I had a break. I think we were in Acts like three weeks ago, maybe, or something like that. I can't quite remember.
But I appreciate you being patient with me. I got pretty sick a couple weeks ago. I should say three weeks ago.
I feel like I've been sick for over a month, really, and just kind of out of the game.
So thanks for all your prayers. I really, really am grateful.
Kathleen and I had a really great week at UAB Hospital, to be honest.
It was really a good time together, even though I wasn't feeling good.
And during that time, whenever I go to the hospital, whenever I go back to Birmingham, it's a lot of memories of death,
a lot of memories of wrestling with whether or not I was going to live or die, and contemplating eternity and all of that.
So I come back definitely renewed with a hope that I will live for eternity and not just what we see right here.
Because what we see here is fleeting. It's short. It doesn't last.
And so I kind of come even with a lot of that in thinking about our text today.
So just join me in a word of prayer.
Father, this is your time to work amongst the hearts of your people who are gathered.
And I just ask that our mind's attention and our heart's affection will be placed completely on you.
God, just protect us from the heart of your heart.
Not what happened before this time or not what's going to happen after this time.
That you would free us of all distractions.
God, just protect this time.
And may your word encourage, challenge, convict, and build up the body of Christ.
In his name, amen.
Amen.
So we're in Acts 15.
And typical good preaching rules, just to read the text first.
And then we'll dive into it.
So I'm going to just rewind a little bit though.
Just so you know what's been going on before we dive in.
But thus far, really, in Acts, if you look at chapter 14,
you see that Paul and Barnabas have kind of gone into the Gentile world.
And they're preaching the gospel to non-Jews.
Like the people in the Roman Empire, Greeks, and others.
And the gospel is taking effect in people's hearts.
People are coming to Christ.
People are surrendering all they have to the gospel.
And it hasn't really come easy.
They've suffered persecution.
Paul is even stoned, even to the point of death at one point.
And so let's just start at verse 27 of chapter 14.
Then we'll go down to 15.
So it says,
When they arrived, they gathered the church together
and declared all that God had done with them,
and how he opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.
And they remained no little time with the disciples.
So that's sort of the backdrop,
is the gospel is going forward to the Gentiles,
and people are coming to Christ.
So, in chapter 15, we're going to see a kind of a hiccup,
I guess you could say, to the whole mission going to the Gentiles.
All right, starting in chapter 15, verse 1.
But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers,
Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses,
you cannot be saved.
And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them,
Paul and Barnabas and some 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 by Phoenicia and Samaria,
describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles
and brought great joy to all the brothers.
And 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 in order to keep the laws 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 the mouth of 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.
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 our Lord Jesus,
just as they will.
And 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, that's a form of Peter's name,
has related how God first visited the Gentiles
to take from them a people for his name.
And with this, the words of the prophet agreed,
just as it was 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.
And all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
says the Lord who makes these things
known from 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,
from sexual immorality
and from things that have been strangled
and from blood.
The ancient,
excuse me,
for from ancient generations,
Moses has had in every city
those who proclaim him.
For he is,
excuse me,
for he is read every Sabbath
in the city of God.
So,
we're going to unpack all this slowly,
kind of scene by scene.
But this is a
kind of known church-wide
as the Council of Jerusalem.
48 or 49 A.D.
probably.
And it was between
the apostles
and some other church elders,
kind of against the backdrop
of the Pharisees
and what we would say
as the Judaizers.
And I just kind of want to
take a moment and say,
I challenge you to
to read church history,
particularly looking at
councils of the church
throughout the ages.
Some well-known ones
that particularly reform people
kind of hold very close.
Council of Nicaea
in 325 A.D.
That was when
they condemned
the Arian heresy.
So,
Jesus isn't fully God.
That was the heresy
and they universally
condemned that.
Jesus is fully God
but also fully man.
The Council of Carthage
in 418 A.D.
That's when
St. Augustine
and some other
church leaders
condemned
Pelagius
for saying
that man was born
with a clean slate.
Man was born sinless.
So,
that was universally
condemned.
And then also
to a lot of people
in 1618
the Senate of Dort
which condemned
Arminianism.
So,
a lot of
big councils
out there
but
but why,
right?
Tell me why I should care.
Why should I even
look at or read
these things?
Well,
look on your
your church bulletin
if you have it
and
this is a pretty
great statement
that R.C.
Spurl made
just about
looking at our history,
looking at our
tradition,
looking at church
councils
and so
this is why
you should care.
This is what I said.
Although tradition
does not rule
our interpretation
of scripture,
it does guide it.
If upon reading
a particular passage
you have come up
with an interpretation
that has escaped
the notice
of every other
Christian
for 2,000 years
or has been
championed
by universally
recognized
heretics,
chances are
pretty good
that you have
better abandoned
your interpretation.
Is it really good?
There's no new
truth,
there's no new
gospel,
there's no new
things added
to what we believe.
It's been passed
down throughout
the ages.
So if you
come up with
something completely
new that has
that no one's
noticed before
or has been
universally condemned
by the church,
there's reason
to fear.
So this is
one of the
earliest,
really,
church councils
we see
and it seems
to be by those
who are on the
fringe of the church
and not necessarily
mainstream.
And so
for history people
you could just say
this is
the Jerusalem
council,
the Magna Carta
of the Christian
church.
For people
of a more
competitive nature
you could say
this is
the apostles
versus the
Judaizers.
And then
one of my
favorites
for you
really,
really nerdy
theological
Puritan
types,
this is
the title
of the message,
man's fallen
tendency
to add
or improve
upon the grace
of God
in order to
prepare himself
there unto
the final judgment.
If you like
that title,
personally I like
that one.
To improve
upon the grace
of God
in order to
prepare yourself
unto the final
judgment.
so,
again,
I'm going to
tell you why
you should
care.
Because
if you knew
that you were
about to
go through
physical death
and then
spiritually
entering
to eternity
and to
the judgment,
what are you
placing your
hope in?
It's all
cool and
theological
just on
paper,
but deep
down
you're going
to want
to hope
in something
that's true
and secure
that gives
your soul
peace and
not in the
back of your
mind is
saying,
I hope
I did
what I
had to
do.
I hope
that I
did all
the good
things I
could do
and that I
believed all
the right
things.
Where is
your hope
going to
be?
Is it
going to
be in
your own
goodness
and your
works
or is
it going
to be
in the
finished,
completed,
work of
Jesus
Christ?
So there's
three points
and then we'll
get into some
more application
later.
But I'm
kind of doing
this as a
scene one,
scene two,
scene three
of all this.
But in
verses one
through five
you see the
first point
which is
scene one,
the dissension.
So this is
the problem
that's going
on.
And as I
said before,
Paul and
Barnabas have
been out
in the
Gentile
world
preaching
the gospel.
People have
been coming
to faith.
Great
things are
happening.
They have
pressed on
regardless of
persecution or
any other
thing.
And now
all that
they've done
is being
called into
question by
those who
hold to the
law of
Moses.
So these
are Jews
who say,
yeah,
like Jesus,
he was the
Messiah,
amen,
but we
have to
keep all
the old
stuff as
well if
we're going
to continue
to do
this.
And we
have to
instruct
the Gentiles
to also
observe all
these things.
So their
mission was
being called
them to
question.
And so
I guess in
the early
days you
could say
that you
might think
that the
biggest threats
to the
church were
from the
outside,
physical
persecution,
but really
I'm fully
convinced that
the greater
threats,
the greater
dangers come
from within
the church
by way of
false teaching.
It destroys
it from the
inside out.
In 2 Peter
chapter 2,
Peter says,
just as there
will be false
teachers among
you who will
secretly bring
in destructive
heresies,
even denying
the master
who bought
them,
bringing upon
themselves
swift
destruction.
And among
these destructive
heresies,
the longest
living one,
the longest
living heresy
ever, and it
comes in so
many different
forms,
religions,
traditions,
cultural
ideals,
it's the
heresy that
you can
achieve the
right standing
and salvation
with God
by your
own merit,
by how you
work,
by how good
you are,
by the good
things that
you do,
because it
is within our
fallen nature,
it is the
hardest thing
for a fallen
man to
admit that
he needs
the grace
of God.
We are so
works-driven
in all that we
do, all of you
are, no matter
what you do.
You do it in
school, you do it
in sports, you
do it in
friendships and
relationships, you
feel like you
have to earn, you
feel like people
have to pay you
back, it's a
merited-based
thing, you feel
like you're loved
by people based
on your own
goodness a lot
of the time.
It's in us, it's
in our deepest
part to think
that we can
achieve this, and
it carries into
the spiritual realm,
like we can do
enough good in
order to be
right before God.
that's in us
very deeply, and
I love how it
kind of says
there was no
small dissension
and debate, like
they were ticked
that these guys
were saying this
stuff, and so
they kind of
went right at
them, and so
what is the
dissension, like
what is the
question?
And so you
see that in
verse 1 and
in verse 5,
these Jews
were saying,
unless you are
circumcised
according to the
custom of Moses,
you cannot be
saved.
Then in verse
5, it is
necessary to
circumcise them,
the Gentiles, and
to order them to
keep the law of
Moses.
So that was a
huge point of
contention in the
early church, and
that is simply,
how much does a
Gentile convert to
Christ, how much
of the law of
Moses did they
need to obey?
Because Gentiles
are sort of
newcomers, right?
Israel were the
people that God
had shown himself
to, and given
his law to.
So this is a
big deal.
Should Gentile
believers submit
to all the
requirements of
the law of
Moses given to
the Jewish
nation, especially
circumcision, in
order to be a
part of the
church?
You get asked
that question
today.
I can't tell
you how many
times on the
college campus
you get asked
a question by
either a, you
know, an
unbeliever who
will say, well,
what about
Leviticus?
What about all
those laws in
there?
You say you
believe the
Bible literally,
so what about,
are you supposed
to do this,
this, and this,
and this?
So it's
applicable very
much to
everyone here.
How much of
the law are we
supposed to
follow?
So the Jewish
law, I'm going
to get into that
more next week.
I'm just going
to talk about
the law, and
so give you a
one-on-one on
the law, but
very simple, you
know, glazing
over it, there
are moral laws,
that's the Ten
Commandments, that
is like, tells us
what sin is and
how to honor God.
Those are actually
still in effect for
us today as
believers, those
have not been done
away with at all.
Other ones are a
more ceremonial
nature, circumcision,
rituals, festivals,
purity and cleansing
that they had to do,
the way that they
dressed.
I love when I get
asked the question
about tattoos, like
I love that question.
So, like, so what
do you do about
that, right?
So there's these
things that God
gave the nation of
Israel to act like
and to do, to set
themselves apart from
other nations.
So circumcision,
though, seems to be
the biggest one, a
big one.
And that comes
from, really,
Genesis 17, 9-14.
And circumcision
was an outward sign
that you belong to
the people of God.
And it also was an
outward expression that
you were devoted to
keeping the law of
Moses.
But, I'll just go
ahead and throw this
out there.
Circumcision, in its
truest form, was an
outward expression of
an inward need.
it was saying, like,
I need God to
circumcise my heart.
What Daniel just
read a little while
ago is a perfect
picture of that.
We need new hearts.
God has to take out
our heart of stone
and put in a heart
of flesh so that we
can walk in a way
that pleases God.
So that's really what
circumcision was.
But these guys saw it
as, like, a cultic
right to be
circumcised, to have
male converts who are
Gentile go through
this process.
So, here's the
danger.
Here's the two
points of contention.
Okay?
Number one, it's
dangerous to the
gospel, the true
gospel, because they
were arguing that
Gentiles had to do
all this stuff in
order to be made
right with God.
So, therefore, it is
a works-based
righteousness and
salvation.
So, the true
essence of the
gospel is being
threatened.
Secondly, a big
one, the church's
unity.
The church's unity
is being threatened.
So, Gentiles have
to adhere to all
of the Mosaic
law.
That means that
they have to leave
their own communities
and leave the
Gentiles to be
separated from
them.
They wouldn't be
able to eat with
them, to have
fellowship with
them, because they
would be considered
ceremonially unclean
by Jewish law.
And even taking the
Lord's Supper, they
wouldn't have been
able to do that
with their fellow
Gentiles who
believed.
So, just for further
reading on that, look
at Romans, you don't
got to turn there, but
just write Romans 2,
25 through 29, for
just some more
reading on just the
law itself.
So, false teaching
was threatening the
gospel itself and the
church's unity.
So, this is a big
deal.
And the attitude of
the Judaizers seems
to be like self-appointed
leaders.
Seems to be haughty.
Seems to be superior.
We are holier than you
guys.
And so, we're going to
come down here and
inform you, you
ignorant Gentiles, that
that's great you have
Jesus, but you also
need this other stuff
in order to rightly
honor God.
Like, your faith is
not sufficient.
You have to have
this plus.
And in their minds,
you've got to think
about where they're
coming from.
They're like, we're
the Jews.
Like, we are the
people that God has
disclosed himself to
for thousands of
years.
Like, he's given us
his laws, given us
his statutes.
And even when Jesus
was here, he was a
Jew, and he upheld
the law of Moses.
But he did it to
fulfill it.
Insert that.
But surely, right,
they must be
thinking, it's God's
will for us to go
and educate and
teach these ignorant
Gentiles about all
the stuff that they
don't know in order
to make them more
holy, acceptable,
and devoted to God.
Yeah, Jesus is good,
but you need plus
the Mosaic law to be
right before God.
So, big deal.
So, this didn't go
without opposition,
as we see.
The apostles, I love
that, like it says,
that Paul and
Barnabas had no small
dissension and debate
with them.
So, they're like,
whoa, if you think
you're going to go and
corrupt them, think
again.
We're going to go to
Jerusalem, we're going
to sort this out.
So, that's where they
go.
They're going to go
deal with this.
It's just an issue
that's too big for
just a small local
congregation to figure
out.
So, this is a
church-wide thing.
So, that's what,
that's the problem.
That's the dissension.
That's the question
that's being asked.
I'm going to tell you
why you should care
later if you don't
already care.
But then let's just
move into scene two.
Scene two is the
discussion.
So, the dissension
and now the discussion.
And that's seen
in verses six
through eighteen.
So, just sort of
setting the scene.
It says the apostles
and the elders.
So, they're providing
like the main
opposition, the main
debate in leadership
over the council.
But I want you to
kind of see this.
Okay?
This is why we are
a elder-led, but we
are also congregational
here at Christ's
Family.
But if you look at
verse twenty-two,
it says that the
whole church was
present for this
momentous occasion,
and they also gave
consent to the
final outcome.
It wasn't like,
we're just these
humble people down
here and we have
to rely on these
apostles to be like
a direct connection
to God.
So, it was a
church-wide thing
that was consented
to.
So, whenever there
is a serious
spiritual, doctrinal
issue under
consideration,
congregation,
okay?
How should we
deal with it?
Think about it,
just here in our
own congregation.
Our example is
right here in our
text.
Look at verse
seven.
It says,
after there was
much debate.
So, important
decisions are not
decided by haunches
we have,
feelings,
our opinions.
They are decided
by prayer,
humility,
wisdom,
careful logic,
and reason from
the scriptures.
That happens
right here.
They use the
scripture to back
up what they're
trying to say.
So, the first
guy to kind of
weigh in is
Peter.
So, if I could
think I have some
guys on my team,
I would want Peter
on my team and I
would want Paul
on my team.
And I think that
would be probably
it in regard to
dealing with, in
terms of how much
of the Jewish law
do we have to
obey.
I just wish I
could have been
there, but this
is a big deal.
So, Peter kind of
weighs in.
And he says,
like in the early
days, probably
referring to when
he was used to
go to the house
of Cornelius and
to take the gospel
to the Gentiles.
But I'm going to
show you, just
with Peter, three
arguments that he
kind of uses to
say, no
circumcision for
the Gentiles, no
mosaic law for
the Gentiles.
So, you see the
first argument in
verse 8.
And he's saying
that like God
has given approval
of the faith of
the Gentiles, who
placed their faith
in Christ by
giving them the
Holy Spirit.
So, they received
the Holy Spirit
without being
circumcised and
without the
mosaic law.
So, he was
saying, they
didn't do those
things.
And God
himself, through
the power of
the gospel,
regenerated their
hearts and gave
them the Holy
Spirit.
Maybe today, you
might compare it to
people in the
church and say,
you have to be
baptized in
order to have,
in water, in
order to have
the Holy Spirit,
or at
conversion.
So, that's
his first
argument.
God gave
them the Holy
Spirit.
Argument 2
is in
verse 9.
And he's
referring to
the reality
that God
had cleansed
their hearts
by faith,
not by
works of
the law
or by
circumcision.
He might
have even
had a memory
of Cornelius
again when God
spoke to him
in that vision
and said,
hey, what
God has
called clean,
do not
call common.
God has
cleaned them,
so don't look
on them and
say that your
faith is not
good enough and
that you are
still unclean.
That Spirit-born
faith.
Okay?
God had
cleansed them.
The third
argument in
verse 10,
and I love
this because he
just kind of
poses a rhetorical
question,
kind of like
revealing that no
human being can
keep the law
of God
perfectly.
So, again,
the law,
we're going to
give you a quick
rundown next
week, but I
hope it was
more appropriate
for next week.
But Peter says
in regard to
the Mosaic
Law, like,
why in the
world are we
Jews trying to
place such a
heavy burden,
a heavy yoke,
on the shoulders
of the Gentiles
when none of
our forefathers,
and we,
cannot carry it?
Like, are you
crazy?
We cannot
place this
burden on
them.
And the
metaphor,
just look at
the word in
the verse
yoke,
it's like this
heavy burden,
something that
an oxen would
carry.
It refers to
the law,
not just
circumcision,
but the
entire Mosaic
Law.
Paul refers to
the law as a
yoke of
slavery.
And by
speaking of
the law as
an unbearable
yoke,
Peter is not
denying that the
law is still a
good thing.
It's a good
thing, because it
tells us what
dishonors God and
what pleases God.
It was a gift
from God, but
it was not
intended to
be the means by
which you were
made right with
God.
It's to expose
the reality that
you can't be made
right with God
according to your
own works.
you can't keep
the law
perfectly.
The law
itself never
provides people
with the spiritual
power to keep
it.
We need
something else
in order to
keep the law.
It's what Daniel
read earlier.
It's like we
need God to
change our
hearts.
We need to be
born again.
We need to be
regenerated by
the power of
the Spirit to
keep the law
perfectly.
So, that's
what he's trying
to say.
This law was
to show you
that you
can't do
it.
It was to
point you
to the
Savior who
could do
it.
You need
deliverance.
You need
the Savior.
So, then he
kind of wraps
up in verse
11 with that
closing, kind
of going back
to the thesis
here.
He kind of
closes and
he says,
but we
believe that
we will be
saved through
the grace of
the Lord
Jesus just as
they will.
the only
means of
salvation for
both Jew
and Gentile
comes only
as a gift
of God
by his
grace.
And the
connecting
point of
that is
our faith,
our complete
trust in
the Savior
to save
us.
So, that's
Peter.
Then he
does a
mic drop
and everybody's
quiet.
And then
Paul and
Barnabas
stand up
and they
speak out
in defense
of God's
work through
them and
the Gentiles.
Look at
the verses.
They related
what signs
and wonders
God had
done through
them among
the Gentiles.
So, he
had given
them great
success in
their mission
to the
Gentiles.
And I
want to be
clear here.
Paul and
Barnabas
aren't using
experience to
prove what
happened or
to prove
something true.
They're just
trying to say
like, this
happened and
we experienced
it because
God said
it would.
He promised
that this
would happen
and now
we're seeing
it.
He's not
saying, well,
these good
things happen
so it must
be true.
They're saying,
he's saying,
God promised
these things
would happen
and now we
see them
and God
is true.
Big difference.
So, that's
what they
kind of say.
We saw
God work
among us.
He did
wonders
among the
Gentiles.
And then
lastly,
James
stands up.
And this
is James,
the brother
of Jesus.
He kind
of weighs
in on the
argument.
And he
says, well,
you heard
Peter, you
heard Paul
and Barnabas,
but I want
to tell you
that what
they just
said is
supported
heavily by
Scripture.
That's kind
of what he
stands up
and says
here.
And he
refers to
the prophets
in verse
15.
And he
really could
appeal to
many,
many Old
Testament
texts that
defend the
inclusion of
the Gentiles
and the
people of
God.
Isaiah
45,
21 is
one verse.
Isaiah
45,
21.
But James
refers to
Amos 9,
11 through
12,
the prophet
Amos.
And Amos
is speaking
of a time
when God
would include
the Gentiles
called by
his name.
If you
were called
by God's
name,
it implies
relationship.
It implies
salvation.
And he's
saying that
the Gentiles
will be
included
in the
people of
God.
They will
be included
in the
rebuilding
of the
house of
David.
Pretty
awesome.
So this
was foretold.
So he
kind of
is saying,
you know,
I concur
with them,
but I
just want
you to
know that
God is
always
foretold
this.
He was
going to
do it,
and now
we're
seeing it.
It's
happening
right now.
So that's
the,
you know,
the discussion,
the debate.
Brings us
to the
third thing,
scene three,
is the
decree,
the decree,
or he
could say
the decision.
So what's
the outcome
here?
That's
verse 19
through 21.
So here's
the final
decree.
How much
of the
law,
the
mosaic
law,
does a
Gentile
believer
have to
obey to
be saved?
Does he
have to be
circumcised?
And the
answer is
a resounding
no.
Keeping
the
mosaic
law,
rituals,
sacrifices,
customs,
are not
required of
a Gentile
believer to
be a part
of the
church.
the only
part of
the law
that's
really
valid,
which we'll
get into
next week,
is the
moral law.
And the
next few
verses are
evidence of
that,
to keep
the moral
law.
But God
has clearly
chosen to
include people
of all
nations in
the church.
So the
old restrictions
that set
Israel apart
don't apply
anymore.
Only by
faith and
trusting in
Christ.
So I'm
just going to
read to you
Acts 13,
28,
real fast.
It says,
Let it be
known to
you,
therefore,
brothers,
that through
this man
Jesus,
forgiveness
of sins
is proclaimed
to you,
and by
him everyone
who believes
or has
faith is
set free
from everything
from which
you could
not be
free by
the law
of Moses.
Couldn't
happen.
So,
James goes
on,
and he
proposes a
solution.
So,
we know
that Jews
and Gentiles
are going
to come
into contact
with each
other.
So what
do we
tell them?
How do we
move forward
without saying
you have to
keep the
whole Mosaic
law?
What do we
tell them?
How does
the mission
go forward?
And so,
that's what
we'll get
into a lot
more next
week.
But he
kind of has
a condition.
It's like,
this is what
we need to
do.
This is what
we need to
tell the
people out
there in
order to
interact with
one another.
other.
So he
humbly
offers a
suggestion
for the
fellowship of
Jews and
Gentiles.
And this
letter goes
out to all
the different
churches as
the gospel
goes forward.
So,
that's kind of
unpacking our
text.
So,
some application.
question.
Why should
you care?
Okay?
There's a few
things I have
for you.
But one is,
in a room
this size,
I can
guarantee
that there
are some
of you
here who
are still
convinced
that you
will be
made right
with God,
that you
will be
saved by
your own
goodness and
by your
own works.
You're
convinced,
like you're
even not
liking what
I'm saying
right now.
You really
are convinced
that as long
as your good
deeds outweigh
your bad
deeds,
or as long
as you go
to enough
religious
events,
that you
try to do
good to all
people,
that you're
moral,
that you
will be
okay before
God one
day.
If you've
been baptized,
if you take
the Lord's
Supper,
if you're
just a good
person,
then God
will accept
you.
No.
You need
to hear
this short
verse,
Romans 3,
verse 20.
Listen to
this.
For by the
works of
the law,
you can
insert good
deeds or
goodness,
for by the
works of
the law,
no human
being will
be justified
in God's
sight.
You will
not be made
right with
God at
all by how
good you
are.
Because the
Bible says
you are
rotten.
Jesus says
you are a
slave to
sin.
You may
be good
compared to
a lot of
other people
in this
world,
but you're
not compared
to God.
God is
perfect.
He is
holy.
He is
flawless.
He can't
abide
evil.
Some of
you may
be in
the group
of the
Pharisees.
What
other
churchy
laws
have you
added to
the
gospel?
He can't
be a
Christian
if he
has a
beer.
He can't
be a
Christian
if he
has a
cigar.
He can't
be a
Christian
if he
doesn't
wear a
suit and
tie.
Or you
can flip it
the other
way around
very easily.
What other
laws have
you added?
It's very
dangerous.
The gospel
of Jesus
plus this
is not
the gospel.
It's
adulterated.
It's not
pure.
Some of
you are
the older
brother who
is angry
at the
father who
gives
salvation to
unworthy
prodigals.
does that
bother you
that God
gives
salvation
to
unworthy
people?
Do you
think,
oh no,
well,
I've been
good so I
deserve it?
You don't.
For by the
works of the
law,
no human
being will
be justified
in God's
sight.
Your
righteous deeds
are filthy
rags
before God.
So abandon
it.
Give it up.
Lay it all
down and
only come
to God
on God's
terms,
which is
by faith
in Christ
alone.
Some of
you,
kind of
stepping it
down a
tiny notch
from there,
some of
you may
have a
partial trust
in your
own goodness
and behavior,
just as a
little extra
security,
just in case
you fear
that your
faith is
not going
to be
enough.
I hope
it is,
but in
case it's
not,
I'm going
to go to
church every
Sunday.
I'm going
to feed
the poor.
I'm going
to be
nice to
everyone
around
me.
You may
have a
partial trust
in your
own goodness
and you're
afraid that
your just
plain,
naked faith
in Christ
is not
enough.
Turn to,
I finally
said it,
turn to
Ephesians
chapter 2
verse 8.
I just want
to use a
very familiar
text.
Ephesians
2
verse 8.
This is
good for
everything
we've
said so
far,
but if
you're
afraid that
you're
afraid to
come before
the throne
of God
one day,
the just
faith
alone,
and you
feel like
you have
to have
some other
good stuff
piled on
it,
chapter 2
verse 8,
for by
grace you
have been
saved through
faith.
All right?
So let's
look at
this.
Grace,
why has
this happened?
Because of
the sheer
undeserved,
unmerited
favor of
God.
He decided
it out of
his own
goodness,
though you
don't deserve
it.
For by
grace you
have been
saved.
Saved from
what?
The wrath
of God,
the judgment
of God.
That's what
you've been
saved from.
And what
was that
instrument?
That connected
you to
the Savior?
Faith.
Trust and
confidence in
the body
of Christ
that was
destroyed on
the cross.
And then
his resurrection.
For by
grace you
have been
saved through
faith.
And he
says,
and this
is not
your own
doing,
it is the
gift of
God,
not a
result of
works,
so that
no one
may boast.
So if
you think
that your
works are
what saves
you and
makes you
right before
God,
you could
boast before
God like,
look how
good I
did,
look how
terrible
this guy
did.
I have
more than
he did,
and God
says that
he will
not share
his glory
with any
of you.
He will
not.
He is the
only Savior.
He's giving
you no
grounds to
boast.
Right?
So where
does good
works come
in?
Verse 10,
for we
are his
workmanship,
created in
Christ Jesus
for good
works,
which God
prepared
beforehand
that we
should walk
in them.
So that
is a
purpose that
we do
as believers.
We do
good works
out of an
overflow of
our thankfulness
and goodness
towards God,
not because
it saves us.
He just
says it's
not a
result of
this.
true faith,
true belief,
is not
just,
oh yeah,
I know
that.
I get
it.
It's such
a deeply
hearted
conviction
that it
changes how
you live.
It's not
just,
I ascend
to this
and I
understand
it.
I believe
this so
deep in
my soul
that it's
going to
affect how
I live
out here.
That's
what real
faith is.
That's
how the
Bible uses
the term.
Some of
you are
timid and
confused.
You don't
really know
what to
kind of
think of
all this.
But if
you've been
told that
your faith
in Christ
alone isn't
enough,
that you
just feel
the weight
of your
sin,
you're like,
I can't
be made
right with
God.
I stink
at this.
I break
the rules
all the
time.
I break
my own
rules.
I can't
much less
keep God's
rules.
And you
feel that
burden,
that yoke
crushing
you down.
I can't
do it.
Well,
let it
go.
And simply
place faith
in Christ.
When Peter
calls the
law a yoke,
he probably
is referring
to what
Jesus said
about it.
Turn to
Matthew 11.
It's the
last place
you've got to
turn to
Matthew 11.
Matthew 11,
verse 28.
And this
is what
Jesus is
referring to
when he
uses this
verse.
He's referring
to the
law.
So do you
feel that?
Do you feel
like you're
not good
enough?
That you're
being crushed
by trying
to live up
to God's
standard?
And you're
afraid to
face him
on the
judgment?
Well,
listen to
what Jesus
says.
Verse 28.
He says,
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.
He's
saying,
give it
to me
and you
take mine
because I'm
the only
one that
can keep
the law
and I
kept it
perfectly.
Allow me
to take
that,
you,
and I
will give
you mine.
It's an
invitation.
God always
favors the
weak and
the despairing,
the burden.
Blessed are
the poor in
spirit.
Blessed are
those who
hunger and
thirst for
righteousness.
Those of
you who are
bankrupt
spiritually,
come to
Jesus and
he will
carry your
burden.
Okay?
So two
others.
There are
some of you
here who
are relying
on your
own goodness
and I'm
guilty of
this one.
Okay?
Some of
you who
are relying
on your
own goodness
to possibly
earn a
greater favor
with God.
Like you
know God
loves you.
You know
God has
saved you
by his
grace,
but you
just think,
you know,
if I'm
just a little
better than
the average
Christian,
if I just
try hard,
God will
give me a
little extra
favor,
a little
extra love.
I'll be the
favorite and
he'll give me
something I
really desire.
So do you
seek to
earn God's
approval through
your own
efforts?
And you
kind of said
to yourself,
I know he
loves me,
but if I
work extra
hard and
don't sin as
much as some
others do,
he'll love me
even more.
Or do you
rely on a
strict list of
do's and
don'ts to,
on the
daily flow
to gain
higher approval
from God?
Listen,
like,
if that's
how you
feel,
just hear
these words
echo in
your head.
Don't look
any further
than the
cross for
any evidence
that God
loves you.
If he's
given his
own son
for you,
if he's
given you
his son,
like,
what else
could he
give to
prove that
he loves
you?
And if
he gives
you something
good,
it's because
he's good,
not because
you deserve
it.
Jesus said,
if you
who are
evil,
give good
gifts to
your children,
how much
more will
your father
give you
all good
things,
right?
Trust in
his goodness.
Don't think
it's going to
gain you a
higher favor
with God.
And then,
if your
heart's kind
of right this
morning,
if mine
really hasn't
been,
in regard
to some
of this,
it's the
people here
who are
rejoicing in
the true
gospel and
the true
Savior.
You're at
that piece.
You've
said,
I boast
of nothing
I've done
before the
throne.
I only
have the
righteousness
of Christ
to come
before the
throne of
God on
the final
judgments.
I will
plead what
Jesus has
done and
not what I
have done
before the
throne one
day.
I will
trust in
his merits.
That's
the only
place to
be.
We have
to fight
to be
there even
as believers
because you're
going to be
convinced on
a daily
basis that
God's going
to love you
by how good
you are and
how much you
read your
Bible or how
much you pray
or anything.
You're going to
think,
I've done all
these things so
God must be
really pleased
with me today.
His love
doesn't go like
this.
It's steady.
It's constant.
He's faithful
to us.
So, next
week we're
going to
unpack this
peculiar
letter that
still applies
really for
us today.
And what
should we,
as most of
us Gentile
believers,
what should
we follow?
What should
we think
about moving
forward as
a church?
So, let's
trust in the
undeserved
favor of God
and his grace
alone, only in
the true
Savior.
And when
you close
your eyes
one day
and final
death, that's
where your
hope's got to
be.
Because you're
never going to
be good enough.
You're never
going to do
enough good.
Only in
Christ.
Just pray with
me.