Scripture
Acts 15:1-2, 10-11 While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch of Syria, some men from Judea arrived and began to teach the believers:
“Unless you are circumcised as required by the law of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them, arguing vehemently. Finally, the church decided to send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem, accompanied by some local believers, to talk to the apostles and elders about this question.
10 So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? 11 We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”
Observation
Why does it have to be so hard? Why do we have so many rules about church?
- It has to start at this time, it has to finish at this
- The choir needs to sing
- Why is my favorite hymn being ignored
- The pastor sure went long today
- That's the deacons job
Good news, a group of Pharisees became believers. Bad news: they are still hanging onto the rules. These newly converted Pharisees that could not keep the law are now trying to burden the new Gentile believers with it, didn't they remember how badly the law was being abused and how none of them were able to keep it. How can they succeed when the Pharisees didn't.
Application
Church shouldn't be a place that is "stinked" up with a bunch of rules. I will remember to do church with an attitude of love and forgiveness instead of a bunch of rules about being good and doing the right things.
Prayer
Help us to let go of the sacred cows in our thinking on how to do church.
