Tears And Goodbyes

The scene in Acts 20:13-37 is touching. When Paul said goodbye to the leaders of Ephesus he knew he would never see them again in this life. Luke, watching, said, "They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him" (v.37). It was a sad but fond farewell. Somehow in just two brief years an unbreakable bond had been forged between Paul and these converts.

Square that scene with our own farewells. When you say goodbye to a group of friends, would there be such emotion? What made these people in Ephesus so fond of Paul? Paul must have built such strong, close relationships with them. How can we learn to be close to others ourselves? How can the cell community become that close? How can a mentoring group forge such closeness?

Look at Paul. Paul let people know how he lived (v.18). They saw his life close range. Often times, we tend to keep people at arm's length to our private life; our domestic life. No one knows what is happening behind the closed doors of our homes and our lives.

Paul opened up his life, and invited people to see and know the real him. In that sense, Paul was a man who had nothing to hide. That kind of a life is truly a life of total freedom. He was the same person everywhere. Thus he said, "You know" several times as he reviewed his way of life in Ephesus. Being willing to share ourselves is the key to intimacy, be it in a cell group or a mentoring group.

So when people saw Paul living out his life, it created a bond of deep love and affection between Paul and the Ephesians. Cell leaders, take note. The transparency and authenticity of your cell members will never rise above your personal transparency and authenticity. When you share your life openly, you create a safe place for your members to be open about their lives. And when the day of farewell comes, I bet there will be many tears!

Help Them To Their Feet

Acts 3:2
Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.

Acts 3:6-7
Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.

These two verses are interesting when you look at them side by side. I think they kind of reflect two different ministry philosophies.

There’s a crippled man. He needs help.
One group of people decides to help him by carrying him to the gate to beg everyday.
Peter and John decided to help him by reaching down, pulling him up on his feet, and telling him to walk.

Our ministry philosophy at Agape is more like the latter. We don’t want to be carrying people to the gate to beg. We don’t want to coddle and cater and spoon feed people leaving them unchanged.

But we want to reach down and help people; help them move to the next level. We’ll impart the healing power of Jesus to them. But they’ve got to get up and walk. They have got to make a personal investment into studying God’s Word for themself. They got to have the self-leadership to grow.

How about you? Are you investing too much time in carrying people to the gate and dropping them off to beg? Are you the one doing the begging when you should be lifting somebody else’s burden?

Take some advice from Peter.

In the name of Jesus, walk.

Lost, or Loved?

There are Christians who like to slip in and out of church. They want to hear the preaching but they don't want to do anything else. They like to remain anonymous.

I suppose that is the part of the appeal of very big churches. They are big enough for people to get lost in. You can go to church. But you don't have to get to know anyone.

Look at the pattern set for us in Acts 2. It is facinating. Big? You bet. Some 3000 people were converted by Peter's first sermon. That is a pretty good start to a big church. But lost in the crowd? Never! Because that first big church in Jerusalem immediately divided those converts up ino small groups, got them to meeting in houses, and before you knew it, each of these folks found he or she was loved - and loved others.

Luke described the result. They experienced unity in their house fellowships (v.42). They expressed their love for each other in the most practical of ways (v.44). They got together in larger groups to worship with enthusiasm (v.46). They became such friends they spent a lot of time with each other's families (v.46). They felt so glad that praise kept welling up out of their lives (v.47) And, oh yes, everyone was favourably impressed - and more people kept on being converted daily.

The Lord was so pleased, the Holy Spirit was continoually poured out upon them!

Don't be 'lost' in church with no relationships because then you've also lost out on a vital ingredient of authentic Christianity. Discipleship and growth happens in a community!

No One But Jesus!

The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

Matt 17: 10

The immediate aftermath of the story of the Transfiguration has much to teach us. The disciples feel down before the transformed Jesus at the Transfiguration and when they looked up “they saw no one but Jesus.” (Matt 17:8) What a mountaintop experience that was. They were deeply, totally immersed in worship.

They started back down the hill and almost immediately they become sidetracked. “By the way Jesus”, you can almost hear one of them say, “I have always wondered about the Malachi 4 passage. Does it really mean what the teachers of the Law say: that Elijah must appear before the Messiah came?” The moment of worship has passed and was replaced by questions about the Bible.

I know. The Bible and theology are important. Intellectually stimulating discussions about the Bible excites many of us. I am so convinced of that that I spend my life studying and teaching the Bible. But there are times when getting another answer from the Book, or asking another question detracts from a person’s spiritual life.

Just like asking that question about Elijah must have drawn some of the wonder from the memory of their worship, and diluted some of their awe of Jesus. So ultimately what is vital is not having all the answers, but worshipping Christ. Not knowing more, but knowing Him. Not study, but kneeling in awe before the One we meet as we eat this Book!

As you read through the New Testament these 30 days, don’t let the questions that come to your mind keep you from the awe and wonder of knowing the Lord of this Book!

Why The Geneology.

“A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the Son of David, the Son of Abraham”

Matt 1:1.

The Greek phrase, “a record of the genealogy,” is found only in Genesis 1 and 5. This indicates Matthew intended this phrase to mean “record of the origins.” Thus the first verse launches us immediately into the central issue of the New Testament. Who is Jesus? What is His role in God’s plan, and in our lives?

Matthew’s answer is given in this two-chapter introduction, which demonstrates that Jesus is the “Anointed One” predicted in the Old Testament. That term, “Messiah” in Old Testament Hebrew and “Christ” in New Testament Greek, is Jesus’ title. It means that He is the One through whom all God’s promises will be fulfilled.

As the “Son of David” Jesus fulfilled the promise God gave David that a descendant of his would sit on Israel’s throne, and rule a universal kingdom (cf. 2 Sam 7:12-16; Isa 9:6-7).

As “Son of Abraham” Jesus fulfilled the promise given by the father of the Jewish race. He is the “Seed,” through whom the entire human race would be blessed (Gen 12:1-3; cf. Gal 3:16).

Thus Matthew’s very first words alert us. Jesus is the focus of all Scripture. He is the essence – the substance and the spirit of its message. He is both Lord and Saviour. Hence, our response to Jesus determines our destiny. Our future and the future of our own lineage is very much tied to our response to Jesus.

As you begin today this journey through the entire New Testament, remember it is all about Jesus. Make these readings these 30 days an act of your devotion to Him.