erroneous views about the person of Jesus. However, as already mentioned, the Jerusalem Council, which met in Jerusalem from about somewhere between 48 and 50 AD, it was the model for these seven future councils. And the question that the Jerusalem Council had to address was the most significant of all questions. What must a person do to be saved? You know that the gospel's good news began in Jerusalem. The good news was that Jesus was alive and changing lives. The first Christians were Jews, but the gospel quickly spread to non-Jews, the Gentiles or pagans. And Gentiles came to believe that Jesus was alive and changing lives. Gentiles repented of their sins and trusted in Jesus alone for the gift of salvation. But some Jews, however, became quite concerned about the inclusion of Gentiles into the Christian church because they believed that the Gentiles who wanted to become Christians first had to become Jewish proselytes. They saw Christianity as the fulfillment of Judaism. They believed that the Gentiles who were making professions of faith and coming into the church were short-circuiting the process and becoming full-fledged Christians without first becoming Jewish proselytes. They simply couldn't conceive that pagans could become full members of the church and immediately be on equal footing with Jewish believers. That seemed wrong to some Jewish believers who had devoted their entire lives to keeping God's law. John MacArthur sums up the issue before the Jerusalem Council. He writes, the issue was not whether God wanted to save Gentiles, they believed that God did want to save the Gentiles, but how they were to be saved. Could the Gentiles enter the kingdom of God without first coming through the vestibule or the narthex of Judaism? was the question the Jewish council convened to decide. So I'm going to read Acts chapter 15. It's a lengthy reading. And if you're able to stand, I invite you to do so. Otherwise, feel free to remain seated as I read Acts chapter 15, verses one through 35. But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers. Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles and brought great joy to all the brothers. When they came to Jerusalem, They were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, it is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses. The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us. And He made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, Why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? We believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will." And all the assembly felt silent. They listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. After they finished speaking, James replied, "'Brothers, listen to me. Simeon,' that is, Peter, has related how God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for His name. And with this, the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written. After this, I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen. I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who make these things known from of old. Therefore, my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. For from ancient generations, Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he has read every Sabbath in the synagogues." Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas, called Barabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, with the following letter. The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements, that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what has been strangled and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell." So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch. And having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 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. The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever. Lord God, help us turn our hearts to you and hear what you will speak, for you speak peace to your people through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Please be seated. Acts chapter 15, verses 1 through 35, teaches us about the council in Jerusalem in which they had to settle a crucial doctrinal question. And the first thing I want us to examine is the dissension in the church. The dissension in the church. In verse one, we read these words. But some men came down from Judea, that is where Jerusalem is, and were teaching the brothers, unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. Now we don't know who the men were who came down from Judea. Certainly no church leaders in Jerusalem had authorized them to go. These men from Judea assumed what was necessary for salvation and they wanted to correct the believers at the church in Antioch. Now, you remember that this church, the Antioch Church, was the church that had sent out Barnabas and Paul on their first missionary journey. And after Barnabas and Paul came back, they were ministering in the church again. And this church in Antioch, the Antioch Church, was filled with Gentile believers. They were saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus alone. So you can imagine their consternation when the men from Jerusalem said, No, no, unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. Understandably, verse 2 tells us, Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them. They couldn't dissuade these men from Judea that they were teaching false doctrine. And so the Antioch Church appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others to go up to Jerusalem to the elders and the apostles about this question. The question was, what must a person do to be saved? Specifically, was a Gentile saved in a way that was different from a Jew. Now the error from the men from Judea is that they taught salvation by works. They believed that in order to be saved, a person had to be circumcised according to the custom of Moses. Frankly, this is the problem with every religion in the world. They believe and teach that a person must do something in order to have a right relationship with God. Works is necessary. You must do something in order to have a right relationship with God. That's not true. It's wrong. A person cannot be saved by doing works. When Paul and Barnabas and the others arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders. And Paul and Barnabas gave an account of all that God had done with them. And then somewhat surprisingly, look at your Bibles. In verse 5, we read these words. But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, it is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses. Now what do you notice about that verse? There's an interesting word there. They were believers. The men in verse 5 differ from the men mentioned in verse 1. Men in verse 5 are believers, whereas no such statement is said about the men in verse 1. And here's the point. Even believers can have a wrong understanding of what one must do to be saved. Some believers add unbiblical requirements to what is necessary for salvation, such as, you must be baptized in order to be saved. You must give money to the church in order to be saved. You must be a good person in order to be saved. You must obey the Ten Commandments in order to be saved. But these things do not save a person. So what must a person do to be saved? That brings us to the second point. And I want us to look at the debate at the council, the debate at the council. In verse six, we read these words. The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter, this question. Yeah, we have a description of the Jerusalem council meeting to consider what a person must do to be saved. That was the question before the council. And I love what verse seven says. And after there had been much debate, there was much debate. How much debate? I don't know. We're not told. What parliamentary procedure did they follow? Have you ever seen the pictures of the House of Commons in Britain? And you have the two opposition parties, and they're shouting at each other, and you expect books to go flying across the aisle. Is this possible? And, of course, General Henry M. Robert was going to be born 18 centuries later, so he had not yet written his Robert's Rules of Order, and they couldn't use that. After much debate, the Apostle Peter addressed the Jerusalem Council, and he reminded the brothers that God chose him to share the good news of the gospel with the Gentiles. And he affirmed that God gave the Gentiles the Holy Spirit without distinction. And he questioned why the council would impose burdens on the Gentiles that they, the Jews, could not carry themselves. And he concluded his speech in verse 11 with these marvelous words, look at it, but we believe And we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will. What must a person do to be saved? Not good works. All people, Jew and Gentile alike, are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus. Every person is saved by grace alone, through faith alone. in Jesus alone. Our good works will never measure up to God's standard, but Jesus' good works are absolutely perfect and are accepted by God. And it's our faith in Jesus' perfect good works that can save. Verse 12 tells us, And all the assembly fell silent. Now perhaps you have heard debates where mouths are stopped and everyone falls silent. I remember attending the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America. It's not unlike the Jerusalem Council, although much larger. This was about 30 years ago. There was a significant debate about the military policy, don't ask, don't tell. Now the policy itself was not under discussion, but whether the General Assembly should write a letter to the President of the United States. In other words, should the church tell the state what to do? There was much debate. Some argued that a letter should be sent to the president. Others argued that the church had no business telling the state what to do. Finally, the respected Dr. D. James Kennedy, some of you know him, got up and said, he said, some of the Pharisees, you remember, in Luke's gospel, went to Jesus and told Jesus that Herod wanted to kill him. And Jesus told them to go and address the head of state with these words, go tell that fox. All the assembly fell silent. The debate was ended. A vote was taken. The resolution was passed. And a letter was sent to the president. After Peter spoke to the assembly, Barnabas and Paul told them what God had done through them as they shared the gospel's good news with the Gentiles. And when Paul and Barnabas had finished speaking, James, the brother of our Lord Jesus and moderator of the Jerusalem council, spoke. And in verse 19 he said, therefore, My judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God. No one was to trouble the Gentiles by telling them that they had to be circumcised and keep the law of Moses to be saved. James suggested then some practical helps for fellowship between the Jews and the Gentiles. Not only did James not want the Jerusalem council to have Jews troubling the Gentiles, but he didn't want to have the Gentiles troubling the Jews. The concern was that the Gentiles would revel in their freedom in Christ and would pressure the Jewish believers to exercise that same liberty and violate their consciences. And so he suggested that the council send a letter to the Gentile believers in the church at Antioch. And in this letter, the Gentile believers would be told to abstain from the things polluted by idols. What's that? Well, this is referring to the food, typically meat that was sold in the pagan temples and offered up to sacrifices, but they would sell it to anybody. And Jews said, well, that meat could have gone to an idol, and it was blasphemous to them to buy the meat from a pagan temple. Gentile believers would also be told to abstain from sexual immorality. in their previous pagan lives, the Gentiles were very promiscuous. But now they were to live new lives in Christ because of their new identity in Christ. And the Gentile believers would also be told to abstain from what has been strangled and from blood. This had to do with the Jewish dietary laws. The Jews ate what we call kosher food. And so the Gentile believers were asked to be respectful of the consciences of their Jewish-believing friends in this regard. Well then, third, I want you to notice the decision by the Council. The decision reached by the Jerusalem Council was that both Jews and Gentiles were saved in the same way. They were saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus alone. Gentiles did not have to become Jewish proselytes before joining the church. There were not two standards for entry into the church or the kingdom of God. But they were asked to observe some practical things for the sake of fellowshipping with their fellow Jewish believers. In verse 22 we read, And then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas, called Barabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers. We're going to hear a lot more about Silas in future messages. And this letter told the Antioch church what had been decided by the Jerusalem council. And they said that the men bringing the letter would tell them of the decision by word of mouth. In addition, the letter also stated what the Jerusalem council suggested practically for their fellowship to be enriched. Again, the question was what the Jerusalem Council answered the question, what must a person do to be saved? The answer is nothing. All people, Jew and Gentile, every single person in the entire world is saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus. Every person is saved by God's grace alone. through faith alone, not faith plus works, not faith plus circumcision, not faith plus baptism, faith alone in Jesus alone, because Jesus alone has the works that God will accept. Now, every pastor, every sound pastor wrestles with this issue. because some people in every church think that they are saved by something that they do. If I were to ask you, if you were to die right now, you have a heart attack, fall over, and you're suddenly in the presence of God, and God were to say to you, Why should I let you into my heaven? What would you say? If you said, God, you should let me into heaven because I'm a good person. Or, God, you should let me into heaven because I'm a member of church. Actually, the Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church. God, You should let me into heaven because I try to follow the Ten Commandments." Or, God, You should let me into heaven because I was born in a Christian home. If you say any of those things or things like that, you will never get into heaven. The only acceptable answer is this, I am trusting in Jesus alone. for the gift of eternal life. Finally, let's notice the deliverance to the church. In verse 30, we read, so when they, that's Paul and Barnabas and the others from Jerusalem, Barabbas and Silas and so on, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. And they told them what was in the letter. What was the response of the congregation? How did they respond to the decision of the Jerusalem Council, verse 31? And when they'd read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. Friends, God's people are always encouraged by God's truth. So let me close and ask again. What must you do to be saved? I pray that you will say that you are saved by God's grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus alone. And if you've never done so, talk to me or one of the elders after the service today. Let's pray. Our Father, we do thank you so much for the Jerusalem Council and the question that was settled about what a person must do to be saved. There weren't two standards, one for Jews and one for Gentiles. There weren't two ways by which a person had to get to heaven. There wasn't a stepping stone of Jewish proselytism or something like that. to get into heaven, all people are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus alone. Oh God, if there's anyone, anyone here today who has not yet put his or her trust in Jesus alone, would you grant that person faith even now? And I pray all of this in your precious name, amen.