So Far as it Depends on You
Acts 21:15-26
May 26, 2013
One of the absolutes of our world is that as long as there are humans
There will always be friction.
Solomon said it like this:
Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.”
That would, of course, be the positive side of friction.
It pictures men working on one another and sharpening one another.
The negative side would be like Jesus said:
John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
And it really isn’t that difficult to understand why.
After the fall of man and the entrance of sin,
The worst in man began to come forward.
And I suppose you could categorize it in all different types,
But the reality is that mankind began to focus on himself.
• Soon after the fall we have Cain killing Able out of envy.
• A few years later we have a man named Lamech, who was the first
polygamist, wanting two wives and taking them.
He then said:
Genesis 4:23-24 “Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, Listen to my voice, You wives of Lamech, Give heed to my speech, For I have killed a man for wounding me; And a boy for striking me; If Cain is avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”
That was a man not only willfully sinning, but also justifying it.
And that was really only the beginning wasn’t it?
Ever since the fall man has sought to gratify his sinful nature
And then justify his sin.
It is the absolute epitome of selfishness.
AND EVERY ONE OF US WAS THERE.
Ephesians 2:1-3 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”
Every one of us once lived in sin, seeking to gratify the flesh,
Seeking to appease our carnal desires.
And with a mindset like that, it’s no wonder that friction and strife arises.
It is very rare that two selfish people can ever become friends.
Proverbs says:
Proverbs 30:15 “The leech has two daughters, “Give,” “Give.”
And this is really the reason for division and friction
And a lack of unity among people.
Now this problem should be taken care of when people get saved.
Christians are those who have died to self and live to Christ
And therefore called to put others before themselves.
However, you and I know that divisions still occur.
There are times when even believers walk in the flesh
And therefore strife arises.
Paul actually scolded the Corinthians, saying:
1 Corinthians 3:1-3 “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?”
Paul told them the reason they fought was because they were babies.
James also revealed where strife comes from:
James 4:1-4 “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
James said our divisions come from carnal and selfish hearts
That are willing to fight and steal and murder to get what they want.
At times, even among believers, division occurs.
This means that the believer must always
Seek and strive to find unity and fellowship.
Those things don’t naturally happen, because the natural man is selfish.
Those things only happen when a man is determined
To die to self and walk by the Spirit.
And this unity is the aim of the Christian.
Paul wrote to the Ephesians:
Ephesians 4:3 “being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
It is the goal of a Christian to be at peace without strife.
And if you want to see an example of how serious God is,
Let me take you to 1 Corinthians 7.
This is a passage on marriage.
1 Corinthians 7:12-16 “But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?”
We all know that Scripture teaches that “God hates divorce”
And yet here Paul says God would rather you
Let your unbelieving spouse leave than live in strife.
Unity and peace matter.
Often times when people come into my office with some complaint against another person, there is one verse we end up on.
And it is the verse I used to title this sermon:
Romans 12:18 “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”
I think it teaches us a great deal about the attitude we must maintain
If we are truly to have peace in our relationships.
Now, do understand, that sometimes peace isn’t possible.
That is why Paul says, “So far as it depends upon you”
In other words, you may not achieve peace,
But make sure that you aren’t the reason why you couldn’t.
You do everything you can.
Anyone in here who has ever had to apply those verses in their life,
Will agree that this is no small request.
To do something like that requires
A selfless, humble, pride crushing attitude.
At times it necessitates repentance, apologies, and almost always
A willingness to surrender personal preference.
THAT IS A TREMENDOUSLY TOUGH PASSAGE TO OBEY.
Well, tonight I want to show you Paul
Putting his money where his mouth was.
He wasn’t a man like the Pharisees who tied up heavy burdens upon people
That he was unwilling to move with so much as a finger.
He was a man that so believed the truth he preached
That he lived it in his daily life.
As you know, Paul is on his way back to Jerusalem.
• He is carrying the offering for the saints that has been collected in the Gentile churches and he is on his way.
• Along the way he has had a constant conviction from the Holy Spirit that bonds an afflictions await him.
• In what we saw in the previous passage, this conviction became a clear warning as prophets specifically revealed that Paul would be bound and imprisoned in Jerusalem.
• This revelation sparked an outcry that Paul turn around and not go to Jerusalem, but Paul was determined.
• He was on mission for the Lord, and if imprisonment was part of that mission, then so be it.
Well, we aren’t going to get to the prison part yet,
But we are going to get to an even that required Paul
To determine how important unity was to him.
And it is a tremendous example of him living that verse he wrote to the Romans. “So far as it depends upon you, be at peace with all men.”
There are four things I want you to see in this text.
#1 PAUL’S RESUME
Acts 21:15-19
You will notice that Luke sort of moves us into a new chapter
Regarding Paul’s journey back to Jerusalem.
“After these days we got ready and started on our way up to Jerusalem.”
Paul went through a season of people seeking to encourage him
Not to travel to Jerusalem, but that time was now behind them.
Paul was nearly there, and it was time to approach the city.
And according to verse 17 Paul came to Jerusalem
And was greeted by all the brethren.
And then Paul approached the church.
(18) “And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.”
As far as our study of ecclesiology is concerned
This is a very important verse.
At this point in the life of the church,
The apostles have handed over full control to the elders.
The apostles have moved on in evangelistic efforts and the head of the Jerusalem church is James (not an apostle – the half-brother of Jesus, and the elders)
This shows that succession of leadership
We talked about a few weeks back.
The church in Jerusalem is now being led by the elders, not the apostles.
In fact, Paul is about to put himself in submission to these elders,
Which is really fascinating when you think about it.
But here he is greeting this Jerusalem church.
(19) “After he had greeted them, he began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.”
This is the part I call “Paul’s Resume”
Romans 15:18-19 “For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.”
Paul was not puffed up on all that he had accomplished in the ministry,
But did recognize the hand of God on his ministry.
And so he came and shared with the Jerusalem church
All that God had done through him.
And this is so important.
• It is vital that every local congregation develop a “global” view of God’s activity.
• It is important that we understand that God is in fact omnipresent and that He is working not only in Spur, but also around the world.
And so Paul is sharing what God has done.
The reason I want you to see that here, is because
I want you to recognize that Paul was no “little fish”
In the grand scheme of God.
If he had wanted to, it would have been easy for him
To stroll into Jerusalem and throw his weight around
And basically tell everyone to follow his lead.
He had enough skins on the wall to warrant such respect.
By this point, he could have easily decided
That he didn’t have to answer to anyone.
I just want you to see that.
#2 PAUL’S REPUTATION
Acts 21:20-22
The first thing we notice is that after Paul gives the account of all that God did through his ministry, THE RESPONSE IS GREAT.
“And when they heard it they began glorifying God;”
Paul not only said he wanted to give God glory,
He actually accomplished his goal.
He told his story in such a way so that the people didn’t end up praising him,
But ended up praising God.
So Paul comes to town, having accomplished much, and God is glorified.
But what we find next is where the story takes the turn.
It seems not everyone was impressed with Paul’s success,
Or how God was using him.
“and they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law; and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.”
So even though Paul had been a tremendous worker for the kingdom,
His reputation had suffered some hits.
Here was a man who was so devoted to Christ
That he was now in Jerusalem at the risk of his own life,
And yet the word being spread about him was that he was some sort of heretic.
His reputation had fallen victim to the gossip circle.
The specific accusation was that Paul attacked traditional Judaism.
They said he was trying to get Jews to completely disregard Moses
And quit following their Jewish traditions.
(You can imagine the stir such a thing would have caused)
But let’s talk about this accusation for a moment.
FIRST OF ALL, IT WASN’T TRUE
That was not at all what Paul was preaching.
No where do we find Paul disregarding Moses
Or telling Jews not to be circumcised.
Acts 16:1-3 “Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.”
Furthermore in his letter to the Corinthians he wrote:
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.”
Or who can forget his letter to the Romans
Where Paul specifically told Gentile believers not to judge Jewish believers
Whom Paul considered to be “weak in faith”
Because they still held so tightly to their Jewish customs?
Romans 14:1-4 “Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”
It is clear that Paul had no plan to get Jews to quit being Jewish.
What Paul did oppose was Gentiles being forced to become Jewish.
Paul saw absolutely no merit (and in fact much harm)
In trying to force Gentiles to keep the Law of Moses.
The entire letter of Galatians addresses that issue.
Paul told Gentiles not to get circumcised, but not Jews.
So, first of all, the accusation is false.
But beyond that you need to understand:
SECONDLY, EVEN IF PAUL DID TEACH IT, IT WASN’T WRONG
They accused Paul of telling Jews not to circumcise their children,
And thus forsake Moses.
Even if Paul had taught that, it would not have been wrong.
The Law had a specific purpose,
And that was to lead Israel to the Messiah.
Galatians 3:23-26 “But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
The reality is that the things of the Law were no longer necessary.
• That is why Peter could eat unclean foods, and go eat them with Gentiles.
• That is why Philip could go witness to a Samaritan.
• And that is why all other aspects of the Law were also set aside.
All of those requirements were fulfilled in Christ.
Jesus is now the answer.
And Jews no longer needed the ritual.
Now, Paul didn’t enforce that, but even if he had,
It would not have been wrong.
And yet, Paul’s reputation had taken an extreme hit because of it.
It is obvious that those Judaizers who infected the Galatian church had also done their work in Jerusalem, and the Jewish believers there were confused in doctrine and now taking it out on Paul.
The result being:
(22) “What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.”
So even though Paul has done nothing of which he should be ashamed,
He finds himself in the middle of a dilemma.
And please notice, this dilemma isn’t even among non-believers.
These are believers who are causing this problem for him.
His Resume, His Reputation
#3 PAUL’S REQUIREMENT
Acts 21:23-25
Well they were concerned about what to do with Paul,
Knowing that he had been victimized by the gossip train.
Here is what they decide.
“Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself walk orderly, keeping the Law.”
Paul did nothing wrong,
But now they are asking him to go beyond himself
And prove himself a faithful Jew,
Just to appease the people with messed up doctrine.
This appeasement entails a period of purification and a paying of expenses for four men who are keeping a Nazirite vow.
(Not strange, Paul did this back in chapter 18)
But just to make sure you understand,
Let me remind you of exactly what they fees were for this.
Numbers 6:13-16 “’Now this is the law of the Nazirite when the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall bring the offering to the doorway of the tent of meeting. ‘He shall present his offering to the LORD: one male lamb a year old without defect for a burnt offering and one ewe-lamb a year old without defect for a sin offering and one ram without defect for a peace offering, and a basket of unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil and unleavened wafers spread with oil, along with their grain offering and their drink offering. ‘Then the priest shall present them before the LORD and shall offer his sin offering and his burnt offering.”
So they are basically asking Paul to pay something like 4 male lambs, 4 ewe lambs, 4 baskets of unleavened cakes, 4 grain offerings, and 4 drink offerings.
And the idea is that if he would go such great expense,
Then certainly all the Jews would realize that
He is a “good Jew” who walks “orderly”.
To put it bluntly they ask Paul to jump through all kinds of hoops
Just to silence their confused congregation.
Now, it is important to note that these elders are not backing down from what they wrote previously to the Gentiles.
(25) “But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication.”
These elders aren’t backing up on the truth for the Gentiles, they still solidify that doctrine, they just want Paul to go ahead and affirm Judaism.
I don’t mind telling you, if I was Paul, I might have a problem with this.
• First of all, the Law never saved anyone…
• Secondly, it is all about Christ now, not Judaism….
• Thirdly, if salvation without Law is good enough for Gentiles, it’s is good enough for Jews…
• Fourthly, if Paul did nothing wrong, why should he have to go to such trouble..?
Paul would have been justified in telling these Jerusalem elders that instead of requiring him to jump through hoops, why don’t they do something about the influence of the Judaizers and straighten out the bad doctrine in their churches?
It appears to me that Paul would have been more than justified in telling these elders that the problem wasn’t his, but theirs.
So they are putting a big requirement on him.
His Resume, His Reputation, His Requirement
#4 PAUL’S RESPONSE
Acts 21:26
Here was Paul:
Devoted missionary
Devoted Christian
A man who had every right to ride on his reputation,
Now belittling himself and jumping through hoops
That must have certainly seemed unnecessary,
Just for the sake of not offending any Jewish Christians.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT WE CALL THAT?
Dying to Self
Romans 12:18 “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”
• Paul never considered his rights…
• Paul never stood on his credentials…
• Paul never expected fairness…
Paul was simply willing to lay down his life and his freedoms
If it meant preserving unity in the body.
And this friends is real Christianity.
Philippians 2:1-3 “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;”
That is exactly what Paul was doing.
There was no genuine or even theological reason why he had to do this.
He did it simply to bring peace.
Might I also remind you that Paul had just delivered one of the most gracious offerings imaginable to the Jewish believers.
Yet Paul was asked to totally and completely die to self.
We call this humility, and it is a necessary attribute for the Christian.
Jesus Himself said it:
Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”
That is the call.
If you are unwilling to die to self,
Then you are unable to follow Christ.
John MacArthur preached a sermon once on husbands loving their wives sacrificially, in the sermon he said this about the necessary “death to self” that is required to do that.
I suppose death to self, is the real issue. Somewhere along your pilgrimage as a Christian, you need to learn to die to yourself regularly. It saves you from being defensive, revengeful, retaliatory, [and] hostile, accumulating the list of things against you.
When you are forgotten or neglected or purposely set aside and you sting and hurt with the insult or the oversight, but your heart is happy and you count it a privilege to suffer for Christ; that is dying to self.
When your good is evil spoken of, when [others] misunderstand you, when your desires are not interesting to [others] when your advice is disregarded and your opinions are ridiculed, and when you are abused, when you are mistreated, or misunderstood, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend yourself; that is dying to self.
When you lovingly, patiently bear any disruption; any irregularity; any annoyance; when you can stand face to face with folly and waste and extravagance and insensitivity and endure it as Jesus endured it; that is dying to self.
When you are content with any food, any clothes, any climate, any society, any interruption, or any solitude; that is dying to self.
When you never care to refer to yourself in a conversation or to record and recite your own good works, or to pursue commendation; when you can truly love to be unrecognized for something good; that is dying to self.
When you see someone else prosper, someone else reach goals that you desire, and you can honestly rejoice with that other person in spirit; feel no envy and not question God while your needs are far greater and [you are] in desperate circumstances; that is dying to self.
-John MacArthur, from sermon “God’s Pattern for Husbands – Part 1” quoted at: 34:00 minutes.
That was the apostle Paul.
We know he died to self in agreeing to come to Jerusalem,
But he had to continue to do it the second he got there.
And all for the sake of unity.
• He put his own accomplishments…
• His own rights…
• His own feelings…
• His own expectations…
All on the back burner and submitted himself
To a needless service which cost him greatly,
All for the sake of keeping the peace and preserving the unity.
That is the example we see, and that is the exhortation we follow.
Romans 12:18 “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”
