It may be that right now you are undergoing suffering and hardship. You may recently have had the painful experience of being slandered. It may have come just for the simple reason you are a Christian standing on God’s principles.

In your difficulty if you ever start to wonder, does anybody really know what I am going through, be assured Jesus does.

The church in Smyrna was in desperate poverty. They were slandered for their faith and they experienced great affliction. Jesus says I know all about it.

I know your affliction
I know your poverty
I know the slander spoken against you.

Jesus calls the church at Smyrna to be faithful. Jesus walked among them at the church at Smyrna and He was well aware of their situation and how they remained faithful in those difficult conditions.

Revelations 2:8-11
“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.

This message to the church in Smyrna is the second of seven messages to the seven churches in Revelation chapters 2-3. We find that Jesus walks among the churches and observes and evaluates each one of them.

At the church at Ephesus Jesus walked among them and found a hard working and doctrinally pure church. The problem was that they lost their first love experience with Jesus.

In his letter to each church he addresses them; to the angel. Here in Vs 8 we find, to the angel of the church at Smyrna write. The angel was the messenger of the church, most likely the pastor. History tells us the Pastor at the church at Smyrna was Polycarp.

The title for Jesus in this message to the church at Smyrna was the title found in Revelation 1:17 of the exalted Jesus. The first and last who died and came to life.

The Evaluation Revelation 2:9
There is no condemnation for the church at Smyrna. There is for the other churches six that received messages. But even though there was no condemnation for this church it was undergoing extreme difficulty and affliction.

Smyrna was the central place of Caesar worship. Because the Christians refused to bow to Caesar they were afflicted, imprisoned and sometimes even put to death.

The pagans who worshiped Caesar were against this church and so were the Jews. The Christians were being slandered by the Jews. It was the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not. These Jews may have been physical descendents of Abraham, but not spiritual descendents of Abraham. In this message Jesus refers to them as a synagogue of Satan.

These Jews would spread vicious lies about the Christians and join in with the pagans to see Christians put to death. Life is precarious for a follower of Christ in a city of emperor worship.

This church was in poverty. Smyrna was a rich prosperous city, but the Christians isolated themselves from the prosperity by refusing to participate in the politically correct Caesar worship. They lived in destitute poverty in a rich city.

These conditions exist today for some Christians. Standing for Christ in some places can mean affliction, slander and poverty, rejection by family much like what Smyrna experienced. Take comfort in the fact that Jesus says, I know about your affliction and poverty – yet you are rich!

The riches in God’s Economy is faithfulness.

Laodicea Christians did have material wealth. But they compromised with the world and Jesus called them a church of spiritual poverty. They only thought they were rich but they were poor. The irony is the church that thought they were rich were poor and the church that thought it was poor was rich.

The Christians in Smyrna were poor and had a very hard life but they possessed true spiritual riches. When you face affliction, poverty and slander because of your Christian faith it is good to remember Jesus definition of riches.

The Challenge Revelation 2:10

What kind of message does Jesus have for the poor, afflicted and slandered Church at Smyrna? Does he say; just be faithful and you will be rich and comfortable, healthy and wealthy? No. The challenge for Smyrna is: you are faithful and get ready because you are about to really suffer. The devil is behind your intense persecution.

The time for their suffering is ten days. This is most likely a season of persecution that is coming. Jesus calls on this church to set aside fear. Fear can be a paralyzer. It is no wonder the church in Smyrna might be given to fear, given the persecution, but Jesus calls this church to stand up under the persecution. Maybe you have known a time of affliction.

There is affliction and slander for the Christian who really stands Christ. The challenge for Smyrna and for us is to be faithful even to the point of death. History bears out the challenge came and the Christians at Smyrna were faithful unto death.

Polycarp, the Pastor at Smyrna is mentioned in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, written by John Fox and first published in 1563. This book is an encyclopedia of those who have died for their faith in Christ. The story of Polycarp the pastor at Smyrna stands as one of the most prominent.

Polycarp was the pastor of Smyrna. He was apprehended as an old man. They allowed him one hour to pray, before he faced death, which was granted.

His accusers felt sorry for him and pleaded with him, what harm is it to say Lord Caesar and to sacrifice and save yourself. He was silent, but when he was pressed he said, I will not do as you advise me.

The Proconsul (governor of the province) responded; just say this and I will release you.

Polycarp said, for eighty-six years I have served Jesus and he never once wronged me. How shall I blaspheme my King who saved me?

The proconsul said to Polycarp, I will tame you with fire.

Polycarp relied, you threaten me with fire which burns for an hour and is soon extinguished. But the fire of future judgment and of eternal judgment reserved for the ungodly, you are ignorant of, but why do you delay, do whatever pleases you.

The Pagans and the Jews of Smyrna shouted unanimously that he should be burned alive.

Polycarp’s words were, Oh Father I bless you that you counted me worthy, to receive my portion among the number of Martyrs. When he said Amen the fire was lit.

Jesus said to the angel at Smyrna, be faithful to the point of death. And I will give you the crown of life. The message to the Church at Smyrna must have comforted Polycarp; the one who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.

The affliction of Polycarp and the little band of believers at Smyrna challenge us to take our faith seriously. This church challenges us to a life of faithfulness.

It is ironic that the death of Christians such as Polycarp has fueled the growth of Christianity. It is not the persecution that fuels the gospel, but like Polycarp’s bold response to be faithful unto death, the bold response to persecution and the grace under pressure.

There are still those today who are slandered and afflicted. The majority Christian martyrs today remain nameless to the outside world. Their faithfulness to Jesus did not make them famous, but Jesus knows. The challenge to be faithful to the point of death remains. It calls us to be faithful even if our difficulty is far less than what took place at Smyrna.

The Reward for the faithful

Our predecessors in the Christian walk met the challenge. They received the reward, the crown of life. They were crowned with the victor’s crown.

Jesus endured the affliction of the cross because of the great joy in obedience to the Father. He suffered affliction and slander because of his desire to make a way of salvation for me and you.

The faithful often face tests. In all this we are called to overcome. They can kill followers of Christ but those who die as martyrs will not be hurt at all by second death. We read in 1 Peter 4:13; But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

Revelation 21:8
But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Polycarp spoke of fire his persecutors were ignorant of. Revelation 2:18 refers to “a lake of fire” as the second death. This is what everyone should fear more than anything else.

The challenge is to be faithful. It means we follow Christ even when the cost is high. To the faithful Christian there will be true spiritual riches.

As Pastor of a prominent Church in Boston, A. J. Gordon stood to address a packed crowd. Before he began to preach one of the deacon’s escorted a stranger in and seated him. There was something about the man that bothered Gordon. His penetrating eyes made it difficult to preach the sermon. When the benediction was pronounced Pastor Gordon went to find the stranger.   

 

He said to the deacon, where is the man, the stranger you brought in here? I want to see him. He is gone but he will be back the deacon said. Who was the man Gordon asked. He was Jesus Christ, the deacon replied.

 

A. J. Gordon awoke from the dream. He had fallen asleep on Saturday night preparing for his Sunday sermon. That dream changed his ministry and it inspired his book, How Christ Came to Church. He realized every time he preached Christ was there.       

Download How Christ Came to Chruch  or listen to the audio book How Christ Came to Chruch

Revelation 2:1-7  

1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
      These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

 

 

This is the letter to Ephesus the first of seven churches. This is a great church. It is a place where Paul invested himself.  

To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

When it says angel here it really means Pastor. (I think some pastor originally came up with that one). Angel can be a heavenly creature, but it can also be a messenger of a heavenly message. Someone who preaches the Word of God to the people.

 

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand. There are seven different descriptions of Jesus in each message to the seven churches.

 

All of these are taken from the description of Jesus in Revelation Chapter 1.

 

Revelation 1:20

The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

 

Jesus walks among the churches and holds the pastors in his right hand. He walks among the churches and evaluates. Some churches he commends. Some of the churches He condemns and others there is a mixture of commending and condemning. He is present in the church and evaluating. 

 

Ephesus was a city at the center of economic prosperity. In Acts 19 we read it was a place where Paul invested himself. There was a Pagan Temple there known as the Temple of Diana. It was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It was the center of Pagan worship.

 

The Christians at Ephesus had to worship and keep their faith alive in this kind of atmosphere. That was the kind of great church Jesus was speaking too. This church had some great strengths and Jesus commends them.      

 

Hard work for the Lord

This was an active church. Jesus said, I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. Here was a church that worked to the point of exhaustion and persevered when things got difficult. 

 

Jesus walks around this church and notices who is here and who is working hard. I believe he is saying to us, I know your deeds. I know your hard work. Do I have to remind you how hard your church has worked?  

 

Jesus put a high premium on hard work. Jesus had good things to say about hard work for the Lord. He might commend your church like he did the church at Ephesus.

 

Jesus commends them for their Sound doctrine

Ephesus had such great preachers as Paul, John, Timothy, Apollos and Tychicus. You don’t just follow these guys and preach philosophy. This church checked out all the doctrine and tested it to make sure it was true.

 

If teaching there was false the believers at Ephesus knew it. They knew what it was like to have the Word of God preached straight to them. They could easily recognize when something was false.

 

Jesus commended them for hating the teaching of the Nicolaitans. This group taught that the way to win the battle over morals was to give yourself completely over to sin. The church at Ephesus would not tolerate those kinds of lies.

 

The church at Ephesus would not condone homosexuality. They would not tell singles it is OK to have sex out of wedlock if there is a commitment. Jesus hates the teachings of the Nicolaitans and it would not be in their church. Jesus commends them for that!

 

Jesus complaint was that they lost their first love.

The warning is so important. When you share the same strengths as this church at Ephesus. Then you need to guard against the same weaknesses. 

 

They lost their first love!

 

Can this really happen? Could your hard working church that loves good doctrine lose their Love for Jesus Christ? Can they have so much and in actuality lose everything?

 

Francis Schaeffer went to college at eighteen years old. He went to college and seminary and was battling against theological modernism and standing for sound doctrine and the Bible. He says at the age of thirty-nine years old his life caved in. Twenty-one years after coming to Christ he was in crises. He said something went desperately wrong and all meaning went out of his life. This happened while he was battling for the purity of the church.   

 

 What happened is he lost his first love experience with Jesus. He recognized the problem, redirected his ministry toward love and founded the L’Abri fellowship with a new found love for Christ. He wrote, “Lovelessness is a sea which knows no shore, for it is what God is not….in the midst of being right if self is exalted fellowship with God can be destroyed.”

 

Paul said if I can move mountains and understand myths and have not love, I am nothing. Jesus said to the church at Ephesus that you no longer love me as you once did. Suddenly a great church finds the main ingredient missing.

 

If you don’t love Jesus as much as when you first met him that is a big problem. It is no small matter when a church loses it’s first love for Christ. If something drastic doesn’t happen the church is finished. Hard work will never replace relationship.

 

Ephesus was in Turkey. The church of Ephesus is gone. Their lampstand was removed. They may have remembered and repented this time, but at some point the fire went out. 

 

The action Needed: Remember, Repent   

The first thing you need to do is to remember what is was like when you were first in love with Jesus. When I remember like this I picture a worship service in 1982. There is even a certain song we sang and I sing it again just to help me remember that height. Keep your first love experience with Jesus in your mind and let it stay there.

 

Let that lead to repentance and brokenness. Let this lead to brokenness over your growing cold in your relationship with Jesus (If you have). Repent, do a U-turn back to your first love. It is a remembering that leads to repentance that produces blessing.

 

Keep the flames of love for Jesus burning high.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                           

Message to the Church in Pergamum, Revelation 2:12-17

Pergamum is the third church of the seven churches in Christ’s messages to the churches that John saw in his revelation while on the Island of Patmos.

We find that Jesus Christ walks among the churches. He observes and evaluates the churches. Each church is different. Jesus commends the churches for their strengths and He calls them to repentance in their failures. He also calls every church to be overcomers.

John’s Vision of the Risen Christ, it is hardly like the pictures we normally see of Jesus. In Revelation Chapter 1 there is a dramatic description of Jesus. In the message to each church a different aspect of Jesus is depicted. Here to the church of Pergamum there is a two edge sword protruding from the mouth of Jesus.

Pergamum was a great city and served as a political capital of the Greek empire and it was a center of learning. It was also the headquarters of the Roman proconsul who yielded the authority to administer the death penalty. The power of the death penalty was symbolically represented by the sword.

Jesus is portrayed to the Church at Pergamum as the one with the sharp double-edge sword.

Revelation 1:16
In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

Revelations 2:12
“To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
  These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.

Jesus possesses the ultimate power over death.Now, at these words of Jesus spoken to John in his vision all the believers in Pergamum who have been wounded by the Roman sword and by their power to pronounce the death sentence (as they did to Antipus) know this.

Standing against the Outside pressures

Jesus speaks some words of tribute for the church in Pergamum.

Revelations 2:13
I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.

Like the church in Smyrna this band of believers at Pergamum faced tremendous pressure from those outside the church. Intimidation was used to hinder these Christians. Yet they remained true they did not renounce their faith in Jesus.

Ultimately Satan is behind the persecution in the form of the Roman sword, the death penalty and the martyrdom of Antipas. Satan can use the evil forces of the world to intimidate and persecute the church. The threat of the sword did not derail the church at Pergamum.

Antipas was Martyred. The name Antipas means against all.

Anti – against
Pas- all

Living is a corrupt society you might feel like an Antipas. Everything seems to be contrary to the way of following Christ. Television is offensive. People at work act immorally. Community leaders bend to pressure. You may even find yourself opposing some Christians living in the world’s system.

Antipus was standing where Satan has his throne and he was opposing everybody. The story surrounding Antipas says that he was the Pastor at Pergamum. One day he was brought before an image of Caesar and told to confess that Caesar was God. When he refused, the Roman official said, “Antipas, don’t you know that the whole world is against you?” He replied, “Then Antipas is against the whole world!”

Jesus commends this church. They honored the Lord even when the pressure came on them. Antipas died for his faith.

Temptation to compromise from within

We do not have the luxury of fighting spiritual warfare on just one front. The believers at Pergamum withstood persecution. Then they got blind sided by compromise from within.

Revelation 2:14-15
Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. 15Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

What Satan could not accomplish at Pergamum through outward pressure and intimidation on the outside he achieved from within. False teaching infiltrated their ranks from within. The Christians at the church at Pergamum compromised.

There is al Old Testament story that that explains what happened at the church at Pergamum. It is the story of Balaam found in Numbers chapters 22-25.

The Israelites had just destroyed the Amorites. Balak the King of Moab feared Israel and entices Balaam to curse the Israelites. Balaam is a religious man. At night God sploke to Balaam and said do not curse these people because they are blessed so Balaam refused. But again Balak sent a delegation this time more numerous and more distinguished to convince Balaam to curse Israel. This time Balaam went with them.

So Balaam is going with them and on the way his donkey sees the “Angel of the Lord with a drawn Sword.” The donkey keeps going off the road and then the donkey starts talking. Balaam does not know what is going on.

Then Balaam sees the angel of the Lord with Sword, refuses to curse Israel. He knows no curse should come on these people, they are blessed. But Balak came to Balaam time after time trying to get Balaam to do what he knew was not right.

With Balak’s persistence to pressure Balaam to do the wrong thing Balaam eventually caved in. Numbers 31:16 Balaam taught Balak how to lure them to sin, allow the Israelites to destroy themselves. In the end Balaam loved the wages of wickedness and acted wrongly. Balaam talked righteous talk but he did not stay the course.

2 Peter 2:15
They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.

Jude 11
Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.

Revelations 2:14
Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.

Revelations 2:15
Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

These Christians at Pergamum were enticed from within to accept standards that contradicted the Gospel. These were worldly standards in their midst that urged them to follow their sinful desires of the flesh.

Do you see the irony? The World was trying to put outside pressure on them to compromise their faith. They stood and even were martyred. Then they compromise from within.

We have the difficult task to love the lost with their unholy moral standards. We love and accept those who fall yet at the same time we are to stand firm for moral purity. To keep pure the church that Jesus died for!

The believers at the first century church of Pergamum failed at this. They allowed heretics to infiltrate their church. They compromised from within.

A call to Repent

Revelations 2:16
Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

The world’s practices crept in among them and Jesus calls them to serious action. Jesus calls the whole church to repent. Those heretical members who were enticing the church to sin must repent, but not just them. The whole church is called to repent for allowing God’s holy place to become a house of compromise

What is the alternative to repenting? Yes, there is an alternative. Here is the imagery of the Sword again. Jesus says, I will soon come against you and fight you with the Sword of my mouth.

The Sword of the Spirit will set you free when the truth transforms your life. This same sword will fight against you when you choose the worlds standards. The sword of the truth becomes a sword of judgment to the immoral. God’s Word will judge the disobedient Christian.

Reward for the Overcomer

There is a promised blessing for the church or the individual that can withstand both the inward and the outward pressure.

Revelations 2:17
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.

For those who refused to eat the choice food of the pagan banquets, there was something better, hidden manna of God. It is a reminder of God’s grace. It is a reminder of Gods faithfulness. Jesus food was to do the will of the Father.

The white stone with new name represents Spiritual triumph. The new name is associated with character. Saul’s name was changed to Paul. Simon’s name was changed to Peter.

One summer during college I worked at King’s Dominion amusement park. It was a theme park and I was assigned to the “lost world”. When I told someone how I spent my summer I told them I spent it working in the lost world. Their response was, “don’t we all?”
There is a sense we are all like the Church at Pergamum living where Satan has his throne. We are all in this fallen world where Satan has his throne. Where you are Jesus might say is where Satan has his throne. We can shine, overcome. You must Stand for Christ in this fallen world.

Resist the outward pressures without compromise from within. Jesus promises wonderful blessing for faithful overcomers.

                                                      

We gain a lot by studying the book of Acts. We learn about how the church grew in its infancy stage. Now over twenty percent of the world’s population claim to be true disciples of Jesus. But we are starting here with one hundred and twenty loyal believers huddled together in one room.

It helps us to look back at when the church was born. Not one of these among the handful of believers was a powerful ruler. Acts helps us to appreciate the church as we see the beginning in Jerusalem. We see the foundation that led to the present day standing as a worldwide movement. We see God’s plan of redemption unfolding.

The time to wait Acts 1:1-5

Luke the physician is writing to Theophilus. Dr. Luke is the only Gentile writer of the Bible. His two books, Luke and Acts carefully research the account of Jesus ministry and then of the Holy Spirit’s ministry. This passage of Acts chapter 1 is the in between of both of Luke’s books. This account overlaps Luke Chapter 24.

Luke’s Gospel gives the account from the birth of Christ to the ascension of Jesus. Acts records from the ascension of Jesus to the spread of the Gospel through the Roman Empire.

There were forty days between the resurrection and ascension. But at the end of these forty days the believers are commanded to wait. They are not ready yet. The Bible is about going and telling, but after Jesus ascended it is a time for waiting.

The believers were instructed to wait. They were not ready, but why not? What were they lacking? , They were absolutely convinced of the resurrection, they even saw Jesus resurrected. They were not ready to launch out and take the Gospel out to the lost and dying world. They needed power. Without it there would be no fruit. Wait for the power of the Holy Spirit

You can’t understand the Christian movement without seeing that it is the power of the Holy Spirit that broke down the barriers of the Gospel. Teaching alone wasn’t enough. Being convinced of resection was not enough. They needed, we all need, the power of Holy Spirit for ministry. Without the Holy Spirit the ministry is impossible. They had to wait ten more days. The Holy Spirit comes and the church is born.

Question-Answer

Jesus is now to leave and from here on out it will be the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The disciples have just one last opportunity to ask Jesus a misguided question, totally out of step with his purposes. They met together and asked it. Acts 1:6 “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?

They still in nationalistic pride are expecting Jesus to rule politically, like King David. Jesus kingdom is a spiritual Kingdom in the hearts of men. Jesus response is that times and dates are God’s responsibility. Your responsibility is to be witnesses.

The time and date of Christ’s second coming should not be our focus. But to witness in the power of the Holy Spirit. This should be our focus.

When the Holy Spirit comes it is the time to go. There is ten days of waiting and then everything shifts to going. It’s a time not to wait.

Acts 1:8 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 is an outline for the entire book of Acts.

Acts Chapters 1-7 Jerusalem
Acts Chapters 8-12 Judea and Samaria
Acts Chapters 13-28 Ends of the Earth

The Ascension Acts 1:9-11

There were the disciples standing with the Lord on the Mt. of Olives. They got one last answer to their one last misguided question. Then right before their eyes the Lord was taken up. He ascended into heaven until a cloud hid him from their sight.

They were the disciples looking intently in the sky like a child with a lost balloon. Then two men dressed in white, angels stood beside them. They asked, Why do you stand their looking into the sky? Christ will come again from heaven in the same you have seen him go into heaven.

Witness Jerusalem, where they were at.
Go to Judea, surrounding region.
Reach Samaria, the socially unacceptable.
Go to the ends of the earth

The gospel must first be preached to all nations Mark 13:10. So Christ gave them the commission. When the Gospel has reached the ends of the earth to Christ’s satisfaction Jesus will come again.

But none of Christ’s commission can be ignored. We face unprecedented opportunities to go to the ends of the earth. Don’t miss the golden moment of gospel ministry.

                                                                                                           

The gospels record many occasions when Jesus addressed large crowds. But when we take an overview of the Gospels we discover that his speaking to the large crowds is not what made the lasting impact. What carried the ministry of Jesus after his death was the time he invested with small groups.

Jesus invested himself in a group of twelve men. These men spent three years in close association with Jesus during the time of his public ministry. This group has become known simply as the disciples.

The heart of Jesus ministry was his investment in the lives of his disciples. We call this process discipleship. It was the pattern that Jesus used, and he expects us to use, to carry on the ministry of reconciliation that he began.

The method that Jesus used, of investing his life into people, was continued in the early church. It is seen at Antioch with Paul and Barnabas pouring their lives into the believers at Antioch. Acts 11:21-26

There is more to Barnabas than just the early church rich guy. The church at Jerusalem sent Barnabas to Antioch because he was the disciple maker par-excellence.

Here was the situation in Antioch:
Vs 21 great number of people believed
Vs 24 great number of people brought to the Lord

The situation is obvious. Lot’s of believers, so there is a huge need for discipleship. You have a great number of new Christians, that is a blessing, but the task is far from over. If there is to be a maximum impact, these new believers must be, nurtured, trained up discipled and helped to grow in their faith.

There needs to be the best possible conditions to facilitate spiritual growth. The task is too big for Barnabas so he went to get another to help him. Paul. This is the first rule of discipleship. Never disciple alone. Train up a disciple while you are making disciples.

Now Paul’s name is synonymous with discipleship. Paul-Timothy is the pattern for many materials written on discipleship. But Barnabas brought Paul in the scene and co-discipled these new believers. In the process Paul became the greatest disciple maker in the early church. He would have even surpassed Barnabas as the best discipler except for the fact that the student is never greater than his master. Paul’s greatness as a disciple maker goes back to Barnabas.

Paul’s theme statement on discipleship comes from his letter to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. Here is the principle of of great discipleship: spiritual multiplication. Not simply winning a person to Christ. Wining someone is adding to the kingdom. Not 2 plus 2 plus 2, but 2 times 2 times 2. This verse transforms the additional to exponential.

The emphasis goes beyond winning one person, to investing your life in that person, who will be qualified to mature another disciple who will in turn teach others. This is producing the kind of believers in Christ that make a difference.

In Acts 11:26 we read that for a whole year Barnabas and Paul poured their lives into these new believers at Antioch. They discipled them to the point where they were ready to send them their disciplers out as missionaries. It is our responsability in the command of the Great Commission to make disciples.

It was in the context of this discipleship vs 26 that the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch. Discipleship is the most exciting and most challenging part of spiritual leadership.

I am thankful if the Lord leads me to a person, I am able to share the plan of salvation with them and they accept Christ. But nothing is more exciting than seeing a new believer blossom, grow and produce fruit and become a multiplying disciple. It is heartbreaking when someone is open enough to accept Christ and then gets sidetracked and dead ends in their Christian life and never makes an impact for Christ.

Making disciples is challenging because it fails to happen all too often. Babies are cute, but I wouldn’t want any of them to stay a baby all their life. They must grow and return to fulfill their purpose.

Our task is especially important and difficult in reaching people for Christ from non-Christian homes. Christian principals have not been instilled in them. They don’t receive the support at home and are more easily distracted.

Discipling new believers from non Christian homes is not impossible. When Paul and Barnabas began the discipling process at Antioch they were not from Christian homes, but they helped them grow. The first generation believers often become the most spiritually dynamic believers if they are properly discipled.

Before my marriage when I went to work for Quaker Oats I prayed about finding a roommate. I talked with someone at work about rooming together but finally I told him I wanted a Christian roommate. I was a fairly new believer myself but my new roommate had just accepted Christ. It was exciting to encourage him. He is now serving as a Sunday School teacher and deacon, multiplying himself in ministry.

Seeing a disciple become a disciple maker is exciting. It really gets exciting when you start to draw out your discipleship chain. Your disciples who discipled others who discipled others.

The Greek word for a New Testament disciple came from a word in the secular world that meant apprentice. It was a student of a trade where the apprentice would wok alongside the master to learn that trade.

We need to be intentional about discipleship. Disciple making experience will mean to work closely with a disciple. It comes through a side by side working relationship. That is why what Barnabas did was ingenious. Barnabas discipled Paul for a year making disciples together. Then they went out making disciples together all over Asia. It was field experience together not a classroom experience.

Learning by doing will sink in principals more than a lecture in a class. There is an ancient proverb that sums this up:

I hear, I forget.
I see, I remember.
I do, I understand.

Disciples are formed not informed. Lessons of Christianity sink in when in the context of ministry. Jesus did not just teach the disciples. But they learned in the situations like witnessing to the woman at the well. The impressions burned in their mind. This is the “Organic Discipleship” process.

The other side of disciple making is that you must be willing to be discipled. You need to nurture that longing for spiritual growth. Part of that is having someone who can help you rise above mediocrity. Everyone should have someone who is keeping your sharp. Don’t be shy to ask a spiritual leader to disciple you.

Pray about discipleship opportunities. Take opportunities to spend time with younger Christians. Titus 2:4 calls for women to disciple younger women. Use every available means to facilitate believers to grow. God will use you powerfully when you make disciples. Look how he used Barnabas at Antioch.

For more on discipleship listen to Dawson Trotman’s message called Born to Reproduce

                                                   

It is a foolish thing to preach a sermon. When you stand up and tell people that they are lost and that their only hope of salvation rests in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus that in the world’s way of thinking is foolishness.

Not that standing before people and talking is foolishness. The top universities use this as a chief method of teaching. It’s the cross that is nonsense to the world.

Preaching the cross is not actually foolish. It only seems foolish to many. But it pleases God to demonstrate His power by the foolishness of preaching. (1 Corinthians 1:21)
Preaching the gospel is not foolish. No. The foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom. The weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength (1 Corinthians 1:25).

For the one who is wise in the world’s wisdom the cross is crude and unscientific. They think it is foolish. Preaching the Gospel is the power of God to those being saved. These verses record Peter’s Pentecost sermon. This passage Acts 2:14-41 demonstrates the great power in preaching the gospel.

This is a Pentecost sermon because this day that Peter preached was Pentecost. This was the Jewish feast celebration. On this day Jews from all over the Diaspora (dispersion) had come to Jerusalem.

The festival of Pentecost is celebrated fifty days after Passover. On this occasion of Pentecost:

50 days earlier Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem.
47 days earlier Jesus resurrection took place.
10 days earlier Jesus ascended to heaven.

The early believers were told to wait for the promised Holy Spirit to come. Now only 120 believers are gathered waiting as Jesus instructed them.

Suddenly a sound like the violent blowing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

The great sound attracted a crowd of Diaspora Jews. They were amazed that they each heard them speaking in their own language.

The people thought they were drunk (Acts 2:13). If you can’t understand it, slander it. But Peter stood up to tell them what was happening. This was the same man who just 51 days earlier rebuked Jesus for talking about his death. But now Peter is preaching that death.

Peter saw the resurrection and is now filled with the Holy Spirit. Now with boldness he preached the cross of Christ. God demonstrated that such preaching is the power unto salvation. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18).

The first thing Peter did when he stood to address the crowd was to set the record straight. These men are not drunk as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! (Acts 1:15)

They all knew that Jesus was crucified. What he must convince them of is that Jesus was the promised messiah and that God resurrected Him.

Peter Preached his Personal Experience.

Peter was a different man than he was just fifty days ago when he denied Christ. He saw the empty tomb and he saw the Risen Lord. That had a profound effect on him to change him from the man who denied Christ to the man who is preaching the Pentecost sermon. He was changed because he witnessed these things. (Acts 2:32)

For preaching to be powerful you must have experienced the power of God in your own life. You need a personal experience. You don’t need a theology degree to describe what happened when the power of God worked in your life. Peter did not have one he was a fisherman.

When you preach the message of the cross to people who are wise in world’s wisdom, people who claim the cross is foolishness, then you can say it may seem like foolish to you but, my faith in Jesus Christ changed my life. I can also point you to others who claim the same experience.

Despite how illogical it sounds for God the creator of the universe to come to earth and take on humanity and die on a cross, He did. His resurrected power is in me. My sins are forgiven. I am born again and have received eternal life. I went to college as an atheist but the power of the resurrected Jesus changed me there.

Heaven is for people who think the cross is foolishness and are wise in the world’s wisdom. There where 3,000 people like that who came to Christ there that day.

Peter shared his experience there that day. You don’t need a theological degree but, you do need to work on your testimony. So it communicates. People can argue theology, but they cannot argue your experience.

When I came to Christ people where asking me, What happened? You have changed. You seem happier. I told them Jesus saved me and His death on the cross paid for my sins. I have been forgiven. I have eternal life. Yes I’m different. I am born again. I am a new person.

Peter Preached the Scriptures.

When preaching gets away from Scripture it quickly drifts to worldly wisdom. It is worldly wisdom that thinks the cross is foolish.

Worldly wisdom holds to a view that can explain our existence without God. I was sixteen years old and sitting in church when I became convinced that God did not exist. The cross was foolishness to me for the next four years.

Peter’s Pentecost preaching brought forth the power of God. His was a preaching that was based on Scripture. He was not afraid to preach contrary to human wisdom. What we have in scripture based on scripture. What we have is a sermon that is full of scripture. There was more to the sermon than just what we read here we are told in Acts 2:40. This sermon was full of scripture. Joel 2:28-32, Psalm 16:8-11, Psalm 110:1

The first scripture of Peter’s Pentecost sermon was from the book of Joel concerning the Old Testament prophecy about the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:17-21).

In Acts 2:25-28 Peter refers to King David who made a prophecy about the resurrection. Peter hit the barrier to their unbelief in Jesus Christ with Scripture. Peter preaches that Scripture predicted that the messiah would come and be crucified and resurrected. David said it not about himself. David is still in his tomb. Only Jesus tomb is still empty.

My how we see Peter has changed drastically in the last fifty days. But why not? Peter has seen the risen Lord and is now filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter explained what they now see is the power of God (Acts 2:33).

People may be seeing the power of God working around them but someone needs to tell them what they are seeing or they will misunderstand. Peter told them that. He told them the people are not drunk. It is God who caused them to speak in their native languages.
God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. The people were cut to the heart result of Peter’s sermon (Acts 2:37).

Peter did not leave them there but told them how to respond. Repent and be baptized (Verse 2:38). Repentance and faith, believing in Jesus Christ saves (Acts 2:21).

Baptism is the identification, the outward act of the inward spiritual transformation. The New Testament verifies it. Baptism is not part of your salvation but an outward symbol of the inner transformation. Baptism is expected for new believers. That day all 3000 who were saved were baptized right away. The order in Acts is you hear, you believe and immediately be baptized. It is the consistent pattern in the book of Acts.

There were 120 who experienced the tongues of fire that day. But for 3,000 there were no outward manifestations except their baptism. The miracle for them was that they had the Holy Spirit within. There is only a slight difference between the 120 and the 3,000. All 3,120 received the Holy Spirit that day. When you believe in Christ you have the Holy Spirit.

They accepted the message and were baptized (Acts 2:41). They didn’t come there to accept Christ. The world calls it foolishness. The preaching of the Gospel is the power of God.

                                               

Why is it that one person responds to the gospel and is deeply moved and all they can think and talk about is sharing Christ with others while at the same time another person seems unmoved that Jesus died for them?

You find one person moved to tears by the gospel and another cold and distant. Not everyone responded the same way to Jesus message. Do you notice in evangelism that someone people responds enthusiastically and another is hardened and even antagonistic.

Some thought Jesus was the son of God, their awaited Messiah. There were others that thought Jesus was a deceiver, even the devil. Why do people respond so differently? Jesus sheds some light on this in His Parable of the Sower. This parable gives insights on the various conditions of the heart.

Jesus came out of a house along the Sea of Galilee. There was such large crowd that gathered to listen to Jesus that he is preaching from a boat to the people on the shore. The large crowd was there listening. But what kind of hearers were there? What kind of hearers are there today?

Jesus tells us about four ways people respond to the gospel. This is one of the parables that Jesus himself interprets. It tells how truth enters or fails to enter the hearts of men.

Jesus uses an every day truth of farmer sowing seed. As Jesus spoke this he may have seen a farmer off in the distance scattering seed.

Here is what we find out about what Jesus really means when he tells the story of the farmer sowing seed:
The Sower is the one who preaches the gospel.
The Seed is the Gospel.