Christ Church

The Holy Spirit Leads, Rebukes, & Saves (The Continuing Adventures of Jesus #20)
Christ Church on October 1, 2023
Read Full Article

Angels and a Prison Break (The Continuing Adventures of Jesus #19) (King’s Cross)

Christ Church on

INTRODUCTION

When we began this series, we said that Acts is the continuing adventures of Jesus, that Acts is a book of action and adventure driven by the Spirit of God, and here we see that point in high relief. Walking with God is the greatest adventure.

The Text: “Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword” (Acts 12:1-25).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

After killing James (one of the sons of thunder), Herod arrested Peter and put him under close guard, intending to put him to death after Easter (Passover) (Acts 12:1-4). The whole church was praying to God for Peter, and if this is referring to the Jewish Passover, and if Herod was planning to kill Peter the very next day, then that “same night” would be the Saturday of our Christian Easter, the day Jesus rose from the dead (Acts 12:5-6).

Guarded by four soldiers and chains, an angel of the Lord appeared in the prison, struck Peter on the side (presumably to wake him up), and the chains fell from his hands and following the angel’s instructions, he was led out of the prison, with the iron gate of the city opening by itself (Acts 12:7-10). Thinking it was a vision, when Peter was fully awake, he realized he had been delivered from Herod and the Jews and went to one of the houses where he knew they would be praying (Acts 12:11-12). Knocking at the gate, a young lady named Rhoda recognized Peter’s voice and told the disciples but they didn’t believe her, saying it was merely Peter’s angel (Acts 12:13-15). After knocking some more, they finally opened the door, were astonished, and heard his story, before he disappeared, and the next day there was a fierce commotion at the prison (Acts 12:16-19). 

This episode closes with pagan politics, manipulation and flattery among the people of Tyre and Sidon, which ends with the people calling Herod a god and the angel of the Lord shows up once more to strike him with worms that kill him (Acts 12:20-23). And the word of God continued to multiply and Saul and Barnabas returned to Antioch with John Mark (Acts 12:24-25).

A BRIEF THEOLOGY OF ANGELS

God may have created angels when He said let there be light, or since there is a close connection between stars and angels in Scripture (Jdg. 5:20, Lk. 2:13), maybe they were made on the fourth day with the other heavenly lights, but regardless, they sang for joy as God created the world (Job 38:7). 

Cherubim are sphinx-like creatures, having some sort of beastly body with different faces (lion, eagle, ox, man), having arms like men and large wings (Ez. 1, 10). They guarded the entrance of the garden (Gen. 3:24) and their carved forms were over the Ark of the Covenant (Ex. 37:7). 

Seraphim are dragon-like creatures with six wings and famously cleansed Isaiah’s mouth with a burning coal (Is. 6), and their name means “burning ones.” In Numbers 21, God sent “fiery serpents” (literally “seraphim serpents”) to bite the people and many died. When the people pray for deliverance, God instructs Moses to make a bronze “seraph” and pierce it on a pole, and all who look upon it are healed (Num. 21:7-9).  

The only other kind of angels appear as shining men (e.g. Gabriel, Michael, armies), and the “Angel of the Lord” is God Himself, the second person of the Trinity (e.g. Gen. 18, 32:24ff, Ex. 3:2ff, Josh. 5:13, Dan. 3:25). The angels of God are described as being “ministers of flame” (Ps. 104:4) whom God gives assignments to guard and protect His people (Ps. 91, sometimes incognito, e.g. Heb. 13:2), particularly the weak and vulnerable (Gen. 16, Mt. 18:10). The Bible also describes the spirits of people as having a similar appearance to their bodies (e.g. Samuel, 1 Sam. 28:14). And it may be that this is what the disciples are referring to when they heard Rhoda’s report that Peter is at the door. 

SUPERNATURAL WORLD

Related to the fact that angels really do exist: we live in a magical world. God created the world in six days by His spoken word, and He upholds all things by the word of His power (Gen. 1, Heb. 1). This means we live in God’s personal world, not an impersonal machine. This doesn’t negate the ordinary order of creation, but sometimes God suspends His usual patterns and donkeys talk, men ride into heaven in fiery whirlwinds, the sun stands still, men survive fiery furnaces, a man may walk on water, and sometimes chains fall apart and gates open by themselves, and men are supernaturally struck with worms (Acts 12:7, 23).

CONCLUSION: DELIVERED OUT OF THEM ALL

According to tradition, Peter was eventually crucified upside down in Rome under Nero, but here he disappears from the pages of Scripture a wanted man, with his letters as the only other evidence of his ongoing ministry. But Peter is clearly presented here as a type of the resurrection life that all believers are promised in Christ: sealed and guarded in a prison as good as a tomb, struck on the side, and broken out by God’s miraculous power. As Paul says at the end of his life: “Persecutions I endured, but out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution… And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom…” (2 Tim. 3:11-12, 4:17).

Stories disciple our imaginations and faith. Immerse yourself in the stories of the Bible but also stories that stoke biblical imagination: Dante (Divine Comedy), Edmund Spenser (Fairy Queen), John Bunyan (Pilgrim’s Progress), C.S. Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia, Ransom Trilogy), J.R.R. Tolkien (The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings), John Buchan (Richard Hannay series), P.G. Wodehouse, N.D. Wilson, etc. 

By faith, we conquer armies and endure great hardships (Heb. 11). Some are murdered by the sword; others are delivered from the sword. Some go to glory devoured by lions; some tame them. Jesus has the keys to death and Hades (Rev. 1) and His angels guard our every step (Ps. 91). He is the captain of the Lord’s Hosts, and this is how the Church and the Kingdom grow (Acts 12:24). Walking in the light is walking with God and His angels. And all will be well.  

Read Full Article

The King’s People (The Continuing Adventures of Jesus #18) (King’s Cross)

Christ Church on

INTRODUCTION

After the resurrection, Jesus said that since all authority had been given to Him, the apostles were to “therefore, go” disciple all the nations of the world. The center and most essential point of this mission is the regeneration of individual hearts. But the Bible teaches that this ordinarily happens through public and private, national and individual, external and internal means, all of which is not neat and tidy. The story of Peter and Cornelius demonstrates this, as does the controversy following. Jesus is at work by His Spirit ruling through the challenges and opportunities of making a new people and saving the nations of the world. 

The Text: “And the apostles and brethren that were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him…” (Acts 11:1-30). 

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Those Jewish believers who thought that Gentiles must be circumcised to fully join the people of God contended with Peter when he came back to Jerusalem, questioning him specifically about eating with Cornelius (Acts 11:1-3). Peter responded by retelling the story of his vision of the animals in the sheet, and God’s instruction not to call them common or unclean (Acts 11:4-10). Then Peter recalls the Spirit’s instructions to go with the men from Cornelius, and Cornelius’s own testimony of the angel’s instructions to call for Peter, to learn how his household might be saved (Acts 11:11-14). Peter said he just started preaching when the Spirit fell upon them, and he recalled Jesus promising the baptism of the Holy Spirit and concluded it was from God – and the Jewish believers agreed and glorified God (Acts 11:15-18).

Meanwhile, when the believers had been scattered after the death of Stephen, some landed in Antioch, and many Jews and Gentiles believed (Acts 11:19-21). So the church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to encourage them, who did so, and who then also invited Saul to join him in that work (Acts 11:22-26). It was there in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians, and it was in those days that the Spirit indicated that there would be a severe famine and so an offering was collected for the saints and delivered by Saul and Barnabas (Acts 11:27-30). 

FIRST CALLED CHRISTIANS IN ANTIOCH

Beginning with the contention of the Jewish believers “of the circumcision” and Peter’s explanation of what happened with Cornelius and then continuing north, in Antioch, both Jews and Gentiles were turning to the Lord, and they were all coming to be called “Christians” (Acts 11:26). This new name highlights the Jewish roots but also the new people being formed. The word “Christ” means “anointed” and could also be translated as Messiah or King. So to be “Christian” is to be associated with the King, or the King’s people. The word “Christian” is only used two other places in the New Testament: when King Agrippa says that Paul almost persuaded him to become a Christian (Acts 26:28) and when Peter encourages believers not to be ashamed if they suffer as Christians (1 Pet. 4:16). 

OUTWARD & INWARD

The thing to notice is that in all three instances, the name is an objective, public title. It was not used in the first instance as an exact description of those going to heaven. And this corresponds to how the name Israelite/Jew also functioned. The objective, public sense of the name referred to all who were covenantally connected to the family of Abraham through circumcision, but that outward sign was always meant to be a call to believe in the promises of God and so be circumcised in the heart (Dt. 10:16, 30:6, Jer. 4:4). A true Jew is one who is circumcised in his heart (Rom. 2:29); so not all Israelites were really Israelites (Rom. 9:6). In the same way, we might say, not all Christians are really Christians, and a true Christian is one whose heart is baptized. In Romans 3, Paul immediately asks, then what advantage is the outward, covenantal connection, and he says: “much in every way” because God is still faithful and works through His public people, even if some do not believe (Rom. 3:1-4). Christ rules through His covenant. 

APPLICATIONS

The New Covenant is better than the Old Covenant in quality (fullness of Christ), quantity (fullness of forgiveness and the Spirit), and extent (for the whole world) (Heb. 8-10). But the New Covenant is not made out of stainless steel. Jesus says He is a vine, and we are the branches (Jn. 15). Likewise, the covenant is an Olive Tree, which unbelieving Israel has been cut out of and Gentiles have been grafted into (Rom. 11). Old Israel had baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and Christ in the wilderness, but they lusted for evil things, served idols, and complained – and the Spirit wrote those things as warnings for us (1 Cor. 10:1-11).

A married man who commits serial adultery is not at all acting as a husband, but he is a husband by covenant – that’s what makes his crime so hideous. Likewise, we live in a land full of baptized unbelievers or unbelieving covenant Christians, which is what makes our situation far worse. Many have trampled the blood of the covenant (Heb. 10:29 cf. 2 Pet. 2:20-21). 

Matthew Henry’s father is remembered as saying that whenever his children misbehaved, he would “grab them by their baptism.” The point is that in baptism God says something objectively about us, putting His name on us, and that covenantal reality must be part of our appeal to our children, one another, other churches, and many of our neighbors. When Israel was worshipping idols and committing abominations, they were still God’s people and that only made it worse. We do not confuse the covenantal and eternal realities: John (and other ministers) baptize with covenantal water, but Jesus is the only One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit who seals us forever (Lk. 3:16, Acts 11:16). And His fruit is unmistakable (Gal. 5). 

It was hard for faithful Jews to accept Gentiles as full members of the covenant (e.g. Lk. 15:28, Jonah, Habakkuk), and it is often easy to resent how God works in the covenant, with believers and unbelievers, strong and weak, wise and foolish, even heroes and scoundrels. There are plenty of opportunities for envy, resentment, bitterness, or despair. But notice how Barnabas was glad and served the new Christians in Antioch and then promoted Saul (Acts 11:23-26). And notice how the new Christians in Antioch gave freely to the needs in Jerusalem (Acts 11:27-30). Our job is not to sort it all out (Mt. 13). This is the King’s mission. He rules. We obey and glorify Him as we see Him work. We are the King’s people. We are Christians.

Read Full Article

He is Lord of All (The Continuing Adventures of Jesus #17) (King’s Cross)

Christ Church on

INTRODUCTION

One of the great lies of the Devil, embraced by modernity, is the inevitability of history – that time is like a stream, and you can’t stop it, you can’t reverse it, and everything that has come before is rushing down upon us. We see this in the victim-mentality of many: blaming childhood, parents, income level, minority status, abuse, addictions, or their oppressors, their governments, their bosses, or their persecutors.

But the Bible reveals to us a God who is before and outside of time and therefore not bound by time. He is Lord of time. And while there are many patterns and repeated themes (so learning from history is valuable), there is also true innovation, creativity, Reformation, and repentance (so freedom, responsibility, and surprising change are also possible). One of the great twists in human history was the gospel going to Gentile nations directly, tearing down the middle wall of separation between Jew and Gentile, destroying the enmity, and sanctifying them that they may all come to God in worship directly through faith and repentance in Jesus Christ. 

The Text: “Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come? …” (Acts 10:21-48).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Having seen the vision, Peter went down and went with the men sent by Cornelius and came to his house where he had gathered many friends and family (Acts 10:21-24). Cornelius greeted Peter with great honor, but falling down at his feet in worship was not appropriate because as Peter insisted, he was a mere man (Acts 10:25-26). As they talked, Peter explained that it was not lawful for Jews to have close fellowship with Gentiles, but God had revealed to him not to call any man common or unclean – so he asked the purpose for his summons (Acts 10:27-29). Cornelius repeated the story of the vision and said that they had all gathered to hear what God commanded Peter (Acts 10:30-33). 

Peter begins preaching with the declaration that God is no “respecter of persons” and accepts all who fear and obey Him through the peace of Jesus Christ – the Lord of all (Acts 10:34-36). Peter traces the word they have heard from the baptism of John to His crucifixion and resurrection and the commissioning of the apostles as His official witnesses (Acts 10:37-41). They were ordered to declare that Jesus is the judge of the living and the dead, and just as all the prophets had testified, there is remission of sins by faith in Him (Acts 10:42-43). At this, the Holy Spirit came upon them all, causing them to begin speaking in different languages, magnifying God, and Peter called for water that they might be baptized (Acts 10:44-48). 

GOD SPEAKS THROUGH MEN

It’s worth pointing out that God prefers this method of communicating, which if you think about it, seems a lot more complicated and elaborate than we might think is necessary. Why not just have the angel tell Cornelius about Jesus? Instead, we have this lengthy process of visions, messengers, and discussion leading up to the message of the gospel, the gift of the Spirit, and finally, baptism. 

And God often works this way in our lives. The reason is that God delights in the story. He delights in the process, the tension, the time it takes because we learn to see more of His wisdom and power, and we have more to praise Him for. 

THE WORD & THE SPIRIT

While Cornelius misunderstood how to greet Peter, He was not wrong that by Peter’s presence, they were in the presence of God (Acts 10:33). When two or three gather in the name of Jesus, He is with them (Mt. 18:20). When the Word of God is proclaimed, God Himself is speaking (Rom. 10:14, 1 Thess. 2:13). And this is the way of the Spirit. The Spirit is often associated with time and creation: the Spirit hovered over the waters at creation, filled the artisans with wisdom to construct the tabernacle, and is given to believers to know God, know themselves, and know what they should do – so that they may grow in holiness. While God is free to give His Spirit as He pleases, the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God (Heb. 4:12). God delights in the process of reading, hearing, singing, preaching, and discussing His Word, and it is by that process that the Spirit falls.   

What does our land need? It desperately needs the Word of God, the word of peace to interrupt our spell, our curse, and turn us back to the living God. But the glorious thing is that it is right here – it’s right in front of us, if we only we listen, believe, and obey. 

CONCLUSION: ORDAINED JUDGE & REDEEMER

For Jesus to be the Judge of the Living and the Dead is for Him to be Lord of all time (Acts 10:42, Rev. 1:11). He is Lord of history. All of history answers to Him. But this means that we have an access point outside of History to change history. We are not trapped in the machinery of history, or at the mercy of the machinations of evil men or even our own past sin. Jesus is Lord over all. 

On the one hand, if there is a Judge over all, then there will be justice for all, and that justice will apply to us as well. But if there is a Judge who has access to the past, there is a possibility of mercy in the present. In fact, there is more than a possibility. The Judge Himself was crucified in the most cruel and cursed way by wicked men, and God raised Him from the dead, so that through His name, all who believe in Him may have their sins forgiven (Acts 10:39-40). And notice that: what men did in history, God overturned in history. 

And so this is the message for all men, all nations: You cannot have this redemption apart from this Judge. But if you come before the Judge in true humility, you will see the scars in His hands and you will hear the glorious words: completely forgiven. This is true for every individual, every family, every city. This is true for every nation, even ours: Come to the Judge and be forgiven. 

Read Full Article

Honesty, Cheating, & Lies (Workbench of Practical Christianity) (King’s Cross)

Christ Church on

INTRODUCTION

Satan is the “father of lies,” and this why those under his sway speak lies and murder with their words and deeds (Jn. 8:44). This is also why Christians are frequently attacked here by the Devil, just like the woman in the Garden in the beginning. The fundamental lie is about the goodness of God and His Word. But if we repudiate that lie, we will hate all other lies and love the truth. 

The Text: “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members of one another” (Eph. 4:25). 

WSC Q. 77 What is required in the Ninth Commandment? The ninth commandment requireth the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man, and of our own and our neighbors’ good name, especially in witness-bearing.

WSC Q. 78 What is forbidden in the ninth commandment? The ninth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudicial to truth, or injurious to our own or our neighbor’s good name. 

Heidelberg. Q 112 What is required in the ninth commandment? That I do not bear false witness against anyone, twist anyone’s words, be a gossip or a slanderer, or condemn anyone lightly without a hearing. Rather I am required to avoid, under penalty of God’s wrath, all lying and deceit as the works of the devil himself. In judicial and all other matters I am to love the truth, and to speak and confess it honestly. Indeed, insofar as I am able, I am to defend and promote my neighbor’s good name.

INTENTIONS & CONTEXT MATTERS

Whenever we come to this subject there are Christians with overly tender consciences tempted to think that if they told someone it was raining outside one time (because they thought it was) and then they went outside and it wasn’t, they’ve lied. But we really do need to make distinctions between lying and being mistaken (which we should be ready and willing to correct as necessary), as well as the difference between intending to deceive (lying) and intending to give the necessary information. Related, context and relationships matter: you do not owe strangers the same amount of information as you do your parents or spouse. “A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims folly” (Prov. 12:23). Your conscience should not ordinarily be troubled if you did not read all of the fine print of the user agreement, and you clicked “I have read and understand…” The intentions of everyone involved is to communicate that you are liable for certain standards, and you understand that. 

CHEATING

Cheating is actually a form of stealing and lying. In school settings, you are passing yourself or your work off as an accurate representation. But if you copied the answers from an answer key, looked over a classmate’s shoulder, or told your teacher you finished the reading that you didn’t really finish, then you are lying and attempting to get credit, praise, and promotion that you don’t deserve. In work settings, cheating may consist of lying about your work or work hours, or you may lie by breaking your word, your contracts, or your promises. There are many warnings in Scripture about making vows/promises, and here we should be particularly careful about promising to do things that we really aren’t sure we can fulfill, including to our own family. The righteous man “swears to his own hurt and does not change” (Ps. 15:4). 

FLATTERY VS. ETIQUETTE

Sometimes empty promises are a form of flattery, which is another form of lying and cheating. It is attempting to win respect/friendship through false complements, empty promises, or ignoring real problems. Speaking the truth to one another, as members of one another, means that we must love our neighbor as ourselves, not using others for what they can do for you. And here, we should make a distinction between good etiquette and flattery. Thanking someone for dinner need not mean it was your favorite meal ever, and again, it is kindness not to say everything that comes into your head and love covers a multitude of sins (1 Pet. 4:8). But this must not be an excuse for not addressing sin or addressing weakness or ignorance (Gal. 6:1). 

RASH JUDGEMENTS/GOSSIP/SLANDER

While the ninth commandment certainly applies to judicial situations, this also includes the court of public opinion. The Bible teaches that a good name is worth more than great riches (Prov. 22:1), and the duty of honesty requires the protection of our own name as well as the good name and reputation of our neighbors. This means we must be very reluctant to receive negative reports about our neighbors’ marriage, parents, kids, business dealings, or even those of our enemies. Of course this does not prohibit seeking help from those who can actually provide it, and this does not prohibit giving feedback on public matters like quality of work. 

SELF-ACCUSATION

Thomas Vincent points out that the prohibition against lying includes to and about ourselves: “in accusing ourselves in that wherein we are not guilty, and denying the gifts and graces which God hath given us, endeavoring to lessen our esteem, that thereby we might be numbered amongst those from whom we are through grace redeemed.” This also includes “unnecessary and imprudent discovery of all real infirmities, unto the scorn of the wicked and ungodly.”

Satan is the father of lies and the accuser, and he loves to accuse sinners with real and false accusations. The answer to every accusation is the cross of Christ, whereby we have been crucified with Christ and all of our sins completely paid for (Gal. 2:20). We must not listen to or give any credence to lies that say otherwise. If God says you are forgiven, and you have confessed to anyone you have sinned against, then do not give lies the time of day. 

CONCLUSION: HONESTY & AUTHORITY/TESTIMONY

Jesus Christ is the authoritative Truth made flesh. He is the true Word of God, and by His death and resurrection, He has been given the name that is above every name. In Him, we have that honest name and therefore, our good name reflects His good name. We should want our reputations in the community to be something like “honest as a kirker.”

If Christians have lost a great deal of authority in our modern world, we should look nowhere else but here: we rejected God’s true and authoritative word for many lies, and in turn, we have told and embraced many lies. But God’s Word is the truth (Jn. 17:17), and that truth sets us free.

Read Full Article