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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Wednesday, 17 April 2024:
Acts 3:2 – And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple.
The Bible talks about tithes, offerings, and alms. Tithing is required giving and is public (10%); offerings are above the tithe to the church and are generally anonymous (as described in Exodus today). Alms are acts of charity as described in Acts. God calls us to all forms of giving. All that we have is the Lords, but God wants us to consistently give 10% to the church, offerings above the tithe as led by the Spirit, and acts of charity where we see the opportunity to share the love of Christ. Among these, the tithe is probably most debated today by many who see this a part of the Old Covenant Law, made obsolete by Jesus. However, tithe is pre-covenant as observed by Abraham, the tithe was commended by Jesus, and the tithe has been used throughout church history as a storehouse for believers. The tithe is an act of faith and a public testimony. The tithe is revolutionary much like the Sabbath.
Acts 3:6 – But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”
Christians should always do their charity in the name of Jesus Christ. God wants far more for people than to be merely comfortable on this earth. He wants them to have the eternal life and peace of knowing Jesus. This present life is temporary and intended for us to learn to glorify God and truly enjoy Him forever. Don’t let charity be a substitute for the Gospel. Don’t lead people to finding comfort rather than Christ, satisfaction rather than salvation and sanctification. Remember, every person Jesus healed is now dead. His intent for physical healing was to help people see that He is the Life and to encourage them to choose the Life over life as they understood it apart from Him, which is meaningless, futile, and finite.
Acts 3:12 – Why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?
Christians NEVER take credit our point to themselves but always point to Jesus.
Acts 3:12, 13 — Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus.
The Israelites saw miraculous things occur in and through the lives of the Apostles because they were witnessing, not what a handful of very talented, skilled, and committed men could do, but rather the power of God working through surrendered servants. God works through us to do what is impossible for us to do of our own abilities that He may be glorified, not so that we can receive success, good fortune, or the praise of men. It always takes great faith to do what God calls us to do because what He calls us to do is impossible for us to do unless His power enables the achievement. However, when we do step off in faith (into the Ark, into the Red Sea, into the rushing waters of the Jordan River, into the fiery furnace, into the lion’s den, etc), not only is God glorified, but our faith and appreciation for God grows too. However, if we don’t first start crawling in faith, start toddling in faith, we will not be able to walk like adults with God along the Way.
The Apostles wanted absolutely no credit for the miracle that had occurred through them – “Don’t look at us, look at Jesus!” When they saw the crippled man with a need they said, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” This is not charity work as we so often see it today, this was ministry – service in the name of the Lord. While they compassionately desired to heal the man’s infirmities, their ultimate concern was for his spiritual welfare. Never did they separate the healing from the Healer. Our mission on earth is to glorify God on earth, not governments, organizations, churches, or ourselves. How many times have you seen buildings (even church buildings) named after a person? How many times have you seen philanthropic organizations (even religiously based organizations) named after a person? How many times have you seen charities or charitable events named after a person? How many religious leaders and self-proclaimed Christian politicians and social influencers can you think of who project their name far more than the name of Jesus Christ? How much time does the Christian community invest in charities and philanthropic work in the name of something or someone other than Jesus Christ?
Will you acknowledge Jesus Christ before others today? Will you give all credit and attention to Jesus today? Often people will acknowledge “god” in crowds. Even the most base rock stars will get up at music award ceremonies and thank “god” for their success while simultaneously shocking crowds with their profane behavior. It is quite another thing to humbly, yet boldly, acknowledge “Jesus Christ” as Lord and Savior. That name, Jesus Christ, automatically changes the tone of any conversation. Will you proclaim his name today? Will you direct all attention away from yourself and point it towards Jesus?
– Isaiah 48:11 — I will not yield my glory to another.
– Colossians 3:17 – And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Acts 3:14 – But you denied the Holy and Righteous One.
The disciples did not sugar-coat the sinful condition and condemnation of those outside of Jesus. The Good News is good in contrast to the Bad News that we all deserve the wrath of God and eternal death.
Acts 3:19-21 – Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus.
In today’s church, I don’t think it can be over emphasized that the Gospel message begins with the need for repentance. John the Baptist’s message began with a call to repentance. Jesus began His ministry with a call to repentance, and now we are reading about the early church leaders doing the same. But today, a direct confrontation of sin with a call for repentance is increasingly viewed as ignorant, insensitive, unloving, primitive, outdated, hateful, and in some cases, illegal.
Peter and John were about as blunt with the crowd as could be imagined – “You denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.” (Acts 3:14, 15) However, Peter and John’s harsh words were not intended to condemn but rather to convict the audience of their need for repentance and salvation through Jesus – “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus.” (Acts 3:19, 20)
The Gospel message is a two-edged sword that cuts and heals, that reveals both God’s judgment and God’s offer of grace and salvation. Consider the below from Steve Lawson:
“The preaching of divine wrath serves as a black velvet backdrop that causes the diamond of God’s mercy to shine brighter than ten thousand suns. It is upon the dark canvas of divine wrath that the splendor of His saving grace most fully radiates. Preaching the wrath of God most brilliantly showcases His gracious mercy toward sinners. Like trumpeters on the castle wall warning of coming disaster, preachers must proclaim the full counsel of God. Those who stand in pulpits must preach the whole body of truth in the Scriptures, which includes both sovereign wrath and supreme love. They cannot pick and choose what they want to preach. Addressing the wrath of God is never optional for a faithful preacher—it is a divine mandate. Tragically, preaching that deals with God’s impending judgment is absent from many contemporary pulpits. Preachers have become apologetic regarding the wrath of God, if not altogether silent. In order to magnify the love of God, many argue, the preacher must downplay His wrath. But to omit God’s wrath is to obscure His amazing love. Strangely enough, it is merciless to withhold the declaration of divine vengeance…. Every preacher must declare the wrath of God or marginalize His holiness, love, and righteousness. Because God is holy, He is separated from all sin and utterly opposed to every sinner. Because God is love, He delights in purity and must, of necessity, hate all that is unholy. Because God is righteous, He must punish the sin that violates His holiness…. Ironically, Jesus had more to say about divine wrath than anyone else in the Bible. Our Lord spoke about God’s wrath more than He spoke of God’s love. Jesus warned about “fiery hell” (Matt. 5:22) and eternal “destruction” (7:13) where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (8:12). Simply put, Jesus was a hellfire and damnation preacher. Men in pulpits would do well to follow the example of Christ in their preaching…. Christ suffered the wrath of God for all who would call upon Him. If there is no divine wrath, there is no need for the cross, much less for the salvation of lost souls. From what would sinners need to be saved? It is only when we recognize the reality of God’s wrath against those deserving of judgment that we find the cross to be such glorious news. Too many pulpiteers today boast in having a cross-centered ministry but rarely, if ever, preach divine wrath. This is a violation of the cross itself…. The Apostle Paul warns unbelievers of the “God who inflicts wrath” (Rom. 3:5) and declares that only Jesus can “deliver us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:10). Peter writes about “the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly” (2 Pet. 3:7). Jude addresses the “punishment of eternal fire” (Jude 7). John describes “the wrath of the Lamb” (Rev. 6:16). Clearly, the New Testament writers recognized the necessity of preaching God’s wrath. Preachers must not shrink away from proclaiming the righteous anger of God toward hell-deserving sinners. God has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31). That day is looming on the horizon. Like the prophets and Apostles, and even Christ Himself, we too must warn unbelievers of this coming dreadful day and compel them to flee to Christ, who alone is mighty to save.”
Now, consider these observations from John MacArthur:
“According to recent polls, some 81 percent of adult Americans believe in heaven, and fully 80 percent expect to go there when they die. By comparison, about 61 percent believe in hell, but less than 1 percent think it’s likely they will go there. In other words, a slight majority of Americans still believe hell exists, but genuine fear of hell is almost nonexistent. Even the most conservative evangelicals don’t seem to take hell very seriously anymore. For decades, many evangelicals have downplayed inconvenient biblical truths, neglecting any theme that seems to require somber reflection. Doctrines such as human depravity, divine wrath, the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the reality of eternal judgment have disappeared from the evangelical message…. Hell’s fall from fashion indicates how key portions of Christian theology have been influenced by a secular society that stresses individualism over authority and the human psyche over moral absolutes. The rise of psychology, the philosophy of existentialism, and the consumer culture have all dumped buckets of water on hell…. Churches are under enormous pressure to be consumer-oriented. Churches today feel the need to be appealing rather than demanding…. Once pop evangelism went into market analysis, hell was just dropped. When churches go door to door and conduct a market analysis … they hear, “I want better parking spaces. I want guitars at services. I want to have my car greased while I’m in church.”… Only a few leading voices in the evangelical movement have lobbied boldly for a more orthodox approach to the doctrine of hell. They seem to be outnumbered by those who think the disappearance of hell is a positive development…. It is a serious mistake to imagine that we improve Scripture or enhance its effectiveness by blunting its sharp edges. Scripture is a sword, not a cotton swab, and it needs to be fully unsheathed before it can be put to its intended use…. The gospel is supposed to be an affront to fleshly pride, offensive to human sensibilities, foolishness in the eyes of worldly wisdom, and contrary to all carnal judgments.
No Christian teaching exemplifies those characteristics more powerfully than the doctrine of hell. It is an appalling truth. We rightly recoil at the thought of it. The doctrine of hell thus stands as a warning and a reminder of what a loathsome reality sin is. No reasonable or godly person delights in the reality of eternal damnation. God Himself says, “As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked” (Ezek. 33:11). We do no one any favors by downplaying the truth of God’s wrath or neglecting to mention the severity of His judgment…. We certainly don’t eliminate the threat of hell by refusing to speak or think of it. If we truly believe what the Bible teaches about the eternal fate of unbelievers, it is in no sense “loving” to remain silent and refuse to sound the appropriate alarm. What, after all, is the good news we proclaim in the gospel? It is not an announcement that no one really needs to fear God or fret about the possibility of hell. As a matter of fact, there would be no glad tidings at all if God merely intended to capitulate to the stubborn will of man and forgo the demands of His perfect righteousness. The good news is even better than most believers understand: God made a way for His righteousness and His love to be fully reconciled. In His incarnation, Christ fulfilled all righteousness (satisfying, not nullifying, the demands of His law). In His death on the cross, He paid the price of His people’s sin in full (assuring the triumph of perfect justice). And in His resurrection from the dead, He put a powerful exclamation mark on His own perfect, finished work of atonement (thus sealing the promise of justification forever for those who trust Him as Lord and Savior). That is the message we must declare to a worldly culture utterly lacking any real fear of God. We cannot do it faithfully or effectively if from the very outset we have omitted the harsh truth Scripture declares about “the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty” (Rev. 19:15).
True love speaks the truth in love.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 17 April 2024: Make a list of those people close to you who need to hear the Gospel. Pray for those on the list, and ask God to reveal to you an opportunity to share the Gospel with them.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 