ACTS 22

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1"Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you." 2And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more quiet; and he said, 3"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today. 4"I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons, 5as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify From them I also received letters to the brethren, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished.
 
6"But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, 7and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' 8"And I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.' 9"And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. 
10"And I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.' 11"But since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me and came into Damascus.
 
12"A certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, 13came to me, and standing near said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very time I looked up at him. 14"And he said, 'The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth. 15'For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard.
 
16'Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.' 17"It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance, 18and I saw Him saying to me, 'Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.' 19"And I said, 'Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You. 20'And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.' 21"And He said to me, 'Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'" 22They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, "Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!"

The crowd listened to what Paul had to say, UNTIL he mentioned that God sent him to the Gentiles. Why is this? Why did this incense them so? I think this is all part of the human condition. It's just human nature to:

1. Want to be right and all others are wrong or more right than others which places us above the others.

2. Want to have our own clique or club, separate from all others, feel threatened that others might be as IN as we are.

3. Want to denigrate or destroy those who are not on the inside with us or, at least, we tend to be joyful over the "others" fall or difficulty or ruin.

Five observations: FIRST-Religious systems produce piles of guilt. And what's even more interesting is that the guilty have the urge to throw on more guilt on everyone else.

SECOND-Religious systems produce fear and insecurity. The religious mindset of "innies" and "outies" is filled with insecurity and fear.

THIRD-Religious systems produce angry people. There is nothing more ugly than an angry, passionate, religious person with a bible verse.

FOURTH-Religious systems are not so much about God as they are about ME, MYSELF and MINE.

FIFTH-Religious systems leave the residue of shame on all who participate.
I keep defining religion as man's best attempt to avoid going to hell, but religious systems are hell. A relationship with God says, "I've been to hell and don't want to go back!" This relationship with God is a taste of heaven while going through your hells.

The crowd was firmly implanted, and even stuck, in their religious comfort levels, which emerges from a belief that God is exclusive. It's a WE-FOUR-AND-NO-MORE approach to life. It's ugly and a massive turn-off! Paul was speaking from the reference point of a relationship with God, which is all-inclusive for anyone who is interested. RELIGION ALWAYS DIVIDES; JESUS ALWAYS UNITES. Try it out and see for yourself!

ACTS 21

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This is an interesting chapter where the fellowship is demonstrated simply, yet dynamically. Let's look at each reference. First, in verse in verse 4. IN TYRE: 3When we came in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we kept sailing to Syria and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload its cargo. 4After looking up the disciples, we stayed there seven days; and they kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem. 5When our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, escorted us until we were out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another. 6Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home again.

NOTE what happens in Tyre. It's not like they planned to be there, but as soon as they saw an opening, they looked up the disciples in that city. Then, they stayed there 7 days. The fellowship there operated as a family with wives and children participating.
 
7When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and after greeting the brethren, we stayed with them for a day.
IN PTOLEMAIS. At this city they only had a day, BUT they stayed with a few in the fellowship throughout that day.
 
8On the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and entering the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we stayed with him.
IN CAESAREA. At this coastal city along the Mediterranean they visited an known leader, Philip, and stayed with him.
 
15After these days we got ready and started on our way up to Jerusalem. 16Some of the disciples from Caesarea also came with us, taking us to Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple of long standing with whom we were to lodge. 17After we arrived in Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

IN JERUSALEM. Here they travel with a man with whom they were to stay. When they came to Jerusalem, the fellowship welcomed them.

So, what's going on here? The early disciples had a dynamic sense about the importance of fellowship. They may not have even known all of these disciples in the various cities, but they sought them out. This thinking came out of the teaching of Jesus. He prayed in His prayer in John 17 "that they may be one." He made it so clear in His last group gathering with His disciples in John 13-17 that our love for one another-our fellowship-is one of the most powerful expressions of the reality of Jesus that there is. This is why He made such a big deal out of the pre-eminence of "love God with all your heart, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself." If we do that, the world will know there is something supernatural about our lives.

I've got a couple of questions for you. FIRST-Do you see fellowship with other believers in Jesus as important as Jesus and the early believers did?

SECOND-Do you make it a priority in your life locally and in your travels?

THIRD-What keeps you from connecting with others for fellowship?

ACTS 20

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7On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight. 8There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together. 9And there was a young man named Eutychus sitting on the window sill, sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, he was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead. 10But Paul went down and fell upon him, and after embracing him, he said, "Do not be troubled, for his life is in him." 11When he had gone back up and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked with them a long while until daybreak, and then left. 12They took away the boy alive, and were greatly comforted.
 
NOTE on the first day of the week (Sunday) Paul gathered with a group of believers and broke bread with them. Paul got a little carried away and spoke until midnight. Eutychus fell asleep and fell out of a 3rd story window and was dead. Paul immediately went down to him and brought him back to the group alive and well. Then NOTE Paul continued to speak throughout the night.
What I love most about this setting is the realness of it all. Here is a group of Jesus followers eating and listening to Paul teach them-all in a home. This is presently the largest and fastest growing movement in this country-gatherings in the name of Jesus outside the local, organized church.
 
17From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. 18And when they had come to him, he said to them, "You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, 19serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; 20how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, 
 21solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
22"And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. 24"But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. 25"And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. 

26"Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27"For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. 28"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

NOTE here how much of Paul's life was invested in the Ephesian believers. He gave of himself completely for one reason. He was living in response to the call of Jesus on His life. Remember, this calling happened in the 9th chapter where the Lord sent him to bear witness of Jesus among the Jews, Gentiles and the kings.
 
29"I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31"Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. 32"And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33"I have coveted no one's silver or gold or clothes. 34"You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. 35"In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
 
36When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, 38grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again and they were accompanying him to the ship.

It's been my experience that disciples left to themselves tend to be distracted away from their original calling from Jesus. The savage wolves are not ugly and furry, but are attractive and endearing. Because of these subtle, savage wolves within our fellowships: FIRST-Reminded the disciples of their duty to be overseers of the flock.

SECOND-Revealed to them the danger of being distracted away from Jesus.
Paul's greatest concern was that savage wolves-false teachers-would rise up after his departure. Three observations here: 1. The savage wolves come from among the fellowship. 2. The savage wolves spend their time distracting the disciples of Jesus away from their calling. 3. The only "salvation" from these savage wolves will come from God and the word of His grace.

This reminds me of the passage in II Corinthians 11:3: "But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ." The simplicity and purity of devotion to Jesus. That's it. That's what it's all about!

ACTS 19

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1It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus and found some disciples. 2He said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said to him, "No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." 3And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" And they said, "Into John's baptism." 4Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus." 5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. 7There were in all about twelve men.
 
In Acts 2 the Spirit came upon the believers in Jerusalem. In Acts 8 the Spirit came upon the believers in Samaria. In Acts 10 the Spirit came upon the Gentile believers at the house of Cornelius. Now here Paul discovers a group of John's disciples who had not received the word of the Holy Spirit. They immediately understood and were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And after that, Paul laid his hands on them and the Spirit came upon them. NOTE that the only group that did not have the experience of tongues was the Samaritans, yet it was somehow clear that the Spirit also came upon them.

John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. It was a threat. It was also a promise of the Messiah Who was to come. Being baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus was a baptism of fulfillment and was nothing negative, but was unto the Good News. To be baptized is to be "identified with", a new identification as a follower of Jesus in this case.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit had 3 meanings here in Acts: 1. The unity of the Spirit of God. Before Acts believers had the Spirit of God come on them for special tasks and missions, but only temporarily. In Acts the Spirit came upon the them permanently and pulls all believers into an inseparable union.

2. The mission. The Spirit came upon them for a special mission-an ongoing mission of spreading the message of Jesus. We are to be witnesses of Jesus, meaning to hold Him up to the light for people to examine Him and Him alone, not another doctrinal stance or another church or denominational flavor.

3. The power to carry out this mission. The Spirit came upon believers permanently to empower us to bear witness of Jesus. All of this is what Jesus says in Acts 1:8, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you shall be My witnesses."

This same unified mission with power to bear witness of Jesus is ours today and it began in the Acts of Jesus. Encouraged by the experience with the disciples of John, Paul goes back into the synagogue and spoke boldly for 3 months-speak of the Way and of the kingdom of God. And, again an opposition rose up within the synagogue and Paul pulled out of the synagogue with a few disciples and went back to teaching at the school of Tyrannus building next door. He did this for two years. It was so powerful that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
 
11God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out. 13But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches." 14Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 

15And the evil spirit answered and said to them, "I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" 16And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified. 18Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices. 19And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing. Many are persuaded to come toward God by the evil they encounter. Here the power of evil and the power of God come into contrast. And as the local exorcists tried to use the name of Jesus to free a man from demonic captivity, but these men were overpowered by the power of this man with the demons inside and left them naked and wounded.

I see an interesting principle here. Using the name of Jesus as a mantra may be counterproductive. When you do anything in the name of Jesus, you must align yourself with Jesus so that you are working in concert with Him. As Jesus made very clear throughout His ministry it's all a matter of the heart! This reminds me of the passage at the end of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus says, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord,' did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, I never knew you.'"

Get this now. These people will come to Jesus and say:
1. We have spoken in your name 2. We have cast out demons in your name 3. We have performed miracles in your name

So, who are these guys? Well, the truth is we don't know, because people don't wear FT or FP for False Teacher or False Prophet on their foreheads. But these people Jesus speaks about here are people who are using the name of Jesus-speaking in His name, casting out demons in His name and doing miracles in His name. The measuring stick all comes down to the heart. Is your heart bent toward God, counting on His grace for your life now and for eternity? Well is it?