WEBVTT

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 Of the new faces that are here, you're kind of coming in the middle of a story.

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 You ever hated how you kind of showed up in the middle of a movie and you had no idea what

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! was going on and then all of a sudden you had to, you were lost and you're like, oh,

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 that seemed like a great ending, but I don't really know what happened. And you had to go

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 back and, you know, watch the movie somewhere else and from beginning to end. Some of you

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 may feel that way this morning because here at Christ's family, we love the Bible. We love

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 the Word of God. We believe it is enough. It always has been and always will be enough

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 for what your soul needs. So turn in your Bibles to Acts 15. That's where we've been in the

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 book of Acts. We believe here that it's good, right, and proper to walk through certain books

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 of the Bible to teach the whole counsel of what God is saying. So last week, some of you

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 might remember that we talked about how salvation cannot be achieved by just observing the law

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 of Moses. It can't be achieved by just being good and doing good works. And so we kind of,

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 in the context, I just kind of want to throw out just a couple of books because I don't have,

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 you know, there's not enough time to do a complete whole sermon on the law today, but I want to touch

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 on it. But for your further reading, here's a couple of books. One is if you're interested in

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 saying, okay, how does the Old Testament law apply to the New Testament believer? This is a great book.

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 It's called Tablets of Stone. Not a great cover, but just for your information. Most of the great

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 books don't have great covers. So it's called Tablets of Stone by John Reisinger. And it's just,

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 it kind of walks through the covenant and the law and how it comes into the New Testament

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 and how it doesn't as well. And then just in the Old Testament in general,

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 there's a great book here I have called Loving the Old Testament by Alec Mortyer.

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 It really just kind of shows you how awesome, powerful, and relevant it is to New Testament

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 life, as well as just how Christ is a fulfillment of a lot of those things.

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 And I've got the last book. If you're looking just for a good book, if you're curious just about

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 who Jesus Christ is, what his message was, and you're wanting to investigate further, this is a

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 great book called Who is Jesus? by Greg Gilbert, forward by Trip Lee. So it's a great book that just

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 unpacks the person, the person of Christ, and who he is and what he did on the cross and his

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 resurrection. So a great book just called Who is Jesus? And so now we find ourselves in Acts 15.

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 And what's been going on thus far in the book of Acts is the gospel of Jesus Christ is going out

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 to the Gentile word from Jerusalem. And so all the non-Jews are hearing the message of Christ.

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 And we see in chapter 15 that the mission kind of hits a little snag. I'm trying to give you a brief

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 summary. For those of you who weren't here, you can go back and listen to the message later. But

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 as the Gentiles, the non-Jews, were hearing the gospel, there were some men who came down to Antioch

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 and told them that the gospel is good and the gospel may be, you know, fine, but you also,

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 to be made right with God and to be saved, you have to observe the law of Moses. You have to do all

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 these strict things that the nation of Israel did. You have to be circumcised for the males. So many

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 other things. It was like Jesus plus this equals salvation and not just Jesus equals salvation.

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 And so there was a big response to that. The apostles, particularly Paul and Peter and James,

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 they all met in Jerusalem and they had to talk this stuff over. They had her decide how much of

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 the law of Moses is a New Testament. They didn't call it that then, but there's a New Testament

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 believer need to follow and what's not necessary. Does a Gentile who puts his faith in Christ,

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 does he need to also observe all the dietary laws and does he need to be circumcised,

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 observe all the rituals and festivals that those in the people of Israel followed? Their conclusion,

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 you can go back and just read it from the beginning of 15, is a resounding no. Salvation only comes

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 by faith in Jesus Christ and not by works and not by observance of the law of Moses, but only by

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 faith in Christ. Christ was enough. So today we're going to kind of pick up in verse 19 of the chapter,

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 and this is when they kind of make the final judgment and kind of say the law was good for what it is,

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 but a New Testament Gentile believer does not need to observe all these things that the law of Moses

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 included. So starting in verse 19, and this is James, the apostle, the brother of Jesus. He's the one

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 who's speaking here in verse 19. Therefore, my judgment is that we should not trouble those Gentiles

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 who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols and from sexual

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 immorality and from what has been strangled and from blood. For from ancient generations,

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 Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he has read every Sabbath in the synagogues.

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 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders with the whole church to choose men among them and

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 to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Bersabbas and Silas leading

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 men among the brothers with the following letter. So here's what the letter said. The brothers,

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 both the apostles and the elders to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria,

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 Sicilia, greetings. Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with

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 words unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions. It seemed good to us having come to

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 one accord to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked

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 their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas who themselves

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 will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us

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 to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements that you abstain from what has been

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 sacrificed to idols, from blood and from what has been strangled and from sexual immorality.

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 If you keep yourself from these, you will do well. Farewell. So when they were sent off,

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 they went down to Antioch and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.

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 And when they read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. And Judas and Silas, who were

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 themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. And after they had spent

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 some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas

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 remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord with many others also. Just pray with me.

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 Father, we come to you this morning with many things on our minds, many things in our hearts.

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 I ask that you would draw us into your word by the power of your Holy Spirit, that you would work in our

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 hearts, that we would not leave here the same as we came, that you would convict us of sin, that you

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 would point us to Christ, and that he would receive the glory. And so just help me now to love these people

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 well and to teach your word rightly. And just ask that in Christ's name. Amen.

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 So I promised you last week, because so much of what we discussed last week was the law of Moses.

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 And I tend to find by just experience and talking to a lot of college students, particularly

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 that we have most believers in the church that have a very narrow, sometimes even pathetic knowledge of

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 the Old Testament and what it includes. And you want to just say, usually out of just laziness,

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 what are we supposed to do? Are we supposed to obey the law of Moses? Are we not supposed to obey the law of Moses?

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 Because it's not that simple. The law of Moses is a very intricate, detailed thing.

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 And so I thought I would just give you a brief overview. And I know I'm getting in dangerous water

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 there because you can either spend too little time on it or too much time on it. But I hope that it

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 just leads you to more conversation, to study, to prayer. Come talk to me or Nathan or Wes or Doug later.

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 So what about the Christian and the law? Law is a capital L, like the law that we see in Exodus,

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 Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. What do we do with that? So I'm going to first give you the content

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 of the law, the content of the Mosaic law. And it's been broken up different ways. This suffices for sure.

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 Number one, there's a part of the law called the commandments. And they're expressed, they're the

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 expressed righteousness of God. They're what God says. Some people call it the moral law,

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 including the Ten Commandments. So that's the commandments. You can read about that in Exodus 20,

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 1 through 26, the moral law, the commandments. Secondly, the second part of the law is referred

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 to as the judgments. And they were given to govern the social life of the nation of Israel. And they

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 can be found in Exodus 21. Those things include things like dietary laws, dress, things like that.

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 A lot of the piggy things that people look at in Leviticus and other places. Exodus 21, 1 through 24

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 kind of gives you a brief overview of the judgments. And then thirdly and lastly, the ordinances.

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 And they govern the religious life of the nation of Israel. So that's things like sacrifices,

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 how to prepare yourself for worship in a ritual cleansing way. So that may be oversimplifying,

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 but like that's the main three parts of the law of Moses. So what are we supposed to do with all that?

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 Well, the only part really that the New Testament believer needs to understand and like really,

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 excuse me, excuse me, I don't want to put it that way, needs to still follow and adhere to is the commandments,

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 the moral law of God. Those have not been done away with by Jesus coming. If anything, he raised the bar

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 on the moral law. You might remember, he said to, to a crowd of people, he said, you've heard it said,

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 do not commit adultery. That's one of the commandments. And in their mind, they're thinking,

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 okay, well, I haven't slept with another man's wife. Have you? I haven't, I haven't, I've kept that

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 commandment. And he says, no, I tell you, if you look after a woman lustfully and look at her and think

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 about her in that manner, he tells you, I've come, you have committed adultery in your hearts.

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 He got down to the heart of the law, not just the outward appearance of the law. He made it

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 impossible for man to say that they kept the law. So, but the judgments that were given to govern the

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 social life of Israel, the New Testament believer does not have to follow those. This is part of what

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 this council was about. Those were laws that were given to the nation of Israel to make them stand

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 out, to look distinct from all the other nations of the world, both in how they lived, how they looked,

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 everything. So that was a, that was a law that applied to them during a season. And now that's not

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 carried over. And then the ordinances that govern the religious life. So the sacrifices, the priesthood,

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 all that stuff that has been completely fulfilled in the person of Christ. He was what all those

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 sacrifices were pointing to and foreshadowing. So likewise, we don't have to go out and slay

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 lambs to offer our forgiveness to God. We don't have to do all that. That has been fulfilled in Christ.

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 So the New Testament gives us many purposes of the law. So what was the law about? So I'm going to give

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 you just a few things to hold on to. I might not read all of this, but here's a few of the things,

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 purposes of the law. All right. Here's a big one. The law educated us about sin and pointed to the need

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 for a savior. All right. So this is what Paul says in Romans 3, 19. I'll just read it to you.

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 He says, now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law

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 so that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world may be held accountable to God.

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 All right. So he's saying, do you think that you have the ability to stand before a holy God on your

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 own? Well, the law has come to silence you. It's come to show you that you can't live up to the holy,

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 righteous standard of God. And now you are held accountable to God because of that.

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 Then he goes on. He says, for by the works of the law, no human being will be justified in his sight

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 since through the law comes the knowledge of sin. So the commandments told us what God sees is holy

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 and good. And he told, and it tells us what he sees is breaking those commandments as sin and evil.

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 So it's spelled out for us. We know like what honors God and what displeases God because of the moral law,

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 because of the 10 commandments. And but they also make us aware that we can't keep them.

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 And they point to the need for someone to come and save us from our sin. All right. It's a huge one.

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 All right. So secondly, the law in regard to worship and sacrifices, it was fulfilled in Christ.

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 Okay. It was pointing, foreshadowing to Christ coming. All the lambs that were slain were pointing to

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 the lamb, capital L of God, who is going to come on our behalf and be slain.

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 So I'll read you what Jesus says out of Matthew 5 or 17 said, do not think that I have come to abolish

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 the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you

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 until heaven and earth pass away, not a iota, not a dot will pass from the law until it all is

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 accomplished. So he was saying like, I'm not come here to kind of throw that away. All the stuff that

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 came before me, I'm here to fulfill it and to show you that all was pointing to me.

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 And in Romans 10, Paul says, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who

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 believes. Okay. So the law has come to show us that we can't please a holy God in and of ourselves

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 by our conduct and by just being good, keeping the rules. We can't do it. So a word you're going

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 to hear a lot this morning is the word justified, our justification. And without spending a ton of

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 time on it, I'm just going to tell you just wherever you hear that bread, just think being

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 made right with God. How can I be made right? How can I stand before God in a right relationship

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 to be justified before God? So here's a good quote for you. It's on your bulletin. If you want to

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 look at it, John Stott, a great pastor, theologian. He says, we cannot come to Christ to be justified

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 until we have first been to Moses to be condemned. But once we have gone to Moses, acknowledged our

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 sin, guilt and condemnation, we must not stay there. So don't stay there, you know, being

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 beating yourself up because of how miserable you are. We must let Moses send us to Christ.

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 So that was the purpose of the law was to send us to the savior so that we know that we cannot

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 save ourselves. Right? So there's two more purposes I have here for you, but sort of already touched

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 on one, but the moral law, so the Ten Commandments, they still remain the standard of Christian living,

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 as we'll see today, just even in our text, that we're to follow those, we're to observe those. But

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 here's the cool thing. A believer, someone who has been born again, who has placed their trust

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 in Christ in Christ, God changes them. The Holy Spirit comes to live in them. They're new creations.

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 They've been given new hearts. And they have a desire, a strong desire to keep the moral law of God.

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 So it's not just like something that God has given to you in an arbitrary way as a believer. He wants you

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 to keep the law. And so that's what we strive for. The law is good. It is holy. It's a good thing.

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 So what about good works? And what about observing the law? I just kind of want to throw this out there to you.

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 Because I don't want any of you to hear this. I'm not saying don't do good works. If Jesus died for you,

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 then you can go out and live any way you want to. I'm not saying that you can say like, yes, I'm a Christian.

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 Yes, I believe in Jesus Christ. And I know I'm going to heaven. I got my ticket. I prayed the prayer.

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 I walked the aisle. And now I can just live however I want to. No. Paul says in Romans,

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 should we sin now that grace may abound? May it never be. And he even says to the point in Romans that

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 if you really do think that way, that's what you really believe, then be sure of it. You don't belong

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 to Christ. Because if you really understood who he was and what he's done, you will love him and you

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 don't want to follow him. You will not be perfect. But your desire will be to become more and more

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 holy. You cannot justify such defiance like that. When Christ comes into you, he changes you. He doesn't

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 just leave you the way you were. So, so good works, good deeds, observing the moral law,

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 and following it. Those are not the grounds for salvation or the means of salvation. They're the

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 proof and the evidence of real salvation. They're the fruit of what Christ has done to you. Even that

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 little silly song we sang earlier, you may be going ha ha ha, but it really is a deep theological concept

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 saying that if Christ has changed you, you will bear good fruit, right? If you really has, if you've

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 encountered God, you will change. You will not be the same. You'll want to live in a way that pleases God

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 when you understood the agony that Christ went through for your sake. And then lastly,

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 I want you to turn here, but hold your hand in Acts, but just turn to Galatians chapter 2.

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 I think I would recommend Galatians, reading Galatians in regard to the topics we've been discussing the

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 last two weeks. It's a lot about the law and about faith, but Galatians chapter 2 verse 15.

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 2 verse 15. It's Apostle Paul, and he says,

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 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, yet we know that a person is not justified

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 or made right by works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ. So we also have believed in Christ Jesus

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 in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by the works of the law,

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 no one will be justified. You see that? Like, we cannot be made right. We cannot be justified before God

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 simply on the basis of keeping the law. We can't do it. So he's saying that how that's done

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 is by putting your full trust, your faith in Christ to save you.

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 So that's a very awesome text to show that salvation only comes by faith in Christ alone.

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 So that is a probably terrible but brief overview of the law. So just come read more, talk more.

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 But the law, we're not to follow all of it as Gentile, New Testament believers, but the moral law is still

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 upheld by Christ and the apostles in the New Testament. It's how we live in a manner that pleases God.

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 So that's kind of jumping back to last week, okay? So, but diving more into this week,

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 the text that we just read in Acts 15, we're going to just sort of walk through that. So this is on the

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 heels of them deciding, like, no, like, to have Christ and to be saved, one does not need to follow

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 all the law of Moses. Very, very clear. You can go back and read what they say. And they use Scripture

00:24:39.240 --> 00:24:47.880
 to prove what they're trying to say, even in this text. So three questions. Three questions that will

00:24:47.880 --> 00:24:59.420
 help us walk through the text. Number one, what was the reason for the proposal? What was the reason

00:24:59.420 --> 00:25:09.220
 for the proposal? So you see this in verses 19 through 21. So as some of the apostles went out from

00:25:09.220 --> 00:25:16.019
 Jerusalem after this council was over, as they went out to the Gentiles, what was, how do they move

00:25:16.019 --> 00:25:22.620
 forward? They're going to be around Jews at some point, so how should they interact with one another?

00:25:23.319 --> 00:25:30.759
 How should the gospel move forward after this council? So James and others, Peter, they knew that

00:25:30.759 --> 00:25:36.960
 these Gentiles were going to come in contact with Jews. And when they come in contact, how are both

00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:45.340
 parties to interact with one another in a way that's good and loving and honorable? So how do they do that?

00:25:46.100 --> 00:25:54.140
 So the council concluded that, in our text, that Jews should not attack the consciences of Gentiles.

00:25:54.819 --> 00:26:01.380
 But on the other hand, this letter is telling the Gentiles not to attack the consciences of Jews,

00:26:01.380 --> 00:26:07.620
 who still feel like some of that stuff is important. And he kind of gives you the evidence of that

00:26:07.620 --> 00:26:17.240
 in verse 21. He says, for, right, in verse 21, in every city, there are still Jews who hear the law of

00:26:17.240 --> 00:26:23.880
 Moses read every week, right? So they need to be aware that as they go out, they're going to encounter

00:26:23.880 --> 00:26:30.980
 Jewish brothers and sisters in Christ, they still feel like following parts of the law are important.

00:26:31.640 --> 00:26:41.600
 So how should they interact? Well, James, here in our text, humbly proposes that the Gentiles abstain

00:26:41.600 --> 00:26:50.260
 from four pagan, idolatrous acts that can violate the law of Moses, which could offend the Jews, right?

00:26:50.259 --> 00:26:56.319
 So these four things, I guess you could say stipulations, that James kind of sets out,

00:26:56.940 --> 00:27:04.619
 they're not requirements or conditions for salvation, but rather they're guidelines for both Jews and

00:27:04.619 --> 00:27:10.079
 Gentiles to interact with one another. So when you're around someone like this, how do you interact

00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:17.960
 with them in a way that's loving, that's humble, that doesn't offend their conscience? So interesting

00:27:17.960 --> 00:27:27.539
 enough, like in Leviticus 17 and 18, there's similar kind of stipulations. So James knew his Old Testament

00:27:27.539 --> 00:27:34.600
 well, knew his covenant well. So how do they, how do they interact? But first, before we unpack that,

00:27:35.319 --> 00:27:41.240
 you know, they decide to write a letter to the churches for the apostles to take with them

00:27:41.240 --> 00:27:52.140
 to be read to the Gentiles. So just look at verse 22, 25, 28, and I want you to kind of see this phrase

00:27:52.140 --> 00:27:58.799
 repeated in these verses to kind of understand the spirit of the letter, the character of the letter

00:27:58.799 --> 00:28:10.700
 that they send. You see this kind of repeated, verse 22, then it seemed good. Verse 25, it has seemed good

00:28:10.700 --> 00:28:20.000
 to us. Verse 28, it seemed good, it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us. So they're saying, like in our

00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:29.640
 opinion, we have agreed, this is good, this is appropriate. It pleases us to send you this letter. So the letter

00:28:29.640 --> 00:28:38.480
 comes across very humble, very compassionate, pastoral even, and protective. But it's not like this edict, they just

00:28:38.480 --> 00:28:43.360
 kind of shut everybody down and say, we're the council of Jerusalem, don't question us. It's a very

00:28:43.360 --> 00:28:50.799
 humble, compassionate letter, giving them instruction. As if to say, like, hey, we're sorry that these men

00:28:50.799 --> 00:28:57.620
 came out to you and they filled your mind and they troubled you with all these lies. We're very sorry

00:28:57.620 --> 00:29:03.140
 about that. We're sorry that they confused you, that they hurt you. Just so you know, they didn't come out

00:29:03.140 --> 00:29:11.940
 from us. They did not have our stamp of approval on this. We just want you to know that after much prayer and debate

00:29:11.940 --> 00:29:18.960
 and looking at the scriptures, this is the outcome. You don't have to follow all the law of Moses to be made right

00:29:18.960 --> 00:29:27.960
 with God. Christ is all you need. Christ is all you need. But you should know that as Gentiles, you're going to be

00:29:27.960 --> 00:29:34.720
 around fellow believers who are Jewish and they're going to struggle with some of the things that you may do.

00:29:35.360 --> 00:29:43.120
 So just beware that we want you to be humble, to think about who you're interacting with.

00:29:43.759 --> 00:29:48.440
 So that's kind of the spirit of the letter. Like, it seemed good to do this, right?

00:29:48.440 --> 00:29:55.620
 So that brings us to the second question. What were the requirements in the proposal?

00:29:56.680 --> 00:30:01.380
 This is where we're going to spend the most time. What were the requirements in the proposal?

00:30:02.460 --> 00:30:06.059
 You see this in verse 20 and in verse 29.

00:30:07.460 --> 00:30:12.000
 So they focus on the necessary things. They say,

00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:22.039
 what would a Gentile in the Greco-Roman world do that could offend the conscience of a fellow believer who's a Jew?

00:30:22.880 --> 00:30:25.339
 And so these are the necessary things.

00:30:25.960 --> 00:30:32.279
 So he focuses on these four things that could be completely taken wrong by the Jews.

00:30:33.039 --> 00:30:36.779
 All right. I want you to know that the first three are contextual,

00:30:36.779 --> 00:30:45.200
 meaning that you may or may not be able to do it based on where you are at the moment and who you're around.

00:30:45.940 --> 00:30:46.779
 Think about it.

00:30:47.639 --> 00:30:51.440
 Maybe a New Testament connection could be drinking.

00:30:52.359 --> 00:30:55.819
 Some of you, like you know that in Christ you have the freedom to have a beer.

00:30:56.319 --> 00:30:57.859
 You're not going to go to hell because you have a beer.

00:30:58.759 --> 00:31:02.319
 But if you're around people who really struggle with alcohol,

00:31:02.319 --> 00:31:05.759
 and they struggle with their family because of alcohol,

00:31:06.359 --> 00:31:07.720
 don't drink a beer around them.

00:31:07.960 --> 00:31:10.839
 Like don't encourage them or hurt their conscience because of that.

00:31:11.659 --> 00:31:14.439
 It's a similar, I made up a big can of worms there.

00:31:14.480 --> 00:31:15.359
 Just come talk to me later.

00:31:15.799 --> 00:31:15.960
 Whatever.

00:31:16.379 --> 00:31:18.700
 So I'm just seeing you Nathan's way.

00:31:18.759 --> 00:31:19.619
 He'll appreciate that.

00:31:20.279 --> 00:31:25.159
 So just think about who you're around is what they're saying.

00:31:25.160 --> 00:31:28.940
 But the fourth requirement is universal.

00:31:29.580 --> 00:31:32.840
 At all times, at all places, never do this.

00:31:33.019 --> 00:31:35.080
 That's sexual immorality.

00:31:35.860 --> 00:31:38.060
 So just briefly, let's look at these things.

00:31:39.480 --> 00:31:44.800
 So the first thing you see in these verses is food offered to idols.

00:31:44.940 --> 00:31:45.920
 So what is that about?

00:31:46.840 --> 00:31:52.279
 Well, in the Greco-Roman world, and still in many places in the world today,

00:31:52.279 --> 00:31:56.480
 people would take food and meat, right?

00:31:56.559 --> 00:32:01.299
 And they'll offer it as a sacrifice or an offering to a pagan idol.

00:32:02.279 --> 00:32:04.339
 And then they would take that meat later,

00:32:04.440 --> 00:32:07.440
 and they would sell it in the butcher market,

00:32:08.200 --> 00:32:10.160
 usually around the temple at the time.

00:32:10.299 --> 00:32:11.940
 Not the temple in Jerusalem.

00:32:12.099 --> 00:32:13.859
 I mean like the pagan temple.

00:32:15.240 --> 00:32:21.480
 And so Jews had this understanding that anything remotely associated with idols,

00:32:21.480 --> 00:32:23.000
 we don't even want to come near it.

00:32:23.220 --> 00:32:24.339
 Like, keep away.

00:32:25.000 --> 00:32:26.880
 We don't even want to come near those things.

00:32:27.620 --> 00:32:29.120
 So they instruct them,

00:32:29.579 --> 00:32:31.299
 just when you're in that context,

00:32:31.480 --> 00:32:36.620
 don't give your Jewish brother food that came from that kind of context.

00:32:36.900 --> 00:32:37.500
 Just don't.

00:32:38.220 --> 00:32:40.839
 Because they consider it to be contaminated, polluted.

00:32:41.779 --> 00:32:42.900
 But here it is.

00:32:42.920 --> 00:32:44.120
 Here's where you actually have to think.

00:32:44.119 --> 00:32:49.699
 Paul, in other circumstances where there may not be Jews around,

00:32:50.639 --> 00:32:52.500
 fellow believers who are Jews,

00:32:53.219 --> 00:32:55.039
 he permits believers to eat food,

00:32:55.619 --> 00:32:58.139
 sacrifice to idols, or are given, are offered there.

00:32:58.699 --> 00:33:01.739
 1 Corinthians 8, 1 through 11.

00:33:01.839 --> 00:33:02.759
 You can just look at that.

00:33:03.239 --> 00:33:05.679
 But he's saying, like, food itself is not evil.

00:33:05.979 --> 00:33:08.219
 Food is a gift of the Lord.

00:33:08.939 --> 00:33:10.059
 It hasn't been corrupted.

00:33:10.059 --> 00:33:13.980
 So if that's where your conscience is, then just eat.

00:33:14.559 --> 00:33:14.759
 You know?

00:33:15.019 --> 00:33:15.919
 So, but he's saying,

00:33:16.119 --> 00:33:19.519
 don't do this around your fellow brothers who are Jewish,

00:33:19.619 --> 00:33:20.859
 because it will offend them.

00:33:21.819 --> 00:33:23.179
 Lay that down.

00:33:23.700 --> 00:33:23.879
 Right?

00:33:24.819 --> 00:33:28.079
 And then the next one, it says, from blood.

00:33:29.139 --> 00:33:34.480
 So this refers to animals that were killed without draining the blood.

00:33:34.480 --> 00:33:38.640
 So there is a diet, physical factor, like, you know,

00:33:39.180 --> 00:33:41.360
 eating blood is not very healthy.

00:33:42.019 --> 00:33:43.140
 It can be dangerous.

00:33:44.039 --> 00:33:45.299
 But on the other hand,

00:33:46.360 --> 00:33:49.860
 the Jews saw it as more what the Scripture says.

00:33:50.500 --> 00:33:53.640
 Blood is symbolic of life in the Scripture.

00:33:54.620 --> 00:33:59.579
 And it has been given as a means for them to make atonement for their sin.

00:33:59.579 --> 00:34:04.360
 You can read about that more in Leviticus 17, verse 10.

00:34:05.480 --> 00:34:09.420
 So then it gets into from things that have been strangled.

00:34:10.059 --> 00:34:11.500
 That's just the thought of that.

00:34:11.599 --> 00:34:14.619
 It's like, right, just strangling an animal.

00:34:16.500 --> 00:34:18.719
 So he's not saying it because of animal rights.

00:34:18.740 --> 00:34:21.599
 He's just saying play a close connection,

00:34:21.599 --> 00:34:26.019
 because Jewish brothers will be offended if you strangle an animal,

00:34:26.139 --> 00:34:28.920
 because there's still blood in them.

00:34:29.039 --> 00:34:30.340
 There's still that blood, right?

00:34:30.940 --> 00:34:33.780
 It's still connected to the idea of blood.

00:34:33.780 --> 00:34:38.080
 So those three things are contextual based on where you are

00:34:38.080 --> 00:34:40.540
 and who you're with at the moment, right?

00:34:40.640 --> 00:34:45.740
 Just be sensitive to the consciences of your brothers who are Jewish.

00:34:45.739 --> 00:34:50.599
 But then, fourthly, and this is the big one,

00:34:50.679 --> 00:34:55.139
 and I really felt a burden to kind of spend a little more time on this,

00:34:56.219 --> 00:34:58.519
 because up to this point you may be like, yeah, that's great.

00:34:58.799 --> 00:35:01.679
 But this is something that affects us all.

00:35:01.679 --> 00:35:06.959
 And the fourth thing, sexual immorality.

00:35:06.960 --> 00:35:12.559
 And just so you know, I feel weight talking about this.

00:35:13.220 --> 00:35:15.559
 So this is not contextual or opinion.

00:35:16.039 --> 00:35:18.920
 It's a requirement of obedience at all times.

00:35:19.420 --> 00:35:21.159
 It's a broad meaning.

00:35:22.320 --> 00:35:25.019
 But, however, in a very specific context,

00:35:25.760 --> 00:35:28.800
 you should know that in the Greco-Roman world,

00:35:28.800 --> 00:35:33.080
 that if you wanted to go and you wanted to worship one of the pagan gods,

00:35:33.180 --> 00:35:37.940
 like I know that in Corinth, there was the temple of Aphrodite,

00:35:38.220 --> 00:35:40.920
 and you could go there and you could pay money

00:35:40.920 --> 00:35:45.260
 to have sex with the prostitutes that were there,

00:35:45.860 --> 00:35:49.080
 and it was an act of worship towards Aphrodite.

00:35:49.079 --> 00:35:53.659
 And so, in a way, they could be saying,

00:35:53.980 --> 00:35:56.299
 don't go and do that.

00:35:56.360 --> 00:36:00.659
 That kind of stuff is wicked, is pagan, is idolatrous.

00:36:01.719 --> 00:36:03.500
 Flee from those kind of things.

00:36:04.440 --> 00:36:09.659
 They may have been just aware that most Gentiles living in that world at the time,

00:36:10.319 --> 00:36:13.319
 they didn't really have a high standard of moral purity,

00:36:13.619 --> 00:36:17.219
 much like in our culture today, like more and more what it's becoming.

00:36:17.219 --> 00:36:22.119
 So, he's saying, like, don't do those things in that context.

00:36:22.639 --> 00:36:25.439
 But I want you to know that there's a much broader sense here.

00:36:25.519 --> 00:36:27.980
 It's not just historical context.

00:36:28.259 --> 00:36:29.179
 It's much more.

00:36:29.959 --> 00:36:33.799
 It really applies to all of us, not just in this text.

00:36:34.779 --> 00:36:36.359
 So, think about this.

00:36:36.379 --> 00:36:39.500
 Does it blow your mind that the Jewish council,

00:36:39.659 --> 00:36:40.779
 like the council in Jerusalem,

00:36:41.639 --> 00:36:45.619
 the apostles, Peter, Paul, and James, and other church leaders,

00:36:45.619 --> 00:36:49.039
 I mean, don't you think that if they sent a letter out,

00:36:49.079 --> 00:36:51.359
 they'd have this long list of do's and don'ts?

00:36:53.059 --> 00:36:55.259
 That kind of, this is all they asked.

00:36:55.880 --> 00:36:57.739
 This is all they asked them to do.

00:36:57.859 --> 00:37:00.299
 Please refrain from these things.

00:37:01.480 --> 00:37:03.359
 And they seem to be simple.

00:37:03.360 --> 00:37:08.380
 But it just, if we have to boil it down to a few things to tell you,

00:37:08.980 --> 00:37:10.579
 which we don't want to burden you.

00:37:10.640 --> 00:37:11.300
 They even say that.

00:37:11.360 --> 00:37:12.360
 We don't want to burden you.

00:37:13.420 --> 00:37:15.579
 Just boil it down to these four things.

00:37:16.440 --> 00:37:16.840
 Why?

00:37:18.539 --> 00:37:19.360
 Think about this.

00:37:19.380 --> 00:37:21.559
 These things are laid out beside each other, right?

00:37:22.980 --> 00:37:26.059
 Idolatry, blood, consuming blood.

00:37:26.059 --> 00:37:30.920
 And in a way, it's as if he's saying these things are kind of on par with one another.

00:37:32.739 --> 00:37:34.619
 Can you think about that?

00:37:35.519 --> 00:37:40.380
 Because this sin in Scripture and in history and in our modern times

00:37:40.380 --> 00:37:44.279
 has destroyed many, many, many people,

00:37:44.860 --> 00:37:48.019
 both within and without side of the church.

00:37:48.539 --> 00:37:51.739
 It is a dangerous, wicked sin.

00:37:51.739 --> 00:38:00.419
 And if you don't believe me, I'll tell you to go listen to a sermon by Paul Washer

00:38:00.419 --> 00:38:01.939
 that's called Sexual Immorality.

00:38:02.919 --> 00:38:05.579
 And to know that his heart is a very good, loving heart,

00:38:05.659 --> 00:38:09.279
 but he just kind of shoots straight with you the way Jesus did a lot of the time.

00:38:10.939 --> 00:38:13.759
 I'm always convicted, no matter how many times I hear it.

00:38:14.639 --> 00:38:17.919
 He looks at 1 Thessalonians in regard to sexual immorality.

00:38:18.419 --> 00:38:21.079
 But he said, if you don't believe this sin is a big deal,

00:38:21.739 --> 00:38:27.459
 go talk to the policeman, to the judge, to the lawyer, and to the counselor,

00:38:28.119 --> 00:38:34.959
 and they all will tell you how much disaster this particular sin has brought on humanity

00:38:34.959 --> 00:38:39.759
 and how much stuff they deal with comes from those sorts of things.

00:38:40.579 --> 00:38:42.079
 It is very dangerous.

00:38:42.219 --> 00:38:44.899
 Not just dishonoring to God is very dangerous to people.

00:38:45.719 --> 00:38:46.559
 Very dangerous.

00:38:46.559 --> 00:38:49.139
 So, I want to be clear.

00:38:49.420 --> 00:38:54.900
 Like, in 1 Corinthians 5, Paul says, like, don't even, in the context of the church,

00:38:55.000 --> 00:38:59.219
 like, don't even associate and welcome in, like, be a part of the church,

00:38:59.559 --> 00:39:03.159
 someone who is enslaved and who lives in this type of sin.

00:39:04.199 --> 00:39:07.279
 It may sound harsh, but let's be clear.

00:39:07.280 --> 00:39:15.480
 Remember, he's not referring to a genuine Christian who is struggling and fighting and hating that sin

00:39:15.480 --> 00:39:19.460
 and repenting of it and growing every day further and further away from it.

00:39:19.480 --> 00:39:22.900
 He's not talking about that in the context.

00:39:23.100 --> 00:39:28.680
 He's really saying the people who live in this type of sin, it doesn't bother them.

00:39:28.679 --> 00:39:30.619
 They flaunt it around.

00:39:31.359 --> 00:39:36.419
 They even try to pick up people inside the church to have sex with, and they boast about it.

00:39:36.980 --> 00:39:39.379
 That's the kind of person he's talking about.

00:39:39.440 --> 00:39:43.299
 Don't even let them come in among you if that's their goal.

00:39:44.539 --> 00:39:49.779
 That's why leaders, particularly pastors, elders, deacons,

00:39:49.780 --> 00:39:54.900
 that's particularly why that sin can't be present in their life,

00:39:54.960 --> 00:39:57.220
 or they disqualify themselves.

00:39:59.120 --> 00:40:03.160
 So, in our text, where it says sexual immorality,

00:40:04.100 --> 00:40:05.580
 it's the Greek word pornea.

00:40:06.800 --> 00:40:07.900
 It may ring a bell.

00:40:09.740 --> 00:40:10.740
 Pornography, porn.

00:40:11.380 --> 00:40:14.820
 And it just refers to any illicit sexual intercourse.

00:40:15.800 --> 00:40:19.640
 And in the original language, it extends to adultery,

00:40:20.600 --> 00:40:25.519
 homosexuality, and really just any thought, belief, or action

00:40:25.519 --> 00:40:30.960
 in a sexual sense that's in contradiction to what God says sex is for,

00:40:31.500 --> 00:40:37.019
 which is only inside the bounds of covenant marriage between one man and one woman.

00:40:37.600 --> 00:40:42.080
 Anything outside of that, he's referring to as pornea.

00:40:43.640 --> 00:40:46.140
 So, strong language.

00:40:46.139 --> 00:40:50.279
 Pornea is meaning from the word prostitutes.

00:40:50.280 --> 00:40:53.740
 There's pornography, kind of adds the word graphos,

00:40:53.820 --> 00:40:56.780
 and it means writings about prostitutes.

00:40:59.120 --> 00:41:01.220
 Today, it's been expanded,

00:41:02.100 --> 00:41:05.420
 and it's even just referring to sexual exploits.

00:41:05.420 --> 00:41:11.340
 For a man, it can mean, like, how many notches on his belt does he have from girls?

00:41:12.159 --> 00:41:16.800
 How many girls has he slept with, and how does he boast about those things?

00:41:16.800 --> 00:41:20.320
 It's not just reading, or not just seeing.

00:41:20.420 --> 00:41:21.360
 It's all that stuff.

00:41:22.000 --> 00:41:28.640
 And our culture is attached so hard, and I promise, like, it may scare you,

00:41:28.720 --> 00:41:31.519
 but in this room, there's a ton of you who still deal with this stuff.

00:41:32.300 --> 00:41:36.300
 There's some of you who are in a relationship with someone you're not married to,

00:41:36.760 --> 00:41:38.080
 and you're sleeping together.

00:41:38.079 --> 00:41:45.380
 You're hurting them, hurting yourself, and offending God altogether.

00:41:47.059 --> 00:41:47.860
 Not good.

00:41:49.059 --> 00:41:49.519
 Dangerous.

00:41:49.619 --> 00:41:50.559
 Go to Christ.

00:41:50.659 --> 00:41:53.119
 Let him save you from this disaster.

00:41:53.219 --> 00:41:56.360
 Don't listen to their lies telling you you'll never find anybody else,

00:41:56.440 --> 00:41:57.840
 that you don't matter.

00:41:59.400 --> 00:42:00.739
 That's a total lie.

00:42:01.840 --> 00:42:02.579
 Go to Christ.

00:42:02.679 --> 00:42:05.460
 Let him be the one who takes care of you and cleanses you.

00:42:05.460 --> 00:42:09.699
 And just to throw this out there, there's no such thing as soft porn.

00:42:10.460 --> 00:42:11.619
 You can see porn on Facebook.

00:42:11.880 --> 00:42:14.019
 You can see it on Instagram, YouTube.

00:42:14.840 --> 00:42:17.280
 You don't have to go to an explicit porn site.

00:42:18.699 --> 00:42:22.760
 It's anything that is revealing that leads to sexual thoughts.

00:42:23.940 --> 00:42:26.800
 And you could, a long time ago, people would just blame women,

00:42:26.800 --> 00:42:30.519
 but guys, too, now, like anything that you're wearing or doing

00:42:30.519 --> 00:42:34.920
 to kind of push yourself on display for other people, not okay.

00:42:35.460 --> 00:42:39.099
 You can lead people to think about you in a dishonorable way.

00:42:39.980 --> 00:42:45.260
 So many of the movies, TV shows, video games, all of that,

00:42:46.199 --> 00:42:47.980
 there's so much of that trash in there.

00:42:48.480 --> 00:42:49.380
 Guard your eyes.

00:42:49.480 --> 00:42:54.880
 I wish, I wish I had taken better care of my mind and my heart

00:42:54.880 --> 00:42:59.079
 when I was a younger guy, teenager, growing up.

00:42:59.079 --> 00:43:00.440
 I wish.

00:43:00.980 --> 00:43:02.360
 Because those things don't leave.

00:43:03.420 --> 00:43:04.179
 They don't leave.

00:43:05.639 --> 00:43:06.960
 And I'll be personal with you.

00:43:07.920 --> 00:43:13.099
 In my teenage years, I ran with a lot of athletes,

00:43:13.099 --> 00:43:16.000
 and it was just a fun thing to do,

00:43:16.079 --> 00:43:18.199
 to get together and watch a porn video

00:43:18.199 --> 00:43:20.539
 and make comments about it.

00:43:21.639 --> 00:43:28.279
 And I developed, probably from age 16 to my early 20s,

00:43:28.279 --> 00:43:31.699
 a very strong addiction to Internet pornography.

00:43:31.699 --> 00:43:35.659
 And I praised God that He kept me sovereignly.

00:43:35.739 --> 00:43:38.299
 I never actually slept with another woman.

00:43:39.379 --> 00:43:41.799
 But it was all here, and in Jesus' words,

00:43:41.879 --> 00:43:43.199
 I was committing adultery.

00:43:43.799 --> 00:43:44.679
 I was guilty.

00:43:46.079 --> 00:43:49.119
 And it made me not care about women at all.

00:43:49.779 --> 00:43:52.579
 It made me just see them as playthings and not people.

00:43:52.579 --> 00:43:57.099
 And I remember the day.

00:43:57.179 --> 00:43:58.739
 It was sort of a turning point for me.

00:43:59.619 --> 00:44:01.940
 I had seen pornography the night before.

00:44:02.059 --> 00:44:04.819
 It was probably when I was 22, maybe 21.

00:44:06.199 --> 00:44:08.940
 And I was feeling the weight of it.

00:44:09.840 --> 00:44:15.440
 And I opened the Word, and I read in Ephesians 5.

00:44:16.500 --> 00:44:17.599
 You just turn there.

00:44:17.699 --> 00:44:19.239
 Turn there with me, Ephesians 5.

00:44:22.579 --> 00:44:26.500
 Ephesians 5, verse 3.

00:44:32.380 --> 00:44:33.840
 Ephesians 5, verse 3.

00:44:34.880 --> 00:44:35.679
 Paul says,

00:44:36.679 --> 00:44:41.279
 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness

00:44:41.279 --> 00:44:44.319
 must not even be named among you

00:44:44.319 --> 00:44:46.599
 as is proper among the saints.

00:44:47.239 --> 00:44:50.279
 As if he's saying this topic is so sickening,

00:44:50.699 --> 00:44:51.739
 so vile,

00:44:51.739 --> 00:44:54.699
 that it should be almost embarrassing to talk about it

00:44:54.699 --> 00:44:58.379
 in the context of born-again believers.

00:44:59.819 --> 00:45:00.539
 Then he says,

00:45:00.859 --> 00:45:03.599
 some of you guys particularly need to watch this,

00:45:04.539 --> 00:45:06.319
 let there be no filthiness,

00:45:06.819 --> 00:45:08.379
 nor foolish talk,

00:45:08.899 --> 00:45:10.000
 nor crude joking,

00:45:10.579 --> 00:45:12.779
 which is out of place,

00:45:13.319 --> 00:45:15.139
 but instead let there be thanksgiving.

00:45:15.139 --> 00:45:18.539
 So some of you like to joke about that kind of stuff

00:45:18.539 --> 00:45:19.299
 and how you talk.

00:45:20.039 --> 00:45:21.819
 He's saying, don't even talk about it.

00:45:22.199 --> 00:45:24.000
 Don't even bring it up.

00:45:24.059 --> 00:45:24.799
 It's dishonorable.

00:45:25.559 --> 00:45:26.539
 It's polluting.

00:45:26.759 --> 00:45:27.900
 It dishonors God.

00:45:28.699 --> 00:45:30.359
 Be thankful to God instead.

00:45:31.319 --> 00:45:31.900
 Verse 5.

00:45:31.900 --> 00:45:34.800
 For you may be sure of this,

00:45:35.639 --> 00:45:38.780
 that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure

00:45:38.780 --> 00:45:40.639
 or who is covetous,

00:45:40.980 --> 00:45:42.119
 that is an idolater,

00:45:42.780 --> 00:45:46.720
 has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

00:45:46.719 --> 00:45:49.319
 I was broken over that.

00:45:49.320 --> 00:45:52.840
 And so it started with the Word of God,

00:45:53.440 --> 00:45:53.880
 the Scripture,

00:45:54.100 --> 00:45:56.300
 not just a man telling me that.

00:45:57.320 --> 00:46:01.220
 But then I went to a house church,

00:46:01.300 --> 00:46:02.160
 a worship gathering,

00:46:03.340 --> 00:46:05.519
 and a man who mentored me

00:46:05.519 --> 00:46:06.420
 and discipled me

00:46:06.420 --> 00:46:08.460
 in my early Christian life.

00:46:09.480 --> 00:46:10.340
 Some of you women,

00:46:10.680 --> 00:46:12.420
 from the women's retreat last year,

00:46:13.000 --> 00:46:14.180
 you might remember Alice,

00:46:14.240 --> 00:46:15.100
 who came and spoke to you.

00:46:15.160 --> 00:46:15.880
 It was her husband,

00:46:16.600 --> 00:46:18.240
 who passed away many years ago.

00:46:18.239 --> 00:46:19.739
 His name was Larry.

00:46:20.939 --> 00:46:24.199
 This man was saturated in the Word of God,

00:46:24.299 --> 00:46:25.879
 who loved the Scripture,

00:46:26.259 --> 00:46:27.019
 loved the Gospel.

00:46:28.319 --> 00:46:30.579
 I don't know if I've met his equal yet.

00:46:31.139 --> 00:46:32.759
 You couldn't put him in a box.

00:46:32.839 --> 00:46:34.019
 He wasn't this, this, or this.

00:46:34.099 --> 00:46:37.099
 He was just a Gospel, Christ-loving man.

00:46:38.019 --> 00:46:39.719
 But he was playing the piano

00:46:39.719 --> 00:46:41.079
 and singing praises,

00:46:41.219 --> 00:46:42.739
 and everybody was kind of joining in.

00:46:43.339 --> 00:46:45.759
 And I just hid in the corner of the house by myself,

00:46:45.759 --> 00:46:47.679
 just in shame,

00:46:47.679 --> 00:46:48.239
 and just sort of,

00:46:48.319 --> 00:46:51.359
 I can't do this because of what I did last night

00:46:51.359 --> 00:46:53.899
 and what I've been doing for the last few years.

00:46:55.599 --> 00:46:58.019
 And I kind of heard the piano stop playing,

00:46:58.419 --> 00:46:59.960
 and I didn't say anything.

00:47:00.099 --> 00:47:01.699
 Like, I wasn't out talking about this.

00:47:01.699 --> 00:47:05.719
 And I was just sort of in the corner,

00:47:06.219 --> 00:47:08.460
 and Larry just leaned down to me,

00:47:08.500 --> 00:47:08.879
 and he said,

00:47:09.359 --> 00:47:11.879
 Hey, the Lord wants you to know

00:47:11.879 --> 00:47:13.059
 that what you did last night

00:47:13.059 --> 00:47:14.779
 was very dishonoring to Him,

00:47:15.619 --> 00:47:17.059
 was very displeasing to Him.

00:47:17.159 --> 00:47:17.859
 It hurt Him.

00:47:18.619 --> 00:47:19.439
 It angered Him.

00:47:19.440 --> 00:47:20.679
 But,

00:47:21.019 --> 00:47:23.940
 He wants you to stand up right now

00:47:23.940 --> 00:47:24.639
 and praise Him.

00:47:24.700 --> 00:47:26.000
 Not because you feel like it,

00:47:26.019 --> 00:47:26.940
 but because you're worthy.

00:47:28.000 --> 00:47:29.019
 Because He is worthy.

00:47:29.360 --> 00:47:30.360
 Because Christ is worthy.

00:47:31.200 --> 00:47:31.519
 He said,

00:47:31.700 --> 00:47:32.800
 Get up and give Him praise,

00:47:32.900 --> 00:47:33.940
 because He saved you,

00:47:34.000 --> 00:47:34.960
 even from that sin.

00:47:35.940 --> 00:47:36.240
 And I,

00:47:36.800 --> 00:47:39.340
 just a prophetic word that He received.

00:47:39.420 --> 00:47:40.380
 I didn't tell Him about that.

00:47:41.460 --> 00:47:42.000
 Then He went back

00:47:42.000 --> 00:47:42.960
 and just started playing music

00:47:42.960 --> 00:47:43.800
 as if nothing happened.

00:47:43.800 --> 00:47:44.240
 But,

00:47:44.240 --> 00:47:47.400
 just the Lord laid that on His heart.

00:47:48.960 --> 00:47:49.360
 So,

00:47:50.100 --> 00:47:53.160
 I have dealt with this in my past,

00:47:53.800 --> 00:47:56.100
 and I still face the bullets out every day

00:47:56.100 --> 00:47:57.440
 like it always will come.

00:47:58.620 --> 00:47:59.180
 And even,

00:47:59.420 --> 00:48:01.160
 you should know that at the very end,

00:48:01.260 --> 00:48:02.660
 like in the judgment,

00:48:02.820 --> 00:48:05.200
 in Revelation 21, verse 8,

00:48:05.240 --> 00:48:05.700
 it says,

00:48:06.480 --> 00:48:07.360
 But the cowardly,

00:48:07.460 --> 00:48:08.260
 the faithless,

00:48:08.380 --> 00:48:09.300
 and the detestable,

00:48:10.039 --> 00:48:11.300
 as for murderers,

00:48:12.140 --> 00:48:13.300
 and the sexually immoral,

00:48:14.780 --> 00:48:15.480
 sorcerers,

00:48:15.560 --> 00:48:16.100
 idolaters,

00:48:16.200 --> 00:48:17.300
 just throwing in that bunch

00:48:17.300 --> 00:48:18.440
 of those same things,

00:48:19.440 --> 00:48:20.420
 and liars,

00:48:21.160 --> 00:48:22.940
 their portion will be in the lake

00:48:22.940 --> 00:48:25.260
 that burns with fire and sulfur,

00:48:25.539 --> 00:48:27.100
 and that is the second death.

00:48:27.920 --> 00:48:29.460
 This is such a crazy,

00:48:29.720 --> 00:48:30.160
 sickening,

00:48:30.280 --> 00:48:30.720
 horrible,

00:48:31.380 --> 00:48:32.400
 horrific sin

00:48:32.400 --> 00:48:33.920
 that is listed

00:48:33.920 --> 00:48:35.420
 among all these other things,

00:48:35.480 --> 00:48:36.660
 like pagan idolatry

00:48:36.660 --> 00:48:37.440
 and sorcery.

00:48:38.539 --> 00:48:39.640
 It's scary.

00:48:40.700 --> 00:48:41.480
 And in the church,

00:48:41.580 --> 00:48:43.640
 we've either erred on one or two ends,

00:48:44.580 --> 00:48:45.400
 we've either said,

00:48:45.960 --> 00:48:47.640
 hey buddy,

00:48:48.560 --> 00:48:49.180
 it's okay,

00:48:50.140 --> 00:48:51.160
 Jesus died for you,

00:48:51.920 --> 00:48:52.780
 he still loves you,

00:48:53.480 --> 00:48:54.400
 just stop doing that.

00:48:55.680 --> 00:48:57.760
 And that only usually leads

00:48:57.760 --> 00:48:59.039
 to people doing it more and more.

00:49:00.080 --> 00:49:01.019
 And on the other hand,

00:49:01.519 --> 00:49:02.760
 the other extreme is,

00:49:03.300 --> 00:49:04.360
 how dare you do that?

00:49:04.440 --> 00:49:05.140
 God hates you,

00:49:05.200 --> 00:49:06.480
 he'll never forgive you for that.

00:49:07.260 --> 00:49:07.620
 You'll never,

00:49:07.880 --> 00:49:08.940
 so it's either all wrath

00:49:08.940 --> 00:49:09.700
 and damnation

00:49:09.700 --> 00:49:10.300
 where it's all

00:49:10.300 --> 00:49:11.460
 cheap grace

00:49:11.460 --> 00:49:12.519
 and a slap on the back.

00:49:13.559 --> 00:49:14.860
 We can't treat it that way.

00:49:14.900 --> 00:49:15.480
 It is very,

00:49:15.599 --> 00:49:16.159
 very serious.

00:49:17.200 --> 00:49:18.340
 But we have to come at it

00:49:18.340 --> 00:49:18.920
 with grace,

00:49:19.039 --> 00:49:19.740
 we have to come at it

00:49:19.740 --> 00:49:20.320
 with love,

00:49:20.320 --> 00:49:23.900
 and I know many people

00:49:23.900 --> 00:49:24.360
 in this room

00:49:24.360 --> 00:49:25.420
 have been personally affected

00:49:25.420 --> 00:49:27.080
 by sexual morality.

00:49:28.039 --> 00:49:28.760
 Many people.

00:49:29.940 --> 00:49:31.039
 And we have to come together

00:49:31.039 --> 00:49:32.100
 as brothers and sisters,

00:49:33.160 --> 00:49:34.300
 confess sin to one another,

00:49:34.440 --> 00:49:35.240
 pray for one another,

00:49:35.800 --> 00:49:36.820
 hold each other accountable,

00:49:37.019 --> 00:49:37.640
 feed each other

00:49:37.640 --> 00:49:39.039
 the word of God

00:49:39.039 --> 00:49:40.440
 that can birth more faith

00:49:40.440 --> 00:49:41.100
 than us

00:49:41.100 --> 00:49:42.720
 to face these things.

00:49:42.719 --> 00:49:45.480
 There's no greater way

00:49:45.480 --> 00:49:47.039
 to overcome sexual sin

00:49:47.039 --> 00:49:49.519
 than to develop a hatred

00:49:49.519 --> 00:49:51.759
 and a distaste for it

00:49:51.759 --> 00:49:53.679
 by delighting yourself

00:49:53.679 --> 00:49:55.719
 in the superior pleasures

00:49:55.719 --> 00:49:56.819
 that God offers you

00:49:56.819 --> 00:49:57.519
 in himself.

00:49:58.579 --> 00:49:59.759
 No greater way.

00:50:00.480 --> 00:50:01.859
 Fight pleasure with pleasure.

00:50:02.500 --> 00:50:03.539
 You think sex is great?

00:50:03.739 --> 00:50:04.419
 Jesus is better.

00:50:05.359 --> 00:50:05.919
 Much better.

00:50:06.739 --> 00:50:07.639
 Infinitely better.

00:50:07.739 --> 00:50:08.519
 He created it

00:50:08.519 --> 00:50:12.000
 in a good and holy context.

00:50:12.719 --> 00:50:13.799
 And you should know

00:50:13.799 --> 00:50:14.559
 that in the scripture,

00:50:15.579 --> 00:50:16.899
 sanctification is often

00:50:16.899 --> 00:50:17.839
 measured this way.

00:50:18.579 --> 00:50:19.719
 It's measured in your love

00:50:19.719 --> 00:50:20.259
 for God,

00:50:20.959 --> 00:50:21.919
 love for others,

00:50:22.719 --> 00:50:23.739
 and sexual purity.

00:50:24.519 --> 00:50:25.739
 Those things are always

00:50:25.739 --> 00:50:26.559
 beside each other.

00:50:27.799 --> 00:50:28.799
 And it's very true.

00:50:28.879 --> 00:50:30.119
 And as Paul Washer said

00:50:30.119 --> 00:50:30.959
 in this video,

00:50:31.239 --> 00:50:32.500
 I watched this sermon.

00:50:33.279 --> 00:50:33.739
 He says,

00:50:33.839 --> 00:50:34.419
 know that

00:50:34.419 --> 00:50:36.439
 true, genuine love

00:50:36.439 --> 00:50:37.039
 for God

00:50:37.039 --> 00:50:38.719
 and others

00:50:38.719 --> 00:50:40.099
 will lead

00:50:40.099 --> 00:50:41.119
 to sexual purity.

00:50:41.119 --> 00:50:43.400
 Then he flips it

00:50:43.400 --> 00:50:43.799
 and he says,

00:50:43.859 --> 00:50:45.159
 but sexual impurity

00:50:45.159 --> 00:50:46.960
 will only lead

00:50:46.960 --> 00:50:48.679
 to lovelessness

00:50:48.679 --> 00:50:49.719
 and hatred

00:50:49.719 --> 00:50:50.619
 toward God

00:50:50.619 --> 00:50:51.179
 and others.

00:50:51.900 --> 00:50:52.960
 Have you ever noticed that?

00:50:53.960 --> 00:50:54.960
 Have you ever noticed that?

00:50:55.960 --> 00:50:56.980
 The more you

00:50:56.980 --> 00:50:57.940
 give yourself

00:50:57.940 --> 00:50:58.859
 to someone else,

00:50:59.400 --> 00:51:01.319
 the more porn you watch,

00:51:01.859 --> 00:51:03.059
 the more loveless

00:51:03.059 --> 00:51:03.639
 and selfish

00:51:03.639 --> 00:51:04.339
 you become.

00:51:04.340 --> 00:51:06.400
 when you look at

00:51:06.400 --> 00:51:07.420
 those who were created

00:51:07.420 --> 00:51:08.579
 in the image of God,

00:51:09.620 --> 00:51:10.180
 beautiful

00:51:10.180 --> 00:51:11.059
 and unique

00:51:11.059 --> 00:51:11.920
 and you look at them

00:51:11.920 --> 00:51:12.500
 as notches

00:51:12.500 --> 00:51:13.160
 on your belt

00:51:13.160 --> 00:51:14.820
 and as something

00:51:14.820 --> 00:51:15.780
 to be consumed

00:51:15.780 --> 00:51:18.059
 and harden your heart.

00:51:18.760 --> 00:51:19.240
 Guys,

00:51:19.300 --> 00:51:19.940
 every time you look

00:51:19.940 --> 00:51:20.300
 at porn

00:51:20.300 --> 00:51:21.039
 on your computer,

00:51:21.200 --> 00:51:21.680
 your phone,

00:51:21.760 --> 00:51:22.360
 your iPad,

00:51:22.720 --> 00:51:23.840
 it's just going to

00:51:23.840 --> 00:51:24.240
 harden

00:51:24.240 --> 00:51:26.019
 and harden your heart

00:51:26.019 --> 00:51:27.400
 into sin.

00:51:28.940 --> 00:51:30.380
 And the scripture says

00:51:30.380 --> 00:51:31.440
 to flee these things.

00:51:31.880 --> 00:51:32.940
 Don't think about them.

00:51:32.940 --> 00:51:34.480
 Don't talk about them.

00:51:35.200 --> 00:51:36.599
 Don't give occasion for them.

00:51:37.559 --> 00:51:38.340
 Flee to Christ

00:51:38.340 --> 00:51:39.519
 instead.

00:51:40.519 --> 00:51:41.039
 And if you look

00:51:41.039 --> 00:51:41.860
 at our text

00:51:41.860 --> 00:51:42.579
 in verse 29,

00:51:43.720 --> 00:51:44.320
 he says,

00:51:45.320 --> 00:51:46.139
 if you keep yourselves

00:51:46.139 --> 00:51:47.000
 from these things,

00:51:47.220 --> 00:51:48.159
 you do well.

00:51:49.539 --> 00:51:50.380
 So flip that.

00:51:50.440 --> 00:51:51.500
 If you don't keep yourself

00:51:51.500 --> 00:51:52.099
 from these things,

00:51:52.139 --> 00:51:52.840
 you will not

00:51:52.840 --> 00:51:53.940
 do well.

00:51:54.840 --> 00:51:56.019
 And we know that's true.

00:51:56.760 --> 00:51:58.260
 My personal experience.

00:51:59.280 --> 00:51:59.579
 Right?

00:52:00.800 --> 00:52:02.579
 So can you imagine yourself

00:52:02.579 --> 00:52:04.799
 worshiping a pagan idol

00:52:04.799 --> 00:52:06.400
 and like drinking blood

00:52:06.400 --> 00:52:07.000
 in front of that

00:52:07.000 --> 00:52:07.559
 pagan idol?

00:52:08.340 --> 00:52:08.579
 Well,

00:52:08.579 --> 00:52:09.480
 they're basically saying

00:52:09.480 --> 00:52:09.940
 that like,

00:52:10.739 --> 00:52:12.079
 in a very similar sense,

00:52:12.159 --> 00:52:13.019
 you're doing this

00:52:13.019 --> 00:52:14.179
 when you commit

00:52:14.179 --> 00:52:15.299
 sexual immorality.

00:52:16.400 --> 00:52:17.259
 That's scary,

00:52:17.380 --> 00:52:17.840
 is it not?

00:52:18.460 --> 00:52:19.219
 It kind of made it

00:52:19.219 --> 00:52:20.659
 its own thing,

00:52:20.880 --> 00:52:21.519
 but it's not.

00:52:22.679 --> 00:52:23.779
 I want you just to turn

00:52:23.779 --> 00:52:25.799
 to 1 Corinthians

00:52:25.799 --> 00:52:26.340
 with me.

00:52:27.119 --> 00:52:27.840
 Chapter 6.

00:52:27.840 --> 00:52:28.480
 And we'll kind of

00:52:28.480 --> 00:52:30.440
 probably end it

00:52:30.440 --> 00:52:30.900
 right here.

00:52:35.980 --> 00:52:37.059
 1 Corinthians

00:52:37.059 --> 00:52:38.940
 chapter 6,

00:52:39.079 --> 00:52:39.820
 verse 15.

00:52:41.019 --> 00:52:41.619
 Actually,

00:52:41.720 --> 00:52:42.639
 go to verse 18.

00:52:44.559 --> 00:52:45.700
 For sake of time.

00:52:47.099 --> 00:52:47.900
 Verse 18.

00:52:49.159 --> 00:52:49.539
 Now,

00:52:49.700 --> 00:52:50.760
 most of you

00:52:50.760 --> 00:52:52.900
 may be familiar

00:52:52.900 --> 00:52:55.559
 in the Old Testament context

00:52:55.559 --> 00:52:56.380
 when a priest,

00:52:57.139 --> 00:52:58.320
 a Levitical priest

00:52:58.320 --> 00:52:58.679
 would,

00:52:59.639 --> 00:53:00.420
 the high priest

00:53:00.420 --> 00:53:01.380
 would once a year,

00:53:01.799 --> 00:53:02.119
 right,

00:53:02.239 --> 00:53:02.960
 make atonement

00:53:02.960 --> 00:53:03.900
 and he would go into

00:53:03.900 --> 00:53:05.619
 the Holy of Holies

00:53:05.619 --> 00:53:06.539
 where the Ark

00:53:06.539 --> 00:53:07.440
 of the Covenant was

00:53:07.440 --> 00:53:09.219
 where the presence

00:53:09.219 --> 00:53:10.380
 of God resided.

00:53:11.059 --> 00:53:11.380
 Right?

00:53:11.840 --> 00:53:13.179
 And no one was allowed

00:53:13.179 --> 00:53:13.820
 to go in there

00:53:13.820 --> 00:53:14.980
 other than the high priest

00:53:14.980 --> 00:53:15.699
 once a year.

00:53:16.799 --> 00:53:17.659
 And if he did,

00:53:17.739 --> 00:53:19.039
 he was struck down.

00:53:19.139 --> 00:53:19.719
 He was killed.

00:53:20.360 --> 00:53:21.099
 God would kill him

00:53:21.099 --> 00:53:21.860
 if he came into

00:53:21.860 --> 00:53:22.699
 the Holy of Holies

00:53:22.699 --> 00:53:24.779
 in a very wrong attitude

00:53:24.779 --> 00:53:25.779
 or wrong approach

00:53:25.779 --> 00:53:26.879
 with sin in his heart.

00:53:27.579 --> 00:53:28.379
 So a very

00:53:28.379 --> 00:53:29.699
 trembling,

00:53:30.000 --> 00:53:30.699
 scary thing.

00:53:32.019 --> 00:53:32.379
 But,

00:53:32.980 --> 00:53:35.199
 I want you to imagine

00:53:35.199 --> 00:53:35.980
 this idea

00:53:35.980 --> 00:53:36.539
 of like

00:53:36.539 --> 00:53:37.619
 the Levitical

00:53:37.619 --> 00:53:38.759
 priest

00:53:38.759 --> 00:53:40.639
 sleeping with a

00:53:40.639 --> 00:53:41.199
 prostitute

00:53:41.199 --> 00:53:42.739
 inside the Holy of Holies.

00:53:43.739 --> 00:53:44.719
 How sickening

00:53:44.719 --> 00:53:45.159
 is that?

00:53:45.279 --> 00:53:46.119
 It wouldn't last.

00:53:46.239 --> 00:53:46.579
 God would

00:53:46.579 --> 00:53:47.899
 consume them

00:53:47.899 --> 00:53:48.339
 in fire

00:53:48.339 --> 00:53:48.859
 for sure.

00:53:49.460 --> 00:53:50.219
 But just imagine

00:53:50.219 --> 00:53:50.980
 that gross,

00:53:50.980 --> 00:53:52.880
 sickening image.

00:53:53.099 --> 00:53:53.719
 And now I want you

00:53:53.719 --> 00:53:54.400
 to look at

00:53:54.400 --> 00:53:56.400
 1 Corinthians 6

00:53:56.400 --> 00:53:57.940
 verse 18.

00:53:58.740 --> 00:53:59.539
 He says,

00:53:59.719 --> 00:54:00.039
 flee

00:54:00.039 --> 00:54:01.659
 from sexual

00:54:01.659 --> 00:54:02.380
 immorality.

00:54:03.380 --> 00:54:04.360
 Every other sin

00:54:04.360 --> 00:54:05.219
 a person commits

00:54:05.219 --> 00:54:06.400
 is outside the body.

00:54:06.960 --> 00:54:08.099
 But the sexual

00:54:08.099 --> 00:54:09.900
 immoral person

00:54:09.900 --> 00:54:10.760
 sins against

00:54:10.760 --> 00:54:11.659
 his own body.

00:54:12.719 --> 00:54:13.780
 Here's the connection.

00:54:13.980 --> 00:54:15.139
 Or do you not know

00:54:15.139 --> 00:54:16.559
 that your body

00:54:16.559 --> 00:54:17.340
 is a temple

00:54:17.340 --> 00:54:18.480
 of the Holy Spirit

00:54:18.480 --> 00:54:19.079
 within you

00:54:19.079 --> 00:54:20.619
 whom you have

00:54:20.619 --> 00:54:21.299
 from God.

00:54:21.860 --> 00:54:22.759
 You are not

00:54:22.759 --> 00:54:23.319
 your own

00:54:23.319 --> 00:54:23.920
 for you have been

00:54:23.920 --> 00:54:25.079
 bought with a price

00:54:25.079 --> 00:54:26.940
 to glorify God

00:54:26.940 --> 00:54:28.400
 in your body.

00:54:29.699 --> 00:54:30.699
 He's saying

00:54:30.699 --> 00:54:32.779
 God's Holy Spirit

00:54:32.779 --> 00:54:33.739
 that same idea

00:54:33.739 --> 00:54:34.699
 of the Holy of Holies

00:54:34.699 --> 00:54:36.139
 now abides in you

00:54:36.139 --> 00:54:37.440
 as a believer

00:54:37.440 --> 00:54:38.139
 in Christ.

00:54:39.440 --> 00:54:39.699
 And

00:54:39.699 --> 00:54:41.139
 so when we commit

00:54:41.139 --> 00:54:41.759
 gross

00:54:41.759 --> 00:54:43.380
 sexual acts

00:54:43.380 --> 00:54:44.340
 it's almost the same

00:54:44.340 --> 00:54:45.199
 connection to what

00:54:45.199 --> 00:54:45.840
 I just told you.

00:54:45.840 --> 00:54:47.019
 we are now

00:54:47.019 --> 00:54:47.460
 the temple.

00:54:48.579 --> 00:54:49.180
 We were the

00:54:49.180 --> 00:54:49.920
 Spirit abides.

00:54:51.300 --> 00:54:51.940
 It's supposed

00:54:51.940 --> 00:54:52.680
 to shake us

00:54:52.680 --> 00:54:53.400
 and scare us.

00:54:54.920 --> 00:54:55.400
 Then

00:54:55.400 --> 00:54:56.579
 if you can make

00:54:56.579 --> 00:54:57.300
 this connection

00:54:57.300 --> 00:54:59.539
 continue to sort

00:54:59.539 --> 00:55:00.400
 of follow along

00:55:00.400 --> 00:55:02.300
 I want to

00:55:02.300 --> 00:55:02.840
 kind of leave

00:55:02.840 --> 00:55:03.539
 that with hope.

00:55:03.860 --> 00:55:04.059
 Okay?

00:55:04.559 --> 00:55:05.820
 If you've had

00:55:05.820 --> 00:55:06.440
 a sexual

00:55:06.440 --> 00:55:07.539
 impure past

00:55:07.539 --> 00:55:08.600
 or life

00:55:08.600 --> 00:55:09.500
 like Christ

00:55:09.500 --> 00:55:10.340
 is for you.

00:55:10.460 --> 00:55:10.860
 He's ready

00:55:10.860 --> 00:55:11.579
 to take you

00:55:11.579 --> 00:55:12.840
 save you

00:55:12.840 --> 00:55:13.620
 cleanse you

00:55:13.620 --> 00:55:15.059
 make you new

00:55:15.059 --> 00:55:16.759
 you're not

00:55:16.759 --> 00:55:17.440
 beyond hope.

00:55:17.779 --> 00:55:18.059
 This isn't

00:55:18.059 --> 00:55:18.880
 the unpardonable

00:55:18.880 --> 00:55:19.239
 sin.

00:55:19.940 --> 00:55:20.460
 It's just a

00:55:20.460 --> 00:55:21.119
 really hard one

00:55:21.119 --> 00:55:21.860
 really rough one.

00:55:23.219 --> 00:55:23.519
 And so

00:55:23.519 --> 00:55:23.920
 I want you

00:55:23.920 --> 00:55:24.559
 to just go down

00:55:24.559 --> 00:55:25.239
 a few verses

00:55:25.239 --> 00:55:26.940
 or go up

00:55:26.940 --> 00:55:27.340
 excuse me

00:55:27.340 --> 00:55:27.840
 go up

00:55:27.840 --> 00:55:29.019
 and

00:55:29.019 --> 00:55:30.239
 verse 9

00:55:30.239 --> 00:55:32.199
 of 1 Corinthians 6

00:55:32.199 --> 00:55:33.799
 verse 9

00:55:33.799 --> 00:55:36.820
 it says

00:55:36.820 --> 00:55:37.360
 already you not

00:55:37.360 --> 00:55:37.920
 know that the

00:55:37.920 --> 00:55:38.559
 unrighteous

00:55:38.559 --> 00:55:39.119
 will never

00:55:39.119 --> 00:55:39.719
 inherit the

00:55:39.719 --> 00:55:40.420
 kingdom of God?

00:55:41.420 --> 00:55:41.960
 Do not be

00:55:41.960 --> 00:55:42.599
 deceived

00:55:42.599 --> 00:55:44.019
 neither the

00:55:44.019 --> 00:55:45.119
 sexually immoral

00:55:45.119 --> 00:55:46.699
 nor idolaters

00:55:46.699 --> 00:55:47.780
 nor adulterers

00:55:47.780 --> 00:55:49.000
 nor men

00:55:49.000 --> 00:55:49.699
 who practice

00:55:49.699 --> 00:55:50.920
 homosexuality

00:55:50.920 --> 00:55:52.559
 nor thieves

00:55:52.559 --> 00:55:54.199
 nor the greedy

00:55:54.199 --> 00:55:55.199
 nor drunkards

00:55:55.199 --> 00:55:56.099
 nor revilers

00:55:56.099 --> 00:55:56.900
 nor swindlers

00:55:56.900 --> 00:55:57.940
 will inherit

00:55:57.940 --> 00:55:58.800
 the kingdom of God.

00:55:58.880 --> 00:55:59.440
 So there's the

00:55:59.440 --> 00:56:00.079
 deal.

00:56:00.659 --> 00:56:01.539
 People who love

00:56:01.539 --> 00:56:02.179
 these things

00:56:02.179 --> 00:56:03.219
 who live in

00:56:03.219 --> 00:56:03.940
 these things

00:56:03.940 --> 00:56:05.199
 and boast in

00:56:05.199 --> 00:56:05.699
 these things

00:56:05.699 --> 00:56:06.300
 will not

00:56:06.300 --> 00:56:06.920
 inherit the

00:56:06.920 --> 00:56:07.579
 kingdom of God.

00:56:08.539 --> 00:56:09.179
 So he's

00:56:09.179 --> 00:56:09.719
 talking to

00:56:09.719 --> 00:56:10.099
 Christians

00:56:10.099 --> 00:56:10.380
 okay?

00:56:10.480 --> 00:56:11.019
 He's writing

00:56:11.019 --> 00:56:12.360
 to believers

00:56:12.360 --> 00:56:12.880
 who are in

00:56:12.880 --> 00:56:13.180
 Corinth

00:56:13.180 --> 00:56:13.579
 but then he

00:56:13.579 --> 00:56:13.920
 says

00:56:13.920 --> 00:56:14.599
 in verse 11

00:56:14.599 --> 00:56:16.059
 and such

00:56:16.059 --> 00:56:17.240
 were some

00:56:17.240 --> 00:56:17.960
 of you

00:56:17.960 --> 00:56:19.720
 but you

00:56:19.720 --> 00:56:20.400
 were washed

00:56:20.400 --> 00:56:21.780
 you were

00:56:21.780 --> 00:56:22.760
 sanctified

00:56:22.760 --> 00:56:23.920
 you were

00:56:23.920 --> 00:56:24.400
 justified

00:56:24.400 --> 00:56:25.260
 in the name

00:56:25.260 --> 00:56:25.680
 of the Lord

00:56:25.680 --> 00:56:26.480
 Jesus Christ

00:56:26.480 --> 00:56:27.780
 and by the

00:56:27.780 --> 00:56:28.360
 spirit of

00:56:28.360 --> 00:56:28.820
 our God

00:56:28.820 --> 00:56:30.640
 he saved

00:56:30.640 --> 00:56:31.039
 you from

00:56:31.039 --> 00:56:31.620
 those things

00:56:31.620 --> 00:56:32.059
 is what he's

00:56:32.059 --> 00:56:32.360
 saying.

00:56:32.680 --> 00:56:33.559
 You were

00:56:33.559 --> 00:56:34.120
 some of those

00:56:34.120 --> 00:56:34.740
 things and now

00:56:34.740 --> 00:56:35.220
 you're not

00:56:35.220 --> 00:56:36.079
 you've been

00:56:36.079 --> 00:56:36.579
 sanctified

00:56:36.579 --> 00:56:36.860
 you've been

00:56:36.860 --> 00:56:37.180
 taken

00:56:37.180 --> 00:56:37.980
 and set

00:56:37.980 --> 00:56:38.300
 apart

00:56:38.300 --> 00:56:39.500
 for God's

00:56:39.500 --> 00:56:40.300
 holy purposes

00:56:40.300 --> 00:56:41.940
 you were

00:56:41.940 --> 00:56:42.519
 made right

00:56:42.519 --> 00:56:42.840
 in the

00:56:42.840 --> 00:56:43.200
 sight of

00:56:43.200 --> 00:56:43.460
 God

00:56:43.460 --> 00:56:43.740
 you were

00:56:43.740 --> 00:56:44.260
 justified

00:56:44.260 --> 00:56:46.320
 because of

00:56:46.320 --> 00:56:46.700
 the name

00:56:46.700 --> 00:56:47.220
 of Christ.

00:56:48.320 --> 00:56:49.100
 So rejoice

00:56:49.100 --> 00:56:49.560
 in that

00:56:49.560 --> 00:56:50.680
 right?

00:56:50.780 --> 00:56:51.340
 Rejoice in

00:56:51.340 --> 00:56:51.600
 that.

00:56:52.400 --> 00:56:52.780
 There is

00:56:52.780 --> 00:56:53.260
 hope in

00:56:53.260 --> 00:56:53.640
 Christ.

00:56:54.900 --> 00:56:55.160
 And the

00:56:55.160 --> 00:56:55.820
 last question

00:56:55.820 --> 00:56:57.000
 back in

00:56:57.000 --> 00:56:57.340
 Acts

00:56:57.340 --> 00:56:58.780
 I just

00:56:58.780 --> 00:56:59.000
 kind of

00:56:59.000 --> 00:56:59.180
 wanted

00:56:59.180 --> 00:56:59.519
 I felt

00:56:59.519 --> 00:56:59.940
 the burden

00:56:59.940 --> 00:57:00.300
 to spend

00:57:00.300 --> 00:57:00.780
 some time

00:57:00.780 --> 00:57:01.180
 on that

00:57:01.180 --> 00:57:01.400
 because I

00:57:01.400 --> 00:57:01.660
 know that

00:57:01.660 --> 00:57:01.840
 it's

00:57:01.840 --> 00:57:02.640
 the most

00:57:02.640 --> 00:57:03.000
 relevant

00:57:03.000 --> 00:57:03.440
 to most

00:57:03.440 --> 00:57:04.000
 people here

00:57:04.000 --> 00:57:05.440
 and to

00:57:05.440 --> 00:57:06.019
 our time

00:57:06.019 --> 00:57:07.260
 but he's

00:57:07.260 --> 00:57:07.880
 saying keep

00:57:07.880 --> 00:57:08.380
 yourselves

00:57:08.380 --> 00:57:09.060
 from these

00:57:09.060 --> 00:57:09.480
 things

00:57:09.480 --> 00:57:10.360
 and you'll

00:57:10.360 --> 00:57:10.840
 do well.

00:57:11.340 --> 00:57:11.920
 If you

00:57:11.920 --> 00:57:12.219
 don't

00:57:12.219 --> 00:57:12.639
 you will

00:57:12.639 --> 00:57:13.139
 not do

00:57:13.139 --> 00:57:13.500
 well.

00:57:14.800 --> 00:57:15.019
 Flee

00:57:15.019 --> 00:57:15.300
 these

00:57:15.300 --> 00:57:15.699
 things.

00:57:18.960 --> 00:57:19.559
 All right?

00:57:20.659 --> 00:57:21.699
 So the

00:57:21.699 --> 00:57:22.320
 third question

00:57:22.320 --> 00:57:22.900
 was what

00:57:22.900 --> 00:57:23.240
 was the

00:57:23.240 --> 00:57:23.880
 result of

00:57:23.880 --> 00:57:24.460
 this proposal?

00:57:24.559 --> 00:57:24.860
 Like what

00:57:24.860 --> 00:57:25.260
 happened

00:57:25.260 --> 00:57:26.820
 after they

00:57:26.820 --> 00:57:27.260
 sent this

00:57:27.260 --> 00:57:27.800
 letter out?

00:57:27.860 --> 00:57:28.039
 You see

00:57:28.039 --> 00:57:28.340
 that in

00:57:28.340 --> 00:57:28.960
 verse 30

00:57:28.960 --> 00:57:29.740
 through 35.

00:57:31.300 --> 00:57:31.780
 The

00:57:31.780 --> 00:57:32.159
 apostles

00:57:32.159 --> 00:57:32.599
 they go

00:57:32.599 --> 00:57:32.960
 out to

00:57:32.960 --> 00:57:33.320
 plant the

00:57:33.320 --> 00:57:33.659
 church.

00:57:33.980 --> 00:57:34.420
 They

00:57:34.420 --> 00:57:34.820
 carry the

00:57:34.820 --> 00:57:35.039
 letter

00:57:35.039 --> 00:57:35.500
 with them

00:57:35.500 --> 00:57:35.760
 and the

00:57:35.760 --> 00:57:36.199
 Gentile

00:57:36.199 --> 00:57:36.559
 mission

00:57:36.559 --> 00:57:37.340
 continues

00:57:37.340 --> 00:57:38.559
 and people

00:57:38.559 --> 00:57:38.980
 are

00:57:38.980 --> 00:57:39.740
 encouraged.

00:57:39.860 --> 00:57:39.940
 They

00:57:39.940 --> 00:57:40.039
 are

00:57:40.039 --> 00:57:40.519
 blessed.

00:57:40.699 --> 00:57:40.800
 They

00:57:40.800 --> 00:57:41.400
 rejoice.

00:57:42.559 --> 00:57:43.019
 You see

00:57:43.019 --> 00:57:43.219
 that in

00:57:43.219 --> 00:57:43.579
 31.

00:57:44.460 --> 00:57:44.780
 And when

00:57:44.780 --> 00:57:45.079
 they had

00:57:45.079 --> 00:57:45.440
 read it

00:57:45.440 --> 00:57:45.579
 they

00:57:45.579 --> 00:57:46.199
 rejoiced

00:57:46.199 --> 00:57:46.639
 because of

00:57:46.639 --> 00:57:46.780
 this

00:57:46.780 --> 00:57:47.360
 encouragement.

00:57:48.519 --> 00:57:48.840
 Then it

00:57:48.840 --> 00:57:49.320
 says Paul

00:57:49.320 --> 00:57:49.820
 and Barnabas

00:57:49.820 --> 00:57:50.300
 stayed on

00:57:50.300 --> 00:57:50.960
 teaching and

00:57:50.960 --> 00:57:51.500
 preaching the

00:57:51.500 --> 00:57:52.059
 word of the

00:57:52.059 --> 00:57:53.360
 Lord with

00:57:53.360 --> 00:57:53.920
 many others

00:57:53.920 --> 00:57:54.340
 also.

00:57:55.240 --> 00:57:55.880
 So this

00:57:55.880 --> 00:57:56.420
 was a good

00:57:56.420 --> 00:57:56.820
 outcome.

00:57:56.960 --> 00:57:57.360
 This was a

00:57:57.360 --> 00:57:58.059
 good thing

00:57:58.059 --> 00:57:58.579
 that the

00:57:58.579 --> 00:57:59.139
 council had

00:57:59.139 --> 00:57:59.599
 decided.

00:58:00.119 --> 00:58:00.920
 It resulted

00:58:00.920 --> 00:58:01.400
 in the

00:58:01.400 --> 00:58:02.079
 gospel moving

00:58:02.079 --> 00:58:03.960
 forward to

00:58:03.960 --> 00:58:04.280
 all the

00:58:04.280 --> 00:58:04.619
 nations,

00:58:04.719 --> 00:58:04.880
 right?

00:58:04.920 --> 00:58:05.139
 It just

00:58:05.139 --> 00:58:05.619
 kept spreading

00:58:05.619 --> 00:58:06.260
 out because

00:58:06.260 --> 00:58:06.740
 of this.

00:58:06.739 --> 00:58:08.199
 and the

00:58:08.199 --> 00:58:08.939
 council had

00:58:08.939 --> 00:58:09.659
 come together

00:58:09.659 --> 00:58:10.979
 and talked

00:58:10.979 --> 00:58:11.479
 about how to

00:58:11.479 --> 00:58:11.899
 work through

00:58:11.899 --> 00:58:12.439
 these big

00:58:12.439 --> 00:58:13.779
 issues and

00:58:13.779 --> 00:58:14.019
 they didn't

00:58:14.019 --> 00:58:14.459
 use their

00:58:14.459 --> 00:58:15.359
 opinions or

00:58:15.359 --> 00:58:16.059
 their feelings.

00:58:16.899 --> 00:58:17.779
 They used

00:58:17.779 --> 00:58:18.500
 the word of

00:58:18.500 --> 00:58:18.819
 God.

00:58:19.779 --> 00:58:20.139
 What does

00:58:20.139 --> 00:58:20.779
 God say?

00:58:20.879 --> 00:58:21.259
 That's the most

00:58:21.259 --> 00:58:21.939
 important thing,

00:58:22.000 --> 00:58:22.339
 not what I

00:58:22.339 --> 00:58:22.659
 think.

00:58:23.619 --> 00:58:24.039
 They used

00:58:24.039 --> 00:58:24.439
 prayer.

00:58:25.039 --> 00:58:25.699
 They discussed

00:58:25.699 --> 00:58:27.339
 it in

00:58:27.339 --> 00:58:28.119
 humility and

00:58:28.119 --> 00:58:28.659
 they concluded

00:58:28.659 --> 00:58:29.259
 that nope,

00:58:30.299 --> 00:58:31.059
 Gentiles don't

00:58:31.059 --> 00:58:31.839
 have to do

00:58:31.839 --> 00:58:32.239
 all these

00:58:32.239 --> 00:58:32.559
 things.

00:58:32.619 --> 00:58:32.899
 They made

00:58:32.899 --> 00:58:33.199
 right with

00:58:33.199 --> 00:58:33.479
 God.

00:58:33.480 --> 00:58:34.619
 they only

00:58:34.619 --> 00:58:34.920
 have to

00:58:34.920 --> 00:58:35.199
 put their

00:58:35.199 --> 00:58:35.519
 hope,

00:58:36.280 --> 00:58:36.820
 their trust,

00:58:36.900 --> 00:58:37.260
 and surrender

00:58:37.260 --> 00:58:38.159
 their lives

00:58:38.159 --> 00:58:39.320
 to Christ.

00:58:40.039 --> 00:58:40.440
 And that's

00:58:40.440 --> 00:58:40.800
 enough.

00:58:41.559 --> 00:58:42.159
 That's the

00:58:42.159 --> 00:58:42.460
 gospel.

00:58:43.900 --> 00:58:44.199
 So,

00:58:45.599 --> 00:58:46.219
 that's the

00:58:46.219 --> 00:58:46.599
 end of our

00:58:46.599 --> 00:58:47.599
 story here in

00:58:47.599 --> 00:58:48.920
 Acts 15,

00:58:49.000 --> 00:58:49.340
 at least at

00:58:49.340 --> 00:58:49.820
 this point.

00:58:51.019 --> 00:58:51.760
 And Nathan,

00:58:51.840 --> 00:58:52.039
 I think,

00:58:52.099 --> 00:58:52.300
 is going to

00:58:52.300 --> 00:58:52.820
 pick it up

00:58:52.820 --> 00:58:53.559
 from this

00:58:53.559 --> 00:58:54.139
 part of the

00:58:54.139 --> 00:58:54.500
 story.

00:58:55.599 --> 00:58:55.980
 So,

00:58:56.019 --> 00:58:56.500
 just join me

00:58:56.500 --> 00:58:56.840
 in a word

00:58:56.840 --> 00:58:57.199
 of prayer.

00:58:57.199 --> 00:58:57.300
 Amen.

00:58:57.300 --> 00:58:57.360
 Amen.

00:58:57.360 --> 00:58:57.360


00:58:57.360 --> 00:58:57.360


00:58:57.360 --> 00:58:57.360


00:58:57.360 --> 00:58:57.360


00:58:57.360 --> 00:58:57.360


00:58:57.360 --> 00:58:57.360


00:58:57.360 --> 00:58:57.360


00:58:57.360 --> 00:58:57.360


00:58:57.360 --> 00:58:57.360


00:58:57.360 --> 00:58:57.360


00:58:57.360 --> 00:58:57.360


00:58:57.360 --> 00:58:57.360


00:58:57.360 --> 00:58:57.360


00:58:57.360 --> 00:58:57.360


00:58:57.360 --> 00:58:57.360


00:58:57.360 --> 00:58:57.360


00:58:57.360 --> 00:58:57.360


00:58:57.360 --> 00:58:57.360


00:58:57.360 --> 00:58:59.360
 Amen.