Vibrant Communities: Contextualising Good New

5/05/2021 1:51:02 PM | Scott Pilgrim

Read: Acts 15

When the truth of the Gospel is planted in soil, the tree that grows is influenced by the environment it’s in. It’s watered and shaped by the culture, language and customs of the community’s soil that it is growing it. The flowers that bloom and the leaves that emerge are products of the seed, yes, but also the soil.

So when the truth of the Gospel is planted somewhere else, will the same plant grow? Should the same plant grow?

These are the questions that the early church is grappling with in Acts 15. The church has been birthed and the Good News is moving beyond the Jewish community. It is spreading from one culture to another and suddenly there are new questions to answer.

For the Jewish believers, their expression of faith in Jesus is born out of their culture and community. But how does this translate to the Gentile believers? Do the Gentile believers need to be like them - adopting the same rules, rituals and regulations - in order to follow Jesus?

James stands up before the Jerusalem council and says, “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.”

They are powerful words that would have been radical at the time. They are also incredibly poignant for faith communities in Australia and our intercultural teams around the world.

How can we not make it difficult for our neighbours to experience the truth of God’s Word? What are the practices or traditions that work for me, that are comfortable for me, but actually hinder others from coming to know Jesus in a way that makes sense to them?

These questions are at the heart of how our Global Interaction teams operate. With humility, they live as good neighbours, develop authentic relationships, learn the local language, listen, immerse themselves in the culture and ask questions.

Why?

So that when they do have the opportunity to share the Gospel, they can communicate it in a way that is understandable in that context.

It’s not about changing the Gospel, but about stripping away the layers of cultural baggage that we can so easily package the Gospel in.

What are the core truths of the Gospel that we are called to share, and what does it look like to journey with others as they discern how to follow Jesus in their own distinctive ways?

TAKEAWAYS TO APPLY

Openness: Reading Acts 15, you can feel the tension in the room. They are encountering big theological issues. But there’s also an openness to God’s Spirit. An openness to ask, “What is God doing here? Where is God in this?” They’re critical questions for all of us to ask as we engage with our friends.
For Petra on the Silk Road, she finds that her friend Mrs K is interested in reading the scriptures with her. But Petra and Ben wonder, in this context, which book do they read from? Their holy book or Mrs K’s holy book? They are open to what God is doing and they discern that they should alternate between reading from each of the books. This quiet statement of humility and respect opens up wonderful discussions. Through it all, God’s Spirit is at work, revealing Jesus to Mrs K. She sees Him jump out of the pages and professes trust in Him as God’s son.
Uncomfortable-ness: We can only imagine that some of the early believers were uncomfortable with the Gentiles not adopting the rules and regulations of the Jewish believers. That’s ok! It’s a good thing to live with tension and to ask questions. It’s a good thing to grapple with the messiness of mission. There are core beliefs and values that we need to hold onto as we share the Good News with others... but our comfort isn’t one! Are there things that you are holding onto that are comfortable for you, but that are actually making it more difficult for others to meet Jesus?
Humility: Global Interaction workers enter communities with a posture of humility. Yes, they come with bold faith, but they also come humbly. They learn language, they listen, they ask questions, they become good neighbours and build authentic relationships. And with this foundation, they share the Good News. It’s a model for all of us, wherever we are. Humbly coming alongside people, listening, knowing that we don’t have all the answers but that we do have the Good News to share.
Whole Communities: What would have happened if the Gentile believers were told they had to follow the law in the same way as the Jewish believers? Could they have remained as part of their community, or would their newly adopted practices separate them?
Global Interaction’s vision is for whole communities. Not just one or two people. Not individuals extracted from their community, saved but now separated. No, we see whole communities following Jesus. And this is critical to contextualisation. Because if we are going to see local faith communities multiplying and reaching out to their own people, then they need to be following Jesus in ways that are born out of their culture and make sense in that place.

THEMATIC STORIES AND RESOURCES

Use these as sermon illustrations, discussion starters for small groups or standalone resources.

Your stories! What local mission stories can you share that speak to this theme or passage?
VIDEO story of the team building relationships in Thailand: https://vimeo.com/521682806
VIDEO story of God’s Word being shared in Mozambique: https://vimeo.com/521165514
VIDEO reflection on Jesus’ model of mission: https://vimeo.com/521186763
PODCAST episode 5 - Building Authentic Relationships (Pete, Central Asia): www.globalinteraction.org.au/Missioning

QUESTIONS FOR SMALL GROUPS

Can you think of a time where you have seen contextualisation in practice? Is there anything about contextualisation that makes you uncomfortable? Reflect on this. Where does this feeling come from?
How are you personally challenged by this passage or theme?
Reflect on your own expression of faith. What are aspects of your culture that you have accepted, modified or rejected as you follow Jesus? If you were an outsider looking in, would you identify the same or different things?
In your own experience, when have you encountered the greatest openness to conversations of faith? When have you got it wrong? Are there common threads across the group?
Read, watch or listen to one or two of the above thematic stories. What excites you? How can you see God at work? What mission practices can you see the workers doing that you could do in your own neighbourhood?

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