Removing The Obstacle
Notes
Transcript
Again I want to welcome everybody that is joining us online today.
And for those joining us for the first time, I especially want to welcome you and would encourage you to take a moment and fill out a digital connect card at mcf.life/online so that we can better connect with you and send you some information about our church.
If you are new to our church, it would also be helpful for you to know that here at MCF we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”.
What that means is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then studying them from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, in order to better understand what the Bible says and how it applies to our lives.
That being said, we are currently doing that through the book of Acts. A NT book written by a first century disciple named Luke, who wrote it for two primary reasons:
First, to give us a history of the church. How it started. Who was there, the circumstances that surrounded it.
Second, to give us a ministry template of sorts. A template for how to accomplish the mission Jesus has given us to take the gospel to the entire world.
So, if you haven’t been with us, I would encourage you to go online to MCF.life where you can watch or listen to all the messages leading up to today.
However, today, we are picking back up in Acts 15.
You may recall last week Acts 15 kicked off with Paul returning to the city of Antioch after completing his first missionary journey. A journey that had its ups and downs but was ultimately successful as many Gentiles came to faith in Jesus.
But as we learned, upon his return, the celebration was short lived as Paul was faced with what we called a “Gospel Obstacle”.
The Gospel Obstacle came in the form of a question that was asked by a group of Jewish Christians. And the question was, “Had these Gentiles been circumcised upon accepting faith in Jesus?”
And as we learned, the question was asked because these Jewish Christians believed that unless a person was circumcised according to Jewish custom, they could not be saved. In fact they put it like this. Luke writes:
1 But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
So, what’s the deal with circumcision?
Well, as we learned, for the Jew, circumcision represented their covenant relationship with God, the entry point into Judaism, and their national identity. It was what made them Jewish and everybody else Gentile.
And so, in the minds of these Jewish Christians, they believed in order for a person to be saved, along with faith in Jesus, they needed to first give themselves to Judaism and embrace all of the rituals and customs that went with it, beginning with circumcision. Because until you did that, you weren’t saved.
But as we learned, Paul didn’t believe that. How do we know? We know because of what he wrote in Romans 10:
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Paul says its faith and faith alone in Jesus that saves a person.
But the Jewish Christians weren’t about to see it that way, which if you recall, led to Paul and Barnabas traveling to Jerusalem in order to address this issue with the apostles.
So, what did the Apostles think? Well, Luke says after some debate, both the Apostle Peter and James agreed with Paul on two important facts:
Fact #1 - Gentiles can be saved.
We know this as Peter references an occasion in Acts 10 where he led some Gentiles to faith in Jesus. So, in Peter’s mind, that’s not even something to debate. Gentiles can be saved.
Facts #2 - People are saved through faith in Jesus, not the law.
Now, some might say, “Ok Pastor, that’s great, but what does that mean for us?”
Well as we learned last week, it’s good news for all of us, because unfortunately, we’ve created our own versions of circumcision in the church today.
For some churches, circumcision is infant or water baptism. And teach that without it, a person can’t be saved.
For other churches, circumcision is membership to a certain church or denomination, and that without it, teach that a person can’t be saved.
For some circumcision is good works, and teach without it, that a person can’t be saved.
But as we learned last week, the Bible doesn’t support any of those ideas. In fact, the Bible says the only way a person can be saved is through faith, and faith alone in Jesus.
Now, does that mean baptism isn’t important? Of course not. Biblical Baptism symbolizes your new faith in Jesus.
Does that mean church attendance isn’t necessary? Of course not, church is where believers gather together to be encouraged and challenged to grow in their faith.
Does that mean good works aren’t important? Of course not, according to the Apostle James, your behavior, attitude, and actions are now a direct result and evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. But they don’t save you.
All that to say, what this entire situation has proven is that if you want to be saved, if you want to assure yourself a place in heaven, then all you need to do is put your faith in Jesus and make Him Lord of your life. You don’t need anything else to be saved.
And like I said, it should be case closed at this point. But unfortunately, it’s often not. And the reason it’s not is because while some may know the truth, there are many who don’t have the truth, haven’t been given the truth, and in many cases haven’t been taught the truth.
Which means, our job isn’t done. Because now that we know the truth, it’s our job to make sure that the truth gets out, and that those who have been misinformed can now be correctly informed of what the Gospel is and what it isn’t.
The question then is, “How do we do that? How do we correct false teaching when it comes to the gospel?”
That’s a great question and will be our focus today. And thankfully, the next several verses are going to help us answer this question because following the verdict from the Jerusalem church, the false teaching in Antioch needs to be addressed. The teaching that says a person must be circumcised to be saved. And the apostles are going to address it.
So, what did they do? How did they address it? Luke tells us as we pick back up Acts 15. Beginning in verse 22 he writes:
“Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, with the following letter...” Acts 15:22-23a (ESV)
Luke says the church responds to the false teaching by sending some chosen men too Antioch along with a letter they’ve written.
So, a great question would be, “Why these specific men and what does the letter say?”
That’s what we are going to discover today. And in doing so we are going to answer the question, “How do you correct false teaching concerning the gospel?”
And so to accomplish that, here’s how we are going to approach this passage:
First, we’re going to read the letter and find out what it says.
Second, we’re going to walk back through the letter and identify four general principles on how to correct false teaching concerning the gospel.
And my hope is, that after learning what these principles are, that you and I will be better equipped and able to lead people to the truth of the Gospel.
So, with that as our basis, let’s jump back into Acts 15 and find out what this letter says and how the Jerusalem church is correcting this false teaching concerning the gospel. Picking up in verse 23 here’s what the letter said:
23 with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. 24 Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, 25 it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
So, there’s the letter and the Jerusalem Church’s response as they attempt to address the false teaching in Antioch. And as I said, there are at least four principles in this letter that show us how to address a false teaching. And I would state the first one like this:
Principle #1 - In order to address false teaching, communicate in a way they understand and can relate with.
Now, I know on the surface that may sound a little confusing, but let me explain what I mean by this.
What’s intersting about the letter sent by the Jersualem church to the Gentiles, is that it’s written in the formal GrecoRoman stile of letter writing.
And we know that based on the greeting, the structure, and the ending of the letter, all of which are in the GrecoRoman style of letting writing.
For example, in verse 23 the letter begins by saying:
23 with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings.
This introduction was a very common way to begin the typical Greco Roman letter as both sender and recipients are addressed.
From there, the body follows the typical GrecoRoman letter format, and then ends on an equally formal note. We see this in verse 29 as the letter ends with the word “Farewell”.
29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
Now, you might be wondering, “Why is this letter writing format such an detail important?”
It’s important because what it tells us, is this Jewish congregation was making every effort to communicate clearly and in a style of writing that the Gentile audience would understand, appreciate, and be receptive too.
And this would have spoken volumes to the Gentile Christians, because it would have signaled to them that the Jewish Christians were not only concerned about them, but were doing everything they could to communicate in a way they could understand and relate with.
Think of it like this. Let’s say you were going to share the gospel with somebody that doesn’t speak very good English. And so instead expecting them to adapt English, before having a conversation with them, you took the time to learn how to communicate the gospel in their language and in a way they would clearly understand.
That would go a long way, right? Because obviously, it’s not your first language. But in order to make sure they understand a very important message, you took the time to learn how to communicate it in their language.
In way, that’s what’s going on here. In order to communicate what the gospel is and what it isn’t, the Jewish Christians have written the letter in a format that will be clearly understood and appreciated by the Gentile believers.
So, how does that apply to us? In the same way. Because what was true for them must be true for us. Because if we’re going to correct false teaching, we have to communicate it in a way they will understand.
Now, you might be thinking, “Ok pastor, I Kind of get what you are saying, but I doubt I’m going to have to learn a new language or adopt some form of special letter writing to do that. So, what exactly are you talking about?”
Let me explain it like this:
When I first came to Marysville, I quickly discovered that Marysville is a religious community. And what I mean by that, is when it comes to matters of faith, it’s a community that highly values religous tradition, rituals, and spiritual heritage. In fact, it runs really deep in our county and region. And I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just a fact.
But guess what, I didn’t grow up like that. Because from about age 3 I grew up in a Full Gospel Church where tradition, rituals, and heritage weren’t always emphasized. Instead what was emphasized was Christian fellowship, contemporary worship, and Biblical teaching.
And so when I came to Marysville, it was a little bit of a culture shock for me. Because to be honest, I wasn’t accustomed to some of the rituals and customs that go with a religous community.
For example, when my first Easter came around, and people started talking about lent and lenton lunches, while I knew what they were talking about, that lingo and focus had never been a part of my previous Easter experiences. Yes, we focused on Good Friday and Easter, but practicing lent and lenton lunches, that was new.
Christmas was the same way as people started talking about Advent. Again, I knew what Advent meant, but it wasn’t a term that had often been used in the communities and churches I had been a part of.
That being said, I quickly realized if I wanted to reach a religious community with the gospel, then I needed to learn to communicate in the language of a religous community.
And so from that point on I started versing myself in the traditions and rituals of this community. And what it’s helped me to do is speak and talk to people with religous backgrounds in a way they can relate with. Which has enabled me to reach people with the gospel in a way I wouldn’t have been able too before.
Let me give you an example of what I’m talking about, and it may even offend some of you, but please hear me out.
One of the rituals that I found is very important too many in our community is the ritual of infant baptism. And to be honest, I had never really understood why it was so important for the person who had been infant baptized. Because for many years through church experience and even in Bible College, I had just been taught that it was an unbiblical baptism that should be discouraged.
And as a result, it’s always been an obstacle for me in helping people get past their infant baptism and embrace Biblical baptism as an adult. Because I’ve always approached it as one is wrong and the other is right.
But then something happened just recently that I believe is going to help me remove that obstacle. Something that might surprise some of you. Because as I started studying infant baptism, what it meant, and why it was so important to people who had been infant bapitzed, I started getting a different perspective on it.
And part of that change in perspective came as I considered my own religious background. And what I realized is that prior to my parents joining a Protestant church, they were Catholic. In fact, going back as far as 200 years my family had been Catholic.
And that got me to thinking, if my grandparents were Catholic, and my parents were Catholic, and my parents got married in the Catholic church, I wonder if they had me infant baptized in the Catholic Church. Because like I said, I was like 3 years old when we started attending a Full Gospel Church.
And so I asked my mom a question I’d never thought to ask before. I asked her if I had been infant baptized in the Catholic Church.
And check out what she sent me: Baptism Certificate
I don’t know if you can see it very clearly, but that is my infant baptism certificate, certifying that Bradley Neal Wicks, on July 21st, 1973, became reborn of water and by Holy Spirit, begin baptized through the ministry of Father Merlin Kieffer, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church.
Now, I have to be honest with you, that blew my mind. I was like, “Are you serious, I was infant baptized in the Catholic Church.”
But not only did it blow my mind, it gave me great joy.
Now, you might be thinking, “What do you mean it gave you great joy pastor. I thought you were against infant baptism.”
Here’s why it gave me joy.
#1 - It made me thankful that at as a baby, before I was even able to make a decision of faith, my parents cared enough for me to give me a spiritual heritage and set me on a path to know God. I am so thankful my parents did that.
#2 - It made me realize that the reason I’m where I’m at in my faith today, is because of that moment. A moment of blessing. A moment of dedication. A moment that started my journey of faith. And I am so thankful for that.
Now, do I believe that moment saved me or started the process of salvation in me? No, because the Bible doesn’t say that. But I do believe it was an important moment that set me on a path to know God.
And it’s now, because of this new information, it’s changed my perspective and given me a new way to speak to someone who is struggling with Biblical Baptism as an adult.
Because here’s what I would now say to that person:
“Listen, I think it’s great that you were baptized as an infant. In fact, I was too. What a wonderful ceremony of dedication. I’m so thankful I had parents who cared enough about me to set me on a path of faith.”
“In fact, I believe my infant baptism has played a big part in my faith journey. That it was the beginning point for my faith in Jesus today. I’m so thankful my parents took that initiative. So I celebrate that baptism with you.
However, when I say you need to get baptized, I’m talking about something completely different. I’m talking about Biblical Baptism. I’m talking about the baptism we see in the NT. A Baptism by full immersion that follows faith in Jesus. A baptism that Jesus actually commands us to follow through with in Matthew 28. You see, the two are not the same.
So, by getting Biblically baptized, all you are doing is taking the next step in your journey of faith. It started when you were a baby, and it continues today as you make a decision now as an adult to put your faith in Jesus. A decision you’ve made for yourself. A decision that is now demonstrated through baptism as the old you is washed away and the new is born.”
You see how that works? Because once you’re able to speak in a way that relates with them, it gives you opportunity to point them to a Biblical truth.
All that to say, by better understanding the rituals and customs of certain backgrounds, you and I will be able to communicate the gospel in a way they can understand and be open to receive.
And the same would be true for many different aspects of a person’s religous background. Whether it be the need for church attendance, membership, rituals, or whatever somebody has told them they need to be saved. By understanding what they believe and why they believe it, and then meeting them at that place, you will be better equipped to point them to Biblical truth.
This leads us to a second principle when addressing false teaching:
Principle #2 - In order to address false teaching, don’t elevate yourself above them.
Now again, this my seem like an odd principal, but let me show you what I mean by it.
What I want you to notice is how the Jewish Christians address the Gentile Christians in the opening of this letter. Check this out:
23 with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings.
What I want you to notice is the word “brothers”. The word is translated from the Greek word “adelphos” and it literally means to associate with a group of persons having a well defined membership.
In other words, it implies that we are in this together and we are of the same family.
And what I want you to notice is that the word is used twice.
First it’s used to identify the letter writers as they begin the letter by saying, “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders...”
Meaning, as Jewish Christians, we are brothers. Brothers who are of the same faith in Jesus and a part of God’s family.
Second, it’s used to identify the Gentile Christians as the Jewish Christians write, “to the brothers who are the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings.”
Now, you might ask, “Why’s that such a big deal?” It’s a big deal, because the Jewish Christians are identifying with the Gentile Christians. They are acknowledging that they too are a part of the family of God. That like them, their faith in Jesus has connected them to this family.
And again, this would have spoke volumes to the Gentile Christians. Because more than likely, based on the wrong teaching they’d received concerning circumcision, they may have felt like they weren’t really Christians.
More than likely, they may have even felt less because they weren’t Jews.
But in this letter, those ideas or concerns are dismissed as the Jewish Christians clarify that through faith in Jesus we are all on the same level. We are all part of the same family. We are brothers.
And I can tell you right now, this acknowledgment opened up a door of relationship between these Jews and Gentiles that ended any animosity that may have existed as a result of the wrong teaching they had received.
Here’s why this is so important for us to understand. When you encounter somebody that has a wrong understanding of the Gospel, whether they be a Pentecostal, a Baptist, a Catholic, a Methodist, a Lutheran, a Presbyterian, or whatever denomination they affiliate with, what you have to recognize before you say anything, is that you have more in common with them than you think.
That like you, they believe Jesus is the Son of God. That like you, they believe that Jesus died for their sins. That like you, they believe in the Holy Spirit. That like you, having a relationship with God is important to them. That like you, they are a brother in Christ.
The only difference is, they believe circumcision is necessary for salvation, and you don’t.
In other words, they’ve attached something to their faith in Jesus, like infant baptism, or church attendance, or good works, or something like that, that they think they need in order to be saved. Something that is keeping them from experiencing all that God wants to give them. That’s the only difference.
Or, through bad teaching, they’ve adopted a worldly idea that runs contrary to Christian living. Something that they may even be blind to or unaware of. Something nobody has taught them differently about. But that doesn’t mean their not saved. That doesn’t mean they aren’t your brother if they’ve put their faith in Jesus.
Honestly, recognizing this is critical if you want to correct wrong teaching. Because if your approach is to make them feel like they are less or that you’re saved and their not, or your right and they’re wrong, then good luck, because more than likely they won’t be open to anything you have to say.
However, if you’re willing to acknowledge that the basis for your faith is the same, that being Jesus, and that you are brothers, then it will give you common ground and open up a door for you to share the truth with them. Which leads us to the third principal in addressing wrong teaching:
Principle #3 - In order to address false teaching, point them to true authority.
Notice what the Jewish Christians say next in this letter:
24 Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, 25 it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth.
Luke says after addressing them in a letter format they would have understood, and after identifying with them as fellow Christians, they now point them to the truth. And they do it by establishing first, an important fact, and then second, pointing them to 4 men. So, let’s start with the fact.
And the fact is, the men who were teaching that circumcision was necessary for salvation, do not represent the church in Jerusalem. That’s why they write:
24 Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions,
The church leaders first and foremost want to clarify that the men teaching circumcision have not been authorized or instructed to do so. And that what they are teaching isn’t in line with what the Jerusalem church believes about salvation.
Because as we learned last week, from the mouth of both the Apostle Peter and James, salvation comes by the grace of God through faith in Jesus. And that there is nothing that can be added to that. So, that’s the fact.
But not only do they point them to that truth, but they point them to 4 men. So, who are these men?
The first two are Judas and Silas. And they are identified as direct representatives of the Jerusalem church. Representatives that have come to confirm the truth of salvation. The letter states it like this:
27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth.
In other words, they have come to verify that it’s through faith and faith alone in Jesus a person is saved, and that circumcision isn’t necessary. And they want the Gentiles to hear it from their own mouth.
The other two men are Paul and Barnabas. The letter states:
25 it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So, why do they specifically send and mention Paul and Barnabas?
They send and mention them as a way of validating Paul’s ministry. They want the Gentiles to know that what Paul has taught them is correct.
And not only that, but that Paul is an amazing example of somebody who not only understands the gospel, but has given his life for it.
So, if you’re going to listen to anybody, listen to him. Paul is an authority you can trust.
And all this would have been ciritical for the new Gentile Christians. Because with all the false teaching that had been floating around, they needed confirmation of what the truth was.
And they needed somebody solid to hold onto for future teaching and growth, and that man is Paul.
Here’s why this is so important for us to understand. The fact is in order to lead somebody away from wrong teaching, you have to point them to the truth.
And in our case, it’s the same truth today as it was then. And it’s written and given to us by the same authority that it was given to them. An authority that we refer to as God’s Word. AKA, the Bible.
A book that is full of truth. A book that is authored by men who walked with Jesus and were hand delivered the teachings of Jesus straight from Jesus’s mouth. Men like Peter, James, and John.
But not only that, its authored by a man that the early church said we could trust. A man ordained by God to reach the Gentile nations. A man who wrote 13 of the 27 books found in the NT. A man who understood the gospel and gave his life for it. A man named Paul. Of him the Apostle Peter writes:
15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.
In this passage Peter says, “Paul’s pretty deep, but you can trust what he says. He’s somebody who understands the gospel.” So Peter says, “Listen to him.”
Here’s the deal. If you want to lead somebody way from false teaching, you have to lead them to the truth. You have to show them and challenge them what the Bible actually says. Because at the end of the day, the Bible is the authority. Not the denomination. Not the church. Not the pastor or priest. Only the Bible. And if what is being taught doesn’t line up with the Bible, then it’s not the truth, and in most cases, not the gospel.
Now, you might say, “Ok Pastor, that’s great. But what truth do I point them to in the Bible?”
Well, it depends on where their misunderstanding is. If it’s about salvation, then you point them to a book like Romans, where Paul spends a majority of the letter highlighting what salvation is and what it isn’t. For example, when it comes to good works in order to get into heaven, Paul writes:
10 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
Paul makes it clear here, that nobody is good or enough or can be good enough to be right with God.
To add to that, when it comes to salvation, you could point them to Ephesians 2 where Paul writes:
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Paul says it’s not by works a person is saved, but by grace through faith in Jesus.
And if you want to seal the deal on that, you could go back to Romans 10 where Paul writes:
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Paul says if you put your faith in Jesus, and you confess Him as Lord of your life, you will be saved.
So, if it’s about salvation, you simply point them to scriptures that declare what salvation is and what it isn’t.
Now, if it’s about something else, like Christian living or some sort of obvious sin in their life, then you point them to the Bible, but you need to do it in coordination with the Holy Spirit, which leads us to our final principle, and I would state it like this:
Principle #4 - In order to address false teaching, you need to let the Holy Spirit take the lead.
We see this as the letter comes to a close. Check this out:
28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
What I want you to notice first is the phrase, “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us...”
This is an important phrase because it demonstrates to us how the early church took action and made decisions. Because not only did they base if off of truth, but by the leading of the Holy Spirit as they addressed the Gentile Christians.
This is an important point because if we’re not careful, we could jump the gun and get ahead of the Holy Spirit. Because the fact is, in order to address false teaching, it takes the right timing and the right words. And much of that is determined as we rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us.
The second thing I want you to notice, is what they felt led by the Spirit to share. Look at it again:
28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
The first thing they felt led to share concerned the requirements for salvation. Meaning, you don’t need to be circumcised to be saved.
The second thing they felt led to share though was less about salvation, and more about Christian living. Because along with verifying how a person is saved, they gave some direction on what a Christian lifestyle should not entail as they list out some practices and lifestyle choices they need to avoid.
For example, they encourage them to abstain from food sacrificed to idols. Which would have involved food that had been offered to pagan gods as a sacrifice. Which would have been a way of saying, “Don’t make sacrifices to false gods anymore. You have one God you serve, and sacrifices are no longer needed because Jesus made the final sacrifice for your sins.”
Another encouragement was to abstain from sexual immorality, which was rampant in the Roman culture. This would have included premarital sex, temple prostitution, and homosexuality.
And so the Apostles say, “It’s time to stop living like the world. This isn’t the way God wants you to live now.”
Now, you might be thinking, “Ok Pastor. But why do they address those specific sins? Wouldn’t there need to be other changes they need to make?”
Yes, but these are the specific lifestyle changes they felt led by the Spirit to instruct them on. Why? Probably because they were the immediate changes that needed to be made.
But the point is this. When you correct false teaching or unbiblical living, the Holy Spirit needs to lead you into what to say, not to say, and when to say it.
Let me give you an example of what I’m talking about:
Example - Mark Driscoll Couple
Several years ago I heard a pastor tell a story of a couple who came to his church. Both living in lifestyles that most Christians would deem as questionable.
For one, they were living together unmarried.
Second, the woman was a stripper.
But here they were at church, and would you believe it, but on that first Sunday they decided to put their faith in Jesus. Awesome, right!
Now, you would think at that point the pastor would say, “Ok, now that you’re saved, some things need to change. First, you need to quit living together or get married. And second, young lady, you need to quit stripping.”
But guess what, he didn’t say any of that. Prompted by the Holy Spirit, he simply said, keep coming to church.
And so they did.
After a few weeks though, the couple scheduled a meeting with the pastor. In the meeting they shared how they’d started feeling some convictions. The first conviction was that they needed to get married. And the second conviction was that the woman needed to stop stripping.
At that point the pastor said, “You know what, you’re right on both counts. In fact the Bible says pre-marital sex isn’t pleasing to God. And the Bible also says our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and that a woman’s body is meant for her husband only.”
And at that point, the couple committed to get married and the woman quit stripping.
Now, let me ask you this. What if the pastor would have ignored the Holy Spirit? What if he would have gave them a list of do’s and don’ts at that point?
I don’t think they would have come back. But because he listened to the Spirit, and followed the Spirit’s lead, they came back, and the Holy Spirit led them to that conclusion.
That’s what’s happening in Acts 15, but in a different way. In Acts 15, the Holy Spirit has led them to address some specific issues. Because apparently the Gentiles are now open to further instruction. How do we know? We know because of how they responded to the instruction. Because after reading the letter, Luke writes:
30 So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. 32 And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words.
Luke says after reading the letter, they rejoiced and were glad for the encouragement and instruction. In other words, nobody was upset or offended by the letter or the instruction it gave.
Now, at this point, you might be thinking, ok pastor, that’s great, but how does this apply to us?”
It applies in the same way. the fact is, when we confront false teaching, we need to make sure that the Holy Spirit is leading us in what we say, how we say it, and when we say it. Otherwise, we risk loosing the opportunity.
I know for me personally, there have been times I’ve wanted to address something sinful or some wrong teaching in somebody’s life, but I knew the timing wasn’t right. That if I said something, I’d risk pushing them further away. So, instead of jumping all over them, I prayed. I prayed the Holy Spirit would open up the right door and opportunity to address the issue. And guess what, He always has.
The bottom line is this, if you want to lead somebody to the truth, you need the Holy Spirit to lead you first. Which always leads to the best outcome. And we see that in this story as Luke writes:
33 And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
Luke says all is well now as the people rejoice, the gospel is preached, and may other people come to faith in Jesus.
Because that’s what happens when you preach the truth. That’s what happens when you expose false doctrine. In that moment, people are set free and the gospel marches forward.
And this morning that is my hope for you.
That as you continue to grow in your knowledge of the gospel, that what the Bible actually says will become more and more clear to you.
That you will begin to see that faith in Jesus isn’t about belonging to a certain church or denomination or performing certain rituals.
Or that salvation is about you being good enough or performing enough good works.
But that salvation and being right with God comes through a relationship with Jesus. A relationship that can’t be earned, bought, or achieved. But a relationship that is offered to us as a gift. And that all a person has to do to receive that gift is put their faith in Jesus.
My hope also is that as you share your faith with others, that you would learn to do so in a way that leads them to the truth.
That you would learn to talk with them in a way they can relate with.
That you would address them as fellow believers.
That you would be willing to point them to the truth.
And that in pointing them to the truth you would be led by the Holy Spirit.
Because I believe if we are willing to do that, that the best days of our church lie ahead. That by preaching the truth and exposing the untrue, that a great harvest is coming. That through our commitment to God’s Word, many people will come to faith in Jesus.
Let’s Pray