Why?

Paul reached Derbe, and then Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy. He was the son of a believing Jewish woman and a Greek father. 2 The brothers and sisters in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take Timothy with him, so he circumcised him. This was because of the Jews who lived in those areas, for they all knew Timothy’s father was Greek. 4 As Paul and his companions traveled through the cities, they instructed Gentile believers to keep the regulations put in place by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and every day their numbers flourished. 6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the regions of Phrygia and Galatia because the Holy Spirit kept them from speaking the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they approached the province of Mysia, they tried to enter the province of Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus wouldn’t let them. 8 Passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas instead. (Acts 16:1-8, CEB)

As I read this passage I wondered why did Paul circumcise Timothy. It says because of the Jews who lived in the area, knew Timothy’s father was Greek. So, what does that have to do with Timothy?

Can you think about the things you do to keep an outward appearance of being a disciple? I know there are things about my appearance I wonder how people will take. I have several piercings in my ears and now a couple on my face. And I am considering getting more. And I have several tattoos. Some of which are easily covered, but some are not. And should I cover these up? Is it my worry how my appearance will be accepted? Well yes and no. I am who God created me to be and I will attract some people to me based on that and some will not follow after me based on appearance.

I have the same concerns when I put on a collar for being a pastor. Some will see the collar and not talk to me and others will.

We can not control how others see us, so we need to do what we need to to make ourselves and God happy.

So love yourself as God loves you and love everyone else the same as that.

Loving People. Loving God.

Agree to disagree

36 Some time later, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit all the brothers and sisters in every city where we preached the Lord’s word. Let’s see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them. 38 Paul insisted that they shouldn’t take him along, since he had deserted them in Pamphylia and hadn’t continued with them in their work. 39 Their argument became so intense that they went their separate ways. Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus. 40 Paul chose Silas and left, entrusted by the brothers and sisters to the Lord’s grace. 41 He traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. (Acts 15:36-41, CEB)

I have heard and used the phrase agree to disagree.

Sometimes, like in the passage above, this is an ok phrase to use. Paul and Barnabas disagree about bringing John Mark along. Barnabas wants to but Paul doesn’t. Now John Mark deserted Paul and Barnabas earlier and Paul thinks this is a reason he shouldn’t come and Barnabas doesn’t. So it isn’t that John Mark is mistreating anyone, with the information we know, and John Mark isn’t oppressing anyone, so it is ok to agree to disagree.

But when someone is using religion or any means to hurt or harm someone or a group based on their differences this is not a place to agree to disagree, it is a place to push until justice is served.

We can disagree about dipping or drinking for communion. Real loaves or wafers, but who is welcome is not an agree to disagree.

We are called to love all without question.

Loving People. Loving God.

Easier said…

25 A legal expert stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to gain eternal life?” 26 Jesus replied, “What is written in the Law? How do you interpret it?” 27 He responded, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” 28 Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.” (Luke 10:25-28, CEB)

What must I do to gain eternal life?

Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.

Easy right? Not really. That is where we get hung up on who our neighbor is.

And we think it is so easy to love God but is it?

I mean God loves everyone. Equally. Even those people who have miss treated me and called me names. Those people who said things behind my back and told lies about me. God loves them. Shouldn’t God not like them because of the way they treated me?

Well no because then God wouldn’t like you for the things you have said about others that weren’t true…

We need to love. Period. We need to love God and everyone else. And that is more than saying you love them, that is accepting them as they are, as God made them, not how you think they should be or how you think God made them. How they know God made them.

Do this and you will live. Love and you will live.

Loving People. Loving God.

Stewardship

27 About that time, some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, Agabus, stood up and, inspired by the Spirit, predicted that a severe famine would overtake the entire Roman world. (This occurred during Claudius’ rule.) 29 The disciples decided they would send support to the brothers and sisters in Judea, with everyone contributing to this ministry according to each person’s abundance. 30 They sent Barnabas and Saul to take this gift to the elders. (Acts 11:27-30, CEB)

Is this the first stewardship drive in the church?

Nope, there was support in Paul’s letters which came before Acts. Disciples of Christ are always supportive of others and know when others are in need and give, not for what they get but because they have been blessed and in blessing others the blessing will be returned.

We give because God loves us when we were not in a position to ask for love.

So give because you have been blessed. That is loving and what we are called to do.

Loving People. Loving God.

Moves

19 Now those who were scattered as a result of the trouble that occurred because of Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. They proclaimed the word only to Jews. 20 Among them were some people from Cyprus and Cyrene. They entered Antioch and began to proclaim the good news about the Lord Jesus also to Gentiles. 21 The Lord’s power was with them, and a large number came to believe and turned to the Lord. 22 When the church in Jerusalem heard about this, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw evidence of God’s grace, he was overjoyed and encouraged everyone to remain fully committed to the Lord. 24 Barnabas responded in this way because he was a good man, whom the Holy Spirit had endowed with exceptional faith. A considerable number of people were added to the Lord. 25 Barnabas went to Tarsus in search of Saul. 26 When he found him, he brought him to Antioch. They were there for a whole year, meeting with the church and teaching large numbers of people. It was in Antioch where the disciples were first labeled “Christians.” (Acts 11:19-26, CEB)

We see here in this passage the birth of the Christian church, before this, they were called followers of the way. We also see in this passage the depths and lengths God will go to to make things happen.

Barnabas went to Tarsus to find Paul because he was needed. God moves us to do things we may not want to or think we need to to get the plan done.

Follow God where God leads you and know God’s ways are better than your ways.

Loving People. Loving God.

How they will know…

31 When Judas was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Human One has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify the Human One in himself and will glorify him immediately. 33 Little children, I’m with you for a little while longer. You will look for me—but, just as I told the Jewish leaders, I also tell you now—‘Where I’m going, you can’t come.’ 34 “I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. 35 This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other.” (John 13:31-35, CEB)

This is how everyone will know you are my disciples…

When you loudly tell others they are sinning

When you tell others they are going to Hell

When you exclude people because they live differently than you

When you exclude people because they believe differently than you

When you try to make people be just like you

Nope. None of these are the way they will know. They will know we follow Jesus by our love for them.

Our love for them when they are not like us, or believe like us, or live like us, but we love than any way because that is what Jesus told us to do.

Love.

Loving People. Loving God.

the time

16 Then the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshipped God. 17 They said, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and was, for you have taken your great power and enforced your rule. 18 The nations were enraged, but your wrath came. The time came for the dead to be judged. The time came to reward your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.” 19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the chest containing his covenant appeared in his temple. There were lightning, voices, thunder, an earthquake, and large hail. (Revelation 11:16-19, CEB)

The time came…

for the dead to be judged

for the servants to be rewarded

to destroy those who destroy the earth

So have hope and share love as you go.

Loving People. Loving God.

rule forever

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ, and he will rule forever and always.” (Revelation 11:15, CEB)

The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ, and he will rule forever and always.

Christ will rule forever. Best news ever!

Share love.

Loving People. Loving God.

Vision

Then I saw another powerful angel coming down from heaven. He was robed with a cloud, with a rainbow over his head. His face was like the sun, and his feet were like fiery pillars. 2 He held an open scroll in his hand. He put his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. 3 He called out with a loud voice like a lion roaring, and when he called out, the seven thunders raised their voices. 4 When the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and don’t write it down.” 5 Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. 6 He swore by the one who lives forever and always, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, and said, “The time is up. 7 In the days when the seventh angel blows his trumpet, God’s mysterious purpose will be accomplished, fulfilling the good news he gave to his servants the prophets.” 8 Then the voice I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the opened scroll from the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will make you sick to your stomach, but sweet as honey in your mouth.” 10 So I took the scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. And it was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I swallowed it, it made my stomach churn. 11 I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.” (Revelation 10:1-11, CEB)

I heard the seven thunders and was ready to write about it, but was told to seal it up and not write about it.

We must remember that Revelation is a vision and sometimes those getting the vision do not include everything because we do not need to know all the details.

We get what we get and we believe even with the holes, because of the promises that were made that have been upheld we can have faith that all the promises are true and they will happen.

Loving People. Loving God.

what we want

31 Again the Jewish opposition picked up stones in order to stone him. 32 Jesus responded, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of those works do you stone me?” 33 The Jewish opposition answered, “We don’t stone you for a good work but for insulting God. You are human, yet you make yourself out to be God.” 34 Jesus replied, “Isn’t it written in your Law, I have said, you are gods? 35 Scripture calls those to whom God’s word came gods, and scripture can’t be abolished. 36 So how can you say that the one whom the Father has made holy and sent into the world insults God because he said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37 If I don’t do the works of my Father, don’t believe me. 38 But if I do them, and you don’t believe me, believe the works so that you can know and recognize that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39 Again, they wanted to arrest him, but he escaped from them. 40 Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had baptized at first, and he stayed there. 41 Many people came to him. “John didn’t do any miraculous signs,” they said, “but everything John said about this man was true.” 42 Many believed in Jesus there. (John 10:31-42, CEB)

When what we want goes against what we believe we must choose to keep believing or what we want.

Sometimes what we want is so powerful that it blinds us from the truth and we will do whatever we can to keep the perceived power we have and not follow what we believe.

Those in religious power were afraid they would lose their power so they had to do something with Jesus, but the truth kept making it hard to know what to do.

The easy thing to do is follow God. even when it goes against the rules, because God gave us the rules, so it is God’s prerogative to bend or break the rules.

Loving People. Loving God.