Taking on Christ's Mission - Acts 13:1-43

Acts 13:1-3 Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

Introduction:

Today's post features what is a major section of the Book of Acts - Acts 13-28.  In looking at the Book of Acts we can note its layout in accordance to Jesus' instructions in Acts 1:8 "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Let the reader notice how Acts 1:8 encapsulates the entirety of the Book of Acts:

a). Acts 1-2 = "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you."

b). Acts 3-8 = "and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem"

c). Acts 9-12 = "and in all Judea and Samaria"

d). Acts 13-28 = "and even to the remotest part of the earth."

Whenever we consider the contents of Acts 13-28, they truly are a continuation of Jesus' mission for His church.  Another significant point to make about Acts 13-28 is that we see the book of Acts shifting its focus from the ministry of the Apostle Peter to that of Paul. Acts 9-12 functioned as a transitioning point, wherein Saul was converted and changed his name to Paul, and Peter and John's ministry experienced both its peak and gradual handing over the reins of leadership. God in His providence also had it to be that the center of Christianity in the first decade of the early church's life would switch from Jerusalem to Antioch. 

With those introductory comments made, what can we note about what is termed: "Paul's first missionary journey in Acts 13-14? More particularly, when a church or group of believers specifically aim to take on the mission of Jesus Christ to reach the lost throughout the world, what principles need to be kept in mind? 

Today's Point of Application: The main point of today's post will be: "When the church is doing missions, she makes the most progress in God's grace". I get this point of application from Acts 13:43 "Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the grace of God."  Just as Paul and his companions were already doing - i.e sharing Jesus, now they were being urged all the more to do - i.e continue in the grace of God.  So again, when the church is doing missions, she makes the most progress in God's grace.  To achieve that end, we will see four principles to keep in mind when pursuing Christ's mission in our individual lives as His followers and in the local church:

1. Consecrate with prayer. Acts 13:1-3

It was very clear that God was changing the center of gravity in the Christian movement from Jerusalem to Antioch.  He assembled key people, with specific giftings to Antioch in 13:1. We then see in Acts 13:2-3 "While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away."  The early church was a praying church, a fasting church, as seen in other places in Acts. (Acts 1:24; 6:6). We scarcely see the early Christians make decisions or do a deed without first consecrating such in prayer.  To consecrate means to set apart and designate something as being a possession of the Lord Jesus Christ. How we begin helps us to understand the destination of any mission.  This church saw that the Lord had them to reach out to regions beyond their immediate area - thus they consecrated the whole mission in prayer, and in this case, in fasting. Notice the second principle to keep in mind when doing Christ's mission...

2. Expect difficulty. Acts 13:4-13

This may sound surprising to some readers, but for any follower of Christ who has been following Him for any length of time, difficulty is par for the course. Why? Because the world, the flesh and the Devil Himself opposes all efforts to broadcast the Gospel of Jesus Christ by mouth or other methods. (2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 2:14-17) In Acts 13:4-13 we see two examples of intense opposition to Paul and his associates.  The first is a magician name Elymas who attempts to undermine Paul's missionary efforts to an official in the region. Paul rebukes Elymas in 13:9-11 "But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him,10 and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? 11 Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand." Such opposition gave occasion for the Lord to demonstrate His power against the kingdom of darkness and to shine the light of Sovereign grace into a Roman official's heart in Acts 13:12, resulting in that man's salvation.

Then if outside opposition were not enough, a defection occurred in Acts 13:13, namely the defection of John (that is - John Mark). Now Luke just mentions this defection in passing here, however later on in Acts 15:36-41, Paul and his companion Barnabas get in such a heated debate over whether or not John Mark should come with them that they have to part ways.  John Mark's defection had apparently threatened to unravel the mission's efforts. Thankfully God in His providence would later reconcile John Mark and Paul, with John Mark later composing his "Gospel according to Mark" ("Mark" being the surname of John). Let the reader note that the first missionary journey of Paul was only twelve months in length from Acts 13-14. Such oppositions occurred rapidly and intensely.  Lets now look at the third principle in doing Christ's mission... 

3. Center on the Scriptures. Acts 13:14-41

If any missionary efforts are going to succeed, they must center on the scriptures. Once Paul  and his fellow laborers reach the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch in Acts 13:14, Paul is asked by the attendees to give them a sermon. What follows is perhaps one of the grandest sermons in Holy Writ.  Though this is Paul's second sermon, we see demonstrated the command of scripture that He had in connecting the Old Testament to the Person and work of Jesus Christ. Without going into extensive detail, we can note what areas Paul focused upon in His preaching:

a). God is the Prime Agent of the scriptures. Acts 13:17

b). The plot-line of the scriptures center on Jesus Christ. Acts 13:17-37

c). The purpose of the scriptures is God's glory. Acts 13:38-41

Closing thoughts:

Let me remind the reader once more of our main point of application: When the church is doing missions, she makes the most progress in God's grace. Whenever you see how saturated the early church was in the scriptures, and the kind of preaching that went forth at both the centralized locations and missionary frontiers, one can see why these people made such progress in Christ's mission. They retained the principles of consecrating what they did in prayer, they expected opposition and yet they centered themselves in the scriptures, since in the scriptures we meet and hear our blessed Lord Jesus telling us to: "go into all the world and make disciples." (Matthew 28:19)

Jesus' Parable of the Tares - Presented and Explained

Matthew 13:36 "Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”


Introduction: The point of today's post is to consider Jesus' parable of the tares. The inspired text of Matthew indicates that the disciples gave this name to the parable in Matthew 13:36. What is amazing about this parable is that like the parable of the sower at the beginning of Matthew 13, the parable of the tares is also explained point-by-point by Jesus. With that in mind, I simply just want to present the text of the "parable of the tares" as we have it in the NASB text of Matthew 13:24-30, followed by Jesus' divine commentary on the parable in Matthew 13:36-43.


Presentation of the parable of the tares - Matthew 13:24-30


Matthew 13:24-30 "Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. 26 But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. 27 The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”


Jesus' explanation of the parable of the tares


Matthew 13:36-43 "Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” 37 And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40 So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear."

Happy Pentecost Sunday - 9 significant purposes of Pentecost

Leviticus 23:15-16 "And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. ¹⁶ Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord."


Acts 2:1-2 "When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting."


Introduction:
Happy Pentecost Sunday! Christians the world over celebrate today in commemoration of the event of the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. The New Testament records in Acts 2 that the Holy Spirit came in power and presence, birthing forth the early church some 50 days after Jesus Christ's resurrection.  Pentecost Sunday occurs 50 days after Easter (hence the reason for the name "pentecost", "penta" = "50"), and is the focus of today's blog.  Let the reader note that Pentecost, though pointing primarily to the day in which the Holy Spirit came in power and glory to empower Christ's church, was not originally a New Testament holiday.  Back in the Old Testament, during the days of Moses, God revealed to the Jews seven festivals or "feasts".  The middle one on the Jewish Calendar was referred to by various names: "Shavu'ot", "Feast of Weeks",  and of course "Pentecost".  As you will see in a moment, Pentecost has great significance for the Christian in understand the wider scope of redemption revealed in the Bible.  Below I am going to list reasons why Pentecost is so important for you as a Christian as we see in both the Old and New Testament Scriptures.


1. Pentecost's Purpose: Harvest
It was to occur 50 days after the bringing forth of the first fruit of the barley harvest, the day which would become Jesus' resurrection of the dead.  The Jews had two harvest seasons: spring harvest for Barley and Summer Harvest for the Wheat crop.  Among other images, wheat symbolizes the harvest of souls in salvation.  (Matthew 3, 12 and 13)  We know from Acts 2 that 3,000 souls were saved on the day the Holy Spirit came - a mighty harvest indeed! (Acts 2:41)


2. Priority of God's Word
The very first festival revealed to the Jews was that of Passover, commemorating God's deliverance of them out of Egypt. (Exodus 12-15)  Fifty days after their crossing the Red Sea, God delivered the Law or Torah on Mount Sinai in Exodus 19-20.  Through the centuries the Jews came to connect their celebration of that fiftieth day not only for the purpose of God's revealed festival of Pentecost, but also the revelation of His Law or Torah to them.  This commemoration came to be called "Shavu'ot" or the bringing forth of the Law.   A significant parallel connects the very first Pentecost with the one in Acts: namely at the time of the Law's revelation, 3,000 souls died (compare Exodus 32:28).  However in the New Testament Pentecost in Acts 2, 3,000 souls were saved! 


3. Prophecy is fulfilled
Peter preached on the day of Pentecost the explanation behind the Spirit's arrival.  In Acts 2:17-21 Peter quotes verbatim Joel 2:28-31, a prophecy written almost 800 years before the events in Acts. 


4. Promise fulfilled
Jesus had promised His disciples in John 14 and 16 that He would not leave them comfortless once He ascended in to Heaven, but that the Father and He would send the Holy Spirit in His name.  Jesus kept His promise to both His disciples and us, thus another significant truth about Pentecost.


5. Person of the Holy Spirit
Lets not forget of course the chief purpose and goal of Pentecost: The coming of the Holy Spirit as a Permanent and Abiding Person in Christ's church Who is at work in this world.  He is God the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity.  In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit worked on the outside and would come upon people at periodic times.  In this New Covenant age, the Holy Spirit works from the inside out in Christians and is the Permanent Resident of the church and individual saints. (1 Corinthians 2:12; 3:6)  In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit pointed saints forward to God's Promise of salvation yet to come.  In this present age the Holy Spirit since Pentecost points people back to the Person of salvation - Jesus Christ, and by the scriptures explains and applies Christ's finished work to all who convicted by Him believes.


6. Proof that Jesus raised from the dead and is Ascended
Pentecost, as John Piper notes, is the reason we know anything about Easter.  The fact that the Holy Spirit came is proof that Jesus did indeed raise from the dead and that He made it to heaven to be at the Father's right hand. Pentecost and it's outcome is proof positive that Christ is ascended and that the Gospel is undoubtedly true.


7. Preview of things to come
The seventh significant purpose or reason for Pentecost in the scripture lies in the fact that the Spirit came to give His people a preview.  Throughout the 224 prophecies that pertain to Christ's return and the coming Kingdom, we are told about a New Heavens and new Earth where there will be no curse.  In Acts 2, we see evidence of God reversing, on a local level, the curse of the languages He pronounced originally in Genesis 11:1-10 at Babel.  Throughout Acts 10 and 19, this miracle would be repeated.  Pentecost tongues was a miracle insofar as 17 different language groups got to hear the Gospel all at once from men who had never been trained in them.1  For a brief span of hours, the Spirit so gifted the Apostles to share Christ with nationalities gathered at Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost.  Another curse that was reversed and gave a foretaste of things to come is the fact that the Spirit returned to the Lord's temple.  Ezekiel the Prophet saw the Spirit of God leave the temple in Ezekiel 9-10.  However the Spirit came back to inhabit a new temple of flesh and blood, the church.  We know that when Christ comes back, Israel will be restored and she will be indwelt by the Spirit of God. (Zechariah 12-14; Romans 11:25-26) Previews such as these are granted to us as a result of Pentecost.


8. Person of Christ
Jesus Christ in His pre-Pentecost state concerning His humanity was limited to being in one place and at one time.  Whenever the Spirit came, though Christ was in Heaven, still retaining a glorified humanity, yet by His Divine nature shared together with the Spirit, we can on an experiential level be ministered to by Jesus through the Holy Spirit.  To illustrate, I can watch and experience events half-way around the world by way of television.  Though those events and people are localized from the origin of the signal, yet by way of the signal beamed to my satellite dish, I can experience them.  Likewise the Holy Spirit, sharing in the same Divine nature with the Divine Son of God, brings the Person of Christ to us, Who touching His humanity is localized in Heaven at the Father's right hand.  This post-Pentecost Jesus is thus able to minister globally and universally to each of his people by the Holy Spirit's ministry. 


9. Partition between Old and New Testaments
When did the Old Testament or Covenant come to an end, and when did the New Testament era or Covenant begin?  Acts 2 is the international dateline of the Bible.  Though from a literary standpoint our New Testaments begin at Matthew, yet from a Chronological standpoint, Pentecost in Acts 2 is the official beginning of the church age.  Now mind you, it would take 30 years on either side of Pentecost before the transition from Old to New Covenant was complete.  Jesus' entry into time by His virgin birth 30 years before Pentecost signaled the beginning of the end of the Old Testament economy.  Likewise by the end of Acts 2, some 30 years after Pentecost, the New Testament church age was well underway and in full swing. 


May you dear friend have a wonderful Lord's day and remember: fifty days after Easter is Pentecost Sunday.  My hope is that through these thoughts from scripture, we can gain an ever richer view of all the Lord has done for us by the sending of His Holy Spirit, Who points us to Jesus.    

Endnotes________________________

1. I don't believe the gift of tongues spoken of in the Bible has anything to do with a private prayer language or ecstatic utterance.  Rather the gift of tongues was given at Pentecost for the purpose of evangelizing people groups whose language had not been previously learned, rather than for private edification.  I have some dear friends who will advocate the prayer language position from passages such as 1 Corinthians 12 and 14.  However the context of those two chapters actually undercuts the private prayer language position, since the Apostle Paul is urging his readers to seek the greater gifts that will "edify the body".  Oftentimes, modern tongue speakers will claim that their abilities bring personal edification, an outcome that is opposite of what Paul was teaching in the Corinthian letters.  Whatever may be claimed about the modern day phenomenon called tongues, I don't personally think the phenomena called "tongues" matches the gift of tongues recorded here in the New Testament. 

Spiritual Maturity in Jesus Christ - Colossians 1:1-12

Colossians 1:3-4 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;

The importance of spiritual maturity
Adrian Rogers in his book: "What every Christian ought to know", writes these words on pages 245-246 - "We need love that comes with Christian growth and maturity. There need be no division between truth and love. Some have made that division. Truth without love may be a form of brutality. Love without truth may be empty sentimentality. May God deliver us from the immature pronouncements of those who have loveless truth and the immature emotionalism of those who have truthless love. With truth and no love one may swell up. With love and no truth one may blow up. But truth and love cause the Christian to grow up."

Dr. Rogers' quote is an excellent summary of everything we not only try to accomplish daily in this blog, but strike right at the heart of today's post. The question is: what is spiritual maturity in Jesus Christ? All spiritual maturity is shaped by the two chief concerns underlined in Colossians 1:3-4 above: faith in Jesus Christ and loving his people.  In Colossians 1:1-12 we see Paul demonstrating the crucial link between a Christian's spiritual maturity and fulfillment in Jesus Christ. 

What are the outcomes of those who press daily to be spiritually mature? 

What are the outcomes of those who press daily to be spiritually mature? Hebrews 5:13-14 gives us the answer: "For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil." Now why was the writer of Hebrews making this statement? Because he was dealing with some readers who, having came from a Jewish background, were being tempted to either go back from whence they came or to somehow mix their new found faith in Christ with something else. They were, in the words of the writer in Hebrews 5:12, "dull of hearing". The original language pictures this phrase as referring to someone who is "slow or slothful" in their application. The immature Christian will be the type who hesitates in obedience and is incapable of being able to digest much spiritual truth.

In Colossians Paul has to deal with a group that threatened to undo the Colossian's faith in Christ. Thankfully the Colossians were doing well in their spiritual maturity, however Paul in effect is urging them to strive all the more to find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ.   


Connecting Christian spiritual maturity to fulfillment in Jesus Christ
So how does one's spiritual maturity connect to finding fulfillment in Jesus Christ?  Colossians 1:1-12 spells this connection out for us:

1. Spiritual maturity can only grow in the presence of fulfillment in Christ's Word. Colossians 1:1-7

Notice how many times Paul refers to the Colossians growing spiritual maturity in conjunction to their hearing the word of God:

-they heard of the hope laid up in heaven for them "in the word of truth, the gospel" (Colossians 1:5)

-their Christian maturity was bearing fruit in Christ's fullness that they heard of and understood from the scriptures. (Colossians 1:6)

-they learned the cornerstones of their maturity of treasuring Christ and loving his people from Epaphrus, who faithfully ministered the Word to them. (Colossians 1:7)

Only when I am exposed to the fullness of God's written word will I grow in my appreciation of the fullness of Christ.  As I treasure Jesus Christ, the natural outcome should be a greater love for His people - thus the two elements of Christian spiritual maturity.

2. Spiritual maturity goes forward in the power of prayer that is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:3, 9
As these Colossians were growing in grace from finding their fulfillment in Jesus Christ, Paul prayed that they would do all the more.  Prayer indicates that I need God's grace to walk out what He calls me to do by His grace.  The desire to treasure Jesus Christ and love His people cannot be done without a growing prayer life.  If the Word of God is the engine of spiritual maturity, and fullness of Christ is the fuel, then the Christian's prayer life is the transmission.  The transmission in a car is what delivers power from the motor to the wheels.  If I don't have a prayer life - I don't have power.  Evangelist Leonard Ravenhill notes the following about prayer: "The light bulb for us Christians is prayer and God has the power. But it is faith that makes the connection." Fulfillment in Jesus Christ cannot be increased apart from prayer. 

3. Spiritual maturity grows fruitfully because of seeking to be even more fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:9-12
Colossians 1:9 reads -  "For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding." The knowledge of God's will is attained through growing familiarity with the scriptures and obedience to Christ. (Deuteronomy 29:29; John 14:15,21,23).  What does spiritual maturity that is bearing fruit in Christ's fullness look like?  Paul's prayer for the Colossians reveals the fruit we should desire in our seeking further fulfillment in Jesus Christ:

-Desiring to know and do the will of God Colossians 1:9

-Desiring to walk in a way that pleases God Colossians 1:10a

-Desiring my life to demonstrate to others a desire to know God Colossians 1:10b

-Desiring to live in His strength, not my own Colossians 1:11a

-Desiring to have a continuous enjoyment of Jesus Christ Colossians 1:11b

-Desiring to be thankful to God in all things Colossians 1:12

Closing thoughts Spiritual maturity is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.  By treasuring and loving Him, I'll end up treasuring and loving His people.  Spiritual maturity that is fulfilled in Jesus Christ leads me to be more effective in my Christian life. 

The Book of Colossians: Jesus is enough

Colossians 1:26- 28 that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, 27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.

Introduction:

Today's post aims to do an overview of Paul's letter to the Colossians. The proposed theme of this wonderful book of the Bible is: "Jesus is enough". As Paul wrote this letter under house arrest in Rome, there were many occasions presented to Paul to cause him to complain and be bitter. Yet Paul did not find his source of ultimate comfort and confidence in circumstances, or other people. Rather he found his fulfillment of faith and life in Jesus Christ. In the episode at the end of the book of Acts where Paul is under house arrest, we find this statement in Acts 28:30-31 "And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him,31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered."  That general overall thrust of Paul's preaching, while in the midst of trying circumstances, brought him to find his fulfillment and confidence in Jesus Christ.

The church at Colosse was situated East of the Seven churches of Asia Minor to whom John wrote the book of Revelation. A great link that summarizes Colossae's place in antiquity is found at: http://holylandphotos.org/

Just type in the key word "Colosse" on the website and you will find all sorts of articles about the ancient city. 

What prompted Paul to write Colossians?

One of the reasons why the Holy Spirit prompted Paul to write this letter was to deal with a heresy that had arisen in that local church body. Among it's beliefs was a diminished view of Christ, an elevated view of angels, an emphasized view on keeping the law and a mystical view of seeking mystical knowledge in addition to Christ.

Besides having to deal with heresy, Paul was also urging this small congregation to find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The city of Colosse in the ancient world was known for its cold refreshing water. Thus we can think of looking to Jesus Christ as a full glass of cold refreshing water that never runs dry in the midst of hot, parched and trying life.

Certainly Paul's own situations under house arrest in Rome drove him to see that nothing else and no one else could satisfy except Jesus Christ. Commentator Charles Quarles writes the following about Paul and his situation at the Roman prison: "As Paul wrote to the Colossians from a Roman prison, he was absolutely captivated by the glory and majesty of Jesus Christ. He exalted Christ like never before. He exclaimed that Jesus is none other than God almighty in human form. He is the one who made every created thing and all that exists does so for His pleasure."1

When you try to find fulfillment in anything else but Christ, you will remain unfulfilled spiritually and emotionally
As Paul wrote the short letter of Colossians to the church of Colosse, he was under house arrest in Rome. (Acts 28:11-31) His letter was written to a church that was dealing with situations, threats and people who were trying to distract the church from their contentment and fulfillment in Jesus Christ. 

The people of this small church were living in an atmosphere where they were told that Christ is both inadequate and insufficient to meet their spiritual needs.  By tacking on ritualistic practice and pagan philosophies, only then - according to these teachers - could one attain some sense of fulfillment. (compare Colossians 2:21-23)

Point of Application: the Christian finds all they need and desire in Christ. 
Throughout this short letter such words as "fill", "fulfill" and "complete" appear, indicating Paul's main point: Jesus is enough.  Even where such words do not appear, the idea of the richness of Christ or His Word points to the chief point of Colossians: the Christian finds all they need and desire in Christ. 

Tracing the theme of "fulfillment in Jesus Christ" or "Jesus is enough" through Colossians
Below we will quickly jog through this short letter and show you how Paul communicates the idea of: "Jesus is enough".

1. Spiritual Maturity is fulfilled in Christ. 
Colossians 1:9 "For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding"

2. Service to God is fulfilled in Christ. 
Colossians 1:24-25 "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. 25 Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God." 

Colossians 1:28 "We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ." 

Colossians 4:17 "Say to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” 

3. Spiritual identity is fulfilled in Christ. 
Colossians 2:9-10 "in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority". 

Colossians 3:1-4 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 

Colossians 3:10-11 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.  

Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God".

4. Certainty of God's will derives from fulfillment in Christ. 

Colossians 1:1 "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother."

Colossians 1:27 "to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

Colossians 4:12 "Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God." 

Final thoughts
As you read through Colossians, note particularly Colossians 1:13-20, since it gives you a description of Christ Himself in all His fulness.  Remember the point of application for today: the Christian finds all they need and desire in Christ. When you realize just how sufficient He is, you can understand why Paul's little letter of Colossians is so powerful in communicating true fulfillment.

Endnotes:

1. Charles Quarles in the Life Way January Bible Study 2014: Colossians - Christ is all you need. Life Way Publishers. 2014. Page 20

3 Graces the Lord Gives to His Church - Acts 12

Acts 12:1-5 "Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. 2 And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. 3 When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people. 5 So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God."


Introduction:
Today's post will feature the empowering graces that God gave to the early church in Acts 12 to get her through an intense time of persecution and hardship. Such graces, as we will discover, are still available to the church today. Much had been going on in the world at large and in the specific regions of Judea and Samaria where the early Christians worshipped and lived. 


For starters, God through a prophet named Agabus predicted that a worldwide famine would occur in those days, which the Bible said did occur. (see Acts 11:28). Secondly, the Herod in power over the realm of Judea during the time of Acts 12 was Herod Agrippa I, a self-serving, self-exalting ruler who aimed to curry favor with anyone who could advance his political schemes. Thirdly, the church had experienced many persecutions during the nearly ten year span of time that passed between its beginnings in Pentecost in Acts 2 up until Acts 12.  Much water had passed under the proverbial bridge and now a new flood was quickly on its way. 


Through famines, persecutions and hardships, the now ten year old Christian movement and the disciples who occupied it were running as high as an estimated 20,000 strong.  God was getting ready to take the church from being a regionally effective church (in Jerusalem/Judea/Samaria) to a world-wide phenomenon.  Peter's ministry was going to be fading out, and the up and coming Saul of Tarsus was going to be launching out on his 1st missionary journey in Acts 13. 


Jesus' words in Acts 1:8 were literally coming true: be my witnesses in Jerusalem (Acts 1-8), Judea and Samaria (Acts 9-12) and the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 13-28).


For the early church to handle the increasing pressure and to make the transitions necessary to be used by God, the Lord gave to her three graces mentioned here in Acts 12. Grace of course is God doing what you and I could otherwise never do for ourselves. The three graces that we are going to briefly cover in today's post are found throughout Acts, however they are all included again the backdrop mentioned above.  Here are the graces of which we speak:
1. Prayer 12:1-5, 12-19


2. Angelic Assistance 12:6-11, 20-23


3. Scripture 12:24-25


The grace of prayer. Acts 12:6-11, 20-23
Acts 12:5 says all that is happening here in the chapter - "So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God." Now as we noted earlier, persecutions, famines and hardships were hitting the church.  The famine was already mentioned, but the persecution has not yet been discussed.  In the first two verses we read of Herod executing the Apostle James with a sword.


Meet the 3 James of the New Testament
To remind the reader of which James is being referred to in the passage, this is James the brother of the Apostle John.  In the New Testament we run across at least three men who are named James.  There is James the son of Alphaeus, also called "James the Less", the brother of Matthew, mentioned in Mark 15:40. Then there is another James, the brother of our Lord Jesus in the flesh, seen in Acts 1 gathered with the 120 and then later presiding over the Jerusalem council in Acts 15, as well as the author of the Epistle of James.  The third "James" is who is mentioned here, called by some "James the Greater" to distinguish him from the other apostle James, James the Less.  James the Greater in Acts 12 is the brother of the Apostle John who was predicted by Jesus in Matthew 20:23 that he would suffer some sort of suffering or martyrdom.


See the church praying, and the grace given by God to pray
Herod's radar screen of persecution lit up when he saw James and Peter.  So he decided to execute James and had designs on doing the same to Peter.  Peter, the leader of the church was cast into prison.  One would think such an action would cause the church to close up shop. Hardly!


Instead the church held an all-night prayer meeting, seeking God in prayer. As they were praying, God dispatched an angel to set Peter free in Acts 12:6-11. By the time we get to Acts 12:12-19, Peter is seen knocking at there door and getting to tell them what all happened to him!


Prayer is an amazing grace given by God to His people that sadly we don't use. Prayer has often been described as the slender nerve that moves the mighty muscles of omnipotence. Prayer is like a rail that God has ordained to parallel His Sovereignty to bring about His locomotive of Heavenly purposes here on the earth. So we see the grace of prayer given to the church, but notice the second grace....


The Grace of Angelic Assistance 12:6-11, 20-23
We read of two angelic interventions in Acts 12.  The first deals with an angel aiding Peter out of prison in Acts 12:7 "And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands." That same angel had the ability to loosen chains and get Peter past four powerful Romans guards. After he finds himself outside the prison, we find these words about Peter in Acts 12:11 "When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” 


Passages throughout the scriptures speak of God's holy emissaries (angels) aiding His people in different situations. (Psalm 91; Hebrews 1:14) Even the Lord Jesus in the days of his sojourn here on earth was aided by the angels. (Luke 22:43)




But now just as we saw angels assisting believers like Peter, we also see angels defending the church through the judgment of her enemies. Acts 12:20-21 records what happened to Herod - "On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them. 22 The people kept crying out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” 23 And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died." The first century Jewish Historian Josephus records this event wherein Herod wore a silver garment and was heralded by those who saw him as immortal and like a god. Without prohibiting them from such blasphemy, Herod is suddenly struck with severe stomach pains and, as Josephus records, Herod Agrippa I dies five days later. I only mention this to show the reader that the account written here by Luke really happened. The angelic intervention here against the enemies of God on behalf of the people can be compared to how one angel prevailed against a mighty enemy army on behalf of a Godly King and the people of Jerusalem in 2 Kings 19:35. God uses angels to aid His people, even when they least expect it. (Hebrews 13:2)


So we have seen two graces given by God to his church: prayer and angelic assistance. But notice one final grace here in Acts 12....


The grace of Scripture 12:24-25


Acts 12:24-25 closes out the chapter with this postscript: "But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied. 25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark." Every single advance in the life of Jesus' disciples individually or corporately never happens without the grace of the scriptures.  Of all the graces conveyed in this chapter, scripture alone can convert the soul of a man (Psalm 19:7) and carry for believers in growth and Christ-likeness. (Ephesians 5:22-25) During this intense of season of persecution, the early church came to regard the scriptures in the fashion expressed in Psalm 119:71 "It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes." Acts is punctuated with these statements of the church advancing forward in both boldness and passion for the Word of the Lord. (Acts 6:7; 8:4). What one would think would be the cause for neglect of the scriptures - persecution, hardship - produces opposite results. God's grace of the scriptures feeds the flock of God.


Closing thoughts


The three graces that were observed in today's post were these:
1. Prayer 12:1-5, 12-19


2. Angelic Assistance 12:6-11, 20-23

3. Scripture 12:24-25

May we ever look to the Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom such graces come, and to the Father, from whom such grace come, and to the Spirit, who applies such graces in accordance to the Sovereign pleasure and design of almighty God.