To listen to the audio version, click here.
Thursday, April 30
Acts 19:21-41
Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome." And having sent into Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while. About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, "Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship." When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's companions in travel. But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him. And even some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater. Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd. But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, "Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky? Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. But if you seek anything further, it shall be settled in the regular assembly. For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion." And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.
I’ve never been in a real riot, but I have led an overnight retreat for Junior High students, which is pretty much the same thing. I once planned just such an overnight event and expected around 25-30 students to attend. I was both surprised and terrified when 103 kids showed up! We all survived the night, which was probably at least a low-level miracle!
In this story the Holy Spirit takes Paul on an adventure that includes a real and very dangerous riot.
We are told that due to Paul’s preaching in Ephesus people have begun to turn away from the worship of pagan idols and to put their faith in Jesus. One of the results is that people are no longer buying silver images of the goddess Artemis. Therefore those who make and sell those silver images are losing income and they don’t like it one bit.
A guy named Demetrius says, "Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship." When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's companions in travel.
The people are enraged for two reasons. First, because the gospel claims that there is only one God, who came in the person of Jesus Christ as the final sacrifice for the sins of the world and that, therefore, Artemis is not to be worshipped as a “goddess.” More importantly, the gospel is not only changing what people believe, but is also changing the economic system of the city.
While this seems like a very unusual story, it’s really not all that different from what we see throughout history and even in our world today. Think about whole industries built on what could be called sin and idolatry.
The most obvious examples might be the slave trade of previous centuries; or the sex-trafficking industry today. The gospel confronts any industry built on the degradation of human beings who are created in the image of God and, as a result, the gospel confronts the ultimate idol of our world, which is money.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said,
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matthew 6:24)
Jesus taught that there is room for only one God in the human heart. When Paul preached the gospel in Ephesus he preached that Jesus was the God who became flesh and then died and rose again that our sins may be forgiven. He preached not only that there is no other God besides Jesus, but that faith in Jesus is the only way to salvation.
In other words, when Jesus comes into our hearts by faith, all other gods must be dismissed. And this is why the Ephesians rioted and threatened to kill Paul and his companions. No one likes to have his or her idols challenged!
Are there any idols in your heart that Jesus would like to confront or remove?
Pastor Brian Coffey
Wednesday, April 29th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
Wednesday, April 29
Acts 19:11-20
And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims." Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?" And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.
While visiting the Middle East last fall I was blessed to meet several people who had spent most of their lives in Islam but had eventually become followers of Jesus. In each case their stories were dramatic and some involved either dreams or miraculous healing.
One woman told us of a time in her life when she developed a tumor on her neck. She was told by doctors that she needed surgery and was very frightened. She said she had prayed and prayed to Allah and nothing ever happened so she called the only Christian that she knew and asked for help. Her friend told her to pray to Jesus. She had no idea how to do that so that night before she went to bed she just said out loud, “Jesus, please help me!” That very night she had a dream in which Jesus appeared to her and touched her neck with his hand. When she woke up the next day the tumor was gone and when she went to her doctors they said she no longer needed surgery.
I’m sure that, like me, you have read or heard similar stories and that, also like me, you sometimes wonder if such things really happen. You may also find yourself asking that if such miracles do happen, why do they happen and is there some way to make them happen in your own life or in the lives of people you know and love?
And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.
What I notice here is that Paul was not the one doing the extraordinary miracles. Luke tells us that it was God who was doing the miracles and that he was doing them “by the hands of Paul.” We know it is purely the will and power of God because it sounds like Paul isn’t even aware of some of the things that are happening! Even the handkerchiefs and aprons that he uses while making tents become carriers of the power of God.
The point here is that God does what he does when and how he wants to do it. His power is not for rent or sale and cannot be conjured up for our own purposes.
The next few verses make that very clear!
Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims." Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?" And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
This is one of the stranger stories in the Book of Acts. What’s going on here?
Most of us have had a run-in with electricity. You accidentally touch a live wire while replacing a light bulb or fixing an outlet and the shock you experience teaches you not to mess with electricity.
So it is with the power and holiness of God.
The seven sons of Sceva saw what was happening with Paul and they wanted to try their hand at miracles. But they do so without understanding or honoring the God whose power they were trying to invoke. It did not go well for them!
But why does God sometimes choose to do miracles? Read again what Luke writes:
And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled... So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.
This is consistent with what we see throughout the New Testament. When dramatic miracles happen the miracle itself is never the point! The purpose of miracles is that the name of Jesus is extolled and that the word of the Lord continues to increase.
Do miracles still happen? I believe that they do. Are we to pray for healing and for God to help us and those that we love? Yes, indeed, we are to pray. But we are also to remember that God cannot be manipulated or coerced; we are to remember that while God can and does do the miraculous, his greater purpose remains making the name of Jesus known and increasing the impact of his word.
Pastor Brian Coffey
Wednesday, April 29
Acts 19:11-20
And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims." Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?" And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.
While visiting the Middle East last fall I was blessed to meet several people who had spent most of their lives in Islam but had eventually become followers of Jesus. In each case their stories were dramatic and some involved either dreams or miraculous healing.
One woman told us of a time in her life when she developed a tumor on her neck. She was told by doctors that she needed surgery and was very frightened. She said she had prayed and prayed to Allah and nothing ever happened so she called the only Christian that she knew and asked for help. Her friend told her to pray to Jesus. She had no idea how to do that so that night before she went to bed she just said out loud, “Jesus, please help me!” That very night she had a dream in which Jesus appeared to her and touched her neck with his hand. When she woke up the next day the tumor was gone and when she went to her doctors they said she no longer needed surgery.
I’m sure that, like me, you have read or heard similar stories and that, also like me, you sometimes wonder if such things really happen. You may also find yourself asking that if such miracles do happen, why do they happen and is there some way to make them happen in your own life or in the lives of people you know and love?
And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.
What I notice here is that Paul was not the one doing the extraordinary miracles. Luke tells us that it was God who was doing the miracles and that he was doing them “by the hands of Paul.” We know it is purely the will and power of God because it sounds like Paul isn’t even aware of some of the things that are happening! Even the handkerchiefs and aprons that he uses while making tents become carriers of the power of God.
The point here is that God does what he does when and how he wants to do it. His power is not for rent or sale and cannot be conjured up for our own purposes.
The next few verses make that very clear!
Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims." Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?" And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
This is one of the stranger stories in the Book of Acts. What’s going on here?
Most of us have had a run-in with electricity. You accidentally touch a live wire while replacing a light bulb or fixing an outlet and the shock you experience teaches you not to mess with electricity.
So it is with the power and holiness of God.
The seven sons of Sceva saw what was happening with Paul and they wanted to try their hand at miracles. But they do so without understanding or honoring the God whose power they were trying to invoke. It did not go well for them!
But why does God sometimes choose to do miracles? Read again what Luke writes:
And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled... So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.
This is consistent with what we see throughout the New Testament. When dramatic miracles happen the miracle itself is never the point! The purpose of miracles is that the name of Jesus is extolled and that the word of the Lord continues to increase.
Do miracles still happen? I believe that they do. Are we to pray for healing and for God to help us and those that we love? Yes, indeed, we are to pray. But we are also to remember that God cannot be manipulated or coerced; we are to remember that while God can and does do the miraculous, his greater purpose remains making the name of Jesus known and increasing the impact of his word.
Pastor Brian Coffey
Tuesday, April 28th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
Tuesday, April 28
Acts 19:1-10
And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism." And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. There were about twelve men in all. And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
Several years ago a woman called me after church on a Sunday asking for an appointment. We set up a time to meet the very next day. She came into my office and sat down and almost immediately I saw tears glistening in her eyes.
She said, “I’ve been coming to your church for three weeks, and every time I walk into the sanctuary this happens. I start crying but I’m not sad. What’s happening to me?”
I asked her a couple of questions about her church and religious background then said, “I don’t want this to sound weird or scary to you, but I think what you are feeling is the Holy Spirit drawing you into a relationship with Jesus.”
Here eyes opened wide and she said, “That’s it! That’s what I want!” So we prayed together and her relationship with Jesus started that day.
Luke begins the chapter with Paul meeting some people who needed to know they could have a relationship with Jesus.
And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."
So Paul moves into a new city and starts looking around for a place to start sharing the gospel. He finds “some disciples” who, we find out later, are disciples of John the Baptist. This means they are committed to repentance and righteousness, but that they know nothing about Jesus and the promise of the Holy Spirit.
And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism." And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
These disciples of John might be considered the ancient equivalent of people who are “religious,” who may have gone to church much of their lives, but who have not understood what it is to receive Christ as Savior and Lord.
I have heard it said, and often repeated, that Christianity, properly understood, is not a religion but rather a relationship. I also like to compare religion to a beautiful car that sits in a driveway or garage but has no gas. The car is nice to look at but it has no power to take me anywhere. The Holy Spirit is the gas in the tank of the car; the Holy Spirit transforms religion into relationship; and the Holy Spirit comes into our lives through faith in Jesus.
Some time later when Paul wrote a letter to the young church in Ephesus, he was sure to remind them of the power of the Holy Spirit!
Ephesians 1:13-14
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Paul is teaching them, and us, that we begin a relationship with Jesus when we believe the message of the gospel; and that our relationship with him is sealed by the Holy Spirit who comes to dwell in our hearts at the moment we believe.
Is there gas in your tank? Have you surrendered your heart in faith to Jesus and asked him to fill you with the presence and power of his Holy Spirit?
Have you moved from religion to relationship?
Pastor Brian Coffey
Tuesday, April 28
Acts 19:1-10
And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism." And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. There were about twelve men in all. And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
Several years ago a woman called me after church on a Sunday asking for an appointment. We set up a time to meet the very next day. She came into my office and sat down and almost immediately I saw tears glistening in her eyes.
She said, “I’ve been coming to your church for three weeks, and every time I walk into the sanctuary this happens. I start crying but I’m not sad. What’s happening to me?”
I asked her a couple of questions about her church and religious background then said, “I don’t want this to sound weird or scary to you, but I think what you are feeling is the Holy Spirit drawing you into a relationship with Jesus.”
Here eyes opened wide and she said, “That’s it! That’s what I want!” So we prayed together and her relationship with Jesus started that day.
Luke begins the chapter with Paul meeting some people who needed to know they could have a relationship with Jesus.
And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."
So Paul moves into a new city and starts looking around for a place to start sharing the gospel. He finds “some disciples” who, we find out later, are disciples of John the Baptist. This means they are committed to repentance and righteousness, but that they know nothing about Jesus and the promise of the Holy Spirit.
And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism." And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
These disciples of John might be considered the ancient equivalent of people who are “religious,” who may have gone to church much of their lives, but who have not understood what it is to receive Christ as Savior and Lord.
I have heard it said, and often repeated, that Christianity, properly understood, is not a religion but rather a relationship. I also like to compare religion to a beautiful car that sits in a driveway or garage but has no gas. The car is nice to look at but it has no power to take me anywhere. The Holy Spirit is the gas in the tank of the car; the Holy Spirit transforms religion into relationship; and the Holy Spirit comes into our lives through faith in Jesus.
Some time later when Paul wrote a letter to the young church in Ephesus, he was sure to remind them of the power of the Holy Spirit!
Ephesians 1:13-14
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Paul is teaching them, and us, that we begin a relationship with Jesus when we believe the message of the gospel; and that our relationship with him is sealed by the Holy Spirit who comes to dwell in our hearts at the moment we believe.
Is there gas in your tank? Have you surrendered your heart in faith to Jesus and asked him to fill you with the presence and power of his Holy Spirit?
Have you moved from religion to relationship?
Pastor Brian Coffey
Monday, April 27th
To listen the audio version, click here.
Monday, April 27
Acts 19:1-10
And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism." And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. There were about twelve men in all. And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
Moving to a new town or city is always something of an adventure.
Six months after we were married Lorene and I, along with my brother Joe and his young family, moved to Santa Cruz, Bolivia for a short term mission experience. Even though we only lived there for half a year, it was definitely an adventure!
It was an adventure trying to communicate in a new language; we learned that shouting in English doesn’t help a Spanish speaking person understand what you are trying to say. It was an adventure learning a new culture; we never did fully understand when it was acceptable to be two hours late for an event and when it wasn’t. It was even an adventure to figure out where and how to do everyday things like buy groceries or get gas for our car. Sometimes it would take half-a-day just to get milk, gas and eggs; and when we were able to get all those items in one morning it was cause for singing and dancing!
Then there was driving. Santa Cruz had traffic lights but almost none of them worked. Even if, by miraculous chance, a traffic light was functioning, it was completely ignored. The rules of the road were unwritten but very well understood. For example: when coming to an intersection you always honked your horn as did any other vehicle approaching the same intersection. The vehicle that honked first had the right of way - UNLESS one vehicle was bigger than the other. In that case the BIGGER vehicle always had the right of way. Cars had turn signals but, again, no one used them. Instead, drivers just stuck their hands out the window and waved furiously. That meant you were going to do something and everyone should look out!
Luke begins chapter 19 by telling us Paul strikes out on a new adventure, the city of Ephesus.
And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus.
Ephesus was one of the most famous cities of the ancient world. It was a major port city located on the western coast of what we call Turkey, and at it’s peak about 400,000 people lived there. The city was affluent and cosmopolitan and due to this reputation, as well as its size, location and fine architecture, the Romans called Ephesus the “Crown Jewel of Asia Minor.”
The people of Ephesus were proud of its great library, one of the largest in the world at that time. The city was also known for it’s huge theatre, large enough to hold 25,000 people at one event. This theatre will become very significant a little later in the chapter.
Ephesus, like many of the cities Paul visited, was also a heavily pagan city. It was the home of the great Temple of Artemis, who was believed to be the mother-goddess of fertility. Artemis (called “Diana” in Latin) was often depicted as a grotesque, multi-breasted woman, and her image at Ephesus was believed to have been created by the gods and fallen from the sky.
The Temple of Artemis was once considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, complete with more than 120 massive columns, covering an area 400 feet by 200 feet and capable of holding up to 50,000 people (think of Soldier Field in Chicago).
So when Paul decided to go to Ephesus he was moving into a pagan metropolis with little money, no contacts and no idea what adventures lay waiting for him. He certainly had no guarantee that anyone would listen to his message, or that he would find any measure of success there.
The word adventure can be defined as “an unusual or exciting, typically hazardous, experience of activity.” An adventure often involves the exploration of unknown territory.
I think the Book of Acts, or, “The Acts of the Apostles” which is the proper translation of the title, could be appropriately re-named, “The Adventure of the Gospel,” or, “The Adventure of the Church,” or even, “The Great Adventure of Following Jesus.” After all, the title is not “The Ideas of the Apostles,” but rather, “The Acts of the Apostles.” It’s the story of what people like Paul and Barnabas and Silas and Timothy did to take the gospel to the world; and what they did was go on a great adventure.
Would you describe your life as an adventure? Does Jesus take you into unknown territory from time to time? Do you have moments of debilitating fear followed by times of exhilarating joy? If so, welcome to the gospel adventure! If not, ask the Holy Spirit to show you the way to Ephesus!
Pastor Brian Coffey
Monday, April 27
Acts 19:1-10
And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism." And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. There were about twelve men in all. And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
Moving to a new town or city is always something of an adventure.
Six months after we were married Lorene and I, along with my brother Joe and his young family, moved to Santa Cruz, Bolivia for a short term mission experience. Even though we only lived there for half a year, it was definitely an adventure!
It was an adventure trying to communicate in a new language; we learned that shouting in English doesn’t help a Spanish speaking person understand what you are trying to say. It was an adventure learning a new culture; we never did fully understand when it was acceptable to be two hours late for an event and when it wasn’t. It was even an adventure to figure out where and how to do everyday things like buy groceries or get gas for our car. Sometimes it would take half-a-day just to get milk, gas and eggs; and when we were able to get all those items in one morning it was cause for singing and dancing!
Then there was driving. Santa Cruz had traffic lights but almost none of them worked. Even if, by miraculous chance, a traffic light was functioning, it was completely ignored. The rules of the road were unwritten but very well understood. For example: when coming to an intersection you always honked your horn as did any other vehicle approaching the same intersection. The vehicle that honked first had the right of way - UNLESS one vehicle was bigger than the other. In that case the BIGGER vehicle always had the right of way. Cars had turn signals but, again, no one used them. Instead, drivers just stuck their hands out the window and waved furiously. That meant you were going to do something and everyone should look out!
Luke begins chapter 19 by telling us Paul strikes out on a new adventure, the city of Ephesus.
And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus.
Ephesus was one of the most famous cities of the ancient world. It was a major port city located on the western coast of what we call Turkey, and at it’s peak about 400,000 people lived there. The city was affluent and cosmopolitan and due to this reputation, as well as its size, location and fine architecture, the Romans called Ephesus the “Crown Jewel of Asia Minor.”
The people of Ephesus were proud of its great library, one of the largest in the world at that time. The city was also known for it’s huge theatre, large enough to hold 25,000 people at one event. This theatre will become very significant a little later in the chapter.
Ephesus, like many of the cities Paul visited, was also a heavily pagan city. It was the home of the great Temple of Artemis, who was believed to be the mother-goddess of fertility. Artemis (called “Diana” in Latin) was often depicted as a grotesque, multi-breasted woman, and her image at Ephesus was believed to have been created by the gods and fallen from the sky.
The Temple of Artemis was once considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, complete with more than 120 massive columns, covering an area 400 feet by 200 feet and capable of holding up to 50,000 people (think of Soldier Field in Chicago).
So when Paul decided to go to Ephesus he was moving into a pagan metropolis with little money, no contacts and no idea what adventures lay waiting for him. He certainly had no guarantee that anyone would listen to his message, or that he would find any measure of success there.
The word adventure can be defined as “an unusual or exciting, typically hazardous, experience of activity.” An adventure often involves the exploration of unknown territory.
I think the Book of Acts, or, “The Acts of the Apostles” which is the proper translation of the title, could be appropriately re-named, “The Adventure of the Gospel,” or, “The Adventure of the Church,” or even, “The Great Adventure of Following Jesus.” After all, the title is not “The Ideas of the Apostles,” but rather, “The Acts of the Apostles.” It’s the story of what people like Paul and Barnabas and Silas and Timothy did to take the gospel to the world; and what they did was go on a great adventure.
Would you describe your life as an adventure? Does Jesus take you into unknown territory from time to time? Do you have moments of debilitating fear followed by times of exhilarating joy? If so, welcome to the gospel adventure! If not, ask the Holy Spirit to show you the way to Ephesus!
Pastor Brian Coffey
Wednesday, April 22
Wednesday
So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. - Acts 17:2-30
Paul’s speech to the Athenians at the Areopagus is an incredibly brilliant example of how to communicate the gospel in a culture full of different religious views and competing truth claims.
Paul directly confronts one of the core beliefs of the Greeks when he states that God made all nations from one man. The Greeks believed they were superior to all other people, all outsiders were barbarians. Paul is showing that God is Lord of all, including every nation and people. With this statement he cuts through all prejudice and racism; all people are created in the image of God and all people need the salvation that only God can give.
In verse 27 Paul is showing that because of the evidence for God in nature, in our conscience, and in reason people ought to be seeking God. People have become incurably religious in their seeking after God, but due to our fallen, sinful nature our seeking is not a genuine seeking for the God who is, it is a seeking for gods after our own nature. People feel their way towards God as in a thick darkness, and everything they find along the way they make into a god.
Paul is NOT saying here that anyone can seek God on their own and find Him apart from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Sincere seekers in other religions are only saved as they hear about Jesus, are convicted by the Holy Spirit, and repent of their idolatrous ways and follow Christ in faith.
Paul states in verse 28 that God is not far from each one of us because God is everywhere present, omnipresent. He then quotes from a Greek poet of Crete, Epimenides, who establishes that all of us live and exist in relationship to the Creator. Paul also quotes Aratus of Cilicia, Paul’s home region, saying that all of us are the offspring of the Creator.
Although these Greek authors were referring to their pagan gods, Paul can legitimately take their concept and apply what truth is there to the God who is. These Greeks are confirming the universal natural revelation of God yet they remain lost, unless they repent of their sin and trust in the Jesus Paul is proclaiming.
Consider these questions about our own cultural context(s)…
What observations can you make about the spiritual hunger of people?
What observations can you make about art, music, movies, etc. that point to some aspect of truth of God?
What evidence do you see of God’s unseen activity in our culture?
How can you use these observations and evidence to help point people to the one true God?
Jeff Frazier
Tuesday, April 21
Tuesday
So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us. - Acts 17:22-27
The glory days of Athens as the greatest of the Greek city-states had been four centuries earlier. But it was still an intellectual and cultural center, with two predominant rival schools of philosophy, the Epicureans and the Stoics.
Epicurus (342-270 B.C.) taught that pleasure is the chief goal in life, especially the intellectual serenity that is achieved by over- coming disturbing passions and superstitious fears, especially the fear of death. He was a materialist, believing that at death the per- son ceases to be, and thus there is no afterlife. He believed in the gods, but taught that they did not get involved in human affairs.
The Stoics followed the teachings of Zeno (332-260 B.C.), who thought that the good lies in the soul itself, which through wisdom and restraint delivers a person from the passions and de- sires that perturb ordinary life. The Stoics tried to live in harmony with nature and put great emphasis on man’s rational ability, his self-sufficiency, and his obedience to duty. This emphasis on their own ability also filled them with pride.
These are the groups of philosophers that took Paul up to the Areopagus (a group of 50 city elders that presided over most civil and religious matters). These men wanted to hear from Paul personally and to scrutinize his message.
Paul begins his address by acknowledging they are religious in every way. This is likely a simple statement of fact, not a compliment, but it can be interpreted as a criticism, “You are too religious,” or “superstitious.” He then refers to all their many temples and idols but focuses on the one to “the unknown god”. Here is Paul’s entry point, his bridge into this pagan culture. The Athenians are not atheists; they are very religious; Paul and the Athenians have something in common, they both believe in the supernatural. Paul takes that unknown god and uses it to begin proclaiming the gospel.
Paul is not equating the God of the Bible with this pagan unknown god, but he uses the idea because it is true, the Greeks do not know the God who is. We must be very careful to not equate the God of the Bible with other gods, false gods, like Allah or any of the Hindu gods. Unfortunately, there are many people who believe that everyone worships the same god but by different names.
The key idea here is that the Athenians did not know the true God and Paul is about to explain to them who this God is. So in Paul’s opening he establishes that there is a God, the Athenians are ignorant of him, but he is knowable.
Notice that Paul begins his evangelistic message with the God of creation, the Lord of heaven and earth. In other words, Paul is making it clear to the Athenians that the God he is talking about is supreme in every way, and He is utterly unlike any of the gods they are used to worshipping. The Greeks and Romans had a hierarchy of many gods but the God Paul is speaking of does not live in temples nor does he need anything from humans because he is the giver of life, breath and everything. This sets the God of the Bible above all the other gods of the pagans and presents a logical truth as well.
Realistically, what can we offer the God who created all that is? We come to God with nothing; we ourselves need what only He can give!
Jeff Frazier
Monday, April 20
Monday
Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. - Acts 17:16-21
In 1941, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones was invited to preach at Oxford University to a mostly student congregation. After the message, there was a question and answer time. Dr. Lloyd-Jones later learned that the first student to venture a question was studying law and was one of the leaders of the Oxford debating society. He got up and with all the polish of a debater, said that he had much enjoyed the sermon, but that it left one great difficulty or perplexity in his mind. He really could not see how the sermon, which he admitted was well constructed and well presented, might not equally well have been delivered to a congregation of farm laborers or any- one else. Then he sat down, as the crowd roared with laughter.
Dr. Lloyd-Jones responded that he really could not see the questioner’s difficulty. He admitted that he had regarded under- graduates and indeed graduates of Oxford University as being just ordinary common human clay and with precisely the same needs as farm laborers. He went on to quote Martin Luther, who said, “When I preach I regard neither doctors nor magistrates, of whom I have above forty in the congregation. I have all eyes on the servants, maids and the children. And if the learned men are not well pleased with what they hear, well, the door is open.”
If the thought of sharing the gospel with intellectuals intimidates you, then Paul’s sermon to the philosophers of Athens should both encourage and instruct you. He was at Athens, not by his plans, but because he was waiting for Silas and Timothy to join him. As he strolled around the city, his spirit was provoked by the abundance of idols that he saw. One early observer said that you were more likely to meet a god in Athens than a man, and it was statistically true. It is estimated that there were about 30,000 idols in the city, but only 20,000 people when Paul visited there.
It is fascinating to me that Paul was not planning to preach the gospel in Athens, but he could not help himself! He simply could not keep silent when he saw all of the lost souls and false religion in the city. How could he in a place full of people pursuing countless false gods and not tell them about the one true God?
Consider these questions for a moment...
What provokes your spirit when you observe the culture around you today?
Are you provoked and/or disturbed by politics, the economy, health care, etc., or are you deeply moved by the fact all around you are people who seeking God in all the wrong places?
Jeff Frazier
Friday, April 17th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
Friday, April 17
Acts 18:1-17
After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people." And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, saying, "This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law." But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things." And he drove them from the tribunal. And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.
Most of us can remember radio personality Paul Harvey and his famous line, “Now you know...the rest of the story.” Harvey was a master at weaving tales of ordinary people living ordinary lives; but his stories would have a surprising and often heartwarming twist at the end.
That’s what we see here in Acts 18. In fact I think there are two surprises in these 17 verses.
The first takes place when Paul is dragged before the Roman proconsul by those who hated him.
But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, saying, "This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law."
Paul’s enemies think that they have a slam-dunk case against Paul, especially because the proconsul is a pagan named Gallio. Surely, they think, Gallio will agree with them that Paul is a dangerous man teaching dangerous doctrine.
Here’s the surprise:
But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things." And he drove them from the tribunal.
See it? Paul doesn’t even have to defend himself! Before he can say a word Gallio dismissed the case. The surprise is that God uses a pagan Roman administrator to protect Paul and the gospel ministry in Corinth.
The second surprise has to do with the man who served as the “prosecuting attorney” for those who hated Paul.
And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.
It seems that Sosthenes must have presented the case against Paul, and when Gallio refused to listen, the people who had put him up to it were so enraged that they turned on him and beat him up!
Interestingly, that’s not the last we hear about Sosthenes in the New Testament. Paul begins his first letter to the Corinthian church this way:
Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,
To the church of God that is in Corinth... (1 Corinthians 1:1-2)
See the surprise?
While we can’t know with certainty that this is the same Sosthenes, it would be very odd for Paul to mention a man by this name in a letter to those in Corinth if it were not the same guy!
The “rest of the story” seems to be that Sosthenes, the guy who tried to get Paul thrown into prison or worse, winds up becoming a follower of Jesus, one who Paul calls “brother.”
How cool is that?
Sosthenes went from one who rejected Paul and the gospel to one who followed Jesus and served with Paul in the gospel ministry.
Wouldn’t you like to hear Sosthenes’ faith-story? I know I would!
Paul had preached in the synagogue; his message was rejected; but some time later the leader of the opposition becomes a believer and co-worker for Christ.
You just never know when a gospel seed planted will burst into life!
Pastor Brian Coffey
Friday, April 17
Acts 18:1-17
After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people." And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, saying, "This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law." But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things." And he drove them from the tribunal. And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.
Most of us can remember radio personality Paul Harvey and his famous line, “Now you know...the rest of the story.” Harvey was a master at weaving tales of ordinary people living ordinary lives; but his stories would have a surprising and often heartwarming twist at the end.
That’s what we see here in Acts 18. In fact I think there are two surprises in these 17 verses.
The first takes place when Paul is dragged before the Roman proconsul by those who hated him.
But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, saying, "This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law."
Paul’s enemies think that they have a slam-dunk case against Paul, especially because the proconsul is a pagan named Gallio. Surely, they think, Gallio will agree with them that Paul is a dangerous man teaching dangerous doctrine.
Here’s the surprise:
But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things." And he drove them from the tribunal.
See it? Paul doesn’t even have to defend himself! Before he can say a word Gallio dismissed the case. The surprise is that God uses a pagan Roman administrator to protect Paul and the gospel ministry in Corinth.
The second surprise has to do with the man who served as the “prosecuting attorney” for those who hated Paul.
And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.
It seems that Sosthenes must have presented the case against Paul, and when Gallio refused to listen, the people who had put him up to it were so enraged that they turned on him and beat him up!
Interestingly, that’s not the last we hear about Sosthenes in the New Testament. Paul begins his first letter to the Corinthian church this way:
Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,
To the church of God that is in Corinth... (1 Corinthians 1:1-2)
See the surprise?
While we can’t know with certainty that this is the same Sosthenes, it would be very odd for Paul to mention a man by this name in a letter to those in Corinth if it were not the same guy!
The “rest of the story” seems to be that Sosthenes, the guy who tried to get Paul thrown into prison or worse, winds up becoming a follower of Jesus, one who Paul calls “brother.”
How cool is that?
Sosthenes went from one who rejected Paul and the gospel to one who followed Jesus and served with Paul in the gospel ministry.
Wouldn’t you like to hear Sosthenes’ faith-story? I know I would!
Paul had preached in the synagogue; his message was rejected; but some time later the leader of the opposition becomes a believer and co-worker for Christ.
You just never know when a gospel seed planted will burst into life!
Pastor Brian Coffey
Thursday, April 16th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
Thursday, April 16
Acts 18:1-11
After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people." And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
One of the things we used to do to try to encourage conversation at the family dinner table was a game called “Highs and lows.” We went around the table and each person had to describe their “high” and “low” for the day. The game wasn’t always terribly successful, but sometimes it would spark meaningful conversation or we would at least learn something about what was going on in each of our lives.
In these few verses from Acts 18 we see a picture of Paul’s highs and lows.
High: Paul meets Priscilla and Aquila and adds them to his team.
Low: Paul shares the gospel in the synagogue but is completely rejected.
High: Titius Justus, Crispus, and many other Corinthian gentiles respond the the gospel and are baptized.
Low: Paul fears the same backlash from enemies of the gospel that he has experienced in other cities.
High: The Lord comes to him in a dream and promises to protect him.
Have you ever felt like you are on a giant roller coaster ride in terms of your faith? I think most of us have felt like that at times. There are times when we feel very close to God and good things are happening at every turn. There are other times when it seems like our prayers bounce off the ceiling, God seems far away, and nothing is going right.
If we look at Paul’s life and ministry we see that both highs and lows are part of the journey of the Christian life. Paul experienced both tremendous successes and heartbreaking failures, and all the while seeking to serve and follow Jesus the best he knew how.
That tells me that God does not typically seek to protect us from the lows of life. Rather, it seems he allows us to go through those times so that we can learn and grow in important ways.
Later in his life Paul would affirm this truth as he wrote:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)
Paul learned, and is teaching us, that both our highs and our lows can be used by God to build our character and to bring him glory. Knowing this doesn’t make our lows any less difficult or painful, but it does remind us that even our suffering can produce good when surrendered to his hands.
Pastor Brian Coffey
Thursday, April 16
Acts 18:1-11
After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people." And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
One of the things we used to do to try to encourage conversation at the family dinner table was a game called “Highs and lows.” We went around the table and each person had to describe their “high” and “low” for the day. The game wasn’t always terribly successful, but sometimes it would spark meaningful conversation or we would at least learn something about what was going on in each of our lives.
In these few verses from Acts 18 we see a picture of Paul’s highs and lows.
High: Paul meets Priscilla and Aquila and adds them to his team.
Low: Paul shares the gospel in the synagogue but is completely rejected.
High: Titius Justus, Crispus, and many other Corinthian gentiles respond the the gospel and are baptized.
Low: Paul fears the same backlash from enemies of the gospel that he has experienced in other cities.
High: The Lord comes to him in a dream and promises to protect him.
Have you ever felt like you are on a giant roller coaster ride in terms of your faith? I think most of us have felt like that at times. There are times when we feel very close to God and good things are happening at every turn. There are other times when it seems like our prayers bounce off the ceiling, God seems far away, and nothing is going right.
If we look at Paul’s life and ministry we see that both highs and lows are part of the journey of the Christian life. Paul experienced both tremendous successes and heartbreaking failures, and all the while seeking to serve and follow Jesus the best he knew how.
That tells me that God does not typically seek to protect us from the lows of life. Rather, it seems he allows us to go through those times so that we can learn and grow in important ways.
Later in his life Paul would affirm this truth as he wrote:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)
Paul learned, and is teaching us, that both our highs and our lows can be used by God to build our character and to bring him glory. Knowing this doesn’t make our lows any less difficult or painful, but it does remind us that even our suffering can produce good when surrendered to his hands.
Pastor Brian Coffey
Wednesday, April 15th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
Wednesday, April 15
Acts 18:1-6
After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."
Dr. Nabeel Qureshi is a former devout Muslim who recently published a book entitled, “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus.” He tells the story of growing up in a devout Muslim family in the U.S. By the age of 5 he had recited the entire Qur’an in Arabic; and by the age of 15 he had committed the last 15 chapters of the Qur’an to memory in both English and Arabic.
He then recounts how he became disillusioned with the claims of Islam and eventually accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior over a long process and with the help of several very good friends.
Since his conversion, he has dedicated his life to spreading the Gospel through teaching, preaching, writing, and debating. He now is part of the Ravi Zacharias ministry and speaking team.
The most painful part of his story, by his own admission, was facing the disappointment and rejection of his family when he told them of his conversion to Christianity.
Here we see that Paul faced rejection from his own people.
...Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."
Even though Paul believed he was called to take the gospel to the gentile world, he would always begin his ministry in a new city by going to the local synagogue first. He would try to explain how Jesus was the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah, and that it is through Jesus’ death and resurrection that salvation is received.
Sometimes his message was received and many would come to faith in Jesus; sometimes he was rejected. Here. in Corinth, we see the latter. Paul’s response is to “shake out his garments” and move on. That expression is a Jewish way of saying that he didn’t even want their dust to remain on his clothing. It meant “I’m done here.”
It was also a final gesture on his part that he hoped would get their attention. In ancient times Jews would “shake the dust off their feet” after coming into contact with the gentile world to indicate the spiritual “uncleanness” of that world. Here Paul is shaking off the dust after being with Jews and before he takes the gospel to the gentiles. He is turning the tables in a dramatic way and, I think, hoping to send a jarring message to his fellow Jews.
So is Paul telling us to give up on friends or family who have not responded to the gospel? Not exactly. I think Paul cared deeply for those who rejected him. He repeatedly risked his life to bring them the good news of Jesus. But there also comes a time when it simply is no longer productive to keep trying to convince someone of the truth. Sometimes we have to trust people we care about and love over to God and allow him to work in their hearts.
Pastor Brian Coffey
Wednesday, April 15
Acts 18:1-6
After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."
Dr. Nabeel Qureshi is a former devout Muslim who recently published a book entitled, “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus.” He tells the story of growing up in a devout Muslim family in the U.S. By the age of 5 he had recited the entire Qur’an in Arabic; and by the age of 15 he had committed the last 15 chapters of the Qur’an to memory in both English and Arabic.
He then recounts how he became disillusioned with the claims of Islam and eventually accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior over a long process and with the help of several very good friends.
Since his conversion, he has dedicated his life to spreading the Gospel through teaching, preaching, writing, and debating. He now is part of the Ravi Zacharias ministry and speaking team.
The most painful part of his story, by his own admission, was facing the disappointment and rejection of his family when he told them of his conversion to Christianity.
Here we see that Paul faced rejection from his own people.
...Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."
Even though Paul believed he was called to take the gospel to the gentile world, he would always begin his ministry in a new city by going to the local synagogue first. He would try to explain how Jesus was the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah, and that it is through Jesus’ death and resurrection that salvation is received.
Sometimes his message was received and many would come to faith in Jesus; sometimes he was rejected. Here. in Corinth, we see the latter. Paul’s response is to “shake out his garments” and move on. That expression is a Jewish way of saying that he didn’t even want their dust to remain on his clothing. It meant “I’m done here.”
It was also a final gesture on his part that he hoped would get their attention. In ancient times Jews would “shake the dust off their feet” after coming into contact with the gentile world to indicate the spiritual “uncleanness” of that world. Here Paul is shaking off the dust after being with Jews and before he takes the gospel to the gentiles. He is turning the tables in a dramatic way and, I think, hoping to send a jarring message to his fellow Jews.
So is Paul telling us to give up on friends or family who have not responded to the gospel? Not exactly. I think Paul cared deeply for those who rejected him. He repeatedly risked his life to bring them the good news of Jesus. But there also comes a time when it simply is no longer productive to keep trying to convince someone of the truth. Sometimes we have to trust people we care about and love over to God and allow him to work in their hearts.
Pastor Brian Coffey
Tuesday, April 14th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
Tuesday, April 14
Acts 18:1-3
After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.
In 1983 Steve Jobs had a vision for a new kind of technology but needed someone to help run his young company. He successfully recruited John Scully, a top executive with Pepsico with this pitch:
“Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugar water, or do you want to come with me and change the world?”
Scully couldn’t resist and joined Jobs at Apple.
By the time we get to Acts 18, Paul is well into his second missionary journey and 15-20 years into his calling to take the gospel of Jesus to the gentile world. He has also learned the importance of building a team to share that great task.
Where once he traveled with Barnabas and John Mark (back in the first missionary journey of Acts 13-14), he now travels with Silas and Timothy (who will rejoin him in a few verses).
But here we see Paul adding two more key team members, Priscilla and Aquila. Now Priscilla and Aquila are unique not just because they are a married couple, but because they represent the two main people groups of the ancient world. Priscilla is a Roman name and some scholars believe the name indicates she came from a very prominent Roman family. Aquila is also a Roman name but Luke clearly identifies him as a “Jewish man.” So we can assume that Aquila was from a Jewish background but had been given or taken a Roman name because he lived in Rome. This is unique because it would have been very unusual in that time for a Jewish man to be married to a Roman woman.
They were also unique in that it appears they were followers of Jesus, Christians, before meeting up with the Apostle Paul.
Luke tell us they had traveled to Corinth because the Roman Emperor at the time, Claudius, had “commanded all the Jews to leave Rome.”
But how can we know they were already followers of Jesus? Historians believe that Claudius became concerned about the Jewish community because of the dispute that had arisen between Jews who believed Jesus was the Messiah and those who did not. Claudius wasn’t concerned about the details of what he saw as a religious conflict but was greatly concerned to keep the peace and order of his city. So he attempted to expel all Jews just to rid himself of the problem.
So Priscilla and Aquila wind up in Corinth, setting out to make a living through the trade of “tentmaking.” Interestingly, the New Testament tells us that Paul was also skilled in this trade, and used it to support himself at various times.
One can imagine several ways in which Paul may have met Priscilla and Aquila: through the local synagogue where many of the Jews who followed Jesus would meet for fellowship and prayer; or through tentmaking, as they would have had that in common as well.
Either way, Paul quickly recognizes the unique gifts that this couple would bring to his team, so he recruits them to join the ministry in Corinth. So begins one of the most significant friendships in the New Testament.
Writing several years later, in Romans 16:3, Paul acknowledges that this couple put their lives on the line for him and for the sake of the gospel.
Some also believe that Priscilla and Aquila’s relationship as husband and wife may have served as the inspiration for some of Paul’s teaching on marriage in Ephesians 5.
This part of the story prompts me to ask an important question.
What has God invested in you that makes you a valuable addition to the team (i.e. the church)? Priscilla and Aquila had unique family and cultural backgrounds as well as unique life experience that made them extremely important members of Paul’s team. In the same way, scripture indicates that God has also invested in each one of us so that we can, in turn, contribute to the ministry of the gospel.
In Romans 12 Paul writes:
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. (Romans 12:6-8)
In other words, we are all called to invest our lives for the sake of the gospel, and to allow God to use us to change the world.
Pastor Brian Coffey
Tuesday, April 14
Acts 18:1-3
After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.
In 1983 Steve Jobs had a vision for a new kind of technology but needed someone to help run his young company. He successfully recruited John Scully, a top executive with Pepsico with this pitch:
“Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugar water, or do you want to come with me and change the world?”
Scully couldn’t resist and joined Jobs at Apple.
By the time we get to Acts 18, Paul is well into his second missionary journey and 15-20 years into his calling to take the gospel of Jesus to the gentile world. He has also learned the importance of building a team to share that great task.
Where once he traveled with Barnabas and John Mark (back in the first missionary journey of Acts 13-14), he now travels with Silas and Timothy (who will rejoin him in a few verses).
But here we see Paul adding two more key team members, Priscilla and Aquila. Now Priscilla and Aquila are unique not just because they are a married couple, but because they represent the two main people groups of the ancient world. Priscilla is a Roman name and some scholars believe the name indicates she came from a very prominent Roman family. Aquila is also a Roman name but Luke clearly identifies him as a “Jewish man.” So we can assume that Aquila was from a Jewish background but had been given or taken a Roman name because he lived in Rome. This is unique because it would have been very unusual in that time for a Jewish man to be married to a Roman woman.
They were also unique in that it appears they were followers of Jesus, Christians, before meeting up with the Apostle Paul.
Luke tell us they had traveled to Corinth because the Roman Emperor at the time, Claudius, had “commanded all the Jews to leave Rome.”
But how can we know they were already followers of Jesus? Historians believe that Claudius became concerned about the Jewish community because of the dispute that had arisen between Jews who believed Jesus was the Messiah and those who did not. Claudius wasn’t concerned about the details of what he saw as a religious conflict but was greatly concerned to keep the peace and order of his city. So he attempted to expel all Jews just to rid himself of the problem.
So Priscilla and Aquila wind up in Corinth, setting out to make a living through the trade of “tentmaking.” Interestingly, the New Testament tells us that Paul was also skilled in this trade, and used it to support himself at various times.
One can imagine several ways in which Paul may have met Priscilla and Aquila: through the local synagogue where many of the Jews who followed Jesus would meet for fellowship and prayer; or through tentmaking, as they would have had that in common as well.
Either way, Paul quickly recognizes the unique gifts that this couple would bring to his team, so he recruits them to join the ministry in Corinth. So begins one of the most significant friendships in the New Testament.
Writing several years later, in Romans 16:3, Paul acknowledges that this couple put their lives on the line for him and for the sake of the gospel.
Some also believe that Priscilla and Aquila’s relationship as husband and wife may have served as the inspiration for some of Paul’s teaching on marriage in Ephesians 5.
This part of the story prompts me to ask an important question.
What has God invested in you that makes you a valuable addition to the team (i.e. the church)? Priscilla and Aquila had unique family and cultural backgrounds as well as unique life experience that made them extremely important members of Paul’s team. In the same way, scripture indicates that God has also invested in each one of us so that we can, in turn, contribute to the ministry of the gospel.
In Romans 12 Paul writes:
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. (Romans 12:6-8)
In other words, we are all called to invest our lives for the sake of the gospel, and to allow God to use us to change the world.
Pastor Brian Coffey
Monday, April 13th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
Monday, April 13
Acts 18:1-4
After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.
Many great American cities have well known nicknames.
Chicago is the “Windy City,” New York is the “Big Apple,” New Orleans is “The Big Easy,” Philadelphia is “The City of Brotherly Love,” and Las Vegas is called “Sin City.”
I’ve never been to Las Vegas, but my impression from a distance is pretty much what the nickname suggests, “Sin City.”
It’s a city filled with casinos, bars, nightclubs and all kinds of “adult entertainment” options. There’s a reason why people say, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!”
But did you know that there are also something like 500 churches in Las Vegas? Did you know that the 9th largest church in America, Central Christian Church with over 21,000 members, is in Las Vegas?
At first glance, “Sin City” and a church with 21,000 members don’t seem to go together! But when we read Acts 18 we see a precedent for exactly the same thing.
After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
Where Athens was known as the political and intellectual center of ancient Greece, Corinth was almost the exact opposite. Corinth had the reputation of being a rough place, even by the standards of the ancient world. It was located on a major trade route and so was filled with merchants, sailors, and people from many different cultural and religious backgrounds. The city was known for the Temple of Aphrodite which at one time housed 1000 cult prostitutes who plied their trade freely. The very word “Corinthian” came to be associated with debauchery. So, in many ways, Corinth was “Sin City.”
So why would Paul choose Corinth as his next target? Why choose a city that one would assume had little interest in the gospel?
I think there are likely three reasons.
First, he was led by the Holy Spirit. We know from earlier chapters in Acts that Paul had received God’s guidance in the form of a vision (or dream) that led him to move into the region of Macedonia. We can assume that Paul sensed the Holy Spirit’s direction in some form to leave Athens and go to Corinth.
Second, he saw great need. He would have known the reputation of Corinth as “Sin City” and he would have been drawn to bring the good news of the gospel to those who were captive to idolatry and sin.
Third, he saw great opportunity. Corinth was strategic in terms of both its location and the diversity of its population. Paul undoubtedly saw the potential for Corinth to serve as a kind of launching pad for the gospel to that region of the world and beyond.
So to Paul, “Sin City” is exactly where the gospel should go!
So what is “Sin City” for us? Maybe we don’t have to look as far as Las Vegas to find a place - or people - who need the gospel! Maybe its your neighborhood, your college campus, your place of work; it might even be your friends or family!
What might you be able to do to share the gospel with those who may not be very interested? What conversation might you be able to initiate? What invitation can you make?
Perhaps the best way to start is to pray and ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit!
Pastor Brian Coffey
Monday, April 13
Acts 18:1-4
After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.
Many great American cities have well known nicknames.
Chicago is the “Windy City,” New York is the “Big Apple,” New Orleans is “The Big Easy,” Philadelphia is “The City of Brotherly Love,” and Las Vegas is called “Sin City.”
I’ve never been to Las Vegas, but my impression from a distance is pretty much what the nickname suggests, “Sin City.”
It’s a city filled with casinos, bars, nightclubs and all kinds of “adult entertainment” options. There’s a reason why people say, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!”
But did you know that there are also something like 500 churches in Las Vegas? Did you know that the 9th largest church in America, Central Christian Church with over 21,000 members, is in Las Vegas?
At first glance, “Sin City” and a church with 21,000 members don’t seem to go together! But when we read Acts 18 we see a precedent for exactly the same thing.
After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
Where Athens was known as the political and intellectual center of ancient Greece, Corinth was almost the exact opposite. Corinth had the reputation of being a rough place, even by the standards of the ancient world. It was located on a major trade route and so was filled with merchants, sailors, and people from many different cultural and religious backgrounds. The city was known for the Temple of Aphrodite which at one time housed 1000 cult prostitutes who plied their trade freely. The very word “Corinthian” came to be associated with debauchery. So, in many ways, Corinth was “Sin City.”
So why would Paul choose Corinth as his next target? Why choose a city that one would assume had little interest in the gospel?
I think there are likely three reasons.
First, he was led by the Holy Spirit. We know from earlier chapters in Acts that Paul had received God’s guidance in the form of a vision (or dream) that led him to move into the region of Macedonia. We can assume that Paul sensed the Holy Spirit’s direction in some form to leave Athens and go to Corinth.
Second, he saw great need. He would have known the reputation of Corinth as “Sin City” and he would have been drawn to bring the good news of the gospel to those who were captive to idolatry and sin.
Third, he saw great opportunity. Corinth was strategic in terms of both its location and the diversity of its population. Paul undoubtedly saw the potential for Corinth to serve as a kind of launching pad for the gospel to that region of the world and beyond.
So to Paul, “Sin City” is exactly where the gospel should go!
So what is “Sin City” for us? Maybe we don’t have to look as far as Las Vegas to find a place - or people - who need the gospel! Maybe its your neighborhood, your college campus, your place of work; it might even be your friends or family!
What might you be able to do to share the gospel with those who may not be very interested? What conversation might you be able to initiate? What invitation can you make?
Perhaps the best way to start is to pray and ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit!
Pastor Brian Coffey
Friday, April 10
Friday
One last reminder for this week…He is still risen!
One week ago it was Good Friday and we were preparing to remember the sacrifice of our Lord on the Cross. Just five days ago we celebrated the most incredible moment in human history – the Resurrection!
I recall reading somewhere that the great artist Michelangelo once asked a fellow artist, “Why do you keep painting endless pictures on the one theme of Christ in weakness, Christ on the cross, and most of all, Christ hanging dead?” he asked. “Why do you concentrate on the passing episode as if it were the last work, as if the curtain dropped down there on disaster and defeat? That dreadful scene lasted only a few hours. But for unending eternity Christ is alive; Christ rules and reigns and triumphs.”
Michelangelo was right (in a sense). Even though the cross is vitally important because of the redemption that Jesus accomplished for us there, Christians should not emphasize His death to the exclusion of His resurrection. I think that sometimes we tend to focus on what Jesus did for us on the cross without connecting that moment of sacrifice to the eternal promise we have in His resurrection.
Jesus once said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26) The central tenet of our Christian faith this is not just whether we believe that Jesus died for us on the cross. We must also believe that He rose from the dead. The Bible says it this way: “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” (Romans 4:25)
Saul of Tarsus believed generally in resurrection before he met Jesus on the Damascus Road, but he did not understand the power of The Resurrection. He was a Pharisee, a member of the same Jewish sect that convinced Pontius Pilate to crucify Jesus, and Pharisees believed in resurrection. But the Paul we have come to know in the New Testament was more than a former Pharisee. He was completely transformed by his encounter with the risen Jesus. He was an Apostle, one of just a handful of men who had seen Jesus after the resurrection and were sent to preach the “good news”.
Paul said, “But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:12-17) When we ask Christ to come live in our hearts, we are given the promise of resurrection. In other words, we are no longer dead to sin, but have the promise of eternal life.
Winston Churchill knew the significance of the resurrection when he said, “When a man steps out of his own grave, He is anything that he says He is, and He can do anything that he says He can do. The resurrection is not only good news, it’s the best news imaginable.”
Lord, You have the power to bring life from death. Thank You that through the resurrection of Jesus You have given me new life – Amen.
Jeff Frazier
Thursday, April 9
Thursday
Oh yeah, by the way…He is still risen!
With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” - Mark 15:37-39
Mark doesn’t use a lot of words to tell us what is going on, but there is a lot of meaning packed into those few words. The moment that Jesus dies, the temple curtain is torn from top to bottom. Keep in mind that this temple curtain was no flimsy drapery, it was not a shower curtain. The curtain which separated the Holy of Holies was heavy and thick, almost as substantial as a wall. According to the Rabbis the curtain was a handbreadth in thickness, and woven of seventy-two twisted plaits, each plait consisting of twenty-four threads. It was sixty feet long and thirty wide. Two of them were made every year, and according to the Talmud, it needed three hundred priests to manipulate it. The holy of holies symbolized the very presence of God and only the High Priest could enter there once a year on Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement). The people depended on the High Priest to make the acceptable sacrifices for their sins. Look at what the writer of Hebrews has to say about how Jesus Christ has changed our access to God by His death on the Cross.
Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest meets our need — one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. – Hebrews 7:25-27
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith,
- Hebrews 10:19-22
Jesus is our High Priest!
The Temple is His Body!
The massive curtain that kept us out has been removed!
The perfect sacrifice has been made!
We can come in now with confidence and assurance!
Do you grasp that? We can come in!
Right here in this passage, Mark shows us the first person to “enter in” after the crucifixion. His confession, “Surely this man was the son of God” is momentous because the very first line in the first chapter of Mark refers to Jesus this way, “The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1) Up to this point, nobody had yet figured out just who Jesus really was. Even Peter’s profession of Jesus as the Christ (Mark 8:29) proved to be a partial understanding until after the resurrection. The first person to “get it” was a Roman Centurion!?
The only person a good Roman would ever call the “Son of God” was Caesar himself, but this man gave that title to Jesus. This Centurion would have been a hardened and brutal man, used to seeing blood and death. But something about the death of Jesus so deeply impacted him that he was moved to confess the deity of Christ. The Centurion had seen it all. The loud cry of Jesus is unusual because victims of crucifixion usually have no strength left, especially when near death. But Jesus’ death was no ordinary one, nor was his shout the last gasp of a dying man. It was not a cry of defeat, but a shout of victory. At the beginning of the crucifixion he was an unbeliever. But he heard Jesus pray for him, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
It really is amazing to think about the fact Jesus’ disciples, who had been told by Jesus repeatedly that this would happen, were confused and they all fled in fear. The religious leaders and teachers of the law, who studied the Scriptures daily, rejected the Son of God as they stood mocking Him in the crowd. It is a pagan Roman soldier (and a dying thief) who “gets it” and “gets in”!
Nobody is beyond the love of God! Whoever you are, wherever you’ve been, whatever you’ve done…The love and forgiveness of God is available to you through Jesus Christ! His death has paid for your sin, and his resurrection from the dead promises you eternal life!
Jeff Frazier
Wednesday, April 8
Wednesday
Just another reminder that…He is still risen!
Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. “Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
– John 20:10-18
On the morning of the Resurrection, Jesus didn’t want Mary to hold on to Him, why not? I have often wondered about this passage in John’s gospel. I have wondered why Jesus would tell Mary not to hold on to Him? Is it a bad thing to cling to Jesus? Aren’t we supposed to stay close to Him?
One thing is clear, Jesus didn’t mean that Mary was not to touch Him at all, because He told Thomas to touch Him and to see that He was the real thing (John 20:27). He told her not to “hold on to Him”, but what did He mean?
Mary had experienced a powerful encounter with Jesus. But He didn’t want her to
stop there. Mary still wanted to hold onto Him. Mary’s reaction was likely motivated by several things. One is simply her loving devotion to the Lord. Mary is overwhelmed by the events of the morning, and as her grief turns to joy, she naturally embraces Jesus. Another motivation is Mary’s desire to restore the fellowship that His death had broken. She had lost Him once, and she was going to make sure she didn’t lose Him again - she wanted to keep Jesus with her always. But Jesus spurred Mary on and commissioned her to share with the disciples about His resurrection. Jesus had not yet risen with God – He was still on the move. He was essentially saying, “It’s not going to be the way it used to be. You can’t hold on to Me in the old way.”
In loosening Mary’s hold on Him, Jesus was, in effect, saying this: “I know you desire to keep Me here, always present with you. I know you want everything to be just the same as before I died. But our relationship is about to change. I’m going to heaven, and you will have the Comforter in My place. You need to start walking by faith, Mary, not by sight.”
Jesus told us that it was better for us that He return to the Father. We, like Mary cannot cling to Jesus’ physical body, we need to know Him, and cling to Him through faith. We do not need to physically hold onto the "man" Jesus. We need to embrace Him, through faith. One day we will see Him face to face, but for now, we know with Him and we live in His presence by faith.
One of the biggest tasks we have as Jesus' disciples is to not cling to Jesus, not to hide ourselves away in a church and in the presence of the Lord at the expense of going to share His love with others. We have a message of hope and forgiveness to share with others who are trapped in hopelessness and despair. As His disciples, we are not to spend the majority of our time in “holy huddles”, but in out in the world, reaching the lost and the hurting and offering hope in the risen Jesus.
Jeff Frazier
Tuesday, April 7
Tuesday
Just in case you have forgotten already - He is still Risen!
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them — yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
- 1 Corinthians 15:3-14
Many biblical scholars agree that the first few verses of this passage are an example of the earliest Christian creed. A creed is a clear statement intended to be recited in order to teach and affirm certain beliefs. Creeds were very important in the early church because only the wealthiest individuals could afford to own a written copy of Scripture. Usually a church or group of churches would own a few copies of portions of Scripture. The idea of a personal Bible was totally unheard of in the first century. Believers would recite and memorize creedal statements together as a form of worship and as a way of encouraging and strengthening their faith in Jesus Christ.
The truly remarkable thing about the passage above is that it is entirely centered on the resurrection. In other words, the origin of the Christian faith hinges on the historical reality of the resurrection. Notice how specific Paul is in this passage. He mentions names and numbers of people to whom the risen Jesus had appeared. Then he goes on to say that most of them are still alive! Why would he mention this? Even in the earliest days of Christianity there were skeptics and doubters of the resurrection. Paul is essentially saying that anybody who doubts can simply go and ask these folks if it is true. How could Paul make such a statement in a letter that was going to be widely read and circulated if Jesus had not appeared to these people?
The very fact that Christianity started and grew at all is evidence for the resurrection. The philosopher and scholar William Lane Craig writes: “Even skeptical New Testament scholars admit that the earliest disciples at least believed that Jesus had been raised from the dead.” For Jews, the Messiah was viewed as a figure that would be triumphant and rule on David’s throne, not a figure that would be crucified and die. The resurrection undid the catastrophe of the crucifixion! The Messiah, who had died, is risen! The resurrection validated and verified the claims that Christ had made about his own identity. The origin of Christianity rests solely on the fact that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.
Listen again to what the apostle Paul says about the importance of the resurrection. “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”
The early Christians clearly grasped the tremendous importance of the resurrection; they understood that everything about their faith depended on this singular historical fact. Should we do less? Let’s take a cue from our spiritual ancestors in the early church and affirm the fact that our Lord is risen and our God has conquered the grace every time we come together. The resurrection is not something that we should remind ourselves of one Sunday a year, it the truth that we should celebrate and affirm every moment of every day that we live!
Jeff Frazier
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