Relevant

Acts 17 16-ff is the definitive passage that people use for talking about relevance. In it, Paul talks about the Athenian idol to an unknown god and uses this to explain Yahweh the creator and future judge, as proved by resurrection. (Really, that's the whole of his message. He doesn't even say "Jesus.")

So, why was this relevant?

Because Paul started with something in Athens? Not really.

Because he quoted from one of their poets? Not really.

It was relevant because it was what they were interested in. It was what they cared about:

21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

This was the right place for this message. They were into theology, so Paul gave them theology. They weren't the sinners that Jesus approached with love. They weren't the Pharisees that Jesus approached with rebuke. They weren't the Jews that Stephen approached with history. They weren't the crowd that Peter approached with facts. They were scholars who Paul approached with scholarship.

Who are we approaching? (Or who should we be approaching?) How should we approach them?

The religious know-it-all cries for reform. The scholar demands proof. The broken need comfort. The poor need food. The young need a teacher. The lonely need a friend. The inexperienced need a mentor. The old need a purpose. The down hearted need hope. The explorers need discovery.

Everyone needs love in one form or another. Our mission is to figure out the form and give it to them. And then give it to them again. And again. And again.

Lydia's Leadings

"The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message."

The Lord opened her heart, he didn't respond for her. It was still Lydia's decision to make, she was still the one who had to take action. She still had to choose. She still had to move, to act.

I'm guessing that most people have been there. They've been in a situation where they gain some understanding or some insight. They feel called or know they should respond, yet when it is time for them to do their part, they sit and wait for the moment to pass.

How many times has God opened my heart to respond and I've failed to act?

How many opportunities has God presented that I've ignored (willingly or because I wasn't paying attention or because I had other things to do or because I was embarrassed or because...).

God hates Asians

Okay, not really. Just feeling a bit sensationalistic this morning.

It does make me curious why Paul was "kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia."

Were they gonna kill him?

Was there a more pressing need somewhere else?

Was someone else already tasked with that job?

Boldness and Prayer

"Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness."

Where is our boldness when we tell others about God?

Where is our boldness when we think about what God can do?

Where is our boldness when we think about what God will do?

What are we afraid of?

Persistent Power

What happens when one power is threatened by another? How do people react when their power may be usurped or upended? How does the veteran react when the talented young rookie steals his starting spot? How does the CEO react when the board disagrees with him for the first time? How do parents react when their 18-year old makes a decision knowing they will disagree?

The Sadducees wrestled with the emergence of the power of Jesus. Every ruler of the time wrestled with the emergence of the power of Jesus. They rejected his power. They questioned his power. They forbid the mention of it. None of these things stopped it.

That's the thing with real power - you can't stop it. You can disagree all you want. You can fight all you want. Nothing will stop it.

No matter what we want or what we do, God's power is paramount. We think we have power, but in comparison it is just an illusion. We can claim our power, we can reject God's power, we can try to silence or ignore God, but in the end God will reign.

What doesn't happen in the world is the embrace of an external power. What doesn't existence in the world is the foundation of love in that new power. What doesn't happen in the world is the rejection of personal power.

If reject God's power, it will become the capstone. If we try to enforce silence from God's followers, the rocks will cry out. If we renounce our own power and rely only on God's power, He will gladly share it with us.

Just plain ordinary. However...

"When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."

He is an ordinary man, but he's been with Jesus.

Is there a better compliment?

Who in your life would you describe this way?

What do I need to do (or stop doing) or say (or stop saying) or be (or stop being) to become a man you would describe this way?

God Bless You

When I think of blessings, I normally think of things you can get - blessed with money, blessed with cars, blessed with good looks, blessed with talent, blessed with family, blessed with friends. Is this really what blessings are all about, or do I have this idea of blessing because I'm focused on me more than I'm focused on God? When God says He has plans to bless and not curse me, does He mean He will give me stuff and not take it away? That just doesn't seem right.

What does God mean by bless? What does blessing really look like? It seems like it would mean a better life than the one I have now. Does that come from more stuff or even more or better relationships?

"When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."

Jesus' first blessing to us was to turn us from our sins. His first mission wasn't to die. It wasn't to come back from the dead. (That doesn't lessen the importance of those missions in any way.) His first mission was to bring repentance. We can't forget the importance of Jesus' first mission. We can't forget the importance of repentance; it is a blessing.

Suddenly, I don't feel so bad asking for blessings.

God, bless me today. Turn me from my wicked ways.

Being Liberal

"Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you."

Am I liberal? No, not politically.

Am I liberal with the gifts God has given me?

Peter sees this guy who wants money. It would have been easy for Peter to think to himself, "I don't have $, so I'll just keep going." That is probably what I would have done. Heck, that's what I've done plenty of times when I had money.

Peter doesn't though. He gives the man what he had, even though it wasn't what he asked for. What do I have? What has God given me that I need to be liberally giving to others?

Everything in Common

The beginning of the church was community. It wasn't enough for people to simply repent ,be baptized and go on with their lives. Instead, they left everything in their lives and joined together. They lived together, they shared their possessions and had "everything in common."

When did that stop? How did it change to what we know today? Was it a recognition that the end wasn't as near as originally thought? Was it a lack of resources? Were the Christians taken advantage of? Was it a mistake?

What does this mean for us today? How do we have "everything in common" in a world where we celebrate just having something in common? Maybe we start with a redefinition of what we hold onto as everything.

Peter's Point

When we read Peter's sermon in Acts 2, it is very common to focus only on verses 37-41. We look at the result. But how did Peter get to the result?

When I read it, I find myself reading verse 36 and cringing, especially at "whom you crucified." This verse makes it sound like everything that came before was just a set-up for Peter to lay the guilt on thick. "You did this. It is YOUR fault this innocent man was tortured and killed."

But that is just one verse, actually it is just one parenthetical phrase, amidst a lengthy description of the position and glory of Jesus. Too many sermons are flipped. They are filled with guilt and have only a little glory. (Actually, too many sermons have none of either.) Peter's pattern must be the pattern we take - a whole lotta praise and a tiny dose of hard truth.

Poor Guy

Did you ever wonder what happened to the "other guy"? Two men were proposed to replace Judas, but only Matthias made the cut. Poor "Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus)." First he is stuck with a name that is longer than some sentences, then he isn't chosen to take Judas' place. Instead, he goes down in history as missing out on being one of The Twelve.

Then again, because he was nominated, we know that he was a witness to all of Jesus' ministry. Scholars think he was one of the seventy-two who were sent out and some think he was one of Jesus' brothers. Some even name him as St. Justus of Eleutheropolis. (I bet you didn't know that, did you?)

I've often wondered what heaven would be like. Will there be people there who are upset by not being in the top 12? I'm thinking not. I'm thinking that just being in the presence of God will be more than enough to destroy our false notions of place and position. I'm thinking Justus felt the same way.

Do I?

What are you waiting for?

Yet another Easter just passed. Together with millions of our closest friends we celebrated the most amazing event that ever transpired. Anywhere. At any time.


It is not surprising that we could feel a little let down or left out afterwards. The disciples did. They had 40 days afterwards when Jesus hung out with them, ate with them and taught them (again) about the Kingdom of God. Then he left. He floated right up into the clouds - a fittingly amazing ext.


What was the disciples reaction? Something like this:




They stood there staring up into the sky, dumbfounded. They were waiting. They didn't know what it was, but they knew it was amazing. It was them. And it was amazing.


Jesus had talked to them about the Kingdom of God and told them that it wouldn't be easy to categorize or describe. But, Jesus did say it was in them. The time was quickly approaching for them to let the Kingdom out and to put it into practice.


As we see Easter 2009 getting smaller in the rearview mirror, we find ourselves in the same situation. We can start to wonder what is next. We can await something amazing. We can stand staring at the sky with our chins hanging down and our mouths gaping. We can ask our church leaders what they are doing next. Or we can be amazing. We can see the Kingdom inside of ourselves and let it out. We can stop waiting and start being.

You don't get to know that

I hate not knowing. I hate feeling like I've been left in the dark or that I've been excluded from some piece of information. Maybe its because I'm a know-it-all or maybe because I've got control issues (If I don't know something, how can I control it?). In a way, I feel like I deserve to know things, either about work or friends' lives. Maybe I feel that because I'm such a good friend or employee I've earned it. Ir maybe it is because I feel like information should be more freely available. Maybe I don't value information enough.

In Acts, after Jesus' resurrection, the disciples ask Jesus if he was (finally) going to restore the kingdom to Israel. His response? "That's not for you to know." Or as the Message puts it, "You don't get to know that."

This is privileged information, it is of great value. They didn't get to know this, and they didn't need to know this. How privileged are we to know what we know? I have access to so much more information than my parents' generation, all at the tips of my fingers. I can instantly find out the best place to park for a Pacer's game in Indianapolis or the weather in Ireland, without putting in much work at all. I also have direct access to almighty God and insight into his plan for my life.

How privileged is that? How could I ask for more than that?