WHY MAKE IT HARDER THAN IT NEEDS TO BE
Acts 15:1–29
Pastor Calvary deJong
May 25, 2025
Introduction: Pushing with the Brake On
During my Bible college years, a few friends and I set out on an epic road trip. The plan was ambitious: head to Portland, drive the Pacific Coast Highway, visit the Grand Canyon, and circle back to Winnipeg—all without a map. But somewhere around Great Falls, Montana, the dream hit a snag. My friend’s Audi broke down in the middle of the night.
A state trooper told us we couldn’t leave the car on the highway, so we got it towed into town. The next morning, we found out the repair shop we’d been towed to didn’t work on imports. Fortunately, another shop was just down the street. Determined to save the cost of a second tow, we decided to push the car there ourselves.
What followed was pure agony: three sweaty guys straining and gasping, struggling to move a car that seemed to weigh a ton. When we finally made it, we collapsed into the front seats—only to discover the emergency brake had been on the whole time!
Sometimes in life, and even in the church, we find ourselves pushing hard—working with all our might—without realizing we’re making it harder than it needs to be. That’s what was happening in Acts 15. The early church was at risk of putting spiritual brakes on people trying to come to Jesus.
The Jerusalem Council: The Early Church Gets Together
Acts 15 recounts a defining moment. Some believers, out of deep reverence for the covenant of Moses, insisted that Gentile believers must be circumcised to be saved. This was no minor debate—it struck at the very heart of the gospel. Was faith in Jesus alone enough, or did salvation require additional cultural and religious practices?
To resolve this, the apostles and elders gathered in Jerusalem. They didn’t resort to backroom decisions or sweeping dissenters aside. Instead, they created space for discussion, welcomed both perspectives, and worked toward clarity with humility. Their approach offers us a model for discerning difficult questions. They used four lenses to guide their discernment:
- Tradition: The first voices appealed to the covenant customs of Moses. These weren’t meaningless rituals—they were identity markers. But sincere reverence for tradition had begun to obscure the gospel of grace.
- Experience: Peter recounted how the Holy Spirit had come upon Cornelius and his household—Gentiles who believed in Jesus but weren’t circumcised. Likewise, Paul and Barnabas told stories of miracles among Gentile believers. These testimonies showed that God had already welcomed them.
- Reason: “After much discussion,” the church reasoned together. There was no rushing, no dominance, no manipulation. They thought carefully, listened well, and submitted to one another in love.
- Scripture: Finally, James grounded everything in the Word. He quoted Amos 9:11–12, which foretold the inclusion of Gentiles. Scripture wasn’t used to end the conversation, but to anchor it. God had always intended to rebuild David’s tent so that “the rest of humanity may seek the Lord—even all the Gentiles who bear my name.”
This pattern is instructive for us today. The Spirit and the Word were in full agreement. Experience didn’t override Scripture—Scripture interpreted experience. Reason and tradition were considered, but Scripture had the final say. The result? Clarity and consensus. The church declared that Gentiles should not be burdened with requirements that God never gave. Grace cleared the way, and love offered pastoral guidance: abstain from idolatry and immorality, not as entrance requirements, but as a way to promote fellowship and holiness.
Application: Becoming a Church That Clears the Way
There’s a modern echo of this story in the life of a small Italian Pentecostal church in Winnipeg. By the early 2000s, their congregation had dwindled. Services were still in Italian, but the younger generations were no longer attending. Rather than fade quietly, the remaining members decided to take a risk.
They invited a young seminary graduate named Dustin Funk to begin preaching at their church through an interpreter. Though not Italian himself, Dustin stepped into their world and spent a lot of time with them, building a relationship of deep trust. After a while, he gently asked them to consider the question: “What would it look like for us to become a church your children and grandchildren would love to attend and encounter Jesus?”
How did that congregation of Italians respond? They didn’t throw away their heritage. Instead, they began holding services in English while also maintaining a fellowship group in Italian. They moved from their old building, which had some limitations, to a rented school where they set up and tore down for services every Sunday. They eventually renamed their church and welcomed newcomers from all backgrounds.
And today? That church has grown into a vibrant, multiethnic congregation of over a thousand people. Their story didn’t end—it expanded. They’re still reaching Italian speakers through their Italian fellowship ministry. They didn’t lose their identity; they simply reimagined it so that others could find life in Christ. Like the church in Acts 15, they chose to remove barriers rather than build them. And that’s the invitation for us today, too!
A Prayer for Discernment and Grace
Lord Jesus,
We confess that sometimes we’ve made it harder for people to come to Jesus than it needs to be.
Help us not to place burdens on others that you never asked them to carry.
Give us humility to discern your truth together, as the early church did.
Teach us to listen—honestly, prayerfully, humbly—to tradition, experience, reason, and above all, to your Word.
Tear down the walls we’ve built. Clear the path for those who are seeking you.
May our church be a place where grace is abundant, where the gospel is unhindered, and where your love makes a home for all.
In your name we pray,
Amen.
BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST: NO ONE LEFT BEHIND
Acts 8:26–40 Pastor Calvary deJong
May 11th, 2025
Introduction: Loitering with Gospel Intention
When I started in campus ministry, I asked my national coordinator how to best connect with students. His advice? “Don’t sit in your office — get out on campus and loiter with intent.” I laughed at first. Loitering usually brings to mind teens hanging out by a convenience store. But he meant something deeper: loitering with gospel intention — being present, attentive, and open to the Spirit’s leading to serve others in Jesus’ name. That idea stuck with me. And it’s exactly what Philip does in Acts 8. The Spirit doesn’t send him to a stadium of seekers but to a single man on a desert road — someone who had long wondered if there was a place for someone like him. The eunuch wasn’t just curious; his background, body, and beliefs had left him on the margins. Yet the Spirit was already working in both lives — prompting Philip to go and stirring the eunuch to seek. All Philip had to do was show up and sit beside him.
1. The Spirit Sends Us from the Crowd to the One - (Acts 8:26–29)
Philip is in the middle of a thriving ministry in Samaria when God calls him away — not to more crowds, but to a quiet desert road. Not to many, but to one. It’s a reminder that the gospel doesn’t depend on crowds. It flourishes in conversation. It moves through everyday people who listen and obey the Spirit’s promptings. We often think in terms of reach and numbers. But God’s mission moves at the speed of relationship. He chooses presence over spectacle — sending us to the one, not just the many.
2. The Gospel Meets People Where They Are - (Acts 8:30–33)
The Ethiopian eunuch is a person of status — educated and influential — yet still an outsider:
•Racially distinct — a Black African from Ethiopia.
•Physically altered — a eunuch, likely castrated for royal service.
•Religiously excluded — barred from entering the temple’s inner courts.
Though he had gone to Jerusalem to worship, he remained on the edges. On his way home, he’s reading Isaiah 53 — a passage about one cut off, denied justice, left without descendants. It mirrors his own story of exclusion. And he’s reading not the Hebrew Scriptures but the Septuagint — the Greek translation commonly used by outsiders. He hears God’s Word not in the language of the temple, but in a language he understands.
That’s the beauty of the gospel. God doesn’t wait for us to change our language, culture, or condition. He meets us where we are — and speaks in the language of our lives.
3. Jesus Is the Suffering Servant Who Makes Us Family - (Acts 8:34–38)
When the eunuch asks, “Who is the prophet talking about?” Philip shares the good news of Jesus.
Jesus, too, was cut off. He bore shame. He died without descendants — yet through His resurrection, He became the firstborn of a new family. For the eunuch — a man with no lineage, no children, and no temple access — this is deeply personal. Because Jesus was excluded, I can be included. Because He died without a family, I can belong to one. Then the eunuch sees water and says, “What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” The answer is simple: nothing. The barriers are gone. And so, he is baptized — a visible sign of his welcome into God’s family.
Application: Widening the Circle
This story invites us to widen the circle. We live in a diverse city where people carry stories and identities that don’t always fit our categories. Acts 8 reminds us: people don’t need to fit before they’re met. As a church, we’re called to stay rooted in our identity while remaining radically open in posture. RJC offers a powerful example. For much of its history, it was a Mennonite school for Mennonite families. But as fewer families enrolled their children, the school had to ask: What if we opened our doors wider — not by leaving our roots, but by reimagining our reach?
Today, RJC is an Anabaptist school for the world. Students come from across the globe — many with no faith background — and are encountering Jesus in community. RJC didn’t lose its identity. It clarified its mission. That’s our calling, too.
Questions to Consider:
•Who are the spiritual outsiders in your life?
•Who needs someone to walk beside them?
•What barriers — theological, cultural, or relational — can we help lower?
The Spirit still sends us — not just to the familiar, but to the forgotten. Will we follow?
Reflection: What Stands in the Way?
The eunuch asks, “What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” For most of his life, the answer had been: everything — his race, his body, his religious status. But in Jesus, those walls come down. Maybe you’ve asked the same question. Maybe you’ve stood on the edge of faith, unsure if there’s room for you. The gospel answer is clear: because of Jesus nothing stands in the way anymore.
Gospel Invitation: A New Family, A New Name
In Isaiah 56, God promises: “To the eunuchs who keep my covenant… I will give them a name better than sons and daughters — an everlasting name that will not be cut off.” That promise is fulfilled in Jesus. Baptism is not a box to check. It’s an invitation to belong — to be named, known, and welcomed into the family of God. If you believe Jesus is the Suffering Servant and risen Lord — who died for your sin and rose to give you new life — and you’ve never been baptized, come. The invitation is open. Jesus still welcomes outsiders. And He still sends insiders to find them. And when they meet Him — they never walk away the same.
Prayer of Response
Lord Jesus, thank You for welcoming those the world often leaves out. Thank You for meeting us where we are and calling us into Your family. Help us to follow Your Spirit to those who feel forgotten. Make us a church that widens the circle, just like You do.
Amen.
MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU
Acts 8:26–40 Pastor Calvary deJong
May 4th, 2025
Introduction: The Spirit Is Not Fiction
May 4th each year is “Star Wars Day.” Years ago, on our honeymoon, Lacey and I watched Star Wars together in a quiet cabin in the woods. What stuck with me wasn’t the sci-fi—it was the idea of the Force: an invisible power that enables people to stand, speak, and act with courage. But what Star Wars imagines as fiction, Scripture presents as fact. Not an impersonal energy—but the personal presence of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 1:8, Jesus doesn’t say, “May the Force be with you.” He says, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you… and you will be my witnesses.”
Many of us want to live meaningfully, speak courageously, and know God’s presence in real ways. But we often feel unsure how. That’s why Luke’s two-part story—his Gospel and the book of Acts—matters. Luke doesn’t just tell us what to believe. He shows us what it looks like when the Spirit of God fills everyday people to speak, serve, and sacrifice in the name of Jesus.
1. The Spirit Was Promised from the Beginning (Luke 3:16; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49)
Acts isn’t a disconnected sequel—it’s part two of the same story. From the very beginning of Luke’s Gospel, the Spirit’s coming was anticipated.
•John the Baptist says Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.
•Jesus promises the Spirit as the Father’s best gift—not just for leaders, but for all who ask.
•Jesus prepares His disciples for opposition by assuring them the Spirit will give them words to speak.
•Finally, in Luke 24, the risen Jesus tells His followers: “I am sending the promise of my Father upon you… Wait until you are clothed with power from on high.”
The Spirit’s arrival in Acts 2 isn’t random—it’s the fulfillment of Jesus’ ongoing work. Luke frames the story so we see: Jesus didn’t stop working when He ascended. He continues His mission through the Holy Spirit and through us.
2. The Spirit Empowers Ordinary People to Witness - (Acts 1–2)
Before ascending, Jesus gives His disciples a roadmap: “You will receive power… and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” That isn’t just a mission—it’s a pattern. The whole book of Acts follows that outline. In Acts 2, that promise explodes into reality. Wind. Fire. Speech. The Spirit fills the room and fills the disciples—and they begin declaring the wonders of God in many languages. The miracle isn’t about sensation. It’s about proclamation.
Then Peter stands. The same man who denied Jesus now preaches with boldness. He explains what’s happening, points to Scripture, and calls people to repentance and baptism.
This is the Spirit’s power on display: not vague emotion, but Spirit-enabled witness. The Holy Spiri is not given for show, but for service.
3. Stephen: A Spirit-Filled Life, Speech, and Death - (Acts 6–7)
Stephen is the first person in Acts described as “full of the Holy Spirit.” His life paints a vivid picture of what it means to live as a Spirit-empowered witness.
•In service: He’s appointed to care for widows—not because of charisma, but because he’s full of the Spirit and wisdom.
•In speech: He begins teaching, debating, and speaking truth. His opponents “could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him.”
•In sacrifice: When falsely accused, Stephen gives the longest sermon in Acts—a bold retelling of Israel’s history that reveals their pattern of resisting God.
His words are piercing: “You stiff-necked people… You always resist the Holy Spirit.” That’s the charge—loving the system more than the Spirit. As Stephen is stoned, he sees Jesus standing at the right hand of God—a powerful image of Christ’s advocacy. His last words echo Jesus on the cross: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit… Do not hold this sin against them.” Stephen dies with boldness and with peace. He doesn’t just imitate Christ’s courage—he reflects Christ’s compassion.
4. Spirit Power + Peace Witness
Maybe you’ve seen spiritual emotionalism that lacks depth—or a cautious faith that keeps the Spirit at arm’s length. But Stephen shows us a better way. His words were bold, his death was peaceful. He was both fiery and forgiving. What we need is both: the power of the Holy Spirit and the peace of Christ. Spirit-filled courage and Christ-shaped love. Not spectacle, not passivity—but a Spirit-empowered witness that points to Jesus through word, service, and sacrifice.
Gospel Invitation: The Good News Behind the Witness
Sin matters—not just because of what we do, but who we sin against. As a kid, if I hit my sister, it was bad. If I hit a police officer, it’s worse. Sin against an all-holy God is infinitely serious. That’s why we don’t just need improvement—we need grace. The good news is that Jesus, whom Stephen saw standing in glory, came down. He lived the life we couldn’t live. He died the death we deserved. On the cross, He said, “Father, forgive them.” And then, “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit.” Because of Jesus, we can be forgiven. Because of Jesus, we can be filled with the Spirit. Because of Jesus, we can be witnesses—not just to what happened then, but what He’s doing in us now.
Prayer of Response
Gracious God, Thank You for the gift of Your Son and the power of Your Spirit. Make us bold like Stephen—faithful in word, in service, and in sacrifice. Fill us with courage and compassion, and let our lives point others to Jesus. In His name we pray—Amen.
Benediction
May the same Spirit who filled Stephen—who gave him words to speak, grace to forgive, and peace in death—fill you this week. May you see Jesus clearly. May you serve humbly. May you speak boldly. Now, go in peace, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
