บทถอดความฉบับเต็มของ Behind the Sunday Message | September 20, 2026

story. 00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:51.600 The workers who are hired in the morning get paid the exact same amount as those who are hired at the end of the day. 00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:57.759 And I mentioned that I feel often like the ones who are hired in the morning who say, wait a minute, it's not fair. 00:04:58.160 --> 00:05:20.319 Um, and that really brought us then into Acts 15, where it's like, you know, there is this perspective of these Pharisees who were not, this is so important to kind of uh shift our thinking from the way that we understand Pharisees in the stories of Jesus, as you know, Jesus is um like almost his enemies during his time and stuff like that. 00:05:20.399 --> 00:05:28.480 And then even then to think too, because we've seen this in the last couple of weeks in the message, that it's the Jews who show up and cause problems for Paul. 00:05:29.120 --> 00:05:32.879 And so these Pharisees aren't those people either. 00:05:33.120 --> 00:05:38.480 I think they're genuinely good-hearted people who are saying, but rules are important. 00:05:38.959 --> 00:05:41.759 You know, God gave us the Old Testament law for us to follow. 00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:44.079 We can't just do whatever. 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:52.480 And that's where I feel like, man, if I were there in the drama of that event, I think I would have said, but rules are important. 00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:56.079 And then thinking about, okay, so what does that mean? 00:05:56.319 --> 00:05:58.480 What does that mean for my own life? 00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:02.160 Um, and so that's really where the development of the message came from. 00:06:02.319 --> 00:06:11.680 Yeah, no, I think that, you know, Acts 15, 5 is is such a key, it kind of sneaks up on you as you're reading it, but like you're in this scene, and it says that the Pharisees are included into this. 00:06:11.839 --> 00:06:20.160 And so I always think, too, when Jesus comes on the scene, you know, back in Luke, the first part of this book, you see the disciples wrestling with the message of Jesus. 00:06:20.319 --> 00:06:24.000 Though all these, you know, these stories that Jesus is telling, and he's talking to who? 00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:31.040 Jewish believers, people who are, who think they're following the rules, who think that they have it right, who are just off a little bit. 00:06:31.279 --> 00:06:36.079 And it's cool to see that now that the disciples go through their process with Jesus. 00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:42.959 And really the book of Acts is now the continuing work of what the Holy Spirit's doing through these uh disciples and through the apostles. 00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:48.000 And so you see the Pharisees that are here, they're wrestling with the same things that were back earlier. 00:06:48.079 --> 00:06:50.639 So I think tying that thematically was really brilliant. 00:06:50.800 --> 00:06:57.040 I mean, bringing in here's what the disciples had learned, and now we're handing this on, and it's being talked about at this Jerusalem Council. 00:06:57.199 --> 00:06:59.519 And then, by the way, hello, there are Pharisees. 00:06:59.600 --> 00:07:01.519 There are people that have responded well. 00:07:01.600 --> 00:07:03.600 Um, they're not all just bad guys. 00:07:03.759 --> 00:07:03.839 Yeah. 00:07:04.079 --> 00:07:08.240 They're they're Jewish believers, um, they're devote Jewish believers. 00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:12.160 Uh, they're the ones that Jesus was trying to get to respond during his ministry. 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:13.920 Um, and he's not done with them yet. 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:22.800 He they're still there, they're involved, and now they're coming together and they're kind of learning with um what's happening with the disciples in this council what God is coming. 00:07:23.120 --> 00:07:23.920 And they're talking about the same thing. 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:31.120 They're talking about um, you know, all the way back to Amos, they're talking back to uh what the old testament said was gonna happen. 00:07:31.199 --> 00:07:39.680 Um, the Messiah is gonna come, and now they're trying to wrestle with this reality that why have the signs of this new era been applied to Gentiles? 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:43.839 You know, what's going on and they're wrestling with this and they're coming in agreements and they're sending Paul out in agreements. 00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:46.720 And so it's a huge, huge important thing, but they're a part of it. 00:07:46.800 --> 00:07:47.120 Yeah. 00:07:47.279 --> 00:07:52.800 And God is still using, you know, his his work and his words to work on them. 00:07:52.959 --> 00:07:55.519 And so I think that's a really applicable thing to us. 00:07:55.680 --> 00:08:00.959 Um, well, kind of more on that a little bit, I want to talk through just some of the things that you said. 00:08:01.120 --> 00:08:11.920 So I really thought that you know, opening up with the things that you the stories that you love and hate, you know, and there is this reality within us that we wrestle with our way versus kind of God's way. 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:14.480 And in our way typically is I earned that. 00:08:14.639 --> 00:08:15.279 I deserve that. 00:08:15.439 --> 00:08:22.800 And so I think your message kind of rightly brought us to the point where I think really everybody needs to get to in their faith, we don't deserve any of this. 00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:24.800 And so you you ended with these great points. 00:08:24.959 --> 00:08:28.959 Remember, we are a recipient of the redundancy of undeserved grace. 00:08:29.120 --> 00:08:29.920 You brought that out. 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:33.840 Um, and we are the ones that that are also part of this too. 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:43.440 And so kind of relating with whether you relate with the Pharisees that are there, you relate with people who know nothing about God and you're just learning about all this stuff, uh, we all are in the same boat. 00:08:43.759 --> 00:08:49.200 And so kind of talk about that a

little bit more of just bringing this message to that kind of gospel climax. 00:08:49.840 --> 00:08:54.879 What do you see as is important for us to understand about just that message itself? 00:08:55.519 --> 00:09:06.879 Yeah, I mean, I think where I wanted us to get to, and I say us, like because I do feel like this message was very personal. 00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:13.519 And so it was really uh uh my me sharing my own journey with the text, you know, and the message. 00:09:13.840 --> 00:09:31.360 But I think it is getting us to the place where we recognize that we have received God's grace, and the more that we live in light of that, like consciously at the forefront of our thinking, that's what changes our attitudes towards others. 00:09:31.919 --> 00:09:37.919 Um and I think I think that's what was happening with the witnesses too. 00:09:38.159 --> 00:09:39.440 I mentioned it in the message. 00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:44.559 So the witnesses of Peter and Paul and James, why did they say what they did? 00:09:44.879 --> 00:09:54.559 It's because they had really deeply received the grace of God and wanted other people to receive that too. 00:09:54.799 --> 00:10:01.279 Um, and and so that's highly significant, just to think about that, to welcome the conviction of the Holy Spirit in our lives. 00:10:01.440 --> 00:10:06.320 If we say that we're followers of Jesus, then the most important thing is living a life that pleases Jesus. 00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:14.240 The only way we can do that is to have the Holy Spirit convict us of those things that we get wrong, even though they're hard or we don't want to think about them. 00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:21.840 Um, and then the last, like that piece of the application was like the works piece, right? 00:10:21.919 --> 00:10:27.200 The things that we do as a result of faith, not a prerequisite for it, um, which is really important too. 00:10:27.360 --> 00:10:27.519 Yeah. 00:10:27.679 --> 00:10:29.200 Well, I want to go back to what you said earlier, too. 00:10:29.600 --> 00:10:31.840 You brought this out in the message, and I thought it was really good. 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:37.759 This idea of why didn't Peter, why didn't these Jewish leaders go ahead and just make a system where they could have all the power? 00:10:37.840 --> 00:10:39.279 Um, and it's what we're saying earlier. 00:10:39.440 --> 00:10:41.600 It's because they had already gone through this process. 00:10:41.759 --> 00:10:44.240 They'd already asked Jesus, hey, who's gonna sit at your right hand? 00:10:45.360 --> 00:10:49.919 Peter had already made his big mistake and denied Jesus, and then Jesus shows up and redeems him. 00:10:50.080 --> 00:10:59.360 And so even the people that had every right probably to be, hey, we set the rules, we're in charge, they understood, no, it's we're not good either. 00:10:59.440 --> 00:11:00.720 You know, we need grace too. 00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:05.120 So they they've worked through this process of um, once again,

all have sinned. 00:11:05.200 --> 00:11:08.159 You know, uh we have messed this up and we need a savior. 00:11:08.240 --> 00:11:09.600 And so they've gone through this. 00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:14.720 And so in this moment, like you said, they had a chance to build whatever they wanted to build, but they're not. 00:11:14.799 --> 00:11:18.000 They've already learned that and they're relying on that grace. 00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:23.120 And so um then I want to go to the second thing you just said and ask kind of a follow-up question, too, just for application. 00:11:23.360 --> 00:11:38.159 So, all of this process in our life of receiving grace and what it does in us, and and realizing that we don't earn anything, that we don't do anything for God, you kind of ended with this uh statement that that works aren't a prerequisite, uh, but they do result in it. 00:11:38.240 --> 00:11:48.559 So I want to kind of just walk through with you practically what are, because I think people get confused here, kind of moving on from the story, what works are a result of proper faith? 00:11:48.879 --> 00:11:52.399 You know, for instance, you know, this is what they're gonna continue to talk about. 00:11:52.480 --> 00:11:56.240 And I think uh a lot of Paul's works are gonna talk about, well, what things should you do? 00:11:56.399 --> 00:11:59.600 Um, you know, what rules from the Old Testament do we keep? 00:11:59.679 --> 00:12:00.240 Do we bring in? 00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:02.320 Is it, you know, uh, this the Ten Commandments? 00:12:02.399 --> 00:12:03.440 Is that all we bring over? 00:12:03.679 --> 00:12:08.480 Or, you know, do we, you know, circumcision, idolatry to meet, you know, Jewish lifestyle. 00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:23.039 In fact, the very next section of the book that we're not gonna cover in this series, you know, Paul has this letter that he's gonna go off with from the council so he can kind of show everybody, hey, you know, here's what we've all agreed upon, but even that has a list of here's the things that we you're not gonna do, here's the rules. 00:12:23.279 --> 00:12:27.360 So, so yeah, works aren't a prerequisite, but they're a result of it. 00:12:27.519 --> 00:12:30.240 What works are a result of faith? 00:12:30.639 --> 00:12:38.320 Yeah, it's really interesting to think about even just the specific uh decision that was made by the church, right? 00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:55.120 This issue of food offered to idols, uh in part because Paul later says, hey, some people abstain, others eat, up to you in your own conscience, but like you should be willing to give up something for the sake of another person's faith and stuff like that. 00:12:55.279 --> 00:13:02.799 So even like there is this later decision that's like, let's not pay attention to that, you know, specifically anymore. 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:17.200 But so as we think about the application for us, like the big thing that I I want to be really careful of, I wanted to be really careful of is to not have people think, well, it doesn't matter what I do, because it does. 00:13:17.440 --> 00:13:20.720 And the reason being, God wants us to experience life. 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:26.000 And and so we can try to do things on our own, but inevitably that leads to death. 00:13:26.399 --> 00:13:32.399 But living in light of who God is and all that he's instructed to us, that's where life is found. 00:13:32.480 --> 00:13:52.320 And so thinking specifically about the results of our faith and what that looks like, I don't know that it's as I think about it, I don't think like ceremonial sort of stuff, but it is the works of the fruit of the spirit. 00:13:52.399 --> 00:13:55.600 Love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, kindness, self-control. 00:13:56.240 --> 00:14:00.159 Um, it is the ethical things that Jesus talked about. 00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:10.639 You know, when he said uh, you know, you've heard it said don't murder, but I tell you don't even hate your brother if you do, you've committed murder in your heart. 00:14:10.799 --> 00:14:13.039 So it's this character transformation. 00:14:13.440 --> 00:14:20.159 Um so it's not just right doing the right things, but it is the transformation that comes from our hearts. 00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:31.360 So it's the the character transformation that leads to a different way of life, a life of humility, a life of service, um, a life of love for others. 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:36.240 I mean, Jesus said, You will all men will know you're my disciples if you love one another. 00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:37.679 So it's that too. 00:14:37.840 --> 00:15:00.799 Um, so it's not it's not just showing up at church, it's not just giving, it's not just reading your Bible or like all of those things are important, but it's why they're important, it's not the what, you know, and and and so it is the it's more the the character transformation piece um that grows out of a life of faith. 00:15:01.039 --> 00:15:04.639 And those things, you know, like I said, it's not a prerequisite for faith. 00:15:04.799 --> 00:15:09.840 So it's not get yourself straightened up and then you can come to faith. 00:15:09.919 --> 00:15:17.039 It's come to Jesus with all the mess and let him put the pieces back together and bring about the transformation. 00:15:17.279 --> 00:15:17.440 Yeah. 00:15:17.679 --> 00:15:23.039 No, I love how you're you know mentioned character, and I think that's a key part to what Christ has done with us. 00:15:23.120 --> 00:15:28.000 You know, God is not expecting us just to have this list of rules, and and I think that's the we way we treat the Bible. 00:15:28.159 --> 00:15:31.840 We come to it, we're trying to figure out what does the Bible say about this, this, and this, this. 00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:34.639 Well, some of the things we're asking, you know, are foreign to the Bible. 00:15:34.720 --> 00:15:36.080 It didn't even exist back then. 00:15:36.320 --> 00:15:45.840 But whenever we start talking about

character, or we start talking about righteousness, or we start talking about loving God well, loving others, we start talking about looking back to God's design for humanity. 00:15:45.919 --> 00:15:48.000 You know, what does it mean to be an image bearer? 00:15:48.080 --> 00:15:50.639 What does it mean to rule underneath God's rule? 00:15:50.799 --> 00:15:59.360 Um, and you start working on, I think you remember you saying this in a sermon a long time ago, that the longer we sit with God's word, the more it just begins to naturally shape us. 00:15:59.440 --> 00:16:05.120 And so I think instead of trying to look through, okay, here's the situation, what does the Bible say about it? 00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:09.759 I think we look through, okay, what does God call me to be as I go into this situation? 00:16:09.919 --> 00:16:11.120 It's kind of reversing it. 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:17.039 And that's um, I think that's part of how we begin to recognize works aren't the thing that gets us there. 00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:19.360 Works are the outcome of what God's done in us. 00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:33.440 And so the more we dwell and remain in God, the more that we um are in his word, the more we begin to see the world like he sees it, to see ourselves like he sees us, to understand our brokenness, you know, back to the beginning of this, understand our the grace we've been given. 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:40.159 That process of renewing our mind, transforming us begins to equip us for um a whole bunch of applications. 00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:42.399 You know, you started this message saying, What's the application here? 00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:45.200 There's a lot of applications that you can pull from any scripture. 00:16:45.360 --> 00:16:51.919 Um, you know, there's one kind of meaning that's there, but the applications are kind of endless to the amount of situations you find yourself in. 00:16:52.159 --> 00:16:57.919 But these stories shape us, these stories remind us this isn't, you know, it's what you're getting at. 00:16:58.080 --> 00:17:01.039 We are undeserved recipients of what God has done. 00:17:01.120 --> 00:17:02.480 Um, this is not our works. 00:17:02.559 --> 00:17:07.599 And so it we don't ever earn, no matter how early we get to the vineyard, we don't ever earn what God's doing. 00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:14.799 And then understanding that, um, that character-forming truth, it begins to shape us into what we move into. 00:17:14.880 --> 00:17:31.920 And so, yeah, Paul in this next part of Acts is gonna give some very specific kind of things that, you know, I don't think any of us are, you know, wrestling with what does it say in um the end of 15, you know, uh the list of stuff uh of abstaining from food offered to idols, from blood, from eating anything that's been strangled. 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:34.480 Like I don't know if you've struggled with things that have been strangled lately. 00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:35.519 I've never even thought about it. 00:17:35.680 --> 00:17:36.720 Never even thought about it, right? 00:17:36.799 --> 00:17:41.519 Um, but for them, that was the outworking in this moment because they're going into these Jewish communities. 00:17:41.599 --> 00:17:43.279 You know, he's going on mission to check. 00:17:43.359 --> 00:17:45.279 And so these are uh why these things? 00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:48.799 Well, these are very Jewish things that will probably be obstacles, stumbling blocks. 00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:50.480 So Romans is gonna talk about this. 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:57.359 And so, yeah, the outworking of the application is specific to the context that God is moving Paul and Silas into later. 00:17:57.440 --> 00:17:59.200 Um, and that's what the letter he has. 00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:00.799 But for us, it may be different. 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:04.880 Uh, but it's understanding that character, those core truths, and walking into that. 00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:05.519 Great. 00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:10.720 Well, any more kind of this thoughts overall, kind of close up um, kind of the behind the scenes from this week's message. 00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:11.839 Anything you want to add? 00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:23.759 You know, the only thing that I would say, again, going back to the sh sort of the structure of the message as a whole, the importance of knowing biblical stories. 00:18:24.240 --> 00:18:31.359 Um, and I just encourage that for people that maybe aren't as familiar with the Bible, maybe haven't read the Bible as much. 00:18:31.599 --> 00:18:44.640 Um because all of this the stories, the ones that I mentioned, um, the ones that I mentioned in the beginning, in the introduction to the message, like all of those stories, they really do shape us. 00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:49.359 They help us understand who God is and how God is at work and what God wants to do with us. 00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:58.960 And so, you know, that's just kind of a like a foundational thing for us as a church, is like hopefully everything that we do is built off of what God has said in his word. 00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:20.160 And so I want to make sure that I want to do everything that I can to encourage people to be in God's word on a regular basis, even though it many of the stories are super foreign to us because they're ancient stories written to ancient people, but like those stories are really significant and and and it's the way that God, you know, really shapes us and and helps us to know who he is. 00:19:20.559 --> 00:19:22.880 Which is exactly what happens in this week's story. 00:19:23.039 --> 00:19:29.759 That you've got these people that are looking back at the story of God, they're looking back to scripture, Amos, and they're saying, What was God doing then? 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:31.119 What is he doing now? 00:19:31.279 --> 00:19:33.279 And they're connecting the dots and they're moving forward. 00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:34.640 So great word for us today. 00:19:34.799 --> 00:19:40.640 Well, thanks so much, uh Pastor Bill, for a great message and for um just uh serving the church well with that. 00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:43.759 And thanks again for listening today to the Table Talk Podcast. 00:19:43.920 --> 00:19:46.319 We hope you'll join us next week as we have another episode. 00:19:46.480 --> 00:19:52.480 And if you're not connected with the Table Community Church, we'd love to invite you to check us out on a Sunday at 9 or 10 30 a.m. 00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:54.000 here in North Forth Worth. 00:19:54.160 --> 00:19:56.799 And until then, we hope you have a great week.