Sunday May 11th 11am Service ( Mother's Day)
First B Jackson
2025-05-11

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

----
Thank you, Judy. Appreciate it. Would you all stand with me? We're gonna we might sing a few more in. We'll see.

First service was kinda overwhelming. Everybody was taking their mamas to brunch apparently. So, if you would, sing with us. What are we gonna sing first? Wonderful grace of Jesus.

This will get your blood pumping right here. Sing with me. If you know your part, try to sing your part. I can't promise all the words will be on the screen but at least the words that I know will be on the screen.

Wonderful grace of Jesus greater than all my saying. How shall my tongue describe it? Where shall its praise begin? Taking away my burden, setting my spirit free for the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me. Wonderful, the matchless grace of Jesus, deeper than the mighty rolling sea.

Higher than the mountains sparkling like a fountain, all sufficient grace for even me. Broader than the scope of my transgressions, sing it greater far than all my sin and shame. Oh, magnify the precious name of Jesus. Praise wonderful grace of Jesus, deeper than the mighty rolling sea. Higher than the mountain, sparkling like a mountain, all sufficient grace for even me.

Broader than the scope, reaches me. Wonderful, the matchless grace of Jesus, deeper than the mighty rolling sea. Higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain, all sufficient grace for even me. Broader than the scope of my transgressions, sing it greater far than all my sin and shame. Oh, magnify the precious name of Jesus.

Praise his name.

Amen. Amen. Alright. Ove for a thousand tongues to sing. This song in our hymnal has five verses.

If you look at the original, it was written by John Wesley, think, one of the Wesley's. Anyway, he Charles Wesley. Charles Wesley wrote this and it was upon the filling of the Holy Spirit, he said, or upon his conversion and it was a 12 verse song. We are mercifully gonna sing whatever comes up on the wall, but I think it's just four verses on here today and they're short. But, O for a thousand tongues to sing, think about this as we sing it.

Assist me to proclaim, to spread through all the year abroad, the honors of my name.

Amen. And y'all can have a seat. Thank you, Emily. I just handed Emily does normally sing with us, and I didn't mention it and didn't say anything, and I thought that must be terrifying for everyone else in the audience that I'm about to bring you a microphone and just hand it to you and say, now you sing. Thank you for joining in.

I appreciate it. Announcements, we don't have many, but we do have some. VBS is coming up. Vacation Bible School twenty twenty five is the theme this year is road trip. It's fun because last year was hometown Jesus, and then this year we're on the road with Jesus.

So road trip is just the theme. There's always sort of an excuse that ties everything together, but it'll be thoroughly biblical and there'll be people who love kids and and kids who love to learn here. June 23 through the twenty sixth, nine to twelve, So in the mornings, if you wanna know anything else about that, you can either talk to Amy Jordan about the VBS or you can just check out the church website. For more information, you go to firstbjackson.org or you scan that little QR code there, that's cute. My Sister's Closet.

My Sister's Closet is the name of a clothing swap. It happens, we've been doing it here for a while. Casey McCooey is usually the one in charge, if you want to know more information about it. Casey would love to tell you. It's gonna happen on May 31 down in the Fellowship hall probably.

If it's overwhelmingly supplied, it might end up in here. It has ended up in here one year. May 31, that's happening. There's also a church cleanup day or church work day that same day. I don't know how that's gonna work, but y'all have fun.

We'll make it work. That's good. Thank you. Positive mental attitude. Norris and Laurie Williams are our missionaries.

They were considering this morning and praying for them this morning. They work with Novo. They actually are based out of Washington. They have been farmers for a long long time, cherry farmers as a matter of fact, but they also from that home base go all over the world and pray and supply missionary movements all over the world for global discipleship making movements. That's what they're in the business of doing.

And would you allow me? I'm just gonna pray for them. We'll go back into the songs. God, thank you for Norris and for Laurie. I thank you for the way that you have been using them, Lord.

And I pray that you would fill them with your with your spirit, with your joy, with excitement about what it is that you're doing in all of those places that they're in contact with. Thank you for connections, for point people that are willing to take on new initiatives with this the best old old story, greatest story ever told. The gospel of Jesus. In Jesus name, lord, we pray for them. Amen.

Oh, and happy Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day to everybody. We're going to stand and sing Amazing Grace. I'll come back to Mother's Day. And we're gonna sing, when I look into your holiness, we'll probably sing it twice.

When I look into your holiness, when I gaze into your loveliness,

things that surround become shadows in the light of you. When I found the joy of reaching your heart,

Let's sing it again.

When I look into your holiness, when I gaze into your loveliness, when all things that surround become shadows in the light of you. When I found the joy of reaching your heart. When my will becomes enthralled in your love. When all things that surround become shadows in the light of you.

Y'all can have a seat. I'm gonna invite the ushers to come forward. Lord God Almighty, thank you. Thank you for this beautiful day on Mother's Day. Thank you for the way, Lord, that things are just popping around us, the flowers and the daffodils and all that is going on.

The beauty that we're surrounded by is just overwhelming, Lord. I thank you for that. I thank you for this group that's gathered in your name. I thank you, Lord. I'm overwhelmed by your goodness and your grace, and as I consider Mother's Day, I'm also at the same time thinking of those who have lost moms in the last year.

I'm thinking of moms who've lost children. Lord God Almighty, there's so much joy and there is so much pain and all of it can be experienced together with you in Jesus name. We ask you lord that we would take all of the encouragement and advice and any adversity even lord that has come through it and we would go forward advancing your good gospel knowing that you are able trusting in you and what you what you do with all things. You work them together for those who love you and are called according to your purpose. Lord, would you use this according to your purpose to do whatever it is you want to do, your will done in your way.

That's what we're praying for. In Jesus name, amen. Thank you, Judy. That is my mother's favorite song because it was her mother's favorite song. Did you know that?

I've probably mentioned it a few times, maybe 13 times. This is the thirteenth Mother's Day that I have been here and I got to thinking about it. Whenever we come upon a new holiday, I'm a as Paul says, there are people that think one day is special and there are other people who think every day is the same. I'm an everyday is the same kind of guy. I don't really get too excited about special things, but being in this position, I wanna be pastor to everybody.

So I consider Mother's Day. What are we gonna do for Mother's Day? Give let me give you a sample of what I have done. 2013, forgot it entirely, didn't mention it at all. 2014, I sang a Leonard Skynyrd song.

2015, I mercifully was gone to Guatemala. A missionary spoke the next year. 2017 must have been such a debacle that all the records have been destroyed. If you keep going forward, it was funny. Mama tried the Merle Haggard song one time.

I cannot believe I did half of this stuff. One time, it worked out perfectly. We were in first John and it was a my little children passage. Isn't that great on Mother's Day? Then, when I went to describe my own mom, 2021, I went into kinda she's she's a good mama.

Right? She's a good mother. So, I started talking about how when she and my dad met and this, that, and other and I got through with that and I turned to the text. It's just the first part say, happy Mother's Day. Talk about my mom and I turned to the text and it said, happy Mother's Day.

Revelation, turn, turning over the bowls of God's mighty wrath. All seven at one time in the same sermon, that was Mother's Day a few years ago and then, last year, it was on repentance which is probably a good thing. There are so many things that our moms have urged us to do in a gentle and loving way that we've resisted. And that was about repentance. And the Holy Spirit has a still small voice that's kind of giving advice and sometimes it sounds a lot like our moms.

Not everybody has a great mom experience. I know that. But as I'm considering it this year, I tried my best to shoehorn it into Acts 15. If you see any way, let me know after the service. Okay.

I have quoted all of these people, Leonard Skinner was the this is the reason. I was gonna do a Doug Stone song this morning and I thought better of it. It's a song called, Don't Tell Mama. Don't Tell Mama I was drinking. I just can't have her thinking that I met the Lord with whiskey on my breath.

So, okay. Let's just get into it. This is where we were last week. Last week, I am very thankful for my mama and happy Mother's Day to all of y'all. Last week, we were talking about the first missionary journey and Antioch, they went all up through this area and they made it all the way back to Antioch and it says, and they stayed there for a long time.

That's where we left off last week. So they are in Antioch, what we would call Syrian Antioch over here, green star, purple glow, and it says, some men came down from Judea. And coming down from Judea, you might think, wait a second, there's the map. Isn't that up? Well, we have north oriented maps where we live.

That's not true for everybody all over the world. Lots of people have east west orientation, and this in this case, Antioch is 220 feet above sea level, and Jerusalem is like 4,000 ish, somewhere in there. It's it's higher than going up on top of the past from here. Okay? From the difference.

So going down is going downhill, but it's 300 miles. 300 miles is a pretty good long ways when you're walking. So, some men came down from Judea and they began teaching the brothers, unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. Now, that is an upsetting message for someone who has accepted Jesus. That's an upsetting message that you cannot be saved unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses.

That implies that you must follow the law too. And after Paul and Barnabas had a heated argument, it says no little argument in the Greek Greek Greek is what it says, no little argument and debate. So they went back and forth with this and it wasn't just anger, it was reason. They're going back and forth in debate with them. The brothers determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem, uphill to Jerusalem, to the apostles, and to the elders concerning this very issue.

Are we saved by grace or do we have to go through the works of the law? So, if you've read Galatians, we're in a study down the hall. Galatians two one through 10 is what we studied this week together as men at our lunch study and it's the same passage. I think at the same event. I think that the Jerusalem council was what he was talking about in Galatians two and that is the question.

We'll get into it further. The further we go down, it'll become more clear what the whole situation was about. The brothers determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go. Remember, Paul and Barnabas are the ones that went on that first missionary journey. They come back.

They're staying for a long time. They had seen God work in a mighty way among the Gentiles. Gentiles as nations. Among the nations. And they had seen different people from different backgrounds coming to believe in Christ and being saved.

And now, these men that have come along are teaching that's not true and cannot be the case unless they are circumcised and keep the law. So they go up to Jerusalem, the apostles concerning their 300 miles back down. So far, we traveled 900 miles in this sermon. Therefore, after being sent on their way by the church, they're passing both through Phoenicia and Samaria. So, Phoenicia is North Of Galilee.

Samaria is South Of Galilee. So, the yellow is Phoenicia, the pink is Samaria and as they were going through, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others, they were describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles. Now, if you've been keeping up with Acts, in the first chapter, Jesus tells the disciples, you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in Judea and in Samaria and then the uttermost parts which is further flung than that and we have seen that take place throughout the book of Acts. And now, that they're going back, they're talking among Phoenicia would have been Gentiles, mostly. Samaria would have been Samarit Samarians half breeds, but they're of another nation.

They're not Jewish, so they are Gentiles, half breeds. Describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles and what was that doing for the people in Phoenicia and Samaria. They were bringing great joy to everyone who had believed. All the brothers and sisters, notice right there, it does not make a distinction between Jewish background believers and Gentile background believers. It says that it was bringing great joy to all of the brothers and sisters and when they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received by the church, they received by the apostles, and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.

So, Paul and Barnabas went on the first missionary journey. They come back to Antioch. They stay there for a while. When there is an upsetting issue, they head to Jerusalem and if you look at Galatians, it kind of brings up the it it brings this up that Peter and the apostles were hanging out more or less around Jerusalem. There were some forays up into Samaria.

They've already seen that and they've seen people that had believed in Jesus and received the Holy Spirit and we see that the gospel has spread out into Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria. We see that but then when Paul and Barnabas go out, it's purely Gentile territory up there. They always start in the synagogues but as they go forward, they've seen some mighty things. Paul says, what I received, I received through direct revelation. In Galatians, he says this, I received it directly from Jesus and I preached what he told me to preach and so when the guys come up from Jerusalem and they're saying, that you gotta also keep the law.

He said, that's not what I've been telling everybody. Jesus told me this directly and what I've been reporting is, put your faith in him But is that not the is that not what y'all are teaching? So, Paul and Barnum, are are you with me? You get this? So, this is a this is a big moment in the history of the church.

They tell him everything that God is doing and it sounds a whole lot like Jesus's ministry. It sounds a whole lot like Peter and John's ministry but it's in the land of the Gentiles. Now, we do know that Peter has already gone up and seen the Samaritans and saw that they received the spirit in just a manner that we have and we know that Peter has already been to the house of Cornelius and that it's extended to the Gentiles that way. We already know that and so Peter's hearing this and he already kinda is hearing it going, yep, that's kinda the way it went with me too. But some and I want you to note, some, not all, some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up.

So, these are believers. I think anytime in the New Testament when we see Pharisees, especially when we see it in the gospels, our thinking for being raised in church and being around the New Testament. Our first thought when we hear Pharisee is bad guys. They're the bad guys. They were the holy guys.

They were the holiest ones that really cared about the law. They were the ones that were taking care. Now, yeah, they came up against Jesus Messiah and if you deny him, then you just look like a real legalist jerk that stuck in the traditions of men and not accepting what God has But these guys were believers. They accepted that Jesus was the Messiah. So some of them, not all of them.

Some of them recognized that boy, that law was hard. It was on our back and I see now that Jesus has fulfilled it and so I don't disagree with your gospel of grace at all. Some though of the sect of the Pharisees, those who were believers stood up and said, oh, it is necessary. Absolutely, it is. When Paul and Barnabas are telling all the great things that are happening among the Gentiles and saying, you're just letting them go like that?

No, of course. They have to be circumcised and they need to keep the law. Yeah. That's the whole thing. I know that this when somebody circumcised on the eighth day, that's a very different thing from a grown person.

That's a different type of commitment that your family makes. It's necessary for them to do this and it's necessary for them to keep the law of Moses and so the apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter. We're gonna consider this and as they considered it, there was a serious matter and they're as they're considering it, it says, after there had been much debate. I love it when somebody can sit for a moment and just listen in a meeting. You can sit and listen to see what are the sides, what are the angles, what is it, and reserve immediately spouting their opinion.

And so Peter listens and hearing what we've heard already from Paul and Barnabas, I'm sure that Peter was sitting there going, This is a difficult question. Now, in Jerusalem, they've been following these laws. They've been following it forever. The people are very Jewish flavored around where they are And so for Peter, living among that in that, I'm sure that he was thinking about, well, I did see that in Samaria. I did see that.

God delivered that message. Actually, let me just tell Pete let Peter tell you about it. Peter stood up. Peter stood up and he said to them, brothers, you know that in the early days, it's been a while since this but in the early days, God made a choice among you that by my very mouth, the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. It was weird to me too, basically, is what Peter is saying, but you do remember this.

Remember, because Peter after visiting Cornelius' house in chapter 10 had to come back and defend himself in Jerusalem. When he came back down, he said, listen, it was either I it was either that I was gonna go with what God had said or I was gonna stick with the traditions of men and as always, we have to go with what God directs. And so remember, I told you the vision of the sheet being lowered from heaven, full of all kinds of animals and the Lord's spirit said, Peter, arise, kill, and eat and I said, no. I'm a good Jewish boy. I don't eat that stuff.

I don't do that. What I have called clean, you don't call unclean. Still resisting, no. Happened three times. Finally, when Peter gets the message and goes, okay, there's a knock at the door from some messengers have been sent by Cornelius.

He goes back and he finds himself, good Jewish boy, never would enter into a Gentile home, still recognizing that, still knowing that, but also being directed by God. When he walks through the door, the first thing he says to Cornelius is, you know, I'm not even supposed to be here. I know better. But God makes no distinction. He says it forcefully to Peter and then Peter says, and God who knows the heart.

He testified to them. God testified through Peter's mouth. God testified to them and was giving them the Holy Spirit just as he also did to us. He says this about the people in Samaria. He says this about the people in Cornelius' place up in Caesarea.

And he made no distinction between us and them. We have our backgrounds, but he made no distinction as to that background. Sorry. It was actually I put it up there and then just didn't fill it back in. I've told you those stories.

One of them is in Samaria, one of them is in Cornelius' household. He made no distinction between us and them. He was cleansing their hearts by faith. Now, Paul has not written Ephesians yet at this point but Paul would say, we are saved by grace through faith. Let's keep going.

He was cleansing their hearts by faith in Jesus and since this is the case and Peter says it with authority but he also says it because he saw it. He experienced it. Since this is the case that God cleansed their heart by faith, he made no distinction as to their background. He did not require anything, any initiatory right or anything else for them to do it but to believe and since this is the case, why is it that y'all are putting God to the test by placing upon the neck of disciples? Disciples are learners.

So why are you putting God to the test by placing upon the neck of these new learners, these new believers and you're gonna put a yoke on them which neither we nor our forefathers have ever been able to bear. Have you all read the old testament? We read in the old testament first being the Bible right now and in we're in second kings. We've been through first kings and second kings. It is amazing to me that the life of a king can be summed up thus and so.

It's like, and this guy became king when he was this old and he served for this many years and he did evil in the sight of the Lord, he was a bad king. Or and this guy received the kingship. He became king when he was eight years old and he did all that the Lord commanded him. He tore down the Asherah poles. He was a good king.

It went back and forth but none of them could bear. None of us can bear the whole weight of the whole law. By the time you start caring about whether you care about the law or not, you've already broken it. Does that make sense to you? We've broken it.

James says, if you break it in one little bit, you've broken the whole thing and so, old covenant does not really give us any hope without the new covenant and Peter recognizes that. When he speaks up, he says, they accepted it just like we did. They were given the spirit just like we were. We were ahead of him and that we had the scriptures that pointed towards him but he's the savior for all. So, why would we put the burden on them?

And it's Peter who says it. That's that's worth noting. He's he's one of the leaders of the early church. Peter, James, and John especially. But Peter says, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Wonderful grace of Jesus. Right? Broader than the scope of our transgressions. We believe that we're saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same way as they also are. He's saying there is no distinction.

You put your faith in Christ whether you're Jewish flavored background or Gentile flavored background of any description and we are the same. It's through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ accessed by faith in him. So how are we saved? Through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, it says all the people kept silent.

Y'all are pretty silent this morning too. But all the people kept silent. It it feels a little bit like Peter had a mic drop moment right there. It's like the room was hushed. So all the people kept silent.

That's good. And they were listening to Paul and to Barnabas as they were relating all of the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles and I always note that the miracles authenticated the message. In Acts, when we see the gospel going forward, many times, not every time but many times when people believe there are authenticating miracles that show that just like they were in the gospel in the in Jesus' ministry. He was they were telling them all about it and after they stopped speaking, so this is all a great little gathering. Did you notice that the people were quiet and listened?

That Peter was reserved and there was a heated debate that started the trip before this but once they got there, they came together to discern the will of the Lord. In the day where the Holy Spirit was present in the life of the believers. So, the goal is that they would come together in one accord and they would see what it is that needed to happen going forward. After they stop speaking, James saying, brothers, listen to me. My turn.

Simeon. Now, Simeon, you might look at that and go, was that Simeon called Niger from earlier? No. Was it Simeon the guy who said, lord, I can now die in peace. I've seen your messiah.

No, this is way after that. So, Simeon, that's Simon Peter. It's the most Hebrew way of saying Simon Peter. Now, they're in Jerusalem and it's James. James has a very Hebraic character about him even in his book.

He sounds more Jewish than most every one else and so he calls him Simeon, Simon Peter has described how God first concerned himself about taking a people for his name from among the Gentiles and this lines up with the words of the prophets. The words of the prophets plural agree with this just as it is written and if you try to find this all in one place, you won't find it. But this is the way that James does this. His ability to use old testament scripture, I would not do what James did but I am not writing holy writ either. I'm speaking to y'all about the Bible.

James is writing down by the power of the Holy Spirit, when he speaks it to this crowd, he's saying that this is what this prophecy was talking about, and this one, and this one, and this one, and so he says, after these things, I will return. God says, and I will rebuild the fallen Tabernacle Of David and I will rebuild its ruins and I will restore it so that in order that the rest of mankind may seek after the Lord and so that all the Gentiles may be called by name, my name, or who are called by my name. Says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago and if you look for those, you'll find them piece by piece. Amos nine eleven says, I will raise up the fallen shelter of David. Jeremiah 12 says, I will bring them back.

I will restore them. Amos nine twelve says, and all the nations who are called by my name, the possessing the remnant of Edom is about the Gentiles coming in and it is the the Lord who declares this. Who is it that has declared it? Is it not I, the Lord from Isaiah? So, we've got four prophets at least, some echoed in other places.

So James goes back to scripture and in their meeting and in all of their experience, that's all great. Thank you. That's very moving, but where do we see this happening? And James goes back to scripture and says, this is what he was talking about. Therefore, it's my judgment and he's one of the leaders.

He carries some weight that we do not cause trouble for those from the nations who are turning to God. Peter had just said, why would we put a burden on them that we have never been able to carry? And James agrees with him. I don't think we ought to trouble them who are turning to God. In fact, let's write them a letter.

Let's write to them saying that they should abstain from the things that are contaminated by idols. Idolatry for the Jews was commandment for us to commandment number one. Right? Thou shalt have no other gods before me and it is unthinkable to a Jewish person to eat meat that has been offered to an idol. It would have been just absolutely disgusting and gross to them and so, if we are gonna live together in the church and we're gonna live Jewish background folks and Gentile background folks, then that getting together, you don't wanna do things that gross each other out for for one thing.

He also goes on to say, and abstain from acts of sexual immorality, the Gentile world or that's every other nation. They didn't all start off with the same sort of rules of morality that God had given to Israel, and so since they're groping for the laws, they're sorry. Since they are reaching out and trying to figure out what to do around that area, they each have their different sexual mores and values, but what he's saying is, that's something that is just it's it's really not good for you. Paul would later say that all sin is bad, but there are some sins which are sins against your own body and sexual sin fits that category and it's just not good for you. And so, we're gonna write them a letter and say, believe in Jesus as far as practice goes, avoid things that are contaminated by idols, avoid sexual immorality, avoid those things that have been strangled and from the blood and when I mention those, there are three of those that have to do with food like the blood, the things that are strangled, and the contaminated by idols.

We'll get to this in a minute on up in the text when they actually write the letter. I'll come back to it then. So, this is he's given his reason why because from ancient generations, Moses has those who preach him in every city. So, they hear from the law and the prophets on Sabbath day and Moses law is taught in the synagogues and if this is gonna be a forward reaching moment, if we're gonna be his witnesses in the world, we already have synagogues out there all over the place after the the diaspora. We have synagogues everywhere and Moses is preached all the time and that gives a good head start on understanding the gospel and so, from ancient generations, Moses has been there, been preached in every city since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.

We would not want to do things in practice that caused us to be gross to the people we hope to introduce to Jesus. Do you agree with me? Yeah. We want don't want to do things. I've got one quick story about food.

Since three of those were about food, we have some friends who are missionaries and they told us a story about going into some folks house and they were in the jungles and what they were eating in this house was by their description, absolutely disgusting, completely wretched. I can't even describe it. I won't even describe it, but imagine the worst thing that you can think of and then double that. Okay? It's bad.

And so while they were sitting there, they had brought with them a little Tupperware container of dessert or whatever. They had emptied that out and every time the people would turn the back, they just scoop the stuff in that. Well, they just couldn't do it. They were supposed to eat everything sat before them and they were doing their best to do that but it was so gross to them and so they kinda got away, snuck it out, and they were like, oh my goodness. Couple weeks passed, they invite the same family over to their house.

They come in, they just have ham sandwiches, know, simple ham sandwiches, little mayonnaise, little mustard, ham sandwich. And after that little meeting on Monday, they found ham sandwiches under the sofa cushions. It was just as gross to the other people as it as theirs had been to them. Following the flow of this at the, this is called the Jerusalem Council by the way. It was the time when these guys came from Antioch and they made the decision.

You can read more about it in in Galatians two. It seemed good to the apostles and to the elders. Does that seem like enough? Does that seem like enough to determine it seemed good? When we get together, whether it's in congregational worship or maybe it's a board of trustees meeting, maybe it's an elders meeting, maybe it's called together to ordain someone maybe, a presbytery that's called together to ordain someone.

It seemed good to them. These are people who have believed in Jesus who have the Holy Spirit residing within them. What we're coming together for and all of this that we've seen, it sounds like a very humble gathering of people who really want to know the truth and want to promote only that. They don't want to be involved in heresy. They want to get after what it is that God wants.

I pray every Sunday for God's will to be done God's way. So, it seemed good to the apostles and elders. Best they could tell, this is what they ought to do. It seemed good to the apostles and elders and it seemed good to the whole church to choose men from among them to send back to Antioch. Now, that we've come and we've decided this question that you are saved by grace through faith.

Let's hear the letter. To go back to Antioch, they're going to send Paul and Barnabas. Well, they live in Antioch. That makes sense. They're going to send Judas.

Judas who is called Barsabbas. Well, how would you like to be named Judas in this time period? Yeah. Yeah, we call him Barsabbas and Silas and they were leading men among the brothers. We'll meet Silas again before the end of the chapter or early next chapter.

And they sent this letter with them. The apostles and the brothers who are elders to the brothers and sisters in Antioch and in Syria and in Cilicia, that's the who it's from and who it's to. There's Cilicia, Syria is up around Antioch. It's right above the Antioch there too. Those of y'all who are from the nations, greetings, salutations.

Since

we

have heard that some of our number, folks from here to whom we gave no instruction, we didn't send them, they confused you by their teaching and what they ended up doing was upsetting your souls because you received Jesus and there was such freedom and such growth and then they came along and said, wait a second, that's not the that's that that's not the that's not the news. You gotta go back and do all these things too. It seemed it was good to us. Having become of one mind, they took the time to come to one mind. Praise God.

In an elders meeting, sometimes I'll say, hey, in here, we can debate and we can we can mull this over and we can bring different opinions from the congregation and from our families and everything else but when we leave here, we need to be of one mind and we need to speak with one voice. That's what they said. It seemed good to us having reached complete unity on it to select some men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul. We love your folks. Men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, we have sent Judas called Barsabbas and Silas and they themselves will also report the same things by word-of-mouth. They have this letter but they could tell you all about it. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit. So, it's seeming good to us might feel like, I can't believe we just got together and made that decision. It seems so arbitrary.

It's not arbitrary. It's not arbitrary when it's a group of believers who come together humble before the spirit and allow God to say what seems good to him. That's what it says happened. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to lay upon you no greater burden than just these essentials. And basically, these recommendations, this could have been the place where I said, this is Mother's Day right here.

Mamas, mama tried to raise me better but her pleading, I denied. That leaves only me to blame because mama tried. Right? That's where that song comes from. There are plenty of laws, 613 of them and then hedges built around those.

No. We're gonna lay upon you just these essentials that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols. This is what James said a few minutes ago. It would have been unthinkable for a Jewish person to consume anything that had been offered to a pagan god. From blood, that's actually has to do with the little dish that I was talking about my friends eating.

From things strangled. That's still the Jewish law. That is still Jewish law. It's still Muslim law. Things are not halal if they have been strangled.

And for acts of sexual immorality, he lists them where the three in the writing, he listed the three of them that have to do with food first and then the acts of sexual immorality but he doesn't stop there. If it was, if he stopped there, it would almost feel like it was like, okay, I don't have the whole law. I just have these four things but basically, he says the recommendations right here. It says, if you keep yourselves free from such things, you're going do well. I know that it's not a problem for y'all coming from where you come from to eat those things that you ate but I'm asking you not to because of unity in the body of Christ between Jewish and Gentile folks.

If you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well and then farewell greetings, farewell short letter. So when they were sent away, they went down to Antioch, 300 more miles and after gathering the congregation together, they delivered this letter and when they had read it, they rejoiced. Ain't that cool? Like to us, we quibble over it and say, I I've heard theologians fight about. Why did they write that letter?

Why did they fuss? Why they insist on those four things? Those Gentiles could do whatever they want to. Yeah, you have freedom in Christ but licentiousness where you're completely licensed to do absolutely anything you think that you want to is one of the ditches that human beings fall into and legalism is the other ditch that we fall into and the gospel is what they presented. It's by grace through faith.

Hey, here's some recommendations on how to get along with one another. Before I went into seminary, I was considering seminaries. I went to one, toured it, went to another on the way home from there and toured it and one of the standing stones on that seminary was evangelical unity and I said, what's that mean to y'all? What is it that you mean? And they said, well, we're not going to quibble over the minors.

There are things that reasonable Christians can disagree about. They're not essentials of the faith. We actually have everybody sign off at the beginning and say, we're not gonna pursue things that are disputable matters. We're gonna stick to the center of the gospel as best we can. So unity in the body of Christ is very very important.

It's what he prayed for in the garden on the night he was betrayed, on the night he was arrested, and what he had prayed for is that we would be one just like he is one. Division in the body of Christ is upsetting. It should be upsetting to us, it is upsetting to God. When they had read it, they rejoiced because of the encouragement. Now, Judas and Silas were also prophets.

They were preachers themselves and they encouraged and strengthened the brothers and sisters and I get a kick out of this with a lengthy message. That's cool. Actually, after the first service, I had one person come forward and said, I've got a way you can fit Mother's Day in there. Lengthy messages. I said, no, my mom always said stuff that was this long but it stayed with you all day and all night.

Yep. Lengthy message. After they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brothers and the sisters in peace. Judas and Silas coming from Jerusalem. They went up to Antioch and they spent time there and they gave him a lengthy message and they were met with great fellowship and after they'd spent time, they were sent away in peace back to those who had sent them out.

There we go back to Jerusalem again but Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch. They were teaching and they were preaching and they were preaching the word of the Lord with many others also. Remember how I've said that the gospel is going to go forward. It's Jesus is going to build his church and our task in church and being in the body of Christ, our task really is unity. Now, I wanna I wanna say something and this this will be the end and we'll say, take my life, lead me, lord.

You can come on up, Judy, if you want to But the unity of the body of Christ is central to this message and it should be central to our message. And if you haven't recognized it, the body is really divided right now. And so consider this, whether it's just two people involved or 2,000,000,000 people involved. If you are with another believer, both of you trust in Christ, both of you have the indwelling Holy Spirit and you disagree with one another, at least one of you is wrong. Okay?

He will bring us into unity if we will humble ourselves. If you think, well, if I'm humble and they're steadfast and proud, it just depends on which one caves first. That is the way the world works. That is not the way the spirit of God works. The spirit of God, he resists the proud, he gives grace to the humble.

And so, if we are to be humble before him and seek his will, your will, and your way, Lord, that is that is the best chance we have for being together, and being together and loving one another is the best chance we have for reaching a divided and lost and dying world. May we be unified by the spirit of God and practice the power of God in his in Jesus name. Amen. Would you stand with me? And I will sing this but I pray that it is an earnest prayer from everyone of us.

Take my life Leave me, Lord. Take my life. Leave me, Lord. Take my life. Leave me, Lord.

Take my life. Lead me, Lord. Make my life useful to lead. Take my life. Teach me, Lord.

Take my life. Teach me, Lord. Make my life useful to be. Take my life. Teach me, Lord.

Take my life. Teach me, Lord. Make my life useful to me. Here am I. Send me, Lord.

As a benediction today, have Colossians one nineteen and twenty. It's about Jesus. Right? Happy Mother's Day but it's really about Jesus. For in him, Christ, all of the fullness of God was pleased to dwell and through him to reconcile to himself all things whether they're on earth or in heaven, he is making peace by the blood of his cross.

Lord God almighty, would you move in us and among us and through us to the rest of the world. May we lift Jesus up. In his name, amen.