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On the Road from Jerusalem: A Study of Acts (Issue Resolved - Acts 15:1-41)

In our Wednesday morning Bible study, we're using the Acts of the Apostles to discuss the growth of the earlier church from its birth in the city of Jerusalem to Paul’s arrival in Rome. During our time together, we’ll look at the following:

• Session 1 - Preparing for the Journey (Acts 1:1-2)
• Session 2 - Transition (Acts 1:3-26)
• Session 3 - Birth (Acts 2:1-47)
• Session 4 - The Work Begins (Acts 3:1-26)
• Session 5 - When Faced with Opposition (Acts 4:1-37)
• Session 6 - But... (Acts 5:1-42)
• Session 7 - Problem Solved (Acts 6:1-15)
• Session 8 - When Something Bad Happens (Acts 7:1-60)
• Session 9 - Step Two (Acts 8:1-40)
• Session 10 - Saul (Acts 9:1-43)
• Session 11 - Clean People (Acts 10:1-48)
• Session 12 - Phase Three Begins (Acts 11:1-30)
• Session 13 - Even Above Kings (Acts 12:1-25)
• Session 14 - The New Kid Takes the Stage (Acts 13:1-52)
• Session 15 - Approaching a New Community (Acts 14:1-28)
• Session 16 - Issue Resolved (Acts 15:1-41)
• Session 17 -  A New World (Acts 16:1-40)
• Session 18 - Know Your Audience (Acts 17:1-34)
• Session 19 - The Big Time (Acts 18:1-28)
• Session 20 - Christ and Culture (Acts 19:1-41)
• Session 21 - Farewell (Acts 20:1-38)
• Session 22 - Jerusalem (Acts 21:1-40)
• Session 23 - A Personal Testimony (Acts 22:1-30)
• Session 24 - The Plot Thickens (Acts 23:1-35)
• Session 25 - The Way Continues (Acts 24:1-27)
• Session 26 - Different Singer, Same Song (Acts 25:1-27)
• Session 27 - A Message to God’s People (Acts 26:1-32)
• Session 28 - Will He Make It (Acts 27:1-44)
• Session 29 - Without Hindrance (Acts 28:1-31)

In our sixteenth session, we looked at Acts 15:1-41 and discussed the conference that resolved the most important facing the church in the Book of Acts. The discussion and passage are below.

Acts 15:1-41 [New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition]

Then certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to discuss this question with the apostles and the elders. So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, they reported the conversion of the gentiles and brought great joy to all the brothers and sisters. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. But some believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary for them to be circumcised and ordered to keep the law of Moses.”

The apostles and the elders met together to consider this matter. After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “My brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that I should be the one through whom the gentiles would hear the message of the good news and become believers. And God, who knows the human heart, testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us, and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us. Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

The whole assembly kept silence and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the gentiles. After they finished speaking, James replied, “My brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first looked favorably on the gentiles, to take from among them a people for his name. This agrees with the words of the prophets, as it is written,

‘After this I will return,

and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen;

    from its ruins I will rebuild it,

        and I will set it up,

so that all other peoples may seek the Lord—

    even all the gentiles over whom my name has been called.

Thus says the Lord, who has been making these things         known from long ago.’

“Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those gentiles who are turning to God, but we should write to them to abstain only from things polluted by idols and from sexual immorality and from whatever has been strangled and from blood. For in every city, for generations past, Moses has had those who proclaim him, for he has been read aloud every Sabbath in the synagogues.”

Then the apostles and the elders, with the consent of the whole church, decided to choose men from among them and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers, with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers and sisters of gentile origin in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. Since we have heard that certain persons who have gone out from us, though with no instructions from us, have said things to disturb you and have unsettled your minds, we have decided unanimously to choose men and send them to you, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to impose on you no further burden than these essentials: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”

So they were sent off and went down to Antioch. When they gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. When they read it, they rejoiced at the exhortation. Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers and sisters. After they had been there for some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers and sisters to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, and there, with many others, they taught and proclaimed the word of the Lord.

After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Come, let us return and visit the brothers and sisters in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. But Paul decided not to take with them one who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work. The disagreement became so sharp that they parted company; Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and set out, the brothers and sisters commending him to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

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The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, February 22, 2026

During this season of Lent, we're moving through a sermon series entitled “Preparing for Easter.” During these five services, we're considering how we might get ourselves ready to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We’re focusing on the following:

• February 22 - Fasting
• March 1 - Forgiving
• March 8 - Repenting
• March 15 - Praying
• March 22 - Loving

On Sunday, we kicked off this series by looking at how we can prepare for Easter by fasting. Below is a video of the service, a presentation of the sermon, and the program & bulletin for the service. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page.

Sunday's Message - Preparing for Easter: Fasting

During this season of Lent, we're moving through a sermon series entitled “Preparing for Easter.” During these five services, we're considering how we might get ourselves ready to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We’re focusing on the following:

• February 22 - Fasting
• March 1 - Forgiving
• March 8 - Repenting
• March 15 - Praying
• March 22 - Loving

On Sunday, we kicked off this series by looking at how we can prepare for Easter by fasting. Below is a presentation and the text of the sermon. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page.

Now, according to the church calendar, today is the first Sunday in the season of Lent, forty days that are set aside so that we can sort of get ourselves ready to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And that’s going to be our focus for the next five weeks. You see, between today and the Sunday before Palm Sunday, we’ll be preparing for Easter by looking at five different things we can choose to do, you know things like forgiving and repenting, praying and loving. And this morning, we’re going to kick this off by talking about fasting. In other words, how can fasting prepare us to celebrate the most important day in the entire Christian year.

And you know, even though I think we’ve all heard folks talk about “giving up something for Lent,” this idea of actually fasting hasn’t historically been a big deal, especially for Protestants like us. I mean, when I was a kid, my family went to Ocean View Presbyterian Church and back then, liturgical seasons weren’t important for southern Baptists, nor southern Methodists nor southern Presbyterians. But even though we didn’t talk about Lent much in church, that wasn’t the case in my neighborhood. You see, as I was growing up, the family who lived on one side of us on Moose Ave. was Roman Catholic, the Bishops, and on the other side, they were Greek Orthodox, the Renesis. Now they both had kids about my age, and so we spent a lot of time hanging out together. And even though I don’t think we ever had deep theological discussions as we were riding our bikes or shooting baskets or skating down the sidewalk, I did notice that both Chuck and Nicky were, well, a little different in the weeks that led up to Easter, because they had to do a little fasting during Lent. You see, their diet changed a little bit for forty days, because they had to give up some kind of food. And frankly, I found this kind of appealing. I’m telling you, back in the day, I’d have used any excuse to give up collard greens and boiled potatoes and dumplings, all cooked together in a pot with a big hunk of salt pork. That sounded great to me. Unfortunately, when I found out it had to be something you really liked, well, let’s just say fasting lost a lot of its sparkle, at least for me back in the day.

Of course, that was a long time ago. As I got older, I think I have a better understanding of and appreciation for what my friends used to do. And that’s what we’re going to talk about this morning. You see, for the next fifteen minutes or so, we’re going to consider how fasting might help us prepare for Easter. We’re going to do that by looking at what the Bible had to say about giving something up in order to move closer to God. And then we’re going to zero in on three requirements that I think we need to take seriously if we want our fasting to be effective. Now, that’s the plan.

Of course, if you’ve spent some time reading the Bible, you probably already know that fasting is pretty important. As a matter of fact, right after talking about prayer, Jesus mentioned it as a way to move closer to God. Just listen to what he said, right there in the Sermon on Mount:

When you go without eating, don’t try to look gloomy as those show-offs do when they go without eating. I can assure you that they already have their reward. Instead, comb your hair and wash your face. Then others won’t know you are going without eating. But your Father sees what is done in private, and he will reward you. [Matthew 6:16-18, CEV]

Now, that’s what Jesus taught his disciples; therefore, I believe it’s pretty clear that not only was fasting done, but for Christ, it was something he expected his followers to do.

But that really shouldn’t be a surprise for us. I mean, according to scripture, there were more than a few individuals who fasted. For example, take Moses, the one who received God’s law and who lead his people through the wilderness, according to Exodus, before receiving the commandments from God, “Moses stayed on the mountain with the Lord for 40 days and nights, without eating or drinking. And he wrote down the Ten Commandments, the most important part of God’s agreement with his people.” [Exodus 34:28, CEV] And later in the Old Testament, right after receiving a vision of a horrible war that was coming, “Daniel wrote: For three weeks I was in sorrow. I ate no fancy food or meat, I drank no wine, and I put no olive oil on my face or hair.” [Daniel 10:2-3, CEV] And of course, for us, maybe the best example of all was what Jesus Christ himself did between his baptism and the beginning of his ministry. According to Matthew, “The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert, so that the devil could test him. After Jesus had gone without eating for 40 days and nights, he was very hungry.” [Matthew 4:1-2, CEV] And I’ve just offered a few examples. I think I’m safe in saying that fasting was not only expected but it was practiced by some of the really big guns in the Bible.

But I’ll tell you, those examples probably won’t affect us very much unless we have some idea about how we might do it. In other words, how can giving something up for Lent be really effective, and I’m talking about, effective for us as we move toward the cross and the empty tomb? Now that’s the question. And I think we can get some pretty good direction by considering three requirements that I believe really need to be met if we’re serious about fasting. And let me share with you what they are.

For example, first, to be effective, I believe fasting requires sacrifice. In other words, it should involve giving up something that’s important to us, something that we enjoy, something that may even be necessary, you know, like food or something to drink.  You see, it’s thought this deliberate act that we’re showing to God our devotion and our humility and our self-control, in other words, turning something as basic as hunger into an offering. And by sacrificing something that we really like, man, we’re taking a step back from our selfish desires. And we’re readjusting our priorities. And we’re shifting our focus from ourselves and our wants and our needs while strengthening our dependence on God. And that’s why I think making this kind of real sacrifice is so important. 

Of course, to make that kind of sacrifice, well, it's not easy. In fact, to pull it off, I think we've going to need to be open and honest and determined. Let me explain. In my opinion, we're got to be open, and I'm talking about open as we look into our lives. I mean, although it may be tempting to sort of follow the traditions or the crowd and to limit our fast to certain things that others are giving up, I believe it's crucial that we open ourselves to all kinds of possibilities. In other words, it doesn't have to be just food, we can give up certain activities or hobbies or pleasures that may actually be more important than chocolate or soft drinks or collard greens. And along with that, I think we also have to be honest, you know, honest with ourselves. I mean, let's get real, although it may impress the pudding out of people that, for Lent, I'm giving up candy, it doesn't mean a hill of beans if I don't like candy anyway. Regardless of what it is and regardless of what others think, there’s no sacrifice, if what I’m giving up isn’t important to me. We've got to be honest with ourselves. And we really need to be determined. I mean openness and honesty are all well and good, but the rubber hits the road when we make the decision to actually to do it. Good night nurse, nothing is really sacrificial until a sacrifice has been made. Promises don’t count, because actions speak louder than words. And to take action, man, that demands determination. You see, if we're serious about fasting, for me, openness and honesty and determination are essential, because to be effective, first, fasting requires sacrifice, but that’s not all.

Because second, I believe it also requires intention. I mean, as we saw in the examples of Moses and Daniel and Jesus, man, fasting has got to be a deliberate, purpose-driven act rather than something like dieting or preparing for some medical procedure. You see, when we look past the sacrifice, fasting is actually about deepening our relationship with God. It’s about connecting with Christ and not promoting ourselves. And maybe that’s why, in the passage we read from Matthew, Jesus said, “When you go without eating, don’t try to look gloomy as those show-offs do when they go without eating.” [Matthew 6:16, CEV] As a matter of fact, that may explain why Isaiah wrote, 

Do you think the Lord
    wants you to give up eating
and to act as humble
    as a bent-over bush?
Or to dress in sackcloth
    and sit in ashes?
Is this really what he wants
    on a day of worship?

I’ll tell you
what it really means
    to worship the Lord.
Remove the chains of prisoners
    who are bound unjustly.
Free those who are abused!
Share your food with everyone
    who is hungry;
share your home
    with the poor and homeless.
Give clothes to those in need;
don’t turn away your relatives. [Isaiah 58:5-7, CEV]

I’ll tell you, without the right intentions, fasting is just skipping a meal or maybe better, giving up collard greens and boiled potatoes. 

And because our intentions are so important, personally, I believe it’s crucial for us to understand why we’re giving something up for Lent. I mean, before going on any kind of lenten fast, I think it’s really crucial for us to ask ourselves some pretty important questions. For example, am I fasting to shift my focus from physical cravings to spiritual hunger? And am I using the discomfort I might feel as a reminder to do something like pray, sort of like it did for the Psalmist when he wrote, “When they were sick, I wore sackcloth and went without food. I truly prayed for them” [Psalm 35:13, CEV]? And am I intentionally allowing my sacrifice to humble me like it did the Psalmist when he said, “My love for your house burns in me like a fire, and when others insult you, they insulted me as well; I cried and went without food, but they still insulted me” [Psalm 69:10, CEV]? And based on what we read from Isaiah, is my fast moving my focus beyond myself and my wants and my desires to those who really do suffer? Now, I think these are some questions we need to answer before we decide to skip our first lenten lunch. Why? Because second, to be effective, fasting requires intention. 

And third, I think it also requires discipline. You see, when you get right down to it, making the kind of intentional sacrifice about which we’ve been talking, it’s still a voluntary action on our part. In other words, it’s about self-denial. It’s about sacrificing our comfort. And it’s about intentional humility. And brothers and sisters, since I don’t believe any of those things just come naturally, fasting demands effort and strength and determination. And when push comes to shove, all that requires some discipline on our part. 

And for that reason, as we fast, I believe it’s important for us to plan and to act and to persevere. For example, before we begin any kind of fast, I think we should do a little planning, you know, like deciding on the what and the how. I mean, we’ve been talking about food, because that seems to be what people have traditionally given up during Lent. But as I said a little while back, so long as it’s something important to us, there are all kinds of things we can choose to sacrifice in order to accomplish our intentions. And how we do it, well, it can be partial, you know, sort of like Daniel when we gave up “fancy food.” Or it could be total and absolute for a certain period of time, sort of like what Saul did after his encounter with Christ on the Damascus Road. Luke wrote, “And for three days he was blind and did not eat or drink.” [Acts 9:9, CEV] As a matter of fact, I think fasting can be motivated by something more important than what might benefit me. I mean, remember Isaiah wrote, “I’ll tell you what it really means to worship the Lord. Remove the chains of prisoners who are bound unjustly. Free those who are abused! Share your food with everyone who is hungry; share your home with the poor and homeless. Give clothes to those in need; don’t turn away your relatives.” [Isaiah 58:6-7, CEV] You see, fasting isn’t one size fits all. For it to be effective, I think we need to do a little planning. And then, with the plan made, we need to act, don’t we? I mean, give me a break, it doesn’t matter how dramatic the sacrifice or how noble the intentions or how elaborate the plan, none of that is worth squat if we don’t do anything about it. Now I’m about to say something really profound, and so brace yourselves. In order to fast, you’ve got to give something up. In other words, you’ve got to act. And finally, I think you’ve also got to be willing to persevere, to keep moving forward in spite of what might happen along the way. What did the poet Robert Burns once say? “The best-laid plans of mice and men oft’ go awry.” [The Mouse] Amen. I’ll tell you, whether because of circumstances we can’t control or weaknesses we’d rather not admit, we might fall off the fasting wagon. But if we do, there’s no reason we can’t take a breath, pick ourselves up, brush ourselves off, and start all over again. Now that’s perseverance. And along with planning and acting, that’s really what discipline is all about, the third fasting requirement.

And I’ll tell you, right here and now this is something we can do as we move through Lent. You see, because it’s so important in the Bible, right here and now, we can decide to make a sacrifice and to do it with intentions that are clear and focused. And then, through our decision to plan and to act and to persevere, we can display the kind of discipline we’re going to need to fast, the first way we can prepare for Easter. 

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