 May the LORD give you increase, You and your children. 15 May you be blessed of the LORD, Maker of heaven and earth. 16 The heavens are the heavens of the LORD, But the earth He has given to the sons of men. 17 The dead do not praise the LORD, Nor do any who go down into silence; 18 But as for us, we will bless the LORD From this time forth and forever. Praise the LORD! Belgic Confession Article 23: The Justification of Sinners We believe that our blessedness lies in the forgiveness of our sins because of Jesus Christ, and that in it our righteousness before God is contained, as David and Paul teach us when they declare that man blessed to whom God grants righteousness apart from works. And the same apostle says that we are justified “freely” or “by grace” through redemption in Jesus Christ. And therefore we cling to this foundation, which is firm forever, giving all glory to God, humbling ourselves, and recognizing ourselves as we are; not claiming a thing for ourselves or our merits and leaning and resting on the sole obedience of Christ crucified, which is ours when we believe in him. Summary I once had a boat that would get stuck in reverse. It's hard to look cool cruising into the marina backwards... it was always a humbling experience (I'm ashamed to admit that experiences like this are fairly common on my boats). Sin causes humanity to be stuck in reverse - going away from God in every regard. But most people can't sense the silliness of their situation, and rather than being humbled by it, they're actually quite proud. Psalm 115 calls out the absurdity of living life in reverse and shifts our lives back into a forward gear. The opening couplet of the Psalm captures its entire message: Not to us, O LORD, not to us, But to Your name give glory Notice the repetition of the phrase not to us in the first line. Our egos are so stuck in reverse that this basic concept needs to be repeated. We want the glory, having mistaken our blessings as being purely products of our own doing rather than the LORD's provision. But to enjoy the blessed life that Psalm 1 points us toward, our lives must be pointed toward the proper purpose: glorifying the name of the LORD, simply because of who and what the LORD is: full of lovingkindness and truth. An idol is anything that gets glorified in the place of the true and living God. Although idols have taken various forms throughout the ages, they all have one thing in common: idols are the work of man's hands. Your idols may not seem as silly as those described here in Psalm 115 by what they cannot do (a phrase repeated six times), but remember that ultimately an idol is anything that you put your trust in. Ultimately, those who make idols - that is, those who are stuck in reverse - ultimately become like the false gods they put their trust in: defined by what the cannot do. Dig Deeper Having pointed out the problem in the first half of the psalm - that is, we're stuck in reverse when we glorify ourselves rather than the LORD, the second half of Psalm 115 recommends a remedy, telling us three times over to trust in the LORD! The rationale is repeated three times as well: He is our help and shield. I kept trying to fix my boat's reverse problem with duct tape and zip ties. But the issue kept coming back at the worst possible moments because I never got it properly fixed - indeed, with the limited tools and experience I had, I couldn't fix it. The New Testament describes people who are outside of Christ as being dead in their sins, and today Psalm 115 explains that the dead do not praise the LORD. In other words, people stuck in their sin are stuck in perpetual reverse, unable to fulfill the purpose they're created for of glorifying God, with no way to fix it on their own. But this week's Psalm gives us good news. Even when we were stuck in reverse, 12 The LORD has been mindful of us; He will bless us. And He has blessed us by sending His Son, who didn't just repair our sketchy transmission, but in a very real sense, gave us a whole new boat (ok... I think we've stretched the boat analogy as far as it will go). So as one who's been made new in Christ, don't get stuck in reverse! Instead, 18 as for us, we will bless the LORD From this time forth and forever. Praise the LORD! AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, He is our help and our shield! ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Memorize and pray today's opening verse: Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name give glory; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

You can't control the world's chaos, but you can have peace in the midst of it. SINCE WE LAST LEFT OFF... Stephen, one of the men described as 'full of the Spirit and wisdom' and selected as the first deacons, was arrested by the religious establishment on false charges. He responds to their charges with one of the most amazing sermons in the New Testament, in which he shows how all of Biblical history shows how Israel continually rejected the LORD's prophets, just as they were now rejecting Christ. Stephen now concludes his speech: Acts 7:51–8:1 (NASB95) 51 “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. 52 Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; 53 you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.” 54 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55 But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. 58 When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep. 8 Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Belgic Confession of Faith Article 37: The Last Judgment [At the final judgment] ... the faithful and elect will be crowned with glory and honor. The Son of God will “confess their names” before God his Father and the holy and elect angels; all tears will be “wiped from their eyes”; and their cause— at present condemned as heretical and evil by many judges and civil officers— will be acknowledged as the “cause of the Son of God.” And as a gracious reward the Lord will make them possess a glory such as the heart of man could never imagine. So we look forward to that great day with longing in order to enjoy fully the promises of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Summary Luke uses one of the Bible's best figures of speech to describe the Jewish establishment's reaction to Stephen's sermon: they were cut to the quick - a phrase that lateral means "to be sawn through - to be angry to the point of rage—to be furious, to be enraged" (source). This is exactly what the truth does to those who've set themselves against it, and this is exactly why you see so much rage even in our age when you hold to Biblical truth. Notice the massive contrast that Luke describes. On the one hand, there's the Sanhedrin - men so angry that they're gnashing their teeth at Stephen. They're not carefully listening to what he says and evaluating it according to God's Word, rather they're crying out with loud voices, and covering their ears as they rushed at him with one impulse - literally, this was a mob mentality. Notice what happens when people stop listening and thinking for themselves: emotionally driven chaos is almost always the result. But over and against all of their noise and bluster stood Stephen, gazing intently into heaven, where he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Even as the mob of supposedly erudite Sanhedrin members drove him out of the city and began stoning him, Stephen had a peace that transcends all understanding, a phrase later written by Saul, who at this time was in hearty agreement with putting Stephen to death. You probably won't have face down an angry mob attempting to stone you for preaching the truth to them. But you will face increasing fury from friends, neighbors and even relatives who both literally and figuratively cover their ears to God's Word. As you experience this more and more, like Stephen, keep your eyes focused on the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. Dig Deeper Luke makes clear why it is that Stephen could keep his wits about him in the chaos he endured: Acts 6:3 - Stephen was one of seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom; Acts 6:5 - Stephen was chosen as a deacon because he was a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; Acts 6:8 - Once again, Stephen is described as being full of grace and power, as he performed great wonders and signs among the people; Acts 6:10 - Those arguing with him were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen was speaking; Acts 7:55 - As the establishment's anger builds, Luke once again describes Stephen as being full of the Holy Spirit, as he gazed intently into heaven; Could Luke possibly make this any clearer? If you want to have the same peace that Stephen had, even as the stones were hurled at him, make it your prayer that you too would be full of God's power and Spirit, and make it your practice to strengthen the Spiritual disciplines that God has ordained to fill you. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who fills His children with His power and Spirit through the preaching of His Word, administration of His sacraments, and the discipline of His Church; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that like Stephen, that you will be filled with God's power and His Spirit; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Deacons must be "men known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom." SINCE WE LAST LEFT OFF... The more the new Church gets persecuted by the religious establishment, the more it grows, drawing in Jewish converts who'd been visiting Jerusalem from all over the world. Acts 6:1-7 - (NIV) 6 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” 5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. Belgic Confession of Faith Article 30: The Government of the Church We believe that this true church ought to be governed according to the spiritual order that our Lord has taught us in his Word. There should be ministers or pastors to preach the Word of God and administer the sacraments. There should also be elders and deacons, along with the pastors, to make up the council of the church. By this means true religion is preserved; true doctrine is able to take its course; and evil men are corrected spiritually and held in check, so that also the poor and all the afflicted may be helped and comforted according to their need. By this means everything will be done well and in good order in the church, when such men are elected who are faithful and are chosen according to the rule that Paul gave to Timothy. Summary Today's Summary and Dig Deeper are reposted from October 10, 2024 It didn't take long in the early church for problems to crop up. In this case, the challenge of caring for widows was exasperated by the underlying racial tension: the Hellenists (Greek) vs. the Hebrews. You can imagine the tension present as the Apostles were often interrupted from times of prayer, preaching and teaching in order to figure out the logistics of making sure everyone got the same amount of supper. Often times fast growing organizations - whether churches, schools or businesses - become victims of their own success. The rapid growth often turns otherwise solvable problems into overwhelming issues. When the distractions end up causing leadership to lose its focus on the core mission, the growth loses its momentum and the organization quickly implodes under its own weight. The Apostles, guided in wisdom by the Holy Spirit, realized the danger this sort of distraction posed and moved quickly to solve the problem. They knew that that the ministry of the Word of God must not be compromised, but they also wanted all of the widows to be properly cared for. The decided to delegate the task, and in doing so they added a new 'office' to the new church. They appointed diakonos (deacons), a word that literally means servants for the congregation. Dig Deeper Often times in our own contexts, we tend to think of the office of deacon as sort of the JV team of elders. They're often younger men who are tasked with the church's more practical issues like benevolence, budgeting and bill paying. The truly spiritual issues seem to be reserved for the more seasoned elders. But that's not how the Apostles understood it. They weren't looking for men with a business background who knew how to organize and get things done, they were looking for men who were known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. And it would be one of these seven deacons, Stephen, who would become the Church's first martyr when he was stoned by the Establishment after eloquently showing them how the entire Old Testament points to Christ. The Church will always face challenges until the Lord returns, both internal issues and external persecution. But one of the lessons we learn from the early Church as we read about in Acts is that when she stays focused on the ministry of the Word, God carries her through the challenges so that His Word spreads and more and more become obedient to the faith. Certainly elders and deacons have different responsibilities in carrying out their call, but they have one big thing in common: both must be men known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who calls His Church to remain faithful to her task despite ongoing challenges; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you'll faithfully serve the Church in the calling God has given you and that your church will not be distracted from the ministry of the Word; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

When it comes to Christ's Church, you're either all in or your not. "Yes, you want to go to heaven, but you want to get your fill of this world, too, do you not? But it cannot be done. You must choose one or the other. You cannot walk on the broad and narrow ways at the same time. Yet many people are trying to do that, and they are stretching their legs to cover both. They think they are clever. They have everything; they are in church and outside; they believe and disbelieve as they choose" - Martyn Lloyd Jones, preaching on Acts 5. SINCE WE LAST LEFT OFF... After the establishment confronted and threatened Peter and John, the Church has grown exponentially as it continued to aggressively preach the gospel. A whole new way of life has sprung forth for church members, who are described as being 'of one heart and soul' (4:32). Those who owned land and houses sold them to meet needs that would arise. Acts 4:36 - 5:11 (NASB95) 36 Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), 37 and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 5 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” 5 And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it. 6 The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him. 7 Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter responded to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?” And she said, “Yes, that was the price.” 9 Then Peter said to her, “Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.” 10 And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 110 Q. What does God forbid in the eighth commandment? A. He forbids not only outright theft and robbery, punishable by law. But in God’s sight theft also includes cheating and swindling our neighbor by schemes made to appear legitimate, such as: inaccurate measurements of weight, size, or volume; fraudulent merchandising; counterfeit money; excessive interest; or any other means forbidden by God. In addition he forbids all greed and pointless squandering of his gifts. Summary Ananias saw the credit - the glory, really - that men like Barnabas were getting for donating the proceeds from selling property, and he wanted it. But as much as Ananias wanted that glory, he also wanted the proceeds. So he concocted a plan that would get him both. He and his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for himself... and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles' feet. So far, so good. Peter makes clear that the property belonged to Ananias, and since it was under his control, he could do with it as he pleased. The issue in this episode isn't that Ananias and Sapphira didn't give all of the proceeds to the Church, for they were not required to give any of the money to the Lord. Though many would like to wring socialist principles out of the early Church's practices, such ideas are not promoted anywhere in Scripture. But Ananias' devious scheme laid bare some massive problems in his soul - problems that each and every one of us struggle with daily. Ananias wanted the best of both worlds. On the one hand, Ananias wanted the Church to prosper, so much so that he gave it what likely still amounted to a sizeable donation, even if it wasn't all of the proceeds from the sale. On the other hand, he wanted to keep holding onto to the things of this world: glory and money. So Ananias lied. He insinuated that he gave all of the proceeds, but kept back some of the price for himself. Both Ananias and his wife would pay with their lives for their deceit. Dig Deeper Perhaps the Lord's immediate judgment upon Ananias and Sapphira seems overly harsh. After all, we all fib, exaggerate, and even flat out lie all the time, and none of us have dropped dead after doing so. So the fact Ananias and Sapphira both breathed their last after lying feels rather arbitrary when everybody else seems to be getting away with it. But this episode would be a poor example to demonstrate what may be perceived as God's unfairness. God was very fair to these two. He immediately paid them the wages their sins deserved: death (Genesis 2:17, Romans 6:23). If God is unfair at all, it's in the grace that He extends to the rest of us when He doesn't smite us as our continual sins deserve! But God's quick fairness shown to Ananias and Sapphira gets the early Church's attention, and it ought to get ours! Luke reports that a great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard these things. The command to fear God is one of the most prevalent in the Bible, occurring over 300 times. It simply means, as one commentator has dubbed it, to have a trembling trust - to know what God is capable of in giving us what we deserve, but to trust that He won't because of the grace, mercy and peace that He extends to us in Christ. One of the primary points of this episode is that you and I are called to be all-in as members of Christ's Church. This doesn't mean forfeiting all of our worldly possessions and goods. Ananias was never obligated to do so either. But it does mean that we use all that we have to honor and glorify the One whom we ought to properly fear. What are you keeping back for yourself? AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, whom we come before with trembling trust; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will let go of the things of this world so that you can be all in as a member of Christ's Church; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Christianity may seem down, but it is never out! The Bible App SINCE WE LAST LEFT OFF... The new Church has been growing by leaps and bounds. Peter has performed a miracle by healing a man who was lame from birth in the Temple courtyard, and has been addressing a massive crowd that gathered once they heard about it. Acts 4:1–22 (NASB95) 1 As they [Peter & John] were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, 2 being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. 5 On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; 6 and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. 7 When they had placed them [Peter & John] in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, 9 if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” 13 Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. 14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply. 15 But when they had ordered them to leave the Council, they began to confer with one another, 16 saying, “What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But so that it will not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any man in this name.” 18 And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; 20 for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 21 When they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened; 22 for the man was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 29 Q. Why is the Son of God called “Jesus,” meaning “savior”? A. Because he saves us from our sins. Salvation cannot be found in anyone else; it is futile to look for any salvation elsewhere. Summary It's been said before that no good deed ever goes unpunished. Especially when a good deed gets performed on the home turf of the men who had the most to lose from this upstart religious group that doesn't even have a formal name yet. So even as Peter and John were speaking to the people who'd gathered once they heard about the miracle, the Sadducees showed up with their goon squad and hauled the two preachers into custody. The Sadducees were the political rivals of the Pharisees. Unlike the Pharisees, they really didn't have a problem with Jesus - until Jesus came to Jerusalem on that fateful Passover week and began to seriously disrupt their massively lucrative Temple markets. In addition, the Sadducees had a good thing going with the occupying Roman government, and riled up religious crowds threatened that stability. These guys thought they'd handled the problem when they manipulated the Romans into crucifying the ring leader months earlier. Sure, there'd been rumors that the grave ended up empty, but nobody would actually believe that! So imagine the Sadducees surprise when not only are two guys standing in the temple courtyard proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead - a concept totally foreign to their theology - but also backing up their preaching with a miraculous healing of a man who'd been lame all of his forty years! This episode shows the remarkable resilience of Christianity. It seems like it's been completely stamped out more times than can be counted, but each and every time it comes back with even more power and intensity than before! So if you're feeling pessimistic about the current state of Christianity, a brief survey of Church history ought to bring the optimism right back! Dig Deeper You need to memorize Acts 4:12. Let's go through it line by line: There is salvation - More and more of your friends and neighbors have sadly concluded that there's nothing beyond the random misery of life, and that upon death people simply fade away into nothingness. This is what the Sadducees thought too. But this is the wonderful news of the gospel! There is salvation... in no one else - Millions of people are lost and hopelessly looking for answers in other religions because they won't accept this simple truth. ...for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men - stated positively, there is ONE name that has been given in which we can fully trust to attain this salvation. ...by which we must be saved - Salvation isn't just an attractive, yet optional, add on to a well lived life. In other words, it's not the icing to the cake. It's something you MUST obtain, because the alternative is eternal, everlasting punishment. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who gave one Name by which we must be saved; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the confidence to boldly proclaim the truth that Peter and John demonstrated; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Give thanks to the Lord every day! alittleperspective.com PSALM 111 111 Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. 2 Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. 3 Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever. 4 He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and merciful. 5 He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. 6 He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the inheritance of the nations. 7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy; 8 they are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. 9 He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name! 10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever! Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 116 Q. Why do Christians need to pray? A. Because prayer is the most important part of the thankfulness God requires of us. And also because God gives his grace and Holy Spirit only to those who pray continually and groan inwardly, asking God for these gifts and thanking him for them. Summary When you were in school, did you ever write an acrostic poem? You picked a word, maybe your name, or Christmas, or some other word, and wrote a poem about it, using each letter of the word as the starting point of the next line. Acrostic poems can be a lot of fun to do! That kind of poem is what we find in our psalm today. A few psalms throughout the psalter are acrostics, Psalm 111 being one of them, as each letter of the Hebrew alphabet begins a successive line. In this psalm, the psalmist offers praise and thanks to God, beginning with the word we know as hallelujah, which simply means Praise the LORD! From there, the psalmist continues throughout the rest of the psalm, thanking and praising the LORD for a number of things: His great works (v. 2), providing food, and remembering His covenant (v. 5), His works being faithful and just (v. 7), sending redemption to His people (v. 9), and so on. Ultimately, we can summarize the thanks and praise the psalmist gives to the LORD as them thanking God for Who He is and what He has done. Dig Deeper As I write this, this upcoming Lord’s Day, we’ll be wrapping up a sermon series where we’ve been taking a look at some of the different types of psalms that we see throughout the Book of Psalms. We’ve explored wisdom psalms, psalms of praise and lament, Messianic psalms, royal psalms, and we are concluding by looking at a thanksgiving psalm. Indeed, we have so much to thank God for, don’t we? Even though the school year is newly underway, before we know it, Thanksgiving will be here! It’s a time where we are more intentional about giving thanks, especially with the harvest being in by that point, and that is good! However, may we not wait for Thanksgiving to express our thankfulness to the LORD; rather, may we express our thankfulness to Him every day He blesses us with! So, at the end of this week, and as you prepare for worship this coming Sunday, what are you thankful to God for? Especially, what about Who God is and what He has done are you thankful for? Maybe you are thankful for His presence in the midst of a particular trial, or suffering that you’ve faced, perhaps the loss of a loved one, or persecution that you’ve faced. Maybe it’s the calm assurance of His forgiveness and grace when you’ve sinned. Maybe it’s God’s love and compassion in a world broken by sin. Perhaps it’s God’s faithfulness to His Word when others have been unfaithful to you in theirs. May you take intentional time this day, and every day, to thank the LORD for all His many blessings to you! AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the LORD, whose work is full of splendor and majesty; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that all throughout the day that you will give thanks to the LORD with all your heart; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

The early Church serves as a godly example, but it's not some sort of golden age. Acts 2:42–47 (ESV) 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. Belgic Confession Article 29: The Marks of the True Church We believe that we ought to discern diligently and very carefully, by the Word of God, what is the true church— for all sects in the world today claim for themselves the name of “the church.” We are not speaking here of the company of hypocrites who are mixed among the good in the church and who nonetheless are not part of it, even though they are physically there. But we are speaking of distinguishing the body and fellowship of the true church from all sects that call themselves “the church.” The true church can be recognized if it has the following marks: The church engages in the pure preaching of the gospel; it makes use of the pure administration of the sacraments as Christ instituted them; it practices church discipline for correcting faults. In short, it governs itself according to the pure Word of God, rejecting all things contrary to it and holding Jesus Christ as the only Head. By these marks one can be assured of recognizing the true church— and no one ought to be separated from it. Summary Yesterday, our passage in Acts 2 concluded with the joy of three thousand souls being regenerated from spiritual death to spiritual life through the working of the Holy Spirit applying God’s Word preached by Peter. Luke wraps up this chapter with a description of the early Church, telling us what this group was like, their day to day interactions. First, Luke tells us that this new group of Christians devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. While fellowship was important, teaching and instruction were also parts of this community, along with the breaking of bread and prayer. This may have referred to the Lord’s Supper, which our Lord instituted before His death. Luke continues painting the picture of the early Church, telling us about the “wonders and signs” the Apostles did, which established their authority, as well as the community's generosity. People shared with one another as they had need, looking out for and caring for each other. Not only did the early believers have good communion with each other, but also with all the people we are told, and they continually praised the Lord. Luke wraps up this portrait of the early Church, reminding us that God gives the increase as He added to their number day by day those who were being saved. Dig Deeper Taking a look at this picture of the early Church that Luke paints for us, people sometimes have viewed this as some sort of golden age of the Church, a sort of golden age that we need to get back to. Indeed, there are many things for us to learn and glean from the early Church’s godly example, such as dedication to the preaching and teaching of the Word, fellowship, generosity, and praising and thanking God. While there is a lot of good to learn from the early Church, it wasn’t perfect. The early Church, likewise, faced its struggles. As we continue reading in Acts, we'll see that different people were overlooked in the distribution of food; Ananias and Sapphira tried to gain honor by lying to God; various false teachings plagued believers, etc. While those different things were corrected, the early Church is far from a golden age that was perfect and needs to be returned to. Rather, brothers and sisters, may we learn from their godly example; may it inform our being a part of the Body of Christ in this day and age as we continue to faithfully shine as a light and witness for the Lord like those who have gone before us! As the world watches us, they ought to see us dedicated to God’s Word; they ought to see us fellowshipping and caring for one another; they ought to see us praising and thanking the Lord, and what an opportunity it provides us to share about the grace of God that has changed our hearts and lives, as well as has brought us into a family that spans the ages through the precious blood of the Lamb! AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who adds to our number day by day those who are being saved; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your community will see you and your church living out these glorious marks the Lord has set forth for His Church; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: