2022-09-18 Getting the Gospel Right (3): Truth Delivered

GETTING THE GOSPEL RIGHT (3): TRUTH DELIVERED (Acts 15:22-35) September 18, 2022 Read Acts 15:22-35 - Can despair ever be a good thing? Isn't it always bad? Spurgeon once said, "I have never heard yet of anybody who derived any good from despair." Then he continued, "Let me correct myself, there is a kind of despair which is the work of the Spirit of God; I wish that you all felt it-a despair of self-salvation, a despair of washing away your own sin." How I join him in wishing we all had that despair. Eternity is at stake on that. In our series we've seen the "Jesus plus" movement came to Antioch on the heels of P&B, claiming salvation is by faith in Jesus, plus circumcision and keeping the Law. They lacked despair at futility of their own human efforts. P&B contended aggressively for salvation by faith in Christ alone. No human merit involved. But the offenders persisted, so the leaders in Antioch sent a delegation to Jerusalem to get clarity. Last week, we saw Peter, Paul and James create an airtight case that salvation is by faith alone apart from works as shown by the Word, by the miracles attached to the message and by the outpouring of the HS on the Gentiles at Cornelius' house. No circumcision! The answer was clear. Now it had to be communicated. In this effort, the leaders in Jerusalem aimed at encouragement, clarity, unity and stability. They arrived at a beautiful way to defend and confirm the message of the gospel. And since this battle is in every generation, including our own, there is help here on how we need to deliver the message. I. The Explicit Response In their response to Antioch, the apostles were faithful to "contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). They realized if we lose the gospel, we lose everything. Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again (I Cor 15:3-4). This is the gospel that must be defended at all cost. It is eternally relevant. We must contend with civility, gentleness and respect, but we must contend. The Jerusalem response is a model in this regard. A. Clarity in Tone and Content - The written response is beautifully done. 23) "The brothers, both the apostles and the elders [highest church authority on earth], to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings." These Jewish leaders acknowledge the Gentiles in Antioch as brothers from the start. How welcoming! Then they show they understand the issue. 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." "Troubled you with words" translates ταράσσω which originally meant to plunder a town. Someone had plundered the peace of mind these people had concerning salvation That's a despicable thing to rob someone of. It unsettled their minds. The plunderers had seemed real; claiming to be authorized by Jerusalem. But they were not; thus, the apostles were anxious to undo the damage done by these imposters. They continue, 28 "For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements" which had nothing to do with circumcision but were suggested limitations to accommodate tender Jewish sensibilities. The burden imposed by the false pretenders was lifted. And to make sure the message was clear, they didn't just send a letter; they sent two of their best - Judas and Silas - returning with P&B. B. Confirmation of Previous Witness - The letter confirmed the ministry of "our beloved Barnabas and Paul". This assured these new believers: "Yes, they got it right. They are beloved by us and they got it right. Judas and Silas will confirm that." They are keen to bolster the faith of this growing flock in Antioch. Justification is by faith alone in Christ alone. No circumcision needed. No law-keeping. Just Jesus! Sending Judas and Silas was a genius move by the Jerusalem leaders. The issue in Antioch was contentious, pitting Jews, who had been circumcised against Gentiles who had not. The written response, no matter how carefully crafted, could still be subject to interpretation and question. Judas and Silas were equipped to go beyond the letter to explain further. And Judas, being a Jew, along with Silas who was a Roman citizen, covered both sides of the controversy. They left no ground for misunderstanding. Written words can confuse. Like the prof who wrote, "Woman without her man is nothing." He then instructed his class to punctuate the sentence. The men wrote: "Woman, without her man, is nothing." The women wrote, "Woman! Without her, man is nothing!" Judas and Silas were to prevent any such misunderstanding between competing parties in the controversy. C. Direction and Unity of the Spirit - Now the most critical part of the letter. They were not communicating their opinion; it was the word of the HS. 28) "For it has seemed good to the HS and to us." So, how did they know? What did they do? They studied the Bible together in community. When they agreed on what the Bible taught, they said, "That's what the HS is saying, so that's what we say as well." It's a beautiful illustration of the need for one another in gaining insight into God's Word. Can you be saved without being part of a church? Sure! But to some that means, "I can decide for myself what God wants of me. That's between me and God.." Yes, BUT when we come together and study the Bible together, we have more confidence that we're reading it rightly. We all have prejudices and biases. So, God urges, Heb 10:24: "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some." Can we hear God alone? Yes. But coming together helps overcome the blindness we all bring to the task. These people sought the authority of the Wordtogether. They didn't go by feelings or emotions or personal experience. They studied the Word to discern His leading and could therefore say, "This is what seemed good to the HS and to us as well." That's a good place to be. They had the right authority. D. Unifying Instruction - So, they clarified no circumcision or law-keeping. But they do give 4 prohibitions. 29 "that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality." These are not for salvation. That issue is settled. These restrictions are about fellowship. They concern being sensitive to the long-held beliefs of other Christians to avoid conflict. Food offered to pagan idols obviously went uneaten. So it was sold in temple shops or the marketplace. But idolatry was so blasphemous to the Jews that anything associated with it - including meat which was harmless in itself - was anathema. They'd been taught to avoid meat with blood in it, which could result from strangled animals. So, the letter urges Gentile believers, for the sake of fellowship, to avoid these meats which were harmless in themselves but would offend Jewish consciences. Paul addresses this principle in I Cor 8 where speaking of food offered to idols and then sold to the public: 8 "Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? 11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died." He's saying, "Be sensitive to your less mature brother. Is it a sin to eat meat offered to idols? Not for you, and not morally. But if your brother's conscience is offended, and he follows your example, he sins against his own conscience. For the sake of fellowship, give up that right." He says in Rom 14:15: "For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love." It's a matter of unity; not salvation. R. C. Sproul had a college friend who fell in love with ping-pong. He became obsessed to the point where it ate into study time, relationship time and God time. One day he came to Sproul and said, "The HS has convicted me that it's a sin for me to play ping-pong." And it was - for him. Wrong for everyone? No, but his abuse of this freedom made it a sin for him to continue. To urge him on would have been to abuse a weaker brother and cause him to sin. So, what about sexual immorality? Some have said they were prohibiting incest, etc as the Mosaic law. But πορνεια - means any sexual activity outside marriage. Gentile ethics and practices were very lax in this regard. Barclay says that chastity was "the only completely new virtue that Christianity brought into the world." Gentiles saw sex as a human need to be addressed just like hunger. Adultery was part of their pagan temple rituals. Men had wives for children and mistresses for pleasure. But that was completely incompatible with God's character and commands. So, Jas and team are urging on the Gentile believers sexual purity in an impure world. Paul's letters constantly urge attention to this issue. Eph 5:3: "But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints." Sexual license was rampant. He urges in I Cor 6:18 where 1,000 temple prostitutes loomed at a hill above the city: "18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." The Jews were sometimes immoral, but at least knew it to be wrong. Gentiles practiced sexual immorality without any thought of it being wrong. Thus, this letter urges sexual purity, not for the sake of salvation but to re-enforce its importance in representing Christ rightly. Gutzon Borglum, the genius of Mt Rushmore, also sculpted a head of Lincoln for the capitol in DC. Lincoln's face was just becoming recognizable out of the square piece of stone when a young visitor asked, "Is that Abe Lincoln?" "Yes," Borglum replied. The little girl asked, "Well, how in the world did you know he was inside there?" Good question. How will the world know Jesus is inside us? Only if we live like Him. That's the point of James prohibitions. II. The Enthusiastic Reception Now, look what happens when you get the gospel right! 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." When people finally realize the bankruptcy of human goodness and the wonder of God's grace, great joy follows. Oh - the wonder and relief when the truth of this priceless gift sinks in. Have you been there? Do you know grace? Do you know the gospel? Apart from this, there is never any assurance. But the gospel brings living water to the parched soul. Paul David Tripp and wife, Luella, had just had their 2nd child and could not afford the bills. Their little church struggled to pay them, and unexpected emergencies left them without resource. The hospital called and Paul says, "The only thing that gave me peace was I knew they couldn't repossess our infant son!" But he got a shock: "We have an assistance program for families like yours; we have decided that you qualify, and we have canceled your debt." He was dumbfounded. He says, "I couldn't believe it! It felt like a boulder had been taken off my chest. Joy flooded into my heart." Have you felt that same joy that the debt of all your sin has been canceled? You can. You have only to ask. The joy this brings is unspeakable. Paul says God has forgiven all our trespasses, Col 2:14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross." There's the gospel - salvation by grace alone thru faith alone in Christ alone. III. The Enhancing Reinforcement Now, having delivered their life-giving message, Paul, Barnabas, Silas and Judas didn't leave it at that - all of them stayed on teaching, encouraging and strengthening these brothers in the faith. How would you have liked to be part of that church? I tell you we'd have been there morning, noon and night to hear the glories of God from these gifted men. Grace doesn't stop the moment we're saved. It starts then! It is the continuing experience of true believers. We all need strengthening. Paul tells Timothy: II Tim 2: 1) You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also." There's the pattern. Gospel truth flowing from Paul to Timothy to faithful men to others - right on down to us. But will we keep the chain going? That's our task and privilege as a Xn. Conc - So, have you got the gospel right - or is it still Jesus plus for you? Are you still working your way, wondering if it's enough, hoping that bc you're better than most, you're good enough? I can tell you now. You're not. But He is. That is what we must believe, receive and teach. Songwriter, Augustus Toplady put it brilliantly - "Not the labors of my hands / Could fulfill Thy law's demand; / Could my zeal no respite know, / Could my tears forever flow, / All for sin could not atone; / Thou must save, and thou alone." Let's pray DONE 7