Daily Bread 2011 – Acts 21
Friday, June 3rd, 2011
On to Jerusalem
1 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. 2 We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. 3 After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. 4 Finding the disciples there, we stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 5 But when our time was up, we left and continued on our way. All the disciples and their wives and children accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. 6 After saying good-by to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.
What Does This Mean?
As Paul makes his way to the Jerusalem, we see a change from the beginning of his ministry. When he started, he went to the synagogue in the hopes of preaching and winning over some disciples. As he makes his way back to Jerusalem, after his third missionary journey now, he is checking in on his disciples to see how they are doing. He encourages them with reports of what God is doing in other parts of the world and then bids them farewell.
It is amazing that no matter how many times we read the bible, sometimes we miss little details. I love the scene in Acts 21:5 where all the disciples their wives and children accompanied him out of the city and knelt on the beach and prayed for him. Though Paul visited many places where a beachhead of the gospel was established, he obviously had many intimate relationships with those he shepherded. Importantly this was with the whole family called “oikos” or household.
What Does This Mean For Us?
As we seek to be a church that reflects the New Testament model of an effective, vibrant and winsome church; we should continue to look to the book of Acts as our model. We see a community that was not based on church programs, but on relationships and living out their lives as disciples in households that were intimately connected.
Just as Jesus primarily spent his time with 12 disciples, it is important for us to invest time in relationships and doing life together as we make disciples. Of course this takes time, something we all wish we had more of. Often time we are so busy running programs in church, we don’t have the time to invest in significant relationships with future leaders in the church. Paul and Jesus felt it necessary to invest in those who would lead the church into the future in a community that shared and did life together. Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes about this in his classic book, “Life Together”. Do you experience this type of community at your church? Why or why not? What do you think prevents this from happening?
Gracious God thank you for calling us into a community that is formed through relationships with you and each other and with households in our church. In our busy lives help us to slow down and experience the type of community you and your disciples enjoyed. We know this will be attractive, and draw those from our community into a community that is formed by Your love in the community of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
On to Jerusalem
1 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. 2 We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. 3 After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. 4 Finding the disciples there, we stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 5 But when our time was up, we left and continued on our way. All the disciples and their wives and children accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. 6 After saying good-by to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.
What Does This Mean?
As Paul makes his way to the Jerusalem, we see a change from the beginning of his ministry. When he started, he went to the synagogue in the hopes of preaching and winning over some disciples. As he makes his way back to Jerusalem, after his third missionary journey now, he is checking in on his disciples to see how they are doing. He encourages them with reports of what God is doing in other parts of the world and then bids them farewell.
It is amazing that no matter how many times we read the bible, sometimes we miss little details. I love the scene in Acts 21:5 where all the disciples their wives and children accompanied him out of the city and knelt on the beach and prayed for him. Though Paul visited many places where a beachhead of the gospel was established, he obviously had many intimate relationships with those he shepherded. Importantly this was with the whole family called “oikos” or household.
What Does This Mean For Us?
As we seek to be a church that reflects the New Testament model of an effective, vibrant and winsome church; we should continue to look to the book of Acts as our model. We see a community that was not based on church programs, but on relationships and living out their lives as disciples in households that were intimately connected.
Just as Jesus primarily spent his time with 12 disciples, it is important for us to invest time in relationships and doing life together as we make disciples. Of course this takes time, something we all wish we had more of. Often time we are so busy running programs in church, we don’t have the time to invest in significant relationships with future leaders in the church. Paul and Jesus felt it necessary to invest in those who would lead the church into the future in a community that shared and did life together. Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes about this in his classic book, “Life Together”. Do you experience this type of community at your church? Why or why not? What do you think prevents this from happening?
Gracious God thank you for calling us into a community that is formed through relationships with you and each other and with households in our church. In our busy lives help us to slow down and experience the type of community you and your disciples enjoyed. We know this will be attractive, and draw those from our community into a community that is formed by Your love in the community of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
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