Pic of Timeline Map and intro Graphic

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Matthew 28:18-20

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Acts 1:8

Have you ever wondered how churches can share the same orthodoxy yet have a different orthopraxy?
(The same passages of the great commission yet different ways of pursuing it.)

I. The ________
are the Chosen People of God.

“But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved...

...But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses."
Acts 15:1, 5

Do you need to become or identify as a Jew by obeying the Mosaic Law in order to become a person of God?

“And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe....

...And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts
by faith.”
Acts 15:7-9

Our meetings should look differently than the local
PTA meeting or political gathering because we have been made to be the people of God.

If anyone would be able to show such humility and grace in laying aside opinion or preference in order to pursue unity in mission it should be
God’s people.

II. Moving Forward with "Guardrails":
(Acts 15:22-35)

While the Law of Moses is not a direct requirement there are still “moral” _________ to being a people
of God.

Without Jesus we may be people who do good things but we can never be a transformed people of God.

The church and its leadership move forward with a decision while also stating moral “guardrails.”

Pic of Map

You can feel confident you have the words that were spoken of by Jesus and the early church.

What are "Guardrails"?

Untitled Slide

Money:

Money:

• Making a Budget.

Money:

• Making a Budget.
• "Trimming the fat."

Money:

• Making a Budget.
• "Trimming the fat."
• Confirming with your spouse BEFORE you make a large purchase.

Technology:

Technology:

• Don't bring your phone everywhere.

Technology:

• Don't bring your phone everywhere.
• Accountability App.

Technology:

• Don't bring your phone everywhere.
• Accountability App.
• "Budget" the overall time your allowed to use it.

Marriage:

Marriage:

• You won’t go more than a month without a date night.
• You won't go a year without spending the night somewhere without the kids.

Dating:

Dating:

• You won’t go into any dark basements that have blankets and seclude themselves from everyone else.
• You will surround yourselves with people who will ask tough questions into your relationship.
• You won't date someone who does not have a "real" relationship with Jesus.

Relationships:

Relationships:

• Not responding to every message the very second you receive it.
• You reply in meaningful ways, not neglecting or ignoring people.

Conclusion:

An effective ministry or church needs people who are on the same page in unity and ready to charge forward in the direction God is calling them...

...Sometimes good and God fearing people just can't agree to pursue the exact expression of the mission God has called them to.

In our hard decisions God can give us the conviction to move to the places He wants us to go while still providing wisdom by the Spirit in order to keep us out of the “ditches.”