Hitched (2)
Hitched - Part 2 • Sermon • Submitted
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· 12 viewsBecause James and Peter and Paul, all agreed “we make a way, we don’t demand our way” but if we have to make any demands “don’t make it difficult.”
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Transcript
Turn it, and turn it, everything you need is in it.
Reflect on it, grow old and gray with it.
Do not turn from it.
The Messiah is in it.
Introduction
Introduction
Welcome everyone.
Introduce the Series.
Why is it called “Hitched.” I think it is important right now to know how we are Hitched to one another, to God, and to His Word. Right now, in our culture, more than ever in my lifetime people are divided, demonized, and canceled out all too easily. And, throw on top of that a pandemic that has separated us from one-another and taken away from us nearness and proximity.
We are in Acts 15. This is one of the most important chapters in all of the New Testament. Acts 15 is monumental, monumental like the book of Ruth because it answers an important question, “How should we embrace, welcome outsiders into our community?”
Why is this a big deal?
How in the world did a very Jewish Gospel every break out the borders of Israel? How did a ministry that started with a group of Jewish people gain a foothold in Asia Minor, in Rome, and all around the globe?
There was so much going on during that period of history, how did this thing work. Not only that, this movement took off and they did not even have the whole BIBLE. They had the Hebrew Bible and stories about Jesus. Paul had not even written any of his letters at this point.
How did the message survive?
How did the movement make it? There have been answers that have been given.
Bauer said, “The Jewish needed to die so the Gentiles could come alive.”
Andy Stanley, “They unhitched from the Old Testament and Judaism.”
Others have said, “It was the opportunity to join Jewish Christianity that made the offer so appealing.”
A people not like me and who historically don’t like me want to make way for me.
Last week we were introduced to the real crises that was facing the early Jesus Followers at Antioch. Remember, it was at Antioch (Acts 11:26) they were began to call themselves Christians which meant, “A loyal servant of the Davidic King” or they were called the Followers of the Way and also the Nazarenes. At Antioch, there were not just Jewish Christians but there were Gentiles joining this very Jewish movement.
This crises came after Paul had taken the Jewish gospel on the road. He traveled to Greece then into Asia Minor and all along the way he created little gatherings called the ecclesia’s of the Lord.
This was not the church like you and I understand it but it was a Hebrew concept. This idea came form the translation of the Hebrew called the Septuagint. In Hebrew, called the “Qahal”of God and in Greek the ἐκκλησία τοῦ θεοῦ (see Deut 23:2-4; Mic. 2:5; 1 Chron. 28:8 Acts 20:28). This was a way of speaking of a group within a group, the faithful in Israel gathered in assembly, hearkening to the call of God.
So here is what made this so radical: these were mainly non-Jews coming into this very Jewish group. This is new, different, scary but it is obeying the Messiah, Paul was told by Jesus to go to the Gentiles
I will rescue you from the people and from the Gentiles. I now send you to them to open their eyes so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that by faith in Me they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified.’
and the Bible also told him to go the Gentiles
For this is what the Lord has commanded us: I have made you a light for the Gentiles to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”
But, back at Antioch and in Jerusalem a controversy was brewing. Paul was upset about this. In Galatians 2 he says that while he was away preaching false brothers came in
This issue arose because of false brothers smuggled in, who came in secretly to spy on the freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us.
This controversy is very relevant to all of us. This controversy had to do with the very thing that some of you experienced in church when you were kid, the reason why some of you dropped out of church or want to drop out, it is why some avoid it all together. We saw last week that the controversy revolved around “circumcision” but the real crises, the real controversy
A group of highly religious prioritizing the rules over a relationship with God.
The controversy was about who gets into this community? And, wow committed to the rules do you have to be to be part of this community?
What Paul calls “false brothers” Luke calls them believers from the Pharisaic party Acts 15:5
But some of the believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses!”
These were highly committed and very well trained in Scriptures.
For them, they understood that this movement was a Jewish movement and if it was a Jewish movement then it had to follow the Jewish playbook.
That meant Gentiles could only come into the assembly of YHWH after they committed to keep all the rules and they way of showing they were willing to do this, they had to become Jews first thru circumcision.
This group thought, “They should act like us before they become one with us.”
Don’t be mad at them. We all do this, not circumcision, but we all settle into our little brand of being a Jesus follower or Christians or Messianic and you kind of don’t like it when people don’t act like you or do things like you.
But remember from last week, Peter stood up in the assembly and said that is not the way this works: Acts 15:10-11
Now then, why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the disciples’ necks that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same way they are.”
We make a way for one another because of God’s grace we don’t demand our with each other because of the rules.
For many people this is why you dropped out and for others this is what attracts many people. There are many people that are looking for a place where “moral imperatives” take a back seat to grace. It’s grace first, second, and always.
At this point, if the Acts 15 Jerusalem council would have ended with Peter’s speech then that would be the direction of the body of Messiah forever but there is more to the story.
You see James, the Lord’s brother speaks up. Acts 15:13
After they stopped speaking, James responded: “Brothers, listen to me!
How hard is it to worship your brother as Lord?
James knows something maybe more then anyone else in the room. He knows that Jesus was not just full of grace but also truth
for the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
This is not a balancing act.
This is not giving up one for the other.
This is the embodiment of both grace and truth.
When the body of the Messiah gets this right: when moral imperatives are important and grace is important that is when we will see revival, when we will see lives changed.
After they stopped speaking, James responded: “Brothers, listen to me!
James basically says, “Guys, wait a minute the meeting is not over.” There is more to say about this subject.
Simeon has reported how God first intervened to take from the Gentiles a people for His name.
Who is Simeon? That is Peter’s birth name, His Hebrew name. That is what mom and dad called him. That is name that is friends call him by and Simeon in Hebrew means “one who listens and obeys [from Shema]). Simon is Greek from Shimon or Simeon.
James knows his audience knows this about Simeon’s name so he is doing a little word fun but he also knows he is talking to a Jewish audience and the name Peter is Greek. So he is really propping up Peter by using his Jewish name and saying, “Simeon that really Jewish guy has had a true experience that matters.”
Then James says but his experience is not the only thing that matters, the Scriptures agree with all that Shimeon has said...
And the words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:
I want you to notice something, “that James says the words of the prophets are in agreement with this, rather than ‘this agrees with the prophets’.
‘God’s action dictates how we should understand the text of Scripture.’
After these things I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. I will rebuild its ruins and set it up again, so the rest of humanity may seek the Lord— even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, declares the Lord who does these things, known from long ago.
James knows they are about to lay down what is called halakhah that is Jewish speak for “rules that govern the assembly.”
And he knows that experience alone should not establish the rules even a good rule about grace. James knows halakhah, rules for the community, need to have their authority from the Scriptures.
“It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.
Underline this statement: do not make it difficult.
Anything that makes it difficult to turn to God we need to take it out.
Anything that we do that makes it unnecessarily difficult for people to turn God is putting a yoke on their neck and putting God to the test.
Because God has not asked you to make it difficult. Jesus said, “Come all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
The FBI made it difficult for Dalit to get her job. Intense interviews, background screening, interviews with family, friends, former workplaces. That is difficult. We are supposed to be the opposite of this.
but instead we should write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from blood.
He reduces it down to four things from all the commandments he just boils it down to these two things.
Just these four things and it really is three things:
Keep your conscious free from idolatry.
Keep your body free from immorality.
Keep your relationships with Jews free from offense.
For since ancient times, Moses has had those who proclaim him in every city, and every Sabbath day he is read aloud in the synagogues.”
James is not saying they should go and attend a synagogue instead of being part of the Ecclesia of YHWH.
James argues these four laws from Leviticus 17-18 which apply to Gentile Christian are not novel inventions, but have been read out in synagogues from ancient times.
I wish I had time to explain this to you but the four decrees come from:
Polluted Sacrifices not Welcome: ““Say to them: Anyone from the house of Israel or from the foreigners who live among them who offers a burnt offering or a sacrifice but does not bring it to the entrance to the tent of meeting to sacrifice it to the Lord, that person must be cut off from his people.” (Leviticus 17:8–9, HCSB)
Don’t eat Blood: ““Anyone from the house of Israel or from the foreigners who live among them who eats any blood, I will turn against that person who eats blood and cut him off from his people.” (Leviticus 17:10, HCSB; cf. 17:12)
Kill the animal the right way: ““Any Israelite or foreigner living among them, who hunts down a wild animal or bird that may be eaten must drain its blood and cover it with dirt.” (Leviticus 17:13, HCSB)
No Sexual Immorality: “But you are to keep My statutes and ordinances. You must not commit any of these detestable things—not the native or the foreigner who lives among you.” (Leviticus 18:26, HCSB)
In other words, this is what the Jewish community has always considered normative for being in relationship to Gentiles.
What James is saying is “It’s not nothing but it should not be difficult.” And really these three “membership rules” are just the embodiment of the two love rules:
Keep your conscious free from idolatry.
Keep your body free from immorality.
Keep your relationships with Jews free from offense.
= Loving God and Loving Your Neighbor
Then, being sent off, they went down to Antioch, and after gathering the assembly, they delivered the letter. When they read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.
Why were they encouraged? Sure, not getting circumcised to be part of the people of God is reason to celebrate but it was more than that.
They were encouraged for something so much better than that
People who are different from us accept us and want to make a life together easy for us.
This changes the future of Jewish Christianity unto this very day.
The reason why there is even such a thing as Judaeo-Christian values in our Western Culture is because of this one decision that was made here at the Acts 15 council.
Because James and Peter and Paul, all agreed “we make a way, we don’t demand our way” but if we have to make any demands “don’t make it difficult.”
Three things every growing congregation intentionally focuses on.
Intentionally focus on making a way for others instead of demanding their way from others.
You want to know why you start to demand instead of make a way? It is because you start to listen to the insiders, the squeaky wheels. You stop seeing God acting in the world outside of our fall walls.
Story about shutting down my skate part for teens because of insiders.
Intentionally focus on grace and truth instead of policies and rules.
Policies are created by categories.
Matthew was a tax-collector, that is a category. Jesus does not create a policy he has a conversation.
Woman who was an adulteress, that is a category. Jesus does not create a policy he has a conversation.
Congregations okay with the messiness of no policies will understand grace much better.
Intentionally focus on evolving and advancing instead of maintaining and holding.
Risk adverse because you want to preserve something.
Three Commitments:
Let’s Be Bold
Let’s always err on the side of grace and truth.
Let’s remain open-handed.