Galatians part 2 – “In defense of the Truth!”
Thesis: When is it time to defend truth and do the hard task of confronting another person about their error? We must make sure in these difficult situations that we continue to act like Christians – in other words act like Christ.
Video Illustration from Matthew 16:21-23:
In this text and visual illustration we discover that Jesus himself had to at different times confront others to correct their misguided thoughts and actions.
Illustration:
A pompous-looking deacon was trying to impress upon a class of boys the importance of living the Christian life. "Why do people call me a Christian?" the man asked. After a moment’s pause, one youngster said, "Maybe it’s because they don’t know you."
Contributed to sermon central by: John Beehler
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Christianity must mean everything to us before it can mean anything to others.
SOURCE: Donald Soper
Contributed by: Sermon Central PRO
Quotes
1. God won’t ask what kind of car you drove, but will ask how many people you drove who didn’t have transportation.
2. God won’t ask the square footage of your house, but will ask how many people you welcomed into your home.
3. God won’t ask about the fancy clothes you had in your closet, but will ask how many of those clothes helped the needy.
4. God won’t ask about your social status, but will ask what kind of class you displayed.
5. God won’t ask how many material possessions you had, but will ask if they dictated your life.
6. God won’t ask what your highest salary was, but will ask if you compromised your character to obtain that salary.
7. God won’t ask how much overtime you worked, but will ask if you worked overtime for your family and loved ones.
8. God won’t ask how many promotions you received, but will ask how you promoted others.
9. God won’t ask what your job title was, but will ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.
10. God won’t ask what you did to help yourself, but will ask what you did to help others.
11. God won’t ask how many friends you had, but will ask how many people to whom you were a true friend.
12. God won’t ask what you did to protect your rights, but will ask what you did to protect the rights of others.
13. God won’t ask in what neighborhood you lived, but will ask how you treated your neighbors.
14. God won’t ask about the color of your skin, but will ask about the content of your character.
15. God won’t ask how many times your deeds matched your words, but will ask how many times they didn’t.
Author unknown
Copyright 1999 Gibson Productions
Contributed to sermon central by: Tim Gibson
Introduction:
Galatians was written by Paul as a letter or rebuke and a letter to defend the faith against the false teachings of the Judaizers. These individuals taught that you could not become a Christian unless you first became a Jew by being circumcised. Paul was upset and even astonished at how quickly the Gentile Christian in Galatia had accepted and believed this distorted teaching. He paints a clear picture in Chapter one that we are to not let ourselves become deceived about the truth of Jesus message and the Gospel of Good news. He rebukes the area Christians and the Judaizers and warns them both to not believe any message that is contrary to the message of the cross and grace. He even tells them he does not care if the message comes from and angel of light if it’s wrong and contrary to the Word reject it and rebuke it.
Let’s review from last week the key lessons from Galatians Chapter 1:
1. Do not allow the Evil one to deceive you into believing another gospel of deception.
a. Resist him by renewing your mind and running the race with feverous determination.
i. You decide to finish strong and stay on course.
b. You do this by growing in your faith.
i. You make sure you have devotions with the Lord.
ii. You pray and read your Bible and stay plugged into the church God has called you to.
2. You review the testimonies in the Bible and listen to others stories of conversion and see the transformational power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
a. Share you testimony to others and watch it change their lives and open up their eyes so that they san see the truth.
3. Remember never become a people pleaser because when you do you no longer are a servant of Jesus Christ.
a. Please God and follow His direction for you life and really learn what it means to live.
In today’s chapter we are going to look at the subject of confrontation within the Body of Christ. Confrontation is the action we all try to avoid because it carries such negative thoughts and consequences. Confrontation is no fun and it is usually filled with pain, discomfort and it does cause wounds in relationships and in the heart. I personally hate to confront because of the pain and the wounds it causes to all who are involved. But I am reminded what Proverbs tells me about this important biblical act:
Proverbs 10:17: “He is on the path of life who heeds instruction, but he who ignores reproof goes astray.”
Proverbs 12:1: “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.”
Charles Swindoll in his book Getting Through The Tough Stuff Of Life states, “Confrontation is speaking the truth in a personal, face-to-face encounter with someone we love regarding an issue that needs attention or correction” (114)
This is what Paul does in Galatians chapter 2 let’s read and learn How to confront error in a Biblical way.
Scripture Text: Galatians 2:1-21
1Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2I 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. 3Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. 4This 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. 5We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.
6As 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. 7On 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. 8For 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. 9James, 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. 10All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
11When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. 12Before 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. 13The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.
14When 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’ 16know 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! 18If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. 19For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20I 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. 21I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”
T.S. – Paul reveals to us the importance of preparing before we ever confront someone.
I. When we need to confront we must first prepare.
a. Paul received a revelation to go defend the faith to the leaders and present the truth in love in private with the leadership.
b. Revelation is a key in any confrontational scenario.
i. Paul speaks that the Lord reveled to him that he needed to go up and speak to the leaders of the church privately about the distortion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
1. You must also remember from chapter one Paul exhorts the church to realize that what he preaches did not come from men but came from a Revelation experience he had on the road to Damascus which in turn changed his life and ministry.
2. Paul who once was a legalistic Jewish religious leader believed that works brought salvation but through his revelation experience with Jesus he changed his position and experienced the truth.
ii. A REVELATION OF GOD according to Holman Bible Dictionary: The content and process of God’s making Himself known to people. All knowledge of God comes by way of revelation. Human knowledge of God is revealed knowledge since God, and He alone, gives it. He bridges the gap between Himself and His creatures, disclosing Himself and His will to them. By God alone can God be known. Modern thought often questions the possibility and/or reality of revelation. Biblical faith affirms revelation is real because the personal Creator God has chosen to let His human creatures know Him. The question remains, “How can a person know God.” The Bible appears to distinguish two ways of knowing God, general and special revelation. Biblical emphasis points to Jesus Christ as God’s final revelation. God has provided ongoing generations of believers a source of knowledge about Himself and His Son. That source is the Bible.
c. Paul decided to bring two other witnesses with him to speak to the leadership about the serious situation at hand.
i. He came to address the false teaching being promoted by Jewish Christians and their leadership.
ii. He took Titus with him who was a Greek gentile convert. He brought him as proof that the gospel of Christ brings transformation without works such as circumcision.
1. The Titus test was a living testimony to the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
iii. He also brought Barnabas and respected man of God and fellow minister of the Gospel to affirm his case and his concern.
1. Barnabas even at point was lured into the deceptive teaching himself but comes to support the position of Paul.
d. He presented the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in front of the leaders and laid out his divinely inspired message and contradicted what they were teaching.
i. He reasons with them and presents an argument to verify his position on the truth.
ii. God does not judge by outward works but by the inner heart of a person.
1. It’s not by works but Grace that we are saved.
2. He made his case with the leaders and presented a clear message of the cross of Jesus Christ and His message.
a. Holman sates this about SALVATION: The acutely dynamic act of snatching others by force from serious peril. In its most basic sense, salvation is the saving of a life from death or harm. Scripture, particularly the New Testament, extends salvation to include deliverance from the penalty and power of sin.
i. Paul reminds the leadership that Jesus brought this free gift through his life and his death on the cross.
b. Acts 2:21: “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
c. Salvation is through Christ and Christ alone it is not earned or gained through a religion of works it is a free gift from Jesus to us.
e. Paul did not go intent on pleasing anyone but went to present the truth.
i. There was no compromise by Paul on the Gospel of Jesus Christ but he did feel these leaders and certain apostles were pleasing men rather than pleasing and serving the Lord.
1. Peter and the others were in error because they had started to become people pleasers. Paul reminded all us in chapter 1 that to please men means we no longer serve the Lord.
a. See slide on pleasing others.
ii. Paul stood his ground and the others aligned behind him after he confronted in love and presented his case to them logically.
1. Even the other apostles and the church leadership in Galatia and Jerusalem decide that Paul was right and they and the others were wrong.
2. They changed their position because they saw the error of their recent beliefs.
iii. Thank the Lord for Paul and his willingness to make a stand and to defend the faith in a God honoring way.
1. Please note he did quit the church. Paul did not say they disagree with me “I quit!” I am going to go start the “The True Church of Paul!”
a. No he confronted the situation to correct the false teaching.
b. It is important in situations like this that all agree to sit down and work out the disagreement.
c. They choose to do that and it paid off in the end.
d. From church history we know the ones in error repented and changed their ways and there was forgiveness and unity restores to the body of Christ.
2. Please note Paul did not go and gossip about the leadership instead he went to dialogue with them about this situation and to present the truth.
a. He followed the Matthew 18 principle and listened to Jesus on how to deal with conflict with others.
b. The result was the truth was restored d and the false doctrine was repented of and changed.
3. Please note Paul did not try to destroy the other leaders with vindictive gossip and character assassination.
a. He instead went to reason with them and to help them see the light.
4. Please note Paul did not hold bitterness and un-forgiveness to the leadership, he worked out the problem and they all came to an agreement to the truth.
T. S. – Paul role models for us how to deal with false teachings and disagreements in the Body of Christ. You go to the person that you have the issue with and deal with the problem and seek to work it out with the assistance of others and the Word of God.
II. When is it time to confront and not time to confront within the Body of Christ?
a. Many here today may be thinking so when is confrontation necessary?
i. Here are valid reasons to confront someone in a Biblical manor:
1. When another gospel is preached as the truth.
2. When hypocrisy is being promoted and hurting others in the Body of Christ.
3. When lives are being destroyed and lead astray by false teachings and self centered interests.
4. When a person is causing dissension and disunity in the Body of Christ.
b. You may also be thinking when is confrontation wrong and unadvised?
i. Here are some guidelines for when not to confront.
1. When it is done for selfish reasons.
2. When you do it without following the Matthew 18 Principle
3. When you do for someone else and even though they never did it or talked to the individual.
4. When it’s done to hurt instead of to heal.
a. Swindoll states, “Let me repeat, the goal of confrontation is neither to attack nor to cause offense…No, confrontation is designed to define the issue of concern with the hope of bringing about a needed change with tactfulness and love” (114).
5. When it’s done to judge and not to reconcile.
a. To point a finger at someone out of anger and rage for the purpose to shame them.
6. When you have not prepared to confront by prayer and with a right attitude.
7. Paul in this chapter showed that he prepared for this meeting with the leadership. He did not just run up there and let them have it as many do today and then they add:
a. God told me to do it!
8. When you approach the situation without empathy for the other person.
9. When you get involved without hearing the other side of the story first and listening before you speak.
10. When you have not held the mirror up and took a good look at yourself first.
11. When you think that you are the Holy Spirit.
12. When you do not seek to clarify the truth but instead seek to pronounce judgment and condemnation on the other person.
c. Paul tells us the importance of doing things the right way in Romans 12:9-19: 9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
d. Ephesians 4: 2-6: 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
T.S. – There are times within the Body of Christ that people must face each other and work out their issues. But we must make sure that it is done in a Biblical way and that it is appropriate to confront.
III. How to confront within the body of Christ the Biblical way:
a. Matthew 18 principle must always be followed.
i. See hand out! The Matthew 18 Principle for Solving Problems:
1. Keep the matter confidential.
The Bible has much to say about those who gossip or malign others with their words.
2. Keep the circle small.
Most problems are solved at the two-person level.
3. Be straightforward.
Jesus tells us to be forthright and to love honesty.
4. Be forgiving.
Once the matter is resolved, we should wholeheartedly forgive and restore the person whose fault has offended us.
5. The two should agree to discuss the matter with each other first.
An open and honest discussion will most often reach an amiable solution.
6. If this does not work, they should agree to share the matter with a pastor.
The goal of such a meeting is to understand the problem clearly; solve the problem; reproof and correct, if necessary; and forgive and restore those who have made amends.
7. The pastor, if necessary, will explain the situation to the elder board for their appropriate response.
If the problem is not resolved, the two parties will present their case to the elders; and the elders will present their solution to the parties.
***Satan would like to destroy harmony and fellowship between Christians. That is not possible if all of us follow the Matthew 18 principle of solving problems.
b. Maxwell gives insight from our passage in verses 11-21 on how it is imperative that we follow the example of Paul in confrontation.
i. Paul’s integrity drove him to stand up to Peter, his fellow leader, in front of several Jewish and Gentile Christian leaders.
1. Note Paul did not talk behind Peter’s back and call others to discredit and destroy Peter’s reputation.
a. He went to him.
2. He did criticize Peter’s hypocrisy to his face and he demanded that all Christian leaders remain consistent, regardless of the company they keep.
a. He reminded them that we need to please Jesus not men.
3. Paul teaches us how to critique someone biblically. Consider his checklist from Maxwell:
a. Check your motives- your goal should be to help, not humiliate.
b. Make sure the issue is worthy of criticism- does it really matter?
c. Be specific – Don’t drop hints, but clearly name the problem.
d. Don’t undermine the person’s self-confidence or identity - make it obvious that you value the person.
e. Don’t compare people – Use realistic standards to measure conduct.
f. Be creative or don’t criticize- find ways to reach a solution.
g. Do not attack the person- Critique the problem, not the person.
h. Do not postpone needed criticism- If the issue is big, act now and in an appropriate time frame.
i. Look at yourself before looking at others- Take the log out of your own eye.
j. End criticism with encouragement- Finish on a positive note (Maxwell Leadership Bible notes page 1428)
Conclusion:
We all need to learn how to fight the good fight and bring about a victory for you and for the kingdom of God.
Mark Buchanan’s shares an illustration from Leadership magazine in its Fall 2004 edition on pages 52, 53:
General Maximus comes to Rome dirty and shackled. This is not the way it’s suppose to be. Where’s Rome’s legendary pageantry to greet one of her heroes-the heraldry, the burnished armor, the laurel crown? Where’s the honor due him? Maximus comes a slave. That’s the premise of the movie Gladiator. Through a maze of events, Maximus goes from celebrated warrior, favorite of one emperor, to despised traitor, nemesis of another. He becomes a FUGITIVE, then caged slave, then unvanquished gladiator. His growing fame in the arena brings him to the sport’s pinnacle: Rome’s magnificent Coliseum to face her elite warriors. The games open with a re-enactment of the battle of Carthage. The gladiators, all foot soldiers, are cast as the hapless Carthaginians. It is a stage for slaughter. They are marched out a dark passageway into brilliant sunlight and met with a roar of bloodlust. Maximus, their leader, shouts to his men: “Stay together.” He assembles them in a tight circle in the center of the arena: back to back, shields aloft, spears outward. Again he shouts, “Whatever comes out that gate, stay together.” What comes out that gate is swift and sleek and full of terror. Chariot upon chariot thunder forth. War horses pull, with deadly agility and earthshaking strength, wagons driven by master charioteers. Amazonian warrior princesses ride behind and with deadly precision hurl spears and volley arrows. One gladiator strays from the circle, ignoring Maximus shouts once more: “Stay together!” The instinct to scatter is strong. But Maximus exerts his authority, and they resist that impulse. The chariots circle, closer, closer, closer. Spears and arrows rain down on the men’s wood shields. The chariots are about to cinch the knot. Right then Maximus shouts, “Now!” The gladiators attack, and decimate the Romans. Commodus, the evil emperor, caustically remarks to the games organizer: “My memory of Roman history is rusty; but didn’t we beat Carthage the first time?”
Whatever comes out that gate, stay together. That echoes what Jesus Prayed for us: “May they be brought to complete unity” (John 17:23). And he promises that the gates of hell will not overcome his church. …We know that. We long for it. We pray for it. And we miss it, almost every time. The instinct to scatter is strong. Not only that, but what’s worse, we often turn our weapons inward. “If you keep on biting and devouring each other, “ Paul warns, “watch out or you will be destroyed by each other” (Galatians 5:15).
The said truth in the church today many scatter at conflict moments and they turn their weapons on each other. They scatter with unforgiving hearts and a determination to destroy those they disagree with. They seek to inflict damage not institute healing or be willing to work out the problems like Peter and Paul did. Instead they cause destruction, divisions and devastation and this is never of God. Instead they seek to split, to destroy others character and to justify their reasons for not forgiving. They actually believe that God wants them to divide, to discredit and to hurt the Body of Christ.
Here is a good closing thought by the Apostle Paul when it comes to disagreements and confrontations within the Body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:11-16
11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
