Acts 9:26-31 Saul in Jerusalem

When Saul came back to Jerusalem, he had a hard time joining the disciples there because of his reputation as a persecutor and murderer of Christians. The disciples were afraid of him. They did not believe he was a believer  and treated him with suspicion. Assimilation into the church body depends completely on my attitude towards new people in the church. Many newcomers find it difficult to join because my attitude towards them is suspicious or cold even critical. Some apprehension is understandable if a famous murderer shows at the door, but it is unacceptable to alienate that person for it. Didn't Christ die for him also? Worse, many people are alienated, not because they are murderers, but because they are not like me; they don't belong to my clique; they don't have a share in my history.

Thank God for Barnabas! He took time to get to know Saul and he introduced Saul to the apostles explaining his conversion experience and his ministry experience in Damascus. If it weren't for Barnabas, Saul probably would have given up on the church in Jerusalem and moved somewhere else! I want to be a Barnabas, a person who is interested in the newcomers of the church willing to listen to their personal stories and willing to introduce them to the leaders in the church. We need many Barnabas types in the church today. I have to realize that I am an ambassador of Christ to the newcomers and their assimilation into church life depends on my attitude and actions towards them.

After getting to know Saul, the Jerusalem church allowed him to minister among and along side them. The church gained a worker for the kingdom! Unfortunately, the Hellenist Jews wanted to kill him. When the church learned of the plot to kill Saul, they worked together to protect him taking him to Caesarea (on foot) and sending him to Tarsus (a boat ride). The church went from suspicion to protection; from mistrust to love; from coldness to kindness. I should be kind to newcomers because I never know who is going to be the next devoted worker to the kingdom - the next apostle Paul! I should be kind to newcomers because ultimately, they are part of the family of God - or potential candidates. I must treat newcomers as prospects and not suspects. And once they are a part of the family, I should do everything possible to protect them from harm.

The church multiplied! How? They had peace. The peace of God that surpasses all understanding and comes through prayer. They were being built up through the preaching and teaching of the Word. They were walking in the fear of the Lord. Not a fear of judgment, but a reverent awe and devotion to God with great care to please him in all their ways. They were also walking in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. There was still persecution going on and suffering was part of the daily lives of the believers there, but they were not alone. They walked seeking the Holy Spirit's power to sustain them in the midst of their trials and tribulations. If I want to see the church multiply today, I must also seek God's peace through prayer; I must look into the Word to be built up; I must walk in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Spirit.

Father, help me see the importance of newcomers in the church. May I open my heart to them to get to know them and help connect them with the church body. I want to see your church multiply! Fill me with your peace, build me up with your Word, and teach me to walk in your fear and the comfort of your Holy Spirit. Amen.