Sunday, April 19, 2015

Todays Sermon



2015.04.19                          Acts 19: 1-10
         Paul proclaims the Gospel in Ephesus
We are studying the birth of the church in the book of Acts…. Just 2 weeks ago we celebrated the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ…. The death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus has changed everything in history….. It is the fulfillment of everything that God promised…. Already in the Garden of Eden…. The LORD God promised to redeem His people from their sin and rebellion…. In Exodus 6…. God promised to deliver and redeem His people…. He promised a Savior…. His name is Jesus…. When Christianity was established…. We see many people coming to Jesus Christ from Judaism….. But many Jewish believers found it very difficult to make the transition… Religion and tradition are hard to shake off….And so there were people stuck in the middle of transition from the Old covenant´s emphasis on the law… to God´s Long promised new covenant of Grace…. We see this all through the book of Acts…. And we see even Paul in transition from being a Pharisee who was proud and very religious…… To being radically saved on his way to persecute Christians…. Paul was redeemed and transformed…. He became the great champion of Salvation by grace through faith….
And then in Acts 18 we saw Apollos…. Acts 18 v24 to 28…… Apollos was a God fearer….. He was in transition…. He was a disciple of John the Baptist….   He had believed that Jesus was that Messiah….. but He didn't fully understand the cross…..  Or the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead….. He was an Old Testament saint who only knew that Jesus was the Messiah and didn't know all that Jesus had done……
And we come today in our study to a group of 12 men who also are in transition…. Now remember that Judaism totally filled these people's lives…..  Even though the Scriptures had always pointed to salvation by grace through faith….. Judaism was full of rules and religious activity…..
Sadly they did not really understand God´s Chesed….. His unfailing love and mercy..…   turn with me to Acts 19…v1…
Acts 19: 1- 5                        NKJV  
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.
Acts 19: 1- 5                           slt 2000
1 Es geschah aber, während Apollos in Korinth war, daß Paulus, nachdem er die höhergelegenen Gebiete durchzogen hatte, nach Ephesus kam. Und als er einige Jünger fand,
2 sprach er zu ihnen: Habt ihr den Heiligen Geist empfangen, als ihr gläubig wurdet? Sie aber antworteten ihm: Wir haben nicht einmal gehört, daß der Heilige Geist da ist!
3 Und er sprach zu ihnen: Worauf seid ihr denn getauft worden? Sie aber erwiderten: Auf die Taufe des Johannes.
4 Da sprach Paulus: Johannes hat mit einer Taufe der Buße getauft und dem Volk gesagt, daß sie an den glauben sollten, der nach ihm kommt, das heißt an den Christus Jesus.
5 Als sie das hörten, ließen sie sich taufen auf den Namen des Herrn Jesus.

These men are also Old Testament Saints….. They were followers of John the Baptist…. They had been confronted with their sin…. And they had been confronted with their religious pride and rebellion against God…..
They saw their need and repented of their sins from their heart…. They really were sorry for their sin and rebellion..
Deciding to repent and be baptized by John was a radical commitment to truth….. They were renouncing the religious privilege that they might claim as sons of Abraham…. They were admitting the fact that they could never really obey the law of God from their hearts….. They were admitting their desperate need for a new heart….. turn to Ezekiel 36….v25…
Ezekiel 36: 25-27                          NLT
25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

Ezekiel 36: 25-27                          Neues Leben
25 Dann gieße ich reines Wasser über euch aus, und ihr werdet rein sein. Von allen euren Unreinheiten und von allen euren Götzen werde ich euch reinigen.
26 Und ich werde euch ein neues Herz geben und euch einen neuen Geist schenken. Ich werde das Herz aus Stein aus eurem Körper nehmen und euch ein Herz aus Fleisch geben.
27 Und ich werde euch meinen Geist geben, damit ihr nach meinem Gesetz lebt und meine Gebote bewahrt und euch danach richtet.
Here in these verses and several other OT texts…  we see God´s promised new covenant…. His unfailing love causes Him to act to transform a wicked and rebellious people…..  Look at God´s Chesed in action here….
v25…. I will sprinkle clean water upon you….
Clean water for cleansing…. This they understood very well…. God is saying…. Yes you are my people… But you are filthy in sin… You are not better than the Gentiles….. Even though they were sons of Abraham…  They were also dirty and full of sin and rebellion…. They could not cleanse themselves…. They could not really love the Lord with all of their heart and soul and strength….. No way….. So God says…. I myself will wash you and you will be clean…. It gets better….v26…
v26a… I will give you a new heart… v26b… I will put a new spirit within you…
Here is the promise of the new birth….. This is what Jesus meant when He said to Nicodemus….. You must be born again…. John 3…v5…
Many O.T. scholars point  to Ezekiel 36 as a clear summary of the New Birth as seen in the New Covenant….
This is from the Masters Seminary Journal page 255…
Back to Acts 19… Look at verse 1….
Acts 19: 1- 5                        NKJV  
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.
Acts 19: 1- 5                           slt 2000
1 Es geschah aber, während Apollos in Korinth war, daß Paulus, nachdem er die höhergelegenen Gebiete durchzogen hatte, nach Ephesus kam. Und als er einige Jünger fand,
2 sprach er zu ihnen: Habt ihr den Heiligen Geist empfangen, als ihr gläubig wurdet? Sie aber antworteten ihm: Wir haben nicht einmal gehört, daß der Heilige Geist da ist!
3 Und er sprach zu ihnen: Worauf seid ihr denn getauft worden? Sie aber erwiderten: Auf die Taufe des Johannes.
4 Da sprach Paulus: Johannes hat mit einer Taufe der Buße getauft und dem Volk gesagt, daß sie an den glauben sollten, der nach ihm kommt, das heißt an den Christus Jesus.
5 Als sie das hörten, ließen sie sich taufen auf den Namen des Herrn Jesus.
v1… And finding certain disciples."
Because of verse 7… We know that there were 12 of them… Paul  meets 12 men….. They are introduced to him as disciples…. Now when we look at the word disciple….. it's easy to think… OK these are Christians… These folks show up in a meeting of believers and Paul says ok…. They are already disciples…. But Paul realized quickly that there was something missing in these 12….. Remember the word disciple means learner…..  It doesn´t automatically mean Christian…. V2… Paul  says…
v2-5… Paul says The Holy Spirit is missing… aha!….. These are disciples of John the Baptist…
v2a… Have you received the Holy Spirit when you believed…. 2a sprach er zu ihnen: Habt ihr den Heiligen Geist empfangen, als ihr gläubig wurdet
Here the Greek is very clear…. It says having believed…. The English  word “when” is a perfect translation….
They say what?... The Holy Spirit?... Schoen?...
When Paul said, "Did you receive the Spirit when you believed?" Remember “when you believed” is the literal Greek…..  what is he saying? He's saying that coming to faith in the Lord Jesus is the key….. Now look what happens…..  
v2b… They knew about the promise of the Holy Spirit…. But not that it had already occurred…. And they say, hey, we haven’t even heard of the Holy Spirit was given….. The German is better here… Wir haben nicht einmal gehört, daß der Heilige Geist da ist!  
These 12 disciples did not know that the Holy Spirit had been given….. They knew He had been promised…… Every Old Testament saint was promised His Spirit….. We read that in Ezekiel 36… And John said the Holy Spirit would come…..
v3….. He says, "Unto what then were you baptized?" Notice  what Paul did not do…..  He did not start to teach them about a second work of grace….
He did not start to teach them the doctrine of the Holy Spirit…..   Look at verses 4 and 5….. Paul points to the Lord Jesus…..  Isn't it interesting  that when they didn't know about the Holy Spirit…..  He taught them about the Lord Jesus Christ….. Why?
Because when someone comes to faith in Christ… the Holy Spirit was automatically given as a gift….
In verse 4 Paul says to them…  John the baptizer taught that you should believe on Him who should come after him…… that is our Messiah Jesus….  You see even though they were hanging around Christians…. they didn't even know Jesus the Messiah yet… 
Paul says look….. John was getting you ready for Jesus….. When they heard this….. they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus….. I think it is very clear from the passage that they were not Christians….. They were Old Testament Saints….. believers in God….. followers of John the Baptist who was the last of the Old Testament prophets…..
They had repented of their sins and become genuine God fearers…. They were ready….
v5… And when they heard about Jesus they immediately believed and were baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit… 
These men were not Christians at all…..   If they were…. They would have already known the Lord Jesus as Savior…. and received the Holy Spirit when they believed….
If somebody says to me do you believe that every Christian has the Holy Spirit? Yes… Absolutely… turn with me to  Romans 8:9….
Romans 8:9                              NKJV   slt 2000
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
9 Ihr aber seid nicht im Fleisch, sondern im Geist, wenn wirklich Gottes Geist in euch wohnt; wer aber den Geist des Christus nicht hat, der ist nicht sein.
v9… if anyone does not have the Spirit…
If you don't have the Holy Spirit… you're not a Christian…...
There can be no gap between your salvation and the gift of the Spirit….. If you don't have the Holy Spirit….. you don't belong to Jesus……  
Turn to …  John 7:37….
John 7: 37-39                            NKJV     
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
John 7: 37-39                       slt 2000
37 Aber am letzten, dem großen Tag des Festes stand Jesus auf, rief und sprach: Wenn jemand dürstet, der komme zu mir und trinke!
38 Wer an mich glaubt, wie die Schrift gesagt hat, aus seinem Leib werden Ströme lebendigen Wassers fließen.
39 Das sagte er aber von dem Geist, den die empfangen sollten, welche an ihn glauben; denn der Heilige Geist war noch nicht da, weil Jesus noch nicht verherrlicht war.  
v37-39…  he that Believeth on Me as the Scripture has said….   Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water….  Did you hear that?
Who receives the Holy Spirit?   All who believe….. look at verse 39…
v39…  the only reason the Spirit was not given yet was because Jesus was not yet glorified….. We  teach people about the Lord Jesus Christ….. And the Holy Spirit is granted to them as a gift when they believe…..
Paul uses the question about The Holy Spirit as a diagnostic tool…. Then when it is clear that they don´t yet know the Lord Jesus… He gives them the gospel….   
 Now notice what happened when the Holy Spirit came Acts 19… v6…
Acts 19: 6,7                     NKJV   slt 2000
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.
6 Und als Paulus ihnen die Hände auflegte, kam der Heilige Geist auf sie, und sie redeten in Sprachen und weissagten. 7 Es waren aber im ganzen etwa zwölf Männer.
Some say there it is…. That's how it happens…. That´s the gift of the Holy Spirit…. That´s what should happen to everyone…. Tongues and prophesy…. But you know something?
That's the last time it ever happens in the New Testament…..   That's it….. There is not another recorded event of this type of thing…. It is impossible to build a doctrine on this incident…. Of course for these 12 and the church in Ephesus…. it was awesome proof of God´s good hand on the Apostle Paul…. It was Divine authentication of Paul´s teaching and ministry… That was very important in the early days of the church… Let´s continue in Acts19 reading now from v8…
Acts 19: 8- 10   NKJV   slt 2000
8 And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. 9 But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. 10 And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

Acts 19: 8-10                  slt 2000
8 Und er ging in die Synagoge und trat öffentlich auf, indem er drei Monate lang Gespräche führte und sie zu überzeugen versuchte von dem, was das Reich Gottes betrifft.
9 Da aber etliche sich verstockten und sich weigerten zu glauben, sondern den Weg vor der Menge verleumdeten, trennte er sich von ihnen und sonderte die Jünger ab und hielt täglich Lehrgespräche in der Schule eines gewissen Tyrannus.
10 Das geschah zwei Jahre lang, so daß alle, die in [der Provinz] Asia wohnten, das Wort des Herrn Jesus hörten, sowohl Juden als auch Griechen.
v8,9… He went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months…. Paul had an extended time of preaching in the synagogues… but finally the influence of those Jews who were rejecting the message made teaching there too difficult…. So he turned to teaching in the hall of a Gentile teacher named Tyrannus…. These might be the first “Christian church” meetings that were not in the Temple or in a synagogue….
v10… And this continued for two years… Paul carried this on for two more years…. His very effective teaching equipped the believers to do the work of the ministry… It was the believers themselves who got the word of God out to all who dwelt in Asia….
Notice that Paul did not start a school of prophesy…. He did not offer a course in miracles….. He made solid sold out to Jesus disciples……He did it by teaching the Word of God…. Do you remember our lesson from the resurrection Sunday sermon? There were 2 very important points to the resurrection encounter on the road to Emmaus….
                   The Road to Emmaus lessons
1. Jesus truly rose from the dead….. 
2. Scripture is alive…..
These men and women that were discipled in Ephesus…. They are the ones who proclaimed the Good News of the Gospel throughout Asia….
There was no way that Paul, by himself, could reach that region….. But he could help equip Christians to do the work of the ministry…. just as he described in Ephesians 4:11-12….. let´s turn there….
Ephesians 4:11- 16              NKJV   slt 2000
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Ephesians 4:11- 16                 slt 2000
11 Und Er hat etliche als Apostel gegeben, etliche als Propheten, etliche als Evangelisten, etliche als Hirten und Lehrer,
12 zur Zurüstung der Heiligen, für das Werk des Dienstes, für die Erbauung des Leibes des Christus,
13 bis wir alle zur Einheit des Glaubens und der Erkenntnis des Sohnes Gottes gelangen, zur vollkommenen Mannesreife, zum Maß der vollen Größe des Christus;
14 damit wir nicht mehr Unmündige seien, hin- und hergeworfen und umhergetrieben von jedem Wind der Lehre durch das betrügerische Spiel der Menschen, durch die Schlauheit, mit der sie zum Irrtum verführen,
15 sondern, wahrhaftig in der Liebe, heranwachsen in allen Stücken zu ihm hin, der das Haupt ist, der Christus.
16 Von ihm aus vollbringt der ganze Leib, zusammengefügt und verbunden durch alle Gelenke, die einander Handreichung tun nach dem Maß der Leistungsfähigkeit jedes einzelnen Gliedes, das Wachstum des Leibes zur Auferbauung seiner selbst in Liebe.
v11,12…. Pastors and teachers and elders are here in the body of Christ to equip you to do the work of the ministry…. To edify you….
v13… So that we all become perfect in Him…. Together we can represent the fullness of Christ…
v14… so that we will stop being spiritual children…. Deceived by every false teacher…
v15… But by speaking the truth in love…. We may grow up…
I want to read verses 15 and 16  from the NLT…

Ephesians 4:15               NLT   Neues Leben
15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
15 Stattdessen lasst uns in Liebe an der Wahrheit festhalten und in jeder Hinsicht Christus ähnlicher werden, der das Haupt seines Leibes - der Gemeinde - ist. 16 Durch ihn wird der ganze Leib zu einer Einheit. Und jeder Teil erfüllt seine besondere Aufgabe und trägt zum Wachstum der anderen bei, sodass der ganze Leib gesund ist und wächst und von Liebe erfüllt ist.
I like the German here…
v15a… Let us in love … hold on to the truth… Remember Jesus´ prayer?…. He said to the Father … Thy Word is truth… The Word of God is the truth…. Hold on to it…. Application point Measure everything you hear by the Word of God….
v16b… then Christ makes the body fit together… so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love…
The building of the church starts with pastors and teachers etc… They use the Word of God to strengthen and equip the church to do the work of the ministry… That exactly what happened in Ephesus… That´s what continues to happen in the church… we help you to get ready… We give you the tools…. So that you can do the work of the ministry…
Close
Would you like to have a great Bible study quiet time? Look at all of the people who ministered to the Ephesians…. It is an awesome list  …. Apollos and Pricilla and Aquilla, Timothy and Paul…. And later the John the disciple that Jesus loved…. Lived and ministered in Ephesus….
Paul was in Ephesus longer than any other place…. The Lord wonderfully transformed Paul from a legalistic persecutor of Christians….. To a radical proclaimer of the Good news of the Gospel… He became the Apostle of the Grace of God to the Gentiles…. turn with me to Ephesians 2… v1…
Ephesians 2:1- 10                          NKJV   
1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.


Ephesians 2:1- 10                             slt 2000
1 Auch ihr wart früher tot aufgrund eurer Sünden.
2 Ihr habt genauso in der Sünde gelebt wie der Rest der Welt, beherrscht von Satan, der im Machtbereich der Luft regiert. Er ist der Geist, der in den Herzen derer wirkt, die Gott nicht gehorchen wollen.
3 Wir alle haben früher so gelebt und uns von den Leidenschaften und Begierden unserer alten Natur beherrschen lassen. Wir wurden mit dieser Natur geboren und waren Gottes Zorn ausgeliefert wie alle anderen Menschen auch.
4 Doch Gott ist so barmherzig und liebte uns so sehr,
5 dass er uns, die wir durch unsere Sünden tot waren, mit Christus neues Leben schenkte, als er ihn von den Toten auferweckte. Nur durch die Gnade Gottes seid ihr gerettet worden!
6 Denn er hat uns zusammen mit Christus von den Toten auferweckt und wir gehören nun mit Jesus zu seinem himmlischen Reich.
7 So wird er für alle Zeiten an uns seine Güte und den Reichtum seiner Gnade sichtbar machen, die sich in allem zeigt, was er durch Christus Jesus für uns getan hat.
8 Weil Gott so gnädig ist, hat er euch durch den Glauben gerettet. Und das ist nicht euer eigenes Verdienst; es ist ein Geschenk Gottes.
9 Ihr werdet also nicht aufgrund eurer guten Taten gerettet, damit sich niemand etwas darauf einbilden kann.
10 Denn wir sind Gottes Schöpfung. Er hat uns in Christus Jesus neu geschaffen, damit wir zu guten Taten fähig sind, wie er es für unser Leben schon immer vorgesehen hat.
That´s God´s Chesed…. His mercy and grace poured out on our lives….. Even though we did not deserve it…
Remember this text from Acts19 began with some fans of God…. They showed up in a Christian meeting…. They were looking to know God better…. They knew that they need a new heart….. They knew that they need help…. They were in theright place…. Paul taught them about Jesus…. And Jesuis transformed them…. He gave them and new heart and He put His Spirit in them….. When He did…. Jesus fulfilled the promise of the Father….. A new Covenant…. Jesus´ life’s blood…. Poured out for us…
Romans 15….
Romans 15: 1-6                          NLT   Neues Leben
1 We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. 2 We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. 3 For even Christ didn’t live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, “The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me.” 4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

5 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. 6 Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 15: 1-6                          NLT   Neues Leben
1 Selbst wenn wir einen starken Glauben haben, dürfen wir uns nicht nach uns selbst richten, sondern müssen die Zweifel und Ängste Schwächerer ernst nehmen.
2 Wir sollen uns so verhalten, dass es dem andern hilft1 und er dadurch im Glauben ermutigt wird.
3 Denn auch Christus lebte nicht nur für sich selbst. In der Schrift heißt es: »Die Menschen, die dich beleidigen, beleidigen auch mich.«2
4 Dies wurde vor langer Zeit aufgeschrieben, damit wir daraus lernen. Es soll uns Hoffnung geben und ermutigen, sodass wir geduldig auf das warten, was Gott in der Schrift versprochen hat.
5 Gott, der diese Geduld und Ermutigung schenkt, soll euch helfen, eins zu sein und in Frieden miteinander zu leben. Geht miteinander so um,3 wie es Christus vorgelebt hat.
6 Dann könnt ihr gemeinsam mit einer Stimme Gott, den Vater unseres Herrn Jesus Christus, loben und ehren.
Let's pray.

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