Gal 2

INTRO

Michael Phelps: The man who dominated the Olympic pool like no other. The legendary American swimmer won 28 medals across 5 Olympics, making him the most decorated athlete in the history of the Summer Games. It is a name that resonates around the world, even among people who may not be fans of sport. (23 Gold - 3 Silver - 2 Bronze)

Here's a breakdown of that training routine:

Warm up with jackknife crunches (three sets of 20), push-ups (three sets of 25 to 35) and bodyweight squats (three sets of 25)

Begin in the pool with 50-meter drills, including using a kick-board to isolate upper or lower body on different laps.

At moderate intensity, swim distances of 50m, 100m, 150m and 200m, with 30 seconds of rest between each interval.

At high intensity, swim distances of 200m, 150m, 100m and 50m, with 30 seconds of rest between each interval.

To finish, do 12 laps "with a pool buoy between your legs, breathing only four times on each lap," then do five more laps alternating between sprint and relaxed paces to cool down.

All this training for one goal… THE RACE !!

Main Idea: Only through faith in Christ are we accepted before God and alive to Him. Only by grace can we die to self and live to Christ.

PRAYER

A - God our father in Heaven we praise your name for you are the same yesterday today and forevermore. Your Word is from everlasting to everlasting and you do not change therefore we have great hope.

C - Lord we confess that even in this assurance we often wonder in our sinful hearts if we may not be the exception. Perhaps you have changed we think to ourselves perhaps your promises will fail perhaps you will change or have changed your mind. Perhaps you have a new standard for us or perhaps we are not really yours.

T - We thank you father that you are patient and long suffering with our foolish sinful hearts. We praise you that your Word stands the test of all time and in it we find our refuge from such fleshly thoughts. You have told us that what you have called clean can nothing defile, you have told us that what you have said will stand and what you have purchased is indeed owned.

S - Help us dearest father then we plead with you this day that you would remind and renew our hearts afresh that it is not our works which save us but your grace and if your grace then we can count upon it with all that we are knowing it is and was your good pleasure alone which saves. Let us today with fresh hearts cling to our crucifixion with christ and plead that it be no longer us that live but he in us. AMEN and Amen!

EXPOSITION / EXPLINATION

Galatians 2 (ESV)

1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me.

Council at Jerusalem

14 Years

Barnabas = Jew | Titus = Gentile

2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain.

Revelation

Set before them the Gospel -> Paul -> proclaimed

running in vain??

Privately = influential people

3 But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek.

Titus =/= circumcised

Jesus + Law

4 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery—

False Brothers =/= not brothers

spy out

freedom in christ

bring back to slave

5 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.

Them —> Not yield!

the true gospel preserved

for you !!

6 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me.

Influential

no difference

added nothing… the gospel to him?

7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised

Contrary

Paul = gentiles

Peter = Jews

8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles),

Whop is this?

inspiration / election / call / equipping of the SPIRIT

9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

James | Peter | John

perceived grace

offered hand / fellowship

Paul / Barnabas

= go to gentiles / They to Jews

10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

remember the poor!

11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.

BUT

Peter / Cephas

Opposed / face

condemned

Antioch

....For what?

12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.

James - sent some men?

Peter - eating with gentiles

separated

fear / jews

13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

Messianic Jews = Christians

hypocritically - not under law??

Barnabas !!

14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Truth !!!!

Public Rebuke

Paul / Peter

Jew =/= Gentile ? Gentile =/= Jew

15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners;

Abraham = Cov

16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

Justification ?

Not Law

Faith | Christ

17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not!

Faith in Christ = Sin against Law… Christ a servant of Sin??

by no means !!

18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor.

Law Down… Law Up?

transgression

19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God.

Law brings death

1 Cor 15.56 “56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.”

Rom 4.15 “15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.”

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Rom 6.7 “7 For one who has died has been set free from sin.”

21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Eph 2.8-9 “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

MESSAGE

Cross References

Act 10:9-35, 15:2-32; Rom 7:7–8:15; Eph 2:11–22; Gal 5:16–25.

Paul’s Unwavering Challenge to the Church Then

A Contested Truth

Grace | Faith Alone —> Legalism

A Crucial Test

Jerusalem

A Crowning Triumph

Antioch

Christ’s Unwavering Challenge to the Church Today

A Current Travesty

Grace | Faith Alone —> Licentious

A Controversial Truth

Repentance

Rules

A Cautionary Tale

Doctrine of Demons

Itching Ears

Sardis

Revelation 3:1–6 ESV

1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. 4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Laodicea

Revelation 3:14–22 ESV

14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. 15 “ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”

Matthew 7:21–23 “21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

CLOSE

Group Questions

If someone is a good employee, an unselfish friend, and an advocate for the poor, should we consider that person a Christian? Explain.

How would you counsel someone who claimed to believe in justification by faith but showed no signs of love for Christ? No signs of repentance?

Briefly explain the doctrine of justification by faith in terms that an unbeliever with no Bible knowledge could understand.

Why does it rob God of glory when we add to faith other requirements for justification? How do people attempt to justify themselves today?

How does it mis-represent the gospel when we do not live differently from the world? In your opinion how are churches living worldly today?

Why is it so significant that we view justification as a once-for-all declaration and not a process?

Why is it so important to understand sanctification as a process and not a one time event?

How is the justification of a sinner different from having one’s sins ignored or swept under the rug?

What’s the potential danger in the following statements: “Jesus has done so much for me, so now I must work for Him” “Jesus has paid for my sins, now I can live as I please”?

How should the reality of Christ’s indwelling presence affect your everyday life?

How should we balance the truths of Justification by faith alone in one hand and the process of sanctification and death of self in the other?

Where in your own walk do you need a better balance between legalism and liberty?