15th of May 2011
Readings: 1 Peter 2:19-25 Acts 6:1-7
Theme: ‘The increase of the word.’
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
We are reading the book of Acts of the apostles, which should be rather called the Acts of the Holy Spirit through the apostles and others; or is could be also called: ‘Chapter one of the mission and ministry of the church’ – with the idea that chapter two followed and we, the believers of 21st century are writing chapter No 225, or something like that. We are part of this amazing story. We are participating today in God’s plan of salvation that started long time ago and won’t be finished until Jesus comes.
Last week we have learnt about the newly formed community of believers of 120 men, with the 12 apostles as leaders. This new legal body within the Jewish society was growing day by day. These believers were still all Jewish believers in the Messiah and they saw themselves as the Messianic Jewish congregation. They did not need to learn about their Jewish roots because there are no other roots. They did not need to be taught that the word of God is BOTH the Old AND the New Testament, because there was nothing else but the Old Testament, the New wasn’t written yet. They did not recognize any denominations, they only knew that Jesus is the Messiah and everything that has something to do with the Messiah had everything to do with their ‘Jewish-ness’, with the Old Testament, with their traditions, customs and their nation.
But this is the where the book of Acts steps in and makes this amazing discovery that Jesus, the Messiah is the Messiah, Saviour of all and for all. All the nations, all the peoples of the whole earth saved in the same manner.
Interesting parallels between the OT and NT stories of the new communities of believers emerging:
Old Testament New Testament
- God descended at Mt. Sinai to take up - God descended through the Holy Spirit to take up
the residence among His people. the residence among His people.
- God’s presence came through a storm - Holy Spirit came with a noise like the rushing
cloud and fire. Wind and tongues of fire.
- at the tower of Babel the nations were - at the coming of the Holy Spirit all nations
scattered, fragmentation began. came together in united community.
- a Jewish legend stated that 70 tongues of - at Pentecost people spoke many different
fire appeared on Mt. Sinai representing 70 languages; God was reversing the events of
nations of the world the tower of Babel
- Israel became a new nation at the - Jesus instituted HC as a symbol of this new
Passover believers’ community
- they spent 40 days in the desert before - Jesus stayed with them 40 days before He
they got to the Promised Land ascended into the Eternal Promised Land
- 12 tribes gathered around God’s presence - 12 apostles (with Matthias added instead of
in their midst Judas
- events at Mt. Sinai took place 50 days - the Holy Spirit descended on the faithful 50
after the Exodus from Egypt days after Jesus’ rescue event at Golgotha
- as a punishment for the idolatry 3000 men - on the day of Pentecost 3000 men became true
died (Exodus 32:28) worshippers (Acts 2:41)
All of these parallelisms are pointing to the fact that the new church was here standing firmly on the foundations of the word of God, the law and the prophets but saw them as fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ, the word incarnated.
Jesus made it very clear at the time of His departure that the disciples are sent out to preach the gospel to the whole world, beginning in Jerusalem. The book of Acts is showing how this instruction of Jesus was being worked out.
- first we have a story of Peter and the twelve preaching in Jerusalem (Acts 1-7)
- secondly we read about ministry in Samaria (8:4-25)
- thirdly Gospel was preached, received and taken to Ethiopia (8:26-40)
- fourthly, Saul was converted and took the gospel throughout the Mediterranean world (9…)
We can call this progression of the gospel the church growth but we can as well label it as an increase of the word of God.
In our reading from Acts 6:7 we have heard:
“And the word of God continued to increase” – or some versions say: “The word of God grew”, “the word of God spread”, “preaching of the word flourished”.
And I want to point just to this one phrase today in a little more detail. Since at this church we are together as a family reading through the New Testament this year, we are trying to increase in our understanding and knowledge of the word of God. We want the word of God to grow within us. The word is the seed, as Jesus said in a parable, and we want to see a plentiful harvest.
So how else does the word of God increase?
Luke uses this phrase ‘the increase of the word of God’ three times in the book of Acts 6:7 12:24 and 19:20.
I believe that we want to see the same increase of the word of God, so let us have a brief look at these three places and find out whether there are any principles that we can learn and make sure that they are applied in our lives and in this church so that we can see the growth.
In each of these three passages of the Scripture we shall ask two questions:
1. What was the challenge, problem or an issue that the church was facing?
and
2. What was the solution of that problem?
A/ Acts 6:7
1. The issue was the complaints from one part of the congregation that felt neglected. The Hellenists (Greek speaking Jews from the Diaspora – the Dispersion) did not like that their widows were not receiving the equal portions of daily food distributions. It was a serious matter and in every church, the equality of all members is foundational for healthy relationships and functioning.
We do not distribute food at out church in the same way as they did, but if anybody feels that there is some injustice or partiality or that particular group of people in our church is preferred over the others, we have to speak up and fix the problem. Sometimes these kind of things may be unnoticed, hidden, and people might not realize that it has been happening until somebody points them out.
Of course everything must be done in the love of Christ and for the benefit of the whole body, for the glory of God.
2. In the first church they acknowledge the problem and solved it by electing 7 deacons. The solution pleased the whole gathering (verse 5) and as a result “the word of God continued to increase”.
B/ Acts 12:24
1. In this chapter the problem was a persecution of Christian that was initiated by the brutal king Herod. James was killed with the sword (12:2), and when he saw that people liked that, he arrested Peter. Persecution, harassment, oppression and trouble of any kind have been the hallmark of the true church over the ages.
2. What was the solution to this problem?
Acts 12:12 says that after James got executed and Peter got arrested, the other believers did not flee to the countryside but rather they gathered and they prayed. And they kept on praying the whole night! The unity, love, concern and fervent prayer were their answer to this situation.
And what happened?
The angel of the Lord appeared in the prison, led Peter out, without awaking the guards. Peter came to the prayer meeting and they all rejoiced.
Herod after this did not even stayed in Jerusalem but went down to Caesarea and stayed there. After that there was a little trouble amongst Herod’s subjects but during the reception as Herod was sitting on his throne, people were shouting: “The voice of a god, and not of a man. Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.” (Acts 12:23)
Christians reacted to the problem not with a human solution but turned to prayer. God not only saved Peter, but also punished their enemy. God will not answer the same way every time we pray (thanks God), but it teaches us an important lesson: The importance of united prayer, the power of prayer and that the revenge belongs to the Lord and not to us.
How do we respond to the hard times? Are we like our brothers back then in Jerusalem?
The next verse in this story says:
“But the word of God increased and multiplied” (Acts 12:24)
C/ Acts 19:20
1. The third story is from Paul’s ministry in Ephesus. After two years of preaching and proclaiming the gospel accompanied with miracles, healings and wonders, there was a confrontation between Paul and the enemies. The opposition in this case came in the form of seven sons of the Jewish high priest named Sceva. These men were trying to imitate Paul and they tried to practise exorcism by invoking the name of the Lord Jesus, while they did not believe in Jesus, but they’ve heard it works when Paul is doing that. (19:13) But the demons overpowered them and they fled the house naked and wounded.
2. And what was the solution, or rather the outcome?
This became know all over the area and the fear of the Lord fell upon them all. The result of that was that “many of those who were now believers came confessing and divulging their practises. And a number of those who had practised magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. … to the value of 50 000 pieces of silver.” (Acts 19:18-19)
And the result?
“So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.” (Acts 19:20)
What are the lessons from this story for us?
a) Firstly that the pretended religion doesn’t work. The devil will always get the upper hand if he finds any form of surface faith, false, imitated ritual.
b) Secondly if we fight the demonic powers in the true authority and anointing of the Holy Spirit, the people will come to faith and “the name of the Lord Jesus will be extolled” (19:17)
c) Thirdly once people experience the true power of God and that He does not tolerate pretended religion, there is only one way: the way of sanctification, holiness and you count everything as loss just to gain Christ. As a holy child of God you have to separate yourself from all evil, any form of witchcraft, idolatry (greed), selfish ambitions, horoscopes, palm reading, astrology, new age, tarot cards, power of crystals, dream catchers, statues of Buddha in your house or garden, good luck charms, …
… I could add to this list pages of things but I rather let the Holy Spirit bring you to conviction and repentance.
The fruit of their repentance in Ephesus led them to public demonstration of their allegiance to Jesus Christ by burning those things that were not clean and right in the eyes of the Lord.
I have done similar thing with some people in our ministry and it was always a very powerful experience: burning the bridges with the past and building your new life on Jesus Christ, the rock of your salvation.
After they burnt those books – whether so expensive or so many, doesn’t really matter – but they did it, ”the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.”
This time it says “mightily”. Wow!
We have seen three examples of the conditions that led to the increase of the word of the Lord in the early church. I believe if we let the Holy Spirit really talk to us, in each one of these there is something that challenges us.
Let the word of the Lord work in you and may the name of the Lord Jesus be exalted.
Amen.
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1 Corinthians 3:6-7
I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he
who waters, but God who gives the increase.
Ephesians 4:15-16
but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ;
16. from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love.
1 Thessalonians 3:12
and the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we also do toward you.
