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| Essential 100 -- Joyful at 'Mixed' Results | | Date Created: Apr 26, 2005, 07:15 AM |
77 — Tuesday April 26 — Acts 13, 14
Here's a bizarre sequence: the Jewish leaders..., the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city... stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region (Acts 13:50). So what do Paul & Barney do about it? They shake the dust from their feet (is this a rude gesture?) and move on (13:51) -- fair enough -- but then, get this, they are filled with joy and the Holy Spirit (13:52).
The early Christians' idea of being missional wasn't about shaping the gospel in a way that made sense to everyone and conformed to their culture and expectations. The early Christians' gospel conformed to Jesus. And Jesus was about provoking a decision: are you for him or against him?
You and I would be convinced we were doing something wrong if, say, we planted a new church and it angered half the neighbourhood -- we'd want the non-believers in the area to find the new church a pleasant or at least innocuous addition to the neighbourhood, not something that they'll find so irritating that they rise up against it (and us). When this happens to Paul and Barnabas they are filled with joy -- it's a job well done. It's not that they seek to irritate, it's just that their goal isn't primarily to be friendly or cuddly, but to tell the truth about God and Jesus Christ. |
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