You will hear from the recording that this was not so much a sermon, but a series of questions I was posing to my listeners.

I gave some background about which particular King Herod it was, shared some scriptures then we discussed the questions. Better heard then read I think.

 

 Acts 12 v5 [37:06m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Sermon Acts 12:5

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

Prayer was a presumed practice for a follower of Jesus.

The phrase often repeated by Jesus was, “when you pray.” See Matthew 6:6

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Jesus taught prayer

Matthew 6:9

This, then, is how you should pray:’Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

Jesus modelled prayer

Matthew 14:23

After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone

Public prayer by religious leaders was not an unusual sight.

Luke 20:47

They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.

Devout people prayed

Acts 10:1-3

At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, Cornelius!

The Church Prayed Together

We do not know why or when they first started to pray corporately. This is the first record of the new church of Jesus together at prayer.

Acts 1:12-15 (after the ascension)

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.

They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty)

See also

Acts 4:24

When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. Sovereign Lord, they said, you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.

And Acts 4:31

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

About Herod’s life

King Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great and son of Aristobulus. He was nephew of Herod Antipas, the one who beheaded John the Baptist (Matt 14:3-12), and tried Jesus just before his crucifixion (Luke 23:8-12).

Herod Agrippa: Jewish king, ruled 37-44. Because of his good connections in Rome, he was the last to unite the Jewish territories.

The Jewish king Herod the Great had many sons and one of them was Aristobulus. However, Aristobulus the prince and the king were not on speaking terms; after two trials before the Roman emperor Augustus, Herod had his son executed in 7 BC. Aristobulus’ son Agrippa, named after Augustus’ friend Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, was spared. He was then only three years old and was sent to Rome, where he received a Roman education with the princes of the ruling dynasty, the Julio-Claudians. Among his companions were the later emperors Caligula and Claudius.

While Agrippa was growing up King Herod died and was succeeded by three of his sons: Herod Antipas ruled Galilee and the east bank of the Jordan as a tetrarch (A Roman governor of the fourth part of a province). Philip was to be tetrarch of the Golan heights in the north-east, and Archelaus became the ethnarch (’national leader’) of Samaria and Judaea.

For most of his life, Agrippa lived in Rome. He spent all his money, went bankrupt and had to flee from his creditors at the beginning of the thirties.

In 33AD, we find Agrippa in Idumea, the southern part of Judea. Later, he was official in Tiberias, the capital of Galilee founded by his uncle Herod Antipas. However, Agrippa fell out of favour, went to Antioch, where he quarreled with the Roman governor, spent some time in Alexandria, where he encountered troubles too. A a rich man named Tiberius Julius Alexander (the brother of the philosopher Philo) gave money to Agrippa’s wife. In his despair, he decided to return to Rome, where he hoped his friend Caligula would solve his financial problems. He had to borrow money and was unable to pay for the passage of his family.

Things did not turn out as he had hoped and he even spent some time in prison. The emperor Tiberius died on March 16, 37AD. Caligula became emperor and almost immediately restored the principality of Syriah. AS king of Syriah he appointed his loyal supporter Herod Agrippa. He was the first to be called ‘king’ since his grandfather, Herod the Great, who had died almost forty years earlier.

In January 41AD, Caligula and Herod Agrippa were in Rome. Caligula was by now showing signs of complete insanity. On the twenty-fourth, the emperor was murdered, and the Jewish king played a very important role during the accession of Claudius. Claudius was so grateful to Agrippa that Judaea and Samaria were added to Herod Agrippa’s realm. He was now king of all the territories that had once been ruled by Herod the Great. Jerusalem was again the capital of Palestine as a whole and received new city walls. Agrippa’s entry in the city of David and Herod was a triumph.

Like his uncles and grandfather, Agrippa was both a Hellenistic and a Jewish ruler. His building program was essentially Greek; for example, he constructed a theatre, an amphitheatre, baths and porticoes in Beyrouth, a ‘pagan’ city. On the other hand, he did a lot for the temple in Jerusalem, repaired several buildings, and finished an aqueduct that had been ordered by Herod the Great and continued by Pontius Pilate.

After these successful attempts to please people, a strange incident took place in 44AD.

It is recorded in Acts 12.19-23

After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.

Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there a while.

He had been quarrelling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. Having secured the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply.

On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, This is the voice of a god, not of a man. Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

But the word of God continued to increase and spread.

That was the story according to Luke, the author of the Acts of the apostles. The same story is told by Flavius Josephus:

Now when Agrippa had reigned three years over all Judea, he came to the city Caesarea [...] There he exhibited shows in honour of the emperor [...] On the second day of the festival, Herod put on a garment made wholly of silver, and of a truly wonderful texture, and came into the theatre early in the morning; at which time the silver of his garment was illuminated by the fresh reflection of the sun’s rays upon it. It shone out after a surprising manner, and was so resplendent as to spread a horror over those that looked intently upon him. At that moment, his flatterers cried out [...] that he was a god; and they added, ‘Be thou merciful to us; for although we have hitherto reverenced thee only as a man, yet shall we henceforth own thee as superior to mortal nature.’

Upon this the king did neither rebuke them, nor reject their impious flattery. But as he presently afterwards looked up, he saw an owl sitting on a certain rope over his head, and immediately understood that this bird was the messenger of ill tidings, as it had once been the messenger of good tidings to him; and he fell into the deepest sorrow. A severe pain also arose in his belly, and began in a most violent manner. He therefore looked upon his friends, and said, ‘I, whom you call a god, am commanded presently to depart this life; while Providence thus reproves the lying words you just now said to me; and I, who was by you called immortal, am immediately to be hurried away by death. But I am bound to accept of what Providence allots, as it pleases God; for we have by no means lived ill, but in a splendid and happy manner.’

After he said this, his pain was become violent. Accordingly he was carried into the palace, and the rumour went abroad that he would certainly die in a little time. But the multitude presently sat in sackcloth, with their wives and children, after the law of their country, and besought God for the king’s recovery. All places were also full of mourning and lamentation. Now the king rested in a high chamber, and as he saw them below lying prostrate on the ground, he could not himself forbear weeping. And when he had been quite worn out by the pain in his belly for five days, he departed this life, being in the fifty-fourth year of his age, and in the seventh year of his reign.

[Flavius Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 19.343-350]

Acts 12:5 Some questions:

• Why did they start praying?

• What belief system did they have that might have motivated them to pray,?

• What experiences had shaped them, that might have influenced them to pray?

• Why did they not see that the problem insurmountable?

Mac and his family are on holiday in the American wilderness when their young daughter is kidnapped. They eventually find evidence that she has been brutally murdered in a run down shack in the woods. Many years pass but Mac and his wife are still very much under the cloud of the “great sadness”. Then Mac receives a letter apparently from God. In the letter, God invites him back to the shack. Mac returns to the The Shack and spends two days with God.

William Paul Young, author of The Shack, and I got off on the wrong foot. In an interview Young said this: “The Institutional church doesn’t work for those of us who are hurt and those of us who are damaged. . . . If God is a loving God and there’s grace in this world and it doesn’t work for those of us who didn’t get dealt a very good hand in the deck, then why are we doing this? . . . Legalism within Christian or religious circles doesn’t work very well for people who are good at it. And I wasn’t very good at it.” Young and his two publishing partners (ex pastors) no longer attend church.

I’m sure if I owned the publishing company that printed The Shack I would probably be taking a little holiday as well. Pina colada anyone? But to promote the idea that it is okay to “forsake the meeting of ourselves” (Hebrews 10.25), for Young to proclaim that he has cut himself off from the church completely concerns me more than slightly. It has become a little cliche now but obviously Young needs reminding: The Church is not bricks and mortar! It’s us! It’s you and me and your friends, your pastor and possibly your Mother and Father. I cannot help but take it a little personally when Young says that we do not work for him, or for anyone who is hurt or damaged. I understand that Young had an unpleasant childhood and perhaps he has been hurt by some people in the church but there is no need blame everyone for that. Regardless, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16.18).

The second alarm bell rang when I bought my copy of The Shack. The quote that they had on the front page was from Eugene Peterson “This book has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress did for his. It’s that good!“. No it’s not. This is hype at it’s most indulgent. I didn’t really take exception to this statement until I read the book. Then I realised how ludicrous it was. But obviously some people agree according to some Amazon reviews: “The BEST work of Fiction I have read in Years. . . . THE SHACK has changed my life. I don’t want to say it has a power second only to the Bible, but others have said it and I feel that is true. . . . We now buy ‘em by the case, and pass them out, much more fun than tithing . . . Right behind the Bible, this is at the top of my reading list. As soon as I finished, I wanted to read it again. . . .“. I wonder to myself, have these people actually read The Shack? Or have they confused it with some marvelous work of fiction that I haven’t read?

“Fiction” is the key word here. The Shack is a work of fiction. Quite a manipulative one at that. The reader is emotionally softened by the apparent violent murder of little Missy before God is ever encountered. When God is eventually encountered, what a God he is! Or should I say she is. Whoops, I’ve gone and let it slip. The Shack presents the trinity as two parts female. I’m not entirely sure what Young hoped to achieve by presenting the Father God as a rotund, black lady from the deep south. Perhaps he thought that this would be a sort of warm and cosy image of God. I found it contrived and uncomfortable, I never got used to it for the duration of the book especially since Mac insists on calling her/him “Papa”. Not because I have a problem with the term “Papa” per se (Paul uses it in Romans 8.15) I have a problem with the fact that it was used to refer to a woman. It just felt awkward.

The book itself is actually really dull. Imagine the sort of questions you might ask God if you met him: “What really happened to the dinosaurs?“, “How old is the earth?“, “Is Elvis in heaven?” these are just some of the questions Mac does not ask God while spending two days with him I mean her…..I mean….ah. The fact is, the events in this book never happened, they only happened in William P Young’s head. Missy wasn’t brutally murdered, Mac didn’t receive a letter from God, God is not a rotund black woman from the deep south. It takes a bold man to put as many words in God’s mouth as Young has done in the The Shack. But I’ll repeat this, it’s dull reading. Young’s descriptive abilities are lacking somewhat. I struggled to finish the book because it was so boring. I could go on and criticise more but why give it more attention than it deserves?

Every cloud has a silver lining though. I walked past Waterstones the other day and saw two or three copies of The Shack in the window display. For any “christian” book to be promoted that much in a secular book shop is something and if The Shack can move someone a notch or two up the Engel’s Scale then it might not be a complete waste of time.

See Pastor Graham’s review of the book here.

Matt continued his study on Acts 17 (”Men of Athens! I see…”) this morning.

 

 Men of Athens! [29:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

For this week’s sermon notes click here.

Matt preached this morning on Acts 17, “Men of Athens! I see…” (Part 1).

 

 Acts 17 [43:35m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Graham quoted from a letter he received during the week calling Christians to support their brothers and sisters in Mosul, Iraq. As promised, the document is available here for those who would like to see a copy.

Click here for the letter.

 

 Standard Podcast [29:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

My final part of the series I have been doing on 2 Corinthians, hope you have found it helpful.

Notes are below. Our copyright is only so you do not sell it or make money from it. As usual the material is made available so that any may use it, adapt it and preach it. 

Sermon 2 Corinthians 13

Intro

Paul is on the final stretch in this letter and he has appealed to his readers (and his hearers, as this would have been read out) to accept his teachings by reminding them of his apostolic authority.

Paul supported this reminder by sharing some of his experiences as we saw in chapter 12.

He is to visit them and warns them he is willing to take on the unpleasant task of bringing order to the church.

1) “examine yourselves” & “test yourselves” v5

Yourselves! There is a time for the Holy Spirit to bring to our notice areas of our lives that need attention, but there are times when we must do this for ourselves.

Paul was asking that before they ask for proof of the authenticity of his faith they should prove the authenticity of their own faith.

See Matthew 7:1-5

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way as you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Do you think Paul is being negative or inviting feelings of condemnation? The answer is in v5b where he reminds them that Jesus the Christ lives in them.

Don’t forget this is the same person that wrote Romans 8:1-2

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

And Romans 8:5-14

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation- but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

And Romans 8:28-39

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all- how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.

Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died- more than that, who was raised to life- is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

As it is written: For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2) He invited them to “examine” and “test”.

(a) “examine yourselves” v5

Scrutiny, as in communion. 1 Corinthians 11:28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.

The Puritans were fond of examining or scrutinising themselves. Wesley encouraged his followers to do the same. They would regularly test themselves against a list of questions. See page 235 of “Blessings out of buffetings” by Alan Redpath.

When examining ourselves we must avoid self-condemnation or legalism. See current talks re agreement between Islam and Christianity.

( b) “test yourselves” v5

By action.

See Philippians 2:12-13

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed- not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence- continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

John 14:15

If you love me, you will obey what I command.

3) God be with you

This is the blessing that is pronounced over his readers/hearers in various forms in this one Trinitarian blessing.

God be with you:

• in his peace v11
• in his grace, love and fellowship v14

- fellowship with others by the Holy Spirit

- fellowship with the Holy Spirit

See also

Ephesians 6:23-24

Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

And many more like it.

Pastor Matt read 2 Corinthians 12 and Pastor Graham preached on it.

 

 2 Corinthians Part 18 [48:03m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Sermon 2 Corinthians 12

Thorns, Weakness and Visions

1) The Weak Man

The “thorn in the flesh” - a frequent topic for debate.

There is no clear agreement between students of scripture what this means, yet the words “thorn in the flesh” divert our attention from the real point. The real point is the grace of God displayed in human weakness.

“Thorn?” A sickness? A physical weakness? We do not know, but it was certainly a weakness of some sort.

The writers of the footnotes in the NIV Study Bible link this with passages that speak of being buffeted by Satan for an end that God knows will be for a good outcome.

1 Timothy 1:18-20 Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

1 Corinthians 5:5 ..hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.

Again, the real point is the grace of God displayed in human weakness - not his problem but God’s assurance of grace.

See:

1 Chronicles 16:29 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

And Isaiah 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

It is often our weakness that allows the glory of God to show through.

2 Corinthians 11:30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

How can you and I allow God’s grace to be shown through our weakness? Think of a time when all seemed to go wrong, you demonstrated grace by your meek submission to God. I heard about some research re working in the NHS, it said, “A rude and discourteous place to work.” What is the best way for a believer to behave in such a place?

How does the scripture in Jeremiah apply to the workplace? Jeremiah 29:7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.

2) The important Man

Paul does not want his weakness and dependency upon God to give ammunition to the false teachers in Corinth who are trying to prevent the Corinthian from receiving his wisdom and authentic Godly teaching.

It is for this reason that Paul does something he evidently finds uncomfortable - he “boasts”

2 Corinthians 11:30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:1 I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.

The reason for this boasting is to assure the Corinthians of his trustworthiness and of him as a teacher, and a teacher of the Truth.

• This chapter speaks of his experiences, showing that God marked him as special
• This chapter speaks of his character, showing he thought them so special they were worthy of his service as he devoted his life to them.

Many have mimicked this strategy of Paul’s and have claimed to have had visions and revelations in order to make claims to authority and status.

The difference with Paul is that his claims about his experiences were in addition to his character, his track record of ministry and service to the believers was well known.

We also have Paul’s own warning in Galatians 1:6-10

I have known individuals joining a church and seeking position quickly, they have spoken of their experiences. Character will speak for itself - though it may take some time. Those that seek status through their experiences, and wish to bypass the need to demonstrate good character will need to make their so-called experiences sound extra special. No surprise then that some people like that speak of the bizarre.

3) The Revealed Man

We see what Paul is like here, he is open with his readers.

Why was Paul writing like this, working like this, fighting for the truth like this? Why didn’t he just go home and make tents?

Because:

(a) He had the big story in mind.

Philippians 3:12-14 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.

(b) He didn’t want to stop pleasing God.

Luke 3:22 When all the people were being baptised, Jesus was baptised too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.

“Love” and “Please” are not the same

Conclusion

Do you:

• have the big story in mind? What difference does it make to the way you live?
• want to keep pleasing God? How are you doing that these days?
• understand the difference between God loving you and being pleased with you? Do you know how to rest in that?