When Changes Need to be Made- Acts 11: 4, 18

Ahh, “change.” Now there is a dirty 6-letter word! No matter what situation you find yourself in- home, school, work, church, or a road detour for construction!- change is always hard to get through. You know, some changes are just for the sake of change. Those are usually better left undone if there is more than one person involved! On the other hand, some changes are good and necessary. But when there is more than one person involved, how we go about implementing change is just as important as the change itself. I doubt you will have to dig too far into your memory to find examples of the truth that statement!

I think Peter’s example of how he handled the criticism of the Jerusalem church should be used as a textbook for change. Last week, we discussed the context of the change. For the first time since the establishment of Judaism, Peter and a handful of other Jewish Christians were forced to acknowledge that the gospel was for all and not just for the small nation of Israel. God went to great lengths to convince Peter that the drastic change of allowing gentiles in with the people of God was a good and necessary change for the church. But when Peter came back to Jerusalem in chapter 11, he was attacked and he was criticized.

At that point, he had a decision to make. He could: 1. reverse his decision and give in to the criticism. 2. Push through and put the critical church in its place. 3. Do exactly as he did. And what was it that he did?

“Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story:…” (Acts 11:4).

He told of the vision God had given him. He told of his own reluctance to obey. He told of God’s providence in bringing the men from Cornelius at exactly the time his vision ended. And he told of the movement of the Spirit that confirmed God’s desire to bring the gentiles into the church. And when the church heard all of those things?

“When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, ‘So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.’” (Acts 11:18)

If something cannot be explained in clear terms of what God has done in the past and what He is doing in the present, then the change does not need to be made. If it violates some teaching of Jesus or of the apostles as found in the New Testament, then it needs to be stopped dead in its tracks. But if there is a need that is going unmet....If there is an entire group of people that is not being given the chance to respond to the gospel, then by all biblical means, changes need to be made to invite those people into the kingdom of our Lord! But when those changes are discussed, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE have the courage to explain the Godly and biblical reasons for them. Make it clear to all that the purpose of the change is not for change itself. It is for the purpose of God! Be calm. Be patient. But be strong. Don't back down because of criticism, and don't flare up because of self-righteousness. 

May we have the wisdom to know the difference in necessary and unnecessary change. When we see changes in any parts of our lives that do need to be made and they involve more than just ourselves, may we have the courage to be like Peter and stand strong in our commitment, yet stand humbly in our reasoned explanations. And when someone else proposes a change that we do not like, may we have the courage to evaluate it honestly based on biblical wisdom and prayer like the church who listened to Peter. And may God's kingdom grow and His name be honored because we do.