WEBVTT 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:12.480 This podcast is brought to you by Grand Parkway Baptist Church, helping people to know, enjoy, and glorify God. 00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:18.000 For more information about Grand Parkway, visit Grandparkway.org. 00:00:20.399 --> 00:00:21.359 Amen, amen. 00:00:21.440 --> 00:00:22.480 Let's pray together, church. 00:00:22.559 --> 00:00:26.559 Lord, we uh we want to just agree with what with you what you say about yourself. 00:00:26.719 --> 00:00:32.719 You say in the Psalms, you said in Psalm 138, that you've exalted above all things your name and your word. 00:00:33.119 --> 00:00:38.640 You say in Acts 4 that there's no name given under heaven whereby which men should be saved, women should be saved. 00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:44.960 Your words also says in Psalms that the name of the Lord is a strong tower and the righteous run into it and find strength. 00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:49.600 Lord, we're not here to boot to kind of boost up our brand in our name. 00:00:49.759 --> 00:00:56.159 We're here to better learn and understand how to represent your name in a culture full of people that live for their own. 00:00:56.320 --> 00:00:58.079 We love our own glory, Lord. 00:00:58.159 --> 00:01:07.519 And so we we've come today to sing a song of sweet forgiveness because this is every time we open up the Bible, you're singing a song of sweet forgiveness over us. 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:11.439 We're here uh not not to engage in some cultural battle. 00:01:11.519 --> 00:01:13.920 Uh we're here to live in the victory of God. 00:01:14.079 --> 00:01:21.599 And so, Lord, uh uh your word is great, and every time we open it up, Lord, greatness is brought to bear on our lives. 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:23.599 And so, Holy Spirit, lead us today. 00:01:23.760 --> 00:01:25.840 Say something that has our name on it, Lord. 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:27.760 We're tired of the new and the novel. 00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:32.239 We're gonna embrace some things that are old and ancient and deeply consequential. 00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:36.400 So, Holy Spirit, point those out in the text today, and we'll be better for it. 00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:37.359 This is our prayer. 00:01:37.519 --> 00:01:40.719 We pray in Jesus' name, and everyone said, Amen. 00:01:40.879 --> 00:01:41.200 Amen. 00:01:41.280 --> 00:01:41.920 You can have a seat. 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:45.200 If you got a Bible, I invite you to take it and open it up to Acts chapter 15. 00:01:45.359 --> 00:01:47.680 I'll start reading verse 22 if you're our guest today. 00:01:47.840 --> 00:01:49.280 We're preaching through the book of Acts. 00:01:49.359 --> 00:01:51.359 And so it's called expository preaching. 00:01:51.439 --> 00:01:55.680 Uh, and we're up to uh uh verse 22 of chapter 15. 00:01:55.840 --> 00:02:00.000 I want to talk to you today about Christian essentials in an ever-changing culture. 00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:03.040 Christian essentials in an ever-changing culture. 00:02:03.200 --> 00:02:10.960 And what we're gonna see today in the text is that there were things that were formed to back then, and they continue to be helpful today if you will practice them. 00:02:11.120 --> 00:02:11.439 Okay? 00:02:11.680 --> 00:02:19.439 Uh Acts chapter 15 is about this thing called the Jerusalem Council, because uh uh there's Jews, which are very religious people by heritage. 00:02:19.520 --> 00:02:23.039 Like if you grew up and your family brought you to church, that would be like a Jew today. 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:26.080 I'm not saying like the religion, but they were exposed to religious things. 00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:29.919 And then there were the Gentiles, people like me that grew up on food stamps in a trailer park. 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:30.319 Amen. 00:02:30.560 --> 00:02:32.400 Uh and these are the people that are gonna mess it up. 00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:37.039 And so when they started coming to faith, the Jews were like, hey, easy, easy, okay? 00:02:37.280 --> 00:02:38.639 Calm down just a little bit. 00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:44.240 Uh now it's hard for us to understand what a big deal this was because we can't go back there. 00:02:44.400 --> 00:02:46.800 But let me take you back to 2009. 00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:48.719 Uh, there's a thing in town called the rodeo. 00:02:48.960 --> 00:02:50.159 Matter of fact, it ends tonight. 00:02:50.319 --> 00:02:51.840 Eric Church is the concert. 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:53.919 If you've got tickets, I'm your Huckleberry. 00:02:54.080 --> 00:02:55.120 Uh, but I digress. 00:02:55.199 --> 00:03:00.319 Uh 2009, someone came to me and they said, Hey, there's this artist at the rodeo. 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:01.360 Uh, she's kind of new. 00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:03.840 We don't and but we we we can't use our tickets. 00:03:03.919 --> 00:03:04.639 Would you like them? 00:03:04.800 --> 00:03:05.919 And I said, uh, sure. 00:03:06.080 --> 00:03:10.719 My I think my oldest was maybe 11, 10 or 11 at the time on how old she was. 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:12.879 Uh, I'll get I'll get in trouble because I didn't do the math. 00:03:12.960 --> 00:03:14.560 Actually, she's like 12 or 13. 00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:19.840 Uh, and and and and and I was like, okay, well, she had homework and we just made a prenal decision. 00:03:19.919 --> 00:03:22.560 We're not gonna go, we're not gonna say anything, we're not gonna mention it to her. 00:03:22.639 --> 00:03:27.039 And I said to my wife, besides, this girl, I mean, who's I I never heard of her. 00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:28.639 I'm sure she's not gonna amount to much. 00:03:28.719 --> 00:03:30.479 It's probably like a one-hit wonder. 00:03:30.560 --> 00:03:35.840 Uh, she had a song out on the on the radio, uh, I think at the time it was called Love Story. 00:03:36.080 --> 00:03:39.280 Uh yeah, it was Tickets to Taylor Swift. 00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:42.879 Now, I've not told my oldest, so please don't say anything to her. 00:03:43.039 --> 00:03:45.360 She lives in another city, it'll be our secret. 00:03:45.439 --> 00:03:49.039 Uh, but it's kind of we okay over here? 00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:51.520 Some of you are like, what an idiot you are. 00:03:51.680 --> 00:03:56.719 Uh, she was in the fifth grade and she had homework, and and uh hey, she got her college education paid for. 00:03:56.800 --> 00:03:57.759 Uh touche. 00:03:58.240 --> 00:04:00.319 Uh but but anyway, I look back now. 00:04:00.479 --> 00:04:03.120 I've not really talked about that much because I feel kind of sheepish. 00:04:03.199 --> 00:04:04.159 Uh I'm like, eh. 00:04:04.560 --> 00:04:12.240 Like earlier this year, some women in our church all went and saw the Taylor uh experience in movie theater, and I thought, ladies, you're too old for that, but I digress. 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:17.040 Uh but it's kind of like, I mean, if I'd have known what a big deal that was, I'd have been like, we're going. 00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:18.480 Come on, get a turkey leg. 00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:23.360 Uh the Jerusalem Council, uh, infinitely more important than that, believe it or not, was like that. 00:04:23.439 --> 00:04:27.680 There was like, hey, this kind of uh set the course for unity and oneness in Christianity. 00:04:27.839 --> 00:04:31.680 They're not like a Jewish brand of Christianity, a Gentile brand of Christianity. 00:04:31.839 --> 00:04:34.800 There is one biblical expression of Christianity. 00:04:34.879 --> 00:04:39.680 And there's some essentials, there's some things that these people decided that are deep. 00:04:39.759 --> 00:04:46.639 If we'll just go back and reclaim those, I promise you you would be a more consequential and enjoyable person, okay? 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:49.040 And so now that you're scorning me, let's read the Bible. 00:04:49.199 --> 00:04:51.680 Acts chapter 15, verse 22 says this. 00:04:51.920 --> 00:04:52.639 Then it seemed good. 00:04:52.720 --> 00:04:53.360 Now what happened? 00:04:53.439 --> 00:04:57.439 They sent some people uh to Jerusalem to say, Hey, we got to decide this issue. 00:04:57.519 --> 00:05:00.560 And now they're sending people from Jerusalem back to the church in Antioch. 00:05:00.639 --> 00:05:08.560 He says, Then it seemed good to the apostles and to the elders and the whole church to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. 00:05:08.639 --> 00:05:14.560 They sent Judas called Bar Sabbas and Silas, leading men among the brothers, with the following letter. 00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:21.120 The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia. 00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:40.639 Greetings, since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:05:40.800 --> 00:05:46.160 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 00:05:46.319 --> 00:05:59.120 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements, that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. 00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:02.399 If you keep yourselves from those, you will do well. 00:06:02.639 --> 00:06:03.439 Farewell. 00:06:03.600 --> 00:06:04.639 That's the end of the letter. 00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:11.120 Verse 30 says, So when they sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 00:06:11.279 --> 00:06:14.560 And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of the its encouragement. 00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:20.000 And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. 00:06:20.160 --> 00:06:24.959 And after they'd spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:31.360 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord with many others also. 00:06:31.680 --> 00:06:35.040 Now, what do I mean when I say Christian essentials in an ever-changing culture? 00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:43.759 When we're reading through the passage right there, there are four things that they did that we should still be doing today, uh that that would make us a more consequential. 00:06:43.920 --> 00:06:46.319 This is how the salt regains its saltiness. 00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:47.759 And I just want to point out those four things. 00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:49.519 Number one, it's gospel clarity. 00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:50.720 It's gospel clarity. 00:06:50.800 --> 00:06:51.600 You say, What do you mean? 00:06:51.759 --> 00:07:02.319 In verse 24, they get concerned because they say, Hey, we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions. 00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:03.759 We didn't send these guys, okay? 00:07:03.920 --> 00:07:05.600 These people have got you all stirred up. 00:07:05.759 --> 00:07:06.240 Why is that? 00:07:06.399 --> 00:07:08.000 This is what I mean by gospel clarity. 00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:16.399 What troubled their minds were that they were saying to the Jews, or some of the Jews, uh, the the the a group of Uber, Uber, like, all right, we're really taking it seriously. 00:07:16.639 --> 00:07:19.360 They were saying to the Gentiles that hey, now you're Christians. 00:07:19.439 --> 00:07:26.319 You also, if you really want to be real Christians, what you really need to do is stop smoking, stop voting Democrats, stop watching CNN. 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:31.920 Yeah, I hear some of you, amen. 00:07:32.399 --> 00:07:35.120 Uh no, that's Fort Bend County. 00:07:35.519 --> 00:07:45.600 What they said back then was, hey, what you if you really want to be serious and really prove to us, like you got to prove to people, prove to us that you're really Christians, you got to get circumcised and you got to keep the law of Moses. 00:07:45.920 --> 00:07:47.680 Well, now, this is not the gospel. 00:07:47.839 --> 00:07:51.519 In fact, the law drives us to Christ because it constantly reminds us. 00:07:51.600 --> 00:07:53.600 Now, when he says the law of Moses, what's he talking about? 00:07:53.680 --> 00:07:55.600 He's talking about the first five books of the Old Testament. 00:07:55.680 --> 00:07:56.720 It's called the Pentateuch. 00:07:56.879 --> 00:07:57.680 Learn a big word today. 00:07:57.839 --> 00:08:00.079 The Pentateuch, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus. 00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:01.839 Have you ever read Leviticus? 00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:04.160 Uh, it it like disqualifies everybody. 00:08:04.240 --> 00:08:05.279 You cannot keep the rules. 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:09.360 Here's the thing Paul says in the book of Romans that the law is like a schoolmaster. 00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:14.959 It takes us by the hand and it takes us to the principal's office and says, Little Johnny cannot keep the rules. 00:08:15.040 --> 00:08:16.639 Now, by the way, none of us can. 00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:27.279 So when they're saying to these people, Oh, you've got to get circumcised, you've got to keep the law of Moses, basically they're wanting to suppress them and oppress them and keep them down because the law reminds us that we cannot keep the law. 00:08:27.439 --> 00:08:32.960 We need someone who has kept the law with all of its requirements to stand in our place and represent us. 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:37.919 This is why Jesus said things that sound innocuous, but it really all fits together. 00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:41.519 Jesus said things like, I didn't come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. 00:08:41.679 --> 00:08:46.399 It's why John the Baptist said, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. 00:08:46.559 --> 00:08:52.559 This is only possible because Jesus kept the law, which is good news to people like me who can't keep the law. 00:08:52.639 --> 00:08:53.039 Amen. 00:08:53.360 --> 00:09:00.559 So I may be the only one, but if you're here today and you're like, man, I have tried, I've said, I'm gonna cut back, I'm gonna stop, I'm gonna this, I'm gonna that. 00:09:00.799 --> 00:09:09.120 The good news for you, the gospel for you is Jesus Christ lived a perfect life for imperfect people to have hope. 00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:12.240 This is the essence of the gospel. 00:09:12.399 --> 00:09:17.440 Now, and when I say gospel clarity, I've told you before, Mac Brunson wrote a little book called Evangelism. 00:09:17.519 --> 00:09:19.919 And in the book he talks about how we lose the gospel. 00:09:20.159 --> 00:09:28.720 Now, we're not even out of the book of Acts, and they're already engaged in part of this process because Mac Brunson in his book he says, he says there's four steps how we lose the gospel. 00:09:28.799 --> 00:09:35.440 He said, first of all, the gospel's believed, and then it's assumed, and then it's confused, and then it's lost. 00:09:35.600 --> 00:09:38.879 Let me say it again: the gospel's believed, the gospel's assumed. 00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:40.639 Oh, we're all Christians, we live in Texas. 00:09:40.799 --> 00:09:41.600 Come on, man. 00:09:41.759 --> 00:09:42.240 Really? 00:09:42.480 --> 00:09:47.600 I mean, Christianity in the South is like sweet tea, it's part of our culture, but that means part of your experience. 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:51.519 And so the gospel's believed, it's assumed, it's confused thirdly. 00:09:51.600 --> 00:09:52.960 And this is where we're on the book of Acts. 00:09:53.039 --> 00:09:54.720 We're not even out of the book of Acts. 00:09:55.039 --> 00:10:00.559 Christianity is in its infantile state, and already people are confusing the gospel. 00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:03.200 And so it's it's necessary that we be clear. 00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:05.759 And by the way, since the book of Acts, it's just gotten worse. 00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:08.559 People add things to the gospel that are not the gospel. 00:10:08.639 --> 00:10:14.799 So I brought you a couple options here on the uh uh that I just want to point out and just be clear and practice some gospel clarity. 00:10:14.960 --> 00:10:18.000 Like Jesus plus politics is not the gospel. 00:10:18.320 --> 00:10:20.879 Remember that between now and November. 00:10:21.600 --> 00:10:24.639 Jesus plus politics, not the gospel. 00:10:24.879 --> 00:10:28.000 Jesus plus Christian nationalism, not the gospel. 00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:29.840 Not the gospel. 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:37.039 What God says to to Israel, He doesn't say to pagan kings like Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar and people like that, okay? 00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:39.200 Uh you got to be careful about that. 00:10:39.360 --> 00:10:42.320 Uh, Jesus plus prosperity, not the gospel. 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:46.879 Not God's will that everyone should be rich and you should never have any problems. 00:10:47.120 --> 00:10:50.639 Uh Jesus plus my preferred style of worship, not the gospel. 00:10:50.960 --> 00:10:53.840 Well, I'll tell you what, I wish we would sing a hymn every now and again. 00:10:54.799 --> 00:10:55.120 Yeah. 00:10:55.600 --> 00:10:57.200 Oh, I get your emails. 00:10:57.759 --> 00:10:58.559 I get them. 00:10:58.639 --> 00:11:00.159 I'm just like, thank you very much. 00:11:00.320 --> 00:11:00.879 Thank you. 00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:03.919 Memo, this may come as a new slice to some of you. 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:05.759 Not everybody wants to do it like you do it. 00:11:07.440 --> 00:11:08.480 You're welcome. 00:11:09.360 --> 00:11:09.759 Yes. 00:11:09.919 --> 00:11:10.240 Yeah. 00:11:10.399 --> 00:11:12.879 Jesus plus socialism, not the gospel. 00:11:13.919 --> 00:11:15.360 Not you say, what do you mean? 00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:17.919 A guy the other day reached out and said, Hey man, I need some help. 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:19.039 I said, What do you need help for? 00:11:19.120 --> 00:11:19.919 Well, I'm in a hotel. 00:11:20.080 --> 00:11:21.200 I need somebody to pay my bill. 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:22.960 I need somebody to pay my bill too. 00:11:23.279 --> 00:11:24.639 I'd love somebody to pay my bills. 00:11:24.720 --> 00:11:28.320 But see, the Bible says crazy things like if you don't work, you don't eat. 00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:30.720 And I and he goes, I can't find a job. 00:11:30.799 --> 00:11:34.240 I said, dude, I I was out at McDonald's just the other day and they're hiring. 00:11:34.320 --> 00:11:35.679 Oh, that's beneath me. 00:11:36.240 --> 00:11:39.600 I said, Well, uh, helping you is beneath me too. 00:11:40.080 --> 00:11:41.840 Because, well, aren't you a Christian? 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:43.120 Aren't you supposed to love your brother? 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:45.120 I am loving you by telling you the truth. 00:11:45.279 --> 00:11:45.600 Okay. 00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:47.360 I cannot stand socialism. 00:11:47.600 --> 00:11:49.600 And you're living on the dole. 00:11:49.679 --> 00:11:52.320 The government may give you a check, but we're not going to. 00:11:53.919 --> 00:11:57.120 Well, I, and then he said things I can't repeat and hung up on me. 00:11:57.919 --> 00:11:58.799 But I digress. 00:11:59.039 --> 00:12:01.679 Jesus plus cultural universalism, not the gospel. 00:12:01.759 --> 00:12:03.039 What is cultural universalism? 00:12:03.120 --> 00:12:03.840 I hear it all the time. 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:05.600 Well, Pastor, we're all God's children. 00:12:05.679 --> 00:12:06.639 No, we're not. 00:12:07.519 --> 00:12:11.120 No, the Bible's very clear that we are by nature objects of wrath. 00:12:11.200 --> 00:12:12.960 We are born as God's enemies. 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:16.879 You're God's creation, but you're not God's child by birth. 00:12:18.159 --> 00:12:21.039 Jesus plus activism, not the gospel. 00:12:21.360 --> 00:12:24.960 Be prepared to think, oh no, I don't know what you mean by that. 00:12:25.120 --> 00:12:26.960 Jesus plus activism. 00:12:27.120 --> 00:12:30.399 Activism is a culturally acceptable form of atonement. 00:12:30.480 --> 00:12:33.519 It's where people say, I'm going to do good against certain issues. 00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:35.200 Like right now, there's a big campaign. 00:12:35.279 --> 00:12:35.759 You saw it. 00:12:35.840 --> 00:12:38.240 I think they spent like$5 million during the Super Bowl. 00:12:38.399 --> 00:12:41.840 And the whole emphasis about Jesus is he gets us. 00:12:42.080 --> 00:12:42.960 He gets us. 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:46.720 And Jesus is kind of, he's just kind of this cool guy that hangs out. 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:48.000 He doesn't offend anybody. 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:51.279 He washes the feet of the homosexual man during the Super Bowl. 00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:51.919 That's great. 00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:55.279 Now, now, by the way, I can see Jesus doing that. 00:12:55.679 --> 00:13:02.960 I don't think that's all Jesus would say to the homosexual or to the angry fundamentalist or whoever you don't like, okay? 00:13:03.279 --> 00:13:05.840 But to the immoral, I just couch it in big terms. 00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:09.440 To the immoral, he has more to say than, hey, let me wash your feet. 00:13:09.519 --> 00:13:11.039 Like I said, he doesn't scream at him. 00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:21.679 But what he says to immoral people in the Bible, like in John 8, this woman caught in the very act of adultery, Jesus said crazy, powerful, authoritative things like, go your way and sin no more. 00:13:22.480 --> 00:13:23.840 Stop sinning. 00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:32.159 Evidence that you've had a God encounters that sin loses its power over you, and you all of a sudden you have a capacity that you didn't have up until then. 00:13:32.320 --> 00:13:39.679 We've got to embrace with our activism, you've got to embrace that you cannot create with your money the level of conviction that only comes from the Holy Spirit. 00:13:39.919 --> 00:13:49.919 And we as Christians should not settle for cultural acceptance in place of conviction because this produces people who think Jesus is cool, but they don't submit to him as Lord. 00:13:50.159 --> 00:13:53.840 And Jesus did not come to be appreciated, he came to be obeyed. 00:13:54.480 --> 00:13:56.000 And he gets us. 00:13:56.159 --> 00:13:59.679 I think we're starting, we're starting in the wrong place. 00:13:59.759 --> 00:14:00.879 Like he gets us. 00:14:01.039 --> 00:14:04.080 Yeah, that's more bad news than it is good news. 00:14:04.399 --> 00:14:05.360 You say, What do you mean? 00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:07.360 I had this conversation about you watch Super Bowl? 00:14:07.440 --> 00:14:08.720 Yes, I watched the Super Bowl. 00:14:08.879 --> 00:14:10.720 Yes, I loved every minute of it. 00:14:10.799 --> 00:14:12.320 I loved not all the commercials. 00:14:12.480 --> 00:14:14.159 Did you see that he gets us commercial? 00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:16.000 Yes, yes, idea. 00:14:16.159 --> 00:14:20.000 And that that phrase is more indicting than you have TV time for. 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:21.919 What do you mean? 00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:23.360 He gets us. 00:14:23.440 --> 00:14:27.279 The psalmist says it like this before a word is on my tongue, you know it. 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:29.360 Because he gets us. 00:14:30.320 --> 00:14:30.960 Yes. 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:31.919 Yes. 00:14:32.159 --> 00:14:32.879 He gets you. 00:14:33.039 --> 00:14:36.720 He knows that the heart is deceitfully wicked above all else and beyond cure. 00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:37.759 Who can know it? 00:14:37.919 --> 00:14:40.720 And God says, I do, because he gets us. 00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:42.639 So okay, I get it. 00:14:42.720 --> 00:14:44.320 So all this stuff is not the gospel. 00:14:44.399 --> 00:14:45.279 So what is the gospel? 00:14:45.360 --> 00:14:46.000 It's very simple. 00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:48.879 Jesus plus nothing is the gospel. 00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:51.360 Jesus plus nothing is the gospel. 00:14:51.440 --> 00:14:54.399 Well, you like gospel, I don't know where it simply means good news. 00:14:54.559 --> 00:15:01.120 Here's the good news Jesus is enough, and he did what he did in your place for your sin. 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:03.600 So you don't have to live in fear being found out. 00:15:03.759 --> 00:15:05.519 The cross makes sinners out of us all. 00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:13.759 Someone walked in my office for counseling, first session just in the past couple weeks, and a lady walked in and she said, Well, uh I guess you need to know why I'm here. 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:14.879 And I said, I already know. 00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:16.240 You're here because of sin. 00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:18.720 And she's like, excuse me. 00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:20.320 And I said, You're here because of sin. 00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:32.559 Now you may not say it that way, it may take you a long time to get to that, but either you sinned against somebody or somebody sinned against you, and your soul is anxious and a little bit what I call a fractured soul, but you are here because of sin. 00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:36.799 Well, I I wouldn't have used that word, that much to your chagrin. 00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:38.320 Yes. 00:15:38.480 --> 00:15:41.279 And so the first thing you see, what is Christian distinctive? 00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:42.960 We got to be clear about the gospel. 00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:51.120 Not militant, not angry, uh, just a non-anxious presence that is very keenly aware about what the gospel is and what the gospel isn't. 00:15:51.279 --> 00:15:52.720 Like I've been a Christian 10 minutes. 00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:55.519 I came home from youth camp and I told my I got the Bible out. 00:15:55.679 --> 00:15:56.799 There's no verses in the Bible. 00:15:56.879 --> 00:15:57.360 I just didn't know. 00:15:57.440 --> 00:16:00.080 I was concerned about my mom because my mom smoked like wet wood. 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:03.120 And I told my mom, Mom, you're going to hell if you don't quit smoking. 00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:04.879 Not the gospel. 00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:06.240 Terrible. 00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:10.240 And to this day, now my mom quit because the doctor said, Judy, if you don't quit, you're gonna die. 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:11.600 And my mom quit cold turkey. 00:16:11.679 --> 00:16:12.639 I'm so proud of her. 00:16:12.799 --> 00:16:16.879 Now she's just addicted to those little nicotine pills, but that's a whole nother thing. 00:16:17.039 --> 00:16:19.600 Uh uh I guess you can't get cancer from that. 00:16:19.759 --> 00:16:22.080 But I remember I, and here's the scary part, okay? 00:16:22.159 --> 00:16:23.200 I'm laughing at myself. 00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:25.200 I believed every word of what I was saying. 00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:28.960 Mom, you gotta quit smoking because you're gonna go to hell if you smoke cigarettes. 00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:30.960 Not the gospel. 00:16:31.600 --> 00:16:35.279 Jesus plus behavior modification, not the gospel. 00:16:35.679 --> 00:16:39.360 Now my mom was like, Yeah, I knew you were an idiot, but anyway. 00:16:39.919 --> 00:16:42.480 It's like, thanks for suffering with me, mom. 00:16:42.720 --> 00:16:46.879 Here's the second thing you see this this Christian distinctive is decision-making order. 00:16:47.200 --> 00:16:48.559 Decision-making order. 00:16:48.639 --> 00:16:49.440 You say, What do you mean? 00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:51.200 The order in which you make decisions. 00:16:51.360 --> 00:17:01.519 One of the greatest things that could come out of today is very simple, is if you would just change, is that if you're single, as a single person, if you're married, as a couple, if you would just change the order in which you make decisions. 00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:02.559 Look at verse 28. 00:17:02.639 --> 00:17:08.640 He says, For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements. 00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:10.720 And he gets into those things that we're like, what does that mean? 00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:11.839 We'll get to that in just a minute. 00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:13.759 But I see decision-making order. 00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:16.480 Uh, here's a helpful question you could just ask yourself. 00:17:16.640 --> 00:17:18.799 In what order do you make your decisions? 00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:22.559 Do you look around, see what everybody else is doing, and then act accordingly? 00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:23.839 That's one way. 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:25.279 Hey, everybody's blind. 00:17:25.359 --> 00:17:27.039 Oh, I was on TikTok and everybody went. 00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:27.759 No. 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:28.319 Oh. 00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:30.480 Do you look around and you just kind of mimic everybody? 00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:32.480 Secondly, here's another way to make decisions. 00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:36.480 We decide what we want to do, and then we ask God to bless it after the fact. 00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:38.160 I'm doing this. 00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:40.079 You want to get in on this and bless this? 00:17:40.160 --> 00:17:41.759 Because I really want you to bless this. 00:17:42.079 --> 00:17:48.000 Or what the Bible says right here is a it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us. 00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:52.960 See, they start off first by saying, Hey, this seemed good to the Holy Spirit. 00:17:53.200 --> 00:17:56.480 And then secondly, it because of that, it was good to us. 00:17:56.880 --> 00:18:00.480 Now, beloved, I would submit that most of us fall in that second category. 00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:03.839 We decide and then we just tell God, hey, would you bless this? 00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:05.119 This is what we're gonna do. 00:18:05.359 --> 00:18:08.799 And I and I'm not I'm not mad at you, I'm not hating on you, I'm not mocking that. 00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:09.920 I I I've been there. 00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:20.720 I'm just saying, what would happen if we just kind of just thought about it reclaimed as a Christian distinctive in this culture, and we just kind of said, you know what, let let us let us kind of pray and hear from God. 00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:25.359 That's what the Holy Spirit lives in, God's spirit lives inside of you when you become a believer. 00:18:25.440 --> 00:18:28.720 Uh, let us kind of pray and hear from God, and then we'll get back to you with a decision. 00:18:28.880 --> 00:18:32.079 When your children come to you with an issue, uh, do you just jump in, dad? 00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:34.960 Like, I tell you what, my God, I'm or do you just say, hey, babe, come here. 00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:36.319 Let me let me just pray right now over you. 00:18:36.559 --> 00:18:38.400 Are you comfortable if I just put my hands on you? 00:18:38.559 --> 00:18:39.839 No, Dad, that's kind of creepy. 00:18:39.920 --> 00:18:41.599 Which my kid said to me one time. 00:18:41.839 --> 00:18:43.359 I said, Hey, can I lay my hands on you? 00:18:43.519 --> 00:18:44.799 Can you just pray from there? 00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:49.920 I said, sure, sure, uh, absolutely. 00:18:50.079 --> 00:18:52.400 Uh, and it happened multiple times. 00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:54.160 Yeah, just pray. 00:18:54.319 --> 00:18:55.920 Just okay. 00:18:56.240 --> 00:19:01.440 Uh, but I wanted my kids to understand, hey, this is not your dad's logic on fire. 00:19:02.319 --> 00:19:07.440 You can hear from God, you can know that this is God's will, and then you're kind of following God's will. 00:19:07.599 --> 00:19:09.599 You're not asking God to follow your will. 00:19:09.759 --> 00:19:12.640 And so that's what I mean when I say decision-making order. 00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:16.799 If you just look through there, it's verse 22, verse 25, verse 28. 00:19:16.880 --> 00:19:20.640 It's he says it seemed good, it has seemed good, it has seemed good. 00:19:20.799 --> 00:19:29.680 There's this historicity, there's this pattern of, hey, we're gonna figure out all through the book of Acts, not just in here, but in other chapters, you hear this. 00:19:29.839 --> 00:19:32.640 It seemed pleasing to the Holy Spirit and to us. 00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:35.200 It seemed pleasing to the Holy Spirit and to us. 00:19:35.359 --> 00:19:38.240 It seemed good, it seemed good, it seemed good. 00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:43.440 One of the questions that comes up is who or what determines good in your life, and how do you define it? 00:19:44.559 --> 00:19:50.400 If I always get to determine and define what's good, then I'm really about getting my way. 00:19:50.880 --> 00:19:55.279 But if I'm willing to say, you know, Lord, you tell me what's good, because I submit to you. 00:19:55.359 --> 00:19:57.200 I trust you more than I trust me. 00:19:57.599 --> 00:19:59.680 Which that's where the rub comes right there. 00:19:59.920 --> 00:20:02.240 It's who do you trust more in decision making? 00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:05.519 Yourself, your assessment of the situation, or God. 00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:16.160 One of the most often quoted but least experienced verses in the Bible is Proverbs chapter 3, verse 5 and 6, which says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. 00:20:16.319 --> 00:20:19.279 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths. 00:20:19.519 --> 00:20:20.319 Hear the order? 00:20:20.559 --> 00:20:23.839 In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths. 00:20:24.079 --> 00:20:26.160 This is what I mean by decision-making order. 00:20:26.240 --> 00:20:28.640 It's a Christian distinctive that they practice in the New Testament. 00:20:28.720 --> 00:20:31.440 They're like, hey, let's figure out is God pleased by this? 00:20:31.519 --> 00:20:34.319 Because if God's not pleased by this, I'm not gonna be pleased by this. 00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:39.759 In the moment I may think this is awesome, but there will be remorse and regret coming soon after. 00:20:39.920 --> 00:20:43.200 Here's a third distinctive you see in the text: relational sensitivity. 00:20:43.440 --> 00:20:44.480 Relational sensitivity. 00:20:44.640 --> 00:20:50.559 Now, here's the part that you're reading down verse 28, you get to verse 29, you're just like, I have no idea what that means. 00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:52.640 So let me read and explain to you what's happening here. 00:20:52.720 --> 00:20:58.960 He says, verse 28, for it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements. 00:20:59.119 --> 00:21:07.519 And he lists off four things that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. 00:21:07.680 --> 00:21:10.240 If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. 00:21:10.480 --> 00:21:11.039 Farewell. 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:14.960 Now you can read that and kind of go, Whoo, three out of four, I'm not bad. 00:21:15.519 --> 00:21:18.319 Uh, but but you have to understand what he's saying there. 00:21:18.400 --> 00:21:21.519 Now, let me ask this question Have you ever gone to someone's house for dinner? 00:21:21.599 --> 00:21:26.160 And on the way there, your wife says, Okay, here's the things you cannot bring up at dinner. 00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:28.880 Okay, so it's just me. 00:21:29.039 --> 00:21:30.079 Okay, thank you for that. 00:21:30.319 --> 00:21:33.119 Uh hey, don't bring up, don't, don't talk about this. 00:21:33.200 --> 00:21:38.319 Don't talk uh and so when I say relational sensitivity, here's what I mean by relational sensitivity. 00:21:38.480 --> 00:21:42.079 It's not being a coward, hey, I'm gonna stand up for what I believe, blah, blah, blah. 00:21:42.240 --> 00:21:45.440 But it is being sensitive to the people that you're around. 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:47.920 And this is what the Jews are saying to the Gentiles. 00:21:48.079 --> 00:21:51.839 They're not saying, hey, we want you to eat kosher meals all the time as much as this. 00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:56.480 When you're with us, could you be sensitive to why these things are important to us? 00:21:56.720 --> 00:21:57.839 Let me say that again. 00:21:58.079 --> 00:21:59.759 When you're with us, could you be sensitive? 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:02.319 To why these things are important to us. 00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:06.480 Not saying agree with me, but consider us in these four areas, okay? 00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:13.519 Now it's my responsibility when you get to something like this, it gets kind of thick and kind of chewy, and it's easy to just go like, eh, make a grocery list. 00:22:13.599 --> 00:22:15.119 We need bread and we need eggs. 00:22:15.279 --> 00:22:17.440 This part, you need to understand this part, okay? 00:22:17.599 --> 00:22:19.599