Agreeing together changes the
world!
Acts 15:23-35
By Pastor Ken Keyte
14th Sept. 2014
1
‘Now, the Star-Belly Sneetches
Had bellies with stars.
The Plain-Belly Sneetches
Had none upon thars.
Those stars weren't so big.
They were really so small,
you might think such a thing wouldn't matter at all.
But, because they had stars,
all the Star-Belly Sneetches would brag,
"We're the best kind of Sneetch on the Beaches."
With their snoots in the air, they would sniff and
they'd snort,
"We'll have nothing to do with the Plain-Belly sort!"
And whenever they met some, when they were out
walking,
they'd hike right on past them without even talking.
When the Star-Belly children went out to play ball,
Could a Plain Belly get in the game... ? Not at all.
You only could play if your bellies had stars.
And the Plain Belly children had none upon thars.
When the Star-Belly Sneetches had frankfurter
roasts,
Or picnics or parties or marshmallow toasts,
They never invited the Plain-Belly Sneetches.
They left them out cold, in the dark of the beaches.
They kept them away. Never let them come near.
And that's how they treated them year after year.’
I’m sure you’re all very familiar with these opening lines to
the famous Dr Seuss children’s story.
Something a bit like this was going on in the early days of
Christianity when the gospel first began spreading out
from the Jewish believers to the Gentiles.
As God’s chosen people you could say the Jews were a
bit like star bellied sneetches.
The mark that distinguished Jewish males from the rest was the mark of circumcision.
But now that Gentiles were starting to believe in Jesus,
apostles like Barnabas & Paul were teaching that these
Gentile believers, belonged in God’s family too
even though they hadn’t been circumcised!
simply because they believed in Jesus Christ!
But how could they belong in God’s family if they didn’t
have ‘stars upon thars’ (so to speak)?
2
permanent record of what was discussed and
agreed upon.
Acts 15 is a bit like the minutes of a church meeting.
Not everything that was said has been recorded.
But a summary of the important points made by various
people significant to the discussion and debate- is what’s
been recorded for us to read about in Acts 15.
And so certain individuals travelled from Judea to Antioch
and began teaching the new believers that,
“Unless you are circumcised according to the
custom taught be Moses, you cannot be saved.”
Which brought Paul & Barnabas into sharp dispute and
debate with them. So Paul & Barnabas, along with some
other believers were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to
see the apostles & elders there about this question.
Whenever there’s a highly emotive issue on the
agenda with people holding strongly disagreeing
views, meetings like that aren’t easy to do well. (at
least that’s been my experience whether it’s in the
work place, in a sports clubs, with a family, or in
church).
Where a meeting was convened by the church leaders to
discuss the issue.
It was much the same back then.
The believers who were also Pharisees were of the strong
opinion that the believing Gentiles must be circumcised
and required to keep the law of Moses, just like a Jew!
It’s how this disagreement was resolved, over whether
Gentile believers had to be circumcised according to
Jewish law or not, that’s what Acts 15 is all about.
Peter on the other hand was a formidable opponent of
this view as he adamantly declared that 3
We have a church meeting after lunch (everyone’s
welcome) where some important issues will be
discussed and some decisions will be made
together as a church.
Church meetings like this are important enough to
have minutes recorded and made available for
people to read afterwards, so that we have a
God did not discriminate between Jews and Gentiles and
has shown his acceptance of them by giving them the
Holy Spirit!
‘It’s through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that both
Jews and Gentiles are saved - to require anything further
from the Gentile believers would be to place an
unreasonable yoke around their necks, that even we
haven’t been able to keep very well!’
As I tried picturing the scene of this meeting and the
level of intensity of their debate, I decided it
might’ve been a bit like The Baptist Gathering last
year when the issue of whether Baptist Pastors
should be allowed to conduct same-sex marriages
or not was debated,
such would’ve been the level of seriousness about
whether Gentile believers had to be circumcised or
not!
4
Disagreement paralyzes people,
Healthy discussion illuminates the question
Agreeing together with the Holy Spirit changes the world!
We learn that from Acts 15, and we see that from history
too. The Te Rongopai video clip we saw before presented
the differing views about whether the Queen of England
and the Maori chiefs should enter into an agreement
together by signing the Treaty of Waitangi.
An agreement that has changed this part of the world!
Disagreement paralyses people!
5
Then ONE day, it seems... while the Plain-Belly
Sneetches
were moping and doping alone on the beaches,
Just sitting there wishing their bellies had stars...
A stranger zipped up in the strangest of cars!
"My friends," he announced in a voice clear and
keen,
"My name is Sylvester McMonkey McBean.
And I've heard of your troubles. I've heard you're
unhappy.
But I can fix that. I'm the Fix-it-Up Chappie.
I've come here to help you. I have what you need.
And my prices are low. And I work at great speed.
And my work is one hundred percent guaranteed!"
Then, quickly Sylvester McMonkey McBean
put together a very peculiar machine.
And he said, "You want stars like a Star-Belly
Sneetch... ?
My friends, you can have them for three dollars
each!"
If only it were as simple as that!
Before reaching an agreement with any kind of potential
to change the world, there’s a process to be worked
through, and that process can’t usually be done by
something like Sylvester McMonkey McBean’s peculiar
machine!
And paralysed people can’t change the world with the
gospel, as we’ve been commissioned by Jesus to do!
Healthy discussion illuminates the issue
7
Because the process usually starts with a serious
disagreement paralyzing the people about what they
should do.
6
Peter, Paul & Barnabas could see that unless an
agreement was reached between the Jewish and Gentile
believers that circumcision was unnecessary for Gentile
believers, then the gospel was unlikely to be accepted by
the Gentiles,
who’d already been coming to faith and receiving the Holy
Spirit!
Disagreement paralyses people!
And the disagreement over this issue was paralyzing the
Gentile church in Antioch.
Just as it was back then, whether at work, in a sports
club, with family, or in church- disagreement paralyses
people today!
"Just pay me your money and hop right aboard!"
So they clambered inside. Then the big machine
roared.
And it klonked. And it bonked. And it jerked. And it
berked.
And it bopped them about. But the thing really
worked!
When the Plain-Belly Sneetches popped out, they
had stars!
They actually did. They had stars upon thars!
Then they yelled at the ones who had stars at the
start,
"We're exactly like you! You can't tell us apart.
We're all just the same, now, you snooty old
smarties!
And now we can go to your frankfurter parties."
"Good grief!" groaned the ones who had stars at the
first.
"We're still the best Sneetches and they are the
worst.
But, now, how in the world will we know," they all
frowned,
"If which kind is what, or the other way round?"
Let’s look at some key verses on that:
8
Wisely, the leaders of the church in Jerusalem recognized
something had to be done to resolve the dispute.
If they hadn’t taken action, I wonder what would’ve
happened? Maybe the Jewish and Gentile believers
would’ve fallen prey to someone like Sylvester McMonkey
McBean with his peculiar machine?
Then up came McBean with a very sly wink
And he said, "Things are not quite as bad as you
think.
So you don't know who's who. That is perfectly true.
But come with me, friends. Do you know what I'll
do?
I'll make you, again, the best Sneetches on the
beaches,
and all it will cost you is ten dollars eaches."
"Belly stars are no longer in style," said McBean.
"What you need is a trip through my Star-Off
Machine.”
4
When (Barnabas & Paul) came to Jerusalem, they
were welcomed by the church and the apostles and
elders, to whom they reported everything God had
done through them.
8a
5
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.”
6
The apostles and elders met to consider this
question.
8b
7
After much discussion, Peter got up and
addressed them:…..
9
Rather than a quick fix that wasn’t a fix of the underlying
issue at all, a closer look at Acts 15 reveals some
important principles for resolving any issue when people
have become paralyzed by disagreement.
12
The whole assembly became silent as they
listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the
signs and wonders God had done among the
Gentiles through them.
9a
13
When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,”
he said, “listen to me.
10
15
The words of the prophets are in agreement
with this, as it is written:
10a
“ ‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen
tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it,17 that
the rest of humanity may seek the Lord, even all the
Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who
does these things’ — 18 things known from long ago.
16
10b
It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not
to burden you with anything beyond the following
requirements:
28
Some key principles for healthy discussion for illuminating
the issue, can be identified from these verses.
11








Responsible leadership
11a
Inclusion of those holding differing views
11b
Meeting together
11c
Mutual consideration
11d
Airing of all views
11e
Involving the whole church in the discussion 11f
Listening well
11g
Sharing personal experiences relevant to the issue
11h
 Application of scripture
11i
 Agreement with the Holy Spirit
11j
All of these principles were important for generating
healthy discussion for illuminating the issue.
Missionaries like Henry Williams diligently applied
similar principles to what’s found in Acts 15,
as they worked with the Maori chiefs and Governor
Hobson to prepare them for signing the Treaty of
Waitangi.
Although I don’t think we have anything as
contentious or momentous as the Treaty of
Waitangi or what’s found in Acts 15, up for
discussion at our church meeting this afternoon,
this list of principles for reaching agreement
together,
is still worth being reminded of before any meeting.
Because scripture tells us that when God’s people agree
together we are able (through God), to change the world!
Agreeing together with the Holy Spirit changes the
world!
12
until neither the Plain nor the Star-Bellies knew
Whether this one was that one... or that one was
this one,
or which one was what one... of what one was who.
Then, when every last cent
of their money was spent,
the Fix-it-Up Chappie packed up and he went.
And he laughed as he drove,
in his car up the beach,
"They never will learn.
No. You can't teach a Sneetch!"
13
Then, of course from THEN on, as you probably
guess,
things really got into a horrible mess.
All the rest of that day, on those wild screaming
beaches,
The Fix-it-Up Chappie kept fixing up Sneetches.
Off again! On again!
In again! Out again!
Through the machines they raced round and about
again,
changing their stars every minute or two.
They kept paying money. They kept running
through,
The same could be said from church history when
disagreement for whatever reason,
hasn’t been resolved, ending in splits and divisions that’ve
spoiled church unity.
But Acts 15 shows us it doesn’t have to be this way!
After exercising responsible leadership,
including those holding differing views,
meeting together,
showing mutual consideration for each other,
airing all the views,
involving the whole church in discussion,
listening well to each other,
sharing personal experiences relevant to the issue,
applying scripture,
seeking agreement with the Holy Spirit:
the church in Jerusalem finally reached an agreement
that would change the world!
At the conclusion of their church meeting discussion
James said;
19
“It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not
make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to
God. Instead we should write to them….
Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church,
decided to choose some representatives of the church to
go to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, taking the
following letter:
13a
‘The apostles and elders, your brothers,
To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and
Cilicia:
Greetings.
24
We have heard that some went out from us
without our authorization and disturbed you,
troubling your minds by what they said…..
28
It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to
burden you with anything beyond the following
requirements:
29
You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols,
from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and
from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid
these things.’
This was quite literally was an agreement that has
changed the world!
Because it would keep things as easy as possible for
Gentiles to become believers and be saved,
And would also make it much less difficult for Jewish and
Gentile believers to be together in the same church!
Because on the one hand the agreement upheld the
Christian belief that through the grace of our Lord Jesus
both Jews and Gentiles are saved (not through keeping
the laws of Moses).
Yet on the other hand it recognized that since both Jewish
and Gentile believers now belonged together in God’s
family, there were some common standards of behavior
to be upheld.
 They were to avoid being lured back into idolatry by
eating food sacrificed to idols
 they must uphold God’s standards of sexual morality
(not the world’s!)
 and they should show mutual consideration for an
important Jewish food law since they’d now be eating
together.
Similarly when Governor Hobson and the Maori
chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, it made it
possible for Maori and for the European settlers to
be one people together ,
while showing mutual consideration for both Maori
and European cultural traditions.
At this afternoon’s church meeting we’re going to be
updating you on progress with some new initiatives
that if we continue pursuing are going to require us
to examine whether we hold attitudes towards
others similar to the star bellied sneeches who
wouldn’t mix with the plain bellied sneeches with
none upon thars.
and no kind of Sneetch is the best on the beaches.
That day, all the Sneetches forgot about stars,
and whether they had one, or not, upon thars.
14
One of the initiatives in particular (a CAP Debt Help
Centre) I’m hoping there’ll be plenty of discussion
about and a weighing up together as to whether
we’re ready for what this will require of us.
Because through these initiatives the gospel will be
taken to people of different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds in our community.
But for these initiatives to be effective will require us
to be a church who accepts and welcomes and
includes those who are culturally and socioeconomically different to ourselves.
This will require us to be a church that forgets who has
stars upon thars!
"They never will learn.
No. You can't teach a Sneetch!"
But McBean was quite wrong. I'm quite happy to
say,
that the Sneetches got really quite smart on that
day.
The day they decided that Sneetches are
Sneetches,
Acts 15 teaches us that:
disagreement paralyses people,
healthy discussion illuminates the issue,
and when we agree together with the Holy Spirit- we
can change the world!
May this be so for us!