Acts 15:1-35 - Outline

[Jim Watt]

“*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*

January 25, 2012


 *APR 18 - ACTS 15:1-35 - CHURCH PROBLEMS: SOLUTIONS*


 *1. 15:1 (15:1-2) CIRCUMCISION: PROBLEM TO GENTILES. “And certain
mencoming down from :Judea were teaching the brethren [that], Except
you be
circumcised after the custom :of Moses, you cannot be saved” (NNT). *Isn't
this just like Satan: he holds over us old traditions, old wineskins, that
can *never* hold the new wine of the Spirit and be preserved! We need *
renewed*, *reconstituted* wineskins! Father, *this* is what we need in both
individuals and churches. *Hallowed be your :name!*


 *2. 15:4 (15:3-5) JERUSALEM: PLACE OF SOLUTION FOR ANTIOCH. “And when they
came to Jerusalem, they were received of the church and the apostles and
the elders, and they rehearsed what things :God had done with them.” *Only
at Jerusalem could the problems of Antioch with Gentiles be solved. Each
city church was sovereign, and justice had to be sought there concerning
their troublesome members. We accept Your wisdom here, Father! *Your
:kingdom come!*


 *3. 15:8-9 (15:6-12) PETER, BARNABAS AND PAUL SPEAK ON THE PROBLEM. “And
:God, who knows the heart, bore witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even
as to us; 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their
:hearts by :faith.” *If God baptized Gentiles in the Spirit apart from
circumcision, surely *He* is saying something here to which we should
listen! You meet us where we *are*, Father! *Your :will be done, As in
heaven, so on earth.*


 *4. 15:14-15a (15:13-21) JAMES SUMMARIZES AND CONFIRMS SCRIPTURE. “Simon
has rehearsed how first :God visited the nations, to take out a people for
his :name. 15a And to this agree the words of the prophets.” *Hear the
wisdom of City Church Pastor James, half brother of our Lord: Old Covenant
Scriptures agree with the reasoning of Peter from the light of experience.
O forgive us Father, that we so often stubbornly cling to old ways when You
are moving on! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.*


 *5. 15:28-29 (15:22-29) THE EPISTLE: FORMED BY HOLY SPIRIT AND LEADERS.
“For it seemed good to the Holy :Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no
greater burden than these :necessary things: 29 to abstain from
thingssacrificed to idols and from blood, and from
things strangled, and from fornication; from which if you keep yourselves,
you shall do well. Fare well.” *How You protect us Father, by not laying
upon us burdens we cannot bear! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have
forgiven our :debtors!*


 *6. 15:30-31 (15:30-34) THE EPISTLE: ITS EFFECT. “They therefore
whendismissed, came down to Antioch; and having gathered the
multitude,
delivered the epistle. 31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced for the
consolation.” *This Jerusalem church conference was a great blessing for
Gentile believers. No wonder the saints of Antioch rejoiced! *And bring us
not into temptation!*


 *7. 15:35 PAUL AND BARNABAS AT ANTIOCH. “But Paul and Barnabas tarried in
Antioch, teaching and preaching the gospel of the word of the Lord, with
many others also.” *We bless You Father, that Silas was part of this also.
What a victory this renewed message was for the church! *But deliver us
from the evil one!*


 *NOTE**: 15:11 (15:6-12) THE BASIS OF DELIVERANCE. “But we believe we
shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in like manner as
they.” **This* is the heart of the Good News of the Kingdom of God! It is
by the *grace of Jesus*, not liturgy or works of the law whereby we are
saved. It is *New Covenant!*


 Acts 13:1-3 and Acts 15 - are perhaps the two major NT passages that lay
out for us illustrations of the working of a City Eldership or Presbytery
in the Gates of Antioch and Jerusalem.


 Boaz called for an Eldership to meet in the City Gate of Bethlehem to
decide an inheritance problem that revolved around Ruth.


 Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:18 and 4:14 illustrates how a city Eldership sets
apart for ministry - by impartation through the laying on of hands and
prophecy.


 God visited Northern Canada in 1948 to restore this latter practice among
11 others. It brought controversy among hearers - and even temporary doubt
upon those commissioned for this restoration process.


 In Acts 13:1-3 the Holy Spirit led in a commissioning service for the
first missionary sending-forth - and in Acts 15 we see how God used the
Eldership in the City Gate of Jerusalem to solve one of the most difficult
and controversial problems that arose in the early church.


 Because of denomination separations, it is today very difficult to bring
together the key elders of local churches in a city for similar purposes -
as functioned in the early church.


 Again - we see Paul raising up 14 city churches and Elderships where
others had not labored. It is obviously easier to build a house from
scratch - rather than remodel a house. So it was easier in the beginning to
establish city churches in functioning unity - with operating Elderships -
than in our fragmented City Churches today, separated by denomination and
fellowship divisions.


 But can it be done today? Yes - but through a “Remnant” in the beginning -
not on a complete city basis. Perhaps even through smaller churches in the
home rather than through large and super local churches. But - we can
confidently expect to see such happen before the return of our Lord. In
Hezekiah's day, when he led Israel to revival and restoration of God's
original desire through Moses for Israel - the priests were so far away
from such a pattern, that Levites had to do their work for them. But when
the priests observed that Hezekiah was truly following the leading of the
Lord - then with shame they sanctified themselves and took their place in
the Temple. A similar change of outlook could take place with pastors
today, once God starts to work with a remnant!
Our Psalm for the day: 108:12-13 (108:1-13) WITH GOD WE SHALL DO VALIANTLY.
“Oh grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man!
13With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our
foes”
(ESV). From our point of view, it sometimes seems that You have forsaken
us, Father. But no, You are only sifting and maturing us, that You might
reveal Yourself unto us in a *deeper* way! Then You can remove the
scaffolding of our enemies! *Hallowed be your :name!*


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