David Bahn – Reflections

Please pray these psalms with me on this Lord’s Day

Psalm 3:8

Salvation belongs to the Lord;
    your blessing be on your people!

Psalm 33:1-12

Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
    Praise befits the upright.
² Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
    make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
³ Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

⁴ For the word of the Lord is upright,
    and all his work is done in faithfulness.
⁵ He loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

⁶ By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
    and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
⁷ He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
    he puts the deeps in storehouses.

⁸ Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
⁹ For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded, and it stood firm.

¹⁰ The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
    he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
¹¹ The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
    the plans of his heart to all generations.
¹² Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
    the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!

Psalm 63:1-4

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
    my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
    as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
² So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
    beholding your power and glory.
³ Because your steadfast love is better than life,
    my lips will praise you.
⁴ So I will bless you as long as I live;
    in your name I will lift up my hands.

Psalm 93:1-2

The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty;
    the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
² Your throne is established from of old;
    you are from everlasting.

Psalm 123:1-2

To you I lift up my eyes,
    O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
² Behold, as the eyes of servants
    look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maidservant
    to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
    till he has mercy upon us.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016.
Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

Acts 11:1-18

Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. ² So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, ³ “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” ⁴ But Peter began and explained it to them in order: ⁵ “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. ⁶ Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. ⁷ And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ ⁸ But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ ⁹ But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ ¹⁰ This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. ¹¹ And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. ¹² And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³ And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; ¹⁴ he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ ¹⁵ As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. ¹⁶ And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷ If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” ¹⁸ When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

Jesus’ first sermon as recorded in Mark’s gospel is simple: The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the good news! (Mark 1:15) When Peter preached to the multitude on Pentecost, the people asked, “What shall we do?” Peter answered, “Repent and be baptized…” (Acts 2:38). The call to repentance is a constant in the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament prophets were constantly calling God’s people back to him.

“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.” – Ezekiel 18:30-32

Jeremiah, Isaiah, Joel, Elisha, and many others express this same thought.

Many time people think of repentance as a negative thing. It’s more about stopping an evil activity, or feeling sorry for something we’ve done wrong. We imagine that repentance is regret over something we’ve done or failed to do. And that’s part of it. But there is much, much more to repentance.

Repentance is a two-fold process. Part of it is contrition: feeling sorry for our sins, having remorse over what we’ve done or failed to do. But there is a beautiful second part to repentance, and that’s faith. In other words it’s more than feeling sorry. It’s also feeling hopeful and relieved, restored; recognizing and believing we’ve been forgiven and redeemed.

Notice how God expresses it through the prophet Ezekiel: “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.” This is the thought behind the conclusion of the Jewish people who questioned Peter’s involvement with the Gentiles. They recognize God’s grace given to the Gentiles: “They glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

Repentance happens in the heart of a person when the Holy Spirit moves us to acknowledge our need for forgiveness and salvation, and to believe that Jesus has provided that for us by his grace. Repentance is a gift of God.

Next time you feel sorry for your sins, thank God for the Holy Spirit’s work in your heart to recognize your sins. But don’t stop there. Believe the good news of Jesus Christ. And thank God for the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s work to bring you to the repentance that leads to life.

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Acts 11:1-18

Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. ² So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, ³ “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” ⁴ But Peter began and explained it to them in order: ⁵ “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. ⁶ Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. ⁷ And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ ⁸ But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ ⁹ But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ ¹⁰ This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. ¹¹ And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. ¹² And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³ And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; ¹⁴ he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ ¹⁵ As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. ¹⁶ And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷ If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” ¹⁸ When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

Diane and I both have coached pastors and their spouses for PLI. There is an important distinction between coaching and teaching or mentoring. With the latter you are trying to impart wisdom or knowledge. Coaching, however, is like drawing water from a well. You’re trying to help the one you’re coaching discern his or her own path forward. The idea is that the coachee knows what needs to be done, the coach is trying to help him or her realize it.

One of the coaching tools might be counterintuitive. Silence is a powerful tool in the coach’s tool box. To combat the tendency we have toward teaching or giving advice (not coaching), we have an acronym: W.A.I.T. It stands for “Why Am I Talking?” We may need to talk on occasion. But there are times where silence is helpful. It allows the coachee to think, process information, form ideas, and reach conclusions.

Take this silence to the next level. Consider Proverbs 10:19, “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” Those who had questions about Peter’s actions exhibit great wisdom when they fell silent.

This impresses me. And it’s more than a matter of keeping silent and letting people think you’re a fool or opening your mouth and remove all doubt. This is the proper posture toward God. Rather than trying to prove our worth, we must remain silent and wait for God’s word to reach our hearts.

I’ve been blessed to have been silenced on a few occasions. I was blessed partly because I fell silent. I stopped trying to make excuses. I didn’t offer a defense of the indefensible. I was blessed more so because God was offering me grace. And grace is a precious thing.

Next time you are tempted to prattle on ask yourself the question, “Why Am I Talking?” Silence might prove to be a greater blessing to you and those around you. God may want to work on your heart in the quiet moments. Or as I’ve said before, “Walk a little more slowly. Speak a little softer. Listen more carefully. Because the world is loud and God whispers.”

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Acts 11:1-18

Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. ² So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, ³ “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” ⁴ But Peter began and explained it to them in order: ⁵ “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. ⁶ Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. ⁷ And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ ⁸ But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ ⁹ But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ ¹⁰ This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. ¹¹ And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. ¹² And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³ And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; ¹⁴ he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ ¹⁵ As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. ¹⁶ And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷ If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” ¹⁸ When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

I can count on one hand the times I’ve seen a direct response of repentance to an admonition I’ve offered. That is partly because I don’t tend toward admonishment. It’s not my style. Perhaps it should be. Maybe I should be more direct and challenging. After all Jesus was often very challenging and quite direct. “Unless you repent,” he said on one occasion, “you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3) John the Baptizer also brought strong words to bear on the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to be baptized by him in the desert, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matthew 3:6)

Take  for example, also the Old Testament prophets. They railed against the apostate Israelites.

[The LORD says,] I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
¹⁴ Your new moons and your appointed feasts
    my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
    I am weary of bearing them.
¹⁵ When you spread out your hands,
    I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
    I will not listen;
    your hands are full of blood.
¹⁶ Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
    remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
¹⁷     learn to do good;
seek justice,
    correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
    plead the widow’s cause. – Isaiah 1:14-17

But I am struck by Peter’s kinder, gentler approach. This isn’t an in-your-face confrontation like he offered in Acts 2:36, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified [emphasis added].” But here it’s a kinder approach. And that simple word of grace had an outsized impact. Luke tells us, “When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, ‘Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.’”

This is God’s gift – sending Jesus to save us, and sending messengers to bring his word to us. Add to that the gift of the Holy Spirit who moves our hearts to repent and believe.

I’ve seen short-term results from strong blasts from the pulpit. And I’ve seen life-changes through quiet and gentle admonition. This is the latter kind. I wish every soul was as open to this gentle message of God’s grace.

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Acts 11:1-18

Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. ² So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, ³ “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” ⁴ But Peter began and explained it to them in order: ⁵ “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. ⁶ Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. ⁷ And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ ⁸ But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ ⁹ But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ ¹⁰ This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. ¹¹ And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. ¹² And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³ And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; ¹⁴ he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ ¹⁵ As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. ¹⁶ And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷ If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” ¹⁸ When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

When I was in college I fell in among some Jesus Freaks. They carried Bibles, made a point of their faith, and would ask – unashamedly – “Are you saved, brother? Are you saved, sister?” They were sincere and earnest in their beliefs. Jesus had a claim on their hearts that made a real difference.

I was pretty sincere in my faith at that time as well. I had joined the Lutheran Church at the Lutheran Chapel of Hope at SEMO University. The pastor, Rev. Robert Lange, was a dedicated and faithful servant who wanted to share the faith with others. So he organized an evangelism program in which I was involved. We would visit students in their dorms and ask them about their spiritual beliefs.

Our evangelistic approach was a bit more nuanced. We didn’t ask people if they were saved or not. We were taught to ask permission to ask a spiritual question. Have you come to the point that if you were to die tonight, you know you would go to heaven? Once that was answered (usually with “I hope so.”), we would follow up by asking, If you were to die tonight and stand before God, and he were to ask you, ‘Why should I let you into my heaven?’ What would you say?

Most often people would answer by saying something like, “I know I’m not perfect, but I try to live a good life. Then the conversation would begin. We’re all sinners, we would say. And the wages of sin is death.  We would talk about God’s gift of grace. Heaven is a free gift. It cannot be earned or deserved. We gain entry into heaven because of God’s grace. He forgives our sins for Jesus’ sake. Through faith in Jesus we are saved.

I’m not a fan of the “Are you saved?” approach to evangelism. It seems to beg the question, “Saved from what?!?” But the truth is, we all need to be saved. Our sins have separated us from God. His righteous judgment against us sinners is death and eternal damnation. Ugh. Pretty harsh. But nevertheless true.

I thought of that as I read this passage and noticed how Peter reports the angel’s message to Cornelius: ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’

That whole being saved thing must be important. It is a biblical term. So back to the question, “Saved from what?” It just might be that we are being saved from ourselves and our own short-sighted ideas of good and evil, right and wrong, truth and lies. We get it so wrong.

Want proof? How often do you check your foundational belief system against the Bible? How often do you look for a loophole, an end around, or some other means of avoiding the more difficult commandments of God, or the things that don’t add up? How easily do you close your eyes to things the Bible says because they don’t make sense or align with what you think ought to be? Left to our own devices we’ll take the forbidden fruit. And we’ll die. 

But God has saved us from this dreadful end. He sent Jesus to fulfill all righteousness for us. And through faith in him we are saved. We may not often think of it in such strident terms, but it is true and good and gracious. We’ve been saved. That’s a message we need to hear again and again. Maybe you know someone who needs to hear that message as well.

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Acts 11:1-18

Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. ² So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, ³ “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” ⁴ But Peter began and explained it to them in order: ⁵ “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. ⁶ Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. ⁷ And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ ⁸ But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ ⁹ But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ ¹⁰ This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. ¹¹ And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. ¹² And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³ And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; ¹⁴ he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ ¹⁵ As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. ¹⁶ And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷ If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” ¹⁸ When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

The Rev. Dr. Jeff Gibbs is a good friend and seminary classmate. He was presenting at a pastors conference to which I had invited him. He was a seminary professor by that time, and was offering insights that were biblically sound and spiritually edifying. When one young pastor began to question his conclusions, Jeff answered him patiently. Well done, I thought. That should satisfy him. But, oh no. This young man was not so easily satisfied. He pressed harder. “But that means…” he insisted, laying out his argument against what my friend was saying. Of all the nerve, I thought! He’s just a young pastor with maybe 2 or three years experience. Jeff was 10 or more years into his ministry. He had a PhD, for goodness sake. But Jeff remained very calm and patient. I was almost ashamed that I wanted simply to tamp down the young pastor for his insolence. I was ashamed that I did not often display the patience Jeff did on this occasion. I know Jeff pretty well, and I suspect he would admit to having his moments as well – impatient moments. But not on this occasion.

I’m reminded of this when I read of how Peter answered the people who leveled their criticisms against him. Luke tells us that when they criticized him, “Peter began and explained it to them in order” what had brought this about. He will not just say, “I’m the leader of the Apostles. You just need to get in line with what I say.” He did not claim papal infallibility. He did not just dismiss them. He answered them, telling of how it all came about – the events that Luke records for us in the previous chapter of Acts.

Peter is not one I would think of as patient – based on his track record as a disciple of Jesus during his  three year ministry tour. He was more prone to brash declarations, self-confident pronouncements, and talk-now-think-later speeches. But he seems to have learned something from his time with Jesus, the on-going spiritual formation in the days following Jesus’ resurrection, and his experience on Pentecost. Speaking by the power of the Holy Spirit and seeing 3000 people brought to faith and being baptized on one day might make one arrogant. But all that and the most recent experience of the foods let down from heaven seem to have centered his heart. He is showing signs of patience here. Years later he would even write, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Peter will patiently and in order lay out what had happened and how it was that he had indeed stayed with Gentiles and even eaten with them, and how God had given them the Holy Spirit just as he had others had come to believe in Jesus.

I shake my head. I want to take some lessons from Peter. I want to learn patience. I need to display more of it. Perhaps I need it also to be shown to me once in a while. Yes, perhaps I do.

Please pray these psalms with me on this Lord’s Day

Psalm 26:8-12

O Lord, I love the habitation of your house
    and the place where your glory dwells.
⁹ Do not sweep my soul away with sinners,
    nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
¹⁰ in whose hands are evil devices,
    and whose right hands are full of bribes.

¹¹ But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
    redeem me, and be gracious to me.
¹² My foot stands on level ground;
    in the great assembly I will bless the Lord.

Psalm 56:3-4

When I am afraid,
    I put my trust in you.
⁴ In God, whose word I praise,
    in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
    What can flesh do to me?

Psalm 86:4-6

Gladden the soul of your servant,
    for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
⁵ For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
    abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
⁶ Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
    listen to my plea for grace.

Psalm 116:1-2, 12-14

I love the Lord, because he has heard
    my voice and my pleas for mercy.
² Because he inclined his ear to me,
    therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

¹² What shall I render to the Lord
    for all his benefits to me?
¹³ I will lift up the cup of salvation
    and call on the name of the Lord,
¹⁴ I will pay my vows to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people.

Psalm 146

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
² I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
    I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

³ Put not your trust in princes,
    in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
⁴ When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
    on that very day his plans perish.

⁵ Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord his God,
⁶ who made heaven and earth,
    the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
⁷     who executes justice for the oppressed,
    who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;
⁸     the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
    the Lord loves the righteous.
⁹ The Lord watches over the sojourners;
    he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
    but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

¹⁰ The Lord will reign forever,
    your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016.
Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

Acts 10:34-48

So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, ³⁵ but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. ³⁶ As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), ³⁷ you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: ³⁸ how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. ³⁹ And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, ⁴⁰ but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, ⁴¹ not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴² And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³ To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

⁴⁴ While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. ⁴⁵ And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. ⁴⁶ For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, ⁴⁷ “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” ⁴⁸ And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

We are entitled people. We would never wish to admit it – even to ourselves. But we are entitled people. We are entitled to free speech, Thanksgiving turkey, access to HDTV football games, Black Friday sales, and same-day delivery. And when it comes to worship and church, we church shop. Some even faith shop: let’s just choose which set of beliefs we’ll hold to. We can even make a conglomeration of our own spirituality.

And before we claim that we’re not that bad, let me ask: do you have your favorite pew, pastor, preacher, or Lord’s Prayer version? I kinda do. and when we travel, I don’t think twice about whether it’s OK for me to attend a local Lutheran Church. And while I may speak with the pastor before attending communion, I do expect that I will be admitted to the sacrament. I suspect I’m not the only one.

That’s not totally wrong or presumptuous on our part. But it might be a blind spot in our attitude toward worship, faith, and salvation. We might easily overlook how remarkable it is to be a member of the household of faith. This blessing is undeserved. We have no right to it. Too often we take that for granted.

It wasn’t so in the earliest days of the Christian faith. The Word of the Lord is growing into Cornelius’  household in Samaria. But this is no place for entitlement. Peter has to ask, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” In other words, it was clear that these new believers were to be admitted to the fellowship of the redeemed. But Peter had to say it. 

The proof that these new believers were to be received as brothers and sisters in Christ was in the obvious and outward evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence. The new believers were speaking in tongues and extolling God. The presence and outpouring of the Holy Spirit was the proof of their conversion and their proper place in the Body of Christ.

This is a milestone in the spread of the Gospel. The Apostles are bringing their witness into Samaria. Jerusalem and Judea has heard. Soon people in the ends of the earth will hear and believe. God is putting his seal of approval on this expansion of the Gospel and the fellowship of believers.

Next time someone new sits in your pew, or a new worship song is introduced, or a new group of leaders comes forward, welcome them. We have been grafted into the vine. Neither they nor we are entitled to this. But there is room for more. And God wants all people to be saved. We’re all welcome in Christ’s church. The proof of this is in the cross of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts: faith, love, mission, and peace.

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Psalm 107:1-3

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever!
² Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
    whom he has redeemed from trouble
³ and gathered in from the lands,
    from the east and from the west,
    from the north and from the south.

Some simple thoughts about thanksgiving today.

We know not just to be thankful, but to whom we should be thankful. God has revealed himself. He has a name – a holy, sacred name: YaHWeH, rendered LORD (in all caps) in many Bible translations. This is the name given by God to Moses and by which name he is known in the Old Testament times. When the 72 Greek scholars in 250 BC translated the Old Testament Hebrew into Greek, they chose kyrios (Lord) as the translation of God’s sacred name. So in the New Testament, when we confess Jesus is Lord, we are confessing him to be God.

Jesus acknowledges as much when the thankful Samaritan falls at his feet. Jesus says, “Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Jesus is Lord. We know to whom we are to give thanks. We thank God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for his gifts.

We also know under what circumstances we are to give thanks. When we experience God’s special and particular favor we should thank God. When we see a beautiful sunset: thank God. When we receive a special gift: thank God. When we are healed: thank God.

We must also thank God in difficult circumstances. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus,” says Paul. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) We thank God for his providential care, gracious love, mercy, faithfulness, and gift of salvation through faith in Jesus. Those gifts don’t disappear when circumstances go poorly.

We thank God, also, at every meal, at every remembrance of his daily provision, and for all his gifts big and small. For to fail to do so is evidence of a lack of faith and a most dangerous way to live.

Martin Luther’s explanation to the fourth petition of the Lord’s Prayer

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Acts 10:34-48

So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, ³⁵ but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. ³⁶ As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), ³⁷ you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: ³⁸ how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. ³⁹ And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, ⁴⁰ but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, ⁴¹ not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴² And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³ To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

⁴⁴ While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. ⁴⁵ And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. ⁴⁶ For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, ⁴⁷ “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” ⁴⁸ And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

We’ve been watching The Chosen, an Angels studio production depicting the ministry of Jesus, and especially centering in on Jesus’ chosen (hence the name of the series) disciples. The remarkable thing of the series is how it makes the lives of the disciples seem very real, with all their struggles and daily life challenges and joys. That has to be imagined. There is some creative license allowed to make this a compelling story. All the while when the Jesus character is teaching or performing miracles, the words and actions portrayed are extremely true to Scripture. Sometimes they put words in Jesus’ mouth that are certainly imagined. “Get used to different,” he says when Jesus calls Matthew to follow him. (See the clip below).

Jesus’ ministry was different in almost every possible way. He did not align himself with the religious leaders of his day. He challenged their understanding and interpretation of the Laws of Moses. He claimed to be before Abraham. He hung out with sinners and tax collectors. In fact he called the tax collector Matthew to be one of his chosen 12 disciples. These 12 he would name apostles (sent ones) and send them into the world to preach the good news of peace through faith in him.

Most unusually, Jesus chose those who would follow him as his disciples. They were the chosen ones. Jesus even makes a point of this by telling them, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” (John 15:16)

Peter makes the point as he speaks to Cornelius, that there were certain chosen ones who were to be witnesses to his resurrection. Such a choice! Sometimes I wonder how they felt about that. They certainly knew it was a privilege to have seen Jesus after his resurrection. To be shown that Jesus was really alive – repeatedly at that – was an amazing blessing. But the blessing is also a burden. They can’t help but speak of what they had seen and heard. And sometimes it would bring trouble to them.

They were chosen for a purpose – and so are we. In his mercy, love, kindness, and grace he chose us to receive the forgiveness of sins and salvation through faith in Jesus. Sometimes that may seem to be a burden. But in the end we will rejoice in his grace to us. We and all creation will praise him for his glorious grace. For we have been chosen: a far greater blessing than it is a burden.