SCRIPTURE: Acts 15:22-29
“It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…” (Acts 15:28)
How does Jesus lead His followers by the Spirit?
Jesus said that the Spirit would remind them of what He taught (John 14:26).
It was the Spirit and teaching of Jesus that led them to this decision.
They were reminded of how gentle He was with new believers (John 8:1-11).
They recalled how He spoke of His fulfilling the Law of Moses (Matthew 5:18).
We need to be led by the Spirit and teaching of Jesus in our decisions and actions.
To that end we need to devote ourselves to hearing Him through what He said and did.
The four gospels (Matthew, mark, Luke, John) form the heart Christian message.
The ‘Old Testament’ can give us shadows and hints, but the Gospels present the substance.
The rest of the ‘New Testament’ unpacks what Jesus taught, and applies it to specific situations.
Do you want to be led by the Spirit, to make decisions that are ‘good to the Holy Spirit’?
Be devoted to Jesus’ life and teaching, be a student of everything He commanded (Matthew 28:20).
And He will be with You always, and will guide you in your challenges, decisions and actions.
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, like the early Jesus followers I need wisdom and guidance for specific and unique challenges and decisions. In order to be like You, I need to know You. May Your Spirit show me what is good, and help me to do it.
Jesus follower
trying to find His way
Observations/Application
Apostles, elders, and the whole church – unity.
With one voice.
Agreeing together.
Consensus. Harmony. Unity. Oneness. Likemindedness.
Only a possibility through the working of the Holy Spirit.
God at work.
Open ears hearing God’s voice saying this is the way. Walk in it.
In tune.
Encouragers.
Word and deed go together.
Open my ears Lord so that I may do Your daily will in my life serving You with my words and deeds that others may see that I am a C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N.
Spirit of God, descend upon my heart;
Wean it from earth; through all its pulses move;
Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art;
And make me love Thee as I ought to love.
I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies,
No sudden rending of the veil of clay,
No angel visitant, no opening skies;
But take the dimness of my soul away.
Teach me to feel that Thou art always nigh;
Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear.
To check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh,
Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.
Hast Thou not bid me love Thee, God and King?
All, all Thine own, soul, heart and strength and mind.
I see Thy cross; there teach my heart to cling:
O let me seek Thee, and O let me find!
Teach me to love Thee as Thine angels love,
One holy passion filling all my frame;
The kindling of the heaven descended Dove,
My heart an altar, and Thy love the flame.
KISS Keep it simple stupid.
Two things jump out at me in this passage. One is that they were trying to control the message that others heard, and people were going out without authorization. We certainly have a lot of different messages out there on what it means to follow Jesus. Everyone has an opinion. And it is hard to tell what the authorized version is. I would suggest that rather than listening to anyone’s opinion on what this means, that the Bible would be the source for what is the true message. Read it, and be open to what God is speaking to you.
The other thing that jumps out is that we are not to make following Jesus complicated. Just do a few things, and don’t sweat all the rules and details that others tell you. Just trust the Spirit of God to guide you into what He wants you to do.