{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":300,"width":600,"title":"The Life of Paul - Acts 15","description":" Vijay continues the series on the life of Paul, focusing on Paul the controversialist in Acts 15:1\u201321. The controversy is not about a minor church preference, but about the heart of the gospel: is Jesus Christ enough? He begins with an illustration of doctors disagreeing over a scan. Some disagreements do not matter much, but others are life-changing because they concern what is actually true. In the same way, Christians may disagree over many secondary matters, but Acts 15 deals with a central question: how is a person saved, and who belongs to the people of God? The issue arises because Gentiles are coming to faith in Jesus. Some Jewish believers from Judea insist that Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses. Vijay explains that this was not a silly question. Jesus is Israel\u2019s Messiah, the fulfilment of Israel\u2019s Scriptures, and circumcision and the law were given by God. So the early church had to wrestle seriously with what Gentile inclusion meant. Paul and Barnabas strongly oppose the idea that faith in Jesus needs to be supplemented by becoming Jewish. The church sends them to Jerusalem, where the apostles and elders meet to discuss the matter. Peter reminds the council of Cornelius in Acts 10. God gave the Holy Spirit to Gentiles before they were circumcised or placed under the law. Peter\u2019s point is that God had already accepted them by faith. Israel itself had always depended on God\u2019s grace, because knowing the law never gave sinful people the power to keep it. Therefore, both Jews and Gentiles are saved in the same way: by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus. Barnabas and Paul then report what God has done among the Gentiles. James turns to Scripture, especially Amos, to show that this Gentile inclusion is not Scripture being cancelled, but Scripture being fulfilled. God always intended to take a people for his name from among the nations. James\u2019s judgement speaks to both sides. Jewish believers must not make it difficult for Gentiles turning to God. If God has welcomed them, the church must not block the doorway. But Gentile believers must also understand that grace does not mean life remains unchanged. They are called to turn from idolatry and sexual immorality, and to live in ways shaped by love for Jewish brothers and sisters. Vijay\u2019s main application is that grace cuts in both directions. It stops us from adding barriers to the gospel, but it also stops us from using freedom selfishly. The Christian question is not always, \u201cAm I allowed to do this?\u201d Sometimes the deeper question is: what does the love of Jesus ask of me? The sermon closes by noting that Paul does not dominate the council, even though he has strong convictions. Mature Christian conviction is strong enough to speak, humble enough to listen, willing to change, and secure enough not to control the outcome \u2014 because Christ is enough. 0:00 Paul the Controversialist 0:38 When Disagreements Really Matter 2:35 The Question: Is Jesus Christ Enough? 3:53 The Acts 15 Controversy 5:34 God Opens the Door to the Gentiles 9:07 A Sincere but Wrong Challenge 11:26 The Jerusalem Council Meets 12:16 Peter: Saved by Undeserved Grace 19:35 James: Scripture Is Being Fulfilled 25:32 Grace Changes How We Live 34:33 Strong Conviction with Humility                 ","author_name":"Sermons from Aberdeen Christian Fellowship","author_url":"http:\/\/www.aberdeencf.com","html":"