Welcome back to our study
here at the 3ABN Worship Center.
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We're continuing
now on Tuesday's lesson
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with Shelley Quinn,
"The Spirit is Leading"
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"The Spirit is Leading"
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Okay, as you've already
said, the Jewish understanding
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of the Law of Moses
was that a Jew could not
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eat with a Gentile
without being contaminated.
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So when the Jewish
leaders in the church,
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the Christian Church
- they were Christians
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but they were all Jews...
they heard about what happened
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in Caesarea with Cornelius
and they were highly offended.
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They are upset with Peter
and so they demand that he
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explained his conduct and we'll
pick it up in Acts 11:1-18...
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"Now the Apostles and
brethren who were in Judea
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heard that the Gentiles had
also received the word of God,
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and when Peter
came up to Jerusalem,
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those of the circumcision
(that's the Jews, but they're
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Christians), contended
with him saying... "You went in
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to uncircumcised
men and ate with them."
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But Peter explained it to them
in order from the beginning..."
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So he's going to tell
them everything that happened.
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... saying: "I was in the
city of Joppa praying; and in a
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trance, I saw a vision, an
object descending like a great
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sheet let down from heaven by
four corners; and it came to me.
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"When I observed it
intently and considered, I saw
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four-footed animals of
the earth, wild beasts,
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creeping things,
birds of the air.
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And I heard a voice saying
to me, "Rise, rise Peter; Kill
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and eat." "But I
said, "Not so, Lord!
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He walked with Jesus for
3-1/2 years - this is some time
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after Christ's death,
he'd still never eaten
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any unclean food and he
said, "For nothing common or
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unclean has at any
time entered my mouth."
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Why would God say,
"Rise and eat and kill?"
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This reminds me of
what he did in Jeremiah 35
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when he said, (we don't
have time to look at it)
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but He told the
prophet, "Go to the Rechabites
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and invite them and come
and tell them to drink wine."
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He knew (God knew)
that they wouldn't.
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The prophet goes, he brings
them in and these guys are
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going... "Absolutely
not, we've been taught not
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to drink wine."
And then God uses them
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as an example saying, "See,
they still mind the words of
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their Father, why
don't you listen to Me?"
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So this was kind
of a test of Peter.
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And Acts 11:9 continues...
He said, "The voice answered me
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again from heaven,
"What God has cleansed
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you must not call uncommon."
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He's already defined the answer
in Acts 10:28- when he said,
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"Here I was
wondering about this dream,
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but God has shown me
that I should not call any
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man common or unclean."
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That is what the
vision was all about.
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Then he says... okay,
verse 10, happens three times,
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gone back up to heaven,
then suddenly there's men
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standing outside where I
was, having been sent from
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Caesarea, then the
Spirit (I love this verse)
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... the Spirit told me to go
with them, doubting nothing."
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This shows that the
Holy Spirit is a person.
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The Holy Spirit speaks
to people - He leads people,
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and He is an individual.
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And then He says, "Moreover
six brethren accompanied me."
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Boy, he was smart enough to
take along six Jewish brethren.
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And when I say,
"Jewish," they're Christian,
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but of the Jewish
heritage as witnesses.
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I mean, he took them
along, I know, on purpose.
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"And he told us how he
had seen an angel standing
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at his house saying, "Send
men to Joppa and look for Peter.
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He's going to tell you words
by which you and your whole
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household can be saved.
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And as I began to
speak, he says in verse 15,
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the Holy Spirit fell upon them
as upon us at the beginning.
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Then I remembered the word
of the Lord, how He had said,
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"John indeed baptized
with water, but you shall be
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baptized with the Holy Spirit."
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So obviously, the six Christians
that have the Jewish background
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that are with him,
they see God has poured out
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the Holy Spirit and
unquestionably, the Holy Spirit
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led them to baptize
them into the name of Christ.
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And verse 18 says...
"When they (this is the people
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there at the church in
Jerusalem) heard these things
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(it was like "shut my mouth")
they became silent and they
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glorified God saying, "Then
God has also granted to the
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Gentiles repentance to life."
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Now I don't know if they
thought this was going to be
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a one-time occurrence,
but certainly the Holy Spirit
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had other things in mind.
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Let's jump down to Acts
11:19-24, we'll see what
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happened next in
the early church.
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Acts 11:19 says... "Now
those who scattered after the
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persecution that arose
over Stephen traveled as far as
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Phoenicia, Cyprus, and
Antioch, preaching the word
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to no one but the Jews only."
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So as in the early ministry
of Paul, these scattered
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Christians first
went to the synagogues,
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and they preached to the Jews.
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But verse 20 says...
some of them were men from
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Cyprus and Cyrene, who,
when they had come to Antioch,
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spoke to the Hellenists,
(now there's good manuscript
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evidence that this word should
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be rendered Greeks
instead of Hellenists.
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I mean he's talking
about Grecian Jews...
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I mean Hellenists
were Grecian Jews...
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He's talking about
talking to the Gentiles here.
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So and if that rendering is
followed, it makes more sense
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why he says, "Jews
only" in the preceding verse,
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and now these are bold
enough to talk about Jesus...
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And you notice... if he
had been talking to Jews,
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the Hellenistic Jews, it would
have said - he would have been
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telling them about the
Messiah, but he's talking about
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Jesus to the Gentiles!
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So 21, says... "The hand
of the Lord was with them,
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and a great number believed
and turned to the Lord."
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These people had been driven
and scattered from their homes,
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and these anonymous laymen,
we don't know their names,
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but they were aggressive in
their approach to evangelism.
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God had converted
them, He had redeemed them,
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He had changed their lives,
and, man, they're ready to
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share what is
going on in their life.
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And you know, this is one
of the most wicked... Antioch
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was one of the
most wicked Pagan cities
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in the whole Roman
Empire, and there were a great
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number of people, the
Bible says, who believed and
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turned to the Lord and
the church starts turning
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the world upside-down.
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Verse 22... "The news of
these things came to the ears
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of the church in Jerusalem
and they sent out Barnabas
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to go as far as Antioch.
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Barnabas had a great
reputation for piety and being
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filled with the Holy
Spirit, an encourager.
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And who better to send
to encourage and investigate
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the Jews from Cypress,
than a Jew from Cypress,
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you know - so the church sends
him out and in verse 23 it says:
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"When he came and had
seen the grace of God...
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because a great number
of Gentiles had been saved
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by the grace of God,
Barnabas was glad and
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encouraged them all
that with purpose of heart...
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(in other words, with planned
action, he is telling them here
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that they should continue
in the Lord; in other words,
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once you had a revival,
don't let the enthusiasm wane.
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He's saying, "With
purpose of heart keep it up,
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remain loyal - don't
backslide, don't apostasize,
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but persist in
walking in Christ's footsteps.
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And then Luke records,
in verse 24 and said...
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"For he was a good
man, full of the Holy Spirit
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and of faith and
a great many people
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were added to the
Lord." That's good news.
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This is the same description
that Luke used of Stephen...
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That he was a good
man, filled with the Spirit.
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So apparently, Barnabas
went to do more than just to
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observe, he ended up,
per se being the first
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senior pastor there at Antioch.
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He stayed by, he
encouraged them and there is
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500,000 people in
Antioch and so Acts 11:25-26
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"And Barnabas said,
"Hey I need help here."
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It says," Barnabas departed
for Tarsus to seek Saul.
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And when he found him,
he brought him to Antioch.
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So it was that for a whole
year they assembled with the
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church and taught
a great many people.
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And the disciples were first
called Christians in Antioch."
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So we see that persecution
spread the gospel beyond
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Judea and Antioch
became the launch pad of Paul's
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missionary
efforts to the Gentiles.
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Wow! Amen, praise
the Lord! Covered well!
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That's a walk through
Antioch, I mean through the
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whole story and then it
gets really sweet as it goes on.
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So Pastor Kenny,
it's up to you now.
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The ball is in your
court. Well and kind of drawing
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from what each one has
said so far in Acts 15:1-2...
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there are two points because
this is Wednesday's lesson
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and it's talking about
what two issues cause serious
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conflict in the church. Okay.
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Well it has to be what
we've been mentioning here;
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one of them first was in
Acts 15:1-2, when we read it,
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but I want to bring out
some other points I think
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is very interesting because
the brethren got together
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and it's like they do a
lot of times nowadays...
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and they'll come up with
some kind of point of doctrine
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or teaching and
they'll say to you, Pastor,
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"This is a salvational issue,"
that means you're going to have
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to listen because that's
what.." Well, you know it's in
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chapter 15:1, it said here...
"Ye cannot be saved - unless
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you're circumcised,"
you can't be saved.
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So they're saying this is a
salvational issue, so everybody
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better listen up... in
Galatians so that's one point,
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and it certainly goes
deeper, Galatians 2:11-14,
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here we find that there was
a rebuke of an inconsistent,
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I want to say "a Christian,
a follower of Jesus Christ,"
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of Peter because Peter
was one who, after the council
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and after a kind of permission,
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but not really to
hang out with the Gentiles.
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He spent time with
them, he ate meals with them,
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but when the brethren
came around, he was a ghost!
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He didn't show up...
so it caused confusion,
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not only with the
leadership, but also with the
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Gentiles because they're
saying, "Now wait a minute,
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what's right here?"
He did this before...
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And sometimes, as Christians,
we have that - we'll do
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certain things, but
if the Pastor is around,
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we may not say or
do that very thing...
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so you have to be
very careful with that!
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Today, we do, we hear the
same thing - it's salvation,
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and you have to listen to it,
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and it might be or it
might not be - so I always
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have ears to hear, to
listen and then to decide
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by the word of God -
is it something we really
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need to get sidetracked
with or is it something
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we need to really
study to find out.
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So many claimed, at that
time, certainly to follow Jesus;
00:11:57.55\00:12:01.08
following the
teachings of Jesus that we know
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they were teaching - the Jews
were teaching for doctrines...
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we call it
"commandments of men."
00:12:06.65\00:12:08.12
They are teaching things that
after Christ died on Calvary,
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that no longer pertained.
00:12:11.96\00:12:14.03
They could be of no
value any longer, but they were
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still putting these practices
and teachings out there
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and demanding everybody
follow in the footsteps,
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so we find the typical
service, we find in ceremonies,
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Colossians 2:17 talks
about it's a "shadow, a shadow,"
00:12:26.81\00:12:29.88
which these things were
abolished at the cross we know.
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The shadow, as we read
many times, the shadow ceased
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to exist in the substance...
when the substance was there,
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but the shadow is gone.
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The antitypical
Lamb of God became what?
00:12:42.22\00:12:44.73
Became the
offering! That's right.
00:12:44.76\00:12:46.59
And so they were still trying
to push things, so we have here
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an account of the first
major, at least from what I can
00:12:49.03\00:12:54.00
figure out here,
the first major problem
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that confronted the church.
00:12:56.34\00:12:57.67
And if you're in a church
and you have church fellowship
00:12:57.71\00:13:00.74
and you're dealing with
people, I guarantee you,
00:13:00.78\00:13:02.71
you're going to have issues.
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There are issues going to
be coming out and it's so nice
00:13:04.35\00:13:06.65
to be able to have a pastor
who knows the word of God. Amen!
00:13:06.68\00:13:10.15
And so that way, he can
understand what's going on,
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and he can - I want to
say, "nip it" some time
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before it's gets too
carried away because if you let
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things go sometimes, Pastor,
you find out, most of us here,
00:13:16.86\00:13:19.29
if you let it go
too long, it festers up
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and it's really,
really, really a mess!
00:13:21.03\00:13:22.63
So the first major controversy
problem in the church,
00:13:22.66\00:13:26.20
we're looking at here,
that we knew it was going
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to surface - as you
study this, you knew - what?
00:13:29.14\00:13:31.24
How did you know it
was going to surface?
00:13:31.27\00:13:32.61
Because the church
started to grow and you also
00:13:32.64\00:13:35.34
realized that as soon as
the message got farther than
00:13:35.38\00:13:39.81
Palestine - when they
began to get out and to reach
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other people, there is going
to be others that are going
00:13:41.95\00:13:43.69
to rise up against
it, we do know that.
00:13:43.72\00:13:45.65
And the first converts
to Christianity were Jews,
00:13:45.69\00:13:49.06
we realize, but
what did they do?
00:13:49.09\00:13:50.99
They retained most of their
practices and they retained
00:13:51.03\00:13:55.36
most of their prejudices that
have been talked about here.
00:13:55.40\00:13:58.57
And so the Gentiles, they said,
"Come to church if you want,
00:13:58.60\00:14:02.17
even those they said was
filled with the Holy Ghost,
00:14:02.20\00:14:04.87
and we want them into the
church, but you know what?
00:14:04.91\00:14:06.94
You still have
to be circumcised.
00:14:06.98\00:14:08.78
That's kind of an
interesting thought!
00:14:08.81\00:14:10.65
Recognizing the Holy
Ghost calling; recognize the
00:14:10.68\00:14:12.95
Holy Ghost
approved; but yet you still
00:14:12.98\00:14:15.15
have to go through
these rituals to be one of us.
00:14:15.18\00:14:18.19
So, you know, Judaizing -
to me, was a very hard thing
00:14:18.22\00:14:22.59
in my thinking and some could
maybe disagree if they want.
00:14:22.62\00:14:25.39
This really
affected, in a sense, Paul.
00:14:25.43\00:14:29.16
It affected his writings;
it affected the New Testament.
00:14:29.20\00:14:34.24
All over the New Testament,
you'll see there were things
00:14:34.27\00:14:36.50
that had to be
written about this.
00:14:36.54\00:14:38.41
It affected the post-apostolic
times even there with
00:14:38.44\00:14:42.61
the Christianity
literature, so this was a major
00:14:42.64\00:14:45.68
issue and it
continued right on down...
00:14:45.71\00:14:49.35
all through Paul's ministry.
00:14:49.38\00:14:50.72
It was like, bless his
heart, he just had to fight.
00:14:50.75\00:14:54.06
He just had to endure
and I think that's what God
00:14:54.09\00:14:56.52
tells us today and
when something is right,
00:14:56.56\00:14:58.29
we stand up and
we fight with the
00:14:58.33\00:15:00.80
word of God - that it is right.
00:15:00.83\00:15:02.53
A question... "Why
didn't Jesus make this issue
00:15:02.56\00:15:04.67
a little more clear?"
00:15:04.70\00:15:06.03
Now my brother said one time,
he said, "Well for Pete's sake,"
00:15:06.07\00:15:08.47
if it's alright to say that...
he said, "For Pete's sake,
00:15:08.50\00:15:10.14
if Paul had just said
things a little bit clearer,
00:15:10.17\00:15:12.11
we could all
understand it!" Laughter...
00:15:12.14\00:15:15.41
He was younger, you
know, he talked in circles
00:15:15.44\00:15:18.25
sometimes but, you know,
he was talking pretty deep.
00:15:18.28\00:15:20.08
And so, but sometimes we
say, "Man, just make it clear,
00:15:20.12\00:15:23.05
just tell me - is it
right or is it wrong?"
00:15:23.08\00:15:25.05
So we want to know...
"Why didn't Jesus just come up
00:15:25.09\00:15:27.22
and say, "Hey, this
is the way that it is."
00:15:27.26\00:15:28.96
Well, as you study your
lesson, you'll find out - he did
00:15:28.99\00:15:31.39
generally, he explained
the importance of religion
00:15:31.43\00:15:34.50
as being of the soul, right,
and not of outward observances.
00:15:34.53\00:15:39.67
And so Jesus talked about that
many times and I thought that
00:15:39.70\00:15:42.00
that was just gold right there.
00:15:42.04\00:15:44.37
You know God has a plan
for His church - we know that.
00:15:44.41\00:15:47.74
What was God's
plan for His church?
00:15:47.78\00:15:49.11
Here we have a church
that's growing and beginning to
00:15:49.14\00:15:51.11
do well, and so growth
with the devil comes in,
00:15:51.15\00:15:52.91
opposition - people
begin to complain and gripe
00:15:52.95\00:15:55.58
and separation, division
and a little group over there,
00:15:55.62\00:15:57.95
a little group over there...
00:15:57.99\00:15:59.32
But God's plan, I think, for
His church is He wanted to lead
00:15:59.35\00:16:02.49
the church
step-by-step, that just truth
00:16:02.52\00:16:05.89
on top of truth each
time... that would answer the
00:16:05.93\00:16:08.56
questions that confronted
the church. That's right.
00:16:08.66\00:16:11.30
And that's what we do,
you say, "Well yeah, but how
00:16:11.33\00:16:13.37
is it done?"
00:16:13.40\00:16:14.97
I'll tell ya one
thing, it's not done by
00:16:15.00\00:16:16.60
changing Scripture and it's
not done by compromising. Amen!
00:16:16.64\00:16:20.18
It's done by
searching the Scripture.
00:16:20.21\00:16:22.71
Jesus says, "For in them
you think you have eternal life,
00:16:22.74\00:16:25.21
and they are they which
what? ... testify of Me."
00:16:25.25\00:16:28.58
Romans 15:4, real quickly
says, "Whatsoever things were
00:16:28.62\00:16:31.95
written aforetime -
what were they written for?
00:16:31.99\00:16:34.32
For our learning
that we, through patience,
00:16:34.36\00:16:36.66
notice and comfort of the
Scripture might have hope."
00:16:36.69\00:16:39.49
Those things that are written,
they're good, we can hold on to.
00:16:39.53\00:16:42.66
New light is going to
come, we know that the new
00:16:42.70\00:16:44.57
churches are growing.
00:16:44.60\00:16:46.00
Today, I find things -
I'm learning all the time,
00:16:46.03\00:16:48.17
and praise God for that!
00:16:48.20\00:16:49.54
But new light - God knew
would come in the early church.
00:16:49.57\00:16:52.67
But also, He said right
here that we need to be aware,
00:16:52.71\00:16:55.04
and when the new light
came, it would solve problems
00:16:55.08\00:16:58.38
that would develop, but
the church had to be studying;
00:16:58.41\00:17:01.95
but the church had to be
praying; the church had to be
00:17:01.98\00:17:05.09
witnessing - doing our
part but staying in the study of
00:17:05.12\00:17:09.89
Scripture and if problems
then arose and they couldn't
00:17:09.92\00:17:13.16
quite be settled, this
was about the Jerusalem here,
00:17:13.19\00:17:16.06
you know, they'd take
the problem and it would be
00:17:16.10\00:17:18.03
solved in
Jerusalem by the apostles
00:17:18.07\00:17:19.53
and the elders and
so on and so forth.
00:17:19.57\00:17:21.84
I think it's nice some
time that if we have a problem,
00:17:21.87\00:17:24.74
maybe it's a little too
big, we can't handle it,
00:17:24.77\00:17:26.27
that we can talk
with one another. Yes
00:17:26.31\00:17:28.14
We can pray about
the issue. That's right.
00:17:28.18\00:17:30.05
And then we all would be
led back - what does God say?
00:17:30.08\00:17:33.21
It's not what this group
said, it's not what he said,
00:17:33.25\00:17:36.32
or what she said...
what does the word of God say
00:17:36.35\00:17:38.49
that's the bottom line.
00:17:38.52\00:17:39.85
Now look at this lesson
quickly about the bottom line
00:17:39.89\00:17:41.72
on here is - because
there's so much conflict,
00:17:41.76\00:17:44.33
things that were going
on, but yet when you had Peter
00:17:44.36\00:17:47.03
when he was really ready to
go and ready to fight again,
00:17:47.06\00:17:49.13
and Barnabas when he was
ready to go do his thing,
00:17:49.16\00:17:51.23
and Paul was doing his
deal... we find out they shared
00:17:51.27\00:17:54.47
what God had revealed to them.
00:17:54.50\00:17:56.40
They shared the
mighty workings of God
00:17:56.44\00:17:58.91
for the Gentiles and
they preached from the heart,
00:17:58.94\00:18:02.54
when they told their
experience - just like when I
00:18:02.58\00:18:06.41
hear one of you said - "You
know this is how I met God."
00:18:06.45\00:18:09.82
"This is how I was born again."
00:18:09.85\00:18:11.75
This is what
happened! It's exciting!
00:18:11.79\00:18:13.72
And you will listen every time.
00:18:13.76\00:18:15.79
So they began to
relate these things...
00:18:15.82\00:18:17.69
Peter said in Acts 15:11,
he simply said, "We believe
00:18:17.73\00:18:21.50
that through the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
00:18:21.53\00:18:24.17
we shall be saved in
the same manner as they,"
00:18:24.20\00:18:28.04
(Peter was talking
about the Gentiles)
00:18:28.07\00:18:29.84
So, you know, we find
these very interesting.
00:18:29.87\00:18:33.27
If we are, and that's today
too, that's talking to you,
00:18:33.31\00:18:36.24
that's talking to me,
that's not just - well, that's
00:18:36.28\00:18:37.98
back, you know, in the New
Testament or the Old Testament.
00:18:38.01\00:18:40.75
If we're holding on to
traditions, sometimes they're
00:18:40.78\00:18:44.45
not easily given
up. That's right!
00:18:44.49\00:18:47.42
Sometimes pride won't
let us give some things up,
00:18:47.46\00:18:49.92
but notice this and
I think good news is
00:18:49.96\00:18:52.36
we can be, through the light
of the gospel as it is shared
00:18:52.39\00:18:56.06
as we read, as we study,
and certainly we must first
00:18:56.10\00:18:59.23
have a willing heart and a
willing mind. That's right!
00:18:59.27\00:19:01.67
But it's hard,
it's hard to give up.
00:19:01.70\00:19:03.14
And I find out myself, it's
hard to give up certain things
00:19:03.17\00:19:05.47
that you just thought that
this was the way that it is,
00:19:05.51\00:19:07.78
and I'm just not
gonna give it up.
00:19:07.81\00:19:09.74
You know, the other way
is, "God has blessed me all
00:19:09.78\00:19:11.91
these years," and
you've heard people say this,
00:19:11.95\00:19:13.28
"I'm not gonna..." Be
open to the word of God.
00:19:13.31\00:19:15.38
Let God's word speak
to you and I'll tell you
00:19:15.42\00:19:17.49
that if you have a
willing heart and mind,
00:19:17.52\00:19:18.85
God is going to do great things
for each and every one of us.
00:19:18.89\00:19:22.02
So I encourage you, if
you have problems or issues
00:19:22.06\00:19:23.93
in the church, get
into the word of God;
00:19:23.96\00:19:25.59
study the word of God;
sit down and counsel together;
00:19:25.63\00:19:27.93
pray together; work
together, and I guarantee you,
00:19:27.96\00:19:30.73
God has an answer, just like
He had for the early church.
00:19:30.77\00:19:33.94
All the problems will be
ironed out as you set down,
00:19:33.97\00:19:36.50
as you study the word
of God with an open heart,
00:19:36.54\00:19:38.94
and an open mind. Amen! Amen!
00:19:38.97\00:19:41.58
Thank you so much Pastor Kenny!
00:19:41.61\00:19:43.21
What a wonderful
setting there for what I have
00:19:43.24\00:19:46.78
on Thursday which
is... "A Difficult Solution"
00:19:46.82\00:19:50.09
It's interesting as we
have been talking along the
00:19:50.12\00:19:52.85
panel - each one, this
issue as you brought out
00:19:52.89\00:19:56.69
so eloquently, Pastor Kenny,
of circumcision - of whether
00:19:56.73\00:20:00.10
circumcision was to
be a salvational issue;
00:20:00.13\00:20:03.37
whether the Gentiles had to
be circumcised even to become
00:20:03.40\00:20:06.84
Christians - it was a huge issue
in the New Testament Church
00:20:06.87\00:20:10.54
because it went
against their prejudices;
00:20:10.57\00:20:12.27
it went against
their traditions;
00:20:12.31\00:20:13.68
it went against
everything they had been taught;
00:20:13.71\00:20:16.54
everything the Jewish
Christians knew from birth...
00:20:16.58\00:20:20.52
And so it was a complete
180 switch for their minds
00:20:20.55\00:20:24.82
to start to think
something different.
00:20:24.85\00:20:26.82
So we know that there was
controversy over this issue,
00:20:26.86\00:20:29.86
and that the brethren
gathered in Jerusalem,
00:20:29.89\00:20:33.33
at the Jerusalem Council
we call it, here in Acts 15,
00:20:33.36\00:20:37.67
to discuss the matter.
00:20:37.70\00:20:39.03
We know there was
division and dissention about it
00:20:39.07\00:20:41.47
because verse 2 of Acts 15
says, "When no small dissension
00:20:41.50\00:20:45.51
or dispute arose."
00:20:45.54\00:20:46.88
So we know this was a big
issue and then when they met
00:20:46.91\00:20:51.21
together, in verse 7, it
says, "When there had been
00:20:51.25\00:20:54.45
much disputes," so that
means even after all the
00:20:54.48\00:20:58.45
representatives, you
could say, from the various
00:20:58.49\00:21:01.22
churches had come together
to Jerusalem - the leadership
00:21:01.26\00:21:04.93
of the church had
gathered to address this matter
00:21:04.96\00:21:08.06
once and for all to settle it,
00:21:08.10\00:21:09.83
and to figure out
what was to be done.
00:21:09.86\00:21:11.40
Even then among the leadership,
there was great discussion
00:21:11.43\00:21:15.40
and dissension.
00:21:15.44\00:21:17.04
Then we see where
the leaders spoke...
00:21:17.07\00:21:19.14
As you mentioned,
Pastor Kenny, Peter rose up...
00:21:19.17\00:21:22.04
Now he was one of the
leaders in the early church,
00:21:22.08\00:21:24.85
and he rose up and he
spoke, and I love this Scripture
00:21:24.88\00:21:27.72
you read in verse 11...
"But we believe that through the
00:21:28.42\00:21:32.25
grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ, we shall be saved in the
00:21:32.29\00:21:34.72
same manner as they."
00:21:34.76\00:21:36.26
And he said...Here, this is
what happened when I went to
00:21:36.29\00:21:41.66
Cornelius' house and this
is how the Holy Spirit was
00:21:41.70\00:21:45.10
poured out and this is
how I understood that God is
00:21:45.13\00:21:48.64
no respecter of persons
and that the Gentiles, too,
00:21:48.67\00:21:51.27
can become Christians.
00:21:51.31\00:21:52.64
Then Paul and Barnabas
spoke and they shared their
00:21:52.67\00:21:56.24
experience and how
they had shared the gospel
00:21:56.28\00:22:00.52
with the Gentiles and how
they had become Christians,
00:22:00.55\00:22:03.12
and received it as well.
00:22:03.15\00:22:04.79
And then James, he is the leader
of the church and he spoke.
00:22:04.82\00:22:09.56
Now we know this James is
not James the son of thunder.
00:22:09.59\00:22:13.63
This is not John's
brother, the disciple because
00:22:13.66\00:22:17.33
that James was already killed.
00:22:17.37\00:22:18.70
In Acts 12, Herod stretched
out his arm and killed James.
00:22:18.73\00:22:22.94
This is James, probably,
the brother of Jesus and he was
00:22:22.97\00:22:27.04
a leader in the New Testament
Church as well, and he spoke,
00:22:27.08\00:22:30.28
and when he spoke, (we
are in verse 14) he said,
00:22:30.31\00:22:34.25
"Simon Peter has declared how
God, at the first, visited the
00:22:34.28\00:22:37.62
Gentiles to take out of
them a people for His name."
00:22:37.65\00:22:40.89
So he reiterates the experience
that Peter had already had;
00:22:40.92\00:22:44.66
then he quotes from
Scripture to validate Peter's
00:22:44.69\00:22:49.56
experience.
00:22:49.60\00:22:50.93
I think that's important
when we're involved in any
00:22:50.97\00:22:52.83
discussion or controversy.
00:22:52.87\00:22:54.47
We don't just gather
together and we don't just
00:22:54.50\00:22:56.57
share our experience.
00:22:56.60\00:22:57.94
We need to share a
"Thus saith the Lord." Amen!
00:22:57.97\00:23:00.78
He quotes from the Book of Acts.
00:23:00.81\00:23:02.31
Acts 15:16-17, and he says...
"After this, I will return
00:23:02.34\00:23:09.28
and we'll rebuild the tabernacle
of David which has fallen down;
00:23:09.32\00:23:12.35
I will rebuild its ruins and
I will set it up; So that the
00:23:12.39\00:23:15.69
rest of mankind may seek
the Lord, Even all the Gentiles
00:23:15.72\00:23:20.06
who are called by My name,
00:23:20.10\00:23:21.43
Says the Lord who
does all these things."
00:23:21.46\00:23:24.27
So James is saying...
Listen, Amos prophesied back
00:23:24.30\00:23:28.44
in the Old
Testament, what did he prophesy?
00:23:28.47\00:23:31.64
That even the Gentiles would
be called by My name. Amen!
00:23:31.67\00:23:35.38
So then what is the decision
of the Jerusalem Council?
00:23:35.41\00:23:39.11
He gives the decision there
and then the brethren actually
00:23:39.61\00:23:42.52
wrote out the decision
from verse 23 all the way
00:23:42.55\00:23:46.12
through verse 29-
and we won't read it all.
00:23:46.15\00:23:48.42
#1... The decision was
- God called the Gentiles
00:23:48.46\00:23:52.79
to be Christians as
well and that the Gentiles
00:23:52.83\00:23:55.20
were supposed to be Christians.
00:23:55.23\00:23:57.40
#2... The Gentiles are
not required to be circumcised
00:23:57.43\00:24:02.40
in order to become Christians.
00:24:02.44\00:24:04.81
We see that clearly in verse 24.
00:24:04.84\00:24:07.38
He says... "Since we have
heard that some who went out
00:24:07.41\00:24:10.38
from us have troubled you with
words, unsettling your souls,
00:24:10.41\00:24:14.12
saying, "You must be
circumcised and keep the law,"
00:24:14.15\00:24:17.99
to whom we gave
no such commandment."
00:24:18.02\00:24:22.39
So James reiterates and says,
Okay, the Gentile believers
00:24:22.42\00:24:26.33
do not have to be
circumcised in order
00:24:26.36\00:24:29.36
to be Christians, but
he does give the Gentiles
00:24:29.40\00:24:32.07
four things that
they are to abstain from.
00:24:32.10\00:24:36.57
He asks them to give up
customs that we would say
00:24:36.60\00:24:39.57
are inconsistent with the
principles of Christianity.
00:24:39.61\00:24:43.71
The four customs
would be: Abstain from foods
00:24:43.75\00:24:46.38
offered to idols;
abstain from things
00:24:46.41\00:24:49.85
strangled; abstain
from blood and abstain from
00:24:49.88\00:24:54.69
sexual immorality.
00:24:54.72\00:24:56.22
Now why were the Gentiles asked
00:24:56.26\00:24:57.59
to abstain from
these four things?
00:24:57.63\00:24:59.59
You could say there
is a twofold answer...
00:24:59.63\00:25:02.53
First, they were trying
to foster Gentile-Jewish
00:25:02.56\00:25:06.23
relationships, right?
00:25:06.27\00:25:07.60
If this really bothered
the Jews, then we need to
00:25:07.64\00:25:11.11
make sure we abstain
from that on the Gentile side.
00:25:11.14\00:25:14.34
Leviticus 17 and 18 gives
the customs - not only for the
00:25:14.38\00:25:17.95
Jews but for the
"strangers who dwell among you."
00:25:17.98\00:25:20.85
So in that sense, you
could say - trying to have the
00:25:20.88\00:25:23.28
Gentiles uphold to
those same laws that the
00:25:23.32\00:25:25.99
strangers had to do.
00:25:26.02\00:25:27.52
But I think more importantly,
the reason that they were
00:25:27.56\00:25:31.56
required to abstain
from these four things
00:25:31.59\00:25:34.10
is that all four of
these items are associated with
00:25:34.13\00:25:37.03
pagan worship.
00:25:37.07\00:25:38.73
The Gentiles worshiped
idols; the Gentiles worshipped
00:25:38.77\00:25:42.00
false gods; they were involved
in idolatry and pagan worship.
00:25:42.04\00:25:46.01
And the New Testament
Church believed it was important
00:25:46.04\00:25:50.71
that it was apparent
not only to other Gentiles,
00:25:50.75\00:25:54.02
but to the Christian
believers that the Gentiles
00:25:54.05\00:25:56.89
had forsaken that former life.
00:25:56.92\00:25:59.05
They had put aside idol worship.
00:25:59.09\00:26:02.22
They were to abstain
from food offered to idols,
00:26:03.69\00:26:05.96
and if they didn't eat it,
it would show that they had
00:26:05.99\00:26:07.93
pushed aside that idol worship.
00:26:07.96\00:26:09.56
They were to abstain
from sexual immorality,
00:26:09.60\00:26:12.40
and the Gentiles, especially
the Greeks, engaged in
00:26:12.43\00:26:15.34
much sexual immorality.
00:26:15.37\00:26:16.71
So this shows they
were becoming separate
00:26:16.74\00:26:18.41
from that old lifestyle.
00:26:18.44\00:26:20.64
They were to abstain
from things strangled and the
00:26:20.68\00:26:22.84
Gentiles - that's how
they killed the animals.
00:26:22.88\00:26:25.25
And they were to abstain
from blood - of course the Jews
00:26:25.28\00:26:28.45
held that blood was life
and the shedding of blood
00:26:28.48\00:26:31.99
was a consequence of sin.
00:26:32.02\00:26:34.66
So what was the
result of this decision?
00:26:34.69\00:26:37.49
It was accepted
with joy by most people.
00:26:37.53\00:26:41.33
We see in verse 30,
they sent the brethren...
00:26:41.36\00:26:45.33
Paul and Barnabas with
some other brethren back to
00:26:45.37\00:26:48.00
Antioch and it says,
"When they gathered the
00:26:48.04\00:26:50.27
multitude together,
they delivered the letter.
00:26:50.31\00:26:52.37
When they had read it, they
rejoiced over its encouragement.
00:26:52.41\00:26:56.64
They were so excited to
know that they were part
00:26:56.68\00:26:59.58
of the believers.
00:26:59.61\00:27:00.95
They were part of the
body of Christ as well.
00:27:00.98\00:27:04.22
So what are the takeaways
00:27:04.25\00:27:06.89
that we can take
from this lesson?
00:27:06.92\00:27:08.99
#1... Understand the
time and place for discussion.
00:27:09.02\00:27:12.36
Discussion is not
always to take place amongst
00:27:12.39\00:27:15.90
ourselves - there's a certain
time and a place for discussion.
00:27:15.93\00:27:19.03
Mollie always says,
"Never complain down."
00:27:19.90\00:27:22.37
In other words, if you
have an issue, don't gossip
00:27:22.40\00:27:25.04
to someone who
is your subordinate.
00:27:25.07\00:27:26.68
Don't talk to them about
issues and neither should you
00:27:26.71\00:27:29.11
complain sideways to
someone who is your equal.
00:27:29.14\00:27:31.45
If you have an issue, you
need to take it up; take it up
00:27:31.48\00:27:34.88
to a supervisor.
00:27:34.92\00:27:36.25
So in this case, it there
is an issue within the church,
00:27:36.28\00:27:39.32
we need to take it
to the leadership with
00:27:39.35\00:27:45.06
the representation
of the leadership.
00:27:45.09\00:27:46.43
Now in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
00:27:46.46\00:27:47.80
we have the General
Conference every 5 years where
00:27:47.83\00:27:49.80
representatives all over
the world gather together,
00:27:49.83\00:27:52.23
pray and seek
counsel and seek God's word.
00:27:52.27\00:27:55.27
#2... Don't be afraid of
discussion or discouragement.
00:27:55.30\00:27:58.94
It's not a bad thing,
discussion/discouragement,
00:27:58.97\00:28:01.48
Pastor, discussion and
disagreement not discouragement.
00:28:01.51\00:28:04.48
Discussion and disagreement
can be a healthy thing. Amen!
00:28:04.51\00:28:08.42
Freely share and be open to hear
00:28:08.45\00:28:10.02
someone else's point-of-view.
00:28:10.05\00:28:11.55
#3... Learn to
listen to leadership.
00:28:11.59\00:28:15.49
They listened to
Peter; they listened to Paul
00:28:15.52\00:28:18.19
and Barnabas; they
listened to James when they
00:28:18.23\00:28:21.13
spoke in the council.
00:28:21.16\00:28:22.50
Come to a decision
and support the decision
00:28:22.53\00:28:26.90
once it's made - that
is a very important point,
00:28:26.94\00:28:31.44
and I don't have
time to read all this,
00:28:31.47\00:28:32.97
but in "Acts of the Apostles,"
Sister White talks about
00:28:33.01\00:28:35.88
how the entire body of
believers was called to
00:28:35.91\00:28:38.05
vote upon this question.
00:28:38.08\00:28:39.41
Not the entire body but
the apostles and elders were
00:28:39.45\00:28:42.02
called to vote
upon this question there
00:28:42.05\00:28:43.52
at the Jerusalem Council.
00:28:43.55\00:28:44.95
But she says, "Not all
of the brethren were pleased
00:28:44.99\00:28:48.09
with the decision and
these men indulged in murmuring
00:28:48.12\00:28:52.63
and fault-finding with
the decision that took place
00:28:52.66\00:28:56.06
here in Acts 15 at
the Jerusalem Council,
00:28:56.10\00:28:58.93
and they worked to counteract
the decision that was made."
00:28:58.97\00:29:03.04
So even though we
read this and we think...
00:29:03.07\00:29:05.21
"Oh the brethren were happy."
00:29:05.24\00:29:06.57
There were some
brethren that were still upset,
00:29:06.61\00:29:08.94
and who worked
to counteract that.
00:29:08.98\00:29:10.58
So whatever
decision is made, as a body,
00:29:10.61\00:29:14.38
on the unction
anointing of the word of God,
00:29:14.42\00:29:17.39
it is our call to standby
and to support that decision.
00:29:17.42\00:29:21.59
And don't be surprised by those
who oppose the work of God.
00:29:21.62\00:29:25.39
Like Nehemiah, we're called
to stand on the wall. Amen!
00:29:25.43\00:29:28.40
And keep doing the work
of God. That's right! Wow!
00:29:28.43\00:29:31.13
What a wonderful lesson! Yes!
00:29:31.17\00:29:32.87
It's been gingerly
and it's been spicy!
00:29:32.90\00:29:37.01
It's not gingerly,
it's spicy! Yeah, spicy!
00:29:37.04\00:29:39.37
Greg, let me give you
some chance to summarize
00:29:39.41\00:29:41.48
what your day was about. Okay.
00:29:41.51\00:29:42.84
I'm actually going to go to
Acts 10:34-35 and it says...
00:29:42.88\00:29:47.65
(this is after Cornelius
has shared his story with Peter)
00:29:47.68\00:29:50.32
Peter says, "And he opened
his mouth and said, "Of a truth
00:29:50.35\00:29:53.42
I perceive that God is
no respecter of persons:
00:29:53.46\00:29:56.83
But in every nation he
that feareth God and worketh
00:29:56.86\00:30:00.56
righteousness, is
accepted with God."
00:30:00.60\00:30:03.77
I need to do likewise. Amen!
00:30:03.80\00:30:06.37
You said that preconceived
opinions is what causes
00:30:06.40\00:30:09.40
prejudice and preconceived
opinions CAN effectively
00:30:09.44\00:30:13.34
insulate our mind
against the truth.
00:30:13.38\00:30:15.61
So what my day was about
was "The Spirit is Leading,"
00:30:15.64\00:30:20.38
and we need to follow
the leading of the Spirit.
00:30:20.42\00:30:23.52
As you've been talking
about what happened at the
00:30:23.55\00:30:25.75
Jerusalem Council, it was only
a handful of the sect of the
00:30:25.79\00:30:29.86
Pharisees who were saying
this and they were the ones
00:30:29.89\00:30:33.63
that kept going out and working
against the Spirit's leading.
00:30:33.66\00:30:37.57
Amen! I found out something
00:30:37.60\00:30:39.03
interesting - our Fundamental
Beliefs, we talk about here
00:30:39.07\00:30:41.80
in practices and lifestyle
make us a unique people. Amen!
00:30:41.84\00:30:46.41
Three seconds Jill...
00:30:46.44\00:30:48.38
It's an incredible blessing
to be a part of the body
00:30:48.41\00:30:50.68
of Christ and work
through issues. Amen! Amen!
00:30:50.71\00:30:53.45
Paul says, "Our
citizenship is in Heaven."
00:30:53.48\00:30:55.22
Philippians 3:20, "Let's look
00:30:55.25\00:30:57.32
not where we came
from, but where we're headed.
00:30:57.39\00:30:59.55
May the Lord bless you
until we meet you again.
00:30:59.59\00:31:01.69