Anyone for Organised Religion?

Who is a fan of organised religion?

Certainly not novelist Philip Pullman who once said, “I know whom we must fight... it is the Church. For all its history, it has tried to suppress and control every natural impulse. That is what the Church does, and every church is the same: control, destroy, and obliterate every good feeling.”

I don’t agree with that. A community of oppressed individuals, devoid of good feelings, controlled by Machiavellian clergy is not what I see at All Saints' or Saint Mary's at all. pretty well the exact opposite actually. 'The gentleman doth protest too much methinks.' 

But like Pullman I’m not a fan of organised religion either. And I'm a vicar! It seems, in fact, that there is hardly anyone ready to stick up for it. Even the pope these days seems to prefer a simple, unfussy approach to all the pomp and circumstance of religious piety.

Like the person tasked with arguing the case on Radio 5’s Fighting Talk for Wayne Rooney being a greater England captain than World Cup winning legend Bobby Moore, endorsing organised religion feels like defending the indefensible.

Why does western culture hate organised religion though? We would protest if our children were being educated in a disorganised school. We would never go under the knife of a disorganised surgeon. We would vote out a disorganised government. We would withdraw our money from a disorganised bank.

Our problem is not with organisation at all. It's surely with religion. I think it’s the churchiness, religiosity and political manoeuvring you get when the Church loses the plot that is such a turn off for so many. If anyone was ever opposed to organised religion in that sense it was Jesus. That, humanly speaking, is what got him crucified.

But the disciplines we associate with Lent; worship, prayer, fasting, studying scripture, giving, mastering temptation and self-denial - organised religion if you like - are all things that Jesus specifically singled out for endorsement, not condemnation (see Matthew 6.6, 6.17, 22.29, 6.3, 26.41 and 16.24). They are not about 'obliterating good feelings'; they are intended to maximise our joy in Christ.

It is human nature to centre our lives on ourselves instead of on the Lord, to magnify our own worth above his. Something within the human heart just doesn't want Jesus to be Lord of our lives. There’s probably a bit of this too at the heart of our otherwise healthy aversion to organised religion. 

The focus of Lent is to root out all the clutter until our faith is simple, straightforward, Jesus-centred and unencumbered by the sin that so easily entangles.

The Way of the Cross (Matthew 16.21-26)

Introduction

As you know I am sure, last weekend, 21 Christian men in their prime, members of the Coptic Church in Egypt, were dressed in orange jumpsuits, their hands were tied behind their backs, they were lined up on a beach, forced to their knees and were simultaneously beheaded by masked men standing behind them.

I do not have the stomach to watch the footage. But I have seen some stills of these men shortly before they were killed. They knew exactly what was coming. But their bodies are not tensed up in fear. Their faces do not appear to be cringing or even nervous. They all look strangely at peace. At prayer probably... Those who have watched the video of the execution have commented that you could hear some of the men repeat the words “O Lord Jesus” as the beheading started.

These men were humble, Egyptian labourers who had travelled across the border to Libya to earn a living and provide for their families. They were seized and put to death by Islamic State for being -as the video caption specifically says -“People of the Cross.”

Sandra told me that someone came into church during the week, really troubled and perplexed by all this. “Where was God? Why didn’t he protect these men? Why did he let it happen? Doesn’t he care?” They are good questions.

But the truth is that Jesus specifically and repeatedly warned us that this kind of thing would happen. He told us that we should expect it. 

He said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”

He said, “Look! I am sending you like sheep among wolves.”

He said, “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.”

He said, “They will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name.

He said, “A time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.”

Jesus leaves us in no doubt that violence and rejection will be a common response to Christian belief and discipleship throughout history until he returns. If anything, we should be perplexed that we don’t see more of it than we do. The history of the last 300 years or so for Christians in the Western world is very much the exception in history, and not the rule.

Just before the execution, one of the men turned to the camera with this warning: "Safety for you, Crusaders, is something you can only wish for." 

I don’t want to get into unhelpful speculation, and I am not prophesying that this will happen, but the scenario of a high profile attack on a well-known Christian in our own country is not beyond anyone’s wildest imagination. Even ten years ago that would have been pure fantasy. Now, it is absolutely believable.

The Son of Man Must Suffer…

And so the words of Jesus from our reading this morning, which most of us are familiar with, sound more vivid, more relevant, than ever for us.

Jesus said these words a few weeks or perhaps several months before his death. He began to explain that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the powers that be, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Notice that word “must” – he must go, he must die.

Jesus used the word “must” because he knew it was written in the scriptures and as such it was inevitable. The prophets said it would happen. He was absolutely determined to go ahead with it. That was his destiny.

At least three times he predicted his death but those who heard it dismissed it as a kind of vague security briefing. They thought he was saying “These are the kinds of things that might happen if we’re not careful.” But Jesus wasn’t saying that at all. It was his mission statement. He was saying “This is what is going to happen because God has predestined it.”

Peter hears these words and replies (in v22) with what perhaps we might say. For Peter, the most important thing is that Jesus is safe. He takes Jesus aside and begins to tell him off. ‘No way! This is not happening. You are not putting yourself in harm’s way.’

Peter wants Jesus to steer well clear of danger. Don’t go anywhere near Jerusalem. It’s too hazardous, it’s not safe. This is not getting past Peter’s Health and Safety risk assessment. Not on his watch.

So Jesus turns to him and says, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’

It must have stung Peter to hear those words. Let us not try and sanitise them or put a nice gloss on them. This is a severe and humiliating rebuke isn’t it? Everyone must have cringed as they heard it.

Why was Jesus so harsh with Peter? Why did he call him “Satan”? The reason is simple. Jesus has heard this kind of sweet talk before. If you’re familiar with the Gospels, you’ll know about Jesus’ 40 days in the desert where, three times, the devil tries to do exactly what Peter does here - divert Jesus from his mission.

In that story, Satan basically says, “You don’t need to go to the cross. That’s the last thing you want to do, Jesus. Why don’t you go on the X Factor and turn stones to bread? You would be a sensation. Or what about jumping off the temple roof? Watch them gasp as an angel catches you right at the last second! Forget this suffering idea. I can see you name on Broadway: Jesus Christ Superstar! You’ll be bigger than David Copperfield and Dynamo and Houdini!”

Peter is repeating the same line here that the devil used then. “You don’t need to go to the cross. You mustn’t! I won’t allow it! It would be a disaster, a waste, if you were crucified!”

What if Peter had got his way? What if Jesus had said, “You know what? Yeah, let’s stay away from all that. Let’s just go home and lie low for a bit.”

If Jesus had listened to Peter there would be no cross, no resurrection, no salvation for the world, no hope, no eternal life and you and I would be spiritually lost forever. “Get behind me Satan...”

Be My Disciple

Then Jesus says, “Whoever wants to be my disciple all they need to do is pray a simple, short prayer and they will be saved.” Except that’s not what he says. “They must deny themselves” he says, “and take up their cross and follow me.”

This is the standard Jesus sets for anyone who wants to join his movement – the word he uses is not ‘member’ or ‘believer’ or ‘follower’ but ‘disciple.’

This word ‘disciple’ is a churchy sort of word to us isn’t it? But it was actually a nontechnical term in Jesus’ day and it basically meant “apprentice” or “trainee.” Jesus is looking for lifetime learners.

For Jesus, being a Christian is a work experience programme in which we are learning new things on an ongoing basis.

Are you a disciple? If you are, what specifically have you learned from Jesus over, say, the last month?

Deny Yourself

To be my apprentice, Jesus says, you have to say no to yourself.

We started Lent on Wednesday and Lent is traditionally a season of self-denial. It’s a season to tone up your spiritual muscles, a work out for the soul and I think that’s a good thing. But for Jesus, denying yourself isn’t just for six weeks before binging on chocolate eggs. His version of self-denial is a whole lifetime of putting him before everything else.

There is a Christian mission organisation called Asian Access. It’s a dynamic movement working throughout Asia and they identify, develop and release leaders of churches that grow and reproduce.

They work in dangerous areas. Their mission is high-risk. In some countries they work in what they do is illegal. I recently came across a list of questions they use. Here’s the list:

• Are you willing to leave home and lose the blessing of your father?
• Are you willing to lose your job?
• Are you willing to go to the village of those who persecute you, forgive them, and share the love of Christ with them?
• Are you willing to be beaten rather than deny your faith?
• Are you willing to go to prison?
• Are you willing to die for Jesus?

Those questions are pretty hardcore aren’t they? I thought to myself these people are really raising the bar for their leaders. But those questions are not used to determine a candidate’s suitability for missionary service. They are used to assess every new convert’s readiness to follow Christ. This is basic Christianity for everyone, not the advanced version for leaders.

I don’t need to tell you how dangerous it is to be a Christian in Iraq.

Andrew White, the vicar of Baghdad, often writes about the contrast he finds between Christianity in his native England and in that land. “In Iraq…” he says, “there is no concept of being a ‘nominal’ Christian as there is in the West. If you are a Christian you go to church each week (which for Christians in Iraq happens on Fridays and Sundays) and at every festival. Christians take days off work or school for key holy days and, as a result, the fact that they are practicing Christians is easily noticed… There can be no hiding… which can make things very difficult and dangerous for believers. Nevertheless our people refuse to deny the practice of their faith.”

Take Up Your Cross

“If you want to be my disciple” says Jesus, “you must not only deny yourself, but also take up your cross.”

Helen Roseveare used to call this “the cross-shaped life.” Take the letter “I,” representing my desires, my agenda, my plans, my ego, my priorities…  And then cross out it out.

Have you ever wondered why do we have a cross on the wall? Most people think it’s there to remind us about the way Jesus’ died. That is true of course. But that isn’t the only reason; it’s also to remind us of the way we live.

Bearing a cross is an expression that has come into our English language directly from Jesus’ teaching. If someone has a nagging wife or a lazy husband or noisy neighbours or a boring job - they might say “Oh, it’s the cross I have to bear.”

But when Jesus said these words nobody thought about nagging wives or lazy husbands. When Jesus talked about carrying your cross everyone would have gasped.

The sight of convicted criminals carrying a cross through the streets to their death was a familiar sight. People would jeer as the victim staggered through the streets to his execution site. It was an image of utter shame and indignity.

But in all the ancient literature we’ve found, hardly anyone talks about crucifixion. Most of the information we have about it comes from the gospels. People didn’t mention it in polite conversation.

“Take up your cross” says Jesus. And from the very beginning to the present day, Christians have almost always been targets of ridicule and derision or often, worse. Even in democratic, tolerant, pluralist, equality-loving Britain, one of the easiest places on earth to be a Christian, people rarely love you for being a full-on follower of Jesus.

Carrying the cross is also about total commitment. Once a criminal picked up his cross, there was only going to be one outcome. No going back. And when your hands are carrying a heavy cross, there’s just no room to carry anything else.

It’s almost as if Jesus is doing his very best here to offend and repel as many people as he could saying these things. If Jesus ever had a PR man he would resign in disgust. It is just impossible to put a nice spin on this stuff. But Jesus always tells it like it is.

We’ve talked about Christians being beheaded this morning but it is unlikely that we will face the choice of denying Jesus or summary decapitation. So let me try and bring all this down to a level we can relate to.

Marriage. If I am married and carrying the cross of Christ, I can’t carry my own massive ego as well. Living a cross-shaped life, transforms marriage. Husbands and wives living with the ‘I’ crossed out, look to always put the other first. They like to say sorry and are quick to forgive. What a wonderful thing to hear your spouse say “My husband, my wife, makes me a better person and encourages me to be a more devoted follower of Jesus.”

Money. If I am carrying a cross, I can’t carry a wad of cash as well. The activist and author Ron Sider wrote recently, “If just the committed Christians in the USA, those who attend church a few times a month, gave away the first tenth of their income… it would fund, each year, 150,000 indigenous missionaries; 50,000 additional theological students in the developing world; 5 million more micro loans to developing world entrepreneurs; the food, clothing and shelter for all 6,5000,000 current refugees in Africa, Asia and the Middle East; all the money for a global campaign to prevent and treat malaria and resources to sponsor 20 million needy children worldwide. It would change the world.”

Church. If I am carrying a cross, I can’t carry useless man-made traditions at the same time. Denying myself means I make worshipping and exalting Jesus with other Christians every Sunday, barring holidays and illness, a basic entry in my diary. It means I pray with all my might and serve as much as I can, to see the gospel preached, the poor cared for, men, women and children saved and our communities coming alive.

Preaching. As a preacher, carrying my cross means I don’t stick to my pet subjects week after week. I resist the temptation to simply entertain and tell people the nice things they want to hear. It means I call everyone I hear to submit to the authority of scripture and centre my message on Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

Save Your Life or Lose It

“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it,” says Jesus… “but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”

The former tennis player Boris Becker once said, “I had won Wimbledon twice, once as the youngest player. I was rich. I had all the material possessions I needed. It’s the old song of movie stars and pop stars who commit suicide. They have everything, and yet they are so unhappy. I had no inner peace. I was a puppet on a string.”

Millionaire author Jack Higgins, has written 84 novels that have sold over 150 million copies and been translated into 55 languages. He was asked what he would like to have known as a boy. His answer: “That when you get to the top, there’s nothing there.”

Jesus makes it very clear here: The choices I make here and now directly determine how I will spend eternity.

Nothing we accumulate here on earth; our wealth, our pension, any honours or tributes from our glittering careers, our possessions, our reputation and our privileges … none of that has any value in securing eternal life. It’s all useless.

Ending

This week, a man called Beshir Kamel spoke on TV. He said, "Since the Roman era, Christians have been martyred and have learned to handle everything that comes our way. This only makes us stronger in our faith because the Bible tells us to love our enemies and bless those who curse us."

Beshir Kamel was being interviewed about his two brothers Bishoy and Samuel. There were among the 21 men decapitated on that Libyan beach. They were just 25 and 23 years’ old.

He was asked what he wanted to happen to the masked men who killed his brothers. This was his reply: "My mother, an uneducated woman in her sixties, said she would invite them to enter her house and ask God to open their eyes."

He then closed his eyes and said softly: “Dear God, please open their eyes to be saved and to quit their ignorance and the wrong teachings they were taught.”

That is the way of the cross.

Let’s pray…

Sermon preached at All Saints' Preston on Tees, 22nd February 2015

When Christians Fall Out (Acts 15.32-41)

Richard Daley was a famous and popular Mayor of Chicago. His total career as Mayor spanned from 1955 to 1976, that’s 21 years, a record that still stands.

One morning his speech writer came to see him to ask for a pay rise. “I’ve been writing your speeches for years now and my pay is still the same as it was when you first hired me. I think I’m worth a bit more.”

Mayor Daley turned round and said, “You are getting paid more than enough already. It should be enough for you that you are working for a great American hero like myself.”

Two weeks later, Mayor Daley had an important engagement. He never had time to rehearse his speeches; so, as usual, he was briefed on the next engagement on the way there by his staff and he was handed a wad of paper just before he stood up to speak.

So here he is, one afternoon, about to address a huge public gathering to honour all the war veterans of the state of Illinois. Everybody is there; the State Governor, the national TV news crews, all the big cheeses from the armed forces – you name it. And so Daley steps up to the microphone.

“Veterans of Illinois, I stand here today and salute you. The freedom we enjoy today we owe to men and women like you. We are proud of your courage, your dedication, your heroism and your professionalism. So, today I am proposing a seventeen-point plan that includes the city, state and federal government, to care for the veterans of this country.”

Everybody holds their breath. You can hear a pin drop. Seventeen new policy measures? What is the Mayor going to say? Everyone wants to know. Mayor Daley himself wants to know! He turns the page of his speech notes and there, written in large letters, it just says, “You’re on your own now, you great American hero!”

That effectively ended the professional partnership of Richard Daley and his speech writer!

Of course, break ups are always very newsworthy aren’t they? Every edition of Hello magazine carries gossip about a celebrity marriage officially unhappy or at an end. The irony is that at least some of those divorces are a direct result of the stress from constant intrusion by the paparazzi.

Rock bands split up as well. When Oasis broke up, Noel Gallacher put it down to his brother Liam’s temper. “Liam is the angriest man you’ll ever meet, he said. “He’s like a man with a fork in a world of soup.”

But Christians bust up too. Like in a brief Hollywood marriage it can be due to strained relationships. Like in some best-selling bands it can be down to a personality clash.

Paul and Barnabas though split up over a difference of opinion about a colleague - John Mark. As they prepare to set out on a second mission trip, Barnabas says in v37 “Let’s take my cousin John Mark with us.” But for Paul that is out of the question.

Why did they disagree so strongly? If you remember when we looked at Acts 13 last month, in v13 John Mark dropped out and headed home at the beginning of the first mission trip.

It doesn’t say why. Maybe he was homesick. Maybe he got frightened by the threat of persecution. Maybe he wasn’t comfortable with the new emphasis on reaching non-Jews with the gospel. Maybe he found Paul a bit too domineering and was fed up playing second or third fiddle.

Whatever it was, Acts 15.39 says, without embarrassment, without brushing it under the carpet, that the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas on this matter was so sharp that they had to part company.

That’s sad. It’s a shame. Would that it were otherwise. But that is what can happen when Christians fail to see eye to eye. For Paul it’s “no, no and no.” For Barnabas it’s “yes, yes and yes.” Between those two points of view there’s not a lot of room for compromise!

Paul says, “Are you serious? John Mark? Look, this is not a holiday camp, there’s work to do. He’s a nice guy and all that but he just lets people down.”

Barnabas says, “Come on Paul. You’re always going on about grace! He’s sorry about last time. He just wants to serve the Lord.”

Paul says, “Yeah, well he should have thought about that when he deserted us and left us defenceless and facing a lynch mob. He’s not coming and that’s my final word on the matter.”

Barnabas says, “You’re too hard on him. We should give my cousin the benefit of the doubt. I’m not going to let you just write him off. He’s coming with us and that’s that!”

It’s yes or no. John Mark re-joins the team or he doesn’t. There is no middle ground possible.

Referendum time! I’m going to ask you to vote for the one you agree with most and then I’m going to tell you who I think is right.

No sitting on the fence now, you have to choose one or the other. So first of all, hands up if you tend to agree with Paul - “John Mark has proved himself to be unreliable and we need people we can count on.” And hands up if you tend to agree with Barnabas - “John Mark is sorry about last time. Everyone deserves a second chance.”

Well, the answer is that they’re both right! That’s the problem. You see, on the one hand, Jesus calls us to a life of serious discipleship, not to a picnic in the park. Jesus says, “No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” If you let people down you become untrustworthy.

But on the other hand, God is full of compassion. Jesus looked at Peter after he denied knowing him three times and said “You can feed my sheep, (in other words you can be a pastor), if I’m sure of one thing - do you love me?” He doesn’t throw people out with the trash after one failure – if he did none of us would be here let’s be honest!

Paul and Barnabas are both right.

Paul - what can we say about him? A born leader, he was focused and single-minded, passionate about serving Jesus with absolute excellence. After just fifteen years of planting churches, he declared his work of bringing the gospel to a land mass significantly bigger than the UK was finished.

As for Barnabas, his real name was Joseph. Barnabas is a nickname meaning “son of encouragement.” He sold property and gave the money away to help other believers in need. When news started doing the rounds that persecutor-in-chief Saul had been converted and everyone feared it was a trap, Barnabas laid his life on the line and befriended him.

But they fell out, so they each went their own way; and in the providence of God the work of reaching the nations with the good news about Jesus actually accelerated as a result. Verses 39-40 say that Barnabas and John Mark went to south-west while Paul and Silas went north-west. So instead of one squabbling team of three there were two productive teams of two.

But here’s the lovely little footnote: some years later, right at the end of his life, Paul had the humility to write “Get Mark and bring him with you because he is helpful to me in my ministry.”

John Mark did in the end prove himself over time. Not only was he Barnabas’ trusted assistant he was the man who gave us Mark’s gospel, probably put together from his rough notes listening to Peter preaching in Rome.

The truth is that in every church, we need Pauls and we need Barnabases. We need people who are strong on truth and we need people who are big on grace.

We need people with convictions and principles, who believe in right and wrong, who set standards, who speak out, who aim for excellence. We need ‘truth people’ like Paul.

And we need people with a big heart who pick us up when we fall and encourage us when we’re disheartened, who are easy going, who accept us as we are and are always welcoming.  We need “grace people” like Barnabas.

Which is why, most of all, we need Jesus. The Bible says he came full of grace and truth. Not half grace and half truth. Not all grace one day and all truth the next. All grace and all truth all the time.

Hear the words of truth from Jesus “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin…” (Jesus says it as it is - we are addicted to wrongdoing) but, he said, “if the Son sets you free you will be free indeed.”

And hear the words of grace from Jesus, “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest.” Come, now, today, just as you are - in brokenness and in faith. 

As Kevin DeYoung puts it, we need someone as truthful as Jesus to tell us “you are not okay and anyone who says ‘everything is fine’, is not being honest with you." But only when we believe the uncomfortable truth about us can we experience the grace we need.

We need truth. We need grace. We need Jesus.

Let’s stand to pray…

Sermon preached at All Saints' Preston on Tees, 15th February 2015

When Christians Disagree (Acts 15.1-31)

Introduction

The science fiction writer Isaac Asimov once said “People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.”

Wouldn’t life be easier if everybody saw things the way I do? Well, maybe, but it would also be a lot duller.

Watching the news this week, there was one word that I found repeated over and over again; the word “conflict.” The bitter conflict in Ukraine, industrial conflict, marital conflict, conflict in the tunnel at a rugby match and so on.

Would you raise your hand please if you would say that you enjoy situations of conflict? (Not one hand was raised). Nobody here does. But some people love a good quarrel. They positively flourish in confrontational arguments. The more unpleasant it gets, the better it is.

It’s a personality trait you often find in lawyers and barristers. They really love a good, barnstorming clash in court. In the political world it’s the same. They relish a good old spat on the radio or in parliament.

In the church though, I’ve noticed that people usually prefer to avoid conflict and we have seen that that is true today, at least here. We tend to think that it’s not very spiritual to disagree. We tend to see disputes among us as a sign of failure. Conflict can hurt people and cause offence so we tend to steer clear of it if we can.

But, surprisingly perhaps, that is not what we find in the Bible. In the young New Testament church, they faced conflict head on instead of going into denial about it.

They actually embraced their differences of opinion as an opportunity to grow. On the positive side, the very fact that Christians feel really strongly about certain things shows we care. Surely, it is worse to be so indifferent about truth you never even bother standing up for it.

Acts 15 is a God-given model of conflict resolution for the church. This passage we just had read shows us how to diffuse the bomb of major argument between Christians.

At the beginning of the chapter there is a huge and fundamental disagreement between Paul and Barnabas on one side, and some hard-line traditionalists on the other. The church, just 15 years old, was a speeding car heading for the wall.

That would have been fatal. Because why would anyone believe a message that says “God can change your life” if those who preach it won’t even associate with certain other Christians? It would have turned the gospel into stand-up comedy.

But look! By the end of the chapter, this great controversy that threatened to tear the church in two is completely sorted to everyone’s satisfaction. God’s people find themselves stronger than ever before and back on track. That is a miraculous turnaround! How did they do that?

Background to Acts 15

We’ll unpack that in a minute. But first of all, let’s remind ourselves of where we are at this point in the growth of the early church. We are at the end of the first missionary journey. Paul and Barnabas have just returned from their long voyage where they have planted several new churches, each one made up of both Jews and non-Jews. 

For non-Jews, like most of us, what counts more than anything else is new life in Christ. Oh, the joy of being cleansed from sin, trusting Jesus, getting baptized in water and filled with the Holy Spirit. We know today that there is no experience like it. If you have never experienced that, you’re missing out. Come to Christ today! And in the First Century it was the same. Their lives had changed forever. What a difference! The old had gone, the new had come.

For those who had grown up as Jews they had exactly the same experience. But in addition, their eyes were opened. Jesus is the one to whom all those prophecies in the Old Testament pointed. All those centuries they had been waiting for the Messiah and now he had arrived!

But there was a problem. Some Jews were starting to say that to be a real Christian you had to be a good Jew first. After all, Jesus was Jewish. He observed all the Jewish customs and festivals, he ate kosher food, and he went to synagogue on the Sabbath.

So in v1 Luke says that these traditionalists were going round telling the Gentile men “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.”

Result: Luke calls it in v2 “a sharp dispute and debate.” I’ll say it was. Two viewpoints completely opposed to one another. They had two different answers to the crucial question, “How do you become a member of God’s family?”

The truth is that you become a member of God’s family by believing, not by achieving. You become a child of God by putting yourself in his hands so that he does something in you, not by your own hands trying to do something for him. You cannot be saved by the many things you do for God; only by the one thing he has done for you.

When I was young, my dad used to take me sailing every weekend. I can assure you that sailing is really hard work. You have to pull ropes in, let ropes out, move from one side of the boat to the other and you regularly get a face full of seawater spray as you hang outside the boat to keep it balanced. I used to travel home my glasses white with dried salt water, soaked through, freezing cold and totally whacked. Don’t let anyone tell you it is a leisure activity - it is exhausting!

But when you’re sailing, you are entirely dependent on the wind. If there’s no wind, all your effort will not propel you forward one inch. Living as a Christian is like traveling in a sailing boat. There’s work to do, sure, but it isn’t your hard work that actually gets you anywhere; just like a sailor needs to catch the wind, Christians totally, totally need the grace of God.

Sometimes, we had to row a dinghy. Rowing is also hard work. You have to dip the oars in the water and strain with all your might to propel the boat forward, you have to keep looking round to see you were going in the right direction. It is backbreaking.

Religion is life without the grace of God. Religion is like rowing a boat. The wind doesn’t help you because there’s no sail. It’s 100% human effort and pulling hard.

But they hadn’t yet worked that out before Acts 15. Instead, there were two points of view colliding with each other head on, raising deep passions, causing resentment and threatening to strangle the church at birth. It doesn’t look promising does it?

In conflicts as difficult as that one, only one outcome looks likely; divorce on grounds of irreconcilable difficulties.

Have you had times in your life where a disagreement has looked impossible to resolve? What is God’s plan for settling disputes among his people? Acts 15 is like a pathway to resolve conflict.

1) Calm the Atmosphere

The first thing they did was purposefully create a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Verse 4 says that when Paul and Barnabas arrived at Jerusalem “they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders…”

Remember that it’s Paul and Barnabas who, humanly speaking, have brought this crisis down on the church. They have been bringing in innovations that are threatening to split the church in two. They are causing a lot of unhappiness with the traditionalists.

But the leaders in Jerusalem, take them to their hearts, they welcome them in, they help them feel at home. They build an atmosphere of trust.

2) Listen to One Another

After that, the second step is that each party must listen to each other – and that means each one must be able to explain their point of view without interruption. You know Prime Minister’s Questions? Well, the opposite of that!

The end of v4 says Paul and Barnabas “reported everything God had done through them.” In v5 the opposite point of view is expressed; “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the Law of Moses.” Then in v6 they consider the question. Verse 7 says there was “much discussion.”

I once had to facilitate a conversation between two bitterly opposed people – husband and wife as it turned out – where the only way to stop them talking over each other was to put a stone on the table. Only the person holding the stone can talk. So one says what he has to say and then puts the stone down. And then he has to hear her point of view without barging in. It’s amazing how far you can get when you really listen to someone else’s story and what a particular situation feels like to them.

In v12-13 the Bible says that the whole assembly became silent (underline those words) as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders that God had done among the Gentiles through them. Then, when they finished, James spoke up…”

There’s no cutting in, no interruptions. People wait their turn instead of talking over each other.

Imagine you and I are sat down at a table, facing one another. On the table there’s a sheet of paper with a large number 6. You say to me, “Why the number 9?” I say “What do you mean a number 9? It’s a 6. Can’t you see?” You say, “Don’t be stupid. It’s a 9! What’s the matter with you?” And so on all day... Eventually, you come round to my side of the table to give me a thump for being so annoying. And there, for the first time, you see things from my point of view - and you understand.

3) Let Scripture Rule

Thirdly, let Scripture rule. Paul and then Peter talk about their experiences, which is fine, but it says in v15-18 that to conclude the discussion and settle the matter, James opens the Bible. At the end of the day, it’s the Word of God that rules.

This is a principle that you find, I’m happy to say, in the constitution of the Church of England, the 39 Articles. Article VI reads, “Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation.”

That was written over 400 years ago so it’s a bit obscure. In plain English it means “if you want to know God, everything you need is in the Bible, and if it’s not here don’t go around making religious rules about it.”

I read online about a notice on the door of a small sub Post Office. Here’s what it says: “This Post Office is open from 9am to 12pm and from 2pm to 4pm, except Sundays and Bank Holidays, Saturday afternoons and the nearest working day afternoon prior to the 26th of each month, not including Leap Years.” With the Bible, it’s much simpler; keep it open all the time!

The Bible, this written Word of God, is our supreme authority and it has the last word on every disagreement.

4) Take Responsibility

The fourth step is to take responsibility.

In v9, having listened to the whole discussion, James, as a respected leader puts forward a plan of action. It’s a proposal that opens the way for God’s purposes to go forward.

But it also contains a few words about questions of conscience so that Jewish believers in Jesus and Gentile believers in Jesus can coexist in peace.

But, listen carefully please, it’s not a compromise. Basically, they go with Paul and Barnabas on this one. “You can row all you like, but we are going sailing, we are not telling people they have to row.”

It has been said many times that a camel is a horse designed by a committee. If our decisions have to accommodate absolutely everyone’s preferences so as to be totally inclusive and never hurt anyone’s feelings, we will never get anywhere.

Taking responsibility means grabbing the bull by the horns and making courageous decisions. It means not faffing around trying to please everyone.

People say sometimes that it must be really hard as vicar here keeping everyone happy. Rubbish! I’ve only got to keep one person happy - and that’s Jesus.

Paul said in Galatians 1.10, “If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” 

So I’m going to upset and offend as many of you as I can… Not really, you know that don't you?

5) Let the Holy Spirit Lead

Fifthly, let the Holy Spirit lead. In v28 there is this amazing expression, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…” That is what you can say when you know that your plan for conflict resolution has been bathed in prayer from beginning to end.

You see, the church in Jerusalem was, from the earliest days a deeply prayerful community. Acts 1 says that they “joined together constantly in prayer.” How often I that? Acts 2 says they “devoted themselves to prayer.” That is serious commitment. Acts 4 says they “raised their voices together in prayer.” There was a unity in prayer.

When churches come together to pray, God speaks, there is a release of the prophetic. That’s why we are having a week of prayer and fasting coming up to our vision morning on 28 February; because we want to hear from God.

6) Seek Unanimity

Sixthly, they looked for unanimity. Not just a majority; unanimity. In v22 there is a decision not just by the apostles and elders but by the whole church.

The referendum in Scotland last year was decided on a majority – 55% voted “no” and 45% voted “yes.” That’s democracy, but when Christians are seeking the mind of the Lord the standard is higher.

I would not settle for a 60-40 vote in the PCC here. Or even 80-20. In my time here I have always pushed for real consensus and, thanks be to God, we have always achieved it. Sometimes it takes a little longer to get there, but it’s always worth it in the end.

7) Communicate Clearly

The last step is to communicate clearly the decision taken. In Acts 15 they choose trustworthy people to let everyone know what has been decided. The letter is short, precise and clear. There is no room for ambiguities. It effectively closes the book on the matter and settles the conflict.

Ending

Well, over the last few chapters we’ve been following Paul and Barnabas on their church planting mission. They have been attacked by jealous crowds. They have been badly abused. They have had poisonous lies told against them. They have been thrown out of towns. They have been stoned alive and left for dead.

But whenever the devil attacks the church from the outside it just gets stronger. Persecution from unbelievers usually results in church growth, not church decay.

But the devil knows that if he can assault the church from the inside it gets weaker. Internal divisions and factions usually result in church decline.

I talk with other church leaders most weeks and I would say that their greatest fear is a split in the church. That’s probably why Christians like to avoid conflict all any cost.

In Acts 15 though God shows us that conflict is normal and may even be a sign of life. When there’s disagreement on a matter of first importance, like how someone becomes a child of God we must be clear that there is no compromise possible.

We are not going to start saying people can know God by doing good works just to keep everyone happy.

On secondary issues it’s different and I want to end with just one.

We have several ways of doing church here at All Saints’. There’s traditional, there’s liturgical, there’s contemporary, there’s experimental, and there’s wild. It’s entirely reasonable that all of us will have one style we like better than others. It’s OK to have a preference.

But it’s not OK to belittle or demean those expressions of worship that are less to my personal liking. It’s very rare, but just now and again, I hear a sarcastic or cutting remark about another service – it’s not godly, it’s not right and I won’t have it.

Jesus died so that his church would be one. May he be glorified and exalted in this church as we agree on the essentials and outdo one another in love when it comes to the non-essentials.

Let’s pray…

Sermon preached at All Saints' Preston on Tees, 8th February 2015