Christ Church Daily Devotion June 9 2024

Certain people from Judea came to Antioch and taught that Gentile believers must be circumcised to be saved. This caused a dispute with Paul and Barnabas, who were appointed to go to Jerusalem to discuss the matter. They reported to the church leaders about the conversion of Gentiles, but some believers insisted on circumcision and following the law of Moses. This led to a major meeting in the early church to address the conflict. Peter and Paul shared experiences guided by the Holy Spirit. The church should be open to the Spirit's guidance in facing challenges. Attend worship or listen to the sermon and remain constant in prayer. Welcome to Christ Church's Daily Devotion for June 9th, 2024. Today we will be reading from Acts chapter 15, verses 1 through 6. Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers, Unless you are circumcised according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved. This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them. Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses. The apostles and the elders met to consider this question. This was a major meeting for the early church. A conflict of interpretation and understanding had developed among the followers of Jesus. Many believed that a person had to first become a Jew before being committed to Jesus would have any effect on their relationship with God. Many others had developed an understanding that a person only had to believe in Jesus and follow His way in order to be made right with God. As verse 2 says, there was sharp dispute and debate among them. So the church leaders met to consider this question. Peter and Paul told of experiences they had in which they knew the Holy Spirit was directing what they witnessed. The Spirit still seeks to guide the church in all of our challenges. May we each be open to let the Holy Spirit guide us into God's future for Christ's church. Your personal worship option today. I invite you to make a special effort to be in worship this morning. If you cannot be there, please be sure to listen to the sermon at some point and please be constant in prayer.