If you have your Bibles, would you turn with me, please, to our text for this morning? It's found once again in the book of Acts. We begin at verse 30. In Acts, chapter 15, we'll read through chapter five through verse five of chapter 16. Hear the word of God. So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch. And having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. Now, remember, that's the letter that James and the other elders and prophets and apostles wrote in regard to the controversy that had brought Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem in the first place. Do Christians need to become Jews? Do the Gentiles need to become Jews? And in order to become Jews, do they need to submit to all of the regulations of Judaism? All of the ceremonial laws, must they be circumcised in order to enter the kingdom? And with wisdom and wise counsel, with godly grace and counsel, they are written a letter that confirms the beauty of the gospel of grace. And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord. with many others also. And after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaim the word of the Lord and see how they are. Now, Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark, but Paul thought best not to take them, not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. And there arose a sharp disagreement. so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. Paul also came to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer. but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and they increased in numbers daily. Pray with me, please. Father, we hear these words set before us, words of rejoicing and thanksgiving, words of brokenness and sorrow for our hearts. Words, Lord, that that seem to cause us to question, to ask, Lord, what is really happening? And so we pray, Father, that you might open our ears. We pray for the Holy Spirit to guide us and lead us. For without the Spirit, Lord, we cannot understand. Open our ears, open our hearts. Guide me in the things that I would say, that we might both hear and walk. In the truth, we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. I don't know which of you are the half-empty glass people and who here is of the half-full, glass is half-full. Category but this passage kind of you know it kind of sets you up a little bit to figure out which you are you read that first those first five verses or so and Pretty exciting great meeting You know you go into this meeting with fear and trepidation and you come out, and it's just been wonderful. It's been glorious We have this wonderful message to bring back and you half-empty folks are thinking great now. What's coming and In some ways, that's exactly what takes place In this passage, I don't know what you are. I don't think it matters much. Paul and Barnabas had been sent to Jerusalem on a mission, clearly on a mission, and they return rejoicing. They come back with Silas and Judas prophets themselves, prophets from Jerusalem, men from that inner circle in the Jerusalem church. And they returned to Antioch to share the findings of that council, wisdom that's come from the leadership of the church. And the message is wonderful. No, no, you do not have to submit to these things. Now, you need to be sensitive to your brethren and to avoid the serious offenses for your Jewish Christian brothers, avoid the things polluted by idols, avoid sexual immorality like the pagans. like their behavior, not marrying your close relatives. You know, it goes back to Leviticus 17 and 18. It's what most of this comes back to. Don't eat blood. Why? Because the life is in the blood. And so, with very few restrictions, they're told, this is cause for rejoicing. This is good news. Your faith is not based in the law. It is based in grace. Paul and Barnabas go to Jerusalem to fight for the full acceptance of Gentile believers. They fight for the gospel, not as an addition to the Jewish faith, but as its fulfillment. The gospel is for the world. It's not just for the Jews. Now, you and I understand that the root is for us in Israel's God, in Israel's history, in the promises that were made to the Jews, those covenant promises, and for the scriptures that came to us through those people of God. But the branches, the fruit is distinctly that of a new creation in Christ. God revealed himself fully and perfectly in the Lord Jesus Christ. The fulfillment of the law and the prophets of the promises of God. And so we saw that first principle last week. We're saved by grace. We are not saved by law. Salvation is not a work of ours, but it is Christ's from beginning to end. So it isn't dependent upon us, it's dependent upon him, praise God. Were it dependent upon me, were it dependent upon you, I can promise you it wouldn't happen. But God brings it to completion, to fruition and completion in the Lord Jesus Christ. So to subject ourselves again to the law as a means of gaining fellowship with God is to take away from the glory of the gospel and of the finished work and sacrifice of Christ. And then we saw the second principle, grace is a means to unity. I must show grace to my brothers and sisters in Christ. My freedom cannot be used as an excuse to offend. I may have liberty to partake of things, but I may limit my freedom in order to maintain peace. And we do have liberty, we do have freedom. God said that, you know, the sheet comes down before Peter in his vision as he's called to go to Cornelius. And he said, everything here is clean. I've made it. You can partake of it. But at times we forego our freedom in order that we might not offend or hurt or injure those around us. And so here's this message. Paul and Barnabas fighting, it seems, for all their worth. in order to preserve the gospel, in order that the Gentiles might not be placed under the burden, the yoke of the law that the Jews themselves could not keep. And that's the message that comes back. You are free in Christ. You are a new creation in Christ. And the church was strengthened. It was built up. There was rejoicing. There was an encouragement with one another. There was a delight in the things of God. And so a greater pursuit of the things of God. But now you half empty glass folks, here it comes. The bad news starts with, I think, a great idea. Let's do the reunion tour. We're going to get the band back together and let's retrace our steps. Get it back on the road. We had such a great time, remember? But Paul's desire was to see how those churches were doing. None of us can be left alone very long as believers, can we? All by ourselves, we slide, we drift, we fall. And Paul was very concerned. It's been a year and a half, maybe two years since he's been with those believers. What's happening? There's no instant communication. Not that Twitter is a particularly strong, not a good way to find out what's going on in any kind of deep sense, is it? You know, you're not going to have deep theological conversations via Twitter, at least not very easily. But no email, no cell phones, no Skype, no, you know, it's just not there. Letters were hard, they were arduous, and it took a long time to get them anywhere, and so communication was difficult. What's the best way to find out what's going on in somebody's life? Twitter? How are you doing? No, you sit down, you spend time together. You talk and you share. You invest yourself in each other. You pray for each other. And so they all wanted to get back on the road and find out how they were doing. Are they growing? Are they learning? Are their leaders holding up? Are they sharing the good news? What's happening in these places? It's like your children. Young or old, you never stop wondering, how are they doing? What's going on? What's happening in their lives right now? You never quit. And so they had to visit. It may be the only way they could find out what was really happening with them. And in some sense, there may have been a fairly urgent need. We can talk about this in Sunday school, but we don't. Depends on when we we want to think of Galatians, the letter to the Galatians as being written. If it's written to these southern Galatian churches, it's written fairly early and probably during the controversy that was going on in Antioch. And he's concerned because the Judaizers, those who are calling them back to take on, to submit themselves to the law, are already in and amongst the people. You see, it was settled theologically at the council in Jerusalem, this issue, but it surely wasn't settled in the life of the church for many, many years. It raises its head in Paul's ministry literally for the rest of his life. It was important to get this word out and to take it back, maybe even an urgent need. Paul and Barnabas, however, are seriously divided. This is a difficult breakup. Barnabas says, Paul, that's a great idea. Let's get Mark to come with us. I know he's ready now, so let's hit the road. And Paul says, no way, I'm not taking him. He deserted it the first time. Who says he isn't going to do it again? You think this trip is going to be a picnic compared to the last one? I kind of doubt it. No, I'm not taking him. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, is not willing to risk it again. Barnabas, the son of encouragement, is ready to give him a chance. How much has he grown in three years? He's had a chance to count the cost. I'll take charge of him. He wants to serve this way. We're not once and out with the Lord. There was a sharp disagreement. Paroxysmos. Paroxysm is the word we get from it. A violent action or a violent emotion. For Paul, trust had been shattered. One act. And down comes the house. How long is it going to take to rebuild it? What is it going to take to rebuild it? It's going to be a whole lot more than just, hey, I think I'm ready now. Okay, I dealt with that. I can handle it now. In Paul's mind, somehow that trust, it's going to have to be rebuilt. It's going to have to be demonstrated. It's a vivid picture. How many times have we seen it take place in our own relationships? A foolish act. a careless or thoughtless or hateful word. And suddenly the division is there. And what seemed so strong, so stable, just comes crashing down. How do I rebuild it? Well, I speak to you as brothers and sisters in Christ that it can be rebuilt. But you know it's a difficult task. What happens when our children purposefully disobey. And then they're asked to do something again. And now, is it going to happen or not? Do we trust them? Teenagers, how many times do you want to say to your parents, you don't trust me? Well, how many times have you demonstrated yourself to be untrustworthy? And what does it mean that they trust you, that they let you do anything you want, go anywhere you please, listen to, watch anything? Is that really trusting you? I don't think so. What goes on in our lives that is building those relationships, strengthening, encouraging them? How easy it is to see them torn, just torn apart. This is grievous, brothers and sisters. Talk about the dearest of brothers. This is Paul's closest friend. It is indeed his closest ally, his confidant. He owes more to this man than he does to anyone in his whole life. This is the man who would bring him before the apostles in Jerusalem, who would stand for him, who would vouch for him. These are brothers who have served side by side under continually life threatening circumstances. and one issue can't be undone, can't be sorted out, can't be worked out and they are seriously divided. I confess I find some encouragement in it, okay? By that I mean recall back in Chapter 14 when they came into Lystra And the miracle was performed and everybody starts thinking this is Zeus and Hermes and what do they say? Stop it! Stop it! We are not gods. We are men like you. And here they are proving that they are indeed men. Fallen, broken, in need of redemption, in need of the work of the Savior, in need of grace. They are not angels. They are not superheroes. They're men like us. Is Paul wrong not to trust Him? Is Barnabas too ready, too willing to take Him up again? I don't know. In this last farewell, will they part as friends? Who's sinned? There undoubtedly is sin there. Can we discern? Can we discern it from this passage? I think not. But the whole situation just grieves the heart. We need to be grieved, brothers and sisters, when we've torn something like that apart. And by God's grace, begin to see it built again. It means looking at ourselves. It means asking, what do I need to do? What do I need to change? Where do I need to grow? What do I need to learn that these can be built up and not torn apart? Every one of you, I know, has experienced that kind of division, that kind of painful brokenness at one time or another. We all know the sorrow and the pain of those situations that we simply couldn't resolve. And some of us have been around long enough to see God bring the resolution, the restitution, the reconciliation, pray that God brings it. Praise God that we have one who reconciled us to himself, that we might be not only reconciled to God, but finally and ultimately in worship and wonder and praise to one another. When all is said and done, these were fragile, sinful men whom God would use mightily. When all is said and done, May it be said of us that God used mightily fragile, sinful men and women. But even in this difficulty, even in this hard, hard trial, we see God's hand at work. His providential rule over all things and maybe his over ruling of all things. It is very clear to me that Satan meant this for evil. This was to disrupt the work. This was meant to discourage the workers. It was meant to discourage probably the whole church. And it had to be painful for the church in Antioch because they knew these brothers. And they had to watch it. What was meant for evil, God meant ultimately for good. Was the situation good? Am I saying that? No. The brokenness, the hurt, the distrust, the shattering of those things, good? No. Will God use it for good? Well, praise God. Yes, He will. God uses man's sin. This is a sovereign God. This is a holy God. This is an amazing God. God who can use even my sinful acts ultimately to bring glory to himself, to accomplish his wonderful purposes. We've seen it already in the book of Acts, Acts chapter two, verses twenty three and twenty four. Peter is preaching this Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and for knowledge of God. You crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up. The most wicked act in all the world, God uses to bring salvation, redemption, resurrection, hope, life. It's repeated again in one way in chapter 4, verse 27 and 28. For here he's speaking of Truly, in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant, Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. Did God force them to do their wicked act? No, he did not. Did he work it all according to his perfect plan? For salvation and for life? Yes, he did. It's a theme that runs throughout the entire Bible. Think of Joseph and his brothers in Genesis chapter 50. They come before him terrified because Jacob has died. What's Joseph going to do to us now? And Joseph says to them, as for you, you meant it for evil against me. That is, throwing into a pit, trying to kill him and then selling him into slavery so they never see him again. You meant it for evil. We can go into that story sometime. But God meant it for good to bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are this day. I'm not saying the situation is good. You ponder it and it becomes ever more grievous. But God in his mercy, God in his wisdom, God in his sovereign power would use it to divide and conquer. Barnabas would take Mark and they would return to Cyprus. They'd retrace their steps across the island and I have no doubt they strengthened the church as they went. Mark proved himself to be a faithful servant who in God's providence was restored even to the Apostle Paul. Colossians 4 verse 10. Paul is writing to the Colossians, welcome him, this brother, this fellow servant. Philemon, he calls him my fellow worker. Second Timothy chapter 4 verse 11, he writes to Timothy, Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you for he is very useful to me for ministry. He had proven himself. Oh, it took some time and it took some effort. But it was rebuilt and it was restored. Paul and Barnabas go one way. Paul, impressed with Silas, seeks him out, brings him back from Jerusalem. Silas, who was another Greek citizen. Silas, who was one of the men of prominence in Jerusalem, a prophet, a Greek speaker. He makes a good choice. And the two of them are commended to the work. And so off they go to Syria and Cilicia. That's the area where Paul had first been working before Barnabas came and said, I need your help in Antioch. Remember? They go back to strengthen and encourage those churches. And so we're told the church was strengthened. They were encouraged. They were built up. There were the brothers there to teach, to instruct, to sit with them, to find out what the issues and the struggles were, to spend time with them, and to see the church strengthened and built up. Good work you're doing. Keep it up. Here are the areas to move into. God give you grace. Let's pray together. And in so doing, the church was strengthened. Great news goes forth in spite of the bad news. in the lives of the messengers. How merciful our God is. And now comes probably, at least in my mind, some pretty surprising news when we first hear it. They came to Derbe and Lystra. A disciple was there named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. Well spoken of by the brothers, Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him. Now, wait a minute, what have we been arguing about here for the last who knows how many months? What has been the battle, the strife? What has been the thing that has driven them to take on the entire church? You don't have to undergo this. This is not who we are. We are freed from this. Is there a charley horse between the ears? What's going on? We've just fought this battle and now you just take the man. And you circumcise them. Now, they've traveled by land this time. Instead of going by boat starting in the west and coming east, they're just swinging around. So they're going from the plains of Cilicia, they'll go up through the, I think it's called the Gulag Pass today or the Syrian Pass, and it takes you from those low plains up to the high plateau, what's known as the Anatolian Plateau today, into Galatia, okay? Look it up. The pass is really spectacular, even today. But they come through and they go in reverse order. So you remember, the farthest east they went on that first missionary journey was Derby. And so now they're taking it backwards. They come around via land and start in Derby. It's the last church. It's been the longest since they've been there. and they will come back through. In Lystra, anybody remember what happened in Lystra? I don't know about you, but I'm not going to be quick to return to that place. They stoned him there, leaving him for dead. I wonder if Timothy was one who watched that as Paul had watched the stoning of Stephen. Paul had led his mother and his grandmother, that's Lois and Eunice. We find out from the letters to Timothy, he'd led them to Christ. Likely, he led Timothy to Christ as well, a very young man, because he would later call him my son. He calls him my son in the Lord. Paul sees him as very useful. He is very well spoken of. Obviously, things were going on here in these lands that weren't going on in Judea. Here was a Greek married to a Jew, and nobody seems to even blink at it. But he was seen as useful for the work. For one thing, this is a man who would know the territory. He knows the region, Lystra, Iconium. So to make him more useful, he has him circumcised. And we look at that and, you know, initially I look at that and I say, what? What are you doing? But it makes perfect sense when you really consider it. Here is a work that that is not required in any way, shape or form. That's what he's fought for. There is no need for this. You don't put yourself under the law. That's what he wrote to. And, you know, he's writing to the Galatians. You don't put yourself under the yoke or the burden of the law. And Paul has put himself on the line for that issue. And in the future, would literally truly put his life on the line for that very issue. The gospel of grace. He's been sharing the good news of grace alone. He's been living that ministry of grace to our brothers and sisters. The truth is there's no violation here at all. He's circumcised not because it was necessary. But because it's expedient. He would write to those Galatians that circumcision of the flesh didn't mean a thing. Neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. Even there, he was fighting passionately to keep Titus, a Greek, from having to undergo that process. Because it's circumcision of the heart that God seeks. They weren't denying the gospel of grace. This was not a capitulation to Jewish Christians. They were constrained by the call of the gospel to reach the Jews and every man. As Paul would say, I would become all things to all men. This would take away the stumbling block. Timothy would be seen as apostate. Jewish mother, Greek father, uncircumcised, doesn't come near us. He's going to serve faithfully in this area, in this region, and with Paul. Can he get into the synagogues? Not if he isn't circumcised. And so he undergoes what one author called a minor surgical procedure to take away the offense. We won't talk about that right now. And as a result, setting aside a right, as a matter of fact, submitting myself to something that I don't really need to submit to in order to be made more useful for the kingdom of God, Timothy comes alongside Paul. And as a result, what does it say? So the churches were strengthened in the faith and they increased in numbers daily. Once again, we've seen it every time now, haven't we? Paul and Barnabas come back with this message and the church is strengthened and encouraged. This is the good news. This is the gospel of grace. This is how we love one another. And the church was strengthened. They come to Antioch and to the division between Paul and Barnabas. And the church sees God is at work here, even in these difficult circumstances. And the church was strengthened. Barnabas goes off to build the church. Paul goes off with Silas. And through the ministry and through the work of living out grace, of living in grace to show it to one another, the church is strengthened. I think we're left with that question. What kind of news are we going to bring? To what heights or to what lengths will we go to see the church of Jesus Christ strengthened and growing? Can we hold on to essentials and let the rest be sacrificed as needed? Michelle Lash, Porter, I guess is her name, isn't it Ben Porter? I have it right? Price, Price, Michelle and Ben, okay. Runs around in a burka. Why? Because it's required of her to cover herself in that manner? No. As a matter of fact, she has every right not to wear it. But for the sake of the gospel, puts it on. In some ways, maybe a burden to her, probably in minor ways, maybe sometimes in 138 degree heat, major ways. But for the sake of the gospel, puts on something that doesn't even have to be there. What are we willing to, to what lengths are we willing to go to see the church strengthened and growing. Mark Gornick, a number of years ago, early 1980s, moved into Sandtown, Baltimore. Some of you know of New Song Fellowship, New Song Ministries up there. This was one white guy, one very white guy, who moved into one very black neighborhood. Did he have to? No. But for the sake of the gospel, he said, the only way I'm going to be able to reach these people is to be there. And so he moved in, rented a place for a while, managed to actually buy a place right in the neighborhood. Well, boy, that caused people to stand up and take a look. You bought a house here? And soon Alan Tibbles and his wife joined them. Alan happened to be a quadriplegic who moved into that neighborhood. What did he give up? Well, if you talk to them today, You can't talk with Alan. He's gone on to be with the Lord. You talk with him today. You didn't really give up much of anything. What they saw was a church built, strengthened and encouraged and growing. And it's still there. What are the essentials, brothers and sisters, the essentials that we hold on to in terms of the gospel? What are we willing to let go of for the sake of the gospel? How much are you willing to bend or to give up to maintain our fellowship, your fellowship with your brothers and sisters? Again, do we hold on to the essentials and let go of the nonessentials? And boy, can that list get long for us. We talked about it very little, just a little bit last week and I hope we can talk about it in Sunday school. What kind of nonessentials get in the way of our fellowship with one another? We're not talking about the gospel of Christ, we're talking about the style of whatever that I like or the color schemes that I like. or the program that I think should be here and isn't. And the list goes on and on and on. What are the essentials? Are we willing like Timothy to say, well, I don't really have to do this, but for the sake of the ministry and for the sake of the fellowship, I'll give this up. For my relationship with you, I'm going to forego this. Yes, it's pretty important to me. But our fellowship as brothers and sisters in Christ is more important. And I'll let it go. A third area, maybe, of application. Are you able to look and see your own sin when relationships are broken? Or am I always immediately ready to blame it on somebody else? Hey, it's their problem. As far as it depends on you, Paul says, be at peace with all men. Willing to examine your own heart to see those relationships? rebuilt through forgiveness, through repentance, through God's grace at work. Last lesson, and there are many more. But I urge us, brothers and sisters, when you see those around you or circumstances or situations that appear to be meant for evil towards you, toward the church? Will you look to the Lord to see how He may use it for good? Whether it's in you or in those around you? Will you look to see how God may take a difficult, a painful, a hurtful situation and pray that God might use it to see the church growing and strengthened God, it appears this was meant for evil. How may you use this for good in me? Many important questions, issues that are raised in this passage. Many things for us to wrestle with in our own hearts. That we might see the Church of Jesus Christ strengthened and growing. Father, so we pray that you would strengthen your church, that we, Lord, would see it growing, being built up in love, in grace, in hope, in power. Lord, work in us and through us. To that end, we ask and pray in Jesus' name. Amen.