Posts that reference the book of Acts

Jesus Is the Cornerstone

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 4:11-12

What is the cornerstone?
It is the first stone in the building.
It is had any flaws, any imperfections
The whole building was at risk.

Builders were very particular, very discriminating
When it came to choosing a cornerstone.
They knew everything depended
On getting that choice right.

Here, Peter explains the Jews got it wrong.
They examined Jesus,
And tossed Him aside,
Deciding they didn’t want to build their eternity on Him.

You have an eternity to build as well.
You have to choose your cornerstone.
There is a wide variety offered,
But really there is only one.

Jesus Christ.

Study Tip: Emphasizing the Resurrection

By Paula

And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 1 Corinthians 15:17

In the book of Acts in nearly every sermon from Pentecost through Paul’s trials in the later chapters, the key point is Jesus’s resurrection from the dead.

Acts 2:24, 2:32, 3:15, 4:2, 4:10, 5:30, 10:40-41, 13:30, 13:33-34, 13:37, 17:31-32, 23:6, 24:21, 26:8, 26:23

Why was the resurrection such a focal point?

Keep in mind that these sermons were often preached to Jewish crowds. In their system of sacrifices, they depended on the intercession of the High Priest. Once each year, on the Day of Atonement he would take the lamb’s blood into the Holy of Holies into the presence of God and sprinkle it on the lid of the ark of the Covenant, the box that held the Ten Commandments. The lid was called the mercy seat. The High Priest was required to follow every detail of God’s instructions, from the selection of the lamb and the preparation and presentation of the offering down to his bathing routine and clothing. If every detail was correct, if every instruction followed, God would accept the offering and withhold His judgment for a year. If the High Priest failed in any point, even a minor one, he would be struck dead and the people would fall under God’s wrath.

So when the High Priest would emerge from the tabernacle and later the Temple there was great relief among the people. The High Priest lived! That meant the offering was acceptable, their sins were covered, they were safe.

Jesus is our Great High Priest, and the Lamb of God.

After offering His life’s blood, God had to signal that the offering was accepted, that it was sufficient. The High Priest had to live. But because the offering was so perfect, the judgment was stayed not just for a year, but for eternity.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ proves that our redemption is finished.

If He hadn’t raised from the dead, then it was only a martyr’s death and not a Savior’s death. But because He lives, we know we will too.

As you read the New Testament, notice how often the resurrection is mentioned. Do you think we focus on the resurrection more or less than New Testament believers?

(Although there is no longer a Temple or a system of sacrifices, the Day of Atonement is still observed by Jews today. You may have seen it on your calendar – Yom Kippur.)

As I was making notes, I discovered I had already posted on my topic. So yes, this is a repost but good information.

Into the Wilderness: Instruction

By Paula

Apply your heart to instruction, And your ears to words of knowledge. Proverbs 23:12

We continue our study of the wilderness in Scripture. We’ve seen it is a place of wandering. But it is also a place of transition. Last week through Jacob’s story we saw that the restoration of relationships can happen in the wilderness. This week we’ll consider the apostle Paul and his time in the wilderness, a time of personal instruction.

Paul was a rising young star among the Pharisees. He had studied with the most respected rabbi of his day, Gamaliel. He was born a Roman citizen, affording him all the political advantages in his society. Of course all of that changed when he met Jesus. We can read about this encounter in Acts chapter 9 (and Paul retells the story in chapters 22 an 26).

From Acts and Galatians 1, we can piece together what happened next. After preaching the gospel for a short time in Damascus, Paul left for the Arabian desert for three years before he returned to Damascus then headed to Jerusalem. Because neither Luke nor Paul gives us details, that opens the door for a lot of speculation. Some have parsed the original words translated “Arabian desert” and determined that they actually referred to the area of Sinai. That leads them to conclude Paul spent the time in prayer, study and meditation reevaluating his understanding of the Law in light of the gospel. From Paul’s writing in Romans and Galatians, it is clear he had a good handle on that, so that’s a possibility.

Others believe Paul spent the time in the same three-year training program the other apostles got, receiving personal instruction from Jesus Christ Himself. In Galatians 1:16, Paul says he did not consult or confer with any man, any “flesh and blood.” They point to 1 Corinthians 15:8 as corroborating evidence. This is also a possibility.

No matter how exactly that wilderness instruction time came together or worked itself out, Paul benefited from it and we are still benefiting from it. Besides the deep theological truths Paul explained for us, we can learn from his example.

We need instruction – If the great apostle needed to learn and grow, how much more do we need it? For Paul, it was urgent and compelling enough that he set everything else aside while he learned. We need to be humble enough to receive instruction

Further instruction equips us for our calling – In Acts 9:15, Jesus tells us that Paul was called specially to carry the gospel to Gentiles and kings. But he didn’t embark on that mission until after his time in the wilderness.

The Holy Spirit makes the best teacher – This is not to say that we can’t learn from brothers and sisters who are farther along in their walk than we are. I mean, there wouldn’t be much point in these posts if that were the case. But the very best teacher is the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised He would explain things, guide us into all the truth (John 16:13). Sometimes, we need to get rid of the distractions in our lives and get away to the wilderness where we can listen.

If Jesus personally instructed Paul in Arabia, it wasn’t His first time in the wilderness. Next week, we’ll look at Jesus’s own wilderness experience.

7 Things That Can Happen When We Share the Gospel

By Paula

At the end of Matthew’s and Mark’s gospels, right before Jesus returns to heaven, He commissions His followers to share the gospel. Preach it everywhere to everyone. Simple enough. The book of Acts shows us a lot can happen when we tell people about Jesus. Let’s look at Peter and John in chapter 4 to find out what those things are.

While they [Peter and John] were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple police, and the Sadducees confronted them, Acts 4:1

1. Confrontation. The gospel can bring on confrontation. Why? At it’s very core, the message is that we are wrong, that our good works can’t save us and that our systems are inadequate. We hate being told that.

because they were annoyed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. Acts 4:2

2. Annoyance. We are told not to rock the boat. People don’t want their illusions shattered. When we share the gospel, people’s ideas that they are basically good, or at least good enough are challenged. The gospel tells us there is only one way and that is through Jesus.

So they seized them and took them into custody until the next day since it was already evening. Acts 4:3

3. Persecution. Peter and John were arrested for preaching the truth. This is a reality for many believers even today. Pray for them. IT reminds us words DO have power and the gospel of grace is the most powerful word.

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

4. Recognition. Even the opposition realized that something was going on with Peter and John. The legal and religious leaders viewed them as uneducated hicks. … which I guess they were. However, when they heard the strength of their argument and the boldness with which they proclaimed it, they knew there was more to the message and the messengers. It is important to remember that boldness does not mean disrespectful.

So they called for them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. Acts 4:18

5. Silencing. In some ways this is more chilling than the persecution. Not only did the religious leaders not want to hear the gospel, they didn’t want anyone else to hear it either. They set themselves up as the arbiters of truth. We live in a culture that accepts every truth as equally valid, and so seeks to silence the truth of the gospel by drowning it in a sea of competing ideas. We must ensure the life-changing message of Christ is heard.

But many of those who heard the message believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand. Acts 4:4

6. Belief. Just like the seed that hits the good soil, sometimes the message is embraced and lives are transformed.

One or more of these can result when we share the gospel of Jesus. We can’t always predict those outcomes and the truth is, we aren’t responsible for the results, just the witnessing. However there is one outcome that is guaranteed when we share Jesus. Guaranteed.

After threatening them further, they released them. They found no way to punish them because the people were all giving glory to God over what had been done. Acts 4:21

7. Glory. God gets glory. That makes all the other opposition and difficulty worth it, to know that our actions and efforts bring glory to the King of the universe.

Want to learn more about sharing the gospel? These resources from Billy Graham may help. Share Your Faith 101

Easter at a Distance: Peter, revisited

By Paula

“Don’t worry about him. You follow me” (v. 22). No more following at a distance, Peter.

We’re finishing up our series on Easter at a distance. Our first entry was Peter, following at distance to the home on the high priest and eventually denying Jesus. Today we’ll revisit Peter sometime after the resurrection. Meeting up with the disciples back in Galilee was part of the plan. Jesus had instructed them in Matthew 26: 32. The angels at the empty tomb told the women that was the plan (Matthew 28:7) and Jesus Himself told the women to pass that on to the guys (Matthew 28:10).

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:6-7 that the risen Christ was seen by 500 people and particularly by His brother, James. It is likely those appearances happened in Galilee. But here, John records a particular conversation Jesus had with Peter. It is one of my favorites in the Gospels, so my own challenge will be to keep this post to a reasonable length.

John tells us seven of the disciples were there with no comment on where the others were or why they weren’t there. That presents us with a bonus takeaway before we even get to the discussion of Peter. When we disregard the instructions of Christ, we miss out. We miss out on His presence. We miss out on Him revealing Himself. We miss out on the amazing work He is doing. Notice Thomas is included in this group (John 21:2). He missed the Resurrection Day appearance of Jesus. He learned his lesson. He wasn’t about to miss out again.

While waiting for Jesus, Peter goes back to fishing. It was familiar and comfortable. After all he’d been through in the last couple of weeks, it was probably a welcome distraction. Something simple, physical. Something connected to his family, his heritage. They spent a long night and had exactly zero fish to show for it. Jesus is on the shore but they don’t recognize Him. He calls out to them to throw the nets on the right side of the boat and they pull in a miraculous haul of fish.

Here’s another important takeaway. When we are following Jesus, the results are His responsibility, not ours. It is easy for us to get caught up in metrics and thereby get discouraged. We are called to faithfulness not production quotas.

After cooking a breakfast of fish, Jesus engages Peter in a grace-filled, but very frank conversation about love and feeding sheep. Commentators and perhaps the notes in your study Bible will explain that Jesus and Peter use two different Greek words for love. Jesus used the word agape. That’s way Jesus loves, with a committed, self-sacrificing love. Peter responds with phileo. It’s committed, but not all in. Perhaps after his denials, Peter is not willing to agree to something he can’t follow through with.

Jesus, however, keeps on him. Not only will the job of feeding and tending the sheep, other believers, require a full commitment, but Jesus very frankly says that Peter’s ministry will cost him his life. He has to be all in.

Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” John 21:22

Then Peter asks Jesus what will happen to John. Jesus recognizes the stall tactic, and responds. “Don’t worry about him. You follow me” (v. 22). No more following at a distance, Peter.

John leaves the ending out. We know from Acts and from Peter’s letters that he embraced that mission Jesus gave him. He was bold. He was obedient and he and the other guys turned the first century world upside down.

Just like Peter, we can no longer follow at a distance. We must be all in when it comes to our love and commitment to Christ. We need to follow His instructions and go where He leads. What will happen when we do? I don’t know. But Jesus says, “You follow me.”

Expectations

By Paula

So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Acts 3:5

We have a van with automatic doors. Push the button, the door slides open. Push it again, the door slides closed. Very cool invention.

When it works.

I think it’s reasonable to expect the door to work as promised. It’s reasonable to expect my M&Ms to taste like chocolate and not dirt. Expectations are a gift to help us prepare for and navigate the world around us. We expect the concrete to be solid under our feet. We expect the cars to stop when the light turns red. We develop those expectations from experience and adjust them as they are either met or not. If we don’t make those little adjustments or if we build our expectations purely from our imaginations, we can get into trouble.

We don’t just have expectations about the physical world. We have them about people. And they have them about us. At the beginning of Acts 3, a lame man has a set of expectations about Peter and John. Because they are going into the Temple to pray, they must be devout. If they are devout, they must be charitable. Other devout people have been charitable. Therefore, I can expect a donation.

See the pattern: assumption (and another assumption) and experience leads to expectation. Peter and John had no money, so in a sense, they did not meet the man’s expectations. Granted, it worked out because they healed him instead of giving him money. In that sense, they far exceeded the man’s expectations. Sometimes we knock one out of the park too, but often, we fall short. And in a customer-service culture that can be tough.

Here are three things to keep in mind when you feel like you have failed to meet someone’s expectations.

1. It is inevitable.
When messed up people try to do stuff in a messed up world, we mess up. We miscommunicate. We miscalculate. Or we simply miss. When that happens, it doesn’t mean there is something wrong with you. It proves you’re one of us.

2. You have no control over someone’s expectations of you.
Oh, I suppose if you have over-promised and then under-delivered, you could bear some responsibility, but more often than not, we don’t know what process of assumptions and experience went into building those expectations. Maybe the expectations were unreasonable and unfair to start with.

3. You’re in good company.
Jesus Himself constantly failed to meet the expectations of people, even those closest to Him. They expected a king. Mary and Martha expected Jesus to heal their sick brother. The Pharisees… well, they expected Jesus to stay dead. However, Jesus never allowed those expectations to distract Him from His mission. That’s the thing, if we get hung up on doing and being all that others expect us to be, we risk being pulled away from God and His vision for us.

God has a set of expectations for us, chiefly that we will be ever more conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Because He did the work to bring us to salvation, and Holy Spirit living in us, His expectations are not at all unreasonable. Let’s make sure we are doing all we can to live up to them.