Simon the Sorcerer

Do you believe in magic?  Some consider it superstitious nonsense, but others take it very seriously.  Interest in the magic arts – clairvoyancy, palm reading, mediums and psychics, astrology, witchcraft and the occult are all on the rise.  New Age beliefs such as the presence of spiritual energy in physical objects are becoming more and more common.  The resurging interest in Te Reo and Māori culture (which has been commendable) in our country has brought with it an interest in Māori mythology and spirituality, which merges nicely with New Age beliefs.  Our recent Matariki (see my post on that here) holiday in New Zealand is a case in point. 

In the book of Acts, Luke presents us with the story of Simon the Sorcerer – a man well versed in the power of magic who is drawn to a greater power – that of the One true God.  But alongside that we also have the story of the salvation of the Samaritans, who are the first to receive the Holy Spirit outside of Jerusalem.  Salvation and sorcery, the gospel and magic, the power of God and the power of Satan are contrasted in this intriguing passage. 

The Setting

Up until this point in the book of Acts the centre of action for gospel proclamation has been Jerusalem, the church’s centre.  God’s intention was never for it to remain there.  Now that Jerusalem had been saturated with the gospel it was time to move out.  The method God used to do this was persecution:

“On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria.” (Acts 8:1)

The word is mega in Greek: extreme, very aggressive persecution.  Men and women are torn from their homes.  Parents are dragged off to jail; their children orphaned.  Christians scattered and as they did so, the gospel scattered with them.  One of these individuals was Philip, who went to Samaria.  God intended the gospel to go to all peoples, even those we formerly despised.  Philip proclaims Jesus to them and how did they respond? 

“The crowds were all paying attention to what Philip said, as they listened and saw the signs he was performing. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed, and many who were paralyzed, and lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.” (verses 6-8)

That’s what the gospel does.  It sets people free and fills them with joy.   It might not immediately change your circumstances; it will fill you with joy.  You may still be stuck in a bad relationship, but you will have joy.  You might still be penniless, but you will have joy.  

Simon the Sorcerer

That brings us now to Simon.  We read in verse 9:

“A man named Simon had previously practiced sorcery in that city and amazed the Samaritan people, while claiming to be somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least of them to the greatest, and they said, “This man is called the Great Power of God.” (verses 9–10)

Simon was a sorcerer.  He practised magic.  And it was real.  This is not Mickey Mouse in The Magician’s Apprentice, dancing around wearing a big blue pointy hat with stars on it and waving his fingers at a broom.  This is not the magician who pulls a rabbit out of a hat or makes things disappear.  This is the real deal – the working of magic with the aid of evil supernatural forces. 

Luke tells us he “amazed the Samaritan people” (verse 9).  The KJV uses the word “bewitched.”  They were dazzled, enchanted and enthralled with him.  “They all paid attention to him, from the least of them to the greatest” (verse 10).  From the Samaritan baker and bricklayer to the statesman and lawyer – they were all hooked.  They say in verse 10 – “This man is called the Great Power of God.”    And in verse 11, “They were attentive to him because he had amazed them with his sorceries for a long time.”

Now here comes the interesting part.  Philip turns up and he starts proclaiming “the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.”  He’s telling them salvation and forgiveness of sins is now available through Jesus – God’s anointed King.  The Samaritans believe, repent and are baptized. There is a harvest of souls.  God grants salvation to the people in Samaria. 

This is the day the gospel triumphed over magic.  This is the day when light conquered darkness.  All the power that Simon conjured up with his black magic and his arts could not compete with the power of the Holy Spirit working through Philip to transform human lives.  Simon could do a lot of things, but he could not do this.  Full forgiveness of sins, full acceptance into the kingdom of God, through one man – the God-man, Jesus Christ.  This was a very different kind of power Simon was witnessing. 

And we are told in verse 13 – “Even Simon himself believed.”  And he was baptized.  He attaches himself to Philip and starts following him around.  Samaritan’s celebrity gets saved.  We all get excited when the local celebrity gets saved.  Imagine one of our own celebrities: Sir Peter Jackson or Taika Waititi or Lorde came to faith in Christ.  We would have them interviewed on TV; we would put them on stage here at church and invite the whole district.  We’d make a big deal out of it.  Wisdom teaches before you put a newly converted celebrity on stage, you make sure they are the real deal. 

Word of the revival in Samaria gets back to the Apostles in Jerusalem and they immediately send a delegation – Peter and John, to validate this new revival.  They soon realize it is legit – God has granted salvation to the Samaritans, and they lay their hands on them and the Samaritans receive the Holy Spirit. 

“When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.” (verses 18–19)

Simon is watching all of this, and we don’t know exactly what happened – perhaps they spoke in tongues, we don’t know, but there was a discernable difference in those who receive the Spirit. Simon is thinking, “Wow.  I thought I was good.  But this is something else.”  Simon isn’t on his knees, giving thanks to God for the gift of salvation that has come to a heretical and sinful Samaria.  No, he sees an opportunity to enhance his magical powers and build his brand.  And so, he flashes the cash.  He opens his wallet and says, “I want that.  What’s the price?” 

Peter’s words to Simon cut like a knife:

“May your silver be destroyed with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!” (verse 20)

The word “destroy” is a strong word.  Other translations have “perish.”  2 Corinthians 4:3 says, “But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.” That’s the same word.  In essence, Peter is saying, “Simon, you and your money can go to hell.”  “To hell with you and your money Simon.”  I could not imagine being told anything more devastating from an apostle – could you? 

Peter is not done with Simon yet.  He continues,

“You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.” (verse 21)

In other words, “You have no place in what God is doing here.  God’s kingdom is not about what you can get for yourself or how you are perceived by others.  It’s about knowing Jesus.  It’s about trusting Jesus.  It’s about loving and obeying Jesus.  And that all comes by grace.”  The power of God is not a commodity to be used by man. 

“Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your heart’s intent may be forgiven. For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by wickedness.” (verses 22–23)

These are loving words by Peter.  He is not writing Simon off.  He’s not shaming or humiliating him out of spite.  He is calling Simon to repent.  He is saying, “Simon you need to get your heart right with God.”  But look now at Simon’s response – this is tragic:

“Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon replied, “so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

Peter didn’t say, “I can pray to God, and he’ll forgive you.”  He didn’t say, “You’ll need to go to confession and pay penance for this one.”  He said, “Simon, you need to repent.  You need to get right with God.”  But Simon doesn’t do that.  He says, “You’re the man with the power.  You need to pray for me.”  

We don’t know what happened to Simon.  Rumour says he became the founder of a sect – we don’t know that for sure.  But it is evident that Simon never was a true believer.  He was remorseful, but not repentant.  He was sorrowful, but not sorry enough to change.  His so-called “faith” was not of the saving kind.  It was a dead, empty faith.

Application

There are some important lessons we can glean from this passage.  In particular, the story of Simon warns us of at least three things:

1. The power at work in magic and sorcery is real.  Beware of it.

If you are a Christian, you have no business playing around with sorcery or astrology or palm readings or tarot cards or reading about or experimenting with magic.  You’re delving into the domain of the demonic.  You’re playing with fire.  Beware of people who claim to have spiritual power.  Beware of those who talk about a “prophetic mantle.”  Beware when you see people falling over backwards when touched by a man.  The power may not be of God.

2. The Holy Spirit cannot be bought.  He is not a force to be manipulated. 

There are Simon-type people in our world today—those who use the Holy Spirit as a tool.  Proponents of the “prosperity gospel” and the “word of faith “movement teach that if we truly believe something will happen, and speak it in faith, God will make it happen.  If we need a new job, if we believe hard enough and speak it, God will give us a better job.  Or if we are sick, all we need to believe and have enough faith, and God will heal us.  That’s Simon’s way of doing business, not God’s.  God will not be manipulated in any way. 

3. Be sure your faith is the living, saving kind, not the dead kind. 

Where you have sheep, the devil sends goats; where you have wheat, the devil sows’ tares.  Where you have genuine conversions there are also counterfeits.  So make sure your faith is real.  Examine yourself to see if you are in the faith (2 Cor 13:5).  Those who are the real deal will feel the weight of their guilt.  They will sorrow with genuine repentance.  The true believer looks at what he can give to the Lord more than what he can receive from Him.

So let me close with this: Have you truly experienced God’s grace in your heart?  Have you seen yourself as a sinner, bound in sin, in desperate need of salvation?  Have you confessed that to God?  Have cried out to the Lord with a true, penitent heart, “Jesus, I need you!”  If not, may God help you to do that.  Others can pray for you, but they cannot believe for you.  You must do that yourself.  You must repent, you must cry out for God’s mercy, and you must personally trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin and eternal life. 

This post is based on a message from our recent Advent series. You can watch or listen to that message here

Unite 2022

This past week I had the joy of being part of the Student Life National Conference which was held in Ngaruawahia.  I’ve seen these guys in action before and they have the capability to put on a top-notch conference.  But this one exceeded my expectations.  It wasn’t just the great worship, seminars and training workshops that help to equip students for evangelism and discipleship on their campus, it was how God used these things to stir hearts to take steps of faith to follow Jesus more faithfully and courageously. 

There were over 300 students from the various University campuses around the country – Auckland, Waikato, Wellington, Christchurch and Otago, plus the team from Athletes in Action, along with staff leaders and helpers.  Each day began with worship and the Word and then students had the opportunity to attend numerous training workshops and seminars. 

In the evening, there was always a surprise – sometimes serious and sometimes a bit of fun.  There was a Night Market, which started out fun and then turned serious as students were caused to consider global hunger, war, human trafficking and other human distresses.  There was a Missions Expo where students were introduced to different opportunities for short-term mission projects over the summer.  There was a crazy games and dance night with a City v. Cowboy theme.  And then there was the climax of the conference – The Banquet, where students were treated to a formal sit-down meal served by the staff team. 

I was blown away by the quality and calibre of these events.  Each one was carefully thought through and prepared by a team of committed volunteers.  They took hours to set up. Top marks Student Life – you guys go all out on everything you do.

Amidst this, there were 35 “explorers” who were part of the conference. These were individuals who have shown an interest in Christianity and were invited along to learn more.  That’s the group I sat in on after the main sessions.  I was curious to see how the claims of Christ were presented to people who have either never heard about him or were sceptical about the Christian faith.  I was suitably impressed.  Using the Christianity Explored material, they slowly and patiently worked their way through the book of Mark, allowing time for students to voice their doubts, queries and disagreements.  No pressure was put on anyone at any time.  The gospel was presented in a clear and accurate way so that each individual could come to an informed decision on whether to follow Jesus or not. By the end of the conference, four of these individuals had come to faith and others are still considering taking that step while I write. 

The core mission of Student life is simple: “to turn lost students into Christ-centred labourers.” That’s not just a fancy tagline – they actually do it.  I moved around the tables during meals and heard testimony after testimony from students whose lives have been turned around as a result of this ministry.  Some came from a secular or non-religious background; others have been in Christian circles and have either not understood the gospel or were not growing spiritually.  After hearing the gospel explained to them clearly for the first time and having someone walk alongside them, they have come to true, saving faith.  But it didn’t stop there.  They are then challenged to do the same with others.  It’s just how Jesus intended it to be; it’s the great commission – disciples making disciples who got out and make more disciples. 

It’s what every pastor dreams of for his church.  It’s what I’ve been trying to pull off in churches I have pastored for the past 30 years.  If I could do it all over again, I would definitely take a different approach.  There is much to be learned from ministries like this one.  Here are a few things that stood out to me:

• A loyal, dedicated staff team

They say a church or ministry stands or falls with its leadership, and that is certainly the case here.  It’s a 100% effort by every member, all of the time.  I sat in on one of their briefing sessions and Cam – the conference leader, called for 5 volunteers for extra duty.  Five hands instantly went up.  I jabbed the guy sitting next to me and said, “That ain’t fair.  That doesn’t happen on my home turf!”    

• An uncompromising commitment to the gospel and the Great Commission

This is key.  There is no selling the gospel short or watering down the truth.  If Jesus calls for full surrender to follow him, he means it – no excuses, no half-measures, and no delays.  What the bible says, goes.  I love it.

• A culture that encourages full surrender

Where the leaders go, there the people go.  The staff leaders model what a fully devoted disciple looks like and the students follow suit.  At every conference I’ve attended, this is the air they breathe.  And it’s contagious.

• A gracious spirit

Total commitment is encouraged, but not demanded.  Students are pulled, not pushed to give their all for God.  There is more wooing than goading.  Those who go home not committing are not made to feel bad, just loved and prayed for.  There is a culture of grace.

• A desire for long-time, not short-term results

True life change and heart transformation doesn’t happen overnight.  It takes time.  Patience is required, and a lot of prayer.  God is the one who does the changing and he does it in his way in his time.  I see that in this ministry.

Thanks for letting me be a part of this awesome conference team, you did a stellar job.  I continue to learn from you each time I attend. 

P.S.  If you know have students in your church who are not involved in a campus ministry, have them check out Student Life.  They will not be disappointed.  And if you’re looking to support someone who is committing to reaching lost people, you won’t go wrong getting behind a Student Life Staff member.  It will be money well spent. 

The Unstoppable Gospel

When we open our bibles in the book of Acts and read accounts of bold faith and courageous witness, we can sometimes find it a little discouraging.  It appears God acted powerfully in his church back then, but not now.  Life has become too sophisticated, and the world is more complex; it isn’t as easy for God to work today as he did back then. 

If you have ever caught yourself thinking like that it means you are not reading your bible rightly.  You do not understand the purpose of biblical narrative.  The purpose of narrative in our bibles – whether it’s the church in first century Rome or Daniel and his friends in Babylon, is to teach us something about God.  With everything we read in the Bible, God is revealing something about himself to us.  He is demonstrating to us that he is God, that he is sovereign over the affairs of men.  I love how David Jackman expresses it:

“God is able to speak every language, God is able to be present in every place, God knows every thought and intention of every heart… He is an expert in post-modernism, he is an expert in Eastern-mysticism and pluralism, He is an expert in Islamic thought, He governs the whole universe, he understands global warming and the human genome project, He knows all the plans of every terrorist cell all across this planet.  Quite simply, the position of the ruler of the universe is not vacant, because God is in charge of it all.”  

The problem, you see, is we don’t really believe that.  And that is why we need Acts 5.  Acts 5 teaches us God’s plans and purposes for this world have not changed and the gospel – the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection, is unstoppable.  That’s what Luke, the author, wants us to see here.  God’s gospel will advance – no matter what.  And it advances in three areas: in power, in opposition and in suffering.  

1. The gospel advances in power

In Acts 5 verse 12 we read,

“Many signs and wonders were being done among the people through the hands of the apostles. They were all together in Solomon’s Colonnade.” 

And then in verse 15, we read,

“As a result, they would carry the sick out into the streets and lay them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on some of them.”

God is giving testimony to his gospel through the gift of healing.  Word gets out about this and soon you have people carrying in the sick and there are so many of them they have to be laid out on beds in the street.  And this was so if by chance Peter walks by his shadow might fall on them and they might be healed.  And it’s not just the physically sick. It’s the demon-stricken, demon afflicted; those with mental illness and afflictions of every kind (verse 16).  And they were being healed. 

God is demonstrating that this new movement his work and those leading it are his messengers and the message they are delivering is his message and it has the power to transform human lives.  The gospel that was proclaimed by the early church in the first century is just as powerful as it is today.  It has lost none of its power.  It is still able to save. So we must stay faithful to it. 

The gospel advances in power – that’s the first thing we learn in Acts 5.  The second is,

2. The gospel advances amidst opposition

“Then the high priest rose up. He and all who were with him, who belonged to the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy” (verse 17)

This is where things start to heat up.  The high priest and the Sadducees are pretty upset.  In fact, they are hopping mad.  Because there are men they didn’t authorise preaching things they don’t believe.  And people are believing them – in their droves.  Miracles are happening which they can’t deny.  This ragtag movement is growing, and they feel power leaking right out of them. 

But that’s not all they are upset about.  Further down in verse 28 the high priest says to Peter,

“Didn’t we strictly order you not to teach in this name? Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”

The gospel that the Apostles are preaching places the blame for Jesus’ death squarely on the religious leaders, which doesn’t make them look good.  This is hurting both their influence and their reputation. So Luke tells us they arrest the apostles and throw them in jail.  That ought to fix it.  That’ll shut them up.  But of course, jails are no problem for God.  He simply sends one of his angels who opens the jail door for them . The angel then says, “Go and stand in the temple, and tell the people all about this life.” (Acts 5:20)

Other translations have, “all the words of this life.”  In other words, the message of salvation, the message of Jesus – God’s Son who is the way, the truth and the life. And that’s what they do.  They go to the temple and do the very thing for which they were locked up.  See how absolutely powerless these Jewish religious leaders are when they come against God!  They think they are on top of things.  They think by imprisoning the Apostles they can shut this thing down, but God turns the whole thing on their heads and instead of winning they lose.  This is what happens for all those who oppose his gospel.  They get nowhere. 

What follows is quite humorous.  Orders are given to bring the Apostles out of jail. The report comes back:

“We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing in front of the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” (Acts 5:23)

When they heard these things, they were utterly baffled. The Sadducees don’t believe in the resurrection.  They also don’t believe in angels.  So God sends an angel to free his Apostles so the unbelieving Sadducees who don’t believe angels exist might learn that God will do things his way whether they believe it or not!

Don’t you worry about the unbelieving world.  God will take care of them.  Don’t worry about those who refuse to believe God exists.  He will soon show them he does. 

The report comes back that the Apostles are back teaching in the temple.  So they go and arrest them again – but they are more careful this time because they were afraid the people might stone them (v. 26). 

Here is a message to all who oppose the gospel and God’s church: you will not prevail.  You will not win.  This is God’s gospel and God’s church, and it will advance no matter what.  Write your laws, take away our liberty, remove Christian education from schools, ban prayer in Parliament, do your worse – you will not and cannot stop what God is doing.  His gospel will advance, his church will triumph, Jesus will be declared to the nations, people will be saved. 

Look what the high priest says in verse 28:

“Didn’t we strictly order you not to teach in this name? Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching…”

Oh that this could be said of us!  Would we could be accused of filling all of our villages and towns and cities with our teaching.  That would be a good reason for people to get upset with us, wouldn’t it? 

What is Peter’s response to this?  “We must obey God rather than men.”  That’s bold.  That’s courageous.  And then he gives them the gospel – again.  God has raised Jesus – whom you killed.  He exalted him to his right hand as ruler and Saviour.  He will forgive even you – if you repent of your sin. 

“When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.” (Acts 5:33)

Then Gamaliel, a leading figure of the Jews, intervenes.  He reasons with them and they listen to him.  They say, “Perhaps we won’t kill them.  We’ll beat them instead.”  They call the apostles back in, have them flogged and order them again not to speak about Jesus. This brings us to our third point: 

3. The gospel advances in suffering

“Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be treated shamefully on behalf of the Name. Every day in the temple, and in various homes, they continued teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.” (Acts 5:41–42)

The problem with we Christians today, is we want everyone to like us.  We expect because we are such nice folk, that people should like us.  Then we open our mouths about Jesus and find we are not always liked.  In fact, sometimes we are hated.  And we get all down and depressed and wonder what went wrong. 

The early Christians saw persecution and suffering as a sign they were doing something right.  They were faithful to speak about Jesus.  And they were copping the flak for it.  Instead of moping, instead of becoming despondent, they rejoiced and counted it an honour to receive the same treatment Jesus received.  That’s quite a different perspective to the one we have, isn’t it?

Richard Wurmbrand was a pastor in Romania in the 1940s. He was jailed by the communist regime for his role as a pastor in the underground Romanian church.  While in prison, he faced years of periodic physical torture.  He experienced constant suffering from hunger and cold.  He was brainwashed and faced untold mental cruelty.  He spent months in solitary confinement.  After 14 years in prison, he was ransomed out of prison by two Christian organizations and was allowed to leave Romania in 1965. With his freedom, he founded and led Voice of the Martyrs, a missions organization for the persecuted church.  He said,

“It was strictly forbidden to preach to other prisoners. It was understood that whoever was caught doing this received a severe beating. A number of us decided to pay the price for the privilege of preaching, so we accepted their [the communists’] terms. It was a deal; we preached, and they beat us. We were happy preaching. They were happy beating us, so everyone was happy.”

In his book, Tortured for Christ, he wrote,

“Alone in my cell, cold, hungry and in rags, I danced every night for joy. Sometimes I was so overwhelmed with joy that I felt that I was about to explode if I did not release it.”

It’s hard for us, here in the West, with our comfortable homes and air-conditioned churches to imagine what Wurmbrand is speaking about.  I think God still has much to teach us as a church, don’t you?

Conclusion

In conclusion, we learn God’s plans and purposes for this world have not changed and will not fail.  His gospel – the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection, is unstoppable.  Nothing can prevent its advance.

I love how Luke concludes this – look at verse 42:

“And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.”

This is the church’s mission.  This is our mission.  This is what God wants all of us to do.  As you walk out in the world today and you go back to your workplace, your neighbourhood, your family, your school – wherever it is that God has called you; look for those opportunities to share your faith and proclaim that Jesus is the Christ.  And you can be assured that God will be with you in all that you do. 

This is God’s gospel and if God is the one advancing it, no one stands the slightest chance of overthrowing it.  It will prevail no matter what. 

This post is based on a message from our recent Advent series. You can watch or listen to that message here

Matariki and Christ

On this day, June 24, our nation is celebrating Matariki, the start of the Māori New Year. It’s the first new holiday in New Zealand in 92 years, the first Māori holiday for the country and the first reinstated indigenous holiday in the world.  That is commendable, for those reasons alone.

Few people are aware of what it is really about, however.  Matariki is a star cluster that appears in the early morning sky in New Zealand during the mid-winter months.  Also known as the Pleiades or the Seven Sisters, it is one of the brightest clusters in the sky, containing hundreds of other stars. 

The ancient mythology around the Matariki stars goes back to the Māori pantheon of gods and creation stories.  These stories have evolved over time, but the general gist of them is they are the eyes of the god of winds, Tāwhirimātea, torn out in sorrow at the separation of his mother the earth god – Papatūānuku and his father the sky god – Ranginui.

So Matariki has strong spiritual significance to Māori heritage.  Traditionally, it involved lighting ritual fires, making offerings and various celebrations to farewell the dead, honouring ancestors and celebrating life.  You might see some of this being re-enacted in different parts of the country. 

Matariki is really no different than the ancient Canaanite or Egyptian pagan rituals that have been practiced since the fall.  It is man’s attempt create his own reality and form his own god(s).  Whether it is worshipping the stars, the sun, the water or the mountains, it is mankind in spiritual darkness, groping for enlightenment.  It is worshiping the creation rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25). 

In the bible – God’s revelation to mankind, Job tells us creation points us to the Creator:

“But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you. Or speak to the earth, and it will instruct you; let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? The life of every living thing is in his hand, as well as the breath of all humanity.” (Job 12:7-10)

As for the stars, Job tells us:

“Nāna nei i hanga a Aketura, a Tautoru, a Matariki, me ngā rūma i te tonga.” (Hopa 9:9) “He makes the stars: the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the constellations of the southern sky.”

And…

“E taea rānei e koe te here te huihui o Matariki, e wewete rānei ngā here o Tautoru? (Hopa 38:31) “Can you fasten the chains of the Pleiades or loosen the belt of Orion?”

Te Ariki te Atua (the Lord God) says through Ihāia (Isaiah) the prophet:

“To whom will you compare me, or who is my equal?” asks the Holy One. Look up and see! Who created these? He brings out the stars by number; he calls all of them by name. Because of his great power and strength, not one of them is missing.” (Isaiah 40:25–26)

The stars are part of God’s hangahanga (creation) and like the mountains (maunga) and oceans (moana) and forests (ngaherehere) and animals (kararehe), they display his glory.  Each star is uniquely different.  And he calls them each by name.

But that’s not all.  The bible teaches at the centre of this wonderful creation, lies Ihu – Jesus, God’s Son. 

“Everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through him and for him.” (Colossians 1:16)

The mountains and the oceans and the stars were created through Jesus and are for Jesus.  They point to his magnificent glory.  The forests and the flowers are for Jesus.  The tiny insects and microbes are for Jesus.  And so are you and I.  We were made for him, and he came to this world for us. 

Jesus’ life and death is recorded in great detail for us in the four gospel accounts.  The first of those, the Gospel of Matthew, says this about the beginning of his public ministry:

“The people who live in darkness have seen a great light, and for those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.” (Matthew 4:16)

Jesus is the “light” (mārama) we all need.  He is the true source of all enlightenment, meaning and purpose for this world and for our lives.  Sadly however, that light was rejected.  It is still being rejected today. 

But not by everyone.

There are those who will listen and believe.  We must therefore take every opportunity, especially during this time of Matariki, while people are perhaps showing some spiritual interest or asking questions, to point them to the true mārama (light), Ihu Karaiti (Jesus Christ), who is their only hope.   While the Matariki stars are only visible for short time of the year, God’s self-revelation in the person of Jesus is available to people every day.  They just don’t know it. 

Perhaps you might be one who could point this wonderful truth out. 

At home with newcomers

One of my favourite things to do as a pastor is to host a newcomer’s lunch.  It’s a great way to get to know people who come to our church and a great opportunity for them to get to know my wife and me.  This past Sunday we had thirteen new people in our home, plus some of our own greeters to mix and mingle with the crowd and help with the food.  That made over 20 all up (including ourselves), which made conversations a bit of work with everyone talking at the same time.  However, it was still a blessing to all who came and for us who got to meet some really interesting people.

After eating, we sat in a big circle and had everyone introduce themselves and tell us where they are from and what they are doing in Nelson.  The fun part was when we came to the young dentists.  That’s right – dentists, all seven of them; recent graduates from Otago University who have come to our region to begin their professional careers.  Most of them were from Malaysia and a couple from Indonesia.  Two of them are believers in Jesus (that we know of); the others are seeking.  One very earnest young man is from a Muslim background and wants to know more about Jesus and the bible.  He usually rounds the others up and encourages them to come on Sunday.  They are a most delightful group and my wife and I intend to spend more time with them. 

It’s been wonderful to see the increasing diversity of our growing church over the past couple of years.  I was told by an individual, when they heard that we were moving to Nelson, we would never see such diversity as we did in Auckland.  As the saying goes, “never say never to God”!  We now have 14 nations represented at Grace – Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, Kenya, Australia (I think that counts!), Samoa, North America, Canada, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Japan, and PNG.  All these cultures, under one roof, worshipping Jesus together.  Hearing the different accents and languages when we gather is a real blessing.  I’m so thankful for the way God is building his church.  It’s certainly nothing I have pulled off. 

I’m hearing back that opening our home to new people – especially those from different cultures, where English is not their first language, means a lot to them.  Hospitality is the universal language of love.  When you open your home to someone, you open something of yourself and your heart. 

It’s no coincidence, I believe, that the end of the bible describes a banquet scene.  All of God’s people, the redeemed, gathered at a table with Jesus.  And it’s at his house.  He is the host.  It’s his party.  There will be people from every tribe and nation and language.  No one people group or race will be given special privileges at this table.  There will be no honorary titles or special seats.  They are there purely by God’s grace. 

That is the kind of attitude we want to model in our churches and in our homes if we have any hope of drawing outsides.  People smell religious pride, arrogance and an inhospitable spirit, and they want no part of it.  Let us people who love strangers, welcome outsiders and open our hearts and homes to all, regardless of how they dress, where they come from or how they talk. 

This is the way of the Saviour.  We follow in his footsteps. 

Deadly Deception

Few passages in the bible stop us in our tracks like Acts 5:1-11.  A man and his wife lied to God.  They lied to God and God struck them down dead.  Why?  We don’t see him striking people down anywhere else in the New Testament.  So why here?  Why now at this point when things are going so well?  The gospel is being proclaimed, people are getting saved, lives are being transformed – the place is absolutely exploding.  And then this.   We are later that “no one else dared to join them” (Acts 5:13).  Well, that makes sense.  Would you if you were an outsider?  “Don’t associate with that crowd, God might get angry with you, and you’ll wind up dead.” 

So what’s the purpose of this? Its purpose is to remind us that you don’t mess with the God of the church. He means business.  He is holy, and he wants his people to be holy.  He will not be treated with contempt.

Luke presents us with two portraits of the early church which are in sharp contrast with one another.   The first is a beautiful picture; the second is a not-so-beautiful picture.  The first is authentic spirituality; the second is false spirituality.  The first is the grace-filled church; the second is the counterfeit church.  And as we’ll see, the beauty of the first picture highlights the ugliness of the second. 

I. The Grace-filled Church (4:32-37)

“Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common. With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them.” (Acts 4:32–33)

I love how Luke begins this.  He’s giving another progress report of the church.  And what we find here is the church is experiencing genuine unity and extraordinary generosity.   They were of “one heart and one mind.”  They share, at the very deepest level, a common love, a common bond, and a common pursuit.  And this deep unity overflowed in extraordinary generosity.  “Do you need some food?  I’ll bring you some.  You need some clothes?  I’ve got plenty.  You need some money?  I’ll see what I can do for you.”  This is a community transformed by the gospel.  This is true, authentic Christianity in action. 

And we see in verse 33 they are boldly and fearlessly proclaiming Jesus, which, when you consider what just happened early in chapter 4, is remarkable because they had just been given a clear no-gospel-preaching-mandate by the Sanhedrin.  

The gospel had so completely taken hold of the hearts of these people that there is no holding back.   There are no half-hearted, I’ll-turn-up-when-I-feel-like-it Christians here.  Everyone is committed.  Everyone is engaged on mission.  And at the heart of it all was their love for Jesus.  That was the key.  It’s always the key.  They loved Jesus.  They loved telling others about Jesus.  They loved seeing people transformed by Jesus.  And this love for Jesus overflowed in love for fellow believers. 

“For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet.”  (Acts 4:34–35)

This is a beautiful picture of gospel transformation.  Luke then narrows his focus on one individual as an example of what was going on.  Joseph, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), sold a field and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet (verse 36).

This is what happens when the Spirit of God is moving in the hearts of God’s people.  This is what it does.  It causes genuine unity and extraordinary generosity. And it is all of grace.  That is what Luke says in verse 33:

“With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them.” (Acts 4:33)

I just love Luke’s choice of words here – GREAT GRACE was upon them all.  Luke looks at what he sees, and he says, “I wish you could have been there; I wish could have seen it.  People were loving one another and serving one another, they’re giving stuff away – how do you explain this?  YOU CAN’T.  Great grace was upon them.”   

Now, as amazing as this scene is at end of chapter 4, as amazing as God’s grace is working in the hearts of his people, no church is perfect.  As we come into chapter 5, there is an ugly sin that resides in the people of God that needs to be exposed, as we turn now from the grace-filled church to the counterfeit church. 

II. The Counterfeit Church (5:1-11)

Luke introduces us to a couple that are part of the church just described in Acts 4:32-37; Ananias and Sapphira.  There are a few things we know about them.  We know they were married.  We know they were active members of the church.  We know they were wealthy, to some degree.  And they appear to be very generous.  They are willing to give away a fair share of the proceeds of the sale of some real estate.  But not all is as it seems.

“But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. However, he kept back part of the proceeds with his wife’s knowledge, and brought a portion of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.” (Acts 5:1–2)

The word “but” is used when we are making a contrast.  Luke is creating a contrast between Barnabas who was moved by God’s Spirit and Ananias and Sapphira who give the impression to everyone that they were moved by the Spirit, but it’s all a sham.  It’s a farce.  It’s all for show.  And God interrupts the show with an act all of his own. 

“Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the proceeds of the land? Wasn’t it yours while you possessed it? And after it was sold, wasn’t it at your disposal? Why is it that you planned this thing in your heart? You have not lied to people but to God.” (Acts 5:3–4)

Now let’s take careful note of the actual offence here.  It’s not keeping money for themselves.  Nobody said they had to sell the land and if they did sell it, no one said they had to give any of it away.  The application here is not I’ve got to sell my house and give the money to the church.  Peter makes that clear in verse 4.  He says, “Wasn’t it yours while you possessed it?”  And then he says, “And after it was sold, wasn’t it at your disposal?”  They didn’t have to sell, and they didn’t have to give any of it away.  Giving, in the New Testament, is always free will.  It’s from the heart.  If it’s not from the heart, if it’s coerced, it’s not true New Testament giving. 

The sin is not keeping money back.  The sin was deception.  The sin was giving the impression they were giving it all when they weren’t.  And it was intentional.  Note Peter’s words in verse 4, “Why is it that you planned this thing in your heart?”  This wasn’t a misunderstanding.  This wasn’t some innocent oversight, and they got their numbers wrong.  This was planned.  Both he and his wife contrived a plan, to do one thing but make out they are doing something else.  There’s a word for this in the English dictionary: it’s called hypocrisy. 

Now, if we were all honest with ourselves, we are all guilty of hypocrisy to some degree.  We all have difficulty living consistently with what we believe.  I’ve heard people say, “The problem with you Christians is you are all hypocrites”?  My reply is, “Who isn’t?”  But religious hypocrisy is different.   It’s in a league all of its own.  It is pretending to be something or someone you are not so that you look good in the eyes of others, because you are concerned about your own glory, not God’s.

Hypocrisy is not challenging others to be bold in sharing Jesus with people while I struggle to share about the Lord with people myself.  That’s not hypocrisy.  Hypocrisy is parking my car outside the church office so people think I’m at work while I go off mountain biking.  Do you see the difference?  I’m giving the impression that I’m a busy pastor, so people think better of me.  That promotes self-glory.  It’s poisonous. That’s why God hates it.

Beware of being concerned about how you look in the eyes of others, rather than how you really are.  You open the door for Satan.  That’s what happened with Ananias.  “Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?”  When you open the door for sin in your life, and instead of dealing with that sin, you work hard at covering it up, you give Satan a foothold in your life.   

In this case, God puts a stop to it.  God does not always do this.  If he did, there would be a lot more dead Christians around the place!  It was crucial, at this stage of the church’s infancy, that everyone knew what they were dealing with.  Tom Wright in his commentary in Acts says,

“If you want to be a community which [is] the Temple of the living God you must not be surprised if the living God takes you seriously, seriously enough to make it clear that there is no such thing as cheap grace.”

God is good – he is infinitely good, but – as Mr Beaver said to Lucy regarding Aslan, he isn’t safe.  Safe gods can be manipulated and controlled.  This one cannot. 

Conclusion

There is a lot we can take away from this.  Satan is real.  Sin is deceptive.  And all sin is ultimately against God.  That’s what Peter says – he says, “You have not lied to people but to God.”  And lying to the Holy Spirit is the same thing as lying to God, which tells us the Holy Spirit is God. 

But there’s something even more important for us to take away from this.  The church is not a place for people who play games.  Being part of the people of God is serious business.  God is saying to us, “You are ambassadors of my dear Son whom I crushed at the cross to make you, my people.  And now, as my beloved people, to live a life pleasing to me, bearing and proclaiming the name of Jesus by word and by deed.  You have experienced the goodness of my salvation and now I want you to attest to that goodness by demonstrating a life of holiness to a lost world.” 

Here’s my question in closing: how does this story affect you?  Are you shocked?  Does this offend you?  I want you to notice the effect on the people of the early church.  We see it there in the final verse:

“Then great fear came on the whole church and on all who heard these things.” (Acts 5:11)

In verse 33 we saw great power and great grace.  But this story ends with great fear.  I have no doubt great fear came upon all those who were present when Ananias and his wife dropped dead.  Could you imagine seeing that?  But Luke tells us that great fear came upon even those who didn’t see it – they just heard about it.  That’s us.  We are of those who heard.

This passage is written primarily for Christians.  If you know God, you are loved by God, but that does not mean you treat him flippantly or with contempt.  God is jealous for his glory.  He will not be mocked. 

So be honest with him, and then you will live a life of honesty and integrity before others.  Don’t give way to sin.  Don’t allow Satan to fill your heart like it did Ananias and Sapphira.  Tell God about your sin – regularly.  Tell other people about your sin.  Be real with people.  Don’t let them think more highly of you than they should.  If they start praising you highly, bring them down to earth.

As long as we crave the admiration of people, we’ll be tempted to pretend, to fake it, to play a part.  The antidote for this is the fear of God.  Knowing that God sees all, knows all, and that there is nothing you can hide from him will keep you from the deadly sin of deceit. 

May God, by his grace, cause us all to live in holy fear – for his glory and our good.

This post is based on a message from our recent Advent series. You can watch or listen to that message here

When the Church is Shaken

Christians – followers of Jesus are people who believe in the power of the supernatural.  That gives them a big advantage over those who don’t believe in God.  What can’t be accomplished by human means can be achieved by divine means.  What can’t be achieved by medical, or financial or technological means can be achieved by the power of God.  This does not mean God will not use natural means because oftentimes he does.  But when no explanation can be given for something – such as a miraculous healing or a shaking building, then we know it must be of God.  Such was the case with the events that transpired in the early church in Acts chapters 3 and 4.

The Setting

The story begins with a lame man who was miraculously and instantaneously healed outside the temple.  It was an obvious miracle, and no one could dispute it.  And the Apostle Peter tells the crowd that the power behind it was the risen Jesus.  Then he preaches the gospel to them.  The result of this is another 5000 men are saved.  The religious leaders are incensed and seize both Peter and John and bring them before the Sanhedrin.  But they find themselves in a quandary.  They can’t deny the miracle, they can’t harm Peter and John because the people love them – there will be a riot.  So they threaten them.  They call them in and order them never to speak or teach about Jesus again.  And we read in Acts chapter 4 verse 19:

“Peter and John answered them, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 

Oh, how I love their boldness!  God, give us all boldness like Peter and John!  We follow in the footsteps of a courageous king who was willing to suffer and die on a cross for our salvation.  And now this king calls us to deny ourselves and take up a cross (that’s death to self, our pride, our ego and self-preservation) and follow him on the path of suffering.   

Hostility and persecution can have the effect of shaking believers.  That’s what Satan wants.  He wants to frighten us because then he can silence us.  That’s why we need courage.  That’s why we need boldness because we must not be silenced.  The eternal future of people’s souls depends on this.  We need to pray for Holy Spirit boldness, because when God makes Christians bold, hell itself is shaken. 

Responding to Persecution

Well, that brings us now to our passage today.  We see the response of the early church to these threats from the Jewish leaders.  What do you do when you are ordered not to talk about Jesus?  What do you do when a hostile world wants to silence you and shut you up?  Let’s see what these early Christians did:

“After they were released, they went to their own people and reported everything the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together to God…“ (Acts 4:23-24)

This is what you do when the world rejects you.  You don’t slink away in shame.  You don’t throw a pity party or go and hide under your bed.  You band together with some other believers and you storm the gates of heaven.

Oh the power of a praying church!  Oh the power of praying saints!  If only we realized it!  William Cowper once said, “Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon their knees.” 

The weakest saint!  Do we realize the power of prayer?  Samuel Chadwick said, “Prayer turns ordinary mortals into men of power. It brings power. It brings fire. It brings rain. It brings life. It brings God.” 

They draw together in prayer, they unite together we read in verses 23-24 we read,

“They raised their voices together to God and said, “Master, you are the one who made the heaven, the earth, and the sea, and everything in them.”

The church addressed God as “Lord.”  It is the word despotes, from which we get the English word “despot.”  We tend to think of this word in a negative sense, but it simply means absolute master or ruler, one who has complete authority over his servants.  Then, in the midst of this prayer, they cite Psalm 2:1-2.

²⁵ You said through the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David your servant:
Why do the Gentiles rage
and the peoples plot futile things?
²⁶ The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers assemble together
against the Lord and against his Messiah.^,
27 “For, in fact, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed”

Psalm 2 describes the revolt of the nations against the Lord and His Christ.  Whenever a new king was enthroned, the vassal rulers around were required to come and submit to him, but some of them refused to do this.  God only laughed at their revolt, for He knew that they could never stand up against His King.

This is exactly what happened to Jesus.  Herod, Pilate, the Romans, and the Jews – these enemies mounted opposition against Jesus.  They put him on trial, beat him and then crucified Him.  But God raised Him from the dead and enthroned Him in heaven.  All of this was a part of God’s perfect plan and purpose which he ordained before the world began. Herod, Pilate, the Roman soldiers and the Jews all came against God’s Son – just as David prophesied in Psalm 2; they raged against him. But all they did in their rage was what God had predestined to occur.  It’s all part of the plan of God. 

These believers have such great trust in God’s sovereignty.  What an example they are to us!  If only we had such trust in the midst of our trials and difficulties and persecutions.  And then look what they pray next in verse 29:

“And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that your servants may speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand for healing, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” (Acts 4:29–30)

This is amazing.  They don’t pray for the persecution to go away.  They don’t pray God will remove them from the trial.  No, they pray for more boldness!  And then they ask God to perform even more miraculous things by the name of Jesus!  And what was heaven’s response? 

“When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly.” (Acts 4:31)

They ask for a miraculous sign and they got it.  The church was shaken at the foundations.  And they all receive a fresh filling or empowering of the Holy Spirit.  And they go out and spoke the word boldly.

God showed up.  I know that is something we all desire, isn’t it?  We all long for a mighty move of the Spirit amongst us.  We long to see God work miracles and prove without a doubt that he is working amongst us. 

If we want that my friends, we must first fully surrender to the sovereignty of God.  We must surrender ourselves to his plan.  We must be willing to face persecution courageously.  We must be willing to obey God rather than men.  If we are truly willing to do these things, then there are no limits on what God can do in our community through us.

Courage under Fire

Courage is one of those universal virtues that is esteemed in every culture.  We admire people who are courageous; who are unflinching in the face of danger.  Think of movies like The Lord of the Rings, Hunger Games, Saving Private Ryan and Braveheart (one of my favourites); they all inspire bravery and courage. 

But that’s not the kind of courage we find in the early Christians in the book of Acts.  The courage we see there isn’t about heroism or bravado.  It’s not Clint Eastwood staring a thug in the eye with a gun saying, “Go ahead, make my day.”  It’s the courage to speak boldly for Christ. It’s the courage to stay true to Jesus because his honour is worth more than our own.  It’s the courage to follow in the footsteps of a courageous King who faced death on a cross for us.  It’s the courage to believe in that King strong enough that you are willing to face opposition, social rejection, persecution and even death if necessary. 

Do you have that kind of courage?  When the opportunity arises to speak about your faith, do you take it?  Or do you shrink back out of fear?  When someone says to you, “Don’t tell me you believe that rubbish in the bible”, do you stand up for the truth or do you remain silent? 

If you do lack courage; if you lack boldness in sharing about your faith, you might take heart from a story from the early chapters of the book of Acts.   

The conflict

In Acts chapter 3 we have the story of the lame man who was miraculously healed at the temple.  Peter and John were on their way to a prayer meeting (of sorts), and they came across a man begging for money outside the temple gate. Peter says to him, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” (Acts 3:6) Then he reaches down and grabs him by the hand; his legs instantaneously come to life, and he jumps up and enters into the temple with Peter and John “walking, leaping and praising God.” 

Well, this draws an instant crowd and Peter takes this opportunity to preach about Jesus.  This infuriates the religious leaders because someone they haven’t sanctioned is teaching in their temple and proclaiming things they don’t believe in.  So they seize them.  They call in the temple police –armed Levites whose job was to maintain the Temple and arrest those causing a disruption.  And then they haul Peter and John before the Sanhedrin.  That brings us to the events in Acts chapter 4. 

Courage in the face of conflict

“The next day, their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all the members of the high-priestly family.” (Acts 4:5–6)

This is the Sanhedrin, the Supreme Court of the Jews.  This would be a most intimidating place to be in.  Your life is on the line in what you say.  They say to Peter and John, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” (Acts 4:7)

At this point Peter and John face a choice – it’s the same choice you and I will face when we are confronted about our faith.  Peter chooses the right thing: he courageously speaks out the truth and preaches the gospel to them!

 “Rulers of the people and elders: If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a disabled man, by what means he was healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing here before you healthy. This Jesus is the stone rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:8–12)

Where did he get this courage from?  The answer is found in verse 8 – “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit”

There are two kinds of Spirit-filling we find in the New Testament.  The first speaks of an abiding state or condition as in Ephesians 5:18 – “do not get drunk with wine… but be filled with the Spirit.”  In other words, remain continually under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit.  The other kind is a one-time, “fresh filling” for a special task.  That’s the kind we find here in Acts 4:8. Peter is put on the spot, he needs some extra help from God, so he leans into the Spirit, he says under his breath, “Spirit of God, I need your help, give me the words to say” and then he opens his mouth.

My friends, there is no other way.  I have spoken about Jesus in many contexts – open door preaching in parks, in the streets, on planes, in taxis, picking up hitchhikers, leaning over a neighbour’s fence – and in some of those situations I was quaking at the knees, but whenever I leaned into the Spirit and called on his help, he ALWAYS showed up.  He will give you the words to say – you just need to trust him. 

What he did for Peter he will do for you.

This is the secret to courage for Christian witness. The reason many Christians are not witnessing, they are not confronting the world, they are not praying, and they are not having victory over sin is because they are not yielding themselves to the Spirit of God.  They have no power – that’s the problem.  If you want power in your Christian life, you need to yield to the Spirit of God and say, “Have me Spirit, fill me, take me, speak through me – I am yours.” 

There was a time in the history of the church when persecution made heroes out of people.  You’d be told, “If you speak about Christ, we’ll cut off your head” which I think would be wonderful, I really do, because it’s a real quick one-way ticket out of here to glory.

Today, in our part of the world, persecution doesn’t make heroes out of anybody.  Why?  Because the pressure isn’t physical, it’s psychological.  You’ll be liked by the world as long as you keep your mouth shut.  Start speaking out and you’ll quickly be side-lined.  This kind of persecution is directed at our pride, our ego.  We want the world to respect us, not despise us.  We forget the call to follow Jesus involved a cross.  Our lives don’t matter, the gospel and the salvation of others does.  Our lives are expendable.  As soon as we try to save ourselves, to protect our egos, and live to impress people, we become weak and ineffective. 

If we are going to become effective in winning the lost, we need repent of our love of self and desire to protect our own ego and get on our needs before God and pray for Spirit-filled boldness.  Otherwise, we might as well not be here.  

Look at how Luke concludes this story:

“When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13)

I love this Scripture.  It reminds me I don’t have to be a super-Christian who has all the answers.  I don’t need to have a degree in theology.  I just need to spend time with Jesus – that’s where my courage and confidence come from. 

Peter and John spent intimate time with Jesus.  They were a part of the inner three.  They saw how Jesus moved, how he talked, and how he observed people.  They felt his urgency to spread the gospel.  They witnessed how he gave his life for the salvation of the lost.  They lived so close to Jesus that they could not help but take on his character and traits themselves.

The same is true for us today. When we spend time with Jesus, HE makes us different.  Mark it my friends: those who spend time with Jesus are different and it will show. 

So, never ever stop sharing your testimony.  Pray for courage and boldness to speak confidently.  Lean on the Spirit – call on his power.  We cannot – we must not stop sharing the gospel with people.   For it is the power of salvation for all those who believe.

The priceless value of Christian fellowship

Do you value Christian fellowship in your life?  Is it important to you?

Francelle and I came away from church Sunday morning feeling weary and somewhat jaded.  I had preached a difficult sermon and Francelle had a hard time with a difficult bunch of kids.  We did the best thing we could ever do: we went out for lunch with two other families from our church.  What tonic for the soul!  What grace God pours on us when we talk and share over a meal with other believers!  There was nothing particularly deep or profound about our conversations; it was just their presence with us that made all the difference.  We talked about the morning and shared about the week.  We laughed a little, we let off some steam, and we shared some deeper things about our trials and difficulties. And then we drove home. 

But we were now different people.  We went home with our hearts full.   All thoughts of weariness had fled.  We felt revived spiritually. 

In such times as this Psalm 16:2-3 comes to mind: 

“I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have nothing good besides you.” As for the holy people who are in the land, they are the noble ones. All my delight is in them.”

Did you get those last words?  “All my delight is in them.”  Is that how you view fellow believers?  Do you delight to be with them, eat with them, talk with them, and pray with them?  You should if you are a believer in Jesus.  The Lord plants in his people a love for his own.  He gives us a deep affection for fellow Christians. 

But this love needs to be cultivated. 

Let me draw you a little deeper into this.  We need to see how Christian fellowship is not the same as talking about life with a co-worker or having a yarn to a neighbour over the fence.  It something far richer and deeper.   In Psalm 133 we find this:

¹ How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in unity!
² It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down on the collar of his robe.
³ It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.

Oil was a valued commodity in ancient Israel.  It was used for cooking, moisturising and refreshing.  But the unity that comes from God is not just like any oil.  It is like precious or fine oil. God has put his stamp of approval on it.

Pouring oil on one’s head is a picture of blessing.  It was often used in hospitality.  The climate was hot and dusty, and oil on the head would be a welcome relief.  But this precious oil is not just poured on the head.  It is also running down the face.  In other words, this is not just a little bit of oil, but this is oil poured out so richly, so fully that it even runs down on the person’s beard.

Christian fellowship is like oil poured on the head, running down on the beard.  It is precious, refreshing, and a gift from God, and God is generous with this gift.  He doesn’t hold anything back.

But the imagery doesn’t stop there.  The Psalmist goes further.  He says it is also like the dew of Hermon falling on Mount Zion.  Now, what is all that about? 

Mount Hermon is the highest mountain in Israel with an altitude of over 9,000 feet above sea level, extending along the border of Lebanon and Syria.  It is known for its cool nights and heavy dew.  Mount Zion, in comparison, is a smaller mountain with an altitude of only 2400 feet above sea level.  Unlike Hermon, there is very little dew, rain or any moisture at all in Jerusalem during the summer months. What an amazing thing it would be if the dew of Mount Hermon were to fall on Mount Zion!  

That is exactly what happens with Christian fellowship.

The word translated “falling” in verse 3 is the same word we saw for “running down” in verse 2.  Once again God’s blessing of unity comes down to us from heaven.  It is something we receive from the Lord.  Apart from God’s blessing, we are like the dry, arid land of Mount Zion, but God sends his blessing upon us like the dew of Mount Hermon.

Now that you see the extraordinary beauty of Christian fellowship, let me encourage you: don’t wait for it to happen.  Plan for it.  Schedule it.  Call or text someone this week to meet up with them in the coming days.  Sometimes Francelle and I ask people on the day to join us for lunch somewhere, or we heat up some soup and buns and have them over.  It’s not the food that matters; it’s the company. It’s being there with somebody.

The relationships we have in the body of Christ are of immense value. Cherish them. Cultivate them.  Don’t take them for granted.

Looking unto Jesus

If you are feeling weary right now, you’re not alone.  The whole country is feeling weary.  We are experiencing what I call post-covid fatigue (or is it post-mandates and mask-wearing and government-regulation fatigue?).  The past two years have taken a toll on all of us.  We’re the last country on the globe to get covid into and out of our system – literally.  Omicron is slowly making its way through our communities, and we can now see light at the end of the tunnel. 

We think.  We hope.

It is at times like these that we need to look upwards to our Saviour.  Not inward, not downward, not outward. 

Upward. 

I have some words for you from the writer of Hebrews, in chapter 12 verses 1-2:

Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us

“The great cloud of witnesses” – who are they?  They are all those in chapter 11 who lived by faith – Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Joseph and Moses.  They kept holding on to God to the very end.  They persevered.  They endured, and they won. 

And then he says, “Let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us.” That’s all the baggage you carried over from your past life, plus the weaknesses in your flesh – your sinful habits – all that stuff.  Cast it aside, he says.  It’s behind you so leave it behind you.  Don’t go picking that stuff up again.

And then here comes the main thrust – “Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us.”  This is the main verb in the sentence.  This is the key thought of the passage.  It’s a call to endurance and perseverance to run the race of faith.

If you are going to survive as a Christian – not only in Covid times, but at all times, you are going to have to be a person that has determination, resolve, and drive.  Otherwise, you won’t make it.   You’ll collapse on the side of the track.

But you say, “But there are times when I just get tired of it.  Satan is at me, sin weighs me down, people weigh me down and I don’t know if I can go on.”  Well, listen to this next part:

Keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Some translations have “fixing our eyes on Jesus”.  The word “fix” comes from a Greek word that has the idea of concentrating your gaze.  It means to look away from other things so that you can focus all your attention on one object.  That object is JESUS – the author and finisher of our faith.  He died for you.  He rose for you.  He sits on the right hand of God, interceding for you.

When times get tough and life gets us down, this is where we need to turn.  This is where we need to look. 

• Not at our circumstances
• Not at ourselves
• Not at what other people are doing

We just need to look to Jesus and be reminded of his mercy, his grace, his kindness and his power and his wisdom.

That will get us through anything.