あなたには深刻な疑念がある。So, You Have Some Critical Questions…

 It is my intent to be as practical as possible with today’s talk. I know that none of us are following Jewish rules of purification nor are we teaching that we ought to become full Jewish believers in order to become closer to Jesus.

In the past messages, I have been looking at these issues and I feel that it can only get bogged down if we look at it in Jewish eyes only. We need to look at these issues in light of where we are and how we deal or not deal with Scripture in light of how we come to Faith in Jesus.

Paul was having such a hard time. He had just left these early believers in good hands with deep teaching, lots of personal time and energy. He had prayed for them and continues to do that. Yet, something went on in those Churches that really turned the boat over-as it were.

He is upset. He is saddened that these beautiful Believers would turn so quickly from the solid teaching of the Gospel and start to follow teachings that would only drain their spirits of any life at all.

This morning, I’d like us to look at these 14 verses in three sections:

#A-1-5 Five critical questions.

#B- 6-9: Abraham’s example.

#C- 10-14: Examinations and Applications.

#A.  Five Questions.  Verses 1-5. When a teacher comes into a class of students that are rude or otherwise un-teachable, what does the teacher do? He must establish some form of strategy so as to take these---students---and make them learners.  Encourage them to learn. He asks questions. Paul asks five of them.  He really does not wait to hear an answer, as he wants them to come face to face with the realities of their own Faith.

Question One: Who has bewitched you? Who has turned your lights off?  Who has pulled the wool over your heads? Who has tricked you into believing a lie? “Bewitched” sounds like some form of evil magician. Paul is deeply concerned that these new believers have been poisoned by a deep and hideous perversion of the Gospel.  So, he calls them out! “You foolish People!”  “You poor idiotic Galatians!” These people were not unable to think but were unwilling to think! Paul is not being unkind here.  He wants them to wake up! Get your eyes open and see what is going on here!

ILL: Old person sitting in a rocking chair was asked by his grandchild: “What are you doing, Grandpa?” “Sometimes, I sit and think.  Other times, I just sit.”

These people were just sitting there.  No growth-in fact-going backwards! Faith needs to be active.  Challenged. Moving toward a goal of being more and more like Jesus.  When that does not happen, there is sadness and despair and that person begins to doubt everything. Faith needs to be active seeking understanding and for them to grow in their understanding of the New Life they have.  Do not take it for granted! Deeply look at it and see if it is real! These people were hoodwinked!  Bewitched.

During this time in history, a certain idea was flowing around.  Still with us today. Read Count Dracula and you will see it very strongly presented in Easter Europe.  But it had its start here in Turkey (Galatia). The evil eye!  Even in letters of the time would end with “May no one put the evil eye on you. Your friend, George.” Who put the evil eye on you? Who has been tricking you? Paul was saying: Not that long ago, I clearly presented Jesus as crucified!  I even put it on a Billboard! Bigger than life. I explained the pain, I spoke about the separation, I gave the reason, and I gave the result of the Cross. And you put that away from your memory? I presented Him not as a Baby in the Manger, not as a carpenter, not as a preacher, not even an empty tomb, but the Gospel has been plainly shown us in terms of a crucified Savior.  The Main need: Focus on the Cross.

What these people were doing was focusing on anything else BUT the Cross.  How long a robe was, how many feet you could walk on a Sabbath, if you washed your hands, if you were circumcised.  But not the Cross! Since Paul left them, only a short time before, certain people came into their hearing that told them that Paul’s message was good but not good enough. Something was missing!  Has anyone ever said that to you? You are lacking something in your Walk of faith!  THEY said: You need to add this gift to your bundle of Spiritual gifts to really be effective. You need more of something.  THEY said: Jesus is not enough! THEY said: You need this and that. And if you don’t have this and that, the secret things of the Spiritual World, you are not going to be effective in your walk.  THEY said: You are lacking—if you only have Jesus. THEY said: Paul’s teaching was not 100% accurate—not wrong but not just right! THEY said: You need to ADD to the experience of Rebirth.  Add to the experience with more, like keeping these works of the law alive in your lives.  Without these things added into your Spiritual life, God will not accept you.  Outside His Grace. Not fully loved by Him.That is what THEY said!

That is the lie these and many people today fall for.  What else can one do but except the free gift of Christ for salvation? His work on the cross is all that was necessary to make us right before Him.

Question Two: Did you receive the Free gift of Forgiveness by following the Law? Or did that come by believing the Gospel of Jesus? How did your New Life begin? Was it because you followed or not followed the laws and regulations or did it happen when you believed in Jesus? He pushes on. Read Romans 8:9.  Every Believer has the Spirit of God. Ours, not by scoring special points on good behavior but simply casting it all on Jesus.  Depending on Him alone.  With a child like faith. But yet you are looking for something deeper, harder, impossible? Simply Jesus. From start to finish, the Christian life is totally supernatural. 

Question Three: Are you so foolish to begin with the Spirit and leave that for rules? Are you trying to do this Christian life by human effort? Does that really make sense of what you KNOW about the Gospel?

Question Four:  Have you suffered for nothing? Was it peaceful coming to Jesus? Had your family sent you packing when you became a Believer? Family members hated you.  Friends went against you. Ridiculed you for following the Lord? Was that a waste of time?

Question Five: Does God give you His Holy Spirit because you followed the Law or because you Believed the Gospel?  Same as verse 2 but the other way around.  In verse 2, it was the person who gets it and in verse 5, the giver.  Verses 2-5 underscore the foolishness of operating on rules and regulations.  Truth is, it is based on the finished Work of Jesus on the Cross-sins forgiven!

#B.  Abraham's Example. Let’s go deeper than what these people were saying.  They talk about Moses.  The Lawgiver.  Holy Moses. But Paul trumps them by going way back to Abraham.  Gen 15, in fact.  God told Abraham to look up & count the stars.  So many.  God tells him that is the count of his generations!  And that they would bless the whole world. In Gen 15:6, Abraham was counted as justified because He believed the Lord’s Words to him—long before he was circumcised—14 years later. Was Abraham OK with God because he followed the Law. No way.  The Law came 430 years later. Abraham was the Daddy of them all! Father of the Faith. He realized he could do anything about having kids—ESP at his age—yet he believed God and it was counted as righteousness.

We, who have a faith in God, have not taken out our brains and put them under the seat when we believed.  It takes something to understand this great truth—in fact—so much that even a child can do it. 

Mark 10:15 “Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

So while the critics were talking about how great their Law was and that Moses was The Man, Paul goes back in their history to the Main Man of faith, Abraham. We are to be children of Abraham. And we are grafted into that family line when we follow in faith.

#C:10-14 Examinations & Applications. When it comes to bringing the message home—to be personal, Paul reminds them-as us-that IF you observe the Law, and miss once, you are dead.  You are cursed.

10 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” 11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” 

Faith is the key.  And were does this Faith come from? The very Hand of God.  It is part of the gifts He gives His children. 

 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” 

And that person will not be free—always trying to please God who only wants the heart of the person (Obedience is better than Sacrifice.) 

13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. 

Have you ever seen a sign which says: “Bridge out: 1 Kilometer ahead.”  What do you think it means?  Shall we set up a committee to investigate the hidden meaning of that signpost? What could it mean? Maybe it is there to make us question it and for us to realize the bridge is not really out at all.   We could collectively combine our energies and THINK the bridge repaired! No, let’s not be silly! The sign only shows us the reality of what is up ahead.  Same with the Law.  It ONLY shows us that the bridge to the other side is not there.  It does not work! It is not a believable reality. The Bridge does not work!  It only may look like it works but a careful examination will show us that it is lacking something.  What does it lack? Grace. Love. Faith. God’s Plan for salvation.  The only bridge that does work was built from the other side to us.  He made the way possible. His work of dying for you and me was the only way people could get across the river! There is only one way and that way is Jesus.

Luke 18: 9~14 These verses are about building bridges… as two men went up to pray. One man went to God and said, "I am glad I am not like the other guy!  I do this and I do that. I'm a good person. I'm sure You agree!" That man was trying to add bricks to the bridge.  

But the other man, looked down and cried out to God: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Who was made right by God? The one who accepted his guilt and asked for forgiveness out of a broken heart.

How is your bridge? Are you depending upon the one you built; with the things you put into it? Jesus said there is only ONE bridge. Don’t depend on the junk of what you built it with.

Justification: Part 2 信仰のみによる義化，その２

The Law told me I did wrong!  

 

Galatians 2:16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

17 “If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! 18 If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. 19 For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

Questions I am often asked are “Why did Jesus need to die?”  and “How could His death mean so much—even after all those many years?”

Or “Why is it that Jesus is the only way?  I don’t feel that is fair.”

All reasonable questions. I believe that Jesus is the only way to God. That is where I start from. When I read verses like these in Galatians, I get excited because these verses say for me what I find hard to say. The reason for Christ Jesus to die on the Cross so many years ago was to die for my sins.  He gave Himself for me.

But, let’s not run into this.  Look at Paul’s argument. He was facing real issues from these churches in, what is now, Turkey. Some were saying that anyone could find peace with God by following the laws of Moses and of the Prophets.  That would be, what is called: The Law.

Paul started by saying that man is saved by faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul states that the Law pointed the wrong in his life. The law led him to discover his inability to keep the law and its inability to make him righteous. Much like a speed sign reminds us of the current speed limit, the Law points out the fact that if we follow the Law, no one will be justified.  We are sinners in need of redemption.

Paul declares that his death to the Law was accomplished by identification with the Cross of Christ--I have been crucified with Christ (v. 20). When we interpret through the law in light of this declaration, I have been crucified with Christ, then we can see that death to the law through the law is accomplished by being identified with the death of Christ.

So, will I make it to Heaven MY WAY? Do I know best? Is my mind is so keen and so well developed that I would know more things than the Creator God?  Don’t think so!

No way by Law. No way, on your own. One way by Faith.  Do you understand what this Book is talking about? Faith in Jesus Christ… (verse 16)

We need to understand that we are lost.  We can’t get to Heaven on our own. Yes, the way to Heaven is very excusive! One way only! Why would it be otherwise? God, in His wisdom made a plan. He knew that Man would fall. He knew that Man would need a Savior. God knew that Man would rebel against His wishes and plan for Mankind. He knew that Man would try every possible way to find the ‘other way’ to Heaven. He also knows that there is no other way into Heaven but by the Blood of Jesus.

Let’s get into agreement here. No matter what religious background you come from, whatever your nationality, whatever you social status, your gender or age, any other grouping you can think of, we are all in the same boat. The way of Salvation is the same for everyone. Every one of us. We are all found short of the Glory of God.  We have all sinned.  We have all gone after things that are self-centered. The Bible calls that sin.

The Bible teaches us that we may be justified (made right) by Faith in Jesus Christ and not by following any other way or teaching.  Yes, it is exclusive.  Yes, it is narrow. But it is the only fair way. Jesus’ death on the Cross made it possible for our sins to be covered.  Believe me, if there were any other way, God would have found it.  Jesus asked His Father for that in the Garden. “If there is any other way, let this cup pass from Me…but not My will be Yours be done.”

Paul states in 17-18, if we restart the Law as a way of salvation, and all the law can do is show us our guilt, then there is no salvation down that road, and we make confusion for all.

Paul confronts Peter, because the Gospel is at stake. Paul shows him that if what he did continues, it would bring ruin to the Gospel. Paul declares that Justification by Faith in Jesus alone because that is the essence of the Gospel. Then he finished with this great personal affirmation, which we too will end on later. 

Paul, when he lived and worked in Jerusalem, was part of a group called The Pharisees.  A very strict group whose mission in life was to follow ALL of the Law.

There was a wall that divided Man from God. The Law was established to point to the error of our ways. The Law showed us that we could not fulfill the task by ourselves. Paul was THE example of a wall builder. As a Pharisee of all Pharisee. He was trained since early life to follow ALL the rules and regulations. And on that road to Damascus changed all that. 

1. He saw that Jesus took His place. Jesus gave Himself for him. 

2. that He might take my life from me. That I might die to the Law as a principle of Life. That I might die to the Law as any means of making me right before God—can’t be done. 

3. to live His Life through me. 

Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the Cross I cling; naked, come to Thee for dress; helpless, look to Thee for grace; foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Savior, or I die. 

Hymn: Rock of Ages

The joy we now can know is that our sins are not only covered but gone—as far as the east is from the West.  Gone completely…

Gal 2:20 He gave His life for me. The Son of God loved me and gave Himself for me. 1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

19-20 Through the law I died to the law…does not mean a physical death.  The law would have no more hold on him. Read Roman 6:2, 10-11.  So to die to the law means, in this context, to cease to be under the supervision of the law.  Now, the New Believer is identified with his new owner, the Lord Jesus Christ.  (Christ is not Jesus’ last name. It is a title of Lordship.) Just as a person who becomes a nationalized citizen of the United States has decided to live within the reality created by the events in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, so a person who becomes one with Christ has decided to live within the reality created by the events of the Cross and Jesus’ resurrection. 

Paul writes 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 

The life he now is living—us as well, gets its center from Christ.  Christ lives in me—the Hope of Glory. I live my life by Faith in Him and I know that He loves me because He gave HIMSELF FOR ME. That is the great wonderful, crazy love of God!

If there were any other way, Paul says:

21 "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

But He did not die for nothing! He died for the likes of you and me! So we can live for Him, as He makes His dwelling inside of us. Not fair, you may say? No, it is the only way possible! 

Salvation by Faith in Jesus, the Christ!

Justification by Faith Alone: Galatians 2:11-16

“Coming back to the heart of Worship” It’s all about You, Jesus…

11 When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. 12 Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

 14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

 15 “We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ 16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

Personal confrontation is just not fun. Awkward moments for anyone. Silence in the room. People gingerly walking on eggshells. Don’t want to disturb the situation. That is what we have here in Galatians 2:11-16. 

Do you like to be confronted for wrongs done? Not many of us do. Being the one who has to do the confrontation is not a fun role to have!  Here we have Paul, face to face with one of “those reputed to be pillars”, Peter, in an epic scene of possible tension and possible trouble down the road. 

We will looking at how the drama developed in four stages: 

(1) Peter had a practice of eating with the Gentile Christians, 

(2) Peter separated from Gentile Christians after the arrival of the delegation from James because of his fear of the circumcision group, 

(3) the separation of the other Jewish Christians from Gentile Christians because of Peter's influence, and lastly, 

(4) Paul's rebuke.

Read verse 5 and verse 14.  The issue here was the Truth of the Gospel.

In verse 4, we read about spies who crept into the fellowship to spy on the freedoms of the Believers to bring them down.

In verse 11, we have this head to head conflict between these two men.

We read about the hypocrisy displayed by Peter and the integrity Paul demanded of the situation.

In verse 13, the word hypocrisy means- to speak from out from under; from under a mask as in a Greek play. Hidden behind something.  Peter was masking his true feelings. He was becoming a spiritual Chameleon. He was one who would change his color to suit his environment. We can see that he was clearly in the wrong (verse 11).

Peter was not in trouble with what he believed.  The first part of this chapter shows us that there was a deep agreement in the leadership concerning the need for unity in the church.  He was not wrong in his belief: he was wrong in his behavior.

People today, as then, would say, it does not matter what I do. It only matters what I believe. That is opposite of the teachings of the Bible! What you believe and what you do HAS to go hand in hand.  One of them supports the other or there is hypocrisy. Not a matter of false creed but wrong conduct. In verse 14, we see an active disturbance…not acting in line…according to what they said.  Peter said he believed in freedom, but he was acting that way?  This proved to be a problem. 

Read back to Acts 11:3.  Peter was directed strongly by the Lord. “You ate with Gentiles!” said the leaders of the young Church. They were upset with Peter for breaking Jewish rules. But,  in Joppa, Peter had seen a vision. There was a voice from Heaven. 3x he heard this voice! That changed his life forever—until now! He had forgotten what had been clearly shown to him.  The Gospel was a message to all.  But here in Antioch, he is speaking from under his mask.

The problem came when the believers came to eat together.  The Jewish Believer wanted to be sure that the food set before them was not contaminated food: so, some sat apart from them. All of this was called into question when men came from James. Verse 12. Peter separates himself from the Gentile Believers.  He did this because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.

He lacked the courage of his convictions.  ILL: There is a person in a group. He/she is a believer. The group starts to tell off color jokes and stories. This person joins in with them—all the while feeling they should not do so. Soon, they themselves say something off color and someone speaks out and says: “I thought you were a Christian!” He or she lacked the courage to stand by their convictions.

Are you left out of the Faith because of that? No, Peter, himself was asked three different times, “Aren’t you part of the Jesus clan?”  “No, not I! I don’t even know Him!” He said that three times and then the rooster crowed and he felt ashamed because Jesus had told him “Your going to deny even knowing  Me.”   Later, Jesus calls to him (after Jesus was resurrected) and three times asks him the all-important question: “Do you love Me?”  And Peter was brought back into the Jesus clan once again.  Forgiven, he grows in his faith, shares on Pentecost Sunday and a mass conversion happens. He now knows the forgiveness given to him by the Lord Jesus.

 Paul rebuked (or reprimanded) Peter  

Peter's action was not accommodating for the sake of the gospel; it was compromising the essential truth of the gospel. And on that basis Paul was willing to confront Peter with his inconsistency and of the hypocrisy of his actions.

Must have been something to behold.  Two Men of God, two pillars of the Church, two church statesmen, going at it.  In fact, it sounded like it was a one-way encounter. We do not hear of how Peter responded. Peter must have been really blown away by these words by Paul!!  Wow! And after all he had been through? He was, after all, the first of the leaders to introduce this whole teaching—rather boldly back in Acts 11. The teaching that God was doing a new thing and that the Blessings of God was also on the Believing Gentile world. Now, the tables have been turned and Peter is the one who has lost integrity.  

Isn’t this just like the Peter we have all come to know and love? Not me, Jesus! I’d never deny You, Lord! Even if everyone denies You, I’ll never do that!  Call me to walk on the water with You, Lord! He starts out so strong. He always did! He gets out of the boat and starts to walk on the water and then he takes his eyes off of Christ and starts to sink.  I believe he started to sink very fast! And he calls out: “Save me!” and Jesus is there…He is always there—for the people like Peter. Starting out well, fail a little, feel really badly, and wanted to have a fresh start. A new beginning is offered…go along well, and fail, yet again!  What is God going to do with you!? He will not forsake you! His love is that committed to you. To bring Him Glory, He will work with the downtrodden.  He will pick up the fallen and restore them.  

That is what needed to happen to Peter here and it looked like it did happen. We never hear of this situation again…concerning Peter and his convictions.  One would only need to read his letters, 1st and 2nd Peter to see how he really grew up! Yes, there is a BIG hope for those who, like Peter, blow it. That is the Freedom that we have in Christ. He will stand by His Church. He will hold us up with the power of His mighty Right Arm. He will strengthen you and bring you to a resting place under His wings. He is our Rock! And Peter, and the people of Antioch saw that and it brought Glory to the Cause of Christ. 

If we are leaders at all, in any way, when we make decisions that are wrong, we will take others with us. (13) The other Jews joined Peter in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. 

Neville Chamberlain believed that Germany had been badly treated by the Allies after it was defeated in the First World War. He therefore thought that the German government had genuine grievances and that these needed to be addressed. He also thought that by agreeing to some of the demands being made by Hitler of Germany and Mussolini of Italy, he could avoid another European war. The PM of England wanted peace at any price but Churchill said NO! Freedom is the issue! Compromise did not work in Europe with the Nazi leadership, and it did not work in Antioch with Peter and Paul. No compromise!

This was not a matter of choosing a side and go with whomever you want to follow.  That is not the Way of the Cross. The Word of God can’t be compromised. The Gospel was the same for the Jew as it was for the Gentile. Only through Jesus, by Faith alone could a person come to know Forgiveness of their sins. It was not through the following of, as in this case, Jewish costumes. We are justified in Christ Jesus.

Here was a Man of God, Peter, stopped coming to the Table of Gentile believers because of the pressure from the Jews.  (Some feel that they were not even Believing Jews but I believe they were. They were from the office of James, Jesus’ brother!) Peter's separation from table fellowship with Gentile Christians implied that salvation for Gentiles was supported by following some very strict practices to the Jewish Law and to be incorporated into the Jewish nation. No doubt Peter would have denied that he meant to communicate this requirement to the Gentile believers. But how else could his action be interpreted? His Believing did not match his Living.  

Peter was wrong so Paul was in his face!  The issue was the Gospel!  Be careful that it is not a small matter.  The confrontation was in front of them all, because it affected them all. Paul led his Brother Peter back to the heart of worship, Peter come back to the heart of worship. 
It's all about Him; it is all about Jesus. 
Aren’t you sorry, Peter, for the thing you’ve made it? When it's all about Jesus!
 

Michael W. Smith wrote a song that really speaks to this issue.  Come back to the heart of your Faith!

When the music fades-
All is stripped away- And I simply come
- Longing just to bring
-

Something that's of worth
- That will bless Your heart
- I'll bring You more than a song- 


For a song in itself
- Is not what You have required
- You search much deeper within


Through the way things appear
- You're looking into my heart.

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
-And it's all about You, 
- It's all about You, Jesus


I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
- When it's all about You, 
- It's all about You, Jesus

Once again, Paul was very deeply concerned that the Christian Church had no divisions! Divisions could only negate the Spirit of Unity that the counsel in Jerusalem had just agreed upon. Gentiles did not need to follow the Jewish laws. All men and women could come to the Table under One Name and with the One Gospel in tack, supporting each other in the work of the Gospel.

If we as Believers talk about the importance of integrity in the Church. If we talk about building moral fiber in our lives, if we talk about making a Gospel stand in our society and homes, than we must be able to stand with the Gospel and live it out in our lives!

If we refused to live that way, those outside the Faith will say that we are unable to turn principle into practice. Just because Peter was a pillar in the church, and that he was an Apostle, that did not change Paul from doing what he did.  He worked at making things right again.  And it cost someone something. Peter needed to repent and change his eating style. A famous name can never justify an infamous action. “Oh, Dr.So-in-so said this…it must be right!”  “But I read it on Wikipedia!” “I understand that ‘Rev. I. M. Holy’ said this about marriage—even when it is against the Scriptures…” Check it out with Scripture. If the person is wrong in the area of the Gospel, he is wrong no matter how famous he may be. 

This whole incident is followed by some of the grandest materials on saving Faith. Justification; There is no way to be made justified by law: there is one way to be made justified by Faith. Justification: exact opposite of commendation: declare guilty. Justification means to be declared not guilt or innocent or righteous.

Commendation: declare guilty

Justification: declared not guilty

That act of unmerited favor of a just God in His goodness puts sinners in a right relationship with Himself.  On the basis of the Work of Christ on the Cross.  Not a judge just saying you are not guilty. But a judge saying that you are not guilty, yet wait for me as I take off my robes and take you home with me and give you all that I have in my home. I will declare you as my own child.

 

We try to change ourselves.  Luther said: Know the teachings of Justification by Faith alone so well so as to teach others and beat it into their heads continually! I need this as well.  Keep reminding myself.

See v 16: “put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.”  Modern Man has the religion of doing what we can to be made right with God by our own actions.  World religion makes Man acceptable to god.  If he is successful, he might be able to get into Heaven. But with the Biblical God, HE is the One who can make all things well. He can make us right with Him becasue Jesus took our punishment for our sins. He made us clean!

Think of the little cheat of a man: the shrewd man Zacchaeus, the tax collector.  (Luke 19:1-10) Jesus did not say to him when he was up in the sycamore fig tree, "Don’t come down Zac, until you have cleaned up your life and maybe in three weeks, when you are all cleaned up, I might have a better sense of your sincerity and allow you to come walk with me—but you never know." No, just the opposite! There was real change, he was refreshed and he was resorted. Jesus came to save people like Zac, people like you and me who are in need of a savior because we know we can’t do it by ourselves!  

People with a swearing tongue that they can’t control. People who are angry and can’t put an end to the anger. People who sin and can’t stop it! He came and died for them and for us. He does not say to us, clean up and Come to Me but come to Me and I’ll clean you up! That is justification by faith plus nothing: that is the Gospel!

Try and ring the bell at the fair.  You drop the wooden hammer and make the bell ring.  We try and make the bell ring but we can’t! Can’t! In truth, you cannot ring the bell on your own to get justification by works.  The thinking of “I did it my way!” does not really cut it in real life. My way is not the way of the Cross and it does not lead to life. No way, you are living a dreadful lie.  You can’t get frequent flier miles by doing things right to get into heaven on a free pass. See verse 16b.  Faith into Jesus Christ. 

Paul put a Holy Pressure on Peter. The Work of Jesus on the Cross-was to bring the likes of a man like Peter face to face once again with the realities of the Christian faith. Not by following those ‘work centered’ teachings that lead nowhere fast, but to be set free to believe in the Gospel as Christ Jesus would have it: Being justified by faith in Jesus alone. 

Next week, we will finish this section. Please re-read Galatians 2:17-21. 

What is at Stake: Truth of the Gospel / 何が問われているのか：福音の真実

Espionage in the Early Church. 

It was a fact that some wanted the Christian Message to end; Paul had been part of that group. Power and authority was behind this movement as it is today. There are governments and religious groups that desire to see the Church collapse. People are still sent into prisons to silence the Gospel’s Message. Why? Because they hate Christ that much!  Let’s read Galatians 2:1-10 and see how Paul, the one time terrorist handles these people.   <Galatians 2:1-10>

Spies came into the Believing Church, (vs. 4) quasi-Christian, or sham Christians, who spied out how Believers lived their lives. They were gathering information to be used to exploit the Church and to see it brought down.

We are going to see, very quickly, seven factors that Paul used to expose these enemies of the Cross for who they really were: Anti-Christ. They were against Christ.

How do we know we are Christians? By our love. Unity is an important factor in the growth of the Gospel. This evening, that is the heart intent of those who put together the United Day of Prayer to both see and experience Unity in Prayer.

A. A Question Of Orthodoxy. 

The Unity of the New Church was verified by the make up of Paul’s team. 

Paul went back to Jerusalem as a team player.

Barnabas, a Jew, was a bridge builder between one group and another. He sought out Saul and brought him to the Brothers at Acts 9:27.  His name was really Joseph but the early Brothers gave him the name which means: “Son of Encouragement” because he had the spiritual gift of encouragement.  Time and time again, Barnabas was selected because of his spirit of unity.  He was an outstanding Jewish Christian Leader in the early Church.  He worked well in his ability to work between diverse factions of the Church. This man was part of Paul’s Dream Team.  The Team that lived out unity 24/7.

Another team player was a Greek Believer named Titus. His presence in the Team assured those outside the Jewish faith that they would not need to become a Jew first to become a Believer in Jesus. It was not necessary to change their ethnic identity by becoming Jewish first to be included in the Church. Jews and non-Jews were regarded as equal members of Christ Body!

To find a team like this, God had worked a major miracle. The Team showed the world the unifying power of the Gospel.  That kind of unity was so unseen in the world at that time—or since—except with in the Body of Christ.

2. Paul went to Jerusalem in response to revelation

(see vs 2). Here again, we can see that Paul is taking his direction and instruction from the Hand of the Lord, and not from humans. Neither the Jerusalem apostles nor any other pressure group summoned Paul. He went there because God told him to go there. This is a hard act to follow and it is a hard line to attack or even defend. “God told me!” Really? How can we be sure? Does it fit with Scripture? Does it run in unity with the Teaching of God? Is there support from His Word that what you said He said IS what He said?

3. Paul went to Jerusalem to have his message evaluated

Some feel that if they delivered a message from the Lord, all discussion should stop.  Very dangerous position to take.  If a person has this sort of message, and it is from the Lord—or so they said—all discussion should stop. Paul was not approaching this group with that kind of spirit. He had nothing to fear from the Apostles evaluating his message. He had everything to gain.  God had, in fact, appointed him to take the Message of the Gospel to the Gentile world.  He put himself under the watchful eyes of the senior leaders of this new Church. It was very humbling for Paul.  “Am I right?  Is my message from God?” He wanted unity in the Faith.  He really wanted the boys in Jerusalem to support or approve his mission to the non-Jews.  In fact, few of them wanted to do what he was so willing to do! Paul was convinced of the truth of his message. He really did not fear the evaluation.

See when Paul said: he presented his gospel for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain, he did not second guess his message. His confidence in his call from God was very strong. (1:1, 15-16) He knew that the unity of the message could not happen if there was a division in the Church.  He did not NEED their HONKO of approval, but it would make things a lot easier if he had their support! And that is just what he got: they enthusiastically supported him.  Unity with the Message was maintained. The Gospel works! Yeah God!

4. Paul strongly opposed those who questioned the ESSENTIALS of the Gospel.

Paul was not willing to compromise the Gospel Message. What is at Stake: The Truth of the Gospel. He was not into Tolerance.  The Message he was given to tell the Non-Jewish world was not to be compromised.  His message was that we are ONE in Christ. He would write elsewhere that very thing. Later in chapter 3:28, There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

B. It was a Matter of Urgency! The Gospel needed to be maintained!

Here is where the spies came in.  These “false brothers” tried to make Titus be circumcised to follow the Jewish law and customs. They taught that everyone HAD to become a Jew to become a Believer in Jesus. (There was and is some doubt that they really believed the Gospel message to begin with.) To make Titus go through with this requirement denied the equality and unity of the Non-Jewish believers. They would be considered second-class citizens in the Church.  Paul would have nothing to do with that! He fought to protect the unity of the Church and the unity of the Church’s teachings.

It was not a matter of grace but of race. Just one letter off (in the English).  Those spies and false brothers followed the Jewish customs as a basis of acceptance rather than basis of God’s Grace—ALL TO BE SAVED! To follow their teachings would lead to slavery to the standards or ethics of the world. Not the Gospel!

In verse 5, Paul reports: 

“we did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.”

What Paul was fighting for was security of the Gospel Message. The Truth of the Gospel was that there would be NO compromise of the essentials of this Message.  The Truth of this Gospel was nonnegotiable.   The Gospel must be preserved.

Even today, such claims, as “We today know better because we are more well informed.” “We do not need to follow the miss-teachings of those many, many years ago.  Welcome to a New Order!”  The New Gospel today does not put limits on what we can and cannot do. It gives us complete freedom—as long as we believe, we are OK.”  Do you see that as a problem?  Compromise, watering down the message so that it is more acceptable for today’s sinners...or rather those who are spiritually challenged.

5. Paul was concerned that the Truth of God’s Message was God’s impartiality.

Impartiality means God’s fairness, His neutrality, and His lack of prejudice.  He is open to one and all, BUT they must play the game on His terms as He is much the wiser than Man.  Who can stand before God and say they know better than He? Ps 8 speaks about that.

Ps 8:1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your Name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens. 2 From the lips of children and infants You have ordained praise because of Your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

Paul was not too impressed with (those who seemed to be leaders [v. 2]; those who seemed to be important [v. 6]; those reputed to be pillars [v. 9]) their credentials did not move him—makes no difference to me (v.6). God does not judge on the basis of what you are or who you are or even what you do.  He is concerned what you do with the Gospel.  God judges on the basis of response to the Gospel.  These men not only agreed with his message, they could add nothing to it.  We must remember that God does not measure persons by their public reputation, but by their response to the gospel. We must not be afraid to do the same. I heard it said, "Great works of art, `the originals,' are not judged by us; we are judged by them." In the same way, great leaders do not judge the gospel; great leaders are judged by it. Paul’s message checked out to be originally from the Lord.

C.  It was a Picture of Unity.

6. The Focus on God’s Work is maintained when it is in the right order.

When the leaders of the Church saw and understood that this Apostle-come-latter’s message was genuine, they extended him the right hand of Fellowship.

A Church divided will not stand. We all need to come to the foot of the Cross and see that our goals are the same.  We may get there in a different way, which is free choice. A church could be divided because some like contemporary choruses and others prefer traditional hymns. While they argue over their tastes in music, they might lose sight of God's work in their midst. If only we could keep our eyes on what God is doing, we would be able to transcend the things that divide us and accomplish the tasks that God has given to us. We are doing the best we can to clearly bring the Gospel’s Message to life. Isn’t it brilliant how God uses the likes of us to give Him Glory!  What a God, What a Savior!

The result of this meeting in Jerusalem allowed the church to grow much faster with a strong Gospel message. Paul and Barnabas were allowed to take this message to the Gentiles. Even Paul had strong feelings for his own countrymen. His Gospel was always preached to the Jew first and then the Gentile.  His mission was confirmed.

The world is huge. No one person can reach them all. That is why He gave us each other. There are people only you can reach with this message.  Go and do that. Don’t keep the Gospel to yourselves, spread it gently.  Harmony in the work of the Gospel must be built on the willingness of each of us to accept and follow up on the particular assignment He has given us.

Having said that, notice how the Apostles responded to Paul. They extended the right hand of fellowship to him. We are part of you and you are part of us. We have unity without compromise.

7. We can really learn from this experience of Paul that the Church can be maintained by practical service. 

The work Paul had should not in any way be looked on as a separate work of God.  It was God’s business to save souls. Either Jewish or Gentile. The Team at Jerusalem wanted Paul to always remember the poor—not to take away from the Message of the Gospel but to be careful to meet the needs of the poor around him. Paul was eager to do that as he was already doing that very thing.  Later in Paul’s ministry, we find Paul bringing money to Jerusalem during a hard time for the Mother Church. His collection from the Gentile Christian churches blessed the Jewish Christian church. 

"For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings" (Rom 15:27). 

Much like the Churches in Haiti sending $10,000 to the relief effort in Tohoku. Part of the Body reaching out to help another part of the Body of Christ.

JESUS SAID…イエスは言った...

    This morning, we dedicate this child, Enoch Jedidiah Eby, to the care and watchful Hand of our Lord Jesus. May his life be filled with expressions of Faith in his God and Creator. We dedicate him to God’s love. May the Father of our Lord Jesus fill him with His Holy Spirit so that Enoch will live a life of trust.

    We also pray a prayer of dedication to you, his parents. It is our prayer that you too will support this child in the teaching of the Grace of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus. In His Name, Amen.

At this time, please join us as we turn our hearts to remember the Lord Jesus. On the night He was betrayed, JESUS SAID … 1 Cor 11:23-32; Matt 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:(7-)14-23.

    This morning, I would like to share with you concerning this Lord’s Supper. This event is recorded in four places in the NT.  There are little differences in some of these accounts-three written in the Gospels and one written by Paul. I would like us to look at this account as Paul wrote it.   

Turn to 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.

 23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes."

    This final weekend of Jesus’ earthly ministry with His Disciples begins on the Feast of Passover, also known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Ex 12:1-20; Deut 16:1-8). Actually the two names represent different feasts that come right after one another. Often a reference to one really meant both. Passover came on the month of Nisan 14th -15th , while the Feast of Unleavened Bread came overlapping on the 15th through the 21st. The Passover celebrated the night of Israel's exodus from Egypt (Ex 12), while the Feast of Unleavened Bread commemorated two events: the exodus journey as well as the beginning of harvest season (Lev 23:5-8). During this time, pilgrims and worshipers from all over the region flocked into Jerusalem for a national celebration. It was rather like a combination of the Independence Day and Thanksgiving holidays in the United States. It was a time for feasting, for celebration; a time for worship and a time for social interaction. If they had fireworks, I believe they would have used them. If there were marching bands, they would have as well. These combined Jewish feast celebrated Salvation. Deliverance. Freedom. And later, the world would know that those same three words would be found in the One who died on that Friday.  The Savior of the World. The Deliverer from Sin. The Only One who could set the captive free.

    Jesus took this celebration holiday to really give His Followers something to remember: something to hold onto.  The historical elements were already there in their brain and were almost automatic in their response. The ceremony of how it was to be prepared, the room getting cleaned, getting rid of the leaven from the house, the prepared foods, drink, setting the table all in such a way that had been handed down from generation to generation.

Definition: Leaven: a substance used to make dough rise, especially yeast or other fermenting agents.   And this element was forbidden to have in the house during the Passover.

    Preparations for the holiday begin many days, sometimes many weeks in advance.  Everything in the home is scrubbed and polished.  Carpets are shampooed or steam cleaned, floors are scrubbed, fresh curtains are hung, drawers are cleaned out, furniture is moved, mattresses are overturned, pockets of garments are turned inside out and shaken clean.  While this might seem a bit excessive to some, cleaning for the Passover is the most thorough spring cleaning imaginable.  Just before Passover all-year-round kitchen utensils and dishes are put away to be replaced by those especially reserved for Passover.

    Matzah are the only kind of bread permitted in a Jewish home on Passover.  The Bible is not specific on the preparation of the matzos, but the Talmud* (commentaries on the Law) gives details as to the ingredients used, which are wheat-flour and water, the proper thickness, and other pertinent information.

    Since leaven is not allowed in the home on Passover, there is a special ceremony known as Mekhirat Hametz (Selling of the Leaven).   Several days before Passover a bill of sale is written out and all hametz (Hebrew for leaven) is sold to a non-Jew for the duration of the Passover.  The bill of sale is prepared with understanding that it will be returned immediately after the holiday.

http://www.spiritjournals.com/Bible%20Studies/Passover/preparing.htm

    You can see, can’t you, why Paul was so upset with the Galatians Church as they wanted to keep following these things that were not really part of God’s Word.  *They were traditions. Might have been fun…but you can’t add to the Real Message of Truth.

    And now Jesus was there. His closest followers were there. He continued to teach them. As you look at the Gospels, we learn that there is something else going on. JESUS SAID to go into the city and follow a man carrying a water pot.  The house he goes into, enter and ask the owner to show you the upper room. The men went into the city and found it all just as Jesus had said.

    That would have got me thinking: Who is the Man, Jesus? Who are these people who already know what to do? Are they angels? Agents of God? No explanation given so we need to leave it alone. All that we need to know about God and what He wants us to know has been given to us. All that had been hidden from us is now revealed. To interpret the Scriptures, we do not need to be a sloth or a private eye with charts and mathematical measurements to decipher the hidden things of God.  No, all that we are told is there for us to know.  All else would be part of the Mysteries of God.

The Elements:

Bread and the Wine

    JESUS SAID that He was the Bread of Heaven. He likened this to the bread that was given to the People of Israel in the Wilderness during the 40 years of wandering. MANNA was given to them to eat. It was sweet to the taste and it could be cooked or baked in many forms.  You could only pick up what you needed for the day and if there was some left over, it would rot. You were to pick up double the day before the Sabbath so you did not have to work on the Day of Rest. JESUS SAID that if you are hungry (meaning in the spirit) come and eat of Me. Some of those who heard that misunderstood His comment. They suggested that He was talking about cannibalism.  Far from the truth. Jesus was talking about the Spirit of the Man. He used words that were common in human speech to relay Spiritual understanding. He also said that many would not understand UNLESS His Father shows them.

    JESUS SAID:… John 6:51

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

The Wine

    Wine has been the drink of preference in the Old Testament. Understand that water was not treated. Wine, at least, had the possibility of having some alcohol in the liquid to kill any germ or parasite within. Wine was part of the offering in the Temple. In fact, wine and oil were the liquid used in worship. It implied newness of life. Refreshment. 

JESUS SAID:… John 6:35

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty.

    More than the bread and the wine, we have the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus. His sacrifice on the Cross was planned from the foundation of the world. Father God, the Creator, His Son, Jesus and the Holy Spirit: the Triune God, created all things. And in that creation, Man was made and placed into the Garden of Eden. There was great joy as Adam named all the animals God had made. They began to populate the area and yet Man found himself alone. So God made Eve out of Man and Eve became his wife, his companion and his helpmate.

    Then Satan tempted Eve and she gave the forbidden fruit to her husband and they ate of it and they died in their spirit.  Fellowship was broken and God removed them from the Garden. Even at that point, Adam and Eve needed a Savior for their sins.  God provided that Savior in the fullness of time in the Person of His Only Son, Jesus.  Jesus was born of Mary, and He lived a sinless life. All God and all man. During His last three years of life on earth, He taught His Followers and Disciples certain teachings that are passed on to even today.

    In that upper room, JESUS SAID a number of things. One of His teachings was to keep doing this celebration, this memorial. As often as we do it, we are to do it to remember His Death until He comes back once again to take His Bride, the Believing Church to be with Him in Heaven.

    JESUS SAID, Do this in Remembrance of Me.

    JESUS SAID COME TO THE TABLE AND REMEMBER ME…

Next week: Please read Galatians Chapter 2.