This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida, clearly declaring the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bible line to continue on the air. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family.

take your Bible and turn to the book of Acts, to the book of Acts, in chapter 15. But now notice what he says in verse 5, but there rose up certain of the sects of the Pharisees which believed. And if they believed, I can’t make that sound like anything other than they believed, and if they believed, they’re saved. But can you begin to teach wrong doctrine? They were coming to those people that Paul had led to Christ, and that’s why he made the statement in chapter 1 of of the book of Galatians in verse 6.

He said, I marvel that you’re so soon removed from him, according to the grace of Christ, into another gospel, which is not another. But there’d be some that would trouble you and pervert the gospel of Christ. And so though we are an angel from heaven preaching unto you, any other gospel, let him be a curse. So they were doing it and they were being moved. And so people are changing their gospel. You’d be surprised how fast you’re so called grounded being here.

And you go to some other church and you’ll change. You’d be surprised how how fast you can change. I’ve had people that have been clear of the bell on when the racks are going to take place and they’ll leave this church and go to someplace else and they can’t know the draper is not going to take place until the end of the tribulation period. We’ve had people right here in this church since I’ve been here and they’ve left and they’ve gone to some other church and now they’re Calvinist.

He’s in all of that. I’m afraid so. So you may not be as strong as you think you are. Some people are only as strong as the last person they talked to. And some people, you know, what do you really believe? I believe exactly what my preacher believes. That’s not good. You’re put to believe what you believe because it’s in the book. And the book doesn’t change and you stay the same. So now notice what he says here. This is Peter speaking.

So verse 7, when you read this, it seems like there’s no way Paul would have had to correct him after this, but he could to correct it him before this. So look in verse 7, and when there had been much disputing Peter rose up and said unto them, men and brethren, you 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 do what? And believe.

That’s all they had to do. And God which knoweth the hearts bear them witness giving them the Holy Ghost even as he did unto us. So God does not give the Holy Spirit to lost people. And he told these Gentiles all they had to do is to believe on the Lord and they would be forgiven of all of their sins. Found in chapter 10 and verse about 43. We’re talking about the Old Testament prophets and this is what they preached.

So the Holy Spirit can only be given to save people and they were Gentiles and they were able to speak in language. And so those Jews had had gone with the apostle Peter, those Jews, they saw and they heard them speak and they knew what was taking place. So the Jews that had gone from Jerusalem to the household of Cornelius knew that these Gentiles believed because what happened to them on the day of Pentecost, same thing that happened to them in chapter 10.

And so they sawolitan what happened to the Jews on the day of Pentecost, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and they saw what happened on these Gentiles, the same exact thing. So he says here in verse 9, and put no difference between us and them, Jews and Gentiles purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why can’t she God to put a yoke of iron, a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear.

So Peter is making a very strong stand. It’s hard for me to believe that he could have done this after he doesn’t said all of this, but they had the problem before this, and I believe that’s when he had to confront Peter. And so I believe Peter got it kind of straightened his mind. He didn’t compromise anymore after this. And then later on he talks about how wonderful Paul was. And he even talks about some of Paul’s writings and how hard and difficult they were to understand because Paul was…

He wrote deep and I believe he’s referring to the book of Hebrew, but that’s chenkyology a little bit maybe. Now notice what he says in verse 11, but we believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they. Not like they’re gonna be saved like us, we’re gonna be saved just like Gentiles are. Now hold your place right here and turn to the book of Acts chapter 10. Acts chapter 10. Acts chapter 10 is where the apostle Paul had a vision and he didn’t really want to deal with these Gentiles.

But an angel had to give him a vision one day while he was on the rooftop waiting for his wife to make those pizzas and so he was on the housetop. Look at in verse 9. On the moral as they went on their journey and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up about the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. And he became very hungry and would have eaten, but while they made ready he fell into a trance.

Maybe this is why he was dreaming of food. He was hungry. And he cannabin open and a certain vessel descended unto him. And it had been a great sheet, knitted to four corners and then let down to the earth, were all men are a four-footed beast of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and files of the year and there came a voice to him rise Peter, a kill and eat. Peter says not so Lord. Now those three words not so Lord how can you call him Lord and say no.

Lord you’re the Lord and you’re the boss no I know Christians that do the same thing but anyway we’ll move right along. He said for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean. I am not going to do that voice speak unto him again the second time. What God hath cleanned thou shalt not call on common. This was done thrice and the vessel was received up again into heaven. God was preparing him to go with these men to go see Cornelius.

See Cornelius was the leader of an Ithaean rock band. See there in verse one, there was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius centurion of the band called the Firehouse Five. I mean they are Italian band. And he was a religious man, but he was a lost man. And the Bible says the verse, at devout men he feared God, gave money, prayed to God, but he was lost. Now, and this is why he says, you’re the sin for Peter.

So they came to a place called Jopon, they got Peter and Peter went with them and lo and behold he came and this is what he says here. In verse 22, and they said, Cornelius, the centurion, a just man and one that fear of God and of good report among all the nations of the Jews was worn from God by a holy angel to sin for thee into his house and to hear words of thee. So he tells him why he came and what was going to happen and that it was for the purpose of hearing the gospel.

Now look what it says there in verse 33, immediately therefore I sent to thee and thou have well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. In other words, tell us what you’re supposed to tell us and that’s what he did. And so he talked about how this God is not a respecter person’s. But now Calvinists, they believe God is a respected person because God chooses some and not others.

But he goes down through here and explains all of this. Then by the time you get down to verse 43 and do him give all the prophets, Old Testament, witness that through his name, whosoever, Jews or Gentiles, believe it in him, in Christ, shall receive remission of sins. Remission of sins, God takes all your sins away, you got eternal life. And so because of that, the Holy Spirit came on them. Now look in chapter 11. Chapter 11, He rehearses to those people back in Jerusalem, what had happened.

And so this is very revealing. You’re looking, verse 12, and the Spirit made me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover, these six brethren, there were six Jews that went with Peter when he went to the household. And we entered the man’s house. He showed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, send men to Jop on call for Simon, whose surname is Peter, who shall tell the words whereby thou and all thy house shall be what?

That was the purpose of them going. was to tell them the gospel. And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the beginning. When did it begin? On the day of Pentecost. That’s when it happened to the Jews. Now it happened through the Gentiles. Then remembered either word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. For as much than as God gave them the Gentiles, the light gift eternal life, as he did unto us who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, what was I that I should withstand God?

When they heard these things, they held their peace and glorified God’s end, then have God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. In other words, Gentiles can have eternal life just like the Jews can have eternal life. Well between Jews and Gentiles, you know, that’s just about everybody in the world. Then that means everybody can have eternal life. But this is what was happening. So the Apostle Paul and Peter were there in Jerusalem and they had this meeting.

Now look what he says there in verse 19 of chapter 15. Acts chapter 15 verse 19. Very quickly. Wherefore my sentence is, now I believe this is James He’s talking here for the church, they’re in Jerusalem for these apostles. So these are the head honchos, these are the ones. And this is why Paul says, when I went there, they had nothing for me and I had nothing for them, except that I was a missionary to the Gentiles and Peter was a missionary to the Jews and I was gonna support the poor and things like that, which was under the law, which they were supposed to do, which is nothing wrong with that.

So he says, where for my sentence is that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God. So remember in Galatians in chapter one, verses six through nine, there’s those who were troubling them by teaching works for salvation, putting them underneath the law. And he says, we’re not gonna teach that. And that didn’t come from us. So look in verse 22. Then it pleased the apostles and the elders with the whole church. So we know with the church, they’re in Jerusalem, and the apostles were there, and the elders were there to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch, Whit, Paul, and Barnabas.

And Peter had just spoken up. Jews, certain name of our Savior’s, and Silas, chief men among the brethren, and they wrote letters by them after this manner. The apostles and the elders and the brethren saying greetings unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles and Antioch and Syria and Selicia. For as much as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your soul, saying you must be circumcised and keep the law.

Now get this last part of this verse. home we gave no such commandment. And that’s what Paul is hammering home there to these Galatians to let them know this is not the stand of the apostles in Jerusalem and that he is a true apostle and his message did not have to change and that Titus who had come there with him did not and was not commanded or challenged to be circumcised. Now later on Paul did have Timothy circumcised for maybe two reasons.

One because Paul says that I will become a Jew that I might win the Jew but it was because of reaching people. These are people that were trying to reach them. It’s one thing when you’re trying to do something to reach somebody else and so there was a difference and there’s a couple of notes in here that we’ll explain some of that. And so it says in verse 25 it seemed good unto us, been assembled with one accord to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men that have hazard their lives for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same thing by mouth. So did they You have to… They send the gospel? Yes. And they were set for the defense. And these are the leaders, the apostle that listened to Christ. And see, they’re already being challenged. You’re always going to be challenged. There’s always somebody trying to destroy the cause of the gospel. You’d be surprised how many people want me to read their books and want me to endorse whatever they’re doing.

And they want me to take and get on their little hobby horse. I’m already found my horse to ride. I’ve got the hobby horse of the gospel and I might have just ride it into the sunset because if I was gonna ride something else there’s no other issue. I’ve been told I should fight abortion and I’m against abortion and I should fight politics and I’m I got my views on politics. I got views on everything. But I’m only one person if I only got one life and if I’m gonna if I’m gonna give up and lose it for something, then I’d rather do what Christ says if any man will lose his life for my sake and the an abortion and politics.

Now people can fight those causes because they’re good things to fight, but I’ve only got time to concentrate upon this one thing and that’s why whether it’s the radio, whether it’s the internet, the YouTube, the church, ranch, wanna, everything has to be geared toward, we want to try to reach people. That’s the only reason I can find that will help Christians to grow stronger in the Lord more than anything else in the world, why? So we can stay strong enough to keep reaching people.

I was thinking about this today. Years ago, and I went to Tennessee Temple, that was the Citadel of all independent fundamental Bible, English, and Minded Baptists that sent their kids and it was one great big independent fundamental Baptist school. It’s gone. It’s gone. There is no Tennessee Temple anymore. It’s gone. At one time there was the Florida Bible College down in Florida. And they went from just a few students because when I first went there, it was the second year, and there wasn’t many students.

We’d all sit on a couple of those. And all of a sudden, we kept running and reaching people and it grew to be over, I think about 13, 14, 15, 100 students. dead, gone. I’ve seen churches that are gone. We had a college in Colorado, Colorado, Bible College. It’s gone. Tampa Bay Bible College that was started right here. Where is it? Not Tampa Bay Bible College. It’s gone. And when down in Texas, 10th Pawn started the Texas Bible College.

Where is it? It’s gone. A lot of churches gone. Christian schools have closed up gone. Did you realize we are alive only by the grace of God, this church, this ministry? Did you know that few years from now, if enough people lose heart, and don’t stand for the sake of the gospel and to reach people and have a purpose for coming together. Do you know that these doors could be closed and it’ll be some Muslims will buy this place here and know they’ll have their meeting here.

There’s churches down the road here that’s already changed since I’ve been here. True? Is that what we want? It will happen if people are not committed to this ministry. Think about this. Think of all those churches that were founded, even by the apostle Paul and all of Galatia and the apostles that went everywhere and they had churches everywhere. They’re all gone. At one time there was over a hundred Christian youth branches in the South Florida area, over a hundred ranches, a hundred all gone.

And today it’s more difficult to get kids to go to camp because it’s dwindling. Lack of concern, kids don’t care, too much of the world, who knows? Walling struggles, we’re struggling, yet there’s only a couple that’s even got your trans ministry going anymore. Everything can close down. People stop coming on a Wednesday night. What will happen? Then you stop Wednesday night. Then, well, we just got too many things going and then wecan’t come on Sunday night. I’ll get them to be closed on Sunday night.

Well, we’re just too busy. Don’t have time for Sunday school and therefore Sunday school is gone. Do you think it’ll be long before church will be next, right? One? be next. And then it’s all gone. Why? Because we no longer wanted to defend the gospel because well there’s so many churches out there. Yeah, but they’re all preaching the clear gospel of Jesus Christ. Is it worth fighting for? Is it demanding that we have a commitment to this local church and do whatever we can?

And we want to…what happens to this church whenever we no longer can function in all the money that we’re given to help support missionaries? That dries up missionaries come home. This ministry is very important. It has a great outreach, but everything can die just like that and it can happen quick. So we have to always know and understand we’re in a fight, we’re in a battle. They’re talking about this election coming up and we have war and it really is war.

It’s war, but we’re also in a war. This is a war and the devil is out there and anybody who wants to serve the Lord, He’s taking pop shots at you and they’re trying to knock you off and no matter who you are No matter how much you love the Lord and he’s trying to discourage you and destroy you and take you out And don’t get how he has to do it And if he can get endors you fight against each other that’ll work fine or Among yourselves or was your husband or your wife with your kids was with a preacher and it doesn’t matter If you quit you quit it won’t matter why you quit your reason for quit well you won’t matter and And that’s why you have to always be fighting this battle.

Go back here to your notes. I think we ought to take a look at the notes, don’t you? We haven’t got everything, but I don’t even know if we’ll even cover any of these notes, but at least you got them. You got them anyway. But most of the stuff here, I think we’ve kind of hit it a little bit here and maybe a little bit there. And there’s some great verses, but let me just tell you some of the verses I want you to look up.

Look at page two, top of page two. There’s a scripture there, Matthew 16, 18, but that’s an important verse. And if I had time, we would look at that verse. And then I want you to look at the next statement where it has, he was most likely the only adult over 20 years in the group of disciples that followed Christ because of the issue of the temple tax. And there’s a scripture there. And of course I put in little parenthesis, that’s my opinion only.

But there’s a good possibility. Jesus was a youth leader and he had some young people, but Peter, he had to pay his taxes. But anyway, the next one there, he was married. And you’re talking about Peter. In Matthew chapter eight, verse 14, because it talks about Jesus had to heal Peter’s mother in law and it’s a shame to have a mother in law and not be married. Can you see a reasonable man doing that? So evidently he had to be what?

He must have been married. Now, at the next one, there is a scripture reference that you need to write down. And that’s John chapter 21 verse 18 and 19. Because when it comes to Peter and how he died, it talks about Peter being told that you could be carried where you don’t wanna go. And when you’re old, so Peter knew he was going to live to be a little older and that he was going to be carried where he doesn’t want to go.

And history says that he was crucified upside down because he didn’t want to be crucified the same way Christ was. But John chapter 21 verse 18 and 19 are good verses to take a look at that because the question comes up, he says, what about John? And Jesus says, don’t you worry about John and what He’s going to do. If I want Him to live until I come back. So then that started a rumor. I mean these disciples, they gossip too, you know.

And then you’ll notice when we talk about His qualifications, the word Pentecost there, Acts chapter 2 and verse 7 and Acts 4 and verse 13, because they made a reference toward Peter and the disciples as these were uneducated, these were ignorant fishermen. So maybe they weren’t the most intellect. Did you know that sometime when we want to build something, we always look for the key kids, you know the key people, the key college kids? Well when Jesus was here, he took the ones that were considered ignorant, fishermen.

It’s better to have people who are not so uppity up, but will humble themselves and be thankful for anything they get. And you’ll find out that everybody has potential. I’ve lived long enough to understand it doesn’t matter who they are. Everybody has potential. And not one is better than another. you never know how God is going to use every individual. Every person is poor. Everyone of you ladies, y’all are important. Every one of you kids, every person is important.

And you don’t try to treat somebody else better because you think they’re better than somebody else because you’re not. But done at number five, you’ll see it, verse 11, Paul rebukes Peter. It’s a confrontational. This is right in your face. See, if it’s a public error in front of others, then you try to solve a public problem publicly. If it’s a private issue, solve it privately, and you don’t make people a part of a solution if they’re not part of the solution.

And you have to be very careful. And either way, there’s some other scriptures down through here that would be good to look at. But anyway, have fun. You are responsible for everything in the notes. Always remember that. Whether I cover them or I don’t, you are responsible for everything in the note. All you gotta do is memorize all of it and you’ll be fine. All right? All right. This hand represents you and me and the wallet represents sin. We all have sin on us.

Now God, He loves us. Now He hates our sin, but He loves us. And for us, well, we committed the sin, so we have a debt and we gotta pay the debt. And the payment is death and health. So we gotta pay the debt. And we don’t wanna go the hell. But God says He loves us, wants us to go to heaven and to go to heaven, you gotta be perfect. And none of us are perfect. None of us are righteous.

We’ve all sinned and come short of God’s perfection. And God says, you cannot earn eternal life, you cannot work your way to heaven. Now this hand represents Jesus Christ, he’s the Lord God in the flesh. Came into the world because he loves us, hates our sin, because our sin separates us from the Lord. So Jesus Christ, who had no sin, did not have to die. But because he loved us, he took our sins, now he has to die. And so our sins were laid upon him.

All of our iniquity was laid upon him, says so in the book of Isaiah 53. So he took our sins, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead. And God said it will believe that he did it for us. Now he can’t save us if he’s still dead. If he’s dead and he didn’t come back from the dead, well he can’t save us if he can’t save himself. But he did come back from the dead and God said it will believe he did it for us.

He had put the payment to our account. We go to heaven on what Christ it for us. And that is the free gift of everlasting life. Let’s pray show you. With his bow nice clothes, no one looking around. If you’re here tonight or if you’re watching by internet, why not accept Jesus Christ as your Savior? There’s no tricks to it, no gimmicks, the best news in the world. It’s totally free. And all you need to do is the only thing you can do is believe that what he did, he did it for you.

He loves you that much and I pray that you’ll trust Christ as your Savior. Following you, thank you again for watching Overs for blessing us. Lord, thank you so much for this church, for all that you’ve done for us, and we pray your blessings upon Him. Put a hedge upon us, protect us. And Father, we’ve got some great people that have become in, and some may be their little discouraged and disappointed and help us to be a blessing to them, to lift them up, to encourage them, and Father, to try to treat them as though they were the great apostles themselves coming to see us, the treat them with respect, and to love them as we should.

These are some people who have given their lives to serve you, and we want to honor them for that. We ask your blessings upon the conference that we do have coming up and all the details that needs to be worked out. We pray for wisdom and have our minds to be clear and to put you foremost in everything that we do and to be good defenders of the gospel. We ask your blessings upon the service now in Christ’s name.

Men reserved the last Saturday of the month for the Iron Sharpen’s Iron Men’s Bible Study and Breakfast at Calvary Community Church. Join us at 730 for a home-cooked breakfast. Then, at 8am, the featured speaker of the month will present a one-hour classroom style Men’s Bible Study in a relaxed atmosphere where questions and dialogue are welcomed. The Scripture tells us that Iron Sharpen’s Iron and this Men’s Bible Study is open to those of all levels, whether new believers or mature Christians.

The Iron Sharpens Iron Nends Bible Study and Breakfast. Don’t miss this monthly opportunity for fellowship and the study of God’s Word. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound and we will be changed. Tada can meet the Lord in the air.

So live today and every day. Believe in that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep looking up.