Jerusalem Council | Pr Matthew Chang

You're listening to a message to go from ex Church. We hope this message

will light up your day. So today I'm gonna use a very unlikely scripture

passage, okay, to to lead us through a very important lesson. Turn

with me to act chapter fifteen. And I'm continuing on this series on Paul's

missionary work, and and so just very brief, I don't want to take

too long. Brief recap is that you know, Paul has ended his first

missionary trip, okay, Okay, if you're not familiar what happened in the

first missionary trip, you can go and check out the other sermons that I've

thought about it before. Okay. So basically he has done one missionary trip

okay, basically on the southern east of Europe, you know, through the

different islands to anterior, to all the different paths that you can go through

it. Okay. And so he has come back, okay from his first

missionary trip. They are all together three missionary trips. Okay. So he

went for his first missionary trip, he came back and he took it like

a small break, okay. And this is where it starts to h this

is where where we're gonna start off. So when he was taking his break,

okay from his mission trip, something very very crucial and very critical happened

over the church. It starts with the Antioch Church and then also became a

big problem for the Jerusalem Church as well. And we're gonna and this whole

entire chapter, chapter fifteen, it's about maturity on how when we look at

it, we will see how conflict comes and how conflict is resolved not just

by a person, not just within a family, but by the whole entire

church and the church as a whole to resolve it. And how do we

see God actually working through the Christian body, the Christian brothers and sisters to

come together into alignment into the gospel as well. Okay, it's a very

important thing. How do we That's why it's you know, it's about maturity.

You know. The other day, you know, I was reading an

article it talks about you know, I know they like companies like Google when

they hire right, you know, Wow, it's the number one quality that

they look for in their employees. I mean, if you will try to

apply for Google before or Amazon before, what's the number one quality that they

look for in their employee. Nobody knows what's a number one quality. Maturity.

Yeah, I don't think they will use the word maturity, but it's

close to that. The number one quality they look for is problem solving skills.

Problem solving skills. You know why because when you start work, it's

not like everything put in the platter for you. You just put this,

put that, put there, and know work will always traw you with many

curveballs and you have to solve problem on the spot, getting right things that

you're familiar with, things that you're not familiar with, things you don't ive

have an idea how to solve. You are called to solve. There is

why a lot of them like to hire employees from third world countries, from

Malaysia, Singapore, and especially from India. You know, you go to

Google, there so so many Indians. You know why so many Indians because

they notice that one of the top qualities coming from that country is their problem

solving skills. Not just because they have a lot of programming skills. Fare

it's problems solving skills. They grew up in a very different environment where they

are required to solve everything with very little resources, and that's one of the

highest qualities that Google and all these places are look for as well. And

so when you go and apply work in many places, you will realize that

when you go interview, one of the things they look for is not hey,

how many languages you speak? What they look for is how do you

solve a problem? Tell me how you solve from A to z? There

is how you convinced someone, Because if you're able to solve one problem,

they know that you have the capacity, the initiative, and the diligence and

the determination to see something soft from end to end, isn't it. It's

why you want in the family, isn't it. You want your parents,

you want your children to beha the type of determination to solve problems from end

to end or not. Halfway through Ris didn't cook properly, and then halfway

through live we just eat semi heart. Rice's like, no, you get

it done, no matter what how many resources you head, you get it

done. All right, Let's turn to X chapter fifteen. We're gonna read

here from verse one and he says, here and certain men, Oh,

you know, when the Bible starts sending certain men, that means, you

know, it's ss very suspicious, really you know. You know, it's

like if I tell you and some people, you know, we always like

to talking on God sleep and some people some grow up. Who are they?

Some people? Is it one? Is it singular? Is it plural?

It's only one person in the whole entire church, but it's some group

as if like there is a whole entire battalion. You're not telling about it,

but we use it. But anyway, it says certain men came down

from Judea and taught the brethren, okay, meaning people from the north of

a parttern part of Jerusalem coming down. They were affecting some of the people

in Jerusalem and some of the believers. Unless you are circumcised according to the

custom of Moses, you cannot be saying wow, I mean say, unless

you are circumcised according to the customer, what is this? What is the

circumcision according to the custom of Moses. It's not just being circumcised, you

know, it's just that you also want the key things that you must be

circumcised when you were born on the eighth day, when you were born.

How many of you can go back in time and circumstance yourself. Let's travel

back in time you know there's Okay, I am a Jew already. It

doesn't work their way. Okay, but there's another way you can become a

Jew. It's called a proselyting process. But that's another process. Okay,

But they're so strong. Unless you are a circumscians. According to the customer

Moses, you cannot be saved. You know, ah be saved. You

know you cannot be a Christian. You know you cannot receive the salvation of

God, the free gift of God. Such a strong teaching. Therefore,

you say, say, are continuing. When Paul and bounders had no small

dissension and dispute, it means that he had a big dispute. That okay,

you know, he had a big dispute and dissension with them. They

determine that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem

to the apostles and the elders about this question. Okay, let's pause there

for a while. Okay, Now we have the setting the already. Okay,

So the first thing I wanted to share with you guys is this.

Hey, one of the first thing is that you want the first mark of

maturity. You see in the person. Okay, is you observe what kind

of fight they get involved in? Okay, first thing I want to I

want to teach you. Okay, how do you know a person is mature?

How do I see a young person is mature? How do I see

even a senior person is mature when I look into their life? What kind

of fight they get themselves into? Okay, you must learn how to choose

your battles. There is the mark of maturity. Okay, write it down.

Learn to choose your battles. The battles you choose mark your maturity in

marriage is the same as well. You don't fight everything with your wife.

Okay, that's called a suicide. Okay, that's just foolish. And what

are you thinking? This guy is no brain? You know you want to

fight everything in your wife. No, you don't do that. You just

say yes and no. Okay, your life will long and prosperous. Okay,

No, it's kidding. Okay. But the mark of a mature is

you know how to choose your battles. Some things you don't fight. You

get mean, right, You just don't fight. You don't contend. It's

silly to fight with over everything. Because it's all about you, and you

don't realize that. Like I said, what you do, what you fight,

what you agree and do great effects you and other people. Is it

really really worth fighting? That's why you sometimes you see the why the world

is fighting over so small and petty things. You're like, why you get

I mean right? And because of that you have so much spill over effect.

And when you look bat in your own family as well, whether it's

your father and mother, with your brother and sister, evenether it's you yourself

being a husband and a wife and your children as well, why do you

pick those fights? You get what I mean right, there's the mark of

matrie. Actually, when you grow older, if you fight more, that's

said said lie you mean right, it means you have not grown when you

should grow older, you should fight less or not because you choose not to

fight over the small things. You learn the value of battles understanding. No,

write that down. You learn the value of battles, okay, But

there are things as you grow that you must understand. There are things that

you must fight for. Okay. There are things you cannot negotiate. You

must fight. And the problem is that the things that are really worth fighting.

We don't fight. There's the thing that because your resources are spending on

the things, on the small problems, and you fail to see the important

things that you ought to fight for. Okay, that's what that is.

That that is the key of maturity. You know the Bible talks about Hey.

You know when we look at the Bible, is the Bible just about

peace and love? Hey? The Bible got two parts in all, the

Old test of money, new test of money. Now God has not changed,

you know, it's the same God. You know, if you read

the Old testimnenty, there's a lot of war. There's a lot of bloodshed.

The times when God calls the people to take up arms, to beat

their shovels into spears, you know, to take their shore horses into war

horses, and all means. It's a household. You change every utility and

every vehicle for war and on. There's a time for that one and on.

Because there's a sound and there's a word of God calling the people to

fight, it's very very important because it's worth fighting for. So mark of

maturity, you must learn to choose your battles and fight the battles you are

called to fight clear, so that everybody, Okay, so and so Paul

is not going to give an inch on this because you know why, he

just had done one missionary world, going to all the northern jude apart from

Antio to the other side of Minor Asia. And he's seen planted churches,

he has been stoned, and he and people thought he died, and then

he rolls up again. You think, among the things that he went through,

he appointed elders in the different places he started, so many many of

them are not Jews, you know, and he's preaching and then now he's

come back and somebody tells him, Hey, if they are not circumcised a

calling the mostes, they cannot be said, what are you trying to tell

me that I have to go back all these places? Say that? Oh,

by the way, you know, you know, over the past few

years, when I'm visiting you, I forgot one very important thing I need

to circumcize you. You can imagine the type of implication, the heaviness,

the burden that he's going to be introducing to the people that God has opened

the door for you. You know what I mean? Right, if this

was so important, how come God has not put it on his heart to

share with them that how come has not come up in the testimonies and in

the trials that they've been through. You get what I mean, right?

And now suddenly there is some people who are coming into the church to say

that you must be circumcised. And that's why I want to tell you.

The second thing is that you must fight certain wars because the enemy will pick

a wall with you and comes from places that you do not understand. You're

not saying what I'm saying. It's a certain man you know, sounds religious

and will always use scripture. Moses said that you must circumcisee and Abraham.

Abraham was given the Covenant circumcision. Moses said that usual singles, you must

be circumcised. If not, you cannot be safe. And sometimes these teaching,

this attack will undermine completely the work of God. He comes in,

so you must understand. He said, Oh, don't fight. No,

there are things you must fight. There are things you cannot give an inch

in your own family. What are the things in your life that you must

fight for, in your work, in your own personally, And what are

the things that you must fight and you cannot give an inch? Sometimes it's

as simple. No, you must do your quiet time, you fight in

all You know what I mean, right coming to church on Sunday on time,

none negotiable, non negotiable or not fight. I know. Sometimes we're

like, ah, no, why these are the battles you pick and make

the difference in your life? You're not willing to fight that better, but

yet you will pick a small thing. Hey, how can you never share

your foot with me? We see you realize how petty we are spending energy

on the things that we're not supposed to battle with. You know, you

understanding what I'm saying here. We're so petty, but we have the wrong

perspective and the wrong less in life. Okay, so that's the first thing

I want to let you know. You must you must learn to content for

the right things. Now let's move on. Okay, let me just quickly

open on my notes here. Now let's talk a bit about circumcision. Okay,

I'm not going too much some slight here. Okay, you don't go

to too much, Okay, but I want to talk about why circumcision was

a big problem. Okay, how many of you have been circumcised before?

I'm sure most of us will not be familiar, but we have a majority

group who probably have gone through it before as well. Now we know that

circumcision is the removal of the foreskin of your body part. Okay, I

want saying not everybody body part, but a certain body part okay. And

cutting your nails doesn't cut it, okay, Okay. Now it was started

by when circumcision was well, when was he introduced? It was introduced by

God to Abraham. Okay, it was introduced by God to Abraham. You

can go really in Genesis chapter seventeen. There and then in the times of

Moses when Moses was laying down giving the law to the people, as God

taught him and Moses taught the people. It was also put as a commandment

from the Israelites to the people that you ought to circumcise your newborn on the

eighth day, you know, and saw that it would become a covenant that

they belonged to the people of God. Now, what is circumcision really really

all about? Is it really just about just removing? What is circumcision really

really all about? Now you must understand now that circumcision is not about a

procedure, but the substance and the implication of circumcision is all about one thing,

righteousness. Give me my you go to a circumcision, now, the

only one thing you care is that I am right with God. That's the

most important thing in human life. You know, it's your righteousness. When

you're on your deathbed, you're one thing. Am I right with God?

Because if you're not right with God? That's it. When you go to

the police station, now you feel one thing. You know, where do

you got any outstanding summons or not? It's simple as that. You know

you get me right. You go to the police are if you have outstanding

summons? Are even you? If an outstanding citizens are, you'll be fearful.

Oh my goodness, they're gonna dig my summons. I forgot to pay

this and that you know you're gonna get the trouble. Are you right with

God? Are you right? Are you right with the government? You want

to clear everything? So that's the heart of everything, every man. You

know you want to un one thing. When you pray, you want to

say, am I right with God? There's the underlying thing. You know,

am I right with God? If I'm right, it gives me confidence,

It gives me the privilege. It gives me the authority to say to

what to live the way I am. You got I mean right. Righteousness

takes me all the way to the Father's side. It all, it's all

about righteousness. And so it was so important to them because circumcision me,

if I'm adejew, circumcision, it's an indication, it's a symbol that I

am right with God, I belong to the right kind of people. We

paid our deals, we paid our fine, we are the right, and

we are right with God or so called that is being told by mine and

says that's that. So this passed time. We got it very very very

carefully. But is that really how you get righteousness? If there's a case

that, then we all sign up for circumcision. Ready, okay, let's

sign up for a second. We have baptism class were circumcision classes. So

okay, let's see how the sign up is. Okay, when your partners,

let's circumcise. No, you'll see the attendance drop crazy and everybody applying

for sickly. Okay, But really, circumcision is it's not just about a

procedure. It is about righteousness. But if you read you know I don't

go through too much when you read, I think it's a Romans chapter two.

Okay, maybe can go to a scripture Romans chapter two, verse twenty

five to verse twenty nine. Okay, okay, so that you know that

I'm not teaching out my own mind. Okay, this is Paul teaching about

what is meaning of truth. Circumcision Romans, Chapter two, verse twenty five

to verse twenty nine. Okay, I'm reading here. It says for circumcision

is indeed profitable, means it's beneficial if you keep the law. But if

you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. Therefore,

if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not

his uncircumcision count a circumcision? Well, okay, now there's a player of

words serially, and will not the physically uncircumcised Okay, it means someone who

is not uncircumcised, okay, if he fulfills the law. Judge, you

who even with your written cade and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law.

Means that if I am not circumcised, okay, and I keep the

law, but you, if you are circumcised, and you do not even

keep the law. You are no better than me. You can't mean right,

it just makes sense to me. I keep the law. It's not

about the seriity, It's about keeping the law, okay. Verse twenty eight.

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly. Okay, you

are not just because of what is appearing from the outside, Nor is circumcision

that is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one

inwardly. I mean, you are a Jew not because of what people see

from the outside. You are a Jew based on what you believe. And

you leave by okay. And circumcision is that of the heart, in the

spirit, not in the letter, whose praise is not from men but from

God. Well, actually, it's a lot of things. I can teach

you a lot of things, but let me just keep it simple. Circumcision

as we know it, right, you know, in the majority of faith

in the Jewish, when you're eight days, when you're eight days, or

you are circumcised, No the father nor me. The father does it.

Or they go to the temple and all the priests work where she performed the

circumcision. Okay, the man where she performed the sirconcision. But the true

circumcision that God is talking about is actually the circumcision of the heart, the

circumcision of the heart, because circumcision actually means one cutting away. No,

circumcision means the all has gone and the new has come. Okay, talking

about removing the old and the new has come, that is why it's called.

But the circumcision of the heart, the old heart has gone away and

the new heart has come. When you are a believer, you are circumcised

in your heart. Do you know that all of my are circumcised. Not

We're not circumcised by men. We are circumcised. The one that performed the

circumcision is the Holy spirits. The Holy Spirit circumcises your heart, takes away

all and gives you a new heart. You're all heart that desires to flesh.

The circumcision means that the separation of the flesh and the spirit. No,

the flesh and the spirit cannotmingle one and all. Removing of the flesh

so that the new spirit can come up. So when you're all flesh that

desires after the world that since that does not know God, the Holy Spirit

comes into your life and separates, it cuts it off. And now your

heart is circumcised and the spirit man comes out. You become aware of the

reality of God in your life, and all that you desire is just to

please the Father, to do the will of the Father, and you have

a life. There is the true circumcision, not by men, but by

the Holy Spirit. Does it make sense? Everybody's looking at a standard there?

Okay? Okay, I know it's a load there. You understand what

I'm saying. You know there is the true meaning of circumcision. So why

did God introduce that a physical circumcision to them? Why did God do that?

Have you ever been to a wedding before? Okay? What do they

do with the wedding? They woke up their eye and they exchange the vowel.

Isn't it okay? And then what do they do? They take the

ring and then they're exputing the ring. Isn't it exchanging the ring? The

wing represents one the commitment and their vow onto one another. Isn't it with

THEE I married, I marry you, I met you, my wife,

the so and so so and so? Okay, isn't it so? Whenever

I wear these people will see you know that I'm committed to my wife.

Say I'm a married man, but this the don't make me a good husband.

You know, you get men. I can wear this and then can

go out and find another woman on the street. Now what does that mean?

What is the what is the purpose of their braining? The wedding ring

doesn't make you married enough? Or maybe we might take it off. I'm

not identify as not married. Really, it doesn't work that way you wanted.

Okay, No, you can't matter. The wedding ring is a symbol.

You can't mean right, And you say that's the circle is an eternal

one two becomes one. It's a symbol. So the circumsione in the flesh

is a symbol and saying I'm saying no, it's a symbol or what we're

supposed to be to be committed to be. Okay. And so when God

asks Abraham circumcised you and your distance means that you are to set yourself apart.

But it doesn't mean that you're completely righteous. You know, you still

have to believe like Abraham believed. Okay, then that's a very very important

thing. You have the I have a slight. Oh there's a slight behind

me already. It's about righteousness about being a Jew and a child of Abraham

was a birthright mean you know they used to think that, Hey, because

I'm born in this family, therefore i am righteous. Ready, they took

it's like that because we're all circumcised when young. So by birthright, by

my right, I'm already righteous. But that's not true. That's not what

God is teaching about. Okay, So Abraham was righteous before the circumstansion.

When you marry your wife, you didn't come out on the stage. Then

you started falling in love. You know, Hey, ahna, I choose

to follow you. No, you already fall in love. You already say

you already got on your knees, said that, will you please marry me?

Get me right? You're ready gone through you already wait for the wedding

counseling. Already Abraham the same thing as well. Before he was asked,

he already believed God. He already stepped out from the ten. Remember what

I'm preaching, before he stepped out of the tent, even before he had

a child, he believed God. In this belief made him righteous. They

God say, oh you will not circumcise it you cannot. No, he

believed. So it was believe Abraham's faith that made him righteous. The circumcision

is just a symbol, makes sense. The circumcision is just a symbol,

not about the It's not the substance of everything. True circumcision is of the

heart, representing a new creation performed by the Holy Spirit. Now okay,

let's move on. Okay, I'm just tracking my time. Okay, I'm

still going on time. Okay, Now let's move on. Let's talk about

how they go on about resolving this issue. Okay. Down verse three,

it says yes, So, being sent on their way by their church,

they passed through Phoenicia Samaria, describing the conversion of the gent towns. So

as they were traveling down, Okay, Paul and Barnabas were at the north.

They were traveling down to Jerusalem. They passed by Phoenicia and Samaria,

and along the way they describe to people, especially the Gentiles. Okay,

okay, what has ha went throughout their first missionary trip, and they caused

great joy to all the brethren. And when they had come to Jerusalem,

they were received by the church and the apostles of the elders okay, and

they reported all things that God had done with them. I was like,

oh, sounds so good. So okay, when we came along the way

we share the testimonies, people were rejoicing. We came and mad the apostles,

and they were very happy with also. But then in verse five,

but some of the sect of the Pharisees who believe these are Pharisees who believe

they means other Christians as well. Okay, but doesn't mean that they are

believing. It means that all on the same page. Ah, that's the

reality. There's the reality in this world. Not everybody believe he's on the

same page one. Okay, what did they say? It is necessary to

circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of the Mostes. Now,

first there was certain men that say that you must be circumcised. Now

even among the leadership or the US Council, some of them were also believing

as well. So the enemy also is reinforcing this thing, you know.

So the church right now, the headquarter of the church is in quite a

turmoil, quite a quite quite what they call it conflict right now. Okay,

but now we're going to learn how they actually resolve it verse six.

Okay, So the titles writes there the Jerusalem Council, and this is a

very very important one, he says. And now the apostles and elders came

together to consider this matter. Okay. Now let's stop there for a while.

Okay, let's turn to Matthew chapter eighteen. Okay, verse fifteen to

verse seventeen. I'm going to bring to you a very important scripture, Matthew

eighteen, verse fifteen to verse seventy. Do I have it there, Matthew

eighteen. Okay, this is how you resue resolt conflict, he says.

I'm moreover, if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his

fault between you and him alone. Okay. If he hears you, you

gain your brother. But if he will not hear, okay, take with

you one or two more. Okay. That's called believers, that by the

mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established. It's called

about witnessing verse seventeen. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it

to the church. But if he refuses even to hear to the church,

let him be to you like a heidden and a text collector. They're escalated

very quickly. Okay, so there is a process. Why am I telling

you guys this because in the Church there is always order. There must always

be a God is not a god or chaos. God can order the sun

and the mooning, Okay, this evening, Okay, when the moods will

come up. He on the thirty first day or certain day, you become

fool. Okay, certain days you become a crestor. God is a god

of order. You know, the whole solar system is not chaotic one and

not it's beautiful enough. It's the or the cost of Earth to exists in

the middle of all this planet. God a God of order. There's a

certain way, not just resolving the conflict of the cosmos. There's a certain

way we should go about resolving our personal conflict as well. Does that make

sense? There is an order to it. And when we read in Matthew

verse eight, chapter eighteen years, Jesus himself is describing that this is a

way you should go about resolving conflict. Firstly, you deal with the person

personally. Don't take them to court. Yet you said say you better deal

with them personally. It's unless the person will take you to court and deal

personally. Okay, don't go to another person. Go and go to your

home into another person, spread all the rumors. You feel validated. Only

then you deal with the person you mentioned. If I have a fight with

my wife, I go ahead and tell everybody about how bad my wife is.

Then I only deal with her. You wouldn't do that to your family,

right, But yeah, we see that in the church, We see

that outside in the marketplaces. Isn't it or a very strong worded, but

it's true? Isn't it? But it's true? Is there? It's like

because you know why, Because we are not confident of our own fight or

our argument. We need reinforcement, we need validation. We need to put

it on Facebook and then get validation. And then we tell the person don't

do these typle things. What does the Bible say, deal personally? F

us deal with the brother personally, and if he's not willing to listen,

what is the second thing we do? We take one or two other believers

so that they can testify and also validate and be a witness. You get

mean, right, You don't take any random person. You take two good

counselors. Get to come and mediate the thing does not resolve, you bring

it to the church. Actually the church at that time. The way that

God steps up the church is that the church is supposed to adjudicate conflicts.

Did you realize that churches are set up to adjudicate over conflicts. Because you

have the word of God, you have the spirit of God. You cannot

be expecting outside people to go and resolve the thing. You should be able

to educicate because you have the law, you have the spirit of God.

You should be able to discern by born and marro White is right and what

is wrong? You get what I mean? Right, there's the same spirit.

And lastly, if that person after personal result resolving, we'll bring it

two tree Feller, don't willing to resolve. You bring it to the church.

Not really resolve. Jesus himself said, you treat the person as a

heathen and a text collector. Means are that the society will reject because that

person refuses counsel and refuses to submit even under the body of Christ. Wah,

there's a proper order on it on you see. This is a very

important thing. You know, because Jesus taught that if Paul never follows that

and he along the way he's been doing mission treat all this world and reaching

planting many churches. I'm coming along the way and people are telling me,

hey, you must circumcise, and I disagree. You see, Paul can

be right, but he can sin in that situation by being self righteous.

Ah, you can be right and still wrong because you are self righteous.

A lot of people in this world are like that. You know, you

have a right argument, but you are self righteous. You look at the

Bible. Even if you're right, you're supposed to bring witnesses and you come

under the church. You know, you're not supposed to start your own rebellion.

One know. So what righteousness and submission comes together, and there's order.

There's always order one an. A lot of people don't understand that and

all. That's why we have a lot of people who have right arguments,

but there are rampant self righteous rebellions everywhere. You know, the Church cannot

stand like that, you know, really he cannot at all. You know

what I'm saying, No, this is That's why I'm going through the Bible

right now to teach you, not based on my own digincment. I'm telling

you what Paul is doing here he himself recognizes there is an order, even

something as critical as circumcision, and that affects all the churches that he planted.

Are he has to suck me under the church as well. So we

as believers must ought to follow the same manner as well. Isn't it our

children, our own parents, everybody must learn to do that. You cannot

take on your own arms and force us one. Okay, let's let's go.

Let's go. Then, let's let's further go in there. Okay,

Now, let's see how they go about resolving this. This is important.

Then verse even, and when they had been much just Peter rose up,

said, people were discussing, you know, there were much Peter. Peter

rose up and said to them, man and brother, you know that a

good while God, God chose among us that by my mouth the gentile should

hear the word of the Gospel and believe. So, God, who knows

my heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he

did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their

hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why do you test God by putting

a on the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were

able to bear wow, says it. Okay, but we believe that through

the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved in the same

manner as they. Okay, he's saying that, first of all, that

burden of circumcision, not just being circles, that you have to follow it

on all our others couldn't follow it. Why do we take the all things

they are unbearable and put it on them? But yet we now we have

the new version. We in the new version, we are saved by grace.

Shouldn't they receiving the same version as us? Why do we give them

the old burden? Someone we don't even follow it? Isn't it? God

loves There's so much we should be sharing the same version. The same grace

that we are, that that we have been brought into must be given to

them as well. Then in verse twelve, so the first thing we see

on the first testimony of Peter, Okay, so how complete resolved? What's

the first thing that appears testimony from Peter? Okay? The verse twelve,

he says that, then all the multitude kept silent and listen to Barnabas and

Paul the second testimony comes up, Peter we had ready, and Peter was

very very powerful. He is not at that time, he is not the

leader of the church. Ready, and the beginning Peter was the leader.

Then later on he was prosecuted, he had to leave Jerusalem for a short

while. Then after that, who was the leader? James the brother of

Jesus. Okay, James the brother of Jesus became the leader of the Church

of Jerusalem at that time. Okay, so Peter stepped up. Then the

second testimony, who was it? Paul and Barnabas okay, declaring how many

miracles and wonders God had worked, threw them among the gentiles, and after

they had become silent, James answered, okay, So we had the first

testimony, second testimony. Then the third one is the leader themselves, James

the brother of Jesus. He comes and says, men and brother, and

listen to me. Simon has declared God at the first visit, at the

first visitor the gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.

And with this the words or the prophets agreed just Edie's written. Now,

what is the first testimony scriptural testimony? Peter Paul and barnabas the scripture.

That is why how the Church comes to adjudicate conflicts, you know,

not just by testimony, by by the written word of God that backs the

testimony of the world. Give me, that's why this you see why passim

teaching about this, because this is how Heaven rules. Heaven rules over the

conflicts and affairs of the world in the body of Christ, if we are

to follow according to what He has ordained. You get mean right? God

is in control. How it is, God is in control. They just

they're not just giving testimony. There are science and wonders that goes along the

testimony of Peter, science and wonders that follows the testimony of poland Barnerbers.

And now even the scripture is bearing witness to the work of God. You

get I mean right? So there are science and wonders and the world of

God backing it. You know. That is why we're you reject the counsel

of the church. And when all these things come here, you are treated

as a hidden and a text collector because God himself cannot convince you. You

get me right, God himsel cannot convince you by Heaven rules. Isn't it.

Do you see that Heaven rules, even though that enemy attacks, and

all the missionary work is placed in jeopardy. Heaven rules, But we must

be willing to submit. We must believe. See the nations in turmoil,

all sorts of nonsense happening in this world as well. It's Heaven in control,

does have a rule, and why it's our role. We must believe.

We must be faithful. When we are faithful, God's world witness and

his science and wander will bear witness as well, and all the world will

see eventually that there's only one true living God, and God Heaven rules.

Gem right, it's so important now, okay, it's James saying there in

verse sixteen. And after this our return, and we will rebuild the tabernacle

of Thebit which has fallen down. I will rebuild its ruins, and I

will set it up so that the rest of mankind, this Old Testament versonal,

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 scripture backs it up as well, all the gentiles who seek my name

will know. And verse eighteen year O to God from eternity are all his

works. Therefore, I judge James saying this that we should not trouble those

among the gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them

to abstain from things polluted from EIDs, from sexual and mahority, from things

strangled and from blood. So he said, no need requirement to follow the

circumcision. Only three things we ask from you. First thing, don't eat

the foods offered to the idol polluted ready easy, not very burdamson. Second

thing away from sexual immorality, very common among the gentiles there. Thirding things

strangled from blood. He's cutting a very fair middle way so that the Jewish

heritage, in a way is understood as well. You can, I mean

right, these are symbols on it. And also like proper absence for me,

not that okay in verse twenty one, for Moses had throughout many generations

those who ap preached to you in everything being rated in the Synacost on every

stepbath. Okay, let me draw to the last slept there everybody. Okay,

so far you see how things are resolved here. Okay, I hope

that I'm not am I boring you guys, you see the thing that we're

trying to paint you. Okay, Now in verse twenty two, so what

happens after this adjudication? Then it pleased the apostles and the elders with the

whole church to send chosen men and Barnabas namely Judas who are also named by

Basabas and saralas leading men among the brethren. And then they wrote this letter

by them. I'm not going to go through the whole letter, okay,

but what is basically from them. So basically, after this tree witnesses and

testimonies has been laid out, the whole church agreed. It's rock solid.

It's like a treefolk called. You know, God, it's faithful to establish

what He has ordained, wanting no geat mean right head, it's going.

It's God wants the word to go for to the gentle. It will go

up. And no matter what, we just had to be a part in

a way to align to it. Thank God for poor submission. You know,

we don't believe in the Jerusalem Church. We as the Antioch Church.

We splinter out from the Jerusalem Church very possible. You know why Suddenly XPJ

doesn't believe in what we believe in eccentral spinner allah he if you well right

and right teaching you know, no, no, no, no. You

must believe in every conflict that have rules. And when you believe that Heaven

rules, you submit and believe that God has a proper order way to make

it happen. If some people will not follow away, there is their responsibility.

You still have to pay the summons to the police. You know,

you get me right, If the police have wronged you, you stop paying

your summonces. You were not there to do that, isn't it. Even

if the police have wronged you, makes sense, right, you still have

to follow the proper order. Even if they're wrong. You make sure that

your own self is submitted and clean. Then everything else is Heaven rules.

You know, that's a very very important thing that Paul is trying to teach

us here, even someone as great as Paul must come under submission. And

then he says, here, then it please for them to send uh uh

barabus, Judas and silence. Now what do send Judas and Silas? We

ever thought about it? Why are they talk about sending Judus and Silas?

Who were they sending you to the Jerusalem were actually sending Judas and Silas back,

sending them up north to Antioch. The reason why they do that is

because this is an official decree. This is a law, okay. And

when you send some decree to a church, right, to official church,

right, you don't just hey, by the way, you just tell them,

you know, hey, just text only nor one. You have to

make it official. Why couldn't Why couldn't they send Paul and Barnabas. One

must be a separate person, because Paul and Barnabas actually settle themselves. It

is actually planted in Antio. They actually belong to Anti already. You get

mean right. You cannot you get me right. You cannot use your own

guy to go and tell your own church. You know what? What what

what? What? What what? The other council is saying, it's no

confirmation. So even the church in Jerusalem recognizes the importance of a third party

confirmation. If you heard this before, third party confirmation. You know,

in audit, when I when I do financial audit, right, when I

audio a company, the company says that I have one million dollars in my

bank, Do I just say that that is true? You cannot enough,

We have to go to the bank and the bank tell me that there actually

is confirmed a one million dollars. I need to chase that bank before I

can sign on the audio account. And that is true and fair? Or

what did you know that it's a party confirmation. So poor and barnapers come

from Antio, they cannot bear their decree. A third party from Jerusalem must

go and bear the confirmation. That is why Judus and Silent was going there,

because they don't represent Antioch, they represent Jerusalem. Ah makes sense or

not? Even then someone as good as poor and bannerbas are so established cannot

carry that enough. What does that tell you? There is proper governance people,

you are saying not proper administration and governance want and all. Just because

you preach well, what means that you can car read every message? Just

because you preach you do something well, means that you can have every authority

that everybody must cut out to you. There is proper governance in the Kingdom

of God. And there is a very important thing you know. You see

if we want you see it, if you want to succeed that in any

company and in any nation, you must know the administration true or not.

You must know an a how do I get to talk to my bosses?

Want you know? You don't just being walking to your boss's house. No,

no, no, you need to understand hr finance. And the more

you understand now, the more successful you will be in the in the company

you want to know because people know you and you know how to get things

done. In the Kingdom of God is the same as well. Did you

know that there is a gift of gift of administration? You know that there's

a gift of administration. And you know who in the Bible has a gift

of administration? It's a guy. Guy is good administration. It's a guy

called Joseph. Joseph has a gift of administration. You think that he's just

interpreting dreams. Hey, what do you think he was doing for seven years

men? Administrating the whole entire country when he was in party fast first?

What was he doing? Huh interpreted? No, he was managing the whole

household, administrating so well that he was elevated up. Isn't it so?

Administration after? Oh, there is a career path for administration by it's a

gift. No. See, administration is very important because other people are recognized

in when you understand there is governance, administration in the Kingdom of God.

Did you realize that when I pray, how I live my life? I

want the blessings of God. I want to be able to hear God's voice.

Did you understand there is a way, there's a certain way that things

work. That's why what did Jesus say? Seek I first the Kingdom of

God and his righteousness. Seek to know how God's kingdom operate. Know God's

administration, how it works. And when you do what you apply, you

will receive. I cannot simply go to Australia. I need to apply,

and the application is difficult, man. But if you know and you do

it early, you do it right, you get approved. Same in heaven

as well. You know how to seek His kingdom, know how it works.

Don't simply go to apply last minute life. Oh God, God,

I want to you know, I really need this right now. That's many

applications. Your country will not let you in, don't let you eat.

That's why way you think some people like hey, they are so sensitive in

the Lord. They know how it works because they have been sowing in their

prayer. Understand how God works. You get me in right. They understand

there is a certain way and because your administration, you won't pick, you

won't fight every single fight. You will learn to submit. When you have

to submit, you can. I'm saying what I'm saying. You know there

is a way that the God's blessing come upon your life. So that's why

I'm teaching you. The poor understood it. We all must as believers must

understand this love. Okay, submission and governance will bring blessings in your life.

Okay. Amen. We hope you've been blessed by this message. For

more information on our church, please visit as Church RG. We are also

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a good week ahead for you. God bless