Day Fifteen

If you have 5 minutes!

Read Acts 3:24-26

24 “Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. 25 And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ 26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

As already highlighted on Day Four, Jesus’ commission that his disciples bear witness to him in Jerusalem AND BEYOND was not the first time God had revealed his desire to reach out to all people! Rather, right at the start of Israel’s history – back with a guy called Abraham – God promised that one day he would bless all peoples on the earth through Abraham’s offspring. At the time, Abraham probably thought that meant his offspring in general but now it is clear that it is through one man – Jesus – that this promise has been fulfilled. Led by the Spirit, it is now the disciples’ responsibility to spread this great news. At the moment they’re still just in Jerusalem but even here – as Peter indicates in his speech above – they have the bigger picture in mind.

• So, HOW BIG IS YOUR COMMUNITY? In other words, even if God has called you to Loughborough for now, do you – like Peter – try to keep this bigger perspective in mind? If so, in what ways does this impact your life in Loughborough? (e.g. Do you regularly pray for people of different nationalities and cultures to your own? Do you pray for people who are facing hardship in different countries to our own? How often do you remember the plight of Christians facing persecution in the places they live and pray or act on their behalf? Are you open for God to call you to a different country and serve him there? Do you regularly pray for people from OH who have done just this?) If not, maybe ask God to reveal to you more of his heart for the nations and ask him to show you what you could do in response to this.

If you have a bit longer :-)

All through his speech, Peter makes reference to various Old Testament people and themes to demonstrate that Jesus is the pinnacle of all of this and fulfills these various OT strands!

• On a scale of one to ten (it’s still scale week!), how familiar are you with the OT? How clearly do you understand the ways in which Jesus is the fulfillment of it? Would you benefit from looking into all of this a bit more? If so do you think you’d find it helpful to attend Open Heaven’s Bible Overview Course at some point?!?! (Shameless plug!!!)

Day Fourteen

If you have 5 minutes!

Read Acts 3:17-23

17 “Now, brothers and sisters, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21 Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22 For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’

Peter acknowledges the crowd’s ignorance and uses this to introduce his argument that, far from being a failure, Jesus’ death actually fulfilled God’s plan! However, their ignorance doesn’t mean they don’t need forgiveness rather Peter follows this up with an urgent plea that they repent.

Here, as in a number of other places, the Bible assumes a significant parodox; that on the one hand people are free and their actions and choices have consequences, which are often bad and need forgiving. However, on the other hand, God is somehow ultimately still in charge and manages to weave his will through these free and fallen decisions such that his purposes are outworked!

• How do you feel about this paradox? Is it something you take comfort from or something that frustrates and confuses you?
• Although the Bible seems to hold the two sides in equal tension – and practically it’s important that we try to follow suit – in reality this can be hard to do and so we tend to migrate to one side more than the other. What is your bias in this regard? i.e. Are you more likely to become overly fatalistic and feel like everything that happens is completely down to God (which can lead us to be very mistrustful of God as lots of bad things happen in life as well as good). Or are your more likely to become overly burdened, feeling like it’s all down to you and one small mistake will scupper everything? Or – like me – do you sometimes flit between the two?!
• If you find this all a bit headwrecking (and/or interesting!) and want to read more about it, I recommend a talk my Dad wrote entitled, “Free and Chosen?” 

If you have a bit longer :-)

Read Acts 17:29-34

29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” 32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

Within his speech in Acts 3, Peter tries to persuade the crowds to turn to Jesus, giving them four incentives:

1. So that your sins may be wiped out (like a whiteboard being wiped clean)
2. So that times of refreshing may come from the Lord (the postive counterpart to forgiveness)
3. So God may send Christ, the appointed one, when it is time for God to restore everything
4. Because if you don’t you’ll be cut off from the people (the negative consequence of not turning to Christ)

• In terms of evangelism today, do you think Christians are similarly confident in sharing all four aspects? If not, are there one or two we tend to highlight more than the others and why do you think this is?

Now, as I mentioned in Day Eight, we do have to remember that Peter is speaking to a crowd who were familiar with all of these concepts – albeit they wouldn’t previously have connected Jesus with it all.

• Therefore, looking at Paul’s speech in Athens in Acts 17 (where the listeners weren’t Jewish), what similarities and differences are there when compared with Peter’s? (Obviously, within all of this we have to remember that both speeches are actually Luke’s summaries, in reality the speeches would have probably been much longer. However, I think it is fairly likely that Luke has not only picked out the main points within these particular speeches but that also what he includes are, in fact, hallmarks of their speeches in general).

Day Thirteen

If you have 5 minutes!

Read Acts 3:11-16

11 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “People 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? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.

Peter’s speech here shares a similar pattern with that he delivered at Pentecost. Again, it is a speech given spontaneously in response to the powerful workings of the Holy Spirit. Further, as at Pentecost, Peter’s tact is to demonstrate to the crowds that – rather than a failed Messiah – this Jesus they had crucified has, in fact, been vindicated by God and this demands a response!

The urgency with which Peter directs the awestruck crowd’s attention to Jesus is starkly contrasted later on in Acts when, in chapter 8, a magician called Simon sees the Holy Spirit’s power as an opportunity to further his own fame and popularity.

• Are there times when we’re tempted to use the gifts God has given us to further ourselves rather than point to Christ? If we’re really honest, perhaps none of us has totally pure motives in this regard so how can we increasingly grow in this area? For example, recently I have felt challenged to try and worry less about how people might respond to things I think God is calling me to say or do than I currently do. For the key players in Acts, they simply accepted that what they did and said would have a mixed response but did and said it anyway!

If you have a bit longer :-)

Be wise in your dealings with outsiders, but use your opportunities to the full. (Col. 4:5)

Who is going to do you harm if you are devoted to what is good? Yet if you should suffer for doing right you may count yourselves happy. Have no fear of other people: do not be perturbed, but hold Christ in your hearts in reverence as Lord. Always be ready to make your defence when anyone challenges you to justify the hope which is in you. But do so with courtesy and respect. (1 Peter 3:13-15)

Again, as at Pentecost, Peter seizes the opportunity that suddenly presents itself in order to tell the crowds about Jesus.

• On the scale below – it’s scale week this week! – where would you place yourself? Where do you think Peter would be?

• Thinking back over the last week, are there times when you now recognise you could have said something about your faith in Jesus but didn’t? How do you feel about this?
• Are there ever times when it’s wise to deliberatly not say anything about Jesus or your faith in him?

And if you’re really keen!...

Peter pulls no punches in telling the crowds what they’ve done wrong: handed Jesus over to be killed; disowned him before Pilate, though Pilate had decided to let him go; disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released instead; killed the author of life!

• How well do you think such forceful rhetoric would go down in our contemporary culture?
• Does the fact that it would probably be unpopular mean Christians shouldn’t ever be so blunt?
• Currently “insulting” conduct is outlawed in the UK. Some MPs want this clause to be scrapped saying it restricts freedom of speech and has led, for example, to a street preacher being arrested because passerbys found him offensive.[1] What do you think? Should we as Christians concern ourselves with such matters? If so, what do you think the Government should prioritise: freedom of speech or the freedom for people to live their lives without being insulted? Whatever you think, maybe just spend a few minutes praying for the Government and asking that God would help them find a good and healthy balance between protecting people from slander and abuse while allowing people to express their beliefs without fear of recrimination.

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[1] For more info see http://www.christian.org.uk/wp-content/downloads/freespeech_June11.pdf and/or http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15205553

Day Twelve

If you have 5 minutes!

Read Acts 3:6-10 & 1 Corinthians 12:7-11

6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

In the Old Testament you had a few special people like judges or kings or prophets. In the New Testament God said, ‘I will pour my Spirit out on all flesh.’ So, the more you put one person on a pedestal, the more people think there’s a special anointing or something, which is not true, and it actually makes the Church go backwards and not forwards. We’re not going to reach the ends of the earth if we’re relying on a few specially anointed or gifted people. The good news is that the job was given to every ordinary, weak kind of person. Now, why he did it that way, I don’t know. It seems an awful risk, but that’s the way he chose. (Jackie Pullinger)

The first thing that strikes me about this passage is the confidence of Peter’s faith. He doesn’t even pray; he just speaks. Now it does appear that Peter was uniquely gifted, even amongst the apostles, as in 5:15 we’re told that people were healed when just his shadow passed over them! However, his faith is still a challenge for us and since then there have been a number of people in history who have been anointed with a similarly amazing gift of healing; Jackie Pullinger is one although, challengingly, her main message is that we should all be involved in bringing God’s love to those who are sick, lost and broken.[1]

• On a scale of one to ten, how confident do you feel that God can heal people today?
• Do you know anyone who has been miraculously healed? Has this impacted your faith in any way? In what ways did it impact them and the people around them?
• Do you think that the Holy Spirit has given you the gift of healing? If so, how might you step out more in this area?
• What would you identify as your primary gifts? Again on a scale of one to ten, with how much confidence and faith do you think you outwork these gifts? How can we spur one another on in exercising our gifts in this way (i.e. with confidence and faith!)?

If you have a bit longer :-)

I once heard a Tim Keller sermon in which he made the point that in our lives God is either the end (i.e. the goal) or he is a means to another end (maybe peace, freedom from guilt, good health, assurance of heaven, a spouse…). We generally, he argued, come to God for the latter reason – i.e. because we recognize in ourselves some need that only God can fulfill. The challenge for the remainder of our Christian lives, therefore, is how do we move closer and closer to the first; i.e. how do we love God primarily for who he is (regardless of our circumstances) rather than just for what we can get from him (which, incidentally, it could be argued is also the primary theme in the book of Job!).

Here, it is clear that as amazing as the man’s healing is, its main fruit is the praise of God that it induces. It is for this reason that miracles within the Bible are generally referred to as signs; they are not ends in themselves (although they’re great!), rather they point to a greater end – God!

• Why did you initially decide to become a Christian? Was it purely because of love for God or was it because you had identified a need that only God could fill? If the latter, what was this need? Or – like me – are you not really sure why you became a Christian you just felt, at the time, an overwhelming conviction that this was something you had to do?!
• Are there any areas in your life now where you recognize that God is the means to an end rather than the end in and of himself? What areas are these?
• Accountability with one or more Christians whom we trust is an important part of growing in our faith and therefore becoming people who love God more and more for who he is rather than just for what we can get from him. Do you have people you can speak to in this way? If yes, maybe you could share with them your answers to the question above. If not, maybe this is something it’d be good to pray about and ask God to show you people with whom you can start sharing your life with more openly.

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[1] See http://www.christianitymagazine.co.uk/features/Jackiepullinger.aspx

Day Eleven

If you have 5 minutes!

Read Acts 3:1-5

1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

Contemporary Christianity now looks so different from Judaism that it’s easy to forget that the first Christians saw Christianity not as a new or separate religion but as Judaism in its most fulfilled form! Peter and John have not, therefore, abandoned the temple or Jewish forms of worship – as evidenced here in 3:1. However their worship does now has a new expression too (see 2:46, which describes believers meeting together both in the temple and in homes; on the combo of which, John Stott notes, “There is no need to polarize between the structured and the unstructured, the traditional and the spontaneous. The church needs both.”[1]).

• The whole issue of continuity versus discontinuity between the Old and New Testaments is a matter of much theological debate! Where would you place yourself on the scale below?

• Does it make any practical difference where we place ourselves on this scale? If so, can you think of any examples?

About these verses, Tom Wright notes:

…Luke emphasizes that Peter and John looked hard at the man. They stared intently at him. What were they looking for? A sincere spirit, ready to receive more than he’d asked for? A heart full of pain and sorrow, ready to be touched by God’s healing love? Somehow there is something important about that deep, face-to-face contact: not only did Peter and John stare at him, but they told him to look hard at them, too. No good turning your face away in embarrassment, as often happens with beggars who are ashamed to catch your eye, and of passers-by who are equally ashamed to look at beggars. What is about to happen involves a deep human contact as well as a deep work of God.[2]

• This partnership between God and people in displaying God’s power and bringing about his purposes is one of the deepest mysteries of the Christian faith as well as one of the greatest privileges. In what ways can you partner with God today to see other people’s lives touched by his love and grace?

If you have a bit longer :-)

From what follows (i.e. the man being healed!), it is clear that the man’s expectations of what he needs, and can receive, are incomplete!!! He asks for money but needs, and receives, a new life.

• Have you been in situations where you’ve expected one thing from God but received something quite different? How did this feel?
• Maybe it’s worth asking God if there are currently any areas in your life, or situations that you face, where your expectations are similarly incomplete? Ask God to shape your expectations so they’re more inline with his!

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[1] John Stott, “Acts,” pg. 85.

[2] Tom Wright, “Acts,” pg. 50.