Category: Studies in Acts

Sermon: Sunday, 14 January, 2024
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Acts 5:17-42

Throughout the book of Acts there is an unseen battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil. The Lord Jesus has ascended into Heaven and sent his Spirit, to enable his people to share the gospel to others. ‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ (Acts 1:8)

Being Jesus’ witnesses through living holy lives and through speaking about Jesus to others is one of the main tasks of the church. It is one of our main tasks today. However, while this is going on, Satan is doing all he can to stop Christians from speaking about Jesus. He does this by distracting Christians, by persecuting them and by trying to lead them into living sinful lives, as we saw with Ananias and Saphira. This is a huge part of the drama of Acts: God wants the good news of his Son scattered far and wide, while Satan does all he can to silence Christians. What are we like this morning, generally speaking – are we speaking Christians or silent Christians?

In our new vision statement, we have 7 areas to focus on. The 3rd one reads: ‘Equipping and encouraging members in personal evangelism.’ So, what I want to do is, through this passage, to see how we can be inspired by the apostles to be speaking Christians, rather than silent ones. If we are honest, we need to admit that it is far easier to be silent than to speak about Jesus.

1. Speaking about Jesus will bring you trouble

There is always opposition. This is as true today as it was for the apostles back in the book of Acts. ‘Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.’ (2 Timothy 3:12) In chapter 4, we saw that Peter and John were imprisoned and threatened before the Sanhedrin. These powerful men had commanded them to be silent. They must have been raging to find out that the apostles had ignored their threats and carried on speaking about Jesus. We’re told (verse 17) that they are ‘jealous’ of the apostles. Thousands have been placing their trust in Jesus. Great crowds listened to the apostles. The sick were being healed. The Sadducees are used to being the ones in control.

In verse 8 we read that the apostles are imprisoned again. And even when they are supernaturally released by an angel of God, the persecution continues, and the Sanhedrin once more command them to ‘shut up’ and to stop speaking about the Jesus. The Sadducees hate Jesus and the message of the gospel so much that they cannot even bear to speak his name. Instead, they say: ‘We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,’ he said. ‘Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.’ (Acts 5:28) And when they realise that the apostles are more concerned about obeying God than their wrong commands, the Sadducees reach boiling point: ‘When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.’ (Acts 5:33) Even when Gamaliel manages to calm the situation down and persuades the Sanhedrin to let the apostles go, they suffer once more for the sake of Jesus: ‘They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.’ (Acts 5:40)

Let’s go back to our vision statement. We want all the Christians in Kirkcaldy Free Church to be prayerfully and boldly speaking to others about Jesus, as we have opportunity. But we must be prepared to suffer for Jesus. If you are silent, Satan already has you where he wants you and won’t need to bother you as much. But as soon as you start to pray for opportunities to witness and start taking them, expect to be laughed at, mocked, and be the odd one out. Remember Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount. ‘Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.’ (Matthew 5:11-12)

You might think Jesus’ call for us to rejoice when we suffer for him a bit ‘over the top’. However, that’s exactly how the apostles do respond here: ‘The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.’ (Verse 41) Is that how you respond when people mock your faith? Or does such a response seem unrealistic? It is only possible if we are regularly asking God for courage to share our faith, and asking for his help as we do it. It is only possible if we ask for strength to keep going, even when others turn against us.

In all of this we must keep perspective. Our suffering is not a waste of time. In fact, we shall be rewarded in Heaven! How wonderful! Think of Christians in countries which face severe persecution for evangelising, and who like the apostles and are told by the authorities to stop. What keeps them speaking out? What keeps them sharing the good news of Jesus even when they might be imprisoned? Surely, they are being upheld by God’s grace, and have been on their knees in prayer. Are we serious about telling others about Jesus in this church? Are you serious about it? Then pray for boldness and for the right attitude and perspective when we face opposition from others.

2. God will build his church no matter what

At the prayer meeting on Wednesday, we were reminded of Jesus’ promise: ‘I will build my church, and the gates of hades shall not overcome it.’ (Matthew 16:18) Just when it looks like Satan has the upper hand, and has managed to silence Christians by having the apostles imprisoned, God sends his angel to effortlessly open the doors of the jail, so that the gospel can keep on spreading. Of course, this does not usually happen to imprisoned Christians. But we must not miss what God is saying through this act: it is a sign that the gospel is unstoppable. God’s word cannot be chained. Yes, for a time it might seem like Satan has the upper hand. His threats, imprisonments, mockery and moral attacks will have an impact. However, Jesus is always one step ahead. What an encouragement to us today.

I love what the angel says to these men: ‘Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.’ (Verse 20) Remember, the apostles have just been imprisoned for speaking about Jesus. Now the angel says, go back and keep on doing what you were doing! God is saying, in effect, ‘My message of eternal life will be heard!’ The strategy is exactly the same for us today – we keep on telling people about Jesus. They desperately need to hear about eternal life, and that’s much more important than any temporary persecution we might face. The message is a matter of spiritual life and death for people. If we really believed that, we would talk to more people about Jesus.

For us today, this image of the prison door being miraculously opened is a simple but powerful reminder that God wants his church to be telling people about new life in Christ, no matter what will happen to us. And when we do share the message, we can be assured of the smile of our Heavenly Father upon us.

3. As a church, we must focus on obeying God rather than pleasing people

But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’ (Acts 5:29)

This ought to be at the front of minds as we go into the rest of this year. We must be God-pleasers. We must obey God. We are not called to be people pleasers. Our ultimate aim in life is not to please ourselves, or our boss, or our spouse, or our children. We must concentrate on being God-pleasers.

Telling people about Jesus pleases God. Often it will displease our family and friends and work colleagues and neighbours. They probably won’t mind if we speak to them about Christmas shoeboxes or collecting for the foodbank, or even how friendly our church is. But as soon as we start to talk about repentance and forgiveness of sin, as the apostles do here in verse 31, many will want us to be silent. It goes against the grain of our pluralistic society to speak of Jesus as the only Saviour. It is offensive. It goes against the grain to speak about our accountability to God. Let’s make no mistake, there’s real pressure on Christians in Scotland today to privatise their faith. Don’t give in to the pressure. Aim to please God and keep on talking about Jesus.

Even when we humbly answer people’s questions about what we believe, some will accuse us of being bigots. Some will see us as being totally out of touch. Some will get angry with us for no good reason.

‘And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.’ (John 3:19-20)

The ESV brings out the angel’s command more clearly. The apostles are to speak ‘all the words’ of this life. In other words, don’t change the message. Don’t tone it down because of the trouble it keeps getting you in. Be faithful and true and keep on speaking about Jesus as the only way to be saved. We see the courage of apostles as they immediately obey this command. And we also see their courage before the Sanhedrin. They do not mince their words: ‘We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.’ (Acts 5:30-31)

Again, such courage can only come when the Holy Spirit is giving us the words to say. We must depend on God when we are witnessing to others, praying as we speak.

Sermon: Sunday, 7th January, 2024
Speaker: Elijah Brook
Scripture: Acts 5: 1-16

It’s been awhile since we’ve been in Acts and I’m excited and honored to preach on this part of God’s Word today. This passage feels intimidating. It may also feel embarrassing. You might find it confusing and difficult. You might find it cruel, brutal, and unjust. You may be asking, ‘Why in the world is this in the Bible?!’ Let me remind you of what the Apostle Paul says, ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.’ (2 Timothy 3:16-17) ALL of Scripture. We do not need to fear this passage.

We do not need to explain it away or get God off the hook. We DO need to read the story of Ananias and Sapphira and engage with it and dive deeply into it, because it really isn’t about Ananias and Sapphira – it’s about God. When we do so and allow the Holy Spirit to pull back the blinders of our fear, confusion and sin, we will be able to see and know our good and HOLY God more.

Holy – this word is central to understanding this passage. This passage is all about holiness. God’s holiness, holiness of his people, the Church; the holiness of the community depends on the collective holiness of individuals. God is holy, God wants and has called (commanded) his people to be holy and what is revealed to us here is that God also preserves the holiness of His Church.

What is Holiness? It’s important to define holiness: for Christian’s it’s a word know and use and just seem to understand, but when we’re asked to define it we pause, think, think some more, and then get worried because we can’t really define it. When we do, we usually (and others do too) land on something like moral purity and perfection. That’s part of it, but a secondary part, primarily, holiness is about being ‘other’, literally ‘set-apart’.

When we say God is holy (Scripture testifies that God alone is holy), we’re saying that there is nothing or no one remotely like God, at all. There are different types of people – short and tall, people of different ages, ethnicities, etc. – but at the end of the day, all people are fundamentally the same (men and women made in God’s image, with a need to know God, same basic needs.
There are different kinds of dogs – all sorts of different breeds of dog, but at the end of the day they’re all dogs not cats, or fish, or anything else. We can’t perform the same exercise with God; he is not one of many of the same kind

‘There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.’ (1 Samuel 2:2 – Hannah’s Prayer) There is no one like God. He is on a completely unreachable, untouchable level; no one can obtain his status, because they are not him.

‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’ (Revelation 4:8 – John in the Throne Room) Everyone and everything has a beginning and an end, except for God; and he is the same forever.

‘But the LORD Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will be proved holy by his righteous acts.’ (Isaiah 5:16 – self-evident holiness) God’s holiness is part of his nature. Doesn’t come from the outside. Is made visible in all his works.

Isaiah 6 (God’s glory and perfection): God is so perfect that Isaiah immediately knows he is unworthy to stand before this God who is so gloriously perfect.

The glory of God’s holiness is that he makes us holy; the Church is God’s set apart people, chosen by Him to be holy, to be different, to be set apart from the ways of the world and sin.

God sets the context at the beginning of the Book of Acts. He has created a people (the early Church) for himself, and we’ve seen previously (once in Acts 2 and at the end of chapter 4) that they’re living together in holy harmony caring for each other, sharing with each other their gifts and possessions, even in some instances selling things or land in order to meet needs as they arise! Why? ‘All of the believers were one in heart and mind…’ (Acts 4:32)

J.C. Ryle: Holiness is the habit of being one mind with God, according to as we find His mind described in Scripture. It is the habit of agreeing in God’s judgement, hating what He hates, loving what He loves, and measures everything in this world by the standard of His Word.

Charles Spurgeon: If you think you can walk in holiness without keeping up perpetual fellowship with Christ, you have made a great mistake. If you would be holy, you must live close to Jesus.

God has made them holy (set-apart) and their holiness is OBVIOUS to everyone around them, BECAUSE they were determined in following the Lord and being near to Him. We have a holy God who in His grace has made a holy people, who are living a holy and beautiful life together. It is into this scenario that this story takes place.

The sin

We’ve got a husband and wife, Ananias and Sapphira, visibly part of the early Church in Jerusalem, and they have sold some of their land. They’re seemingly ordinary people, doing a deed that was not unusual at that point, however, there is one major difference. We have a conspiracy on our hands; not a righteous holy deed, but deception. Together, Ananias and Sapphira hold back some of the money, giving the rest to the apostles.’ (Acts 5:2)

Why is this so bad?: Peter’s words to Ananias make it clear, ‘You have lied to God.’ Evidently, Ananias and Sapphira promised to sell some land (which was not required of them), give all the money to the apostles (also not required of them), and went back on their word in keeping some money for themselves. This act was never about serving other Christians or being holy, it was about serving themselves, gaining a good reputation, being well thought of, and getting to add a little to their wallets

We’ve got a word for this sin: Hypocrisy. This is not when a Christian trips up and sins. The reality of the life of the Church is that we are simultaneously saved, justified before God and sinners. Although we should always be striving for holiness, we are not perfectionists. Hypocrisy is when one professes faith, pretends to pursue Christ with all they are, and yet is faking it the entire time in order to gain status, a good reputation, or to meet some other goal rather than godliness. Like a pimp uses women as prostitutes to make money for himself, so hypocrites seek to use the Church and Christian faith to steal God’s glory for his or herself.

That’s how serious real hypocrisy is; it’s part of blaspheming the Holy Spirit, the unforgivable sin. (see Mark 3:28-29) Ananias and Sapphira have said this act we are doing is holy, it is of God, the Spirit has lead us to do this, all the while in secret they have planned together, hearts filled by Satan himself.

The judgement

Severe sin means severe judgement. Now, there are some things to mention about this sin in general.

1. This example is not normative: On this occasion this is how God has judged Ananias and Sapphira in their sin of hypocrisy, but this is not the way we should be expecting God to do so. This judgement took place in this way, at this time, for a specific reason: These were the beginnings of the Church, infant stages, holy and devout, and Satan is attempting to sow seeds of chaos in order to thwart God’s plans.This sin left unchecked would have absolutely destroyed the community and character of the Church; they would have lost the unity of heart and mind, the holy community and distinctiveness.

This is really a moment of grace. By this judgement God prevents His people from being corrupted by evil of how God would continue to protect and preserve His church from sin and hypocrisy,

2. It demonstrates just how holy/righteous God is and how awful and terrible sin is. The nature of sin is horrible. We must know this and it is a glorious act of mercy that God would AGAIN be so clear! Sin has separated us from God, it’s corrupts us, dehumanizes us, mutilates us, defiles us, literally kills and destroys us! And yet, often times we don’t take sin seriously enough!

You might read this passage and think, ‘Well, God’s being a bit harsh isn’t he?’ No! Ananias and Sapphira have essentially done what Adam and Eve did in the Garden. Undoubtedly they’ve heard the good news of Jesus, they’ve heard that in faithful response they too must walk in righteousness, and they ignored it all. They’ve communicated that they believe they’re better at being god than God is! They’ve said what matters is my glory, that the Church serves my aims! They’ve proclaimed themselves Lord, directly going against what they have undoubtedly heard, THAT CHRIST ALONE IS LORD!

When we excuse sin as not being all that bad or when we live in sin as if God wasn’t holy (or let alone real) then we do the very same thing. We mock God the Father, we mock Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for us. We mock the Holy Spirit.

Kevin Deyoung: The hole in our holiness is that we don’t really care much about it.

An absolute shame because God is holy, and we’d better care about at. He certainly does. He cares enough about your holiness to send His one and only, holy Son to die for us. You think this passage is rough? You haven’t looked at the cross enough or at all.
‘Have nothing to do with fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.’ (Ephesians 5:11) How seriously do we take that command? More often than not we don’t take it seriously enough. God takes sin seriously, he takes our holiness seriously – we ought to as well

So what is to be done? Repent. Notice that Sapphira gets a chance, but sin has so hardened her heart, she holds God in such contempt that she doubles down (don’t double down, God is faithful and just…), confess your sins to each other: wives and husbands, parents and children, brothers and sisters, friends, etc. otherwise sin will fester and holy fellowship among us will be spoiled. Stay close to Christ: we will never be holy if we never look to the one who is holy.

The judgement was necessary because God is holy and judges wickedness, and in order to direct and preserve his people (fear of the Lord).

The result

God’s judgement also yielded one other MAJOR result: the Church grows. Now, this is seems surprising doesn’t it? Two people have instantly fallen over and died. Under any other circumstance, you’d turn tail and run and, indeed, some do. ‘… no one else dared to join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people.’ (Acts 5:13) but what about verse 14: ‘Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.’

Why? Because God’s holiness is beautiful. When God’s holiness is on full display its captivating and breathtaking. It demonstrates that God is faithful and dependable. His holiness shows us that there is something else beyond our frail ideas, philosophies, and desires. He proves that he is worth following. He demonstrates yet again that His people will never be overwhelmed, let down, lead astray, or defeated. We are reminded that the gates of hell will never prevail against His church.

God’s holiness makes a lasting impression on those who see it. The many people who, by faith, were added to the Church’s number saw it and bent the knee in joyful adoration. They couldn’t help it. Even the few who didn’t dare to join did so because they knew that following Christ was serious business.

Our own holiness as a people: in those days the Church was few in number and was for persecuted for centuries. Today we find ourselves in that minority position too. Because of that you will hear people rightly talk about evangelism and mission – the spreading of the Gospel.

Praise God for that; what Christians have always been about.But what about our own holiness? What is it that drew people in and made the Church stand out? What made people see the power of God’s truth? God’s holiness fleshed out in the lives of the Church

All our evangelism, all of our outreach, all of our strategies, all our churches will not make a difference in the lives of the lost and in the world at large if the holiness of God has not first changed us. We must first be holy just as God has called us to be, as he makes us to be.

Elizabeth Elliot: Holiness has never been the driving force of the majority. It is however, mandatory for anyone who wants to enter the Kingdom.

God’s holiness and the holiness of his people always speaks louder and more effectively than we think it does. So what are we to do?

1. 1. Reckon with God’s holiness and by faith make him the Lord and center of our lives,

 

1. 2. Do not let sin reign in your life and in the Church (repent, continually confess, do not knowingly let brothers and sisters dwell in sin)

 

1. 3. Stay near to Christ. God’s will for you is your sanctification. (See 1 Thessalonians 4:3) He has given you the means by which you are made holy (Holy Spirit, His Word, prayer).

 

4. Be holy together. Is this your primary community? How could it be? How could we together continue to make Kirkcaldy Free Church a thriving place and people? How can we be a holy and warm alternative to the fellowships of the world? Be of one heart and mind together in Christ Jesus so that the world may see and know that our God reigns, that He is good, that He is holy.

Sermon: Sunday, 26th November, 2023
Speaker: Geoff Murray
Scripture: Acts 4:32-37

What would you say was the biggest display of generosity you’ve seen? Maybe on an individual level, someone’s been over the top generous and kind towards you. Perhaps at a community level, recently in Buckhaven there was the fireworks display but that was not going to go ahead because of the sheer expense of it, yet within 24 hours, the community had a whip round to raise £7,000.

But often times generosity has limits and that is partly to do with our limited resources but also partly due to our hearts. It can be very easy for there to be an end of generosity but here we see an extravagant display of generosity in the early church. We see here remarkably:

‘Nobody claimed possessions as their own, but shared everything they had.’ (Acts 4:32)

‘There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.’ (Acts 4:34)

‘Joseph… sold a field and brought the money and laid it at the Apostle’s feet.’ (Acts 4:37)

There are three things which mark the giving of believers in Acts 4; it was selfless, sacrificial & voluntary.

1. Selfless

‘Nobody claimed possessions as their own, but shared everything they had.’ (Acts 4:32)

We see here the selflessness of the believers. What a different mindset in 2023 where our goal can easily be to build our possessions with the emphasis on ‘our’. But actually, the Bible brings to light that for believers, our possessions aren’t our own but are to be shared with others.

You see, God is the giver of all good gifts. What we have is not our own as if we are our own provider. Incidentally, last Sunday night I talked about mindsets sneaking into the church and we’re just so used to it that we don’t think anything of it. It’s possible that possessions is one of them where it might never enter our minds to share with those around us.

Yet, many of the disciples didn’t have that mindset, they never counted any of their possessions as their own but shared everything they had. And this is a selfless attitude in the church. Not selfish, but selfless. Putting others ahead of yourself.

How easy it is for the mindset to be, ‘Ah, another online subscription service to stream more films and tv shows. Let’s get it to join my 5 other subscription services I have.’ Or the newest and swankiest phone on contract or new car on lease. Maxing out the vast majority of our spending on ourselves. It’s very easy to do that.

Now, I’m not saying we should never spend on ourselves or never have an online subscription to Prime or Netflix or whatever, but is our spending also outward on other people. So can we say that a big focus of our spending or our time is on others? Is the giving of our money, resources, time, and talents selfless?

Are you asking: Is there a need? Can I meet that need? Then I will share with you what I have and I can meet that need for you.

So often, it’s easy to be marked by selfishness rather than selflessness, but its what we see here.

2. Sacrificial

I’m sure you can think of things you have that you wouldn’t mind giving away, or times you wouldn’t mind helping out with your gifts and talents. But there would be some things you would really struggle to get rid of, it would be costly and sacrificial.

‘They shared everything they had.’ (Acts 4:32)

How striking is that? Nothing was off limits. They shared all that they had. Which surely means as well as being selfless and other-centred that it was also sacrificial. That’s got to cost at some point. There’s got to be something you come across which you didn’t want to give away. A sacrifice would be made. It would be costly.

Think of all your possessions, think of your most treasured possesions, all of it shared with your church family as they have need. That’s going to be costly, that’s going to hurt. Yet that’s exactly what the believers did.

We also see people selling houses or land and bringing the proceeds to the Apostles to distribute to the needy (verse 34) and also a guy called Joseph who sold a field and brought the money to the Apostle’s feet. (Verse 36) So it’s not just possessions that they had that is to be shared, but also anything they gained had to be shared.

So say you come into a bit of money perhaps through inheritance or like the people in this passage that you sell land or houses and you gain something, that immediately is to be seen through the lens of giving away, of sharing.

That’s massively sacrificial. Think of the amount coming in for land or the amount coming in for houses, that is going to be costly to be thinking, ‘Right, I’m going to share this now.’

’Really? Can’t I just enjoy it?’

Think of how much you could do with that if you kept it to yourself. Think of the nice new house you could get, the fancy car, the extravagant holiday, think of it! But the sacrifice of it all is that for the believers, anything gained was straight away to be thought of in the context of. ‘How can I share this with my brothers and sisters?’

Not only is the giving displayed by the disciples here selfless but it is sacrificial. It cannot possibly be selfless if things are hoarded all to themselves, it cannot possibly be sacrificial if only some things are on the table. But we see that the giving of the believers is selfless and sacrificial.

3. Voluntary

Lastly, giving is to be voluntary. This all sounds slightly like Christian communism and totally bizarre. In a world of self, it actually sounds slightly threatening and upsetting to our lives ‘Really? Sharing everything?’

But it wasn’t forced, it wasn’t under compulsion, there was no arm twisting. They gave of their own possessions willingly, gladly, freely, generously. Now what could possibly generate this kind of generosity? What could possibly lead people to sell what they had and share with all?

‘And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all.’ (Acts 4:33b)

God’s grace intervenes and disrupts the cycles of selfishness and causes an unthinkable generosity amongst his people.

When we consider the famous hymn ‘When I Survey’ – the words ‘love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life my all.’ – we are reminded that Jesus was not stingy towards us, he didn’t hold back, he didn’t give part of his life, he didn’t give some of his life or even most of his life, he gave everything, even his life on the cross to die for us. He has given us everything, how can we respond with anything other than radical generosity with what we do have?

And that really is the key to generous giving that is selfless, sacrificial, and voluntary: the voluntary, selfless, and sacrificial giving of God, giving his son for us on the cross that we might know him, love him, and serve him, giving in selfless, sacrificial, and voluntary ways.

There is no coercion or forced giving here, it is in response to the good news of the resurrection of Christ they share and the grace of God that worked so powerfully in them.

God so lavishly pours out his kindness on us day by day, how can we respond with anything other than a heart which shares with those in need? Receiving such kindness does not lead us to store up and hoard all of our things from God to ourselves, but leads us to have an open hand of generosity to anyone in need around us. God, in his grace, does not have us as individual Christians but he gives us one another, we become family, we become as one, united in heart and mind. In other words, we have others to be generous to!

And the love that that fosters to have unity with believers creates a certain desire to show that in practical ways. We have not only the ability to give and be generous, but in the church we have the people to be generous to!

And that is exactly what we see in Acts 4. We see Christian love being worked out in generosity towards each other as they are ‘one in heart and mind’, in love they show generosity towards each other to the extent there is not a needy person among them. What an incredible thing that would be.

So there is no compulsion, there is no being forced, nor is their acts of religious piety some way of buttering up God to appease him. Their hope is not in their religious efforts, it is in the resurrection to which they testify, it is in the grace of God so powerfully at work among them and their love is for one another.

And that is the powerful combination which leads to such radical generosity. The resurrection of Jesus, the grace of God at work among them and the love they have for one another. It is when these things come together in unison that we see generosity on a selfless, sacrificial, and voluntary level.

This passage gets us to ask these two questions followed by this one answer: Is there a need? Can I meet it? If I can, let’s go for it.

‘Do good to all, especially those of the household of faith.’ (Galatians 6:10)

What might this look like for us today in Fife in 2023? I want to preface this by saying there are some of you who do a tremendous job at supporting and caring for one another. Thank you for how you serve the Lord by serving others in the church, I am often just praising God for the kindness some of you show to many in the church.

But what can this look like? Maybe there’s someone in the congregation who doesn’t have a car who isn’t so able to get to church by themselves on foot, can you bless them by taking them to and from church? I’m so pleased to see this already happening on a couple of occasions.

Or maybe there are other ways we can do this. For example, Jessie and Elijah are about to welcome another baby Lord willing early in the new year. Are there any knitters out there? You can use your gifts and your time to bless baby Brook when, Lord willing, he makes his appearance by knitting a jumper or a hat.

Perhaps a burnt out Mum would appreciate some childcare so she can get 5 minutes to herself.

Maybe there is someone in the congregation who is on their own, could you give them your time, a precious commodity in life today, to spend time with them and keep them company? In the middle of a loneliness crisis in this country, it is a bigger need than we think it is, even amongst those with us here.

There is a multitude of needs even here in Kirkcaldy Free Church, yet there is a multitude of possessions here in Kirkcaldy Free Church. Be that time, money, physical possessions, gifts and talents, whatever that is, you have it and your fellow church member needs it.

So what are the needs? Can you meet them? If you can, may I just encourage you to go and to share freely and liberally what you have to meet that need. This is our calling as Christians and the very natural outworking of having received generous kindness from God ourselves in giving us his Son and giving us one another. Let us give selflessly, sacrificially, and voluntarily towards one another out of love for God and love for one another.

I’ll end with a quote from John Wesley, author of hymns such as ‘And Can it Be?’ said this:

“Do all the good you can by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”

Sermon: Sunday, 19th November, 2023
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Acts 4:13-31

When God’s work is being done and the Kingdom of God is advancing, there is always opposition from the forces of evil. The early chapters of Acts have several wonderful summary statements about the growth of the church.

• After Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost we read: ‘Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.’ (Acts 2:41)
• And after the healing of the man lame from birth we read: ‘But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.’ (Acts 4:4)
• Then in Acts chapter 6 we read, ‘So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.’ (Acts 6:7)

What a wonderful time to be alive! However, Satan is not going to watch idly from the side-lines. He seeks to silence the early church through persecution, whether in the form of threats, violence or imprisonment. He also seeks to stop the work of the church through disunity and internal squabbling, false teaching, and by distracting the apostles from their work; we read about this in Acts chapter 6. Satan attacks from outside of the church and from within the church itself. His tactics today are exactly the same.

This is a strong pattern in the Bible. When Nehemiah is rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, there are moral problems from within the Israelite camp which threaten the work. And there is also persecution and threats from the nations who surround Israel. The same can be said about Israel in the time of Moses. The internal threats to God’s covenant people are in the form of complaining, unbelief and idolatry. The external threat comes from the Amalekites who viciously attack them.

Today, in 2023, as we seek to plant a church in Leven and develop gospel work in Kirkcaldy, we must expect spiritual opposition. We must expect people to fall out in church, moral failure, threats of division, and we must expect opposition from many unbelievers, who don’t want the cause of Jesus to advance. More personally and as individuals, if you get more involved in speaking up for Jesus in your family, at work and with others you know, you ought to expect tough things to happen. Expect some people to ‘unfriend’ you, ostracise you, and gossip about you. Expect a degree of mockery and exclusion and mistreatment. It was that way for Jesus, and he said it would be that way for us. Evangelism has a cost.

1. Silence or speaking

Quite clearly, the enemies of the early church want to silence Christians: ‘Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.’ (Acts 4:16-17) Peter and John could talk about thousands of different topics, and that was fine! However, they must stop ‘going on about’ Jesus Christ. That was off the agenda. That was to be a ‘no go’ area.

Today, it’s exactly the same. There are many countries where it is against the law to ‘proselytise’ by telling people about Jesus. If an Iranian Christian attempts to convert someone to Christianity, they can go to jail. Additionally, if a Muslim in Iran converts to Christianity, that person can face jail time or even death. Persecution of Christians is growing in India, where Hindu extremists continue to promote the idea that Christians, because they practice a faith that originated outside of India, are not as devoted to India as are Hindus.

But what about in the UK? We have religious freedom here, but there’s still a huge pressure not to talk about Jesus Christ. For many, it’s like that subject is banned. We can talk for hours about trivial things and that’s ok, and we can talk about our hobbies, and our families and football and the weather, but often when we try to discuss and explore deeper things such as the meaning of life or why Jesus is so wonderful, we receive a negative response or total apathy.

A survey by Premier Christian Communications, reported that 93 percent of the Christian respondents “believe that Christianity is being marginalised” in the U.K., while 50 percent said they have experienced prejudice because of their faith. 80% percent of those who took part in the survey believe that “Christianity is not given equal respect” as other worldviews and religions. 26 percent of respondents said that they are unable to be open about their faith in their workplace or equivalent setting. According to Premier, 67 percent of respondents said that it is not considered acceptable in society for Christians to share their faith with others.

We need to be realistic. We all feel the pressure of this. We all feel the pressure to stop speaking about Jesus and keep our faith private. Despite living in a country which speaks so much about tolerance, in Scotland in 2023 many people are intolerant towards Christians who want to share their faith. What should we do? How should we respond? Should we just hide our faith at our workplace, and avoid Christian conversations, and keep our faith private as many want us to?

We must learn from the godly example of Peter and John. But Peter and John replied, ‘Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.’ (Acts 4:19-20) This is what we must do. No matter what, we must keep on sharing the good news of Jesus with the lost souls around us. It comes down to this, are we going to obey God or are we going to obey the voices in culture which want to shut us up? Of course, we’re not called to ram our views down the throats of others. If we try to engage people and they aren’t interested then we respectfully stop, and prayerfully and sensitively wait for another chance. The one thing we must not do is be silent. What will happen to our church if most of us keep quiet about our faith? We won’t be here 10 years from now!

I love those words: ‘We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard’. That’s how we should be. We love God so much that we want others to love him too. We’ve been so blessed by God’s peace and forgiveness that we want others to experience that too. We’ve discovered, like the Samaritans in John ch 4, that Jesus ‘truly is the Saviour of the world’, and we long for others to be saved, as we have been, so we open our mouths and speak to people about Jesus. We will not be silenced. The eternal destinies of those around us are too important for our silence.

“We must reject the position advocated all too frequently publicly and privately in response to pressure not to proclaim Christ; which is that silence, letting my life do the talking, serves God best before a hostile world.’ The holy Spirit does not empower his people to silence.” (David Cook)

If we are honest, many Christians in our churches keep quiet about their faith. That is one reason our churches are in decline. People will not know the message of Jesus unless we tell them! So, how can we challenge ourselves this morning? How can we have something of the courage of these men? How can we become bolder Christians?

2. The secret of speaking up for Jesus

Secret 1. We must pray for boldness.
When Peter and John are released, they go back to the church family to update them. Instinctively, they respond to difficulty by praying together. What do they pray for? Do they pray that the persecution would stop? No. Do they pray for an easier time in the future? No. v29 ‘Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.’ They are praying for boldness. In other words, their main concern isn’t primarily about their own troubles; their main concern is that the gospel would keep going out and be heard by more and more people. Now here’s a question: when was the last time you prayed for boldness to talk about Jesus? Do you pray that others would be emboldened too? We should! We must! We’ve been praying for the conversions of those we know (5 minutes for 5 people). Keep that going! But let’s also start praying that the Christians in this church would not be intimidated or silenced by mockery. Let’s pray that we’d be more concerned with the glory of God than for our own comfort. Let’s pray for boldness.

Secret 2: We must spend time with Jesus.
We ought to encourage those of us who long to speak more about our Saviour: ‘When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realised that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.’ (Acts 4:13)

We’re told that the apostles were unschooled and ordinary. Perhaps you feel ordinary today. Perhaps you feel you’re not very well educated in theology. That should not stop you from sharing your faith. Even the Sanhedrin recognised that Peter and John had incredible courage and wisdom. Wisdom and confidence are available to us too. And if we spend time in God ‘s company, though Bible reading prayer, then it will become obvious to others that we too have ‘been in the company of Jesus’.

Secret 3: Really trust that our sovereign God is in control of what happens to us and others.
‘When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. ‘Sovereign Lord…’ (Acts 4:24)

The word ‘sovereign’ speaks of God’s total power and authority. In verse 24, they remind themselves that God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. That helps us to keep persecution and mockery and the possibility of losing friends in perspective. The powers of this world might be against us at times, but we have a much, much higher power on our side, so we don’t need to be afraid.

In verses 27-28, We see that God is so powerful and so sovereign that even when God’s enemies grouped together to have Jesus killed, even then God was in control, and was using these events for good and for his own glory, through the salvation of countless people. Peter and John, in effect, ask the question – is some persecution and threats from a few humans a problem too big for God to handle? No. We must apply this logic to our own lives. We must share our faith in Jesus Christ, trusting that even if this results and great hardship for us, God is in control of this too, and even more than that, he’ll use it for our good. He is in control. He is the Sovereign Lord.

Secret 4: We must ask God to keep on filling us with the Holy Spirit.
‘After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.’ (Acts 4:31)

We need to pray for the power and presence of God by his Spirit, if our witnessing to Jesus is to be effective. Be encouraged! As we speak to family members and colleagues and neighbours, we are not on our own! And once again notice the pattern, when we are filled with the Spirit, what happens? We tell other people about Jesus.

Sermon: Sunday, 12th November, 2023
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Acts 4:1-12

In Acts chapter 4, we see the first ever example of the persecution of Christians.
• Who is being persecuted? Peter and John, two of the apostles.
• Who is it carrying out this persecution? It is the powerful Sadducees, a ruling class of wealthy aristocrats. Actually, it is the Sadducees, ironically religious rulers themselves, who not only persecute Peter and John, but Stephen, the first martyr (Acts 7), and also the apostle Paul (Acts 23).

Did they have any reason to persecute Peter and John? No! In fact, as we have seen over the last two weeks, Peter and John had been empowered by Jesus to heal a man in his forties who’d been lame from birth. This was an outstanding miracle. No one could deny what had happened, because the man was such a well-known figure in the city, always to be found begging at the temple gate. This same man was now literally jumping for joy, praising God for this wonderful gift of healing. As we saw last time, this drew quite a crowd, and Peter seizes the moment to explain to the crowd the deeper meaning of the healing miracle: just as Jesus can heal the body of this man, so he can heal the soul of anyone who will trust in him! The source of the power for this healing was not Peter or John themselves; rather, it was the power of the risen Jesus Christ, now in Heaven, which had healed the man. This crowd has been responsible for having Jesus crucified, and yet in spite of this great wickedness, God offered them forgiveness, if they would but repent of their wrongdoing and place their trust in Jesus: ‘Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…’ (Acts 3:19)

1. The first ever persecution of Christians

Why are the Sadducees so upset? Why do they try to silence Peter and John through intimidation and imprisonment? It is because of their jealousy and hunger for power. It is nothing to do with the truth of what has happened, which they cannot deny. As a result of the healing, we read that thousands of more people were putting their trust in Jesus: ‘But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.’ (Acts 4:4) The Sadducees worked closely with the Romans, and had a degree of power of their own. The last thing they wanted was a new movement which might upset the applecart:  ‘What are we going to do with these men?’ they asked. ‘Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.’ (Acts 4:16-17)

This is the bottom line – the Sadducees do not want the church to spread and grow. It wasn’t just about their power and keeping control, although that was part of it. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, and the apostles were teaching that Jesus had risen from the dead. In fact, the proof of this resurrection stood before them in the shape of the healed man. Moreover, the Sadducees had also been instrumental in having Jesus crucified. They were not willing to swallow their pride and admit that they were completely wrong about Jesus. They see Peter and John as heretics, who are disturbing the political peace they profited from. Rather than investigating the healing miracle further or looking to the Bible for answers, the Sadducees are only concerned about their own power, wealth and control. They ignore the fact of the healing and what it might mean. They ignore the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection and what that might mean, and just try to extinguish the Christian church.

Imagine what it must have been like for Peter and John. First, they are dragged into jail for the night (verse 3). It’s as if the Sadducees are saying: ‘This is what we can do to you if you don’t do what we say’. Next, they are brought before the Sanhedrin, a group of around seventy men, including Pharisees, Sadducees, the High Priest and the head of the temple police. These men were the most powerful men in the country, both in terms of political and religious power. They met in a semi-circle and I think it’s likely Peter and John would have to stand in front of them all. They are asked: ‘By what power or what name did you do this?’ (Acts 4:7) It would have been so easy for them to keep quiet.

Only a few months earlier, Jesus had been tried by this group, and they all knew what had happened to him. They could’ve watered down what had happened, by fudging an answer. They could say something vague like that it was God’s power which had healed the man, missing out the offensive ‘Jesus’ part. What does Peter say? ‘If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.’ (Acts 4:9-10)

Peter’s boldness and integrity is wonderful. He’s not trying to save his own skin. Rather, he wants the truth of Jesus’ resurrection and Jesus’ offer of salvation to be widely known, no matter what it might cost him personally. The centre of Peter’s message is found in verse 12: ‘Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.’

Let’s focus on this key verse.

2. A universal problem

Peter’s message to the Sanhedrin back then, and God’s message to us today is that we all need to be saved. Salvation means to be saved or rescued. Of course, this implies that there is something which we need to be saved from. God is telling each person, in every country of the world, and in every age that we share the same fundamental problem and that is this: we are separated from God because of the wrong thoughts and actions in our lives. This is a devastating problem for us all, and one which we cannot sort out on our own. I like to sort problems on my own when I can, but I cannot sort this problem out. I need God. Why? Because no matter how hard I try, I keep on thinking and saying wrong things which hurt others and even worse are offensive to God my Creator. The same is true for you.

We often use the illustration of imagining that all the sinful things we think and do were displayed on the screen in the church for everyone else to see. We would be more than embarrassed. We’d be so ashamed that no one would ever want to come back. But let’s imagine something even worse; as the film is being played, God himself is watching it. He is totally holy and pure, in a way we cannot grasp. Friends, this isn’t really an illustration, because God does know all about our lives, including our thought-lives.

So many of us have lived our lives taking all of God’s good and generous gifts – homes to live in, health, work, family and friendship, food and medicine – but we largely ignore the God who has given is these gifts. Even though God made us, gives us each breath and many other good things besides, we ignore his message in the Bible, we ignore his Son Jesus, and we pay no attention to the fact that one day we all must stand before God to give an account for our lives.

God’s diagnosis of the human race is that everyone is in the same situation – we all suffer from selfishness, pride and put ourselves before God, in God’s own world. This might offend you. We might not like God’s diagnosis. However, we still need to face up to it. If we receive a diagnosis from the doctor we don’t like, that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. It would be foolish to ignore the problem.

3. A universal offer

The wonderful truth is that Jesus Christ is able to save us from this problem. He has done this by giving his life for us. Just as British soldiers laid down their lives in the great wars in order to keep us free from enemy occupation, so Jesus laid down his life as a sacrifice, to set us free from the power and penalty of human sin. Jesus’ death was the ultimate loving sacrifice. He never sinned. Not even once. But he willingly went to war with sin and Satan, paying the moral debt which we deserve to pay.

As we see the flags of many nations hanging in our church today, we are reminded that this offer from Jesus is made to all the people in all the countries of the world. The name of Jesus means ‘God saves’ and his offer is given to the whole world. That includes you. God will welcome you if you humbly admit your sin and ask for forgiveness. Jesus’ offer is made to the whole of the human race: ‘Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.’ (Acts 4:12) If it’s given to mankind then that must include you. What have you done with this offer?

What is Peter saying to the Sadducees? He’s saying that Jesus is not just the source of healing or salvation for the lame man, it is much wider than that- Jesus is the only source of salvation for the whole world, a world crippled by sin and rebellion against God.

‘I’m so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I’m so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me.’ (Tim Keller)

4. The only Saviour

Jesus is an exclusive Saviour. He is the only Saviour. No one else is qualified to die for our sins, because no one else has lived a perfect life. Because Jesus lived a perfect life, he was able to become our sacrifice. And because Jesus is God-become-human, his sacrifice is of limitless value, and able to pay the price for the sins of any who will trust in him. No one else is qualified to save human beings. That means no other religions can deal with your sin or my sin. They might offer some good advice, or some helpful morals at times, but they cannot deal with our fundamental problem – sin.

The Christian message, then, is unique and exclusive. Salvation is found in no one else. Salvation is not found in Buddhism, or humanism, or Hinduism – they offer nothing to atone for our personal sins. They have no Saviour. These religions ultimately come from human beings, as they grapple with the big questions of life, such as: who made the world? Why is the world the way it is? Who is God? What does God want from us? The Christian faith comes from God. It is not so much about what we can do for God, but what God can do for us. He can save us! We know it is true because Jesus rose from the dead and the Bible is the Word of God.

In 2023, is sounds crazy to say that Jesus is the only Saviour and all other religions cannot save. It sounds arrogant. We’re constantly told that tolerance means all religions must be equally valid. But that is not what tolerance means. We can respect other people’s beliefs without agreeing with them. In any case, it makes no sense to say all religions are equally valid as they contradict each other. For example, Jews and Jehovah witnesses do not believe Jesus is God. That’s offensive to them. We do.

How can you spot a man-made, invented religion? All human religions say we must earn the favour of God by our own efforts. Christianity says the opposite, that we cannot earn forgiveness, but it is a free gift of God, which comes to us when we receive Jesus as Saviour.

The Bible is clear.
‘For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.’ (1 Timothy 2:5-6)

Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’  (John 14:6)

‘You shall have no other gods before me.’ (Exodus 20:3)

Sermon: Sunday, 5th November, 2023
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Acts 3:11-26

Last week we began to look at the extraordinary miracle where Peter heals a man who’d been lame from birth. The man is over forty years old, and has sat day after day, year after year, begging at the temple gate. he’s a well-known feature of the city. Imagine you were heading into the temple, and you see this same man leaping around and praising God. It’s no wonder we read in verse 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.’

Peter and John are now surrounded by a bewildered crowd. What will they do? Peter sees this as an opportunity to tell others about Jesus Christ. This great sign has drawn a crowd, and Peter does all he can to move the attention away from himself and onto Jesus: ‘When Peter saw this, he said to them: ‘Fellow Israelites, 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?’ (Acts 3:12) He stresses that this healing was performed through the power of the living Jesus, and did not come from Peter or John themselves. And then he goes on to explain to the crowd both their problem of sin and the solution to that problem. He speaks to them boldly, directly and straightforwardly. All the time, his focus is on who Jesus is, and what our response to him must be. He does not wait to be invited to speak, but rather makes the most of the opportunity he has to hold out the words of eternal life to a crowd in great need of forgiveness. As we reflect on Peter’s explanation of this sign, it will help us to understand more of what it means to be a true follower of Jesus.

1. Peter confronts their sin

Like it or not, the Christian message is one of bad news, followed by good news. We need to begin with the bad news in order to understand the good. If we want to explain the gospel to a friend or neighbour, we need to begin with the bad news, and must not gloss over it. If a doctor wants someone to take a strong course of treatment, she will of course first explain the bad news. For example, ‘I’m sorry to have to tell you that you have cancer. However, the good news is that there is treatment available.’ Or, ‘I’m sorry to have to tell you that you have a serious heart problem. The good news is, there is an operation which will sort this out.’ The doctor is not being cruel by being honest about your problem. Quite the opposite.

For this crowd, the bad news is very serious indeed. God had sent his only Son into the world. They ought to have loved him and listened to him. Instead, they rejected him, tortured him and had him crucified. It is hard to understate this wickedness. Jesus was totally innocent. Throughout his life he had been loving and kind. He healed the sick, confronted evil, and taught the ways of God. How did they respond? ‘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. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.’ (Acts 3:13-15)

In other words, you were completely wrong about Jesus! You thought he was unimportant. You looked down on him. When all the time, he was actually the Holy and Righteous One and the author of life. He was the Messiah, the Son of God. You probably think you successfully managed to get rid of Jesus, but actually, God raised him back to life. He is alive, and reigning from Heaven. And it is by his power that the lame man has been healed. Imagine being a man or woman in that crowd. Imagine the sick feeling in your stomach as you begin to realise: ‘I’ve made a terrible mistake’.

Peter does not ignore this wicked act, but speaks plainly and directly about it. ‘You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.’ What a contrast between the people’s attitude and action toward Jesus and God’s attitude and action toward him. The people ignore Jesus’ words and signs and have him killed. God calls on us to listen to him, and raises him from the dead. Many in the crowd were devastated when they realised what they had done. Not all of them, but some of them. Some were really convicted of their own wicked treatment of Jesus. How we treat Jesus is the most important matter in all the world.

What has this incident got to do with us today in 2023? We were not physically there calling for Jesus to be crucified. However, it is possible we are just as bad as they are, if not worse. In what way? They acted in ignorance (verse 17) because they did not know Jesus was the Son of God. That does not excuse their wickedness, but it remains true. But we have all been taught who Jesus Christ is. We know from God’s Word that he is God the Lord. He is the King of Kings. Thus, if we reject Jesus as our own king, and go our own way, refusing to give Jesus the love and respect he deserves, then we are in a very serious condition indeed. In fact, we are God’s enemies, because we are rejecting Jesus’ rightful rule over our lives. We break his rules every day and do not love him as we ought to. Peter deals with the sins of the people head-on. He doesn’t ignore it. We must do the same about the sin in our own lives. We must admit it is a massive problem, and that we deserve God’s punishment because of our rejection of Jesus as our King.

2. Peter commends Jesus to them

Peter has delivered the bad news to the crowd, in a plain and simple fashion, but he does not leave it there. He explains to them God’s solution to their wickedness and rebellion. This is the only solution. ‘Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…’ (Acts 3:19) Isn’t it astonishing that there was still hope for people who called on Jesus to be crucified? That’s why we sing about ‘Amazing Grace’.

If you are here this morning and you have not yet submitted to King Jesus, then this is what you must do too. You must repent. In other words, you must change your mind about Jesus. You must recognise that he is the Son of God.

Let me be personal here. What do you really think about Jesus Christ? Do you believe he has been raised from the dead and is in Heaven right now, reigning and ruling the universe? Do you accept that he is the one who decides how we ought to live our lives? Do we listen to him by reading the Bible? Or are we ignoring Jesus most of the time? If you are honest, perhaps Jesus is not the most important person in your life. If that is the case, you need to repent, which means turning away from living for yourself and going your own way, and asking Jesus to forgive you for this rebellion.

In our culture, we often like to blame others for our problems. We blame our parents or circumstances or our genes. God wants us to take responsibility for our own actions. He wants us to repent. He wants us to turn away from wrongdoing, and turn instead to Jesus, saying sorry to him, and asking him to pardon us. Have you done that?

Let’s spend the rest of our time thinking about the three amazing blessings which come to anyone who is willing to repent and believe in Jesus and follow him, whatever the cost. These blessings can be thought of as past, present and future: ‘Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you – even Jesus. Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything…’ (Acts 3:19-21)

3. The blessings of repentance and faith in Jesus

• Our past sins are wiped out.
The ESV says: ‘your sins may be blotted out’. (Acts 3:19) In Bible times, important documents were written on papyrus or parchment with ink. However, the ink had no acid in it, and didn’t bite into the parchment as our ink does on paper. That meant it could be wiped away with a wet rag. This means that when we repent and believe in Jesus, God takes a wet rag to the long, long list of our sins, and totally erases them. Our sins, as it were, disappear. God cancels our debt, as if we had never sinned in the first place. ‘And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.’ (Colossians 2:13-14)

But have our sins just disappeared? They have from our record. But that’s because they have been transferred onto Jesus’ record, and he pays for them with his own blood. That’s the amazing grace. A prostitute became a Christian and gave up her former way of life. For most of her life she had felt so guilty and ashamed and dirty. She was asked ‘how do you feel now’? She answered: ‘For the first time in my life, I feel clean’. Can you say that today?

Here’s a wonderful thing to consider – if God was willing to forgive the very people who called for his Son to be crucified, then he will also be willing to forgive your sins, no matter what you have done, if you repent, turning away from your sin, and turning instead to Jesus.

• Promises for the present.
God deals with the sins of our past. But he also promises something for the present – ‘that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.’ (Acts 3:19) Full refreshment will only come in Heaven; however, because we are filled with the Holy Spirit of God, we do know times when the Lord is dealing with us in a special way in this life. We have a new sense of peace. We have a new sense of purpose. We have a new sense of identity. We are greatly loved by our heavenly Father and adopted into his family. But how can we find more refreshment that we do? Often our Christian lives can seem dry. We must live lives of daily repentance.

• Future blessing.
What about our future blessing? ‘Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything…’ (Acts 3:21) We looked at this last week, so I will be brief. ‘The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.’ (Isaiah 11:8-9)

Do you want to be part of this new and restored world? Then you must repent and believe in Jesus. I would say to you the same thing that Peter said to the crowd: ‘Repent… and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.’

Sermon: Sunday, 29th October, 2023
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Acts 3:1-10

What a remarkable miracle we have here in this historical account. There’s a man who is lame. He is over 40 years old, and so for his whole life he has had to depend on others for everything – to carry him to where he wants to go, and to give a few coins so that he has enough money to buy food. It’s not much of a life. Imagine you had to sit outside of our church each week begging for coins, just because you were born with a disability. He must have been a permanent feature outside the temple gate. It was probably a good place to beg, with synagogue goers perhaps more likely to give alms on their way in to worship.

It does beg the question, however, why did this congregation not help the man in a much more significant way? Should he have had to beg? They seem to have overlooked their responsibility to care properly for the poor. ‘If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need.’ (Deuteronomy 15: 7-8)

Remember the new Spirit-filled church and their attitude to those in need: ‘They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.’ (Acts 2:45) The lame man asks Peter and John for money, as he had done to others thousands of times in his life. Peter gives him something much better – healing. This is a miracle of instantaneous healing. His feet and ankles suddenly become strong. Muscles which had never worked properly began to work. He wasn’t just able to take a few tentative steps, but even to leap around. What an astonishing sight!

When we come to a passage like this, we ought to be asking what it meant to Christians then and what it means for us today as well. We read in Acts, ‘Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.’ (Acts 2:43) There were many signs in Jerusalem, but this is the only one recorded for us in full, making it very significant. We don’t need to wonder if the miracle truly happened or not. The people themselves know this man very well and recognise him. Even the enemies of apostles admitted that it had taken place: ‘What are we going to do with these men?’ they asked. ‘Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it.’ (Acts 4:16) Notice the word ‘sign’ again. A sign is something which points beyond itself to something greater. So, the question is, what does the sign of the healing of a lame man tell us?

1. It is a sign that Jesus is alive and is still at work in the world.

We see that Peter wants the crowd to be crystal clear regarding the source of this miracle: ‘It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.’ (Acts 3:16)

‘You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.’ (Acts 3:15) What a shock this must have been to most of the crowd. They had been so wrong about Jesus, not believing that Jesus was God’s chosen King. ‘… know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.’ (Acts 4:10) Remember what we said a few weeks ago – a better title for the book of Acts would be ‘The Acts of Jesus Christ, by the power of his Spirit, through the church’.

By implication, if this healing proves once more that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, then it also means that the good news Jesus offers is also true, and that the apostles are indeed speaking on behalf of Christ. David Cook puts it this way: ‘The historically validated healing of this man was God’s accreditation of this gospel then, and it remains God’s accreditation today.’ Peter is so clear that this miracle is done ‘in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.’ (verse 6) In other words, it is Jesus’ living and active presence, present by his Spirit, which has healed the lame man.

This is just as exciting for us today, as Jesus’ power is still available today, saving lost souls, and helping Christians to keep going, in spite of all their weaknesses and trials and temptations. Let me put this more personally: Jesus’ power is available to you today, if you come to him in repentance and faith. How much do you experience the power of God in your own life? Power which changes you.

2. This miracle is a sign of what it means to become a Christian.

As already said, this man is helpless. He is totally dependent on others. He is unable to change his situation himself. In fact, there is nothing which he can do about his situation. His present circumstances are bleak, and he has no hope for the future. His muscles do not work and he is unable to walk. This is a picture of the spiritual condition of someone who is not yet a Christian. Spiritually speaking, we are lame, unable to live lives which pleased God. Like the man, it has been that way since birth. We were born in sin, we are crippled by sin, and we are unable to free ourselves from its condemnation. We were, if you like, spiritually paralysed.

The good news is this: Jesus is able to do for us what no one else is able to do. He can deal with our sin, and he can restore us spiritually, so that miraculously, we begin to turn away from wrongdoing, and place our trust in Jesus. The muscles of ‘faith in God’ and ‘love for God’ begin to work, and only because of his amazing work of grace in our lives.

No one else could restore this man. But it wasn’t a problem for Jesus. So, if you are not a true follower of Jesus yet, listen to this: Jesus restored the lame man physically, and he is able to do this work of restoration in you spiritually. Spiritual healing is possible for you today. Think about what the lame man wanted – just enough money to be able to buy food. But God is offering us so much more. He offers you forgiveness and eternal life in Heaven forever. He offers you a place in his family. ‘Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…’ (John 1:12) So, the question is, will you admit your need of forgiveness, and in prayer, receive Jesus as the only one who can forgive you, based on his death on the cross? What should your response be to this miracle, and to the evidence that Jesus is Lord? V19 tells us: ‘Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…’ (Acts 3:19)

Those of us who are followers of Jesus, perhaps there are still areas of life where we feel crippled. It might be circumstances we are in just now and there seems to be no hope. A family situation or a sin in your life which seems to be sucking the life out of you. Is Jesus able to strengthen you? Or is your situation beyond Jesus’ scope and power? Of course not! We must keep on believing that the risen Jesus can empower us today: ‘Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.’ (Hebrews 4:16)

3. This miracle is a sign of the ultimate restoration to come.

What do I mean by that? This amazing sign does not just point to what Jesus can do in the lives of individuals. It also points to what Jesus is going to do in the world at the end of time. Just as the lame man is restored to the way he was supposed to be, one day, the whole world will be restored to the way it was always intended to be. Sickness and death and suffering and war and cancer and loneliness and violence will be swept away forever. Does this passage really say that?

‘Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.’ (Acts 3:11) Jesus has just restored the lame man, and now Peter is preaching to the crowd about the day God will restore everything. Clearly, the healing is a mini taster of what is to come in the future on a massive scale.

There’s another clue in the passage. The lame man begins to leap. Many Jews might have been reminded of the famous passage in Isaiah. ‘Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.’ (Isaiah 35:6-10)

I loved watching Planet Earth 3 last week. The footage is just phenomenal. However, each episode reminds us of the damage human beings inflict upon the earth. And each episode reminds of the death and sadness in the cosmos, as well as the life, colour and beauty. ‘We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.’ (Romans 8:22) The groaning of the earth will not last forever. One day the universe will be restored, without the possibility of ever being spoiled again. Of course, this will happen when Jesus returns at the Second Coming. We look forward to that day of total restoration. ‘Let heavens rejoice, and earth be glad; with joy let oceans ring. The fields and all in them will shout, and forest trees will sing. They all will sing before the LORD, who comes to judge the earth. He’ll judge the world in righteousness, the peoples in his truth.’ (Psalm 96:11-13) The created world itself is looking forward to being restored!

Last Sunday, some of us were discussing the problem of evil, and the mystery of why God allowed evil to enter the world. There is much we do not understand. But God has revealed this: evil will not have the last word. What Satan and fallen humanity has spoiled, Jesus is going to restore. He will fix everything wrong in the universe and the repair will be permanent. This is our future hope.

4. What Christians have to offer.

Fife is full of people who, spiritually speaking, are like the lame man. They’re unable to be saved without the power of God. They want the equivalent of silver and gold – money and what it can buy. But they are unaware of that their greatest need is God’s forgiveness. What can we offer them as a church? Yes, we can help to feed the hungry and befriend the lonely. But the main thing we have to offer people is Jesus himself. Our café is pointless unless it leads to us saying to others: ‘What we have we want to share with you is good news about Jesus. He saved me and he is able to save you’. As we pray for the lost, we ought to be pleading with God to perform spiritual miracles in people’s lives, for God’s glory alone.

Sermon: Sunday, 22nd October, 2023
Speaker: Alistair Donald
Scripture: Acts 2:42-47

There are all kinds of different churches in the world today. Some gather in great, historic buildings, with wonderful architecture and elaborate music. Other church groups gather in fields, or perhaps under trees if it’s very hot. Others still must meet in secret, in the houses of church members, for fear of very real persecution.

We in Kirkcaldy Free Church are somewhere in the middle. Our church building is not especially big or historic, but we do meet in public, not in secret. We have a sign inviting people to come in. And all this is to remind us what is important in the life of a church. What does a healthy church look like? And do we meet that standard? Like everything else in the Christian faith, we must begin with the Bible. There may be a place for tradition and local customs, but the most important thing is this: Does our church fit the pattern of what the New Testament says is a healthy church? What does a healthy church look like? Well, happily we have our answer in today’s Bible passage. This was of course before there were any church buildings, as these were the earliest days of the church.

As we’ve seen in recent weeks, when the Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost, the number of Christians suddenly went up dramatically in response to Peter’s preaching – just 150 before Pentecost, but another 3,000 added on that memorable day! Today we find what that early church actually did, so that they had a steady increase in their numbers – not as dramatic as that first growth perhaps, but still regular growth. As we read in verse 47 that the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. We see 4 things about this early church, which we would do well to copy: A learning church; a loving church; a worshipping church, and also an evangelizing church as we’ve just seen.

A learning church

‘They devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching.’ (Acts 2:42) Notice the word ‘devoted’. This was not just a kind of hobby, something to fill in their spare time. No, this was seriously engaging with the teaching of the Apostles – every day, all through the week, in everything they thought and did. Now, as you might have noticed, these early Christians had Peter and the other Apostles to teach them in person – but we don’t. We don’t have apostles today. And that is perfectly true. In some churches today there are people who are described ‘apostles’. You could describe someone in a pioneer missionary situation as having an ‘apostolic ministry.’

But that’s not the same as these early apostles, the ones appointed by Jesus himself, including the Apostle Paul. They were unique. Their ministry was authenticated by ‘wonders and miracles’, which God enabled them to do as Jesus had done. Now, we should never say never, but today such things are very rare indeed, for the simple reason that we don’t have apostles today. Yes, we do have answers to prayer where God has clearly healed someone in a way that leaves the doctors flummoxed. But wonders and miracles on a New Testament scale? Not so much.

So then, if we don’t have Apostles today then how can we devote ourselves to the Apostles’ teaching? The answer of course is that the Apostles wrote down what we need to know in the New Testament. We have the Gospels, written by the Apostles or under their close influence, with their various accounts of the life and teaching of Jesus. We have this Book of Acts, where fully twenty percent of Luke’s text reports the sermons and speeches of Peter and Paul. And we have letters written to the early churches by various Apostles: by Paul, by Peter, by John and others. We have the Book of Revelation, revealed by Jesus to John. We have the teaching of the Apostles right here!

And we also have individuals in the local church qualified to teach what the Apostles taught – we have elders. Having elders in a church is itself very much part of apostolic teaching, it’s not something that self-appointed elders have dreamt up! They are not to ‘lord it’ over the congregation – not at all! – they are to be ‘servants of the Word.’ You can read what the qualifications of an elder are in Paul’s 1st letter to Timothy, chapter 3, and it includes being ‘apt to teach’ – having an ability to teach what the Apostles taught. So it’s important to pay attention to what we hear week by week from this pulpit. To listen properly and not just let the words wash over us. That’s one way of being ‘devoted to the Apostles’ teaching’, to be a learning church.

But it’s not the only way. To be a learning church, it’s also important to study the Bible for ourselves, so that we can grow as Christians. We’ve been given heads to think with as well as hearts to feel with. Remember: these were Spirit-filled Christians. But they didn’t say, ‘Well, now that we have the Holy Spirit, we don’t really need to listen to mere humans preaching and teaching, and we don’t need to study and reflect on the Apostles’ teaching.’ Not at all! Spirit and Word go hand-in-hand: Spirit and Word, Word and Spirit! Indeed, these newly Spirit-filled had a real appetite for teaching. The believers devoted themselves to learning more about Christian teaching and Christian living, to please their new-found Lord!

Sometimes we humans set ‘head’ and ‘heart’ against one another. By which I mean, those who stress the ‘head’ enjoy working things out by reasoning, while those who stress the ‘heart’ care more about how they feel about something. This is a big issue nowadays, when so many only care about how something makes them feel. And we Christians can also do this: ‘Oh, I’m not so interested in working out my faith and how I relate to God and to others. What’s important to me is how I feel about my faith.’ The truth of course is that both are important. We have ‘heads’ as well as ‘hearts’. And here’s the thing: when we really study and pray over a passage of the Bible to add to our understanding, that will also bless our hearts! When we see the glory of God and the wonder of the Gospel in a fresh light, that will lead us to worship more! So: study God’s Word for yourself. If want some advice on helpful resources or websites, ask one of the leaders. That’s what we’re here for!

A loving church

Now this is so important. A church that is not a Loving church is not a New Testament church. For these early Christians not only devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching, but they devoted themselves also to fellowship. Togetherness. Hanging out. Finding out about our fellow believers, taking a real interest in their concerns. The original word comes from the word ‘in common.’ If you take a good look round, you’ll see that we are quite a diverse gathering – diverse in age, in race, in nationality. But what are those differences compared to what we have in common? Our oneness in Christ!

Emmanuel Eladipo Brother. Same Father! Why? Because what Christians have in common is much more than any differences of background we may have. So a loving church is one that’s devoted to the fellowship, and so must we be. How do we do that? Older churchgoers here will remember how things often used to be. Yes, churches were fuller, but at the end of the Sunday service, everyone just hurried away! Coffee was something you only had at home! Staying on for coffee and chat after the service isn’t the sum total of fellowship, but it’s a good start. That’s the way we at least begin to get to know each other. And getting to know each other can only happen if we make space for that to happen. Our mobile phones are a great blessing in keeping in touch with others elsewhere, but should never be a barrier to fellowship with real, flesh-and-blood fellow Christians here in person. We need to make space to get to know each other.

And there are other ways of sharing fellowship not just in the church building or after worship services sharing meals together. Inviting each other into our homes for a meal. Look down at the end of verse 46: ‘They broke bread in their homes, and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.’ So fellowship means enjoying what we have in common in Christ; sharing meals and even sharing other things?

This brings us on to a very interesting verse later in our passage, verses 44-45: ‘They had everything in common.’ Let’s think about that. Does this mean that we should all have access to the Church bank account, transfer in any money we have into that, and all be issued with bank cards so we can dip in and take out from the church bank account what we need at any given time? Not quite! Selling their possessions and goods; this wasn’t a one-off fire-sale of everything they owned, but something that was done from time to time as the need arose. Very occasionally, Christians are called to renounce all possessions – St Francis was one like that. But more usual is the idea of sharing what we have with those in need. We are all stewards of what God has blessed us with. Our money, our homes, our possessions really belong to God, and we hold them on trust.

Back then, if someone had a piece of land they didn’t need, and someone else in the church was in need, the owner would be willing to sell that piece of land for the benefit of a brother or sister who was going through a hard time. This was voluntary, not compulsory. But in a loving church, it happened. How do we know this wasn’t a one-off sale of absolutely everything they owned? Well, as we saw a moment ago in verse 46 they still had homes.

So does this mean that those among us who are better off than others can breathe a sigh of relief and say that this doesn’t really apply nowadays? Not at all! Where a fellow Christian has a genuine financial need, then of course those who are able to should feel free to offer help. Clearly this can only happen if a need is made known to the leaders, and any help will be given privately, without fanfare or fuss. As Jesus said, when you give, ‘Do not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing!’ (Matthew 6:3)

But as Jesus’ brother James said in chapter 2 of his letter: ‘Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?’ That would certainly not be a loving church.

So a healthy church will have warm fellowship, which can only happen if we are all devoted to achieving it, and that it will be a fellowship in which we really look after one another.

A worshipping church

This is perhaps the most obvious indicator of a healthy church, so we’ll not spend so long on this one. We meet together every Sunday to have fellowship, yes, but of course we also meet to worship God – worship God the Father, through his son Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit. But it is worth checking what this meant for the earliest Christians. And as well as being a learning church and a loving church, they were also a worshipping church: They devoted themselves to the breaking of bread and to prayer. The breaking of bread undoubtedly meant the Communion meal, which we share together from time to time in our church services. But it also refers simply to them having meals together when they gathered for worship. Again, we do that – not every week, as it takes a lot of planning! – but we do that here.

They also devoted themselves to prayer. A church can have great preaching and teaching, but if there’s no real commitment on the part of its member to prayer, then the church can’t be said to fit the New Testament pattern. And our worship, including our prayer life, needs to be both in the more formal setting of Sunday services and at home. We see that this was the pattern in our passage.
We read in verse 46 that ‘they continued to meet together in the Temple courts.’ The Temple was still standing in Jerusalem at that time. The new believers wouldn’t have had any need to take part in the Temple sacrifices for sin, since they believed – as we do – that Jesus himself paid a once-and-for-all sacrifice for us in his death on the cross. Peter had made that quite clear in the sermon we looked at last week, earlier in this very chapter. But they may well have taken part in the public worship of the Temple, for example by singing Psalms there.

Paul said later on to the Colossians that they should sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs in their worship times. If you ever wondered why we have at least one Psalm every week, well this is the reason. But we also sing hymns and other songs – only the best will do in worshipping our great God!

So the first believers worshipped in public in a formal context. Yet we read that they also broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. What a lovely picture this paints for us! A worshipping community where even outsiders noticed that there was something different about these people! Those who worship with glad and sincere hearts have a great balance between being joyful and being reverent. Those glad hearts were also filled with awe (verse 43). This balance of joy and reverence is a true sign that the Holy Spirit is present.

Joyfulness in worship may not seem immediately obvious in Scottish worship services. I have worshipped in African churches, both in Nigeria and here in Scotland. Our new friends may not find our worship especially joyful, but believe me, compared to some church traditions in Scotland, we are pretty joyful. So let’s sing out with real gusto in the closing hymn!

An evangelising church

‘And the Lord added daily to their number those who were being saved.’ (Acts 2:47) A church that is only concerned with learning, loving and worshipping is all very well, but such a church would be entirely inward-looking. A healthy church is concerned with those who are as yet outside the Body of Christ, but who we hope will join us.

Converting people is not the work of humans, but the work of the Lord. It’s the Lord who added to their number back then, and it’s the Lord who adds to our number today as well. It’s just not something the preacher can do. We can stand here till we’re blue in the face proclaiming Christ, urging all to repent and turn to him – but it’s only the Lord who can convert anyone. I know from personal experience long ago what that feels like. I’ve been where you are. You’re sitting there listening, and it’s like the message is really hitting home to you, personally. It’s when you think, How did the preacher know that about me? This really makes sense to me now, and I’ve got to do something about it!

But the Lord also uses fallible humans to establish contacts with those outside the church. That’s something we all need to get better at, don’t you think? It’s when we’re out in the world during the week that we meet people. And that’s when any of us can share the Gospel, or invite them to church. I’m not saying it’s easy. But if we each take on board what it means to be a learning church, a loving church and a worshipping and praying church, then it will become a little less hard.

And may the Lord himself add regularly to our number those who are being saved.

Sermon: Sunday, 15th October, 2023
Speaker: Alistair Donald
Scripture: Acts 2:14-40

Last week we heard about the stupendously exciting time at the feast of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on all the believers for the first time. In the Old Testament, the Spirit was sent to equip certain individuals for specific tasks – for example Gideon in the Book of Judges. But here in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is poured out on all people, that is on all the believers who were gathered – not all people in the world of course, but on all those who become followers of Jesus. This had been foretold by the Old Testament prophet Joel. God says: In the last days… that’s between the first and second coming of Jesus, so we’re in the last days. ‘In the last days I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.’ (Acts 2:17)

That first time was very dramatic – sound like wind, sight like tongues of fire. And it had a great impact; the disciples, at that time just 150 although today we see how that increased to no less than 3,000, who’d been cowering away in fear became bold at speaking! And they even spoke in other languages, praising God in languages they hadn’t had to sit down and learn, so that people gathered in Jerusalem for the Festival from all over the Roman world could hear them praising God in their own languages!

What did it all mean? Had these 150 followers of Jesus had too much wine, as some were saying? Peter was quite clear that was not the case. It was only 9 o’clock in the morning! It’s what the prophet Joel prophesied, hundreds of years before and Peter quotes the passage, ending with this from the prophet: ‘And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ (Acts 2:21) Saved from what? Saved from the disastrous and terrifying fate of meeting a Holy God at the end of our days without having repented or believed in the Saviour.

The plan of God

The recent death of Jesus had really made an impact in Jerusalem, really caused a stir. It had all seemed so promising at first. As Peter says to the crowd: ‘Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs – as you yourselves know.’ (Acts 2:22)

Everybody loved the miracles Jesus did. But how many were keen on him being the kind of Messiah who would be killed on a cross? Not too many. Even Peter doubted that when he first heard it! If you remember back to the Gospel accounts of Easter week, you’ll remember how people thought Jesus the Messiah was going to be a national hero and liberate the country from the hated Romans – they could get their independence again, just like the far-off days of King David and King Solomon, hundreds of years beforehand.

Then it all seemed to go wrong. Jesus had died a humiliating death at the hands of the Roman army, and with the approval and the collusion of the Jewish religious leaders! So Jesus was viewed as a failure. As Cleopas and his friend had said on the road to Emmaus on that first Easter Sunday: ‘We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.’ (Luke 24:21) All the disciples had been dejected and fearful after Jesus was executed. But Peter now saw that this was all part of God’s plan all along, as he tells the gathered crowd with great boldness: ‘This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge.’ (Acts 2:23)

The demise of Jesus the Son hadn’t caught God the Father by surprise. He wasn’t having to respond to unforeseen events and adjust his plan accordingly. No, the death of Jesus was always in the plan! It was foretold hundreds of years beforehand by the prophet Isaiah. We can read what looks very much like an eye witness account of the death of Jesus on the cross in Isaiah chapter 53 some 700 years before it happened. The disciples, including Peter, hadn’t seen that at first but now he sees it very clearly.

It always was God’s plan that the Messiah Jesus would die for our sins. Jesus himself knew this, when he said about himself, ‘The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and teachers of the Old Testament Law. ‘They will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him, and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.’ (Matthew 20:18) This teaches an important lesson not just about Jesus, but one for us. It helps us deal with our own lesser troubles and get them into perspective.

On one level, Jesus’ death was the result of the wicked actions of humans. But at a deeper level, God brought something infinitely good out of those evil actions. God is not the author of evil actions; all humans are accountable for what they do. But God is so great that he is able to turn things around.

Think of the case of Joseph sold into slavery in Egypt by his own brothers, hundreds of years before Jesus. After languishing in a dungeon Jospeh rose to the very top, becoming Prime Minister of Egypt. When his brothers came begging for food during a famine, they were horrified when they realised they were asking the brother they’d betrayed. But he put their minds at rest with these timeless words: ‘You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.’ (Genesis 50:20)

And this is so helpful when we’re on the receiving end of rough stuff from other people. God knows what you’re going through. God knows when you’ve been hurt and when others are truly in the wrong. But God is so great that he’s able to turn round even the bad stuff so that good may come from it in due course. As Paul says:‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.’ (Romans 8:28)

The Plan of God saw to it that the death of Jesus had a purpose. And God has a plan for your life also, where he can turn even the bad stuff in your past for your benefit if you can truly say that you love God and have been called according to his purpose.

The problem we have

It is of course the problem of sin. But our passage comes at it from a slightly different angle. Peter proclaims that after Jesus was nailed to the cross, ‘God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.’ (Acts 2:24)

Why was it impossible? Because King David had foreseen hundreds of years beforehand that Jesus would not be abandoned to the grave, nor would his body see decay. Peter goes on to draw a contrast between King David and King Jesus. David lived roughly 1,000 years before Jesus, and was the greatest king in Israel’s history. But even he died and Peter could point out David’s tomb to the crowd as he spoke! You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. ‘But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear…’ (Acts 2:30-3)

And Peter quotes another Psalm, Psalm 110, before reaching the climax of his sermon; ‘God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Messiah.’ (Acts 2:36) Peter was speaking to the very crowd who had been baying for the blood of Jesus just a few weeks beforehand: Crucify him! Imagine how gutted they must have felt! No wonder we read that they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’

And you may be thinking: well, that’s all very interesting, but what’s it got to do with me? I wasn’t there that day when the crowd were baying for the blood of Jesus! I didn’t send Jesus to the cross! Well actually, you did and I did. That’s the whole point of the cross, that’s exactly what makes sense of what seems like a tragic event. That’s why we sing ‘It was my sin that held him there – Until it was accomplished / His dying breath has brought me life’ And Jesus could say in triumph in his dying breath: ‘It is finished!’

Our sin estranges us from God and renders us guilty in his sight. We see the fruits of sin all around us; wars, greed, anger, racism. the demeaning of women. But if we’re honest with ourselves, we know it’s not just a problem ‘out there’ where ‘other people’ do ‘really bad’ things. There’s the whole offence of not acknowledging God as being first in our lives – bar none! We therefore all deserve the just judgment of God on our lives at the end of our days. So what shall we do? Peter answers the question for us, with a promise: ‘Repent and be baptised… in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the Holy Spirit.’

The promise of God

If we truly see our situation as God sees it, then the only really important questions in life are this:
Where do I stand in relation to a holy God, the Creator of is all? And how am I going to answer the question – what should I do? How do you answer that question?

God knows that we are all, by nature, estranged from him. But he loves the human race so much that he sent a Saviour. He so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Is that true of you? Are you among the ‘whoever’? If you can’t quite say a hearty ‘yes’ to that, today would be a good time to finally answer it. Peter is quite emphatic: Repent and be baptised every one of you for the forgiveness of your sins. And then the promise: And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit to help you become more like Jesus!

But what if you think Jesus won’t accept you, that faith in him is not for the likes of you? Remember those words of Jesus we shared with the kids? ‘All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.’   (John 6:37) And that, too, is a promise!

The final words I’d like to draw your attention to in Peter’s Pentecost speech are easily overlooked, but they are important: ‘The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord will call.’ (Acts 2:39)

What promise is that, and how is it applied to children? It’s the promise we’ve just been discussing. It’s the promise that when we repent and are baptised in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And that promise is for us and our children. This is the reason why we in the Free Church of Scotland baptise adults when they first believe, but why we also baptise the children and infants of believers.

Now Infant Baptism has sometimes had a rather bad name over the years, as if it’s some kind of superstition – a lucky charm that everyone gives their new baby. It is something that’s often abused: just a cultural rite of passage to mark the arrival of a baby, often with very little connection to Christian faith as preached by the apostles. But the abuse of a practice doesn’t mean that a practice is wrong – only that it’s abused.

I know that many people come to faith in Baptist churches, where only believers are baptised. How can a newborn baby believe? Well, it’s great that Gospel churches are found in all Christian traditions, including those of our Baptist friends. But if you have that background yourself then it may seem a bit strange to see a baby being baptised. Why would we do that if we follow the Bible?

The full answer would take a whole sermon in itself but here, very briefly, is the Biblical case, both in the Old and New Testaments. Nearly all New Testament teaching has its roots in the Old Testament.

Peter says in our passage ‘the promise is for you and your children.’ Hundreds of years before that, God had made a promise to Abraham. And ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’  The promise then was that he and his descendants would be in a right relationship with God through faith, and God gave him a sign to mark this covenant – the sign of circumcision, a sign that Jewish baby boys receive to this day.

In the New Testament, the sign of the covenant is a different one. It’s the sign of Baptism – to symbolise being washed clean on the inside, when we believe in Jesus’ death for the forgiveness of our sins. When Baptism is mentioned later on in the Book of Acts, it’s not just individuals who are baptised, but also whole households, whole families. Acts chapter 16 records that in Philippi, the businesswoman Lydia and the jailer are baptised with their households. When Paul remembers baptising certain individuals in Corinth (1 Corinthians 1), he relates that he himself baptised ‘the household of Stephanas.’

Are we to suppose that no infants were referred to in all these households? Surely not. Baptising babies in our church is not a sign of superstition. It’s not a guarantee that they will grow up to be Christians: as parents we have a responsibility to bring them up in the ways of the Lord. But it is a sign that our growing children are included in the People of God, right from their birth onwards. Think about this: if the blessings of the New Covenant are greater than those of the Old Covenant, and they are, wouldn’t it be very odd if children received the Old covenant sign of circumcision, but that children didn’t receive the New covenant sign of Baptism?

Perhaps not everyone here today will agree, and it’s not a condition of membership in the Free Church. But if you’ve not really thought about it before, I hope you will see that it is something that the Bible teaches. This thing pleases God. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off. Scotland is far off from Jerusalem. But now the Gospel is here. Maybe you too were once far off from God, as we all were but now you’re not. I hope we all are now near.

Sermon: Sunday, 8th October, 2023
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Acts 2:1-21

If there was one thing that you’d like to see in the Scottish church today, what would it be? There are probably several good answers to this question. Of course, we’d love to see a greater prayerfulness, as this would be a sign of a greater dependence on God’s strength. We’d love to see Christians growing in holiness, living out the truths they profess in their everyday lives. One thing I’d love to see across the church is quite simple – that we’d get better at talking to people about Jesus. The truth is, we’re not always good at doing this. There’s no point in moaning about this. We need to ask the question, what would it take to bring change in this area? What would it take for ordinary people to be more emboldened and intentional witnesses to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour?

1. The Spirit and speaking

When it comes to the book of Acts, there is a clear link between receiving the Holy Spirit and speaking to others about Jesus. In fact, the phrase ‘being filled with the Spirit’ or ‘full of the Spirit’ is mentioned 14 times in the New Testament, and on almost every occasion, it is linked with people speaking about Jesus. It’s so clear from our passage this morning. On the day of Pentecost, the disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit, accompanied by signs from Heaven. What happens? These same disciples begin to tell others about Jesus. This is a clear pattern throughout the book, even when there are no accompanying signs.

‘Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: ‘Rulers and elders of the people!’ (Acts 4:8)

‘After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.’ (Acts 4:31)

‘But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ (Acts 7:55-56)

What can we conclude from all of this? Surely, we must conclude that the same is true today for ordinary Christians in Fife; the more we are filled with the Holy Spirit, the more equipped we will be for ‘gossiping the gospel’. Yes, sometimes we worry about what to say, or about being ostracised, or being asked awkward questions. But we must say affirmatively, one of the main reasons God gifts us his Spirit is so that we can we effective and winsome witnesses for him. Remember the basic Christian truth: all Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. He takes us permanent residence in all Christians.

‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.’ (Acts 2:17)

‘And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.’ (Romans 8:9)

However, as Christians, we’re called by God to pray for more and more of the Spirit’s power in our lives. ‘Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit…’ (Galatians 5:18)

Have you prayed for more of the Spirit’s work in your heart recently? Listen to what David prays for in Psalm 51 and what he expects will happen when he prays for it: ‘Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.’ (Psalm 51:11-13) It’s that link again between being filling and speaking.

Let’s zoom in on one of the most important events in all of human history, the day of Pentecost. We have already seen that in chapter 1, Jesus instructed his disciples to wait in Jerusalem for this amazing gift of the Holy Spirit. ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’ (Acts 1:4-5) The disciples are obedient to Jesus’ command. They are found waiting, and they are not disappointed. Suddenly, the Holy Spirit comes and fills each of these 120-or-so Christians, and to mark this amazing gift of God, this outpouring is accompanied by signs which demonstrate that God’s presence is a reality. There is something to hear, a sound like a rushing wind, and there is something to see, what looks like tongues of fire resting on each believer. This begs the question, why a wind and why fire? What are these signs from Heaven meant to tell us? After all, we are told the sound comes from Heaven itself.

2. The Spirit’s signs

A sound like a violent wind. In the Bible, the words for wind, breath and Spirit are the same. And so, the wind is a sign of the presence and power of God. One of the best examples of this is found in Ezekiel , when he sees a vision of a valley full of dry bones. These stand for those in Israel who are spiritually dead, and need God’s power if they are to have any hope of new life. Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’ So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet – a vast army. (Ezekiel 37:9-10)

Then, in the New Testament, we read in John’s Gospel: You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.’ (John 3:7-8) In both passages, wind is connected to the activity of God bringing new spiritual life.

It is so clear that it takes a miracle of God himself breathing new life into people in order for them to become Christians. This is true physically for human beings: Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7) It’s also true spiritually. On the day of Pentecost we see two things: God is sending his breath into Christians to embolden them to speak about Jesus; and the same Spirit who made dry bones come to life, brings spiritual life to 3000 people that day: Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (Acts 2:41)

Tongues of fire. Notice that these tongues of fire separate and rest on each individual Christian there. This is a radical change from Old Testament times, when the Spirit would tend to fill special people such as prophets and kings on special occasions. Now, all Christians are being filled with the Holy Spirit. What an incredible gift. To make this more personal, we are filled with the Spirit of God. God’s greatest gift to us is not money, or health or even one another, but himself. He is with us in a supernatural way.

We should not be surprised at this sign of fire. It often stands for the presence of God. Think back to the pillar of fire which guided the Israelites through the wilderness; this was the presence of God. Think of the burning bush and how God reveals himself to Moses in a fire which burns but does not consume the bush. The fire comes in the shape of a tongue. Perhaps this emphasises that the Spirit’s presence helps us to speak to others about Jesus.

3. The Spirit’s impact

Let’s move from the signs accompanying the Spirit’s coming to the impact of his coming on the disciples. In verse 4 we read that The disciples begin to speak in other languages. Imagine 10 Chinese visitors coming to KFC next Sunday and Geoff gets up to preach and starts preaching in fluent mandarin. We would be shocked. It isn’t Swedish but mandarin. He’s never had a lesson in this language in his life. But he’s now able to preach the good news of Jesus to our Chinese guests. That’s exactly the kind of thing happening here in Acts chapter 2.

God-fearing Jews had gathered from the four corners of the world, from 15 different nations. They had come to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost, also called the feast of first fruits. They might expect to hear Aramaic or Greek being preached or even Latin, but not in all the native languages of those represented. No wonder we read: Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, ‘What does this mean?’ (Acts 2:12)

That’s a great question. Why does the Spirit enable the disciples to preach in languages they had never learned? I think it’s a wonderful sign that now we are in the age of the Spirit, and the good news of Jesus is to be shared not only with Israel, but with all the nations of the world. The free offer of forgiveness of sin is to be shared internationally. I love the promise in verse 21: ‘And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ (Acts 2:21) Everyone means everyone! No one is excluded.

It’s as if the Lord is saying, the language barrier cannot and will not stop the good news about my Son reaching more and more people. It’s also a sign that God’s forgiveness is offered to everyone.

A few weeks ago in the evening service, we were looking at the tower of Babel in Genesis chapter 12. On that occasion, God’s comes to judge rebellious man by bringing confusion to their language. But here, the curse of babel is reversed, and God brings understanding in order to unite a new humanity, united in their love for the Lord Jesus Christ. It is only Jesus who can bring true healing and unity to a divided world.

I’ve never noticed this before, but there is also an aspect of judgement in this speaking of other tongues. Many of the Jews have rejected Jesus, crucifying him and refusing to trust in him. As a result, they can no longer hear the good news. This is prophesised about in Isaiah: ‘ Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people…’ (Isaiah 28:11)

4. The Spirit and transformation

Do we realise just how earth-shattering a moment Pentecost is in human history? God had been promising his Spirit for generations through his prophets. We read of it in Isaiah. The fortress will be abandoned, the noisy city deserted; citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever, the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks, till the Spirit is poured on us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. The Lord’s justice will dwell in the desert, his righteousness live in the fertile field. The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. (Isaiah 34:4-17)

And of course, Pentecost is predicted in the passage Peter quotes in order to explain these extraordinary events. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.’ (Acts 2:15-17)

God’s Spirit brings real transformation. The spiritually dead are brought to life. Deserts become fertile fields. Ordinary Christians are filled with the Spirit of God, not with just a meagre amount of help, but with God-given power which really changes the world. We should expect to see new Christians, through the power of God. We should expect that ordinary Christians are given power to make huge changes in life, again through God’s power. Peter himself is an example of this. Before Pentecost, he is denying even knowing Jesus and flounders before a wee servant girl. Now, he’s a new Spirit-filled man, preaching with such boldness and wisdom.

And today, we are still in the ‘last days’, the days of sharing Jesus with others before his return. Jesus is growing his church through his Spirit. I love the fact that this all started on the day of Pentecost. This was the Old Testament festival when the first fruits of the harvest were brought before the Lord with thankfulness. These first fruits are a sign that the rest of the harvest would follow. The same is true spiritually. On this Pentecost, 3000 people come to faith in Jesus; they are the first fruits and are a sign of more changed lives to follow. And that’s exactly what’s happened since that day. The Kingdom of God has been growing and growing.

Let’s end with a challenge. Imagine that all of us in this room began to earnestly pray to know more of the Spirit’s power in our lives. This will only happen as we ask God for it, and as we prayerfully study the Bible. Are we doing that? Then imagine the impact the Holy Spirit will have on us all, from the shyest to the most extrovert. In different ways, with different people, we’ll begin to talk to people about Jesus more than we ever have before. We’ll do it empowered by the Spirit. And the results – that’s up to God. We leave them to him. What we do know is this: ‘… everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ (Acts 2:21)