Right Before Their Eyes

We've all seen the celebrations outside the courthouse after the verdict.  The local news shows them to us all the time.  

That's the seen that Luke describes here in Acts 4:23-31.  But there's a bit of a twist.  

The people aren't so much celebrating that the Sanhedrin has dropped the charges against Peter and John, but rejoicing in the fact that they are all eyewitnesses of the unfolding of God's plan of salvation.  

It was all happening right before their eyes.

Pete and Johnny leave their hearing before the council and tell the other believers what has just happened (v23).  They relate how Pete had turned the tables on the kangaroo court and accused them of murdering the Messiah (Acts 4:10).  

They tell them how these seminary PhDs couldn't figure out how this pair of illiterate idiots got the best of them (Acts 4:13).  They recall how the Sanhedrin was blown away by their boldness (Acts 4:13).  

They relate how the council clearly knew the two of them had spent time with Jesus (Acts 4:13).  And finally they recall how the Sanhedrin told them to stop teaching and talking about Jesus, but that they boldly told them that wasn't possible (Acts 4:18-20).

"When they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God" (v24).  These early believers thrived in community.  This was the only way they knew.  

Sure, their numbers were growing rapidly (in excess of 5000 at this point).  But they desperately needed each other.  

And when they got together, what did they do?  They worshiped!  They immediately worshiped!  They saw God's hand in the entire process and thanked Him for what He was doing right before their eyes.  There is something powerfully encouraging to other believers when we share such stories.  

When great blessings happen in our lives, what is our first reaction?  Do we seek out other Christ followers in order to share with them what God has just done?  

Do we worship?  Do we pray and thank God?  I don't know about you, but I would rather not answer these questions.

As part of this spontaneous worship service, they prayed in thanksgiving.  These believers thanked the "Sovereign Lord” (v24).  The Greek word here is δεσποτης/despotes.  

It is not used very often in the NT, especially in regard to Almighty God (Lk 2:29; 2Tim 2:21; 2Pet 2:1; Jude 4; Rev 6:10).  We get our word "despot" from the Greek.  

But this original term doesn't carry the idea of an iron-fisted dictator.  It means one who is a master or in control.  NT writers use it to describe someone in charge, often the owner of a slave.  Think of your boss or supervisor.

These early Christians understood clearly that God was in complete and absolute control.  And they were witnessing His hand in manipulating these events happening right before their eyes.

In the first part of their prayer, they recognize their Sovereign God as the Creator of the universe, "who made the heaven and the earth and the see and everything in them."  

That pretty much covers everything, doesn't it?  In other words, God was in command of everything from the very beginning.  Actually from BEFORE the beginning.  He was there BEFORE creation.

In verses 25-27, they pray from the psalms and then quickly understand what was written as being fulfilled right before their eyes.  

They quote Psalm 2:1-2.  While the psalmist does not credit this song to anyone, these Spirit-led believers understand this as "through the mouth of our father David, Your servant" (25).  

When David originally wrote these words, he was in constant battle against Gentile kings and nations.  As God's anointed king, he saw the spiritual implications of these political and military battles.  

These early Christ followers see the role of God's Spirit in the composition of David's psalm.  The Holy Spirit moved the king to say these words centuries before.  

The role of the Spirit cannot be ignored in either of Luke's letters to Theophilus.  The Third Person of the Trinity takes the lead role in both Luke and Acts.  

The early church apparently saw a much broader panorama than King David.  They see this as a prophetic psalm which is coming true right before their eyes.  

These rulers such as Herod, Pilate, the Romans and the Sanhedrin had conspired against "Your holy servant Jesus, Whom You anointed” (v27).  The “servant” recalls Isaiah 53.  

The Father anoints the Son with the Spirit.  Can you see how this verse is teaching us about the Trinity?  Cool, huh?

Once again, they understand that all of these events, including the betrayal and brutal crucifixion of Christ, were all part of God's sovereign plan (Acts 2:23).  This is something they did not and could not understand on the other side of the cross.  

These early believers now knew that EVERYTHING that has happened and is currently happening and will happen is part of God's plan.  He has "predestined to take place."

Do we see God's hand in complete control of the events in our life?  In the events of the world?  

God is sovereign.  His hand is unshakeable.  His purpose cannot be swayed.  And it's all for His glory and our good (Rom 8:28-30).

And what was their request?  They asked God to "grant to your servants to continue to speak Your word with all boldness" (v29).  

They didn't pray that they would avoid conflict with the authorities.  As a matter of fact, the result of their request would actually instigate more friction.  

But their prayer was boldness in order to fulfill what Jesus had commanded to them before He headed home (Acts 1:8).  

As they were still praying, the house started rockin' (v31).  Just as it happened when the 120 were crammed into the upper room and the Spirit fell for the first time (Acts 2:2-4), it was happening again!  

This apparently larger group was being filled with the Spirit of God.  He was answering their request immediately, right before their eyes.

And the Spirit empowered them to do exactly as they had asked.  They "continued to speak the word of God with boldness” (v31).  

Is this our prayer?  Do we regularly pray for God to give us boldness to tell others about Jesus?  If so, He might just rock our world.  I'm not sure the room would shake (but I can't guarantee it!), but I am sure He will readily respond to our request.

And then don't be surprised at what will happen right before our eyes.

©2011

Jay Jennings

Rainbows, Unicorns, and Fairy Dust

“and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God” (Philippians 1:28).

What do rainbows, unicorns, and fairy dust all have in common? Easy. They have absolutely nothing to do with following Jesus. Zip. Zilch. Zero. Life doesn’t suddenly become a leisurely skip down the garden path once you place your trust in Christ. Far from it. The Bible makes it clear that believers are headed into battle. There’s an enemy and he’s nasty. While we’ve got a fight on our hands, we can take it to the bank that we’re going to win. As a matter of fact, Jesus made sure it was over before it started. Because of that, Paul tells us there’s no reason to freak out when we go face-to-face with our opponent. As a matter of fact, our lack of fear is a sign of three things. One, they will lose. Two, we are saved. Three, God is behind it all.

In the previous verses, the apostle encourages his friends back in Philippi live Gospel worthy lives by playing together as a team. A church must be “standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, striving side by side for the faith of the Gospel” (Phil 1:27). As teammates, we must play together. The enemy is NOT fellow believers. As Walt Kelly famously said in his comic strip Pogo, “We have met the enemy and he is us!” Can we be blunt for just a moment? Too often we spend all our energy fighting what we think are enemies inside the church when these folks are actually our teammates. We get hot and bothered about the music. We get worked up over how we do communion. We fly off the handle about what the pastor wears. Stop it! We are NOT the enemy! 

Our attacker loves it when we’re fighting in our own locker room before we take the field. In the movie “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the bad guy gets the Avengers on the ropes by fooling them into fighting themselves. If you think Ultron is a bad mamma jamma, he’s little league compared Satan. He’s not known as the deceiver for nothing (Rev 12:9). The devil uses every trick in the book to get the followers of Jesus fighting each other. Jesus made it crystal clear to His posse that our enemy  “comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (Jn 10:10). Before we realize what’s happening, we’re so focused on music volume that we’ve lost sight of the lost and dying world right outside our front door. We are NOT the enemy!

Spoiler alert! If you read the end of the Book, Jesus wins. And because He wins, we win too! But that doesn’t mean the devil and gang of thugs aren’t scary. Paul tells the Philippians that we should stand strong and “not frightened in anything by your opponents” (v28). He uses a powerful Greek word here: pturo. It means to terrify, intimidate, and scare. The verb actually comes from a root word mean to spit. Our opponent is so intimidating that he’ll scare the spit out of you. Think of stepping into the octagon. You look across at your opponent. The dude outweighs you by 150 pounds. He’s a foot taller than you. You have every reason to freak out. Except for one. Jesus has already kicked his tail. That’s actually the lesson behind David’s one-on-one showdown with Goliath. It’s NOT that God helps who slay the giants in your life. The purpose of the passage is that the Son of David has whooped Satan, sin, and death once and for all. Don’t let him scare the spit out of you.

Remembering Christ wins the ultimate victory, we can stand confidently before anything the devil and demonic toadies sends our way. Paul tells us “this is a clear sign to them of their destruction” (v28). They are used to intimidating people and sending them scattering like scared bunny rabbits. But wait a minute. Something’s different with this crew. Why aren’t they shaking in their boots? Why aren’t they running in the opposite direction? We’re not terrified because of Who stands with us. We aren’t rattled because God didn’t give “us a spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2Tim 1:7). When we don’t bail, it tells our enemies that the jig is up. It announces loud and proud that they won’t just lose but they’ll be wiped off the map. 

By placing our courage in Christ, we also demonstrate our “salvation” (v28). Once God makes us a member of His supernatural team, we share in His supernatural victory. And nothing can ever take that away from us. Jesus tells His boys that once we’re in His grip, nobody can ever rips us out. He doesn’t just save us for a few days. He saves us once and for all time. Using the team analogy once again, God doesn’t cut anybody from his roster. Once he gives a jersey, He never takes it away. 

Finally, our tenacity in the face of demonic opposition announces to the world exactly who’s behind our salvation. Our rescue is “from God” (v28). This is proof that our Hero has come to our rescue. We only win because of what He’s done on our behalf. We don’t save ourselves. We can’t. He does for us what we could never do on our own. Jesus lived the perfect life that I failed to live. He died the death on the cross for my sin that I should have died. He rose to a spectacular new life that I don’t deserve. He saved my bacon when I had zero chance of escape. 

Following Jesus isn’t a series of rainbows, unicorns, and fairy dust. It’s better than that. It’s an enemy who has lost the power of intimidation. His defeat is a lead pipe lock. It’s certain rescue from the Hero of the universe. You can keep your unicorns. I’ll take Jesus every single time.

Boldness Because of the Bars

“And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear” (Philippians 1:14).

It’s like a scene out of “Locked up Abroad.” You’re a long way from home. A VERY long way. More than a thousand miles. You’re held captive in the the capital of a brutal dictatorship that has a zero tolerance policy on insurrection. If that’s not enough, you’re in the slammer because of your faith. Persecuted for what you believe. I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t exactly sound like a situation that’s going to win friends and influence people. Not a time when you think others would be standing in line to take a similar stand. But a funny thing happens when Jesus gets involved. He turns Paul’s time in the joint into a time of overflowing joy. And if that’s not crazy enough, people are coming to faith in Christ left and right precisely BECAUSE he’s doing hard time. They have big time boldness to tell others the Good News precisely BECAUSE the apostle’s behind bars. 

That’s exactly the scene Paul’s describing to his friends back in Philippi. As his teammates in the Gospel, he wants them to know exactly what God is up to in Rome. Despite being in prison for what he believes, that hasn’t stopped Jesus from using His apostle right under the nose of the emperor. He’s just told the Philippians “that what has happened to me has really served to advance the Gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ” (Phil 1:12-13). Paul’s made a habit of writing to various churches to either warn them or correct them. But not the letter to Philippi. The apostle might be in prison but he’s just so full of God’s joy he’s gotta tell somebody. That just happens to be the Philippians. They just won’t believe what’s happening in Rome. People are placing their faith in Jesus and courageously sharing the Gospel because he’s in jail. You probably know folks who drink liquid courage when they go to bars. Not the case here. Christ followers have courage because Paul’s behind bars.

Nearly all of his spiritual brothers and sisters in Rome have apparently come to place their trust in Jesus because Paul is in the big house. Most of them have “become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment” (v14). The apostle describes this confidence using the Greek verb peitho, which means to be convinced, to be persuaded, believe, or assured. Their courage grows faster than the crabgrass in my front yard. But it’s NOT because of Paul. It’s because of what Christ is doing THROUGH Paul. These Roman believers are trusting in what Jesus has done for them that they could never dream of doing for themselves. He’s lived the perfectly obedient life that they’ve failed to live. He’s died the death for their sin that they should have died. He’s risen to a glorious new life that they don’t deserve. They’ve come to follow the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter because He alone wants God’s best for them. His love has convinced them. His mercy has persuaded them. His grace has won them. 

So what sort of goofy stuff is going on in a cellblock of Caesar’s supermax to convince correction officers and convicts to come to Christ? It’s something you just don’t expect to find in a place where hope and happiness go to die. It’s joy. The man from Tarsus has the joy of Jesus. This little letter oozes with it. Every time you turn the page, you read of the joy can only come from above. He prays prayers of joy (Phil 1:3). He rejoices because folks all around him are falling in love with Jesus (Phil 1:18). He knows his readers back in Philippi have a joyful faith (Phil 1:25). He loves the fact that they’re full of joy because they’re unity (Phil 2:2). He’s stoked when these Philippian followers sacrifice joyfully (Phil 2:17-18). He wants them to know the joy of seeing their pastor in the flesh after nearly dying on his prison visit to Rome (Phil 2:28-29). At times he just can’t contain his joy and wants his friends to join in (Phil 3:3; 4:4). He even calls this church as his joy and crown jewels (Phil 4:1). He’s full of joy because their continued concern for him (Phil 4:10). 

It’s this overwhelming and overflowing joy of Jesus that’s sloshing all throughout this particular Roman prison. A few hundred years back, two guys named Ezra and Nehemiah told the citizens of Jerusalem how “the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Neh 8:10). The incredible gladness God gives you and me when He ambushes us with His grace provides an immovable confidence that refuses to be swayed in the nastiest of circumstances. That includes the particular dungeon Paul currently calls home. It’s the joy of the Lord that’s rockin’ the joint. It’s the joy of the Lord that’s changing lives. It’s the joy of the Lord that’s transforming the Roman Empire from the inside out.

This Jesus joy is also having a strange effect on those who have placed their faith in Him. It’s seems they can’t shut up about their Savior. They “are much more bold to speak the word without fear” (v14). By using the Greek word tolmao, Paul lets us know of the courage, bravery, and guts they display in telling others about Jesus. They demonstrate the willingness to step out into potential danger. Getting the word of God out is that important. Remember, it’s the reason the apostle is locked up. But this is a time to step up. It’s a time to speak up. People’s lives are at stake. Their eternities are on the line. 

What makes a follower so gutsy for the Gospel? Jump back about 30 years from the days of Paul’s imprisonment to the very first church in Jerusalem. Their founding pastor Peter is a prime example. One moment he denies even knowing Jesus when confronted by a rough, tough middle school girl (Lk 22:56). Six weeks later he’s not only preaching a sermon that God uses to convert 3,000 people (Acts 2:14-41) but telling religious heavy hitters they murdered their Messiah (Acts 4:8-12). What’s the difference maker? I’m glad you asked. His name is the Holy Spirit. Once the Third Person of the Trinity falls and fills Pete as well as every other believer, they suddenly become the brave and bold. The Spirit-powered courage wasn’t limited to the dude Jesus called Rocky. The entire church was audacious when it came to telling people the Gospel. “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). That’s the very same Spirit who empowers the apostle formerly known as Saul (Acts 9:17-18).

Guess what. That very same Spirit that brought boldness to believers in the Bible is available to you and me, here and now. God gives Him to each and every person who places their trust in His Son (Rom 8:8; Eph 1:13). Let’s face it, if the power of God’s Spirit has the juice to raise Jesus from the dead (Rom 8:11), He’s got the goods to give us the grit to share the Good News. Remember that when we freak out just thinking about it, that fear doesn’t come from God (2Tim 1:7). Something incredible happens when God’s Spirit goes to work among His people. Take the situation in Rome. Followers of Jesus have big time boldness to tell others the Good News precisely BECAUSE the apostle’s behind bars. 

Full Disclosure

And also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the Gospel (Eph 6:19).

When the bailiff swears in a witness to testify in a trial, he asks them if they are willing to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  No half truth.  No shaded truth.  The whole truth.  Nothing but the truth.  It’s absolutely necessary that the witness spill the beans.  There’s a need for full disclosure.  Paul asks the Ephesian church to pray for him.  “And also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the Gospel” (v19).  He realizes that he needs supernatural power in order to make a difference for Christ.  Paul knows the importance of full disclosure.

Paul asks for prayer.  It certainly makes sense that he wants prayer.  He’s in prison for crying out loud!  In the very next verse, he says that he’s “an ambassador in chains” (Eph 6:20).  That’s his way of saying he’s locked up in the joint.  But the apostle doesn’t ask his Ephesian friends to pray for his release.  He doesn’t ask them to pray that he’ll be moved to a better cell.  He doesn’t even ask them to pray that he’ll get better food.  He pleads with them to pray that God will give him courage in telling people about Jesus.  The man from Tarsus sees his incarceration as an opportunity to share the Good News with anyone who will listen.  So he wants boldness.  Godly boldness.  He’s going to leverage his prison bid for Christ.  He sees his stretch in the slammer as a unique privilege to tell prisoners and guards the Gospel.

Do I see every circumstance that way?  When things don’t go my way, do I understand that my situation could actually be a divine appointment?  Has Jesus placed me where I am “for such a time as this?” (Est 4:14)?  Here’s my problem.  All too often, I’m too hung up on myself and my problems to worry about anyone else.  Woe is me.  Or in the words of the great philosopher and theologian Warren Zevon, “Poor, poor, pitiful me.”  Rick Warren is right on target with the opening line of “The Purpose Driven Life.”  “It’s not about you.”  Good or bad, my situation is NOT about me.  Paul understands that.  I’m still not there yet.  I’m still obsessed with me.  It’s like what the self-absorbed dude said.  “Well, that’s enough about me.  What do you think about me?”  Well, enough about me…

Paul wants the Ephesians to ask God to give him the words to say to tell folks about Jesus.  But he’s not looking for slick techniques or clever illustrations.  He wants to be able to speak “boldly” (v19).  This is the Greek word parresia.  It’s a compound word that literally means to speak everything.   Don’t hold anything back.  It’s to speak openly, frankly and freely.  The apostle wants to speak fearlessly in the face of intimidating circumstances.  Courageously.  Confidently.  Publicly.  Without reservation.  With cheerful courage and a joyful sense of freedom.  It’s free speech.  Americans commonly call this exercising our First Amendment rights.  The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Full disclosure.

Just as that’s not the case in most countries around the world, it was certainly not the case in the first century.  Jewish leaders intimidated people to such a point that “no one spoke openly (Gr. parresia)” about Jesus (Jn 7:13).  Later many of these same religious leaders are blown away by “the boldness (Gr. parresia) of Peter and John” as they told about the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter (Acts 4:13).  The writer of Hebrews encourages folks to hang on tight to their courage in living for Christ and the “boldness (Gr. parresia), which has a great reward” (Heb 10:35).

The Gospel was and is a threat to culture.  In the earliest days of the church in Jerusalem, religious leaders were doing everything possible to shut up Jesus’ followers and wipe them off the face of the earth.  As authorities dropped the hammer on the church, believers prayed, “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak Your word with all boldness Gr. parresia)” (Acts 4:29).

Full disclosure.

So what’s this whole truth that Paul so desperately wants to share?  “The mystery of the Gospel” (v19).  Here’s the problem.  We don’t really have an English word that translates the original text very well.  For us, a mystery is something that’s darn near impossible to explain or understand.  But the Greek word musterion describes something just a bit different.  This is a secret that has been revealed or something hidden that has been disclosed.  It used to be a mystery.  It used to be a secret.  Not anymore.  It’s a secret in the past tense.  We now know what’s behind door number three.  God is revealing His amazing goodness to His church.  Jesus told His crew that they were in on this divine breaking news.  “To you it has been given to know the secrets (Gr. musterion) of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given” (Mt 13:11).

Paul’s past tense mystery is the “Gospel” (v19).  The Greek word (Gr. euangelion) simply means good news.  News that makes you happy.  Info that causes you joy.  Words that bring you a smile.  Jesus uses the man from Tarsus to break into programming with the most spectacularly Good News the universe has ever heard.  God’s impossible standard has been met!  Jesus has lived the perfect life that I’ve failed to live.  He died the brutal death for my sin that I should have died.  He rose to a spectacular new life that I certainly don’t deserve.  God sees me as His spotless, sinless Son when I place my trust in Jesus.  He did for me what I could never do for myself.  That’s not just Good News.  That’s GREAT NEWS!!!

But the apostle’s divine assignment has a special focus.  Jesus has handpicked this former Pharisee to reach out to non-Jews (Acts 9:15).  The Jewish Messiah isn’t just for Hebrews anymore.  When Jesus throws open the doors of God’s kingdom to Gentiles, the fecal matter really hit the whirling device.  There were a lot of folks at the home office in Jerusalem who thought that Gentiles must convert to Judaism before they could follow Christ.  After a big confab of church leaders, they decided that if Jesus was saving them who were they to say differently (Acts 15).  

This certainly was very Good News to the folks in Ephesus.  On Paul’s second expedition, he dropped into this massive seaport for three years (Acts 20:31).  Dr. Luke spends an entire chapter of his sequel telling what went down there (Acts 19).  While he started his work there telling Jews about Jesus, synagogue leaders soon gave him the boot.  At that point, he started spreading the Gospel to everyone who would listen.  Jews AND Gentiles.  Earlier in this letter, Paul reminds his readers that Jesus drafted him to be His spokesmen to tell non-Jews the Good News (Eph 3:1-9).

For the apostle to do so took boldness.  That means full disclosure.  No half truth.  The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  For the Good News to be good, the bad news has to be bad.  REALLY bad.  And it is bad.  REALLY bad.  We can’t meet God’s perfect standard.  Not no way.  Not no how.  Not without Jesus anyway.  To tell folks the Good News means telling them the bad news.  That takes boldness.  So Paul asks for prayer to tell folks the whole truth.  He knows that the grace of Jesus is the only real hope.  So he needs boldness.  In the opening portion of his letter to the Romans, the apostle puts his hands on his hips and writes, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (Gr. euangelion), for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16).

Full disclosure.

Am I willing to ask people to pray for my boldness to share the Gospel?