WEBVTT 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:04.160 Well, good morning and Merry Christmas To you 00:00:04.160 --> 00:00:07.179 guys and so fun as she said we get to sing just 00:00:07.179 --> 00:00:09.560 Christmas carols together and familiar songs 00:00:09.560 --> 00:00:13.519 together It is always a joy this season to be 00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:15.699 together as a church family and focusing on the 00:00:15.699 --> 00:00:19.320 birth of Jesus Christ and Just so you know Christmas 00:00:19.320 --> 00:00:24.780 is just ten ten days away now so Yeah, Drew. 00:00:24.859 --> 00:00:28.179 Yes. Come on. Yes. It's ten days away. The countdown 00:00:28.179 --> 00:00:31.420 has begun And I know you guys are making preparations 00:00:31.420 --> 00:00:35.960 for that as we are as a church together. Well, 00:00:35.960 --> 00:00:37.700 let's grab our Bibles. We get to turn our attention 00:00:37.700 --> 00:00:39.340 to God's Word this morning, which is always a 00:00:39.340 --> 00:00:42.439 highlight of why we come together as a church 00:00:42.439 --> 00:00:44.399 and turn to the book of Acts. We're going to 00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:47.460 just keep going through Acts this week. In fact, 00:00:47.500 --> 00:00:49.100 this will be the last message out of the book 00:00:49.100 --> 00:00:52.700 of Acts for this year. Not the last message. 00:00:52.719 --> 00:00:55.299 We would not stop in chapter 21 and not finish. 00:00:55.579 --> 00:00:58.039 the rest of the book together but for this year 00:00:58.039 --> 00:01:00.320 and then we'll pick it back up in January next 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:03.280 week we'll turn our attention to Christmas and 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:06.680 have a time looking at the Christmas story and 00:01:06.680 --> 00:01:11.019 then we'll get into January and pick up in the 00:01:11.019 --> 00:01:12.939 book of Acts from there but we're in Acts chapter 00:01:12.939 --> 00:01:15.700 21 and this morning is an important passage of 00:01:15.700 --> 00:01:18.340 scripture as all of scripture is but in this 00:01:18.340 --> 00:01:21.959 in particular with dealing with unity within 00:01:21.959 --> 00:01:24.819 the church for the advancement of the gospel. 00:01:25.239 --> 00:01:28.340 Unity within the church for advancement of the 00:01:28.340 --> 00:01:32.239 gospel of the gospel and At the end of this chapter 00:01:32.239 --> 00:01:34.819 and chapter 21 the Apostle Paul gets arrested. 00:01:34.819 --> 00:01:37.920 I know shocker, right? The Apostle Paul's arrested 00:01:37.920 --> 00:01:42.180 again, but the interesting reason why in Acts 00:01:42.180 --> 00:01:45.560 chapter 21 Let me just pray. Let me just read 00:01:45.560 --> 00:01:48.780 first and then I'll pray Acts 21 We still get 00:01:48.780 --> 00:01:52.099 verse 17 down to verse 20 together and I'll pray 00:01:52.099 --> 00:01:54.319 for us and then we'll jump in to see all that 00:01:54.319 --> 00:02:00.439 God has for us in this chapter. Acts 21, verse 00:02:00.439 --> 00:02:04.060 17. When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers 00:02:04.060 --> 00:02:08.039 received us gladly. On the following day, Paul 00:02:08.039 --> 00:02:11.580 went in with us to James, and all the elders 00:02:11.580 --> 00:02:14.199 were present. After greeting them, he related 00:02:14.199 --> 00:02:17.060 one by one the things that God had done among 00:02:17.060 --> 00:02:22.080 the Gentiles through his ministry. And when they 00:02:22.080 --> 00:02:26.530 heard it, They glorified God. They said to him, 00:02:26.810 --> 00:02:29.090 you see brother, how many thousands there are 00:02:29.090 --> 00:02:34.250 among the Jews of those who have believed. Let 00:02:34.250 --> 00:02:37.189 me just pray for us so we, I know there's more 00:02:37.189 --> 00:02:39.590 to this story, I guess cut us off, but give you 00:02:39.590 --> 00:02:41.229 something to think about. Let me pray. Lord, 00:02:41.250 --> 00:02:45.909 thank you for what we're about to study. The 00:02:45.909 --> 00:02:49.969 Word of God. This isn't just another book pulled 00:02:49.969 --> 00:02:54.530 off. the shelves of a library written by a mere 00:02:54.530 --> 00:02:59.689 man. This is the Word of God. It's holy. It's 00:02:59.689 --> 00:03:04.930 inspired. It's inerrant. And it's given to us 00:03:04.930 --> 00:03:09.150 for us to see Jesus. It's given to us for us 00:03:09.150 --> 00:03:13.330 to know the way of salvation. It's given to us 00:03:13.330 --> 00:03:16.349 so that we can live a life of purpose, a life 00:03:16.349 --> 00:03:19.840 of godliness, so that we can become more and 00:03:19.840 --> 00:03:23.319 more like our Savior Jesus Christ. And Lord, 00:03:23.319 --> 00:03:25.639 I pray that as we study the Word of God this 00:03:25.639 --> 00:03:28.340 morning, that your Holy Spirit would be active 00:03:28.340 --> 00:03:30.819 within our hearts, illuminating its truth to 00:03:30.819 --> 00:03:34.319 us. We can't possibly know these spiritual things 00:03:34.319 --> 00:03:36.240 apart from the work of the Spirit in our own 00:03:36.240 --> 00:03:40.740 hearts, giving us understanding. So we pray for 00:03:40.740 --> 00:03:43.580 that. Lord, I pray Lord that our hearts would 00:03:43.580 --> 00:03:46.479 be transformed, that we would not just be those 00:03:46.479 --> 00:03:49.979 who have A lot of knowledge built up in the cul 00:03:49.979 --> 00:03:52.939 -de -sac of our brains just sitting there, but 00:03:52.939 --> 00:03:55.919 that knowledge would have outlets and that outlets 00:03:55.919 --> 00:04:00.780 would be fruits of righteousness. That that knowledge 00:04:00.780 --> 00:04:05.500 would turn into praise and worship and we would 00:04:05.500 --> 00:04:09.419 be more and more like Jesus Christ. Help us, 00:04:09.500 --> 00:04:12.159 Lord, and we pray towards that end. In Jesus' 00:04:12.360 --> 00:04:15.710 name, amen. Well all throughout the book of Acts 00:04:15.710 --> 00:04:18.370 we've been studying the Apostle Paul and and 00:04:18.370 --> 00:04:21.029 we know for sure that the Apostle Paul loved 00:04:21.029 --> 00:04:23.870 the church When he came to know Christ, that's 00:04:23.870 --> 00:04:26.209 what his mission was was to go out and to plant 00:04:26.209 --> 00:04:29.370 churches Was to go back to those churches and 00:04:29.370 --> 00:04:32.050 strengthen them to build up the leadership within 00:04:32.050 --> 00:04:35.709 them And we can say that Paul had a deep deep 00:04:35.709 --> 00:04:40.470 love for the church There's no question about 00:04:40.470 --> 00:04:43.029 that And in that love for the church he knew 00:04:43.029 --> 00:04:45.769 what was important for the church was the unity 00:04:45.769 --> 00:04:49.769 within the church. Paul loved when a church was 00:04:49.769 --> 00:04:53.610 unified because a unified church shows and displays 00:04:53.610 --> 00:04:57.970 the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. This was 00:04:57.970 --> 00:04:59.970 especially important for the early church because 00:04:59.970 --> 00:05:03.050 the watching world would look in at this newly 00:05:03.050 --> 00:05:06.310 formed body of believers and they would see how 00:05:06.310 --> 00:05:09.490 unified they were around theology, how unified 00:05:09.490 --> 00:05:11.529 they were around their practice, how unified 00:05:11.529 --> 00:05:13.790 they were in their love for one another, and 00:05:13.790 --> 00:05:17.069 it was a beautiful display of the gospel of Jesus 00:05:17.069 --> 00:05:20.910 Christ. On the other side of that is if you walked 00:05:20.910 --> 00:05:24.029 into a church or especially a newly formed believers 00:05:24.029 --> 00:05:27.050 and all you saw was disunity and arguing and 00:05:27.050 --> 00:05:29.029 bickering and complaining, that would not be 00:05:29.029 --> 00:05:33.379 a very good look on Christianity. So unity was 00:05:33.379 --> 00:05:36.399 at the the forefront and at the height of importance 00:05:36.399 --> 00:05:39.720 when it came to the local church and especially 00:05:39.720 --> 00:05:42.860 to the Apostle Paul in preserving Unity was in 00:05:42.860 --> 00:05:45.879 the church Well in our passage this morning and 00:05:45.879 --> 00:05:48.279 I I got us started there. I got us off the first 00:05:48.279 --> 00:05:51.920 tee there This passage this morning the the threat 00:05:51.920 --> 00:05:56.560 of disunity comes again to the church And we're 00:05:56.560 --> 00:05:58.860 gonna see that the Apostle Paul is placed in 00:05:58.860 --> 00:06:03.000 a difficult spot Where he would have to potentially 00:06:03.000 --> 00:06:06.360 do something that goes against his preferences 00:06:06.360 --> 00:06:12.160 And how he practices his faith for the attempt 00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:16.879 of keeping and preserving unity within the church 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:21.839 And this is what's at stake in this passage the 00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:25.420 unity of the church for the sake of the gospel 00:06:26.049 --> 00:06:28.790 Now I broke up this passage for us in 17 all 00:06:28.790 --> 00:06:30.509 the way down we're gonna go to verse 36 together 00:06:30.509 --> 00:06:34.730 broken this down for us in three parts and I've 00:06:34.730 --> 00:06:37.490 also kind of sprinkled in for us some principles 00:06:37.490 --> 00:06:40.850 To help us kind of apply these things to our 00:06:40.850 --> 00:06:43.069 lives and allow the Holy Spirit to To work on 00:06:43.069 --> 00:06:44.870 our heart as we're growing in our knowledge and 00:06:44.870 --> 00:06:47.430 understanding here So I wanted to have an outline 00:06:47.430 --> 00:06:49.430 for us, but I also wanted some principles in 00:06:49.430 --> 00:06:52.509 it But there's three main section sections here 00:06:52.509 --> 00:06:55.819 that I want us to look at We draw out some understanding 00:06:55.819 --> 00:06:58.360 and some principles in it and the first thing 00:06:58.360 --> 00:07:02.079 I want us to see is this Paul's arrival and the 00:07:02.079 --> 00:07:07.019 church's response Paul's arrival and the church's 00:07:07.019 --> 00:07:09.459 response We just read it verse 17 when he had 00:07:09.459 --> 00:07:12.699 come to Jerusalem The brothers received him gladly 00:07:12.699 --> 00:07:16.199 on the following day went up Paul went up with 00:07:16.199 --> 00:07:19.259 us to James and all the elders are present After 00:07:19.259 --> 00:07:22.540 greeting them, he related one by one the things 00:07:22.540 --> 00:07:25.339 that God had done among the Gentiles through 00:07:25.339 --> 00:07:29.519 his ministry, and when they heard it, they glorified 00:07:29.519 --> 00:07:32.980 God. So Paul had just finished his third missionary 00:07:32.980 --> 00:07:36.060 journey, and his heart's desire was always to 00:07:36.060 --> 00:07:39.019 get back to Jerusalem. And he wanted to go back 00:07:39.019 --> 00:07:41.259 to Jerusalem because one of the reasons was he 00:07:41.259 --> 00:07:43.220 had a collection of money that the churches had 00:07:43.220 --> 00:07:45.519 brought together, and he wanted to bring that 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:48.569 and hand deliver it to Jerusalem. He always had 00:07:48.569 --> 00:07:52.009 a heart to get back there and finally in verse 00:07:52.009 --> 00:07:56.930 17 he made his way back to Jerusalem and He gets 00:07:56.930 --> 00:08:00.490 back to Jerusalem and he reports to them all 00:08:00.490 --> 00:08:02.829 that God had done through his ministry now This 00:08:02.829 --> 00:08:06.069 was a a normal thing for Paul to do and in Acts 00:08:06.069 --> 00:08:10.410 chapter 14 in verse 26 to 28 It was after the 00:08:10.410 --> 00:08:12.470 the first missionary journey was over and he 00:08:12.470 --> 00:08:15.370 went back to Antioch and he reported all that 00:08:15.370 --> 00:08:18.300 God had done for them After his second missionary 00:08:18.300 --> 00:08:20.800 journey there's a similar thing in Acts chapter 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:23.680 18 and verse 22 and following where he does a 00:08:23.680 --> 00:08:25.899 similar thing where he reports back to the churches 00:08:25.899 --> 00:08:28.300 what God had done through his ministry and now 00:08:28.300 --> 00:08:31.680 he's doing it again. He comes to Jerusalem, he 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:34.139 finds the church, he finds James the head elder 00:08:34.139 --> 00:08:37.120 of the church, they're all present there and 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:39.960 it says there that he reports back all these 00:08:39.960 --> 00:08:43.019 wonderful things that God has done through his 00:08:43.019 --> 00:08:51.740 ministry. And much has been done throughout his 00:08:51.740 --> 00:08:54.940 missionaries, his journey, his third missionary 00:08:54.940 --> 00:08:57.440 journey. Remember, he was in Ephesus and he was 00:08:57.440 --> 00:08:59.220 there for three years and he was able to tell 00:08:59.220 --> 00:09:01.759 them about the church in Ephesus, about the elders 00:09:01.759 --> 00:09:04.059 there, the training of the elders. He was in 00:09:04.059 --> 00:09:07.419 Philippi and he was able to talk about the church 00:09:07.419 --> 00:09:11.070 there and how that church was built. He did so 00:09:11.070 --> 00:09:14.029 many wonderful things. In fact, if this was a 00:09:14.029 --> 00:09:18.169 Sunday in church and it was missionary Sunday, 00:09:18.549 --> 00:09:20.769 it would be a Sunday that you would not want 00:09:20.769 --> 00:09:23.629 to miss because the Apostle Paul was going to 00:09:23.629 --> 00:09:26.470 share all the wonderful things that he had done, 00:09:28.389 --> 00:09:31.830 that God was doing through him, and incredible 00:09:31.830 --> 00:09:35.809 things that he had done, reporting in to the 00:09:35.809 --> 00:09:38.830 church. This is what God has done. And look at 00:09:38.830 --> 00:09:41.049 how they've received Him. Verse 17, when He had 00:09:41.049 --> 00:09:44.070 come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us how? 00:09:44.929 --> 00:09:49.909 Gladly. It means to receive with happiness and 00:09:49.909 --> 00:09:53.429 a readiness and a willingness to receive. They 00:09:53.429 --> 00:09:56.570 couldn't wait for the Apostle Paul to come join 00:09:56.570 --> 00:10:00.230 them, to tell them all the wonderful things that 00:10:00.230 --> 00:10:03.529 God had done through Him and through His ministry. 00:10:04.790 --> 00:10:07.370 This was the reception that was given to Paul. 00:10:08.389 --> 00:10:11.370 They wanted Paul with them. They were joyful. 00:10:11.450 --> 00:10:14.090 They were excited. There was a warmth to their 00:10:14.090 --> 00:10:18.330 reception. They received him gladly, wanting 00:10:18.330 --> 00:10:21.210 to hear everything that he could tell them about 00:10:21.210 --> 00:10:24.570 what God was doing in and around the known world. 00:10:25.980 --> 00:10:28.980 Similar to in Philemon 1 .7, it says this, for 00:10:28.980 --> 00:10:32.240 I derived much joy and comfort from your love, 00:10:32.259 --> 00:10:34.240 my brother, because the hearts of the saints 00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:37.120 have been refreshed through you. This was a time 00:10:37.120 --> 00:10:42.139 of refreshment for Paul. A place to go and be 00:10:42.139 --> 00:10:45.059 amongst other brothers and sisters in Christ. 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:48.919 This was a warm, glad reception that the church 00:10:48.919 --> 00:10:53.820 gave to him. And this is a great principle for 00:10:53.820 --> 00:10:57.730 us, right church? that we need to model such 00:10:57.730 --> 00:11:00.210 a reception when people come into our church. 00:11:01.909 --> 00:11:05.629 We need to greet them with the warmth and a one 00:11:05.629 --> 00:11:08.110 that says, man, what a privilege it is that you 00:11:08.110 --> 00:11:12.070 would come and join us for worship. Receiving 00:11:12.070 --> 00:11:16.850 people gladly. Receiving people with warmth. 00:11:17.610 --> 00:11:19.990 The Apostle Paul would tell a few different churches 00:11:19.990 --> 00:11:23.649 that you are to greet one another with a kiss. 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:26.419 Now, I don't recommend that at all for our church, 00:11:26.440 --> 00:11:29.100 by the way, but there's an idea here that there's 00:11:29.100 --> 00:11:32.279 a warmth within the body of Christ that when 00:11:32.279 --> 00:11:35.620 somebody comes into our presence, we say to them, 00:11:35.759 --> 00:11:39.759 man, I am so glad you're here with us worshiping 00:11:39.759 --> 00:11:43.320 the Lord. What's God doing in your life? Tell 00:11:43.320 --> 00:11:47.259 me, I wanna hear. What's going on? How's God 00:11:47.259 --> 00:11:52.830 moving? What are you learning? Receiving people 00:11:52.830 --> 00:11:55.909 with the appropriate amount of gladness and warmth 00:11:55.909 --> 00:11:58.330 into the service. And we get this often where 00:11:58.330 --> 00:12:00.269 people have been a part of our church and maybe 00:12:00.269 --> 00:12:02.529 they've moved away and they've come back and 00:12:02.529 --> 00:12:04.870 we receive them with warmth. We have college 00:12:04.870 --> 00:12:07.669 students who go away and come back and we receive 00:12:07.669 --> 00:12:10.149 them back gladly. We have parents that come in 00:12:10.149 --> 00:12:12.490 from out of town and out of state to see people, 00:12:12.629 --> 00:12:15.690 people visiting. And what do we do church? We 00:12:15.690 --> 00:12:21.820 receive them with gladness and warmth. Notice 00:12:21.820 --> 00:12:25.860 the response of what they did with this information 00:12:25.860 --> 00:12:28.639 that was given to them from the Apostle Paul. 00:12:28.659 --> 00:12:30.299 Look at verse 20. When they heard it, what'd 00:12:30.299 --> 00:12:37.600 they do? They glorified God. As Paul was relaying 00:12:37.600 --> 00:12:40.000 all these stories of what God had done in his, 00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:41.820 these missionary journeys, what did these people 00:12:41.820 --> 00:12:45.399 do? They turned it into worship, and they glorified 00:12:45.399 --> 00:12:48.460 God. Listen, the most God -honoring response. 00:12:48.720 --> 00:12:51.620 to hearing what God has done in the lives of 00:12:51.620 --> 00:12:55.980 others is to turn that into worship. You turn 00:12:55.980 --> 00:13:01.139 that into praise. The church loved to hear these 00:13:01.139 --> 00:13:07.600 success stories. How God was used. They loved 00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:13.779 to hear the success of Paul in ministry. Now 00:13:13.779 --> 00:13:18.539 let me ask you this question. When you hear of 00:13:18.539 --> 00:13:22.899 the successes of other people, are you excited 00:13:22.899 --> 00:13:32.500 for them and do you turn that into worship? When 00:13:32.500 --> 00:13:34.740 you hear somebody else getting the job that you 00:13:34.740 --> 00:13:37.240 wanted or the raise that you wanted or they retired 00:13:37.240 --> 00:13:41.480 earlier than you thought you should have retired 00:13:41.480 --> 00:13:46.190 and not them or their kids are. or more excellent 00:13:46.190 --> 00:13:48.690 in different things, or they hit the ball farther 00:13:48.690 --> 00:13:51.570 than your child, or their grandkids are better 00:13:51.570 --> 00:13:56.450 than your grandkids, whatever it is, are you 00:13:56.450 --> 00:14:03.669 thankful for the successes of other people? Take 00:14:03.669 --> 00:14:07.570 it a step farther. Do you turn that into worship 00:14:07.570 --> 00:14:13.710 and praise? Do you thank the Lord for their success 00:14:13.710 --> 00:14:17.429 stories? Man, I love hearing a success story. 00:14:18.370 --> 00:14:20.950 Thank you for telling me that. Let's worship 00:14:20.950 --> 00:14:24.370 God. There's greater ways to worship God because 00:14:24.370 --> 00:14:27.269 of what he's doing in your life. That's not a 00:14:27.269 --> 00:14:29.570 moment to get bitter. That's not a moment to 00:14:29.570 --> 00:14:32.250 complain. That's not a moment to become a victim. 00:14:32.750 --> 00:14:34.970 That's a moment to say, wow, look what God is 00:14:34.970 --> 00:14:38.110 doing in your life and let's turn that into praise. 00:14:39.470 --> 00:14:43.669 Let's turn that into worship. Let's glorify God. 00:14:45.090 --> 00:14:48.409 Godly, mature believers, listen, worship God 00:14:48.409 --> 00:14:55.070 when others are successful. They thank God for 00:14:55.070 --> 00:14:58.370 the success of other people, other families, 00:14:59.429 --> 00:15:03.009 other churches. They don't look at the success 00:15:03.009 --> 00:15:08.549 of other people and go, aw, woe is me. I wish 00:15:08.549 --> 00:15:13.740 God used me. Whoa, look at all the success they 00:15:13.740 --> 00:15:19.360 have. No, they turn that success and they hear 00:15:19.360 --> 00:15:21.620 that and they go, wow, look what God's doing 00:15:21.620 --> 00:15:26.960 in your life. Let's worship God. So two principles 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:29.740 here. Number one is this, be a warm church and 00:15:29.740 --> 00:15:32.000 excited for what God is doing. And the second 00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:35.200 principle is this, be someone who thanks God 00:15:35.200 --> 00:15:41.779 for another success. Be that person. Let's be 00:15:41.779 --> 00:15:48.679 that church I Notice what happens here They heard 00:15:48.679 --> 00:15:52.360 it. They worship God they who's at the elders 00:15:52.360 --> 00:15:54.740 of the church. That's who's who Paul is with 00:15:54.740 --> 00:15:57.860 and there could be How does some say maybe up 00:15:57.860 --> 00:15:59.779 to a hundred elders? This was a massive church 00:15:59.779 --> 00:16:02.539 in Jerusalem The leader of that was James. We 00:16:02.539 --> 00:16:04.559 were just told of that in verse 18, but what 00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:07.379 happens here they said to him Let's read all 00:16:07.379 --> 00:16:09.100 the way down to verse 26 here. They said them 00:16:09.100 --> 00:16:12.429 you see brother How many thousands are there 00:16:12.429 --> 00:16:15.769 among the Jews who have believed? They're all 00:16:15.769 --> 00:16:18.590 zealous for the law And they have been told about 00:16:18.590 --> 00:16:20.490 you what you teach all the Jews who are among 00:16:20.490 --> 00:16:23.649 the Gentiles to forsake Moses Telling them not 00:16:23.649 --> 00:16:25.809 to circumcise their children or walk according 00:16:25.809 --> 00:16:29.750 to our customs verse 22 what then is to be done 00:16:29.750 --> 00:16:33.029 They will certainly hear that you have come do 00:16:33.029 --> 00:16:35.750 therefore what we tell you we have four men who 00:16:35.750 --> 00:16:39.600 are under a vow these Take these men and purify 00:16:39.600 --> 00:16:42.799 yourself among them and pay their expenses so 00:16:42.799 --> 00:16:46.059 they may shave their heads. Thus all will know 00:16:46.059 --> 00:16:49.100 that there is nothing in you what they have been 00:16:49.100 --> 00:16:52.480 told about you, but that you yourself also live 00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:55.440 in observance to the law. But as for the Gentiles 00:16:55.440 --> 00:16:57.600 who have believed, we have sent a letter with 00:16:57.600 --> 00:16:59.440 our judgment that they should abstain from what 00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:02.139 has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and 00:17:02.139 --> 00:17:05.720 from being strangled and from sexual immorality. 00:17:06.079 --> 00:17:09.160 Then Paul took the men and the next day he purified 00:17:09.160 --> 00:17:11.279 himself along with them went into the temple 00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:13.720 Giving notice when the days of purification would 00:17:13.720 --> 00:17:17.000 be fulfilled and the offering presented for each 00:17:17.000 --> 00:17:20.640 one of them So we have here number two the elders 00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:25.220 question and Paul's response What is the elders 00:17:25.220 --> 00:17:27.559 question here the the elders here are saying 00:17:27.559 --> 00:17:29.940 to him and saying hey Paul We just want you to 00:17:29.940 --> 00:17:33.519 know that there are a number of believers Jewish 00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:37.480 believers who are still in the city They've embraced 00:17:37.480 --> 00:17:42.240 Christianity however They have remained deeply 00:17:42.240 --> 00:17:45.599 committed to the ceremony law ceremonial law 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:49.160 of Moses Despite their Christian faith, they 00:17:49.160 --> 00:17:52.240 found it challenging to separate themselves from 00:17:52.240 --> 00:17:55.380 these Jewish customs. They live near the temple 00:17:55.380 --> 00:17:58.460 and they still even offer sacrifices in the temple 00:17:58.460 --> 00:18:00.880 and they enjoy feasts in the temple and this 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:04.279 is all part of their Jewish life and custom while 00:18:04.279 --> 00:18:10.539 still believing that Jesus is the Messiah. There's 00:18:10.539 --> 00:18:13.880 these Jews, Paul, that still highly value the 00:18:13.880 --> 00:18:17.849 Jewish community. This is part of their identity. 00:18:17.930 --> 00:18:21.170 This is part of their heritage. This is what 00:18:21.170 --> 00:18:23.430 they do. This is all just part of the way that 00:18:23.430 --> 00:18:28.710 they practice their faith. Now there's some within 00:18:28.710 --> 00:18:31.710 that that were out for Paul and these Judaiders, 00:18:31.970 --> 00:18:34.910 they wanted to undermine Paul and they claimed 00:18:34.910 --> 00:18:38.210 that the Apostle Paul was teaching against and 00:18:38.210 --> 00:18:42.039 was opposed to Judaism. They would even say that 00:18:42.039 --> 00:18:46.819 the Apostle Paul was what was even teaching heresy 00:18:46.819 --> 00:18:51.480 and apostasy that he was forsaking the the Jewish 00:18:51.480 --> 00:18:53.920 customs and the Jewish traditions all together 00:18:53.920 --> 00:18:57.460 and Alleging that he would even teach against 00:18:57.460 --> 00:19:00.619 as it says there forsaking Moses and telling 00:19:00.619 --> 00:19:04.119 them verse 21 telling them not to circumcise 00:19:04.119 --> 00:19:08.000 their children or walk according to our customs 00:19:10.250 --> 00:19:12.930 Now it's important to note this that these Jews 00:19:12.930 --> 00:19:18.329 were believers They were still continuing in 00:19:18.329 --> 00:19:21.150 this obedience to these ceremonies out of custom. 00:19:21.170 --> 00:19:23.529 They were doing it out of tradition They weren't 00:19:23.529 --> 00:19:28.680 doing it as a means of salvation These practices 00:19:28.680 --> 00:19:31.339 weren't considered sinful. They just had a hard 00:19:31.339 --> 00:19:34.039 time breaking away from some of these Jewish 00:19:34.039 --> 00:19:37.180 traditions and some of these Jewish customs and 00:19:37.180 --> 00:19:40.140 Now they were attacking the Apostle Paul as if 00:19:40.140 --> 00:19:45.599 he was one teaching against them Warren Wearsby 00:19:45.599 --> 00:19:49.619 says this Why were so many believing Jews still 00:19:49.619 --> 00:19:52.740 clinging to the law of Moses? Had they not read 00:19:52.740 --> 00:19:55.779 Romans and Galatians? Probably not And even if 00:19:55.779 --> 00:19:58.539 they had, old customs are difficult to change. 00:19:59.059 --> 00:20:01.920 In fact, one day God would have to send a special 00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:04.279 letter to the Jews, the epistle to the Hebrews, 00:20:04.859 --> 00:20:07.039 to explain the relationship between the old and 00:20:07.039 --> 00:20:10.559 new covenants. As Dr. Donald Gray Barnhouse used 00:20:10.559 --> 00:20:13.420 to say, the book of Hebrews was written to the 00:20:13.420 --> 00:20:18.480 Hebrews to tell them to stop being Hebrews. It 00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:20.779 was not until the city and the temple were destroyed 00:20:20.779 --> 00:20:24.279 in 8070 that traditional Jewish worship ceased. 00:20:24.569 --> 00:20:27.170 Paul did warn the Gentiles not to get involved 00:20:27.170 --> 00:20:30.089 in the old Jewish religion, but he nowhere told 00:20:30.089 --> 00:20:32.470 the Jews that it was wrong for them to practice 00:20:32.470 --> 00:20:35.990 their customs so long as they did not trust in 00:20:35.990 --> 00:20:39.650 ceremony or make their customs a test of fellowship. 00:20:40.769 --> 00:20:43.230 There was freedom to observe special days and 00:20:43.230 --> 00:20:46.750 diets, and believers were not to judge or condemn 00:20:46.750 --> 00:20:50.390 one another. Now listen, the same grace that 00:20:50.390 --> 00:20:54.589 gave Gentiles freedom to abstain also gave the 00:20:54.589 --> 00:20:59.470 Jews freedom to observe. All God asked was that 00:20:59.470 --> 00:21:02.470 they received one another and did not create 00:21:02.470 --> 00:21:06.849 problems or divisions. So here's the issue. The 00:21:06.849 --> 00:21:09.410 elders, they turn to Paul and say, hey, we've 00:21:09.410 --> 00:21:11.769 heard that you're teaching. Contrary to the law 00:21:11.769 --> 00:21:14.509 of Moses and there's people out here in this 00:21:14.509 --> 00:21:17.069 Church and the Jew in the Jerusalem church that 00:21:17.069 --> 00:21:19.630 that believe this to be true that that you're 00:21:19.630 --> 00:21:21.750 teaching against Moses and you're teaching against 00:21:21.750 --> 00:21:23.630 the law and you're teaching against customs and 00:21:23.630 --> 00:21:26.130 you're teaching Against traditions and you're 00:21:26.130 --> 00:21:30.700 telling people not to be circumcised They're 00:21:30.700 --> 00:21:33.539 saying that you're now anti -jewish customs and 00:21:33.539 --> 00:21:36.819 and even laws and we fear this that Division 00:21:36.819 --> 00:21:43.240 is going to happen in the church over this Now 00:21:43.240 --> 00:21:47.559 This was nothing more church this was nothing 00:21:47.559 --> 00:21:54.640 more than gossip and a lie Nothing more than 00:21:54.640 --> 00:21:59.660 gossip and a lie in fact turn back to act 16 00:22:00.039 --> 00:22:07.880 Acts chapter 16 In verse 3 we want to know what 00:22:07.880 --> 00:22:09.339 Paul believed about circumcision. Well, here 00:22:09.339 --> 00:22:18.960 we go Paul Wanted Timothy to accompany him and 00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:22.660 he took him and what? circumcised him because 00:22:22.660 --> 00:22:25.019 of the Jews who were in those places for they 00:22:25.019 --> 00:22:29.779 all knew that his father was a Greek Paul was 00:22:29.779 --> 00:22:34.720 not against the Jews being circumcised nor did 00:22:34.720 --> 00:22:39.039 he teach against it look at Acts chapter 18 in 00:22:39.039 --> 00:22:43.259 verse 18 when it came to the vow the Nazarite 00:22:43.259 --> 00:22:48.309 vow was Paul against that Well in Acts 18 18 00:22:48.309 --> 00:22:50.150 Paul stayed with him a little longer He took 00:22:50.150 --> 00:22:52.210 leave of his brothers and set sail for Syria 00:22:52.210 --> 00:22:55.269 and with him Priscilla and Aquila at Sinclair 00:22:55.269 --> 00:23:00.410 He had cut his hair for why for he was under 00:23:00.410 --> 00:23:06.009 a vow Paul was not anti Jewish customs. He was 00:23:06.009 --> 00:23:10.390 not anti Jewish religion religions he was not 00:23:10.390 --> 00:23:15.680 a He never taught against circumcision What Paul 00:23:15.680 --> 00:23:17.519 was against though, and we'll look at some of 00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:20.119 these verses here, what Paul was against was 00:23:20.119 --> 00:23:22.940 that doing those things would get you saved. 00:23:25.740 --> 00:23:29.279 And he taught the Jews that hey, you are no longer 00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:33.759 under the law for salvation for your sins. You're 00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:38.359 no longer under the law. You no longer have to 00:23:38.359 --> 00:23:42.940 do those things. And what was being spread around 00:23:42.940 --> 00:23:45.819 about the apostle Paul and his teaching and who 00:23:45.819 --> 00:23:49.880 he was was that it was nothing more than a lie. 00:23:50.059 --> 00:23:53.900 It was nothing more that started out as gossip 00:23:53.900 --> 00:23:58.099 and turned into one big lie. Why? To destroy 00:23:58.099 --> 00:24:03.539 and divide the church. And no one is more happier. 00:24:04.230 --> 00:24:07.809 this scenario right here in this section of our 00:24:07.809 --> 00:24:11.349 Bible then Satan himself that a gossip would 00:24:11.349 --> 00:24:14.289 turn into a lie and divide the biggest church 00:24:14.289 --> 00:24:21.650 there was in Jerusalem the father of lies loves 00:24:21.650 --> 00:24:28.470 this this is what he's really good at let's start 00:24:28.470 --> 00:24:32.150 spreading a rumor hey the Apostle Paul doesn't 00:24:32.150 --> 00:24:34.079 do these things he's against you He's against 00:24:34.079 --> 00:24:36.859 religion. Is that what the apostle Paul really 00:24:36.859 --> 00:24:40.940 said? That's not what he really said. What he 00:24:40.940 --> 00:24:43.819 really said was this. Your religion is not going 00:24:43.819 --> 00:24:46.940 to save you. Your ceremonial law is not going 00:24:46.940 --> 00:24:48.740 to save you. You're no longer under the law. 00:24:53.640 --> 00:24:56.220 And listen church, this is so dangerous to the 00:24:56.220 --> 00:25:01.230 church. Undermining someone's character. spreading 00:25:01.230 --> 00:25:04.390 lies and gossip about someone, making accusations 00:25:04.390 --> 00:25:07.950 against someone without first talking to the 00:25:07.950 --> 00:25:14.170 person. It can seriously do damage to the church. 00:25:14.230 --> 00:25:18.750 I've witnessed this before. Or instead of going 00:25:18.750 --> 00:25:21.250 to the person one -on -one, and maybe this is 00:25:21.250 --> 00:25:23.829 where James, the head of the elder board, could 00:25:23.829 --> 00:25:26.289 have said, hey, let me just talk to Paul to see 00:25:26.289 --> 00:25:31.519 if this is true. Could have just said hey, this 00:25:31.519 --> 00:25:33.299 is what's going on Paul. I want you to be aware 00:25:33.299 --> 00:25:36.400 of this is is this true And Paul can say no, 00:25:36.440 --> 00:25:38.819 it's not true. Let me clarify if it needs clarification. 00:25:38.819 --> 00:25:44.059 Let me let me clarify Where we need to be those 00:25:44.059 --> 00:25:46.819 who confront people when we hear something as 00:25:46.819 --> 00:25:49.259 opposed to just turning around and passing on 00:25:49.259 --> 00:25:57.289 a potential lie Gossip When someone is offended 00:25:57.289 --> 00:25:59.230 we need to go to that person and talk to that 00:25:59.230 --> 00:26:03.250 person One -on -one listen principle number three 00:26:03.250 --> 00:26:06.410 lies and gossip have the power to split a church 00:26:06.410 --> 00:26:12.630 So what do the elders do they say hey look at 00:26:12.630 --> 00:26:15.650 verse 22 what what should we do then They will 00:26:15.650 --> 00:26:19.380 certainly hear that you have come They know that 00:26:19.380 --> 00:26:21.660 you're here in Jerusalem and and these believing 00:26:21.660 --> 00:26:24.500 Jews are bothered they're upset they they believe 00:26:24.500 --> 00:26:27.079 you to be against them and What are we supposed 00:26:27.079 --> 00:26:29.200 to do about this and the elders could not get 00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:33.079 ahead of the lies? And they believed Paul to 00:26:33.079 --> 00:26:36.200 be kind of like this walking Time bomb they believed 00:26:36.200 --> 00:26:38.680 him to be kind of this powder keg that that once 00:26:38.680 --> 00:26:41.940 it gets out that he's around is going to explode 00:26:46.320 --> 00:26:49.819 thousands of believers here So they come up with 00:26:49.819 --> 00:26:51.859 this plan. Here's the plan. Here's what we're 00:26:51.859 --> 00:26:55.779 gonna do look at verse 23 do therefore What we 00:26:55.779 --> 00:26:59.900 tell you? We have four men They're under a vow 00:26:59.900 --> 00:27:03.660 take these four men purify yourself along with 00:27:03.660 --> 00:27:08.859 them pay for their expenses So they may may shave 00:27:08.859 --> 00:27:13.460 their heads Thus all will know that there is 00:27:13.460 --> 00:27:16.930 nothing in What they have been told about you 00:27:16.930 --> 00:27:20.950 But that you yourself also live in observance 00:27:20.950 --> 00:27:22.730 to the law. So what are we doing? Take these 00:27:22.730 --> 00:27:25.250 guys? We're gonna go freshen them up. We're gonna 00:27:25.250 --> 00:27:27.490 give them a fresh haircut here Paul you're gonna 00:27:27.490 --> 00:27:28.970 pay for their expenses and you know, they're 00:27:28.970 --> 00:27:31.369 gonna have a fresh cut like pastor Shay always 00:27:31.369 --> 00:27:34.950 got a fresh cut It's gonna be more than that 00:27:34.950 --> 00:27:36.690 though. We're going Dave Wells. We're going bald. 00:27:36.869 --> 00:27:39.109 We're going straight bald here, right? We're 00:27:39.109 --> 00:27:42.029 gonna we're cutting it all off Right, this was 00:27:42.029 --> 00:27:44.710 the Nazarite vow and and Paul if you do these 00:27:44.710 --> 00:27:47.349 things and pay for their expenses They're gonna 00:27:47.349 --> 00:27:50.750 see like hey, okay great. He's still one of ours 00:27:50.750 --> 00:27:56.869 He's still with us He just jumped into this Nazarite 00:27:56.869 --> 00:27:58.970 vow he just paid for them to do these things 00:27:58.970 --> 00:28:02.190 He's these things about what are said are not 00:28:02.190 --> 00:28:07.309 true that that's what they were thinking This 00:28:07.309 --> 00:28:11.559 will defuse the problem We'll show them you still 00:28:11.559 --> 00:28:13.420 love the Old Testament. You still love the law. 00:28:13.440 --> 00:28:17.319 Let's appease the people Let's appease the critics 00:28:17.319 --> 00:28:21.000 by coming up with this solution and Everyone 00:28:21.000 --> 00:28:26.000 will be happy Pastor Jack Arnold says this he 00:28:26.000 --> 00:28:29.500 says the leaders Fearing a division accepted 00:28:29.500 --> 00:28:33.799 the philosophy of peace at any price We will 00:28:33.799 --> 00:28:36.930 find out that the taking of the vow did not appease 00:28:36.930 --> 00:28:39.289 the critics for they were in sin for judging 00:28:39.289 --> 00:28:42.750 Paul, listening to hearsay and having a critical 00:28:42.750 --> 00:28:47.410 spirit. Critical people must deal with their 00:28:47.410 --> 00:28:51.329 sinful attitudes before God until they repent 00:28:51.329 --> 00:28:57.309 they will never be appeased. What is he saying? 00:28:58.470 --> 00:29:00.210 Paul could have shaved the heads of a thousand 00:29:00.210 --> 00:29:04.210 people. Paul could pay the expenses for everyone 00:29:04.210 --> 00:29:06.930 in Jerusalem and it still would not have been 00:29:06.930 --> 00:29:11.329 enough Why because when somebody has a critical 00:29:11.329 --> 00:29:13.910 spirit about someone else? It doesn't matter 00:29:13.910 --> 00:29:16.029 what they do. They could go to the moon and back 00:29:16.029 --> 00:29:20.910 and it's not gonna matter This is what's happening 00:29:20.910 --> 00:29:23.750 here these people had had such a critical spirit 00:29:23.750 --> 00:29:27.609 about Paul that it did not matter what he did 00:29:28.170 --> 00:29:32.190 They were so bitter so upset at the Apostle Paul 00:29:32.190 --> 00:29:35.529 believe the lies believe the gossip Paul could 00:29:35.529 --> 00:29:39.250 have done anything and everything to try to Outwardly 00:29:39.250 --> 00:29:42.170 show like hey guys. I'm on your side. It didn't 00:29:42.170 --> 00:29:44.630 matter. They had a critical spirit. Their problem 00:29:44.630 --> 00:29:55.470 was in the heart You guys have any critical people 00:29:55.470 --> 00:30:00.549 in your life There's no of critical people. Are 00:30:00.549 --> 00:30:05.569 you a critical person? Have a critical spirit 00:30:05.569 --> 00:30:09.470 You ever tried to appease someone that you knew 00:30:09.470 --> 00:30:12.730 they had a critical spirit about you I Know what 00:30:12.730 --> 00:30:14.849 I'll do. I'll be extra nice to them. That's great. 00:30:14.849 --> 00:30:16.730 You should be nice. You should be nice anyway, 00:30:16.950 --> 00:30:20.009 whether they're critical or not You try to do 00:30:20.009 --> 00:30:21.670 a little bit more for them and a little bit more 00:30:21.670 --> 00:30:23.190 and a little bit more and a little bit more and 00:30:23.190 --> 00:30:24.750 a little bit more More more more more more and 00:30:24.750 --> 00:30:27.480 you're like, why isn't this working? It's not 00:30:27.480 --> 00:30:29.000 working because it's not an outward problem. 00:30:29.000 --> 00:30:33.839 It's an inward problem It's not working because 00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:35.700 we can't actually appease somebody who has a 00:30:35.700 --> 00:30:38.319 critical spirit And what we have to do is we 00:30:38.319 --> 00:30:40.400 have to turn that over to the Lord and say God 00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:43.180 You have to do what I cannot do and that is you 00:30:43.180 --> 00:30:46.000 have to do some heart work on this person Maybe 00:30:46.000 --> 00:30:47.940 it is you have to do some heart work on my own 00:30:47.940 --> 00:30:55.640 heart And my own soul Unfortunately, we see this 00:30:55.640 --> 00:30:59.259 in marriages all too often where a spouse has 00:30:59.259 --> 00:31:03.259 such a critical spirit that Yet their husband 00:31:03.259 --> 00:31:06.640 or their wife can't do anything right anymore 00:31:06.640 --> 00:31:14.160 They're just trying and trying and trying and 00:31:14.160 --> 00:31:16.640 Because of the bitterness they can't even see 00:31:16.640 --> 00:31:20.200 anymore the effort. They can't even see anymore 00:31:20.200 --> 00:31:23.740 the attempt and so often in counseling, we're 00:31:23.740 --> 00:31:26.299 just trying to get people to see their own hearts. 00:31:28.559 --> 00:31:31.799 And how their own critical nature is preventing 00:31:31.799 --> 00:31:34.500 them to see the good thing that is right in front 00:31:34.500 --> 00:31:42.339 of them. These Jews wouldn't, peas, we're gonna 00:31:42.339 --> 00:31:45.420 see this in verse 27 if we ever get there, we'll 00:31:45.420 --> 00:31:48.819 see it that they, it was never enough and they 00:31:48.819 --> 00:31:50.900 wanted to kill him in verse 31. Finally it gets 00:31:50.900 --> 00:31:54.799 to 31, they wanna kill him. So here you have 00:31:54.799 --> 00:31:57.339 this dilemma for Paul, right? He's he's accused 00:31:57.339 --> 00:32:00.519 of things that were not true They wanted to participate 00:32:00.519 --> 00:32:02.680 in ceremonial law They wanted to pay for these 00:32:02.680 --> 00:32:04.980 four men to give him a haircut to get under the 00:32:04.980 --> 00:32:08.160 Nazarite Nazarite vowel yet. Yeah, here's Paul 00:32:08.160 --> 00:32:12.539 He's preached against this being an act of salvation 00:32:12.539 --> 00:32:17.119 He's preached that these things cannot save you 00:32:17.119 --> 00:32:20.200 in fact in Galatians 2 16 he said this Yet we 00:32:20.200 --> 00:32:22.460 know that a person is not justified by works 00:32:22.460 --> 00:32:25.200 of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ. 00:32:25.640 --> 00:32:28.119 So we have believed in Jesus Christ in order 00:32:28.119 --> 00:32:32.079 to be justified by faith and not by works of 00:32:32.079 --> 00:32:35.559 the law, because by works of the law, no one 00:32:35.559 --> 00:32:38.680 will be justified. So you have this dilemma that 00:32:38.680 --> 00:32:41.759 Paul is in. They want him to do these things 00:32:41.759 --> 00:32:44.420 and Paul's preached against it and he doesn't 00:32:44.420 --> 00:32:46.640 want the people to think that now I'm turning 00:32:46.640 --> 00:32:49.000 against what I taught and going back to these 00:32:49.000 --> 00:32:51.720 old customs as if they're going to save you. 00:32:52.740 --> 00:32:58.960 So Paul's like, well what do I do? How is he 00:32:58.960 --> 00:33:07.549 going to respond? Do I just? Do this even though 00:33:07.549 --> 00:33:10.509 it may look like I'm obeying for salvation, which 00:33:10.509 --> 00:33:13.210 he's not do I do this? So there's no division 00:33:13.210 --> 00:33:18.170 in the church He did not believe that circumcision 00:33:18.170 --> 00:33:20.549 or obedience to the law saved he didn't he didn't 00:33:20.549 --> 00:33:22.890 want to give that impression But he also didn't 00:33:22.890 --> 00:33:26.869 want division within the church And you want 00:33:26.869 --> 00:33:28.970 to know what else pop Paul was concerned about 00:33:28.970 --> 00:33:31.390 I believe this was also in the heart of Paul 00:33:31.390 --> 00:33:34.930 Paul was also concerned about obeying his elders 00:33:36.700 --> 00:33:40.000 How could Paul write in Hebrews 13 5 to obey 00:33:40.000 --> 00:33:43.519 your leaders if he himself doesn't obey in this 00:33:43.519 --> 00:33:51.420 scenario How could he write those things but 00:33:51.420 --> 00:33:54.660 you can feel the tension here that Paul is in 00:33:54.660 --> 00:34:01.160 We know what Paul eventually does he eventually 00:34:01.160 --> 00:34:03.420 goes ahead with what they ask him to do in obedience 00:34:03.420 --> 00:34:08.699 to the elders requests He took the vow. Some 00:34:08.699 --> 00:34:11.940 believe that Paul was in sin here by going back 00:34:11.940 --> 00:34:15.119 under the law. In fact G. Campbell Morgan, maybe 00:34:15.119 --> 00:34:18.960 you've heard of this writer, he says this, this 00:34:18.960 --> 00:34:21.699 was the greatest mistake in the ministry of the 00:34:21.699 --> 00:34:26.519 Apostle Paul. I don't believe that. I don't believe 00:34:26.519 --> 00:34:28.119 it's the biggest mistake in the ministry of the 00:34:28.119 --> 00:34:30.929 Apostle Paul. Believe this I believe that Paul 00:34:30.929 --> 00:34:33.210 loved the church so much that he wanted to to 00:34:33.210 --> 00:34:35.389 spread the gospel so much that listen He was 00:34:35.389 --> 00:34:38.630 willing to put aside a preference of his and 00:34:38.630 --> 00:34:41.449 a way of practicing his Christian faith For the 00:34:41.449 --> 00:34:44.469 sake of unity in the church and gospel advancement 00:34:44.469 --> 00:34:48.610 This is what he said in first Corinthians 9 20 00:34:48.610 --> 00:34:52.849 to 22 to the Jews I became a Jew why in order 00:34:52.849 --> 00:34:57.030 to win juice To those under the law what I became 00:34:57.030 --> 00:34:59.639 as one under the law though not being myself 00:34:59.639 --> 00:35:02.340 under the law, that I might, what? Win those 00:35:02.340 --> 00:35:05.380 under the law. To those outside the law, I became 00:35:05.380 --> 00:35:07.719 as one outside the law, not being outside the 00:35:07.719 --> 00:35:09.960 law of God, but under the law of Christ, why? 00:35:10.179 --> 00:35:13.440 That I might win those outside the law. To the 00:35:13.440 --> 00:35:15.460 weak, I became weak, that I might win the weak. 00:35:15.579 --> 00:35:18.619 I have become all things to all people, that 00:35:18.619 --> 00:35:23.679 by all means, I might save some. Why did Paul 00:35:23.679 --> 00:35:28.539 do this? For people to come to know Christ. For 00:35:28.539 --> 00:35:31.320 the advancement of the gospel for the unity of 00:35:31.320 --> 00:35:33.400 the church. He says to the elders I will obey 00:35:33.400 --> 00:35:36.019 you you believe that this is what's right This 00:35:36.019 --> 00:35:38.639 is now a strong preference of mine. I'm going 00:35:38.639 --> 00:35:41.239 to put it to the side Why so some of the Jews 00:35:41.239 --> 00:35:47.739 might come to know Christ? He saw a greater glory 00:35:47.739 --> 00:35:51.909 for God in this He saw greater service to God 00:35:51.909 --> 00:35:54.730 by doing what the elders had asked him to do, 00:35:54.929 --> 00:35:57.869 so that some may come to know Christ for the 00:35:57.869 --> 00:36:02.190 unity of the church. You say, well, what does 00:36:02.190 --> 00:36:06.469 that look like today? It may sound something 00:36:06.469 --> 00:36:09.150 like this. Hey, I really don't like the worship 00:36:09.150 --> 00:36:12.070 or the music. It's not my preference, but you 00:36:12.070 --> 00:36:13.590 know what, for the unity of the church, I'm not 00:36:13.590 --> 00:36:17.940 gonna complain about it. I don't like how long 00:36:17.940 --> 00:36:20.179 the pastor preaches, but you know what, for his 00:36:20.179 --> 00:36:24.280 sake, I'm not gonna complain about it. For the 00:36:24.280 --> 00:36:27.039 sake of the church, I may not like this, I may 00:36:27.039 --> 00:36:29.219 not like that, or they practice it this way, 00:36:29.340 --> 00:36:31.880 I wouldn't practice it that way, but you know 00:36:31.880 --> 00:36:35.000 what, for the unity of the church, I'm not gonna 00:36:35.000 --> 00:36:37.840 complain. For the unity of the church, I'm gonna 00:36:37.840 --> 00:36:43.739 set that aside. For the advancement of the gospel 00:36:43.739 --> 00:36:48.280 of Jesus Christ. I'm gonna put aside a tertiary 00:36:48.280 --> 00:36:51.579 issue, one of lesser importance, one that's not 00:36:51.579 --> 00:36:55.159 a salvific issue. I'm gonna put these issues 00:36:55.159 --> 00:36:58.480 of personal preference off to the side, even 00:36:58.480 --> 00:37:01.699 these issues or these conclusions that you come 00:37:01.699 --> 00:37:03.639 with that you have because of your own study 00:37:03.639 --> 00:37:06.219 of God's word and you're even willing to say, 00:37:06.239 --> 00:37:08.920 I'm not going to make a big deal of that because 00:37:08.920 --> 00:37:15.429 I care about the unity of the church. I want 00:37:15.429 --> 00:37:19.130 people to see how unified we are around Christ 00:37:19.130 --> 00:37:21.849 and I want this to be a beautiful picture of 00:37:21.849 --> 00:37:24.010 the gospel of Jesus Christ for people when they 00:37:24.010 --> 00:37:26.150 come in here and there's not complaining and 00:37:26.150 --> 00:37:28.110 there's not bickering and there's not division, 00:37:28.630 --> 00:37:31.849 there's unity around the most important thing 00:37:31.849 --> 00:37:36.849 and that's the gospel. And I put those things 00:37:36.849 --> 00:37:46.429 to the side. You say, well, sounds like you want 00:37:46.429 --> 00:37:52.389 me to make a compromise. Yes. See how that compromise 00:37:52.389 --> 00:37:56.710 is bad. Compromise is not all bad. Let me give 00:37:56.710 --> 00:37:59.929 you an illustration. Maybe this will be real 00:37:59.929 --> 00:38:01.849 life for you. You guys are gonna get into a car 00:38:01.849 --> 00:38:04.989 right after this, most of you. And you're gonna 00:38:04.989 --> 00:38:06.230 sit in the car and you're gonna look over to 00:38:06.230 --> 00:38:07.210 the person sitting next to you and you're gonna 00:38:07.210 --> 00:38:11.500 go, what are we doing for lunch today? And the 00:38:11.500 --> 00:38:12.739 person sitting next to you is going to say, well, 00:38:12.760 --> 00:38:14.199 we're going to have leftovers. And you're going 00:38:14.199 --> 00:38:17.320 to go, ah, I don't really want leftovers. Didn't 00:38:17.320 --> 00:38:19.400 we just eat that last night? Yep, we ate it last 00:38:19.400 --> 00:38:23.940 night. I was hoping that we could go out to dinner 00:38:23.940 --> 00:38:27.159 or out to lunch. And the other person is going 00:38:27.159 --> 00:38:29.800 to say, well, ah, we just spent a bunch of money 00:38:29.800 --> 00:38:31.219 on Christmas gifts. We probably shouldn't go 00:38:31.219 --> 00:38:34.679 out to eat. OK, well, how about we just go to 00:38:34.679 --> 00:38:36.260 Chipotle then? Because that's kind of like going 00:38:36.260 --> 00:38:40.960 out to eat. Well, I was actually thinking if 00:38:40.960 --> 00:38:43.420 we are gonna go out to eat let's go have a hamburger 00:38:43.420 --> 00:38:47.980 One of you are gonna have to do what? You have 00:38:47.980 --> 00:38:50.679 to compromise say why for the sake of your marriage, 00:38:50.679 --> 00:38:54.980 please compromise in that in that scenario It's 00:38:54.980 --> 00:39:05.880 not a bad compromise John Stott says this the 00:39:05.880 --> 00:39:09.199 solution to which he came was not compromise 00:39:09.199 --> 00:39:12.980 in the sense of sacrificing a doctrinal or moral 00:39:12.980 --> 00:39:17.179 principle but a concession in the area of practice 00:39:17.179 --> 00:39:21.960 that's what's happening principle number four 00:39:21.960 --> 00:39:25.519 then is this when appropriate look beyond personal 00:39:25.519 --> 00:39:30.400 preferences to grace for the sake of unity adapt 00:39:30.400 --> 00:39:32.500 even when it's uncomfortable for the love of 00:39:32.500 --> 00:39:35.460 the church even ask yourself questions is this 00:39:35.460 --> 00:39:37.969 an issue about salvation Is this an issue about 00:39:37.969 --> 00:39:40.769 gospel drift? Is this an issue about the culture? 00:39:41.130 --> 00:39:47.289 Is this about practice? And this is something 00:39:47.289 --> 00:39:50.250 that you can put to the side for the sake of 00:39:50.250 --> 00:39:55.809 unity within the church We got to keep moving 00:39:55.809 --> 00:39:59.349 verse 25 the Gentiles have for the Gentiles who 00:39:59.349 --> 00:40:01.969 have believed We sent a letter of judgment that 00:40:01.969 --> 00:40:03.869 they should abstain from what has been sacrificed 00:40:03.869 --> 00:40:07.110 to idols from the blood from what has been strangled, 00:40:07.510 --> 00:40:10.110 from sexual immorality. This is going back to 00:40:10.110 --> 00:40:12.309 the Jerusalem Council and the letters that were 00:40:12.309 --> 00:40:13.929 written there. You can go back and study that 00:40:13.929 --> 00:40:17.289 for yourself. Verse 26, then Paul took the men. 00:40:17.769 --> 00:40:19.849 The next day he purified himself along with them 00:40:19.849 --> 00:40:22.349 and went into the temple giving notice, and giving 00:40:22.349 --> 00:40:25.050 purification would be fulfilled, and the offering 00:40:25.050 --> 00:40:27.900 presented for each of them. Verse 27. When the 00:40:27.900 --> 00:40:29.860 seven days were almost completed, the Jews from 00:40:29.860 --> 00:40:31.820 Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the 00:40:31.820 --> 00:40:34.199 whole crowd, laid hands on him, crying out, Men 00:40:34.199 --> 00:40:36.820 of Israel, help! This is a man who is teaching 00:40:36.820 --> 00:40:40.099 everyone, everywhere, against the people and 00:40:40.099 --> 00:40:44.239 the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought 00:40:44.239 --> 00:40:46.440 Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy 00:40:46.440 --> 00:40:49.219 place. For they have previously seen Trophimus 00:40:49.219 --> 00:40:51.460 the Ephesian with him in the city, and they suppose 00:40:51.460 --> 00:40:53.880 that Paul had brought him into the temple. Then 00:40:53.880 --> 00:40:56.139 all the city was stirred up, and the people ran 00:40:56.139 --> 00:40:58.519 together. They seized Paul, dragged him out of 00:40:58.519 --> 00:41:00.239 the temple, and at once the gates were shut. 00:41:01.289 --> 00:41:04.530 And as they were seeking to kill him, word came 00:41:04.530 --> 00:41:07.510 to the tribune of the cohort that all of Jerusalem 00:41:07.510 --> 00:41:10.329 was in confusion. He at once took soldiers and 00:41:10.329 --> 00:41:12.849 centurions, ran down to them, and when they saw 00:41:12.849 --> 00:41:15.329 the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating 00:41:15.329 --> 00:41:20.309 Paul. The tribune came up and arrested him and 00:41:20.309 --> 00:41:23.050 ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired 00:41:23.050 --> 00:41:25.429 who he was and what he had done. Some in the 00:41:25.429 --> 00:41:27.269 crowd were shouting one thing, some another. 00:41:27.960 --> 00:41:30.539 As he could not learn the facts because of their 00:41:30.539 --> 00:41:32.500 uproar he ordered him to be brought into the 00:41:32.500 --> 00:41:34.320 barracks And when he had come to the steps he 00:41:34.320 --> 00:41:36.579 was actually carried by the soldiers Because 00:41:36.579 --> 00:41:40.079 of the violence of the crowd for the mob of the 00:41:40.079 --> 00:41:44.179 people followed crying out away from him So number 00:41:44.179 --> 00:41:48.039 three is this Jerusalem is in chaos and Paul's 00:41:48.039 --> 00:41:52.260 arrest As I mentioned earlier no matter what 00:41:52.260 --> 00:41:56.039 Paul did by concession it would not be enough 00:41:56.619 --> 00:41:59.260 There was bitterness there's deep harboring of 00:41:59.260 --> 00:42:03.179 dislike for Paul no matter what he practiced 00:42:03.179 --> 00:42:06.500 they were not going to like him and Jerusalem 00:42:06.500 --> 00:42:10.079 now is in chaos and verse 30 it says the whole 00:42:10.079 --> 00:42:15.139 city was stirred up verse 31 Jerusalem was in 00:42:15.139 --> 00:42:23.159 confusion and Satan could not be happier We've 00:42:23.159 --> 00:42:28.099 got him distracted This is great Everybody's 00:42:28.099 --> 00:42:30.539 in confusion. Everybody's in chaos. They're not 00:42:30.539 --> 00:42:33.500 worshiping the Lord. This is exactly what Satan 00:42:33.500 --> 00:42:39.039 wants They hear Paul's in town they arrest him 00:42:39.039 --> 00:42:41.980 they seek to kill him they beat him so much so 00:42:41.980 --> 00:42:45.280 that the soldier had to carry him Put him in 00:42:45.280 --> 00:42:51.639 the barracks sought to take his life Principle 00:42:51.639 --> 00:42:55.099 number five for some Especially those who are 00:42:55.099 --> 00:42:57.280 bitter or critical you can never do enough for 00:42:57.280 --> 00:43:00.980 them to change their mind God will have to change 00:43:00.980 --> 00:43:09.860 it God will have to change it Well in God's providence 00:43:09.860 --> 00:43:15.059 we get a time for communion And I want to just 00:43:15.059 --> 00:43:18.420 turn our attention to that this morning always 00:43:18.420 --> 00:43:22.199 seems so appropriate for us to end our our service, 00:43:22.280 --> 00:43:24.690 especially with a Message like this where we're 00:43:24.690 --> 00:43:30.809 seeking our own hearts Men why don't you guys 00:43:30.809 --> 00:43:34.489 come up and let's have the the band come back 00:43:34.489 --> 00:43:38.150 up and What I like for us to do is the elements 00:43:38.150 --> 00:43:40.110 are going to be passed. I just want to remind 00:43:40.110 --> 00:43:44.630 you Communion is for communion is for Believers 00:43:44.630 --> 00:43:46.909 if you're a believer in Jesus Christ. We want 00:43:46.909 --> 00:43:49.869 you to take communion if you're not a believer 00:43:49.869 --> 00:43:53.389 in Jesus Christ Then we ask that you allow the 00:43:53.389 --> 00:43:57.630 elements to pass. The Bible makes it clear if 00:43:57.630 --> 00:44:01.369 you take communion in an unworthy way that judgment 00:44:01.369 --> 00:44:04.849 will come upon you. And we just want to make 00:44:04.849 --> 00:44:08.650 sure that you are a believer in Christ as you 00:44:08.650 --> 00:44:12.090 take these elements. These elements are just 00:44:12.090 --> 00:44:14.469 that. There's nothing special about them. There's 00:44:14.469 --> 00:44:18.989 nothing unique about them. But they are for remembrance. 00:44:19.369 --> 00:44:25.170 We get to hold the gospel in our hands. Showing 00:44:25.170 --> 00:44:29.409 us as we hold it there the body of Christ that 00:44:29.409 --> 00:44:31.929 was sacrificed for us and the blood of Christ 00:44:31.929 --> 00:44:37.829 that was the payment for our sin. And what I 00:44:37.829 --> 00:44:40.590 want you to do in this time of just silence here 00:44:40.590 --> 00:44:44.530 and even as Ivan plays some music in the background 00:44:44.530 --> 00:44:47.750 is just allow yourself some time to reflect. 00:44:48.119 --> 00:44:52.019 on what you just heard, and in time to reflect 00:44:52.019 --> 00:44:55.579 on the gospel, what God has done for your life. 00:44:57.320 --> 00:44:59.199 Maybe there's someone even in this room that 00:44:59.199 --> 00:45:02.760 you need to go and ask forgiveness for, having 00:45:02.760 --> 00:45:05.019 offended them. Maybe there's some reconciliation 00:45:05.019 --> 00:45:10.159 that needs to happen. But let's just have a moment 00:45:10.159 --> 00:48:01.750 here just to, between you and your Savior. which 00:48:01.750 --> 00:48:06.309 represents the body of Jesus Christ. At Christmas 00:48:06.309 --> 00:48:12.050 time we celebrate God coming into the world in 00:48:12.050 --> 00:48:15.670 human flesh. Same way that all of us came into 00:48:15.670 --> 00:48:20.369 the world. Eventually Jesus would go to the cross, 00:48:20.929 --> 00:48:24.090 die on the cross for our sins, and His body would 00:48:24.090 --> 00:48:27.510 be that which would be sacrificed. And in 1 Corinthians 00:48:27.510 --> 00:48:30.769 11 verse 23 it says, As the Apostle Paul was 00:48:30.769 --> 00:48:32.650 relating the story of what Christ said in the 00:48:32.650 --> 00:48:34.210 upper room, he said, I received from the Lord 00:48:34.210 --> 00:48:36.630 what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus 00:48:36.630 --> 00:48:39.429 on the night he was betrayed, he took the bread, 00:48:40.070 --> 00:48:41.929 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and 00:48:41.929 --> 00:48:45.349 said, this is my body which is for you. Do this 00:48:45.349 --> 00:48:47.550 in remembrance of me. Church, let's take this 00:48:47.550 --> 00:48:52.130 in remembrance of Jesus and sacrifice for us. 00:48:58.869 --> 00:49:02.329 You also hold in your hand the cup, which represents 00:49:02.329 --> 00:49:05.010 the blood of Jesus. And in the blood of Jesus, 00:49:05.050 --> 00:49:07.090 it represents to us the new covenant that we 00:49:07.090 --> 00:49:10.030 have in Christ. Even what we talked about, what 00:49:10.030 --> 00:49:12.730 the Apostle Paul was preaching so much against 00:49:12.730 --> 00:49:15.130 was that, hey, we're no longer under the law. 00:49:15.550 --> 00:49:18.269 We no longer strive for salvation through the 00:49:18.269 --> 00:49:21.869 works of the law. We're under a new covenant, 00:49:21.989 --> 00:49:24.550 and that new covenant is the blood of Jesus Christ. 00:49:24.690 --> 00:49:28.820 He paid it all. He did every work that was done 00:49:28.820 --> 00:49:31.940 for us that we could never do and because of 00:49:31.940 --> 00:49:35.320 that Because of faith in Jesus Christ and the 00:49:35.320 --> 00:49:38.619 sacrifice that he has made for us. We have forgiveness 00:49:38.619 --> 00:49:43.199 of sins and eternal life Let's take that this 00:49:43.199 --> 00:49:51.320 cup together thinking about that Lord thank you 00:49:51.320 --> 00:49:54.079 for communion. Thank you for this remembrance 00:49:54.079 --> 00:49:58.429 of the gospel the hope that we have in Jesus 00:49:58.429 --> 00:50:03.150 Christ our Lord and Savior. In His name we pray, 00:50:03.409 --> 00:50:03.650 amen.