DEALING WITH ISSUES: PART 2
Text: Acts 15:13-21
Introduction
1. Last week we started talking about dealing with issues within the church. Today we are going to see how the leadership of the early church came to their decision, and how it gives us a blueprint on how to deal with issues today.
2. “When the solution is simple, God is answering.” (Albert Einstein).
3. Read Acts 15:13-21
Transition: The first, and most important way to come up with a solution to a problem is it needs to be…
I. Based On Scripture (13-18).
A. As It Is Written
1. Now that Paul, Barnabas, and Peter have spoken their peace, we now hear from James.
2. Luke tells us in vv. 13-14, “When they had finished, James stood and said, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Peter has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for himself.”
a. James was the half-brother of Jesus and the writer of the Epistle of James.
b. He was at this time the leader of the Jerusalem church. It was believed that Peter and John chose him for this task, but clearly, he was the leader of the church as he had the final say in this matter.
c. Everyone from Paul to Peter submitted to his authority.
d. The phrase “the time God first visited the Gentiles,” is important because it shows that God had already accepted the Gentiles and intended for them to also be his people.
e. This would have been understood as a remarkable statement by James.
f. It could not be disputed what God’s will was in this matter. In fact, James goes so far as refer to them as a people God had taken as a people to himself.
g. The word being used here is the same word that is usually used for the Jewish people.
h. This was truly an eye-opening statement by James.
3. Now, James uses Scripture to show that this was God’s plan all along. He says in vv. 15-18, “And this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted. As it is written: 16 ‘Afterward I will return and restore the fallen house of David. I will rebuild its ruins and restore it, 17 so that the rest of humanity might seek the LORD, including the Gentiles—all those I have called to be mine. The LORD has spoken—18 he who made these things known so long ago.’”
a. James, in his wisdom, knew that a decision in this matter had to be based on something more than just experience.
b. So, he uses Scripture as a foundation. James says that this conversion of the Gentiles was something that had been predicted by the prophets.
c. While this event was predicted by more than one prophet, as indicated by the plural form “prophets,” he chose to quote the prophet Amos 9:11-12.
d. According to Amos the House of David had fallen and was in ruins.
e. This is a problem since God had declared that one of David’s descendants would always sit on David’s throne.
f. Therefore, he had to restore the people of Israel, and this would be accomplished not by a political leader, but rather by the Messiah who would restore a spiritual Kingdom which would include the Gentiles.
g. James’ point was that this had always been God’s plan, and it in no way contradicted the OT Scriptures.
h. The Scriptures are clear that God wants all people to come to him in faith and repentance.
B. Useful to Teach Us
1. Illustration: “It is dangerous to depart from Scripture…most of the controversies which have disturbed the Church have arisen from people wanting to be wise above what is written, not contented with what God has plainly revealed there.” (John Wesley)
2. Any solution to a problem within the church must be rooted in the foundation of Scripture.
a. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
b. When we seek a solution to a problem within the church, it must be based, and I mean really based, on Scripture.
c. It should be the basis for everything that we do.
d. It teaches us what is right and what is wrong.
e. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
f. It is the scale upon which we weigh every issue. It is the guide and rule of everything we do as a church.
g. When we stray from Scripture, we stray from God.
h. If the Bible says, “do it,” do it!
i. If the Bible says, “don’t do it,” don’t do it!
j. That is how we should live our lives and how we should conduct ourselves as a church.
Transition: Another thing to consider when coming up with a solution to an issue is to…
II. Embrace Holiness (19-21).
A. Abstain From Food Offered to Idols
1. After looking at what God was doing among the Gentiles, and what the Scriptures said on the subject, James makes his decision.
2. In vv. 19-21 it says, “And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood. 21 For these laws of Moses have been preached in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations.”
a. His decision was that they should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who were turning to God.
b. Although his decision didn’t mention circumcision, this is clearly what he meant.
c. The Judaizers who wanted to force the Gentiles coming to faith to follow Jewish laws, in particular circumcision, were in error and James wanted to correct this mistake.
3. However, there were some things James wanted them to stop doing.
a. He wanted them to abstain from eating food sacrificed to idols.
1) This was a problem in NT churches where meat was sacrificed to an idol and then sold in butcher shops.
2) In essence, this was participation in demonic idol worship.
b. They were also to abstain from sexual immorality.
1) This also was a part of idol worship and went against the Levitical marriage laws against marrying close relatives.
2) It also included any sexual activity outside of marriage between a man and a woman.
c. In addition, they were to abstain from the meat of strangled animals and consuming of blood.
1) This goes back to the Biblical understanding that life was in the blood.
2) If the Gentile Christians would follow these rules, they would please God and get along better with their Jewish brothers and sisters.
4. James’s instruction to them was to stay holy.
B. Be Holy
1. Illustration: “Life has its challenges to our walking in God’s presence. But we are presented with an opportunity, in all things remember that the closer you are to God, the more defined and visible will be the image of him that you reflect.” (Andrew W Moffatt).
2. In everything we do we must seek to be holy.
a. “So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. 15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” (1 Pet. 1:14-16).
b. Peter tells us to be holy in everything we do.
c. You’ll notice that he quotes Scripture on this subject. We “must be holy because God is holy.”
d. Our lives are to reflect the character of God, and above all, God is holy.
e. So, if you are doing something that you know is contrary to Scripture…stop it!
f. If you are going somewhere that is causing you to do things that don’t honor God, stay away from it.
g. If you are hanging out with people that are leading you to do things that you know are contrary to the Word of God, find someone else with whom to hang out.
h. If someone in the church is doing something that is not in line with the teachings of the Bible, we should gently encourage them to repent of their sins.
i. We should always reflect the holiness of God in everything we do.
Conclusion
1. Solutions to issues in the church should be…
a. Based on Scripture
b. Embrace Holiness
2. What’s the point preacher? The point is we can avoid issues within the church if we live our lives according to the Bible.
