Man, that's turning her Bible tonight.
The Bible readings from the book of Acts.
Commencing at Acts chapter 13. We're going to read in verse 44.
Acts chapter 13 verse 44. Let's hear the word of God.
The words will come up and screen for older online.
Acts 13, 44. And the next Sabbath day.
Kim almost the whole city to gather to hear the word of God.
But in the Jews saw that the multitudes they were filled with
envy and speak against those things which were spoken by Paul
contradicting and blaspheming then Paul and Barnabas wax bold
and said it was necessary that the word of God should first
have been spoken to you but seeing he put it from you and
judge yourselves. Unworthy of everlasting life
low, we turn to the Gentiles. For sure who hath, the Lord
commanded us saying, I have set thee to be a light of the
Gentiles that thou shouldst be for salvation unto the ends of
the Earth. And when the Gentiles heard
this, they were glad and glorified that word of the Lord
and as many as wordy and to eternal life believed and the
word of the Lord was published it all the region.
But the Jews stirred up, the devote, an honorable woman and
the chief man of the city. Andre is persecution against
Paul and Barnabas and expelled them out of their coasts, but
they shook off the dust of their feet against them and came unto
Iconium and the disciples were filled with joy and with the
Holy Ghost and it came to pass in a corneum that they went Both
together into the synagogue of the Jews.
And so spig, that a great multitude, both of the Jews and
also of the Greeks believed, but the unbelieving Jews stirred up
the Gentiles and they had their minds evil affected against the
Brethren long time. Therefore Abode, they speaking
boldly in the Lord, which give testimony on to the word of his
grace and granted signs and wonders to be done by their
hands. but the multitude of the city was divided and part held
with the Jews and part with the apostles, And when their Wars
and assault me at both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews
with their rulers, to use them to spitefully and to Stone them,
they were aware of it and flared onto lystra and derbe cities of
Laconia and onto the region that lieth Brenda bite.
And there they preached the gospel.
The, my text tonight is found in Acts chapter 14.
On the verse 4 and it reads. But the multitude of the city
was divided and part hailed with the Jews.
I'm part with the apostles. Now even tatel dust message
tonight biblical laws regarding religious division.
Now, the word division is used in the Bible 22 times.
Here's the first reference Dennis it, verse 23 and I will
put a division between my people and thy people God was speaking
through Moses to Farrell. This division, of course, is
rooted in God's Sovereign, free choice because all the way by to
Eternity to the consul of redemption between Father, Son
and Holy Spirit. The reality is that there has to
be our division among God's dear people in contrast to those who
do not belong to the Lord. The last reference division is
First Corinthians 11, verse 18. First of all, Paul says, when
you come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions
among you and I partly believe it.
And isn't it sad that the last reference has to do with a
division among Among those are in the police were, God has to
do with worship. Now, in addition to these 22
references, there's a further, 66 references that use the verb
divided and acts 14 verse 4 as one such reference.
The multitude of the city of Iconium was divided part held
with the Jews. Unbelieving.
Jews part held with the apostles believing man.
God. Now you two need.
If we were to go back, say 40 years in Northern Ireland,
division was a dirty word almost a forbidden word.
A word that was frowned upon ungodly.
Men did not want to hear about things, that divide one man from
another, especially to do with religious truth, and still, to
this day, there is a degree of preoccupation of ungodly man of
the things that you need individuals rather than having a
call to put away anything. And everything that brings
conflict breeds separation and Division.
And you see this mindset is very prevalent in the religious world
of Northern Ireland. The Earth, the whole, rest of
the United Kingdom, you've got to think of the work of The
ecumenical movement, the charismatic movement, and this
push for a one World Church. That's already begun to rule 8.
Yet the principle of division things that The Vedas is a very
real part of true Christian experience and this Principle as
of said, was laid down in the first law of reference by the
Lord from all eternity. We ignore that religious
division at our peril. Yet today.
We must confess that there is a growing alarm at the
polarization of political parties and people in 2023.
You see, there's a spirit of broad that is what I'm going to
call effect of polarization. You have people on the left,
you've people in their rate, Under their heart, they're angry
at everything, and anything so much, so that political
divisions, have become tribal different sections of community,
with a diverse set of opinions views and loyalties, they've
stopped speaking to each other. In fact, they've gone even
further, they've started fighting with each other.
Under voices today. But how division is taking place
in the United States of America? And the United Kingdom division
between liberals and conservatives, those on the
left, those on the right? That has become such an
intensifying Force. It's in danger of tearing
democracy apart itself. You take our R&D Romanian versus
leave, the whole brexit referendum, the The pendants
referendum in Scotland, the dreaded Draconian lockdowns,
that were imposed by the government, the heated protocol
for Northern Ireland. The party gets Scandal of Boris,
Johnson, he even take the books, spare, by Prince, Harry and
Beggin, Markham out into the mix, then views and opinions on
a portion transgenderism. BT community and many other
moral issues and you see these issues of thousand more, they're
debating cities, they're debating families.
Under even debating churches. We are facing today gree it
effective polarization on a political level that we've never
ever had to Feast before. and yet, in the first century, there
was a spirit of polarization Spirit of division and cities
like Antioch and Syria Burger in pamphylia or on the mainland
turkey. Northwest of Cyprus, and also in
Iconium south of turkey. You see, conflict and
controversy was never far away especially for the man of God,
preachers of the Gospel who came forth, preaching and mentioning
the name of Jesus Christ. I'm presenting. the gospel of
true saving faith and what was true in the first century folks
is true in our damn generation It's the CM rate up to this
present age and it will continue right up to the time that the
Lord Jesus returns in power and glory to set up as Everlasting
Kingdom. It's only the end, he will put
his enemies under his feet, still, and even in the final
days of antichrist, Antichrist is going to make war with the
Saints. And he's going to overcome
Revelation 13 and 7. And if you want to know what's
going to happen in the future, thousands upon thousands of
God's dear people will be martyred and they'll get a
martyr's crying and to this day and I just don't have all the
evidence but to this day in certain parts of the world,
thousands are being martyred and put the cray put to death for
Christ and his cause I want us to think about biblical laws
regarding religious division, three things this evening think
about the cause of religious Division.
If we look at the tax that says, put the multitude of the city
was divided, is he few people today want or enjoy conflict and
Division and controversy, it most people love peace.
Most people want to live a Peaceable and a quiet.
Kind of life in the hip confrontation, on the the avoid
controversy, let me illustrate suppose, an individual's got a
problem, family member or a friend that they're doing
something that, you know, and they know to be wrong and you
want to talk to them. But here's what we do.
We hold back. Perhaps we pray perhaps, we we
had until the lordly. Just why?
Because in our mind we fear about reaction, we fear that the
consul and advice we give was going to be rejected and
reproved and were afraid of that individual family member or
friend telling us how dare you say that to me.
How dare you accuse me of doing something that's wrong, and
sinful. Let me illustrate another way.
Here's an individual family, member and friend and they're
not see it yet. You're afraid to bring up the
subject of their individual salvation.
Why? Because you know, they're not
going to respond well you know they're going to blow their top
and you know that you don't want to create conflict and Division
and of course at the back of the sphere as the devil because the
devil has blinded the eyes of those that believe not.
And the devil knows that they're dead in trespasses and sin and
don't have a love for the Lord and our deceased in their
affections. And they fail the pool and layer
of the world and how many are afraid of being left out?
Afraid of been ostracized afraid of been blacklisted and is not
what's happening today. All over Society in the
newscasters room, in the education Authority in the
classroom in the work. Please, you only have to listen
last week to the treatment of that clinical psychologist.
Jordan Peterson from Canada. She's been ostracized and
blacklisted because of the things that he's saying.
See the moment tonight, listen to me as a Christian that you
confess Christ, the moment that you confront sin.
The moment you call for repentance and feareth, you're
going to Fierce opposition and the world, ye shall have
tribulation Jesus and you're going to Fierce conflict and
that conflict will be in among in your family that conflict and
division will be among your friends and leaving be among
your fools as well. You see, when you try to speak
the truth in love. You try to be gracious and
sensitive and kind and true to the blood and the book, what are
you going to discover? You're going to discover this
and here's the cause of this religious division that there's
an inherently device of quality. In the gospel is he the gospel
is good news. But whoever it's good news that
the veins. There's an inherently.
Device of quality in the gospel. The more people react to the
gospel then not inherent division is Satan, is suppose
someone Rejoice at the good news of the Gospel.
Someone recoiled from it, some will receive that message.
The gladness others are rejected with the steal, some of the
leave the message and some like these Jews will contradict it
and blaspheme that was true. You be Paul.
And Us. They were fearful gospel
preachers but Division and controversy dr.
Hales everywhere. They went Antioch purga
pamphylia. And even and Iconium and I know.
Don't they sought to avoid this controversy?
And I'm due date. They used every legitimate.
Measure to do. We hit upon the Lord and and to
speak the truth and love and be full of his spirit.
I'm sure that like Paul, they were able to say this and First
Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 32.
Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles,
nor to the Church of God. Even as I please all men and all
things not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of
Manning that they might be saved.
And yet, despite that very main set, not coming together fans,
there's a fence inherently, built into the gospel.
And when Paul preached there was such a reaction to a sermon in
Poseidon and Antioch, that some believed and some, blaspheming
some received the message as the word of the Lord, as a word from
God, as a word of his grease. But others reacted in such a way
that they stirred up stronger opposition so much, so that Paul
and Barnabas were put out of that locality and not sent me in
that region. The same thing happened in the
next train and that's what we're reading about there and Acts
chapter 14, and verse 4. But the multitude of the city
was divided and part hailed with the Jews and part with the
apostles. Now, why a claim such a message
that's inherently to face. Here's the answer because the
gospel is God's message. The gospel starts with God.
The gospel didn't originate with clever, man.
Religious man. Man, didn't think of the Gospel
man, didn't think, how can sinful man?
Be reconciled to God. Universally man have risen up
and brought up their own Gospel, but they've risen up in defiance
of God and his gospel. Except where gold and Greece
worked upon these men, and give them a new heart and unjust
repentance and fee. If Anna turning to trusting in
Christ alone for salvation, you take, for example, all the
world's religions tonight, where did they originate with Gorder
men? The originated with man clever
man religious man, but it's all a system of human Works to bring
them in your rate. Relationship with God study
Buddhism study, Hinduism Islam. Judaism, Roman Catholicism
Mormonism. Java witness as mm.
Every other faults called they have one thing in In coma.
That's a system of human Works to bring them into a right
relationship with God and it's rooted in their rotten, sinful
pride, and it brings them glory to themselves and also made
bring them money, but they all teach that salvation is by human
Barrett. It's a Works based religion and
the gospel is not only God's message but the gospel is the
absolute truth. Jesus said, I am the way, the
truth, the life, no man comes unto the father but by me, the
gospel is good news. To all who repent and believe
that word because they receive the gift of everlasting life.
On the gospel, is good news in the sense of it warns all who
refuse to repent and believe the gospel.
That one day, they'll die. And one day, they'll face the
judgment and the call of the Gospel.
Has fear, not them, which can kill the soul, but rather fear
him that has parted through both Body and Soul into hell.
You see the gospel is a Massey's that chiefly and supremely has
one him and that is to bring glory and honor to God.
It's not just to make man happy, it's not even a big man.
Holy, although that's part of the whole gospel Gambit, but,
but the Chiefs are premium, is to bring honor to God.
God's message. That centers and the person and
work of Christ. As the preaching of Christ,
that's inherently divisive. Do you know that in John 7?
42. It says, there was a division
among the people Because of him, ten, thousands and more
religious Jews were in the city of Jerusalem on the Feast of the
Passover under was uproar and upheaval in the city.
Why? Because of him, Because of his
coming into the world because of the masses that he brought.
And not only all of Jerusalem along their religious Jews, but
all of the soldiers and you think of what they did to him
gabbatha, dog, Arthur. Gets a Mane.
How they eventually put him in trial, stripping him of his
garments scourging him spitting and him smiting him.
What was going on? There was a division among the
people because of him and over there and Luke chapter 12.
And in the verse 51, we read these words suppose ye that I am
come to give peace in the earth. I tell you, nay, but rather
division. Why division because Christ in
an offer himself while he's the Prince of Peace.
When he's king of kings and Lord of lords, it's people's reaction
to Christ that's causing that division.
You also think of after the days of the Apostles, did, you know,
there was ten periods of intense, persecution that
engulfed, the early church, 1892, 300 Old ad, even though
the apostles had turned the new one world upside down and they
had Faithfully preached, the person and work of Jesus Christ,
and they knew that that message will offend some man and stir up
opposition with others. Yet they kept Faithfully
preaching, 12 13, 14 Century. We could spend time talking
about, they will dance Ian's. We could talk about the the
apogee Angie's. We could talk about the French
you canuse. We could come to the 15th
century and Martin Luther, wasn't he bitterly opposed to
see rediscovered. The gospel doctrine of
justification by faith. Was he taken captive by his
friends? After the diet of worms spent a
year in Wartburg castle for his own good?
And there, he translated the German Bible into the German
language think of 1588, the Spanish Armada sent by speeding
toward to crush the reformation. And Breton we could think about
the William 8 settlement of 1698 and not brought about us own
divisions, especially here in Ireland.
We think about the 1859 Revival unknot Kim about on the very
year that the origin of the species was at there just by
Charles Darwin, as if it God's answer to that.
You think of the higher criticism movement in the 1900s,
you think of today and the bothering of the churches,
taking with all the moral relativism that's going on the
the hedonistic main set, the addition of of abortion and the
mountain, the LGBT community, and the liberal Politics on the
left and gambling laws and drink laws and unlegal ization of
certain drugs. You see?
Here's the gospel in the mix of all that on as Christ is
preached and the gospel is presented.
That gospel is inherently divisive because that gospel
messages country to Monza opinion.
That gospel message, hurts Mounds prayed and himself that
gospel message hurts man's prayed because he's full of his
own self-righteousness and full of his own workspace religion.
The cause of the Gospel, you see the gospels different?
Ephesians 2:8-9 for big greasy. You see of through faith and
that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of
Works, lest any man should boast the gospel.
Humbles the proud heart. The gospel brings us together in
a spirit of levelness, as far as the dirt, and the dust is
concerned. It takes away a workspace,
religion, it attribute salvation to God, Alone is all of God and
all of Greece. Every one of us, say, I am and I
have and I can do nothing to recommend me to God and
Humanity. Tonight, do not understand the
gospel hearing just recently about a preacher.
And he was speaking to a Lutheran mom who happened to be
a deacon and his particular Church going to church from as a
child in Germany. He wanted to be a better person
when I was why he was going to church.
I want to do my best to keep the law.
I love coming here to worship God, and then when he was told,
if it wasn't Martin Luther did before 15:17 and was told you're
no better than me. Tyndall third.
You see God's law, condemned Luther God's law taught Luther.
He was a sinner God's law, taught him that he couldn't and
himself. Keep it perfectly because God
required. A perfect righteousness.
God required, absolute sinlessness and Luther was
asking you keep the law of God perfectly sinless and he had to
confess. He didn't and then he discovered
that their righteousness of Christ is imputed, the ghostly
penitent Sinners by faith. Because we read in 2nd
Corinthians chapter 5, and verse 21 for he, that is God hath made
him that his Christ to be sin for us who knew no sin.
That we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
There's the cause of religious Division.
I want you to think, secondly, and very quickly here, the
consequence of religious division because you see this
religious division, Cuts deeply and families and communities
were reading here in Acts 14 verse 4 about the multitude of
the sunny was debated. Turn over there to Luke chapter
12, and look with me at verse 52.
Universe 53. Luke chapter 12 verse 52 53.
It's in this context. For from henceforth, I shall be
five and one house divided, three, against two and two
against three, the father shall be divided against the sun and
the sun against the father. The mother against a daughter
and the daughter against the mother, the Mother-in-law
against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her
mother-in-law. What's all that about 85?
And one Hice and three on one side and two on the other side
under their divided, there's a religious Devane the answer is
three, have embraced the gospel, they've received it and the
other two, you've rejected it And you take a father who's
embrace the gospel and the sun, rejects the gospel, father, and
son are very close and then the gospel Laden gospel, truth comes
in and there's a division amongst it's as if the family
has been cut and two because the song has become better.
Lee opposed to the gospel on the impact, the gospel house and
found a life. And as not true to this day
years ago, it was drink and drugs.
No behalf to had any LGBT and gender issues and so on and so
forth. And told a story of a young man
who went to bed, one evening, he went to bed early and there's a
knock at the door. And there was a visit to the
home, and it was his uncle, and his uncle, brought an evangelist
and to the house and the evangelists are speaking to
Mommy and Daddy about the gosh. And the young man got very upset
and very defensive, it climbed out the window, and he rolled
all the way to Granny's house and said there's an odd,
religious lunatic in our host Riley and grounder, you'll go to
come and get him out. He's trying to convert the
family. And, of course, when Granny and
Grandpa came along the Hem to see who the Evangelist War Story
to got the whole family. Got converted before midnight
and what a celebration there was in that particular home. if you
think about this, not only is their vicious words against the
gospel and the context of a family member get received and
not But some divisions are so deep.
That it breeds heartache and grief strife and violence that
this was more than just a philosophical difference.
The division can be so awful that father and son and brother
can see to it that each other as put to death.
Imagine willing to cause the death of your son because he
loves Jesus Christ, and the gospel.
Imagine willing to cause the death of your father.
Your mother your brother because I love Jesus Christ and the
gospel and you're totally opposed to them so much sword.
You'll betray your father or betray your son.
So you think of what happened in the first second and third
centuries of those ten periods of and persecution.
There's plenty of evidence people were put into boiling
pots. Avoid people were burned at the
stake. Roasted over the fire of coals
fed to wild animals. Melted LED was poured down their
throat. Some were covered in pets and
used in human torches. Some were forced to fight the
Gladiators. You see, God's people, from the
day, got Have Fierce for the sake of Christ.
Betrayal and hatred, even to the point of a cruel death.
And I want to say tonight, if you take a stand for Christ and
the home, and the workplace and the school, the university you
named sin, you have a loafer righteousness and love for
Christ and refused to deny him and refused to disown them and
refused to Desert him. You're going to Fierce that
opposition, that would be a consequence of this religious
division. It cuts deep rate and two
families. Steep and to communities.
There's a story told about a family who had a lion cub for a
pat. Don't think they lived in
Belfast. But when the lion could beg a
bigger Cub, not a full-grown lion one day.
The lion cub was licking the we fellas harmed.
Under tongue was so razor-sharp. That is it licked away?
Fellas? Harmed.
That drew blood. and it was no longer safe because the moment
at got the taste of the blood, That lion, cub become a very
dangerous animal. and what is true and not sense is true, in
the sense of the Gospel, The innocent holy motivated in love
for Christ's Apostles. They struck to the gospel.
He didn't try to water down to didn't try to change it and yet
they fierceness opposition in families and communities.
One final thing, think of the Council of religious Division, I
was thinking of what the apostles dead and what advice we
can have To learn from them and maybe that's keep calm and
looking to Christ and carry on. You see, they were told to
expect divisions in the world ye shall have tribulation, but be
of good cheer. I have overcome the world.
And they knew that it was dangerous to take the offense
rate of the gospel, and they knew them to be wrong to good.
Dana see if worked and have a very palatable message without
sin, repentance without Heaven and Hell Without Christ, then
you them that would destroy and dilute the gospel.
So for the sake of the gospel and Christ, they expected to
Face young. They knew the gospel would come
into conflict with all kinds of Sinners, religious centers,
Reckless centers, and righteous sellers.
And yet not only did they expect a vision but they said before
them I believe the example of Christ is he why did these
religious people oppose the gospel?
Because they wanted a grain for book stink.
They wanted their sinful prayed. They wanted a status of being
religious. Without being regenerated.
So they could live in sin and enjoy sin.
They opposed the gospel, because the gospel really opposed a
minute later. Men, love Darkness rather than
light, why? Because their deeds are evil.
And yet all the, while the Holy Apostles kept their eyes on
Christ was Christ. Not the Man of Sorrows and
acquainted with grief. If you turn over there to Luke
chapter 12, he says, in verse 49, I am come to send fire and
the Earth and what will I? If it be already kindled but I
have a baptism to be baptized with and how am I Street until
it be accomplished? Suppose you and come to give
peace near the Italian, a bird rather division, you see See
what was crais saying there by my presence into the World, by
my presentation of myself. Through my Holy Apostles, I'm
going to light a fire in this earth.
It's already kindled. I have a baptism to be baptized
with none to do with water. This is a baptism of suffering,
and he was plunged into sorrow. He was pressed into that.
He, he was plunged into suffering, he was Hail fast for
that means that due to set his face.
To go to Jerusalem, he was fully aware of the suffering that
would have with him whenever he got to that unjust trial, that
the shame, the the separation from God, the scourging the
spitting the abuse that was hurled upon him.
They kept in mind as example. And They carried on.
And if you want to work for Christ and you want to walk with
Christ and be a witness for Christ, you've got to be ready
to Bear such abuse seek to avoid confrontation.
Seek to preserve your life without is important.
But be faithful to Christ. Unless he suffered in the world.
We have been called to a life of suffering and we will fears and
is going to intensify tribulation and opposition in
the world. The city of Iconium was debated
because of the Gospel. The consequence was that
impacted that whole community and families, and here's the
counsel of the Apostles, they look to Christ and carried on
the expected us. They had him as their example.
And they executed not work and witness for Christ as Faithfully
as they good. How do I know that?
Look at Acts Chapter 14, verse 5 verse 7 and there, they preached
the gospel. They are, they preach the
gospel. And that's what we've got to do
in our families and Beyond be faithful to the gospel.