Screen after screen after screen on my iPad was filled with faces of women just like me. There are a couple of hundred women in our class, of which 164 were present on this zoom call.
It was BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) sharing day. We have just finished a one semester study of the book of Acts. Today was our opportunity to share some of our insights with the whole class rather than just with our small group.
I did not speak publicly today. Not because I am shy … far from it. I have only been part of this class for one semester and plan to transfer to another class which meets closer to home next semester. I figured I’d let the long-term class members have priority. And besides, I have this blog where I can share what I’m learning.
To the ends of the earth
The book of Acts starts with Jesus’ commission to his disciples to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. It ends with Paul, who had not even been a Christian at the start of Acts. The last verse of Acts tells of Paul witnessing for Jesus at the very centre of the Roman Empire. Although under house arrest, Paul preached and taught … and he did it boldly and without hindrance.
Being Jesus’ witness … that has got me thinking about the definition of what we call ‘gospel’, and what it means to ‘share the gospel’. But that’s not what I learnt from our BSF study this semester. Maybe I’ll come back to that another time.
As I looked at our BSF class, the members all appearing in little boxes on my screen, I am struck by how varied we are in terms of colour and accents. (Yes, I know -‘race’ is a sensitive topic these days. I’m just stating the obvious, though, with no hint of judgement.)
The birth of the church, Pentecost, was in Jerusalem. That was the centre of Christendom at the time. Since then it has shifted all around the world, and our class make-up shows that beautifully. Wow – all glory be to God!
Over this past semester, in this particular class, I am grateful for the leadership and teaching provided by good Christian women from various parts of Asia who now live in Melbourne. (I am thinking of my group leader and teaching leader in particular.)
Actually, though, secular statistics show that the world’s most devout Christians are actually in sub-Saharan Africa. (If you want to read more, check out this research: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/08/22/the-worlds-most-committed-christians-live-in-africa-latin-america-and-the-u-s/ft_18-08-21_globalchristianity_worship-attendance-prayer/ ) I look forward to the day when I sit under African-Australian leadership. In the meantime, I enjoy submitting to the leadership of Asian-Australian women in this context.
I love being part of the global church. God’s people are not separated by ethnicity, even though in our broken world we suffer the prejudices and ignorance of racism.
Jesus delights in his body which is made up of people from many and varied ethnicities. I delight in being part of that community too. That’s the first insight I want to share from the study of Acts in BSF this past semester.
It’s Jesus’ work
The second thing that struck me afresh during this past semester is how the work of mission is Jesus’ work. Yes, we have a role to play, but ultimately we are servants of the Master. Let me elaborate.
Do you know how many times Jesus himself appeared or spoke to people during those early days of the church? At least eight times!. If you include references to ‘an angel of the Lord’ or to an explicit communication from the Holy Spirit or God, it’s eighteen times. (See the annotated list of quotes below).
Although I might not have worded it like this, I seem to have somehow figured that after Jesus’ ascension, it was more-or-less up to us to do God’s work, albeit empowered his indwelling Holy Spirit. But it is actually Jesus’ work.
I think of that classic missions passage from Romans asking, ‘How can they call on Jesus unless they hear? … And how can they hear without someone preaching? … And how can they preach unless they are sent?’ (Romans 10:14-15 paraphrased) I seem to remember having had that verse printed on a prayer card early on in my cross-cultural career.
It’s true – we have an important role to play in being Jesus’ witnesses. But let us never forget the limits of our role too. Our role is to be witnesses. Jesus is with us. He guides us. He encourages us (though not as spectacularly as he encouraged Paul … not me anyhow … not yet). Jesus remains very much involved in the nitty gritty of missions.
Missions is Jesus’ work. That’s the second insight from BSF this past semester which I want to share.
Verses which refer to divine presence, direction and encouragement in Acts
Supernatural deliverance – An angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jails in which the apostles were imprisoned, instructing them, “Go, stand in the temple courts … and tell the people the full message of this new life.” (Acts 5:20 NIV)
Supernatural encouragement – The martyr Stephen was encouraged to stand firm by a glimpse of the bigger picture. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:55 NIV)
Supernatural direction – An angel of the Lord sent Philip to the road on which he met an Ethiopian eunuch who took the gospel home with him. (Acts 8:26)
A supernatural commission – Jesus himself called and commissioned Paul in brilliant light on the Damascus Road (Acts 9:5-6 and Acts 26:15-18). Shortly after that, the Lord (presumably Jesus, since my Bible helpfully puts the text in red) explained to a disciple named Ananias that Paul was his “… chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel…” (Acts 9:15) … along with an assurance of great suffering in Jesus’ name. Shortly after that, the Lord appeared to Paul while he was in a prayerful trance in Jerusalem (I’d LOVE to know more about that!), providing specific direction (Acts 22:18).
Supernatural direction – The God-fearing Gentile Cornelius “distinctly saw an angel of God” (Acts 10:3 NIV). Later we read that he saw “a man in shining clothes” (Acts 10:30 NIV). I love the response: “Cornelius stared at him in fear.” (Acts 10:4 NIV). The angel instructed Cornelius to send for Peter. In contrast, the apostle Peter only heard a voice in a vision but the meaning was clear. This was God’s next move in his work of kingdom expansion.
Supernatural deliverance – Acts 12:7-10 records the divine intervention of an angel of the Lord in releasing Peter from jail, though he hadn’t intervened earlier when James had been jailed and executed. Peter would later identify the angel of the Lord as just ‘the Lord’ (Acts 12:17). It’s God’s work and his call regarding even when we live and when our time is up.
Supernatural direction – Acts 13:2-3 attributes the first formal missionary commissioning service as being in direct obedience to the Holy Spirit. There is much that could be applied here to the selection process for missionary candidates as well as to meetings in general.
Supernatural direction – When it came to taking the gospel to Europe for the very first time, the Trinity was involved – I have blogged on this before. The Holy Spirit kept Paul and his companions from one planned course of action (Acts 16:6), the Spirit of Jesus blocked them from another planned route (Acts 16:7) and then a vision led Paul to conclude that “God had called us…” to Europe (Acts 16:10).
Supernatural encouragement – At a particularly low point in Paul’s ministry, the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision … it’s recorded in red letters in my Bible. “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you….” (Acs 18:9-10 NIV)
Supernatural prophecy – Paul’s decision to go to Jerusalem where trouble awaited him was attributed to the Spirit: “… compelled by the Spirit … the Holy Spirit warns me….” (Acts 20:22, 23) . A Judean prophet also warned Paul of trouble ahead, demonstrating his imprisonment powerfully through drama, and attributing these insights directly to the Holy Spirit (acts 21:11).
Supernatural encouragement – In the thick of trouble and discouragement and on the cusp of being thrust into the clutches of the leaders of Gentiles and ultimately the highest court in the empire, the Lord stood near Paul (doesn’t that give you goosebumps!) and said, “Take courage….” (Acts 23:11).
Supernatural prophecy – An angel of God appeared to Paul on a ship which would soon to be submerged by tumultuous waves. Unsurprisingly, his opening words were “Do not be afraid….” (Acts 27:23-24)
Personal Applications
Bible Study Fellowship emphasises personal application of what we’re learning … a LOT. And so of course, as I look back on the semester just finished, I am considering this question: ‘How will I apply what I’ve learnt?’ So here goes……
Application 1: Know my place and be encouraged
I am a very little person in the great scheme of Jesus’ work. Building God’s kingdom is a project which spans time, place, language and culture. Recognising my smallness in it all takes a weight of responsibility off my shoulders. I have a particular focus right now in terms of missions but that’s all it is – my focus. Yes, I sense that it is a God-given focus. It’s where I need to pour my resources of time, energy, experience and education. But what happens is not my responsibility. There’s a big difference between the two.
Application 2: Maximise prayer, minimise chatter
Decision making processes should be centred more on seeking God’s direction and less on endless discussions. Yes, clear communications with one another, policies and strategies have a place … but not first place.
As an obvious starting point I need to pray more about how I use those resources that God has given me, and talk less about what I could, should, might, won’t or can’t do.
Application 3: ‘Practice the Presence of God’ (to borrow words from the 17th century monk, Brother Lawrence)
“Do not be afraid – I am with you,” said the risen, ascended Jesus to Paul on a number of occasions. I know that it is true for us today too. Just the same, I would rather like the goose-bump-generating experience of sensing him standing right there in person from time to time. Although were I to actually experience it, I may well freeze up like dear Cornelius and just stare in fear.
Physically standing beside us or not, Jesus IS with us. And that gives us courage. Personally, I take encouragement as I continue to plug away on that particular focus which feels too big and unwieldy for little me … and IS too big and unwieldy. But (a) it is not my responsibility, and (b) the one who is responsible is with me. So I will not be afraid.
And that is what I would have shared had I chosen to speak up in our BSF online class sharing day. Here it is in written form instead. It’s been a good semester.