🎶🎶🎶
🎶🎶🎶🎶
🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶
🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶
🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶
🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶
🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶
🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶�
standing on the promises I cannot fail, when the howling storms of doubt and fear are still, by the living word of God I shall prevail, standing on the promises of God, standing on the promises of God, standing on the promises of God, standing on the promises of God.
standing, standing on the promises of God, my Savior, standing, standing, I'm standing on the promises of God, standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
bound to Him eternally by love's strong form, overcoming daily with the Spirit's sword, standing on the promises of God.
standing, standing, standing on the promises of God, my Savior, standing, standing, I'm standing on the promises of God, standing on the promises I cannot fall,
listening every moment to the Spirit's call, listening in my Savior as my all in all, standing on the promises of God, standing, standing, standing on the promises of God, my Savior,
standing, standing, I'm standing on the promises of God.
All right, great singing. Thank you for being here this evening. Welcome to First Works Baptist Church. If you did not get a bulletin, go ahead and raise your hand and one of the ushers can get one for you. Our services are as follows. Sunday morning is at 1030, Sunday evening at 5 p.m. and then our Thursday night Bible study is at 7 p.m.
We will be in the book of Acts, chapter 15 tonight. Looking forward to that. And just as a reminder, we are a family integrated church. Infants and children are always welcome in the service, but for your convenience, we do have mother baby rooms located in the hallway should your child need some diversion. Changing tables are available in the infant rooms. Now the room for the bigger children is right here in the back, but the infant room has actually been relocated to the fellowship hall, the room nearest the fellowship hall.
So you can go there, there's a screen there, speaker, AC, everything that you need as well as changing tables available in that room as well. So just keep that in mind. And then you see the so many times and teams there as well. We have eight teams and if you would like to learn how to preach the gospel, you can see me after the service to be placed on the team so you can be trained and discipled on how to preach the gospel.
Please continue to pray for the list of expecting mothers there. The list continues to grow more and more. And so pray for them. And then some of the upcoming events for the fall program. This Sunday, October 25th, we have Idol Bashing Sunday. That will be on Sunday night. Along with that, we have Raising Cane. So we're going to be catering in Raising Cane's here. So don't go anywhere for dinner. Stick around, eat some chicken, Texas toast and fries and all that healthy food. It's going to be great. I'm joking about the healthiness.
But, um, it's going to be good. Glory to God. Amen. Friday, October 30th, we have the Ladies Prayer Meeting. Miss Janelle will be heading that up. So please see her for more details. Sunday, November 1st, we're celebrating the November birthdays. We'll have a breakfast for everyone prior to the service. It'll be in the fellowship hall in honor of all the birthdays. And then on November 8th, we're having a pie baking contest. And so if you want to know the rules, you can see my wife for more details about that. But there's a set of rules you have to follow.
But it's going to be great. We're looking forward to it. And along with that, we're actually having Pastor Aaron Thompson from Sure Foundations Baptist Church preaching for us Sunday morning, Sunday night. And he'll also be one of the judges. And so he doesn't know that. But if he watches this sermon, then he will know that he's going to be one of the judges. So we're recruiting him for that. Looking forward to the pie baking contest. It'll be a first, second and third prize winner. We don't know what the second and third prize winners are going to be, what we're going to give you. But that doesn't really matter. The first prize is what really matters, which will be a gift.
A gift card for you and a significant other to Fogo de Chao, which is a Brazilian steakhouse restaurant, all you can eat. And so that should motivate you to make sure you submit a pie and just make sure you see my wife for the rules in that regard.
And then we have another announcement on here. We're going to be having a sowing marathon in South Central on Saturday, November 14th. So we're looking forward to that. That's something that we're going to do for the sowing mega marathon.
But of course, due to COVID, we didn't do that. And so we're kind of reviving that. And we're going to have it on the 14th of November. We're looking forward to it. We're going to probably be meeting at a park for breakfast, donuts, coffee, and then we'll pick a restaurant and for lunch.
But we're looking forward to that. And that's a really receptive area. We're going sowing there a couple times. Brother Ulysses and I, and it was very receptive. A lot of people who were open to the gospel, we saw salvation is there.
And I know Brother Glen has gone there with the Glen Gang, and they've seen quite a bit of people saved there as well. It's a very large area. And so we've obviously been working on, or we've worked on Watts, but Watts is like north basically of South Central.
There's so much more ground to cover there. And so we're looking forward to that. And so be in prayer that we see a lot of people saved. So be there for the sowing marathon in South Central. It's going to be exciting. Looking forward to it.
And then of course we are currently in the fall program, right? And so last Sunday we had apple cider after service. And of course, as I mentioned, this coming Sunday we're having Raising Cane's in the Idle Bashing.
But we do have a contest going on, and that is in regards to visitors. And so if you have the most amount of visitors at the end of the fall program, which is the 8th of November, you will receive a paid missions trip to Belize when we go to Belize.
And so the way you can earn those points at base level is basically you attend all three services, you get 1,000 points. You go so many once a week, you get another 1,000 points. And you get 2,000 points per first and second time visitor.
Okay? So just keep that in mind. Now if you don't bring any visitors, but you do all these other requirements and you bring maybe one visitor or so, you earn a certain amount of points, you can actually win yourself a gift card, a $25 gift card to Good Works Raymond.
And so everyone should be able to do that. I encourage you to do so so you can get yourself a sweatshirt, t-shirt, they have a lot of good stuff on that store there.
And then the second prize winner will receive a $50 gift card. Third prize winner, a $35 gift card. So may the best man or woman win, okay?
I should have said that with more enthusiasm, huh? Or woman win, all right? I think Ms. DJ won last year. So men, you guys got to step it up, man.
And then lastly, please silence your phones. Either put it on airplane mode or silence them. We don't want any distractions during the preaching. And so keep that in mind, all right?
And that's pretty much it for all of our announcements. Go ahead and take your songbooks, 120, Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me, 120 in your songbooks for the ball.
Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me, all together on that first.
Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me, as a mother stills her child. Thou can touch the ocean wild, boisterous waves obey Thy will.
When I'll say to them, be still, wondrous summering of the sea. Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me, when at last I near the shore.
And the fearful breakers roar, twist me and the peaceful rest. Then while leaning on I rest, may I hear thee say to me, fear not, I will pilot thee.
And at this time, the ushers will collect the offering.
Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me, as a mother stills her child. Thou can touch the ocean wild, boisterous waves obey.
Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me, all together on that first.
Good evening. We're in Acts, Chapter 15.
Acts, Chapter 15.
And the chapter reads,
And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren and said,
Except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them,
they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.
And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenice and Samaria, declaring the conversation of the Gentiles,
and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.
And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church and of the apostles and elders,
and they declared all things that God had done with them.
But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying,
That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up and said unto them,
Men and brethren, you know how that a good while ago God made choice among us,
that the Gentiles by my mouth shall hear the word of the gospel and believe?
And God which knoweth the hearts, bear them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost,
even as He did unto us, and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Now therefore why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples,
which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they.
Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul,
declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.
And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren hearken unto me.
Simeon hath declared how God at first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His name.
And to this agree the words of the prophets, as it is written,
After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down.
And I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up,
that the residue of men might seek after the Lord,
and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
Wherefore are my sentences, that we trouble not them,
which from among the Gentiles are turned to God.
But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols,
and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
For Moses of all time hath in every city them that preach him,
being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
Then pleased at the apostles and elders,
with the whole church to send chosen men of their own country to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas,
namely Judas, surname Barsebus, and Silas, chief men among the brethren,
and they wrote letters by them after this manner.
The apostles, and elders, and brethren,
sent greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch, and Syria, and Silesia.
Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words,
subverting your soul, saying, You must be circumcised and keep the law,
to whom we gave no such commandment.
It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord,
to send chosen men unto you, with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things,
that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication,
from which, if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well, fair ye well.
So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch,
and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle,
which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.
And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, confirmed them.
And after they had tarried their space, they were let go in peace from their brethren unto the apostles,
notwithstanding and pleased Silas to abide their still.
Paul also in Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord with many others also.
And some days after Paul set out to Barnabas,
let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.
And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.
But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphia,
and went not with them to the work.
And the contention was so sharp between them that they departed asunder one from the other.
And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed on to Cyprus.
And Paul chose Silas and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.
And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.
We thank you, Heavenly Father, for such a wonderful church, dear God, for the brethren, for dear sisters, for our pastor, dear God.
We ask that you please fill with your Holy Spirit as he preaches your word tonight. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Okay, we're in Acts chapter 15. We're continuing our Bible study tonight on the book of Acts.
And if I were to title this chapter, I would title it, James's Inaccurate Epistle.
James's Inaccurate Epistle. And I'm not referring to the book of James, the book that comes after the book of Hebrews.
What I'm referring to is the letter that he sends out here in chapter 15 at the latter end,
the epistle that he sends to the Gentiles.
And I'm going to talk about why it's inaccurate in just a bit.
But let me just give you a brief overview of what's taking place here.
Now, we just finished going through Paul and Barnabas' first missionary journey.
Lots of people get saved, both Jew and Gentile. Great work is accomplished.
And they're coming back home. They're going to Antioch, the church that's in Antioch there.
But they come back to a whole new set of issues, okay?
And the issue being that Judaizers have been infiltrating.
These false brethren have come in unaware, teaching that people have to be circumcised in order to be saved.
This is obviously what we would refer to as damnable heresy, what the Bible calls damnable heresy, right?
It's basically saying, hey, you have to do some sort of work in order to be saved.
And more specifically, they're saying you need to be circumcised in order to be saved.
Now, keep in mind that what we see here in Acts chapter 15 is pretty interesting.
What we see here is actually expounded upon in the book of Galatians.
So when you read Acts chapter 15 and you compare what Galatians 1, 2, you know,
pretty much up until chapter 5, you see a lot of what's taking place here is further expanded upon by the apostle Paul,
the confrontation that takes place, a lot of the same issues that we see here.
He recounts later on in the book of Galatians, and we're going to look at that in just a bit.
Now, at the end of the book, we see Paul and Barnabas parting ways.
If you remember, in their first missionary journey, they departed to the island of Cyprus,
and it was Paul and Barnabas, but John Mark was with them as well.
And he wasn't necessarily specifically named.
He kind of operated as an assistant there, but then when they went to Pamphylia,
for whatever reason, Mark decided not to go, and he ended up going back home.
Well, that didn't sit well with the apostle Paul.
You see later on in this chapter here that when they're going on their second missionary journey,
Barnabas wanted to take Mark, but Paul didn't.
He's just like, this guy's lazy. He doesn't know how to work.
He left the work when we were out there in Pamphylia.
Let's not bring him. And he's just like, no.
And then there was such a contention between the two that they literally parted ways.
Barnabas ended up going back to Cyprus with Mark, and then Paul took Silas,
and he ended up going up north, taking a second missionary journey,
and we'll see that in the coming chapters.
Now, one thing that we can learn from this particular chapter here
that we need to understand is that men of God make mistakes.
And we see particularly with James.
Now think about this, because the book of Galatians, Paul says that Peter, James, and John, Cephas,
known as Peter, Peter, James, and John, they seem to be pillars in the church.
And what they're referring to, what he's referring to is the fact that these guys are like the leaders.
These are the men of God.
I mean, James, he's referring to the brother, the Lord's brother, his half-brother.
So this is someone who grew up with Jesus.
Obviously, later on, he didn't believe, but then even further after that, he ended up getting saved,
became a leader, and began leading there.
So people would look to him, obviously.
It's like, well, this guy's been with Jesus since he was a little kid.
He's been serving with him.
Peter, of course, is one of the 12, and you have John.
So they see these guys as the foundational pillars of the catalyst of the church, basically.
And they're just like, these are the men of God.
And so they kind of look to them for wisdom and insight on what they should do.
But here's the thing is that they're fallible men.
They make mistakes.
And here's a perfect example of this is that James is writing an epistle to basically state that the Gentiles
should abstain from fornication, which is good, abstain from idols and things strangled and blood.
These are all good things.
But what he's doing is he's telling, hey, Gentiles, you keep these commandments,
and then the Jews who've gotten saved, they can keep the law of Moses because we're two different types of people.
Well, that's wrong.
In Christ, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, according to the Bible.
And you would think that James would know that.
You would think that Peter would know that.
You would think John would know that.
But they didn't.
And maybe they did, and they just kind of reverted to old ways.
But they made a mistake.
And this should teach us and show us that men of God today are going to make mistakes.
Now, notice that the mistake wasn't about salvation, though.
Notice the mistake wasn't about something like really damnable, right?
You know, obviously, there's men of God out there who, you know, they may slip up or say you have to repent of your sins to be saved.
But then when you corner them or you instruct them, you reprove them, they believe the Bible, they'll change on that, right?
They'll say, okay, well, maybe that's not the right terminology I should use.
You know, I should use more biblical terminology.
And they make that transition.
But when you have people just blatantly teaching false doctrine about salvation, at that point, you know, this is not a brother.
In fact, he's more a false brother according to the Bible, right?
This is someone who is a prior Judas Iscariot at heart, okay?
So we need to make the distinction to when a pastor makes a mistake, that's different than someone who's teaching damnable heresy, okay?
And look, again, if someone out there is teaching damnable heresy and they're corrected and they change, okay, then we'll let it slide.
But if they're corrected or they know what's right or they know what the Bible actually says and they persist to teach false doctrine,
at that point, that person's an evil individual who's perverting the ways of judgment, okay?
So the thing that we can learn from this chapter is this, is that men of God make mistakes.
Folks, I hate to break this to you, but I'm going to make mistakes.
I've made mistakes, okay?
You know, I've made mistakes even whether it was pastoring here or pastoring on my old church, you know,
I've made mistakes, not crazy doctrinal errors, but there's going to be times when I make mistakes even doctrinally,
not about salvation, not about hell, not about heaven, not about things that are essential, not about the Trinity,
but just things that maybe I have a different interpretation of.
Later on down the road, I learn more and I recognize, well, I guess I was wrong about this, okay?
And you're going to have times in this ministry where you're going to be able to point out mistakes that I made.
You know, it doesn't mean I'm a Judas Iscariot.
It doesn't mean that I'm not safe.
It means that I'm a fallible individual who makes mistakes, okay?
By the way, you make mistakes too, amen?
We all make mistakes, and so that should teach us here something.
But further than that is it's important that when we're wrong, we change, right?
You know, believe it or not, I used to believe in the preacher relation rapture, okay?
I believe that I wasn't really like a strong proponent of it or anything like that,
but that was just, you know, that was just part of who you are as an old IFP individual.
It's like, what do you believe?
I believe in salvation by grace through faith and the pre-jubilation rapture and all these things.
The Jews are God's chosen people and all this.
You know, I used to believe that, but you know what?
When I was confronted with the truth, I changed on that because of the fact that I went with the Bible,
not with man's tradition, you understand?
So it's important that when we're confronted with the truth that we change.
And you know what?
Even here, we see Paul, you know, or later on, we'll see Paul.
Paul was wrong on some things too.
So was Peter, so was James.
You know, individuals are wrong.
It's just important that they change when they're corrected on those areas.
So that's one thing that we can learn from the book of Acts.
Now look at verse number one.
Let's get into the story here.
This is actually a pretty controversial, interesting story that we read here.
I mean, there's a lot of activity going on and we're going to look at it tonight.
Look what it says in verse one.
It says, in certain men, excuse me, which came down from Judea, taught the brethren.
Now notice that it says certain men.
There's a reason it states that, okay?
Often when you see that in the Bible, and it doesn't say brothers, it says certain men,
the connotation there is that they're false prophets is what it's referring to, okay?
They're coming down from Judea, they're teaching the brethren, and said,
except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved, okay?
So you have these Pharisees, these Jews that are going to the churches,
and they're creeping in unawares.
They're teaching literally that they have to keep the law of Moses,
and more specifically, they need to be circumcised in order to have eternal life.
This is nonsense, okay?
Now hold your place there.
Go to Galatians chapter five, if you would.
Galatians chapter number five.
Later on we see, and by the way, even previous to this,
if you remember in the first missionary trip that Paul took,
he's facing Jews, I mean, as soon as he lands on Cyprus,
he faces a limus, a sorcerer who's a Jew, he's a false prophet.
We see him later on going to Pamphylia and Perga.
He's facing Jews there.
They're stoning him.
I mean, they're just like not happy with him, right?
So, you know, he's probably thinking, well, I'm going home,
where it's safe, it's doctrinally sound, everything's going to be A-okay,
and he comes home to these false brethren who have been teaching,
you know, that they need to be circumcised in order to be saved.
Now, if you remember in the book of Galatians,
he's dealing with this, like, throughout the entire epistle,
and the book of Galatians is written to the churches of Galatia.
So these Judaizers have been putting in a lot of work
going to different local congregations teaching this false doctrine,
and it shouldn't surprise us because Jesus said
that the Pharisees will come pass sin land to make one proselyte, you know.
So we see that.
Now, you're in Galatians 5, and I'm going to read to you from chapter 1, verse 6.
It says, I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him
that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel,
which is not another, he says,
but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ,
but though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you
than that which we have preached unto you, let him be a curse.
So he's saying, look, I'm like,
I'm astounded at the fact that I'm coming here,
you heard me preach the gospel unto you,
and now you're, like, Judaized.
Now you feel like you've got to keep the law of Moses in order to be saved.
That's like another gospel, which, by the way, is not another.
And he's telling them, hey, the people who are teaching you these things,
let them be a curse.
What does that mean?
Let them be damned.
To hell is what he's saying.
A curse means to be damned.
Circumcision, folks, in the Old Testament
was a custom given to the nation of Israel as a custom
as a token to basically identify them as God's chosen people.
In the Old Testament.
It's when the foreskin was removed
and that was a token to basically establish that everlasting covenant that they had.
Now, obviously, it wasn't everlasting, because why?
Because they breached that covenant.
And because they breached it,
God breached it and made a new covenant,
which the Bible says in Hebrews chapter 8
is a better covenant established upon better promises
with a better mediator, which is Jesus Christ.
Now, here's the funny thing.
You know, I'm wondering
if there was like a brother in there at that church
that when those Pharisees came and said, hey, you've got to be circumcised in order to be saved,
I wonder if someone just got up and said,
well, what about my wife?
Well, I've got three daughters.
So am I the only one in my family that can be saved?
Like, did you think about that?
Because only males are circumcised, right?
Only males can get circumcised.
What about the females?
You see how nonsensical this is?
But then, you know,
they probably didn't even question it.
They're thinking, well, these are Pharisees.
These are rulers.
Sometimes people need to learn how to think for themselves, folks.
And not just take
everything that they hear at face value,
be like the Bereans
and basically study these things
to make sure that they're so.
Like, when you hear something, it's like you've got to prove all things,
hold fast to that, which is good.
Like, I don't know if that makes any sense.
What do you mean we've got to be circumcised?
What about like my cousins who are females,
and my mom, and my wife, and my sisters?
What about all the sisters that are in church?
What about that? Are they all just damned to hell
because they're not going to be circumcised?
It's ridiculous.
Look at what it says in Galatians 5 in verse 1.
It says, Stand fast therefore in the liberty
of Christ that made us free,
and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Behold, I Paul say unto you,
that if ye be circumcised,
Christ shall profit you
nothing.
Now look, this is not saying that if you
today in 2020 are circumcised,
Christ doesn't profit you anything.
He's referring to the fact that if you're circumcised
in order to be saved,
Christ shall profit you nothing.
Because if it's by grace,
then there's no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace.
But if it be it works,
then there's no more of grace, otherwise work is no more work,
the Bible says in Romans chapter 11 verse 6.
What that is teaching is this,
you can say, well I believe in Jesus,
but I also think you've got to get circumcised to be saved.
Well guess what, Christ profits you nothing.
Because it has to be exclusively
by faith in Christ in order to be saved,
not Christ plus circumcision.
It says in verse number 3,
For I testify again to every man
that is circumcised, that he is a
debtor to do the whole law.
So what is he referring to?
These people who say you have to be circumcised to be saved
are cherry picking the law.
You've got to be circumcised.
Well hold on a second, is that the only law that Moses gave?
No.
There's plenty of other laws
and rules and regulations that he had,
the customs, the meats, drinks, and diverse washings,
carnal ordinances
that no one was ever able to keep perfectly.
Right.
He's like, look if you're going to be circumcised,
then you're a debtor to the whole law.
There's a lot of people today that say,
you know, well I'm saved because, you know,
I don't do X, Y, and Z.
It's just like, well what about the rest of the law?
Well I've never killed anybody, but have you lied?
Have you stolen?
Have you borne false witness?
Have you, you know, have you been covetous?
Or here's one, let's say you kept all of those.
Okay, have you loved the Lord your God
with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength?
And if you say yes, then you just broke another commandment
because you just lied.
No one can say that they love God
24-7 perfectly
all the days of their life. It's impossible.
It is impossible.
So what he's saying here is like,
hey, if you say you're circumcised, well just keep in mind
you're a debtor to the whole law.
If that's the route you want to go.
Verse 4, Christ has become a no effect unto you.
Whosoever you are justified by the law,
ye are fallen from grace.
And let me just tell you here,
he's being facetious.
Because you can't be justified by the law.
He's telling those who think they're justified by the law,
that's why he says, you're fallen from grace.
For we threw the spear away
for the hope of righteousness by faith.
For in Jesus Christ neither
circumcision availeth anything
nor uncircumcision
but faith which worketh by
love.
Then he says he did run well.
Who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
This persuasion cometh not of him
that calleth you.
A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
He's basically saying,
who's this Pharisee that came in here
and taught you that?
Where are you getting this from?
You were running so well,
you were doing so well spiritually,
and all of a sudden you're just detoured by this false
doctrine. What's going on here?
How can you believe this nonsense?
That's what he's telling him.
Go to 1 Corinthians chapter 7.
1 Corinthians chapter number 7.
And look, a perfect example
of this is the fact that
even today in 2020,
a lot of people are circumcised.
I mean, this was like a common
practice even in the United States of America.
And look, you ask the average Christian
about circumcision, well yeah, it's a good thing to do.
Well, how do you know that?
They got that from the Bible.
More specifically, the Old Testament
where it talked about circumcision.
But they never questioned it.
They never questioned the fact that
the circumcision of the Old Testament
is symbolically
representing the circumcision
of the heart in the New Testament.
Which, by the way, those who were saved in the Old Testament
also had their hearts circumcised.
Okay, we'll get into that in just a bit.
But people just blindly
follow that. They say, well, you know,
it's in the Bible. Yeah, but you got to look at what
God has basically said
it's done away with and what remains.
We're talking about customs here. We're not referring
to God's moral law, by the way.
Look at 1 Corinthians 7.17.
But as God hath distributed
to every man, as the Lord hath
called every one, so let him walk
and so ordain I in all churches.
Is any man called being
circumcised? Let him not
become uncircumcised. Okay.
Do you get what he
means here?
Obviously, if you're circumcised,
it's impossible. It's like, well, you know what?
I changed my mind on this.
Let me just reverse that
whole procedure there.
What he's saying is this. Don't seek to be
under the law if you're already
saved out of the law. Don't try to get yourself
back under the law.
Let him not become
uncircumcised. Is any called an uncircumcision?
Let him not be
circumcised. It's like, you don't need
to follow that.
Whatever you're called in is where you need to abide.
If you're a Gentile, don't try to be a Jew.
That's what he's saying.
Circumcision
is nothing and uncircumcision
is nothing but the keeping
of the commandments of God. Look,
people say, well, this pleases God.
No, keeping God's commandments pleases God.
And it's not referring to the commandments of the
customs. It's referring to God's commandments
just in general.
Christ's commandments.
Let every man abide in the same
calling wherein he
was called.
If you are a Gentile, you don't have to
try to go keep Shabbat.
You don't have to abstain
from pork. It's like, oh man,
now we have to live after the manner of the Jews,
which is exactly what James is teaching.
He's saying, look,
Jews, you need to continue to
live like Jews. Gentiles, you need
to live like Gentiles. Just abstain from
fornication, abstain from the pollution
of idols and things strangled in blood.
Which is kind of,
it's really nonsensical if you think about it.
So that's the only thing Gentiles are supposed to do?
Or not do? Think about that.
Right?
It's like, okay, so these four things are the only
things that Gentiles are not supposed to partake of?
Hello?
You know, the reason he's saying that is because
potentially the Gentiles
of this region were given over to
fornication. They're given
over to idolatry. They probably ate
food or the meat of animals
with the blood still in it.
And therefore he said, well you guys kind of struggle with those things
so you need to make sure you abstain from that.
It's nonsense.
Now, go to Romans chapter 2.
Romans chapter number 2.
Romans chapter number 2 verse 28
says here,
for he is not a Jew.
Please read this with me
in your hearts.
Which is one outwardly,
neither is that circumcision
which is outward in the flesh.
So what are the Jews
known for in the Bible? Circumcision.
And in fact, Paul refers
to them as the circumcision.
Because obviously that's something that's very
important to them, right?
He's specifically telling them, by the way,
Paul who is a Benjamite, so to speak,
he specifically says,
he is not a Jew.
Okay, who is circumcised.
Verse 29, but he is a Jew
which is one
inwardly.
And circumcision is that of the heart
in the spirit, not of the
letter, whose praise is not
of men, but of God.
Folks, I've never read a more
clear statement of who the true Jews are.
For he is not a Jew.
And then verse 29,
but he is a Jew.
And it gives the description of each.
Now I remember going to someone
and, you know, we were discussing
replacement theology,
and I said, hey, Romans 2, 28
to 29 says this.
This is why I believe what I believe.
This is like the basis
for what I believe, because I remember reading it, I'm like, okay,
that right there is the most clear statement I've ever read
about replacement theology.
And they said, well, that's just spiritually speaking.
Well, yeah, well, they that worship him
must worship him in spirit and in truth.
That's actually the most important thing.
So, I mean,
the flesh profit of nothing.
It is the spirit that quickeneth,
right?
So it says here, and by the way,
here's the interesting thing about that statement.
He said, well, that's spiritually.
Well, at the end of verse 29 it says,
whose praise is not of men,
but of God. So when it says praise, it's referring
to that recognition.
So people who are physically circumcised,
they're like, oh, people are like, oh, yeah, that's a Jew for sure.
But the people who are spiritually
circumcised in heart, God
says, yeah, no, that's a Jew right there.
Because the praise is not of men,
but of God.
Okay?
So, the point that I'm making
here, go to Acts chapter 15, go back to
Acts chapter 15. The point that's being
made here is the fact that circumcision
of valeth nothing.
Look, parents, you don't have to worry
when you go have your children,
oh, man, should I do it?
No, because the Bible says the circumcision of
valeth nothing.
Okay? And I know there's a bunch
of studies been out there, supposed
studies is more sanitary.
Folks, a lot of that is hoopla.
Okay? It's not true.
They're basing it off
of Judeo-Christian
ideologies is what they're doing.
Okay?
And look, this is a big deal in the
New Testament here.
Even to the point you have people teaching
that if you're not circumcised, you will be
down. Now, I would agree with that if they're
referring to the circumcision of the heart.
Right? So if they're not
circumcised after the law of
Jesus, then yeah,
they can't be saved.
Because once we believe on Jesus Christ
according to the Bible, then we receive
that circumcision of the heart. And
it doesn't require for you to do any works.
It doesn't require for you to keep any of the commandments.
The Bible says, therefore we conclude that a man is
justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
And look, if you're
trying to keep the law in order to be saved,
good luck with that. No one will ever be able to
do that. And the Bible says, he that keepeth
the whole law yet offended one point, he's guilty
of all.
And by the way, from the time that you broke it,
so it's not like you get a fresh new start
today to start it. Well, okay, now I know, so let me just
start over again today. It doesn't work that way.
It's better to just
place your faith in Jesus,
who's the one who actually kept the
entire law, and have his
righteousness put to your account.
Rather than you trying
to get into heaven based upon your
account, which is blemished.
The Bible says that our righteousness
are as filthy rags in the eyes
of God. Our righteousness
cannot save us. The good that we do
cannot save us. Therefore, it
exclusively has to be by faith in Christ
alone. Plus nothing, minus
nothing. Okay?
So, they come
home, there's this issue here,
look at verse two, when therefore Paul
and Barnabas, I like what it says here,
had no small dissension and
disputation with them. What does that mean?
In other words, it wasn't like, well I
disagree with you.
You know, it's just like, you know, you
believe what you believe, I believe what I believe,
we can just go our separate ways. It says they had no
small dissension or disputation.
So, what's the opposite of small?
Big. Okay? So, in other words,
it's just like, they're probably, they're yelling
at each other, he's arguing with them, he's rebuking
them, because there's no small dissension
and disputation
to dispute, right?
Paul is just like, you
Judaizers, you guys are wicked
teaching you have to do this. It's a
damnable heresy and you can see why he would be
upset about it. We should be upset about that,
right?
It says, when therefore Paul and Barnabas had
no small dissension, I like, by the way
I like that Barnabas was also
included in that, because Barnabas is the
son of consolation.
You know, he's more like the refined one.
But even he was just like mad about it.
They determined that Paul and Barnabas
and certain other of them
should go up to Jerusalem
unto the apostles and elders
about this question. Now,
let me explain what that means, because some
people will get a little confused about
verse 2, the latter end,
to say, well, maybe Paul and Barnabas
were like, man, well, do they have to keep the law
most or something? Because they're going
to the elders,
right, and Jerusalem, to the apostles
and elders about this question.
So it's like, well, what does that mean
then? You know, question about what?
Well, first and
foremost, he's not referring to
a question as an inquiry, because
no inquiry was made.
There's no question that was made here.
And it's not like Paul
is just like, maybe they're right
about this or something. Maybe you do have to be
circumcised to be saved. We've got to rethink our ministry
here. You know,
that's not what he's saying. Folks, he just got done
disputing
with them and rebuking them
and reproving them, telling them that they're wrong.
So the
question is, what does this mean when he
says that they went up to Jerusalem
unto the apostles and elders about
this question?
Well, question,
the word question, we often think as
an inquiry. Like, I got a
question for you. They're asking something.
But question also means
matter, okay?
And in fact,
in Spanish, you have a term,
a phrase that people will say,
una question. Literally, that's how you say it.
Like a question, you just put question.
And they don't use it
in context of like, they have an inquiry.
Because in Spanish,
when you say like an inquiry, sometimes they'll say
segunta, okay?
But they have a term that says
question, which means like a matter.
This is the matter at hand.
So what this is actually saying is that they
went to Jerusalem
to the apostles and elders
about this matter. And to
further prove that, look
down at verse number six.
And the apostles and elders came together for
to consider of this matter.
So what matter are they
bringing to them? Paul and Barnabas
started going there saying, hey, did you guys know
there's like these Judaizers going into the churches there
teaching false doctrine that you have to be
circumcised in order to be saved?
This is a problem.
And by the way, this is a huge issue.
Like, how come no one's doing anything
about this?
You know, this is taking place in the local churches.
Paul and Barnabas just got back from the
missions trip, and they have these guys teaching
this false doctrine. It's just like, hey leaders,
are you guys going to do anything about this?
This person's teaching you have to repent of your sins
to be saved. This person's teaching you have to be
baptized in order to be saved. That dude over there
believes in Calvinism.
He's a five point Calvinist.
This guy's a hyper dispensationalist.
Is something going to be done
about that? I'm coming to you
regarding this question.
You know? So that's what Paul and Barnabas
are doing. They're not going to just turn a blind eye to it.
And say, well, you know,
they're just babes in Christ.
We don't want to ruffle the feathers or
cause any controversy.
Folks, this is very important.
And look, today in our church,
these matters need to be
brought to me.
When they come up. You know, you have people in here
that are teaching some works-based
salvation. You know, discern
and say, okay, maybe the pastor needs to know about this.
And say, you know,
obviously, if they're like, well, I believe
you have to keep God's
commandments in order to be saved. And it's just like,
you correct them, and they're like, okay, you know, you're right.
I was wrong. Okay, at that point, I don't need to know.
But if they're just like,
no, you do need to be circumcised
in order to be saved.
You need to blow the trumpet.
You need to keep the Sabbath.
You need to abstain from meats, drinks, and all these
things. You need to abstain from pork.
You got to make sure you do all these things
in order to be saved. Okay, at that point, come tell me.
Come to me about
that matter. And here's the thing.
Churches today,
they can care less about that.
I'm serious.
I've been in churches where it's like you have a
smorgasbord of false
doctrine all over the church, and the
pastor does not care.
You can bring it
to the pastor's attention, and it's just like,
yeah, he's just off on that. Well, why don't you
go correct them?
Why don't you go tell him?
Because here, or in
Galatians, what Paul said, a little
leaven, leaven it the whole lump.
Folks, you allow a little
false doctrine to enter into
the church, and it goes unfettered,
unchecked. It ultimately
permeates the church, and then the church goes into
apostasy eventually.
It'll go into apostasy.
So we need to make sure we're
strict when it comes to these things.
And not be like the doctrine
police. I'm going around asking people
like, what do they believe? But folks, if you have
these false brethren who are creeping in,
unawares, teaching weird doctrine, you know, we
need to know about it. I need to know about it.
We need to deal with it right away.
So they come to
them about this matter, about
this question. Now, let's look at this more in
detail. Go back to Galatians chapter 2.
We're going to flip back and forth from Galatians
to Acts chapter 15.
Galatians chapter number 2.
We need to get back to
a biblical society
where you have churches that actually esteem
doctrine to the point
where it's just like, hey, we can't just ignore
if someone's teaching some damnable heresy.
Okay, this needs
to be addressed.
And look, if the pastor's not willing to do that,
then he probably shouldn't be a pastor.
Because the pastor's job is to
shepherd the people and to be able to
bring down the hammer when it needs
to be brought.
Well, I thought you're supposed to be all nice.
No, no, no. The pastor's not a politician.
Politician needs to please everyone.
Politician needs to smile
and shake hands and kiss babies
and steal money.
I'm just kidding.
They need to do all these things in order to
please everyone.
Look, too many pastors today think that they're
politicians. They're like the spiritual
politicians of the
spiritual realm,
so to speak.
Wrong.
That's why they get offended. It's just like,
well, I don't really like listening to this pastor
because he's a little rough around the edges.
Well, what do you expect? You want
a president? You want a mayor?
You want a governor as a pastor or something?
You want someone to flatter you and lie
to you and not correct you?
That's not God's man.
The pastor
means shepherd.
And the job of the shepherd is to protect
the sheep from the wolves
with the staff.
You just beat the wolf over the head if he's trying to
eat the sheep.
And sometimes you've got to hit the sheep.
It's like, hey, that's bad grass. Don't eat it.
And they go eat it. It's like, bah!
You just hit it.
Sheep get out. I'm not physically saying that
I'm going to do this to you. Although sometimes.
No, I'm just kidding.
You know, hey, some sheep start going astray.
They're going down a dark path.
And you're trying to warn them.
They don't listen. You've got to hit them with the
staff of God's word.
So you kind of wake them up.
But see, people today, they want
the politician.
Well, I can't judge you for wanting to go hang out
with that wolf.
You know,
I'm just saying, hey, you guys got to be careful
with the wolves out there. What wolves? I can't say.
I don't want to call any names.
These wolves in sheep's clothing,
they want like a governor
or a mayor, they want some sort of
politician to basically tell them what they want to
tell them what they want to hear.
Whereas God says, no, the
pastor needs to make sure that he
is preaching the word of God
or proving, rebuking and exhorting with all
long suffering and doctrine.
You know, fighting
the spiritual battles of false doctrine.
We need to make sure we confront those things.
Look at the Galatians chapter 2, verse 1.
Then 14 years after, I went
up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas and took
Titus with me also.
And I went up by revelation and communicated
unto them that gospel which I
preached among the Gentiles, but
privately to them who were
of reputation, lest by any means
I should run or had run in vain.
So in other words, he's basically saying,
when I went there, I made sure I reported
all the salvation, what God
has done, because I want them to know
what God is doing.
He's saying, I don't want to run in vain,
just do this work and no one knows about it.
People need to find out about the work of God
that's being accomplished.
Verse 3, but neither Titus, who was with me being a Greek,
was compelled to be circumcised,
and that because of false brethren,
unawares,
brought in, who came in
privily to spy out our
liberty, which we have in Christ Jesus,
that they might bring us into
bondage. Not because they think
they have the truth, not because
they want to get you saved, they want to
bring you into bondage.
This is what's known as
a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Because it says a false brethren
who's coming in unawares.
How can someone come into our
church unaware, like a false
prophet, by looking like us, talking
like us, using
the same lingo as us.
And look, they can have that facade
as long as they want, eventually the truth
will come out. Because the Bible says
that their folly shall be made manifest.
And thank God for that.
But this is how they do it. They don't
come into church with a sign over their neck
saying, I'm a false prophet.
You know, they come in
trivially to spy out the liberty
to try to teach false doctrine.
Verse 5, to whom we gave
place by subjection, no not
for an hour.
What is he saying? He's like, we didn't give
them the time of day.
We didn't even give them, we gave them like 30 minutes.
I believe he's referring to
what took place in Acts chapter 15.
They disputed with
them, they rebuked them,
harshly,
and it says here, they didn't give any
subjection, they didn't capitulate to what
they were saying.
It's like, okay, well, you know, you're older in the Lord than me.
Therefore, I'm just
going to, we're just going to agree to disagree.
No, it's like, you're wrong, and I'm right.
Because
the Bible's right.
To whom we gave place by subjection,
no not for an hour, that the truth
of the gospel might continue with
you.
You know what this is talking about? You know when people,
when God's man stands up and he preaches the
word of God with certainty?
What does that do?
It propels the truth.
But you know when you have someone who's
not willing to fight these spiritual battles,
it actually holds back the gospel.
Because it doesn't encourage anybody, it doesn't embolden
anybody to tell the truth.
Because their leader can't tell the truth.
I guarantee you there's tons
of church members out there who are
frustrated with their pastor. You know why?
Because he doesn't stand up for truth.
And it's like, man, just say something.
Just rip every once in a while, would you?
Can you just get a little, can you preach
like you actually believe what you're saying?
And it hurts them.
Because they wish they would
just get up and do the job
of a pastor.
Paul's just like,
look, you don't have to worry about me,
I don't subject to them,
I don't capitulate to them, not even for an hour.
So, hold your place or go back to Acts 15.
Throughout the years of our church,
we're going to have false brethren come in.
We've had false brethren come in.
But we're going to have more.
That's just the nature of the beast.
And look, there's this disconnect
in independent fundamental Baptist churches
where they know the Bible teaches
about false prophets, but they
just think, well, not in our church, though.
Like, when you ask them,
who's a false prophet, they'll pick out
the most obvious one, like Joel or something.
Joel's like, yeah, that's, come on.
Duh.
Unsafe people know that.
You don't need to have
any level, deep level of theology
to know that.
He's a wolf in wolf's clothing.
Duh.
But they think, well, you know, this person
is just off a little bit.
You might want to reconsider that phrase
and dig in a little deeper to figure out
if these people are just actual infiltrators.
Because the Bible says there will be infiltrators.
Okay.
Look at verse 3 of Acts 15.
It says, in being brought on their way
by the church, they pass through Phoenice
and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles.
And they cause great joy
unto all the brethren.
So this is really the beginning of
Paul's reputation, if you think about it.
Because all the other apostles at this point,
they're only winning who? Jews.
Winning Jews to the Lord.
And in fact, in Acts chapter 21,
when Paul brings the report of Gentiles being saved,
those of James,
his brethren, his closest guys,
they're like, well, you know, didn't you hear
about all these Jews that are getting saved too?
They're becoming jealous of the law and stuff.
So they're almost saying like, hey, don't forsake the Jews.
Whereas God said, no, you need to go
into all the world.
You need to preach the gospel to every
creature, not just the Jews.
You can't just stick around in Jerusalem
You need to go around and preach the gospel to everyone.
So what Paul's doing here,
he's like, hey, Gentiles being saved.
Hey, did you hear about the Gentiles
being saved? Hey,
Cyprus, we saw a bunch of people saved in Cyprus.
I like that.
Hey, when I run into old IFP people, I tell them
about the people who get saved all the time.
Yeah, we went to Belize,
it was great. We got
a bunch of people saved.
We went to this place and that
place, we went to Compton, to Watts,
we've seen a bunch of people saved.
Tons of people are getting saved.
And by the way, you know, these ghetto areas,
that's like the
Gentile areas to old IFP.
Because
they don't like going to areas like that.
They send the bus ministry
to those areas.
Which is sad in my opinion.
You know, you're sending the bus,
you know, the bus ministry there to go get the
children. What about the adults?
What about the parents?
Why don't you send your best
soul winners to those areas instead?
Well, it's so ghetto.
It's just, you know,
like, those places are so dangerous.
For a soul winner?
Let me just
make something very clear. Ghetto
areas are not dangerous for soul winners at all.
And anybody who thinks, I
remember once, when we announced we were going to
Compton for soul winning, for a marathon,
there was literally someone in our church,
I was just like, hey, we're going to Compton.
And they were like, what?
They never came back after that.
They left our church and they
never came back.
And then people in the comments section were like, hey, you guys
got to be careful out there.
People were asking like, what color should I wear?
I'm like,
you guys are joking,
right?
Obviously there's gangsters out there,
but you must not know a whole lot about gangsters.
Like, gangsters
are not like, where those Christians
at?
About to blast
me a preacher today.
They're not like
trying to kill Christians.
In fact, if you know anything,
they actually respect Christians.
Folks, when we went to
Compton, I led
just this guy was, I mean, he was
flamed out. What that means is
that he was blood, like from
head to toe.
Slippers were red, socks
were red, everything
was red. It's just like, I think I know what
gang you belong to.
And you know what?
You know what he did when I came to talk to him with
Bible in hand? He put his hands over like
this, took off his hat
and he listened and he
got saved.
You know,
why? Well, because he's near death all the
time.
So he's like, I need to know how to get saved,
you know?
You don't have to go there with a
strap or anything. We have the Lord.
We're not going there
like gang members.
Aren't you afraid you're going to get robbed?
No, we have the Lord on our side.
And look, if they rob
us, then you know what? The Lord
can provide more.
I mean, what are they going to take?
My tie?
My debit card?
There's not much in there.
Don't concern yourself with those things.
You know,
and there needs to be a resurgence
of going to these areas.
Not being afraid of going to these areas
because there's people. Look, I'm sure Satan
has worked very hard to strike fear
in the hearts of pastors in suburban
areas or nice areas
to not go to those areas because those people are actually
receptive.
They're extremely receptive.
We had a great time in
We had a great time in Watts. The only area
that we went to that was just not as receptive
was Inglewood. You guys remember that?
That was bad.
I thought Inglewood was up to no good, and I
guess it was true because they weren't very
receptive, amen?
But, you know, other areas,
we went to Watts. We went to Grape Street.
You know, and
projects and gang members and
smoking weed and, you know, they're just
living that type of lifestyle.
But you know what? Extremely respectful.
They got saved.
They're very kind and gracious.
You know,
that's where we need to go.
They want to go to the
country clubs.
I need to get me a millionaire
in the church.
We need
to go to Beverly Hills.
No, you just need to
depend on the Lord.
And you need to go where the fish are biting.
Anyways,
so he's
basically telling what's going on.
Verse 4 says, and when they were come to Jerusalem,
they were received at the church and of the apostles
and elders, and they declared all
things that God had done with them.
So you got to keep in mind, like, he's got to build his reputation
up a little bit because he's new.
He was one that was born out of
due time. So maybe, you know,
maybe the apostles don't really respect them as much.
He probably
doesn't have a whole lot of clout, so to speak.
So he's got to show, like, hey, God's using me, too.
And it's getting to a point here
where, you know, you see
later on in Galatians, we're like, you know what?
Maybe God is using you.
Let me give you the right hands of fellowship.
You go to the Gentiles. We'll stick to the Jews.
Kind of thing, right?
Verse 5 says,
But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees
which believed, saying that it was needful
to circumcise them and to command
them to keep the law of Moses.
And the apostles and elders came together
for to consider of this matter.
I want to guarantee what I believe is going on here, okay?
First and foremost,
they're going to the church there
to discuss the matter at hand, right?
Which is that these false brethren are coming in
teaching they have to keep the law of Moses,
be circumcised in order to be saved.
They obviously know that's not true, but they're reporting that.
And what you have is that you have a
sect of Pharisees that are
saved in this area.
How do we know that? Because it says which
believed. And any time you see
the phrase which believed,
it's often in reference to
saved people. Just like when you see
the term certain men,
you know, that obviously that should tell
you this is referring to probably like a
bad person, a false prophet.
When it says which believed,
it's the Holy, excuse me, it's the Holy Ghost
that's saying this, and it's telling us
these are saved people, okay?
Now what are the
Pharisees who are saved saying are they agreeing
that they have to keep the law of Moses in order to
be saved? I don't believe that's what they're agreeing to.
They're basically saying, well yeah, not to be
saved, but they should keep the law of Moses though.
Not to be saved, but they
should keep the law of Moses, they should be
circumcised according to the law of Moses,
they should do these things. These things are
necessary for them to do.
Not for salvation, just to do because it's
the law of Moses kind of thing.
And look, a modern day example of
what we see here is people
who are saved,
but let me just give an extreme example.
But they say, don't we have to keep the Sabbath
still? By the way, someone
who is saved and they get
duped by these people who keep the Sabbath, doesn't mean
they're not saved. Now after you show them in the
Bible, and you're like, hey
this is not good, this is what the Bible
teaches about that, and they're like, no.
I'm going to keep
the Sabbath and that's necessary
in order to be saved. At that point you're like, okay, that person's not
saved.
But I believe there's people like this
even today who are just not well versed
in the Bible, or maybe they're so
duped into their traditions
that they kind of carry that over into their
Christian life even afterwards.
Okay.
Where they bring their traditions with them.
You know, this is what they were doing prior
to salvation because we're talking about Pharisees here.
They're keeping the law of Moses, then
they get saved and we're like, well we should just continue to keep the law of Moses.
Why not?
You know.
So, saying that it was
needful to circumcise them and to
keep them and to command them to keep
the law of Moses. So then the
apostles and the elders, they come together like, so
oh man, they make a point there. No, they don't.
They don't make a
point. Folks, Jesus
Christ was crucified.
At the crucifixion you have the new covenant.
Old things, the old
covenant has vanished away.
You got to remember is that
Jesus Christ being crucified was the
culmination of all those meats, drinks, and
diverse washings. He was
the culmination of that. He was the
representation of those Old Testament
customs.
Now go to Galatians chapter 3.
Now look, now we're seeing that leaders
sometimes make mistakes.
This should not be considered.
Someone
should just get up and say,
no.
You don't have to do any of that.
I get what you're saying. I know that's
where you come from. That's what you used to do.
You've done it for years on end, but now
you're saved. We don't have to adhere to
those things anymore. We're not to judge
people and meats and drinks
and of holy days and of sabbaths.
You know, Jesus Christ was
the representation of all of those things.
We no longer have to keep those things.
But they're like, hmm, let's consider this matter.
Now, let me tell you
why they're considering the matter.
Because they're in Jerusalem.
And what do you have more in
Jerusalem? Jews or Gentiles?
Jews.
So they want to keep the Jews happy.
And this is why they're telling the Jews to live
after the matter of the Jews, even after salvation.
Because they don't want to offend anybody.
Okay. This is why Peter,
if you remember in Galatians chapter 2,
he, you know, he's winning Gentiles
to the Lord. He's not teaching them to live after the
matter of Jews. But then what happens?
Once the Jews come,
then he's like, oh, get away from me.
I got to put on face.
Gentiles.
He has to play the part.
And by the way, it says certain came from
James.
Think about that.
So this is kind of showing you that
James is like a leader who has a lot of
influence. And his men are coming in
and he's just like, oh man, James guys is coming.
Tell those guys to go away. We got to like
separate from there. He has
dissimulated love, right?
He's being a hypocrite is what he's doing.
And of course he gets rebuked for that.
Look at Galatians 3 verse 1,
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched
you that ye should not obey the truth?
Before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath
evidently been set forth crucified among
you? This only would I learn of
you, receive ye the Spirit by the works
of the law, or by the hearing of faith.
Are ye so foolish
having begun in the Spirit?
Are ye not made perfect by the flesh?
Have ye suffered so many things
in vain, if it be yet in vain?
He therefore that ministereth
to you the Spirit, and
worketh miracles among you, doeth
he it by the works of the law,
or by the hearing of faith?
Skip down to verse 10.
For as many as are of the works of the law are
under the curse, for it is written,
Cursed is everyone that continueth not in
all things which are written in the book of the law
to do them. But that no man is
justified by the law in the sight of
God, it is evident, for
the just shall live by faith.
The law is not of faith, but the man
that doeth them shall live in them.
So what is he saying? No one is justified
by the law. No one can
keep the law and go to heaven, but the individual
who wants to do that, you better
make sure you keep the entire law.
That's what he's saying. You better live in the law.
And obviously,
it's impossible.
No one's ever been able to do that.
Except for Christ.
Verse 13. Christ hath
redeemed us from the curse of the law,
being made a curse for us, for it is
written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on the tree,
that the blessing of Abraham might come on the
Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might
receive the promise of the Spirit through
faith. Now go back
to Acts chapter 15.
Go back to Acts chapter 15.
So it's like, why consider it?
You don't have to keep the law.
It's done. It's the Old
Covenant. And in fact,
Old Covenant in the Old Testament
is also defined by
the Ten Commandments. Did you know that?
When the Bible referred to
the Ten Commandments, which is an actual phrase
that you find in the Old Testament, the book of Exodus,
it also had a synonym
which is the Covenant.
And the Bible says that the Covenant
is done away with. Therefore, we're not
under the law, but under what?
Grace, according to the Bible.
Romans chapter 6.
Look at verse number 7 of Acts chapter 15.
And when there had
been much disputing, people are arguing here
about this.
So what is he saying?
Hey, guys, Gentiles
don't have to do this. Don't you remember when God
gave me the vision of the animals
upon the sheet, the four corners,
and he taught me that I should go into the
Gentiles? He's making a case
against for what these Pharisees are
saying. But define irony.
Because then later on,
he's being a hypocrite
himself.
What does this teach us?
Leaders make mistakes sometimes.
Peter's a great guy.
He's a man of God. He's used
greatly of God. But even him,
he's like, it's like, what?
You know this is written in the Bible, Peter, right?
You know we're going to be able to pull this out later
and compare Galatians
with Acts chapter 15.
What he's saying here is right.
It's good.
Verse 9.
Which neither our fathers
nor we
were able to bear. Now, let me just
chase a little rabbit here, okay.
Verse 10
is a great verse to debunk
dispensationalism.
Because what does it say?
It says, now therefore we're attempting God to
put a yoke upon the next of the disciples, which
neither our fathers
nor we are able to bear.
Because what is the teaching
of hyper dispensationalism? Oh, they got
saved in the Old Testament by keeping them in the law.
Doing the sacrifices, the meats, drinks
and diverse washings. Well, that's funny because they weren't able to keep that.
They couldn't bear it.
They couldn't do it. What are you
talking about?
He's saying there, look,
they weren't able to bear it just like
we are not able to bear it. Why? Because
no one is able to bear it.
But somehow
in the mind of a dispensationalist, a hyper
dispensationalist, they
say, well, no, in the Old Testament
they were saved by keeping the Old Testament
laws, doing the sacrifices, the meats,
drinks and diverse washings. They have to
believe in Jesus, but they also have to do with these other things.
Lie. You're lying.
They were not able to bear those
things. That was a yoke that they
could not bear. They couldn't do it.
Verse
11. But we
believe that through the grace of the
Lord Jesus Christ, we shall
be saved, look what it says, even
as they.
Even as who, Peter? Even
as our fathers of the Old Testament.
Checkmate.
No, that's by
words, no, that's by grace.
Even as they. Because no one
would deny that Peter was saved by grace through faith
and he's saying there, we
believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
we shall be saved even
as they. Why? Because everyone
was saved the same. Both Old
and New Testament.
Everyone was saved the same
exact way by faith in
the Lord, plus nothing,
minus nothing. Salvation has always been the same.
Never changed.
To him give all the prophets a witness that through his name
whosoever believeth in him shall receive
remission of sins.
Acts 10, 43. Look at verse 12.
Then all the multitude kept silence
and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul
declaring what miracles and wonders God
had wrought among the Gentiles by them.
So look, everyone, they're arguing
and then they keep silence and they're just like,
Paul and Barnabas? What do you guys have to say?
Well, I'll tell you what God did.
He did all these works and
worked miracles and the Gentiles, all they have to do
is believe and that's it.
Look at verse 13.
After they had held their peace,
James answered saying, Men and brethren
hearken unto me. Now from verses 13
to 20, he goes
through this entire dissertation and he's like, yeah, of course
the Gentiles, they could be saved
by faith alone.
And so what James does at the latter end
is he tries to appeal to both groups
the Jews and the Gentiles.
Because look, he doesn't want to
lose his Jewish church members.
You know, it's a big church.
So he's got to
compromise a little bit.
I'm not saying it's right, it's just
what he's doing.
Look at verse 19. Wherefore
my sentence is
That's interesting.
It's not what God's sentence is.
He says, my
sentence is that we trouble
not them which from among the Gentiles
are turned to God, but
that we write unto them that they abstain
from pollutions of idols and from
fornication and from things strangled and
from blood.
So what is he saying here?
By the way, these things are not bad.
The Gentiles
as the Jews should abstain from
fornication. They should abstain
from idols. They should abstain from
eating things with blood.
That's good to do.
The problem here is the fact that he's
commanding this as though it's only
for the Gentiles and not for the Jews.
He's making
a difference between the
Jew and the Greek.
Whereas God says, there is no difference.
They're both one and the
same in Christ.
He had broken down the middle wall of
partition between us, of twain
he had made one new man, the Bible says.
So it's not like
well, you know, oh, you're
you're like this Mexican Catholic
okay, well you keep using
your holy water, just abstain from
this particular thing.
You know, it might be sinful for you
but it's not for them kind of thing.
Folks, sin is the transgression of the law.
And both Jew and Gentile need to
abstain from things that God says abstain from, period.
James is trying to find his
middle ground because he doesn't want to lose
his Jewish church members.
It's nonsense.
Look at Galatians 2.
Galatians chapter number 2.
James is being a hypocrite.
Now look, I don't know
how it was back then, but you know, you got to
understand, he's the Lord's brother.
Half brother.
I don't know if he looks like him or something, you know.
People are like, well this is
you know, this is Jesus' brother.
This is Jesus Christ's brother.
We got to listen to him.
We got to listen to him and his insight.
He has insight.
No, he does, but you know in this area he's wrong.
And just because he's Jesus' brother doesn't mean
he's divine.
Okay.
Galatians 2.11 says,
But when Peter was come to Antioch,
I withstood him to the face,
because he was to be blamed.
For before that certain came from James,
he did eat with Gentiles,
but when they were come,
he withdrew him and separated himself,
fearing them which were of the
circumcision.
Man, Peter's being a little coward.
And the other Jews
dissembled likewise with them.
Look what it says, in so much that
Barnabas also was carried away
with their dissimulation.
But when I saw that they walked not
uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel,
I said unto Peter before them all,
If thou be in a Jew, liveth after the manner of the Gentiles,
and not as do the Jews, why compel
thou, the Gentiles, to live as do the Jews?
He's basically rebuking them to his face.
Now here's a modern day example of this, okay?
It's like people who like
the new IFB
and they're willing to like
kind of hang out with the new IFB
or talk to the new IFB, but when their old
IFB comes around, they're just like
hold on, I got to get away. Oh, I hate
Pastor Anderson.
By the way, I've had that happen to me.
Where people
love talking to me about
end times Bible prophecy,
they call me, they chat
with me, but you know what?
God forbid that they should be caught in
public with me
while their church members are there, they come
around, then they get all embarrassed
and they're just like,
they dissemble.
It's hypocrisy, folks.
And those are the worst types
of friends, let me just tell you that.
Don't be a friend to someone
who is ashamed of you.
At any time.
Right?
It's wrong. It's like, well, we could be
friends here in church, but when we're in public, it's just like
well, you know, I don't really, you know, I don't like to be
associated with this individual.
Yeah, that's that hay preacher over there.
You know, it's wrong, folks.
And by the way, I appreciate
the people who are just like,
doesn't matter who you're with, doesn't
matter who's around, they're like, yeah,
I talked to this person, this is my friend.
I'm cool with that.
But I know people
and they're not necessarily wicked individuals,
I don't believe they're wicked, they're just, they just have
the simulated love.
Where it's just like,
when it's just you and I,
alright, now we can talk, we can be
friends, and you know, hang out and stuff
like that, but oh, God forbid
if someone from my church would see us
together, I'm just going to
turn my back on you and act like I don't even know you.
There's people like that.
And you know what? Right here.
Peter was not an evil person.
He just had the simulated love.
Don't be like that.
We got to finish up.
We're pretty much done.
I've gone way over the time here.
So basically what happens is
he writes this, James writes this letter,
this epistle, and he sends it
by the hand of Paul and Barnabas, Silas
and Judas. They're like, send this
to the brothers out there.
And you got to wonder what's going on
through Paul's mind. Like, are you serious?
Are you really going to tell him to do this?
But maybe he agrees with it at that time, and then
later on he grew in the Lord and he recognized this was
wrong. They give it to the Gentiles
and the Gentiles are like, oh, great!
You know, because if they're, if these are newborns,
they're just barely saved, they just
got saved, it's just like, you know,
they're going to believe whatever the leaders
tell them. So then
happens Silas and Judas
stay there for a while, then Paul and Barnabas
end up departing, and that's when you had
the whole confrontation with Mark and whatnot.
But
this is the main thing we need to learn from this
passage of Scripture, okay?
Number one, don't be a hypocrite.
Don't be a hypocrite. And look, if you
believe something, believe it
wholeheartedly, and don't be ashamed of what you believe.
Don't be ashamed of what you believe.
Don't shy away from the truth
with your family, with your friends.
Now, you don't have to be a jerk about it.
And just like, you know, because Thanksgiving's coming
around, Christmas is coming around,
and for some of us, it's a little rough,
okay? You know, people
don't necessarily look forward to having you over,
and that's unfortunate, you know?
By the way, if you have nowhere to
go for Thanksgiving, you do now.
You can come into my house.
Um, as long as
you're not ashamed of me, amen? I'm just kidding.
But you know, you should be able to
communicate
the truths and not be ashamed of it, like, hey,
do you really believe this? It's like, yeah, I believe that.
Well, that's because of what the Bible says.
And I'd be apologetic about it, and be like, well,
I mean,
sort of.
But yeah, that's what the
Bible says. And look,
one of two things, they'll either really respect you
and disagree with you, but respect you
because you took a stance on it, or two,
you win them over.
Because who are
you going to win over with this
ashamed disposition
of like, well, yeah, I mean,
I kind of believe in it, but you know,
we can disagree though.
They don't want nothing to do with that.
They'd rather adhere to someone who says,
well, this guy's sticking to his guns.
He obviously believes this to the core.
This is part of who he is.
So there must be some validity to that.
You understand? Don't be
a hypocrite. Don't have
dissimulated love.
And recognize leaders
make mistakes, folks.
It's going to happen.
And obviously we sometimes
hold leaders to a certain level,
a degree, and we should.
But you also can't have an unrealistic
expectation of leaders where they can make no mistake.
In the years
to come, I will make a mistake that's going to bother
you.
Sorry, you know, I'm
fallible. The leaders that you admire
most are going to make mistakes.
They're going to disappoint you.
It's part of life. It's part of who we are.
We're humans, okay?
The big thing is, is that when we make the mistakes,
we need to own up to it, move on, grow,
and move on from that, amen?
Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer.
Father, we thank you so much for your word.
And Lord, thank you for this chapter. So much content
in this chapter, Lord.
Thank you for the examples of Peter, James, and John,
but also of Paul, Barnabas.
We see them,
that they had some character flaws
that they were even involved
in hypocrisy. I pray, God, that you'd help
us to be aware of that.
That we would not be hypocrites,
and we would not have dissimulated love.
Help us not to be ashamed. There's people that I know, Lord,
whom I love, and Lord,
we may not agree on everything,
but I would never be ashamed of them.
And Lord, that's how all relationships should be.
That if we love someone
enough that we are willing to
associate with them, talk to them in public.
Just, the people would know
that we are associated with them. That should be enough.
That should be great. It should be an easy
task for us to do.
For us to not have fake love, Lord,
but to love someone genuinely
in spite of the criticism,
in spite of what other people say.
And in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Amen.
Hallelujah!
Amen.