Follow the Lord's Leadership

Acts 11:27-30

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - March 30, 2014

INTRODUCTION:

*Some of you may remember the name George Young. He was a carpenter and little-known preacher in the 1800s. George spent his life humbly serving the Lord in small country towns. Times were often hard, but through all the ups and downs George's faithful wife never wavered in her loyalty to God and to her husband.

*After a long time, the family was able to move into their own small home, which George built himself. But later George went away somewhere to preach, and while he was away, some thugs who hated the Gospel set fire to the house.

*The Young's home was totally destroyed, but out of that experience George was inspired to write this song:

"In shady, green pastures, so rich and so sweet,

God leads His dear children along;

Where the water's cool flow bathes the weary one's feet,

God leads His dear children along.

Some through the waters, some through the flood,

Some through the fire, but all through the blood;

Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song,

In the night season and all the day long." (1)

*Christians: God most certainly will lead us along in life. How does He do it?

1. First: God reveals His truth to us.

*In vs. 27-28, the Bible shows us one of God's revelations to the first Christians:

27. And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch.

28. Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar.

*Through His Holy Spirit, God gave the church clear guidance about something that would seriously impact their lives. God can do this because He knows all things! He even knew the end of time from before the beginning of creation! As God says in Isaiah 46:9-10:

9. Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me,

10. Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,'"

*Glory be to God! He is so much smarter and stronger than puny men.

*I like the story about the preacher who was making announcements at the end of a worship service. And he said, "The class on prophecy has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances." (2)

*We can't see the future, but God can! The good news is that in His infinite wisdom, He reveals things to us, not everything of course, but everything we need to know. God leads His dear children along.

*Michael Bourdeaux committed his life to helping Christians in the former Communist countries of Eastern Europe. Many years ago, he was studying Russian at Oxford. One day Michael's Russian teacher sent him a letter because he thought it would interest him. The letter told how ministers were being rounded up by the KGB and beaten. As Michael read the letter he felt he was hearing from the true church in Russia. It was signed "from Varavva and Pronina."

*In August of 1964, Michael went on a trip to Moscow. He visited the old church of St Peter and St Paul, which had been completely destroyed by the Communists. Nothing remained in the old square, where the beautiful church once stood, except a 12-foot-high fence around the rubble.

*When Michael got there, he saw two women walking through the rubble. When he looked at them, they walked away, and Michael decided to follow them. After a few hundred yards he caught up with them. "Who are you?" they asked. "I am a foreigner," Michael replied. "I have come to find out what is happening here in the Soviet Union"

*They took him to a house, where he told how he had received a letter from Ukraine by way of Paris. When they asked who it was from, Michael replied "Varavva and Pronina." There was silence, followed by uncontrolled sobbing. Then the woman who owned the house pointed to the two women and said, "This is Varavva, and this is Pronina."

*At the time, the population of the Soviet Union was over 140 million people. Those ladies wrote that letter from a city 800 miles away from Moscow. Michael had flown in from England six months after the letter had been written. And they would never have met if they had arrived at the ruins of the church 30 minutes sooner or later. But out of that meeting Michael Bourdeaux was led to his main mission in life. (3)

*God reveals things to people, and the greatest revelation of all is God Himself. Here is a most amazing thing: The Almighty God of the whole universe is willing to reveal Himself to us!

*King David talked about this amazing truth in Psalm 8:1-4, where he praised God and said:

1. O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, You who set Your glory above the heavens!

2. Out of the mouth of babes and infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

3. When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,

4. What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?

[1] God's revelation of Himself shows us His supreme humility.

*Paul talked about Christ's humility in Philippians 2:6-8, and said that Jesus:

6. . . being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,

7. but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men.

8. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

[2] When God reveals Himself to us, He show us His supreme humility, and He gives us our sure hope.

*Most of the world is grasping for straws for spiritual hope! Steve Moore gave the example of the Dalai Lama. Steve said: "In 1933 the 13th Dalai Lama died. He was the highest Buddhist leader in Tibet." A search for his successor, (i.e. his supposed reincarnation) began. When it was noted that the head of the dead body mysteriously tilted from the southeast to the northeast, his followers began to look in that direction. That and other hints led the Dalai Lama's followers to a two-year-old boy living in a remote farmhouse in 1937. And that man is still the 14th Dalai Lama today.

*Christians: We never have to depend on such vague and nebulous guidance. We have the clear teaching of Scripture, and the guiding presence of God's Holy Spirit!" (4)

*Our hope is absolutely rock solid! But we have tireless enemies doing everything they can to cast doubt. Yesterday a British paper reported an incident that took place a few weeks ago in Florida. An Orlando couple went "public with some 'disturbing' news they discovered from their five-year-old daughter." She told her parents that "she was instructed by a teacher that 'praying is not good' when she went to give thanks for her food."

*Marcos and Kathy Perez said they were so shocked to learn of the incident they started filming for their little girl's story on their iPhone, and posted it on YouTube.

*The little girl said, "I was at school, and I got my lunch, and I was about to pray and say something to Jesus. My lunch teacher told me you're not allowed to pray." Her parents said they were incredibly proud of their daughter, who stood up for herself by saying "it's good to pray." The teacher then allegedly replied: 'It's not good.' 'It is good,' the girl insisted. And when she went to pray for a second time, she was again stopped.

*The principal told the parents that none of the teachers remember having that conversation with their little girl, and it could be a hoax. But in today's world, that story has the ring of truth. God's enemies are always on the march to hurt God's people and tear down His Church. (5)

*But our hope is rock solid! And the reason why is because it is based on the rock solid truth of God's Word. As the Apostle Peter confirmed in 2 Peter 1:16-21:

16. . . We did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

17. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.''

18. And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

19. We also have the prophetic word made more sure, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;

20. knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,

21. for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

2. God leads His dear children along. -- How does He do it? He reveals His truth to us. He also gets us ready for trouble.

*We see this truth in vs. 28, where the Bible says, "Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar."

*Trouble was coming to the world and God wanted His people to be ready. Spiritually, the only way to be ready for trouble is to trust in the Lord Jesus, and build our lives on His Word.

*The Lord made this truth very clear in His Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 7:24-27 Jesus said:

24. "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:

25. and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

26. Now everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:

27. and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.''

*Storms are coming in every life, so God wants us to be ready. And we will be ready, if we build our lives on the Rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ.

*God wants to get us ready for trouble. In John 16, Jesus said this to His followers on the night before He died in the cross:

32. "Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.

33. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.''

*Praise God that we can "be of good cheer", because Jesus has "overcome the world!'' But He wants us to get ready for the tribulation that is surely coming in this world. That's why the Holy Spirit led Paul to give us this warning in 2 Timothy 3:1-5:

1. But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:

2. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3. unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,

4. traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

5. having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

*Famines and storms will come in our lives. Tribulation and perilous times will surely come. And the God who loved us enough to die for us, loves us enough to help us get ready for these hard times.

3. God leads His dear children along. -- How does He do it? He gets us ready for trouble. He also moves us to relieve the troubled.

[1] One of the best ways we can help is with our money.

*In vs. 29-30, the early Christians in Antioch were eager to do their part:

29. Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea.

30. This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

*Every follower of the Lord in Antioch gave "according to his ability." God almost never asks us to give more than we can. And if He does, He's planning to make up the difference. Aren't you glad!

*Some can give more than others, but all can help. And it really is true that you can't out give God! Proverbs 19:17 puts it this amazing way: "He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He (i.e. the Lord) will pay back what he has given." Then in Luke 6:38, Jesus made this great promise: "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.''

*Always remember that when we give, one way or another, God will give back to us! We will be blessed, and we will be a blessing to those who are in need. A chain-reaction of blessings will begin to cascade in our lives and the people we help.

*The Apostle Paul explained this truth to us in 2 Corinthians 9:10-14. Please listen to it from the New Living Translation, where Paul said:

10. For God is the one who gives seed to the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will give you many opportunities to do good, and he will produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

11. Yes, you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will break out in thanksgiving to God.

12. So two good things will happen -- the needs of the Christians in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanksgiving to God.

13. You will be glorifying God through your generous gifts. For your generosity to them will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.

14. And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the wonderful grace of God shown through you.

*God wants to move us to help relieve people in need. This is the Christian way. Leadership Magazine reported that one of the positive outcomes of disasters like Hurricane Katrina was the unavoidable demonstration of Christian love and compassion.

*Roy Hattersley was an outspoken atheist who began to see life differently after he saw Christian groups provide relief in the aftermath of disaster. In his column for the U.K. Guardian, Hattersley wrote: "Notable by their absence, were teams from rationalist societies, free thinkers' clubs, and atheists' associations, the sort of people who scoff at religion's intellectual absurdity." Roy was impressed by the Christians' response to crises noting they "are the people most likely to take the risks and make the sacrifices involved in helping others."

*He even sadly said, "It ought to be possible to live a Christian life without being a Christian." And Roy's response to seeing Christlike behavior led him to write, "The only possible conclusion is that faith comes with a packet of moral imperatives that, while they do not condition the attitude of all believers, influence enough of them to make Christians morally superior to atheists like me." Maybe it's not too late for Roy Hattersley. I hope he will turn to the Lord. (6)

[2] But we can help relieve hurting people with our money. We can also help with our ministry.

*In vs. 29 the Christians in Antioch "determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea." But somebody had to take it. So in vs. 30, they "sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul."

*God is not just interested in our hearts. He is interested in our hands. And one thing is for sure: The more God has our hearts, the more He will have our hands! Let's do everything we can to help rescue our world, helping people financially, but most importantly, helping them spiritually, helping people to come to know Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of their lives.

CONCLUSION:

*Christians: God will surely lead us along in life. That's great news! How does God do it?

-He reveals His truth to us.

-He gets us ready for trouble.

-And He moves us to relieve the troubled.

*God is surely leading. Let's ask Him to help us follow. We can do that right now as we go to God in prayer.

(1) Sources:

http://www.hymntime.com/tch/bio/y/o/u/young_ga.htm

http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/g/l/e/gleadsus.htm

http://wordwisehymns.com/2011/12/14/god-leads-us-along/

(2) JOYFUL NEWSLETTER - 1/2000 - P.2 - "The Lord's Laughter" - Contributed by Dr. John Bardsley - Source: "Dynamic Illustrations" - Topic: Future

(3) SermonCentral sermon "The Handy Guide to Guidance" by Steve Moore - Proverbs 16:9

(4) Adapted from SermonCentral sermon "The Handy Guide to Guidance" by Steve Moore - Proverbs 16:9

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14th_Dalai_Lama

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalai_Lama

(5) Mail Online - Saturday, Mar 29th 2014 - "Parents outrage as 'teacher bans little girl, 5, from PRAYING before she eats her lunch at school" - By Joel Christie - PUBLISHED: 11:04 EST, 29 March 2014 - UPDATED: 12:02 EST, 29 March 2014

(6) "Leadership" - Spring 2006 - p. 67 - Source: "In Other Words" - April 2006 #4 - by Dr. Raymond McHenry - www.iows.net