Conflicts Galore Part 1

<p>Conflicts Galore Part 1.</p><p>Acts 15</p><p>Long Creek Baptist Church </p><p>Sunday, September 4, 2022</p><p> </p><p>Introduction</p><p>Apparently, believers in the first century had a lot of issues to overcome:</p><p>First there were their own personal hurdles to conquer: pride, jealousy, shame, guilt which lead to their own encounter with the risen Lord, ending in freedom from sin, confidence in eternal life, a new life with Jesus as the Lord. This new life was filled with exciting adventures and challenges.</p><p> </p><p>In Chapter 14 we encounter a new hurdle to overcome: the enemy without. Those who harden their hearts against this new movement and act both violently and unjustly against it. The mob experiences we see here are only the tip of the iceberg. More will follow. Becoming a believer in the face of evil, injustice, and persecution requires a strength that only Jesus can provide. They quickly learned to respond with only the spiritual weapons of prayer and faith they had been granted. How amazing this is for new believers to stand up to such a challenge!  It says a lot about the power Jesus gives to those who follow him.</p><p> </p><p>But now, the new church faces a newer challenge: conflict among believers!</p><p> </p><p>Read Text</p><p> </p><p>The first conflict is a theological conflict. </p><p>Describe the events. Do we have to become Jews in order to be saved? (Culture, mind set, world view?)</p><p>Why is this so significant? Because we become what we believe. Either we are the recipients of God’s grace and mercy, or we are working to either prove our worth to God, ourselves and others (pride) or we are working to earn God’s favor – I’m good, so you did right by saving me, or I work to overcome my faults for that I am accepted by God and he will continue to love me.</p><p>But keeping laws is not the same as receiving a gift! Laws only show up my inability to keep them. Either I work at becoming perfect, and fail, give up or just see how far short I come to God’s perfection and run away from