Sermon Guide

Grace & Truth: No Small Dissention
Pastor Kent Landhuis

THEME: The early church established communities of grace & truth.
TEXT: Acts 15

TRUTH: Disputes Happen.

  • Acts 2:42-47
  • Acts 4:12
  • Acts 10:44-45
  • Acts 13:1-2, 38-39
  • Acts 15:1-2 – Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.
  • Acts 15:5-7 – Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.” The apostles and elders met to consider this question. After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.

GRACE: Jesus Saves.

  • Acts 15:8-9 – God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.
  • Acts 15:11 – We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.
  • Acts 15:19 – It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.
  • Galatians 1:6-7 – I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.
  • Galatians 1:11-15
  • Galatians 1:9 – As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!
  • Acts 16:31 – Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and all the people in your house.
  • Ephesians 2:8-10
  • Acts 22:16 – And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.

NEXT STEPS

  • Don’t fight over ridiculous things.
  • Stand up for truth when it matters.
  • Make room for Jesus to save anyone.

 

Love. Belong. Serve.