The kind Church the Spirit plants.
Isn't it good, when you go on holiday, to get to church? You see what a different congregation are doing: comfy seats, coffee and doughnuts before the service, nice new actions songs for the kids, the minister wears robes – or jeans. As Paul lands in Syria and works his way towards Jerusalem, he finds himself among churches he's not seen for years – maybe never been to before; but he has the joy of seeing that God is at work in these churches... in Tyre, in Ptolemais, in Caesarea, and even in Jerusalem
These were probably groups that had come into existence as far back as Acts 11. 19. In the excitement of the story of Antioch – remember, where the Church first began preaching the Good news to people who weren't Jewish – and Paul's journeys from there, they are hardly mentioned until now, but God has at work by the Holy Spirit. In places that Paul has had no involvement, churches have sprung up. What are these Churches like that have been growing up without Paul's input?
1. Inclusive
These had probably begun as groups of Jewish Christians. Remember it was only when the Good news came as far North as Antioch that disciples routinely began preaching to Gentiles. So these groups had begun as Jewish disciples – but most likely Greek-speaking Jews, and probably some gentiles had joined some of them over the years. The were certainly quite comfortable with Greeks like Luke being around. In Tyre, Paul found himself surrounded by not only the men but the women and children too. We are learning from Gods' word the importance of welcoming the children in our homes and our life together. Even the Jerusalem church – which seems to have had a a bit more of a Jewish flavour – still had room for people like Mnason the Cypriot who had been there along time. Different flavours in different congregations; and even within those congregations, different characters and outlooks.
Look around you at the Church you are part of: what sort of people are they? They are a mix of male and female, old and young; outlooks can be deeply different. But they are together. The fact that er are all different, means that there is a place here for you.
2. Prophetic
They were places where people heard from God. These were groups where they were used to hearing from God – not only through the preached word but also through the Holy Spirit's gift of prophecy. In Tyre, “Through the Spirit” – that is in response to something they became aware of through the spiritual gifts of prophecy – they warned Paul to keep away from Jerusalem. In Caesarea, Philip had four daughters who had a prophetic ministry. And to Caesarea, came Agabus, who again brought an acted-out prophecy about what was going to happen to Paul.
This wee passage tells us a lot about the prophetic ministry in the earliest Church.
Diversity . From unknown individuals in the Church at Tyre; to the daughters of Philip – young women, maybe teenagers; to Agabus who had exercised a prophetic ministry for years and been proved “Right” (see Acts 11. 28) . We have a God who speaks; and we have a God who speaks through old and young; well-known and obscure; he could speak through you.
Discernment Luke tells us that “Through the Spirit” the Christians in Tyre warned Paul against going to Jerusalem So who was right and who was wrong? Should Paul have obeyed that prophetic word? Or did those who warned Paul get it wrong?Paul knew God was calling him to go to Jerusalem, despite the dangers. God never contradicts himself. So here's what I believe was happening. The Holy Spirit showed them what was going to happen to Paul, confirming what Paul already knew. That was the “God” bit, “Through the Spirit”. Then they concluded, “if this is what is going to happen to you – don't go!” They, quite understandably but wrongly, decided God must be warning Paul not to go to Jerusalem.
We need, therefore, to be careful about what we do with prophetic words. We need to get in the habit of expectancy; but we need to get in the habit of self-awareness so we can spot when our own thoughts and feelings seep into what we are saying. And we need to get the habit of asking questions: “Lord, I believe that this is what you are saying, but what does it mean?” It is possible to get something wrong. All prophecy should be weighed and especially any prophecy that involves telling people “what God says they are to do.”
Then Luke gives us a throw-away piece of information about Philip's daughters, but doesn't tell us what, if anything, they said. (Incidentally, this is one of these indicators that Luke’s telling of the story can be believed: if he was making this stuff up, what would be better than to put some prophetic word into the mouths of Philip's young daughters?) It's perfectly possible that although they had prophetic gifts, they were simply not given anything at this point. Having a prophetic gift doesn't mean we are always prophesying. In fact, Philip and his daughters eventually moved to Asia, where as more mature women they were sought out, not for the prophetic but as eye-witnesses of the earliest days of the Church.
Drama But when Agabus turned up, he had a word from God. He took Paul's belt; tied his own wrists with it, and then said “The owner of this belt is going to be tied up just like this....” The Holy Spirit is a good communicator. The prophetic can come visually as well as verbally. It doesn’t need to be dressed up in language and grammar that is quaint and out of date: in fact I would go so far as to say that authentic prophecy will always be in a form that the hearers can immediately identify with.
Depth. The prophetic will not always involve promises of blessings and prosperity. If we examine the prophetic in the Bible we find many times there are warnings and challenges. The point about prophecy is not to make us feel good: it is to build us up and encourage us so we are able to make the next step on our journey. Judgement without grace, and blessings without holiness, are equally marks of false prophecy.
We need to be a community with a reputation for being somewhere people hear from God. We can hear from God both through Scripture and preaching that explains Scripture, and through the Holy Spirit: speaking directly into our lives, challenging us, correcting us, warning us. Let us be expect to hear the voice of God.”
3. Loving.
Paul and his team were show such love: this took a number of forms:
Welcoming: Hospitality that was more than skin deep.
The Church at Tyre welcomed Paul (and a sizeable team); they opened their homes to them. They opened their hearts to them: the fact that whole families including women and children accompanied Paul to the beach, shows that Paul had embedded himself in families and become “part of their lives”.
Weeping: Dealing with emotional stuff.
At Caesarea they all wept over Paul as he went into a dangerous situation. The Bible tells us to weep with those who weep, and we need to be brave enough to sit with people and support them when they are going through difficult times. But at one point Paul had to tell them off for crying and making a fuss about the risks he was taking. It almost seems a bit harsh of Paul to speak like that; but I guess he had his own feelings to deal with as he faced an uncertain future in Jerusalem. Like Paul’s friends, we sometimes don't get it right. Sometimes our emotions get in the way of other peoples' healing.
Walking. Being there for people.
These were people who were prepared to walk with Paul through this difficult journey. They travelled with Paul, not just to “see him off” but right the way from Caesarea to Jerusalem, so he could find Mnason's house. Sometimes we need to walk with people when we can't fix their problems or stop them from doing something foolish. It's important not only to weep with people but to walk with them.
4. Trinity
The Church, the ministry, the mission, is never just about us. It is always about the mysterious, mighty, wonderful three-in-one God: Luke mentions all three persons of the Trinity:
The Spirit is constantly there, filling, empowering, gifting, speaking to God's people.
The Lord Jesus – who died for us and rose again, motivates us. He deserves our absolute 100%
unconditional love, surrender. Love so amazing, so divine demands my soul, my life, my all.
The Father: who rules over everything. When Luke and the others couldn't persuade Paul to stay away from Jerusalem, (and they did try!) they had to say “The Lord's will be done.” The Lord is King – and to come to him, receive him, can only be done in one posture – face down.
© Gilmour Lilly August 2014
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