Some of the meanest people I knew growing up were church people. I noticed that some people just don’t change. I knew people who came to services every Sunday. They wouldn’t miss their small group meeting on Sunday morning. They came back for evening services on Sunday night. They showed up for prayer meetings and workdays around the church. They tithed. They taught classes. They held positions of responsibility. Some would say that they were pillars of the church. But they were mean as snakes.
Most people knew it – especially their families. And as I think back on it, one thing that really strikes me is this: No one really expected them to change. It was known fact. They were mean and proud of it. “Do you know Jesus?” “O, yes!” “But are you changing?” “O, no!”
Most churches have a handful of people like that. I’m betting that you know people who come to church over and over and over, but their lives don’t change. They stay the same.
Would you answer some questions today? Are you changing?
Would the people who know me best say…
… that I am actually more loving than I was 3-5 years ago?
… that I really have more joy than I did 3-5 years ago?
… that I am genuinely more peaceful than I was 3-5 years ago?
… that I truly show more patience than I did 3-5 years ago?
… that I am more kind than I was 3-5 years ago?
God wants you to grow up. Your heavenly father’s goal is for you to mature and develop the characteristics of Jesus Christ. Sadly, millions of Christians grow old but never grow up. It doesn’t have to be that way.
Becoming a lifelong learner (who finishes well!)
Text: Galatians 2:11-14
We’re wrapping up our series on the life of one of the most colorful Bible characters, Peter. We’ve called the series “Life under construction.” We’ve seen how Jesus interacted with Peter to build him, to change him, to make him usable.
Next week, we’re beginning a new series called “Christmas Unwrapped.” On the way out, you’ll be given a flyer you can use to invite a friend.
It’s possible to get all sorts of gifts at Christmas and still leave the best gift unopened. So we are encouraging people to come and discover and receive God’s gift to you this Christmas season. The most important gifts you’ll get this year are the gifts God has already given.
Dec 7 – Freedom from fear
Dec 14 – Good News
Dec 21 – Great joy
Dec 24 – A Savior, Christ the Lord
Today… Becoming a lifelong learner
Remember that we’ve been learning from a man whose name was changed by Jesus from Simon to Peter (rock) because Jesus saw leadership potential in him. Peter was part of the inner circle of disciples. He had seen the transfigured Lord. He’d been told to feed the sheep. He’d preached great sermons. He was one of the key leaders of the early church in Jerusalem and in Antioch.
Yet, in this book we call Galatians, Peter is confronted by another leader. The leader? Paul. Here, Paul uses the Greek name for Peter, Cephas. Galatians 2:11…
11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
Don’t forget that Peter was the first of the followers of Christ to share the good news about Jesus to those who were not Jews. Last week, we learned that Peter had a special revelation from God in a dream. God made it clear to Peter that God had chosen to pour out His grace not only on the Jewish people, but also on the Romans and Greeks. And Peter, in Acts 15, stood before a church leadership council and defended the inclusion of non-Jews.
Now, what has Peter done to cause another church leader to confront him so boldly and so publicly? Galatians 2:12…
12 For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof…
What’s happening here? When he first came to Antioch, Peter used to eat non-kosher food with the non-Jews. He knew that those non-Jews who were followers of Jesus were part of the family. He said, “Let’s hang out together!” But some Jewish people showed up from Jerusalem in Antioch who weren’t so comfortable hanging out with non-Jews, the Gentiles – even if those non-Jews were claiming to follow Jesus. These Jerusalem Jews were prejudiced. They wanted to add their dietary rules and ceremonial regulations to the good news about Jesus.
So, Peter stopped hanging out with the Gentiles and only hung out with the Jews. This was a big deal. The message it sent was that there are two classes of Christians. The first class Christians are the Jews. The second class Christians are the Gentiles. This is why Paul opposed Peter to his face.
Think with me. Even the giants of the faith are fallible. The best of men are men at best. It’s tempting for us to think that Peter’s problems stopped after Acts 2 when he was filled with the Holy Spirit. But remember, we leak. And Peter did. The gift of the Spirit did not make Peter infallible. No matter how spiritual a person may be, he or she is always capable of sin.
So, Paul confronts Peter with his sin. Now, how will Peter respond?
Let’s bring this close to home? No one in this room is infallible. When you are confronted with your behavior, how do you respond?
If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. If you reject criticism, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.
Proverbs 15:31-32 (NLT)
I like that phrase “constructive criticism” there. I’m sure you know that not all criticism is constructive. Some people are insecure, have hidden agendas, don’t know all the facts, or want control. And their criticism is often destructive. A wise person works to know the difference.
Se, criticism will come. Someone said, “If you want to avoid criticism; do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.” But if you are in the game, if you are seeking to build the kingdom, you better know that criticism will come. It’s the wise person who can tell the difference between a godly critic and an ungodly critic.
There are people out there who are always finding fault. They always see problems, not solutions. And they are a drain to be around. A quote: “The man who is always finding fault seldom finds anything else” and “All loud speakers are not necessarily hooked up!” It’s why Larry Burkett used to say, “A wise man seeks much counsel. A fool listens to all of it.”
So, discern whether or not the criticism is constructive or destructive. If it’s constructive, we better respond in a godly way. With that in mind, let’s see some principles from scripture that will help us become lifelong learners. Decision #1…
1. I will hear my godly critics.
Do you listen to what the people around you are saying about you? Or are you on the defensive? Are you curious about how people are perceiving you?
A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel.
Proverbs 1:5 (NASB)
When do we need godly criticism? Peter being confronted by Paul teaches us at least three occasions we need to be challenged.
We need godly criticism when…
… we fear people more than we follow principles. v. 12
Most of us have a tendency to be people-pleasers. We want to fit in. But that can be dangerous to your spiritual health.
12 For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision.
Galatians 2:12
Peter feared this group. Caving into the crowd was the key to Peter’s downfall. He caved into the crowd when a little servant girl challenged him around a fire on the night Jesus was betrayed. He caved in here, too.
He was afraid. Afraid of what? Of being thought less of, of losing influence? I don’t know, but clearly not fear of God, but fear of men. Or maybe Peter is afraid of losing face with the legalists – the rule and regulation people – in Jerusalem. He might lose his standing as the leader. We aren’t told why he was afraid of the people. And in a moment of weakness he cut off the fellowship with his non-Jewish brothers and sisters. And when he did it as the leader, so did Barnabas and all the other Jews.
Do you know the antidote to being a people-pleaser? Want to please God more! Some of us deny our true selves – and deny the truth – because we are afraid of what others will think or say. Do you want to stop fearing people? Fear God more!
We need godly criticism when we fear people more than we follow principles and when we...
… we play a part more than we live the life. v. 13
Hang around the church long enough and you’ll learn how to act the part. You smile at the right times, sing at the right times, say the right things, go along to get along. What do I have to do with this particular group of Christians to fit in?
Peter had it figured out in Antioch. He played the part and it influenced others to play the part, too.
13 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.
Galatians 2:13
“The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy.” It means they, too, acted insincerely. Even one of Paul’s closest friends, Barnabas, was carried away by their insincerity.
Peter knew it was right to hang out with the non-Jewish believers. But he didn’t. So, Peter and Barnabas and the others were being two-faced. They were saying one thing with their actions while believing another thing in their heart.
What they believed, they had stopped doing. They played a part. In this case, Peter is pretending to be outwardly holy. “Hey, look at me. I don’t eat non-kosher foods! Aren’t I a holy guy?” But before these Jewish believers showed up, he was chowing down on some pork at the rib-cook-off in Antioch.
Do you act one way when you are with a certain group of people and act another way when you are not? Get clear before God about the way you are supposed to live your life, then live it! Be holy, yes! But be real about it!
The number one reason people say they don’t go to church? It’s full of hypocrites! Don’t give people reason not to show up.
We need godly criticism when we play a part more then live the life and when we…
… we enforce rules more than we enjoy relationship. v. 14
Sometimes, it’s easy for us be fall into the trap of liking rules more than loving people. Some of us are wired that way. We get uncomfortable when the rules get stretched. That happened to Peter here. And he was called on it.
14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about) the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, "If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?
Galatians 2:14
I can imagine Peter saying, “Compel? What do you mean compel? I haven’t said that the Gentiles have to live like Jews.” And I can hear Paul’s response, “Peter, your actions speak louder than your words.”
Peter has been in trouble before in Jerusalem. Acts 11:2 says, “So when Peter went up to Jerusalem the circumcision party criticized him, saying, ‘Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?’” Peter told them about his vision and the coming of the Spirit and said, “If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”
This was a life-changing experience for Peter. He saw that not only did non-Jews not have to keep the OT laws in order to have the same spiritual blessings as Christian Jews, but he also saw that he, as a Jew, was free from those same laws. The condition for enjoying all the benefits of being a believer is a real, live faith in Jesus Christ. That’s all.
Therefore, when Peter ate with Gentile believers in Antioch he was in sync with the gospel. He was standing fast in freedom, honoring the all-sufficiency of Christ. But when he stopped eating with the Gentiles, he was keeping rules and violating relationships. We call it legalism.
Don’t break God’s rules, of course. But be careful that you don’t add to His rules. Religious people have a tendency to do that. It makes them feel superior. They like feeling superior. Why? Because they don’t love people. They love their rules more.
We need godly criticism when we enforce rules more than we enjoy relationships.
I hope and pray that God will keep on sending godly critics to you and to me. We must be called away from people-pleasing, hypocrisy, and legalism. I hope and pray that we will listen!
Listen and be wise. Keep your heart on the right course.
Proverbs 23:19 (NLT)
To help me become a lifelong learner, I will hear my godly critics.
2. I will heed my godly critics.
It would have been easy for Peter to hear but not heed this criticism from Paul. Peter had a long list of reasons why Paul ought to follow Peter’s lead, not Peter following Paul’s.
· “Hey, Paul, I’m one of the twelve who walked with Jesus for 3 years.
· “Jesus changed my name from Simon to Peter because He said I was a Rock.
· “I walked on the water.
· “I was in the inner circle of three.
· “I saw Jesus transfigured.
· “I saw the Risen Lord.
· “I was told by Jesus to tend His sheep.
· “I preached a message on Pentecost and 3,000 became followers of Jesus.
· “I healed a lame man at the Temple.
· “I gave another message and 5,000 believed.
· “And don’t forget, for 15 days after your conversion, you sat at my feet learning about Jesus.
· “So, you know what, Paul, you need to do what I say. I don’t need to do what you say.”
That could have been his attitude. But it wasn’t. He had read verses like Proverbs 8:33.
Heed instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it.
Proverbs 8:33 (NASB)
Some people are intimidated by leadership conflict. They expect everybody to always agree – especially with them! They think that problems are bad things. Conflict, though, is a good thing when handled correctly. And the bigger the problem is, the more strategic the solution will be. Some Bible teachers would say that this confrontation between Peter and Paul did more to keep open the door of the gospel to the Gentiles than anything else – including Peter’s vision.
The conflict was a short one. But it appears that it led to an ever-deepening love and respect from Peter to Paul. God can take an unpleasant incident and turn it into a life-changing lesson.
It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.
Ecclesiastes7:5 (NIV)
Whose advice ought you pay attention to? Whose counsel do you need to heed? Whose instruction do you have to take note of?
Some of us have been hearing the same criticism over and over and we won’t take note. Proverbs says, “A man who hardens his neck after much reproof will suddenly be broken beyond all remedy.”
To help me become a lifelong learner, I will heed my godly critics.
3. I will help my godly critics.
Peter was publicly challenged by Paul. How will he respond? To get an idea of Peter’s response to Paul, you have to read what Peter wrote down. Would he say, “That jerk, Paul, embarrassed me in front of a whole church?”
Our dear brother Paul… wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.
II Peter 3:15 (NIV)
You know what this does? It is a stamp of approval on the 13 books that Paul wrote! He’s saying, “Just in case you want to know what I think about Paul’s life and ministry, consider this. He’s my dear brother! What he’s written is from God. It’s good stuff. Read it and be wise!”
Peter is building up Paul. He’s making him look good. He’s giving Paul further credibility. At the end of his life Peter looks to Paul not as a rival but as a dear brother. He’s applying the truth in Proverbs 22.
Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise…
Proverbs 22:17 (NIV)
Do you tend to try to bring down a critic in the eyes of others? Or do you tend to lift him up in the eyes of others? Do you seek to open up other doors for ministry for your critics? Do you say, “Thanks. You helped me. Now I want to help you help others?”
To help me become a lifelong learner, I will help my godly critics.
The key to being a lifelong learner: humility!
It takes a humble man to respond well to a challenge, especially if that man is as strong a leader as Peter.
All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.
I Peter 5:5 (NASB)
It’s hard to say, “You are right and I am wrong. Thank you for challenging me, for correcting me.” But the first test of a truly great man is his humility. Someone said, “The beginning of greatness is to be little; the increase of greatness is to be less; and the perfection of greatness is to be nothing.”
Fools think they know what is best, but a sensible person listens to advice.
Proverbs 12:15 (CEV)
Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear.
Proverbs 25:12 (NIV)
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
Proverbs 9:9 (ESV)
Now, how did Peter finish? Did he finish well? Consider the facts:
· Late in his life, Peter sat down with a young believer named Mark and told stories about his life with Jesus. Mark wrote it down in the book that now carries his name.
· Later in his life, Peter sat down and wrote a letter to strengthen suffering believers scattered throughout the present-day Turkey. It’s the book we call I Peter.
· He wrote a second book to remind believers to grow in the grace and knowledge or the Lord Jesus. We call this book II Peter.
· In F.B. Meyer’s book, The Life of Peter, we learn that the last 16 or 17 years of his life Peter traveled with his devoted wife from place to place with such remarkable success that there was a widespread turning to God from idols.
Was he a lifelong learner? The impact of his life says he was. But what about Peter’s tendency to cave into the crowd – to wilt under pressure?
We first hear of Peter’s death in a letter from an early church leader, Clement. He mentions the suffering and martyrdom of Peter in Rome. The Romans were notorious for saying, “Deny that Christ is Lord and you will live. Confess that Christ is Lord and you will die.” Peter didn’t wilt this time. He didn’t deny Christ. He won! He finished strong by dying for his faith in Jesus.
An early church historian named Eusebius wrote: “Peter appears to have preached through Pontus, Galatia, Bithynia, Cappadocia, and Asia, to the Jews that were scattered abroad; who also, finally coming to Rome, was crucified with his head downward, having requested of himself to suffer in this way.”
* * *
How long are you going to listen to the same critique over and over before you realize that God is working to get your attention? It is God who is seeking to make you like Jesus through the observations of the people around you. Your spouse has been confronting you about an area in your life for years, but you won’t listen. Your kids have been challenging you. Your friends have been pointing out blind spots. Your business associates often say the same things
A point to ponder: When I am humble, I can keep changing… for the better.
A verse to remember: Take good counsel and accept correction--that’s the way to live wisely and well. Proverbs 19:20 (MSG)
A question to consider: What lessons has God been seeking to teach me through others that I have been too proud to learn?
Write some things down.
I hope that someday one of our kids won’t be standing up in front of a church delivering a message and say, “Some of the meanest people I knew growing up were the church people at CVCC. I knew people who came to services every Sunday. They held positions of responsibility. Some would say that they were pillars of the church. But they were mean as snakes.”
No. I’d rather think that one day one of our kids will be standing in front of a church delivering a message and say, “Some of the most humble people – some of the most teachable people – some of the most Christ-like people I’ve ever known were the church people at CVCC. They kept on learning and growing. They knew how to hear their critics, heed their critics and help their critics.”
