The Devil does Math No doubt, one of the greatest challenges of a church is to know and understand its mission and purpose amid a diverse culture such as ours. In pursuit of this, it is not uncommon for a pastor or congregant to describe their church as an “Acts 2” church or say that they model their church after the 1st Century church. But what exactly does that mean? Looking at Scripture, the answer is math. It is about multiplication. At the end of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus commissioned the disciples to “ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit …” (Matthew 28:19). Jesus told them to go and make more disciples- to multiply themselves. And where were they to do this? In Jerusalem, all Judea, Samaria, and even the remotest part of the earth (Acts 1:8). This is noteworthy not simply due to geography, but also because of the cultural diversity of the people that Jesus set before the disciples. It would have been easier for the disciples to reach only the people like themselves. We like to congregate with people who look like us, walk like us and talk like us. But that isn’t the way of the King. Think about the diversity of His disciples: There were fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot and a traitor. There were two sets of brothers and some were former disciples of John the Baptist- not exactly a homogenous group! Once filled by Holy Spirit though, this diverse group who had argued with each other over who was greater became united; they became one. In Acts 2:14, we see Peter standing with the eleven. Not apart from them or in front of them, but with them as one. He then preaches the gospel, and three thousand people are saved! The 12 became 3,000. That is multiplication! Our enemy also knows math. Satan knows that the way to counter multiplication is through division. We see division in the Old Testament when, because of sin and idolatry, Israel is split into two kingdoms, north and south. This division led both kingdoms into bondage, then dissolution. God had taken the 70 people of the family of Jacob into Egypt, multiplied them into a nation and 400 years later, brought them to the Promised Land. Five hundred years later and again through sin, Satan was able to divide what God had multiplied. But what does this have to do with the Church? Everything! Israel was one people group, the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who allowed themselves to become separate and divided. The 1st Century church consisted of Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free people coming from Judaism or paganism, who became one people group in Christ. According to Luke, the “Acts 2 Church” quickly became of one mind and had all things in common (Acts 2:42-46). Imagine that! And what was God able to do with such unity? Math. He multiplied their number day by day! Yet just a few years later, Paul had to admonish the church in Corinth about becoming divided based on who had baptized them (1 Cor 1:10-13). In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul addresses numerous challenges and questions, the first and foremost being division! Through pride, division crept into elements of spiritual gifts and ministerial callings such that Paul used the human body to illustrate how the church will be comprised of parts that look different but must operate as one body. The 21st Century Church carries similarities to the 1st Century Church. It is a blend of people from many cultures and nationalities. Jesus is professed to be the head of the Church and His Great Commission is its primary objective. Yet, like the Corinthian church, we remain divided. We are divided by the dozen or so main denominations across the Protestant church, and within those denominations there are sub-groups, along with independent and non-denominational churches leading to further separation or division. We divide ourselves based on style of worship, liturgical or casual services, and we categorized churches (and people) as being Pentecostal, charismatic or fundamental. These groupings can work to divide, sub-divide and categorize the Church such that we move not as different members of one unified body, but instead as many members operating independent of one another. Paul instructs the Corinthians “…that there should be no division (schism) in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another”, and that “they are Christ’s body, and individually members of it” (1 Cor 12:25, 27). Not divided but unified in and through Christ so that through the power of Holy Spirit, we can multiply! Brothers and Sisters, the clock is ticking. Can you hear it? Each day, we draw closer to the Lord’s return and each day, people leave this world and enter eternity without their names being written in the Lamb’s book of life. We have been commissioned to make disciples, to multiply. Satan knows this and has worked these past centuries to offset multiplication through division. We can spend our time dividing ourselves and debating with one another other about style of worship, use of spiritual gifts or how often to serve communion. Or we can yield to Holy Spirit and seek to remain unified as one body in Christ. Together as one body, we are called to glorify the name of Jesus and to “go therefore and make disciples….”
One of the most difficult things to grasp is the idea or concept of holiness and a holy God. Too often, we associate the words ‘holy’ or ‘holiness’ with something or someone who is distant or remote. Some, like me, may have grown up in a faith or religion that promotes a God so holy that He is unattainable, unreachable, untouchable. Without full understanding of early passages in Scripture, we can find that perceived distance is difficult to move past. Take for example Moses. God chose Moses to deliver His people from slavery. In chapter 33 of the book of Exodus, Moses speaks to God, “Then show me your glorious presence.” Moses has been in such close contact and communication with God that he desires to see Him in His glory. God responds by saying that He will make His goodness pass before Moses and proclaim His name, but then He tells Moses this: “You cannot see My face, for no man can see me and live!” Imagine for a moment being told that. The God whom you serve cannot be seen by you, or you will die. In 2 Samuel chapter six, King David instructs the priests to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. The Ark was where God’s presence resided. It was holy. Hundreds of years earlier, God had instructed how the Ark was to be moved: With poles inserted through rings and carried on the shoulders of priests. The priests who were moving the Ark failed to move it in the manner instructed. Instead, they placed the Ark on a cart, pulled by oxen. During the move, the Ark began to fall and Uzzah reached out to stabilize it. This was against God’s instructions, for no one was to touch the Ark. What a costly mistake as Uzzah was struck down by God and died. Unseeable. Untouchable. Holy. Moses asked to see God’s glory. In chapter 14 of John’s gospel, Philip makes a similar request of Jesus and asks Him to “show us the Father”, to which Jesus replies “He who has seen Me, has seen the Father.” Uzzah died because he touched the Ark of the Covenant, the very presence of God. We read in chapter nine of Matthew’s gospel the account of a woman who had been hemorrhaging for 12 years. She had spent her resources seeking healing, and in desperation and in faith, believed that if she could touch just the hem of Jesus’ garment, she would be healed. She touched Jesus and instead of death, she received life. (Mathew 9:20-22) In Mark’s gospel, we see a blind man being brought to Jesus, God made flesh, and Jesus spits on his eyes, lays hands on him, and brings him sight (Mark 8:22-25). This man doesn’t touch Jesus, but is touched by Jesus, and now he sees because Jesus, God in the flesh touched him. The Pharisees and religious leaders could not see Jesus for who He was, because they had been blinded by religion. They rejected the concept of how a Holy God could simply walk amongst them, touching, healing, loving and restoring people. Many of us today still cannot see God for who He truly is as we are blinded by religion or bound up in wrong thinking. Yes, God is holy. God is infinite and we are finite beings. This side of heaven His holiness is beyond our full comprehension. But we have Jesus! Jesus walked this Earth as fully God and fully man to reveal to us the full nature of God; a holiness that not only can be seen and touched, but one that sees us and touches us. God became flesh because He desired to be with us and have us be with Him. Much as the woman with the bleeding in the story in Matthew, some of us may have been suffering with pain or a need for years and years. Like her, we need to come to the end of ourselves and find the boldness and faith to reach out and simply grab hold of Jesus. He will not reject you. Or perhaps as with the Pharisees, our flesh and our past have blinded us such that we cannot see Jesus for who He is. If that is you, let God touch you to help you see Him clearly in His fulness and His holiness. No matter where you find yourself, know for certain that God not only sees you, but He desires for you to see Him.
Those who read the Bible (and even those who don’t) are familiar with the names of the more prominent people found in Scripture. Most people are familiar with Adam & Eve, Noah, Joseph and his coat of many colors. We know of King David along with Mary & Joseph, Peter, John the Baptist and the Apostle Paul. And while each of those mentioned play significant roles in the Bible and in history, there are others whose names hardly recognized and yet play critical roles in God’s plan for Israel, the Church and His Kingdom. Take for example Barnabas. The name ‘Barnabas’ is not a common name and when you do a name search on the internet, very little comes up. Readers of the Bible likely associate Barnabas as a man who was a companion to the Apostle Paul but may know little more about him beyond that one fact. In actuality, Barnabas was a hero of the Bible and was instrumental in the start of the New Testament Church. But the key thing to know about Barnabas is the meaning of his name: Son of exhortation or encouragement . Most of us know the story of Paul, and how he persecuted the Church (Acts 8). We know also that Paul experienced a life-changing encounter with Jesus, for he no longer persecuted the Church. Instead, he began to preach the gospel wherever he could, at first in the synagogue to other Jews. Initially many Jews, including the disciples, remained afraid of Paul because of his past persecution of followers of Jesus. This is where Barnabas steps into view. Barnabas’ true name was Joseph, but the apostles called him Barnabas due to his encouraging nature (Acts 4:36). Barnabas hears Paul preach in the synagogue in Damascus after his conversion and personally vouches for him before the apostles (Acts 9:27). This personal validation launches Paul into his ministry, but not all goes well for Paul as he creates an uproar among the people and receives death threats. This is disruptive to the work of building the Church so eventually the apostles pull Paul out of ministry and send him away to his home in Tarsus, for nearly 14 years (Acts 9:29-30). How significant was this? Just read verse 31, after Paul is sent away: “So the Church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace…and continued to increase.” (Acts 9:31). So once Paul was sent away, peace reigned in the Church, and it began to grow. Imagine what that did to Paul and his reputation amongst the apostles and Church leaders. But what does all this have to do with Barnabas? Remember his name: Son of exhortation and encouragement. By chapter 11 of Acts, we see that despite persecution, the Church continues to grow, notably in Antioch. When the apostles hear of this growth, who do they send? Barnabas the encourager, of course! (Acts 11:19-22). And what does Barnabas do? He goes to Tarsus to search for Paul. He brings Paul to Antioch to teach these new believers, where they stayed for a year, teaching a multitude of people. It was there that the disciples were first called Christians (Acts11:26). This was the beginning of the Gentile Church! Paul would travel far and wide, preaching the gospel, planting churches and writing the majority of the New Testament, but were it not for Barnabas risking his reputation by taking a second chance on Paul, Paul might never have left Tarsus. True to his nature, Barnabas doesn’t focus only on Paul. Barnabas had a younger cousin named John-Mark whom he brought along on their early missionary journeys (Acts 12:25). Later we read that John-Mark left them, much to the displeasure of Paul. This creates a split between Paul and Barnabas, but true to his name, Barnabas retrieves John-Mark and brings his cousin on his own journey to Cypress (Acts 15:36-39). While we read that Paul later sees a more mature John-Mark and requests him to accompany him (2 Tim 4:11), it was Barnabas who believed in and restored John-Mark. And it is this John-Mark, known also as Mark, who eventually writes the first gospel, the Gospel of Mark. So, what is our take-away here? It is that at some point we all need a Barnabas in our life. Someone willing to take a risk on us, to vouch for us, to come find us when others have given up on us. Or perhaps we need to become a Barnabas ourselves: One who reaches out to encourage and exhort others. One who sees in others what only God sees at first: A life worth taking a risk on. So, while many of us wish we were a David or a Paul, or maybe even a Peter, imagine what the Church would look like and what influence we would have on the world if we tried to be more like Barnabas?