Fundamental Grace Part 5 The Gospel

“But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed 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:) And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do. 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. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch 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, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?” (Gal. 2:7-14)

Notice first in verses 7-8 the COMMITMENT OF THE GOSPEL. The brethren here recognized a great truth. Paul had been given an anointing, or a calling, or a mission to the Gentile world. (By the way, you should be saying “Amen” right now because that is how you had the opportunity to be saved. Unless you have a unique lineage, someone had to bring the gospel out of Judaism so that you could eventually hear it.) The other apostles saw that Paul had the gift to reach the Gentiles, just as Peter had the gift to reach the Jews. God showed them that they could take the gospel to both groups.

They were committed to people. They knew that the mission of the church was to reach the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. God showed them that there would not be angels appearing or mystical writings across the sky to communicate the gospel. A preacher is sent, the message is heard, and people receive Christ. That is how it is supposed to work.

As Christians, we either make it happen or we don’t. The gospel has been committed unto us. Look at II Cor. 4:5-7. “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”

Verse 7 makes it pretty clear. The treasure is the gospel. The vessel is me (or you). The gospel has been to you so that you can distribute it throughout your sphere of influence. God’s plan since creation has been to spread out around the world with this message. We do not build communes to bring people in; we build churches and send people out. There are many methods, but the best one is when you and I share the good news of Jesus Christ to another person in a one-on-one situation.

The apostles were committed for a purpose, and we should be as well. Your main job on Earth is to magnify Jesus Christ through your life. Your chosen vocation, whatever it may be, is simply a tool to help you do that. It is a way for you to meet people.

When people in my church tell me how they have given out tracts or talked to someone about the Lord, it excites me. Even if no one gets saved, they have done their job. It is God’s job to bring them in, and it is our job to get the word out.

One of my men operates a fast-food restaurant and it has become a ministry for him. What a great opportunity he has – many of his employees are teenagers with no knowledge of the Bible, some of them without parents. He is able to answer so many questions that they have about life and about God. The average person on the street thinks his job is to cook chicken, but his main job is to magnify Christ. Of course, he should do a good job for his employer and not steal his time. But when the opportunity presents itself, he should make much of Jesus. That is our purpose.

Notice in verse 9 their COOPERATION IN THE GOSPEL. The older I get, the more I understand the words of Paul Chappell: “Teamwork makes the dream work.” This is not about a one-man show. It is about everyone doing something to further the gospel. In this passage each man went in a different direction so they did not cross into each other’s lanes, but every one of them was getting the job done.

On a recent Wednesday night we had a number of people saved at our church. It started when one man fueled up our bus. Someone else drove that bus, and several people went out and invited folks to come. During the service there were nursery workers who did their part, and anyone who helped visitors feel welcome did something important. For every person who trusted Christ, there were as many as ten people who played a role. It is never about just one person.

I learned years ago that I cannot do it all myself. God puts people in a church for a certain time and season. He knows our needs and sends us the personnel to take care of them. I do not have any idea how much money each family in my church gives, but I have been told of instances where one family moved away and their giving was replaced by another family that came to us at exactly the right time. We are all just small pieces of a large pie, and together we can do so much more than we can do alone.

The CONSIDERATION FOR THE GOSPEL is noted in verse 10. Paul was instructed to preach to the poor, and he noted that he had already set his mind to doing just that.

Look at what Jesus said in Luke 14:12-14. “Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.” The point here was not to target the affluent or any demographic group for your own advantage, but to go after those who can do nothing for you.

One day I took a picture of our church buses all lined up in a nice row, and I posted it on Facebook with these words: “The bus ministry is still the best evangelistic tool we have for reaching boys and girls with the gospel.” Many people insist that the bus ministry is only a financial drain, and the rising costs of gas and insurance seem to support that argument. It would be cheaper to stop running buses, but someone needs to go get those poor kids who otherwise could not come to church. Occasionally I will hear someone say, “Pastor, we need to go after the up-and-comers, the one who can bring money into the church.” I learned a long time ago that if you reach children, widows and others who cannot help you, God will send you people who can help you.

God save us from the mentality that we only target a certain culture, demographic or color. If you are not comfortable around all types, then it will take you a few million years to get used to Heaven, because that place will look like a rainbow. As the old children’s song says, they are all precious in His sight.

If you are unfamiliar with a church, take a look at the choir. That is usually an accurate representation of the church itself. Some members come from difficult backgrounds and may be struggling today, and others are more successful and stable. There are all ages, colors and backgrounds. One person who was in church since childhood may sit next to another who was saved out of a messy adult life. It is a microcosm of the entire church.

There was a time when every family that joined a church was a mom and dad with two or three kids. It is almost never that simple anymore. There are so many different family structures now that you sometimes need a scorecard to keep up with who is related to whom. That is the world we live in. If you cannot work with broken families, you will not build a church today. You must have a mindset to work with hurting people and give them room to grow. Not everyone is going to come in with Bible in hand, ready to plug right in as a faithful, tithing member. Some are going to be spiritual infants that you have to bring along slowly and gently. Instead of insisting that they be right with God before they set foot in church, get the heart of Jesus and meet them where they are.

I have found that some of the greatest Christians come from the most difficult backgrounds. Having a consideration for the gospel means that you are reaching people who may not help your bottom line but will make your heavenly line look really good.

The final verses of this passage cover the CONFLICT OVER THE GOSPEL. It looks like Paul and Peter had a public disagreement, based on verses 11 and 14. If you look carefully, you can see that there was a Biblical reason for this conflict.

Peter was exhibiting signs of racism, being friendly with Gentiles one day and then shunning them when his Jewish friends were around, as verse 12 indicates.

Our practices separation for ministry, but not segregation. When we began our current children’s program some people thought we were segregating, but we determined that it was more effective to make separate groups because some children have been raised to be more disciplined in their behavior and already know a considerable amount about the Bible than others. Rather than expel the kids who just can’t sit still or let them scare off some of the other kids, we decided to adapt so that we could minister to them. As these young people grow, we move them to the other department and disciple them appropriately. But we respect everyone regardless of where they come from, and we do not separate based on color.

Paul told Peter that he was treating people the wrong way because of their cultural background, and it was having the wrong kind of influence on others, as noted in verse 13. This is the only negative comment you will read about Barnabas in the Bible. He was a powerful man of God, but he let himself get carried because of Peter’s reputation. This is a reminder to us that our bad decisions always affect someone else who is looking up to us. I am convinced that much of the trouble in our churches is not because of the majority, but because of a handful of people who are influencing many weaker, younger Christians.

Paul gave a Biblical response in a public forum. It was an open sin that needed an open rebuke. A lot of things we concern ourselves with are really none of our concern, but this was not that kind of situation. He also rebuked him personally, not by sending him a letter but by meeting him face to face. A letter does not show tone or diction, and thus it is not as personal. Paul also did not go around and talk to everyone else about it first. The way he handled this situation was a good lesson for those who witnessed it, as they learned how to properly deal with such matters.

I believe that this was a passionate, issue-only rebuke. Paul had no other motive but to see the gospel given to the Jew and the Gentile alike. He wanted only to get this problem fixed so everyone could move forward for the cause of world evangelism. It could be that he raised his voice, but it was his passion, which should not be confused with anger. We would do well to give people a little room when someone is passionate and does not mean harm. The cause of Christ could always use some more passion.

Paul’s life backed up his message in a way that Peter probably took it the right way. If someone has the reputation of a jerk, that is what people will assume in most cases. In contrast, if a person is known to be consistent and solid, he will get the benefit of the doubt.

There are going to be problems in our churches, and good people will say some strange things. If are going to grow, we must learn that good people should have room to disagree and to correct one another when necessary and when done properly.

It is important to remember that Paul stayed within the boundaries of the problem. He rebuked Peter with the precepts of the Word of God. He didn’t say, “Oh, by the way,” and then bring up something Peter did four or five years earlier. They dealt with this issue and it was over.

Too much of what we see in our world today is over preference, pride, and personality. Some people are too sensitive, and others are not interested in helping someone as much as cutting them down. We get our feelings hurt at church so often it is not scriptural at all.

How many church splits are over something Biblical? How many are because of pettiness, or politics, or something so meaningless? I have heard of very few churches dividing over the virgin birth, but plenty who went their separate ways because they couldn’t agree on the color of the carpet. It is petty and pitiful. It destroys churches and breaks the heart of God.

Some things are important enough to fight over. If you are teaching another gospel, that calls for a confrontation. Let’s make sure what we say is right and in the right spirit. The gospel is worth fighting over, but it is not to be trampled over by petty things. Our mission is too important, and we must move forward in the right spirit.

Single Vision Conference 2013 Wrap Up

I really have not had time to sit down and go over all that God did for us at Single Vision this year.  Without question I know it was one of the best weeks we have had yet.  Every speaker, ever session, every sermon was exactly what we needed.  Since I have not had time to write about it, I want to share a letter from someone who attended for the first time and let her tell you in her own words what she thought about the conference!

This is just one of the notes, FB messages, emails, and Twitter messages I have received.  All of them rejoicing over what God did for them during the week! I cannot encourage young adults and their pastors enough to invest in this age group before we lose them to the world or the emerging church!

Hope to see you all at Single Vision 2014 in St. Petersburg!

Culture vs. Doctrine- Fundamental Grace Part IV

“Then fourteen 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 were 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: 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: To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. 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.” (Gal. 2:1-6)

As we previously stated, Paul was dealing with false doctrine in the church at Galatia. One of the problems he had to address was the fact that obedience to the law was being mingled with faith, or that one had to have the law in addition to faith in Christ. Another facet of this was the teaching that the believer was kept perfect by keeping the law.

In essence, the law was being taught as a means to salvation and a part of salvation. To counteract this, Paul began the second chapter of Galatians by pointing out some things from years before in his early ministry that had to be settled before the council in Jerusalem, as depicted in Acts 15 and 16.

Consider the phrase “false brethren” in verse 4. Was he referring to saved men or lost men? Look at Jude 4. “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” This passage shows us that ungodly men will slip into the church body from time to time to try to turn it from Jesus Christ. I believe those are Satanic plants – lost men sent by the devil to a church. He would love to take a good church or a young church and corrupt it through someone who claims to be a seasoned Christian but is far from it. I don’t know if the people Paul mentioned in verse 4 were saved, but we know that what they were teaching was wrong.

Some of these men were teaching that Judaism was necessary for salvation, which should not be a great surprise because it was all that they knew before they were exposed to the real gospel. They had been brought up culturally as Jews their entire lives and even after they were saved, they were still trapped by that culture, taking things that were ingrained in them and giving them as gospel. This is what Paul wanted to straighten out, as he had been forced to do in his early ministry.

Let’s consider a few examples of culture vs. doctrine. I prefer the King James Version because I speak English and I think it is the best translation for English-speaking people. If I go to Ecuador and use the KJV, it will do me no good because the people do not speak English. Is the inspiration and preservation of the Word of God a doctrine that we believe, for ourselves as well as the people of Ecuador? Of course it is. That is the real doctrinal issue; the KJV issue by itself is not relevant to non-English speakers (which, by the way, make up more than 90 percent of the world’s population).

We believe in separation from the world. Nearly all of us would agree that Hollywood is more bad than good, but Hollywood is not mentioned in the Bible. It is a cultural phenomenon. If someone preaches a sermon that rails against Hollywood, the doctrine being espoused is not Hollywood itself but rather separation from evil and worldliness.

We would not dispute that soul winning and evangelism are Bible doctrines, but whereas I might encourage you to witness to your neighbor or the guy you meet at the grocery store, that is not a method we would recommend for a missionary in a Muslim country or an underground church in China. The doctrine is the same, but the cultural method is different.

Christ-honoring worship is stressed throughout the Bible, but there are so many different styles that could be included in that. Most of us love Southern gospel, but it is not the preferred style in many parts of this country, let alone other nations around the world. The type of music used in many Northern churches is not my cup of tea, but all of it is honoring and pleasing to God.

Doctrine must be protected from culture, but culture cannot be preached as doctrine. True doctrine will always be right, but how you preach that doctrine will often be in a cultural manner. The true test of doctrine is whether it can be transferred from place to place, regardless of where you are.

In Paul’s case at the start of the second chapter of Galatians, he was dealing with good men who were Jews and knew virtually nothing else. Notice in verse 3 that Titus was not circumcised because he was a Greek. That practice was important to the Jewish people but not to the gospel. It was a cultural issue, not a doctrinal one.

To get a clearer picture of what had happened previously with Paul, look at Acts 15:1-2. “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye 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.”

This is what Paul referred to in Galatians. He was telling them, “Look, we have already nailed down and settled what is doctrine and what is preference. We had a big meeting years ago in Jerusalem to do exactly that.”

We must have a SETTLING OF DOCTRINE. Too many preachers and churches today are swayed with every wind of doctrine that comes along. They are swayed by the size of a church or the ability of a speaker and they have no idea what they believe or why.

One thing that has separated Baptists from other denominations over the years is that we have known what we believe, because we didn’t just take someone’s word for it but we got out or Bibles and studied it for ourselves. Sadly, today we often do not follow the admonition of II Tim. 2:15, which says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” That is why we are a Biblically illiterate generation, prone to being confused by every cult that comes down the road.

The Bible says in Col. 1:23, “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.”

None of us should be afraid of Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormons who might knock on our door. We shouldn’t fear a casual encounter with someone from the Church of Christ or the Roman Catholic Church because of what the topic of discussion might be. You need to know what and in whom you believe so that you can talk to anyone about your faith on the basis of the Word of God. Often we are intimidated by the world not because of what they believe, but because we are uncertain about what we believe.

To be sure, we have to know our SOURCE OF DOCTRINE. Look at Acts 16:9. “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.” This is the first opportunity for Paul to present the gospel to the Gentiles, which he did under the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Further evidence of our source of doctrine is found in II Pet. 1:16-21. “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

Peter’s message here is that he saw the risen Christ, but we have the written Word of God and that is even better. His “sure word of prophecy” is the same one you hold in your hand on Sunday morning.

Our source of doctrine is the scriptures. Doctrine is never built upon commentaries, or biographies, or anything else written by man. You must build doctrine upon the Bible and nothing else.

The Bible says in Ps. 119:89, “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.” Doctrine cannot only be transferred to other cultures but to other eras of history. From the beginning of the church down through the centuries, as men like Spurgeon and others from years gone by have proven, the truth of God’s Word has never changed. We have the same gospel. If Christ tarries His coming for another two or three hundred years, our descendants can preach and teach the same gospel we are promoting today because it will never change or be altered by culture or time. We do not change it; we allow it to change us.

Look at Isa. 28:9-10. “Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.”

How do you learn Bible doctrine? It is not easy. It takes study and work. Solomon wrote in Eccl. 12:12 that “much study is a weariness of the flesh.” There are no shortcuts to spiritual understanding, and that is not something our fast-food generation wants to hear. We want to know it all right now. I have been in Bible-believing churches for 40 years, and there are some things I am just now beginning to learn because a foundation has to be built first.

I am more excited every year to find other people who can teach me new things. Those people are also smart enough to know that they do not know everything. If you claim to know it all, I am not interested in anything you have to say. If we read the Bible every day, we will learn something from it every day.

The reason we have Sunday school and three main services a week, ladies’ Bible studies and all of the other teaching opportunities at this church, is not because we don’t have enough to do. As the prophet said in Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” The Bible teaching in this church is to equip you so that you can make it through life – so that you don’t get so discouraged that you take your own life; so that your marriage does not disintegrate; so that your children and grandchildren have a fighting chance in this wicked world. If the things of God are not a priority to you, they will never be a priority to your children. If you can take it or leave it, they will leave it and never take it.

We also get our doctrine from the Spirit that teaches us. John 16:13 says, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” An unregenerate person will not learn anything spiritual from the Bible because it requires the Spirit of God to be the teacher. A young person can win an older and much more educated person to Christ because facts and information alone do not work without proper application guided by the Spirit of God, who illuminates what is already there in the Word of God.

Another source of doctrine is a pastor. The third chapter of I Timothy outlines the qualifications for pastors and deacons, concluding in verse 16 with these words: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” The mysteries of God must be proclaimed, and He does not want just anyone to proclaim them. The ones who do that must be qualified.

God has put our pastors here in this church not to make people happy, but to teach them the mysteries. I want us all to be happy most of the time, but we need to be very unhappy at times so that we will become dissatisfied with the status quo and make some changes in their lives.

Teachers are to be a source of doctrine. We need teachers who will make an effort to give their students something worth hearing, and we should have students who are ready to listen with an expectant heart.

Remember the words of Eph. 4:11-12. “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”

We all learn doctrine from the church. You don’t learn it from someone you just happened to see on television, because you have no idea where that person came from. We need to be learning from people we know and see week in and week out – people whose lives we can see. If I live like an idiot the rest of the week and you see that, it is a lot more important than the 25 minutes I spend up here every Sunday morning.

One reason the local church is so important is that we don’t just fly in for a weekend to give you a seminar and then take off again. The people in your local church are there day after day, week after week, month after month. That is God’s institution for this day and age, not some radio preacher who asks you to send in your money. People need to stop running around and getting their doctrine for places that are not scriptural in nature. It should be coming from the Word of God, through the Spirit of God and in the church of God.

Notice the SINGLENESS OF DOCTRINE. We referred earlier to the confrontation of sorts that was recorded in Acts 15 over the insertion of cultural issues, particularly those relating to Judaism, into the gospel. From there, we return to the second chapter of Galatians and read verses 5-6. “To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. 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.”

Paul made it clear that he and the other apostles were not changing their minds, but they met privately with some of the leaders to discuss these things. What he is saying in these two verses is that it doesn’t matter who they were; it only matters who God is. Paul and his associates wanted to make certain they were right, but they emphasized that God is the only authority on these matters. The final phrase of verse 6, “added nothing to me,” is another way of saying that the peripheral cultural issues do not change the gospel.

Culture stops and starts based upon boundaries and locations. The gospel can be transferred to any time and place. I can go to any country on this planet, walk into a church that has never seen or heard of an American missionary but has a copy of the Word of God in their own language, and we can be on the exact same page regarding our doctrine.

Bible doctrine is not American doctrine. It is worldwide doctrine. Preferences are cultural and time-sensitive, but the Word of God is applicable worldwide for eternity.

We need to know Bible doctrine. You should understand and be able to explain what a Baptist is and what he or she believes.

Obviously, we should also practice Bible doctrine. Our biggest problems are that we don’t know what the Bible says, and when we do know it we fail to do anything about it. Apathy is killing the church in America.

Let’s maintain cultural standards that protect and promote Bible precepts and doctrine. Hollywood and pop culture are not getting any better. Most secular music being recorded today will not help your spirit. We need to be in the world but not of the world. Too many of us, in reaction to the way we were taught in the past, have thrown out all of our cultural preferences because we hate “legalism.” There are still some things we need to stay away from. The words of Ps. 101:3 are still important: “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.”

Give room to others who do not share our background. In some churches in other parts of the world, if you wore a suit and tie they would look at you like you came from Jupiter. We even have slight differences in various parts of our own nation that can make people take notice.

Too many have no room for others who do not do everything exactly as they do it. What a sad commentary on Christianity. By the way, we are now fighting again battles that have already been fought and settled. There are things here we do not have to reestablish every time a new wind blows through. We must simply reaffirm our commitment to them. We are established in those things, so we don’t have to spend a lot of time on them. We can go on to other things to draw us closer to the Lord so that He might work on us, in us, and through us.

Fundamental Grace- Part III

“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased 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. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. For ye 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 mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. But 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 unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen 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 regions of Syria and Cilicia; And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ: But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. And they glorified God in me.” (Gal. 1:10-24)

Notice Paul’s words in verse 10, where he differentiates between pleasing man and pleasing God.

Paul understood, first and foremost, that he served at the pleasure of an audience of One – the audience of the Master. He knew his responsibility. He did not take a survey or put stock in the whims of the day. He was not trying to figure out what the crowd was in favor of so he could make everyone happy. In fact, he didn’t even worry too much about what the people in the church cared the most about. His mission was to please God.

We need to get it seared in our minds that, while we may do things publicly or participate in exercises that are seen by others, our only audience that matters as far as eternity is concerned is an Almighty God. We have far too many preachers and populists who are too concerned about what the crowd wants, and that is why they are hesitant to pull the trigger on solid Bible preaching. They are afraid of offending someone, but in their attempts to please men they are displeasing God.

By the grace of God and to His glory, I have never stopped to consider that I should not say something because of whom it might offend. To be honest, there are many things I could have said better or more wisely, but I have never sought to please anyone or been afraid to displease anyone through preaching. If it is in the Bible, I am responsible to tell people what it is. After that it is between them and God to handle the fallout. We cannot compromise the message based on the feelings of a few.

In verse 11 Paul explained the authority of the message. “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.” When something is certified, like a letter, it carries with it an exceptional level of importance. The apostle stressed in this passage that men had no right to change the message of the gospel because they did not invent it, as verse 12 illustrates. “For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

The gospel is the main message of the scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament shows us our need for a redeemer and a substitute, and the New Testament reveals to us that Jesus Christ is that substitute. Many people believe that one can sincerely trust in another way to Heaven, but that is impossible because man did not determine how one gets to Heaven. God did it. As Jesus said in Matt. 14:6, “No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

You say, “Brother Stancil, is everyone who does not trust Christ going to Hell?” That is the truth, on the authority of God’s Word. In my flesh I would probably change it if I could because I feel bad for people whose loved ones have died without Christ, but I cannot do anything about it. There is no way I can change it because it is not my message to begin with. I am just the messenger. That is why Paul spoke so strongly here about the authority of the message.

 We have a problem with authority in America, especially the younger generations. I am in my early forties as I write this, which is not very old, but I am even concerned with the way younger adults and their children conduct themselves. When I see a small child misbehave in a restaurant, I want to take that little one aside and correct him or her so that the parents can see how their authority should be respected. That could never happen in today’s society because if you dare to say something to another person’s child, that parent will get mad at you and tell you to mind your own business. That attitude spills over into other areas of society, which is why there is no respect for law enforcement, the judicial system, teachers in the classroom, or anyone else.

This has even come into the church. An “authoritarian” preacher who stands up and proclaims, “Thus saith the Lord,” is looked upon with disdain. I do not necessarily command respect because of anything I am or have done, but I represent the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I would rather preach the rest of my life without wearing a tie, but I stand in the pulpit with a suit and tie because of whom I represent. That is the kind of respect for authority I am talking about – it is not about me, but the message. The older I get, the more bothered I am by the way so many people do not respect the holy things of God.

In the next several verses, Paul gives an accounting of his ministry. This begins in verses 13-14 with his RELIGION. “For ye 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 mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.”

In his early work, before he met the Lord on the road to Damascus, he was very fervent. You know from reading his epistles that he excelled in study and was a very learned man. He was not just a casual Pharisee or religious person, but he sat at the feet of the greatest religious teachers of that time.

You could go a step further and say that he was fierce. Many people in today’s society would describe him as a zealot or a far right-wing radical.

Someone in my church recently told me, “My friends are starting to think I’m taking this church thing a little too far.”

“When you become a follower of Jesus, all of your old friends will think that way,” I replied. People don’t mind if you are a follower of religion, but they hate it when you are a follower of Jesus because that requires a totally different level of commitment.

Paul had been so intense in his persecution of Christians that he became famous for his hatred of them. We know from the scriptures that when Paul initially wanted to join the church, other Christians were afraid and skeptical of him because his reputation preceded him. Knowing how he had imprisoned so many and had others put to death, and so shortly after he sat at stoning of Stephen, they wanted to take it slowly and see if he was for real.

But for all of his fervor and fierceness, the religion espoused by the man known as Saul was false. Our world today has gorged itself on religion, and millions of people around the globe have allowed themselves to become indoctrinated and controlled by a church that does preach the true gospel. Those who sincerely put their trust in religion alone will die and enter into eternity lost.

Religion is the great numbing tool of Satan, who loves nothing more than for people to sit back and rest on the false security that they are all right because they go to church. It is possible that more people enter Hell through the doors of the church and than any other way, because they believe that church attendance is enough. When a lost person hears, “You must be born again,” that sedative we call religion is activates and soothes the soul into thinking, “I’m OK.”

I am so thankful that I will not have to take part in the Great White Throne judgment of God, but I am afraid that we who stand there witnessing that event with Him will see many people we knew as active members of churches just like ours, but they never individually confessed their own need for Christ because they bought into the idea that religion by itself was enough.

You can go to church from the time you are born until the time you die and not become a Christian – just like living in a garage does not make you a car, as the old saying goes. You listen to preaching week after week and Satan slips in spiritual Novocain to make you relaxed and comfortable in your condition. That is not of God, and any religion not of God is false religion.

In verses 15-16 Paul talked about his CONVERSION. “But 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.”

Notice how he referred to God’s movement in life in verse 15. Do you realize that, in order for you to be saved, it must be God moving toward you and not you moving toward God? I hope you don’t take that statement the wrong way, because I do not have a Calvinist bone in my body, but you had better respond when the Spirit of God quickens you. People who talk about how they will get saved “some day” are playing a dangerous game, because the Lord said in Gen. 6:3, “My spirit shall not always strive with man.”

There is a time in every person’s life when the Holy Spirit moves as if to say, “Today is the day. The time is now.” The Spirit of God makes alive that which is dead so that a lost person can respond to the gospel. If you do not respond, the Holy Spirit might leave you alone. After that you might search for a place of repentance but never find one.

Paul’s conversion required separation. God wants everyone to be saved but also knows who will eventually accept Him and who will not. When Paul mentioned that the Lord “separated me from my mother's womb,” he did not mean that he was predestined. God knew Paul would one day trust Him on the road to Damascus, and He had a plan for his life all along. We do not know who will eventually be saved, so it is our responsibility to tell as many as we can and let them have that opportunity.

His conversion resulted in service. He immediately attempted to join himself to other believers, and he repeatedly wanted to know what the next step in his Christian life should be. A good sign of genuine conversion is a desire to be obedient in baptism and church attendance, along with a yearning to know Him better and live for Him.

I believe Paul’s attitude could be expressed this way: “I gave fervent service to ‘religion,’ so now that I am born again I can do nothing less than give fervent service to Jesus Christ.”

Someone once said that if you win a good Catholic person to Christ, you will produce a great Christian. Such a person who has been indoctrinated for years in duty, religion and methodology now has the grace of God shining in the heart and has the opportunity to serve Him not out of obligation or to try to earn a ticket to Heaven, but out of grace and love because Heaven is already assured.

Paul’s conversion was reinforced by the Spirit. He knew that God had moved inside of him, and as he wrote in II Cor. 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

When God moves in and takes up residence in a person’s life, some things change immediately. I cannot know another man’s heart, but at times I can determine his lost condition by the evidence in his life, because “by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matt. 7:20). If there has never been a desire for spiritual things in someone’s life, that is a big problem.

Paul talked about his EDUCATION in verses 17-20. “Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen 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.”

His teacher was the Lord Jesus Christ. He didn’t seek out anyone else, as we see in verse 17, but he spent three years on the backside of the desert studying one-on-one with Jesus.

Paul was an apostle, and the requirement for being an apostle is to have seen the risen Lord in person. If you see a billboard or an advertisement about a revival meeting with Apostle So-and-So, just disregard it. Unless he has seen Jesus, he is just using a biblical term because it sounds cool.

Consider the time involved in his education. We know that Paul already had an extensive knowledge of the Old Testament, having learned at the feet of Gamaliel. Now think about the three years he is talking about in this passage. That is the same length of time Jesus spent in His earthly ministry training the disciples. That is probably what Paul was learning during this time, and there could be no better teacher.

There is no shortcut to meaningful education and service. A lot of times we want the abridged version when we just need to sit down and take the time to learn what we need to know.

His testing is noted in verses 18-19. He saw no one for three years but then visited Peter and James. Why those two? Peter, as we all know, was the vocal leader of the early church, while James became the senior pastor of the church at Jerusalem. Those men were the authority figures of the early church movement, and Paul visited them so they could prove him. He had learned enough to know that he should not be sent out on their behalf without a proper vetting process, so that Peter and James could put their stamp of approval on his ministry.

That is a principle we should continue to apply in our churches today. Individuals do not start churches; churches start churches. A situation arose in Texas where a man began a ministry a few blocks away from our church, reaching out to the homeless and people struggling with substance abuse. One day he announced that it was a church, and it wasn’t long before the lawsuits and complaints began to surface. I followed it in the local media, and when he was asked under what authority he was established, he said, “None. I just started a church.” He got himself into a mess because of the unscriptural way he started his church.

Notice in verse 20 Paul’s truth. He understood the importance of being true to the Word of God. If I were to stand in the pulpit and say something contrary to the Bible, the problem would be with me, not the Bible. The same goes for any other preacher.

In verses 21-24 he outlined his VOCATION. “Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ: But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. And they glorified God in me.”

We see in verse 21 that he went right to work. In the beginning he was unknown to the churches. In fact, early passages in Acts refer to “Barnabas and Paul,” not “Paul and Barnabas.” Make sure that your motive for service is not to be known by others, because that is fleeting praise. I would rather be known by God and not known by anyone else in the world. If you are known to God, you are in good company.

He had unction to preach. If God stirs you to do something, just go to it. If you wait until you think you have everything ready, you will never do it. There is a need for training and preparation, but there is a time when you have to step out by faith and just do it. Where God leads, God provides.

A great truth in verse 24 is the ultimate glory to God that was given in his life and ministry. What will your epitaph be? For what will you be remembered? The best thing that could be said about you is that God was glorified through your life.

Too many of us live for ourselves or for the moment. Let’s live for what God can do through us.