INTRO: Being a part of something
Nothing brings people together like being united in a common goal
When you are part of something that is bigger than any one person, something where everyone has a part to play and we all rely on each other.
I was in the marching band in High School.
In the marching band, you have different groups of people playing different instruments.
I played the clarinet, first chair, so I led our little group of clarinet players.
Each group had its leader and they each had their own role, their own task.
The clarinets might be in a straight line , swinging around like the arm on a clock, playing harmony while the trumpets were in a cirlcle, shoulder to shoulder, rotating like a merry-go-round, playing the melody, while the drums were in a block, marching in place, pounding out the beat, setting the pace.
All of us are doing our own part, leading our own little group, playing our part of the music, and the whole time we are all watching the Drum Major, and he is directing us, we watch his hands for our rythym, he gives signals for where we go and what we do.
The Drum Major is the center of attention. This is HIS Show. He has the fanciest uniform, everyone can see that He is the One in Charge, the Big Leader.
Any personal differences we might have had, we left them behind when we stepped on that field. Out there we were all the same, all part of the band.
When it work like it is supposed to, the whole band moves on the field like one body, one living and breathing body, under the direction of the Drum Major.
The church is kind of like that.
Jesus is our Drum Major
Our music is the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jesus directs us, each of us doing our part.
Working together, the church is the body of Christ
We are unified by our common goal and our common focus on Christ as the head of the church
Unity in the Gospel (Gal 2: 1-10)
Last week – (v11-24) Paul is describing his relationship with other apostles
Making it clear that he did not receive the gospel from them, but directly from Jesus Christ
It was 3 years after his conversion when he first met with Peter, and then only for 15 days.
It was after 14 years that Paul met with them again. Now Paul is describing that meeting, that conference.
Gal 2:1-10 (NIV) 1 Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2 I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain. 3 Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. 4 This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. 5 We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you. 6 As for those who seemed to be important--whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance--those men added nothing to my message. 7 On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews. 8 For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. 9 James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. 10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
PRAY
Though Paul did not receive the gospel from the other apostles, he wants the Galatians to know that he had the full support of the church in Jerusalem.
This conference is an excellent example for us to follow in how to maintain unity within the church as a whole, while never compromising on the basic gospel.
I think it is important to see why Paul went to this conference and whom he took with him. (v1-2)
V2 tells us that Paul went to Jerusalem in response to a revelation.
He was not summoned to Jerusalem by the apostles, he did not go simply because HE wanted to go – He went because he was led by God to go.
Our efforts to bring unity, efforts to “straighten things out” might have noble intentions
But the potential for division and a furthering of any gap is serious
If we do not go with God, if God has not directed our efforts, the results can be disastrous
It was important to Paul. It had been 14 years, he waited until God told him to go
PAULS TEAM:
Paul took with him Barnabas and Titus
Barnabas was a highly respected Jewish Christian
He given name was Joseph but he was given nickname Barnabas (Son of Encouragement) Act 4:36
When Paul was excluded from the church in Jerusalem after his conversion, we read in Acts 9 that Barnabas was the only one who was willing to reach out to this dangerous former persecutor of the church, bring him into the circle of apostles, and believe in the work of grace that God had performed in Paul’s heart (9:27)
Barnabas had been on missionary trips with Paul, he knew him well.
Barnabas was a bridgebuilder, gifted at bringing diverse groups of people within the church together in unity.
This is an excellent choice as a team member for this conference.
Titus: Titus was an uncircumcised Gentile believer / pastor.
By bringing Titus along, Paul was making certain that the issue of circumcision among Gentile Christians would be resolved one way or another at the conference. The church of Jerusalem could not remain neutral on this issue.
It could be viewed as a risky move if it weren’t for the fact that Paul was being directed by God.
If Titus were required to be circumcised in order to be accepted by the church in Jerusalem, then it would be clear that Gentiles must become Jews in order to be Christians.
If Titus was accepted in the church of Jerusalem without circumcision, then it would affirm that Gentiles were equal to Jews in the church.
So the problem of Jewish law being added to salvation was not a problem isolated in Galatia. This was an issue in the wider church that was addressed at this conference.
As we move on through this passage, we will see Paul’s gospel of Grace apart from the law on trial.
1. He sets his gospel before the leaders of the church of Jerusalem for examination
2. There is opposition to this gospel by false brothers
3. The gospel stands un-compromised in the face of that opposition
4. Then the results of the conference
1.
First in vs 2 – 2 I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain
Sets before them for examination – for evaluation – The true gospel is not afraid of examination
He does so in private with the leaders of the church
There is danger here –
But not because Paul is afraid he has been preaching the wrong gospel. There is no danger of that. Paul knows that his gospel is the true gospel – he received it directly from Jesus Christ himself.
Paul is afraid that the leaders of the church in Jerusalem may have been misguided into the same trap of Christ plus the law that the Galatians were in danger of falling into.
It is the gospel in Jerusalem that Paul is worried about, not his own.
So, with his confidence in the true gospel of Jesus Christ, his confidence in Faith alone in Christ alone, by the grace of God alone, Paul lays his gospel out for examination by the leaders of the church of Jerusalem.
2.
vs3-4 . 3 Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. 4 This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves
So the matter of whether a Gentile should be forced to become a Jew came up at this conference, and it came up because of false brothers. – Wolves in sheep’s clothing
They had infiltrated the ranks of the Christians in Jerusalem. They said they were Christians, they had the appearance of being Christians, but they were not. They were false brothers whose purpose it was drag Christians and seekers away from the Freedom of the true gospel and into the slavery of the law.
We have Freedom in Christ. It’s not the freedom to do whatever evil we want to do, knowing that we are already forgiven. That is a mis-understanding of salvation.
When we have Christ living in us – He changes our desires, he changes our hearts so that what we want to do is what Jesus wants us to do – and we are finally Free to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. That is real freedom.
These false brothers want to shackle believers to the law. They want to deny us the freedom that we have in Jesus Christ and bind us to the condemnation that the law brings. Remember we said that the law never saved anyone because we cannot keep the law. Jesus came to fulfill the law, and it is in Him that we find salvation and it is in Him that we find true freedom.
3.
In the face of the opposition from these false brothers, Paul says in vs 5
. 5 We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you
Me must not compromise when it comes to the true gospel
Paul doesn’t give in to them even a little bit, not even for a moment.
Paul knows that if the leaders of the church are true believers, then they will see the fallacy of the false doctrine put forth by the false brothers who have infiltrated the church. The gospel stands as the word of God, and it will unify those who are led by God, those who submit to the leadership of God in their hearts and in their lives.
Paul knows that the true gospel can stand against the enemy.
It is eternal It is invincible. The gospel itself was never in any real danger. -
Paul says in v6 - . 6 As for those who seemed to be important--whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance--those men added nothing to my message
Those who seemed to be important- the apostles in Jerusalem. Paul wasn’t impressed by their credentials, and neither is God. God does not judge by external appearance.
That is something we talk about around here quite a bit. God is more interested in what is in your heart, what is on the inside of you than external stuff.
It’s what’s inside a person that really matters, just like the children and I talked about last week.
Mt 7: 15 Nothing outside a man can make him ’unclean’ by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him ’unclean.’
God examines the heart. Who these guys were in Jerusalem didn’t matter. They added nothing to Paul’s message, they added nothing to the gospel.
The gospel was not in danger. The danger was to the souls of men in Jerusalem, the souls of men in Galatia.
The eternal destination of those who might be led to believe a false gospel.
That’s why Paul says we did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you – and that is exactly what happened.
4.
When it is all said and done – The leaders of the church in Jerusalem and Paul with Barnabas and Titus, they all stand united by their common goal of reaching lost souls with the good news of Jesus.
. 7 On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews. 8 For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles.
They see that Paul has been entrusted by GOD to preach the gospel to the Gentiles just as Peter had been to the Jews. They are equals, each one commissioned by Christ to carry the gospel to the people in their sphere of influence.
God is at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews
And God is at work in the ministry of Paul as an apostle to the Gentiles.
They stand unified by the true gospel of Jesus Christ. The same gospel that unifies all of us in the church, the church made up of all believers over all time and space and history.
It unifies us here at Hopewell with believers in Warsaw, Weaubleau, Osceola,
Wheatland, Springfield, Kansas City, believers in China and Korea, and Iraq,
And with the believers in Jerusalem and Galatia we read about today, with Paul and Peter and Barnabas and Titus.
Our focus is all on the same gospel, on the same one and only true God. It’s like a crowd of people gathered around something amazing and awe-inspiring.
If you have ever been to the grand canyon, it is something that cannot be described, it has to be experienced.
You stand at the edge of the vastness of the canyon, and everyone around you is in the same state of awe and wonder. All of the sudden everyone is the same, equal in our smallness next to the awesome glory of God’s creation. Everyone there is your friend, talk is easy and unstressed. Everyone focused on the same thing
And that unity brings fellowship:
. 9 James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews.
They are more than just acquaintances. James Pete and John saw God at work in the heart, in the life and in the ministry of Paul, and Paul saw God at work in them as well. They are brothers in Christ. They each have their God-given purpose in life, they each have their mission to carry out for God, and they are united by the gospel.
Along with this fellowship comes another benefit, and another responsibility.
10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
The church in Jerusalem was poverty stricken. Paul took collections for them during his missionary trips.
United by the gospel, not only do they share the mission of taking the good news of Christ to a lost world, they share the burdens of their brothers and sisters in Christ.
As believers we have the God-given responsibility to take the message of the gospel to the lost people God has put in our lives and the people God sends us to, and
We have the God-given responsibility to share each other’s burdens as well, and the burdens of our brothers and sisters in Christ elsewhere, not just here at Hopewell.
That is why we cooperate with other churches to aid in mission efforts around the nation and around the world.
Let God test your heart today. Do you see the world around you with Kingdom eyes?
Are you ready to be united with others by the gospel of Jesus?
Or do you see it as our little church here against the world.
Tucked away in our own little comfort zone. Safe from the outside, our own little safe haven.
