79 Acts 21:17-26 Church Unity for the Gospel's Sake

May 04, 2025

Christopher Freeman

Title: Church Unity for the Gospel’s Sake Text: Acts 21:17-26 FCF: We often struggle to unify over things that matter while not separating over things that don’t. Prop: Because the church is united around the truth that God has given, we must celebrate and preserve that unity for the sake of the gospel. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 21. In a moment we’ll read from the Legacy Standard Bible starting in verse 17. You can follow along in the pew bible or whatever version you prefer. Last week, we finished Paul’s journey to Jerusalem and noted how the Spirit had warned him that he would suffer and be imprisoned in Jerusalem but that he must still go. Other believers verified the message of his suffering and advised he not go to Jerusalem. But because the Spirit had bound him to do so, Paul went on. Today, we will begin an episode which sets in motion all the remaining events in Paul’s life until the end of the book of Acts. So, let’s stand to give honor to and to focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation: Heavenly Father, we come into Your presence with joy today. We come because You have called us as one body in Your Son to be Your people and represent Your Kingdom to all the earth. We recognize that many things pull against the unity that you have established in this holy priesthood. Yet we have not been left rudderless. You have given us Your Spirit which guides us and Your truth which binds us. May we see in the scriptures today ways that we can walk in Unity so that the world may see and know that You are God and that You have good news that Your Kingdom is come. Speak to us today we pray in Jesus’ name amen. Transition: Oh so very much to discuss today, so let’s get right to it. I.) The church is united around the truth that God has given, so we must glorify God for His work. (17-20a) a. [Slide 2] 17 - And after we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly. i. So, we finally come to it. ii. Paul, having submitted to the leading of the Spirit of God to go to Jerusalem, knowing that he will suffer and be imprisoned, even knowing that his very kinsmen will be the ones who do this, now he arrives in Jerusalem to receive whatever fate the Lord has for him. iii. But before he finds suffering and imprisonment, Paul finds nothing but brotherly love and gospel comradery from the believers in Jerusalem. iv. Knowing where this text goes next, we can observe that although many slanderous rumors were being spread around about Paul and his teachings, the believers in Jerusalem did not believe them. At least not entirely. v. They greeted Paul for what they knew him to be. They were glad he was there and they welcomed him among them. b. [Slide 3] 18 - And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. 19 - And after he had greeted them, he began to relate one by one the things which God did among the Gentiles through his ministry. i. Throughout the text of the book of Acts it is a common thread that the church of Jerusalem is the “Mother Church” of all other churches around the empire. ii. This doesn’t mean that Jerusalem controlled the decisions of each local church. iii. But the status of Jerusalem being the mother church of the global church is proven once again by Paul’s desire to report all that he has seen and all that the Lord has done through him as he traveled throughout Asia and Greece. iv. This isn’t necessarily Paul seeking authentication on what he taught or even submitting himself to possible judgment or reward for his performance. v. Instead, this is much like we would view missionary reports of foreign fields. Next week actually, we will have one such report by a missionary we support in Austria. vi. And even though Paul is not seeking approval or judgment on what God has done through him, their perspective of what Paul tells them would be important for many reasons. vii. Most significantly for this context is whether or not Paul is continuing to preach the same gospel to Jews and Gentiles and upholding the decision of the Jerusalem council to not force Gentiles to abide by the Mosaic law but advising they keep the four concessions from Acts 15. If you are having trouble remembering those, we’ll talk more about them in a bit. viii. So, after Paul goes through, one by one, all that had happened in his 3rd missionary journey, the Elders of the church of Jerusalem respond. What do they say? c. [Slide 4] 20a - And when they heard it they began glorifying God; i. To have such a response authenticates and alleviates many concerns – even concerns raised today. ii. Many, throughout the church age and even including today, try to pit Paul’s presentation of the gospel and his teachings against the teachings of Christ. iii. What is clear is that the teachings of Paul and the teachings of Christ were considered by the Elders and Jewish believers of Jerusalem to be the same. iv. They recognized and glorified God’s working through Paul to take the gospel to Jews and Gentiles outside of Judea. d. [Slide 5] Summary of the Point: While we could dive into this passage and see all the things that divide the church, Luke’s point seems to be the opposite. In fact, the title I gave to this entire series of Acts is The Church: United and Triumphant. Luke’s effort is to show the unity of the church. In what will be a very difficult few chapters, erupting into racial and religious disputes between Paul and many Jews, Luke begins by showing harmony and unity between the Jerusalem church and the missionary activity of Paul. This harmony and unity is based on the fact that the gospel that Paul taught and the effect of that gospel on those to whom he preached is identical to the gospel and gospel effect on those who were Jewish in Jerusalem. Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians alike are being made into new creatures by the grace of God through faith in Christ. The Jerusalem church and their leaders rejoice and glorify God for what is happening through Paul. Why do they do this? Because they are united by the truth that God has given. We too must rejoice over God’s work through all who share in the truth He’s revealed. [Slide 6(blank)] Transition: But just because the Jerusalem church was united to Paul by the truth that God provided, did not mean that there were not issues bubbling under the surface threatening to destroy the unity of the church. II.) The church is united around truth that God has given, so we must protect one another from being perceived in a way that would damage unity or hinder sharing the gospel. (20b-25) a. [Slide 7] 20b - and they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law; i. With our understanding that the Jewish believers and the Elders of the church of Jerusalem both acknowledged, welcomed, and glorified God for Paul being a faithful apostle of Christ, this helps us to see exactly what is going on in this text going forward. ii. The Elders have a concern they want to bring to Paul’s attention. iii. They begin by pointing out what he had already observed and certainly knew and even delighted in. That many Jews had believed the gospel of Jesus Christ. iv. But the sheer number of Jewish believers is not the only point they wish to make to Paul. v. They also want to show him that all those Jews who have believed on Christ are zealous for the law. vi. In this, these Elders no doubt mean the keeping of the ritual and ceremonial laws of Moses. vii. The Jerusalem council in Acts 15, definitively spoke to this that Gentiles were not required to adhere to the fullness of the Mosaic law, except in a few points which immediately affected how these two groups would fellowship with one another. viii. But in this there was no command for the Jews to stop keeping the ritual laws. ix. There is nothing wrong with being zealous for the law. And there is nothing wrong with Jewish Christians wishing to continue to keep all the laws of Moses as long as they do not view them as contributory to their salvation or earning favor with God. x. So far, Paul wouldn’t have a problem with anything they said. If we remember, Paul just recently, after finishing his second missionary journey, completed a Jewish vow, showing that he too kept the law of Moses. He had not abandoned it. xi. So, what is the point of contention here? What are these Elders getting at? b. [Slide 8] 21 - and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. 22 - What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. i. Here is the problem. Paul is being slandered. ii. Either by misunderstanding or by outright lie, Paul is being painted as a person who has not only cast aside the law of Moses for himself, but has also begun instructing Jewish Christians to stop circumcising their children and to stop following the customs of Mosaic law. iii. Of course, we know that this isn’t true. Paul actually took Timothy to be circumcised, who was not a pure Jew but the son of a Greek father. iv. Paul did this primarily to allow Timothy to be received even in Jewish synagogues, but this certainly shows that Paul has no issue with circumcision as a practice. v. And the way the Elders frame this, they too know that Paul isn’t teaching this. vi. They point this out as a concern. People perceive Paul this way. And as we know, just because perception does not equal reality, it doesn’t mean that perception isn’t dangerous. vii. So, they ask Paul what must be done. What should happen next? viii. Because they certainly have already heard that you are here. ix. Their question, essentially is, how can we clear your name Paul? x. This is probably just as much a thorn in their side as it is in Paul’s. xi. But why can’t they just tell the Jews that Paul isn’t teaching these things? 1. Well, there is something brewing historically that we should take note of. 2. This is AD 57. In 13 years the walls of Jerusalem will be breached and the temple will be utterly destroyed. 3. Since about the time Paul arrived in Jerusalem after his second missionary journey (around AD 53) until the siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD, tensions would continue to rise and Jewish nationalism would build to a fever pitch. 4. And right smack dab in the middle of all this, Paul arrives in Jerusalem in AD 57 with 8 gentiles and a financial gift for Jewish believers. 5. Adding insult to this, Paul is being slandered as a Jew who has flushed the religious core of being a Jew – The Mosaic Law – down the toilet. 6. To a bunch of Jewish Nationalists – that would be the epitome of betrayal. 7. And for James and the rest of the Elders in the Jerusalem church, standing in association with Paul, would certainly put them in quite a pickle. 8. They could try to convince the people that Paul wasn’t anti-law with their words… but there is a better way. xii. These Elders have an idea. c. [Slide 9] 23 - Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24 - take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads. Then all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law. i. Most likely, this is a Nazarite vow that would require a person showing devotion to God to not cut their hair and not consume wine or anything from the grapevine, among other things. ii. At the completion of this vow, they would cut their hair, give a sacrifice and an offering. iii. Such a vow would certainly be seen as something a good Jew would do. Anyone zealous for the law would desire to keep such a vow. iv. The Elders had 4 men who were finishing up their vow. So, they advise Paul to purify himself with them – meaning to become ritualistically pure. v. This would be required for Paul since he had spent so much time among gentiles. And since these men were going to do the same, Paul is advised to join them. vi. Paying someone’s expenses for keeping ceremonial laws would be viewed as a most pious action, as well as an endorsement of the ceremonial laws of Moses. vii. The Elders of the church are convinced that if Jews who have believed that Paul was rejecting the law of Moses were to see him undergo the purity rights and pay for others to fulfill the Nazarite vow, this would quell any concerns about Paul rejecting the law of Moses. viii. This seems like wise counsel. d. [Slide 10] 25 - But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should keep from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from sexual immorality.” i. But these Elders do not wish to overstate their intent. They don’t wish to muddy the issue. ii. Remember, Paul brought 8 men with him and all of them were gentiles. iii. Once again, the nature of these two groups of people forming one assembly is pushed to a tension point. iv. What are these Gentile Christians whom Paul brought with him to make of this? Must they too be purified? Must they adopt the law of Moses too? v. The Elders are quick to point out that the decision of the Jerusalem council still stands. 1. Not only should these Gentiles not be forced to endure these purity rights, 2. But the only thing they need to do to show proper respect for the law of Moses and ensure ongoing fellowship with Jewish Christians is to give four concessions to the Jews. a. First, is regarding sharing meals with Jewish Christians. To give honor to the law of Moses this would include the three prohibitions on food preparation. b. Second, in order to maintain ongoing fellowship and prevent ritual impurity by Jews associating with them, they must also adopt the Mosaic law’s paradigm of sexual ethics concerning not only who was eligible to marry but also when and with whom sexual intimacy was permitted. 3. These concessions were given to keep non-believing Jews from being appalled at the gentile practices tolerated in the church and also to be sensitive to believing Jews who endeavored to keep the purity laws as a solemn commitment to God. vi. But, the Elders’ recommendation to Paul here has nothing to do with Jewish relations to Gentile believers. Instead, it has everything to do with the Jewish perception of Paul. Therefore, the Jerusalem council’s decision still stands. e. [Slide 11] Summary of the Point: Luke not so subtly shows us that the Elders of the Jerusalem church see Paul as their brother and friend. He teaches exactly the same gospel that they have received. He is being used of God mightily around the Roman empire. In short, they are united to him by the truth that God has given all of them. But Paul’s character is constantly being attacked by his enemies. The most recent assault is the ongoing belief that Paul has not only rejected his own Jewish roots but is also seeking to have all Jews converting to Christ to cast aside their adherence to the law of Moses too. This would paint Paul as a rogue agent defying both the letter and the spirit of the Jerusalem council’s decision in AD 50 concerning proper fellowship between Jewish and Gentile Christians in one assembly. But they know that Paul is still receptive to the Mosaic law and has even continued to keep it, especially when he was among Jews. No doubt these Elders have tried to clear Paul’s name… but their request of Paul is that he help out a little. It is important for the fellowship of Jewish and Gentile Christians and even for the future of the evangelism of the Jews that Paul make a public gesture to prove he has not forsaken the law of Moses, nor is he teaching other Jews to do so. In a similar way to the Elders, we should seek to protect one another from being falsely perceived in a way that would damage unity or our ability to share the gospel with others. Transition: [Slide 12(blank)] So, what is Paul going to do here? Is Paul going to defend himself? III.) The church is united around truth that God has given, so we must humbly sacrifice liberties when they may inhibit God’s truth from being seen. (26) a. [Slide 13] 26 - Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them. i. Paul has absolutely no hesitation or qualms with what these Elders advise. ii. He goes the next day and purifies himself along with them. iii. Then they go to the temple and give notice of their purification and that their vow was fulfilled. iv. Then Paul pays for their sacrifice. v. Now many read Paul’s epistles, how he says that we are no longer under the law but under grace and how we are dead to the law but alive to Christ. vi. They see this and conclude either that Paul was coerced into this, that Paul would have never done this, or that Paul reluctantly agrees to this. vii. But none of these views fit the context here. viii. When Paul says he is no longer under the law, he doesn’t mean that it is wrong to keep the ceremonial aspects of the law. Instead, he means that he is no longer bound by them in order to remain in the covenant community of God. Because that covenant community has been established and is maintained by Christ and Christ alone. ix. Paul’s performance has nothing to do with it. That is why the New Covenant is superior to the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant was a covenant of works with punishment for failure and reward for success. Christ fulfilling the law means that we always succeed and never fail if we are trusting in Him. x. So why did Jewish believers still practice these laws if Jesus fulfilled them? xi. Jewish believers no doubt adapted or updated these rituals to be a picture of how Christ HAS ALREADY purified them. Instead of seeing them as maintaining their covenant community status they now do them to look back to the One who has finished the work for them. xii. Celebrating feast days, observing sacrifices, obeying dietary laws, or observing purity rights has no bearing on our standing in the community. xiii. As Paul says elsewhere, circumcision or no circumcision neither actually matters. xiv. Paul has no problem being a Jew to the Jews. b. [Slide 14] Summary of the Point: The church is indeed united in the truth that God has given us. Everyone in this text is on the same team, and there is no question about it. Paul, the Elders, even the Jews who had heard the rumors about Paul, and even the ones who were starting to believe it – they are all united by the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is only in this small matter of practice that they find conflict. And what do we observe of the character of Paul? Rather than insisting on his liberty, Paul simply and humbly sacrifices his liberties. It was an easy yes on Paul’s part. If this will help convince the Jews that he is not anti-law but is pro-Christ... then It is an easy yes. This should be a lesson to us that humble sacrifice of liberty is always the best course of action when those liberties are inhibiting the unity of believers or from gospel from being heard by unbelievers. Because a liberty is not a right… at least not in God’s church. Conclusion: So CBC, what have we learned today and how then shall we live? Basic Concepts of Faith and Practice: [Slide 15] Given where the rest of the book of Acts goes, it is important for Luke to establish that Paul is not being persecuted by the Jews and handed over to the Gentiles because he has rejected the Mosaic law. This will be their primary charge against Paul so it is important that we see that the Elders and the church of the Jerusalem did not believe this to be true. This establishes for us the necessary unity of the Jerusalem church and the gospel that it received and the gospel Paul preached. They are the same. In light of this there are several responses we need to notice. First, is the response of the church to God working through the missionary efforts of Paul to the Gentiles. The church rejoiced that the Lord had used Paul to take the gospel to these folks. Secondly, the Elders of the church of Jerusalem were aware of a potential disunifying rumor about Paul. So, the Elders advise Paul to prove that he has not cast aside the Mosaic law by undergoing ritual purity practices. Finally, we see Paul humbly forgoing his liberties in order to preserve unity and keep from setting up an unnecessary stumbling block for the gospel to go forward to non-believing Jews. So how does this translate to faith and practice in our everyday lives? 1.) [Slide 16] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that the church can only unify around the final authority of the Word of God. a. There is a push today to reunify the denominations of the church back into 1 church. b. While the thought behind this seems noble, and certainly it grieved the reformers that the reformation led to a shattered church instead of a reformed church, many of the voices fighting for unity today desire to achieve that unity by discarding essential doctrines. c. Rather than unity based on what must believed it is unity based on what we already hold in common. d. The only problem with that of course is that there are too many varieties to accommodate everyone. e. Especially with Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons calling themselves Christians too, to unify we would essentially need to start chopping up and cutting down even the most basic creeds and confessions that the church has held to since its beginning. f. What is obvious is that this is not the real path to unity. g. Unity can only be established on what the bible clearly teaches as essential truths of the Christian faith. h. These truths are certainly the early creeds and councils and even, I would argue, the 5 solas of the reformation. i. Paul and the Jerusalem church were unified. Now in many ways the Christianity happening in Jerusalem looked quite different than the Christianity happening in Ephesus. There was a particular Jewish flavor to the Christianity in Jerusalem – which we might expect. Most of the believers in the Jerusalem church were Jews. Jews who had always followed customs and religious practices which were rooted in scripture. j. These practices don’t just go away once Christ comes. Instead, they are rerouted. They are seen in a fulfilled kind of way. k. Paul spends most of his time with gentiles, who have no such history or tradition. l. But on the things that mattered – namely the gospel of Jesus Christ - the church in Ephesus and the church in Jerusalem were united. They were the same. m. So, what actions does this kind of unity produce in the church? 2.) [Slide 17] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must celebrate God using people for the spread of the gospel, even if we don’t practice our faith identically with them. a. Paul and his 8 companions obviously had different experiences in their ecclesiology. Which is a word we use to talk about doctrine and practices concerning the church itself. b. His 8 companions were all gentiles, except for Timothy who was a half-gentile. And Paul spent much of his time among gentile people or at least in churches that were comprised of mostly gentiles. c. In many ways, this would be very different than the way the church developed, worshipped, and even conducted itself in Jerusalem. d. The gospel is all the same, but the way the church functioned would have been very different. e. But when the Jewish Christians from Jerusalem heard about all that God had done in these Gentile lands… they rejoiced. f. When we hear about other churches, denominations, brands and flavors of Christendom seeing the gospel going out and being proclaimed, our first reaction may be to be skeptical of their success. g. But so long as they are united with us on the essentials of the Christian faith and the gospel, we should celebrate that the Lord is using them mightily! h. I am not Presbyterian and probably never will be, but I am overjoyed at what the Lord is accomplishing today in various Presbyterian seminaries and ministries. i. I am not Methodist and I probably never will be, but I am overjoyed at what the Lord has accomplished through Charles and John Wesley. j. I am not a fan of apologists William Lane Craig or Frank Turek, but I am overjoyed at the work they have done to confound atheists and promote the logical reality of the existence of God. k. We should celebrate the Lord’s work in those who agree with us on the essentials. Even if we wouldn’t do church exactly like they would and even if we don’t see exactly eye to eye on every doctrine – the Lord is using them and that is worth praising the Lord. 3.) [Slide 18] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must protect one another from false perceptions which may inhibit the opportunity for the gospel to be preached. a. In most cases it is best to simply ignore rumors or slander against you. b. Oftentimes opposing it only makes us look more guilty. c. But when we hear of rumors or slander against another member of the church, we must be calculated in our actions. d. First, if such slander or rumor mongering is coming from the lips of those who claim Christ, we must rebuke such gossip immediately. e. But as is the case here in the book of Acts, if the slander is from the lips of outsiders who are spreading them among the church, then there must be action taken. We as the church must do something. f. Here we see the Elders of the church of Jerusalem asking Paul to prove out that such rumors are false. g. As we bring this to our context, we must do all we can to protect one another from false perceptions which would prevent the gospel of the Lord going forward. h. What are some false perceptions that our world has about us that would inhibit our ability to share the gospel with others? i. Because we ascribe to the Lord’s view of sexuality and His creation order of the family unit, we might be labeled as trans-phobic or homo-phobic. ii. Because we believe that all life is sacred and should be protected, we might be described as Misogynistic or oppressive toward women. iii. Because the bible speaks favorably at times about slavery, and we affirm that the bible is the Word of God, we might be described as racists or bigots. iv. Because we believe that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone we might be labeled as exclusivist, intolerant, and narrow-minded. i. So, what are we to do when we have these false perceptions about us? j. Let me pick one to focus on, which should provide enough of a pattern to follow for the rest. k. We might as well talk about the spiciest one, right? l. The bible believing church is trans-phobic or homo-phobic because it ascribes to the ancient biblical understanding of sexuality and God’s created order of the family unit. How do we respond to such accusations? i. First, we must assess whether or not we are indeed trans-phobic or homo-phobic. 1. A literal definition of these terms is that we are afraid of transgender or homosexual people. 2. But most of the time when these accusations are levied against us, it has little to do with us being afraid of these folks. 3. What they mean is that we hate them. The idea is from modern psychology and is best summarized in the words of wise sage named Yoda 😊, “fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.” 4. By calling us trans or homo phobic it implies that what we fear, we hate and choose a fight or flight response in order to deal with it. 5. While there could be a shade of truth to this, our fear of these folks has absolutely nothing to do with fearing their sexual choices. Instead, we mostly fear engaging with someone with whom we know we fundamentally disagree. 6. The same fear overwhelms us when we notice two young men with white dress shirts and ties on approaching our door. To a certain degree, we know that any interaction with such a person will inevitably lead to confrontation. 7. And not many people love confrontation unless it is against someone who has assaulted the thing you worship. 8. We love defending the things we love, devote time to, and make major life changes for. 9. Therefore, we have to understand our fear about these folks. 10. We fear them because we know that this confrontation is a war between two gods. Our God, Yahweh, and their god, themselves. 11. They desire to live as they wish. And to a certain degree – so did we – until God raised us to life and gave us new hearts to be able to repent of our sin and believe on Christ. ii. And there is the difference. There is where we can disrupt these false perceptions about us. They call us fearful of their lifestyle. How do we prove otherwise? 1. Well, we must not fight or fly. a. In order to avoid conversations with these folks, we often begin by simply avoiding them altogether. i. Now there may be grounds for this in some cases. ii. Perhaps you are tempted to sin in the same way? Engaging with them could be disastrous for you. So, you avoid them altogether. iii. Perhaps you have small children who you are controlling exposure to these sins. Maybe you keep your interactions to a minimum to slowly introduce this to your kids. iv. But by and large we simply avoid these folks because we don’t want to get in a fight with them. v. Stop doing that. It is time for us to engage with these folks in a meaningful way. b. But that means we can’t fight with them. i. By fighting I mean getting into aggressive battles over whether or not their lifestyle choices are good, bad, or any of our business. ii. Now we can and must continue to affirm what God says. 1. No man or woman, born as a man or woman can ever be something other than what they were born as. Whether they believe themselves to be something else is irrelevant. God immutably creates us man or woman. We believe this not because our political party or upbringing tells us this, but because the bible teaches this. 2. For the same reason we also believe that God designed human sexuality to operate in a holy manner as one biological man united to one biological woman in an exclusive and permanent relationship until one or both of them die. iii. But here is the deal. Our engagement with them cannot be aimed to convince them that their lifestyle choices are sins. 1. We may think so, since they are trying to justify their actions. 2. But within their consciences, they already know that these practices are sins. 3. I don’t go around defending my right to eat breakfast. I don’t get in heated arguments with anyone over my right to go to sleep at night. 4. You see things that are actually natural to being humans… we don’t need to defend. 5. Their conscience and God’s created order has already told them that these practices are sin. 6. Furthermore, they know that we know it is wrong too. They aren’t fighting with us because they think we are simply uninformed. 7. This is a war and they are attempting to change our view to assuage their own conscience on the matter. 8. Because every Christian they can silence or frustrate helps to silence the rebuke of their own heart just a little more. 9. Every fight they can get into with Christians about this helps to prove that it isn’t their conscience that rebukes them – merely religious zealots. iv. Instead of fighting to prove that what they are doing is a sin… 1. We must challenge them to consider the fact that they are sinners and that they have committed unholy treason against a Holy God. 2. And that the only way they can make it right with God is to suffer His wrath for all eternity. 3. And we can point them to ANY number of sins in their life that proves this OTHER THAN their sexual practices. 4. Making the issue about their standing with a holy God and not about their sexual affiliations pivots the entire conversation away from their god and toward our God. 5. And we must do this without raising our voices, without being angry, and without making it about what we think is right or wrong. 2. When we do all of this, we prove without doubt that we are not actually afraid of, angry about, hateful of, or bigoted toward them and their choices. But instead, we are concerned about their eternal judgment and desirous for them to know God and the salvation He has provided in His Son. a. Will this require them to discard their sexual identities and orientations? b. Absolutely. c. But not just that… because they must turn from ALL THEIR SIN. And trust in Christ alone. d. Just like you and I had to do and continue to do. e. You see how this isn’t even about their sexual choices anymore? f. In many ways their deviant sexual lifestyles are merely a symptom of the greater problem. g. Their hearts are prone to constantly making and serving idols. Just like our hearts. h. The difference is that the Lord has allowed us to see it, has freed us from sin’s penalty and has equipped us to put to death all our idolatrous ways and follow Him. i. And that should be our aim for them. 3. Can they still accuse us of being transphobic or homophobic? Sure. But to those who witness our engagement with them, they will be much less likely to believe it. 4.) [Slide 19] De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must stop insisting on keeping our liberties, especially when it may be a stumbling block to other believers or non-believers. a. Imagine this issue was not about respect for the Mosaic Law, but imagine the rumor was about Paul consuming lots of alcohol, or smoking all the time or listening to ungodly music or dressing seductively or watching sensuous tv shows or movies. b. My friends… pause now and consider what Paul DIDN’T do. i. He did not say 1. Well, that is just your personal conviction. 2. Why didn’t you send them to me first 3. Why didn’t you defend me 4. It’s none of their business 5. They’re just jealous that I can do things they can’t 6. If they can’t keep themselves from sinning because of my liberties then that is between them and God 7. If they weren’t such weak Christians, I wouldn’t have to worry about this. ii. He also did not 1. Insist on his own way 2. Gather a bunch of bible verses to show them that he was free in Christ do what he wanted. 3. Dismiss the Elders because they had no authority over him 4. Argue 5. Complain 6. Seek to defend himself by insisting that they are ignorant about his motives 7. Seek to defend himself by claiming their view of his liberties was exaggerated. c. What did Paul do instead? d. He humbly submitted himself to the advice of godly men and sought to prove by his actions that he did still respect the ceremonial law of Moses, even if he knew he had liberty to not practice it. e. He became the stronger brother who would rather never eat meat again than to cause someone to sin against their own conscience. f. This is how the strong brother responds to the weaker brother. They humbly lay aside liberties in order to prevent them from falling into sin. g. My friends, we ought also to have the same response. h. Eric Daum was sharing with me when he was home that the village in which they minister usually practice their pagan spiritism with the accompaniment of copious consumption of alcohol. i. Eric, while convinced that consumption of alcohol is not a sin, has concluded that for them it would be extremely detrimental to the gospel of Christ for them to consume alcohol at all. j. My friends… our liberties are afforded to us in Christ but only when they do not endanger other believers or the gospel going to non-believers. k. Paul provides an excellent example to us of how we should handle our liberties… even when people have a false and extreme understanding of us – If necessary, we should humbly lay aside our liberties for the sake of the gospel and the spiritual health of the church. [Slide 20(end)] Let me close with a word of prayer from the English reformer Myles Coverdale, who helped William Tyndale to translate the New Testament into English before completing his own translation of the bible called the Coverdale Bible. O God, grant us true love and unity. Take from us all division and lack of harmony. Gather us together through your Holy Spirit. Remove all discord and disunity from your holy church. Give us patience in adversity. Send your godly comfort and joy unto all who are in distress and trouble for your name's sake. Strengthen the weak, lift up the feeble, and establish the doubtful. And in the battle help those who are yours-so that in you they may overcome all danger and harm. We pray this in Jesus’ name Amen. Benediction: May the Father who bought you, The Father who has made you and established you, Make you complete, like-minded and comforted Until we meet again, go in peace.