Sermon by Rabbi Vowell at Beth Messiah.

1. Title Slide

2. Ha-foke-ba

3. • Penelope the Greatest-est
• Debbie Downer
• Mike the Achiever
• Chris the Boss
• Casey Got It Going On
• Peter the Puritan
• Tommy Tell It like It Is
Have you Ever Met…

4. They are the kind of people who makes it
unnecessarily difficult for you to feel like you have
real value.

5. How do people not like us, experience hope like us?

6. Acts 1
Resurrection
Acts 5
Persecution
Acts 10
Expansion

7. Bless the Nations of the World

8. The vision was not about upgrading or changing the
Kosher laws but about a wrong application of the
Torah laws. The vision simply told Him that a wrong
application of the Torah makes it unnecessarily
difficult for people to experience God’s Hope.

9. Therefore if God gave them the same gift
as also to us after we put our trust in the
Lord Messiah Yeshua, who was I to stand
in God’s way?”
Acts 10:17-18

10. When they heard this they became
quiet, and they glorified God, saying,
“Then even to the Nations God has
granted repentance leading to life!”
Acts 10:17-18

11. Acts 1
Resurrection
Acts 5
Persecution
Acts 10
Expansion
Acts 15
Definition

12. How do people really, really not like us, experience
hope like us?

13. But some belonging to the party of the Pharisees who
had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to
circumcise them and to command them to keep the
Torah of Moses.”
Acts 15:5

14. The emissaries and elders were gathered together to
examine this issue. After much debate, Peter stood up
and said to them…
Acts 15:6-7

15. God, who knows the heart, testified to them by giving
them the Ruach ha-Kodesh—just as He also did for us.
He made no distinction between us and them,
purifying their hearts through faith.
Acts 15:8-9

16. Bless the Nations of the
World…Hapening Now!

17. Why then do you put God to the test by putting a
yoke on the neck of the disciples—which neither our
fathers nor we have been able to bear?
Acts 15:10

18. But instead, we believe that we are saved through the
grace of the Lord Yeshua, in the same way as they are.
Acts 15:11

19. Then the whole assembly fell silent and listened to
Barnabas and Paul describing all the signs and
wonders God had done through them among the
Gentiles.
Acts 15:12

20. Miracles are not proofs for Halakhah in Judaism.
B. Mes. 59b

21. After they stopped speaking, Jacob responded,
“Brothers, listen to me. Simon has described how God
first showed His concern by taking from the Gentiles a
people for His Name.
Acts 15:13-14

22. The words of the Prophets agree, as it is
written…
Acts 15:15
Amos
9:11-12
Isa
45:21
Hos
3:5
Jer
12:16-17

23. After this I will return and rebuild the fallen tabernacle
of David. I will rebuild its ruins and I will restore it, so
that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord— namely
all the Gentiles who are called by My name— says
Adonai, who makes these things known from of old.
Acts 15:16-18

24. How do people really, really not like us,
experience hope like us?
They experience hope just like us,
without having to become just like us.

25. Therefore, I judge it best to not trouble those from
among the Gentiles who are turning to God.
Acts 15:19

26. So here is my decision: We’re not going to
unnecessarily burden non-Jewish people who turn to
the Master.
Acts 15:19, The Message

27. but to write to them...
Acts 15:20

28. “It seemed good to the Ruach ha-Kodesh and to us
not to place on you any greater burden than these
essentials: that you abstain from things offered to
idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from
sexual immorality. By keeping away from these
things, you will do well. Shalom!”
Acts 15:29

29. Idolatry
Acts 15:29a
Blood
Acts 15:29b
Strangled
Acts 15:29c
Sexual Immorality
Acts 15:29d
Idolatry
Lev 17:8-9
Blood
Lev 17:10-12
Strangled
Lev 17:13
Sexual Immorality
Lev 18:6-26
Anyone from the house of Israel,
or from the outsiders dwelling
among them – Lev 17:9; 12, 13,
26
‫אמי‬ ‫בתוך‬

30. How do people really, really not like us,
experience hope like us?
They experience hope just like us,
without having to become just like us.

31. For Moses from ancient generations has had in
every city those who proclaim him, since he is read
in all the synagogues every Shabbat.
Acts 15:21

32. Everybody needs hope. Are you the person the
person who is looking for hope needs to find? Or, are
you the one they should run away from.

33. Making Hope Easy
1. Just get them to the surface.
2. Start with Wow not with How.
3. Add Hope to Everything.

34. Title Slide