Peter Misselbrook's Blog

Mar 4 2020 - Acts 11:1-30 – Rejoicing in the grace of God

When Peter returned to Jerusalem he was immediately involved in controversy. There were many among the Christians in Jerusalem who argued that if Gentiles were to be accepted as followers of Christ they needed to be circumcised – "They need to become like us." This is the beginning of a controversy that will dominate a significant part of Paul's ministry – but that is still to come.

Peter's visit to Cornelius does not seem to have led to significant evangelistic activity among the Gentiles. But those who had been scattered by the persecution following the death of Stephen spread the good news about Jesus wherever they went – though only among Jews. The news eventually reached Cyprus and Cyrene. Some converts from these regions travelled to Antioch where, seeming to ignore the ground rules, they spoke of Jesus to both Jews and Gentiles. The church at Antioch appears to have been the first church made up of a real mixture of Jewish and Gentile believers.

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard what had happened in Antioch they wanted to know what was really going on and sent Barnabas to find out. Here again we meet this remarkable man who had a heart for the encouragement of other believers. We read that when Barnabas arrived at Antioch he rejoiced to see signs of the grace of God and encouraged these young disciples to go on following Jesus. And to help them grow in knowledge of Christ, Barnabas went off to Tarsus, looking for Paul and dragged him back to Antioch to help with the instruction and encouragement of these disciples. Here Paul learned to minister to Jews and to Gentiles.

Can you imagine the situation Barnabas encountered at Antioch? Here was a church made up of very young Christians from a variety of backgrounds. He could have easily seen a truckload of problems in the making. Many of the Gentile converts may have had little knowledge of the Bible – of the Old Testament. They may have responded to what they had heard and have come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, but did they really understand the gospel? What’s more, Jewish believers and Gentile believers came from very different cultural backgrounds; would they really be able to follow Christ together without falling out with each other?

But Barnabas was not preoccupied with possible problems; he saw that God was at work and he was eager to join in the work of God. He wanted to do all that he could to encourage these young believers. More than that, he dragged Paul out of premature retirement and pushed him into the ministry that was to occupy the rest of his life. All because he had an eye for where God was at work and a heart to work with God and to promote others in the work of God.

Our churches need more men and women with a heart like that of Barnabas. All too often we avoid working with those who, should they be drawn into the life of the church, will bring all manner of problems with them. Is it any wonder that many churches are getting smaller and smaller and may, within a generation, close down altogether? We need fresh eyes to see what the grace of God and transforming power of the risen Saviour can accomplish with the most unlikely of people.

Lord, deliver me from a spirit of suspicion and make me more like Barnabas. Give me an eye to see where you are at work and a heart that is devoted to working with you. Give me an eye also to see how I may encourage others in the ministry for which you have equipped them without being jealous for my own ministry and my own reputation.

Mar 4 2019 - Exodus 25:1-22 – The Ark of the Covenant

The Israelites were a people on the move. They were living in tents. But God had shown that he was with them in every step of their journey. The pillar of cloud by day and fire by night had been the symbol of his presence. He had led them out of Egypt, protected them from their Egyptian pursuers and had brought them to Sinai where he had given them the law. God had been with them in their travels; he had travelled with them and before them.

Now God gives Moses instructions for the construction of a tabernacle – a special tent in which God will live symbolically among his people. Whenever and wherever the people are camped the tabernacle will be in the camp with them. (David Gooding calls the tabernacle, "The tent God used when God went camping.") It will be the visible sign of God's presence and the place where Moses will now go to meet with God.

The first item of furniture that God commands to be built for the tabernacle is the ark of the covenant. This is a large chest made out of acacia wood and covered with gold inside and out The gold would have come from the jewellery given to the Israelites by the Egyptians when they left Egypt. This chest was to have four gold rings on it through which two poles could be fitted, providing handles with which the ark was to be carried.

This ark or chest was to contain the tablets of the covenant law that God gave his people. These declared that the Lord had entered into a covenant with this people: they were his people whom he had redeemed from Egypt; they were to live in submission and obedience to him.

The top of the ark was to have an "atonement cover of pure gold" (v.17). It was the place where the blood of atonement was sprinkled in the very presence, as it were, of the Lord (Leviticus 16:14), making atonement for the sins of the people and turning away God's wrath.

The two 'cherubim' mounted over the ark were to form an elaborate throne for the Lord himself. He is elsewhere spoken of as being, "enthroned between the cherubim" (see 1 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 6:2; 2 Kings 19:15; Psalm 80:1; 99:1; Isaiah 37:16). This magnificent chest is God's throne and is the place where the Lord will meet with Moses to give him instruction for the Israelites.

The remarkable thing, of course, is that there is no image of the Lord above the cherubim. I say remarkable because every nation of the ancient world had an image of its god or gods. There had been plenty of images in Egypt. But God had commanded that no image should be attempted of him. Any physical representation would be a misrepresentation. Nevertheless, God had told the Israelites that there was already a visible representation of him. They and all humankind had been made in the image of God. Though that image had been marred by human sin and rebellion yet the Israelites were called to reflect God's character and image his purposes in a world that remained ignorant of him.

We who have come to know the living God through the Lord Jesus Christ have seen God's image perfectly represented in human form in him. And we are called to become like Christ by the power of God's Spirit within us. We are to be a people in whom the invisible God is made visible to the world.

Father God, thank you for Jesus Christ your Son who has tabernacled among us. He made your glory visible. Thank you that he gave himself as a perfect atoning sacrifice for our sin and has entered heaven on our behalf. He is the one in whom we have access into your presence and can meet with you. Make us more like Christ – remake us in your image. Help us to make your character, love and purpose visible to the world around us.

Peter Misselbrook