Acts 15

Calvin

message on the move • Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

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Graceful Church

1. Our works have to be founded in God's grace and mercy.

The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.

2. Only through a genuine relationship with Christ will we want to work for Him and not our own desires.

We are always working in one direction or the other

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.

has opened the eyes of those of us who have been studying another important topic. Faith without good deeds is dead

*If we had to be saved by keeping the law, then we would all be doomed. But we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ! And in these verses God confirmed the gospel of grace.

:19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Some think that Paul is contradicting James when he wrote Ephesians. He is actually confirming the truth. If we are truly saved, we will not be able to help wanting to do God’s work. It is a result of Being in Christ and Christ being in us.

When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. 14 Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. 15 The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:

16 “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 mankind 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. 19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.

and rebuild David’s fallen tent.

20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

Its ruins I will rebuild,

and I will restore it,

17 that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,

2. Our works are a direct result of truly accepting Christ as our Lord and savior.

even all the Gentiles who bear my name,

says the Lord, who does these things’ i—

18 things known from long ago. j

19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.

The New International Version. (2011). (). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

13. . . "Men and brethren, listen to me: 14. Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. 15. And with this the words of the prophets agree. . ."

14. Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.

15. And with this the words of the prophets agree. . ."

*Then James quoted verses from the Old Testament book of Amos, including great news for us Gentiles! There the Lord said:

16. 'After this I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen down. I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up,

17. so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the Lord who does all these things.'

18. Known to God from eternity are all His works.

19. Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God."

*There is hope for all of us! There is hope for the lost! There is hope for the grieved, there is hope for the abused, there is hope for the addicted, there is hope for the scarred, all who will receive our crucified and risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There is hope for all who will trust in the grace of God.

*The early church leaders had come together in Jerusalem to deal with the false teaching of legalistic believers. They claimed in vs. 1 that "unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." The question then was: Do we have to keep Old Testament law in order to be saved? And Christians: The clear answer was no. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast ()."

*Starting in vs. 19, James proposed to write a letter to clear up this controversy about circumcision. And James said:

19. "Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God,

20. but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.

21. For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.''

*Then in vs. 23-29, we see the actual letter:

23. They wrote this letter by them: "The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.

24. Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, 'You must be circumcised and keep the law' to whom we gave no such commandment

25. it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

26. men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

3. The time to ACT is now!

27. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth.

28. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:

29. that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell."

*One thing that stands out in this letter is that the burden of Old Testament law had been lifted by the cross of Jesus Christ. Keeping the laws about circumcision, animal sacrifices and the Sabbath, etc. was no longer required. We can eat bacon! Praise the Lord!

3. But there's more! The gospel calls us to live by love.

*Godly love is the purpose for the necessary things James mentioned in his letter. As he said in vs. 28-29:

28. . . "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:

29. that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell."

has opened the eyes of those of us who have been studying another important topic. Faith without good deeds is dead

*Here in , James was urging the Gentile Christians to abstain from eating meat offered to idols, not because it would cause them to lose their salvation, but because it could offend the weaker brothers. By adding this dietary restriction, God was asking the Gentile Christians to bend over backwards to keep peace with their Jewish brothers in Christ.

*Now God wants us to bend over backwards for each other, because of our love for the Lord and our love for His people. Yes, we are released from the detailed, strict regulations of Old Testament Jewish law, but at the same time, we are restrained by God's love. The gospel calls us to live by love, and that's great news about the gospel!

has opened the eyes of those of us who have been studying another important topic. Faith without good deeds is dead

James2:19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? NLT

New Living Translation Chapter 2

19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?

We need to understand that if we truly Admit, believe and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we cannot deny the work God has placed in our hearts. If our heart has changed, we will ACT in Christ and be ACTive in our movement forward in Christ.