So we
continue this morning our journey through Acts. And if there is only one word
or one phrase you take with you from this talk this morning – I hope it won’t
be just the one! - then let it be from V32 and the ‘message of
grace.’
A message that is ‘able to build you up and
give you an inheritance.’ What is that ‘message of his grace’? Well, it is
written in bold letters above me here on the arch. (John 3:16)
And what is
‘grace’? Grace is an act of love towards the undeserving. To those who think
they deserve God’s love – because of
who they are, their achievements or their good deeds - this message comes as too much of a challenge to their pride.
And sadly, as a consequence, they
fail to act upon that message and so find it difficult to be a practising
Christian of any real effectiveness in their calling as Christians. On the
other hand, to those who humbly acknowledge the ingrained issue of their pride and their sin, it is a message of
liberation, of peace, and of joy. It is a gift
–a very costly one as v28 reminds us - from our Creator, offered to all, needed
by all, and rejected by anyone at their peril.
It is – if you are looking for
an analogy that absolutely anyone can easily understand – an antidote, a cure,
for a terminal illness. And who in their right mind, once they realise they are
ill, would spurn such a gift. It is a very precious one, a ‘pearl of great
price’: no wonder Paul, here in chapter twenty, wants to preserve it and to
preserve it unadulterated.
I would like
you to imagine that you are the current chief exec or MD of a company selling a
product that everyone needs or wants.
You have been in business for some time.
The product, when people know about it, pretty much sells itself, at least to
those who recognise that they need it. Now just recently your company has
encountered two different but related problems. Some of your sales and
marketing team, in order to boost their own earnings, have started to change
the product description in order to make it easier for the gullible or the
unconvinced to buy it. At the same time, others in your sales and marketing
team are actually trying to sell a quite different product whilst using your
advertising, packaging, plant, and other resources. As CEO or MD, my question to
you is what would you do?
I hope it’s
not too difficult to make the connection between my illustration and the issue
Paul was facing and warning the leaders about. It has been of course a
perennial problem for the Church and still is today. In America at least 7
whole dioceses have seceded from the ECUSA in the last two years because of the
heretical teaching of bishops who no longer teach the faith as given in the
Bible and the creeds, some of whom do not even believe that Jesus was God. Such
disbeliefs, sadly and worryingly, can also be found amongst English Anglican
priests and bishops.
So what is
Paul concerned about here? Quite simply, it is the spiritual health and
well-being of those to whom he first spoke the good news of Jesus, the Jesus in
whom they put their faith, ‘the word or message of his grace’.
Notice that
Paul warns of the danger both to their flocks and to themselves. Priests, bishops, who are called to be shepherds
to their flocks, are not immune from this danger. I have encountered several in
my time who have been deceived by false teaching and even promoted it amongst
their flocks – always with devastating results. To say that such divisions are
simply no more than differences of opinion and that the great British principle
of toleration ought to operate here is to be either wholly naive or devilishly
disingenuous about such a grave matter; not to mention dishonouring to Jesus as
Saviour and Lord.
Paul reminds them here of the most costly
price paid by Jesus for the gospel of grace, for our forgiveness, for our
freedom, for our inheritance v32
V30 These
wolves then will come even from the flock ‘distorting the truth’ in order to
entice the disciples to follow them.’ We need to be ‘alert’ v31.
How do you
recognise a wolf or someone who has been led astray by a wolf? Well they almost
always do not appear to be wolves - that’s the problem! - but as sheep or
shepherds. Fortunately there are certain tell-tale signs that mark out such ‘wolves
in sheep’s clothing’; signs, both positive and negative, by which we can
discern whether or not someone is a wolf or a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
In the C of
E we have differed, legitimately, over points of belief regarding the faith and
how that faith is expressed; but when the central doctrines of the faith
expressed in the creeds and the reliability and authority of the bible – even
the teaching of Jesus – are being attacked, undermined, or changed, then we
know that we have a wolf attack on or hands.
‘By their
fruit shall you know them’, said Jesus. And we know, from having studied what
Jesus clearly meant when he used the word ‘fruit’, that he spoke of the growth,
especially new growth, of those who acknowledge him as God and who obey his
teaching. So, when we encounter Christians (and especially Shepherds –clergy!)
we need to ask God to help us discern whether or not their teaching is
faithful. Notice I said ‘faithful’; not comfortable or in line with the spirit
of the age or the most recent theories of science, but ‘faithful’ – faithful to
what God has revealed, especially in the life, teaching claims, death, and
resurrection of Jesus.
This was a
very pressing question in Old Testament times when people wanted to know which
prophet they should believe. It was not enough that the guy looked like a
prophet, spoke like a prophet and claimed to be a prophet: they all did! And so
God spoke to the people of Israel and gave them two criteria by which to
discern whether or not a particular prophet could be believed. The first
concerned whether or not what the prophet prophesied came true.
The second
criteria was whether the prophet led people back to God or away from him. And
it is quite clear that the most important criteria was the second – whether the
prophet led people back to God. Why? Well because it might very well transpire
that what the prophet prophesied did come to pass. But if as a result the people were led astray - away from God and
from his laws and commandments, then that prophet was not to be trusted. So the
first criterion was always dependent upon the second.
And these
criteria, especially the second, we can bear in mind and apply when we come to
judge whether or not a clergyperson or a modern day prophet or an ordinary
Christian is telling God’s truth.
The watchword here must always be
‘faithfulness’; faithfulness, that is, to the teaching of Jesus and the
apostles - and not to the spirit of the age, the current theories of science,
or the thoughts of whatever is ‘trending now’ on the net. This is not to say
that these are always contrary to Christian teaching; not at all. However, I am
often shocked by how much and how easily some Christians are influenced by
these when they are trying to make sense of the world and of their lives. And I
don’t think many Christians realise just how dangerously deceptive such
unchristian ideas and priorities can be. Who do you believe about the creation
of the world? Stephen Hawking or Jesus? Who do you believe about gay marriage?
Stonewall or Jesus? Who do you believe about morality? Christopher Hitchens or
Jesus? Who do you believe about human nature? Richard Dawkins or Jesus? I think
you would be astonished how often some Christians could not answer ‘Jesus’.
So what do
wolves in sheep’s clothing do? They deceive people either by changing the
Gospel or by short-changing people about it or by offering something completely
different as Christianity, albeit often something temptingly religious or
spiritual in appearance. Just as with the Old Testament prophets, we really do
need to be on our guard against those
who claim to be Christians or priests, who talk like them, dress like them, and
act like them but in fact are not faithful to the Gospel of Jesus and lead
people astray. In my experience they tend to really look the part, to play
down your sins and theirs, and to make you feel comfortable rather than challenged in your faith, telling you what
you want to hear rather than what
you need to know.
Paul knew
that the wolves would come for the flock; and he knew that some of those wolves
would come from the flock itself, which is why the shepherds had to be
especially careful.
So what can
we do to be on our guard? Well, the best way to recognise the wolf is to steep
ourselves in knowledge of Jesus and what he taught so that we can get to know
him and his teaching and be able to recognise what is of him and what is not.
The closer we draw to Jesus – through prayer, study of his word, and unashamedly
standing up for him in our lives, the easier it will be not only to recognise
the wolves in whatever guise they come but also to defend ourselves and others
from their clutches. But for all these very real concerns about wolves, some of
which will face us over the next few years - indeed already do! – let us not
forget
Jesus’ promise to be with the faithful until his coming again. He has
promised not leave us comfortless. Indeed, if we have chosen to decide for him,
to take up our cross and follow him faithfully, then he will provide all that
we need in the time of trial. We have only to trust him. V32 (RE-READ)
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