Obeying Jesus's Commands

Preached at Christ church, Billericay, 5 May 2024

Readings: Acts 10v44-48; John 15v9-17

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TJUEYWakkU from 20:00 to 35:50

Introduction

Last week we looked at the story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch, a man who was excluded from worshipping in the temple. We saw how easily Philip follows the Holy Spirit's instruction to speak to the Ethiopian. The Ethiopian was baptized and went on his way, rejoicing in the Lord Jesus. This week, we see Peter speak to a household that is most definitely excluded from everything Jewish, and people that the Jews are not allowed to associate with.

Peter’s Struggles

This was a struggle for Peter, and today we have only heard the outcome. This short passage is sometimes known as the ‘Pentecost of the Gentiles’ because it is the first time that the Gentiles are recorded as having received the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit prepares the way

Let’s have a look at Acts 10 to see how Peter was prepared and how Cornelius was prepared.

Cornelius, a Roman Centurion, was devout and God-fearing. He prayed regularly and gave generously. An angel told him to send for Simon, who is called Peter.

Peter in Joppa

Meanwhile, Peter was in Joppa, dozing on the roof while lunch was prepared below. He sees a vision of all kinds of 4 footed animals, reptiles and birds. They are all on the prohibited foods list, but Peter is told to “Kill and Eat”. He really can’t do that, he says, “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” (Acts 14:10). The voice replies, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” The vision is repeated three times. Peter is baffled.

Travelling

Then, the men sent by Cornelius arrive, and Peter is told by the Holy Spirit, “Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” Peter is a good host, and puts them up for the night. The next day, Cornelius’s men, Peter and some of the brothers from Joppa, travel to Cornelius’s house. It’s about a day’s travel, and it gives Peter time to think. Even so, when he gets there and goes inside, he feels it necessary to say:

“You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.”

It seems Peter and perhaps the brothers who came with him are still less than sure that they are doing the right thing.

Peter’s Sermon

Peter even starts his sermon with “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favouritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.”

Then he talks about Jesus’s death and resurrection, and that he and the others are witnesses of that. He gets to “everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through his name”.

Interrupted by a sign.

He is then interrupted by the Holy Spirit as all the assembled Romans begin speaking in tongues.

It is a sign to Peter and the brothers that they have done the right thing in following the promptings of the Holy Spirit. God has given the gentiles the gift, just as he has the Jews.

It is not quite the same, though. If you remember back to the day of Pentecost, the gift of tongues was given specifically to allow the many assembled foreigners to hear and understand the Gospel. Here, it is probably more like the gift of tongues that Paul describes in Corinthians – not earthly languages, but heavenly ones. This is because it has been given with a different purpose in mind – proving to Peter and the brothers that the Holy Spirit is acting. He’s going to need as much evidence as he can get, because there’s not going to be a friendly welcome when he returns to Jerusalem.

Baptism

The new gentile converts are now baptized with water. Caesarea is a port city. Looking at the map, it doesn’t seem to have a river, but it did have an aqueduct. The baptism, may not therefore have occurred in a river, and the sea would be a very unlikely choice. Perhaps it was more like our baptisms.

Stay with them

Amazing things have happened, and they need some time to take it all in. There is also lots more to teach about Jesus. So Peter stays with them for a few days.

Peter

Peter has been obedient to the call of the Holy Spirit. He has understood his master’s business, just as John tells us Jesus said we should.

15¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

They are Jesus’s friends because they are doing what He requires of them.

Lay down your life

Of course, they haven’t gone the whole way yet and laid down their life.

WWI story

This story was in one of the sermons I read during preparation:

A soldier in the First world war, asked his officer if he could go out into “No Man’s Land” between the trenches to bring in one of his friends who lay there seriously wounded.

“You can go,” said the officer, “but it’s not worth it. Your friend has probably died, and you will throw your own life away.” But the man went. Somehow, he managed to get to his friend, lift him on to his shoulder, and bring him back to his own trench. The two of them tumbled together and lay in the bottom of the trench.

The officer looked very sympathetically on the would-be rescuer, and then he said, “I told you it wouldn’t be worth it. Your friend is dead, and you are mortally wounded.” “It was worth it, though, sir,” he said. “How do you mean, ‘worth it?’ I tell you your friend is dead.” “Yes, sir,” the soldier answered, “but it was worth it, because when I got to him, he was still alive, and he said to me, ‘Jim, I knew you’d come.’”

It shows us what laying down your life for your friend means. Friendships amongst soldiers in WWI were closer than most of us experience today, largely because of the shared horror that they lived through. Jim risked his life and gave it up to bring comfort to his dying friend.

Jackie Pullinger

Sometimes, though, laying down our life for our friends doesn’t have to mean imminent death. Jackie Pullinger was a young woman when she left her home, boarded a boat, and waited for the Holy Spirit to tell her where to get off. At the eighth stop, she left the boat and entered Kowloon. It was a city full of heroin addicts and run by triad gangs. Not a safe place for a young woman. After much heartache and difficulty following the Holy Spirit's lead, she saw many released from their addiction, and perhaps even more surprisingly released from the gangs they had made a lifetime commitment to.

Jackie does not like to be called a missionary, or to talk about her ‘calling’. She says that she simply wants to have a good story to tell when meets Jesus. Unlike many missionaries who spend a short time working for God, Jackie really did give her life to the work she was doing.

Hudson Taylor

There are others too. Hudson Taylor, founded the China Inland Mission, but before that he had a lot to learn about faith. He also had a lot of preparation to do. He was teaching himself to live on very little, to be ready for life in China. So he had given away most of his wages. One evening he was asked if he could go and pray for an Irish labourer's wife who was close to death. When he arrived by her side, he found that her weak state was a result of childbirth and severe hunger. He knew he should do more than pray, but he didn't have the money - only half a crown (equivalent to less than £10 today) which he needed to live on. Yet he was aware that God had sent him to help this woman and unless he did what he could how could he expect God to take notice of his prayer. So he gave his money to the husband to buy food and trusted God to provide for his own needs. The following day, the Lord provided half a sovereign through a gift from someone. His trust in God proved to be completely justified.

Risks

The Apostle Peter, Jackie Pullinger, Hudson Taylor and many others have taken huge risks as they attempted to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit and to obey Jesus’s commands and so remain in His love.

Chosen

Jesus has chosen each of us. We see from the gospels how Jesus chose his first disciples, that process continues, even though we may not see it so easily now. We are chosen for specific tasks, or to reach specific people. Peter was chosen to establish the church, Hudson was chosen to bring the good news to China, Jackie was chosen to save people from addiction and gang membership.

What are we chosen for?

Do you and I know what we are chosen for? To be sure, we have to spend time dozing on the roof as it were – time dedicated to listening to the Holy Spirit. Once we hear a message, at least one that we are capable of understanding, we must simply obey, just as Peter did when told to go with the gentiles who were asking for him (a scary prospect for a Jew). Just as Jackie did when she believed it was time to get off the boat. Hudson heard the voice of God and realized that he needed to be ready for what was ahead. That, too, is obedience.

Do you and I know what we are chosen for? Whatever it is, we must be sure to obey all that Jesus commands us, and remain in His love. Most of all though, love one another as He has loved us, because it is this that makes us stand out from all those others around us.

Amen.

 

References

https://pastorsings.com/2018/05/06/astounded-by-grace-sermon-on-acts-1044-48-for-easter-6b/

 

https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/sixth-sunday-of-easter-2/commentary-on-acts-1044-48-2

https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/sixth-sunday-of-easter-2/commentary-on-acts-1044-48-4

http://stmichaelsgideapark.org.uk/sermons/gods-love-our-love-john-159-17/

 

https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/sixth-sunday-of-easter-2/commentary-on-john-159-17

https://www.britannica.com/place/Caesarea

 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Caesarea,+Israel/@32.5487314,34.9068465,13.13z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x151d0cf83a10b203:0x4ac5521593cfcdcb!8m2!3d32.5154686!4d34.9062798!16zL20vMDlqdDFs?entry=ttu

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/currency-converter/#currency-result

 

Connectedness to God

Preached at Christ church, Billericay 28 April 2024

Readings:Acts 8:26-40,John 15:1-8

	Introduction This morning we have heard two readings, one about the vine from the Gospel of John, which talks about our connectedness to God, and the second from Acts. That’s the story of Philip and the Ethiopian. This second story shows us what connectedness looks like in real life. I’ll start by looking at the reading from John’s gospel. Chronologically, we are just before the arrest of Jesus. He is completing his final teaching to the disciples. This section comes immediately after the promise of the Holy Spirit.
	The Vine Here Jesus claims to be the true vine. That’s quite a claim. If we look at Psalm 80 in verses 8-9 it says: You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land. And in Isaiah 5, the theme of Israel as a vine continues: 1 … My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. 2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. … Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit. 7 The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of his delight. The Vine that was Israel has failed to produce good fruit, the disciples would be familiar with these references. Now, Jesus is claiming to be the true vine – the true Israel.
	The vineyard Maybe you have visited a vineyard. It’s one of the things we like to do when we’re on holiday. We visit the vineyard, take a tour, if one is available, and try to learn something about how it all works. Then sample the produce, perhaps bring a few bottles home. Good stock is important, without that you cannot have a good harvest. Careful pruning is still as vital today as it was 2 centuries ago. So, it's no surprise that Jesus then talks about pruning. Whatever branch that doesn’t bear fruit is cut off, and those that do are pruned so that they continue to bear fruit. Jesus is talking about our lives and the activities in them now. He is expecting fruit, not seed. The fruit He is looking for is the fruit of a Godly life – Paul sums this up beautifully in Galatians: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
	Remain in me – Stay connected If we are to produce fruit – if our character is to become more like Jesus, then we must remain connected to Him. If we remain in Him, we will produce that fruit, it is not optional, it is inevitable. Sometimes it will be produced slowly and continue at a steady rate, at other times changes may be observable faster. If we do not remain in Him, we cannot and will not produce fruit. The production of fruit – the move to a more Godly lifestyle, more godly habits, and more godly interactions with those around us, is the only evidence we have of true conversion – and it can be difficult to spot. It can also be faked for a short time, and can be used in an attempt to defraud the faithful. Without this connection, without remaining in Jesus, we can do nothing for God. If we do remain connected there is also a promise – that anything we ask for will be given. We need to understand this as anything we ask for that is aligned with what God wants. We should remember that we are now His friends, not His servants: John 15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. Not Remain However, if we do not remain in Him, we are like the (not a) branch that is thrown away and withers. The Greek has the definite article, and probably refers to Judas, who Jesus already knew would betray Him. Conclusion – John So we have seen how the promised Holy Spirit will work in the lives of the disciples, and those who follow them. He gives us a connection to God that it is impossible to have any other way, a connection that we need in order to live a godly life.
	Philip Our Acts reading shows us one way that God might work through us, if we are prepared to let Him. Philip was one of seven deacons selected by the apostles to look after the distribution of food to the neglected widows.  When they were chosen they were described as “men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (Acts 6:3).  The persecution instigated by Saul of Tarsus probably stopped the “daily distribution” with which the deacons were charged. This early inquisition resulted in the martyrdom of Stephen (another deacon) and the Christians being scattered abroad from Jerusalem (8:1). Philip fled to Samaria, where he became a missionary. Ethiopian Eunuch The Ethiopian Eunuch had risen to an important role in the royal household of Ethiopia. We know that he was well off, because he had a chariot (or at least use of a chariot) and he had managed to acquire a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. In the days before printing, scrolls were rare and had to be copied by highly skilled scribes. The Ethiopian had probably been influenced by Jewish settlements in the area and the ideas they talked about. He had become what was known as a God-fearer – a follower of Judaism, but not a Jew. He had been to Jerusalem to worship, but it is not clear what sort of worship he would be allowed to take part in. He would certainly not be allowed in the temple. Deuteronomy 23:1 No one who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the LORD.
	Philip and the Holy Spirit Philip is told by an Angel to take the desert road to the south. Nothing more than that. We don’t have a description of the angel, or even know if the angel was visible. Philip obeys. Philip then sees a chariot and is told by the Holy Spirit to go up to it and stay close. Once again, he obeys. Reading aloud Now he hears the Ethiopian reading. It was normal in those days to read out loud. In the days before spaces between words, the act of pronouncing each word made the text easier to understand, as more parts of the brain were used to gain the understanding required. In his ‘Confessions’, Saint Augustine remarks on Saint Ambrose's unusual habit of reading silently in the 4th century AD. The practice seems to have declined in Europe in the eighteenth century, so now silent reading is the norm for us.
	Question and timing Anyway, now Philip has his opportunity and asks, “Do you understand what you are reading?”. This is his own question, not one prompted by the Holy Spirit. The timing is perfect as the Ethiopian is reading a part of the text that he does not understand, and its part of the servant song. This is a gift for Philip, so he explains the good news about Jesus, starting with that passage. Could I? / Could you? This made me think, could I do it? Could I explain the good news of Jesus, starting from any random point? Then I remembered that I had had to do just that in one of my selection interviews for training. I clearly did OK, as I got selected, but what about now, could I still do it? - I don’t know. What about you? Could you explain the whole of the good news about Jesus?
	Further Questions The next thing Philip does – baptising the Ethiopian also raised some questions for me, but not apparently for Philip. This man is forbidden from the temple, he cannot take a full part in the worship of God. This doesn’t seem to bother Philip at all. Perhaps he knows his scriptures really well: Isaiah 56:3 Let no foreigner who has bound himself to the LORD say, “The LORD will surely exclude me from his people.” And let not any eunuch complain, “I am only a dry tree.” 4 For this is what the LORD says: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant — 5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off.” The question it raises for me, and for the rest of us, is how do we treat the excluded, either those excluded by some of our scriptures, or by society. Do we, not just this congregation but, the wider church, try in any way to restrict their access to God? And if we do, should we?
	How the Holy Spirit works The book of Acts contains many dramatic events prompted or actioned by the Holy Spirit, we have seen mass conversions, bold disciples, liars dropping dead, and God reaching out to the excluded. The Holy Spirit is not always that dramatic, and really can use anyone for His purposes. While preparing this sermon, the JWs called. I’d seen them coming up the road. I was worried they would break my concentration, but as I walked slowly down the stairs, the thought occurred that I could choose not to engage. The old man was polite and left a leaflet, and I suppressed the urge to respond to what he said. On the way back up the stairs, equally slowly, I was reminded of a previous JW visit that occurred while I was trying, and failing, to prepare prayers for the evening service. On that occasion I had a long discussion with them and returned to the preparation of the prayers, which then came easily. This time I returned to the preparation of my sermon and had not lost my focus. I believe that in both of these events I was guided by the Holy Spirit and so achieved the desired outcome. Conclusion If we stay connected to God, by prayer, the study of His word, and being prepared to listen to the Holy Spirit – in other words, if we are trying to be fruitful branches of the Vine, we will see God do all sorts of things, from the mundane to the dramatic. We cannot tell what will happen, we can only focus on the next step, whether that is to walk down a desert road or a flight of stairs. Then take whatever opportunity is presented. If we are following the Holy Spirit, anything could happen.

Amen.

References

https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fifth-sunday-of-easter-2/commentary-on-acts-826-40

https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fifth-sunday-of-easter-2/commentary-on-acts-826-40-5

https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fifth-sunday-of-easter-2/commentary-on-acts-826-40-4

https://interruptingthesilence.com/2021/05/02/wholehearted-life-a-sermon-on-john-151-8/

https://www.cornerstonewestford.com/sermons/life-with-god-john-151-8-jesus-is-the-vine-the-tree-of-life/

https://bibleatlas.org/azotus.htm

https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Philip

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_reading

Youtube link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXit7bL1jDI from 22:15 to 40:37

Field of Blue 2024

Despite walking being difficult this year, due to a knee injury, we couldn't miss the bluebells in Norsey Wood.  As I do most years, here is a selection of photos we have taken.  The wood was busy, it was a bright, warm day and the weather forecast was not good for the next few days.  It was also the last day of the Easter Holidays.  

It is not just bluebell that are beautiful at this time of year, there are plenty of other woodland flowers to admire.

The light blue of the forget-me-nots fades into the darker blue of the bluebells

 

An attempt to show the carpet of blue that covers the woodland floor.

The blue Green Alkanet flowers cannot provide a carpet of blue look because they are small compared to the rest of the plant.  The bees love them.

A single darker flower showing the inside of the blooms a little.

The blue haze that the bluebells create behind the visitor centre is one of my favourite places.

The occasional broom bushes provide some good contrast to the overall blue-green look.  The ladybirds love them.  There seem to be a lot of ladybirds this year.  They also love the nettles.

The forget-me-nots are beautiful too.

The wood anemones provide some white contrast, but they are on the wain but now.

Pl@ntNet identifies this as Adders meat, or possibly Meadow starwort.  There are some lovely patches of these white flowers.

The shot was taken upside-down, as I couldn't bend low enough.  It is an attempt to get a bees-eye-view.

The celandine are almost finished, they have not had a good year this year.

Imitaiting Jesus

Preached 14 April 2024 at 10.00 at Christ Church, Billericay (with a slightly different ending)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZLz5YGxUIc from 15:37 to 31:05

Title: Imitating Jesus

Readings: Acts 3v12-19; Luke 24v36b-48

Introduction

[Slide 1 - Header] Both the passages we heard this morning come at the end of longer stories that we haven’t heard, so we’ll need a bit of background. It’s easier to make sense of these two readings if we look at them in chronological order. That way we can see the change in the disciples from the time immediately after the resurrection to the time after Pentecost.

Luke Reading

[Slide 2 – Road to Emmaus] So, I’ll start with the gospel reading from Luke. It comes at the end of the Road to Emmaus story. Cleopas and another disciple, possibly his wife, were on the way to Emmaus. It’s the Sunday after the crucifixion, the first day of their week. A stranger comes up to them on their walk and they begin talking. They tell Him about the expectations they had that Jesus was the messiah and how He had been put to death, and now they say someone has taken his body. The women who went to prepared His body saw a vision of angels and were told He is alive by them. The stranger explains what the scriptures say about the messiah, starting with Moses and all the prophets. When they reach Emmaus they persuade the stranger to stay with them, and as He breaks bread, they realise who He is. They immediately return to Jerusalem, and meet with the other disciples, where they are told that Jesus has risen and has appeared to Simon. Luke doesn’t describe that encounter here.

Verse 36

The phrase “while they were still talking about this” at the start of verse 36 seems a bit understated. Can you imagine the excitement in the room. Probably coupled with a level of confusion, hope, exhilaration, joy, and a lot of other emotions.

Doors locked

[Slide 3 Disciples All Together] The Gospel of John tells us that the doors were locked, because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities. Quite reasonably, they expected to be targetted as soon as rumours of the missing body began to spread.

Jesus was there

Suddenly, Jesus was there. The first appearances of the resurrected Lord had all been in a context where He was mistaken for someone else. In the garden, by the tomb, Mary had thought he was the gardener. On the way to Emmaus, He was a stranger they met on their journey.

Now, though, He has just appeared. Normal people, those without resurrected bodies, don’t do that, in case you hadn’t noticed! They were startled by His appearance, so it’s not surprising that they thought they were seeing a ghost. The mood changed from excitement to fear in that instant.

Startled

Being startled has a strange effect on humans. In the airline industry, pilots are taught to understand how they react when they are startled, so that they can deal with it and return to normal operation quickly. Most of us stop functioning for a few seconds while we come to terms with the new situation. We easily jump to the wrong conclusions, and as a result take the wrong actions. You wouldn’t want to be doing that while landing a plane with 500 or more people on board, it could be catastrophic.

Ghost?

It should be no surprise, then, that the sudden appearance of Jesus startled the disciples, and in the next few seconds they come up with an implausible explanation. “It must be a ghost”.

Jesus can see that His appearance has disturbed them, so he tries to put their mind at rest, emphasising that it really is Him. “It is I, myself!” He shows them His hands and feet, but even that isn’t enough to break them out of their startle response. His request for food, though, will. Now they have to move and complete actions that they have done thousands of times – they hand him some cooked fish, and He took it and ate it.

Casper There’s a great scene in Casper that shows what happens when Ghosts eat. [Slide 4 Casper video]   The food goes straight through them, because they don’t have a real body. But, when the resurrected Jesus eats, the food is consumed, just as it would be if you or I ate the fish.

Heavenly bodies [slide 5 Heavenly bodies] This tells us a little about the sort of bodies that we will have after we too are resurrected. It’s enough to tell us the new creation will be significantly different to the current creation. But, familiar activities like eating and drinking will still be possible. There are some other clues in the last half of 1 Corinthians 15, if you’d like to have a look later.

 Teaching

[slide 6 Purpose of Appearance] Next we find the purpose of His visit. He is reminding them what they have experienced for the last three years – all the teaching that has taken place. Finally, they can understand it all, the scriptures become clear to them, but there is more to come. They are to be witnesses of all that they have seen and experienced. But not yet. We can’t leave this reading without the final promise that Jesus makes because without it what follows makes no sense: 29 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. So, now they have to stay in Jerusalem and wait until Pentecost – because God’s timing and the promised Holy Spirit is vital to their witnessing.

Acts 3 [Slide 7 Prayers at the Temple] Now we come to the Acts reading. They have stayed in the city as instructed, and Pentecost has already happened. They are still in the city, and their habit now is to visit the temple in the afternoon for 3 o’clock prayers. Beggars Most beggars have their pitches, places they can sit that are dry and have a reasonable foot fall – so that they know they have a good chance of being given some money. A crippled man was carried to the temple gate – the one called ‘Beautiful’ every day. He asked Peter and John for money. Peter and John don’t have any money, but they look intently at the man, and he at them. They see something in him and take his hand and command him to walk.

[Slide 8 – A lame man is healed] When the crowd at the temple see this they immediately come to Peter and John, because they knew this crippled beggar, they have seen him sitting in the same place for years. Now, here he is – walking!

Miracles

The miracles are continuing, they have inherited Jesus’s sense of who can be healed and who can’t. But Peter and John have a problem – well, probably more than one problem.

Firstly, the crowd think they alone are responsible for the miracle. Secondly, they do not want the attention of the temple authorities.

So, Peter needs to explain what has happened quickly.

His explanation starts with “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers has glorified his servant Jesus”

This would have taken the crowd straight back to the call of Moses in Exodus 3:6

“I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

He quickly establishes that Jesus is, in effect, the new Moses and likely stops any argument that might have begun.

Peter then explains the crucifixion and clearly blames them for the death, saying they preferred a murderer over the author of life. He tells them that he and John are witnesses of this – so there can be no disagreement. In verse 16 he says

By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.

Ignorance

Peter acknowledges that they and their leaders acted in ignorance when they crucified Jesus, and that God fulfilled all that He had foretold as a result. Now, though, it is time to repent, so that their sins may be wiped out, and times of refreshing may come from the Lord.

Bold

It is a bold speech, given under pressure and in a sensitive location. Peter has reacted well to the crowd that saw the healing. He is well-prepared now, and will not easily be startled by God acting in ways that he doesn’t understand – because much more has been revealed to him and at Pentecost He received the Holy Spirit.

Compare [Slide 9 - Compare] Compare this to the reaction to Jesus appearing in the room while they were discussing what happened on the road to Emmaus. Now, after receiving the Holy Spirit, Peter and John are able to do the things that Jesus did. They perform healings, they talk to and teach the crowd. They are no longer afraid of the authorities, as we can see further on in Acts 4.

Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit allows them to continue Jesus’ ministry, as it does all those who respond to Jesus’ call. This is what it means to be transformed by the Holy Spirit – we are able to do the things that God wants us to do. The change in us will be as obvious as the change in Peter.

Amen.

 

References

https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/third-sunday-of-easter-2/commentary-on-luke-2436-48

https://interruptingthesilence.com/2012/04/22/you-are-witnesses-a-sermon-on-luke-2436-48-easter-3/ 

Acts for everyone - Tom Wright

Luke for Everyone - Tom Wright

https://www.papertrell.com/apps/preview/The-Handy-Philosophy-Answer-Book/Handy%20Answer%20book/What-did-St-Augustine-mean-when-he-said-Please-God-make-me-g/001137013/content/SC/52caff5682fad14abfa5c2e0_Default.html

4 Challenges from Acts 4:32-35

Preached at St Mary the Virgin, Little Burstead, 7 April 2024

Based on http://3cephas-notes.blogspot.com/2007/08/four-challenges-from-acts-432-37.html

Reading Acts 4:32-35

Prayer

Introduction

Today we are going to look at the situation that the first Christians found themselves in and how they dealt with it. Then, we will look at four challenges that the passage throws up for us.

Background

This passage is part of the introduction to the story of Ananias and Sapphira which follows in Acts 5. A story of financial impropriety in 1^st century Israel. If you've never read it – do so after lunch today.

A lot has happened since the resurrection, and here we are past Pentecost.

The story so far ...

Back in Acts 2, the church was born on the day of Pentecost, or more accurately the Jewish celebration Shavuot, or the Day of First fruits (Numbers 28:26). On that day Peter preached to the crowd, who had come from all over the known world. About 3000 of them accepted Peter's message that day, and joined the new Jewish sect – because that's all it is, until we get to Acts 11. Now many of them were just visiting for the celebrations and would have to return to their country of origin, but there would be quite a few who stayed on – because they had no pressing need to return and wanted to hear more of what Peter had to say. By the time we get to 2:42 we hear that the believers “devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”.

In that same section we read “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.” which is very similar to the passage we are looking at today.

Everything in Common twice

I think this is mentioned twice, in relatively quick succession, by Luke, because the idea of communal living and resource sharing is so important to them. In Deuteronomy 15:4 we read:

However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you,

They are blessed as a community, so this style of living makes the claim that the whole community are, the real inheritors of God’s blessing, not just some of the individuals.

Acts 3, 4

Then in Acts 3 there is the healing of a lame man, and another sermon from Peter, after which he and John get arrested. Even so, the number of MEN grew to about five thousand at the start of Acts 4. Peter and John get the chance to tell the Sanhedrin that it is impossible for them to stop talking about Jesus, and are let off with a stern warning. The disciples pray some more, their building is shaken and they continue their witness about Jesus.

The baby church was beginning to grow, and so was the opposition to it. First century Jerusalem was not a peaceful place to live, it was under occupation by a foreign enemy, its political and religious leaders were weak, indecisive, and ineffective. It was a dangerous place to be, but also an exciting place to be.

Four Challenges

As I read through this passage, I found four challenges, we are going to take a look at them now, they will help us to understand what God was doing with His church, and how the peoples responses in Acts can challenge the way we do things now.

1 Claiming Ownership

First challenge – Everything is shared.

“No-one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had”. The first thing to note here is that they had very little compared to us. It is sometimes easier to give up things when you don't have much in the first place. The Jews had a principle of hospitality, so would always be prepared to share with a stranger.

Tanzanian Hospitality

When I was in Tanzania, staying in the village of Chibelela, we were the guests of the pastor and his family. There were occasions when we were treated to a lavish meal, and ate with the men of the family, the women served us and went outside. I wondered what they ate. The leftovers?, or perhaps even less. There seemed no limit to their hospitality.

Share and share alike

When I was a child and was fighting with my sister over something, my Mum would always say “share and share alike”. A good principle, but there were some of my sister's things I didn't want to share, and it was a demand based on sharing out of joint riches – I was never arguing about something that would affect my survival.

We, in our sophisticated, so called, advanced society, have lost some of the basics of human community. What would it take for us to be able to say that we did not claim ownership of our goods? To answer that question we must first address the last challenge.

2 Use of capital

The second challenge is how we use our capital.

Joseph A.K.A Barnabus was a Cypriot, a member of the Jewish family of Levi from the dispersion. As a Levite, he was associated with the priesthood. We do not know for sure that he was living in Jerusalem permanently, but it seems likely that he had been there for some time. It is possible that the field he sold may even have been in Cyprus.

Christian communism

The sharing of everything was not so literal that Barnabus allowed others to determine that his field should be sold. This passage is often seen as a kind of Christian communism. That is not the case. Communism is based on compulsion – you have no choice but to give up your wealth, your property, your belongings – for the good of everyone. That is most definitely not happening here. Barnabus is responding to God, and the needs of God's people. The sale of a field is the sale of an asset that allows you to make money. The field is used to grow food, or raise cattle, without it there will be a reduction in income, but the capital raised will keep God's people from becoming needy – starving in this case. This is sacrificial giving – Barnabus will be worse off from now on – his income has been reduced.

What do we have that we could sell if the need arose?

I don't own a field. I doubt that many of us do. What is the modern equivalent? Perhaps a shop, a factory or an office. I don't own any of those either. So what have I got that I could use to raise capital? Well, I do have some investments. They don't provide any real income, some insurance policies, a few shares, an ISA. If the circumstances required, they could certainly be cashed in and the money provided for the needy.

What do you have?

3 Where does your giving go?

The third challenge is “Where does your giving go?”

This is not about how much you give.

“Each of us should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

2 Cor 9:7.

From time to time, it’s a good idea to review your giving, to ensure that it's at the level that you are happy with. You may decide to change it, or you may have to make adjustments to keep it at the same level!

My question is where do you put the money that you set aside to give? I've heard all sorts of ideas as to exactly what counts towards giving to God.

Some people will tell you that giving to Greenpeace counts towards their giving to God. Yes, we are supposed to look after the environment, but Really? What connection has Greenpeace got with the church of God?

Others will tell you that Amnesty International counts towards their giving to God. Well, I can see the justice connection, but what has Amnesty International got to do with the Christian Church. Some will tell you that Christian Aid counts towards their giving to God? Well, maybe it does, but let's have a look at this passage. When Barnabus sold his field, he put the money at the disciple's feet. That may be literal, or it may be symbolic, whichever it is, Barnabus brought his money, and gave up all control over how it was used when he put at the disciples feet.

How much?

The Jews had a religious tax of 10% which defined how much they should give, some Christians have a similar system. The tax was known as a tithe. Malachi 3:10 “Bring the whole tithe into the store house”. Which means that the tithe was to be given to the temple for the use of its officials. God is consistent in his approach between the old and the New Testament. However much you decide to give to God, must be given in total to God, to those He has appointed to use as He directs.

Now don't let that stop you giving to Greenpeace, Amnesty International, Christian Aid, or any other organisation. Don't let me stop you from starting to give to any of these organisations. Just please don't tell God that you're giving it to Him. Which brings us back to the story of Ananias and Sapphira.

4 Testifying to the resurrection

The fourth challenge, may, possibly be the greatest challenge for us all.

What was the priority of the very first believers? [Straw Poll]

• Church?

• Worship?

• Preaching?

• Eschatology?

• Prophecy?

• Writing a bible – so that posterity would be able to follow in their footsteps?

• or something different?

NO – they are just about one man – a new type of man – the resurrected Jesus WHO IS coming back.

Peter and John have already told the Sanhedrin – the Jewish supreme council, that they cannot stop talking about Jesus. Every time Peter speaks, he mentions the resurrection.

Acts 2:32 “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.”

Acts 3:15 To the onlookers at the healing of the lame man, “You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.”

Acts 4:10 to the Sanhedrin “It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.”

How often do we tell people who don't know, that God has raised Jesus from the dead?

Consequence & Grace

There is a consequence for the willingness of the disciples to talk to everyone they meet about Jesus. “Much grace was upon them all”. It is the grace of God that has allowed the few to share what they have, to not claim ownership of their belongings. It is the grace of God that has allowed them to meet the challenges to turn what riches they have into capital, and provide support for the poor – the needy – amongst them. It is the grace of God that allows them to trust the disciples implicitly, to bring what they have and to trust that the disciple will distribute it wisely.

Conclusion

The baby church was growing under God's care, already they had 5000 plus members. The people involved were filled with the Holy Spirit, and had God's grace to help them overcome the unique problems that they faced. The miracles that Jesus started are continuing, and it can only be a matter of time before all these changed people start to have a dramatic effect on their society. Here we see the enormous excitement that a work of God brings – huge crowds, dramatic miracles, run-ins with earthly authorities. It’s a great story, and we know that our God was in control of everything that happened, but there were also great sacrifices.

Whenever God is at work, there are things to do, things to learn, and blessings to be received. There is much to make us think about how we live our lives in this passage, so I leave you with the four challenges:

1. Claiming ownership – how ready are we to share ALL that we have with others when the NEED arises?

2. Use of capital – What do we have that we could sell to support an urgent NEED in the Christian community?

3. Where does our giving go? - Is everything that we have promised to give to God brought into the church, or are we keeping control of the funds by directing them to certain organisations?

4. Testifying to the resurrection – How often do we explain the central basis of our faith to those who don't understand.

Amen.

The plan for redemption (for Good Frday)

Preached at Christ Church, Billericay, 29 March 2024 (Good Friday)

 Good Friday

Why is it called Good Friday? Surely it was a disaster.

Jesus has been betrayed, by a close friend

The religious leaders were against him, they are afraid of him.

The crowd were against Him, or were turned against him

Jesus has been arrested

His friends have deserted Him (Peter denied him)

Jesus has been interrogated, tortured and sentenced to death.

Only a weak Roman leader even tried to help, but could do nothing

Jesus had been crucified – His friends just stood and watched.

During that excruciating death, He says even God had left him.

Plan

But,

It’s all part of the plan for our redemption. That plan covers the entirety of human history as recorded in the Bible. Beginning with Adam and Eve, through Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and the kings, Elijah and the prophets, the exile and return, all the way to John the Baptist and Jesus the messiah. There are at least 300 prophecies about the Messiah in the Old Testament, and there are some more promises that Jesus makes himself that get fulfilled in our reading from John’s gospel. As we look at the promises and prophecies we heard today, we will see that there is a level of control and planning which demonstrates that Jesus is in control of events the whole way through.

18:8-9

In verses 8 and 9 at His arrest

⁸ Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” ⁹ This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.”

That promise was made in John 6:39, it is part of the passage where he says ‘I am the bread of life’. It protects His disciples from becoming involved in His crucifixion and ensures they are not pursued by the authorities – even if Peter deserved to be.

18: 31b-32

In verses 31b and 32 the Jewish leaders have decided that Jesus must die for His claim to be the son of God. They are not allowed to execute people, so have to ask their Roman masters to do it. Pilate doesn’t see the need, but they are determined.

^31b “But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. ³² This took place to fulfil what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.

Matthew 20:19 tells us that Jesus will be executed by the gentiles. Matthew 26:2 tells us that His death will be by Crucifixion. John 3:14 alludes to the same thing, reminding his readers that as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the son of Man must be lifted up.

19:24

In Chapter 19 verse 24, talking about how Jesus’s clothes would be shared out, it says:

²⁴ “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”

This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,

“They divided my clothes among them
    and cast lots for my garment.”

The prophecy comes from Psalm 22:18, just a little further on from the reading we had earlier:

They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

This prophecy, in particular, shows the detail in the plan that God has. Nothing has been left to chance, every tiny detail is planned out. It is revealed years in advance to people who have little hope of fully understanding it, but who record it, knowing that it comes from God and is therefore important.

19:28-29

Even when He is minutes from death, Jesus is still aware enough to make sure that the prophecies are fulfilled, verses 28 and 29:

²⁸ Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹ A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.

The scripture that Jesus is quoting is Psalm 69:21

They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

The psalmist uses it as a metaphor for the bitter scorn he received from the enemies around him when he needed comfort. He is pleading for God to come to him. He probably didn’t realise that it was a prophecy, but here it is fulfilled by Jesus, who is being treated in much the same way.

19:36-37

Even after Jesus’s death the actions of his executioners still fulfil prophecies. It is time for the executions to be completed as the Sabbath is coming. Normally those being crucified would be left to die a slow and painful death, but now their legs are broken to speed up the process, so the bodies can be removed before the Sabbath. Jesus is already dead, so to be sure of that, he is simply stabbed with a spear. As there is no blood, it is proof of death. Verse 36 says

³⁶ These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”

The passover lamb must be eaten without breaking its bones according to Exodus 12:46 and Numbers 9:12. Jesus has become the passover lamb for the whole world, sacrificed to save us from destruction.

Zechariah 12:10 tells us

“I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.”

This prophecy, perhaps more than any of the others, sets the tone for Good Friday. The day in our year when we mourn for the loss of Jesus, our saviour. When we grieve bitterly for him, and the things he had to go through to achieve our redemption.

The plan

So, we look upon the plan and see that God has saved us from eternal separation, from death and hell. We look at the details from the beginning of time, everything is worked out in minute detail. The purpose of the plan is to provide us with a way back to God.

It has worked, but there has been an enormous cost – God has given up His son for us. That is why it is a Good Friday, because the plan has worked – we are saved.

Even so, or perhaps because of that, we should be in mourning for our loss, a loss that can be attributed to each of us and would be exactly the same even if you or I was the only individual that needed saving.

Amen.