ACTS: Circumstances and God’s Path

Often in life we are led by the circumstances around us. It is almost as if we are forced to follow a particular path. Some of us see that as the hand of God directing our path. I am aware that this perspective has its difficulties when bad things happen, but I am still comfortable with God being deeply involved in the circumstances of my life. This next story in Acts puts Peter in a touchy situation because news of his involvement with Cornelius in Caesarea arrived back in Jerusalem before he did. Was this a good thing or not? 

 

Acts 11:1 The news got back to the apostles and other followers of Jesus that the good news of the Word of God had been shared and received by the Gentiles. 2 Peter had some things to answer for when he returned to Jerusalem. 3 He was accused of going to people who were not circumcised and even eating with them. Both of these actions were against the policies of the Jewish leaders at the time. 4 So, Peter had to explain the whole story to them, and he did so in chronological order. 5 “I was praying one day down in Joppa and fell into a trance. I saw a vision of a great sheet coming down from heaven. 6 When it was right before me, I saw it covered with animals, beasts, creatures, and birds, all of which we, as Jews, are not supposed to eat. 7 “Then I heard a voice commanding me to get up, kill, and eat. 8 My response was, ‘No Lord, I have never eaten anything unholy or unclean.’ 9 “Then the voice spoke again saying, “If God cleanses something, it should not be considered unholy.’ 10 “This did not happen once, it took place three times before the vision left me. 11 “Right after the vision went away three men arrived at the house where I was staying. They had been sent from Caesarea. 12 “I knew the Spirit was telling me to go with them without any concerns. These six men here were with me as we made the trip to Caesarea. 13 “When we arrived at their master’s house, he told us of his vision. An angel came to him saying, ‘In Joppa you will find Peter, bring him back to your house. 14 He has a message for you from God; a message of salvation for you and all your household.’ 15 “And as I spoke to the people gathered in his home, the Holy Spirit came upon them in the same way He came to us in the beginning. 16 “It was then I was reminded of what Jesus used to say, ‘John baptized with water, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 “I could only conclude that God was giving to these Gentiles who believed in Jesus, the same Holy Spirit He had given to us. I was not about to stand in the way of God.” 18 Peter’s accusers seemed to back off when they heard this story and changed their tune to praising God instead. They said, “It appears God has given the Word to the Gentiles also so they might repent and have life.”

 

 I learn a number of things from Peter’s strange experience. I say strange because it could not have been easy for him to see the vision that asked him to change a major perception in his life from avoiding certain foods to believing they are now okay to eat and from feeling a deep prejudice to the Gentiles and now believing they are to be welcomed into the family of God. And then he gets to see the prejudice from another perspective as he returns to Jerusalem and his “friends” have turned against him because he did something they still believed should not be done. And they did not have the truth, only a rumor. 

 

But, as Paul later said in his letter to the Romans, “One of the things we know for sure is that God cares about us and is always working in our lives to bring about good things.” (Romans 8:28) Since our perspective on life is limited by our knowledge, we cannot see what God sees in His unlimited awareness of all of life. The things that might appear to us as “evil” might just be some uncomfortable elements of this life that in time will produce character and compassion within us. God, as we know Him from our glimpse at Jesus, is always working on doing good in the lives of His children.

 

It would do us well to also notice in this story that God often desires for us to break free from the traditions and prejudices of our past and venture into new openness towards the people around us. How else can we find love for others unless we embrace them “where they are” in life. When we limit our vision by our prejudice, we cannot clearly see people as God sees them, and definitely not love them the way He asks us to. There are people in life who we often call “renegades” or “misfits” and yet if we spend time with them, we find they are just the explorers of this world, the change agents that help us shift our paradigms to new ways of thinking and breakthroughs that benefit all of life. Without these people we might never step beyond what we see as “comfortable.”

 

With Peter’s visit to Cornelius, the door is opened to the rest of the world, the world beyond Israel, to know the love of Jesus Christ. And it is not because we follow some special rule or act in some prescribed way, but that we just believe in Jesus and follow as the Spirit leads us. We might rely too heavily on our books, (funny thing for me as an author to say) or our traditions, or our external influences, rather than putting our trust in our faith and listening to what Jesus might be telling us. I know it is scary to step beyond our level of comfort and trust that God will be there to carry us through, and I know we have been told in Scripture not to put God to the test, but He does desire for us to soar to new heights in our spiritual growth. 

 

Acts 11:19 Beginning with the persecution of Stephen, the believers dispersed throughout the land as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, taking the good news to their fellow Jews. 20 Some believers from Cyprus and Cyrene came to Antioch and were preaching about Jesus to the Greeks as well. 21 The blessing of the Lord guided them and many of the Greeks turned to follow Jesus. 22 This news made its way back to the leaders in Jerusalem and they sent Barnabas to Antioch to see what was needed there. 23 What he saw was the grace of God upon the people and he rejoiced. By his very nature he encouraged them to continue to be faithful to the ways of Jesus. 24 Barnabas was a man filled with the Holy Spirit and deep faith. And he saw a continuing number of people in Antioch coming to faith in Jesus. 25 Realizing the need for help in caring for all these new believers, he took a trip over to Tarsus where his friend Saul lived; 26 and finding him, he encouraged him to come to Antioch to help with the work Jesus was doing. This went on for over one year, teaching and encouraging the growth of faith in these believers. It was here in Antioch that the followers of Jesus were first called Christians. 

 

When the apostles sent Barnabas to Antioch, I am sure they wanted him to verify that the work being done there was up to their standards. They might not have expected he would find what he did, a growing body of believers from both the Jewish tradition and also from the Gentile population. But God produces evidence in the lives of believers that cannot be denied, and Barnabas saw that these people were repentant and full of the Holy Spirit. Barnabas saw the grace of God poured out upon these people. 

 

A question is raised in my mind, “does God allow His followers to be persecuted or judged harshly in one location, so that He can then encourage them to move to another place or start a new church?” I have often said, “God is closing the door to ministry for me in this area so that He can take me to another place where I can serve Him.” If this is the case, then what we perceive as “evil” might not be so “bad” as we think but might just be the nudge that God needs to bring into our lives in order to get us to make the needed changes for the next phase of our lives. The things we call “evil” might really be some difficulty or tension that ends up drawing us to Jesus for His help and ultimately teaches us to trust Him more and more. 

 

Barnabas’ gift was encouragement. He had a desire to strengthen the faith of those he met. To do that he perceived he needed help and he probably thought it was about time for Saul to “get back into the game.” If we remember a few chapters back in the book of Acts, Barnabas was instrumental in connecting the newly converted Saul with the disciples in Jerusalem. They then sent him “home” to Tarsus because he was not being well received by the believers in Jerusalem. (Do you see the similarities of the church then and churches now?) Barnabas and Saul were friends and now Barnabas needs help in the ministry in Antioch and so, he seeks out and finds Saul to come and help him. 

 

Acts 11:27 Around this same time a few prophets came to Antioch from Jerusalem. 28 Agabus, being one of them, stood up in the power of the Holy Spirit and spoke about a coming famine in the world. It actually happened in the days of Claudius, the emperor of Rome. 29 So the disciples in Antioch decided it would be time to send a contribution to the church in the region of Judea. They gave proportionally based upon what they each had. 30 Barnabas and Saul were sent to Jerusalem to deliver this gift to the elders of the church. 

 

Since Jesus has not returned as quickly as the Jerusalem church expected, they were running out of supplies. So many people had sold all of their belongings and given it to the apostles so they could care for the believers, and now, close to 15 years later, those provisions were being depleted. And at the same time there was a future famine on its way according to Agabus, the prophet. 

 

We do not appreciate the “prophets” in our midst as much as we should, I suppose. There are seven gifts listed in Romans 12:6-8; prophets, servants, teachers, encouragers, generous givers, leaders, and merciful caregivers. In the story today we have Barnabas who is gifted with encouragement and Agabus who is a gifted prophet. The message of Agabus causes the disciples in Antioch to take up a collection and send an offering to the church in Jerusalem. 

 

There are a few things that we might conclude from this passage about the ministry of being generous in our lives. First, God does not ask us to give everything, but to in proportion to our means. Second, we have the freedom to determine in our own heart what we think that amount might be. We are not forced to give a specific amount. Third, I think God asks us to give out of our concern for others and not how our giving might benefit us in return or make us look good in the eyes of others. And then fourth, I think the passage tells us to put our trust in others to use our gift wisely according to what God determines in the best need at the moment. Ours is not to worry about how God will use our gift, ours is just to learn the blessing it is to give generously. 

 

I bless you in the name of Jesus with a clearer understanding of faith, a willingness to see God working in the things that are uncomfortable in life, and a heart of generosity toward your fellow man.  

Pastor Edd