Today´s Sermon Notes

2014.07.13                                  Acts 11: 18- 26

                          Hang on to Jesus

Our study takes us this morning to the last part of    Acts chapter 11…...   We have been studying in Chapter 10 and 11 for a few weeks……..

We looked closely at the first gentile converts…..  In Acts 1: 8…..  Jesus said, "After the Spirit of God has come upon you, you shall be witnesses, My witnesses, and you shall be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost part of the earth.

And the plan of the evangelization of man began at Jerusalem and then it  spread out from there…… The last great step in the  spread of evangelism…… was proclaiming the gospel to the heathen…… As we come to Chapter 11…… the gospel has already been taken to the Jews in Jerusalem and Judea….. It has been given to the Samaritans….. and in Chapter 10 it was proclaimed to the first group of Gentiles……. the house of Cornelius…… Peter was the one that God used to proclaim the GOOD NEWS…… And as you remember….. Cornelius was wonderfully saved……

Let´s pickup the text of Acts 11…. at verse18….

Acts 11: 18-26                   NKJV

18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”

19 Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. 20 But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

22 Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. 23 When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. 24 For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

25 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. 26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

V18…. Here is the long promised Miracle of Salvation for the heathen….. What a very important event in the life of the church…. It took a while for the believing Jews to accept it….. But finally…. they see the Grace of God at work and they rejoice…… We talked at length about that last week…. If you were not here you can listen on line at CCWiesbaden…..

V20….. A very famous Pastor said that these men of Cyprus and Cyrene were the Jesus People of the 1^st century….. Although they were relatively new believers….  They were on fire for Jesus….. The proclaimed the Good News to everyone who was willing to listen even the heathen…. They didn´t know that it was pointless to talk to the Heathen…. I´m afraid that sometimes we think that it is pointless to talk to people today…. It´s pointless to talk to Muslims… Right? No….. The Spirit of God is still at work…… That´s the way it was with these 1^st century Jesus People….  We went anywhere and talked to anyone who would listen….. So did they…. And heathen began to get saved in huge numbers….

V21…a great number believed…. There was a time when about 100 people were getting saved every day on the streets of San Antonio Texas…. Just like in Acts…. People sold land and house and gave the money to the work of the ministry…. What exciting times….

V22… They sent Barnabus to encourage and teach them…..   let´s take another look at verse 23….

Acts 11: 23                     NIV     NeÜ

23 When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.

23 Der war sehr glücklich, als er sah, was durch die Gnade Gottes entstanden war. Er machte allen Mut, dem Herrn mit ganzem Herzen treu zu bleiben.

Barnabas knew that the Christian life is difficult sometimes…. After all…. one reason that the Good News was being proclaimed in the world is the persecution…. Today….. Many of our brothers and sisters suffering for the sake of the Gospel….. They live under the constant threat of death! Their churches are being burned…. They are not free to even speak about Jesus…. The Christian life is not for weaklings….

A new believer the other day said…. I just became a Christian a week ago…. My whole life has been worse than ever...... I'm just going to forget this Christian stuff….  I'm going back the way I was….. I know that some of you may be feeling very disappointed at the way God is running their lives….. Maybe you are struggling today…… Don´t give up! Hold on to the Lord Jesus…...  

Easier said than done… Let me explain what's happening to some of you…. Sometimes we come all the way to Christ and then we get discouraged…..  We are tossed around by our emotions….. We have good days…. Wonderful times in the word and prayer….. We say…. Oh how awesome is my life in Christ…….

Then we have bad days and the world…. At least our world is falling apart…..

Many of us have grown up Christians…. But unfortunately what we have learned to expect from God…. is not what the Bible teaches…… We need to understand what we can expect as we live our Christian lives….. We to know what the Bible tells us about our Christian lives…. There is a real misconception about what God has and has not promised…. Many of us end up feeling like God owes us something….. We end up expecting things from the LORD that are not at all a part of what God has promised…. Because he owes us…. We have given up everything for Him…… We are Good boys and girls…… We have done our part…… Now we expect God to do His part…… When we don´t get what we think we deserve…. We are depressed and Disappointed with the Lord…. Most of us are trusting some un Godly form of the Prosperity Gospel…. We think that by good deeds and much faith we can command God to give us what we want….. We treat God as our servant… we expect Him to give us what we want….. It´s crazy…. That´s nuts…. We do not even Know what is best for us any way…. I thank God that on countless occasions in my Life….. That God did not give me what I wanted….. I´m 61 now….. When I was young I was often in love…… I cannot tell you how many times I begged God to give me a certain girl for my wife….. Sometimes now when I look at photo’s on Facebook I see a current photo of an old girlfriend….. Emphasis here on Old….. I say thank you Lord for not answering my prayers about her…. God is not our servant….. We belong to Him we are His servants….. Bought with a price….

The Bible teaches that when we repent of our sins and cry out to God for mercy… We discover that God is enough for us…. We   see in the Scriptures that God helped and sustained His people over and over again…. We should see as we read the 11^th chapter of Hebrews….. That God ´s true servants Glorified Him in lives well lived….. And in suffering for the sake of the Gospel…. They testified to God´s Goodness in the middle of hard times….. I know three pastor who are suffering from cancer right now…. They stand up and testify to God´s Goodness in their suffering….. That is more powerful than anything that I can think of…. God in His wisdom allows sickness and other very difficult days into our lives for his own sovereign purposes….

We Don´t need a perfect life or the perfect job…. We don´t need the perfect wife…. We know that our sins are forgiven…. We are free from guilt and free to serve the Lord Jesus with our whole hearts….…

We are sad and disappointed….. Disaster strikes…. We feel alone and abandoned by God because our life is not perfect….. We lose someone close to us…. We get a phone call from our doctor….. I´m sorry…. You have cancer…..

In an instant we are devastated….. God seems so far way…… But the Word of God stands true….. God always keeps His promises…..

I´m reminded of what Jesus said in Luke 18…. Look at verse 1…

Luke 18: 1    NKJV   Sch 2000

1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,

1 Er sagte ihnen aber auch ein Gleichnis, um ihnen zu zeigen, daß es nötig ist, allezeit zu beten und nicht nachlässig zu werden;

This point is what Jesus goes on to illustrate in these verses… This is a great chapter for you to read when you are feeling disappointed with your life…. I think that most of us have times of feeling that the heavens are closed off to our prayers…. Our emotions are way down in a pit of despair…. We feel that God does not hear us and will not answer us….. In Luke 18…. Jesus reminds His hearers and us….. That our great God is not a man…. The first thing he shows them is that even if he was a wicked judge

He would hear us…. Jesus says…. Don´t give up… Don´t lose heart… You heavenly Father knows what you need…. Hang on….

Jesus goes on to remind us again about God´s unfailing love…… We see the Grace of God in these parables… We see God grace and mercy to the worst and the least….. Tax collectors…. Small children…. The rich young ruler… The chapter ends with the Instant Miraculous healing of a blind man…..  look at verse 42….Luke 18… v43…

Luke 18: 43    NKJV   Sch 2000

43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

43 Und sogleich wurde er sehend und folgte ihm nach und pries Gott; und das ganze Volk, das dies sah, lobte Gott.

Who knows how many times this man cried out to God for healing…… We do not know how long he was blind….. But what we do know is that the people believed that he was cursed by God…. That´s why the scribes and Pharisees would ask Jesus who sinned…. Listen to me carefully….. Sometimes bad things happen even to believers… God always has a purpose in them….. The purpose is always the same…. Our Good and God´s glory…. Here in this instance…. We witness a display of the Awesome Power  of God…..

God is praised and Glorified even in this difficult circumstance… This is very important….. God´s ways and Plans are far above our ability to understand…… In Luke 18…v.1… Jesus is telling us to Pray and trust Him… He is telling us to not lose hope….

I am reminded of the Fiery Furnace event in the book of Daniel….

Daniel 3: 17,18                 NKJV  NeÜ

17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

17 Wenn unser Gott, dem wir dienen, uns retten will, dann wird er uns aus dem glühenden Ofen und aus deiner Gewalt retten.

18 Und wenn nicht, so sollst du, König, dennoch wissen, dass wir deinen Göttern nicht dienen und dein goldenes Bild nicht anbeten werden."

I think that we all know this story….. Jesus was with them in the fiery Furnace…. Their faith and firm hold on God was used by God as a powerful testimony to H

Nebuchadnezzar and all who witnessed their trust in the LORD…… When we go through hard times…. We need to remember people are watching us….. They need to see that we are hanging on to the Jesus…. Even in the hard times…..

and this is what we read in  the book of Hebrews…..

Hebrews 10: 19- 25                 NLT

19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

This passage is full of encouragement…. If you read the whole chapter … and you should….. We see that Jesus has paid in full for our sins….

V12…. He is our High Priest…

V14… He is making us Holy…

V16…. God Himself promised to write His laws on our hearts…

V17…. I will never again remember their sins…

V 19 we can come to the Lord with a Holy Boldness..

V20 By His death…. Jesus opened a new and life giving way into the Holy Place…

Now comes the exhortation and encouragement….

v22…. Draw near to Him…

V23… Hold ON!.... He says here…… "Hold on to the Lord with all your strength."

V24…. Encourage each other!

V25…. Fellowship with each other!... God put us into the community of the body of Christ…. So that we could help and pray for each other….. Hold each other up in the hard times… Stay in fellowship and exhort each other….

You may say….. I don't know if I can make it….

Often the problem is that we are right on the edge between loving and serving the Lord with our whole heart….. And loving the World….. Many of us are still Flirting with the world…… Come on make your salvation real……  Hold on to Jesus… Stay in deep fellowship with Him….    Cling to the Lord Jesus…..

Stay close to Jesus…..   

Paul  says….. "Hold on to the Lord with all your strength."

Paul had this word of exhortation and encouragement for Titus…. We will close with theses verses….

Titus 2:11-14                               NKJV  

11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

Let´s pray

Today´s Sermon Notes

2014.07.06                          Acts 11: 1-23

          Grace and acceptance for the Gentiles

It´s great to see you here this morning….. We live in a world that is full of bad news……. But this morning I have Good News for all of us…… There is hope and His name is Jesus…. We are studying the birth of the church in the book of Acts….. In the last few weeks we have been looking at the beginning of the Gospel´s entrance into the Gentile world…. We see the wonderful truth that the Messiah….. The long promised redeemer has come to redeem the Gentiles too…… God´s plan from eternity past has always been to pour out His grace and mercy on the Gentiles too… Here at CCWiesbaden we study the Bible verse by verse……. So let´s pickup where we left off… Acts 11…v1…

Acts 11: 1- 18                             NKJV

1 Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, 3 saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”

4 But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me. 6 When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’ 9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’ 10 Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven. 11 At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea. 12 Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, 14 who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’ 15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”

18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”

Acts 11: 1- 18                             Sch 2000

1 Und die Apostel und die Brüder, die in Judäa waren, hörten, daß auch die Heiden das Wort Gottes angenommen hatten.

2 Und als Petrus nach Jerusalem hinaufkam, machten die aus der Beschneidung ihm Vorwürfe

3 und sprachen: Zu unbeschnittenen Männern bist du hineingegangen und hast mit ihnen gegessen!

4 Da begann Petrus und erzählte ihnen alles der Reihe nach und sprach:

5 Ich war in der Stadt Joppe und betete; da sah ich in einer Verzückung ein Gesicht: ein Gefäß kam herab, wie ein großes, leinenes Tuch, das an vier Enden vom Himmel herabgelassen wurde, und es kam bis zu mir.

6 Als ich nun hineinblickte und es betrachtete, sah ich die vierfüßigen Tiere der Erde und die Raubtiere und die kriechenden Tiere und die Vögel des Himmels.

7 Und ich hörte eine Stimme, die zu mir sprach: Steh auf, Petrus, schlachte und iß!

8 Ich aber sprach: Keineswegs, Herr! Denn nie ist etwas Gemeines oder Unreines in meinen Mund gekommen!

9 Aber eine Stimme vom Himmel antwortete mir zum zweitenmal: Was Gott gereinigt hat, das halte du nicht für gemein!

10 Dies geschah aber dreimal; und alles wurde wieder in den Himmel hinaufgezogen.

11 Und siehe, in dem Augenblick standen vor dem Haus, in dem ich war, drei Männer, die aus Cäsarea zu mir gesandt worden waren.

12 Und der Geist sprach zu mir, ich solle ohne Bedenken mit ihnen ziehen. Es kamen aber auch diese sechs Brüder mit mir, und wir gingen in das Haus des Mannes hinein.

13 Und er berichtete uns, wie er den Engel in seinem Haus stehen sah, der zu ihm sagte: Sende Männer nach Joppe und laß Simon mit dem Beinamen Petrus holen;

14 der wird Worte zu dir reden, durch die du gerettet werden wirst, du und dein ganzes Haus.

15 Als ich aber zu reden anfing, fiel der Heilige Geist auf sie, gleichwie auf uns am Anfang.

16 Da gedachte ich an das Wort des Herrn, wie er sagte: Johannes hat mit Wasser getauft, ihr aber sollt mit Heiligem Geist getauft werden.

17 Wenn nun Gott ihnen die gleiche Gabe verliehen hat wie auch uns, nachdem sie an den Herrn Jesus Christus gläubig geworden sind, wer war ich denn, daß ich Gott hätte wehren können?

18 Als sie aber das hörten, beruhigten sie sich und priesen Gott und sprachen: So hat denn Gott auch den Heiden die Buße zum Leben gegeben!

Verse1… The disciples in Jerusalem heard that the Gentiles had become believers….. When Peter got back to Jerusalem he told the leaders of the church what had happened…. The legalistic Jewish believers were very upset with him…… They believed that he was sinning by going into the house of Gentiles…..

Verse 2…. They contended with him….. They argued with him….

Verse 3…  They were outraged. "You went into men uncircumcised and even worse….. you ate with them….

That was absolutely forbidden… You didn't have fellowship with uncircumcised Gentiles….. You would never eat with them…… They went ballistic! So Peter retells the leaders in Jerusalem everything that happened….. This is the third time that we read this account of the Conversion of Cornelius and his family…. This miraculous beginning of the Good News of Salvation for the Gentiles is that important…..

As we have already seen….. 99.9 % of all of the Christians in the world are Gentiles….. Just as the Father promised in the scriptures….

But there is another reason that we read this account three times…… The great enemy of believers…. The great enemy of the church is Spiritual pride….. The Jewish believers were very proud of their traditions and laws….. They saw the law as something that separated them from the heathen…. They were proud that they observed the law….. Even the new believers tended toward spiritual pride in their walk with the LORD…. They continued to believe that they were special because of what they did….. It is easy to start to believe that we are accepted by God because of what we do……  

The early Christians were Jewish and they tended to be legalistic and proud of their relationship with the LORD….

Keep in mind that as Peter comes back to report…… That the word has already reached Jerusalem….    they've already made up their minds that Peter has made a big mistake…. The ultra conservative Jewish believers….. Those of the circumcision……. And those former Pharisees who were now Christians….. who thought that Judaism was all in all….. They wanted everybody to become a Jew and get circumcised before he could become a Christian…. they had already made up their mind that Peter was a sell out…...  

And Peter had done exactly what their ceremonial law condemned…… and they were really upset that he would have anything to do with these Gentiles……. Peter say wait a minute…. Let me tell you what happened….

So Peter retells the events that happened……

Verse 15…. He says….. listen the Holy Spirit was poured out on them….. The LORD Himself has accepted the Gentiles….

Verse 16….. I remembered what the LORD said….

And what did I remember? The Word of the Lord and He had said John indeed baptized with water but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit…… Peter said, "You know why I know this testimony is true? 1…  six other guys saw what I saw….. Acts 11… v12…. 2…  it squares with revelation….. Jesus said it would happen….

Don't evaluate your experience on your experience alone…... Make sure it stands the test of Scripture……

He says, "Jesus said that the Spirit would come and baptize them, and He did." Now that is Biblical verification……… That is always needed to verify anybody's experience…. or any of the so-called leading of the Lord…… Mark it down in your notes….   The Scriptures are what we use to test our experiences….   They couldn't argue with the testimony of seven reputable witnesses….. They couldn't argue with the testimony of Jesus Christ….. Peter built his foundation on the Word of Christ….. v17…

Acts 11: 17,18                 NKJV   Sch 2000

17 If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”

18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”

17 Wenn nun Gott ihnen die gleiche Gabe verliehen hat wie auch uns, nachdem sie an den Herrn Jesus Christus gläubig geworden sind, wer war ich denn, daß ich Gott hätte wehren können?

18 Als sie aber das hörten, beruhigten sie sich und priesen Gott und sprachen: So hat denn Gott auch den Heiden die Buße zum Leben gegeben!

Verse 17…… Peter says…. There I was guys….. The Lord poured out His Holy Spirit….. He accepted them as they were…… I cannot argue with Him….  And so they had nothing to say…..

Verse 18…. This statement  is one of the most important statements in Jewish history…… Gentiles can get saved too…. Without going through the process of becoming a Jew first…..    The events surrounding these first conversions to the Lord Jesus…. were necessary before the work of evangelizing the Gentiles could begin….  

They had to go and proclaim the Gospel to the lost and dying Pagan world….. The Lord sent them….. But before they'd ever go to the Gentiles….. They would have to believe that salvation was for the Gentiles…... Peter convinced them…… because Peter had been convinced by God……

Historians tell us that there were at least seven years between Pentecost and  the founding of the church at Antioch….. Until now… The believers were only proclaiming the Good News of the Messiah to devout Jews…. It´s in Antioch that they really begin the work of evangelizing Gentiles…...v 19…

Acts11: 19- 24                      NKJV   Sch 2000

19 Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. 20 But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

 Acts11: 19- 21                    Sch 2000

19 Die nun, welche sich zerstreut hatten seit der Verfolgung, die sich wegen Stephanus erhoben hatte, zogen bis nach Phönizien und Zypern und Antiochia und redeten das Wort zu niemand als nur zu Juden.

20 Unter ihnen gab es aber einige, Männer aus Zypern und Kyrene, die, als sie nach Antiochia kamen, zu den Griechischsprechenden1 redeten und ihnen das Evangelium von dem Herrn Jesus verkündigten.

21 Und die Hand des Herrn war mit ihnen, und eine große Zahl wurde gläubig und bekehrte sich zum Herrn.

Verse 19……   verse 19 picks up the History where  Chapter 8 verse 4 left off….. This middle part is   a parenthesis….. We have this very important story of the first gentile conversion… Cornelius and then Luke picks up the text with the persecution that broke out at the time of Stephen….. The believers began to be scattered….

Verse 19b… preaching the Word to none but unto the Jews only….. The Jewish believers who were scattered went to the Jewish people in the towns and proclaimed the Messiah to them…. It says they went to Phoenicia…..  Phoenicia is the coastal plain of Palestine right along the Mediterranean Sea…... Two famous cities there…..Tyre and Sidon….. And from either of those port cities you could catch a ship and go west and you'd come to the island of Cyprus…… So that's what they did….. They went up to Phoenicia, Tyre, and Sidon and some of them got on a ship and west to Cyprus…..

Others   kept going north….. If you keep going north on the coast you come to Antioch….. Antioch became the capital of Syria…..   

As we just read…. They were preaching to Jews only….. Why? Because they still believe that salvation was for the Jews…….   They probably had no idea of what had happened to Cornelius and his family…   So they'd go into these towns and   find the Greek speaking Jews…..  and they would share Christ with them….. and they would start a little group of believers…..

verse 20….. Some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene……   that  was important because they were Jewish believers…… but they had   Gentile cultural roots….. That made them a little more ready to reach a Gentiles with the Gospel…. When they got to Antioch…..  they spoke to the Greeks about the Lord Jesus….. They actually preached to the pagans……. uncircumcised pagans….   they preached and people got saved…..  

Antioch was a very important city…. It was 15 miles or so from the mouth of the Euphrates River…..   It became the capital of the Province of Syria…..    It was the third largest city in the Roman world….. After Rome came Alexandria Egypt…. then   Antioch…..  . It was famous for culture, it was famous for business. It was just a very   large city…. The network of Roman roads went through Antioch…. It became very wealthy   and very wicked….

God Himself chose this wicked city to become the location of the  first church in Antioch……  

Verse 21….   Notice that first phrase…. the hand of the Lord was with them……  The hand of the Lord means power……   Exodus 14:31……The hand of the Lord also means blessing…..

And so the hand of the Lord moved on Antioch with power…… That resulted in the salvation of many….   

 A great number believed…..  And  turned to the Lord…..   Genuine salvation…... A church began in Antioch…...  We don't even know the guys’ names……  verse 22….

Acts11: 22- 24                      NKJV     

22 Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. 23 When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. 24 For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

Acts11: 22- 24                         Sch 2000

 22 Es kam aber die Kunde von ihnen zu den Ohren der Gemeinde in Jerusalem, und sie sandten Barnabas, daß er hingehe nach Antiochia.

23 Und als er ankam und die Gnade Gottes sah, freute er sich und ermahnte alle, mit festem Herzen bei dem Herrn zu bleiben;

24 denn er war ein guter Mann und voll Heiligen Geistes und Glaubens; und es wurde dem Herrn eine beträchtliche Menge hinzugetan. 

Gentiles are getting saved….. Wonderful news!

Thes Gentiles don´t know anything about the one true God….. Somebody´s got to go and help them….. Go and teach them the Word of God… They sent   Barnabas  He was giving, patient and full of grace…..  Like his name says…. He truly was a son of encouragement….. It is very important that leaders in the church be gracious and patient with the sheep…. They sent the right man to these new believers…..  When he had seen the grace of God….. He was glad….. You know…. Some people are not glad when they see the grace of God at work in people´s lives…… Some people are mad….. They see the grace of God poured out on a life…. and they go Crazy with anger….

Sometimes we cannot stand to see someone receive mercy…..

The more legalistic we are…. The more likely we are to work hard at earning God´s love and approval…. We are hard on ourselves and unloving and impatient to those around us…… The more likely we are to demand justice….. and not mercy for others…..

 When I was young…. I wanted them to get into trouble…. I often wanted my brothers and my poor sister to receive Justice…. But I wanted mercy for myself….. I could not stand for them to get away with doing something wrong….

I think that the greatest example of that is when Pharisees want to see sinners punished for their sins…. Everytime Jesus told a sinner that they were forgiven they just about had a heart attack on the spot…. Do you remember the parable that Jesus told of the prodigal son…. In Luke 15 we read the parable of the lost sheep… The lost coin…. The lost son…. Not enough time…. to read this chapter now…. Home work…..! Nut  I do want us to notice Jesus´ audience….. Luke 15….v1…

Luke15: 1-3                                   NKJV   

1 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:

1 Es pflegten sich ihm aber alle Zöllner und Sünder zu nahen, um ihn zu hören.2 Und die Pharisäer und die Schriftgelehrten murrten und sprachen: Dieser nimmt Sünder an und ißt mit ihnen!3 Er sagte aber zu ihnen dieses Gleichnis und sprach:

Here is something important……. Where the Word of God is faithfully proclaimed…… The Good news of the Gospel will draw the most outcast and sinful people….. They are the ones most desperate for the grace and mercy of God…… We see God ´s love and grace most perfectly in the cross of Christ…. It draws the heart of everyone who sees their sin and is looking for forgiveness…..

Sinners are thrilled to hear Him…. But the Pharisees…. If you will allow me….”The super Christians”…. They  are complaining that Jesus is breaking the law about avoiding sinners and eating with them…. He is going into their homes…. Scandalous…. As he tells the story of the prodical son….. The Pharisees in the room are excited about this story….. They see Jesus rebuking the sinners and showing them their sin….. As this young man sees his sin and decides to go back to the Father….…. Even the Pharisees are saying Amen…. Jesus you get them…. The story did not start to go  wrong for them until the Father came running out….. He Poured out his love and forgiveness on the young man….  before he could even confess his sin´s and offer to be a servant…. The father ran to Him…..That is the Grace of God our Father to us…… He saw His son coming home and he ran to Him…. The father does not even allow any discussion of restitution by his repentant son…..….

The Father took the weight of the offense on Himself….. He covered his son´s sinful condition with His robe…. and put His ring on his finger….

The Father does not allow His son to carry the weight of his sin for one more minute…. He takes the scandal away……  All is forgiven…. All is forgotten in a instant…. Grace and forgiveness and mercy poured out on this sinner….. He did not deserve to be forgiven…….

OH if only we could get an understanding of God ´s delight in saving and forgiving sinners….

But God….. Eph 2…. V4…

The Good News of the Gospel….. is that God accepts us and saves us…. It is not because we clean up our act and earn forgiveness….. We receive forgiveness…. by grace through faith….. Saving Grace overpowers sin!

The Pharisees were angry that the father forgave this young man so freely….. They wanted punishment….. and they wanted this young man to pay a high price for his sin first…. You they were also in the story…. They were the older brother who was angry that the Father showed mercy….. They refused to see the seriousness of their own sin…. They were certain that they were righteous…. This story shows them their heart….. It was full of pride and unforgiveness….. They were not righteous…. They were still lost in their sins…. The father goes out to the older brother and pleades with him to understand the grace that he has shown the younger brother….. He says … He was dead…. He´s alive now…. It is right to rejoice….. Like the Father Jesus was showing them mercy…. The scandalous grace of God is that He offers grace to everyone…. The horrible sinner…. And the self righteous and proud….. That´s mercy…. Jesus showed them what was in their hearts…. What pride and foolishness….. They left that house as full of sin and pride as when they went in….. You see…. everybody loves seeing grace

This is very important for us to think about…. When people offend or hurt us we want to punish them…. That is spiritual pride…. We forget that we were forgiven of our sins…. The great danger of being legalistic…. and wanting others to pay for their sins…… Is that we do not reflect the grace and mercy of our LORD Jesus to them…. We pretend that we are great and Godly…. When the truth is that we have received grace… that we did not deserve…. Just like the older brother… we refuse to forgive…. We refuse to rejoice in our Great God Who delights to show mercy….

We forget that we were freely forgiven…. We did not and we never could earn our forgiveness….. The wages of sin is death….

We have received grace and mercy that we do not deserve…. What good news!

 Martin Lloyd Jones said near the end of his life and ministry…. That if he had it all to do over again…. He would proclaim the Grace of God every day…. George Whitfield He preached a great revival just before the War of Independence in America in the 1700´s said…. I had more and better fruit when I preached the grace and mercy of God that when I preached the law and hell fire….

Barnabas was perfectly qualified to minister to the baby Christians….What qualified Barnabas?  He had the right spiritual attitudes….. love and patience and grace….

he also had the right spiritual qualities…..

Verse 24…. Says…. "He was a good man."

He was good….. in the sense that the deeds that he did were good “agathos”…..   he did good things…..  He was full of faith….and he was full of the Holy Spirit…….

Barnabas was from Cyprus….. Do you know where the guys who founded the church in Antioch were from? Cyprus….. Barnabas knew these guys…… He wouldn't be an intruder stepping in on their territory…. He was the perfect man to send to help and disciple these new believers...

Acts 11…v23….

Acts 11: 23,24                              NKJV   Sch 2000

23 When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. 24 For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

23 Und als er ankam und die Gnade Gottes sah, freute er sich und ermahnte alle, mit festem Herzen bei dem Herrn zu bleiben;

24 denn er war ein guter Mann und voll Heiligen Geistes und Glaubens; und es wurde dem Herrn eine beträchtliche Menge hinzugetan.  

"that you would purpose in your heart that you would cling unto the Lord."   

this is  important….. Here's a pattern that you can follow in your ministry all your life….. What is the first thing that he tells them?? He said…. Hang on to Jesus….. Cling to him…. Hold on….

You rejoice that the Lord has redeemed them and that they are forgiven…. And then you begin to think…. I hope they read the Word….. I hope they pray….. I hope it's more real to them every day….  That's your first reaction when you lead somebody to Christ….. I hope it's real….. I hope they hang onto to Christ…..  

We are responsible to disciple our brothers and sisters…. New believers…. Desperately need our fellowship and encouragement… They need to see us studying the scriptures… they need to see us dedicated to prayer….. God has accepted us and reconciled us to himself because of his great love…. Eph2… v4…. Read the whole chapter…. Paul constantly reminde the early believers of the grace and mercy of God… God delights to show mercy….

Micah 7…v18   

Micah 7: 18,19                 NKJV     

18 Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever Because He delights in mercy.

19 He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.

Micah 7: 18,19                 Sch 2000

18 Wer ist ein Gott wie du, der die Sünde vergibt und dem Überrest seines Erbteils die Übertretung erläßt, der seinen Zorn nicht allezeit festhält, sondern Lust an der Gnade hat?

19 Er wird sich wieder über uns erbarmen, unsere Missetaten bezwingen. Ja, du wirst alle ihre Sünden in die Tiefe des Meeres werfen!

He is speaking to us today as well…. Let´s let him encourage us as we close today…. Turn with me to Colossians 1…v19

Close

 Col 1: 19-28                NKJV

19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.  

Kollosser 1: 19-28                            Sch 2000

19 Denn es gefiel [Gott], in ihm alle Fülle wohnen zu lassen

20 und durch ihn alles mit sich selbst zu versöhnen, indem er Frieden machte durch das Blut seines Kreuzes — durch ihn, sowohl was auf Erden als auch was im Himmel ist.

21 Auch euch, die ihr einst entfremdet und feindlich gesinnt wart in den bösen Werken, hat er jetzt versöhnt

22 in dem Leib seines Fleisches durch den Tod, um euch heilig und tadellos und unverklagbar darzustellen vor seinem Angesicht,

23 wenn ihr nämlich im Glauben gegründet und fest bleibt und euch nicht abbringen laßt von der Hoffnung des Evangeliums, das ihr gehört habt, das verkündigt worden ist in der ganzen Schöpfung, die unter dem Himmel ist, und dessen Diener ich, Paulus, geworden bin.

24 Jetzt freue ich mich in meinen Leiden, [die ich] um euretwillen [erleide], und ich erfülle meinerseits in meinem Fleisch, was noch an Bedrängnissen des Christus aussteht, um seines Leibes willen, welcher die Gemeinde ist.

25 Deren Diener bin ich geworden gemäß der Haushalterschaft8, die mir von Gott für euch gegeben ist, daß ich das Wort Gottes voll ausrichten soll,

26 [nämlich] das Geheimnis, das verborgen war, seitdem es Weltzeiten und Geschlechter gibt, das jetzt aber seinen Heiligen offenbar gemacht worden ist.

27 Ihnen wollte Gott bekanntmachen, was der Reichtum der Herrlichkeit dieses Geheimnisses unter den Heiden ist, nämlich: Christus in euch, die Hoffnung der Herrlichkeit.

28 Ihn verkündigen wir, indem wir jeden Menschen ermahnen und jeden Menschen lehren in aller Weisheit, um jeden Menschen vollkommen in Christus Jesus darzustellen.

Let´s pray….