Worth Fighting For

Introduction

Who’s thinking about Christmas? Staci going back on her word. She said I could be as tacky as I wanted to be. I’ve eased in - Baby Jesus inflatable. This year Saints inflatable. I might have to sleep on the couch all Christmas season, but it’s worth the fight. Make Christmas Great Again.

In every relationship, pick your battles. Some fights are worth having and some are not. In your marriage, not worth fighting over your husband leaving dirty clothes on the floor. But, it’s worth fighting over faithfulness in your marriage. If one is unfaithful, you can’t overlook it!

What drives your life? How you answer that questions says a lot about you and what you believe. We all have core convictions, core beliefs, that we are willing to take a stand on. We all have hills we’re willing to die on. Question: Is your belief that the only way to have a relationship with God is through the death and resurrection of Jesus a hill you’re willing to die on? And, is your life driven by that conviction? I think your life and our church should be driven by that conviction - because eternally - nothing else matters.

In , a fight worth having - the purity of the Gospel was at stake. Cannot overestimate the significance of what took place in . A crisis that demanded a decisive response.

Paul, Peter, and James, the brother of Jesus, argued that Jesus is all one needs for salvation - willing to fight for this conviction.

Three questions to help us determine if our lives are driven by the conviction that Jesus alone is the hope of the world.

Do we have a passion for outsiders or do we strive to pacify insiders?

= end of first missionary journey. (Acts describes 3 of Paul’s missionary journeys.) Over 2 years, Paul and Barnabas traveled over 1200 miles from Antioch to the island of Cyprus and throughout south Galatia. Imagine the difficulty of travel - sailing the Mediterranean, walking mountainous terrain, etc.

First missionary = difficult. Spiritual warfare. In Iconium, an attempt to stone Paul and Barnabas, but they got away. At Lystra, Paul was stoned so bad, thy thought he was dead. In spite of persecution, Gospel went forth. People gave lives to Jesus.

Returned to Antioch. Perhaps broken bones still healing from stoning. Paul exhausted. He and Barnabas had been on the front lines. Church at Antioch celebrates with him - - in spite of suffering, evident a door of faith had opened for the Gentiles.

Imagine Paul’s anger when men came from Judea - “Unless you are circumcised, you cannot be saved.” () Paul had literally almost given his life for Gentiles who had come to Jesus without being circumcised - while these men sat in Jerusalem debating the requirements of salvation.

vs. 2 - no small dissension and debate. Duh!

To Jerusalem to settle the debate. Many rejoice over what had taken place on Paul’s missionary journey, but there were some believers who, like Paul, used to be a part of the Pharisees. But unlike Paul, had a hard time letting go of their past. After all, before Christ, spent their whole lives mastering the Law. The pride of being a Pharisee - looked up to - but gave that up to follow Jesus. Still, hard time letting go of everything they had cherished.

In Judaism - to become a full Jewish proselyte had to be circumcised. Shouldn’t it be the same for followers of Jesus? After all, wasn’t the Jesus movement an outgrowth of Judaism? Wasn’t Jesus the Jewish Messiah?

For Pharisees - if they want to be one of us, they have to be like us - be circumcised and observe our traditions. Grace under attack!

For Paul - he’d been in the battle. He had seen the work of Christ. He saw people transformed not because of Jewish laws and customs but because of the Spirit of God at work through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Now, what will the church do? Affirm the work of the Spirit among Gentiles? Salvation through Jesus alone? Or, capitulate to the former Pharisees, salvation by Jesus + circumcision + traditions. Will the church have a passion for outsiders that will cause them to let go of traditions that don’t save or will the church pacify the insiders?

What about our church? Do we have a passion for outsiders or do we strive to pacify insiders?

Passion for outsiders = in everyday conversations, we point people to Jesus as the only hope.

Pacify insiders: an insider mentality:

It doesn’t feel like church unless… (If you can’t let that go, not a passion for outsiders.)

You’re not welcome here if you don’t… (If you fill in the blank, not a passion for outsiders.)

I can’t give… (my time, resources, etc. for the Gospel) But, I can take...

We cannot cater to an insider mentality when people we love and people we have yet to meet are facing the reality of a Christ-less eternity.

Do we tell people what to do or do we tell people what’s been done?

Peter stands to address the council. The Gospel had changed him, and the experience with Cornelius and the Gentiles changed the way he viewed the spread of the Gospel.

Peter’s own experience - everyone in agreement - God had used him to open a door for the Gospel to the Gentiles. God made no distinction between Jew and Gentile - neither should Jewish believers.

And, about circumcision, Laws, and traditions. Peter, “I was born a Jew. I was circumcised. I was taught the Law - all 613 commands! I was taught the traditions of Judaism. I did a pretty bad job. So did you. You think these Gentile believers are going to be able to do what we ourselves couldn’t do? Do you think they are going to be able to obey all of those Laws we ourselves couldn’t obey?”

Peter’s getting it - After all, that’s why Peter and everyone else needed a Savior - because the Law only showed how sinful they were - not how good they were! The Jewish religion was a burden, not a delight. And now, these former Pharisees wanted to place that burden on Gentiles!

Following Jesus wasn’t supposed to be a burden for the Gentile believers, and that’s what these former Pharisees were trying to make it. Instead, the Christian faith was supposed to be a joy!

Peter’s words left the assembly silent. Paul and Barnabas reported the work that had taken place among the Gentiles. Everyone amazed! God at work in Gentiles apart from Law and Traditions - but by His Spirit through the work of Jesus.

James - half-brother of Jesus - “The prophets predicted this!” () The house of David has been restored (in Christ) and all of humanity can now find God in Jesus (not in law.)

Vs. 19 - If this is true - let’s not make it difficult for those who are turning to God.

James, the leader of the Jerusalem church - it’s not what Gentiles do that make them right before God. Instead, it’s what God has done for them that makes them right.

Do we tell people what to do or do we tell people what’s been done?

Beware of a “Go Fix Yourself” Christianity. Some of you never feel like you’re a good enough Christian because you think the Gospel is “Go fix yourself.” Or, do everything in your power to clean yourself up so God will be proud of you. Stop drinking. Stop cussing. Stop. Stop. Stop. And, start. Start reading your Bible. Start praying. Start sharing the Gospel, etc.

A rules-based relationship with God - if I keep the rules I’m good. If I do the right things, I’m accepted.

You are not acc

Cling to an “It is Finished” Christianity. You are not saved because of what you stopped doing and what you are started doing. You are saved because God loved you and sent His Son who obeyed the rules for you, died the death you deserve, and rose again for you. You are saved because “It is finished.” Jesus accomplished your salvation at the cross.

Read your Bible - good. Stop cussing - good. But, you do those things because you are saved not to become saved.

Christianity = I’m accepted by God therefore I obey NOT I obey therefore I’m accepted by God. This is the joy! I’m loved and accepted! The Spirit lives inside of me to produce life transformation! I will never be the same, not because of me, but because of Jesus!

Will we let Jesus transform or will we force people to conform?

James: Write a letter - tell the Gentiles:

Get ride of idols (allegiance) - Makes sense. They aren’t pagans anymore!

Stop being sexually immoral - (Obedience to commands) Could have said don’t lie, steal, etc. And certainly, those are things believers avoid, but sexual immorality rampant in their culture and often associated with pagan worship practices. Putting sexual immorality to death was evidence of repentance - that they had changed their allegiance to the God of all creation.

Don’t eat what’s been sacrificed to idols. (grace; inner transformation - live as Christ lives) (Paul addressed this issue in 1 Corinthians) Be gracious to your fellow believers who are greatly offended by it. You’ve been given grace, now show some grace.

The church’s decision - Don’t conform to us. Conform to Jesus. Be transformed by His Spirit. What the Jersualem Council required of the Gentiles would be things that gave evidence of the Spirit’s work in the lives of the Gentiles.

What takes place in a reminder that people do not need to be like us. Instead, they need to be like Jesus. They need to be transformed. Our role: Talk about transformation and model transformation:

Model the compassion of Jesus. (Care before you judge.)

Model the grace of Jesus. (Before you get so mad over someone’s sins, remember your own. Cut people a little slack.)

Model the forgiveness of Jesus. (You’ve wronged me, but I don’t hold it against you, because Jesus doesn’t hold my sin against me.)

Church, let’s not make it difficult for people to discover a relationship with Jesus. Let’s exalt the Savior, share the Savior, and live for the Savior.

Not a follower of Jesus? You should be. Look at His love for you. Look at what He did for you. Look at His grace, His mercy, His forgiveness. Look at His death and resurrection for you. You can’t earn salvation, but you can embrace the gift. Believe and repent. Repent = turn from living for you (hasn’t gotten you very far) and turn to living for the One who died and rose again for you. Turn from your sin and rebellion and turn to the One who can transform you. Turn from being an enemy of God and turn to being a child of God.