The gospel of Grace

intro

Good morning church it is a real joy to be with you. If you have your bibles this morning go ahead and flip to Acts chapter 15 and in a moment we are going to read verses 1-35 today.

As we read this passage what I want us to look for this morning is the threads of grace woven through this passage.

and to look for the threads of grace in this passage it would be good to define grace

Grace is favor or kindness show without regard to the worth or merit of the one who reicves it and in spite of what the person deserves

Grace is underserved acceptance and love recived from another epsically the charcteristic of God in providing salvaiton for sinners

Grace is what the gospel of Jesus Christ declares so clearly and it’s Gods grace that leads to this first church council at jeruslam.

as we talked about last week it’s important we speak clearly about Christ and in the midst of confusion and debate the early church narrows in with increadlibly gospel focus to declare the gospel of grace.

let’s read

Acts 15:1–35 ESV

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.” 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. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. 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.” The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 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. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 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? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” 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. After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, “ ‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old.’ Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 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. For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.” 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, 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. 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. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For it has 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. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.” So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

Right away luke tells there is a misunderstanding of the means of salvation which causes a dinssenion and debate with other christians

Paul and barnabas see the stakes and travel around 250 miles to jerusalem. As they are traveling They share the news about what the gospel is diong thorughout the world and it brings great joy to many.

even when they get to Jerusalem their is a warm welcome. So they declare all God has done

but there were some Christians who were Pharisees and rose up and said this isn’t the way it should be. If someone who is not Jewish get’s saved it’s imporantat that they go through the customs to keep the law of moses and become Jewish

now the reason this is importnat to us is because it begins to answer the question of why we are not jewish

and it’s a natural question they are rasing. the first christians where all Jewish. Jesus was Jewish. Christianity was an outworking of all the prophesies of the OT about the messiah

The grace of God was being disputed.

and the reason it was being disputed is because the jewish christians wanted non jews to adhere to the rituals and rules of the torah to be welcomeed into the community

but in doing that they were failing to realize with the incarnation of Jesus everything had changed

and that was probalby really difficult for them

this was a doctrinal issue that posed a pratical problem

how in the world do Jewish Christians and Gentile christians actaully even enjoy a meal together. There were so many things that the non jews did that seemed to make the jews unclean

they were struglling with the idea of it is by grace alone we are saved

they had this Jesus plus all the rules and rituals of the OT is salvation

it can be something people even struggle with today wihtout even realzing it. If we arean’t careful we will add things to our salvation

but what the gospel of grace shows us is the work of Jesus Christ is enough and sufficent to save

Salvation by grace alone distugshies Christianity from every other world relgion

world regliions are built on human performiee

other world religions might even inspare you but as Keller says “in the end they just start putting burdens on you”

and I think this will always be disputed to some degree becasue often the default mode of the human heart is works-based rightouness

we want to justify ourselves. We can often look to our own lives and say well I’m not as bad as that person, or I haven’t committed that sin. Or I’ve been baptized, i’ve gone to church, I read my bible, I give to the poor

surely I am saved. It’s the external evidence that can underimine the very work the gospel wants to do in us

and I get it. For a good amount of pepole we would say I know I can’t do anything to save myself. I get that it’s a free gift by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone and I did nothing to desrve it

you’d even agree with the idea from the book cheer up. You are far worse then you think you are but the gospel tells us we are far more loved then we ever dare to imagne

and that concept overwhelms our hearts and is often what leads us to savaltion. But if we areen’t careful like some early christians after we recive the free gift or others recive the free gift of the gospel we move from reciving to trying to ear slvation again. To earn Gods love

I’ll illustrate it for you this way. Recently I climbed 57 flights of stairs. It was one of the most grueling flights of stairs I had ever covered. I was spent. At times I want faster at other times I went slower. But after a certatin amount of time I was done. I looked around after I finished and realized I was exactly where i started. Some of you are onto to me. It’s because I was on the stairmaster at a local gym. It’s miserable. always climbing. Everyone watching. never going anywhere. Trying to be in control

sometimes slower sometimes faster. BUT making no real progress

that’s what trying to work for your salvation through the law is like. it’s like this endless and it’s a really bad master

what they are saying when they talk about the yoke on the necks is they are saying where the law rules the focus is completly on ones own behevoiur.

What can I do to make sure God still loves me, what can I do to justyfiy myself are often teh questions we ask

but where graces rules we are preoccupied with Jesus and that my friends is the better way

it’s the best way.

The gospel is not advice, it’s more than that before the gospel is ever about how to live it’s news

it’s not just advice about what we should do and shouldn’t do

no the gospel is good news about what Jesus has done for you

in other words it's not just about how to have the best life ever. It's about the life of Jesus and what he's done for you and how he died so you and I could expierence his abudent life

your salvation is never been something you can acihive the gospel is all about reciving

John 6:26–29 ESV

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

that’s the work belive on him who God has sent. Jesus christ.

that our minds, our hearts and our very lives would be utterldyl fixeted on Jesus. this changes everything. this is the gospel of grace.

There is a burden that’s removed the iminute you and I become a Christian. The burden of trying to prove ourselfs to justify overselves it’s gone

the burden of our past. Shame and guilt, regret because of things we’ve done the gospel takes those burdens off

even the burden of the futre. Having fear we aren’t going to live up to stadards. the gospel takes off.

becuase Jesus has died for us. becuase Jesus offers us his grace we are secure in the suffeiincty of the grace of Jesus in our lives.

there are so many burdens that can feel crushying in our world today. Some those burdens come form what we would call a tradional cutlure

one where we are crushed by family, or culture expectations of who we need to be. that’s probably some of what the gentiles where confusilny expierencing from the pharshiess

the pharisees where saying. this is who you need to be. this is how you need to live. in order to be in Christ you actaully have follow the whole law, you actaulllly have to do some things externally before the interanl change can actually happen

but the gospel says your not defiend by others expectatyions of you. or even what they think about you. If you are saved you are saved by Grace. you are loved by God because of what Jesus has done for you.

and while that’s what many early christians may have struggle with

in our time we aren’t as concred about what tradional expecations may have for us or think of us

in our day from the time we are little everyone is asking you a simple quesion what do you want to be when you grow up.

from the time we are small people are saying you have to know what you want to be

and while it sounds great that we can be whatever we want it’s not very freeing at all.

we use to tell our kids they could be whatever they wanted to be when they grow up but we would ask them all the time. We’d get the normal. Doctor, teacher, mom you know the drill. and we felt pretty good about it until one day I was talking to one of my kids and they said I wan to be a bat scientist.

I didn’t know what to say. In some ways I thought I had failed. In other ways I was confsued

and as fun as that was it reminds me of something when we are just told set goals you can be what you want to be it’s not liberity it is acctaully crushing

but the gospel actually brings real freedom. instead of having Jesus plus something else.

you get Jesus. and he invites you to take his yoke which is easy and his burden which is light

I think that’s why in verse 12 the whole assembly fell slent. they were so overwhelmed by the good news of the gospel. So in awe of what Jesus had done for them they were ready to listed

we see Baranabas and Paul get up and just rejoice saying God had really done these things. that the gentiles where really be saved by the gospel of Grace and God was confimr t through sings and woders

then James. the half brother of Jesus gets up and reminds them what happend with Peter and when God first saved Gentils. he reminds them as verse 15-17 say that this isn’t a new idea. in fact this is what God has been promising for generations even through the prophets. that God was going to save both Jews and non jews and he was keeping a remnat of mankind for himslef that when he saved them would seek him

so james the half brother of Jesus says we can’t trouble the gentiles who are turning to God to become something or someone God has not asked or required them to.

No one was deyinging the holiness of GOd. They are affirming it and reminding the people that the laws were vivid espcially in the book o fleviticaus. but the reason they were so vivid is because they had this way of driving into our hearts that humans are spirtually unlean

so what the laws did is remind them of this and they spent everyda continually getting themselves out of being unclean but eventaully all of tha tpointed them to a greater realiting something or someone had to atone for sin

Hebrews 10:1–10 ESV

For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ ” When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Christ did that

in Luke 23 we are told when Jesus died the viel of the temple was torn. and becaus eof Gods graces salvaiton and access to God was opened up

I heard one pastor put it this way. What james is saying here is if we trouble the gentiles about these things we are putting a prerquistet on slavaiton God does not put and in essence we are resowing the viel that has been torn down

and that’s what happens anytime we put any conditions on salvtion outside of the grace of our lord Jesus christ

but they do ask for a few things. they to absatin form things pullted by idols

from sexual immorality

and from what’s been strangled

one of the reasons this debate even started was because jewish and non jewish christians where struggling even eating a meal together and this divided was threating the unity of the gospel. So James in wisdom knows here are some simple things that would allow both jewish and non jewish christians to share a meal together and reamain united which was key because they had a goal to get the gospel to the ends of the earth

and it would be farir to ask is this not just more rules and more laws they are putting on the non jewish christians and i would say no

I think this is love

I think what James is asking is they would love each otehr in such a way that the world would see the differenc ethat the gospel of grace made

Jesus said people wiill know you are my discples by the way you love one another

Paul would write to the church at Philipi

Philippians 2:1–4 ESV

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

in other words becaus emy heart has been so transfomred by the grace of the lord Jesus that his love would allow me to love others in a way that I would consider thier intres more important then my own

what James is encouraging them to do is move towards one another

that’s what the gospel is always doing it’s moving us in love towards each other. there should be nothing that I am not willing to give up or go without for the sake of my brother or sister in christ

and so the apostles elders and whole church write the letters explaing all of this in verse 23-29

it gets to others they read it and they rejoice greatly

the quesiton has been answered. They are in they are saved. not by the law but by the grace of Jesus christ and they rejoice

the section ends with a picture we see often Paul and barnabas continue to teach and preach the word and the church conintues to expand

I love this part of acts. it’s the halfway point. and it’s hear at the halfway point the gospel conintues to gain tracation and clairty

and my hope for you this morning is that that same gospel of grace would grip all of our hearts

that we realzie what happens when grace rules our hearts. no longer do we have a heart of stone that’s being crushed by the wieght of the law but the Holy spirit has giving us a heart of flesh

it’s what was promised in the OT.

Ezekiel 36:26–27 ESV

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

and it’s this heart of flesh that allows us to love GOd more than sin that enslaved us

the grace of God still works today and still brings freedom in the Christian life

one pastor about this text said

when we get saved it’s not an add on to old rules

it’s a spirit birthed kingdom where Jesus reigns in every yeiled thought, affection and decision

crowinign him both cosmic Lord and persnal king

tha’ts what happens when we move from the kingdom of the law and to the kingdom of Grace

and that’s what happens when grace rules

grace begins to reshape our deepest desires and affections from the inside out. that’s what I need today and I bet that’s what you need.

let’s pray