Unity in One Message
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A. Rapport for the time
There is not doubt that Mom’s have a huge influence over our lives as children and adults. They have many messages of wisdom they share with us.
Children say things like—My elbow hurts when I move it like this, and mom’s respond with: don’t move it like that son
A young man heading out of the house and driving alone is told “be careful” as he leaves the house. Saving him from not being careful if his mother had not imparted upon him this great knowledge.
B. Reading of the text
22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers,
23 with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings.
24 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,
25 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,
26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth.
28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements:
29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
30 So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.
31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.
32 And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words.
33 And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them.
35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
C. Review of the text
As we have walked through acts we have seen our savior at work in the lives of His people that he has called to make up the early church. Ordinary people like you and I that have been designed to bear the burden of establishing the early church and doing so in Unity as they work by the power of the Spirit of God.
D. Relevance of the text
I. Letter is Drafted
I. Letter is Drafted
24 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,
troubled you with words--
MacArthur—Trouble and unsettling---meaning “to deeply upset, to deeply trouble, to perplex, to create fear. The Greek word for Unsettling was used in extrabiblical writings to speak of someone going bankrupt.
Everyone in this rooms knows what it is to be unsettled, deeply troubled by something someone says.
Understand we are talking about our Salvation now not just a thought we have or something that is not close to having any eternal significance.
People have become perplexed about their faith because of other people who themselves have decided what it should look like to follow Jesus adding to the faith.
26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Risked their lives---Barnabas and Paul
50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.
19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.
20 But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.
Barnabas and Paul risked their lives for the truth of salvation. Nothing else is worthy of our full devotion or the giving to God all the Glory he deserves
28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements:
Holy Spirit at work…Isn’t this what the book of Acts is about! Not about people who are wise, have much knowledge, Not Religious people, but normal people that have been empowered by the Spirit of God to go about his Kingdom business.
Holy Spirit has been at work amongst the Gentiles
8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,
12 And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
Luke is constantly reminded us that they are not working according to themselves but in the power of the Spirit of God
29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
Repeat of the list James shared with the group of church leaders that came together to sort out this together with the desire to keep Christ first and to push people to Unity of the faith instead of chaos.
Put yourself in the time of the early church with the apostles still around and everyone is new that is coming to Christ. When we started chapter 15 we put a time stamp on the text of this being some 16 years after Paul met with the Lord on the Damascus road. They are working hard desiring to know about their savior and this letter is going to help the Gentiles walk by Grace.
T.S. That is the purpose of the letter and the desire to Share this letter with the churches.
II. Letter is shared
II. Letter is shared
30 So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.
31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.
32 And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words.
33 And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them.
35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
vs. 31—rejoiced —Greek—to enjoy a state of happiness and well-being.
Encouragement-The encouragement came from the fact that they would not have a need to be circumcised and have an obligation to the Law to be saved.
vs. 32-33—Investment---Disciplining…This is the call of the believer as an Ambassador to our Lord. Not for us but that our Lord might use us.
vs. 34—amazing text--
“But Silas Decided to remain with them. Only Judas departed.”
Acts (4) The Decision Reported to Antioch (15:30–35)
Verse 34 is one of the Western readings that found its way into the Textus Receptus and from thence into many of the sixteenth and seventeenth century translations. It is the consensus of textual criticism that it was not in the original text of Acts and is thus omitted in modern translations. It reads: “But Silas decided to remain with them. Only Judas departed.” Undoubtedly the scribe responsible for this addition wanted to solve the problem of Silas’s being present in Antioch again in v. 40. In so doing, a much more serious conflict was created with v. 33, which clearly states that they (plural) both returned to Jerusalem. There really is no problem with v. 40 anyway, because it takes place some time later (v. 36), allowing plenty of room for Silas to return to Antioch from Jerusalem.
Application:
From Preaching the Word
First, The Unity of One Gospel built upon Grace alone..noting to be added or taken away is worth dying!
we must preach grace alone—
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Second, We must not Waiver on the Gospel. We must be unmovable on the essentials of the faith and must understand what our essentials are so that we would hold it high!
Like James the Just, we must tolerate nothing else! Grace is risky and can be abused but must not be rejected. Giving our kids the car keys is always a risk, but because we love them we do it. God allows us to choose, even wrongly. His continuing grace sustains and empowers us daily.
Prayer: O Lord, help us to see any way we are mixing law with your grace, any false standards we are imposing on others, any conditions we are placing on our acceptance of them. Forgive us, cleanse us, shower us once again with your grace and love and mercy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.