Apostles at Odds - pt.1

Introduction

Today we continue our series through the book of Galatians.

‘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

‘Looking Back’ (Gal. 2:1-10) - (At the ‘Counsel of Jerusalem’ meeting (Act. 15)

I. Following the Call (v1-2)

Faithfulness in Service (v1a); Fellowship in Ministry (v1b); Following the Spirit (v2)

II. False Brethren Emerge (v3-5)

Tension (v3); Tares (v4); Resistance (v5a); Reason (v5b)

III. The Furtherance of the Gospel

No Partiality of Persons (v6); A Perception of Purpose (v7-9); A Plan for the Poor (v10)

Today’s message was originally intended to cover v11-21, but upon further inspection, I couldn’t figure how to cover such depth in so little time. Therefore, I am only covering the first few verses of that.

For most of the first 2 chapters, Paul has been recounting things that have happened. The only doctrine or specific command that we see is found in Galatians 1:8–9 “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

Today’s message will continue in the same vein. Paul has recounted:

His Position as an Apostle

His Love & care for them

His Teachings by Christ

His early journeys and interactions as a Christian

The Counsel at Jerusalem

Now Paul is telling the church about an encounter that he had with Peter.

The Title of this message is ‘Apostles at Odds - pt. 1’ for obvious reasons. There was a problem between two of God’s choice servants which we are going to examine today.

The first thing that we must look at is The Person - I’m speaking of Peter

I. The Person (Peter) (v11a)

Peter has already been mentioned in Ch. 1 (Gal. 1:18) and earlier in Ch. 2 (Gal. 2:7-8). But there’s

Loved by Christ

When I think of Peter & Christ, my mind goes almost instantly to the last Chapter in John (Joh. 21). Many of you know the story, but for those who don’t…

Jesus at this point has already been crucified & raised to new Life

Peter then decided that he was going fishing

John 21:3 “Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.”

Notice this was not some innocent fishing trip. This was a indicator of Peter going back to the old life - the way things used to be before Jesus.

Jesus shows Himself upon the shore & fixes them breakfast.

After that, Jesus pulled Peter to the side and we see this interaction:

John 21:15–17 “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”

Peter was right - Jesus did know that Peter loved him… so Jesus tells him ‘Feed my sheep’. In other words - if you love me, why are you back to the same old way of living?

Peter confesses his love for Christ, but the amazing thing is not Peter’s love for Jesus, but Jesus’ love for Peter!

(Evaluate the situation) Just days prior, Peter said to Jesus ‘These others might forsake you, but not me!’

Jesus washes his feet & speaks of one who will betray Him

He takes them to the garden after supper & asks them to pray - to which he falls asleep

A mob come to arrest Jesus, and after a scuffle, Peter and the rest forsake Jesus and flee

As they take Jesus away, Peter follows ‘afar off’.

While Jesus is questioned, mocked and ridiculed, Peter’s warming himself by the fire - denying Him!

Jesus is crucified, then raised from the dead - proving to Peter, and everyone else who He was.

So put yourself in Peter’s shoes - he swore he’d never forsake him, then he did - and then in cursing denied Jesus. (Ill.) Have you ever done something horrible & heinous, just to be found out? Jesus found him out, but you know what? What’s amazing is that Jesus loved Peter anyway!

Jesus proved His love for him upon the Cross - where He died for my sin, your sin and even the sins that Peter had committed by the fire! Jesus loved Peter so much, that though Peter would forsake Jesus, Jesus didn’t forsake Peter!

And the amazing thing is, is that even after all of Peter’s sin concerning Calvary, he’s now out backsliding into the old life, and Jesus still hasn’t given up on Peter!

Church I want you to know - that no matter what you’ve done, no matter how great sins you’ve committed, Jesus loves you! No matter where you’ve gone or how far back you slide, Jesus is the good shepherd who will search & search till you’re found!

Yes, Peter was loved by Jesus. And Jesus loves you too!

Peter was loved by Jesus

Labored for Christ

The next aspect of this man that I want to examine is the fact that Peter laboured for Jesus.

There are two qualities that I want to discuss concerning Christians for a moment:

The first is the quality of being a Saint

Saint (def) sacred (ceremonially or morally); blameless; consecrated

Christians are called ‘Saints’

1 Corinthians 1:2 “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:”

By definition, when one places their faith in Christ, they are rendered by God:

Sacred

Blameless

Consecrated

All Christians are saints - not of our own doing, but as a result of faith in Christ.

The other is that of a Servant

Servant (def) Subject to another; one who yields obedience to another; one who serves

As Christians, we are called to be Servants.

In Joh. 13, just before His crucifixion, Jesus girds Himself with a towel and proceeds to wash the feet of the disciples. (Read Joh. 13:12-17)

So much can be said about this - namely:

The Example:

Jesus - the God of Creation - humbled Himself to wash the very feet of one who would walk away intent to betray Him, and 11 others who’s very feet would run and flee from Him later that night.

Jesus has not only called us to be servants, but gave us the example to follow

The Exclamation:

Don’t lose sight of what Jesus said here: ‘happy are ye if ye do them’. In other words, we think we’ll find happiness when others serve us - but it’s truly found when you choose to serve others.

I said all that to say this: While all Christians are Saints, very few of them choose to be Servants.

You are a Saint by the declaration of God

You are a Servant by Choice

Peter was a Servant! This was a man who truly labored for the LORD. He risked his life prior to this for the Gospel’s sake. Peter was not the type of Christian who got out of his comfort zone and considered Christ for a couple hours a week!

Peter was not only Loved by Christ, but he Labored for Christ

In the Lineage of Christ

There is no question that Peter was a born again believer of Christ

It’s important to recognize that for these reasons:

Peter was not a False Brother

Remember, Paul spoke of ‘false brethren’ in Gal. 2:4. There are plenty of people who call themselves Christians who are not. THIS WASN’T PETER! Peter was as saved as Paul!

(Ill.) I want to reiterate that point. Remember - there are people who preach a perverted Gospel, and others who preach a false Gospel. I was speaking of an instance last week where I made the statement about a man who was a mormon. I said ‘if he is a good mormon, he’s lost’. What I meant was, if he is following the mormon doctrine of salvation - that’s a false gospel. While they see themselves more as a denomination and call themselves ‘Christian’, it is in truth a doctrine of devils.

Peter was not a false brother

Peter was Paul’s brother in Christ

Because Peter was a true Christian, he was Paul’s Spiritual brother! They were Spiritual kin! They were blood brothers - made by the blood of Christ!

Now we get to the whole crux of the matter with the first point. We have examined Peter. What we’ve found is a man:

Who loved, and was loved of the LORD

Who Labored for the Cause of Christ

Who was Paul’s brother made by the Sacrifice of Christ

And Peter was WRONG

Peter was a GREAT man of God - and yet, Peter was WRONG.

(Ill.) Not long after I came here, I had someone approach me and ask me about a particular doctrine. (WHICH I ENCOURAGE) I took the time to explain why I held to a certain doctrine. Then the question came back to me which was ‘But wouldn’t you agree that great men of God believed differently?’ And I said ‘sure’! But here’s the thing: ‘The Best of Men are Men at Best’.

There is NO ONE that is beyond error.

There is NO ONE beyond mistakes

There is NO ONE that has mastered and has complete dominance over the flesh

NO ONE - Not me, you or even Peter.

I say that to get you to hopefully understand that just because someone might be our brother - it doesn’t mean that we let sin and error slide for the sake of unity!

I made this point last week, but it bears repeating - BECAUSE THERE IS A DIFFERENCE:

(LAST WEEK) Galatians 2:5 “To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.” Paul was resisting the Heathen - the false brethren

(THIS WEEK) Paul is confronting HIS BROTHER!

Church, sometimes, confrontation - even of kin - is necessary for the sake of the purity of the Gospel!

I honestly don’t know where the ‘go along to get along’ doctrine within the church came from, but it’s not of God! Remember the Words of Jesus: Matthew 10:34–38 “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”

I quoted last week: 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.”

Remember those last 3 words - ‘and without hypocrisy’, for they will be helpful later.

In the lineage of Christ

We see the Person, Peter. Secondly, the Problem

II. The Problem (v11b-14)

In these verses, Paul confronts a Problem. The problem was Peter’s actions and what it led to.

We tend to think of the perversion of the Gospel as a minor problem, but as I hope we see, it’s a major problem.

The overarching theme of this point is the confrontation. How Paul confronted Peter concerning the purity of the Gospel.

A Confrontation over Cowardice (v12b)

This whole problem arose out of ‘fearing them which were of the circumcision’ (v12). Peter was afraid of what they would think. Whether he was thought of as a good Jew or not. He probably didn’t want to be labeled as ‘soft on sin’. There’s a dozen reasons as to why Peter was fearful, but the reason isn’t relevant! The fact of the matter was that Peter sinned because he lacked courage.

Our theme ‘Be Strong and of a Good Courage’. There’s a reason why our theme is that.

It’s not because I expect for you Christians to have to face a firing squad for your faith, it’s because when we deny or compromise in our faith it sets off a chain of events that leads to catastrophe.

Peter’s main problem was fear - it wasn’t unbelief. Peter knew the truth, he just wasn’t standing on that truth!

THERE’S A MANY CHRISTIANS TODAY THAT KNOW THE TRUTH, BUT OUT OF FEAR THEY WILL NOT STAND ON THAT TRUTH!

They fear what others might say about them

They fear what standing for the truth will cost them

Christians fear many things, and they often don’t fear the one thing they should! Because Peter wasn’t ‘Strong and of a Good Courage’, look at what it did:

Which Led to…

A Denial of Truth

The truth is that Salvation is by Grace through faith, and that God is no respecter of persons, it’s both to the Jew and Gentile alike. Peter knew this… but while God put no difference between Jew and Gentile, Peter did. While God put no yoke of bondage upon the Gentile, Peter did.

By Peter’s actions, he encouraged a denial of the truth.

In part 2, we’re going to speak about Justification - what it is, what it isn’t and who does it - but Peter’s cowardice caused a denial of truth.

Solomon wrote: Proverbs 23:23 “Buy the truth, and sell it not; Also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.”

The Truth is worth something - yet we see a Denial of the truth

Disunity in the Body of Christ (v12a)

‘he withdrew and separated himself’ - we see a fractured church.

This is a huge point to understand: Time and again, the desire of God is unity in the body of Christ:

Philippians 2:2 “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”

Philippians 1:27 “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;”

2 Corinthians 13:11 “Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.”

Peter’s lack of courage to stand for the true Gospel is causing a fracture in the body of Christ.

It’s amazing that many think that what I am doing when I expose false doctrines & perversions of the Gospel is causing division in the church, when in fact the division is found when God’s people lack the courage to stand for the truth!

Disunity in the Body of Christ

Disruption in the Body of Christ (v13a)

Here we see that because of Peter’s influence, others are following suit. Others are breaking off - even Barnabas - another Godly man - is pulled away from the truth and true doctrine.

Today we have a multitude that preach & follow a perverted gospel. There is a difference on why they are there though.

There are those that know better

Remember - Peter knew better, but he lacked the courage to stand for what was right.

There are those who espouse and follow false doctrine today that know better. (Ill.) I had a couple people come right to mind on this matter. They know the truth, but familial relations have then sitting under the preaching of a perverted Gospel.

Others who could know better, but don’t

Because of people like Peter was at this point, and the fact that many are respecter of persons, many today don’t know that the gospel they espouse is perverted.

It’s not as if they couldn’t know better, but God will not reveal truth to someone who will not open their eyes to see it anyways!

False Doctrine and the Lack of Courage to combat it causes a Disruption in the Body of Christ

Dissimulation of Doctrine (v13b)

Dissimulation (def) deceit; hypocrisy

What Paul is saying is that they were living and preaching a hypocritical message! And they were.

Church, let me explain something: The Gospel of Faith is the antithesis to the Gospel of the Law / Works. Oil & Water, East & West - if it is one, then it’s not the other.

This is why it’s so amazing to me how these churches and preachers say ‘you must believe in Jesus… AND…’

Paul wrote this to the church in Rome, and it’s one verse you should really get ahold of: Romans 11:6 “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” Grace and Works are OPPOSITES. Faith and Law are OPPOSITES!

(Ill.) Oscar Wilde once wrote “I can resist anything except temptation”. Now if you think for just a moment on that, you’ll see how silly it is. It’s the same way with the perversion of the Gospel of Faith by interjecting the Law. It literally makes no sense at all.

Dissimulation of Doctrine

Destruction of the Work

Because:

There is a Denying of the True Gospel

There is a fracturing of the Body of Christ

There is a hypocritical / nonsensical message

The Work of Christ suffers!

Imagine what a difference a united Gospel message would do for the world!

You see this problem was a big one. It was destroying the Work of God and of Christ!

It led to a Destruction of the Work - so we see, a Confrontation was the Correct thing to do

A Confrontation that was Correct (v11)

Paul did not make any apologies for what he said or did. He said “I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed”.

I wonder how many people started fussing at Paul for his confronting & condemning Peter’s actions?

Let me just say this: If one did, they most certainly had no wisdom about them - God put this in the Word of God as an affirmation for what he did was right!

A Confrontation that was Correct

A Confrontation that was not Concealed (v14a)

Notice that this issue was so important, that it was addressed publically.

Paul wasn’t worried about hurting people’s feelings or causing division - DIVISION WAS ALREADY THERE! And it wasn’t because of what he did - he was doing what was necessary to improve the situation.

(Ill.) That’s like those people who say they don’t tell people about Jesus because they don’t want to ‘push them away’… Push them away from what? They’re on there way to Hell, they aren’t going to get further than that!

No, this confrontation was so important - EVERYONE needed to hear it. And I thank God for Paul - and men like him - that will stand strong for the purity of the Gospel of Faith by Grace.

A Confrontation that was Not Concealed

Conclusion