Sermon Video: Peter and the Gentiles, Part 1 - Acts 10:1-29

Have you ever wondered how wide or how deep God's mercy is?  Are there any sinners to vile to be saved?  Are there any sinners who fall outside of the scope of God's redemption?  In Acts, Luke answers the first question by showing the Saul of Tarsus could be redeemed even though his heart was full of murderous intent.  The second question is answered when God calls Peter to go to Caesarea and share the Gospel with a Roman centurion named Cornelius.
The choice of Cornelius was not one that Peter made himself; he was doing great work for God in Joppa when God sent him a perplexing dream about clean and unclean animals.  While Peter was trying to figure this vision out, wondering if God was being literal or metaphorical, messengers from Cornelius arrived to say that God had told Cornelius to send for Peter.  Wait a minute; God had spoken to a Roman soldier??  This is actually the third time in Luke's account (which includes his Gospel) that a Roman centurion has played a key role, the other two being the amazing faith of the centurion from Capernaum and the centurion's proclamation at the foot of the cross.  Now, God has once again found faith amongst the Gentiles by choosing this man, a man with a reputation of devotion to God and service for the poor, to be the recipient of Peter's first foray into sharing the Gospel outside of the Covenant people.
Cornelius sent for Peter without knowing what message he would bring, I'm not sure that Peter knew what he was going to say until he arrived at Cornelius' house.  The message that Peter had to share will be in part 2 of this message, but his conviction that he must share the Gospel with them was made perfectly clear when Peter entered Cornelius' house to discover a large crowd of friends and relatives that had all gathered to hear what this messenger from God had to say.
There can be no boundaries to the Gospel, there can be no man, woman, or child that is off the list of potential believers.  God's grace is deep enough, God's grace is wide enough to reach us all.

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Can we get past the past?

I was working on my sermon for this week, from Acts 10:1-29, where God is in the process of convincing Peter that Gentiles deserve to hear the Gospel too.  Peter, and the rest of the Jewish-Christians of the Early Church, had a blind spot in their thinking that made Jesus' prediction that the Gospel must go to the ends of the earth hard to digest.  These sincere believers were victims, some through their own prejudices, some through simply living in an era where this was the prevailing thought, of the inability to see that God was planning on massively expanding his outreach effort.  God was ready to move forward, his people needed to be shown the Truth so that they would follow.
Earlier in the day I was taking a look at the extra verses in Daniel that are part of the Bible of Catholics and Orthodox, but not Protestant, Christians.  This split goes all the way back to Martin Luther and is now so caught up in our theological differences (especially over Purgatory) that it seems likely that Protestants will never see the value of the Apocrypha with clear eyes.  Are these writings on par with CS Lewis, useful but not Scripture, or are they ancient writing from Godly men that were considered part of Scripture for centuries that we've thrown out for the wrong reasons?  How can a Protestant hope to answer that question without getting mired in the theology that the Catholic Church has built upon these texts?  In case you're wondering, the Catholic Church has the same, "we do this because the Protestant do that" problem as we do, just in reverse.  I don't have any problem seeing us all as part of the family of God, I've known enough siblings who act this way.
The same sort of observation could be made in many of the translation issues, cultural issues, and theological issues that often are so intertwined with our own thoughts and preferences that we have our minds made up long before we weigh the evidence, or we only weigh the evidence that conforms with what we're hoping for.  Do we all do this, is it just the guys in the church across the street, or is that a problem here too?
In the end, are we any different than Peter?  We may look back at silly ol' Peter and thank God that we're not like him, we don't have blinders on, but are we just kidding ourselves?  What message is God trying to get through to us, what plan is he itching to set in motion, if only we would hear him and obey?

Sermon Video: The early ministry of Saul - Acts 9:23-31

Do thinks that start poorly, always end poorly?  In our lives, and throughout history, we see examples of things that didn't start well, but in the end were a success, the ministry of the newly converted Saul is no different.  Three years after his conversion, Saul is in Damascus, but he has somehow worn out his welcome with his fellow Jews who have now decided that they should kill him.  Saul manages to escape Damascus and flee to Jerusalem, but this isn't exactly a stellar start to the career of a man that God has designated as his "chosen instrument".  In Jerusalem things aren't any better, the disciples are afraid to meet with Saul because they can't be sure that his conversion is genuine and not a trick.  It appears as if Saul's second attempt to serve God will also end in failure.
At this moment of potential despair, a man steps in who will become a life-long friend and missions partner of Saul, Barnabas.  For reasons we aren't told, Barnabas decides to risk his own reputation by vouching for Saul.  Not only does Barnabas take Saul to the apostles, but he testifies on his behalf that his conversion and preaching in Damascus were genuine.  Thanks to Barnabas, Saul finds acceptance among the original disciples of Jesus, perhaps things are finally looking up for Saul.
After preaching in Jerusalem to the Grecian Jews, Saul once again faces death threats.  This is the second time he has tried to preach to his own people about Jesus, and the second time the response has been rejection of the message (by most) and a desire to kill the messenger.  Is the problem with the people Saul is witnessing to, or is the problem with Saul?  If violence follows you wherever you go, wouldn't you start to think that you might be taking it with you?
Unfortunately for Saul, the apostles have had enough of the violence associated with this fiery preacher and they send him back to his hometown of Tarsus.  The text of Acts seems to flow quickly, but much time will lapse before we see Saul again.  In fact, it will be nine years until Saul is once again asked by the apostles to be a part of their missions efforts, until then he's on his own.  There is, however, a word of encouragement in that message for Saul when it finally arrives because the messenger who will bring to Saul word of the work that needs to be done in Antioch will be none other than his friend Barnabas.

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Sermon Video - The Conversion of Paul, Part 2 - Acts 9:10-22

Most people know that Saul/Paul saw Jesus on the road to Damascus, we're familiar with that part of the life changing event we call conversion.  Less people remember that there was a second person that Saul needed to meet before he could move forward toward becoming the famous Apostle Paul.  That second man wasn't famous, we hardly know anything about him other than his reputation as a respected devout observer of the law.  While Saul was sitting in darkness, literally, and not eating or drinking for three days, God was talking to one of his obedient servants, a man named Ananias.  What was Ananias' reward for a life lived in faith on obedience?  He was asked to follow in the footsteps of Jonah by giving mercy to his enemy.
Ananias objected to God's initial call, we all would have, and actually tried to explain to God that Saul was a villain, not someone you'd want to help.  That God knew all about Saul long before he called Ananias to help him is obvious, and yet throughout the Bible others have also tried to explain to God why the mission he is sending them on is a mistake.  Ananias joins a list with names such as: Moses, Gideon, Elijah, Jonah, and Zechariah, all of whom struggled to make sense of God's plan.  The missing piece of their puzzle was of course the power of God.  When God tells you to do something, his power will see it through if we but obey.
In the end, Ananias listens to God's command and takes to Saul not only the message about his future ministry, but just as importantly the words, "Brother, Saul".  If Ananias had not welcomed Saul into the Christian community in Damascus, if he had not offered to him forgiveness, love, and support during this crucial phase in his life, what would have become of Saul?  History remembers the great man, the Apostle Paul, but those of us who serve the Lord realize that behind every great person or powerful movement stands a host of unsung heroes who simply listened to the voice of God, and obeyed.

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Sermon Video: The Conversion of Paul, Part 1 - Acts 9:1-9

What is the most shocking thing you've ever heard?  The emotional or psychological upheaval that you felt at that moment, whether it was good news or bad, is most likely tame in comparison with what Saul of Tarsus felt when Jesus spoke to him on the road to Damascus.  It took just such a shocking revelation to reach Saul because he was a man of both pride and zealous convictions.  Sadly, there have been many times in the history of the Church when those claiming to follow Christ have been as eager to kill in his name as Saul.  We may shudder at the actions of the jihadists, but five hundred years ago the Church was mired in the Inquisition's forced conversions, expulsions, and torture.  Five hundred years ago the Church was slaughtering in God's name throughout Central Europe as Catholics, Lutherans, and Reformed Christians killed each other during the Thirty Years War.  We have seen the Beast of killing in God's name, it was us, and we must be vigilant lest it ever return.
God spoke to Saul while he was in the process of attempting to destroy the fledgling Church.  It was when Saul's rebellion against God was the greatest, that God's grace to Saul prevailed.  God chose to rescue Saul from his path of self-righteous destruction, and God chose to offer to Saul the chance to be useful for his kingdom.  Is there anyone too far gone that God's grace cannot reach them?  If Saul was able to see Jesus, so can anyone.  If Saul was able to be redeemed, everyone can be.
Are we listening when God is speaking to us?  It is far better to seek the will of God, than to force God to get your attention, just ask Saul.

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Sermon Video: The Good News about Jesus, Acts 8:26-40

Which is harder for God, to find someone willing to listen to his message of forgiveness through faith in his Son Jesus, or to find someone willing to tell that person?  Philip had previously been preaching before large crowds very successfully in Samaria, now the Spirit prompts Philip to go into the desert where he happens upon one man, an Ethiopian eunuch who is reading the scroll of Isaiah as he travels home from Jerusalem. 
Is life a series of coincidences or do God's people find themselves in situations where they have an opportunity to witness or help others in the name of Christ because God has chosen to place us in those situations?  Philip knew exactly why he was on this road, so he asked this stranger if he understood what he was reading.  That innocent question opened the way for Philip to use that very passage of Scripture to explain how Jesus Christ was the very suffering servant that Isaiah had spoken of.  Not only a suffering servant, but the Son of God who had chosen to endure humiliation and death that he might conquer both sin and death by rising from the grave.
The man to whom Philip spoke, formerly a foreigner and in many ways an outcast (as a eunuch), gladly accepted God's invitation to join his family through faith and immediately took advantage of Philip's presence to be baptized.  Philip had only this one chance to share the Gospel with this person he had just met, but he took advantage of it and changed the life of a fellow child of God forever.
Why do we as Christians fail to proclaim the name of Christ?  Is it a lack of knowledge about the Gospel?  Such ignorance is a horrible excuse and one we must rectify within the Church.  Is it a lack of courage?  Are we afraid of being laughed at, rejected, or mocked?  Such cowardice is hardly worthy of those who have been set free by the blood of the Lamb.  Is it lack of heart?  Are we too complacent, thinking that God will send someone else, or that the cause isn't that urgent?  Such apathy is unacceptable amongst those whom God has called to be salt and light in this world.
When the next coincidence, which really is nothing of the sort, happens in your life, and you're faced with a chance to share the Good News about Jesus, what will you do?

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