Text: Acts 15:22-35, Title: Moving Right Along, Date/Place: NRBC, 8/24/08, AM
A. Opening illustration: Recount a little bit of the Conservative Resurgence conflict in the SBC, and now the Great Commission Resurgence that is beginning to take place
B. Background to passage: This meeting, known as the Jerusalem council, has concluded with Pastor James’ summary of biblical teaching and church position—that the Gentiles are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone, and sealed by the same Spirit as the Jews. The council now must implement the decision made, and to do so they send a letter by the hands of Paul and Barnabas to the churches in the regions surrounding Antioch (note that this included other regions, so that the controversy must have spread already).
C. Main thought: The church is now returning to its work now in the wake of the resolution of the conflict over Gentiles and law-keeping is resolved, and a solution implemented.
A. The Church Now Unified (v. 22, 25)
1. Now if they are really Baptists, we are really seeing the miracle in these two verses, another instance of complete unity. Nobody stormed out. Nobody left mad. Nobody attempted emotional blackmail. Nobody changed churches, organized a new church, or made phone calls afterward. They didn’t act like a bunch of high schoolers. It says that everyone was pleased! The letter says that everyone was in one accord! That means those that disagreed had either been convinced by the other side, or they just realized that it was an issue that was not crucial, or they simply submitted to the church for the greater purpose of the gospel. At any rate, the overarching stance was one of togetherness.
2. Acts 1:14, 2:1, 2:46, 4:32
3. Illustration: “The difference between spiritual and unspiritual community is not whether conflict exists, but is rather in our attitude toward it and our approach to handling it. When conflict is seen as an opportunity to draw more fully on spiritual resources, we have the makings of spiritual community.” SOURCE: Larry Crabb in "The Safest Place on Earth," It is like the man who was stranded all alone on the deserted island who was rescued. His rescuers asked him what the three structures were that he had built on the island. Three buildings seemed perplexing for just one man. He said one was his house, one was his church, and one was where he used to go to church before he got his feelings hurt! Give me 100 men that hate nothing but sin, and love nothing but Jesus Christ, and we’ll shake England for God.-Wesley
4. What if we could stand so unified immediately following controversy? Unity doesn’t mean that we are all cookie cutter clones of each other. But that we are allied around what is common to us and most important—Jesus Christ. And being unified around Christ means being unified around his teaching. Doctrine has the potential to divide, but it also has the potential to unify. And we must be in agreement on crucial points of doctrine; the most important of which is the gospel. And once we reach agreement, we must put our shoulders to the plow together and work diligently for the kingdom of God.
B. The Church Now Inspired (v. 26)
1. The apostles and elders sent the letter by way of Paul and Barnabas to endorse their position in the disagreement. They also sent delegates from the Jerusalem church to authenticate the message in the letter. But the apostles and elders were so impressed with Paul and Barnabas that they included a testimony about them in the letter—“those who risked their lives for Jesus.” What a testimony!
2. Rev 6:11, Philip 3:8, John 12:24,
3. Illustration: Where are the Judson’s that labored for 33 years in a country where no missionaries made it? Where are the Caudill’s who were willing to rot in a jail in Communist Cuba? Where are the pharmacists like Mike from Maine who would risk losing their job rather that sell the abortion pill? 1885, three Christian boys had shed their blood for Christ in Uganda. About l500 Christians were martyred in the year 100. By the mid-1990s there were some 156,000 Christian martyrs. Since the crucifixion of Christ, some 40 million Christians have been martyred. Martyrdom has been a standard accompaniment of Christian mission because Christians inevitably arouse hostilities, and they pay the price. One-third of all martyrs are female. That means some 52,000 women were killed last year because of their faith. One in every 200 Christians can expect to be martyred in his lifetime. Tell about the kid in the stands at ATFire in MA,
4. Where are the men that risk their lives for the gospel? We live American lives of comfort and security, oblivious to the fact that the gospel guarantees neither. We must know that the gospel is worth our lives. It is normally the young people who rise up a shame an older generation for the timidity. Where is our inspiration? Where are those that will go to Peru and beyond? Where are those that will not settle for status quo, but live radically sold out lives for Christ.
C. The Church in Step with the Spirit (v. 28)
1. One of the interesting notations from the details of this text is how the letter reads about their decision. The apostles noted that it seemed good to the Holy Spirit. This means that the apostles and the elders were walking close enough, and the church was not hindering too much for the Holy Spirit to be clearly understood. And they didn’t mind letting people know that they had been praying, seeking God’s face, and determining what He wanted, and that they had found it.
2. Gal 5:25, Rom 8:5, Acts 16:6-7, 11:12, 13:2,
3. Illustration: One Sunday after our morning worship service, I was standing at the back of the sanctuary and Wilma hobbled up to me and said, "That was a pretty good sermon." In my true Christian piety I said, "Thank you Wilma, but it wasn’t me it was the Holy Spirit." Without batting an eye she tapped me in the middle of the chest with her cane and said, "Oh no, if it was the Holy Spirit it would have been a lot better than that." “Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all turned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers [meeting] together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to become ‘unity’ conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship” SOURCE: A.W. Tozer in "The Pursuit of God."
4. We must be careful what we put in the mouth of God, but we should not be afraid to trust His leading, when it is really His. My fear is that we can operate as a church without the empowerment and leadership of the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit departed this morning after church, would we continue on as usual? How many of you have felt a real leading of God recently? This month? This week? Today? How is it that we are supposed to be led by Him, but never hear from Him? We read the bible every day, right? We pray every day right? How is it that we don’t hear? Please be in tune enough to say with some kind of authority and conviction that God said or God is leading. Especially those who are in leadership. And know what is pleasing to God.
D. The Church Happy and Free (v. 31)
1. The church was excited about the letter. They were probably glad for a couple of reasons. They were free in Christ. Legalism is scary and kills. Define legalism. They didn’t have to go back and tell all those Gentiles to man-up, because they all had to be circumcised. They were also rejoicing in the truth. They were probably glad to see their former pastors and missionaries. They were glad that the church could come together, seek the will of God, and find it.
2. 2 Cor 3:6, Rom 8:2, Gal 5:1, 1 Cor 13:6, Matt 23:13-15,
3. Illustration: some groups can’t find the will of God, good time to clarify last week’s illustration about tattoos, Charles Swindoll in his book, Grace Awakening, tells the story of a couple who were friends of the family. He and his wife became youth workers in a church with Scandinavian roots. He decided to show a missionary film. He showed the missionary movie and after the meeting he heard from the leaders of the church. They asked him: did you show the young people a film? He told them that he had. We don’t like that, they replied. The youth worker commented that at the last Missionary Conference the missionary had showed slides. Then on of the leaders stated emphatically, If its still, fine. If it moves: sin In other words you can show slides, but when they start moving, you’re getting into sin. Ea Tau,
4. This is why you always give the cost of the gospel up front. And don’t pull sucker punches with all the fine print later. Let them count the cost first. If God is working in their hearts, they will not turn away. We must be oh so careful about adding requirements to the gospel that are not there. These kinds of people were Jesus’ worst enemies. This will keep others out of the kingdom. This is not to say that there are no standards for the church or behavioral guidelines for believers, but simply that none of these things will get you in the pearly gates.
A. Closing illustration: When your back is stiff and your legs feel like lead; and when your knees ache and amputation seems like the only way to separate yourself from the throbbing pain in your toe; when you’ve been hiking as fast as you can possibly hike for 45+ miles on some of the most difficult trail you’ve ever traveled (and you’ve traveled some difficult trail); when you’ve been going for more than 15 hours and you’ve climbed nearly 14,000 feet of vertical; when lightning is slicing the rain around you and thunder is yelling at you to get out of its way; when you’ve been outside in the pouring rain and the swallowing mud for days on end and you can only bet on days more of the same ahead; when its dark and you can’t see the trail in front of you or your friend beside you; when you’re hungry, so hungry, and tired, so tired; when your dad is at the trailhead worried and waiting for you anxiously because you’re 2.5 hours behind schedule; when you really just want to be done for the day but to be done you have to keep moving – then you just might be Karl Meltzer. Lyrics to Onward Christian Soldiers
B. Recap
C. Invitation to commitment
Additional Notes
• 1885, three Christian boys had shed their blood for Christ in Uganda. The king had ordered the arrest of these page boys in an effort to stamp out Christianity. The eldest was fifteen and the youngest was eleven-year-old Yusufu. They held fast their faith and staked their lives on it, though people were weeping and their parents were pleading with them. At the place of execution they sent a message to the king: ‘Tell his majesty that he has put our bodies in the fire, but we won’t be long in the fire. Soon we shall be with Jesus, which is much better. But ask him to repent and change his mind, or he will land in a place of eternal fire and desolation.’ They sang a song which is now well loved in Uganda as the ‘martyr’s song.’ One verse says, ‘O that I had wings like the angels. I would fly away and be with Jesus!’ Little Yusufu said, ‘Please don’t cut off my arms. I will not struggle in the fire that takes me to Jesus!’ Forty adults came to Jesus the day the boys died.
