Monthly Archives: June 2019

THE BOOK OF ACTS – ROADBLOCKS

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ROADBLOCKS

“They went to Phrygia, and then on through the region of Galatia. Their plan was to turn west into Asia Province, but the Holy Spirit blocked that route. So they went to Mysia and tried to go north to Bythinia, but the Spirit of Jesus wouldn’t let them go there either. Proceeding on through Mysia, they went down to the seaport of Troas.

“That night Paul had a dream. A Macedonian stood on the far shore and called across the sea, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” The dream gave Paul his map. We went to work at once getting things ready to cross over to Macedonia. All the pieces had come together. We knew now for sure that God had called us to preach the good news to the Europeans.” Acts 16:6-10 (The Message).

What a lovely lesson on guidance! The Spirit of Jesus had a plan for them and He corralled them into going where He wanted them to go; no Google map of their lives but a step-by-step unfolding of the way as they obeyed the previous pointers.

Don’t you love God’s way of doing things? He didn’t guide them like robots, mindlessly following verbal instructions, but having intelligently to discern the mind of the Spirit and following His directives in a partnership that involved trust, submission and obedience in every step they took.

Luke did not elaborate on the way the Holy Spirit blocked their way. We can only surmise that Paul interpreted whatever obstacles He put in the way as from God and not from the devil! That’s not easy to do. How do we know when God is showing us to change direction and when Satan is hindering the work of God through us?

In Paul’s case, whatever was in the way of their going in the direction he had planned must have been insurmountable. Twice he was prevented from following his own plan. When he had got the message, “Not that way!” he was open to a positive call, “Come here and help us!” His immediate response was relief and assurance that God was opening the door to a whole new field of ministry in Europe.

Not only do we see in Paul’s response a spontaneous and willing obedience to the Holy Spirit’s leading, but also his ability to discern the mind of the Spirit. This tells us that God had both Paul’s mind and his heart. There was no self-will involved in this man’s commitment to doing the will of God. Paul called himself the “slave” of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it was in circumstances like these that he showed just how much of a “slave” he was.

However, Paul’s slavery was his own choice because he wholeheartedly trusted Jesus to do the best for him and through him. This is our highest calling in life – to be one with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, just as they are one in a functional unity of essence, heart and purpose. There is no greater freedom than being a slave of Jesus because His way is secure and certain and takes us unerringly to the Father.

Paul had no idea of what lay ahead for him. Had he known, he might not have been so willing to go that way. He might easily have said, “No thank you!” and gone home. But, looking back over a life of trial and suffering, he could say with absolute assurance, “I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed…” 2 Timothy 1:12 (NIV).

We can only learn the love of God when we follow His leading along uncertain paths and sometimes painful ways. Even when we stubbornly choose our own way and have to face the consequences of our own foolishness, God is there to cradle us in His arms and lovingly redirect us in the right way.

How else can we learn the depth of His love than feeling it and experiencing it in the depth of our pain? Would Paul have ever wished his life to have been different, easy, uneventful, without trials? I think not! Looking back, we can say, “As tough as it was, I would not have missed for anything in the world.”

THE BOOK OF ACTS – ONE OF THEM

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CHAPTER 16

ONE OF THEM

“Paul came first to Derbe, then Lystra. He found a disciple there by the name of Timothy, son of a devout Jewish mother and a Greek father. Friends in Lystra and Iconium all said what a fine young man he was. Paul wanted to recruit him for their mission, but first took him aside and circumcised him so he wouldn’t offend the Jews who lived in those parts. They all knew that his father was a Greek.

“As they travelled from town to town, they presented the simple guidelines the Jerusalem apostles and leaders had come up with. That turned out to be most helpful. Day after day the congregations became stronger in faith and larger in size.” Acts 16:1-5 (The Message).

Doesn’t that sound like a contradiction? Paul has Timothy circumcised and then takes the message to the Gentile believers that they don’t have to be circumcised to be saved! At face value it seems so. However, we have to examine the motive behind the action.

In spite of his frustration with the stubbornness of the Jews and their unrelenting persecution, Paul had a passion to preach the Word of God to them first and did so whenever he could. Timothy was a member of the covenant people of God through his mother. In order to have as much favour with the Jews as possible, he wanted Timothy to carry the sign of the covenant in his body, so he had him circumcised.

This was not about salvation. This was about identification. It was Paul who said, “I have become all things to all people. To the Jew I became as a Jew…” Paul was not changing his belief but imitating his Master. Jesus did everything He could to identify with humanity.

He came from the Father to be one of us, “born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights as sons.” Galatians 4:4, 5 (NIV). He was baptised to express His identity with us and He was crucified to complete that identity by taking our debt upon Himself and paying for it with His own blood.

Paul would never compromise the truth he stood for and defended with his very life. Jesus is the only Saviour and His work sufficient, plus nothing, to justify the sinner and give him access to a holy God. Through Him we have been redeemed from the slave market of sin and restored to the Father as His sons and daughters

No additions, rule-keeping or rituals, can make us more acceptable to God than we are now. In fact, anything we think we need to do to gain God’s approval actually disqualifies us from sharing in God’s grace and in the life of Jesus. Not even the work we do “for Jesus” can influence Him towards us.

“Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness

My beauty are, my glorious dress;

‘Midst flaming worlds in these arrayed,

With joy shall I lift up my head.”

(Ludwig von Zinzendorf -1700-1760; translated by John Wesley – 1703-1791)

Whatever we might change or add to our lives had nothing to do with our acceptance with God; it only affects our acceptance with people. We may need to adopt dress, diet or behaviour to identify with people who are different from us, but none of these things will alter our standing before God unless we are depending on them for acceptance with God or to impress Him in any way.

What we do as believers should always be the outflow of the grateful and obedient heart of a son or daughter of the Father and never the reason for coming to Him. On the other hand what we do should be from a desire to identify with those we want to win, becoming one of them so that they can become one of us.

THE BOOK OF ACTS – QUITTER CUM HELPFUL

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QUITTER CUM HELPFUL

“A few days after this, Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let’s go back and visit all our friends in each of the towns where we preached the Word of God. Let’s see how they’re doing.’

“Barnabas wanted to take John along, the John nicknamed Mark. But Paul wouldn’t have him; he wasn’t about to take along a quitter who, as soon as the going got tough, had jumped ship on them in Pamphylia. Tempers flared, and they ended up going their separate ways. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus. Paul chose Silas and, offered up by their friends to the grace of the Master, went to Syria and Cilicia to build up muscle and sinew in those congregations.” Acts 15:36-41 (The Message).

What a dismal end to a partnership that had produced so much fruit! What happened to their original call from the Holy Spirit when they were sent out from Antioch many years before? It seems that they were willing to sacrifice the unity they had worked so hard to protect in the church, over a personal issue. This was not about a doctrine, in which case they had made the right decision. This was over a young guy who could not take the pace.

Let’s have a look at the character of Barnabas, which was, incidentally, his nickname and meant “son of encouragement”. Quite significant! He appears early in the book of Acts, doing what his name meant, encouraging people. Had Paul forgotten that it was Barnabas who had faith in him when the church in Jerusalem was afraid to welcome him? They didn’t want a vicious persecutor to infiltrate their ranks. Barnabas was willing to vouch for him (Acts 9:27), introducing him to the leaders in Jerusalem.

It was Barnabas who fetched Paul from Tarsus to teach the new believers in Antioch when the church exploded among the Gentiles in Syria. Barnabas gave way to Paul when it came to preaching and teaching on their first missionary journey. His was a “Jonathan” ministry, the support and encourager Paul needed during the rigorous trials he had to endure.

What if Barnabas had rejected John Mark as Paul was doing? Paul’s letters reveal that it was he who had to eat humble pie regarding Mark. Had Barnabas not been true to his name and nature, Paul would never have been able to write: “Aristarchus, who is in jail here with me, sends greeting, also Mark, cousin of Barnabas, (you have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him).” Colossians 4:10 (NIV).

What a change of heart — and it gets even more personal. During Paul’s final imprisonment in Rome he wrote these words to Timothy: “Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you because he is helpful to me in my ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:11 (NIV). Because of Barnabas, Mark, the quitter, became Mark the helpful.

Without Barnabas’ faith in him, would Mark have ever been the author of the second gospel? According to tradition, Mark also spent time with Peter, either recording his memoirs or listening to his preaching which he used as the basis for his gospel. How much poorer the church might have been had Barnabas not tenaciously stuck to his belief in Mark in spite of Mark’s failure.

There are many lessons in this incident. What stands out for me is that Mark’ failure did not permanently disqualify him from fulfilling his calling. Perhaps parting company with Paul was the best thing that could have happened. Although Luke records nothing of the details of Barnabas and Mark’s journey around the churches, we know the outcome of the time they spend together. Barnabas, the mentor and encourager, put Mark back on his feet and helped him to become Mark, the helpful!

In the end one can conclude that Barnabas’ ministry to Mark was just as valuable as Paul’s ministry to the people of Asia Minor and Europe. How much poorer the church throughout the generations would be without the Gospel of Mark and how much poorer Paul might have been without him.

THE BOOK OF ACTS – BATTLE OVER

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BATTLE OVER

“And so off they went to Antioch. On arrival, they gathered the church and read the letter. The people were greatly relieved and pleased. Judas and Silas, good preachers both of them, strengthened their new friends with many words of courage and hope. Then it was time to go home. They were sent off by their new friends with laughter and embraces all around to report back to those who had sent them there.

“Paul and Barnabas stayed on in Antioch, teaching and preaching the Word of God. But they weren’t alone. There were a number of teachers and preachers at that time in Antioch.” Acts15:30-35 (The Message).

A happy conclusion to a critical time! Satisfaction for the leaders and relief for the non-Jewish believers who could so easily have been burdened with the load the Jews themselves were unable to carry had the decision gone the other way! Mission accomplished, Judas and Silas returned to home base while Paul and Barnabas stayed on in their familiar territory to continue their work of grounding the church in the faith.

Everything settled back into a normal routine, but there was another storm brewing, not a matter of doctrine this time but a personal issue which was to split the team and create a rift which would take many years to heal.

As we have journeyed through Acts, one factor has appeared and reappeared – the apostles’ and church leaders’ efforts to preserve the unity of the Body. They had been called on many times to make critical decisions which would affect the whole church, probably the most crucial and difficult being the relationship between Jewish and Gentile believers.

Theoretically, the age-old rift between them had been healed through the cross but it was up to them to thrash out the practical issues that arose as they implemented the effects of the cross in their everyday lives. Their prejudice ran very deep, centuries of conditioning passed down from generation to generation, and needed a paradigm shift to bring the two groups together in a strong bond of loyalty and brotherhood which would wipe out the old feelings of antagonism and replace them with acceptance and love.

For the church of the Lord Jesus today, the issue may not be Jew and Gentile but we are still faced with prejudices that criss-cross the entire world. Without the official ruling of the early church leaders, those who were advocating that circumcision be imposed on Gentile believers would have been free to propagate their teaching and unnecessarily enslave naive Christians wherever they went.

The decision of the first church council in Jerusalem laid the foundation for the experience of unity in the body of Christ from then on. In his letter to the Ephesian church, Paul enlarged on this aspect of Jesus’ death, reuniting all people by destroying the reason for their alienation.

“For He Himself is our peace, who made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in His flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility.” Ephesians 2:14-16 (NIV).

“Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and in all.” Colossians 3:11 (NIV).

We are a new creation, a new race and a new culture and all the old ones fall away,

THE BOOK OF ACTS – WHAT PRICE UNITY?

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WHAT PRICE UNITY?

“Everyone agreed: apostles, leaders, all the people. They picked Judas (nicknamed Barsabbas) and Silas — they both carried considerable weight in the church — and sent them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, with this letter:

“From the apostles and leaders, your friends, to our friends in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:

Hello!

“We heard that some men from our church went to you and said things that confused and upset you. Mind you, they had no authority from us; we didn’t send them. We have agreed unanimously to pick representatives and send them to you with our good friends, Barnabas and Paul. We picked men we knew you could trust, Judas and Silas — they’ve looked death in the face time and again for the sake of our Master Jesus Christ. We’ve sent them to confirm in a face-to-face meeting with you what we’ve written.

“It seemed to the Holy Spirit and to us that you should not be saddled with any crushing burden, but be responsible only for these bare necessities. Be careful not to get involved in activities connected with idols, avoid serving food offensive to Jewish Christians (blood for instance) and guard the morality of sex and marriage.

“These guidelines are sufficient to keep relations congenial between us. And God be with you!”  Acts 15:22-29 (The Message).

What godly wisdom! It took quite a while for them to reach these conclusions but the end result is what counts, not the process. We have already examined the process by which they reached their conclusions. Now we must add one more factor to the mix.

Apart from protecting the truth of the gospel (that Jesus died as an atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world, and that His death is sufficient to satisfy the just demands of God’s law, and to free mankind from its penalty so that all who believe in Him are forgiven and have free access to the Father in Christ), they were also protecting the unity of the body of Christ.

Doctrine is important since our lives must be anchored in the truth, but the fellowship of believers also needs to be closely guarded. The conditions contained in the letter to the Gentile churches had more to do with fellowship than faith. Idolatry and the sexual impurity that accompanied idolatry had been part of the rebellion that contributed to the exile the Jews experienced in their past history.

Apart from it being an abomination to the Lord, these things had become abhorrent to Jews. For Gentile believers it had been their way of life and contributed to the rift between Jew and Gentile as did the consumption of the non-kosher meat offered to idols, and sold in meat markets.

Gentile believers were called to distance themselves from these practices for their own sake as well as for the sake of the new culture that brought Jew and Gentile together under a new system called the kingdom of God. They could not afford to cling to the old way of life just because it was their “right”.

The early church did all in its power to preserve unity because love and unity are the hallmarks of the church, or should be. The modern church is infected with the spirit of democracy, everyone deciding for himself or herself whether to obey the leadership or not. It’s no wonder the church has, by and large, become the laughing stock of the world. Whenever someone does not “agree” with the leadership, off he goes to start another “church” or to join somewhere else until he does not “agree” there.

The unity that Jesus pleaded for is no longer a priority in the church, yet it was the core of the Hebrew creed: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD, the LORD is one…” Deuteronomy 6:4.

Where has the attitude gone that was displayed by the leaders as they faced this crisis in the church – “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…” Whose church is it, anyway?