ACTS 11

I like you. I feel comfortable around you. In general, I know what to expect from you. Or I probably would if I got to know you.

Even though I don't know who'll end up reading this blog, the statements above are likely true. If you're reading this chances are very good we're a lot alike. Unless you came across the URL via a "friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend" sharing of the link, you probably fit most of the elements of the profile below:

• You live in or near Hutto, Texas -- or in a community and culture similar to it.
• You're working-class or middle-class American.
• You're white, English-speaking Hispanic, or comfortable enough with other cultures to be at ease with those cultures.
• You attend Hutto Bible Church or a church similar in many ways.
• We probably share many things in common in our views of morality, values, family life, work ethic, and more.

I take no pleasure in these assumptions (and I realize that they are over-generalizations with likely exceptions) -- rather, I wish I could expect a more diverse readership and would love to be wrong.

But this is how we humans tend to do things -- without a deliberate effort to do otherwise, we tend to huddle in groups with the "like-us" people.

The early church had been no different...

Acts 11

19 Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the message to no one but Jews.

After Pentecost, the good news was extensively preached in Jerusalem -- to Jews. People from other regions were in town for the religious festivals and they heard the message and took it home with them -- but they were Jews, too. And then persecution intensified and believers fled Jerusalem and went to other regions, proclaiming the message as they went -- but to Jews.

It was the easy thing. The comfortable thing. It's easier talking to the people with whom we have things in common instead of others we don't understand so well.

And more than that, it was thought to be a religious mandate. Although it was not actually in the Jewish Law given by God, Jewish tradition had gone beyond the requirements of the law to put unnecessary barriers between the Jewish believers and the Gentile world.

... until God sent a vision to shake things up.

We saw yesterday how God got Peter's attention and recognition that the Gentiles were equally welcome before God. Now there are others to persuade as well.

Give Peter credit for standing his ground in the face of the controversy. And give credit to those who began rebuking him, because they were willing to publicly reverse their position and praise God for granting repentance an forgiveness even to the Gentiles.

Now, finally, the stage is set for the Good News to be taken to ALL people!

• The disciples received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2)
• Their numbers multiplied to a substantial amount (Acts 2-6),
• They've witnessed the power of God and the effects of bold witness (Acts 3-5),
• They've been dispersed through persecution (Acts 6-9),
• And now the restriction of Jewish traditions and cultural prejudices are falling away.

Look what happens next:

• Some break from the pattern of speaking only to the Jews:

Acts 11

19 Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the message to no one but Jews.

20 But there were some men from Cyprus and Cyrene among them who came to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks too, proclaiming the good news of the Lord Jesus. 21 The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

• Encouraged by the response, the Jerusalem church send Barnabas to teach these new Gentile believers:

Acts 11

22-24 A report about them came to the attention of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. . . and a significant number of people were brought to the Lord.

• Breaking a different kind of prejudice, Barnabas goes to find the now-converted Saul and involve him in the ministry:

Acts 11

25-26 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch.

So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught a significant number of people. Now it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.

• Barnabas and Saul are sent on a famine relief "mission" which turned out to be a good "proving ground" for future missionary travels.

The missionary endeavor that began with those events is what led to the opportunity you and I have to be part of the Kingdom of God. Most of us are not of Jewish ancestry -- without the breaking of these cultural barriers we would not likely have ever heard the Gospel!

My prayer today is this:

• That we never retreat, deliberately or by lack of intentionality, to the comfort of a "holy huddle" with people like us.
• That we embrace the challenge of spreading to the good news to people who look differently, think differently, speak differently, live differently or are far away from us.
• That some of us accept the challenge to GO to the not-like-us people God puts on our hearts.
• That many of us accept the challenge to SEND those who are willing and able to GO.

Father, Give us your longing for the all the peoples of the world to be reconciled to you.

Scripture quoted by permission. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated,
are taken from THE NET BIBLE®, New English Translation (NET) copyright ©1996-2006
by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
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SCOTT PURCELL |  Elder

Scott committed his life to Christ as a child under the teaching of his parents and church. He graduated from Ozark Christian College in 1989 with bachelors degree in Biblical Literature and served 8 years as Minister of two churches in Missouri and then 3 years as a Church Planter in San Marcos. Since then, he has worked as a technical trainer at Dell and Rackspace. In 2008 Scott and Nan joined HCBC-NW and then Hutto Bible in 2011. Scott serves in Small Group leadership, as secretary to the Elder board, and as the elder over IT and Discipleship. Scott and Nan have been married since 1985 and have three children (Mindy Schultea (married), Kate, and Matthew) and two grandchildren.