ACTS "Old Testament Picture - New Testament Truth"- Acts 15:1-11 - Part 1

Brett Meador: Paul says now all these things the Old Testament stories happened unto them the Jews for a model, a pattern, an example which anticipates a later reality.
Guest (Male): Pastor Brett Meador alerting us to New Testament truths foretold in the Old Testament in Today's Word.
Brett Meador: They are written for our admonition which means correction, instruction, guidance. So to understand the New Testament, the Old Testament is like a giant picture book for us to help us understand biblical truth and doctrine.
Guest (Male): In Acts chapter 15, a heated debate arose over whether the new Gentile believers should be circumcised and follow Jewish law. As we explore how they settled the issue, Pastor Brett Meador turns to the Old Testament in Today's Word to remarkably find the answer in a striking parallel between Joseph and Jesus, providing great insight into salvation by grace through faith.
Brett Meador: We're in Acts chapter 15, why don't you turn there. Now one of the things we need to see, Jesus was largely rejected by the Jews. They really expected a different kind of Messiah. There was a tinge of acceptance when he was riding in on the colt of a donkey on Palm Sunday, and there was a small group of Jews yelling out, "Hosanna, save now, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." But only a couple days later, the whole crowd was yelling, "Crucify him, we will not have this man rule over us." And they despised him and rejected him as prophetically he was called the stone which the builders rejected. That's Jesus. But what's interesting is Jesus said that he would include salvation to the Gentiles. In the book of Acts we've seen that. If you've been following it with us in the book of Acts, now the Gentile church is really forming. Largely the Jews are rejecting and even battling. Remember Paul was left stoned dead with rocks from Jews who hated him for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. There were some Jews, however, that did believe. They became part of the church. In this new economy of God's plan according to Ephesians 2, there's three groups in the world: there's Jews, there's Gentiles, and then there's the church. He says he's created out of the two that used to have a wall of partition between them, the Jews and the Gentiles. Now by those two he's made one new man and that's the church. They would call themselves in the early church "the way." Now Paul and Barnabas have been preaching and the Jews had been starting to follow them around and throwing rocks at them and trying to kill them, but the Gentiles were coming to Christ in droves. Paul and Barnabas were blown away and they're making their way back from their first missionary journey and they're talking to some of the Jews that are believers. A contention arises and it really comes to a pinnacle at Acts chapter 15 where they have to call together a council to come up with what's our doctrine on this? What do we believe about this problem? It had to do with, do we make these new Gentile Christians be Jewish? Should we make them be circumcised? There are some of the Jews with their knives, "Come on okay Christians, welcome to the family." So these Jews are saying you've got to be circumcised. Well Paul and Barnabas said no you don't. Well they said no, you better go to the council in Jerusalem and figure out because you're wrong about this Paul and Barnabas. So they sent them to Jerusalem. That's where we pick it up in our story. Let's look at Acts chapter 15 verse 1. And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren and said, "Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved." When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying that it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. Can you think about that? Remember the law of Moses, 613 laws the Jews had to keep. These guys are saying not only do they have to be circumcised, but they also have to keep the 612 laws of Moses. Impossible. This is what some of the Pharisees were saying needed to happen. Well verse 6: And the apostles and the elders came together for to consider of this matter. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, "Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe." "And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith." See the Jews were saying it's not that easy. You can't just be saved by faith through Jesus. Yeah, you can be saved by faith but you've also got to keep the law. You've got to understand the Jews had been living with this for millennia. When you're the one who's had to try to keep the laws and the rules and then suddenly somebody doesn't, you're just like "No way, I'm not going to let this happen. They've got to do what we had to do. Circumcision and keep the laws." Peter is saying, "You guys, why would you try to put on a burden that we couldn't even—if there's one thing we've proven is we couldn't keep those laws. We failed. And guess what, they're saved by grace through faith and so are we, the Jews." This is huge. This is a giant doctrinal statement that Peter makes and he's 100% correct about this. But one of the things I want to tell you about this is you and I have a beautiful advantage of the pictures and understanding of the Old Testament. It's easier in retrospect to look back into the Old Testament and see these beautiful pictures, the stories of the Bible that point to truths that the New Testament people were going to need to know. If they had read their Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, perhaps more carefully and with careful inspiration they would understand this is exactly what Peter said, this is what was really foretold. In fact, the fact that they would despise and reject Jesus fulfilled prophecy. That he'd be the rejected cornerstone. They would call Jesus a Gentile, like he acts like a Gentile. They thought he was not good because he didn't keep the dumb laws that they added to try to make sure everybody was being extremely holy. Jesus did keep the complete law of Moses; he fulfilled that perfectly. But Jesus didn't do their dumb laws that they added, the traditions of those Jews. So the Jews came and saw Jesus picking corn with his bros on a Saturday on the Sabbath and they'd say "He's like a Gentile, look at him, they're picking corn on the Sabbath." But that was just a dumb rule they made up. They'd taken the Sabbath law and made it something that God never intended it to be. So they said he's just like a Gentile. He looked like a Gentile to them. That's why they mostly rejected him. In the same way they see these new Gentile believers, Peter is saying, "Didn't you see the Holy Ghost came upon them just like he came upon us? So we have proof. Look, they're saved. They're believers and they're saved by grace through faith." But they're saying, "No but they're not keeping the Sabbath and they're not having the feast of Tabernacles. Look, they're not even doing Passover. Oy vey!" They're upset about this. Well, the Old Testament is just this beautiful powerful picture book. In fact I want to show you today because this is a powerful picture that will help us understand what's going on in the New Testament here. If they put the pieces together themselves, which they ultimately will, especially with Paul's help, they're going to understand this stuff. But there's a powerful picture in the Old Testament. The Old Testament is a giant picture book. And it tells us of New Testament truths foretold in the Old Testament. So this idea of the Gentiles and the keeping of the law and how the Lord's made the church, it's pictured in an amazing and unprecedented kind of way. I want to show you this powerful picture. In 1 Corinthians 10, this is where we're given sort of the key that unlocks this. When Paul is talking about the Old Testament, Paul says, "Now all these things," the Old Testament stories, "happened unto them the Jews for ensamples." Now the word ensample is an old English word we don't use as much anymore but mark that for a second, I'll come back to it. He said all this Old Testament stuff happened to the Jews for ensamples and they are written for our admonition, which means correction, instruction, guidance upon whom the ends of the world are come. The Old Testament stories are going to point us through life all the way to the end of the world with admonition, correction, vision, direction. And the word ensample, well that's an interesting word. The Greek word there is *typos*. And it really does sort of link to the word example. And the word type, is it like a type of something? Yes. But the word *typos* in the Greek has a mouthful of a definition: a model, a pattern, example. A model to be imitated, an archetype, a foreshadow. Now this last one is the one Paul is employing in 1 Corinthians 10. This word *typos* is a model which anticipates a later reality. So to understand the New Testament, the Old Testament is like a giant picture book for us to help us understand biblical truth and doctrine. Well the example, the beautiful picture I'd like to show you that's going to eventually link up to our study in Acts chapter 15 is found in Genesis 37. Would you turn there with me? I'd like to go over the story real quick of Joseph. These are the kinds of things that Paul and Peter can look back to and realize this is what's happening right before us. But it goes to the *typos*, the examples of the Old Testament. Genesis 37:1 says, "And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report." Now Israel, another name for Jacob, loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors. That's a garment of approval and authority that Jacob gave to his son Joseph, like he's in charge. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them, "Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance," or bowed down, "to my sheaf." And his brethren said to him, "Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us?" and they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. This is the third level of hatred. First they hated him, then they really hated him, now they really really hate him. Verse 9: And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, "Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me." And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, "What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?" And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying. And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. And Israel said unto Joseph, "Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them." And he said to him, "Here am I." And he said to him, "Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again." So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. You're going to see where I'm going with this. You've got the father who loves his son, a deep love for him, and he sends him out to seek out his brothers. The father's interested in the brothers so he sends his beloved son to seek them out. Verse 15: And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, "What seekest thou?" And he said, "I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks." And the man said, "They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan." And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan. And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. And they said one to another, "Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams." And Reuben, he was the oldest, heard it and he delivered him out of their hands and said, "Let us not kill him." And Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness and lay no hand upon him." That he might rid him out of their hands to deliver him to his father again. And it came to pass when Joseph was come to his brothers they stripped Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colors that was on him. And they took him and cast him into a pit and the pit was empty where there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat bread and they lifted up their eyes and looked and behold a company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh going to carry it down to Egypt. These are Gypsies traveling through to Egypt to sell their goods. Verse 26: And Judah said unto his brethren, "What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh." And his brethren were content. Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph to Egypt. And Reuben returned to the pit and behold Joseph was not in the pit and he rent his clothes. And he returned to his brothers and said, "The child is not and I whither shall I go?" And they took Joseph's coat and killed a kid of the goats and dipped the coat in blood. And they sent the coat of many colors and they brought it to their father and said, "This have we found, now know whether it be thy son's coat or no." And he, Jacob, knew it and said, "It is my son's coat, an evil beast hath devoured him and Joseph is without a doubt rent in pieces." And Jacob rent his clothes and put sackcloth upon his loins and mourned for his son many days. And it came to pass all of his daughters rose up to comfort him but he refused to be comforted and said, "For I will go down to the grave to my son mourning." Thus his father wept for him. And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's and the captain of the guard. Now let's stop there. I'd be tempted to read the whole story because it's an amazing story. But from this point on I'll just tell you the quick version of this story. Joseph of course was sold into slavery in Egypt by the Ishmaelites and to Potiphar, captain of Pharaoh's guard. One thing about Joseph, no matter where he went he found favor. People noticed there was an excellent spirit about Joseph. Potiphar sees his slave and thinks this guy's amazing. So Potiphar puts Joseph in charge of his whole household. The problem is Mrs. Potiphar, well she's what you might call a floozy. And she starts coming on to Joseph. "Hey you big boy, come and lie with me." Joseph says, "I would not do this" and he'd go the opposite direction. Well this happened several times and finally she says, "Come on lie down with me, Joseph" and she grabs him by the coat. And he wiggles out of his coat and he runs away from her. She's standing there holding the coat and she yells out, "Rape, rape, Joseph the slave tried to rape me!" In a normal situation in that time of the world's history, if a slave attempted to rape the wife of the slave owner, that would be instant grounds for immediate execution. Potiphar would have been in his right to take a sword and stick Joseph through the heart right there. But I have a hunch Mr. Potiphar knew Mrs. Potiphar pretty well and he probably smelled something wrong and that's why Potiphar says, "You are going to be in prison for the rest of your life." Joseph is thrown into an Egyptian prison. Then Joseph's in this dingy, yucky Egyptian prison for years and years. And don't forget the prison keeper saw an excellent spirit about Joseph and made him in charge of the whole prison. Joseph was going around running the prison as a prisoner. But he finds himself sitting next to these two guys, the butler and the baker. These two guys have dreams and they're troubled by their dreams and Joseph walks up. "Hey what's wrong, why do you guys look so sad today?" That's literally what he says. They said, "We're troubled because we had dreams and we don't know what they mean." Long story short, they told Joseph the dream, Joseph interpreted the dream and told them that one of you is going to be exalted back into your position of authority, the other of you is going to be killed. One of the guys, the baker, was lifted up to death. The other guy was returned to his butlership of the Pharaoh. On the way out Joseph said, "Hey Mr. Butler don't forget me, remember me." Butler's like "Got your back bro" and he leaves and forgets Joseph. For several more years Joseph just sits in the prison of Egypt. Well eventually Pharaoh, the king of that region, has a dream and nobody can interpret the dream and then the butler says, "Oh I forgot, Joseph!" So they got Joseph and he got fixed up from being in prison for so long and he stands before Pharaoh at the age of 30 now. He tells Pharaoh what his dream was and the interpretation and even said "Here's what you need to do, you're going to have seven years of famine. Your dream means this seven years of trouble for Egypt through great tribulation seven years." Hello. It's going to be a time of famine and he said "You need to get somebody to be in charge because you're going to have some good years and during these good years you need somebody to start storing up food for the seven lean years." And Pharaoh looks at Joseph. "What greater guy is there than you? You will be the guy in charge. In fact Joseph," he gives him the ring, "you're the second most powerful man in the world now." And so now Joseph's number two, from prison to power. Wow. And Joseph is in charge now. During that time, Pharaoh gives Joseph a new name and a new bride. The name *Zaphnath-Paaneah*. The bride, well this lady named *Asenath*. She's a Gentile bride that Joseph gets and they get married and eventually will have kids. An amazing thing happens. Joseph is super successful, gets all the food. Well meanwhile back at the ranch in the land of Canaan hundreds of miles northeast of Egypt, there were the Jews, Jacob and his 11 sons. They're starving during the famine. Jacob hears of this dude down in Egypt that's got a bunch of food and so he sends his sons over to Egypt not knowing that the dude is Joseph who's got all the food. So the sons come and humbly bow down before Joseph. Joseph realizes it's his brothers but they don't recognize him. Joseph has been there in Egypt for years now and they don't recognize him. He's older, he's probably shaved perfectly clean. The Egyptians thought hair was an impurity so that's why the Egyptians shave their whole body. So here's Joseph looking a little bit like Yul Brynner from The Ten Commandments movie. And so the brothers think we don't recognize this guy at all, whoever he is some weird leader but he's got food. But they're bowing down to him because he's a man of authority. Well the story goes basically Joseph puts them through a series of tests to see where they're at. Ultimately he gives them the food and calls for his family to come. But there was a moment about halfway through that seven year period of famine where Joseph pulls all the guys in and says in Hebrew, "I'm Joseph! Your brother, the one you sold to the Ishmaelites!" The brothers freak out, they're shaking in their sandals thinking "Oh no, we sold him to be a slave and dad's going to find out oh no." They were totally freaked out. But Joseph weeps with compassion and he embraces his brothers and sets them up and even brings his whole family before Pharaoh and says, "This is my family from the land of Canaan" and he sort of intercedes on behalf of his family to Pharaoh and then they get to come in and live in the land of Goshen there in Egypt. Why did I just tell you that old story and what in the world does it have to do with Acts chapter 15? Well it has much to do with it. Like when I told you before, it's one of those amazing stories that literally happened but Joseph is an incredible picture of Jesus Christ. But it also is an incredible picture of something that has to do with the Gentile question of Acts chapter 15 and we'll slowly make our way there.
Guest (Male): Pastor Brett Meador is just partway through setting the stage of a study recognizing how the New Testament is foreshadowed in the Old Testament. And there's much more helpful insight to come as we'll continue next time in Today's Word. And I invite you to stay right there as Pastor Brett will join me to answer a question that just about everybody has. But first let me tell you a little bit more about Brett Meador. He's the senior pastor of Athey Creek Church just outside of Portland, Oregon. Brett's been the pastor of Athey Creek for 30 years where he goes verse by verse in his study of the Bible. We invite you to listen each day for more from Pastor Brett. If you've missed any portion of our study you'll find all of his messages online at todayswordradio.com. That's todayswordradio.com. All right, I have Pastor Brett with me now. There's a question that is probably the most common question that is asked by Christians, Brett, and that is how can someone know God's will for their lives?
Brett Meador: Yeah, that's the $64,000 question for sure. I hear that a lot and I think sometimes we tend to overcomplicate the question. The first thing is this: God will never contradict his word. So if somebody says "I think the Lord is leading me" but it goes against scripture then we know that's not the will of the Lord. I love that the word of God, Psalm 119:105, says "thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." So we have the word for clear guidance. Secondly God often guides us one step at a time. Rather than give us the whole blueprint up front, Proverbs 3:5-6 says trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and then he will direct your paths. So God's will has this trust quality. Another key is just to be obedient. Sometimes people want more guidance while they're ignoring what God has already made clear. As we obey the light we've been given it starts to get brighter and directs us to the next step. Prayer matters, wise counsel matters, the peace of the Holy Spirit, but ultimately God's will isn't just about finding the right job or location. It's actually more about becoming just more like Jesus Christ. When we truly desire God's glory above our own agenda he will lead you and he'll show you exactly what his will is.
Guest (Male): I appreciate that wise answer and I know there's somebody listening who will also be helped by that advice. Thank you Pastor Brett. Well if you'd like more information about Pastor Brett Meador or to hear more of his sermons especially in the book of Acts just go to todayswordradio.com. Next time Pastor Brett will present several examples of scripture's remarkable foreshadowing of Jesus. Today's Word with Pastor Brett Meador is an outreach of Athey Creek Church in West Linn, Oregon.