Going to Church is good. Important. A great privilege. Should never be neglected, forsaken, or taken for granted. A command, especially these days; according to Hebrews 10:25.
However, as important as it is to show up and do our
part; what the Lord really watches, what makes the most difference, is
what we do when the Service is through.
That's where we drop into our True story, in Acts
13:42-52.
Let’s go back about 2,000 years, to AD 48. The apostle
Paul just finished his first recorded sermon. Now, the Lord records as an
example for us, the response of the people, the Ekklésia, the Church.
42 So when the
Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be
preached to them the next Sabbath.
This verse in the original text does not have the word
Jews, or synagogue, or Gentiles, or Paul or Barnabas;
which is included in many translations.
Evidently the English translators thought it helped
paint a fuller picture.
However, the Holy Spirit needs no help speaking.
The original text literally reads more like this:
And they departed invoking them to
announce this message for next Sabbath.
Paul's first recorded sermon, which can be read in
about 3 minutes, ended with the Words from Habakkuk 1:5 that God
will do a work in your day that nobody will believe, even if told you.
Then, just like that they depart, leaving everybody
hanging, asking. What works will God do? What won't we believe?
So, they (Paul & Barnabas) invoke them to
announce that this message will be continued next Sabbath.
Notice the boldness. The courage. They didn't wait to
be invited back, they invited themselves.
That had to irritate the leaders of the synagogue.
Imagine in our Church service we ask a visitor to say
a few words, and so they do, and then, they tell everybody, “I'll be back next
week for an encore performance.”
Today that’d be unexpected, awkward, out of line, but
2,000 years ago, not so much.
Preaching and teaching protocols were different back
then. Folks would gather around the temple, or places where people gather, like
the town square, and there, teachers would teach, preachers would preach, in
the open air.
Our town has something like that every Sunday night
downtown on the circle. Christ Fellowship Church has a Praise Party on the
Circle at 6 p.m. The Pastor didn't wait for an opportunity, he took his guitar
and made one.
Likewise, Paul and Barney, don't wait for an
opportunity, they make one.
They are our example.
Luke 6:45, Out of the abundance of
the heart the mouth speaks.
You
don't have to force opportunity, just be filled with Jesus, and He will do the
rest.
2 Timothy 4:2-5. Preach the Word, in
season and out... fulfill your ministry. If
you are a Christian, you have a ministry. God has a Divine Eternal Purpose
customized just for you.
Ephesians 5:16, (Redeem the time) make the
most of every opportunity for the days are evil.
Get busy being about Your Father’s business,
fulfilling your ministry, there’s no time to waste.
Recently someone told me they made a friend, at
Walmart, of all places.
Did you talk about Jesus? Did you invite them to
Church to hear about Jesus?
No, that never came up. I didn't want to be rude, or pushy, or preachy and scare them away.
It takes wisdom and discernment, and God's Love, but
please note that not telling someone about Jesus, might be the meanest, rudest
thing you can do.
Meeting them might be a Divine Connection,
orchestrated by God, because you're the last person they'll talk to before they drop
dead from a heart attack, or pull out of the parking lot and get T-boned by a
semi. Or, before, they give up and take their own life.
Like the man I met back in my insurance adjuster days.
His voice trembled as he touched photos hanging in the
hall of his wife and kids.
“Mr. Doug, even after all the repairs to the house are
done, I no longer have a home. The stress was too much. My wife took the kids—”
his voice broke “and she’s gone. I can’t bear the thought of going through Christmas
in this house without them.”
We prayed.
Sometime later I received a call. “Mr. Doug Mr. Doug! Thank
you for listening, thank you for talking, thank you for praying! It's going to
be a good Christmas after all, my wife and kids are coming home!”
Don't wait for an invitation, make one,
redeem the time, for the days are evil. Open your mouth and let Jesus fall out.
43 Now when
the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed
Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue
in the grace of God.
When the service was officially ended, those with ears
to hear, both Jew and proselytes (those not of Israel, but believed in the God
of Israel), followed Paul and Barnabas, who said to them...
Thou must continue in the Law of Moses, study and
memorize the Torah, pray loud and long, and don't miss a single synagogue
service...
NO!
They said continue in the liberty, the freedom, the grace,
the amazing grace of God.
For
whom the Son sets free is free indeed. John 8:36.
For
where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. 2 Corinthians 3:17.
NOTE: When studying
Scripture, context is king and the whole counsel of the Word of God must always
be considered.
That was what they needed to
hear, for they were under a heavy yoke of legalism.
Today we need to hear the
opposite.
For the time has come for
judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us
first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel
of God? 1 Peter 4:17
Today grace has been hyper exaggerated to mean a
person can live in unrepentant sin and expect grace to wash away their ongoing,
sin-filled lifestyle.
Perhaps the Holy Spirit (through Paul) was talking more
to our generation than theirs by closing the sermon with Habakkuk 1:5 (Acts
13:41):
Marvel and perish!
‘Behold, you despisers,
For I work a work in your days,
A work which you will by no means believe,
Though one were to declare it to you.’ ”
Ten years ago, we would by no means believe, even
if someone declared to us the obscene foolishness we see today.
Beware: because we've
repeatedly refused to acknowledge God, is America reaping the curse of
Deuteronomy 28 and Romans 1:28; a debased, depraved, reprobate, foolish mind?
When Children are allowed to defecate on classroom
floors because they identify as a dog, or cat; we've been turned over to a debased
mind.
When politicians prosecute people who disturb turtles
on the beach but promote and applaud slaughtering babies in the womb; we've
been given over to a reprobate mind.
When the person running for vice president thinks boys
need tampons in their bathrooms, and if the parents disagree, the government
has the right to take that child...
When people who call themselves Christian, defend and
vote for, or don't vote at all, against such antichrist, demonicratic, wicked
insanity; we've become a nation of debased, depraved, reprobate, stupid fools.
Has the Habakkuk prophecy to Israel,
become ours? That a nation more wicked than ourselves
will destroy us. Have we opened our doors, our borders, to a flood of
corruption that has gone too far to fix, the cancer too deep, that now we're
past the point of no return?
One thing is for sure and certain. If we
continue the way we're going, our destruction is sealed.
However, God is great, and merciful, and says, IF...
If My people who are called by My
name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My
face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive
their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
IF...
God’s people will humble, pray, seek, turn,
THEN... He will hear,
forgive, heal.
Lord have mercy on US all.
44 On the next
Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.
Whoa! How’d that happen? Ad campaign? Billboards?
Giveaways on TV, radio, social media?
This brings us to our title question:
What will you do when Church is through?
What they did is our example. During the week they
didn't turn off their Christianity, they talked often one to another, the Lord
hearkened and heard it, was pleased with it and stirred up the hearts of the
hearers and they showed up to hear the Word of the Lord.
They were NOT afraid of being rude, or pushy, or preachy.
Oh Lord, help us to Love You so much that
we can't help but let Your Love flow through us with intentionality, and
purpose, shape us into disciple makers and soul winners, to the building
of Your Kingdom. Open our eyes to see the time is short, the days are evil.
45 But when
the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming,
they opposed the things spoken by Paul.
Once the religious hearts had turned against the
apostles, it no longer mattered what the apostles said or did, they were against
them.
They could no longer hear Truth. Their hearts were so
hard, they couldn't hear the Holy Spirit speaking directly to them.
That is a very
dangerous place, too easy to get there. I pray you never go.
It's a slippery slope into the hard-hearted tentacles of
a blasphemer; from which it's very difficult to escape.
46 Then Paul
and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God
should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge
yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.
Powerful, and terrifying words: judge yourselves
unworthy of everlasting life...
When all's said and done, the Truth is unveiled, no
ability to hide behind lies, naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must
give account (Heb. 4:13); we'll judge ourselves, worthy or unworthy, of everlasting
life. (Even though, without Jesus, all are unworthy of everlasting life).
For
by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. Matthew
12:37.
Dear American Church, Jesus
paid the price to enter Paradise. He's earned the right to set the terms of
entry.
He said that anyone who wants to follow Me, must
deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Me. Matthew 16:24.
We must follow Him, not the other way around. We don't
get to cherry pick and choose the terms of the covenant. He paid it, and wrote
it, in His own blood.
Jesus knocks, pleads, come to Me, follow Me. A million
times a day, a million little ways, even in the thoughts and intents of our
heart. Each one an opportunity to listen, to obey, to follow; to accept Him, or
reject Him.
If you reject everything you disagree with, and only accept
what you agree with, then, no matter what you say, no matter how nice you are,
no matter how many times you call yourself a Christian, you are not following
Christ, you do not have a relationship with Jesus. He is not Lord of your life;
you are lord of your life. And that won't work.
Jesus made it clear when He said, I am the Way, the
Truth, the Life, no one gets to the Father, but by Me. John 14:6.
If we continue to disobey Him, make up our own rules,
do whatever seems right in our own eyes, then, sadly, He will have to say, "Depart
from Me, I never knew you."
Lord Jesus, help US find our way back to
You.
47 For so the
Lord has commanded us:
‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles,
That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”
This was not a new thing. Paul quotes Isaiah 42:6;
49:6 written 700 years prior. God’s love has always been for everyone, not just
Jews.
Go into all the world and preach
the Gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15,
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor
free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28.
So, perhaps what the Lord wants us to hear is that there
is neither Baptist nor Methodist, Lutheran nor Pentecostal, Catholic…
48 Now when
the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the
Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
Lord, we pray for all those You've given us, all those
appointed to eternal life. All those You want to reach through us, that we
will be willing and obedient, so You can flow through us, so none are lost; and
we’ll all be glad and glorify You. Forever, and ever, amen.
49 And the
word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region.
What did the Church do when the service
was over?
They spread the word of the Lord over all the region.
Hallelujah.
Lord let that be said and done, here and now in our
day, in our region.
50 But the
Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the
city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them
from their region.
All who live Godly in Christ Jesus will
suffer persecution, 2 Tim. 3:12.
51 But they
shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium.
Lord, we’ve done all we can, now it’s up to You, we
wash our hands of it, shake off their dust, we release them to You.
Their response is not your responsibility. You just
keep planting Good Seed and leave the results to God.
The place that rejected them, Antioch of Pisidia, was
in southern Turkey. It declined in power until forgotten due to a
series of events, including earthquakes, epidemics, and invasions. The ruins
were never rebuilt. However, a new village in the nearby valley was established
and called Yalvaç, meaning, Prophet, perhaps a reference to Paul.
As for Paul and Barney, instead of a revival they got
run out of town. They could've been disappointed and thrown in the towel. Instead,
they shook it off and headed 95 miles southeast to Iconium.
52 And the
disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
No matter what you've been through, no matter how
badly they treated you, shake it off, don't quit, the Lord has more in store
for you, there's joy ahead.
In this world you will have tribulation but
be of Good cheer, I have overcome the world. John 16:33.
For the Kingdom of God is not meat and
drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Romans 14:17
Righteousness, peace and joy, are characteristic of
True Christians.
They shook off the dust of the past and walked
straight into the joy of the Holy Spirit.
What will you do when Church is through?
They went out and told the whole town, then they went
further to the whole region.
They are our example.
Go and do likewise.
Tell everybody about Jesus. You might be
their last chance.
One day, maybe today, in the twinkling of an eye the
Church will be through, for Good. Then, for many, it'll be too late.
Don't let it be because you were afraid of being rude, pushy or preachy.
Let's pray.
Lord Jesus, we pray You shape us into soul
winners, disciple makers, discerning the signs of the times, ever ready to give
an answer for the Hope that is within us. Filled with Your joy and Holy
Spirit.
Thank You Lord.
We love You, forever.
Amen.
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