Purification

Acts series –

[ 005 ] Last week, we saw Paul leaving Greece and heading for Jerusalem, with stops in Tyre and Caesarea once he hit the mainland.

PRAY

[ 006-1 ] 15 After this we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us and brought us to Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to stay. [ 006-2 ] 17 When we reached Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters welcomed us warmly. 18 The following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.

According to Galatians 1:19, James is one of Jesus’ half brothers. It appears that Joseph and Mary would have had several more children. Mark 6:3 would say four more boys and at least 2 girls. It wasn’t until his resurrection that James and his other brothers caught on that Jesus really was the Son of God, and started to believe in him. The apostles like Peter and John who used to be here in Jerusalem are gone, they are spreading the gospel to other parts of the world – tradition says Thomas went to India, others to Ethiopia, I mean they took the great commission seriously – to go into all the world. And James (not one of the apostles) is now the leader of the church there in Jerusalem…the same James that wrote the book of James in your Bible.

So as Paul rolls into town with his posse of disciples from all over eastern Europe, Gentiles become followers of Jesus, and they sit down at the table with James, the leader of the church in Jerusalem, all former Jews who are still passionate about the law. This should be oil and water. On paper, this is a recipe for disaster. Law and grace in the same room.

But what you’re about to see is how the Church of Jesus should work. James and his crew, verse 17, welcome Paul and his crew warmly. They are not only receptive, they are inviting and hospitable. Paul, verse [ 007 ] 19 After greeting them…reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. Paul pulls out the slideshow, from chapter 19 and 20 and told them…

How Priscilla and Aquila took a gifted young preacher named Apollos aside and explained the way of God to him more accurately, so that he could be sent to the church in Corinth.

Paul would have told about how he told 12 disciples of John the Baptist in Ephesus about Jesus, and they believed, spoke in tongues and prophesied, just like some of the guys in Jerusalem did at Pentecost.

Paul would have told them how the Jews in Ephesus slandered him, and how he moved to the public school to have daily discussions and arguments about the kingdom of God, and how nearly every resident of Asia heard the word of the Lord that way.

Paul might have told them about the extraordinary miracles God performed by Paul’s hands, so that even facecloths or aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them, and how the seven Jewish deliverance ministry guys got their tails kicked by a demon-possessed man, but now everyone who lived in Ephesus became afraid and honored the name of Jesus from then on.

He would have also said how many Christians who were still dabbling in witchcraft were stirred to repentance, confessed, repented, and burned their stuff, which resulted in the word of the Lord spreading and prevailing.

He might have told them about Demetrius and his silversmiths who caused a huge ruckus in Ephesus, because Paul’s ministry was making such a difference in the city that the shrine gift shop was losing money.

He would have told them about how he got a little long-winded in Troas – so much so, that a dude fell out of a third story window and died – but that Paul went down, stretched out on the body, and God restored life to Eutychus.

And of course, Paul would have pulled out the generous offering that so many of the Gentile churches throughout Macedonia and Greece pulled together to send to the Jerusalem church.

But here’s what I hope you can see in verse 19. Paul doesn’t even say “God did all this stuff through me.” He just straight up says it was God doing the work. Any person who came to faith – God did it. Any person who repented of their witchcraft and involvement in evil things there in Ephesus – God did it. Eutychus coming back to life – God did it. And check out the response of James and the Jerusalem Jews for Jesus…

[ 008 ] 20 When [James and the elders] heard it, they glorified God

These Jewish believers are fired up about how God is blessing the Gentiles! Based on the history of how Jews thought about Gentiles, this isn’t just a natural response. This is a Holy Spirit-filled, gospel-driven, Christ-centered response – you know their faith in Jesus is real if they are now rejoicing that God is doing this work among the Gentiles.

And I’ll let you in on a question that I wrestle with from time to time, and one I take to the Lord in prayer when it comes back around, and that is, we pray that River City church is affective, that the gospel is preached, that revival comes to this city and the surrounding communities, that more and more folks see the Truth that sets you free, right? We want those things for this church and for this city – but the question I think God gently calls to my mind from time to time is, are you okay if I use another church to do all the things you just prayed?

Are you okay if I use the other churches in Riverside to reach every man, woman, and child?

Are you okay if revival happens somewhere else, and people come to Jesus in droves in that church, but we don’t see it here?

Do you really want revival so much that you’d be okay if I sent another church planter to Riverside and that new church saw all the fruit of the things you’re praying for? Rodney, would you glorify God if I brought revival about that way? Or would you be jealous and cynical? Would you write it off, “Well, they’re just trying to win people with this catchy thing or that – it’s not really revival. ”

This is such a move of God right here in Jerusalem, that James and the Jesus Jews are genuinely welcoming and saying Praise God to what God has done among the Gentiles! But these leaders in Jerusalem knew that their congregations have heard some rumors about Paul, and it’s brought about some serious tension. Not everyone is so excited to see Paul back in town. And so James starts to warn Paul, in [ 009-1 ]verse 20, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law. [ 009-2 ] 21 But they have been informed about you — (Here are the rumors going around) that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, by telling them not to circumcise their children or to live according to our customs.

The elders of the Jerusalem church celebrate with Paul, man, this is great, that God is doing all of this with the Gentiles through you – just a quick update from our work in Jerusalem – we’ve seen thousands of Jews come to faith in Jesus here as well. And they have been told that you are telling Jews who turn to Jesus that they should stop observing the law of Moses and all the other things that make them Jewish! The rumor is that because Gentiles don’t have to become Jews, you’re basically teaching the Jews to become Gentiles! And there’s too much history there as the people of God, going all the way back to the covenant made to Abraham, marked by circumcision, Isaac, Jacob, the 12 tribes, Moses, the Law, tabernacle, the Promised Land, the conquest, the judges, the prophets, the kings, the Temple… and now you’re saying throw it all away??? It’s who we are! It’s our heritage!

It would be a little bit like showing up in Kalona, and telling the Amish church that if they’ve become followers of Jesus, they have to get rid of the horse and buggy, the plain clothes, stop farming, get a car, and get some electricity. If you come to Jesus, you have to stop being Amish.”

James and the elders were on the same page with Paul as far as salvation goes – they knew you don’t have to be circumcised in order to be saved, but it’s still a sign of the covenant with Abraham. Sure, we don’t have to observe the Passover, but can we if we want to? Sure you don’t have to observe every single custom of the Jews, but can we if we want to? That’s who we are!

Now some of that is a good and fine complaint. It’d be like erasing chapters out of your family history book. But some of their passion for the law would need to be corrected down the road, and at some point, the Holy Spirit had to inspire the book of Hebrews to help these Jews understand the relationship between the Old and New Covenants (Wiersbe). Being Hebrew isn’t their primary identity anymore once they come to Christ.

But that’s the tension in Jerusalem when Paul arrives. We hear that he’s making Jews become Gentiles once they are following Jesus, and we don’t like it. So James says in verse 22, we should figure something about because they are definitely going to know that you’re here in town, and that’s where your trouble is going to come from. So we have an idea. We’ve come up with a plan that we think could work so that you avoid as much trouble as you can. [ 010-1 ] 23 Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have made a vow. 24 Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay for them to get their heads shaved. [ 010-2 ]Then everyone will know that what they were told about you amounts to nothing, but that you yourself are also careful about observing the law.

Prove that you’re not saying get rid of the horse and buggy. When you get to Jerusalem, put on a straw hat, get in a buggy, and drive these guys to town in it. Then everyone will see you in the buggy, and say, Oh, I guess the rumors weren’t true. Looks like he’s not opposed to all that after all.

That’s the gist of James’ idea. Take these men to the Temple to perform their vows. Go through the purification process with them, and when the check comes for the haircut, just pay for everyone. The Jews will see you doing this, and say, “oh, I guess we heard incorrectly. Looks like he’s okay with Jewish customs after all.” But James also makes sure everyone knows – look, we’re not saying just because Paul should do this now that all of you Gentiles who have come here with him have to do that. It still stands that the only thing Gentiles need to do is [ 012 ] 25…keep themselves from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality.” But for today, in this situation, Paul, we think it would be great if you did this.

Back in chapter 18, Paul took a vow and shaved his head for some reason, so he’s obviously not opposed to observing whatever custom this is, and maybe that’s why they suggested this one. Paul agreed with James’s proposal, and verse [ 012 ] 26… the next day, Paul took the men, having purified himself along with them, and entered the temple, announcing the completion of the purification days when the offering would be made for each of them.

Now we’ll come back to part 2 of this story next week, and see how this all worked out, but for right now, let’s push pause here and look at a couple of applications, because there is a lot we can learn about what a Holy Spirit filled, gospel driven, Christ centered church is supposed to look like .

If you happen by the welcome table in the back, and pick up a brochure, you’ll notice on the inside are our 5 core values as a church. And those of you who filled out the building survey back in the fall were pretty honest that we don’t talk about those very often from the front here. But this text in Acts 21 allows us to shine the spotlight on three of those 5. So let’s check this out.

Our number one priority is the Word and Prayer. I know it’s two things, but it’s one value. God word as our authority for everything it addresses, and prayer as an effective and important part of the Christian life. Another one is multiplication, that we want to see leaders raised up, people equipped and trained, and sent out as God leads. I’m not going to hit those 2 today, but here are the other three values listed on the inside flap.

Three Marks of a Holy-Spirit filled, Gospel-driven, Christ-centered Church seen here in Acts 21

[ 013 ]Generosity – First of all, generosity is the reason Paul is here in Jerusalem at all. He has come with gifts and offerings that were collected in the Gentile churches for those in need here in Jerusalem. But there was one church in that region that didn’t want to participate in the offering. If you turn with me to 2 Corinthians 8, you’ll see that Paul is really getting on the case of the church in Corinth because they didn’t want to contribute to the needs of the church in Jerusalem. This isn’t a pastor begging his congregants for money – this is a missionary taking up a collection so that the rift between Jews and Gentiles is softened. So in 2 Corinthians 8, Paul starts off by pointing out that some of the churches in Macedonia were really going through hard times, and didn’t have much to contribute, but still joyfully gave generously. In fact,[ 014 ] 2 Corinthians 8:4 “they begged us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in the ministry to the saints,” by giving themselves to the Lord, and then to us. And then Paul urges the church in Corinth in [ 015 ] 2 Corinthians 8:7, look, You guys are excellent at being full of faith, so good at communicating the gospel, you know a lot, you’re disciplined and you love each other – Now also be excellent at this act of grace called giving. He calls it an act of grace, following the grace of Jesus, where even though he enjoyed the riches of heaven, he became poor for our sake – became human for our sake, so that by his poverty, his emptying himself, that we would become rich with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. But then look at verse 12 and 13. Paul says, look, I’m not asking you to empty yourself where you give all your money to Jerusalem, and now they have to raise up a collection for you. [ 016 ] 2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver.” Don’t give because you feel guilty for not giving. Don’t give if it’s reluctantly (Oh, fine. I guess. If we have to). I think what Paul would say is if that’s your attitude, keep your money – but you’ll miss out on the joy of giving, the privilege of sharing in what God is doing around the world, and the beauty of watching God meet your needs. [ 017 ] 2 Corinthians 9:12 says that giving“… is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” It’s not just about making expenses, and staff salary, and building funds, and helping people make rent – Giving is one of the ways we say “thank you” to God for all the ways he has met our own needs. And I want to celebrate you all today. From day one, River City has been a generous church. You have been generous with your finances. You have been generous with your time. You have been generous with your possessions. See, what’s surprising is that the Greek word translated “generosity” for you and me actually isn’t only about money. It is a word that means sincerity, and purity of heart. The idea of that word is that my love for you is so sincere, that I will help meet your needs at great cost to myself. That’s how deeply and sincerely I care for you.

And of course that follows the example of Jesus, Philippians 2, who earned our salvation at great cost to himself. Back to Acts 21, to the second value in this text: 

[ 018 ]Welcome or Hospitality – Verse 17 speaks of a warm welcome. That word “welcome” in the original language literally means giving access to yourself without reservation. Yesterday, my wife and I attended a marriage training day with some other folks from River City, and one of the topics mentioned at one point was how perfect our homes need to look before we have people over. Right? We are all either one of two places on this – either your house has to be spotless before you have guests come over, or you just don’t care – hey, I am what I am. Or maybe there’s a third category where it’s not spotless, but you just carried all the clutter to a part of the house you hope nobody goes. When Jodi and I ran a photography business out of our home, while raising four young children, we had clients coming over all the time and we just got really good at hiding things around the right corners. And just praying none of the clients had to use the restroom, or it would give it all away. Our homes are intimate places. It’s where we live, where we bathe, where we eat and sleep and raise children and keep our important things. So it’s a move of vulnerability to let someone in. You’re opening yourself up to the possibility that they will judge you based on what they see. But this kind of welcome here is more than just what your house looks like. See when we’re in this room, or out in public, let’s be honest, there’s a lot of stuff that gets shoved behind the corners in our conversations. We’re guarded. There’s a mask on. We’ll steer the conversation or make a joke to keep things from getting too personal. But gospel hospitality and welcome of this kind opens the door to the real me. I’m not just opening my home, I’m opening my heart, opening my story, opening my personality to you. I’ve willingly giving you access to me, because I value you. The Jewish believers in Jerusalem “did church” a lot differently than the Gentile Christians would have. But they also knew that they themselves were saved by grace, not by purification ceremonies. They were saved by grace, not by their Jewish customs. They were indwelt by the Holy Spirit, not a holier than thou attitude. James and the elders in Jerusalem gladly, warmly, joyfully welcomed Paul and these Gentile believers, strangers from all over the world, traveling with him into their company. You’re one of us. We’re glad you’re here. That’s the kind of welcome we hope everyone gets when you come to River City, or when we gather on Sunday mornings, in our Community Groups and various ministries. We don’t need to wear masks around here. There’s no reason when someone asks “how are you doing?” to just say “good.” There’s no need to push stuff around the corner. It’s okay to say, you know, I’ve been better. It’s okay to say, I’m not doing great this week. Satan and his devils would like us to keep the mask on, and they whisper things like, You don’t want to bring others down with you. You don’t want to look bad or weak, like you can’t handle life. You don’t want people to think you’re needy, or that you’re an inconvenience to them. But that also means that when you ask someone how they’re doing and they say “not great”we need to be ready to step into that. Oh, I’m sorry – tell me what’s going on – and then pray for them. Hospitality. Welcome. You’re one of us, and we’re glad you’re here. Hospitality is vulnerability, and there’s nothing that says vulnerability like our Savior, stripped and bleeding on the cross. But there’s no welcome quite like Jesus’ invitation – come to me all who are weary from the weight of the world, and I will give you rest for your souls. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

[ 019 ] CommUnity – You see both James and Paul leading, modeling, discipling toward unity in the church. Sure, the worship services and discipleship in Jerusalem might have looked a lot different than the gatherings or discipleship in Ephesus or Corinth, but they have one Lord, one Savior, one King, and they are determined to be unified in the gospel - to the point that Paul is willing to go through this ritual with these four men for no other reason than unity. Look at verse 23: James says, “Do what we tell you.” And even though Paul is an apostle and James isn’t, Paul submits to James’ leadership. Paul puts his own priorities and preferences aside, and in 1 Corinthians 9:20 he says why: “To the Jews I became like a Jew (I participated in their customs), to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law—though I myself am not under the law—to win those under the law.” Paul gave up his own freedoms, and performed the custom, not because he hoped this would help him avoid facing chains and affliction, but because these believing Jews were his brothers and sisters in Christ and because it would promote unity in the Church as a whole.

[ 020 ] We’re going to participate in communion today as a marker of all three of those.

It’s in communion that we celebrate the generosity of Jesus, who loved us so sincerely, so deeply, so profoundly, that he left the glories of heaven to come to earth and be poor – emptying himself, not of his divinity, but of his rights to be treated like God – so that we could become as wealthy as he was.

It’s in communion that we celebrate the welcome of Jesus, who gave himself completely, holding nothing back to earn our salvation. If God didn’t hold back his only Son, what else would he hold back?

And it’s in communion that we recognize how everyone who has gone all in on Jesus, everyone who calls on his name by faith, and is set free by his glorious grace, is brought together into the family of God. Communion reminds us that there is only one body of Christ. All the pieces of bread come from one loaf. Jesus is the loaf, and we all belong to him and to each other.

if youre not…

SOURCES

Bock, Darrell L., Acts, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007), pp. 641–49

John R. W. Stott, The Message of Acts: The Spirit, the Church & the World, The Bible Speaks Today, (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994), 334–343.

Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 1:490.