Acts 22. 23–23. 11
The Story Paul has been accused of “brining a Gentile into the Temple”. The Romans have taken charge of him for his own protection; he has been given permission to address the crowd. He tells his own story up to the point where God calls him to mission among the gentiles: that word again sets the crowd off and they are ready to kill him, so once again the Roman officer steps in, takes Paul away. He may not have understood Paul's speech in Aramaic but he knows it has caused a ruckus, so he decides to interrogate him – complete with a flogging – to find out the truth.
At that point, as the soldiers are tying him to a stake , Paul asks the officer “Hey, is this actually legal? Did you know I ma a Roman Citizen?” The officer doesn't think he can possibly be a Roman citizen. After all, Paul is dishevelled, bruised and bleeding. He doesn't look much like the type to be able to afford Roman Citizenship. “I paid a lot of money to become a citizen” is a challenge: the officer is in effect saying “Do you think I'm stupid? I know from personal experience that Citizenship costs a lot of money?” Paul, of course is able to surprise the soldier by calmly stating “I was born a citizen!” He outranked the man who had been treating him with such contempt. The law was clear:
A Roman citizen could not be tortured or whipped, nor could he receive the death penalty, unless he was found guilty of treason. And the Romans had been on the point of scourging him: a beating that often caused death.
If accused of treason, a Roman citizen had the right to be tried in Rome, and even if sentenced to death, no Roman citizen could be sentenced to die on the cross.
What is Paul doing here? Is he suddenly afraid of death or of the pain of a beating? Maybe, but not enough to wriggle out of it! What we see here, then is part of a major realignment in Paul's identity and self understanding. He perhaps more clearly than ever before sees himself as a Roman. Rather, I believe he is using his citizenship because it is his right to do so; and he is using his citizenship to get himself to the one place on the planet he had hope to get to for years – Rome! If they were going to accuse Paul of anything, let them accuse him of treason, and as a Roman citizen, he would stand trial in Rome.
In bewilderment and concern that he has already broken the law, the Roman Governor decides to call together the Sanhedrin (the Jewish Council) the next day... And as Paul begins to speak to the Sanhedrin, the high priest who is called Ananias orders someone to hit Paul in the mouth. Paul's response is immediate, sharp, and well-deserved “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!” (23v3) Now summoned by the Roman Governor, it's likely that Ananias wouldn't be wearing “priestly” clothes: these were holy and not to be worn outside of the Temple. It's quite possible that Paul, as a comparative newcomer to Jerusalem, didn't recognise that Ananias was in fact high priest. Certainly he wasn't behaving like one! Paul knows that he cannot accuse someone of breaking the law if he himself does not keep the law, so he apologises.
He then sets the two sides in the council against each other. The Sadducees were the upper-class Jews who, were careless about keeping the law, and more concerned about keeping the temple and sacrificial system going. The Pharisees were often from more modest background; they were obsessed with keeping the law and interpreting it properly so they were very learned. The Sadducees didn’t' believe in bodily resurrection; the Pharisees did – they were the ones who took the Bible literally, remember. And Paul divides the council in two by saying “I'm in chains for believing in the resurrection!” (v 6) And this was, once again, much more than a clever trick to confuse his enemies. It reveals some things that were happening in the depth of his heart. Identifying himself as a Roman Citizen does not in any sense diminish his sense of identity as a Jew and a Pharisee.
The point: Paul is a “World citizen.” he says “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law... I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” (1 Cor 9. 20-22)
Listen: we need to be within a culture in order to save people within that culture. Hit and run evangelism will not work, We need presence evangelism; we need incarnational evangelism.
The problem: Belonging in a culture, identifying ourselves with a group of people, can be difficult and even cause problems. Think of the groups you are part of – family, work colleagues, or on the football terraces. They may be good people but there may also be things in their corporate behaviour that embarrass you and that you don’t want to copy! Some Christians conclude that we should separate ourselves from all of that: keep ourselves apart so we don't pick up sin like the 'flu!
Now, when Paul openly identified himself as a Roman Citizen,that does not mean that he suddenly felt that the Romans were a great bunch of lads. It didn't mean he was blinded to the weaknesses and flaws in their culture: the appalling cruelty, the contempt for those they had defeated, the idolatry and immorality.
But at this point he has decided “These are my people too!”
Despite his deep disquiet with some of the personalities, and with the attitudes and outlook of his fellow Jews, despite the fact that some of them were “whitewashed tombs”, he clearly and definitely has his place among them, as a Pharisee who believes in the resurrection.
We don't need to like everything about the cultures around us. We don't need to be like the people around us in our attitudes and behaviours. But we need to identify with them, to be part of their lives and to treat others as our equals and our friends. How can we identify with more than one “tribe” and still remain faithful to Jesus?
The difference. Some in the Sanhedrin ask “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” (v. 9) But in fact, one had. It was precisely because of his encounters with Jesus by the Holy Spirit, and the interventions of the angels of God in his life, that Paul stood before these people as a believer in Jesus. Paul was a citizen of the supernatural realm, the Kingdom of god. Paul himself wrote to the Phlippians (from prison, possibly in Rome itself!) “our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil 3. 20).
It is when our citizenship is in Heaven, when we are focussed on Jesus, identify with him, identify ourselves first and foremost as Citizens of the Kingdom of God, that we are released from a narrow, nationalistic, exclusive attachment to one culture only. We can be Scottish and British; we can be an ordinary person from Rosyth and have specialist knowledge and skills.... no one culture is able to eat us up – because we belong to the Kingdom of God, and are able to enter into other cultures as a stranger and a visitor.
So, in the end, Paul is kept as prisoner, but kept safe from the Jews who wanted him dead. And God confirms his plan in it all: “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” (v 11). There would be further cruelties and abuses from the places where Paul claimed human citizenship – both Jewish and Roman. But the realm where his real citizenship was, where his first loyalty lies, that Kingdom is the triumphant one and will conquer in the end.
© Gilmour Lilly October 2014
Sunday, 12 October 2014
Sunday, 5 October 2014
Harvest 2014
“SEEDS”
Talks
1.
How do seeds grow? All by themselves.
Mark
4 . 26 He also said, ‘This
is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the
ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed
sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself
the soil produces corn – first the stalk, then the ear, then
the full grain in the ear. 29 As soon as the corn is ripe, he
puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.’
There
is life in seeds. They are living things, that contain all they need
to get a new plant started. All you need to do to see a seed
germinate – make a new plant – is put it somewhere warmish and
moist. Damp soil usually works well. That's all. There is life in
the seeds, that knows just what to do. All by itself, it makes a
root come out; then a green shoot that grows into a leaf....
What
might help the seeds to grow? Water? A little? Warmth? A little.
Keeping the birds off? And later on, training, pruning. What might
stop seeds from growing? Stamping on them. Breaking the leaves off.
Pulling them up to see how they are doing! Washing them away with
too much water!
Jesus
says Gods' Kingdom – “what it's like when God is given a chance
to be in charge” – is like seeds planted in the soil. God's
Kingdom is a living thing. All by itself it knows what to do: it can
start new life; it can grow; it can lead to all sorts of good things.
We don't make it grow although we can stop it growing, and we can
help it to grow well. So I want us to learn how to plant good seeds
for god's kingdom, so that we can see God's Kingdom growing in our
lives. We can see what it's like when God is allowed to be in
charge.
Mark
4 . 30 Again
he said, ‘What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what
parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard
seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when
planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with
such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.’
You
plant tiny mustard seeds – like these – and you get a bush that
is big enough for the birds to make nests in. Seeds usually grow into
something bigger and better. You plant little brown seeds and get
beautiful flowers. You plant tasteless little white seeds and get
tomatoes and lettuce. You plant hard little bullets an get soft,
sweet, juicy peas!
Jesus
says the Kingdom of God –
“what it's like when God is given a chance to be in charge” –
is
like that mustard seed: it seems so tiny and stupid ad useless. A
wee black dot. But what it grows into is bigger and better than the
seed. It is something that can be a blessing, can be enjoyed, can
help lots of people. In God's kingdom, great big, wonderful
blessings can come from tiny little starts.
3.
Seeds
reproduce themselves.
They
are predictable.
Luke
6. 43 ‘No
good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.
44 Each tree is recognised by its own fruit. People do not pick
figs from thorn-bushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man
brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an
evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.
For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
Look
at these seeds: do you know what kind of fruit or plants these
seeds came from? Apples. Oranges. Grapes (maybe!) Coriander (try
a bit!). Tomatoes. Once you identify the seed or the fruit, you
absolutely know what kind of plant produced that seed. No
questions. No oranges from apple trees. Seeds are predictable.
Jesus
said that applies to God's Kingdom – “what it's like when God is
given a chance to be in charge” – in our lives. IF we are
letting God be in charge, Kingdom seeds will be growing in our lives,
and we will grow good fruit – lives that make other people happy;
lives that share things out in god;s world; lives that make Gods;
world a better place. Your life and mine is either a “God's in
charge” tree, or its' a “you’re in charge” tree. We know
which is which, not by looking to see if people are singing the songs
at Church or whether they read their Bible; we know which is which by
whether they are a kind, good, honest person or not. What kind of
tree are you?
4.
How can I plant good seeds?
Luke
17. 5 The
apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’
6 He
replied, ‘If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say
to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and
it will obey you.We connect with God's Kingdom – with “what it's like when God is given a chance to be in charge” – by faith! That means we put our trust totally in Jesus and in what he says; in his love and what eh has done for us.
How much faith do you need to have? How much faith do you need to have to become a new person, a “God's in charge” tree? How much faith do you need to pray and see god answer? Jesus said faith as small as a mustard seed. A tiny dot. Just a little. It doesn't need to be huge. As long as it's there.
And if we trust him, then , really everything in our lives belongs to him. Faith leads to total commitment. There are not areas where he isn't allowed. Jesus told a tiny wee story like this: (Matthew 13:44 ) ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”
© Gilmour Lilly October 2014
Sunday, 28 September 2014
Acts 22. 1-22 The power of your story....
The
power of your story....
Paul
stands up to make his “defence”
in
front of this Jewish crowd. But he does that simply be telling his
story: the story of his journey with Jesus. And Jesus himself said
(Lk 21. 12-14) that these moments when we have to defend ourselves
(ἀπολογια)
are
opportunities for witness
(μαρτύριον) So
I ant us to look at the importance of our story
- It links us with others. See verses 3-5.
- The way he addresses them Brothers and fathers,
- The language, Aramaic,
- The name dropping I studied under Gamaliel
As he tells the story of his
upbringing, conversion and life in ministry, Paul is deliberately
making the links between himself and his hearers.
Story is a wonderful way of
building community. There is a actually a great deal of literature
out there on the subject. For example, Management expert Steve
Denning says
- Storytelling builds trust
- Storytelling unlocks passion – whether it be commitment, love or as in this story, anger.
- Storytelling is non-hierarchical; teaching concepts makes the speaker an “expert.” Thursday before last, peter and I were cooking a curry for all the crowds assembled in Silje's home... and one of the bridesmaids came and started asking us theological questions. It's quite a nice way to liven up curry-making, having a discussion about what it means to be filled with the Spirit.
So
here is a challenge: find someone who is a believer – and
share some of your story with each other; then observe how the
process has brought you together.
- It is lively. (vv. 6-13)
Paul
tells his story here with real narrative skill: it's exciting. In
particular, his story is, over and over again, the story of Jesus,
the story of god at work in his life:
- the Light – strong enough to be seen an midday, outshining the sun – and the experience of being blinded and helpless, a reflection of Dt 28. 28.
- The voice of Jesus (of Nazareth – an important detail for a Jewish audience for whom yeshua was a common name). It is the risen Jesus whom Paul is encountering.
- The question – “What shall I do, Lord?” This encounter with Jesus had changed him from an enemy of Jesus, into someone who can call him “Lord” .
- The visitor: Ananias who came to minster to Paul – and whose ministry word about Paul receiving his sight was fulfilled so Paul knew God had sent Ananias to him.
The
whole narrative is a series of clear “God-event”. In our
testimony, supernatural experiences, a genuine conversation with
Jesus, our own inner transformation, and the actions of other
faithful believers, come together to make a living story of god at
work. We have a faith that is rooted in narrative – not stories
made up to make a point, but stories that are the point: God-events
recorded and reflected upon.
The
first New Testament was not written but spoken – the stories of
Jesus repeated over and over. No
wonder Paul
was
not ashamed of the Gospel: it is the power
of God to
salvation.
(Rom
1. 16)
It
is the word of god: living
and active and sharper than any two edged sword
(Heb
4. 12) .
So
be
sure to partner that narrative with your narrative – your story of
god at work in your life.
“You are our letter of recommendation, written on tablets of your
hearts...” Your
story lifts faith sharing above the level of simply “doctrine” or
concepts, above the level of debate, to a level of experience –
good or bad. And
your
life, your story, may be the only bible people read. “The
gospel is not a doctrine of the tongue, but of life”
(Calvin)
So
here's another
challenge:
Ask
yourself, “Do I have a God story?” What
in your story is clearly “God at work?”
- It can be a tool for learning.
Paul
is
using his story to make the point that the Christian Way is in no
sense antagonistic to its Jewish roots. Ananias
... was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the
Jews,
who said “The
God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the
Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth.”
(v
12,
14)
And
Luke is
no doubt aware as always of the
wee bit of something
slipped
in here that
will make useful teaching
material,
about
baptism: Get
up, be baptised and wash your sins away, calling on his name. (v
15)
Baptism
in the name of Jesus means baptism in which we call upon his name;
and it is a wonderful symbol of washing our sins away – in Paul's
case the sin of persecuting the Church and the Church's Lord.
We
learn through stories. They
are a wonderful way of quietly, gently getting to grips with the
truth; especially when they are personal, individual stories of faith
and God at work.
So
here is another challenge: Can you say with
integrity, that your story, your experience, confirms the teaching of
Scripture? And if it doesn't, what are you going to do about it?
- It has its limits: (v. 17-21)
Paul knew that already. He's
not telling his story to save his skin. He's telling his story to
share the good News of Jesus. As he talks about his vision of Jesus
in the temple, several things become clear:
Firstly, that early in his
ministry, God had told him persecution would happen
Secondly, The change from
persecutor – holding the coats of those who stoned Stephen to death
– to passionate follower of Jesus, has to have come from somewhere.
But the Jews cannot accept that it is from God because his “call”
to go to the Gentiles doesn't fit with their existing worldview –
which remained one where Gentiles were dirty, undesirable outsiders.
So they shout, “Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!”
And Paul
knew
from his own experience what it was to have
felt the Holy Spirit prodding him towards faith at that point, and to
have resisted.
So – despite the strengths,
the links made, the lively experience retold and the learning offered
through the story, the crowd reject that story and shout, “Rid the
earth of him! He’s not fit to live!” . Throwing dust in the air
was a very typical Eastern expression of loathing and contempt
(similar to Muslims hitting pictures of Saddam Hussein with their
shoes.) “Gentiles” was an emotional word; and it was the word
that had begun the whole debacle.
Our
testimonies don't compel, because God doesn't compel people to faith.
Sometimes, as he did with Paul, God
turns
the volume up to make himself heard, but
although he wants everyone to be saved, God
doesn't compel people to faith.
Our
story can be powerful. But it's not compelling, in
the same way that a logical, answer to Richard Dawkins isn't
compelling; in the same way that a miracle of healing isn’t
compelling. Because, God doesn't compel us into faith. It
has
limits. It will not persuade those who are determined to reject it.
It will not force men
and women into faith.
Telling
our story is a great strategy.
It is one
we need to master. But without the power of the Holy
Spirit,
it will fail. So
we
need to pray: to keep on banging the doors of heaven, asking for
mountains of unbelief to be removed. And we need to persevere. To
keep on loving people, to keep on sharing the Gospel; to keep on
living consistently among people. Even when he arrived at his final
destination on earth – Rome – Paul's first action was to call
together the local Jewish leaders (Acts 28. 18); and even thought he
Jews rejected his message, he still welcomed all who came to see him.
(v. 30)
We don't know what God will do
and we don't know what people will do, with our story. So our
fourth challenge, is to identify someone whom you want to come
to know Jesus – someone who hasn't moved an inch in years maybe –
and pray for them.
Sunday, 14 September 2014
1 Timothy 2 - Call to Prayer for our world!
1 Timothy 2
1. Called to pray for the world
Paul urges – and that word at root means calls – the Church to prayer for or world. It is part of our calling as Christians. Peter says we are a kingdom of priests (1 Pet 2. 9). We think we understand in Baptist Churches the idea of the “priesthood of all believers”: we don't need someone to stand between us and God – because Jesus our Great High priest has offered his own life for us – and we are therefore all priests who can approach God. Every believer is a priest. But who are we priests for? We often think we are simply or own priests: but I believe we are meant to be priests for one another, and for the world.
All sorts of prayers: pleas, prayers, petitions and thanksgiving be made for our world. It's difficult to discover quite what Paul meant by these words. Pleas suggest specific requests in times of need; petitions is a difficult word to translate but the root idea is of meeting together to have a conversation; and of course there is thanksgiving (the word that soon came to refer to the Communion service!) You may not feel you are great at praying a long prayer but you can be part of the conversation.
For all sorts of people especially those in authority. Do you pray for all sorts? I challenge us:
1. pick our least liked politician and pray for him or her – not that they will get elected or win in the referendum but for blessing and encounter with God.
2. When you watch the news on TV, instead of sitting there like Victor Meldrew saying “How awful” or “What rubbish,” pray blessing on them.
The outcome of our prayers is that we live in a world where we can be gentle and peaceful not just quiet uncomfortable at but at peace with what is going on. A world where there is space for reverence and solemnity or dignity. In other words we pray for our world so that we may live in a world that where there are
1. Righteousness and justice. A fairer, purer world
2. opportunities for others to receive God's salvation
2. Centring our prayer on the will of God
It's easy to pray our prayers to be focussed on the Church's internal affairs: for “revival” or for “Missionaries” or for our own sick folk. We need to pray these things. But we need to pray for our world: it particularly pleases our heavenly Father when we pray for our world. We are praying within the will of God because God loves the world.
"God desires everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth"
There are two errors that quench our prayers and our witness.
Our history of Calvinism that thinks God has determined who gets saved – and who doesn't. " God desires everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth"
Modern universalism that thinks everyone is going to be saved anyway. Paul says there is one God and one mediator who can fix our relationship with God, Jesus who died for us.
Everyone needs to be saved and to know of the truth; but God wants everyone to be saved.
So we need to pray and we need to take action. According to Alan Donaldson, the average church member never shares their faith.
3 .Character of the prayer warrior
In v. 8 to 14, superficially it looks as if Paul is saying "men have to pray, and women have to dress modestly, keep quiet and have babies." And yes, the the “men” in v 8 means adult males, not mankind. We need to unpack the bit about women: then we'll come back to the men.
We have 3 choices in dealing with this passage
1. Throw it out because it doesn't fit in our world.
2. Take it literally and at face value for today, or
3. Interpreted carefully and find out what it really means. I believe that's what we need to do.
Paul wasn't laying down a rule for for all time. I say that for a number of reasons...
1. The example of Jesus: Mary sat at Jesus feet as a student with a Rabbi (Lk 10. 39) , and Mary Magdalene was the first witness to the risen Jesus (Jn 20. 17).
2. The clear teaching of Paul, for example in Gal 3.28.
3. The example of Paul who in Romans 16, refers to a number of women who had leadership gifts and responsibilities: Phoebe (v. 1) was a servant of the Church who travelled far afield on its behalf; Priscilla was one of his fellow-workers (v. 3); Mary (v. 6) and Tryphena and Tryphosa (v. 12) worked hard; and Junia (v. 7) was outstanding among the apostles.
4. The passage itself: it does temporarily restrain women but contains the seeds of liberation. Let's look a bit closer at it...
Look at the contrasting verbs inverse 11f;
1. “Let a woman learn” (v. 11) is a continuous command. The very idea of “letting women learn” was extremely radical at a time, when it was often considered a dangerous waste of money to teach a girl to read.
2. "I do not permit” by contrast, is a simple present tense. "I am not permitting..."
Paul has reasons in the first century why he needs to restrain women form “cashing in” too quickly on their freedom in Christ. But the fact that they are learning implies that they will be able to use what they have learned.
Paul uses a teaching method that anchors ideas to three known points: creation fall and redemption
1. Creation : Man was made first. This implies headship. Where my head goes my body usually goes too. In birth, the head comes first, but the body follows behind.
2. Fall: Eve was deceived. Adam wasn't. He just disobeyed. Whose sin was greater?
3. Redemption. “Women shall be saved through childbearing.” This has embarrassed the church since at least 370 a.d. Clearly Paul doesn't mean having babies saves women. That would be tough on those who have never had children. Some people suggest that “childbearing” means the birth of Jesus. I think they are wrong. The key to the text is the meaning of the word “through”. In Greek as in English it can refer to cause and effect: “through no fault of your own.” But the primary meaning is passage in space or time. “Pushing through the crowd.” We should use “through” in this way here. Women will be saved, in the midst of pregnancy, morning sickness, broken nights and all the other things that crowd into their lives, if they hold on to Jesus. In other words, womanhood is no obstacle to salvation. Women are saved in exactly the same way men are.
In Ephesus, there were people who were messing up their own faith and the faith of others (1. 3ff, 20) It is possible that some of these were pushing women forward despite their lack of knowledge. Could it be that some of the men were too ready to take a back seat and let the women get on with things. Often the intercessors in the Church today are women. However, we are all prayer warriors. Men should play their part. Many years ago we had ornaments Pam had brought back from Africa, that we suspected may have had occult connections, and we felt we had to break them up and burn them. Pam hit them with the axe, but made no impression. The I had a go and broke them. Pam saw an acted parable in that: men need to exercise spiritual authority in prayer and warfare. Men and women are different. Even a skinny guy like me, has a bit of muscle. Men, we need to learn hwo to use that spiritual muscle God has given us.
All are called to be holy, distinctive, and united. Our prayers flow from being what we long to see in our world. And especially, men are to “man up”, flex their muscle, exercise headship, and pray.
© Gilmour Lilly September 2014
1. Called to pray for the world
Paul urges – and that word at root means calls – the Church to prayer for or world. It is part of our calling as Christians. Peter says we are a kingdom of priests (1 Pet 2. 9). We think we understand in Baptist Churches the idea of the “priesthood of all believers”: we don't need someone to stand between us and God – because Jesus our Great High priest has offered his own life for us – and we are therefore all priests who can approach God. Every believer is a priest. But who are we priests for? We often think we are simply or own priests: but I believe we are meant to be priests for one another, and for the world.
All sorts of prayers: pleas, prayers, petitions and thanksgiving be made for our world. It's difficult to discover quite what Paul meant by these words. Pleas suggest specific requests in times of need; petitions is a difficult word to translate but the root idea is of meeting together to have a conversation; and of course there is thanksgiving (the word that soon came to refer to the Communion service!) You may not feel you are great at praying a long prayer but you can be part of the conversation.
For all sorts of people especially those in authority. Do you pray for all sorts? I challenge us:
1. pick our least liked politician and pray for him or her – not that they will get elected or win in the referendum but for blessing and encounter with God.
2. When you watch the news on TV, instead of sitting there like Victor Meldrew saying “How awful” or “What rubbish,” pray blessing on them.
The outcome of our prayers is that we live in a world where we can be gentle and peaceful not just quiet uncomfortable at but at peace with what is going on. A world where there is space for reverence and solemnity or dignity. In other words we pray for our world so that we may live in a world that where there are
1. Righteousness and justice. A fairer, purer world
2. opportunities for others to receive God's salvation
2. Centring our prayer on the will of God
It's easy to pray our prayers to be focussed on the Church's internal affairs: for “revival” or for “Missionaries” or for our own sick folk. We need to pray these things. But we need to pray for our world: it particularly pleases our heavenly Father when we pray for our world. We are praying within the will of God because God loves the world.
"God desires everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth"
There are two errors that quench our prayers and our witness.
Our history of Calvinism that thinks God has determined who gets saved – and who doesn't. " God desires everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth"
Modern universalism that thinks everyone is going to be saved anyway. Paul says there is one God and one mediator who can fix our relationship with God, Jesus who died for us.
Everyone needs to be saved and to know of the truth; but God wants everyone to be saved.
So we need to pray and we need to take action. According to Alan Donaldson, the average church member never shares their faith.
3 .Character of the prayer warrior
In v. 8 to 14, superficially it looks as if Paul is saying "men have to pray, and women have to dress modestly, keep quiet and have babies." And yes, the the “men” in v 8 means adult males, not mankind. We need to unpack the bit about women: then we'll come back to the men.
We have 3 choices in dealing with this passage
1. Throw it out because it doesn't fit in our world.
2. Take it literally and at face value for today, or
3. Interpreted carefully and find out what it really means. I believe that's what we need to do.
Paul wasn't laying down a rule for for all time. I say that for a number of reasons...
1. The example of Jesus: Mary sat at Jesus feet as a student with a Rabbi (Lk 10. 39) , and Mary Magdalene was the first witness to the risen Jesus (Jn 20. 17).
2. The clear teaching of Paul, for example in Gal 3.28.
3. The example of Paul who in Romans 16, refers to a number of women who had leadership gifts and responsibilities: Phoebe (v. 1) was a servant of the Church who travelled far afield on its behalf; Priscilla was one of his fellow-workers (v. 3); Mary (v. 6) and Tryphena and Tryphosa (v. 12) worked hard; and Junia (v. 7) was outstanding among the apostles.
4. The passage itself: it does temporarily restrain women but contains the seeds of liberation. Let's look a bit closer at it...
Look at the contrasting verbs inverse 11f;
1. “Let a woman learn” (v. 11) is a continuous command. The very idea of “letting women learn” was extremely radical at a time, when it was often considered a dangerous waste of money to teach a girl to read.
2. "I do not permit” by contrast, is a simple present tense. "I am not permitting..."
Paul has reasons in the first century why he needs to restrain women form “cashing in” too quickly on their freedom in Christ. But the fact that they are learning implies that they will be able to use what they have learned.
Paul uses a teaching method that anchors ideas to three known points: creation fall and redemption
1. Creation : Man was made first. This implies headship. Where my head goes my body usually goes too. In birth, the head comes first, but the body follows behind.
2. Fall: Eve was deceived. Adam wasn't. He just disobeyed. Whose sin was greater?
3. Redemption. “Women shall be saved through childbearing.” This has embarrassed the church since at least 370 a.d. Clearly Paul doesn't mean having babies saves women. That would be tough on those who have never had children. Some people suggest that “childbearing” means the birth of Jesus. I think they are wrong. The key to the text is the meaning of the word “through”. In Greek as in English it can refer to cause and effect: “through no fault of your own.” But the primary meaning is passage in space or time. “Pushing through the crowd.” We should use “through” in this way here. Women will be saved, in the midst of pregnancy, morning sickness, broken nights and all the other things that crowd into their lives, if they hold on to Jesus. In other words, womanhood is no obstacle to salvation. Women are saved in exactly the same way men are.
In Ephesus, there were people who were messing up their own faith and the faith of others (1. 3ff, 20) It is possible that some of these were pushing women forward despite their lack of knowledge. Could it be that some of the men were too ready to take a back seat and let the women get on with things. Often the intercessors in the Church today are women. However, we are all prayer warriors. Men should play their part. Many years ago we had ornaments Pam had brought back from Africa, that we suspected may have had occult connections, and we felt we had to break them up and burn them. Pam hit them with the axe, but made no impression. The I had a go and broke them. Pam saw an acted parable in that: men need to exercise spiritual authority in prayer and warfare. Men and women are different. Even a skinny guy like me, has a bit of muscle. Men, we need to learn hwo to use that spiritual muscle God has given us.
All are called to be holy, distinctive, and united. Our prayers flow from being what we long to see in our world. And especially, men are to “man up”, flex their muscle, exercise headship, and pray.
© Gilmour Lilly September 2014
Sunday, 7 September 2014
Acts 21. 17-40
Acts 21. 17-40
So, eventually, Paul arrives in Jerusalem, and meets up with the Elders of the Church there – maybe 70 of them as the Church numbered thousands. There's a moment of joy and celebration as Paul introduces the brothers from Asia and Greece – living evidence of God at work. And he hands over the supportive financial gift from the Gentile churches – evidence of Paul's and their ongoing concern and respect for the Jerusalem Church, even though it was different to the gentile churches.
Whoops: rumour and compromise
But there's a concern that the elders feel they need to raise. (verses 20-21 There's a rumour going round. It's being said that Paul doesn't' care about the “Law;” not only is he preaching to gentiles but he's even telling Jews to give up following the law of Moses. It's a rumour. It's not true. The elders at Jerusalem should have stood with Paul, given him the opportunity to speak to the local believers, but instead – almost as if they are tempted to believe it themselves – they ask Paul to go through this ritual purification and pay for others' sacrifices, in order to demonstrate he was “sound”.
The Elders totally misread the situation: the action appears to have done nothing to warm the Hebraic Jews to Paul and his team. Paul unwisely went along with it. As far as he was concerned, he had taken vows before and could do so again.
Yuk: The world in the Church.
Rumour, suspicions, gossip, unconfirmed assumptions, in the church, and being acted on by the Elders. So Paul is in and out of the Tempe for a week... and some of the Asian Jews who had a score to settle with Paul recognise him in the street, with a Gentile guy called Trophimus; then they see Paul in the temple, and assume Paul has taken Trophimus into the temple with him. (verse 27-29) Now there was part of the Temple where gentiles were allowed: it was called the Court of the Gentiles. To go beyond that, you had to pass signs warning that no Gentiles were allowed, on pain of death. The Romans tolerated it, and archaelologists have actually found two of these signs. So it's not even likely that Trophimus had accidentally wandered in there on his own, far less been conducted in by Paul. It's a rumour, an unconfirmed assumption.
What is sad is that the Church was doing exactly what the world was doing. Gossip; rumour, unconfirmed assumptions. Then they melted into the background and let Paul handle things on his own. They were more concerned about surviving in Jerusalem than about truth, about brotherly relationships or about the wider mission. There was no Barnabas figure this time; nobody was prepared to take Paul's side. That's the world in the church. When I as a student I heard a prominent preacher condem “guitaar twanging, dressing like worldlings, and using modern idion in worship”. He was missing the point. The world in the Church is when we treat each other no different to who the world would.
Aha: With Jesus
The same “urban myth” that drove the Elders to ask Paul to go to the temple, drives the people there to start a riot. The way Luke describes the volatile situation in verses 30-31 reads very much like the riot in Ephesus, two chapters earlier. One or two rabble-rousers, everyone running together, the whole city in uproar, people being grabbed and manhandled, one shouting one thing, on shouting another. Not only was the Church no better than the world, but the behaviour of these Jews is no better than that of the pagans some months previously: Jerusalem was no better than Ephesus. Paul has to be physically carried by the soldiers to prevent the crowd from tearing him limb from limb. And the crowd are shouting “Kill him, get rid of him; Away with him!” Does that ring any bells? The same word is used in John 19. 15. What is happening to Paul is not only the same as had happened in Ephesus, it is also the same as had happened to Jesus.
That's a eureka moment for Paul: I believe its' a moment of destiny and realisation. If I was Paul, I'd be crying tears of joy at that moment: here he is, the chief of sinners, and what an honour, the crowds are saying the same thing about him as they said about Jesus. This connects with the depth of Paul’s This whole journey for Paul as a journey with Jesus. James S Stewart, Scottish New Testament Theologian ranked ans the best preacher of the twentieth century, wrote that “union with Christ” is the “key which unlocks the secrets “ of Paul's soul. He uses the phrase “In Christ” 82 times. Union with Christ
Deals with his past: There is no condemnation for those who are In Christ. (Rom 8. 1)
Gives him an identity in the present: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal 2. 20)
Gives him a future hope. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Phil 1. 21. )
Whee: a moment of opportunity.
So when he manages to get the Roman Officer's attention, the last thing on Paul's mind is saving his skin. But he does want human contact with this guy... so he asks “May I say something to you?”
Now, three years earlier, an Egyptian adventurer had tried to stage a coup in Jerusalem: he had gathered thousands of supporters. He had told them the walls of Jerusalem would fall down at his command (a bit like the story of Joshua at Jericho) and then they were to march in and kick the Romans out. The walls didn't fall down, the Romans heard about the mob, killed some and arrested others. The Egyptian disappeared. The officer assumed that this Egyptian had turned up in the Temple, where he was not popular and people had immediately wanted to lynch him. Imagine his surprise when his “Egyptian” spoke with an educated Greek accent, politely asking for a hearing.
“You mean you speak Greek – so you're not that crazy Egyptian?”
No, I'm Jewish, raised in Tarsus, a respectable, self-governing city in Cilicia.. I know I'm under arrest an all – but do you mind if I speak to the crowd for a minute or two?”
And maybe because the officer was caught off guard, maybe because he was satisfied Paul was a decent sort of guy, he gave him permission to speak. God is at work – even in a desperate situation. There was a moment of opportunity to say something for Jesus. So speaking in Aramaic, the common language of the area, Paul begins to tell his story.
Yeah: riding the wave...
Like he has been since the moment he put his trust in Jesus., indeed like Jesus. himself at Gethsemane, Paul knows and accept s that god's plan is working out.... he's not fighting it. He's not hiding from it. He's riding the wave.
Its' a pretty scary wave to be riding. Paul is in real danger. The forces against him are confusing – superficially respectable but actually quite pagan and satanic. He's not even too sure the Jerusalem Church is really with him. His ally here is a Roman Colonel who wasn’t too good at checking his facts. But Paul is riding that wave: he uses what he has – Roman Citizenship, Greek education and Jewish culture, to tell the people not only of his innocence but about the Good news of Jesus. He's not pleading for his life – he's pleading for theirs.
We need to become surfers – who will ride the waves god sends along – even if these waves are scary; dangerous; uncertain; in our families, in our streets, to take the opportunities we get, to talk about Jesus, to pray in his name for people, to do “kingdom” things, show the Father's love. And leave the consequences to the Holy Spirit.
© Gilmour Lilly September 2014
So, eventually, Paul arrives in Jerusalem, and meets up with the Elders of the Church there – maybe 70 of them as the Church numbered thousands. There's a moment of joy and celebration as Paul introduces the brothers from Asia and Greece – living evidence of God at work. And he hands over the supportive financial gift from the Gentile churches – evidence of Paul's and their ongoing concern and respect for the Jerusalem Church, even though it was different to the gentile churches.
Whoops: rumour and compromise
But there's a concern that the elders feel they need to raise. (verses 20-21 There's a rumour going round. It's being said that Paul doesn't' care about the “Law;” not only is he preaching to gentiles but he's even telling Jews to give up following the law of Moses. It's a rumour. It's not true. The elders at Jerusalem should have stood with Paul, given him the opportunity to speak to the local believers, but instead – almost as if they are tempted to believe it themselves – they ask Paul to go through this ritual purification and pay for others' sacrifices, in order to demonstrate he was “sound”.
The Elders totally misread the situation: the action appears to have done nothing to warm the Hebraic Jews to Paul and his team. Paul unwisely went along with it. As far as he was concerned, he had taken vows before and could do so again.
Yuk: The world in the Church.
Rumour, suspicions, gossip, unconfirmed assumptions, in the church, and being acted on by the Elders. So Paul is in and out of the Tempe for a week... and some of the Asian Jews who had a score to settle with Paul recognise him in the street, with a Gentile guy called Trophimus; then they see Paul in the temple, and assume Paul has taken Trophimus into the temple with him. (verse 27-29) Now there was part of the Temple where gentiles were allowed: it was called the Court of the Gentiles. To go beyond that, you had to pass signs warning that no Gentiles were allowed, on pain of death. The Romans tolerated it, and archaelologists have actually found two of these signs. So it's not even likely that Trophimus had accidentally wandered in there on his own, far less been conducted in by Paul. It's a rumour, an unconfirmed assumption.
What is sad is that the Church was doing exactly what the world was doing. Gossip; rumour, unconfirmed assumptions. Then they melted into the background and let Paul handle things on his own. They were more concerned about surviving in Jerusalem than about truth, about brotherly relationships or about the wider mission. There was no Barnabas figure this time; nobody was prepared to take Paul's side. That's the world in the church. When I as a student I heard a prominent preacher condem “guitaar twanging, dressing like worldlings, and using modern idion in worship”. He was missing the point. The world in the Church is when we treat each other no different to who the world would.
Aha: With Jesus
The same “urban myth” that drove the Elders to ask Paul to go to the temple, drives the people there to start a riot. The way Luke describes the volatile situation in verses 30-31 reads very much like the riot in Ephesus, two chapters earlier. One or two rabble-rousers, everyone running together, the whole city in uproar, people being grabbed and manhandled, one shouting one thing, on shouting another. Not only was the Church no better than the world, but the behaviour of these Jews is no better than that of the pagans some months previously: Jerusalem was no better than Ephesus. Paul has to be physically carried by the soldiers to prevent the crowd from tearing him limb from limb. And the crowd are shouting “Kill him, get rid of him; Away with him!” Does that ring any bells? The same word is used in John 19. 15. What is happening to Paul is not only the same as had happened in Ephesus, it is also the same as had happened to Jesus.
That's a eureka moment for Paul: I believe its' a moment of destiny and realisation. If I was Paul, I'd be crying tears of joy at that moment: here he is, the chief of sinners, and what an honour, the crowds are saying the same thing about him as they said about Jesus. This connects with the depth of Paul’s This whole journey for Paul as a journey with Jesus. James S Stewart, Scottish New Testament Theologian ranked ans the best preacher of the twentieth century, wrote that “union with Christ” is the “key which unlocks the secrets “ of Paul's soul. He uses the phrase “In Christ” 82 times. Union with Christ
Deals with his past: There is no condemnation for those who are In Christ. (Rom 8. 1)
Gives him an identity in the present: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal 2. 20)
Gives him a future hope. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Phil 1. 21. )
Whee: a moment of opportunity.
So when he manages to get the Roman Officer's attention, the last thing on Paul's mind is saving his skin. But he does want human contact with this guy... so he asks “May I say something to you?”
Now, three years earlier, an Egyptian adventurer had tried to stage a coup in Jerusalem: he had gathered thousands of supporters. He had told them the walls of Jerusalem would fall down at his command (a bit like the story of Joshua at Jericho) and then they were to march in and kick the Romans out. The walls didn't fall down, the Romans heard about the mob, killed some and arrested others. The Egyptian disappeared. The officer assumed that this Egyptian had turned up in the Temple, where he was not popular and people had immediately wanted to lynch him. Imagine his surprise when his “Egyptian” spoke with an educated Greek accent, politely asking for a hearing.
“You mean you speak Greek – so you're not that crazy Egyptian?”
No, I'm Jewish, raised in Tarsus, a respectable, self-governing city in Cilicia.. I know I'm under arrest an all – but do you mind if I speak to the crowd for a minute or two?”
And maybe because the officer was caught off guard, maybe because he was satisfied Paul was a decent sort of guy, he gave him permission to speak. God is at work – even in a desperate situation. There was a moment of opportunity to say something for Jesus. So speaking in Aramaic, the common language of the area, Paul begins to tell his story.
Yeah: riding the wave...
Like he has been since the moment he put his trust in Jesus., indeed like Jesus. himself at Gethsemane, Paul knows and accept s that god's plan is working out.... he's not fighting it. He's not hiding from it. He's riding the wave.
Its' a pretty scary wave to be riding. Paul is in real danger. The forces against him are confusing – superficially respectable but actually quite pagan and satanic. He's not even too sure the Jerusalem Church is really with him. His ally here is a Roman Colonel who wasn’t too good at checking his facts. But Paul is riding that wave: he uses what he has – Roman Citizenship, Greek education and Jewish culture, to tell the people not only of his innocence but about the Good news of Jesus. He's not pleading for his life – he's pleading for theirs.
We need to become surfers – who will ride the waves god sends along – even if these waves are scary; dangerous; uncertain; in our families, in our streets, to take the opportunities we get, to talk about Jesus, to pray in his name for people, to do “kingdom” things, show the Father's love. And leave the consequences to the Holy Spirit.
© Gilmour Lilly September 2014
Sunday, 31 August 2014
Acts 21. 1-16
The kind Church the Spirit plants.
Isn't it good, when you go on holiday, to get to church? You see what a different congregation are doing: comfy seats, coffee and doughnuts before the service, nice new actions songs for the kids, the minister wears robes – or jeans. As Paul lands in Syria and works his way towards Jerusalem, he finds himself among churches he's not seen for years – maybe never been to before; but he has the joy of seeing that God is at work in these churches... in Tyre, in Ptolemais, in Caesarea, and even in Jerusalem
These were probably groups that had come into existence as far back as Acts 11. 19. In the excitement of the story of Antioch – remember, where the Church first began preaching the Good news to people who weren't Jewish – and Paul's journeys from there, they are hardly mentioned until now, but God has at work by the Holy Spirit. In places that Paul has had no involvement, churches have sprung up. What are these Churches like that have been growing up without Paul's input?
1. Inclusive
These had probably begun as groups of Jewish Christians. Remember it was only when the Good news came as far North as Antioch that disciples routinely began preaching to Gentiles. So these groups had begun as Jewish disciples – but most likely Greek-speaking Jews, and probably some gentiles had joined some of them over the years. The were certainly quite comfortable with Greeks like Luke being around. In Tyre, Paul found himself surrounded by not only the men but the women and children too. We are learning from Gods' word the importance of welcoming the children in our homes and our life together. Even the Jerusalem church – which seems to have had a a bit more of a Jewish flavour – still had room for people like Mnason the Cypriot who had been there along time. Different flavours in different congregations; and even within those congregations, different characters and outlooks.
Look around you at the Church you are part of: what sort of people are they? They are a mix of male and female, old and young; outlooks can be deeply different. But they are together. The fact that er are all different, means that there is a place here for you.
2. Prophetic
They were places where people heard from God. These were groups where they were used to hearing from God – not only through the preached word but also through the Holy Spirit's gift of prophecy. In Tyre, “Through the Spirit” – that is in response to something they became aware of through the spiritual gifts of prophecy – they warned Paul to keep away from Jerusalem. In Caesarea, Philip had four daughters who had a prophetic ministry. And to Caesarea, came Agabus, who again brought an acted-out prophecy about what was going to happen to Paul.
This wee passage tells us a lot about the prophetic ministry in the earliest Church.
Diversity . From unknown individuals in the Church at Tyre; to the daughters of Philip – young women, maybe teenagers; to Agabus who had exercised a prophetic ministry for years and been proved “Right” (see Acts 11. 28) . We have a God who speaks; and we have a God who speaks through old and young; well-known and obscure; he could speak through you.
Discernment Luke tells us that “Through the Spirit” the Christians in Tyre warned Paul against going to Jerusalem So who was right and who was wrong? Should Paul have obeyed that prophetic word? Or did those who warned Paul get it wrong?Paul knew God was calling him to go to Jerusalem, despite the dangers. God never contradicts himself. So here's what I believe was happening. The Holy Spirit showed them what was going to happen to Paul, confirming what Paul already knew. That was the “God” bit, “Through the Spirit”. Then they concluded, “if this is what is going to happen to you – don't go!” They, quite understandably but wrongly, decided God must be warning Paul not to go to Jerusalem.
We need, therefore, to be careful about what we do with prophetic words. We need to get in the habit of expectancy; but we need to get in the habit of self-awareness so we can spot when our own thoughts and feelings seep into what we are saying. And we need to get the habit of asking questions: “Lord, I believe that this is what you are saying, but what does it mean?” It is possible to get something wrong. All prophecy should be weighed and especially any prophecy that involves telling people “what God says they are to do.”
Then Luke gives us a throw-away piece of information about Philip's daughters, but doesn't tell us what, if anything, they said. (Incidentally, this is one of these indicators that Luke’s telling of the story can be believed: if he was making this stuff up, what would be better than to put some prophetic word into the mouths of Philip's young daughters?) It's perfectly possible that although they had prophetic gifts, they were simply not given anything at this point. Having a prophetic gift doesn't mean we are always prophesying. In fact, Philip and his daughters eventually moved to Asia, where as more mature women they were sought out, not for the prophetic but as eye-witnesses of the earliest days of the Church.
Drama But when Agabus turned up, he had a word from God. He took Paul's belt; tied his own wrists with it, and then said “The owner of this belt is going to be tied up just like this....” The Holy Spirit is a good communicator. The prophetic can come visually as well as verbally. It doesn’t need to be dressed up in language and grammar that is quaint and out of date: in fact I would go so far as to say that authentic prophecy will always be in a form that the hearers can immediately identify with.
Depth. The prophetic will not always involve promises of blessings and prosperity. If we examine the prophetic in the Bible we find many times there are warnings and challenges. The point about prophecy is not to make us feel good: it is to build us up and encourage us so we are able to make the next step on our journey. Judgement without grace, and blessings without holiness, are equally marks of false prophecy.
We need to be a community with a reputation for being somewhere people hear from God. We can hear from God both through Scripture and preaching that explains Scripture, and through the Holy Spirit: speaking directly into our lives, challenging us, correcting us, warning us. Let us be expect to hear the voice of God.”
3. Loving.
Paul and his team were show such love: this took a number of forms:
Welcoming: Hospitality that was more than skin deep.
The Church at Tyre welcomed Paul (and a sizeable team); they opened their homes to them. They opened their hearts to them: the fact that whole families including women and children accompanied Paul to the beach, shows that Paul had embedded himself in families and become “part of their lives”.
Weeping: Dealing with emotional stuff.
At Caesarea they all wept over Paul as he went into a dangerous situation. The Bible tells us to weep with those who weep, and we need to be brave enough to sit with people and support them when they are going through difficult times. But at one point Paul had to tell them off for crying and making a fuss about the risks he was taking. It almost seems a bit harsh of Paul to speak like that; but I guess he had his own feelings to deal with as he faced an uncertain future in Jerusalem. Like Paul’s friends, we sometimes don't get it right. Sometimes our emotions get in the way of other peoples' healing.
Walking. Being there for people.
These were people who were prepared to walk with Paul through this difficult journey. They travelled with Paul, not just to “see him off” but right the way from Caesarea to Jerusalem, so he could find Mnason's house. Sometimes we need to walk with people when we can't fix their problems or stop them from doing something foolish. It's important not only to weep with people but to walk with them.
4. Trinity
The Church, the ministry, the mission, is never just about us. It is always about the mysterious, mighty, wonderful three-in-one God: Luke mentions all three persons of the Trinity:
The Spirit is constantly there, filling, empowering, gifting, speaking to God's people.
The Lord Jesus – who died for us and rose again, motivates us. He deserves our absolute 100%
unconditional love, surrender. Love so amazing, so divine demands my soul, my life, my all.
The Father: who rules over everything. When Luke and the others couldn't persuade Paul to stay away from Jerusalem, (and they did try!) they had to say “The Lord's will be done.” The Lord is King – and to come to him, receive him, can only be done in one posture – face down.
© Gilmour Lilly August 2014
Isn't it good, when you go on holiday, to get to church? You see what a different congregation are doing: comfy seats, coffee and doughnuts before the service, nice new actions songs for the kids, the minister wears robes – or jeans. As Paul lands in Syria and works his way towards Jerusalem, he finds himself among churches he's not seen for years – maybe never been to before; but he has the joy of seeing that God is at work in these churches... in Tyre, in Ptolemais, in Caesarea, and even in Jerusalem
These were probably groups that had come into existence as far back as Acts 11. 19. In the excitement of the story of Antioch – remember, where the Church first began preaching the Good news to people who weren't Jewish – and Paul's journeys from there, they are hardly mentioned until now, but God has at work by the Holy Spirit. In places that Paul has had no involvement, churches have sprung up. What are these Churches like that have been growing up without Paul's input?
1. Inclusive
These had probably begun as groups of Jewish Christians. Remember it was only when the Good news came as far North as Antioch that disciples routinely began preaching to Gentiles. So these groups had begun as Jewish disciples – but most likely Greek-speaking Jews, and probably some gentiles had joined some of them over the years. The were certainly quite comfortable with Greeks like Luke being around. In Tyre, Paul found himself surrounded by not only the men but the women and children too. We are learning from Gods' word the importance of welcoming the children in our homes and our life together. Even the Jerusalem church – which seems to have had a a bit more of a Jewish flavour – still had room for people like Mnason the Cypriot who had been there along time. Different flavours in different congregations; and even within those congregations, different characters and outlooks.
Look around you at the Church you are part of: what sort of people are they? They are a mix of male and female, old and young; outlooks can be deeply different. But they are together. The fact that er are all different, means that there is a place here for you.
2. Prophetic
They were places where people heard from God. These were groups where they were used to hearing from God – not only through the preached word but also through the Holy Spirit's gift of prophecy. In Tyre, “Through the Spirit” – that is in response to something they became aware of through the spiritual gifts of prophecy – they warned Paul to keep away from Jerusalem. In Caesarea, Philip had four daughters who had a prophetic ministry. And to Caesarea, came Agabus, who again brought an acted-out prophecy about what was going to happen to Paul.
This wee passage tells us a lot about the prophetic ministry in the earliest Church.
Diversity . From unknown individuals in the Church at Tyre; to the daughters of Philip – young women, maybe teenagers; to Agabus who had exercised a prophetic ministry for years and been proved “Right” (see Acts 11. 28) . We have a God who speaks; and we have a God who speaks through old and young; well-known and obscure; he could speak through you.
Discernment Luke tells us that “Through the Spirit” the Christians in Tyre warned Paul against going to Jerusalem So who was right and who was wrong? Should Paul have obeyed that prophetic word? Or did those who warned Paul get it wrong?Paul knew God was calling him to go to Jerusalem, despite the dangers. God never contradicts himself. So here's what I believe was happening. The Holy Spirit showed them what was going to happen to Paul, confirming what Paul already knew. That was the “God” bit, “Through the Spirit”. Then they concluded, “if this is what is going to happen to you – don't go!” They, quite understandably but wrongly, decided God must be warning Paul not to go to Jerusalem.
We need, therefore, to be careful about what we do with prophetic words. We need to get in the habit of expectancy; but we need to get in the habit of self-awareness so we can spot when our own thoughts and feelings seep into what we are saying. And we need to get the habit of asking questions: “Lord, I believe that this is what you are saying, but what does it mean?” It is possible to get something wrong. All prophecy should be weighed and especially any prophecy that involves telling people “what God says they are to do.”
Then Luke gives us a throw-away piece of information about Philip's daughters, but doesn't tell us what, if anything, they said. (Incidentally, this is one of these indicators that Luke’s telling of the story can be believed: if he was making this stuff up, what would be better than to put some prophetic word into the mouths of Philip's young daughters?) It's perfectly possible that although they had prophetic gifts, they were simply not given anything at this point. Having a prophetic gift doesn't mean we are always prophesying. In fact, Philip and his daughters eventually moved to Asia, where as more mature women they were sought out, not for the prophetic but as eye-witnesses of the earliest days of the Church.
Drama But when Agabus turned up, he had a word from God. He took Paul's belt; tied his own wrists with it, and then said “The owner of this belt is going to be tied up just like this....” The Holy Spirit is a good communicator. The prophetic can come visually as well as verbally. It doesn’t need to be dressed up in language and grammar that is quaint and out of date: in fact I would go so far as to say that authentic prophecy will always be in a form that the hearers can immediately identify with.
Depth. The prophetic will not always involve promises of blessings and prosperity. If we examine the prophetic in the Bible we find many times there are warnings and challenges. The point about prophecy is not to make us feel good: it is to build us up and encourage us so we are able to make the next step on our journey. Judgement without grace, and blessings without holiness, are equally marks of false prophecy.
We need to be a community with a reputation for being somewhere people hear from God. We can hear from God both through Scripture and preaching that explains Scripture, and through the Holy Spirit: speaking directly into our lives, challenging us, correcting us, warning us. Let us be expect to hear the voice of God.”
3. Loving.
Paul and his team were show such love: this took a number of forms:
Welcoming: Hospitality that was more than skin deep.
The Church at Tyre welcomed Paul (and a sizeable team); they opened their homes to them. They opened their hearts to them: the fact that whole families including women and children accompanied Paul to the beach, shows that Paul had embedded himself in families and become “part of their lives”.
Weeping: Dealing with emotional stuff.
At Caesarea they all wept over Paul as he went into a dangerous situation. The Bible tells us to weep with those who weep, and we need to be brave enough to sit with people and support them when they are going through difficult times. But at one point Paul had to tell them off for crying and making a fuss about the risks he was taking. It almost seems a bit harsh of Paul to speak like that; but I guess he had his own feelings to deal with as he faced an uncertain future in Jerusalem. Like Paul’s friends, we sometimes don't get it right. Sometimes our emotions get in the way of other peoples' healing.
Walking. Being there for people.
These were people who were prepared to walk with Paul through this difficult journey. They travelled with Paul, not just to “see him off” but right the way from Caesarea to Jerusalem, so he could find Mnason's house. Sometimes we need to walk with people when we can't fix their problems or stop them from doing something foolish. It's important not only to weep with people but to walk with them.
4. Trinity
The Church, the ministry, the mission, is never just about us. It is always about the mysterious, mighty, wonderful three-in-one God: Luke mentions all three persons of the Trinity:
The Spirit is constantly there, filling, empowering, gifting, speaking to God's people.
The Lord Jesus – who died for us and rose again, motivates us. He deserves our absolute 100%
unconditional love, surrender. Love so amazing, so divine demands my soul, my life, my all.
The Father: who rules over everything. When Luke and the others couldn't persuade Paul to stay away from Jerusalem, (and they did try!) they had to say “The Lord's will be done.” The Lord is King – and to come to him, receive him, can only be done in one posture – face down.
© Gilmour Lilly August 2014
Sunday, 24 August 2014
Acts 20 v 13-38
Paul: A Man with a Plan
1. Focus. He wanted to get to Jerusalem before Pentecost, and time was getting kind of tight. So, although he had spent three years at Ephesus, pr4ached the Gospel, laid important foundations and made good friends, he didn't want to go into the city. There had been trouble before he left last time, and if eh was arrested, he might be stuck there for some time. Even if he didn't get arrested, there were so many groups, how long might it take him to get round them all. So he headed straight for Miletus, 25 miles or so south of Ephesus, and asked the Ephesian Elders – the leaders of the various congregations and small house-churches and house groups in Ephesus, to come and see him. Cheek of it! But Paul knew what he wanted, and he was working to that plan. As a leader, he was focussed enough that he was prepared to ask others to inconvenience themselves. Paul's face was set towards Jerusalem in a way that was very much like Jesus himself. (See Lk 9. 51: As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.)
2. Legacy
You know how I lived the whole time I was with you (v. 18)
The “Touch”. Paul had touched lives. He had worked, he had been humble, he had cried, he had persevered despite opposition (v. 19); he had used every method he could – “publicly and from house to house” (v. 20); and he has supplied his own needs and show a radical attitude to material things (v. 33f). His temperament and behaviour in every contact with people, has set a standard, provided an example for others to follow,..
“The Truth” The Story – the Gospel of the Kingdom. (v. 25) He has taught them useful truth: stuff that can be put into practise (v. 21) not just a load of theory. In particular he had called everyone – Jew and Gentile – to turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus; (v. 21) and that is useful truth that we need to act upon; he has been preaching the kingdom (v. 25) – so he has talked about what life is like when God rules, and that too is useful, practical teaching.
“The team” The guys he is talking to are the “Elders” of the Church. In Acts 14. v23 we are told that Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church they planted. So these guys may have been from a variety of congregations and house churches in Ephesus. See v. 28. They are the Shepherds of the flock – which is God's church (not theirs!). They are overseers or visitors to care for the broken and needy. They have to take care of their own spiritual lives as well as those of the flock. Leaders, we can't steer others to port if we are not steering ourselves to port. They are there (v. 29) to keep the flock focussed on the truth, on right teaching. And they are plural. The idea of a lonely individual who does that job – for a stipend or not, with the tile “Pastor” or not – is foreign to the New testament. Leadership is teamwork.
3. Change. He had begun as a local evangelist, become a travelling missional leader (remember – because a wise man called Barnabas encouraged him to join the team) and church planter; he had been a pastor and teacher, particularly during his third journey. N and now he faced something different, more difficult to define: he himself would describe himself as an ambassador in chains (Eph 6. 20) – travelling at the Emperor's expense as a prisoner; encouraging all he met, sharing the Gospel, and writing letters. Befriender, campaigner and author.
That change is a matter of shape; not content. There are three constants in Paul's life.
He has always been about Jesus, forgiveness of sins and the Kingdom of God. Changing shape doesn't alter the message.
he has always been himself. Changing shape doesn’t' alter the man. We need to remain firm and constant on the message of the Kingdom Good news. And we need to remain ourselves. Ministry involves being who we are, and using the personalities, skills and gifts God has given us. Whether you're a quiet introvert, or a noisy extrovert; whether you're energetic and always on the go or slow and methodical; whatever your natural skills and talents; your training; your spiritual gifts; they are part of you. Use them!
He has always been a man of the Spirit. Paul describes himself as compelled by the Spirit (NIV) or more literally “Bound by the Spirit” (AV, v. 22). What does that mean? That’s an unusual concept. Paul himself says where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Cor 3. 17) He certainly doesn't want there to be any legalism about his life – indeed legalism was one of the hallmarks of false teaching. But it is only as we accept the bondage of the Spirit – letting him be in complete control of our lives what ever the cost – that we really experience the freedom of the spirit.
4. Sacrifice: There area a number of dark themes brooding over this passage: Paul's ministry was changing shape, and that may have sounded a bit scary. We don't like change! All change – even good change like leaving school or getting married or your child growing up and leaving home – involves loss. One of our wedding pictures shows me with a very serious face on – I guess I had just signed my life away! In a few weeks time our youngest son will get married in France. I know that the father of a bride once said “I don't think I'm so much losing a daughter - as gaining a bathroom!” But seriously I know it's a good change – Pete's found a beautiful and spiritual girl; they want to serve the Lord Jesus together; but there's a sense of uncertainty and loss. Nobody likes change, because nobody likes the experience of loss.
Paul specifically knew he was facing difficult times; somehow the Holy Spirit had made it clear to him that he faced imprisonment (v 23) and that this was his last visit to Ephesus, where he had spent 3 years (v. 25) And there would be challenges not only through separation from Paul but through false teachers. No wonder there was a river of tears (the Message) as he prayed for the elders. There is pain in life; and in ministry. I'm sorry if that disappoints you, but it is the reality.
And then the elders accompanied him to the boat. The word accompanied is used in various ways...
“conduct, escort, esp. a departing traveller”: that's the obvious one here.
But it can also mean to “follow a corpse to the grave”, and that is what it must have felt like to the Elders.
But there's another meaning: the word can mean “carry offerings in procession.”
The way to deal with loss is the way of conscious and voluntary sacrifice: in Romans 12. 1, Paul says present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. It was in that spirit that Paul, “Bound in the Spirit” walked onto that ship, ready for whatever God had for him. And in that spirit the Elders had to hand Paul – and themselves – over to God. And as fully surrendered men and maybe women of God, they were ready to be shepherds of the flock and servants of the king.
Surrender is the attitude we need. Now I value the healing ministry. It is important. Just accepting everything isn't surrender: it's fatalism. We need to take seriously what Jesus meant when he told us to pray with faith, and that faith can move mountains. I believe we need to “birth the supernatural” in or midst (to quote the title of a recent book by Heidi Baker). But we get upset when things don’t work out the way we expect or want. Why? I believe some of our prayer is about “controlling God” (which actually is magic not faith. And surrender means yielding control. It's when we are yielded to him that we can pray prayers of faith. Surrender is not a “bargaining chip” that we can use to get what we want from god. That would be another form of control. It is simply surrender to him. We say “God you're in charge; you're in control. Your Kingdom come.”
When we are yielded to God we can pray with compassion instead of self interest. When we are yielded to God, we don’t waste energy chafing about the things we don't like or understand. When we are yielded to God, we are free from fear. When we are yielded to God, we can handle anything.
© Gilmour Lilly August 2014
1. Focus. He wanted to get to Jerusalem before Pentecost, and time was getting kind of tight. So, although he had spent three years at Ephesus, pr4ached the Gospel, laid important foundations and made good friends, he didn't want to go into the city. There had been trouble before he left last time, and if eh was arrested, he might be stuck there for some time. Even if he didn't get arrested, there were so many groups, how long might it take him to get round them all. So he headed straight for Miletus, 25 miles or so south of Ephesus, and asked the Ephesian Elders – the leaders of the various congregations and small house-churches and house groups in Ephesus, to come and see him. Cheek of it! But Paul knew what he wanted, and he was working to that plan. As a leader, he was focussed enough that he was prepared to ask others to inconvenience themselves. Paul's face was set towards Jerusalem in a way that was very much like Jesus himself. (See Lk 9. 51: As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.)
2. Legacy
You know how I lived the whole time I was with you (v. 18)
The “Touch”. Paul had touched lives. He had worked, he had been humble, he had cried, he had persevered despite opposition (v. 19); he had used every method he could – “publicly and from house to house” (v. 20); and he has supplied his own needs and show a radical attitude to material things (v. 33f). His temperament and behaviour in every contact with people, has set a standard, provided an example for others to follow,..
“The Truth” The Story – the Gospel of the Kingdom. (v. 25) He has taught them useful truth: stuff that can be put into practise (v. 21) not just a load of theory. In particular he had called everyone – Jew and Gentile – to turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus; (v. 21) and that is useful truth that we need to act upon; he has been preaching the kingdom (v. 25) – so he has talked about what life is like when God rules, and that too is useful, practical teaching.
“The team” The guys he is talking to are the “Elders” of the Church. In Acts 14. v23 we are told that Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church they planted. So these guys may have been from a variety of congregations and house churches in Ephesus. See v. 28. They are the Shepherds of the flock – which is God's church (not theirs!). They are overseers or visitors to care for the broken and needy. They have to take care of their own spiritual lives as well as those of the flock. Leaders, we can't steer others to port if we are not steering ourselves to port. They are there (v. 29) to keep the flock focussed on the truth, on right teaching. And they are plural. The idea of a lonely individual who does that job – for a stipend or not, with the tile “Pastor” or not – is foreign to the New testament. Leadership is teamwork.
3. Change. He had begun as a local evangelist, become a travelling missional leader (remember – because a wise man called Barnabas encouraged him to join the team) and church planter; he had been a pastor and teacher, particularly during his third journey. N and now he faced something different, more difficult to define: he himself would describe himself as an ambassador in chains (Eph 6. 20) – travelling at the Emperor's expense as a prisoner; encouraging all he met, sharing the Gospel, and writing letters. Befriender, campaigner and author.
That change is a matter of shape; not content. There are three constants in Paul's life.
He has always been about Jesus, forgiveness of sins and the Kingdom of God. Changing shape doesn't alter the message.
he has always been himself. Changing shape doesn’t' alter the man. We need to remain firm and constant on the message of the Kingdom Good news. And we need to remain ourselves. Ministry involves being who we are, and using the personalities, skills and gifts God has given us. Whether you're a quiet introvert, or a noisy extrovert; whether you're energetic and always on the go or slow and methodical; whatever your natural skills and talents; your training; your spiritual gifts; they are part of you. Use them!
He has always been a man of the Spirit. Paul describes himself as compelled by the Spirit (NIV) or more literally “Bound by the Spirit” (AV, v. 22). What does that mean? That’s an unusual concept. Paul himself says where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Cor 3. 17) He certainly doesn't want there to be any legalism about his life – indeed legalism was one of the hallmarks of false teaching. But it is only as we accept the bondage of the Spirit – letting him be in complete control of our lives what ever the cost – that we really experience the freedom of the spirit.
4. Sacrifice: There area a number of dark themes brooding over this passage: Paul's ministry was changing shape, and that may have sounded a bit scary. We don't like change! All change – even good change like leaving school or getting married or your child growing up and leaving home – involves loss. One of our wedding pictures shows me with a very serious face on – I guess I had just signed my life away! In a few weeks time our youngest son will get married in France. I know that the father of a bride once said “I don't think I'm so much losing a daughter - as gaining a bathroom!” But seriously I know it's a good change – Pete's found a beautiful and spiritual girl; they want to serve the Lord Jesus together; but there's a sense of uncertainty and loss. Nobody likes change, because nobody likes the experience of loss.
Paul specifically knew he was facing difficult times; somehow the Holy Spirit had made it clear to him that he faced imprisonment (v 23) and that this was his last visit to Ephesus, where he had spent 3 years (v. 25) And there would be challenges not only through separation from Paul but through false teachers. No wonder there was a river of tears (the Message) as he prayed for the elders. There is pain in life; and in ministry. I'm sorry if that disappoints you, but it is the reality.
And then the elders accompanied him to the boat. The word accompanied is used in various ways...
“conduct, escort, esp. a departing traveller”: that's the obvious one here.
But it can also mean to “follow a corpse to the grave”, and that is what it must have felt like to the Elders.
But there's another meaning: the word can mean “carry offerings in procession.”
The way to deal with loss is the way of conscious and voluntary sacrifice: in Romans 12. 1, Paul says present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. It was in that spirit that Paul, “Bound in the Spirit” walked onto that ship, ready for whatever God had for him. And in that spirit the Elders had to hand Paul – and themselves – over to God. And as fully surrendered men and maybe women of God, they were ready to be shepherds of the flock and servants of the king.
Surrender is the attitude we need. Now I value the healing ministry. It is important. Just accepting everything isn't surrender: it's fatalism. We need to take seriously what Jesus meant when he told us to pray with faith, and that faith can move mountains. I believe we need to “birth the supernatural” in or midst (to quote the title of a recent book by Heidi Baker). But we get upset when things don’t work out the way we expect or want. Why? I believe some of our prayer is about “controlling God” (which actually is magic not faith. And surrender means yielding control. It's when we are yielded to him that we can pray prayers of faith. Surrender is not a “bargaining chip” that we can use to get what we want from god. That would be another form of control. It is simply surrender to him. We say “God you're in charge; you're in control. Your Kingdom come.”
When we are yielded to God we can pray with compassion instead of self interest. When we are yielded to God, we don’t waste energy chafing about the things we don't like or understand. When we are yielded to God, we are free from fear. When we are yielded to God, we can handle anything.
© Gilmour Lilly August 2014
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)