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Making Decisions to the Glory of God

Acts, Blog, DevotionsApril 3, 2009

(For a version of this devotion that is easier to print, follow this link.)

Many people today want guidance. They want a word from God to know:

  • Whom to marry,
  • what job to take,
  • whether or not to buy a house,
  • whether to take money out of the stock market or leave it in.

There are also many decisions considered more “spiritual” in which we want God to lead us:

  • To attend one church or another;
  • to go into long-term missionary work or not;
  • to go into full time ministry or not;
  • to focus on one unreached people group or another;
  • to go on one short term mission trip or another.

Can you count on God’s guidance in making such decisions?

The Bible clearly teaches that God sovereignly calls and guides His people to carry out His plans. We saw a wonderful example of this last Sunday in Acts 15:36-16:15. Paul makes decision after decision about his second missionary journey, fulfilling God’s missionary mandate as best as he can determine; most of his decisions – to take Silas with him, to travel by land to Galatia, to circumcise Timothy, to stop in Philippi, to seek those worshiping God by the river, to stay with Lydia – are made without any noted supernatural direction. But then at times the Holy Spirit supernaturally guides Paul, redirecting him away from Asia and Bithynia (Acts 16:6-7) and towards Macedonia (Acts 16:9).

God does call and guide His people to carry out His plans.

Will He guide you?

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Thrusting Aside the Word of God

Acts, Blog, SermonsMarch 6, 2009
(This sermon on Acts 13:13-52 was preached February 22, 2009. The audio is available here.) What is the Bible? What do you think of it? How do you approach it? Many want nothing to do with it. They might respond to such questions by saying, "The Bible - that's old and out of date. It's not relevant for today. If I'm going to read something hundreds of pages long, I want it to be fresh, new, written for this time period, and informed by all the recent advances in knowledge. Why should I spend time looking at that old book?" Others might see historical or sociological value in the Bible: "Oh, yes, the Bible is an interesting record of a number of the spiritual encounters of great men and (a very few) great women. Perhaps some of those encounters have a basis in a supernatural being intervening in this world. In addition, the Bible has been esteemed by millions of people over the years; it has had a major influence on this country's history and literature. Indeed, we can't understand the US today without understanding the Bible. So, yes, I read it, I have studied it - as history, as an important core document of several religious traditions." Yet others might say more: They value the Bible for personal spiritual benefits: "Yes, the Bible has had a profound influence on me. Jesus is an amazing figure, as are Moses, Elijah, Daniel, David, and others. Jesus surely was a great teacher who was closely in touch with God. He is my example; I try to live like him. There is much we must learn from the Bible. But today, we can't even know what the Bible originally said. The church may well have massaged the text to make it say what it wanted. And, in any event, the Bible is a pre-scientific account of origins and human psychology. We've learned so many things that make the Bible's worldview archaic and obsolete. So, yes, it's very interesting, impressive, and helpful - but today we must pick and choose what topics, what passages still make sense." Do those attitudes sound familiar to you? Do you yourself agree with one of them? Consider the difference between those three attitudes toward the Bible and the psalmist's attitude, expressed in Psalm 119:169-174:

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Don’t Be Cowards; Fear!

Blog, DevotionsMarch 5, 2009

Should Christians fear? Or should they not fear?

In our passage for last Sunday’s sermon, Paul and Barnabas show great boldness in the face of fearful circumstances. Paul tells the young believers “It is necessary for us to enter the kingdom of God through many tribulations” (Acts 14:22). That is, don’t fear such tribulations; they are the passageway to an eternity with our loving God. Similarly, Jesus says that we will always have such tribulations in the world. “But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Because He is sovereign over all that happens, we can have peace in Him even now, even when we face frightening circumstances. For we know that God is working all things together for good for those who love Him, for those whom He has called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). When nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God, then we need not fear even those who are putting us to death (Romans 8:35-39).

Consider the story of the storm on the Sea of Galilee, told in Mark 4:35-41. While out on the lake, a great windstorm arises – so great that the waves are breaking over the sides of the boat. Though the disciples bail and bail, the water in the boat rises higher and higher. It looks certain to sink in a few minutes. And the wind continues to howl; the waves continue to pound.

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Through Many Tribulations We Must Enter the Kingdom of God

Acts, Blog, SermonsMarch 2, 2009
(This sermon on Acts 14 was preached on March 1, 2009. The audio will be posted at this link.) There is more suffering in the true Christian life than you ever thought you could handle. There is more joy in the true Christian life than you ever thought possible. Those are the two main points of Acts 14. We'll come back to them. But now: Suppose you knew you were about to die. What would you say to those remaining behind? When the Apostle Paul wrote 2 Timothy, he knew he was about to die by execution. Recall that Timothy grew up in Lystra (Acts 16); Paul met him there for the first time in the visit recorded in today's passage (Acts 14). Near the end of his life, he wrote: You . . . know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance,  11 persecutions, sufferings-- what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.  12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,  13 while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.  14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,  15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,  17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:10-17 Paul says "Timothy: Follow me as I follow Christ - and following Christ means suffering. Everyone who lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. And you know very well what happened to me in your hometown." As described in today's text, Paul suffered horribly in Lystra - and he had the scars to prove it. Timothy too will suffer if he continues in the faith. But Timothy is not to respond to this prediction of future suffering with fear! Instead, Timothy is to take encouragement from Paul's own suffering. Paul says: 'You will suffer - like I have suffered. So you must be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus! - like I was strong in His grace. You must continue - because you know me and my faith (and the faith of your Mom and grandmother), and you know the Word - this Word that makes you wise to salvation, and thoroughly equips you to suffer and endure." As we saw last week:   We must continue in the WORD - we must learn it, lean on it, love it. THIS is God's revelation to us - and we will never get through times of suffering without it But 2 Timothy is a letter neither of sorrow in suffering, nor of simply endurance through suffering. Paul shows himself to be full of joy in suffering. He goes on to say, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, will award to me on that day." Suffering - yet joy. Just so in Acts 14: Tremendous suffering. And tremendous joy.

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