Weekly Sermons

Adaptable but NOT a pragmatist                  Acts 21:15-26

Polonius. Shakespeare’s fool in Hamlet.

Proverbs 14:12            Jeremiah 17:9             Psalm 139:23-24

5 G Living

The Apostle Models _________________________ to a local church’s leadership                        V. 18, 23

We should not miss that this supports the autonomy (independence) of a ___________________ church.

Paul models ________________________ to a difference cultural context                                   V. 19-26

Paul clearly taught in the book of Galatians that following the O.T. Law for salvation was ________________. But as an individual Jew Paul remained a follower of Jewish cultural observances when he could.

In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 Paul said he was willing to adjust his behavior on _______ - essential cultural matters for the sake of gospel witness.

The message to all cultures is that you can be a Christian and keep many _________________ of your culture, but don’t make those binding on other Christians or let those keep you from fellowshipping with Christians across other cultures!

Paul was not compromising on doctrine, but on cultural norms, adapting himself to the ________________ norms he had always lived by anyway.

Adaptation needs to go both ways – but ___________________ Christians have greater responsibility to make accommodations for gospel witness to unbelievers and for the growth of weaker brothers and sisters.