All posts by Virjil Selvan

Acts 20

When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. ² He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, ³ where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. ⁴ He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. ⁵ These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. ⁶ But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.

⁷ On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. ⁸ There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. ⁹ Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. ¹⁰ Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” ¹¹ Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. ¹² The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.

¹³ We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. ¹⁴ When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. ¹⁵ The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. ¹⁶ Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.

¹⁷ From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. ¹⁸ When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. ¹⁹ I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. ²⁰ You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. ²¹ I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

²² “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. ²³ I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. ²⁴ However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

²⁵ “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. ²⁶ Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. ²⁷ For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. ²⁸ Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,^[a] which he bought with his own blood.^[b] 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. ³⁰ Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. ³¹ So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

³² “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ³³ I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. ³⁴ You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. ³⁵ In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

³⁶ When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. ³⁷ They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. ³⁸ What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

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As we saw last week in the book of Acts 19, there was a riot because people who would sell idols were at a loss and they hated Paul. There was a lot commotion. However, the city clerk quieted the crowd and asked them to settle the issue in the legal assembly. The setting is Ephesus.

Now Paul is on his way to Jerusalem for the day of the Pentecost. So before we begin, I have a short instance to share from the diary of John Wesley.

Who was John Wesley?

John Wesley was an English cleric, theologian, and evangelist who was a leader of a revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The societies he founded became the dominant form of the independent Methodist movement that continues to this day.

From the Diary of John Wesley.

Sunday, A.M., May 5 Preached in St. Anne’s. Was asked not to come back anymore.

Sunday, P.M., May 5 Preached in St. John’s. Deacons said “Get out and stay out.”

Sunday, A.M., May 12 Preached in St. Jude’s. Can’t go back there, either.

Sunday, A.M., May 19 Preached in St. Somebody Else’s. Deacons called special meeting and said I couldn’t return.

Sunday, P.M., May 19 Preached on street. Kicked off street.

Sunday, A.M., May 26 Preached in meadow. Chased out of meadow as bull was turned loose during service.

Sunday, A.M., June 2 Preached out at the edge of town. Kicked off the highway.

Sunday, P.M., June 2 Afternoon, preached in a pasture. Ten thousand people came out to hear me.

Can we see a similarity here with what Paul was doing. Today, we see from Acts 20, that ‘When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia.’ We see that Paul travelled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, ³ where he stayed three months.

The word ‘Accompanied’ shows that Paul had many friends. He had people to go before him. Although he was unable to go to Troas immediately but his friends were able to go. He joined them later

Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. ⁴ He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. ⁵ These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. ⁶ But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.

This book is written by Luke, and when we read in verse 6 ‘WE’ sailed means, Luke was by default with them.

In the first few verses we can learn a few lessons from Paul’s Journey.

Team Effort: But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days. They always travelled together. Submitted to each other.

Unity in mission: He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. There was unity in them. Without unity, no task would be accomplished.

Change of Plans: submitting to God’s plans: Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. Paul was quite flexible in his approach. He kept room for change in event or flow of his plan. He built his faith in God’s direction moreover his humanly wisdom.

Paul was an enthusiastic disciple. Even after being attacked, hurt, and misunderstood, he doesn’t stop. What is this passion that drives him? Is it the same passion that drives us? He wanted to minister to people throughout the night because he was leaving the next day and we don’t even know whether he would get rest in the journey.

So with all this ups and downs, Paul landed in Troas in Ephesus. He wanted to emphasize, encourage and assure them of the truth.

⁷ On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. ⁸ There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. ⁹ Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. ¹⁰ Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” ¹¹ Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. ¹² The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.

Yes and in the process of speaking, a young boy falls and dies. However, that also doesn’t stop him. He raises him from the dead and continues with his conversations. I think Paul made the plans but God added more adventure to his plans.

There is a strange liking that people had towards Paul. They were so eager to listen to him. There is no mention of complain or grumble or any kind of discomfort that they felt. They listened to him all night.

There was never a moment when Paul would take a break and say, I think I had enough or there wasn’t this fear of unknown. His confidence and trust were in God. He knew what he was doing and he was focused on his aim and goal. Be it a riot, be it a plot of someone, or be it someone falling dead in the middle of nowhere. Paul was too passionate to be deterred of his plans.

Lessons that we learn from Paul from these few verses:

1. Planning : He knew that he could be arrested, attacked or barred from meeting the new believers any time, so he made the best of his time. He overcame all practical challenges. He did not sulk or even go back. We have time, but how do we use it? Does our mission work depend on our moods? Our circumstances, our finances, travel, is situational or is it convenience?

Q Was it easy to raise a boy from the dead? When one of our loved ones is sick, we spend the whole night and day worrying, crying and hunting for doctors, but when we know that my time is ticking, I may not have much time to do God’s work, I will start praying for my situations, as we take that first step of faith, God works. Paul’s agenda was very clear. Tell me how have you scheduled God’s agenda in our daily routine? What did we do yesterday? So yesterday it was raining and so couldn’t do much or is my statement like, yesterday, I was too tired or I was angry or I was too happy or I was …. You can fill in the blank.

God is waiting for us to come back to him and be channelized by him. It’s not like he doesn’t want us to rest, or take a break but I believe planning can help us to be aligned to God’s goal for us. Otherwise, it’ll be a cycle of not today!

2. Be Prepared for the Unplanned:

Previous point was plan but I would also say, that be prepared for the unplanned. There are a lot of instances when our plans don’t seem to work. However, leave space and room for God’s intervention. Our life is unpredictable. God will show up in different ways to stir up our faith and character. I believe unplanned events also build up our character. How do I behave in a certain situation? How is my attitude when things don’t work my way? The Jews thought of a set way the Messiah would appear and redeem them, but God’s plan was the sacrifice that will redeem the entire mankind. God’s wisdom is beyond mine and therefore, give space for Him and His ways.

Paul had not planned it but Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead.

Also, Paul wasn’t so insensitive, that he would leave the matter just as it is. He went and prayed. Raised the boy from the dead like Elijah, it added up to the faith that he was trying to build in the people. God made it more adventurous and livelier.

Paul did not have all the comfort in life that he would make such journeys. We see in the next few verses, that his aim was to listen and do what the Holy Spirit wants him to do.

¹³ We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. ¹⁴ When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. ¹⁵ The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. ¹⁶ Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.

The above verse shows Paul’s foresightedness.

Reach Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost, what does this show, he was almost in a hurry as he did not want o miss the summons of the Holy Spirit. Let’s listen. Also, he didn’t want to leave any work unfinished. He wasnot sure whether he would meet these people again and so he wanted to wrap up everything on hopeful and promising note. Whenever people are on their final journey of life, all that they speak is with experience, it’s with passion and also wisdom. We can add one more aspect, and that is he spoke with the Holy Spirit to the people of Ephesus. The same words speak to us the people of Panvel, of Renewed Hope Community.

¹⁷ From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. ¹⁸ When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. ¹⁹ I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. ²⁰ You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. ²¹ I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

²² “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. ²³ I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. ²⁴ However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

²⁵ “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. ²⁶ Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. ²⁷ For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. ²⁸ Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,^[a] which he bought with his own blood.^[b] 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. ³⁰ Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. ³¹ So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

³² “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ³³ I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. ³⁴ You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. ³⁵ In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

Paul said I have run the race I am reaching for the prize.

⁶ For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:6 – 8.

What am I running for?

You may say Sandra you don’t understand, I have an uncommon situation. Or you could say that I am not ready, and the excuses or the reasoning goes on

Today, if we had to face God because that’s what our ultimate destiny, what am I going to say. I was too busy.

Because of what Jesus did we’ll be questioned more. ²⁶ For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Hebrews 10:26-27

I am not here to put fear or guilt in you but just trying to start a thought process that we need to wake up from our self centredness. The first step to it is as follows:

Can we ask God to put a passion in our hearts for one thing that he wants us to do. (Ask to pray two by two)

Paul encountered God on the road to Damascus

Paul started with learning from the apostles,

He tagged along with Barnabas

Later he ventured out by himself.

He tagged Timothy with him

It all starts small. It starts with an encounter, a thirst to learn, a hunger to know more.

Why do I need to be like Paul?

Why can’t I live simply?

God wants his people to make a change. He wants everyone to hear his promise and that he is the saviour and Messiah. He has come to redeem the world.

Making a difference in the lives of people.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Mat 5: 14 – 16

The question to your Why?

If you don’t make that change then who will?

Story of talents

¹⁴ “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants^[a] and entrusted to them his property. ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents,^[b] to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. ¹⁶ He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. ¹⁷ So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. ¹⁸ But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. ¹⁹ Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ ²¹ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.^[c] You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ ²² And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ ²³ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ ²⁴ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, ²⁵ so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ ²⁶ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? ²⁷ Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸ So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. ²⁹ For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. ³⁰ And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Matthew 25:14-30

Don’t we want to hear these words: My good and faithful servant, you have run the good race, you have fought the good fight, come now and take over the reward.

Sandra wife of Virjil .The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

Acts 19: The Spirit of God and the Spirit of Man

Our series on Acts continues with Paul in Ephesus.  At this point, he’s well into his third missionary journey.  Ephesus was a major Roman city and home of the temple of Artemis, one of the great wonders of the world in its day.  The temple served both as a holy shrine and a thriving marketplace.  People came from all over to shop and trade and pay their respects to the goddess of fertility.  If Paul could win the Ephesians for Christ, he stood a good chance of winning the whole of Asia Minor.

When he got there he discovered a small, but active, group of Christians.  They’d accepted Christ and were baptized, but they hadn’t gotten the full effect.  Luke puts it this way:

“It happened that, while Apollos was at Corinth,
Paul, having passed through the upper country,
came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples.
He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’
They said to him, ‘No, we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’
He said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’
They said, ‘Into John’s baptism.’” (19:1-3)

Paul told them that the baptism of John was a merely a baptism of repentance and that’s just the first step of coming to Christ.  First, you renounce the power of sin and evil over your life and then you receive the promise of new life through the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The Ephesians wasted no time.  Luke says,

“When they heard this,
they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
When Paul had laid his hands on them,
the Holy Spirit came on them,
and they spoke with other languages and prophesied.”
(Acts 19:5-6)

Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you were baptized?

Big Question this morning to all of us.

Are you baptized with the holy spirit?

If you have attended our foundation course, we have two chapters. One is baptism in water and baptism in holy spirit. And how both are important.

Bible says about the Spirit, and then I want you to ask yourself the extent to which you’re filled with the Spirit.  The more we know about the Spirit, the more we’ll recognize the work of the Spirit in our lives as we seek to live out our lives in faith.

Jesus before He ascended to heaven: “For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5). This promise was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1–4); for the first time, people were permanently indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and the church had begun.

When we think about the Holy Spirit, what comes to our mind. A force, power, What does the Bible say about the identity of the Holy Spirit? Bible declares that the Holy Spirit is God.

The Bible also tells us that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, a being with a mind, emotions, and a will.

In Acts 5:3-4. In these verses Peter confronts Ananias as to why he lied to the Holy Spirit and tells him that he had “not lied to men but to God.”

Psalm 139:7-8, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” . It is present everywhere , omnipresence Then in 1 Corinthians 2:10-11. “These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” , All knowing omniscience

Holy Spirit is indeed a divine person because He possesses a mind, emotions, and a will.

The Holy Spirit thinks and knows (1 Corinthians 2:10-11).

¹⁰ these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

The Holy Spirit can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30).

³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption

The Spirit intercedes for us (Romans 8:26-27).

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

He makes decisions according to His will (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).

⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,^[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.^[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

It put it in this way when we are baptized with the holy spirit , It gives new life. It empowers, It directs, it leads. leading of the Spirit – not something you can define or quantify in any way – so that to walk by the Spirit is to walk by faith, not by sight.  It’s to seek God’s will for your life and trust God to lead the way.

Most importantly , you will know the heart of God, Thoughts of God It so important to receive the holy spirit. When we counsel people, direct people, pray for people. you may have heard this statements , I usually say, It’s not me saying this. It’s God who is saying this . It’s an amazing feeling to be immersed with the Holy spirit.

The book of Acts, which sometimes goes by the longer title of “The Acts of the Apostles,” could just as accurately be called “The Acts of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles.”

We may be baptized but are we filled with the holy spirit. Do we live a life of faith, do we live as been born again, new life.God didn’t create us simply to go through the motions; God created us to live life to the fullest.

I verse 6 , ⁶ When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues^[b] and prophesied.

Now , we are going to do this. Let us rise up, we are going to experience the holy spirit and we are going to exercise the gifts of the holy spirit.

Never Stop : Use what you have to do what you can

⁸ Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. ⁹ But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. ¹⁰ This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

They did not listen to what Paul was saying, not only that they started saying bad things about Paul, criticized him. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and started meeting in another place. He Spent 2 years and preached in Asia Minor. The impact they made in Asia minor , there were lot of churches being planted. The seven churches which we see in the book of Revelation, were all part of Asia Minor.

Verse 11-12

¹¹ God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, ¹² so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.

At the first, Paul found only 12 men who were not very far along in their faith. They had heard about John’s baptism, and nothing more. (Acts 19:1-3) Twelve men in a city of nearly half a million is so small, many would be too discouraged to continue. Paul’s passion is what drove him to take those 12, share the Gospel with them, and start his work. From that small start, however, came miraculous change.

Sons of Sceva 

Sceva, who is identified as “a Jewish chief priest” (Acts 19:14), had seven sons “who went around driving out evil spirits” (verse 13). Seeing the success that Paul had in exorcising demons, the seven sons of Sceva began using a new formula invoking the name of Jesus. They would say to the demon, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out” (verse 13).

This ploy of Sceva’s seven sons backfired one day. A demon they were trying to cast out refused, saying, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” (Acts 19:15). The demon then turned on them viciously. The demon-possessed man “jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding” (verse 16). The seven sons of Sceva were no match for the demonic power they were toying with (see Mark 5:1–4).

We learn several things from the account of the seven sons of Sceva.

First, demons are dangerously powerful spirit beings—much stronger than we—who can cause the people they possess to do incredibly violent and uncontrollable things. The seven sons of Sceva obviously didn’t have the proper respect for demons (see Jude 1:8–9).

Second, demons recognize valid authority, and they fear God (see James 2:19). It’s important to note that the authority over demons belongs only to Jesus (see Luke 8:28, 31) and to those to whom Jesus gave it. The demon in Acts 19 says that it knows Jesus and Paul (one of Jesus’ chosen apostles). It refused to recognize any other authority in Ephesus. The demon’s question “who are you?” is chilling in its implications to the seven sons of Sceva and their total lack of authority.

Third, demons cannot be cast out via a formula or a ritual or invoking Jesus’ name. There is no power in incantations, even if they include the name of Christ. The power belongs to Jesus alone. Probably the greatest mistake the seven sons of Sceva made was their failure to realize that Paul was not doing the exorcisms. Jesus Christ was doing the exorcisms through Paul.

When were ere in Srilanka , we been called that one girl in her 20’s is creating havoc and they needed immediate attention . Even before we reached their place , in the car we prayed for us , prayed of our family , covered our children with the precious blood of Jesus and then we entered the house. When the girl looked at us , she started laughing , we asked them what is her name and I started calling her by name. but she was not responding. She was saying that ask them to go , I am not going to go anywhere. We started singing , praying but no response. She was giving eye contact and she will not even blink her eyes. She said I will not go. we said if you are not going , we are also not going , immediately she fell down unconscious , i uttered a word silently that she is fine. And she was released .

Sometimes it looks exciting but it is dangerous if we don’t have the authority which only Jesus gives you and also carry the spirt of God.

Riot in Ephesus : A moment of Madness

The stirring up of the people to madness is everywhere in Scripture . Perhaps one of the most unconsidered characters in the Bible is the crowd — none more infamous than the one who used its voice to sound with Satan, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

So also we see the madness of crowds in Acts 19. A mob was stirred up against Paul, an experience he likely later summarized to the Corinthians: “I fought with beasts at Ephesus” (1 Corinthians 15:32).

Old proverbs have become visible: “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals’” (1 Corinthians 15:33). Bad company, when a company, can make the good corrupt and the bad worse.

What many citizens recognized as a religious riot in Ephesus started, with smaller, less-visible motives. Men with hidden agendas conspired together and utilized the masses to their hushed purposes. This “great disturbance” began with the greed of a silversmith named Demetrius.

Demetrius made his fortune crafting idols in service of Artemis, the Ephesian fertility goddess, rumored to have been born in Ephesus.

Now Christianity, through the apostle Paul, hurt this business by persuading many “that gods made with hands are not gods” (Acts 19:26). In an attempt to protect his wallet, Demetrius employed few strategies to destroy Paul.

Demetrius called them together: Demetrius gathered them, He did not go after Paul himself, nor pursue legal recourse; rather, he assembled people who were affected by him.

Competitors became friends : “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business.

Personal Agenda was covered up by religion.

²⁸ When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

Yet notice that Demetrius’s and the craftsmen’s chief concern of finances isn’t visible once they move into the streets. Their mantra becomes simply “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” They mask financial incentives with religious.

Many associate themselves with the church for social or financial gain. They are self-deceived who try to use Christianity for worldly gain and pleasures. Many of these people are simply humanists or socialists who use Christianity as a platform for their ideologies.

As Church we need to be cautious, what we speak , what we say, what we do. Do we speak about the church , it’s people to others. Our heart breaks even if I imagine that in my dreams.

And myself & Sandra don’t want to see those days in God’s church. Better we die than we hear those thinks in our Church. Be Careful ! As a church we can’t stop it but we have 0 tolerance on this. We need to guard the church , it’s our responsibility to guard the people who serve us. We need to stand , support and pray for our leaders in their journey wherever we are.

Christ like

Paul showcased Christlike nature, when Jesus was crucified he did not utter a word he was willing to die.

²⁹ Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together. ³⁰ Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. ³¹ Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.

Paul wanted to run toward, not away from, the murderous mob:

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” (1 Corinthians 15:31–32)

Paul left the city, and left Timothy in charge of the church there (1 Timothy 1:3). Despite living in an increasingly difficult environment, the church in Ephesus thrived, and likewise the entire area of Asia Minor.

Today, Ephesus lies in ruins, the economic victim of a harbor that silted up. The Temple of Artemis once stood as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, complete with more than 120 massive columns. Today, only a single column rises from a small pasture, hard evidence that Artemis of the Ephesians wasn’t nearly as great as the 25,000 fanatics once insisted she was. On the other hand, Paul’s message of Jesus Christ resulted in the conversion of billions, and his letter to the Ephesians is still being read, studied, and memorized today, some 2,000 years later.

Paul moved from Ephesus to other stops along his path, but he never lost interest in the young church he’d started there. As Paul reached his last years, he wrote a great number of letters, including a very detailed letter to the church in Ephesus. And among his very first words to Timothy was a very clear instruction concerning the church in Ephesus.

1 Timothy 1:3-4

His letter to Timothy, therefore, is a crystal-clear, passion-filled instruction manual for not only Timothy, but for the church he’d left behind in Ephesus.

The Gospel Spread like a seed.

Let’s look at the people involved in the passage

In Thessalonica

Acts 17

When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.

5 But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.[a] 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” 8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.

In Berea

10 As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

13 But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. 14 The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. 15 Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

In Athens

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[b] As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’[c]

29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

Paul: As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said.

1. Something that he was used to doing.
2. Reasoning from the scriptures

Result – Thessalonians: Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.

Who was he preaching to? The Thessalonians.

Thessalonica (also Thessalonike) was an ancient city of Macedon in northern Greece which today is the city of Thessaloniki. Made capital of the Roman province of Macedon, the city flourished due to its location on the major trade route to the east and continued to thrive as one of the most important cities in the Byzantine Empire. Its prosperity and cultural reputation attracted such figures as Paul the Apostle, Roman emperor Galerius, Cicero, and Lucian over the centuries. Substantial archaeological remains have been excavated and a Roman triumphal arch still stands as one of the city’s most famous landmarks. Thessalonica is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Thessalonians were self sufficient people. They seemed to be a rich community, and had a rich background. Paul had to be thorough and full of the Holy Spirit to persuade and reason out.

We see a man named Jason who accommodated Paul while he was in Thessalonica. This was something that Paul always did. He involved a native in the process of the preaching. We see Lydia in the previous chapters. He will stay with them. It becomes a double impact as they see the life of Paul, listen to his preaching and also experience the Spirit of God working in him. This helps them and gives the confidence to trust his teaching. Paul would get involved in the lives of people.

Who is Jason?

Jason: jā´sun ( Ἰάσων , Iásōn ) is a Greek name assumed by Jews who bore the Hebrew name Joshua. This name is mentioned twice in the New Testament.

(1) Jason was the host of Paul during his stay in Thessalonica (Acts 17:5-9), and, during the uproar organized by the Jews, who were moved to jealousy by the success of Paul and Silas, he and several other “brethren” were severely handled by the mob. When the mob failed to find Paul and Silas, they dragged Jason and “certain brethren” before the politarchs, accusing Jason of treason in receiving into his house those who said “There is another king, one Jesus.” The magistrates, being troubled, took security from them, and let them go.

There are various explanations of the purpose of this security. “By this expression it is most probably meant that a sum of money was deposited with the magistrates, and that the Christian community of the place made themselves responsible that no attempt should be made against the supremacy of Rome, and that peace should be maintained in Thessalonica itself” (Conybeare and Howson, St. Paul ). Ramsay ( St. Paul the Traveler ) thinks that the security was given to prevent Paul from returning to Thessalonica and that Paul refers to this in 1 Thessalonians 2:18.

The immediate departure of Paul and Silas seems to show the security was given that the strangers would leave the city and remain absent (Acts 17:5-9).

(2) Jason is one of the companions of Paul who unite with him in sending greetings to the Roman Christians (Romans 16:21 ). He is probably the same person as (1). Paul calls him a kinsman, which means a Jew (compare Romans 9:3; Romans 16:11, Romans 16:21 ).

What do we understand by the attitude of these Thessalonians?

They were not very receptive. They were easily carried away by others. The reason being that they blindly believed, had no basis, or any kind of background knowledge.

• They received Paul’s teaching
• They were not willing to learn and grow in the same
• They heard, and then got diverted with other comments
• They were not able to hold on to their belief.
• They were very shallow.

Let’s learn a little bit about Berea

The city’s name today is Veria. It is located in the part of Greece known as Macedonia. Berea has existed since around 400 BC., and there are some indications that people lived in the area as early as 1000 BC. In the time of the Apostle Paul, it was part of the Roman Empire.

Berea was a center of Greek culture and learning. Today the city is a commercial center and the seat of a Church of Greece Metropolitan bishop.

Attitude of the Bereans

First and foremost, the Bereans were “more noble” because of their willing reception of the Word of God. Unlike the unbelieving Thessalonian Jews, the Bereans were eager to hear the teaching of Paul and Silas.

Second, the Bereans examined what they heard by comparing it to the Old Testament Scriptures. The fact that they honestly listened and conducted further personal research led many Bereans to faith in Jesus as the Messiah. This expansion of Christianity was not limited to those within the synagogue, but also extended to many Greek men and women in Berea.

Third, the Bereans guarded Paul’s safety. When Paul’s enemies arrived from nearby Thessalonica, the Berean believers protected Paul by getting him out of the region. They did not turn him over to his enemies or disassociate from him as the Jews from Thessalonica might have expected.

Fourth, the Bereans continued to grow in their faith. After Paul’s departure, Silas and Timothy remained in Berea. Why? The Bible does not explicitly say, but one reason was probably to give the Berean Christians a chance to obtain further instruction in the Christian faith.

Later in the book of Acts, we are given further insight into the faithfulness of at least one Berean man. When Paul decides to return for additional ministry in Macedonia despite the tremendous persecution he had recently faced, one of the men who chose to accompany him was from Berea: “There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him” (Acts 20:3-4). Sopater, likely a Gentile Christian, continued to assist Paul (and Timothy) in ministry long after Paul’s first visit to Berea.

Berean Jews vs Thessalonian Jews

Who are we ?

11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

The evidence of anyone genuinely wanting to understand and wanting to have a relationship with Jesus is that they would go back to the scriptures. They would want to know more. Here the Bereans were not only receptive but examined and therefore their faith is not easily shaken.

However the Thessalonians were persuaded but in their case they never went back to the scriptures or examined or investigated.

Athens

Paul was distressed to see people worshiping idols:  While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.

Paul through his reasoning, debates, was able to create curiosity among the people.

 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

Paul was able to speak their own terminologies because he was able to understand their culture, he observed, he lived among them and studied them.

“People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

Paul put it across in simple terms. He spoke what they wanted to hear. He understood their struggle and proclaimed the solution to them.

About Athens:

Athens, Modern Greek Athínai, Ancient Greek Athēnai, historic city and capital of Greece. Many of Classical civilization’s intellectual and artistic ideas originated there, and the city is generally considered to be the birthplace of Western civilization.

Athens, with its tall buildings and contemporary shops, is the first European city when approached from the Middle East. When approached from the west, from elsewhere in Europe, what strikes the visitor is the influence of the East—in the food, music, and clamorous street life—perhaps vestiges of a time when Athens was divorced from European society under the yoke of Ottoman rule. Nevertheless, it is wrong to say that Athens is a mixture of East and West: it is Greek and, more particularly, Athenian. The city, after all, nurtured Western civilization thousands of years ago. Athens remains on the world stage to this day.

If you see the approach that Paul had towards these people in Athens, that he spoke about God who does not live in Temples, getting right into their cultural background.

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[b] As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’[c]

29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

A special mention about the people in the end of the chapter who are highly influential.

Member of the Areopagus: Areopagus, earliest aristocratic council of ancient Athens. The name was taken from the Areopagus (“Ares’ Hill”), a low hill northwest of the Acropolis, which was its meeting place. The Areopagite Council probably began as the king’s advisers.

In order to influence such influential people like Lydia, Jason, Dionysius, Paul had to be something and he needed to have that knowledge. Paul definitely was favored by God but he was very hardworking, strategic and influential himself.

Keywords that Paul used to bring about a curiosity among the Athenians.

• God’s Offspring
• Resurrection

Attitude of Athens

• Idol worshipers
• Ready for new ideas / concepts
• Intrigued by the Conversation
• Did not disregard Paul’s approach

What is the Character that I can learn from all these

1. Reasoning: why am I believing what I am believing, what is my conviction? How do I explain my belief to my friends / colleagues?  Example: if I eat at a restaurant, I am able to persuade my friends, family, etc. eventually they may try or they may at least give recommendation to someone. When I am not convinced, then I cannot convince. In the process, I will get confused and mess up my whole revelation about the gospel.
2. Examining: Checking for accuracy. When people check for accuracy we may or may not take it positively. We feel that they don’t trust us but the fact that we overlook it is that when an examination is conducted then it shows that that person is interested.
3. Thorough knowledge of the scripture: It is essential to have your personal encounter with God. It is the personal study and knowledge and the relationship that we have with God that will make us prepared and equipped to guide others to Christ. If I am only floating in the air and picking words from here and there, we will not be able to teach or preach or disciple.

Have we seen Christians who go with the flow? They are never able to take a stand. They want to please the whole world, in the process they are confused and confuse the people who have been observing them. These kinds of people remain stagnant.

1. Hosting / making Life happen together/ Becoming part of the culture: This one particular characteristic that we learn from Paul’s journey is that Paul stayed with people in their homes. He stayed with Jason, in Corinth he stayed with Aquila and Priscilla, stayed with Timothy. Each time he stayed with them, they were built, their faith was strengthened, they were encouraged to create communities eventually forming churches.

So be prepared to enter people’s homes for good. Touch their lives and become an impact.

1. Creating curiosity through discussions and meaningful conversations. Paul appreciated and acknowledged their culture and from that strikes a conversation in which eventually they show interest. Creating a safe space to speak the good news is an art that we all want to learn.
2. Speaking in their own terminologies or language. You are the offspring. Paul had a beautiful way of carrying on a conversation with these people. He would start from where they left.

Some Barriers

We disrespect their belief

We judge them on the basis of their appearance, culture or behaviour. Preconceived approach.

We don’t show our love through our actions but we bombard them on how they should behave. I believe Paul not only preached but showed through his actions when he was living with them.

Finally, an afterthought that we saw a few Jews who came to create confusion, enmity, disharmony and hatred, they couldn’t cope up with Paul’s passion for the Gospel.

Why do I say couldn’t cope up? It all depends on my enthusiasm and when I take that step, God brings in supernatural wisdom, strength and favour that the enemy can’t match up with the same.

Also, Paul never focused on these troublesome Jews, he never went and fought with them or argued but he was focused on his goal. He preached with all enthusiasm.

A question to Ask ourselves…The seed is sown or it is sowing (listening to the word of God.) but where is my belief. Shallow, Deeper Roots, or Inquisitive.

Whom can we relate to

Thessalonians

Bereans

Athens

1. Am I so self sufficient and take things lightly. Persuaded with everything? Never try to find out or nothing interests me. I go with the flow kind of attitude. Very shallow approach.
2. Am I keen to understand more, learn and dig into the truth of God? Deeper knowledge
3. Interested in listening, being ready to accept the other person’s biblical perspective? Or Do I become defensive and object the knowledge that God has enabled people to have about me?

As perfectly as Paul puts

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[b] As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’[c]

Does what Paul says stir you up or are we still indecisive about our commitment to Jesus? Take up the challenge of learning about Jesus, build your relationship with him and there will be nothing that can take away your passion.

Sandra wife of Virjil .The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

We saw last week the Missionary journeys of Paul. How he endured all kinds of hardships for the Gospel. He was beaten and bruised.

Sequence of Events

1. Some people from Judea arrive to Antioch and discuss about the gentiles being circumcised.
2. Paul and Barnabas take a decision of confronting the Jews in Jerusalem.
3. They travel back from Antioch to Jerusalem.
4. A meeting was held to come to a consensus about this question. Whether gentiles should be circumcised or not to belong to Jesus.
5. Peter rose up and defended this point.
6. The Elders send an apologetic letter
7. They provide them with certain guidelines
8. Paul, Barnabus and John Mark.

Now let’s understand this law of Moses, why and how was this conducted?

Circumcision in Jews was an act to reinstate the covenant that God made with Abraham (old covenant)

When Abraham was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him to establish a covenant with him. The Lord promised that Abraham would be “a father of many nations” (Genesis 17:4), that the Lord would give unto him “the land wherein [he was] a stranger” (Genesis 17:8), and that his “children [would] be known among all nations” (Joseph Smith Translation, Genesis 17:9). As a token of this covenant, the Lord commanded, “Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant between me and you” (Genesis 17:10–11). Abraham was further commanded that whenever a male child was born in his extended household, the child should be circumcised when eight days old (Genesis 17:12). On the day he was commanded, Abraham took all the males of his household and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin. Abraham himself was also circumcised as a token of the covenant that God made with him (Genesis 17:23–26).

The Jews were set apart through this act.

 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty^[a]; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. ² Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

³ Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, ⁴ “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. ⁵ No longer will you be called Abram^[b]; your name will be Abraham,^[c] for I have made you a father of many nations. ⁶ I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. ⁷ I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. ⁸ The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”

⁹ Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. ¹⁰ This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. ¹¹ You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. ¹² For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. ¹³ Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. ¹⁴ Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

¹⁵ God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. ¹⁶ I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”

¹⁷ Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” ¹⁸ And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”

¹⁹ Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac.^[d] I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. ²⁰ And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. ²¹ But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” ²² When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.

²³ On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him. ²⁴ Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, ²⁵ and his son Ishmael was thirteen; ²⁶ Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day. ²⁷ And every male in Abraham’s household, including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him. Genesis 17

The circumcision was introduced and the old covenant was followed from generations.

But we see in Acts 15 the statements Peter puts forth to reason out as to why this covenant no longer makes meaning to the Gentiles for they fall under the New Covenant that Jesus gave to the whole world – whether Jew or Gentile.

Peter justifies as to why the Gentiles should not be circumcised as God has kept the covenant to them through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit

⁶ The apostles and elders met to consider this question. ⁷ After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. ⁸ God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. ⁹ He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? ¹¹ No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

Rather the Gentiles should be taught on the principles of Christian faith. They should be taught to live a life God expects. To live a holy life and not a life of sinfulness. We can’t keep living in sin after knowing the saviour. According to Paul in – our hearts have been circumcised. A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.

The Circumcision of the heart that is the New Covenant

29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God

Romans 2: 28 – 29

For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—

4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:

5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;

6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.

8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ

9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. Philippians 3: 3 – 9

WHAT IS THE NEW COVENANT?

The new covenant was a relationship with God and not of circumcision. This covenant was introduced way before even Jesus was born, that there will be a new covenant.

Jeremiah 31:31-34

“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

¹⁹ And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

²⁰ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. Luke 22: 19 – 20

Now the elders apologise and try to rectify the error / confusion that they had caused to the gentile believers. They send Paul and Barnabas again but this time with witnesses Judas and Silas.

²² Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers. ²³ With them they sent the following letter:

The apostles and elders, your brothers,

To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:

Greetings.

²⁴ We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. ²⁵ So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— ²⁶ men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷ Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. ²⁸ It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: ²⁹ You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.

Farewell.

³⁰ So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. ³¹ The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. ³² Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. ³³ After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. ^{[34] [d] 35} But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.

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Explain more on the New Covenant.

A Distinctive Kind of Contract

Contracts. We all have them, by the dozens. In business, government, and in our personal lives, contracts provide structure and order for relationships that are essential to all of life. Contracts tell us what is expected of us and what we can expect from others. Without contracts, both explicit and implicit, our lives and our work would quickly unravel.

God structures his relationship with us with a distinctive kind of contract. Usually we refer to God’s contracts as covenants, which is a way of affirming their particular character. They aren’t the sort of contract that you and I can rewrite or back out of at will. Rather, God’s covenants are binding on us and, interestingly enough, on God, not because we have any power over God, but because God chooses to enter into binding contracts with us.

The first explicit contract in Scripture is the one God makes with Noah. Though we can see an implicit contract with Adam and Eve in Genesis 1-2, in Genesis 6:18 the Lord says to Noah, “I will establish my covenant with you.” Then, in Genesis 9, God lays out the specifics of this covenant: “I will establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth” (Gen 9:11). In order to ratify and signify this binding contract, God sets his “bow in the clouds” (9:13). The rainbow reminds God and, implicitly, us, of God’s commitment not to wipe us out again.

Like all biblical covenants (Mosaic, Davidic, New Covenant), the one with Noah is initiated by God. We human beings don’t determine the structure of our relationship with God. That’s God’s business. He establishes the covenant. We enter into it in response. Yet there are elements of the Noahic covenant that are distinctive. For one thing, God establishes his covenant, not only with Noah and his heirs, but also “with every living creature” (9:10). Additionally, though the Noahic covenant reaffirms God’s basic charge to humanity (“Be fruitful and multiply”) while adding some new elements (animals can be eaten, sacredness of human life requires capital punishment), the main point of this covenant is God’s binding commitment not to destroy the creatures of the earth again.

The covenants in the Old Testament, including the Noahic covenant, consistently underscore God’s sovereignty over our lives. They also point to the New Covenant promised in Jeremiah 31:31 and established through Jesus, whose shed blood creates “the new covenant” (Luke 22:20). The sign of the New Covenant is not the rainbow, but the cross. Through Christ, God not only spares life on earth, but also offers the abundant life of the age to come.

Taken from Mark D. Roberts, Life for Leaders, a Devotional Resource of the DePree Leadership Center at Fuller Theological Seminary

A new believer

The focus should be to teach them and help them in their new found faith. Discipling them, guiding them to overcome sin, to grow in knowing Jesus, in persevering through their faith. Teaching them the New Covenant.

An old believer:

Should introspect their heart, understand why they are pursuing certain ideologies.

Are they stagnant?

Are we growing to become more like Christ or are very busy judging people on how they are not following ‘the old covenant’?

Being there for ages is dangerous. The bible is very clear – new wine cannot be put in old wineskin or it will burst. We need to renew our mindset. ¹⁷ Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” Mat 9: 17

Break the cycle of doing the routine without making sense of it.

It is for a purpose that the old covenant was introduced. They only had a foreshadow of the saviour who would come. They had to work through to understand and attain this Abrahamic heritage.

However, Jesus came to give us a new covenant.

He came to give us a covenant of eternal life through him. He came to forgive sins and undo all that the devil intends to happen to me. Through faith we can grasp this covenant.

Now moving on to the last bit of the Chapter where the historical event takes place. Paul and Barnabas separate. It was because John Mark had deserted them in the first missionary journey Acts 13: 13  – ¹³ Now Paul and those with him left Paphos by ship for Turkey,^[a] landing at the port town of Perga. There John Mark deserted them and returned to Jerusalem.

Due to this reason Paul was sceptical about taking him again, however, Barnabas wanted to give him another chance.

³⁶ Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” ³⁷ Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, ³⁸ but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. ³⁹ They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, ⁴⁰ but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. ⁴¹ He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

However, Paul’s intention was only to disciple him and channelize the fact that you cannot go on with this kind of behaviour, because we see in Colossians 4: 10 ¹⁰ Aristarchus, who is with me here as a prisoner, sends you his love, and so does Mark, a relative of Barnabas. And as I said before, give Mark a hearty welcome^[a] if he comes your way. (LB) that Paul acknowledges John Mark. The relationship is restored. It’s not bitter throughout.

Paul was very clear. He was a ‘No fool around person’. He had very high standards and he was very intensely at the work of the Gospel. The New Covenant changed him. Many times, we may meet a Paul as a leader and a Barnabas. Both are equally important to me. My spiritual growth will spurt up if I stay with leaders like Paul but I also would need leaders like Barnabas who can trust me again. However, I believe – it’s a personal thought that because Paul refused to take Mark for the mission trip, John Mark became more serious about his mission trip with Barnabas.

After all said and done, we are all here because of the New Covenant that Jesus made with us. We are all included in this New Covenant. We have the privilege and the access to God, to reconciliation and atonement through Jesus Christ. The goodnews is good, and the covenant is for us. Jesus makes a New Contract with all of us. The details of the contract is in the word of God. The more we read the bible, the clearer it will be. Holy Spirit is with us for all those who believe in Jesus. That’s the promise of God – to send the counsellor for us and He will reveal more of Jesus to us and His New Covenant will become real each day.

Sandra wife of Virjil .The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

Good morning Church! Let’s pray!

Apart from the message, you are going to learn today some Geography (Understanding the Map), travel plan management – Itinerary – last day – return home with wonderful memories) and also some basics of agriculture.

Before we read Ch 14, let’s recap what we learnt from Ch 13 last Sunday.

Travel Map of Paul’s 1^st Mission

On this Slide, I am mentioning the major stops.

Keep your bible open for Acts chapter 13.

Home Church

Antioch was the Home Church, Barnabas is often mentioned first probably because of seniority, verse 2 says – 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.” ³ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. Nowadays, no parents give their child’s name as Barnabas but they give the name Paul.

Stop 1 Salamis – Verse 1 they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them.

Stop 2 Paphos – Barnabas & Paul encounter a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. ⁷ He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. He was being a hinderance and obstacle for the proconsul. Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, rebukes the evil spirit inside him and then he goes blind. Verse 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Stop 3 Perga – ¹³ Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, ¹⁴ but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. This is not same Antioch as Home Church, this is in another area.

Here in Antioch, Paul gives an incredible & a very powerful message. 43 And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God. They did this for one whole week encouraging them, speaking the word, and then meet again in next sabbath.

⁴⁸ And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. ⁴⁹ And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. ⁵⁰ But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. ⁵¹ But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. ⁵² And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

That was a very long recap, but yes I wanted you to understand the whole journey of first mission trip in continuation with what we learnt last week.

Now let’s read Chapter 14 Verse 1 to 7

1. In the city of Iconium.

The leaders of the synagogue in Antioch had just expelled Paul and Barnabas from that city. Yet when they came to Iconium, they again began their evangelistic efforts by preaching in the synagogue. It was still a good way to start. Paul and Barnabas have evangelistic success in Iconium.

Paul and Barnabas had success among the Jews and the Greeks, presenting the same gospel to both. The fact that Jews and… Greeks believed shows that Paul preached the same thing to both groups:

1. The success is refreshing, because they had just been kicked out of Pisidian Antioch, after much success there (Acts 13:50).
2. On other occasions Paul was inclined to stay in a region for an extended period of time, strengthening the churches and working where evangelistic efforts had already borne fruit. Therefore, it may be best to see the persecution Paul had in Pisidian Antioch as God’s way of moving him on to Iconium and other places.

iii. And so spoke: Paul and Barnabas presented the gospel in a way that invited belief. The way they preached encouraged people to believe in the message of who Jesus is and what He had done for them.

2. (2-6) Successful ministry creates opposition, forcing Paul and Barnabas out of Iconium.
3. Unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren.
4. Therefore they stayed a long time: They stayed as long as they could, despite the opposition, leaving only when it was absolutely necessary. Every day they may be praying, Lord just one more day, one more soul to be saved, again next day, the same prayer, Lord one more soul. They did this because they knew that these Christians in Iconium needed all the grounding they could get to stand strong in a city with much opposition. Church, we need to understand preaching the word for unbelievers to believe is one thing, the next step is discipling them. Discipling needs time, effort, investment, praying together, reading scripture together, remember the eunuch asking Philip, how can I understand until anyone explains it to me?
5. Speaking boldly in the Lord: Despite the opposition, Paul and Barnabas continued to preach boldly, bearing witness to the word of His grace and touching others with the power of Jesus. Sometimes, the very best thing you can do during personal trial is look to somebody else you can encourage and strengthen them in the midst of their difficult time.
6. Granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. Signs, wonders, miracles are complementary, and they are not primary in the ministry! Read next point.
7. Bearing witness to the word of His grace: The miraculous works done confirmed this message they preached – the word of His grace. That is the only word by which both Jews and Gentiles could be saved on an equal basis.
8. A violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them, they became aware of it and fled. We need wisdom in perseverance.

Next Stop – to Lystra

Read Verses 8 – 10 In Lystra, a lame man is healed.

1. And they were preaching the gospel there: Paul and Barnabas did many miraculous works, one of which is recorded in the following passage. Yet they did not travel as miracle workers. Their focus was always preaching the gospel.
2. This man heard Paul speaking: The crippled man heard Paul preach about Jesus. When he heard about Jesus, his face and manner showed that he believed Jesus could touch his life; he had faith to be healed.
3. This certain man without strength in his feet made the important transition from hearing about the work of Jesus to believing that it was for him. Not everyone makes this same transition, but they should.
4. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed: There was something about this man’s faith that was evident, and it is likely that God gave Paul the gift of spiritual discernment, a divine intervention, so much so that Paul knew God intended to heal the man at that moment. He stops in between his preaching and talks to the lame man.
5. “That this lame man had faith was made plain by his ready obedience to Paul’s command to stand up.” The lame man didn’t make any excuse or delay to obey.

Sing – Andhe dekhte hai, langde chalte hai, Yeshu masih ke naam se, langde chalte hain, aatma mandrata Pavitra aatma mandrata

Read Verse (11-13) The excited crowd in Lystra declares Paul and Barnabas to be Greek gods, visiting the earth.

1. The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men! These people saw a stupendous miracle happen before their eyes, yet their idea of who God is had not changed. Therefore it seemed logical to them to consider Paul and Barnabas gods. Sachin and AR Rahman written as Gods in twitter by men! They are just humans, they became what they are today by their hard work and talent. They are not Gods! Why didn’t Jesus come in camera age? If he had come during camera age, then his images, his beard, his hair, will be iconified.
2. Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker:In Greek mythology, it was common for the gods to come to earth in human form, though they did not always do so for the good of man.
3. And Paul, Hermes: He was known as the messenger of the gods, so it made sense to the Lystrians that Paul (the more talkative one) was Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Barnabas apparently had an air of authority about him, so they regarded him as Zeus.
4. Their adoration of Paul and Barnabas progressed because they praised them in the Lycaonian language. Probably there was a language barrier. They didn’t understand the language and probably they thought wow, this is a very good response. Paul and Barnabas hardly understood it.
5. But when Paul and Barnabas saw the priest of Zeus, with oxen and garlands… intending to sacrifice, they knew things had gone too far. This was far more than honoring guests to the city.

Read Verse 14-18 Paul appeals to the crowd, asking them to recognize the true God instead of worshipping Paul and Barnabas.

1. They tore their clothes: They did this to show that they were completely human, just as the Lystrians. They also did it out of an instinctively Jewish reaction to blasphemy. For Paul and Barnabas, it wasn’t just inconvenient that they were called gods; it was blasphemy. Also, to say we are all flesh and bones just like you, we have same nature as you, we go through the same trials and tests like you do. Pastors, worship leaders, Musicians, Prayer leaders, Sunday school teachers, we are all humans just like you and go through everyday struggle with sin, go through our own physical and spiritual warfare. We all have common problems be it financial, medical, marriage, children, job, office, etc. We must stop treating Church leaders as celebrities, idols, but love and understand one another, strengthen each other. No body is perfect here, only God is perfect. Don’t give up on God or Church, because we failed in any area. Don’t trust men, trust God. Let’s read from Psalm 118:9 This is also a reminder for every one of us that receiving adulation is risky and dangerous. Paul himself struggled (Romans, I want to do good but end up doing bad, etc etc), even apostles had differences (John leaves the mission trip midway and later Paul doesn’t want to go along with John).
2. That you should turn from these useless things: These were strong words from Paul to people who took their pagan worship seriously, but Paul wasn’t afraid to confront this mob with the truth, and the truth was that their idolatry was wrong. They had to turn away from it. Indian Idol program? This is in our sinful nature to make God from man.
3. To the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them: Paul called the Lystrian crowd to consider the real God, the One who stands behind all creation, not one of the lesser (and imaginary) Greek gods. The Song – God of wonders beyond our galaxy, you are holy! The universe declares your majesty! The creation sings praises to the creator!
4. God’s kindness to all men (in giving rain and fruitful crops) should be seen as a witness of His love and power, something theologians sometimes call common grace. He pours rain and provides food to both good & bad people.
5. Paul did not preach to these pagan worshippers the same way he preached to Jews or those acquainted with Judaism. He did not quote the Old Testament to them, but instead appealed to natural revelation, to the things that even a pagan could understand by looking at the world around them. Paul would use scriptures to Jews, for pagans, he used natural references.
6. And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them: Even with all this, Paul and Barnabas had an extremely difficult time challenging the wrong conceptions of God held by the Lystrians.

Read Verse (19-23) Paul Stoned at Lystra.

1. Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came: These opponents were not content to kick Paul out of their own region (Acts 14:5-6); they followed him and brought their persecution with them.
2. Having persuaded the multitudes: They incited the people of Lystra against Paul and Barnabas, and instigated the stoning of Paul. This was obviously an attempt to execute Paul and Barnabas – with the rocks being thrown by the same people who wanted to worship them shortly before.
3. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city: Paul was miraculously preserved here. Some think that he was even actually killed and raised to life again, because stoning was usually reliable form of execution.
4. When Paul later wrote, I bear in my body the marks of Jesus(Galatians 6:17), he may have had in mind the scars from this incident. He certainly later referred to this stoning in 2 Corinthians 11:25 read it.
5. It’s reasonable to think that Paul remembered Stephen when he was being stoned, and how he had been a part of Stephen’s execution (Acts 7:58-8:1).
6. He rose up and went into the city: When Paul was revived, he did not flee the city that stoned him. Instead, he immediately went back into it. He is unafraid of going back there. He had been driven out of Antioch and Iconium by this traveling mob, and he was determined to leave Lystra on his own terms the next day and not on their terms. But how was his medical & physical condition, he had tremendous injuries, but still he left on his own terms.
7. In Acts 16:1, we learn of a young Christian in Lystra and his mother – Timothy. Perhaps Timothy saw all this and was inspired to the high call of the gospel by noticing Paul’s courage and power in ministry.

Read Verse 21-23 Paul leaves Lystra for the city of Derbe, where they find more evangelistic success.

1. When they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples: Despite the persecution in Lystra, the work of God continued – just in a different place, Derbe. Yet Paul and Barnabas continued their work: preaching the gospel and making disciples. These are two different things, right? How long we have been believers for 10 years? 20 years? Are we going to next step, to be a disciple, and then to be a discipler?

On the return trip – revisiting the same places

Let’s not do new cities, but let’s re-visit all the previous places where they were persecuted. Sing – Whom shall I fear? If I don’t like the place I visited, I will never visit it again, but these apostles are different, they will go again and again.

1. Strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith: As Paul and Barnabas decided to head back home to Antioch, they passed through the cities they had visited before, to strengthen and encourage the Christians in those cities. Paul and Barnabas wanted to do far more than gain conversions; they had a passion to make disciples.
2. Many Christians need strengthening their souls. Many need exhorting… to continue in the faith. It is no small thing to walk with the Lord, year after year, trial after trial. It takes a strong soul and an encouraged faith. Don’t give up on them, keep investing in them.
3. We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God: This was the message that helped strengthen and exhort these disciples. This was a simple message, proved in Paul’s personal experience. Paul could preach that message because he had lived that message.
4. This is for many a forgotten message today. They consider any kind of tribulation completely counter-productive to Christian living, failing to note the significant place suffering has in God’s plan. We need to take up our own cross and follow Jesus! We can’t run away from suffering!
5. So when they had appointed elders in every church: Paul and Barnabas were committed to not just making new Christians, but in establishing new churches, places where these new Christians could grow and be established in the Lord.
6. When they had appointed elders in every church: Paul and Barnabas knew that these churches must have proper administration, so they appointed elders in every city where there were Christians.
7. And prayed with fasting: Paul and Barnabas demonstrated their great concern for the health of these churches by their prayer and fasting.
8. They commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed: But in the end, they can only trust in God’s ability to keep these churches healthy, having commended them to the Lord. It was in the Lord they had believed in, not in Paul or Barnabas or the elders. The church belongs to Jesus.

Journey Home – The Map/itinerary of Paul and Barnabas on the way home.

Read Verse (24-28)

1. After they had passed through Pisidia: On the continent, they returned pretty much the same way they came. They did not stop on the island of Cyprus (why? Probably because since there was not that major hindrance in preaching the word, they got ample time in Cyprus to disciple the new believers), so they sailed directly to Antioch, returning to their home congregation.
2. For the work which they completed: Mission accomplished! These beautiful words were only partially true. Although the immediate mission was accomplished, the work of planting new churches and strengthening existing ones has never ended. This would be merely the first of several missionary journeys.
3. Verse (27-28) Paul and Barnabas arrive back in Antioch and share the Praise report!
4. They reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles: Their success with evangelism among the Gentiles, and the blessing of God that it demonstrated, showed that what God did in Antioch was not unique. God wanted to replicate this work all over the world.
5. He had opened the door of faith: The trip was a great success, though not without great obstacles: The difficulty of travel itself, the confrontation with Elymas on Cyprus, the quitting of John Mark, being driven out of the cities of Antioch and Iconium, the temptation to receive adoration, and being stoned in Lystra. Yet Paul and Barnabas would not be deterred from the work God had them to do.
6. Paul later expressed his testimony in his letter to Timothy. Let’s Read 2 Timothy 3: 10-11: ¹⁰ You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness,¹¹ my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.
7. So they stayed there a long time with the disciples: Back at their home church in Syrian Antioch, we can assume that Paul and Barnabas took a long break and found plenty of ministry to do back there. After doing hardwork, you need rest. Even God rested on the 7^th day, not because he was tired, but He rested to look over what He created and enjoy it. So did Paul and Barnabas, they just took a break and enjoyed a good time of fellowship with the other disciples and also do plenty of ministry at home church.

This mission trip was not about people, masses, or the crowd, but individuals. This trip saw the transformation of each soul, the church at Antioch, people at cyprus, iconium, derbe, Perga, Lystra, and including Paul himself.

Transformation of Saul to Paul

• Approver of Stephen’s death (Paul is stoned to the point of death)
• Persecuted the Church (himself faced persecution)
• Turns blind (Bar-Jesus/Elymas)
• Repents – life transforms.
• Unbeliever to Believer – Believer to Disciple – Disciple to Discipler – Discipler
• Becomes most influential apostle & missionary, establishing many churches, writing 14 out of 27 books of NT.
• 1 Cor 15 ⁹ For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am.

Desmond Doss

His mother raised him as a devout Seventh-day Adventist and instilled Sabbath-keeping, nonviolence, and a vegetarian lifestyle in his upbringing. He grew up with 7th day Adventist Church beliefs. He enrolled in the US military as a combat medic and committed himself not to pick up the gun to kill (conscientious objector). During his military training, he was ridiculed, mocked, insulted and even was beaten up by his own troop members. His commanding officer even tried to court martial him for refusing the order to pick up the gun. He was called a coward and disgrace for the military.

During the battle of Okinawa, as the troops reached the summit (a cliff called Hacksaw ridge), a heavy concentration of artillery, mortar and machinegun fire crashed into them, inflicting approximately 75 casualties and driving the others back. They were left to die. Private First Class Doss refused to seek cover and remained in the fire-swept area with the many stricken, carrying them one by one to the edge of the escarpment and there lowering them on a rope-supported litter down the face of a cliff to friendly hands. Every time he would lower down a man with the rope, he would pray, God give me one more to save. He kept doing this for 12 hours continuously. Through his outstanding bravery and unflinching determination in the face of desperately dangerous conditions Private First Class Doss saved the lives of many soldiers. His name became a symbol throughout the 77th Infantry Division for outstanding gallantry far above and beyond the call of duty. He is the only conscientious objector to be awarded the highest military award of his country without picking up a gun or killing anyone.

Let us pray!

• Remember Jesus Christ’s suffering, Have a right image of god (Col 1:15). God is interested in us, he is interested in our job, in our career, in our personal life, but more than any of our physical aspects, he is most interested to imprint his nature in us. He cares about our character, he wants you to follow him, be his disciple, to seek his kingdom first. Let us pray for renewal of mind and transformation, metamorphosis, like a larva/worm turning into a butterfly.
• Spiritual discernment that we receive wisdom to understand God’s will
• Move to next level, from a believer to disciple and then to a discipler (the great commission), commitment that I will grow in the word, may be I will complete my foundations classes, I will follow Christ no matter how tough it is.
• Pray & win souls
• In the end, be commended by God – ‘well done, my good & faithful servant’

Let’s close in prayer!

Sandeep is an examination officer at Amety university and worships at Renewed Hope Community. The Renewed Hope Community church is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel, Church in Karanjade because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

The Journey – Acts 13

As we come to this point, chapter 13 is a fresh brand new beginning. So far we saw the amazing works happening in and around Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria through the apostles. We also see the start of Transition happening from Peter to Paul.

Acts 1:8 – But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

We saw in chapter 12 about the wonderful works happening in the city of Antioch. At the end of chapter 12 we see that Barnabas and Saul returning from Jerusalem to this city. Also there was John Mark who was assisting them. Here in the beginning verse we see that there were also few other men mentioned.

It’s so interesting to see that this team comprises people of various races and culture. It says there were Barnabas, Saul, Prophets and teachers, Simeon, Lucius and Manen. So it seems that it was a cosmopolitan city with a congregation of people from various backgrounds. They were not focused on a specific people or a limited group, it seems that there was open to everyone.

• Simeon who was called Niger: Since Niger means black, he was presumably a black African among the congregation at Antioch, and possibly the same Simeon who carried Jesus’ cross
• Lucius of Cyrene – Roman Province of Libya – north coast of Africa
• Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch: This was the same Herod who beheaded John the Baptist and presided over one of Jesus’ trials

Isn’t it interesting to see 2 people grown up in a same setup and 1 turns out to be a cruel and wicked killing John the Baptist & Jesus. Whereas the other working prominently for the same Jesus and making the gospel reaching everywhere. Even today in our lives we have people who grew up along with us but have been gone all the way on other side. Hope that we are not like Herod turning to be on the other side.

Now let’s have a look at this map of the journey that Paul & Barnabas has went on. They started from Antioch and moved to the city called Seleucia. It was not too far from where they started – Antioch. As they left I feel that they had no clue where they are heading to. They know for sure that church has sent us and also most importantly it is God who has asked them to be sent. They seems to be landed in the island of Cyprus.

Acts 4:36-37     – ³⁶ Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), ³⁷ sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

It is the place where Barnabas comes from. Barnabas and Paul might have been discussing where to go and Barnabas felt that let’s go to Cyprus as I know few from there who need Gospel. It was not much recorded what was happening over there. They were proclaiming the word of God in every Synagogue they go.  It was the Jewish custom that if any scholar or notable person is found in Synagogue they are asked to explain the scripture or speak the word of encouragement for the congregation. As Paul was really a remarkable person they ask him to speak up always.

John The Helper – This man, also known as John Mark, was mentioned previously in Acts 12:25. He traveled with Barnabas and Saul on this trip and was the same Mark who later wrote the Gospel that bears his name. Mark was a valuable companion for Barnabas and Saul. He grew up in Jerusalem, and was an eyewitness of many of the events in the life of Jesus and could relate them with special power to Barnabas and Saul, and to others whom they preached to.

Paphos: This city on the west coast of Cyprus was known for its immorality. Here Barnabas and Saul faced a combination of immorality and spiritual darkness that was common across the pagan world of the Roman Empire.

The proconsul, Sergius Paulus: This was an important man. A Roman proconsul was responsible for an entire province and answered to the Roman Senate.

All Roman provinces were divided into two classes, those that required troops and those that did not. The latter were administered by the Senate and ruled by proconsuls; the former were under the administration of the emperor.” (Williams)

As they were preaching in synagogues this amazing door has opened up for them to share the gospel with the Proconsul. But the problem is that there is this man named Bar-Jesus who trying to turn him away from the faith. What a courage Paul got, he spoke up straight against this man and a great miracle happened. He became blind and at the very moment proconsul was amazed and believed in the word of God.

“Sir William Ramsay reports that inscriptions bearing Sergius Paulus’ name have been found on Cyprus confirming that he was a Christian and that his entire family became Christians.”

Don’t be a stumbling block: Analyze ourself and see if we are being a stumbling block for anyone from reaching to God. Is there anything that is there for me which is the stumbling block and how can I overcome it.

We see that they are moving on from this Paphos, to Perga. There was no record of great multitude seems to be accepted Christ so far in the journey. But they saw a great transformation and an influential person has been transformed and believed. Even today in our life we may also come across someone who is very influential, how are we reaching out to them and sharing the gospel.

Distraction/ Discouragement: Here as they came to Perga it says that John returned to Jerusalem. It was not clearly mentioned here what is the reason for him to return. But let me tell u that as part of our Journey with God, we may face many such people who might backoff at a very crucial point. Who might leave us alone in the middle way. There might a great discouragement or distraction happens that makes us to pause or halt or even turn back. But it is not for us to sulk into the distraction or discouragement but rather we need to move forward.  As powerful as this distraction was, Paul did not allow it to affect what he was there to do.

Grab the Opportunities: Paul knew the custom and he was always ready to share the gospel. He was literally waiting for them to call him up. This is the first recorded sermon of Paul. Very simple but yet very powerful. Paul opens up his message with an introduction of Truth he continues with make them hearing the truth. Slowly he comes to a point where they can see the truth through Jesus Christ. He did not stop there, he goes on and also tells them about what happens if they don’t believe in this Truth.

It is very heavy to bear the cost of Rejection of the gospel. We would perish and disappear.

God is at Work: No matter how the situation is, God is always in work. We see here that the people were wanting them to stay with them for another week and tell them more about it. The whole city has come to hear from them what the good news is all about. On the other side there are people opposing them because of Jealousy. But God stir the hearts of the people and you know these are the people of Galatia to whom Paul writes later the book of Galatians.

So let us analyze today and see where we are standing in this scripture portion.

Are we part of the team whom God chosen, are we ready to be set apart for his work that he has called us for? Are we there like the sorcerer being a stumbling block for someone from knowing Christ? Can we reach out to the influential people like the proconsul? Are we the person of Distraction or discouragement, pulling others down from what they have been called? Are we able to grab the opportunities that God has given? Do we believe that God is always at work irrespective of what we are able to see?

Acts 3:38-39 –  ³⁸ “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. ³⁹ Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.

Paul Anand is a Software engineer and worships at Renewed Hope Community. The Renewed Hope Community church is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel, Church in Karanjade because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

THE EVER-PRESENT GOD

ACTS 12 – 07 May 2023

Narrate full passage of Acts 12

Name the persons involved in this passage…

Herod arrests some – persecuting – James put to death by the sword – pleased Jews – arrested Peter – put in jail – festival of unleavened bread – public trial post Passover – church prays – the night before trial – angel appears – light shines – wakes Peter – doors open – shackles fall – peter thinks its vision – comes to himself – goes to Mary m/o John Mark’s house – people praying – peter knocks – it must be his angel – peter describes – peter then leaves to another place – soldiers killed – Herod goes from Judea to Caesarea – audience with Tyre and Sidon – needed food – voice of God – stuck down – Word of God continued – meanwhile Paul, Barnabas, John Mark return from their first missionary journey.

God? We see two stunning instances that could be because of none but God

Introduce the title : The Ever-Present God

Going through the passage, now: Previous persecution – Stephen – Paul – Mission

Herod – Tetrarch grandson of Herod 1 who tried Jesus

Power hungry – got the Tetrarchy through influence

Believed to be a proselyte to Judaism – according to Josephus the historian

Received the kingdom from Claudius, still under his rule. Had to go to any lengths to keep the kingdom – killing of James son of Zebedee – one such act of appeasement. Pleasing Jews to maintain peace in kingdom. Because reports went back to Claudius

James he couldn’t kill in full display – he died a death of honour – because that’s what Jews wanted. He tries to kill Peter in front of people

GOD DELIVERS PETER

Peter’s sleep | Jesus slept on the boat [Matthew 8]

Lesson learnt.

What’s this sleep                  And what’s not?

Assurance                               Anxiety

Rest                                          Escapism

Faith                                         Coping mechanism

Slept so much that angel had to give a thud. And so much that he thought he was still dreaming –

Dream come true 😉

The deliverance of Peter:

God who listens | God who intervenes – An active participant in the affairs of the world. To them who ask “What is God doing in the midst of all this?” – God is listening. So speak wisely

Response of the Church

Direct opposite – Believers didn’t believe?!

How should our faith look like? Apart from believing in the existence of God…

1. James 2:19

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder

Faith without action is dead. Example of Abraham. Day to day activities of faith – giving, obedience.

2. Hebrews 11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

DEATH OF HEROD

People in need supply – words of deception

He knew God [proselyte background] but failed to acknowledge

Difference between Saul and Herod in zeal (even wrong)

It is a very short description of James’ death – almost looks so abrupt. Might even look like it didn’t seem as a significant event. But the continuity of that story is here in this passage.

God avenged his blood. He stuck down in a strikingly similar fashion bringing herod’s intent to public shame/disgrace

James he couldn’t kill in full display – he died a death of honour. He tries to kill Peter in front of people. God stuck him down in front of the audience who called him a god

God who shows up | God who completes

WHAT DOES IT MEAN NOW FOR US TO HAVE AN EVER PRESENT GOD?

God who listens – so pray like He’s listening!

God who intervenes – so share your life with Him!

God who shows up – so be at rest in Him, do not fret!

God who completes – nothing is over until God finishes it, so keep trusting!

Sam Melbon is a Civil engineer by profession and worships at Renewed Hope Community. The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel, Church in Karanjade because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

Peter Explains His Actions

11 The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. ² So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him ³ and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

⁴ Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: ⁵ “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. ⁶ I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. ⁷ Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’

⁸ “I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’

⁹ “The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ ¹⁰ This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.

¹¹ “Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. ¹² The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³ He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. ¹⁴ He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’

¹⁵ “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. ¹⁶ Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with^[a] water, but you will be baptized with^[b] the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷ So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”

¹⁸ When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

The Church in Antioch

¹⁹ Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. ²⁰ Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. ²¹ The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

²² News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. ²³ When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. ²⁴ He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

²⁵ Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, ²⁶ and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

²⁷ During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. ²⁸ One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) ²⁹ The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. ³⁰ This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

The context for this story has its roots in the covenant that God made with Abram. God said, “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. All of the families of the earth will be blessed in you” (Genesis 12:3). The key words for our context are “all of the families of the earth.” Even in the very beginning, God’s promise was not just to Jews but to “all of the families of the earth.”

God’s mercy could include Gentiles, clues to that effect are scattered throughout the Old Testament (Genesis 22:18; Psalm 22:27; 46:10; 65:2, 5; 66:4; 72:11, 17, 19; 86:9; 102:15; Isaiah 2:2-4; 9:1; 11:9-10; 24:16; 40:5; 42:1, 6; 45:22-24; 49:1, 6, 22; 55:5; 56:3-8; 60:3; 65:1; 66:18-23; Jeremiah 3:17; 4:2; 16:19-21; Daniel 7:13-14; Joel 2:28-32; Zechariah 2:11; 8:22-23; Malachi 1:11).

Psalm 22:27

²⁷ All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,

Malachi 1:11

¹¹ My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty.

Daniel 7: 13-14

¹³ “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,^[a] coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. ¹⁴ He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Peter (who at the time had no idea of the full meaning of his words) preached a sermon at Pentecost in which he quoted the prophet Joel, saying,

Acts 2:17

‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.

Acts 2:21

And everyone who calls
    on the name of the Lord will be saved.’^[c]

Here we see in verse 17, God promised to pour out the spirit on all people. And also in Acts 21, everyone who calls the name of Jesus will be saved.

When Peter spoke those words, he was firmly committed to a Jewish church. It took a dramatic God-inspired vision to open Peter’s heart to accept Gentiles in the church (10:1-33).

The extent to which Peter was committed to a Jewish church is reflected in Acts 10, which tells us of Cornelius, a devout Gentile. Then it tells us of Peter’s housetop vision where God called him to kill and eat animals which were prohibited under Jewish law. Peter responded, “Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean” (10:14). But God responded, “What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean” (10:15).

This vision was followed by God telling Peter to meet with three men, to include Cornelius. Peter said, “You yourselves know how it is an unlawful thing for a man who is a Jew to join himself or come to one of another nation, but God has shown me that I shouldn’t call any man unholy or unclean” (10:28). While Peter was speaking to these Gentiles, the Holy Spirit came upon the Gentiles and they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. So Peter ordered them to be baptized (10:44-48).

We are in the midst of a leadership transition from Peter to Paul—a leadership transition that mirrors the transition from a Jewish church to a Jewish-Gentile church. Peter was the most prominent apostle in the first part of the book of Acts, but Saul’s conversion in chapter 9 signaled the beginning of a new era. Chapter 10 tells the story of the vision that opened Peter’s mind to the inclusion of Gentiles in the church—and of Gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit and being baptized. Chapter 11 tells of Peter defending his association with Gentiles to the Jerusalem church. Chapter 12 will tell of Peter being imprisoned by Herod and released from prison by an angel. Beginning with chapter 13, Saul (Paul), the great missionary to the Gentiles, takes the lead among the apostles, and we will hear only once more from Peter (15:7-11).

Acts 11:1-3

11 The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. ² So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him ³ and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

To understand what’s going on, we need to remind ourselves of a bit of Old Testament history. God had called Abraham from his home in a pagan city, and promised him that he would be the father of a great nation. As a sign of the covenant he made, God instructed Abraham to circumcise himself and all the men in his household. Once they had grown into a nation, they were given a set of laws which set them apart from the other nations. In particular, they had strict laws governing what they could eat. Abraham’s descendants were the Jews; everyone else was the Gentiles.

After Peter met with Cornelius there and baptized him and other Gentiles (10:44-48). Now he goes to Jerusalem to join the gathered leadership of the church.

The church was founded in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost, and Jerusalem was the center of activity for the first Christian leaders.

The charge was “You went in to uncircumcised men, and ate with them” (v. 3). There are two offenses here:

• The first offense is going to uncircumcised men. As Peter acknowledged when he met with Cornelius, “You yourselves know how it is an unlawful thing for a man who is a Jew to join himself or come to one of another nation” (10:28a).
• The second offense is eating with uncircumcised men.

A Jew observe Jewish food laws while eating with a Gentile? By definition, Gentile food is unclean.

• It is interesting that they did not raise the issue of baptizing Gentiles. Their concerns have more to do with traditional Jewish values of maintaining their separateness and observing Jewish food laws than with the Christian rite of baptism.

Ok, So now what is it for us this morning, God speaking to us?

Sometimes we forget about the radical nature of God’s love and how revolutionary the Christian movement is.

God is Moving Radically:

In Acts 10, We see Cornelius saw a vision and then parallelly Peter sees a vision. It was not only one sided , it was both.

Invitation:

Peter’s Invitation changed the life of Cornelius:

We know that Peter went to the house of Cornelius which changed everything. We can meet / invite others. Those conversations if we prayerfully move can be life transforming. Who are we inviting or who are we meeting?

Changed Mindset:

Peter been following it for years the tradition of jews whether it was relating with others or eating with them. When he saw a vision everything changed. He not only saw the vision but he also allowed the vision to be applied in his life. He was so convinced that he brings forth his defence with a changed perspective. Maybe this morning we can ask God a changed perspective. The barriers of changed perspective is not open to change. Not open to receive.

Our Personal Stories:

Peter responds to his critics by telling a story, an honest account of his unexpected and enlightened experience. It is the story, not argumentation, which changes their hearts. Luke tells us, When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, ‘Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.’

Stories, not arguments, transform lives. Had Peter come to argue theological points or debate doctrinal differences, he might not have been able to make a change in their perspective. Generally, arguments tend to crystalize differences. Debates tend to keep two sides apart. In debates and arguments, there are winners and losers. However, stories have the power to change hearts and lives… not only the old, old story but also the story of how God has acted in each of our lives; speaking to us in that still small voice, encouraging us to overcome our stereotypes, our anxieties, our preconceived notions of them and us, and to see God’s call to us in more universal terms. We sometimes forget the power of stories! We rarely tell our children the stories of how we have experienced God. We seldom tell our young people stories of how God changed our minds, redirected our paths, and opened new horizons for us. We do not tell the stories because we do not want to appear manipulative or better-than-thou or self-righteous, or to speak of holy places and times for which words are not always adequate. We do not want to appear weird or fanatical. So we keep our stories to ourselves, telling them only in the most careful contexts and in the most measured ways. This can be a loss for all of us.

¹⁸ When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

A Church in Antioch

¹⁹ Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. ²⁰ Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. ²¹ The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

Few men went to a place called Antioch, and there they began to speak about the Lord Jesus.

These men were persecuted but they never stopped and we see that they influenced so many lives.

This Morning , I felt this to share . God wants us to share the good news , share about Jesus. Irrespective of our failures, our setbacks, busyness , persecutions. God’s story need to be shared.

In verse 21 it says, Lord’s hand was with them and people believed and turned to the Lord.

²² News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. ²³ When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. ²⁴ He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

Barnabas:

Any guesses about Barnabas

Acts 4:36-37

³⁶ Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), ³⁷ sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

In the book of Acts, we find a Levite from Cyprus named Joses (Acts 4:36), whom the apostles called Barnabas. That nickname, translated “Son of Encouragement” (Acts 4:36-37) or “Son of Exhortation” was probably given to him because of his inclination to serve others (Acts 4:36-37, 9:27) and his willingness to do whatever church leaders needed (Acts 11:25-30). He is referred to as a “good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.” Through his ministry, “a great number of people were brought to the Lord” (Acts 11:24). Paul uses Barnabas as an example of one with a proper perspective on money and property. When he sold his land, he brought the proceeds to the apostles and laid it at their feet (Acts 4:36-37).

To be a Encourager:

Like Barnabas, as Christians we are called to be encouragers, particularly of those who are weak in the faith or struggling. Acts 11:23 depicts Barnabas as a man who was delighted to see others exhibiting the grace of God in their lives, exhorting and encouraging them to remain faithful. In the same way, we should look for opportunities to praise those who bring glory and honor to God through lives that reflect their faith.

To be Good:

The bible says , he was a good man. His act of kindness for others gave him a tag. He was a giver, he gave generously. The Bible says, that he sold his property and laid it the apostles feet. Barnabas is an example of a generous spirit when it comes to giving sacrificially to the work of the Lord.

To exercise Faith:

Barnabas walked in faith, he was part of Jewish church in Jerusalem. When he was sent to Antioch he came. He also did not hesitate to partner with Saul who was a murderer and persecutor.

To be filled with the Holy Spirit:

We may be a good encourager, we may be called good, we may walk in faith but if we are not filled with the holy spirit then all our efforts are of being self. The Spirt of God in us working through us.

²⁵ Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, ²⁶ and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

What a Joy when we read it , The served at that place for a year and God gave them people.

And these name Christian being used first in Antioch.

Wow, It amazes us when we read this chapter, It’s very dramatic. Peter willing to be accountable to the apostles, and then he shares his experiences , the team accepts it. Radical people like Barnabas spearheading , people like Saul pitching in and not only that they have been told about the future event (Famine).

Don’t we desire that experiences or greater experiences than this in our church , in our family. Because the same spirit is with us even now, the same radical God at work even now. The Church in Antioch trained Saul , Barnabas and many others to spearhead different churches across the globe.

God desires for RHC , we are the people, we are the Church. God is working Radically in our church. Invitation , Changed mind set, personal stories, God’s story, being an encourager, to be a giver, to exercise faith , filled with God’s spirit.

Virjil Selvan is Pastoring the Renewed Hope Community. The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel, Church in Karanjade because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.