The Gospel Unleashed

INTRODUCTION

Welcome

Good Morning CrossPointe

Heart Talk

Turn with me to

I’ve been praying all week for this time together right here because of the importance of this text in the movement of the church and what it means for us today.

Here’s my concern:

Some of you have heard this before and will hear what I say and respond, saying, “I know this. I’ve heard this before.” And you will leave here carrying the same burden and heavy heart with which you entered.

The Burden

We all carry burdens. Maybe it’s Anger, grudges, pride, jealousy, disappointments, pain, fear, worry, doubt, anxiety, insecurities, financial concerns.

There’s also another burdens that when we become aware it - it breaks our back and we are unable to stand beneath its weight.

Some of you will hear today’s message and think it madness, impossible and leave here carrying the same burden with which you entered.

Others still, will hear today’s passage and find or be remind of the hope and joy we have in Jesus. You will lay your burdens and heaviness at Jesus’ feet and replace it with the light and easy weight of Jesus’ perfection.

PRAY

PRAY

The outcome I desire from today’s message is not something my words can produce.

We desperately need the Holy Spirit to prepare our hearts to receive his word so that it takes root and bears spiritual fruit.

PIVOT POINT

is a critical pivot point in the movement of Acts

BIG IDEA: The gospel will be proclaimed among all peoples through witnesses empowered by the Holy Spirit, beginning in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

is the pivot point as the gospel is about to be be launched out into the all the world.

Just before launch - there’s a problem. The image in my mind is like the countdown for the next SpaceX launch. There check all the systems before the final command .

In the same way, we are going to see some people who add a component to the question, “what must you do to be saved?”

Think about the importance of this moment as they discuss this issue.

They are asking, “if someone is not a Jew, what do they need to believe and do to be saved?”

READ

Transition Point and Importance of this passage

Today’s Main Points

The Weight of God’s Law (Historical Context)

The Weight of Religion & Good Works (Modern Context)

Freedom in Christ (Application)

THE WEIGHT OF GOD’S LAW | JESUS + CIRCUMCISION

Understanding Circumcision

God gave the jewish people moral and ceremonial rules.

You may be familiar with the 10 commandments but this is just the first 10 of 613 laws found in the first 5 books of the Old testament, called the Torah, or the Law in English, and also the Pentateuch.

The Overarching Story

Creation / Fall / Tower of Babel and peoples

God choses Abraham’s family through whom he would bless all nation

His family line end us in slavery in Egypt before God rescues them

At Mount Sinai makes a covent with the people and a pattern begins to unfold.

God gives commands and the people rebel

God gives more rules and the people rebel

God gives more rules and the people rebel

Over and over again

Moses gives these final words saying the people’s hearts are hard and they will need new hearts if they are every going to obey God.

Despite this: Jews continued to try and perfectly fulfill the Law through obedience but always fell short or became prideful as they saw their efforts of obedience as better than others.

Purpose of the Law

Peter says… “A yoke we ourselves can not bear...”

Purpose of the Law

To instruct and expose our hearts and need for a savior

“For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”

“The law was our guardian, in order that we might be saved by faith.”

We don’t take the Law and try to fix ourselves with it, we take the law and say, “I need help.”

“We believe...”

“We believe that we will will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

The Ph.D and the child, the Jew and the Gentile, Black, White, Hispanic, or Asian - rules don’t save, they only expose our sin. Only Jesus saves.

Paul & barnabas (12)

The crowd fell silent and Paul and Barnabas described what God had done through them among the Gentiles.

James’ Speech (13-21)

Now James stood, the half-brother of Jesus - He was called James the Just

When he died, his knees were allegedly callused like those of camel because of his many hours of prayer. He was a pillar of the church and seems to be the moderator of the assembly here in Jerusalem.

James’ decision:

God is taking a people for himself from among the Gentiles - this was prophesied by God ()

Jesus alone saves

Also instruct them

Abstain from things polluted by idols

Abstain from sexual immorality (Antioch had a reputation)

Abstain from food that was strangled and from blood

WHY

Missional Sensitivity: There are Jews in these cities. The hand of fellowship and hospitality would be broken as Jews would not culturally eat food sacrificed to idols, etc.

WHY IS THIS SUCH A BIG DEAL.... ?

THE WEIGHT OF A NEW LAW | JESUS + ANYTHING

We feel the burden of Sin

The Law of God exposes our sin - when we see the holiness of God we feel the depth of our on sin and short-comings

Recently - i’ve heard from many people who continue to wrestle with this reality

I’m not enough - my faith isn’t enough - my obedience isn’t enough

I feel overwhelmed by sin and by doubt

It is the burden that many of you carried in with you this morning.

Am I saved? Have I done enough? Is God pleased with me?

We feel the cost of Sin

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

Physically alive but morally unable to respond to God.

Our hearts are hard and we need new hearts…

In a new documentary called, ‘American Gospel,’ Jackie Hill-Perry said this, “I feel like I was walking on egg shells all the time because it felt like at any moment I could go to hell because I’m doing enough. That’s where you see a lot of people who grew up in churches where the gospel was not really fleshed out, where they become atheists because they think, ‘well I can’t do enough to please him anyway so why trust him or believe in him.”

Illustrated

In 1676 a 47 year man was thrown in prison because he wouldn’t stop preaching. While in prison for 12 years, John Bunyan began writing, “The Pilgrim’s Progress” - an extraordinary allegory which is the journey of everyman from this world to the next. He begins...

“As I walked through the wilderness of this world, I lighted on a certain place, where was a den; and I laid me down in that place to sleep: and as I slept I dreamed a dream. I dreamed, and behold I saw a man clothed with rags, standing in a certain place, with his face from his own house, a book in his hand, and a great burden upon his back. I looked, and saw him open the book, and read therein; and as he read, he wept and trembled: and not being able longer to contain, he brake out with a lamentable cry; saying, ‘What shall I do to be saved?’”

This is the same question being asked in . What must we believe and do to be saved?

In a new documentary called, ‘American Gospel,’ Jackie Hill-Perry said this, “I feel like I was walking on egg shells all the time because it felt like at any moment I could go to hell because I’m doing enough. That’s where you see a lot of people who grew up in churches where the gospel was not really fleshed out, where they become atheists because they think, ‘well I can’t do enough to please him anyway so why trust him or believe in him.”

There are many who would still seek to add to the work of Jesus on the cross...

We try to create a new law.

Many people continue to believe that Christianity is a list of rules we must follow:

Jesus + Good Works = Saved (Untrue)

Trust in Jesus AND...

Do good works, obey - give money, perfect attendance at Church, etc.

Jesus + Baptism = Saved (untrue)

Jesus + Speaking in Tongues = Saved (untrue)

Jesus + Good Work

Jesus + ______________ = Saved (untrue)

FREEDOM IN CHRIST | JESUS + NOTHING

I long for you to experience true freedom in Christ but I fear that sometimes the message of the gospel is reduced to God loves you - it’s going to be OK. The weight of God’s glory and worth demands that we also understand the weight of our sin.

The Burden is real

The Law exposes our sin

The cost of our sin is death (spiritual separation from God)

Remember the pilgrim, CHRISTIAN

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

Physically alive but morally unable to respond to God.

Our hearts are hard and we need new hearts…

Listen to the words of Jesus:

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” ().

Remember Peter’s words in , don’t place the yoke of the Law on Gentiles because we couldn’t carry it either

Yoke is easy...

Yoke of our sin as exposed by the Law

Yoke of Christ

Double Exchange: We place our sin on Christ AND he covers us in his righteousness

This is critically important because I fear that many people who grow up in the church miss the truth of this double exchange and end up laying down their burden of sin, only to pick up a new law and burden of works and perfection.

Yes, Jesus forgives our sin. His perfect life and his substitutionary death sufficiently paid the penalty for our sin.

BUT - many then pick up the yoke of LAW: be perfect, be good, do more, you’re not enough.

We are given a double exchange

The Gospel is not a NEW LAW

We are given a double exchange

We are given a double exchange

God became our sin, “so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” ()

With the burden of sin freed from our backs, we are clothed, covered with Jesus’ cloak of righteousness

Am I enough? What about my sin? What about when I fail? What about when I feel weak? What about … what about ...

You never were enough, you never will be enough - that is good news

Because God provided us a Savior who is enough, will always be enough - his name is Jesus. All his accomplishments, all his perfection, all his value and worth - covers us.

Let your weary souls rest in Jesus like a warm blanket fresh out of the dryer on a cold rainy day.

Jesus = Salvation

From Pilgrim’s Progress, “The crucial moment in Christian’s life is when he comes to the cross. We read the description: “He ran till he came to a place somewhat ascending; and upon that place stood a cross, and little below in the bottom, a sepulchre. So I saw in my dream, that just as Christian came up with the cross, his burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back; and began to tumble, and so continued to do so until it came to the mouth of the sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it no more.””

Shortly thereafter, Christian sang his song of deliverance: “This far did I come laden with my sin, nor could I ease the grief that I was in, till I came here. What a place is this! Must here be the beginning of my bliss? Must here the burden fall from off my back? Must here the strings that bound it to me, crack? Blessed cross! Blessed sepulchre! Blessed is the Man that there was put to shame for me.”

APPLICATION

HEART CARE

To the cultural Christian or the non-believer

Maybe you have wrongly assumed you understood the Gospel only to realize that that you’ve been trying to save yourself all along through good works or religious activity.

Maybe you’ve confessed your sins but you’ve never trusted on Christ - allowing him to clothe you in the perfection of Jesus.

RESPONSE:

Confess: your sin is a burden too great for you to carry

Believe on Jesus today

His is God, lived a perfect life, died in our place, and rose from the dead

To the Discouraged Christian

Maybe you hear and believe the words of Jesus to come and find rest for your weary souls

BUT you feel this is true for others but not you. Your soul is burdened, your heart heavy. Your mind and your heart are at war in what you believe and what you feel.

RESPONSE:

Confess: your weariness, doubts, pain and burdens. Don’t give in to the temptation to pretend or preform. These are false cloaks.

Pray: Ask God to help you. 1) To lay down your burdens, 2) to believe in his covering and that being enough.

Talk: Share with others whom you trust

To the Joyful Christian

By God’s grace my soul is actively resting in Jesus.

RESPONSE:

Thanksgiving: Give thanks in prayer. This is the result of God’s hand in your life, not because of anything special you’ve done.

Encourage Others: Look around and consider how you can encourage others.

Solas

Sola Scriptura | Scripture Alone - every doctrine must be grounded in and measured by what God has said in his Word, the Bible.

Solus Christus | Christ Alone - Christ alone does the work that saves.

Sola Gratia | Grace Alone - we are completely helpless in sin and God must do for us whatever it is he requires for us. From beginning to end salvation hinges on what God does or us. Salvation is not something we have earned in any way: salvation is a free gift

Sola Fide | Faith Alone

This is the same question being asked in . What must we believe and do to be saved?

In a new documentary called, ‘American Gospel,’ Jackie Hill-Perry said this, “I feel like I was walking on egg shells all the time because it felt like at any moment I could go to hell because I’m doing enough. That’s where you see a lot of people who grew up in churches where the gospel was not really fleshed out, where they become atheists because they think, ‘well I can’t do enough to please him anyway so why trust him or believe in him.”