Oakwood Community Church
Law and Grace - Acts 15:1-35
Locations & Times
Oakwood Community Church
11209 Casey Rd, Tampa, FL 33618, USA
Sunday 8:00 AM
Have you ever felt like God has a scorecard?
Thinking you could score points or lose points with God based on following "religious rules".
A never ending list...
The "Primary Marks" of a "True Christian"
Gospel Clarity
“Nothing you do can make God love you more. Nothing you do can make God love you less.”
“Nothing you do can make God love you more. Nothing you do can make God love you less.”
“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.’”
Acts 15:1
Acts 15:1
“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 15:5
Acts 15:5
Legalistic Obligations:
1. Distort the Gospel
“Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
Acts 15:1
1. Distort the Gospel
“Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
Acts 15:1
Legalistic Obligations:
1. Distort the Gospel
“Unless you are _____, you cannot be saved.”
Acts 15:1
1. Distort the Gospel
“Unless you are _____, you cannot be saved.”
Acts 15:1
Legalistic Obligations:
1. Distort the Gospel
“It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”
Acts 15:5
1. Distort the Gospel
“It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”
Acts 15:5
Legalistic Obligations:
2. Burden the Believer
“It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”
Acts 15:5
2. Burden the Believer
“It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”
Acts 15:5
The Law of Oakwood:
1. We will never watch TV or movies
2. We will never use social media
3. We will never watch or read the news
4. We will never listen to secular music
5. We will read the Bible 2 hours /day
6. We will memorize 1 chapter / week
7. We will give 25% to the church
8. We will only spend time with Oakwood people
*If The Law of Oakwood existed (which it does NOT) it would distort the gospel and burden all of you.
1. We will never watch TV or movies
2. We will never use social media
3. We will never watch or read the news
4. We will never listen to secular music
5. We will read the Bible 2 hours /day
6. We will memorize 1 chapter / week
7. We will give 25% to the church
8. We will only spend time with Oakwood people
*If The Law of Oakwood existed (which it does NOT) it would distort the gospel and burden all of you.
Legalistic Obligations:
2. Burden the Believer
“Why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?”
Acts 15:10
2. Burden the Believer
“Why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?”
Acts 15:10
Legalistic Obligations:
2. Burden the Believer
“For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements.”
Acts 15:28
2. Burden the Believer
“For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements.”
Acts 15:28
Legalistic Obligations:
3. Promote suspicion and Judgment
“He made no distinction between us and them.”
Acts 15:9
3. Promote suspicion and Judgment
“He made no distinction between us and them.”
Acts 15:9
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest… For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28,30
Matthew 11:28,30
Personal Disciplines:
1. Celebrate the Gospel
“God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the gospel and believe.”
Acts 15:7
1. Celebrate the Gospel
“God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the gospel and believe.”
Acts 15:7
Personal Disciplines:
1. Celebrate the Gospel
“God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us.”
Acts 15:8
1. Celebrate the Gospel
“God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us.”
Acts 15:8
Personal Disciplines:
1. Celebrate the Gospel
“He made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.”
Acts 15:9
1. Celebrate the Gospel
“He made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.”
Acts 15:9
Personal Disciplines:
1. Celebrate the Gospel
• Working from salvation not for it.
“By giving them the Holy Spirit... having cleansed their hearts by faith.”
Acts 15:8-9
1. Celebrate the Gospel
• Working from salvation not for it.
“By giving them the Holy Spirit... having cleansed their hearts by faith.”
Acts 15:8-9
Personal Disciplines:
1. Celebrate the Gospel
• Working from salvation not for it.
“When they read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.”
Acts 15:31
1. Celebrate the Gospel
• Working from salvation not for it.
“When they read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.”
Acts 15:31
Personal Disciplines:
2. Empower the Believer
“No greater burden than these requirements… If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.”
Acts 15:28-29
2. Empower the Believer
“No greater burden than these requirements… If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.”
Acts 15:28-29
Personal Disciplines:
2. Empower the Believer
• Not abusing freedom (to sin) but using freedom (to serve).
“If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.”
Acts 15:29
2. Empower the Believer
• Not abusing freedom (to sin) but using freedom (to serve).
“If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.”
Acts 15:29
Personal Disciplines:
2. Empower the Believer
“Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them… After there had been much debate.”
Acts 15:2,7
2. Empower the Believer
“Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them… After there had been much debate.”
Acts 15:2,7
Personal Disciplines:
2. Empower the Believer
“It seemed good to the apostles and elders… ‘It has seemed good to us, having come to one accord…’”
Acts 15:22,25
2. Empower the Believer
“It seemed good to the apostles and elders… ‘It has seemed good to us, having come to one accord…’”
Acts 15:22,25
Personal Disciplines:
2. Empower the Believer
• Not abusing freedom (to sin) but using freedom (to serve).
“You were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge your sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”
Galatians 5:13
2. Empower the Believer
• Not abusing freedom (to sin) but using freedom (to serve).
“You were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge your sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”
Galatians 5:13
Personal Disciplines:
3. Promote understanding and Encouragement
“Judas and Silas… encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words.”
Acts 15:32
3. Promote understanding and Encouragement
“Judas and Silas… encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words.”
Acts 15:32
In response to all Jesus has done for us, we SHOULD and MUST embrace rigorous, Holy Spirit led discipline.
“While he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation, and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.”
John Wesley, 1738
John Wesley, 1738