 With that said, I'll begin reading here at verse 13. And as is my normal way for those who perhaps are visiting for the first time, my normal way of doing studies is to give up kind of a context to give you some information that helps you to know what we're looking at in this particular portion of the scripture. And that's what I'll be doing in a moment. I'll be giving you a review and reminding you and then we'll move into the study. But beginning at verse 13, reading to verse 18, Luke writes, and after they had become silent, James answered saying, men and brethren, listen to me. Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for his name. And with this, the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, after this I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen down. I will rebuild its ruins and I will set it up so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord. Even all the Gentiles who are called by my name says the Lord who does all these things. And so let me give you a review because what we're looking at here in this chapter is an issue, an issue that is threatening to undermine what we today refer to as the doctrine of grace. Pharisees who were claiming to be believers in Christ had come to the church in what is called Syrian Antioch which means that that church was a mainly Gentile church. So they were teaching the Gentile believers that they needed to be circumcised. They also taught them that they needed to keep the law of Moses. Remember in verse one of chapter 15, certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses you cannot be saved. And then in verse five, some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up saying it is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses. And so this argument has begun to form and they're demanding that Gentiles be circumcised as well as to keep the law. Now being from Judea, they would have been aware of a man by the name of Cornelius. As we had studied before, he and his household had come to faith in Christ. Yet they were Gentiles and not circumcised. Well that had happened but it's possible that these men from Judea saw that as an exception and not the norm. Why is that? Well because there had been no command to set aside circumcision or the keeping of the law. In their minds keeping these laws would have remained necessary. You see at that time when a male Gentile converted to Judaism, they would have him or he would be voluntarily circumcised. So through the law of Moses the Jews saw this as a necessary element of true faith. It was what they would refer to as an outward demonstration showing the covenant between God and Israel that they adhered to that. All the way back in the first book of the Bible, Genesis 17 verse 11, when God was speaking to Abraham, God had said to Abraham you shall circumcise a flesh of your foreskin and that shall be the sign of the covenant between me and you. Later on when God gave the law to Moses in Leviticus in an Old Testament book called Leviticus chapter 12 verse three, it says on the eighth day the flesh of the boy's foreskin is to be circumcised. Well the Jews held circumcision to be indispensable to salvation. They believed they were obeying God's law and they were adamant about that. So because of this these men were saying without circumcision you cannot be saved. Well they knew circumcision was an outer emblem of true faith in God because they knew that faith is revealed through actions and circumcision is an outer action. So they made a religious ritual into a necessity for salvation. But they forgot something. They forgot that the cutting away of the flesh isn't what is necessary but a new heart. And that's what the law of Moses had made clear in Deuteronomy 10, 16, where it says circumcise your hearts therefore and do not be stiff-necked any longer. So circumcision was a demonstration of something that was within. It wasn't the physical cutting away of the flesh. It was a new heart that was there through faith in God. You see that's what happens when someone comes to Christ and that's why it's so important for Paul and the others to stand up in opposition to this because when someone comes to faith in Christ they receive a circumcision of the heart. Colossians 2.11 says in him you were circumcised. In the putting off of your sinful nature with the circumcision performed by Christ and not by human hands. They didn't understand that Holy Spirit brought the Jew and the Gentile into one body. That happens by the Holy Spirit not in keeping Moses' law. God made the Jew and God made the Gentile into what is called the one new man. In Ephesians 2.14 through 16 it says, he himself is our peace who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility. By setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity, one new man out of the two that's making peace and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross by which he put to death their hostility. And so it was the death of Christ and faith in him through the grace of God that took the Jew and the Gentile and made them one. It wasn't the physical circumcision or ritual that was necessary for a covenant relationship a demonstration of that. It was really something deeper. It was a circumcision of the heart and so what you have here is really the law versus grace and these legalizers are coming into the church saying unless you receive circumcision, according to Moses as customs, you can't be saved. They're undermining the work of Christ. It produces a salvation that's based on your works. It replaces faith and it replaces grace and that's something that Paul and Barnabas couldn't let go. They couldn't let it go by. They couldn't let it pass without resistance. So the Bible tells us they dissented and they disputed over this error with them. They saw the danger that it posed in regards to salvation. Salvation is by grace through faith not keeping religious laws. I think we Americans need to remember that even in these last days because sometimes we think that if we do certain religious things that that gets us entrance into the kingdom of God. America used to be very religious. It's not quite so as it one time was. But you could go anywhere. You could go into any community and you would see that there was something called Christmas and it wasn't called Happy Holidays, it was Merry Christmas and we used to see that but not anymore. You used to go into cities and cities would have lights all over the city would actually put lights up and wreaths up and things like that. We were very religious as a people but not so anymore. So we have to be careful that we don't try and make people into religious people by doing the things we think they need to do to show it. What's really more important is to grab hold of the heart through the gospel of Jesus to teach him that God loved us so much that he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die in a cross. We need to teach them that and to live it out and what's taking place there is they're trying to replace the grace of God with religious works and that's not gonna work. It has to be dealt with. And so Paul and Barnabas were actually deputized to go into and to take this to a council. You see if it wasn't cleared up the church was gonna be divided by the question. So Paul and Barnabas traveled to the city of Jerusalem and they were sharing what God was doing as they were on their way. Now at first they spoke to the church in general including the apostles and the leaders but as they listened to the report there had been a religious rather an immediate response. We had read this a moment ago. The believing Pharisees said circumcision and keeping the law is necessary. So what happens is they dismiss the general church and they have a council with the leadership, the apostles and elders. They convene a council to consider the matter. It's something very important they need to talk about. You see if circumcision is necessary then faith alone is insufficient. That requirement would undermine grace. It would destroy what we call Christian liberty or the freedoms we have in Christ. When Paul was writing to the Galatians who were going through something like this later on he said this in Galatians 221. He said, I do not set aside the grace of God for if righteousness comes through the law Christ died in vain. So as they deeply discussed the matter Peter had stood up and Peter began to speak and he began to share. We saw this last time. God has opened the door to the Gentiles and he said it was through me. Around 10 years earlier Peter had been sharing with the Gentile. I mentioned him a moment ago. A man by the name of Cornelius and as he was sharing with him and the assembly that he had in his house as he was speaking God began to move and the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles. God had purified their heart by faith. He made no distinction between the Jew and the Gentile. Verse 11 says, we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved and that's what Ephesians 2.8 and 9 says. It's by grace that you've been saved through faith. And this is not from yourselves. It's the gift of God. Not by works so that no one can boast. God did this. It's a work that he did. He makes it available to you. And that's the whole point. That's Christianity. That's grace revealed. And in order for us to be saved and the Bible teaches this very clearly is that we just trust in the Lord through the work of Christ and receive salvation by the grace of God. And so that's how it works. And so what's taking place is they're adding works to grace and it's gonna pollute the whole work of God. And so Paul and Barnabas went on to rehearse how God had worked miracles for Gentiles and that has to be evidence that God is at work among them. And so all of this is taking place and now a decision has to be made. Verse 13, after they had become silent James answered saying, men and brethren, listen to me. Now the name James is also, he was known amongst his friends as Jimmy boy but we know him as James. I'm just kidding. I just felt like saying that. I don't know why forgive me. Who was this guy named James? Well, let me tell you who he wasn't. We know that it is not James, the brother of the apostle John. How do we know that? Because he had been martyred in chapter 12. So it's not him. So who would it be? The majority of commentators that I have used to study passages like this in this chapter point out that this James would be James who is the brother of Jesus. The leading elder of the church in Jerusalem. When you read your gospel and we spent some time in the gospel of Mark, when we got to chapter six, verse three in the gospel of Mark, chapter six, verse three mentions James first among his brothers and sisters. Later on again, when Paul was writing the Galatians in chapter one, verse 19, he had said, I saw none of the apostles, only James the Lord's brother. In Galatians again, chapter two, verse nine, well that verse speaks of James, Cephas and John as pillars of the church. So this has led to the belief that James was a church leader in the city of Jerusalem. Now notice that he makes the decision, it wasn't the apostle Peter, it was James who made the decision there because he had oversight of the church in Jerusalem. Being Jesus's half brother, naturally he had tremendous respect of all who were present. So what he does is he begins to summarize what's been said in order that he might declare the decision that's being made. Now notice how he says in verse 14, Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for his name. Now, James refers to Peter by his old name. Why would he do that? He did that to establish the fact that he has been a follower of Christ from the beginning. It was to establish his credibility. But he says in verse 14 that God visited the Gentiles in order to take out of them a people for his name. Now that's an Old Testament phrase. Jews knew that they were the ones who had been visited by God. They knew they were the ones who were taken out of the nations. God had taken Israel from among the nations and he's saying he's also taken the Gentiles. Now he refers to Simon's ministry to Cornelius which had occurred some 10 years prior. This shows that God has already been saving Gentiles by his grace. So as he's presenting that in verse 15 he says, and he begins to quote an Old Testament book Amos and he begins in verse 15 and says with this, the words of the prophets agree just as it is written. After this I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen down. I will rebuild its ruins and I will set it up so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord. Even all the Gentiles who are called by my name says the Lord who does all these things. So he points back to Amos nine verses 11 and 12 and he quotes this. It's speaking really of the millennial kingdom that is ruled by Messiah. And he's saying that the kingdom is going to be populated by all who have come to God. Both the Jew as well as the Gentile. So if Gentiles will be there, they will not have had to become Jews. So the point is that it's true at that time so there's no need for the Jews rather for the Gentiles to become Jews today. James sees this prophecy fulfilled in the resurrection in exaltation of Christ. Notice that Gentiles are included in this prophecy as the elect from every nation. And then he says in verse 18, known to God from eternity are all his works. The things that God would do to bring salvation are all foreign-owned. None of this is without God planning. None of this is without his foreknowledge and that's the point he's making. And then he goes on to say this, therefore verse 19, I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God. But that we would write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city being read in the synagogues, every Shabbat, every Sabbath. Now, I'm gonna develop this with you for a moment. This is gonna be something we'll be looking at for a little while now. I want you to see in verse 19 when he says I judge. The tone of this is that James is speaking with authority. It doesn't mean he has the final word by itself. He's simply saying this is what I see. It's my, if you will, it's an opinion that he has that lines up with his thoughts. But it also is in agreement with the others. He says in verse 19, we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles. The Jewish believers, he's saying, are not to annoy their Gentile brethren. They and other Gentiles are turning to God. So don't hinder them from doing so. And that's very practical because it reveals to us that he is dealing with cultural and religious sensitivities. Sensitivity to religious traditions should produce a consideration. One of the things we Calvary Chapel pastors had to learn in a very early portion of our conversions and going out to preach is to be sensitive to other people. Because we were so on fire, I was 20 years old, I was so on fire, from coming from the background I had been rescued from, I was so on fire, I wanted everybody to know. And so I became a bit argumentative thinking that I was just speaking with passion but in fact, I was actually picking fights. And sometimes when you're younger in the faith, you can make your opinions known very quickly. And I had to learn how to be considerate to other people, to listen to them. It took a long time because, come on, I mean, what are you trying to tell me? You're wrong, I was that way, you're wrong. What do you know? You don't know. And that's not the way to win people and influence them at all is to be argumentative. I had to learn to listen to them with respect. I had to learn to at least respect the fact that they had been raised in a certain way, at least show that consideration. You know, sometimes we Christians can be so determined to see someone saved that we can be rude when we're speaking to them. And I had to, and I still try to learn to be generous in my heart, charitable and listening, even though sometimes what they're saying is truly not true. So you respect them, you listen to them because respect goes a long way. And you have to be careful not to think that, you know, you're like you're a salesman of the gospel and if you don't close the sale with them praying, then, you know, then it's just a waste of your time. My mama had to learn that. I've said this a thousand times here, but it comes to mind. My mama said, Dave, I was telling some about Jesus today and they said they didn't want to hear. So I said, well, then go to hell. And I said, mama, that's not the way you do it. She says, well, they're going to hell. I said, mama, don't smile when you say that. I mean, come on, you know, you have to be kinder. And sometimes people are not kind when you're sharing, right? So we need to learn to be considerate to people who have a different way of seeing things. And even if it's totally wrong, we have to learn how to communicate when I was saved, maybe two weeks, maybe I've shared this again, it comes to mind. I was at a friend of mine's house, I was a brand new believer and some guy came to do some work on the house and I had been taught, share your faith and there he is and so I had an opportunity. So I said to him, are you a believer in God? Now I'm again, I'm two weeks, three weeks old in Christ. And he goes, yeah, I believe in a God. I said, really, I said, where do you go to church? He says, well, I don't go to a church. He goes, I'm part of, I think he said it, I may be wrong about this, it's been 50 plus years. But he said it was, I think theosophy is what he said. And I said, and what is that? It wasn't that, it was something similar to that. But anyway, what is that? And he says, well, we believe that God has communicated through different eras, through different religious people. I said, really, he goes, yeah, he said they're all bringing the same truth in different forms to different nations. I'd never heard that. So I said, really, that's interesting to me. I said, so what does that mean? He says, that means that we believe all the holy books. You know, the various books that you have out there that are claiming to be holy books and various things like the dialects of Confucius or the Koran and things like that. I said, so you think those all are teaching the truth? I'm curious, and he goes, yeah. Do you believe in Jesus? And he goes, oh, of course I do because he's one of the great teachers. I said, really, do you believe everything he said? And he goes, yeah. I said, well, he said I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me. How does that work with Buddha? How does that work with Muhammad? How does that work with Confucius? How does that work with all of these others? The Hindus and all. How does that work? I was curious, it wasn't an argument, it was a real question. If he said, and I said, well listen, if you say you believe what he said and he says that no one comes to God but by him, how can you come to God any other way? He says, I don't wanna talk to you anymore. That's what he did. And I was kind of puzzled over that. But you say you're a seeker of truth and yet you're not taking the time to answer a simple question. If Christ said this, why don't you believe it? See, it wasn't an argument so much as a conversation. Perhaps he felt threatened. I was really serious. I wanted to know, how's this work? And so it's more than simply saying, oh, I believe in a God, it's deeper than that. And so you learn ways to communicate the truth so that there's a respect for the person and not a picking at them or belittling them and you need to be considerate and sensitive. So as he's speaking here, he's speaking about the Gentiles and the Jews and the differences that they can have, their religious and cultural differences and all of them begins to deal with it in a practical way. So he says, don't annoy them, verse 20, but that we write them to abstain from, and he gives four things to abstain from things polluted by idols, sexual immorality, things strangled and blood. So Gentiles are gonna show a spirit of unity, he's saying, by voluntarily doing four things. One, he says Gentiles should avoid idolatry or anything associated to it. In other words, don't go to temples of idols anymore. Don't make offerings to idols anymore. Don't have statues and images of idols in your homes. When he speaks of being polluted, polluted by idols, it speaks of avoiding food that's been offered to idols. Now the meat was sold, there was meat sold in pagan temple butcher shops and they should be avoided. Now it's not that the meat is infected with demons but it stumbled the Jews. God had commanded the Jews to reject idolatry, he warned them against it. Its practice led to the judgment of Israel so Gentiles needed to be aware of this. Later it also stumbled believers. Paul had to write about that. Gentiles cities had the markets where the meat was sold but first they had offered the meat to an idol. A believer would purchase a meat and would serve it and one of his friends would come over to eat and as they're eating this piece of meat, the believer with a tender conscience would say, where did you get this? And the guy would say, oh I got it at the temple of and it would stumble the believer with a tender conscience. I can't be eating this stuff. This was offered to idols. It was an issue in the early church and it was so much of an issue that Paul wrote to the Romans to correct it. He commanded them to respect the tenderness of other people's consciences. It's more loving to the brother or sister if you resist these things and you don't stumble them in Romans 14, 20. He said, do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. So restrict your freedoms. You know that an idol is nothing that we have one God and he's not that idol. You know that but they're stumbled by. Therefore show tenderness for them and love them. Be compassionate. Remember that Gentiles were raised in an atmosphere of idolatry. The Jews weren't Gentiles voluntarily considered the consequences of that this causes for your Jewish brothers. Keep away from idols John would say in 1 John 5, 21, stay away from it. Don't be involved in anything like that. Two, he speaks of sexual immorality. This is a word, sexual immorality is from the word pernaeus. The word pernaeus in the Greek is where we get the word porn, pornography. Pornaeus speaks of every sexual activity, not just fornication and adultery but it speaks of every form of sexual works including pedophilia and things of that like. This is associated, sexual immorality is associated with idolatry. In Colossians 3.5, put to death therefore whatever belongs to your earthly nature, sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed which is, he says, idolatry. He says, stay out of the temples and stay out of sexual, improper sexual relationships. Today in the church there are people who may not go to temples but they do involve themselves in improper relationships. I've had people approach me and I'm not gonna make a big issue of this other than to say this is practical even on our day. A lot of times over the years I've had someone walk up and say to me I'd like you to meet my fiance. Well before the word fiance used to mean that it was someone that you were not married to yet you were engaged to be married. That's how we use the word. But I've discovered that it's taken on a different meaning today. Fiance very often means the person I'm living with. The person I'm living with that's called fornication. Then I've had people approach me saying to me, Pastor can you perform our wedding? And I'll talk to him and oh really when are you gonna get married this and that? And he says well when her divorce is finalized. And I'll say let me ask you, this is true, this has actually happened. What do you mean when her divorce is finalized? Oh she's still, I said no wait, you're dating somebody who's still married? Listen, if you're not free to marry them, you're not free to date them. They're still married to somebody else. That kind of cavalier approach is something forbidden in both the old and the new testaments. Sexual immorality. You don't have physical relationships outside of marriage. It also includes various other things that would fall into that category. You see what happened is in the book of Romans in chapter one, Paul associated idolatry with sexual immorality. He said that Gentiles have changed the glory of God into the image of man, birds, four-footed animals and creeping things and went on to say that they exchanged the truth of God and worshiped and served the creature. And then in Romans 1.26 and 27, he said for this reason, God gave them up to vile passions for even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their lust for one another. Men with men committing what is shameful and receiving in themselves a penalty of their error which was due. So this immorality included lesbianism and homosexuality. And so all of these things he says have nothing to do with. You see that had resulted in men thinking it was normal and permissible. So James is saying that Gentiles are to do nothing violating God's laws or the Jewish morals. Now notice again in verse 20, he says abstained from things strangled and abstained from eating blood. Animals or birds that were killed without shedding their blood. That's what it means when it says things strangled. Now that would combine with the next prohibition do not eat blood. Do not mix blood with flour or vegetables or simply eat it as a meal. You see some pagans drank blood as part of their rituals. The prohibition against eating blood actually began before Moses's law in Genesis nine verse four. You shall not eat flesh with its life. That is the blood. Later on in Moses's law Leviticus 1711 it says the life of a creature is in the blood. And I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar. It's a blood that makes atonement for one's life. One author said God appointed the blood for the altar as containing the soul of the animal to be the medium of expiation for the souls of men and therefore prohibited from being used as food. You see the shedding of blood foreshadowed the death of Christ. He poured out his blood for us. Peter said in 1 Peter 118 and 19, you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors. But with the precious blood of Christ a lamb without blemish or defect. So they were not to eat the flesh with its blood because it symbolized redemption. Christ was gonna pour out his life, poured out his blood and in doing so that was how we were to be saved. So the Jews were very, very careful about eating things with blood. Things strangled or just blood itself. He said that is gonna be something stumbling to your Jewish neighbor. So don't invite them over for blood sausage or whatever. Don't do that. Now Gentiles are not under the law but they are sensitive to those who have been. It was smoothing a path for Gentiles to eat in fellowship with the Jew. Remember the Jews had no real relationships with Gentiles not on a religious plane. And so the Jews were reluctant to have relationship even though God was pouring his Holy Spirit out they were still reluctant. So if I was cavalier in the way I did things and invite them over for a pork chop it wasn't gonna work. So he's saying what we need to do is we need to put away the things that cause stumbling. And don't use the liberty that you have in Christ as an excuse. Don't dishonor and bring somebody who's got a different sense than you do. I remember I was in the military and I was going through Chow line and I kept hearing this guy saying something and the people just staring at him as we were going. I had my tray and as I was making my way I was wondering what is he saying? And what he was saying is and we had pork chops that day he was saying to them if you eat that you're going to hell. If you eat that you're going to hell. And so I stood there and he dropped the pork chop on my plate and he said if you're gonna eat that if you eat that you're going to hell. And I said why? And I stopped. And he said why is that? He says cause the law forbids it. Well, you know, food doesn't bring us closer to God neither if we eat or we the better neither if we eat not are we the less Paul said in 1 Corinthians 8. And so I went to my room and got my Bible. I was a brand new Christian and I started looking through scriptures and then the next time I saw him I told him no you're wrong because in 1 Corinthians 8 it tells me that the food doesn't commend me to God. It doesn't bring me closer to God. You see? And so there have been people who have been putting rules and regulations on you for the longest time. I mean, how dare you tell me I can't eat two children? You're wrong about that. If anybody goes to hell it's you. In 1 Corinthians 10, 31 and 32 whether you eat or drink or whatever you do do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble whether you Greek or the church of God. That's the whole point. So verse 22 it pleased the apostles and the elders with the whole church to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas namely Judas who was also named Barsovas and Silas leading men among the brethren. So this was done so it could be said that Paul and Barnabas it couldn't be said that Paul and Barnabas had been making things up. So they sent chosen men. Now Judas Barsovas is only mentioned here but Silas is mentioned often in the book of Acts. He becomes Paul's traveling companion. He's also known by the name Silvanus. You see that in 2 Corinthians 1 and 1 and 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 as well as 1 Peter chapter 5. So they wrote this letter to them, verse 23. The apostles, the elders and the brethren to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia greetings. So this letter is written to the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. Again Antioch is the capital of Syria so mentioning Syria is showing Paul's travels. The introduction shows this, it's a consensus opinion. It was not made just by James but agreed upon by all of them the apostles, elders and brethren. Verse 24 when it goes, we heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words and settling your souls saying you must be circumcised and keep the law to whom we gave no such commandment. It seemed good to us being assembled with one accord to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul. Men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas who will also report the same things by word of mouth where it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things that you have stained from things offered to idols from blood, from things strangled, from sexual immorality and if you keep yourselves from these you're gonna do well. So I wanna develop this with you. I want you to see in verse 24 it says some who went out from us, they went out from Jerusalem but they were presenting themselves as representing the council, representing the apostles and the elders. What they were were unauthorized church members and they were bringing their own opinions. It says some who went out from us that means they claimed to have been sent out. Now I wanna develop this. Fairly early in church history traveling deceivers began infiltrating churches. They began to come in and they began to bring false teaching and what they did is they were deceiving the innocent believers. They were coming in bringing messages as if they'd been sent out with these messages and so the churches at that time didn't have halls like this necessarily, they'd meet in houses and so someone would come, they'd say they're a believer in Christ that they came out of Antioch or whatever and so the pastor would invite them, the chief elder would invite them to come in and share with God as said through you and then they began to bring in false doctrine. That's how they did it. They began to bring in things that weren't true. They were bringing their own opinions and so Paul had to begin writing warnings about that. Romans 16, 17 and 18. I urge you, brethren, note those who cause division and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you learned and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ by their own belly and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. He warned them, if they're bringing you any other doctrine don't listen to them. Later on in 1 John 2, verse 19, John says it like this, they went out from us but they were not of us. For if they'd been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they are not all of us and so this was taking place. People were coming in bringing in messages trying to present themselves as some authority and then trying to take over or ruining the church. We've had that here over the years. After 42 years of pastor in this church it's happened to us where people will go out as from us and bring messages that are not, I didn't send them out or they'll come sometimes and they'll say I'd like to share in your church there are things I'd like to teach, can I teach? And it turns out they're bringing false doctrine, bad doctrine. And so they're self-appointed leaders. A few years ago, I was sitting in a Wednesday night in the front row where I usually sit and there was a guy who was seated a couple away from me and I saw him get up and walk up and talk to Jared who was about to lead worship and I saw Jared kind of look at him in kind of a surprise look if you will. Well later on Jared says, you know what? He did and I said, what? Jared said, you should not be up there. Because you're having an affair with Pastor David. I told Jared, you're not my type. No, he said, you're having an affair with Pastor David and I'm gonna expose it. And that came just before Jared is up there leading us in worship. You can't imagine if you don't do ministry, you can't imagine the stress and strain that hits you with. To go up in front and this guy sat right here just 10 feet from him, staring at him through the whole time claiming that he's having a homosexual affair with me. And then the guy posted on social networks that he has been given the Calvary Chapel Chino Valley Church, that he is the new pastor, that on Sunday he will be giving his first message and he's inviting everybody to come to the church. Now I know where he sat, he used to sit off to the right. I knew where he sat. And so I didn't know he had posted that. I came out to do my study, but what happened is how we normally will, our last song we stand and there's prayer and then you greet and you're seated, he wouldn't sit down. Because he was planning on coming up here to take over the pulpit, to kick me out of the church because he's the new pastor. But my ushers were aware of the threat and one of them went, spoke to him and said, you need to be seated. He said, I'm not gonna be seated. What if I don't sit down and my usher said then, then you need to go outside. And so they went outside. Those things happen where people will come in, they have their message, they wanna take over. It's something that they believe that God has put in their heart to do. And they would go into the churches and they would bring messages. And it began to upset the church and so letters had to be written. For example, in 2 Corinthians chapter three verse one, they're called letters of recommendation. Paul said, are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? Because the church set up a system where they would come with a letter saying, this is a good brother and receive him. In third John verses five to eight, we have an example of this. Dear friend, you are faithful in what you're doing for the brothers and sisters. Even though they're strangers to you, they have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God. It was for the sake of the name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth. So they developed a system of commendations, recommendations, and John gives us an example of that. Well, these people are saying that they've been sent out. And in verse 24 says, to whom we gave no such commandment. These self-appointed preachers are adding to the gospel of grace and the removing the peace and unity of the spirit. So in verses 25 through 27, it seemed good to us being assembled with one accord to send out these chosen brothers. So we unanimously agreed to send Barnabas and Paul and they are the ones who have been appointed. And then in verse 26, their credibility is established. It seemed good for us to do that. Why? Because they have risked their lives for the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. They have proven credibility. They're sacrificial servants of God. Again, in churches today, even in our day, there are those who say, well, I've got a better message, a more encouraging message, a more fiery message, whatever you want. And you need to get rid of that person there that doesn't have the message I have. And he's saying, no, these men are proven. Their credibility is there. It's real. They've been there. They've been faithful. They've gone through so many things. We trust these men. The other ones, we don't know who they are. So Judas and Silas in verse 27 came to say what Paul, because of modesty, refused to say. He wouldn't speak of himself. So they came to say, these are the things that Paul did. Again, one of the things that is not a good thing is to brag about your exploits, to tell everybody how important you are or what you've done, especially in ministry. In Proverbs 27, verse two, let another man praise you, not your own mouth, a stranger and not your own lips. And so they sent them to give testimony. And then finally, verse 28 and 29, it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, from sexual immorality. And if you keep yourselves from these, you'll do well. This importance of the leading of the spirit is stressed. These are the things that will prevent division with Jewish believers. Your liberties will not overrule your love for a brother or a sister in the Lord. So don't do anything that causes somebody else to stumble. I'll close with a couple of thoughts, trying to think about how to say this. There are various things that are trends within the life of the church over the centuries and one of the trends that we're seeing today, and it's been going on for a while and it's offensive to some. When I say this, I said this first service and people get up and walk out because they get upset, so I'll say it now. And I love you, goodbye. But it's true. A big thing in the church today, and I don't know how come, I really don't, is taking my liberty and extending it to use alcohol, what I feel like it, to drink. I can't tell you, the younger people are the ones who normally get offended because I guess it hits them harder than some of the older ones who know what happens when you drink and what can happen. The younger ones have yet to enter into that time of experiencing the heartache and the various things associated with it. My background was I was an alcoholic and therefore I have a sensitivity to that and I admit that, I confess that before you, that I have a sensitivity to that issue. I haven't seen good done because of alcohol, I haven't seen it. With that said, somebody wants to argue and they do, well the Bible doesn't forbid me from drinking, et cetera, et cetera. But the problem is this, is what if your brother is stumbled over it? What if your sister is stumbled over your drink? Well, they better grow up and get, you know, you know. Why is that my problem? It's your problem because it's your brother. It's your problem because your freedom that you consider to be such a liberty in Christ is causing a brother to be stumbled and that doesn't bother you. The Bible tells me to abstain from alcohol, not to be drunken by alcohol, of course. But instead of being drunk with wine, be filled with the Holy Spirit. I have had a lot of hangovers. I was an alcoholic for a while, for a little while. And I've had a lot of hangovers but I've never had a Holy Ghost hangover. I've never awakened the next morning saying I had too much of God last night. I've just never done that. And so what happens is we take the freedoms that we have in Christ and we extend them to stumbling people. You, at this point on a personal level, may not see any problem with it at all. You may think it's okay. I'm not here to argue against the liberties you possess in Christ. I'm just asking you to love people. I was given a message and I said one time when our church was fairly new, I've said this before, some may remember this, but I said, what would you do if you came to my house, went to my refrigerator or a cabinet and you found some beer or some whiskey, some wine? What would you do? Now the point I was trying to make is you would probably be disappointed in me thinking that I was different than that and why do you, you would probably think that about me. How can you preach the way you do it? Get your secret, how could, and this guy says he's in the front row, he says, I'd help you drink it, pastor. That wasn't the point I was trying to make. I'll help you drink it. No, I wasn't offering you it, it's mine. No, I wasn't. See, so sometimes the point isn't being made, I'll try again. Never do anything. When you have a brother or sister that you know has a weakness in that area, whatever your freedom may allow you to do, never practice it in front of somebody you can stumble. I would go further and say, instead of being drunk with wine, wherein he says there's a lack of self restraint, excess, be not drunk with wine, wearing his excess, but be filled with the Holy Spirit. I would say that the church today needs no alcohol and more of the Spirit. That's what we need, why? Because the world is going to hell in a handbasket. Well, the church is arguing about what they're allowed to do. What we've been called to do is love one another and preach the gospel to a dead and dying war. That's called Christianity. That's called Christianity. That's what we're called to do, so that people can be saved. It is that important. So he says don't be eating of things that have been strangled, don't be eating the blood, don't be involved in sexuality and morality, don't be involved in idolatry. Be aware of how sinful those things are by themselves, but be aware of how it affects your brothers or sisters in Christ and don't stumble them. Well, as this takes place, it says finally in verse 30 and we'll conclude here. At verse 32, when they were sent off, they came to Antioch where they had gathered the multitude together. They delivered the letter and when they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement. Judas and Silas themselves, being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words. So when he said it, it seems good to the Holy Spirit and to us, it's importance of the leading and the spirit. They were sent off to Antioch. They brought this great news and encouragement to the church. Judas and Silas, verse 32, were prophets. They exhorted, they brought comfort to them. So as genuine Christian ministers, instead of upsetting them, they encouraged them. They strengthened their understanding of the freedom found in the gospel. They encouraged them to live free of bondage to the law and to live in grace, to love one another. Don't cause a stumbling to somebody else. Care for their souls. I think the church needs to be aware of that. I also believe in a close with this. If there's ever been a moment that the Holy Spirit needs to be let loose in our lives, it's now. It's ever a time when we should be saying every day we wake up, God, fill me with the Holy Spirit and work with me. I have many opportunities today. I wanna be a witness for you. I need the power of your spirit. And Lord, as I read your word, give me opportunities to share it. Cause I want people to know Jesus Christ. When our first God saved, that's what I started doing. Lord, just help me to know you, to know your word, to learn to love and to walk in your spirit because this world needs Jesus Christ. Let me not get caught up with things that are just distractions. Help me to keep the main thing, the main thing. Help me to live for you. I've been doing that now for a number of years. I pray that constantly. God help me to be used by you in these last days especially. We need to be clear in the message. It's by grace that you're saved through faith. I don't wanna be a legalist. I wanna walk in the freedom that comes through Christ. But I also wanna love the brother whom Christ died for and I don't wanna stumble him with my perceived liberties. May God help us to understand that today.