Seeking God’s Will Together
Edited directly from the sermon transcript of Matthew Miller’s message at Highland Hills Church of Christ on August 9, 2026. Adapted for length and readability while preserving his voice and message.
Every gathering of God’s people faces defining moments. Sometimes a question comes once in a generation. Sometimes it’s a practical decision we face every day. Sometimes it’s deeply theological: Do we really believe about God what we say we believe?
I remember listening to a preacher I respect during 2020, amid COVID, shutdowns, and that perfect storm of conditions. After many years in ministry, he said he had to step back and ask, “Do I really believe what I say I believe?” It reminds me of the person in Scripture who says, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.”
The question is how we will handle those defining moments when they come.
The early church faced real persecution. We shouldn’t minimize it. But threats also came from within: compromise, neglect, prejudice, and division. In Acts 15, the conflict reaches the core of the gospel itself.
The gospel is the good news of Jesus, his life, death, resurrection, and the kingdom he came to bring. It defines who we are. Luke shows us how a Spirit-filled church faces a difficult decision: a problem is raised, people debate, witnesses give testimony, they consult Scripture, and they discern a way forward together.
This is a perfect storm of history, religious teaching, racial tensions, practical ministry questions, and the changes brought by the cross. Jesus changed everything. He still does, and we have to grapple with that.
Acts 15 begins with men from Judea teaching that Gentile believers must be circumcised according to Moses’s custom to be saved. Paul and Barnabas dispute this, and the church sends them and others to Jerusalem to discuss it with the apostles and elders.
The issue is the sufficiency of Christ. Does our salvation depend on something more than his sacrifice?
No matter how many good things we do, we cannot stack enough bricks in the positive column to counterbalance the weight of sin. We cannot climb out of that pit. But Jesus loves us enough to come down into it and pull us out.
We don’t have to try to be good enough to reach God. God came to us. Yet some were saying, “Jesus plus”—fill in the blank—“equals salvation.”
Paul tells us in Ephesians 2 that salvation is by grace through faith, not our own works, lest anyone boast. It is Jesus’s goodwill toward humanity that gives us the opportunity for rescue.
Notice the wisdom of Antioch. Instead of allowing the division to deepen, they seek counsel. “Let’s take this to the whole church. Let’s work through it together.” Healthy churches deal with problems. A united church seeks God’s truth even when there is disagreement.
At what we call the Jerusalem Council, Peter stands and reminds them that God has already given the Holy Spirit to Gentiles, making no distinction between them and Jewish believers. He asks why they would place a burden on the disciples that their own fathers could not bear. “We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”
Paul and Barnabas describe the wonders God has done among the Gentiles. Then James opens the Scriptures. The words of the prophets agree with what they have witnessed.
I like how Luke slows down the story here. Peter speaks about what God has done before. Paul and Barnabas tell what God is doing now. James turns to the word itself.
The experiences matter, but Scripture is decisive. Amos had already foretold the inclusion of the Gentiles. Isaiah spoke about it. God’s mission was always global, though his people sometimes lost sight of it.
A healthy church interprets experience through Scripture. What does the word actually say?
The apostles, elders, and whole church send a letter with chosen representatives, including Judas and Silas. They make clear that the Gentiles need not take on the disputed burden, and they give practical instructions about idols, sexual immorality, things strangled, and blood.
When the letter reaches Antioch, the believers rejoice in its encouragement. Judas and Silas strengthen them. There are no superstars in this story. God is glorified as the church humbly submits to his word.
Grace protects the gospel. The good works described in Ephesians 2 are the overflow of grace in our lives. We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for the good works he prepared for us.
The Spirit guides their discernment. Their letter says, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us.” James’s attention to Scripture is a vital part of how they listen.
Luke is giving us more than church history. He calls us back to the core of our faith and shows us a pattern for facing the difficult questions every generation and congregation will face.
God’s people listen honestly and respectfully, even when they disagree. You can disagree without being disagreeable. I know that’s hard to believe in our age. Look at the TV, and it seems people are searching for more mud to throw at each other.
Let the church model something different. Grace is at the heartbeat of the church. As recipients of grace, we show grace in how we relate to one another through difficult problems.
We also remember what God has done and what he continues to do. When a problem confronts us, we can become so narrow in our vision that it seems to be the only thing happening. Testimony helps us see the bigger picture.
There is a whole industry of books criticizing the church and describing its problems. We are imperfect. But what if we balanced that with testimony about what God is doing? That might change how we think about the church and grow our love for it.
Someone once said you should never make a major decision without first walking a mile. There’s probably wisdom in that. What if, before a major decision, we took time together to walk with the Holy Spirit in his word and in prayer?
After listening, testimony, and discernment, they move forward as one body. Luke’s conclusion is that the churches are encouraged and the gospel is ready to move forward again. The council preserves the unity necessary for the truth to be carried outward.
Unity is not achieved by avoiding truth. If we throw out everything that matters just to be together, what are we united around? Unity needs substance.
But we cannot treat people as if they don’t matter while claiming to stand for truth. That can leave us alone in a little corner, so filled with self-righteousness that we cannot see beyond ourselves.
Truth and unity must be held together. The church in Acts does that through humility, Scripture, and the love of Jesus extended in grace.
When difficult questions arise, we commit ourselves to seeking God’s will together, giving faithful attention to his word and moving forward in united obedience. We want nothing to hinder the mission Christ has entrusted to his church.
What would it look like to seek what God wants to say to every part of your life, including the hard questions inside yourself? We can address those questions with humility and love.
Jesus’s grace is a gift we could never earn. Because we have received it, we need to take it outward together.
He invites you into his life and into the family of a God who adores you. Come with an open heart, placing your trust fully in him.
