WHY ARE WE HERE? (The Acts of the Apostles Part 22)

The Teaching Ministry of Rick Trice

January 15, 2006

Trinity Fellowship

Raton, NM

Acts 19:23-41

I Chronicles 14:10ff

Romans 12:2

Matthew 10:34

THE BUSINESS OF MAN-MADE GODS (19:23-27)

“…THERE AROSE A GREAT DISTURBANCE ABOUT THE WAY…”

WHEN GOD BEGINS TO WORK IN PEOPLE’S LIVES; BEGINS TO INTERVENE IN THE AFFAIRS OF MEN, A GREAT DISTURBANCE TAKES PLACE

I AM A BUSINESSMAN. MORE IMPORTANTLY, I AM A CHRISTIAN BUSINESSMAN. OUTSIDE OF PREACHING AND PASTORING, GOD HAS PLACED ME IN A CERTAIN FIELD TO TRY TO USE ME IN TO MINISTER TO PEOPLE IN THAT ARENA OF BUSINESS.

IN BANKING, AS IN MOST BUSINESSES, ONE HAS TO FOLLOW CERTAIN RULES AND PROCEDURES AND DO THE SAME THINGS THE SAME WAY OVER AND OVER, BECAUSE THAT’S THE LAW.

ONE CHALLENGE WITH THIS, FOR A CHRISTIAN, IS THAT GOD DOESN’T ALWAYS WANT TO DO THINGS THE SAME WAY EVERY TIME.

WHEN KING DAVID WAS GOING TO BATTLE THE PHILISTINES, HE “INQUIRED OF GOD.” AND GOD INSTRUCTED HIM. (I CHRON. 14:10; 14ff)

DON’T YOU THINK DAVID HAD SKILL? HE’D ALREADY KILLED GOLIATH. HE HAD DEFEATED THE PHILISTINES ONCE AND BURNED THEIR GODS.

HUMAN WISDOM WOULD SAY, “YOU’VE LEARNED THE PROCEDURE, NOW KEEP DOING IT THAT WAY.” BUT DAVID KEPT “INQUIRING OF GOD” AND GOD KEPT SHOWING HIM NEW WAYS TO ADVANCE.

IN THE WORLD OF _________________(FILL IN THE BLANK: “BUSINESS” “FARMING” “RANCHING” “TEACHING” “HOUSEWORK” “WHATEVER”) YOU NEED TO LEARN CERTAIN PROCEDURES THAT HAVE PROVEN TO WORK, AND THEN FOLLOW THEM EACH TIME. INNOVATION IS OFTEN FROWNED UPON AND EVEN SQUASHED.

THE WORLD OUTSIDE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT THE UNGODLY DON’T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT GOD?

HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE TRIED TO INTRODUCE GOD INTO YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENT LATELY? WHAT HAPPENS.

GREAT RESISTANCE…ANIMOSITY…PERHAPS EVEN A DIRECT ATTACK AGAINST YOU.

WHY? BECAUSE THE INTRODUCTION OF GOD INTO ANY ENVIRONMENT CREATES UPHEAVAL AND CHANGE, AND THE WORLD DOES NOT WANT ITS APPLE CART TURNED OVER.

TO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY: MAN MADE GODS ARE BIG BUSINESS. AND IF YOU’VE PUT YOUR ENTIRE EXISTENCE INTO YOUR BUSINESS, YOU DON’T WANT TO LOSE IT.

THAT’S WHAT IS HAPPENING IN EPHESUS.

UPHEAVAL CAUSES CONFUSION (19:32-34)

“…THE ASSEMBLY WAS IN CONFUSION…”

SO WHEN YOU ATTEMPT TO INTRODUCE JESUS INTO THE WORKPLACE, YOU NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR A GREAT UPHEAVAL. JESUS HIMSELF SAID, “DO NOT SUPPOSE THAT I COME BRINGING PEACE…I COME BRINGING A SWORD…” MATT. 10:34

HE SAID HE WOULD BRING UPHEAVAL INTO YOUR VERY HOUSEHOLD, BETWEEN THOSE THAT WANT TO FOLLOW HIM AND THOSE THAT CHOOSE NOT TO.

THE HOUSEHOLD IS THE BASIC BUILDING BLOCK OF SOCIETY. YOU BRING JESUS INTO YOUR LIFE, INTO YOUR HOUSE, INTO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, INTO YOUR BUSINESS, INTO YOUR SCHOOL, INTO YOUR TOWN, CITY, STATE, NATION, YOU’RE BRINGING A SWORD, AND SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE?

UPHEAVAL!

THAT’S WHY WHEN WE BEGIN TO LET GOD HAVE HIS WAY WITHIN US, IN OUR OWN LIVES, AND WE GET PUMPED UP AND EXCITED; AND THEN WE GO AND TRY TO SHARE THAT WITH SOMEONE ELSE, WE’RE FLABBERGASTED WHEN THEY THROW IT BACK IN OUR FACE!

WHY ARE WE SURPRISED? THEY ENDED UP BEATING JESUS TO A PULP AND NAILING HIM TO TREE! AND WE’RE SURPRISED WHEN WHAT WE SAY BRINGS UPHEAVAL ???

FOLKS, YOU TRY LIVING FOR JESUS, YOU BETTER GET USED TO PERSECUTION!

2 TIM 3:12 SAYS, “…EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO LIVE A GODLY LIFE WILL BE PERSECUTED…”

I COR 4:12 “…WE WORK HARD WITH OUR OWN HANDS. WHEN WE ARE CURSED, WE BLESS; WHEN WE ARE PERSECUTED, WE ENDURE IT; WHEN WE ARE SLANDERED, WE ANSWER KINDLY. UP TO THIS MOMENT WE HAVE BECOME THE SCUM OF THE EARTH, THE REFUS OF THE WORLD.”

YOU DIDN’T KNOW WHEN YOU MADE JESUS YOUR LORD, THAT HE CALLED YOU TO BE THE SCUM OF THE EARTH???

READ ON: (4:14) “ I AM NOT WRITING THIS TO SHAME YOU, BUT TO WARN YOU, AS MY DEAR CHILDREN. EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE TEN THOUSAND GUARDIANS IN CHRIST, YOU DO NOT HAVE MANY FAZTGHERS, FOR IN CHRIST JESUS I BECAME YOUR FATHER THROUGH THE GOSPEL. THEREFORE I URGE YOU TO IMITATE ME.”

NOW, THIS IS PAUL SPEAKING TO THE CHURCH AT CORINTH. PAUL IS NOT SAYING TO “FOLLOW HIM,” HE IS SAYING TO FOLLOW CHRIST MEANS YOU CAN NO LONGER PUT YOUR FAITH AND TRUST IN YOUR OLD EARTHLY FATHERS.

“FATHER,” CAN MEAN ANYONE YOU FOLLOWED BLINDLY IN THE PAST, YOUR BIOLOGICAL FATHER, YOUR BEST FRIENDS, YOUR BOSSES, YOUR SPOUSE.

NOW GOD ORDAINED THOSE AUTHORITIES IN AND ABOVE AND AROUND US, SO WE STILL HAVE TO HONOR THEM. (“HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER…” )

PAUL IS WARNING US NOT TO LOOK FOR OUR SOURCE OF JOY AND FULFILLMENT FROM THOSE “OLD FATHERS.” TO NO LONGER IMITATE AND EMULATE THE FATHERS OF THIS WORLD, BUT IMITATE THE HEAVENLY FATHER, AND THOSE THROUGH WHOM THE FATHER HAS WORKED.

JESUS SAID WHOEVER HAS SEEN ME HAS SEEN THE FATHER.

PAUL IN ROMANS 8:22 SAYS ;;THAT IN CHRIST JESUS WE ARE CONFORMED TO THE LIKENESS OF GOD’S SON.

HE GOES ON TO SAY IN VERSE 35 “…WHO SHALL SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST? SHALL TROUBLE OR HARDSHIP OR PERSECUTION OR FAMINE OR NAKEDNESS OR DANGER OR SWORD? … IN ALL THESE THINGS WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM WHO LOVED US.”

GOD DID NOT CALL YOU TO A PLAYGROUND; BUT BATTLEGROUND.

WE MUST STOP PUTTING OUR FAITH, TRUST, FOR OUR JOY AND PEACE IN THE KINGDOMS AND MAN-MADE GODS OF THE WORLD. WHETHER THAT’S GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS, EDUCATION, ENTERTAINMENT, OR EVEN THE HOME.

THAT IS NOT WHERE YOUR STRENGTH, JOY, AND PEACE COME FROM.

OH, WE ARE IN THE WORLD, AND MUST ENDURE THE BATTLE, IN FACTD WE’RE COMMISSIONED TO DO SO.

BUT WE ARE NO LONGER “OF THE WORLD.” AND THEREFORE SHOULDN’T LOOK TO IT’S INSTITUTIONS FOR OUR REAL POWER.

“I LIFT UP MY EYES TO THE HILLS. WHERE DOES MY HELP COME FROM? MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD, MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH

©2006, Richard C. Trice & TriceTunes, all rights reserved. (If you reprint this sermon in part or in whole please include the above copyright)