Humility

So, I hope that some of you, if you visited is a Facebook page or Instagram page, you would have seen a amazing video. I even though I'm I'm part of it, one of the things that we decided to do is give just a one-minute kind of teaser at a store. So every Thursday or Friday that will be posted, but the, the the goal of it is that you would be able to then read the scripture before you come on Sunday and have time to contemplate on that. I did get a few questions from that. First of all, was that what I wear my Kilt? I had this morning. I did not, would I be carried in by people? No, I did not. I will say that when you're at a wedding and you just pull people together, it's amazing what God will provide, which included a professional videographer. Although he's from the states and works for a professional wrestling company. So, I don't know. Is that was really totally helpful. However, that is what God provided for us. I like to welcome you to hook sitting. My name is David and I'm one of the teaching team here over the past few weeks. Been following Paul and his colleagues as they have made their way to Jerusalem from Asia Minor which is modern-day turkey. This narrative is found and looks history of the early church called The Acts of the Apostles. Some people are sometimes said it would be better to say the acts of God through the early Apostles because that is actually what is a record of but we should look at it and see what's coming. So, three weeks ago. Ian taught about mine, the root in the anticipation of trouble ahead. Then two weeks ago, Peter taught about warnings and the anticipation of trouble ahead last week. Matt talked, and cover the section where Paul just by prophecies about what trouble ahead continued on his journey to Jerusalem as directed by the spirit. If this was a serialized drama, You would know what's coming and it doesn't look good for our main character. In fact, I find it when I'm watching and the, the main character on a TV show walks into a dark room. I go, why don't you turn on the lights? They always have a flashlight or alpenlite or something, damn, for the fact that, you know, what they're behind. You there in the room somewhere, there, is this anticipation that something bad is going to happen. Or perhaps you love a challenge. When you've heard these three weeks of teaching is about trouble ahead. You're like, the skier who comes up to the top of the mountain and looks to see which one do I want to take? Can you go immediately for the Double Black Diamond because yours like Bring it on. I am so ready to take off down this mountain and thought you might even begin to wonder if Paul is thinking in this situation, I'm the more mature and experienced believer. I've injured beatings and riots before and I'm ready to test myself and show how it's done. But neither of these are Luke's and 10th. Remember Lucas our author here, he's writing about the history of the early church. He is also written the story of the life of Jesus in the book titled Luke. So in front as a doctor and he's more. Matter of fact in his narrative he wants to make sure that everything in his story has a life of Jesus. In the history of the early church is accurate. Soci off filous who addresses in the beginning of the book, both Luke and acts can know with certainty of the things that have been taught. And here we are two thousand years later, studying. The same accounts, with the same desire to have a certainty of what we have heard about Jesus in his early followers. So let's pick up the story where we left off last week with Paul his companions arriving in Jerusalem to meet the leaders of the church during the offering that they'd collected from Gentile Believers on their way there. And they wanted to get the Time for an important festival or feast in the Jewish calendar. Take one of the Bible since you have their turn to page 1118 1118 and follow along as David reads, the passage for us.

A straight together. We arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received as warmly. The next, the pole, and the rest of us went to see James and all the elders will present a report reported in detail what God has done among the Gentiles through his ministry. When they had this day, praise God. Then they say to Paul, you see brother. How many thousands of Jews have believed in all of them as it has for the low? They have been informed, that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children who live according to our customs. What should we do? There was certainly hear that you have come so do what we tell you that our foreman Among Us who have made a vow, take this men, join, India, purification rites, and pay the expenses so that they can have their heads, shaved, then everyone will know. There is no truth in this report about you but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law as to the Gentile Believers. We have written to them. Our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to Idols from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. The next day Portugal, the Man and purified and serve along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification will end and the offering will be made for each of them. When is seven days, we're nearly over some juice from the province of Asia. So, appalled at the temple, they stayed up the whole crowd and system shouting fellow Israelite purpose. This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people are not a law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greek into the temple, and the farthest place. They have previously seen traffic trophimus, the Ephesian in the city of Port and a zoom that poor lad brought him into the temple. The whole city was aroused and the people came running from all directions season for the dragon from the temple and immediately to get to a short while they're trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an opera. He at once, took some some officers and soldiers around down to the crowd when they're artists do the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating for The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be born with 2 Chainz. Then he asked who he was and what he had done, some in the crowd shouted, wanting some other, some another and silicone. Could not get out the truth because of the Opera, he ordered the poor be taken into the box. When Paul reach the steps, the violence of the mobile was so great that he had to be carried by the soldiers. The crowd. That photo. Kept shouting, get rid of him.

Sucks driving to the nearest if there's actually quite a bit to cover today. So I want to make sure that you get an understanding and a feel for this particular Passage So when we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received as warmly, first thing that happens is, Paul gets a warm welcome from those who believe in Jesus, no matter what their background is, they welcomed me. And they provide Hospitality for him, they are glad to see him, Paul knew some of them and others, perhaps hit me with meeting for the first time. But in common, they had their faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. Vanessa De Paul in the rest of us, went to see James and all the others were present. Paul goes with his traveling companions from the churches that he is either planted or been working with in Asia Minor to meet the leaders of the Jerusalem Church. This is important. This is why I was coming. There is this assumption that he's going to present this offering that they have collected. But it doesn't get mentioned here. All it immediately talks about is the fact that Paul greed greed some and he reports in detail and vs 19 + 20, what got it done among the Gentiles through his ministry and when they heard this day, praise God. Remember, this is all that has happened up for for this amazing aspect of that, they understood that the, the gospel and the good news of Jesus Christ was not just those for those with a Jewish background. But for everyone in the world, anyone could come to Jesus and have faith and belief in him. And when we have that opportunity, then it creates them. And just because all of a sudden we're not, Jenny is in our backgrounds and where we come from, not culturally, not religiously, not in our familial structure. All of that is different but in Christ, there's this opportunity to be together in the same Fellowship in the same church. So they worshiped when they heard what God has done in the amazing respond. But they also then report and they said to Paul, you see brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed and all of them are zealous for the law. At this point, we're 20 to 25 years past the day of Pentecost, and the church in Jerusalem has grown dramatically, but it is grown through those with a Jewish background. So now we hear about two different groups of Believers. Have a strong faith in Christ who have not necessarily merged at this point. They each have their traditions. In fact, this is not the first time that we hear about the Jerusalem Church. Addressing what has happened among those Gentiles those who were not Jewish and back, when they heard the report, they gave some strict instructions about you can ignore these things. But these are the things you have to pay attention to until they talked about and we'll find out about it cuz they repeat it again a little bit later in the passage about what they need to follow.

So what would the Jewish church have looked like at that point if you all come from a homogeneous background and experience? What might it look like? Well, if you have thousands of the meeting in Jerusalem, there going to be Jewish and culture and nature and it's possible to corporate worship might have been men and women separated in the same meeting space. That's very possible. It's also possible that they would have had daily prayers. That would have been offered that they would have given alms for the poor that even their participation in various religious festivals in rituals would be similar to Jews. It would look like they're Jewish background and cultural. This could include circumcision of male babies. Dietary strict dietary rules, etc. Those were the things that the Gentiles, some of which they were released from some. They weren't. But this church had a very specific character in few that have until the continuation. A vicious profile in a mixture Church of Jewish and Gentile Believers together. Had the potential for conflict and Paul's Ministry and his visit back to Jerusalem represents actually a threat to the existing establishment of what they have been doing now for 20 plus years. Think about it. When we have our cultural background are patterns, are our Traditions challenged in such a way that we have two. Then look. And so there's also the other Jews who don't believe in. Jesus do not believe he's the Messiah and his not accepted the fact that he is God's answering plan for salvation. For all people in the earth, they're the ones who are also witnessing and looking at this, and they're looking for anything to attack with. So remember in our study of Galatians though, Jesus plus nothing is based in Paul's writings including the letter to the Romans that we he writes later. So God has been at work in Jerusalem just as he's been work among the Gentiles, but there is this now chance that we have to begin to merge stuff. So, what is a l concerned with? Let's look at verse 21. They have been informed. This is the people who are Jews, but not believing in. Jesus. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews to live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them, not to circumcise their children or live, according to our customs. The accusations were, not only that he was teaching that the Gentiles could ignore that. But that Jews also could ignore that. And in actuality this was untrue. It's not what Paul was teaching but they didn't need to address the false accusations. There are times that The Church Must address, the false accusations that come against those who teach. Not backing away from the truth of what we believe, but actually addressing. When there's been a false teaching put out there, So how do they propose to do this in verses 22 24 24, we find. What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come so that it's so here's what we will tell you to do there for men with us who have made a vow, take these men joining the purification rites and pay their expenses so that they can have their head, shaved. Then everyone will know, there's no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in abeyance to the lawn. This is kind of an odd thing and obedient to the law. But yet there's freedom in Grace and in the law, and how is that possible. Once again, the cultural boundaries and such they have continued to go forward with and some of them before Jewish believers who they're talking about, these are not non-believers these believe in Jesus. But yet they're fulfilling, what is considered a vowel vows were made. In that point in time for petitioning guide for something special So they might have got fasted, they might have been on that, they would not shave their heads. They tried to avoid impurities like say a dead body, and they would want to then keep themselves pure maybe for up to a period of 30 days. And then they would then go into the temple and they would make science offerings to God for listening to their prayers. That's not a requirement God, listens to our prayers whether or not we make an offering of thanks or not. But certainly it is an acknowledgement that we would look at. And so in this situation it's not unusual because we read earlier and I asked chapter 18, I think we're part verse 18 and 8, verse eight. Paul has his himself in Corinth so he's taking a vowel before he shaved his head before. This is not out of character for who Paul is. And so, it moves on Denver's 25 as for the Gentile Believers, we have written to them, our decision that they should have stain from food sacrificed to Idols from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality, they don't change the rules for the Gentiles they say, in that context, they can continue to do that. That's what is it where the laws they were accepted from they acknowledge and endorse the practice of the Gentile Believers, but they also are saying we need to balance that with the Jewish church. So that's what James who is the leader of the church. At this point, that's what he and the elders have announced both in chapter 15 and then they repeated here in chapter 21.

Then they put the plan into action. It's interesting that there's no response from Paula at this, except for obedience to what the leaders asked him to do. The next day, Paul took the men purified himself along with them, then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end, and the offering would be made for each of them. Paul doesn't give any pushback or disagreement with this plan. He goes to the temple. He registers if you're an enemy of all now you know, when he's going to come back, it's great setup. Okay, it's like up, he's announced, he's going to be here. We know what day will come in. However, he does those things and that's when he'll be part of the purification. It's not unusual for a Jew when they return from traveling outside of Jewish lands. To do a seven-days purification before they were able to go into the temple. So this was not out of character, so that Paul would be able to actually go into the temple and teach. So he joins in that, not the same valve that these four other men. But why Purification. So that he could actually enter the temple and not the offensive to those who are Jews. So, what is it going to look like he greet? Well, is it? Compromise a concession or contextualisation you've now had to set up. You see the potential of conflict? Use an have a plan offered by James and the elders. And what are we going to do with it? Let's look at those a little bit, so it might seem a little puzzling to you cuz Paul seemingly is never backed off. When there is a teaching or controversy that he's going to address and that anything that's outside of his understanding in the spirit interpretation of Jesus life and the teachings which is where the spirit has been at work. Yet he accepts the plan. Luke doesn't record any dissension or any hesitancy is Paul backing off on his convictions. No. I think not. But a compromise by definition is an agreement or settlement of a dispute that has reached by each side. Making a concession. There appears to be no dispute about the plan, they just move forward call does. Except what singer is it a concession will? This is the thing. A confession is a grant that is something that is granted, especially in response to demands. The leaders are very clear and they use a directive verb with an imperative tone. So do what we tell you. However, it appears as though they are not asking what they're asking, is nothing different than what Paul would have done anyway. Except for the fact of taking on the aspect of paying for these for believers, inactive generosity, as they are done putting in their offerings, so it's interesting. It's only the motive, seems a little different here. It's Fred display for non-believers so that they can see that Paul still follows the law. Sometimes people ask me to do things that I might have done on my own but it kind of might get my back up when they asked me to do it. You can as far as if you want to know she's bugging the crap. So but there are times where I'm going to do something anyway, but I hate to be told to do it. That's just Pride, that's not anything to do with anything else if I was already going to do it, why should I get my back up and being fit? But Paul doesn't do this at all. In fact, he displays humility and he immediately response and he goes and does those things. What about contextualisation? As a cross-cultural worker for 30 plus years in Europe, having been in Scotland, Germany. Sweden. Now back to Scotland. This is a really important principle to me. How do you adapt the message and the truth of Jesus in such a way that can be understood by the people that you're trying to share it with as a youth worker, I'd always did that to make sure that there would be a way that I could connect it. They would understand because I don't think Learning Happens until my life circumstance, intersects the truth of Jesus Christ and that way, if there's opportunity for transformation, when this case this is not a contextualisation. If I remember, he's the Jews chew. He's the one this is his home culture. He's actually not adapting this at all. What he's doing is taking the seeds of Truth and then being able to fit into the context that he understands and he shares that he understands what they are asking him to do and why they are asking. Do it in there for a Fallas. So the answer is none of the above It's humility. It's an incredible example of a leader who submits to the leaders of the Jerusalem Church. in order that

all people will know all things to those not having the law. I became like one not having the law though, I am not free from God's law but I am under Chrysler. So as to Windows not having the law to the week, I became weak to the to win the week. I have become all things to all people, so that by all possible means. I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the Gospel that I may share in its blessings 1st Corinthians. Paul is the writer of this particular letter as well and this is a quote from one of his letters. He is doing everything he can to bring Unity Within These two to Spurgeon groups of Believers so that they can emerge. Alright, unintended consequences. Okay. The plan doesn't work out quite like, they hoped for, however, I'm going to just dive really quickly through this because we've already kind of dramatized it a little bit. We talked about it, the leaders had a plan. But how does it actually work? Well, Paula seen by Jews from Asia in the temple near the end of the purification. This is an International Festival. Remember, it's a religious festivals across boundaries, so there are Jews who are Jews that living in Asia. They have now traveled to Jerusalem for this pie, festival, this feast and they see Paul. And so in there, they make this assumption that Paul has done something wrong. In fact, something very wrong according to the Jewish law. So they call out to the local. First of all, they noticed that he's there, they might have planned this, they might have been part of the opposition that we read about in Ephesus and other places because we refer to tropheus, who is in a fusion, who has become a Believer, but they assume that he has brought trophy skin to The temple. Why is that a problem? Because they are records. They've even found signs that were left around the temple area. That said, any Gentile, that crosses this threshold by punishment of death, that was the holiest place that a Jew could walk into other, than the holy of holies were only one priest could go in once a year. And so this is the plan if you bought them and this is the only capital punishment that the Jews could actually execute themselves. The Romans allow them to do that. Number with Jesus, he hadn't done that. So you wasn't accused of that, they had to come up with other things. But in this case, if Paul is found guilty of bringing a Greek, a gentile into their, then they have the right to kill him. Unfortunately, that this case, it's just a false accusation that was repeated before they have now added a new one. They call after the local Jews and stir up the crowd by repeating the false accusations and they add another false accusation saying that he had Proteus into the temple, the crowd grows. They seized him. They dragged him out of the temple and they slam the gates, shut. Why do they dragged him out? Because if they had killed him, they would have been defiled the temple. Once again, they're obsessed with the purity of this place and therefore Nook. Not only could have gentle night go in there. They also couldn't commit murder have blood spilled there, and so they dragged him outside and they slam the gate shut so that no one else can go in. To make sure that there's no defilement. They are protecting their beliefs and their core is a very serious accusation. And so they dragged him out and they begin to beating with the intent of beating him to death and verse 31 and 32. We find that the Roman Garrison, response and stops the bleeding, and then puts Paul and changed. The Fortress Antonia was placed right in the middle of the city, right next to the temple with constant guards and Watchman for just such a time. As this riots, particularly religious riots can quickly get out of control. In fact, when I was talking to Peter Granger about this earlier when we prepare to get a great question, why is it that religious seemed the most violent even today? Bimbo referred a few weeks ago about the attacks against Christian churches by Muslims. In that context, my I've not been a part of a riot like that one time being afraid for myself but it was a football match so I mean that's a whole different deal. However there is this situation where something is totally out of hand and you have no While you're there or why you're angry or why you're doing what you're doing, it just carry shoes and it sweeps by and all of a sudden this right gets out of hand or his father, did the medical missions, traveled the world teaching, new techniques in hospital contacts and he died oh no I didn't just make it go away, thank you. Alright, let me know if it tells me anything different up there so he traveled and he passed away. Unfortunately, I never had the privilege of meeting him. I'm about 50 years ago. Actually it is interesting that out of his witness. We did a memorial service. When we were back in Texas, this last a month, they figured out that they added all the years that his family, or the influence of his family had given to people serving overseas and was over 250 years of service with his children, grandchildren and those cousins excetera. So

In the Six Days War when he was teaching in a hospital in the Gaza Strip and we were going through some of his stuff and there were slides and a box labeled, right? It's in the Gaza Strip from my hotel room and we're looking to be slides and we're going he was caught in the middle of a riot and then he got evacuated to a safe City to Ron, okay? Because it was a safe City in the sixties. You forget about the fact of how quickly, something can transform. So Jerusalem, here's the height of the worship. Here's the temple, there, trying to protect within 15 years. All of that, will be gone, why? Because there were two Jewish factions fighting over control of the city, in the midst of a riot of a revolt against the Romans, and the Romans came in and destroyed everything to wear the the historian. Josephus said, it was hard to convince visitors to the area that it had ever been inhabited. That's what religious riots happen and cause there is something inside of its visceral with that. The commander is not able to actually sort out what's going on, LOL. I wonder if my still in control doesn't appear so so we're almost going to finish then the commander has to sort out what's going on but doesn't get anywhere as people. Shout louder conflicting each other with each other in the riots gets worse and worse. Finally, they had to get so bad the commander tells his soldiers to hold Paul up above them, they get to the steps of Antonio so they can carry him up. And then to the crowd, shouts and chance away with him, get rid of him. And at this point, it means to kill him. Let's talk about how that mirrors something.

Anybody you going to advance for me? Thank you. Thank you so much. So a reflection of Jesus, Matt talked about this, I'm just going to say briefly there are three ways that this mirrors, the same situation in the same place where these accusations were called against Jesus. First of all, there is a warning of opposition. John chapter 11 verse says, but Rabbi they said a short while ago that use their tried to Stone you. And yet, you're going back. The second mirror of it is a false accusation. Found in Mark Chapter 14 verse the 55, to 56, the chief priests in the whole Sanhedrin, we're looking for evidence against Jesus so that they can put him to death, but they did not find any many testify falsely against him but their statements didn't agree in the third was they shouted take him away crucifying. The same thing. The crowd is calling about Paul here. But they shouted take him away, take him away what applications can be drawn from this narrative that we have from the studies today.

Well, what route has God called you too and will it mirror? The one that Jesus and Paul went on. Will you find yourself found and carried by the crowd and taken off? If you are a follower of Jesus, we show this by being generous to each other showing humility and obedience when we're in the situation.

Therefore, let us make every effort to do what? Leads to peace and to Mutual edification. So the route that about Jesus and Paul took was one of humility not compromise, concession or contextualisation, there was no Huber's involved at all. Paul did not meet Jesus physically before his death and Resurrection on the cross, but described meeting the Risen. Jesus, as one untimely born, this is recorded in his testimony in 1st Corinthians chapter 15. Last of all as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me, but as we will see in the coming passages, Paul's not alone. In these hardships and takes every opportunity to share the good news about Jesus, in the hope we find in him. The beauty of this testimony is that Jesus was not limited to appearing, to only those followers who personally saw the crucifixion and the resurrection because Paul did not Luke did not. And we didn't even get a chance for two thousand years later to have met physically to have seen the crucifixion to experience. The resurrection to touch his hands and feet where the wounds were as he was resurrected yet, we were able to meet Jesus and believe. And what he has done and taught due to the narratives that we have in the Bible from Luke. And from others, we had hope City can follow the challenging route together, that Jesus, Paul, and other followers have tried for the last two thousand years, if you are not yet a follower of Christ, then know that you can meet him here today and test the certainty of this teaching is Luke intense forced to do, speak to one of the team today or tomorrow self. We want you to make that. Meeting. We want to introduce you to the most important person that living and eternal God, but either circumstance, you find yourself in either a follower or not yet. A follower both of those require humility to take the next step. I'm going to close this in prayer and ass as Ezra in the musicians come up that they would lead us in song.

We thank you for the opportunity of your word. we asked that we would be able to see With her eyes and hear with their ears, the truth of what you have written of what Luke wrote on these eyewitness accounts of what happened in with the early Apostles, and that we would be able to follow the route that you lay out for us, then your son's name asking I'm in.

The song we will be sharing its, I believe. Most few annoying song. So you can join us can stand and join us or we can sit and reflect.