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.