How does it feel to now be worshiping differently than you used to, and differently than the people you used to worship with?
I am sorrowed in some way.Today's passage for today's sermon was Acts 15:1-35. Eager to learn how to study the Bible and prepare myself for Sunday's message, I read and studied the passage earlier. To humble myself and be aware not to be critical and judgmental to the preacher. Sadly, there were things missed by the preacher which could really feed with God's Word to the church attenders. How to handle and resolve conflicts, however, was taught.
I was disappointed, not only because the preacher missed this most crucial part of God's Word, but that what he preached, we could learn that in many self-help books, good-living seminars, implied teaching in school/work (esp as a person would mature), etc.
Disappointed that I had a hard time understanding how to read Acts (ref. Gordon Fee-Douglas Stuart - How to Read the Bible for all its Worth), and this study really challenged me.
I learned that in reading Acts, know what's the point of the passage, how did it function to whole narrative of Acts, why did Luke include this passage, what was the INTENTION this passage was written. I also learned that the primary intention was the reason the passage was written, and the secondary intention was just incidental. Narratives weren't meant to be imperatives nor a "what must we do" narratives. Narratives weren't written for the hearers, but written so the hearers might know how God was working through the patriarchs of the narrative.
The primary intention I learned from Acts was that the gospel spread. In the passage, despite a wrong teaching of the gospel, the council stayed faithful to the true gospel and didn't grumble or retaliate against the wrong teaching. Yet they continued in encouraging the believers how the gospel had reached to the Gentiles.
But the message took focus on the second intention, how the conflict was resolved. I was even more sad that the part where the preacher mentioned to use biblical principles to resolve conflicts was short and, somehow, treating the bible as mere manual to solve people's problems, when in fact, it's God's Word. Sad, that the message wasn't preached as God's Word but as man's word.
Yes, I still learned from the preacher that in conflicts, we mustn't retaliate, grumble, and argue against those people who hold different views from us, but to promote unity, encourage/edify the brothers with God's faithfulness, to focus in the higher cause, and continue proclaiming God's power. Sad that the "bible", "higher/greater cause", "gospel" wasn't talked about so much.
And the conclusion was "How are you handling your conflicts?"
From my study I learned that to prevent these false teaching to happen, which harms the believers of God, was to watch out for these teachings and such people; to read, study, and stay faithful to God's word, to be grounded in sound doctrine; abide in Christ; be accountable to fellow believers; be in company of true believers; etcetera.
What's more? Before response prayer, I was thinking, "What could these friends of mine be thinking now? How are they worshiping that what was taught only on how to resolve conflicts? Repentance? Okay. What else? But I cannot seem to be in the same worship with them." During response prayer, I wanted to cry. I wasn't sure why, but my tears were wet. I tried to listen to the prayer and focus on that, and remember to just focus on what I learned from the incomplete message of the preacher.
During response song (One Voice), I couldn't sing in the same worship with them. I sang with them but my thoughts, "I learned from Acts to be faithful to God and his Word. How about them? What did they learn? To be faithful in themselves?" (My other thoughts in italics.)
Father, we ask of You this day
Come and heal our land (Father, really heal our land, they're missing a lot.)
Knit our hearts together
That Your glory might be seen in us
Then the world will know
That Jesus Christ is Lord (They just missed your Word.)
Let us be one voice that glorifies Your name
Let us be one voice declaring that You reign
Let us be one voice in love and harmony
And we pray, O God, grant us unity (I'm really not united with them in heart, mind, spirit.)
Now is the time for you and I
To join our hearts in praise
That the name of Jesus
Will be lifted high above the earth
Then the world will know
That Jesus Christ is Lord (How can this song be about conflict resolution?)
Father, I really don't know what to pray for, but I pray for this church, break them to pieces that they may know you. I pray that your Word would taken seriously, not just in "bible studies", but in Sunday worship, because worship is all about you and not us. Father, how joyous it would be to see a church zealous for your word.
photo from theresurgence.com
