Keep the Gospel the Main Topic

May 18, 2025 · Acts

Series · Acts · Week 81 of 120

Scripture referenced 13 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

Acts 15:36 Paul proposes to Barnabas that they return and visit the brothers and sisters in every city where they proclaimed the word

36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return now and visit our brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.”

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Acts 16:1-5

Timothy introduced as a disciple at Lystra, son of a Jewish believer and a Greek father, whom Paul circumcised before taking him along

1 He came to Derbe and Lystra: and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess who believed; but his father was a Greek.

2 The brothers who were at Lystra and Iconium gave a good testimony about him.

3 Paul wanted to have him go out with him, and he took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts; for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered the decrees to them to keep which had been ordained by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem.

5 So the assemblies were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.

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Acts 14:2

referenced as one of two places in Acts where the word paroxysmos appears in a negative sense

2 But the disbelieving Jews stirred up and embittered the souls of the Gentiles against the brothers.

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Acts 13

referenced as the other place where paroxysmos appears in a negative sense

1 Now in the assembly that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

2 As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.”

3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus.

5 When they were at Salamis, they proclaimed God’s word in the Jewish synagogues. They had also John as their attendant.

6 When they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar Jesus,

7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God.

8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

9 But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him,

10 and said, “Full of all deceit and all cunning, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

11 Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him. He went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

12 Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

13 Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem.

14 But they, passing on from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia. They went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down.

15 After the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, speak.”

16 Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen.

17 The God of this people chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they stayed as aliens in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm, he led them out of it.

18 For a period of about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness.

19 When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land for an inheritance, for about four hundred fifty years.

20 After these things he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.

21 Afterward they asked for a king, and God gave to them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.

22 When he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, to whom he also testified, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’

23 From this man’s offspring, God has brought salvation to Israel according to his promise,

24 before his coming, when John had first preached the baptism of repentance to Israel.

25 As John was fulfilling his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. But behold, one comes after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’

26 Brothers, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, the word of this salvation is sent out to you.

27 For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they didn’t know him, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him.

28 Though they found no cause for death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed.

29 When they had fulfilled all things that were written about him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb.

30 But God raised him from the dead,

31 and he was seen for many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people.

32 We bring you good news of the promise made to the fathers,

33 that God has fulfilled the same to us, their children, in that he raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your father.’

34 “Concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he has spoken thus: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’

35 Therefore he says also in another psalm, ‘You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.’

36 For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, and was laid with his fathers, and saw decay.

37 But he whom God raised up saw no decay.

38 Be it known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins,

39 and by him everyone who believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

40 Beware therefore, lest that come on you which is spoken in the prophets:

41 ‘Behold, you scoffers, and wonder, and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work which you will in no way believe, if one declares it to you.’”

42 So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.

43 Now when the synagogue broke up, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas; who, speaking to them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.

44 The next Sabbath, almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God.

45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed.

46 Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, and said, “It was necessary that God’s word should be spoken to you first. Since indeed you thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.

47 For so has the Lord commanded us, saying, ‘I have set you as a light for the Gentiles, that you should bring salvation to the uttermost…

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Hebrews 10:19-25

quoted to show paroxysmos used positively, stirring up love and good works and not forsaking assembling together

19 Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus,

20 by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

21 and having a great priest over God’s house,

22 let’s draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and having our body washed with pure water,

23 let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering; for he who promised is faithful.

24 Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good works,

25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as you see the Day approaching.

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Acts 15:1

Judaizers telling believers in Antioch they must be circumcised and follow the law of Moses to be saved

1 Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can’t be saved.”

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Galatians 2

described as covering the same event as the first part of Acts 15, the Jerusalem Council

1 Then after a period of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me.

2 I went up by revelation, and I laid before them the Good News which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately before those who were respected, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.

3 But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

4 This was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage;

5 to whom we gave no place in the way of subjection, not for an hour, that the truth of the Good News might continue with you.

6 But from those who were reputed to be important (whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God doesn’t show partiality to man)—they, I say, who were respected imparted nothing to me,

7 but to the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the uncircumcised, even as Peter with the Good News for the circumcised

8 (for he who worked through Peter in the apostleship with the circumcised also worked through me with the Gentiles);

9 and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, they who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision.

10 They only asked us to remember the poor—which very thing I was also zealous to do.

11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I resisted him to his face, because he stood condemned.

12 For before some people came from James, he ate with the Gentiles. But when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.

13 And the rest of the Jews joined him in his hypocrisy; so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

14 But when I saw that they didn’t walk uprightly according to the truth of the Good News, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live as the Gentiles do, and not as the Jews do, why do you compel the Gentiles to live as the Jews do?

15 “We, being Jews by nature, and not Gentile sinners,

16 yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law.

17 But if, while we sought to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, is Christ a servant of sin? Certainly not!

18 For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a law-breaker.

19 For I, through the law, died to the law, that I might live to God.

20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.

21 I don’t reject the grace of God. For if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing!”

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Acts 15:11

Peter says we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in the same way as the Gentiles

11 But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are.”

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Acts 15:19

James gives his judgment not to cause trouble for Gentiles turning to God

19 “Therefore my judgment is that we don’t trouble those from among the Gentiles who turn to God,

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Acts 15:28-29

it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to the council to lay no greater burden than four essentials: abstain from things sacrificed to idols, blood, things strangled, and sexual immorality

28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay no greater burden on you than these necessary things:

29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, it will be well with you. Farewell.”

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Leviticus 17:7-9

cited as Old Testament background for the prohibition on meat offered to idols and sacrifices to goat demons

7 They shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat idols, after which they play the prostitute. This shall be a statute forever to them throughout their generations.’

8 “You shall say to them, ‘Any man there is of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice,

9 and doesn’t bring it to the door of the Tent of Meeting, to sacrifice it to Yahweh; that man shall be cut off from his people.

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Leviticus 17

referenced for the prohibition on eating blood, noting that the life force is in the blood

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Speak to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘This is the thing which Yahweh has commanded,

3 Whatever man there is of the house of Israel, who kills a bull, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or who kills it outside the camp,

4 and hasn’t brought it to the door of the Tent of Meeting, to offer it as an offering to Yahweh before Yahweh’s tabernacle: blood shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people.

5 This is to the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they sacrifice in the open field, that they may bring them to Yahweh, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, to the priest, and sacrifice them for sacrifices of peace offerings to Yahweh.

6 The priest shall sprinkle the blood on Yahweh’s altar at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and burn the fat for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.

7 They shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat idols, after which they play the prostitute. This shall be a statute forever to them throughout their generations.’

8 “You shall say to them, ‘Any man there is of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice,

9 and doesn’t bring it to the door of the Tent of Meeting, to sacrifice it to Yahweh; that man shall be cut off from his people.

10 “‘Any man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who eats any kind of blood, I will set my face against that soul who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people.

11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life.

12 Therefore I have said to the children of Israel, “No person among you may eat blood, nor may any stranger who lives as a foreigner among you eat blood.”

13 “‘Whatever man there is of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who takes in hunting any animal or bird that may be eaten; he shall pour out its blood, and cover it with dust.

14 For as to the life of all flesh, its blood is with its life: therefore I said to the children of Israel, “You shall not eat the blood of any kind of flesh; for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.”

15 “‘Every person that eats what dies of itself, or that which is torn by animals, whether he is native-born or a foreigner, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening: then he shall be clean.

16 But if he doesn’t wash them, or bathe his flesh, then he shall bear his iniquity.’”

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Leviticus 18:6-30

cited as the Old Testament basis for the prohibition on sexual immorality, covering all relevant offenses for both native Israelites and strangers among them

6 “‘None of you shall approach any close relatives, to uncover their nakedness: I am Yahweh.

7 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, nor the nakedness of your mother: she is your mother. You shall not uncover her nakedness.

8 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife. It is your father’s nakedness.

9 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home, or born abroad.

10 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter, or of your daughter’s daughter, even their nakedness: for theirs is your own nakedness.

11 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, conceived by your father, since she is your sister.

12 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister: she is your father’s near kinswoman.

13 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister: for she is your mother’s near kinswoman.

14 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother, you shall not approach his wife. She is your aunt.

15 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law: she is your son’s wife. You shall not uncover her nakedness.

16 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife. It is your brother’s nakedness.

17 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter. You shall not take her son’s daughter, or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness; they are near kinswomen: it is wickedness.

18 “‘You shall not take a wife in addition to her sister, to be a rival, to uncover her nakedness, while her sister is still alive.

19 “‘You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is impure by her uncleanness.

20 “‘You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, and defile yourself with her.

21 “‘You shall not give any of your children as a sacrifice to Molech. You shall not profane the name of your God. I am Yahweh.

22 “‘You shall not lie with a man, as with a woman. That is detestable.

23 “‘You shall not lie with any animal to defile yourself with it. No woman may give herself to an animal, to lie down with it: it is a perversion.

24 “‘Don’t defile yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations which I am casting out before you were defiled.

25 The land was defiled: therefore I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out her inhabitants.

26 You therefore shall keep my statutes and my ordinances, and shall not do any of these abominations; neither the native-born, nor the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you;

27 (for the men of the land that were before you had done all these abominations, and the land became defiled);

28 that the land not vomit you out also, when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.

29 “‘For whoever shall do any of these abominations, even the souls that do them shall be cut off from among their people.

30 Therefore you shall keep my requirements, that you do not practice any of these abominable customs, which were practiced before you, and that you do not defile yourselves with them. I am Yahweh your God.’”

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

This message came from Acts 15:36 through 16:5, and Pastor Mark worked through two closely related problems: a painful split between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark, and Paul's decision to circumcise Timothy before the second missionary journey. Both situations, he argued, are really about the same question: how do we keep the gospel moving forward when strong people see things differently?

What was said

The trouble started simply enough. Paul wanted to go back and check on the churches they had planted on the first missionary journey. Barnabas agreed, but wanted to bring John Mark along again. John Mark had left them in Pamphylia on the first trip, and Paul considered that desertion. Barnabas, whose name means son of encouragement, wanted to give him a second chance. Neither position was wrong on its face, and Pastor Mark was honest that he had said just the week before that people in disagreement should keep working toward unity. Then he arrived at this passage.

The word Luke uses for their disagreement is the Greek word behind the English word "paroxysm," and it appears in a negative sense every time it shows up in the surrounding context. This was not a calm difference of opinion. It was a sharp, cutting dispute that forced a decision. They separated. Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus. Paul chose Silas and headed overland through Syria and Cilicia.

Pastor Mark was careful not to assign blame to either side. He pointed out that Luke assigns none, and that both teams went out commended to the grace of the Lord. Darryl Bock's summary was read: what resulted was a solution that allowed the advance of the gospel to continue in a way that recognized the need for distinct ministries. The church was not split. It was expanded. Mark would grow under Barnabas, and Paul would later call him useful to ministry.

The second issue picks up in Derby and Lystra, where Paul met Timothy, a young man with a Jewish mother and a Greek father who had never been circumcised. The brothers in Lystra and Iconium commended him highly, and Paul wanted him along on the journey. Then Paul circumcised him, which seems to contradict everything the Jerusalem Council had just decided. Pastor Mark stopped on this at some length.

The Jerusalem Council had ruled that circumcision was not required for salvation. That was the whole point. But Paul's reason for circumcising Timothy had nothing to do with salvation. It was about access. Paul knew that in every synagogue he entered, Timothy's mixed background would become a distraction, a debate that would crowd out the gospel itself. By addressing it beforehand, Paul kept the main thing the main thing. Bock's phrase was quoted directly: Paul acted to render moot any debate over Timothy's lineage so that the gospel would remain the main topic.

Pastor Mark connected this to the Jerusalem Council's four practical guidelines drawn from Leviticus 17 and 18, things offered to idols, blood, strangled animals, and sexual immorality. He walked through the Old Testament background of each one and made the point that these were never framed as requirements for salvation. They were framed as the minimum consideration that Gentile believers could show toward Jewish believers so that they could actually eat together and minister together. It was voluntary restriction, not law.

The thread connecting both issues, Paul and Barnabas and Paul and Timothy, is the same one. Voluntarily surrendering your rights out of love for the people you are trying to reach is not weakness. Pastor Mark called it downright Christlike, pointing to Philippians: Christ emptied Himself, humbled Himself, even to death on a cross. Knowing which principles are worth standing firm on and which are not worth elevating to an importance they do not deserve, that is discernment. The churches in the region were strengthened in the faith and were increasing in number daily, and Pastor Mark closed with the benediction from Ephesians and Romans: be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Doing a Bible study?

Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.

The pastor mentioned that when Paul and Barnabas had their sharp disagreement, Luke apportions no blame to either of them, and both went forward carrying the gospel. Have you ever been in a conflict where, looking back, neither side was clearly wrong but the situation still needed to be resolved? What happened?
Barnabas wanted to give John Mark a second chance after he had deserted them in Pamphylia. What do you think it looks like practically to be a 'Barnabas' to someone who has stumbled or quit in ministry or in faith?

and 3 more questions in the guide

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Speaker 1Okay. It is. Hey. Good morning, everybody. Would you stand with me?

And we're gonna sing them in from the vestibule maybe. Nobody gets here early except visitors, so y'all are welcome. Glad you're here. We're gonna start off with holy, holy, holy. Sing it like you mean it.

Thank you, Emily, for being up here.

Speaker 2Holy holy holy Lord God almighty, early in the morning our song none beside the perfect in power in love and purity. Watch the key change. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty. All

Speaker 1Amen. You did sing a man and you did sing it like you meant it. That's good. That's what we're asking for. How about his eyes on the sparrow?

There are times in life when you recognize this so purely and we've had one of those in the past couple of days around here and I'm just thankful.

Speaker 2Why should I feel discouraged? Why should the shadows come? Why should my heart be lonely and long for heaven and home? When Jesus is my portion, my constant friend is he. His eyes on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.

His eyes on the sparrow, and I know he watches me. I sing because I'm happy. I sing because I'm free, for his eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me. Let not your heart be troubled. His tender words I hear, and resting on his goodness.

I lose my doubt and fear though by the path he leadeth. But one step I may see his eyes on the sparrow. And I know he watches me. His eyes on the sparrow. And I know he watches me.

I sing because I'm happy. I sing because I'm free for his eye is on the sparrow. And I know he watches me on the last whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise, when songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies, I draw the closer to him. From care he sets me free. His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me. I sing because I'm happy. I sing because I'm free for his eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches

Speaker 1Amen. Y'all can have a seat. Thank you, Emily. Thank you, Judy. We have a couple of announcements.

VBS, Vacation Bible School is coming up June 23 through the twenty sixth. It's in the mornings, nine to twelve, and the theme this year is road trip. I'm thankful for that one. Love a good road trip. It's going to be fun.

If you would like to sign up a child or if you'd like to sign up as a volunteer, there's a QR code right there. If you know how that works, you can do that. Or you can just visit our website or you can talk to me or Amy Jordan after the service today and we'll tell you more about what's going on. Vacation Bible School twenty twenty five, June twenty third to twenty sixth. The missions moment today is for Eric and Becky Watt.

Eric and Becky Watt are in charge of Run Ministries. Run Ministries is reaching unreached nations. There is a it's a pretty fun ministry, honestly. They are very vibrant. They have themselves been missionaries among the Uighur people in China, and they have helped through various mean and Muslim areas right now.

Pastor. He did both this and he was a pastor in Chesapeake, Virginia for a long time. They're two of the most encouraging people that I know and just wonderful ministers of the gospel. So, would you join me in praying for them for orphans of war, that's part of what they're dealing with right now and for the persecuted church because it really is something that they I'm thinking in Spanish. Excuse me a minute.

Come up against? I don't know. They come up against it. Yeah. They they they are constantly confronting the issues that are very New Testament issues where when you spread the gospel, some receive and then some reject and they get violent and they're constantly in the play in a role in that world.

So, would you pray with God help Eric and Becky. I pray that you help them in the retirement from the pastorate. They would feel and actually be very very fruitful in the ministry with run reaching unreached nations and would you strengthen that Antioch family of churches? Would you bring others into the kingdom of light? In Jesus name, amen.

I have one more announcement. I don't think there's a slide for it about my sister's closet. My sister's closet is sort of a clothing exchange or swap usually among ladies. It's going to happen May 31 here at the church down in the Fellowship Hall. You can bring in you can bring in clothes that are lightly used or new that you want to bring in and just swap around.

It's a great time. So there are more probably rules and recommendations for that. But Casey McCooey is the person to talk to. If you want to know more, I'll get you in touch with her. And that's it.

If you want to know anything else, firstbjackson.org has all the information and it's pretty easy to find out what's going on and I think that's the last slide. Does anybody have anything that I've left out? Good. Would you stand with me? And we'll sing to God be the glory.

Amen.

Speaker 2May go in. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Let the earth hear his voice. Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord. Let the people rejoice. Oh, to the father through Jesus the son and give him the glory. Great things he has done. And higher and greater will be our wonder, our transport when Jesus we see.

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Let

Speaker 1How about come Holy Spirit? We're gonna sing this one as an invitation for him to come into this place in a way that we can actually experience. Amen. Y'all can have a seat. I'm going to invite the ushers to come forward.

This is the worship through giving or the operatory time and I just ask you all to pray silently as I pray aloud. Thankful lord. We're thankful. Overjoyed to be yours and thankful. This morning, all night actually, the rain reminded me that you cause your rain to fall on the just and unjust and you are generally revealing yourself to everybody all the time.

There's not a like I said last week, there's not a language where your providence cannot be understood. Thank you, lord. Thank you. We want to give back a portion of what you've given to us, lord, so that others may know that Jesus is the Christ, son of God, the advance of that gospel is what we desire. I can pray individually but I pray collectively lord that we that you would we all long to do your will.

Give us your peace. Give us your grace. Give us your mercy. Give us your love. Give us your forgiveness.

We long to do your will oh Lord. Show us your way and we'll walk in it. In Jesus name, would you bless this offering? Gift and giver to do your kingdom's work, your will, lord, done in your way. Amen.

Amen. Greatest thy faithfulness. Thank you, Judy. So, we are up to we're studying through Acts. I know that there are several visitors in the room.

We have been going through an a chronological study of the Bible for a long time. We finished and started over. Here we go. The New Testament, we're up in Acts. We're up to Acts fifteen thirty six through sixteen five.

That's what we're covering today and it's going to call back a lot to last week's message but I'll try to keep you posted on those where we're calling back. There are two main issues in this passage and last week, when I was going through, I had a couple of things that I said fairly boldly last week that I get to this week and I see something to go, boy, wish I hadn't said that last week with such force and aplomb but here we are. I think that they balance each other pretty well. We are led by the spirit and there are times when God acts and this is one of those ways. Acts of the apostles is really the acts of the Holy Spirit.

So, these two issues, it's gonna start off right here. For after some days, Paul said to Barnabas. So, if you remember from last week, there had been some folks that had come from Jerusalem and had told people in Antioch that you have to be circumcised and follow the law of Moses in order to be saved. Judaizers, we'll call em. You have to do this in order to be saved and there was a bit of a disagreement.

The gospel of grace versus the gospel of grace with law added to it and so, they decided what they do is go to Jerusalem and settle the question and so Galatians two and the first part of Acts 15 is about the same event. The Jerusalem council. They're gonna decide how to go forward. Jews and Gentiles in the same body, the Christian church and so as they were there, it says and Paul and Barnabas spent some time there. It sounds like a kind of a bit of time, a longer time.

They spent in Antioch and after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, now they had traveled together for the whole of the first missionary journey, right? They went across to Cyprus and across for all the way across Cyprus and up to Perga and Pamphilia and then all over Galatia. After some days, Paul said to Barnabas, hey, let's return and visit the brothers and sisters in every city in which we proclaim the word of the Lord and see how they are. Now, being a missionary myself, I understand that. I would really love to take a trip and see how the folks we served alongside of in South Texas and Northern Mexico.

I'd love to see how they were. I'd love to see how the church is going. We accidentally planted a church for deaf kids. We're building a school for deaf kids and they became believers and they started church. I'd love to see how that's going.

I feel this with Paul and with Barnabas. Let's return and let's visit the brothers and sisters in every city. Every city, even the ones where they stoned you. Every city? Yeah, every city in which we proclaim the Lord the word of the Lord because in every city they proclaim the word of the Lord, some accepted it, some rejected it, as in Athens probably some would hear more later but let's go back and let's see how they are and Barnabas, Barnabas, the son of encouragement, his name is really Joseph.

We hear him called Joseph once, we hear him called Barnabas throughout scripture. Barnabas means son of encouragement. He is a caring and compassionate, loving minister. Barnabas wanted to take John called Mark. Barnabas wanted to take John Mark along with them also but Paul was of the opinion.

I'm going say it's of the opinion. Put that in bold and green. They had two sides of this. Now, I said very boldly last week. If you are in disagreement with a brother or sister in Christ, then, keep on working through it to achieve unity because at least one of you is wrong.

Maybe both of you. Right? Paul was of one opinion and Barnabas was another. Is there anything wrong with Barnabas wanting to take John Mark back and take him under his wing? He failed the first time but well, let's go on.

I want to give him a second chance. So, this is the route that they had taken with John Mark on the first missionary journey and he knocked down to Seleucia, Seleucia over to Salamis, all over the island of Cyprus to Paphos where Sergius, Paulus, Gentile, Roman, magistrate like a guy in charge. He's the he was the head guy for the whole, I forget the title right now. Procurator, some something such. He was the head guy.

He was the head dude. Roman official in Paphos and he receives the gospel and then they head up to Perga in Pamphilia and John left them. Now, Paul and his companions put out, see, went to Paphos and came to Perga and Pamphilia. John left him, returned to Jerusalem. John Mark, that's the same guy.

Back to Jerusalem. Now, we've heard about him and we've heard about his mama's house. That's where Peter, when he was delivered by the angel in the midst of the night, he went to John Mark's mama's house and I presume that's where John Mark went back to in Jerusalem. Yes. But that was before the trouble really started with Paul and Barnabas when they went up to Iconium and they run out of town and when they Pisidian Antioch and Iconium and Lystra and Derby.

Paul was of the opinion that they should not take along with them this man, John Mark, who had deserted them in Pamphylia. So, we don't know why he left. We don't get the idea of that. I know being a missionary for twenty five plus years, I know of a lot of cases where people got to the mission field and it was different than they thought and it was very difficult and in those cases, you want a Barnabas to come along. Right?

Barnabas International is an international missions agency that their main thing is helping missionaries when they have had a meltdown. Pulling them alongside and it's a very honorable and noble thing. Tanya thought and I thought maybe think still that in our senior years, we might be a part of Barnabas International. There's a mercy ministry there of caring for people who left with great zeal and for whatever reason found themselves to be in a difficult situation. We don't know why John Mark left.

He did leave and Paul considers it desertion. Barnabas wants to take him along again. He he deserted them in Pamphilia. He'd not gone with them to the work. Now, he had been with them when Sergius Paulus accepted.

He had been with him all the way across Cyprus and Cyprus, he's tended to do well apparently but something about making that trip to Perga changed. Somewhere, it changed him and he he went back home and so that was difficult for Paul. He didn't want the guy who deserted him and had not gone to the work. Now, the work got them stoned. Like I said, it got them to the place of real struggle and I think that it might have been a merciful thing in Paul's mind to not take John Mark who couldn't take it back with him.

Maybe. Now, it turned into such a sharp disagreement. Oh, I said last week, just last week I said it. If you're not getting along, keep on working till you get along. And it turned into such a sharp disagreement.

The word there for sharp disagreement is paroxysmosis paroxysmosis paroxysmosis paroxysm in English. We don't use it a lot in modern parlance but you don't use parlance very much in modern parlance. So paroxysm, the definition is a provocation or a stirring up or sharp disagreement. That's the way it's translated here. This is the word in chapter 13 that I mentioned a couple of different times.

In fourteen two and thirteen also, there were it's twice and it's used in a negative sense every time. I look back through all of ancient Greek antiquity and look for this word to be used in a positive sense to stir someone up into a good way and it is never good. It's always stimulate against, arouse against, excite against. But paroxysm is different. It is a stimulation or a stirring up.

It can be sharp disagreement and I think that that's a good translation cause it's obvious that they had two completely different understandings of what needed to happen. There was stimulation, provocation, irritation, angry dispute. That's the range of meaning. This one can be a dispute in anger. You can see people.

Can you see people in the world today doing that? Everybody's angry all the time. Everybody thinks only their side is right. Incitement to the good is one way of looking at it or dispute in anger is another. Paroxysmos, a provocation which literally jabs or cuts someone so that they must respond.

You gotta make a decision at this point. And so, this is the other place that the word is used. Let us hold fast brothers and sisters to the confession of our hope without wavering. Hebrews ten twenty four, one of my favorite passages in the New Testament. 19 through 25, just perfect.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful and let us all consider one another in order to stir up paroxysm, to stir up love and good works. Is that a good thing or bad thing? It's a good thing. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some but exhorting one another and so much more as you see the day approaching. What an encouraging thing to be looking forward to that great mighty day but linked arms together going forward in unity.

Now, it turned into such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another. We're not given a lot of details as to how that happened. I wish that there was a little more in here. I know it's not there for a reason. I got that.

But wouldn't it be great to say and they shook hands and they agreed on this? Everything was wonderful. They had a little party. No. Just says there's a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another.

Barnabas took Mark with him. That's what he wanted to do and he sailed away to Cyprus. John Mark had already been to Cyprus. He's from Jerusalem. Perhaps, that first trip was his first trip to Cyprus.

Who knows? But Barnabas lived there. Barnabas knew the culture there. He understood the people there and for him to go alongside or have John Mark alongside him. I think he may have been training him up in righteousness.

He could have been mentoring him. We know that through Paul's letters later on in Corinthians and somewhere else that escapes me at the moment. He says, tell tell John Mark to bring me my coat. He is useful to me in ministry. He recognizes that John Mark is useful in ministry.

He also speaks highly of Barnabas after this fact. So, he does not retain any kind of animosity towards him. So, now, turned into such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. There they are, Cyprus.

Place that Barnabas knew well but Paul chose Silas. So, this is where it was Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey on the second missionary journey starting off with Paul and Silas and they left after being entrusted by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. Does that sound like a church split? It does not sound like a church split. It sounds like they sent them off in the grace of the Lord.

It sounds like they also sent off Barnabas and Mark to Cyprus in the grace of the Lord to me. I think that that's the case. Paul chose Silas and left after being entrusted by the brothers to do the grace of the Lord. Now, so to the grace of the Lord. I haven't said, I've been in ministry for twenty five years.

Most of that, well, most of that's probably here now. About half of that was missionary stuff. Foreign missionary stuff and in the mission field, you see a lot of times where the external pressure is great, but honestly, when people leave the field, if they're debriefed after the fact, the internal pressure more often is the reason for leaving the field. And if they leave the field with their tail between their legs and they are not going forward ministering in a different way, it can be a very very difficult thing like John Mark after that first one, right? So, we need Barnabas to come alongside but the gospel's gotta go forward and Paul chooses Silas who we see from this passage in Acts 15 earlier.

Judas and Silas were being prophets themselves. They encouraged and strengthened brothers and sisters in Antioch with a lengthy message. He was a long winded preacher and so Paul said, that's what we need. And so, he chose Silas and they left after being entrusted by the brothers to the grace of the Lord and he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia. I did not put a map for this one but if you've been looking at this map up here, we've got Antioch here, Syria is above it, Cilicia is to the West, Tarsus where Paul is from is a part of Cilicia and then we go to we go to the next scripture slide is going to be where they're ending up, Durba and Listery.

Derby and Lystra. But what was my point last week? So, going forward, if you're in an ongoing disagreement with another brother or sister in Christ, at least one of you is wrong is what I said last week. And it may be that both of you are wrong. I have one caveat for this.

If you are in marriage, work, work, work to maintain the unity. Work, work, work to get to the unity. There are partnerships and it's very difficult when a partnership is coming apart. It may be that both of you are wrong. I said, I also had the only other piece of paper up here besides my notes is the Dave Mason song.

You remember it? We just disagree. So, let's leave it alone if we can't see eye to eye. There ain't no good guys.

Speaker 2There ain't no bad guys. There's only you and me

Speaker 1and we just disagree. You know that song? I think that was about a relationship splitting up, not a partnership, not a missionary thing, but it's tough. When it comes to that, be sure. Let's say, unity matters.

So,

Speaker 2this may not

Speaker 1I would bless them certainly, but they had from me in the grocery store. So, they're not that many. You know, they're not that many. So, I'm joking. There are a lot.

No, I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I'm totally kidding. Neither of these guys was said to be wrong. There wasn't a little meeting or a little council in Antioch or in Jerusalem that said, we bless this one and we curse that one.

Both of these went forward with godly intent. The gospel goes forward. Mark and Barnabas carry the gospel forward. It was not theological. So, Darryl Bach says, no blame is apportioned by Luke.

Luke, in the next sermon, we will hear that we, Luke is the traveling companion of Paul. So, he hears from Paul. There's a little more about what Paul was thinking but not as much about Barnabas but no blame is a portion to either one of them. The concern was not theological. It was about whether John Mark would be able to persevere in ministry.

So that's the first issue. I said there were two issues. This is the first issue. So Bach says this in summary and I like it. I don't know if you all heard the story a few weeks ago.

Daryl Bach, Tanya's best friend, she read the whole this is his volume on Acts and she read both of the volumes on Luke and she considers him her best friend. So, Bach says this, in some, here's an example where a disagreement was so great that the ability to work side by side Sorry, I typed this, Tom. To work side by side was affected. What resulted was a solution that allowed the advance of the gospel to continue but in a way that recognized the need for distinct ministries and sometimes, this is the best solution. I'd say in marriage, stay in it.

Work at unity. It's very difficult. In this case, they just left it alone. They couldn't see eye to eye. I think they probably blessed each other.

I don't know that to be true. So, I said, don't immediately jump to this solution but don't throw it away as an option either. Don't let it be a church split where 40% stay and 40% go and 20% drop out altogether. Let it be an expansion of the church even if the ministries need to look different. It's a beautiful thing.

So I say this. Actually, what do I say? Oh, don't immediately jump to the solution, but don't throw it away either. So that's the end of the first issue, I think. 'll come up a little bit in the second issue.

So here's the second issue and this is chapter 16. Now, Paul also came to Derby and Lystra. If you're looking at the map, it looks like he took an overland route through Syria and Cilicia, went through his hometown of Tarsus, who knows? Didn't mention it. And then Derby and Lystra.

Now, what happened to him at Lystra? Last time we were there. They're revisiting towns and in in strengthening the churches. That's their goal to meet with the believers there and encourage them in the faith. Last time they were there, they were worshiped as gods, Zeus and Hermes.

After healing a man, God healed a man through them and they tore their clothes after being worshiped and said, no, no, no, no, no, that's not at all and then, people reacted and stoned them. The Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul. They dragged him out of the city thinking he was dead but while the disciples stood around him, he got up and he entered the city and the next day, left for Derby. That was what had happened at Lystra and so there was a disciple there at Lystra who was named Timothy. Timothy was the son of a Jewish woman.

This is important and was a believer. In the book of Timothy, we see that not only was his mother of Jewish believer but his grandmother was also a Jewish believer and his father was Greek. So, that's important. He's of a mixed background and he was well spoken of by the brothers and sisters who were in Lystra and Iconium and if Paul is looking for folks to go along on this journey and as he's on the journey, he's gathering people to help in ministry. Timothy has been vetted and he has been affirmed by the brothers and sisters who are in Lystra and Iconium.

This is a helpful guy and we see that in the book of Timothy. We see a lot about Timothy. Not to mention the rest of Acts. I want to skip verse three for now. If you want look at it real quick, there it is.

Hey. Now, while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the ordinances for the churches who were of a Jewish and Gentile flavor. Probably, predominantly Gentile area but the word had begun to spread in the synagogues among the Jews first. So, it's a mixed church, Jewish and Gentile audience, probably numbers wise, more Gentiles than Jews. While they're passing through the cities, they were delivering the ordinances for these folks to follow which had been determined by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem.

If you pay attention to that Jerusalem council, it said, for the churches in this area, this is actually outside of that area. It's going forward. This is something that is to be helpful. The Jerusalem council came up with these ordinances. Now, what was the point last week?

The point of it last week is that we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in the same way as the Gentiles also are. Peter is saying that. So, he is putting Jewish and Gentile equally before God. There's level ground at the foot of the cross. It requires the grace of the Lord Jesus and you can see up here cleansing their hearts by faith available through faith.

This is one of the judgments that was come that came down from the Jerusalem Council. This is James. Says, it's my judgment that we do not cause trouble for those who from the Gentiles are turning to God and we see that it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us at the council to lay upon you no greater burden. This is a letter that was being written from Jerusalem. It was being written from Jerusalem to the believers in Antioch and the surrounding areas and now they're carrying it forward into Lystra and Derby.

We cannot add to grace law. So, we want to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials and he gives four things. I mentioned them all last week. I didn't go into great detail and I had questions about it because I did not go into great detail. That you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, that you abstain from blood, that you abstain from things strangled, those are all dietary with reason and scriptural backing, and from acts of sexual immorality.

If you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell. Now, this week, I went back and kind of study the Old Testament background of that and I went back to a class I had in seminary. Acts through Revelation in one semester. Can you imagine?

All of Acts through all of Revelation, everything in between in one semester. So, Doctor Larkin made these slides and he talks about the Jerusalem Council this way. This is actually from a lecture on Galatians. Conflict resolution in the Jerusalem Council. First of all, there's testimony.

We heard from Peter and we heard from Paul and then there was testimony of scripture. James brought that forward and then they made a decision and the character of the decision was this, to embrace the diversity by respecting cultural identity. Jews don't have to stop doing this and Gentiles don't have to start. Preserve the unity of the body of Christ. Use your freedom to in love serve one another.

So, the Gentile believer is to have consideration for the Jewish believer and the Jewish believers to have consideration for the Gentile believer in the body of Christ. The solution is how are we saved? It's grace received by faith. I already covered that. If I knew how to interject my slides into his slides, I would have done that.

I don't know how to do that. Criticism of the Judaizers was a part of it. In fact, if you go to Galatians, it gets to be downright absolute the criticism of the Judaizers and some of the language is very forceful. There's also accommodation of Paul and Barnabas, not to mention Judas and Silas to go forward carrying this. The main association of the time was about table fellowship.

This is what it comes down to. How are we being good Jewish folk to eat with Gentile folks? They don't follow the same rules we follow. They don't understand and they do stuff that's gross. Quite plain speaking.

If we're going to associate with one another, we need to be considerate of the others scruples. So, voluntary restriction. This is what came out of it. James does not say that it's a law. In the letter, it does not say it's law.

It doesn't say it's necessary for salvation. It says, if you avoid these things, will do well. You'll be able to eat together in peace. You'll be able to minister together in peace. So, it's a voluntary restriction on Gentile Christians in their eating practice especially in the presence of Jewish Christians but not beyond what the old testament commanded to the Gentile stranger that was living among Jews in the land of Israel and I can look at that right here.

If you want to know the prohibition on eating meat offered to idols, you look back to Leviticus seventeen seven nine and there before that, if you look at all of Leviticus seventeen and eighteen, you'll get all four of these. They shall no longer offer their sacrifices to the goat demons. What a great way to start. With which they play the prostitute. Now, there has never been a time when mankind well, there's an almost never been a time when mankind did not try to manipulate the spiritual realm to get what they wanted and one of the ways Israel used to do that was sacrifice to foreign gods, small g gods and this one specifically mentioned is offer their sacrifices to the goat demons which would play a prostitute.

This should be a permanent statue. When it says permanent statue, I'm sure that that was hanging in the minds of James and in the minds of the the Jewish believers, the Judaizers especially. It says permanent. Paul, what are you thinking? There should be a permanent statute to them throughout the generations.

It says, permanent, James. I can hear the argument now at the council. Then, you shall say to them, Leviticus, this is book of the law. Anyone from the house of Israel or from the strangers who reside among them. Who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice but does it not to the doorway of the tent, a meeting to offer to the Lord.

If you're not making your sacrifices and you're not making your your offerings before the Lord but you're making them through to other small g gods or demons, then, that person shall be cut off from the people of God. It's a big deal. Meat offered to idols. That's the reason for the recommendation from the Jerusalem councils. If we go forward to the things of blood, anyone from the house of Israel or from the strangers who reside among them, who eats any blood.

Blood was seen and it is said throughout chapter 17 that in the blood is the life force and the blood is the life force and it was considered a prohibition against taking the life force, right? And so, eating that was something that was anathema and in pagan religion, often blood is a part of their not just their sacrifice but of their eating. So, anyone who eats any blood, I'll set my face against the person who eats that blood. It's all covenant stuff and while cut him off from among his people, this would have been just absolutely gross to a practicing Jewish believer. If we go forward to the things strangled, This is the one.

So, when anyone from the sons of Israel or from the strangers who reside among them while hunting catches an animal. So, if you catch an animal, I think of usually when we're hunting, you know, boom boom, there's that. Or, a bow and arrow. But, if you're hunting and you catch an animal, and let's say, or a bird and you wring its neck, strangle it, Which may be eaten. This is a one that you can eat even back old covenant.

This is one that was okay for you to eat. It says, he shall pour out its blood. Don't have blood there in that animal if you're going to eat it. Pour out the blood, cover it with dirt, that's the procedure. It's old testament stuff but this is what they're basing it on and then, hey, avoid sexual immorality.

This is the code right here. 18, six through 30. It goes into all of the gory details. Anything that you can do that we would be considered sexual immorality is included right there. And if you see the little underline, it says, for all of my people, native of Israel or the stranger who resides among them.

This is what the prohibition there is against and then it finishes off like this. If you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Primarily, the Gentiles. The Gentiles were not familiar with the holiness of God in the same way. They were not familiar with the rules of Judaism in the same way and for somebody to teach them after they've received the grace of Christ that got them out of this licentious ditch to get right here and then have somebody try to pull them into that ditch is a real problem.

He's saying that y'all will be able to eat together and minister together if you'll avoid these things. Farewell, my short letter. Paul wanted, this is back to '19. Now, having covered that, having covered all this, does it say anything about having to be circumcised right there? No.

Does it say anything about following the rest of the law of Moses? No. It just says, if you do these things, it'll be easier for you to get along. It'll be easier for you to minister if you do these things, you'll do well. So, the '19, we're going back to it.

Paul wanted for this man, Timothy, to leave with him on this second missionary journey. He's already on the journey. He's gathering people as he goes. Paul and Silas and now, he's inviting Timothy in. So, he took him and he circumcised him.

Wait a second. What was last week all about? You don't have to circumcise people in order for them to be saved. It's not an issue of salvation. This is not an issue of salvation.

Now, this is the argument that started the Jerusalem Council. It's necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to keep the law of Moses but Paul did it. Why would he do that? Let's look at it. Why would he do that?

Even though Paul holds a view of freedom regarding the law for believers. He's sensitive to how it works in a mixed community. He knows very well the religious Jewish community. He was a part of it for much of his life and when God transformed him on the Damascus Road and in his subsequent studies, he has seen this come down that it is grace, grace, grace, grace, grace but he recognizes if you're going to carry a message of grace to people who still believe in law, there are some things that you're going to have to take in to heart and you may have to put your own convictions below theirs for a time. So, here we are.

He's sensitive to how it works in a mixed community in the context of the gospel. So, out of respect for the customs, for his prospective evangelistic audience, he acts to render moot any debate over Timothy's lineage. That's Tanya's best friend. That's Darrell Bock again. I just love it.

I think he communicates well. He does not want for this to be an issue and he knows it will be. So before he goes to the next town, before he goes into the synagogue, he knows what's going to happen. His motive really does matter. So, would say voluntarily surrendering your rights out of love for other people is commendable.

We as Americans often are demanding our rights. We're constantly saying, they can't tell me what to do. I've got liberty. I've got freedom. They can't tell me what to do.

Yeah. But if you want to communicate to someone and you pay attention to their scruples, you will be able to have a conversation with them. If you demand your rights, you probably won't. We are a divided nation primarily because nobody wants to give in. This is political as I ever get right there.

Voluntary surrendering your rights out of love for other people is commendable. It's downright Christ like. He left the glories of heaven which he had a right to and he put those away. He emptied himself. He humbled himself even to death, even death on a cross.

Amen. So, now while they're passing through the cities, they're delivering ordinances for them to follow which had been determined by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. So, the churches were being strengthened in the faith and they were increasing in number daily. The gospel was going forward. I dare say, the gospel is going forward also in Cyprus, right?

And so, the split that we saw in the first issue, I think was ordained of God, difficult but ordained of God so that Mark would be able to continue in ministry and grow up under the tutelage of Barnabas and that the gospel would go forward with these hearty believers that I mean, Timothy, that's a real commitment. It's a real commitment for a grown man. Now, I will say one more thing here that for a for a Jewish mother to have a son who is not circumcised, that mother would have been considered apostate like she had gone against the covenant and so, it reflects on Paul's sensitivity towards not just the Jews around him but on their attitude because they all knew that he was of a Jewish mother and a Greek. Now, you might question, how would they know? Because in it's not not something that comes up very often, right?

But in that time, yeah, it probably would have Certainly, if it ever became an issue, he'd be asked to prove it. Yeah. I believe that voluntarily surrendering that right was what made Timothy a great minister. What made Paul a very successful evangelist is because he recognized where he was and he said, I've become all things to all people. Right?

I have to do what it takes to be able to communicate. There are some things that are just gonna drive you apart. Be very particular about those things. I have one more quote I wanna share. So here it is.

In No, that's not it. Oh, in sum, what is seen here is Paul's cultural sensitivity. Instead of making Timothy a sideshow to the gospel in terms of whether he was a Jew or not, Paul permitted it even encouraged it probably so that the gospel will remain the main topic. Keep the gospel the main topic. Knowing which principles are worth standing up for and which ideas are not worth elevating to an importance they don't deserve is a sign of discernment and leadership.

Not every issue is worth starting a war over when it comes to the gospel and ethnic or and the unity of the church. So, I think that's the last slide I have up there and would you pray with me? I'm going ask you to and Emily to come forward and we'll sing another hymn and before that though, I wanna pray. God, would you use us in the way that is most effective? Where we have bristled in pride, would you allow us to humble ourselves, Lord, but we even pray if we don't recognize it because we are often blind to our own ignorance.

Would you allow us to humble ourselves? But when we don't, would you send somebody gracious along that would point it out? In Jesus name, so that we may be humbled without having to be humiliated. Either way, lord, as you will, do your will. But both of you are wrong.

In one of those sharp disagreements I had this week, I was wrong. I was flat wrong and I did not recognize it. The whole argument, it was two hours long. It was sharp. Two days later, I'm like, dang it.

That was on me. God, forgive me. Went back to the person. Please forgive me. I was wrong.

That's one way that that can go. The other way it can go is the other one we resolved. We came to a place of unity and God provided the way out where it appeared to both sides that there was no way out, that it was an absolute impasse and it wasn't and we continue forward in ministry because Jesus is lord of all. Would you stand? And we're going to sing this last one.

May it be our prayer.

Speaker 2All is Lord of all. And on the last, all of my longings, all my dreams, Jesus is Lord of all. All of my failures, his power redeems, Jesus is

Speaker 1Amen. And our benediction verses today are from Ephesians and Romans. Ephesians says, we eager to maintain the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace. May we be eager to maintain the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace in Romans fifteen five says this, may the God of endurance and of encouragement grant all of y'all to live in such harmony with one another in accord with Christ Jesus that together, you may with one voice glorify the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. May it be so.

May we continue forward unified the body of Christ with the same purpose and the same mission as Christ. Amen.

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Church Unity Circumcision And Salvation Cultural Sensitivity Disagreement With Christians Ministry Conflict Second Chances

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