Hi Newport Church Family,
We trust that you are well and in good heart and spirit!
Here are some thoughts that I have been pondering and meditating upon this week. I believe that they are Holy Spirit inspired and I pray that they will resonate in your heart as they have in mine.
The Great Debate
When Jesus began to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom, to set the captives free, to heal the broken hearted and declare God’s favor, the world of the religious was turned upside down.
Everything that Jesus did was different, unpredictable and for many He often posed more questions than He answered.
It seems that wherever Jesus went a debate would follow, and hard on the heels of the debate would come division.
Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them. John 9:16 NLT
Debate and Division
After Jesus’ resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit the newly birthed church had to navigate many issues that created significant debate and division.
Two of biggest issues were whether non Jewish believers should be circumcised and whether followers of Christ should observe all of the Old Covenant laws and rituals including the Jewish Sabbath.
These issues created great debate and significant divisions in the church.
Factions developed between the circumcision party and those who like Paul believed that circumcision of the heart was the seal of the New Covenant.
The debate between those who wanted the Jewish laws and traditions upheld and those who believed these were fulfilled in the finished work of Christ continued to create divisions in the church for many years.
Law and Grace
The great debate became one between Law and Grace. Those who wanted Jewish religious Law upheld and those who embraced newfound Grace in Jesus.
This debate raged for twenty years until one day, while praying on his roof, Peter had a vision of a sheet being lowered from heaven filled with animals that were unclean according to Jewish law.
God said to Peter, “arise, eat!” and Peter responded, “Lord I have never eaten any unclean food like this,” yet God told him, “what I have cleansed you must not call unclean.”
At the same time two men, sent by Cornelius a Centurion in the Roman army, stood knocking at his door, looking for Peter in order to take him to Cornelius.
Peter went with them to Cornelius’ house, broke his Jewish traditions by entering a non-Jewish household, and preached the gospel to him.
The result was that Cornelius and all his household were saved, filled with the Holy Spirit and the door of salvation to non-Jewish people was flung open.
Vision and Division
Peter’s Vision was the key to breaking down the diving wall of division that had come out of the great debate.
When Peter told the leadership of the church in Jerusalem what had happened, they said, “now we see that God makes no distinction between Jew and non-Jew,” and the question that had created so much debate and division was answered with finality.
Grace and Unity
When it came to communicating this new revelation to the church at large, the key themes were Grace and Unity.
It was grace that brought unity where previously there were divisions, and the unity of believers was the Apostles ultimate goal, bringing the church together as one under the Lordship of Christ
Wherever there is debate and wherever there is division, Grace and Unity are the keys that open the door to God’s favor and blessing.
Looking through the Lens of Grace and Unity
As we navigate the issues that have been at the forefront of debate and division in our nation and around the world during the last eighteen months, this story gives us pattern for walking in God’s favor and blessing and clear direction on how to approach every debate with grace and unity.
Being a Christian does not mean that we agree on every issue, but it does mean that we should look at every issue through the lens of Grace and Unity.
Jesus said that the enemy came to kill, steal and destroy, and one of his main strategies is to divide so that he can conquer.
Paul said that as a follower and servant of Christ he was not ignorant of the enemies devices, and we should not be ignorant of them either.
Division is more deadly than any disease, and disunity more fatal than any disagreement.
Our unity as believers in Christ is more important than our opinions, and grace is the key to navigating life together although when we may not agree on every issue.
Let’s never forget that in His final prayer to His Father before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed:
“Father, I pray that they may be one, even as You and I are one”
We can only be one in Christ when look at every issue through the same lens that Jesus did when He was praying in earnest for each one of us. And that lens is one of Grace and Unity.
Whether it’s how we respond to the COVID pandemic as a nation, community or church, our position on vaccination, our political views, or our response to the racial issues in our world, its only through the Grace of God and the Unity of His church that Gods Kingdom will come and His will be done.
As St Francis of Assisi wrote:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me bring love.
Where there is offence, let me bring pardon.
Where there is discord, let me bring union.
Where there is error, let me bring truth.
Where there is doubt, let me bring faith.
Where there is despair, let me bring hope.
Where there is darkness, let me bring your light.
Where there is sadness, let me bring joy.
O Master, let me not seek as much
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love,
for it is in giving that one receives,
it is in self-forgetting that one finds,
it is in pardoning that one is pardoned,
it is in dying that one is raised to eternal life.
And let’s take special note of the words of Paul in Ephesians 4:3:
Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.
We may differ in our opinions, we may be on different sides of a debate but let’s be one in our priority and passion to see Gods Kingdom come and His will be done!
Summer Serve Day, Next Saturday August 14th
We would love to have you join us for our Summer Serve Day as we give food, back packs and school supplies to those in need at Davis Elementary School in Santa Ana.
This has always been a highlight for us as a church and a way that we can make a meaningful contribution to our extended community.
Click this link for more details. We hope to see you there for what will be a great day!
You can also help us prepare for the day putting the gift packs together or by contributing with an offering.
Thank you once again for your faithful giving. Your generosity makes it possible for us to continue to meet the needs of our community in an ever greater way each year.
If you would like to give your donation, tithe or offering now you can do so by Clicking Here.
We are believing for great day in church tomorrow, we can’t wait to see you there, or if you can’t be with us in person to have you join us online!
We love and appreciate you all greatly,
Pastor Jonathan & Dianne Wilson
Senior Pastors