Acts 11
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Giving Birth
Giving Birth
I get a kick when I remember day at Academy—pregnant lady on bench—Kim goes to encourage, “hard day? don’t let it get you down—they get much harder than this!”
My wife and I have had 4 babies. Each time there was a pattern to the
Comes and tells and we all can’t quit laughing. She is sincere—offering perspective.
She has given birth to 4 childrn. So she knows what she’s talking about. And in the last 20 yeasr of church ministry and the last 3 years of ministering to teen moms, it gets reaffirmed. There’s a pattern. morning sickness. Mood swings. cravings. Starting to show. People predicting—high low front back, etc. Waddle. “ready!—start jogging, begging, etc.
And then that moment comes, teh water breaks, and it’s time!
At some point, the design is that it always eventually comes to something like this. That was where it was headed all along.
And this is how God works--
—be fruitful and fill the earth—made every seed to produce its kind...
—same thing with Noah
—making disciples
—bear much fruit...
—purpose of union...
And note what Paul says about us--
19 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Romand 8:28-29
Even more expressly, look at this--
19 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!
The whole idea of being disciples is this—become like the one you follow
So if someone becomes like Christ, what would you call him or her?
Christians
Where did we get that term? That’s what we will look at tonight.
When you think of the word Christian, what does it mean to you?
When it is first used, it could probably be said to suggest many of the things we think. But it seems there was something God really wanted to communicate.
FINALLY! THE CHRISTIANS HAVE ARRIVED!
19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. 25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
27 Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). 29 So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. 30 And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
The significance of the Greeks
The significance of the Greeks
have seen expansion in every way—geographic, cultural, ethnic, and even cultic (across the lines not just to gentile). Now it hits fuinality— Cornelius, the first gentile saved, was at least a God-fearer. Now there are no more boundaries.
Note
20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
john 12:20-23, 27-32
27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
Remember teh wineskin
17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
True for Kingdom
inner vs outer
grace vs law
fruit vs works
spirit vs flesh
True for individuals (same list)
note the same trend then as now—those who stay well in the lines and those who go way outside—but not outside what God wants—always seems to be calling us out of safety of what has been
(You see some) characteristics of a movement of God--
defiance of old boundaries
integration into the mainstream of faith
Establishment of healthy operation
*** THese will be in your life and mine
*** These will happen again and again
*** But in a sense, this is unique—we don’t have Christians until we have this—people from every kind of nackground—Christianity is never meant to be defined by any human terms other than a relationship with Jesus by the presence of the Holy Spirit
God is defining what this new thing will be
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
eph 2:
**** That is critical as we move into each new generation, each new territory
*** And this is critical—it always happens with bridge-builders—
people who reach out
people who bring in
people who raise up
*** I think we are all meant to do some of all, but probably each have a knack for some more than others—everyone is meant to be a bridge builder—Christianity is teh one term that defines a peolpe otherwiose without definition—and you don’t fully have it until it crosses all the boundaries
So this--
*** tyeh world’s chaos is the color palate God uses to paint portraits of glory