It happened years ago, but every year about this time as we celebrate Jesus resurrection; I remember.  Answering the call of God, Randy and I left our home state so he could attend seminary in another state about a thousand miles away.  He also said yes to pastoring a small country church a new miles away.  Moving to another place filled with cultural differences and traditions were challenging but we thought we were working through it all—until Randy failed, as pastor, to put up the cross with the purple cloth, two weeks before Easter Sunday. 

Randy was never told there was a cross to be put up or where it was.  So, the church went through Holy Week without it.  We didn’t have a clue.  We were busy with all that goes with Holy Week; extra sermons, finals for classes, Maundy services, a community sunrise service as well as teaching prep for Sunday School classes.  If you’re a pastor or the spouse—you know.

As we greeted people for Resurrection Sunday, we noticed that one life long member was not only frowning but would not say a word, and even turned her back on us when we greeted her.  Her body language clearly showed her anger.  We didn’t know why—for weeks!  Finally, in a church meeting, she expressed what she felt, “We have always put up the cross and draped the purple cloth around it and we did not this year and I want to know why.”  It was an ah-hah moment for Randy and I.  The cross was stored in a basement area we didn’t even know existed.  No one had said anything about it.  But our belief in Jesus was judged for not knowing about that cross!

Seems silly, doesn’t it?  If you are a church leader, you get it.  We do this often, led by a spirit not of God.  “All sin and fall short of the glory of God.”  So, we readily understand Peter’s passionate plea to the traditionalists; “Why are your trying to out-god God?” Why are we loading new believers down with crushing rules of tradition? 

Why do we get bent out of shape over a misplaced cross that represents the cruel death of Jesus while our focus is distracted from why He offered His body as a living sacrifice for our sins and then rose again in victory?  “Don’t we believe that we are saved because the Master Jesus amazingly and out of sheer generosity moved to save us?”

Acts 15, The Message

To Let Outsiders Inside

^1-2 It wasn’t long before some Jews showed up from Judea insisting that everyone be circumcised: “If you’re not circumcised in the Mosaic fashion, you can’t be saved.” Paul and Barnabas were up on their feet at once in fierce protest. The church decided to resolve the matter by sending Paul, Barnabas, and a few others to put it before the apostles and leaders in Jerusalem.

³ After they were sent off and on their way, they told everyone they met as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria about the breakthrough to the non-Jewish outsiders. Everyone who heard the news cheered—it was terrific news!

^4-5 When they got to Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas were graciously received by the whole church, including the apostles and leaders. They reported on their recent journey and how God had used them to open things up to the outsiders. Some Pharisees stood up to say their piece. They had become believers, but continued to hold to the hard party line of the Pharisees. “You have to circumcise the pagan converts,” they said. “You must make them keep the Law of Moses.”

^6-9 The apostles and leaders called a special meeting to consider the matter. The arguments went on and on, back and forth, getting more and more heated. Then Peter took the floor: “Friends, you well know that from early on God made it quite plain that he wanted the pagans to hear the Message of this good news and embrace it—and not in any secondhand or roundabout way, but firsthand, straight from my mouth. And God, who can’t be fooled by any pretense on our part but always knows a person’s thoughts, gave them the Holy Spirit exactly as he gave him to us. He treated the outsiders exactly as he treated us, beginning at the very center of who they were and working from that center outward, cleaning up their lives as they trusted and believed him.

^10-11 “So why are you now trying to out-god God, loading these new believers down with rules that crushed our ancestors and crushed us, too? Don’t we believe that we are saved because the Master Jesus amazingly and out of sheer generosity moved to save us just as he did those from beyond our nation? So what are we arguing about?”

^12-13 There was dead silence. No one said a word. With the room quiet, Barnabas and Paul reported matter-of-factly on the miracles and wonders God had done among the other nations through their ministry. The silence deepened; you could hear a pin drop.

^13-18 James broke the silence. “Friends, listen. Simeon has told us the story of how God at the very outset made sure that racial outsiders were included. This is in perfect agreement with the words of the prophets:

After this, I’m coming back;
    I’ll rebuild David’s ruined house;
I’ll put all the pieces together again;
    I’ll make it look like new
So outsiders who seek will find,
    so they’ll have a place to come to,
All the pagan peoples
    included in what I’m doing.

“God said it and now he’s doing it. It’s no afterthought; he’s always known he would do this.

^19-21 “So here is my decision: We’re not going to unnecessarily burden non-Jewish people who turn to the Master. We’ll write them a letter and tell them, ‘Be careful to not get involved in activities connected with idols, to guard the morality of sex and marriage, to not serve food offensive to Jewish Christians—blood, for instance.’ This is basic wisdom from Moses, preached and honored for centuries now in city after city as we have met and kept the Sabbath.”

^22-23 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!

^24-27 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.

^28-29 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!

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

There is disagreement but there is also communication with truth, spoken in a spirit of love.  Love God.  Love Others.  These two commandments of God are instilled the minds of the apostles and followers so that others will know, believe, and follow Jesus, too.  Guided by the Holy Spirit, Peter is given the right words to say that will pull everyone back in unity.  “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Psalm 133:1, NIV  When we bring the conversation to the Table in open dialogue, not to get our way, but to respond according the The Way of Jesus, God smiles!  We can learn much from this example, dear leader friends.

We must relinquish all control to the Master Jesus who by God’s Holy Spirit will lead us in all we think, say, and do that is right, pure, holy and benefits all who believe in Him. (Romans 12:1-2)  This is The Way to knowing God’s perfect and pleasing will for us.

We must believe, really believe that God created all, is in all, and for all who believe in Jesus and trust in Him. Redemption trumps tradition and culture.

Jesus came to fulfil every Law that God handed down to Moses for the spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional health of His people.  The top two are the “bare necessities” in which, according to Jesus, “all the other laws” are derived:  Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul.  Love others they way God loves us. 

Because of God’s love, He sent His One and Only Son, Jesus to save us from eternal death and destruction caused by our sins.  Whoever believes and repents in Jesus Name is indeed saved from all sin and made new with a new life.  Eternal life, a gift from God, is for all who believe Jesus. (John 3:16-17)

These are the bare necessities.  If we get this right, we are made righteous by God through believe Jesus, His Son.  Don’t out-god God.  It will not go well for us.

May God be with us all!

Lord,

Thank you for daily cleansing my heart, renewing my mind, transforming my behaviors, refreshing my soul with your new mercies, and restoring the joy and peace of you in me and me in you.

In Jesus Name, Amen