WEBVTT 00:00:00.959 --> 00:00:11.199 If you're new and just joining us, we've been in a long series in the book of the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament. 00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:14.000 I'm going to continue that today. 00:00:14.080 --> 00:00:19.280 And if you didn't get a sermon outlined to kind of follow along, our ushers have those available. 00:00:19.359 --> 00:00:22.640 If you lift your hand, they'll be happy to hand you one. 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:46.799 And when I look at chocolate, I hear two voices in my head. 00:00:47.039 --> 00:00:50.719 First one says, you need to eat that chocolate. 00:00:52.560 --> 00:00:56.960 Second one says, you heard him, eat that chocolate. 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:07.599 When you hear the word gospel, some Christians hear two voices. 00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:12.719 The first one says, Jesus saved you by grace through faith. 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:21.200 And the second one says, Jesus saved you by grace through faith, plus, you need to be obedient to all God said in his word. 00:01:23.120 --> 00:01:24.560 Follow the rules. 00:01:31.120 --> 00:01:36.319 A struggle that really does continue to this day. 00:01:37.040 --> 00:01:45.359 If the idea is if I don't follow all the scriptures teaching for people, does that mean I'm not a Christian? 00:01:48.799 --> 00:01:53.680 We need to really understand this is a very important issue. 00:01:53.760 --> 00:02:15.919 In Acts chapter 15, which we began last time, the early church con it was such a big problem, the early church convened a council in Jerusalem with all the apostles, elders, church leaders to decide the matter of just what the gospel is and uh decide it once and for all. 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:21.360 So today we're going to talk about that debate again and the decision they made. 00:02:21.599 --> 00:02:30.319 I'm just going to read the first part uh in Acts chapter 15 to get us oriented again, and we'll talk about it together. 00:02:31.840 --> 00:02:34.159 Acts 15, verse 1. 00:02:34.560 --> 00:02:43.840 Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:46.560 In other words, you're not Christians. 00:02:47.120 --> 00:03:00.400 And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue. 00:03:00.639 --> 00:03:14.319 Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren. 00:03:14.479 --> 00:03:22.879 And when they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. 00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:34.479 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the law of Moses. 00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:53.919 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. 00:03:54.319 --> 00:04:00.560 And God, who knows the heart, testified to them, giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us. 00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:06.560 And he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:17.839 Now, therefore, why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:24.959 But we believe we're saved through grace, the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are. 00:04:25.279 --> 00:04:35.439 And all the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 00:04:35.600 --> 00:04:36.399 We're going to stop there. 00:04:36.480 --> 00:04:38.079 I'll pick it up in a minute. 00:04:38.319 --> 00:04:44.959 As we continue today, we're going to see three important things we learn about the gospel. 00:04:45.519 --> 00:04:51.600 The gospel's freedom, the gospel's confirmation, the gospel's covenant. 00:04:51.920 --> 00:05:03.839 To review a little bit from last time, the theological debate in Acts 15 was about the cultural and spiritual freedom that Jesus gives us in the gospel. 00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:25.199 Jewish believers, Jews who believed in Jesus, who brought up Jewish all their lives, were insisting that the Gentiles are saved by believing Jesus, the Messiah, all right, but they also have to follow the little bit of laws just why we like we have all of our lives. 00:05:26.959 --> 00:05:40.160 In other words, in their minds, the Gentiles needed to become Jews and adopt the Jewish laws and culture to really be saved, to be a Christ follower. 00:05:40.399 --> 00:05:48.639 But Paul, Barnabas, and Peter were insisting the Gentiles are saved by grace through faith in Jesus the Messiah, plus nothing else. 00:05:49.120 --> 00:05:52.480 The gospel is culture free. 00:05:53.120 --> 00:05:58.800 Gentiles did not have to become Jews to be saved, to become Christians. 00:05:59.199 --> 00:06:08.399 The cultural freedom, as I mentioned last time, the cultural freedom of the gospel is based on the spiritual freedom that's announced in the gospel. 00:06:09.040 --> 00:06:10.800 Let me back up just a bit. 00:06:11.439 --> 00:06:26.079 The Jewish believers in Jesus, like I said, were brought up in the Mosaic law, following all the being obedient to God and all the rituals and all the things. 00:06:26.240 --> 00:06:31.680 The Levitical laws were a central part of being Jewish in the Jewish culture. 00:06:31.920 --> 00:06:33.279 You keep the Sabbath. 00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:38.160 Before you come to worship, you need to go through these rituals. 00:06:38.959 --> 00:06:42.560 You have to observe certain days and all the rest. 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:53.839 The Levitical laws, if you read through it in the Pentecôte in particular, were given to teach us that God is holy. 00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:56.160 We're not. 00:06:57.920 --> 00:07:14.000 Levitical laws were given to teach us we are sinners and cannot come into God's holy presence apart from making atonement for our sins, which had to be done over and over and over daily. 00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:26.240 And so you had to follow all these ritual washing sacrifices to be able to be right with God and right relationship with Him. 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:48.639 But as the apostles were trying to teach, the Levitical laws were pointing us to Jesus, whose perfect life and death was the final once-for-all sacrifice to atone for our sins forever and wash us clean from the guilt and condemnation we deserve. 00:07:49.040 --> 00:08:06.480 Jesus once said to the Pharisees in John 5, you guys, these were these were the religious elite, biblical scholars of the Old Testament, gave their lives to it, practiced all the rituals and everything else. 00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:18.319 And here's what Jesus said to them: You guys search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, but it's these that testify about me. 00:08:19.759 --> 00:08:24.639 And you are unwilling to come to me that you may have life. 00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:43.039 But for those who are in Christ, uh the continual ritual cleansings you see in the Mosaic law are no longer needed to be right with God because of Jesus. 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:48.399 Because Christ, if you believe in him, he makes you right before God. 00:08:48.559 --> 00:09:04.159 Listen, Romans 10:4, Paul says, For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes, his righteousness becomes ours. 00:09:04.720 --> 00:09:06.000 Why is that? 00:09:06.639 --> 00:09:22.960 Because what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5 21, God made him, Jesus, who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. 00:09:24.159 --> 00:09:26.320 Not in us, in him. 00:09:26.720 --> 00:09:33.679 We can follow all these righteous practices, but it pales, it doesn't ever make it. 00:09:34.639 --> 00:09:47.039 Once and for all, forever, Jesus' sacrifice, his life, his death can be applied to every one of us, his righteousness to us when we believe in him. 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:48.559 That's just amazing. 00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:51.519 That's why the gospel is called good news. 00:09:52.639 --> 00:10:00.559 Our spiritual freedom means that Christ's sacrifice atoned for all of our sins, past, present, future. 00:10:01.120 --> 00:10:07.279 Believing the gospel of Jesus by God's grace, we're no longer under God's condemnation and judgment for our sins. 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:12.320 The early church, right down to the present day, this is, I'm not kidding. 00:10:12.559 --> 00:10:16.159 Right now to the present day, the early church struggled with this. 00:10:17.840 --> 00:10:27.360 Because here's what the struggle is the idea that salvation is a free gift of grace from God. 00:10:27.519 --> 00:10:28.879 Are you kidding me? 00:10:29.360 --> 00:10:31.519 There must be something I gotta do. 00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:33.919 Yeah, believe in Jesus, Jesus said. 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:34.960 That's the work of God. 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:36.399 You need to do that. 00:10:50.159 --> 00:10:50.799 Yeah. 00:10:53.039 --> 00:10:54.320 Free gift. 00:10:54.799 --> 00:10:55.440 Free. 00:10:57.039 --> 00:11:11.519 In the first century, the apostle Paul was becoming so frustrated with the corruption of the gospel, the purity, clarity of faith in Christ. 00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:17.360 He wrote a scathing rebuke to Gentile Galatians believers. 00:11:17.440 --> 00:11:19.600 Read the book of Galatians sometime. 00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:25.440 He's writing to rebuke them for their retreat from the truth of the gospel. 00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:35.360 They started to believe, they came in to Christ believing as Gentiles, believing in him, enjoying the joy of their salvation. 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:40.960 But then Jewish believers came and convinced them. 00:11:42.080 --> 00:11:50.320 They needed to not only believe in Jesus, they needed to follow the Levitical laws to really be a Christian. 00:11:52.879 --> 00:11:58.559 The gospel of a faith by grace through faith wasn't enough. 00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:06.399 Jesus, what's happening there is whatever you think that, you're saying Jesus is not enough. 00:12:07.279 --> 00:12:09.039 But oh yes, he is. 00:12:09.919 --> 00:12:12.399 The fullness of God dwells in him. 00:12:14.320 --> 00:12:25.759 In a sense, uh the Jewish, uh the Gentile Christians were convinced they needed to keep doing some righteous acts. 00:12:26.159 --> 00:12:31.679 And it's almost a sense which I need to do something to prove myself worthy. 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:35.919 No, Jesus already did that for you. 00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:46.399 The gospel is such good news, and unfortunately, we have a tendency, I'll include all of us, to corrupt it. 00:12:49.919 --> 00:13:01.840 The gospel, the apostles concluded anytime you add anything to faith, you've left the truth of the gospel, you've retreated back into a works-based salvation. 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:31.120 And the thing of it is, even though you're a Christian, free, culturally, spiritually free, we tend to jump back into just like the Galatian church, Christians are always losing our spiritual freedom when we lose sight of the pure, unadulterated gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news. 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:32.720 I've said this before. 00:13:33.039 --> 00:13:43.519 I think Martin Luther started you need to preach the gospel to yourself every single day because we have such a tendency to slip back from that thinking. 00:13:44.320 --> 00:13:45.360 Give you an example. 00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:48.159 This is just a funny example. 00:13:59.039 --> 00:14:03.679 This is how quickly things began to corrupt. 00:14:04.879 --> 00:14:14.480 He began to teach that it was a sin to wear cosmetics and perfume because it invited sexual temptation. 00:14:15.279 --> 00:14:17.600 And you're probably not a Christian. 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:26.559 He said, if God meant for you to smell like a flower, he would have put a crop of them on your head. 00:14:28.080 --> 00:14:29.039 Exactly. 00:14:30.320 --> 00:14:32.559 We're doing the same things. 00:14:38.960 --> 00:14:53.279 When you slide away from grace, we all have a tendency to pick up all kinds of cultural things that we turn into ways of being a true Christian. 00:14:53.919 --> 00:15:03.279 You must be circumcised to be a Christian, or you must vote for this person to be a real Christian. 00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:05.840 Oh, I didn't see that in the gospel. 00:15:06.960 --> 00:15:07.919 Sorry. 00:15:08.960 --> 00:15:11.279 Be careful, be careful. 00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:20.879 Unless you really grasp the gospel of grace, we won't look at cultural issues as culture. 00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:28.720 What they what happens is they become a standard of righteousness apart from Christ. 00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:31.840 Dangerous, very dangerous. 00:15:35.120 --> 00:15:38.559 Tim Keller tells a story, I love this story. 00:15:39.120 --> 00:15:44.240 Tells a story of how he once did a wedding in his church between two different races. 00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:55.840 And day came, and right at 2 p.m., all the white guests showed up promptly and were in their seats. 00:15:58.080 --> 00:16:03.039 None of the non-white guests were there, including the bride. 00:16:05.120 --> 00:16:09.519 About twenty, forty minutes later, they started dribbling in. 00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:14.399 The ceremony finally got started about 3 p.m. 00:16:16.639 --> 00:16:20.639 This is what Tim Keller heard the rest of the day. 00:16:21.440 --> 00:16:29.279 He heard white people talk about how the other non-white peoples were incredibly rude and irresponsible Christians. 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:39.039 The white people weren't just noticing we've got a cultural difference. 00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:47.440 They were actually implying that we're better people because we're here on time at 2 p.m. 00:16:51.919 --> 00:16:58.399 Meanwhile, the non-white people were remarking how uptight these white people are. 00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:04.640 We weren't there because we weren't ready to be there. 00:17:05.440 --> 00:17:08.720 Loosen up, chill a little bit here. 00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:10.400 We're Christians. 00:17:11.680 --> 00:17:22.880 Now, what was going on is not just thinking my culture is different, is thinking my culture is better, more righteous, you see. 00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:30.240 We all do this, we all uh take cultural things and pass judgment. 00:17:31.759 --> 00:17:49.200 Unless you align with the expectation of our culture, you are not a righteous person, and that's going to happen, folks, unless you push the gospel deep into your heart. 00:17:49.920 --> 00:17:50.559 Deep. 00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:54.240 The gospel transcends. 00:17:54.720 --> 00:17:58.880 If we learn anything in the book, the gospel transcends culture. 00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:02.960 You realize how many cultures were represented at Pentecost? 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:03.839 Tons. 00:18:06.480 --> 00:18:10.400 Christians should be the most culturally flexible people on earth. 00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:13.599 Here's the point. 00:18:13.759 --> 00:18:16.160 I'm saved by grace. 00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:19.519 I'm not better than you. 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:28.079 That brings us to the second thing the Council of Jerusalem teaches us about the gospel. 00:18:28.319 --> 00:18:34.000 It not only gives us spiritual culture of freedom, but I'm fascinated by this. 00:18:34.160 --> 00:18:40.400 The gospel of grace was confirmed by the Holy Spirit himself. 00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:49.920 The gospel, this it was very important to get this right. 00:18:50.079 --> 00:19:03.359 And as I've we said, there was a long, I'm not even going to go into a lot of it, long drawn-out, hotly debated dispute in this council among the apostles and believing Jews. 00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:05.279 So what happened? 00:19:06.079 --> 00:19:08.000 How was it decided? 00:19:09.039 --> 00:19:14.079 Did it disintegrate into fist fighting, rancor, and damage to the church? 00:19:14.400 --> 00:19:15.839 No, it did not. 00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:21.920 They all agreed on their decision. 00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:34.319 Then they wrote a letter to the Gentiles in response that said this in Acts 15, 22-29. 00:19:34.559 --> 00:19:43.519 The apostles and the brethren who are elders to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, who are from the Gentiles, greetings. 00:19:44.720 --> 00:19:58.319 Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls. 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:11.440 It seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives through the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:20:11.519 --> 00:20:33.680 Therefore we have said Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth, for it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials, that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood and from things strangled and from fornication. 00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:37.039 If you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. 00:20:37.279 --> 00:20:38.400 Farewell. 00:20:54.240 --> 00:21:00.079 Concerning what's what is required to be a Christian to receive God's salvation. 00:21:00.640 --> 00:21:08.640 And here's what they they said, it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to send these men to you to give a report. 00:21:10.240 --> 00:21:23.519 How, how were they able to come to one mind over an amazing, amazingly important doctrine of salvation, the gospel message itself? 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:32.079 Uh how could they come out of this debate in one mind and in agreement? 00:21:32.319 --> 00:21:32.960 How? 00:21:33.680 --> 00:21:36.079 Look carefully at what it says. 00:21:37.200 --> 00:21:38.559 Acts 15, 28. 00:21:38.720 --> 00:21:47.279 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials. 00:21:47.839 --> 00:21:50.480 It seemed good to us and the Holy Spirit. 00:21:50.799 --> 00:21:54.319 How did they know what the Holy Spirit wanted? 00:21:54.799 --> 00:21:57.039 The same way you and I do. 00:22:01.119 --> 00:22:04.480 Look at how they debated the gospel question. 00:22:04.880 --> 00:22:08.720 They studied the word of God. 00:22:10.480 --> 00:22:12.319 This is what they're exchanging. 00:22:12.640 --> 00:22:14.160 God's word says this. 00:22:14.400 --> 00:22:16.160 God's word says this. 00:22:19.039 --> 00:22:21.920 Acts 50, 13 to 18. 00:22:22.720 --> 00:22:28.000 After they stopped speaking, James answered and said, Brethren, listen to me. 00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:35.680 Simeon has related how God first concerned himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for his name. 00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:40.799 And with this the words of the prophets agree. 00:22:43.759 --> 00:22:45.759 Just as it is written. 00:22:46.559 --> 00:22:48.000 After this I will return. 00:22:48.079 --> 00:22:54.720 I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen, I will rebuild its ruins, I will restore it, that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord. 00:22:54.799 --> 00:23:00.720 And all the Gentiles are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old. 00:23:01.119 --> 00:23:13.119 Now, in their discussion, they refer to the Old Testament books of Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and Amos. 00:23:15.119 --> 00:23:19.119 Say, well, this scripture says this, this scripture says that. 00:23:22.079 --> 00:23:29.039 You see, what the Bible is saying and teaching is what the Holy Spirit is saying. 00:23:29.839 --> 00:23:31.359 They got that. 00:23:33.839 --> 00:23:37.519 The Bible is the Holy Spirit's voice to us. 00:23:39.599 --> 00:23:41.680 Timeless and eternal. 00:23:42.720 --> 00:23:46.559 Every generation speaking to us. 00:23:47.759 --> 00:23:56.640 They came together under the authority, not their own, of this, the word of God. 00:23:57.519 --> 00:24:03.839 This will teach us and tell us how we need to proceed with this very important doctrine. 00:24:06.960 --> 00:24:12.000 They said under the authority of God's word, they didn't come together just to express their feelings. 00:24:12.160 --> 00:24:15.839 I once had a guy in a congregational meeting years ago. 00:24:16.559 --> 00:24:22.319 We had a little dispute of some doctrine, and let's look at the scripture, I said. 00:24:22.480 --> 00:24:28.559 And he said, Well, Pastor, if we do that, I had the butterflies in my stomach, and I don't think we should do that. 00:24:28.960 --> 00:24:31.839 It has nothing to do with butterflies in your stomach. 00:24:32.079 --> 00:24:36.559 It has everything to do with what the scriptures actually say. 00:24:37.279 --> 00:24:44.319 They didn't come together to express their feelings, they didn't come together to express their opinions. 00:24:44.559 --> 00:24:45.519 They came together. 00:24:45.680 --> 00:24:47.759 What does God's word say? 00:24:50.799 --> 00:24:51.839 And he said, you know what? 00:24:51.920 --> 00:24:56.960 The Holy Spirit uh confirmed to us, and we agree. 00:25:00.160 --> 00:25:02.640 But let me say this. 00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:28.480 Acts 15, they're saying in this letter that you Gentile Christians don't have to become Jews and obey the Jewish ceremony laws, but please go out of your way to avoid things like eating meat offered to idols and other things while you're not compelled to do this? 00:25:28.720 --> 00:25:34.559 Please give up your right to do this that might offend your Jewish brothers and sisters. 00:25:35.119 --> 00:25:37.359 That's really all they're saying. 00:25:41.359 --> 00:25:45.519 Their letter, in a sense, is a mixture of grace and truth. 00:25:45.839 --> 00:25:55.680 You debate, discover what the truth is, but when you've got it, you use it and apply it in love. 00:25:56.079 --> 00:25:57.839 And that's what they're doing. 00:25:58.079 --> 00:26:01.119 And that brings uh brings me to the last point today. 00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:03.039 We learn about the gospel from this debate. 00:26:03.200 --> 00:26:07.519 The gospel, uh, this whole thing centers around this idea. 00:26:07.680 --> 00:26:11.440 The gospel is a blood covenant. 00:26:12.000 --> 00:26:13.039 Let me explain that. 00:26:13.200 --> 00:26:20.640 The core issue in this debate was uh a debate over the gospel and the Jewish ceremonial laws. 00:26:20.880 --> 00:26:23.440 Are they connected somehow? 00:26:23.599 --> 00:26:33.279 Uh and the Jewish ceremonial laws uh provided a way to be clean spiritually before God. 00:26:34.240 --> 00:26:35.920 The clean laws we call them. 00:26:36.240 --> 00:26:40.079 You want to be acceptable to God, follow these rules, rituals. 00:26:40.480 --> 00:26:43.440 You'll be clean, you can come into God's presence. 00:26:43.680 --> 00:26:44.880 He accepts you. 00:26:45.759 --> 00:26:52.799 The most amazing thing in this entire passage, in my opinion, is where Peter stands up and he says, This. 00:26:52.960 --> 00:27:03.279 Peter stood up and said to them, Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 00:27:03.359 --> 00:27:19.920 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us, he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts, cleansed their hearts by faith. 00:27:21.359 --> 00:27:26.160 Peter says, Look, God doesn't discriminate. 00:27:27.119 --> 00:27:29.920 He didn't prefer Jews over Gentiles. 00:27:30.240 --> 00:27:37.440 He purified our hearts by faith, he cleansed them by faith, not by following all these things. 00:27:39.519 --> 00:27:45.599 Jews have been taught all their lives, all their lives, that Gentiles were unclean. 00:27:46.240 --> 00:27:53.599 They ate unclean things, they worshiped idols, they did all sorts of abominable things. 00:27:53.920 --> 00:27:56.799 They were taught that from the get-go. 00:27:57.920 --> 00:28:20.240 For Peter to say the Gentiles are clean because they believe in Jesus, though they're eating the wrong things, uh they're not even circumcised, they're clean by faith, it must have stuck in Peter's throat to say that, as well as a lot of other Jews. 00:28:22.240 --> 00:28:25.680 What shattered Peter's theology? 00:28:26.400 --> 00:28:35.119 How could a Jewish man say the Gentiles are clean in Jesus by faith and not be following God's ritual laws? 00:28:36.160 --> 00:28:44.319 I believe Peter came to understand that God was making a new blood covenant with us in Jesus. 00:28:45.279 --> 00:28:52.559 Keep in mind when this whole debate began, uh Jewish believers were insisting that Gentile believers be circumcised. 00:28:52.720 --> 00:28:54.640 Well, what's circumcision? 00:28:59.119 --> 00:29:05.440 Circumcision was a sign you were a Jew, one of God's chosen people. 00:29:07.759 --> 00:29:12.400 Now listen, the idea of circumcision is really gross. 00:29:13.599 --> 00:29:17.519 Why would God make that a sign of anything? 00:29:17.839 --> 00:29:25.519 It's bloody, painful, intensely vulnerable, and it's basically a violent act. 00:29:25.759 --> 00:29:28.480 Why was this a sign of anything? 00:29:29.440 --> 00:29:34.640 Well, it was the making of a blood covenant. 00:29:36.160 --> 00:29:42.400 In ancient times, uh circumcision was a sign of that. 00:29:43.279 --> 00:29:45.279 Making a blood covenant. 00:29:45.519 --> 00:29:53.680 In ancient times, to make a covenant agreement with somebody, uh, what you did was you acted out the curse. 00:29:53.839 --> 00:29:55.440 You didn't sign anything. 00:29:55.599 --> 00:30:01.359 You acted out the curse if you ever weren't faithful to that covenant. 00:30:02.559 --> 00:30:13.440 So if you were making a covenant with a king, say you would say something like this, I promise to do this, O Ken, and this and this and this under penalty of death. 00:30:15.599 --> 00:30:27.200 And then to ratify the covenant in the ancient Near East, you would act out the curse, the penalty of death, if you if you didn't meet it. 00:30:27.440 --> 00:30:30.880 Uh, you'd act out the curse of what would happen to you if you didn't keep the covenant. 00:30:31.039 --> 00:30:32.400 To do that, here's what would happen. 00:30:32.480 --> 00:30:35.599 You see this in Genesis 15 with Abraham and God. 00:30:36.000 --> 00:30:39.920 They're making this kind of covenant, or God's making that covenant. 00:30:40.319 --> 00:30:41.519 He leaves Abraham out. 00:30:41.759 --> 00:30:46.079 It's a single mono God to Abraham. 00:30:47.599 --> 00:30:54.400 You would take an animal, kill it, cut it in half, and then walk between the pieces. 00:30:55.519 --> 00:31:03.920 When you did that, what you were doing, you were saying, oh King, if I don't keep my promise, may I be killed and cut to pieces just like this animal. 00:31:04.079 --> 00:31:07.039 That's how serious I am about this covenant. 00:31:08.640 --> 00:31:11.599 That was a blood covenant in the ancient world. 00:31:11.839 --> 00:31:16.160 May I be cut off and torn to pieces if I don't keep my promise. 00:31:18.960 --> 00:31:37.599 And interestingly enough, before he was stoned to death in in Acts 7, Stephen, in his great um sermon, referred to circumcision as a blood covenant. 00:31:37.839 --> 00:31:40.880 Abraham and his descendants were making with God. 00:31:41.440 --> 00:31:44.000 Acts 2, Acts 7, verse 2 and 8. 00:31:44.319 --> 00:31:52.960 Stephen says, The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, and he gave him the covenant of circumcision. 00:31:53.920 --> 00:31:55.920 A blood covenant. 00:31:57.519 --> 00:32:01.680 So they could say, Yes, God, we believe in you. 00:32:02.240 --> 00:32:04.160 We are your people. 00:32:07.200 --> 00:32:18.400 Circumcision, the blood covenant of that the Jews were making with God, they were saying, I will keep your laws and be faithful to you under penalty of death. 00:32:21.039 --> 00:32:23.759 Well, what was the curse for disobeying God? 00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:29.359 The Bible says, you read through all the old the Pentateuch, it is to be cut off. 00:32:31.279 --> 00:32:32.799 Cut off, death. 00:32:33.039 --> 00:32:40.640 The curse of sin is always to be cut off from God and even from the believing community, as Israel experienced. 00:32:41.920 --> 00:32:46.160 Example, I think God has wired humanity this way. 00:32:46.640 --> 00:32:54.799 The minute you lie to your spouse or your friend, you immediately feel the curse taking effect. 00:33:00.160 --> 00:33:06.160 First you feel guilt, then you do feel cut off in relationship. 00:33:06.400 --> 00:33:07.759 You feel lonelier. 00:33:09.839 --> 00:33:12.400 The curse of sin is to be cut off. 00:33:13.279 --> 00:33:17.839 Circumcision was a sign of being in blood covenant with God. 00:33:18.160 --> 00:33:23.039 You were spiritually clean because you were in a blood covenant with God. 00:33:24.240 --> 00:33:26.400 And here's Peter now. 00:33:26.960 --> 00:33:31.599 At the last supper, he heard something that changed his life. 00:33:34.799 --> 00:33:48.480 He heard Jesus say he was making the ultimate sacrifice that would become the new covenant with God in his blood, not ours. 00:33:53.279 --> 00:33:57.279 And then all the apostles started to realize this. 00:33:58.480 --> 00:34:04.000 It was no longer the blood covenant of circumcision that made you clean before God. 00:34:05.200 --> 00:34:12.639 It was Jesus whose ultimate blood covenant, new covenant with God on our behalf makes us clean. 00:34:14.719 --> 00:34:16.880 They started to realize this. 00:34:24.719 --> 00:34:27.119 Notice what Paul, this is very interesting. 00:34:27.280 --> 00:34:34.639 Look at this, this is to what Paul says to the Gentiles in the Colossian church, Colossians 2, 9 and 11. 00:34:34.880 --> 00:34:43.440 He says, For in him, Jesus, all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form, and in him you have been made complete. 00:34:43.920 --> 00:35:00.880 He's the head of over all rule and authority, and in him you were also circumcised, with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. 00:35:03.360 --> 00:35:05.119 That's heavy duty. 00:35:06.239 --> 00:35:07.920 You know what he's saying? 00:35:08.320 --> 00:35:17.360 He looks at the Gentiles, he looks at the women, and says, You've all been made spiritually, you've all been spiritually circumcised. 00:35:18.960 --> 00:35:22.800 You're all clean before God in Christ. 00:35:24.880 --> 00:35:31.199 That's because you've been believing in him, you've been circumcised with Christ's circumcision. 00:35:31.599 --> 00:35:33.760 What was Christ's circumcision? 00:35:34.159 --> 00:35:43.760 When he died on the cross and shed his blood, when he was cut off from his heavenly father, he was made intensely vulnerable. 00:35:43.920 --> 00:35:49.519 He went under the knife, cut off from God and the land of the living. 00:35:52.320 --> 00:36:00.320 On the cross, Jesus experienced the curse of our disobedience, to which circumcision always pointed. 00:36:17.440 --> 00:36:20.239 That's what the apostles, the elders realized. 00:36:20.400 --> 00:36:24.239 They're quoting scripture back and forth, they're talking about circumcision. 00:36:26.639 --> 00:36:32.159 Listen to what Jesus said to the most devout religious Jews in Israel in his day. 00:36:32.320 --> 00:36:39.039 He said, this is just a haunting, solemn warning. 00:36:40.880 --> 00:36:50.719 Said to them in John 8 24, unless you believe that I am He, meaning Messiah, you're gonna die in your sins. 00:36:53.199 --> 00:36:59.280 In other words, you can't be clean and acceptable to God without me. 00:37:01.679 --> 00:37:10.880 Listen, unless we believe that Jesus is the Messiah, sent by God to take the curse of sins for us, we will suffer for the curse of sin ourselves. 00:37:11.679 --> 00:37:14.559 Which is to be cut off from God forever. 00:37:16.159 --> 00:37:21.360 I urge you, if you've never done so, believe in Jesus. 00:37:21.599 --> 00:37:28.000 You can do that with a simple prayer to God in your heart, to welcome Jesus into your heart as your Lord and Savior. 00:37:28.239 --> 00:37:31.119 And doing that, you receive the forgiveness of all your sins. 00:37:31.280 --> 00:37:35.280 You are made righteous in God's eyes because of his righteousness. 00:37:35.599 --> 00:37:40.639 You're given the gift, free gift, eternal life in his name. 00:37:40.880 --> 00:37:41.760 Let's pray. 00:37:42.079 --> 00:37:46.159 Father, we uh we confess we cannot save ourselves. 00:37:46.400 --> 00:37:50.960 All our works are as filthy rags before you, even the good ones. 00:37:51.840 --> 00:37:54.079 And all of our sins are before you. 00:37:55.199 --> 00:38:12.000 You saw our dilemma, you would lose us forever, unless you sent your son, Jesus, to take our place, take our curse upon himself, so that we could receive forgiveness and be with you forever. 00:38:12.559 --> 00:38:18.960 I ask you, Father, I pray as fervently as I can, including myself. 00:38:19.119 --> 00:38:25.679 Help us to live out the gospel every day, realizing we're no better than anybody else. 00:38:26.079 --> 00:38:30.880 We've been recipients of grace in Jesus, and that grace is all we need. 00:38:31.280 --> 00:38:38.559 And then help us to share the gospel every day that you might save those who are without Christ and separated from you. 00:38:38.719 --> 00:38:41.039 I pray in Jesus' name, amen.