"#$%&'!()*+!,#%%!-&!./!,#$0&11&12! 3&4#&1'!(5&6%&7$#*01!*0!87$12!! A7$*B&4!CDE!FGCF!9.!3&4H#7&! 3I/$<&!3$4&&$!;:$<&=4:%!

Transcription

1 !!! "#$%&'!()*+!,#%%!-&!./!,#$0&11&12! 3&4#&1'!(5&6%&7$#*01!*0!87$12!! A7$*B&4!CDE!FGCF!9.!3&4H#7&! 3I/$<&!3$4&&$!;:$<&=4:%! Chad E. Billington

2 %&'()(*!+,)(-./!! I life there are turning points, moments in time when a few decisions, a few moments mark a lifetime. o Decisions on where to go to school, who we expose ourselves to, whose ideas we accept. o Meeting Heidi in the office in August 2004 Married by July 2005 that one year shaped my life, the future decisions I would make, what I will care about. %01!2,,3!,4!56%7!-1$$.!-01!.-,'8!,4!90#-!:,&$;!1#.)$8!<1!,(1!,4!-01!<)**1.-! -&'()(*!=,)(-.!)(!-01!0).-,'8!,4!-01!9,'$;>! The events that happened God s coming to earth in Jesus are easily the most important events in history, but without what God orchestrates in the book of Acts, the message of the gospel could have fallen by the wayside in the history of the world. The book of Acts and its implications ring out throughout the world today. 5!?@%A!@"!65B%C@?D! We can become so familiar with the message that we miss the beauty of what s happening. STORY OF TARRY MORTLOCK, FROM NEW ZEALAND, BEING AMAZED AT THE FALL COLOURS WHICH WERE SO VIBRANT. THOSE OF US WHO SEE THEM EVERY YEAR FIND THEM NICE, HE FOUND THEM AMAZING. Acts is so familiar we can miss its beauty. We come from a Charismatic / Pentecostal background, and if we are not careful, we can reduce Acts to the story of the coming of the Holy Spirit. The most important part is Acts 2. Or as we become familiar we see how the gospel went form Jerusalem to the rest of the world (almost forgetting all that happens in the middle). All your readings and thoughts for the coming week find their roots in Acts. E#F1!8,&!1F1'!-0,&*0-!90#-!$)41!9#.!$)31!4,'!-01!5=,.-$1.!<1-911(! 5:-.!G!H!5:-.!IJ! Jesus has gone to heaven. They go back and clear up an administrative issue (appointing Matthias as an apostle). Then they wait and pray.! Then there was the waiting Then the coming of the Holy Spirit ()*+!,#%%!-&!./!,#$0&11&1J2! KFGCF! 9:@&!F!*6!L!

3 ! The church is born, 3000 people, Jews from all over the known world, with different languages coming to believe in Jesus. o If I was the strategist, I might have encouraged the different apostles to pack up their tents separately and go with the different groups, each to their homeland. o But the Apostles stay put in Jerusalem.! Have you ever wondered why?! I ve heard it said that the apostles stayed in Jerusalem because it was comfortable. Have you ever heard it said that you need to be careful not to stay in Jerusalem. o The implication is that we can get comfortable at home, and forget to go out. This is a valid thought, but I m not sure it was true for the apostles. K1'&.#$1L!9#.!(,-!'1#$$8!#!:,L4,'-#<$1!.=,-!,'!#!;).,<1;)1(-!:0,):1 G!! Jesus told them to be there Acts 1:8 (NIV) 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. Jesus told them to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit and that they would be witnesses. My Issue: How can I be a witness? The Disciples were told they would be witnesses, and I think it is worth looking at their witness to see what happened.! Jerusalem was not their home (Galilee was). Staying in Jerusalem would not feel comfortable. o Country Boys in the big city 1 I owe some good thoughts from this part of the sermon to Steven Hawthorne, who leads the mission agency WayMakers from an article of his I read when lecturing at The Perspectives Course. ()*+!,#%%!-&!./!,#$0&11&1J2! KFGCF! 9:@&!M!*6!L!

4 o When they were distraught and confused, John 21 they went back to fishing in galilee, not hanging around Jerusalem.! Jerusalem put them closest to the powers that had crucified Jesus. o Conflict with the powers and authorities brought them to the public sphere where their witness could be brought to light. In Acts 4 they after healing a man, they are brought before the Sadducees. They were told to stop preaching in Jesus name. While private witnessing has a place, a church, a movement of the people of God eventually, needs a public face. There arises a time when our faith must witness in the public space in front of others. Story: Friends from NEGST. I studied at Nairobi Evangelical School of Theology in the fall of 2003, as a visiting student. Kenya has been known for some time as one of the more stable and developing of the African nations. There were dangers when I was there, but I felt relatively safe. When I think of public witness, I think of what happened after I left. Although Kenya is a democracy, tribalism is still a key part of culture. In the election the following year, there was a dispute over who won (and the dispute ran across tribal lines). Violence ensued throughout the country. People from one tribe would attack and kill members of the other tribe (with different tribes being stronger in certain areas). I was concerned for my friends. I kept in touch with one of my professors who told me how things were troubling, but how many of his students and churches refused to participate in the violence and became sanctuaries for the people in trouble (even suffering for doing so). This is public witness. ()*+!,#%%!-&!./!,#$0&11&1J2! KFGCF! 9:@&!N!*6!L!

5 %01!M).:)=$1.!91'1!9)$$)(*!-,!9)-(1..!901'1!-018!91'1!N)(!K1'&.#$1LO! 1F1(!-0,&*0!)-!9#.(P-!#(!1#.8!=$#:1!-,!<1>! Sometimes we look at a difficult place (in our work, or in our family, or among our community) and pray that things would be easier, but the apostles model for us that we must be witnesses in the midst of difficulty. 7&441')(*!#(;!7#:')4):1!+#'-!,4!-01!+):-&'1>! We shouldn t be surprised, nor were the disciples that suffering accompanied their witness. Matthew 16:24 25 (NIV) 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. If we are going to be witnesses, we have to be ready to suffer. MÄRT VÄHI STORY THE MAN WHO SAT IN PRISON FOR 40 YEARS FOR PREACHING THE GOSPEL. ONE MAN I SAW IN A VIDEO WHO PREACHED FOR THREE HOURS TIED UP. When Jesus said it, it wasn t cliché yet. Taking up a cross literally meant be willing to die. Acts 5:40 41 (NIV) 40 His [Gamaliel s] speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Stoning of Stephen Acts 7 & 8 This culminates with the stoning of Stephen in Acts 8. ()*+!,#%%!-&!./!,#$0&11&1J2! KFGCF! 9:@&!D!*6!L!

6 When the persecution headed up (Acts 8:1), everyone scattered except the apostles. Acts 8:1 (NIV) 1 And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. The apostles stayed close to Jerusalem. The eventually would travel more (as the epistles show us), but they remained faithful to a witness in Jerusalem for quite some time.?,-!#!;,,l!#(;!.#;!9)-(1..)(*!.-,'8! We cannot forget that it is in Jerusalem that the crippled are healed (Acts 3) Many are healed (acts 5:12) Peter is miraculously is delivered from prison (Acts 12) I believe where God s people are dedicated to be his witnesses, even in the midst of true difficulty, God blesses, and sends miracles. We cannot say we want the miracles the apostles saw, if we are not willing with equal fervour to suffer and endure as they did. Where is your Jerusalem? A different feel than I m used to with this question. Acts 4:29 30 (NIV) The Apostles Prayer when threatened 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus. ()*+!,#%%!-&!./!,#$0&11&1J2! KFGCF! 9:@&!L!*6!L!