Hey everyone, please return to your seats and we will continue our worship this evening with the reading and preaching of God's Word.
It's good to see you all. For those of you who are visiting, my name is Sean. I'm one of the pastors of Trinity Cambridge Church.
It's my joy and privilege to preach God's Word to you this evening.
Please turn with me in your Bibles to Acts chapter 15.
We've been going through a series in the book of Acts and we are in chapter 15 today.
I originally intended to cover the entire chapter.
Well, not the entire chapter, but up to verse 35.
However, when I finished the sermon, it was twice as long as it was supposed to be.
So, I'm just going to preach up to verse 21 today.
It's because there's a lot of thorny, complex theological issues in this passage that it's going to take some time to deal with.
So, I'll address the rest of the passage next week.
So, we'll just read from Acts chapter 15 verse 1 to verse 21.
Let me pray for the reading and preaching of God's Word.
We are often clawing our way, trying to earn and pay for the salvation you have freely given us in Jesus.
Let me pray for the reading and preaching of God's Word.
But Lord, will you teach us in your Word that you have decided in your sovereign will
not to burden us beyond our repentance and faith in Jesus.
that we might be saved by grace through faith in Him.
We pray that you have decided in your sovereign will not to bring that truth home to every single person here.
That they might experience the joy and freedom that comes
only when we look to Christ
and trust in Him alone for our salvation.
in Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
Acts chapter 15 verses 1 to 21.
But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers.
Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom of Moses,
you cannot be saved.
And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them,
Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem
to the apostles and the elders about this question.
So, being sent on their way by the church,
they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria,
describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles
and brought great joy to all the brothers.
When they came to Jerusalem,
they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders
and they declared all that God had done with them.
But,
some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees
rose up and said,
it is necessary to circumcise them
and to order them to keep the law of Moses.
The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter.
And after there had been much debate,
Peter stood up and said to them,
Brothers,
you know that in the early days,
God made a choice among you,
that by my mouth,
the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.
And God,
who knows the heart,
bore witness to them
by giving them the Holy Spirit
just as He did to us.
And He made no distinction
between us and them,
having cleansed their hearts by faith.
Now, therefore,
why are you putting God to the test
by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples
that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
But we believe that we will be saved
through the grace of the Lord Jesus
just as they will.
And all the assembly fell silent
and they listened to Barnabas and Paul
as they related what signs and wonders
God had done through them among the Gentiles.
After they finished speaking,
James replied,
Brothers,
Listen to me.
Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles
to take from them a people for His name.
And with this,
the words of the prophets agree,
just as it is written,
After this,
I will return
and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen.
I will rebuild its ruins
and I will restore it
and the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord.
That the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord.
And all the Gentiles were called by my name,
says the Lord,
who makes these things known from of old.
Therefore,
my judgment is that
we should not trouble those of the Gentiles
who turn to God,
but should write to them
to abstain from the things polluted by idols
and from sexual immorality
and from what has been strangled
and from blood.
For from ancient generations,
Moses has had in every city
those who proclaim Him.
For He has read every Sabbath
in the synagogues.
This is God's holy
and authoritative Word.
There's no shortage of issues
that threaten to divide the church nowadays,
whether it's issues of gender and sexuality,
race and racism,
or various responses to COVID.
It's comforting to know
that we're not alone
in experiencing these pools.
Every local church
deals with forces
that threaten to divide them.
Even the first century church
led by the 12 apostles themselves.
In Acts 15,
we see the early church grappling
with a tectonic shift
in their understanding,
in their theology,
in their understanding of the church,
the life of the church.
Salvation has come to the Gentiles,
evidenced by the falling of the Holy Spirit
upon them in Acts 10.
However, this raised some significant
theological questions.
Should Gentile Christian men
be circumcised like their Jewish Christian brothers?
Were the laws of Moses,
laws of Moses binding on Gentile Christians
as they historically have been binding for the Jews?
In this passage,
we see in order the dissension caused by the Judaizers,
the debate among the elders and the apostles,
and then the decision rendered by the elders and the apostles.
So we see the dissension,
and then the debate,
and then the decision.
And from this passage,
we learn lessons not only about
how to resolve disputes within the church,
but even more significantly,
we learn the liberating truth
that God saves a remnant
from both Jews and Gentiles
by grace through faith
in Jesus Christ alone.
So let's first look at the dissension
caused by the Judaizers
in verses 1 to 5.
After completing their missionary journey,
Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch in Syria,
and they gave the church,
they gave the church
that originally sent them out,
a report of all that God has done through them.
And it says in chapter 14, verse 28,
that they remained no little time with the disciples.
But while they were remaining with the disciples
and continuing to teach them
and to minister to them,
they encountered some people
who were undermining their teaching,
who were opposing their work.
It says in verse 1,
But some men came down from Judea
and were teaching the brothers.
And this is what they were teaching.
Quote,
Unless you are circumcised
according to the custom of Moses,
you cannot be saved.
Later in verse 24,
the apostles and the elders
of the church in Jerusalem
say that these men had gone out from them,
meaning that they were once part
of the Jerusalem church.
So this association with the Jerusalem church,
the first church,
the first local church
in the history of humanity,
of which the 12 apostles themselves were a part,
likely bolstered the credibility
of these men
who had come down from Jerusalem.
They have the proximity to the apostles.
They came down from Jerusalem
where most of the Jewish converts are,
Jewish Christians are.
And they're telling us
that we have to be circumcised
and follow all the customs of Moses
in order to be saved.
So who's right?
Paul and Barnabas
who have been teaching us
or these people
from the church in Jerusalem.
They don't seem to occupy
these men that came down from Jerusalem
any office in the church.
They are not elders.
They're just called some men.
However, they nonetheless took it upon themselves
to teach the brothers
these contrary doctrines.
And though circumcision is the main issue here,
it's not the only issue.
Circumcision was the sign
of the Abrahamic covenant.
In Genesis 17,
when God made a covenant with Abraham,
He gave the sign of circumcision
for generations to come.
It was a sign that signified
that those who are circumcised,
those who are descendants,
physical descendants of Abraham,
are the promised offspring,
that they are the heirs of the promise
that God had given to Abraham.
And the covenant sign of circumcision
signified that if you broke the covenant,
if you violated the covenant,
that you would literally be cut off
from that line,
that promised line.
That's what the covenant signified.
And so it came very naturally
to Jewish converts to Christianity
to think,
well, of course you have to be circumcised.
That is the sign of your inclusion
in the people of God.
But the issue is not merely circumcision
because the circumcision is a sign
that you are a party
to the covenant that God has made
with His people.
And if you are a part of the covenant,
you have to obey
all of the covenant stipulations,
all the laws that go with that,
the laws of Moses.
And we can see that clearly in verse 5
because they weren't merely teaching
that they need to be circumcised.
They said that it is necessary
to circumcise them
and to order them
to keep the law of Moses.
So what these circumcision party people
are arguing is that
they not only need to be circumcised,
they essentially need to become Jewish
in order to be saved.
They need to obey the entirety
of the laws of Moses.
In order for you to be fully converted,
a genuine Christian,
you have to be circumcised
and adopt the way of life of Jews.
Note well here that the issue at hand
is not just how Gentile converts
should behave
when they're in the company
of Jewish Christians.
That's not the issue at hand.
The issue is a matter of salvation,
criterion for salvation.
They're saying,
unless you are circumcised
according to the custom of Moses,
you cannot be saved.
So it's a critical issue.
That's at hand.
What does it mean for a Gentile
to convert to Christianity?
Not merely how should a converted Gentile behave.
Paul and Barnabas objected
to this teaching from the men
from Jerusalem church
and verse 2 says that
they had no small dissension
and debate with them.
This is a deliberate understatement.
No small dissension means that
they had a very big dissension.
In fact, the dissension was so significant
that they were unable to resolve
their differences among them
through debate.
So Paul and Barnabas
and some of the others
were appointed by the church in Antioch
to go up to Jerusalem
to the apostles and the elders
about this question.
They're seeking arbitration
from the apostles and the elders
in Jerusalem.
When you're unable to resolve
a dispute with fellow Christians,
it is wise to seek arbitration
from proper authorities.
If it's a disagreement
among fellow church members,
they may seek arbitration
from the elders.
If it's a disagreement
between church members
and the elders themselves,
we don't have the 12 apostles
we can consult,
but we are part
of a larger denomination
called Sovereign Grace Churches.
In the northeast region
of the denomination
that we are part of,
there is a committee
called the Judicial Review Committee
whose responsibility it is
to, quote,
hear and adjudicate
any complaints or grievances
against the local eldership
by a member of a local church.
I pray that that day never comes,
but if any of you believe
that I am erring
from God's will
in my teaching and leadership,
and if I'm refusing
to listen to your earnest appeals,
then that is the recourse
that is available to you
to settle the matter.
And the person to contact
is Rob Flood.
That's the name
of the chair of the committee.
His email address
is rflood,
F-L-O-O-D,
at C-O-V-F-E-L dot org,
cubfell.org.
You guys can take notes on that.
That's fine with me.
I think this accountability
is good for pastors to have.
So Barnabas and Paul
set out for Jerusalem,
and both of them,
on their way to Jerusalem,
on their way wherever they go,
they're proclaiming
all the things
that God had done
in the conversion
of the Gentiles.
So obviously,
you know where Paul
and Barnabas fall
in this theological debate.
Unlike the Judaizers
who are insisting
that Gentiles
become circumcised
and essentially become Jewish,
Paul and Barnabas
believe that these Gentiles
who have put their faith in Jesus
are already saved.
So that's the dissension
caused by the Judaizers
in verses 1-5.
And then now let's look
at the debate
among the elders
and the apostles
in verses 6-18.
It begins in verse 6.
Notice in verse 4
that Paul and Barnabas,
when they arrived in Jerusalem,
they were welcomed
by the church
and the apostles
and the elders.
So they were welcomed
by the gathering
of the entire church.
But then look at
who's involved in verse 6.
It says,
the apostles and elders
were gathered together
to consider this matter.
In other words,
they're not having
this debate
with the whole church
in the context
of a members' meeting.
Rather,
they are having this debate
among the apostles
and elders
in the context
of a leadership meeting.
It is the responsibility
of the apostles
and the elders
to render a decision
on this complex theological matter.
The witness of church leaders
is one of the categories
that this passage teaches us
that is part of processing
disagreements
within the church.
I'll mention two other categories
as we're going,
but first we see here
the witness of church leaders.
Verse 7 tells us
that after there had been
much debate,
Peter stood up
and said to them,
Brothers,
you know that in the early days
God made a choice among you
that by my mouth
the Gentiles should hear
the word of the gospel
and believe.
Peter is recalling
his experience
with Cornelius
and his family and friends
in chapter 10.
There God showed Peter
a thrice-repeated vision
of a sheath
being lowered
with all kinds
of unclean animals
that were not fit
for Jewish consumption
on it.
And then a voice
in the vision
from God said,
Peter, kill and eat.
And when Peter refused
out of a desire
to stay pure
and to avoid ritual impurity,
said,
No, no way.
I'm not going to eat
any of that.
And God said to him,
What God has made clean
do not call common.
And in saying that,
God was declaring
that Gentiles,
whom Jews considered unclean,
are no longer
to be viewed that way.
And right after
that threefold vision,
God had told Peter,
Behold, three men
are looking for you.
He had threefold vision
and three men show up
from the Gentile Cornelius
and they ask him
to come with them.
And so Peter goes
without hesitation
and he ministers to them.
And while he's
preaching the gospel there
to Cornelius
and his gathering
of intimate friends
and family,
the Holy Spirit
fell upon them.
So now,
that was only five chapters ago,
but a lot has happened
since then.
Peter refers to those
as the early days.
In the early days,
if you track the time
and place indicators
throughout the book of Acts
in those intervening chapters
and then you reference
other epistles
in the New Testament
to get an estimate
of how many years
have elapsed,
it seems about seven years
has already passed
since that,
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
upon the Gentiles
in chapter 10.
So it has been a while.
That's why Peter calls
those days the early days.
Those were the days
when Peter was still
the head of the church
in Jerusalem.
He left the church
in Jerusalem
to flee to another location
in chapter 12
when King Herod
was out to kill him.
Herod Agrippa.
In those days
when God chose Peter
to preach the word
of the gospel
to the Gentiles,
they believed
and because of this
pioneering role
that Peter had
in bringing the gospel
to the Gentiles,
his is the first perspective
that Luke notes
at the conclusion
of this debate.
Peter continues
in verses 8 to 9,
and God who knows
the heart
bore witness to them
by giving them
the Holy Spirit
just as he did to us.
And he made no distinction
between us and them
having cleansed their hearts
by faith.
Peter is testifying
that God himself
who knows the heart
of every person
bore witness
to the Gentiles.
because God peers
into the human soul,
because he looks
into the human heart,
he can never be fooled.
And yet,
this all-knowing God himself
bore witness
that these Gentiles
in chapter 10
are truly saved,
that they truly belong
to him
because God gave proof
of that
by giving them
the Holy Spirit
just as he did
to the Jewish
converts to Christianity
in Acts chapter 2.
And Peter is saying
he made no distinction
between us and them
having cleansed them
by their,
cleansed their hearts
by faith.
So if God
has not made a distinction
between us and them,
who are we
to make such a distinction?
Peter contends
that God has already
cleansed their hearts
by faith.
The cleansing
of sinful hearts
is the work
of the Holy Spirit
and God granted
this to the Gentiles
in accordance
with their faith
in Jesus Christ,
the crucified
and risen Savior.
We might,
we're so used
to this truth
that we might miss
how radical this is,
but this was
a groundbreaking
theological revelation,
a radical statement
that our sinful hearts
are cleansed
by the Spirit,
by the means of faith,
not by works.
The cleansing
does not come
through circumcision.
The cleansing
does not come
through obedience
to the Mosaic Law.
The cleansing
is obtained
by faith
in Jesus Christ.
Baptism is the outward
sign of that inward faith.
It outwardly,
baptism outwardly signifies
the inward cleansing
of the Holy Spirit.
And these Gentile believers
have already
been baptized.
Peter's point
is straightforward.
God has abolished
the ceremonial distinction
between clean Jews
and unclean Gentiles.
He makes no such distinction
and He Himself
has given proof
of this
by giving them
the Holy Spirit
in response
to their faith
in Jesus.
This is the second witness,
the second category
of witness
to consider
when we're processing
disagreements
within the church.
First was the witness
of church leaders
and the second
is the witness
of the Holy Spirit.
Is the Holy Spirit
Himself
experientially
confirming
your convictions?
The Holy Spirit
confirmed the reality
that Gentile believers
were saved
and included
in the people of God
apart from circumcision
and the Mosaic law.
Now, therefore,
Peter says
in verses 10 to 11,
why are you
putting God
to the test
by placing
a yoke
on the neck
of the disciples
that neither our fathers
nor we
have been able
to bear?
But we believe
that we will be saved
through the grace
of the Lord Jesus
just as they will.
To put God
to the test
is to push back
against Him
to rebel
against Him
His revealed will.
To see if God
really means
what He says.
If He will really
punish our sins.
When God Himself
has bore witness
to the Gentile converts
by giving them
the Holy Spirit
to add an additional
hurdle that they must
clear in order
to be saved
is tantamount
to challenging God.
Oh, is that what
God said?
Well, this is what
I say.
You have to be
circumcised.
You have to follow
all the laws of Moses.
They were testing God.
And Peter implores
his fellow apostles
and elders,
neither our fathers
nor we
have been able
to bear this yoke
of the Mosaic law.
None of us,
not even the Jews,
will be saved
by observance
of the law.
So why then
do you insist
on putting this burden
on these Gentile disciples?
Yokes back then
were typically made
of wooden beams
and leather straps.
It's what joined
two oxen together
and enabled the farmer
to control the oxen.
The Mosaic law
which God
had given to Israel
when He made
His covenant with them
was like a yoke
that joined them
to God.
But they were not
able to bear it.
Jeremiah chapter 5
verse 5
speaks of how
God's people
failed to submit
to God
under His yoke
but instead
they broke open
the yoke.
They burst the bonds
says in Jeremiah 5.5.
They were rebellious people.
Stubborn oxen
useless for farming.
It's not that
the yoke itself
was bad.
The law
was a means
of blessing
to God's people.
If they were
if they could keep it
but it became
a heavy burden
because they could
not keep it.
Romans 7
10-12
Paul writes
about this.
I think I have it
to show you guys
on the screen.
The law is holy
and the commandment
is holy
and righteous
and good
but he argues
the very commandment
that promised life
proved to be death
to me
for sin
seizing an opportunity
through the commandment
deceived me
and through it
killed me.
Paul's here
describing the experience
of a Jew
under the law
before Christ.
The law
which was intended
to be a means
of blessing
a source of life
to God's people
instead brought death
due to their sin
because they failed
to keep the law
because they couldn't
bear the yoke
and burst the bonds
in rebellion.
Even though
the law of Moses
did make provisions
for making atonement
for sin
burnt offerings
sin offerings
guilt offerings
and so on
these sacrifices
could not ultimately
purify and save
God's people.
Hebrews 10
1-4
teaches us
that the Old Testament
law
was merely
a shadow
of the good things
to come
instead of the true
form of these realities.
It can never
by the same sacrifices
that are continually
offered each year
make perfect
those who draw near.
Otherwise
would they not
have ceased
to be offered
since the worshippers
having once been cleansed
would no longer
have any consciousness
of sins.
But in these sacrifices
there is a reminder
of sins every year
for it is impossible
for the blood
of bulls and goats
to take away sins.
The author of Hebrews
is basing his argument
on the presupposition
that if sacrifice
for sin
is truly efficacious
it would have
a decisive
once and for all
effect
of cleansing
our conscience
so that we no longer
have any consciousness
of sin.
However
the Old Testament
sacrifices
never had
such an effect.
Leviticus 16
stipulated that
on the day
of atonement
once a year
the high priest
was to offer
two male goats
for a sin offering
and one ram
for a burnt offering
on behalf
of the Israelites.
The priest
was to make
atonement
for the people
after laying
both hands
on the head
of the other
live goat
and confessing
over it
all the iniquities
of God's people
and all their
transgressions
and their sins
he was supposed
to send away
the goat
into the wilderness
so that the goat
might
bear all their
iniquities
on itself
to a remote area.
However
even this
dramatic
annual sacrifice
on the day
of atonement
did not have
the effect
of cleansing
the consciences
of God's people
once and for all.
In fact
the rituals
were so designed
to heighten
the people's
awareness
of their sins
and their
state
of alienation
separation
from God.
In this sense
the day
of atonement
functioned
as an annual
reminder
of sins.
Every year
think about this
guys
every year
they had
to offer
the sacrifice
again.
Every year
they were reminded
that they could
not enter
the most holy
place within
the temple
where the sacrifice
is to be made.
Only the high
priest may enter
the most holy
place
and he could
enter only
once a year
and even he
couldn't answer
until he had
first offered
sacrifice
taking blood
which was for
himself
and for the
unintentional sins
of the people.
And there was
a veil
covering the
most holy
place that
separated the
congregation
from God
a reminder
that their
sin
still separated
them from
God.
They could
not enter
it even
after the
sacrifice
was made.
And they
knew that
they had
to return
again next
year to
offer the
same
sacrifice.
Can you
imagine that
sinking feeling?
It's really
sad to think
about.
I don't know
if you've
ever had
the experience
of feeling
so dirty.
Maybe you
were actually
dirty.
Maybe you
had oil
or some
grime
that's really
hard to get
out of your
body on
you.
Or maybe
you just
felt dirty
because of
what someone
else had
done to
you.
And you
tried to
shower,
wash yourself
over and
over again,
but you
never felt
clean.
similarly,
though God
graciously
made
provisions
for atonement
for their
sins in
the laws
of Moses,
they were
reminded
every single
year
that it
was not
enough.
They were
not holy.
clean.
They could
not enter
into God's
presence.
They were
not clean.
For it
is impossible
for the
blood of
bulls and
goats to
take away
sins.
And this
is why
God sent
Jesus,
His only
Son,
as the
ultimate
sacrifice
for us
to
cleanse
us
once
and
for
all.
All of
the Old
Testament
sacrifices
were
foreshadowing
and pointing
to the
ultimate
sacrifice
of Jesus
on the
cross.
For,
as it
says in
Hebrews
10,
10-14,
it is
only through
the offering
of the
body of
Jesus
Christ
once
for
all
that
those
who
are
being
sanctified
are
perfected
for
all
time
because
Christ,
our
Passover
lamb,
has been
sacrificed
because
Jesus
is the
lamb of
God
who
takes
away
for
good
the
sin
of
the
world.
And
this
is
why
it
says
in
Mark
15-38
that
when
Jesus
died,
the
curtain
of
the
temple
was
torn
in
two
from
top
to
bottom.
Praise
God.
That
opaque
curtain
that
we
could
never
see
through,
that
space
beyond
the
curtain
that
most
holy
place
which
seemed
so
within
reach
yet
so
impossibly
far
away
was
torn
open
by
Jesus
Christ
so
that
all
of
God's
people
may
enter
in.
Cleansed
of our
sins,
purified
in our
conscience.
That's
the good
news
that
we
proclaim.
That's
why
it is
called
the gospel
in verse
7
because
that
means
good
news.
We
could
never
bear
the
heavy
yoke
of
the
law,
but
now
we
have
a
different
yoke
to
bear.
So
like
Jesus
says
in
Matthew
11,
we
Taylor
read
from
this
and
we
shared
it
in
the
call
to
worship,
come
to
me
all
who
labor
and
are
heavy
laden
and
I
will
give
you
rest.
Take
my
yoke
upon
you
and
learn
from
me
for
I
am
gentle
and
lowly
in
heart
and
you
will
find
rest
for
your
souls
for
my
yoke
is
easy
and
my
burden
is
light.
Our
Lord
Jesus
is not
a
harsh
task
master.
He's
not
a
slave
driver.
He's
gentle
and
lowly
in
heart.
He
gives
us
easy
yokes.
I
wonder
how
many
of
you
are
still
laboring
under
the
heavy
yoke
of
the
law.
I
wonder
how
many
of
you
are
bruised
and
battered,
breathing
heavily,
bowed
under
the
heavy
burden,
stumbling
along,
ever
failing,
when
Christ
is
offering
you
an
easy
yoke
and
a
light
burden.
How do
you know
that you
are saved?
How do
you know
that you
will go
to heaven
after you
die?
If your
answer is,
well,
I've
gone to
church
all my
life,
or,
well,
I'm
a
pretty
good
person,
relatively
speaking,
or,
of course,
I've
sinned,
but I
haven't
done
anything
like
those
people,
then you
just
don't
get it.
Your
obedience
and good
works
are not
the
basis
for your
salvation.
They
can
never
be
inadequate
grounds
for
our
salvation.
Only
Jesus
is
sufficient
for us.
Only
the
crucified
and
risen
Christ
can
save
us.
So
verse
9 says
that our
hearts
are
cleansed
by
faith.
Now
faith
is
a
condition
for
salvation.
But
it is
an
instrument,
it's
an
instrumental
condition,
not the
causal
condition.
Imagine
that you
are
dehydrated.
Without
a sip
of water,
you're
about to
kick the
bucket,
you're about
to bite
the dust.
And
then someone
graciously
comes over
and pours
some water
on you.
You
still have
to open
your mouth
and drink
the water,
but it's
not your
act of
drinking
that
saves
you.
That's
just your
way of
receiving
the water,
which is
what saves
you.
Water
is the
causal
condition.
You're
receiving
it,
opening
your mouth
is the
instrumental
condition.
Faith
is not
what
saves
you.
Faith
is the
means
by which
you
appropriate
the grace
of God
that
saves
you.
It's
Jesus
alone
who by
his
death
and
resurrection
secures
the
cleansing
water
of the
Holy
Spirit
on our
behalf.
He
alone
can
save
us.
That's
why
verse
11
says
that we
are
saved
by
the
grace
of
the
Lord
Jesus.
Grace
means
unmerited
favor,
unearned
favor.
It's a
favor that
God bestows
on us
even though
he is not
obliged
in any
way to
do so.
Salvation
is a
gift,
faith
alone,
grace
alone,
Christ
alone.
It's
all of
these.
You
find all
of these
truths,
wonderful
truths,
in these
few short
verses.
Neither
Jew nor
Greek
will be
saved
by
obedience
to
the
law.
Both
Jew and
Greek
will be
saved
by
grace
through
faith
in
Jesus
Christ.
So
then
shall
we
put
the
yoke
that
we
ourselves
could
not
bear
around
the
neck
of
others?
Shall
we
lay
the
burden
we
could
not
carry
on
the
back
of
others?
God
forbid
may
be
far
from
us.
after
Peter's
testimony
of how
the
spirit
of
God
himself
bore
witness
to
this
truth
it
says
in
verse
12
that
all
of
the
assembly
fell
silent.
They
know
that
God
has
spoken
through
Peter.
And
then
Barnabas
and
Paul
further
corroborate
Peter's
testimony
by
relating
what
signs
and
wonders
God
had
done
through
them
among
the
Gentiles.
So
they
are
bearing
testimony
that
God
has
been
authenticating
the true
conversion
of the
Gentiles
by
giving
them
granting
them
signs
and
wonders
as
they
minister
to
these
Gentiles.
And
then
after
Peter,
Barnabas
and
Paul,
Apostle
James
starts
speaking
in
verse
13.
This
is not
James,
the son
of Zebedee
and
Salome,
brother
of Apostle
John.
That
James
was beheaded
by King
Herod Agrippa
in Acts
12.
This
is likely
the same
Apostle
James
that Paul
calls
the Lord's
brother
in Galatians
1.19.
Not
Jesus'
actual
immediate
brother
but a
near
kin.
He's
the author
of the
book of
James
in the
New Testament
and he
appears
to have
been
the
lead
elder
or
lead
pastor
of the
Jerusalem
church.
This
is why
he's
named
first
among
the
elders
of the
Jerusalem
church
and this
is
why
he's
referred
to
as
representative
of the
entire
church
of
Jerusalem
in
Acts
12.17
and
21.18.
And it's
James who
will give
the final
verdict
of the
apostles
and the
elders.
He says
in verses
13-14
brothers
listen to
me
Simeon
has
related
how
God
first
visited
the
Gentiles
to take
from
them
a
people
for
his
name.
Simeon
is a
reference
to
Simon
Peter
and
James
concurs
that
with
what
Peter
said
that
God
has
visited
the
Gentiles
in order
to
take
from
them
a
people
for
his
name.
This
is a
significant
acknowledgement
because
the word
people
is almost
exclusively
reserved
in the
Old
Testament
as a
reference
to
God's
chosen
people.
Deuteronomy
chapter 7
verse 6
says this
for you
are
a
people
holy
to
the
Lord
your
God
the
Lord
your
God
has
chosen
you
to
be
a
people
for
his
treasured
possession
out of
all the
peoples
who are
on the
face
of
the
earth.
There
were
many
nations
in the
world
that
served
other
gods
but
the
Lord
had
chosen
Israel
in
particular
to
be
his
chosen
people
a
people
for
his
special
possession
a
people
who
would
be
his
own
inheritance
people
who
would
carry
his
name
but
James
is here
applying
that
special
designation
to
Gentiles
in
Hosea
chapter
1
God
commands
prophet
Hosea
to take
for himself
a
wife
of
Hordom
and
through
her
to
have
children
of
Hordom
God
commands
Hosea
to do
this
as
an
object
lesson
for
the
unfaithful
people
of
Israel
to
show
them
a
picture
of
what
God
is
doing
for
them
that
God
is
the
faithful
bridegroom
and that
they
are
the
unfaithful
bride
whoring
after
idols
it's
such a
sad
scene
and
God
tells
Hosea
to
name
one
of
his
sons
literally
not
my
people
for
God
says
you
are
not
my
people
and
I
am
not
your
God
think
about
that
it's
such
a
sad
scene
imagine
being
married
and
you
have
these
children
that
are
born
into
your
home
only
to
realize
they
are
not
your
children
they
are
children
of
unfaithfulness
illegitimate
children
that's
what
God's
people
were
but
there's
still
a
gracious
promise
in the
midst
of
all
this
in
Hosea
1
verse
10
it
prophesies
and in
the
place
where
it
was
said
to
them
you
are
not
my
people
it
shall
be
said
to
them
children
of
the
living
God
if
God
says
this
of
his
chosen
people
who
are
unfaithful
to
him
then
how
much
more
is
this
the
case
for
most
of
us
who
are
Gentiles
nations
who
from
the
beginning
have
been
whoring
after
the
idols
denying
the
worship
that
is
due
to
our
God
alone
we
are
the
bastard
children
if
ever
there
was
one
we
were
decidedly
not
God's
people
we
were
unwanted
children
if
ever
there
was
one
but
that
God
would
take
such
a
people
and
say
that
they
are
people
for
my
name
they
are
people
for
my
special
possession
that's
the
wondrous
grace
that we
find
in our
savior
Jesus
Christ
that's
why
first
Peter
chapter
two
verses
nine
to
ten
says
but
you
are
you
are
you
Gentiles
who
have
believed
along
with
the
Jewish
converts
you
are
a
chosen
race
a
royal
priesthood
a
holy
nation
a
people
for
his
own
possession
that
you
may
proclaim
the
excellencies
of him
who
called
you
out
of
darkness
into
his
marvelous
light
once
you
were
not
a
people
but
now
you
are
God's
people
once
you
had
not
received
mercy
but
now
you
have
received
mercy
hallelujah
James
then
cites
and alludes
to several
other
Old Testament
passages
to make
the case
from
scripture
itself
that
what
Peter
has
just
said
regarding
the
inclusion
of the
Gentiles
is
true
this
is
the
third
category
to
consider
when
dealing
with
disagreements
within
the
church
the
witness
of
church
leaders
the
witness
of
the
holy
spirit
and
finally
the
witness
of
scripture
our
own
subjective
sense
of what
the
holy
spirit
is
saying
or
doing
should
be
corroborated
by
the
witness
of
scripture
if
it
contradicts
scripture
then
we
can
be
certain
that
our
sense
of
the
spirit
work
is
wrong
because
the
spirit
of
God
will
never
contradict
the
word
of
God
this
is
precisely
James
point
he says
in
verse
15
and
with
this
with
what
with
the
testimony
that
Peter
has
just
born
of
the
work
of
the
holy
spirit
and
with
this
the
words
of
the
prophets
agree
the
inclusion
of
the
gentiles
into
the
people
of
God
attested
to
by
the
outpouring
of
the
Holy
Spirit
is
confirmed
by
what
is
written
in
scripture
by
the
prophets
he
cites
Amos
chapter
9
verses
11
to
12
and
verses
16
to
18
he
says
after
this
I
will
return
and
I
will
rebuild
the
tent
of
David
that
has
fallen
I
will
rebuild
its
ruins
and
I
will
restore
it
that
the
remnant
of
mankind
may
seek
the
Lord
and
all
the
Gentiles
who
are
called
by
my
name
says
the
Lord
who
makes
these
things
known
from
of
old
if
you
compare
this
quote
in
Acts
verses
15
chapter
15
16
and
18
to
Amos
9
11
to
12
in
your
own
Bibles
you'll
notice
a
discrepancy
in
verse
12
in
Amos
9
12
because
there
it
says
that
they
may
possess
the
remnant
of
Eden
which
is
different
from
what
it
says
in
Acts
15
17
where
James
mentions
the
remnant
of
mankind
this
is
because
James
is
citing
the
Septuagint
which
is
an
ancient
Greek
translation
of
the
Hebrew
Old
Testament
which
is
the
remnant
of
mankind
rather than
the
remnant
of
Edom
but
this is not a mistranslation because
Edom can be used
representatively to refer to
all those who are not of
Israel
you can see this in Amos
chapter 9
verse 12
where the remnant of
Edom is parallel to
the nations
remember that
Edom is just another
name for
Esau
and remember also that
Israel
is another name for
Jacob
and Jacob
and Esau
were brothers
in Malachi
chapter 1
verses 1
to 4
it says this
I have loved you
says the Lord
but you say
how have you loved us
is not Esau
Jacob's brother
declares the Lord
yet I have loved
Jacob
but Esau
I have hated
I have laid waste
his hill country
and left his heritage
to jackals
forth of the desert
Edom says
we are shattered
but we will rebuild
the ruins
the Lord of hosts
says they may build
but I will tear down
and they will be called
the wicked country
and the people
with whom the Lord
is angry forever
why am I reading this
if Jacob
or Israel
stands for
those who have been
chosen by God
Esau
or Edom
stands for
all those who have been
rejected by God
however
Amos chapter 9
11 to 12
prophesied that
even from
Edom
even from
among the
rejected nations
that there will be
a spiritual remnant
who will seek
the Lord
just as not all
Jews are saved
but only a remnant
among them are saved
the spiritual Israel
so not all
Gentiles are saved
but only a remnant
of them
God will rebuild
the tent
of David
that has fallen
and I will rebuild
its ruins
and I will restore it
this prophecy
about the
ruined tent
of David
that is rebuilt
by God
is fulfilled
in the death
the ruin
and resurrection
of Jesus Christ
because Jesus
is the true Israel
and he is the
son of David
and he is the
new tent
of David
he is the
fulfillment
of both the
nation of Israel
and the temple
of Israel
temple of David
and he said
in John 2
19
destroy this
temple
and in three
days
I will raise
it up
when Jesus
said that
he was prophesying
not about
the literal
temple
but about
his own
body
knowing that
he will be
crucified
but raised
again on
the third
day
Jesus
is the
tent
of David
that will
be rebuilt
from its
ruins
so that
we
who are
of the
wastelands
of Edom
the Gentiles
of ruined
people
of people
without hope
might call
upon the
Lord
and be
called
by his
name
I love
the third
verse
of the
worship
song
O Lord
my rock
and my
redeemer
which captures
this sentiment
it says
O Lord
my rock
and my
redeemer
gracious
savior
of my
ruined
life
my guilt
and cross
laid on
your shoulders
in my
place
you suffered
bled
and died
but that's
not all
you rose
the grave
and death
are conquered
you broke
the bonds
of sin
and shame
therefore
James concludes
in verse 19
my judgment
is that we
should not
trouble those
of the
Gentiles
who turn
to God
remember I
mentioned to you
that the
circumcision
was a sign
of the
covenant
that God
had made
with Abraham
but because
of Jesus
now the
Gentiles
who are not
physical
descendants
of Abraham
are being
grafted in
among the
people of
God
and it is
for this
reason
that circumcision
is no longer
the sign
of the
covenant
and it's
absurd to
require
Gentiles
to be
circumcised
that's the
main
takeaway
of this
passage
that God
saves a
remnant
from both
Jews
and Gentiles
by grace
through faith
in Jesus
Christ
alone
now some
of you guys
probably have a
whole bunch
of questions
about what
happens there
at the end
verses 19
to 21
because
after all
this
the apostles
will tack on
a few
requirements
that they
do expect
the Gentile
converts
Christianity
to meet
in verses
20 to 21
that's the
part that's
complicated
and unfortunately
I don't have
time to explain
it to you
until next
week
so this
will be a
cliffhanger
and you guys
will have to
come back
to listen
to the
sermon
but I don't
want you to
walk away
from today's
passage
and today's
message
thinking about
those
obligations
rather than
the free
gift of
the Holy
Spirit
the free
cleansing
of our
hearts
by faith
and the
salvation
that is
through
grace
of our
Lord
Jesus
because
if you
walk away
more
preoccupied
with those
four
obligations
than
this free
gift
of grace
that they've
been talking
about all
along
then you're
missing
the forest
for the
trees
notice how
James puts
it in
verse 19
we should
not trouble
those of
the Gentiles
who turn
to God
so clearly
whatever James
stipulates
in verses
20 to 21
he does
not see
those things
as troubling
the Gentiles
these are
not additional
hurdles that the
Gentiles must
clear in order
to be saved
rather they are
entailments
of their
repentance
and faith
in Jesus
and I'll
explain that
further in the
next
next sermon
I'm sorry
I'm doing this
to you guys
but we have
a presentation
an update
from Wes
and Kendall
our dear
members
who are
going to be
traveling on a
short term
mission trip
to Romania
on August
19th
this Thursday
and so they
have an update
for us
which actually
is surprisingly
relevant
God somehow
orchestrated this
way to this
sermon
message
so if you
come up
please
share the
testimony
it would be
great
to Center
who
are
on the
call
the
ần
YOU
Thank you.