Acts of the Apostles

2007-06-24T12:44:00.000-07:00

Paul's Milesian Speech

An obstacle that may keep you from fulfilling your destiny and how to remove it.

Acts 20:17-38

The Milesian Speech of Paul
Setting: Ancient Asia (Modern Day Western Turkey)
Approximately 30 miles from Ephesus

To save time on his way to Jerusalem, Paul requests the elders of Ephesus come to Miletus
so he can talk to them. No doubt a trip to Ephesus would have cost Paul a lot of time just
in making the rounds from house church to house church.

The Ephesian Church was key. The first letter of the seven in Revelation was written to
Ephesus. It shows they successfully did what Paul commended them to do, but their love was
waxing cold some thirty years after Paul gave this speech. Paul wrote the letter Ephesians
to this church. Paul posted his number one leader, Timothy, in Ephesus. He wrote 1 & 2 Timothy
to the church in Ephesus.

Wikipedia article on Ephesus & Christianity

Ephesus was an important center for early Christianity. Paul used it as a base. He became embroiled in a dispute with artisans, whose livelihood depended on the Temple of Artemis there (Acts 19:23–41), and wrote 1 Corinthians from Ephesus. Later Paul wrote to the Christian community at Ephesus.

Curtis Hudwalker notes, "the Apostle and Evangelist John lived in Asia Minor(Anatolia) in the last decades of the first century and from Ephesus had guided the Churches of that province...After Domitian's death the Apostle returned to Ephesus during the reign of Trajan, and at Ephesus he died about 100 AD at a great age". Ephesus was one of the seven cities addressed in Revelation (2:1–7).

There is also a letter written by Ignatius of Antioch to the Ephesians in the early 2nd century AD, that begins with, "Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the Church which is at Ephesus, in Asia, deservedly most happy, being blessed in the greatness and fullness of God the Father, and predestinated before the beginning of time, that it should be always for an enduring and unchangeable glory" (Letter to the Ephesians).

The house of the Virgin Mary (Turkish: Meryem Ana, meaning "Mother Mary"), about 7 km from Selçuk, is believed to have been the last home of Mary, mother of Jesus and is a popular place of pilgrimage which was visited by Pope two times also.

The Church of Mary close to the harbour of Ephesus was the setting for the Third Ecumenical Council in 431, which resulted in the condemnation of Nestorius.

Message Outline:
a) Retrospection vs 18-21
b) Prospects vs 22-24
c) Solemn Charge to the Elders vs 25-31
d) Final Admonition vs 32-35
e) Good-bye vs 36-38
f) Willingness to risk death for the calling of God
Fear of death
Love of personal comfort
Sacrificial lifestyle demonstrates he overcame fear of death and love of self
(Simple living to enable extravagant giving)

Paul was eventually arrested and ended up in house arrest in Rome itself. Through his presence
many in Caesar's household came to Christ. Imagine what can happen with you if you overcome
the fear of death, the love of personal comfort and commit yourself to a sacrificial lifestyle!

a) Retrospection vs 18-21

What are the qualities of a successful ministry? Does Paul really demonstrate humility by claiming he
walked in humility? How can he be humble and say he is humble at the same time?

Qualities: Serving, humility, brokenness, earnest proclamation
Focus: The Lord
Where: Public gatherings and homes
Message: Two main elements: Repent & Believe
Target: All peoples

b) Prospects vs 22-24

Led by the Spirit, compelled by the Spirit-cooperating with a potential death sentence.
Jerusalem is the city that stones the prophets.

ESV Matthew 16:21 ¶ From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.

ESV Matthew 23:37 ¶ "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!

ESV Acts 8:1 ¶ And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

ESV Acts 9:2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

Paul believed he would suffer in Jerusalem.

c) Solemn Charge to the Elders vs 25-31

Prophetic words sometimes bring sorrow

Innocence
No hesitation
All of God's will

KEEP WATCH
Over yourselves
Over the flock

BE SHEPHERDS
Shepherds protect from wolves
wolves feed on the flock
wolves distort the truth
wolves try to get people to leave the flock
BE ON YOUR GUARD

d) Final Admonition vs 32-35

Apostolic hand off
Word of grace
builds you up
gives you an inheritance
sanctified: seeking holiness
No Love Of Money
Offer Helping Hands "More blessed to give than to receive"

e) Good-bye vs 36-38

Weeping because of the love they had for each other
Loving friendships is a critical marker of a great ministry

f) Willingness to risk death for the calling of God
Fear of death

32.
"By the all-powerful dispensations of Providence I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me yet escaped unhurt, although death was leveling my companions on every side of me!" [Letter to his brother from a July 9, 1755 battle in the French and Indian War]

Love of personal comfort
Sacrificial lifestyle demonstrates he overcame fear of death and love of self
(Simple living to enable extravagant giving)

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." J. Elliot

2007-06-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

Can you think of some major conflicts in the churches history?

How about the first one in Acts 6:1-6 where the Greek speaking Jews complained against the Hebrews because their widows
were being neglected in the daily distribution? This conflict rose over the uneven distribution of assistance for the poor.
The solution resulted in the churches very first 'Servants Team'. These guys helped distribute assistance to the poor more evenly. Fairness helped overcome the complaint the church faced in those days. This was a racial conflict/cultural conflict.

There was another fight in Church history between Paul & Barnabas over whether or not to take Mark with them on their next missionary journey.
See Acts 15:36-41. Here Mark was rejected by Paul because he had abandoned them on a previous journey. Paul disqualified Mark, but Barnabas wanted to restore him. Their disagreement divided the ministry team in a sharp dispute. This was a relationship conflict.

After the conflict between the Roman and Constantinople Churches, Roman Catholicism split from Eastern Orthodoxy, another conflict in Church history developed between Martin Luther and the Roman Catholic Church. Martin Luther studied and taught through the bible in the original languages in a university setting. As he studied and taught through Romans in Greek repeatedly, he came to a clear revelation that rituals do not make men righteous, but faith does. As he proclaimed truth, the reformation burst on the scene. Europe exploded with the revelation of the gospel of Christ. One of the most extraordinary conflicts in Church history feathered out across the continents of the world, and to a degree continues to this day. Even in our own city, the new Roman Catholic radio station has a program on the air early Sunday morning which sometimes seeks to defend Catholicism against the doctrines Martin Luther underlined in the scriptures for all to see. This conflict over the gospel was more than a doctrinal conflict. It was a paradigm shift. Everything was seen differently through the eyes of the gospel.

In general there are a few categories of conflict in the world. There are racial/cultural conflicts. There are relationship conflicts. There are doctrinal conflicts. And there are paradigm conflicts. If we don't understand the paradigm shift that occurs in the book of Acts, we are in danger of misinterpreting much of the bible. Not only that, but we cannot really grasp what the Holy Spirit is up to in our world today. AND we become handicapped in our ability to lead people into what God is doing today. The result is that we become far less effective and fruitful in our lives than we were meant to be and risk wasting much or all of our lives. So it's absolutely crucial that we not only grasp the paradigm shift that happened in the book of Acts, but that we learn how to live in that paradigm shift today!

Since today we are focusing on the major paradigm conflict of the book of Acts, let me illustrate a little more on what a paradigm conflict really consists of.

A) English is a communication tool. English is a way of speaking. English creates a paradigm for communicating that enables people to express themselves. It also limits how we express ourselves to the rules of the language and to the vocabulary of the language.

People who don't speak, read or understand English are outside of the paradigm for communication that we normally use. Therefore they cannot understand the nuances of our terms. If you speak English to someone from South America who only speaks Spanish, you will have a very difficult time understanding anything the other person says. Even if you follow perfect English grammar, it doesn't matter, because they do not understand the paradigm of your language. There is nothing wrong with speaking perfect English, but some people may never understand it.

B) Living in America today is another paradigm in a way. We have freedoms and rules that are completely foreign to people who live in the mountains of the far northern extremes of China. If you try to explain to them the distinctions in American politics, even if they understand perfect English, unless they have some grasp of the American system of government, they will be unable to understand what you are talking about because their world is a communist government paradigm.

C) Living in America in 1850's was a totally different paradigm. They traveled by horse and/or wagon or by foot. Can you imagine trying to explain text messaging to an American pioneer who was settling North Bloomington (which later became the town of Normal)? An American pioneer
in those days could not understand electricity. He could not understand plastic. He could not understand television. He could not understand the idea of telephones. He had no idea what a computer was or how it would work. His idea of hardware had to do exclusively with hammers, nails and those sorts of tools....not computer hardware. He had no way of understanding software. He could not imagine flight. The idea of wireless communication using technology was beyond the wildest dreams of the most creative thinkers. They had absolutely no paradigm for how we live today. So you could drone on and on to someone from the 1850's about software applications using cellular technology and they would have no idea what you were even talking about let alone what it really meant. Imagine how weird a Verizon commercial would seem to them! 'Can you hear me now?' is supposed to be funny? It would be just completely bizarre.

The Paradigm shift in Acts.

Peter & Cornelius in Acts 10. By a revelation that was repeated three times, Peter is taught by the Holy Spirit that the forbidden foods under the law of Moses are now made clean by God! Perplexed, Peter is then led to Cornelius, who hears the gospel and a whole bunch of Gentiles are baptized in the Holy Spirit, just like the Jews were in Jerusalem in Acts 2! See Acts 10:44-48. Peter therefore baptizes them as Christians.

Paradigm shift prophesied in scripture. Amos 9 prophesies that Israel will be shaken so badly that it will seem no one will survive. Only those who repent of their sins will survive. And God will bless all the Gentiles in the middle of that shaking.

Joel prophesied that all flesh will be filled with the Spirit of God in chapter 2.

What was going on in Acts? Jews who came to Christ were still living in the systems and paradigms that they had always lived in. Pharisees who accepted Jesus, were still functioning as Pharisees. They were still observing the law of Moses. They were still sacrificing animals in Jerusalem. There were still keeping the Sabaath. They were still circumcising their boys at 8 days and were still following all the requirements of the law of Moses. There was a hybrid. The new Kingdom message was overlaid on top of the Old Testament message.
As the New message became stronger, and as it spread to Gentiles in other places, the role of the law of Moses was questioned.

The enforcers of the Old system rose up together and insisted that Paul and his converts circumcise all the Gentiles they led to Christ so that they were obedient to the law. They required full compliance with the law of Moses. Their paradigm was the bible they had. It was Genesis through Malachi. And Genesis through Malachi says that you must be circumcised OR you would be cut off from God's community of people. Genesis through Malachi says that you must obey the law of Moses or be rejected by God Himself. In fact, God promises to chase down and punish everyone who does not obey the law of Moses under the law system.

1) The Law of Moses applied correctly by the Hebrew Pharisee Christians in Jerusalem meant that they were absolutely correct! Anyone desiring to come into God's people must follow the requirements of the law.

The problem as Peter saw it was this: God inaugurated a whole new PARADIGM. The King had set up a new way. The new way was through faith in Christ, not through following the law of Moses. And so the old way was not required anymore. This was hard to see because it directly contradicted verses in the Old Testament. But God has spoken so clearly (as explained in Acts 10) in the Cornelius story, that Peter overrode the insistence of the Pharisee Christians.

Peter's citation of Amos 9:11, 12 demonstrates that Peter believed God had begun in his day the very prophesies that the Old Testament prophets had foretold. A new thing was coming. The Kingdom of God which would displace all earthly Kingdoms was now upon them and everyone who repented, everyone who in humility rejected confidence in themselves would be delivered. Everyone who stood in their own righteousness would be rejected by God! See Amos 9 v. 9 "For behold, I will command, and shake the house of Israel among all the nations as one shakes with a sieve, but no pebble shall fall to the earth. 10 All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, 'Disaster shall not overtake or meet us.'

Those who stood confidently missed the Messiah and His Kingdom. But those who took Isaiah's advice in Isaiah 30:15 NIV This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.

Our Kingdom is by faith in Christ's death on the cross. Our Kingdom is invisible. Our law is the law of life. The law of the Spirit. The law of liberty in the Gospel of the Kingdom. The principles in the law of Moses mirror the law of Christ in the same way that the sacrifices of the law of Moses reflect Christ's sacrificial atonement on the cross. All of the old testament was a shadow pointing to Christ.

So now under the new covenant, Peter lays down the guideline. You don't have to follow the requirements of the law, even though the law says that you do! Why? Because God is doing a new thing! Paul would later fill out the theology of the new covenant by explaining more about the law and the gospel. But Peter saw God's hand was instituting a new covenant. The old was passing away and the new was now among us.

Therefore, the new paradigm is now Christ. By the Spirit of God we discern right from wrong. God's word must now be interpreted in light of the gospel of Christ. The old testament must now be seen as a shadow of the truth. The truth is Christ crucified and everything that conforms to the glorious gospel of Christ! The law of Moses is now seen as that which no one could ever fulfill. Thank God for Christ! Thank God for the gospel! Thank God for the cross! We are now delivered from the body of death! We are in Christ! We are now delivered from the system of condemnation! We are no longer under an impending death sentence! We are delivered from certain failure and death because of Christ.

So turn your eyes on Jesus!

Why then does Peter give four guidelines that reflect some principles from the Old Testament? These are good things. They help the Jews who are following the law to find unity with these new believers who are not circumcised.

Our paradigm today

Most people today live in a different paradigm than the Pharisees in Jerusalem in the first century. Most people today live in a blend of virtual and physical reality that would boggle the mind of the ancient believer. You and I (if you have come to Christ) have crossed over though from the bondage of the decay of this world into the marvelous light of Christ and are now in the Kingdom of God! We are inheriting a Kingdom. Our challenge is to help people grasp the Paradigm of the Kingdom of God. The gospel message is completely foreign to people who are unfamiliar with the Kingdom of God. Anyone who has not encountered the Holy Spirit and His power cannot grasp things like the 'gifts of the Spirit' or the 'fruit of the Spirit' or the 'wisdom of the Spirit'. Revelation seems as foreign to them as English does to someone who never spoke a word of English. The Kingdom of God as an invisible domain of God's influence and authority seems as far fetched to people around us today as the nuances of American politics would seem to a mountain dweller in northern communist China. Surrendering all of your life to follow Jesus seems as odd to many people today as it would to an American pioneer in North Bloomington if he heard about text messaging for the first time.

So what can we learn from all of this?

We must see that the church went through a massive paradigm shift in Acts 15. Over time this completely transformed the church from a law based culture to a grace based culture. The Kingdom of God was truly being established. The old covenant was being displaced. The new covenant was being understood. It's application was shaking up everything! And it's not over. Everything is still being changed.

Therefore we must embrace the Kingdom of God and it's fullest implications. We must choose to fight for the clear gospel message and all of it's ramifications. This means specifically that we must not confuse Old Testament regulations with New Testament living. This means that we need to pray for people around us to be delivered from the domain of sin and to be brought into the realm of God's favor.

This is what I call Kingdom Favor. Kingdom Favor is simply the effect of God's grace on people who need help in coming to God.
In essence we are instruments to bring people into an experience of God's grace.

Who can you pray for? Who can you bring a revelation of Jesus to today? How can you help someone experience Kingdom favor? How does God want to use you today and this week as an agent of the Kingdom to deliver those around you from the world?

2007-05-27T15:45:00.000-07:00

ESV Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The Law of Moses foretells the outpouring of the Spirit with an official holiday!

ESV Leviticus 23:15 "You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. 16 You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the LORD. 17 You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the LORD. 18 And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 19 And you shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. 20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. 21 And you shall make proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations.

Wisdom (Proverbs)foretells the outpouring of the Spirit

ESV Proverbs 1:20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; 21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: 22 "How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? 23 If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.

The prophets foretold the gift of the Holy Spirit.

ESV Isaiah 32:14 For the palace is forsaken, the populous city deserted; the hill and the watchtower will become dens forever, a joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks; 15 until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is deemed a forest. 16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field. 17 And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.

ESV Joel 2:28 "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. 29 Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. 30 "And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. 32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls.

The Forerunner, John the Baptist predicted this…

ESV Matthew 3:11 "I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

God’s Spirit had rested on men temporarily under the Old Covenant…foreshadowing what was to come in the New Covenant!

ESV Numbers 11:25 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.

Jesus predicted the outpouring of the Spirit juxtaposed to the anticipated Kingdom on earth that would overthrow the Romans. The Holy Spirit comes to expand Christ’s Kingdom, but not as people would expect.

ESV Acts 1:7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

The Apostle’s believed the entire bible pointed to the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost!

1 Peter 1
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. 13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to us. We have a deposit of the Spirit in this age showing the fulness of what is to come! We will be in His full presence forever. Now we taste His presence in part, but then we will taste His presence in full.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit and being filled with the Spirit are virtually the same thing. The difference is that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the very first filling of the Holy Spirit, whereas the filling of the Spirit may be any time in your walk with God that you experience the fulness of God.

Speaking in tongues was a sign of judgment on Israel, as well as a witness to the Jews from all over the world. At the same time that some were accepting God’s gift, others were rejecting Him.

ESV 1 Corinthians 14:21 In the Law it is written, "By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord."

ESV John 20:20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld."

What to look for?

ESV Acts 2:17 "'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

Some points of difference among good Christians:

Receiving the Spirit is the same as the Baptism of the Spirit
Receiving the Spirit is not the same as the Baptism of the Spirit.

Some teach that the Spirit was received in John 20:22 by the disciples and that the baptism of the Spirit was after the Spirit was ‘received’. In this view the Spirit of God baptizes us into Christ at conversion and we receive the Holy Spirit as a deposit of our future.

Others teach that the Spirit was not received until Pentecost. Therefore, the baptism of the Spirit is the conversion experience and is synonymous with being born again.

Many other related views…cessationism. (gifts ceased at closure of NT)
ard pentecostalism which teaches that unless one speaks in tongues, one has not received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

If one says the baptism of the Holy Spirit’s initial evidence is tongues…AND that it is synonymous with conversion, then we have the consequence that speaking in tongues is the initial proof one is a real Christian. This doctrine is an extreme view that Evangelical Pentecostals have declared heretical. I agree that view is heretical.

The Evangelical Pentecostal view of the baptism of the Spirit is that it is Subsequent to conversion. This view holds that one can ‘receive the Spirit’ without being baptized in the Spirit. The teaching is based on the view that the disciples were ‘saved’ by faith before Pentecost. They would teach that unless one speaks in tongues, one has not been baptized in the Holy Spirit yet, but may be saved by faith in Christ. Some passages in Acts speak of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit without mentioning tongues, but these groups argue it is assumed as normal because of the Acts 2 description. We hold that it is not wise to make doctrine from assumptions especially when the scriptures do not explicitly state a doctrine like this.

The Evangelical Charismatic view says the baptism of the Spirit is subsequent to conversion, not everyone who is baptized in the Spirit speaks in tongues. All will receive boldness to witness for Christ, and some receive the gift of prophesy, or tongues or some sort of manifestation of the Spirit. But that we should not make a litmus test out of the gift of tongues.

The Third Wave Evangelical view says that the baptism of the Spirit is synonymous to conversion, and that not everyone who is baptized in the Spirit/converted to Christ will speak in tongues. Many will, but not all.

The non-Charismatic Evangelical view says that the gifts accompanying conversion ceased when the New Testament was completed and that they were given only to demonstrate the New Testament is from God. They teach that the kind of tongues being experienced in churches all around the world today are not what the bible records and therefore these churches are psychologically deluded or even worse, under the influence of demonic spirits.

Where the Vineyard stands. Basically, we are all Pentecostals in the biblical sense of the word. In other words, we see the gift of the Spirit of God as coming at Pentecost for all believers: However we are not Pentecostals in the modern sense of the term. We do not believe that everyone who is baptized in the Holy Spirit must speak in tongues as the initial evidence that they have been baptized in the Holy Spirit. We accept either of the two middle views (the Charimstic or the Third Wave) among all these positions.

Some Vineyards teach that the baptism of the Spirit is synonymous with conversion and some teach that it is subsequent.

What do I believe? In a nutshell I am the most convinced by the Charismatic view.
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is subsequent to salvation normally, and is often accompanied by tongues, prophesy and boldness to witness. But not everyone receives tongues in every situation.

My story:

Raised to believe the baptism of the Spirit is conversion.

Life 1976 story in St. Louis
Experienced the fulness of the Spirit without tongues.

Jerry Rabe shared Pat Robertson’s tape with me about the Baptism of the Spirit.
High School play visited Godspell in Milwaukee…communion on Pabst Blue Ribbon trays…blasphemous tone of the entire event stirred us up.
Later received the gift of tongues.

At Bible College I changed my view to embrace subsequent view, Charismatic position.
Full appreciation for those who view the other way. Boils down to how we interpret
One Greek preposition, which honestly is not perfectly clear (except in peoples minds who combine it with other verses to make a position).

Therefore, where there is a lack of clarity, we allow for diversity of opinions.

What will we not allow? Cessationism. Hardline Pentecostalism (the kind that says you must speak in tongues as the initial evidence of the baptism). Neither view is welcome in the Vineyard.

What do we urge? Hunger for the Holy Spirit every day. Seek fresh fillings daily. Whatever view you have on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit doesn’t matter if you do not seek the Spirit of God daily….even all day long. We depend on the Spirit of God to expand the Kingdom of Christ in and through us or we are deserts in a dry land. If we depend on the Spirit of God, we can become an oasis…an En Gedi in the desert.

ESV John 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'"

ESV Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

ESV Ephesians 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

2007-05-20T21:17:00.000-07:00

Interesting facts about Acts
Papyrus rolls (35 to 40 feet long) See pictures online of Papyrus rolls.

ESV Luke 1:1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

ESV Acts 1:1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,

Both books are about the same length in material.
Luke is the longest book in the NT.
Acts is the second longest book in the NT

Both books describe arrests, trials in about the same way.
Luke spends almost ¼ of His gospel on Jesus’ arrest and trial
Luke spends almost ¼ of Acts on Paul’s arrest and trial

Bot books are written to the same man, Theophilus, who may have hired a copyiest to make copies of these two books so that they were distributed around the ancient world.

Both books cover around 30 years of history...the gospel starting around 4 BC and ending around 30 AD. Acts picks up at about 30 AD and ends close to 60 or 62 AD.

The gospel foreshadows Acts with references to things that are not fulfilled until Acts is laid out.

The theme of ‘all flesh in Luke 2:32 and 3:6
The promise of power from on high in Luke 24
Luke 22:33 emphasizes that Peter was prepared to go to prison and to death…and eventually does go to prison for Jesus in Acts 4, Acts 5 and Acts 12.

There are many other parallels and things that are left out of Luke’s gospel (which are in Mark asan example….but which Luke puts back in as he lays out Acts).

Mark 7:14-23 is left out of Luke’s gospel, but is introduced as a concept in Acts 10.

Themes in Luke are continued in Acts.
1) Favorable attitued towards Samaritans (Luke 9:52-56; 17:11-19; Acts 8)
2) Role of women among Christ followers (Luke 8:1-3; Acts 16 & 18)
3) Clarification that John the Baptist was NOT the Messiah (Luke 3:15 & Acts 13:25; 19:5)

Some seeds that were planted in Luke are cultivated and matured in Acts.

Ancient authors who wrote histories tried to make the volumes symmetrical in size and scope. Luke has done this with his gospel and Acts.

Can Luke/Acts be used to develop and teach doctrine?
Some people teach that we should draw doctrine only from the epistles. This is a common Evangelical viewpoint that I would like to address for a few minutes.

1) Based on the idea that the gospels and Acts chronicle the history of change from one era to another
2) And that the early church apparently devoted herself to the Apostles’ Doctrines
3) We are in a dispensation of grace where God deals differently now with people than He
Did during the Old Covenant and during the transition from the Old Covenant to the New
4) We are now no longer under the law but are in the realm of God’s grace.
Some say we should not teach people to obey Jesus’ teachings, but that they were for the transitional period…and that Acts tells us what happened, but not what we should necessarily teach or believe…but that we should draw this from the epistles like Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, etc…

Opposed to this, the fact that Jesus told his disciples to teach what He taught.
Matthew 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

The Bible never says to only draw doctrine from the epistles written by the Apostles. In fact it says that All of the Bible is useful for not only doctrine, but for all kinds of applications. We just should use it properly.

ESV 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

Faith by which we are saved is imparted by the word Jesus spoke and taught.

ESV Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ

Paul does distinguish between the Law of Moses and the Gospel. But He never says not to use the law of Moses, only that we should use it properly and apply it to those outside of Christ to bring them under the guilt of their sin.

1 Tim 1:8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just b

To teach that we cannot draw doctrine from the book of Acts or from the gospels or from any part of the bible is to oppose the doctrine of Paul as he taught his primary leader Timothy in 2 Timothy 3!!

Conclusion: It is a serious error to contend that the book of Acts is NOT useful for doctrinal teaching. On the contrary, it is the only history of the first thirty years of the church in action. Therefore it is vital to aid us in not only doctrine, but our lifestyles and philosophy.

Our contention is that we should carefully look at what Acts says about Christ and His message and learn all we can from that.

We call the church of Jesus where-ever she has erred on this matter to repentance of not studying Acts for doctrine and life issues.

Having said that, we must recognize Acts for what it is…primarily a history, not a doctrinal expose. Therefore we need to be careful to avoid drawing theological formulas from what might be descriptions or summaries of activities. We should look to the principles represented by the historical facts in Acts and see how the rest of scripture supports these items doctrinally. In this way Acts helps bring a summary to many doctrinal thoughts laid out in the epistles.

We should study Acts for Doctrine.
We should study Acts for Life Instruction.

Acts reveals the overarching theme of Jesus ministry

Acts 1:3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

Point 1 Emphasize the fact that Jesus suffered, died and rose from the dead.

Point 2 Tie everything together in the theme: The Kingdom of God.

ESV Acts 20:25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again.

Point 3 Wait for and seek the baptism & presence of the Holy Spirit who gives us supernatural power to testify about Christ and His Kingdom.

Point 4 Minister to our community (not just our own flock), our county,
our state and into all the nations.

The visions I saw in presence of the Holy Spirit about Christ who suffered and is now resurrected standing with outstretched arms over the nations sums up these four points in my life. It is a call on our fellowship as well.

Vision
To grow a life-giving, kingdom-minded Church in Bloomington/Normal that impacts Central Illinois and all nations with the good news of Jesus Christ.
1. Love Jesus wholeheartedly
2. Love all nations wholeheartedly
3. Proclaim Christ & His kingdom’s good news
4. Multiply disciples & congregations in Central Illinois
5. Multiply disciples and congregations to all nations
Our doctrine about the Kingdom of God
WE BELIEVE that the whole world is under the domination of Satan 129 and that all people are sinners by nature 130 and choice 131. All people therefore are under God’s just judgment 132. Through the preaching of the Good News of Jesus and the Kingdom of God 133 and the work of the Holy Spirit 134, God regenerates 135, justifies 136, adopts 137 and sanctifies 138 through Jesus by the Spirit 139 all who repent of their sins 140 and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord 141 and Savior 142. By this they are released from Satan’s domain and enter into God’s kingdom reign 143.

ESV Daniel 2:44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,

ESV Revelation 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."

ESV Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever."

ESV Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

ESV Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Fixing our eyes on the glory of the full revelation of the Kingdom of God at the return of Christ, we gladly sacrifice all we have in this life for the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ!

(some of the 'interesting facts' are condensed from Witherington on Acts.

2007-05-15T20:16:00.001-07:00

Our new series through Acts called "The Holy Spirit Expanding The Kingdom of God" starts this Sunday! Please start to read through the book of Acts. From now until the end of June. If you read about a chapter a day, and only miss once a week, you should get through Acts in the time period we have set aside and have extra days to boot. So I'm asking everyone to take about five to ten extra minutes per day to read a chapter in Acts!

I recommend you also read the following little snippet from Acts 1 for this coming Sunday. For comparison, you might want to look at Luke 24, which is partly summarized by Luke's introduction in volume two (Luke and Acts are two books in a series).

The theme of Acts comes up right away in vs. 8 of chapter 1. Let's keep asking God to fill us with the Holy Spirit every day so that we can be effective witnesses for Jesus.

ESV Acts 1:1 ¶ In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." 6 ¶ So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

2007-03-04T12:56:00.000-08:00

I am excited. New resources on the Acts of the Apostles are arriving now. Although this survey through Acts doesn't start until mid-May, I feel the presence of the Holy Spirit moving on the planning of it now. Pray with me that the power of the book of Acts will drop into our fellowhip this year like never before!

2007-02-27T09:29:00.000-08:00

I am excited about doing a multi-week mini-survey through the book of Acts later this year. I hope it will start on or about May 20th. Please pray with us about this upcoming sermon series.

2006-12-08T10:20:00.000-08:00

I am starting to believe that it might be from the Lord to study Acts for about five weeks after we finish looking at Luke and Romans 8. Pray with me about this.

2006-09-17T22:25:00.000-07:00

Although I am not planning to study Acts with the congregation for awhile, I did a sermon on Acts 13 & 14 as the introduction to my Galatians series. See www.ntgalatians.blogspot.com for the entry.