Monday, May 3, 2021

Being Barnabas; A Character-Based Message; Acts 15:1-5

 

Rev. George Miller

May 2, 2021

Acts 15:1-5

 

What an amazing year it’s been- wouldn’t you agree? 

 

All the places we’ve gone, all the things we’ve seen, all the hundreds upon hundreds of people we’ve met!

 

What a joy!

 

To be roaming free, traveling across the sea, gathering at people’s homes, meeting them in the street, worshipping with them in the Temple!

 

Spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ face to face, person to person!

 

Oh, I remember that day in Antioch in which Paul and I were commissioned by the church and we were sent out to Cyprus! 

 

Everyone prayed and laid hands on us.

 

We went from town to town, across the island, soaking in that good sun. 

 

We met that one magician who proved to be a real fraud, so we set him right.

 

Then we went to the synagogue in Pisidia and Paul gave this awesome sermon about the history of God and how the scriptures lead up to Christ Jesus.

 

Wow- the people ate it up. 

 

They were so excited that after service they came up to us and begged that we return the following Sabbath so they could hear more about Jesus.

 

The next week, so many people showed up they ran out of chairs.

 

Watching Paul in action amazed me, because to be frank, he’s not much to look at.

 

Paul is not the most handsome of men. He’s short in stature, got this big, hooked nose, unsymmetrical face, and a really grating voice.   

 

He’s not just ugly, he’s ooogleee.

 

You know what oooglee is, don’t you?  That’s when someone’s so ugly you look at them and say “ooooh, geee!”

 

But even then, there’s something about him that just draws people.  You can’t really put your finger on it.

 

Some call it charisma; I call it God. 

 

There’s no other reason people respond to Paul the way they do.  Clearly, God is using him in all his imperfections and annoying personality traits.

 

So, Paul and I are doing our thing, sharing the Good News, but a group of Temple leaders got upset, saying that we are blaspheming the Lord. 

 

But the Gentiles- they can’t get enough.  They come in droves to hear about Jesus and they’re so glad and happy.

 

We went to Iconium.  Nearly tore the city into 2- those who believed, those who didn’t. 

 

Making so many new followers of Jesus, trying to set straight some of the lies other people were teaching.

 

In Lystra, there was the man who couldn’t walk, and with just a word from the Lord, Paul encouraged him to get back on his feet, which he did.

 

People were so excited that they thought Paul and I were Greek Gods.

 

Of course, they took one look at me and thought I was Zeus.

 

Paul?  They thought he was Hermes- you know, the Greek god who wears disco boots with wings on his heels?

 

Oh my Lord, I had such a laugh about that.

 

No matter what we said, they would not believe us.  They even came and offered sacrifices to us- food, drink, money.

 

Our popularity was so great that a group of conservative traditionalists came along, dragged Paul out of town and beat him to a bloody pulp.

 

We thoughts he was dead, but Paul got up and kept on keepin’ on.

 

We continued our travels, increased the faith, made so many believers, brought numerous Gentiles into the family of God, even started a bunch of new churches.

 

When it was time to return home, we got into a boat thinking about how excited everyone will be that we have done all this ministry, all this outreach, brought all these people who had been lost to the Lord.

 

It was like we literally lit a lamp and swept and swept and swept until we found every lost and forgotten coin.

 

We get back to Jerusalem all excited to share this good news…and guess what the church leaders said…

 

“They must be circumcised and ordered to do things the way they’ve always been done.”

 

Can you believe that? 

 

No “hey, that’s awesome!”  No “Wow- what great news!” 

 

No “Thanks Paul and Barnabas for putting your life on hold, going out into the highways and byways, and getting a whole bunch of people revved up about Jesus.”

 

Nope.

 

Instead, they looked at Paul and I and basically said “This isn’t how we do things here.  You must follow the correct parliamentary procedure.”

 

Can you believe that!

 

Lives saved!  Bodies healed!  Lost found.  And all they cared about was if they were circumcised and doing what we did, because that’s “how it’s always been done!”

 

Oooh my……

 

It about near killed my spirit and enthusiasm.  To go from seeing all those happy faces to seeing their expressions of displeasure….

 

I’m amazed that Paul did not just turn around and quit, go back to making tents or whatever he used to do.

 

This is the big question we are now facing. 

 

Thanks to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have this new energy, this new fire, and we just want to share it with others.

 

But we have this real-world challenge- how do we do it?

 

Do we stick with the way in which it was always done? 

 

Do we simply follow the Holy Spirit wherever it may go?

 

Do we forget tradition and do things that are entirely new?

 

Do we welcome in people who are fresh to the faith and hold them at arm’s length until they conform to our understanding and ways?

 

Who do we answer to?  God?  The people?  The past? The present?  The future that’s yet to be?

 

Those are all questions Paul and I are now left to wrestle with.

 

What I know is this- the Good News of Jesus is just too good not to share.

 

The Good News of Jesus is about welcome and kindness, justice and humility, healing and wholeness.

 

The Good News of Jesus cannot be solely contained in a book or a box, a building or a set of ancient laws.

 

I think of all the places we have been, all the people we have seen, all the hungry that has been fed, all the lives that have been transformed…

 

…and all I know is that there must be a God and that God is real, and that, for me, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light.

 

So we keep on going, we keep on sharing, and we keep on living the Good News, no matter what others may say.

 

Amen.

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