Acts 11.19-26 - NLT 19 Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God, but only to Jews. 20 However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. 21 The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord. 22 When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw this evidence of God s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. 24 Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord. 25 Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. 26 When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.) This is the Word of God for the People of God. THANKS BE TO GOD! One in the Spirit 10.11.15 This song from the musical Godspell captures the essence of the Christian s desire to grow in grace: To see Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, follow Thee more nearly Day by Day (Stephen Schwartz, Godspell, 1973) Growing in Christ requires more than weekly worship...it is through Intentional Faith Development that God s Spirit works in us, perfecting us in the practice of love as we grow in the knowledge and love of God. (Robert Schnase, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, @ 2007 Robert Schnase; Abingdon Press; ch. 3 The Practice of Intentional Faith Development pp. 62-63) This morning we conclude our sermon series on Growing in Grace: Developing Christian Disciples. We have been challenged to Open Our Minds to the Word and to the World. as we consider how we can grow as Followers of Jesus. Last week, we were challenged to live into our Mission: To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. (Book of Discipline, 2012) As well as to be guided by our Vision: to Worship God, to Grow Spiritually, and to Go Serve and Make Disciples.
In short, we were challenged to Change the World! This morning, we consider this question: IWW can we help others grow in their faith and become Fully Devoted Followers of Jesus? But you might ask: How can we help others when we don t all get along? The truth is: Many things divide us. so much separates us. Political viewpoints. theological understanding. background. culture. Moral issues. Race. Gender. Age. Preferences. So, how can we help others when we don t all get along? This morning, I challenge us to look beyond the surface and to see as God sees, as we strive to be and make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Because, we are One in Christ s love. In the passage that read this morning we find that the first followers of Jesus were Jewish. But soon they were not the ONLY believers. Gentiles, (or non-jews) considered unclean to Jews, also believed. As you can imagine, this was not highly encouraged, supported or accepted. The early church, much like the Church today, had its rules, regulations and guidelines. One of those rules was that Jews did not associate with Gentiles. The uncircumcised. Unclean. Pure Jews avoided Gentiles as well as Samaritans. But a funny thing happened on the way to church. God shattered the rules. While the early believers were all Jewish, they thought that ONLY Jews could believe in and follow Jesus and His Teaching. But not so! They learned that God does not show partiality. (Acts 10.34) Eventually, however, the Jewish Christians accepted the Gentile Christians. But it was not always smooth sailing. In addition, it was not enough to simply believe. Barnabas and Saul stayed for a year, encouraging and teaching; helping the new believers to grow in their faith. Acts 2 - Day of Pentecost - outpouring of the Holy Spirit; beginning of the Church 2.42-47 - All the believers spent time together in worship, prayer, fellowship, Communion, sharing of resources; 6 - Deacons appointed; Stephen arrested on false charges 7 - Stephen speaks boldly to Sanhedrin, ultimately, leading to his death; in death, he forgives his accusers 8 - Great persecution broke out after the Stoning of Stephen; The believers scattered in fear throughout Judea and Samaria; Apostles, however, continued preaching the Good
News wherever they went; The Good News was proclaimed, but only to Jews; Philip, the deacon, however, preached in Samaria and then to an Ethiopian, and then Caesarea. 9 - Saul the Persecutor becomes Paul the Preacher; while he intended to capture the Believers, he himself was captured by the Lord Himself; saul/paul begins preaching ministry; (LIfe Application Bible, NRSV, 1988, 1989, 1990, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, Wheaton IL; Acts 2-11) 10 The story of Peter and Cornelius is a very significant one. It marks the opening of the early Church to non-jews. Up until this time, the believers were all Jewish. and so, it went without saying, that the Followers of Jesus had to be Jews. There was no question about Gentiles hearing and believing and repenting. It just was not right. So, when Peter had the vision of unclean animals dropping from the sky on a large tarp, and being commanded to kill and eat, it had to cause great consternation to Peter. Why would he willingly violate the sacred law of his people and culture. a law that had been in existence for many generations? At the same time, Cornelius, a God-fearing Roman Centurion of the Italian Cohort or Company, was having a vision himself. This Commanding officer over 600 men feared God and worshiped God with his family. During his afternoon prayers, he had an angelic encounter. The word of the Lord came to him in a vision. Send some men to Joppa and find Simon Peter, and he will come to you. Peter must ve thought he was dreaming or something, while he was waiting for his afternoon snack in the microwave. How long does it take to pop popcorn, anyway? He figured his hunger pangs led to hallucinations. What did he see? Animals. Unclean animals. all sort of unclean animals. all on some sort of sheet coming out of the sky. Then a voice. Get up. Kill and eat. Wait a minute! Is this really happening? These are unclean animals. I ve never so much as tasted any of these before. I ve been Kosher/vegan all my life. Why change now? Besides, I can t do that. it is just wrong! The Voice said: What God has called clean, you must not call unclean. This happened three times. While he was trying to make sense of all this, the men Cornelius sent arrived at the home where he was staying. The Spirit told Peter to go with them without hesitation. and so he did. When they got to Caesarea, Cornelius fell at Peter s feet, as if he were a god. But Peter made him get up. Look, I m just a man, like you!
Peter reminded them: You know it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with a Gentile. but God has shown me that I should not call anyone unclean. After Cornelius shared about his vision, he invited Peter to speak. I truly understand that God shows no partiality. Everyone who hears the Word and repents, whoever fears God and does right will be accepted. Then he preached Christ crucified and forgiveness in His Name. While he was preaching, the Holy Spirit fell upon Cornelius and his family and household. Those with Peter were amazed that the Holy Spirit was given Even to the Gentiles. Who would ve ever thought? Immediately, Cornelius and his household were all baptized. 11 - By now, word of this occurrence spread to Jerusalem. It was out. The Gentiles had accepted the Word of God and have received the Holy Spirit. Imagine the greeting Peter received when he returned to Jerusalem. Not all were smiling or cheering. Do you mean to tell us that you spent time with the uncircumcised, unclean Gentiles? and you also ATE with them? How could you?! Then Peter explained how it happened. When they heard, they praised God. They affirmed what God had done through Peter. Now God has given EVEN the Gentiles repentance and new life. (Life Application Bible, NRSV, 1988, 1989, 1990, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, Wheaton IL; Acts 2-11) Clearly, something happened in Antioch! Non-Jews were hearing the Good News and believing. The Body of Christ was exploding in Syria, of all places. Meanwhile, at the headquarters for the Way in Jerusalem, phones were ringing off the hook. Letters poured in by the bundle. Facebook posts and Tweets were spinning out of control. It was crazy! Antioch was all the Buzz! So, as you can imagine, the Jerusalem Church sent a spy to check it out. Find out what is going on up there! and take care of it! So they sent Barnabas, Son of Encouragement to make a surprise visit. Much to his surprise, Barnabas found the movement of God! He ended up staying for a year, encouraging and instructing the people in their faith. (Journal 10.10.15) How like that are we?! We don t like to hear about such things happening without our knowledge or approval. We, too, want to check things out. What is happening? Who is at the center of this controversy? We want to know everything about it. But how amazed are we when, like Barnabas, we discover the Hand of God in this ministry explosion!
Even during persecution, the Word of God was proclaimed. Even though it wasn t popular, some preached to the Gentiles. The unclean, uncircumcised, unwelcome non- Jews. John Wesley taught of sanctification, the maturing in faith made possible by the Spirit as we grow in Christ-likeness. Wesley was concerned for Christian Disciples beyond the initial stages of engagement with the church, and he wanted Methodists to go on from grace to grace, spending time in the presence of God s Word and God s people so that God s Spirit would create the heart anew.. Christian faith is not static but dynamic. It requires cultivation. Wesley was as passionate about Christians maturing toward the fullness of faith as he was about inviting Christians into the beginnings of faith. He called early Methodists to practices that fostered faith through learning in community, which results in the steady withering of the old nature while nurturing the fruits of the Spirit. (Robert Schnase, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, @ 2007 Robert Schnase; Abingdon Press; ch. 3 The Practice of Intentional Faith Development pp. 64-65) Growing in Grace - Community As Wesley and the early Methodists realized, growth in faith does not come easily or automatically, but requires placing ourselves in community to learn the faith with others. Wesley commended the practices of public and family prayers, the searching of Scriptures, the receiving of Holy Communion, and the practice of works of mercy - all in supportive community. We learn the life of Christ and will of God by studying God s Word and through experience with other people of faith. The early Methodist Class meetings, like an intense Bible Study or Sunday School Class, provided the means to help people remain faithful in their journey toward Christ Bible Study is not just about self-improvement, but about setting ourselves where God can shape us, intentionally opening ourselves to God s Word and call. God uses faith-to-faith relationships to change us. (Robert Schnase, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, @ 2007 Robert Schnase; Abingdon Press; ch. 3 The Practice of Intentional Faith Development p. 65) The Pastor and staff of a mid-sized congregation noticed that while the church received many new visitors, and a high percentage of them were joining the church, nevertheless attendance remained steady month after month. For several years, the church had seen growth in attendance, and they couldn t figure out why it was leveling off now. The church practiced hospitality with excellence, with visitors and new members feeling welcomed at worship and into membership. But then after a few months, visitors and new members would drift away, becoming less consistent in attendance, and eventually, fall away altogether. To better understand the situation, the Pastor visited with some members who had joined in the last several months. He discovered that people felt welcome and supported when they first visited the church, and continued to feel a sense of belonging in worship. But when they tried to become part of Sunday School classes, Men s group, choirs, and Bible Studies, the groups felt cliquish and uninterested in welcoming new
people. Even after some months of trying, they felt at the margins in these smaller groups and ministries. They never felt at home. One woman was the Kitchen chief in a previous church. and while she didn t expect to become that in her new church, she did hope to join the cooking team. So, when she showed up to help with a dinner, they handed her the napkins and told her to put them on the tables. After completing that task, she just stood around watching. She said: I felt like they didn t need me or want me. The Pastor and staff soon realized that the front door was working well as people felt invited and welcomed. But they were slipping out the back door because they were discovering too many of the middle doors were closed tight. So the Pastor and staff began a series of teaching events and lessons in the adult classes, mission teams, service organizations, choirs and Bible Studies to try to move the culture of hospitality deeper into the life of the church. After some months, they noticed that the small groups began to grow, and with them the worship attendance began to trend up again. Most new members will not feel like they really belong to the Church until they find meaningful relationships and connections in small groups beyond the worship experience. (Robert Schnase, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, @ 2007 Robert Schnase; Abingdon Press; ch. 3 The Practice of Intentional Faith Development pp. 66-67) Are our Middle Doors open? Are we intentionally including everyone? Are WE doing all we can to learn and grow as Devoted Christian Disciples? Are WE doing all we can to help others learn and grow as Devoted Christian Disciples? What would it look like if we had 50% of our worshiping congregation involved in a small accountability group? a Bible study, a short-term study group, special interest group, etc., Sure, it may mean an additional commitment. it may mean sacrificing something we really enjoy. It may mean not being completely comfortable. But it may also mean moving deeper in our relationship with God and each other. It may mean being a vital part of someone else s spiritual journey. It may mean being available for God to use us in a way we never before imagined. This morning, we are receiving 5 individuals into membership. These persons have made a commitment to Christ to be faithful disciples who strive to use their gifts to make a difference in the world. They understand that being a Disciple is risky, dangerous, and not always popular. They know that there are expectations. Today, in a few moments, they will stand before you, ready to commit themselves to Christ and His calling upon their lives. They will make a promise (that many of you have already made) to faithfully participate in the ministries of the Church and support it by their PRAYERS, their PRESENCE, their GIFTS, their SERVICE, and their WITNESS.
1) PRAYERS - What that means is that they, like you, will commit to PRAY for the ministries and mission of the church, the leadership, those in need, and that they will strive to grow in their faith as Devoted Disciples of Jesus Christ. 2) PRESENCE - It also means that they, like you, will be PRESENT as much as possible in worship, study, mission and service. To be present in body and spirit. 3) GIFTS - It means that they, like you, will freely and gladly offer their GIFTS to support the mission and ministry of the church. By their financial contributions, they will move toward a lifestyle of sacrificial giving and extravagant generosity, as they recognize that they are simply stewards of all God s gifts. 4) SERVICE - In addition, they, like you, will exercise their God-given gifts and use them in whatever way God desires. This leads to their commitment to SERVICE to others by using all of their Spiritual gifts (teaching, encouraging, music, administration, helping, etc) to help develop disciples around them. 5) WITNESS - Finally, it means that they, like you, will live their lives in such a way that they WITNESS to others in everything they do. Whether through word or deed, they know they represent Christ. The early church grew by leaps and bounds, but not because new members were bribed with unrealistic (or undeliverable) rewards. The early church grew because they were devoted to learning and growing. They desired to be (more) like Jesus. They genuinely loved each other. They wanted to make a difference in the lives of others and in the world. The church grew because it wanted to! The Church grew because they sought to be open to all people! What happens when Christians become united as the Family of God? We can change the world! We are united in Christ s love. The question is: Do we REALLY WANT to grow as Devoted Disciples who desire to Transform the World? Do we Really WANT to help OTHERS learn and grow as Devoted Disciples? Will people KNOW we are Christians by our love? We are united in Christ s love. We can change the world!