Throughout all Generations

Acts 19:1-7

 

 

One Sunday, when I was about 10 years old, I didn’t want to go to church. My Dad chased me around the house and out into the backyard where he finally caught me. When we got to church I wouldn’t get out of the car so he made me wait there while they went to services.

 

As bad as this story sounds, for the most part I enjoyed, or at least complied, and went to church each Sunday. Although our church tradition didn’t talk about asking Jesus into your heart or being born again, looking back on it now, I believe that I was a Christian trying to follow and obey God.

 

However, years later in college a friend presented the Four Spiritual Laws to me. It made a lot of sense so I asked Christ into my heart. That same summer my friend told me about the Holy Spirit and how he worked in my life. Like the disciples in Ephesus that Paul met, I had an initial belief that later lead to a life changing experience.

 

These disciples had most likely become believers through the ministry of Apollos who had been in Ephesus previous to Paul. They are referred to as disciples, so they must have believed in God, but something was missing, and that something was the Holy Spirit. When Paul placed his hands on them while baptizing them, the Holy Spirit came upon them in power.

 

Years later, while in prison in Rome, Paul wrote these words to the disciples in Ephesus. Notice how many times he mentions the word “power”.

 

^16 “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

 

Looking back at a ten year old boy who didn’t want to go to church, God was at work in my life. He was constantly drawing me to him, even as my father dragged me, kicking and screaming, to church that day. Years later, God opened my heart to His Holy Spirit and changed my life.

 

Paul’s Ephesian prayer ends like this:

^20”Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in

Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

 

“Throughout all generations, for ever and ever”… Paul’s prayer was not only for those disciples in Ephesus, but for you and me today. God is still at work in our lives through the power of His Holy Spirit, to draw us closer to Him and to use us to attract and bring others to Him also.

 

 

God-in-a-Box

Acts 11:1-18

 

No doubt you have seen a “jack in the box” toy before. You may have even played with one as a child; which means that you experienced the excitement of anxiously anticipating the clown to unexpectedly pop out of the box as “Pop Goes the Weasel” reached its climax.

 

Have you ever tried to control God? It sounds ridiculous to ask the question, but if we are honest with ourselves, we do it every day. It’s called sin. We rationalize, manipulate and do everything but back flips, to control our world.

 

The church in the first century tried to control God by saying that only Jews could follow Jesus, not Gentiles; not the uncircumcised. They wanted a god-in-a-box; a god that they could control; that wouldn’t surprise them.

 

After visiting Cornelius in Caesarea, Peter returns to Jerusalem where he comes under fire for associating with the uncircumcised. He explains to the Jews how the Holy Spirit came upon the Gentiles in the same way that He had with them.

 

^17 “Since God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, how could I stop the work of God?” ¹⁸ When the believers heard this, they stopped arguing. They praised God and said, “So God is allowing even other nations to turn to him and live.” NCV

 

Confronting this concept of a god-in-a-box, was a constant battle for Jesus during his earthly ministry. His ministry focused on people who were scorned by the culture, and as a result, were social, religious and emotional outsiders.

 

Think of the hemorrhaging woman, the lepers, prostitutes, tax collectors, the demoniac; all of them fit into this category. The religious establishment didn’t have room for them. Their god-in-a-box wouldn’t allow it.

 

God-in-a-box: it doesn’t seem like it would sell very well, but in reality, we all buy into it. We want to control our life and if we can control God, then we are well on our way to accomplishing our goal.

 

But God will not be controlled. His Holy Spirit will move whomever and whenever He desires.

 

 

 

Our decision is whether we want to be a part of His work… or not.

 

Shark Tank

1 Peter 5:1-11

  

Money and power equals success in our culture. The TV reality show Shark Tank personifies this. It is all about money and power.

 

The panel of super successful business people entertain pitches from entrepreneurs for their business ideas. If a panel member(s) like the pitch, they commit some of their own personal money to that business. If not, then look out. After all, the panel members are sharks, and if you’re going to get into the tank with sharks, you better be ready.

 

Peter was not particularly humble. He was more of a shark. He approached Jesus about who was the greatest. Anytime Jesus asked a question, Peter was the first to respond. Peter knew how to get things done and had the confidence to do them; until the night Jesus said that Peter would betray him. And later he did just that.

 

Following the resurrection, Peter wrote to the believers who were exiled throughout Asia Minor, “And all of you serve each other with humble spirits, for God gives special blessings to those who are humble, but sets himself against those who are proud. ⁶ If you will humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, in his good time he will lift you up.”          TLB

 

If you look at the Bible as a whole, God used those who were humble; who often times found themselves at the bottom socially, economically or emotionally.

• David was the youngest of Jesse’s sons doing the lowly job of a shepherd when Samuel declared him to be the next king.
• Gideon was hiding in a winepress when God called him to be a “Mighty Warrior”.
• Mary was a poor peasant teenager, soon to be pregnant out of wedlock, when God’s angel called her to be the mother of Jesus.
• Paul was persecuting the believers when Christ struck him blind and called him to repent.

 

This is how God works. This is where He wants us; humble, not proud. Eugene Peterson puts it like this in Matthew 5: ³ “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. ⁴ “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.”           MSG

 

Money and power equals success, but what pleases God more; your success or your faith? Are you proud or are you humble before Him?

 

 

 

Welcome to the shark tank. You better be ready.

 

Wall Drug

Isaiah 55:1-9

 

In 1931 Dorothy and Ted Hustead bought a small drug store in Wall, SD on the edge of the Badlands. Following the Great Depression, there were 326 poor people who lived in Wall. The Hustead’s worked the drug store for 5 years eking out a sparse existence.

 

Then, in the summer of 1936, everything changed.

 

It was a very, very hot afternoon when Dorothy had an idea. She thought, just maybe

all the people driving by their store on Route 16A might be thirsty, and if they offered free water, just maybe they would stop. Today, Wall Drug is a national tourist attraction with 76,000 square feet of store space; thanks to free water.

 

Isaiah wrote, “Say there! Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine and milk—it’s all free! ² Why spend your money on food that doesn’t give you strength? Why pay for groceries that do you no good? Listen and I’ll tell you where to get good food that fattens up the soul!”  TLB

 

For Isaiah, this is not a marketing ploy to bring customers into his store. It is an invitation to you, to me, to your co-worker, to the clerk at McDonalds, to the driver who cut you off… you get the idea. It is an open invitation for everyone to come to the Lord for our soul to be filled.

 

John wrote in Revelation to the church in Laodicea, ^16 “So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷ You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”  NIV

 

It doesn’t sound like life has changed all that much since John’s days. We still find all kinds of things to take the place of what truly fulfills; what truly quenches our thirst. The Good News is that Jesus is always seeking us.

 

John also wrote to the church in Laodicea,

 ^20 “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”       NIV

 

"Get a soda . . .

Get a root beer . . .

Turn next corner . . .

Just as near . . .

To Highway 16 & 14. . .

Free Ice Water. . .

Wall Drug."

While reading this, you can visualize the signage as you are driving down the 2 lane highway of Route 16A.

 

 

 

What signs has God put in your life to draw you to Him? How has He used you in the lives of others as a sign to draw them to the Lord?

 

 

 

Prepare Yourself

Romans 13:8-14

 

 

Prep work is always the most important part of a job. Take painting for instance.

 

For an indoor job, first you have to remove everything hanging on the wall including all the outlet and light switch covers. Then you repair any drywall damage and fill holes. It’s always a good idea to sand down the wall too. Next, you may need to put a coat of primer on depending on the existing wall color and the new color.

 

Before you start to roll the final coat, you must cut in around all the trim. And before

cutting in, most people will apply blue tape to protect the trim. Finally, you get to roll the beautiful paint that you have selected. Then, when it’s all done, your spouse comes along, looks at it and points to a spot that you missed… Good preparation is essential.

 

Paul understood the importance of preparation. He wrote, ^11 “Another reason for right living is this: you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of the Lord is nearer now than when we first believed.”           TLB

 

In other words, we need to be ready; to be prepared for when the Lord returns. We can’t be lazy. We always have to be on high alert, as if a terrorist attack was eminent. We always have to be motivated to do our best. However, doing that “day in and day out” is difficult.

 

I went to a motivational workshop once where one of the speakers said that he took the attitude every day that

today was the last day before he went on vacation. You know how it is before going on vacation. You’re trying to get everything done that you would normally do during vacation, only get it done before vacation.

 

Peter also understood the importance of preparation. ^13 “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep a clear

head, and set your hope completely on the grace to be given you when Jesus, the Messiah, is revealed.”  ISV

 

This verse begs the question: Why do you prepare your mind for action? James gives us the answer. ^14 “Temptation is the pull of man’s own evil thoughts and wishes. ¹⁵ These evil thoughts lead to evil actions and afterwards to the death penalty from God.”           TLB

 

From these verses, and our own experience, we know that sin begins with a fleeting

thought or desire. Therefore, preparing our mind and heart for action is critical in our relationship with Christ.

 

If we know why we should “prepare our mind for action”, then how do we do it? For me it includes daily time in the Scriptures and meditation on God’s word, talking to and listening for God to speak, participation in worship, in singing, in fellowship and in accountability with other believers.

 

 

Prepare yourself. How do you do it?