Acts 11:19-30

1. The Gospel Spreads (vv.19-21)
The incident with Cornelius is a major one within the book of Acts as Cornelius is presented as a prime example of the gospel being received by Gentiles. But in many ways the incident is at least as significant for what it meant for Peter as he grappled with the issue of Gentiles and their acceptance by the Lord. In that context, the incident will be used to help resolve a huge problem for the early church in chapter 15.

In terms of reaching out to Gentiles, this current passage is at least as significant as the Cornelius incident. It may well have begun before Peter's encounter with Cornelius (see v.19) and, in terms of numbers and the future significance of the church at Antioch, it is extremely important.

Which makes it very interesting that this expansion to the Gentiles is not an organised mission but takes place naturally as the church scatters following the death of Stephen. In Acts, missionaries are sent out by churches and work to a clear plan but that needs to be set alongside what we see here of these early believers sharing the gospel as they went.

The calling and responsibility to reach out to others is not the preserve of pastors, evangelists and missionaries; it is a whole church calling and we each have a responsibility to take it to heart. These early believers shared the gospel naturally, as they travelled, as they set up home, as they worked. And this was the norm, not the exception.

All of which is a great challenge to us. Yes, we need to plan as a church how to reach others; yes, we need to support others in mission both at home and abroad. But our work doesn't stop there. The whole way we live should invite questions about our faith and it should be our aim and delight to share the gospel with others in ways that are natural.

Notice, too, that their witness was natural in what they shared with others. These believers mixed with non-Jews, many of whom had perhaps no knowledge of the Jewish faith. Their approach was not to convince them that Jesus was the Messiah, as had been the case with Jews. Rather, they told them "the good news about the Lord Jesus" (v.20). They started where their hearers were, which is always a good thing to do.

But Luke makes it plain that their witness was a success because of one decisive factor: "the Lord's hand was with them" (v.21). That is the reason why "a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord" (v.21). We are responsible for sharing the gospel in the most appropriate way but people will only be saved and churches established as the Lord is pleased to work in their hearts. It's the same today.

2. The Church Supports (vv.22-24)
As the gospel spreads among the Gentiles, one of the big questions is, How will the church in Jerusalem react? When Philip preached in Samaria, they sent Peter and John to authenticate the work. Given that these are Gentiles, will they be react with suspicion and try to suppress what is going on?

What they do is send Barnabas to them. Maybe he went, in part, to authenticate the work but notice this time they only send one man not two; he isn't an apostle, he is a native of Cyprus, as were many of these believers, and he was a man of exceptional spirit, warm and encouraging.

This doesn't smack of control but of contribution, not suspicion but of support to this young church. The church at Jerusalem was the original one and the apostles were the authentic witnesses to the Lord Jesus. But that doesn't mean they must control everything that happens. It is the Lord Jesus who directs the mission; they are his co-workers.

Perhaps the greatest thing the church at Jerusalem ever did for their brothers and sisters at Antioch was send Barnabus to them. He is an outstanding example of a what a Christian is and of what a church-worker should be. He isn't jealous of their work nor does he want to take it over; he rejoiced in the work and encouraged them to keep going and remain true to the Lord. His concern was not to make them Jews through circumcision but to strengthen their Christian life and witness.

Luke's description of him is very telling: "He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith" (v.24). It is for that reason that he was active in both exhortation and evangelism and made a success of both. Only the Lord can save and strengthen his people but his delight is to use people like Barnabus in that work. We have much to learn from a man like him.

3. Laying Foundations (vv.25,26)
One of the attractive features of Barnabus is his recognition that he doesn't have all the gifts necessary to help this church; he needs help in the task, so he goes on a long 200-mile round trip to bring Saul to help him in the work.

We're going to look at the work they did together but we must notice the significance of what Barnabus did in fetching Saul. He recognised the Lord's call to Saul and the gifts he'd been given. What an encouragement to Saul that must have been!

And this action was also going to be, in God's providence, of immense strategic significance for the whole progress of the gospel. It is from Antioch that Barnabus and Saul will be sent out by the church into further mission. Who knows how God may use us and our seemingly small actions?

So what work did they do at Antioch? "For a whole year [they] met with the church and taught great numbers of people" (v.26). People had been saved and a church established in this vast city (the third city of its times). But they needed to be taught.

As Gentiles with no OT background, they needed to learn of how the Lord's plan to bring salvation into the world had been enacted through the Jewish nation and the coming of Jesus as the promised Messiah. This was a task that Saul was well suited for and perhaps explains why Barnabus chose him.

Mission is not just about gaining converts. In the Great Commission, the Lord Jesus spoke of making disciples and teaching them to obey God's commands (Mt. 28:19,20). That task remains today and in some places the need is acute.

4. Fellowship From Afar (vv.27-30)
But being taught truth is one thing; all truth needs to be lived out. And at Antioch it was. Notice 2 things here:

i) Known as Christians - Antioch was famous for nicknames and the early church wasn't spared the wit. Believers were called Christians, probably a derogatory name but one that helpfully distinguished believers from the city's Jews. What it clearly shows is that these early believers were known as people who followed the Messiah. They had taken on board what they had been taught and lived it out.

ii) Genuine Fellowship - A famine was predicted and it is certain that the believers in Jerusalem would suffer greatly. So the church at Antioch rises to the occasion to try to help their brothers and sisters, and they do so without coercion or a sense of competition but "each according to their ability" (v.29).

In Rom. 15:25ff, Paul shows how Gentiles who have benefited from the spiritual blessings of the Jews should share their material blessings with them. Here is a church doing exactly that.

What a testimony they are to the grace of God! And in that they both challenge and encourage us to live real Christian lives, to the glory of God. Will we rise to the occasion too?

Acts 10:1 - 11:18

Alongside the conversion of Saul, the story of Cornelius is one of the most significant in Acts for the progress of the gospel and the life of the church. We're going to look at this story through its two main character, Cornelius and Peter.

1. Cornelius
The description Luke gives of Cornelius is very striking. A Roman centurion yet a man who was well-disposed towards the Jewish faith. He and all his family were devout and feared God. Cornelius gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. His life was not lived carelessly or callously. Cornelius cared for others and called in all sincerity to the one true God.

The picture Luke paints raises a significant question. What was his status before God? Was he already saved but needing to know of Jesus (i.e. much like an OT believer)? Although the portrait of him is one of genuine piety, the account Luke gives makes it abundantly clear that he needed to be saved:

10:43,44 - As Peter explains about faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit is given to his hearers, strongly suggesting that it is at this point they came to believe in Jesus;

11:14 - "He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved".

11:18 The church summarises their understanding of the event like this: "God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life".

So he was sincere in his seeking but not yet saved. From what we have seen, a number of important points need to be made:

i) We must not despise sincere seekers of God. Sometimes it's said that the first prayer God hears from a person is their prayer to be saved. Clearly that was not so with Cornelius.

Or it may be said that a non-Christian cannot please God; again, the example of Cornelius challenges such a blanket statement. We're told that his prayers and gifts had "come up as a memorial offering before God" (10:4). That term is drawn from the OT and signifies God is pleased with the offering.

David Smith, an experienced missionary and lecturer, once wrote of this story that "It is an astonishing picture and one that demands careful and honest reflection. Here is an unconverted outsider who is devout, prayerful, generous and hungry for truth." He then quotes John Calvin who said "as we boast loudmouthed of Christ, how far removed most of us are from the example of this holy man".

It is a cause for shame when our lives are put in the shade by the example of others; we do need to reflect carefully and honestly on this.

ii) Sincere seekers still need to be saved. But however sincere and earnest Cornelius was in his seeking after God and in his passion to live a good life, as we've seen, he still needed to be saved. Sincere religious devotion, even to the one true God, is not what makes a person right with God. It is faith alone in Christ alone that brings forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

While we must ensure we don't despise or pour scorn upon the genuine desires of sincere seekers, we must also make sure we don't compromise on this point.

iii) A great encouragement. Whilst this is a challenging scenario, it is also tremendously encouraging: God is at work in this man's life! The context of his life was not particularly conducive to his being a sincere and genuine seeker of God; he was from a pagan background and, as a centurion, he moved in a ruthless and violent world.

But he had clearly had contact with the Jewish faith and had been attracted to the one true God. So don't despair for people today! The context is very bleak but God is able to stir people's hearts to seek him. And when he does that, he'll make a way for them to hear his gospel.

2. Peter
But are we willing to take the gospel to people? That was the great challenge to Peter in this situation. The town where he was staying had historical echoes of an earlier servant of the Lord who ran from the call to preach the gospel to Gentiles (Jonah sailed from Joppa). Will Peter do the same?

The early indications are not particularly favourable. He has a vision in which the Lord calls him to kill and eat unclean animals. Peter's response, presumably repeated with each vision, is to say "Surely not Lord". Cornelius had responded straight away to what the Lord had said to him; Peter is quite hesitant.

But that isn't the whole story. His initial hesitation and perhaps confusion does not stop him from obeying the Lord's call. And as he encounters Cornelius, the signs are more promising. He won't accept Cornelius bowing to him; for a Jew who shouldn't even be there, this is very promising! As John Stott has said, "Peter refused both to be treated by Cornelius as if he were a god, and to treat Cornelius as if he were a dog."

And as he talks with Cornelius, it is plain that he has reflected on the vision and its meaning and has concluded that the Lord is telling him that he "should not call any man impure or unclean".

Peter has grasped one of the great theological implications of the coming of Jesus. God's plan was and is to save from every nation, that his election of Israel was for the sake of the world, that there is no intrinsic difference between Jew and Gentile. All are acceptable to God through the Lord Jesus.

The issue isn't settled for him once and for all; he does struggle with it later but the great change in his thinking has been accomplished here. He sees what God is doing and rightly asks "Who was I to think that I could oppose God?"

I want pick up and apply a number of lessons from Peter:

i) The gospel is for all people, regardless of race and culture. It is even for people we may find ourselves despising - fanatical Muslims, asylum seekers, drug addicts, homeless beggars, and so on. Are we so very different to some of the more bigoted Jews of Peter's day? Do we say, "Surely not, Lord!"

ii) Obeying God's call may involve us in being criticised by our brothers and sisters. Peter went back to Jerusalem and was hauled over the coals: "You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them".

What is more important to us, doing God's will or keeping in with our brothers and being thought be to orthodox? Peter held out and won over his brothers. May we be given grace to do the same.

iii) Peter's whole world was being turned upside down. At times, the Lord does that to us, wanting to take us on in our thinking and in our appreciation of his amazing grace. But that may mean leaving our comfort zones and thinking in new ways, not in terms of fundamentals but regarding the application of truth.

Our western world is in turmoil, everything is changing and so rapidly. Will we ask God for wisdom and courage to respond to the changes or will we retreat into the safety and comfort of answers and approaches that are comfortable but inadequate? Peter felt the pain but he went with it; as the Lord speaks to us, may we do so too.

Acts 9:32-42

The 2 incidents recorded by Luke in 9:32-42 serve in the context of Acts to introduce us to the widening ministry of Peter. The gospel is beginning to spread but not yet in any concerted way to the Gentiles.

What the healing of Aeneas and raising of Tabitha show is that Peter is an authorised and authentic apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and prepare the ground for the major incident with Cornelius which follows. But this passage also teaches us about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, about suffering and about God's sovereignty.

1. A Model Disciple
The issue of discipleship is highlighted when Tabitha is identified as a disciple. Aeneas no doubt was a believer too but the fact that Tabitha was a disciple is highlighted for us in particular. There are two things to notice about this:

i) She was a female disciple - Luke uses the feminine form of the word disciple here (its only use in the NT). That is very significant. In both his Gospel and in Acts, Luke shows the prominent role played by women, both in assisting the ministry of Jesus and then in the early church.

This is important because many say the Bible is sexist, both in its language and how it portrays women. But in a society where women were marginalised, it was the Lord Jesus who willingly engaged with them, calling them to follow him, to learn from him and gladly receiving their assistance.

And in the early church, although women were not given leadership roles by the Lord, nevertheless they were valued very highly indeed. And Luke affirms that here in the way he speaks of Tabitha and presents her as a model believer.

ii) She lived out her discipleship - That portrayal of her as something of a model disciple comes out in the description of her life: she "was always doing good and helping the poor".

Discipleship has been described in various ways. One writer expresses it is this way: a disciple of Jesus Christ is "one who believes his doctrines, rests upon his sacrifice, imbibes his Spirit and imitates his example". That's a very helpful summary but Luke is not trying to define discipleship here, he's showing us what it looks like in action. And with Tabitha that meant being full of good works.

She was a lady of means who used her riches for the glory of God and the good of others. Her home was in all probability used by the church in Joppa for its meetings (she had a large upper room) and she was a consistent helper of the local widows, probably both Christian and non-Christian.

And she didn't just help from a distance; her very self was bound up with the help she gave. It is no wonder that, when she died, those she had helped were deeply upset. She was a model believer, held in high regard both in the church and in the local community.

In her example there is much for us to learn. We may not be rich as she was but the Lord blesses in various ways; are we using his gifts for his glory and the good of others? Are we clearly known as disciples of Jesus, not in a formal sense but in reality, because of the lives we live?

Acts has many great heroes of the faith: Peter and Paul, Stephen and Philip, and others. We can admire their gifts and rejoice in the way the Lord used them. But it would be quite wrong to conclude that if we lack those gifts, we have little or no part to play in his work.

Tabitha is a great example of an 'ordinary' believer living an extraordinary life, by God's grace, to God's glory. We too have many opportunities to do the same. In our society, personal, practical help is desperately needed. People are lonely, families are breaking down, many are struggling with life.

The openings are many, the harvest is plentiful - but it has to be said that still the labourers are few. Are we asking the Lord to send out workers into his harvest? We need to ask him to show us where we could make a difference, how our gifts and abilities might be used, both in the church and in the community.

2. Disciples and Death
Tabitha is a great encouragement to us through her life. But she died, so it's end of story. And yet it isn't. Her death and its outcome help us too:

i) The Lord's work does not depend on one person. His work is much bigger than us and our gifts and what we are able to do for him. The church belongs to him, the progress of the gospel is his passion and purpose ever before it becomes ours.

ii) Being a disciple, and a model one at that, does not exempt a person from what Paul calls "the sufferings of this present age" (Rom. 8:18). Tabitha fell ill and died. The Lord's best, most winsome and fruitful servants are not immune to suffering in its various forms.

iii) But, as we see here, the Lord may choose to restore, which raises the very obvious question, Why some but not others?

In this situation, Peter's decision to intervene seems to be based on the deep grief of the people and on the strategic ministry of Tabitha. Paul reasons in the same way in Phil. 1:23ff where he is sure he will be set free for the sake of the Philippian church.

But it doesn't always work that way. In fact, Paul probably wasn't released from jail. The Lord's hands are not tied by our perception of what will be best. He is free to act as he will. Taking the cases of Aeneas and Tabitha together, it is clear that the Lord's hand is not ultimately swayed by Tabitha's deeds. Aeneas is contrasted to Tabitha - he was a believer yet not much is said of him, nothing great to report. Tabitha is so different. And yet both of them are healed by the Lord!

So if it isn't human need or virtue that occasions the Lord's intervention, what is it? Look at what happens in both cases: God is glorified as people believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Both miracles are demonstrations of the larger salvation that is available only in Jesus. When Peter speaks to Aeneas and then Tabitha, he uses both times the word that is used to describe the resurrection of Jesus (vv.34,40). The Lord acts to vindicate his name, to proclaim the salvation won by Jesus.

But he doesn't only glorify himself through such miracles. They are quite rare in scripture, even in the days of Acts. More often, he chooses to glorify his name through our weakness, as Paul discovered and was able to rejoice in (2 Cor. 12:7ff).

God knows all; he is sovereign and will act to glorify the name of his Son. And that is where, ultimately, our own greatest happiness and good lie. May he help us to be true disciples, to his praise and honour, living in and through his all-sufficient grace. Amen.

Acts 9:1-31

1. Saul: Verging on Violence (vv.1,2)
The account of Philip's ministry in ch.8 has left a significant issue in the air. When Stephen was killed, a young Jew by the name of Saul was there giving his approval and then going from house to house, dragging Christians off to prison. So while the believers were being scattered and Philip saw such blessing both in Samaria and with the Eunuch, what has happened with Saul?

The answer is given in the opening verse of this chapter: "Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples". And here we find him intent on causing more trouble by going to Damascus to try to get Christians extradited from there to Jerusalem.

Here is a man very zealous for all things Jewish - the law, the temple, the customs, the land, Jewish exclusiveness - and yet his zeal is without knowledge. He persecutes followers of 'the Way' which is shorthand for 'Way of Salvation'.

Here were people who believed the law had been fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth, who saw him as the true temple, and who were intent of taking the message of salvation in this Jesus to the ends of the earth. No wonder Saul was angry!

How will the Lord deal with this man? As we've seen, God is in complete control of the mission. He could quite easily wipe him out; there are times when persecutors are simply taken away (see Herod in 12:23). But the Lord has other plans for this angry young man. He has the situation in hand, as he always does, and acts here with power and grace. Never despair for the church, nor for societies or individuals - the Lord is in control!

2. Saul: Confronted, Converted, Commissioned (vv.3-19a)
As Saul travels to Damascus, he is confronted by the reality of the risen Lord Jesus Christ in his majesty and power. This is not a psychological vision that Saul has, it is historically real; those who were with him "stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone" (v.7).

Now, Saul doesn't realise who he is seeing and hearing at first and asks who is speaking. The answer he gets is completely devastating: "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting".

From this moment, Saul is blind - blinded by the light physically but his blindness also functions symbolically in this passage. He has been acting in grave ignorance of the truth. Saul is completely devastated by what he has seen and heard. When he gets to the house on Straight Street, he eats and drinks nothing for three days.

Why is he so utterly devastated? The answer lies in what this vision of Jesus has shown him. The fact that Jesus is alive, that he truly was raised from the dead, as the church had been proclaiming, changed everything. It meant, as Saul so soon began to preach, that Jesus was the Son of God, that he was the Messiah.

Jesus really had fulfilled the law; he was the true temple, and the gospel was for all nations. The kingdom of God had been inaugurated, God had acted to save his people and the message was to be taken into all the nations and the Gentiles brought in.

Saul had to go through a complete rethink; he had to repent, change his whole outlook, especially as regards the person and work of Jesus. Once he had regarded him from a fleshly point of view but no longer; he sees him as the fulfilment of God's plans, the 'yes' to all the promises of God.

Saul changes his mind in deep contrition for his sin, especially persecuting the Lord's people and comes to faith in Jesus.

There is much about Saul's conversion that is quite out of the ordinary, particularly the vision of Jesus, and that is tied to the plans the Lord has to use him. But having said that, we still see here what is involved in all true conversion: a change of mind, sorrow for sin and faith in Jesus as the Messiah.

Saul is confronted and converted, and what the Lord did for him he can do for others who seem so far from him; don't stop praying!

Having been converted, Saul is also commissioned to serve the Lord he has so recently persecuted. The Lord uses a man named Ananias to further his work in Saul's life. Now, quite understandably, Ananias is very reluctant to go to Saul! But the Lord says that Saul "is praying", a phrase that is deeply significant and shows Ananias that Saul is now his brother.

Ananias lays his hands on Saul and tells him that the Lord Jesus has sent him so that Saul may receive the Holy Spirit. Here is the great sign that the new age has arrived, that the Messiah has come. And the Messiah is Jesus! As his hands are laid on Saul, his recovers his sight - a physical symbol of what is also true of him in a spiritual sense.

But he is not going to be left as he is. Ananias has been told that the Lord has plans for Saul, unexpected and glorious plans. The one who persecuted the Way will be a preacher of the Way. And he will suffer for the sake of Jesus' name.

Of course, this commission is quite specific to Saul but, as with his conversion, it also makes a general point worth noting and learning from: when we are saved, we are called into service. And although that service will include the very real possibility of suffering for Jesus' sake, it remains a glorious calling.

3. Saul: Preaching and Persecuted (vv.19b-31)
What happens next is that Saul "at once...began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God" (v.20). He obeyed his commission. Where once his zeal was without knowledge, now he knows the truth, it has set him free and he glories in it, preaching to all that Jesus is the Messiah.

Given that this is such an about-turn, how do the Jews in Damascus react? At first they are dumbfounded but then they get deadly in their intent. No matter that this man was once one of them, he must be dealt with.

And the same happens in Jerusalem. He is integrated into the Christian community there, thanks to the brave stand of Barnabas, and the Jews are infuriated and, again, look to try and kill him.

However remarkable a conversion may be, however clearly it displays the powerful mercy of God, however persuasive the testimony to the Lord Jesus, apart from the grace of God, the world's reaction will be to turn away and to reject.

4. The Church At Peace
But the final picture in this chapter gives us an example of the times of peace and blessing that the Lord is able to give to his church. In Judea, Galilee and Samaria, the church "enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord" (v.31).

In the conversion of Saul, the amazing grace and power of God is seen; in this brief cameo of the church at large, those attributes are no less evident. The Lord is in control of his mission. He can bring even the most hardened person to their knees and change their hearts; he can grow his church, even where persecution is rife. We need to hold onto that and seek him with all our hearts.

Acts 8:26-40

One of the main points this scene so clearly conveys is the sovereign control of God over the whole gospel mission. By means of an angelic messenger and the direct leading of his Spirit, the Lord moves Philip on from a successful ministry in Samaria to a one-to-one encounter in the middle of nowhere.

This isn't something that Philip's agent would have advised - not exactly a wise career move to leave a success story. But when Philip gets there, he finds a prepared individual, a man who 'just happens' to be reading the Bible, in whose heart the Lord is already at work.

From a crowd to an individual, the Lord will pursue his plan to prosper the gospel and to bless. This is the second of four scenes (inc. Samaria, Saul, Cornelius) where the Lord moves the story on at great pace and in ways beyond the plans of the church.

The apostles are always having to play catch-up to what the Lord himself is doing! He is the one in charge; it is his story, his plan to save a fallen world. He has the right to set the agenda and move the action on and he always does so with power and wisdom.

1. A Changing Scene
Now, it is one thing to recognise that God is in control over the mission of the church; it is another to celebrate and cooperate with it. But that it what we see Philip doing here and there is much for us to learn from him.

We are not to expect angelic messages and direct leading by the Spirit to be a daily occurrence but that shouldn't stop us from receiving the example of Philip in this scene.

Here is a man open to what God wants to do. He isn't coming with his own set agenda but is ready to do the Lord's will. He is ready to respond to God's providence and leading.

To follow this example is not to deny the need for the church to think through its mission and to make plans to enact it. We see the apostle Paul doing just that in Acts and in his letters. But that must always go hand in hand with a willingness to respond to what God is doing that is different to our plans.

We live in days of great challenge; getting the gospel out is perhaps harder than ever in our society. We need to ask if we're ready to do what it takes to get it out. Are we open or are an obstacle?

2. An Unchanging Message
Philip was ready to change, at the Lord's bidding, from one place to another, from a public scene to a private one, from a crowd to an individual. But what is not changed, what is clearly nonnegotiable, is the message he preaches. As with the Samaritans, so with the Ethiopian: Philip speaks God's good news that centers upon his Son, Jesus the Messiah.

In Samaria there had been miracles accompanying; leaving aside the unusual means of guidance, this scene has nothing spectacular about it. But what it does have in common with Samaria is the centrality of the gospel. In fact, the way the passage is structured by Luke, the very centre of the scene is the quotation from Isaiah.

In all gospel work, in the life of the church and in our lives in the community, the great unchanging reality is the message of the gospel. As in Samaria, as with the Ethiopian, so today the way that people will be saved is through God's Word.

That may happen at times in unusual ways, it may happen without any other person being involved, because, as we've seen, God is sovereign. But both in Acts and the rest of the NT, it is clear that the Lord's usual way of working in salvation is through his word being explained and applied in person.

Holding fast to the gospel is an absolute necessity. And so is being ready and willing to change the context in which we share it with others. We need to ask the Lord for wisdom to know how to do both.

3. A Token of Blessing
But what of the Eunuch himself. From his perspective, the grace of God that seeks him out is quite amazing. He is clearly someone seeking, a God-fearer (a Eunuch couldn't become a proselyte). As he seeks, he finds that the Lord is seeking him and will take one of his servants from a scene of blessing simply to minister to him in his need. How good God is!

But whilst we recognise and rejoice in the Eunuch's salvation, the picture it paints is bigger yet. Here we see something of God's plan to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. Ethiopia was thought of in just that way in that time. The church had yet to embark on that part of the great commission but here we see a token of God's desire to save from every tribe, language and nation.

This eunuch would no doubt have wanted to worship in the temple but his condition prevented it. No doubt he would have wanted to be baptised into Judaism but again his condition was a bar to that. But now he is united to Christ, he becomes part of the true temple of God and is baptised to declare that he is united to and identified with the Lord Jesus. This had been prophesied in Is. 56:3-5 and here it comes true!

Here is living proof of the fact that there are no bars to anyone coming to Christ! This lesson is going to be amplified in Acts but it is seen in essence here and very powerfully too.

Conclusion
As we close, we need to notice that Luke has written up this incident in a very careful way. The whole scene has many parallels to the scene in Lk. 24 with the two disappointed disciples on the road to Emmaus.

* A stranger suddenly joins the traveller(s)
* The stranger engages the traveller(s) with a question
* The traveller(s) has failed to understand scripture
* Jesus' death and resurrection become the topic of conversation via a reference to the prophets
* The stranger vanishes as quickly as he came
* The traveller(s) know great joy

But there is one key difference. Those in Lk.24 go back to Jerusalem; the eunuch continues on his way. Although it had been the focal point of his gospel and for the early church, now Jerusalem is no longer going to be so.

The man does not need to return there to know God's presence. The events that were completed there (the Cross and Pentecost) mean he can go his way confident that God is with him. As John Stott has noted, he went on his way "without the evangelist but with the evangel, without human aid but with the divine Spirit."

And perhaps we can say that he can go knowing too that God can and will use him to further the gospel where he lives. Is it too much to pray that the same will be true for us?

Exodus 15:1-21

Last week, we saw how the Lord opened a way through the waters for his people, rescuing them from their enemies. The story takes a bit of a breather in ch.15 as we have recorded for us the song that the people sang in response to what the Lord had just done for them. And that is how it ought to be – deliverance should lead to doxology and salvation to song. We were created to hymn the praise of God and that is where this chapter takes us.

1. Songs in scripture…
I want to begin by reading some comments made on the back of a study of what is often called The Song of the Sea.

Singing has universal appeal. The Creator made us that way. We sing for different reasons. Sometimes we are happy, other times miserable. Sometimes we know why we sing, other times it just comes out. We sing to remember good times and to take our minds off bad times. Singing changes our moods as well as simply reflecting them. What we sing can have a tremendous influence in how we subsequently think or behave. Song can enter portals of our being that prose and logic cannot. The capacity to sing and to react to song is part of the human experience, so much so that without it, we would truly be less than human.”

[The songs of scripture] give us a glimpse of who God is and, therefore, what our proper stance toward him should be.

We do not sing in worship to reflect our moods any more than our sermons and Sunday school lessons should reflect our pet theories on the gospel. Rather, quite bluntly, we sing in an effort to take us away from what we think and draw us toward what we ought to think, feel, experience. We sing to create a mood more than to reflect one.

This is why the content of what we sing is so vital. Our songs are, like the songs of the Bible, reminders of who God is and what he has done. This is not to say that only one type of song fits this description; for example, the ‘classic’ hymns of the church. To argue as I have done is not to close off discussion on the subject because the issue is now settled. Rather, the discussion can truly be opened when we have all agreed at the outset that, like the biblical examples, who we sing to and what we sing about is a matter worthy of constant reflection and spiritual energy. (Peter Enns, Exodus, NIVAC)

The points being made there are extremely important and very helpfully put. The writer is not being small-minded but is genuinely concerned for the health of the church and the glory of God.

We need to take on board the sheer variety of songs that are found in the Bible – no one song will contain all the aspects noted. And so in a service, a wide variety of songs might be sung, in various forms.

But the point that the songs we sing don’t simply express our moods but help to shape them is of great significance. It’s what we see at Col. 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”

The songs we sing teach and train us, they create and animate. Which means it is vital that we assess our songs in the light of the songs of scripture – and those songs, even where they focus on the status of the singer or the feelings of the congregation, do so in the context of speaking about the Lord – who he is, what he has done.

And that, of course, is just what we need. We need our songs not simply to express how we feel but to challenge and to shape our thinking so that our feelings are re-ordered and our emotions purified.

2. Focus of this song: the LORD is a warrior
Now, when we come to look at this song in all its detail, it is quite clear that its focus is resolutely set on the Lord and in particular on the Lord as a warrior (v.3).

Here is a theme that runs right throughout scripture, in both old and new testaments: God is a warrior and fights for his people and against his enemies. And as he does that, he gains a victory that is cosmic in its scope and that has implications for the whole creation.

i) He fights for his people The LORD takes absolute responsibility for his people and acts to rescue them. And, so, Moses and the people sing of him, “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation” (v.2)

ii) He judges their enemies The Lord who fights for his people judges those who oppose him. And that judgement here means the death of the whole army in the waters of the Red Sea.

Now, scenes of judgement we expect to find in the Bible; God is not partial to sin, he stands against it, deliberately and resolutely. But having said that, it almost seems that there is delight in this song at the expense of the Egyptians. How can that be so?

I think it is only when we see sin and evil up close and get a sense of just how desperately wicked they are that we can understand the delight in their destruction. Pharaoh and his men had taken their stand against the Lord and so had taken their stand for sin and chaos, for evil and death. Their actions (whether consciously so or not) were set on robbing creation of its liberation from bondage and its people’s from the black night of sin. That cannot be allowed. And so the Lord acts.

iii) He gains a cosmic victory This is no local victory that the Lord wins. He is in it for the sake of the whole cosmos and so the song speaks in cosmic terms. Again we see nature working hand-in-hand with the Creator and doing his bidding. We also see a reference to the watery chaos of Gen 1:2, a deliberate link back to that beginning of creation to proclaim the cosmic dimension of what has just happened.

Israel may be a small nation and, in the grand scheme of things in the ANE world, quite insignificant. But the Lord was acting for them and against their enemies for the sake of the whole world. And as he does so, he reveals himself to be the supreme ruler of all – “Who among the gods is like you?”

In all these ways, the Lord is also with us as his people – acting to redeem us from our great foes – sin, evil and death. And he is acting in us for the sake of the whole creation. He is surely worthy of the highest and purest praise we can bring.

3. Prophetic victory
One of the questions raised about this song is when it was written. It seems to flow straight from the crossing of the sea yet the final section (from v.13) speaks of a victory over peoples yet to be encountered (the NIV’s future tense is not justified). So was the song written a long time after the event and conveniently slotted-in here?

I think what we have here is indeed a prophetic passage (as suggested by the NIV) but the form of that prophecy is indeed the past tense and for a very good reason.

Our hope as the Lord’s people is secure because of Jesus and what he has done. Similarly here, the future success of the people is certain because of what this song is all about (the LORD!) and so future victories can be spoken of as already in the past.

Our final destiny is so secure that the Bible can speak of us as already saved, even as it speaks of us being saved. There is no doubt that every Christian will arrive safely in glory because the LORD is a warrior, because Jesus died and rose again, because his love is stronger than death.

In his unfailing love, he has and does lead us as his people and leads us to “his holy dwelling” (v.13). That term is used elsewhere in the OT for the temple but even that is only an anticipation of the full reality, the Lord dwelling with his people for ever. Our place in his family and at his table is forever secured because the Lord is our strength and song and has become our salvation (v.2). It is assured because, in his death, Jesus “shattered the enemy” (v.6) and they “sank like lead in the mighty waters” (v.10). It is guaranteed because “the LORD reigns for ever and ever” (v.18).

We must sing this song and others like it. We must fill our hearts and our minds with the truth about God, about Jesus, about his Spirit, about ourselves and the world, about the present and the future. We read the truth and we must sing the truth.

In Zeph. 3:17 we’re told that the Lord “will rejoice over you with singing”; we need to ask him to catch us up into that song through his Word and by his Spirit, for his glory and our strengthening.

On Singing

Following on from Alan Davey's comments on singing here the following comments by Peter Enns in his excellent NIVAC commentary on Exodus seemed worth posting, as grist to the mill.

Singing has universal appeal. The Creator made us that way. We sing for different reasons. Sometimes we are happy, other times miserable. Sometimes we know why we sing, other times it just comes out. We sing to remember good times and to take our minds off bad times. Singing changes our moods as well as simply reflecting them. What we sing can have a tremendous influence in how we subsequently think or behave. Song can enter portals of our being that prose and logic cannot. The capacity to sing and to react to song is part of the human experience, so much so that without it, we would truly be less than human.

Singing is such a characteristically human trait because it is divine as well. I do not know whether God sings, but he has certainly woven song into the fabric of creation. It is a means not only of reflecting or changing our moods, but it is also a means by which we "connect" with God, or to put it in more traditional language, it is a means by which we worship God. We do not have an "order of worship" anywhere in the Bible, although there are sufficient clues as to the types of things that probably went on in both Old and New Testament worship. But by God's good will, we do have a fairly extensive record of one thing they most certainly did: singing. The Bible records a lot of singing; there is even an entire book devoted to the subject (Psalms).

What we see in Exodus 15, and the other songs discussed above, is worship, pure and simple. Most Christians I know, including myself, find worship to be a frustratingly elusive thing. It is something we know we are supposed to do, but often we just can't seem to get a handle on it. It is something we are supposed to feel like doing, but, to be honest, we would often rather be off doing something else. But this is where these songs can help us.

Although neither I nor anyone else can prove the point, I do not think that the songs of the Old Testament were spontaneous outpourings of worship quickly jotted down and then preserved in a glass jar for future ggenerations to gawk at. They are rather models for worship. They were written down precisely so that they could be pondered, studied, and reflected one and not just for ancient Israelites, but for those who live in the light of the resurrection of God's Son. They are not trophies on a mantel but inspired examples, not so much because they have to be followed word for word, but because they give us a glimpse of who God is and, therefore, what our proper stance toward him should be.

One thing that strikes me about the biblical songs we have discussed is the lack of focus on oneself. And any attention that is paid to the one uttering the song (as in the case of Mary's song) quickly recedes into the background to let the true focus of the song come through-praise to the Lord. Songs in Scripture are about what God has done for his people. Although many psalms offer praise to God for more "abstract" things (though that is hardly a fair characterization), such as his creation, this is not the case for the songs examined here. They are songs filled with thanksgiving, gratitude, awe, and power because God has shown himself to be mighty in some situation, and his might is to be recognized throughout all the earth. To put it another way, these songs are thoroughly theocentric. Our worship of God in song should be equally theocentric and, ever since Easter morning, Christocentric as well.

I resist with all my heart making simplistic, blanket statements, but the biblical model for "hymnic worship," as we may call it, should cause us to think long and hard about the state of music in the church today. Different kinds of music reflect different personalities and create different kinds of moods, and it is a hopeless task to get any ten people to agree on what kinds are and are not appropriate for worship. My point here, however, has little to do with the musical dimension, but with the content of the songs.

Does worship really happen when stanza after stanza of a hymn or other type of song focuses on the personal status of the worshiper rather than the nature, character, and acts of God? I have become more sensitive to this over the years. When I hear myself singing "I," "me," or "we" too often, I begin thinking that our emphasis at that moment is misplaced. I am not suggesting that songs in worship should make no reference to the worshiper. I am simply suggesting that we remain in an "analytical" (but not judgmental) mode in order better to discern what is right and what is wrong in how we worship God.

At the risk of getting too specific, allow me to provide an example.

Jesus, we just want to thank You (3x)
Thank You for being so good.

Jesus, we just want to praise You (3x)
Praise you for being so good.

Jesus, we just want to tell You (3x)
We love You for being so good.

Savior, we just want to serve You (3x)
Serve You for being so good.

Jesus, we know you are coming (3x)
Take us to live in Your home.

The point here is not the quality of the music or the question of whether repetition is an aid or hindrance to worship. (It could be both. Ps. 119, for example, is very repetitive.) Nor am I addressing whether such a song would be profitable in a setting other than a worshipful one. But the focus of this song is clear: It is on the worshipers, on what we are doing (thanking, praising, telling, serving, knowing). Again, this is not to say that there should be no mention of the worshiper. That would be equally ridiculous. Even the Song at the Sea begins, "I will sing to the LORD." The difference, however, is that this biblical song shifts quickly to the object of praise, God, rather than lingering on the one giving the praise. I am not saying the above song is not appropriate for worship and should be excluded from the hymnal. Still, when I look at the songs of old-not just the hymns of recent centuries, but of the Old Testament-I cannot help but wonder if we could do better.

There is another aspect of this hymn that stands in stark contrast to the biblical examples. It is, for all intents and purposes, devoid of any specific content. Why is Jesus good? Is such a basis for praise too vague? Another example will make the point even clearer.

Jesus is the sweetest name I know,
And He's just the same as His lovely name,
And that's the reason I love Him so;
Oh, Jesus is the sweetest name I know.

Again, I am not saying that such songs should not be sung, but it does raise some questions. Why is Jesus' name so "sweet"? And just what is a "sweet name? I am not calling for a full-blown, Latin oration every time we open our mouths in song. Different levels of content are appropriate for different Christians. It is a matter of wisdom rather than applying black-and-white categories that will contribute to the discussion. But when I think of how praise is offered to God in the Bible, there is more meat to them. Skimming the biblical songs we have looked at above shows the types of things God is praised for: his universal rule, power, eternality, incomparability, love, faithfulness to his people, and coming universal recognition.

It is not too much, I am sure, to expect the church's worship of God to be thoughtful, biblical and awe-inspiring. Our natural tendency throughout the week is to focus on ourselves. This should not be the case for Christians when we gather together in order to worship God; rather, we should make a decided effort to turn from ourselves and toward him who is truly worthy not just of our attention but of our adoration. It is perhaps in this context that we can come to a deeper understanding of passages such as Colossians 3:16: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."

The "word of Christ," which we can safely equate with Scripture, is to dwell in us richly, not only as we teach and admonish each other, but as we sing to God "with gratitude" in our hearts. We show this gratitude by making the focus of our singing the nature and work of God in calling us to be his own. We need constant reminders of who God is and what he has done. What we sing should, like the biblical examples, reflect these things.

This is all the more true in light of our high calling in Christ. We participate in an act of God that is far greater than the Exodus, for it is God's climactic act of deliverance. Focusing our attention in worship relentlessly on God is not mundane nor tedious. Rather, it places the focus where it ought to be. This is the great "content" that is the acceptable form of worship for the church, not only in its teaching, preaching, and missions statements, but also in its music. We do not sing in worship to reflect our moods any more than our sermons and Sunday school lessons should reflect our pet theories on the gospel. Rather, quite bluntly, we sing in an effort to take us away from what we think and draw us toward what we ought to think, feel, experience. We sing to create a mood more than to reflect one.

This is why the content of what we sing is so vital. Our songs are, like the songs of the Bible, reminders of who God is and what he has done. This is not to say that only one type of song fits this description; for example, the ‘classic’ hymns of the church. To argue as I have done is not to close off discussion on the subject because the issue is now settled. Rather, the discussion can truly be opened when we have all agreed at the outset that, like the biblical examples, who we sing to and what we sing about is a matter worthy of constant reflection and spiritual energy.

Peter Enns, Exodus (NIVAC), pp.314-317

Acts 8:4-25

1. Into Samaria
In chapter 6, we were introduced to the seven who were chosen to handle the distribution of gifts for the needy among the early church. One of those was Stephen who went on to exercise a powerful ministry among the Jews but soon became the first martyr in the church. Here in chapter 8 we meet again the second of the seven, Philip, and see that he too exercises a ministry that is wider than the physical needs of the church.

In 21:8 he is called 'Philip the Evangelist' and this chapter shows why that name was given him. Philip is the first to take the gospel beyond Jerusalem and Judea and into Samaria. He went there and "proclaimed the Christ" (v.5). And his preaching was accompanied by miraculous signs which caught the people's attention and the whole city was full of joy as people were healed and delivered.

But as we see this, we need to notice how it was that Philip came to be in Samaria. In v.4 Luke shows that it was the result of the persecution that broke out against the church after the stoning of Stephen.

Some think the church had neglected the great commission in not reaching out sooner and conclude that this was the Lord's way of overcoming their reticence. There is nothing in the text to suggest that but what it does show is that though Satan may scheme, the Lord is still sovereign.

However much persecution the church may face, he remains in control and can use the opposition of men and evil to further his own gospel purposes. Men may do their worst, as they did to Stephen but God is God! That should give us great heart because the world is no different today and neither is God.

2. The Samaritans and Simon: Faith; True and False
As we've seen, Luke tells us there was great joy in the city as the result of the miracles that the Lord did through Philip. But such joy does not necessarily mean changed lives. The verses that follow show what is necessary for real change and how such a change may not always go hand in hand with such joy.

The people of Samaria had been impressed for some time by a man named Simon who "practised sorcery in the city" (v.9). He impressed them with his powers and they were in awe of him, even saying that "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power" (v.10).

But when they saw what Philip did and heard the message he preached, they believed the gospel and were baptised. They transfer their allegiance from Satan to Jesus. Now, at first sight, it might seem the same is being said of Simon, for Luke tells us that he too believed and was baptised. But Luke is careful in what he says about Simon. He doesn't tell us what Simon believed and deals with him separately from the Samaritans of the city.

That distinction becomes more telling in the following scene where the Spirit is given through Peter and John. Here Simon shows his true colours and asks to buy the ability to give the Spirit. Peter's response shows that this is not someone who is simply confused about the giving of the Spirit but someone who is calculating and hungry for power and influence. His heart is not right before God and, when confronted with his sin, he is not repentant, only scared.

Simon is impressed by what God can do in power but not with what he has done in Jesus. The point of the signs is to disclose truth about God and Jesus, to attest to the message being preached. Simon wanted the power but not the person.

Here is a salutary warning that is pertinent for today. People may be impressed by many things that accompany the gospel, even miracles where God chooses to give them, and yet may not be truly converted. Some have become what are called 'rice Christians'; that is, they professed to believe the message to gain the material benefits that were being offered with it. Such people want the care but not the cross and the Saviour.

So we see here that the gospel is advancing but the progress is not smooth. Yes, there is fruit but there is also failure, which is just what Jesus told us would happen in the parable of the sower and the seeds. We must expect the same today.

3. The Gift of the Spirit: Genuine Gospel Advance
The case of Simon raises questions about the nature of true faith but it also raises questions about the giving of God's Spirit. Were the Samaritans truly saved before they received the Spirit? If they were saved, is the Spirit still given separately from faith today? If they weren't truly saved, does that means you can sincerely believe and not be a Christian? And what was the role of Peter and John and, hence, of church leaders today? Is the Spirit given through men?

As questions like those arise in our minds, we do well to recall that this passage was not written to answer them! They were not the concerns that Luke was addressing and in many ways, although they are legitimate questions, they can mask the real significance of what is being said in the passage.

In handling questions like these, we need to remember a number of things. Firstly, the situation in Acts is quite unusual, it is still a formative period for the life of the church and things are still quite fluid. So we need to be careful in how we draw rules from what we find here; it isn't impossible to do so, but we do need to be careful how we do it.

In the second place, we need to understand, as one writer has said, that "It is God, not magicians or even apostles, who gives his own Spirit". Whatever is or isn't permanent in this scene, God is always sovereign. He won't be manipulated by us or our expectations.

Thirdly, this passage does not set a pattern even for the book of Acts. The Spirit is not always given via apostles, he is not always given post-baptism, there is not always a delay between faith and the giving of the Spirit and he is sometimes given before water-baptism has taken place. The rest of the NT helps us to answer the questions we may have that are not answered here: God gives his Spirit, not through intermediaries but personally and he does so to every person who truly believes in Jesus. That is the settled pattern.

So what is the point being made here? Why involve Peter and John? The important point being made has to do with the authentic nature of this first expansion of the gospel. Is it the real thing? Does it flow out of the authentic words and work of Jesus that the apostles were commissioned to witness to?

Those questions occur elsewhere in Acts and are answered by apostolic assessment. There are no apostles today but the point remains valid: all developments and claims regarding expansion must be tested by apostolic teaching. The work is only authentic and is only truly integrated where it is built upon "the foundation of the apostles and prophets" (Eph. 2:20).

Taken together, this scene shows us that the gospel will make progress, despite setbacks. But all progress must be judged in Biblical terms, by apostolic teaching about the gospel. It is only authentic where it is truly based on "the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ" (v.12). And it is only right that we should ask the question, Do we pass the test?

Acts 6:8 - 8:3

In this passage, we have the account of the first martyr of the Christian church. It is a deeply moving scene with Stephen making his defence and then being stoned. But as well as being moving, it is also a scene that raises important issues. One of the most important questions we can ask is, Why was Stephen killed? What drove his accusers to such depths?

Some see Stephen as being partly to blame for his own demise, that he handled the situation badly. If he hadn't been so OTT about his religion, if he had been a bit more flexible then this wouldn't have happened. And, to justify that view, they might point to the subsequent outbreak of violence against the church at large: look what trouble Stephen's lack of judgement brought on his fellow believers.

Those are significant issues, not just in terms of life then but in terms of the church today. Do we need to be careful what we say? Careless talk costs lives, we're told. Although we live in a society where violence against the church is not common, it is, on the whole, hostile to the claims of the Christian faith. So these questions are urgent for us too.

In considering the issues, we're going to look at how Stephen handled the situation and then how Luke portrays him.

1. Stephen's Speech
Having been introduced to Stephen is 6:5, we learn more of him in 6:8-10. Here was a man not only equipped to serve the church in a practical way but one able to defend the faith with power and conviction. The Lord was with him in such a way that his opponents "could not stand up against his wisdom" (v.10).

And so a plot is hatched against him, whereby false witnesses bring charges against him, relating to the law and the temple. Stephen is before the Sanhedrin on these charges and in ch.7 makes his reply. His speech is the longest in a book full of speeches. We need to notice the main points in what he says.

For a large part of his speech, Stephen rehearses the history of the people of Israel, in particular God's dealings with Abraham and Moses, his words through the prophets and the history of the temple. To us it can seem a rather strange way to speak: why go on at length about a subject that doesn't seem to be the real issue?

Stephen is doing at least two things: he is gaining their empathy; this is common ground, they share the same history and the same basic understanding of God. He is starting where they are. But he is also preparing the ground for his charges against them by drawing parallels between their actions and the sins of the people in the past.

In terms of his charges against them, there are two in essence, one more indirect, the other much more 'in your face'.

i) False worship - The people in the past had corrupted the true worship of God by asking Aaron to make them gods of gold, and had turned aside to worship "the heavenly bodies" (vv.39-42). Just as they had engaged in false worship through the veneration of what God had made, so had the people of Stephen's day.

They tried to confine God to the temple he had given. They wanted to box him in and to give to the temple a kind of magic quality that suggested that God can be manipulated and used to human ends. And this Stephen roundly opposes: "the Most High does not live in houses built be men" (v.48).

Does this seem a slight point to make? Idolatry, in whatever guise it comes, is repugnant to the one true God. Stephen's accusation that they have taken something good and God-given and made an idol of it is universally true. Notice how Paul makes the same point to the people of Athens in Acts 17:24.

Whatever the idol, be it a relationship or career or something else, it must be challenged. Men and women everywhere have a duty to repent and to serve the living and true God. As his people, we ought to have a burning desire to see his honour upheld and real worship being given to him. We should not take this issue lightly.

Was Stephen a bit OTT in accusing them of false worship? Can't we make allowances for how people live in ignorance? Paul's words in Athens are again helpful: "In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent" - and that is the message we have been entrusted with and are commanded to preach, however harsh the response we get.

ii) Rejection of the Messiah - The second accusation Stephen makes concerns the way they have disregarded God's word to them and have rejected the Messiah.

Here is where his history lesson really hits home. Israel's past was littered with examples of people refusing to listen to what God was saying to them through the prophets. And it was full of those same prophets being treated badly, even killed. He holds up to their attention the examples of Joseph and Moses in particular, as well as unnamed prophets who their fathers persecuted and killed.

But Moses has spoken of another prophet who was to come, the supreme revelation of God. That promise was fulfilled in the coming of Jesus. And what had they done with him? They had killed him. They had played the part of Joseph's brothers; they had acted just like the people of old.

It is at this point that Stephen speaks with utter clarity about them: they are "stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears...who have received the law...but have not obeyed it". Could any accusation be more devastating to such a crowd? They were claiming to be the preservers of the law but Stephen shows they have broken the law!

Stephen is very clear about their sin in rejecting the Messiah. People need to be faced with their sin (hearts), the fact of Jesus and the seriousness of rejecting him. Stephen doesn't spare them; in the right way, with humility, neither should we.

2. Stephen: Following the Master
We have seen why Stephen was martyred in terms of the charges he made and his hearers' response to them. But he also draws a bigger picture that explains why he is persecuted. That picture shows Stephen standing in the long line of faithful witnesses who have been persecuted (face shining like Moses'). But what is really emphasised is the similarity of his case and that of Jesus. The list of details is striking (read them).

So is Luke suggesting that Jesus just another prophet whose place has now been taken by Stephen and his like? No. He consistently shows that Jesus is unique. He is the pinnacle (notice how Stephen commits his spirit to Jesus as he dies).

But because Stephen and the early church are proclaiming Jesus, they will be treated as he was. And that same truth echoes down the long centuries since then. We are called to be faithful witnesses to Jesus, as the early church was. To be such will inevitably mean persecution in one form or another.

But the darkness of persecution is not without its light. This scene ends with a brief glimpse of a character (Saul) whose own life will be changed by the God who is Lord of all. The last word always belongs to the Lord.

Nehemiah 13:4-31

The book of Nehemiah has been about a great work of God to renew his people and rebuild Jerusalem. There has been so much in it that has inspired us to serve God with courage and with zeal. There has been so much to admire in the example of Nehemiah and also the people as a whole. Though far away from them in time, their lives and experience of God speak with power to us down the centuries.

All of which makes this concluding chapter something of a damp squib, so to speak. What we have here is the record of failure. Wouldn't it have been better to finish at verse 3? At least then we'd have ended on a high. Conventional wisdom tells us it's best to quit while you're ahead.

But God knows best. His wisdom has dictated that we get the full story and that we get it for a reason. We'll explore that as we look at the details of this last chapter.

1. Compromise
The events of this chapter take place some 12 years after Nehemiah's original return to Jerusalem. He had been back in the service of the King of Babylon and asked for permission to go back and see how things were.

What he found was a real shock. Far from keeping going as they had been in their devotion to God, the people had slipped back into the old ways of compromise. There are 3 specifics things mentioned here:

i) Eliashib the priest had allowed the temple to be defiled by Tobiah taking up residence there. To do that, important articles had been removed, articles that had been given back by Cyrus to the people on their original return, articles that spoke of God's blessing on his people.

These had been pushed aside to make room for an enemy of God and his people. That speaks volumes.

And it didn't end there. In v.10 we see that a knock-on effect had been that the portions assigned to the Levites were not given to them. Allow the enemy to take up a place at the heart of God's temple and things will go from bad to worse.

It may have seemed a small thing to Eliashib but "what was probably passed-off as a friendly gesture to a 'neighbour' was in fact the death-knell of the worship of God".

ii) The second area of compromise was in the area of sabbath observance. The people had allowed foreign traders to do business on the sabbath in Jerusalem and had become caught up in it themselves.

Why was this significant? To keep the sabbath as God had required them expressed their faith in him (they didn't need to work on the sabbath to ensure their survival) and kept their focus (what matters most in life is a relationship with God). In compromising with foreign traders, they showed a weakened faith and a blurred focus.

iii) The third area of compromise was over the issue of taking foreign wives for themselves. This was something forbidden by God and for good reason. Intermarriage was so serious because it would eventually lead to what their enemies had aimed at yet had failed to achieve: the disappearance of the Jewish nation. They would be assimilated into the other nations and God's purposes through them would be lost.

Having seen something of what they did, we need to stand back and see how it challenges us. Notice that all 3 areas of compromise involved a foreign element. In the NT the word used for that is 'the world'. To compromise with the world, to be friends with it, is to become an enemy of God.

Of course that is not saying we don't befriend people who are not Christians; we must do so. But what we must be careful to do is not to imbibe the ways and standards of the world. Once we walked in the ways of the world but no more.

It's clear from what we've seen (and we know this in our own experience too) that compromise can appear so attractive, so reasonable. That's when it's most dangerous. What begins as a small concession leads all too quickly into defection from the Lord.

I think we can begin to see now why God in his wisdom has given us the full story. We're seeing that life in this world is a battle and it is dangerous. It may be depressing to see their decline but we need the warning. God may favour us with times of great rejoicing as he had done for them. But we cannot stay at such a peak of experience. Battles will have to be fought and we need to be strong to do so.

This tension is something that will always be a feature of the Christian life until Jesus comes again. It would be foolish to expect it to be otherwise and dangerous to ignore the warning.

2. Nehemiah's Response
The people had clearly declined in their walk with God. How did Nehemiah respond to that? In characteristic fashion! There are 3 things to notice about his response:

i) Clear - Nehemiah is clear is facing them up with what they've done. He calls a spade a spade. There is no pussyfooting around here. Sin is exposed for what it is: treachery against the Lord (see vv.11,18,27).

We live in an age when sin is denied and excused. And we're pretty good ourselves at doing so. We need to be clear about our failure to live as God intends.

It does no one any good to deny the reality of our rebellion against God. Nehemiah courageously faces the people with what they've done.

ii) Correction - But he's not only brave in saying what's wrong but he's also brave in his handling of them (literally!), forcing them to get on and put things right. It isn't enough for sin to be exposed for what it is, it needs to be remedied. What is wrong must be stopped and what is right must be started.

When we know we have sinned, this is the challenge for us too. To put away the evil and to live out the good. We may not have someone to pull our hair out but we have something far more effective: the living and active word of God, sharper than any two-edged sword, able to judge and to convict us. When God speaks to us through his word, putting his finger on an area that needs attention, it can be very painful indeed. We need to listen.

iii) Cleansing - But notice that Nehemiah was not only clear in his denunciation of sin and quick to correct it, he was also concerned for there to be cleansing of what had been polluted.

When we fail the Lord and sin, we need to be cleansed, we need our work and service for him to be restored. How we can thank him that in our Lord Jesus he has provided for all our sin and failure! His word wounds us in order that we might be healed by the cleansing and restoring grace of God.

If you know that you need that this morning, take heart from the meal we have shared in, for it speaks to us of wonderful grace for guilty sinners, of a way back to God from the dark paths of compromise. May it please him to forgive us our sins and to restore us in his service, that we might honour him and go forward in the battle, with courage and in his strength.

Nehemiah 12:1 - 13:3

1. Temple Times (vv.1-26)
The chapter begins with a focus on the temple and a list of those who served there. The list includes those who served in the days immediately after the return from exile, as well as the days of Ezra & Nehemiah. The point seems to be that there was unbroken service in the temple throughout the difficult years since. Whatever the conditions of life the church may go through, the reality of God and his covenant never changes.

The temple was always the great focal point for the people in that relationship, being the place where they would go to meet with God and where he would meet with them. The services in the temple spoke powerfully of their need of God and his grace in providing them with atonement and blessing. The great and ultimate fulfilment of the temple is our Lord Jesus and his great work was to build in himself a temple not made by hands.

It is interesting that having focussed on the town in ch.11 the focus is now on the temple. The town was fully inhabited and the temple fully staffed. There is a note of completion here. And we are also reminded of the fact that the walls were not of supreme importance in themselves; they were vitally linked to the temple and functioned as "God's gift for the protection and perpetuation of his name in the world".

It would be good to retain such a perspective upon our own physical resources and structures - to see them as serving the greater gospel realities and not as ends in themselves.

2. The Joy of the Lord (vv.27-43)
Having listed the temple servants, we're now given an account of the great celebration when the wall was dedicated, a celebration whose terminus was the temple itself. There are a number of things to notice here:

i) Structured & Prepared - The event itself was clearly very well structured and carefully planned. Nehemiah divided the people into 2 groups, led by himself and Ezra, and they walked the walls in opposite directions, converging at the temple.

This was not a spontaneous outburst of praise; it was an event whose logistics were complex and well ordered. That tells us something about our own worship and service for the Lord. Some suggest that only spontaneous worship is truly spiritual, that only extempore prayer is real. Some even extend that to preaching - there is no need for preparation, God will lead.

That is to misunderstand the meaning of the word 'spiritual'. Our spiritual worship is the offering up of our very physical bodies as living sacrifices, in ways that are deliberate and planned (Rom. 12:1ff).

There is a place in Christian experience for written prayers; they can help to keep us from becoming narrow in our concerns. It is clearly right to study and prepare to speak God's Word. And the same is true for every act of devotion to God - we are to love him with heart, soul, mind and strength - with our whole being, in ways that are thoughtful and genuine.

We need to grasp that what is structured and though-out is not necessarily any less heartfelt than that which is spontaneous and unplanned. Indeed, it may even be more so.

ii) All the People - The second aspect to notice is that the event included representatives of the whole population. This was an event for the people, not for the professionals. Yes, it included those who were gifted in music and song, and rightly so. But praise is not the sole domain of the musically literate - those of us who are 'harmonically challenged' have a part to play too! And that is what happened here. The people were led but they also played their part.

Serving God is for the whole church. Every believer is to offer their praise to him and all the gifts that God has given are to be used, whether in our daily life or in our gathered activities.

iii) Importance of Thanksgiving - Which leads into what is perhaps the dominant note of these verses - for all that the event was well-planned and inclusive, its great purpose was to praise God and to thank him for his mercy and favour, as seen so recently in the completion of the walls despite all opposition.

We see that so clearly in v.43 where the word for joy is used 5 times. The people's rejoicing was intensive (great joy) and extensive (all groups). As one writer has said, "Joy is the only right response to the perception that God is good".

Joy is to be a dominant note in our Christian experience. It is a fruit of the Spirit's work within us and is a central feature of living under God's reign ("the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" Rom. 14:17).

This event was unique in many ways. Some have compared it to revivals in church history and there are many important parallels. One vital aspect of that is noted in v.43 where we read that the people were "rejoicing because God had given them great joy".

This was not the product of a good music group or the sort of songs they were singing, nor was it down to their being led by leaders with charisma. The people have met with God and he is the author of this joy. For all the careful planning, this is not a worked-up joy but one that is sent-down, from God.

We cannot manufacture revival, nor renew ourselves. But we can learn that a focus on the great reality of God and his grace and obedience to his will, leads to praise that is full and true.

When we give ourselves to God, as they had clearly done in their work in rebuilding the walls and then in giving such close attention to his word, hearing and doing it, God is pleased to bless with the mighty sense of his presence; as our Lord said, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him" (John 14:23).

3. Going on with God
But just as their prior obedience was vital to their knowing the blessing and joy of the Lord, so too it was of the highest importance that this time of rejoicing was followed by further evidence of hearts on fire for God, expressed in obedience to him.

And that is exactly what we see. In vv.44-47, the people give for the services of the temple, as they had said they would. They keep their word in obeying God's. That is then followed in 13:1-3 by their conscious separation from "all those who were of foreign descent", in order to maintain the purity of their worship and the strength of their devotion to God.

When the Lord comes near and blesses us, as we plead that he will, it is urgent that we respond with earnest obedience to his word. He isn't asking or looking for something spectacular but rather faithfulness in the ordinary details of life, expressed here in their giving and living. One writer has perceptively said that "The true gauge of spiritual progress...is the extent to which what might be passed by as 'the normal' has been transformed".

Life with the Lord is not about clinging to experiences of great joy or trying to replicate them; they are a gift from God, even where they are preceded by our obedience. Life with the Lord is about walking in genuine faith and heartfelt obedience to his ways, loving him for who he is, not what he gives. May he help us to so glorify him. Amen.

Nehemiah 11:1-36

The focus of this book is the renewal of the people as the people of God. Integral to that has been the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. But, although the walls have been rebuilt, there is still a problem with Jerusalem. As we saw back in ch.7, it needs to be reinhabited.

In this chapter we have the record of how that happened. Before we look at the details, we need to think through why Jerusalem was important to them and how we can apply what we see here to our own situation today.

1. Jerusalem: Past & Present
Jerusalem was important because it was to be focal place for the life of the community and it housed the temple which witnessed to God, his holiness and purposes of redemption. It was the place in which redemption would be wrought and from which the great movement would begin which would take the message of redemption into all the world.

The NT is quite clear that it has lost its historic importance with the coming of Jesus. There is, now, no one 'holy place'; rather, when two or three gather together, Jesus is there, God is there, in their midst. One day all the earth will become a holy place, where God is and where God is known.

In the NT, we find references to 'Jerusalem above', referring to the gathering of all God's people, his church. The church takes on much of the significance of Jerusalem. That is quite clear in Rev. 21 where the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, comes down from heaven, as a bride dressed for her husband.

That helps us to see how we should approach this material. There will be some correlation with the church, allowing for the fact we're dealing with spiritual realities, not physical places.

2. Supporting the Church
With that in place, the first thing to notice is that they took action to repopulate Jerusalem, precisely because of its importance in the purposes of God. And just as Jerusalem was central to those purposes, so today is the church.

As you read the NT, it is striking that the great missionary endeavour has in view the founding of churches - not buildings but living, vibrant communities where God dwells by his Spirit.

The church is described by Paul as "the pillar and foundation of the truth". It is to be the 'place' where God's word is heralded and in which God's word is lived out. No wonder he tells the church in Corinth "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him". The church is central to his gospel purposes.

They understood Jerusalem's significance and acted on it. Do we see the church as central to our own understanding of the Christian life? Not the building we call church but our identity together. And not just ours but churches near and far.

If it is truly significant to us, it will show, in our prayers and our actions. Being together will not simply be for our own sake but, as in the NT, for helping and strengthening others too (and with that as a priority). When the Bible is read and preached, we'll be eager to hear what God says about his church, not just our own lives and situations.

It will show in our missionary endeavour and concern. We'll be praying for and working towards the founding of churches, not simply the conversion of individuals.

Why? Because of the church's place in God's purposes, because of its calling to tell out and to live out his healing grace in relationships that are whole and wholesome.

3. Defending the Church
Jerusalem was central to God's purposes, but, in human terms it faced an uncertain future and needed to be defended. As we read this chapter, it becomes clear that defence was high on their agenda as they repopulated the city (see vv.6,9,14).

Given that the church is "the pillar and foundation of the truth", it is also vital that it be defended from error and heresy, in teaching and living. Clearly that is an important aspect of the work of the leaders of a church but it should also be the concern of all. We cannot be indifferent to doctrinal decline, as though it was only of concern to scholars; we cannot be indifferent to moral decline, as though it could never happen here.

The church needs to be defended and we have a part to play. So play it we must, by the sword of the Spirit and prayer, with lives of love and purity.

4. Supporting the Church
Notice next how they went about supporting Jerusalem. It happened in a twofold way. People volunteered to go and live in Jerusalem and there was a selection by lot of who would go. It may well be that there were too many volunteers and they had to choose by lot from among them (rather than 2 groups).

Here is something that has a parallel in the NT. We read there that "If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task". There is a premium placed on being eager to serve God; Peter exhorts leaders to "Be shepherds of God's flock...not because you must, but because you are willing...eager to serve".

But eagerness to serve is balanced with a recognition that the Lord directs his church in appointing leaders. Leaders are appointed not only because they're willing but because God has made it clear that it is his will. The 2 aspects we see here in Neh. 11 are reflected in the related situation in the NT.

i) Having seen the principle, we must notice and learn from the eagerness with which they offered to go to Jerusalem. They didn't do so because it was a cushy number; to go would mean leaving a settled situation for a place of peril. Yet they were very keen to go because they put God's purposes and the good of the people before their own comfort and security.

This isn't just something for missionaries and full-time workers to emulate but every believer. O may the Lord give us all such large hearts!

ii) It wasn't just those who volunteered to go who were eager and willing to serve. The people as a whole decided to tithe their numbers and put a tenth of the population in Jerusalem. [Here we see again their readiness to take the principles of the law and apply them by extension to the situation at hand.]

That is akin to the church at Antioch being ready to send out some of its best leaders as church planters. How good it would be for us to share that same spirit of sacrifice!

And the people "commended all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem". They blessed them. They honoured them, not boosting their egos but gladly recognising that which was being done for the Lord and for them.

5. Extending the Church
The last thing to notice about this chapter concerns the other towns. The rest of the people settled in towns that recalled the borders during Israel's glory days under David & Solomon. Can you see what is being hinted at? The glory days seemed so long ago but, because God was at work, nothing would be impossible. In fact, the glory to come would far exceed it.

We can affirm the same too. The future of the church is glorious, however tenuous the present, to his praise and glory!

Nehemiah 9:38 - 10:39

The people have been engaging in a great covenant renewal with God. They have heard his word eagerly, they have confessed their sin humbly; now they are going to reaffirm their commitment to him resolutely and absolutely.

Here are the 2 halves of a real relationship with God: confession and commitment. Both are needed for a balanced, healthy and fruitful Christian life. It is the second aspect that we are going to explore as we look at this chapter. Although it's not been deliberately timed, there is no better way to face the start of a new year than to focus on our commitment to God and on his covenant of grace.

1. A Binding Agreement
The people's strength of resolve to live for God is seen in the fact that they set down in writing their commitment to obey his law and seal it with official seals. Nehemiah takes the lead, with the other leaders and the priests who are specifically named but the rest of the people are included too. Each one of them owns the part they will have to play if the whole community is to live before God as they should.

That strength of resolve is further seen in v.29 where they "bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God". Clearly this is no light-hearted commitment. They are saying that they recognise the justice of incurring God's wrath should they fail to honour the commitment they were making.

This is a very impressive and solemn declaration of intent. The fact it is outwardly and visibly expressed does not mean it wasn't genuine. They clearly are not going through the motions but mean what they say. To express themselves in so public a way and with a written record of their commitment would help them to keep a check on their living out what they have said.

Some believers have at times written their own commitment to God and their resolves to live in certain ways and it can be very helpful to do so. We need to guard against it being merely outward but rightly done it can be a great help.

But whether we write something or not, there is an outward and visible declaration we all make when we sit at the Lord's Table. His table and the meal we share there are all about God's covenant of grace with us. To share a covenant meal is to affirm a commitment to that relationship. As we remember that Jesus died for our sin, so we are affirming that we will now live for righteousness. It is not something to be taken lightly, however often we share in it.

They made a binding agreement and were resolute in their commitment to God. Is that something we want to share?

2. Separate...for the sake of the Law of God
The people expressed their commitment in writing but they also expressed it in life. Specifically, mention is made here of how "they separated themselves from the neighbouring peoples" (v.28). This is a recurring note in Nehemiah and is one we need to grasp.

They were called to belong to God, to be holy. That entailed separation from all that would dilute their commitment to the Lord, hence this action. But it is vital that we grasp that this is not a 'holier than thou' separation into a ghetto. They are separated from the world for the sake of the world. The same holds true for us today. We are not to conform to the ways of the world but rather we are to show to the world a new way of being, God's way of being.

Notice that it says they separated themselves from other peoples "for the sake of the Law of God". At the heart of their action was the desire to conform to what God had said.

Now, we must not think that they were legalists who only wanted to keep God's law for personal merit. They were committed to his law because they were committed to him. Having experienced his restoring grace as evidenced in the rebuilding of the wall, they now commit themselves to live a life worthy of such grace.

The implications of this for us are considerable. It challenges us to what extent our lives are different from the world - not in trivial ways but in the big issues of love, integrity, service and purity. The only lives that will impress others with the beauty of the gospel are those lives that radiate the transforming power of the gospel.

And then it challenges us to ask why we seek to obey God's word. Is it to gain his favour or because we have it? Are we motivated by gratitude to God or other reasons?

3. Keeping the Law: In Full, In Spirit
They were resolute in their commitment to God; they showed that in their separation from the peoples for the sake of the law of God. But, as some has said, "a vague statement of good intentions is not sufficient: a confession of faith needs to be translated into a practical and visible change of lifestyle and practice" (Williamson). That is exactly what we see in the rest of the chapter.

i) In Full - Their obedience to the law is comprehensive; they want to keep it in full. That is seen in the way that the 3 things mentioned here (marriage to other peoples; Sabbath keeping and providing for the needs of the temple) cover the 3 main divisions of the law (civil, moral, ceremonial).

Their approach is not the pick'n'mix that is often the case today (with us too?). Because they have been overwhelmed by God's grace, they want to respond with overflowing obedience.

They were not seeking to limit what the Lord may demand of them; their commitment was open-ended and open-hearted. It was to make its mark "upon every day of the life of the community, and of every member of it." (McConville).

ii) In Spirit - The other aspect of their approach that commends itself to us is the way they sought to interpret the law to their specific situation. They were concerned with the spirit, not simply the letter. We don't have time to look in detail now but in each of the areas mentioned, they went beyond what the law strictly said.

And to do that cost them, as the details regarding the temple provisions show. It hurt them to apply God's word and fulfil it in spirit not simply in its letter. Reflecting on that, one writer has noted that "For modern Christians...there is also a cost in discipleship. Do we regard the best of all we have, in terms of material wealth and natural endowment, as belonging first of all to God? Do we seek to apply God's standards with rigour, and a sense of how they apply to the situation in which we are now? The idea that much of the Bible is 'out of date' is little better than an excuse for not listening to it." (McConville)

iii) But we must notice that their major concern is for the temple. Why? Because of their concern for God's glory. What are we going to major on in 2002? It's quite clear what the world is majoring on: £260 spent for each man, woman and child in the January sales and mostly on self. Some of that is no doubt prudent but the spirit of the age is self-centred.

Our Lord's words are very searching here...(read Mt. 6:31-33).

Where does our heart lie? With the glory of God in the gospel or someplace else? Will he come first in our prayers, in our living, in our giving? If we have truly grasped the nature of his grace, the choice will be an easy one to make.

Nehemiah 9:1-37

The events of this & the next chapter follow on from the feast in ch.8 and is the heart of the great covenant renewal between God and his people. It is clearly not an everyday occurrence but rather arose out of the trauma of the exile and the people's need to be reconciled to God and to have their relationship with him reaffirmed.

Because of that very specific historical context, we need to be careful how we apply it to our own, quite different, situation. Yet there are many real lessons in a chapter like this for us to grasp. In their history we see ourselves and are humbled but we also see our unchanging God and so are encouraged.

1. Approach to God (vv.1-5a)
The first thing we should notice about this great prayer is the way they approached God. It is quite clear that they want to focus on him and keep him central. That is why his word is so central again. They have come to praise him and to seek him, confessing their sins. Both are appropriate in the presence of the God "who is from everlasting to everlasting" (v.5a).

There is tremendous seriousness about them as they humble themselves before him. They fast and don sackcloth & ashes, not just going through the motions but with genuine, heartfelt grief and contrition (cf. ch.8). Sackcloth and ashes witnessed to their very real sense of humility and mortality. And, in a concern for purity before God, they separated themselves from foreigners, not by way of a 'holier than thou' attitude but a recognition that God is holy and demands purity in his people.

When that was done, "they stood in their places and confessed their sins and the wickedness of their fathers" (v.2). This will be elaborated on in the following verses but notice here how they allow the character of former generations to reflect on theirs.

There is no distancing themselves from the problem here, no suggestion that they were somehow different. It is all too easy to see the problem of the church as being down to someone else. They refuse to do that. Instead, they align themselves with the sin of the past, not saying they were responsible for it but acknowledging their own culpability.

We can look back and stand apart; we can look around and stand apart, assuming all to be well with us. As one writer has said, "How much better to try to see with God's eye the failures of the Church in all ages, to admit that we are made of similar stuff, and to admire far more his graciousness".

We are not personally responsible for the doctrinal and moral decline in the church in our own day but don't we share some of the blame? Have our own lives been spotless? Is our own commitment to truth unwavering? Is our love for each other truly sacrificial? Have we not much cause to be humble before God?

There is a lot for us to learn from this serious, reverent and humble approach to God, even where the context is different.

2. Confession to God (vv.5b - 31)
The greater part of this chapter is taken up with a report of their prayer to God, led by the Levites. And the bulk of that prayer is concerned with the history of the nations relationship with the Lord. As we've seen before in this book, history has a lot to teach us, not simply in terms of lessons to draw from the example of the past but because of our solidarity with it. So it is here. There are 3 aspects to their confession here:

i) The Initiative of God - In vv.7-15 there is a clear affirmation of the fact that they were God's people only because of his initiative, not because of their merit. He is recognised for who he is ("You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens...") and for what he did in choosing, blessing & rescuing Abraham's family.

In vv.13-15 his covenant with the people of Israel comes into focus and again it is quite clear that it was the LORD who took the initiative, the terms were his and so was the responsibility to care for them as his people (v.15).

They were saved because of the free grace of God. They knew it and they declared it. They were not coming to him now to seek his blessing on the basis of their own merits but rather because by grace they were his people.

Here is the true posture of all believers and every church. We are what we are by the grace of God. Every instance of renewal, both personal and corporate, will know this and rejoice in it.

ii) The Persistent Rebellion of the People - But how did they respond to such amazing grace? Vv.16-31 admit with great candour that the "every act of love on God's part was met and matched by one of disloyalty on the part of his people". They were treacherous toward him.

The covenant came with laws for life but they cheapened God's grace by refusing to obey him. And this passage makes it quite clear that in doing so they were no different to the people of Egypt - cf. vv.10,29 - arrogance. As we've said, the people of Nehemiah's day in rehearsing their history were acknowledging that they were no different from their fathers.

And if we're honest today, we would have to say the same too. God has taken the initiative to save us but we so often fail him and rebel against his law.

iii) The Unfailing Mercy of God - But the account of the past is not done yet. God was gracious is rescuing them; they were sinful in failing him. Yet through it all, God's love and mercy toward his people never failed.

This is what makes their history so amazing. Time and again here we read of God's persevering mercy to his people - see vv.17,19,27,31.

What does all this history mean for them? Just as they shared in the guilt of the past, so too they could know in their own lives the continuing and unfailing goodness and mercy of God. And because their story is our story, because their God is our God in Jesus Christ, we too can know that same mercy.

3. Petition to God (vv.32-37)
It is precisely this which leads them from confession to petition in the last verses of the chapter. They have come to God in need ("We are in great distress"). They know why times are hard; it's in part because of their sinful rebellion. So they're coming for mercy and grace to help in time of need.

But they aren't coming casually nor are they presuming upon the blessing of God. They're coming to him in full recognition of their sin but also in full recognition of the character of God. They stand upon the history they have just recounted. Here is their hope for their own day.

And every time we come to the Lord's table we are reminded that this is the history on which we stand, the amazing grace of God that did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all and will freely give us all things with him.

One writer has said that "The balance of the prayer is intended... both to point to the open-ended possibilities of future blessing from God, and to call the people to set their house in order so that it might be realised".

There lies both our hope and the challenge to embrace it, both personally and as a church. May the Lord help us to grasp the whole truth, the truth of our sin and his grace and his unfailing purposes and so to respond with the obedience of faith. Amen.