Chosen and Sent by the Living God

 Twelve Evangelists Were Sent and Five Thousand Were Fed

 Book of Luke Chapter 9

 

 We should understand that God has revealed His program for the Church, and the Church is to follow the program God has given us.

 We do not have the authority to change the program the Lord Jesus Christ lived and died for and then arose in glory to give us an example of our own glory when we reach Heaven.

 We must understand Christ's calling and our own calling.

 We would not understand anything if we were not called of God!

 Paul wrote by the Holy Spirit: Rom 1:1  Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, "called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God", 

 All God's saints have been called: Rom 1:7  To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, "called to be saints": Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

 We are called for His purpose: Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, "to them who are the called according to his purpose". 

 It is because we are called of God that we can believe!

 God chose us while we were still sinners, just like the Lord Jesus Christ called twelve men who were the outcasts of society.

 God chose us when we deserved death and offered us life!

 This is the same thing the Lord Jesus Christ did when He called His disciples.

 *****Luk 9:1  Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. 

Luk 9:2  And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

 1) We already know that the devil's demons can cause sickness and misery.

 Luk 13:11  And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. 

 Luk 13:16  And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? 

 2) We should also know that demons can influence the mind.

 We know that Satan deceived Eve, and Eve caused Adam to sin.

 2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 

 2Co 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

 Satan and his demons can lead weak Christians away from the simplicity of Jesus Christ by telling us that it is hard to live by the commands of God, and most of us will fail. He does not mention God's grace.

 Jas 3:14  But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 

Jas 3:15  This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 

 We must keep our minds on Christ Jesus!

 2Co 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 

 3) Demons deceive people.

 1Th 3:5  For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain. 

 Through his demons Satan also works in unbelievers.

 Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 

 4) Demons deceive nations.

 Rev 16:13  And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 

Rev 16:14  For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 

 5) Demon possession is a reality.

 The Scriptures teach us that there was a great outbreak of demon activity in the time of Jesus Christ, no doubt to oppose Him.

 We see this through all the Gospels and in parts of the Book of Acts.

 We can see evidence of demon possession in the affected person's personality.

 Demons do have some supernatural knowledge and intellectual power and can show supernatural strength.

 Jesus Christ defeated Satan and his demons at the cross:

 Col 2:13  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 

Col 2:14  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 

Col 2:15  And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 

 Are there demons out there today? We have the power to defeat demons because we have the power to defeat Satan, and that power comes by using the Word of God, as we saw in the temptations of Jesus Christ.

 Jas_4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

 As far as the gift of healing, it was given to the Apostles of Christ by Jesus himself to promote the Gospel. These healings were instantaneous, unconditional, and most importantly, purposeful.

 Not just for the purpose of relieving their suffering.

 It was secondary to preaching the Word of God.

 It was to confirm these Apostles as the messengers of God.

 We must understand who our enemies are: Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

 Today God heals through answered prayer and not through another person.

 The Lord Jesus gave these men the power to do certain things and then the authority to use that power.

 He does not do this today!

 *****Luk 9:3  And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece. 

Luk 9:4  And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart. 

Luk 9:5  And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. 

Luk 9:6  And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.  

 We wonder why the Lord told them not to take necessary items with them.

 The Lord Jesus did not want them to worry about anything when it came to their own needs. This would only hinder them in fulfilling their mission.

 They were to travel with "faith" that our Heavenly Father would provide those needs.

 This way, they could dedicate themselves completely to their task.

 They were to have perfect faith!

 Missions and missionaries fail because of a lack of faith!

 We need to believe and trust God everyday knowing that He loves us and He will do what He says He will do.

 We cannot allow material things to become obstacles in serving God.

 We must avoid any appearance of evil or of being evil.

 We must avoid all worldly distractions when serving the Lord.

 The Jews were hospitable people, taught from the beginning by the Laws of Moses.

 Exo_23:9  Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

 The disciples were to investigate and search out a receptive family and home and stay there until it was time to move on to another city.

 The family is still most important to God. The Church is to be the family of God!

 The Gospel is a message for the community intended to spread from family to family.

 There is nothing upon this earth that is to be more stable than the godly family.

 Preaching and door-to-door evangelism are still the preferred methods of reaching the lost.

 Act 5:42  And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. Act 5:42  And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. 

 This is the method taught by the Lord Jesus Christ.

 The Lord Jesus told His disciples that there would be places where they would not be received.

 It was the custom of the Jews when they returned from Gentile lands, as they crossed the frontiers of the Holy Land, to shake the dust off their feet.

 This was saying: "we free ourselves from all contact with you" or "we free ourselves from participation in your condemnation".

 It had the same meaning as that of Pilate: Mat 27:24  When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. 

 The Apostle Paul also had his method for the Judaizers: Acts 18:6  And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. 

What did the Lord Jesus say about those who rejected the Gospel? Mat 10:15  Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.

 And so, they went forth preaching and teaching the "Kingdom of God".

 *****Luk 9:7  Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead; 

Luk 9:8  And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again. 

Luk 9:9  And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him. 

 There was a revival happening in Judah, and it found its way into the halls of government.

 This teaches us that every government always has its ears open to what is happening in Christianity.

 Almost every government will seek ways to stop any revival of Christianity.

 Herod had already murdered John the Baptist, thinking he had stopped the Christian movement, but he was wrong.

 No government exists that can stop the plan of God!

 Some people had said that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead.

 This bothered Herod because he had murdered John by removing his head to give to his wife, and he was feeling guilty because he was guilty.

 The family of Herod was a tangled mess.

 Herodias was the daughter of Aristobulus, another son of Herod the Great. When she married Philip, she was marrying her own father's brother.

 Herod Antipas was another uncle of Herodias, and Herod Antipas talked Herodias into leaving his brother Philip to marry him, further compounding the incest in this family.

 This is why John the Baptist preached against these things, and it got him murdered by the king.

 Not only had some people said that John had risen from the dead, but others had said that Elijah had come back as had been prophesied, and some had even said that Jesus was one of the other prophets that had been raised from the dead.

 The biggest thing we see here is that the imaginations of non-believers will run wild when they realize their guilt.

 What did God say about the conscience? Heb_9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

 What else did God say? 1Ti 4:1  Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 

1Ti 4:2  Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 

 Herod thought that if he could just see the Lord Jesus in the flesh, then he would not feel so guilty and just maybe he could be forgiven.

 Wickedness will bring you to conviction sometimes, but you must act upon it.

 *****Luk 9:10  And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 

 The first thing we notice here is that we all need some private time with the Lord Jesus.

 It is just after this that the Lord Jesus spends most of His time with these twelve men.

 This is also a good example for all of us. We need to tell the Lord what we have accomplished and then seek His wisdom on how to do better.

 There is no time that we should be standing still.

 If we are having results in our ministries, it is only because we know the Lord Jesus and are filled with the Holy Spirit.

 We should always evaluate ourselves to see how we can improve.

 A desert place is a place that is not cultivated for crops but consists of grazing land.

 Bethsaida was the birth home of Peter, Andrew, and Philip.

 Joh 1:44  Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 

 It seems no matter where the Lord was, crowds of people could always find Him.

 *****Luk 9:11  And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing. 

 We should notice that the Lord Jesus always has time for the needy.

 These disciples would soon embark on the greatest mission of this world, but the Lord Jesus would always take time to help those who came to Him because He is our compassionate Savior.

 This lesson is clear. Even when we need our rest, there are still people who need the Lord.

 There are always sheep who need the Shepherd.

 Mar 6:34  And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things. 

 In the Kingdom of God, God is the absolute ruler, and we are His subjects; the Word of God is the absolute law, and obedience is demanded.

 Many people are confused about this and think they can alter the Law of God.

 If you are a "Born Again" child of God, you have already felt the healing power of God, but in most cases, healing is not our greatest need.

 It is always our Spiritual needs that are most important, so therefore the Lord does not always heal us as we would think He would.

 Most of the time, we can learn more in our suffering than we can ever learn when we are healthy, and we can get closer to God.

 This was a lesson that these chosen men of God needed to learn.

 Miracles are great, but salvation is greater!

 *****Luk 9:12  And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place. 

Luk 9:13  But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people. 

 We know that these disciples had been given certain powers when they were sent on a mission, and we do not read where He had taken their powers away.

 So, the Lord tells them to provide their needs.

 These people had certainly been listening to the Lord for several hours, and it may have been hard for them to find food so late in the day.

 We know this was a crowd of five thousand men, and it could have been much larger if there were women and children there.

 The Lord Jesus could have stopped his teaching earlier, but He did not.

 Either way, five thousand people would never find shelter or food to meet their needs in such a short period of time.

 The answer these disciples had was that the people could provide their own needs.

 We know that people just cannot be left to sustain their own needs; we all need God's help.

 Jesus told His disciples it was they who should provide the needs of these people.

 It was more important for these people to hear the message of God than it was to seek food and shelter.

 Joh 6:49  Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 

Joh 6:50  This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 

Joh 6:51  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 

 The biggest problem the twelve disciples saw was that there were just not enough resources available to feed these people.

 The twelve men said that they did not have the power to meet the needs of these people. We know that only God has such power.

 There is nothing too hard for God!

 *****Luk 9:14  For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company. 

Luk 9:15  And they did so, and made them all sit down. 

 It would have been hard to make sure that every person could eat if this crowd were not organized.

 They were set as if they were an army.

 While this was taking place, the Lord took time to pray. He had what He needed: "five small barley loaves and two fish".

 Mar 6:40  And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. 

Mar 6:41  And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. 

 *****Luk 9:16  Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. 

Luk 9:17  And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets. 

 The Jewish barley loaves were broad, thin cakes, and they were broken to eat them.

 The two fish were small fish, maybe no bigger than sardines, and were salted to preserve them.

 The Lord Jesus Christ broke these small cakes and fish, and He gave them to the Apostles, and He just kept on breaking and giving until all were fed.

 The Lord Jesus Christ was meeting the needs of these children of Judah.

 Jesus had first looked up to Heaven, giving thanks to God the Father.

 Jesus thanked God for what He did have, fives cakes of barley and two fish.

 He then blessed what God had already given to Him.

 We should understand that once we do our part in the work God has given to us, then and only then will God multiply our resources.

 What we will see is that there was plenty enough to feed this large crowd, and there was still some leftovers.

 God will provide more than enough!

 Each of the Lord's disciples kept coming to Jesus to fill their baskets until all were fed.

 Joh 6:11  And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. 

 Psa 37:16  A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. 

 By feeding these people in such a desert place, the Lord Jesus shows these Jews He is the new Moses spoken of in the Books of Moses!

 Deu 18:15  The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; 

 Deu 18:18  I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 

Deu 18:19  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

 When everyone had their fill, twelve baskets, one for each Apostle, were filled with what had not been eaten.

 When we study this miracle out, we do not see any indication that any of these people were aware of the miracle that had just taken place beyond His own disciples.

 The truth is that this world belongs to the Lord Jesus: Psa 24:1 The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. 

 *****Luk 9:18  And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am? 

Luk 9:19  They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again. 

Luk 9:20  He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.

 The Lord Jesus never forgot to thank His Father for what He had done.

 The Lord Jesus also needed strength as He would set out for Jerusalem, where He would soon face the cross.

 We can only imagine the mental anguish upon the Lord as He walked by Golgotha, knowing He would soon die there.

 No doubt this would be part of His suffering for us, even before the cross.

 At the end of His prayer, He then asked His disciples, "Who say the people that I am"?

 There were many Jews who thought that Jesus was the reincarnated John the Baptist.

 Others said He was Elijah who had returned as prophesied.

It was also time for those twelve chosen men who rest their minds on Jesus the Christ of God.

It was time for them to confess without hesitation that Jesus was the Messiah sent from Heaven.

As disciples of Christ Jesus, we must pray before all major events in our lives.

As disciples of Christ Jesus, we too must come to an understanding of the Cross, His death, burial, and His resurrection.

We must pray for strength to withstand the trials of life, to bear our own cross that lies ahead of us.

Psa 91:15  He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. 

Psa 91:16  With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. 

Many people just said the Lord Jesus was just a great man who had come their way.

These twelve men needed to have their concept of the Messiah corrected with the truth.

The general saying was that the Messiah would come to be King of Israel and, like King David, save them from their enemies.

Isa 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 

Isa 9:7  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. 

Mic 5:2  But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. 

Mic 5:3  Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. 

Mic 5:4  And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. 

Jer 33:14  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. 

Jer 33:15  In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. 

Jer 33:16  In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness. 

All these things would be true, but the Lord Jesus first came to save us and start the Church.

Jesus was not the Forerunner John the Baptist.

Jesus was not Elijah returned.

Jesus was not one of the Prophets of the Old Testament who returned.

These are the same false confessions made of the Messiah in every generation.

The Lord Jesus is much more than just some man martyred for His faith.

He was certainly the greatest teacher and the greatest prophet of all time.

He was the only one who could tell us the truth of God.

He was the One sent not only for the Jews but also for the Gentiles.

He was a Great Carpenter.

He did make this world, but many reject this truth.

What is the truth? 1Jn 2:22  Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 

1Jn 2:23  Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. 

Again: 1Jn 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 

1Jn 4:4  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 

1Jn 4:5  They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 

1Jn 4:6  We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. 

The Lord Jesus is indeed the Messiah sent from the only true God, Immanuel, with the mission to save all mankind.

The Lord Jesus was not just some man. He is the Almighty Living God!

*****Luk 9:21  And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing; 

Luk 9:22  Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. 

The truth is, "Faith" in God cannot be lived out in a vacuum.

A sheltered faith can never be a mature faith!

As believers, we are not to accept the opinion of others; we must know that we know the Lord Jesus is indeed the Messiah sent from God to save us from the penalty of our sin.

The Lord Jesus is indeed the Messiah, but not what the Jews wanted at that time.

The path of His suffering was not an option. It had to take place just as written in the Word of God.

The path to His Kingship will also be just as described in the Word of God.

It was the elders of Judah, the Chief Priests, and the Scribes, who caused Jesus to be slain.

Many of these were the members of the Sanhedrin Court, the Supreme Court of the Jews.

Amen

The Preaching of Jesus

The Preaching Of God's Servant

Repent, Believe, Follow

Book of Mark 1_14-28

We began our study into the Book of Mark last week.

We first met John the Baptist. We then met many who came to be baptized by John.

This included the Lamb of God, The Lord Jesus Christ.

As Jesus came up out of the water we met the Holy Spirit and then the voice of Our Father in Heaven spoke out.

We next met Satan, so now we have met the main characters in the Gospels.

What Mark does that others don't do, is that Mark goes directly into the ministry of Jesus Christ in Galilee.

*****Mar 1:14  Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

Why was John put in prison?

We know that all scripture is given by the inspiration of God, "this includes the Gospels".

In the Book of Mark, the Holy Spirit decided to let us know that as soon as Jesus' ministry began, "the ministry of John the Baptist was to cease".

John the Baptist was imprisoned by King Herod.

John had become the enemy of the ruling government of Israel.

How was John an enemy to the government?

It was bad enough that Palestine was ruled by Rome but those that ruled Israel were just as evil if not more so!


John was not afraid to point out the evils of the government of Herod!

Luk 3:19  But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and "for all the evils which Herod had done",
Luk 3:20  Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

First, this was not Herod the Great but it was one of his sons Herod Antipas. He reigned from 4 BC to 39 AD.

It is this same Herod that was in power, under Rome, during the time of Jesus.

Herod the Great had had 9 or 10 wives depending on which books you read and many sons and this had led to many of them seeking his throne.

It is said that Herod the Great killed two of his wives and 3 or more of his sons. Herod the Great was not a Jew but he did practice Jewish tradition.

Jews do not eat pork so this Herod did not kill pigs, so with this in mind, Augustus Caesar describe this Herod this way.

"It is better to be a pig in Jerusalem than to be a Son of Herod the Great"!

Herod Antipas did not set as king but only as  "tetrarch" of Galilee and Perea "But" he was evil just like his father!

Jesus labeled him "That fox" when He was told that this Herod intended to kill Him:

Luk 13:31  The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.
Luk 13:32  And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell "that fox", Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

And this is the Herod that Jesus stood before at His false trial before being crucified:

Luk 23:6  When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean.
Luk 23:7  And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.

Herod Antipas had a half-brother named Philip who was probably never a ruler but his wife Herodias craved royalty and the life that came with it and was willing to do anything to be a part of that life.

Herodias was the daughter of Aristobulus, a Roman, and Bernice who we met in our study of the Book of Acts, who lived in an incestuous relationship with her brother another Herod. (Herod Agrippa)

We can see how these things kind of ran in the family.

While John had no problem with telling the government of this Herod how wicked it was, John also had no problem telling this Herod that under Jewish law, he was living in great sin.

But it was Herodias, his evil wife, that help to plot for John's arrest and later his death, being beheaded.

Not many governments like it when the Church, the Body of Christ, takes a stand on the truth!

****Between verse 13 of last weeks lesson and verse 14 a whole year has come and  passed.
Jesus had already performed His first signs and miracles.

He had also began His ministry but had spent most all of His first year and after His temptation, in Judah.

It is the Apostle John, in his "Gospel" that fills in the blanks for this first year of the ministry of Jesus.

John the Baptist preached like Elijah and he was rewarded for his preaching by being  put in prison.

We may still see this happen in America one day soon!

Because governments do not like for their sins to be pointed out!

In many other nations pastors and preachers are arrested more "for preaching the sin of government" than they are for preaching Jesus.

We must first keep our focus on Jesus and then go where that leads us!

But, we are told to take our stand on the Word of God!

Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, "to stand".

*****Mar 1:15  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Jesus was saying:

**1) The time is fulfilled:

The Apostle Paul said it this way:

Gal 4:4  But when "the fulness of the time was come", God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Gal 4:5  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Many prophets had told of this day:

Dan 9:24  Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Dan 9:25  Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem [unto the Messiah the Prince] shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
Dan 9:26  And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

Isa 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Mic 5:2  But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

This the period of time "that was fulfilled" that Jesus was referring to, the time until He came the first time to establish His Church!

**2) The kingdom of God is at hand:

We have the kingdom of God, the kingdom of Christ (Matt 6:33), the kingdom of Heaven (Matt 13:41), the kingdom of Christ and God  (Eph 5:5)

So what does all this mean?

a) What it is not at this time is the Kingdom of Glory!

The Kingdom of Glory will be the New Heaven and the New Earth!

Rev 21:1  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

b) What it was not at this time the kingdom of "Grace"!

For only believers can partake of the kingdom of "Grace"

2Ti 1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
2Ti 1:10  But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

c) What it was:

It was the kingdom of the Messiah that was at hand!
He was ready to appear. (time Fulfilled)
He would be made known to Israel.
He would enter into the work that He came to accomplish. (ministry then the cross)
He would show His absolute authority over this earth. (miracles)(rebuking Satan and his demons)
He would show the blessings and advantages that flow from His rule,
He would point out the ones who would be welcome into His kingdom.

It would take repentance!

It would take faith, but not just faith, but faith in the "Gospel", the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who stood before the world at this fulness of time. (Christ means Messiah)

This was the message that Jesus preached!

*****Mar 1:16  Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

Galilee is roughly 50 miles long by 25 miles wide. On it's eastern border is the Sea of Galilee, which is about 14 miles long and seven mile wide.

Where ever you stand on this lake you can see all of it. This explains how people could follow Jesus around the shore line, they could see where he was going.

In Jesus day, Galilee was the most populated province in the Middle East!

It was a region where Roman, Greek, and Jews mixed and intermingled and it was just as much Gentile as it was Jewish.

John had preached in the wilderness, but Jesus preached in the highways and the hedges and in the cities.

People went to John in the wilderness, but Jesus went to the people "whosoever" they were and wherever they were located.

The message of John was "Repent"!

The message of the Messiah was "Believe"!

And we can see that Jesus was preaching this message before He had even chosen any of His 12 disciples!

The Jews had expected the Messiah to be King.
The Jews had expected their own peace and prosperity and to be out from under Rome and all foreign rule.
The Jews had expected the return to the Garden of Eden.
The Jews had expected the lion to lie down with the lamb and eat straw and not the cattle.
The Jews had expected crime and disease and crime to vanish and a life of splendor.

Luk 19:11  And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God "should immediately appear".

The Jews had not listened to the Word of God!

Because what the Jews got was also in from the prophets:

Isa 53:2  For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
Isa 53:3  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

They forgot Psalms 22 where it says:

Psa 22:6  But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.


Psa 22:13  They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

And they forgot:

Psa 22:27  All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
Psa 22:28  For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations.

Psa 22:31  They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

****Andrew had been a follower of John the Baptist and had introduced his brother Peter to Jesus but after this Jesus had gone into the wilderness to be tempted of Satan and some time, at least a year had past.

So, this was not the first time they had met Jesus!

These two were already fishermen by trade.

But this time Jesus had these words for them:

*****Mar 1:17  And Jesus said unto them, "Come" ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

First:  they were offered the privilege of following the Savior, just as we are!

Second:  this was not a request, it was not an offer, and it was not an invitation, this was a command!

It was time for these men to make a choice!

It was a time to respond or a time to ignore!

This was a command for them to be a part of the business of the "Gospel"!

It was because Jesus preached with authority that people would leave their occupations and become His disciples!

Jesus had met these men previously, in fact being raised up in the same area they could have already known each other on a personal level.

Remember, Jesus was different from them all because He had never sinned in His lifetime and they could have already known this!

Andrew had already said the Jesus was the Messiah:

Joh 1:40  One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
Joh 1:41  He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, [We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ].

And Jesus had already singled out Peter:

Joh 1:42  And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

Jesus had a specific purpose for calling Peter and all the rest:

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock "I will build my church"; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mat 16:19  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

It was time to begin the building of God's Church!

To "become" would be a long and slow process and would take the next two and one half years in daily company of Our Lord.

Jesus would take simple fishermen and transform them into "fishers of men".

Most every true preacher began as laymen and have left that lively hood to serve The Lord!

"I Will":  It was only Christ Jesus who could have converted these men into the Apostles.

It would be these Apostles that would build the Church on the foundation of Jesus Christ.
Jesus did all the work!

Our one piece of work to do to be saved "Is To Believe"!

Jesus said all the work that needed to be done for our salvation He had taken care of:

Joh 17:4  I have glorified thee on the earth: "I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do".

And that work was completed on the Cross:

Joh 19:30  When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished": and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

It is these men, eventually 12, who would cast the "Gospel Net":

Mat 13:47  Again, "the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net", that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
Mat 13:48  Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.

It is believed that at least 7 of the 12 disciples were at one time fishermen by trade.

*****Mar 1:18  And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.

It was not just these two Andrew and Peter that did this but "All" 12 forsaked everything to follow Jesus.

Mat 19:27  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, "we have forsaken all", and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?

Well maybe there was one who had not forsaken all but stayed the same, Judas Iscariot.

Joh 12:6  This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but "because he was a thief", and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

Judas "was a thief" long before walking with Christ and "a thief" all the time he walk with Jesus Christ but Jesus also knew this all along.

Joh 6:70  Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and "one of you is a devil"?
Joh 6:71  He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

Jesus gave Satan a front row seat of how the "Gospel" was to be spread throughout this world we live in.

Jesus defeated Satan on the cross and He was rubbing Satan's face in it now!

**Straightway means they followed immediately without hesitation!

*****Mar 1:19  And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.
Mar 1:20  And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.

Peter and Andrew had left their boat and their job.

James and John had left their boat and their job, their business and their earthly father.

But because it was Jesus that called, they all obeyed.

Zebedee may not have been rich but he ran a business. He owned 2 boats and was able to hire servants.

James and John followed Jesus not only giving up their family but also giving up their inheritance.

Zebedee was not completely caught of guard because he also knew Jesus. His wife Salome seems to be the sister of Mary the virgin mother of Our Lord.

But Jesus also makes another promise to His 12 Apostles:

Mat 19:28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Mat 19:29  And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
T
he rewards of Heaven are much greater than anything we can receive on this Earth!

Jesus did not go to the University of Jerusalem in search of scholars!
Jesus did not go to the Rabbinical Schools to see which ones were ready to graduate!
Jesus did not go to the Sadducees, nor the Pharisees, nor the Scribes to get those that supposedly knew the scriptures!
Jesus did not go to the Sanhedrin Court in search of permission!

Jesus Christ used ordinary people who were just humble working men!

Jesus called and they left all behind!

*****Mar 1:21  And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.

To go to Capernaum was a fulfillment of prophesy:

Mat 4:13  And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
Mat 4:14  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
Mat 4:15  The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
Mat 4:16  The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
Mat 4:17  From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Capernaum became Jesus' adopted home!

Capernaum was also one of the most prosperous cities in Palestine at that time.

The Sabbath day, brought Jesus into the local synagogue and their could have been more than one in this city.

In fact it is probable that each sect of people had their own synagogue as there was in Jerusalem.

Act 6:9  Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.

In any case Jesus came to preach, as He did in every synagogue He entered.

Luk 4:16  And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, [as his custom was], he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

We know that the Apostle Paul also followed this guideline set forth by Christ Jesus after all He is our example to follow:

Act 17:2  And Paul, "as his manner was", went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

Jesus did not enter in to listen, Jesus went in to preach and to teach.

Jesus did not have a modern day version of the scriptures, because He taught from the same scriptures that were used in each synagogue.

Act 13:15  And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.

Once the ruler of the synagogue had read from the Word of God, then others could exhort the people.

Jesus would teach from the Laws of Moses and from the same prophets that they already knew.

"Exhort" means to advise, and to warn, and to caution and this was exactly why Jesus had come!

*****Mar 1:22  And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.

In the New Testament times, most of the scribes were actually Pharisees.

They added to the Laws of Moses with their own traditions and rituals.

This obscured the truth of the Law and made in non-effective as a means of teaching the truth of the Word of God.

It is therefore important to know how Christ Jesus treated the Written Word of God which was only the Old Testament in His days on Earth.

Jesus had these words:

Mat 5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Mat 5:18  For verily I say unto you, "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled".

We are all to accept the Word of God "in the context" that it is written.

Again the words of Jesus:

Luk 24:44  And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, "that all things must be fulfilled", which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

Jesus said all things written about Him in the Old Testament must be fulfilled!

When Jesus debated with unbelievers concerning His right to be called the "Son of God" and He used this verse:

Psa 82:6  I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
And He said that "the scriptures cannot be broken":

When we reject the Word of God, we have then made our own selves "little gods" placing our selves above Him!

Joh 10:35  If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
Joh 10:36  Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

In other words just because there are many that do not believe the Word of God is true, does not change the fact that "It Is True"!

Adding this:

Joh 10:37  If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
Joh 10:38  But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

Jesus Christ quoted the Old Testament accepting it just as it was written!

Jesus refuted the Devil, Satan, by using Old Testament scriptures.(Deut 8:2; 6:13,16)

Jesus used the Book of Psalms to teach that the Messiah would be rejected. (Matthew 21:42)

Jesus quoted the Old Testament (Isaiah) to show the Jew that the Gentiles would also be accepted. Matthew 12:18-21)

Jesus quoted Exodus 3:6 to the Sadducees.

Jesus quoted from the Pentateuch, therefore accepting it.

Jesus quoted from the Septuagint, therefore accepting it.

Jesus said God is the "God of the living" and not the "God of the dead".

The dead have no God!

So to suggest there are errors in the Bible is to attack the character of God!

Jesus taught the truth of God's Word and God's Word is the authority!

Jesus taught with "authority" because he was the "author".

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Heb 4:13  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

*****Mar 1:23  And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
Mar 1:24  Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
Mar 1:25  And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.

Along with preaching like these people had never heard before, they even saw miracles performed by Christ Jesus, things no earthly man could have done!

BUT, we can also see that whenever the truth is preached, "because these people had not hearing the truth", even Satan showed up for the sermon.

This was the same unclean spirit that hindered King Saul as we have just studied in 1 Samuel.

The devil had had little to fear from the usual service in the synagogue but he feared now because God had come to create His Church.

We should not miss this fact stated by the unclean spirits for they acknowledge that this Jesus had the power to destroy them, that no one else had!

Notice it is the evil spirit that let's us all know that it was not just any man named Jesus, but Jesus of Nazareth!

And that this same Jesus of Nazareth was indeed, the Holy One of God or the Messiah!

Did Jesus show emotions? Let's look as He commands this demon.

The Greek word "phimoo" is used for our English phrase "hold thy peace". This word means "to muzzle" so Jesus was saying "put a muzzle on it demon" and get out of the house of God!

This is the same command Jesus gave to an unruly wind later while in a boat on the sea of Galilee.

Jesus told that wind "to put a muzzle on it"!

Satan is just a created being just like we are!

God has full control over all His creation and we can see that this "Jesus of Nazareth" had that same power!

*****Mar 1:26  And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.

Satan still knows that he must obey God and just like he is today he is still defiant. He will leave as much destruction behind as he can but only as God allows.

It was Jesus who had control over this entire situation and not this demon of Satan.

There will never be a day that Our Savior needs any help from Satan for believers to know who He is!

We should also notice that a healing had taken place on a Sabbath and no one even questioned it!

These people were too astonished to say anything!

*****Mar 1:27  And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.
Mar 1:28  And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.

Those that attended the House of God that day had never witnessed anything like this!

We should see that it was the message of Jesus that was of greater importance and not the miracles!

The miracles only added to the message!

These people were beginning to realize that the "truth" is of itself a powerful message.

They had had the truth all along but their leaders would not teach the Word of God as it was written!
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall "make" you free.

It is a fact that this lost world is tired of "legalism".
The lost world is tired of "ritualism".
The lost world is tired of "rationalism".
The lost world is tired of "hypocrisy".
The lost world is tired of these things they see coming from the church these days.
The lost world is tired of unfruitful words, psychological preaching, the doctrines of nature, and worn out cliches.
The lost world does not care to see more charismatic extremism, or phony ecumenism and universalism.

The lost world is tired of dead sermons!

The Lost world is ready for the truth that makes men free!

When the Church returns to the "doctrine" of the Holy One of God, Jesus of Nazareth, The Lord Jesus Christ, then Satan will be cast our of our places of worship and the Church will be filled with Holy Ghost power and the "Truth" will again make us free and the lost world will then take notice!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

The Preaching Of A Deacon

The Preaching Of A Deacon

Book of Acts Chapters 6-7

The word "deacon" from the Greek word "diakonos" means "minister" or "servant".

Jesus said:

"whosoever will be great among you let him be your minister"

Again Jesus said:

"If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all and servant of all"

Jesus said these that choose to serve can be my deacons.

The Church has adopted the office of "Deacon" and this office originates from the passage we will study today. It was the "deacon" that allowed the Apostles to devote their time to "prayer" and "the ministry" that the Lord Jesus had given to them.

We should see that the office of "Deacon" is to be inferior to and assisting to the Pastor, the Elder of a Church. It is the function of the Pastor, the Elder, to preach and to teach the congregation and the function of the deacon to assist to and to see that the material needs of the congregation are cared for.

Another thing we should see is that the Church does not tell the Pastor what to do and the Pastor does not tell the Church what to do they must both work together to find the will of God for everyone BUT the Pastor must be the leader of that local assembly.

The qualifications of the "deacon" are given in 1Timothy:

1Ti 3:8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;

1Ti 3:9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

1Ti 3:10 And "let these also first be proved"; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.

1Ti 3:11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

1Ti 3:12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

1Ti 3:13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

The Church as the "Body Of Christ" is a living organism and compared in scripture with the human body BUT the head of the Church must always remain "Jesus Christ"!

It is the Pastor, the Elder that is to feed the flock until the Chief Shepherd reappears.

1Pe 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

1Pe 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

1Pe 5:3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

1Pe 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

God is a God of order so there should never changes in God's Church nor God's Word!

Oh, and when we see those words "not given to much wine" it means that these men have been proved to be in "absolute denial of the use of wine", just as the Elder!

There is no place for alcoholic beverage in the House of God and this includes wine!

Pro 23:29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?

Pro 23:30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

Pro 23:31 [Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright].

Pro 23:32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

If we are not even to look upon wine, then we surely are not to drink of it!

Let's begin:

*****Act 6:1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

We might ask ourselves when were "those days"?

The last verse in Chapter 5 tells us the answer:

Act 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

It is the preaching of Jesus Christ that had allowed the Church to grow!

We know that the first church had grown from 120 when 3000 were added and now 5000 more were added and we know that more were added daily.

The church had been at one time, all in one accord but there had been some defection from this. Ananias and Sapphira had tried to deceive the Church and this was handled by the Holy Spirit, God Himself.

Now we see the Church experiencing growing pains!

What is murmuring? Murmuring is complaining. Murmuring is grumbling. Murmuring is sinful.

In Chapter 4 we found that some of these local Jews had sold their possessions and had given the proceeds to the Apostles to distribute to all those that had need:

Act 4:34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold

them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,

Act 4:35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

But as always we find that there were some that were being neglected and not always purposely.

These Grecians were not Greeks nor Gentiles but rather Jews who had been raised outside of Palestine and spoke the Greek language.

These Hebrews were Jews of Palestine and they held themselves superior to these foreign Jews.

This murmuring did not come from among these widows but because of them!

It was probably because the Hebrew followers that had been assigned to distribute to the needy, and these widows from outside of Jerusalem could very well have been overlooked.

So we see the early church was not free of hypocrites and they were not always clear of feuds and contentions.

This is how Satan gets into the Church to try to gain a foothold!

The Apostles wisely began a process to deal with these things.

We should see that when the Church faces a serious problem it is a time to come together and not to grow apart.

The Pastor and the members must seek solutions.

It is not time to divide as this only allows Satan to win!

We must regularly examine the ministries of our Churches to see if they are according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and meeting the needs in our lives and every members life.

*****Act 6:2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we

should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

Act 6:3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

Act 6:4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

The Apostles accepted that they were to blame. They had not only tried to be obedient to the Word of God and to meet the spiritual needs but they had tried to meet the day by day physical needs of the flock.

They realized that they could not do both!

They could not allow the preaching of the Word of God and the needed ministry of prayer to suffer or the Church would suffer!

The words "ministration" and "serve" are where we get the word "deacon". The men that are chosen at this time are not called deacons at this time but the office of "deacon" came from this activity of the early church.

Every Church needs qualified leaders to handle some of the things of the Church so the Pastors can devote more of their time to the study and the presenting of God's Word and to prayer.

These seven that were chosen did also engage themselves in spiritual and worldly needs of the members.

The Church was instructed to search out these that met certain qualifications and then it was the Apostles that appointed them and gave them direction.

This is basically the same approach we use here at Gethsemane!

*****Act 6:5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:

We should notice that all seven of these men had Greek names. This indicates that they would serve the Hellenist of the early Church or those that came from places other than Jerusalem which had been neglected.

One man Nicolas was a proselyte and was probably the only Gentile among these seven and there was probably a particular reason that he was chosen.

A proselyte was a Gentile who had been converted to Judaism and now Nicolas was a Born Again Christian.

Of these seven only Stephen and Philip are mentioned elsewhere in scripture but this does not mean these others did not serve their purpose.

Stephen was destined to become the first Christian martyr unless we include John the Baptist and it is "OK" to include him as he certainly knew who his Savior was!

We also will find that Philip became a great and powerful Evangelist and "tradition" says that the other five did also.

*****Act 6:6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

Again we can see that any problem in the Church can be solved when the congregation can come together!

The next thing we should see is that there is no great mystery in the "laying on of the hands"!

This the first time that the "laying on of the hands" was used in the early church.

There is "no great transfer of spiritual power" through the "laying on of hands" this was a "symbolic" gesture only!

In fact it was more "a symbolic sign of prayer" that God would provide these men with the necessary gifts they would need to perform these duties.

These men had already been filled with the Holy Ghost when they were saved as noted in [verse 3].

So what is this meaning?

In the Book of Leviticus, the sinner would place his hand on the animal to be sacrificed. This meant that this animal was to be sacrificed in their place.

When these Apostles put their hands on the heads of these that would be deacons it meant that these men would be partners with them in the ministry of the Church.

This method of ordination is still used in most churches today and most Pastors go through this ordination.

It meant that these men had been set aside for this office of the early Church!

This was a social service within the assembly in Jerusalem.

This church tried to meet the needs of it's own members and every house of God should use this as an example.


*****Act 6:7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

I believe we can see that there were still many sincere and godly priests in Jerusalem at this time and by witnessing that the veil had been rent, and the conversion of Nicodemus, the lame man, and many other signs and wonders and they would be well aware of the teachings of Jesus.

With the truth of the resurrection of Christ Jesus they began to understand the Word of God they had been so zealous for.

These were once the true descendants of Levi but now had turned to the Lord.

It could be said that it was the preaching of Stephen, as we will find out in verse 14, that caused more an more of these Jewish priest to convert from Judaism to Christianity. If so, then we can also see how this caused such turmoil with Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin court.

These actions by the early church allowed the Word of God to increase and the Church to grow.

Church growth cannot and should not always be measured by numbers, this Church in Jerusalem was also growing "Spiritually"!

It is sad that the world does not see this spirit of harmony in our places of worship today and to be honest there is much to much turmoil even in our Baptist Churches to the point where many are ashamed to call them selves Baptist.

I consider myself "a Christian first" and then I attend this Baptist Church here at Gethsemane because I believe the "Apostle's Doctrine" is followed here. If that changes then I will seek one that teaches the "Apostle's Doctrine" in some other place and could even be some other denomination.

I love our church here and we must strive to always be in harmony and for the most part we are.

Being "obedient to the faith" means "faith in the work of Jesus Christ Our Savior"!

Php 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or

else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the

faith of the gospel;

Php 1:28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

*****Act 6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

Stephen is the first preacher/teacher who was not an apostle whose work is mentioned.

Stephen not only did the work of a servant but he sought diligently to lead people to Christ Jesus. We can see that God truly did give Stephen some powers.

God used Stephen to bear witness to the religious leaders of Israel and it is after this time of Stephen that the "gospel" began to spread to the Samaritans.

*****Act 6:9 Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.

These Libertines were "freedmen" who were formerly slaves of Rome and had been freed by their masters.

All of these groups were Jewish immigrants to Jerusalem from other lands.

It is said in research that there were a great number of synagogues in Jerusalem that were for the use of foreign Jews who were visiting.

The Cyrenians were from upper Libya.

The Alexandrians of Egypt probably made up the largest group of these foreign Jews.

Those of Cilicia in Asia Minor would include Saul of Tarsus and those from Asia would be of Asia Minor near the Aegean Sea.

All these were very legalistic and very zealous of the Mosaic traditions, especially involving the Temple worship!

*****Act 6:10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.

None of these including Saul, could match or resist Stephen's wisdom and power!

Jesus had promised this:

Luk 21:15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

These groups could only see one alternative, they knew they would have to destroy Stephen!

*****Act 6:11 Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.

Most of these Jews were wealthy and they had no problem using their wealth to bribe some false witnesses.

That word "suborned" actually means to employ type of "secret agent" to take one of their place, and to instigate or secretly instruct him on what to say in a court of law.

And we just thought that secret agents were a modern thing.

*****Act 6:12 And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught

him, and brought him to the council,

Act 6:13 And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:

This is similar to the way the Jewish leaders had treated Jesus.

These Jews were jealous over their law and did not want to believe that Christ Jesus had come to fulfill those laws!

They were extremely proud of the Temple that Herod had restored and refused to believe that God would allow it to be destroyed.

This verse is not part of our lesson today but let's look anyhow:

Act 7:42 [Then God turned, and gave them up to worship] the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?

These Jews along with the world we live in now and certainly including America do not believe that God will give them up to worship as they please but they are wrong!

America is trying to remove the one true God from everything and from everywhere, trying to boot Him out of this nation!

This verse says that God will just allow a people such as these to worship as they wish.

When this happens Satan takes control and evil abounds throughout the land. We see this happening before our very eyes just as it happened in Israel:

Amo 5:27 Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts.

and it is happening in America and everywhere where Christ Jesus is rejected:

Rom 1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:

Rom 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

and we know that God has a purpose for everything He does:

Rom 9:11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)

And we also have no right to question anything that God does or has done or what He allows to be done:

Rom 9:20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

Rom 9:21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

Rom 9:22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

We must only believe:

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Jesus preached that it was His body that is the Temple of God, and these Jews had indeed destroyed that Temple!

These Jews were not about to allow Jesus into their false religious beliefs!

Jesus had also warned them that their physical Temple would also be destroyed and that happened in just a few short years in 70 AD.

As I have already pointed out, the enemies of Jesus Christ will continue to attempt to undermine the Christian faith, by using distortions of the Word of God.

They cannot use facts because all true facts of Scripture, all true science and all true history supports biblical Christianity!

*****Act 6:14 For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.

This enemy of the Church came upon Stephen suddenly and arrested Him while he was preaching.

They took Stephen before the same court that had tried Jesus.

They took him before the same court that had tried to stop Peter and John.

*****Act 6:15 And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

They saw something marvelous in his face. This man came closer to being an angel than any man before him.

It was not even necessary for Stephen to speak because the glow of his face told everyone on this council that this was a true servant of God!

These Jews knew all about the shining face of Moses. Stephen was not against Moses because he was like Moses and God was pointing that out to them!

*****Act 7:54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

Stephen had just reviewed the entire history of Israel along with the contributions made by the honored patriarchs.

Stephen had proved with their own scriptures that the Jewish nation was guilty of worse sins than those they had accused him of committing.

They had not understood their spiritual roots.

They had rejected the prophets sent from God.

They had disobeyed their own laws and made up some new laws that they honored even more than God's laws.

They were stubbornly resisting their God and His truth!

There was a reason that Jesus had come at this time:

Gal 4:4 But when "the fulness of the time" was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

I believe the answer is also given to us:

Eph 1:10 That "in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ", both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

God is gathering "in one" all things of Jesus Christ.

This is the time we live in now and is known as the "Church Age" and it will soon be coming to an end and God will again deal with the Jews!

When these Jews heard these things they were cut to the heart!

These upper class Jews of Israel became a hungry pack of wolves and Stephen knew it meant his death!

*****Act 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

Since God is a spirit then there can be no actual "right hand of God"!

This phrase indicates The Place Of Prominence and The Place Of Honor!

The FACT that Jesus is at the right hand of God teaches us that His saving work is finished but it does not mean He is not still working on our behalf!

Every born again child of God needs to take note here!

Our Lord Jesus stood up just to receive His child Stephen into Heaven.

Jesus is waiting on us all with open arms and He stands up to receive all His children especially those that have took their stand on His Gospel.

This world may not want God's children but when our work is done on this Earth, we have a Father in Heaven who is tickled to death that we are coming home!

*****Act 7:56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

Jesus had used this phrase "Son of man" at least 80 times but this is the first time one of His disciples used this title.

Jesus had told this same mockery of a trial where they could find Him:

Mat 26:63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living

God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.

Mat 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Stephen said, "I see Him", He is right where He said He would be.

Normally Jesus is often presented as sitting at the right hand of God acting as our "Intercessor" and our "Advocate".

Normally a defense counsel remains seated in the presence of "The Judge", rising only to make an objection when His client comes under sever attack.

Stephen said "I see my Lord standing" and "I am going on home"!

How long will He stand?

Act 2:35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.

1Co 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

*****Act 7:57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

This pack of angry wolves could stand it no more they became what they were:

Jesus had described them earlier!

Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Joh 8:45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

Joh 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

Joh 8:47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

*****Act 7:58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

Saul and Stephen meet for the only time they would be together. They were enemies and stood on opposite sides of the cross at this time.

This gives us an idea of just how far Saul had to come but we also know Saul never forgot this day.

Act 22:19 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

Act 22:20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

*****Act 7:59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

John the Baptist had died for preaching the truth. It was God the Father that had sent John.

The Lord Jesus Christ had died because He is the truth. It was God the Son sent to save us.

Now Stephen died for preaching the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was God the Holy Ghost who had filled him with His Spirit.

Through this act against the Church the "Gospel" would now spread next to Samaria and then throughout the world.

*****Act 7:60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, [lay not this sin to their charge]. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Stephen fell asleep in peace and in grace while still loving the sinner but not the sin!

When a Christian dies they fall asleep:

1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

That old unsaved flesh sleeps while the spirit goes on to be with the Lord:

2Co 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

2Co 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

2Co 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

When Jesus returns He will bring back those spirits of those that are asleep to be reunited in glory:

1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, [even so them also which sleep in Jesus "will God bring with him"].

1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

When our loved ones that know the Lord die we do not weep in hopelessness for we know we shall meet them again when we die or when the Lord returns.

We need to realize that when the "Gospel" is preached powerful forces are at work on each one that hears it.

The Book of Acts will now turn its attention to Saul of Tarsus and the Gospel extending to the Gentiles.

If we believe in prayer and we must, then the Apostle Paul was the result of the prayer of Stephen!

Questions?

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