Anthem Church

While Paul & Barnabas remain in Lystra there are a group of Jews who have traveled from as far as Iconium and Pisidian Antioch for the sole purpose of disrupting the ministry of the apostles. These Jews were able to persuade the crowds, who had just been worshiping Paul, to have Paul stoned, dragged out of the city and left for dead; or so they thought. The disciples in Lystra gather around Paul’s...

Paul and Barnabas find themselves in the city of Lystra after fleeing from Iconium. Here Paul heals a crippled man, and the town’s reaction to this miraculous act of God is to treat their visitors as gods themselves, seeking to honor Paul and Barnabas by offering sacrifices to them. When the apostles realize what is going on, they urgently insist that the city members put an end to their vain wors...

In the 14th chapter of Acts, we find Paul and Barnabas at Iconium, in yet another synagogue telling others about the person and work of Christ. The text notes that they “spoke in such a way” that people were stirred up, either to affection for Christ or to bitterness and resentment towards God. These initial verses of chapter 14 demonstrate the power of the practice of preaching. While many have c...

The next stop on Barnabas and Paul’s missionary journey takes them to Antioch in Pisidia. Here they join a worship gathering on the Sabbath where they are asked to provide a word of encouragement to the people gathered together. The encouragement Paul provides them is the same encouragement we need today, the gospel. True encouragement comes from fearing the Lord. The gospel of Jesus Christ encour...

Focusing again on the church of Antioch at the beginning of chapter 13, we find Saul and Barnabas beginning their first missionary journey, stopping first at the island of Cyprus. Here Saul and Barnabas preach the gospel, confront false teaching, and lead people to the Lord. Just as Saul (now called Paul) was radically changed by the power of God, we too are given a holy calling, a holy identity,...

Why is pride so bad? Scripture is clear that God hates pride, it is the source of all sin, and it always destroys. Pride puts us in opposition to God and in the end it will destroy us. We must daily practice humility to fight the sin of pride that can easily entrap all of us. Practicing humility helps accomplish three things: humility orientate us towards Jesus, not others; humility gives glory an...

We, the Church, are to proceed in community, under the guidance of God’s Spirit, according to our new nature. The result is a people who model love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. However, each of us has latent, residual inclinations to people and events that, unchecked, have the capacity for great corporate harm. The contrasting result is a co...

Fresh out of jail, having just been miraculously freed by God, Peter goes to the house of John Mark’s mother, where there are a number of people praying for him. These people are encouraged by Peter’s story, and he asks them to spread the story to even more apostles and disciples. The power of testimony is great, and as we share the work Christ has done and continues to do in and through us, we bu...

Through Peter’s imprisonment and miraculous escape from prison, we see the power of prayer and the power of God on full display - no matter the opposition, God’s purposes will not be thwarted. We are also reminded of our own spiritual imprisonment - without Christ, we dwelt in darkness and sin. We are freed, however, by grace through faith in Christ himself. It is God who loosens our chains, forgi...

As the church in the city of Antioch is established, a prophet visits with a word from God: a famine is coming, and the brothers and sisters in Judea will be in need of assistance during this time. The generous response of the Antioch church teaches us valuable lessons in how to share and bless others with the resources we have been given. As we grow personally in our generosity by the power of th...

As the news of Christ’s life and work continued to spread beyond the walls of Jerusalem, many people from many regions began to grow in knowledge of grace and truth. One of the cities reached with the gospel was Antioch, where seeds were sown by eager disciples and where Barnabas and Saul worked together to build up and establish a church. From the work and example of these followers we learn some...

As Peter is sharing the gospel with Cornelius and his family and friends, the Spirit descends, salvation occurs, and new members are brought into the family of God. How are we to welcome those who are “outside” into the church, into communion with believers and with the Lord? The text recounts a powerful story of redemption and salvation, and we learn that those on the outside need to hear the gos...

This week, the apostle Peter shares the truth that God has revealed to him: God shows no partiality, and His forgiveness through faith in Jesus’ work and present reign is for all people in the world. Peter’s short but effective message breaks down three key components of the Gospel: the truth of who Jesus is, what He did, and what these realities mean for all people, both then and now.

After Cornelius sends for Peter in Joppa, we find Peter, who sees a vision from the Lord, and through wrestling and discerning confirms that the Lord is breaking down barriers for the sake of the gospel. Peter meets with Cornelius and his family and shares the meaning of the vision: no one should call any person common or unclean, unworthy of the grace of God. This vision fans further the flame of...

The Acts narrative leads us to man named Cornelius, who Scripture describes as a devout follower of God. Cornelius is told by a vision of an angel to send men to bring Peter to him, an order which he promptly obeys. As important as the events of this passage are to the story, equally important is the attention Luke gives to Cornelius’ character as a husband, father, and disciple. This Father’s Day...

In and out of the church, debates and discussions regarding the cause and the purpose of suffering are commonplace. Why do we suffer, and what good is to come from our suffering? Why does the sin in the world often eclipse the good? Because we are all priests in the kingdom, we are called to heal and to help others heal, and this portion of the book of Acts serves as a template from which we learn...

Saul, a violent opponent of the Way of Christ and of the early church, is met unexpectedly on the road to Damascus by Christ himself. Jesus confronts Saul, who then finishes his journey to Damascus and is met by Ananias, a brother in Christ who assists Saul in his early moments of faith. This text shows us that although opponents of Christ may malign, marginalize, and mistreat followers of Jesus,...

We are surrounded by cultural intersections, and despite the wide array of cultures that surround us, they all share a common point of intersection: the Gospel. In this sermon we reflect on the encounter Philip has with an Ethiopian Eunuch. These are two men from very different cultures who encounter one another with the gospel as the intersection point. In their encounter we see that gospel inter...

Upon hearing the news of the spreading gospel in Samaria, the apostles Peter and John come to examine the situation and pray that the new believers would receive the Holy Spirit. Simon the magician, amazed and envious of the supernatural ability of the apostles, offers money in exchange for instruction on how to perform this Holy Spirit prayer. In his stern yet loving rebuke, Peter tells Simon tha...

As the early believers were persecuted by Saul in Jerusalem, many of them scattered to nearby regions. As they went, they preached the gospel to those they encountered. Philip, one of the early deacons, found himself in Samaria, where he preached Christ to a people captivated by the work of a magician named Simon. Looking at this text, we learned that the good news of the kingdom of God is for bot...

What are the parameters of a church that is faithful to the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ as set forth in Scripture? Such a church must hold orthodox views on the members and roles of the Holy Trinity, must believe rightly regarding the authority of God and Scripture, and must believe that liberating grace is obtained through faith alone in Christ alone. This week, we observe Evangelical...

What are the parameters of a church that is faithful to the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ as set forth in Scripture? Such a church must hold orthodox views on the members and roles of the Holy Trinity, must believe rightly regarding the authority of God and Scripture, and must believe that liberating grace is obtained through faith alone in Christ alone. This week, the beliefs of Jehovah...

What are the parameters of a church that is faithful to the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ as set forth in Scripture? Such a church must hold orthodox views on the members and roles of the Holy Trinity, must believe rightly regarding the authority of God and Scripture, and must believe that liberating grace is obtained through faith alone in Christ alone. This week Mormonism is examined w...

What are the parameters of a church that is faithful to the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ as set forth in Scripture? Such a church must hold orthodox views on the members and roles of the Holy Trinity, must believe rightly regarding the authority of God and Scripture, and must believe that liberating grace is obtained through faith alone in Christ alone. While there are many faithful Chr...

Resurrection Sunday is cause for great celebration. We remember today, more than any other day, that our Lord Jesus is alive, and not only is he living and triumphant, but he is the the greatest gift known to man, the present fulfillment of all of our needs. Jesus is the better answer to all our soul longs for, and through the gospel he offers us the chance to cling to him in the light and in the...