Ministry and Results
October 31, 2008
(For a version of this devotion that is easier to print, follow this link.)
How does God use you? What is your personal ministry? Are you excited because you have seen results? Are you discouraged from lack of results?
Consider these words from the Apostle Paul:
Romans 12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
Whatever our personal ministry might be, if we see good results, we are tempted to pat ourselves on the back. We’re tempted to think, “I’m really something, given what I’ve done!” But Paul says that when we think clearly, when we think soberly, we see that our faith is all that matters – our faith in the One with all power, with all authority, who has given us whatever gifts and skills we have, and who Himself accomplishes whatever He wishes through us.
Paul elaborates on this idea in 1 Corinthians, when writing to those who were lining up behind one or another leader:
1 Corinthians 3:5-7 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
Those God chooses to work through for His good purposes are His servants. The work they accomplish is God’s work, which He assigns. Paul goes so far as to say that the workers are nothing. The work is all of God, from beginning to end.
Consider the image of a farmer’s field. One plants the seeds. Another waters. Yet the one who plants and the one who waters are both nothing – God is the one who causes the crops to grow. He controls the sun. He controls the rain. He controls the frost. He controls the pests.
Should the farmer then talk like this? “Oh well, God is in control. So I don’t need to water. I don’t need to weed. I’ll just throw some seeds out in the field and pray that they produce a great harvest!”
No. As faithful stewards/gardeners we should plant and water wisely – because God enables us to understand what it means to be faithful. He gives us the power to be faithful. We are responsible for the way we plant and water, and should take the task seriously.
But once we have served faithfully, we should not think that the plants will necessarily thrive. God often delights to produce great crops when His farmers work wisely and diligently. But sometimes He works in other ways. Sometimes He delights to give increase when the one who waters is erratic or floods the field; sometimes He delights to give a bumper crop when the one who plants buries the seeds too deep or spaces them incorrectly. However large or small the harvest, and however wise or unwise the farming methods, the farmer in the end must thank God for his crops.
We see this pictured in the Israelite offering of firstfruits to the Lord. The farmer with the largest harvest might well have done the best job of preparing his land, planting his seed, and irrigating his ground. Another farmer, equally diligent, might have had most of his fields trampled by animals. Two other farmers might have both been negligent, yet one had a large harvest and one received almost nothing. Nevertheless, all are to offer firstfruits to the Lord. God gives the increase in every circumstance. All Israelite farmers – regardless of farming ability and effort – must make an offering to God from their harvest, acknowledging that every head of grain in every field was a gift from Him.
Just so with our areas of personal ministry. God gives us understanding of how we are to be faithful. He gives us health and energy so that we can be faithful. We must learn from errors, and work hard to be His faithful servants.
Yet any time I think, “Because of my talents and abilities, this ministry should grow, this service should succeed, this effort will produce results,” I am thinking of myself more highly than I ought rather than thinking with sober judgment. And any time I think, “I’ve blown it! This ministry has no chance!” I am, once again, thinking more highly of myself than I ought. I am considering myself – rather than God – as the key actor, as the most important determinant of the outcome.
Remember that our God uses both faithful and unfaithful servants: He took an unfaithful, angry prophet and used him to bring an entire city to repentance (Jonah); and He used the extraordinary sacrifices of the faithful Apostle Paul to start churches throughout the Roman Empire.
And remember that God at other times for His wise purposes chooses not to provide ministry “success” to faithful servants: Jeremiah proclaims God’s truths faithfully for decades, and no one ever seems to listen.
So how is God working through you these days? With obvious, encouraging results? With no results that you can discern?
Do not pat yourself on the back. And do not be discouraged. The one who plants and the one who waters are nothing.
Instead, praise Him for whatever harvest you have. Thank Him for the privilege of serving Him. Trust that God is at work even when you don’t see results. Learn how to serve Him more faithfully. And continue in faithful service, for the glory of His Name.
Responding to Economic Turmoil
October 25, 2008
(For a version of this devotion that is easier to print, follow this link.)
Gyrations in the stock market. Banks losing billions. Dire predictions unless Congress does X. Congress does X, yet the situation deteriorates.
What does it all mean? How should Bible-believing Christians respond?
We should respond by trusting in God and in His Word.
Paul tells Timothy to know that hard times are ahead (in his case, from persecution and evil deceivers), but to “continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:14-15).
Just so for us. Remain steadfast. Remind yourself and others of the truths of Scripture. God does not change. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His Word is our anchor; His promise is our hope, a “sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” (Hebrews 6:19).
His promise includes these words:
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:31-33).
Our God will give us everything that we need to fulfill His purposes for us, to enable us to accomplish the task He assigns us. At the right time – indeed, at the perfect time – He will take us to Himself, to His eternal kingdom, to our great joy. So do not be anxious.
But while we are trusting in His sovereign rule, what should we think about the turmoil around us?
First: God often uses stress and hardship to expand His kingdom.
Remember the persecution of believers in Jerusalem after the murder of Stephen (Acts 8:1). Our brothers and sisters suffered much in those days. But God used that very persecution to advance His kingdom. In the last sixty years, we have seen something similar in China. Who would have thought that the terrible persecution that followed the Communist takeover of China would in the end result in the phenomenal growth of the church? So pray for the suffering – and pray that God, once again, will use hard times for His good and wise purposes.
Second: All men are sinners – even government regulators.
Some analysts speak as if the solution to this upheaval is increased government regulation. There are indeed areas of additional regulation that will make sense. But too often analysts speak as if government regulators are the good guys and private agents in the financial sector are the bad guys. The Bible tells us that, yes, those private agents are sinners, but so are those government regulators. They too are subject to greed, to pride, to lust for power. Indeed, in the development of the present crisis, failure of existing regulators played an important role.
Third: All men are sinners – even politicians (of both parties).
Particularly in the middle of a campaign, politicians of both parties face tremendous temptations to distort reality when discussing such turmoil. They all are tempted to blame their opponent (or their opponent’s party) for the problems; they all are tempted to say that they know exactly what to do and if you will only elect them (and their fellow party members), all will improve. Furthermore, those holding office at present have a strong incentive to claim that apart from the legislation they’ve passed, the country would be ruined.
In my opinion, politicians from both parties have heightened hysteria and made matters worse through their rhetoric. Frankly, anyone who claims to know exactly what to do to solve the present turmoil is either lying or naïve.
So don’t believe the propaganda. Understand the incentives facing politicians, take account of their sinfulness, and take all they say with several grains of salt.
Fourth: All men are sinners – even those in the news media.
Those in the news media try to attract readers and viewers. If they don’t, in the end they lose their jobs. So they face incentives to hype big stories and, not surprisingly, those incentives drive many stories. Remember that when you read the next story about this turmoil – particularly when you read nonsense telling us why the stock market moved one way or another (read carefully over several days and you will see these explanations are either tautological or contradictory); or when you read that a change in price is an unmitigated disaster (when the price goes up, it’s good for owners and bad for buyers; when the price goes down, it’s good for buyers and bad for owners); or when you read predictions of huge future price changes (if the analyst really knew such things, he could make a fortune in futures markets).
So: Believe in God, and read with discernment. God is on the throne. Trust Him. Labor for Him. He remains at your right hand - even through economic turmoil.
How Should a Christian Vote?
October 17, 2008
(For a version of this devotion that is easier to print, follow this link.)
Is there a Christian position on the political issues facing us today?
We have seen that all in the body of Christ are exiles in this present world, citizens of another kingdom. Our primary responsibility in this period of exile is to serve as ambassadors of our King, speaking and living out His message of reconciliation.
At the same time, we are to “seek the welfare of the city” where we are in exile (Jeremiah 29:7). In a democracy, this surely implies voting; for some individual Christians, it might well mean deep involvement in the political process. But our hope is never to be in any political candidate or party; our hope is in our coming Redeemer King.
Here are some biblical principles concerning voting that I commend to you during this political maelstrom.
1) Our political involvement should include voting in a way that we believe will move our society to become more just, merciful, and moral.
God is specially concerned about the weak and powerless. Surely our voting should reflect His concern.
Zechariah 7:9-10 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.”
Proverbs 24:11-12 Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?
This has implications for numerous issues in political debate, from education to immigration, from health care in the US to the AIDS crisis around the world. As I argued last week, the abortion issue is clear, and in and of itself could disqualify a candidate from office. But on many other issues, Christians may well disagree on what public policies are more likely to help “the fatherless, the sojourner, [and] the poor.”
- Some may believe that cutting taxes on the rich will generate a more dynamic economy that will help the poor through job creation; others may believe that raising taxes on the rich and using that money to provide public services to the poor is a better option.
- Some may believe that US military power can be used constructively as a force to save lives, advance freedom, and prevent genocide around the world; others may believe that any exercise of military power will inevitably lead to abuse of power, deaths of innocent civilians, and a consequent stain on this country.
- Some may believe that the best, most humane way to deal with illegal immigration is to enforce border security while simultaneously streamlining and expanding the visa application process; others may believe that the emphasis should be on providing a clear path to citizenship for those already in this country with a track record of honest hard work.
- Some may believe that vouchers for use in any type of private or public school would improve substantially the education of children from poor families; others may believe that this would divert needed resources from public schools that already serve the vast majority of the poor, and would thereby make most of the them worse off.
These and other disagreements could well lead Christians to vote for different candidates. But surely the passages quoted above and the overall thrust of the Bible should lead all of us to vote not for our economic self-interest, but for the candidates that we think move our society towards greater justice.
2) Our political involvement should include voting for candidates who have the character to make wise decisions when facing the unexpected crises and challenges that will arise in the years ahead.
Political campaigns put a lot of emphasis on specific policy proposals to solve problems facing the country. But most politicians end up governing quite differently from the way they campaign. In some cases, this is simply deceit; the candidate says whatever he thinks will get him elected. But in very many cases, the most important decisions politicians make concern unexpected, unanticipated challenges.
Thus, when voting we need to look past specific policy proposals and to the character of each candidate. For character will be necessary when facing the unforeseen challenges ahead.
But discerning character isn’t easy. We certainly can’t listen simply to what the campaigns on either side say. Instead, we can often discern much about a candidate’s character by looking more at what he has done in the past rather than what he says. Has he displayed a heart of genuine compassion? Has she been firm when under attack?
Here’s one piece of data on character: The candidates for president and vice-president have all tried to convince us that they really care about other people. They all have many ideas about how to use taxpayer money to help the country. Question: How much of their own money do they voluntarily contribute to charitable causes? The answer is disappointing: None of the four is exemplary. From 2000 to 2004, the Obamas gave an average of less than 1% of their income to charity. From 2005 to 2007 they gave 5.5%. The Bidens were worse, giving less than one quarter of one percent of their income to charity from 2000 to 2007. The Palins gave about 2.3% of their income to charity in 2006 and 2007 (and have released no earlier returns.) While at first glance John McCain looks considerably more generous, he and his wife Cindy file returns separately, and she earns the vast majority of the couple’s income. The information released is not sufficient to calculate the McCain’s total charitable giving, but in 2006 it was definitely more than 2 percent and almost certainly less than five percent of their combined income.
3) Our political involvement is no substitute for our personal involvement.
We do not discharge our responsibility to love our neighbor as ourselves by voting in an election. Nor do we do so through advocating a particular political position. By all means, contemplate the issues. By all means, inform yourself. By all means, discern what you can about the candidates’ character. By all means, vote. And by all means, display kindness and mercy personally. By all means, help the sojourner and the widow personally. By all means, spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples personally.
God is advancing His kingdom. We have a key role to play in that advance. We also have a minor but important role to play in making this country more just through our involvement in the US political process. Keep the key role in view – even while you play that minor but important role. Please vote.
(As a follow-up to last week’s devotion: Two articles written by Robert George of Princeton University this week address last week’s topic of abortion. The first helps substantiate my point 6, that Obama is the most extreme candidate on this issue ever nominated by a major political party. The second addresses Obama’s comments on abortion during the third debate.)
The Promise of Power
October 15, 2008
This sermon on Acts 1:6-26 was preached 9/14/2008. For a version that is easier to print, click here. The audio is available here.)
Do you ever dream that you’re in school, sitting down to take a test, and realize, “I never studied! I never even went to class!”
Or perhaps you dream that you are about to begin an athletic event - and realize you never practiced.
How do those dreams make you feel? Do you feel that way when you are called upon to be a witness to Jesus? Do you think, “I don’t know enough! I need years of study to properly witness! I can’t possibly make these people listen!”
Last week we began our series in the book of Acts. We saw that this book is not really the Acts of the Apostles. Only two apostles are prominent, but it is not a synopsis of their lives either. Instead, Luke opens by saying that his first volume, his gospel “dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach.” Acts then deals with what Jesus continued to do. Acts tells of the continuing work of Jesus.
We saw last week that:
1) Jesus assigns the apostles a task: “Speak of what you know! Be witnesses to the truths you have seen! Proclaim repentance and forgiveness of sins! And take this message to all nations!”
2) Jesus also promises the power to accomplish the task through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, in fulfillment of what He calls the “promise of the Father.” We looked at three Old Testament prophecies that Jesus might have been referring to:
- From Joel: God promises that He will pour our His Spirit on all flesh. This distinguishes the promised future event from the way His Spirit worked in Old Testament times, falling on a subset of the people, particularly leaders who must fulfill a great task.
- From Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36: All God’s people have a new heart of flesh, God’s Law is written on their hearts. And Paul notes that this is fulfilled in his day: he tells the Colossians that they have Christ in them.
So Jesus assigns a task, and promises His apostles the power to fulfill the task. Then the rest of the book of Acts shows God at work, saving, sending, and judging - even working sovereignly through the evil acts of evil men. The result: The Word of God increases and prevails mightily.
This morning: We’ll look more closely at those to whom Jesus assigns this task. Jesus speaks here to His remaining eleven apostles after the death of Judas. What are they like? What do we know about these apostles? Are they great men, highly accomplished?
No. If anyone had nominated one of them for a position on the Jewish ruling council, the response would have been: “He is unqualified! He is inexperienced! He doesn’t have enough education! Furthermore, he’s not from Jerusalem - he’s just from some rural backwater!”
That response would result in part from prejudice against those from Galilee. But even seen through our generally sympathetic eyes, there is not much to commend these men. Indeed, Scripture does not present these apostles as great men. Yes, in the gospels they occasionally show tremendous insight. For example, Peter responds to Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?” by replying, “You are the Christ the Son of the Living God!” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus then says Peter is blessed, for God the Father revealed that central truth to him. God gave Peter tremendous insight into the most important truth of all.
But lest we think highly of Peter, in that same passage he shows tremendous stupidity. Jesus predicts His suffering and death - and Peter rebukes Him. Jesus says He will die - then Peter says, “This shall never happen to you!” (Acts 16:22)
These are the people Jesus has to work with. These are the people to whom Jesus assigns His task. What hope is there for that task to be fulfilled?
In today’s passage, Luke highlights both the limitations and the potential of these men. We’ll look this morning under 3 headings:
- Weakness and Ignorance
- Sufficient Knowledge
- Overwhelming Power
Much of what I will say about the apostles applies directly to you and me. We too are weak and ignorant. But we too have sufficient knowledge - yes, even the brand new Christian - and we too have access to overwhelming power. So listen - and then fulfill the task.
Weakness and Ignorance
Consider how much weakness and ignorance these 11 apostles showed just in the previous two months:
- Peter denied Jesus three times - to servant girl.
- All scattered and ran when Jesus was arrested.
- After the crucifixion, they were hiding behind locked doors out of fear (John 20:19).
- Jesus Himself calls the larger group of His followers, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” (Luke 24:25)
- And then there’s Thomas: After being told that the risen Christ had appeared to the other disciples, he said, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe” (John 20:25).
These are not exactly strong qualifications for leadership.
But even from here on out in Acts, we see the humanness, the fallenness of these men:
- Acts 15: Barnabas and Paul disagree sharply about whether to take John Mark with them on their missionary journey, since he abandoned them during the previous one. They actually split over this disagreement.
- Acts 16:7 In this curious verse, Paul attempts to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. Whatever it means, Paul was trying to do something God did not want him to do
So there is not much to commend these eleven apostles.
Today’s text adds to our reasons for doubt about their qualifications. Here, they display three weaknesses:
A Fundamental Misunderstanding
Acts 1:6 when [the apostles] had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
Jesus has just promised that they will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. The apostles know the Old Testament prophecies about the coming of the Spirit, including those we looked at last week. They know that in Joel, just four verses after God says He will pour out His Spirit on all flesh, He says “I will restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem” (Joel 3:1).
So at the level of interpreting the text of Joel, theirs is a good question. The book of Joel - and other Old Testament Scriptures - speak of the coming of the Spirit and the restoration of the kingdom together.
But given all that Jesus has said to them, all that Jesus has taught them, and even given other Old Testament prophecies, the question highlights their weakness: They haven’t really been taking to heart what Jesus has said.
If Jesus is to restore kingdom now, many questions arise:
- When are all men going to hate the disciples (Mark 13:13)?
- When are they be persecuted for His sake (Luke 21:12)?
- When is the Gospel going to be preached as a testimony to all the nations (Matthew 24:14)?
The question displays a fundamental misunderstanding of what God is doing at that time. The Eleven do not here understand their calling, and will not apart from Holy Spirit working in them. They desperately need the Holy Spirit.
So Jesus tells them:
“It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.” (Acts 1:7)
That is, “It’s better for you not to know.”
Kids: How do you feel when you ask your parents a question, and they reply, “You’ll understand that when you’re a little older.” Doesn’t part of you think, “I’m old enough! I can know NOW!” Yet there are things that we cannot comprehend until we reach greater maturity.
That is what Jesus is saying here: “There are things you need to know, and things you don’t need to know. You don’t need to know the timing of the restoration of the Kingdom. You do need to believe it will happen. Your role is not to have secret knowledge of God; don’t desire that. Don’t think of yourself as particularly wise or insightful. You don’t know many things. That’s fine. Indeed, that’s good. Focus on what you do know, and communicate that.”
So the first weakness of the apostles is a fundamental misunderstanding of their role in God’s plan.
A Diversion from the Task
We see the second weakness in verse 10. Jesus ascends into heaven. Then what do the disciples do? They stand around, gazing into heaven.
The angels ask:
“Why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11)
Do you hear the rebuke in those words? The angels are saying, “You’ve been given a task. Your task is not to speculate about when Jesus will return. Your task is not to think back nostalgically about the time Jesus spent with you. Your task is not to focus on the privilege of being present at the ascension. Until Jesus returns - He has work for you! Do it!”
Indeed, Jesus has told them in Luke 12 that those servants are blessed whom their Lord finds doing His work when He returns. They need to apply themselves to the task.
Getting Ahead of God
We see the third weakness in the story about finding a replacement for Judas, verses 15-26.
This story shows both positive and negative aspects of the apostles. Note that my interpretation is somewhat controversial - a number of commentators don’t find anything wrong with the actions that Peter takes. So consider what I say, and search the Scriptures to see if these things are true.
Jesus has told apostles not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father - that is, the gift of the Holy Spirit.
They don’t depart. They meet together with other believers - including Mary (and, by the way, this is the last reference to Mary in the Scriptures). While they meet, they pray.
In addition to the excitement they feel about Jesus’ resurrection, and ascension, they experience pain associated with Judas. Remember, Judas was their friend, their companion. They trusted him. No one suspected him. Judas betrayed Jesus - but he also betrayed THEM. As they meet together, few in number, they feel him missing.
Struggling with this, Peter does the right thing: he searches the Scripture. He finds that David himself had been betrayed, and that those betrayals foreshadow Judas’ acts.
This is a comfort to Peter, as he sees that all that Judas did was part of God’s plan. So he preaches on this topic from Psalms 69 and 109 to the gathered followers. This was good, right, and proper.
Peter also sees in Scripture that the office of the betrayer should be filled with someone else. He applies this to the present situation. Once again, he is right.
But gets the method and the timing wrong.
The Holy Spirit is coming. The apostles ill be filled with power from on high. And God will fill the role of Judas by a method and in a time and place of His choosing. Peter, instead, chooses the wrong method and time.
Method: There is no need for the apostles to cast lots. They are reverting to a method used in ancient Israel for discerning God’s will. But the New Covenant is about to arrive! They will all know the Lord, from the least to the greatest (Jeremiah 31:34). Never again will lots be used in Scripture.
Timing: Years later, when Jesus appears to Paul on the road to Damascus, Paul becomes the apostle “abnormally born” (1 Corinthians 15:8 NIV). Thus, in a book that focuses on God reaching the nations, the apostle God chooses to replace Judas is the apostle to the nations.
So the apostles once again display a weakness: Getting ahead of God. They do not understand where they are in redemptive history; they don’t understand the importance of the coming of the New Covenant, the centrality of their new relationship to the Holy Spirit. Indeed, they don’t understand their task.
So the apostles are weak and ignorant.
Is the task hopeless then? Does Jesus just need to get rid of these guys, and come up with others who will be better qualified, more competent?
No. These are the men Jesus has chosen. They WILL accomplish His task.
How will they do this, when they are weak and ignorant?
Sufficient Knowledge
They are ignorant, yes. There are indeed many things they don’t know.
But they have sufficient knowledge to spread joy in Christ.
Remember the threefold purpose of the church:
- To express joy in Christ: Worship
- To deepen joy in Christ: Discipleship.
These first two continue for all eternity. The third purpose, however, is fulfilled in this age:
- To spread joy in Christ
So what does Jesus tell them? Remember, He told them initially to remain in Jerusalem until they are clothed with power. But He says in verse 8:
You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Luke 24:47 is even more explicit: They must preach repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations.
They don’t have tremendous knowledge. But they do know what is most important:
- They do know that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah, the Son of the living God.
- They do know Jesus lived a perfect life.
- They do know what Jesus taught.
- They do know Jesus died on the cross, according to God’s plan, taking on Himself the penalty for all the sins of those who would believe in Him.
- They do know Jesus rose from dead, according to God’s plan.
- They do know Jesus ascended to the right hand of God the Father the Almighty.
- They do know Jesus is coming again, just like He left them, according to God’s plan.
They don’t have special insight. They don’t know all they would like to know. They can’t answer every question.
But they are witnesses. They know Jesus. And they will be His witnesses,
- Not only in this city of Jerusalem, but in their entire nation
- Not only in their nation but among the surrounding peoples who despise them
- Not only among those who are nearby, but to the very ends of the earth
They are weak and ignorant - yet they have sufficient knowledge to fulfill their task.
Overwhelming Power
Consider again the extent of the task God gives these weak, ignorant apostles: They are to take the message of salvation and joy through Jesus to the end of the earth.
What does He mean by “end of the earth”?
Jesus is alluding here to Isaiah 49:6. Paul will later allude to this same verse in a sermon (Acts 13:47). The verse in Isaiah concerns the coming Servant, Jesus Himself:
It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.
The “end of the earth” surely includes the concept of geographic distance - the disciples are to go to all places where people live. But there is an even stronger emphasis on cultural distance. For the Scripture says He will be a “light to the nations.” The word “nations” refers not to “political entities,” but to peoples, people groups, cultural entities.
In Acts 13:47, Paul makes this explicit: Since the Jews have rejected his teaching, he is going to the non-Jews. He then remains in the same geographic area, but takes the message of the Gospel to the other nations, the other ethnicities around him.
How in the world is God going to use Jewish fishermen and tax collectors to reach all the nations? Simply to travel will be difficult. But then how will they communicate the Gospel:
- To malicious, death-threatening Jewish leaders?
- To hateful Samaritans?
- To pompous, oppressive Romans?
- To intellectual, philosophical Greeks?
- To wild, unpredictable barbarian tribes?
Can these weak, ignorant apostles do that?
Yes.
The task is impossible - apart from God’s power. So God promises overwhelming power: The power to change enemies. The power to replace hearts of stone with hearts of flesh. His power. Power that He then displays in Acts chapter 2: An overwhelming power that, when He chooses, no one can resist.
Lessons for Us Today
1) Acknowledge our weakness before men
We are still weak. We are still ignorant of so much - to some extent because of our own fault, in that we too are “slow of heart to believe all the Scriptures have spoken”, and to some extent because still it is not good for us to know all things.
You do not have to pretend you have an answer to every question - because you don’t! That’s not necessary. Be willing to admit your weakness and ignorance.
2) Acknowledge our weakness before God
- We cannot reach the nations apart from His power.
- We cannot build the church apart from His power.
- We cannot live Christian lives apart from His power.
Now, we can do some things on our own:
- We can organize people to go throughout the world, doing good deeds.
- We can build large organizations that have “church” in their names.
- We can live lives that look good to those around us, and thus gain the admiration of others.
But we cannot spread joy in Christ, deepen joy in Christ, or express joy in Christ apart from God’s power. We must be on our faces, pleading with God for power, acknowledging our weakness, acknowledging our sinfulness, our daily need to appropriate the cross, our daily need for forgiveness by the blood of Jesus.
We are responsible, yes, to study, to learn, to strategize about how best to fulfill the task.
But God will glorify Himself among the nations through His weak followers. He will be glorified in the result, and He will be glorified in the means, as weak followers go out in conscious, active dependence upon Him.
3) Proclaim what we know is true
We proclaim the Gospel. And the Gospel fundamentally is a simple message.
There is a place for scholarship. There is a place for deep study.
But we are all called to be witnesses. Speaking the Gospel is not only for experts, not only for those with doctorates in New Testament theology or apologetics. We all have sufficient knowledge of this simple message to glorify God through proclamation.
4) Trust His great power toward us who believe
We are weak, but He is mighty.
On our own, we can do nothing, but by His power, we can do all things.
He will work through our failures and in spite of our successes.
He will work to bring His Gospel to every nation.
He will give His church, His ambassadors, the words and the strategy to complete the missionary task.
We go in personal weakness.
We go with much ignorance.
We go with considerable sinfulness.
This is true whether we go to our neighbor or to another continent.
But our God is mighty to save.
He breaks down barriers. He overthrows kingdoms
And He will bring all the nations, all the peoples to Himself - through people just like you and me.
Indeed - through you and me.
So trust His power. Know He is at work.
Be His witness - to the end of the earth.
Continuing What Jesus Began to Do
October 15, 2008
(This sermon on Acts 1:1-5 was preached 9/7/2008. For a version that is easier to print, click here. The audio is available here.)
Think of an important historical figure. What was his or her greatest accomplishment?
- For Thomas Jefferson, perhaps authoring the Declaration of Independence.
- For Abraham Lincoln, keeping our country together.
- For Martin Luther, taking his stand on the Word of God, and returning much of the church to biblical authority.
Some of you may be thinking of scientists, missionaries, authors, or explorers. Different men, different women, different fields of endeavor - but for all their varied accomplishments, the question makes sense.
Now: Consider Jesus: Can we ask the same question about Him? What was Jesus’ greatest accomplishment?
I hope when you hear that question you’re somewhat uneasy. For if we were to judge Jesus’ accomplishments on the same basis as the others we’ve mentioned - frankly, there’s not much there. For a period of time shorter than one US presidential term, he traveled around with a dozen men, in a backwater province of the Roman Empire; He taught publicly, and made some pretty outrageous claims. He healed people, a few rather dramatically. Perhaps during His lifetime as many as 200 people believed He was the promised Messiah. But one of his closest associates turned Him in to authorities for a few thousand dollars. The Roman governor executed Him.
That doesn’t sound like much of an accomplishment compared to Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther, or Isaac Newton, does it?
But there’s a huge difference with Jesus: His death is not the end of the story.
We celebrate what Jefferson, Lincoln, Luther, and others accomplished prior to their deaths. For Jesus: We celebrate what He accomplished in His death, in His resurrection, and what He continues to do after death.
We begin today a series on the book of Acts. This is the second volume written by Luke, the traveling companion of the Apostle Paul. This volume was written about 30 years after the crucifixion. Each volume begins with a note to a man named Theophilus, who seems to be a prominent Roman official who has heard much about Jesus, but needs assurance of the truthfulness of the reports. So Luke says he writes: “that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:4).
Luke opens the book of Acts with these words.
In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up
This is a pretty strange statement. Imagine two-volume biographical study of Lincoln, written decades after his death, with the second volume beginning, “My first volume dealt with all that Lincoln began to do until his assassination.”
That makes no sense for Lincoln. Why does it make sense for Jesus?
To speak this way implies that Jesus is still at work.
John Wilkes Booth’s bullet ended Lincoln’s accomplishments. But the cross did not end Jesus’ accomplishments. The cross was only the beginning
The Gospel of Luke records much of great importance:
- Jesus’ birth and perfect life;
- His teaching on sacrifice, on leadership, on the kingdom, and on money;
- His predictions of His own death - He knew He came to die;
- His predictions of His resurrection on the third day.
- It also records the fulfillment of all these predictions: He is arrested, tried, condemned, crucified dead and buried.
But that’s not the end. Jesus rose from the dead and showed Himself to His disciples. They saw Him. They are eyewitnesses.
Acts 1:3 emphasizes this
He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
The risen Christ is not an illusion. He is not a vision. He eats fish. The disciples touch Him. They interact with Him. He is alive.
And He continues His work to this day.
This is the message of the book of Acts: Jesus began His work during His earthly life and He is still completing it.
This book records the continuing acts of Jesus Christ.
This morning, I want to introduce the book by considering what Jesus does in the first five verses, and then looking briefly at what He does throughout the book. Our outlinje will have three headings:
Jesus Assigns a Task to His Followers
Jesus Promises Power to Fulfill the Task
Jesus works!
I pray that by the time we finish, you will have confidence that today we have the same task, the same power. I pray that you would have no doubt that the same Lord continues to work - as today we complete the works of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Assigns a Task to His Followers
He was taken up after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. (Acts 1:2)
What commands had Jesus given His disciples? At the end of Luke we read:
Repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things (Luke 24:47-48).
Note the nature of task: Jesus is not instructing them to go and accomplish a great, challenging deed - to climb the highest mountain, to discover electricity, or to invent a car that gets 100 miles per gallon.
Instead, the task is this: “Speak the truths you know to others. You are witnesses, so bear witness! Tell others of their need for repentance. Tell others that God created man in His image to show what He is like. God created us so that we might love Him with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength. Yet we rebelled against that purpose. From the very beginning we sinned against the infinitely holy God, and thus deserve infinite punishment. But,” continues Jesus, “tell them also that God sent me, His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross, paying the penalty for sin. Tell them that God raised me from the dead, proving the penalty was sufficient, proving that I remain alive and active. Tell of the opportunity to find true forgiveness in me, if they repent and believe in My Name. And tell this to all nations, all people groups, including your enemies and oppressors.”
This is task: His disciples are to bear witness to all peoples: “Jesus died for your sins! Jesus is risen from the dead! He reigns! Repent! Trust! Believe! Have eternal life! Fulfill the purpose of your creation!”
Jesus Promises Power to Fulfill the Task
And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:4-5)
Jesus here clearly associates the promise of the Father and baptism with the Holy Spirit. Luke 24:49 contains same idea, using somewhat different language. Jesus first says, “I am sending the promise of my father upon you.” Then He says they will be “clothed with power from on high.” So the promise of the Father concerns the coming of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit gives power.
But what promise is Jesus referring to? Where in the Scriptures of Jesus’ day, the Old Testament, did God promise the Holy Spirit?
Let’s look at three passages that allude to this promise. First, Joel 2:28-29, which Peter will quote at Pentecost explaining what happened that day:
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
In this prophecy, God says that He is going to do something different in the last days. Note carefully: What is different? What is unusual about this prophecy?
The difference is not that the Holy Spirit is active. Many times in the Old Testament, individuals are filled with the Holy Spirit. Recall Fred’s first sermon on Gideon several weeks ago. Judges 6:34 (NIV) says “The Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon” (NIV). Elsewhere in book of Judges alone, we find similar statements about Othniel, Jephthah, and Samson.
So what is Joel prophesying that is different?
The difference is that God promises to pour out His Spirit on all flesh. His Spirit will not only come upon important individuals called to great tasks, but will be on all of His people.
The prophesy then elaborates on this point, detailing some of the many categories of people: sons and daughters, old men and young men, male servants and female servants - all types of people.
As we make our way through Acts we will see the fulfillment of this prophecy. In this book, God’s Spirit falls on both women and men, both old and young, both free men and slaves, both Jews and Gentiles. God indeed pours out His Spirit on all flesh.
The second Old Testament passage that contains the promise of the Father is the promise of a New Covenant, found in Jeremiah 31. God says this covenant will not be like the one that the people broke:
33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:33-34)
So do you see the difference with the previous covenant? In the New Covenant, the Law, instead of being an external set of rules as it was for so many of the Israelites, will be internal. It will be written on the hearts of all the people.
And note the picture of intimacy: Every one of God’s people, from the least to the greatest, will know the Lord - unlike the Israelite community, in which many, many were stiff-necked and hard-hearted. Knowing God is now the defining mark of the people of God. Ancestry is not important. Ethnicity is not central. Knowing God is central.
This writing of the Law on the hearts of the people, this intimate knowledge of God, can only result from the work of the Holy Spirit. The promise of the New Covenant, then, is the promise of the Father - the promise of baptism with the Holy Spirit.
The final Old Testament passage that points to the promise of the Father is found in Ezekiel 36:25-28. Note that God is speaking to “the house of Israel” in these verses, and that the word “you” is always plural in this passage, thus referring to the entire house of the true Israel:
25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. 28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
Here again is the promise of the Father. God’s covenant people would no longer have hard, stony hearts that resist God’s work. Instead, God gives them a new heart, a new spirit - a spirit that is soft, compliant, willing to follow Him, willing to serve Him. Indeed, God gives them His own Spirit who - in words similar to Jeremiah 31 - will enable them to obey Him, to walk in His statutes, to obey His rules. Thus they truly become God’s people.
This is the promise of the Father. The days of God’s people being rebellious and stiff-necked are over. He will send His Spirit on all His people - and they become truly His.
In Colossians 1:26-27, Paul makes the same point after Pentecost, after the promise of the Father has been fulfilled. In this New Covenant time, Paul speaks of:
the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 . . . which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Paul says, “Christ is in all of you! Every true believer has God dwelling in Him. The Spirit has come. The promise of the Father is fulfilled.”
So this is the promise of the Father: The Holy Spirit within us, Christ within us. And this is what John the Baptist refers to when he speaks of Jesus baptizing us with the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the fulfillment of Joel 2, Jeremiah 31, and Ezekiel 36. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is what Paul looks back on in Colossians 1: Union with Christ. The Spirit of God in you, Christ in you, giving you power to obey His commands, giving you power to know Him, and giving you power to complete the task He assigns.
So we’ve seen the task, and we’ve considered the promised power; finally:
Jesus Works!
The book of Acts displays this truth clearly. God has given the disciples a task, and has promised them power. In the narrative, again and again and again Luke shows clearly that God is the one at work, even while Peter, Paul, John, Philip, and Silas are traveling, preaching, and suffering.
Consider four ways God acts in the book.
1) God saves
In Acts 2:47, after Pentecost, Luke notes:
And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Note: The Lord added to their number. Salvation is God’s work, not the work of the apostles.
In Acts 13:48, Paul and Barnabas are preaching in Antioch of Pisidia, in what now is Turkey:
And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. (emphasis added)
Who appointed them to eternal life? Only God could do that. He saved them. They believed - by the power and grace of God.
In Acts 16:14, Paul is in Philippi. The text refers to a woman named Lydia:
The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.
In the text, this is almost an offhand comment. But God had to open her heart. God was the one at work. Paul spoke - the Gospel had to be proclaimed! Thank God for Paul’s faithfulness to his calling But God is the one who uses the proclamation of His Word to open Lydia’s heart. God saved Lydia.
In Acts 18:9-10, Paul is in Corinth, where he faces significant opposition:
9 And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.”
This is more than a promise of protection. God promises that He has a purpose for Paul in this city; God will save His chosen people through Paul’s proclamation of the Gospel. God will bring it about. Jesus Christ is continuing His work. God saves.
God not only saves, but also:
2) God sends
God does not depend on His apostles figuring out where to go. He guides and directs their steps.
In chapter 8, God tells Philip, one of first deacons, to go down to the desert road. Philip obeys, and finds a royal official from Ethiopia reading Isaiah. Philip explains the meaning of the passage, and God saves the official. Then, after Philip baptizes him, verse 39 tells us “the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away” to another place where he continues to preach.
In chapter 10, God gives Peter a vision three times. Then the Spirit tells him to go with the Gentile servants who have just arrived at his house. The result: The servants’ master, Cornelius, and his entire household is saved.
In chapter 13, Paul and Barnabas are serving in the church in Antioch:
2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off (Acts 13:2-3)
Philip, Peter, Paul, Barnabas: In each case, Jesus continues His work. God calls. God directs. God sends.
3) God judges
In chapter 5, many in the early church are selling property, then giving the proceeds to the church in order to help the poor. A married couple, Ananias and Sapphira, sell a piece of property, and give money to the church. They claim to have given all the proceeds, but they lie. They have retained some for themselves. God kills them both.
In chapter 12, Herod has put the Apostle James to death; he then arrests Peter, planning to execute him also. God saves Peter miraculously and then, while Herod is exulting in the crowd proclaiming he is a god, the one true God strikes him down. And Luke notes that his body was eaten by worms.
Jesus continues to act - in part, through exercising judgment.
4) God sovereignly works through evil acts of evil men
Virtually every chapter has an example of this. We’ve already seen that God worked through Peter’s arrest and his miraculous release. Paul’s conversion when he is headed to Damascus to destroy the church is another example. The arrest of Paul and Silas in Philippi is another, for God saves the Philippians jailor and his family.
But let’s look in more detail at chap 4. The church is praying, marveling at God’s sovereignty. This is part of that prayer:
“There were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.” (Acts 4:27-28, emphasis added)
The crucifixion - the most evil of all acts - was planned and predestined by God and used for His very good purposes, even our salvation. Indeed, God uses this evil act to save some of the very priests who plotted against Jesus.
Do you see the overall picture here? This book is not the Acts of the Apostles. This book is the Acts of Jesus, the Acts of God, the Acts of the Holy Spirit. God is the one who saves, who sends, who judges. God is the one in control - even when it looks like evil has the upper hand. God acts. He is sovereign.
The Result of Jesus’ Work
Five verses scattered throughout Acts highlight the result of God’s work. The church faces many challenges in these pages. But through it all - through dissension, through persecution, through trials and difficulties - God’s Word prevails:
Acts 6:7: After the resolution of the dispute over the care of widows, Luke records that “the word of God continued to increase.”
Acts 9:31: After the persecutor Paul is converted and sails to Tarsus:
So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
Acts 12:24: After Peter is miraculously released and Herod has been eaten by worms:
But the word of God increased and multiplied.
Acts 16:5: After the decision in Jerusalem that Gentiles need not culturally become Jews to be saved:
So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.
Acts 19:20: After Paul performs miracles in Ephesus, and former magicians burn their paraphernalia:
So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.
This is the result of Jesus’ work. The Word of God multiplies and prevails; the church increases. God is at work. Nothing can stop His plan.
Jesus is risen. He builds His church. And the gates of hell cannot prevail against it.
Conclusion
This is the message of the book of Acts: Jesus continues His work.
- No enemy can thwart Him
- No barrier can stop Him
- No people can resist Him
He is mighty! He prevails! He destroys all opposing powers!
And this almighty God, this conquering King calls to you. He invites you to Himself. He says: “Come to me - I will comfort. I will forgive. I will restore. Come to me! Why be stubborn, resisting, to your own destruction? Turn! Turn and be saved!”
He calls to you. So throw yourself on the mercy of the ever-living, ever-active, crucified and risen Lord! Trust in His saving blood.
And then: Having been saved by His blood, will you fulfill His task by His power?
That’s the question this morning for all who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. You have a task. You have His power; His Holy Spirit is within you.
Will you play your role? Will you be His witness?
He has proven Himself alive - to us.
He has given the promised Holy Spirit - to us.
He has given the task - to us!
Will you fulfill the task?
Abortion and the Election
October 10, 2008
(For a version of this devotion that is easier to print, follow this link.)
On November 4, we will decide who will serve as the next President of the United States. Two weeks ago, I wrote about our biblical role as citizens of the kingdom of heaven temporarily exiled in this country. Over the next couple of weeks, I will write about some important issues in this election. Today: Abortion.
Abortion is one of the clearest issues separating Obama and McCain. What does the Bible say about abortion? Where do the candidates stand? How much importance should we assign to this particular issue?
Today, I want to briefly outline answers to these issues for readers who believe the Bible is the Word of God, and thus has supreme authority. For those of you who would like to see this issue addressed without appeal to the Bible, I recommend Randy Alcorn’s book, Why Pro-Life? (available for free as a pdf file) and the Abort73.com website.
Consider these seven points:
1. Abortion is an assault on a person
John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15). He leaps in the womb when the pregnant Mary comes to visit (Luke 1:41). In that latter verse, Luke uses the same Greek word to refer to the unborn John as he later uses to refer to the newborn Jesus (Luke 2:12). Furthermore, David writes that we are sinful from the moment of conception (Psalm 51:5). A piece of tissue cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit. A piece of tissue cannot be sinful. Only a person can be sinful.
2. Abortion is an affront to God
This point is more fundamental than the true statement that if the unborn child is a person, abortion is killing a person, and God commands us not to do that. Think of it this way: God’s first and greatest commandment is to love Him, to delight in Him, to trust Him. When we abort our children, we are saying, “I don’t believe you, God! You are not sufficient for me! Unless I get rid of this pregnancy, my life will be a mess! I do not trust you to exercise your sovereign control and work this out for my good!” See my sermon and John Piper’s sermon on James 3 and 4.
3. Abortion is a central public policy issue facing our country today
There are about 1.2 million abortions annually in this country. To get an idea of the magnitude of that number, consider: How many murders were committed in the US last year? Answer: About 16,000. That is, there are 75 times as many abortions as there are murders every year. Nationwide, about one out of every four pregnancies ends in abortion; in some locations, the ratio is three out of every four. Meanwhile, couples have to wait endlessly for infants to adopt. Since the 1973 Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision, almost 50 million babies have been aborted in this country. That decision, based on the justices discovering a previously unheard of “right to privacy” in the constitution, has effectively barred states or Congress from passing almost any legislation that limits and regulates abortion. A number of legal scholars on both sides of the abortion issue believe that that decision was improperly decided. Four Supreme Court justices appear to be ready to overturn the decision.
4. The next president can have a major impact on the number of abortions performed in this country for decades into the future
With one justice who supports Roe v Wade now 88 years old, the next president almost certainly will have the opportunity to affect the majority opinion of the court. A vote to overturn Roe v Wade would not end abortion in the US, but would return control of the issue to state legislatures. Many would pass laws restricting abortion; some might ban it. The number of abortions nationwide would certainly decrease significantly – indeed, it would decrease by many multiples of the number of murders annually in this country.
5. John McCain has been consistent in his opposition to abortion
See this link. No one disputes this fact.
6. On this issue, Barack Obama is the most extreme major party candidate for president ever.
His campaign website downplays this issue, saying only that Obama “has been a consistent champion of reproductive choice and will make preserving women’s rights under Roe v. Wade a priority as President. He opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s decision in that case.” But follow this link to listen to Obama himself speak on abortion before the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, July 17, 2007. Among other statements, in that speech he strongly asserts his opposition to the ban on partial birth abortions. Furthermore, consider the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, which passed the US Senate 98-0. This legislation mandates that infants born alive during a botched abortion must receive medical care and be treated as any other infant. John Kerry and Hillary Clinton, among others, voted for this bill. While Obama now claims that, had he been in the US Senate at the time, he would have voted in its favor, in his role as chair of the Illinois Senate Health and Human Services Committee in 2003, Obama effectively killed the identical bill (see this record from the Illinois state senate and this summary for more on the complicated history of the bill).
7. Is the abortion issue alone important enough to determine your vote?
Clearly, a president’s responsibilities are far broader than the abortion issue. One might well disagree with a candidate on abortion, and yet agree with the same candidate on a host of other important issues. Obama has tried, with some success, to reach out to abortion opponents on that basis. Surely, some argue, a presidential candidate’s positions on the economy, on health care, and on foreign policy should have greater weight than abortion.
But think of it this way. A candidate’s position on any single issue should not determine your vote in his favor. But a candidate’s position on a single issue may well disqualify him from office, and thus determine that you cannot vote for him.
This is the way marriage works. A young Christian man considering potential spouses will likely consider a broad array of characteristics in the women he knows. But any woman who is not a Christian should be disqualified immediately, no matter how strong and attractive her other qualities.
Or imagine yourself in Germany in 1937. Hitler has been in power four years. You speak to a friend who supports the fuehrer. He says, “Look at all Hitler has done! In 1932, our economy was a mess, with high inflation and high unemployment. Now inflation is under control and the economy is booming! Almost every German is better off! Furthermore, no one in the world looked up to us back then, and we Germans had no pride. Now, all that is changed! We’re proud of our country, proud to be Germans. Of course, Hitler is wrong on the Jews. That’s regrettable. But Jews constitute less than one percent of our population – surely the benefits to the rest of us outweigh the costs to them!”
That friend would be wrong. Hitler’s words and actions against the Jews disqualified him from office – no matter how great the positive impact of his other policies in those first four years.
So the question for each of us is this: Do you believe that abortion is an assault on a person and an affront to God? Do you believe that it is a central public policy issue that the next president will quite likely affect? Do you believe that this issue is important enough to disqualify a candidate from office?
I will be praying for you as you answer these questions for the glory of God. May we indeed all work together for the welfare of the country where we live as exiles, as ambassadors of the kingdom.
Receive the Spirit
October 3, 2008
(For a version of this devotion that is easier to print, follow this link.)
Have you received the Holy Spirit? Are you filled with the Spirit?
While these questions look similar, biblically they are distinct.
Two weeks ago I exhorted you from Scripture to be filled with the Spirit. We need the power of the Spirit to fulfill God’s purposes for us, to live the Christian life to His glory. This is true in every area of our lives, from craftsmanship to marriage. So in Ephesians 5:18 Paul exhorts those who are already believers to be filled with the Spirit.
But in the text we will consider the next several Sundays, Peter, speaking to those who are not yet believers, says, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Peter is clear: All those who repent and trust in Jesus for forgiveness will receive the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Himself says something similar in John 7:37-38. Giving a great invitation on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, He cries out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” John then explains this in the next verse. “Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Prior to His resurrection, there were those who believed in Jesus who had not yet received the Spirit. Something changed at Pentecost. (I’ll say more about this in the sermon on October 19.)
But hear Jesus’ promise: Everyone who believes in Him, everyone who sees Him as the One who can meet their desires, as the One who is Himself the object of their delight and satisfaction, will receive the Spirit. That is, the Spirit will dwell in the heart of every believer. We become God’s people not only in name but in character through receiving the Spirit.
Paul says the same. In Romans 8:15, speaking to believers, he says, “you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” Every believer is a child of God, adopted into His family. And we receive the Spirit as part of that adoption, testifying in our inner being that we are children of God.
Paul makes a similar point in Galatians 3:13-14. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us . . . so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” All those in Christ, Jew or Gentile, have the Spirit.
So the question, “Have you received the Holy Spirit?” today is equivalent to the question, “Do you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord, Savior, and Treasure?” All who are saved have the Spirit. They continue to need the filling of the Spirit in their everyday lives, but the Spirit dwells in their hearts through faith.
Praise God for such a gift! Praise God for His plan of redemption that takes those who deserve His punishment and transforms them into temples of His Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19)!
The gift of the Spirit in us works greatly to our joy. But there is another purpose. Look again at John 7:37-38. We not only have the Spirit in us; He also flows out of us, out of every believer, as living water. Jesus’ verbal picture in these verses implies that as the Spirit works in us, we become the source of true refreshment to others. God does not send His Spirit on us only for our personal joy, but also so that we might spread that joy in Him to His glory among all those we encounter.
So believe in Christ and receive His Spirit! This is God’s down payment, guaranteeing all His promises to you. And He is a fountain of living water, so that you might refresh with new life all those around you. May those fountains flow!
