The Book of Acts might well be a written for a church planter - so what is the end of chapter 15 (v36-41) teaching him as a church leader? Theophilus' eye will certainly be drawn first to the surprising disagreement between two church planting legends and he'd be given a reality check (and reassurance) that good, godly, well-motivated gospel workers will disagree and that is not terminal and God can use the conflict for good. In particular the incident raises the important issue of who do you take onto your team . Is it wise to take someone onto the launch team of a new church who has proved unreliable or experienced significant 'church hurt' or is in some way in bad relationship with their former church or has inflated expectations that 'this time it will be different'? Many would caution extreme care having seen the way church plants can be a magnet for those with conflicting agendas and unresolved grievances, only for patterns of disfunction to be repeated...
Isaiah 55:12-13 is a beautiful end to a beautiful chapter. "For you will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever." The great call of the chapter (v1-7) is to come to the free banquet of grace, to open ears as if mouths to eat, to seek the Lord, to come to him who is the feast. And then there are three reasons given: v8-9 - this Lord is nothing like you imagined, v10-11 - His Word is coming down from heaven to earth to bring life, v12-13 - this is all for joy God's great plan is the joy project . We are heading towards eternal joy - the greater Exodus - "led forth in peace." Miriam singing and dancing on the far s...