Good morning to everyone. Good to see you all this morning. We had a beautiful, nice morning after all the rain. The sun is coming up and it's clouded up a little now, but it's beautiful out there.

We're gonna be looking at Acts 15 again today, and I had several questions last week. We ran out of time last week in the message and didn't get to James' comments. My wife even gave me an elbow and pointed to verses 19 and 20 when the pastor was reading it last week. I wondered if I was gonna be speaking on what James said, and that's what we're gonna look at this morning—these words of James after we see the clear presentation again by Peter, Paul, and Barnabas concerning the gospel and salvation.

Last week, we spent a good deal of time working through the council meeting in Jerusalem in the first 12 verses of Acts 15. This was a crucial meeting. It was organized because of the false teaching that was coming in against the gospel from legalistic Jews who were teaching the church that Gentiles must be circumcised and keep the law of Moses in order to be saved. 

We looked at several passages in the New Testament warning against and actually promising that those would come into the church and would rise up from within the church and teach lies concerning the very essence of our salvation by the gospel of Jesus Christ—the good news of righteousness imputed by grace through faith apart from the works of the law. We also looked at several passages that clearly state the truth that salvation is apart from works and solely by grace through faith.

This is an absolutely essential truth of God's Word, of our faith, of our hope, and therefore, it is a truth that we cannot compromise in any way, and over which we must be willing to separate. The conclusion that we came to in our text last week was that it was most important for us as believers in Jesus Christ to be clear in our own minds about these things. If the church is confused about the gospel—which it often seems to be in our day—then there is no hope of the truth going forth of men being saved because without hearing a clear message about Jesus, men cannot believe. And if they cannot believe, then they cannot call on Him to be saved.

So, we must be clear about the truth and we must boldly, clearly, lovingly preach that truth to a lost and dying world. That's why we are here, my friends. That's our Commission. That's our ministry; that's our ambassadorship. As Paul says, we are to bring the good news message of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus and what He accomplished on the cross to every creature. And we are to stand with that truth against all kinds of error.

I said at the end of our message last week that we had a few loose ends to tie up in verses 13 to 21, particularly in verses 19 to 21. James' words are a bit perplexing at first, I think, and we really want to ask what this business is about idols and blood and things strangled. It seems at first glance that these might be laws that James is putting on the believers. Why does he stipulate these things? 

Well, the more I studied and thought about these words, looking at the letter and the continuing ministry of the teachers and preachers in Antioch down through verse 35, I decided to incorporate a whole message to cover James' words because I think it's important that we don't just gloss over what James is saying here, sort of de-emphasize the hard stuff, and move on. Because what James is saying has tremendous importance—not concerning how a man is saved, but how diverse believers in the church relate to one another. 

And I believe the essence of his words concerns an attitude of love. Let's look at our text in verse 13. Acts 15:13 says, "And after they had become silent, James answered saying, 'Men and brethren, listen to me. Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.' And with this the words of the prophets agreed, just as it is written: 'After this I will return and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins and I will set it up so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by My name,' says the Lord who does all these things, known to God from eternity are all His works. 

Therefore, I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.'

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 Barsabbas and Silas, leading men among the brethren. 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. Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words unsettling your souls saying you must be circumcised and keep the law, to whom we gave no such commandment, it seemed good to us being assembled with one accord to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas who will also report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 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. Farewell.’

So when they were sent off, they came to Antioch, and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter. When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement. Now Judas and Silas themselves, being prophets, also exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words. 

After they had stayed there for a time, they were sent back with greetings from the brethren to the Apostles. However, it seemed good to Silas to remain there. Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord with many others also.'

We're gonna look at four points this morning. First, we're gonna look at settled soteriology. Soteriology is the study of the doctrine of salvation—the settled soteriology. We're gonna look at a servant's heart, speaking of attitude. Third, self-sacrificial love—that's the action of our lives. And fourth, sent ones.

I'd like to begin by going back and looking at the conclusion of the council concerning the doctrine of salvation as we see that soteriology is settled here at this time. This was the question; this was the issue at hand and the reason that Paul and Barnabas traveled up to Jerusalem to meet with the Apostles to consider this question—the false teaching from the Judaizers that it was necessary that there be circumcision and keeping of the law of Moses in order to be saved. 

Look at verse 1 in Acts 15 again with me, please. This is such an important text: "And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, 'Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.'" Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the Apostles and elders about this question. 

So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles, and they caused great joy to all the brethren. And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the Apostles and the elders, and they reported all things that God had done with them. 

Look at verse 5: "But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up saying, 'It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses.'" Now the Apostles and elders came together to consider this matter, and when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them, "Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. So God who knows the heart acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as He did to us and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved in the same manner as they."

With Peter's statement, the argument was settled. There would be no more discussion. It was clear that the gospel was the good news of salvation apart from the works of the law—by grace through faith alone in Jesus alone, in what He finished on the cross, in His death, burial, and resurrection. The Pharisees were wrong; their message was false, and at that point, the Apostles, along with Paul and Barnabas, divided themselves and rejected this errant teaching.

This is the same issue we face today. This is the same question we must ask today: Is salvation by grace through faith alone in what Jesus accomplished in His one-time death, burial, and resurrection? Or does what He did somehow come short of accomplishing our salvation? Do we need to do works? Do we need to keep the law? Do we need religion and rites and rituals and sacraments, or is Jesus enough? Is it finished or is it not?

If you submit to the will of God and place your faith in Christ alone and what He did, and believe the truth that our salvation is accomplished by Christ alone—that it is finished—then you side with the Apostles. You side with Paul and Barnabas. You side with Jesus. If you choose to reject this good news, this wonderful truth of the grace of God, then you side with the Pharisees. You side with the mainline Christian denominations of our day who teach this very same false gospel, and you set yourself against God.

Soteriology this day in Jerusalem, in this council, was settled. Salvation for every man would be by grace through faith alone in Jesus alone, Jew or Gentile, and there would be no additional requirement whatsoever for salvation. I said last week that two things that are different are not the same. It seems so obvious, yet so many in the church are so confused, trying their level best to make those who hold the doctrine of the Judaizers into Christians, trying to reconcile a system of works with the truth of grace. Two things that are different are not the same, my friends. 

We better have this truth settled in our minds if we're going to be effective witnesses to the lost around us—in our family, our friends, and our co-workers. 

And verse 13, James speaks up and agrees with Peter concerning how a man is saved. He says, "And after this they became silent, and James answered saying, 'Men and brethren, listen to me. Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name,' and with this the words of the prophets agree, and he quotes the Scriptures showing that God had intended all along to save the Gentiles. 

In fact, Israel was to be a channel, a light, a city on a hill drawing in the other nations. Yet they had set themselves as separate, as exclusive—not wanting the Gentiles to be saved, despising the Gentiles. This was not God's intention. Verse 18: "Known to God from eternity are all His works. Therefore, I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God." We shall not trouble them by trying to bind law on them, trying to bind rites and rituals and circumcision on them for salvation.

Verse 22 says, "Then it pleased the Apostles and elders with the whole church to send chosen men, and they wrote this letter." James says in this letter that there were men who came out and said they were from us; that we sent them out. "And they told you that you had to be circumcised and keep the law to be saved," and he said, "We didn't give him any such commandment. We agree with Paul and Barnabas. There are men, they teach the truth; listen to them, and we've sent Judas and Silas who also report the same thing by word of mouth. We'll lay no greater burden on you."

So, teary ology, the doctrine of salvation was settled. But you say, "Why did you stop there? Doesn't James put some requirements on the Gentiles? Doesn't he give them laws to keep for their salvation?" No, he doesn't. That is settled in the verses that we've looked at. James is not talking about salvation here, how a man is justified. But what is he doing? 

Well, I'd like to wrap our next two points together and explain a servant's heart and self-sacrificial love (agape). I would put two words with these two points for understanding: attitude and action. 

We've seen a clear statement from Peter, abundantly clear. We've seen Paul and Barnabas testify of the works of God among the Gentiles for their salvation by grace through faith apart from the law. We see James write this letter to the Gentiles specifically addressing the doctrine of faith plus works, plus ritual, plus sacraments and fully clearly rejecting it. James is certainly not turning right around and placing law on the Gentiles for salvation. And if he were, you can bet that Peter and Paul would have jumped up and corrected that situation. 

What James is doing here is very important in that time in the church, and what he is doing is the same thing that Paul was doing in 1 Corinthians 8. 

Turn over to 1 Corinthians 8 with me, please. 

1 Corinthians 8:1, Paul writes, "Now concerning things offered to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by him. Therefore, concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world and that there is no other God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as there are many gods and many lords, yet for us, there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him and one Lord Jesus Christ, through Him are all things and through whom we live. However, there is not in everyone that knowledge. For some with consciousness of the idol until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. But food does not commend us to God. For neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. But beware, lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? And because of your knowledge, shall the weak brother perish for whom Christ died? But when you thus sin against the brethren and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. For if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble."

What is Paul saying? Is he freeing Christ to eat meat that was used in a pagan worship service that had been offered to idols? You see, this meat was much cheaper, and it could be bought down at the local meat market behind the temple where the pagans offered it, and it was good meat. 

Was Paul free to eat it? If he ate it, would it cause him to lose his salvation? He was free in Christ to eat or not eat, and he understood this truth. But there were other brethren in Christ who Paul says were weak in conscience. They don't understand that they are free to eat this meat. Maybe they're Jewish by background and they couldn't stand the thought of eating the meat that was offered to idols in the Gentile worship. Or maybe they were Gentiles who had worshipped in those very temples, and there was no way that they could eat that meat or have anything to do with what they'd come out of. 

The point that Paul is making is that my freedom in Christ is not the most important issue. The edification of my brother in Christ, glorifying God, and being a witness is the greatest concern of my life. So, if exercising my freedom, my right to eat meat, causes my brother to stumble and works contrary to the cause of Christ, then I will no more eat meat. 

What we see James appealing to in our text, to the Gentile believers, is to be sensitive to the convictions and the concerns of their Jewish brethren. You see, strangling an animal means that you don't let the blood out before it dies. Letting the blood is something that we normally do. It's good for the meat to let the blood. We don't have any particular conviction about Hillel slaughter, but when we butcher chickens on our farm, or a pig, or a cow, we always stun them and then we cut the jugular to let all of the blood pump out of their body so that there's no blood in the meat. 

If you strangle an animal, all the blood remains in the meat. But let's say I strangled an animal to death. I didn't let any blood out, and then I ate that animal's meat. Would that have anything to do with my salvation? Would it commend me to God, or would it condemn me before God? No, I can eat whatever meat I like, right? Peter had the sheet come down and creeping and crawling things, and there's no more dietary restrictions in the New Covenant. 

But imagine being raised in the Jewish faith, in a Jewish household, where this was the law, this was the practice, this was always what was done, and a letting of the blood to take the life of the animal to preserve the meat was customary. And the whole idea of strangling an animal to death would be beyond abhorrent to the Jew. 

So, what James is saying, what Paul is saying in 1 Corinthians 8 is that we as believers in Jesus Christ need to have a servant's heart. We need to have an attitude of submission towards one another. 

Turn over to Mark 10 with me, please. Mark 10:35. Jesus teaches this lesson to the apostles in this passage. 

Mark 10:35: "Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him saying, 'Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.' That's an interesting thing to say to the Lord, isn't it? We want You to do whatever we ask. 

And He said to them, 'What do you want Me to do for you?' They said to Him, 'Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left in Your glory.' But Jesus said to them, 'You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?' They said to Him, 'We are able!' So, Jesus said to them, 'You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with, you will be baptized. But to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.'

And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, 'You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you. But whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever of you desires to be first shall be a slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.'"

Jesus' ultimate example to us was one of laying aside His rights, of His being and of being a servant, submitting Himself to the will of God to accomplish the salvation of our souls. 

I want you to just read one more passage with me in 1 Peter 2 and verse 13. We just studied this passage on Thursday night, but it's so clear about this principle. 

1 Peter 2:13 says, "Therefore, submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether the king is supreme or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men, as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bond-slaves of God. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if when you are beaten for your faults you take it patiently, but when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God? For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow in His steps. Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth, who when He was reviled did not revile in return, when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously, who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness, by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.'"

These are amazing words from Peter, but they highlight again the attitude of submission—that my rights, my privileges, my freedoms are not the issue. The issue is the edification of my brother, the glorifying of God, the power of the gospel shown in my life through my witness and testimony. 

We are to have a servant's heart toward others, especially the brethren. Think of 1 Corinthians where Paul is talking to them about going to law against one another, and he says, "Why not be wronged for the sake of Christ?" People say, "Oh, I was wronged." Yeah, you were. So what? Why not be wronged for the sake of Christ? 

This servant's heart, this attitude of submission, looking for the good of our brother, for the cause of Christ, is exhibited by a self-sacrificial love for our brothers—agape. And this is most exemplified at the cross. Listen to Romans 5:6, "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." 

An attitude of submission translates into a life of self-sacrificial love. And the cross of Christ is the ultimate example to us. Peter says that Jesus is our example and that we should follow in His footsteps. 

James is appealing to the Gentiles in these verses not to bind laws on them for justification—not to talk about salvation, but to talk about how we relate to one another in a diverse body of believers. For the Jews, these things that James lists—strangling, drinking of blood, things polluted by idols, sexual immorality—were absolute abominations. Yet for the Gentiles, they had been a common part of everyday life in their worship, in their communities, in their households—no big deal. 

So what James is asking is that the Gentiles sacrifice their liberty, forego their freedom in Christ to eat meat or not eat meat, to eat meat sacrificed to idols or strangled, or kill their animals without letting blood. These things are not issues in salvation, but they were big issues in bringing the Jews and the Gentiles together in one body. And he asks them to forego these things for the sake of their Jewish brethren. 

You see, these things would have been a finger right in the eye of the Jewish believers. They would have been too much for them to bear. And unity was really the issue here—unity in the body. We didn't want a Gentile church and a Jewish church, but one man in Christ. That was God's plan all along—to bring everything together in Christ, to make one new man from Jew and Gentile, one new man in Christ. 

Listen to Paul's words in Romans 14: "Therefore, let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way. I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there’s nothing unclean of itself, but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. Therefore, do not let your good be spoken of as evil, for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Therefore, let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another."

These issues, I know, are a little bit hard for us to understand in our time, but they were so pervasive in this time. Such great convictions and a lack of understanding of our freedom in Christ. Paul says in Galatians 5:6, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything but faith working through love." In verse 13 he says, "You, brethren, have been called to liberty, only don't use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even this: you shall love your neighbor as yourself."

You see, what we can do now in Christ that we could not do before in Adam is love—exhibit self-sacrificial agape love. And this is really what James is appealing to: a servant's heart, an attitude of submission towards my brother, an action—agape love—sacrificing our own freedom to eat meat or whatever for the sake of my brother. 

And this is such an important truth for us to know and understand, and I think it's really best illustrated in Romans 8. 

Turn over to Romans 8 with me—Romans 8:1-4. Paul writes, "There's therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh. On account of sin, He condemned sin in the flesh. 

Look at verse 4—see your purpose word there, 'that,' in order that? That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." 

As you follow the flow in this passage, observing the context in Romans 8:4-13, you'll see that this passage is all about how we walk. It's all about how we live. It's not about our position in Christ, but about how we live. 

And what Paul says is that the purpose of this salvation—the result of Christ transforming us, making us new men, dealing with the sin that dwells in us by His death in the body, by our union with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection—is that the purpose or the result is that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who now walk according to the Spirit, not according to the flesh. 

We just read in Galatians that the righteous requirement of the law, the fulfillment of the law, is love. Galatians 13 says the same thing: love is the fulfillment of the law; against such, there is no law. And we see this new commandment from Jesus to love one another in the Gospels. We see it in 1 John 3:23-24—the command of the new covenant to believe Jesus and to love one another. 

My friends, we have been changed. We have been recreated, we've been made new in Christ, and now we can live with an attitude of submission and live out a life of action, of agape, of loving one another as we believe Jesus and abide in Him. 

This is really James' appeal. He says these necessary things. What are they necessary for? Salvation? No. They're necessary for unity, for growth and edification, for fruitfulness in the church. We as believers are to have this attitude and live this way, especially toward our brethren. 

The lost cannot, they cannot obey Jesus, they cannot love, but we can. We as believers in Jesus can now love; we can sacrifice ourselves, our rights willingly, for the greater purpose of God in Christ. 

And we see in the rest of the passage that they're sent back to Antioch with this letter. And we see that when the letter is read, the Gentiles rejoice—they're excited. The issue's been settled, this great division, this great confusion, and they don't say, "Oh, them dirty bums, we can eat whatever meat we want." 

The Bible doesn't expressly forbid me from eating meat. No, they rejoiced. They were glad. They were willing to sacrifice those things—their rights—for the sake of their brethren. And we see that the result of clear doctrine, the doctrine being settled—do you see how important that was? 

The result of that and the result of them seeing this servant's heart as being consistent with who they are and this desire to exhibit agape love then allowed the church to go forward. And we see that men were teaching and they were preaching and people were witnessing, and they put their focus back on Christ. They were happy to forego their rights because they saw the greater purpose to make Christ known. 

And by putting their focus on Christ and loving one another, the gospel went forward. When we are faithful and clear and bold in proclaiming the truth and sticking with the Word of God and the simplicity that is in Christ, God can work mightily by His power to produce fruit for His glory. 

And that's what we most want, isn't it, my friends? That's what we most want right here at Living Hope Church. I pray that we'll take these truths, this great chapter—Acts 15 settles so many important issues. Take these truths to heart and that we'll see that the kind of fruit that resulted from clear doctrine, an attitude of submission, an expression of love, can be the reality for us in this day as well.

Let's close in prayer.

Father, we're so thankful for Your clear Word, Your truth, and we're thankful for the fact that You continue to teach us, guide us, and correct us and really just teach us to trust You, believe You. Thank You for this body of believers, thank You for this place, and thank You for Jesus, our salvation, our life. It's in His name we pray.