“And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another…”

(Acts 15:39a)

This passage makes me sad.  It makes me sad that Paul and Barnabas fought over John Mark, and it led to a division between two great men of faith.  It’s disheartening when we see good brethren (or even great brethren!) fighting with each other.

I don’t like it, and I know God doesn’t either.

But I also know the rest of the story.  Paul kept serving God and went on to do great things.  Barnabas kept serving God and went on to do great things… and so did John Mark.  God caused a sad thing to work together for the good of the kingdom.

I pray that these troublesome times will have the same impact upon the church.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls…”

(Acts 15:24)

Words can be unsettling.  Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can touch your soul.  It was *just* words that the devil used to unsettle souls in the early church.  It is *just* words that can destroy the church now.

The words we say to each other – do they build up, or do they tear down?

The words we listen to – do they cause us to dwell on good and pure things, or do they stir our hearts up to anger, dismay, or deception?

The words we use and the words we hear have a profound impact upon us.  Choose them carefully.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“Through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God.”

(Acts 14:22b)

If following Christ is hard – you are doing it right.

If living by faith scares you sometimes – you are doing it right.

If “Jesus first” leads to sacrifices and losses – you are doing it right.

If kingdom ethics has caused you to be uncomfortable – you are doing it right.

If a God-guided conscience has forced you to make painful decisions – you are doing it right.

If the devil’s arrows have caused you to stumble or frustrated your progress  – don’t quit. You are doing it right.

The apostles never said it would be easy.  They just said it would be worth it.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“…and spoke in such a manner that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks.”

(Acts 14:1b)

Paul and Barnabas taught many people, and the way they spoke mattered.  When the text says they “spoke in such a manner”.  What manner was it that led to so many people believing?

We know they spoke the truth in love (see Eph 4:15).  Love makes all the difference when you are having a hard conversation.

We know they reasoned with people because that was their custom (see Acts 17:2).  Reasoning means you use facts and conversation to persuade, not feelings or intimidation to win.

We know they spoke of Jesus (see 1 Cor 1:23).  Their goal was not political, nor merely to change behavior… they wanted to point people toward the Savior.  No spiritual conversation is complete until Jesus is discussed.

We know they called people to repentance (see Acts 17:30).  What good is the academic discussion of Jesus without action?  Even the demons believe and shudder (see James 2:19).  These men spoke in such a manner that people understood God had an expectation of them.

The great thing is what Paul and Barnabas did, we can do, too.  We are free to have the same transformative conversations with people that they did.  How great is that?!

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“…through Him, everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.”

(Acts 13:39)

The Law of Moses, also known as the first five books of the Old Testament, was a revolutionary legal document.  It included divine laws that offered protection to women, showcased the value of immigrants, and enacted regulations to meet the needs of the poor and disenfranchised.  As the apostle Paul said, the Law is “holy and righteous and good”.

So, with such a perfect law… why would we need the New Testament?  Why would we need Jesus if God had already given Moses such a great law?

The answer is sin.  The law of Moses was holy, but we aren’t.  It is full of righteous commands, and we fail to follow them.  Its goodness highlighted our wickedness.  The Law of Moses shackled everyone as criminals.

Shame, guilt, and worthlessness are the consequences of examining our lives closely.  Everything that we accuse others of, hate in society, and despise as selfish can be found in our own lives with even a casual level of introspection.  We are slaves to sin, and it is a cruel master that taunts us every day.

And then Jesus came.  He brought hope through forgiveness, freedom through His sacrifice, and a path to acceptance by God.  Jesus sets us free from our guilt and restores our worth.  In Him, we are freed from what law alone never could.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay…”

(Acts 13:36)

No matter how great or how humble, we all may only serve our own generation and then be joined to the ranks of ancestry.  Just like the earth revolves around the sun, there are seasons for each generation.  As one generation is rising up, another is dying off, while a third is in their prime.

We don’t need to change things forever; just do what good we can while we are here and do our best to serve our generation while we can.  It is a principle of nearness – don’t worry about what is far off; just do what is right in front of you.

It also is a good reminder that we each have a purpose in our own generation.  We have work that He has prepared for us to do.  You were not born in the wrong time – you were born in exactly the right time.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory…”

(Acts 12:23)

What was Herod’s sin?  He chose flattery.  He accepted praise which belonged to God.

Be wary of the love of flattery; it will own you with its beguiling, velvety touch.  Flattery is the sin that teaches us to accept lies because they make us feel good.  If you read through the Psalms and Proverbs, you will find that flattery is often paired right next to words like ‘lying’, ‘falsehood’, and ‘seduction’.  Many a marriage has been destroyed by the flattery of another.

Flattery seduces us to believe lies about ourselves that deceive our own hearts.  We are seduced by those who flatter because they cause us to feel like a high-quality person without having to put the work into actually becoming that person… but honesty requires a humble assessment of ourselves (flaws and all!) that cannot happen when surrounded by yes-men.

Beware the allure of flattery.  Flattery often comes with a hidden price.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord”

(Acts 11:23)

Barnabas means ‘Son of Encouragement’, and what was his encouragement to the saints in Antioch?  Be resolute and remain true.  To be resolute is to be determined and admirably purposeful in what you are doing.  Christians need such undaunting courage; the opportunities for distraction and temptation are everywhere.  And we must remain true – Jesus is our true north, our heading when the storms of life assail us and all hope seems lost.

What do new Christians need?  We need to know the journey will be long and the opportunities to quit will be constant… but be resolute and remain true.

You cannot fail if you do not quit.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“…he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.”

(Acts 11:14)

An angel told Cornelius to wait for a man to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to him.  Why didn’t the angel just do it?!  Throughout history, God has sent His message by the feet of humans – not angels or a voice from the heavens… the gospel spreads by our voice.  We are the carriers of the Bible.

Evangelism is the sacred duty and privilege of the saints – it is a task in which even the angels are not allowed to tread.  Only we are allowed to speak the words by which others might be saved.  Speak accordingly.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.”

(Acts 11:9)

When Peter was told to consider Gentiles holy and worthy of the gospel, Peter’s initial reaction was to recoil – as a Jew, he had nothing to do with the pagan nations.  Peter was used to a stricter separation between Jew and Gentile than what God was commanding.

There is a struggle we face in following God.  There are times He is stricter than we are, but there are also times He is more lenient.  We must learn to bend to Him in both circumstances.  When God asks us to hate sin and leave no room for it in our lives, we cry, “The rules are too strict!”.  When He tells us to show forgiveness or tolerance for the differences among individuals, we cry for justice instead of compassion.

But it is just as important that we not bind rules which go beyond Scripture as it is that we not loose things clearly taught by God.  We must neither add nor subtract from the Word of God (see Rev 22:18-19).  It’s a tough balance… but one that we must seek to strike if we wish to follow Him and not ourselves.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites