Well, as we mentioned, we'll
continue our meditation this evening in the Acts of the Apostles,
chapter 15, from verse 22 down to verse 29. And no doubt most
of you will remember that we've gone through the situation where
these people had returned, the apostles had returned to Jerusalem
because of the situation which had developed that the Jews were
saying that the Gentiles had to keep the law, the law of Moses
and there was a dispute and therefore it was decided to send Paul and
Barnabas back to Jerusalem to decide what should be done with
regards to this consideration. So they returned and they explained
the situation and the Apostle Peter had risen up and had spoken
about what he believed to be right, and then also James had
risen up and spoken as to what he considered to be right. And
so we come down to verse 22. And it's interesting to note
that the Acts of the Apostles gives us a lot of instruction.
A lot of instruction in how we are to organise our lives, how
we are to run the Church of God and the situation which we find
ourselves in. We have examples then in the
Word of God to encourage us and to direct us. So having reached
this position we then read then pleased the apostles and elders,
with the whole church, they all were in agreement, it was a unanimous
statement, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch
with Paul and Barnabas, namely Judas, surnamed Barsabas, and
Silas, chief men among the brethren. And it is significant to note
that it wasn't just anybody. They wanted to send, with Paul
and Barnabas, chief men. So that it was recognised that
they considered this to be an important issue, and therefore,
as Paul and Barnabas were to return, they didn't only give
them a letter, They didn't perhaps only send what we might term
ordinary people, but they actually sent chief people. So that when
they returned to Antioch, the people there would have recognised
that this was a serious situation and it had been addressed properly
and therefore it wasn't left to Paul and Barnabas to come
and speak the view of the people back in Jerusalem, which might
have been a biased view because they knew what they'd spoken
before. But here were chief people joined with them to come back
and to declare the truth and to declare the view that that
company had come to. And therefore it's a good example
for us today in our church discipline and the church generally, the
Church of Christ, to beware of the example that we have before
us in the Word of God. And so it pleased the apostles
and the elders with the whole church to send chosen men of
their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely
Judas, Silas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren. Having
decided that, they then wrote a letter so that it would be
clear it wasn't again just words that Paul and Barnabas would
bring before them, there was a letter confirming it. You might
think, well surely they could have just sent the letter. Well,
they could have done, but clearly they felt it important to send
other people back with Paul and Barnabas so that the right view
was given and the right consideration and the people of Antioch would
have appreciated it was something which had been well considered
and sufficiently important so that these people came back with
them and they wrote a letter by them after this manner and
it's interesting how they address the people the apostles and elders
and brethren they didn't just say well now just say the the
apostles and elders no it was the brethren as well unto the
brethren which are at the um and the gentiles in antioch and
syria and cilicia it was quite a large area that these apostles
and chief men had been sent to return with this letter for as
much as we have heard that certain which went out from us have troubled
you with words subversing your soul saying he must be circumcised
and keep the law to whom we gave no such commandment It seemed
good unto us, having assembled with one accord, to send chosen
men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul." And so they
told them very clearly that they had not instructed them that
they must keep the law of Moses, they must be circumcised, because
they were under the gracious direction of the New Testament. They were directed under the
liberty which was to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ. And so it seemed good unto us,
being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with
our beloved Barnabas and Paul." Again, it's good to note that
there was this unity, unity in the church here and the company
who gathered together in Jerusalem, that lovely unity to send forth,
to declare this truth so they might be able to absorb it and
recognize it was true. And then they just amplify who
is going back, men that have hazarded their lives for the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ. These were good disciples. And
we can think, can we not, of Paul and Barnabas, how they'd
been attacked? And also we think of the Apostle Paul, how he'd
been stoned and was taken up for dead. It was no easy path. It was no easy life. that these
apostles had had and we should remember that it never has been
an easy life for the Church of God and it'll be good if we understand
in some perhaps small measure that such a statement may be
true of us that here we have this statement unto men that
have hazarded their lives for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Well, I suppose today in our country for the most part we
have a very easy situation. Great liberty And yet here we
know that in the world today there are many, many people who
are not privileged like this and would know precisely what
this meant. They would have hazarded their
lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. But we may have
to face that in our lifetime. We know not what is coming. The
world is changing very, very rapidly and evil is evidently
rising up. The devil seems to be set loose
and he's attacking everyone that he can, in particular the Christian
Church. And really, if we have our eyes
open, we see the situation closing in upon the Church of God. And so we may have to stand like
these people, like these apostles, and have our life like this,
hazarded their lives. And it wasn't just a mere hazarding
of their life. There was a very great important
statement. And it was for the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ. Now it may have been, as it was
in this case, a very physical situation, but you see they were
not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. It was to them the power
of God unto salvation. And what a blessing for us, my
friends, if it is to us the power of God unto salvation, so that
none of us are ashamed of our great and glorious Saviour, the
Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, it was a costly situation
which had developed and these apostles had to face, but in
measure it's true of the Church of God today. There would always
be As it were, they're going outside of the camp, bearing
the reproach of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. True Christianity
has never been an armchair religion. True Christianity has a cost,
but true Christianity has a great blessing. And what is that blessing? It's union with Christ. What
is it? It's fellowship with His sufferings. And so, remember the Word of
God that speaks, doesn't say if we suffer with Him, as these
apostles we should also reign with him. What a blessing it
is and if we in measure know what it is to suffer for his
sake as we're able to testify of his grace of his love and
of his wonderful mercy toward us. And so this letter continues
We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell
you the same things by mouth." Here's a confirmation, not just
Paul and Barnabas, here's some other people who will confirm
the same truths, so that these people, Antioch and Silesia and
Syria, would be confirmed of the truth of these words for
it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no
greater burden than those necessary things There are burdens we have
to carry. They're necessary things. We
don't have to carry unnecessary things. And that's what the converted
Jews were telling the converted Gentiles. They were having to
carry unnecessary things. And so we need to be careful
that we don't place burdens on people that are unnecessary.
There are those things which are right, and good, and God-honouring,
which are necessary. There are sometimes those things
which are unnecessary, and we are not to place those burdens
upon the Church of God. And so they carry on and say,
that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and
from things strangled, and from fornication, from which, if ye
keep yourself, ye shall do well. Well, we know that these things
were right in those days. Of course, some of them are not
so necessary in the day and age in which we live, but some of
them, of course, are necessary things. And important it is then
that we recognize the truth of this, ye shall do well. And so they conclude this letter
saying, fare ye well. They wanted the people in Antioch,
the Christians in Antioch, to fare well. They wanted to give
them good advice, which would be a blessing to them, and so
they were able to conclude and say, fare ye well. But it's good if when we come
into situations we can also conclude perhaps our letters or our messages
or our words by saying, in the fear of God, fare, fare ye well. Amen.