Faith is the Key that Opens our Hearts to the Grace of God (Sermon: Acts 7:1-8)

The focus of the Sanhedrin was upon the temple building and upon the customs of Moses. What they failed to understand was that faith was the means of having a relationship with God. And so Stephen directed their attention to Abraham, a man who was not only the founder of the Jewish nation, but who was also a model of faith.

Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Eph 2:8-9). I believe that anytime we forget that faith is the instrument through which God saves us, we are inevitably tempted to depend upon our own works. We must realize that every good work and every act of sacrifice is to be offered to God as a thanksgiving for what He has done for us. We cannot help God pay for our sins, for even our most righteous acts are but filthy rags compared to the holiness of God (Is. 64:6).

The worship of God has always been through faith. It always will be through faith. Would you like to please God, then believe in Him.

Challenging Established Religion (Sermon: Acts 6:8-15)

We see a trend throughout the Gospels and Acts of early believers and leaders challenging the established religious leaders of their day. Both John the Baptist and Jesus referred to the Pharisees as a brood of vipers (Mt. 3:7 and Mt. 12:34). Peter rebuked the Sanhedrin for crucifying Jesus (Acts 4). Stephen stood before the Sanhedrin and boldly proclaimed: "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit" (Acts 7:51). But the trend isn't confined to the tensions between Jews and Christians, Paul also rebuked Peter for his hypocrisy in accepting the Gentile believers (Gal. 2:11-14).

So what does this trend teach us? Some would argue it teaches us that we should avoid established religion and just follow Jesus. The problem with this view is that is fails to take into account the fact that it was Jesus that established the church (Mt. 13:16-18). Further, scripture, which is of course inspired by God, commands us not to neglect regular participation in the church (Heb. 10:25). So what are we to do if we are not satisfied with the established church. Well, we could start a new church, a church in which all of our criticisms of the established church will be addressed. Yet, the irony is after a few years or maybe less the new church will itself be established. The reality is all of us who seek any type of corporate worship will become part of established religion at some point--it's unavoidable if we meet together in any way. But that is fine, because there is no sin in being established. The sin of the Pharisees, the sin of the Sanhedrin, and even the sin of Peter was not the result of their place in the establishment. It was the result of their unchecked sinful nature.

What we can learn from this trend of confronting leaders of the establishment has nothing to do with established religion itself, but with the susceptibility of all humans to sin. No matter how involved we are in the church, no matter what we have done in service for the Lord in the past, we are all capable of sinning against God. Secondly, don't ever let the sin of others discourage you from being part of the church. Jesus knew full well of the sin and hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders, yet He worshiped at the synagogue regularly.

Are there problems in your local established church? If it has actual human beings in it, I am sure there are problems. But the answer is not to rebel against the established church, but to give of yourself to help it to grow and mature. And finally, we must remember that the established church as we know it today, is a mere shadow of the wonderful love and fellowship that Christians will experience together in heaven.

The Value of Godly Leadership (Sermon: Acts 6:3)

If we need anything in the church today, we need godly leadership. Men and women who have a good reputation, who are filled with the Spirit and with wisdom. The apostles knew that the character of the men appointed to serve in the early church was vital to the success of their ministry. Instead of allowing popularity or charisma to determine who would be placed in leadership, the apostles lead the early church to seek only godly individuals whose reputation, spiritual life, and wisdom would be an asset to the church.

Instead of following the example of the early church, churches sometimes look for names to fill slots. After all, if we have a position, we must have a person to fill it, right? No! Placing the wrong person in the wrong place will never be the right thing for the church to do. The church of the Lord Jesus Christ must not settle for anything short of godly leadership. Where can we find such people? Jesus said: "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest" (Matt 9:37-38). Let us follow the command of Jesus and pray for our Father to send workers.

What's in a Name? (Sermon: Acts 6:1-17)

Have you ever been tempted to skip over a list of names in the Bible. After all, how much impact could "A begat B, and B begat C, and etc.." have upon your spiritual life? Well, the truth is you may be surprised at how much insight and teaching is contained in the Bible's lists of names.

In Acts 6, the Bible lists the names of the first deacons: "they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch (Acts 6:5). Of these seven names, only two become prominent in the New Testament. Stephen becomes the first Christian martyr (Acts 7:54-60) and Phillip takes the gospel to the Samaritans (Acts 8:4-25) and to the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-40). Of the other five men, we know almost nothing-except their names. Yes, just their good ol' Greek names, not Hebrew names, but Greek names.

And what does it tell us that all seven deacons had Greek names? It tells us that most likely they were all Hellenists and not Hebrews. The Hebrew apostles appointed seven men of the Hellenists to resolve the potential division in the church between the Hellenists and the Hebrews. How could the apostles have sent any clearer message to the Hellenists that they were a vital part of the body of Christ than to have appointed seven of their own to positions of service in the church?

So, what's in a name? Well, in this case, seven Greek names carry of message of love, acceptance, healing, and unity in the early church. May we be as wise as the leaders of the early church!

Who Knows the Weather?

For many of us here in Douglasville, yesterday was a frustrating day. Responding to weather forcasts given Saturday that roads would be icy and dangerous by Sunday morning, we cancelled services, only to awake Sunday morning to clear conditions. Some may blame the forcasters, but forcasts are based upon probability and I expect based upon the information available to them at the time the forcasters made a very reasonable prediction. Others may say that churches acted rashly in canceling services, but I believe that to have charged ahead with service plans given the weather forcasts of icy and trechoureous roads would have been gambling with the safety of our members. Just because someone survives a round of Russian roulette with only an empty click does not mean the game is safe.

So what can we learn from this experience? I read a verse this morning from Lamentations: "Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it?" (3:37) If anything, this past Sunday should teach us that God is in control. We cannot change the weather. We cannot even forsee the weather. Second, it should teach us that the future is uncertain. We have no promise of tommorrow. As quickly as the snow ended this past weekend, so may our time on earth end.

Jesus said: "As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." (Matt 24:37-44)

May we live each day with great expectation, taking nothing for granted. And may we respond to the news of Jesus' coming as John: "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" (Rev 22:20)

Modern Day Persecution (Sermon: Acts 5:17-42)

Although most believers today are familiar with the persecution of the early believers, in modern America we have in most cases enjoyed shelter from physical persecution. Other believers around the world are not so fortunate. A recent article published on the International Mission Board website describes persecution that is taking place among believers today in Turkmenistan.

--Across Turkmenistan, churches are under attack. Believers are placed under surveillance or house arrest. Others are beaten or tortured. Persecution has caused some to flee the country, others have recanted their faith. Pastors are frequent targets.

“One [pastor] was beaten so badly he lost hearing in one ear,” Russell says. “His head also was held underwater to the point he almost drowned – multiple times.”

Though some churches have weathered such attacks, not all are as steadfast. Last year, a 60-member congregation was scattered after its pastor was forced to leave Turkmenistan.-- (Link to full IMB Article)

As we read about the persecution these believers are facing, I hope it foster several responses from us. First, we should be thankful for the religious freedom that we enjoy in America. Second, we should have a profound respect for all of our missionaries who place themselves in harms way to share the gospel. Third, we should pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who suffer from persecution. And finally, I hope that the knowledge of what some believers are facing will help us to keep our own difficulties in perspective.

Investing With An Eternal Perspective (Sermon: Acts 5:12-16)

Real estate, gold, international currency, stocks, bonds-where should we invest? It all depends on whether you have long range goals or short range goals. Some of us invest to be able to upgrade our house in a few years. Others invest for their children's college. Still others are looking toward retirement. But do you realize that even if you are just entering the work force and have 50 years until retirement, this is still a short range goal in relation to eternity.

I want to encourage you today to invest in something that will never depreciate, never run out, and can never be taken away from you. Invest yourself in leading others to faith in Jesus. No, it won't help you retire at 55. It won't lead to a nicer car or a bigger house. It may not even lead to more respect. But it will give you a satisfaction and joy that nothing else can buy. And a thousand years from now, when you have long forgotten about what car you are now driving and you can't remember the address where you used to live, you will be able to look into the face of someone who is experiencing heaven because you investing your time and energy to share the love of Christ with them.

Consider Jesus' parable: "The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' 18 And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' 20 But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:16-21). --Amen