Today, we see the launch of a new phase in the spread of our faith.  I also want to be sure to note that this phase was launched when the Jerusalem council, here in chapter 15, made a great decision, which was the culmination of the discussion and debate that was started in yesterday’s reading about what it takes to become a Christian church member - remember, we are differentiating between being a church member and a recipient of God’s Grace.  God is clear - accept that Jesus lived the life we couldn’t live, a sinless life, and then died the death that we should have died, as a punishment for our sin, and then He rose from the grave, hung out with and taught hundreds of people some final things, and then went up into heaven to be with God again.  That’s all it takes to be saved by God.  In the church’s terms, they are wrestling with what they want that ‘marker’ to be, what’s the initiation element that separates those inside the faith from those outside the faith for the sake of joining the church.  And, they made a great choice in chapter 15 - and I love the person who finally steps up to push this through for this early church - James.

Think about James for a second...one of my favorite pastors, Andy Stanley, harps on this idea constantly, and I love it - James, a brother of Jesus, comes to believe that his brother is the savior of the world.  I mean, what would it take for someone you know, let alone a sibling, to convince you that He is the savior of the world?  That, in-and-of-itself is a huge plug for the validity of these gospels and these manuscripts that make up the New Testament. But, we’ll talk about that more when we get there.

The major thing that is happening as we turn to chapter 15 and then carry the book of Acts forward to its close is that we see Paul launching this faith movement way out beyond the bounds of Jerusalem, and he carries it out into the rest of the world.  And I want to touch on 2 things that he does that I think are so important, that are repeatedly referenced throughout the last half Acts.

First - Paul reason leans into this idea that logic and reason actually are supportive of our faith.  Paul is the first person that really see demonstrating that science and faith don’t have to clash.  Even today, most people allow themselves to adopt this false dichotomy that we either have to believe in God or believe in science - not so!  It is amazing what you can find it you take a little time to look for science that supports what we believe as Christians.  There are smart people, scientists, philosophers, astrologers, etc. that have come to the conclusion that our faith is supported by science and reason.  We can be reassured that we can approach science with a curiosity, and with a genuine desire for truth...we don’t have to be on the defense all of the time.

Second - Paul demonstrates that the purpose of our behaving, or our ‘goodness’, isn’t to win God’s Grace, it is to gain influence in this world.  Paul shows us that our behavior is our outward-facing evidence of our faith.  We should leverage the way we are, the person we become, and our behavior in general to gain influence on those around us - influence we can then use to expose them to the message of our faith.  People outside of the faith typically come into the faith because of the influence of someone they know...Paul knows this, and he teaches us to use this to our advantage.  If our behavior is perceived as anything other than an invitation, as condemnation, then we are doing it wrong.

I love these reminders this morning - such powerful ideas!