Day 32: 7 Lessons from Acts of the Apostles (Acts 14:28)
Today’s Passage: Acts 14:28
In sports events, concerts, and more, there is normally a break in the action. A time for the team or group to stop, pause, and gather themselves.
There are some half-time sessions where the leader is throwing out the playbook, and on the fly launching a new plan. There are other half-time sessions when a lot is working, but there are still a few things that need to be rectified. Then, there are those moments when things are going as planned, and so the key is to keep everyone focused.
We’ve come to the halfway point of the Book of Acts. You might say it’s “half-time” and I want to ask, “What are we learning?”
You might be wondering, “Didn’t we just pause a few days ago?” Yes, in this blog on Day 26. My point in that reflection was to pause and remind ourselves of the reality that we are involved in a spiritual and physical battle. For me, it is easy to read the Book of Acts, of all that the Apostles are involved in, and leave God out. Reading that way makes it all about human, earthly action—nothing could be further from the truth.
Today I want to take break in the midst of all the action and reflect. It sounds as if Paul, Barnabas, and their companions did likewise. We read in verse 28, “They remained no little time.”
I want to take us back through a quick tour starting at chapter 9.
Why 9? Because it is here where the fledging church begins to go beyond the borders of Jerusalem.
It starts with a U-Turn. In 9 we saw Saul’s U-turn, challenging us to consider if we had turned to God, and the deep question of whether it is possible for a person to change. Part of that story is about the people who help the “newly saved Saul”. It led me to reflect on two points: my own U-Turn, and willingness to help others, even if I find them threatening (how badly do I think others need Jesus?).
In 10 and halfway through 11 we come to God dramatically moving as Peter shares the Good News with non-Jews, even baptizing them. This challenges the early church to figure out if the changes they are experiencing are from God. Here, the centrality of God’s Word to such a question comes to the fore. What they find (thankfully for us) is that God is always moving outward, seeking to reconcile the world to himself.
This situation is one the church has faced for 2,000 years. What is truly of God? Which changes are the fulfillment of Scripture, and which ones are merely human innovations? We have much to learn from this young church practicing accountability to God’s Word.
Interestingly, as the church is gathered in Jerusalem speaking with Peter and wrestling with this important question of Gentile conversion (chapter 10 and part of 11), they find out the Word is already spreading. People fleeing from Stephen’s martyrdom has led to the Good News going to Antioch.
With the issue of Gentile conversions settled, you might think the church could get on with their mission.
Not so fast! In 12 we read about the happenings in Jerusalem and in 13 we read of happenings in Antioch—in each case we now read of the world’s reaction to Jesus.
The world’s reaction is prideful and stands as a caution to us and the pride which so easily befalls humans. Yet we also note that this endeavor we are involved in, following Jesus, is a battle, and a cosmic one at that!
With the cosmic battle in view, and with clear direction on going to reach the entire world, we turn to chapters 13 and 14.
In 13 and 14, because we were reading of Paul and others, doing mission, it became natural to think of how it compares to mission in our own day.
We reflected on “words” for the words we allow to govern our lives hold sway in our minds. Do we believe we are in a battle, or practicing magic, superstition and sorcery?
Yet the balance of 13 grounds us in the reality that the battle in this world will lead to persecution, not popularity—and challenges us to ask how these outcomes affect us.
In 14 we are reminded, to understand that we will face conflict, that our motivation should be love, and that it is important to take time to celebrate the victories.
Right now, we are half-way through this book. When we began, I suggested:
I must read the Book of Acts as an instructive for how I should live today—with certainty—certainty that Jesus is the Risen Lord of All.
My sense is we have indeed been reading about people who are so certain about Jesus as Risen Lord, that God is able to work His Purposes through them.
If you were giving the half-time pep talk, what might you tell the team? What has the “first-half of the battle” taught you?
For me, I might say:
Remember it is God’s Plan, not ours, therefore
Seek His Will in Prayer
Pray for boldness—Pray for love of others
Expect Positive Results
Anticipate Inner Opposition
Don’t be Discouraged over Persecution
Celebrate Together His Victories