Looking Back

Introduction

Today we continue our study in Galatians titled ‘A Defense of the Gospel by Faith’. Before beginning chapter 2, I want to take a moment and revisit Chapter 1. At the onset of the letter, we see that Paul is confronting a big problem within the church.

‘A Church with a Problem’ (Gal. 1:1-12)

I. The Prayer of Paul (v1-5)

Defense; Disposition; God’s Deliverance Praised

II. The Perversion of the Gospel (v6-9)

The Gospel has been Perverted (def) transmuted, corrupted, distorted from it’s true use and end.

Write this down: “It’s either All by Grace, or it’s not at all by Grace” - Me. It’s either by Faith, or it’s by Works.

The Church had been Effected (v6-7a); the Offenders Cursed (v8-9)

III. The Preeminence of Christ (v10)

A Choice v10a); a Consequence (v10b)

IV. The Providence of Christ (v11-12)

Not Received by Man (v11-12a); Given by Christ (v12b)

‘Setting the Table’ (Gal. 1:13-24)

I. Times Past (v13-14)

A Religious Man; a Self-Righteous Man; a Man of Renown

II. Transformation & Tutelage (v15-19)

A Calling (v15); A Change (v16a); A Cause (v16b); a Communion (v17-19)

III. Testimony Observed (v20-24)

Truth Exposed; Change Evidenced; God was Exalted

Today’s message I’ve titled ‘Looking Back’.

The verses that we’ll read here is a look back at an event that is recorded elsewhere in Scripture (which we’ll explain more on later).

That being said, there’s much for us to learn and glean from today.

I WANT TO SHOW FIRST SOME MAPS SO YOU CAN VISUALIZE THE ‘LAY OF THE LAND’

As we begin the Chapter, we start #1 with Following the Call

I. Following the Call (v1-2)

We begin chapter 2 by a look at how Paul followed the call of God on his life.

Remember - Paul had proclaimed to be an apostle - he now speaks to some things that proves he’s what he said he is.

Church let me say - the life we live is the evidence of the effect of God on our life.

By the way some live, it’s evident that God has made a change in them - others speak of salvation, yet there’s no evidence thereof.

The first thing we see is that Paul was Faithful in Service

Faithfulness in Service (v1a)

Paul says ‘14 years after…’ Do you know what Paul was doing in those 14 years? Everything he could to further the gospel of Christ!

Prior to Paul’s conversion, Paul had a zeal for wickedness in the disguise of religion. But after Paul met Jesus, and as he said in Gal. 1:16 - the Son was ‘revealed in him’, Paul was a new man.

As Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, and as he lived: 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

From that moment on, Paul was faithful in service.

Do you know what the church needs today? Faithful Christians! Christians who will sit there desires, egos, wants & wishes to the side and show complete fidelity unto God and His Call on their life!

I spoke of the necessity of consistency on Wednesday - the importance of just being and staying faithful.

This isn’t to say that Paul was perfect. I believe that it’s not hard to look for Paul’s mistakes, and even where he missed God on occasion - but one thing Paul was - AND WHY GOD USED HIM IN SUCH TREMENDOUS FASHION - is because he was faithful!

Faithfulness in Service

Fellowship in Ministry (v1b)

Next thing we see is that Paul wasn’t alone. Paul had fellow laborers in the work. Two things we see here:

The necessity of Christian fellowship (Barnabas)

I have said recently, and I want to stress that God doesn’t desire for us to walk this Christian life alone. Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpeneth iron; So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Paul & Barnabas could encourage one another, and hold one another accountable. Sometimes that comes with disagreements (so was the case w/ them), but God’s design is for us to draw on strength one from another.

Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

We see the necessity of Christian fellowship, but there’s something else…

The necessity of Christian Discipleship (Titus)

Titus was a young preacher under the tutelage of Paul.

So Paul wasn’t just enjoying the fellowship, and being strengthened by that, he was working to grow, teach & help a young minister for the work of the LORD.

This is something that is lacking in the church today - and it’s lacking on two parts: Those unwilling to sacrifice the time & effort to disciple another, and others unwilling to sacrifice the time and effort to grow in their walk.

(Ill.) I have on multiple occasions tried to invest in people. I’ve offered time, training and counsel and in most instances, they flame out. They’re saved, and that’s enough for them. But on rare occurrence, you get someone like bro. Cole who embraces it - and becomes a sponge and puts it to action, and God uses them in a mighty way. (Bro. Cole texted me that he had the opportunity to lead someone to the LORD yesterday)

We see a Fellowship in Ministry

Following the Spirit (v2)

Lastly, we see that Paul ‘went up by revelation’. In other words, the Spirit revealed unto Paul to go, and he went.

What a wonderful way in which to be. When God says go, you go. When the Spirit says ‘move’ you move.

Paul was led to communicate the Gospel - some in private, others publically, so it might have been in various ways, but the purpose is the same.

Church, some might needs hear it publically, others might need to hear it privately.

Some might come to the house of God and hear the Gospel preached and make their way to the altar and be born again. OTHERS might need their door knocked on. They may never make it to church to hear the Gospel, so SOMEONE needs to take the Gospel to them!

Paul followed the leading of the Spirit.

We see Following the Call

II. False Brethren Emerge (v3-5)

Lest we think the Christian life easy, we see a problem emerge in these verses. The problem is False Brethren Emerge.

And the first thing that we notice is that False Brethren brings Tension

Tension (v3)

What Paul in these next verses is referring to is the counsel at Jerusalem that is recorded in Act. 15. (Read Act. 15:1-5).

What we see here is tension. There were Christians who were being pressured to keep the law & ordinances and being told that they weren’t truly saved if they didn’t.

When false brethren bringing false doctrine emerges, there is tension that comes with it. The pressures of ‘this & that’ instead of the liberty and satisfaction of the assurance of Salvation.

(Ill.) I had a young man - new Christian (Matt) - tell me not long ago that he’d expressed to someone (Judaizer) that he’d gotten saved. They asked him if he’d been baptized yet, to which he said no. They proceeded to tell him that he wasn’t saved until he did.

This leads me to two points:

First - Jesus plus NOTHING = Salvation. That’s what this whole book is about, but I wanted to reiterate that position.

Secondly - what do you think that did to him? It would have caused some tension. It would possibly lead him to think ‘Am I really saved then?’ It would have ultimately instead of his salvation giving him joy, the confusion of it would instead give him angst.

We see the tension - next we see the ‘why’

Tares (v4)

We see now why there was tension - because there were false brethren sown in there.

Jesus gave a parable in Mat. 13 (Read Mat. 13:24-30)

Notice a couple things - both in our text and the parable:

Their Status

Notice, he did not say ‘wayward’ or ‘mislead / misguided’ brethren. He said FALSE brethren.

These were not wheat, they were tares

Church, not everyone who goes to church is a Christian! Not everyone within congregations are wheat - there are tares present as well!

Their status is that they were LOST

Their Subtlety

Make note of a couple key words: ‘unawares’; ‘came in privily’.

In other words, they weren’t immediately recognizable.

Many think that the saints & sinners are easy to separate one from the other, but it’s not! I believe there to be many people who APPEAR righteous that we’ll be surprised that they are actually lost.

Remember the words of Christ: Matthew 7:22–23 “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

We see the tares

Resistance (v5a)

When these tares brought in the false doctrine, Paul gave the proper response. It wasn’t of capitulation, but of resistance.

To many in this day & age will sacrifice purity for peace. They will ‘go along to get along’ - even if it means sitting aside their differences on something so major as how people get to Heaven!

James said: James 3:17 “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”

We must resist false doctrine - speak against it - regardless of feelings or emotion. Christians must put the purity of the Gospel before peaceableness with men.

We see the Resistance

Reason (v5b)

Church, there’s a reason why this is important.

(Ill.) Question: Have you ever encountered someone who is just contrary for the sake of argument? They enjoy disagreement, contention & just being argumentative? It’s ridiculous.

But that’s not what Paul is doing here. He’s not just being disagreeable, there was a purpose in what he did - it was that ‘the truth of the gospel might continue with you.’

(Ill.) Let me illustrate this in a way I think you’ll understand: In our country, we’ve experienced some winds of change over the last 6 years or so. In the last 4-6 years, there’s been a huge push for acceptance of the trans-movement. You had such a push for acceptance, that:

The White House in 2023 was hanging the trans flag in the center with the American flag flanking it.

Target selling trans bathing suits for children

Drag queens story time in the libraries

Men & boys participating in women & girls sports

Boys changing in girls locker rooms & going to girls bathrooms!

Societies first reaction was a ‘go along to get along’, but when they saw the damage that it did, many finally stood up and said ‘that’s enough’, and stood against it!

But church, consider this: men, churches & entire denominations espouse false doctrines. Doctrines of devils. Doctrines that Paul said those who preach it should be accursed. We don’t stand against it to be contrary, but we stand against it (as Paul did) because it does real damage!

False Doctrine / Brethren Emerge

We see Following the Call; False Brethren Emerge

III. The Furtherance of the Gospel (v6-10)

No Partiality of Persons (v6)

I love the way Paul addresses this: Galatians 2:6 “But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man’s person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me:”

What’s Paul saying? He’s saying that those who were of reputation, didn’t mean anything more to him than those of low degree.

Image President Trump walking into the church. It would be hard to not treat him with any greater interest or respect than a poor widow on the back row - but that’s what Paul’s point is - God is no respecter of persons! God loves the president, but God equally loves the humble widow in the back row!

Church, let me echo the Words of Christ in Luke 15:7 “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”

One SINNER - no other stipulations than that!:

Red, yellow, black or white - all are precious in His sight!

Rich-poor, introvert-extrovert, tall-short, fat-skinny, old-young - God loves them all, and so should we!

What a change would be made in the church if every Christian would just see people as either:

Brothers & sisters in Christ, or

Sinners in need of a Saviour

Nothing more, nothing less - for God is no Respecter of Persons

A Perception of Purpose (v7-9)

I want to break down these verses:

A Singular Gospel (v7)

This isn’t two different Gospels - it’s ONE Gospel delivered to TWO different people groups.

There was not one Gospel for Jews and another for Gentiles then, just like there’s not one Gospel for Baptists and another for the Church of Christ - THERE’S ONLY ONE GOSPEL!

A Singular Gospel

The Same Spirit (v8)

The Same Spirit was was working in Peter to the Jews, was the same Spirit that was working through Paul to the gentiles.

Church - it’s not how POWERFUL YOU are, it’s how SUBMISSIVE to the SPIRIT YOU ARE!

The Same Spirit that worked mightily in Peter & Paul is the same Spirit within me & you today!

The Same Spirit

A Grace that is Seen (v9a)

These men SAW in Paul the Grace of God at work! It was something that was tangible! It wasn’t invisible unto them, they could see how God was working within him, THEREFORE they acknowledged that & embraced him.

A Mission to be Sent (v9b)

Then they agree to part and go to their perspective mission fields

Each of us has our own mission field church. We all should be labouring in our own mission field.

We see a Perception of Purpose

A Plan for the Poor (v10)

‘The poor’ commonly referred to as those with no influence or money. These people should not be forgotten.

However, the poorest people I know are those without Christ.

Church, we can’t forget that there are a multitude of people - POOR people without Christ right now! People within our reach!

I’m thankful to be a missionary sending church - but we’re all called to some mission field, because there’s ‘poor’ people all around.

We mustn’t forget the poor!

Conclusion

Church let me ask you - as you ‘look back’ what do you see?

Are you able to see that you Followed the Call of God on your life?

If the answer to that is ‘no’, let me say that it’s not too late to start! Not while there’s air in your lungs!

(Ill.) I’ve read stories of people who in their 80’s-90’s have gone back to get a college degree because it was a goal they had and never achieved. Listen - we don’t look down upon them, we champion them! We cheer them on! That’s what we’ll do for brothers & sisters who have maybe missed their call earlier, but realize & strive for it now! (And not only us, but God as well!)

What will you do when you look back?