“Our Turn” – Acts 28:11-31

 

We made it! We made it to the last section of the book of Acts. Does it end the way you expected? Maybe you already knew the ending. Paul made it to Rome but the ending seems so anticlimactic. Especially, given that this is the last piece of biblical history we really have outside of a few particulars found in the later epistles. What are we to make of the ending?

The year is 63 A.D. and it has been 30 years since Jesus ascended into heaven. The church is three decades old and yet, despite all the changes, it looks quite similar to the way it started. That’s something Luke, the author of Acts, goes out of his way to show us in this last passage. You see, the ending really isn’t about the Apostle Paul. It’s all about Jesus. Acts begins with Jesus and ends with Jesus, even though it begins in Jerusalem and ends in the center of the Roman Empire. If we approach the ending with our eyes fixed on Paul we’ll be disappointed. We don’t learn, in Acts, if he was ever released from prison. We don’t learn if he ever met face to face with Caesar. We don’t find out if he made it to Spain as he ultimately hoped. We’re left wondering about Paul. But if we fix our eyes on Jesus, we’ll see that the ending to Acts had to be as it is. We’ll see the continuity between the early church, the church 30 years later and the church in the present age. If your eyes are fixed on Jesus, you can’t help but be encouraged and excited about what He has in store for you and for our church.

Acts 27:1-44 – “Hope in the Storm”

 

I hope you didn’t just jump past all 44 verses of this week’s passage to get here.  You did?  Alright, take a minute to go back and read it.  Paul was on a voyage well worth reading about.  Paul lived through a lot of storms, but this one is unique.  Believe it or not, this particular storm has more in common with the storms you and I face than Paul’s other trials. If you look close, you’ll notice that Paul’s actions demonstrate how you and I can find real and enduring hope in the trials of life.

We all experience storms and suffering yet it’s easy to whine, complain and take pity on ourselves rather than see the good that can come out of it.  The solution isn’t to have a “positive attitude” or to “just get over it.”  No, the solution is to act on the opportunities God provides while you’re in the midst of those trials.  Yes, trials are God ordained, hope filled opportunities!  That’s hard to accept, especially in the middle of the storm, but Paul’s actions serve to show us that it’s true.

Come learn how to ride the waves of life’s storms as we join together Sunday morning at 10:30 for worship, the lighting of the Advent candle of Peace and the singing of Christmas songs.  Bring a friend or another family to church with you this week.  Everyone is welcome!

Close Doesn’t Count – Acts 26:24-32

 

What does it mean to be a Christian? Does that depend on the denomination you belong to, the person you’re asking or the period of time you live in? These are not just 21st century questions, but one’s we can spot even in this week’s passage from the first century book of Acts. As we approach the first week of Advent, this Sunday, it is important to contemplate the role of the person and work of Jesus and exactly how widely one can define Christian faith and practice. That’s exactly what we’ll be doing as we draw near to the end of our journey through the book of Acts. These are real life questions with life changing consequences.

Come learn more as we join together Sunday morning for worship, the lighting of the Hope candle and the singing of our first Christmas songs of the season at 10:30. Bring a friend or another family to church with you this week. Everyone is welcome!

“The Promise” – Acts 26:1-23

 

We are nearing the end of our journey through the entire book of Acts and arrive this week at the last recorded speech by the Apostle Paul. Paul is not, technically, on trial but offers an astounding defense of the Christian faith. When we started the book of Acts, I suggested that it would stretch and challenge your Christian faith, and this week is no different. Paul is very clear about what the Christian faith is and what it is not. At it’s core, the Christian faith is, according to Paul, is about “the promise.” Exactly what that means may surprise you. We’ll look at four ways in which God provides through the promise and consider what they mean for you and me. If you have a friend who is wondering what the Christian faith is all about or who is trying to figure out how the God we read about in the Old Testament is consistent with the God we read about in Acts and the New Testament, please invite that friend to worship with you this Sunday.

God’s promises are not like yours and mine. God delivers on all His promises and that’s a very good thing for us.

“First World Problems” – Acts 25:1-27

 

We live in a world of comfort and ease, and we have much more control over our lives, or at least that illusion, than most of the rest of the world. That can create problems living the Christian faith. John Piper once said, “It is more difficult to be a Christian in America than anywhere else in the world.” Now that statement seems, on it’s face, the opposite of what you might think. But what Piper meant was that we have so much comfort and ease that we aren’t terribly motivated to be as faithful in following Christ. Our brothers and sisters in the persecuted church cling to Jesus because He is all they have. We cling to so many other things, making them the gods of our lives.

This week, we’re going to look at obstacles to faithfully following Jesus, using the examples we find in our passage this week from the book of Acts. This Sunday is, appropriately, the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, so we’ll consider the plight of Christians around the world and even spend some time bringing them before the throne of grace in prayer.

Come learn more as we join together Sunday morning for worship at 10:30 and for Sunday School at 9:15. Don’t forget to set your clock back an hour Saturday night. Everyone is welcome!

“The Bad News” – Acts 24:22-25:12

 

No one likes bad news. Really? Is that true? When you read the news, whether in the newspaper or online, it is usually not good. More often than not, the news that captures the reader’s attention is bad. Bad news travels faster than good news. Last night’s Red Sox victory might be the exception, unless your a Cards fan. But, typically, bad news sells. People thrive on it.

Something about the news the Apostle Paul gave Felix, the governor of Judea, was bad news. And Felix didn’t like it one bit. So bad, in fact, was that news that it caused Felix fear. The word used for “fear” in the passage literally means to “tremble” or be “terrified.” Paul was the prisoner, not Felix, and Felix is the one who invited Paul to speak with him. So why all the fear and trembling then? I thought Paul was a minister of the “good news,” about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So why now is he the bearer of bad news?

We’ll dig deeper into that question on Sunday morning and also ask, “What is it about us that loves bad news?”

Come learn more as we join together Sunday morning for worship at 10:30 and for Sunday School at 9:15. Don’t forget to set your clock back an hour Saturday night. Everyone is welcome!

“Statement of Faith” – Acts 23:12-24:21

 

Do you believe in God? What do you believe about Him? Why do you believe it? I wish I had a nickel for every time someone told me they’re not a theologian. Because I believe everyone is a theologian of one sort or another. Everyone has a belief about God that is based on fact or wishful thinking. Even if you don’t believe in God, you at least have reasons for that belief, which make you a theologian of sorts. When you get right down to it, everyone has faith in something. Christians, at their core, have faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This Sunday, we’re going to look at a few of the differences of perspective between Christian faith and other things people put their faith in. The contrast is striking and exemplified by those in this week’s passage from the book of Acts. Is your faith built on the Solid Rock or on sinking sand?

Come learn more as we join together Sunday morning for worship at 10:30 and for Sunday School at 9:15. Everyone is welcome!

“Stand By” – Acts 22:30-23:11

 

 

We are nearing the end of our journey through the book of Acts and it sure seems that the Apostle Paul is nearing the end of his journey in this world. He was nearly torn to shreds by a riotous mob in Jerusalem, rescued only to be put in chains by Roman authorities, tied to the rack for a torturous whipping, then saved by his Roman citizenship only to be turned over to Judaism’s ruling council, who were no friends of Paul. Paul was not guilty of any crime yet the Jews sought to kill him and the Romans dared not to release him.

 

What caused Paul to carry on rather than quite or escape? He was a man on a mission. Paul, in fact, is not the only Christian sent by Jesus on this mission. God puts all Christians on a mission and stands by them in it. Before us this week is an excellent example of how you and I can carry out our mission for Jesus and how He will stand by us as we do.

 

Come learn more as we join together Sunday morning for worship at 10:30 and for Sunday School at 9:15. Everyone is welcome!

“God at Work” – Acts 21:27-22:29

This week’s reading is a very long passage in the book of Acts. It is one of the longest we’ll look at during our journey through the book and is meant to be read all together. The Apostle Paul has now made it to Jerusalem, a stop on the way to his destination, Rome. Heading to Rome will not be easy, as Paul endeavors to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). But, ultimately, Paul’s journey is not Paul’s journey. God is at work in Paul, as we’ve been reminded numerous times, and continues to work out that which He initially began in Paul. We are told, once again, of Paul’s conversion, given a few new details and see, through Paul, all that God has and is still accomplishing.

Our own Christian journeys mirror Paul’s, in that God has always been and always will be at work our Christian lives. We all experience the drama, the ups and downs and the surprises life throws us, just as Paul did. Yet, even in all these things, God is still at work. They don’t happen haphazardly and without purpose. This week, we’re going to look at the ways in which God is at work in our lives and consider what we are to make of it all.

Come join us for Sunday morning worship at 10:30 and for Sunday School at 9:15. Everyone is welcome!

“Decisions, Decisions” – Acts 21:1-26

 

Mint chocolate chip or cookie dough? Blue shirt or yellow shirt?Decisions, decisions and what difference do they really make? I’d rather someone else make decisions like this because I can never decide. And it really doesn’t matter to me. Well, our decisions are not always this mundane and not every one agrees with the decisions you and I make. In the book of Acts this week, we see that the Apostle Paul was certainly faced with some tough decisions and he made at least one of them while being second guessed by many of his closest companions.

Paul’s love for Jesus and his faith prepared him to make the tough calls and can help you and I make them too, while at the same time keeping the peace. Because of the Gospel we can resolve conflict with others and ultimately make the most of our lives for Jesus. The Gospel compels us to sacrifice our lives for Jesus. This Sunday, we’ll see how that realistically worked out in the life of the growing Christian church and how it work in your life and in mine today.

Come join us for Sunday morning worship at 10:30 and for Sunday School at 9:15. Everyone is welcome!