We began a conversation 5 weeks ago about what gives us meaning in this life and I suggested that the question is actually a mute point for those who call themselves Christian because if we believe that Christ came, died and rose again then we must also live out this reality. To live out this belief we are call to become a witness for Christ. A witness is an impossible role without the acceptance of the God into one’s heart, the empowerment of the Holy Spirit for the single intent of glorifying our Lord through public declaration of a belief in and adherence to Jesus Christ over an extended period of time.
This week we will continue the lesson by continuing with the heart of God as given to us through the scriptures. However, before we dive in, I’d like to tell you a story of connection.
One of the first churches I worked at was a man named Al. He was a bit quirky. When he gave me a tour of the church on my first day. I couldn't stop thinking that if was a leader in the church, no wonder why they weren't growing. However, over the course of the next two years I realized how much the community of faith respected him. He was there at every turn. Every project. Every need. He was there. He never was really communicative but he was loving, kind and reliably Christian. When I left that church, AL and I went through the building to discuss the need for certain changes to bring it up to the standards of the surrounding community. It would be five years later when I would return for his funeral. He died suddenly in the church finishing the last of the projects. His funeral was so amazing. People told stories of the awkward guy who loved and cared so completely he didn't need words. End the Story with: “A great witness demands unity of the body (connection) and acceptance of one another as Christ's heirs.”
To see this played out within scripture, I’d like to ask you turn to Chapter 15 in the book of Acts. While you are turning there, let me highlight what has transpired since we left the disciples last Sunday in chapter 13. I encourage you to read all of chapter 14 but the cliff notes or spark notes are: Paul and Barnabas continue preaching and teaching boldly in a number of cities. At one point, Paul is stoned and left for dead outside Lystre. He, of course, doesn’t die but a pops up and continues on his journey. He even returns to the places he was persecuted by some to strengthen those who had come to know Jesus. He truly was living the “Don’t leave a man behind” mantra. He would eventually settle back in Antioch until a church dispute came up. Its here we pick up the story in Acts 15:6 - Pray for the Spirit’s transformation of souls
Scripture
6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question.
It seems someone from corporate heard that the new converts weren’t following all the rules. They were still acting like their old selves so a Pharisee more than likely, headed to Antioch to lay down the law. They obviously needed to know they weren’t doing it right. This created quite a stir and the biggest flare up came around the question of whether or not new followers of “The Way” would need to be circumcised like faithful Jews. Obviously, this was causing an issue for the men but it also showed there were some who saw Jesus’ ministry as a supplement to the Law of Moses not a fulfillment of Old Testament law (matt 5:17). So Paul and Barnabas went to corporate to get this issue straight.
7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
Peter eventually stands up as a leader. He has heard all sides of the debate. I’m sure there were pre-meetings and power plays. However, it was Peter who brought forth the facts. The Holy Spirit was given to all who would believe. No special ritual or perfect life was required for God to share His Spirit. The old “rules” didn’t apply anymore. God was doing something new. The next line tells us that it was at this moment, Barnabas and Paul jumped in to give concrete examples of God’s working in the world.
12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 13 When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. 14 Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. 15 The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
16 “‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, 17 that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things’ — 18 things known from long ago.
James (Jesus Brother) references the Old Testament scriptures from AMOS. - A book of the bible which was written to remind many 750 years before Christ of God’s special interest in the disadvantage. James uses the text to point out that God rarely sides with the majority or the establishment. God is always creating and looking to expand his kingdom on earth.
19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.
The solution offered by James would eventually be accepted and detailed to the people in a letter. However, it does seem a little contradictory to claim God is doing a new thing, wave the old Jewish law requirements and then add four “suggestions.” However, if we dig deeper we find that the requirements were actually given to help the new congregation and others live and worship alongside Jewish believers who were particularly offended by these four behaviors. The instructions were intended to maintain peace and unity in the church.
21 For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers.
These two versus share with us a great leadership principle: after the leadership makes a decision affecting the body it must be presented in a unified manner. It ends strive, gossip and further questioning. Leadership of the church must always be unified (connected to one another).
It’s amazing how this timeless truth has been validated by scientific study over time.
What if I told you there was a study dedicated to unearthing the secrets to a happy and purposeful life? It would have to be conducted over the course of many decades, following the lives of real people from childhood until old age, in order to see how they changed and what they learned. And it would probably be too ambitious for anyone to actually undertake. Only, a group of Harvard researchers did undertake it, producing a comprehensive, flesh-and-blood picture of some of life’s fundamental questions: how we grow and change, what we value as time goes on, and what is likely to make us happy and fulfilled. The study, known as the Harvard Grant Study, has some limitations -- it didn’t include women, for starters. Still, it provides an unrivaled glimpse into a subset of humanity, following 268 male Harvard undergraduates from the classes of 1938-1940 (now well into their 90s) for 75 years, collecting data on various aspects of their lives at regular intervals. And the conclusions are universal. We spoke to George Vaillant, the Harvard psychiatrist who directed the study from 1972 to 2004 and wrote a book about it, in order to revisit the study’s findings:
• Love Is Really All That Matters
It may seem obvious, but that doesn’t make it any less true: Love is key to a happy and fulfilling life. As Vaillant puts it, there are two pillars of happiness. "One is love," he writes. "The other is finding a way of coping with life that does not push love away."
Vaillant has said that the study's most important finding is that the only thing that matters in life is relationships. A man could have a successful career, money and good physical health, but without supportive, loving relationships, he wouldn't be happy ("Happiness is only the cart; love is the horse.").
• It’s About More than Money and Power
• Connection Is Crucial
"Joy is connection,” Vaillant says. "The more areas in your life you can make connection, the better." The study found strong relationships to be far and away the strongest predictor of life satisfaction. And in terms of career satisfaction, too, feeling connected to one's work was far more important than making money or achieving traditional success.
"The conclusion of the study, not in a medical but in a psychological sense, is that connection is the whole shooting match," says Vaillant. As life goes on, connections become even more important. The Grant Study provides strong support for the growing body of research that has linked social ties with longevity, lower stress levels and improved overall well-being.
• Challenges –- and the Perspective They Give You -- Can Make You Happier
The journey from immaturity to maturity, says Vaillant, is a sort of movement from narcissism to connection, and a big part of this shift has to do with the way we deal with challenges.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/11/how-this-harvard-psycholo_n_3727229.html
Connection being the greatest of tools to our own happiness and is key in our witness to the power of believing and knowing God. Our greatest proclamation comes through our willingness to love unconditionally and persevere with those who God has placed in and around us.
https://communitycenter.life/rev-robert-butler-info
