Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

If you are new to our church we have been working our way through the book of Acts, we have called this the beginning of a movement which we now call the church.

As I have mentioned before, when people say to me wouldn’t it be great if the church today would just go back to the way the first century church ran, things would be wonderful.

Really,

Have you been reading through the book?

Have you been listening to the words the stories.

Quite frankly, the church ran through the same problems that we often find ourselves in, and sometimes even worse.

This morning’s text is no different and is known as the most pivotal point in the story.

I titled this message the Great debate.

I wonder how many of you were on your high school’s debate team.

I have heard that a good exercise in the bag of tools for an English teacher is to have their students work through a debate.

To research, prepare, speak, respond, rebuttal and conclude to win an argument.

If you are now thinking back to your high school days and wondered why you had to go through the torture of those assignments?

Just think, didn’t they prepare you, for those of us who are, Married.

If you are planning on marriage, there will be debates....

research, prepare, think before you speak, responses, rebuttal but I hope that in each debate in marriage, a Biblicaly defined marriage that its result is not a winner or loser, rather that its a moment of love and respect and growth.

Debates.

If you have never seen a debate in the church, consider joining the leadership team, or maybe shadow those who have willingly stepped into the role.

Scripture tells us to aim towards unity, but sometimes to get there there needs to be a debate.

Turn with me if you will to the book of Acts chapter 15 and we will continue along in our study of the book.

Key players

Last week we were challenged by Ron’s message that we are to be sent into the world and if you look at Chapter 14 there are stories of Paul and his good friend doing just that.

This gospel sharing duo were even stoned at one point by the crowd being egged on by key players of the Jewish faith.

Jewish people, the ones God called out to align himself with.

They took that alignment and somehow made it a issue of superiority.

Why do you need to know this, it gives us a background for the situation, culture and temperature of the workings of the early church as we enter into the event found in Chapter 15

Last Sunday, if you missed it, we had one of our missionaries that our church supports through prayer and finances speak to us.

Our church right from the beginning of this gathering 50 yrs ago has continued in the tradition of supporting those called by God to to out as missionaries.

We feel this is an important part of our gathering and so we have been taking each month to focus upon our missionaries.

Paul and Barnabas had just finished their first missionary journey and returned home to report.

Look at the verses

What a missionary report that must have been for the people.

As you will see later, not all were impressed by the report.

Timelines

I want to take a moment if you will bear with me and let’s take a look at the timeline laid out in scripture as to what we have covered so far int the book of Acts.

Take notice of the timelines because often when we read this we forget that this story happens in real time and often that time gap goes unnoticed.

30 AD The Ascension Acts 1

30 AD Matthias Chosen by Lot Acts 1:12

30 AD The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost Acts 2

30 ADPeter and John Arrested and Released Acts 4

30 AD Believers Share All Acts 4:32

30 AD Deaths of Ananias and Sapphira Acts 5

30 AD Apostles Preach and Heal Acts 5:11

31 AD Saul Persecutes the Church Acts 8 Death Acts 6, 7

31 AD Saul Persecutes the Church Acts 8

31 AD Philip and the Ethiopian Acts 8:26

31 AD Simon the Sorcerer Acts 8:9

31 AD Philip and the Ethiopian Acts 8:26

three years

34 AD Saul's Conversion Acts 9

three years

37 AD Peter Preaches to the Gentiles Acts 10, 11

42 AD Barnabas Sent to Antioch Acts 11:22

42 AD Peter Led from Prison by the Angel Acts 12

44 AD Herod Agrippa Dies Acts 12:20

11 years

48 AD Paul's First Missionary Journey Acts 13

48 AD Paul preaches in Pisidian Antioch Acts 13:14

48 AD Paul and Barnabas in Iconium Acts 14

48 AD Paul and Barnabas in Lystra and Derbe Acts 14:8

48 AD Paul and Barnabas Return to Syrian Antioch Acts 14:21

48 AD Return to Syrian Antioch Acts 14:24

1 year of the journey

48 AD The Council at Jerusalem Acts 15

Did you catch the timeline.

We are now going to look at a text describing a debate among the followers of Christ about a topic of “US vs Them”

“Us” The chosen ones

Jewish- Pick by God.

We are better.

We are blessed.

“Them”

Gentiles- inferior, lacking in knowledge Far from God

Pagan.

And if you follow the timeline God spoke to Peter 12 years ago that the Gospel can be accepted by the Gentiles.

12 years before when God Changed the mind and heart of a God fearing, God respecting Jew named Peter and he walked into a home of the outcast and shared with them the Gospel.

let me remind you of what he thought as he entered into the home

God has shown me, God has changed the way I respond.

12 years, yet the debate still moved on.

“us” vs “them”

This is often a debate in churches and the “Us” vs “them” has different faces.

Shows up in various ways

Shows up in cultural, economical, Race, gender, leadership, and sometimes spiritual maturity

Folks I haven’t been at a single church that doesn’t have to come face to face with the reality that there will be and are differences in the church and sometimes those differences polarize the church.

We need to do all that we can to combat the “Us” vs “Them” in our church.

We must also recognize as we look into this story that even in the early church, change takes time.

It doesn’t mean we avoid issues, rather it means we look at issues and strive for unity in our conclusions.

Reading this text this morning, sometimes we can fall into the trap of over simplify the situation the farther we are from being involved.

Knowing all of this, let’s break down this event and apply it to our situation today.

The Issue

The great debate was over an issue of doctrine.

Many have believed that the Good News of Jesus was for all.

For years they had understood Peter’s Vision, had heard about the encounter with the gentile group.

They had marveled at the Holy Spirit coming into the lives of the Gentile believers.

They knew in their hearts that God was for all, but they still had a mentality of what that should look like.

They were struggling with what the Gospel should look like coming from the “Us” point of view.

What about Us today?

Do we fall into the same trap that the first century Christians found themselves in?

If your quick to look down on them, If you think that their world was easier than ours.

If you look around and say, There is so much in our world today that we need to deal with why would they struggle with this issue.

Let’s look for a moment at a common issue.