The Equation For Effective Evangelism

During Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Sam shared from Acts chapter 2. He noted that the disciples experienced a particular dynamic in worship that caused outsiders to witness the miraculous:

Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (Acts 2:7-11)

As we in Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene partner with other New York City churches in evangelism, we can be encouraged by the example of the church in Acts 2. Our pastor summarized this in a statement (paraphrased here): This is the witness: people will come to us to ask what is going on, and we will give them the authoritative word that came forth out of our authentic worship.

Our first task, then, is to be grounded in what ought to be our deepest joy: authentic worship. As we worship our great God, He sends His Spirit to fill our mouths with His authoritative word. When this happens, people will come to us… and we will point them to Christ.

What is the “language” that the Spirit of God has given us? Some of us may have the experience of communicating, clearly, in a language that we never studied. Others of us may have the experience of being able to accurately give travel directions in a region we’ve never lived in. Some may have the experience of full immersion in a culture they’d never been exposed to previously. If the Spirit is present, then we need not be concerned about what we appear to lack. Our lack of experience, and even our lack of education in particular areas, is not a problem for God. If we are found worshiping the Lord in spirit and in truth, then we can trust the Holy Spirit to make a way for the love and grace of God to be shown in and through us in ways that make it clear that the power is His and not our own.

But, we are warned with the same words Jesus said to His beloved disciples: On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.” (Acts 1:4) If we attempt to go out and do the work of the Lord without the presence and power of His Spirit, we will not be effective in evangelism-- even if we are doing things that we believe are easy to get done (see John 15:5).

As we go through our day today, let’s make time to reflect on Acts 1 and 2. And let’s remain prayerful, and let’s be patient, as we wait for the Lord to empower us for ministry in the places He will send us.

All Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Beautiful.

On Sunday, Pastor Sam shared that in Acts 2:42-47 we see several components of devotion in the early church. These are the characteristics of what our pastor termed "the beautiful (attractive) community":

• attention to apostolic doctrine;
• fellowship;
• atonement (reconciliation);
• prayer;
• sharing with one another in order to meet needs.

If we engage in all these devotions as a beautiful community, then we will find that others are drawn to us by the desire to share this experience of authentic Christianity. But, of these, perhaps the most compelling devotion is the act of giving. Pastor Sam said (in commenting on the devotional life of the Acts 2 church): "The beautiful community will liquidate things in order to establish people."

There is a verse in Acts 2 that shows the extreme, extravagant giving of the early church: "They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need." (Acts 2:45) Divestment is a public announcement that one is willing to be content with less, for the sake of the other. And, let's not restrict our amazement to those who sold homes and lands. Whether someone gives away a home or a handbag, the act is unusual in a world where self-preservation is the norm.

But, there is a passage in Acts 5 that warns of the danger of divesting with impure motives (Acts 5:1-11). Ananias and Sapphira, sadly, have an eternal epitaph of having lied to the Holy Spirit. On the outside, from the view of man, their sale of their home seemed like a great gift to the church. But God, looking at their hearts, saw that their desire for man's praise had overtaken their desire for God to be glorified.

As we reflect on giving, and indeed on all devotional life, as evidences of a beautiful community, let us remember that God's intent is for our beauty to begin on the inside.

Do I give my attention to apostolic doctrine?
Am I involved in both large and small group fellowship? (Acts 2:46)
Have I experienced forgiveness and reconciliation?
Have I extended forgiveness to others?
What is the state of my prayer life?
Am I a giver?
What is my motivation for being a giver?

All Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Let's Get It Together!

One of the drawbacks of blogging is that it's easy to think of each post as a stand-alone commentary, rather than as being a small part of a larger work.

In that context, let us remember that this past Sunday's sermon was actually the second in a series of sermons about Pentecost. Below are links to a few Scripture passages from the first two installments. Thoughts shared by Pastor Sam are in italics (paraphrase mine). I encourage all of us to take time to read and reflect on the verses and statements below.

I. The Promise-Fulfillment of Pentecost (May 4, 2014)

If the promise of Pentecost has been fulfilled, then it ought be fulfilled in us.
First Corinthians 6:19-20

Sometimes, what God is doing requires a prophetic interpreter.
Acts 2:14-18

To what extent are we fulfilling our experience of this promise?


II. Embracing The Promises of Pentecost, Part 1 (June 1, 2014)

The promise is to "as many as the Lord shall call"... but what is the promise of Jesus?
Acts 1:8

Witnesses have had a transformation of character: not in their own strength, but because of the power of God.
Second Peter 1:3-4

The Spirit-empowered Christian witness has an observable character profile.
Matthew 7:15-20

Lord God, please help us to tell others about the power and love of Jesus that radically transforms human hearts.

This Is Inclusion.

But this is what was spoken about through the prophet Joel: 'And in the last days it will be,' God says, 'that I will pour out my Spirit on all people, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.' (Acts 2:16-18, NET)

In this past Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Sam reminded us that prophetic speech is not limited to those who are tasked with full-time ministry. According to Acts 2, we Christians are a community of prophets. Whether male or female, whether young or old, all persons whose lives are submitted to the Spirit of God can be recipients of His outpouring.

What sort of speech pours out from you?

“Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.” (Frances Havergal)

A Prism Of "Ism"s.

A blessed Saturday to my readers who remain in the faith! Here are a few "Pastor Joy-isms" for today (paraphrased from this past Sunday's sermon). May her words- which flow from the word of God- be a source of reflection, contemplation, and assurance for you.

• God caused unlearned men to become linguists.
• Are we broken over our brokenness?
• The first public appearance of the apostles started a Christ Revolution.
• Reluctance to take risks is replaced with reliance on God.
• Victory is assured when we remain in Christ.

Beyond The Sing-Sway-Shout.

As we wrap up our reflections on Pastor Joy's sermon, let's take away an alliterative reminder of "Prerequisites for the Power of Pentecost":

• The disciples were penitent. They were sorry for their own sins, they understood the painful but prophetic role that Judas played, and they procured his replacement in obedience to Scripture.
• The disciples were positioned. They took measures to be on one accord, resting in holy interpersonal relationships, and they remained unified in prayer and purpose as they waited for the promise of the Father.
• The disciples went public. After they were filled with the Holy Spirit, the disciples immediately began a ministry of preaching, healing, and speaking the truths of Christ to everyone from pauvres to sociopolitical powers.

Who embraces Pentecost? Ordinary people walking in obedience to our extraordinary God. May we be found in their company.

The Look Of Acts: Is It Seen In You?

In this past Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Joy noted an important evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit in the Christian life. She said: “When the Holy Spirit is in control, we are moved from cowering and complaining to conquering.”

We see this in the life of the disciples. Prior to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, they were found bickering over position (see Mark 9:33; Luke 9:46) and hiding in fear of man (see John 20:19). In contrast, the apostolic experience in Acts was marked by fearless, victorious action (see Acts 4:13).

Scripture exhorts us to live in the same way.

“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing. Then you will be pure and innocent children of God. You live among people who are crooked and evil, but you must not do anything that they can say is wrong. Shine as lights among the people of the world.” (Philippians 2:14-15)

“In everything we are more than conquerors through Christ, who loves us.” (Romans 8:37)

Lord Jesus, give us the grace of Your Spirit, so that we might walk unencumbered and unafraid. We anticipate victories this day because of Your work in us and through us.

Accord That Cannot Be Broken.

In this past Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Joy noted that the people who were waiting for the Father’s promised Spirit were “in one accord” (see Acts 1:14). Their oneness in spirit and purpose was necessary before the Holy Spirit came.

What were the evidences of the oneness of the community? Our pastor used the examples of stewardship of self and of personal relationships.

Stewardship of self. God sends His people as gifts to to the world. Our love for ourselves, if solid, will facilitate our love for our neighbors.

Stewardship of interpersonal relationships. The Acts 1 passage indicates that the gathered community was on one accord. There was no indication of  hidden agendas, posturing for position, or disagreement over the process by which they would wait.

The disciples had been through extreme crisis. They saw their Lord Jesus falsely accused and crucified, they experienced the shock of His resurrection, and they experienced the emotion of watching Him ascend to heaven and leaving them to wait for the Holy Spirit. But, in spite of their personal emotional upheavals, they chose to band together in agreement. They understood that Jesus’s word to them was true, and they followed through on His word by endeavoring to remain in oneness of spirit.

What about us?

Pastor Joy shared that if we are struggling while we are waiting, or if we are in strife-filled and fractured relationships, then there will be an absence of the spirit of unity which is necessary for the Holy Spirit to dwell in and among us.

Today is a good day for us to do a self-check concerning our relationships. “As much as it is up to you, be in peace-filled relationships with everyone you know.” (see Romans 12:18)

Amen. Lord God, we long to live in unity with Your people. Give us grace, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, to be and become a community on one accord.

Power Trip.

In her “introduction to the sermon introduction”, Pastor Joy shared a wonderful statement concerning the power of God:  No iPhone or iPad alarm woke us up this morning. The I Am woke us up.

As we contemplate Pentecost, we must be in a position to acknowledge that, as Psalm 62:11 says, “power belongs to God.” This is what God has said concerning Himself. And Jesus said to His beloved disciples, Wait for the Father to give you the Holy Spirit…the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power (see Acts 1:4 and 1:8).

Our pastor noted that Pentecost, for Christians, is an evidence of unstoppable, God-led, God-infused power. It was God who empowered unlearned men to become linguists. It is God who empowers us to become what we were not. Why? Not for us to show off “our skills” for our own glory (because in fact these are not “our skills” if it took a miracle of God to set them in motion), but for us to speak of His wonderful works in order that others might be drawn in to His glorious kingdom.

Today is a good day to thank the Lord for His promise of power, the glory of His kingdom, and the privilege of participation in His Divine work.

Lord God, thank You! Continue to awaken us, by Your power, to Your power.

Acts, Naturally!

As yesterday was Pentecost Sunday, several churches took time to reflect on various passages in the book of Acts. Here at Bronx Bethany, Pastor Joy spoke on Acts chapter 2, verses 1 through 13.

For today, let us re-visit the Scripture passage with the following questions in mind:

• Am I willing to wait, patiently and prayerfully, until God delivers on His promise to me?
• Between the Resurrection and the Ascension Jesus was seen by several hundred people, but on the day of Pentecost (according to Acts 1:15) there were approximately 120 persons waiting for the promised Holy Spirit. Why do you think there were so few witnesses waiting for Him?
• The passage tells us that those who received the Holy Spirit were able to declare the wonderful works of God in languages they had never previously studied. Do you have a testimony of God’s Spirit equipping you to say (or do) things that you, on your own, did not have the knowledge to say (or capacity to do)?

Acts 1:1-13 (NET Bible)

Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a violent wind blowing came from heaven and filled the entire house where they were sitting. And tongues spreading out like a fire appeared to them and came to rest on each one of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven residing in Jerusalem. When this sound occurred, a crowd gathered and was in confusion, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 

Completely baffled, they said, “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that each one of us hears them in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and the province of Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs – we hear them speaking in our own languages about the great deeds God has done!” All were astounded and greatly confused, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others jeered at the speakers, saying, “They are drunk on new wine!”

Crashing Into The Hurdle.

For those of us who watch track and field events, we sometimes witness runners who, instead of jumping over the hurdle, hit the hurdle with their foot. Hitting the hurdle slows them down, causes them to lose their rhythm, and often results in their not being able to win the race.

Music and language, as we learned from Sister Joann this past Sunday, are potential hurdles that face us as we try to share the gospel of Jesus Christ across cultures. I had a conversation some years ago with a colleague of mine. As we discussed some Christian music that had been translated from English into Spanish by a non-Spanish speaker, he shared the following: "Nobody says their sentences like that. It's so obvious that whoever wrote this is not from our experience. Why didn't he just ask one of us to translate it?" My colleague was so turned off by the poor translation that he didn't hear the beauty of the message in the song.

I personally experienced this at a service I attended several weeks ago. As the musician played the first note of the introduction for the United States of America's National Anthem, I instantly knew that either she had not done her research, or she did not care. Sadly, after more than four decades of playing music in this country, she did not play this country's anthem in its official key (yes, B flat major is the official key signature). She unwittingly crashed into the nationalism hurdle by playing in such a way that the Americans in the audience, instead of seeking a dialogue with her, were completely turned off by her apparent disrespect. She never got a chance to communicate Christ- not because of her lifestyle choices or her appearance, but because of a critical lack of understanding in the realm of ethnomusicology.

Lord, help us to avoid hitting the hurdles of cross-cultural ministry, even if it means we leave the track for the sake of additional training. Help us so that we don't inadvertently act in a way that closes the door of opportunity for sharing the gospel.

Guess What? You Are Not The Judge.

On this past Sunday, Sister Joann bravely stepped on the toes of some of our "affluent" congregants who equate language acquisition with intelligence and status. Specifically, she addressed the issue of individuals who feel that, because they have learned standard English, everyone else should be dealt with from the perspective of standard English.

Well, what can we gather from Scripture? We see the apostle Paul, who sometimes dealt with people in Greek language and sometimes in Hebrew. We see Jesus who spoke to the crowds in cryptic parables, spoke to His disciples in Hebrew, and behind closed doors spoke a healing word in Aramaic that brought life into a dead girl.

What have we done? We have said with our actions, "We are not willing to exit our comfort zone and make effort to learn how best to reach you for the kingdom of God."

Lord, forgive us for our unwillingness to suspend judgement of others based upon where they live and how they communicate. Give us grace to be all things to all people, so that they might be touched by Your mighty power for healing and salvation.

You Can't Give What You Don't Have.

This past Sunday, our sister Joann spoke on the challenges we face in presenting the gospel across cultures and people groups. One of the more pressing challenges concerns authenticity. Let's recap a couple of the questions we reflected on:

-Do we really believe Jesus's testimony that He is the ONLY way to the Father?
-Have we personally confessed our sin and accepted God's gift of salvation through Jesus Christ?

As Sister Joann said, we cannot offer a gift that is not in our possession. We can share the love of Jesus only in the measure that we ourselves have embraced His sacrifice and experienced His presence in our lives.

Lord, help us to be fully convinced of our standing in You, so that we in full confidence can stand up for You.

Saboteur.

This past Sunday we heard from Sister Joann, a missionary who specializes in ethnomusicology and languages. Her sermon focused on some of the challenges inherent in sharing our faith.

One of the themes that ran through the sermon was the concept of self-sabotage: that is, there's something in our words or actions that serves to turn people off from the truth of the glorious gospel.

Let's reconsider a couple of questions from Sunday:

-Do you know how to share the message of the gospel clearly?
-Are you willing to leave your comfort zone in order to preach the gospel in a manner that reaches a people group vastly different from your own?

Lord, help us to drop our own agendas and embrace yours.

Out Of 700, Can God Find One?

The book of Acts provides us a picture of the early church. The early church had the following among its characteristics:

-It was a saving church: the word of God was preached, and thousands came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
-It was a sending church: the Spirit of God spoke, and men left their regions of origin to engage in missions work, in obedience to the Lord.
-It was a signs church: God confirmed His word and His presence through signs, wonders, and miracles.
-It was a suffering church: men and women experienced persecutions and executions because of their unwavering loyalty to the Lord Jesus. They were ready to suffer and die for the sake of Christ.

Let's close this week with two appeals: one from Sunday, and one from Wednesday.

First, is anyone thirsty? On Sunday Pastor Sam reminded us of the passage in John chapter 7, where Jesus presents Himself as the living water and speaks of the role of the Holy Spirit as One who fills us to overflowing with the love and the power of God. (This is the same passage that inspired the title of my blog site.)

Second, is anyone hearing? During Wednesday evening's service I had the privilege of hearing a prophetic prayer in our small group concerning the dearth of African-American and Caribbean-American missionaries: Surely there must be one that God can send to fulfill Bronx Bethany's mission statement, "a redemptive influence in the Bronx and in the world to the glory of God".

Yes. I believe God, and I believe His prophets whom He has sent. "Believe in the LORD your God, so shall you be established; believe His prophets, so shall you prosper" (see Second Chronicles 20:20).

Yes, God. Out of 700 in Bronx Bethany, surely You can find one.

In The Mouth Of Two Or Three...

God is so good! He sent a prophet to confirm the words we heard (from Pastor Sam this past Sunday, and from the video we saw two Sundays ago).

Linda, a missionary who sits behind a desk and coordinates Church of the Nazarene media ministry in Africa, was our guest speaker this past Wednesday night. She came to Bronx Bethany all the way from Johannesburg, and what did she speak on?

Acts chapter 2.

Here are a few of the points she shared:

The Acts 2 Church was:

• bold;
• honest;
• in tune with the Holy Spirit;
• obedient to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit;
• obedient to the law of the land;
• knowledgeable in Scriptures;
• not afraid to suffer.

In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word is established (Deuteronomy 17:6; Matthew 18:15-16; Second Corinthians 13:1).

Babel, Glossolalia, and "3 Days To Pray": Acts In The 21st Century.

Friends,

You may recall that back on May 20th, in the blog "3 Days To Pray", I called for a three-day fast specifically geared against the prospect of New York State legalizing "marriage" (civil unions) for homosexuals. My concern in this was for the upholding of Scripture, which reveals God's definition of marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

On Tuesday of this week, we began hearing news reports of confusion in the New York State Senate. Republicans in the State Senate have declared a political coup, and are stating that they have wrested control from the Democrats. In turn, the Democrats are indicating that they will not permit the Republicans to effect this change. On Wednesday afternoon reports flew back and forth regarding whether the Republicans would be permitted to even enter the Senate floor.

I see this strange turn of events as a manifestation of the hand of God moving in answer to earnest prayer. And it is no accident that these reports began to surface twenty-one days after our prayer began (see Daniel 10:12-13).

In this past Sunday's sermon Pastor Sam spoke of the relationship between the Tower of Babel incident (Genesis 11) and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). In Babel, God used a multiplicity of languages to bring confusion and put an end to a project that men designed in an attempt to reach heaven on their own strength. In Jerusalem, God used a multiplicity of languages again: not to scatter the masses, but to declare to each man their need for God through the saving work of Jesus Christ. Pastor Sam succintly described this as "the reversal of Babel", and perhaps that is a good way to remember this point:

-In Babel, where people sought to make a name for themselves, God moved and the varied languages brought confusion.
-In Jerusalem, where people sought to exalt the name of Jesus, God moved and the varied languages brought cohesion.

And here we are in the twenty-first century, among people who still make attempts to bypass God in their decision-making process. But guess what? God is still God, and He still has the power to confound the works of the enemy. God sends confusion and scatters the proud (see Luke 1:51). It seems He is doing that now, and we continue to pray for His divine intervention to keep our state leaders from falling into error. Please don't stop praying.

This Is Your Captain Speaking!

"We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away... how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will" (Hebrews 2:1,3,4).

Pastor Sam reminded us of a moment in the Old Testament where God showed Israel a key characteristic of the Holy Spirit: He is not confined to space and time. In Numbers 11, the LORD takes seventy men and shares with them the powerful Holy Spirit who was on Moses. In that transfer of power, the Lord spoke and the elders around the Tent of Meeting prophesied (Numbers 11:25). The Scripture specifically informs us that Eldad and Medad, two of the seventy elders, were not present at the location where Moses and the other sixty-eight elders were. But, Eldad and Medad were apparently exhibiting some sort of behavior that made it apparent that the Holy Spirit rested upon them- the report came from a young observer, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp" (Numbers 11:27).

The presence of the Holy Spirit was obvious.
The power of the Holy Spirit was observable.

The Hebrews 2 passage (above) reinforces this fact of the work of the Spirit as a phenomenon that is not private, but public. I said it last week, and today I will say it again. The Bible declares that God's testimony of salvation comes by signs, wonders, and miracles.

What would the world be like if every Christian believed what the Bible says? What would our services be like if every attendee at Bronx Bethany believed what the Bible says? What behavior do you exhibit while God is speaking? Do you prophesy, or do you just run around telling on people?

Meet The Real Time-Keeper.

As we continue reflecting on Acts 2, we'll spend the next few days remembering some of the points from Pastor Sam's sermon this past Sunday.

Perhaps we should call it God's sermon through Pastor Sam, because there were moments when the Lord caused Pastor Sam to say things that were not originally part of the planned sermon. Those moments were clear, obvious, prophetic warnings against those who regularly come to services and hear the word of the LORD, but who have made the decision to ignore the pleadings of God. As we have heard before, and this Sunday we heard it again, the day will come when God stops pleading: those individuals who continue to disobey God will be left to themselves.

My friends, can you hear the cry of Jesus? "You did not recognize the time of God's coming to you" (Luke 19:44). And, my friends, there is such a thing as "too late". The prophetic moments in the sermon brought to remembrance the "hall of shame", those men and women who missed their opportunity: people like Esau (Hebrews 12:15-17); the five foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1-13); and of course Judas (Matthew 27:3-5).

What's that I hear? Must be God's watch ticking.

Adding Thorns To The Nest.

This past Sunday was an unusual one in the life of Bronx Bethany, and it is so exciting to see that God is free to speak to His people in any way He chooses. It's especially exciting to have a pastoral staff that is not afraid to obey God, even if it means pushing themselves out of the "comfort zone" and doing church differently.

I was personally challenged by the Acts 2 reading: a passage we read pretty much every year on Pentecost, but this year I feel more of God's weight pressing on me in this matter of complete abandonment to God. Yes, I was obedient and resigned my full-time job in 2007 to go back to school- God said it, I did it. And I was obedient and said yes when He called me into full-time ministry. There is no doubt in my mind that, in time, God will make that a reality on earth just as it is in heaven. But today I had to ask myself the question: Have I really given up every bit of my personal agenda for the sake of the cross of Christ?

Apparently not. There are still traces of self-protectiveness, self-promotion, fear of what other people might be thinking... as if the word of God is not sufficient. I guess it's an every day battle, this dying to self.

Will you reflect on this question with me? Erase your job, your family, your pastors, and approach your Savior and Lord one-on-one. Find time to get alone with Him and get His assessment of what's really going on inside of you. Are you really engaged in the work of the Acts 2 church? You might be surprised by what you discover.