Two Issues, One Mission

May 18, 2025 · Acts

Series · Acts · Week 79 of 120

Scripture referenced 13 passages

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

Psalm 103:1 opening call to worship before singing

1 Praise Yahweh, my soul! All that is within me, praise his holy name!

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Galatians 1:8-9

Paul's warning that anyone preaching a different gospel should be anathema

8 But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you any “good news” other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed.

9 As we have said before, so I now say again: if any man preaches to you any “good news” other than that which you received, let him be cursed.

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Galatians 2

coincides with Acts 15 in describing 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 13

John Mark leaving the party at Perga and returning to Jerusalem

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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Acts 15

the Jerusalem Council and its findings carried forward by Paul and Barnabas

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.”

2 Therefore when Paul and Barnabas had no small discord and discussion with them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas, and some others of them, to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question.

3 They, being sent on their way by the assembly, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles. They caused great joy to all the brothers.

4 When they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the assembly and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all things that God had done with them.

5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter.

7 When there had been much discussion, Peter rose up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that a good while ago God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the nations should hear the word of the Good News, and believe.

8 God, who knows the heart, testified about them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just like he did to us.

9 He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

10 Now therefore why do you tempt God, that you should put a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

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

12 All the multitude kept silence, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul reporting what signs and wonders God had done among the nations through them.

13 After they were silent, James answered, “Brothers, listen to me.

14 Simeon has reported how God first visited the nations, to take out of them a people for his name.

15 This agrees with the words of the prophets. As it is written,

16 ‘After these things I will return. I will again build the tabernacle of David, which has fallen. I will again build its ruins. I will set it up,

17 That the rest of men may seek after the Lord; all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who does all these things.

18 All of God’s works are known to him from eternity.’

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

20 but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollution of idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood.

21 For Moses from generations of old has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole assembly, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brothers.

23 They wrote these things by their hand: “The apostles, the elders, and the brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: greetings.

24 Because we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, ‘You must be circumcised and keep the law,’ to whom we gave no commandment;

25 it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves will also tell you the same things by word of mouth.

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.”

30 So, when they were sent off, they came to Antioch. Having gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter.

31 When they had read it, they rejoiced over the encouragement.

32 Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers with many words, and strengthened them.

33 After they had spent some time there, they were sent back with greetings from the brothers to the apostles.

35 But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

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.”

37 Barnabas planned to take John, who was called Mark, with them also.

38 But Paul didn’t think that it was a good idea to take with them someone who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia, and didn’t go with them to do the work.

39 Then the contention grew so sharp that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away to Cyprus,

40 but Paul chose Silas, and went out, being commended by the brothers to the grace of God.

41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the assemblies.

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Acts 16:3

Paul circumcising Timothy before taking him along

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.

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Hebrews 10:24

the positive use of paroxysmos, stirring one another up to love and good works

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

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Leviticus 17:7

prohibition against sacrificing to goat demons, basis for abstaining from things sacrificed to idols

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.’

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Leviticus 17:8-9

anyone who offers sacrifice outside the tent of meeting shall be cut off

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 17:10

prohibition against eating blood, God setting his face against those who do

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.

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Leviticus 17:13

instruction to drain and cover the blood of any animal caught while hunting

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.

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Ephesians 4:3

closing benediction on maintaining unity of the spirit in the bond of peace

3 being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

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Romans 15:5-6

closing benediction that God grant harmony so believers glorify God with one voice

5 Now the God of perseverance and of encouragement grant you to be of the same mind one with another according to Christ Jesus,

6 that with one accord you may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Recap

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

The pastor walked through two connected problems from Acts 15-16: a sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark, and the question of why Paul circumcised Timothy right after the Jerusalem Council had ruled that circumcision was not required for salvation. Both situations, he said, come down to how believers treat one another when they see things differently.

What was said

The Jerusalem Council had just settled a serious dispute. People had come into the Gentile churches claiming that circumcision and obedience to the law of Moses were necessary for salvation, on top of faith in Christ. The council's answer was clear: the ground is level at the foot of the cross. Jews and Gentiles are saved the same way, through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the letter they sent back reflected that. Paul and Barnabas were now carrying that letter to the churches they had planted on the first journey.

Before they could leave, a sharp disagreement broke out between them. Barnabas wanted to bring John Mark, who had turned back during the first trip before things got hard. Paul did not think he had the stomach for it and did not want to take him back into those same difficult territories. Both positions were reasonable. Barnabas was acting out of mercy and a desire to restore someone who had stumbled; Paul was thinking about the demands of the work ahead and the people in those cities who were counting on them.

The pastor was honest that the Greek word translated "sharp disagreement" sits on a spectrum. It can mean a provocation toward something good, the same word used in Hebrews 10:24 for stirring one another up toward love and good works, or it can mean an angry dispute. He said the range of meaning is there and let the congregation sit with that, but his own read was that God may have intended the split. They separated, and Barnabas took Mark to Cyprus while Paul took Silas and headed overland through Syria and Cilicia.

The key thing the pastor wanted the congregation to take from the first issue is that neither man was blamed. No fault is assigned in the text. What resulted, as he quoted from Daryl Bach's commentary, was "cell division," two mission efforts going forward instead of one. He said this should not be the first thing anyone reaches for when there is conflict in the church, but it should not be ruled out either. The goal is to part with a blessing, not in bitterness.

The second issue picks up in Lystra, where Paul meets Timothy, the son of a Jewish mother and a Greek father. Timothy was already a believer with a strong reputation, and Paul wanted him along. But then Paul circumcised him. The pastor acknowledged how strange that looks right after everything the Jerusalem Council had just decided. The explanation is that Timothy's mixed background made him a special case. In Jewish understanding, the line of covenant identity runs through the mother, so an uncircumcised son of a Jewish mother was considered an apostate. Paul was not contradicting the council; he was removing an obstacle so that Timothy could have credibility in the synagogues where they would be working.

The pastor used Timothy's circumcision to make a wider point about voluntarily setting aside your rights for the sake of the gospel. Paul knew it was not required. Timothy knew it was not required. But both of them chose to do it so that no argument over lineage would get in the way of the message. He called that commendable and said it was, in his words, "downright Christ-like."

He closed by admitting he had two sharp disagreements of his own that week. He said he was wrong in one of them and did not realize it for two days, and the other was resolved when both sides came back together. He said it should tell us something that God had him living inside this passage while he was preaching it, and that the scripture works in our lives every week if we let it.

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 described both Paul and Barnabas as motivated by good in their disagreement over John Mark. When you have been in a conflict where both sides had legitimate points, what made it hard to see the other person's position as valid?
The pastor said that in the sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas, what resulted was 'a solution that allowed the advance of the gospel to continue by cell division.' Have you ever seen a disagreement in ministry or church life end in a way that actually multiplied the work rather than damaged it? What made that possible?

and 3 more questions in the guide

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Find in this transcript

Speaker 1Tyson that works with the mortician here, he has a prosthetic right leg, and we were doing a funeral together one time, and I saw him go. He doesn't have any feeling and he stepped over in the hole. I just caught him and held him up like this and he after it was over, he said, thank you. Yeah.

Speaker 3That's great.

Speaker 1Alright. Here we are. I was one seat off. Alrighty.

Speaker 3Good morning, first b. Good morning, everyone. You guys stand and sing with us in song? We have the the b squad this morning. Carl's not here.

So bear with us and sing loud. Here's a good word from Psalm one zero three to lead us into worship. Praise the Lord, my soul, all my inmost being. Praise his holy name. Would you join us in singing Fall Afresh?

Speaker 2Born through the caverns of my soul, pour me to overflow, to overflow. Awaken my soul come away to worship with all your strength spirit of the living God come fall afresh on me come wake me from my sleep blow through the caverns of my soul pour me to over to overflow spirit come the living God come fall afresh on me come wake me from my sleep blow through the caverns of my soul pour me to overflow to overflow

Speaker 1Amen. Y'all can have a seat. I've got just a couple of announcements, I think. We'll see. VBS is happening.

That is June the twenty third to twenty sixth, nine to twelve in the morning. Road trip is the theme. If you don't know and you wanna know more about it, Amy Jordan is the person to talk to. You can There she is standing in the back and waving. You can talk to her and she'll give you more information or you can click on that little thing over there, QR code.

You can make it happen that way if you want to, but talking to us works too. The missions moment this morning is Eric and Becky Watt from Run Ministries, reaching unreached nations. You all have met them before most likely. You've seen them before here. They are wonderful.

Two of the most encouraging people I've ever met. Been in ministry for a long time. He has retired as pastor in Chesapeake, Virginia, but he is very very active throughout the the Muslim world especially, but all over the world really. And so Eric and Becky have been a team forever and they have witnessed among the Uighur people of China and various Yacidis and all kinds of stuff. There is always something going on with run ministries.

And so, if you all would be praying for them for orphans of war and for the persecuted church. When they started off run reaching unreached nations, their deal was we're praying for the bad guys. We're praying for the bad guys to be transformed by the power of the gospel and they have seen some very amazing things. If you don't know them, you ought to get to know them next time they're in town. They come to town two or three times a year and they hang out.

They sit right there. They're always here and super encouraging. If there's anything else you wanna know about, this is the place to go to firstbjackson.org. You can get more information. Think Hey, goodness of God.

That's all.

Speaker 3Stand up and greet each other.

Speaker 1Casey McCooey would have me introduced to May 31 is the My Sister's Closet, which is sort of a clothing exchange. It's great. And Casey McCooey will answer questions. She is dressed in leopard print and a hat. Alright?

She will be back there. Thank you. Talk amongst yourselves.

Speaker 2I love you lord for your mercy never fails me all my days I've been held in your broken back and wake up till I lay my head I will sing of the goodness of God all my life you have been faithful all my life you have been so so good with name of Jesus. Jesus. Love your voice. You have led me through the fire in darkest night. You are close like no other.

I've known you as a father. I've known you as a friend. I've lived in the goodness of God. All my life, you have been faithful all my life you have been so so good with every breath that I am able able I will sing of the goodness of God. Your goodness is running after running after me.

Your goodness is running after, running after me. With my life laid down, I've surrendered now. Give you everything. Your goodness is running after, running after me. Your goodness is running after, running after me.

All my welcome. All my life you have been so so good with every breath that I am able I will sing

Speaker 3God, we thank you for this day to come together this Sunday, beautiful rainy morning, to come together as a community and worship your your name and worship who you are and your goodness towards us. You have a wonderful plan for us to come to know you personally. And we just thank you for the blood you've shed for our sin to make our relationship with you possible. And it's your new name we pray. Amen.

Speaker 2Weary soul in thee I give thee back the life I owe that in depths oh joy that seeketh me through pain I cannot close my heart to thee I chase the rainbow and feel the promise is not faint fort shall endless be I meet with you and my soul sings out as your word flows down our way. I sing to you and my heart cries only. Hallelujah father you're near my hope is in you lord all the day long I won't be shaken in you alone. I wait for you, and my soul finds rest in my selfish ness. You show me grace.

I worship you and my heart cries glory. Hallelujah. Father, you're here. My hope is in you, lord, all the day long. I won't be shaken by I will wait on you.

You're my refuge. I will wait on you. You're my refuge. Or storm. A peace that passes understanding is my song, and I'll sing.

My hope is in you alone. My hope is in you alone.

Speaker 3You can have a

Speaker 2seat. This

Speaker 3is the worship through giving part of the service, and I'll invite the ushers to come on forward. And we are gonna sing One Thing Remains, but before we do, Ray, would you pray

Speaker 1for us? Sure. God, thank you. Thank you for all that you've given, Lord. We acknowledge it right now that you are the giver of every good and perfect gift.

And this morning, we're reminded that you cause the rain to fall on the just and the unjust. And Lord, we're amazed by you and the cycles of nature and the miracles of your hands. We're in awe. So God, I pray that you would receive back a portion of what you've given to us, that you would do your kingdom's work with it. We wanna be humble and obedient servants, lord, doing as you direct.

Would you show us? Would you show us what you want us to do? Very practically, how you would like for us to advance. In Jesus name, the gospel. Amen.

Speaker 2And up, never runs out on me. Your love never fails and never gives up, never runs out on me. Your love. And on and on and on and on it goes. It overwhelms and satisfies my soul.

And I'll never ever have to be afraid. One thing remains. One thing never runs out on me. Your love never fares and never gives up, never runs out on me. Your love paid.

There's nothing that can separate my heart from your great love. Your love never fails and never gives up, never runs out on me. Your love never fails and never gives up, never runs out on me. Your love fails and never gives

Speaker 1Amen. Thank you, Ryan. He doesn't want the recognition, but he's been playing with the band for twenty years. Yeah. Thank you, buddy.

That's that's quite the reasonable service right there. Twenty twenty years. It's time for children's church, and there they go. And if you want to, there's some seats that just opened up if you're in the back and you wanna be up front. Not everybody wants to be up front and I realize that, but if you want to, you're welcome to sit in the room with us.

We're continuing forward in our study of the book of acts, and we have this morning two issues. Uh-oh. That's the wrong sermon, Josh. Completely. Like, by a lot.

Here we go. Should have been put in this morning. Let's talk amongst ourselves. What we're up to right now is a passage that is sorta sorta difficult honestly, because last week, if you'll think back, it says May 18, Acts 15, such and such. So we're up to a passage in Acts.

So last week, if you remember, we covered the Jerusalem Council. Jerusalem Council is from Galatians two and Acts 15. Galatians two and Acts 15, they coincide with each other. It's talking about the same event. There was some struggle up in Antioch and Iconium and all over the place really.

There was some struggle in Antioch. There were some people that came in that said, you must obey the law of Moses. You must be circumcised and obey the law of Moses in order to be saved. And that is a big deal if you're a Gentile, and you've heard the word of the gospel, and you've put your trust in the one righteous one, the ultimate sacrifice Jesus, and then someone comes in and says, no, no, no, no, no, that's not it. You have to also do this.

They're adding to the gospel. Actually, in Galatians one, Paul says in verses eight and nine, he says, if anybody comes to you proclaiming any other gospel than the gospel of grace in Christ Jesus, the one we presented to you, even if I come back later and say something different. Y'all, that's not right and it's not good. And that person should be anathema, cut off. It's a big deal.

There we go. Yay. Thank you, Josh. Two issues. That's what we're dealing with today.

One of them is what I was just talking about. That prompted a group from Jerusalem or a group from Antioch to go to Jerusalem, a group from Jerusalem to go to Antioch. Some of them went back to Antioch, others stayed back to Jerusalem, some stayed in Antioch. And this is where we're gonna pick up. So it says, after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, Paul and Barnabas are in Antioch.

That is where Barnabas went and got Paul and said, you're the guy that this church needs years ago. Brought them in brought him in and said, we need your teaching about the old testament and how it relates to the new covenant. And so, he was there for quite some time. They've already been on their first missionary journey and come back and it says, and they spent some time there. It was pretty good while apparently.

So after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, but this is after the Jerusalem council, okay? After some days, Paul said to Barnabas, 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. That's great. That's a missionary sentiment right there. We planted a seed and we saw some conversions, and we saw the spirit taking hold, and we also faced opposition.

And let's go back and see how they're doing. Okay. Now, if the Judaizers had been to Antioch, chances are they've also been to these places, so some of that is to carry forward from here. They were sent back from Jerusalem after the Jerusalem council with a word that we'll discuss in a moment, but when they went back to Antioch and they're saying, it's clarified. Jews and Gentiles, Christians alike can coexist in a spirit of love for one another despite their backgrounds.

You do not have to become Jewish to become Christian, that was a decision. You do not have to be circumcised to become Christian, to be saved. 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. So Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, John Mark along with them also. But Paul was of the opinion that they should not take along with them this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia.

You can see Paul's opinion. Luke is writing and from Well, let me just keep going. Luke is writing having spoken to both, I'm sure, but Paul for sure. Paul was of the opinion that they should not take along this deserter who had deserted them in Pamphylia really before much of the work got started. They had been from Antioch to Seleucia down to Paphos, and he made it as far as Sergius Paulus receiving the gospel, and then when they got to Perga, he said, can't do this anymore, and he went back home.

So that's the route that they had made with John Mark on the first missionary journey, and John left them. It says so in Acts 13, that's John Mark, just to be sure, and he went back to Jerusalem, presumably to his mother's house, which we know from. That's the place that Peter showed up. Right? And Rhoda carried the news to the rest of the folks, and they laughed at her.

Jerusalem is a center point of the gospel, so is Antioch. Okay? So is Antioch. It's become a launching ground now. Now, the the Is there any row between Jerusalem and Antioch?

They had just had the Jerusalem council, so there would not be. So I don't think this is a theological debate. Barnabas wants to take along John, Mark, and Paul thinks, you know, he deserted us the first time, I don't think he has a stomach for it. He had not gone with them to the work. I guess Cyprus was not really work.

He had been with them for part of the work, but he did leave for whatever reason, we don't know why. It wasn't like he got a text or FaceTime from home, you know. But he went back for some reason. He had not gone with them to the work, and probably, they had not had as hard a time on Cyprus as they would in Iconium, and Lystra, and Derby, and all those other places they went on the first journey. So Paul's opinion was, listen, he abandoned us before it got tough.

I don't really want to take him in to those same places again. That's a reasonable argument, reasonable opinion. Barnabas. Oh, I love Barnabas. Barnabas is the encourager.

His name is actually Joseph. Barnabas means son of encouragement. He is an encourager and it's worthwhile to take people who have failed and given them a second chance. Is that a good thing? That's a good thing.

They're both motivated by good. Now, it turned into a sharp disagreement. You know when you're preaching, not a lot of y'all have this I guess, but when you're preaching through something and it's top of your mind, I have had two sharp disagreements this week, not as sharp as this one, but I did. I I found myself in the midst of I'm thinking, Lord, I don't want a sharp disagreement this week. But the feeling of not getting along, actually, especially since one of the last things I said last week to all of y'all was, if you and a brother or sister in Christ are in disagreement, at least one of you is wrong.

Maybe both of you. And then, the next passage and I knew it was coming. I knew it was coming. The next passage is, it turned into a sharp disagreement. So sharp disagreement, I have mentioned a couple of times in Acts 13, I think, about a word that's used for stirring up people against, but this is a different word.

It is a stirring for sure, paroxysm in English, but paroxysmas. The definition is a provocation or a stirring up or a sharp disagreement, and that's what it's translated as right here. Now, this is that other word, and it means stayed up. It is always negative, always. Every time that it's used in all classical antiquity and in the Bible, I've never found it when it was not used negatively.

Paroxysm actually is used twice in the New Testament. The other one is to be stirring one another up in loving good works from Hebrews ten twenty four. So it's stimulation or provocation or even irritation, but it can be angry dispute. The way we tend to read this is they were so angry at each other, they had to just get out of each other's company, and maybe it was a sharp disagreement. We don't have a ton of information about it, but contention or a provoking unto.

It can be incitement to good things, or it can just be a dispute and anger, and the range of meaning is there. I'll let you kind of go with whatever you think that is. I think that it was God's will. So paroxysmos is a propagation which literally jabs or cuts someone, the other person, so that they must respond. And so if Paul is like all about the advance of the gospel and the work, and I'm willing to go into places that they beat me, And I don't think John Mark can take that.

I don't think we need to take him and Barnabas is saying, come on Paul. He's a good kid. We need to take care of him. And so Oh, there's the other, stirring one another up. That's where paroxysmal is used.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful. Let us consider one another. Considering one another is huge in this passage. We'll see it in both issues, considering one another. Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaken thus and one of ourselves together as is a matter of some, but keep on exhorting one another so much more as you see the day approaching.

Now, it turned into such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another. I have been We have been in missionary circles for twenty five years, and we have seen external pressures on missions agencies, and more often than that, we've seen internal pressures on missions agencies, where people are working for God and they feel directed in different ways, and it is one of the most difficult things when a when there is disunity in the body of believers that came together for a specific purpose. Barnabas International is a missions agency right now that goes alongside and helps missionaries who've gone through meltdowns or breakdowns. Sometimes they go to try to help solve the problem, but usually, it's personally to come alongside and help. And then there are others that are finishing the task.

We're doing this. And those are the two sides of this. Both of them are valid, both of them are good. There's a sharp disagreement though, and they decided to separate from one another. And Barnabas took Mark with him, and they sailed away to Cyprus.

They went back from Antioch, they went to Seleucia, I'm sure, and then sailed to Cyprus, which is where Barnabas is from. We know that John Mark's from Jerusalem, but Barnabas felt comfortable on Cyprus taking John Mark, maybe training him up for ministry. We see later in the Bible, we see how Paul writing years later says, send John Mark with my coat. He's useful to me in ministry. He recognized his validity as a minister, but he didn't feel like he was ready to go on this first trip with him.

So Barnabas takes him to Cyprus, he had done well apparently on Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas. Now, you remember, Silas was the guy that was sent from Jerusalem back up to Antioch along with Judas called Barsabbas. They were sent both being Actually, I think the next slide says that. Judas and Silas also being prophets themselves, preachers, encouraged and strengthened the brothers and sisters with a lengthy message that's same Silas. Paul chose Silas and left after being entrusted by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

There was no animosity. When he left, go with grace. I I say anytime that anybody lets me know they're leaving, they leave with a blessing. We bless them to go on to wherever it is God is leading them. Sometimes people don't let me know and they hide from me in the grocery store, but it's rare.

I'm joking. It's it's not that rare. I'm I really am kidding. I really am kidding. Paul chose Silas and left after being entrusted by the brothers to the grace of the Lord, and he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia strengthening the churches.

This is the place that he had been before except for it says, Syria and Cilicia. So instead of going across the Mediterranean, he went land bound. He went up from Antioch through Syria, through Cilicia, which is He's from Tarsus, probably through his hometown. I didn't put a map this time, but what was my point last week? Let me think about it.

If This is what I said, if you are ongoing disagreement with another brother or sister in Christ, at least one of you is wrong, maybe that both of you are wrong. Unity does matter and you should try to reconcile it. You should work at reconciliation and our society has given up on that idea. Just look at it from two separate angles completely. Coming back together does not matter as much it seems, but that's not necessarily true.

Okay? It's not necessarily true. I don't think that either one of them had to be wrong. In fact, I think both of them were right in what they were doing. I tend to be more like Barnabas.

Carl tends to be more like Barnabas, think. Although, I want the gospel to go forward, I care about the heart of the person that is damaged. One of it's not a not our official motto around here. Our official motto is, with all we are loving God, loving people through Christ. Right?

With all we are. Our unofficial one is we don't shoot our wounded. Neither was said to be wrong. No blame is apportioned according to Daryl Bach, who wrote the book actually literally on Luke and Acts. It's pretty good.

The concern was not theological. Both of them agreed on the gospel. Both of them agreed on the manner in which the gospel should be presented as a gospel of grace through Christ, and we see that in both of their ministries from now. We will follow Paul much more closely. We don't hear much about Barnabas from this point forward.

It was about whether John Mark would be able to persevere in ministry, and it is a merciful thing. If he was not, it was a merciful thing for Paul to not put him through it, and it was a gracious thing for Barnabas to say, come alongside me and mentor him. So Bach says this, in sum This is the end of the first issue. In sum, here's an example where a disagreement was so great that the ability Tom, sorry, to work side by side was affected. What resulted was a solution that allowed the advance of the gospel to continue by cell division.

Right? They moved apart from one another. It was in a way that recognized the need for distinct ministries, and sometimes this is the best solution. And I say, don't immediately jump to this as a solution, but don't throw it away as an option either. I mean, there are a lot of missions agencies that have turned inward and caused such struggle that both of them walked away angry, upset, dejected.

It's not a good idea. If you can bless one another as you go forward with the mission God's called you to, go for that. So that's the end of the first issue, I hope. End of the second issue or in the second issue, we'll come back to something from last week. So now, Paul also came to Derby and Lystra.

It's listed in the order like, he goes up through Cilicia up through Syria, through Cilicia, to Derby and Lystra, opposite order from the way they encountered him last time. And what happened there? Do you remember? Yeah. Yeah.

They were worshipped as gods, and then they were stoned, and they went back to encourage the church there. I'd say Paul is not weak in his desire to see churches strengthened in the gospel. So the Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and heaven went 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, entered into the city. Next day, he went to Derby.

Now, a disciple was there who was named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was Greek. His mother was Eunice and his grandmother was Lois, and both of them were Jewish believers. Okay? And he had learned from them the the tenets of the faith of Judaism since he was a child, and maybe even the tenets of messianic Judaism, Christianity since he was a child. He was a disciple.

He was a believer. He was a son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was Greek, so that's a mixed marriage, and he was well spoken of by the brothers and sisters who were in Lystra and in Iconium. So his reputation for being a trustworthy carrier of the gospel was well known. So I wanna skip verse three for right now. I'll come back to it.

Okay. There it is. Hey, look at it. No. There it goes.

Now, while they were passing through the cities, they went through, they were delivering the ordinances. Remember from last week, the ordinances, there were some things that they had decided on. I got several questions about this this week. So I want to cover it a little more thoroughly. Now, while they're passing through the cities, they were delivering the ordinances for them to follow, which had been determined by the apostles and the elders in Jerusalem.

They were carrying forward the Jerusalem council's findings. I went back, what was the point last week? It was this, we all believe that we're saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the same way as they are also, puts Gentile Christians and Jewish Christians on the same footing, the ground is level at the foot of the cross. Okay?

James says, it's my judgment that we don't cause any more trouble for those from the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them. We're gonna send these ordinances Paul and Barnabas were carrying them. Now, Paul and Silas and Barnabas and John Mark were carrying them to wherever they went. Therefore, have Judas and Silas who themselves will also report for it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden. It was about whether or not you had to be circumcised to be saved and follow the law of Moses.

But this is what they came up with, just these essentials that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from acts of sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves free from such things, you'll do well, farewell. Short letter to the point. This is from my class on this in seminary. Professor is now deceased.

I did not get his approval to use them. Actually, he said use everything that I've ever taught you as best you can. Conflict resolution is what the Jerusalem Council is about. They had the testimony from experience from Peter and from Paul, and then James used the testimony of scripture to come up with a decision, and the decision was to embrace the diversity of the peoples of these various lands and backgrounds by respecting their cultural identity, preserve the unity, use your freedom to serve one another. Okay?

Instead of using your freedom to do anything that ticks off the other side, use your freedom to, in love, serve one another. So the solution What is the basis of salvation? I've already covered. Grace, but it's received through faith. It's not through works, so that no one should boast.

Paul would write that later. There is a spiritual egalitarianism. Gentiles, and he's given the standard of comparison, Gentiles were saved the same way that we were. Now, there's criticism of the Judaizers in trying to to make you go back, and if you read Galatians, it comes out very very vehemently. Before we get to the end of Galatians in that lunch study, we'll see Paul say some things that are outlandish.

He's saying, listen, this is the worst possible idea that you can have, going away from grace and back towards law. Commendation, Paul and Barnabas was towards the end, and this is what I was trying to use my professor's slides for. He says, this is a voluntary restriction. Table fellowship is so important in the New Testament. It's so important because the Jews were not supposed to eat with the Gentiles.

Peter's not supposed to go into Cornelius' house, but God. God directs and he says, there's no distinction. This gospel is for all peoples, and so go and associate with them and eat with them. So there's a voluntary restriction that is given to the Gentiles for their eating practices primarily. In the presence of Jewish Christians especially, but not beyond what the old testament commanded for the Gentile stranger living among the Jews in the land of Israel.

If you're not familiar with the law in Leviticus, here it is. Leviticus seven through nine says, and they shall no longer offer their sacrifices to the goat demons with which they play the prostitute. He's saying, don't eat things offered to idols. Now, what if the goat demon is the God of the hunt? What if the goat demon is what you're using the spiritual entity that you're using to get your way?

Well, that's the point. You don't rely on anything but God. So it says, this shall be a permanent statute of them and I think the fact that it says permanent statute is one of the things that you Judaizers are saying, we can't get rid of this. It says permanent. For them, it was very very close to their heart.

Then you shall say to them, anyone from the house of Israel or from the strangers who reside among them who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice and does not bring it to the doorway of the tent of meeting, the proper way for giving sacrifices to God shall be cut off from his people. That's a big deal. That was a big deal for them. Last week, I said it would be gross. This is not the one that would be gross.

This is the one that is just unthinkable theologically. It's unthinkably unthinkable practically. This one is one, let anyone of the house of Israel or from the strangers who reside among them who eats any blood. So that is a dietary restriction. Life force is in the blood.

If you want to read Leviticus 17 in its entirety, it goes back to this over and over, and so that is the prohibition here. Who eats any blood? I'm going set my face against that person who eats the blood. It is a disrespect for life for you to eat blood. Okay.

It's gross to me. I don't think about it very often in my normal work a day life, but I don't hunt very much. I don't catch things with my hands. He will be cut off from among his people. This is why they came down with these, the 13 says, so when anyone from the sons of Israel or from the strangers who reside among them while hunting catches an animal or a bird catches it, not shoots it, we think of boom boom or poop, but we don't think so much of just setting a trap and catching it.

What do you do when you catch it? Well, ring the neck. You're not supposed to do it that way. That's what God says. If you're out there and you have to, and that's the way you catch it, then desanguinate it or exsanguinate it.

Ports blood out, cover it with dirt, there's a procedure for that. But this is the law, it's very specific and this is something that would have been absolutely worth anathema cutting someone off to the Jewish believers. Oh, Leviticus. Sexual immorality. If you want to know where all the stuff on sexual immorality is, it's right there.

It gets down to the nitty gritty all over the place, but if you see the underline says, nor the stranger who resides among you. When it when they say to keep away from sexual immorality, this is what it says. This is the code. Stay away from those things. And if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well.

Believer, farewell. That's it. Short message. Paul wanted this is back to Acts sixteen three. Paul wanted this man to leave with him, Timothy.

He wanted Timothy to leave with him. And he took him, and he circumcised him. What did we just decide at the Jerusalem Council? You don't have to do that. Why in the world?

So last week I said, don't disagree with each other, come to an agreement, come to unity, and then Paul and Barnabas had such a sharp disagreement that they had to separate from one another. And then Paul it says, no, they don't have to do that. No, they don't have to do that. They don't have to follow the law. And yet, here he is circumcising somebody.

It's it's necessary. That's what the Judaizers were teaching. But Paul took him and he circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. So Timothy was from there and all of them knew his background. They knew Eunice, they knew Lois, but they also knew his dad.

Who knows Who who he was? We'll call him Aristotle. I don't know. He's Greek. Anyway, he circumcised Timothy and you may just go, why would he do that?

That doesn't make any sense. Even though Paul holds a view of freedom regarding the law, he's very sensitive to how it works in a mixed community. He is okay and he knows it's not necessary, but he knows that the people he is aiming at don't yet know. You can't expect somebody who doesn't know Jesus to act like they do. He's sensitive to how it works in a mixed community and in the context of the gospel.

So out of respect for the customs of his perspective, evangelistic audience, he acts to render moot any debate over Timothy's lineage. An uncircumcised son of a Jewish mother in Judaism, because the the line goes through the mom. An uncircumcised son of a Jewish mother is an apostate, a violator of the covenant, and that's a big deal. And Paul knew that. Paul knew that.

It says he circumcised and Paul was a mole. He could do that and he did. Commitment from Timothy. Motive matters. So Paul didn't want to have any question as to whether or not Let me see.

Paul is going to work in the synagogue. Circumcision will ensure Timothy's credibility. His motive matters. So I say voluntarily surrendering your rights out of love for the other people is commendable. As Americans, we demand our rights a lot.

Right? And we talk a lot about our rights, our rights, our rights. But for you to put your rights in the back, so that someone else may come to know Jesus is commendable. It's downright Christ like and that's what Timothy was proving. It's what Paul was saying.

He did not want for there to be a discussion. We'll concede that so that we get to keep on in community. And the fact that it was mixed is probably different too. They had said without any uncertainty what the Gentiles should do, but if it's mixed, he was a special case. So Paul said, we're gonna on the side of loving the other and setting our rights back.

Now, while they're passing through the cities, they were delivering ordinances for them to follow, which had been determined by the apostles and the elders in Jerusalem, so that the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and they were increasing in number daily. Amen. I think that's the last slide. The two issues. The first one being consider that God in your disagreement with someone else, he may have an idea for you to increase your witness by separating, but you all should agree that that's the case.

Okay? It does not explicitly say they agreed that that was the case, but I believe that it's implied. I also know that because of next week's passages where Paul is traveling with Paul, I mean where Luke is traveling with Paul, you can see that he just gets Paul's side of the story. The fact that he communicates good things about Barnabas and Mark later should say, they left amicably. I don't think there's any doubt about that.

Just like I say, don't rush to flipping over tables, don't rush to separation among the body. You may be given separate things. The two sharp disagreements I'm going be questioned about. One of them I will not mention, the other one is no, I'm not gonna mention either one. There are different ways of seeing things and we all wanna carry the gospel forward and how best we do that.

Every Sunday, I pray from up here, God's will, God's way. Lord, just show us your will, your way. We wanna be unified in that. Show us your will and your way. Give us the power and the spirit to walk it out.

So when we have disagreements among each other over what that should be, we really should consider it and go, where how are we going to come together on this? How are we going to get back together on this? I was kidding about the whole sharp disagreement. I did have two of them this week though, but I think it was just for this, honestly. It's It hurts your heart and it turns you inside out when you can't get along with a brother or sister in Christ.

Both of them resolved, but I went through it for enough time to really honestly shake me. Where when people say, how are doing? Instead of saying, I'm good. I'm fine. I said, I'm okay.

Would you all the band come on back up here, would you all just pray with me? Lord, the first issue of the sharp disagreement, may we live in agreement with one another? If there may need to be a separation, may we appreciate the other position and give a blessing to that line of thinking as we amicably separate, may we do that. And Lord, may we really consider which issues are big enough, which issues matter that rise to the level of knowing which principles are worth standing for and which ideas are not worth elevating to an importance that they don't deserve. Lord, may it be that we discern that and lead well, not every issue is worth starting a war over.

When it comes to the gospel and to the unity of the church, Lord, let us be very very considerate of one another. In Jesus name, I'm thankful. Thankful to be here. Thankful to have gone through the difficulty this week. In Jesus name.

Amen. Amen. Would you stand? We're gonna sing about abiding in Christ. This is the way to get along.

Speaker 2For depend I depend on you for my still in front of me. Depend I

Speaker 1of

Speaker 2on you. You're the way, the truth, and life. You're the well that never runs dry. I'm the branch and you are the vine. Draw me close and teach me to abide.

Be my strength, my song in the night. Be my all my treasure, my pride. I'm yours forever. You're mine. Draw me close and teach me to When I pass through death as I the eternal life to be raised with Christ I depend on you runs dry.

I'm the the branch and you are the vine. Draw me close and teach me to abide. Be my strength, my song in the night. Be my all my treasure, my prize. I'm yours forever your mind.

Draw me close and teach me to abide.

Speaker 1Amen. Eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of pieces, Ephesians four. And then from Romans fifteen five and six, it says, may the God of endurance and encouragement grant you 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. I got one more thing to say. I was wrong in one of those sharp disagreements and I realized it two days later.

And then the other one, we were able to settle and come back together in unity. And praise God that he uses his scripture in our lives every stinking week if we let it. Amen.

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Christian Unity Church Disagreement Circumcision Acts 16 Missionary Conflict Second Chances Ministry

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