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Amen Church, once again, that's the Book of Galatians The Book of Galatians, chapter 1, the Bible reads, Paul an apostle, not of men, neither by man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead and all the brethren which are with me unto the churches of Galatia Grace be to you in peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ Who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world According to the will of God and our Father to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. I Marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ onto another gospel Which is not another 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 Then that which he have preached which we have preached unto you. Let him be accursed as we said before So say I now again if any man preach any other gospel unto you then that ye have received Let him be accursed For do I now persuade men or God or do I seek to please men? For if I yet please men, I should not be the servant of Christ But I certify you brethren that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man But neither I neither received it of man neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ For you have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews religion. How that beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God and wasted it and profited in the Jews religion above many my equals in my own nation Being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my father's When it pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace To reveal his son in me that I might preach him among the heathen Immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood neither went I up to Jerusalem To them which were apostles before me, but I went into Arabia and returned again onto Damascus Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and abode with him 15 days but other of the Apostles Saw I none save James the Lord's brother Now the things which I write unto you behold before God I lie not Afterwards I came into the religions up to the regions of Syria and Cilicia and Was unknown by faith onto the churches of Judea which were in Christ But they had heard only that he which persecuted us in times past now preaches the faith Which once he destroyed and they glorified God in me Let's pray Father God, we just thank you and praise you for this word We thank you for the book of Galatians and God we thank you that we are Your children that we are of you and that we believe in your son and what he's done on the cross And God we thank you for just being who you are and just covering this church Thank you for the souls that have been saved this past week for the souls that will be saved To for the weeks to come and the days to come and God fill pass the birds with your spirit allow for him to preach with boldness and thank you for Allowing us to just have this great church and great church members. God. We just praise you We thank you for all that you do we say this all in Jesus name. Amen All Right this morning I want to preach on the subject beware of Judaizers beware of Judaizers and Part of this sermon is prompted just by current events that are going on in the Middle East but I really just want to spend a lot of time focusing on the doctrine found especially in the book of Galatians, so Well, what am I talking about the Middle East if you still are unaware There's another battle between Hamas and and Israel and There's been bombings going back and forth And the reason why this is so important for us ultimately as Christians is because there's a lot of false teaching out there regarding Israel who Israel is and just really inordinate affections and just things that is untrue about who the nation of Israel even is So I'm preaching against Judaizers a Judaizer would be someone who's gonna try to take Like Christianity and make it more like the Old Covenant Law of God and and they want to bring in and try to bring back the stuff that's been done away In the New Testament and that's where you'll see you'll see groups Like the Hebrew roots movement is one that tries to Jude eyes Christianity anyone who wants to start, you know observing the Sabbath or Observing the Torah they'll call it. You know, like instead of just talking about the law of God They'll try to use these Hebrew words and references to the things of God now Look, we believe in the Old Testament and New Testament, right? We believe that that all scripture is given by inspiration of God and we believe it's all profitable right that it's that it's good for us to learn but There's definitely been a significant change with the New Testament right that the New Covenant the New Testament Has done away with the whole Levitical priesthood So and again, this is all just by way of introduction the Levitical priesthood was Aaron and the Levites right was Aaron was a Levite. He was of the tribe of Levi God ordained that that particular tribe We're going to have the job and the duties of being the priests and of being the ministers in The house of God's or whether it be taken up and tearing down the tabernacle or whether it be in the temple that came Later all of the service all of the offerings and the sacrifices and things that were made Everything that needed to be done the way that God ordained it should be done was to be done by the tribe of Levi Okay, it makes sense and there was lots of laws and these carnal ordinances and these things that were put in place of the God said you must do it this way and They had their feasts the sounding of trumpets and and and various other things that was that all pertained to The Levitical priesthood But the New Covenant the New Testament especially the book of Hebrews You want to understand a lot of differences between New Testament Old Testament read the book of Hebrews, which was intended for The Hebrews the people who were physical descendants the people who were coming out of that old Testament I'll call it a Judaic religion. I don't like calling it that because Modern day Judaism is not the religion of the Old Testament Modern day Judaism is the religion of the Pharisees and Sadducees that we read about particularly the Pharisees in The New Testament when we read about Jesus Christ when we read about those things they are the ones that held the traditions of their fathers above the Word of God and This is what you see in Modern day Judaism and in their teaching they look to all the words of all these rabbis and stuff. That's why they have These other books and other volumes massive volumes of books that that describe their religion and that they look to for their guidance as Opposed to just going to the Word of God and looking to the Bible Jesus himself even said look if you believed Moses you'd believe me because they claim to believe Moses There's a group of people that claim to believe Moses the Pharisees were known as well No, we follow the Mosaic law and they would they would ardently defend that position. No, we believe Moses But who are you gonna believe the Pharisee or Jesus Christ because Jesus Christ said look if you believe Moses You'd believe me if you really did Honestly sincerely believe and what Moses had to teach you'd believe me because Moses spake of me all the prophets spake of Jesus Christ There's no way if they would have really truly accepted the Word of God in the old covenant They would have accepted Jesus Christ as well but he said flat-out that they didn't and They continue and that's why they crucified him Because the religion of the Pharisees to the religion the Pharisees Jesus Christ was a blasphemer Who can say he's the Son of God well, he's a blasphemer in their understanding He's the Messiah he's the Son of God no way you're making yourself equal with God and look this stuff is all in Scripture Like that that heads their mindset and and it's why it's so easy to say it's the same religion of Judaism today Because Judaism today still rejects Jesus Christ They still would say he's a blasphemer. They still would say no he was not of God Right, all of the things that were taught then are the same things held today What regard What special extra? Privileged regard did Jesus have or the disciples have to the Pharisees? None now You have to be careful when speaking about this subject, too because People use or I have a different understanding when you just say the word Jew It's been conflated between an Ethnic Jew of someone who's physically just from the area of Israel or whatever Versus the religion of Judaism being a Jew Okay, and and and it really is important to understand the distinction between the two Because there was a group of people the Jews in general of the physical nation was a nation that God had chosen Starting with Abraham and then his descendants But he had chosen that nation To be the nation that was going to be the lighthouse to the world That he was going to use that group of people that small people that started out from from very humble beginnings to bring them through Their trials their tribulations to bring them through but to deliver the Word of God unto that people So they were gonna consist of that's why he had the Levites and they the genealogies were important to understand where your position was if you're gonna be a Levite or not if you're gonna minister in the house of God or not and Being part of that now the Old Testament allowed for other people of other nations to join themselves and become part of Israel but the way that God Interacted was he wanted to have that physical nation there Does that mean everybody that lived in that physical nation were saved? No, it doesn't but that's the way that God chose to deliver his word to to Communicate with mankind essentially was to use this nation and to use the priests and to use that office to deliver his word They weren't all saved because salvation has always been by grace through faith our individual eternal salvation Has always been by putting our trust in the Lord Believing on him that then we'll get into this because we're gonna go kind of do a higher level Look at the whole book of Galatians and I mean if you want a book That could tell you very clearly how salvation has been by faith and not of works and how it kind of applies all the time Galatians is a great book for that Hebrews also because Bible says it was impossible for the blood of bulls and of goats to save like it's never been possible Those animal sacrifices they could never take away sins like that. That doesn't make the actual atonement For the punishment for your sins and like the the hellfire punishment the blood of a bull or a goat could never take that away They were all representative of the Savior to come whose blood can take that away. Jesus Christ his blood washes away that sin. So Again Salvation the same yes, but God's dealing with people and and the nation of Israel No, those were separate. So the nation was set apart as being important for God to deal with as a people But when we get to the New Testament He finally got sick and tired of that people of that nation not doing what he was commanding him to do and Just going after other gods and you know and ultimately when he finally sent his son That that that rejection of the Sun was the last straw That was enough for God because throughout history they've gone after other gods. They've gone into captivity, right? They were taken out of their land when they were when they were gone into captivity in the Babylon for example And then getting back into their land and that you know, and they've had their issues with being obedience to the Lord But the final straw came when Jesus came unto his own and his own received him not That was it. And that's when God said, okay we're done and They were literally replaced With a nation that was gonna bring forth the fruit serve the nation that was actually going to say hey, we'll serve the Lord But what I'm kind of getting I know I'm doing a really high-level overview of this doctrine just in case you're not familiar with it Which is but it's still not the the the main thrust of what I want to teach today Judaizers want to come in and and Bring in the elements of the Levitical priesthood That are no longer supposed to be in place a I mean for example now No, I don't I haven't seen anyone this brazen yet But the day will probably come where people want to start doing sacrifices These Judaizers That would be blasphemous right if someone were to say oh, no, we need to start doing these animal sacrifices and stuff today It's like no Jesus already was the sacrifice. He was the land like you never do that again But there's other aspects too. For example the Sabbath, you know The New Testament teaches us that hey one man seemeth one day above another another man seemeth every day I like let every man be persuaded in his own mind You can see that in the book of Romans That explains that you know, it doesn't the days don't matter Anymore and the reason why is because the Sabbath day for example, Jesus Christ is our rest So there's a the six days you're supposed to work in the seven days a day of rest where man does no work at all Symbolizing salvation our rest when we enter into heaven can is only brought into by us doing no works Right. It's a faith-based salvation is a faith-based rest And when Jesus Christ came we enter into his rest because he did all the work for us he labored We rest in Christ So now that is fulfilled that element or that aspect of the law has been fulfilled again through Christ The feasts, you know, there's there's we could still learn from them, but we don't keep them because all the feasts and it had sacrifices Which we don't do so how we're gonna have a feast without having the sacrifices or you see like like there's so many elements here that we don't want to do but Beyond what we actually see in the scripture of people wanting to bring in these other things Judaizers will just bring in other aspects of like Judaism to try to make that part of Christianity today and That's also you need to look out for so you'll have and this happens unfortunately So frequently in Christian churches like for one for example, you'll just see Many churches will have American flag and a flag for the nation of Israel Just just flying in the church now if you'll notice We don't have any of those flags We don't have the American flag and we don't have Israel's flag Because we fly under the banner of the cross That's Where our allegiance is like I'm not for you know, this is a whole man I'm gonna start open up all these doors like the Pledge of Allegiance You know, I'm not pledging my allegiance to a flag of a wicked country, which look hey I'm thankful that I'm in the United States of America I really am because we do get to enjoy a lot of freedoms and God has blessed this country tremendously But you can't really say we're a very righteous nation as a whole either So, how can I pledge my allegiance To that like it like no no, no, I pledge my allegiance to Jesus Christ That's who I am faithful to that's who I'm gonna serve, right? So it's not about these flags and other things but beyond just the flags like that's just the tip of the iceberg People bring in all kinds of stuff from this geo Have you seen those those white like prayer shawls or whatever and they've got the the blue ribbons on them and all this other stuff It's like look hey the ribbons of blue again Levitical priesthood The garments that the the priests war Levitical priesthood You see this in groups. Like I said Hebrew roots. You've got the black Hebrew Israelites out there again Those are kind of fringe groups But they're really focused on this race and racism Trying to esteem the race of the Hebrews above everybody else now. Look the Jews Especially religious Jews participate in that mindset and yet I'm speaking broadly This isn't every single individual. It's in a general sense especially though the religion of Judaism they look at Gentiles which by the way, the definition of Gentile is a non-jew as Being inferior and look this goes all the way back even to the Old Testament This is even seen it's witnessed in the book of Acts even by the disciples This mindset, okay and I preach an entire Bible study going through the book of Acts and you can see this and you had to see their shift in their understanding and thinking of Gentiles because it had been ingrained in their culture so much that they are God's chosen people Elevating them above everybody else to the point to where they would not even like eat with Gentiles like they couldn't even have a meal with them. That's out of a hand That's never found in Scripture that you can never do that. There's no law against that There's nowhere in God's Word that says that you have to treat people of other nations that way It never says that in fact, it says like the foreigners that come in you treat them as one home-born in land That they're under the same law as you if they're gonna join themselves your nation, but even going to another nation It doesn't say that you can't like go out and have a meal with somebody of another nation I mean, how else are you gonna even get the word out right? How are you gonna evangelize and show people who are deceived? The way of truth if you can't even like talk to him or communicate with them and God had to open up their Understanding and show like he did with the Apostle Peter You know, hey what God hath cleansed that call not thou commoner and clean when he saw the animals coming down He said Peter, you know slay and eat and and that whole vision but The the teaching was there that they still had this mindset of being you know Hey where God shows me and that mindset persists even today and not just among Jews but also among Christians. I Mean I was taught that Israel or the Jews are like special people because they're God's chosen people. I never fully understood it It was never really explained that well, but it's always just been a little confusing like well, wait a minute I mean the best thing for us to do is to believe in Jesus Christ The modern-day Jews reject Jesus Christ still to this day Yet they're still God's chosen people. Like do they just get a special pass like like why is that? It doesn't make any sense. It doesn't make sense because it's not true and People who view the Jews this way. It's in ordinance not right and That's one of the big problems in Christianity today and the ramifications are huge The reason why I'm even going into this is because it is a big deal because it's not just like oh well If you want to esteem those people better, whatever There's way more implications than that one If you just thought someone had an instant pass into heaven based on how they were born What would be the the the reason even give the gospel to that person? Oh, yeah, I mean, there's special people Anyways, they're going to heaven That's damning That's damning to their soul when you don't open up the mouth and preach the Word of God to them preach the gospel to them Because they need Jesus like everyone else needs Jesus. Okay, and if they don't put their trust in Jesus Christ They're gonna die and go to hell Because that chosen people doesn't apply in that way at all Every person needs Jesus Christ as a Lord and Savior in order to be saved every single person So That's one aspect of it. But how about this when people start elevating this other this other people and It affects our foreign policy and our decisions in making war Sending off our children to go and fight in a war for people who reject Christ and Voting on sanctions and voting on all of this other stuff and all the turmoil in this battle that's going on over there between two nations that both reject Christ a Muslim nation and a Jewish nation And the answer to that dilemma that problem is Jesus it's not bombs it's not missiles it's not sanctions its bibles Like that's what that's how a Christian ought to view these things This is this is the Bible now again I think I'm taking way too much time as a way of introduction But it is important to understand these things and it's so important that I would say the entire epistle to the churches in Galatia is all about This one subject of people trying to judae eyes a Christian Christian churches Now Here's something else that I want to bring up in light of some things that have that have been attacks that have come against our church to Because most of the attacks against our church people and look people are calling us racist Today, if you didn't know that I don't mind saying what's happening because it's it's it's happening for real But I mean, I think one look around will tell you whether or not this is a racist church It's got it seems to me to be self-evident. But you know people get all Inflamed and it's tick-tock, too I mean that's kind of says something in and of itself is where the majority of the hate is coming from but You know people want to take a little clip out of a sermon and then get all offended and they start just labeling us racist right, but a Lot of the people that have been complaining and in in writing me nasty emails and stuff like that Are these black Hebrew Israelites type of people where they say that's well No actually there that when the when the tribes were scattered abroad many of them went down into Egypt and they went down into Africa and Then during the slave trade, you know They were actually some of the lost tribes of Israel that were then brought here to America And that's what's being taught by this group of saying no, you're actually Hebrews You're actually Israel and then they just do everything based off of the color of their skin And What I want to point out about Galatians and just remember this okay, I did a little bit of research about Galatia okay, just world history research I Didn't know this but it's interesting That country that region of Galatia has Celtic origins Celtic and we know who the Celts were right the European like like it could be Irish You know, where what are you gonna find like a lot of white people there? Okay, and I didn't even know this because because Galatia is in the Middle East Now why do I bring this up Because of the people who have who have a really bad understanding of Race and ethnicity and and and what the Bible teaches about that. That's why I bring it up And what I want to point out here is even if you believe all the Apostles were black skinned Okay, and Jesus Christ was a black skin man. I don't care like that doesn't matter to me one bit It really doesn't matter to me the the the fig the pigmentation in their skin means nothing to me I don't care. I'm not saying I believe that Jesus would look like an African. I don't think that I think you look like a Middle Eastern Which would be a shade of brown But whatever Right, like like it doesn't matter but the reason why I bring this up is because when you start seeing the teaching here if you're gonna subscribe to this race-based type of Mindset and say you believe the Bible Just understand this that the epistle that the Apostle Paul is writing to these churches in Galatia Galatia these were people who are converts to Christianity and that region of Galatia was started by the seltz just a couple hundred years before Christ and Even with intermingling with people that local area and stuff guess what you're gonna have a lot of European type looking people in that area and What is it possible Paul calling them brethren and He uses the word Gentiles, which means non Jew So anyone that wants to put stock in well, we're the really is we're really Israel And we're really the Jews and we're yo and our skin color your skin color like this dispels all of that Because it clearly doesn't matter in New Testament Testament doctrine It can't it doesn't matter and there's so many ways to Sunday to prove this from Scripture But it's just one more little point that just comes up. I was just like well, wow, that's interesting Don't you know that the gospel was in Egypt way before the North America, yeah, I know So what it doesn't change anything Anyways, that's a whole nother term. I'm gonna repreach that So let's dig into this now because the whole book of Galatians we know it's this the theme well We're gonna go at a high level We're kind of skip around just a little bit and get some bits and pieces of the whole book of Galatians But this is written to the churches of Galatia For this one main topic and we're gonna start look down your Bible there verse number six of Galatians chapter one The Bible 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 but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. So we say, you know He's the one that helped get these churches started Him and other disciples were doing the work teaching a good doctrine teaching the gospel of Christ and he's saying I'm amazed I'm marveling that you could be so quickly so soon removed from that from that good pure gospel that we taught you Unto another gospel and he says but it's not really another it's not like Some Hindus came and tried to teach them to follow Hinduism, right? Because it's really close all it is. It's a perversion. It's a twisting of the right gospel So they take the gospel but then they go and they just tweak it a little bit, but then that makes it false Right. So you take a gospel. It's by grace. You see it take a gospel. That is not of works. It is it is free It's a gift it's you know bought and paid for by Jesus Christ say But you gotta go to church but you have to Be circumcised which is what this example is People are saying that you couldn't be saved just by grace Oh, you had to also be circumcised like if you doubt if you're not circumcised then so so that one little addition Perverts the gospel of Jesus Christ that one addition all of a sudden made grace now become works It's very it's the same thing as people who would say today because this isn't as much of a deal today with specifically with circumcision At least it not in Christianity But it is a little bit but not but not so much again. That's more of the Jewish influence on Christianity which still kind of goes to this day, but it would be there's a lot of Christian early so-called Christian religions I would say well you have to be baptized to be saved Like a water baptism I say well no no believing and being baptized they both need to be there to be saved It's not true. Now. Now you've made it by works. Even if it's just one work. It's no longer Christ alone now what you're saying is well what Jesus didn't cross. Yeah, it was good But it wasn't quite enough because you also have to get baptized. No No, what Jesus did was enough to pay for everything So a person that believes in Christ and never gets baptized still go in heaven when they die The person that believes in Christ and never gets circumcised still go in heaven when they die and that's an important distinction to make you have to understand that So he says there's some that pervert the gospel of Christ verse number eight But though we are an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you Let him be accursed as we said before so say I now again if any man preach any other gospel unto you Then that you have received let him be accursed that I mean, there's nothing more serious He's just saying look you just need to go to hell. Let him be accursed If you're gonna preach any other gospel don't receive anyone preaching any other gospel because that does damn souls to hell That's how serious it is. He's saying let him be accursed. So he starts off this chapter just referencing the importance of Another gospel and he goes in depth to into circumcision and stuff in his chapter. We're not gonna get Really deep into that go to chapter 2 verse number 3 Actually, we'll start reading verse number 1 But I was says 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 preach among the Gentiles But privately to them which are of reputation lest by any means I should run or had run in vain But neither Titus who was with me being a Greek Was compelled to be circumcised in that because of false brethren Unaware is brought in who came in privily to spy out our Liberty Which we have in Christ Jesus that they might bring us into bondage to whom we gave place by subjection No, not for an hour that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. So These people wanted to compel Titus to get circumcised because they knew he was a Greek and of course the Greeks didn't practice circumcision, right? So they knew that hey, this guy is a Greek and he's now he's claiming to be a believer well, he needs to be circumcised and Apostle Paul is like no. No, he doesn't and he says we gave place to that argument Not even for an hour like we didn't we didn't just stop like well, let's debate this It wasn't it didn't have room for debate He knew it was wrong Now Just to illustrate though how important this is and actually how powerful the pressure can be sometimes for people To fall into this Judaizing keep your place here in Galatians go back to Acts chapter 16 We Saw we see another example of a disciple but this time he did get Circumcised so in this in this event in Acts takes is prior to what we're reading in Galatians, right? Just historically so what we're gonna read here in Acts chapter 16 precedes what the events in Galatia Acts Chapter 16 Verse number one the Bible reads then came he to Derbe and Lystra and behold a certain disciple was there named Timotheus The son of a certain woman which was a Jewess and believed but his father was a Greek Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium Him would Paul have to go forth with him and took and circumcised him Now should Paul have circumcised him? No No, and he already says later like yeah No, we're not we're not gonna do this at that point in the book of Galatians. Like I already done this once We're not doing this again Okay, I already Was there for Timotheus being being being circumcised? No Titus doesn't need to be sacrificed at all And it says here in it says he took and circumcised him because of the Jews it was the Jews that were putting the pressure on him and I would say this he already knew at this point that he didn't have to circumcise him also He was only doing this because of the pressure and to placate the Jews This is because because of the Jews which were in those quarters for they they knew all that his father was a Greek So he's thinking by doing this. I'm assuming he's thinking that by doing this He's going to just be able to establish like okay You could still listen to me or could listen to him to try to get them to not stop freaking out about circumcision Now the way that he would probably justify this or any Christian might you know again I can't speak for the thoughts of the Apostle Paul here I don't know them, but it would make sense to be able to say something like well circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing so who cares if we circumcise him right and You could probably take the approach of like well, you know, I become all things all men that might by all means save some That might be what he was thinking here But this concept of having to bring in circumcision though is so important that we shouldn't be making those types of Compromises because it's so important to understand that you can't add anything to the gospel Which is why I think he hardened his stance later on in Galatians is just like no We're not giving place to this argument because when you keep people want to keep on bringing this stuff in You got to put a stop to it and say no, it doesn't mean anything And if we flip back to chapter 15 Like it's it's it's just so interesting because this literal concept was already addressed in chapter 15 So in chapter 16, it brings up to Mothias and saying yeah, he got circumcised because of Jews But chapter 15 look at verse number one Bible says in certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren said except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses He cannot be saved So they're making this about salvation Like look if you're not circumcised you can't be saved When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them. So he was already fighting this too in chapter 15 It wasn't some small fight or just some little minor detail. Oh, we agree to disagree No, it was no small dissension They determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go up to Jerusalem unto the Apostles and elders about this question so the people there they were not receiving what Paul and Barnabas had to say and They're like no no, no, no No Let's go ask Peter and James and John and see what they have to say about this But they didn't need to look Paul was an apostle, too Okay, you didn't need someone else to tell you that this was true. This is what the Word of God says and Paul didn't need anyone to confirm his belief either but the people of that place wanted this confirmation. So They send them down to Jerusalem verse 3 says and being brought on their way by the church. They passed through Phoenicia and Samaria Declaring the conversion of the Gentiles and they cause great joy into all the brethren. So They're like rubbing it in their face as they're going down. They just keep declaring the conversion of the Gentiles That didn't get circumcised mind you so just keep on there. It's going down going like yep. Hey, we got these people say man It's awesome. We went to this nation in this nation. These people received Christ. They're receiving the Holy Spirit They're saved, you know as they're going down to see of this matter of whether or not people need to be circumcised to be saved Right and when they were come to Jerusalem verse 4 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 now What we read here about the Pharisees that believed It's Not necessarily exactly the same as what was stated earlier about the people were saying you cannot be saved except you'd be circumcised So this is now trying to in especially in the book of Acts right all of this stuff is newer So this doctrine is coming out and emerging and we get to read this as it happens through the Word of God What exactly does change I mean there has to be a time where people are just uncertain on how do we go forward serving the Lord now right the the truth needed to be revealed over the course of this time by these apostles by the prophets, you know, giving the Word of God to really identify how things need to change so so you we have to have that understanding especially through the book of Acts as we're reading some of these things That they're going. Well, I mean people have been circumcised going all the way back to Abraham right, so that's even Preceding Moses so I could understand where they might say. Oh, you're saved You should get circumcised the same way that we would say. Oh you're saved. You should get baptized Right, but we don't see them saying it was a requirement for salvation. So when it says the Pharisees that believed We Don't see them saying that that is a requirement for being saved because otherwise they'd be like an unbeliever I mean, they're adding works of salvation, right? But you can see where they still might say well, no, I mean it's still important. They should still get circumcised And to command them to keep the law of Moses said verse 6 says 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 brother and you know How that a good while ago God made choice among us that the Gentiles by my mouth should 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 and what another great verse that dispels racism So He put no difference between us and them and Who's the them they're the Gentiles and Gentiles is a broad term meaning non Jews. So, you know who non Jews are everybody but a Jew so it's like That's all nations That could be anybody and he says, you know what he put no difference between us and them Isn't that enough but no these people like the black you viewers realize they don't believe the Bible Neither do the Hebrew roots people neither do does anyone who's gonna rely on race as Why they're saved If you're relying on your genealogy Even as the Pharisees did which is why John the Baptist said, you know that God is able these stones to raid up seat raise up seat unto Abraham Don't say not think not to say within thyself. We have Abraham to our father because that's what the Pharisees thought hey, we have Abraham to our father and People today of various colors will say the same thing. Hey, we have Abraham to our father. We're Hebrews. We're special we're chosen and they think that that is why they're saved their fools and the wrong and they're gonna die and go to hell unless they could put their trust in Jesus Christ and Actually believe the Bible and I mean it's it's so much throughout the scripture here There's no difference between the Jew and the Greek. There's no difference between the Jew and the Gentile. There's no difference He put no difference between us and them and The reason why he's bringing up here though is saying well, let's just keep reading here verse number 10 now Therefore why tempting 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 Saying look, why are you trying now to make them under that old covenant because circumcision was a seal of the old covenant The covenant that God made with Abraham The circumcision was a sign of that but The new covenant came in We don't need that sign anymore of that older covenant because that's already that's already taken care of it's already done We don't need that and we don't need that aspect of the Mosaic law either and he's saying look Why are we trying to bring them in about we weren't even able to do this? So keeping the law and doing all the things of the law we couldn't do that. So why are we trying to make anyone else? Fit into that category of well, you need to do all these things To be saved. No, you don't No, you don't And that's what they're doing by requiring these things or saying that they have anything to do with salvation jump down to verse number 22 The Bible says then pleased at the apostles and elders with the whole church To send chosen men of their own company 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 send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles and Antioch and Syria and Cilicia for As much as we have heard that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words subverting your soul saying ye must be circumcised and keep the law to whom we gave no such commandment and There's people saying no you got to be circumcised. You got to keep the law Just as there is today there's people saying well no no No, if you're saved you have to keep the law or else you're gonna go to hell No There is no such commandment given regarding salvation on any of that Now should we follow the law of God? Yes, we should The moral laws that were spelled out Right the laws that were given to for example run the nation murder stealing Raping, you know all these things that the Bible talks about that's not specific to the Levitical law That's specific to like human law Right the way that God just says this is how you ought to live and these things were all wrong and sin and here's how You punish these things if they're done among you. Those are the elements that still Remain even unto this day, but even that is nothing to do with your salvation Whether it be murder whether it be circumcision whether it be baptism None of that has to do with your with your salvation because nobody can keep the law because if you become a transgressor in one Power of the law you transgress the whole law Verse number 25 says 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 you abstain from meats offered to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from Fornication from which if you keep yourselves you shall do well fare you well now notice again the words matter What are they actually saying? Are they saying that you have to? Refrain from blood in order to be saved No They're just saying some basic things that probably really pertain to the people that they're going to maybe sins That were a lot more common in their area like the idolatry So we're saying look just just keep yourself from meats that are offered to idols which the New Testament still teaches that that we should even though even though the idol is nothing and there are these false gods or Devils and we don't believe anything about them being Devils and that food is just by food by itself Anyways, it still says look if you know that this is sacrifice offered and sacrifice idols then don't eat it For the conscience of the people around you for other people so that they don't just think like oh wow He's having regard to this false god. No, I'm just eating it because I'm hungry and I just want some food I don't give a rip about your false god right like but but the Bible saying well you still don't do that Because if it's brought up to you Now how you proceed and go forward could have an impact on how they perceive what you're doing So we're charitable and we just say yeah No I'm not gonna have anything to do with this and that's what we ought to do with that and Even to this day that's what you ought to do if people are coming up to you say yeah We say I mean I it's so not common today I'd be surprised if you ever even came across that one time in your life But maybe you will I don't know there's a lot of different cultures out there if you have friends that that You know light incense to some Buddha or something and then and then like this is a meal for that then you say well No Sorry But so they bring up here, you know food sacrifice idols and and what do they end up saying Fornication, of course, right and and look we shouldn't fornicate either But what they end up saying is that look if you keep yourself from these things you'll do well And that's a true statement. You'll do well It doesn't say if you if you don't keep these things you're not saved doesn't mean you have to do these things to be saved You're just saying look here's some things here's some aspects of law. Keep this stuff and you'll be fine There's a small sampling of sins just to stay away from and you're in your and you're good, right? But the but the they were very clear saying that look that stuff didn't come from us Where they're troubling you and subverting your souls and saying like you must be circumcised to be saved like that never came out of our mouth so It is a very significant deal. Let's go back to Galatians Chapter 2 Galatians 2 So again refreshing your mind he's talking about Titus being a Greek he didn't get circumcised and he's saying we didn't need to circumcise him and We didn't even give place even for an hour About their disputation about him needing be circumcised Verse 6 says but of these who seemed to be somewhat whatsoever they were it maketh no matter to me God accepteth no man's person for they who seemed to be somewhat in Conference added nothing to me but contrary wise when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed to me unto me as the gospel of the Circumcision was unto Peter for he that wrought Effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles Who's bringing up this fact that? Look, I don't need to go and cut and consult with anyone else about this matter and like whoever it is that we're going to see like they didn't add anything to what I already knew and what I already believe what I'm already preaching like it's It's already settled. I don't even need to give place but for an hour because God has already witnessed The the the power of the gospel and of the Holy Ghost coming upon the people that Paul's preaching to They're clearly getting saved and that was evidenced by the Holy Ghost working through those people and being able to speak with other tongues and everything else that those Gifts coming upon those people even though they weren't circumcised Jump down to verse number 11 Now he brings up this story about Peter 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 the Gentiles But when they were come he withdrew and separated himself Fearing them which were of the circumcision. So again, it's fear. Why did the Paul go and get Timotheus circumcised? because of the Jews Because of their their their influence. Why is it that now all of a sudden Peter is separating himself before these people from the circumcision come is because they came in because the Jews came with their and they were like they're seeing him eating. He didn't want him to see him eating with Gentiles Because they still were holding to this concept of oh, we can't eat with them. We're different from them they're they're they're a different people or whatever and This is such a big deal That the Apostle Paul said needs to step in and needs to set the record straight because this can grow out of control really quickly having this wrong mindset and This is why I'm teaching this sermon today because we have this wrong mindset about unbelieving Jews It's creeps in the churches and it gets out of control really quickly. We start elevating one people over another I don't care who they are. You don't elevate people over another person Look, you need to just be humble and realize that God is not a respecter of persons In Verse 13 says and the other Jews dissembled likewise with him in so much that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation Even Barnabas who's who is very clear on this subject with the Apostle Paul He got sucked into this and and you know, hey when the group is going this way He he followed with the group instead of standing up and saying no and And you know, this is a side note You know, I think we've got a great church here. I think we've got a lot of really good doctrine here But if the church as a whole starts going wrong on a doctrine you got to stay true to the Word of God and Don't just go along with the group Even though that's easier to do Right. So if Barnabas were to stand up and be like no no, no, you guys are wrong I'm gonna eat with the Gentiles. I mean that takes some courage, right? You have to be bold to be able to say no you're wrong. The easy thing is to not make any waves Well, I mean Peter's doing it. So I guess I mean You know putting too much stock in what Peter does Instead of recognizing look I already know this is wrong. So I'm not gonna partake in this. I Mean like a real easy example of God forbid we get to the point where people are just like, oh, yeah You know, we're all just gonna have some social drinks and that's all fine. So if you're like, well, wait, no, I'm not gonna do that I'm staying away from alcohol. I'm staying away from that stuff. I'm not gonna touch that stuff and And you guys ought to too that's not right, you know and in this context it's it's going not eating with with these Gentiles and the Apostle Paul is putting a stop to this look at What he says there in verse number 14, but when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel. I Said unto Peter before them all so he's calling him out in front of everybody Because he wants to make sure this stops right here At this point he's influenced so many people that this isn't a private conversation Now he's gonna rebuke him before everybody He said yeah, I said unto Peter before them all if thou being a Jew livest after the manner of Gentiles and not as do the Jews Why compel us thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? He's saying you're not living like a Jew. So why are you putting up this front? Why are you putting up this facade? Why are you making them now look like they have to be a Jew? You We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles knowing that a man is not Justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law for by the works of the law shall no flesh be Justified highlight that verse memorize that verse awesome Bible verse showing Salvation is not of the works of the law So if anyone ever tries to tell you anything like well if you don't do this law if you don't keep that Commandment or if you break this command look it's not of the law period No flesh is justified in God's eyes By keeping the law because we've already fallen short and broken the law Which is why we need a Savior just why we need Christ who saves us from the curse of the law But let's keep reading verse 17 But if while we seek to be justified by Christ We ourselves also are found sinners is therefore Christ the minister of sin God forbid So just because look we're justified by Christ But if we sin does that mean that like Christ is the minister of sin that now all of a sudden Christ is promoting sin or something. No, of course not But we're still we are still sinners, right, but that doesn't bring any it doesn't detract anything from Christ For If I build again the things which I destroyed I make myself a transgressor For I through the law am dead to the law that I might live unto God I am crucified with Christ Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I Do not frustrate the grace of God for if righteousness come by the law then Christ is dead in vain If you could keep the law to be saved then there's no point in Christ dying on the cross We need a Savior the law can't save you if there is a law given unto life whereby we could be saved Then there would be no point for Jesus coming Then it would just be by the law So again great passage here We're gonna skip over chapter 3 But again chapter 3 goes into a lot of depth you do that for homework about how you know Who are Jews and God's eyes anyways? That the children who are the children of Abraham the seed of Abraham are the children of the promise Seed of Abraham are those that put their faith in Jesus Christ But I'm that's that's I'm not gonna get down too deep into that because I want to go over chapter 4 and then chapter 5 Before we close up, so I'm gonna go into hyperspeed mode here Verse 16 Galatians chapter 4 am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth They zealously affect you but not well. Yea, they would exclude you that ye might affect them The they here you could get it later in the context, but just so you understand this is this these are the Jews These are the Judaizers. These are the people who are trying to bring in the circumcision These are the people who are impacting the Galatians because even from chapter 1 all the way through here. It's maintaining this primary focus of Dealing with the problem of the people who are bringing in another gospel of the people who are trying to tell you you must be Circumcised now look they may be zealous about it. They may be dynamic They may be all up in arms about and trying to tell you how serious this is But he says they zealously affect you but not well because what they're teaching is false So no matter how animated no matter how a Passionate someone might be about this topic. It doesn't make them right just because they have this zeal Doesn't mean you just get swept up in the garbage You have to consider it and think about what they're actually saying and don't just get carried away with the passion They zealously affect you but not well. Yea, they would exclude you that you might affect them But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing. You know zeal is good when it's applied to good things And not only when I am present with you verse 19 my little children of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed In you I desire to be present with you now and to change my voice for I stand in doubt of you Tell me ye that desire to be under the law. Do you not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons the one by a bondmaid the other by a free woman But he who was of the bond woman was born after the flesh But he of the free woman was by promise This is Sarah and this is Hagar, right? This is these are the the bondmaid remember when when God promised to Abraham he was gonna have a son That son was meant to come through Sarah That was Isaac, okay but Abraham as he was getting older they both started to doubt Abraham Sarah started to doubt the the promise of God and Thought like well, maybe we need to do something different here. So He had a handmaid and that and he took this other woman who was a bondservant to them to Use to bring forth a son and that's where Ishmael came from So Ishmael was that child that was born of the bondmaid But Sarah and Isaac that was the child that was born of the free woman and this is now he's bringing this up Because it happened but there's a Much deeper meaning he's gonna explain here in verse number 24 which things are an allegory for these are the two covenants so now he's applying this store this this event that happened with Abraham and He's saying these are the two covenants So the two children that were born the one of a bondmaid the other of a free woman are representative of The Old Covenant and the New Covenant look at let's keep reading here the one from the Mount Sinai Which gender it's a bondage, which is agar now what came from Mount Sinai the law? That's where the law of Moses was the law of God was delivered to Moses in Mount Sinai, that's the old covenant and That brings people in the bondage why because we're all transgressors of the law That's what makes us sinners We've broken God's law now. We're a transgressor. We're a sinner and that only brings to us death now the law is good God's law is good. It's holy. It's righteous But because we break that law it's a curse to us that brings us into bondage as a bondage of sin Verse 25 for this agar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and answer it to Jerusalem Which now is and is in bondage with her children that Jerusalem which now is that's the unbelieving Jews That's that religion where they're still trying to claim the law and salvation by works Verse 26, but Jerusalem which is above is free Which is the mother of us all for it is written? Rejoice thou barren that bearers not break forth and cry thou that travel is not for the desolate hath many more children than she Which hath and husband now we brethren as Isaac was are the children of promise We brethren who's he speaking to Galatians? Paul is a Hebrew clearly. He's of the tribe of Benjamin, right? He we know according to Scripture at least that that he He has his genealogy. He knows what tribe he's from But what's he doing he's calling the Galatians brethren These are new converts And he's saying in doubt it's clear They're new converts because he's saying like look how quickly you're removed from the gospel that we taught you. It's not like these were some Diasporic Jews that were there that he's real like no These are new converts from Galatia of the Gentiles that believed and was he doing he's calling him brethren And he says we brethren as Isaac was are the children of promise hey, we're just like Isaac we are the children of promise But as then he that was born after the flesh Persecuted him that was born after the spirit even so it is now People who trust in the workspace salvation And the Jews specifically the Pharisees they persecuted Those that were of the promise those of the New Covenant those that put their trust in Christ He's saying it's even and you know what that's always been the way it is people of the false religions have always Persecuted those who have been of faith That's why all the prophets were references look at all the things that happened to God's prophets throughout history Read the books of the prophets and see what happened to them How were they treated not well by and large? And why because of what they preached because of what they believed And in preaching the Word of God comes with those trials and tribulations Let's see where did I leave off here Verse 30 yeah Verse 30 nevertheless what said the scripture cast out the bond woman and her son for the son of the bond woman shall not be Heir with the son of the free woman so then brethren we are not children of the bond woman, but of the free Cast out the bond woman. What's that? That's representative of the old covenant? So people who want to bring in that old coven or people are adhering to you know it says cast them out Doesn't say raise their flag up in church Doesn't say send your children to go fight for them Cast them out Hey, we're children of the free We don't want any of their religious. I'm never gonna invite a rabbi here to teach us about the Bible Okay, I'm not gonna invite people who reject Christ to teach us about their culture And what they do and elevate them as some special people I'm not gonna respect their person now look as Christians We ought to preach the gospel to them But we ought to preach the gospel to them like we would to anyone else in the whole world Because they're no better than anyone else We Don't we don't not preach the gospel to them, but we don't just make sure like like well They're gonna be first doesn't matter You know it's first of the people in our area Whoever they are It was first is the poor The poor and the needy That's that's who we're gonna reach first, and then we'll keep going up and reaching everybody Whether they're Jew whether they're Gentile whether they're you know Muslim whether they're Hindu doesn't matter they all need in Christ Galatians 5 last place. I'll be look Galatians 5. Let's close this up Verse number one stand fast therefore in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage Behold I Paul say unto you that if you be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing Now before you think like wait a minute, I'm circumcised what does that does that mean I'm not saved no That's not what he's talking about It's again in the context of the whole passage There are people saying you must be circumcised to be saved so if you're trusting that What he's saying is hey well, then if you're circumcised Christ doesn't profit you anything because now you've chosen to Have to believe that you have to keep the law for your salvation as opposed to just Christ alone So say if that's where you're at well good luck because like you can't just take circumcision. You're gonna have to take all of it That's what he's saying. I mean this is in the context of all of Galatians That's what he's saying here verse number three for I testify again to every man is circumcised that he is a debtor to do the whole Law you've got to keep all of it Christ has become of no effect unto you whosoever you look at this and this is the key whosoever you are justified by the law You're falling from grace So you don't have grace because you think you're justified by the law You think that the law is gonna save you you think that your righteousness and your holiness and adherence to the law is gonna save You you don't have grace You've got to keep all the law now and good luck with that because no one's been able to do that None of the Old Testament Jews were able to do that None of the New Testament Jews are able to do that No people on earth are ever able to do that. What only person was able to do that with Jesus Christ himself God in the flesh he did that He was able to keep the law in order to pay for our sins. Ultimately, I mean he did everything right But then he was that perfect sacrifice that was able to make the atonement for our sins verse number four Excuse me first number five for we through the spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love you did run Well, who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you a little leaven leaven at the whole lump This is why it's he's going into so much detail This is why he was said Peter the face Look a little leaven leavens the whole lump a little bit of works makes it all works a little bit of this this Impure doctrine regarding salvation is a big deal and a little bit of Jew worship is gonna cause big problems And again, I'm not standing here in hatred of the Jews I hate Judaism I hate the false religion I hate that I hate the religion that teaches that Jesus Christ was not God in the flesh I hate the religion that says that Jesus Christ is not the Savior of the world. I hate that religion with all my heart But ethnically They're no different than anyone else to me And I don't want to see I don't want to see Brown darker brown skin people being killed with bombs or lighter brown skin people or white people whatever getting killed with bombs I don't want to see any of it Not for it But I'm not gonna gonna I mean people who both reject Christ, how do you pick a side on that? For It's 50 verse 10 says I have confidence in you through the Lord that you'll be none otherwise minded But he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment whosoever he be anyone that's bringing in this stuff they're gonna have their judgment to deal with and You see here, you know, you could go through the whole book of Galatians later I was just trying to pick out some significant portions here Like this whole book is about that subject It's about this subject of people bringing in works for salvation and the the blending of a false religion a Workspace religion with the true religion and we shouldn't stand for that and we should have nothing to do with that and we need to be separate and sanctified and set apart as as Christians and like like brother Devon servant, you know Christian privilege like identify as Christians not as People in any particular racial group or any other group for that matter even even within America Look Christians are what we want everyone to be and to become a part of Christianity I put in their faith in Jesus Christ because the things that happen in this world at the end of the day It's only here for a moment. We're gonna spend an eternity either in heaven or hell so Those that that the Bible says he that believeth on him shall not be condemned But he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in name the only begotten Son of God It's what it all boils down to let's my rise have a word of prayer your lord. Love you Thank you so much for for the great wisdom that you can teach us through your word I pray to please help us to have a biblical understanding of this world instead of What's the the news and the media try to push down down our throats? And I pray that you please help us to have a pure religion that we could Serve you in truth and in honesty and sincerity and that you would open up our understanding and that we wouldn't believe in false doctrines or have false ideas about about The truth but that you could just clear things up for us Lord through your word Help us ever to increase our wisdom and and Lord, please help us today We go out and we preach the the good news of salvation by grace through faith in your son Lord to people who Run believers in God, please bless those efforts this afternoon in Jesus name. We pray. Amen All right, we're gonna sing one last song before dismissed this morning brother Peter, please lead us I Oh The world behind me Before The cross before me The cross before me In interest rate see thank you so much for coming you guys You