Tuesday, May 13th - Acts 11

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(I’m off for a few days this week, so this blog post is a day early. Looking for Acts 10? Scroll down…you’ll find it! - bh)

In the life of the church, there is often the need for us to get in line with what God is doing, even when it doesn’t seem to match what we expect. This is hard to do, especially when it rubs again the grain of our personal preferences. We have three episodes in this chapter which test the flexibility of the early believers.

INSIGHTS

Peter has just witnessed the “Gentile Pentecost” in Caesarea. He is now going back to Jerusalem to let the founding leaders of the movement know about it. How do they take it? “They criticized him,” and pointed out the violation to their legalism rather than the amazing work of God that had taken place (exactly like the Pharisees did during Jesus’ ministry).

So, Peter unfolds the story, detail by detail. The vision. His initial refusal. The divine appointment. The gospel. The Spirit.

I love their reply in verse 18. At first, they were silent…and indication to me that they were mentally processing the conflict between their preconceptions and the undeniable realities before them. Which would give? Cling to your thinking, or be malleable in light of the evidence? “They had no further objections.” They simply can’t deny the miracle. So, they “praised God,” and began the task of trying to embrace the program. Everything about their lives – how they pray, how they understand the word, how they fellowship, how they evangelize…it all changes.

I admire their flexibility…if not always their follow-through. This tension follows the church into the next centuries, and continues even into today. But it was a good start!

Next, the Antioch Pentecost. Some non-Jerusalem preachers from Cyprus and Africa start evangelizing gentiles, and they start coming to Christ! The Jerusalem church sends Barnabas to check it out (“Oh no, it’s Caesarea all over again!”), and…sure enough, God is saving all kinds of people! Barnabas “was glad”, “encouraged them”, and even went and got a guest speaker – Saul, from Tarsus – and brought him back for a year-long teaching ministry to build this new, international church up!

Finally, the church has to react to distress. Very practical needs are emerging (the famine), and the church senses the need to take care of each other. The faith is more than evangelism and Bible studies – so, it’s time to roll up the sleeves and serve. This is the call to a scattered group, with a brand new emerging identity, working through internal conflicts. But the reality now is obvious – we have to take care of our own. So, the new gentile churches send financial offerings to the home church in Judea – the church that is struggling to even accept the truth of their conversions! Do you think this act of generosity helped them work through the tension?

CHALLENGES

1. Anything going on in the life of the church that goes against your grain? Perhaps it’s time to be silent, cease arguing, acknowledge God’s motion, and offer Him praise,

2. This chapter points to the broad, international mission of the church. Has this gripped your heart? Do you pray for and give toward the work of God beyond your immediate people group?

3. Would people describe you like they did Barnabas? “He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.” If not…why not?

Meanwhile, the church in Jerusalem has some other problems brewing…more on that tomorrow!

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