The Strength of the Church | Acts 15:36-16:5 | Manny Pereira

The church can look surprisingly fragile when viewed up close. Trusted brothers can sharply disagree. Wise leaders can make painful judgments. And just when sound doctrine seems certain to produce smooth fellowship, real life reminds us that Christ is still sanctifying His saints. This important passage refuses to airbrush that reality. Yet the surprise here is not that strong Christians sometimes look weak, but that the church remains strong because her strength was never in them to begin with. The church is not finally held together by flawless leaders, frictionless relationships, or perfect circumstances. The lesson to be learned in this passage, through strokes of irony, is the true source and substance of the strength of the church.