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This is part of our e-journey through the book of Acts. This week is from Acts 14.
That probably wouldn’t work as a bumper sticker but it’s true. I can’t get through Acts without that fact slapping me in the face. And it has been a slap.
Ever been to a place where a value that you thought was so biblical and uncompromising got turned upside down and stripped naked? Ever had a conviction that you KNEW beyond a shadow of a doubt was of God - a die on the hill value - only for it to be exposed as hay and stubble?
That’s where I am at with Jesus in Acts. Growing up in the “Sure Bride of Christ” tradition, the congregation voted on everything. The theory went roughly like this - every one has a connection with God, there is priesthood of the believer therefore every person’s insight and opinion matters. If there isn’t unity, God isn’t in it. God wouldn’t bring division to the body.
Here is what the witness of scripture says to that - it’s a lie straight out of hell.
Not that honestly hurts me to type. You know why? Because I’ve said those stupid words and people actually believed me. Say those words in a meeting and you’ll get “Amened” and “That’s right” to death. But those words ignore scripture itself. I wish somebody had loved me enough to tell me that was just a pile of crap. At the very least, I wished they would have challenged me to re-read the book of Acts.
God doesn’t author confusion but He’s completely okay with chaos and destruction, disunity, if you will. Jesus will bring chaos and division to any situation that doesn’t have Him as the center.
A church can be unified in their idolatry. They were in Acts - thought Paul and Barnabas were gods. They were in Corinth - thought sexual sin was okay to ignore. They were unified in the churches in Revelation. They were unified in Jerusalem about not allowing Gentiles to follow Jesus. They were unified at Golgatha as well.
Could unity be our golden calf?
Jesus never demanded unity. He demanded to be center. His prayer was that the Father make us ONE in our love. It wasn’t for the sake of unity he said that…it was for the sake of Himself. For the sake of advancing the Kingdom.
I’ve been a part of decisions where there was unity and we were completely wrong. The journeys of Paul and Barnabas emphasize that one fact well - Jesus will bring division, heat, conflict. Because He doesn’t want any company in the center of our life.
Tags: Acts, Jesus, Weekly Evos
4 responses so far ↓
1 loren k // May 12, 2008 at 4:05 pm
how would you describe the difference from being “one” from “unity?”
i think you might be on the right trail with the unity and oneness thing… i just need some help wrapping my mind around it.
i think we have an example of “oneness” inside of the idea of the triune God, so we know Jesus knows what oneness is, but i don’t think i do… any help?
2 MikeS // May 12, 2008 at 5:26 pm
I see what you’re saying.
I remember when we were going through Experiencing God study (boy, that was back in the day, eh?) that Blackaby said of his own church that unity won’t always take place, because people aren’t always where they need to be with God. They hide their personal desires behind the mask of conviction.
Yet I find Paul on a couple of occasions speaking of the unity of the Spirit (Rom 15:5 and Eph 4:3). So, I don’t think it’s an either/or. I think it’s a both/and. I just don’t think you can have unity in the Spirit without Jesus being at the center of our lives and his church.
Does this make sense?
3 Grant // May 13, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I’d say/argue this - there is unity in Christ - He is one. The Spirit, The Son and the Father work together in common-unity to accomplish one thing. They don’t work against each other.
So the emphasis is then on - is the “church” one with them or not?
Sounds great in theory but the problem is this - as Mike so well put - people aren’t always where they need to be with God so discerning that gets a bit cloudy.
So the wrestle match continues and gets played out in how churches determine their polity. Some say we’ll discern that by popular vote. Others say one senior leader will make that decision. Others say - we’ve set aside a small group of people that we think have been gifted and called to lead (elders) and they will make that decision.
Each “answer” has it’s own drawbacks and potential land mines. It’s just a matter of which land mines you’re comfortable living with.
4 loren k // May 14, 2008 at 9:57 am
thanks, that makes a little more sense to me… i think a divisive Jesus is something that isn’t often talked about, but i believe is true.
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