Culture Clash

We are back in our series through Acts: Sent.

We are learning from scripture what it looks like to be intentional in mission.

Not stumbling in to mission

Not casually evangelizing when convenient

Not accidently discipling someone with our actions

No we are learning how to be intentional everyday missionaries, who are elected by God the Father, Commissioned by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to reach the world with the good news of salvation and freedom from sin and death! We are Sent!

Today we my sermon title is Culture Clash.

Specifically we are learning from the book of Acts how to live on mission even when there is a Culture Clash.

Cultural Habits

Cultural Habits

Culture Clash in

Potential Clashes

Cultural habits

Unsettling food, strange clothes, weird smells, unusual music, driving on the wrong side of the road, having no rules on max capacity for a bus or taxi, heavy pollution, toilets that are in the floor, the metric system, finding out cricket is a sport not just an insect, strange greetings, people talking really close to your face, mud huts, football having totalling different rules and having striking resemblance to soccer… this list can go on and on

2. Cultural Morality

Clear religious differences, dietary restrictions, treatment of women and children, bribery, drug and alcohol consumption, marriage views

The truth is you dont have to go across the world to have a cultural clash do you?

Like I went to a friends house recently; there were weird smells, unsettling food, strange art, unusual music, he put his hair up in a man bun and tried to get me to try Kambuchea all while wearing something called a romper.

I was like I think Id be more comfortable in Uganda.

There are plenty of cultural clashes happening right now in America.

Just open up the news or scroll through facebook and we see that.

Baby pic 80 likes

Dog pic 40 likes

Selfie 102 likes

Political post 683 comments

Todays Text: How to deal with Culture Clash

Acts 15:2 ESV

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.

Acts 15:1 NIV

Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.”

Jesus +

You can not add to Perfection

You can not add to Finished

Acts 15:2–4 NIV

This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.

Paul and Barnabas decide not to just try to handle this all on their own but instead go to Jerusalem and talk to the apostles and the elders there.

They didn't yet have the new testament.

Much of what they were relying on at this point were eye witnesses testimonies

Acts 15:2–5 NIV

This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them. Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”

Acts 15:5 NIV

Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”

Before we start bashing the Pharisees , notice is says some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees.

Acts 15:2-

These Pharisees are Christian, they are converted.

The same religious group responsible for the accusations against and crucifixion of Jesus are starting to get saved!

Praise God!

So before we judge them for this Jesus + teaching lets remember the old stuff still stuck to us… We get saved by our faith in Jesus but it can take a lot of time to shake certain ways of thinking or sin.

Acts 15:6–12 NIV

The apostles and elders met to consider this question. After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.

Acts 15:6-

Peter speaks up, now you will remember from and 11 that God had used Peter to lead the first group of Gentiles to Christ.

God had also given him a vision that all people were accepted.

Peter with his very authoritative role as the leader of the apostles and of the church stands for the Gentiles and against adding anything as a requirement for salvation other than faith in Jesus Christ.

Additionally Paul and Barnabus testify of how God is saving the gentiles!

Acts 15:13–21 NIV

When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: “ ‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things’— things known from long ago. “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”

Acts 15:13-

This is James the Just the half bother of Christ. Who would later write the epistle James in the New Testament.

Who the early church had a nick name camel knees because his knees were so deformed from kneeling and praying for upwards of 8 hours a day.

He uses scripture to show the salvation of Gentiles was always part of Gods plan.

So he says lets not make it difficult for them.

So he says we ask them to abstain from:

from food polluted by idols,

from sexual immorality,

from the meat of strangled animals

and from blood.

For the law of Moses has been and is being preached in every city in the synagogues.

This is for unity, James doesn't want to make it difficult for the Gentiles, in the sense of circumscision or making them follow all of the law. But for unity James knows that these four things will make it much easier for the Christian Jews and Gentiles throughout the world to have unity.

Acts 15:22–34 NIV

Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers. With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul—men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell. So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them.

Acts 15:22-

Points

1. God does not discriminate

Verse 8b-9

The New International Version Chapter 15

he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He did not discriminate between us and them

Galatians 3:28 NIV

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

2. Purified by Grace through faith

Verse 9b

The New International Version Chapter 15

for he purified their hearts by faith

Verse 11

The New International Version Chapter 15

No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

3. Law is a burden no one but Christ could bear

Verse 10

The New International Version Chapter 15

10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear?

Law is a burden no one but Christ could bear

Romans 10:4 NLT

For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

ALREADY

4. Keep moral teaching simple and biblical

Verse 14 and 15

The New International Version Chapter 15

Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. 15 The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:

The New International Version Chapter 15

“It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood

We love to complicate things, but its not helpful especially in cross cultural mission.

5. You can’t do the Holy Spirits job.

You can’t do the holy spirits job.

You can’t do the holy spirits job.

Verse 8

The New International Version Chapter 15

God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.

John 16:

John 16:8 ESV

And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:

The New International Version Chapter 15

He did not discriminate

John 16:8–9 ESV

And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;

Conclusion

The New International Version Chapter 15

God, who knows the heart,

The New International Version Chapter 15

for he purified their hearts by faith

The New International Version Chapter 15

Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear?

Philippians 2:3 NIV

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,

Philippians 3:2 ESV

Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.

Philipians 3:2