"Staying Within the Lines"
Intro:
Has anyone noticed any of these orange barrels all over the place?
Driving down road/praise music playing.
Staying within lines…
Orange sign/work zone ahead!
Traffic slows/brake lights ahead.
Lines are gone/orange cones.
Arrows pointing everywhere.
Illustration:
Do you really need to stay within the lines?
East Kellogg…
It’s the lines that keep us safe.
Even though constructionlead to a bettersafer trip.
How do you keep yourself safe spiritually?
God is in the construction business also/rebuilding lives.
Go back two weeks (James speaking of Jesus)
Slide:
Acts 15:16 ‘After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up;
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He will returnrebuildset up.
Make all things new.
Until the time of His return/you keep yourself safe.
How do you do that?
Slide: “Staying Within the Lines”
God has given us His wordto protect usto show us
How to live our/your life by “Staying Within the Lines”
When we left off.
Peter rose up explaining to Jerusalem council/God given the gospel to the gentiles.
No distinction between Jew/Gentile.
Jews were saying, If you want to be saved/traditions.
That included circumcision/obeying the law of Moses.
v.10 why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples/they or you can’t bear?
It was to much for themtoo much for meyou.
We can’t do it! You can’t do it!
Until He returns/We need someone to show us if we are “Staying Within the Lines”
Slide:
Acts 15:19 Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God,
20 but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.
21 For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
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James said, “Lets not make it to hard on these guys.”
Not give them a burden/can’t attain.
Instead, write them a letter/set of ethics
Biblical lines to stay within.
They were to abstain from (3) things.
1. Food polluted by idol.
2. Sexual immorality.
3. Meat of strangled animals/blood.
These were Jewish moral issues
1. Food polluted by idols.
a. Hold banquets/celebrations in idol temples.
2. Sexual immorality.
a. Fornication was a common sin.
3. Meat of strangled animals/blood.
a. Jews believed life was in the blood.
By not attending banquets in templesfornicationeating blood to the Jews, the gentiles would be maintaining the high moral standards…
More importantly/not offend their Jewish brothers.
James said, “Lets send them a letter”
Slide:
Acts 15: 22 Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren.
23 They wrote this letter by them: The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.
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Paul, Barnabus, Judas called Barsabus and Silas
Elders of the churchpenned this letterdecree.
Slide:
Acts 15:23 They wrote this letter by them: The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.
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Starts with who wrote the letter/validity.
Apostles, elders and brethren.
To the brethren…who are Gentiles
Call them brothers/still separation.
Slide:
Acts 15:24 Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law”—to whom we gave no such commandment—
25 it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men 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 will also report the same things by word of mouth.
28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:
29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.
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v.25 assembled with one accord (heart)
v.26 sent men who have risked their lives (credibility)
v. 28 No burden/necessary things.
1. Abstain from Idols.
2. Sexual immorality.
3. Strangled animals.
Important note here.
Not a new doctrine, it’s a new duty
It’s not enough for you to accept biblical truth;
You must apply it in your daily life.
You must live it out.
Slide:
James 2:20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
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When you fell to your kneescried out, Lord save meHe did!
He also said, I’m going to began a work in you.
Construction going on.
Wall coming down.
He said, I need you to make some changes.
Send you down a road.
“Stay Within the Lines”
Abstain from, turn from, Do no more…
Strangled animals…
Great offence to the Jews.
Don’t offend your brother.
Things offered to idols.
You don’t sacrifice animals.
MoneyTimeEnergy
Sexual immorality
This is never right in the eye’s of the Lord.
You to be “Staying Within the Lines”.
Illustration;
Because of the compassion of His love.
There needs to be compromise in your life.
Compromise is meeting in the middle of the road.
Anything to far to the left of right is in the gutter.
v. 29 b If you keep yourself from these you will do well.
Slide:
Acts 15: 30 So when they were sent off, they came to Antioch; and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter.
31 When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement.
32 Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words.
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They said, “We have good news and bad news…
Good news; no circumcision
Bad news; no more baby back ribs.
They rejoiced over the encouragement (Why?)
God was going to do work in their lives.
Because they were “Staying Within the Lines”.
God wants to do a work in your life.
Marriage. (rebuild it)
Finances (return it to you)
Life (reward you)
God wants to do a work in your church.
We’re seeing more people.
We’re seeing more giving.
We’re seeing more baptisms.
We’re seeing more changed lives.
Slide:
Acts 15:33 And after they had stayed there for a time, they were sent back with greetings from the brethren to the apostles.
34 However, it seemed good to Silas to remain there.
35 Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
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Paul, Barnabus and Silas stayed in Antioch.
Continued the ministry God had called them to.
Teaching and preaching the word.
“Staying Within the Lines”
What happens when you go out of the lines.
Illustration;
Driving up 119th;
When you go out of the lines/take someone with you.
Close:
Slide:
Acts 15: 36 Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.”
37 Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark.
Remember John Mark? Started w/Paul left in Pamphylia?
38 But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work.
39 Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus;
40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the
grace of God.
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41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
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Slide:
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
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His purposeplanpassion/power
All works together for good.
But He’s given us a roadway to follow.
New Christians/wide
Mature/starts to narrow