Acts 15:36-41; 16:1-40
Second Missionary Journey Begun; Converts in Philippi
Speaker: Aaron Cozort
Collierville Church of Christ
575 Shelton Road, Collierville, TN
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All right. It’s time for us to get started. We are continuing Our study of acts chapter 15. We will get into the end of chapter 15 and the beginning of chapter 16 this evening. And actually we should, should get most of the way through chapter 16. Hopefully we’ve got just a little bit more in this section of the book of acts.
And then we’re going to transition again, as, as this material is, is normally does. And so be, be prepared for that. We’ll get a sheet out soon with the upcoming chapters and lessons so that you can be reading ahead. Let’s get started with a word, Right? Our gracious father in heaven. We bow before you grateful for this day that you’ve given to us grateful for the life that we have in Christ grateful for the salvation that is found only in him and the grace and the peace that passes all understanding that guards,
our hearts and minds. We pray that you will help us each and every day as we go through the difficulties of this life, as we endure the pains, the anguish, the good times, the, the things that happen each and every day that we know we cannot necessarily control, but that we can rely upon you. As we go through, we pray for those who are struggling with health difficulties at this time.
And we pray for those who don’t have the energy or the abilities that they once had and are struggling. We pray that they be returned to their desired help, but most of all, that you will give them comfort and strength. Through these hard times, we pray for those who may be traveling within the coming days or within the coming weeks. We pray that they reach their destination safely and return home safely as well.
We pray for our nation and the many struggles that it faces pray. Most of all, that it will hear the gospel that it will turn to you. That we’ll be obedient to the truth, that it will learn to treat others. As we desire to be treated ourselves. All this, we pray in Jesus name. Hey man, last night, I forget to turn my own phone off.
And somebody called me right in the middle of the class. All right, Acts chapter 15, the Apostles and the elders from the church in Jerusalem, write a letter. And as they opened that letter, they Write this letter to the Gentile churches saying as the head church in the body of Christ, our decision is Right As the chief headquarters of the church of God.
Our decision is No, they right. Have it Already. As we’ve talked about discussed that through the actions and the, the miracles that have been done that the Holy spirit has already determined the answer to the question And that they are Responsible to do what is already been determined. That’s the whole discussion that comes about, eh, there’s a great dispute going on between the Jews and the Gentiles about whether or not the Gentiles have to be circumcised and keep the law of Moses in order to be saved.
And there’s this dispute going on. And so Peter gets up in the midst of the dispute and says it was a long while ago that the Holy spirit told me to go to the house of Cornelius. And when I arrived, I arrived and the Holy spirit fell on them and they spoke and spoke in tongues. Now, speaking in tongues, we didn’t get into this in much detail,
but speaking in tongues is speaking a known Language that you’ve never studied. It’s not speaking jibberish. It’s not what those of the Pentecostal persuasion try and claim it is where you say the same thing over and over and over again. It’s not that it’s not something you can learn in the sense of you don’t learn to speak in tongues. The Holy spirit inspired them to speak a language,
a known language that they had never seen. Now, isn’t it interesting that Later on Paul will tell the church that an individual was not to speak in tongues among a congregation, unless there was an interpreter. What he’s not saying is when you have a guest visiting and that guest may be a missionary is coming to you and he speaks one language and the audience speaks a different language that the Holy spirit,
if they, if the Holy spirit chooses to allow him to speak in their language, he’s not supposed to because there’s no interpreter, no, they don’t need an interpreter. He’s speaking in their language. That’s not what Paul’s addressing. What Paul is addressing is everybody here in Corinth, We all speak Greek. And yet someone has the gift of the Holy spirit to speak in the language of the Phoenicians.
And so he gets up with no Phoenicians in the audience and starts speaking in the language of the foundations. Why Who’s he talking to? And the answer is nobody because nobody understands what he’s saying. And so Paul says by the Holy spirit, unless there’s an interpreter, he’s not edifying. He’s not teaching. He’s doing nothing. He is a sounding brass and clanging cymbal.
He is an empty sound. So he needs to sit down and be quiet when the, So take that idea that the whole point of speaking in tongues was to speak a language that someone else who was present understood. And then ask yourself, I wonder what language Cornelius and his house spoke. Well, if They’re from Rome, the indication is that They’re Romans,
they might’ve known Latin already. They might’ve known greet the Grecian language. What do you think the possibilities are that Cornelius and his house began to speak Hebrew. Peter? Yeah. The other Jews who were with him would have understood Hebrew, but these are, you know, you think about Peter. What was always said about Jesus’s disciples. These are Unlearned Galileans maybe Cornelius and his household started speaking a dialect Known in the region around Galilee,
or maybe they spoke Hebrew, or, but it wouldn’t have been, I mean, they wouldn’t have been speaking Greek. That’s what everybody understood. So it’s just an interesting thought. We’re not told what language they spoke, but we are told that the Jews who were with them with Peter and Peter Understood what they were saying. So they get up and begin to speak.
And so people Or uses this to say the Holy spirit caused this to happen, to confirm that the gospel was go to the Gentiles, just like it when to us, and then Paul and Barnabas rehearsed the miracles and wonders that the Holy spirit did amongst the Gentiles, by their hands, as they took the gospel to the Gentiles. And here’s the point in all of this at no point in all of this as the Holy spirit confirmed the actions,
the deeds, and the gospel message that Paul and Peter and Barnabas preached at no point did the Holy spirit, stopped them and say, wait a minute, Don’t forget to teach them. They need to be circumcised and keep the law of Moses to be safe. So, because he never authorized that they had no authority to require it. They no authority to authorize it.
They had no authority To preach it Because the Holy spirit never told them to do so. Okay. So now we come to the end of this and they’re going to send out a letter to the Gentile churches telling them what that, what the discussion has been. He doesn’t come from their authority because it was never a question of their authority. It was never a question of their opinion.
It was only a question of what did the Holy spirit do? And we figured out what the Holy spirit did. James says, listen, we’ve got no, we’ve got no discussion here. This is what the Holy spirit did, but we do need to encourage and exhort these Gentiles and warn them about certain things, things that are part of their culture,
that weren’t part of the Jewish culture, things that they need to be aware of. And they need to be conscious of, and they need to avoid as Gentiles. Not because the Jews didn’t have to, but because it was a unique problem among the Gentiles in the culture they lived in. So notice what we read. Verse 23, we’re just going to go through the letter and then we’ll pick up with there.
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 solicit via 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 which we gave no such commandment.
It seemed good to us being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with art beloved Barnabas. And now Is, are they fudging the facts here a little bit? Didn’t we, I just read that when there was no small disputes Among them, Peter got up and now here, They’re writing, saying we were all in one accord. We were all getting along.
There’s a lesson here for us when we start Off at different positions, when it comes to Scripture and we one, Person’s got one idea and one, person’s got another idea and another, person’s got another idea. And we all sit down. Sometimes there’s going to be heated discussion about which ideas, right? But when The dust is settled, the answer better be the idea that is in accordance with the word of God.
God is right. And everybody gets on board. It may take Some time in some study and some thought and discussion before we can come to the conclusion of what that idea It is, but it better be weighed against this and not against our opinions. And when This has been determined, The discussion is over. At which point, Anybody who says, you know what?
That may be what the Bible says, but that’s not. I’m going to do has a problem. They have a Problem. Not only with God, they Have a problem with the church. And that is What is going to happen with the Judaizing teachers that Paul will confront over and over and over from this point forward Is Paul’s Not going to give them any wiggle room.
Paul’s going to say, this is all Eddie, Ben determined. This is settled already. And they needed to get on board. They needed to correct themselves. Yeah. And Paul will go so far as to say, at one point that he wishes they would cut themselves off From the body of Christ because of the problems they were causing, because they wouldn’t submit to the word of God.
They wouldn’t submit to the Holy spirit. They wouldn’t acknowledge the authority of the apostles and the elders. And most of all God himself. Okay. So he said, or it says in the letter, It seemed good to us being assembled with one accord. It sin chosen men to you with our beloved Paul or 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 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. There’s another passage in the new Testament. We studied it back when we were studying revelation, where Christ says to a church, that’s struggling a church that’s struggling under the weight of persecution.
And some of that church is going to, to the wrong direction there they’re turning away. And some of that church had not soiled. Their garments were told, and Jesus says, I put no greater burden. They were struggling enough as it was. And these, these Jews, these Christians know the struggles. These Gentiles are going through All ready, Because a lot of the struggle is coming at the hands of who,
As Paul went On that missionary journey, who was it? Was it the Gentiles or the Jews that were constantly trying to kill him? The Jews. So you’ve got the Jews who are outside the church, trying to persecute the Gentiles who are inside the church and the teachers and the preachers who were Jews, who were Christians. And now you’ve got the Jews who were inside the church,
trying to tell them that they have to keep the law of Moses. Sorry. Might throw their hands up and go. I’m done with these Jews. Yes, But the elders and the apostles and the Christians in Jerusalem send this letter and say, listen, we put no additional burden on you, Except that you Keep these necessary things. Number one that you abstain from,
things offered to idols. Now there’s a great deal of discussion in first Corinthians concerning this idea. And also I believe in Romans, but without going into it too far, the idea here is that they would have participation in the idolatrous acts to participate in the consuming of these things, offered to idols. Paul will make it clear later on. As I mentioned in those passages and Corinthians and Romans that it was not the idea,
The idea that they could not buy meat in the marketplace Had been offered to an idol in the past, because what would happen is they’d have these great big sacrifices and everything. And then the food that was sacrificed to put on a burn alter it, wasn’t all going to get eaten. So they’d turn around all for it, to their idol and then go sell it in the marketplace.
And Paul says, you can go buy food. The problem is not that you can’t go buy food, but don’t go to the idol. Don’t go to the idle sacrifice in order to participate in these things. Okay? So that’s what they’re speaking of here. He says, abstain from things offered to idol and from Blood, this would Not have been much of a problem for the Jews who were converted because going all the way back to Genesis all the way back to the time when Noah and his family came off,
the Ark God said, Do not consume the blood. Why did he say that the life of the flesh is in the blood? And so Back in the patriarchal age, God had a commandment do not consume the blood in the Mosaical age, under the laws of Moses and the law, vertical passages. God tells the Israelites again, do not Eat the blood of an animal.
You know, there’s still cultures around the world today that drink Blood. God says, no. Even under the Christian dispensation here in this passage, God still, No. Okay. So don’t do that. No abstain from things off for dials and from things Angled. This is another area that was part of the mosaic law, but it had to do with them Abstaining from things that died in certain ways.
But then he goes on to say, and from sexual immoral Here, you had this situation where you had Gentiles who had been raised in a culture of fornication. You go Into emphasis or you go into a Corinth and you would find alters and idolatrous worship that was involving sexual acts of fornication. And you had rampant. And in the Roman empire, you had rampant,
homosexuality. You, that was a, that was a cultural thing that the Greeks had participated in, in with, with great in thrall and the Romans participated in. And yet the Christians come along and saying, no matter of fact, Paul will write in first Corinthians chapter six, about those who were in Corinth. And he said, some of you used to be thieves.
And some of you used to be idolatrous. And some of you used to be fornicators and some you used to be homosexuals. He says, and such were some of you, but you have been washed. You have been sanctified. You have been justified by the blood of Christ. You don’t go back to that. So they emphasize these things and say,
these things are necessary. You have to keep these things. But if you keep yourself from these, you will do well farewell. So when they were sent off, they came to Antioch. And when they had gathered the multitude there, they delivered the letter. When they had read it, excuse me, they rejoiced over it’s encouragement. Instead of this being a burden,
what’s their reaction, rejoicing. This is an encouraging letter. This isn’t anything like what their experience was in the dismay they had. When these Jews came from Judea and preached that they had to keep the law of Moses. This was an encouragement now, Judas and Silas, themselves being profits, also exhorted and strengthen the brethren with many words. And after they had stayed there for a long,
for a time, they were sent back with the 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. Now some have suggested, and it might be true and it might not be, it’s just a matter of opinion that this period of time right here is the time that Paul writes about in Galatians chapter two,
where Peter comes and is there with those in Antioch. And is there with Paul and is there with Barnabas when some come from Jerusalem, from James and Peter separates himself from the Gentiles and seeing Peter’s example, Barnabas separates himself from the Gentiles, not from partaking of the Lord’s supper with them, not from worshiping with them, but from socializing with them being involved with them as if they were just as good a people as the Jews were.
So the likelihood is, I think it’s, it’s, I think it’s accurate that that probably occurs during this section of time while they’re still in Antioch, because verse 36, then after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have reached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing now.
Barnabas was determined to take with them, John called Mark, but Paul insisted that they should not take with them. The one who had the parted from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. So we remember reading about that earlier on. Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus,
but Paul chose Silas and departed being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. And he went through Syria and solicitous strengthening the churches. So at this point in time, because of a dispute about which person to take with them, which individual who would aid them on their journey, Paul and Barnabas split ways. So the likelihood is Galatians chapter two,
and the events of Galatians to fall into this period because Paul and Barnabas are still together at that time. So that’s, that’s the reason for that understanding, But they both continue working. They both, Both continue preaching and you want to know what message they went out and preached as they went into the Gentile regions again and began these missionary journeys, they went and Barnabas preached how horrible Paul was and how unkind he was.
And Paul preached how just destructive Barnabas had been to his ministry. They didn’t, no, they didn’t. They went up About doing the work of God and preaching the gospel In spite of The fact that they had had a disagreement with one another. Yeah. And I really wish a few of my preaching brethren would learn that and stop writing every other preacher up and get back to preaching the gospel Because that’s what we’re here for As a result.
And that’s a completely valid point. As a result of them splitting up, they had two missionary journeys instead of one, and they covered two different regions and accomplished even more. Yes, Absolutely. In Colossians chapter four, it has mentioned. And by the way, that’s the passage. I think it’s Colossians four verse 10 or verse 11, where we learned that John Mark is the cousin of Barnabas.
And so does that have something to do with Barnabas his desire to take him with him? Probably it does. He probably wants to, you know, get him on the right track. But later on in life, Paul, as he concludes a second, Timothy will write the John Mark. He tells Timothy to bring John Mark with him for he was profitable to him.
So when you get later on in life, and so many of Paul’s own companions had departed from him and left him or had turned away from the faith. Here’s John Mark, who’s still faithful. And by the way, that’s a Testament to the encouraging nature of Barnabas and someone who didn’t give up on somebody because they failed the first time because they didn’t follow through the first time chapter 16.
Then he came to Derby and<inaudible> and behold a certain disciple was there named Timothy. Now what happened to Lister? The last time Paul went into list DRA on his way out. They stoned him. Some have suggested it may be accurate. May not be, but some have suggested. Wonder if Timothy saw Paul get stoned as a very young man, because you would find Timothy when Paul returns is a Christian and as a man,
as we’re going to read here of reputation among the Christians and Paul will say concerning Timothy, when he sends him to Corinth that he has no one like-minded as Timothy was when it came to the gospel. So he was well-spoken of by the brethren who were Alyssa and I conium, Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region for,
they all knew that his father was Greek. And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them, the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders of Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in number daily. Now, when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Glacia, they were forbidden by the Holy spirit to preach the word in Asia.
After that, after they had come to my, my SIA, they tried to go into Bethania, but the spirit did not permit them. Paul has in mind where he wants to go. And so he has in mind, I’m going to go into Asia and he runs into a brick wall because the Holy spirit says, Nope, okay, I’m going to go into bi-phobia and it’s another brick wall.
And Holy spirit says, Nope. So here they are. They’re just, it seems as though they’re just kind of stuck which way do I go? What, where? Because even then has it so often as a day, a no Is not a Go this direction. It’s a, don’t do this. Should I do this? No. Should I do this?
No. Well, will you just tell me what you want me to do? Husbands have never had that problem with wives trying to go, what do you want to go here? No, they want to go here. No, you want to tell me where you do want to go? No. All right. So Here is Paul and they Passing by my CA they came to Troas and a vision appeared to Paul in the night.
A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him saying, come over to Macedonia and help us. Now, after he had seen the vision immediately, we sought to go to Macedonia. Now, isn’t that interesting? Did you catch that little pronoun change all through the text? Hee hee hee hee hee, wee. Something happened in TRO as somebody joined the group.
Who’s the other half of the wee Lucas. Luke now writes as if, because he was, he had joined Paul’s missionary journey. And so he says, we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding That the Lord had called Us to preach the gospel to them. Here’s another interesting detail. Here it is. Paul has a vision And yet Luke still says they came to Inclusion.
Why is it That Luke says, we concluded this. In other words, we thought about the vision. And we concluded that what God wanted us to do since he said no to Asia and no to by tinea, we conclude it in our own human reasoning. We concluded he wanted us to go into Macedonia. Yeah. Why does he write it that way?
He didn’t see the vision, but the other part of it is yep. Gary. Yes. Yep. So vision is revelation, but they’re seeing It’s to at least been some aspect of uncertainty Was this from God, because it wasn’t God who spoke to him. It was a man. It was a man, Hannah Macedonia, who spoke over it, spoke to him and said,
come over and help us. But they come to the conclusion based upon the vision, believing it to be from the Holy spirit, that this is what they’re to do. And I bring all of that up to say, you know, sometimes things happen in our lives where we think, you know what? That, that, that must’ve been God. And it is okay to say,
I’ve come to the conclusion that God wants me to do this so long is a it’s in accordance with his word and B it’s an appropriate and right thing to do in view of all other aspects of life. But don’t have an argument with somebody about whether or not it was what God wanted you to do, because even Luke writes, we concluded and Paul elsewhere will say,
I believe that this was what God wanted. And even elsewhere in the old Testament with Esther, Mordecai will say, well, perhaps this is why you’re there right now. Okay. So it’s, it’s all just simply to remind us when we draw a conclusion, we better hold on to it as if it’s our conclusion. When God’s word tells us to do something,
we just better get busy about doing it. Okay. So they concluded that they were to go to Macedonia and that the Lord had called them to preach the gospel to them. Therefore, sailing from trow, as we ran a straight course to Sam threes, same with race. And the next day came to Neapolis. And from there to fill a pie,
which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. And on the Sabbath day, when we went out of the city to the river side, where prayer was customarily made, and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. Now, why didn’t they go to the synagogue indication?
Is there, there is no synagogue. What did you have to have in that day in time in order to have a synagogue, you had to have five Jewish families and you had to have a certain population of Jewish males. When they go to the Riverside, who is there, women, there might be an indication there as to something that’s going on or some of the,
something that didn’t exist in this city. Sure, sure. So there are certain women that are there and they’re praying. Let me see, where did I leave off verse 13? And on the Sabbath day, we went out of the city to the Riverside where prayer was customarily made. And we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us.
She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us saying, if you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay. So she persuaded us. Now, this is one of those passages where there’s a lot of different discussion because of two different things that are stated here.
Number one, there are those who want to claim. This is a perfect example. See, God has to open your heart miraculously, by the Holy spirit, before you can obey him. That’s not what the text says, but also there are others who will say, see, Lydia and her household were baptized, which means even infants should be baptized.
Do we see a problem with either one of those statements? Let’s start with the first one. Oh, w well that starting with the second one, let’s start with the first one. God opened her heart. Can, can God open someone’s heart through the actions of someone else? Yes. Have you ever seen a person who was resistant to the gospel for years?
Have a change of heart because of kindness shown to them? Oh, wasn’t it. Peter who wrote to those Christian wives who had husbands, who weren’t Christians, that perhaps by the actions of their lifestyle, they could win their spouse without a word. Well, what’s that doing? That’s opening that person’s heart to receive the gospel, but they still have to hear and obey notice this opening of their heart was something that happened that caused her to,
he read the preaching and obey it, whatever it was that caused her heart to be open might just as easily as caused someone Else’s heart to be closed. Do we ever Find occasions where we read that God closed The heart of someone? Yes, we do. Now, is that a miraculous work of the Holy spirit? No, but this woman observe what was going on.
He did what was going on and she had a heart that was open to hearing the gospel and having heard she obeyed. Now, does It say that when the wind God, if we even assume their, their statement to be true, miraculously opened her heart, right? That’s not What the text says, but if we assume that words there, what did she then have to still do?
Based upon what she did, what did she do? She heard he did and was baptized. So did the miraculous work of the Holy spirit saver? No. So if you can have it Understand the words of the gospel today, do you need the miraculous work of the Holy spirit? Even if that was What happened? No. Not any More than you need to have.
The situation of Cornelius happened to you because they then also, I heard heated the word and were baptized. You don’t Need the Holy spirit to fall on you and speak in tongues before You can be saved and you don’t need the Holy Spirit’s miraculously opened your heart. And again, that’s just even assuming their argument is correct. Which again, the word there is not the idea that God miraculously did this second situation.
Her and her household were baptized. And so someone will come along and say, see, all the little Kids in the household were baptized too. Now we don’t even read about a husband, let alone any children in the district, Ration of household, what was quite often considered part of a household Servants. So here Where you have a situation like with Cornelius,
Cornelius had gathered together his family and His servants to hear the gospel. And the likelihood is the household described here. Maybe It is by the way. The other thing we don’t Know how old is she Too many things we don’t know to start making an argument for infant baptism when there’s too many passages that argue against it, Let alone the fact that she,
she believed and she obeyed what would eat. One of her household also have to, had to have Heard, believed heated and obeyed in order To be baptized Kennan, infant, do that Here. Can you believe? Wow. Not capable of it. So the Discussion here is not about infant baptism, nor should it ever be brought into the discussion that this passage authorizes such because it doesn’t,
let’s go through the questions from two 30 or two 63 chapter 15, one through 35, and then we’ll, we will conclude and we’ll cover the rest of chapter 16 on Sunday. Yeah. Question one. Paul and Barnabas were sent by the brethren from Antioch of Syria to the church of Jerusalem concerning what Issue? Circumcision and the keeping of the law of Moses to be Saved at The conference in Jerusalem,
on circumcision. What example did Peters, Right? Alright. Gentiles given the Holy spirit by God or the situation when coordinator is at the conference in Jerusalem, on circumcision, how did Peter say both Jews and Gentiles? We’re saved through grace in The same manner. Okay. They’re both Saved through grace and they are both saved the same way. Okay. Yes.
If You need to. Absolutely. Yes. Good boy. All right. What experience, what experience with the Gentiles that Barnabas and Paul tell to the group in Jerusalem, debating circumcision? Absolutely. The miracles and the wonders the Holy spirit did at the conference in Jerusalem on circumcision. What example did James cite? Okay. They’re in those verses. All right.
Verse 13 and verse 14. And after they had become silent, James answered saying men and brethren, listen to me, Simon, which a reference to Peter has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them, a people for his name. So he goes back to the, the beginning when God took people out of his name and they originated from where Gentiles.
So he’s going really all the way back to Abraham, because Abraham has called out from among his nation and his family to a land to become the people that God would call. Okay. So question number six, yes or no. Were the old Testament prophets who spoke concerning Gentiles being included by the Lord? Yes. Question seven at the conference in Jerusalem on circumcision.
James did not recommend that the Gentiles be told to a abstain from things contaminated by idols, be abstained from fornication, see abstain from what is strangled or from blood or D be circumcised. The then number eight. What method did the leaders in the church in the Jerusalem church choose to report their decision on circumcision to the church in Antioch, a letter and messengers sent by Paul Barnabas,
Judas and Silas. Okay. We will conclude there. Thank you for your attention.<inaudible><inaudible> Good evening. Good to see everybody tonight. Out on Wednesday night here at Chi, well church of Christ for a Wednesday evening Bible study, we have just a few announcements, our stick, or still Jones Springer, and the wheel solution. Jainy Marlin and good to see the colleagues out again.
Tonight. Next Sunday will be, we will resume the 1:30 PM services. If you’d like to stay and eat lunch, they fellowship hall will be available. And that’s all of our announcements. Aaron is going to lead singing. Noah Olson has the devotional and Terry weekly will have the closing prayer Turn and Mark, if you will, number 927, 927, why keep Jesus waiting?
Well, we’ll we, our invitation song then turned to number 176, 176. Lamb of God. Your only son, no sin to a nine bud. You have sent him from your side to walk up on this guilty and to become the<inaudible> of God. Your gift of up, they cruise. If a side, they laughed and school on him.
He died the humble King named<inaudible> and sacrifice the lamb of God. Oh,<inaudible> sweet. Lamb of God. I love the<inaudible>. Oh, wash me in his fresh. My<inaudible> of God. I was so lost. I should have a guide, but you have bro, me too. Yo, who’s a guide to be<inaudible> and to be called a lamb of God.
Oh,<inaudible> sweet. Lamb of God. I love<inaudible>. Oh, wash me.<inaudible> is fresh. My Jesus Christ. The lamb of God. Good evening. And James chapter one verses 13 through 15, James talks about some station. Everyone in this room has been tempted at least once before and will be continually. And we need to know,
notice that when we are tempted, we ought not to blame. God, look at verse 13. Let no man say when he is tempted, I’m tempted. If God, he gives two reasons why w for God cannot be tempted with evil. Neither attempts. Tempts is handyman. It makes no sense for a God that desires. It all would be saved to tempt men,
to do evil things that would cause them to be lost. And therefore we need not blame God for the things that come our way concerning evil, because God brings things which are good. Now he does allow us to be tempted, but he never temps us himself. Then look at verses 14 and 15. Berman is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed.
Then when lost have conceived it, bring it forth. Sin and sin. When it is finished, bringeth forth death. It is not a sin to be tempted. If that were the case, then our Lord and savior sinned. We do need to establish the line between a sin and temptation Satan tempts us. Now we each have our temptations. That might be different from one another.
And therefore we need to note that note is not a sin to be tempted. When we are attempted, we ought to do a couple things. Number one, I think it’s good to pray. It’s good to pray. Go to the father, tell him of the things that you deal with. But number two, we need to flee temptation. We need to flee temptation.
You go back to Genesis, chapter 39 with Joseph. And when Potiphar’s wife asked him a lie with me, of course, we know that a sexual nature. He, what did he do? He fled. And our Lord would talk about taking drastic measures to get out of San Matthew five verse 29. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Of course, Deb is figurative, but we need to take drastic measures to get out of sin because sin is is detrimental. But when we are tempted, we need to note that God will be with us. W God is faithful. Go over to first Corinthians chapter 10 and look at verse number 13. When we face temptation, we need to know that we cannot do that alone.
God will be with us. Look at verses 12 and 13 wherefore. Let him that think as he stands, take heed, lest he fall. I love verse 13. It gives us encouragement. There has no temptation taking you, but such as common to man, but notice this God, but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that.
You’re able, but will, with the temptation also make a wave, a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it. So there was no temptation that we cannot bear. We can bear temptation and with God, all things can be possible. And so as we go through our lives, we need to know that all of us will be tempted and no it is not a sin,
but we need to make sure that we don’t fall to that temptation. And then of course it will be a sin. And therefore we need to repent of that. BS. We not, we also are not to blame God for those things because God does not make us in. And he does not tempt us to do that. That’s the devil. We need to know how to fight that.
Bring it to God and prayer, know and understand study the word. I believe that those things can help us throughout our daily lives. Young and old, we all are tempted with many different things. If we do those things, we can be better equipped to face the Wiles. The, of the devil that face us every day. And maybe perhaps there’s one here tonight who has not done the things that God would have them to do.
You fall into the temptations. You acted upon the temptations that the devil has set and you need to repent of those things again, and God is not tempt us with evil. He wants us back. He always has arms wide open, ready to accept us when we’re willing to repent. And I hope that you will. You’ll choose to do that. If you’re struggling for those things for perhaps you’ve never even chosen to,
to obey the gospel, would you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living? God, would you repent of your sins, confess Christ before man, and then be baptized for the remission of your sins to be added to the church. Again, the greatest institution that man will ever know, that’s a beautiful thing, but you know,
mess, make that decision. He’s given you his son, but you have to, you have to do your part. And that’s a beautiful thing to do. If anyone is subject, once you come, as we stand and as we sing,<inaudible> two is four. So see him. So, and<inaudible> and<inaudible><inaudible> or<inaudible> yes, for more so<inaudible> so Let us pray.
Our heavenly father, we thank you for the privilege and opportunity to come into your House tonight and learn more of your word. Lord, Lord, we lift our sick and the ones that have lost loved ones up. Lord, just be with them and comfort them. As only you can, Lord, we pray that you will give us a greater desire to serve you and to obey your commandments.
Lord, Lord, as we leave here tonight, just be with us and keep us safe and bring us back at the next appointed time. We ask these things in your precious name. Amen.