Sunday, July 27, 2014

Today´s Sermon notes



2014.07.27                                             Acts 12: 1- 10
                           James and Peter
    Persecution   Prayer  and the Power of God 
It´s great to see you here this morning… As many of you know we teach through the Bible verse by verse…… We want to see the big picture and understand our great God and our Savior Jesus Christ…. We are studying the birth of the church in the book of Acts….. We are witnessing the explosion of the Good News of the Gospel….. In the last few weeks we have seen the Gospel spreading out from Jerusalem Just like Jesus said…. Barnabas and Paul have ministered to the new Gentile church in Antioch….. These were very exciting times….. People were repenting of their sins and even the Heathen were getting saved….. Awesome times….. But hard times are coming again for the believers.….
This morning we come to the 12th Chapter of Acts….. In this chapter we see three big themes…. Persecution …. Prayer….. and the Power of God….. at work in a sinful and dying world..…    We will talk about the power of God…. and how God operates in the lives of men……
We will look this morning at how the early church responded to yet another persecution….. This is the fifth persecution the early church has experienced….

 But this time the persecution does not come from the scribes and the Pharisees….. This time the persecution comes from King Herod…. The rulers of this world are the natural enemies of God…… They do not want the rule of God…… Not in their lives….. and in their consciences…… Not in the affairs of men….. Turn with me to Psalms 2…. V1…
Psalms 2: 1- 3                      NLT    
1 Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans?
2 The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his anointed one.
3 “Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from slavery to God.”
Psalms 2: 1- 3                           Neues Leben
1 Warum toben die Völker vor Zorn? Warum schmieden sie vergebliche Pläne?
2 Die Könige der Erde lehnen sich auf, die Herrscher der Welt verschwören sich gegen den Herrn und seinen Gesalbten.
3 »Wir werden ihre Ketten zerreißen«, schreien sie, »und uns von ihrer Herrschaft befreien!«
Psalm 2 is a  prophesy of the coming of the Messiah….. The LORD Jesus…… It says that the entire world will join forces to try to destroy the LORD and His people….. This is exactly what we are seeing in our text today…..  This is exactly what we are seeing in the world today…… Christians and Jews are being persecuted and killed all over the World…. The hatred that many have for  God´s people is wicked and unbelievable….. We need to cry out to God for mercy…… In these hard times we need to be men and women of prayer….. We must  look to the Power  of God to protect and to deliver….  Lets begin reading at Acts 12… v 1…..
Acts 12: 1- 4                             NKJV      
1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. 4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.
Acts 12: 1- 4                                NeÜ
1 Um diese Zeit ging König Herodes gegen Mitglieder der Gemeinde vor und ließ sie misshandeln.
2 Jakobus, den Bruder von Johannes, ließ er enthaupten.
3 Als er merkte, dass das den Juden gefiel, ließ er auch Petrus festnehmen. Das geschah während des Festes der ungesäuerten Brote.
4 Er ließ ihn ins Gefängnis schaffen und von vier Gruppen zu je vier Soldaten bewachen. Nach dem Passafest wollte er ihn vor dem Volk aburteilen.
Verse1,2…… As we read in Psalm 2….. The rulers of this world hate God and His Anointed one…. The LORD JESUS CHRIST…. They willing fight against His rule in the affairs of men…. One of the most famous families of kings that ever fought God were the Herods…..  In this chapter…. we are introduced to another Herod……
Who is Herod? Well the first of the Herods……   was Herod the Great…...     He ruled about 41 B. C. until about the time of the birth of Christ…….       Herod Agrippa 1 is his grandson…. We are reading about him this morning….. They are all descendents of the Maccabees…..They were a powerful Jewish family….. Herod had been educated in Rome….. He knew the powerful people because he had grown up with them in Rome….   
What a sad day that was for the early church…….   James was one of Jesus´ inner circle… of James, John, and Peter…… They killed him with the sword…… He was the son of Zebedee…… And  the brother of John the apostle…….
In order to  kill somebody with a sword…..according to the Talmud……. people died of the sword when they had led people after false gods……   Maybe they had accused  James of leading the people after false gods…… The Jewish leaders saw Jesus as a deceiver…. Not a follower of the true God…… and therefore they executed James in this way….. The Jewish leaders were afraid of the explosion of the early church….. They used Herod´s love of Judiaism and political ambition to attack the church…… They had gladly used Saul of Tarsus hatred and zeal in the first years of the church…. Then when he was converted they needed new ways to fight the Christians…. Herod was so ambitious that He was easily recruited to fight against the believers…..
James is the first of the Apostles to die for the sake of the Gospel….
James had been slaughtered with the sword….. But even here in this difficult event…. we see God´s hand and His plan.... Do you remember the time that James and John sent their mother to Jesus…..   They were always arguing about who's going to sit next to Jesus in the kingdom….. What   a stupid thing to argue about…… There is not one sign of humility in these two Sons of Thunder…..  James and John said, "Mom, would you go ask Jesus if we can sit on the right and left?"
Jesus says, "Can you undergo what I'm going to undergo? Can you be baptized with the baptism with which I will be baptized?" Oh why sure, they said…... They had no idea….
Jesus said, Matthew 20:23….. guys…. You will drink from my bitter cup…. And you will be baptized with the baptism, which I will undergo." And what was it? It's a baptism of persecution and death for James……. and decades of suffering and torture for John…..  
James fulfilled the prophecy That Jesus gave to them that day…. James suffered and died…. John suffered even more and lived to be very old….    He didn't die…... He had to live in exile and punishment…… Both of them went through difficult lives filled with pain for the cause of Christ……
And so it was that Herod´s hatred and pride fulfilled the prophecy that Jesus gave to the sons of thunder…..  
V3…. So he killed James, "and because he saw it pleased the Jews," "He proceeded further to take Peter also."
Peter was the one they hated the most…..   he was the one that was  proclaiming the gospel everywhere…. They had tried to put him in jail before….  but when he got out….. He went out preaching again….. Angels and so forth were always letting him out…...  
Herod   said….  I'll kill the leader and they'll really love me…..  
"Then were the days of unleavened bread." It was Passover time…..   everybody was in town to celebrate the required feast…..  Jews from everywhere came to Jerusalem…..   He wanted maximum crowds to witness the death of Peter….   He said….  I'll wait until ithe celebration is officially over…..  Then when everybody's still hanging around….. Then I'll kill Peter…. Maximum impact….
Verse 4…. " That must have been a terrible trauma for the church…..   he delivered to him four quaternions of soldiers…… A quaternion  is four…… Four times four is sixteen…… sixteen soldiers  to watch Peter….. The Romans had divided the watches into four watches of three hours each…... And so each of these four would take a three-hour period…… Two of them were chained to Peter…… Two of them were outside the cell….. That is maximum security…..
There was no way for Peter to escape…. He could not hope to be released…..  
So for the third time Peter was put in prison….. Herod was determined to make sure he stayed there until his trial and execution...... Herod thought that he was in charge…..
Let's look at the scene, verse 5….
Acts 12: 5- 10                                    NKJV   
5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. 7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. 8 Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” 9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
Acts 12: 5- 10                                     NeÜ
5 Während Petrus streng bewacht im Gefängnis saß, betete die Gemeinde inständig für ihn zu Gott.
6 In der Nacht vor der von Herodes geplanten Verurteilung schlief Petrus zwischen zwei Soldaten. Er war an jeden mit einer Kette gefesselt, während zwei andere vor der Tür seiner Zelle Wache hielten.
7 Plötzlich stand ein Engel des Herrn vor ihm und ein helles Licht erfüllte die Zelle. Er stieß Petrus in die Seite, um ihn zu wecken. "Steh schnell auf!", sagte er. Sofort fielen ihm die Ketten von den Handgelenken ab.
8 "Binde den Gürtel um und zieh deine Sandalen an!", befahl der Engel. Petrus tat es. "Wirf den Mantel über und komm!"
9 Petrus folgte dem Engel hinaus. Doch er wusste nicht, ob es Wirklichkeit war, was er mit dem Engel erlebte. Er meinte zu träumen.
10 Sie gingen an der ersten Wache vorbei, dann an der zweiten und kamen an das eiserne Tor, das in die Stadt führte. Das öffnete sich ihnen von selbst. Sie traten hinaus und gingen eine Straße weit fort. Dort verschwand der Engel neben ihm plötzlich.
V5…. but prayer was made without ceasing by the church unto God for him…… They all started praying…..   The first thing anybody ought to do when bad things happen….. is to begin to pray...... They knew that God hears….. Notice that it says,…."But prayer was made without ceasing." That big greek word doesn't just mean without ceasing……   it also means total radical effort…… no holds barred….. It's the Greek word ἐκτενής ektenēs….. It is a medical term and it has to do with stretching a muscle to its limit…… It means total effort…… They were totally lost in prayer…...
Here's a good illustration of the word… This is the word is used of Jesus when He prayed in the garden in anguish and   great drops of blood fell from Him…… That's the same term…… They prayed   in total anguish….. They suffered in prayer….    And it continued day and night….  James 5:16…. Says….  "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." This is a glorious truth for us to remember…..
So they prayed with total effort….…… ἐκτενής ektenēs This total effort word is used about three things in the Bible…….
ἐκτενής ektenēs
1… love                 1 Peter 4:8
2… service            Acts 26:7
3… prayer             Acts 12:5
They're so important in the New Testament……. Ektenes…. 1 is  love, I Peter 4:8….. Let´s read it in context….  V7…
1 Peter 4: 7-10                                     NKJV  
7 But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” 9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. 10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 4: 7-11                                       NeÜ
7 Das Ende aller Dinge ist nahe. Seid also besonnen und klar in euren Gebeten.
8 Vor allem aber hört nicht auf, euch gegenseitig zu lieben, denn die Liebe deckt viele Sünden zu.
9 Seid gastfrei untereinander, ohne zu murren.
10 Gott hat jedem von euch Gaben geschenkt, mit denen ihr einander dienen könnt. Tut das als gute Verwalter der vielfältigen Gnade Gottes.
11 Wenn jemand redet, soll Gott durch ihn sprechen können. Wenn jemand anderen hilft, soll er es in der Kraft tun, die Gott ihm schenkt. Dann wird Gott in allem geehrt werden. Möglich ist das durch Jesus Christus geworden, dem die Herrlichkeit gehört und die Macht in alle Ewigkeit. Amen.

I want you to notice in this passage…. that all three are mentioned….. love service and prayer….. That´s because they are all connected to each other…..
V7… be serious and watchful in your prayers….
V8… above all things have fervent love for each other…
V 10,11…. Minister and serve…. As good stewards of the Grace of God…..  The grace of God that we have received….. And the words of Life that have transformed and saved us….. These are precious things….. We are here being encouraged to be good stewards of them…. We serve the Lord as good stewards when we love and sever and pray for each other and when we give out the Words of Life to a lost a dying world…. These things show our faithful stewardship….. And… look at the end of verse 11….. When we serve the LORD and each other in these ways….. The Lord is Glorified in all things! He is Glorified in our living for Him….. He is Glorified in our dying for Him…. In our text this morning we see God´s power and sovereign hand at work….. Peter is delivered from the hand of his enemies this time….. He continues to Glorify the LORD with his life….
James was killed by the sword as a heretic…… But he also Glorified the LORD….. He Glorified the Lord in his death…. We belong to Him….. We have been bought with a price…… He knows what’s best for us….. His will is that we Glorify Him….. And we will Glorify him… In life or in death….
This reminds me of what Paul wrote to the Romans in chapter 14…. Let´s read it…. Turn with me to Romans 14… 7…
Romans 14: 7-9                                        NKJV     
7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and rose[b] and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
Romans 14: 7-9                            NKJV   Ne Ü
7 Denn keiner von uns lebt für sich selbst und keiner von uns stirbt für sich selbst.
8 Wenn wir leben, leben wir für den Herrn, und wenn wir sterben, gehören wir dem Herrn. Im Leben und im Tod gehören wir dem Herrn.
9 Dazu ist Christus ja gestorben und wieder lebendig geworden, dass er über Tote und Lebende der Herr sei.
whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
Back to 1 Peter 4…. v8…. On last look at verse 8…
1 Peter 4: 8                                       NKJV   NeÜ
8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins
8 Vor allem aber hört nicht auf, euch gegenseitig zu lieben, denn die Liebe deckt viele Sünden zu.
V 8….. have fervent love for each other… the Greek here is…. ἐκτενής ektenēs agape…. Radical… to the max… love….selfless love……
Just like Jesus poured out his life for us….. We ought to pour out our love for others….
We're to stretch our love to the max….. We are to love people with a total effort…. . In other words….. we're to reach as far as we can….. to  the limits of our ability….. and really love people.….. That was #1ektenes agape…. Radical love…
Then it's used in Acts 26:7 to speak of 2 service to the LORD and others…. ἐκτένεια ekteneia  λατρεύω latreuō… total effort….radical….. serving…. Here is Paul proclaiming the Good news using the total effort of faithful Jews in seeking and serving the LORD… turn to Acts 26…v.7…
Acts 26: 7,8                                      NKJV    
7 To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. 8 Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?
7 Unser ganzes zwölfstämmiges Volk dient Gott Tag und Nacht in der Hoffnung, diese Erfüllung erleben zu dürfen. Und wegen dieser Hoffnung, o König, werde ich ausgerechnet von den Juden angeklagt.
8 Warum fällt es euch Juden denn so schwer zu glauben, dass Gott Tote auferweckt?
The Greek here is ἐκτένεια ekteneia  λατρεύω latreuō… serving as a total effort….. We're not supposed to serve the LORD JESUS Christ half-hearted…... We're supposed to serve Him with total effort…… Literally agonizingly….. That´s how  we're to serve Him……. With all of our heart, soul and strength….
The third way that Ektenes is used….. is here in our text this morning…. προσευχή proseuchē Ektenes… total effort prayer…. Fervent in prayer……. Back to Acts 12….v5…
Acts 12: 5                  NJV  NeÜ
5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church
5 Während Petrus streng bewacht im Gefängnis saß, betete die Gemeinde inständig für ihn zu Gott.

The Christian is to serve God intensely….   loving others fervently…. in a self-sacrificial way….  Total effort in service and in prayer…..
They agonized in prayer…… They prayed without ceasing…. Fervent…. Total effort….. They cried out to God….  Lord help Peter….. Deliver him from Herod…. Let´s look at Acts 12…v6,7….
Acts 12: 6,7                                    NKJV  
6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. 7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands.
Acts 12: 6,7                                    NeÜ
6 In der Nacht vor der von Herodes geplanten Verurteilung schlief Petrus zwischen zwei Soldaten. Er war an jeden mit einer Kette gefesselt, während zwei andere vor der Tür seiner Zelle Wache hielten.
7 Plötzlich stand ein Engel des Herrn vor ihm und ein helles Licht erfüllte die Zelle. Er stieß Petrus in die Seite, um ihn zu wecken. "Steh schnell auf!", sagte er. Sofort fielen ihm die Ketten von den Handgelenken ab.

Verse 6….  Herod thinks he's got everything secured…. These Christians  haven't got any  power….. They are powerless to deliver Peter….. All they could do was to pray…. And pray they did….  
 Herod says….. Go get Peter…..   Herod's getting ready to execute Peter in the morning……  Peter is sleeping like a baby… Peter was not very worried…. He had been in jail before and it wasn't any big deal…… The last time he was arrested….. The Lord got him out….. He was at peace….. He knew that the Lord was in control….
Peter trusted in God´s promise and in God´s power to keep His promises… God´s unfailing love is shown in His promises…. For example…. Hebrews 13:5….  I will never leave you… I will never forsake you….
 So Peter went to sleep.   Peter also said in I Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care him, for He cares for you." Herod was certain that he had won….. But the power of God was about to take the situation over completely….

Verse 7, "Behold an angel of the Lord came in on him and a light shown in the prison."
"Get up Peter. Arise quickly. Get up," looking further…v8-10…
Acts 12: 8-10                                  NKJV  
8 Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” 9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
Acts 12: 8-10                                          NeÜ
8 "Binde den Gürtel um und zieh deine Sandalen an!", befahl der Engel. Petrus tat es. "Wirf den Mantel über und komm!"
9 Petrus folgte dem Engel hinaus. Doch er wusste nicht, ob es Wirklichkeit war, was er mit dem Engel erlebte. Er meinte zu träumen.
10 Sie gingen an der ersten Wache vorbei, dann an der zweiten und kamen an das eiserne Tor, das in die Stadt führte. Das öffnete sich ihnen von selbst. Sie traten hinaus und gingen eine Straße weit fort. Dort verschwand der Engel neben ihm plötzlich.
verse 8,   he says, "Get your belt, pull it together, get your sandals on, Peter we're leaving…. Get dressed…

all of a sudden he's on his feet….. He's got his sandals on and he's there and he's probably kind of bleary eyed and he says, "Follow me." And off they go down the dark corridors of the prison…...  "And he knew not that it was true, which was done by the angel." He thought he saw a vision…….  
verse 10…  When they were past the first and the second guard posts…..   the iron gate   opened to them all by itself…. and they went out….. and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed….
This angel had done his job…. He delivered Peter from the prison….
It reminds us of Acts 5 when they were in prison before…... Remember? When the rulers sent for them….. They were gone….  They reported back to the rulers…. The prison is locked….. the gates are secure….. the locks are on….. the guards are there….. But the prisoners are gone…… And then another runs in and says…… You're not going to believe it…. They're back in the temple preaching about Jesus again…. Peter had been released again by an angel that time as well….. No prison can hold the servant of God…. If God wants him free….
In Acts 5…. The LORD delivered all of the believers from the hands of the enemy….. They continued to serve the Lord Fervently…… as we read in 1 peter 4…. Ecktenes Agape…. Total….radical love and Ecktenes service and ektenes prayer…. They Glorified the LORD with their lives…. Here in our text today…. We see 2 disciples…. James is killed by the sword…… Peter is once again delivered out of the hands of the enemy…..
God is His sovereignty  chose different paths for these 2 men of God…. James was killed quickly by the sword of a wicked King Herod.….. Peter was miraculously delivered by the power of God from the hands of the same wicked king…. God´s sovereign Plan!
Today´s confused and unbiblical theology….. Would say that James didn´t have enough faith to get out of jail…..
( Unsinn ) nonsense!
James was full of faith and trust in the LORD…. He served the Lord Jesus with all of His heart and with all of His strength….. The Lord decides what happens to his servants in this world…. Some of us will Glorify the Lord in our death at the hands of the enemies of God..….  Some of us will Glorify the Lord with our deliverance from the hand of the enemy…. We do not always understand why things happen…. But we know our great God…. We can trust him…. Our forever is certain…. We will be with the LORD….. forever….
We belong to Jesus…. He knows what is best…. He has a plan…. Amen…?
You know…. Even in times of persecution…. Even when disaster strikes….. We who have repented of our sins and cried out to God for mercy and forgiveness…… We are and remain God´s dearly loved children…. Dearly loved children who are not perfect…… Who still sin against the Lord who bought us with His precious blood…. We still rebel against our heavenly Father….. Refusing to follow and obey Him who loved us so very much….  
James´ brother…. The other son of Thunder…… John… became the Theologian of the church….. He has something to say to us about our forever… and about our responsibility to purify ourselves….. It´s a good text to read as we prepare ourselves for communion….Turn with me to 1 John 3: 1-3….
1 John 3: 1- 3                     NLT   Neues Leben
1 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. 2 Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. 3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.
1 John 3: 1- 3                         NLT   Neues Leben
1 Seht, wie viel Liebe unser himmlischer Vater für uns hat, denn er erlaubt, dass wir seine Kinder genannt werden - und das sind wir auch! Doch die Menschen, die zu dieser Welt gehören, kennen Gott nicht; deshalb verstehen sie auch nicht, dass wir seine Kinder sind.
2 Meine lieben Freunde, wir sind schon jetzt die Kinder Gottes, und wie wir sein werden, wenn Christus wiederkommt, das können wir uns nicht einmal vorstellen. Aber wir wissen, dass wir bei seiner Wiederkehr sein werden wie er, denn wir werden ihn sehen, wie er wirklich ist.
3 Und jeder, der diese Hoffnung hat, achtet darauf, dass er rein bleibt, so wie Christus rein ist.
We are already His dearly loved Children…. We will be like Jesus when we see Him face to face…. In the meantime we are called to purify ourselves…. To let Jesus wash our feet…..

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Sunday´s Sermon Notes



2014. 07.20                             Acts 11: 21- 30
         Barnabas and Paul in Antioch
Good morning!...
It´s great to see you here this morning… As many of you know we teach through the Bible verse by verse…… We want to see the big picture and understand our great God and our Savior  Jesus Christ…. We are studying the birth of the church in the book of Acts….. Today we will pick up where we left off last week…… Let´s back up a couple verses for the context…. I´ll read from Acts 11….v 21….
Acts 11: 21-                  NKJV   NeÜ
21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
22 Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. 23 When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.
Acts 11: 21-23                 NeÜ
21 Und die Hand des Herrn war mit ihnen, und eine große Zahl wurde gläubig und bekehrte sich zum Herrn.
22 Es kam aber die Kunde von ihnen zu den Ohren der Gemeinde in Jerusalem, und sie sandten Barnabas, dass er hingehe nach Antiochia.
23 Und als er ankam und die Gnade Gottes sah, freute er sich und ermahnte alle, mit festem Herzen bei dem Herrn zu bleiben;
Stay close to Jesus…..  
He says. "Hold on to the Lord with all your strength."
How do you hold on? How do you hold on to Jesus in the hard times…. Big Problem…
This was obviously real a problem in the early church…. Because Paul writes about it often.... Turn with me to Acts Chapter 13….v42…
Acts 13: 42,43                          NKJV  
42 So when the Jews went out of the synagogue,[j] the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. 43 Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
Acts 13: 42,43                             NeÜ
42 Als Paulus und Barnabas die Synagoge verließen, wurden sie gebeten, am nächsten Sabbat weiter über diese Dinge zu reden.
43 Und als die Versammlung sich aufgelöst hatte, kamen viele mit Paulus und Barnabas mit, Juden und Nichtjuden, die sich zur Synagoge gehalten hatten. Die beiden sprachen lange mit ihnen und ermahnten sie, sich immer ganz auf die Gnade Gottes zu verlassen.
He says, "Hang in there....... Continue in the Grace of God....... No matter what… Turn to Acts 14…. V22…
Acts 14….v22…
Acts 14: 22     NKJV    NeÜ
22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
22 Überall ermutigten sie die Jünger und ermahnten sie, im Glauben standhaft zu bleiben. "Wir müssen durch manche Bedrängnis hindurch", sagten sie, "bevor wir in Gottes Reich einkehren."
Listen…. you're going to have trouble….. Tribulations and hard times go with the Christian life….   Don´t you give up…. Don´t be discouraged….  hold on to the Lord Jesus….
Paul says……. Listen you are going to have hard times…. But remember….. Jesus suffered for us….. And He will never leave us!  
This realistic form of encouragement and warnings became a part of their ministry….. Every time they ministered to a new group of believers they exhorted them to  Continue….. hang on in the hard times…..  cling to Christ….. Most of the leaders of the early church died badly… They suffered for the Gospel…..
How do you do that? How do you cling to the Lord when everything goes bad…? You remind yourselves of the promises of God…. We need to remember what the Lord has already done for us…. Everything we need for life and Godliness is in this book…. Turn to Psalm 119…v…11…
Psalm 119: 11,12                               NKJV   
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,That I might not sin against You.
12 Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes.
Psalm 119: 11,12                                  NeÜ
11 Dein Wort trag ich im Herzen, / weil ich nicht gegen dich sündigen will. -
12 Ich will dich loben, Jahwe! / Bring mir deine Ordnungen bei!
Take hold of the Word of God…. Hide it in your hearts….. Meditate on it…. Day and night….
That's the key…… What's the thing you always tell a new believer to do? Read your Bible….. David writes over and over about treasuring the Word of God….
Psalm 119:105-107                            NKJV 
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
106 I have sworn and confirmed That I will keep Your righteous judgments.
107 I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word.

Psalm 119:105-107                               NeÜ
105 Dein Wort ist eine Leuchte vor meinem Fuß / und ein Licht auf meinem Weg.
106 Ich habe geschworen und halte es ein, / ich tue, was du festgelegt hast. -
107 Wie bin ich so niedergeschlagen, Jahwe! / Belebe mich nach deinem Wort!
I light to keep me on the right path….. Lord I will obey you…. And when I am suffering….. Revive me….. Raise me up….. According to your word…. Help me back up as you have promised that you would do….
How precious is the Word of God…Do we really treasure it…. Is it a comfort to us as we read all about God´s Grace and mercy….. Do we find comfort in the fact that even those who suffered for the sake of the Gospel were ultimately serving and Glorifying God…… He sustained them in their sufferings….. and He delivered them from the power of the evil one…..
Let´s turn  back to Acts  Chapter 11….. v24…
Acts 11: 24                               NKJV    NeÜ
24 For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.
24 Denn er war ein vortrefflicher Mann, erfüllt mit dem Heiligen Geist und festem Glauben. Viele Menschen kamen damals zum Glauben an den Herrn.
Look at verse 24……   Barnabas was a Good man…. a righteous man full of the Spirit and faith….. and many people were added unto the Lord……. This greek word for many (hikanos ochlos)…. Can be translated…. A great multitude…   Lot´s of People were getting saved……  He needed help to disciple them….. He remembered Saul…. V25…

Acts 11: 25,26                       NKJV    NeÜ
25 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. 26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
25 Barnabas reiste dann nach Tarsus, um Saulus zu suchen.
26 Als er ihn gefunden hatte, nahm er ihn mit nach Antiochia. Ein ganzes Jahr lang waren sie mit der Gemeinde zusammen und unterwiesen viele Menschen im Glauben. In Antiochia wurden die Jünger übrigens zuerst Christen genannt.
He knew the man he wanted to come and help…… He went to seek Saul…. The Greek word here (anazēteōis) is helpful for us to understand that it was not easy to find Paul….. It means to search diligently…. Barabas had to track him down…. Paul kept moving….
In the meantime several years had passed since he was with Paul in Jerusalem… They kicked Saul out of Jerusalem quite a while ago because he was stirring up more trouble than they could handle….. They sent him back home to Tarsus….. You know what he did during this time?
He went all over the area starting churches…… According to II Corinthians 11…. he was being beaten over and over again…. 
During that time he had been working hard for the Lord…. He was not easy to find….. The English word seek doesn't help much….  In  the Greek It means “ to search for something with difficulty”….  He couldn't find him at first….. 
v 26….. Barnabas finally found Paul and brought Him back to Antioch…..
Now watch what they did……  we've got a massive multitude of believers here…… and we've got them trying to cling to the Lord……. and we got a church established in this big city…… we've got a city to reach with the Good News…. What are we going to do? They gather in a big place….. They Teach them the Word of God…. so that they can grow in grace…..   for a whole year they assembled themselves together with the church….. You want to know what the church is for?
It's for teaching and equipping the saints….. Preparing you to do the work of the ministry…. ……  Teach. Teach. Teach…… At all times and in all ways….. Teach the Word of God…..
Back in Acts 6….. The apostles said….. "We will give ourselves continually to the ministry of the Word and prayer." For one year Barnabas and Saul taught and encouraged the people…..
Look at Acts 13…v…1….
Acts 13:1                                        NKJV   NeÜ
1 Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
1 In der Gemeinde von Antiochia gab es damals folgende Propheten und Lehrer: Barnabas und Simeon, genannt Niger1, Luzius von Zyrene und Manaën, der zusammen mit dem Vierfürsten Herodes aufgewachsen war, und Saulus.
You know what they did? They made teachers out of some of the disciples….….. Barnabas and Simeon called Niger…. Lucius…. Manaen…. and so on…. They taught men who became teachers of other men…… That's what the church is all about…… What wonderful fruit they had….. Listen friends, the calling of this church….. the calling of every  church….   is to teach and make disciples…… not to entertain the saints…..  Teaching the Word of God is the goal….. It is God´s design for the church…..



back to Acts 11…v…26…
Look at the end of verse 26….. "And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
They had never been called Christians before…..
Peter says in I Peter 4, "If any of you suffer for being a Christian don't be ashamed."
If you're a Christian and you wear the name of Christ…… wear it well….. Serve the Lord Jesus with your whole heart… 
So the church grew….. the church not only needed to be sound in doctrine…… but they needed to have lots of love…… These two things make a solid church…… sound doctrine and God´s love….. Love that reaches out to meet the needs of others…. This is what we see here in Antioch…… Turn back to Acts11….v 27-30   
Acts 11: 27- 30                                 NKJV   
27 And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. 29 Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. 30 This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
Acts 11: 27- 30                                 NeÜ
27 Während dieser Zeit kamen einige Propheten von Jerusalem nach Antiochia.
28 Einer von ihnen hieß Agabus. Er stand in einer Gemeindeversammlung auf und sagte - vom Geist Gottes geführt - eine schwere Hungersnot über die ganze Welt voraus, die dann auch unter Kaiser Klaudius eintrat.
29 Da beschlossen die Jünger, den Geschwistern in Judäa eine Unterstützung zukommen zu lassen; jeder von ihnen sollte nach seinen finanziellen Möglichkeiten dazu beitragen.
30 Das taten sie dann auch und schickten Barnabas und Saulus mit dem Geld zu den Ältesten.
V28… Agabus   signified by the Spirit that there should be great famine throughout all the world……. which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar……. History says Claudius Caesar ruled from 41 to 54 and during the year 45 and 46 there were great famines in Israel…...  
V 29….Then the disciples    determined to send relief unto the brethren who dwelt in Judea……  Here are Gentiles showing their love to those who thought that they were not even worthy to be saved…. What a beautiful picture of love…… Each one gave according to the potential that he had……
Antioch wasn't just solidly grounded in the Word of God…… It affected the way they lived….. They were loving and giving….. Turn with me to 1 John 3:16….
1 John 3: 16-18                               NKJV    
16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

1 John 3: 16-18                                    NeÜ
16 Die Liebe haben wir ja daran erkannt, dass Christus sein Leben für uns hergegeben hat. So müssen auch wir bereit sein, das Leben für unsere Geschwister herzugeben.
17 Stellt euch vor, da ist jemand, der seinen Lebensunterhalt gut verdienen kann, und er sieht einen von den Gläubigen in Not; aber er verschließt sein Herz vor ihm und hat kein Mitleid. Wie kann da Gottes Liebe in ihm bleiben?
18 Meine Kinder, unsere Liebe darf nicht nur in schönen Worten bestehen; unser Tun muss ein glaubwürdiger Beweis dafür sein.
v17….. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
Our relationship with our savior must affect the way we live….. The presence of the Lord Jesus in our lives…… Changes the way we respond to the needs of others….. If we have truly been converted…. If we have been given a new heart by the LORD Jesus…. We will be kind and generous with others…… We will reflect our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ….
These people showed real love because they gave according to their ability to give….. If they had a lot, they gave a lot….. If they had little they still gave a little….. The   Word of God changed these new believers.….. The love, the encouragement affected them…..  
As Barnabas and Saul taught them the word of God…. they began to be transformed from the inside…. They became more and more like Jesus….. These baby Christians began to grow and mature as believers…….  We have here in the church in Antioch…… The perfect Biblical Church growth program…. Teach the Word of God …. Love and encourage those who come….. The Lord sent the right people to Antioch…… Today He Himself continues to send men and women to serve and edify the church….. It´s His church…. It´s His plan…. Paul got it…. Paul gave his life to disciple the gentile believers….. He was used by God to teach them the Word of God…. To build them up in the Lord….. He used the Word of God to prepare them to do the work of the ministry…. He wrote powerfully to the early believers….. and these words of Life…… continue to reach down through the centuries to speak to us today….. I would like to let his words of encouragement and warning to ring in our ears as we close this morning….  
Close
Turn with me to Ephesians ch4…. V11…
Ephesians 4: 11- 32                          NKJV  
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—
16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;
19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,”[e] for we are members of one another.
26 “Be angry, and do not sin”:[f] do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4: 11- 32                            NeÜ
11 Und er hat die einen als Apostel gegeben und andere als Propheten. Er gab Evangelisten, Hirten und Lehrer,
12 damit sie die, die Gott geheiligt hat, zum Dienst ausrüsten und so der Leib des Christus aufgebaut wird
13 mit dem Ziel, dass wir alle die Einheit im Glauben und in der Erkenntnis des Sohnes Gottes erreichen; dass wir zu mündigen Christen heranreifen und in die ganze Fülle hineinwachsen, die Christus in sich trägt.
14 Dann sind wir keine unmündigen Kinder mehr, die sich vom Wind aller möglichen Lehren umtreiben lassen und wie Wellen hin- und hergeworfen werden. Dann fallen wir nicht mehr auf das falsche Spiel von Menschen herein, die andere hinterlistig in die Irre führen.
15 Lasst uns deshalb fest zur Wahrheit und zur Liebe stehen und in jeder Hinsicht zu Christus, unserem Haupt, hinwachsen.
16 Von ihm her wird der ganze Leib zusammengefügt und durch verbindende Glieder zusammengehalten. Das geschieht in der Kraft, die jedem der einzelnen Teile zugemessen ist. So bewirkt Christus das Wachstum seines Leibes: Er baut sich auf durch Liebe.
17 Ich muss euch nun Folgendes sagen und ermahne euch im Auftrag des Herrn: Ihr dürft nicht mehr so leben wie die Menschen, die Gott nicht kennen. Ihr Leben und Denken ist von Nichtigkeiten bestimmt,
18 und in ihrem Verstand ist es finster, weil sie vom Leben mit Gott ausgeschlossen sind. Das kommt von der Unwissenheit, in der sie befangen sind, und von ihrem verstockten Herzen.
19 So sind sie in ihrem Gewissen abgestumpft und haben sich ungezügelten Lüsten hingegeben, sind unersättlich in sexueller Unmoral und Habgier.
20 Aber ihr habt gelernt, dass so etwas mit Christus nichts zu tun hat.
21 Ihr habt von ihm gehört und auch verstanden, was in Jesus Wirklichkeit ist;
22 dass ihr in Hinsicht auf euer früheres Leben den alten Menschen abgelegt habt. Denn der richtet sich in Verblendung und Begierden zugrunde.
23 Ihr dagegen werdet in Geist und Sinn erneuert,
24 da ihr ja den neuen Menschen angezogen habt, den Gott nach seinem Bild erschuf und der von wirklicher Gerechtigkeit und Heiligkeit bestimmt ist.
25 Als Menschen, die das Lügen abgelegt haben, müsst ihr einander die Wahrheit sagen. Wir sind doch als Glieder miteinander verbunden.
26 Versündigt euch nicht, wenn ihr zornig werdet! Die Sonne darf über eurem Zorn nicht untergehen!
27 Gebt dem Teufel keinen Raum in euch!
28 Wer ein Dieb war, soll nicht mehr stehlen, sondern hart arbeiten und mit eigenen Händen seinen Lebensunterhalt verdienen, damit er Notleidenden davon abgeben kann.
29 Lasst kein hässliches Wort über eure Lippen kommen, sondern habt da, wo es nötig ist, ein gutes Wort, das weiterhilft und allen wohl tut.
30 Sonst kränkt ihr den Heiligen Geist, den Gott euch als Siegel aufgeprägt hat und der euch die volle Erlösung garantiert.
31 Fort also mit aller Bitterkeit, mit Wut, Zorn und gehässigem Gerede. Schreit euch nicht gegenseitig an und verbannt jede Bosheit aus eurer Mitte.
32 Seid vielmehr umgänglich und hilfsbereit. Vergebt euch gegenseitig, weil auch Gott euch durch Christus vergeben hat.

We have a solid foundation for ministry in the Word of God….     
I pray God we'll send missionaries and church planters out into the harvest fields……. Send out our very best to serve and minister…..
I pray   that we will follow the pattern of the early church in Antioch….. I pray that we will be Generous and Gracious to all of the people that God puts in our lives….
I pray that our neighbors and co-workers will see Jesus in us…… Let us work and pray that we will make a greater and greater difference in our lost and dying world…..