When Drinking, Politics, Cussing, and Circumcision Divide A Church

Katie Greer explained the Jewish dilemma.

We could barely keep those laws ourselves, and we were born Jews why we project this burden on the Gentiles. In other words, none of these law say this anyway.

They make us closer to God. What what we did that made us close to God is what Jesus had done. We put faith in what Jesus said… We were doing.

That's what saved us so that's what makes you close to God, while we project is burned onto 13 Greer I'm your host Molly benefits weird teaching series titled as we explore the mission of the early church. Throughout the book of acts. Pastor Ginny reminds us that early church was anything but vanilla it was full of people from all kinds of backgrounds and ethnicities.

You know what that diversity was designed by God's if you miss any of the previous messages in this study the book of acts you can catch up online for if you'd like to complete, unedited message transcripts download them for free Katie Greer.com. Now here's castigating.the very first time tells the rather remarkable story of how a group of ordinary people, blue-collar workers and got collectors and a few women started the greatest religious movement in history.

The story by any measure whether you're a Christian or not just the story itself is really rather remarkable member of a larger assignment given to a less qualified group of people that Jesus raised from the dead will review your coverage, raising the dead. He gets his disciple together this ragtag group in acts chapter 1 analysis of them on the side of a mountain. Your job now right is to take this message and to spread all around the world and make disciples of people in every nation and then ask one says after he said that floated off of the atmosphere and think about what that moment was like for them immediately are just floats off exact ones as he goes up, the cloudiness disappears, looking at each other and finally one I'm sad to see the whole world to know how big the world is clear from where berries got an obligate is, and then they say they stand there and then and then and then they begin, and somehow, here we are 2000 years later as a result of what they began to what they begin to do, how do they do it. How did.group of people who would never been more than 50 miles outside of their home towns speak no other languages. How did they start the largest religious movement in history with no money, no education, no power, nothing.

The answer we saw glass no time to study. This is really two things. One day Jesus gave them the gift of the Holy Spirit which was his spirit which would guide them and empower them to build the church. Jesus said I will build my church that you not your to build the church for me.

You get the sense study the book of acts that are being moved by this unseen hand. The time the disciples are doing the wrong thing you do this, Holy Spirit overcoming what they do so that the apostles and other heroes. It's this this force that is moving them. I showed you that the very first verse in the book of acts. Acts 11. Luke, who is the author of acts is also the author of the Gospel of Luke, Luke says the former board meeting. The gospel will Luke I wrote to you to tell you all the things that Jesus began to do and to teach will began to do and teach implies that he continues now to do and teach you things in the book of acts. In other words, it's not that in the Gospel of Luke was Jesus that was doing all the work around the book of acts is the church doing the work, it's that Jesus started his incarnate body in the gospel, Luke, and now he is continuing his work on earth the church council.

Once he gave them the Holy Spirit. The second thing that that was true of them that made them so successful as they were absolutely certain of the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead and what that meant was that whenever they encounter an obstacle or something opposition that's what they fell back on when they were confronted with questions they couldn't answer really got an argument that they couldn't win they were likable but Jesus rose from the dead you ever been in an argument with a really smart person who is as much more knowledgeable much more educated and you and you know never wrong about something, but you just couldn't show map because they're just too good with words and arguments when it seems that the apostles got in the situations a lot. For example, acts chapter 4 is in the midst of his argument with religious leaders about. I realize you guys are way more educated me. I was away smarter. Here's something there was this guy and he was dead and he became alive and no offense to your education or your intelligence, but to choose between graduate degrees in the walls. Another guy who crawled out of the great God crawled out of the great right so this is if you really believe if you really believe Jesus raising the change how you approach difficult questions. I mean, you know like glass veto like you know I just had this problem in an object of this is why not a Christian usually asked my might look right know this conversation right here right now. Jesus appeared rose from the dead writer for your eyes and he said to you.

Hey, that's a great question. There is an answer to it, but I'm not to give it to you right now and by coming to give it to you, even while your live you have a way to heaven for me to answer that question is that if you sold that, would you be willing know what this would you be willing to suspend your unbelief because the Jesus you raise from the dead told you to trust him for a few years and almost always say yes message so the issue is not your objection because she was the fact that you're not really commencing Jesus raising the dead.

Because if you're convinced Jesus raising the dead. It actually gives you the ability to believe the things are really difficult but we explain Faith around here is the unexplainable. That's the questions I can answer the undeniable fact that Jesus raising the dead. I believe there is more than sufficient evidence asserted Jesus raising the dead. And that's what propelled the disciples to the most fierce opposition when they faced obstacles they could never common Robert put their leaders in the prison whether families were being fed the lions when they had no money they spent Jesus rose from the dead, and he can overcome that obstacle certainly overcome an obstacle like no money or the fact rose against us church if we believe that Jesus rose from the dead. What kind of confidence will that give us in our mission as we go forward to make disciples of people in Raleigh-Durham and all the different parts Raleigh-Durham and all around the world and the answer is, it gives us great confidence so acts is the story of how this earthly community that is filled with the spirit ensure the resurrection with no money, no power, nothing else to their name spread that gospel message over the air over the entire planet and along the way Luke, who is the author of acts is going to stop to tell you stories about things that happened to this first church so you and I can learn from their example about the church that we are part of in our day and that brings us to accept 15.

Should you have a Bible, you have an opening there yet accept 15 were to begin might burst one the church encounters a problem until you could have significantly derailed the church, had they not handled it exactly the way that they did want to overstate this, but this was a subtle danger look that dangerous. On the surface but had they not done it the way that they did it match 15 you and I would probably not be sitting here today. Now also tell you that a lot of people free to book of acts of business don't preach on this tax because it is about a theological debate and theological debates can be bore reading right right but this one is going answer some really important questions for a for example, what role should politics play in the church like Republican and Democrat, stuff also we talk about that in the church. How should we handle gray areas like is it okay to drink alcohol, or if marijuana is legalized in North Carolina. Is it okay for a Christian to smoke marijuana and what you do it people your small group disagree on those questions about alcohol how do you, how should you handle that and and and even what should you do when a new believer cusses inserts summary like this passage deals with with all that, say that so your IBM, but let's unpack the story first.

Okay I'm verse one, but some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. Now a lot of the first Christians were Jews and Jews have been raised on Old Testament law.

One of the most important Old Testament laws was that you needed to be circumcised. It was a God-given sign that separated the people of God for the people of the world. So a lot of these new Jewish Christians were teaching like what you really want to be a child of God).

The book of Deuteronomy. Gotta be circumcised what this meant was that the new members classes in the early church primarily consisted of women and children right when I went starting point in the member on the card, one is not so sure about this Anita pray about this for a few weeks longer.

I'm verse two and after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them. Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go back to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders talk about this question that you should keep in mind this is right in the middle of the apostle Paul's ridiculously successful missionary and writing career comes when churches and voices all over the world, but it never had a church on top 90s writing books that you and I are going to still be studying 2000 years later with your author and you have a book of still being studied. 10 years later that's considered wildly successful. You got Paul writing books all of which we still study 2000 years later my own wife could probably not tell you. All three books that I have written, Paul is in a ridiculously successful career and he's given us. Back to Jerusalem on foot, mind you, which is a long way in order to talk about this problem. So whatever this is so significant he's going to stop playing churches and stop writing books about a bill of this verse six the apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter and there after there had been much debate, which means a lot of yelling. Peter stood up and said to them, brothers, you know that in the early days, God made a choice among you by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe in God, who knows the heart bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit. Just like he did to us when we believe he made no distinction between us circumcised and damn the uncircumcised having cleanse their hearts by faith. Just like you. Cleanse our hearts. Now therefore why are you testing God by placing the yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear. She there were 613 Jewish laws.

Circumcision, which is one of those 612 others what you guys but I never felt like I was keeping them all and I was born a Jew refers. I can hardly keep them straight. How long will we call for who we welcome the Sabbath. Again we llama me was that I'm going how about turkey bacon. Does that make the cut on what about yoga pants is not a forbidden fabric was just bad taste for guys, what's what's no matter how hard I tried to keep these laws. I never felt like I was measuring up Jew that is how you Bartholomew. She thought you were keep them all Matthews you thought you had a good track record on those know if we could barely keep those laws ourselves, and we were born Jews why we project this burden on the Gentiles.

Verse 11 but we believe that we will be saved to the grace of the Lord Jesus just as they will. In other words, now these law say this anyway. They make us closer to God. What what we did that made us close to God is what Jesus had done. We put faith in what Jesus is God, not what we were doing. That's what saved us so that's what makes you close to God, while we project this burden onto verse 12 in all, the assembly fell silent, and then they listen to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had gone through them among the Gentiles. After they finished speaking, James, who is you recall, by the way, the half-brother Jesus told you that before, which is one of the big reasons I believe Jesus actually rose from the dead. James is now the fact the leader of the church. I told you it's it's an easy concept to get your mind around you, you have an older brother drank it take to convince you that he was God and raised from the dead right that's something a lot of convincing right.

James believes that his older brother is God. That just shows me that this was right. James replied brothers listen to me, is my judgment, therefore, that listen that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who were turning to God. I would like to suggest that we engrave that phrase into the cornerstone of this church and we engrave it into the heart of every single member who is a part of our church. Any obstacle that we can eliminate any opposition that we can get rid of.

I think we ought to.

Even when it involves preferences for things that I really like in church even when it involves things I've gotten very comfortable with. I think about it. You see one in my preaching in my preaching.

I don't want to make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God because I use a bunch of how much of terms I don't understand. I don't want to become a church that is full of clicks that are nearly impossible to penetrate and make it difficult for Gentiles in turning to God because I just don't know how to get along here. Nor do I want to make it difficult because we present as a church. This artificial façade that makes everybody think we got it all together and so people coming here and the like. I had nothing in common with these people right.

Many minute search for so long that you forgotten this. What if your, far from God, you show up, you can always people walking around. I would like. I step out of the J.Crew magazine and I got there no Bibles under their arms and the naked baby Angels and a frog. Her smile and your brother imply God bless you and God bless you and looking inside I still belong here right because earlier souls like a stock photo family and and I just don't know if I belong here in the church I grew up in, you dressed up.

That's is what you did you receive your on Sunday to Sunday best right in and he did. That is respect to God and so on that note, totally distant on that but was a woman in our church you would never dress up one time I asked her and she said it's because there are people who come to this church, whose lives don't look anything like everybody here dressed up and I want them to see at least one person here they can say what we somebody else here is like me and I balk right, so we have to make it not difficult for Gentiles were turning to God and how we do our church.

I don't want to make it difficult for gas drawn here when they hear God is at work here, but they get here in our facilities or amass the parking is is is disastrous for 10 rooms are overcrowded. All because we don't have enough volunteers to sit here yelling about the need to volunteer because I want you to do a good deed I'm doing because I don't want us to make it difficult for the Gentiles were turning to God.

I don't want to make it difficult for people turning to God because I mock or speak condescendingly about people who are on the outside because that's what turned a lot of people off the church to begin with. I don't want to make it difficult for African-Americans or Asians or people of other races that are turning to God because we have no multicultural representation or leadership so they assume that to become a Christian means you capitulate to some other culture that's not yours.

I don't want to make it difficult for those struggling with same-sex attraction were turning to God by stigmatizing that sin or treating it as if it's any different than my own and I talk to a lesbian girl ran into her out in the community somewhere and she said she said you know I go to your church on and off just as I don't see why your church is not because you say would always want to hear Jesus invite you make me mad a lot she said but she said I go there because you don't treat my sin, as if it's any different than yours and I get the sense when you open the Bible that you just tell me what God says I do not change in it to fit what I wanted to say thank you is why don't agree with it yet I at least know you're speaking to me in truth and I at least know that you don't treat me as any fundamentally different than you. I don't want to make it difficult for people like her to come at the come to God. I don't want to make it difficult for for Democrats to come to God by mixing secondary political positions of the gospel message. I will make it difficult for Republicans by doing the same thing I want to make it difficult for Duke fans to come to God by rubbing it in their face and they got eliminated in the first round this year. The I want to make it difficult for state fans. What now that they haven't had a great teams of 1982 I just you catch my drift. In all this. Listen we got a message that is life or death, and there is no other message secondary message, no matter how important matter how much I love it that should ever get in the way of the primary message is the primary message is the only message I got is given me to make famous in this area.

Verse 20 instead we should write to them, the Gentiles, that is, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality and from the meat of strangled camels, and from blood and he read a jewellike because he looked around list right don't have a moral sectional choke animals to death.

You know like I so what is this about what sexual immorality sexual route in the pagan world.

Sexual immorality was a success because the common practice.

Nobody thought was wrong to say he was wrong to save sex for something only be to be done in marriage was as foreign to them as it would be your college fraternity today. Right. And so you saying to them, remind them that the moral commands of God have not changed. Now let me make this clear moral commitment. What if you only take that one.

He's not saying that it's okay to murder and why am steel just don't have sex outside of marriage. It's just that that one was the only moral commandment that Gentiles commonly accepted as being okay see for 2000 years. Christian theologians listen have distinguished between the moral commands of God in the Old Testament and then do what we call the ceremonial or the religious or civil commands that are in the Bible and what you saying the dimmest held in the moral commands of God are still in fact, because God doesn't change and what God thought was impure 2000 years ago thinks is impure today. Okay what you said.

Okay, that explains that little but not eating meat from strangled animals and from blood and that the food polluted by idols. Things were really offensive to Jews Versus 21 Ray says you know and all the synagogues, this is Rick what he means is all Jews, live this way. Listen, this is important to tell the new Gentile Christians do not offend the Jews don't make it difficult for other Jews stood to be around them because they just do things that are flagrantly offensive to them. Everybody was like whoa when the Swiss went from 613 lost on it to. Which are basically avoid sexual immorality or and and I don't offend the Jews.

That's quite a reduction by the way, I hear a lot of people say this to me you conservative Christians you would take the Bible seriously just pick and choose the part of the Bible you like Mel 20 Leviticus I see you mail the stuff about sex, but what about the stuff stuff about the dietary restrictions, not even hamburger cheese on it not wear polyester and I kind of stuff from why do you obey the Bible and sex but not all these other things you're inconsistent.

No see. We are under the authority of the Bible. Until that authority tells us that part of it is no longer binding when not taken in choosing and putting aside the dietary and the ceremonial restrictions were just putting aside what the Bible tells us to put aside the Bible tells us to continue to observe the moral dimensions of the wall because God doesn't change how we can put aside the ceremonial. The dietary the fabric restriction Christ has fulfilled all those things in his life and death through exactly the Bible tells us to do.

It's not it's not it's not inconsistent. Verse 22 today since Judas then another one who betrayed Jesus but awake. Nobody was dead but another one and Silas leading minimum the brothers with the following letter, greetings, or 28. It's in good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements that you abstain from what is in sacrifice idols, from blood what's in, strangled and from sexual morality.

If you keep yourself from these you will do well imagine the excitement reading a lot about the way through Gentile. So when they were sent off they went down Antioch and had to gather the congregation together, they deliver the letter when they had rented. They rejoice because of his encouragement and all the men went to Glastonbury next week.

Every church listen and every Christian will face these inevitable drifts in the church's mission in your personal Christian life. But we ought not to make it hard Gentiles who are turning to God.

So the question is not what I prefer and what do you prefer the question is how are we going to reach those that God is bringing to himself outside of our church in everything we do to be considering people who have no voice. Here is what were doing, making it hard for them first.

New members class ever you're listening to Pastor JD Greer on Summit life really teaching series titled sense and you can find all of the complete and edited message transcripts online. JD Greer.com not dating. We talked a little bit before about how we want our listeners to get connected to a local church and the truth is that we've pleaded quite a few of these churches across the country. Can you remind how to find one in this church. We want you are Summit life listeners to be part of our mission is the whole idea is not that you're listening to us talk about it that you become part of the prayer you do that by becoming a financial partner with us. We are all part of one body of Christ, and we love to think about are Summit life communities as being together on mission actually back Molly it we we have some new churches that are to be launching soon in Orlando, St. Louis and one in Myrtle Beach back Molly let me take a minute to talk specifically to I think they call them empty-nesters.

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