201018 Reaching the World (5)

 

I want to begin today by reviewing the past four messages and filling in some other parts of God’s outreach to the world.

God called out Abram to begin the Missionary Mandate — that all the families of the earth would be blessed in Abram and his descendants. I don’t know of any recorded family/nation that worshiped Yahweh during the time after the flood between the end of Noah’s line and Abram. However, there were some out there. We know that because during Abram’s lifetime he was met by the priest of God most high. Also called the king of Salem who brought out bread and wine and blessed Abram. This happened after Abram had led a successful rescue of his nephew Lot and other captives from Sodom and Gomorrah!

Immediately after that experience the Lord God came to Abram in a vision (Genesis 15:1 and following). During that encounter God enlarged Abram’s understanding of what was meant by blessing all families.

God promised Abram that his descendants would be given the land of Canaan. They would be held in captivity for 400 years waiting for the time when the iniquity of the Amorites would be complete. We know now that captivity would be in Egypt when Abram’s grandson, Jacob, followed his son Joseph into Egypt and they settled in the best part of the land because Joseph had rescued the Egyptians from starvation. After 400+ years the Bible tells us that “there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph (Exodus 1:8). It was time for the people of God, (descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) to move on. In order for them to give up the best part of the land of Egypt God allowed them to become slaves! After some time as slaves they were fairly eager to go to wherever God sent them.

In order for the blessing of Abraham to spread across the world there needed to be a home base. That would be the land of Israel!

However, the message did not easily spread. Instead, the Jewish nation circled the wagons and separated themselves from all the surrounding nations. God gave them plenty of opportunity to see what he meant when he stated in the Missionary Mandate that he would bless all nations through Abram.

When Moses led Israel out of Egypt the word of God tells us that “A mixed multitude also went up with them” (Exodus 12:38). From the very beginning of the nation of Israel they were blessing people who were not their own.

During the years Moses was waiting for the right time to bring the people out of Egypt he lived with the priest of Midian, married his daughter, and fathered two sons that were of mixed blood.

In the years of the conquest of Canaan one of the nations, the Gibeonites, made peace with Joshua and became intermixed with the Jews. They became one of the first blessed nations. I’m fairly sure there were more.

When Rahab and her family joined with the Israelites at Jericho they also were not descendants of Abraham. In fact, Rahab is listed in the genealogy of Jesus. She was one of the women listed in Jesus’ genealogy who were not Israelites. Ruth was a Moabite and also the great grandmother of David the king. Bathsheba the mother of David’s son, Solomon, was possibly a Hittite — her first husband certainly was.

These came into the family to be blessed by the descendants of Abraham. Again and again throughout the Old Testament we have non-Israelites mixed into the Jewish race. As time passed instead of becoming more open to the Gentiles the Israelites became more insulated.

By the time of the birth of Jesus the ruling party, who were called Pharisees, had created a whole set of laws designed to keep them from mixing with other races. As Jesus went through his ministry as a human on earth he demonstrated an attitude of inclusion towards Gentiles. Jesus intentionally spent time with the Samaritan woman at the well. He also spent a couple of days at her village. Something no Jew would have voluntarily done.

When Jesus used human interest stories in his preaching he made a point of bringing in one called “the Good Samaritan”. In it he described how a man was beaten. He was left in a ditch to die only to be passed up by a priest and a Levite. He was rescued and taken care of by a hated Samaritan.

The very last words that Jesus spoke on earth is called the great commission. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20). Clearly, Jesus is saying to them, “Not just the Jews! Make disciples of all nations!” No words could be clearer. “Make disciples of all nations!” There were two angels who witnessed Jesus’ departure from Earth and his disciples receiving instructions from Jesus. Instructions that they did not immediately obey.

They had no problem being his witness in Jerusalem and Judea. They seemed to draw the line at Samaria and the end of the earth. Following Jesus’ directions they waited in Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost. On that day the Holy Spirit came down on the disciples of Jesus. It happened, coincidentally, to be a day when men would be in Jerusalem from all over the Roman Empire. They were Jews or Gentile proselytes. Many of those who were saved that day must’ve gone back across the Empire carrying the gospel with them. I do not know of any record of the events of those new believers. For those who stayed in Jerusalem, beginning that day and going on for the next several months, or perhaps years, Jesus’ apostles and other disciples ministered to thousands who came to faith in Christ. They really did an effective job of witnessing to their own people.

The church in Jerusalem was organized to meet the needs of their people. The apostles chose a replacement for Judas. Then they chose seven men to take care of the needs of the widows. In doing so they were freeing the apostles to pray and preach. With the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost there was a new opportunity for the apostles to get on with reaching all the world but they still centered on Jerusalem.

There was a growing hostility by the Pharisees and their allies against the new church. That hostility led to one of the seven, Stephen, being executed and to the scattering of the church throughout Judea and Samaria. (Acts 8:1)

Incidentally, a young man named Saul witnessed that execution and approved of it. He became the ringleader of the opposition.

Another member of the seven, Philip, began to openly preach in Samaria. He was pretty safe there since the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans. When the apostles heard about Phillip’s successful ministry they sent a delegation of two, Peter and John, to check out the situation. These two did preach the gospel to the Samaritans but they were on their way home to Jerusalem while doing so.

Philip was given the opportunity to meet with, and witness to, an official of the Queen of Ethiopia. Planting a witness in Africa to get on with reaching the world.

Meanwhile, Saul was taking arrest warrants to Damascus when the Lord Jesus appeared to him on the road. That encounter started Saul on the path to carry the name of Jesus before the Gentiles and kings of the earth. The record of that event is found in Acts 9.

Even though the apostles had not really reached out beyond Jerusalem and Judea God’s Holy Spirit was preparing a way to get them involved. Peter was visiting with a friend in Joppa. While he was in prayer one day he was called by God to go to the home of a Roman centurion named Cornelius. Luke told the story in Acts 10-11.  During that encounter Peter was convinced that God had broken down the wall that divided the Jews and Gentiles. Perhaps he remembered a day several years before when he followed Jesus into Capernaum. A centurion met them and pleaded with Jesus to heal his servant. When Jesus said he would go with him the Roman replied, Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (Matthew 8:8-9). That officer caused Jesus to marvel at his reply. Then Jesus said, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. ¹¹ I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, ¹² while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

(Matthew 8:10-12). Matthew noted that the servant was healed at that very moment.

That occasion strengthened the hatred of the Jewish leaders. Look at it!, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be spending time with Gentiles while the sons of the kingdom would be outcasts.

At about the same time, those who were scattered because of the persecution, went as far as Antioch in Syria. There, a great number of Gentiles were coming into the earthly kingdom of God. When the apostles heard of this they sent Barnabas to investigate. After he saw what was going on Barnabas remembered that Saul had been sent back to his home in Tarsus some 14 years before. So he went to Tarsus and brought Saul back to help with the work in Antioch. Apparently he forgot he was supposed to report back to the church in Jerusalem. He settled into ministry in Antioch. During a time of prayer and fasting the leadership of the church in Antioch were instructed by the Spirit to set apart Barnabas and Saul for a new work.

That was the first intentional missionary journey that we know of. Barnabas and Saul, accompanied by John Mark, traveled to Cyprus, and several different cities in the territory of the modern-day country of Turkey. During that journey Saul began to use his Roman name, “Paul”. John Mark left the team along the way.

They returned to the church in Antioch and settled into ministry there. A problem arose when some men came down from Judea who claimed that a person cannot be saved unless they follow the custom of Moses. Specifically, men who were coming to faith from the Gentile world would have to be circumcised as Moses had commanded. Let’s look at Luke’s account: But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” ² And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. ³ So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. (Acts 15:1-3).

Paul and Barnabas had witnessed the breaking down of the wall of separation and had no intention of allowing it to be built again. I am not sure what Luke meant by “no small dissension”. They certainly made an effort to solve the problems being raised by these Judaizers. After failing to settle the issue in Antioch they determined to take it to Jerusalem. Luke doesn’t tell us whether the Judaizers traveled to Jerusalem with Paul and Barnabas. It seems to me they probably were not because they were able to meet with Christians along the way. The team was able to pass through Phoenicia and Samaria unhindered by dissension. On that journey they described the conversion of the Gentiles. And the believers rejoiced.

Luke continues his account: When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. ⁵ But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.” (Acts 15:4-5).

After that introduction the elders in Jerusalem met and considered the problem. Peter recounted his experience with Cornelius and the Romans and encouraged the council to accept the work of Paul and Barnabas as the work of God. Then James, the half-brother of Jesus, stood and pronounced the verdict. “Brothers, listen to me. ¹⁴ Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. ¹⁵ And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, ¹⁶ ‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it,¹⁷ that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things ¹⁸ known from of old.’ ¹⁹ Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, ²⁰ but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.

Each of the four practices took place regularly in Gentile culture and pagan worship. James then put together a letter listing these directions and commended the four conditions to the Gentiles. When the delegates returned to Antioch the people rejoiced in the freedom from the Jewish rules.

Let’s finish up today with another walk down the Roman road.

All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory — Romans 3:23

The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord — Romans 6:23.

God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. — Romans 5:8.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. – Romans 10:9.

We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. — 2 Corinthians 5:20.

Sin always has evil consequences. Just as Adam and Eve were promised a wonderful world of knowledge by disobeying God. Satan promises good things for us. The Bible says there is pleasure in sin for a season.

But seasons always come to an end.

Have you trusted Jesus for your salvation? Today could be your day.

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

201011 Reaching the World (4)

This is the fourth sermon I have prepared following the Missionary Mandate. This calling was first extended to a man named Abram. At the time of his call he was 75 years old. I am encouraged by these men, such as Moses and Abraham, who were called into service in their later years. In Genesis 12:3 we find these words, “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Abram, who would later have his name changed to Abraham, did not have a Bible nor a fellowship. He had only the word of God instructing him to go to a place that he would later be shown. The Mandate I have spoken about was “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” We know today with absolute certainty that this message to Abram concerned Jesus! More than 3000 years before Jesus was born of Mary these prophetic words were spoken to a man who had only the spoken word to go by. Last week we reached a point in the history of God’s outreach to the world where a kosher Jew was used by God to bring the gospel message to a Roman Centurion and his household. That story is found in Acts 10:9-11:18. Today, we will go ahead and see what happens as this missionary movement fulfills the Mandate given to Abraham.

Looking back to Acts 8:1, after some time of growth the church in Jerusalem had grown to several thousand including many priests. Then the leaders of the synagogues increased their persecution of the church. One of the leaders of the new church was questioned, allowed to testify, and was executed for his faith. The first martyr of the Christian Church was Stephen, he was one of seven men usually considered to be the first deacons. With his execution, fear filled the minds of many believers and the church was scattered. However, the men who were given the first commission to take the good news of Jesus to all the world stayed behind in Jerusalem.

Until now, we have seen the growth of the church in Jerusalem and the surrounding area. We will go back to that beginning and see what happened.

Acts 11:19ff. Those who were scattered because of the persecution at the time of the execution of Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch. As they traveled they preached only to the Jews. Some of these believers came to Antioch, a city that was located in modern-day southern Turkey. Luke pointed out the fact that those who were scattered only preached to Jews. So the Mandate was still being avoided by these followers of Christ.

Let’s look at Luke’s account. Acts 11:19-22, “Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. ²⁰ But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. ²¹ And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. ²² The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.”

The Jerusalem leadership did not break up their board of elders instead they sent the helper, Barnabas! There could not be a better choice. Remember, the original Apostles had been commissioned by Jesus to begin in Jerusalem and be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. They had been extremely successful in establishing the Jerusalem church. There were by now thousands of believers in and around Jerusalem. Luke makes the point that these new churches resulted from the persecution that began with Stephen’s martyrdom. Even so, they began by preaching to the Jews only. After some time, some of them began to preach to the Greeks, or Hellenists, indicating that some of their converts were not Jews. The people who were doing this had traveled from the island of Cyprus and even North Africa. They had lived in largely Greek cities and were very comfortable with the opportunity they were given to share the gospel with non-Jews.

The result of letting down the wall of separation was a great number coming to faith in Christ. An internal result was the word got back to Jerusalem! Just as Peter had to answer to the Apostles after he had witnessed to the Roman Centurion, Cornelius, now the Jerusalem church leadership sent a representative to check out the work in Antioch! I don’t want to make too much out of it but it is pretty clear to me that this should have been a job for one of the original Apostles.

Let’s look at Luke’s account of what happened. Acts 11:23-244 “When he (Barnabas) came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, ²⁴ for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.” This was a totally unexpected result! Barnabas arrived and immediately approved and encouraged the church at Antioch to get on with the business of winning people, no matter their race, to the Lord Jesus Christ! The immediate consequence was a rapid growth of the church. Rather than returning to Jerusalem and reporting Barnabas took a totally unexpected direction. What was it? “So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, ²⁶ and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.”

Remember, it was Barnabas that brought Saul to the attention of the Apostles in Jerusalem. Saul had been such an effective preacher there that the unbelievers in Jerusalem prepared to kill him. In order to protect him from the Jews he was sent back to his hometown of Tarsus.

Now, more than 10 years later Barnabas remembered Saul and he went to Tarsus to find him. We do not have any record of what happened during those years. We can assume that he was effective in his preaching and that it involved a cross-cultural aspect. Saul could be the bridge over which the gospel passed from the Jews to the Gentiles. Barnabas and Saul spent the next year strengthening the church in Antioch.

Their ministry was so effective that they were first called “Christians” there. This created a new category of believers. They were not just a branch of Judaism they were a whole new category of believers. The church in Antioch was visited by prophets from Jerusalem. These men reported there would soon be a worldwide famine. And the church in Jerusalem was not prepared for it. Immediately, the Christians took up an offering and sent it to Jerusalem with Saul and Barnabas. While they were there they met with the leadership of the church in Jerusalem and were extended the right hand of fellowship. We know from Paul’s own words that these things happened. He reported these events in the Galatian letter. The gift that was raised was given to the “elders” of the church in Jerusalem. May be of no significance but they are not called “apostles”! It seems to me that there came about a change in designation. The period of the Apostles is now past! Those who had received the great commission to go to all the world were now local church leaders keeping the doors open and in need of financial support from the missionary churches.

Possibly as a part of that changeover, James the brother of John was killed by order of King Herod. At the same time, Peter was arrested, jailed, and rescued by an angel.

It was now time to look away from Jerusalem and even Antioch and get about the business of being witnesses to the end of the world. How did it begin? We will go back to Luke’s account found in Acts 13:1-3. “Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. ³ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.”

At last! There was an organized campaign underway to get the gospel to all the world. While Saul and Barnabas were in Jerusalem they had picked up John Mark. It is not clear, to me at least, exactly how John Mark was related.

They began their adventure by going from Antioch to Cyprus. Perhaps they began there because it was the original home of Barnabas. Luke records that fact in Acts 4:36. At least that’s a human explanation. The word of God tells us that they were sent out by the Holy Spirit. The first intentional missionaries were now on the road carrying the gospel to the ends of the earth. They had a plan and it wasn’t prepared by a mission board somewhere it was simply this. Go to a new city, do a windshield survey of the town. Of course they did not have a vehicle with a windshield! A windshield survey is this, ride around town, look everything over and see the most likely place to meet people. Then, on the Sabbath day go to the nearest synagogue and wait to be asked why they were there. When given the opportunity they simply preached Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, and glorified as the Savior of sinners. Then, when the leaders of the synagogue could not stand it any longer they would block the missionaries from speaking on the Sabbath. Part of the plan appeared to be that they would be thrown out of the synagogue. They had now blessed the descendants of Abraham! They were given the opportunity to respond. Barnabas and Saul would then shake off the dust of that location and go on to the Gentiles. They would also take along with them any of the local Jews who had come to faith in Christ.

The Missionary Mandate was being fulfilled even though it was many years after it had been given. Also, it was being fulfilled by people who were not even part of the original commissioning ceremony. They traveled from Cyprus to the coast of a territory called Pamphylia. When they arrived there John left them. We are not told why he did. He just did! We find out later that Saul now usually called Paul was unhappy about his choice. We’ll see how God used that a little later. They came to a new town in Pisidia called Antioch — not their starting point. And on the Sabbath day Paul preached to them. You will find his sermon in the book of Acts 13:16-41. I really encourage you to read it all.

The result of that sermon was that many people begged them to come back the next Sabbath. In fact, several people left with Paul and Barnabas. The next Sabbath there was a crowd of opposition gathered to stop Paul from preaching. “And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, ‘It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.’” (Acts 13:46). Then Paul quoted from Isaiah the promised Mandate. “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 13:47). Again, they shook off the dust of that place and went on their way. They then traveled to Iconium and taught in the Jewish Synagogue where a great number of Jews and Gentiles converted to the faith. Other Jews stirred up trouble for the two missionaries. They left some time after arriving because of a plot against their lives.

Next was Lystra and Derbe where the Galatian church was planted. While they were in Lystra they were mistaken for Roman gods. After Paul healed a crippled man, the city erupted, claiming that Barnabas was Zeus and Paul was Hermes. This greatly distressed both of them, so they went out into the masses to set the record straight and to tell them the Gospel message, but as they were doing this, the crowds were won over by Jews trying to cause trouble for Paul and Barnabas. As a result, Paul was stoned, almost to death. (Possibly this was the time Paul referred to in 2 Corinthians 12:1-7. If it was, he did die only to be brought back when the church prayed for him). The very next day he and Barnabas went back to Derbe.

After a time of preaching in Derbe, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch. On this journey, their purpose was to strengthen the disciples and encourage them to continue in the faith.

Also, they appointed elders in every church with prayer and fasting. Normally individuals are recognized as elders in the churches only after they have proven themselves. There was no time for that. The Holy Spirit simply guided them to choose the right men for the jobs.

They returned to the church in Syrian Antioch to report to the church that had sent them out.

I promised to tell you how God worked out the conflict between John Mark and Paul. Near the end of Paul’s second letter to Timothy he made a request. “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:12). How this was accomplished we will never know.

Next week we will look at the First Jerusalem Council. There Paul reported on the acceptance of the Gentiles.

Let’s finish up today with another walk down the Roman road.

All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory — Romans 3:23

The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord — Romans 6:23.

God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. — Romans 5:8.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. – Romans 10:9.

We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. — 2 Corinthians 5:20.

Sin always has evil consequences. Just as Adam and Eve were promised a wonderful world of knowledge by disobeying God. Satan promises good things for us. The Bible says there is pleasure in sin for a season.

But seasons always come to an end.

Have you trusted Jesus for your salvation? Today could be your day.

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

201004 Reaching the World (3)

The personal doctor of Paul the apostle wrote two lengthy letters to a friend named Theophilus. The first, the Gospel of Luke, was an account of Jesus’ life and ministry and the second, Acts, was an account of the miraculous spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth. Many editions of the Bible title the second letter “The Acts of the Apostles”. True, the letter begins with the 12 apostles spending 40 days with the resurrected Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth. At the end of that time Jesus ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem until they received the power of the Holy Spirit. Just as John the Baptist began his ministry baptizing people who repented, Jesus told his disciples that they would begin their ministry when they received the promised Holy Spirit. In Luke’s research he found the words of Jesus that he wrote in the beginning of Acts, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). With such a bold beginning this letter must be about these disciples carrying out that command. I have come to believe Luke never intended to tell the story of their obedience. Instead, very subtly he unveiled the story of their reluctance to obey the command. I certainly do not want to condemn them but I would like to set the record straight. There but for the grace of God go I! In last week’s message we touched on the early days of the movement. We saw that about 120 disciples were gathered into an upper room for prayer when the Holy Spirit came on them. Then they settled in to begin the work they were called to do. After the Spirit came on them they began to build a godly community attending the temple together worshiping and praising God. (Acts 2:42-47).

After some time had passed, Peter and John were interrupted in their daily trip to the temple at the hour of prayer. There they saw a beggar and they healed him. That good deed resulted in a night in jail and a kangaroo court the next day! The church had grown to about five thousand men. Now they were able to witness to the rulers of the Jews. There were so many of them that the priests could not condemn them. The people would not allow these good people to be punished. Not yet!

Now they were settled in fulfilling the instructions Jesus had given them. Having received the power of the Spirit they became his witnesses to Jerusalem with some probable overflow into Judea.

How will they be persuaded go beyond Judaism? They seemed to have no intention of going beyond home base with the gospel. The Jewish priests and political leaders were determined to bring an end to this new sect in their midst. They kept stepping up the pressure on the church. They launched a purge beginning their attacks with a young Spirit filled man named Stephen. At his trial he was able to give a presentation of the gospel that led to his execution by stoning. (Acts 7) A young man named Saul, a student of Gamaliel one of the leading Rabbis of the day, stood by and held their coats while they killed this godly man. Saul went on to become a leader of the persecution of the church. Saul went to foreign cities to arrest and even kill Christians! We will get back to him later.

Now, let’s look at the beginning of the spread of the gospel. With the death of Stephen the persecution against the church began. The Christians were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Well, finally the Apostles can now get on with the business they had been trusted with. Taking the good news about Jesus to the ends of the earth. Oops, what happened? While the Christians were being scattered the apostles went into hiding in Jerusalem.

Jesus had left clear instructions. The Apostles were to be his witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. Since they did not voluntary go on that journey of expansion the persecution led by Saul of Tarsus should drive them out of their hiding places in Jerusalem. It just did not happen.

I am sure there are many stories that could be told about this dispersal but we are confined to the story of Philip, one of the original seven deacons. (Acts 6:1-6) Since there was no need for their original ministry of feeding the widows, Philip went down to the city of Samaria. He would be fairly safe there since the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. It may well be that Philip found prepared hearts for the gospel. Remember, Jesus went to a city of Samaria and spent two days there. When he left, the people of that place believed on him. Samaria is not a large area and it is very possible some of those Samaritan believers who had been taught by Jesus found themselves in the right place to welcome Philip!

At any rate, the Samaritans listened to the preaching of Philip and the word spread. I am leaving out details you need to check out by reading Acts for yourself. The church in Jerusalem became aware of Philip’s work and sent Peter and John to check it out! These two Apostles helped to establish the church in Samaria and immediately returned to Jerusalem preaching as they went. Finally they broke out of the cultural trap of Jews first—Jews only! The Missionary Mandate was being strengthened as two of the Apostles were now on the ground in Samaria. As soon as they testified and spoke the word to these people they began preaching in Samaritan villages. Of course those villages were on the way back to Jerusalem.

Philip, on the other hand, met an angel of the Lord who gave him instructions. In the middle of his busy ministry Philip was told to leave Samaria, travel across Judea and go down the road to Gaza. He went in obedience. He was not told why he was there-- just to be there. As he was traveling down the road he saw a chariot. Now a chariot would indicate a person of some wealth. The Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” (Acts 8:29). Philip had to run the catch up with the chariot. You see, he might have missed his text had he not hurried. The person in the chariot was the treasurer of Ethiopia. He was a rich Gentile! He was reading from the scroll of Isaiah. He had been to Jerusalem to worship and was now on his way home without a clear understanding of why he was there. Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading he replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” (Acts 8:31). The man in the chariot invited Philip to join him. He asked Philip to explain the Scripture to him. Given the opportunity Philip told him the good news about Jesus. Soon they came upon a body of water and this Ethiopian asked to be baptized. They went down in the water together and Philip baptized him. The Missionary Mandate was being fulfilled but not by the original Apostles! We believe that this Ethiopian eunuch went back to the palace and began to share the good news about Jesus. The consequence of his faith was an establishment of Christianity that spread across Ethiopia and is now one of the oldest known group of churches. Another nation had been added to the kingdom of God. When they came up out of the water the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip north along the coast to a town named Azotus.

Meanwhile, Saul is carrying on his persecution of the church and he has warrants for the arrest of any believers in Damascus. Let’s let Doctor Luke tells us what happened next.

“But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ² and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³ Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. ⁴ And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” ⁵ And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ⁶ But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” (Acts 9:1-6)

While Saul was being confronted by a bright light and a voice from heaven one of the believers in Damascus was soon to be confronted by the Lord. His name was Ananias and he knew exactly what Saul was there for. Again, let’s turn to Luke’s account “The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” ¹¹ And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, ¹² and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” ¹³ But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” ¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. ¹⁶ For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” (Acts 9:10-16). The Apostles who had received the Missionary Mandate were still back in Jerusalem rather than going to all the world. Instead, Saul of Tarsus was being led by the hand into the city of Damascus since he had been blinded by the light that shined down from heaven. The men who were with him did not understand what happened to him. Three days passed and a local Christian came to the door.

This man, Ananias, knew Saul had come to arrest him. Now he was ordered to go to the house where Saul was waiting. He was encouraged by the words of Jesus saying Saul was Jesus’ chosen instrument. The Apostles may not have obeyed the Missionary Mandate but God had a candidate for the job. Saul was not promised an easy life as a missionary. Jesus spoke of the future for Saul. “I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” (Acts 9:16)

Immediately Saul began to meet with the disciples in Damascus. The very people he had gone there to arrest and kill were now his spiritual family. From the very beginning, Saul was a very powerful preacher of the gospel. After a few days he discovered that the Jews there were planning to kill him. Saul told part of the story in Galatians 1:15-17. “But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, ¹⁶ was pleased to reveal his Son to (in) me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; ¹⁷ nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.”

When he did get to Jerusalem he was not welcomed by the Apostles. They were all afraid of him. So Barnabas took the responsibility of introducing him to the disciples. Barnabas was a leader in the church in Jerusalem. His given name was Joseph but everyone called him Barnabas. Because Barnabas means son of encouragement. He was an encourager we need more of them today. After some time the church in Jerusalem learned Saul was once again in danger from the Jews so they sent him off to his home town of Tarsus. For the next 14 years he spent his time witnessing to the Lord Jesus Christ in a Gentile environment.

With Saul out of the way and no longer persecuting Christians there was relative peace. Still, the apostles remained in Jerusalem. Luke, the writer of Acts, turns his eyes on some significant events in the life of Peter. Peter arrived at a town called Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas who had been bedridden for eight years. Peter prayed for him and he was healed. Going on to Joppa, Peter was approached by friends of a woman named Dorcas that translates to Gazelle! Dorcas had died and her friends had prepared her body for burial. They heard that Peter was nearby so they sent for him and told him all about Dorcas’ good works. Peter put the people out the house and knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, arise.” She was raised to life and restored to her friends. These miraculous events led many people to come to faith in Christ. (Acts 9:36-42).

Meanwhile life changing circumstances were happening that Peter knew nothing of. But he was soon to be deeply involved. There was a Roman centurion named Cornelius in Caesarea. An angel from God appeared to him and told him his generosity was pleasing to God. Then he was told to send some men to Joppa to find Simon Peter and bring him to Caesarea.

God is always at work fulfilling the Missionary Mandate. More than 15 years had passed since Jesus had presented the Mandate to his apostles. Now, finally, Peter was going to bring another group of people into the kingdom. Peter was a very strict Jew. He was not the most likely candidate to bring Romans into the kingdom.

As the messengers were approaching the city of Joppa, Peter went up on the roof of the house he was staying in to pray. He became hungry and asked for some food. While it was being prepared he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and a great sheet being let down. On that sheet were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds. Suddenly a voice was heard, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”! Peter replied, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” This happened 3 times as if to drive the point home. When God gives a command the answer can never be “By no means” followed by “Lord”! (Acts 10:1-23). The answer must be either “no” or “Lord”. If one can say “no” you cannot say “Lord” in the same breath. Either Jesus is Lord and we must say yes or we can say no and Jesus is not Lord.

With the vision fresh in his memory there was the sound of someone knocking at the door. Some visitors were there asking for Peter! The vision Peter had seen pressed home the point that the Missionary Mandate was being fulfilled. Another family, indeed another nation was being brought into the kingdom.

So Peter went down to meet these men from Caesarea. They told him that Cornelius was a very generous man and an angel had told him to send for Peter.

The next day Peter went with them to the centurion’s house. Cornelius had gathered his family and friends to hear what Peter had to say. Peter told him, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.” (Acts 10:24-28),

With that introduction Peter, preached the first recorded sermon intended for a Gentile congregation. Peter promptly began to tell these Italians that God had sent Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, to earth. This Jesus had ministered through teaching and healing. He was put to death by hanging him on the cross. He was raised again on the third day to his chosen witnesses. Everyone who believes in him sees forgiveness of sin through his name.

While Peter was preaching, and before he gave the invitation, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Gentiles. Peter asked an interesting question.

“Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received

the Holy Spirit just as we have?” (Acts 10:34-47). The obvious answer was “no”. Peter then had them baptized and stayed with them for several days. Later, Peter would go back to Jerusalem to report his experience. Surely, the Apostles would now begin to fulfill the Missionary Mandate.

Actually, it was those who had been scattered during the persecution who continued the Mandate into the Gentile world. Next week, we will pick up with the church in Antioch and see how God continued his outreach to the world.

Let’s finish up today with another walk down the Roman road.

All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory — Romans 3:23

The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord — Romans 6:23.

God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. — Romans 5:8.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. – Romans 10:9.

We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. — 2 Corinthians 5:20.

Sin always has evil consequences. Just as Adam and Eve were promised a wonderful world of knowledge by disobeying God. Satan promises good things for us. The Bible says there is pleasure in sin for a season.

But seasons always come to an end.

Have you trusted Jesus for your salvation? Today could be your day.

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.