Bread of His Presence

Lechem Panim #187 “Timothy Joins The Team” (Acts 16:1-5) Pastor Cameron Ury

Anchors— You know, in reflecting back on my life, there have been quite a number of people who have been anchors for me in my Christian faith; men and women who took time to invest in my life so that I could be thoroughly equipped both to know Jesus Christ in intimate and personal relationship, but also so that I could be thoroughly equipped to carry His Gospel into the world. And one of those people was one of my seminary professors, Dr. Matt Friedeman. Few people have helped shape my thinking about ministry as much as he did. He was not only my professor, but also the leader of a discipleship group I was blessed to be a part of; and it was a discipleship group that was very different from your typical one nowadays, with everyone sitting and talking about the Bible. No, not with Matt. His philosophy of discipleship (which is most akin to what we find here in the book of Acts, and which he would state often) was this: “If you make disciples by sitting around and talking, don’t be surprised if all your disciples do is sit around and talk.” “If you make disciples by sitting around and talking, don’t be surprised if all your disciples do is sit around and talk.” And so yes, we would do Bible study and prayer (and even sing hymns) together, but it wasn’t in the comfort of a home, but in a van on the way to the local prison. He would (like Jesus did) split the group into pairs and send each into a different prison block to preach. Now let me tell you, for a young man who had never preached a sermon before in his life, that was baptism under fire. And furthermore, he wouldn’t tell you when you were going to preach. He would just point at you before boarding the van and say, “Cameron (or whoever it was), you’re preaching tonight.” And (if you weren’t already prepared) you had the van ride over to prepare. Let me tell you, there were few things that I faced that were more intimidating. But looking back, there are few things I am more thankful for; because it taught me that though Jesus had called me to learn, it wasn’t so I could sit in a group of my peers and exchange meaningful ideas; it was so I could go into the darkest of places and bring into the places (and the people there) the transforming power of the Gospel.

Timothy Follows— Now the reason I say all of this is because here in Acts chapter 16 we see that Paul takes under his wing a young man by the name of Timothy, who joins Paul in ministry; and so Timothy becomes his disciple in the “following” sense of the word because he follows Paul into the spiritually darkest places in the world and joins in his ministry. It is discipleship by hands on training in meeting the physical and spiritual needs of people. And today we will begin to see how all that came about. It says in…

Acts 16:1-5 (ESV)— 1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.

Paul’s Living Fruit— Now this young man Timothy that joins Paul and Silas in their ministry was actually the living fruit of Paul’s ministry; because remember that on Paul’s first missionary journey into Asia Minor, Paul and Barnabas visited the city of Lystra, where it says in…

Acts 14:1b (NKJV)— …that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed.

A Constant Companion— Well Timothy was likely one of that multitude. And he was a young man who already had solid Jewish training in the Scriptures from his mother and grandmother. And so when Paul and Silas return to Lystra here on their 2nd missionary journey, they find him, are impressed by his dedication to Christ and willingness to serve, and so Paul takes Timothy under his wing and begins to disciple him. And Timothy [would ultimately become Paul’s constant companion, traveling with him throughout Asia, Macedonia, and Greece. He was also in Rome for part or all of the apostle’s two-year house arrest—and is named as one of the senders in the letters Paul wrote from Rome to the Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon (as well as 2 Corinthians and 1 and 2 Thessalonians).] And we see his dedication even here as (as an adult) he allows himself to be circumcised in order to not create an obstacle for the Jews they would be witnessing to who might know of his mixed Greek/Jewish background and be offended because of their concern to keep the covenant of circumcision. So he is very dedicated. Now not only that, but (as we will see later) Timothy is one of the most self-less Christians in scripture. Paul writes to the Philippians in…

Philippians 2:19-22 (ESV)— 19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy's[a] proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. {And so we see modeled in Timothy’s life the selflessness of Jesus Christ, which is the supreme mark of the true believer.}

Not Making Disciples— Now at this point I would like to return to something I said last week; and that has to do with what we were talking about in regards to discipleship, because I think that there are many churches that know how to make converts. But there are very few churches that know how to make disciples; who know how to establish new converts firmly in their faith; who know how to teach them the Word and ground them in sound doctrine; who know how to make disciples who will also be thoroughly equipped to make disciples of their own. That is the supreme weakness of the Church today, making disciples who can make disciples. Well, what is a disciple?

Wiersbe on Discipleship— Warren Wiersbe once said: [A disciple, then, is one who has believed on Jesus Christ and expressed this faith by being baptized. He remains in the fellowship of the believers that he might be taught the truths of the faith (Acts 2: 41– 47). He is then able to go out and win others and teach them. This was the pattern of the New Testament church (2 Tim. 2:1-2). In many respects, we have departed from this pattern. In most churches, the congregation pays the pastor to preach, win the lost, and build up the saved— while the church members function as cheerleaders (if they are enthusiastic) or spectators. The “converts” are won, baptized, and given the right hand of fellowship, then they join the other spectators. How much faster our churches would grow, and how much stronger and happier our church members would be, if each one were discipling another believer. The only way a local church can “be fruitful and multiply” (instead of growing by “additions”) is with a systematic discipleship program. This is the responsibility of every believer, and not just a small group that has been “called to go.” Jesus had opened the minds of His disciples to understand the Scriptures (Luke 24: 44– 45). They knew what He wanted them to teach to their own converts. It is not enough to win people to the Savior; we must also teach them the Word of God. This is also a part of the Great Commission.]

Jesus’ Pattern for Discipleship— And you know, he’s absolutely right. That was the pattern for discipleship modeled to us by Jesus. He chose a handful of guys and poured everything He had into those few men. He then showed them how to do ministry; he gave them His authority. Then at Pentecost He gave them His Spirit. And it was that handful of men who ended up changing the world. He trained disciples who could make disciples. Paul was himself discipled under the teachings of the other apostles. Then he takes a disciple of his own; Timothy; and pours everything he has into him. And he trains Timothy until he is ready for service. And Paul’s letters to Timothy contain much of that training. [Paul tells Timothy how to confront false teachers, how to order the church’s worship, how to select church leaders, and how to conduct himself as a young leader in a difficult situation. {And} Speaking as a father to a son, the apostle urges Timothy not only to stand up for the truth in public but also to guard his own soul from the errors all around him (1 Tim. 6:20, 21)].

Timothy’s Ordination— And when Timothy is ready for service, [In a ceremony that serves as the basis for modern-day ordination of ministers of the gospel, Paul and an “eldership” (group of church elders, or leaders) … laid hands on Timothy to set him apart for God’s service (1:18; 4:14). And we see that he becomes Paul’s handpicked choice to oversee the troubled Church in Ephesus; somebody that he himself had discipled. And Paul calls Timothy by a very personal title in his greeting to Timothy. He says…

1 Timothy 1:2a (NKJV) Greeting— 2 To Timothy, a true son in the faith:

Son Language— You know, that is pretty close and personal language. You can hardly get more personal than a relationship between a father and a son; a parent and a child. That is one of the closest, most intimate bonds there is. A child is dependent on you utterly and completely for sustenance. A child absorbs so much what you teach them. You bear them and then you lead them to maturity until they one day leave your home and go off to start families of their own.

Our Fruit— And the question I want to leave you with is, what children are you bearing for the kingdom of God? Who is the Timothy in your life? What young or new Christian are you pouring yourself into? Who are you carrying in prayer? To whom are you writing letters of discipleship and encouragement? If we want our nation to experience true freedom in Christ, then we have to start making disciples. It’s in our obedience to make disciples that we can help bring our nation back into right relationship with God. And so let us commit to do that.

Lechem Panim #186 “The Weight of Glory” (Acts 15:36-41) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim. Thank you for tuning in today as we continue on our journey through the book of Acts.

The 2nd Missionary Journey— Today’s passage is an important one, as it marks the beginning of Paul’s second missionary journey. After this interlude with the Jerusalem Council, Paul is eager to get back to the work of the ministry, which had been interrupted by this debate with the legalists. Now this wasn’t because Paul was bored with the ministry in Antioch. There are many things pastors are. Bored is rarely one of them. In full-time ministry there is always something to do. And helping to pastor the church in Antioch, where (think about it) there were so many new believers was no doubt a great challenge. But something happens when you truly encounter Jesus and allow His mindset to shape yours; and that is that you begin to think eternally. And that is a good thing. But with that will also come a burden. You will no longer be able to ignore the needy and the lost. You will (like God does) feel the weight of eternity on your shoulders as you become awakened to people’s spiritual conditions.

The Big Heat Wave— This past summer (which if you live around here you will know was unusually hot) I read of a man who drove all the way to Arizona during the heat wave in order to buy air conditioners for his friends and neighbors back home, which he then brought back and gave to them. It was apparently a big enough story to make the news. And this man no doubt did it because he knew the dangers of the coming heat. Well, how much more ought we as Christians who (seeing the heat wave of Judgment Day and Hell coming) do what we can to prepare people for it. You see, with an eternal mindset comes what Paul calls in 2 Corinthians 4:17 “The Weight of Glory”; recognizing that every person we meet is going to live forever in one of two places; and God has called us to share His burden in helping to lead people into the life that is found only in His Son Jesus Christ.

Paul On The Move— Well Paul is one of those who always felt that weight of glory, which is why when we look at the broad spectrum of his life, we see that he was never content to remain in one place for very long. No, he was always on the move. Anywhere he went was a step to somewhere else. Even Rome, which you would think would be a place he would be content to remain in (seeing as it was the capital of the greatest empire the world had ever known and therefore probably the best place to remain strategically); it was not his ultimate destination. He longed to visit there (which we read about in Romans 15:22-23); but even in his letter to them he writes “whenever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while…I will go on by way of you to Spain” (Romans 15:24,28). And the reason he was always on the move was because of how keenly aware he was that there were always other people in other places who had not yet been told about the way of salvation. And he always felt compelled to reach those people. Listen to his own words in 1 Corinthians 9:16: “I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel”.

Hudson Taylor’s Burden— [Paul’s passionate concern for those without Christ found an echo in the heart of J. Hudson Taylor, the nineteenth-century English missionary to China. He wrote: I have a stronger desire than ever to go to China. That land is ever in my thoughts. Think of it—360 million souls, without God or hope in the world! Think of more than twelve millions of our fellow creatures dying every year without any of the consolations of the Gospel. Barnsley including the Common has only 15,000 inhabitants. Imagine what it would be if all these were to die in twelve months! Yet in China year by year, hundreds are dying, for every man, woman and child in Barnsley. Poor, neglected China! Scarcely anyone cares about it.]

A Needed Burden— Now we can read every ministry strategy book out there (and let me tell you, there are tons of them), but none of them will ever replace that internal concern for lost souls that motivates us (or as Paul says “compels us”) to witness. That burden (as hard as it is to bear or even to think about at times) is what every Church needs more than anything else; the burden for the lost that only comes from being close enough to Jesus to have His mindset become our own. And so, feeling that burden, it says in…

Acts 15:36 (ESV)— 36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.”

Make Disciples, Not Merely Converts— Now even though some have called Paul the greatest human evangelist the world has ever known, we see that he is markedly differently from the modern, 20th & 21st-century stereotypical evangelist, who travels from city to city to win converts, but then leaves them to either grow on their own or be discipled by others. No, Paul didn’t believe in making converts; he believed in making disciples. Well, what is a disciple? Well, a disciple is a follower of Jesus Christ who is rooted in and growing in faith and is becoming fruitful, leading others into faith in Christ and able to disciple them. Now how do you make a disciple? By taking a new believer under your wing (becoming a friend and mentor to them) and giving of your time to help them to become established in their faith. Now we’ll come back to this theme, because it is very important. But I want you to see how ingrained this concept was in the mind of Paul right from the outset, as he wants to return to all the places where he won converts to Christ in order to make sure that they are rooted and growing in Christ. Now Barnabas no doubt thought this second missionary trip was a great idea. But it says in…

Acts 15:37-38 (ESV)— 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. {The actual language in the Greek carries a tone of being adamant. Barnabas is determined to take him.} 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.

John Mark Leaves— Now the reason that Mark had not gone with them was probably because, after he had arrived with Paul and Barnabas to Perga in Pamphylia and got a glimpse into the interior of Asia Minor and sees all the paganism and danger that lay before them, he gets scared (Acts 13:13). And so he decides to turn and go back to Jerusalem and (more specifically) to his mother, who was a prominent member of the Church there. Now here in this passage we get a glimpse into how Paul felt about that. He sees John Mark as lacking courage and commitment and therefore doesn’t want to take him. He sees Mark as more of a hindrance and a burden than an asset. And so he refuses to take him. Now Barnabas (whose name means “son of encouragement”) wants to give his cousin (Col 4:10) Mark another chance and to allow Mark to show courage where he had shown fear before. And this is typical of Barnabas. In fact years earlier it was he who recognized Paul’s calling (11:25-26). But remember that the other believers were afraid of Paul because of what he had done to the Church. And so Barnabas took him to the apostles (Acts 9:27) and insisted that he be given a chance to prove himself. And he is given that chance. But interestingly, here Paul doesn’t back down in his dispute with Barnabas. He is thoroughly convinced that Mark is not the right person to come along with them at this time. Now we don’t know all the reasons why. But Paul may have had in mind [the immediate needs and demands of such a rigorous journey. Undoubtedly, Mark’s earlier departure {had} placed increased demands on Paul and Barnabas, and he was unwilling to risk that again.] And so, sadly, immediately following the Jerusalem Council, where we see the Church coming together and becoming absolutely unified in their decision, we find in the very next section the opposite. Between Paul and Barnabas it says…

Acts 15:39-41 (ESV)— 39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus {(which, by the way, was Barnabas’ home (Acts 4:36))}, 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Was Paul or Barnabas Right?— Now I don’t know how you feel about this story; who was right and who was wrong. Scripture doesn’t explicitly say, though the weight of the evidence seems to actually favor Paul; because (think about it) Paul was an apostle, whereas Barnabas was not. That alone is enough reason for Barnabas to submit to Paul’s authority. But even if it wasn’t, Barnabas probably should have recognized that it would be unwise and difficult to take along someone Paul didn’t trust. And last but not least, it is important to note that it was Paul and Silas (not Barnabas and Mark) who are commended by the church in verse 40. Now does that mean Paul was completely in the right? Not necessarily. Maybe he should have shown more mercy. We don’t know enough concerning the circumstances involved to make a decision one way or the other. But what we do know is that [Although they apparently never again ministered together (this is the last mention of Barnabas in Acts), we know Paul and Barnabas eventually reconciled their differences, because Paul later wrote approvingly of Barnabas’s ministry (1 Cor. 9:6). Even John Mark, the cause of all the trouble, later became one of Paul’s valued co-laborers (Col. 4:10; Philem. 24; 2 Tim. 4:11). He also became a close associate of the apostle Peter (1 Pet. 5:13) and was privileged to write one of the four gospels. {And so} Barnabas did a remarkable job in helping to turn around the life and ministry career of his young cousin.]

God Used It— But at this point there is a very painful split. Yet even though it was painful, we see that God was able to use it for good in that because of the split, there are now two missionary endeavors instead of just one. And what that shows us is that God can use even the rough patches to further expand His Kingdom work.

Our Burden— And you know, it is a comfort to me to see that the early Church struggled with many of things that you and I face today. But they were always able to push through their differences and find healing and reconciliation. Why? Because the mission mattered more than their differences; that weight of glory was heavier than any individual’s own personal opinion regarding the way things ought to be done. And the same is true today. The Churches that are the strongest and the most unified are Churches who are living under that weight of glory and keep Christ’s Great Commission central. And so that is the challenge I want to leave you with today. Let us seek to live (like Paul did) under that weight of glory. Let’s do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #185 “The Verdict Delivered” (Acts 15:22-35) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! In our study of Acts 15 we have been talking about the events set in motion by this group of Judaizers (or Jew-makers) who came to the new Gentile Christians in Antioch and tried to impose upon them all of the ceremonial Law of Moses; specifically the right of circumcision. This caused quite an uproar, so that Paul and Barnabas traveled to Jerusalem to have the council give an official answer to this issue. And, after some debate, a decision is reached. And the council concludes that all the evidence shows that the Gentiles have already been fully accepted by God (having the Holy Spirit and the transformation of heart and life that goes along with Him); and so they prescribe only a few rules for the Gentiles to obey not in order to live lives of legalism, but to protect them from immorality and help preserve their relationships with their Jewish brothers and sisters in Christ. And we expounded each of those last week. But now the time has come for the decision to be brought to the church in Antioch. And so it says in…

Acts 15:22-23 (NKJV)— 22 Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren. 23 They wrote this letter by them: The apostles, the elders, and the brethren,
To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.

Now notice the loving language of this letter. They call them “the brethren who are of the Gentiles”. So right from the outset they are communicating that the gentile Christians ARE indeed one of them.

Acts 15:24 (NKJV)— 24 Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words {[The word translated “troubling” (from anaskeuazo) is “a military metaphor for plundering a town.”]}, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law”—to whom we gave no such commandment—

And so the council is reiterating that these Judaizers who had come to them had no authority or sanction from the Jerusalem Council and therefore what they said could be disregarded. And in a similar way with us, if anyone tries to place us under the law, we can know that they are not speaking with God’s (or the true Church’s) authority and can therefore (standing on the authority of the Word of God) reject what they are saying and cling to salvation by grace through faith alone. Now next they write…

Acts 15:25-26 (NKJV)— 25 it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And so the council sends to them men who have been tested; men who have risked life and limb for the sake of the Gospel.

Acts 15:27 (NKJV)— 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth.

Judas & Silas— Now the reason they did this was because if only Barnabas and Paul were sent, the people might say, “Well, of course these two men would give us this kind of report.” So they send along Judas and Silas as well in order to confirm to the gentiles that this was indeed the decision of the council. Now the rest of the letter once again ties all this back to the moving hand of God and how He Himself was leading. It says…

Acts 15:28-29 (NKJV)— 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.

And that is all. No in-depth theological treatise. Just a loving letter releasing them from all obligation to live under the law. Now after the men receive this letter from the council, it says…

Acts 15:30-31 (NKJV)— 30 So when they were sent off, they came to Antioch; and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter. 31 When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement.

Comfort & Liberation— And that is what always happen wherever the TRUE Gospel is proclaimed. The Gospel of Christ is always one of consolation, comfort, and liberation. The Law (in the end) brings condemnation because it is a mirror that shows us how ugly our spiritual condition really is. But the Gospel brings hope that in Jesus we have received forgiveness from sin and the power to live a life that the Law had no power to help me live. Now after this it says…

Acts 15:32-34 (NKJV)— 32 Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words. 33 And after they had stayed there for a time, they were sent back with greetings from the brethren to the apostles.
34 However, it seemed good to Silas to remain there.

Silas Stays— Now Silas and Paul obviously got along really well together. Silas must have really like Paul, enjoyed working with him, and probably learned a lot from him. And so he stays in Antioch with Paul and Barnabas to help grow the church there. It says…

Acts 15:35 (NKJV)— 35 Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

And Paul and Barnabas were actually the pastors of the church there in Antioch.

The First Diversity— Now the challenge that the Church will continue to face after this council is not just the salvation by grace alone issue. Rather, it is how to bring together people from all different races and people groups; people who often had very little in common except their faith in the Lord Jesus. They had their own cultures and subcultures; different histories; different traditions and practices; they had different customs and even languages. And so to try to imagine how you can bring unity and oneness to such a diverse group would be difficult. One solution is simply to decide that it is impossible and not do it. Instead, [segregate, isolate, and study each other with suspicion.] But that approach [profoundly affects Christianity’s effective and attractiveness]. It leads to snobbery and a generally judgmental atmosphere, which would betray the teachings of Jesus and His desire to see His followers be one as He and the Father are one (John 17); and Christianity would lose it’s appeal. Now the other solution is to lay down our presuppositions at the feet of Christ and choose to imitate Him (as Ephesians 5:1 tells us to do) and [become tolerant, understanding, and accepting.] Now that of course doesn’t meant we are to tolerate sin or sinful lifestyles. [James mentioned a few laws the the Gentile believers should see, with an understanding that basic morality and living for God would cover the rest.] But nothing brings greater joy and glory to God than believers of all different racial and ethnic backgrounds and all different social strata coming together in worship of Christ and around the fulfillment of His mission.

These 5 Fingers— [In a Peanuts cartoon Lucy demanded that Linus change TV channels, threatening him with her fist if he didn't. "What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?" asks Linus. 
"These five fingers," says Lucy. "Individually they're nothing but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold."
"Which channel do you want?" asks Linus. Turning away, he looks at his fingers and says, "Why can't you guys get organized like that?”]

The Three Results— Now this decision by the council accomplished three practical things. First, it preserved and strengthened the unity of the Church, keeping it from splitting into two extreme “law” and “grace” groups. Rather, they demonstrated the right kind of compromise. They didn’t compromise on doctrine (which is always wrong, as Jude 3 warns us about), but were willing to give and take in the practical arrangements of life so that the various members could work and live together in love and unbroken harmonious fellowship.
    Secondly, this united decision allowed the Church to present a united witness to lost Jews (Acts 15:21). And the compromise of the gentiles allowed Jews to be drawn to the Christian faith without being repelled by unneeded offense.
    Third, this letter brought blessing to all who heard it. Not only was this letter read to the gentile believers in Antioch, but Paul (on his second missionary journey) also shared this letter with all the churches he had founded on his first missionary journey. The result was that those churches grew in their faith and also in their numbers (Acts 16:5).

Christ of The Andes— This week I read an interesting story of how [Years ago, a large statue of Christ was erected high in the Andes on the border between Argentina and Chile. Called "Christ of the Andes," the statue symbolizes a pledge between the two countries that as long as the statue stands, there will be peace between Chile and Argentina. Shortly after the statue was erected, the Chileans began to protest that they had been slighted -- the statue had its back turned to Chile. Just when tempers were at their highest in Chile, a Chilean newspaperman saved the day. In an editorial that not only satisfied the people but made them laugh, he simply said, "The people of Argentina need more watching over than the Chileans.]

​Share The Grace— You know, it’s amazing what impact one person can have in bringing unity in a situation. And the way you and I can help do that is by being careful not to put stumbling blocks in front of people by forcing them to conform to what might not be a theological belief, but more of a traditional practice. We can easily fall into the trap of thinking that we are honoring and obeying God with our traditionalism, structure, and legalistic requirements when in fact we may be creating distance between God and others. Freedom and life are what we give others when we share with them the true message of the Gospel, not rules and ceremonies. And so let us share that life; that freedom in Christ Jesus with those to whom we witness. Amen.

Lechem Panim #184 “The Dangerous Three” (Acts 15:19-20) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! Today we will be continuing to look at Acts chapter 15, which tells of group of Judaizers (or Jew-makers) who had come to Antioch and began causing some major dissension by trying to impose the Jewish practice of circumcision on the Gentiles who had come to faith in Jesus Christ. And the Gentiles (understandably) were very taken aback by this; particularly by the idea that they might not yet be right in God’s eyes; that there was a work they needed to perform (an actual operation they had to undergo) if they were going to be able to be followers of Jesus. And really this issue could have created a lot of division and might even have split the Church. And it was about more than just circumcision, but had to do with the issue of whether or not gentiles ought to keep the Mosaic law. And there was a lot of debate on this; but in the end the Jerusalem Council agreed that the Spirit of God was leading them away from placing that burden of the Law upon them, seeing as the Gentiles already had in their lives the marks of being believers. And so James, the head of the Jerusalem council, saying in…

Acts 15:19-20 (NKJV)— 19 Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God {(And [The Gr. word for “trouble” means “to throw something in the path of someone to annoy them.”])}, 20 but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.

Polluted by Idols— And so Gentiles who have come to faith in Christ are not to be put under the weight of the Mosaic system. However, we see that they are asked to abstain from certain practices out of loving courtesy to their Jewish brethren in order to preserve the fellowship. And the first of these is that they are asked “to abstain from things polluted by idols”. Now the eating of food that had been offered to idols was a huge issue in the Early Church, which is why we see the issue discussed again in 1 Corinthians. And what the situation was was that the pagan gentile world of that time would worship idols, physical statues/images that represented spiritual beings. And in places like Corinth (to which 1 Corinthians was written) what people would do was they would take an animal into a pagan temple and offer that animal to the idol. And the “spiritual” god represented by the physical idol would eat the “spiritual” animal. And then you could use the actual physical meat however you wanted. Well, people were very clever about this. They would take their best animals for sacrifices and then (after the supposed god had eaten the spiritual animal) they would sell that meat in the meat markets at those pagan temples. You see it was quite different from Judaism, where you actually had to offer the physical animal (not just the spiritual one).

Hell Money— When I was visiting my parents in China a number of years ago, my dad took me to kind of a Chinese funeral home. And they had a whole lot of normal items you would buy in everyday life, except they were paper. Paper houses (mansions), paper cars, paper watches, purses, you name it. And what you would do is you would buy and burn the paper item so that your loved one could have the real item in the afterlife. And you can actually buy money (they call it hell money) that (when you burn it) your loved one supposedly receives it in real money in the afterlife and they can then buy what they want. Now, I don’t know if they have gift cards. If they do, and I die, do me a favor and burn a few paper Best Buy and Amazon gift cards for me, will you? Now, in all seriousness, it seems to me that if you really believed in this, you would put your money where your mouth is so to speak and burn real money. But you don’t, just like in these pagan temples you don’t burn the animal; no you just offer the spirit of the animal. How different this is from Judaism, where you give God (truly give Him) the animal.

The Offense— But what you need to grasp from all this is that because of all this, the place to buy the best meat was at those heathen temples because that is where people had come to offer their best animals and (consequently) to then sell their best meat. So if you wanted to buy the best steak; the filet mignon; the porterhouse; the New York cuts, you would go to the pagan temples to get it. Now the Gentiles were not offended by this practice because they had always bought their meat at these markets. However, for the Jewish Christian who had been brought up knowing what God said about idolatry (Ex. 20:3; 34:17; Deut. 5:7), they would avoid anything to do with idols, including meat that had been offered to those idols (1 Cor. 8:1-13). And so the thought is that if a gentile were to have that Jewish Christian over for dinner, he would not offend his Jewish brother by offering that food that had been offered to that idol. And this is key for us to understand because (as we have already said) this request given by the council was not an attempt to put the Gentiles under the Mosaic Law, but was rather a request that they not do anything that might harm the unity between them and their Jewish brothers.

Paul’s Stance— And it ought to be noted that later we will see that Paul seems to have taken [a more liberal approach to the issue of food offered to idols in 1 Corinthians 8, which was written six or seven years after the council (c. A.D. 55), and perhaps in Romans 14, which was written eight years after the council (c. A.D. 56).] In certain contexts that may be okay. But they needed to be sensitive to the scruples of their Jewish brothers and sisters and abstain when necessary in order not to wound them. [This is the stance that Paul takes in his discussions in Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8. He recommends sensitivity to people’s consciences, to the weaker brother, and to putting a stumbling block in the way of someone else. {And so} Our convictions must always be tempered by love. Love will make us do things that we have fought against legislating.] In fact we will see that Paul (after all this) will have Timothy circumcised in order to not alienate Jews who might otherwise be open to the Gospel.

Sexual Immorality— Now next we see that the council requests the gentiles to abstain from sexual immorality. And interestingly, this is the one that it markedly different from the other three. It’s the only one that wasn’t a dietary restriction and the only one that seems to be an explicit evil in itself. And once again, we need to understand the background of what was happening at that time to see why this is specifically mentioned. What we are talking about here is likely the kind of orgies that were associated (once again) with the pagan worship the Gentiles had up until this point been a part of. This kind of immorality was so common among the Gentiles, to the point where their consciences had become completely numb to it. It was a part of the pagan religious system. And so these new gentile Christians who are coming out of that pagan background have to be told explicitly not do something that to us might seem obvious. But you know, in America we have been slowly yet steadily moving back to that way of doing life. The sexual revolution in the 70’s played a major part in that. And the ironic thing is that many today think that to cast off all sexual restrictions or boundaries is progress. But this “new morality” or “progressive thinking” is really nothing more than old-time paganism dressed up in new language. And in any culture where immorality has been allowed to pervade and the sexual lines crossed, that culture has crashed.

Purity & Revival— This week I read a devotional by Dr. Dennis Kinlaw in which he says this: There is an important link between our purity in physical relationships and our vitality in spiritual relationships. It is quite clear biblically that God’s purposes for us are tied up with our sexuality. He can only accomplish his purposes in human history, in human society, and in human lives if his followers use their sexuality according to his design and plan. I have noticed a startling truth in the history of the church: the Holy Spirit has a particular affinity for people who are very careful in the sexual aspect of their lives. You will have a difficult time finding an outpouring of the Holy Spirit among people where there is substantial sexual laxity. For some reason, purity and revival are linked inseparably together; God seems to have a particular sensitivity for protecting his creation in this way. Perhaps human sexuality is especially important to God because it is a prime symbol of the depth of intimacy that God desires with each human person. God uses most effectively those individuals who are committed to personal holiness and purity, and he seems to have a special blessing for groups who are committed to corporate holiness and purity. In our day, when such holy behavior is an anomaly, we need to set our course by his standards and not by the standards of the world. Whether you are married or single, young or old, are the thoughts, imaginations, and actions of your heart as pure as Jesus would have them be? If there is any impurity in you, you can expect spiritual impotence.]
    And you know, he’s absolutely right. And that is why we find here the council taking such a strong stand against sexual immorality. They knew that the power and effectiveness of the Church and it’s ability to be filled with and used by the Holy Spirit was largely dependent on their remaining holy before God. And that is something we need to remember in our day and age as well.

Things Strangled & Blood— Now after this they also add that the gentiles ought to abstain from things strangled, and from blood. This, once again, was a matter of courtesy to the Jewish Christians, who refrained from eating such things and who were careful to cut their animals in such a way so as to drain out all the blood; because God had specifically commanded them not to eat blood.

Where The Lines Are— Now you and I are always interested in knowing where the lines are. We want to know what we are and what we are not allowed to do. And that is good; and is what the Gentiles needed to know. But (and I think the Jerusalem council was aware of this), it isn’t always about what you do as much as how that action might affect your relationship with God or your brother or sister in Christ and their relationship with God.

Susannah Wesley’s Definition of Sin— For this reason, I have come to really appreciate how Susannah Wesley defined sin. This was how Susannah Wesley defined "sin" to her young son, John Wesley. She said: "If you would judge of the lawfulness or the unlawfulness of pleasure, then take this simple rule: Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, and takes off the relish of spiritual things—that to you is sin.”

​Let’s Evaluate— Now I love that definition because it puts the focus right where it needs to be; on our relationship with God. How might the action I am considering affect the communion I share with God and (consequently) with other people? Will it nourish me? Will it enhance my love for Jesus and keeps me centered in His will and in love for those He loves? Let us learn to evaluate all things by that standard. Let’s do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #183 “The Greatest Proclamation” (Acts 15:10-21) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! In our study of Acts chapter 15, we have seen that the Church in Antioch is thriving and growing as a multitude of Gentiles have come to faith in Jesus Christ. However, some particular Jews come in among these Gentiles and tell them that in addition to Jesus, they must also become circumcised (as they are) if they are to be truly saved. And so the Gentiles are being led by these men to severely question their faith. Now Paul and Barnabas immediately seek to free the Gentiles from this false teaching by immediately heading to Jerusalem to appear before the church leaders there and explain the situation so that the church leadership can make an official response to all of this. And so the council discusses and debates this issue and eventually come to a decision; and this decision is announced through a series of speeches delivered by Peter, Paul and Barnabas, and then James, each of whom expounds the truth that salvation is by grace alone through faith, and is something wholly set apart from any kind of ritual or law-keeping. And collectively they present six proofs for this. And last week we looked at the first three: the proof of past revelation (where Peter points out that God already settled this years ago by saving Cornelius (who was a Gentile) and his household (also Gentiles) without their having to become Jews, the fact that the gentiles here in Antioch (like Cornelius and his household) had received the Spirit (as confirmed by their having spoken in tongues; who is only given to believers, as the Bible clearly teaches), and (lastly) these Gentiles having been cleansed from sin, having a transformation of heart and life that bore witness that they truly had become children of God. All of these were powerful evidences that God had already saved the Gentiles. But Peter continues. He says in…

Acts 15:10-11 (ESV)— 10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

The Unneeded Yoke— Now here we find the fourth proof; and that is the inability of the law to save. And Peter’s description of a yoke (a heavy burden) being placed upon them was so fitting. It was one that the Jews themselves had been unable to bear, seeing as none of Peter’s listeners had been saved by the Law, purified & cleansed by the Law, or received the Holy Spirit by the Law. These vital things came from God by grace through faith alone. Why then put upon the Gentiles what had not worked for them? And I love the way that Peter closes. He doesn’t say they will be saved just as we are. No, he says “…we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” He emphasizes once again that NONE of them can be saved by works (not the Gentile nor even the Jew), but by the grace of the Lord Jesus. Now at this point it says…

Acts 15:12 (ESV)— 12 And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

Confirming Signs— And so here we see presented proof number five, the fact of miracles. And this is important because remember we talked about how, at every major turning point in Israelite history when God was leading His people in a new or deeper direction, He confirmed the message of His spokesperson through signs and wonders. Well, Paul and Barnabas are showing that God has done the same thing again through them, confirming that they are indeed his spokesmen (2 Corinthians 12:12). The Judaizers (on the other hand) had no miracles from God to back up their teaching. And that is because God does not back up false teachers. But He has backed up Paul and Barnabas; and therefore their teaching (that salvation was by grace alone) must be true.

Prophetic Promise— Now after this James (the half-brother of Jesus and head of the Jerusalem council) gives the final speech. And in it he gives proof number six; and that is prophetic promise.

Acts 15:13-18 (ESV)—13 After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, 16  “‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, 17 that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things 18 known from of old.’

James’ Word-Centered Response— Now it is so awesome to see the response of James here. After summarizing Peter’s message (thereby affirming it), that God saved the Gentiles by grace years earlier, he then reinforces Peter’s point by noting that the words of the prophets agree, supporting this. And he turns to what was for him (and most of his audience) his primary gauge of truth: The Word of God. Now I say “turn” figuratively because note that he doesn’t have a Bible in front of him. There was no such thing as your own personal Bible. The only Bible you had was the one you had hidden in his heart. And so from that Bible (what was hidden in James’ heart), he says “You know, it’s interesting what the Bible says in.… And then he quotes Amos 9:11-12. That is one way to help unify the Church, by the way; having such a deep shared knowledge of the Word that can be appealed to when guidance is needed in a particular situation. Because ultimately it’s not about what you and I think; it’s about what God thinks. And until we have internalized God’s Word in our hearts, we won’t be able to discern what God’s thinks.

The Millennial Kingdom— And so James brings to the forefront of all their memories this passage in Amos, which speaks of the millennial kingdom, during which God will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;…rebuild its ruins,…and…restore it,. And during the millennial kingdom the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old.’

Saved As Gentiles— And in this passage from Amos we see that Gentiles will be saved as Gentiles (not having to first become Jews) or verse 17 wouldn’t make any sense. Amos was talking about those outside of the covenant community of Israel being saved and made no mention of their first becoming proselytes to Judaism. And so James’ point is that Amos had clearly told that during the millennial kingdom Gentiles would become part of the kingdom of God without first becoming Jews. And so the question is why would they require that of them in this age? The obvious answer is “You wouldn’t”. Now James’ conclusion is very fitting; Peter had stressed how Gentiles in the past were saved by grace through faith alone; James concludes by showing that Gentiles in the future are saved by grace through faith alone (during the Millennial Kingdom). Therefore, salvation for the Gentiles in the present must clearly also be by grace through faith alone. Now at this point James (as head of the Jerusalem Council) says…

Acts 15:19-21 (ESV)— 19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, {(which meant that the Judaizers were forbidden from troubling the Gentiles further)} 20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. 21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”

Fellowship Rules— Now this final list of rules (it is very important to understand) were NOT a part of the salvation discussion. James isn’t saying, “The Gentiles need to obey at least these rules in order to be saved.” No, that would undercut the whole decision. No, what is happening here is that now that the major doctrinal issues are out of the way, being resolved by the Jerusalem Council, James is now turning to practical matters of fellowship. Now that the Gentiles were protected against being troubled by the Jews, James and the Jewish leaders want to also ensure that the Jews are not going to be troubled by the Gentiles. Well how would that happen? Well, the Gentiles might start reveling in their new freedom in Christ and begin pressuring the Jewish believers to exercise that same freedom and (in-so-doing) violate their consciences. And so James proposes that they write a letter to the Gentiles ordering them to abstain from four particular things: things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. Now each of these were direct violations of the law of Moses, whom James points out “…has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.” So we see that James and the Jewish leaders do believe that the moral Law given through Moses (though not saving in itself) was still applicable. Now I’m not talking about the ceremonial law (those laws relating to purification and sacrifice), which all have been fulfilled in and through Jesus Christ; but those laws relating to the way you and I are to live morally (like the Ten Commandments). The Gentiles were to obey those, which James highlights are read every Sabbath in the synagogues. But as to the ceremonial law of Moses, the Jewish leaders wanted to encourage also that the Gentiles not needlessly violate them if doing so might destroy the Church’s credibility with non-believing Jews and also offend their believing Jewish brothers and sisters in Christ. And so we see that James and the Jerusalem leaders wanted (just as the Gentiles had been shown grace) for the Gentiles also to show grace to their Jewish brothers and sisters so that their fellowship might remain healthy and strong; so that nothing would needlessly come between them. And I want you to catch that, because you will remember that Paul will later (despite all of this debate regarding circumcision and circumcision being declared us unnecessary for salvation) still have Timothy circumcised. And that wasn’t because he thought Timothy should be circumcised in order to be saved or to seal his salvation or anything like that. No, it was for the sake of the Jews that he knew they would be ministering to. Paul didn’t want anything to unnecessarily impede his Jewish brethren from having an openness to the Gospel. And you know, I wish more Christians had that mindset; not “How much am I allowed to do?” but “In what way can I live that will most draw myself and others into the presence Jesus?”

​A Considerate Freedom— In what I am doing, am I showing that my love for Christ and my desire to see others come to Christ is greater than my need to exercise my freedom to do things that (although I might be able to justify some of them Biblically) might injure someone’s weaker faith? You see that was the mindset of these early Christians. James, Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and the whole Jerusalem Council wanted to keep anything from unnecessarily coming between believers or preventing people from becoming believers. And you know, you and I need to have that same mindset. This passage is our Magna Carta of freedom, but it is freedom for a purpose; it is freedom meant to drive us closer to God, not farther away; it is a freedom to love God by loving those He came to save. It is about being all things to all people, that by all means I might save some., as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:22. And so let us, therefore, as we celebrate a salvation that is by grace through faith alone also show, love, grace, and consideration to those we want to inspire to come to Jesus. Let’s do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #182 “A Dangerous Wedge” (Acts 15:2-9) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! You know, it’s interesting how, whenever God is doing a new thing, there almost always arises a small group of persons who want to kind of rob people of the joy of what is happening. Well, that even happened in the Early Church. You will remember that last week in our story of Acts chapter 15 that after a massive number of Gentiles in Antioch were coming to faith in Jesus, a group of legalistic Jewish men decided to go to Antioch and tell these new Gentile converts that they need to become circumcised if they wanted to share in God’s salvation. In other words, they were saying they had to have an actual physical operation in order to be a Christian.

Works, Faith, & Salvation— And last week we began to explore the mindset of these legalists and why they were saying what they were saying. They thought that these new Gentiles were getting in on very easy terms when they themselves (as Jews) had lived very strict, self-denying and self-righteous lives. And of course there was a lot of pride involved here. They wanted to get the credit for their good works. And if they could get these Gentiles to become as they are, then that would validate them and imply that they themselves had a higher status with God because of their works. But the reality is that none of us can tip the scales of eternity at all in our favor due to the magnitude of our sin. It is grace and grace alone that can redeem us. That is what Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant clearly demonstrated. Every one of us owed a sum we could never pay on our own by our own works. We needed forgiveness. Now are works are an important part of the redeemed life? Of course. Both Paul and James taught that works and faith must go hand in hand in the life of the believer. But the question is not what the Christian ought to do to live a God-pleasing life. The question is, “What must a person do to be saved?” And that is the question the Church had to answer once and for all, which they do here in Acts 15. It says…

Acts 15:2 (ESV)— 2 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.

The Wedge—  Now in all honesty, this controversy had the explosive fire power to split the Church. The Judaizers were declaring these Gentiles unsaved, which must have devastated them; and they no doubt refused to eat with them (which also meant not sharing in the Lord’s Supper with them). And so they were rebuilding the wall between Jews and Gentiles that Jesus had torn down through His work on the cross (Eph. 2:14-16). And so Paul and Barnabas rally to the Gentiles’ defense and begin to fight for the Gospel and against the wedge that was once again driving apart Jew and Gentile, seeking to preserve the unity of the Church around the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith alone. And they, along with a group of others (which we read in Galatians 2:1,3 also included Titus), are sent by the Church in Antioch to Jerusalem to settle this debate); and they leave with that unity-preserving mindset. And they employ a bit of strategy along they way. It says in…

Acts 15:3 (ESV)— 3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers.

Phoenicia & Samaria— Now Phoenicia and Samaria were both regions that were highly populated with Hellenistic Jews and Samaritans, who were [more open to the salvation of Gentiles than the Palestinian Jews were.] And when they heard the good news of the salvation of the Gentiles, they rejoiced. Now keep in mind that these were the spiritual children of Stephen, Philip, Peter, and John; and because of that they did not share the views of the Judaizers that were then troubling those in Antioch. And so what Paul and Barnabas are doing is they are building support as they are journeying towards Jerusalem. And eventually, they arrive at Jerusalem. And it says…

Acts 15:4 (ESV)— 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them.

A God Thing— Now notice where they put the focus; not on themselves, but on God. Their report is all about what God had done with them. They want to show that their ministry to the Gentiles and the amazing response was a God thing and not something they just thought up as some kind of man-made, man-motivated thing. And it must have been amazing to hear of all God had brought them through and done through them. Yet despite that, it says in…

Acts 15:5 (ESV)— 5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

A Different Group— Now this is not the same group as in verse 1. The Jews who came to Antioch were described as “some men”, whereas this group is described as “some believers”. The first were clearly not Christians, since they taught that circumcision was necessary for salvation. But these men were believers and accepted the doctrine of salvation by faith alone. And so it is important to note that this group of men within the Jerusalem council, though they were of the legalistic party of the Pharisees, were not arguing circumcision and the keeping of the law as being necessary for salvation. They were simply saying that believers are still obligated to keep the law following salvation. Obedience to the law (in their minds) was necessary after salvation. And that is a very important distinction. These Pharisees were salvation by faith alone Christians, but as Pharisees they were still deeply committed to the ceremonial law, not realizing the liberating truth that the ceremonial law had actually been fulfilled in Jesus Christ; and we are no longer bound to the rituals of the Old Covenant but are “under the law of Christ” (1 Cor. 9:21). Now after receiving the men from Antioch, it says…

Acts 15:6-7a (ESV)— 6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. {Note that it is not the full congregation, but only the leaders and elders.} 7 And after there had been much debate,

The Church’s Magna Carta— Now Luke does not give us the minutes of the meeting. I’m sure we would love to read them. I’m sure it would have been amazing to hear these mighty men of God arguing their positions with passion, fervor, and deep Biblical insight. But Luke skips forward to when the entire congregation has gathered to hear what the leaders have decided. And this decision is announced through a series of speeches delivered by Peter, Paul and Barnabas, and then James, each of whom expounds the truth that salvation is by grace alone through faith, and is something wholly set apart from any kind of ritual or law-keeping. And this series of speeches contain what has been called the Magna Carta of the Christian Church. And collectively they present six proofs that salvation is by grace and grace alone. The first proof is past revelation, the second is the gift of the Spirit, the third is the cleansing from sin, the fourth is the inability of the law to save, the fifth is the fact of miracles, and the sixth is prophetic promise. And Peter, as the one to whom Jesus gave the key to the kingdom, is allowed to speak first. And he begins with the proof of past revelation. It says in…

Acts 15:7 (ESV)— Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.

Already Divinely Settled— And Peter is of course talking about the salvation of Cornelius and his household, years ago. And Peter argues that God saved them apart from circumcision, law-keeping, or any kind of ritual (Acts 10:44-48). And Peter’s point is clear. If God had not required these things of Gentile believers, what right did they have to require it? Did they know something that God didn’t. Obviously not. Peter was saying that this matter has already been divinely settled years ago. And then he proceeds to the second proof, which was God’s confirmation of the salvation of Cornelius and his household. He says in…

Acts 15:8-9a (ESV)— 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them,

Confirmed By The Spirit— Now here Peter very skillfully anticipates and refutes a possible objection to his first point. The Judaizers could have argued that because Cornelius and his household didn’t meet the necessary legalistic requirements for salvation, then they were not really saved. But Peter shatters that argument by pointing out that God (knowing the heart) bore witness of the genuiness of their salvation by giving them the Holy Spirit just as He had done for the Jewish Christians on Pentecost, making no distinction, which was evidenced by the fact that Cornelius and his household were allowed by God to speak in tongues to confirm that the same kind and level of blessing had been given also to them. And this is powerful evidence, because everyone knew that the Holy Spirit was for believers and believers alone (Rom 8:9, 1 Cor 6:19, 12:13, Gal 3:14, 4:6). And so Peter’s argument is that God was saving Gentiles through faith and then confirming that salvation by giving them the Holy Spirit. And then he moves on to the third proof, which is that God did something else. He (verse 9)…

Acts 15:9b (ESV)— having cleansed their hearts by faith.

​Our Mark— And this of course is connected with proof number 2, because the Holy Spirit always brings with Him radical change and transformation. It is His role to make us like Christ. He is really the Holy Making Spirit. And these converts had in their lives that unmistakable transformation that proved they must have the Holy Spirit; and if they have the Holy Spirit, then they must have Christ. Now that ought to say something to us about how the world will know that we are truly saved? It won’t chiefly be because our doctrine sounds nice (it probably won’t, at least at first). No, it will be the living doctrine enfleshed in the transformation they see in your life and in mine. In us people will encounter Jesus. And so let us make sure that in every way, we also are living out this signature marks of every believer. Let’s do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #181 “The Danger of Jesus Plus...” (Acts 15:1) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim! I hope you are doing well and that this week you have experienced the nearness of Jesus Christ.

“Go Premium”— As we begin, I want ask you today, how many of you have subscriptions to any service that have following that service the word “premium“ or “plus”? For a while now, I have made use of a program that is available to pastors free of charge. But you have to pay for their “pro“ version. It is one of those yearly subscription things. And as you are using that program there is this constant marketing interwoven throughout that shows you snippets of the content that could be available to you if you were to spring for the “pro” version. Well interestingly, our denomination recently decided to go ahead and purchase the “pro” versions for any pastor in our conference who would like it. And so I excitedly said yes and went through the process of having my account upgraded to their “pro” package. And I delightedly began to peruse the content that had previously been unavailable to me. But it was not long after this, as I was going through the content, that I came across a bit of material that I was interested in, but when I clicked on it it immediately said that this content was available not in the “pro” package but in the even more exalted “platinum” package. But that’s always how it is, isn’t it. Companies are very good at making you feel inferior with what you already have so that you will attach yourselves to them and have something that is supposedly better than what you had before. And this has always been the case, both in the world of physical goods, but also in the world of spiritual goods. There are sellers of physical things and their are sellers of spiritual things. And no matter what it is, there is always somebody trying to upsell you from the free version to the premium package. Well, this is what we see in a huge way here in Acts chapter 15. A massive number of Gentiles have been coming to faith in Jesus Christ and experiencing the free gift of salvation. But a number of the Jews (who I would like to point out were completely unauthorized by the Church) entered in among these Gentile converts and immediately began trying to sell them the “plus“ version of Christianity. If they truly wanted to be part of the program and have salvation, then they needed to subscribe to the full weight of the Jewish law; all the rules and regulations that were a part of the Jewish religious system. Now I cannot stress to you enough the importance of this issue in this chapter. Because here is hammered out the most significant doctrine in Christianity; the doctrine of salvation. This is without a doubt the most important doctrine, because you can be a little off in your understanding about the end times, what the gifts of God are and how they are to be used in the Church, and so on and so forth. But the doctrine of salvation (how we get to heaven); there is no room for error on that point. Because a wrong understanding of the doctrine of salvation can cost you eternity. And so in the coming weeks we will be carefully moving through this chapter, expounding what the church clearly recognized regarding the way all people (including Gentiles like most of us) are saved. Go ahead and look with me at first one of Acts 15. It reads…

Acts 15:1 (ESV) The Jerusalem Council— 1 But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

The Primary Issue— Now throughout the history of the church, often times church leaders have gathered in order to settle doctrinal issues. And in fact historians recognize seven major councils that met during the first several centuries of the Church. And you are perhaps familiar with some of the most significant ones, such as the Councils of Nicea (325) and Chalcedon (451), which met in order to confront and condemn false teachings about the person and nature of Jesus Christ and to clearly define what the Bible actually teaches about Him. But as important as these councils were, none were as significant or important as this first one that we find in our chapter today because it answered the most important question that could ever be asked: What must a person do to be saved?

Jesus Plus Something— Now these Judaizers said that in order to be saved, you needed Jesus plus circumcision. Jesus + Circumcision = Salvation. Now many of our men nowadays have been circumcised whether or not we wanted to be when we were very young; and so for most of us, this may seem like a discussion that doesn’t really matter to us. But it does in fact matter a great deal because what we are talking about is more than just circumcision. No, we are talking about what it is that saves us. Is it faith in Jesus alone or is it Jesus plus something else? I guarantee that most of you have heard at least one person say in and through the course of your life “You need to be baptized to be saved.” That’s a little rough on the thief on the cross, who never got that opportunity. Or you might have heard somebody say “You need to go to Church every week” or “You must complete catechism” or “You must do….” any number of things. Now all those things might be beneficial (as many traditions of the Jews are); but the question is whether or not those things save you.

Become Jews?— I myself am fascinated by Jewish traditions and culture. I believe that there is a wealth of treasures that remain untapped by many of us Westerners that could breath so much depth into our Christian walk if we only new better the Jewish roots of our faith; and that’s a large part of what this show (Lechem Panim) is about. To participate in many of the traditions of the Jews (like Passover; like the feast of Purim) is actually to visually live out the history of our faith. However, I am very wary of anyone who (having filled their minds with that depth of understanding, then fails to distinguish between what can complement your salvation from what gives you salvation). And some even go so far as to at least imply (if not outright say) that we must become Jews in how we live our lives if we are going to share in salvation. THAT is the heresy that was at this time starting to creep into the Church and needed to be confronted. The central question is: Do I need Jesus or do I need Jesus plus…?

The Fulfillment of Judaism— Now one thing we need to grasp if we are to understand the mindset of these Judaizers (men who sought to make Jews of others) is the fact that they (like all the early Christians) saw Christianity not as a separate religion from Judaism, but as a fulfillment of Judaism. Christianity was the climax of a process that had begun thousands of years prior. And so for a Gentile to kind of squeeze in for the end result (not having to go through the process they as Jews had gone through) was a real difficulty for them. Now they were willing to receive a comparatively small group of Samaritans into the Church. And they even allowed Cornelius (a Roman) to somehow squeeze in, though it is doubtful they really understood what that was all about. But it is one thing to allow a few Gentiles to squeeze in and quite another to go galavanting all over the Mediterranean world seeking out and bringing multitudes of Gentiles into the Church. That was something that was (in the minds of many Jewish Christians) completely unacceptable.

​Unfair?— Now it may surprise you, but I actually sympathize a lot with the Judaizers on this; and I think you will too as we proceed through the text. I don’t agree with them, but I know where they are coming from. These were men and women who (all their lives) had strived in the best way they knew how to do everything right. Most had grown up under very very strict rules and had said “no” to a great many things. And to see these Gentiles now be openly received as equal sharers in the salvation of God was profoundly disturbing to them. Why should Gentiles share in our inheritance?

The Prodigal— They were like the other son in Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son, who watched as his brother rebelled against their father, took much of their wealth and then went to the city and squandered it all on wild living. And then that son comes back and instead of facing judgment, the father receives him with open arms and receives him right back into the home. And he clothes him with a robe, puts a ring on his finger, and then shoes for his feet; and not only that, THEN HE THROWS A PARTY FOR HIM!!!! A party in which the father serves the fattened calf (the best calf)! And you will remember the other son (the son who had not run off) comes in from the field and hears the dancing and the music and (after inquiring about it and hearing the explanation) can’t believe it and refuses to join the party. And so the father goes out to him where he is sulking and entreats him to come in. But it says…

Luke 15:29-32— 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

The Son Who Stayed— Now you and I have heard many sermons preached about the sinful son who left. But what about the self-righteous son who stayed? We rarely focus (maybe mention but rarely focus) on this second part of the story. But it is this part of the story that I think may in fact be the most important for the Jews listening to Jesus to hear. Because Jesus knew (and of course it was always his intention) that the unclean, lawless Gentiles might be allowed into the family of God. Because ultimately (and here’s the thrust of it) God is their Father too just as much as He is of the Jew. And as their Father, God loves and desires that they also might know His salvation.

A Happy Ending— Now (spoiler alert) this story has a wonderful ending. The Church does come to unite around the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith alone and does not become yet another works-based religion. And we will see how all this unfolded in the coming weeks. But I want to leave you today with all that Jesus requires of you to be saved. It is found in…

Romans 10:8-13 (ESV)— 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Call Upon Jesus— If you haven’t done so yet, call upon Jesus in faith and ask Him to be the Lord of your life. And you will be saved. And He will be all you ever need; no plus required. Call upon Him today. Amen.

Lechem Panim #180 “Paul‘s Burden For The Lost” (Acts 14:16-28) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim!  If you’ve been following us, you’ll know that we have been studying the first great missionary journey of the apostle Paul. He and Barnabas have been traveling through many cities proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ; and God of course performs many miraculous signs through them to confirm their message. Now some people are receptive to the message (some even eager and ready to accept and follow Christ), but others feel threatened and end up persecuting Paul and Barnabas. But here in chapter 14, when they come to the city of Lystra, they are met by the opposite extreme. Paul heals a crippled man who had never walked before; and the people are so taken aback by the sign that they conclude that Paul and Barnabas must be gods; and so they seek to worship them. But Paul and Barnabas (in grief) begin telling them that not only are they not those gods, but that their belief in those kinds of gods is futile and that they need to instead trust in the Living God. Unlike their gods, Yahweh is the one who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. And because He is the Maker of all things, He is therefore the Lord of all things. Now Paul and Barnabas continue. They say of God that (verse 16)…

Acts 14:16-17 (ESV)—16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”

Natural Revelation— Now Paul and Barnabas know that many of the people they are speaking to do not know the Old Testament or the fundamental tenets of the Jewish faith. And so they start with what the people do know and are able to recognize for themselves. They start with the rains and the seasons, which they point out are evidence of the goodness of God, who provides the world with what it needs to survive. And what Paul and Barnabas are pointing the people to here is what is known as the natural revelation of God; the things anyone can come to understand about Him just by looking at the natural world we live in. And Paul and Barnabas zero in on the fact that God never leaves people without evidence of His existence and His loving kindness. Later Paul would write further on this in Romans 1:20, saying that the evidence in nature is so strong, that people are really without excuse for not believing. There is abundant evidence all around us (more now than ever); we just need to open our eyes and look. Now despite Paul and Barnabas’ words, it says in…

Acts 14:18-19 (ESV)— 18 Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them. {Now here is where things again take a turn for the worse, as Jewish leaders come to oppose Paul and Barnabas. It says…} 19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.

Fickle People— Now unfortunately, this passage offers us a very realistic look at human nature; how fickle we can be at times (John 2:24-25). Here it didn’t matter what the people had seen; the voice of persuasion from the Jewish leaders was stronger. And the same is true today. Sometimes people can become so wrapped up in a political party or a news network or what some false teacher is telling them that they can literally be convinced to look away from the evidence before them. It’s scary, but it happens all the time. And it happened here. The people of Lystra, though they had just thought Paul and Barnabas were gods and therefore sought to worship and offer sacrifices to them, now stone Paul and leave him for dead. And what you and I learn from this is that though we might feel good when people approve of us and affirm us, we need to be careful not to allow that desire for approval to cloud our reasoning or affect our decisions. We are not to be about pleasing the crowds, but are to seek to be like Jesus no matter what anybody else might think. Our faith and trust need to be in Him and Him alone; because unlike people, God never changes (James 1:17). Now it says in…

Acts 14:20a (ESV)— 20 But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city,

Persistent— And this just shows how persistent Paul and Barnabas were in preaching the good news of Jesus. They counted the cost and thought it worth the persecution and pain to obey Christ. And think about it; they had just escaped being stoned in Iconium (14:1-7);  but here the Jews from Pisidian Antioch and Iconium track Paul down and stone him, to the point where he nearly dies. And yet he gets right back up and goes into the city to continue to preach the Gospel!!! And I just think what an incredible amount of commitment! But that is what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. You and I have to be totally committed to Him. Our lives are His; and we ought to be willing to lay them down in a heartbeat if He calls us to. Paul writes in…

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV)— 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Paul Lived It— Now that’s remarkable because we discover from this passage that this wasn’t just a concept that Paul casually preached about in his sermons. No, this was something he lived. He glorified God in his body, often suffering in ways that Jesus had suffered. And we are called to do the same. Now it says of Paul in…

Acts 14:20b-23 (ESV)— and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. 21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Returning to Disciple— And so we see that Paul and Barnabas return to the cities in which they have just been threatened and physically attacked; and they do this in order to visit with the new believers. Now that may sound foolish to us, but they knew that these new Christians didn’t have anybody to mentor, disciple, and help establish them in the faith. And so Paul and Barnabas return to encourage/strengthen them; to build them up, and to establish leadership in the church that can help lead them and help them to grow in their faith. And what we learn from this is that no matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient it is to spend time with new believers (mentoring and discipling them) that is what we are called to do. And that’s because people need more than just initial salvation; they need to be taught how to actually follow Jesus Christ. And every one of us has the responsibility to try to help that to happen in the lives of new believers. Now Paul and Barnabas center their focus on raising up church leaders. And that’s because when a Church has Spirit-led leaders, laypersons, and pastors, that church will grows. That’s why we need to pray for our church leaders and support them in any way that we can. But also, if God nudges you to enter into a leadership role in the Church, you need to be humbly willing to accept that responsibility. Now it says in…

Acts 14:24-28 (ESV)— 24 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, 26 and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. 27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they remained no little time with the disciples.

Celebration— Now that must have been a wonderful time of celebration. There is nothing better than celebrating the salvation of those you helped lead to Jesus. But in reflecting on this passage, I wonder, “are we just as burdened in our hearts for those who do not know Jesus? Do we so desire them to be saved that we are willing to endure any kind of suffering in order that they might come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ?”

Tears of Burden— You know, I only got to hear my late grandfather (we called him Geempa) preach one time in person during his life. I have heard him preach on tape before, but only one time in person. And I remember he was in a church setting. And there was a special missionary banquet. And I remember him, having been a missionary in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and China, sharing a message with that church's congregation. And I was very young at the time and don't remember the entirety of this message. But I do remember that as he began talking about how there are people in the world who are lost; people he had been striving all of his life to reach with the gospel; his eyes began to well up with tears. He knew that every day people were slipping into an eternity without Jesus. And he, like Paul and Barnabas, anguished over that. And his love for the lost and his desire to reach them drove him into some of the most intense situations.
    One time he was ministering to a tribe that 30 years prior had murdered people brutally, until it was colonized by the British. And he was in the large room where he was to sleep and, laying down to go to sleep, he stared up at the ceiling. And there, hanging from the ceiling were the severed and shrunken heads of a few of the numerous people this tribe had killed only a few decades before. Now as scary as that was for him; scary enough to drive many people away from those kinds of people (some he ministered to having probably participated in those killings); it was not his greatest fear. His greatest fear was people from that tribe never knowing about Jesus. And it was that sense of urgency that was the driving force of His life. Is that the driving force of our lives? Do we have a healthy sense of anguish for those who do not yet know Christ?

Robert Moffat, who inspired David Livingstone, once said, "In the vast plain to the north I have sometimes seen, in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been”.

William Carey, pioneer missionary to India said, ”To know the will of God, we need an open Bible and an open map."

Hudson Taylor once said, ”If I had 1,000 lives, I'd give them all for China”. He also said, "The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed"

Oswald J. Smith once said, “Any church that is not seriously involved in helping fulfill the Great Commission has forfeited its biblical right to exist.” What a powerful statement!

Our Commission— And in light of that, are we taking the fulfillment of Christ's great commission seriously enough? Are we bathing the lost with prayer every day? Are we following the spiritual needs of other countries and remaining open to God's calling us to do something about it? If not, we need to be. And so let us this week commit to be God’s instruments through which the world might come to know Him. Let’s do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #179 “Turn To The Living God!” (Acts 14:1-15) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim!  You will remember from our study of Acts chapter 13 last week that Paul and Barnabas (on what would be Paul’s first missionary journey) were sharing the good news of the Gospel in Pisidian Antioch. And they were met with a very positive response from the people. The whole town shows up the following Sabbath to hear them speak and a great many believe. And the Gentiles especially are encouraged to hear from Paul and Barnabas that the way of salvation has been opened even to them. However, it says in...

Acts 13:50-52 (ESV)— 50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. 51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

On To Iconium— So Paul and Barnabas do what you and I are to do when we encounter persecution. They shake it off and move on. And the next place they journey to is the city of Iconium, a city that was [A cultural melting pot of native Phrygians, Greeks, Jews, and Roman colonists, located 80 mi. SE of {where they had just been in} Pisidian Antioch.] And (as always) they started first in the synagogue. It says in...

Acts 14:1-3 (ESV)— 1 Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 

Wishing for Signs?— Now have you ever wished that you could perform a sign or miracle? I know I have. Now because I have done magic tricks ever since I was a little kid, I have gotten to have the experience of having somebody look at me in wonder and amazement, having just witnessed a compelling illusion. But at the end of the day, they are just illusions; and certainly nothing as compelling as what we find the apostles doing here in the book of acts. None of their signs or wonders could ever be mistaken for illusions, as there was irrefutable proof that those whom they healed truly were lame, blind, or even dead. It would be amazing to be able to perform miracles like they did. And what you and I often think is that if we could perform signs and wonders, we would be able to convince everybody once and for all that Jesus is God. But what we discover in this passage (and in and throughout the Gospels as well) is that even if we could perform miracles, that will not convince everyone. Jesus had said in His parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:31 that “…‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” Now I am sure that the disciples reacted the same way to that statement as you and I do; thinking that Jesus is overstating His case. Surely that wasn’t true. But here we see play out the kind of unbelief Jesus was talking about. God had given Paul and Barnabas the ability to perform miracles (in abundance), but still not everyone was convinced. We see that the people were divided. It says in…

Acts 14:4 (ESV)— 4 But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles.

Sowing— Now what that says to you and to me is that in our own Christian walks we need to not waste any time thinking that if we could perform miracles or signs people would believe; or even if we were just dynamic and powerful orators. No, it is the Holy Spirit who convinces people. And so all you and I are called to do is to simply sow the seeds of the Gospel wherever he leads us to. If we do that, then God will be faithful to yield a crop.

Acts 14:5-11 (ESV)— 5 When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, 6 they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, 7 and there they continued to preach the gospel. {Now while in Lystra (the second of these three cities), Paul has the door opened to perform another miraculous sign. It says:} 8 Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, 10 said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking. 11 And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” 

Language Barrier— Now Paul and Barnabas don’t immediately recognize what the people are saying because neither of them speak Lycaonian. The people probably sounded like they were merely expressing wonder or amazement. But no, they were in fact deifying Paul and Barnabas. And they actually thought Paul and Barnabas were two gods in particular. It says in…

Acts 14:12 (ESV)— 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 

The Legend of Zeus & Hermes— Now this reaction may seem kind of strange to us. But why the people responded the way that they did was directly tied to a very important piece of local folklore that they embraced as true. According to tradition, two popular gods in the Roman world, Zeus and Hermes (who were also known as Jupiter and Mercury, after whom two of the planets are named) had once come down in disguise to visit the city of Lystra. And according to legend, they had sought food and lodging from the people. However, nobody in the city of Lystra showed them what would have been the common courtesy of hospitality that people generally practiced during that time; nobody except an old couple, a peasant by the name of Philemon and his wife Baucis. So Zeus and Hermes took vengeance on the people of Lystra by killing all of its inhabitants in a localized flood. But Philemon and Baucis they rewarded by turning their lowly cottage into a temple, of which both of them would serve as priest and priestess. Now this is important to understand because when the people of Lystra saw these miraculous signs Paul and Barnabas were performing, they immediately put that within the context of their own religion and assume that Paul and Barnabas were Zeus and Hermes again visiting their city. And so they are determined that this time they as a people are not going to fail to give Zeus and Hermes the love and worship that they think they deserve. And so they immediately shower Paul and Barnabas with worship and with gifts.

Social Context— And this is a reminder to us that when we go to witness in places we are unfamiliar with, we need to be sensitive to the context, because people are not always going to receive our message the way we might intend them to. They have their own framework of understanding that we need to take the time to know and understand if we expect them to ever truly hear the message of the Gospel as they are meant to. Now it says in…

Acts 14:13 (ESV)— 13 And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. 

The Priest— And this was because as priest of Zeus, it was his responsibility to lead the people in worship. Now eventually, wind of what is going on finally reaches Paul and Barnabas and they finally understand what is happening. It says in…

Acts 14:14-15 (ESV)—14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments {(which was [A Jewish expression of horror and revulsion at blasphemy.])} and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, 15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. 

Vain Things— Now I love how open and honest Paul and Barnabas are about the nature of what the people of Lystra believe. They blatantly call the things they worship “vain”, but the word can also be translated “useless” or “worthless.” Now that is not something we in our all-inclusive society would often be willing to say to somebody. It doesn’t jive with the multiculturalism that our culture typically subscribes to. But Paul and Barnabas openly declare that their worship of other gods rather than Yahweh (the God of Israel) is worthless because these gods have no power to save. Indeed, they don’t even exist; hence their contrast with the God of Israel, whom Paul and Barnabas call the Living God. Now in the ancient religions of the world, people believed in a syncretism between the realm of the gods and nature. You have to understand that. The gods were as much a part of creation as we are; and are enslaved to the same appetites; the same needs. They are dependent on the natural world. And therefore they have no power to save because (ultimately) they are as enslaved as we are. Now we take for granted that God (Yahweh) is the Creator of heaven and earth because that is what many of us have been raised to believe. But back then no one except the Jews talked like that. But that is the reality that Paul and Barnabas try to steer the people to. Yahweh is the maker of heaven and earth and therefore He is the Lord of heaven and earth in a way that Zeus, Hermes, or any other false god could never be. He is not bound to our world; that is what is behind this fancy theological word “transcendent” that we use in describing God. God is not one with creation; no, He is distinct. And He interacts with His creation not because He needs us, but because He loves us. What a fundamentally different way of looking at things!
    And I think, what a powerful message to bring to the people of Lystra! But you know, that is a message you and I need to bring to the people of our generation. There is a God who is Lord of all things; who made us and loves us, so much so that He sent His Son into our world to bridge the gap between Him and us created by our sin, so that in and through coming into a relationship with His Son Jesus we might have our sins forgiven and (like runaway children who have at last come home) we can be brought back into the family of God. And so I want to encourage you today, embrace the living God. Pray to Him and tell Him you want to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and be in a relationship with Him. If you do that, you will escape the tyranny of a life lived in vain for vain things and will find that you have placed at your very center what in fact adds meaning to everything you do and all that you are. Do so today. Amen.

Lechem Panim #178 “A Harvest In Pisidian Antioch” (Acts 13:44-52) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello and welcome to Lechem Panim!  We have been looking at the first missionary journey of Paul, who sets out with Barnabas from Jerusalem and have now come to Pisidian Antioch. And they go into the synagogue to share with those who have gathered there about the Good News of Jesus Christ. And there is a tremendous positive response. And word of Paul’s message spread like wildfire; and it says in…

Acts 13:44-45 (ESV)— 44 The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. {Now there was a also a negative reaction to this as well, as it says…} 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him.

Jealous— And the chief word we have to latch onto here is jealousy. While the Jewish leaders undoubtedly tried to refute Paul with theological arguments, Luke emphasizes that their disdain was not because Paul was preaching things that were not true, but rather because he was winning the hearts of the people in a way that they never could; and so they were jealous. Now jealousy (unfortunately) is a common reaction; one that we often have when we see other’s excelling in ways we haven’t but want to; or when we see others receiving affirmation or praise in ways that we want to be affirmed or praised. And like it can happen with us today, these Jewish leaders allowed their jealousy to actually lead them into trying to stop the work of God. But the way we fight that jealousy in our hearts is by learning to rejoice in the work of God, no matter who is doing it.

Smart Hopis— You know, [Not long after the I.Q. (Intelligence Quotient) test was developed, several studies were conducted to find out how different groups of people scored on the test as groups. The test was administered to men and women, young and old, rich and poor, and many ethnic groups as well. It was in this context that the I.Q. test was given to a group of Hopi {(hoe-pee)} Indians. When the Hopi {(hoe-pee)} received the test, they immediately started to ask each other questions and to compare their answers. The instructor saw this happening, and quickly intervened, telling them that they each had to take the test alone. “You are not permitted to help each other or to share your answers among yourselves,” he told them. When the Hopi {(hoe-pee)} heard this, they were outraged and refused to take the test, saying, “It is not important that I am smarter than my brother, or that my brother is smarter than me. It is only important what we can do together!” 
    Unfortunately, we live in a world that puts a big emphasis on what we do alone. As a result, we suffer from all sorts of maladies: low self-esteem, competitiveness, jealousy, greed, anger, and hostility, to name a few. But God created us to live in community with each other—to work together, to share our resources with each other, to help each other out. The principle is love, not competitiveness and greed. In the body of Christ, no one is greater or more important than anyone else (see 1 Corinthians 12). Christianity is not a religion for “Lone Rangers.” We really do need each other.] But that was obviously not something these Jewish leaders understood. Now in response to the jealousy and persecution of the Jewish leaders, it says…

Acts 13:46 (ESV)— 46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.

To The Jew First— And so we see here stressed once again the fact that God’s plan has always been that the Jewish nation would be the ones through whom the rest of the world would come to know God. God had said to Abram in…

Genesis 12:3 (ESV)— 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” {And Paul highlights this in his continuing to quote from the Old Testament, saying in)…

Acts 13:47 (ESV)— 47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,
“‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
    that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

Keeping The Pattern— You see, [God had planned for Israel to be this light (Isaiah 49:6.] Through Israel, Jesus (the Light of the World) came (Luke 3:32). And that light was meant to spread out even to the Gentiles. And so Paul still seeks to keep to that “Jew-first” pattern, preaching first to the Jew because he loved his people (Romans 9:1-5) and wanted them to experience the joy of joining with Him in proclaiming God’s salvation to the world. But unfortunately (as we said before) many Jews were resistant to the idea of Jesus being the Messiah because He didn’t fit into their mold of who they thought and wanted the Messiah to be; and many of them did not see (or want to believe) that God was offering salvation to anyone (Jew or Gentile) who was willing to place their faith in Christ. Now you can imagine what a shock this must have been to the Gentiles in the crowd; what a wonderful message of hope that even they might be brought into the family of God, which is why it says in…

Acts 13:48-50 (ESV)— 48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. 50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.

The Truth Rejected— And so instead of accepting what God was saying through Paul, they reject the truth and drive both Paul and Barnabas out of town. And that’s what people almost always do when they come across a truth they don’t want to hear. It is much easier to close our ears or disregard the person sharing that truth than it is to receive that truth, especially if it is a truth that will require us to humble ourselves and make serious changes. But when God points something out in our lives that needs changing, we need to be sure not to pull away from Him; because if we continue to do that, we will eventually push the truth so far away from us that it will no longer affect us; and we will miss out on what God wants to do in and through each of our lives. And that’s what happened to the Jewish leaders in our passage today. But it says of Paul and Barnabas in…

Acts 13:51-52 (ESV)— 51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Shaking The Dust— Now what’s with the shaking of the dust from their feet all about? Well it was actually customary during the time, whenever a Jew would leave a Gentile town to make their way back to their own land, to shake the dust off of their feet. Because remember they saw the Gentile regions as unclean; and so it was a symbolic way of cleansing themselves from the contamination of those people who did not worship God. Now what is remarkable here is that Paul and Barnabas are doing this not to Gentiles, but to the Jewish leaders, which was a powerful way of saying that because they had rejected the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus, they were not truly a part of Israel and were (in fact) no better than pagans. And this was something that Jesus Himself had commanded His followers to do in Mark 6:11. He [had told his disciples to shake from their feet the dust of any town that would not accept or listen to them (Mark 6:11).] The disciples were not at fault if the message was rejected. They only had to present it faithfully. And you know, the same is true of us. So often we think we are responsible for how people respond to our sharing of the message of the Gospel; but that is not true. We are only responsible for sharing the Gospel the best we can and trusting God for the rest. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the hearer to respond; and for God to do the best He can to make that person as ready as possible to receive that word from you. And so for us, all we need to worry about is getting out there. We will not be judged for people’s rejection of the Gospel. But we will be judged for not sharing the Gospel. And so let that be an encouragement to you. If somebody rejects you, simply shake it off and keep going. In sharing in the rejection of Jesus, you are in the company of great men and women who have gone before you.

Maybe The Hearer— But maybe today you are not the speaker; maybe you are the hearer. Maybe God is moving you to respond to the Gospel in a way you haven’t before; maybe even to make a decision to receive Jesus Christ for the first time. If that is the case, I would like to invite you to pray this prayer with me today:
    Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. If you prayed that prayer today, then you have crossed from death to life; and you have cause to celebrate, because you also have become a part of the family of God. And so rejoice today. But also remember that that joy is not for you alone; you must take the light you have embraced and received into the world so that the world also may know the light of God’s salvation. The Lord has made you a light for the nations, so that you might bring salvation to the ends of the earth. May you be a blessing to all the families of the earth as you seek for those open doors to share the Good News of Christ with those you encounter. Amen.