Last week’s discussion was rich, and I feel led to spend another week on this passage.
Two weeks ago I had one of those wonderful experiences when you absolutely know that God has heard your prayer. Steve and I used to pray together to be likeminded about a decision and it was wonderful when it was so clear. After we had two sons, I wanted to try for a daughter and Steve wanted to stop with the boys. He went away to a medical conference and we both agreed to seek God. When he came back we both had the same idea. Try for three months and if God didn’t allow me to conceive, we would stop. We did that, I didn’t conceive, and when I went back on birth control that next month, I conceived Sally! God showed us who was in charge! And what a gift Sally has been!
Steve enjoyed Sally so much we adopted two more daughters!
Now I don’t have Steve to confirm, but that doesn’t keep the Lord from confirming in other ways. The dilemma I have faced is that snowplowing guys don’t want to do my challenging gravel downhill driveway when I have just a little snow, for it damages their plows. But I have needed that done for my home church, as not everyone has four wheel drive. The cost for asphalting is as much as buying a brand new car. I asked the Steering committee of my church if the church might help and they were understandably hesitant but agreed to pray. I went away to New York while I rented out my Wisconsin house for a week to stay with my daughter Sally. During that time I wrote the blog for last week on Acts 15:1-21 and it was like God was shouting to me that no matter what the committee decided that I should accept it graciously and not cause discord or be bitter, but trust God. Then I went to my daughter’s church. The sermon was on Acts 15:1-21! That’s because the same Spirit says the same thing. I still don’t know what they will decide, but I am at peace that God will be my Provider and I must graciously accept whatever they decide. And I’m going to listen to the sermon by Sproul Bing recommended for when believers disagree. This group is such a help to me.
The sermon I heard at my daughter Sally’s church was so wonderful. I won’t have you listen as video a little funky butwill summarize his main points in red. Because the Word is so rich, he went through it a bit differently, yet, very expositionally and stressed the greati mportance of The Jerusalem Council in the history of the church. Also, this historical account shows the great importance of seeking God together, becoming of one mind, and keeping the main thing (the gospel) the main thing. One good thing out of being the colunteer administrator and custodian of this home church is that I am so much more sympathetic to pastors and their family, and I belong to a very sweet body. Yet still, we hurt one another at times with our words, for we also, as Keller says, “righteous sinners.” Simultaneously both! I know we have many here who suffer in the pastoral roll or for having a husband or child in that roll.
Sunday:
- What stands out to you from the above and why?
- How have you experienced the presence of the Lord this week?
Monday: Keep the Main Thing The Main Thing😍
The Jerusalem Council was vital for Christianity then and now. The leaders of the church were of one mind that salvation is by faith in Christ alone, for all nations, and that Christians can preserve unity without requiring uniformity in every cultural practice. The apostles modeled resolving theological disputes by relying on Scripture, testimony, and likemindedness in the Holy Spirit.
3. Share a time when God gave you confirmation by having the same Spirit say the same thing.
4. I have realized how often when faced a hard situation I fail to remember the most important thing (the gospel or love) or fail to pray for a likemindedness in real humility with my brothers and sisters. Note how the early church thrived in these verses:
A. Acts 1:14
B. Philippians 2:2
Tuesday: No Small Dissension
Acts 15:2 states that the apostles faced “no small dissension.” That’s because they were protecting the purity of the gospel, they weren’t arguing over peripheral matters like helping repair the driveway or styles of music or even a theological issue that Christians have debated for centuries such as election or modes of baptism. That’s not to say those things don’t matter, but that they should not divide. Grace, grace, grace.
6. Read Acts 15:1-5. What was the most important thing and why?
7. Last week we looked at circles from Philipp Melanchon — saying agreement in essentials. What would you put as essential? One of you said The Gospel and The Trinity. What would you say?
Wednesday: First Up: Peter
Jesus obviously tapped Peter to be a leader of the early church. Some say he was the first Pope. However, if he was, and we don’t embrace that here, he taught salvation was by faith alone.
8. Comments?
9. How does Peter himself show that he didn’t think of himself as the cornerstone in 1 Peter 2:4-8?
9. Read Acts 15:6-11 and summarize Peter’s case at this famous Jerusalem Council.
Thursday: Second Up: Barnabas and Paul
God never intended a church to be run by one person, but by godly elders seeking God’s will together. This is a safeguard.
10. How do Barnabas and Paul make the same case in Acts 15:12 but through a different angle?
11. Name two ways the gospel has miraculously changed your heart of stone into a heart of flesh.
12. How were Barnabas and Paul quite different? Why does this make their case stronger?
Friday: Wrap Up from James, the Leader of the Council
There was dispute about the letter of James being in the canon, thinking he taught salvation by works. That was a misunderstanding. It is also important to realize no council decided which books were in the Bible, but rather these were the books that were always accepted by the apostles.
13. How does James summarize the findings?
14. How do you see James clearly embracing the gospel, and the inclusion of the Gentiles?
15. What you learned from these two weeks you want to remember?
Saturday:
16. What’s your God shot and why?