Good Samaritan United Methodist Church

Use Bible Gateway to Read Acts 18, 19, 20, 21

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Read Acts 18:8-28 Doug and Teresa Souvignier

This passage describes Paul’s journeys and ministry in Corinth, Ephesus, Caeasarea, Antioch, Galatia, and Phyrygia. He covered a lot of ground spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ. What kept him going through all those many miles? The assurance of God’s presence in every step of his travels.. In verse 9, it says the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you.” God was there with Paul, encouraging him, strengthening him, empowering him. And with this assurance, Paul could be bold and speak up for what he knew to be true. Wouldn’t it be comforting to know with that much certainty that we were on the right path, that we were doing God’s will and that God would protect us? Do we need to get a vision like Paul before we take the first steps forward on our walk with God? That is where faith comes in. Just as God was with Paul as he traveled those distant lands, so he is with us today as we walk out into a world that may be either hostile or indifferent to the Christian message. God challenges each of us to not be silent or afraid and to speak up for what we believe in.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Read Acts 19:1-20 Libby Stanton

If this passage were a “How-to” book it would be titled something like this;
Unrestricted Commitment to Jesus Christ – How to achieve this in Three Easy Steps.

We have been shown the process of committing ourselves to God and to His Son through John’s baptism of repentance, and then through Jesus’ teachings and ultimately through the baptism in the Holy Spirit. In a nutshell.
I have come to really appreciate this passage because it has illuminated and reinstated the message of the gospel. One cannot help noticing the parallels between this passage and the general message of the Gospels.

Apollos, an Alexandrian Jew, was eloquent, “mighty in scripture”, “instructed in the way of the Lord”, “fervent in spirit”, “teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus”, but was acquainted only with the baptism of John. He was instructing the people in the “Way of the Lord” accurately – and baptizing people into repentance in preparation for a commitment to Jesus. Accurate instruction and repentance. Mind and body. Step One.

Paul. discovering this incomplete baptism of Apollos, takes it the next step – baptism in the Holy Spirit – a complete and total commitment and unity. Mind, Body and now 100% Heart and Soul. The Second Step.

Then Paul (and his 12 disciples) preach “the Way of the Lord” for two years, with “extraordinary miracles” and authority. This inspired others to repent. “The word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.” Step Three.

So, we have three steps:

1. Repent/produce fruit with accurate teaching instruction and commitment Mind and Body to follow “The Way” of Jesus.

2. Commit wholeheartedly in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Mind/Body and 100% Heart and Soul.

3. Inspire others with our unity of Spirit in our daily lives, accurate teaching and commitment. Easy right? right?

This passage comes with a warning:
Warning! Do not dabble – dangerous!

We know the seven sons of Sceva were dabbling in authority for two reasons:
1. It was pointed out specifically that they were sons of the high priest. (who probably was not accepting of “The Way”)
2. They cast out demons in the name of Jesus “whom Paul preaches.” This is half-hearted.

The demons didn’t recognize their authority and turned on them. Unprotected.

So, where are we in this scenario? Where am I?

Dear Lord,
You continue to show us the way; in your written word and in your persistent guidance. Help us to understand accurately your teaching, to act on it consistently in our lives, and to walk with you in love and obedience, Mind, Body, Heart and Soul. Amen

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Read Acts 19:21-41 Libby Stanton

“The word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.”

“The Way”, as it was called, was radical in its effect upon people’s lives. Healing, exorcisms, and individuals taking personal responsibility. “confessing and disclosing their practices” “magnified the name of the Lord Jesus. “

There was “no small disturbance’ concerning “The Way”. Why was this so powerful?
So powerful that people turned away from Artemis of the Ephesians and stopped buying idols. This affected the business of the silversmiths and of the people who wanted to protect their world view.

The response to this radical movement was fear. Fear led to mob mentality to the point in which “the majority did not even know for what reason they had come together”!

Chaos and rioting ensued. This ends with the authorities finding the behavior of the members of “The Way” blameless and encourages the matter to be brought up fairly in lawful assembly.

After pondering this passage some very important things came to mind.

I think Christian politics today underestimates the power of the word. We sometimes see Jesus as “meek and mild”, while loudly engaging in governmental politics, most often resulting in unchristian-like words and behaviors. It seems when we get involved in “worldly kingdoms” our rules and behaviors parallel the rules and behaviors of the environment in which we are engaging. All in the name of God.

“Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s.”

The example we see of a powerful and “salty” movement, of “the Way” is the opposite. Jesus is seen as powerful and mighty, while nobody stormed the businesses and demand they stop making the idols. In fact, even Jesus didn’t storm the oppressive Roman government, he did something much more powerful, he strengthened the human spirit from within. (He did challenge the Jewish leaders but they were the keepers of the spiritual word.) This created a long lasting effect that was more powerful than any “worldly kingdom.”

I love my brother-in-law. He is ebullient, and loves my sister. But my brother-in-law hates Christianity and Christians annoy him. He didn’t start out this way, but after all that has been said and done in the name of Christianity, and how it has been said and done, and by whom it has been said and done in the name of Jesus, he now lumps Christianity with politics. He has completely closed his mind and refuses to learn otherwise. He refuses to objectively listen at all. This is not unusual. You see the same thing everywhere, and especially in the youth outside and sometimes inside of the church. Why?

“Preach the Gospel always, if necessary use words.” These words never came as clear to me as they do now within the company of people who have closed all avenues of verbal communication about Jesus. But to preach the Gospel, we have to know what it is. Not what we are told it is, and not what we assume it is. We have to know it, read it, consult it and act accordingly. Jesus was no pansy, he was radical. But he directed his power to the spirit, which is infinitely more powerful, but seems as small as a mustard seed by worldly standards.

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you.”

To conduct ourselves in the world in spirit and to read and understand the message and commands of the bible, is not easy. It is a never-ending battle within ourselves (speaking for myself) but we can be inspired by the words of God, and the support of each other in Spirit.

May we too be found blameless.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Read Acts 20:1-17 ` Mark Teagle

“Uproar”, “encouragement”, and “overcome by sleep” are the key phrases in this passage from Acts 20. Coming on the heels of the riots caused by the dispute with Demetrius and the artisans of Ephesus, I’m sure Paul was eager to get on his way to Greece. He spent his three months there encouraging the believers. Some scholars think Paul wrote the epistle to the Romans during this period so his encouragement was more than local.
Moving on to Troas though, Paul only had seven days to get his encouragement in. So he decided to pull an “all-nighter” on the last day to share all his ideas with the believers there. This marathon meeting sets the stage for the story of Eutychus (whose name ironically translates as “Lucky”) whom I have dubbed “the patron saint of those who fall asleep in church”. Luke paints the scene, including the upstairs room filled with smoky lamps, in a way that helps all of us empathize with the sleepy congregants. We see the young man (read teenager) Eutychus sitting in the open window, trying to get some fresh air and stay awake. But like so many who have come after him, he soon nodded off, with tragic results.
But this calamity does not stop Paul. He not only brings the dead Eutychus back to life, he only stops for a short breaking of bread and a meal, and continues the discussion until dawn. What he had to share was so important that he did not dare stop until they had talked everything through.
From my own life I know that it is often the discussions that get started after church or small group or rehearsal, across a table with a group of friends or after others have gone home that are the best. I have spent wonderful hours in conversation, lost track of time and watched the sun come up with the echoes of the sharing still in my head. Too often we lose out on those opportunities to continue a conversation because of calendar and schedule. Can we devote some open-ended time to serious discussion of important things?
I’m not advocating longer church services or meetings, but can we consider taking the time, on occasion, to linger and talk it out. We just won’t put any teenagers near the windows. ; )

Dear God, Help us to take the time we need to listen to one another about important things. Help us to know when schedules need to take a back seat to your priorities. Amen

Thursday, March 25,2009

Acts 20:17-38 Myra Wagner

Acts 20:35 You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE.

The help finder page in my TOUCH POINT BIBLE speaks so beautifully of giving that I am going to share its comments with you,

Giving appears on the surface to be sharing possessions, wealth, income and the like.
More important, giving is sharing self. Giving, originating in the heart of a giving God, a God who pours forth more blessings on his people than we can ever deserve or expect. The gift of life.....the gift of love....the gift of salvation.....the gift of eternity in heaven----all of these are priceless. The possessions we have are generally a tangible result of what we have invested in time and energy and talent. But who we are---our character---is always a direct result of what we have invested of ourselves with God and others. And one of the great and unique promises of the Bible is that the more we give, the more we receive---not necessarily in material possessions, but in spiritual and eternal rewards.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Read Acts 21:1-26 Dave Paulson

Paul is on his way back to Jerusalem. He stops for several days in Caesarea and is warned that if he goes to Jerusalem he will be arrested by the Jews and turned over to the Gentiles. Paul’s response is that he is willing not only to be bound but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

When Paul gets to Jerusalem he learns that people have been told that he teaches Jews living among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, to not circumcise their children, or observe the customs. This is not true. In Acts 16:3 we see where Paul had Timothy circumcised and in 1 Corinthians 10:30-31 he advises “do everything for the glory of God. Give no offense to the Jews or the Greeks or to the church”

The disciples suggest that Paul join four men and go through a rite of purification with them to show that he still observed and guarded the law. Paul doesn’t let anything get in the way of sharing the good news. I don’t think the rite of purification was that important to Paul any more but if it would provide an opportunity to share the good news with others he was ready to do it.

The message I hear is to not let secondary things get in the way of sharing the good news. Paul sets an example of putting first things first.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Read Acts 21:27-40 Dave Paulson

We find Paul back in Jerusalem despite many warnings that it was dangerous to return. Disciples suggest that Paul join four men and go through a rite of purification with them to show that he still observed and guarded the law. Before the days of purification are up he is seized by a mob who would have killed him if the Roman soldiers had not intervened. They arrest Paul, bind him in chains, and try to find what has started this riot. The mob is so violent that they have to carry him back to their barracks. Before they take Paul into the barracks for questioning he asks the tribune for permission to speak to the mob that had just tried to kill him.

I think Paul was a remarkable passionate person. When we first met him earlier in Acts we find him approving the stoning of Stephen. Next we find him getting permission to go to Damascus to arrest any Christians he could find. He encounters Christ on the way and is struck blind. Ananias is sent to heal him and Paul immediately begins proclaiming Jesus in the synagogue. As we have continued to follow Paul through Acts we see that nothing stops him from sharing the “good news”

We are called to share our faith with a passion like Paul’s, but I find I am often not bold enough. I thought of a Christian song I heard in the late 70's called “Asleep in the Light” by Keith Green. The song calls us to be more bold in sharing the Light we have experienced.

Open up, open up , and give yourself away,
You’ve seen the need, you hear the cry, so how can you delay,
God’s calling and you’re the one, but like Jonah you run.
He’s told you to speak, but you keep holding it in