Tried and True

Open Bibles to Gal 2.

Next YG event: Youth Group ice skating at Mountainview Ice Arena

-Price: $15/kid (Price includes skates)

-Saturday, February 5th from 12:45 - 3pm

We are continuing our series through Paul’s epistle to the Galatians that we are calling No Other Gospel.

False teachers have come into the Galatian church preaching a different gospel than the true gospel that Paul preached to them.

Teachers twofold strategy

Introduce a new doctrine (new set of beliefs that when against the gospel) - the need to be circumcised in order to become a Christian. The reason for this was because circumcision was the mark of the covenant that God gave Abraham in the OT.

Introducing a new gospel wasn’t enough to convince the Galatians to circumcised - The false teachers also discredited Paul’s authority as an apostle so that the Galatians would doubt the gospel that they had heard from him.

Over the last few weeks, Paul has been defending his authority as an apostle so that the Galatians would believe in the gospel that he preached. In tonight’s text, Paul will continue to defend his apostleship.

Galatians 2:1–10 ESV

1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 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. 3 But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 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— 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. 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. 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 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 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. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

Let’s pray

How can I know if my car is reliable enough to get me home tonight?

How can I know if my roof won’t leak when it rains next?

How can I know know if my dog is trustworthy enough not to eat my food off the table if I walk away from it?

The way we can know these things is simple - they must be put to test

Reliable car

Reliable roof

Unreliable dog

Things become trustworthy when they are tested. And it’s only after they pass the test that they become trustworthy and reliable.

Take the chairs that you are sitting on for example - they have been tested time and time again, and I’m sure none of you were worried that one would break out from under you when you sat in it.

Things that pass these tests are said to be tried and true. Paul want’s the Galatians to know that his gospel has been tested, and it after having been tried, it has proven to be true. Look at how Paul says it.

Galatians 2:1–2 ESV

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

Paul had believed in the gospel, and had been preaching the gospel to Gentiles for 14 years before he talked to the other apostles about the gospel that he had been preaching. (Remember, Paul recieved the gospel directly from the resurrected Jesus who appeared to him when he was heading to persecute Christians in Damascus.) Paul did not receive the gospel from man, but from God.

But in another revelation from God, Paul was instructed to go to the Apostles who were in Jerusalem. The reason for this was to have his gospel tested… to make sure what he was preaching was not partial gospel or a distorted gospel… but instead to make sure that he was preaching the full council of God.

“In order to make sure he wasn’t running or had not run in vain” It’s possible for us to go on for years believing something, and even preaching something that is not the true gospel. This is a scary thing… that we might think we are saved only to not even realize that what we think isn’t even true!

1. Our doctrine must be tested.

Understand what I mean by doctrine - Doctrine - set of beliefs

One might go on for years thinking that they know God… One might believe with all their heart that they are saved. One might be going on through their life believing that they will be fine when they stand before the judgment seat of God, simply because they are moral people. Or perhaps they think they are more moral than others , and therefore they will be welcomed into the kingdom of God.

This is what I believed for years! - I grew up being a pretty good moral person! And I thought if I could just live a good life, I would be able to avoid going to hell.

Isaiah 64:6 ESV

6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Our righteousness deeds - our cleanness before our holy God - is like a polluted garment…

Picture it like this - On your best day, your good works are as dirty as Peter’s poopy PJs

1. Our doctrine must be tested.

Understand why our doctrine must be tested… it must be tested, because many of us are living in sin not realizing that Jesus died so that we might be forgiven. If we would just believe in him, and turn from our sins.

Some of us believe that Jesus died for our sins, and yet you keep going on in your sin thinking that God’s grace covers our unrepentant sin… if you think that, you are deceived!

We must test what we believe, because simply believing something does not make it true.

Believing that the earth is flat

Believing in unicorns

Believing that you are 6’3” when you are only 5’3”

If you believe you good works will save you - your doctrine is flawed - because all of us are wicked sinners who deserve death, and we will all stand before a holy holy holy God who will judge us for everything sin we have committed

Sin of commission and omission

We will be judged not just for the deeds of our hands, but even the words that come from our mouth and more than this, the thoughts of our mind…

Our doctrine must be tested, because some of us might not even realize that we are not actually Christians.

Galatians 2:3–5 ESV

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

Titus is a Gentile Christian - simply means, he wasn’t a Jew, one of God’s covenant people from Abraham’s family

As a gentile, he wasn’t circumcised… circumcision was the sign of the covenant - represented God’s relationship with Israel

False brothers - they called themselves Christians… that is, they claimed to be brothers in Christ with Paul and the other apostles… but they were not true brothers, they were false brothers. And they proved to be false brothers when they wished to put the law over Titus by making him get circumcised.

Paul says that he and his fellow ministers did not submit to these false brothers even for a moment

We need our doctrine tested, as well as the doctrine of others, because

2. Some Christians are false Christians.

Growing up my dad had this saying… Just because a mouse is in a cookie jar, doesn’t make it a cookie…

Think about that for a moment…

The reason we need to test doctrine, is because some people are only nominal Christinas… meaning they are only call themselves Christians, when in fact they are not.

Matthew 7:22–23 ESV

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.’

This here is perhaps one of the most chilling passages in the Bible…

These people profess Jesus as being Lord

The are doing many mighty works in the name of Jesus - prophesy and casting out demons

But even still, they are not actually Christians

We would be wise to remember who Judas was

Disciple - among the 12 who followed Jesus

Did many mighty works in the name of Jesus

He left everything behind to follow Jesus

But in the end, he proved to not be a genuine and true disciple of Jesus.

We can grow up serving in Church… (playing music on the worship team, running sound, leading small groups, even preaching at the pulpit) You can do many mighty works in the name of Jesus, but that does not mean you are a Christian.

We must test our doctrine to see if we rightly understand the gospel… and only if we rightly understand it, and place our faith in that gospel are we saved…

Remember, Paul made sure that his gospel was tested…

Galatians 2:6–10 ESV

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. 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 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 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. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

V6 - the Apostles added nothing to Paul - because the gospel he preached was the truth

V7-8 Paul’s gospel to the gentiles was the same gospel as Peter’s gospel to the Jews… and the same grace that was on the other apostles was recognized in Paul as well - his apostleship was genuine

And so, they gave Paul and Barnabas the right had of fellowship… that is to say, they fully affirmed all that they taught.

3. Paul’s gospel is tried and true.

His gospel, that he recieved from God, was measured up to the gospel that the original apostles had received.

Understand - we too need to test our doctrine to ensure that we righty understand the Word of Truth

And the way we test our doctrine, that is our understanding of the gospel, isn’t by listening to the most influential teachers on the internet and comparing what we believe to what they preach (having influence is not an result of the true gospel and sound doctrine)… For Jesus himself was rejected by man and killed as a criminal… Being popular is not the test of authenticity…

Rather, the way we test the authenticity by measuring our doctrine to that which is found in the Word of God.

Men make for terrible measuring sticks… both literally and spiritually

I’m about 6 feet tall - but my height makes for a poor way of measuring the height of other things.

Am I wearing shoes or not?

What shoes am I wearing

Am I standing straight

Is the group level

Is my hair a little long on the top

What if my measurement only come up to my shoulders

What if it’s only to my waist?

Will I be able to give an accurate measurement then?

What if it is three times my size

What if it is 20 times my size

How accurate will the measurement be then?

If we wan’t to measure the precise height of another person, or say a tree, or a mountain, then we need the proper tool.

So it is, if we are going to test our doctrine, we need the right tool as well. And the best tool for that is the Word of God that was written by the prophets and the apostles

And what is the gospel that they declared? Well let’s take it from the pen of Paul.

1 Corinthians 15:1–11 ESV

1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.