Caleb Walker

Review: Last week we looked at how believers must declare Jesus to be the living God and how the Greco-romans in Iconium had an inappropriate response when they first heard the gospel, but Paul and Barnabas were insistent in redirecting them to clarify that they weren’t God’s but that Jesus is the One True God. The people rejected this so intensely that a mob stoned Paul. Showing great resilience he got right back up and went back into the city and the preceding cities to make disciples and start churches; his scars were a compelling witness for Christ.

Text: Acts 15:7-9, 22-31
Title: “The Gospel”
Memory verse: Acts 15:9, “and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.”
Theme: Salvation comes to all who express their faith in Jesus.
Introduction:
In Acts 15 the Jews start questioning the salvation of the Gentiles, because these Jews were mixing Jewish law—especially circumcision- with gospel grace and it was a division that spread across the churches in Asia Minor like wildfire. We must guard against legalism in our day. Relationship issues are resolved not by avoiding the divisive issue, but by communication. Scripture must be the source by which we define biblical salvation. Lifeway asks a good discussion question: “Why is open, honest communication so important in handling conflicting ideas?”
In Acts 15 the Jerusalem Council gathers to answer the question: “What is needed to be saved?”
Verses 1-5 deal with the questions the Jews were raising from a legalistic mindset.
Verses 6-21 deal with primarily Peter and James speaking into the improper views that wanted Gentiles to become Jewish by circumcision to be saved, which was false. Peter defended the view that legalistic additions to grace were not required, citing his experience with Cornelius and the Gentile gathering.
In verses 22-29 James agrees that there are no additional requirements for salvation; it was by faith alone. Mosaic law was then removed. This meant that everyone—no matter their background was saved the same way—by faith in Jesus!
Verses 30-35 show that letters of the good news of this decision were sent out to the churches. Let’s look more closely at how this decision was determined.
I. Salvation’s DETERMINATIONS are solidified (Acts 15:7-9)
A. The DOCTRINE of salvation (vv. 7-9)
• Doctrine: “there is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.” Romans 1:16-17, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Galatians 2:21, “ I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.”
B. The DEBATE of salvation (v. 7a) “7 And after there had been much debate…”
This debate was appealed to the church in Jerusalem after some Jews in Antioch attempted to force Gentile converts into Judaism. We’ve seen the doctrine of salvation, the debate over salvation. Thirdly, verse 7 shows us…
C. The DEMONSTRATION of salvation (vv. 7b-9)

1. Salvation was demonstrated in UNITY (v. 7b)
   “…Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers,..”
   • Peter was respected and had influence, but he called all of them brothers, meaning family members, whether they came from gentile or Jewish backgrounds.
   Application: Whenever we face conflict with brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to show salvation’s demonstration through promoting unity. Second,
2. Salvation was demonstrated in TESTIMONY (vv. 7c-9)
   “… 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. 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, having cleansed their hearts by faith.”
   • Peter shares the testimony of Cornelius Gentile conversion along with all the other Gentiles that were gathered. The same Holy Spirit was poured out at the moment of their salvation as much as when He was poured out on the Jews at Pentecost.
   • Peter made it clear that there wasn’t any difference; faith alone in Christ alone was the same for both groups.
   • Peter uses the word “katharidzo” cleansing here to refer to the Gentile converts as being cleansed form sin, a concept the Jews would have understood from the ritual cleansings they practiced for so long prior to their salvation.
   • Peter gets up in this auspicious gathering of early church leaders—men who had suffered for the sake of the gospel—and he explains how God slaved Gentiles and that it was evidenced in the Holy Spirit in their lives.
   Application: No matter our environments, we should long for stories like Peter had—times where we shared the gospel and it brought fruit of salvation in others lives. Ask God to give you stories like this and watch the opportunities come rolling in!
   Transition: Salvation’s determinations were then solidified as doctrine and determined through healthy debate and were demonstrated in Peter’s unity and testimony. Second,
   II. Salvation’s DECISION is shared (Acts 15:22-26)
   Leading up to verse 22, James agrees with Peter that there should be no additional requirements for salvation, and then he shares good practices for how Gentiles would live out their faith to others.
   A. Salvation’s decision was shard UNANIMOUSLY (v. 22a)
   “22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.”
   • The whole church was in agreement.
   B. Salvation’s decision was shared UNIFORMLY (v. 22b-26)
   • 1. Uniformly in the curriers (v. 22b, 25-26)
     “They sent Judas called Barsabbas [meaning he was born on the sabbath], and Silas [ a missionary partner of Paul and associate of Peter], leading men among the brothers,” In verses 25-26, the letter further defines the careful selection of the men who were the curriers of this letter when it says, “25 it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
     • They chose specific, respected individuals to share the good news of their decision with the other churches through letters in specific regions. These are the kind of guys we want to be like,: hard working, integrity, trustworthy, reliable. Salvation’s decision was shared uniformly in the curriers. Second,
   • 2. Uniformly in the content (vv. 23-26)
     a. Formality (v. 23)
     “23 with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers[a] who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings.”
     • There is a formal, carefully written tone to the letter they compose that begins with the designated writer and receivers and the word “greeting.”
     b. Causality (v. 24)
     “24 Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you[b] with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions,”
     • They recognize that this letter is written as a response to the divisiveness caused by some. They state plainly they were unauthorized by the Jerusalem church leadership.
     • We see painstakingly careful efforts in these verses to clearly convey what salvation is.
     Application: We should take a que from the early church to be painstakingly careful and clear with such a precious gospel of salvation.
     Transition: Salvation’s determinations were solidified; salvation’s decision was shared, thirdly,
     III. Salvation’s DELEGATION is sent (Acts 15:27-31)
     A. The delegation was relational (v. 27)
     “27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth.”
     • The church in Antioch would have the letter and eyewitness accounts from Judas and Silas. They could ask them any question about he letter, and Judas and Silas would fill in the blanks. Relationships were so important in the early church. First, the delegation was relational, second,
     B. The delegation was factual (vv. 28-30)
     “28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.” 30 So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.”
     • The letter gave credit for the decision to the Holy Spirit.
     • The letter released the Jewish believers from placing extra, legalistic burdens on the Gentiles, which opened the floodgates for greater ministry.
     • The letter did include requests of the Gentiles, but these requests about eating food offered to idols was simply to protect fellowship with their already brothers and sisters in Christ.
     Application: there will always eb practices in different cultures and contexts that we will have to limit ourselves with to promote fellowship. And that’s ok. But it’s NOT a requirement for salvation.
     C. The delegation was joyful (v. 31)
     “31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.”
     This is the result of salvation properly understood! There is joy and encouragement in the local church. Do you want fresh joy and fellowship, and unity in your local church?
     Conclusion: Rejoice that what determines salvation has been irreversibly solidified!
     Rejoice whenever an individual personalizes the decision to receive God’s salvation.
     And like we see in the early church, when this delegation came and shared what defined salvation both relationally and factually, we—too-can share in unified fellowship and rejoicing!

General Outline:

Text: Acts 15:7-9, 22-31
Title: “The Gospel”
Memory verse: Acts 15:9, “and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.”
Theme: Salvation comes to all who express their faith in Jesus.
I. Salvation’s DETERMINATIONS are solidified (Acts 15:7-9)
A. The DOCTRINE of salvation (vv. 7-9)
B. The DEBATE of salvation (v. 7a)
C. The DEMONSTRATION of salvation (vv. 7b-9)

1. Salvation was demonstrated in UNITY (v7b)
2. Salvation was demonstrated in TESTIMONY (vv. 7c-9)
   II. Salvation’s DECISION is shared (Acts 15:22-26)
   A. Salvation’s decision was shard UNANIMOUSLY (v. 22a)
   B. Salvation’s decision was shared UNIFORMLY (v. 22b-26)
3. Uniformly in the curriers (v. 22b, 25-26)
4. Uniformly in the content (vv. 23-26)
   a. Formality (v. 23)
   b. Causality (v. 24)
   III. Salvation’s DELEGATION is sent (Acts 15:27-31)
   A. The delegation was relational (v. 27)
   B. The delegation was factual (vv. 28-30)
   C. The delegation was joyful (v. 31)