Well Meaning Interference (Part A)

That the women worse with the men here praying was remarkable Christ. It Judaism did not do this to say is not Judaism to make the distinction is not anti-Semitic at all, may not allow you to be a Christian and hate Jews or anybody.

When we come to the Scripture we have to call it like it is the rabbinical Judaism was little and Christ took every chance he could get to go against it and he left his apostles to have to deal with it. Also, this is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of acts. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in acts chapter 1 as she starts a brand-new message called well-meaning interference.

We are in the book of acts, the acts of the Holy Spirit acts of the apostles, the actions taken place by the believers after Jesus ascended, we will take versus 12 through 26 acts chapter 1 beginning in verse 12 and under three minutes. Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey, and when they had entered. They went up into the upper room where they were staying, Peter, James, John and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew James the son of Alpheus and Simon the zealot and Judas the son of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers, and in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples. Altogether the number of names was about hundred and 20 and said, men and brethren. This Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus, for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry.

Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out and it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem, so that field is called in their own language account, which is field of blood. What is written in the book of Psalms that his dwelling be desolate, and let no one live in it and let another take his office. Therefore, these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John to that day when he was taken up from us. One of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection, and they proposed to Joseph called boss of this.

Who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias and they prayed and said you oh Lord, who know the hearts of all show which of these two you have chosen to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place and they cast their lots in the lot fell on Matthias and he was numbered with the 11 apostles. Please be seated. The magnificent book a lot to give you to think about. Of course I want you to agree with me 100% all the time about everything every decision, every teaching and yeah that's I can happen, but let's see if we get close. I will certainly not differ with a lot of Bible teachers on several things in this section of Scripture, and I think is going to be kind of exciting. The title for this morning's messages. Well-meaning interference of that is something that we all must guard against our own service towards Christ.

Sometimes we mean well, we just get in the way. Looking at verse 12.

Then they returned to Jerusalem on the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem is Sabbath day's journey well where it says and they returned to Jerusalem from the mount of Olivet that they were on the Eastern slope facing Bethany with a the Lord ascended. I don't know if I put enough emphasis on verse three when it when Luke tells us that Jesus showed himself to the apostles with many infallible proofs, not just the resurrection that fact. But the miraculous appearances and and what he would do just too much for them to record so suffice it to say that when they return from the mount called Olivet and watch the Lord to send they were loaded up with faith and trust we would say they were stoked but still not enough there was more to come in and where at that phase right now in this chapter, where there believers.

They had the spirit there just not overflowing with the spirit that will come later a Sabbath day's journey. That's the how the distance they traveled from where Jesus ascended back into the city limits of Jerusalem about 1/2 mile that would be the longest distance. A Jew was allowed to travel without breaking Sabbath, though it doesn't explicitly say that it was the Sabbath in a Jew just visited by the Sabbath day's journey. The rabbis had put standards in place and more standard instead of the top standards in time and just ad infinitum but anyway near Jerusalem where they crucified and entombed the Lord, and he rose again verse 13 and when they had entered. They went up into the upper room where they were staying, Peter, James, John and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew James son of Alpheus Simon the zealot and Judas the son of James. Well, this upper room, not necessarily the same upper room with the Last Supper took place in a we read it we just kind of think of this is the upper room with that's where the Last Supper was put without a be careful here because there it we want to stay true to the facts and understand what was really going on in the lives of these believers we were going to have to we can't skip over the numbers of participants that upper room, for example, some communal would think that the upper room is where you know when Pentecost came in the Holy Spirit manifested himself tongues of fire that was in the upper room, you get 3000 people into that environmental things like that. I'll come back to that in a moment when we glanced down at verse 15.

For example, which implies that they were moving around in verse 15, and in those days Peter stood up.

The implication is there was a lot of activity in that probably the last 10 days before Pentecost there moving around at the temple therein. Upper room suggests a very active very excited by asked to. It will be a different place when the spirit of falls on them otherwise.

Subsequent events become problematic. If this is the same upper room is the Last Supper in the spirit than comes upon them. There again, you have 3000 people responding to Peter's message, just the ones that respond to the message 3000 almost about to many for a local city block.

However, the temple, that would be a perfect venue. Many available spaces, imported goals for them to be upsetting you up from we get to chapter 2 is such a big chapter for Christians Christianity and he is not a chapter to be dismissed or Joe just rushed through Luke tells us this is very insightful 24 verse 52 and three and they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen. See that that's where they stated that that's over there.

There would accommodate the amount of disciples that work gathering, waiting for the promise of the father and, incidentally, Peter will tell us when the spirit comes that it was the hour of prayer.

It was also the Passover, which mandated men be there so Jerusalem at about this time is going to be buzzing with a lot of male activity because again it was mandated three feast. The men had to be at Pentecost was one of them. Well, it mentions Peter always at the very top of the list. He was a natural leader and though I strongly believe he blunders in this chapter.

It doesn't take away from the value of the greatness of this man. Though the Holy Spirit just you know endears us to this man and at the same time says hey look it's just like you messed up hope, and yet loved and used at the same time as some of you may think that you just in public ministry, you may be afraid to enter public ministry or to serve in the church is what I talk about is you may fail. Don't let that stop you. Your unit you know that's that's part of life and and God will be there with you and that's where much growth will take place. Bartholomew I don't get to say his name. About four times in a morning that I have so far. Many scholars equate Bartholomew with Nathaniel.

We can spend too much time on these names. The story is about Christ is his his friends and believers are here but we could be here long time. If we zoomed in on each names all this Passover couple of them. Matthew the tax man in parallel passages in Mark's gospel in Luke's gospel. The name of the tax collector that was called from his office of collecting taxes was also Levi. They had was not uncommon for them to have a Gentile and a Jewish name in those days.

Dual names in the Roman Empire.

Simon the zealot. While he served with Matthew and that's kind of odd zealous view tax collectors as traders, but Christ into their lives and all that changed many medicine crises new creation so to this kind of just talk about this seal that Simon had before Christ for his nation. The nationalism that was in his heart zealous.

Eventually that group that he was no longer part of they degenerated into a group of assassins known as the Saqqara of the Latin for the dagger man because they became assassins that fanaticism contributed to provoking Roman landing everyone in the Roman Jewish war zealots took control of Jerusalem in 66 A.D. and four years later. Of course, the Romans will the proceeds the city and then eventually they took it with much bloodshed and retribution from Rome and of course the destruction of Jerusalem. Their last stronghold would be the fortress of Masada and to the there again.

The Romans, it fell to the Romans in 7380 so brief in a story about that group that he belonged to. They became fanatical and violent. But Simon was no longer part of them, but he was remembered as one who was there again.

The contrast between Matthew the one working for Rome in the eyes of the zealous and Simon and they served together in the church is been doing that for centuries people who would otherwise be enemies of come together as brothers and sisters. Verse 14 these all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

These all continued with one accord God's truth is a separating force or to uniting force. It's up to the individual how they respond to the truth of God. Here they are united therein one accord and you know the end of God's word is not wisdom so value will go by the world learned that their goal of the Greeks. When Paul begins to expand into grid Gentile territory of the world is so cherished wisdom, but it is holiness that the Christians are more concerned with. And, you know, when we sing songs about the holiness of God's the hands go up the hearts go out to the Lord. We love that purity of our God.

Outwardly, it is not without wisdom, but God's wisdom is never without his holiness, and the world we they don't understand that hopefully will be able to share it in prayer and supplication while Scripture and fellowship in Scripture, fellowship, prayer in the presence of Christ. These were dominant within the early church and is supposed to be with us to this day. Unfortunately a lot of Christians opt out of the Scripture portfolio say they like the Scripture, but the really, bored by it, but the church without the Holy Spirit. It was good. This is what were looking at these 40 days to good church but it was not great hope that resonates with us the church without the Holy Spirit upon it, filling it over flowing through it was good.

It was not great. It lacked passion for the Samaritans and the Gentiles. I offer that as Exhibit 1, but by acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2 will birth acts chapter 8 and chapter 10 where the Samaritans are reached, and where the Gentiles are region and just keep going from there and that is because of what takes place at Pentecost. Here it says with the women of this is critical.

Also, because the limited the love that you know that one to the marketplace as they prepared the meal they were always available to be in this number but this time they are as we move through will see that they're not when they are it is mentioned is no slight immunologist or reject that feminist view of having to somehow always have men and women equal in their activities. We are equal in value to God. God does not see men above women are women above men.

They are equal in value but they are separate in their assignments in in some areas women give birth to children mental to leave the house, not as tyrants but as beloved leaders and this is the pattern that the world hates what the Bible teaches.

Satan hates it very much and so he spends a lot of energy coming against anyway is with the women who were very supportive of the Lord's public ministry when he ministered there in Israel and this would suggest that where they are now meeting is not at the temple area the temple area. Had the court of the women, the court of the Gentiles and all of that again. The portico's and the it just all these little areas to meet in and they pretty much stayed separate into this day in many of the practices of Judaism and some of the synagogue cements it on one side the women sat on the other you should know this because the apostles had to deal with this. They were that the women were smooth with the men here praying was remarkable. Christ did that Judaism did not do this to say is not Judaism to make the distinction is not anti-Semitic at all.

Coming out of the-be a Christian and hate the Jews or anybody as a people, but when we come to the Scripture we have to call it like it is the rabbinical Judaism was brutal and Christ took every chance he could get to go against it and he left his apostles to have to deal with it also.

And much of the separation is because of the rabbis. Anyway, here are the women praying alongside the men when we get the Pentecost, the emphasis will be on the men not by not intentional or just the way was the women again home doing things and the men were there at the temple Pentecost again as I mentioned likely occurring at the temple just for example, chapter 5, verse 14, of acts, the make my point and believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women and so when they make, they make that distinction because of the things that I just pointed out the differences in how the genders had their assignments and and kept to it, it says here and Mary the mother of Jesus. Wait a minute they're here praying. Mary is present but no one sprang to her does not little. This is big. She would've considered blasphemy to pray for her. She called you out. No one would bet dear be so foolish and sinful to pray to her at this time. Is anyone so anti-Scripture to believe that they are saying Hail Mary mother, do you do you really think that that was going on at this point of the snow scripted all the Scripture is against such a thing.

Mary is called the mother of Jesus is never in Scripture, she referred to as the mother of God. How can God have her mother, the mother of Jesus, she is though I now listen no slight on Mary Perry was blessed among women of virtuous woman and I looking forward to meeting her. We don't vilify her.

Because others have injected into pseudo-Christianity. Mary worship, and I'm not going to not honor, could gag order in place and say well I might hurt somebody's feelings. I can't speak the truth. Nonsense.

This is what the Bible is teaching and there are those who would like to believe that she is coping equal with Christ in our redemption, which is blasphemous. There are those who take the names of Jesus and Mary from the Bible and leave all the truth behind a just cherry pick the names and do they want to.

It is again flat blasphemy to pray to Peter to Mary to anyone except God and Jesus of course is God the son, Mary worship invaded the church about 250 years a little more than a from this time in the book of acts, and once that and came in bringing all the pagan practices with at the ridiculous baseless stories.

It is astounding what people will believe once they overrule Scripture. Once they just thought of Doug as I mentioned take the names out and forget everything else associated with those names in the Bible and begin to put other things on them. It is astounding by me, Joseph Smith of the morning to put his glasses on and you can see all sorts of stuff I have people believe this to this day. They believe it anyway. We do not read of virtuous Mary again in the Scripture, after this meaning she played no leading role in the development of Christianity and the church and is not an insult.

It is an honor preposition in Scripture is very honorable so it says here with his brothers Mary had other sons and now they're saying Scripture says she was no perpetual virgin to to try to sit with those of Joseph. So, that's not what the Bible teaches you make your make a choice. You choose what the Bible says what someone else says.

And that always comes down to that. But the question is, his brothers were there. Mary was there. Where will the multitudes that Christ had healed and laid his hands on and taught well. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list. In fact, the 120 will come to an a minute is different event and still they were the 500 in Galilee, for they were others that believe what just the 500 just take that for an example, imagine going into a courtroom with that many witnesses on your side. 500 people is that we saw him crucified and then risen, and these are credible people also. But the world is not wanted to be that way, all as a whole, but there are individuals for whom it is going.

They're going to believe the message we just don't know that who they are before I got Savior. Many people said is no way he super lost and there's just no and then I get saved so they didn't know I was going to get saved. I didn't know I was going to get saved and to this day, you don't know what unbelievers will come to Christ, so don't lose heart. Keep at it and don't think that it's going to be necessarily the one that you been praying for could be somebody else. We we don't want to interfere. We want to be usable instruments in the hand of God and he is no respecter of persons.

That is not an scary thing.

That's a sobering thought, God is going to adhere to his truth is holiness no matter what people might feel verse 15 in those days we got a lot more here. Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples. Altogether the number of names was about 120 and said no, so what he says.

And in those days. It's the disjunctive breaks from what he was talking about and is now coming to another vent within that 10 day also. Before or between the ascension of Christ and Pentecost remember Lucas writing 30 years after these events to a Gentile name, Theophilus, and he says hey in those days. This is old school the same to Theophilus.

In those days Peter stood up. So again, this verse is separate from verse 14 and you'll miss that LOL at least I have at times though in the past. You kind of thing will this is the 120.

This name with the apostles and Mary but it really is is not a Peter stood up in their midst of the in the midst of the disciples.

What a wonderful phrase. I like that to be said about me, stood up in the midst of the disciples not doing service now. I use no standing up now for the preacher man but just in life to stand up in the midst of the disciples. Anyway, that's a bit of an allegory. That's we move move on all together. Bottom of verse 15 the number of names about 120 and again would be difficult to accommodate that many people in in the local upper rooms of the city.

There likely back at the temple as a read from Luke's gospel with that's where they were the tenant to roll. Verse 16 men and brethren. This Scripture had to be filled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus move you've been listening to cross reference radio daily radio ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia.

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