How much was at stake?

Ever wondered how much was at stake in episodes like Acts 15? On the one hand you have Paul and Barnabus pursuing Christ's mission and campaigning for a freedom of the Spirit to work out among non-Jewish believers without Old Testament constraints. On the other hand you have certain individuals pointing resolutely to scriptures, questioning the validity of the gospel work.

And so it comes to a head with believers meeting in Jerusalem to try and sort it out. How high did temperatures reach or passions run I wonder? How much were they afraid of possible fall out from among their own number? Remember, those opposed were not raising a flag based on just a whim or a fancy. Instead they were faithfully standing on hundreds of years of tradition backed by scriptures that had been interpreted pretty much in the same way for all that time. The whole integrity of the organisation and what it stood for was at stake!

Yet with our benefit of hindsight we can see that those opposed to Barnabus and Paul, even though sincere and well rehearsed in the scriptures, had apparently become blinkered in some way. Somehow they were not seeing the greater work that God was doing by His Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ lifted as Lord out among the peoples of the world. Put simply their interpretation of scripture subtly missed the purposes of God made possible in Christ's death and resurrection.

And that is why so much was at stake. That is why Paul and Barnabus had to disagree and debate with them. The achievement of Christ cannot be watered down, or reduced down to a lowest common denominator.

Thankfully this debate seemed to be pretty much settled when Peter spoke to the assembly reminding them how 'God does not discriminate' and appealing to them to 'not test God by putting onto people a yoke' that we were never ever intended to bear.

Too much is at stake for us to not hear these kind of words afresh today.

Get Out into the River

Where I live has all kinds of water courses, channels, sluices and rivers. Taking a walk yesterday I came to a spot that has a big pool of water adjacent to the river that made me ponder.

The water in the big pool was stagnant. It was peaceful yet the water looked murky and uninviting. It had no movement.

Yet just yards away was the river. Here the water moved and flowed. From the river irrigation channels were provided for. Next to the river are fields which receive water from the river - some of the most fertile land in the country. The water from the river helps bring good nutrients to huge numbers of people ... even if they don't realise it.

How much in church do we just paddle about in the safe secluded pool, thinking this is nice and peaceful but blind to the fact that it is stagnant? As Christians should we not be going out into the river, where there is movement and flow - because there we will bring goodness and nutrition to many many people?

Incredibly back in the stagnant water things were growing: giant lily pads, reeds (and algae!). Thats the grace of God for you - God will bless and give growth even in our stagnant pools. Yet the real growth and the limitless possibilities exist further out - in the river.

I will be with you ...

There are many things one might want to take stock of before going out in mission. Do you have the resources, can you see it through, do you have a good strategy? All good questions, all worth a thought.

Yet Gideon in Judges chapter 6 seemed to be given no time to think through these elements. Even with the little time he did have, his evaluation came to negative conclusions: 'I am the smallest, weakest ...'.

To this the Lord simply answered 'I will be with you'. After all, it was the Lord who was sending him out (see verses 14 and 16).

Sometimes our greatest asset is to simply know that the Lord has sent us, and will go with us.

Its not unlike the Great Commission at the end of Matthew 28. We focus of course on the 'go and make disciples, baptising ...'. That is good, it defines our mission imperative succinctly.  Yet let us not lose sight of the the sending ('Go ...') and the fact that 'surely I am with you to the very end of the age'.

In other words, let us know that we are sent, and that the Lord will be with us. Thats the deal, and there will be many times when that is all we need to know to continue out on our mission task.

Strength Through Quiet Trust

What constitutes strength? Might, power, brute force, the ability to talk louder or longer than anyone else?

The Jericho overthrow story recorded in Joshua chapter 6 gives an example of a different way. One that shows the power of God, one that quietly waits for His moment.

They march round outside the city once per day for 6 days, and then on the seventh day a further 6 times. Each time they just had the trumpets sounding. No shouting, no jeering, no war cry. It was a show of strength through quiet trust. Not only did they have to keep silent, they had to be patient: only when the time was right would the walls come down.

Eventually that super-7 moment came: the 7th time round on the 7th day. This is the moment to let trust in God quietly brewed up over the week burst out. The walls immediately collapsed without a single stone being thrown.

To lead out in mission will require battles to be fought along the way. But which kind of strength will you deploy? Quickly mustered bravado, or quiet trust in God carefully brewed in patient waiting?