“Efficient” Christian Fellowship

  • January 12, 2012
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  • Bethany Jenkins

Relevant Text: Acts 12:5
Full Text: Neh. 1-2; Acts 12

Efficiency | A New York minute, Johnny Carson quipped, is “the time it takes from when the lights turn green till the guy behind you starts honking his horn.” Yes, New Yorkers think simple tasks should be done quickly – street-walking, food-ordering, MetroCard-swiping. Even complicated tasks – stock-trading, eye surgery – must get faster. Yes, efficiency is king. But when it comes to Christian community, how should we measure efficiency?

Fellowship | In the months following Pentecost, the church grew from 120 disciples worldwide to over 5,000 Christians in Jerusalem alone. As it grew, however, it was persecuted. Here, James was beheaded and Peter was imprisoned. But “the church was earnestly praying to God for him” [1]. There was a network of home churches in Jerusalem that was praying. When they got down on their knees, God sent an angel to Peter on the night before his trial. That angel broke him free and led him past the guards.

Faith | Yet, God didn’t release Peter because their faith was perfect. In fact, when he arrived at Mary’s home, most of them didn’t even believe it was him! When the servant girl heard his voice through the door, she got so excited that she forgot to open the door and returned to tell the others: “Peter is at the door!” [2] But they didn’t believe her: “You’re out of your mind … It must be his angel” [3]. When they finally opened the door and saw Peter, “they were astonished” [4]. Then he told them what happened and how God answered their prayers.

Response | Who knows how long these home groups had been praying for Peter. They weren’t measuring efficiency in units of time, but by the degree to which they were getting involved in what God was already doing in their midst. When they met together and prayed, He did transforming and empowering things – even when their faith was imperfect. And as a result, God was glorified to use them to open the hearts of many to the gospel of Jesus.

Prayer | Lord, We long for you to do great things among us. Therefore, teach us to measure efficiency by our love, compassion, joy, holiness and zeal. Make us bold witnesses – in our homes and on our knees – for our lives are short. Let us not be satisfied with ordinary fellowship. Instead, for the sake of your name, let chains fall off and your people set free among us. Amen.

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Footnotes

[1]  Acts 12:5 NIV1984  |  [2]  Acts 12:14 NIV1984  |  [3]  Acts 12:15 NIV1984  |  [4]  Acts 12:16 NIV1984

New York City Circa 1857

  • January 11, 2012
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  • Bethany Jenkins

Relevant Text: Ezra 10:1 (underlined)
Full Text: Ezra 10; Acts 10-11

Police | It was summer 1857. The NYC Municipal Police Force was massively corrupt under Mayor Fernando Wood. So Albany shortened his second term and created the Metropolitan Police Force. But Wood refused to vacate. He and the Municipals occupied City Hall. Police feuding continued throughout the summer until the Metropolitans – with the National Guard – defeated the Municipals and forced Wood to submit. On July 2, courts upheld the Metropolitans’ jurisdiction [1].

Gangs | Two days later, gangs began rioting. Battles raged on Bowery and Bayard. Bloodshed covered Mulberry, Elizabeth and Baxter. Gangs looted and pillaged neighborhoods. Shopkeepers, pedestrians and residents were all fair game. It only lasted a week, but it was intense and total anarchy.

Banks | Then came the financial crisis. The recession got worse on August 24, when the NY Branch of the Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Company failed. Railroad bonds were embezzled, routine transactions ceased, major stocks fell 10%, and depositors demanded gold. Thankfully, a gold delivery from California was expected. On September 12, however, a hurricane destroyed that shipment and fifteen tons of gold sank into the ocean. A month later, the Panic of 1857 took effect and the NY banks were closed from October 13 through December 12.

Revival | In this chaos, God raised up Jeremiah Lanphier – a middle-aged tradesman whose church had relocated uptown. On September 23, he and six others met for noontime prayer on Fulton Street. Fourteen met the next week and twenty-three the week following. By mid-November, over 10,000 businessmen were “confessing sin, getting saved, [and] praying for revival” [2] – like Ezra’s account: “While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly” [3]. Thousands were being saved and mercy ministries were being opened, e.g., The Bowery Mission, The Salvation Army. There were no lead preachers or famous speakers – just humble men hungry for God. They prayed. He moved.

Prayer | Lord, Lead us in a season of repentance, confession and prayer so that we are awakened to a desire for more holiness. Today, as we live in the midst of uncertain times, we bow before you in humility and pray for our church, our city and our nation. Let us be faithful in small prayer meetings and leave the work of revival to you. Amen.

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Footnotes

[1] Historical sources include: (a) The Religious Revival. The New York Times. (original publication: 20 March 1858), (b) Gregory Christiano. 1857: A Year to Forget. Urbanography., (c) Smithwords, The Great Awakening of 1857-1858., (d) Audrey Barrick, Christians Mark 150 Years of Fulton Street Revival. 23 Sept 2007., (e) Program for the 150th Anniversary celebration of the Fulton Street Noon Prayer. 2007. | [2] See [1](c) | [3] Ezra 10:1 ESV


God Can Surprise Us

  • January 10, 2012
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  • Bethany Jenkins

Relevant Text: Acts 9:31
Full Text: Ezra 9, Acts 9

Fatalism | One of the worst feelings in life is fatalism – that is, the feeling of resignation that this is the way things will be forever and nothing will change. This is the way that I am or my spouse is or my kids are or work is or my small group is or government is or society is. I am powerless to do anything about it. It will go on this way forever and, most likely, it will just get worse.

Hopelessness | On the day that Stephen was killed, a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem, which scattered the believers throughout the region [1]. One of the main leaders of the persecution was a young Pharisee named Saul: “Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison” [2]. Imagine how hopeless the church felt – they had no Bill of Rights to protect them, the Roman government was hostile toward them, and the religious leaders had letters of authority to imprison them. The momentum against them was enormous. Would this ever change? Would there ever be peace?

Conversion | Then, out of nowhere, God took Saul and turned him around. Saul was on his way to Damascus, “still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” [3], and God opened his heart. He changed so much that he went from being the worst enemy of Christ to being his strongest advocate. In fact, his former Jewish colleagues and brothers began conspiring to murder him [4]. What happened to the church? In the entire region, it “had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied” [5].

Prayer | Lord, You are near and strong and interested in the affairs of this world and in the progress and mission of your church. You continue to change us and make us into your image to reflect the glory of your name. Today, remind us – especially those of us who struggle with despairing without hope – that you are full of surprises for churches, nations, families and individuals. Give us expectant hearts about our futures and increase our faith in your freedom and sovereignty. Amen.

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Footnotes

[1] Acts 8:1  |  [2] Acts 8:3 ESV  |  [3] Acts 9:1  |  [4] Acts 9:23  |  [5] Acts 9:31 ESV

Cultivating our Hunger for the Lord

  • January 9, 2012
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  • Bethany Jenkins

Relevant Text: Ezra 8:21
Full Text: Ezra 8; Act 8

Appetite | What’s the best way to ruin your appetite for Christmas dinner? Open your stocking and dive into all the candy canes and peanut butter cups and chocolate bars. Then, when it comes time for dinner, you’ll be too full for the roasted turkey and cornbread dressing and pecan pie. Yes, the more you want to enjoy Christmas dinner, the less you eat on Christmas morning. The same thing goes for feasting on the Lord and His promises. When we fill up on the junk food of this world [1], His banquet table loses appeal. In fasting [2], however, we can cultivate our hunger for God and intensify our longing for Him [3].

Protection | Before the second wave of exiles got on the road to Jerusalem [4], Ezra announced a fast: “Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God” [5]. Their purpose was “to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods” [6]. Ezra wanted to magnify the Lord’s sovereignty – especially in the sight of the king: “For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, ‘The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him’” [7]. And God responded in mercy: “So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty” [8].

Prayer | Lord, When the Israelites sought you through fasting and prayer, they expressed their humility and dependence on you. They were desperate for your protection on their 800-mile journey home to Jerusalem [9]. We, too, have a long road-trip ahead of us on our journey home to you. And we admit that we cannot make it safely without you – for we know that we are not in charge of this world; you are. Thus, we rely on you, not ourselves. So please demonstrate your wisdom and power and authority in our lives for your own name’s sake. When we fast, even as our stomachs ache for food, intensify our hunger for you [10]. Amen.

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Footnotes

[1] The junk food of this world is its empty promises and entertainment. Instead of feasting on His truth and promises, we often stuff ourselves with “life’s worries, riches and pleasures” (Lk. 8:14 NIV1984) and “the desires for other things” (Mk. 4:19 ESV). And just as our stomachs are not tempted to get full on potted meat food product or blood sausage, we are also not tempted to fill up on the evil and wicked things of this world. Instead, we fill up on junk food – things that look and taste good but don’t ultimately satisfy. In Jesus’ parables, he gives very interesting examples – new land, new livestock and even a new spouse (see Lk. 14:12-24). Elsewhere, he cites, “the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things” (see Mk. 4:10-20 ESV). Thus, in fasting, we reorient our hunger for God, making fasting a lover’s quest, not a legalist’s victory (see Phil. 3:8-11).

[2] Fasting does not have to be denial from food. As Martin Lloyd-Jones wrote, “Fasting if we conceive of it truly, must not … be confined to the question of food and drink; fasting should really be made to include abstinence from anything which is legitimate in and of itself for the sake of some special spiritual purpose. There are many bodily functions which are right and normal and perfectly legitimate, but which for special peculiar reasons in certain circumstances should be controlled. That is fasting.” (1959-1960). One thing to note, however: fasting is not dieting. To fast from sugar or chocolate for the purpose of cutting out calories is not fasting; to fast from sugar or chocolate because you love it and think that abstaining from these things would remind your to hunger for God is fasting.

[3] The Bible never promotes self-denial as an end in itself, e.g., “Then he [Jesus] said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me’” (Lk. 9:23 ESV, emphasis mine). Instead, the Lord wants us to enjoy the fullness of Christian liberty (e.g., 1 Tim. 4:1-3; Col. 2:20-21). Yet, the Bible talks about fasting – that is, exercising self-denial – as a means to increase our hunger for God.

[4] Ezra 1-6 (first wave; about 50,000 exiles returned home), Ezra 7-10 (second wave; about 8,000 exiles returned home)

[5] Ezra 8:21 ESV

[6] Id.

[7] Ezra 8:22 ESV

[8] Ezra 8:23 ESV

[10] In Heart of Darkness, Conrad Joseph Conrad writes about how intense physical hunger can lead to desperate measures: “No fear can stand up to hunger, no patience can wear it out, disgust simply does not exist where hunger is; and as to superstition, beliefs, and what you may call principles, they are less than chaff in a breeze.” Likewise, we can intensity our measures to find and seek God when we fast and pray for His presence.

The Great Mercy of God Through Encouragement and Warning

  • January 6, 2012
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  • Bethany Jenkins

Relevant Text: Acts 7:51-52
Full Text: Ezra 6, Acts 6
Weekend Text: Ezra 7-8, Acts 7-8

Trial | The first martyr was a deacon – not a disciple, missionary or preacher. Stephen was a man “full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” [1] and “full of grace and power” [2]. Yet, his opponents hated him. When they took him to trial for opposing God [3], he defended himself with a story – a long history of Israel’s repeated rejection of the Lord and His prophets. Then he concluded: “You stiff-necked people … you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One” [4]. In other words, in embracing Jesus as Lord, he wasn’t the one rejecting God; they were!

Grace | For Stephen, that speech led to execution. For us, it’s an encouragement and a warning. It’s an encouragement because it shows how patient God is. He won’t turn away because we’ve sinned once or twice … or even seventy times seven times [5]. If we repent, He’s eager to forgive. Yet, his speech is also a warning because it shows that God disciplines the unrepentant. It may seem harsh to talk about His punishment, but it’s actually loving and gracious. It awakens our hearts to the truth that we must worship Jesus as Lord. In fact, one man heard Stephen’s speech of warning and never forgot it – Paul. Just days after he approved of Stephen’s execution, Paul received the outpouring of God’s grace when Jesus appeared to him. And he never “got over” it. He never stopped preaching about God’s great and long-suffering mercy to him – the chief of sinners [6].

Prayer | Lord, Stephen’s words of encouragement and warning are filled with grace. Today, if we will repent, you are eager to pursue us – no matter how sinful we may be or how undeserving we may feel. As David – another great sinner – sang, “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love … as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust” [7]. Amen.

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Footnotes

[1] Acts 6:5 ESV  |  [2] Acts 6:8 ESV  |  [3] Acts 6:14 ESV. See also Acts 6:11.
|  [4] Acts 7:51-52 ESV  |  [5] Matt. 18:22  |  [6] See 1 Tim. 1:12-17.
|  [7] Ps. 103:8-14 ESV