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Turning Points

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Turning Points
Acts 11:1-18—May 19, 2019–David R. Denny PhD
Drummondtown Baptist Church–Accomac Virginia

Introduction:  Where were you on Christmas Day, December 25th, 1776?  If you can’t remember, then let me refresh your memory and remind you what happened on that fateful day in American history.  (I do this because the theme of my sermon today is Turning Points so I will begin by taking you to this turning point in American history).

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Turning Point #1—An example from American History.

This was the day Washington and his Continental troops decided to take a huge risk and cross the Delaware River.  Then they attacked the British at Trenton NJ.  Morale had been perilously low for the American forces.  They had lost N Y C and they had been chased like rabbits all over the place.  Troops were deserting or their enlistments were up.  Just before the daring battle plan to attack with only 2400 troops, Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet called The American Crisis.   Here is what he wrote:  READ—-Within one day of its publication and just before the attack, Washington read this pamphlet to his troops.  It instantly became a turning point. Morale shot up and the troops were ready to fight.

Turning point #2—Salvation comes to the Gentiles (Acts 11)

Now let’s go back further in time to a breathtaking turning point that took place in a coastal town on the shores of the Mediterranean not far from Mt Zion that we studied Wednesday night.  Caesarea is the location of our story today. It was the capital of Palestine after Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans.  It was built by Herod and became the region’s most beautiful city.  Herod spent 12 years building a harbor that spilled out beneath his great palace.  He also built a hippodrome that stat seated 20,000 spectators to watch chariot races. And there was a huge aqueduct that brought water to the city from Mt. Carmel from the north and a grand amphitheater still used today for modern outdoor events. And in excavations of the 1950s, a plaque with Pilate’s name on it was found proving his existence.
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It was in this grand city that Peter, directed by a vision, came to meet with Cornelius, a Roman centurion who though not a Jew still worshipped God with great piety.  Peter came to his home nervous about this breach of protocol. Jewish men were not allowed to enter a Gentile’s home or eat with them.  And yet Peter did these things because of a vision directing him to this place.  And as he spoke to the Gentiles gathered in the soldier’s home an amazing thing happened that stunned Peter and the Jerusalem church to the core.  It was so powerful a turning point that the Christians in Jerusalem didn’t believe it and argued with Peter about later when he arrived there In Acts 11.

So what was this amazing turning point event? It happened as Peter told the soldier’s family the gospel story about the death and resurrection of Jesus. While he was speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon the Gentiles (Acts 10:44).  These non-Jewish men and women began to speak with tongues just as the Jewish brethren had done on Mt. Zion in the upper room.  And when the Jerusalem brethren heard the story they finally realized a profound truth that we know today:  God Loves Everyone.  Not just a select few from a certain city or location, but everyone.

Today we know and accept this truth as almost commonplace.  We know that we here in our church on Front Street aren’t the only ones whom God loves.  Everyone is invited to our services and everyone is invited to believe in Christ and find salvation.  BUT—back in time, back in the ancient city called Caesarea, this was not the case.  Then only a select few were considered the chosen ones. Until this eventful day when Peter preached to a soldier’s family along the coast of the sea and the love of God enveloped them all.  It was a Turning Point.

Turning Points that come  in our lives as a result of this miracle of the past:

            Now let’s think about lives today.  How does this miracle at Caesarea affect us today?  It does every day in countless small and great turning points that make up our lives. Because we know God loves us and we are not excluded from heaven’s blessing, we live so differently.  All the decisions in our lives are sparked by this first miracle by the sea.

Your life today would be so different if Peter had not gone to Caesarea. Your life would not be the same one you live today if the Spirit of God had not fallen upon the soldier and his family and friends.  Every step you take today is forever linked to this first turning point.

When you chose to marry, what did you do? You prayed for guidance from the God who loves you.  (The first turning point now affects this turning point).  And the result is that God led you to your husband or wife.
*This was the case with Isaac of old.  When he was nearing 40 years of age, he prayed for a wife.  It is one of the most beautiful stories of the OT.  It is told in Genesis 24.   Abraham, very old, sends his servant Eliezer to find a bride.  And when he sees Rebekah at the well he thinks this is the one.  Issac and R.jpgThe story concludes on such a touching scene In Gen. 24:62).  Isaac is in the field one evening meditating when he sees camels coming in the distance. He begins to walk toward them for he knows that this might be the woman God has chosen for him.  And as he walks ever faster toward the camels, Rebekah also sees the shape of a man approaching and wonders who it is.  “That is my master,” said Eliezer.  And when they got closer she discreetly covers her face with a veil.  Isaac does the smart thing and immediately takes her to his mother’s tent for Sarah’s approval.  And then the romance unfurls and they are married and the Bible says Isaac loved her with all his heart.—

It was a turning point.  It was linked to the core truth—God loves me.  The same truth Cornelius came to know. The same truth you and I know.  And now all turning points are forever linked to God as we move day by day through this life.

Conclusion:

Have you accepted the first truth—that God loves you?  Have you opened your life to the Lord and yielded yourself and your future into His hands?  If not make this moment a turning point and trust Him to be our Savior.

The Power of Meditation

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The Power of Meditation–Ps 19:14, Drummondtown Baptist Church, Dr. Denny, January 27, 2019

Review:
Last week we discovered the Fountain of Life (Ps 36) mentioned by David.  God’s wants you to drink from Him, to commune with Him daily.  And in this constant spiritual dialogue, He will infuse you with love and joy and a purpose for living.

Introduction:
Today we will take another step in our relationship with the divine.  We will learn the power of meditation. When you first hear this phrase, the power of meditation, you might conjure up images of crazy people sitting high on a mountain communing with nature.  But let’s not be alarmed by meditation.  David himself valued it and took daily time to calm himself and connect himself to God.

*The University of Rochester Medical Center in NY has an informative article on the Power of Meditation https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=1&contentid=2509

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The staff at the school reminds us that our modern lives are already very stressful.  And as we focus daily on our worries and anxieties, the stress level in our lives often rises to the breaking point.  (We all can see this especially in the federal workers who have been furloughed).  Lingering on life’s problems can affect your health and your mental well-being and the medical staff urges everyone to cultivate the art of healthful mediation.  One quote from the article says, “Meditation allows you to become more awake and more purposeful about your actions.  It teaches you how to respond, rather than react, to situations in your life.”

             **I watched a short video from another source on the basics of mediation.  Here is what the instructor said to do:

—Sit on the floor with legs folded or in a chair if needed.  —-Place your hands before you—Spine erect—breathing from the abdomen in slow breaths—Avoid distractions—Let them pass by and merely witness them—don’t linger on them.  Start with only a 1 minute and work up to 10-20 minutes a day.  The effects will linger long after the session is over.

  1. David’s Troubled Life:

Today we take our inspiration from King David who mediated daily and wrote the Psalms that came from his that flooded his heart during these quiet times with God. But we must remember that David had a troubled life.  His family was in disarray most of the time.  He had multiple wives as was the custom of the day.  His children fought with one another.  One son,  Amnon, raped his half-sister Tamar.  The infuriated another son named Absalom who managed to get revenge by killing the brother. Absalom ran away home to avoid the wrath of the king.  David wouldn’t speak to his son for years. Etc..  An yet—still David found time to meditate and through these quiet times, he always found hope and forgiveness and direction.

  1. David’s Meditation: Let’s step quietly into David’s palace that looked out over the Kidron Valley below the great temple mount.  https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/jerusalem/did-i-find-king-davids-palace/Davids Palace.png

*Archaeologists think they may have found David’s palace in this location according to an article written 2017 by Eilat Mazar.  The remains of a massive structure date to the times of David.  Let’s imagine we are setting on edge of the great palace looking out toward the valley and the hills beyond.  There David settles himself in the morning breeze and begins to quiet his soul.

He calms his breathing and discards the anxieties that roil his soul.  He begins by contemplating the majestic movement of the sun as it rises slowly across the horizon (Ps 19:1-6).  He images god sending out the sun like a bridegroom stepping out of his chamber.

Next, he finds immense pleasure in thinking of the majesty of the commandments and law of God (7-12).  These words of God are sweeter than honey and in his meditation, he tastes the honeycomb and finds peace in God’s guiding words to him.

Conclusion:
Then after a certain time, he closes his meditation with a short prayer:  (v14):  Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.

David R.Denny Ph.D.
Visions501@gmail.com