SAVED BY GRACE NOT BY
WORKS
Acts 15:1-12
V:15. " Some men came down from Judea
to Antioch and were teaching the
brothers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by
Moses, you cannot be saved."
A. When you have been raised and taught by one set of rules,
it is hard to change and
embrace new
teaching.
1. The Nation of Israel
began under the Law fifteen hundred years earlier.
2. It was their
guide book for living a godly life.
B. Circumcism of a
male baby the eighth day after birth was a sign of a covenant
between God and
Abraham 430 years before the Law was given.
1. This sign was
never meant for salvation purposes but as a promise from God,
that Abrahams
seed would be a blessing to all generations and the promised land
was theirs as a
permanent inheritance. Gen 17:1-8
2. Circumcism was
incorporated into the Law as a reminder of the covenant between
God and Abraham.
C. The Jews were never able to keep the whole Law.
1. The Law was
not designed for salvation but to show man's need for a Savior.
2. Abraham was
considered righteous not for his works, but for his faith.
D. Notice the text says some men came down, not some
disciples of Jesus.
1. These men
rejected faith in Jesus only, as the means for salvation
of man.
a. They
taught that circumcism was necessary for
salvation.
b. In that
case women could never be saved because their was nothing to
circumcise.
2. They had not
come to the conclusion that Salvation is by Grace through faith.
3. They had not
come on the authority of the Church nor the Authority of God,
but on their own accord to push their agenda;
make Jews out of new believers.
V:2. "This
brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and
Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem
to see the apostles and elders about this question. "
A. In chapter 13, Paul and Barnabas had been
commissioned by the Holy Spirit to
preach
the Gospel to the
Gentiles (all non Jews).
1. Notice, these
men did not come in the name of Jesus.
2. Paul and
Barnabas had a conflict with any doctrine that was not Jesus Christ and
Him
crucified.
3. You and I should
be in opposition to any doctrine that is anything other than the
words of Christ.
4. At some point in
our walk with Christ, we will have to
defend our faith in Jesus.
B. The argument of these outsiders were so persuasive that
the leaders of the Antioch
church sent Paul
and Barnabas to the Apostles in Jerusalem
to settle this matter.
1. Salvation in the
name of Jesus is no small matter, it is the only thing that does matter.
2. You have to know
the Word for yourself, otherwise you can be confused by others
who stand by
their beliefs which does not include Jesus.
3. This
shows that Jerusalem was the center
of religious activities.
4. This also shows
that Satan was busy in the Church.
a. A small group
of Jewish believers who held on to their beliefs under law
tried to
impose the Mosaic Law on the new Church.
b. The Jewish
community was quickly becoming a minority in the Church as
large groups
of Gentiles were added.
V:3. "The church sent them on their way, and as they
traveled through Phoenicia
and Samaria , they told how the
Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad. "
A. We should be joyful when others in the dark come to
Christ.
1. The Church
should be filled with people from all walks of life with all kinds of
pasts.
2. Everywhere we
go, our conversation should be a
testimony of the goodness of the
Lord so that
others are encouraged and drawn to Christ.
B. We all are the product of some ones teaching about Christ
or some ones testimony
of what God did
in their lives,
1. God prepares the
hearts of those we come in contact with to receive a word from
Him through
us.
2. There are also
those we come in contact with, who will attack the Word of God
with false and
misleading information.
3. If you cannot
find support for others beliefs in the Bible, ignore them.
4. God will not
change His Word or add to His Word.
V:4. " When they came to Jerusalem ,
they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they
reported everything God had done through them."
A. Everybody reports to somebody.
1. There is a head
in every organization.
2. Jesus Christ is
the head of the Church.
3. Man is the head
of the household.
4. On your job,
someone is the head of you.
B. Paul and Barnabas reported to the Apostles in Jerusalem
1. Paul and
Barnabas were successful in preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ
and as a result
many Gentiles and Jews were saved.
2. No mission is
without problems.
3. Their mission
was dogged by Jews who rejected salvation by faith in Jesus.
4. All around us are religions with different
views, and some do not in include
Jesus as Lord
and Savior.
V:5-6." Then some of the believers who belonged to the
party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be
circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses."
6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question."
A. I think God uses our differences to cause us to study the
Word, meditate and pray.
1. When there are
differences in interpretation and application of the Word, we
should come
together, study the Word and let the Holy Spirit guide us to the
proper interpretation.
2. We should never
argue the Word, we should study the Word so we can rightly
divide the
Word of truth
B. When there are opposing view points, they should be heard
and discussed.
1. The conclusion
of a matter must adhere to Biblical Truths.
2. We should never
give into good arguments that deviate from the Word.
V:7-8. " After much discussion, Peter got up and
addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice
among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel
and believe.
8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by
giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us."
A. Believers should come together and discuss their
differences.
1. Every
discussion should be centered around the Word of God.
2. Any differences
should be resolved by Word of God.
3. What is right
is based on the Word of God.
4. The truth about
life's situation can only be understood by discussing the Word.
B. Peter related his
testimony of how he was directed by God to preach to Cornelius
his, family and
friends and How they received the Holy Spirit upon hearing the Word.
1.The hearts of
the Gentiles was purified by faith.
2. God does not
require believers to be circumcised or become Jews to be saved.
V:9-10." He made no distinction between us and them,
for he purified their hearts by faith.
10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the
necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to
bear?"
A. Don't judge other by standards you cannot or will not
live by.
1. God's Law was
given to the Jews immediately after they were freed from slavery
in Egypt
some 1500 years earlier.
2. The Nation of Israel
rejected God divine guidance through His Priest in favor
of earthly
kings who led them away from God.
3. There were a few
good kings. But there more ungodly kings who led the Israelites to
worship idol
gods.
B. At the time of these events, Jesus Christ was the one
true living spiritual King of
all men.
1. The Jews
developed traditions and a non spiritual views of the Old Testament
scriptures.
2. Jesus Christ
our Lord and Savior was rejected by the Jews who held to
their traditions, that no man could claim to
be God.
3. Those Jews who
believed in Jesus, still held onto some of their Jewish
traditions,
rejecting salvation by faith alone.
4. The Jews were
never able to follow the Law, but they wanted the Gentiles
to follow
them to be saved.
V:11-12." No! We believe it is through the grace of our
Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."
12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to
Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done
among the Gentiles through them. "
A. The Apostles Peter and Paul explain how God had granted
salvation to the Gentiles
based on faith in
Jesus alone.
1. Sometimes you
have to stop and listen and reason in the Word to learn the truth
of the Word.
2. Peter pointed
to his witness of the Holy Spirit given
to the Gentiles in the same
manner as God
used at the day of Pentecost when it was given to the Jewish
disciples.
3. Jesus death on
the cross fulfilled all the requirements of the Law with His
blood
sacrifice.
B. The Church was
never under the Law, but under grace.
1. It is the Grace
of God that saves all who believe in Jesus.
2. God so loved
the World, that He gave His only Son that who ever
believes in
Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
Rev. M. Mitchell
Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia
Baptist Church
No comments:
Post a Comment