Acts 10 Summary - He Commanded Us To Preach

Verses

• 1+ (See v2,4,9) When the Lord did these great things, people had been praying so much.
• 10+ (See v28) "You know how that it is an unlawful thing..."
• 36+ The Word Which God Sent
• 44+ Baptism Was "Commanded"

Meaning

v42

And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God [to be] the Judge of quick and dead.

The other day, I was walking by a man who was outside. I had tried to preach the gospel to him before, and I think he acted like he agreed with it, but wouldn't pay attention to do anything about it. I prayed about whether I should preach the gospel to him or not.

I saw a sign on a telephone pole for a lost puppy, and it said, "reward". That sign meant so much to me. I thought of the story of the little lost lamb, and I thought of the promise of a reward from the Lord.

Application

I went ahead and gently told the man "the shortest gospel" (from Acts 16:31,) even though he didn't seem to be listening.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.

Warning: Bad Teaching

References

1. Colossians 2:8
2. Hebrews 13:9

Colossians 2:8

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Beware

I am warning you. Be warned about bad teaching.

any man

It could be somebody you think you can trust.

vain

The word vain makes me think of fluff. It looks all big on the outside, but there's nothing to it. Bad teaching doesn't make any difference in light of doing people any real good.

deceit

Dishonestly characterizes bad teachers, but it's not easy to tell that bad teachings are bad. Don't be tricked.

after

What are the teachings all about? Things people do? Things in this world? Or Christ?

the tradition of men

People have habits of doing certain things. Good teaching is about Jesus, not about special things certain people do.

the rudiments of the world

There are things in this world like foods, drink, and holidays, that people use to distract from Christ. They want to interrupt and talk about these things, so we can't tell people the good news about Jesus.

not after Christ

This is how you can tell good teaching from bad teaching. Is it from Jesus, and about Him, or not?

We should never think that Christ, himself, is old and boring. That's 1 way bad teachers trick people, by bringing all different kinds of flashy new and exciting teachings, instead of the good, old fashioned, plain and simple truth.

Christ is better, and we shouldn't think, "Oh, we always talk about Christ, and say He's great and everything," and get tired of that.

Hebrews 13:9

Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For [it is] a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

carried about

Our hearts should be established instead of us being carried about.

divers and strange

Bad teachings are about all different kinds of things.

doctrines

"Doctrines" means things that people teach.

it is a good thing

If people teach bad things, they don't do anybody any good. There's good things to teach and to learn, and good teaching actually does people some good.

grace

"Grace" means that God has just given us the free gift of Jesus, not because we earned or deserved it. This is opposed to certain people having to do certain things, like things of this world, like in order to please God or to be saved.

meats

It was illegal for Jews to eat certain kinds of food. Jews could eat meat from certain animals, called "clean" animals, but it was against the old law to eat meat from other "unclean" animals.

Bad teachers tend to argue and waste time and trick people so much today. They want to talk all about all different kinds of things that don't really matter or do anybody any good.

This is just like the traditions of men and the elements of this world that the other verse (Colossians 2:8) taught about. There are bad teachings about which kinds of food people should or shouldn't eat, what people should and shouldn't drink, whether people should observe certain holidays, or the Sabbath, and all kinds of things like that.

have not profited

Remember the other verse (Colossians 2:8) said "vain deceit"? Well, this is really the important point. These bad teachings don't do anybody any good. Jesus Christ, by His grace, makes a difference in people's lives. Only by Him can we live a different kind of Holy life; Even free from the slavery to sin!

which have not profited them

You can look at people's lives and tell what kind of a difference the things they believe have made.

You can look at the lives of the people who bring you bad teachings, and sometimes they'll be using bad language and sinning in other ways. Bad teaching hasn't done them or anybody else any good, and it won't do you any good.

Never get bored of "Christ." Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.

Saved by the Blood

Saved by the blood of the Crucified One!
Now ransomed from sin and a new work begun,
Sing praise to the Father and praise to the Son,
Saved by the blood of the Crucified One!

Glory, I'm saved! Glory, I'm saved!
My sins are all pardoned, my guilt is all gone!
Glory, I'm saved! Glory, I'm saved!
I am saved by the blood of the Crucified One!

Words: S. J. Henderson, 1902.
Music: Daniel Brink Towner (1850-1919)
Moody Bible Institute

mp3 file
midi file

Who Am I?

1 Chronicles 17:16-27

I originally took this note at 2005 12 01 0803.

Acts 9 Summary - Jesus came to save sinners

Observation

v1-30 Saul Saw Jesus
v31-43 "many believed in the Lord."

Meaning

The first part of this chapter just confirmed to me how Jesus came to save sinners (1Tim 1:15.) That made me think of how much I've been forgiven.

We should Love sinners and tell them the good news about Jesus. No matter how evil they've been, Jesus came to save sinners.

Application

v29 says, "he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus." I'm going to keep spending my time telling people the good news.

Take heed to yourselves

Deuteronomy 11 v16

Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;

"Take heed"- Pay attention, beware. Don't let your heart be deceived. Don't turn from the Lord and serve and worship something or someone else as God!

What the Lord Requires

Deuteronomy 10 v12,13

And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,

To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?

The Lord only listed 7 things here, that He required of His people Israel. I think of this list, as 7 things that the Lord requires of myself, and of us, His people today.

1. Fear the LORD your God,
2. Walk in all His ways,
3. Love Him,
4. Serve the LORD your God with all your heart,
5. Serve the LORD your God with all your soul,
6. Keep the commandments of the LORD, and,
7. Keep His statutes.

This list, or these 2 verses, would probably be good to memorize.

v13 The Lord promised that He commanded Israel, those commandments and "statutes" that day, for their good. Now I don't know exactly what a statute is, or how it's different from a commandment. That might be a good thing to study. But the point is that God promised that it was for their good! "For your good," He said.

It's as if the Lord God is speaking to me personally, this morning, promising that His Word which I hear and read in my Bible is good for me. He's so Loving and generous and merciful and unselfish, even though He's God, and He's all powerful and all-knowing, and made everything.

Praise the Lord.