Sunday, February 12th, 2012
Arcadia
Church for Everyone – Everybody is Included
Acts 15 (NIV) 1 Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed…to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.
4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them. 5 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 obey the law of Moses.”
7 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. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.” 20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21 For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath. 30 The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. 31 The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message.
How to move forward?
1. We want to be a place or people where people feel ACCEPTED as they are.
- 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
- Luke 5:32 “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
2. We want to be a church and people who MAKE it easy for people to turn to God.
- 19…therefore…we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.”
Here are 3 things that we can do together:
- Pray for that a friend everyday – they will cross the line of faith. From Lost – to be found
- Share the Gospel: Just tell them that Jesus is Lord, that He loves them and has died for them to forgive them of their sins so they can have a living relationship with Him and have eternal life
- Invite them here
To download ppt. file:Church for everyone – Everybody is included
To listen to audio sermon:Church for Everyone – Everybody is Included
