Acts 15:28-29

The sun and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lift up your hearts. We lift up the Lord. Psalm 67 to the chief musician on stringed instruments, a song, a song. God be merciful to us and bless us in case to shine upon us, say, la, that your way may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God. Let all the peoples praise you. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy. For you shall judge the people righteously and govern the nations on earth, say la. Let the peoples praise you, O God. Let all the peoples praise you. Then the earth shall yield her increase. God, our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us and all the ends of the earth shall fear him. This is the Word of the Lord. Thank you, God. For some, we're going to sing a Psalm 117. It's a four-part canon. So we're going to, we'll sing it twice through together. And then we're going to break it up between sections here. So the back three rows will start. You'll sing with me. And then these first three rows here. And then that back three rows will start third. And then these first three rows will start fourth. All right, I'll give you some cues to get us started. But we'll start twice through altogether. Praise the Lord, all ye nations. Praise him, all ye people, for his merciful kindness is praise, O Lord of us, and the truth of the Lord in the earth forever. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, all ye nations. Praise him, all ye people, for his merciful kindness is praise, O Lord of us, and the truth of the Lord in the earth forever. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord. Ready? I'll sing with the back. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, all ye nations. Praise him, all ye people, for his merciful kindness is praise, O Lord of us, and the truth of the Lord in the earth forever. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, all ye nations. Praise him, all ye people, for his merciful kindness is praise, O Lord of us, and the truth of the Lord in the earth forever. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord. Praise him, all ye people, praise the Lord in the earth forever. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord. Amen. Jesus shall reign where it does, son, does his successive journeys run. His kingdom stretch from shore to shore, till moonshell wax and wane go. The old nations with their kings, where your ever best tribute brings, from north to south, the princes meet, to pay their homage, I miss you. To him, child, and this prayer be made, and praises strong to count his hand. His name lights me, for a few shall rise, with every morning's sacrifice, every shall glory of to behold, and in your shines and Easter Lord. The pile western empire's own daredevil, and savage tribes attend his birth. People and rounds of every time, well on his love with sweetest song, where we always sit, shall flow away, where early blessing from his grave, the sings of battle where he reigns, the prisoner needs to lose his chain, but we refine eternal rest, and all the sons of one far less, let every creature rise and wane, make you your honor to argue, angels visit with songs again, and repeat the loud comment, where he displays his healing mind, death and the curse are no no more, and in the tribes of Adam, the most poor blessing thing is Father lost. Amen. A confession of sin today comes from Genesis chapter 45 verses 1 through 15. Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, make everyone go out from me, so no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the House of Pharaoh heard it, then Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph, does my Father still live, but his brothers could not answer him for they were dismayed in his presence, and Joseph said to his brothers, please come near to me, so they came near, then he said, I am Joseph your brother whom you sold into Egypt, now do not therefore be grieved, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me here before you to preserve herds and all that you have. There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have come to poverty, for there are still five years of famine, and behold your eyes, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that, it is my mouth that speaks to you, so you shall tell my Father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen, and you shall hurry, and bring my Father down here, then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck, moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him. This is the word of the Lord. Thank you, Jesus. You're invited to kneel if you are able or to take a humble posture, so we confess our sin together. Heavenly Father, we confess that at many times, in many ways we have allowed our circumstances to keep us from joy and contentment, we have allowed our circumstances to keep us from trusting your power or goodness. We confess that too often we grow bitter and hold on to the sins of the past instead of casting them at the feet of Jesus, but not only not our sin only. Too often we also burden ourselves with the sins of others. We allow bitterness to take root, and we pretend that we have some kind of responsibility to hold on to and deal with the sin ourselves instead of trust you are working all things for good and glory. Father, forgive us, make us trust your wisdom and power and goodness, remove every root of bitterness and restore in us the joy of your salvation. And we know that if we regard iniquity in our hearts that our prayers will be ineffectual and so we pause to confess our individual sins to you now. Please rise and lift your head to receive the good news. Beloved, whoever believes on him will not be put to shame. I acknowledge my sin to you and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, I will confess my transgressions to Yahweh and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He does not retain his anger forever because he delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. And so because his gospel is true and you believe that I can declare to you that your sins are forgiven in Christ. Thanks be to Yahweh for he is good for his mercy and doers forever. Amen. The wondrous love is this, oh my soul, oh my soul. The wondrous love is this, oh my soul. The wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of this to bear the dreadful curse, oh my soul, oh my soul. To bear the dreadful curse for my soul. When I was sinking down in despair, in despair, when I was sinking down in despair. When I was sinking down, we leave God's righteous crown. Christ laid aside his crown. For my soul, for my soul. Christ laid aside his crown. For my soul. To not to the Lamb, I will see. I will see to God in to the Lamb. I will see to God in to the Lamb. Who is the great I am? While I'm milling, join the theme. I will see, I will see. While I'm milling, join the theme. I will see. The sons of science, King, join the grace. Join the grace. The sons of science, King, join the grace. The sons of science, King, join the arts and voices. And strike to full strength in his grave. And strike to full strength in his grave. And when from death I'm free, I'll see. And when from death I'm free, I'll see. And when from death I'm free, I'll sing and joyfully. And through eternity, I'll see. And through eternity, I'll see. And when to that bright world we are right. And when to that bright world we are right. When to that world we go free, From all pain and cold, we'll join. Happy throng and sing on. We'll join, I'll have be throng and sing on. Amen. You may be seated. If you are with us this morning and you need prayer, because you are sick or suffering in any way, we'd like to offer that now. Is there anyone here who would like prayer? Yes, sir. Good ahead, so first you. Okay. Nothing. Nothing. Yeah. Right, right. So just a prayer for the wisdom of the doctors and the knowledge. Amen. They're praying to you there. They're forming this upon your surface. Okay. Just make sure they give you good ice cream, okay? And we'll do it. Father, we lift you up to you. And we are thankful and amazed at what men can do. With the skill and wisdom you've given to him. And you use the hands of men to bring healing to our bodies. And we thank you, Father, that you will use the hands of these doctors to bring healing to Judah, to reconstruct and fix. Lord, what needs addressing. Father, I pray that you would just pour over him and cover him with your perfect peace. I pray that for his family as well. I pray that his recovery will be quick and full. And we thank you, Father, that you will guide the hands of those doctors and put compassion in the hearts of every nurse or technician that deals with Judah. Father, we just lift him up and we thank you for his life. And we thank you that you will guide him through this and bring him to full recovery in Jesus' name, Amen. Amen. All right. Anyone else here? And you would like to pray. Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Okay. Oh, my goodness. Right. It's going around. All right. Well, Father, I thank you for grace and the Brandenburger family. And Lord, would you pour out healing on grace, heal her body. Lord, at every point of need, we also lift up Scott and Allen, we lift up, we lift up, we lift up, we lift up Allen, we ask for their healing and we pray your healing grace, cover this family. Lord, uphold them and sustain them. And we thank you in Jesus' name, Amen. Anyone else here? And you? Yes, ma'am. I'm Olga. Okay. Well, Father, we lift Olga up to you and we ask for healing for beams. Lord, you know exactly what? What the issue is. Father, I just pray that you would touch her even now, and heal her and restore her. Watch over and protect her in Jesus' name, Amen. All right. Yes, ma'am. Okay. And what's your mom's name? Linda. Father, we lift Linda up to you and we ask that you would heal her, touch her even now, and for these upcoming surgeries, God, would you lead in God, the hands of the doctors? Father, what an amazing testimony if she would be touched by you and not even need surgery, Lord, you are more than able to heal however you choose. And however you choose, we ask that she would heal her, watch over her, guard her heart in mind with your peace in Jesus' name, Amen. Amen. Anyone else? All right. Let's pray for the other needs of the body and of our church. We stand as your able and let our prayers rise like incense. Our Heavenly Father, we ask that you grant healing to those suffering among us, Josephine, Paula, Crystal, Jay, and Hannah, and we lift up others we know who are suffering. Tammy, Barbara, Shelby, Chris, Abel, Shannon, Loretta, J.J. and Brad. Lord have mercy, you are our prayer. We lift up E.J. Marley, Joy, Kelsey, Hannah, Laurie, and Catherine, and pray they and their babies remain healthy. We lift up those desiring marriage and children and ask that you continue blessing your church to thousands of generations. Bless you to the name of the hallway, the creator, and the standard of life. Grant us in our elders wisdom for our time of visitation. Keep us faithful and joyful. Establish the work of our hands for us and lead us to the lost and wandering sheep. They join the fight and feast. Grant wisdom and direction to those considering moving and joining our community. Bless faithful families with good work and favored by property and homes and be established and rooted to labor here for your kingdom and glory. We lift up King's covenant church and other congregations in our area and in the Wycliffe Presbyterian and ask you to bless and strengthen them. Likewise, bless and refine the work of the Taylor area ministerial alliance, Shepherd's heart, Kingdom economic coalition, and Coenania classical Christian school. To go to the Al make to those who are good and to those who are upright in their hearts. We lift up the communion of reformed evangelical churches. Bless the works and missions for your names, Savior. Make your body and bride in the earth today fear you only, loving one another, faithful as martyrs in life even unto death. And speak to God who gives victory throughout Lord Jesus Christ. We lift up missionaries, Gautana and Ethiopia, Jeff and Costa Rica, pastor Oleg and Russia, the Georgia's in Asia and Pastor Cornelius in India, that they remain kingdom focused, proclaiming the gospel boldly no matter the cost, provide for them according to your riches and glory by Christ Jesus. Even by our prayers and gifts that this fruit may abound to our account. Rise of God, Judge Deer, for you shall inherit all the issues. Lord of the harbors, send out laborers into your hearts. Make us zealous witnesses to those yet lost or living contrary to the testimony of their baptism. Convict them of sin and grant repentance. We ask this for the Rojas, Hinchman, Machita, Buchanan, Frady and Robeless families. And for Matthew, Greg, Jonathan, Nick, Pierre, Jeannie, Chase, Lizzie, Emily, Angie, Vivian, Larry, Hannah, Malachi, Rihanna, Rebecca, Zachary, Ashton, Kyle, Ryan, Keith, Cheryl, Bill, Kessia, Jacqueline and Frank. Your steadfast love is better than life. Open their eyes to see and their lips to praise. For our brothers and sisters persecuted for righteousness safe, to remain faithful, make their suffering fruitful and Christ exalting. Rise up, O Yahweh, and light your enemies to be scattered, and let those who hate you bleed before you. For governing authorities and officers, locally, county-wide, statewide, in our country and across the globe, that they joyfully and with fear bow before Jesus the King Eternal. You shall have the minion from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth. Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before him, and his enemies will look at the dust. Yes, all kings shall fall down before him. All nations shall serve him. Put away the sin our country calls good. We live among those who celebrate evil, suppress truth, and conspire against the Lord and against your treasured ones. We live among those who delight to violently sacrifice children. We have rejected your law and despised your holy word. Therefore your anger is aroused and the root of all who reject you will be as rottenness. Send us revival and reformation again. Your judgment is subdued and yet we deserve worse. We cannot understand your ways, but you are righteous in all. Remember mercy and abortion. Humbly us and heal our land. Almighty God, you change times and seasons, you remove kings and set up kings, and you turn the hearts of our rulers wherever you will. You have made everything for its purpose. Even the wicked for the day of trouble, who your counsel stands forever and the thoughts of your heart to all generations, and so not our will but yours be done. We ask these things in the name of Jesus who taught us to pray, saying, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses and we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Lyon is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. I waited for the Lord He stooped and heard my cry. He brought me from the pit out of the dungeon mine. My peace had on around my foot steps made secure. My lips he gave us on, a song to praise our God. Many will see with all and so will trust the Lord. Blessed you trust in God and turns not to false hand. You have worked wonders for no one compares to you. Should I say, play each one their number is to praise? You are no offering nor as a sacrifice, but you have given me a ready year to year. You ask no offerings, burn nor sacrifice for sin. So I say here I come as in the scroll and scribe. To do your will, O God, to me is my divine. Your law is part of me deep in my heart, O God. In congregation great, I told you right just man. You know Lord I spoke out, I did not pull my lips. I did not in my heart, you're truly saving them. Your faithfulness I preach in congregation great. Do not withhold from me your tender mercy's will. Let your unfailing love forever keep me safe. Amen. Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him, how I prove there more and more. Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus, pulled forth grace to trust Him. Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus just to take Him out of His heart. Just to rest upon His promise just to the safe of the world. Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him, how I prove there more and more. Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus, pulled forth grace to trust Him. O how sweet to trust in Jesus just to trust His cleansing of Him just to take Him out of His heart. Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him, how I prove there more and more. Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus, pulled forth grace to trust Him. Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus just to promise Him and so to cease just to take Him out of His heart. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus Jesus, Jesus, Jesus , Jesus, Francis, Francis Cosso, Francis, Thomas, Francis, Francis, Francis, Francis, Simon, Francis, Francis, Thomas, Francis, the Lord, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Palo Quick Legends, Jesus and Lex. the Savior, friend, and I know you have now are with me. Will be with me to the end. Jesus, Jesus, how do I trust Him? How do I prove Him more than you know? Jesus, Jesus, precious Him, wonderful grace to trust Him more. Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him, how I prove Him more than you know? Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus, whole for grace to trust Him more. whole for grace to trust Him. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Our first reading this morning comes from the book of Romans, chapter 11 verses 1 through 32. I say then, has God cast away His people, certainly not, for I also am in Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He forenew, or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah? How He pleads with God against Israel saying, Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars and I alone and left, and they seek my life. But what does the divine response say to Him? I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the need to bail. Even so then, at this present time, there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace, otherwise work is no longer work. What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks, but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded, just as it is written. God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear. And to this very day, and David says, let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block, and a recompense to them, let their eyes be darkened so that they do not see, and bow down their back, and bow down their back always. I say them, have they stumbled and should they fall, certainly not, but through their fall to provoke them to jealousy. Sovation has come to the Gentiles. Now, if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness. For I speak to you Gentiles, and as much as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry. If by any means I may provoke to jealousy, those who are of my flesh, and save some of them, for if they are being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? For if the first fruit is holy, the lump is also holy, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches were broken off, and you being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them a partaker of the root and the fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches, but if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, branches were broken off that I might be grafted in. Well said, because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith, do not be hotty but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God, on those who fell, severity, but towards you goodness, if you continue in his goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from the olive tree, which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree? For I do not desire brethren that you should be an ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written. The deliverer will come out of Zion, and he will turn away on godliness from Jacob, for this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins. Concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election, they are, they are beloved for the sake of the fathers, for the gifts of the calling of God are irrevocable. For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you, they also may obtain mercy. For God has committed them all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Matthew 15, starting in verse 10, hear the word of the living God. When he had called the multitude to himself, he said to them, here and understand, not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man. Then his disciples came and said to him, do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying? What he answered and said, every plant which my heavenly father has not planted will be abrooted. Let them alone, they are blind leaders of the blind, and if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch. Then Peter answered and said to him, explain this parable to us. So Jesus said, are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murder, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man. Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Scydon, and behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to him saying, have mercy on me, O Lord, son of David, my daughter is severely demon-possessed, but he answered her not a word, and his disciples came and urged him saying, send her away where she cries out after us. But he answered and said, I was not sent except to the law sheet of the house of Israel. Then she came and worshipped him saying, Lord help me, but he answered and said, it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs. And she said, yes Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master's table. Then Jesus answered and said to her, a woman, great is your faith, let it be to you as you desire and her daughter was healed that very hour. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Christian, what promises do you believe? I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, light of light, very God of very God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made, who for us men, for our salvation, came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven, and he is on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord in giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, I acknowledge one baptism for the ripnation of saints, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. I greet those around you with peace. I greet you all. I greet you all. I greet you all. I greet you all. I greet you all. I greet you all. I greet you all. I greet you all. I greet you all. I greet you all. I greet you all. I greet you all. I greet you all. I greet you all. I greet you all. I greet you all. I greet you all. I greet you all. I greet you all. I greet you all. I greet you all. I greet you all. I greet you all. I greet you all. I greet you all. And all nations will call you blessed, where you will be a delightful land, says Yahweh of hosts. Let's pray. Our God and Father, we thank you for every good and perfect gift that is from above. We thank you that all things are from you, through you, and to you, and that your power is made perfect in weakness. We ask that you would guard our hearts from the love of earthly things, and make us cheerful givers. We bless you now from the great abundance that we have in Christ Jesus. Receive these tides and offerings. Multiply our seed for sowing and increase the harvest of our righteousness. We ask that you would use these tides and offerings for the preaching of your gospel, the strengthening of your church, and the discipling of the nations. We ask this in the strong name of Jesus and amen. Amen. Yurzo Yahweh is the greatness, the power, and the glory, the victory, and the majesty. For all of us in the hand of the Lord, the Lord is the King of Yahweh, the New Lord is called in that stand over all. For all things come from you, and of your own, the Matthew and the Jesus. Amen. Open your Bibles to Acts 15. Let us pray. Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for your gospel. We thank you that it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. Father, would you buy your Holy Spirit and dwelling your people, illuminate your word today, to mold us and shape us, to renew our minds, that we would be transformed and conformed into the image. Father, we ask this that you would be glorified through your church. It is in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today, we are going to circle back to our text from last week in order to take a closer look at the relationship between those four necessary things that were listed in the Bible. We are going to look at the relationship or the contrast between the prohibition against eating so many things that were listed in the Bible. We are going to look at the relationship or the contrast between the prohibition against eating certain meats and blood and the invitation of Jesus for us to eat his flesh and drink his blood. We will seek to look more deeply into our worship of God and the related and intimate fellowship that produces for us in him and in the body. Our text today is going to be Acts 15 verses 28 and 29, just the last part of the letter sent from the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. We hear the word of the Lord. For 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, and from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourself from these, you will do well. Fair well. This is the word of the Lord. These four prohibitions that are listed here in Acts 28 and 29, which is the last part of the body of the letter that is recorded for you there in Scripture. If you notice, they are listed first in verse 20, but then in verse 28, in the body of the letter, the counsel lists them again, but in a slightly different order. We are going to look at them in the order that they appear in the letter that was sent to Antioch. They were these four things to abstain from things offered to idols, to abstain from blood, to abstain from things strangled, and to abstain from sexual immorality. So, let's look briefly at each of these and how they relate to our worship. First, the command to abstain from things polluted by idols. In other words, abstain from foods that have been sacrificed to idols. Yes, they were to abstain in order to not become a stumbling block, to the weaker brother, and to foster unity among the brethren, specifically between Jew and Gentile, yet there wasn't even deeper and related reason. Because what we worship is that to which we are ultimately joined, what you worship is what you're joined to. And we cannot be joined to both God and to demons. As Paul points out in 1 Corinthians 10, 21, where he writes, saying, you cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot pertake of the Lord's table and the table of demons. You can't have it both ways. Or Jesus said it like this, you cannot serve God and manmon. You cannot serve God and the world and the things of the world. The second thing was to abstain from things strangled. And the basic reason for prohibiting meat that was strangled is that the blood remains in the animal. This is directly related to the next prohibition about blood. Eating strangled meat was eating meat with its blood and blood had much to do with both true and false worship. The third was to abstain from blood. For the heathen, the consumption of blood was related to worship and certain rituals and certain enchantments that were associated with the demonic gods that they worshiped. The Jews were strictly forbidden to participate in such pagan rituals so the eating of blood was prohibited. And this also automatically prohibited strangled meat. Yet we will look at Jesus, the curious invitation that Jesus gives to us to eat his flesh and drink his blood. And fourth was to abstain from sexual immorality. This is not an unrelated prohibition. All four of these are intimately related to one another. And we'll look at this in our lesson today. The Greek word translated sexual immorality is often translated fornication in your Bible. It is the Greek word, pornea, where we get our word pornography from. Sexual immorality or pornea covers all forms of prohibited sexual activity in the law. It is not only sex outside of marriage, that is how we most often think about the word fornication. We hear fornication, we think of sex outside of marriage and that is not incorrect. But sexual immorality or fornication is any and all prohibited sexual activity engaged in by a man or woman. The term sexual immorality covers much more area and carries a much broader meaning than we may think. Sexual immorality and pagan worship were interrelated. They were closely tied. As many temples had both female as well as male prostitutes associated with them to perform sexual rights of worship. It was not only socially accepted in that day, it was socially expected. For the believers living in such pagan cultures, sexual immorality was expressly prohibited. And it was prohibited because it was tied to worship. Sexual intimacy was designed to be enjoyed by one man and one woman within the context of marriage. And anything outside that lawful context is sexually immoral and I would also submit idolatrous. So we want to keep the main thing, the main thing. And the association of polluted foods and sexual immorality are in connection with idolatrous worship. We see this in both the old and the New Testaments. The food laws and the sexual ethic and all the provisions of the law came down to Israel's worshipful obedience to Yahweh. At the end of the day, the obedience of God's people comes down to the matter of worship. Worship is the main thing. And the point of the letter sent from Jerusalem with the four prohibitions was about right worship. Right worship would in turn lead to right and true fellowship among the brethren, be they Jew or Gentile. As was their focus, our focus is worship. This is not simply a list of don'ts for the sake of one another. This was about doing worship together with one another. And like Jesus did with love, hear the Holy Spirit reduced and condensed what could have been a massive treatise. Could have read a whole volume of book on what they would have could have should have done. But the Holy Spirit reduced this down to four simple points. The Spirit thereby succinctly and powerfully using these four points informed the church concerning our worship and our fellowship with God and with one another in Christ. You do realize we do not just have fellowship with God. We have fellowship with God and with one another for we are all members of one body, his body, the body of Christ. The glory of God and the good of all was the purpose of these commands as they centered on the worship of God's people or the worship of God by his people, the harmonious fellowship between Jew and Gentile as one new man directly translate into our fellowship with God and one another. And thus it translates into our worship in spirit and truth. The witness of our Christian worship is destroyed if we refuse to unify as a body in our worship and in our communion with one another before God. This is why our love for one another our unity among one another amongst one another is so important because it witnesses our Christian worship and it either gives a right witness or it gives a poor witness. We want to keep undivided loyalties. We want to keep in our worship when you read your Old Testament in particular when you read through the prophets and you read this we see this in the judges we are going through judges on Friday mornings right now in our Friday morning Bible study that is by the way welcome to all of you at 630 every Friday morning. We're going through judges and we see this in the worship of Yahweh but they polluted that worship with the addition of worship for the false gods of the nations around them and in their worship of these other gods they joined themselves to those gods. That is what worship does worship joins us to whatever it is where worshiping. Many people worshiped themselves today and when they do that they make themselves their own god and that's who they're joined to themselves and that will not in well for people who trust themselves who look to themselves who whether they do it consciously or not whether they understand this is what they're doing they're worshiping theirself. So whatever it is that we worship that's what we're joined to you cannot have both you can serve god only or you don't serve him at all you will serve god only or not at all he is either Lord of all or he's not Lord at all. Israel thought she could live with divided with divided loyalties but she could not god is a jealous god and he would not accept that he still would not accept that. Israel became the spiritual adulterers unfaithful to the one savior they were joined to in truth keeping the appearance of loyalty to Yahweh through outward worship was a weak facade that could not cover up the truth that was their unfaithful and adulterous heart. That they had divided loyalties which in fact was disloyalty to god what we worship and what we join ourselves to is a matter of vital importance. Who are what we're joined to in worship defines and determines who are what we have fellowship with in the most intimate ways and that is true whether we know it or not whether we believe it or not the devil is fine with us not believing in him or god or anything like that. In a dead matter whether we believe it or not it is the truth it is the world we live in it is the spiritual truth of the world of the cosmos that god has created. The point of these prohibitions was that Jew and Gentile would now have unhindered and undivided fellowship in worship as they functioned together as members of one body united under one head the Lord Jesus Christ. You are what you eat have you ever heard that before you are what you eat I still vividly remember I can I can picture in my mind right now from many years ago my daily walk into the junior high cafeteria line and as I walked into the world I did not do the cafeteria line part of the cafeteria where you would go through the line and the lunch ladies would fill your tray as soon as you walked through those double doors there was a wall there and on that wall was plastered the sign that said you are what you eat. Obviously a lasting reminder for me of the same is true for us today especially in a spiritual sense you are what you eat eating the food and the blood sacrifice to demons as a willful act of worship create a spiritual bond to the demonic and this is why the prohibition was written into the letter sent to the Gentile churches because this is what they did as common practice. That spiritual reality gives the maximum you are what you eat an even wadier meaning but still wadier and even more amazing is the reality that when we come to the Lord's table to eat the body of Christ and drink his blood in bread and wine we are spiritually joined and renewed in the Lord of glory. We are joined to what we worship that is true be it sinful disobedient worship of what is false or be it our obedient worship of the one who is spirit and truth. It is the intentional act of worship by means of flesh and blood and intimate fellowship that joins us to the object of our worship at the Lord's table though we consume it we are not joined to bread and wine representing his flesh and blood. We are not joined to the Lord by bread and wine but by the power and grace of the one whose body and blood we proclaim in partake of at this table in the form of bread and wine. It is not the bread and wine but our worship and it is our Christ that is powerful. If Christ is the object of our worship we are joined to what is true if anything other than Christ is our object then our sinful worship will join us to what is false unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood you have no life in you. We are the words of Jesus Jesus understood this maximum you are what you eat for he commands us to live by it as we follow him in a moment that shocked his followers Jesus offered that his disciples eat his flesh and drink his blood. Christ addressed his followers in a most shocking way listen to John's record in John 652 through 56 where he writes the Jews therefore quarreled among themselves saying how can this man give us his flesh to eat then Jesus said to them most assuredly I say to you unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood you have no life in you whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day for my flesh is food indeed and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him hearing Jesus speak those words would have been shocking indeed for every Jew that was listening to him so shocking it would be difficult for many to recover from hearing those words shocking because of the prohibitions laid out by God himself in his word God commanded Noah and all mankind saying but you shall not eat flesh with its life that is its blood Genesis 9.4 also God commanded Moses and the children of Israel in Leviticus 7.14 concerning meat and blood and in light of these we can understand why John writes that many ceased to follow Jesus after that yet there is God or here is God not rescinding those commandments and prohibitions through the words of Christ but putting them into their proper context and bringing clarity as to what they truly means and why our worship is so important and so powerful consider the words of Jesus in John 6 and later in the gospel accounts it Passover when he is introducing the true meaning of the bread and the wine of the Lord's table his words should inform us as to why we come to this table each week it should also remind us why not coming to the table each week would be a travesty in terms of our worship of God in light of God's covenants and laws and with these prohibitions in Acts 15 it is interesting to consider that each week we eat Christ body and drink his blood as he commanded us saying unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood you have no life in you truly we are what we eat Jesus when he was crucified died of suffocation this is how you die in crucifixion you die of suffocation dying of suffocation is dying just as one who would be strangled though he no doubt shed much blood Jesus died with his blood remaining in him except for what blood out from his scourging from the crown of thorns and from the nails in his feet and hands it was only after his death that the centurion thrust the spear into the side of Jesus and the Bible says blood and water flowed out this is a mystery to me it's beyond my ability to wrap my mind around it the words of Christ concerning eating his flesh and drinking his blood were hard words for the Jews to accept yet we are commanded in our worship of the triune God to eat the body of the Son of God and drink his blood his body is our meat and his blood is our drink his body was given for our peace his blood for our cleansing and the cup of the new covenant we eat his body and drink his blood in proclamation of who he is and what he has done in securing our salvation to those who do not have a revelation of Jesus Christ crucified and risen for the redemption of his people those words of Christ inviting us to eat his flesh and drink his blood sound radical to say the very least and do you know what they are radical what God invites us to do what God what we do each week as we come to this table is more radical than you can understand consider that the word the word made flesh who ordered creation became flesh and dwelt among us to live and die and live again and now he invites us to regularly partake of his body and his blood that we may commune with him in the fellowship of his life and in worship that truly is radical in the most graceful and the most amazing of ways worship touches every area of our life from the dining room to the bedroom the three points of prohibition that related to foods was no doubt about table fellowship between Jews and Gentiles but it was more than that it was ultimately an issue of worship the prohibition against sexual immorality seems like it should go without saying as were other points of the moral code that were not specified because they were already understood the specific prohibition against sexual immorality was also an issue of worship just like the prohibitions of foods and blood were an issue of worship the pagan rights of Gentiles often involved sexual immorality remember it was not only accepted it was expected sexual immorality in any form ritualistic or not is prohibited under the holiness code of the law and it is specifically prohibited here in the letter from the Jerusalem council that level of sacred intimacy is designed exclusively for marriage as it pictures the fidelity of our worship of God there is a link between violating food laws and sexual immorality and we find it in both the old and the new testaments here are two examples that link these prohibitions in both old and new testaments they are revelation two verse 14 and revelation two verse 20 each is part of a letter one letter was written to the church programus the other letter was written to the church at Thyatira in Revelation 214 it's written but I have a few things against you this is these are the words of Christ to these seven churches and these are the words of Christ the church programus but I have a few things against you because you have there those who hold the doctrine of bail and who taught bail to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel and what was the stumbling block to eat things sacrifice to idols and to commit sexual immorality then in Revelation 20 it is part of the letter to the church at Thyatira and Jesus says to that church nevertheless I have a few things against you because you allow that woman Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess to teach and seduce my servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrifice to idols both of these scriptures carry Old Testament references to idolatry and sexual immorality in the persons of Balaam and Jezebel who are Old Testament characters who both led Israel into idolatry and gross immorality two New Testament churches one in programus and one in Thyatira are referenced as having fallen into or at least tolerated the same sins of eating things sacrifice to idols and sexual immorality both of these are matters of wrong and sinful worship joining themselves to the table and the bed of demons through the counsel of Balaam in number 31 16 Israel was caused to trespass against the Lord Balaam taught Bala the king of the Amorites how to entice Israel into sinning against God he put a stumbling block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrifice to idols and to commit sexual immorality these sins were about enticing Israel to worship false gods through the enticements of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life the same things that tempt us with all that is around us Israel was to abstain from foods offered to idols yet they fell into temptation and one example we see is in numbers 25 verses 1 through 3 now Israel remained in a case of grove and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods and the people ate and bowed down to their gods so Israel was joined to bail a pure and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel the people ate and bowed down to the gods of Moab giving into the temptations they allowed themselves to be tempted with so Israel was joined to bail a pure and that joining took place through worship where they committed harlotry and ate foods offered to idols and they bowed down to their gods through the lust of their flesh they were led into sexual immorality and the idolatrous worship of false gods we see in the history of God's people idolatrous worship and running after other gods most almost always involve sexual immorality and violations of the food laws the most intimate forms of human fellowship and communion take place around a table or in a bed chamber in terms of our intimacy with God there is nothing more intimate than our worship so let's talk about the intimacy of worship the prohibition against sexual immorality is all about worship in our modern context of worship making that connection maybe more difficult for us than if we lived in the time when pagan temples and temple prostitutes were operating all around us yet sexual immorality is just as prevalent if not more today than it ever has been it certainly is more accessible today than it ever has been and that prohibition against sexual immorality that means it is no less important for us today the Apostle Paul writes this to the Corinthians first Corinthians 16 I mean verse Corinthians 6 verses 15 through 20 Paul writes do you not know that your bodies or members of Christ shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot certainly not or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her for the two he says shall become one flesh but he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him flee sexual immorality every sin that a man does outside the body but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you whom you have from God and you are not your own for you are bought at a price therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's your body and your spirit belong to God if you have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb you are the temple of the Holy Spirit the act of sexual intimacy is designed for marriage the concept of sex has been twisted and perverted into something it was never designed for marriage is the picture on earth of the love and the unity that Christ has with his bride the church I would say the love the unity and the intimacy that Christ has with his bride the church Christ died to say and to redeem his bride from her sin Christ who is the last Adam did for his bride what the first Adam failed to do for his give his life to save her the love of Christ the love that Christ has for his church is pure and holy and complete that is the love that God has for you as his bride as a member of his body Paul presents this picture of love and union in his letter to the Ephesians Ephesians chapter 5 Paul talks about marriage in the context of Christ and the church in Ephesians 5 30 and 32 he ends that section talking to husbands and wives writing this for we are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh this is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the church I tell every couple I counsel and premarital sessions your marriage is a picture of the relationship Christ has with his church that is what marriage represents that's why your marriage transcends your own personal happiness or convenience because your marriage on earth gives witness to the love Christ has for his bride the church and every respect and by his grace we have become one with Christ for we are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones that is a picture of the extreme intimacy and the oneness that exists between Christ and his bride the church our fidelity and worship as the bride is our fidelity to Christ who is our bride groom so this is the heart of the matter the four prohibitions of Acts 15 go much deeper than simple table fellowship between Jews and Gentiles that fellowship is much more than our ability to simply get along it goes to the heart of our worship and our communion with God our fellowship with one another is integrated in our fellowship with God this goes far beyond the surface of any relationship between believers it goes beyond even the surface of our worship at the heart of all of it our worship is powerful I want you to understand this when you come here on on the Lord's day to participate in the Lord's Day service there is something powerful that happens it's powerful whether you believe it or not it's powerful whether you understand it or not it is powerful your worship is powerful and this is true whether we are fully engaged and immersed in worship or whether we're going through the motions just checking the boxes as we go as we may be prone to do when you are engaged in corporate worship you are engaged in something more powerful more transcending and more transforming than you understand understanding our depth of fellowship in Christ as members of his body and members of one another it's not by accident that God calls us his bride understanding this is key and the key to understanding the power of our worship to violate that fellowship by sinning against one another and sinning against God is a violation of worship and spirit and truth and that is now commanded by God that's the worship God commands that we worship him in spirit and in truth we do that in our fellowship with God and our fellowship with one another worship of the triune God is made possible through our relationship in Christ and Christ we are indow out by his spirit we are joined to him we are made one with him we are offered up to him and made acceptable to him as living sacrifices in Christ he calls us he cleanses us he consequence us and he communes with us as we ascend into his presence in worship then he commissions us and sends us out to obey his commands to disciple the nations he has and he will do these very things he is doing them right now today in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit Amen let us prepare to come to the Lord's table here is your charge church each Lord's day you offer your reasonable acts of worship that you are privileged to offer up to God each Lord's day you come to the Lord's table deed his flesh and drink his blood through Brad and wine and you are joined to him in a way that you cannot humanly comprehend it is a gift of his grace your worship brings you into fellowship with God and as importantly in fellowship with one another thus God commands you not forsake the assembling of yourselves together the assembly of the saints in worship of your God is powerful your true fellowship with one another begins with your true fellowship with God and by his love he gave himself for you and poured such love into your heart and as you are joined to him you are commanded to love as he loves and to give of yourself for others following his example your fellowship in love for God and for one another is bound up in your worship the offering of your worship to God in spirit and truth is a tangible expression of your love for God just as his offering himself is a tangible expression of his love for us it is also a tangible expression of love for one another as members of his body you are to guard your love for God and so guard your love for one another failure to do so is failure to guard the sacred trust of worship God has given to you as you consider these four seemingly simple prohibitions and acts 15 consider that you are charged to abstain from anything that pollutes or violates your love and your worship of God you are charged to protect and denurt your true worship and true communion with God and with one another and you do this by upholding with all your life the worshipful fellowship of the saints for in your partaking of his table each week you are becoming what you eat you are being conformed to the very image of the son of glory as you have been joined to him and as you have been set apart for his glory you are charged to live in love and worship with your all and all to his glory and they men let us sing our thanks to God and the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious and in the body heavenly hope praise Father Son and Holy Ghost the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace the Lord be with you you

Genesis 45:1–15 Romans 11:1–32 Acts 15:28 Numbers 25:1–3 Ephesians 5 · chapter mention