Old Greenbrier Baptist Church

Blog for Week of October 29. 2017

Faith, Love, and Hope

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

My wife and I recently made our way home in the middle of the night from South Carolina, where we had been enjoying a week at the beach, as Hurricane Irma approached Florida and the east coast. In some ways our journey home reminded me of Paul's journey from Philippi to Thessalonica. It was a long journey in new territory made at night. We were running from a storm, and so was Paul. We were running from a hurricane, and he was running from a storm of persecutors who would have killed him.

Paul's Journey to Thessalonica

¹ Paul, Silas and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace and peace to you.

² We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. ³ We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:1-3 NIV).

This letter is from "Paul, Silas, Timothy" (1a). It was sent to "the church (Gk., ekklesia) of the Thessalonians" (1b). In Acts 15, Paul and Silas began Paul's second missionary journey (Acts 15:36-41). They traveled through Asia Minor/Turkey and invited young Timothy to join them (Acts 16:1-5). Paul followed a vision from the Holy Spirit to take the gospel west to Macedonia (Acts 16:6-10). They went to Philippi, the leading city of Macedonia in northern Greece (Acts 16:11-40). In Philippi they ministered from Lydia's home, were briefly imprisoned, and left for Thessalonica. In Thessalonica Paul preached in the synagogue first and then at the home of Jason (Acts 17:1-9). As in Philippi, they were opposed and left for Berea (Acts 17:10-15) and eventually went to southern Greece (i.e., Athens and Corinth) (Acts 17:16-34; 18:1-28). Paul's two letters to the Thessalonians were most likely written from southern Greece as means of encouragement for the young church sometime around AD 51/50. They were Paul's first epistles.

Paul began his letter with a characteristic greeting: "Grace and peace to you." (1c). How do you start your letters? Maybe you start with "Dear . . . " That is our standard opening line. Paul did the same thing except he used the stand opening for his day. Grace (Gk., charis) is a form of the standard Greek word of greeting, charein, which means "be glad"). Paul transformed this standard word to the Greek word charis, which means "grace"). This is something like our modern transformation of "Have a nice day" to "Have a blessed day." Paul also began with a blessing of peace (Gk., eirene). It was the traditional Hebrew greeting shalom (i.e., "wholeness, completion") given in Greek.

Next Paul told his friends that he remembered them frequently in prayer. Do you remember your friends, family, and loved ones in prayer? You should; every day. Bob Hope's signature tune was "Thanks for the Memory." He would often adapt the lyrics of this song to various situations for which he was thankful. I think he got the idea from Paul. LOL The focus of Paul's prayer is not the faith, love, and hope of the Thessalonians but the works, labor, and endurance demonstrated by the Thessalonians. Faith, love, and hope motivate Christian actions, but the actions are what ultimately count. We may say we believe, that we love God, and that we have hope in God for the future, but what we do in our actions reveals what we truly believe.

Faith Produces Works (3a,4-8a)

The word faith (Gk., pisteos) means "trust in God; saving faith; giving one's heart/life to God." Paul used the common word works (Gk., ergou) to describe the work of faith shown in Christian service.

⁴ For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, ⁵ because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5a NIV).

Faith in God is the foundation for all we as Christians think and do. The Thessalonians received the gospel not as mere words but in power (Gk., dunamei) confirmed both by the Holy Spirit and their own deep conviction (Gk., plerophoria) that it was the truth. But their faith did not stop in their head/heart; It directed the actions of their hands/feet.  James said, ". . . faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do" (Jm 2:17-18). Paul later confirmed in his letter to the Ephesians that "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created n Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Eph 2:8-10). We are not saved by our good works but saved by God's grace to do good works in him. Real faith in God produces real works for God.

Love Prompts Labor (3b,8b-9)

Love (Gk., agape) is the self-sacrificial love that gives even at great personal cost to the giver, and labor (Gk., kopou) is a synonym for "work." However, labor is more strenuous work done against resistance. Digging fence posts is work, but digging them in limestone rock country is labor. I learned that lesson as a teenager on our West Virginia farm. Theologically, labor describes the hard work done for us by Christ Jesus on the cross.

. . . You know how we lived among you for your sake. ⁶ You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. ⁷ And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. (1 Thessalonians 1:5b-7 NIV).

Paul pointed out that the Thessalonians saw how he, Silas, and Timothy had lived among them. They had lived a life of faith that produced the good work of bold proclamation of the gospel even while enduring ridicule and physical persecution. The Thessalonians knew that Paul had left the familiar for the foreign; had been imprisoned in Philippi; and had been falsely accused and persecuted in Thessalonica and Berea. Yet they knew that the faith he had and lived out was worth imitating in their own lives. For us "imitation" may imply second-best or cheaper. That is not the sense of the word here. Here "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." The Thessalonians wanted what Paul had. While in South Carolina, we visited Savannah, GA and Jones St, reportedly the most beautiful street in America; This is where the saying, "Keeping up with the Joneses" is said to have originated. The Thessalonians believed that the life Paul was building on the model of Christ Jesus was worth imitating in their own lives, even though it came with suffering and persecution.

Hope Inspires Endurance (3c,10)

We often say in a half-hearted way, "Well, I hope that works out." We are not certain if it will work out, but we wish that it will. However, the word "hope" (Gk., elpidos)  in a biblical sense is not a baseless wish or dream but a confident and sure expectation that things will work out according to the Lord's plan both now and in the future. The word does not mean that things will always work out the way we want or expect, like the resolution to the trauma in a thirty minute sitcom TV show. This word means that we are confident that no matter what we face, in the end God's will will be done, and God will be glorified in all that we face and every work of faith that we do in him. The end result of this type of hope is endurance. Endurance (Gk., hupomones) - This word is used consistently in the New Testament to describe persistence in the faith in spite of persecutions (cf., Ro 12:12; Hb 10:32; 1Pe 2:20).

⁸ The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, ⁹ for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰ and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:8-10 NIV).

As Paul had been an inspiration for imitation by the Thessalonians, so now the Thessalonians were an inspiration for imitation in the faith by other believers. They set the example for other Gentile believers as they "turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God." This turning did not come without a cost. The persecution of Jason and other believers in Thessalonica did not stop when Paul left town. The Thessalonians kept the faith by works of suffering and persecution for their faithful witness. They waited on Jesus to rescue them from "the coming wrath" on unbelievers at the end of time. The opening of Paul's letter sets major themes on which he will expound. He calls for the Thessalonians to continue living out their faith with work and labors pleasing to God and to keep the faith as they await the coming of the Lord at the end of this world.

How About Us?

Does your faith in the Lord produce good works in your life? Does your love of God prompt hard labor even when it is personally costly in time, treasure, friendship? Does you hope in God inspire endurance even when you face adversity and persecution in this world? May we give thanks for the evidence of faith, love, and hope in the lives of other believers that has produced works, labor, and endurance to the glory of God. May we be imitators of Christ Jesus in his love for others; his willingness to do the Father's will at any cost; and in his sacrifice of service even unto death. May we work together to build memories based on shared kingdom service that will inspire prayers of thanksgiving in the future both from us and from others. May we faithfully endure to the end by doing works/labors of faith as we await the coming of the Lord.

Blog for Week of October 22, 2017

Writing Acts 29

Acts 29

I have titled this blog “Writing Acts 29” with the supporting text listed is Acts 29. If you try to find Acts 29 in your Bible you won't find it. The Book of Acts refers to the actions/acts of the apostles or better yet the acts of the church. The reason there is no Acts 29 in your Bible is because the church is still acting, still writing Acts 29.

Do you make lists? Some people make a bucket list of things they want to do before they die. In this blog, I want to summarize the top ten characteristics of first century church in list form and then apply that same list to our lives and churches today.

Top Ten Characteristics of the First Century Church

1. Jesus was its only foundation.

Acts 1:1-11 – Purpose was to bear witness to Christ Jesus.

2. Holy Spirit was its inspiration.

Acts 2: 1-41 – Power, Passion, Proclamation

3. Prayer was its power source.             

Acts 4:23-31 – Peter/John – place was shaken

4. Fellowship was its lifeblood.              

Acts 2:42 – koinonia

5. Sharing the good news was central.  

Acts 8 – Stephen was a faithful witness in life / death.

6. Risking to reach out was required.    

Acts 9 – Ananias took a chance in reaching out to Saul.

7. Growth in faith was constant.           

Acts 10 – Peter grew in faith to include Gentiles.

8. Encouragement was given.               

Acts 4,8,11,13,15 – Joseph/Barnabas encouraged many.

9. Wise leaders followed God’s plan.   

Acts 15, 6 – James and deacons provided godly leadership.

10. Service and sacrifice were expected.

Acts 16 – Lydia served Paul who suffered in prison.

 

Top Ten Characteristics of the Twenty-first Century Church

1. Jesus is its only foundation.                   

Keep the main thing the main thing in everything.

2. Holy Spirit is its inspiration.                 

Keep on being filled and guided each day by God.

3. Prayer is its power source.                    

Be a praying church. It is still powerful.

4. Fellowship is its lifeblood.                      

Build genuine relationships; show concern; do loving acts.

5. Sharing the good news is central.          

This is the heart of our mission from Jesus. 316 cards?

6. Risking to reach out is required.           

We must reach out especially to those who are different.

7. Growth in faith is constant.                   

We never know it all nor can we put God-in-a-box.

8. Encouragement is given.                        

We must be encouragers in a discouraging world.

9. Wise leaders seek God’s plan.               

We must be a high-trust church.

10. Service and sacrifice are expected.       

Christianity is a daily lifestyle.

Being a Christian is not about joining a church or being in the “right” denomination. It is not about participating in services, ministries, or rituals. It is a lifestyle. Brian McLaren has well said, ". . . we have lost the path and are seeking to rediscover our faith as a way of life, shaped and strengthened by ancient practices" (Brian McLaren, Finding Our Way Again, pp. 5-6). All Christians, ministers and laypersons alike, are called to live their lives in a different way. If there was one hallmark of the first century church that allowed it to make a great impact on its world, it was this—Their loving acts to each other and to outsiders proclaimed the love of Christ. If there is anything that will allow the twenty-first century church to make a great impact on our world, it is this—our loving acts to each other and to outsiders will proclaim the love of Christ—or not.

It’s up to us.

What will be written in Acts 29—the acts of the church today? Commit with me to be and to do all God equips and enables us to be and do. What message of love will God write to the world through your life individually and the life of our church corporately? May our fellowship and ministry together as the church in the world today be a living pen in the hand of God as he continues to write his message of love to our twenty-first century world.

Blog for Week of October 15, 2017

Paul and Silas: Sacrifice & Service 24/7

Acts 16:16-40

Dunkirk, a recent popular movie, recounts the early days of WW-II when Britain, France, and Belgium faced Hitler's advancing armies on the European Continent. Things were not going well for the allies who were pushed back by Hilter's blitzkrieg attack. The British Expeditionary Force, comprised of about 400,000 men, found itself trapped on the beach at Dunkirk in northern France and faced what seemed to be inevitable capture or death. From May 26 to June 4, 1940 the Miracle of Dunkirk, known as Operation Dynamo, took place. A flotilla of about 800 ships and boats, which included private fishing boats, pleasure craft, yachts, and even lifeboats, transported soldiers from the French coast back to England. By the end of the eighth day, 338,226 soldiers had been rescued by the hastily assembled fleet. Winston Churchill was correct in his analysis that "we must be very careful not to assign to this deliverance the attributes of a victory. Wars are not won by evacuations." However, this seeming defeat became one of the major turning points of WW-II. While Dunkirk was a terrible defeat, it inspired Britain to not keep hope alive and to fight on in spite of all odds. "Dunkirk spirit" continues to describe those who pull together/persevere in the face of great odds. In our journey through Acts, Paul and Silas faced great odds as they were falsely accused and thrown into prison. They were inspired by the cross of Christ to sacrificial service even in the face of this adversity.

Redirection

In Acts 16:6-15 God opened a new door for Paul and Silas on Paul’s Second Missionary journey. Paul had another vision from the Lord to shift his ministry from Asia and move toward Europe by going to Greece, specifically to Philippi. This small change dramatically impacted our world and the spread of the gospel through the centuries. We must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and his redirection of our lives in small and large ways.

Release

¹⁶ Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” ¹⁸ She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.

¹⁹ When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. ²⁰ They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar ²¹ by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”

²² The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. ²³ After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. ²⁴ When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

²⁵ About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them (Acts 16:16-25 NIV).

Paul and Silas had ministered for several days in Philippi based in the home of Lydia, a new convert. A spirit-possessed slave girl was speaking the truth but in a disruptive way. Paul released the slave girl from an evil spirit and from being unjustly used by her owners. It was the right thing to do, but it brought some interesting reactions.

Reactions

The People's Reaction – Prosecute them! - Paul and Silas upset the economic system of Philippi by healing the slave girl who was unjustly used. The people dragged Paul and Silas before the magistrates who treated them unjustly, beat them, and jailed them in the worst part of the jail in stocks. As we know from current experience in our country, when the social system is upset, violence and hatred often follows.

Human Nature – Why me Lord? - The natural human reaction is to puts the emphasis on "me," the self. How might we have reacted in Paul's place? We might have cried out with righteous indignation to the authorities and questions/anger for God. “God why are you allowing this to happen to me? I was doing something good for you.” We would be asking the right question but with the wrong attitude/emphasis. Paul did not react this way because he knew that in opposition, like that of the cross of Christ, God was often up to something greater and more glorious in his plan--the salvation of human beings.

Spiritual Nature – Why Lord? - “God why are you allowing this to happen to me, and how can I give you glory in it?” Paul and Silas did not react with anger toward God but with wonder at what God was doing. When we see division and disunity in our country, we must not ask, "Why is this happening to us." We must ask God how he is at work in the midst of this adversity. We must continue to be faithful and witness of our faith to others in words and actions. We must look for what God is up to and join him in doing it to his glory. Living life 24/7 with spiritual awareness is hard work. Paul and Silas, filled with joy in spite of adversity, served the Lord 24/7 even from prison. The difference between a human reaction and a spiritual one is attitude—hopelessness versus hope. Paul and Silas prayed and sang in the jail while waiting to see what the Lord would do next. Instead of singing the blues, Paul and Silas sang hymns of joy to God. They knew the victory Jesus won as he faced the adversity of the cross and death. They anticipated with joy what God was about to do in the midst of the adversity that they faced in his name. When we face adversity, we should look expectantly for what God is about to do.

Results

²⁶ Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. ²⁷ The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸ But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

²⁹ The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

³¹ They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” ³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. ³³ At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. ³⁴ The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

³⁵ When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” ³⁶ The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”

³⁷ But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”

³⁸ The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. ³⁹ They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. ⁴⁰ After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left (Acts 16:26-40 NIV).

God sent an earthquake. Paul and Silas waited on the Lord. They didn’t conclude the earthquake was just for them but continued to look for what God was doing. They did not run selfishly away but continued to live self-sacrificially 24/7.

The jailer and his family were saved. The jailer had a natural, worldly reaction to adversity: despair and hopelessness leading to thoughts of suicide. When we face adversity, God does not want us to despair but to rely on him to find abundant life. The jailer turned to Christians who helped him face the adversity of life with the hope of Christ. When people come to faith it is the result of the Holy Spirit working in veteran Christians to show them a godly example and to share with them the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.

Like Lydia, the jailer became a sacrificial servant. He cared for Paul and Silas; petitioning their release.

Paul and Silas were freed when it was discovered they were Roman citizens. It is interesting that Paul did not reveal this to the magistrates earlier in the experience. He sought to undergo adversity for the sake of the gospel. What if Paul had spoken up about being a Roman? What if he and Silas had run when the doors opened instead of waiting to see what the Lord was up to?

Response

The British response to Dunkirk was to not give up hope and to continue fighting. Winston Churchill declared, " We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." America joined Britain and the Allies as they re-gathered themselves. Just four years after Dunkirk, the Allies invaded German held France on the beaches of Normandy. Within a year of the Normandy invasion, Germany was defeated and the war in Europe was over.

What should we do when we face adversity for our faith?

• We should be inspired by the sacrifice and service of Christ Jesus on the cross.
• We should face adversity and not turn from it. We should stand in the strength of the Lord and see the mighty thing he will do in and through us.
• We should realize that we are saved to become sacrificial servants to those around us.
• We should live our lives for Christ 24/7 with spiritual awareness in everything that happens at home, at work, in school, everywhere we go. We should live with the expectation that God is at work around us in every situation of life. We must live with spiritual awareness and self-sacrifice.

Blog for Week of October 8, 2017

Opening New Doors

Acts 16:6-15

Janus was one of many Roman gods. Janus was the god of gates, doors, doorways, beginnings and endings; he had one face looking back and one looking forward. His name is the root of our month January, and the keepers of his temple were known as janitors. Roman legions marched through the Arch of Janus in the Roman Forum as a symbolic act for the opening/beginning of their campaigns for new territory, wealth, and glory. Unlike Janus, our God is the one true God; the Alpha and Omega; the Beginning and the End. Our God truly helps us make new beginnings, and he opens new doors for us in life. In Acts 16 God opened a new door for Lydia and helped her open a new door of faith for others.

⁶ Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. ⁷ When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. ⁸ So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. ⁹ During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. ¹¹ From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. ¹² From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.

¹³ On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. ¹⁴ One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. ¹⁵ When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us (Acts 16:6-15 NIV).

Let us consider three doors God opened in these verses.

God Opened a Door of Opportunity (6-12)

The Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 confirmed that the gospel must be preached to Jews and Gentiles alike. Paul and Silas left on Paul’s second missionary journey to the Gentiles as recorded in Acts 15:40. They wanted to go northeast deeper into Asia, but the Spirit of Jesus redirected them to the west. They travelled to Troas (Troy) crossed the Aegean Sea via the Island of Samothrace to Neapolis on the coast of Greece/Macedonia. They travelled inland to the leading city of the district—Philippi. Christianity comes from Judaism and hence originates as an eastern religion. God closed the door for the gospel to go deeper into Asia but opened the door for it to move into Europe. This small change dramatically impacted our world and the spread of the gospel through the centuries.

Scientists define the butterfly effect as "a property of chaotic systems (such as the atmosphere) by which small changes in initial conditions can lead to large-scale and unpredictable variation in the future state of the system" (Merriam-Webster). The butterfly effect was first proposed by Edward Lorenz in the 1960s, it is the idea that small causes may have large effects in general and in weather. For example the flapping of a butterfly's wings in Brazil might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that may ultimately alter the path of a tornado in Texas. The butterfly's flapping causes a small change which cascades to large-scale alterations of events. Likewise, a seemingly small change of direction in our life and ministry can have a dramatic impact on the world and on our lives. We must trust God and be sensitive to his direction even when it seems strange or insignificant to us. We must prayerfully consider every choice and opportunity God places before us each day. God can only open/close doors for us as we walk with him each day. Small choices made each day may have a great influence on our future both for good and for bad.

God Opened a Door of Eternity (13-14)

Paul always went to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles. Where there was no synagogue, which required the presence of ten Jewish males, the small group of Jews would gather by a river to worship. Lydia was most likely a Jew or Jewish convert from the Asian city of Thyatira and was probably quite wealthy as a seller of rich purple cloth dyed using murex seashells. She was “a worshiper of God” and “opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message” of salvation (14). Normally God opens/closes doors for us. There is one door he will not open for us—the door of our heart. Jesus comes gently knocking on the door of our heart and asking us to welcome him in. The choice of opening the door of our heart to him or not is ours alone. We must be like Lydia.

God Opened a Door of Ministry (15)

Lydia and those with her believed and were baptized in the river by Paul on the spot. Lydia “persuaded” (i.e., strongly compelled) Paul and Silas to come to her home in Philippi. When Lydia opened her heart’s door to Jesus, she opened the door of her home in hospitality to Paul. Her home became a base for Paul’s brief ministry in Philippi. Paul remembered fondly the partnership and sweet koinonia fellowship he shared with Lydia and the church at Philippi.

³ I thank my God every time I remember you. ⁴ In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy ⁵ because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:3-6 NIV).

Once we open our hearts to Jesus, we must consider how we can help others open their hearts to him. Lydia used the resources God had given her, wealth and a large home, to assist Paul in his ministry. We each must take a fresh account of the resources God has given us—homes and possessions, talents, spiritual gifts, positions of influence. How can we use these resources each day to the glory of God? For Lydia it was to open a door of hospitality for Paul.

What door is God calling you to open with him?

• It may be the door of new/eternal life as you trust him as Savior and Lord.
• It may be the door of giving your resources, time, and energy to meet the needs of others.
• It may be the door of change into a new career or new ministry to others.
• It may be the door of perseverance in the work/ministry to which he has called you.
• It may be the door back to him which you opened in the past but then turned away from.

God Opens Doors for Us Each Day

What door is God opening for you--opportunity, eternity, ministry? You must act. In fact you will act on every door God places before you. You will either open the door, or you will close it. You walk through the door, or you turn away from it. The choice is yours. May you choose wisely. God is knocking on your heart’s door; opening new doors of opportunity, eternity, and ministry. What is your answer to him today?

Blog for Week of October 1, 2017

Paul & Barnabas: Dealing with Disagreement

Acts 15:36-41

In my last blog, we reviewed how the church dealt with disagreement through wise leadership. The truth is that as human beings, Christians may not always agree on the best methods, actions, and even personnel for doing ministry together.  Sometimes our differences lead to division. That's one reason that we have so many different churches and denominations. We disagree on doctrines, worship styles, organizational systems, etc. As Christians when we disagree, we must not forget that our chief aim in life is to glorify God. There were disagreements in the early church, but they were dealt with and God was glorified.

A Doctrinal Disagreement

In Acts 15:1-21, documents a doctrinal disagreement in the early church over the issue of whether Jesus came as Messiah/Savior for all people or just for Jews. Christians who were formerly Pharisees believed one had to become a Jew first and then a Christian. Other Christians, such as Paul, Barnabas, and Peter, believed that Jesus came for all people, Jew and Gentile alike.

The early church had a meeting in Jerusalem to discuss this issue and concluded based on the evidence in God's word and in the work of his Spirit that Jesus came for everyone. The only request, which the church leaders sent out as a letter, was that non-Jewish converts to Christianity leave behind their association with and practices of pagan worship. "The people read [the letter] and were glad for its encouraging message" (Ac 15:31). The gospel message continued to be proclaimed and God was glorified as people came to faith.

A Personnel Disagreement

Two blogs back we looked at the life of Joseph, also known as Barnabas--son of encouragement. Barnabas and Paul had ministered together for a year in Antioch after Barnabas brought Paul there from Tarsus (cf. Acts 11:25-26). They grew close and were an effective ministry team as recognized by the Church at Antioch. Paul and Barnabas were sent out by the church at Antioch on a missions journey to Cyprus and Asia Minor (i.e., modern Turkey). They took with them John Mark, a young follower/eyewitness of Jesus and a cousin of Barnabas. They proclaimed the gospel in both Jewish synagogues and in the streets from one end of the Island of Cyprus to the other. When they prepared to leave Cyprus to sail for the mainland of Turkey, "John [Mark] left them to return to Jerusalem" (Ac 13:13). We are not sure if John Mark became homesick or left for some other reason, but Paul took note of his departure with disapproval. Paul and Barnabas returned from their first missions journey to Antioch and ". . . stayed there a long time with the disciples" (Ac 14:28). It was during this time that they journeyed to Jerusalem to participate in the conference over the doctrinal disagreement mentioned earlier. Sometime after their return to Antioch from Jerusalem, Paul proposed another missionary trip.

³⁶ Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” ³⁷ Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, ³⁸ but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. ³⁹ They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, ⁴⁰ but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. ⁴¹ He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches (Acts 15:36-41 NIV). 

The disagreement between Paul and Barnabas was not over doctrine. It was a personnel matter based on a judgment call by Paul. Barnabas, the encourager, wanted to give John Mark a second chance at missions ministry. Paul did not think that John Mark was ready after the events on Cyprus. To their credit, neither Paul nor Barnabas let the conflict distract them from their respective efforts of spreading the gospel. Gospel missions teams doubled as Paul went out with Silas and Barnabas went out with John Mark. They went different directions with the same message of God's good news in Jesus Christ.

Lessons for Us

When we disagree over doctrine, we must understand the issue and seek guidance from God's word and Spirit. When we disagree over other non-doctrinal matters, we must agree to disagree and focus on glorifying God and not on the disagreement.

Many of us may be a bit drawn to Barnabas when we reflect upon the fact that we too occasionally have needed a second chance. Over the long haul, the decision of Barnabas may have proved best, at least for John Mark. Years later, Paul found the formerly useless Mark “useful,” as revealed in the apostle’s concluding epistle. “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministering” (2 Tim. 4:11). And in Colossians 4:10, Paul commended Mark to the Colossian church and asked them to "welcome him." The disagreement that led Paul and Barnabas to go separate ways in God's work did not destroy the love and respect they had for one another in the Lord. In his first letter to the Corinthian church, Paul affectionately mentioned Barnabas as being worthy of monetary support in his work of proclaiming the gospel (1 Cor. 9:6). We must not hold grudges over our differences, but must see the best in others and seek the best for them. When we hold grudges, we are putting the focus on self and not on glorifying God.

We will have disagreements, large and small. That is the nature of life and ministry together. We must deal with disagreements when they arise. We must look to God's word and Spirit to show the way and be willing to follow God in spite of our will/preferences. We can disagree agreeably as we keep our focus on glorifying God. We must not hold grudges but seek the best even for those with whom we disagree. What wonderful models and beautiful pictures God has painted for us in the life of the early church even as they faced the reality of disagreement. May we give glory to God in all things, even when we disagree with others.