Atos 11
Kent Hughes · Citado em PreceptAustin
Atos 11
Hughes - Apollo's famous pursuit of Daphne there was reenacted night and day by the men of the city and by the priestesses, who were in fact ritual prostitutes. Throughout the world "the morals of Daphne" was a euphemism for depravity....( Hughes adds that Antioch) "had the greatest preachers—in the first century Barnabas, Paul, and Peter; in the second Ignatius and Theophilus; in the third and fourth Lucian, Theodore, Chrysostom, and Theodoret. God's light can shine in the darkest pit. God's flowers can blossom in the most putrid bog. (Preaching the Word – Acts: The Church Afire) David
Atos 11
Hughes reminds us that "Antioch was evangelized not by apostles but by average members of Christ's Body who were willing to share their faith. Wherever these fugitives landed, they kindled a blaze. Sharing Christ was to them as natural as tears to sorrow or a smile to happiness. Everyday believers empowered by the Holy Spirit of God blew away the hold of paganism on needy souls. What an example!"...A heavenly vitality now burned in the midst of the materialistic and spiritual darkness of Antioch. This was so foreign to its bleak environment that it would alter the vocabulary of the city—and indeed of the entire world. A similar thing happened to George Fox and his followers in 1640 when he stood before a certain Justice Bennet and "bid him to tremble at the word of the Lord." In response the justice called Fox and his followers "Quakers." Elton Trueblood comments: "One of the best evidences that the image which Fox and his associates conveyed to their contemporaries was a dynamic one, is that provided by the nickname Quaker..." The same thing happened to the Methodists, who were so named because of their systematic, methodical pursuit of holiness. If a spiritual dynamic operated among us causing people to reach for a new word to describe us, what would the word be? What words do they use now? ('CHRISTIAN") When God's people live for Christ in such depth and power that those around them have to strive for a new term to describe what they see—that is awesome! (Preaching the Word – Acts: The Church Afire) Gotquestions adds that "George Fox, the founder of Quakerism, said the name “Quaker” was first used as a derogatory term in court, “because we bid them tremble at the Word of God.” Quakers were persecuted widely in England and the American Colonies and were often imprisoned or put to death for their beliefs. Because of this widespread persecution, William Penn founded the Pennsylvania Colony to provide a safe haven for Quakers. The practical emphases of Quaker doctrine have always been 1) reliance on the direct guidance of the Holy Spirit, 2) love for one another, 3) love for enemies (pacifism), and 4) the sufficiency of truth-speaking (not taking any oaths). With their emphasis on “the inner light” and the movement of the Spirit, Quakers typically shun systematic theology and doctrinal creeds. Most Quakers hold to evangelical doctrines, but a small minority holds to liberal theology and universalism. Some support a traditional view of marriage, while others affirm and support gay marriage. One of the distinctives of Quakerism is the practice of “group spiritual discernment,” whereby the Friends wait on God to lead them in whatever business is at hand. This sensitivity to the Spirit's moving is indeed valuable and often lacking in other churches. On the other hand, if the people in the group have not sufficiently studied the Scriptures for God’s revealed will, the group may “feel led” to something that violates Scripture. This is why the apostle John commanded us to “believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God” (1 John 4:1). Historically, the Quakers have always tried to emphasize the social aspects of the gospel. They were involved in ending slavery and increasing the rights of women and minorities. One of Amnesty International's founders was a Quaker, and the Quakers have been strong supporters of that organization ever since.(Quakers) Acts 11:21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. KJV Acts 11:21 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. the hand of the Lord 2 Chronicles 30:12; Ezra 7:9; 8:18; Nehemiah 2:8,18; Isaiah 53:1; 59:1; Luke 1:66 and a large number who believed Acts 11:24; 2:47; 4:4; 5:14; 6:7; 1 Corinthians 3:6,7; 1 Th 1:5 turned to the Lord Acts 9:35; 15:19; Acts 26:18-20; 1 Th 1:9,10 GOD'S POWER FOR SAVING And - Unfortunately most modern versions like the NET, NIV, HCSB, NAB, NJB, GWN, NRS, NLT omit the "and" which is a strategic and significant conjunction in this passage. And is the Greek word "kai" which clearly links the former passage with the following. What do we see in the former passage? They preached the Lord Jesus. What do we see in the following passage? The good hand of the Lord was with them. Do you see the clear association? So what is the practical application? If you desire the good hand of the Lord upon your ministry, you will preach the Lord Jesus. And conversely, if you preach the Lord Jesus, you need the good hand of the Lord upon you as you preach! I am an avid reader of the sermons of C H Spurgeon and as I pondered this passage in Acts and began to think about the content of his sermons, it was clear that Spurgeon invariably preached the Lord Jesus. Is there any wonder that the good hand of the Lord was upon his ministry which was probably the most prolific and powerful of any man since the apostle Paul who "determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." (1 Cor 2:2)! And one other aspect which I love about Spurgeon's sermons is that He almost always begins by acknowledging that he can do absolutely nothing of eternal value unless the Holy Spirit empower his preaching (cf the good hand of the Lord). Here are a few representative quotes... May the Spirit of God prepare our hearts for our meditation, and impress the truth upon them...I must press the question again and again, and I do pray the Holy Spirit to let His power be felt by every one of us. (Lovest Thou Me? John 21:16) If the objection is not driven away by my feeble sentences, may God drive it away by his mighty Spirit. (A Remonstrance and A Rejoinder - Galatians 5:6) I shall try to set forth the astounding grace of God, as his Spirit shall enable me (Amazing Grace Isaiah 57:18) About this matter we will talk this morning as the Lord shall help us, and may his Holy Spirit bless us therein....We vex the Holy Spirit every time we go into sin, for he loves us much and cannot bear to see us so dreadfully hurting ourselves....If you are willing he will grant you the power; nay, in making you willing he has already begun the work. If this morning he has made you truly willing to give up sin, his blessed Spirit will never leave you till sin is overcome....Deliverance from sin is not a work of the flesh, but a work of grace: it does not spring from legal bondage, but from the gracious work of the blessed Spirit: but you must have it, you must have it, and if you will not have holiness neither shall you have heaven. (Reasons for Parting with Sin - Isaiah 1:18) This morning we will commune together upon the trials of Joseph, and our own afflictions. Our first reflections shall be spent upon the importance of trial; secondly, we will consider the peculiarity of the believer’s trial—for “the word of the Lord tried him;” and thirdly, we will observe the continuance and the conclusion of the trial,—“until the time that his word came.” May the ever blessed Spirit direct our meditations. (Trial by the Word - Psalm 105:19) Now we come to that part of our discourse in which we must earnestly pray God the Holy Spirit to help us doubly. (Unconditional Surrender - James 4:7 If you have time read this one!) As Paul explains in his letter to the Thessalonians "our Gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; (NLT says "for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true.") (1 Th 1:5). This is undoubtedly as apt description of these unnamed men who were preaching the Lord Jesus. In a word, these men were not just proclaiming the Word of God the Gospel, but they doing it in the power of the Holy Spirit. Does this describe your preaching and/or teaching? It should! It can! It must!
Atos 11
Hughes observes that Barnabas "could easily have seen the situation in a different light. These people were new, untaught Christians. They still carried the mire of Antioch with them. Some of them had miles to go in their language and relationships and ethics. But Barnabas "saw the evidence of the grace of God." He could see Christian grace and charm in their lives—the fruit of the Spirit: "love, joy, peace..."—and "he was glad." (Ibid)
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Hughes illustrates the root idea of parakaleo "to come alongside and encourage" with the following example - I see this exemplified every time my church has a roller skating party, and the parents put their little ones on skates for the first time. Mom and Dad skate with their child, holding on to his or her hands, sometimes with the child’s feet on the ground and sometimes in the air. But all the time the parents are alongside encouraging....[exhortation] is a wonderful gift, and we are to place it at Christ’s feet and be willing to be worn out in its use. Our English word "encourage" means literally “with heart.” To encourage in a sense is to give them new heart. Shallow sympathy makes people feel worse --- true spiritual encouragement makes them feel better. It brings out the best in people. ENCOURAGING YOUNG SAINTS TO FOCUS ON CHRIST Alexander Maclaren once said that "Many of us are so busy thinking about Christianity that we have lost our hold of Christ." Barnabas called for purposeful perseverance.