Acts: Worship Equals Power

SERMONS FROM DR. PAUL R. FRIESEN

Acts: Worship equals Power
Boldness and Confidence can come only when we focus on worship
Dr. Paul R. Friesen

2011

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Index Introduction ………………………………………………………………….. 4 Chapter 1: In Search of Security ………………………………………. 5 Scripture Reading: Acts 1:1-22 Chapter 2: In Search of Power….………………………………………. 7 Scripture Reading: Acts 2: 22-40 Chapter 3: Facing the Truth ……………………………………………. 9 Scripture Reading: Acts 3:6-26 Chapter 4: Facing Opposition …………………………………………. 11 Scripture Reading: Acts 4:23-37 Chapter 5: The Truth …………………………………………………….. 13 Scripture Reading: Acts 5:1-19 Chapter 6: The Cost ………………………………………………………. 15 Scripture Reading: Acts 6:1-15 Chapter 8: The Move …………………………………………………….. 17 Scripture Reading: Acts 8:2-26 Chapter 9: Changing Views ……………………………………………. 19 Scripture Reading: Acts 9:1-19 Chapter 10: The First Big Test ……………………………………….. 21 Scripture Reading: Acts 10:1-23 Chapter 10-2: Back to Basics …………………………………………. 23 Scripture Reading: Acts 10:1-24-48 Chapter 11: Challenging Traditions ………………………………… 25 Scripture Reading: Acts 11:1- 18 Chapter 11-2: Challenging Traditions ……………………………... 27 Scripture Reading: Acts 11:19- 30 Chapter 12: Secret Escape ……………………………………………... 29 Scripture Reading: Acts 12:1- 19 Chapter 13: False Power ………………………………………………… 31 Scripture Reading: Acts 13:6-12, 38-50 Chapter 14: From Hero to Villain …………………………………… 33 Scripture Reading: Acts 14:1-22 Chapter 15: One in Spirit ………………………………………………. 35 Scripture Reading: Acts 15:1-32 Chapter 16: Confidence in Mission ………………………………... 37 Scripture Reading: Acts 16:1-18 Chapter 16-2: The Price of Confidence in Mission …………… 39 Scripture Reading: Acts 16:19-40

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 17: Ignorance Follows Reason ………………………….. 41 Scripture Reading: Acts 17:1-23 Chapter 17-2: Where is the God with No Name? …………….. 42 Scripture Reading: Acts 17:24-34 Chapter 18: Nothing will Happen …………………………………. 44 Scripture Reading: Acts 18:1-17 Chapter 18-2: Doing it Right ………………………………………… 46 Scripture Reading: Acts 18:18-28 Chapter 19: Spirit Power………………………………………………. 48 Scripture Reading: Acts 19:1-20 Chapter 20: Moving Forward……………………………………….. 50 Scripture Reading: Acts 20:1-25 Chapter 21: Following Your Heart…………………………………. 52 Scripture Reading: Acts 21:19-39 Chapter 22: God is not Exclusive …………………………………. 54 Scripture Reading: Acts 22:20-30 Chapter 23: Choosing the Right Argument …………………… 56 Scripture Reading: Acts 23:1-21 Chapter 24: From Past to Present ………………………………. . 58 Scripture Reading: Acts 24:1-26 Chapter 25: Doing it Right …………………………………………. 60 Scripture Reading: Acts 25:7-27 Chapter 26: Nothing is Stronger than Testimony …………. 62 Scripture Reading: Acts 26:3-29 Chapter 27: When No One wants to Listen ………………….. 64 Scripture Reading: Acts 27:27-44 Chapter 28: Setting the Truth…………………………………….. 66 Scripture Reading: Acts 28:12-31

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Introduction I chose the book of Acts because it relates so much to where many churches are today. The new church was in search of its own identity. Today many Christians and Christian leaders search for the same power and identity. When we read through Acts, we find that Paul’s life was focused on one thing. That was worship. It was through worship that he stayed on track. It was through worship, that Paul was able to make bold statements. It was through worship that Paul experienced God’s power. His gifts were not healing, or many of the other things he did. He was first and foremost focused on Jesus Christ. Acts is about how God works when He is the focus of your worship. Too many times we say He is, but in practice we focus on things of the world. Read these short sermons. Chapter 7 is missing. In actuality it is a sermon of Paul’s that I skipped over. On the other hand there are several chapters with two sermons. Enjoy the scripture and the commentary. I believe that God uses our words to touch others. Not all will appreciate them, but if God gave them they are for a purpose. These sermons were delivered in 2011. They were given in a series to a small South Korean church, in English, with the Senior Pastor translating.

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 1: In Search of Security Scripture Reading: Acts 1:1-22
Acts is a book of endings and beginnings for the disciples. They had followed Jesus, believed in Him, and then found out that He was human and then God as well. They had to face the idea that Judas had betrayed them, and they were seen as rebels to the Romans. They had to make new decisions as to what to do next. It is easy to follow the hero until the hero is gone. Then you find who the true believers are. In this study of Acts we will find new perspectives. I think that many Christians are in the same boat. A person falls into some hardship goes to church and becomes a Christian. Everything seems fine until the next problem and the God they thought cared doesn’t seem to want to help them. They get frustrated, even angry, and then discover God is not that far. We find the disciples in the area between frustration and rediscovery of God. Jesus has left very clear directions to stay in Jerusalem. They were not to scatter and go back to their old jobs, but wait until they had received as sign. You can maybe imagine the discussion while they are waiting. The questions of what they are waiting for. What was the sign? How long should they wait? Then there was Judas and his death. Should he be replaced, and by whom? That the disciples had to wait for a few days tested their resolve to move to the next step in the process of propagating the gospel to the world. They had to put aside their desires to follow the command of their Lord. The instructions were made very clear. They were to wait and the Holy Spirit would come with power, and they would be the witnesses of Christ to the world. There is a lot of discussion about the filling of the Holy Spirit and the power associated with it. For some you need to practice tongues as a show of the Holy Spirit because it was done here. To others the idea of tongues is dangerous because Satan can imitate these as well and lead new Christians into spiritual slavery. These disciples had given up their lives to follow Jesus for at least three years. They had witnessed the miracles first hand. They had witnessed the attitudes and teachings of Christ first hand. They were given this opportunity to be the heralds of good news to a people who desperately needed hope. But they were Jews and the propagation to the world created a problem.

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Acts: Worship equals Power The idea of Spirit filling comes from a life totally committed to Jesus Christ. Not understanding how God works, but making Him the hope of everything we do. To have Him be the teacher through a close walk with Him. God is never far from us. We may think that God is far at times because we can’t see Him working in our struggles, but He is there. The key to the power of the Spirit is giving up our desires for His. God wants 100% of your life so He can fill it with a new power. Patience is also a key. The disciples had to wait and let God come to them. So often we run after God. We get tired trying to figure out how God will fix our problems. We become a people without power. We get depressed because God has not come upon us like other people. God does not treat us like a group. He did that in the Old Testament, using prophets and kings. Today He has opened salvation to the each person. Each person is responsible and each person can have the seal and power of the Holy Spirit. Our problem is that we want the power so bad we miss it. We become impatient. If you remember the challenge I made to you. Write the times when God has demonstrated His power in your life. As you list them and they become more frequent you will find that the power of the Holy Spirit is there. The miracles we have seen in different countries at different times have usually diminished in time. Did the power go away or did we lose focus? I think it is our lack of focus. The last part of these verses say that the people devoted themselves to prayer. It was here that Peter showed his leadership gift. It was here that the power of God was being demonstrated. We do not know when God is coming back, but He did promise He would. Until then we need the Holy Spirit to empower us. We are the disciples of the living God. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit and He desires to show the world His power through us.

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 2: In Search of Power Scripture Reading: Acts 2: 22-40
It is easy to get distracted by the tongues issue in this chapter, but a tongue is not the issue here. It was the sign that Jesus had promised them. Imagine if it was a sign they had to struggle to figure out. Like who was going to be the next apostle. If you look at the whole of scripture God is usually not secretive in His directions. God is a powerful and living God. Being secretive does not fit His character. This was a turning point in the life of His disciples. He needed then to be put on the right path. He wanted them to understand that the power they had seen as not just for Jesus, but also for them. In Peter’s sermon we can imagine that the other disciples were not giving a different sermon but the sermon in different languages. God didn’t need an interpreter or complex equipment. God just needed obedient disciples. As Peter traced the life of Christ back to David the awareness of the deception of the Synagogue was easy to see. David was a king that the people respected and knew well. David plays a part in most Christian centered religions. This connection was important. Many times we talk to people about the gospel but never bother to connect with them. Many times we shout the gospel and no one wants to listen and we get depressed. We do it because we are told to go out into the world. But God didn’t ask us to be stupid or ignorant of the people around us. Peter’s sermon is about what all those who were there had seen or heard. Then he connected the teachings of David to that truth. Was Peter smart, or a trained preacher? Not at all! He was a good fisherman perhaps, and a committed follower. God gave the words to speak and he spoke them. We live in a culture that is focused on academics and money ignoring what God wants to tell us. We want to shout the gospel our way and with our techniques. God is not tied to our techniques or limitations, but God has given us the Holy Spirit. In verse 38 we find how we get the Holy Spirit. This is often missed in our theological debates. I have found so many Christians looking for the Holy Spirit. They spend so much time searching and praying that they live a depressed Christian life. If you remember when Jesus was baptized by John, the issue of baptism came to a head. Whose baptism was real? When we are baptized, in the name of Jesus the Christ and Son of God, we receive the Holy Spirit. When we are baptized to be on a church membership we feel committed to that church. When we are baptized into the family of God we are sealed by God. The seal being the Holy Spirit.

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Acts: Worship equals Power In verses 38 - 40 we have the simple sermon that was talked about. We read, 38 Let your hearts be changed, every one of you, and have baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will have the Holy Spirit given to you. 39 For the word of God is for you and for your children and for all those who are far off, even all those who may be marked out by the Lord our God. 40 And with more such words he gave his witness, offering them salvation and saying, Come out from this evil generation. Let your hearts be changed. (2) Have the baptism of Jesus Christ. (3) Receive the Holy Spirit. The offer of salvation that came with a change of heart and baptism, followed by the Holy Spirit. The challenge was to come out of the evil generation. This is the hard part. If we were to look at the church today we would find that in developed countries the church has had their moment of Pentecost. They have had people come out and be changed through the power of salvation and the Holy Spirit. I write in the past tense, because we find the church today moving closer to the generation and culture of the day than the power of the Holy Spirit. I was asked if you could get salvation if you went to a specific church. My response was that there is no salvation in any church. It is only through a relationship with Jesus Christ. There is no money to be paid to a church that can give you the hope of salvation, nor the peace that the hope will give you. Our message to those around should be come out of this evil self centered generation. Accept the salvation, which is free, because of the sacrifice of Jesus, and live a life of freedom to serve the true God. So often we look at the academics not the spirit filled message. Our hearts and minds are clouded because of things that are not based on the message of God, but our culture. Let us go out today and speak the same message as Peter. It is a simple message, but not one that is easy to do.

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 3: Facing the Truth Scripture Reading: Acts 3:6-26
Have you ever tried to tell someone the real truth? Like they are not so good at their job, or their assignment is not done well, or maybe their child is not as smart as they think he/ she is. The reaction is usually not very positive. We all like to think we are the best at what we do. We like to think our ideas are of high value. In many Christian circles the gospel message is more about how much of a sinner the other person is. Many people I meet think Christianity and church is just about money. Preachers want money for new buildings and expanding programs. People get mixed messages from the church and its leaders, but when you are sick and struggling to live you see people as having more than you. Christian or not it is not relevant. In acts the leaders wore nice clothes and showed their position. Peter and John were perhaps not dressed so well, but the man they met had much less than they did. In our search for the Holy Spirit, we argue about the right way to get it, and miss the truth about ourselves. The truth is that we are all like the sick man in life. Sin has made people sick, and do what this man does. Many people go every day to church to find their hope for their life. If we were to read the verses just before the ones we read today we would find that the man had gone to the Temple for years. He had begged and waited for the one moment when he could walk again. 3:2 And a certain man who from birth had had no power in his legs, was taken there every day, and put down at the door of the Temple which is named Beautiful, requesting money from those who went into the Temple; Peter and John then meet him. The disciples having nothing to give, and no power to heal themselves, ask the man to focus on them. What a strange request. Almost a joke, but the man had to obey. The man had to hope that it was not a trick, but that he would get a few coins in his hand to keep his life going. We find here something that many people miss. The people around us who want help, like this man, are not ready to listen to the truth. The first truth that the man had to face was the disciples had no money to give them. You can imagine the disappointment the man would have had when he heard this, but the disciples had much more to give him. They offered him a new life. A life that would bring back hope for a future with his family and friends. A future to be like other people. A hope to have a job and function in society like other people.

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Acts: Worship equals Power The truth was Peter and John had nothing, but they did have the power of the Holy Spirit. We often ignore this power because we are too busy arguing about how it works, or if the person is qualified. In reality we must see the truth about who we are. We are nothing without the Holy Spirit. We are just normal people. We do have the same power that Peter and John had. We just don’t use it. The truth is that we are scared of others opinions of us. We often question God’s timing and control of events when things happen to us. Think of this sick man. He must have asked what he had done wrong to not have healing. Why his was life so hard? The last truth faced in this story was that of the leaders of the Synagogue. Their reaction was to question on whose authority was this healing done. They were the power people. Who had not consulted them for approval? We find this today in our churches. How can other people do things without asking permission? The church has lost power, not because the Holy Spirit has lowered His power, but because we have put ourselves between God and man. God wants us to be in between as conduits of His power.  The truth that had to be faced was the truth of ignorance of who God truly is and was. The fact was that the leaders had killed Jesus, who was God, and covered up the truth of His resurrection. In fact the truth was that the leaders could not give salvation to any person. The truth that they were the inheritors of the truth, and knew the truth which they had studied from Moses, until the present day, but had kept the truth from the people so they could keep the power. The truth that Jesus was still waiting for them, and wanted to bless them. The truth that they could only access the power of God, through giving up their own rights. That was the hardest one. They had to give up their right to power and accept God’s power.

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It sounds so easy, but then what would we do if we couldn’t control our life? We feel insecure in ourselves, when the Holy Spirit offers us security from now to eternity.  The truth is we have the power, like the disciples. The problem is that we must give up our rights to our power so that we can be true conduits of God’s power. We have nothing to give people, except the hope of salvation and the empowerment and healing through the power of the Holy Spirit.

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 4: Facing Opposition Scripture Reading: Acts 4:23-37
I have heard so many say that you need to become a Christian so you can let your sins go. You can be free because Jesus said the truth will set you free. Then the person prays a prayer and life gets worse. What happened to this idea of the Christian life being so happy? In reality it is true. When you have God on your side, who can be against you? I think if we are to read scripture we would find that there is a lot of opposition from the moment we choose God. This story shows just how God handles it. We read just before the verses today that these simple fishermen were full of the Holy Spirit, and had an answer. In a world of academics we put God to second place very often. We rely on our own response. In the sequence of this story we find the Apostles had an answer that challenged the leader of the Synagogue, but did not make them too angry. It was a challenge to their authority as leaders of the chosen people of Israel. In the verses we read today we find the apostles are home and the first reaction is a prayer meeting which resulted in a manifestation of God’s power. The result was preaching without fear. In our culture, western or Korean, we find that the fear of preaching what God has told us to preach overrules the power of God. I say this, because it is never easy to risk your job. But the preaching was not done without a prayer for it. Many people pray for North Korea, but who prays for our leaders? Read this prayer carefully. We find that the people did not pray against the leaders directly. The do acknowledge the state of their nation, and their city. They prayed for fearless courage and God gave it to them. It was the beginning of the church. Their message was the witness that Jesus had returned from the grave. This is significant. There is a lot of pressure to accept a mixture of teachings. Our culture wants it, and for many churches it is one way to get new members. As we studied the names of God before we found the nature of the Christian God is different. No other God interacts in a relationship as our God. No other God can give life after death. This one point makes the Christian God different. The problem is that there are too many different kinds of churches who call themselves Christian. It is confusing but our message should be the same. That is the second problem. The message is different. In the sermons of the apostles we find that the message was the same. There are many people who criticize Billy Graham for meeting with other church leaders, but his message never changed. The message is simple. It is so simple that it is hard to believe. We make it fit our culture. In this early church culture they focused on the facts that the Jews did

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Acts: Worship equals Power crucify Jesus, and that He did rise again. There was no doubt about that. They had all been witness to those facts. In today’s world what are we a witness to? Jesus is not here in person like He was then. We are witnesses to the fact of the power of the Holy Spirit. They know that when we plan a program, when we preach or witness, that there will be opposition. We need to tell people that when you accept Jesus Christ you will perhaps have a lot of changes. This is because, like the apostles, there will be opposition. We also need to teach them the prayer that the disciples prayed here. It is a great prayer to fight against the opposition they face. It is a request for power and it was not alone. The Holy Spirit had given wisdom to respond, and then power to continue without fear after release. It is this experience with God that will strengthen the Christian. All the theology in the world cannot make a Christian as powerful as the Holy Spirit’s power. Why do we get opposition? Is it because of the rules we make? Or is it because we speak the truth of the gospel? The opposition came because the truth of the gospel is hard to respond to. The Holy Spirit came and took away the fear as they preached the truth of the Church? No! The gospel! Let’s proclaim the gospel to the world without fear.

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 5: The Truth Scripture Reading: Acts 5:1-19
What an exciting story. This happened before TV police shows, and the technique was even more devastating. In today’s culture we find that many people want to follow the original thinkers, the original creators. Then they produce it at a cheaper price and quality, but it looks the same. If you have read or remember our study of God’s names we found that God is ALL KNOWING. He sees every secret we have, but we forget sometimes. In these verses we find some things that are common today. The first is that we like to follow a good thing. Imagine this new church, full of people who were poor and sick, while others had more than enough. We do not find a command to sell their land, or house. This is different than today. Today churches often demand money for building projects, or expansion programs. Here it was a simple support for the work. The awesome trust in the Apostles, who had done miracles, was immense. Then there were a few who wanted to “get on the band wagon”, as we would say in English. These are people who come to church to show how important they are. They have money, perhaps a good community position, or job. If you remember the story of Nicodemas, you find that he struggled with following Jesus. He struggled because he wanted to follow, but he didn’t want to give up who he was. Ananias and Sapphira were these kinds of people. They wanted to look like good Christians. They wanted to follow, but couldn’t do one simple thing. No one had asked or demanded them to sell their land and give the money to the church. No one had demanded that they give all their profit to the church. For other people it was spontaneous. For this couple it was a plan to look good. The idea that we can lie when we deal with God is not true. The purpose of the land sale was for the Church. The price given to the Apostles was less than 100%. The end was death. I have always taught that God wants 100% of you, and everything you have. We have today many Christians thinking that we only need to give God 10%, and we keep 90%. That is not what we find here. If what you do is for God. God will give you the power. God also wants the glory.

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Acts: Worship equals Power I remember when I struggled with the idea of giving. When we give some money, advice, or something to someone we want a return. I call this a string. Giving with strings attached is very stressful. This is not the way we should give to God. Ananias and Sapphira were trying to give to God a little bit and say they had given it all. Now it does not say this exactly here, but in most cases this is what happens. In the end this lie cost Ananias his life and his wife’s life, but it was God who took the life not the Apostles. The second thing is that, there was fear. Imagine the power of the Apostles. People were both amazed and frightened. The leaders were especially annoyed, but they could do nothing but grumble. I have taught that we can have this same peace, power, and confidence. We really can. The Holy Spirit hasn’t changed, but we are fearful of the grumbling and the jail time. We don’t see many of these revivals anymore. It is hard to find the mentors to take the time for discipleship. It takes a lot of money. I think other religions do better than us Christians. They are often more focused on their leader. They will give up their life for the cause. There are many in our churches today, who are like Ananias and Sapphira. We put them in leadership positions, because they should be wiser. The ones who show power often get left behind. They are ignored. In this new church, they needed to see the power. There was not space for selfish leadership. The leadership changed as it grew and entered the other world, through the Apostle Paul. They had their troubles. The new church in the end became corrupt, as we read in revelation. The new church lost its power. We pray for the power. We seek for the power. Perhaps we have lost the power because we fear our culture. Ananias and Sapphira lost their lives due to their lying to God. The same happened in the Old Testament when they disobeyed the Prophet at Ai, and kept some of the gold jewelry. What are we keeping from God? It won’t stop the power of God to fulfill His purpose. It will take away the power of God in our lives.

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 6: The Cost Scripture Reading: Acts 6:1-15
What has your commitment to God and Jesus Christ cost you? I do not mean what has making wrong choices, or being arrogant cost you. Often we get caught up with the issues of our job and our emotions cost us. Our passion to follow, like Peter in the garden, causes us to do things that we shouldn’t do. In this story, we find the ultimate cost some pay for their faith. Not every had to pay the price. Stephen was one of the first. Other Apostles also had to die for their faith. We don’t hear of people dying for their faith often in our country. We do hear that in China that the people who have church without State authority are imprisoned. That is why I asked the first question. In the Evangelical Free Church, a denomination in the West, the issue of freedom to choose Christian leaders cost many their jobs. They did eventually win and have the freedom, so the issue in China is not new. We do see something in this story that we do not find in many of our fights for religious freedom. The first issue is that there seemed to be an imbalance of care, due to ethnically differences. This happened in Africa during a drought. The issue of who would get food was different between Muslims and Christians. Muslims cared only for Muslims, while Christians gave to all. This is the first issue we find in the early church. The imbalance came from a focus on the teaching not the care. The teaching came from a history of Jesus was for Jews. This led to the imbalance of care. This is also an issue that we have today. I have had people that won’t care for those who are not members of their church. We must remember that the issue of different Churches has not come yet, but it did. The second thing we find in this story is that the disciples didn’t get more powerful, it was the word of God became more powerful. The power of what they were saying became more powerful. This is very important for us as leaders. Whose gospel are we preaching? Are we preaching a gospel that is form God or a gospel that is from our culture or denomination? For this church the gospel was simple and clear. It was bathed with prayer and the power of the Spirit was always talked about. The focus is not on the disciples but on the power of the Holy Spirit. In today’s world this is so hard to balance. For leadership to not want attention is painful. But this is what Christianity is all about. It is about doing things different. We have the power to change people’s lives when we are channels of Holy Spirit power.

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Acts: Worship equals Power This power does not come without a cost. When you function with the peace, power, and confidence we find through a relationship with the Holy Spirit it will cost us. We read here that there was growing antagonism against the disciples. It was not just about a few Apostles, but it was against the disciples who were preaching. The Church was growing and the power of the traditional leaders was being questioned. The poison began to infect the whole of the nation. The leaders, like Judas, paid people to gossip and lie about what was said. This is what we find is a problem today. There are an increasing number of false teachers. They tell people a false truth. In chapter 7 we find that Stephen defends the truth from their own scripture. Stephen preaches a history from the knowledge that the people had already been taught. He used their arguments which made them even angrier. The amazing thing about the gospel is that it is truly the sword of the Lord. It cuts to the truth without culture barriers. It cuts to the motives of the teaching. Stephen was not a Ph.D. in Theology. He was not an experienced orator. But he was full of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can answer the challenges we face better than we can. He can make us shine. When we do it from our academic cultural thinking, we find ourselves with more questions. Most of the time we don’t want to make people angry. This is the problem. We are scared of the cost. We hate angry people. We hate people talking bad about us. We fall into the trap that we need to have only positive. What we find here is that it is the message that the leaders were upset with, not the disciples. It was the show of power that came with the message that made them angry, because people were following. What are we scared of; making people angry, a lower life style, rejection, or death?

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Chapter 8: The Move Scripture Reading: Acts 8:2-26
If you remember the Church story there was a problem between Jews and Gentiles. I can’t imagine that the Jews, of which Jesus was one of, would want to share him with the world. He was their prize possession. In this chapter we have a conflict between God’s purpose and the Jews. It was not a real conflict, but rather a piece of the design that the new church had not seen. The new church had the power of the Holy Spirit. What would we do in this situation? B I think we would want to lift up the Apostles and protect them. If I was a Jew I would want to follow them. God, as we find here, is not a God who stands still. To have leaders who are full of God’s power would make us want to build large churches around them. But God had not sent His Son for the Jews. The Jews had rejected Him, but God still did not leave them out. The power was first shown to the Jews. I think this is important. It is important because though we find the power and focus changing, we don’t see God ignoring the Jews for Gentiles. God does move. God’s desire is that ALL people have a clear choice, though as the church grew the church had problems. We find God moving here in a way that probably would not have been our first choice. When we read Philips story God uses a person who knows Hebrew to meet a person who has a Hebrew book, but can’t read it. It is like me asking you to read a Korean book to me but not understanding what you are staying. We find here one other scenario. The man Simon. In today’s world we find many Simon’s. The gospel was being preached and the power of the Holy Spirit was doing miracles through the Apostles. It was exciting. Then we find Simon who wanted to profit from this power. He wanted to follow, but he couldn’t give up the profit potential. This is where we are in Korea. Christianity for profit. That may sound a bit hard and strong, but that is what you hear today. Preachers getting rich, or continuously asking for money. The Simons are asking how they can get the power and increase their wealth.

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Acts: Worship equals Power For many people Christianity is about following Christ through the teachings of the church. I know pastor’s in the Canada who see themselves, not as servant so of God, though that is what they preach, but as a job. Christianity is not about making money. Being a church leader is not about getting rich, but demonstrating the power of God, so people can worship the true God. It is about doing things differently. In a world where money is #1, where do we find God’s power? A Buddhist on the TV this week, in an interview, was asked about his definition of happiness. After he had stated his definition, the interviewer asked about money. Money , he said, was both good and bad but didn’t bring happiness. The contrast between the two stories and their results could be a good lesson for us. Simon, wanted to know the secret so he could get the popularity and power that would bring him in more money. The result was -- May your money come to destruction with you, because you had the idea that what is freely given by God may be got for a price. Philip’s story is at the end of the verses today. A person, who had chosen to follow God, and was obedient to God. Philip’s choice was based, not on envy, but on a desire for relationship. Philip did not choose to go to the desert. God chose him, God empowered him, and God rewarded him. The result was a deeper and more powerful relationship with Philip and his God. In today’s world we face many issues, like this new church. God was moving, and the church was not always ready to move with Him. They had to be wise when they encountered the Simon’s. They needed to be obedient even when what God asked them to go in directions that they didn’t understand. God was expanding his kingdom. He was opening the salvation, once only for Israel, to the world. He is doing the same today, but the time for His return is coming soon. As we wait we don’t see God work as He did here, but in the end times, God will once more demonstrate His power. We have a choice of being a Simon or a Philip.

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 9: Changing Views Scripture Reading: Acts 9:1-19
When we read these chapters we can find ourselves in the story. We don’t see too many Philips. He went to the desert just for one man. He also stopped the chariot with a stranger. It is always amazing how God works, if we are obedient. In this chapter we have Saul. Saul was a driven man. He thought he was doing what God had wanted him to do. The Synagogue leaders wanted this new group of Christians stopped. The power they had demonstrated had created a following. The following had made the attendance and perhaps the money to diminish. People were starting to question their teachings. As we saw in the last chapter, God had started to move people out of their comfort zones. The gospel, open to the world, needed people to take it to the world, but most did not want to go. Philip was the first to be chosen. If you were a Christian with Saul coming for you, what would you do? Most of us would probably hide. We would never see God’s plan to use Saul. This was the problem in this story. God had a plan, but the Church could only see the persecution. It was God’s challenge to them. They had been taught the truth from the Old Testament, and in a very traditional fashion. As an English teacher, in South Korea, I have found this to be true in how people learn English. People have been taught to memorize, not experience English. For the Jews it was the same. Their experience with God was more a memorization of scripture, not a personal experience. In Acts we find that God wants everyone to experience a relationship with Him. This was a big struggle for some of the Apostles. It was especially hard to lead a church full of people who were bound by traditions. Saul would challenge the Church to look at their values and traditions. God needed someone who was both Greek and Jew. God needed someone who was strong enough to lead. God chose Saul, because he was the best for the job. Saul just needed a few adjustments. First Saul needed to experience God. Many people come to me and ask about God. It is easy to give them answers, but I like to end with, “Ask God to show Himself to you”. This is important because when God demonstrates Himself to you, you will be changed. This is very important when people become Christians. When people become Christians, there is not always a dramatic change in personality, like in Saul’s life. Rather, there is a change in values and relationship.

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Acts: Worship equals Power Paul did not change his enthusiasm or drive. He was still a strong minded person. He was still stubborn. The difference was his perspective on life. He changed from pursuing God’s will to letting God’s will pursue him. This is quite significant. Significant because we do what Saul did before he met God. Saul was controlled by his desire to please God and his synagogue leaders. Was God pleased or not was not the issue. When God and Saul met face to face there was a big change. The change was that God became the center of his life, not the synagogue leaders. This should be the focus of our church leadership today. To increase our membership is great. To increase the relationship our members have with God is more important. When Saul met Jesus on the road, it changed his life. He did not have the same experience as the other Apostles. God does not work the same way with everyone. He is not a “cookie cutter” God. To do God’s work he needed not to be humble but to less feared by the people he was ministering to. His previous life was the stimulus to go. Paul escaped to the Gentiles. God used his past life to help Paul stay on track. God used his eye problem to, not lessen the passion, but as a reminder of where his power came from. Depending on God is what God wants. God wants 100% of us. He wants to have the glory in everything. Paul wasn’t distracted because of his eye problem. He had a relationship with God that grew in power and wisdom. God doesn’t want to take who we are out. He wants to balance and empower us.

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 10: The First Big Test Scripture Reading: Acts 10:1-23
In this chapter we find two people from different worlds. Cornelius, who came from the high ranks of the army, and Peter, who was an Apostle, and considered a leader of the Jewish Christians. Cornelius was leader of a group who the Romans thought were against them. Peter and the Apostles were jailed by the Romans. This story is not about the people, but about how God works. In this situation God had prepared Cornelius first. From a human perspective we normally look at things ahead. The problem is that we don’t see how God is working for us. We see only our limitations. Cornelius was a good man. In our understanding of scripture he wants a Christian, but he desired to know God. He was not a Jew but he gave to the poor. Many people give to the poor. For some it is from a sense of responsibility. For others it is a sense of hope to have a future after death. Cornelius did it because he wanted to please God. This is so different from Saul’s desire to please both the synagogue leaders and God at the same time. But both Saul and Cornelius were people of power. God knew that to move the Church forward he needed power people. People who had the passion to serve, not just for power. Cornelius and Peter, though both leaders, also came from opposite backgrounds. Peter the traditional Jew and Cornelius supporting Rome against the Jews. It makes a great story. What God does is the same for both. He gave each of them a dream. God could have sent a person like he did with Saul, but chose to give each a dream. Cornelius didn’t know who was coming, while Peter knew he was going to a gentile’s house. This would become a problem for Peter. The first big challenge came to Peter. Peter had to consider all the teachings from his childhood. He had to rethink the idea of God he knew. The God Peter knew had a lot of rules and going to a Gentile’s house was breaking the rules. This is where we find many Christians today. They live by rules they have been taught. It doesn’t mean that the rules are wrong. It means that our view of God needs to be challenged. This challenge is the focus of this set of verses. We find that Peter was not the initiator of this meeting. Though both men had been told the same vision, Cornelius was the one who moved. He did not have the same problems as Peter, but Peter was ready. God had prepared both the sender and the receiver.

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Acts: Worship equals Power Often we don’t obey God very fast because we don’t see what God has done ahead of us. I could never have imagined that I could have done what I have, when I first came to Korea. What I have become is because God had prepared people in front of me. I didn’t see it. At the same time we also look back at where we were. We start wanting the things we left behind. This is the biggest mistake. We will find Peter doing this. To look back and desire for things when God has so much more planned for us. Why would we do that? To Peter the vision maybe caused him great stress. Was God changing his mind? Was God changing all the rules? Had Peter believed something wrong? I’m sure the questions in Peter’s mind were hard to understand. Then came the knock on the door. Peter was told not to doubt by the Spirit. God knew that Peter would have doubts. It was not only Thomas that doubted. This first challenge was hard. It challenged everything that Peter knew about God and His Laws. The challenge that Peter had to face. Peter did go with the men to Cornelius. He took other people, whom he trusted with him, as witnesses. When God does things He wants the world to know what He does. For Peter, it was a matter of knowing he was doing the right thing. He went with the men but with witnesses he could defend what he did and what happened. We are challenged today. Many Christians are searching for truth. The truth that gives us the power and confidence, when God wants us to move. We need to challenge our traditions. We need to challenge our teachings. We need to challenge our view of God. God will accept the challenge and we will grow in our spiritual lives. Challenging our view of God helps us see God in His fullness. How big is our God? Is our view of God centered on tradition, scripture, or experience? Is God trying to set us free to move the world around us?

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 10-2: Back to Basics Scripture Reading: Acts 10:1-24-48
Having grown up with many denominations and religions, I find some basic things that many miss when they preach the gospel. The problem with so many religions and denominations is that we have a hard time finding the truth. What is the truth? The truth was missed by the Jews. That is why Jesus was rejected. The truth is that Jesus came to set us free. Free from the many stresses we carry every day. If we were to cut all those things that cause us stress away, what would we do? We would feel lost a little bit. To not have to worry about things makes people uncomfortable. There is a new movie out that helps us understand how to apply Buddhist philosophy in our life. They also seek the inner peace. Actually, they use the same ideas we find in the Bible. There is only one difference. Their hope is built on the power of self. They understand the natural power of self much more than most Christians understand the power of God. When Peter comes into the house he lets people know the issues. Then he defends the issue by saying that God had given him a vision, which was backed up by Cornelius. He didn’t go into a long defense, as found in Paul’s writings. Peter was not a lawyer like Paul. He was a simple fisherman, who Christ had found. He was passionate and sensitive. His message was simple. In this situation he could have made a long winded sermon in defense, but he didn’t. This is where we often get the stress. We get all excited and want to defend the truth. We want to show that our God is bigger than the others. In reality we don’t need to do that. In reality we need to let God do the talking. We found this when Stephen gave his sermon. We find this here as well. The message of the gospel is so simple. Our theology often gets in the way of the power of God. Peter was stressed. He knew that God had called him to Cornelius, but it was against all the rules for a Jew. He had to let God do the talking through the power. The message was clear and concise. Jesus functioned in the power of the Holy Spirit. He did miracle that everyone knows about. We, as followers, are following his orders, and with the same power. The order is to preach the message that, this Jesus was given the power over the living and the dead. He did not remain dead but is alive. It is through His name that we have forgiveness of sin, and freedom from the stress that it gives us.

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Acts: Worship equals Power When we speak like this not everyone will speak in tongues. But when we speak this simple message, not arguing about the fine tuning of it, we will discover that the power of God flows through us. This is the key to the power of God in our message. Too often we argue about who’s right. Who can defend their faith better? Even when a false teacher comes, we argue with them. We try to make them understand that there is only one true way. What speaks much better is the power demonstrated by God. We cannot change peoples’ minds, but we try hard. You only have to look through the Bible to find examples of this, Moses and Pharaoh being just one example. We can, though, live to a different standard. We can live as people who do not need to seek inner peace, but already have inner peace. We can live as people of power and confidence that comes with the freedom that Jesus forgiveness offers. How simple is our message today? Are we trying to prove that our God is bigger than the others? Is this part of our stress?

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 11: Challenging Traditions Scripture Reading: Acts 11:1- 18
When I look at our culture, both East and West, we tend to hold to tradition. This is not always a bad idea. In fact it often keeps us from making wrong decisions. Traditions are good things most of the time. They help us feel comfortable and safe, but they do make change harder. God chose Peter and Paul to make the changes. Each of these was stubborn. They had demonstrated a high level of passion. There could also be no other for the job. A Korean got angry with me when I told him “I am the best”. He thought I was just arrogant. At the same time I wrote him something like this. If God called me to meet you I am the best for the job He wants done. It is this idea that we find in the new church and its struggle for growth. Stephen, Philip, Paul, and Peter all had one thing in common. They went outside the boundaries of tradition. They all had been taught right, but God had called them to bigger things. God had chosen them to be the changers. When we read the reaction that Peter had, the first decision to bring witnesses seems very smart. This is a good lesson to learn for us. Though we like to do things on our own at times, it is important to have witnesses. Jesus was a good example of this. He did nothing in secret, except pray. Today we pray in public and do other things in secret. In ministry this is important to note. Peter was called of God. He had a vision from God, but it wasn’t enough for the local leaders. Peter had gone against all the traditions that they held to. If the story was to end here, we would ask what should we do? In many churches Peter would be put out, or his leadership taken away. The risk that Peter had taken was great, but God had been the initiator. He had witnesses to the story. The result was not a change in tradition. The result was in glory being given to God. I have said many times that God wants the glory in EVERYTHING. As God challenged the leadership, He didn’t change the rules for the Jews. This is where we often get into problems. We change our traditions that God has given to us, because our culture wants us to. We often hold tight to our traditions. Peter struggled with what he thought God had done. What God wanted to do was to show that the gospel was not for the Jews, but for the world.

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Acts: Worship equals Power God wanted to show that the Jews were still special. What God had said in Leviticus was still true. The reaction was exactly that. The leaders Peter returned to were, at first, negative. In the end it was positive. Peter didn’t have to change his beliefs system. Peter had to change his view of how God works. God wanted to give life, freedom, power, and confidence to both Jew and Gentile. He wanted the Jews to know that the Law that was given was still there. God had not changed the rules, but had expanded the opportunity. It is at the end of these verses that we find the Jewish leaders finally understanding this concept. Today we are challenged by our culture to change. We are challenged to change our traditions. We need to be careful not to change traditions because culture asks us. Rather we need to change our views of how God works. God wants to offer salvation to all. We must challenge the methods. God will always challenge our views and traditions, but He never changes the rules. We need to respond with giving Him the glory, as other people get new life through the name and blood of Jesus Christ.

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 11-2: Challenging Traditions Scripture Reading: Acts 11:19- 30
When I read these verses I am reminded of something I was taught when I was in sales. It was the idea that everyone knows at least 250 people and they will tell some of them about you. The idea that everything we do impacts the people around us is often not thought about. We think of how our actions affect us. We think of our actions in such small terms, whereas God thinks of them in such big ones. These verses start with people telling people. These were people who had stoned Stephen. They were witnesses to the power of God. They spread the gospel to other areas, but they had kept the gospel in the circle of Jews. Then one of these far away people went to the Gentiles. Again we see the breaking of the traditional mold, but not God’s original Law. The freedom that Paul speaks about in Galatians is seen here. This first city was Antioch. A mix of Jews and Gentiles, and also the heart of commerce. It was the perfect place to start a work. There is a key factor here. Though Antioch was a good business choice, to start a multi cultural work, the key is that the power of the Spirit, was with them. We also find another interesting idea here. Saul, if you remember was rejected by the church in Jerusalem. Now they are looking for him. They sent Barnabas to Antioch. We find that the message has changed a bit from the gospel to how to continue. It is easy to stay true to God when you see the power of God at work. It is when we don’t follow the path God has that the growth is there, but the power is not. Barnabas went to find Saul. Though he was from the Jerusalem Church, knew that Saul was called of God. Saul, called Paul, did not go to Jerusalem because they had rejected him. This didn’t stop Barnabas. It was at this time that Saul was introduced to a wider audience. This leadership, which Barnabas showed, is needed today. To search out those whom the traditional Church has rejected to meet those to whom they can minister best to. We find that Antioch was not just a city of commerce. It was a city which, like Pyoungtaek and Anseung (South Korean cities), was a hub of multiculturalism. It was where the new church would come from. We like to think that Pentecost was where the church started, but in reality it was Antioch. Antioch was not where the Holy Spirit came first, but it was where the Church finally realized that the gospel was for the whole world. It was the city where both worlds came together in harmony.

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Acts: Worship equals Power If you remember that at Pentecost, the people came from all over, but they were all Jews. They were there to perform a ritual of the Law. They discovered a God they had not known before. Was it that God had changed? No! It was that God had opened the door to more than the High Priest. He was now available to the people. In Antioch a few of these people realized that the hope of the Jews was now the hope for the world. This new understanding created a new understanding of the support later when it was needed. When we read these verses we discover that God had, not only a plan, but if the gospel had stayed only with the Jews, or only in Jerusalem, the future would have been much different. The Book of Acts is more than a book about the churches beginnings. It is an expose of how God, the Christian God, has things in His control. God didn’t change His view of the world, but the world had to change their view of God.

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 12: Secret Escape Scripture Reading: Acts 12:1- 19
When I read Acts I find the Disciples a little unsure of what to do, many times, but God is always sure of His purpose for them. In this chapter we find the first persecution. It is perhaps hard to understand why, these people, who did not pose a threat, were always blamed. The spread of the gospel was going fast. The disciples were being put to death, and Peter was rescued. If you remember later that Paul and Silas were also rescued from jail as well. God wanted to show the Jews that they were not abandoned. They promised were still in force. Remember that the gospel that the Jews thought was theirs was now open to the Gentiles. One other amazing thing is that King Herod had set 4 armed men to guard Peter. This shows us how powerful God is. The gospel was not only a message, but a message with power. I question myself sometime about this. Growing up in the church, I have seen and heard many gospel messages, but of all of them I have rarely seen a power that would create both fear and confidence, like we find in this book. Imagine what Peter was thinking. He was just another martyr for his faith. Arrested and jailed, ready to die, he was not ready for the miracle he was about to be a part of. It was not a miracle, but an answer to prayer. Many of us have been the answer to prayers we do not know about. For my degree verification I had written on Facebook, I have to let go and watch God. That doesn’t mean that I have to stop praying. Many people prayed, and I should receive the papers soon. No a jail break, but the situation was beyond my control. God had to do what He does best. I had to believe I am where God wants me. Answers to prayer are not about one moment in time. They are about having the confidence that you are where God wants you. It may not be easy. It may be very stressful, but it is the best place to be. Many of our Christian problems today are because we are where we want to be, but not confident it is where God wants us to be. Peter was ready to die, but not ready for the miracle. Even those who were praying were not expecting the answer they received.

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Acts: Worship equals Power This is the second problem with Christians today. I stressed a bit when the plan I had with the papers ran into problems. First the postal strike. Then the transcript was opened. Then the transcript was incomplete. It seemed that the time to get all the problems answered was not enough. The plans we make are often very good. My plan was great, but God had a better plan. It was not the quickest way, like mine, but it guaranteed that the problem would not happen again. We often look for quick fixes, rather than a fix that will last through the next storm. The prayers of the church were answered, but the church was not expecting it. We often pray, but we don’t trust God will answer them, many times. This lack of confidence in our prayer takes away from the confidence God desires in our lives, as Christians. Peter did die later. He died a very violent death. We can’t ignore Herod in this story. He was the reason that Christians were dying. Today we have many nation leaders, who persecute or allow the persecution of Christians. It is even happening in the USA. If you read the Old Testament, God has made a warning not to harm His people. In the Old Testament, they were the Jews. In the Book of Acts it was the Christians. It doesn’t mean that Christians won’t face persecution. It means that those who choose to go against God’s chosen people without reason, will also be punished. The choices we have today are not very different from the Book of Acts. Perhaps the biggest difference is that Christians have added to the simple gospel. We have more confidence in our system that we do in the God we have chosen to serve. Do we pray expecting? Or, like the church are we surprised when God answers in a miracle? Are we ready to die with confidence for our faith, like Peter?

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 13: False Power Scripture Reading: Acts 13:6-12, 38-50
We read two passages to help understand this chapter. In the beginning of this chapter we find a person who was against the Christians. Elymus was working “miracles”, as a way to distract the Christians. The response was blindness for awhile. This is not the first time that someone had tried to have the same power as the disciples. There was Simon before. And before that there was Pharaoh, from the Old Testament. People always try to imitate the power of the true God. I grew up with shamanism at my front door. It was always a struggle with the Africans, because of the power it had. But Elymus was not just someone who wanted power. He wanted to destroy the Church. He wanted to influence people like Herod to persecute the church. But God cannot be killed. God’s purpose cannot be stopped. Elymus was a challenge to God to prove himself more powerful. What would we do if we were the disciples? Would we be brave enough to announce blindness to the shaman? This is where we find ourselves today. The church is not a new institution today, but it faces the same problems. We know about the shaman, but often do not think he is as powerful as before. In fact many Christians still go to the mudang for advice. Our churches often follow people who are powerful in our culture. They may have degrees and grow churches but they are distracting to the real power of God. There are people who would also want the power of God not to be active, because it takes away from their power. For Elymus, it would seem that he wanted to gain favor in the eyes of the rulers. The lust for power is what drove him. So different than the apostle Paul, who started out wanting to please God, but chose to follow the wrong leaders. The church now faced another problem. How to help people know the difference between the two powers? If you were to see two people who seemed to do miracles, how would you know which one was true? Would the Christians you know be able to tell the difference?

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Acts: Worship equals Power These questions are what the Church faced. Their response was perhaps not what you would expect. I say this because we are worried about hurting other’s feelings. We are scared of criticism. Criticism, when done right is a good thing, but most will not tell someone they will be blind, or even die, for what they do. Throughout the book of Acts we find the boldness to say things. They were bold to stand up and be counted as Christians. We also see that each time God has changed the minds of those in power, or the people. This is what is different from what we see today. Christians confront those who oppose them, but the result is division within the church, not an empowerment of community. We cannot go back to the time of Acts. The Church has grown much larger. The problem is the same. One thing we do not have today is leaders who face those who oppose them, with the same result. We live in a culture of desire for peace. We don’t want to rock the boat, or address issues head on. The question I have then is how can the power of God be demonstrated? It is almost like we want God to do thing quietly. We are becoming comfortable in our Christianity. We are becoming lukewarm, and the power of God is not seen as a challenge. In the book of Acts the church was challenging their culture. This challenge was met with God demonstrating His power, which in the end turned people to God. We all desire power! It is a natural human desire. Imagine what God could do with that desire. But, when God controls the power, He gets the glory. This is where we miss the mark so often. It is the hardest thing for us to understand and accept. We see here that the power of God, as demonstrated by the disciples, did not result in the disciples getting the credit or attention. Rather we read that the result was glory to God. What about our desire? We desire God’s power, but do we let Him have the glory?

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Chapter 14: From Hero to Villain Scripture Reading: Acts 14:1-22
I am always amazed at how easily we change our minds about someone. You would think that Christians would be different, but that is not true. Today we find the Apostles change, from heroes to villains, but where were the Christians? As I talk with people about church and Christianity, I find that they talk about the things that their pastor does, how nice a person he is, etc. But, if there is a small accusation that praise changes so fast. Christians should be different. Christians should be wiser, because we have an all-wise God. We should be tougher, because we have a God who never changes. In this story we find three things. The first is that when the truth is preached, in the power of God, there is both a change, often revival, and a challenge to the leaders. The revival is great. I know people who are praying for revival in Korea. The second half is the challenge. The challenge to their authority and power, results in Church leaders following the people, so they can keep their members happy. This is the disturbing part of this story. In other chapters the religious leaders were the leaders against the Apostles. In this story they joined the people who were without faith, wanting to stone the Apostles. The problem with all revivals is follow-up. Revivals separate people into two very different groups. Where we would normally see harmony, there is division. In praying and desiring revival we will find this separation naturally. When God works Satan works harder. In these verses we find that the people had spread the gospel to new places. Places where they wanted to make Paul and Barnabas gods in their religious system, because of a miracle. If we consider what we have said before, we will find that if this was to happen, God would not get the glory. When God demonstrates His power, He wants the glory. The danger we find today, is that we want the security of position and power, more than the power of God. This is where we find the church as it grows. It is also a part of Church growth that we put aside. When the church grows, how to keep the divisions from happening is a great challenge. The second danger is the influence from those who have entered from outside. The plan to stone the Apostles was not successful in Iconium. Instead they followed the Apostles and influenced the people to stone them in Lystra.

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Acts: Worship equals Power The Apostles went from being heroes to villains. Heroes to the people, because their lives were empowered and changed. Villains, because this life changing empowerment took the focus away from the leaders, and focused it on God. Imagine the idea that the people were turned against the Apostles in Iconium and Lystra. They even stoned Paul, but they returned to them. Logic would say that if the people change their minds so fast, perhaps it may be not be safe to return so soon. Send other people, who can do it. But, evangelism is not only about revival, it is about teaching to be strong. How not to be so changeable. How to be wiser? In our prayers we often want revival, so we have to ask ourselves, what makes us so changeable. The people were empowered, but changed their minds, so why go back to them? We find the gospel went to other cities because of their empowerment. We also find that the Apostles could not escape their opposition. We like to feel safe and secure. We follow those who give us security. Imagine if the Apostles did the same. Their security was in the POWER of GOD. Then returned to those who had wanted to stone them to disciple them. Would we have done the same? When we read this, our culture would say, “Move on! Why go back?” When we are secure in our relationship with God, doing things which seem to be against culture can be the best. Are we secure in the Power of God, or in our leaders, Church, job, family, etc?

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Chapter 15: One in Spirit Scripture Reading: Acts 15:1-32
I read an article about Islamists making cities in Europe Muslim only. Actually they make parts of the city closed to westerners, and the police do not go there except in emergencies. It is not shocking, if you look at the powerless church we have today. It is not shocking when you consider that God is setting the world up for His return. The question I have to ask is “Where are the Christians?” This is not only in Europe but it is coming to America. I have said regularly that Christians need to be a counter-culture, but the Islamists have beaten us to it. The Islamists are doing what, the Pharisees and other leaders in the synagogue, are doing here. They are imposing a religious Law onto the people which is not for other people. The Laws they are using are not even Islamic, but an interpretation of a group of teachers. Where I come from the arguments of what is Christian and what is not rage on. It can split families, and churches. I have asked before, “What is the purpose of Church, or Christianity?” It is to worship God. It is to give God the glory for His work. Why then is religion and Christianity so hard? If you remember that Christ told His disciples that He wanted to make the burden light not heavy. We find in these verses the precise reason. The Law, as found in the Old Testament, was hard. Any time the people did not conform they had to sacrifice. They had to work hard, like slaves, to their God, in return God gave them victory and blessings. In the New Testament we find that, though Christ had already set them free with His blood, the bondage was still in effect. The challenge to the leaders was, “Why do you put God to the test by adding things which are not in the Law?” In a changing culture, the Laws were being redefined. They were added to bring them into equal value of the original Law. But this was not what Jesus wanted. He wanted them to understand the purpose of the Law, not as a yoke and burden, but as a guide to access the POWER. The gospel is simple. The Law is not hard. That is what makes Christianity so different from other religions and faiths. It is possibly why so many Christians have no power. It is too easy. The second issue we find here is that Gentiles need to conform to Jewish ideals to have salvation. This has been an ongoing struggle. Today, even Christians fight over which rules are right to secure salvation, or gain access to the power.

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Acts: Worship equals Power This fighting has allowed Satan to push forward with false religions. The Church has become almost powerless. The Law is still powerful and in effect. What we find there is to understand that we are saved by the grace of God, not by works of the Law. That has not changed. The principal of the Law has not changed. The Ten Commandments have not changed. So how should we live if the Law is not the same? As written here, we should stay pure in our relationship with Christ. We should not put things in our life which distract us from that relationship. Sound so simple. The idea God wanted was for His creation to be One in the Spirit. Not burdened by the Law on one side. Not burdened by the culture changes that were coming to the new church. When we are one with God, we are one in the Spirit with all Christians. We are not working to gain anything from God. God has promised to bless us if we keep focused on Him. God doesn’t demand any more than that. Only we demand that. When I was in Seminary I was always told to be concerned about what people thought of me. My appearance, etc. was important. It is important. What is more important is why we do it. If we do it to please people, or to please God. When we live in the power of God, we react differently. We do not have to burden others with our weaknesses, or problems living the Law. Rather the Law will be the reason we can come alongside each other, in our struggle, experiencing the power of God together.

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 16: Confidence in Mission Scripture Reading: Acts 16:1-18
If you look around you today, you will find many people who just do not know which direction to take in their lives. Yet, there are other people who are very confident in where they are going. When I was young, I needed someone like Paul. I had people who prayed for me every day. I had people who wanted me to do things for them, ignoring who I was and the struggles I had. The story of Paul and Timothy is a great story of what Christian leadership is about. This story is also about how we should react when our plans do not come through. A person misses their plane, and the plane crashes. A flat tire causes stress and delay when you are on a tight schedule, only to discover that something tragic happened and you were saved. We focus most of our attention on the relationship of Paul and Timothy. Today we want to put these two ideas together. I have told my son the way God works in my life in Korea. It is so different than in Canada. There is a difference here than in Canada. I am older, that is true, but I would see myself as Saul, driven by the desire to do God’s work. Now, I didn’t kill Christians, like Saul, but I did make a lot of mistakes. The world was not ready for me, just like the Jerusalem Church was not ready for Paul. In these verses today we find God changing lives, as the Apostles moved through the different areas. The expansion of the Church was fast. Then there was a road block. A change! What do we do in this situation? Do we stop! Do we try and pray it through! Or do we change directions and keep going? Most of us will not get a vision like Paul, and if we did we would take a long time to make sure it was of God. What we find in Paul’s life is his relationship was God was one of confidence. Though I’m sure there were conflicts and distractions, he was focused on God and His power. If you had this attitude today, many people would think you were arrogant. On the other hand if God’s power follows you, people will never question your ideas. Paul’s confidence was because of God’s demonstration of power. Paul’s confidence came because he obeyed God. It sounds so simple, but the two cannot be separate.

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Acts: Worship equals Power Paul chose a young boy to mentor. Timothy was not an aggressive person. He seems timid and shy. Quite opposite to Paul! A challenge to Paul’s way, but a demonstration of God’s way in leadership. At the end of these verses we find a girl with demons. What she said was great. Who wouldn’t want someone helping you in the ministry, letting people know who you were? I think many of us would consider this a plus, when we enter a new ministry. Pastor Hwang, who is trying to minister to the mostly Muslim workers here. If one of them would tell the others he was from the true God, he would see great things in his ministry. But this was not what Paul needed. Paul, following God’s leading, had an audience already waiting for him. His reaction to cast the demons out was to give freedom to the girl, not shut her up. At the same time her owners, who had made money from her, now could not make a profit. This is where we often see the problem today. We are too scared of making others angry that the power of ministry becomes impotent. We do not set people free, but rather enslave them again. Not all of us can be Pauls. Not all of us can be bold. There is no history which shows Timothy was like Paul. But we need more Paul’s in our Churches. We need more people to stand and be bold so that God’s power can once again empower His Church, in Korea. We, ourselves, need to be obedient and not always try to push through, but continue to focus on the people God has called us to.

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 16-2: The Price of Confidence in Mission Scripture Reading: Acts 16:19-40
When I look at these Apostles, I wonder what we would have done. Accused falsely, beat with a whip, and put in a dungeon, I think most of us would just cry. I would seriously think about whether Christianity was worth it. But when we look at the world around us, we find that people are suffering. The story, in the verses today, show us why Christianity is worth more than other religions. We have a living God, who has power over everything. Imagine singing in jail. The focus of our story is not the beating and the hard times. Too often we look at the hard times in our life and dwell on them versus living above them. Paul and Silas show us how to live with our hardships, not without them. How many times do we pray for less hardship? Paul and Silas functioned above it. God was their only focus. It does remind me of the commitment my forefathers had to for Christ. Missionaries who sacrificed everything for Christ! Sometimes we fail to see the big picture. We don’t see God for who he is or what He can do? Paul could not have seen the jailer, as Christian material. The jailer was just doing his job. His attitude came because he needed to be tough. God saw the inside of the jailer. He knew what the jailer needed to make the change. What do we know about our neighbors? We live in a world that has so many false truths. What is true? What is false? People don’t like to show who they really are. In our jobs we can’t be weak. In our family it is hard to show insecurity. God is the only truth that is real. In the Apostle’s world it was the same. What happens when we rise above our circumstances? We are empowered. As Paul and Silas sing to the other people in jail, God acts. Our first response would be to get out of jail, and forget about the others. What really happened was the jail was the safest place for them. They were in the deepest part of the jail. The most secure. The earthquake was enough to set them free, but why run? Running just confirmed the accusers attitude. Running made them fugitives. Staying gave integrity. Staying allowed them to not only to minister to the jailer, but to achieve God’s greater goal of adding to His kingdom.

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Acts: Worship equals Power To Paul and Silas the beatings, jail time, and hardship were the price of ministry. It was the price of their commitment to God. You don’t find them running, or scared, even in the earthquake, because their confidence was in God. Their confidence got them into trouble. Their confidence saved the jailer from a sure death, by the Romans. Their confidence brought integrity so that they could lead other prisoners from escape. Confidence is a great thing. Today there are many people proud to hold on to traditions. They are proud that they do not conform to this world, hold to scripture, and do things for salvation. Their confidence is in the Law of Moses, not in a relationship with God. When this happens it becomes not confidence but pride. Just like the accusers that followed Paul. Did he teach against the Law? No! Did he teach against tradition? No! He taught a simple gospel that said a relationship with the true God was the only hope of salvation. Where is your confidence today? I think we have confidence in God in times when our life is good. It is when our lives have hardship that we can test whether ours is true confidence or pride in our obedience to the Law.

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 17: Ignorance Follows Reason Scripture Reading: Acts 17:1-23
What do you see when you look around you in Korea? I ask this question because at the end of these verses we find that Paul sees something. Something that he saw as a opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you remember before Paul had circumcised Timothy to appease the Jews in the Church. Timothy was half Jew so it was not a new question. Now Paul is speaking to a church of both Jews and Gentiles. The problem between those two groups is that the Jews blamed the Gentiles for Jesus death. This was a tough issue, and even today people argue about this. Paul makes it very clear that Jesus had to die. Jesus did not have a choice. Where would we be if Jesus had not died? To argue about who killed Jesus is really not the issue. Jesus had predicted that He would die. He also said He would rise again. To rise again meant that He, Jesus, could give us life. He alone has broken the chains of death. There is no other god, religion, or leader who has done this. When you preach these things you will find that people want to argue about other issues. In fact our churches argue about so many things, that we have lost power. We have leaders in our churches, who do what the Jews did here. The Jews wanted to keep the argument of who killed Jesus alive. They needed to argue because it gave them a purpose to keep separate. It kept the Jewish people in the synagogue under their power. What Paul was saying caused people to question their interpretation of the Law. Questions not answered makes people want to go a different direction. We find here that the leaders did not want to know the truth, they wanted power over people .

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 17-2: Where is the God with No Name? Scripture Reading: Acts 17:24-34
This is a great sermon. What an opportunity. Remember last week I said that Paul took the opportunity to preach the gospel. In these verses, Paul starts with who God is. I think as Christians and Christian leaders we have demoted this argument. What I am saying is that our God does not belong in a building called a Church. This idea must have seemed strange to both the Jews and Gentiles. God to the Jews lived in the Tabernacle, or synagogue. God to the Gentiles lived in statues they could see. This God with no name could not be placed in a monument or building, even though he was the Lord of them all. We live in a world when Christians wear symbols to show they are Christians. This is nice and the jewelry is beautiful, but it doesn’t make us a Christian. It doesn’t mean anything, when it comes to our relationship with God. These verses also tell us about God’s purpose for all people. Last week I referred to the idea that we were made in God’s image. We desire to know the true God because He is not just an ancestor but our Creator. For Koreans and many other nations, making statues of ancestors is common. We keep pictures in our houses to remember them by. This is not wrong. What is wrong is when we worship these icons, when we give God equal status to them. God’s power does not live in a picture, a body, or a grave. God is EVERYWHERE. We search for Him and often cannot find Him. The good luck things we keep are nice, but what would happen if we understood God as bigger than a good luck charm? God has given us everything, but we can’t find it? Have you ever thought of why? The people who came to Mars Hill came to give money and food to the gods. They thought they could protect them. Today I find people stressed if they leave their prayer beads behind, or something similar. They need it for protection on a trip. Christians have their gods, but they are not stone carvings. We feel secure in our job. We feel secure when we are healthy. We only feel secure if we go to church, etc. We see God as a person who rewards us for doing things. What Paul is saying here is that this that we cannot give God anything, which is not already His. God does not need our gifts. God does not need us for anything. What God wants is a relationship with us.

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Acts: Worship equals Power God wants us to discover Him. He wants us to have a living relationship with Him, because He is living. God’s sign to the world is the resurrection. Why do we look for more signs that He is alive? Dead gods need head-stones. A God who is alive does not need one. A God who is alive also has the power. So often we go to God after we discover the other gods have failed. When Paul spoke people listened, but not many changed. People hold on to their ideas. They like the security they feel they have to do things for or give things to. They did not tear down the idols or give a name to the unknown God. In Paul’s evangelism the results were God’s. His job was just to take the opportunity. Gods live in houses and temples. Our God lives in people. He created all things. He rules all things. He rules the other gods. His resurrection is proof of His power. Why then do we put other gods before Him in our life? What is stopping us from taking the opportunities that God puts in front of us?

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 18: Nothing will Happen Scripture Reading: Acts 18:1-17
When you read this you discover where Paul’s heart really was. It was with the Jews. The people who he persecuted in the beginning. He did so much to try to win over their hearts and minds, but they refused. When we discover that our job is not to save souls but to take opportunities, we find that we are freer to let things go. Paul did not want to go away from the Jews, but he knew that they were not about to listen to him. Growing up as a missionary child, I saw many missionaries staying too long. Does this mean that the people were doomed to hell? Of course not! It was just that the missionary, or Paul in these verses, were not the right people for the job, at the time. God is not limited to using us. He has many others he can use. Did Paul stop ministering to the Jews? No! You read that he continued to go to the synagogue. It was the city that was the problem. As Paul moves from city to city we find the same cycle, ignorance follows evangelism. People rose up against him. People refused to acknowledge the truth. As leaders became Christians, their lives were also challenged. I remember the stories my grandfather told me of his preaching. Many people thought he was a bit strange, but I often thought why he did it. Why would he take the risk? Why would he continue when everyone seemed to be against him? I think the answer can be found here. God had given him a vision. A vision, that gave him the security to risk his life in ministry. In the old days missionaries didn’t have the luxury of cell phones. They had no backup plan. There was only forward motion. Paul had the same commitment. I am sure Paul had stress. People around him were harassed because they were a part of his support. I think he also wondered if he should continue. God continued to be active in Paul’s life. God gave him direction through visions. Now God gave him the security that no one would touch him. If you remember this protection can also be found when Paul was shipwrecked. In the sermon from Mars Hill, Paul says that God made everything and controls everything. We find this here as well. We do not often go before a prosecutor unless we do something wrong. Paul was constantly being falsely accused. Most times he could answer, but here he could not. What would we do? Would we yell that it was the law? Would we badmouth the person who would not let us speak?

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Acts: Worship equals Power I think we would do both if possible. We do not find Paul doing this, even as Sosthenes, was beaten. This is a good lesson to learn. We carry our negative emotion often too long. We put on a nice face but then we talk behind peoples’ backs. Paul, I am sure, but it is not written here, prayed for these Jews. Paul knew that there is a time to speak and a time to be silent and pray. Paul also knew that he was in no danger. God had promised him this. God has promised many things to us as Christians. We just memorize them. For Paul these promises were words to live by. They were what kept him going when life around him was bad. It was his view of who God was that kept him standing and preaching. Now, most of us are not preachers or missionaries. Most of us do not face opposition like this, but God does not only empower us when we are in trouble. God wants to empower us every moment so can stand strong and know that nothing will harm us, when we stand for the true God in our community and lives.

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 18-2: Doing it Right Scripture Reading: Acts 18:18-28
There is a small change in the story here. Paul has been the focus so far. He has been the mover and the shaker in this new Christian movement. God has called him to the gentiles, but he still goes to the synagogue. God has now chosen another man to move with Paul, to expand Paul’s mission. Apollos was a man of books. If you think of world history, Alexandria was not only a commerce center, but also an intellectual one. Some would say good fortune came to him, because he was in Ephesus the same time as Paul. To think this would be to see God as different, than the one Paul spoke of on Mars Hill. Apollos, it says, had a burning desire to know God. This is where we find the scripture as alive and active. God had opened his eyes to the truth. Who trained Apollos in the scripture it doesn’t say. What he had learned he proclaimed. Very similar to what happened to John the Baptist! If you remember that John knew and preached, only water baptism, which changed when he met the real Christ. John, as well preached without fear. And his desire to know the real Jesus was his passion. Apollos was not only a new worker for Paul, but he had the same mind as Paul. There is a chain reaction here that we often miss in our desire for power and greatness. Paul, the great evangelist, had worked and taught who, but Priscilla and Aquila. It was this couple that taught Apollos. It was this couple that mentored and discipled him. This new evangelist did not have to join Paul, but he did need a deeper teaching about the real Jesus. John the Baptist did the same thing. John was not wrong in his message, but it needed to change when he got to know the real Jesus. Today there are many who have knowledge, and obey the rules, but lack the experience of a living relationship with Jesus Christ. Apollos also did something that Paul seemed to have trouble with. Apollos had success in the synagogue. If we consider that Paul was sent by God to the Gentiles, though his heart was with the Jews, Paul needed someone who could fill this part of the ministry. Apollos was the one sent by God to Paul for this purpose. As leaders, we all have a spot, like Paul’s, which is where we would like to be, but not fulfilling the potential. It is never easy to step away and let someone else do the job that we like to do. Leaders need to understand this principle. We limit ourselves by not putting another in place, who can do the job, freeing us to do God’s calling more effectively.

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Acts: Worship equals Power In these verses we find so much about leadership and discipleship. The discipleship and teaching of Priscilla and Aquila, by Paul, which led to the mentoring of Apollos. The leadership of Paul, in understanding his mission, and letting Apollos do what God had gifted him to do. Much of the stress we see in Christians today can be attributed to not understanding what God want us to do. Like the Jews we know a lot, and do a lot, but experience little. Some of us hang on to traditions, while others like Apollos just need mentoring. Apollos had the gifts and the ability. He had the passion and the fire. What he needed was someone to set him on the right track. What are we doing with our lives today? Are we hanging on, or using our gifts? Are we, as leaders, choosing to disciple other leaders, mentoring those who need to be put on the right track, or waiting for someone to come and teach us. Perhaps today we can consider these ideas. Many people want the fire but they are too scared to start one.

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Chapter 19: Spirit Power Scripture Reading: Acts 19:1-20
I think this is one of the most argued over set of verses in the Bible among Christians. The reason that I say that is because of the argument about speaking in tongues. Now I have not spoken in tongues. I do believe that I have the Holy Spirit’s power in my life. So how can we understand what is said here. This issue has come after the discipling of Apollos. It does not say that Apollos spoke in tongues or that it was necessary for his ministry, but it is an issue here. Water baptism, which John the Baptist practiced, was from ignorance of who Jesus was. It was John’s desire to show the hope, but there was no specific power assigned to it. We also see here that it was Paul who had this gift and not others. Paul was the chosen person to channel through to others. The Apostles id lay hands on people and there was healing, and casting out of spirits as well. Over the years many preachers have asked for donations to ministry to get a healing cloth. They use these verses to support what they do. There is a big difference in what was done here and what they ask for as preachers. The new modern evangelist who do this seek to earn money. In return they promise healing. This is where we get confused and argue. When I look at these verses I do not see any profit to Paul at all. The first is Paul being chosen to be a conduit of the power. The second is that the people who were chosen were very few. These were special people, and these first verses set up the second half of this story. In the second half of this story we find the reason that the Holy Spirit and His power was so important. In ministry we find many people trying to copy what we do, especially if we are successful. It is not wrong to do things like others, but God’s success and power is not copyable. In verses 13 and 14 we find the High Priests sons were doing this. They were trying to copy what Paul was doing. They did not realize the power of Satan and his spirits. These men thought that if they said the right things that they would have the same power. God is not like a magic show. God is for real. God’s power is for real. God rules the evil spirits. We use the name of Jesus to get power for ourselves when we are in trouble, but this is not the same. To exorcise spirit you need not only to be linked to Jesus, but be filled with the power of His spirit. When we are full of His Spirit, there is no other spirit who can enter.

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Acts: Worship equals Power We have many Christians believing they have power, but there is nothing to show for it. The church for many reasons has become powerless. We have the Holy Spirit. We speak the name of Jesus. Yet we lack the power. Even those who speak in tongues lack the power. The argument then is that speaking in tongues is not necessary for salvation. That is true. Speaking in tongues, in these verses was not something that came with salvation. Rather it was limited to a few. It was necessary to separate those who would try to copy from the real spirit filled Christians. Today there doesn’t seem to be much difference between the ones who speak in tongues from those who don’t. For many it is confusing and causes argument. Is this how we should apply what happened here? I think that there is room for tongues, but it is not for everyone. Paul in a later writing says that we should not seek tongues, but seek the gift that God has given, and to use it well. If we desire tongues so we can copy the power, we will fail. God has set each of us in ministry to do a specific job. Not all of us will cast out demons. Not many of us will be prophets, but all of us can be in ministry filled with the Holy Spirit. We do not need to copy but to develop a strong Spirit controlled life. With a Spirit controlled life we will have the peace, power, and confidence that only He can give us. The power to stand in any fire, and against any spirit.

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 20: Moving Forward Scripture Reading: Acts 20:1-25
The story of the boy who fell from the window is a famous one. For some it is a type of Christ, like the raising of Lazarus. But in truth, it was something that the Apostle Paul did all the time. When in prison he sang and worshipped resulting in an earthquake. At other times he comforted the crew of the shipwreck that no one would be killed. It is easy to see that God was protecting Paul. But, the simple fact is that we can experience the same thing in our lives. Now we may not do the same miracles, but we can have the same confidence. Paul knew that there was no turning back. Paul knew that the hardships he had suffered would not end. But Paul shows us what a true Christian leader should do. When I was younger and training to be a pastor, one pastor mentioned that he would not continue if he did not get a pay raise. In Korea, I have also been told that I could be rich if I was to become a full pastor. The issue here is not the pay or the position. It is Christian leadership. The principle that we as leaders need to teach our people that our purpose in life is to worship God, as first on our list fo priorities, is number one. That is if we believe it to be true. I think this is the hardest for people to imagine. We can sacrifice for our church. We can sacrifice for our family, but are we willing to sacrifice for God? Paul’ s leadership style was different than those in the synagogue. The Jewish leaders wanted to keep the people in the synagogue. God wanted to set people free to worship. It was this belief system that we are to worship God first, above all else that made the Jews, Demetrius, and others oppose Paul. The Apostles had, what we might think, a different relationship with God than others. This is true, but it was Paul’s desire to not only explain the scriptures, but to help the people develop a powerful relationship with God. The same kind of relationship he had. But Paul knew that there would be weak followers. There would be followers who followed only for show. They desired but were not willing to change their heart. History is full of these people. We find our country full of new heresies. The time when the Korean church had revival is now over. The time when the wolves, as Paul says, has come.

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Acts: Worship equals Power Should we be scared? Should we be in fear? No! We should weep. Paul was focused, not on himself, but on discipling God’s people. His purpose in life was to worship God. It was this priority that gave Paul the power to continue. Paul also knew that he would not return. As a Christian leader we often get a chance to impact others toward a deeper and better understanding of their relationship with God. He repeats that he held back nothing that would help those Christians to mature. He doesn’t blame the struggles for his leaving. In fact he doesn’t blame anyone. So often we get caught in the blame game. We blame our economy. We blame our lack of things. We blame our upbringing. We hear this a lot in our culture and our churches. Paul doesn’t get into the blame game. As Christians and as leaders we need to rise above the blame game. We need to stay focused on God’s relationship to us. We need to give from what we have, not look at what others have. I think this is where Christianity shines. When our attitudes run counter culture. When we are empowered to serve God and His power flows through us unhindered by what others have, because we are focused on Him. In Korea, and many places in the world, we are facing what the church faced here. If you were to read revelation you would also find the same scenario. We are being challenged by false teachers and doctrines. Many have lost their way. We as leaders must understand the times will not get easier, but harder. The challenges will not get lesser but greater. Are we willing to give up what others have for the sake of Christ?

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Chapter 21: Following Your Heart Scripture Reading: Acts 21:19-39
A teacher friend of mine had to extend his visa this week. There was some stress because the new rules would have made him leave Korea for a time and then come back. When they went to immigration, the time spent there was very short. The Korean teacher he went with was amazed. She is not a Christian. As we read the book of Acts, the power of God, through life’s situations draws people to seek Him. This is a special week for Islam. It is a week of pilgrimage. The desire of Paul, if you remember from the last chapter, was to go to Jerusalem for the Passover. Paul knew that wherever he went there would be prison and harassment, so when the prophets told him that he would be imprisoned he was ready. Though the prophets were giving a word from God, they also wanted to protect Paul from harm. When our men and ladies go to a hot zone, we are always wondering if they will return. Paul was a bit of a stubborn person and convinced that, as a Jew, it was his duty to attend the Passover. Paul’s heart was always with the Jews, even if his ministry was to the Gentiles. When we read these verses we find that the leaders did everything possible to give Paul the authority, to counter the arguments that people had against him. They made him cleanse himself like all the others. They had him perform the requirements to make sure the men he was with were not tied to anything that would cause people to question his motives. Still the people, who had caused him so many problems, would be there to stir up trouble again. But what was the problem? The problem was that Paul was seen as a Jew who had not kept the Law. He had been in Gentile’s houses. He had told them that circumcision was not necessary, as Gentiles, for salvation. There were so many things that Paul taught. These are the same accusations that Jesus faced from the same kind of people. It is also a challenge to us, as our Christian culture changes around us. Our world is changing and the church is struggling with these changes. Do we keep people in the box that we feel comfortable in, or do we do what Christ did and let God do the changing, as we preach the truth about God and the Law? There are many people in other countries, who face death because of their teaching of the gospel. The accusations are from false information and gossip. When I was a young pastor I also faced the same problem. People would see me with non-Christians and talk in the community.

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Acts: Worship equals Power These things are painful but when you are where God wants you to be these things happen. The pain is especially hard when it comes from pastors and leaders who do not follow scripture, but believe those who accuse, because of their position. As we read the final verses of this chapter, we find that Paul was mistaken for another person, a person who had fought against the Romans. The Asians, who had come down from Ephesus with a false report were not the ones confused. It was the others who did not know Paul, but the power of Paul’s words were equally powerful. What would make you change your decision to move forward?

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Chapter 22: God is not Exclusive Scripture Reading: Acts 22:20-30
What really angers people when you give witness of the truth? Is it that the gospel is against them? When Paul gave his testimony here, they listened until the point we read today. This attitude is found today in so many arguments among Christians. When Paul is speaking about the wonders that God has performed, and his calling, it was all Jews. The Jews thought that they were Only recipients of God’s purpose and salvation. It was their only reason to fight the gentiles. It was their reason to accuse Paul in his ministry. Was it a valid argument? Of course not! Paul had both history and witnesses to the fact that his calling was to the gentiles and his love of the Jews. There is a growing trend to join the interfaith communication groups. The idea is that all faiths worship the same God, just differently. That is not true. If God was just the Creator God perhaps that is true. In this chapter we find that God chose to open salvation to the Gentiles because the Jews had rejected Him. The Jews felt that Paul had disobeyed the Law because he went to the Gentiles. What Paul did was follow the Law as it was first intentioned. The Jews rejected anything that would take away their power over the people. Their leaders taught that God was exclusive, because that is what the Old Testament says. The problem is that the leaders never took responsibility for their rejection of Christ. This is where we find the heresies today. We find this attitude in our own churches. I grew up with the idea that Only certain missions and churches were true. The arguments among leaders was never one of, “How is God moving? or Why God is moving in a direction?” The argument was that God had given only us a specific mandate. God had chosen only us to do the job. In actual terms God did not reject the Jews or stop His special promises to them. He just opened the door of salvation to the world. The rules were the same. The Temple was now open to direct contact with God. The Jews could not grasp this idea and became jealous. It was at this point that Paul had to be rescued by the Roman guards. In our evangelism we memorize verses which are good, but it is our testimony of our calling that angers many. The anger comes from a desire to have the peace and confidence that we have, because we follow God not men.

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Acts: Worship equals Power In our churches today many desire to follow God, but struggle to know what is true. Churches seem to be caught up in the idea that all things need to be focused on the church. It is the same as what we read here. God has called each of us, as Christians, to give Him the glory. There is no room for anything else. This does not mean that the church will not benefit, or that the power of the church will diminish. It does mean that we need to keep our priorities straight. We can dialogue with other faiths, for the common good, but we cannot say we worship the same God. We serve a living powerful God. A God that is larger than the Church, its leadership, and its people. We can do nothing to achieve righteousness with God. There is no social work or money that can give us an exclusive relationship. The only relationship that will give us the power and confidence that Paul had is to give God ALL the glory, in everything. People will get angry because they do not get the glory, or the exclusive right to access God, but it is the only way.

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 23: Choosing the Right Argument Scripture Reading: Acts 23:1-21
Argument is an art persuasion. What often happens in Christian circles is the argument is not about persuasion, but about making a point. As leaders we are often faced with defending our belief system. Which church is right? It is often confusing to people. I am often asked this question from Koreans I meet. They are searching for the truth. It is very important then, that we understand our audience. Paul was a lawyer by education. He not only knew the Law, but he had confidence in a living God. It is with this confidence that he was able to say -- God will give blows to you, you whitewashed wall: are you here to be my judge, by law, and by your orders am I given blows against the law? Paul invoked the power of God against the high priest. In doing this he assumed that the person was just another Sadducee or Pharisee. Assumptions are very dangerous. Assumptions make our arguments weak and the listener reject our message. This is why, when we read earlier in the Book of Acts, that Paul had his opinions of those who sought to kill him, but he respected their authority. This is important to standing firm in our faith. If we just argue we will find ourselves losing respect and integrity. In the beginning of Paul’s ministry, we read that he gave his testimony. It was the testimony of God’s power. This is first point to make in any argument. Our lives are not ours, but a testimony of God’s power. Now Paul was confronted by those who had challenged him directly. By giving respect to the leaders Paul chose an argument that would affect their view of who he was. He was not only a Roman citizen by birth, but also a Pharisee. The leaders saw Paul as just another heretic, but Paul had a great heritage from which to draw. What then is the cornerstone of the argument? Is it who God is? Is it the position of Israel to the Gentiles? There are so many arguments that Paul could have chosen. In the end he would have been tired and achieved nothing, but a stressed mind. Paul chose the argument of the eternal hope. It was not only an argument the Sadducees and Pharisees argued over, but it was this hope that made people turn to Christ. Christmas is coming. People are searching for hope. Hope that life will be good in the new year. Hope that they can find the peace that passes all understanding. Paul could have focused on

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Acts: Worship equals Power how to saved, or which baptism was right. Paul could have chosen to argue with the Sadducees to make his point. Had Paul chosen to argue with the Sadducees, he would have won a few friends among the Pharisees, but not won the integrity which he wanted. He wanted to be heard. He had a message to tell, and he wanted people to hear it. Choosing the right argument was crucial. Using the experience God has brought to our lives, for Paul it was his heritage, allowed him to gain a hearing. His accusers now became his equals, not just a heretic. Finally, Paul did not enter the argument among these two groups. This is often where we get into trouble. We get so excited about winning the argument that we don’t know where we should stop. There is an old saying that says – It is better to be thought a fool, than open your mouth and let people know you are one. This is what Paul understood. He had a great opportunity to argue that he was right. He also had an opportunity to speak about the hope that God gave to the world. This Christmas season many people will participate in Christmas advent activities. Many people will search for this hope that Christ the baby promised to bring. Will we fill our appointments that God brings us with arguing who is right, or take the opportunity to talk about the hope we have, because we have a living Christ?

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 24: From Past to Present Scripture Reading: Acts 24:1-26
When you saw something as a teen, you often don’t make good decisions. These poor decisions don’t make a difference in your life, until you are more famous. That is why politicians have such a hard time. If we think if ourselves as Christians we have the same problem. Even in Paul’s testimony, he often speaks about his life before. In these verses we find that the argument against Paul was one from the past. This great speaker that they brought tried to make Felix feel good. In English we say, “butter him up”. They wanted him to take their side of the argument. This sounds like my students. In the book of Acts we find Paul in many tough situations. God had chosen Paul, but Paul had to make the decisions to argue or not. As we saw in the last chapter, choosing the right argument can keep the focus on the issue. So what was problem with Paul? The charge was that Paul had made the temple unclean and had tried to destroy the Roman State, using the Jews in the Diaspora. This has been the argument throughout Paul’s time in Asia. Though Paul always went to the Synagogue, his ministry was to the Gentiles. This mixing of race was not allowed in the Old Testament system. The elders had a good argument. They chose instead to use Paul’s background. Paul in return could have used theirs, and focused on how they used the Old Testament to abuse their power. Instead we read that Paul challenged them to accuse him of something new. The new person that God had made Paul into! It was not heritage. It was not a lack of knowledge. Rather, it was a lack of evidence, in the present that Paul used. Many times we get caught up, as leaders and Christians, in arguments that take the focus away from God. Though we win the argument, and receive praise, we make our message less effective. Paul shows us how to do it right. In the end of this chapter we discover that he was called many times, to discuss his faith. Felix was interested, and his wife accepted the gift of salvation. Only one person changed. Would that be enough for us?

In our quest to build our church, we want the world to see how good we are. We desire that people see us in our ministry. Paul, on the other hand, desired only God to be praised. It was

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Acts: Worship equals Power not how many people were saved. It was not how many baptisms. It was rather, that he stood true to his relationship with God. People come to my door asking me to join their church. They have their books and arguments, but it is usually about their leader or laws. Laws that even they don’t keep, if we were to look closely. They follow their pastor rather than God. When I was a young pastor, I was always told that my background would hurt me. I was not a murderer, like Paul, but I had done some stupid things. It was like having dirt on your shirt everywhere you went. I chose to argue the one point. In Korea, I often wonder if the same thing happens, as did Paul. He was not only confronted with his past. But, Felix wanted a few theology lessons. The truth was he wanted money not salvation. As Christian leaders we are often more focused on how many we can get into church, not so much about salvation. Many people want the hope that Christ gives, but more than that they think they will get financial blessings. Christ promised peace, and hope. That is what Christmas is about. Today, it is about greed, and saving face. It is about getting the best deal. Jesus gives us the best deal, but it costs us our lives. Are we ready to pay that for it?

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 25: Doing it Right Scripture Reading: Acts 25:7-27
Over the many years as a missionary kid and then pastor, I have seen the biblical principle of discovering the truth ignored. If we understand the call of Christians to be counter culture, we must follow the principles of scripture. We find that even here, in a secular world, the principles are followed. Festus didn’t want to cast judgment without listening to all sides. His argument was that he could not send Paul to a higher person, without a good argument for that person to see Paul. It is very simple, and as we read here doing it this way shows how untruth is discovered. The biblical principle is also the founding principle of justice. We are not guilty until proven innocent. To God we are all guilty of one thing. Sin. The failure to not live up to the standard of purity that God needs. The message is that we have a solution to this failure. In the Roman system there was adequate hearing. It didn’t always end in justice, but they did do some things right. If someone accuses another, what is your first response? If you then meet the person do you see them with a balanced view? I think in our world things get twisted. In this chapter we find that though the Jews wanted to twist the truth, it didn’t happen. The accusation actually brought curiosity. Paul was a well known person. These Jews have followed him to every city. The principle of justice was always held high or pushed to the next person in the chain of command. The idea of not accepting the accusation, without finding the truth, is a very old concept. The problem is that Churches don’t follow it a lot of times. This is not just a western or Korean idea. This has been a problem for the church over the centuries. Truth is not found in perception. That is why we are told to be wise. There are times when we follow our emotions. Imagine Paul and Barnabas in our church today. They worked together but had a disagreement over direction of ministry. In many cases people would talk bad about the other. People then would have to take sides. I had my car fixed in a shop in Canada one day. As I talked with the owner he told me he had quit going to church. When ask why he said, “ When I went to the one church I got only customers form that Church. When I changed the customers changed. If I don’t go to church everyone comes to my shop.”

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Acts: Worship equals Power It is silly to think like this. It is not biblical, but it is how we often teach and preach the gospel. Too often we do not want to find the truth, because it means we have to ask hard questions. It means that we will make some people angry. Perhaps they will even leave the church. Festus had to listen, but he didn’t have to make a decision. He showed his wisdom in seeking the counsel of another higher person, before deciding. Too often we make decisions too fast. We live in a culture where speed is #1. We have to go fast. We have to make quick decisions. In reality, most decisions do not need to be made so quickly. This chapter is about finding the truth before making decisions about people. Paul had a bad past, but God had changed him. He had proven it. We must consider the decisions we make about people carefully. We must learn the biblical principles in discovering the truth. In leadership we often face these things. May be set God’s Word as our book of principles to follow.

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 26: Nothing is Stronger than Testimony Scripture Reading: Acts 26:3-29
How often do you listen to a whole argument before you reply? Most people want to speak before the person has finished the whole argument. This is what Paul wanted. If we were Paul where would we start, in our speech? Perhaps we would start with all the good things we have done. Paul was, of course defending himself before a very powerful man. Perhaps we would feel guilty and think of all the things we did wrong and try to take responsibility for our sins. Paul knows the arguments that the Jews have made, so he could have chosen to focus on their arguments. Instead Paul chooses to give his testimony only. He admits that his passion was to follow the rules of the Pharisees. The focus of his past was not on following the rules, as much as it was to work for the hope of salvation. Isn’t this what we do today? So many Christians are working for the hope of salvation. These Christians are found in every brand of church. Yet, it is not what salvation is all about. This hope of salvation is what Christianity is all about, but not the way Paul did it. It was the transformation of purpose as the fruit of his conversion experience. Paul’s focus was on the hope of eternal life. Often Christians get distracted by preachers who focus on other things. People want to be rich and healthy. The Jews wanted to be free from their Roman masters. But, is this what we should focus our testimony on? As Paul continued his testimony, his focus was not on his work but God’s message to the masses. He had kept the Law, and he was stoned, by the Jews. His focus was staying true to what he was called to do, by God. It was not his choice to go to the Gentiles, but the scripture was clear and he, as a Jew must stay with scripture. Over the years I have seen the church go from bible-based teaching, to a little bible and lot of vague explanations and stories. This change has weakened the church. It has distracted the church from its purpose. It has divided the church into segments, and weakened those who seek hope. I listen, sometimes, to how people introduce their church, especially the larger churches. The focus is on how many members they have. They tell how many broadcasts or programs they have. Paul did none of these. Of course he had no radio or TV broadcasts to make. He had no internet to twitter on.

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Acts: Worship equals Power What Paul did do in this defense, was to focus on his calling, and his commitment to his God. He focused on the hope that the people wanted, and which God wanted to give to the world. He could have focused on the Jews rejection of Christ. Would that have been helpful? No! It would have taken away from his testimony. As we look forward to Christmas, we see the same thing here. There was the witness of the wise men. They followed because of the hope they had within them. It was not the cost of the trip to Bethlehem, or the time it took. The shepherds, lonely and cold, perhaps feeling a loss of hope, were given the angels to arouse this hope again. Joseph, whose hope was insecure, needed assurance that he had made the right decision. Mary, who had the rough ride so late in her pregnancy, had no one to talk to but the angel. Hope and commitment are the keys to our testimony. Focusing on anything else will distract and confuse the argument. Attacking other religions or people for their attacks on us does not help our integrity. What do you do when you are attacked? Do you stay focused on what really counts?

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 27: When No One wants to Listen Scripture Reading: Acts 27:27-44
As I read Acts I have found Paul staying with the simple truths. Paul had physical limits, yet he never shied away from giving the glory to God. He could have asked for more. He could have even escaped criticism, but he didn’t. But who would listen to Paul. He was a tent-maker, and now a prisoner. In this chapter Paul had warned the leaders about the danger to come. What do we do when we are faced with difficulties? Who do we listen to? These questions are important in today’s world. We face a world that is quickly moving toward a secularized Christianity, a Christianity that struggles between scripture and secularism. If we look at our world today we can see that Jesus is coming soon. The signs are becoming stronger with each crisis. From floods and disasters to a unified monetary system and an increase in tensions around Israel. As Paul boarded the ship, he knew that the storm was coming. No one would listen to him. The same is today. We are the heralders of the end times, but few will listen. We have the scripture, from God, but the storm will come. The sailors on the ship wanted desperately to escape. They didn’t care about the prisoners, or the other merchants on the ship. They cared only for themselves. This is when they finally listened to Paul. When they finally had to choose between losing life, or keeping life. As a leader Paul stayed true to his mission. He could not change the weather, but he did stay true to his message. He took the opportunity even to break bread with the people. I find this interesting. If we remember from last week, the idea was hope. It was as if he was giving a blessing before the crash. As a leader he was helping them understand the hope they had in life. Many people are looking for hope. Their life has not always been easy with the economic changes. Families are falling apart and jobs are becoming insecure, so hope is important. Most important is that Paul gave the glory to God. He focused the people’s attention on God, not himself. Paul made promises that seemed to be a stretch, if we consider the storm. He had total confidence in his God. Paul focused on worship and God, not himself, in his whole ministry. We will be challenged to compromise. We will have our storms, and we should be leaders. There will be people who may not listen to our message, but there will always be people who want leaders who have a message of hope.

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Acts: Worship equals Power From the first chapter of the early church, the struggle to define and focus on worship has been a focus. To distinguish Christianity from other religions has focused on a works oriented philosophy. This in turn has resulted in a dead church. A church burdened and restricted. In the book of Acts we have found Paul struggling with this, but in every negative situation it was his focus on worship, that God rewarded with power. It was the power of God that allowed him to be bold. In today’s world we shy away from boldness. We are scared to hurt someone. So much so that the church has become powerless. A powerless church can never change their culture. Paul didn’t want to change his culture; he wanted people to be empowered. He didn’t want people to give him praise, but to guide them to a relationship with Jesus Christ. The book of Acts is about the growth of the early church. Throughout this study the church came into conflict with the world around them. Their best defense was the power of God in every situation. It was what gave the disciples their purpose and hope. The message of Christ is simple. Our testimony is the strongest message we can speak about. Does our message focus on giving glory to Christ, His power to change, and His security of our life?

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Acts: Worship equals Power

Chapter 28: Setting the Truth Scripture Reading: Acts 28:12-31
In this last chapter we find Paul fixed on doing what God had called him to do. God had positioned Paul, from birth, to be a leader of the new church. He had provided Paul with dual citizenship, which in turn allowed Paul to travel to Rome. At the same time we have seen Paul the focus of Satan’s attacks. In the beginning of this chapter we find Paul bitten by a snake, soon after the ship wreck. A poisonous snake, which would have killed a normal man, but not a man protected by God. We find some interesting ideas in this last chapter. First, he was put into a house where he could counsel and teach. He then met with the leaders of the Jews, the people who wanted to harm him over the years. In verse 20 we find Paul saying that he was in chains because of the hope of Israel. This hope that Paul speaks of is also our hope. Hope is what the leaders wanted. Hope of a new State, which would free them from Rome. The two ideas are so different. The Jews looking at the physical, while Paul talked about the real hope, Jesus Christ’s return. As the dialogue continues, we find that there were no real complaints against Paul. Though there were people who wanted to keep him in prison. In quoting Isaiah, Paul renewed the questions about an interpretation of their scripture. What God had said directly, was what Paul reminded them of. The truth is that the leaders were scared that people would turn to Christ. That there would be a mass exodus, from their synagogues to the true hope. In my father’s generation there were boundaries set by leaders. These leaders were interpreting the Law like these leaders. They were scared that if people really found the truth that there would be freedom from the bondage of sin, and peace that empowered. That fear kept the rules hard, and the bondage to traditions firm. In today’s churches in Korea we find the same fatness in the ears. We find the same blindness covering the eyes of the leaders. The same fear drives the church to program driven environment. The truth that programs do not focus on worship and empowerment are in essence empty in substance. They keep people busy. They keep people safe in the fold of the church, but they do not provide safety and power that only a living Christ gives. Paul never backed down from his position that Christians need to be change-makers in our society. We are scared of the truth. The Bible is full of examples of people who preferred to be blind and deaf to what God wanted to do.

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Acts: Worship equals Power The challenge for the church today is let Christ empower the people. There is power in the name of Jesus Christ. We can debate god with any religion, but we will rarely debate Jesus Christ. It is Christ who will set us free. It is Christ who will give us the peace and security, in a world which cries for truth. As this book ends with Paul continuing his teaching we must ask ourselves if we are scared of the truth. The truth that we are nothing without Jesus Christ. We are not secure without Jesus Christ. We have nothing to offer the world around us if we are not in tune with worshipping Jesus Christ. God will in the end return to Israel and save them. In the book of Acts the door is open to us. The door is quickly being shut. Our message should not be, “Have you heard of the four spiritual laws?”, but “are you ready for Jesus’ return?” The end for Paul was not far off after this last chapter, and Jesus is not far from His return for His people. Are you ready?

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