Creating Problems

Therefore, I conclude that we shouldn’t create problems for Gentiles who turn to God. – Acts 15.19 CEB

This passage comes out of that historic moment in the life of the early Church we call the Jerusalem Council. First Church Jerusalem had a problem, and so they did what all good churches do: they called a meeting!

At the meeting, the main agenda item involved whether or not Gentiles (non Jewish folks) were allowed to come to the party. Some of the apostles had been having success sharing the message of Jesus with the Gentiles in surrounding areas, and they were beginning to feel like that whole “God so loved the world” thing might actually mean that God so loved the WORLD. They wanted to find a way to ensure that everyone got to be a part of this new thing God was up to, and not just a select few.

Others weren’t quite so sure.

Those people are different than we are.

They don’t look like us, or act like us, or believe the same things we believe. 

Their skin is a different color, they worship different gods than we do, and, by the way, have you seen the kinds of things they do for fun? 

They must believe and behave before they belong.

Sounds eerily familiar doesn’t it?

I don’t know how long this meeting lasted – did they have to order in pizza or Chinese food? – but at some point, Peter stood up to speak:

“Fellow believers, you know that, early on, God chose me from among you as the one through whom the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and come to believe. God, who knows people’s deepest thoughts and desires, confirmed this by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, but purified their deepest thoughts and desires through faith. Why then are you now challenging God by placing a burden on the shoulders of these disciples that neither we nor our ancestors could bear? On the contrary, we believe that we and they are saved in the same way, by the grace of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 15.7-11 CEB emphasis added)

Probably could have heard a pin drop. Who’s going to argue with Peter (dude was known to cut people’s ears off)?

Then Paul and Barnabas spent some time telling stories of their adventures with the Gentiles (I kind of hope Barnabas was the one doing most of the talking as Paul had a tendency to get a little long winded – in Acts 20.7-12 he preaches so long that a youth named Eutychus nods off and falls to his death from of a third story window Paul doesn’t miss a beat though, he goes down, heals the kid and then goes right back to preaching.)

Finally, it’s James’ turn. James is most likely the brother of Jesus (imagine being that guy – “Why can’t you be more like your brother?”) James had to see Jesus in his resurrected state to finally believe he was who he said he was, but after that he was all in; he ends up becoming like the bishop of the Jerusalem Church, so when he clears his throat to speak it’s like an EF Hutton moment:

“Fellow believers, listen to me.  Simon reported how, in his kindness, God came to the Gentiles in the first place, to raise up from them a people of God.  The prophets’ words agree with this; as it is written, After this I will return, and I will rebuild David’s fallen tent; I will rebuild what has been torn down. I will restore it so that the rest of humanity will seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who belong to me. The Lord says this, the one who does these things known from earliest times. “Therefore, I conclude that we shouldn’t create problems for Gentiles who turn to God.” (Acts 15.13-19 CEB emphasis added)

Mic drop.

Meeting adjourned.

From that moment on, the first followers of Jesus began to live by the mantra: belonging precedes behaving and believing.

They worked very hard to ensure that they were not creating problems for people to turn to God.

What don’t we understand about this?

I am convinced that there is an amazing opportunity for the Church today. Our message is precisely what this world is longing to hear and experience. People are desperate for a word of hope, a word of grace, a word of forgiveness; they are longing for a place where they can be themselves, wrestle with their doubts, and be fully welcomed. 

But what they get so often instead is a word of judgment, a word of rejection, closed doors, demands and exclusion.

Being an open, inclusive, welcoming faith community is messy, it’s hard, but it’s worth it.

In Acts 17, after the decision of the Jerusalem Council, some of the Christ followers are proclaiming the inclusive message of Jesus in a pagan city. Many people respond to the message and become followers of the Way, but there are some religious folks who just can’t handle this message of grace, love and acceptance so they decide to make a scene. Here’s how it goes down from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible:

(T)he Jews became jealous, and with the help of some ruffians in the marketplaces they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar. While they were searching for Paul and Silas to bring them out to the assembly, they attacked Jason’s house. When they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some believers before the city authorities, shouting … (Acts 17.5-6a)

What were they shouting?

“These people who have been turning the world upside down have come here also…” (v. 6b emphasis added)

Turning the world upside down?

How?

By proclaiming the gospel: God loves you just as you are. There is a place at the table for you. You are made in God’s image and likeness. God has a plan to bring you healing and wholeness through the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth. God has a purpose and plan for your life that includes being used to bring this message of grace to others. 

That’s good news.

Who doesn’t want to hear that?

Who wouldn’t want to be a part of a movement that proclaimed that message through word and deed?

We have the amazing opportunity to create this kind of community today.

Let’s begin by opening our doors wide, welcoming the stranger, the outcast, the marginalized, the excluded, Let’s proclaim the hopeful, grace-saturated, inclusive message of the gospel to everyone.

Let’s stop creating problems.

And let’s turn the world upside down.