David Bahn – Reflections

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

Acts 14:14-28

But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, ¹⁵ “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. ¹⁶ In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. ¹⁷ Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” ¹⁸ Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.

¹⁹ But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. ²⁰ But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. ²¹ When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, ²² strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. ²³ And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

²⁴ Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. ²⁵ And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, ²⁶ and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. ²⁷ And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. ²⁸ And they remained no little time with the disciples.

I’ve been listening to the biography of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. It is well written, engaging, and informative. Jobs, it turns out had a very friendly relationship with Rupert Murdoch. He would invite Rupert to his home for dinner – once even on his own birthday. He told Murdoch that he had to hide all the knives in the house so his wife wouldn’t kill Murdoch! She was not a fan.

Jobs talked to Murdoch about Fox News and told him that he was hurting the nation with its programming. He said, the axis is no longer liberal and conservative. “It’s between those who are helping and those who are hurting our world.” He obviously thought Apple was on the helping side and Fox was hurting the world. I’m not sure I agree with Jobs’ assertion, but the comment got me to thinking: what is the axis from God’s point of view?

I would be hard pressed to dismiss the Mission of God as one end of that axis. The mission of God, according to Jesus, is to seek and save the lost. It is to bring people into the kingdom of God. It is to make disciples of all nations. It it to bring the good news of Jesus to the world, that people should repent and believe in Jesus for eternal life.

This mission is anything but safe or harmless! Just ask the man who was stoned and left for dead outside the city. Ask the man who did not receive a job offer because he made it known that he was a Christian in a job interview. Just ask the missionaries who were killed by the native people to whom they had come with the gospel message.

But the answer to these threats is not protectionism. We dare not lock the doors of the church to keep out all the riffraff. That may seem a foregone conclusion, but the temptation is there. Just last Sunday a woman brought a gun into Lakewood Church in Houston. Two people were shot and she was killed by off-duty police officers. That’s an extreme example. But I recall the reaction of one dear soul years ago when we were talking about reaching more people and inviting them to church. She fearfully exclaimed, “We’re not just going to open up the church and let all those people come in are we?!”

The issue is not whether sinners are welcome in the church. We know they are. We’re all sinners. We all need grace. It is a matter of whether we lean toward protecting the church or seeing the church as a place of encouragement, refreshment, and sending. I’m all for good stewardship, care for people – especially the vulnerable. And I’m also all for being in mission. Sometimes that can be dangerous. Sometimes it may require extraordinary effort, long trips, and facing extreme existence. Most often, however, it requires a heart that is open to sharing grace and truth (as needed) with those whom God brings our way.