What to Do with God’s Word
TEXT: Acts 11:1-21 – “And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, 3 Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them. 4 But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying, 5 I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me: 6 Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat. 8 But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth. 9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. 10 And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven. 11 And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me. 12 And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house: 13 And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; 14 Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved. 15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. 16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. 17 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God? 18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
19 Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. 20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.”
INTRODUCTION
Usually, when there’s a church split, it’s over petty, foolish things.
Illus. – I’ve heard of all kinds of dumb things churches have had splits over: One church split over which brand of toilet paper should be used. Another one split over whether to use 75 watt or 100 watt light bulbs.
Sometimes churches split over sinful power struggles.
Illus. – In church some friends of ours went to in South Carolina, when the pastor resigned, there was such a power struggle between the interim pastor whom most of the members wanted to be the pastor and the head deacon, who opposed the interim pastor. In a business meeting discussing the interim pastor’s election to become pastor, the head deacon came to the podium and punched the interim pastor in the face!
That’s an extreme and rare example, but tragically, it does happen.
In Acts 11, there was potential for a split that could have crippled Christianity in its infancy. When Peter took the Gospel to the Gentile Cornelius, which we looked at the last time we were in Acts, he did something that, in the mind of the Jewish believers, was wrong.
But a split did NOT occur in the church at Jerusalem, because its leaders had spiritual minds instead of carnal minds and personal agendas. Once they knew that the Gospel’s going to the Gentiles was indeed of God’s doing, they put aside centuries of prejudice against Gentiles and cooperated with God’s plan.
That’s the main theme of this passage of Scripture. This morning I want you to see the importance of God’s Word in the early church. What may not be apparent is the role the Word of God played in this entire story.
Today I would like to narrow our focus and examine the role of God’s Word in this passage of Scripture and see we should deal with the Word of God in the same way.
I. FIRST, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO SEE THAT WE SHOULD RECEIVE THE WORD OF GOD – Verse 1 – “And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.”
The Greek word for receive (déchomai) here means “to freely take something offered.” With reference to preaching or teaching, it means “to accept favorably, embrace, make one’s own.”
In chapter 10, the Gentile Cornelius was offered the Gospel from God’s Word—how to have his sins forgiven and have eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. When he heard it, he accepted it as truth; he embraced it; and made it his own. He freely RECEIVED what God offered to him.
This idea of “receiving the Word of God” for salvation is found elsewhere in the Bible:
Acts 17:11 – “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind (“with great eagerness”)” – I’d exhort you too to receive God’s Word with great eagerness.
Commending these same Thessalonian believers years later, Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 – “And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: 7 So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.” – Even in affliction, the Thessalonians eagerly received God’s Word.
Turn with me to 1 Thessalonians 2:13 – “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”
This verse tells us HOW to receive the Word of God so that you can be saved:
• First, you need to HEAR the God’s Word. – The first part of the verse says, “when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us.”
Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
You must first HEAR the Word of God before you can RECEIVE it.
How can you hear the Word of God?—One way to hear the Word of God is to faithfully attend a Bible-believing church where the Bible is read, preached and taught. Another way to “hear” God’s Word is to simply pick it up and read it.
I would strongly urge you to do these two things so that you can hear God’s Word to produce faith in your heart. Start with the Gospel of John, the fourth book in the New Testament.
• Second, once you’ve heard the Word, BELIEVE it! – The second part of 1 Thessalonians 2:13 says that when the Thessalonians heard God’s Word, they “…received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”
The Word of God is effectual only if you believe it! The Thessalonians believed what God had said in His Word—not as the word of men, but as it is in truth—the very Word of God, and it was effectual in their lives; that is, it changed them; it had its powerful effect.
Never doubt God’s Word; believe every word of it!
> When the Bible says that you’re a sinner under God’s condemnation no matter what good you’ve done, please believe that, because it’s true.
> When the Bible says that Jesus is God in the flesh who lived a perfect life and obeyed all God’s laws, believe it, because it’s TRUE.
> When the Bible says Jesus died on the cross for your sins, the just for the unjust; the innocent for the guilty, which includes you, believe it!
> When Jesus says “For God so loved the world [including you], that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life” believe that wonderful promise because it is the truth that saves you from God’s judgment.
Receive these truths, accept them, embrace them for believing them, you can discover a relationship with God and be saved by His grace.
II. NOT ONLY SHOULD WE RECEIVE GOD’S WORD, BUT SECOND, WE SHOULD CONTEND FOR THE WORD OF GOD – Acts 11:2 – “And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him.”
Upon first reading, it appears that these men had a wrong spirit, like they were just being critical and Pharisaical or something.
But their ready acceptance of God’s plan later in the chapter proves they were doing the right thing.
Look at their response later, in verse 18 – “When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.”
As far as we can tell, these men were trying to safeguard the truth. They were trying to make sure that Peter’s experience lined up with what they understood the Word of God to teach. At first they thought Peter was going against Scripture and they were being zealous to contend for the faith. But when they realized that Peter was right in understanding what God was doing, they agreed with him and willingly accepted God’s plan.
Just as these men contended for truth, so should we. How can we do this?
• First, EVALUATE everything you hear to see if it lines up with the Word of God.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Paul said, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
There are many scriptures that teach essentially the same truth: that we are to evaluate everything we hear on the basis of it’s agreement with the scriptures.
• Second, REJECT ERROR but EARNESTLY SAFEGUARD TRUTH.
In 2 Timothy 1:13, Paul advises the young preacher Timothy to “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.”
And in Romans 12:9b, Paul says, “Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.”
These verses teach us that we’re to evaluate EVERYTHING according to the God’s Word, and then we should HOLD FAST TO that which is good and truth, and REJECT that which is evil and error.
These men in Acts 11 did just that, and so should we.
III. A FINAL THING WE SEE IN THIS PASSAGE WE SHOULD DO WITH GOD’S WORD IS TO PREACH IT – Verses 19-21– “Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. 20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.”
There are five different Greek words translated “preach” in the New Testament.
In our Bible, the same English word “preaching” is found in both verses 19 and 20, but in the Greek, two separate words are used.
• In verse 19 the word translated “preaching” is laléō, which is found 295 times in the Greek New Testament.
The various meanings for laléō are: “to speak, i.e. to use the tongue or the faculty of speech; to talk; to utter, tell; to use words in order to declare one’s mind and disclose one's thoughts; to speak.” (TDNT, vol. 4, pp. 69, 505.)
In the King James Version, laléō is translated “speak” 244 times; “say” 15 times; “tell” 12 times; “talk” 11 times; “utter” 4 times; “preach” only 6 times; and miscellaneous other words 3 times.
When you see the word “preaching,” you might be tempted to tune this verse out and think, “Well, I’m not a preacher, so this doesn’t apply to me.” But, as you can see, this DOES apply to each one of us. By translating laléō as “preach” only six out of the 295 times, it’s obvious that laléō does not primarily refer to standing behind a pulpit and preaching a formal sermon as I’m doing this morning—but rather refers primarily to speaking, saying, telling, and uttering the Gospel.
You may not be in the ministry as I am privileged to be, but you can speak, say, utter and talk about Jesus Christ! You may not be a pastor, but you can use words in order to declare your mind and disclose your thoughts about Jesus Christ!
Everyone can be a preacher in this sense, and all of us SHOULD be preachers in the sense that we take every opportunity to speak of Christ.
• In verse 20 the word translated “preaching” is a different word altogether.
It is the Greek word euangelízō. We looked at this word a few weeks back and saw that it means “to bring good news, to proclaim glad tidings.”
Is the Gospel good news?—It sure is! If so, isn’t it worth proclaiming? And if it is good news, then we ought to all be involved in proclaiming it!
Note with me one last passage of Scripture: Romans 10:13-15 – “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”
Illus. – A disease known as elephantiasis is a terrible scourge in tropical countries. The skin of the diseased person with this malady becomes thick and hard and fissured like an elephant’s hide, and the part infected swells enormously in size. Some victims of the disease have lower legs twelve to fifteen inches in diameter.
Donald Grey Barnhouse tells of one poor sufferer from this disease who heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ and was wondrously saved! He became a radiant Christian and was consumed with telling people the good news of how Jesus came to die for our sins. This man lived in an African village and he was determined that every person in the village should hear the good news of salvation.
Although extremely difficult for him to walk on his monstrous legs, he thought nothing of the pain and toiled from hut to hut sharing the Gospel.
At the end of several months he had visited every hut in the village. Then he started to take the Gospel to a village about two miles away. Each day, he painfully walked two miles to that village, went from hut to hut sharing Jesus, returning the two miles to his own hut before sundown.
When he had visited every hut in that village, he decided to take the Gospel to a village TWELVE miles away. He was advised not to do it, but day after day the burden grew upon him.
One day the man’s family told the missionary that the man was missing. He had slipped out just before dawn and had not returned that evening, so the family was concerned about him.
Afterwards the full story became known: Step after weary step the afflicted man dragged his leathery legs and gigantic feet along the path that led to the village, arriving after noon. He was offered food, but he refused until he had completed his mission. His feet were swollen, bruised and bleeding.
Up and down to every single hut he went, telling them that the God of creation was Love and that He had sent His Son to die for their sins. He told them how the Lord Jesus had been raised from the dead and had come into his heart, bringing such joy and peace.
Finally, he started on his long, weary journey back to his village. He already was in no condition to travel, but he realized it too late It was already pitch dark on the cold, dark path through the jungle. It was too dangerous to stop, so by sheer force of his will he kept on going, trudging his way step after painful step.
About midnight, a noise awakened the missionary doctor on his front porch. There was the elephantiasis victim—his leg stumps wounded and bleeding. The doctor and his helpers lifted the almost unconscious man into one of the hospital beds. Seldom had they seen such a frightful sight as those bleeding feet that had come back from such an errand of love and mercy.
Unashamedly, the doctor ministered to those feet, his tears falling into the ointment he dressed the bloody stumps with. The doctor ended by saying, “In all my life I do not know when my heart was more drawn out to another Christian believer. All I could think of was the verse in the Word of God: “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”
Here was a man who “preached the Word” at great personal sacrifice, with no formal training in the ministry, having only known Christ as Savior a very short time.
Brethren, this man had “beautiful feet” in God’s sight. Can I ask you: How pretty are YOUR feet in God’s sight? How diligent have YOU been to talk about Jesus Christ to others, to proclaim to them the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
CONCLUSION
What does God want you to do about to do about today’s sermon?
• First, have you received the Word of God’s message of forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ?—If not, see me after the service or let’s set up an appointment.
• Believer, are you actively, daily, regularly, consistently sifting everything you hear and see and rejecting evil and error and embracing that which is good and true?
Think about what you watch; what you listen to; what you read; where you go. May God teach you to be a disciplined discerner and to be proactive in making sure that you reject the wrong things and allow and engender the right things.
• Lastly, are you telling the Gospel to others; that is, are you “preaching the Word?”
It’s not just the preacher’s job to preach. We’re all to proclaim the Good New of salvation through Jesus Christ by grace. May God help you to become a flaming witness for Jesus Christ.
