The Balance of Grace

Introduction

Today’s passage will be Acts 15, but if we were to jump right into the passage it would feel as though we were jumping into the middle of a story — and indeed we would be.

So, I want to give us a little run up to this passage - it is a very important passage

Center of the book of Acts structurally.

Two weeks ago Jordan preached from Acts 12 and the importance of God’s presence in prayer. Last week Zach showed us how Jesus taught his disciples to pray in Luke 11.

Acts 13:1–3 (ESV)

1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

Paul’s First Missionary Journey

(First of three missionary journeys recorded in Acts)

Paul and Barnabas take John Mark (Barnabas’ cousin and the writer of the first Gospel, Mark).

Antioch (start)

Seleucia (port city)

Cyprus (Island)

Salamis (city on Cyprus)

Preached the Word of God in the synagogues

Paphos (city on Cyprus)

Other side of Cyprus

Encounter Jewish false prophet, Bar-Jesus (son of Jesus)

Bar-Jesus struck blind

*sail to*

Perga (City north of Cyprus in Pamphylia)

John Mark leaves and heads back to Jerusalem

Antioch of Pisidia (90mi north)

Went to synagogue

Received well at first

Whole city came out - Jews became jealous, contradicted Paul, caused issues and drove him out

Chap 14

Iconium (city 80 mi east)

spoke at synagogue

many converts - unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles

stayed for a while and the city was divided

they attempted to stone Paul and Barnabas

learned and fled to

Lystra (city 20 mi south)

Heal a man who was cripple from birth

People think Paul and Barnabas are gods - Zeus and Hermes

Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and stoned Paul, dragged him out of the city and left him for dead

Paul gets up and heads back into the city!

Derbe (city 40 mi south east)

Preached the gospel and made many disciples

Went back to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch

Acts 14:21–23 (ESV)

21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Go through areas of Pisidia and Pamphylia

Perga

Attalia (port city)

*sail back to*

Antioch

Acts 14:24–28 (ESV)

, 26 and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. 27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they remained no little time with the disciples.

Paul and Barnabas had seen a lot - They had been through a lot.

Acts 15 (ESV)

1 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.”

Many of the first Christians (especially around Jerusalem) were Jews.

At this point there was not much of a distinction between Judaism and Christianity.

“Christianity” was seen as a part of Judaism.

Becoming a Jew had always required taking on the Laws of Moses which were summarized and symbolized in circumcision.

The Laws God gave his people were an expression of his love for them in identifying them as his chosen people.

The problem occurred when, instead of seeing the Law as an expression of God’s love for them, the Jews began to see the Law as a means to gain God’s love.

This is legalism

Legalism is believing that you can or should do something to cause God to love you or love you more.

Being legalistic is demanding the same of others.

These men were saying that faith in Jesus was not enough to be saved, they also needed to look and act like the Jewish community before they could be saved.

This was an issue of SALVATION.

2 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 up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. . . .

5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

Notice these were “believers” who were also Pharisees - often referred to as judiazers.

For them, the issue of keeping the Law of Moses was an issue of SANCTIFICATION.

Legalism is found in two dimensions though they have the same root:

Justification = You must do _________ to receive God’s love.

sanctification = You must do ___________ to keep God’s love.

Ex. If I do_____ God will love me less.

Legalism is natural. Grace is supernatural.

This is natural for us. We are naturally selfish people, and this is a selfish response — I give when I get.

Oftentimes we think of God in OUR image and expect him to work the same way - he will give me his love when he gets my obedience. Look at any other religion - this is a natural way of thinking.

But God is not natural — He is SUPERNATURAL.

He is not selfish — He is completely SELFLESS, because he is complete without your obedience. He does not need to get before he gives.

God’s love for you has been one-directional before it was ever two-directional.

Legalism is easy but grace is hard.

(6)The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter.

7 And after there had been much debate, 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. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

Right here we see the gospel.

Peter reminds them that we are saved by grace through faith and it is evidenced through the work of the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 2:8–9 (ESV)

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.

The problem was for the Jews the Law became a ladder rather than a leap.

ILLUST - The Law became a religious ladder with 613 steps each one hopefully getting you closer to God.

How many of you would expect or want your children to approach you this way? Climbing a step ladder to give you a hug?

Ever have a child take a running leap toward you when they see you? What do you do (if you see it coming)? You open your arms and hug them. That’s faith! It’s a leap of faith (not a blind leap - you know to whom you’re leaping) toward the God of love with full expectation that grace will have his arms open wide and ready to catch you.

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. 13 After they finished speaking, James replied,

Remember, James is the brother of Jesus.

“Brothers, listen to me. ]

(19)Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God,

“cause trouble,” “make difficult,” “annoy”

We should not be legalistic with those who are coming to God

We can’t hide grace behind religion

“We should not express to those turning to God that they must look or act a certain way before God will love them”

We should not tell the drug addict they must be clean before they can become a Christian,

We should not expect the alcoholic to be sober for a certain period of time before God will love them, or that a relapse erases his love.

We should not add requirements and burdens before we walk with those who come to Christ - or allow them to be in the church.

We cannot tell someone to clean up before they come to Christ.

To demand they stop cussing before they confess Christ. If so, then we must also demand no unkind speech before you come to Christ.

We cannot tell the transexual they are not welcome, the Democrat they are “at the wrong church,” or the same-sex attracted person they must change BEFORE in order to come to Christ or be loved by him or be loved by us.

Legalism demands such things, grace does not.

Saints have been saved by grace, and it is sinners who are to be saved by grace.

We should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God

20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.

Why these things?

Abstain from sexual immorality - rampant in the areas they are sending the letter -

Abstain from things polluted by idols, strangled, and blood - things that would be so offensive to the Jews it would hinder their unity and fellowship.

James is not giving them requirements for salvation, but exhortations for after salvation.

These were not legalistic demands but grace-motivated expectations.

James 2:14 (ESV)

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?

James 2:26 (ESV)

26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Romans 6:1 (ESV)

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?

God’s grace is not cheap!!

ILLUST - “The giving of grace does not lessen God’s expectation that we live holy lives. We are not to “continue in sin” just because grace abounds. If a police officer pulls someone over for going 100 mph, he may give them grace and allow them to go free without a ticket. But if he does give grace, it doesn’t mean the person has permission to drive away and start going 100 mph again! Grace does not nullify our need to obey God’s commands.”

Holiness gospel Freedom

(Legalism) *Grace* (License)

Grace balances the effects of the gospel in our lives.

The fulcrum for the balance of the Christian life, the balance between freedom (license) and holiness (legalism), is grace. The more we understand, grace, he less likely we are to think that we or someone else should work their way to heaven or into God‘s favor. Likewise, the more we understand grace, and its cost, the less likely we are to abuse it by thinking. We can live, however we want after receiving it.

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.

(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.

Legalism is believing that you can or should do something to cause God to love you more.

Being legalistic is demanding the same for others.

Legalism is natural but grace is supernatural.

3 types of people here:

You need to receive God’s grace.

You have not truly given your life to Jesus because you believe (or were told) that you needed to clean up before you could be a Christian.

You need to stop / start doing before Jesus will accept you and you just aren’t sure how to stop / start.

Let me help you — stop waiting and start following Jesus!

Legalism denies what Jesus did on the cross while grace is the gospel.

Jesus + (anything) is NOT the gospel.

You need to know God’s grace.

You need to stop feeling ashamed because you missed your devotions once this week.

You demand a lot of others because you demand a lot of yourself and you transfer that onto God — You make God into your image and believe he is demanding of you.

Following religious rules did not start God’s love for you. Following religious rules will not keep God’s love for you.

Legalism demands “dos” and “don’ts,” while grace offers “get tos” and “want tos.”

Perhaps you need to know and remember the cost of God’s grace — it is not cheap. Look at the cross.

Abstain from things polluted by idols - and there are a lot of idols in our culture today.

You need to share God’s grace.

Who in your life are you demanding they clean up their actions before you love them?

Perhaps the more you share God’s grace with them, the more you will know God’s grace for you.

Communion.