Adventist News Network UNITED IN HIS SALVATION--DevotionalGeneral Conference Session June 30, 1995 by Gordon Bietz I have twin daughters. They are identical twins and were born 13 minutes apart. They spent 9 months sharing the same environment of the womb. They lived in the same home for 20 years. They went to the same school and took the same classes for 14 years. They got married on the same day. They do have different husbands ... being twins goes only so far. They are alike in almost every way. It is not hard for my daughters to dwell together in unity. Our church was born in the United States of America. It grew up in the same culture. It developed its organization in the same social context. It grew its theological roots in the same religious soil. We started as a homogeneous church of like minded people, if we did not always agree and we didn't, at least we could argue from the same platform of cultural and social experience. Today we have a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi linguistic, international church. What is the glue that will hold us together in world wide unity? I broke a lamp the other day and my wife asked me to glue it back together. I had a lot of choices. I could use hot glue, instant glue, wood glue, or epoxy glue. I had to choose what glue would best hold the lamp together. What is the glue that will hold our church together? Jesus came to bring us into the family of God as brothers yet religious hatred and violence run rampant through the entire civilized world. Ireland remains torn by fighting between Protestants and Catholics. In Bosnia, Muslims are undergoing "ethnic cleansing"-- an antiseptic euphemism for mass murder! India's Sikhs and Hindus routinely clash, burning houses of worship and killing one another. Israelis and Palestinians die in strife because of different visions of the Holy Land. The list of religiously inspired conflicts goes on and on. In every corner of our world forces of religion and culture, race and language, and poverty and wealth, are tower of Babel like fragmenting people into groups of hatred. Will what we hold in common transcend our differences? Will our identity with each other be more powerful than our differences with each other? Will we be able to stand together while our countrymen are breaking up into enclaves of hatred killing each other? Have you ever been on one of those playground merry-go-rounds? The faster it spins the harder you have to hold on and the closer you are to the edge the harder it is to hold on. I remember a time in grade school when it would get going so fast that some kids would fly off and slide across the playground developing some rather severe abrasions. Today the SDA church is feeling centrifugal forces. As the spin of theological, sociological, and cultural differences pull us in different directions there are causalities. Causalities among those who are on the social, cultural, or theological edge and who can no longer hang on. What force - What glue will hold us in unity? The struggle for civilization has always been a struggle for unity. The great golden ages of civilization have been periods of commonality when large parts of the world were more or less united by common values, language and laws. The Roman empire, the era of Charlemagne, and the Renaissance; these periods have been succeeded in turn by periods of fragmentation, fractional strife, and relative barbarism. The Dark Ages represents that time when large people groups were not held together by unifying ideas but rather the world was broken into tribalism. Today even with the vast increases in communication that should result in a global village we find groups living out their fears in isolation from general society. We are returning to the Dark Ages where ethnic enclaves of Barbarians live in intellectual isolation. We are descending into a new dark ages where population groups are incestuously feeding on their own paranoia and can manufacture a reality that leads them to blow up a government building in Oklahoma or attack innocent civilians in Jerusalem. There has been more death from religiously inspired conflict in our century than during the inquisition. There has been more persecution in our century then during the time of Nero and pagan Rome. Unfortunately intellectual isolationism is not limited to the secular world. In the church pious sounding barbarians preach and publish oracles of perfectionism or libertarianism from the street corners "that they may be seen of men." (Matthew 6:5) Their message rather than bringing unity threatens a dark age of schism for the church. Will we find our identity in the tribalism of independent national churches? or will we find a cross cultural unity in the faith of our fathers? Will we experience the Balkanization of the church? or will we experience a world wide unity that supersedes a narrow nationalism? Will the church merry go round spin too fast for too many who are on the edge? Will we fracture over women's ordination, the nature of Christ, the style of worship and the style of dress? or can we hold the center on the 27 fundamental beliefs? The Seventh-day Adventist church will either demonstrate a trans-national, trans-cultural unity in this new Dark Ages or the centrifugal forces of our fragmenting world will pull us into independent sects. Will we find our identity in that which separates us or that which unites us? Let us look to the early church for our answer. Acts 15:1 "Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved." This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them." Satan brings division. His modus operandi is disunity. He separated Adam from Eve, He separated Cain from Able, He separated Lot from Abraham, He separated Hagar from Abraham, He separated Jacob from Esau, Joseph from his brothers, Saul from David, David from Absalom, Achan from Israel, Hosea from Gomer, Judas from the twelve, Ananias and Sapphira from the church. In heaven he sought to separate Jesus from God and at the cross he tried again. He now seeks to separate us from each other. He uses our color, our speech, our political alignments, our sex, our nationality, our vision of God our vision of worship our view of the Bible all to separate us from each other. He seeks to make the church as the feet of the image in Daniel 2. "Iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united any more than iron mixes with clay." When we speak of unity and the early church we like to think of Acts 4:32 "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had." (NIV) There was a period of harmony in the early church. But the massive social and cultural shifts as Jew and Gentile came into the church was like mixing iron with clay. Melting the Jewish world and Gentile world into the Christian family of God mold resulted in some serious conflict. Don't underestimate the importance of this conflict that Paul and Barnabas had with the circumcisers. The issue that they disagreed on was fundamental to the church. The question they were asking was: "What is the glue that holds us in unity?" "Is circumcision part of the identity?" For the Jewish party it was a part of who they were. To be Jewish was to be circumcised. To be Jewish was to have this symbol of the covenant. The early Christians teetered on the brink of fragmenting into the Jewish party and the Gentile party. What would hold them together? Could the Christian church survive across the social and cultural barriers of their time? We face the same issue today as we grow as an international church and not an American church. We will not represent God's kingdom if man's kingdom's separate us. We will not be Christ's body if we are separated by the color of our bodies. We will not be God's family if our faith is defined by man's families. We will not live in unity in heaven if we can't live in unity on earth. The divisive issue confronting the early church was circumcision, but deeper than that the question really was, "What will be the glue that will hold us together?" The question under discussion was circumcision but the real issue was unity. Will we have Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians? OR will we be one family of God? Will we have fundamentalist Christians and liberal Christians or will we be one? Will we have African Adventists and American Adventists? Will we have European Adventists and Middle Eastern Adventists? Will we have a Inter-American church and a South American Church? Or will we be one. The church moved to resolve the conflict by calling the First General Conference Session in Jerusalem. Acts 15:2 "So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. (NIV) Did Paul and Barnabas need to go to Jerusalem to learn if circumcision was necessary to salvation? Paul knew the answer and he knew that these Judaizing circumcision pushers who came to Antioch were wrong. So why did Paul go to Jerusalem? He cared about unity. Church mattered to Paul. He would never say, "I don't care what the brethren think!" If you don't care what others think you don't go to Jerusalem. If you don't care about unity in the church you don't go to Jerusalem. If you don't care about unity you publish your own opinion about the truth in Antioch and you don't bother to go to Jerusalem. If you don't care what "The brethren" think you elevate your own opinions and send out videos - you don't bother to go to Jerusalem. If you don't care about church unity you don't go to Utrecht. Paul went to Jerusalem. To be a family of God we commit ourselves to each other. God's kingdom is not represented by soloists, all singing their own tune of faith, listening to their own directors, and marching to their own drummer. The church is not a collection of pious individualists. The opinions of those in Africa, South America, Inter-America, Russia, Europe, Australia, and everywhere around the world must matter to us. For us to be one in Christ we must listen to each other. Acts 15:4 "When they came to Jerusalem, They were welcomed by the church and apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them." When they arrived in Jerusalem they showed Mission Spotlight on the work among the Gentiles. There were those in Jerusalem who were not very pleased with the mission stories. Acts 15:5 "Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised And required to obey the law of Moses." They saw the mission stories and said, But they don't dress like we do. They don't eat like we do They don't have the color skin we do. They aren't circumcised like we are. They wanted unity - unity on their own terms. They wanted unity - unity built on the glue of circumcision. "We can have no unity unless you are circumcised." I imagine they eloquently defended the faith based on scripture and stories of Abraham. They probably quoted: Genesis 17:10-11 God said, "This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised." (NIV) They probably recited the story of Moses who was nearly killed by an angel because he had not circumcised his own son. They appealed to the General Conference session to not abandon the faith as handed down to them by Father Abraham. They wanted unity - a unity based on the Jewish traditions. They were frightened that they would lose the glue that gave them identity. What would the early church do? Break up into sects? Acts 15:6 "The Apostles and Elders met to consider this Question." The question was, What shall we require of all who join the church whether Gentile, or Jew, Roman or Egyptian? What is the glue that makes us one, that identifies us as Christian? And we might ask ourselves today as the merry-go-round of cultural diversity spins the church faster and faster What will hold us together? What is the core of our identity? Shall we add to the 27 fundamental beliefs? The discussion was circumcision but the real issue was "What is the glue?" The discussion was circumcision but the real issue was identity. Peter spoke up, as he usually did, and he argued for a spiritual basis for unity Acts 15:7-11. Acts 15:7-8 "After much discussion, [sounds like some committees I have been on.] Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us." This first argument of Peter is simple, "God demonstrated his acceptance of these uncircumcised Gentiles when he poured out His Holy Spirit on them. I know they are not circumcised, and I know they don't wash their hands in the ceremonial manner. I know they don't look, act, or smell like we do but the Holy Spirit has accepted them and so we must also." If the SDA church is to maintain world wide unity it too must be open to the leading of the Spirit. A church founded through the leading of the Spirit of Prophecy must continue to be open to the leading of that Spirit. A church that believes present truth can't afford to lock its understanding of truth in traditions that don't permit growth in the Spirit. A second argument that Peter made was in verse 9 where he said, "He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith." God made no distinctions, God made no difference. Man drew lines where God did not. Man makes distinctions where God does not. Man makes rules that God does not. We separate where God combines We isolate where God unifies We become exclusive where God is inclusive. We build barriers where God builds bridges We build walls and God came to break down the "dividing wall of hostility" Eph 2:14 As Paul would later say, Galatians 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (NIV) Hearts purified by faith can live in unity even if those hearts pump blood in a black person, a brown person, or a white person. The third argument that Peter makes is in verse 10 "Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?" We assure a schism in the church: When that which is conditioned by history is imposed as law, When that which grows from culture is made the standard for all, When that which is local in importance is made universal in application. Salvation had not come to the Jews through their laws, and neither would it come to the Christian church by law. Unity would not be achieved by holding everyone together by a list of rules. Seventh-day Adventism will not be held together as a world church by developing a muscular Adventism, by a strengthening of the central authority of the church. We will not be held together by a world catechism, or Talmud, or Church Manual. Unity is not produced by new rules but by a renewed mission. Unity is not brought about by new policies but by renewed vision. Unity will not come because we have tinkered with the structure of the church but because we have a dream. The future of our church will be found in the moving of the spirit of God as the people follow a dream, unity will not be found in absolute doctrinal purity. "Absolute doctrinal unity is achieved only by religious movements on the verge of senility." {Robert Johnston} If you would have done a doctrinal purity study of the early Seventh--day Adventist church you would find many different views but they were one with a message to give to the world. They were caught up in the excitement of a movement with vision, a movement that had the courage to dream. The message of Adventism was not the dry musings of their teachers. The message of Adventism was not the reminiscences of their parents. The message of Adventism was not the codified beliefs of the church manual. The message of Adventism was a living reality of their lives. Unity - yes - they had unity but not the kind of unity that comes from formal assent to creedal statements. Not a unity caged in formulations of systematic theology. It was the unity of a dream. Let us fill our minds and hearts so full of the dream of Adventism that the issues that might separate us pale into insignificance beside the mission of giving the Gospel to the world. Peter's fourth argument gives us the glue, the principle of unity: It is in verse 11 "No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." (NIV) We are saved the same way, "Just as they are." United in His salvation. What was the core, what was the common denominator that held them together, the source of their identity? The grace of God, His unconditional acceptance - Salvation! If God can accept us with all our difficulties, differences, and problems, than certainly we should be able to accept each other. If God accepts us by grace can we not accept each other by grace? If God's brings us into His family can we not experience brotherhood with each other? If God loves us as undeserving as we are can we not love each other? What is the glue of our identity that unites us across race, cultural, and national lines? Verse 11 "We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." Satan separates - God unites. Salvation cuts across man made boundaries. Salvation destroys human fences. At the foot of the cross you find no walls. After Peter's speech the time had come for a decision. What would they do, Gentiles were flooding into the church? Would they set up circumcision clinics in Antioch? Would they train young Jewish doctors in the art of painless circumcision? Would they establish schools to indoctrinate in Jewish practices and customs? Would circumcision be the glue that would hold them in unity? James had listened to Peter's appeal and now he shares what seemed to be the consensus of the group in verse 19 "It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. (NIV) The consensus was: "Don't make it difficult!" NIV. In those few words James sums up the glue of the Gospel, the glue of salvation. Don't make it difficult. As our church matures we face the danger of expanding the number of things that everyone must agree on. The eternal expansion of the Church Manuel can only produce a Talmud of our time, and make it more difficult. It is the Gospel, it is the good news that Jesus didn't leave His Father's side to give us new burdens to bear. He said "my burden is light" (Matthew 11:30) Jesus did not come to trouble us, He said "Let not your heart be troubled." (John 14:1) Jesus did not come to bring fear. The angel announcing his arrival said, "Fear not!" (Luke 1:30) Jesus didn't come to earth to cause us to worry. He said, "Do not worry" Matthew 6:25 Jesus did not come from heaven to earth to complicate our lives, but to simplify our lives. Jesus crossed the abyss to make rough places plain and crooked paths straight. (Is 40:4) Jesus came from glory to earth with the Good News of the Gospel of free grace and acceptance for all No matter what your color No matter what your language No matter what your culture. No matter what your nationality. Whether circumcised or uncircumcised, Whether black or white, Russian or American, French or African "there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal 3:28 NIV) His Gospel unites us, and we should not allow our social, or cultural traditions to build barriers between us. We should not allow our worship or music preference to build barriers between us. The General Conference session in Jerusalem understood the glue of the Gospel and so it said, "Don't make it difficult." A story is told of a traveling carpenter who went to the door of a farmhouse to seek some temporary work. While they were visiting an idea came to the farmer. "Do you see that farmhouse over there?" he asked. The carpenter said he did. "Well, Joe, who lives over there and I used to be the best of friends, but a few years ago a stray heifer came into my field and he said it was his he took it, kept it and put his own brand on it. I was so angry and he got so angry, he quit talking to me. And then a few months ago he took his plow and you see that pond up above his house? Well, he dug a trench right between us and changed the course of the creek that used to flow over there and now the creek separates us. "But you know, I have this great idea. I'm going on a trip today for a couple of days and I want you to use that pile of wood behind the house and build a good high fence between our houses. That way, I won't have to see him or his creek." "I reckon I can do that," said the carpenter and with that the old farmer went off on his trip and the carpenter went to work. He was gone for a few days and on his way back was thinking about that fence and how he would show Old Joe by doing better than a creek - he would have a fence between them. He drove up to his farm and was so surprised, his mouth dropped open. He couldn't believe his eyes; he was so astonished he couldn't speak as he gazed on the carpenter's work -- not the large fence that he ordered but there was a beautiful bridge across the creek to Joe's house. Before he could speak, across the bridge came his neighbor, Old Joe, with his hand outstretched. "Neighbor you are so good, and I was so wrong to keep that heifer. You can have it -- our friendship is more important than a cow -- you are something else building a bridge across my creek. Let's be friends again." The farmer paused, looked at the carpenter and back at Joe and smiled and said, "Yes, Joe, let's be friends. You can keep the old cow." The carpenter turned to pack his tools and Joe said, "Say, you must stay; I have other work for you to do." The carpenter said, "No, I must go. You see, I have other bridges to build." A carpenter walked the earth nearly 2,000 years ago. He built a bridge from heaven to earth. He came to build bridges between us. Let us not use the wood to build fences. May we be united in His salvation. Have you ever seen a beautiful tapestry. On the one side the multiple colored threads are woven together to form a beautiful picture. If you turn the tapestry over you see a chaos of colorful threads with no order or design. But on the other side you can see the beautiful picture of the designer. So with our multi-cultural, multi-lingual, multi-ethnic church. As we allow the master designer to weave us and our gifts in the church a beautiful unified picture develops. The Collegedale church children's choir will now sing of that tapestry of unity.