Key Verse: Acts 24:26 “Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him.”

She was just a nice little old lady. She came to our door in Jerusalem, out of breath, and clutching a large notebook and a beat-up tape recorder. She said she wanted to talk to me about Jesus, and “would you mind if I tape our conversation? I’d like to write and article for a Canadian magazine.”

“No problem”, I said, and I even let her use my tape-recorder when hers malfunctioned. We talked about the Lord for two hours.

A month later, a large article appeared in Israel’s leading women’s magazine — alerting Israel to a dangerous new missionary, Jim Cantelon. It was a direct transcript, with a few strategically placed editorial comments included in quotations to make it appear they, too, were my words. The little old lady was in the employ of a large international anti-Christian organization dedicated to getting Christian preachers out of Israel. This was to be the first of several occasions throughout the ensuing years when I would face eager seekers-after-the-Gospel with mixed motives.

In chapters 24 and 25, we see Paul presenting his message to three high ranking Romans: the governor Felix, his successors Porcius Festus, and King Agrippa. These conversations took place, not over the course of a few hours, but two years.

It was Felix who spent the most time talking with Paul. He showed such interest that Paul may have assumed there was a genuine motive behind his questions. But there wasn’t. Luke tells us that his interest was money; Felix hoped to receive a bribe.

There’s a simple lesson here. We shouldn’t be overly impressed with a person’s eagerness to hear the Gospel. We need to be discerning, lest we “cast our pearls before swine”. That quote, by the way, comes from Jesus Himself (Matthew 7:6).

Key Verse: Acts 23:6c “I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead.” (NIV)

Paul’s troubles in Jerusalem continues. Even though he was now in the care of the Roman commander, he still had to face the hostility of the people. This time it was the commander himself who was catalyst to the problem. He “wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews” (22:30a), so he “ordered” the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble and brought Paul and had him stand before them” (v.30b, c).

Paul had no sooner begun his defence than Ananias, the high priest, ordered he be struck on the mouth. Paul reacted angrily (calling Ananias “a whitewashed wall!”), but then he apologized, asserting he didn’t realize that Ananias was the high priest. Then Paul takes a new tack. He knows the Sanhedrin is comprised of two sects, the Sadducees and the Pharisees. One of the major doctrinal disputes between them was the issue of resurrection — the Pharisees believed in it, the Sadducees didn’t. So Paul declares his identity, “I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee”, and goes on to say, “I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead” (23:6). He doesn’t mention Jesus directly. He just highlights resurrection. This divides the court and we see the remarkable disintegration of this respected body into a raging mob which might have dismembered Paul if the commander had not stepped in to protect him.

Chapter 23 continues with an account of a conspiracy to kill Paul, his safe transfer to Antipatris by night, and his ultimate imprisonment in Caesarea where he was to be tried before the governor Felix. Once again, his chief protector was Lysias, the Roman commander. The Lord used this Roman to ensure the apostle’s safety and the proclamation of this message to “higher” courts, both Jewish and Gentile. Paul was now about to present the Gospel to the upper echelons of the Roman world.

Key Verse: Acts 21:28 “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled the holy place.”

Have you been feeling sorry for yourself lately? Are your friends (the ones who should know better) misunderstanding you? Your enemies misrepresenting you? People taking you totally the wrong way — some even wanting to harm you? Are you fed up with the mixed signals, the lies, and the anger of everybody around you? Do your need someone out there who will at least empathize with your victimization? Well , read on…

If anyone had legitimate cause to feel victimized, it was the apostle Paul. First, there was the misunderstanding of his friends. He had just returned from years of missionary journeys and the least you’d expect would be that his friends and superiors in Jerusalem would commend him on his work and maybe hold an appreciation dinner or something. But what did they do? They told him to join four men in a Nazarite vow and pay their expenses to boot, just so the “friends” in Jerusalem would not believe the rumours that he had turned his back on the law of Moses. In a sense, they were demanding that Paul do something wise politically — and Paul, for whatever reason, went along with the plan (maybe it fit his “all things to all men” philosophy). But I’m sure he felt miffed.

Then, to add insult to injury, his enemies capitalized on Paul’s perceived “taintedness” in the eyes of his friends by telling all Jerusalem that he had not only turned his back on the law of Moses, but was teaching all men everywhere to do so. “He’s teaching against our law, against our nation, and even, God forbid, against the temple!” This blatant lie really got the people stirred up — in fact they stirred up the city, literally, “throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air” (22:23).

Nevertheless, Paul might have had some sense of satisfaction in knowing that at least he was being persecuted for Christ. “At least they know who I am. I’m a victim for the Gospel.” Well, if he was thinking this way, you can be sure that bubble burst when the Roman commander, who was trying to save Paul from the mob, looked him full in the face and said, “Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the desert some time ago?” (21:38). That had to be the final straw! Even his identity was besmirched. So much for a sense of recognition!

“Nobody loves me. Everybody hates me. And they don’t even know who I am! I’m going out to eat worms.” That’s what you or I might say. Not Paul. He takes his lumps, stands before the mob, and preaches Jesus. so much for self-pity!

Key Verse: Acts 20:9a “And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep.”

Did you hear the story about the young Dutch boy whose family had just emigrated to America? The only church in their town was a vigorous, outgoing little community of committed believers who had an equally energetic pastor. When he preached, he use to wave his arms, full-length, and take large draughts from a pitcher of water place to one side of the pulpit. The first Sunday the new Dutch family was in attendance, the pastor was especially animated — shouting, drinking water, and waving his arms. Afterwards, the young Dutch boy’s father asked him what he thought of the pastor. “Well”, responded the boy thoughtfully, “it’s the first time I’ve seen a windmill that runs on water!”

Preachers are human too. Even the apostle Paul tended to get long-winded, talking “on and on” (20:9 NIV). In fact, he “kept on talking until midnight” (v.7), and one of his congregation in Troas, a young man named Eutychus, couldn’t take it; he fell fast asleep.

Unfortunately, he was in the worst possible place to be falling into a deep sleep — a second storey window! And he fell into deep trouble. He was picked up from the ground, dead. This, of course, provided a hasty and untoward end to Paul’s sermon. He rushed down to the striken boy, embraced his inert body, and then surprisingly declared, “Don’t be alarmed, he’s alive!”, much to the relief of the crowd. As for Paul, he went back upstairs, had a bite to eat, and continued “talking until daylight”. All night! What a preacher, and what a congregation! I wonder how many others fell asleep that night, staying well away from the windows?

There’s a Paul, in every preacher and a Eutychus in every church member, so don’t be too hard on your pastor when he goes a little long in his sermon once in a while. And we preachers will understand if you nod off. Just don’t do what one chronic sleeper in one of my congregations used to do after sleeping through my sermons. He’d greet me blearily at the door as he left, and say with firm conviction, “Marvellous sermon, Pastor. Marvellous.”

Key Verse: Acts 18:28 “For he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.”

Paul’s second missionary journey begins in Acts 15:36 and his third in 18:23. It’s difficult remembering all the towns and cities he visited. But it’s not so tough to remember that his ministry focused mainly on what is now Western Turkey and Greece. Antioch was his “gentile” home base, Jerusalem his Jewish. Nor is it difficult to remember that, although Paul ministered mainly in the gentile world, he usually went first to the synagogues to reason, refute, and debate with his own people the messianic nature if Jesus’ person and ministry.

Indeed, as the key verse says, he was vigorous about it. And, whereas he could have been vigorous in telling his personal story of conversion, he chose in most instances to emphasize and interpret the Scriptures. The subjective gave way to the objective.

We’ve all heard the old adage, “A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument”. That may be true — in terms of winning an argument. But it’s not necessarily true in terms of convincing someone to change his mind. You’ve got to sell more than the sizzle, you’ve got to sell the steak. What’s more, the buyer has got to eat the steak!

The question is, “What is the substance of my faith? Regardless of my feelings of faith, what is the content of faith? Will this Jesus of Nazareth be magnified, or merely my experience of Him?” To properly present the Gospel, we’ve got to not only know Him, we’ve got to know about Him. That kind of knowledge comes only one way — through the Scriptures.

Key Verse: Acts 16:30 “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

There aren’t many places in Acts where Luke includes himself in the narrative, but here’s one occasion when he does. “Once when we were going to the place of prayer,” he recounts, “we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling” (v.16). He goes on to say the this girl, “followed Paul and the rest of us shouting, ‘These men are servants of the most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved!'” Strange isn’t it? An evil spirit making such a clear proclamation of the apostles’ purpose — but then, maybe we shouldn’t be surprised. The gospels include many accounts of evils spirits testifying loudly to the deity and purpose of Jesus. They live in the spirit realm — they know exactly who Jesus is, and, as James tells us, they “tremble” (James 2:19).

The girl kept at it for “many days” until Paul had had enough. “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” He commanded the spirit (v.18) and the spirit obeyed, and the girl’s owners became very angry: their source of income had fled. So they stirred up the people and the authorities, with the result that Paul and Silas were thrown into jail.

As Paul and Silas sat on the floor of an inner cell, their feet fastened in stocks and their backs torn by a flogging, they prayed “and sang hymns to God: (v.25). Suddenly a violent earthquake shook the prison and all the prisoners’ chains came loose even as the prison doors flew open. The jailor, prepared to commit suicide, heard Paul’s voice over the uproar, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” (v.28). And trembling, the jailor rushed in and uttered that universal cry, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

The spirit-possessed girl had broadcast the message to the whole city that Paul and his friends had come to show the way of salvation. It would appear the jailor had heard the broadcast. Now he asked the question and Paul gave the answer: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved — you and your household” (v.31). The jailor believed, and he and his family were baptized that very night.

Key Verse: Acts 14:15 “…We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these vain things to the living God…”

Perhaps you’ve noticed that people whom God has gifted with a genuine ministry of “signs and wonders” are generally pretty self-effacing about it. They keep saying things like, “I didn’t do this, God did…” or, “this is God’s doing, I’m just an instrument in His hand…” You might think it’s wonderful to have such gifts. Think again.

It’s a burden to be gifted in this way. Why? Because someone who genuinely knows the Lord and recognizes the source of his or her “power” is someone who finds the adulation and “groupie-ism” of miracle-seekers to be a great liability and offense. Offense? Yes, because miracle-workers are not looking for miracle-seekers. They’re looking for God-seekers, and have no wish to be cast as deities themselves.

Paul and Barnabas had an encounter with adding fans in Lystra. The crows was so impressed with Paul’s healing of the man born crippled that they cried, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” (14:11). They said Barnabas was Zeus and Paul, Hermes (maybe they gave Barnabas the greater stature because he was the quieter of the two). And they “brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because…the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them” (v.13). Paul and Barnabas were distraught, so much so that they tore their clothes in grief and protest. “Why are you doing this?” they cried. “We too are only men, human like you. Then they went on to explain their mission.

“We are bringing you good news,” they said, “telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them” (v.15 NIV). “We’re not gods, we’re messengers. Servants. That’s all we are!” Don’t focus on the messenger but on the message: the “good news” that Jesus has come to give us life.

Key Verse: Acts 13:32,33a “And we declare to you glad tidings — the promise which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus.”

Paul made three missionary journeys. In this chapter we see him travelling from Antioch to Derbe and back, by way of Seleucia, Cyprus, Attalia, Perga, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra.

The Antioch church had a remarkable group of people prophesying and teaching. Men like Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen (a one-time friend of the Tetrarch, Herod), and Saul. During a prayer time, the Holy Spirit instructed them to ordain Barnabas and Saul to an apostolic (missionary) ministry. so they laid their hands on them in prayer and “sent them off” (13:3).

Saul (“who was also called Paul” v.9) and Barnabas usually went first to the synagogue in the towns and cities they visited. There Paul would “proclaim the word of God” and reason with his fellow-Jews to demonstrate that Jesus was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies (I think our best insight into Paul’s “reasonings” might be gained from reading Romans 9,10,11). In this chapter, Paul speaks at synagogues in Salami, and later on, in Pisidian Antioch.

When you read Paul’s sermon to the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, you see his remarkable ability with the messianic passages in the Old Testament. He speaks to his own people out of their scriptures about their Messiah. And there’s no question, as Paul sees it, this Jesus whom he had so adamantly opposed is the fulfillment of the promise God had made to “our Fathers” (v.32). Not only that, but Jesus has the power to do what the Law of Moses cannot do (v.39) — that is “justify” or satisfy the justice of God which demands death for sin. Paul presents Jesus with such conviction and enthusiasm that, not surprisingly, he polarizes his hearers, indeed whole cities. Pisidian Antioch is in an uproar. And as Paul sees their opposition, he openly declares his intention to take the gospel to the Gentiles (v.46)

Key Verse: Acts 12:15 “You’re out of your mind’, they told her.” (NIV)

Imagine that your local church suddenly came under intense persecution. The laws of the land had changed.
Whereas once it had been legal to worship God, now suddenly, anyone caught worshipping God was thrown into prison. The obvious target for the authorities was pastors. Yesterday they imprisoned your pastor. So they church board called an all-night prayer meeting. Because it was dangerous to use the church building, they asked if it might be held at your house. You agreed. Tonight your house is full of scared, concerned, praying brothers and sisters.

The prayers are very intense. Person after person calls on God for deliverance for your imprisoned pastor. “Shake the prisons, Lord! Send your angels, Lord! Deliver us all from evil, Lord!” Between prayers, people testify, prophesy, and encourage one another. “The Lord wills this for good, even though Satan has meant it for evil,” one says. “God’s word can never be bound”, says another. “Our paster will be freed,” someone else says. And, as you quietly begin to sing, “O God our help in ages past”, there’s a knock at the door. Everyone freezes. Have we been too loud? Are the authorities at the door?

You go to the door and cautiously look through the peephole. It can’t be! It’s the pastor? No! But yes! it is! It’s the pastor at the door! Without opening the door you run back to the frightened group in the family room. “It’s the pastor!” you cry, “The pastor is at the door!” They look at you blankly, “You’re crazy”, someone says. “Sure, we were praying for his release, but no one really expected it”, your spouse admits honestly. “It must be his ghost”, one of the more superstitious members whispers.

There’s a knock again. This time you open the door and to everyone’s astonishment, in the pastor walks, free and in the flesh. God has answered your prayer.

Or has He? Sometimes when we pray expectantly we get “no” for an answer. Other times when we pray unexpectantly we get “yes” for an answer. And then there’s always that unsatisfactory answer, “wait”. How can we get God to always say “yes”?

We can’t. Regardless of those who think they’ve got God cased — with the irresistible prayer ritual or the most appealing praise formula–God will not be cornered into fulfilling our agenda. He has an agenda too. And being the all-knowing, all-powerful, Sovereign that He is, His will ultimately is done.

Peter was freed from prison by an angel. Rhoda wasn’t crazy. And once again, God answered prayer.

Key Verse: Acts 10:34b, 35 “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. but in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.”

The first major social controversy in the early church concerned the equal distribution of assistance to both Greek and Hebrew-speaking widows (ch.6). The first major leadership controversy dealt with the acceptance of Saul of Tarsus as a fellow preacher. The first major theological controversy was, perhaps, the first crisis of magnitude.

The issue, simply stated, related to the preaching of a Jewish gospel, by Jewish preachers, of a Jewish Messiah, to Gentiles. What was the point? Weren’t the unwashed Gentiles beyond the reach of Grace?

Complicating the issue was a long tradition of separation. The Hebrews were steeped in cleanliness laws (just read Leviticus!) and keenly tuned to the clean/unclean division in the world. Some, of course, were more “kosher” than others, but it went without saying that a Jew never ate with a Gentile. Preaching to Gentiles would entail fellowship and communion–sharing the table. To them this was repugnant!

That’s why the Lord had to drop that  sheet of unclean animals into Peter’s vision (10:9-23). There was no way Peter ever would have gone to Cornelius’ house otherwise. The Jerusalem Council’s view of the parameters of the gospel message had to be stretched, and who better to be the spark than Peter himself. After this event, even Saul of Tarsus looked a bit better–part of the suspicion surrounding him had been his untoward openness to preaching to Gentiles.

Nevertheless, Peter had a lot of explaining to do (see ch.11), but in the end, the apostles accepted the revealed message: God accepts people from every nation. All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Key Verse: Acts 9:27 “But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles…”

I remember, as a schoolboy in Saskatchewan, learning to sing, “Home on the Range”:

“Home, home on the range.
Where the deer and the antelope play,
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day.”

Have you heard any “discouraging words” lately? Sometimes those words come non-verbally from the circumstances you face. Sometimes they’re the well-meaning but unnecessary comments from a friend. Other times they are self-accusing views from the depths of your own pool of poor self-esteem. But whatever their source, discouraging words are never welcome. We’d all rather choose to hear encouraging words.

In the barrage of insults, anger, and open hostility facing the early church, there was great need for an encouraging word now and then. Enter a Cypriot named Joseph, the personification of encouragement In fact, the apostles called him “Barnabas” (which means “Son of Encouragement” 4:36). He was an outstanding player in the early drama of the Christian church.

He not only helped get the fledgling church on its feet financially (4:37), but he was an encouragement in several other ways. The most valuable thing he did, however, was champion the cause of that volatile and “dangerous” convert, Saul of Tarsus.

Just after his Damascus-road experience, Saul went to Jerusalem to join the disciples. Predictably, they wanted nothing to do with him. After all, he was “public enemy number one” as far as the church was concerned. There was understandable suspicion about the sincerity of his alleged conversion. Barnabas, however, believed in Saul. He put his own good reputation on the line and vouched for him before the Jerusalem leadership. He had a discerning spirit and a willingness to act on what his heart told him about raw material A few years later, by now a companion of “the apostle Paul”, he did the same for young, untried man called “John Mark” (even if it meant separating from Paul’s missionary travels — 15:36-39).

Think of it. If it hadn’t been for Barnabas, we wouldn’t have the Gospel of Mark, nor the writings of St. Paul. It’s amazing what an encouraging word can do!

Key Verse: Acts 6:2b, 4 “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables…but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word!”

It never seems to fail. Get a bunch of people organized into some sort of group and, before you know it, you’ve got dispute and division. The early church was just a few months (perhaps even weeks) old when the Greek-speaking Jewish believers (Hellenists) became upset because they thought they were being discriminated against. They complained that the Hebrew-speaking widows were getting all the attention in the daily administration of social assistance. “It’s not fair” I can hear them cry, “We want justice!” Maybe they even threatened to start a new church, “for Greek speakers only”. Whatever the case may have been, the apostles had to resolve the issue. Heretofore they’d had no mechanism for such a resolution, so they made a decision.

They decided to choose seven men to take the administrative responsibilities of the newly developing church. The apostles did so in order that their prayer and preaching focus might not be eroded. They would pray and preach while the administrators served. In this way the dispute would be settled and the potential for future division would be diminished.

Miracles, wonders, preaching, and teaching had to be supported with a dynamic, administrative infrastructure. Dynamic, not only in terms of flexibility and adaptability, but also in terms of the administrators themselves.

Stephen is a case in point. Luke tells us he was “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (6:5a). He was a powerful preacher as well as an able administrator (a rare combination!) and, as we see in chapter 7, he became the church’s first martyr.

If you’re nominated to your church’s board of deacons, don’t see it as a minor role. You’ll be a peacemaker, and administrator, perhaps even a preacher. Hopefully never a martyr!