Gal 2:11-21 Man's Hypocrisy; God's Truth
Notes
Transcript
Do you know what we despise the most about our selves? What we honestly hate about ourselves?
It is the very thing we Christians are accused of by the world around us.
It is the very thing that offends us the most when we hear it.
Our own hypocrisy!
Today, I want to share with you a story about Man’s hypocrisy and God’s truth.
And I want to arm you today with the power to fight your own hypocrisy and to create a Church that as open to the hurting and the broken.
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But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 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. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 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?”
We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 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.
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! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 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. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
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The Hypocrisy of Man
The Hypocrisy of Man
The Fear of man will always lead to hypocrisy!
The Fear of man will always lead to hypocrisy!
Peter stopped his table fellowship with Gentile Christians because he had already been attacked for mingling with Gentiles.
So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
Peter broke covenant fellowship with Gentile Christians because he feared being rejected by those who still placed their faith in religious practice to be right with God.
He rejected others so, he himself would not face rejection.
Imagine the pain and confusion this created in the minds of the Gentile believers.
A Religious Spirit will always lead to hypocrisy -
A Religious Spirit will always lead to hypocrisy -
When you base your relationship with God on your own merit and not the merit of Jesus, you will reject those God has accepted.
The Jewish Christians who came from James were still struggling with the concept of Grace over law.
A religious spirit will cause us to forget how much grace was extended to us by God through Jesus.
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Our Hypocrisy will always lead others into the same sin!
Our Hypocrisy will always lead others into the same sin!
Other Jewish Christians broke table fellowship in following Peter’s example as did Barnabas.
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My examples - Jordan and Jacob - vets come to Jesus, still cussing like vets, podcast - leading other vets to Jesus but still using vet language.
Attacked by others in the church because of their language - Stood up for them, embraced them, publically praised what God was doing in their lives.
My encouragement - not stop cussing - rather never stop following the Spirit of God - Promise me if God leads you to change your language in the future you will.
Gay young man - Pray with him in central park - Scared what if people see me with him, what if they think I am gay. I met him but I kept a distance - I had the opportunity to really share with this young man God’s eternal love but because of my fear of what other pastors might say, I blew it.
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Maybe some of you today are like me and Peter -
Maybe some of you today are like me and Peter -
You some times have gotten right but other times out of fear of others you reject a new and struggling Jesus follower.
Maybe out of a religious zealous Spirit you have pushed new believers away because they don’t look like you, act like you or speak like you.
Maybe you have rejected others out of fear of being seen and what others would think of you.
Maybe you have been afraid that it will bring a bad reputation to you if you accept that person into your life.
Let Jesus be an example to all of us today.
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He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
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So What is the Answer to Our Hypocrisy?
So What is the Answer to Our Hypocrisy?
Let me give you 2 ways to defend against the sin of hypocrisy.
Let me give you 2 ways to defend against the sin of hypocrisy.
Stop getting offended when you get called out for hypocrisy and own it. It hurts but it is also God’s grace!
Stop getting offended when you get called out for hypocrisy and own it. It hurts but it is also God’s grace!
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
Paul loved Peter and the other Jewish believers. He loved them so much he was willing to call out the sin of hypocrisy.
Paul knew this particular sin could destroy the Church at conception.
You see Hypocrisy has the potential to abort new Christians.
2. You need to preach the Gospel to yourself everyday!!!!!!!
2. You need to preach the Gospel to yourself everyday!!!!!!!
We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 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.
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! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 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. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
We are justified/ made as if we had never sinned/ made a part of the covenant family of God/ by faith in Jesus not by works of the law. - My righteousness is as filthy rags.
We have been crucified with Christ - Our sins have died with Christ. We are a new creation because of what He has done.
It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me - We are transformed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit not by works.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
He who knew no sin, took on our sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God! He is the hero and we are all the rescued. None of us are better or more loved. It is all about Jesus.
The Gospel is Clear - We are more sinful than we dare to imagine and at the same time, we are more loved and accepted by God through Jesus than we could ever imagine!
The Gospel is Clear - We are more sinful than we dare to imagine and at the same time, we are more loved and accepted by God through Jesus than we could ever imagine!
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Hypocrisy is the human condition and we are all guilty of it.
We however can defeat it by
own it. Recognize that we are all the tax collector in need of God’s grace.
2. Preach the Gospel to yourself every day.
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There are thousands of hurting and broken people in this small town that need the grace of God.
They are searching and will need a community of believers that will welcome them in worts, scars, and all.
They will need your long suffering, they will need your un-rejecting love, they will need the truth but they will also need to know you will not walk away from the table.
If you will dedicate yourself to the Gospel and not Works
If you will dedicate yourself to love and not hypocrisy
God will bless this Church and He will use you all for the souls of this city.