The Message

ByJim Stephens

Scripture: Acts 15

7 The arguments went on and on, back and forth, getting more and more heated. Then Peter took the floor: “Friends, you well know that from early on God made it quite plain that he wanted the pagans to hear the Message of this good news and embrace it—and not in any secondhand or roundabout way, but firsthand, straight from my mouth. 8 And God, who can’t be fooled by any pretense on our part but always knows a person’s thoughts, gave them the Holy Spirit exactly as he gave him to us. (Acts 15:7-8 MSG)

16 “After this, I’m coming back; I’ll rebuild David’s ruined house; I’ll put all the pieces together again; I’ll make it look like new 17 So outsiders who seek will find, so they’ll have a place to come to, All the pagan peoples included in what I’m doing. God said it and now he’s doing it.”  (Acts 15:16-17 MSG)

The arguments went on and on, back and forth, getting more and more heated. The arguments still go on and on, and they still get just as heated – about what church is to be like, what church is to accomplish, what we should do in our meetings. Whether it should be about reaching seekers or about building believers or about both. Whether our focus should be on evangelism or discipleship or both. Whether we should meet as a large congregation or as small groups in homes or both.

Go and Tell: Peter said that God intended for everyone to have the opportunity to hear The Message firsthand, from the mouth of a believer. For everyone to have the opportunity to hear the Message first hand, straight from a Christ follower’s mouth, it means we have to go and tell. We tell our own stories of personal life-transformation through Jesus Christ and we tell how to access the relationship that brings life-change.

Come and See: James said that church should be a purpose-built place for Seeker-Outsiders to come to find Jesus Christ. God is putting his house back together again, piece by intentional piece, so it will be inviting and relevant and fresh. Seeker-Outsiders will have a place to come to that feels both safe and dangerous, real and relevant, ancient and new, personal and powerful, mystical and practical. Those who seek Christ can find him there!

Prayer:

Father, I want to be part of what Peter and James said was the fulfillment of your “From the very beginning” plan of delivering the Message.  Help us to very intentionally get better and better at both the “Go and Tell” and the “Come and See” elements of communicating The Message.  Amen.