Acts: The Gospel in the City PART XV
Rev Leo Schuster
17 March 2013
Acts 10:25-44
25As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26But Peter made him get up. "Stand up," he said, "I am only a man myself."
27While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28He said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?"
30Cornelius answered: "Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31and said, 'Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remmebered your gifts to the poor. 32Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.' 33So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us."
34Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John had preached---38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
39"We are all witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41He was not seen by all the people, but witnesses whom God had already chosen--by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him received forgiveness of sins through his name.
44While Peter was still speaking thse words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.
CONVERSION OF CORNELIUS
--Successful and well respected person.
--Still must have been incomplete and made new.
RECONVERSION OF PETER
--Always failing and sinning.
--Just as there are many layers and skins to us.
WHAT'S NEEDED
--v.36, The Lord of All
--v.39 Puts everything back together...
--As he will put us back together.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
The Gospel to the Pharisee
Acts: The Gospel in the City PART XIV
Dr. Timothy Keller
10 March 2013
Acts 9:1-11, 17-18
1Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest 2and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3As he neared Damascus on hi s journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
5"Who are you Lord?" Saul asked.
"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. 6"Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
7The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
10In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord callled to him in a vision, "Ananias!"
"Yes, Lord," he answered.
11The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarus named Saul, for he is praying.
17Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. he got up and was baptized, 19and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
Elements of Conversion
COLLISION (v.1-5)
--We need a God that is not a product of our needs.
--Saul had a collision with the true God--not with the God he constructred.
--God finds you.
--John 3:20-21
DARKNESS (v.6-9)
--Saul was blinded so he could think about things.
--Rethinking of his life and what he thinks of God.
--Conviction of sin and recognition that life falls apart.
EMBRACE (v.17-19)
--Ananias accepts Saul in the Lord's name.
--Lay down the burden of life at the feet of Jesus.
--Results of conversion.
1) Intimacy with God--prayer to a real person.
2) Sacrificial - Put God and others before me.
3) Community.
Dr. Timothy Keller
10 March 2013
Acts 9:1-11, 17-18
1Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest 2and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3As he neared Damascus on hi s journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
5"Who are you Lord?" Saul asked.
"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. 6"Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
7The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
10In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord callled to him in a vision, "Ananias!"
"Yes, Lord," he answered.
11The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarus named Saul, for he is praying.
17Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. he got up and was baptized, 19and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
Elements of Conversion
COLLISION (v.1-5)
--We need a God that is not a product of our needs.
--Saul had a collision with the true God--not with the God he constructred.
--God finds you.
--John 3:20-21
DARKNESS (v.6-9)
--Saul was blinded so he could think about things.
--Rethinking of his life and what he thinks of God.
--Conviction of sin and recognition that life falls apart.
EMBRACE (v.17-19)
--Ananias accepts Saul in the Lord's name.
--Lay down the burden of life at the feet of Jesus.
--Results of conversion.
1) Intimacy with God--prayer to a real person.
2) Sacrificial - Put God and others before me.
3) Community.
The Gospel to the African
Acts: The Gospel in the City PART XIII
Rev. Leo Schuster
03 March 2013
Acts 8:26-40
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road--the desert road--that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." 27So he started out, on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. 29The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it."
30Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.
31"How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:
"He was led like sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before the shearer is silent,
so he did not open his month.
33In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth."
34The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or somoeone else?" 35Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
36As they travelled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" 38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and travelled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
Philip - A Jewish man with a Greek background introduces an African to Jesus Christ.
Becomming and Being a Christian.
TRAVELLING SEEKER
--Eunuch travelled a long way to worship.
--Probably spiritually empty.
--Eunuchs not allowed in Jewish temples.
--Like him, we're all lost travellers.
MYSTERIOUS STORY
--Solving the mystery of the Bible and mystery of ourselves is found in Jesus Christ.
--Don't allow pride to keep you from asking others questions.
RENEWING SIGNS
--Baptism - washed and new.
--Baptism is a sign pointing to Jesus.
--The past defines us, but baptism allows us to fight back the past.
Rev. Leo Schuster
03 March 2013
Acts 8:26-40
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road--the desert road--that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." 27So he started out, on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. 29The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it."
30Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.
31"How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:
"He was led like sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before the shearer is silent,
so he did not open his month.
33In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth."
34The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or somoeone else?" 35Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
36As they travelled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" 38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and travelled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
Philip - A Jewish man with a Greek background introduces an African to Jesus Christ.
Becomming and Being a Christian.
TRAVELLING SEEKER
--Eunuch travelled a long way to worship.
--Probably spiritually empty.
--Eunuchs not allowed in Jewish temples.
--Like him, we're all lost travellers.
MYSTERIOUS STORY
--Solving the mystery of the Bible and mystery of ourselves is found in Jesus Christ.
--Don't allow pride to keep you from asking others questions.
RENEWING SIGNS
--Baptism - washed and new.
--Baptism is a sign pointing to Jesus.
--The past defines us, but baptism allows us to fight back the past.
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