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Please enjoy this message delivered by Pastor Mark Hudson.
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LearningTranscript
00:00Traditions can be a blessing.
00:02Traditions are important.
00:03They can reinforce biblical teaching
00:06and those truths that have been handed down
00:09over the centuries to us.
00:10Even Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 2,
00:14he said,
00:14so then brothers stand firm and hold to the traditions
00:18that you are taught by us.
00:21The body of teaching,
00:23that teaching that has been given over by the apostles
00:26and those to the church so that they would grow.
00:29Hold fast to those traditions that you were taught by us,
00:32either by our spoken word or by our letter.
00:35So traditions are valuable.
00:37They can be wonderful blessings.
00:39They can be really valuable.
00:41Traditions can give us a sense of order and security,
00:46a connection to previous generations,
00:48holding a tradition.
00:51However, the underlying meaning of a tradition
00:54can be lost over time.
00:56And pretty soon a group of people
00:58are simply doing their tradition
01:00and have forgotten what the meaning of the truth,
01:02what was behind the meaning of the tradition at all.
01:04And it becomes something just that someone does
01:07and wrote with no meaning attached to it.
01:10Let me give you an example.
01:12As people were filing out of a church building years ago,
01:15many, many years ago,
01:16they would walk past a certain wall
01:19on the way exiting the building.
01:21Everyone in a line would walk past this wall
01:23and they got to a specific spot in the wall
01:25and they would kind of bow down like that
01:27to this spot on the wall.
01:29Everyone did it as they walked by.
01:30That's how they exited the church.
01:32They kind of just bowed down to the spot on the wall
01:34and everyone exited out.
01:36And finally, some little girl goes,
01:37Mom, what are we doing?
01:39I mean, there's nothing on the wall.
01:41It's just a spot on the wall.
01:43Why are we kneeling down to it when we exit out?
01:46And the mother goes, I don't know.
01:49That's just what we do.
01:51Well, come to find out, three centuries,
01:54300 years before when icons were allowed in church,
01:57some churches at least,
01:59an icon is simply a description of a Christian person
02:02or a Christian symbol.
02:04And then people would give reverence or honor to it,
02:07not worship it in that sense,
02:09but would honor the Christian symbol
02:10or honor the Christian person.
02:12And so 300 years prior,
02:13they had this icon on the wall
02:15and everyone exiting out would bow before the icon.
02:18And then icons were forbidden in the churches.
02:21So they painted over the icon, but guess what?
02:24Everyone still stopped at the exact same spot
02:27every week for over 300 years,
02:30not knowing what they were doing.
02:33It lost the meaning of the truth.
02:35Now, I'm not advocating bowing down before icons.
02:38That's not what I'm trying to say.
02:39I'm simply saying this is an example
02:41of the meaning of the tradition was lost.
02:44At some point, somebody thought it was a good idea
02:47that we, in some sort of furtherance of reverence of God,
02:50they would have this icon.
02:51I disagree with it, but that's what they were thinking.
02:53They wanted to honor God with it,
02:55but they had forgotten the whole purpose
02:57of why they were bowing down before a church,
03:00a wall in a church building.
03:02It made no sense.
03:03Tradition can continue when no one knows why.
03:10It loses its meaning, but it's still practice.
03:15In today's text, Peter speaks about a tradition.
03:18It's not a biblical mandate.
03:19It's a tradition.
03:21A tradition of men that dictated behaviors
03:24between Jews and Gentiles.
03:26And this tradition was causing unrest in the early church
03:31because now we've got Gentiles entering into the church.
03:35We saw the salvation of Cornelius.
03:37Gentiles are entering into the church,
03:38but there's still this division between Jews and Gentiles
03:41basically because of this one idea
03:43of this tradition that they held.
03:46Acts chapter 11 is Peter reporting back to the church
03:50what happened in Caesarea with Cornelius.
03:53So it's just kind of a retelling of the story.
03:55So hopefully you have your Bibles, Acts chapter 11,
03:58your biblical devices.
03:59We want to look at this as God's word together.
04:01We want to look at it.
04:02What we'll see here is that a tradition of the Jews
04:05was an obstacle for the full inclusion
04:08of the believing Gentiles as a New Testament people of God.
04:13It was something that the Jewish people held onto,
04:16but they had to understand God is moving
04:18and he began something new.
04:21And they either had to get along with what God is doing
04:24or they will reject what God is doing
04:25and keep behaving in the same tradition.
04:29Sometimes you and I have traditions,
04:31family traditions, biblical traditions,
04:33and they're valuable.
04:35Again, they connect us to past generations.
04:38But sometimes those traditions can be obstacles
04:41in our life for spiritual growth.
04:43Maybe we can identify some traditions
04:46that would hinder us from growing in the faith.
04:50So God had marvelously saved Cornelius by his grace.
04:54And now Peter has to answer
04:56to the disgruntled Jewish believers
04:58why he did what he did.
05:01So Acts chapter 11, look with me,
05:03verses just one through three.
05:06Salvation is in chapter 10 of Cornelius.
05:08Cornelius, the Holy Spirit's poured out
05:10upon the believing Gentiles.
05:12The evidence that the Holy Spirit
05:14has poured out upon them
05:15is that they spoke in unknown languages.
05:17They were baptized following that.
05:20Verse number one.
05:22Now the apostles and the brothers
05:23who were throughout Judea
05:25heard that the Gentiles also had received
05:28the word of God.
05:29So when Peter went up to Jerusalem,
05:32their circumcision party criticized him,
05:34saying, you went to uncircumcised men
05:38and ate with them.
05:40They're not even excited
05:42that Cornelius got saved.
05:43They're more concerned about this tradition
05:45that you're not allowed to eat with Gentiles.
05:51Even before Peter gets back to Jerusalem,
05:54they already know what's happened.
05:57And they're waiting to criticize him.
06:01Even before he got to Jerusalem,
06:03news of the event had arrived.
06:05Gossip travels fast.
06:07You ever notice that?
06:10Gossip, what does it say?
06:11That a lie goes all around the world
06:13before truth puts his shoes on?
06:16It's not that they're saying something good.
06:18They're gossiping.
06:22It kind of reminds me of a parent
06:24waiting for that teenage child
06:26that's late for a curfew,
06:28standing at the door, tapping their foot.
06:30Just waiting to criticize them
06:32when they walk through the door.
06:33Any of your parents ever been there before?
06:35Just can't wait to,
06:36why are you late?
06:38They're just standing around,
06:39just tapping their foot,
06:40waiting to criticize Peter
06:41when he arrives in Jerusalem.
06:43They're not even excited
06:44that Cornelius got saved.
06:47Ugh.
06:49They don't understand
06:50why he would eat with Gentiles.
06:53I mean, that's the tradition.
06:54You know that, Peter.
06:55Jews do not eat with Gentiles.
06:57You may become unclean.
07:02This was a Jewish tradition.
07:03It's not in the Torah.
07:05That's the five books of Moses.
07:07It's in the teachings of the rabbi
07:08called the Talmud,
07:10the teachings of the elders.
07:11It's not in the Torah.
07:12Nowhere in the Torah do we see
07:14that Jews cannot eat with Gentiles.
07:16But the teachings of the Talmud
07:18gives us these rules,
07:19these additional rules
07:21above the law of God
07:22to guide Jewish life.
07:25In my Jewish learning website,
07:26we read this.
07:28According to the sages,
07:29that's in the Talmud,
07:30the real problem with eating bread
07:32prepared by Gentiles
07:34is that accepting a loaf
07:35could lead to enjoying it together.
07:37Oh, how dare you enjoy life together
07:39with a Gentile?
07:41Which could lead to friendship.
07:43How dare you be a friend
07:44with an unbeliever?
07:46Which could lead to intermarriage.
07:47Now that was a problem
07:48and that God did speak about.
07:52He did talk about don't intermarry.
07:54He did talk about that in the Torah,
07:55but he didn't talk about
07:56not eating with a Gentile.
07:59In Biblical Hermonius' website,
08:01the intended use of these prohibitions
08:03was to provide concrete,
08:05practical practices
08:06that would put a distance
08:08between the Jew
08:09and the danger of transgression.
08:12What seems to have happened in reality
08:14was that these additions
08:15diverted focus
08:16from the spiritual meaning
08:17of the precepts
08:18to external conformity,
08:20which the prophets decried.
08:23Think the Pharisees.
08:26Remember what the Pharisees did?
08:27They are so jealous,
08:29so zealous for God's law,
08:30what God has revealed,
08:32that they don't want anyone
08:33to violate God's law.
08:35So what the Pharisees did
08:36is they came along
08:36and wrote 600 and something,
08:38six extra additional rules
08:40for Jews to follow
08:42so that you don't violate
08:43God's commands.
08:45They wanted to put these big bumpers
08:47left and right of the Jew
08:49so that they would not violate
08:50God's law.
08:52So they added additional things
08:54on top of that
08:55so that they wouldn't violate
08:56God's law.
08:59Alfred Edersheim wrote
09:00in Jewish Life,
09:01Jewish Social Life,
09:03but there is no Old Testament
09:04regulation forbidding
09:06such social contact
09:07with Gentiles.
09:08Though the rabbis
09:09had added it
09:10and had made it
09:11a binding by custom,
09:13there is nothing more binding
09:14on the average person
09:15than social custom.
09:17It became a tradition.
09:19Nowhere in the Torah,
09:20nowhere in the law of God
09:21did you say you couldn't
09:22eat with Gentiles.
09:23I get it.
09:24They're saying,
09:25I want to be holy.
09:26I don't want the Gentiles
09:27to rub off on me.
09:28I understand that.
09:29I get that.
09:30Not eating with Gentiles
09:32was part of their tradition.
09:33It's hard to abandon
09:35age-old traditions.
09:37But when God's word is clear,
09:39we must.
09:41When he gives direction,
09:42we must.
09:42The question is,
09:45are we willing to abandon
09:46any cherished belief
09:47when the clear word of God
09:49teaches us otherwise
09:50and doesn't support
09:51what we even think?
09:52Are we willing to say,
09:53no, wait,
09:54God's word is clear on this.
09:55I've thought this all along,
09:56but no,
09:56God's very clear on this.
09:58This is the way
09:58I should be thinking.
10:03I get this protection thing.
10:05I understand that.
10:07James says that we should
10:08keep ourselves unspotted
10:09from the world.
10:10I understand that.
10:11It makes good sense.
10:12We don't want the world
10:13to influence us.
10:15But you and I,
10:16as believers in Jesus Christ,
10:18if we don't go out
10:19into the world,
10:20how are they going to hear
10:21the gospel message?
10:23We have to go out
10:24among unbelievers
10:25for them to even hear
10:26the gospel message.
10:28So I understand protecting.
10:30I understand we don't want
10:31to be spotted by this world.
10:32But you and I have to come
10:33to a place where we can be
10:34around unbelievers,
10:37influencing them
10:38for the gospel
10:39without allowing them
10:40to influence our thoughts
10:42and our beliefs
10:43and our behaviors
10:44and attitudes.
10:46Because if we can't go out
10:47among the unbelievers,
10:48how are they ever going to hear
10:49the gospel message?
10:50So I understand about protecting.
10:52I get it.
10:53But they missed
10:53the bigger picture.
10:55They were to be holy people,
10:57yes,
10:57but they were still to be
10:58in the midst of the nations,
10:59revealing God's word
11:00to the nations
11:01so that the nations
11:02would know God.
11:03But they said,
11:04it's just a whole lot easier.
11:05And let me be honest with you,
11:06it is a whole lot easier
11:08just to avoid going
11:09among unbelievers.
11:10It is easier.
11:12You don't have to worry
11:13about them influencing you.
11:15It is easier
11:16just to avoid unbelievers.
11:18But how are we going
11:18to get the gospel to them
11:20if we don't go
11:21among unbelievers?
11:24So these Jewish believers
11:26were continually criticizing Peter.
11:28It's written in a way
11:29that they kept nagging him
11:30over and over and over,
11:33just not one time,
11:34over and over and over again.
11:35And just nagging him.
11:37Just,
11:37I can't believe you did this.
11:39How could you eat
11:40with somebody?
11:41Just criticizing him.
11:44Anonymous author
11:45told about a story
11:46about one person
11:47told a pastor
11:47that he didn't think
11:48he could accomplish
11:49anything for God
11:50because he only has one talent.
11:52And the pastor said,
11:53don't be discouraged.
11:55God can use it.
11:57What is your talent anyway?
11:59And the person responded,
12:01my only talent
12:02is criticizing people.
12:03The pastor said quickly,
12:05go and bury it.
12:10So they questioned Peter
12:12on his actions,
12:13but they,
12:14but Peter didn't get offended
12:15by his questions.
12:17I like that.
12:18He's the apostle.
12:20He's the one that,
12:20the keys of the kingdom
12:21have been handed over
12:22to him by Jesus.
12:23We talked about that already.
12:24This is the pinnacle
12:27of the apostles.
12:28He's one among many.
12:28I got that.
12:29But Peter is the guy.
12:31But do you notice
12:32he doesn't get offended
12:33at their question?
12:35He could have.
12:37Why weren't they accepting
12:38his authority
12:38as the first among
12:39the apostles?
12:40How dare you question me?
12:41He didn't take that route.
12:42I love that about Peter here.
12:44He's had his problems
12:45in the past, right?
12:46Peter likes to open up
12:47his mouth and insert his foot.
12:48He's had his problems
12:49in the past,
12:49but here he's very humble.
12:53He could have said
12:54something like,
12:55who do you think
12:55you are questioning me?
12:57I'm an apostle
12:58of Jesus Christ.
12:59I'm the one who has
13:00the keys of the kingdom.
13:02How dare you?
13:02He didn't.
13:03He's humble,
13:04and I appreciate that.
13:06So in the midst of criticism,
13:07he teaches us
13:08to remain humble.
13:10Criticism,
13:11if it's valid,
13:12change.
13:13If it's not valid,
13:14ignore it,
13:15but remain humble.
13:17He didn't deserve
13:18the criticism.
13:19No.
13:20God had already
13:21convinced Peter
13:21about the inclusion
13:22of the Gentiles.
13:23Now the other Jewish believers
13:25needed convincing.
13:26Remember the sheet
13:27coming down?
13:27He was already convinced
13:28what God has made clean,
13:30don't call common.
13:31Don't call unclean.
13:32He's convinced Peter,
13:33but other Jews
13:34are not getting it.
13:35The Jewish believers,
13:35they don't understand it yet.
13:38They thought,
13:39well,
13:40for a Gentile
13:41to be part of this Christianity,
13:42this thing,
13:43they have to first become
13:44a full-blown Jew.
13:45They have to go through,
13:47undergo circumcision
13:47if you're a male
13:48and come into the covenant
13:50of the old.
13:50They were forgetting
13:51that's the old covenant.
13:52That's a sign
13:53of the old covenant circumcision.
13:55But a new covenant
13:56has been promised,
13:57and that's not a sign
13:58of the new covenant circumcision.
13:59But that's how they're thinking.
14:00Oh,
14:00they got to become full Jews
14:01before they can become
14:02really good believers.
14:06It's understandable.
14:08Christianity at first
14:08was seen as an outgrowth
14:10of Judaism.
14:10It makes sense.
14:11They're a part
14:11of the Jewish community.
14:13It makes sense
14:14that they just thought,
14:15well,
14:15everyone's got to be circumcised
14:16if you're a male
14:17to be part of what's going on.
14:19It's understandable.
14:21The legalistic Jewish believers
14:22did not question
14:23the baptism of the Gentiles,
14:25but rather about table fellowship.
14:28In other words,
14:29a person gets baptized
14:29because they're a believer.
14:31They didn't even ask
14:32about the baptism.
14:33They just said,
14:33why did you eat with them?
14:35Why?
14:35They weren't even excited.
14:37They weren't even excited
14:38that this Gentile got saved.
14:40They weren't excited
14:41that he got baptized,
14:42identifying himself
14:43with the people of God.
14:44No,
14:45they were more concerned
14:46about why did you eat with them.
14:48Crazy.
14:48That's how deep
14:49a tradition can go.
14:52Here's kind of what happened
14:53along with what the stuff
14:54I just shared with you.
14:56The Jews had transferred
14:57the idea of unclean foods
14:59to the Gentiles themselves,
15:04stating that they themselves,
15:05the Gentiles as people,
15:07as human beings,
15:07were unclean.
15:10Not what the people practiced.
15:12Not what they practiced
15:14or what their attitudes were
15:15were unclean.
15:16No, no, no.
15:16But the Gentiles themselves
15:18as human beings
15:19were unclean.
15:21But what the Jews forgot
15:23was that all human beings
15:26are unclean
15:27before a holy God.
15:29And it is God
15:30who makes them holy.
15:32It is God
15:33who works in the life
15:34of a believer.
15:35All people are unclean.
15:36They had forgotten that.
15:39Romans 3.
15:40What then, Paul says?
15:42Are we Jews any better off?
15:43No, not at all.
15:46For we have already charged
15:47that all,
15:48both Jews and Greeks,
15:50are under sin.
15:52So it wasn't that
15:52what they practiced
15:53was unclean.
15:55It's that the people themselves
15:56have become unclean.
15:58May we never take that attitude
15:59of an unbeliever out there.
16:01Oh man,
16:01I just never want to be around you
16:02because you could rub off on me
16:05and I become unclean.
16:06Well again,
16:06we want to get to that place
16:07in our heart
16:08where we can influence unbelievers
16:10but not be influenced by them.
16:12We can do both.
16:16Do both.
16:17So the real issue
16:18they failed to grasp
16:20was that by faith
16:21God had accepted
16:22believing Gentiles.
16:23They had missed
16:23the bigger picture.
16:25They were more concerned
16:26about this tradition
16:27that they had
16:27of not eating with Gentiles.
16:29They missed the bigger picture.
16:30You would think
16:31they would be excited
16:32that someone got saved,
16:33especially of the nations.
16:34So the next section here,
16:37Peter retells his vision.
16:39He retells what happened.
16:40He retells the story.
16:41He does add some things
16:42that we didn't know
16:43ahead of time.
16:44He adds them here.
16:45Look at verses 4 through 16.
16:49But Peter began
16:50and explained it to them
16:51in order.
16:52He just set out
16:53a logical order
16:54so they could understand.
16:55So he just retells
16:56what happened.
16:57I was in the city
16:58of Joppa praying
16:59and in a trance
17:00I saw a vision.
17:02Something like
17:03a great sheet descending
17:04being let down
17:05from heaven
17:06by its four corners
17:07and it came down
17:08to me.
17:09Looking at it closely
17:10I observed animals
17:11and beasts of prey
17:13and reptiles
17:14and birds of the air
17:15and I heard a voice
17:16saying to me,
17:17Rise, Peter,
17:17kill and eat.
17:19But I said,
17:20By no means, Lord,
17:21for nothing common
17:22or unclean
17:23has ever entered my mouth.
17:24He was zealous for God.
17:26But the voice answered
17:27a second time from heaven,
17:28What God has made clean
17:29do not call common.
17:31Do not call despised
17:32or unclean.
17:33What God has made clean.
17:35This happened three times
17:36and all was drawn up
17:37again to heaven.
17:39And behold,
17:39at that very moment
17:40three men arrived
17:42at the house
17:42in which we were
17:43sent to me
17:44from Caesarea.
17:45And the Spirit
17:46told me to go with them
17:47making no distinction,
17:49no partiality.
17:50They're Gentiles,
17:51but go with them.
17:52These six brothers,
17:53which is a new addition,
17:54we didn't have
17:55that information before,
17:56these six brothers
17:57also accompanied me
17:58so those six
17:59are standing by
18:00as witnesses right now.
18:02And we entered
18:03the man's house.
18:04And he told us
18:05how he had seen
18:06the angel stand
18:08in his house
18:08and say,
18:09Send a Joppa
18:10and bring Simon
18:10who was called Peter.
18:11He will declare to you
18:13a message by which
18:13you will be saved.
18:15You and all your household.
18:16That's new information too.
18:18As I began to speak,
18:20the Holy Spirit
18:20fell on them
18:21just as on us
18:23at the beginning.
18:25And I remembered
18:25the word of the Lord,
18:26how he said,
18:27John baptized with water,
18:29but you will be baptized
18:30with the Holy Spirit.
18:32So he answers
18:33their criticism.
18:34He retells a story
18:36step by step
18:37in an orderly sequence
18:38so that they would know.
18:39He didn't hide anything.
18:41He didn't say,
18:41Well, we didn't really
18:42eat with the...
18:43No, he just told them
18:45the truth.
18:46He had nothing.
18:48He wanted them
18:48to know though,
18:49I originally too
18:50had an inability
18:51to believe this
18:52until God showed me.
18:53He clearly taught me
18:54in his word
18:55that what God
18:55has made clean
18:56don't call common.
18:57So I had a hard time
18:58understanding it too.
18:59So I get you guys
19:00is kind of what he's saying.
19:01I identify with you.
19:03He adds the six men.
19:04Peter brought these six men
19:06as witnesses
19:06to what would happen
19:07at Caesarea.
19:08We had talked about that
19:09a couple of weeks ago.
19:10These six witnesses
19:11is three times more
19:12than what you need
19:13in a court of law.
19:14So to give witness
19:15of what's to take place
19:16so that no one
19:17would question it.
19:19So he shares more
19:20of what the angel
19:21said to Cornelius.
19:22That is why he was
19:23so excited to invite
19:24his family and friends.
19:25He says this message,
19:27these words
19:27are what you're
19:28going to hear
19:28that's going to save you.
19:30So he was excited
19:31about that.
19:32It also tells us
19:34that Cornelius
19:35was not saved
19:36until Peter came
19:37to preach the message
19:38to him.
19:39And then he by faith
19:40responded.
19:41He was pious.
19:43He gave money
19:44to the poor,
19:45to the poor.
19:45He took care of the Jews
19:46in his community.
19:47He did a lot
19:48of good works
19:49but he was not saved.
19:51I hope there is
19:54no one here today
19:55that is counting
19:56on your good works
19:57to get you to heaven.
19:59Your piety,
20:00your generosity,
20:02your goodness.
20:03I hope you're not
20:04counting on yourself
20:05to get to heaven
20:06because those things
20:07will never save us.
20:08The only thing
20:09that can save us
20:10is the blood
20:10of the Lord Jesus Christ
20:11that offers us
20:12forgiveness of sins
20:13when we repent
20:14of our sins
20:15and believe
20:16the gospel message.
20:18That is the only hope
20:19for us.
20:22He wasn't saved
20:23because good works.
20:24He was saved
20:24because he had faith.
20:26Notice in here
20:27when he retells the story,
20:28notice he does not use
20:30Cornelius' name at all.
20:33Luke doesn't use
20:34his name at all in this.
20:35Only thing that was
20:36important for Luke
20:37was his nationality.
20:38He was a Gentile.
20:39That's the only thing
20:40that was important.
20:41He didn't even mention
20:41his name in the whole thing.
20:44He said,
20:45this salvation
20:45that's been given to you,
20:46verse 14,
20:47he will declare to you
20:48a message
20:49that word
20:49is actually
20:50a plural form
20:51of the word words.
20:53So it becomes words.
20:54It doesn't make sense
20:55in English
20:55as if we said it like this
20:57in verse 14,
20:58he will declare to you
20:59words by which
21:00you will be saved.
21:00Well, kind of.
21:02But the idea
21:02is the message
21:03behind the words.
21:04The message
21:05behind the words.
21:07Salvation is attached
21:08to words.
21:10It's the gospel.
21:12It's the message
21:13that's recorded here.
21:14It's attached
21:15not to my opinion,
21:16your opinion.
21:17It's attached
21:18to God's word.
21:20That's where
21:20it's attached to.
21:21The message
21:22comes from God's word.
21:24So the salvation
21:25is attached
21:25to a message.
21:26It's kind of like
21:27in Romans chapter 10,
21:28Paul says this,
21:30who will ascend
21:31into the abyss
21:32that is to bring Christ
21:34up from the dead?
21:35But what does it say?
21:36The word,
21:37that's the exact
21:38same word here,
21:38rhema.
21:39The message
21:39is near you
21:41in your mouth
21:42and in your heart.
21:42That is the message,
21:44the word of faith
21:45that we proclaim.
21:46Because if you confess
21:47with your mouth
21:48that Jesus is Lord
21:48and believe in your heart
21:49that God raised him
21:50from the dead,
21:51you will be saved.
21:52For with the heart
21:53one believes
21:54and is justified
21:55and with the mouth
21:55one confesses
21:57and is saved.
21:58And verse 17,
21:59so faith comes
22:00from hearing
22:01and hearing
22:01through the word,
22:02the message
22:03of Christ.
22:05When we go out
22:06among the unbelievers,
22:08we carry a message,
22:09not my message,
22:10not Medical Aid
22:11Community Church's message,
22:12God's message.
22:14That's what we proclaim.
22:15It's God's message.
22:16His words.
22:19Notice that
22:20in retelling the story,
22:21he didn't really tell it all.
22:23He jumps to the most
22:24important thing.
22:25Spirit was poured out
22:27on Gentiles.
22:28You can imagine
22:28his eyes are probably
22:29still big at this moment.
22:30The Spirit was poured out
22:32on Gentiles.
22:33That's amazing.
22:35Making no distinction.
22:36God's showing no partiality
22:37between Jews
22:38and Gentiles.
22:40Peter is comparing
22:41this event to Pentecost.
22:43He has this phrase,
22:44as on us
22:45at the beginning.
22:47So that's pointing us
22:48back to Pentecost.
22:49So he's likening this
22:50to a Gentile Pentecost.
22:52On Pentecost,
22:53we see them speaking
22:54in unknown languages.
22:55This time with Cornelius,
22:57we see them speaking
22:57with unknown languages
22:58as well.
23:01Peter remembers
23:02the words of Jesus
23:03about John's baptism.
23:05Only believers
23:06are baptized
23:06with the Holy Spirit.
23:08So the Jews
23:09should have been excited
23:10that the Spirit
23:11was poured out
23:11upon them
23:12and then they were
23:12baptized in the name
23:13of the Lord Jesus Christ.
23:15They ought to be excited
23:16but they were more concerned
23:17about you eating
23:17with Gentiles.
23:18They missed the point.
23:22So Peter remembers
23:23and then Peter responds
23:25back with,
23:25listen,
23:26God is greater
23:27than I am.
23:28Who am I
23:29to contend with God?
23:31God is greater than me.
23:32Look at verses 17 and 18.
23:33If then,
23:35you could say
23:36since then,
23:38if then God gave
23:39the same gift to them
23:40to Gentiles
23:41as he gave to us Jews
23:43when we believed
23:44in the Lord Jesus Christ,
23:46who was I
23:47that I should stand
23:48in God's way?
23:49It's a good question.
23:51How could I get
23:51in God's way?
23:53He's made it super clear.
23:55When they heard
23:56these things,
23:57they fell silent
23:58and they glorify God
24:01saying then
24:02to the Gentiles
24:03also God
24:04has granted
24:05repentance
24:05that leads to life.
24:07They just,
24:08their mouths were closed.
24:09What could they,
24:10how can you contend
24:11with God?
24:12If God's at work,
24:13how could you say,
24:13oh no,
24:14we're not going to do this.
24:14No,
24:15God's at work here.
24:17Who's I
24:17that could stand
24:18in God's way?
24:19God's exercising
24:19his will
24:20in the salvation
24:21of the Gentiles.
24:22What am I to say?
24:22No,
24:24I don't think
24:24that's a good idea.
24:25I don't want
24:25my coworker
24:26to get saved.
24:27Not that person
24:27in my neighborhood.
24:28I don't want them
24:28to say,
24:28of course not.
24:29If God is going
24:30to save them,
24:30why should we
24:31stand in their way?
24:32Why should we
24:33stand in God's way?
24:36And to oppose
24:36the baptism,
24:38to oppose the baptism
24:39of believing Gentiles
24:40would be to oppose God.
24:42And I'm not going
24:42to do that,
24:43Peter said.
24:44God saved them.
24:46And the evidence
24:47of their salvation
24:47was that they,
24:48they spoke in
24:49an unknown language
24:50showing that the Gentiles
24:51are included
24:51with the people of God.
24:54I'm not going
24:54to stand in God's way.
24:56I wouldn't do that.
24:59These legalistic believers,
25:01these Jewish believers,
25:02God was,
25:03they had to admit
25:04that God is at work
25:04among the Gentiles.
25:06They couldn't deny it.
25:08For the legalistic
25:09Jewish believers,
25:10the problem
25:11was not solved though.
25:12Dietary laws
25:13and circumcision
25:14were still a problem.
25:15They were still issues.
25:16It's not going
25:17to be hammered out
25:17until chapter 15
25:19where we have
25:19a recommendation
25:20from the church
25:21in Jerusalem
25:22to send to the Gentiles.
25:23It's still an issue.
25:24Some still think
25:26they got to have circumcision
25:28and come into
25:28all the dietary laws
25:30and the ceremonial laws
25:31before they can be
25:31a good Christian.
25:32Read the book of Galatians.
25:34That's the argument
25:35in Galatians.
25:37It surfaces again
25:38in chapter 15
25:39when they'll finally
25:39then take care
25:41of this issue.
25:42There's an interesting
25:43statement that the
25:43believing Jews said
25:44at the end.
25:46It says,
25:46then to the Gentiles
25:47also God has granted.
25:50God has given repentance.
25:52Granted.
25:53Granted repentance.
25:55God gave repentance.
25:56The idea,
25:56the ability to repent.
26:00In their natural state,
26:01no man wants God.
26:03No one does good.
26:04It only is God's initiative
26:05coming to man,
26:06revealing himself to him,
26:08giving them repentance
26:09that they didn't even
26:09come to faith.
26:10God granted them repentance.
26:13God is the one
26:14who makes unclean humans
26:15clean by repentance
26:17and faith in Jesus Christ alone.
26:19God grants repentance.
26:20God grants life by faith.
26:22God guards believers
26:23by his Holy Spirit
26:24until the day of redemption.
26:26Until they come
26:27into their inheritance.
26:28God is the one
26:29who initiates
26:30all of these things.
26:32It was God's gracious work.
26:35At this point
26:35in the life
26:36of the early church,
26:37the mystery of the church
26:38had not been revealed.
26:40They didn't grasp
26:41this Jew and Gentile thing.
26:42Paul reveals it later on.
26:44Actually,
26:44God gives it to Paul
26:45to reveal to us.
26:47They didn't know that.
26:48All they saw
26:49were the Jews.
26:50They couldn't understand
26:51that there was this thing
26:51called the body of Christ,
26:53the church.
26:54It was a mystery to them
26:56and God revealed it
26:57to Paul
26:58and Paul reveals it later
26:59that there would be unity
27:01between Jews and Gentiles.
27:03Look at Ephesians chapter 2.
27:06These believing Jewish people
27:08have to move forward
27:09knowing that the Gentiles
27:10by faith
27:11are included now
27:12in the people of God.
27:15Remember that you,
27:16he's talking to the Gentiles,
27:17remember that you Gentiles
27:18were at that time
27:19separated from Christ,
27:21alienated from the
27:22commonwealth of Israel
27:23and strangers
27:24to the covenants
27:25of promise,
27:26having no hope
27:27and without God
27:28in the world.
27:29That was our state
27:30before believing.
27:31But now,
27:32that's a state in Christ
27:33by believing,
27:34but now in Christ Jesus,
27:36you who were once far off,
27:38that's the Gentiles,
27:39have been brought near
27:40by the blood of Christ
27:41for he himself
27:43is our peace.
27:44Our is the Jew
27:45and Gentile peace.
27:47He brings peace
27:48to the Jews and Gentiles
27:49who has made us both one,
27:52Jews and Gentiles,
27:53one body
27:53and has broken down
27:54in his flesh
27:55the dividing wall
27:56of hostility.
27:59Did you know
27:59in the temple area
28:00there was a dividing wall
28:01between the Gentiles
28:04and the Jews
28:04that went all the way
28:05around the temple complex
28:07and there was actually
28:08a sign saying
28:09no Gentile
28:11may enter in here
28:12on pain of death.
28:14It was a wall
28:15of separation.
28:16Christ came
28:17and he broke down
28:18that wall of separation
28:19by faith.
28:20Now we're all joined together
28:21in one body
28:22and the Jewish believers
28:23had to grasp this.
28:25They were having
28:25a difficult time with it.
28:28The believing Jews
28:29must try to wrestle
28:29with what God is doing,
28:31calling out Jews
28:32and Gentiles
28:33into one body.
28:35It's new.
28:36It's something
28:36they have to wrestle
28:37with right now.
28:39Edward Henson wrote,
28:41if the Jewish believers
28:42of the church
28:43at Jerusalem
28:43are to question
28:44Peter's action,
28:46they must first question
28:47the direct leading
28:48of God the Father,
28:49provision of salvation
28:51by God the Son,
28:52and verifying signs
28:53of God the Spirit,
28:55absolutely no one
28:56was ready to do that
28:57and so they grew silent.
28:59If God's at work,
29:00what are we going to say?
29:02We have to accept
29:03what God is doing here.
29:04You can imagine
29:06how this could cause
29:07great division
29:08in the church
29:08if this is not dealt with,
29:10that God's dealing
29:10with it now
29:11and will deal with it
29:12in chapter 15.
29:14They had recognized
29:15the hand of God
29:15and so they grow silent.
29:17They glorified God.
29:19The Jewish Christians
29:21showed a willingness
29:22to believe the truth
29:23once it had been
29:24clearly shown to them.
29:26Here's the truth.
29:28Oh, yes,
29:28I see it.
29:29So they get silent.
29:30May the same be said
29:33of Bible believers today
29:35that once the truth
29:36has been clearly
29:37demonstrated in the Bible
29:38that we are willing
29:40to respond
29:40in spite of our prejudices
29:42or age-held traditions,
29:44that we respond
29:46to the Word of God,
29:47the clear teaching
29:48of the Word of God.
29:51Psalm 119,
29:53Forever, O Lord,
29:54your Word is firmly fixed
29:56in the heavens.
29:57And verse 160,
29:58the sum of your Word
30:00is truth
30:01and every one
30:03of your righteous rules
30:04endures forever.
30:07As God clearly reveals
30:09to us from His Word
30:10that which is true,
30:11may we, you and I,
30:13be willing to accept
30:14the truth
30:14even if it is contrary
30:16to a cherished hell belief
30:18that we have.
30:20May we all yield
30:21to the clear teaching
30:22of the Bible
30:23in all things
30:24and not hold on
30:25to cherished beliefs
30:26that are not biblical
30:28or traditions
30:29established by men.
30:31Let's pray.
30:31Father, thank you.
30:33Thank you for clearing this up
30:35and helping the Jewish believers
30:37to begin to understand
30:38what you're doing.
30:39They didn't want to pollute
30:41themselves by going
30:42among the Gentiles.
30:43I can understand that.
30:45I pray that you give us
30:46this place in our heart
30:50where we can be among
30:51unbelievers,
30:52influencing them,
30:53yet not take on
30:54their beliefs
30:55or their behaviors
30:56or their attitudes
30:56ourselves,
30:57but be among them
30:59but not of them.
31:02And Father,
31:02I also thank you
31:03that you are so good
31:04that once you clearly
31:05show us from something
31:06in your Word
31:06that we are willing
31:08to say,
31:08yes,
31:08I trust your Word
31:10above all things,
31:11even a cherished hell belief
31:13or a tradition of men
31:14because your Word
31:15is firmly fixed
31:17in the heavens,
31:17O Lord.
31:20May we have the courage
31:21to be like these
31:22Jewish believers,
31:23that they grew silent
31:26because they saw
31:27that you're speaking.
31:28What more could they say
31:29when you have spoken?
31:31That is it.
31:32And we thank you
31:33in Jesus' name.
31:34Amen.
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