Feb 8 2009 Lev 7-9, Acts 15

Scripture
And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question. Acts 15:1-2

Observation
No sooner have Paul and Barnabas arrived back at Antioch and reported to the church how God has been working through them and has opened a door of faith for the Gentiles, than trouble arises. It’s ironic isn’t it? God is doing a great work, there are stories of great miracles and the church is experiencing phenomenal growth. So what happens? The brethren want to have a meeting to talk about procedure! What was the issue? These new gentile believers were being brought into the church through baptism and not circumcision. That is, they were becoming Christians without also becoming Jews.

And at one level they’re right to be worried. This moment is the turning point in the history of the Church. From this moment on the church will never be the same again.

Application
I can’t help but think how important it was to get it right in this meeting. What would happen to the future of the church if these hard-line Jews had won the day? God wanted to take His people in a totally new direction and if they were not careful, His own disciples could end up blocking what God was wanting to do.

It is so easy to become so invested in the work that we do, that we forget this is not our church but Gods. He is the leader and He has the plan. Not only that, but we have all learned that God is not always predictable. He moves in ways that sometimes are difficult for us to understand.

So how can we be sure that we stay in tune with what God wants to do? I think the key here is that God give us evidence through his working in our lives. Someone once wrote, “I can pray that God will bless me and join me in my work, or I can choose to join Him in His work he is already blessing.”

Prayer
O Lord, please open my eyes to see all You are doing in and around my life. Let me recognize how You are at work. Never let me obstruct what you are doing or want to do in my life or Your church.