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Acts 21:17-26 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Please take out your copy of God's Word, which I hope you have with you today.
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I pray that it's well read and treasured in your heart.
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And turn with me to the book of Acts chapter 21.
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We've now been in our verse-by-verse exposition of the book of Acts for quite some time.
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This is Luke's second account of the ministry of Jesus Christ.
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The first, the Gospel according to Luke, of Jesus' earthly ministry.
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The second now, of Jesus' ascended ministry.
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He's working in the lives of His church by the power of His Holy Spirit.
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And so we see Him still at work.
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And the main character in our past study, quite a few chapters now, has been Paul and Paul's missionary journeys.
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He's completed his third missionary journey.
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He has traveled now to Jerusalem.
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And the series of events we're going to see in the coming chapters are hastening him along to Rome.
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So we find ourselves in the conclusion of Luke's account, witnessing these things.
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Our text for today is verses 17 through 26 of Acts chapter 21.
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And before I lead us in reading that, let me remind you that this is God's Word to us.
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It's written for His glory and our good.
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And we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and to obey its commands.
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And I begin reading in verse 17.
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When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly.
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On the following day, Paul went in with us to James and all the other elders were present.
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After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through His ministry.
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And when they heard it, they glorified God.
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And they said to him,
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You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed.
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They are all zealous for the law.
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And they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses,
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telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs.
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What then is to be done?
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They will certainly hear that you have come.
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Do therefore what we tell you.
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We have four men who are under a vow.
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Take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads.
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Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you,
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but that you yourself also live in observance of the law.
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But as for the Gentiles who have believed,
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we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols
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and from blood and from what has been strangled and from sexual immorality.
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Then Paul took the men and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple,
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giving notice when the days of purification will be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them.
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So upon Paul and his companions arrival in Jerusalem,
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we find them received gladly by the brothers.
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These brothers are likely those Christians in close relationship with Mason of Cyprus,
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who we find out in verse 16 of chapter 21,
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Paul and his companions are lodging with.
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So those that are in close relation, moving in and out of his home.
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The next day they visit James and all of the other elders of the church of Jerusalem.
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Here I think the word for church being used in a broader sense.
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So likely church is as there's many, many, many believers now in Jerusalem,
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but all of the elders that were in Jerusalem were gathered.
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It is now almost three decades since the church of Jerusalem was founded on the day of Pentecost.
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Tradition holds that all of the apostles are now on missionary journeys,
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or in the case of James, the son of Zebedee,
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not the James that we're referring to in this text,
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but James, the son of Zebedee, martyred.
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The James of our text is James, the brother of Jesus,
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who is now serving alongside other elders to oversee the church.
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It would appear that he has taken the place of Peter,
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a spokesman on behalf of the elders.
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In verse 19, we are told that Paul does not give them a sweeping overview
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of his ministry amongst the Gentiles,
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but rather he related one by one the things that God had done.
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Rightly, Paul speaks to the power of God through his working, right?
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He tells them the story one by one of the things that God had done through his ministry.
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And it has its proper effect among the elders.
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What do they do when this happens?
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They hear the telling of what God has done.
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They glorified God.
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The elders of the church of Jerusalem recognized that God's amazing grace
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was working in an ever-broadening way amongst the Gentiles.
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That God would call those outside of Israel to himself,
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and that he would not require them to keep the ceremonial or civil laws
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was difficult for Jewish Christians to understand.
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But further, so fierce was their sense of national identity.
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Remember, that they are a conquered people, right?
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They're living in their land.
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They're living in Jerusalem, but under Roman rule.
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And the suggestion that Jews were no longer bound by the ceremonial or civil law
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and not justified by the moral law,
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but now justified only by the grace of God in Christ's perfect life and perfect sacrifice,
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was not always easy for them to wrap their minds around.
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Paul speaks to this issue in Ephesians 2, verses 11-18.
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In this case, he's writing to Gentile believers, but he speaks to this.
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Beginning in verse 11, Paul writes,
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Therefore, remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh,
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called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision,
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Gentiles and Jews, which is made in the flesh by hands,
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remember that you were at that time separated from Christ,
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alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise,
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having no hope and without God in the world.
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But now in Christ Jesus,
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you who were once far off been brought near by the blood of Christ,
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for he himself is our peace,
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who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility
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by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances
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that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two,
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so making peace,
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and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross,
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thereby killing the hostility.
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And he came and preached peace to you who were far off
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and peace to those who were near,
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for through him we both have access in one spirit to the Father.
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So Paul speaks to this very issue that the gospel has gone forth to Gentile believers,
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to Jew and Gentile alike,
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and he's broken down the dividing wall of hostility between the two.
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That we now have redemption in Christ alone,
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by grace alone through faith alone,
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in Christ alone.
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The law never justified anybody before God.
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It was difficult for the Jewish population to always wrap their mind around this.
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People professing to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ had gone forth,
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they'd gone out into Gentile churches.
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We call them the Judaizers, right?
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And they went out and they said,
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yes, faith in Christ,
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but also circumcision,
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but also ceremonial, sacrificial law.
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They heaped onto the Gentiles burdens that weren't theirs to bear.
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This is not the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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But I think we have to really work,
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we really have to have some imagination
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to try to put ourselves in the shoes of first century Jewish believers, right?
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People who had in their minds devoted their lives to God,
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have been exposed to the proper way to be restored to Him in Christ,
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but yet still holding their national identity and their customs all the same.
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So there's a lot of confusion, I think, in these days for them.
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And this sets the stage for the conflict of our text,
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which is presented to Paul in verses 20 through 22.
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Elders say to them,
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there were many, many believing Jews.
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And these Jews are zealous for the law.
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I take that to mean the ceremonial law, right?
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James is referring to, right?
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Because of the text that follows
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and the things that Paul is asked to participate in.
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Luke is not suggesting that they didn't believe,
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that they weren't followers of Christ, right?
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They're shown here to be believing Jews, right?
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But they still held to the customs.
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And they had heard,
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and they had believed a nefarious rumor
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that Paul was seeking to strip Jewish believers
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of their national and cultural identity.
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Paul most certainly taught Gentile believers
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that they were not to circumcise their children
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or walk according to Jewish customs.
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But that's not the concern here.
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If you look in verse 21,
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they've been told about you,
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that you teach all the Jews
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who are among the Gentiles, right?
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Scattered amongst largely Gentile populations,
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there were Jews.
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And recall as we've been studying through Acts
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that Paul's primary strategy
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was to go first to the synagogue in a town
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and to find the Jewish populace.
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They had a basis for which to believe in God, right?
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They had read the Old Testament Scriptures.
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It was a starting point for him
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to minister the gospel in those places.
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And so there are Jews mixed in amongst Gentile believers.
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So Paul did teach this to Gentile believers,
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but not to Jewish.
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We can read Paul's strong words
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to the Galatian believers
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concerning this very matter
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in Galatians 3, 1 through 3, right?
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So the Church of Galatia was infected by Judaizers, right?
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Many of them were being convinced
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that they needed to be circumcised
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in order to please God.
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And Paul says this to them,
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O foolish Galatians,
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who has bewitched you?
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It was before your eyes
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that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.
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Let me ask you only this.
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Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law
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or by hearing with faith?
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Are you so foolish,
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having begun by the Spirit,
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are you now being perfected by the flesh?
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Well, Paul's rebukes were sharp to Gentile believers
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who were beginning to believe
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that they were justified by the law
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and therefore keeping it for their justification.
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But Paul did not instruct Jewish believers
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to forsake their customs
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and therefore their national identity.
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He was very pleased to have Gentiles
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in matters that were not sin
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and Jews in matters that were not sin
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maintain their national and cultural identities,
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but united as a new people
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who were ultimately identified by Christ.
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The Jerusalem elders are not concerned
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about Paul's teaching, right?
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They know this to be true of him.
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What they are concerned about
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are the many Jewish believers
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who have been misled to believe
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that Paul was erring,
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and they are concerned about the division
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that this will cause.
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They say,
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they will certainly hear
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that you have come.
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This is going to cause an uproar
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amongst the church in Jerusalem.
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So they devised a plan
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for Paul to participate
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in a Jewish custom,
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which brings us to our outline
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for our study
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of the rest of this text.
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This morning,
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I will ask three questions
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and work by grace
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to answer them for your benefit.
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And those questions are as follows.
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Number one,
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what was the custom
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Paul was asked to participate in?
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What was the custom
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that Paul was asked to participate in?
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Number two,
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why was Paul asked
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to participate in the custom?
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Why was Paul asked
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to participate in the custom?
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Now, I will answer
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the first two questions in brief.
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I hope.
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That's my plan.
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And then spend the majority
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of our time together
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answering the third,
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which is,
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number three,
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why did Paul participate
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in the custom?
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Why?
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Why did Paul participate
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in the custom?
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Number one,
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what was the custom
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Paul was asked
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to participate in?
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Verse 23,
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in the first part,
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the first part,
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the first part,
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the first part
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of verse 24.
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verse 24,
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the elders say,
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we have four men
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who are under a vow.
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Take these men
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and purify yourself
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along with them
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and pay their expenses
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so that they may
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shave their heads.
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And the vow
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that these four men
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were under
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was called
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a Nazarite vow,
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which you may recall
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we considered a bit
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as Paul participated
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in the same type
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of vow
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recorded in Acts
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chapter 18,
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verse 18.
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The details
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of the Nazarite vow
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are expounded upon
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in Numbers chapter 6.
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So if you would like
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to study the matter
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at length,
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I invite you to do so.
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It's very interesting.
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But for our purposes,
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I'm going to give us
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a brief version
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of what a Nazarite vow
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was
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and what it was meant
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to picture.
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The Nazarite vow
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symbolized
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total separation
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to God.
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It was usually
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made to express
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gratitude for provision
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or protection
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or in seeking
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future provision
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or protection.
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The person
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who made the vow
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was to abstain
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from alcohol
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and other products
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derived from grapes,
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so vinegar
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would be an example,
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let their hair
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grow long
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and cut their hair
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during this period
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of time
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and avoid contact
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with dead bodies,
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which seems like
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the easiest
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of those expectations
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to me.
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The typical length
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for a Nazarite vow
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was 30 days.
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But there are some
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biblical exceptions
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to this,
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like Samson and Samuel
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and John the Baptist
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were all lifelong
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Nazarites.
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They kept a vow
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of this nature
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for the entirety
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of their lives.
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The vow would be ended
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through a purification
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ceremony,
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part of which
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was the shaving
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of the head
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and an offering
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made of the hair
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that was shaved off.
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Now,
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we cannot know
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with certainty
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how it is
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that Paul
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was to purify himself
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along with them.
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We just don't get
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the details
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in the text.
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I read a lot
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of commentary
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this week
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of people
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guessing
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at what was
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happening here.
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He would not
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have had time
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to begin a 30-day vow
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in order to join them
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in its completion.
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There is no hint
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in the text
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that it took
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that long
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for it to happen.
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In fact,
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in verse 27,
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possibly it was
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only seven days
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from the time
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he agreed to do this
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to the time
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that it actually happened.
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So,
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he wouldn't have been
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able to begin
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it that way.
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Now,
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there was a Jewish
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custom of purification
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for one returning
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from Gentile lands
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back to Jerusalem.
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They were seen
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as unclean,
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so there was
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a purification process
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they were meant
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to go through
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upon coming back
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into Jerusalem.
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So,
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maybe this is
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the purification
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he underwent
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before going
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to the temple
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with them.
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But,
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and this is my guess,
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I want you to know this,
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my postulation,
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in Acts 18.18,
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Luke states
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that Paul shaved
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his head,
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but we see
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no record
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of him making
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an offering
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of the hair.
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We see no record
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of him traveling
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to Jerusalem
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in order to make
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that offering.
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In the following chapters,
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we see him hastening,
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he's working quickly
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to make his way
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to Jerusalem,
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and the law
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made provision
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for travelers
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upon completing
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such a vow
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to save
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some of the hair
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and offer it
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at a later time.
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So,
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maybe,
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again,
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my postulation,
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maybe,
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he completed
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his vow
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along with
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the four men,
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even though
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that 30-day period
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had already passed
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when he was
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on his last
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missionary journey.
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So,
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maybe he still
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had that hair
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and he still
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intended to make
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that final sacrifice
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along with him.
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We cannot know
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with certainty
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how he participated
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in the purification,
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but the point
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is that
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Paul
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participated.
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He participated
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in the purification
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custom.
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And not only
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did he participate
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in the vows
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of the four men,
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but also
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he paid
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their expenses,
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which would have
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been charged
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as part of
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the offering.
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So,
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he came alongside
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and showed
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clearly
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that he was
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not against
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the Jewish
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custom.
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So,
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this was the
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custom that Paul
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was asked
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to be part of.
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Secondly,
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why was Paul
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asked to participate
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in the custom?
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We're
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hinting around
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this for sure
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and we'll get
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into this more
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as we answer
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the third question.
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But if you look
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at the last
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half of verse
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24 and
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verse 25,
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we can see
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that the Jerusalem
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elders wanted
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the rumor
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laid to rest.
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They said,
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this is going
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to be a problem.
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Let's get out
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ahead of it.
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Let's be wise
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in the way
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we deal
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with this
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potential issue
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that's before
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us.
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The last
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half of
19:20
verse 24,
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they say,
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thus all
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will know
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that there
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is nothing
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in what
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they have
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been told
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about you.
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There's
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nothing
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in what
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they have
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been told
19:27
about you.
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It's
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false
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that you
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yourself
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also live
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in observance
19:32
of the law.
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As a Jewish
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believer,
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you yourself
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are keeping
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the customs.
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At the same
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time,
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they wanted
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Paul to know
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that they
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did not
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desire to lay
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any burden
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on the
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Gentile
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believers.
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They were
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not
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Judaizers.
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They wanted
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to be clear
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of that.
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They did
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not expect
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the Gentiles
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to conform
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to their
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Jewish
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national
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identity
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and culture,
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but to be
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sensitive
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to it.
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Working to
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maintain
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the unity
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of the
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Spirit.
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So they
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tell Paul
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in the last
20:05
part of
20:05
verse 25
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that they
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sent a letter
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with their
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judgment
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that they,
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being the
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Gentiles,
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should abstain
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from what
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has been
20:12
sacrificed to
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idols and
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from blood
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and from
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what has been
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strangled.
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And from
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sexual
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immorality.
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Which was
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a restatement
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of the decision
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made at the
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Jerusalem Council
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in A.D. 49.
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So about
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11 years
20:28
earlier.
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They're just
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restating the
20:30
very same
20:31
thing.
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There are
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some culturally
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sensitive
20:35
issues as
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it pertains
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to Gentiles
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and Jews.
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Don't do
20:39
those things.
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Love your
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brothers in
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the faith
20:42
who are
20:43
Jewish.
20:44
And of
20:44
course,
20:44
sexual
20:44
immorality
20:45
is not
20:45
negotiable
20:46
in that
20:47
list.
20:48
You can
20:49
read more
20:49
about this
20:50
in Acts
20:50
chapter 15.
20:52
And I would
20:53
encourage you
20:53
to go to
20:53
our website
20:54
if you'd
20:54
like to
20:54
hear a
20:55
sermon.
20:55
Clay
20:56
preached it
20:56
on that
20:57
text as
20:57
well to
20:58
understand
20:59
to greater
21:00
degree what
21:01
they mean
21:02
in sending
21:02
this letter.
21:03
But the
21:04
point being
21:04
that the
21:07
Jerusalem elders
21:07
did not want
21:08
Paul to think
21:09
that they were
21:09
laying the
21:10
burden of
21:11
ceremonial law
21:12
on top of
21:13
Gentile
21:14
believers.
21:17
Now,
21:17
thirdly,
21:19
why did
21:20
Paul participate
21:20
in the
21:21
custom?
21:23
Well,
21:23
for the
21:24
same reason
21:24
that the
21:24
Jerusalem elders
21:26
wanted him
21:26
to.
21:27
Paul did
21:27
not want
21:28
to see
21:28
the unity
21:29
of the
21:30
Jerusalem
21:30
church,
21:31
the unity
21:32
between
21:32
Gentile
21:33
believers
21:33
and Jewish
21:34
believers
21:35
severed.
21:37
But rather,
21:38
he desired
21:38
to see it
21:38
flourish
21:39
and was
21:40
willing to
21:40
submit to
21:41
the instruction
21:42
of the
21:42
Jerusalem
21:42
elders to
21:43
see it
21:44
so.
21:45
And I
21:45
love that.
21:46
I love
21:46
that the
21:47
apostle Paul
21:48
comes to
21:49
Jerusalem,
21:50
right,
21:50
having apostolic
21:51
authority,
21:52
and the
21:53
elders say,
21:54
hey,
21:54
we have a
21:55
suggestion
21:55
for you.
21:56
And he
21:57
follows that
21:57
suggestion,
21:58
right,
21:58
coming to
21:59
their city
22:00
and the
22:00
church they
22:01
were given
22:01
charge to
22:02
oversee,
22:03
and he
22:03
follows their
22:04
suggestion.
22:06
This text
22:07
today serves
22:08
as an example
22:09
of Paul's
22:10
desire to
22:11
become all
22:12
things to
22:13
all people,
22:15
as he states
22:15
in 1 Corinthians
22:16
9,
22:17
22.
22:19
I want to
22:19
look at the
22:20
larger portion
22:20
of Scripture
22:21
in 1 Corinthians
22:22
9,
22:22
but before
22:23
we do,
22:24
let's first
22:25
look at an
22:25
example of
22:26
what Paul
22:27
is not
22:28
doing,
22:29
right,
22:30
in this
22:30
activity,
22:31
right,
22:31
and the
22:32
activity that
22:32
he would
22:33
condemn in
22:34
doing this.
22:35
So,
22:35
turn with
22:36
me,
22:36
please,
22:36
to Galatians
22:37
chapter 2.
22:39
So good
22:52
to hear
22:52
real paper
22:53
pages flipping.
22:54
Thank you.
22:58
Now,
22:59
I mentioned
22:59
previously,
23:00
the letter
23:00
primarily
23:01
written to
23:01
the church
23:02
of Galatia
23:02
was written
23:03
because of
23:03
the Judaizers,
23:04
right,
23:04
because they
23:05
had ceased
23:06
believing in
23:07
the gospel
23:08
of Jesus
23:08
Christ,
23:09
right,
23:09
that our
23:09
justification
23:10
comes by
23:10
grace alone
23:11
through faith
23:11
alone,
23:12
in Christ's
23:13
person and
23:14
work alone,
23:15
but they
23:15
had begun
23:15
to add
23:16
to that
23:17
laws,
23:18
right,
23:19
to begin
23:20
to find
23:21
themselves
23:21
justified
23:22
by those
23:23
laws.
23:24
And so he
23:24
writes this
23:24
letter to
23:25
them and
23:25
he uses
23:26
as an
23:26
example,
23:28
a poor
23:28
example,
23:29
Cephas.
23:33
So Galatians
23:33
chapter 2
23:34
verses 11
23:34
through 14,
23:36
by recounting
23:37
an event
23:37
in order
23:39
to instruct
23:39
the Galatian
23:40
church.
23:42
It says in
23:42
verse 11,
23:43
but when
23:43
Cephas,
23:44
now Cephas
23:45
was Peter's
23:47
name in
23:47
Aramaic.
23:48
So Peter
23:49
is the
23:50
Roman
23:51
version,
23:53
Cephas
23:53
is the
23:54
Jewish
23:54
version
23:55
of his
23:56
name.
23:56
So Paul
23:57
here is
23:58
referring to
23:58
him by
23:59
his Jewish
24:00
name to
24:01
the Galatian
24:02
church.
24:03
But when
24:04
Cephas
24:04
came to
24:05
Antioch,
24:06
Antioch was
24:06
kind of
24:07
Paul's
24:08
home base,
24:08
his home
24:09
church,
24:09
all of the
24:10
missionary
24:10
journeys,
24:11
left from
24:11
there and
24:12
went back
24:12
to there.
24:13
That's how
24:13
we know
24:13
they concluded.
24:14
He went
24:14
back to
24:14
the church
24:15
that
24:15
commissioned
24:16
him to
24:17
go out.
24:17
So when
24:18
Cephas
24:19
Peter came
24:19
and visited
24:20
him in
24:20
Antioch,
24:21
I opposed
24:21
him to
24:23
his face
24:23
because he
24:25
stood
24:25
condemned.
24:27
For before
24:28
certain
24:28
men came
24:29
from
24:29
James,
24:30
James from
24:31
our text
24:31
today,
24:32
so elders
24:33
from the
24:33
church,
24:34
Cephas
24:35
was eating
24:35
with the
24:36
Gentiles.
24:37
But when
24:38
they came,
24:39
he drew
24:40
back and
24:41
separated
24:41
himself,
24:43
fearing the
24:44
circumcision
24:44
party.
24:46
And the
24:47
rest of the
24:47
Jews acted
24:48
hypocritically
24:48
along with
24:49
him, so
24:50
that even
24:51
Barnabas was
24:51
led astray
24:52
by their
24:53
hypocrisy.
24:53
But when
24:55
I saw
24:56
that their
24:56
conduct was
24:57
not in
24:58
step with
24:59
the truth
24:59
of the
25:00
gospel,
25:01
I said
25:02
to Cephas
25:03
before them
25:03
all,
25:04
if you,
25:06
though a
25:06
Jew,
25:07
live like a
25:08
Gentile and
25:08
not like a
25:09
Jew, how
25:09
can you
25:10
force the
25:10
Gentiles to
25:11
live like
25:13
Jews?
25:14
So you
25:15
see what's
25:15
happening
25:15
here.
25:16
Peter ceased
25:17
associating with
25:19
the Gentiles,
25:21
instead
25:21
associating
25:22
with the
25:23
party that
25:24
was called
25:25
the circumcision
25:26
party, those
25:26
that were
25:26
trying to
25:27
have people
25:27
circumcised
25:28
in order to
25:28
keep the
25:30
law.
25:31
But he
25:31
did so
25:32
out of
25:32
concern
25:33
for himself
25:35
at the
25:36
end of
25:36
verse 12,
25:37
fearing the
25:38
circumcision
25:39
party.
25:40
He ceased
25:41
associating with
25:41
the Gentiles
25:42
out of
25:42
concern for
25:43
himself, and
25:44
Paul rebuked
25:46
him publicly
25:46
and sharply
25:48
for this.
25:50
In today's
25:51
text,
25:51
Paul participates
25:53
in the
25:54
Jewish
25:54
custom for
25:56
the sake
25:57
of others,
25:58
not for
25:59
himself, for
26:00
the sake
26:01
of others.
26:03
And this
26:04
brings us to
26:04
1 Corinthians
26:05
chapter 9, so
26:06
join me there.
26:07
1 Corinthians
26:07
chapter 9,
26:09
verses 19
26:10
through 23.
26:11
1 Corinthians
26:22
9, 19
26:23
through 23,
26:24
which we'll
26:24
spend the
26:25
majority of
26:26
the rest of
26:26
our time on
26:26
together.
26:28
Paul writes,
26:34
for though I
26:35
am free from
26:35
all, I
26:37
have made
26:38
myself a
26:38
servant to
26:39
all, that I
26:40
might win
26:41
more of
26:41
them.
26:43
To the
26:43
Jews I
26:43
became as
26:44
a Jew in
26:44
order to
26:45
win Jews.
26:46
To those
26:47
under the
26:47
law I
26:47
became as
26:48
one under
26:49
the law,
26:49
though not
26:50
being myself
26:51
under the
26:52
law, that I
26:53
might win
26:53
those under
26:54
the law.
26:55
those outside
26:57
the law
26:57
became as
26:58
one outside
26:58
the law, not
27:00
being outside
27:00
the law of
27:01
God, but
27:01
under the
27:02
law of
27:03
Christ, that
27:04
I might win
27:05
those outside
27:06
the law.
27:07
To the
27:08
weak I
27:08
became weak,
27:09
that I
27:09
might win
27:09
the weak.
27:11
I have
27:11
become all
27:12
things to
27:13
all people,
27:14
that by all
27:14
means I
27:15
might save
27:16
some.
27:17
I do it
27:17
all for the
27:18
sake of the
27:18
gospel, that
27:19
I may share
27:19
with them in
27:21
its blessings.
27:23
So Paul
27:24
begins,
27:25
in verse
27:26
19, saying
27:28
that he
27:28
is free
27:30
from all.
27:33
Having been
27:33
justified
27:34
through grace
27:35
by faith
27:36
in Christ,
27:38
he is free
27:39
from the
27:40
condemnation
27:41
of the
27:42
law and
27:43
anyone who
27:44
would place
27:45
burden upon
27:46
him for
27:47
it.
27:48
This we
27:49
often call
27:50
Christian
27:50
liberty.
27:52
We've been
27:52
given freedom
27:53
in Christ.
27:55
many will
27:57
say that
27:58
this text
27:58
is about
27:59
Paul
28:00
foregoing
28:01
or laying
28:02
aside or
28:02
not exercising
28:04
his Christian
28:04
liberty.
28:05
And I
28:06
disagree
28:07
entirely.
28:09
I think
28:10
it's wrong
28:10
to say,
28:11
well, I
28:11
am free,
28:12
but I'll
28:13
no longer
28:13
be free.
28:15
No, we
28:15
are free.
28:16
We are
28:17
free in
28:18
Christ.
28:19
He didn't
28:19
forego the
28:20
use of his
28:20
Christian liberty,
28:21
but he
28:22
used it.
28:23
he used
28:24
the fact
28:24
that he
28:25
is free
28:26
for the
28:27
good of
28:27
others.
28:28
He made
28:29
decisions
28:30
within that
28:31
freedom for
28:32
the good
28:33
of others.
28:35
He willfully
28:36
bound himself
28:37
to the service
28:38
of other
28:39
people's
28:40
souls.
28:42
Jesus
28:42
stated in
28:43
Mark
28:43
chapter 10
28:44
verse 45,
28:46
for even
28:47
the Son
28:48
of Man
28:48
came not
28:50
to be
28:50
served,
28:52
but to
28:52
serve and
28:53
to give
28:54
his life
28:54
as a
28:55
ransom for
28:56
many.
28:57
Now, we
28:58
don't get to
28:59
give our
29:00
lives as a
29:00
ransom for
29:00
many in
29:01
the way
29:01
that Jesus
29:02
did.
29:04
But we
29:04
ought to
29:05
model our
29:05
lives after
29:06
our
29:07
Lord's,
29:08
following
29:09
him,
29:09
being
29:09
followers
29:10
of Jesus
29:11
Christ,
29:12
not to
29:12
be served,
29:13
but to
29:14
serve.
29:17
Paul
29:17
modeled his
29:18
ministry
29:19
after that
29:19
of our
29:21
Lord.
29:23
Fill in
29:24
the blank
29:24
in the
29:26
quiet of
29:26
your mind,
29:27
for to
29:28
me to
29:29
live is...
29:32
If you
29:34
put any
29:34
word in
29:35
that blank
29:36
other than
29:37
Christ or
29:38
some variance
29:39
of that
29:40
matchless
29:40
name,
29:42
then you're
29:42
faced with
29:43
two options.
29:44
number one,
29:47
you are not
29:48
a follower
29:48
of Jesus
29:49
Christ.
29:51
It's very
29:51
possible that
29:52
you have
29:52
never tasted
29:53
and seen
29:54
the goodness
29:55
of God
29:55
to us
29:56
in Jesus
29:57
Christ.
29:58
That you
29:59
couldn't
29:59
possibly say,
30:01
for to me
30:01
to live
30:02
is Christ.
30:03
This is from
30:04
Philippians
30:04
1.21.
30:05
He is my
30:06
greatest
30:07
treasure.
30:07
I would
30:08
gladly give
30:08
up all
30:09
else for
30:10
the sake
30:11
of his
30:11
name,
30:12
that I
30:12
might gain
30:13
more of
30:15
him.
30:16
It is
30:17
possible that
30:17
you have
30:17
not been
30:18
saved by
30:19
his grace
30:19
and you
30:20
need to
30:21
repent and
30:21
believe in
30:22
him.
30:24
The other
30:24
option is that
30:25
you are a
30:25
follower of
30:27
Jesus Christ,
30:27
but you
30:28
just have
30:28
simply stopped
30:29
following.
30:31
You have
30:31
forgotten that
30:32
Jesus came
30:32
into the
30:33
world to
30:33
seek and
30:34
to save
30:34
the lost,
30:35
and you
30:36
have started
30:37
living for
30:38
yourself.
30:39
And of
30:40
this,
30:41
you need
30:41
to
30:42
repent.
30:43
We need
30:43
to join
30:43
with Paul
30:44
in saying,
30:45
for to
30:45
me,
30:46
to live
30:47
is
30:48
Christ.
30:49
We need
30:50
to follow
30:50
him and
30:51
follow his
30:51
example in
30:52
laying our
30:53
lives down
30:54
for the
30:55
sake of
30:57
others.
30:59
Beginning in
30:59
verse 20 of
31:00
1 Corinthians
31:02
9, Paul
31:02
gives us
31:03
some of
31:04
the particulars.
31:06
He says
31:07
to the
31:07
Jews,
31:07
I became
31:08
as a
31:09
Jew.
31:10
Paul was
31:10
Jewish,
31:11
you remember,
31:12
but he
31:13
picked up
31:13
the customs
31:14
of the
31:15
Jews.
31:16
In order
31:16
to what?
31:18
Win
31:19
Jews.
31:21
To those
31:21
under the
31:21
law,
31:22
I became
31:22
as one
31:23
under the
31:23
law,
31:25
though not
31:26
being myself
31:27
under the
31:28
law.
31:28
And he's
31:28
saying that
31:29
is,
31:29
right,
31:29
his
31:30
righteousness
31:30
and our
31:31
righteousness
31:31
does not
31:32
come from
31:33
the law.
31:35
So in
31:35
the case
31:36
of our
31:36
text today
31:36
in Acts
31:37
21,
31:38
right,
31:38
he
31:38
participated
31:39
in the
31:39
custom,
31:40
fully
31:41
recognizing
31:41
that he
31:42
was not
31:42
justified
31:43
by the
31:45
custom.
31:46
Much in
31:47
the same
31:47
way,
31:47
we might
31:48
participate
31:48
in a
31:49
church
31:49
fellowship.
31:50
We're not
31:50
justified
31:51
by coming
31:52
to church,
31:53
right,
31:53
but it is
31:54
a good and
31:54
proper thing
31:55
for us
31:55
to do,
31:56
right?
31:56
It's
31:57
commanded
31:57
to us,
31:58
it's a
31:58
good thing
31:58
for our
31:59
soul,
31:59
it's a
31:59
means of
32:00
grace
32:00
to us,
32:01
so we
32:02
participate
32:03
in that
32:04
way.
32:04
He
32:06
goes on
32:07
to say
32:07
in verse
32:07
20,
32:08
that I
32:08
might win
32:09
those under
32:09
the law.
32:10
Verse
32:10
21,
32:11
to those
32:12
outside the
32:13
law,
32:13
he's not
32:13
talking about
32:14
Gentiles,
32:15
people who
32:15
are not
32:15
Jewish,
32:16
to those
32:16
outside the
32:16
law,
32:17
I became
32:17
as one
32:17
outside
32:18
the law.
32:21
So he
32:21
may have
32:21
picked up
32:22
and eaten
32:22
something he
32:23
may not
32:23
have eaten
32:23
in a
32:24
different
32:24
context.
32:26
And then
32:26
the
32:27
parenthetical,
32:27
not being
32:28
outside the
32:29
law of
32:30
God,
32:31
here he's
32:32
referring to
32:32
the
32:34
moral law
32:34
of God,
32:35
but under
32:37
the law
32:37
of
32:38
Christ.
32:40
But under
32:40
the law
32:41
of Christ.
32:43
Beloved,
32:44
Christianity is
32:44
unique from
32:45
every other
32:45
religion in
32:46
the world
32:46
because every
32:47
other religion
32:47
in the world
32:48
can be
32:48
boiled down
32:49
to this.
32:50
You must
32:51
act in
32:52
order to
32:52
be accepted
32:53
by God.
32:54
Do the
32:55
following things
32:56
in the right
32:57
way and
32:57
enough of
32:58
it and
32:59
maybe you'll
33:00
be accepted
33:01
by God.
33:02
This is a
33:02
frightful
33:03
proposition.
33:04
If you
33:04
know
33:04
yourself
33:05
at all,
33:06
you'll
33:07
know you'll
33:07
never do
33:07
enough.
33:08
It's
33:08
impossible.
33:09
My
33:09
wickedness
33:10
so often
33:11
far outweighs
33:11
any good
33:12
that I
33:13
could do.
33:14
You
33:14
act to
33:15
be
33:16
accepted.
33:17
Christianity
33:17
is the
33:17
opposite of
33:18
that.
33:19
We are
33:20
accepted
33:21
and therefore
33:22
we act.
33:25
And this
33:25
is a
33:26
proper
33:26
understanding
33:26
of the
33:27
gospel of
33:28
Jesus
33:28
Christ.
33:30
There
33:30
is
33:30
floating
33:33
out there
33:33
a teaching
33:34
that there
33:35
is a
33:36
heresy
33:36
called
33:38
lordship
33:38
theology.
33:41
And we
33:42
believe that.
33:42
So this is
33:43
what I'm
33:43
talking about
33:44
right now.
33:45
But there
33:45
are people
33:45
out there
33:46
even in
33:46
our own
33:47
denomination
33:47
that would
33:48
suggest
33:48
that those
33:50
who would
33:51
say that
33:52
the evidence
33:53
of your
33:54
salvation is
33:54
that you
33:55
pursue
33:56
Christ as
33:57
your lord
33:57
that that's
33:59
heretical.
34:01
They would
34:02
suggest that
34:03
you can have
34:04
Jesus as
34:04
your savior
34:04
and not
34:05
as your
34:06
lord.
34:07
And that
34:08
is a
34:09
lie from
34:09
hell.
34:11
The book
34:11
of James
34:12
says it's
34:13
our work
34:14
that evidences
34:15
our faith.
34:16
It's that
34:17
shows that
34:18
we are in
34:19
fact in
34:20
Christ.
34:21
That we're
34:22
regenerate,
34:22
we've been
34:22
made different,
34:24
that we've
34:24
repented,
34:25
we've turned
34:25
from our
34:26
sin.
34:27
We no
34:27
longer love
34:27
the things
34:28
we used
34:28
to love.
34:29
We now
34:29
love God
34:30
and his
34:31
ways.
34:32
This is the
34:32
truth of
34:33
the gospel.
34:34
Which is
34:35
why I
34:36
want to be
34:37
careful when
34:38
we try to
34:38
preach the
34:39
way we
34:39
should go.
34:40
There are
34:41
things we
34:41
should be
34:42
doing as
34:43
Christian
34:43
people.
34:45
They're
34:45
good for
34:46
us.
34:46
They're
34:47
good for
34:47
the kingdom.
34:48
They're
34:48
evidencing.
34:50
You want
34:50
to have
34:51
assurance of
34:51
your salvation?
34:53
Start
34:53
working it
34:54
out.
34:54
With
34:55
fear,
34:55
trembling.
34:57
Start
34:57
being
34:58
obedient to
34:58
the
34:58
commands
34:59
of God.
35:00
And when
35:00
you find
35:01
there's no
35:01
inclination in
35:02
you for
35:03
those things
35:03
at all,
35:04
you have
35:05
no desire
35:05
to pick
35:06
up and
35:06
read and
35:07
obey,
35:08
you're not
35:09
in the
35:09
faith.
35:10
Jesus is
35:11
not your
35:11
Savior because
35:12
he's not
35:12
your Lord.
35:14
You find
35:15
in you that
35:15
impulse,
35:16
as small as
35:17
it can be
35:18
sometimes,
35:19
in your
35:19
heart and
35:20
in mind,
35:20
as cold
35:21
as it can
35:22
be,
35:22
that impulse
35:24
to want
35:25
to please
35:26
God,
35:26
to want
35:27
to walk
35:27
in his
35:28
ways,
35:28
to recognize
35:29
that his
35:29
counsel is
35:30
good.
35:32
I'm a
35:33
child of
35:34
the Most
35:34
High.
35:35
This is
35:36
where our
35:36
assurance
35:37
comes from.
35:38
I can
35:39
stand before
35:39
you in
35:39
all my
35:40
failings and
35:41
say to
35:41
you,
35:42
I am
35:42
possessed
35:43
by God.
35:44
He has
35:44
saved me
35:45
and he is
35:45
keeping me
35:46
because he's
35:47
working in
35:48
me.
35:48
I know
35:49
this to
35:50
be true
35:50
because I
35:52
am laboring
35:53
in obedience
35:54
and I'm
35:55
seeing him
35:55
work in
35:56
and through
35:57
me to
35:57
accomplish
35:58
his good
35:59
pleasure.
36:00
That's what
36:00
Paul means
36:01
when he
36:02
says,
36:02
not being
36:03
outside the
36:03
law of
36:03
God,
36:04
but under
36:04
the law
36:05
of Christ.
36:08
Don't let
36:09
anybody sell
36:10
you a
36:11
cheap grace
36:12
theology
36:13
that simply
36:15
says,
36:16
make a
36:17
decision,
36:18
and that's
36:18
what's
36:18
expected of
36:19
you.
36:20
So much
36:20
more,
36:21
so much
36:22
better,
36:22
so much
36:23
good,
36:25
and it
36:26
gives the
36:26
evidence that
36:26
we are,
36:27
in fact,
36:27
in Christ.
36:32
And so
36:32
Paul says,
36:34
to those
36:34
outside the
36:34
law I
36:35
became as
36:35
one outside
36:36
the law,
36:37
that I
36:37
might win
36:37
those outside
36:38
the law.
36:41
To those
36:42
outside the
36:42
law I
36:42
became as
36:43
one outside
36:43
I read it
36:44
again.
36:45
Verse 22,
36:45
excuse me.
36:46
To the
36:46
weak I
36:48
became weak
36:49
that I
36:50
might win
36:50
the weak.
36:51
And I
36:51
believe here
36:52
Paul is
36:53
referring to
36:53
those who
36:54
are weak
36:55
in faith,
36:57
who still
36:57
have not
36:58
quite wrapped
36:58
their mind
36:59
around the
37:00
goodness of
37:02
God and the
37:02
gospel of
37:03
Jesus Christ,
37:04
who still
37:04
think the
37:05
customs,
37:06
have some
37:07
value,
37:07
have some
37:08
importance,
37:09
ultimate
37:09
importance in
37:10
their pursuit
37:11
of God.
37:12
He goes,
37:13
that's okay,
37:13
they're weak
37:14
in faith,
37:14
but I
37:15
myself,
37:16
I myself
37:17
can observe
37:18
these things
37:19
that I
37:20
might win
37:20
the weak.
37:23
They become
37:24
all things
37:24
to all
37:25
people that
37:25
by all
37:26
means I
37:26
might save
37:28
some.
37:30
And here's
37:30
the driving
37:31
force behind
37:32
Paul's desire
37:33
to give
37:33
his life
37:34
away,
37:34
to use
37:35
his liberty
37:35
for the
37:36
sake of
37:36
others,
37:37
to willfully
37:38
bind himself
37:38
to the
37:39
service of
37:40
other people's
37:41
souls.
37:42
Verse 23,
37:42
I do it
37:43
all for
37:43
the sake
37:44
of the
37:44
gospel,
37:44
that I
37:45
may share
37:45
with them
37:46
in its
37:47
blessings.
37:50
The blessings
37:51
of the
37:51
gospel are
37:52
far better
37:52
than anything
37:53
that we
37:55
may be
37:55
permitted to
37:56
experience as
37:56
a result
37:57
of our
37:57
Christian
37:58
liberty.
37:59
The blessings
37:59
of the
38:00
gospel are
38:01
better,
38:02
far better,
38:02
immeasurably
38:03
better than
38:04
anything you
38:05
might experience
38:06
temporally
38:06
because of
38:08
your Christian
38:09
liberty.
38:10
being set
38:12
free from
38:13
the law
38:13
is not
38:14
meant to
38:14
serve your
38:15
temporal
38:15
whims,
38:16
but your
38:17
eternal
38:17
soul.
38:20
Jesus Christ
38:21
kept the
38:21
law perfectly
38:22
because we
38:23
could not.
38:25
By faith,
38:26
he grants
38:26
us his
38:27
perfection.
38:29
Jesus Christ
38:29
died the
38:30
death that
38:30
we could
38:30
not to
38:31
cancel the
38:31
debt of
38:32
our sin.
38:32
By faith,
38:33
he grants
38:34
us forgiveness.
38:37
This is the
38:37
liberty that we
38:38
now have,
38:39
and it is to
38:39
be used for
38:40
our joy
38:41
in Christ,
38:42
and it is to
38:43
be shared
38:43
with others
38:44
for the
38:45
magnification
38:46
of our
38:47
joy.
38:48
I do it
38:49
all for the
38:50
sake of the
38:50
gospel that I
38:51
may share
38:52
with them
38:53
in its
38:55
blessings.
38:57
So what are
38:58
you unwilling
38:58
to give up
38:59
for the
39:01
sake of
39:01
others?
39:02
Do you
39:03
practice your
39:04
liberty in
39:05
service to
39:06
yourself,
39:07
or in
39:08
humble service
39:09
to the
39:10
kingdom of
39:10
God?
39:12
Today's
39:12
text gives
39:13
us an
39:13
example of
39:14
Paul's
39:15
love for
39:16
others,
39:16
seeking their
39:17
good at
39:18
his expense,
39:20
literal,
39:21
his expense.
39:22
He paid
39:23
for the
39:23
ceremony.
39:25
Paul desired
39:25
to preserve
39:26
the unity of
39:26
the church
39:26
in Jerusalem
39:27
for the
39:28
sake of
39:28
the individuals
39:29
of the
39:30
church,
39:30
but also
39:31
for those
39:32
outside the
39:33
church who
39:35
watched it
39:35
with great
39:36
care.
39:38
There are
39:39
a lot of
39:41
examples that
39:41
we could talk
39:42
about when it
39:42
comes to
39:43
Christian liberty
39:43
and how to
39:44
best serve in
39:45
our community.
39:46
So many that I
39:47
thought, you
39:48
know, I'm just
39:48
going to give
39:49
one from my
39:50
life that's
39:51
really simple.
39:53
The way I
39:54
dress on
39:55
Sunday mornings
39:56
is a practice
39:57
of my Christian
39:59
liberty for
40:00
your sake.
40:01
I know that
40:03
I don't
40:03
dress impressively.
40:05
That's by
40:05
design.
40:07
Come to a
40:08
wedding sometime.
40:08
I'll put on
40:09
duds for you.
40:10
I'll wear my
40:11
bow tie and
40:11
my pocket
40:12
square for
40:13
you.
40:14
But as I
40:15
prayerfully
40:15
considered,
40:16
how do I
40:16
love and
40:17
serve Christ
40:18
Family Church
40:18
Dahlonega when
40:19
I step up
40:20
onto the
40:21
stage?
40:22
It seemed
40:22
appropriate to
40:23
me to try
40:24
to mitigate
40:25
the offense
40:26
that I might
40:26
give to a
40:27
guest who
40:28
expects me to
40:29
be in a
40:29
suit and tie.
40:30
And those
40:31
people exist
40:31
in our
40:31
culture.
40:32
And I
40:33
can tell you
40:33
that if I
40:34
were the
40:34
pastor of a
40:35
church that
40:35
expected that,
40:35
I would
40:36
gladly do
40:37
it.
40:37
It would
40:37
be no
40:38
problem at
40:39
all for
40:39
me to
40:39
put on a
40:40
suit.
40:40
It wouldn't
40:40
be my
40:40
favorite thing.
40:41
I wouldn't
40:42
want to get
40:42
suits dry
40:42
cleaned all
40:43
the time.
40:43
I'd probably
40:43
ask for a
40:44
dry cleaning
40:44
line item
40:45
in our
40:45
budget.
40:46
But I
40:47
would do
40:47
it.
40:47
I would
40:48
don a
40:48
suit every
40:49
single
40:49
Sunday so
40:50
that I
40:50
wouldn't
40:51
offend
40:51
anybody so
40:52
that they
40:53
could hear
40:54
the truth
40:55
being preached.
40:57
On the
40:58
flip side of
41:00
that,
41:00
I think
41:00
that if I
41:01
wore a
41:02
suit,
41:02
jacket,
41:03
and tie
41:04
every Sunday,
41:05
you guys
41:05
would think
41:06
that I was
41:06
separating
41:07
myself from
41:07
you and
41:08
I wouldn't
41:08
be relatable
41:09
to you
41:09
because some
41:10
of you
41:10
aren't even
41:10
wearing shoes
41:11
right now.
41:14
And I
41:17
think that's
41:17
okay to
41:18
be clear.
41:20
So I
41:20
try to hit
41:21
the middle
41:21
of the road,
41:22
tuck my
41:22
shirt in when
41:22
the shirt's
41:23
meant to be
41:23
tucked in,
41:24
not this
41:24
morning,
41:25
throw on a
41:26
jacket,
41:26
yes,
41:26
the same
41:27
jacket every
41:28
Sunday,
41:28
which I am
41:29
hot in.
41:30
I'm warm
41:31
up here
41:31
at the
41:31
moment.
41:33
That is an
41:34
example though,
41:35
right?
41:35
And I don't
41:35
feel bound
41:36
by that.
41:37
If the
41:39
demographic of
41:40
our church
41:41
suddenly shifted
41:42
dramatically and
41:43
I was expected
41:43
to wear a
41:44
suit,
41:44
I would
41:45
exercise my
41:46
Christian liberty
41:46
in donning a
41:47
suit every
41:48
Sunday morning
41:49
for the sake
41:50
of the gospel
41:50
that I might
41:51
share with
41:52
you in
41:53
its blessing.
41:56
On your
41:56
bulletin this
41:57
morning is a
41:58
quote from
41:58
Charles Spurgeon,
41:59
which I'd
41:59
like to
42:00
read.
42:01
He wrote,
42:02
My brethren,
42:02
let me say,
42:04
be like Christ
42:05
at all times.
42:07
Imitate Him
42:08
in public.
42:09
Most of us
42:10
live in some
42:11
sort of public
42:12
capacity.
42:13
Many of us
42:14
are called to
42:14
work before our
42:16
fellow men
42:16
every day.
42:18
We are
42:18
watched.
42:19
Our words
42:20
are caught.
42:21
Our lives
42:21
are examined,
42:23
taken to
42:23
pieces.
42:24
The eagle-eyed,
42:27
Argus-eyed,
42:28
which if you
42:28
don't know who
42:29
Argus is,
42:29
he was a
42:29
hundred-eyed
42:30
giant in
42:31
Greek mythology.
42:33
The Argus-eyed
42:34
world observes
42:35
everything we
42:36
do, and
42:38
sharp critics
42:38
are upon us.
42:40
Let us live
42:40
the life of
42:41
Christ in
42:42
public.
42:43
Let us
42:43
take care that
42:44
we exhibit our
42:45
master and not
42:46
ourselves, so
42:47
that we can
42:48
say, it is no
42:49
longer I that
42:50
live, but
42:52
Christ that
42:53
lives in me.
42:55
And in
42:56
conclusion, I
42:56
want to give
42:57
you just
42:58
another example,
42:59
but an
42:59
example from
43:00
history, a
43:01
better example
43:02
than my
43:03
Sunday morning
43:03
attire.
43:06
In the
43:06
mid-1800s,
43:08
Hudson Taylor
43:09
went to China
43:10
as a Christian
43:11
missionary.
43:13
While he was
43:13
there, he
43:14
founded the
43:14
China Inland
43:15
Mission in
43:16
order to work
43:17
in the interior
43:18
of China, a
43:19
place that very
43:20
few missionaries
43:21
had ventured.
43:22
It was
43:22
extremely
43:23
dangerous in
43:24
his day.
43:26
Taylor argued
43:27
from the
43:28
example of
43:28
the Apostle
43:29
Paul, let
43:30
us in
43:30
everything not
43:32
sinful become
43:33
like the
43:34
Chinese, that
43:35
by all means
43:36
we may save
43:37
some.
43:39
In saying
43:40
that, Taylor
43:41
was taking a
43:42
different approach
43:42
than most of
43:43
the missionaries
43:44
at the time,
43:44
who expected
43:45
converts to
43:46
Christianity to
43:47
adopt Western
43:48
culture.
43:50
people
43:51
were even
43:57
given English
43:58
names,
43:59
forbidden
44:01
from speaking
44:02
in their own
44:02
tongue.
44:04
Hudson Taylor
44:05
grew his hair
44:06
out.
44:06
He wore it
44:07
in a long
44:07
braid.
44:09
He strictly
44:10
ate Chinese
44:11
food.
44:11
He wore
44:12
traditional
44:12
Chinese clothing
44:13
and he learned
44:14
their language
44:15
and stories.
44:18
Taylor
44:18
recognized
44:19
forcing his
44:20
culture on
44:20
the Chinese
44:21
wouldn't work,
44:22
so he became
44:23
like the
44:24
Chinese as
44:25
much as he
44:26
could without
44:27
sinning in
44:28
order that he
44:29
might save
44:31
some.
44:33
May we be
44:34
more like
44:35
Hudson Taylor,
44:37
more like the
44:38
Apostle Paul,
44:39
and most
44:40
importantly,
44:40
more like
44:41
our Lord and
44:42
Savior,
44:43
Jesus Christ.
44:44
Let's pray
44:45
together.
44:45
Let's pray.