There was a need to update the posting of Sermon Notes for Sunday May 31. You may find the updated notes which are titled; Sermon Notes • May 31 • Updated 5/30 You may click on the link or find the updated notes on the front page of the website or on the Study Notes/News  page.

Acts 2

Acts 2 is the description of the events of Pentecost Sunday. Acts 1 records the ascension of Jesus 40 days after His resurrection. The disciples had been told to wait in Jerusalem until they received the power from on high. It would be 10 days more before the Holy Spirit arrived. Acts 2 describes how the church was born that day. The first 13 verses describe the coming of the Holy Spirit. Beginning in verse 14 we have a long sermon preached by Peter on that occasion. Peter began by explaining what was taking place (14-21). He followed that with a message that included the account of the death of Jesus, His resurrection and His exaltation into heaven. Verses 37-39 describe the response of the crowd and the offer of salvation. The rest of the chapter describes the new community of believers that today we call the church.

The Day of Pentecost was set in the Old Testament as being 50 days after Passover. Pentecost is 50 in Hebrew. It was a day sometimes called the Festival of Harvest (Exodus 23:16). It was a feast that celebrated the beginning of the harvest and was a time when the Israelites praised God that the harvest had begun and, therefore, they were assured that the fuller harvest would follow. Many have noted that it was appropriate that the first harvest of souls in the church would occur on that day. 

Read Acts 2:1-3. Note that the Bible says this event came like or in the appearance of wind and fire and not actually of those items. This description was Luke’s attempt to explain the unexplainable. There were two symbols of the coming of the Holy Spirit: wind and fire. In verse 2 we read that it sounded like a mighty or violent wind. In both the Hebrew and Greek, the word translated “wind” is also translatable as “breath” or “spirit” which is significant in understanding this event. The wind was the coming of the Holy Spirit and note the way in which it came as, “the blowing of a violent wind.” Contemplation of that gives us some idea of the force of this power that came upon them and is available to us.

In verse 3 we read that it “seemed to be tongues of Fire.” This was the way God displayed Himself to Israel in the wilderness and elsewhere. The Holy Spirit is God in every sense of the word and should always be addressed as “He” and never “it”.

Verse 4 records that “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.”  This clearly pictures what is detailed elsewhere in the New Testament. When one becomes a believer, God gives him the Holy Spirit and when he receives the Holy Spirit, He totally fills him. 

Verse 4 goes on to record that they, “Began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” In the context of this event this is not the speaking in tongues of I Corinthians but rather the ability to be understood in the language of all of those present. For the Jewish Festival of Pentecost thousands upon thousands traveled to Jerusalem for the celebration that took place in the temple. The multitude consisted of Jews from many countries who spoke many different languages.  God wanted to be sure that everyone understood who Jesus was, what He had done for them and the necessity of making a personal commitment to Him. 

Read Acts 2:14-41 which records Peter’s Sermon. The sermon itself is an example of the way we should be teaching and presenting the Bible. First, it was Biblical. Peter quoted three major Old Testament passages and alluded to a couple of others. He made a major reference to the prophecy of Joel, noting especially Joel 2:29-32 in verses 17-21. In verse 27 he quoted from Psalm 16: 8-11 and in verses 34-35 he quoted Psalm 110:1. The church and a Christian’s testimony must always be biblically centered.

Second, his sermon was Christ centered. It was all about Jesus. It is also interesting to see that Peter talked about what Jesus did, not what He taught. That is not to imply that the teachings of Jesus are not important. We have them in detail in the Gospels. This, however, was a sermon to unsaved and we don’t teach spiritual truth to the lost. We begin with who Jesus is.

Peter’s sermon was powerfully delivered because he was being used by God. We too often think we are too weak to be used by God. We are weak beyond imagination, but God is strong and when we share God’s love with others, He makes us strong.  That day the Holy Spirit empowered Peter to preach and 3000 are converted.

Verse 37 records that when the crowd heard the sermon of Peter they were “cut to the heart” and asked, “What do we do?” Verse 38 is Peter’s response was simply repent and be baptized. Repent was a Greek word that meant to change one’s mind. If Peter spoke in Hebrew, a real probability, the Hebrew word is even stronger than the Greek and has the idea of a complete turnaround. Peter was asking for a reorientation of one’s whole life and for the Jews that had to begin with a reorientation of the way they viewed Jesus. 

For Jews, baptism was associated with a change of allegiance. One was baptized so show he had changed from being a Gentile to being a Jew. The thrust was to make a public identification with Jesus. Becoming a Christian always involves a new commitment of life. Verse 41 records that the number who were baptized was 3000. 

Thus, the church was begun. Then in verses 42-47 we find 5 characteristics of the church. Read Acts 2:42. 

To be a church we must be a learning/studying people: We are not given the specifics of the teaching, but we can assume that it was what the Old Testament taught and what the Apostles heard from Jesus. In time it included the gospels and teaching of the epistles. The key is the continual importance of learning. Read Colossians 3:16. There is no substitute for studying the Word of God. 

Second, the church must be a fellowshipping church: It is impossible to express the legitimacy or uniqueness of Christian fellowship. The Greek word used here is “koinonia” and comes from the root word meaning “sharing” or having things in common. Several things characterized this fellowship not the least of which was unity. They were one in Jesus and that oneness excluded no one. Read I John 1:3 

Third, a church must be a worshipping church: Luke noted two things, “breaking of bread” and “prayers.” Breaking of bread is used in the New Testament to refer to the communion service. The phrase “prayer” is probably better translated “the prayers” which would make it to mean attendance at the appointed temple prayer times. They worshiped God via remembering what Jesus had done for them and participating in worship times.

Fourth, a church, to be a real church, must be a sharing church: Read Acts 2:44-45. They viewed their possessions as that which could be used to help others.  Sharing is a characteristic of a true church.

Finally, a legitimate church is a witnessing church: Read Acts 2:47. Note it was a daily addition, and that the Lord received all the credit for the growth. Individuals tilled the ground, planted the seed, watered it, etc. but the Lord gave the increase. Every believer has a role to play in reaching the lost. 

We could close our study by singing “Happy Birthday” to the church. Instead let’s close by thanking God for the church. As we thank Him for our church let’s recommit ourselves to being a studying, fellowshipping, worshiping, sharing, and witnessing church.

Memorials 2020

Our annual Memorial Day celebration is a time when as a nation we remember those men and women who gave so much that we might have and keep our freedom. That we need memorials is evident and certainly a day to honor our military men and women is important. With the emphasis to always live in the present it is too easy to forget history. God understood that so He established memorials designed to help His people remember what He has done for them. The Communion Service is one of those memorials.  

One of the most significant memorials God gave to Israel is recorded for us in Joshua 4. Joshua 3 records the crossing of the Jordan river into the Land of Promise. For 40 years the Israelites had wandered in the wilderness because of their initial refusal to trust God to give them the land. At last they were in the land God had promised to them through Abraham. Read Joshua 4:1-7.  

In that Scripture we discover several lessons that are important to us as a nation seeking to remember our heritage and the price of our freedoms. It also speaks to us as Christians who want to remember the real freedom we have in Jesus and the cost of that freedom to Jesus who took our place on the Cross.

First, a memorial is designed to help us remember. That seems obvious and it is, but perhaps equally obvious is the tendency we all have to forget. It’s easy to get so busy that we don’t take time to remember and so as a nation, and as God’s people, we are encouraged to have symbols that serve as reminders. 

For the Israelites, one of those reminders was a pile of stones taken from the middle of the Jordan river and set up at the edge of the river which God enabled them to miraculously cross. You may recall that at the time of the year when they crossed that river it was in flood stage, magnifying the miracle it took to walk across on dry land. The stones were to be a reminder of God’s greatness and goodness. 

Note that according to Joshua 4:7 the reminder God was giving them was to be forever. As Christians we need to pause regularly and re-consider the provision of Jesus on the Cross for our spiritual freedom, a freedom from the penalty of death that is now available to all who trust in Jesus and invite Him to be their Savior. One of the reasons we come together on the 1^st day of each week is to remember the resurrection and the truth that He is alive. We have other symbols such as crosses that we see everywhere. One symbol we don’t think about often enough is church buildings. Wouldn’t it be exciting if every time we passed a church instead of asking why we have so many, we said a silent prayer of thanks to God for all He has done for us?

Memorials are also opportunities to teach. On Memorial Day parents should take the opportunity to tell again of the sacrifice men and women made so we can be free. Few challenges are more important to us than that of passing on our heritage. That is one of the purposes of our American Memorial Day. We want the present and future generations to remember the sacrifices of our servicemen and women and to honor those sacrifices by living appropriately with the freedom those sacrifices have provided.  

In verses 6 and 7 of Joshua 4 the people are told that when their children see that unique pile of stones they will want to know what they are there for and Joshua was told that the people were to tell them they are reminders of God enabling them to enter into the Promised Land. Read Joshua 4:21-24 where we have a repeat of the purpose of the memorial stones. 

God wants us to be sure that we pass on to our children and grandchildren the Christian heritage that is ours because of the provisions of Jesus on the Cross. Our national heritage is never more than a generation away from extinction if we forget what is important to us a nation. Even more critical, if we allow our children to lose sight of what God has done for them the message of the Cross will be lost to future generations. 

Memorials are also designed to be places of re-commitment. In I Samuel 11 we have the record of Saul being selected as Israel’s first king. It was an exciting time for Israel but also a time fraught with dangers for it was too easy for Israel to look to their new king as a source of protection and blessing. Samuel knew that danger, Read I Samuel 11:14. Gilgal was the place where they had set up the stones as a reminder of what God had done for them. Samuel urged the people of Israel to return to Gilgal and re-commit themselves to being the people of God. One of the purposes of Memorial Day is a re-commitment as individuals to maintaining the America that our brave servicemen and women gave so much to secure. 

As Christians we need times to re-commit ourselves to what we believe, to how we know we should live and to praising God for who He is and all He has done for us. We need to return to the memorials that have been set before us so as we renew the kingdom, renew the covenant, and renew our commitment to being the people of God.

Note one additional truth from Joshua 4. Read Joshua 4:24 where we are told that this memorial was not only for the people of God, but it is a testimony to the world. When we think of Memorial Day it is a reminder to the world of what the United States stands for and that while we are divided on many issues we are united in our determination to maintain the freedoms that cost so much to secure. It shows the world that there are still things we will fight for and if need be die for.

One of the primary responsibilities of ours as believers is to be reminders to the world of just how great and good God really is. There are many New Testament passages that bring this to light. Read Matthew 5:14-16.  

The Apostle Paul expressed a similar picture when he wrote to the Christians in Philippi. Read Philippians 2:14-16. We are to be testimonies of God’s goodness and transforming power in a sinful world. We are to continually shine so that those around us are reminded of what God, and God alone, can do in and through a life.

I pray that on Memorial Day everyone will pause to remember our servicemen and women, those who have served in the past and those serving today. I pray that we will all pause long enough to remember the families of those who have lost loved ones in any of the many wars we have been involved in. 

I pray that we will also remember the many memorials that God has given us to remind us of His blessings upon us as His children. I pray that we will get in the habit of thanking Him for all He has done. I pray that we will re-commit ourselves to being the people He redeemed us to be. I pray we will recommit ourselves to ensuring that we teach the truths that mean so much to us to our children and grandchildren. And I pray that we will remember that a legitimate memorial is a testimony to others and will seek to shine brighter as God’s memorials to His work of grace in our lives.

Don’t Leave Us Again

Sometimes we wonder how many more times we can take disappointment. Over the past 2 months it seems like some weeks we have taken two steps forward and then back a step. Some weeks it has been even worse, feeling like it has been two steps back and in our hearts we cry out, “Enough is enough”.

I wonder if that is not how the disciples felt the day Jesus left them again. For three years they had followed Him closely, convinced He was the promised Messiah who would set them free from Rome. Then they watched Him die on a Cross and with His death came the death of their hopes and dreams. But then three days later He arose from the dead and their hope was renewed. For the next forty days He periodically appeared to them, even had a meal with them by the Sea of Galilee. Acts 1 records how convinced they were that He was alive so in Acts 1:6 we read that they asked Him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 

They were convinced that the time had come. They were ready to get out of their holding pattern and get on with the life they wanted and expected. Jesus responded, according to verse 7 “That is none of your business. Some things are best left for God to work out in His time.” (Dixon translation.) Then to make things worse, right before their very eyes He ascended into heaven. That was the last thing the disciples expected. They had a plan, God had another. Their plan was to quickly get out of the mess they were in. God’s plan was for Jesus to leave them. It was, for the disciples, one step forward and two backwards.  I cannot even imagine what was going through the minds of the disciples as they saw Him rise further and further away from them. Steps backward are never easy or fun.

But God was aware of how they felt so we read in verses 10 and 11 that He sent two angels to tell them, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” As God always does, when we are most discouraged or in the deepest need of encouragement and peace, He comes to us and reminds us that He has a plan for us and that it is a perfect plan. Ultimately, He is in control. 

I think this is one of those times when we need to hear that assurance. Nothing is going the way we think it should. It appears that God has once again left us. We find it hard to remember His promise to always be with us and care for us. But His promises are certain. So when we are tempted to stare into space and wonder why He has left us, we need to hear Him tell us He has not left. He has merely ascended into heaven where He works on our behalf. That gives us a thousand steps forward and none backward.

By the way, tomorrow (May 21) is Ascension Day, that is when Jesus ascended into heaven40 days after His resurrection. Thanks, Mark, for reminding us of that truth.

Announcements:

1. New Daily Breads for June-August are available. Email me if you want one and I will mail one to you. There are also some at the church if you have a key and want to pick one up there and, of course, you can get one online.
2. Starting next Wednesday, a Zoom Bible study looking at the life of Abraham. Links will be sent later.
3. Don’t forget to send your offerings to Deb. R.

Praise:

1. Another good Zoom service.
2. Several on our prayer list have undergone successful procedures and are getting stronger each day.

Prayer:

1. Tomorrow (Thursday) Grace K. expects to be transferred from Schoolhouse Square to Tremont. Pray for a safe transfer and adjustments.
2. Continue to pray for Mae who is getting weaker and really wants to go home to be with Jesus.

David Takes a Census II Samuel 24:1 and I Chronicles 21

II Samuel 24 is a story about a leader who refused to listen to his advisors, who took a national census in which the people were counted, and which resulted in a plague that killed 70,000. Read II Samuel 24:1. When we read on in that chapter we read, in verses 10-11, that God was angry with David for doing the census and gave him 3 punishment options to choose from for his sin. The question is “Why would God tell David to do something and then punish him for doing it?”

It gets more complicated because of what the account of the same incident says in I Chronicles 21:1. Read that verse. Was it God or Satan who incited David to take the census? 

We are not told why taking a census was wrong. America is in the process of taking a census and no one seriously thinks God is against that. 

Who incited David? Read James 1:13. The answer to the apparent contradiction lies in the theological approach of the writer of each book. The writer of II Samuel wanted to emphasize the sovereignty of God, so he noted that, in the end, God is always in complete control. The writer of I Chronicles was interested in the holiness of God, so he wanted us to see that anything that is contrary to God’s holy will comes from Satan and is wrong. When you put the two approaches together you have Satan desired to tempt David and God allowed it because, in the end, God is always in control. 

What was wrong with taking a census? There can be no doubt that it was wrong. Not only did God punish David for it, but one of his military advisors, Joab, advised against it. Read II Samuel 24:3-4. Read II Samuel 24:10 for further proof that taking the census was wrong.  

Scholars have given several possible answers. First, taking a census was not, in and of itself, wrong. Exodus 30:12-16 allows for a census but gives specific guidelines for it. Read Exodus 30:12 where we find that a tax was to be collected with the census. David did not collect that tax.  

The more common understanding of the sin associated with this was that David was counting men who would be eligible for his army if called upon. David was looking at the potential strength of his army to defend him if needed. Two attitudes flow from that. One is pride in which David would be able to brag about a large army ready to defend him and Israel. The second problem was that it gave away the fact that David trusted in the strength of his army and not in the strength of his God to defend him. (Read Judges 7:1-8. The point God made to Gideon is that the strength of Israel did not depend on the number of men in the army but on God’s strength. David forgot that and God was angry with him.)

On what, or in whom, do we place our trust? There is no problem in checking your 401K occasionally to see how this pandemic has impacted it. It is wrong if we allow the strength or weakness of that account to determine how we feel about the future and God’s ability to care for us. David listened to Satan, who was given permission by God to test him, and counted the men of his army to determine how strong and secure he was.

When David listened to Satan and determined to count the men available for his army, Joab, one of the commanders asked him, according to verse 3, why he would want to do such a thing. David ignored him. It’s fascinating how often we decide to do something that is not right and ignore not just the advice of friends but of the Holy Spirit speaking to our hearts. Because of our sinful humanity we like to think we know what is best and we like to think we have the right to do with our lives as we want. Popular thinking says, “It’s my life and I want to have it now.” Popular thinking says, “It’s my body and I can do with it as I want.” Popular thinking says, “My future depends on what I do.”  When we decide we are going to do something that God tells us we should not do we easily come up with a 100 reasons why we can or should. The only reason we can think of why we should not is that God says “no.” Listen to God as He speaks through His Word and via the Holy Spirit. 

David knew he had failed. Read II Samuel 24:10-11. The Lord came to the prophet Gad and told him to go to David with three options.  He was to choose between three years of famine, three months of fleeing before his enemies, or three days of plague. David chose the third, and God then punished Israel with a plague that killed 70,000 men. 

Why did God punish the whole nation for the sin of David? God did not give a reason for His actions, although this whole incident was introduced with the note that He was angry with Israel. It should be noted that while sins may seem personal, the reality of it is that many others are impacted by our sin. Family, neighbors, and friends, along with others in general, see our actions and are influenced by them. We never sin in a vacuum. 

Why did David choose the plague? Perhaps because David knew that in the end the plague could only be stopped by God and he knew God is not only just, but He is merciful, so that would be the better choice. The choices he did not take would have left him at the mercy of others. Had he chosen war, he would have been at the mercy of his enemy. Had he chosen famine, he would have had to seek food from other nations, relying on their mercy to give it to them. David wisely chose to rely on the mercy of God. One can only wonder what a difference it might make today if the nations of the world confessed sins and turned to God, seeking His mercy.

What should be our takeaway from this incident? The primary message is the reminder that our care should rest not on our bank accounts or stimulus checks but in the One who has declared that even as He cares for the birds of the air and flowers of the fields, He will care for us because we are much more valuable to Him.

This incident is also a reminder that how we live impacts others. They see our actions for good or evil and respond accordingly. We do not live in a vacuum. Guard your life so you are a living testimony not only to your faith but to what it means to live out that faith each day.

What Are You Looking At?

Monday morning here. After getting up I turned on the TV and watched a news article on a childhood disease called Kawasaki that may be linked to the coronavirus. I learned that the total cases of the virus worldwide topped 4.1 million. That news was followed by a clip about a man in California who was killed in a shark attack. Went to the internet and read that a teen in Philadelphia had been shot overnight. Checked the stock report and learned that future stocks were down $234. Got the Reading Eagle and read the headline that said Berks added 114 positive cases, a significant spike when officials were deciding it was time to lift some restrictions. Headline for another article on the front page simply said, “On Mother’s Day, leaders search for optimism.” 

It really does not matter which day we check the news, there is very little encouraging in it. We live in a sin cursed society and while the current headlines focus on a virus, unemployment and an economy in chaos. When this is past there will be another round of crises that we face. Occasionally we have a short news article that is encouraging or focuses on the good things that are happening around us but for the most part, it is discouraging at best and often just plain depressing.

So, what can we do? We can do exactly what the people of God did in the Old Testament. Apart from a few years under the leadership of King David, for the most part life in Israel was difficult. One major break from the difficulties of everyday life came when they joined with other families from their community and traveled to Jerusalem to participate in the various temple worship times. A group would start out from a given town and in time would be joined by others from a different community. By the time they approached Jerusalem there were groups of several hundred traveling together and enjoying a time of fellowship with fellow children of God.

As they drew near to Jerusalem, they sang a series of Psalms known today as the Pilgrim Psalms that are grouped together as Psalms 120-134. The focal point of those psalms was awareness that as they drew closer to the temple, they were drawing closer to where God would meet with them. They knew that while God was not confined to a building, the building was a reminder of His presence with them. 

So, they would sing “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2) In particular when they sang that they would “lift up their eyes to the mountains” they were referring to Jerusalem which sat atop a mountain but more specifically to the temple that was in Jerusalem. To be even more specific they were lifting their eyes to God who met with them in the temple. No matter how tough life might be back home, they knew that ultimately their help came from the Lord.

We live in a real world where often the news is discouraging. We also live in God’s world and so, in the midst of difficulties and challenges, we must look to Him who is our help. Lift up your eyes to heaven and discover anew God’s love. Lift up your eyes to heaven and discover anew His promise to be our Good Shepherd. Lift up your eyes to heaven and hear again God’s promise to never forsake us. 

We need that encouragement daily.

Reminder: Don’t forget to send your offerings to Deb.

Prayer/Praise:

1. Continue to pray for Bill’s sister-in-law Deb.
2. Harold and Carol’s daughter-in-law has surgery and it went well. Pray for continued recovery
3. Mark’s brother-in-law will have the surgery on Friday.
4. Eden is pneumonia. Pray for full recovery
5. Ashley as she takes exams as part of her ongoing training in the navy
6. Saturday is food distribution. Cathy has enough help but let’s pray for them as they interact with the community and for the many families in our community that need help.

I don’t know about you, but I miss many things that were a part of my life 6 weeks ago. Being able to be with family and friends, being able to go out to eat, being able to sit in church as a congregation etc. were activities that brought me joy. I miss them as I know you do also.

If there is an upside to this pandemic and the disruption to life that it has caused it just might be that it has forced us to re-think what really does bring us joy. In thinking about that I came across a verse in Nehemiah that ends with the statement “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10). The context of that statement was very different from what we face today but the meaning is the same. We can and should find joy in the many things God has given us but even if all of them be taken away, our real joy in the Lord and when we allow His joy to fill us, we find the strength to face another week of isolation. 

Focus on all the Lord has promised us instead of what we do not have in the current situation and you will have reason to be joyful. We can’t necessarily be with family and friends, but our Lord has promised to always be with us. That should bring us joy. We may not have all the resources we once enjoyed, but we have a God who has promised to meet our every need. That should bring us joy. Being quarantined can be boring but it also can be an opportunity to spend more time in the Word and in fellowship with our God. That should bring us joy.

The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 95:1-2, “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving.” OK, your singing may be like mine, simply a joyful noise unto the Lord, but truth is that when we focus on the Lord we are filled with joy and that joy in our strength.

Announcements:

1. Thursday is National Day of Prayer for America. Be sure to spend a little time praying for our nation. We are commanded to pray for those in leadership and at this time we need to spend extra time praying for those involved in Coronavirus care and decisions about what we should and should not be doing.
2. Saturday, 5:00-6:00 drive through the church parking lot for a Mother’s Day greeting and gift.
3. This Sunday Pam Rankin Wise will be our Mother’s Day speaker and I can assure you it will be a special time.
4. Don’t forget to send you weekly offering to Deb R.
5. Time to think about summer sermons. Send sermon ideas/request to pastor Norm at Dixonnorm@comcast.net

Praise: 

1. We had another good Zoom service on Sunday. Continue to remember the Wagner family as they look for guidance in terms of a return to RVA.

Prayer:

1. Bill’s sister-in-law Deb as she faces a return of cancer.
2. Harold and Carol’s daughter-in-law Jenny who also dealing with cancer.
3. Pray for wisdom for Willis and Betsy as they must determine how to get Grace transferred to Tremont and for Grace as she adjusts to that change.
4. Remember Mae in prayer. She is getting weaker and has pain. Remember her family as they care for her.