Medium Rare or Well Done?
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I’m a Carnivore
I’m a Carnivore
I like my steaks medium rare. Cooked, but juicy.
My experience has been that too many cooks who cook meat well done squeeze all the juice out of it.
Dried out and tough.
Hamburger is another story. Can’t eat raw hamburger.
It has t/b cooked throughout.
Okay, but don’t dry it out.
My step-dad would smash the patties on the grill to get them cooked.
Pork chops? Well done.
The first time I was asked how I wanted my pork chop cooked it took me aback just a little.
Apparently, “they” have decided pork that’s a little pink is okay. I just can’t go there.
Fish, I like sushi. No problem w/ raw fish, if it’s supposed t/b raw. But, if I order a salmon steak, I want it cooked well done.
Chicken? No question. Well done. Just keep it moist.
So, what’s this got to do w/ the church and wrapping up Acts?
What do you want to hear from God when you get to heaven?
“Well done, good and faithful servant.”
God finishes everything he starts.
If he promises it, then it’s going to happen.
He will complete the church, His Old House.
The church is made up of people, not buildings. So, if the church is going t/b completed, that means we will be, too.
God is preparing us and the church the same way we prepare chicken.Our lives, our stories may be juicy. But, we’ll be well done.
One of the letters Paul wrote from prison in Rome is Philippians. God promised Paul he’d get to Rome. And there are a couple of things he wrote that are pertinent to the message this morning.
First;
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
God will finish the work He started in us.
The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”
Second;
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Philippians
Paul wrote this after his eventful journey by sea to Rome.
God promised Paul that he’d get to Rome.
Eventually, the Romans agreed w/ God, though unknowingly, and put him on a ship to Rome.
God had a plan. The Romans had a plan. Everyone’s plan was to get Paul to Rome.
There were 4 major threats along the way. Any one of them could have prevented Paul from ever arriving in Rome and completing his mission.
The first was a group of arrogant, unbelieving sailors who believed they were smarter and more powerful than the weather.
People Got in the Way
People Got in the Way
Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. So Paul warned them, “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.
There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.
Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. So Paul warned them, “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.
There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.
Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. So Paul warned them, “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.”
A storm slowed them down
A storm slowed them down
A normal trip by sea from Alexandria to Rome would take about 2 weeks. But, it had happened before where adverse conditions blew up and it could take up to 7 weeks.
The Day of Atonement would have been in late September or early October.
Sea travel would normally stop by Oct. 1 until mid-march b/c in typical winter storms the winds blow the wrong direction preventing them from getting to Rome.
It’s fall, but an early winter storm blew in slowing them down. Had this storm not occured, there would have been no question. Sail on to Rome. But their progress had been slowed so much that winter was right around the corner and sailors knew trying to travel in the winter was very risky.
Paul warned them
Paul warned them
God spoke to Paul and he spoke to the sailors. Don’t go.
God showed him what was going to happen.
God knows the future and prepares us for it. But, many don’t believe. They believe they know better.
How inaccurate does a weather forecaster have to be to lose his job?
The majority decided
The majority decided
They voted. The pilot of the ship polled the sailors and they all agreed to set sail. They knew they couldn’t make it all the way to Rome but they believed the could make it to Phoenix and winter there making their trip to Rome in the spring much shorter.
They preferred to spend the winter in Phoenix.
For the record, these are the foolish ones. Just sayin’.
So, they weighed anchor and set sail for Phoenix. And, guess what happened!
As we go thru this remember, unfaithful people cannot mess up God’s plan. They can only mess up their own lives.
God is wise and powerful enough to get done what He wants done in spite of foolish people.
Majority vote? How many humans does it take to out-vote God?
Don’t know. It’s never happened.
This was a foolish move. It was too late in the season to try to sail so far. And, the inevitable happened.
This was the first threat. And, the second threat is related.
They were wrong.
They’re plan was to sail from Crete to the toe of the boot of Italy across the open Adriatic Sea. Hundreds of miles of open water w/ nothing to block the wind if a major winter storm blew up.
And it did. It threatened their lives and Paul’s completion of God’s promise.
A Storm Got in the Way
A Storm Got in the Way
Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along.
When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
Acts 27:
At the mercy of the wind
At the mercy of the wind
The wind was so fierce they could not sail into it.
So, they gave up trying. They took in their sails so the wind would have less of an impact. They dropped an anchor to slow their progress. They hoped the storm would pass before they ran aground.
It became apparent the wind was not going to die down so they had to take emergency measures to try to save the ship and their lives.
They did what they could
They did what they could
They ran cables under the ship to try to hold it together.
They threw all their cargo overboard to lighten the load and slow its sinking.
Days went by.
Days went by.
No sun, no stars, no gear, no hope. They had no idea where they were. They couldn’t navigate w/out the sun and stars.
They gave up all hope of being saved.
The wait to die was excruciating.
They were going to die. That is, unless the God almost all of them didn’t believe in did something.
After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”
On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land.
This was the 2nd threat. Would they survive?
If they did, immediately the 3rd threat was staring them down.
Even if the storm died down, the ship was breaking up. And if the ship broke up and sent all of them into the roiling water even the best swimmers would eventually drown.
The Ship Fell Apart
The Ship Fell Apart
The Ship Fell Apart
The Ship Fell Apart
“Told you so”
“Told you so”
After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”
This was Paul’s chance to say it and he took it.
“I told you so.”
This is not so much an arrogant thumbing his nose at them. But, a reminder he knew what he was talking about then and he does now.
God spoke to him then and spoke to him again here.
The ship will be lost but all their lives will be saved.
Once again, the angel assured him he would have the opportunity to present the truth of Jesus to Caesar in Rome.
God was graciously going to save all the sailors who sailed w/ Paul even tho’ it was their foolish decision to make the trip.
It cost them everything but their lives.
They didn’t mess up God’s plan, just themselves.
Fair would have been for the sailors to die b/c they almost messed up Paul’s mission to Rome.
However, they really only ended up messing up their own lives.
The ship was lost
The ship was lost
When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.
The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.
Acts 27:
The next day they saw an island w/ a sandy beach that was their best chance for survival.
He didn’t tell them that. God hadn’t revealed the island to Paul. He just told them they needed to eat to survive.
When they woke up the next day they saw the island w/ the sandy beach that was their best chance for survival.
Paul wasn’t the only prisoner on board. And, you may recall that if a prisoner escapes the guard who was on duty at the time is tortured and killed.
Once again, another threat to God’s promise and Paul’s mission to get to Rome.
The centurion guarding Paul, maybe w/ a little divine help, convinced the rest not to harm any of the prisoners.
They swam ashore and everyone made safely.
This episode isn’t listed as one of the miracles in the bible. But, the odds of this happening are somewhere between slim and none. Everyone survived that day.
The island they ended up on was called Malta. They were able to spend the 3 months of winter there and wait till spring for better weather sailing on towards Rome.
Paul had faced 3 threats to the completion of his mission to Rome; arrogant, unbelieving people, a storm, and a shipwreck. There was still on last major threat he faced.
A Venomous Viper
A Venomous Viper
Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.” But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
Acts 28:
Malta was about 58 miles south of the large island of Sicily at the toe of Italy where Phoenix was located.
Malta was a tiny little Island. No one stopped there.
It was like finding the proverbial needle in the haystack that the ship aimlessly ended up on a sand bar near a sandy beach where they could all swim to and survive.
The natives were welcoming and built fires to warm the nearly 260 survivors on the beach.
Paul, in an effort to be helpful, reached into a woodpile to stoke one of the fires.
First, note, the freedom and respect Paul held as one of the prisoners on board. He had earned it. But, there would have been other, more logical choices to man the fire.
How ironic it would have been to survive all that he had survived only to die by the venom of a little viper nesting in the woodpile.
The islanders immediately assumed Karma killed him. He must be a murderer or violent criminal and the gods are taking their revenge believing he would die soon.
But, quite the contrary. Paul shook it off like a he would a little crab that came out of its shell and pinched his finger.
They waited and watched expecting his hand to swell, then his arm, the pain would be excruciating, then he would die as the venom reached his heart.
It didn’t happen. In fact, nothing happened.
Not only were the “gods” unable to exact revenge, The God has promised Paul he would make it to Rome and tell Caesar all about his experiences w/ Jesus.
Nothing was going to stop Paul from fulfilling what God had promised he’d do.
4 major threats. Any one of them could have easily ended Paul’s mission and prevented God’s promise from being fulfilled.
The combination of the 4 increased the odds of exponentially.
But, no amount of anything cam prevent God from completing what he promises and starts.
If God has promised it, it’s going to happen.
Paul made it to Rome. He spoke to Caesar. He was there for more than 2 years.
Shortly after, he died. He was eventually martyred for his faith.
But by that time, his mission was accomplished. None of the trials, imprisonments, tortures, stonings, rejections, arrogant unbelievers, storms, shipwrecks, or venomous vipers could prevent him from completing his God ordained mission.
This is Acts.
Acts
Acts
Acts is the story of the beginning of the church and its early development.
Predicted in the OT, fulfilled in the NT.
The juicy stories of the key witnesses of the risen Jesus living out their calling despite persecution and suffering.
The theological premise is Jesus is Lord of all and o the gospel can go to all.
Predicted in the OT, fulfilled in the NT.
Paul’s calling as apostle to the Gentiles was competed when he brought the gospel to the highest levels of the most powerful gov’t in the world.
God used the political and military climate of Rome to get the message out and has continued w/ the cultural climate of the United States.
The church has carried on delivering the message of Jesus all around the world to whomever would hear it.
Acts covers about 30 years of events in the lives of people who witnessed of the resurrection of Jesus and shared their personal stories as they traveled.
Many of these events these people encountered could have stopped the church in its tracks. The combination of events made the odds of the church’s survival minimal at best.
Yet, here we sit today.
This is the story of His Old House. The Church.
The Church
The Church
Conception
Conception
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
No one’s death will prevent it from being completed.
Not Jesus, Peter, Paul, yours or mine.
Birth
Birth
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent 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.
Power like no one had ever seen nor experienced before.
Membership
Membership
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
Ekklesia is not a building but a group of people who share a common purpose and this is it.
A movement, not a monument.
People, not a place
Its growth
Its growth
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.”
People, like you and me, share our powerful and juicy stories about our own personal encounters w/ God w/ the people who cross our paths.
Its End
Its End
According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
1 Thessalonians 4:
There will be a definite end when the church, these members who share a common purpose, will be removed en masse from the earth.
We will meet Jesus in the air.
This will be the tribulation.
The book of Acts ends w/ chapter 28. We are still writing chapter 29.
God finishes everything He starts. He’s finishing you and He will finish the church.
He is preparing us just like we prepare chicken.
So, we will hear Him say, “well done, good and faithful servant.”
Applications
Applications
Don’t mess up
Don’t mess up
There is nothing any of us can do to mess up God’s plan.
We can only mess up our own lives. We do this when we take a different course than God has set for us.
He lines everyone up for us to go where He wants us to go to do what He wants us to do.
If we don’t do it, He’ll get someone else to do it.
He wanted Israel to go straight to the PL from Egypt. They messed up. So, the next generation go to go.
Stay close, listen, follow where God leads you to go.
Where is He calling you to go, what is He telling you to do that you may be resisting?
We win
We win
I’ve read the last page, I know Who did it, we win.
We win the war, no matter what happens w/ all the battles between now and the end.
Relax. Trust God. He can be taken at His word.
The only thing we don’t know is “when”; and maybe “how”.
Don’t stress over trying to control you life or the lives of those around you. Nothing happens outside of God’s control.
Let Him have the controls of your life b/c you can count on the fact that we win in the end.
God finishes everything He starts. He’s finishing you and He will finish the church.
He is preparing us just like we prepare chicken.
So, we will hear Him say, “well done, good and faithful servant.”