Sermon Video: The Gospel vs. the Love of Money - Acts 19:21-41

Since the beginning, the desire to have more than we already have has led many to greed which often manifests itself as a love of money.  While in Ephesus, the success of Paul's ministry for the Gospel inspired a reaction against the new Christian religion on behalf of those who were making a considerable sum of money from the pilgrims who came to worship at the Temple of Artemis.  Because Paul preached that idols were mere objects made by the hands of men, and no god at all, the growth of Christianity in Ephesus and its surrounding areas threatened their economic prosperity, for only those who believed in the value of idols would spend their money at the Temple.

The hostility toward the new religion led to a near riot in Ephesus, one that was only prevented from leading to violence through the intervention of a local politician who suggested taking any grievance into the courts instead of seeking mob justice.  In the end, the people who came to the Temple, and spent their hard earned money, were being robbed as surely as by any thief, for the idol of Artemis was indeed but a hunk of rock, it could neither hear nor respond to the prayers sent its way, invalidating the commerce of all those who benefited from the pilgrims.  What the Gospel offered was of true value, for Christ offers to the Lost not only forgiveness and reconciliation, but transformation, a purpose, hope, and peace as well.

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Sermon Video: Paul and the Power of the Spirit - Acts 19:1-12

As Paul continues on his third missionary journey, he first visits churches that he had helped found during the 1st and 2nd journey, and then returns to Ephesus where he had stopped briefly the previous year.  At Ephesus, Paul finds some disciples who had not yet received the Holy Spirit.  Questioning them, Paul realizes that they only knew the baptism of John (the need for repentance) but nothing about the one whom John had prepared the way for, that is Jesus.  Upon hearing about Jesus, and believing, these disciples also receive the Holy Spirit.
Paul continues his mission effort by spending the next several months teaching in the synagogue until opposition there forces him to seek out a new venue.  Undaunted, Paul continues teaching in Ephesus, ultimately spreading the Gospel message throughout that province.

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Sermon Video: Apollos and the Whole Gospel - Acts 18:18-28

What happens when the Gospel message is missing a key component, or has something added to it?  The danger in such a case is that the Gospel will be devoid of the power that it has to save the Lost.  For example: If someone knew who Jesus was, but not what he had done for us, how could that partial information lead such a person to repentance and faith?  Likewise, if a person knew who Jesus was, and what he had done for us, but was also told that our response is to imitate Jesus and earn our salvation (as opposed to trusting in his work on our behalf), how could such a Gospel with that spurious addition lead such a person to repentance and faith?
In the book of Acts, Luke recounts the return of Paul at the end of his 2nd missionary journey, and his subsequent start to his 3rd missionary journey, but in between those trips he also recounts the arrival of Apollos, an Alexandrian Jew, in Ephesus.  Apollos knew a good deal about Jesus, and his information was accurate, but he didn't know the whole story.  Apollos had believed the message of John the Baptist, the call to repentance and the identification of Jesus as the Messiah, but Apollos didn't know the end of the story, for he had not yet heard of the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Even with the right intentions, and a zeal for the Lord, the truths that Apollos was sharing fell short of what was needed to save, it could point people toward Jesus, but not help them come to him.  Thankfully, the will of God was not idle, and Paul's friends Priscilla and Aquila enlightened Apollos by sharing with him the rest of the Good News about Jesus.
A Gospel missing any of its key elements: who Jesus is (both God and man), what he has done (his vicarious death and resurrection), or what we must do in response (repent in faith), is a defective Gospel, just as a Gospel with additional requirements tacked on (the normal one being human effort instead of faith).  We, as the Church, must always protect the integrity of the Gospel message, insisting upon it in our preaching and teaching, refuting those who preach a different Gospel, and trusting as Scripture tells us that the power to save comes from God, not us.

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Sermon Video: The Church's One Foundation - 1 Corinthians 3:10-15

In speaking about Christian unity, Paul expresses the fundamental truth that all who belong to the Church, i.e. everyone who is a Christian, must be built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ.  It was the Gospel of Jesus Christ which the apostles shared to found the Church, and therefore anyone who builds upon any other foundation is building something that is NOT part of the Church.
Once the unity of Christians upon the foundation of Christ has been established, the question shifts from where we build to what and how we build.  God has entrusted his people with building his kingdom here on earth, and it is our responsibility to build with both wisdom and diligence.  If we build well, we will receive our reward from God, if we build foolishly or selfishly, our work will fail, thanks to the mercy of God salvation will not be lost, but such a person can hardly expect a reward.

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Sermon Video: "to the pure, all things are pure" - Titus 1:10-16

In addition to appointing elders, Titus also needs to confront a divisive faction within the Cretan churches that has been spreading a legalistic teaching that has already torn families apart by its controversial nature.  The exact nature of what was being taught is less important for us than Paul's instructions as to how Titus should respond.  Paul told Titus to "silence" those spreading these false doctrines and he points out the damaging effect of them as evidence of the need to do so.  It would seem that this was an effort to ADD to the Gospel by melding it with requirements from the Jewish Law, something that Paul had already opposed successfully in Jerusalem when Titus himself was the test case to prove that circumcision was not a requirement for Gentile believers in Jesus.  This same controversy is not around still today, but there have always been those trying to ADD to or SUBTRACT from the Gospel.  Those trying to add something case doubt on the sufficiency of the work of Christ to save by faith alone and thus advocate some new additional step or requirement.  Those trying to subtract cast doubt on the person of Jesus or the historical reality of his miraculous birth or resurrection, or perhaps on Jesus' claims to exclusivity ("I am the way...").
In the end, Paul sees this opposition as evidence that these people within the church do not belong to God because their minds have yet to be regenerated (transformed).  They continue to see external things as the people, nothing to them is pure.  Those saved by grace, in contrast, recognize that purity and impurity comes from within, that external things are not pure or impure on their own, it is the use to which we put them that matters.

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The History of the Bible

The Bible is the most influential book ever written.  The story of the preservation of that book, the most recent of portion of which is now nearly two thousand years old, along with the story of the translation of that book into English is a fascinating tale that every Christian should know about.  As part of that effort, I've put together a four hour class that utilizes PowerPoint and life-sized facsimiles of the actual acient texts in order to demonstrate the incredible accuracy of our modern Bible translations with respect to the original Hebrew and Greek texts.  At some point in the future, as I continue to teach this series and smooth out its rough edges, it will be videotaped and be made available; for now, the PowerPoint slides are here for anyone to utilize.

To look at the History of the Bible PowerPoint, click on the link below:
 History of the Bible, PowerPoint
Be sure to check out the hyperlinks, the contents of two useful webpages are contained in the Word document, click on the link below:
History of the Bible, useful websites content

Along with the PowerPoint, I've created a flow chart of Bible manuscript history to help people visualize the process.  The graphics for this chart were created by Pastor Scott Woodlee, one of my fellow pastors here in Franklin at the Alliance Church, and the guy who tried to teach me Hebrew.
History of Bible manuscripts chart

Sermon Video: Personal Responsibility - Acts 18:1-17

Personal responsibility is sorely lacking in the majority of society’s ills.  This should be no surprise to us as it is a consistent theme of God’s message to his people in Scripture.  When Paul arrived in Corinth he was faced with insufficient support to allow him to be a full-time missionary.  The need was far greater than he could ever hope to fulfill in his lifetime, but for a while at least, Paul was forced to return to the trade of tent making in order to survive.  While this situation continued Paul didn’t give up on his missionary efforts, he still reasoned with the local Jews in the synagogue each Sabbath.  When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia they brought support from the church in Philippi that enabled Paul to return to serving God full-time.

            At this point in his missionary career, Paul has now traveled throughout Asia Minor and Greece attempting to plant churches by beginning at the synagogue in each city.  He has been beaten for his efforts, scourged, thrown in jail, and left for dead after been pummeled with stones.  When the people of the synagogue, his fellow Jews for whom Paul cares deeply, responded to his efforts in Corinth with abuse, he made a difficult decision.  Paul shook his clothes off in their presence (a cultural sign of dismissal) and said, “Your blood be on your own heads!  I am clear of my responsibility.  From now on I will go the Gentiles.”  The first phrase, “Your blood be on your own heads”, is used throughout the Old Testament as an indicator of responsibility for serious matters.  In Leviticus 20 it is connected to capital offenses where the death of those who commit them is their own fault.  In Joshua it is used when the spies make their deal with Rahab, in 2 Samuel by David after the unjust death of Abner.  All of these situations show how very serious Paul’s invoking of this phrase was.  The rejection of the Gospel message by the people to whom the Messiah was sent is a matter of grave consequences (as it is for anyone to whom the message comes).

            When Paul declares that he has fulfilled his own mission, he hearkens back to the commission of Ezekiel as the “Watchman” over Israel where the phrase “blood on your own heads” is once more used.  By sharing the Gospel message, repeatedly and at much personal cost, Paul has fulfilled his obligation as a disciple of Christ to warn the unrepentant of their need of God’s forgiveness.  The obligation to warn belongs to us, the results belong to God.

            Lastly, Paul decides that his message is too important to continue to push against such opposition, he then resolves to take the message directly to the Gentiles who have made up the bulk of his converts thus far.  These decisions are in no way easy for Paul, and his failure to reach his own people with the Gospel will continue to haunt him, but the choice is clear to Paul, he has a responsibility to focus upon those willing to receive God’s offer of grace.  For us, this lesson is also a hard one.  We never want to give up on anyone or any church program just because we don’t see success.  Paul’s example doesn’t require us to give up on individuals, but simply reminds us that we must be open to new opportunities.  So continue to hold out hope for that stubborn relative or friend, perhaps God’s grace will reach him/her before the end, but do not close your eyes to the chances we all have in our lives to share God’s love with more or unexpected people.

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Sermon Video: Paul and Barnabas part company - Acts 15:30-41

Paul and Barnabas were an amazing team, the work they accomplished for the sake of the Gospel was groundbreaking, but they didn't last.  The friendship and teamwork that they had built together over years of working for the Lord was put to the test not by a difference of opinion about what God wanted them to do, but by the question of who they should bring along to help do it.  When Paul proposed a second missionary trip to visit again the churches from the first, Barnabas was in agreement that this was a task that needed to be done.  The disagreement arose when Barnabas wanted to take along his cousin John Mark and Paul refused to consider including him.  Mark had been a member of the first trip but had for an unknown reason abandoned them mid-way through it.  Whatever that reason was, it left a bad taste in Paul's mouth and he was unwilling to use this mission as a reclamation project.
Well meaning Christian who are trying to serve God can still disagree on how to do it.  We may even agree on the larger goals, see a common path to take to get there, and then still fail to see eye to eye on the details.  It happens, sometimes through our own failures and hang-ups and sometimes simply through seeing things differently.  Barnabas believed in people, he was willing to risk the mission to save one man, much as he had done years before when he stood up for Paul when nobody else would.  Barnabas is trying to win the battle, he's looking at an individual tree.  Paul is looking at the grand vision, the massive task that Jesus has commanded his disciples to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth, he's trying to win the war, looking at the whole forest.  This isn't a question of who is right or who is wrong, they just disagree.
Paul and Barnabas went there separate ways, Barnabas taking Mark along and Paul finding a new partner in Silas.  The question for us today is not how can we prevent disagreements from happening, they're inevitable in an organization full of reformed sinners with limited wisdom, the question is how can we deal with them without destroying that which we all love, Christ's Church, in the process.
There is a positive note to the end of this story, Barnabas was right about Mark.  Later on Paul will write about Mark being a valuable partner in his ministry, someone he can count on.  We serve the God of second chances, and evidently Paul eventually gave Mark one too.

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Sermon Video: The Council at Jerusalem, Acts 15:1-19

There have been many Church Councils in the past two thousand years, most of the helpful, a few not so much.  The very first of them was held at Jerusalem under the leadership of Jesus' half-brother James over the question of how to include the new gentile believers in Jesus Christ in the Church that was at this point predominately Jewish.  If this first Council not successfully resolved the controversial issue at hand, the Church would have split far sooner than the Great Schism of 1054.
The issue debated at this first Council arose because individual from Judea decided that they needed to go down to Antioch to tell the Gentiles there that, "unless you are circumcised...you cannot be saved."  In other words, unless these gentile believers were willing to follow the whole Law of Moses, their belief in the salvation through Jesus Christ would be insufficient to save them.  This issue had been simmering behind the scenes throughout the first half of Acts, but now it was boiling over.  Paul and Barnabas opposed their message, and the leadership of the Church of Antioch decided to send them, along with other representatives, to Jerusalem to the disciples to resolve the issue.
After much debate, Peter stood up and took the side of the gentiles by proclaiming that God had not only sent him, and others, to them, but had also validated their work by giving the same Holy Spirit to them as he had given to the Jewish believers at Pentecost.  If God had approved their salvation by faith, apart from the Law, who would gainsay God?  In addition, Peter points out the fatal flaw in the argument of those in favor of extending the Law to the gentiles: Nobody is keeping the Law.  The history of God's chosen people is a story of broken promises on the part of the people who failed to keep the Covenant.  If the Jews couldn't keep the Law, "a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear", why would anyone believe that the first chosen people had been saved by anything but God's grace?  Indeed, Peter concludes, "it is through grace...that we are saved, just as they are."
When Peter finishes, Paul and Barnabas add the testimony of their recent successful mission's trip among the gentiles, but the final answer awaits the decision of James.  James, known for his piety and reverence for the Temple, agrees with Peter that this decision has been made by God, as predicted by the Prophets, and thus "we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God."
With that decision the Council at Jerusalem manages to avoid the splintering of the Church along ethnic lines that had been threatening its unity.  Their wisdom speaks to us today as we ask ourselves, how are we hindering the Gospel through our actions or inaction?  What obstacles have we put in the way of the Lost hearing the accepting the Gospel?  Whatever those things may be, we as a Church must rid ourselves of them because the Lost are coming to God by grace, just as we did.

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Sermon Video: The Peril of Rejecting God's Grace - Acts 13:40-52

Having just concluded his message of forgiveness of sins through justification in Jesus, Paul now ends his message to the Jews at the synagogue in Pisidian Antionch by warning them to take seriously God's offer lest they fail to heed God's warning as their ancestors had.  Paul quotes the prophet Habakkuk who spoke for God to an unbelieving generation who scoffed at his message.  God's reply concerning his judgment through of his people at the hand of the Babylonians could just as easily have stood in for God's use of a suffering servant instead of a mighty warrior king as his Messiah, "I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you." (Habakkuk 1:5) 
At first, the warning to accept the message from God seems unnecessary.  Paul and Barnabas were invited to speak again on the next Sabbath, and many from the audience spoke with them afterwords as well.  That next Saturday, however, a massive crowd of Gentiles gathered to hear Paul speak.  Rather than being excited to see the grace of God at work among those who did not know him, the leaders of the synagogue were filled with jealousy and turned against Paul.  How sad to see those to whom the grace of God has been offered jealous of God's efforts to save others as well.
Paul then had to choose between his own people and the crowd of anxious Gentiles.  The choice was clear, though it wounded Paul deeply, "We had to speak the word of God to you first.  Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles." (vs. 46)  At this point, Paul is no longer welcome among his own people and they begin to work with the Roman officials to have him expelled from the region.  The Gentile crowd, in contrast, rejoice in God's forgiveness and large numbers of them believe in Jesus.
As Paul and Barnabas move on to Iconium, a final gesture from Paul speaks volumes about the danger of rejecting God's freely offered grace.  Paul, in imitation of Jesus' apostles, shakes the dust off his sandals before leaving to indicate that he no longer bears responsibility for the fate of those he had attempted to save.  God's mercy and loving kindness is vast, but it is not boundless.  His patience is deep, but it will not overlook the rejection of his Son, to reject the Gospel is to reject eternal life, a perilous course indeed.

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Sermon Video: "Everyone who believes is justified" - Acts 13:13-39

As the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas continues, the team leaves Cyprus and sails to Perga on their way to Pisidian Antioch.  It is at this juncture that John Mark, Barnabas' cousin, leaves the expedition and returns to Jerusalem.  Why did Mark leave?  In the end, any answer is just a guess as the text tells us nothing, but it does remind us that the journey was a difficult one and that those making it were ordinary people like us with real problems and limitations.
At Pisidian Antioch, Paul and Barnabas enter the local synagogue where they are invited to speak.  Paul's message begins with a recap of God's provision for the people of Israel under the Covenant from Abraham to David.  Next Paul speaks of the prophetic ministry of John the Baptist who proclaimed the coming of God's Messiah, the Savior Jesus.  Paul briefly explains that Jesus was rejected by his own people, just as the prophets of old whose rejection the Scriptures mourn, and put to death without cause.  However, God vindicated his Son Jesus by raising him from the dead, a miracle that many witnessed.  After this, Paul cites examples of prophetic predictions about Jesus from the Scriptures as further proof of Jesus' validity.
The conclusion of Paul's message is both simple and timeless: forgiveness of sins and justification before God are available through Jesus.  What's the big deal about forgiveness, isn't it available through the Law?  Sadly, no, the Law can cover guilt and hold back the wrath of God, but as the book of Hebrews will later make crystal clear, it can never take away sins.  Sin no only separates man from God, it also corrupts, ruins, and destroys our minds, hearts, and souls.  If we cannot find forgiveness for our sins, we are doomed.  If God has forgiven us in Jesus, we cannot fail.  Likewise, justification, the salvation of man from the guilty verdict hanging over our heads is also available through Jesus.  Instead of the just punishment for our sins falling upon us, it has been redirected to the only one who could accept it, the perfect and sinless Son of God. 
The song "In Christ Alone" has a great line that reflects the truth of Paul's message here: "no guilt in life, no fear in death, this is the power of Christ in me".  It is a message of hope, a message of reconciliation, the very core and essence of the Gospel that we have been commanded to take to the ends of the earth.

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Sermon Video: Who is on the Lord's side? - Acts 12:19b-13:12

Is it better in life to pick a side, win or lose, or stay on the fence?  There are a lot of people who think that they can sit on the fence with God, that they don't have to make a choice.  The truth is, they already have, each of us is either a child of God, forgiven and living according to his Word, or we are not.
In Acts, Luke tells us two men who opposed God and lost, three men who followed God's lead in service, and one man who was willing to listen when God's message came to him.  Herod Agrippa had long opposed the work of God and lived a life of false piety as part of his quest of personal gain.  When the people of Tyre and Sidon tried flattery in their negotiations with him by saying, "This is the voice of a god, not a man", his doom was sealed because Herod accepted their praise and gave no glory to God.  Immediately, Herod was struck down in pain and died five days later.  It was not just that moment that caused Herod's demise, but a life lived apart from God that was confirmed in that supreme moment that cost him his life.
Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit calls Barnabas and Paul to leave Antioch and begin the first missionary journey, with them goes Barnabas' cousin, John Mark.  These three obey God, drop everything, and serve.  When they arrive in Cyprus they are called to explain their message by the Roman proconsul, Sergius Paulus.  Sergius, an aristocrat, actually listens to Paul's message about Jesus and believes.  Sergius' mind is open to God's call despite the best efforts of a local Jewish man named Elymas ("sorcerer") whom Paul condemns for his continued actions against the will of God.  Elymas is already spiritually blind, Paul conveys to him God's judgment of physical blindness as well.
Each of these men in Luke's narrative was clearly either on the Lord's side, or not.  Herod and Elymas had walked down a path that led toward destruction for a long time before God's verdict came against them.  Likewise, Barnabas, Paul, and John Mark were already serving God in Antioch before the call to serve him more came to them.  Lastly is Sergius, a man who had been oblivious to his need for Christ until the moment Paul told him the truth, but that was a situation he quickly remedied when he believed.

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Sermon Video: The Church at Antioch - Acts 11:19-30

Why do some churches grow, and other churches shrink?  What does the same church grow at one point in its history, and then falter in another?  The Bible never tells us directly what we should do to help our churches be healthy and growing beyond the general prescription that we have from Paul that the church needs all the members of its body to contribute.  One thing we can do, however, is look at the examples from Acts of growing churches and successful missionary efforts and attempt to draw out from those passages principles that will stand the test of time.
The church at Antioch wasn't founded on purpose through the missionary efforts of the church at Jerusalem.  It was simply the result of committed followers of Jesus Christ taking their own initiative to share the Gospel beyond their comfort zone of their fellow Jews to the Greeks of the large city of Antioch.  The tremendous success that they met with prompted the church at Jerusalem to send Barnabas to them to investigate.  When Barnabas arrived, he saw clearly that God's grace was among these people (would that any visitor could say that about every church!), and rather than worry about the impromptu nature of this church, Barnabas felt was glad for them.  As he always did, Barnabas encouraged them through his own example and through words, but he soon realized that this church would need a capable teacher if it was to mature. 
It was at this point that Barnabas saw an opportunity to bring Saul back from Tarsus and get him involved once more after nearly ten years of "exile" following the near-riot that his last appearance in Jerusalem caused.  Paul and Barnabas then spent a full year in Antioch teaching and training these new Christians.  The end result was a church that was eager to give back to fellow Christians in need (in other words, a mature church), which they then did in the form of famine relief to Jerusalem.
What was the process of growth for the church in Antioch?  Witnessing, Encouragement, Teaching, Giving.  Is that a prescription for any church?  There will never be a one size fits all formula for a local church, this living, breathing, full of redeemed sinners, organization is far too complicated for that; but it certainly would be a good place to start.

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Sermon Video: Peter and the Gentiles Part 3 - Acts 11:1-18

After Peter finishes his unexpected but extraordinarily successful outreach to the Gentiles in Caesarea, he returns to Jerusalem only to be confronted by Jewish Christians whose primary objection to his recent efforts is that Peter ate in the home of a Gentile.  There is a huge looming question for the Early Church as to whether or not Gentiles believers need to become Jews, by converting, before they can become Christians, but Peter first has to deal with the teaching of the rabbis that forbid all sorts of interaction with Gentiles.
Peter defends himself by focusing on the choices and directions of God throughout his journey to and stay in Caesarea.  It was God who gave him the vision, the Holy Spirit that told him to go with the messengers, and an angel that told Cornelius that Peter would have a message for him, "through which you and all your household will be saved."  In addition to God's directives throughout this process, there is also the seal of approval from God of the gift of the Holy Spirit.  It was not withheld until the Gentiles had been circumcised or in any other way brought under the Law, instead it came upon them before Peter had even finished speaking.  Peter concludes after relating these events, "Who was I to think that I could oppose God?"
Peter's defense convinces his earlier critics who in the end praise God that "even" the Gentiles will now be saved.  This episode provides an interesting glimpse into the sometimes tumultuous struggle to not only obey the will of God for believers, but also understand it and agree upon it as well.  Only those whose hearts are truly set against God would dare oppose his power or authority, but what of those who, like Saul in the beginning, oppose God out of ignorance?  In the end, we have tools given by God to help us understand his will, chief of which is his written Word, but also the wisdom of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, both now and throughout history.  God's will for you or I is never given in a vacuum, but instead forms part of the great redemption story of God's self-revelation throughout history.  Lastly, what do we do when Christians can't agree upon God's will, even with the evidence of Scripture as a guide?  The choice between peace and conflict is clear, Christ commanded his Church to be one, therefore we must always strive to keep our focus upon the mission of the Gospel and not let our human failings get in the way.

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Sermon Video: Peter and the Gentiles, Part 2 - Acts 10:30-48

Whether it is among family, at work, or in the justice system or government, favoritism or partiality can be a huge problem.  The question that Peter answers, as he speaks to a crowd in the home of the Gentile Cornelius, is whether or not such a charge can be made against God as it often is against man.  Peter declares to this crowd of people who are earnestly seeking God, but are outside of the Covenant of Abraham, that he is absolutely certain that "God does not show favoritism".  How can this be when God has a Chosen People, a holy nation that has received the blessings of the Covenant?  The answer, although radical to mind of the Jewish nation, is that God is willing to accept all people who "fear him and do what is right."  Peter then proceeds to explain to the people that Jesus Christ has made this relationship with God possible through his death and resurrection.
The results of Peter's message are immediate and dramatic.  The Holy Spirit comes upon those listening and confirms without a doubt that God is indeed amongst these Gentiles who demonstrated their faith by gathering to hear the word of God from Peter.  Peter, along with the Jewish Christians who traveled with him from Joppa, can now see that the same Spirit of God has been poured out upon all who believe in Jesus, regardless of their past, race, or gender.  Is there any favoritism with God, no, he gives grace to us all if only we will accept it.

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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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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 - Grace: Not for sale, Acts 8:4-25

In the wake of the persecution of the Church by Saul, the followers of Jesus flee Jerusalem, but take the Gospel with them.  Philip begins preaching in Samaria, among the remnants of the 10 Lost Tribes, a people with whom the Jews share much heritage and mutual animosity.  Following Jesus' example, Philip shares with them the message of the Messiah accompanied by miraculous signs of healing, and they accept it with great joy.  Meanwhile, Simon, a local celebrity due to his access to some type of magic, is also awed by the power of the one true God that flows through Philip, and he too accepts the Gospel.

Peter and John arrive from Jerusalem to confirm the validity of the belief of the people of Samaria, at which point the Holy Spirit comes upon them.  Seeing this, Simon asks if he too could have access to the power to give the Holy Spirit and offers Peter money.  Peter's angry response makes it clear that the Gospel is not for sale and that Simon's motives were still clouded by his past. 

The question raised by Simon is one that has affected the Gospel message throughout the history of the Church and continues to do so.  Must God's gift of salvation through Christ be freely given and freely received, or can it be earned, bargained for, bought, or sold?  The answer to the question illustrates the heart of the Gospel.  God's gift of salvation through faith is an act of grace.  It cannot be earned, it cannot be bargained for, it cannot be bought, and it certainly cannot be sold.  To drift away from grace toward any sort of system that suggests salvation can be earned is to endanger the Gospel message.  It was exactly this drift that caused Martin Luther to object to the use of indulgences, the end result of which was a rift in the Church that has not been healed 500 years later.

Is the Gospel for sale?  Never, it is free, it always will be.  It can only be accepted by those willing to receive it, and it cannot be kept from anyone willing to accept it.

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Sermon Video: The Martyrdom of Stephen - Acts 6:8-8:2

The powerful story of the martyrdom of Stephen in Acts marks the moment when Christianity became a new religion, and not just a reform movement within Judaism.  On it's surface, it is also an important message about remaining faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ no matter what the consequences might be.  There is another message for those willing to listen to it, one that may be difficult to hear, and that is the sermon of Stephen itself.  If you read the sermon of Stephen, it begins as a summarization of the history of Israel as God's Covenant people.  As it progresses, the emphasis shifts to the lack of faith and disobedience of the people, especially the trouble that Moses had in trying to lead them.
When Stephen reaches his conclusion, that his audience are heirs of that "stiff-necked" heritage, the trial itself has become a referendum on those sitting in judgment.  Are they followers of the prophets of old, or are they followers of the unbelieving generation that died in the desert?  The question is easily answered by Stephen's conclusion, "you who have received the law...but have not obeyed it."  To obey the Law is to follow Moses, to ignore it is to follow the path of rebellion.
When you read the story of Stephen, who do you identify with?  Most readers would assume that they're on Stephen's side, that they stand with the martyrs against oppression, hatred, and rebellion.  Most would assume that, but Stephen's question remains, do you obey the Word of God?  Everyone who obeys, by faith, can rightly claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ, those who do not, are sitting with the Sanhedrin.
When you hear the Truth, from God's Word or God's modern-day prophets, what is your response?

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