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Acts 11:19-26:God gives the growth.

19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. 22 News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. 25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.NIV UK

A long time ago, my sister gave me a card that said, ‘What appears to be the end may be a new beginning.’ It is the way of God in the world to use bad stuff for good purposes. What men intend for harm God works for good. The persecution that broke out ‘’in connection with Stephen’’ (19) did not stop the church, or silence the church. Rather it served to spread the church. The persecution did not destroy the church; it created a whole lot of missionaries.                                                                     Disciples of Christ (or ‘’Christians’’ as they were nicknamed at Antioch) cannot grow the church. That is not our job; it is not our prerogative. What we can do is ‘tell’ people about Jesus (19, 20). We can open our mouths and speak. We can encourage those who become Christians ‘’to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts’’ (23). However, God gives the growth (21, 23). When a church is planted, and when that church grows, let God be given all the glory for it is surely His work. But may we not fail in our responsibility to feed the flock of God (25, 26)

So a new and effective church was born in Antioch. It was the result of mission activity; it was to become a launch pad for further missionary outreach, as we will see. But you can argue that it started with the martyrdom of Stephen. On the face of it, that was a terrible thing to happen. It was grotesque; it was a tragedy. Yet it set off an essential chain reaction, propelling the church further and deeper into its calling; it was an ‘explosion’, blasting the people of God into higher orbit.

PRAYER: Sovereign Lord, give me eyes to see you, and faith to trust you, in the negative experiences of life.

 Acts 11:1-18: Don’t major on the minors!

“The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticised him 3 and said, ‘You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.’ 4 Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: 5 ‘I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6 I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. 7 Then I heard a voice telling me, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” 8 ‘I replied, “Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.” 9 ‘The voice spoke from heaven a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” 10 This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again. 11 ‘Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. 12 The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, “Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14 He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.” 15 ‘As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: “John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.” 17 So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?’ 18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, ‘So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.’” NIV UK

Beware of majoring on the minors.So often critical attitudes in the church sound like this (3). The major thing was that ‘’the Gentiles also had received the word of God’’ (1). Surely the eating with ‘’uncircumcised men’’ (3) was secondary to that? It was a man-made rule. However, I believe it is true to say that every genuine move of God has had its critics. I don’t suppose it will be any different this side of the second coming. It is important, though, to try to win the critics over, if at all possible.     We have to recognise that many sincere Christians have strong scruples they will not easily relinquish. For them, these are matters of life or death, even though in reality they may not be quite so serious. So Peter tried to patiently explain what had happened. He walked them through the story in detail (5-17). After all, his own prejudices had only recently been dissolved in the light of further revelation. In this instance, Peter’s careful ‘diplomacy’ won the day (18). There was a recognition that this was a move of God, and that Gentiles would not have to become Jews in order to be converted.The fact that Luke records Peter’s speech in full when it is a repetition of Acts 10:9-48 shows the significance of this moment in church history. It was a watershed, and a further step was taken in fulfilment of Acts 1:8. It was time for phase 4, and God was in complete control of the unfolding programme of world mission. The Holy Spirit is the supreme evangelist.

PRAYER: Thank you Lord that you can change our minds. I ask you to challenge and change my thinking wherever it is wrong.

 Acts 10: 34-48: A divinely interrupted sermon.

34 Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached – 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. 39 ‘We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen – by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.’ 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues[a] and praising God. Then Peter said, 47 ‘Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptised with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.’ 48 So he ordered that they be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

The key learning for Peter was that God will accept Gentiles as well as Jews (34,35). That’s the essential message here, and we have walked through the process of a dawning new understanding with the apostle in recent days. It’s not about people earning God’s approval by their goodness. They must come ‘’through Jesus Christ’’ (36; and see also 43) as Peter goes on to assert; and He is ‘’Lord of all’’ (underlining mine). He is not just Lord of the Jews; He can also be the Lord of Gentile people. This was the fresh conviction that carried him to Cornelius’ door. In speaking to these Gentiles, Peter could refer to their prior knowledge of certain things: ‘’You know…You know…’’ (36, 37). Nevertheless, he recapitulated the glorious, the thrilling essential facts of the gospel (37-43). He was an eye-witness of these matters (39), as were others, and ‘’commanded…to preach…’’ (39, 42). It is significant that the apostles ‘’ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead’’ (41b). It shows that although Jesus was different in His resurrection state, He was no ghost. He was still human (Luke 24:41, 42).

When the church receives the same anointing that Jesus received, we can do the works He did, and greater ones (in quantity). May the world be able to see that God is with us. Speaking personally, I would love to have the Holy Ghost interrupt my preaching again and again (44). The reception of the Spirit was all the evidence needed that these Gentile people had truly repented and believed.

Thought: ‘I read in a book that a man called Christ went about doing good. It is very disconcerting to me that I am so easily satisfied with just going about.’ Toyohiko Kagawa

Acts 10:23b-33: The essence of a meeting.

“23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. 24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. ‘Stand up,’ he said, ‘I am only a man myself.’ 27 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: ‘You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?’ 30 Cornelius answered: ‘Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31 and said, “Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.” 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.” NIV

Someone pointed out that Peter must have realised that something significant was happening – or was about to happen – and that it would be good to have other witnesses on hand (23b). As Peter made the lengthy journey to see Cornelius, he went in a spirit of deep humility (25, 26) He was also honest about his previous prejudices, and told how God had dealt with his heart (28). He didn’t try to make himself look any better than he was. I believe the words in (33) express the essence of a Christian meeting. Note:

▪ The expectancy: ‘’Now we are all here in the presence of God…’’ Is that the spirit with which we gather together? It ought to be
▪ The availability: ‘’…to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.’’ It may not always suit us, but we are ready to hear it and do something about it.
▪ The courtesy: ‘’…it was good of you to come.’’ I love that! It seems to me that common courtesy is not so common as it used to be. First and foremost we come together to meet with God and to hear His Word. But we do gather together. It is also a meeting with one another, and it does matter how we treat people. Courtesy oils the wheels of human relationships.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, please help me to care about my friends and relatives enough to want them to hear your Word (24).

Acts 10:9-23: God-incidences.

“9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” 14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” 15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. 17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. 19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three[a] men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” 21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?” 22 The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along.”NIV UK

Some people might see a number of coincidences in chapter 10, but I see ‘God-incidences’. It is a remarkable story of the Holy Spirit preparing the very Jewish Peter to take the message about Jesus, the Messiah, to the Gentiles. Before he met with the party sent by Cornelius, God was dealing with this man’s inherent prejudices; challenging and changing them. Peter’s thinking needed to be altered if he was to be used more widely.

‘’It should be carefully noted that the mental impression which was produced by Peter’s vision was corroborated by the fact of the knocking and inquiring group at Peter’s door. This is God’s invariable method. For us all, as we contemplate taking a new and important step in life, there is the urging of the Spirit, the impression or vision of duty, and the knock or appeal of outward circumstances.’ F.B.Meyer: ‘Devotional Commentary’, p.490.

It has been correctly pointed out that a disciple cannot legitimately say, ‘’Surely not, Lord!’’ (14). You can say, ‘’Lord’’ or ‘’Surely not’’, but these words do not belong together in a true Christian. Jesus is Lord and we are not to refuse Him.

It remains the case that we should not call anyone impure whom God has made clean (15). What kind of people can we be guilty of treating as if they were somehow dirty; as though they had not been cleansed?

Acts 10:1-8: Beside they sea.

10 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” 4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.  The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”  7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa. NIV

‘At this point the Church took a new departure, and the gospel broke over the walls of Jewish exclusiveness and was preached for the first time to pure-blooded Gentiles.’ F.B. Meyer: ‘Devotional Commentary’, p.489.

We must not imagine, when we read the story of Cornelius, that he had somehow earned salvation. Rather he was to hear a message that would that bring him to know Jesus (36).But Cornelius was a ‘God fearer’. He was attracted to the Jewish faith, and had adopted certain of its characteristics, such as almsgiving and the set hours of prayer. Now what he knew theologically needed to be brought to completion. God knew him; knew all about him. He knew where he was, and he knew the precise location of His ‘special agent’ Peter, and He pulled the necessary strings to get them to meet.

Somebody described how God works ‘at both ends of the line’ to cause the right people to meet in the right place at the right time. Not only are there remarkable examples of this principle to be found in the Bible, but experience shows it to be true.

As a Roman ‘’centurion’’, Cornelius was a powerful man. You may be surprised to find such a person seeking God (see also the mention of ‘’a devout soldier’’ in verse 7). But the Lord has His people in unexpected places, and even before they are converted, the Holy Spirit is at work in hearts. Sometimes you can see this, and it is a privilege to catch a glimpse of God mysteriously at work, even though you can’t understand everything that is going on.

After hearing God speak to him, Cornelius responded promptly. What has the Lord said to you and what do you need to be getting on with? Why drag your feet?

 Acts 9:32-43: Jesus at work!

“32 As Peter travelled about the country, he went to visit the Lord’s people who lived in Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralysed and had been bedridden for eight years. 34 ‘Aeneas,’ Peter said to him, ‘Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.’ Immediately Aeneas got up. 35 All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. 36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became ill and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, ‘Please come at once!’ 39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood round him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. 40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning towards the dead woman, he said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.”NIV

This short section, presenting two glimpses into the ministry of Peter at the time, shows that the ministry of Jesus was continuing. They have the feel, the atmosphere, of stories from the gospels; there are gospel echoes. Peter was the human instrument, but Jesus was continuing both to do and to teach (see Acts 1:1). The ‘acts of the apostles’ has been called the ‘acts of the Holy Spirit’. However, it has been suggested that a fuller, if more wordy, title could be, ‘the continuing words and works of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.’

David Pawson said that at the ascension Jesus just ‘switched bodies’. In the gospels we see Him moving towards Jerusalem in a physical body; in the ‘Acts’ we see Him gradually moving out from Jerusalem in a spiritual body, the church. But it is ‘’this same Jesus’’; He is alive and active and doing ‘’greater works’’ than ever He could in His human body – ‘’greater’’ in quantity. When Jesus is obviously present in His church, people get amazed and God gets the glory. How we need this spiritual reality.

‘’Everybody who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him walking around and woke up to the fact that God was alive and active among them.’’ The Message.

Acts 9:26-31:The gift of encouragement.

“26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews,  but they tried to kill him. 30 When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. 31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.”NIV

In the unfolding story of the infant church, Saul (Paul) gets many more mentions than Barnabas. He has lots of lines to deliver in this play, whereas Barnabas appears on the stage just a few times. Saul becomes high profile; Barnabas doesn’t.. Yet reading between the lines, the progress of the early church owed a lot, humanly-speaking, to Barnabas and his gift of encouragement (and maybe to others too who, like him, did not have star-billing, but quietly and faithfully went about their lives of service.) What a wonderful thing Barnabas did for the church when he took Saul by the hand and brought him into the church at Jerusalem (27). He smoothed the way and allayed their understandable fears. In the church today we know about the big name speakers, but often we don’t hear the stories of the anonymous, godly believers who encouraged them when they were younger. The church needs its Saul’s if it’s going to grow, but how it also needs its Barnabas’s.

Another attempt was made on Saul’s life, yet in the wake of these events the church ‘’enjoyed a time of peace’’ (31) after a season of persecution. It was only for ‘’a time’’, but during it the church prospered (31),experiencing the kind of growth we all long for, I’m sure – that in both quality and quantity.

 God in charge, Acts 9: 19b-25:

“Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, ‘Isn’t he the man who caused havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?’ 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah. 23 After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, 24 but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.”NIV

As Saul vigorously pursued his aim of arresting Christians and destroying the church, God showed him who was really in charge. Christ Jesus ‘’took hold’’ of him (Philippians 3:12). He was ‘apprehended’. The one carrying the arrest warrant was himself ‘arrested’. Someone said that he felt the hand of the Heavenly Policeman on his shoulder. He was taken into custody. His immediate plans were thwarted, and he became forever afterwards ‘’the prisoner of Christ Jesus’’ (Ephesians 3:1). Now that Saul was a Christian, he found himself subject to the kinds of attack he had launched on others. He was ‘kicking the other way’ and his former team mates were now his opponents. They wanted to kick him off the park.Today’s passage speaks of a careful, well-organised plot ‘’to kill him’’ (23). However, it failed because there is One who is in charge of all human affairs. From the time of his conversion onwards, Saul knew he was going to suffer a lot for Jesus’ sake (16). Nevertheless, he was immortal until he had accomplished all God’s purpose for his life. It is, I believe, the same for you and me.

PRAYER: Lord God, I believe you’ve ‘got the whole world’ in your hands; and I also believe you’ve got my little life in your hands. So I am safe and secure in a hostile world.