It is about time we see the humanity within the early church. For a while we can start to believe that these men and women are obviously better than us. But no, they are men and women with opinions, beliefs, and strong personalities.
In short what I believe is so powerful from this chapter is not the disagreements on who has to carry on the law or not, not the sharp dispute between Paul & Barnabas, but it is how they handled the situations. It is knowing that as we follow Christ their is going to be disagreements, pain, loss, and hurt. But as we follow Christ even in dispute we must allow His word to be the foundation in which we make every decision.
So often we make decisions based on feeling, culture, backgrounds and traditions, but we must never forget that those may seem good, but only God's word stands firm throughout all generations.
Let's in all things be imitators of God... Ephesians 5:1
God's love is unchanging and as we live life putting God's Kingdom first is imperative as we deal with disagreements, and problems with others.When people come together to work on something many times the strenght in numbers can go a long way, and I triely believe that many believers do not realize how powerful we can be by pullying togther for his Kingdom instead of getting caught up in small dissagreements or judging each other.
ReplyDeleteIt is so true that Gods word is alive and active. As I was sitting and reading this chapter this morning I was overcome by the fact that because of what I was reading I now know Christ. Peter said that he was chosen to preach to the non Jews. For some reason I felt a incredibly blessed to know Christ. I think I tend to forget what an incredible opportunity it is to know the creator of the world.
ReplyDeleteWhen confronted with the disagreement between the believers, we see that the disciples immediately sought God, and not the counsel of other men. It was God first.
ReplyDeleteI think that is where many disagreements in the church become conflicts then rifts. When people begin talking among themselves, without seeking the will of God, ultimately, a feeding frenzy ensues and nobody can see the issue for what it really is, an attempt by the enemy at dividing the believers.
We should take a lesson from the early disciples and seek God first in all things. Our interaction with each other will be much better for it.
JV
It is significant that these men were commited to defending the truth. It's our human nature to resist change, and yet change is vital to the thriving Christian. I know at times that I am quick to resist what I may not understand. However, if God's love and purpose functioned in a way that I can fully comprehend then that would make me god. I know, ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteGod's vision is bigger than what we can imagine and it won't always look like what I know and understand.
Not to be missed is the effective conflict/resolution of the church leaders. Problems arise, they are dealt with openly, a decision is made and they move forward.
Someone once told me living a Christian life is easier than we make it. Verse 28 validates this thought process. God does not require much, however, I can come up with many excuses why I don’t do as I should. These everyday people in the book of Acts face the same challenges we face today. Yet they sought both counsel and the Word. Sometimes, the worldly side of us needs counsel from another wise person. But at the end of the day, God’s word trumps all advice anyone can give. It’s time to just get back to the basics…every instruction I need is in God’s word. We just need to sacrifice more time to get acquainted with the Word.
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