Acts 17 Saved by Grace
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Does The Gospel Need of a Freshen Up?
Does The Gospel Need of a Freshen Up?
15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
We are saved by Grace alone, faith alone by Christ alone. We do not need to do anything ourselves.
As paul reflects on this he says
28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
But really does this make any sence to people today. That God would simply forgive our sins and give us eternal life because of what Jesus has done. Is believing and repenting enough
Liberal Party rocked by last election, should they move to the right, should they move to the left.
Today some Christians ask similar questions, should Christianity move to the progressive left or the fundamentalist right.
There is a temptation to add to the Gospel story, whether it be modern Social justice, or modern right wing politics, or something else.
Would it surprise you if I told you that the temtation to add to the simple Gospel of grace has been a hot topic since the church began. Right through our history false teachers have been trying to add to the gispel that it is not enough to take Jesus at his word in mark 1:15. We need to do something. This is what we are going to see in our passage tonight.
The big question in the passage is are we saved by grace when we repent and put our faith in Jesus or doing we need to add to this simple idea our own works.
But before we begin Ask yourself, who am I to add to the all sufficiant work of Christ?
adding my work to the Gospel would be like me taking an amazing work of art and adding my own touch ups. Let’s look what that would look like
PICTURE Lets look at the Australian masterpiece by Tom Roberts painting bailed up
Is Salvation by Law or Grace
Is Salvation by Law or Grace
4 parts in chapter that show us how the Apostles decided this issue
the disagreenment
the discussion
the decision
the development
The Story So Far
The Story So Far
By this time spread to 1st missionary journey a beach head antioch from their they went out to cyprus and asia minor.
Difficult established new approach and ministry and dimension invo to no jew, pagans, all the blessings are theirs too.
Gentiles are fuel, jews saw christianity as a sect of judaism not difference. Christians logical fullfullment, judaism resolved itself in jesus, it is the end of the process so saw christianity as logical end of jewish.
They saw the way to become a christian is to jump into judaism to get to the logical end point in christianity. already the case with god fearers becoame proslotites. (how to become a proslotitie.
So there is a conflict brewing as Paul and Barabas have been preachung to the gentiles and takin gthem straight to Jesus and not becoming Jews first.
The issue was not if they could become part of the Kingdom but how to become part of the kingdom. Mode or method was the issue.
How do you get saved is the issue in the Jerusalem council. By grace alone or grace and law. Faith or faith and works. Still the issue today. Fundamentalists and progressives adding something to the Gospel.
Yes you are saved by faith but you must also....10 comandments, baptised, (thief on christ) Catholics but must take the sacriments mediate grace, must join church, add must,
The Disagreenment
The Disagreenment
People from judea taught the breat . false teachers 2peter2:1. Always have been always will be false teachers heresys that dam people. Salvation by grace through faith plus works. down from judea, but north. need to be circumsised. legalism on top of grace. romans.
1 Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.”
v1 believers at Antioch. false teahers minisetrs of satan no commission, self appointed. to straighten out the gentiles.
Does this travel mean staright or through all the places does not say but we know from galatiles that they too have recieved these false teachers.
synigogs, jew first then christian.If you thought the internet spread false stuff this is the same spreads.
Galations written at this time to answer this question. might have traced footprints of paul and barnabas. Everywhere. jews spreading legalisms. between ch 14-15.
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.
Galations gives some more context to this
11 When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.
14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?
So Paul and Baranabas are sent to the elders in Jerusalem to sort this issue out v2
v2 Paul and Barnabus disputed with the jews
in Gal2:11-14 peter played politics. even barnabas cooled it
paul v14 opposed. spoke openly,
Pharasiees, the yeast of the pharsees is spreadin gthrough the whole dough.
15v2 had to go up Mountaion
v3 Travelled through territory that was not legalistic. these people had joy, no legalism hangups. phen and smaria build support.
v4 jerusalem recieved formal acceptance. told the story of what God did. as they did in. ch14v27 gave glory to god.
27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.
must have been long report, months and years of victory.
Responce of the Jewish legalists
5 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 keep the law of Moses.”
v5 blew a gasgate. need to circumsise and keep law of moses before could be saved.70 ad titus flattened jewdaism.
bigitory . church had a big problem. same today evangelical christianty add to grace works,
fundamentalists and progressives.
secret knowledge knostics 2
The Discussion
The Discussion
6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 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.
Discussion v6 highlights of the meeting,conflict paul told story then pharisees must be circumsiced. They met privately then had a public meeting
v7 peter rose up 1st of 3 speeches, paul and B and James, all support grace plus nothing. prove gracemagnacarta of the christian church
Peter makes 5 points
first v7 Peter starts sal by grace by past revelation v7
7 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.
a good while look backwards issue settled 10 years ago. CORNILIOUS Ch 10 He chose me to go to the gentiles God ddid not impose circumsicion, implication have you brought up something new, more than God needs. already settled. in regard to cornelious ch10 holy spirit fell on all and the circumsiion were astonished. at least 10 years ago. Peter apostle to the jews so petersaws about gentiles is shocking. Some of them might have seen it
Second gift of hs v8 they all got the holy spirit
8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.
Also if there was any doubt God in his grace made it super clear that all christians have full rights in the kingdom by the fact that they all recieved the Holy Spirit.
God does not give hs to unbelievers only believers. real same status. God know hearts bore witness. God gives you the spirit when you believe all. God gave testamony by faith alone not circumsised. rom 8:9 now if any man not have the spirit you are not a Christian. anyone who . Gal 3:14. faith all that was needed.
14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
ch 4 true sons you have recieved the spirit. Acts 19 ephasis found some disciples. have you recieved the hs. we have not heard of it, who are you john the baptist introduced to christ and they became christians. same tounges tie the whole thing together. Eph 1:14 sealed with hs when believe.
third cleansing from sin v9 purifed their hearts by faith.
9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.
this is the othter proof, God does not clense people who are not truely converted. faith is enough to purify. Eph 1:7. can God forgive me. ceremony routine the ritual, but we love it. confidence by faith. want a marker a changed life. relief of conciounse. ALready purified what is law gunna do wth that.
forth v10 the law cant save.
10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear?
the yoke on when one not needed. don’t put him to the test why irritate God by sticking other things on it. don’t test with a yoke proscelote take on the yoke of an ox Mat 23:1
They lay burdens to weigh people down. Jesus said come and I will give you rest. my yoke easy burden light. burden we cant even have.
v11 we will be saved by faith why not them.
Fifth last great evidence, miricles by god v12.
12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.
hard to argue, b and p talked about the miricels and wonders. God does not get involved with cnfirming with miricles with false doctrines. judaisers do not have miricels. faith through faith. Acts 13:38
The Decision
The Decision
3The Decision
13 When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me.
V13 James stood James Gal 1:19 likely the brother of Jesus. The leader is standing to declare the decision for Grace.
19 I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother.
14 Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles.
He goes on to look back further than Peter to Cornelious
v14 as a jewish christian leader he stands with Peters speech, and backs paul and barnabas and looks back furether than peter. to the prophet Amos
16 “ ‘After this I will return
and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
and I will restore it,
17 that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
even all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things’—
18 things known from long ago.
Quote Amos 9:11 as promised gentiles
v16-18
v 19 his judgement is to write to the gentiles
19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.
live good lives comes from grace
The Difference
The Difference
Saved by Grace for Good Works
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
So live different
But James adds that works flow from Grace
20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.
Don’t live like pagans, dont add idolitary and sexual imporality to the Gospel. Leave it out of your gospel and out of your lives
TOM ROBERTS PAINTING AND MY PAINTING