The Gift of the Spirit

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday, the 26th of June, 2022, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.]

We know the story of the Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit first descended upon the disciples in Jerusalem and made His home within them.  Today I’d like to look at what is sometimes referred to as the Gentile Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit first came to dwell within Gentile believers as well.

A few weeks back, we looked at how the Apostle Peter was in the region around Joppa where Jesus healed a paralytic and raised Tabitha from the dead, all through Peter.  Our scripture reading this morning takes place shortly after that.  Please listen and follow along to this entire experience as recorded by the Apostle Luke in chapter 10 of his Book of the Acts of the Apostles, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!”

4 And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?”

So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. 6 He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.” 7 And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. 8 So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.

9 The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”

14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”

15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” 16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.

17 Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate. 18 And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there.

19 While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are seeking you. 20 Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.”

21 Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, “Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?”

22 And they said, “Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you.” 23 Then he invited them in and lodged them.

On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

24 And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I myself am also a man.” 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together. 28 Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. 29 Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?”

30 So Cornelius said, “Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.’ 33 So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God.”

34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. 36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ — He is Lord of all — 37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. 40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”

44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.

Then Peter answered, 47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.

--Acts 10 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for sending the wonderful gift of Your Holy Spirit to we Gentiles as well as Your chosen people.  Thank You for including us in Your great family.  And thank You for always being right here with us through Your Spirit.  Forgive us, please Father, when we don’t take full advantage of this gift You have so freely bestowed.  Forgive us when we look for help from and listen to the advice of our fellow man rather than seeking Your intervention and wisdom.  Please help us make better use of Your Spirit within us.  Help us put all our trust in You and the great power Your Spirit brings.  And help us be better witnesses to Your Son Jesus.  Remind us that it is because of Him that we were given Your Spirit in the first place.  And Father, please protect us from Satan and from those who carry out his divisive, evil works.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Help us do a better job of allowing Your Spirit to guide us in the path we must follow.  Show us how to better make use of this great gift.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once noted that, "The only gift is a portion of thyself."  God gave us a portion of Himself with the gift of His Holy Spirit.  That all-powerful Spirit lives within us to help us through each day, to always be with us, to guide us.  And most importantly, the Spirit reminds us of our commitment to Jesus.  He points to Jesus, shines the spotlight on Jesus, so that we can see and show others the Truth.

J. O. Sanders, in his book Enjoying Intimacy with God, notes that, "A walk in the Spirit will of necessity be a walk in accordance with the Word the Spirit has inspired.  In the writings of the Apostle Paul, the same results are said to flow from being filled with the Spirit and being filled with the Word.  To remain filled with the Spirit, and thus enjoy His continuing sanctifying work, will mean continuing to be filled with the Word.  The relationship is obvious."

Jesus is the Son of God, the true Word of God.  God’s word is also at our fingertips in our Holy Bible.  We have been filled with God’s Spirit when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Master.  We need to remain filled with Jesus, fully committed to serving Him, to keep God’s Spirit active within us.

Even though he was a Roman, and a leader of Roman soldiers in Judea, Cornelius had come to believe in the God of the Jews, the one true God.  Luke describes him as a devout man who feared God, who gave generously to the people, and who spent much time in prayer.  One day his prayers were answered, when Jesus set in motion the actions that would lead to salvation for this Centurion and his entire household.

We heard the story of how Cornelius, under directions from his vision, sent his trusted emissaries to seek out Peter.  We witnessed the vision Peter was shown, and how Jesus instructed him that he should not consider anything that God has cleansed as unclean or common.  And we traveled with Peter to Cornelius’ house, where all the Centurion’s family and close friends anxiously awaited the Apostle’s arrival.

I can only imagine the crowd that greeted Peter.  Not only his immediate family of wife and children, but also grandparents and cousins and uncles and aunts and probably some in-laws.  And I’m sure the household servants would have been included, too.  And then there were the close friends, which very likely included devout Jews, even of the local priesthood and synagogue leadership, since Cornelius was widely respected among them.

Cornelius explained the vision he’d been shown, and how he reacted to it.  Luke doesn’t mentioned it, but Peter obviously put two and two together after hearing the Centurion’s story and pondering the vision that he himself had been shown, how well the two meshed together.  He realized that God shows no partiality, that He loves not only the Jews, but accepts all who fear Him and who work righteousness.

And so Peter opened up and told the gathering all about Jesus, His ministry, His death and resurrection, His sacrifice for the redemption of all who will believe.  And then, just as in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit descended and entered into all those who had just heard the word, and by hearing, accepted Jesus as Lord.  The Jewish Christians who had come along with Peter were astonished, for the gift of God’s Holy Spirit had just been poured out on the Gentiles, too.  And all those present with Cornelius were baptized in the name of the Lord.

There were three events recorded in Acts that some folks recognize as Pentecostal in nature.  The first is the official Pentecost, of course, when the Holy Spirit fell upon the Jewish converts as recorded by Luke in Acts chapter 2.  The second occurred to the Samaritans as seen in Acts chapter 8, and the third we just looked at with the Gentiles in Acts chapter 10.

But there is also a 4th occurrence recorded, in Acts chapter 19, when some believers in Ephesus who had not gotten the full Gospel message were taught and baptized by Paul and the Spirit came upon them as well.  Please listen to how Luke described this in verses 1 through 8 of chapter 19 of his Book of Acts…

1 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”

3 And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?”

So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”

4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”

5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7 Now the men were about twelve in all.

8 And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God.

--Acts 19:1-8 (NKJV)

These believers and others that Paul spoke to would have been a mixture of both Jews and Gentiles.  Once they have received the Gospel message and accepted Jesus as God’s Son and their Lord, any and all – Jew and Gentile alike – are filled with God’s very own Holy Spirit.  We are all united, joined together as one church by the Holy Spirit.  He may be our Guide and Companion as individuals, but He is also the glue that holds Jesus’ body, His church, together.

There’s one last point I’d like to look at.  The words of the voice that Peter heard in his vision are printed in red ink in my Bible, meaning that those words were spoken by Jesus.  The voice was that of Jesus from heaven.  The Spirit within Peter directed him to go with Cornelius’ men, and he obeyed.

The Spirit directs us, too, when we let Him.  The question is, do we obey Him and go where He directs?  We have this absolutely amazing gift from God living right here inside us.  The greatest power in all the universe is at our disposal.  Why are we so hesitant to make better use of Him?

Family, God offers two truly wonderful gifts.  First He gave of His only begotten Son, that anyone who believes in Him and accepts Him as Lord will be saved and given everlasting life in heaven.  And then, for those who do believe, He gives of His own Spirit, to be their constant Companion and Guide.

We believers have this gift of God’s Spirit within us.  Let us show our appreciation by putting Him to work.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for giving of Your Son to all mankind so that we might be saved.  All You ask is that we believe in Him as Your Christ, sent to redeem us, and that we accept Him as our Lord.  And then, when we do, You give us the gift of Your Holy Spirit to always be with us.  Thank You, God, for such wonderful gifts.  Father, sometimes we just don’t listen to Your Spirit, ignoring His guidance.  Sometimes we just don’t fully believe we have His power to call upon.  Forgive us, Father, when we fail to follow Your Spirit’s lead.  Forgive us when we hesitate and falter in our service.  Please, loving Father, reinvigorate our will.  Remind us that You are in us, You are with us, no matter what we go up against.  And Father, please help us remain strong, faithful, and true through all that we face in this age.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, first You allowed Yourself to be sacrificed so that we could be redeemed, washed clean of our sin by Your blood.  And then You petitioned Your Father God to send His own Holy Spirit to dwell within us.  Thank You, Jesus, for so great a love.  Thank You for such a wonderful gift.  Please, Lord, help us make better use of the Spirit within us.  Forgive us when we don’t listen to Him, whether out of fear or because of our human doubts.  Help us be better witnesses to You and to the truth of God.  Remind us that God’s power resides within us in His Spirit.  Show us how He can help us carry out our mission on earth.  And Lord Jesus, please heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us remain trusting and obedient no matter what we go through.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on what this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Church of Our Fathers

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Father's Day, Sunday the 19th of June, 2022, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.]

Family, there was a time, fairly soon after his conversion, when Paul was in Jerusalem, speaking in the synagogue and sharing the Gospel message everywhere he could.  He had brought along some Gentile believers and even took them into the temple.

All of this infuriated the Jews, who grabbed him and threw him and the others out of the temple.  They would likely have killed him had the commander of the local Roman garrison not intervened and taken Paul into “protective custody”.

As they were about to enter the garrison barracks, Paul asked if he could address the mob.  Being granted permission, Paul turned to the crowd and let them know exactly who he was, including a retelling of his conversion.

Please listen and follow along to the Apostle Paul’s words as recorded by the Apostle Luke in chapter 22 of his Book of the Acts of the Apostles, verses 6 through 21, and I’ll be reading this from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

6 “Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. 7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ 8 So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’

9 “And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. 10 So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’ 11 And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

12 “Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, 13 came to me; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him. 14 Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. 15 For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

17 “Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance 18 and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ 19 So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. 20 And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ 21 Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’”

--Acts 22:6-21 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for choosing us to know Your Son, the Just One, and to better understand Your will for mankind.  Thank You for sending Your faithful servants to help us see the truth.  And thank You for our earthly fathers who mean so much to us.  Forgive us, please Father, when we have trouble leaving our past behind.  Forgive us when we worry about what others may think of us, or do to us.  Please help us remember that we have a job to do while we still walk this earth.  Help us to be better witnesses to Your Son Jesus.  Remind us that we have the power of Your own Holy Spirit living within us.  And Father, please protect us from Satan and from those who carry out his divisive, evil works.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Clear the scales from our eyes so that we can see the path You have laid before us.  Show us where we are to go and what we are to do in our service to You and Your Christ.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Bill Cosby once told of what he saw as the difference between Mother's Day and Father's Day:

"Mother's Day is a much bigger deal because Mothers are more organized.  Mothers say to their children:  ‘Now here is a list of what I want.  Go get the money from your father and you surprise me on Mother's Day.  You do that for me.’

"For Father’s Day I give each of my five kids $20 so that they can go out and buy me a present — a total of $100.  They go to the store and buy two packages of underwear, each of which costs $5 and contains three shorts.  They tear them open and each kid wraps up one pair, the sixth pair going to the Salvation Army.  Therefore, on Father’s Day I am walking around with new underwear and my kids are walking around with $90 worth of my change in their pockets."

Mother’s Day is a bigger deal than Father’s Day, mainly because mothers are a bigger deal than fathers.  Almost any man can father a child, if there are no biological problems preventing it, and some men have fathered many children.  Sadly, though, not all of those men stay in their children’s lives.  Some pass on to the next life, and some simply walk away from their paternal responsibilities.  And that’s when mothers become far more important, and a much bigger deal to the child.

Fortunately, there are fathers who are also Dads to their children, and there are even men who are Dads to children they did not father.  And it’s really our Dads that we celebrate this day, and wish them all a Happy Father’s Day!

Paul was truly a remarkable speaker.  Even when just repeating a past event, the words he used were powerful, painting a clear and distinct image.  When he spoke of the light that blinded him on the roadway, he referred to the “glory” of the light, that shone from heaven.  He made sure to let the mob know that the man who came to him in Damascus to restore his sight was a “devout man according to the law”, an unimpeachable witness, with a good reputation among the Jews there.  He noted that he was chosen to know Jesus, the Just One, to hear His voice, to be His witness to all men.  He even described his fear that his reputation would cause him problems, so Jesus promised to send him far away, to witness to the Gentiles.

But most pertinent for us today, Paul reported that Ananias used the phrase, “the God of our fathers” when referring to our Father God.  The God of our fathers is a very Jewish expression, one Paul’s audience would have been quite familiar with.  It refers back to the covenants God made with His chosen people, through Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.  It also conveys a sense of the past devotion and obedience to God held by their ancestors, perhaps ignoring all the times of disobedience and idolatry.

The God of our fathers…  our Father God.  While we still see God as our heavenly Father, we may not view Him in the same light as did our earthly fathers, our ancestors.  

Many times in our Bible we are told to think of God as our Father, for He has adopted us, we believers, into His great family.  Just like a good earthly Dad, He watches over us, providing for our needs, and loving us unconditionally.  Just one example of this can be found in the Apostle John’s 1st letter to the early church, where in chapter 3  verses 1 through 3 he tells us…

1 See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know Him. 2 Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but He has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He really is. 3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as He is pure.

--1 John 3:1-3 (NLT)

Our Bible also tells us to call God “Abba”.  This is a more familiar, more informal term of endearment than “Father”.  It’s closer to what we would say as “Daddy” or “Dad”.  God calls us His children, brothers and sisters of Jesus.  And some day He will make us just like Jesus.

Our Father God… the God of our fathers.

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul mentions how he has heard of their faith in the Lord Jesus and their love for all the saints, all believers.  But by the time that Jesus revealed to John what was yet to come, some 30 years later, much had changed within that church in Ephesus.  Most of the members there now were second generation Christians, who still maintained a purity of doctrine and endured in their service to Christ.  But, as the song goes, they’d lost their loving feeling.

Listen to the words Jesus instructed John to write to the church in Ephesus, the loveless church.  This comes from the 2nd chapter of Revelation, from verse 3 to the first part of verse 5…

3 "You have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen."

--Revelation 2:3-5a (NKJV)

“You have left your first love.”  The church had abandoned that eagerness to please and the depth of devotion that characterizes first love.  Jesus doesn’t fuss at them or tell them what they need to do to please Him.  He just says, “Remember from where you have fallen.  Reflect back on what you, the church, used to be like, what you used to do, how you used to love.”

Family, the church today is not the church of our fathers.  For one thing, it is far more relaxed, in every way.  Our forefathers wore their Sunday finest every worship service.  For some, I’m sure, this was more to show off what they had, but for most it was out of respect for God, to bring Him their finest.  After all, we are to bring to Him of our first fruits.

But everything is more relaxed in other ways, in doctrine and devotion.  And I’m not talking only about Pilgrim Church here, but the church in general, the global church.

The world has crept into the church, bringing its worldly ways along with it.  Things that would never have been allowed in our fathers’ churches, heresies and blasphemies, are now almost commonplace in some areas of our nation.  Our forefathers came to this land and fought and died so that we might enjoy religious freedom, but I worry that we’ve carried that freedom too far, freeing ourselves from the responsibility of the new covenant God made with us through the blood of His Son, freeing ourselves from the cross.

Now I’m not saying we need to get back to wearing our Sunday finest, but we, as the body of Christ, do need to remember what we once were, not so many years ago.  We need to remember what it was like when we were first in love with our Lord.  We need to dig down and find our eagerness to please God and our devotion to serving Jesus.  We need to get back that loving feeling.

Let’s return to the days of the church of our fathers.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for adopting us into Your family, and for being such a good Father to us.  You provide for our needs and Your love has no bounds.  You still love us even when we do wrong and refuse to obey You.  Thank You, Father, for never abandoning us, instead always being there for us.  Father, sometimes we let the world dictate how we should live, even as it impacts our worship and service life.  Sometimes we forget how strongly our forefathers held to good solid Christian morals and ideals, listening instead to those who would tell us that morality changes with the times.  Forgive us, Father, when we adopt the ways of the world.  Forgive us when we brush aside the truth and replace it with worldly wisdom.  Please, loving Father, continue to guide us.  Remind us of what is truly important to You, so that we might better do Your will.  And Father, please help us remain strong, faithful, and true through all that we face in this age.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You know us.  You know Your church.  And You know from where we have fallen.  Thank You, Jesus, for warning us of our failings.  Thank You for reminding us of what we once were.  Please, Lord, help us get back to our roots, to our first love.  Forgive us when we fail to carry out the mission You gave us, either out of fear or a sense of helplessness.  Help us be better witnesses to You and to the truth of God.  Remind us that we have strayed from the foundation of the church You laid.  Show us how we can better serve You, and how to regain our lost love.  And Lord Jesus, please heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us remain trusting and obedient no matter what we go through.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on what this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Three In One

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Trinity Sunday, the first Sunday after Pentecost, the 12th of June, 2022, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.]

Family, today is the first Sunday after Pentecost, when God’s Holy Spirit first came down to live within those who truly believe in and follow God’s Son Jesus.  Now the Pentecost occurred 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, after the forty days He walked the earth again, witnessed by hundreds, after He was lifted from the earth onto a cloud and ascended back into heaven.  The actual event was well reported by the Apostle Luke in the 2nd chapter of his Book of the Acts of the Apostles.

But Jesus told His followers all about it while He was still with them.  He also warned them of a few other things that they could expect to happen once He returned to heaven.  If we look closely at what He said, I think we can gain a better appreciation of our relationship with God.

Please listen and follow along to the words Jesus spoke as recorded by the Apostle John in chapter 16 of his Gospel account, verses 1 through 15, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 “These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. 3 And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. 4 But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.

“And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

5 “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”

--John 16:1-15 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for being such as loving, merciful Father.  Thank You for giving Your Son to redeem us.  And thank You for sending Your Spirit to always be with us.  Forgive us, please Father, when we buckle and stumble under the weight of the world and its woes.  Forgive us when we fail to exercise our faith and it weakens.  Please help us remember that when we accept Jesus as Your Son and our Master, that Your own, all-powerful Holy Spirit comes and makes His home within us, to remain always with us and guide us and pray for us.  Help us to feel Your power within us.  Remind us that with You, nothing is impossible.  And Father, please protect us from Satan and from those who carry out his divisive, evil works.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Show us how important each of Your Persons is to our relationship with You.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Reader's Digest once published this little anecdote by Ann Spivack:

While our friends from India traveled around California on business, they left their 11 year-old daughter with us.  Curious about my going to church one Sunday morning, she decided to come along.  When we returned home, my husband asked her what she thought of the service. 

"I don't understand why the West Coast isn't included too," she replied.  When we inquired what she meant, she added, "You know, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the whole East Coast."

The concept of the Trinity can be quite confusing, even to those raised in the church.   Bruce L. Shelley, in his book Christian Theology in Plain Language, explains it this way:

Within his own mysterious being God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  The designations are just ways in which God is God.  Within the Godhead there are three "persons" who are neither three Gods nor three parts of God, but coequally and coeternally God.

God is God.  When Moses asked God His name, He simply replied, “I AM WHO I AM”.

How else can you describe someone so incredibly more than just a person, the most powerful being in existence, the Creator of all there is?  We simply do not have the words, nor the imagination.  But someday, when we stand before Him, then we will see, and know Him for Who He truly IS.

While He still walked among us, Jesus promised that the Father would send His Spirit to us, to be our constant Companion and Guide.  Like I said, today is one week after the fulfillment of that promise on Pentecost.

Today is also Trinity Sunday, when we recognize and celebrate God in His three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  We affirmed that belief this morning through the Nicene Creed.

Now I know that some folks struggle with the concept of the three Persons of God, but I like to compare it to a normal person.  Let’s take the example of Joe Doaks.  Let’s say Joe is a Sergeant in the North Carolina State Patrol.  In that job, Joe has certain tasks to do and a responsibility not only over a group of troopers but to the state and her people, too.  Joe is also a husband, with definite responsibilities to his wife and duties he must perform in that role.  And lastly, Joe is a father, with a family to support.  Each of those roles are quite different in nature and responsibility, but each are handled by one person: Joe, although we can hope not all at the same time.

So it is with God, in a very simplified way.  He is out heavenly Father, adopting believers into His great family, watching over them, providing for their needs, loving them no matter what.  He is the Son of God, who came to live among us as one of us, to be the Spotless Lamb, sacrificed so that our sins might be forgiven and our lives redeemed, who someday will return to judge the world.  He is the Spirit of God living within us, always there for us, guiding us, nudging us in the way we should go, praying for us when the words just will not come.  Each role is different, but all handled by the one true God, and all at the same time.

I believe the Apostle Paul also gives us a nice glimpse into how the three Persons of God interact with us in our relationship with God.

The church in Rome, predominantly Gentile in membership, was already well established and widely known when Paul was in Corinth.  He was anxious to minister to the church, so he wrote them a letter to serve as an introduction before his visit, that he unfortunately never got to make until it was in chains under arrest.  This letter was a little more formal than most, probably because he wanted to share the doctrine of justification by faith to them, to better prepare them for what they would learn later.

Please listen to what Paul wrote to the Romans in chapter 5 of this letter, verses 1 through 5…

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

--Romans 5:1-5 (NKJV)

By our faith and belief, we have peace with God through Jesus.  Faith is a gift from our loving Father because we believe in Jesus as His Son and accept Him as our Lord.  It is our faith that gives us the strength and courage to face the trials and tribulations that come our way, to persevere and build character, to fill our beings with a hope that does not and will not disappoint.

The love of our heavenly Father has been proven by the sacrifice of His Son on our behalf, and by the pouring of His own Spirit into our hearts.

In our scripture reading from the 16th chapter of John’s Gospel account, Jesus told His followers of the coming of God’s Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth.  But this wasn’t the first time Jesus spoke of this approaching event.

A little earlier, John recorded Jesus once again speaking to His disciples, foretelling of what was soon to happen.  Please listen to the words Jesus spoke as saved for us by John in the 14th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 25 and 26…

25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

--John 14:25-26 (NKJV)

Because Jesus will ask it, our Father God will send His Holy Spirit to be our Helper.  He will teach us what we can understand, and remind us of what Jesus said to us.  Jesus promised it, and it was fulfilled, starting at Pentecost and continuing even today, with each person who truly accepts Jesus as Lord receiving God’s very own Holy Spirit.

The one true God is so much more than we mere mortals could ever understand or explain.  But we can relate to the Father, the Son, and the Spirit of life.  We are loved by our Father, washed clean of our sin by the blood of His Son, and baptized with the Holy Spirit of God, who lives within us.

I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, and in the Holy Spirit, our Guide and Companion.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for so great a love that You would accept us unconditionally, adopt us into Your own divine family simply because we believe in Jesus as Your Son and accept Him as our Lord and Master.  By Your love we are shown mercy and given faith, that we may be washed clean by the blood of Jesus and so live forever with You in paradise.  Thank You, Father, for Your great mercy and grace.  Father, sometimes we lose sight of how important each of Your three Persons is in our lives.  Sometimes we will listen to our friends or supposed world authorities while ignoring the urgings of Your Holy Spirit within us.  Forgive us, Father, when our relationship with You suffers from these failings.  Forgive us when we mistake worldly wisdom for truth.  Please continue to guide us and remind us of what is truly important to You, and therefore to us.  And Father, please help us remain strong, faithful, and true through all that we face in this age.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You are God’s Son.  You have been with Him since before time began and will be with Him for all eternity, long after time ceases.  Thank You, Jesus, for giving of Your mortal Self so that we might also live forever with You in all Your glory in our heavenly Father’s kingdom.  Through You and by God’s mercy, we are baptized by the Holy Spirit who makes His home within us, to be our Guide and our Companion until You return.  Thank You for so great a gift.  Please, Lord, forgive us when we fail to carry out the mission You gave us.  Help us be better witnesses to the truth You brought to mankind.  Remind us that our relationship with God is brought to full life through our interactions with all three of His Persons.  Show us how we can better serve You.  And Lord Jesus, please heal the hurts that separate and divide us.  Help us remain trusting and obedient no matter what we go through.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on what this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Lifted Up

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Pentecost Sunday, the first Sunday after Ascension Day, the 5th of June, 2022, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.]

Family, we’re in a rather busy stretch of our Christian calendar right now.  We celebrated Mother’s Day a few weeks back and Father’s Day is coming up soon.  Today is Pentecost Sunday, when God sent His Holy Spirit to dwell within all those who believe in His Son Jesus and accept Him as Lord.  Next week is Trinity Sunday, when we celebrate the three persons of God.

But this past Thursday was Ascension Day, the anniversary of the day that Jesus went home, when He ascended back into heaven after His resurrection.  Between those two very remarkable events – His resurrection and His ascension – the once again living Jesus was seen in the flesh by over 500 witnesses.

Now Pentecost is pretty well known and understood – we cover it often and just a few weeks ago we looked at what many consider the Pentecost for the Gentiles.  But we don’t always pay as much attention to Jesus’ ascension, so I’d like to look at that this morning.  After all, Pentecost followed a mere few days after the Ascension, as Jesus informs His disciples just moments before leaving them.

Please listen and follow along to how the Apostle Luke described this event in the 1st chapter of his Book of the Acts of the Apostles, verses 1 through 11, and I’ll be reading this from the New Revised Standard Version of our Holy Bible…

1 In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2 until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

--Acts 1:1-11 (NRSV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for lifting Your Son Jesus back up into heaven, His home.  And thank You for Your messengers who promised that Jesus would one day return, and in the same manner that He went home: in a cloud from heaven.  Forgive us, please Father, when we lose sight of all the promises You made us.  Forgive us when we overlook each event in Jesus’ life, for they all hold special meaning for us.  Please help us remember that when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Master, and call ourselves by His name, that Your own, all-powerful Holy Spirit comes and makes His home within us, to remain always with us and guide us and pray for us.  Help us to bear witness of Your Son and His influence in our lives.  Remind us that He is coming back to us some day, and then every person on this earth will know who He truly is.  And Father, please protect us from Satan and from those who carry out his works and deeds.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Show us how we can better fill our role in Your great plan of salvation for mankind so that all may rejoice when Jesus returns.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Actress and comedienne Gracie Allen once received a small, live alligator as a gag.  Not knowing what to do with it, Gracie placed it in the bathtub and then left for an appointment.  When she returned home, she found this note from her maid: "Dear Miss Allen: Sorry, but I have quit.  I don't work in houses where there is an alligator.  I would have told you this when I hired on, but I never thought it would come up."

Have you ever accepted a job only after making it clear that you would not work there if an alligator was brought in?  No, of course not, unless maybe you went to work for a reptile farm.  No one would think to make such a condition because they wouldn't expect it to ever happen.

Finding an alligator in the bathtub took the maid by surprise, as it was something she never expected to see in the home.  Just about everything Jesus did took His disciples by surprise, even though time after time He told them exactly what would happen.

There are quite a few interesting points in our scripture reading this morning.  First, we need to remember that what we call the Book of Acts was actually the second letter the Apostle Luke wrote to his friend Theophilus.  And in the first eight verses, Luke basically summarizes the ending of his first letter, which we call his Gospel account.

He included that first remarkable event of Jesus’ resurrection as witnessed by the disciples and others during a forty day period.  He speaks of the coming Pentecost, when they will be baptized by God’s Holy Spirit.  And then, almost as an aside, in verse 9 Luke notes that as the disciples were watching, Jesus was lifted up from the face of the earth and a cloud carried Him out of sight.

Jesus was lifted up.  He didn’t rise up on His own power.  He didn’t just vanish into thin air.  He was lifted up by God and taken back to His Father’s home, there to prepare a place for us, He promised.

Considering all the amazing things the disciples had witnessed the last three years, maybe this registered as just another miracle Jesus performed.  According to Luke, they don’t seem very excited or even a little startled.  They simply looked up toward heaven, watching Him go off into the sky until they could see Him no more, yet still gazing after Him.

And then two men just appeared among them, dressed in white robes.  They inform the disciples – and us - that Jesus has been taken up into heaven, and that someday He would return in the same manner in which He left.  In the Gospel account of the Apostle Matthew, Jesus tells us that when He returns, He will come riding in on the clouds for all to see.  Just as He left the earth, He will return.

As I mentioned earlier, Jesus had told His disciples everything that would happen while He was still among them and all that has yet to happen, but they just couldn’t fully grasp it all.  His arrest, His death, His resurrection, His return to heaven…  He explained it all time and time again.  And He explained it in terms they were very familiar with, terms that are a little strange for us today.  Which makes me wonder if we truly grasp it ourselves.

I believe Jesus understood how much we would struggle with all He told us.  Listen to His own words as recorded by the Apostle John in chapter 3 of his Gospel account, verses 12 through 17, which includes the best known verse in all the world…

12 “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

--John 3:12-17 (NKJV)

If we struggle to believe the things Jesus told us about the world around us - what has happened here, what is yet to happen - how will we be able to believe all He has told us about the kingdom of God?  First of all, do we fully understand just what it means to “believe” in Jesus, to follow Him?  It’s a lot more than just saying, “Yeah, I believe He existed, and I’ll accept that He performed some pretty amazing things.  Maybe I’ll even concede that He was sent by God as the Messiah.  But will I accept that He is the only way to heaven?  Will I give up all the treasures of this world just to follow Him and do the things He wants me to do?  Am I willing to love all others, even those who hate me, those who aren’t like me, those who don’t think like me?  No, sorry, I love the world a little too much for that.”  In God’s eyes, believing in Jesus means striving to become more like Him.

Yes, God loves all of His creation and does not want to see anyone suffer all eternity for their sinful ways.  That’s why He sent His only Son to the world, to offer us a way out of everlasting punishment.  But God is righteous, and what He says He will do.  So yes, many will suffer, whether they’re willing to accept it or not.

In those few verses from John’s account, Jesus notes that He must be “lifted up” just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness.  To understand this reference, we have to remember back to when the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness for forty years.  One of the times the people spoke out against God and Moses, the Lord sent fiery serpents into their camps, and many were bitten and died.  God told Moses to make a bronze serpent, lift it up on a pole, so that anyone who had been bitten that would look at the serpent would live.  

The bronze serpent was lifted up on a pole so that the people might live out their mortal lives.  Jesus was lifted up on the cross so that we might live for all eternity.  He was lifted up into heaven, after promising that we too will someday be taken there to be with Him.

Lifted up…  uplifted.  The phrase, or the word, can mean being raised or elevated.  Now this can be physically, as when Jesus was bodily lifted up and carried off on a cloud.  Or it can be emotionally or spiritually, as in an improvement in mood or spirit.  Singing our favorite hymns can be an uplifting experience, just as thinking of all that God does for us, how good He is to us, can lift our spirits on the darkest days.

Jesus was lifted up onto the cross to redeem us of our sin.  He was lifted up and taken back to His Father’s house, where He prepares for us to be lifted up and taken to be with Him, forever.  We don’t know when that day will come, so we must always be prepared.  We must truly follow Jesus and get right in God’s eyes.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for lifting up Your Son Jesus and taking Him back home while we watched.  By this we know that He will keep His promise of returning to take us home.  Thank You, Father, for showing us the truth, for preserving Your word, for keeping Your covenant with us.  Father, sometimes we struggle to fully understand all that we read.  Sometimes we have trouble reconciling what our Bible contains with what learned people of the world tell us.  Forgive us, Father, when we allow ourselves to be swayed by the wrong sources.  Forgive us when we loosen our grip on Your truth.  Please clear up any confusion that clouds our spiritual vision.  And Father, please help us remain strong, faithful, and true through all that we face in this age.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, just before You left us to go back to Your Father’s house, You promised that someday You would come back for us and take us to Your home, to be with You forever.  Thank You, Jesus, for so great a love.  Through You and by our belief, we are baptized by the Holy Spirit who makes His home within us, to be our Guide and our Companion until You return.  Thank You, Lord, for so great a gift.  Please, Lord, forgive us when we put ourselves and our own desires ahead of the needs of others.  Help us be more conscientious in our service.  Remind us that not everyone will be saved but that it is our job to try to help them all.  Show us how to spread the Good News You brought into the world.  And Lord Jesus, please heal the hurts that separate and divide us.  Help us remain trusting and obedient no matter what we go through.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on what this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

What God Has Made Clean

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday the 22nd of May, 2022, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.]

Not long after the events of last week’s scripture reading, while Peter was still in Joppa, a Roman Centurion reached out to the Apostle, asking him to come and tell his household about Jesus.  Normally, Peter, as a good Jew, would never have entered the home of a Gentile.  But just moments before the Centurion’s emissaries arrived where Peter was staying, he received a clear message from the now ascended Jesus.  So he went with them, entered the Centurion’s home, and told them all about Jesus, and they received the Holy Spirit.

When Peter returned to Jerusalem, the Jewish believers were quite upset with him for breaking with Jewish tradition.  Please listen and follow along to how Peter replied to their complaints, as recorded by the Apostle Luke in the 11th chapter of his Book of the Acts of the Apostles, verses 1 through 18, and I’ll be reading from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers in Judea that the Gentiles had received the word of God. 2 But when Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticized him. 3 “You entered the home of Gentiles and even ate with them!” they said.

4 Then Peter told them exactly what had happened. 5 “I was in the town of Joppa,” he said, “and while I was praying, I went into a trance and saw a vision. Something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners from the sky. And it came right down to me. 6 When I looked inside the sheet, I saw all sorts of tame and wild animals, reptiles, and birds. 7 And I heard a voice say, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.’

8 “‘No, Lord,’ I replied. ‘I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure or unclean.’

9 “But the voice from heaven spoke again: ‘Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.’ 10 This happened three times before the sheet and all it contained was pulled back up to heaven.

11 “Just then three men who had been sent from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were staying. 12 The Holy Spirit told me to go with them and not to worry that they were Gentiles. These six brothers here accompanied me, and we soon entered the home of the man who had sent for us. 13 He told us how an angel had appeared to him in his home and had told him, ‘Send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. 14 He will tell you how you and everyone in your household can be saved!’

15 “As I began to speak,” Peter continued, “the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning. 16 Then I thought of the Lord’s words when he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God’s way?”

18 When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.”

--Acts 11:1-18 (NLT)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for allowing us Gentiles to receive Your Holy Spirit just as did those of Your chosen people when they believed in Jesus as Your Messiah.  Thank You for baptizing us with Your Spirit.  Forgive us, please, when we think ourselves better than others.  Forgive us when we let man’s laws or customs get in the way of our worshiping You and serving Your Son.  Please help us remember that we accept Jesus as our Lord and Master, and call ourselves by His name.  Help us to love all others.  Remind us that You created us all in Your image - not just those who believe but every person on this earth.  And Father, please protect us from Satan and from those who do his bidding.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Show us our shortcomings.  Help us see how we can better fill our role in Your great plan of salvation for mankind.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

In 1818, Ignaz Phillip Semmelweis was born into a world of dying women.  The finest hospitals lost one out of six young mothers to the scourge of “childbed fever.”  A doctor's daily routine began in the dissecting room where he performed autopsies.  From there he made his way to the hospital to examine expectant mothers without ever pausing to wash his hands.  Dr. Semmelweis was the first man in history to associate such examinations with the resultant infection and death.  His own practice was to wash with a chlorine solution, and after eleven years and the delivery of 8,537 babies, he lost only 184 mothers -- about one in fifty. 

He spent the vigor of his life lecturing and debating with his colleagues.  Once he argued, "Puerperal fever is caused by decomposed material, conveyed to a wound.  I have shown how it can be prevented.  I have proved all that I have said.  But while we talk, talk, talk, gentlemen, women are dying.  I am not asking anything world shaking.  I am asking you only to wash.  For God's sake, wash your hands." But virtually no one believed him.  Doctors and midwives had been delivering babies for thousands of years without washing, and no outspoken Hungarian was going to change them now! 

Semmelweis died insane at the age of 47, his wash basins discarded, his colleagues laughing in his face, and the death rattle of a thousand women ringing in his ears.  "Wash me!", was the anguished prayer of King David.  "Wash!", was the message of John the Baptist.  "Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me," said the towel-draped Jesus to Peter.  Without our being washed clean, we all die from the contamination of sin.  Fortunately for us, when we accepted Jesus as our Lord, we were washed by His blood, made clean by God.

Isn’t it amazing, from today’s viewpoint, just how long it took to realize that a doctor needed to wash his hands before examining a patient?  In our current medical profession, sanitizing hands is considered and treated with the utmost importance.  All during the pandemic, we were cautioned to wash our hands frequently.  The practice helps prevent us from spreading or ingesting germs and viruses.  And yet, just 200 years ago, poor Dr. Semmelweis went insane and died young because his peers refused to accept the truth he showed them.

Washing saves lives.  Being washed clean by the blood of Jesus saves eternal lives.

In our scripture reading this morning, Peter has returned from Jerusalem after his brief stay in Joppa and his visit to Lydda.  The apostles and other believers there had already heard about what all had happened, and some of the Jewish believers criticized Peter for breaking with their customs and entering the home of a Gentile.

So Peter told them exactly what happened with the Roman Centurion, for that was the specific cause of their complaint.  And that experience with the Roman really began with two visions.

The first vision came to Peter while he was still in Joppa.  Something that looked like a large sheet was lowered from heaven, containing all manner of creatures, both domesticated and wild, that walked or crawled or flew.  And Peter heard a voice telling him to take something, kill it, and eat it.

Now in the version I read, the words of that voice were written in red ink, which means the voice belonged to Jesus.  Peter complained that he couldn’t eat anything unclean because it would violate the Jewish laws that he had always lived by.  But then the voice reminded him that he shouldn’t consider anything unclean that God had made clean.  This was repeated three times, so that Peter would fully understand the implication of the vision.

The second vision came to the Roman Centurion, Cornelius, in the city of Caesarea.  In his vision, Cornelius was told to send messengers to Joppa to seek out a man named Simon Peter who could tell him and his entire household what they needed to do to be saved.  Now Cornelius believed in the one true God and so he obeyed the vision, sending his trusted friends and servants to Joppa to find Peter and ask him to go to Caesarea with them.

Normally, Peter would never had entered the Centurion’s home, so that the Jewish believers would have had nothing to complain about.  But because of the message in his vision, he did not hesitate to go speak with the household of Cornelius, enabling them to be washed clean by the blood of Jesus and to receive the Holy Spirit.

When we get too concerned with the things of man, we tend to lose sight of the things of heaven.  Because Peter was shown the importance of listening to God’s word and putting that ahead of any of man’s customs and rituals, the Gospel message was first given to Gentiles.  And because Peter set that precedent, others followed his example.

Let me continue with today’s scripture reading, picking back up in chapter 11 of Acts with verses 19 through 30…

19 Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God, but only to Jews. 20 However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. 21 The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord.

22 When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. 24 Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.

25 Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. 26 When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)

27 During this time some prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings and predicted by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. (This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.) 29 So the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sisters in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could. 30 This they did, entrusting their gifts to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders of the church in Jerusalem.

--Acts 11:19-30 (NLT)

Because Peter was willing to go against the common custom and rituals of his day, the church of Jesus grew and spread into all of Asia Minor.  And by the way, because of that growth, started by Peter’s simple act of entering a Gentile’s home, we first came to be called Christians.

Barnabas was sent to Antioch to witness evidence of the church’s growth.  He went to Tarsus and brought Paul back to Antioch with him, where they both stayed a while and shared the Gospel.  And in Antioch we believers in Jesus as Christ got our new name: Christian.

One other little benefit of Peter’s actions in Caesarea is that prophets of God also came from Jerusalem to Antioch.  One of them, Agabus, rightly predicted, by the Holy Spirit’s prodding, that a great famine would soon strike the entire Roman world.  So the Christians in Antioch took up a collection for the apostles and believers in Jerusalem, sending it to them by Barnabas and Paul.  In this way, these new Christians helped save the first Christians.

What God has made clean we must not call unclean or common.  Peter made one little comment in his defense to the Jewish believers that may go unnoticed.  At the end of verse 17, Peter asked, “Who was I to stand in God’s way?”

If God has made something clean, who am I to question Him and call it unclean?  If God has created us all – all of mankind – in His own image, who am I to counter Him and call someone common, or less than I?  God has a plan for the salvation of man, and He has a role for me to play.  Who am I to stand in God’s way?

In modern times, the church has been shrinking.  Could it be because we’ve become too focused on the things of man, losing sight of the things of heaven?  Have we let customs and rituals replace true love and worship?  Or maybe we’ve just too often stood in God’s way.

Family, we need to get back to our first love and serve our Lord Jesus, loving our God with all our heart and soul and mind, and loving our fellow man whom God created the same as He did you and I.  Let’s be sure not to stand in God’s way, but instead to do His bidding as Peter did.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for everything You ensured would be saved for us in our Bible.  By these words You remind us that You created us all in Your image, so that we should never consider anyone beneath us.  What You have made clean should never be considered common or unclean.  Thank You, Father, for washing us clean in the blood of Your only Son Jesus.  Father, sometimes we let our rituals and customs get in the way of true worship.  Sometimes we forget that You love us all, and command us to love, too.  Forgive us, Father, when we forget the lessens shared in our Bible.  Forgive us when stand in Your way.  Please help us to always honor Your word.  And Father, please help us remain strong, faithful, and true through all that we face in this age.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You spoke to Peter and told him and us not to let rituals stand in the way of doing God’s will.  You showed him what it means to share the Gospel.  Through You and Your blood spilled on our behalf, we are baptized by the Holy Spirit and born again into God’s great family.  Thank You, Lord, for washing us clean.  And thank You for letting us share Your love with others, just as You love us.  Please, Lord, forgive us when we put ourselves and our own desires ahead of the needs of others.  Help us be more conscientious in our service.  Remind us that we were all created in the same way and that God loves us all.  Show each of us how we can share the Good News You brought into the world.  And Lord Jesus, please heal the hurts that separate and divide us.  Help us remain trusting and obedient no matter what we go through.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on what this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Jesus Still Heals

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday the 15th of May, 2022, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.]

In our Christian calendar, today is the 5th Sunday of Easter.  Jesus has risen from the grave, appeared before around 500 people, and ascended back into heaven.  He no longer walks this earth.  His days of mighty works and healing people of all manner of afflictions are over and done.  Or are they?

Do you remember what Jesus said while He was still among us?  He promised that anyone who believes in Him will be able to do even greater works than He did once He returns to the Father, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  He told this to His disciples, but it was saved for us as well by the Apostle John.

The disciples took these words to heart, believed completely in what Jesus told them, especially Peter.  Please listen and follow along to what the Apostle Luke recorded for us in chapter 9 of his Book of the Acts of the Apostles, verses 32 through 43, and I’ll be reading this from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

32 Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda. 33 There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed. 34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed.” Then he arose immediately. 35 So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

36 At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did. 37 But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. 38 And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them. 39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40 But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. 41 Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord. 43 So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner.

--Acts 9:32-43 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for sending us Your Holy Spirit to live within us, that through Him we have the same awesome power that breathes life into all creation and that raised Jesus from the dead.  And thank You especially for granting what we ask in the name of Your Son and our Lord Jesus.  Forgive us, please, when we doubt ourselves and the power within us.  Forgive us when we fail to trust in Jesus’ word that we can do even greater things than He through Your Spirit.  Please help us remember that we have that mighty power within us.  Help us use Your Spirit to help others and increase Your kingdom’s reach.  And Father, please protect us from Satan and from those who do his bidding.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Show us how we can better serve You by trusting in Your Spirit to guide us and empower us.  Help us do what Jesus did.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

One New Year's Day in the Tournament of Roses parade, a beautiful float suddenly sputtered and quit.  It was out of gas.  The whole parade was held up until someone could get a can of gas.  The amusing thing was this float represented the Standard Oil Company.  With its vast oil resources, its truck was out of gas.

Often, Christians neglect their spiritual maintenance, and though they are “clothed with power”, the power of God's Holy Spirit, they too often find themselves “out of gas”.

You’ve got to love that image: the Standard Oil Co. float running out of gas in the middle of a parade.  But that’s what happens when we don’t check the fuel gauge before heading, or maybe we just don’t believe what the gauge is showing.

God has filled our spiritual tanks with His own Holy Spirit, yet too often we either don’t fully understand what that means or we just don’t believe the Spirit is there for our use.  And like the float truck, we physically run out of gas while sitting on an untouched reservoir of spiritual fuel that has no bounds.  We need to more fully trust in God’s word and the power He places at our disposal.

A couple of times now I’ve mentioned the wonders Jesus said we would be able to do.  This comes from a conversation He had with His disciples while He was still engaged in His ministry.  Jesus may have been speaking to His disciples, but He was also speaking to us since He knew we’d be reading or hearing His words.

The Apostle John saved it all for us, in the 14th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 11 through 14, where Jesus said…

11 “Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen Me do.

12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in Me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 13 You can ask for anything in My name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it!”

--John 14:11-14 (NLT)

We, personally, did not see the work that Jesus did, not with our own eyes.  But we read about His mighty deeds in the writings that His followers left behind for us, those who did witness the miracles with their eyes.  And we believe what they wrote, if for no other reason than because their words were never refuted by other eye witnesses.

We believe because we have faith.  We believe in Jesus as the Son of God, the Christ, and we believe in the miracles He performed.  And because we believe, just as Jesus promised, God sent His Holy Spirit to live within us, to empower us, to guide us, to be our constant Companion, to pray for us when we can’t find the words to pray for ourselves.

We have the power of God, through His Holy Spirit, within each and every one of us who believes.  This is the same power that helped create the universe, that breathes life into all things, that raised Jesus from the dead, and that gave Jesus the power and the authority to do the things He could do.  That power is ours!

So why can’t we use it?  Why can’t we heal our loved ones when they are sick?  Why can’t we calm the storm or call the rains during a drought?  Why can’t we put an end to the senseless slaughter in our streets and around the world?  Maybe we just don’t believe enough.

Let’s look back at our scripture reading for a moment, at two things I believe may be easily missed.  The first I want to look at came second in the reading, at Joppa and the bedside of Tabitha, also known by her Greek name, Dorcas.  Tabitha had died from an illness while Peter was still in Lydda, but two believers sent word to Peter asking him to come.

So what did Peter do when they showed him the body of their dear friend?  Well, first, he cleared the room until he was alone with Tabitha.  But then he knelt down and prayed.  I truly wish we knew what he prayed, the words he spoke, but Luke didn’t save that for us, maybe because he didn’t hear the prayer.  I guess the words don’t really matter, just that he prayed to God before doing anything else.

Maybe Peter remembered something Jesus once told them.  The disciples had been out healing and casting our evil spirits but they came upon one young man who had a bad spirit they could not drive out.  When they approached Jesus, He told them that this kind could only be driven out by prayer.

So Peter humbled himself before God and prayed.  Then he simply told Tabitha to rise, and she opened her eyes, sat up, and lived again.  God listens and answers prayers.

The second important point I’d like to mention came in Lydda when Peter came across Aeneas, who was paralyzed and bedridden for eight years.  Did Peter do like modern-day faith healers and put his hand on the man’s head and say something like, “I heal you in the name of Jesus!”?  Did Peter do anything at all?  No, he simply said, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you.”  “I’m not healing you.  It has nothing to do with me.  Jesus heals you.”

Jesus may have no longer been working His ministry, He may not have been there in the flesh with Peter, but He was still healing people, He was still bringing the dead back to life, He was still doing miracles.  And He was doing it all through those who believed, through those who prayed, through those who allowed God’s Holy Spirit to work through them.

I am weak, I am limited, I am not God and I cannot do Godly things.  Being able to perform miracles is not in my wheelhouse.  And no matter what I tell myself, no matter what I read, no matter what I believe in my head, as long as I hold those doubts in my heart, I will never be able to do the works Jesus did.  My heartfelt doubts hold me back.

And my greatest doubt is that God would empower me, a horrible sinner, to do wondrous miracles.  I know God’s Spirit is within me because I can feel Him guiding me.  He gives me the words to say each Sunday, the words to pray each time I am called on to pray, the words to maybe help another come to know Jesus.  He gives me confidence and courage and hope.  But I just cannot believe He gives me the power to perform miracles like Jesus did.  And I don’t think I am alone in my doubts.

Family, Jesus still heals.  He may no longer be with us in the flesh, but He is with us in the Spirit, and He promised to always be with us.  And just as He did through Peter, Jesus heals through other people, using the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within them.  We have seen Him heal.  He may use doctors and medical teams to perform His mighty works.  Or He may simply use our prayers.

If we let Him, if we can cast away our doubts long enough, He may even use us.  We just need to humble ourselves and pray, and trust in the power of God’s Holy Spirit within us.  In the blessed name of the Great Healer, Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for giving us the wonderful gift of Your Holy Spirit to live within us.  He is our constant Companion and Guide.  He encourages us and speaks for us when the words won’t come.  And He will embolden us and empower us to do great things if we would only truly believe it.  Thank You, Father, for loving us this much.  Father, sometimes we let our human feelings and doubts get in our way of fully trusting in You and Your promises.  Sometimes our fears hold us back from fully serving You.  Forgive us, Father, for our doubts and fears.  Forgive us when we heed the words Satan whispers in our ear and let the doubts grow in our hearts.  Please help us resist the devil and ignore him when we tells us what we can’t do, instead putting all our trust in You and Your word.  And Father, please help us remain strong, faithful, and true through all that we face in this age.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, while You walked this earth, You healed people of all manner of illness and infirmity.  You cast off evil spirits and even raised the dead back to life.  And You did it all through the power of God’s Holy Spirit.  And then You promised to have God send us His Spirit, too, that we might do even greater works than You.  Thank You, Lord, for casting out the evil spirit of sin from our lives.  And thank You for empowering us with God’s Spirit.  Please, Lord, forgive us when we let our heartfelt doubts keep us from taking full advantage of the Spirit within us.  Help us shrug off Satan when he tells us that we are powerless, that we can do nothing to positively affect the world around us.  Remind us that we have the most powerful force in all of creation living right here inside us.  Show us how to make better use of God’s Spirit in His service.  And Lord Jesus, please heal the hurts that separate and divide us.  Help us remain trusting and obedient no matter what we go through.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on what this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.