January 30, 2022 - Living the Gospel
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What is the Gospel?
Yes....I’m asking it again...
In THIS setting - the question is most often - easily answered -
BUT AS life is being lived out - the ANSWER is often - forgotten
For the past several weeks - we had been making our way thru the 1st chapter of Galatians...
And the Apostle Paul DEFENDING his apostleship...
AND - his message!
Paul is writing to the Galatian churches DUE to false teachers who had come in - to DISTORT the Gospel...
They had been declaring that the Gentile believers - needed to be physically circumcised in order to be SAVED...
And the way that Paul describes this (in the 6th VERSE of this book) - he makes it crystal clear that this is a SERIOUS matter...
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—
The (HIM) in this verse - that is being DESERTED - is God
Paul equates - Embracing a False Gospel - AS LEAVING/WALKING AWAY FROM/ God...
This is NO.LIGHT.MATTER.
And as we’ve seen from Paul - The way that Paul has constructed his argument TO the Galatians...
…has been something to consider.
I think it’s pretty clear - at this point in time - having broken into chapter 2 LAST WEEK - that Paul’s argument - has been BALANCED.
If you remember - he started out (in chapter 1) by SEPARATING himself - from man...
Saying that he was sent - BY GOD…not man
He then declared that he was not TAUGHT this message - BY MAN...
but instead - BY GOD
See - one of the claims of the False Teachers - was that Paul was simply trying to PLEASE MAN…by not forcing the Gentiles to be physically circumcised!
And so PAUL makes it clear that his APOSTLESHIP AND HIS MESSAGE - was DIRECTLY from God!
He had made it clear that:
his message
his agenda
his love
Was ALL - from God…!
But then - - Last WEEK - we saw Paul shift course...
He BALANCED out the scales...
How?
He ALIGNED his message - with the Apostles’ message! (those who WALKED with Jesus)
AND IN DOING SO - he aligned his message - with that of Jesus Christ!
And so - YOU TELL ME - would it be safe to say - that Paul - takes the Gospel SERIOUSLY?
Yes?
I agree!
But TODAY - I think we’ll see a glimpse of - the DEPTH of HOW serious he takes it...
…and hopefully - we’ll ALL be inspired - to do the same
11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
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.
13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.
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?”
To catch the STORY of what’s happening here...
We know that Paul - early in this letter to the Galatians - has been DEFENDING the Gospel!
By just WORDS?
NO - by DEEDS as well!
- if you remember last week - we read about how TITUS ( a Gentile) had gone WITH Paul to Jerusalem 14 years after Paul’s conversion...
And at THAT time - false teachers were trying to PERSUADE Titus to GET circumcised!
Did PAUL give in?
NO
He DEFENDED the Gospel - in DEED - by what he did/DIDN’T do...
His ACTIONS defended the gospel...
And he tells us WHY he did this...
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.
So Paul and Titus - and Barnabas - by their ACTIONS - defend the Gospel...
And by doing so - the TRUTH of the Gospel remained CLEAR in the hearts of those watching…!
But then - in TODAY’s text - Paul tells of when PETER came to Antioch!
What happened?
11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
*How many of you like - CONFLICT?
Well - All I can say is - Following Jesus WILL lead you to - many an AWKWARD conversation...
MANY a TENSE - conversation...
You know what’s in the Job Description for Eldership?
Highly Awkward...
Highly Tense....conversations
Any man in here - who aspires to the Eldership - Get READY!
Extremely awkward - extremely tense conversations are coming for you...
Paul and Peter weren’t BEST BUDS - but they had already - prior to this - locked arms in alignment on the Gospel!
They were TOGETHER!! Of ONE MIND!!
And so reading this verse - here’s what we know...
This isn’t EASY!!
Paul wasn’t sitting behind a KEYBOARD - putting Peter in his place...
Paul wasn’t sending out - CRYPTIC tweets about Peter’s actions...
NO - Paul was - FACE-to-FACE - with Peter…!
And he condemned him...
Why?
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.
What’s the STORY?
Here we see that Peter had come to Antioch...
And WHEN he came...
he found - OPEN-TABLE communion between Jew and Gentile...
What is that?
PHYSICALLY? - it’s Jews not necessarily adhering to the Jewish Dietary laws - as they DINE with Gentiles...
It’s JEWS - living AS Gentiles… eating and dining with Gentiles!
AND SO --- - IN A NUTSHELL - it’s a Physical Picture of what Spiritually happened due to the cross of Christ!
SLIDE: Living the Gospel: Unites All Men Under Grace
Living the Gospel
Living the Gospel
How so?
Remember this? Let’s just read thru it all...
11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—
12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility
15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,
16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.
18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
What did this say?
In Christ - by HIS blood - those who were FAR off (Gentiles) have been brought near...
For Jesus is our - PEACE
He has broken down the dividing WALL of hostility between Jew and Gentile!
So Let’s EAT!!
AND BECAUSE - the path to God - is BY FAITH
Let’s eat - TOGETHER!!
This is what Peter saw when he showed up in Antioch!!
A physical display of a CRUMBLED wall of hostility!
And if you remember back to our trek through Ephesians - we saw this...
SLIDE: Wall of Hostility - the Law
That the law was the wall of hostility!
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility
15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,
SO - the law created hostility between Jew and Gentile...
The Jews adhered to the law and the Gentiles did NOT...
But Jesus comes - and FULFILLS the law...
The believers in Antioch understand this - BELIEVE this!
And LIVE out the good news...
They no longer find it strange - to be UNITED to the other side!
The Jew can now WELCOME the Gentile...
And THIS is what Peter walked in on - when he entered Antioch!
This is what Peter saw - BECAUSE - the Gospel was being EMBRACED...
And we know from Scripture that THIS IS WHAT the gospel does!!
it UNITES all MEN - under GRACE!!
13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
So whether you were Jew or Greek - slave or free - ALL are a part of - ONE body!
All believers - under GRACE...
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,
14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
So Peter - sees this - and no doubt - IS PLEASED...
How do we know..
Because our text today tells us so...
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.
Peter understood the GOOD NEWS!
He was LIVING out the Gospel!
It had CHANGED his life…changed HOW he was living!
Can we say the same?
Homework for this week - Really contemplate how the Gospel has changed HOW you live...
Are there MARKED changes in your life that are there BECAUSE of the Gospel?
And so Peter - at this moment - was a good EXAMPLE to all of us!
But then....
Something changed!
what was it?
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.
Peter - was LIVING out the Gospel...
But when Jewish leaders came… maybe those with more extreme views on the LAW...
When THEY CAME...
Peter - what -
DREW BACK and separated himself…FROM the gentiles!
Why?
for Fear of the Circumcision party...
And we see...
SLIDE: Fearing Man: Divides Men Under the Law
Fearing Man
Fearing Man
See - where Living the Gospel - Unites Men Under Grace
Fearing Man - Divides Men (Separates) Under the Law
What was Peter worried about??
Many things probably - but 1 major thing - ASSOCIATION!!
And this wasn’t NEW for Peter was it?
How did Peter handle the arrest of Jesus?
Peter - when confronted after Jesus’ arrest - said what?
He said - I don’t KNOW Him!
What was Peter fearful of - - ASSOCIATION!
Why?
The LAW
What was Jesus being CHARGED with?
Blasphemer!
Well what happens to Peter if he - ASSOCIATES with Jesus!??
If he’s CONNECTED to Christ?
Charge? - Blasphemer!
WHY? - the LAW
PETER - Spreading the SAME message as Christ - most likely would have ALSO been charged with Blasphemy!
Well - according to the LAW - penalty?
Death!
The Fear of Man: Divides Men Under the Law!
Except in THAT case - Peter wasn’t SEPARATING himself - from Gentiles...
He was separating himself - FROM Christ!
And it’s Interesting to NOTE - that this word here in v12… (he SEPARATED himself)
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.
…It’s the same WORD used to describe what God had done - TO PAUL when calling him to ministry!!
15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace,
16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone;
When God called Paul to ministry - God SEPARATED Paul from the world...
He SET him apart...
Well Peter does the same thing… in reverse...
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.
Here we see Peter separating himself - FROM - God’s ministry!
HERE - Peter TURNS away from God’s PLAN of redemption...
He SETS himself APART - from what God is doing!!
And this word used here - this word - DREW...
he “DREW” back and separated himself...
This is an IMPERFECT verb - which means it was a past event…but had a CONTINUOUS aspect to it...
And so it seems that this PRESSURE built up in Peter, over time, and got to the point where he dealt with that pressure by pulling back…separating himself...
AS a new pattern!
And so - AS YOU KNOW - our actions OFTEN do the teaching MUCH more effectively than our words ever do…right?
Peter was CONSTANTLY putting on display - a FALSE gospel...
WHY?
Because his actions TAUGHT those around him - that...
Jews SHOULDN’T associate with Gentile believers...
And that Gentile converts who DIDN’T PERFORM the ritual - were NO CONVERTS at all!
THAT’S a - FALSE GOSPEL!!
And Peter’s ACTIONS were - TEACHING this!!
**People in Scripture - PERCEPTION that they have PERFECT understanding at all times in the Bible!
NOT TRUE - they LEARN throughout scripture
And so - Peter was TEACHING a false gospel (indirectly - but PAUL needed to address it)
WHY?
Because PAUL KNEW - this was BEING taught...
Fearing Man: not only Divides Men under the Law…but...
SLIDE: Fearing Man: Replicates Itself in the Hearts of Others
Fearing Man
Fearing Man
BECAUSE our actions - TEACH those around us...
We see this play out in our text today...
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.
13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.
We now KNOW for certain that Peter’s ACTIONS were teaching those around him...
The Jews looking on - SEEING him DRAW back from the Gentiles...
LEARNED from Peter that they too shouldn’t ASSOCIATE with the - DIRTY Gentiles...
They weren’t WORTHY - of Peter’s time...
They needed to - MAKE themselves WORTHY by performing this act...
This was the MESSAGE from Peter’s actions...
And PAUL SAW this…!
He saw that Peter was PLAYING into the False Gospel!
Peter was helping PROMOTE IT!
Listen - and he was GOOD at it!
*How many of you have had an experience where you’ve FELT pressure to NOT go around a certain person - or certain GROUP of people - due to what OTHER CHRISTIANS would think or say?
Maybe you know a person who is involved in a particular lifestyle...
And you KNOW THEY NEED Christ...
YET - you feel pressure to NOT speak to them or approach them because you know in order to do that you need to ENTER their WORLD...
Peter was CONCERNED about how the RELIGIOUS ELITES perceived him...
And so he - BACKED away from the Gentiles.
Paul sees this - and says - NO WAY!!
Not on MY watch!!
SLIDE: Living the Gospel: Makes Clear the Difference Between Truth & Error
Living the Gospel
Living the Gospel
Paul PROCLAIMED - - This is a FALSE Gospel - Peter!!
The world - NEEDS - CHRIST - and THIS ISN’T Him!!
THE BLOOD of Christ - TORE DOWN the wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile - THAT YOU JUST REBUILT!!
NO WAY!
The world WON’T come to Christ - LOOKING at that!
And so what does Paul do?
And so Paul - here in our text - REMINDING the Galatians of ALL that PAUL did in DEFENDING the GALATIAN Gentiles (Antioch was city of Galatia) from being PULLED INTO the false gospel of WORKS salvation!!
Paul reminds the Galatians that he actually REBUKED Peter - in public...
13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.
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?”
Why did Paul rebuke Peter publically?
Because the sin of Peter here - AS SERIOUS as it was - was a PUBLIC sin..
Peter’s actions TAUGHT others to abandon the PREMISE of the true Gospel!
And so Paul STANDS for TRUTH...
For who?
For those who HAVE Christ...
that they not TURN and embrace a WORKS salvation...
AND
FOR ALL who NEED Christ!!
For those who DON’T HAVE Christ!!
that they might SEE the true Gospel lived out in our lives!
This is what the world NEEDS!!
SUMMARY
SLIDE: Living the Gospel: Unites All Men Under Grace
All men - In Christ - united in truth - on the grace of God...
Fearing Man: Divides Men Under the Law
Which is why we MUST fight against fearing perception - when salvation of others is at stake...
NOW - wisdom is needed
BUT - if we shun a people group because of what others MIGHT SAY (even Christians) - we need to think long and hard about the Gospel!
Because...
Fearing Man: Replicates Itself in the Hearts of Others
Question: What is our kids DEFAULT response to certain groups in our world?
Did they learn that from you?
Is there response - they NEED Jesus! (i hope so)
Living the Gospel: Makes Clear the Difference Between Truth & Error
Paul REBUKED Peter - to make CLEAR what the gospel is.
NO MAN stands higher than the NEED to make the Gospel CLEAR…!
Not even an apostle!
May we - pursue LIVING out the Gospel in our lives…displaying the Truth of God IN CHRIST..to all those around us - Rich, poor, black, white, yellow, green or red.
The world NEEDS - Christ!
And they need to SEE Him - IN US!
Let’s pray!