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What Brings Us Together?

Wayne Galloway
03/14/21 - Sunday Morning Worship

What Brings Us Together?

Acts 6:1-4

 

 

Introduction:

 

1. In our society there is racism, sexism, abortion, the sexual abuse of children, people taking        advantage of the vulnerable, the general “man taking advantage of man” kind of problems.
2. We should not be surprised.  Paul said, “Evil men and imposters will proceed from bad to worse” (Titus 3:13).  The Lord’s news report begins in Genesis with lying, deceit and death, jealousy, murder and wickedness.  Gen. 6:5 says, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
3. But the church at Jerusalem was not like that.  It was multi-cultural.  There were some who were Hellenistic Jews,   that is, Jews who had adopted the Greek language and culture.  Then there were the native Hebrews, those that had resisted this acculturation.
4. In the benevolent work of the congregation the Hellenistic widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.
5. The situation had the potential for angry hostility.  It was quelled by wisdom and good will.  The congregation selected seven men whose names reflect Greek origin.  One of whom, Nicolas, is a Gentile convert to Judaism and now Christianity.
6. And so “the word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7).
7. How could such a divergent group come together in such unity?  Priests, proselytes, Hellenists, native Hebrews?  Later Samaritans, Ethiopians, and even Gentiles would be brought together.

 

Discussion:

 

1. There are different groups in the Lord’s church.  Whether we think of the church generally as scattered all over the world or whether we think of a particular congregation there are different groups.

 

      A.  Some of those identified in Scripture.

            1.  There are Hellenists and native Hebrews.

            2.  There are widows and by implication, marrieds.

            3.  There are Gentiles (Acts 10-11-15).

            4.  There are young people and older people (1 Tim. 5:1-2; Titus 2:3) and within these

                 groups sub-groups, men (Titus 2:2, 6) and women (Titus 2:3).

            5.  There are those who are rich (1 Tim. 6:17) and those who are poor (James 2:2).

            6.  There are those who eat meat and those who do not (1 Cor. 8; Rom. 14-15).

            7.  There are those who prefer marriage and those who prefer to be single (1 Cor. 7:1-7).

            8.  There are those who have been fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate,

                 homosexuals, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, swindlers (1 Cor. 6:9-10).

            9.  It’s a motley crew!

       B.  The Lord recognized that it was going to be this way.  When He described them in Isa.                             11:6ff this is what He said.

             “The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat,                                 and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and the lion will eat straw like                             the ox.  The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will                               put his hand in the viper’s den.  They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain.”

 

II.  Sin separates. 

 

     A.  It separates people from God.  Isaiah wrote, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that   

           it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear.  But your iniquities have made a

           separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so

           that He does not hear” (59:1-2).

     B.  Sin creates separation between people too.  You know that from your own experiences.

          When you are sinned against you want to hurt or at least withdraw from the one who has

           sinned against you.  When you sin against another they want to hurt you or at least

           withdraw from you.

     C.  But it goes beyond that.  We become suspicious and even expect that people are going

           to sin against us.  We are distrustful, cautious and expect people to treat us unfairly. 

           Like Joseph’s brothers who hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms

           (Gen. 37:4).

     D.  God has prepared a way for trust and peace.

 

III.  Isaiah 11:1-5 describes how it is going to happen.

 

      A.  It is going to involve righteous judgment.  Judgments are going to be fair.  Faithfulness

           will prevail (4-5).

           1.  Ex. 18:13ff describes how Moses was judging the people. 

           2.  When there was a conflict between two they would come to Moses “to inquire of

                God.”  Disputes were solved on the basis of the statutes of God and His laws.

           3.  Jethro counseled Moses to set up a court system.

                 a.  Judges would be men who feared God, men of truth, those who hated dishonest

                      gain.  They would be placed as leaders over thousands, hundreds, fifties and

                      tens.

                 b.  They would be taught the laws of God and then judge the cases on the basis of

                       God’s revelation.

                 c.  If you do this “all these people also will go to their place in peace.”

           4.  The plan the kingdom of God described in Isaiah 11 is similar. 

      B.  It is going to involve the Spirit of the Lord resting on one stemming from the root of

           Jesse (11:1-3).

           1.  He is going to judge on the basis of what God has revealed in His law.

           2.  It will be the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength,

                the spirit of knowledge and the fear of God that He uses. 

      C.  It will result in peace.

           1.  Isa. 2 describes the kingdom of God.

           2.  “Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to

                 the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways and that

                 we may walk in His paths.’  For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the

                 Lord from Jerusalem.  And He will judge between the nations, and will render

                 decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into pruning hooks. 

                 Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war.”

            3.  The people must submit to God’s law and God’s judgments, and God’s King.

       D.  The description in Isa. 11:11-13.

 

IV.  Ephesians 2 elaborates on how this works.

 

      A.  It defines us as under the influence of the spirit working in the sons of disobedience

           (2:1-3).  We are dead under this influence.

      B.  But God acted to bring us under a different influence (2:4-10).  The cross of Christ

            should bring us to soften our hearts toward one another.  Having been forgiven we                                   should willingly forgive.

      C.  There was enmity but now there is peace (2:11-22).

            1.  Sin is taken out of the way.

            2.  We have come under the rulership of Christ.

            3.  Peace in one body is the result (Isa. 57:19; Eph. 2:17).

            4.  It is built on what the apostles and prophets revealed, Christ Jesus Himself being the

                 corner stone.

            5.  Again, people must submit to God’s law, God’s judgments and God’s King.  Without

                 this there is jealousy, hatred, malice and distrust.  Everyone gets what he can take

                 from another.  It is the “survival of the fittest,” “the one with the most money, power

                 or position.”  There is no justice, no fairness, no equity.  Just, man taking advantage

                 of man.

 

V.  Unity like this is hard to maintain (Eph. 4:1-6). 

 

     A.  It requires walking in a manner worthy of our calling.  We need to walk in a way

           consistent with the value of the Lord’s sacrifice for us.

     B.  “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in

           love.”

     C.  When we take this “My way or the highway” kind of approach this is not something

           we learned from Christ.

     D.  “Who among you is wise and understanding?  Let him show by his good behavior his                                deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.  But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition                            in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.  This wisdom is not that                                which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.  For where jealousy and             selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.  But the wisdom from above                          is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits,                                           unwavering, without hypocrisy.  And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in                               peace by those who make peace” (James 3:13-18).

      E.  But quarrels and conflicts arise.  There is fighting and quarreling because we have                                   selfish motives rather than giving ourselves completely to God’s will (James 4:1ff).

 

VI.  The way they worked things in Acts 6 and Acts 15 and 1 Cor. 8 and Rom. 14-15.

 

       A.  The native Hebrews refused to exercise power over the Hellenistic Jews.

            1.  The apostles said select from among you men full of the Spirit and of wisdom.

            2.  The statement found approval with the whole congregation.

            3.  Individuals of Hellenistic background were chosen.  Evidences humility on part of

                 native Hebrews.

       B.  In Jewish/Gentile relations in Acts 15 some tried to force Gentiles to observe

            circumcision and the Law of Moses.

            1.  The church said, “No, this is not God’s will.”

            2.  Notice resignation to the law of God, i.e. the Spirit of God (Acts 15:28).

            3.  No one group was exercising power down on another group.  All were treated

                 equitably and fairly.

            4.  The Gentiles at Antioch determined to send a contribution to the Jews in Jerusalem

                 (Acts 11:27ff).

       C.  Arrogance is diminished, but love edifies (1 Cor. 8:1).  Do not allow this to become a

            stumbling block to your brother.  Bear the weakness of those without strength (Rom.

            15:1).  Not about pleasing self.  Accept one another, but not for the purpose of passing

             judgment.  Do not regard the other with contempt (Rom. 14:1-3).

        D.  We are all in the same family (Gal. 3:26-29).

 

Conclusion:

 

1.  What brings us together?  A resignation of our will to the will of God.
2. Concern for our brothers and a diminishing of self.
3. Humility, gentleness, patience and a showing of tolerance.
4. If lions and lambs are to lay down together lions must stop biting and devouring and lambs must learn to trust.