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Part Thirty Three Acts 15:1-35
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Paul and Barnabas have been on a Mission Trip together.
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They have recently returned to the church that sent them out from Antioch.
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Acts 15:1-35
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Acts 15:1 And some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
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Acts 15:2 And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and
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Acts 15:2 some others of them should go to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue.
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Acts 15:3 Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion
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Acts 15:3 of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren.
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Acts 15:4 When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.
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Acts 15:5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.”
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Acts 15:6 The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter.
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Acts 15:7 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in early days God made a choice
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Acts 15:7 among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe.
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Acts 15:8 And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;
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Acts 15:9 and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
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Acts 15:10 Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
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Acts 15:11 But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”
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Acts 15:12 All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
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Acts 15:13 After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me.
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Acts 15:14 Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name.
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Acts 15:15 With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written,
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Acts 15:16 ‘After these things I will return, and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen, and I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it,
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Acts 15:17 so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name,’
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Acts 15:18 says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago.
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Acts 15:19 Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles,
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Acts 15:20 but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.
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Acts 15:21 For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in synagogues every Sabbath.”
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Acts 15:22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with
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Acts 15:22 Paul and Barnabas – Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren,
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Acts 15:23 and they sent this letter by them, “The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings.
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Acts 15:24 Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls,
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Acts 15:25 it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
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Acts 15:26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Acts 15:27 Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth.
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Acts 15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:
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Acts 15:29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free
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Acts 15:29 from such things, you will do well. Farewell.”
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Acts 15:30 So when they were sent away, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.
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Acts 15:31 When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.
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Acts 15:32 Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brethren with a lengthy message.
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Acts 15:33 After they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brethren in peace to those who had sent them out.
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Acts 15:34 [But it seemed good to Silas to remain there.]
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Acts 15:35 But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching with many others also, the word of the Lord.
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There’s just nothing like people who want to be “helpful”.
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Their services weren’t necessarily requested, but they took it upon themselves to show up and “stir the pot”.
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That’s what happened in Antioch.
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It caused such a raucous that we needed to have a meeting and get on the same page.
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The disagreement was so intense that we couldn’t get on the same page by ourselves, we needed a third party to help us.
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So off to Jerusalem we go to visit with the elders and make sure we’re heading in the right direction.
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Is salvation by grace or through keeping the law?
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Tonight’s passage deals with this question in four parts:
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Law or Grace? The Dissention The Discussion The Decision
Further Development
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Dissension (Acts 15:1-5)
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Acts 15:1 And some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
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Notice how they came down from Judea!
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We also find out later that they weren’t sent by the church at Jerusalem, they just decided to come and insert themselves.
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They were a self proclaimed authority.
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Acts 15:2 And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and
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Acts 15:2 some others of them should go to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue.
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Wisdom!
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They could have ignored them or even made some snide remarks about them, but they chose love.
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Acts 15:3 Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion
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Acts 15:3 of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren.
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Acts 15:4 When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.
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Acts 15:5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.”
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Is it just a good idea or is it necessary for salvation?
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Notice the Pharisees had come to believe in Jesus.
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Hallelujah!
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They just didn’t quite have all of that Pharisaical teaching out of them yet.
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Is salvation by grace or through keeping the law?
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Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
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Ephesians 2:9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
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Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workman-ship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
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Law or Grace? The Dissention The Discussion The Decision
Further Development
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Discussion (Acts 15:6-18)
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Acts 15:6 The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter.
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Acts 15:7 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in early days God made a choice
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Acts 15:7 among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe.
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Acts 15:8 And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;
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Acts 15:9 and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
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God didn’t say that everybody needed to learn how to become a good Pharisee in order to be saved.
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God didn’t say that everybody needed to learn how to become a good Sadducee in order to be saved.
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God didn’t say that everybody needed to learn how to become a good Essene in order to be saved.
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God didn’t say that everybody needed to learn how to become a good Zealot in order to be saved.
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God didn’t say that everybody needed to learn how to become a good Karaite in order to be saved.
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God didn’t say that everybody needed to learn how to become a good Orthodox Jew in order to be saved.
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God didn’t say that everybody needed to learn how to become a good Sephardic Jew in order to be saved.
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God didn’t say that everybody needed to learn how to become a good Yemenite Jew in order to be saved.
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God didn’t say that everybody needed to learn how to become a good law keeper in order to be saved.
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God didn’t say that everybody needed to learn how to become a good Baptist in order to be saved.
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Acts 15:10 Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
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Acts 15:11 But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”
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God will save, heal, deliver, protect, preserve, provide, educate and make them whole as only He can.
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The Holy Spirit has come and He can lead them into the truth far better than any of us can.
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Acts 15:12 All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
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Acts 15:13 After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me.
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Acts 15:14 Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name.
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Acts 15:15 With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written,
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Acts 15:16 ‘After these things I will return, and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen, and I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it,
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Acts 15:17 so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name,’
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Acts 15:18 says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago.
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God is doing something far bigger than we can ask, think or imagine.
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Let’s stay out of His way, resist the temptation to go backward and agree to move forward with God.
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Law or Grace? The Dissention The Discussion The Decision
Further Development
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Decision (Acts 15:19-29)
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Acts 15:19 Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles,
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Acts 15:20 but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.
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We don’t need to overwhelm new believers in Messiah with a long list of instructions right now.
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God will save, heal, deliver, protect, preserve, provide, educate and make them whole as only He can.
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The Holy Spirit has come and He can lead them into the truth far better than any of us can.
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Acts 15:21 For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in synagogues every Sabbath.”
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Acts 15:22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with
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Acts 15:22 Paul and Barnabas – Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren,
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We really don’t know much about these two men mentioned in verse 22.
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But we do know they are leading men from the church at Jerusalem.
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Two of our best!
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Acts 15:23 and they sent this letter by them, “The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings.
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Acts 15:24 Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls,
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Acts 15:25 it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
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Acts 15:26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Acts 15:27 Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth.
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Acts 15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:
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Acts 15:29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free
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Acts 15:29 from such things, you will do well. Farewell.”
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Notice that it didn’t say, “If you do these things, you will be saved
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“If you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well.”
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God will save, heal, deliver, protect, preserve, provide, educate and make them whole as only He can.
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The Holy Spirit has come and He can lead them into the truth far better than any of us can.
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They will be hearing the words of Moses every week in the synagogues.
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They’re on a precious journey with the Lord and He is trustworthy to lead them.
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Law or Grace? The Dissention The Discussion The Decision
Further Development
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Further Development (Acts 15:30-35)
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Acts 15:30 So when they were sent away, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.
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Acts 15:31 When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.
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Acts 15:32 Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brethren with a lengthy message.
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I would have loved to have heard that message.
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I wonder what words of encouragement they shared with them.
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Acts 15:33 After they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brethren in peace to those who had sent them out.
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Acts 15:34 [But it seemed good to Silas to remain there.]
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Acts 15:35 But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching with many others also, the word of the Lord.
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Amen!
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Law or Grace? The Dissention The Discussion The Decision
Further Development
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So, say it with me…
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God will save, heal, deliver, protect, preserve, provide, educate and make new believers whole as only He can.
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The Holy Spirit has come and He can lead them into the truth far better than any of us can.
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They will be hearing the Word of God every week in church.
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They’re on a precious journey with the Lord and He is trustworthy to lead them.
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So stop forcing them to be just like you.
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Stop telling them they have to do it exactly the way you want it done.
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Let God have His way!
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God is doing something far bigger than we can ask, think or imagine.
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Let’s stay out of His way, resist the temptation to go backward and agree to move forward with God.
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Hallelujah!
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