October 12, 2014
Scripture:
Scripture:
Read Luke 23:42. We hear those words “Remember me” from the mouth of the Lord about Himself. Here we have a criminal saying those words to the Lord. He is within hearing distance of the Lord. read vv. 40-41. This man had probably heard what those mocking the Lord were saying. In spite of it all, he asked the Lord to remember him. This was his last chance and the Lord looked at him and, in virtue of what He was doing on the cross and the thief’s confession of who the Lord was, the Lord told him that he would be with Him in paradise that day. We too are brought into His love and made His. His heart and thoughts are wrapped up in us. We are loved and blessed!
Hymn 355 - Safe in Christ, the weakest child
Prayer
Nehemiah 1:1-4, 11
Last time, we finished the book of Ezra. In Ezra, we saw two groups of people returning to Jerusalem. The first group was led by Zerubbabel, and the second group by Ezra. They had returned to build the temple.
Today we will begin Nehemiah. Nehemiah lived in Shushan the palace. He was the king’s cupbearer. His job was to make sure that what they gave the king to drink was safe to drink (that it wasn’t poisoned), as well as serve the king his meals. This is the 20th year; Ezra had arrived in Jerusalem in the 7th year. During this time, some of Nehemiah’s brethren visit from Jerusalem. He asked them about the people who had returned and how Jerusalem was doing. The reports they gave him were bad. The walls of the city were still broken down and the gates were burned. Today we have no walls around our cities, but back then they had the walls around their cities to keep the enemies out. Today we have airplanes and helicopters so that wouldn’t work for us.
The walls would have been made of stone and they would have been thick enough for someone to walk on. From on top of the wall, you would have been able to see the enemy coming and shut the gates to keep him out.
This morning we had a story about a city. A great king had besieged it, but a wise poor man inside the city had saved it. Nehemiah was not in Jerusalem, and when he heard the news the men brought, he was very sad. He wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed. He felt badly about the news and acted like this for several days.
The rest of the chapter is Nehemiah’s prayer. He may not have been in Jerusalem, but he could pray to God for it. He wanted to help God’s people even though they were far away. It says he asked for mercy in sight of “this man.” He wanted to ask the king about returning to Jerusalem.
The story of Nehemiah is about rebuilding walls. Walls were important. The enemy could get in when there were no walls, and you had to be carful who you let in and out of the gates.
Our wall, to keep the enemy out, is scripture (Psalm 199:11). We take things in through our eyes and ears. We have to be carful what we see and hear. We want to be holy but we must be carful of all the temptations in the world that Satan wants to get into our minds and heads. We can turn to God in prayer and acknowledge our sin and He will help us keep our minds, ears, and eyes.
Acts 18:12-28
Paul was at Corinth longer than at most of his stops: 18 months. The Jews there grew angry at his preaching. They weren’t ignorant of the truth; they were opposed to it. They were so opposed that Paul stopped preaching in the synagogue. He changed locations and separated from the Jews. He didn’t leave Corinth, though, for God came to him in a dream and told him to stay and speak, because He had many people in the city. God would be with him and no one would hurt him.
The Jews didn’t come around, though. They raised insurrection against Paul, and brought him before the deputy. Since the region was under Roman rule, this man—Gallio—was a Gentile. The Jews charged Paul with teaching men to worship God unlawfully. Before Paul could defend himself, Gallio declared that he wouldn’t judge such a case: he didn’t feel responsible to judge questions about Jewish law. Even when the Greeks got involved, and beat Sosthenes in front of the judgement seat, Gallio either didn’t feel officially or personally responsible to deal with the situation.
In verse 18, Paul finally left Corinth after the year and a half, and began to wind up his second missionary journey. He came to Ephesus, and once again went to the synagogue to preach, though he had separated from the Jews in Corinth. He didn’t end up staying long in Ephesus, but did leave Aquila and Priscilla there.
We also learn in verse 18 that Paul had shaved his head in Cenchrea because of a vow he had made. This seems very Jewish, so it’s surprising to see Paul doing it. It’s possible that it had something to do with the feast that he was attending in Jerusalem. Whatever the reason, we know that his heart was with the Jews.
Paul continued to Jerusalem for the feast, and then headed back to Antioch, finishing his second journey. He stayed in Antioch for a while, then again went out to “establish” (Darby translation) the disciples. We need to be established in the truth. If we aren’t, we will drift from it and have to deal with all sorts of strange things. Being established in truth is incredibly important.
We next get the story of Apollos. He came to Ephesus, where Aquila and Priscilla were living, and comes with an excellent commendation: he was instructed in the way of the Lord, and fervent in spirit, which caused him to be diligent in teaching the way of the Lord. He did have one defect, though: he only knew the baptism of John.
Aquila and Priscilla heard Apollos speak, but they didn’t confront him publicly about his lack of knowledge. Instead, they invited him over to their home, and there expounded the way of the Lord more perfectly to him. It’s a beautiful gesture to see. We’re not told that Aquila had the eloquence of Apollos, yet he and his wife were able to take people aside and bring them further along in their spiritual journey. Priscilla wouldn’t have spoken in the meeting, but in their own home this husband-wife team would have been able to expound together.
We’re not sure where Apollos received his teaching, but we know where Aquila and Priscilla got theirs: from Paul, at their sewing-bees. They would have been well-taught. May God help us to learn the truth, and then be able to teach others also.
Apollos went on from Ephesus to Achaia, and the brethren commended him to the churches there. His time in Ephesus had been profitable, and he was now able to expound the way of God more perfectly to others. He helped those who had believed through grace in Achaia a lot. We need grace for salvation, and we need grace for the pathway.
Apollos also did evangelical work in Achaia. He mightily convinced the Jews, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ. The Scriptures might have been all Old Testament passages; but it’s possible some of the New Testament writings had started to circulate, for it had been twenty years since Jesus had died.
Apollos convinced the Jews that Jesus was Christ. He probably took that approach because he was ministering specifically to Jews. “Christ” means Anointed One, or Messiah. A better translation of our passage, though, would use the term “the Christ”. This term not only means the Messiah, but would also expand that to include Jesus being head of His Body, the Church. It would include Jesus being the Anointed One, but is bigger, wider designation.
Hymn 345 - Jesus loves the little children
Prayer