With One Mind: A Word Study Through Acts
First B Jackson
2025-09-07

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

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Well, good morning, everybody. How are y'all? There's just a few of us and I know that. But how are you? Really?

Doing alright. Would you stand with us? We had technical difficulties this morning in the first service that were driving us a little bit crazy. We think we have gotten most of those solved for this service. So, how about let's sing of our redeemer?

Hymn number 517. Amen. Y'all sound pretty good this morning. How about love lifted me? Nice, peppy, catchy number.

Love lifted me. Hymn number 5 zero me. All my heart to him I give, ever to him I'll glean. In his Amen. Y'all can have a seat.

I have a few announcements. The first one was all Bills was yesterday. Tanya and I actually got called away for a funeral down in Utah. So we were not able to be here, but I've heard great reports from everybody. One of the booths there was for It Takes a Bally and I'm gonna invite Allie to grab that microphone and come up and talk to you about this little organization.

Good morning. Hi. I'm Allie. I'm gonna start by asking you to imagine new parents walking out of the hospital with their newborn in the car seat going home for the first time. How do you think they're feeling?

God, you can shout it

out. Overwhelmed.

Overwhelmed. Nervous. Terrified. Okay. Now fast forward six weeks.

Both parents are feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, anxious about every noise the baby makes. Is this normal? Should I call the doctor? Now imagine going through that experience far from your family. In a community where you're still building connections with limited knowledge of what resources actually exist.

This is the reality for many of our families today. Nationally, perinatal mental health is the number one complication for childbirth. One in five women and one in ten men will experience a perinatal mood disorder. That's not the baby blues. This is clinical depression and anxiety that can last for months and years if not treated.

The tragedy is half of those cases will go completely undiagnosed because parents think, well, I'll tough it out. This is where It Takes Valley enters the scene. Our community has incredible perinatal resources. The problem isn't help doesn't exist, it's that parents can't find it when they're exhausted, overwhelmed, don't know where to look. We're not duplicating services or competing with other providers.

We're just partnering with organizations and healthcare professionals that already are working with people that are new or current parents. Our role is just to be the connector piece. So how does this work? Okay. First, we've built a current, easy to navigate website that showcases over 80 local perinatal resources.

Who are the doulas? Are there support groups? Who are the mental health professionals? What activities can I do with my two year old? We've done all the legwork so families don't have to.

Second, we help normalize this perinatal experience of starting or growing a family. Talking about hard conversations like infertility, miscarriage, birth trauma, mental health. When we share openly, we realize other people around us experience the same thing. Third, we help facilitate a free maternity infant clothing and gear swap. So here's how it works.

Families donate their outgrown child items. Babies wear their onesies for maybe a couple weeks and then we have volunteers sort and organize. And then the next day, anybody can come in and take whatever they need for free for their growing family. The swap has been happening since 2018, so you might have heard about it or possibly attended. This last event in April, we had 600 families attend and over a 100 volunteers help along with many community partners.

But the best part is we achieve a 100% landfill diversion. What doesn't get taken by local families goes on to support the Wind River Reservation for their own community baby shower. So nothing goes to waste, and our circle of care extends throughout Wyoming. So you might be thinking, well, this is cool, but I don't even have kids or my kids are grown. How does this affect me?

Well, here's how. Supported parents are more productive employees. They're more stable and engaged community members, and they choose to stay and raise their families here because they feel like they belong. So here's how you can help. First, spread the word.

Tell your employees, your friends, your community members, neighbors that might have young kids. Tell them that this resource exists and that families can discover the support they might need. Second, we have an incredible opportunity right now through old bills. We'd humbly ask you to consider a donation to It Takes a Valley if this resonates with you. Our goal is $30,000 to reach that maximum match amount.

That will help ensure the swap continues to be free and we can continue our collaboration efforts. Whether you're currently in this life stage or been there thirty years ago, you probably know families who could benefit. So your support helps create that safety net. It truly does take a valley to raise children. So visit our website, see what all of the resources are available, and consider a donation at Old Bills.

There's QR codes on the screen, but I also have some in the back as well. Thanks for letting me tell you about this important work.

And thank you. This is Ali with It Takes a Valley. Sorry for the rhyme. That's just the way it is. And we love her.

We've known her a long time, and she has been here in some form of Christian witness and ministry for a how long, Allie? In this valley? Almost twelve years. Almost twelve years. Yeah.

I was gonna say, we've been here thirteen full time, and she was not long behind us. Welcome and glad. Well, I've got a few more announcements. This is hey, there's a slide. Confirmation vote.

So there is a vote to confirm or not confirm, but it's a confirmation vote, Sunday, September 21. It'll be between services. It's a member's vote to vote on the search committee's recommendation of Van Jones. So Van Jones is a recommendation by the search committee out of the candidates that we have. And let me say one quick word.

So Jeff Brown is the local guy. We had three really good candidates and we feel like all of them were qualified. Jeff, pragmatically speaking, I was so raw, I just said, Jeff, would you do it to begin with? And he said that he would. And he didn't immediately start, but there he is.

Come on in, Jeff. He didn't know I was gonna make this announcement. But Jeff Brown is here. He's been ministering in this valley for how long, Jeff? Thirteen.

Thirteen years. I got here at almost the same time we did. And I love this guy. And so he is going to be a part of the staff, but the associate pastor that is coming probably around January is Van Jones, his wife Lauren and their four kids. They'll be moving out.

Jeff, I wanted you to see his face so that you know who he is. A lot of you have been seeing him for thirteen years and you didn't know his name, but he has been in ministry. He speaks English and Spanish very very well. His Spanish is better than mine whether he says it is or not. He connects well to to people and he's been a chaplain at the hospital and he's been a help at the parent teacher conversations, parent teacher stuff.

He's always been involved in that and he is a minister of the gospel who will be working here in the office and he's been working for McCooey, so he's kinda lessening with McCooey and he's raising up with us. But he's here. His wife, Sheila, their three boys came up through First Bees youth program. And if you wanna say anything, you're welcome to.

It's fine. I'll say

it I'll say

it out loud.

Okay.

It is wonderful to be part of this church. I am so grateful. We've been kind of lonely for a long time out there on our our own, and it's just incredible to be part of this and be part of all you. So I look forward to meeting you all. I will meet you all eventually until some of you leave for the winner.

Thanks guys for having me. Thank you, Joe.

Appreciate it. Thank you. He said you heard his name coming down the hall. So we ended up with two of the guys of those three good candidates. The other fellow is is going to a church in Texas and we already know that too.

But confirmation vote September 21 between services. Awana is starting Monday week, so a week from tomorrow, September 15 is Awana. If you want to register the kids, you can register them at firstbjackson.org. Registration is open, but if you show up at 05:45, you'll be able to register them the night of also, September 15. This one's one, it's an interesting one, horse whispering.

There will be a horse whispering up at the Diamond Cross Ranch on Sunday, September 21. So that is between that's just two weeks from today at 05:00 in the evening. So Grant Gollaher, Grant and Jane up at the Diamond Cross Ranch in Buffalo Valley. That's a It's a great ranch. It's a horse ranch, but what he does is take troubled horses or unbroken horses, bring them in and does a horse whispering and brings them to a place that is amazing.

It's something to be seen. I've I've witnessed it a couple times and I'm still blown away by it. So it's happening two weeks from today, 05:00 in the evening, Diamond Cross Ranch up in Buffalo Valley. You really ought to go to this thing. Now, I talked to Peter and Lauren Long who are related to that operation and she said logistically, we'll just have to see who shows up, but they have put it out there for all the churches in the valley to come up.

It's sort of in celebration of the life of Freckles, his dear horse that just passed and so he is bringing up this new horse through horse whispering. It is a Christian demonstration of some pretty amazing biblical principles. I would highly recommend you go. There's a Guatemala mission script coming up October 11 through the eighteenth. The October 11 date reminds me that's the date that we have settled off for Laurie Grant's funeral.

Laurie Grant's funeral will also be on October 11. JH Women's Community Bible Study is starting up. It'll be at the Press Church this time around. They'll cover the book of Genesis. That's a two hour span from ten to noon on Wednesdays and childcare is provided.

If you wanna sign up, you can do it at jhwomensbiblestudy.com and it's a limited time frame. So the fall section is September 10 through October 29. We have a group of ladies that meet here at the Fellowship Hall. Sisters Saved by Grace down the hall. It's a women's book study.

They have been going through books of the Bible. They're using a book this time called Praying with Power. Started this week but just barely got started on Thursday and it's ready to roll on forward. Books are $7. They're available in the office.

But Thursday's at 6PM. They sit together, they pray together, they eat usually, eat together, something sweet, and they study the book together. And it's a fantastic group of ladies on Thursday evenings. First BBQ, this is the last one we have scheduled for this summer. It happened between services, but the announcement is still up there, so there it is.

Get be looking for it next summer. And I already made the announcement about Van. If any of you have come over from Idaho, the Teton Valley Fellowship in Idaho will be meeting this Friday, and they are meeting at the plumber's place, John and Susan Plumbers place on Friday in the evening, six to eight ish. So that's for Teton Valley Idaho Fellowship that folks that come over the hill on Sundays are getting together on Fridays once a month. Is there anything else I forgot?

No. I hope not. Would you stand? We we sang a lot of people in from the vestibule and I think we're gonna sing a few more in now. I hope.

Would you stand and sing with me? Amen. How about a chorus of Jesus is lord of all? Actually, we're gonna sing the verses too. Jesus is lord of all.

Jesus is lord Amen. Y'all can have a seat and have a the ushers come forward. This is the worship through giving or the operatory time and I'd ask if you'd pray with me right where you sit and I'll be praying up here. Lord God almighty, we thank you for this lovely day. We thank you for the table fellowship outside for the getting together in your name gathered under your spirit, lord.

We pray that you would propel us towards what it is that you would have us do, that you'd give us the inkling at just the right time and the power to walk it out. We thank you as we are gathering this morning and hearing from your word and singing your praises and gathering for communion, Lord, that we would be granted togetherness in a in a very profound way, that the unity among us would be heavenly. So in Jesus name, Lord, I ask your blessing on this offering that you would use this body who's gathered in your name to bring other people into contact with the goodness of God and the gospel that is available through Jesus Christ, our lord. In Jesus name, we gather and pray and ask it. Your will to be done in your way.

Amen. Wow. Judy, what a journey. Beautiful. Beautiful.

Here we are gathered in his name. I have I am known for just starting where I left off last week but I gave you all fair warning. If you're here last week, it's a topical sermon and I was told after the first service this morning, that wasn't topical, it was a word study and this is the word. Okay? This is the word and I tend to shy away from topical preaching because I don't like agenda driven preaching.

I don't want for the agenda my agenda to be more important than God's agenda. So I typically just say the next thing, whatever next is next. But what I'm gonna do with this word, hope, is do a review of the book of Acts. We're gonna be reviewing the book of Acts because we're up to chapter 23 now in Acts and we've just been going one Sunday after another plotting through all of it And the story that Paul tells about his conversion is told three times and we've told it three twice already. I'm gonna give you a break this week.

We're gonna go through this. Is a Greek word that we typically translate into English in a clause and the clause is usually in one accord or in one mind or according to one impulse, in one impulse, with one impulse, or even according to one passion because it's an adverb. This is an adverb that describes the way a verb works. It is an adverb from a compound base of which is together in Greek. There are other ways to say that in Greek, soon or seen is the another way to say it, but is together or the same and then is usually either anger or wrath but it can just be passion and so, this word comes from these two combined according to one passion, according to one impulse, one mind, one accord.

So, I'm going to start and as is my custom going chronologically or just in order, we're going go in order. So we'll start at acts one and we'll go through each of the uses. The first few of them are not just good, but very very good. And I'm convinced that when Luke was writing this orderly account to Theophilus about things, he was using this word very specifically in one accord or with one mind that's translated right here. So, I'll do kind of a brief review of acts as we go through this one word, burn study, one word study of Hamathumadon.

Hamathumadon is used in one fourteen here but if you think back to what happened in acts one eight, Jesus is speaking to his disciples who are gathered and he speaks to him and says, you are going to be my witnesses. You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem which is where they were, in Judea, in Samaria, and to the uttermost part. And we have taken on the study of acts and we have seen that get over those bounds and we're gonna be recovering that today. So here we go. Then they returned from Mount Of Olives where Jesus was ascending into heaven.

They returned to Jerusalem from the Mount Of Olives which is near Jerusalem. It's just a Sabbath day's journey away and when they had entered into the city, Jesus said, stay here in this city until you're imbued with power from on high. You're gonna be my witnesses. So they were being obedient. Hey, that's novel concept.

When they had entered into the city, they went up to the upstairs room where they were staying and that is Peter and John and James and Andrew and Philip and Thomas and Bartholomew and Matthew and James, son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas, son of James, not to be confused with Judas Iscariot. All of these were continually devoting themselves Haumathoumedon in one accord with one mind, with one impulse and they were devoting themselves in that way together to prayer. Along with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus and with Jesus' brothers, they were all there together in one mind with one accord and that is what Jesus had asked them to do. If you think back just a few days from this point before this point when Jesus was praying in the garden, his high priestly prayer in John 17 and he says, father, may they, my disciples, my followers, and not just them, but all who would come after them by their testimony, would you make them one unified just like we are one. Unity is very, very, very important to Jesus.

It's one of his last things that he prayed before the cross and then they here they are. We find them emulating that and going after it with one mind in prayer, devoting themselves all of them together. I'd say, I give that a green light. That's a good one. Okay?

Not always good. It's a good one in this case though. Second chapter, what happens in the second chapter of Acts? By the way, when I was in seminary, I had a class called Acts through Revelation. It was Acts through Revelation in one semester.

And at the end of the semester, he said, okay, here's a blank sheet and it said Acts one all the way up through 28, and then Romans one all the way through 16 and it said, what happened in each chapter? Yeah. So, I'm gonna give you a little guide on Acts here. What happens in Acts two, the day of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and when he comes in like tongues of a flame of fire fire, it says, before we get to this portion, it says, and they were confused because they understood. There were a bunch of believers gathered together in one accord, It says, and then when the Holy Spirit came down, all of the other people were able to hear in their own language and it said, they were confused because they understood.

Aren't all those guys Galileans and yet we hear them in our own language. God is a god of order who is bringing order out of chaos. Now, as this happened after Pentecost, everyone kept on feeling a sense of awe and many wonders and signs were taking place through these apostles. Miracles were authenticating the message and all the believers were together and they had all things in common and they would sell the property and possessions and share them with all to the extent that anyone had need and day by day, continuing homothumedon, continuing in one mind. So what they had had at the upper room, they still were having it together in the temple.

That's great. So they're gathering for corporate worship in one mind of one accord and they were breaking bread together from house to house. Did I mention the first BBQ that was out here this morning? Table fellowship is really, really, really important in the New Testament. This weekend, Tanya and I mentioned that we we went to a funeral yesterday down in Willard, Utah and the night before in Ogden, we had supper with the family that was grieving, some of the family that were grieving, close friends.

And there's nothing that replaces table fellowship. It's it's an opening and it's we all have to eat and to get together and do that is very important. It comes up a lot in scripture. So, all believers gathered day by day continuing HaMathumedon in the temple and breaking bread from house to house. They were taking their meals together with gladness and with sincerity of heart.

They they loved it. They meant to be together and they were praising God, Hamathumadan, having favor with all the people and the Lord was adding to their number day by day, those who are being saved. To be unified is really special and it is really attractive. In this case, it's a great thing because people are being added to the number of believers every day because the believers were acting like Jesus taught them to act. So that's a good one.

Four, what happened in chapter four? After the day of Pentecost, after they had had some resistance, let's say, when they were preaching, John and Peter were arrested and when they're arrested, they were beaten and they were told never to preach again in this name but when they had been released in chapter four, they went to their own companions reported everything that the chief priest and the elders had said to him. They said, yeah, you can't do this anymore, but what are we going do? Obey God or man? When they heard this, they raised their voices to God with one accord, in one accord, in one mind, according to one passion, and they said, Lord, it is you who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything that's in them, who by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of our father, David your servant said, why were the nations insolent and why did the peoples plot in vain?

This is Psalm two, it's a messianic Psalm. Psalm two, they're quoting, the kings of the earth take their stand and in this case, the government that was over them in the temple was telling them, do not do what God had said you should do. Why is it that the kings in the earth took their stand and the rulers gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ? They literally were saying, do not preach again in Jesus name. But with one mind, they acknowledge that they must follow after God and not after the traditions of men.

So, I'd say that's a good one too. Verse chapter five, here we are, chapter five. So now, we've had Jesus's, you're gonna be my witnesses and in chapter two, you're imbued with power from on high and now that message can start going out from Jerusalem into Judea and to Samaria and the rest of the world. And then, three, they hit resistance. Chapter four, they're beaten but they pray for boldness to keep on preaching in Jesus name.

And chapter five, at the hands of the apostles, many signs and wonders were taking place among the people. The miracles were authenticating the message of Messiah Jesus and they were homothumedon in Solomon's portico. They were actually gathered together for corporate worship and corporate proclamation of the word of God. They were all together in Solomon's portico but none of the rest of the folks that were around dared to associate with them. Look at what is going on over there.

Can you see this? It's saying, what they're doing is amazing but it kind of scares me. Okay, folks who grew up in church, have you ever been to a church that you felt a little bit scared about? Are any of you feeling that way right now? Sorry.

I'm in Acts. It's a little scary for Baptist sometimes. None of the rest dare to associate. However, the people held him in high esteem. They did recognize that what was going on was pretty amazing and they liked it.

Increasingly, believers in the Lord, large numbers of men and women were being added to their number. This is a movement that is a foot and it's a good thing. People are getting healed such an extent that they even brought in their sick out into the streets. They laid them on cots and pallets so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall over them And the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem. Okay.

So here we see, Jesus said, you're gonna be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in Judea. So the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem are in Judea. And they come in together as well, bringing their people who were sick or those tormented by unclean spirits. And then they were all being healed. Do you see the gospel going forward?

Hamathumadon. They're all in one accord and they were the witnesses. I'd say that one's a good one too. Chapter six. What happens in chapter six?

Alright. Here we are at chapter seven. But chapter six, they Stephen is the beginning of the trial or the speech of Stephen. In chapter seven fifty four, here we go. So, this is the place where Jesus has said, you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, but they were hold up in Jerusalem, really.

Now, of the Judeans had come in and they were ministered to in Jerusalem, but really they had been hold up and they had not been scattered. But here we are in chapter seven. It says, now, when they heard this and this is the Jewish crowd that had gathered around Stephen, he had been telling them their history but the ending of it was with Messiah Jesus and not the way that they wanted to hear it and so when they heard this, they were infuriated, they began gnashing their teeth at him, they were so angry but he being full of the Holy Spirit, he looked intently into heaven, he saw the glory of God and he saw Jesus standing up at the right hand of God and he said, behold, I see the very heavens opened up and the son of man is standing at the right hand of God but they shouted with loud voices, gritting their teeth and they covered their ears, I don't want to hear anymore about Jesus and they rushed at him with one mind. It is possible to be and be wrong. So, Stephen is pointing towards the glory of God and the goodness of Jesus as savior and son of man.

Now, when they had driven him all the way out of the city, they began stoning him and the witnesses laid aside their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. We've been talking a lot about that young man lately. They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and he said, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit and then he fell on his knees. He cried out with a loud voice. Lord, do not hold this sin against them.

Having said this, he fell asleep. Now, there was a homothumodon in this one that's I would say, give me a red light on that one. They were against God but they were stridently against and they were completely unified against. Now, who would you say Stephen was aligned with? Doesn't his closing prayer sound a whole lot like Jesus' father forgive them for they know not what they do from the from the yeah.

He is in one mind according to one purpose. He was sharing what he was sharing, not just grandstanding. He was presenting them with an option of repenting and turning to Jesus. Lord, don't hold this against them and having said that, he died. Seven fifty fours.

I'm sorry. I didn't change where this is. This is up into it's a different chapter. Hold on just a second. I missed that in the first service.

Eight six eight. So this is chapter eight. Next chapter. It's in order. So, therefore, those who had been scattered, think about that.

So, they had been hold up in Jerusalem where they were comfortable and they thought this was the best place to be but Jesus had told them, you're gonna be my witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria. So, this says, Philip, after the stoning of Stephen, As difficult as that was, that was the impetus that scattered the church and scattered them into the places that Jesus had said they would be his witnesses. So therefore, those who had been scattered went through places preaching the word. Now, went down to the city of Samaria and he began proclaiming the Christ to them. Oh, you remember John four?

Jesus is speaking to the Samaritan woman and we could do the whole sermon there but basically, what he says when she receives the good word that he is the Messiah, the prophet, the Taheb that he'd been looking for, that they had been looking for. Think about this, we think often and we hear in a Christmas carol, long lay the world and sin in error, pining for the day when Messiah would be real. Judaism had been waiting for Messiah and they were in the process of rejecting it and Samaria just half breeds by considered that way by the Jews. Samaritans still had the Pentateuch. They still had the first five books of Moses and Moses had said in Deuteronomy eighteen eighteen, y'all be looking for one that the Lord will raise up a prophet like me from among you.

He will raise him up and you should listen to him and that's how Jesus introduced himself to that woman. I see that you are a prophet and he basically said, I am the prophet. I'm the one you've been looking for. So, Christ has already gone ahead of them into Samaria. The Holy Spirit is certainly active presenting the illumination to the word that they have which is the first five books of the Bible and now Philip is taking it seriously when he got out of Jerusalem.

Later on, he's called Philip the evangelist but he's already practicing it here. Philip went down to Samaria and began proclaiming the Christ to them. Now, the crowds were paying attention. How? With one mind.

They were there intent on listening to what he said, to what was being said by Philip as they heard and they saw the signs that he was performing. So, the miracles again in Acts proved they authenticate the message. For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them, they were shouting with a lot loud voice and many who had been paralyzed or limped on crutches were healed. There was so much rejoicing in that city and part of the reason there was so much rejoicing in that city is because they gathered in one mind to hear the truth about Messiah Jesus. Amen.

Why'd y'all come this morning? Together to hear the truth about Messiah Jesus. Okay, Acts 12. I know we're going rather quickly. Now, he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon.

This is Herod, Herod the king speaking. Herod, kind of a pompous jerk. Now, he was very angry the people of Tyre and Sidon and they, the people of Tyre and Sidon with one man, Homothumadah, they came to him, to Herod, and having won over blast us, the right hand man, the king's chamberlain. They were asking for peace because their country was supported with the grain from the king's country. Herod, king of the Jews was politically important to the kingdoms of Tyre and Sidon and so they came to him and whether they bribed, blast us, or they flattered, blast us, we don't really know, but it was a political move with one man that came to him and on an appointed day, after putting on his royal apparel, Herod making himself look as good as he could.

He took his seat on the rostrum and he began delivering an address to them and the people repeatedly cried out. All these people who needed something from him were flattering him. They cried out, oh, the voice of a God and not of a man. You're so wonderful. And immediately, an angel of the Lord struck down Herod dead because he did not give the glory to God and he was eaten by worms and he died.

So, it says, is this a good one or a bad one? I'd say that's a bad one. They were together in one accord but they were together in one accord just looking for their own. They were there looking for their own and it's not so bad to look out for your own good. I mean, but in the light of the gospel and in the light of Jesus' teachings, we're supposed to be looking out not just for our good but for others.

Political alliances is what this looks like and it is possible to be homothemedon in one accord and be wrong. So, since we have heard that some of our number, this is the Jerusalem Council from Acts 15. Acts 15, the Jerusalem Council convenes and by this point, we've seen the gospel going forward in Gentile lands on the first missionary journey and Paul and Barnabas see that God is working among the Gentiles. He's using Messiah Jesus as a light to the Gentiles and when they accept the gospel, there is a question that's rising up of whether they need to follow the Jewish law or not. Now, they're Gentile background believers and Paul himself is a Jewish background believer and he knows that there's going to be a rub between these two and so, wisely, I believe, he and Barnabas come back with other folks, Gentiles and Jews and they come back, Christians all.

They come back to Jerusalem and they convene a council. What are we gonna do to keep this from being two different things? We're called to unity in Christ. How are we going to unify in Christ? Jewish background and Gentile background folks.

And so James and the other elders at the Jerusalem Council, verse 24, said this, since we, this is in the middle of a letter that they're writing to all the Gentile churches. Since we have heard that some of our number from here in Jerusalem to whom we gave no instruction, they have confused you by their teaching and they have been upsetting your souls. The group of people that he's referring to here are the Judaizers who are presenting, if you're going to accept Christ, you gotta first accept the whole Jewish law and follow it to a tee before we will allow you to be baptized into Christ. You gotta be Jewish to be Christian and that's not what they had determined to be true. The Jerusalem council, since we've heard some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have confused you by their teaching, upsetting your souls.

It seems good to us. Having become Hamathoumaddon. Wait a second. You can become Hamathoumaddon? You don't just have to start off there?

Yes. This is a gathering. It's a council. It's like a meeting that you would have and you know what it's like to be in a meeting when you can't agree and it's like, oh, this factions and sides and this is not going to be good. We've got these two things or these three things and we've got real clear distinctions between the two groups and both of them think they're right and they might be of one mind each but they're not of one mind.

This says in the council, it seemed good to us. In politics today, compromise is a dirty word. It's a dirty word in our society in a lot of ways that you can't compromise, you must have it all. But if we must have it all all the time, then there is not going to be a good for both sides. It's going be good for one side at a time.

It seemed good to us. Having become of one mind that we would select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ for it seemed good to not just us but to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon all of y'all no greater burden than these essentials. This is not the sum of the Jewish law. This is what they're asking for from the Gentile background believers in Jesus. Y'all abstain from things that are sacrificed to idols.

That's a real struggle for us as Jews. We know that God is one. We know we're not supposed to have any gods before him. We know that and so please abstain from meat that's offered to idols because table fellowship would be impossible with us if you were eating things sacrificed to idols. That's reasonable.

And from blood, that's draining the blood out of it is something that they would do and not all Gentiles did. So would you abstain from that and from things strangled because that's against the rules and it would be gross for a Jew to eat something that had been in either of these three any of these three categories. And the last one says, and from acts of sexual immorality. As good Jewish folks, they had been raised with an understanding about sexuality that was holy and good and from the law that God had given and it was pure and for the most part, the Gentile cultures did not have the same laws. They might have had some different taboos but they're saying that just these four things, not the whole 613 laws that we go by, just these four things.

Boom, boom, boom, and then after that, it's not even saying you must. It's saying, if you keep yourselves free from these things, you're going to do well. Isn't that even a soft way to say that? It's if you'll keep yourself free from these things, you'll do well. Farewell.

We wish you well. There's not any kind of animosity. Jewish believers first, Gentile believers second. It's not like that. So, the Jerusalem Council, I'd say that's a good one and here we are but I will say this, it was achieved.

It was that was achieved. The other stuff might seem lofty and it might seem like it was just a description of what was happening. This is something that they're saying that if you will get together and you will pray together and you will humble yourself together, God will lead you to be together in one accord. Acts 18, we've only got a couple of them left and then I'll summarize, sum up. But while Galileo was proconsul of Achaia, this is when I don't think this is a good one and it was at Corinth.

While Gallio was the proconsul of Achaia, the Jews rose up Homothumedon against Paul. So, they rose up in one accord against Paul and they brought him before the judgment seat saying, this man is inciting the people to worship God contrary to the law. But when Paul was about to open his mouth, he didn't even have to open his mouth. Galileo says to the Jews, if it were a matter of some crime or vicious unscrupulous act, oh Jews, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you. But if there are questions about teaching in persons in your own law, y'all just deal with it yourselves, y'all can get together on this, I'm sure, but they were saying they weren't and they wanted the authorities to kill or put him in prison, kill him like they had done Jesus.

You see to it yourselves. I'm unwilling to be a judge over these matters. I don't see anything that's happened that's wrong and he drove them away from the judgment seat but they all took hold of the leader of the synagogue and they began beating him right in front of the judgment seat and yet Galileo really wasn't concerned about any of these things. Christianity is is innocent before the law and that's what Gallio was saying. They still were angry and they were altogether angry about it.

And in '19, this is actually in Ephesus. It's a similar scene. It's a near riot at the theater. When they heard this, they were filled with rage. They began shouting, great is Artemis of the Ephesians.

Great is Artemis of the Ephesians. The text elsewhere says, they screamed that for two straight hours. What a show. The city was filled with confusion. Now, I had said earlier in Acts, in Acts two, the day of Pentecost, it says, and people were confused because they understood.

This is not like that. This is just confusion. The city was filled with confusion. They rushed together into the theater, Homothumodon, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's Macedonian traveling companions and when Paul wanted to go into the assembly, the disciples would not let him. I I kept this latter portion in here because verse 32 cracks me up every time I read it.

There were some Asiarchs who were friends who'd sent word to him repeatedly, don't go in there Paul. Please don't go in there Paul. I know it seems like a good gathering for you to talk to. Please don't. So then, some were shouting one thing.

Greatest Artemis of Ephesians. We know that's one of them and then some were shouting another and that could have been the Jews who were saying, no. No. He's wrong for a different reason. It's not because Artemis is right.

It's because he's wrong about Messiah. We don't know exactly what it was but it says, the assembly was in confusion and the majority of people didn't even know for what reason they come together. Does that sound like our day? It does sound like our day. A lot of people are just yelling one thing in Homo Thumadon, another set or is yelling Homo Thumadon in a completely different it's like they're on two different planets, and then the majority have no idea what to believe.

I don't think that's a good thing. I think this is just mostly saying hooray for our side from the There's Something Happening Here song. Do you all know that song? Buffalo Springfield. There's something happening here, what it is ain't exactly clear.

Yeah. Young people carrying signs mostly just say hooray for our side, not for everybody, just for our side. This is kind of what the scene is right there. So, Hamathemuddon, that's all of the occurrences in Acts. Word study, Hamathemuddon, there it is.

All of the occurrences. Is it prescriptive like y'all should be together in one accord or is it descriptive? I think for the most part, it is descriptive for the most part. It's saying this these are the are the conditions that existed at the time when these things happened. It's a describing thing.

But if you know that, then isn't it a prescription for how we should go together forward? It is. And the way I can say that is biblically also because the next occurrence that we have of it, the only other occurrence that we have of this word homothumedon in the Bible is right there. In Romans 15, at the very end of this theological treaties that gives us good practice, how to put it all into practice. At the end of the book of Romans, we see this blessing and it says now, after finishing his whole argument and chapters 14 specifically being about unity, he closes with this.

Now, may the God who gives perseverance. Be willing to stick it out until you get to the place of being in one mind in Christ. May the God who gives perseverance and encouragement, may he grant you to be of the same mind with one another. That's a different way of saying in one accord, in one mind, in one purpose. It's very similar but it's different.

To be of the same eye with one another according to Christ Jesus so that with one purpose, according to one mind, together with one another in Jesus and with one voice, we may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is a prescription for how we should proceed forward together. Now, we're going to go straight from that and into a time of communion and I'll invite the ushers to come forward and I should say, we practice an open table. I'm looking around the room and I'm seeing different backgrounds. I know that on most Sundays, we have about 40 different denominational backgrounds that are coming together.

I want for you to consider this, every single one of us has been called out of the culture of our origin and into the ecclesia, the called out ones, the body of Christ and it is based upon his perfect life that was well lived, an example but also a perfect record that is available for anyone who would accept it, who would accept Jesus. Through his voluntary and sacrificial death on the cross, through the blood that was shed of the innocent. We have a way, the only way to reach Father God. So, I'm gonna pray right now and as we distribute this, you are welcome. It's an open table.

You do not have to be Baptist. Just if you have placed your trust in Christ, then you may partake. In Jesus name, I pray Lord that we would recognize the depth of the emptying of yourself that you did. You left the glories of heaven. You came to this earth, born, poor, and walked it out in perfect submission to the spirit, obeying the will of the father, and Jesus, thank you for walking that out.

Thank you for as difficult as it was when you're praying for prayer for unity and then for that cup to pass. If it were possible and the answer from father God is there is no other way. We know that there's only one mediator between God and man and that's you, Jesus. So, I pray lord that you'd bless everyone that partakes of this little cracker representative of the body of Christ. A perfect record walked out on this Earth.

You did not fail Jesus as Adam failed under probation and every one of us since him has. You did not. That perfect record is available for all who would believe. In Jesus name, we ask your blessing on this little representation as we distribute it. Amen.

So on the same evening that Jesus was betrayed, in an upper room, he took bread after supper and after he had given thanks for it, he said to his disciples there and his voice rings out through the gospels to us. This is my body which is given for you. Take and eat of this and do it as often as you will in remembrance of me. Lord Jesus, we do this in remembrance of you. In one mind, with one purpose, according to one passion and that passion lord is yours.

So for the innocent blood that you spilled voluntarily and sacrificially on our behalf, we are thankful and we come together to celebrate an end to sin. Be of sin the double cure saves us from wrath lord but it also makes us pure. So as we distribute this little plastic cup of grape juice, I pray that we would recognize it as a remembrance of the blood that was spilled on Calvary. In Jesus name, for his purpose. Amen.

I believe that this life with its great mysteries surely In the same manner that he had taken the bread, he also took the cup after supper and he said to them, this is the new covenant in my blood. They had longed for that new covenant. We all fail under the old covenant. It shows us our need for a savior and Jesus was saying, this is the new covenant in my blood. Take this, drink it in, do it as often as you will in remembrance of me.

Amen. And Paul says later on in Corinthians that as often as we do this, we proclaim his death until he comes again. Would you stand with me? I think we're just gonna close with the doxology. Judy, if that's alright.

She's gonna give us a g and here we go. Amen. And go in peace.