David Bahn – Reflections

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Acts 15:1-11

But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” ² And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. ³ So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. ⁴ When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. ⁵ But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

⁶ The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. ⁷ And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. ⁸ And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, ⁹ and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? ¹¹ But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

Who are those guys? Can you do that? I can’t do that. No one can track over solid rock. Who are those guys??? This is – as best I remember it – lines from the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Paul Newman and Robert Redford make quite a pair of outlaws – almost lovable. They are watching someone track them while they’re on the lam. The tracker is so good that he’s able to follow their trail over solid rock. Not many people can do that.

Peter speaks of something no one had been able to do – nor will anyone be able to do in the future. He speaks of putting “a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear.” He is speaking of the impossibility of fulfilling the Law of God – whether it’s the moral Law, the ceremonial law, or especially the laws intended to protect the law from being broken. 

In Jesus’ day the Jews had built a fence round the Old Testament Law. They had devised 713 laws regulating appropriate behavior – many around observance of the Sabbath. Limits of how far one could travel, how much they could carry, and regulations about planting, plowing, reaping, gathering, threshing/extraction, winnowing, sorting/purification, grinding, sifting, kneading/amalgamation,  and cooking/baking. The idea was that if you didn’t do any of those things you would surely not break the third commandment, “Remember the Sabbath by keeping it holy.”

Another way in which they protected the Law of God had to do with not taking God’s name in vain. They determined that if they never spoke the sacred holy name of God “YHWH” (יהוה‎ in Hebrew), they would surely not take his name in vain. When they came to that name of God, they would substitute the word for Lord, Adonai (אֲדֹנָי in Hebrew). So, in theory they would never take the name of the Lord (YHWH) in vain because they would never speak it at all.

All these laws were oppressive and untenable. There is no peace in such efforts to appease or obey God by such limitations. God’s call is much higher. Jesus summarized it this way You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). This is from Deuteronomy 6, which is called the Shama, for the Hebrew word for Hear, “Shama Israel…,” or “Hear Israel…”

The Old Testament prophet Micah summarized it this way: “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).

We’ll never do this perfectly, but we have been saved by the grace of Jesus Christ – along with all others who believe in him. A life of mercy and justice rather than mere ritualistic external obedience is testimony to the Holy Spirit’s work in us. There are many things we cannot do, but God can do great things through those who believe in him.

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

Acts 15:1-11

But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” ² And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. ³ So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. ⁴ When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. ⁵ But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

⁶ The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. ⁷ And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. ⁸ And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, ⁹ and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? ¹¹ But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

Topo Chico | Tomball, TX | December 2023

I enjoyed having breakfast recently with several men from our neighborhood. The conversations were about maintenance issues with our houses (all built within the last 9 years), golf, and travel. We also talked about church and ministry involvement. I was asked and agreed to offer the blessing before the meal. When I do that I try to do two things. I certainly want to thank God for the food and ask him to bless us as we receive it. I also make the point that this food and fellowship should be a reminder of God’s great love for us in Jesus Christ. There is regularly a reasonably-hardy Amen from the group.

I’m not sure every one of my neighborhood friends is a Christian. And I hope that my little witness to God’s goodness and love has a way of touching their hearts, and opening the pathway for the Holy Spirit to bring them to faith. I hope as well that it may strengthen the hearts of the believers. We all need to be reminded of God’s love and grace – his gift of salvation in the gift of his Son.

As I read again this passage, I noticed something about that which should also encourage this practice more regularly among God’s people. As Barnabas and Paul traveled from Antioch to Jerusalem they visited Phoenicia and Samaria. And as they visited these places they described in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers.

The Good News is that through faith in Jesus Christ we are saved. His grace avails to us because of his love for us. We have earthly hope and an eternal future. One day all injustice will be rectified. All righteousness and faithfulness will be vindicated. All sin, sickness, and suffering will be expelled. All joy, life and glory will be fully experienced.

When we hear that, we are encouraged. But there’s more to this good news. Not only does this apply to us, but it applies to all who believe. And when we hear of someone’s conversion to this faith, we too can rejoice. Indeed, if we are reflecting the nature and love of God we will rejoice.

Philips, Craig, and Dean sing a heart-warming song about God’s grace and the joy he has as one sinner repents. Called, His Favorite Song of All, it reminds us of the great celebration in heaven over one sinner who repents. We should echo that joy on earth as we hear of the conversion of any person.

So when we hear of the amazing growth of the church in Ethiopia, Uganda, South America, or down the street the example of the early church is one we should follow. This is good news. Let it bring great joy to your heart. And pray that more people will hear and believe this Good News. It’s not only for those who need to be converted. It’s for you and me.

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

Acts 15:1-11

But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” ² And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. ³ So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. ⁴ When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. ⁵ But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

⁶ The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. ⁷ And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. ⁸ And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, ⁹ and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? ¹¹ But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

“This is That” is a leadership tool that can help people cope with new ideas and potential changes in the church. It goes like this, “Do you remember when we first expanded the narthex? It was a scary thing to consider. It meant some discomfort, and even required people to use a different entrance into the church on Sunday mornings once we had finished it. It was not an easy change, but look at the benefits we’ve seen. We have more space for fellowship and visiting before and after worship. We don’t have to worry about bad weather once church is over, we can linger in the new space for a while before leaving. And now we want to add a fellowship hall. There will be challenges for sure. But we’ve done it before and realized great blessings. This is that.

The conversation may go a bit longer and be a bit more complicated. But you get the picture. In fact that’s what good biblical preaching strives to do. We tell the story of Barnabas and Paul and how they faced trials, tribulations, and conflict, and yet persevered in the mission of God. Now, when we face challenges to our faith, mistreatment, or oppression, we can persevere as well. This is that.

This is a helpful thing for me today as I consider my place in the heart of God and his kingdom. Sometimes I wonder whether I’m truly converted. Sometimes the devil accuses my heart about my lack of commitment or faithfulness. Sometimes I wonder whether all those other sinners are really as bad as I am. Do they need the mercy and forgiveness of Jesus as much as I do? For I sure do need his grace a lot! Is it really a matter simply of faith in Jesus that avails before God?

This section of Acts offers me a reminder that This is That. Peter’s message on this occasion is a powerful and welcome reminder of God’s love and the basis of our salvation. He reminds them that God “made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

God cleanses hearts. He saves us not by works of righteousness, but by the grace of the Lord Jesus. We’re all the same here. Our standing is one of grace and faith. It’s based on God’s mercy and love. It’s secured in Jesus’ death, and guaranteed by Jesus’ resurrection. We’ll experience this fully only on the Great Last Day when Jesus returns and we are brought into his heavenly kingdom. By grace. Through faith. In Jesus. It’s really all the same.

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

Acts 15:1-11

But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” ² And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. ³ So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. ⁴ When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. ⁵ But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

⁶ The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. ⁷ And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. ⁸ And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, ⁹ and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? ¹¹ But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

I have had only one physical fight of significance. I was 8 years old. It was decisive. It was short. I went home crying. A school bully had come onto our property and I told him to get off. He refused, saying, “Who’s gonna make me?” I said, “I will.” He said, “Wanna fight?” I said, “Sure.” I had a broken gooseneck lamp slung onto my shoulder by a nylon belt. He said, “I’m not gonna fight someone with that thing,” pointing to my makeshift property protection device. I should have said, “Well then, leave.” But instead, I dropped the lamp. His reaction was swift and decisive. His two punched to my nose stung. I was an easy target, and went down quickly.

Paul had endured brutal physical treatment. Having been stoned and left for dead would rank higher than a two-punch to the nose encounter. But he seems not to have fought force with force. He simply refused to be bullied. He would not cease and desist from sharing the gospel. But there would be a time when he would have to deal with the questions and challenges he faced (and perhaps also catalyzed). That time was coming. Soon. Paul and Barnabas – following the latest confrontation by the Judaizers – are sent to Jerusalem. They were seeking a ruling from the apostles about how to handle the gentile converts.

I notice that there was no small dissension and debate between Paul and these men from Judea. Talk about a church fight! Ugh.

Sadly, I have seen and been brought into church fights. I’ve seen church leaders resign in disgust. I’ve heard people say things I can hardly believe I’ve heard from the mouths of those claiming the name of Christ. Perhaps these behaviors were not of that character. But there was no doubt some real energy behind the conversations.

The solution, however, was not arrived at by fisticuffs, or resignations. The solution was to seek the wisdom and help of those who were charged with guiding the church, and centering the mission in faith in Jesus Christ. The Let’s Settle This solution was to be founded on the message of salvation that is for all people. We’ll see that in this chapter. And we’re living it today. We call ourselves Christians and take our place in the kingdom of God by grace through faith. And that settles it.

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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.

It wasn’t very pleasant, but it is something I’m proud of (in a humble sort of way!). I was the new Circuit Counselor years ago, working with a congregation in the call process. There had been some conflict within the group about specific wording in the job description, and I was called in to help. I stated my beliefs regarding the wording – which I saw as unnecessary and even potentially misleading.

One of the members of the committee set a trap for me. He wanted to discredit me and retain the wording. When I took the bait and got caught in the trap, I had to work hard to explain my way out. It was not my best hour. But I believe he was being deceptive. I’ll take being duped over being deceptive. But better to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, as Jesus counsels (Matthew 10:16).

There was even an exchange of letters following the meeting in which he accused me of not being faithful to our Lutheran Confessions. It was a fairly biting criticism. And I returned a letter with an explanation for my thoughts. I ended the letter by saying, “I would have hoped for a more gracious interpretation of my words.”

I’m all about grace. I know and believe that truth is essential to understanding grace fully. I believe wholeheartedly in truth. Thankfully truth is embodied in Jesus who is full of both grace and truth. But in the end, I default to grace. I love how Paul speaks of this in Romans 5, “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Romans 5:20).

I say that because Barnabas and Paul returned to “Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled.” Grace is a powerful thing. I love the thought that Max Lucado shared, “I’ve never been surprised by God’s judgment, but I’m still stunned by his grace.” To think that God looks past our sins to his Son on the cross, and that Jesus’ blood covers all our sins, and that his heart is open to the repentant sinner is stunning. I’m saddened by cruel criticism. But I’m deeply grateful for God’s grace!

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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 don’t often criticize other churches or pastors. I have enough on my own plate not to take on solving someone else’s troubles. But what little I saw of Joel Osteen’s response to the shooting at Lakewood Church in Houston left me feeling really sorry for him and the people of his church. Admittedly, when I heard him speak it was only shortly after the shooting. But his message was tepid: something to the effect, “We’re gonna stay strong. We’re going to carry on.” How sad.

Contrast that with Pastor Al Meredith at Wedgewood Baptist Church in Fort Worth after a terrible shooting at his church years ago. Seven youth and adults were shot and killed that night in 1999. Another 7 were wounded. When Pastor Meredith was interviewed on camera, he quoted the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk: “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” The passage concludes, “GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.” – Habakkuk 3:17-19

This is an acknowledgement that strength comes from God; we do not have it in us to be strong. We must always rely on God. We do that especially when times are bad. Not only so, we continue to praise him in the storm.

Paul and Barnabas conclude their mission trip by visiting churches they had initially visited on the front end of their mission trip. And they urge these new believers to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

I’m not a nattering nabob of negativism. But neither am I willing to pretend that evil does not exist, or that Satan does not have evil designs on God’s people. God invites us always to turn to him – in good times or bad. C.S. Lewis said that pain is God’s megaphone to the world. Through pain God calls us away from self-reliance to faith and trust in him.

God has shown that such faith and trust is well placed by two things. First of all, he came to our rescue in Jesus of Nazareth who taught and did good, ushering in the kingdom of God, and ultimately sacrificing himself for us lost sinners. That shows God’s good will toward us. But he also rose from the dead. God’s intent toward us is not merely an impotent good will. He is mighty to save.

We may have to go through much trouble and tribulation to enter the kingdom of God. But our entry is assured, and his salvation is gloriously good.

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.

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.

Winston Churchill gave a speech at his school, Harrow, having been there 10 months prior during the height of the Blizt on London. Reflecting on the need for tenacious perseverance he said, “…never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

I wish it was not true, but it seems that the devil had long before adopted that approach to his evil wiles and ways. Barnabas and Paul will go from place to place sharing the good news of Jesus. They will be met by some with good will and open hearts. But Satan will never leave it at that. He is a dedicated adversary, set for our demise and God’s dishonor. He will use religious people and pagan governments to do his bidding. However he might, he will steal, kill, and destroy.

That is true not only in the arena of God’s mission, in the church, and in the world. It is also true in the hearts and minds of God’s people. He is, as Peter says, a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

Sometimes the onslaught is direct and vicious. Paul was stoned, dragged out of the city, and left for dead. Sometimes he is more deceitful and cunning. These enemies of the gospel gather proxies to do their bidding.

Jesus taught his disciples that they should be persevere in prayer and not lose heart (Luke 18:1-8). The basis of that persistence is the character and nature of God. He is good and gives good gifts to his children. But the implied urgency is that Satan is evil and dedicated to our destruction.

So just as Satan never gives up, neither should we. Ours will be the victory in the end. Ours will be the joy at the last. We will celebrate with angels, archangels, and all the company of heaven. We must not let down our guard and allow Satan to prevail.

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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.

Fingerprints. Tire treads. Shoe soles. DNA. You leave evidence of your presence wherever you go. It may take a forensic scientist to root out the DNA evidence. I could take a trained fingerprint analyst to determine if those are your prints on the murder weapon – or not! There may be some uncertainty about whether your car’s tire treads are an exact match or your shoe soles made that imprint. But we all leave  evidence of our presence wherever we go.

So does God.

I love to use the example of a modern wrist watch to make the point. The premise is this: If you find a watch somewhere on the ground you would draw certain conclusions about its presence. Someone must have dropped this, you surmise. A wiseacre might rejoin: How do you know that? In fact, I believe it just evolved over time. You know, the elements started vibrating at just the right frequencies, the parts came together to form the first rudimentary clock – an hour glass, or even a sun-dial. Then over the eons of time these evolved into ever-more complex and intricate timepieces, until today. Now we have this watch.

Of course no one believes such nonsense. We all know that watches come from watch factories, to watch stores or online marketplaces, are purchased or gifted, and used by their owner. We know they don’t just happen. We know that they are made in a watch factory – even though I’ve met only two people during my life to have seen a watch factory. And I’ve asked the question hundreds of times, “Have you ever actually seen a watch factory?”

There’s an even greater evidence to which we could all point. If you get up some morning and find a hot cup of coffee and delicious breakfast waiting for you, you know someone loves you and has done a good thing in your behalf. None of us believe those things just happen.

Paul makes this point. God sends “rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” It’s not just that God exists. It’s not merely that he is the Creator. There is evidence of his goodness, grace, love, provision, and protection all around us. Will we ignore it? Or will we recognize him as the giver – given the evidence he has left for us?

Martin Luther wrote in his catechism 500 years ago that God does all these things only out of fatherly divine goodness without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this, he says, it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey him. 

God is not without witness and we are not without proper response. We are to thank, praise, serve, and obey God for all his good gifts.