Tag: Acts

Jeff Garrison
Bluemont and Mayberry Churches
March 13, 2022
Acts 8:26-39

At the Beginning of Worship: 

Last Sunday, I kicked off my Lenten sermon series on “Why Church?” with a discussion on why Jesus established the church. In the sermon I pointed out that the word used in the Greek New Testament for church is the same word used in the Greek Old Testament for the people or the community of God. The church is the people of God. 

Perhaps I should have gone a little deeper and emphasized that Bluemont and Mayberry Presbyterian Churches is not “the Church.” Yes, we’re churches, but we ‘re only a drop in the bucket of the church on the earth, which include people of all races and ethnic groups and languages. While we like to think that we’re important, we’re should always remind ourselves that God’s work in the world is much larger than those of us who gather in each of these rock buildings along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Nonetheless, we’re still a part of that movement of God, that began with Jesus and continues through the Apostles’ and down to us.  

Today, our theme will be the church as a safe place for people to ask questions and to explore their own relationship to God. We should all be asking questions and encouraging others to ask questions. We may not have all the answers, but we have faith in the one who does. 

Before the Reading of Scripture: Conversion in Acts

Before I read the Scripture for today, I would like to discuss the idea of conversion to the faith as it occurs in the book of Acts. Interestingly, there are no patterns that becomes a standard for all conversion in Acts.^[1]  Conversions involved large numbers of people, as it did on Pentecost.^[2] It involved family groups as it did with the jailer in Philippi.^[3] And at times it involved a single individual, as with Paul^[4] and with the Ethiopian eunuch, which we’ll look at today.  

The catalyst behind each set of conversions is different. The Pentecost crowd heard the call to repentance. The Philippian jailer and his family witnessed the faithfulness of Paul and Silas. Paul’s conversion came with a command, for the Lord had something for him to do. And in our story, the conversion comes from Philip leading the Ethiopian through the scriptures. 

God Must Act for a Conversion to Happen.

Ultimately, these conversions came through an act of God, whose Spirit worked within the lives of those converted to bring about a change in their lives. In a way, conversion was never the end, but the beginning of a new life following Jesus. Conversion is not our destination, but a start of a journey that won’t end until we’ve gone home to be with the Lord.^[5]

Let’s now listen to the story of Philip and the Ethiopian. I was shocked to see that I had preached on this text early in my time here on the Blue Ridge. But today, I’m approaching the text from a different angle than I used back in late 2020.^[6]

Read Acts 8:26-39.

After the Reading of Scripture: 

I mentioned how there is no universal model for conversion in Acts, but there appear to be two necessary things that need to happen for a conversion to occur. First, God’s Spirit must act in the life of one being drawn into the faith. Second, there must be someone to help interpret what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Even with the dramatic conversion of Paul on the Damascus Road, he was sent while still blinded by the light, to believers who helped him understand Jesus.^[7]

In our text today, we see the Ethiopian is intrigued with what he is reading from Isaiah, but he has no context. Had he continued along the road back to Africa by himself, he would have just remained confused. But God works by whisking Philip out onto the Wilderness Road, where he’s able to help the Ethiopian understand. 

Notice what happens. Philip and the Ethiopian converse about what he’s reading. Philip doesn’t just jump up on the carriage and say, “You must be saved.” Instead, he asks if he understands what he’s reading. And then he allows the Ethiopian to ask questions. And, once his questions have been answers, the Ethiopian is at the point that he wants to take the next step and asks to be baptized. 

The Need for Questions.

One of the things we can learn from this text is that we need to be open and willing to answer questions. The idea Christian community isn’t one that has all the answers. If we believe we have all the answers, we are mistaken. We think too much of ourselves if that’s the case. We don’t have all the answers, but we believe in a God who does have the answers. And we are to help direct or point others toward God’s Son, Jesus Christ, who can lead them back to God the Father. That’s what is happening here with Philip and the Ethiopian. 

Of course, you may be wondering what this has to do with church? Too many people think we must draw more people into the church building. And while it’s a noble goal, it’s the wrong way to look at church. The church, as I’ve already noted, is the community of God. And that community exists beyond the walls of buildings. What Philip was doing was to go to where there was a need.

We’re to do the same. Instead of trying to drag “the heathen” into a church building so they might we saved, we need to go to where they are at. And we need to seriously listen to their questions about our faith. We must befriend them and love them for who they are, as does God. And we need to be honest when we don’t have an answer. Humbly, we need to let others know that we live faithfully as a follower of Jesus and while we don’t have every answer, we trust him.

Questions and the Sermon

By the way, this idea of the church as a place for communication has implications that I don’t like for the sermon. Sadly, often the sermon is one direction, with me giving you my ideas about the Scriptures. Ideally there should be a way for this to become a two-way conversation. But that’s hard to do in an hour, so I encourage you to discuss the sermon with each other afterwards.  

Reaching out to different people

Another thing we learn from this text is that the people God sends us to interact with may not look anything like us. This Ethiopian didn’t look like a Hebrew. He probably had very dark skin. He stood out in the crowds around the temple. Too often the church has focused only on reaching people who are, in many ways, like us. 

As the book of Acts shows, the church is to be constantly expanding its boundaries as it reaches people for Jesus Christ. But that’s not just the work of missionaries, for there may be people in our community that don’t fit into the stereotype of what we think a Christian should look like. Sadly, few churches do this very well. In the 1960s, Martin Luther King, Jr pointed out that Sunday morning was the most segregated time in America. And the segregation extends beyond racial divisions. We feel comfortable with those most like us, but the church throughout Acts is always being called to step out in faith and to reach others. 

Example of a church reaching out

In the late 1990s, I spent parts of several summers in San Francisco as I was doing course work for my doctorate. Each Sunday, I sought out different types of worship experiences. One of the most engaging churches was on the edge of the Mission District of the city.^[8] It was an old church with thick brick walls, and it was packed. Not only were all the pews filled, but there were also people sitting in every windowsill around the church. This congregation had three services each Sunday, and there was a line for each service waiting to get in. It was an amazing experience. 

But what impressed me most wasn’t the numbers, but the make-up of the congregation. There were blacks and whites, Hispanic and Asians. There were rich people, who allowed the church’s valet attendants to park their brand-new Mercedes. And then there were homeless people who staggered in. There were those who walked the streets at night as prostitutes and drug dealers as well as those who had offices in the nicer buildings of the city. This was before COVID, so we all packed in together.

Why church? Because every one of those people who gathered at that church, whether young or old, rich or poor, had a need to hear the message of Jesus Christ. We all have that need, and we all should have the willingness to help others meet this need. 

Conclusion.

An ideal congregation, in my opinion, is a place where we can have a friendly dialogue about what’s important in life. And as these conversations occur, as with Philip and the Ethiopian, we can help one another foster a better relationship with our Savior. And for us to create such a conversation, we need to be open to people’s questions. Are we? Amen. 

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^[1] For an in depth discussion on conversion in Acts, see: William H. Willimon,, Acts: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, (1988, Louisville: John Knox Press, 2010), 100-105.

^[2] Acts 2:37-42.

^[3] Acts 16:25-34.

^[4] Acts 9:1-9

^[5] For a discussion on conversion in Acts, from which I draw upon in these paragraphs, see William H. Willimon, Acts: Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (1988, Louisville: John Knox Press, 2011), 101-104.

^[6] To see my sermon from December 2020, click here:  https://fromarockyhillside.com/2020/12/advent-2-joy/

^[7] Acts 9:10-19.

^[8] Glide Memorial Church. 

Sun sinking over Laurel Fork (February 13, 2022)

Jeff Garrison
Bluemont and Mayberry Presbyterian Churches
April 18, 2021
Acts 16:1-10

The sermon was recorded on Friday, April 16, at Bluemont Presbyterian Church

At the beginning of worship

The sessions of both congregations, Bluemont and Mayberry, are engaged in planning for the future as we come out of the COVID pandemic. While we all want to get back to our former lives, the primary question to guide our work should be “where is God leading us?” It’s an age-old question as we’ll see today. 

Acts 16

The sixteenth chapter of Acts is a turning point. Paul heads into Europe. The story Luke tells in Acts focuses on Paul and his companions. Barnabas and Peter and others move to the sidelines. This doesn’t mean they stopped their missionary activity. Instead, Luke, the author of Acts, centers his story on Paul. But even Paul had no plans to go to Europe, until a dream… We’ll learn more in the sermon.

Read Acts 16:1-10 

After the reading of scripture

Several years ago, I preached through the book of Acts. Fifty-four sermons! Early on, I began to question the name of the book. It’s full name as it appears in most Bibles is “Acts of the Apostles.” But if you read the book, you’ll understand it wasn’t so much the “acts of the Apostles” as it was “the acts of God through the Apostles.” If it was just up to the Apostles, they’d probably never gotten out of Jerusalem. They often don’t act until prodded to do so by God. God’s Spirit, throughout the book, is the motivating power. 

But as I continued to study this book, I decided it should have at least one subtitle: “The Roots of the Church’s 2000 Year Resistance to Change.” Most often, not only did the Apostles not act until they received a kick in the pants, but they also tried to slow down the work of the Spirit. 

We dislike change

This is a natural response. We don’t like change. We want to do things our way. But times change. People change and so too must the church. Of course, the gospel doesn’t change. We still worship the same God, but how we worship, how we share the faith, and how we live out the gospel changes because the culture in which we live changes. 

Yet, change makes us uncomfortable. We want to turn back time. Let’s go back to the 50s when the churches were full, and things were on the move. But that’s not an option. 

An example of resistance to change 

       You know, as much as we don’t like change, we like to accumulate stuff. That’s true in our homes as it is in our churches. When I was in my first church, I remember working with a group of people going through a bunch of old Christian Education materials. This was in 1990. There were still those who wanted to hold on to old filmstrips of Bible stories. We didn’t even have a working filmstrip projector. They were no longer making bulbs for them. We also had chalk boards and felt boards still up on the walls, which was being replaced by whiteboards (today it would be smartboards). 

https://pixabay.com/users/geralt-9301/

Now, granted, a child could still learn on a chalk board or via a filmstrip. Many of us here had learned the gospel stories in such a manner, but new technology came along. VHS tapes and CDs had come into vogue in 1980s. As Bob Dillon sang back in the 60s, the times are a changing. Today, they are no longer making VHS players!

Why did Paul have Timothy circumcised? 

With the way things change, I wonder why in our text Paul decided to have Timothy circumcised. After all, in the previous chapter, you have the Council of Jerusalem. There, the question of circumcision seemed to be settled for the second time in the Book of Acts.^[1]Gentiles did not have to undergo such surgery in order to become Christians. Paul fought for this change. He took this as good news, yet here he has one of his assistants go under the knife. Why? 

Compromise

Paul, in the case of Timothy, compromised. From what we gleam from the text, Paul felt that by having Timothy circumcised, he would be more acceptable to the Jewish population. Timothy had a Jewish mother, but his father was Greek. Today, in Judaism, the line generally passes down through the mother, but there is some question about that during the first century.^[2]

Having not been circumcised, while claiming to be a Jewish Christian, would have made Timothy suspicious to the Jews of Asia and Europe. So, while Paul didn’t expect Gentiles to be circumcised, he felt it was a good thing for Timothy. Paul was willing to compromise this principal for the sake of the gospel. 

In Galatians, Paul tells us that circumcision carries no weight with Christ. However, in his first letter to the Corinthians, he speaks of being all things to all people in order to win them over to Christ. It appears this is what Paul is doing here by making Timothy more acceptable to the Jews.^[3]

Paul’s traveling companions

Now Paul is traveling with at least two companions: Timothy and Silas. He may have been traveling with three, for beginning in verse 10, Luke the author of Acts, shifts from the third-person plural (they) to the first-person plural (we). Does this mean Luke was along as an eyewitness? Scholars have argued it both ways and it’s an interesting idea but doesn’t matter much to the story.^[4]

Heart of the matter: Doors are closing       

Now let’s get into the heart of the matter. Starting in verse six, we learn of the paths Paul took through Asia. There seems to be a problem. Doors are closing. The Holy Spirit hinders their ability to share the gospel. The Spirit of Jesus keeps them from even going into new and fertile territory. They head off on this missionary journey but find themselves unable to do the work. What gives? 

How did the Spirit hinder them? Did they come down with a bad case of laryngitis? How did the Spirit keep them from heading to go to Bi-thyn-i-a?  Did the Spirit station an angel by the road with a fiery sword as the Cherubim stood at the east gate to the Eden?^[5] We don’t know. Sometimes, however, God closes doors in front of us in order to redirect our lives.^[6] God, not Paul, is in control.^[7]  

Paul’s dream

The third movement of this passage comes in a dream. Paul must have been frustrated by his inability to do the work to which he felt called. Then, one night he has a vision. We assume this came in his sleep. Ironically, in the darkness, the path forward becomes clear. Instead of working across Asia, Europe calls. 

In this vision, Paul sees a Macedonian man pleading with his for help. How he knew he was Macedonian, we don’t know. Maybe he waved the Macedonian flag like an Olympian. Paul realizes what he must do. According to the text, they agree and arrange passage to Europe.  

Lesson 1 from the text: willing to compromise

There are several things we can take from this passage and apply to our lives and to our work as Jesus’ ambassadors in the world. First of all, at times we should compromise. It may help us reach others. Timothy was circumcised. Sometimes such efforts gain enough trust that we can share the gospel with others. 

What’s important isn’t our own desires, but what is best for the other. When we are considering what to do in the future, this is good advice. It’s another way of living out one of Jesus most frequent themes, “if you want to be first, you have to go to the end of the line” and if you want to be great you have to be willing to be a servant.^[8]

What are we willing to sacrifice to help spread the gospel? How can we serve others? 

Lesson 2 from the text: God opens and closes doors

A second theme we see here is how God opens and closes doors, which leads our missionaries into Europe. What we sometimes take as misfortunes can be God leading us to a new opportunity. 

I’ve seen this in my own ministry. Just before I had the call to Skidaway Island, I was all set to accept a call to a church in the Finger Lakes region of New York. But at the last minute, I realized it wasn’t where I was to be. I turned down the call. It was hard. I was excited about the possibilities. We already had an offer made and accepted on a home. 

Afterwards, I commented about how I felt as a pawn in some divine chess match. “Get used to it,” I was wisely counselled. After all, you’re a Calvinist. 

We, who believe in God’s providential control, are able at times to look back and see God’s hand leading us forward. Sadly, however, when we look ahead, we’re like Paul. We don’t see the hand leading us, only the closed doors. But there are times those closed doors leads us to open doors where our skills and abilities and insights can be of use.  

Lesson 3 from the text: Follow God’s guidance

A final theme, which goes with the second one, is that we must follow God and accept the growth he provides. For Paul and company, that meant to go to Macedonia, to Europe, at the pleading of the man in the vision. Where and to whom is God calling us to minister? Where have we been placed? We need to look around and see how we can be useful to God’s kingdom. We should be thankful for those who are here and do what we can to minister in the ways of Christ. God doesn’t call all churches to be all things to all people. 

Paul learned he wasn’t called to spend the rest of his ministry in Asia, but we know other missionaries filled in the gap. 

Trust God to take care of everything

A lightbulb moment in seminary came when one of the leaders of World Vision spoke. During a times of questions and answers, a number of students, some conservative and others liberal, tried to pin this man down to their particular concerns. Essentially the questions could be boiled down to what he was doing about abortion and how was he fighting against systemic oppression. 

Refusing the bait, this man insisted his call was to help feed and care for hungry people. That’s it. He trusted God would call others to take care of those issues. 

Conclusion

There is a wisdom in going in the direction God calls. For this man it meant focusing on hunger. In Paul’s case, it meant leaving behind what’s familiar in Asia and heading off to Europe. What about us? Amen.  

©2021

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^[1] See Acts 11:18 and 15:19-20.

^[2] Beverly Roberts Gaventa, Acts (Nashville: Abingdon, 2003), 232.

^[3] Galatians 5:6, 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.

^[4] F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts: The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986 reprint) argues in favor Luke joining up with Paul, Silas and Timothy.  See pages 327-328.  William H. Willimon, Acts: Interpretation, a Biblical Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1988) while not discrediting that Luke could have been along, gives two other explanations and then suggests that the use of “we” gives the rest of Acts “a sense of drama and immediacy.”  (See pages 135-136).  

^[5] Cf, Genesis 3:24.

^[6] See Craig Barnes, When God Interrupts (Drowers’ Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 1976). 

^[7] Gaventa, 234.  

^[8] Matthew 19:30, 20;16, 20:27; Mark 9:35, 10:37, 10:44; and Luke 13:30.