Stuff Michael Meeks is doing

Up, breakfast, NCC. Oiled the door to the children's creche so it doesn't squeak horrifically. Home for lunch; lazed around.
Did a chunk of paint-stripping, only one end of the cot remains (horay). More applied slugging practice, then dinner. Listened to a rather too short Gordon sermon on 2 Kings 22-23: The Greatest Revival Ever:
- In the ancient world; the name of a God told you about him eg. 'Dagon' - grain god, the god of beer, worshiped by consuming large quantities of it. The real God OTOH is called JHYH, The one who is - by implication all the others arn't. Josiah's father Amon's problem was that he didn't remember God's name.
- Why were so many Kings like Amon, and not like Josiah. Only 2 were faithful from start to finish; Hezekiah and Josiah - none like him, he alone walked in the footsteps of his father David and did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.
- Out of 41 kings, only 2 are loyal to God, and the rest are tripped up by idolatory, so: What is so attractive about Idolatory - what's so good about these non-functioning idols ?
- The attraction is not in that they are only wood and metal and can't answer prayer - but in that they can't talk. They can't say anything you don't want to hear.
- None of the ANE religions imposed any radical moral standards. In fact the God's themselves lived with an abysmal moral record - envy, adultery, murder, fear etc. a very user friendly religion.
- When Josiah repaired the temple he discovered the law of God which had been lost, and after purging the land they celebrated the passover. The message of the passover encapsulates everything about true-faith that makes it unappealing, and idolatory so attractive.
- The passover reminds us of the bad news: we are rightly condemned before a holy God. The miracle of the passover is not that the angel of destruction took the lives of all the first born in Egypt, the miracle is that the angel did not destroy the Israelites.
- They were no more deserving than their neighbours - just as much involved in idolatory. Wouldn't we much rather hear - that we're fine the way we are, that we can save ourselves. The passover say no - it takes God's act of redemption by the substiutionary passover lamb.
- God saved them, that they might have a debt of love for him; at the beginning of the 10 commandments - I am the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, therefore ... it all starts in Gratitude. We obey God out of love because he first loved us, and gave his life for us as a sacrifice for many.
Went for another sermon instead on Acts 12
- Scripture never contrasts faith and reason, but many times contrasts faith and sight. We are not told why Peter was not rescued until beyond the 11th hour, perhaps to test his faith, or to humiliate their enemies, who knows?
- Two lessons - the power of the God and his Gospel: it finishes with 'the word of God continued to increase and spread'. Also, the power of prayer: God has a way of checking what we believe - he listens to our prayers. If he hears nothing, he knows we believe nothing.
- His people are sustained whether by life: Peter, or death as with James, and his enemies are thwarted. Peter imprisoned for public trial after Passover. Not the first time Peter had been imprisoned; at least 2 times by the religious authorities after performing miracles, flogged etc.
- Every single time until now, the problem had arisen from Jewish animosity, but they could not execute a criminal without Roman approval.
- In this case Herod (not The Great, but his grandson - Herod Agrippa). He had grown up in Rome, was child-hood buddies with the current Emperor. Not only out of nepotism, but because he had a little Jewish blood he was made ruler of the area.
- He tried to ingratiate himself with the Jews, the Emperor thought that being more sensitive to them would make them more docile; he understood their concerns, obliged with the law - to the extent that it was convenient. Went to the temple, made more friendly coins, read portions of Deuteronomy, in public standing in the Temple - to show respect for God.
- Now at the feast of unleavened bread - often celebrated by heresy hunts - get rid of the polluting leaven - he had James put to death with the sword - and seeing that it pleased the Jews - had Peter locked up also.
- Not looking good - bad enough to be the object of jealosy by the jews, but worse to be in the crosshairs of Herod, the Roman governor, personal friend of the Emperor; at his disposal the full weight of the world's superpower.
- Not the first jail-break, an Angel freed him in Acts, but was told to go straight to the Temple and preach - where he was quickly caputured and brought to trial. God perhaps wanted the court of the Jews to have an example of God's own verdict on Peter - setting him free.
- No longer just a jail, it's now a prison - most likely the fortress of Antonia to the NW of the temple, an impregnable fortress, not just a minor jail - where an earthquake might open the doors.
- Rotating sets of soldiers guarding him; two chained to him, two guarding. It's not looking good for Peter. Peter can have no doubt about the outcome of his imprisonment, because of James' death. God's providence did not save him.
- The early church having prayed for James, may have concluded that there was no point praying for Peter. De-capitation was used for traitors / terrorists - a sign that Herod thought the faith was a threat to the empire.
- The timing is also no good; it's the last night before he was to go to trial; sleeping between two soldiers, bound to them with two chains. From his perspective - his next waking moment would be being dragged into court; no other option, nothing left to be done.
- The timing is not accidental; there are 11 parallels between here and the Exodus / the passover. He has to escape in haste, put on his sandles, wrap his cloak around him. Egypt was the super power of that day, Israel was under the thumb of state persecution then etc. only now it's Rome not Egypt, instead of the waters opening up, the prison gates do.
- The point is that the God of the Exodus is alive and well, and answers prayer. Verse 5: the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
- Peter sleeping like a baby, the angel had to shove him to wake him. The Church is earnestly praying, doing what Peter did not do in Gesthemany, it's awake praying. Not just individuals, but corporately - a typical thing, corporate prayer.
- The Lord's prayer - given to the disciples, to be prayed corporately - Our Father ... give us. The doctrine of the priesthood of all belivers - often to cut down to removing the middle-man. Priesthood is all about making intercession for each other.
- If we truly love people, we will pray for them.

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Stuff Michael Meeks is doing

2003-06-22: Sunday