Author: Robert Spiller

Married to Pam my wife for 57 Years, we have 2 married daughters and six grandchildren. In 1983 we were called into Christian ministry at Crossroad Christian Fellowship. After serving as pastor for 28 years I handed over this responsibility to Pastor Jon Sibley and continued to serve as an elder until August 2020. We both remain active members of Crossroads.

Two Missionary Teams Instead Of One. Acts 15:30-41.

~ Robert Spiller ~ Leave a comment

Pause for thought

The letter from the Jerusalem Church was entrusted to two messengers, “Judas and Silas” who could Guarantee the validity of the letter and its message.15:22

Sometimes a letter can sound coldly official, but not this one, Inspired by the Holy Spirit and delivered by the hand of disciples in love with Jesus its reception brings great joy and encouragement to the Antioch Christian’s. 15:31

Do we always think before we speak or write? Electronic communication is a blessing when we use it as God intends.

Division between Christian’s can occur but God can turn even these disagreements for good Romans 8:28. Paul himself wrote about two sisters who fell out Philippians 4:2-3 he pleaded that they should strive to agree and that other Christian’s should try to help them come together. All was not lost for now we see two missionary teams instead of one! Was this Gods intended plan all along? We can’t be sure but God can turn our mistakes into His opportunities. Paul and Barnabas couldn’t see eye to eye but eventually Paul changed his mind about John Mark Colossians 4:10.

A verse to remember

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Jesus said “New Wine Must Be Stored In New Wineskins” Mathew 9:17. Acts 15: 1-21.

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Pause for thought

In His parable of the wine skins Mathew 9:17, Jesus taught that the new wine of christianity can not be contained by the straitjacket of Judaism. The decision taken by the Jerusalem council ensured that Christianity never became a sect of Judaism 15:24-29.

We know that no one can earn the favour of God by their own efforts, or by keeping the Law to make themselves right with God. Without the grace of Christ we are all hopeless.. The Jewish party said “we can earn Gods favour by keeping the Law especially by being circumcised” , Peter was saying “ We can only be saved by casting ourselves on the grace and love of God” 15:10

To add the Law to faith is to test God, because it’s like we’re saying Christ’s sacrifice for our sins is not quite enough. But it is God Himself who confirms that our faith in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is enough by giving us the Holy Spirit 15:8-12

The Jerusalem Council made no additional requirements for salvation on gentile Christian’s, just to separate from paganism and its practices. We Christians must strive to remain pure in an impure world, but we must be sure that the requirements for faith are God’s, not people’s.

A verse to remember

God who knows people’s hearts, confirmed that He accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He gave Him to us. acts 15:8 N.L.T.

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Holy Spirit Boldness. From Iconium To Lystra And Derby. Acts 14:1-20.

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Pause for thought

Wherever Paul and Barnabas went they caused a stir. Their Gospel was either loved and accepted or hated and rejected. The true gospel will always cause division. In Lystra because of the miracles they were even mistaken for gods, and then at the instigation of some jealous Jews Paul was stoned and dragged outside the town and left for dead. When Paul and Barnabas visited a place the Holy Spirit working through them always stirred things up. In fact whenever God is at work in the lives of his disciples today it is always by the Holy Spirit. The opposition to Paul and Barnabas seemed no doubt quite reasonable to those who opposed them. However the Jews from Antioch and Iconium were not only resisting Paul’s testimony, it was God the Holy Spirit they were resisting. As in Paul’s day the devil will always try to make opposing the work of the Spirit seem reasonable. It seems that when the Holy Spirit is working the flesh displays itself as it did when some in Lystra tried to make gods of Barnabas and Paul. The Jews from Antioch probably felt they were proved right by this spectacle. When the Holy Spirit is at work there are often fleshly excesses, but we must not throw out the baby with the bath water or call Spirit flesh or flesh Spirit 14: 19-20

I think sometimes one of the reasons that we have limited success in our churches is because we play it too safe, I wonder if some of the early church leaders considered Paul well balanced? I’m certain he was, but perhaps what they considered balanced “being full of the Holy Spirit” some would struggle with in 2024.

A verse to think about

This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, “Stand up strait on your feet” And he leaped and walked. Acts 14:9-10, N.K.J.V.

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All Who Were Appointed To Eternal Life became Believers Acts 13:13-52.

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Pause for thought

This Antioch of Pisidia is not the Antioch in Syria where Paul and Barnabas were commissioned and sent out from with the gospel.

No one was ever born a Christian or woke up and found themselves a Christian! Of course we give thanks to God for Christian influence through family and friends and as we look back at different often seemingly unconnected events we can see God at work bringing us to faith in Jesus Christ, and so changing our lives forever. What might We have become if God had not intervened in our lives? 13:48.

This sermon that Paul preached in the Synagogue at Antioch is very similar to the sermon Peter preached at Pentecost Acts 2. Paul insisted that the coming of Jesus is the fulfilment of Jewish and world history. That the Jews had missed this truth and had handed their Messiah to the Romans to be crucified. Because God could not be defeated and raised Jesus from the dead, which was the proof of the power and purpose of God. Especially for his Jewish listeners Paul points out that the resurrection promises made to David were not fulfilled in David, but are now fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The sermon about the good news of Christ was to some of his hearers really good news, but very bad news for those who rejected Paul’s message 13:42-43.

Paul and Barnabas were not prepared to compromise the message of the Gospel, for the sake of their Jewish brethren’s feelings or for any fear of personal rejection. What they preached was and still is a matter of LIFE or death, they did as God bade them and on leaving that place shook the dust from their feet as a sign against them. The fruit from their visit meant that they left behind in Antioch a joyous group of Christians continuously being filled with the Holy Spirit. ( this is the sense of the verb filled used here)

The unchanging message of the gospel will have unchanging results.

A verse to remember

For this is as the Lord commanded to us when He said “I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring Salvation to the farthest corners of the earth” Acts 13:47.

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Don’t Play It Safe, Paul Didn’t! Acts 13:1-14.

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Pause for thought

This was the starting point of Paul’s first missionary journey. This was no spur of the moment decision, I believe it had always been Gods plan. The church leaders were seeking the Lord in fasting and worship, when the Lord spoke through one of the prophets that Barnabas and Paul should be sent out. (were these two already sensing the call?) It’s noteworthy that they continued in fasting and prayer before laying hands on them and sending them out. Verse 4 makes it very clear that the call and commissioning and sending forth was the work of the Holy Spirit.

It was at this time that Paul became known as and called Paul. His Hebrew name was Saul but his Roman name was Paul. As the Apostle to the gentiles was this a further reason he chose to use his gentile name?

It’s worth noting that for Barnabas, Cyprus was home territory 13:4. After leaving Salamis they went from town to town preaching the gospel, little did they know what lay ahead at Paphos 13:6! It was not an easy place Paphos was a centre for the worship of Venus, the goddess of love, and was a byword for lustful immortality. Paul led by the Spirit never chose the easy way. The Proconsul of the Island was Sergius Paulus a man who wished to hear the gospel, it seems the Holy Spirit was drawing him and causing him to be open to the gospel. Whenever men turn and receive the gospel, opposing demonic forces will try to stop the work one way or another. Paul did not retreat! Full of the Holy Spirit he looked the sorcerer in the eye ( looked the demon in the eye) and taking authority and naming the works of the devil in the sorcerers life, bound him in physical darkness for a time so that he became dependent on others to lead him. By experiencing physical blindness Paul revealed to the sorcerer first hand how dark were his works and how misled by the devil he was, that he now needed someone to lead him by the hand, We don’t know what the outcome was but hope he repented? That is a possibility as Paul bound him in physical darkness for a limited time 13:11.

Paul remembered his commission was by the Holy Spirit. Which was why he was so bold. He relied totally upon the Holy Spirit to lead him and knew that if that was where God wanted him and who it was he was to lead to repentance and faith in Christ, nothing was going to stop him. The result the Proconsul believed the gospel and as astonished at the power of God13:12

Something to think about

Don’t play it safe Paul didn’t !

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An Angel Wakes Peter From His Sleep. Acts 12.

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Pause for thought

This Herod is Herod Agrippa, there are a number of different Herod’s mentioned in the New Testament, and all were members of the same family. From Herod the Great who was in power when Jesus was born, and received the wise men, to Herod Agrippa 2nd who examine Paul Acts 25 and 26. This Herod Agrippa who had Peter imprisoned was an evil ruler like everyone of his relatives.

Herod’s persecuted the church to please the Jewish leaders, he was a men pleaser who loved the praise of people! Why was James martyred and Peter spared? No matter how hard we try to answer this question I don’t think we are meant to know the answer. But we do know that God will use every situation we face to bring glory to Himself and strengthen our faith in His Son, my favourite verse is Romans 8: 28. What a mighty God we serve!

The church prayed diligently for Peter, and all at once their prayers were answered when the Lords Angel woke Peter from his sleep! How could Peter sleep bound to two soldiers facing the certainty of execution as soon as the feast days were at an end? He was probably exhausted and tired, however I think it was because he remembered what the Lord had promised, that he would not die young, but old John 21:18. This is yet another reminder that the Holy Spirit will bring to our memory all the things Jesus has said John 14:26. These words attributed to Thomas a’ Kempis are very apt “when Jesus is present, all is well, and nothing seems difficult.”

Herod’s terrible end was because “he did not give God the glory” when the people of Tyre and Sidon said he was a god and not a man. Herod’s pride had ended in the wrath of God 12:23.

A verse to remember

But God’s Good News was spreading rapidly, and there were many new believers. Acts 12:24. N.L.T.

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Barnabas A Good Man, Full Of Faith And The Holy Spirit. Acts 11:19-30.

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Pause for thought

News of the gospel being preached and accepted by Greeks, came to the notice of the Church in Jerusalem so Barnabas was sent to investigate. The leaders had a responsibility to find out what was happening at Antioch, and by sending Barnabas they were sending a man they could trust to give a truthful report, a man who would know if what was happening was of the Holy Spirit or otherwise? It must of been the grace of God that they chose Barnabas, rather than someone who was ridged or narrow minded. Barnabas was known for his love and generosity to the needy Acts 4:36-37. Also his support for Paul when other Christians suspected him Acts 9:27.

When Barnabas arrived in Antioch he recognised the grace of God at work, and was glad at the number of people being added to the Church. He realised that these new converts needed leaders who were Spirit filled and able to teach. Who else but Paul was there who fitted the bill? Barnabas already had a good relationship with Paul as recorded in Acts 9:27-28 this was no coincidence it shows how seemingly unconnected incidents can be part of Gods plans 11:25.

Antioch in Syria became an important missionary Church. It was Paul’s home base during his missionary journeys following his ordination by the church leaders, and being sent out by the Holy Spirit 13:4. It was at Antioch that the believers were nicknamed little Christ’s or Christian’s, not meant to be complementary but it has stuck! 11:26.

Agabus was a five fold ministry prophet Ephesians 4:11. Paul encourages all to prophecy Corinthians 14:1. There is a difference between the gift of prophecy and the office, of the prophet.

The disciples were eager to give to the Judean relief fund, but notice they gave according to what they had, not according to what they did not have! God never exploits His people or approves of those who do.

A verse to remember

Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judaea. Acts 11:29 N.K.J.V.

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Peter defends God’s Grace. Acts 11:1-23.

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Pause for thought

This incidence is of such importance that it must never be overlooked, which is why the Holy Spirit led Luke to record it twice first in Acts 10 and again in Acts 11 about what happened when Peter preached at Caesarea. Jesus Himself showed his message was for all people as recorded by the Holy Spirit in -John 4:1-42 for Samaritans, Mark 5:1-20 for Greeks, Luke 7::1-10 for Romans.

Peter’s defence was not an argument ; it was a statement of facts. The Holy Spirit had been poured upon these Gentiles in the same way as had been given to the Jewish Christians at Pentecost. What Peter related could be attested to by the six brothers who traveled with him and who witnessed the Gentiles being filled with the Holy Spirit. This was God’s doing therefore there could be no argument 11:17.

Before Acts 10:44-46 the gospel was preached to Jews only, afterwards it was deliberately preached to Gentiles. Peter teaches us that we must work with God not against Him 11:17. I well remember Dick Bells words to me in the mid seventies “find out what God is doing and get in on it!” Here are three thoughts that come to me, 1 good ideas are not always from God, 2 Talent is not the same as Holy Spirit anointing, 3 Wait on the Lord for His timing. Remember Jesus only did what He saw His Father doing John 5:19.

The Holy Spirit led Peter to preach in places where if he had held on to his prejudices he would never of gone!

A verse to remember

And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift He gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to argue? Acts 11:17 N.L.B.

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The Heart Of The Gospel Acts 10:34-48.

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Pause for thought

God made it clear to Peter and through Peter to us that the Gospel, the good news about Jesus Christ is for everyone! There is no barrier outside of ourselves that can stop us hearing or telling others about Jesus 10:34-35.

Peter preaches the gospel as recorded in verses 34-43 it is a concise statement of all that Jesus did starting at His baptism and anointing with the Holy Spirit. He showed His Father was a good God who loves people by healing many and delivering them from the devil’s oppression. He was taken and crucified showing what man’s sin can do. He rose again to life, showing that Gods power can not be defeated. Peter witnessed to the truth of what he was telling to those assembled, he was a witness to the truth of all these events. The result of all this is the redemption of everyone who believe and forgiveness of sins through the name of Jesus.

I love it ! The Spirit fell upon all who heard Peters message, this description of the Holy Spirits interaction with these new believers is so similar to the parable Jesus told and how the Father of the prodigal showed his heart of love to his returning son by falling upon his son in love 10: 44 ,Luke 15:20.

Just as the Jewish believers had received the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, now the Jewish believers who had accompanied Peter to Caesarea witnessed the Holy Spirit falling upon these gentile believers in an identical way, for they. heard them speak with tongues and magnify God in the same way as they had. The filling of the Holy Spirit is the same for these gentile Christians here in Caesarea, as it had been in in Jerusalem for the Jewish Christian’s 10: 44-48

Please note believers baptism immediately followed conversion as was always the case in Acts, a very good example that we should strive to follow. Peter was asked to stay for a few days no doubt he did some teaching but this was not to prepare these converts for baptism, that first step in discipleship was behind them!

A verse to remember

He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name. Acts 10:43 N.L.B.

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