1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:01,960 Now please open your Bibles, will you, 2 00:00:01,960 –> 00:00:05,080 at Galatians 2. 3 00:00:05,080 –> 00:00:06,680 We’re continuing our series 4 00:00:06,680 –> 00:00:10,080 and it’s entitled Grasping the Gospel 5 00:00:10,080 –> 00:00:12,280 and we’re learning that the gospel 6 00:00:12,280 –> 00:00:15,580 is not simply the A, B, C’s of the Christian life, 7 00:00:15,580 –> 00:00:18,959 but rather it is the A to Z of the Christian life. 8 00:00:18,959 –> 00:00:21,680 It embraces in other words not just the beginning. 9 00:00:21,680 –> 00:00:25,959 But it embraces the whole of the Christian life. 10 00:00:25,959 –> 00:00:29,620 And this morning in Galatians we come to a critical moment 11 00:00:29,660 –> 00:00:32,060 in the life of the early church 12 00:00:32,060 –> 00:00:35,700 where this gospel had to be defended. 13 00:00:36,639 –> 00:00:39,939 And Galatians 2 tells us the story of a clash 14 00:00:39,939 –> 00:00:43,380 between two giants of the early church, 15 00:00:43,380 –> 00:00:45,700 Peter and Paul. 16 00:00:45,700 –> 00:00:47,220 If you look at verse 11, 17 00:00:47,220 –> 00:00:52,220 when Peter came to Antioch I opposed him to his face 18 00:00:52,480 –> 00:00:56,040 because he was clearly in the wrong. 19 00:00:56,939 –> 00:01:01,279 Now this clash between Paul and Peter 20 00:01:01,279 –> 00:01:03,919 has been taken by some modern commentators 21 00:01:03,919 –> 00:01:06,779 to suggest that Paul and Peter 22 00:01:06,779 –> 00:01:10,120 somehow preached a different message, 23 00:01:10,120 –> 00:01:12,339 that Peter was more about works 24 00:01:12,339 –> 00:01:15,040 and that Paul was more about grace. 25 00:01:15,040 –> 00:01:17,599 That these two versions of the gospel it is said 26 00:01:17,599 –> 00:01:20,279 go back to the beginning with these two apostles 27 00:01:20,279 –> 00:01:23,199 and that both have their separate lines of decent 28 00:01:23,199 –> 00:01:25,320 within the church even to this day 29 00:01:25,320 –> 00:01:27,180 and that if we are evangelicals 30 00:01:27,180 –> 00:01:32,160 it just happens to be that we prefer Paul over Peter. 31 00:01:33,639 –> 00:01:35,059 Now that is what has been said 32 00:01:35,059 –> 00:01:37,360 in a large part academia in these days 33 00:01:37,360 –> 00:01:39,239 and I hope that you will be able to see 34 00:01:39,239 –> 00:01:41,639 simply from what we learned last week 35 00:01:41,639 –> 00:01:44,919 that this cannot possibly be the case. 36 00:01:45,879 –> 00:01:47,279 Remember, we learned last week 37 00:01:47,279 –> 00:01:50,599 that the gospel does not come by human invention 38 00:01:51,919 –> 00:01:55,199 nor does it come by the development of tradition 39 00:01:55,639 –> 00:01:58,360 but rather Paul says it comes by revelation 40 00:01:58,360 –> 00:01:59,760 from Jesus Christ, 41 00:01:59,760 –> 00:02:03,839 and that is why there can only be one gospel. 42 00:02:03,839 –> 00:02:06,959 You see, you can have many inventions. 43 00:02:06,959 –> 00:02:09,919 You can have many traditions 44 00:02:09,919 –> 00:02:11,360 but you can only have one gospel 45 00:02:11,360 –> 00:02:13,800 that comes by revelation from Jesus Christ 46 00:02:13,800 –> 00:02:16,520 because Jesus Christ is not in confusion. 47 00:02:16,520 –> 00:02:19,740 He does not contradict himself. 48 00:02:19,740 –> 00:02:21,860 And that is why the central emphasis 49 00:02:21,860 –> 00:02:23,279 on there being one gospel 50 00:02:23,399 –> 00:02:25,360 is so important throughout the letter. 51 00:02:25,360 –> 00:02:26,839 If you have it open in front of you, 52 00:02:26,839 –> 00:02:27,679 as I hope you do, 53 00:02:27,679 –> 00:02:30,720 will you see there in verse six of chapter one, 54 00:02:30,720 –> 00:02:32,320 just looking back over last week? 55 00:02:32,320 –> 00:02:33,779 I’m astonished, Paul says, 56 00:02:33,779 –> 00:02:35,119 that you’re so quickly deserting 57 00:02:35,119 –> 00:02:37,839 the one who called you by the grace of Christ 58 00:02:37,839 –> 00:02:40,160 and you’re turning to a different gospel 59 00:02:40,160 –> 00:02:42,160 which is no gospel at all. 60 00:02:42,160 –> 00:02:43,960 You see, if you turn away from this gospel, 61 00:02:43,960 –> 00:02:46,020 Paul says, you don’t have any good news 62 00:02:46,020 –> 00:02:48,380 because there isn’t any other good news. 63 00:02:49,259 –> 00:02:51,320 Or verse eight of chapter one. 64 00:02:51,360 –> 00:02:53,160 Even if we, an angel from heaven, 65 00:02:53,160 –> 00:02:54,360 should preach a gospel 66 00:02:54,360 –> 00:02:56,279 other than the one we preach to you, 67 00:02:56,279 –> 00:02:59,679 let him be eternally condemned. 68 00:02:59,679 –> 00:03:01,759 Or chapter one, verses 11 and 12. 69 00:03:01,759 –> 00:03:02,820 The gospel I preached 70 00:03:02,820 –> 00:03:04,860 is not something that man made up. 71 00:03:04,860 –> 00:03:06,639 I did not receive it from any man 72 00:03:06,639 –> 00:03:07,559 nor was I taught it. 73 00:03:07,559 –> 00:03:11,479 I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. 74 00:03:11,479 –> 00:03:14,039 So there is one gospel 75 00:03:14,039 –> 00:03:19,039 and it comes from Jesus Christ. 76 00:03:19,419 –> 00:03:23,119 Now in Galatians in chapter two, 77 00:03:23,119 –> 00:03:25,360 as we move on to this new chapter 78 00:03:25,360 –> 00:03:27,080 Paul makes it very, very clear 79 00:03:27,080 –> 00:03:30,839 that he preached the same message as Peter. 80 00:03:30,839 –> 00:03:33,080 Indeed, he has a number of things to say 81 00:03:33,080 –> 00:03:34,919 about his relationship with Peter 82 00:03:34,919 –> 00:03:37,000 beginning in chapter one and verse 18. 83 00:03:37,000 –> 00:03:38,479 He tells us there 84 00:03:38,479 –> 00:03:40,479 that the first time that he met with Peter 85 00:03:40,479 –> 00:03:43,080 was three years after his conversion. 86 00:03:43,080 –> 00:03:44,080 Chapter one, verse 18. 87 00:03:44,080 –> 00:03:45,080 I went up to Jerusalem 88 00:03:45,080 –> 00:03:47,339 to get acquainted with Peter 89 00:03:47,380 –> 00:03:49,860 and I stayed with him for 15 days. 90 00:03:49,860 –> 00:03:53,580 And we’re told in chapter two in verse one 91 00:03:53,580 –> 00:03:55,020 that 14 years later, 92 00:03:55,020 –> 00:03:57,899 Paul went up to Jerusalem a second time 93 00:03:57,899 –> 00:04:01,860 and this time he did it with Barnabas and Titus, 94 00:04:01,860 –> 00:04:03,539 traveled with them. 95 00:04:03,539 –> 00:04:04,660 Verse two of chapter two. 96 00:04:04,660 –> 00:04:06,160 I said before them, 97 00:04:06,160 –> 00:04:08,179 that is the Jerusalem apostles 98 00:04:08,179 –> 00:04:10,380 and others who had come into leadership 99 00:04:10,380 –> 00:04:12,500 in this Jerusalem church, 100 00:04:12,500 –> 00:04:14,899 I said before them the Gospel 101 00:04:14,940 –> 00:04:17,980 that I preach among the Gentiles. 102 00:04:18,959 –> 00:04:21,579 Now the result of this presentation of the Gospel, 103 00:04:21,579 –> 00:04:24,540 Paul’s explaining what he teaches to the Gentiles 104 00:04:24,540 –> 00:04:25,380 and verse seven, 105 00:04:25,380 –> 00:04:30,380 we’re told that these men added nothing to my message, 106 00:04:30,380 –> 00:04:31,220 on the contrary, 107 00:04:31,220 –> 00:04:33,339 they saw that I had been entrusted 108 00:04:33,339 –> 00:04:37,019 with the task of preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles 109 00:04:37,019 –> 00:04:40,339 just as Peter had been to the Jews. 110 00:04:40,339 –> 00:04:41,200 In verse nine, 111 00:04:41,200 –> 00:04:43,940 James, Peter and John those reputed to be pillars 112 00:04:44,260 –> 00:04:45,959 and they gave me the right hand of fellowship 113 00:04:45,959 –> 00:04:49,380 when they recognized the grace given to me. 114 00:04:49,380 –> 00:04:50,480 So in summary, 115 00:04:50,480 –> 00:04:54,720 what happens here is that Paul goes to Jerusalem. 116 00:04:54,720 –> 00:04:57,079 He lays out before the Jerusalem apostles 117 00:04:57,079 –> 00:04:59,799 and the other church leaders in that great city, 118 00:04:59,799 –> 00:05:01,519 the message that he preaches, 119 00:05:01,519 –> 00:05:03,679 this is what I teach. 120 00:05:03,679 –> 00:05:06,160 Peter, James and John recognize 121 00:05:06,160 –> 00:05:08,859 that what Paul teaches is precisely the same message 122 00:05:08,859 –> 00:05:10,119 as they are preaching 123 00:05:10,119 –> 00:05:13,459 and so they give to Paul the right hand of fellowship. 124 00:05:13,480 –> 00:05:17,019 It is clear that they preached the same gospel. 125 00:05:18,779 –> 00:05:21,059 Now Galatians in chapter two tells us now 126 00:05:21,059 –> 00:05:23,899 then about a time when this gospel 127 00:05:23,899 –> 00:05:27,820 proclaimed by all of the apostles had to be defended. 128 00:05:28,839 –> 00:05:30,739 And the reason it had to be defended 129 00:05:30,739 –> 00:05:32,959 in this clash between Paul and Peter 130 00:05:32,959 –> 00:05:36,160 was not that Peter didn’t believe it, 131 00:05:36,160 –> 00:05:41,160 but rather that Peter acted inconsistently with it. 132 00:05:42,100 –> 00:05:46,880 He was not acting in line with the truth of the gospel 133 00:05:46,880 –> 00:05:48,959 is what Paul says. 134 00:05:49,899 –> 00:05:52,079 And the story we’re going to look at today 135 00:05:52,079 –> 00:05:55,279 reminds us that the gospel needs to be defended 136 00:05:55,279 –> 00:05:59,779 not only in the world, where it’s obviously under attack, 137 00:05:59,779 –> 00:06:03,079 but also in the church where it is constantly 138 00:06:03,079 –> 00:06:05,920 under pressure to be reshaped. 139 00:06:07,140 –> 00:06:08,279 Now our outline today, 140 00:06:08,279 –> 00:06:10,519 and we’ll actually continue it into next week also 141 00:06:11,040 –> 00:06:12,040 is really very simple, 142 00:06:12,040 –> 00:06:13,500 and I hope that it might be useful 143 00:06:13,500 –> 00:06:15,260 to help us all grasp the gospel 144 00:06:15,260 –> 00:06:17,559 which is what this whole series is all about. 145 00:06:18,679 –> 00:06:19,760 What’s the gospel? 146 00:06:20,739 –> 00:06:23,440 Let me give you it in three headings. 147 00:06:23,440 –> 00:06:27,200 It’s grade, it’s life, 148 00:06:27,200 –> 00:06:28,480 and it’s for the world. 149 00:06:29,880 –> 00:06:33,040 It’s grade, it’s life, 150 00:06:33,040 –> 00:06:34,200 and it’s for the world. 151 00:06:34,200 –> 00:06:35,940 And if we can get hold of these three things 152 00:06:35,940 –> 00:06:37,820 and hold them in our minds and in our heart 153 00:06:37,820 –> 00:06:39,220 and understand them well, 154 00:06:39,239 –> 00:06:42,100 we will have a good grasp of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 155 00:06:42,100 –> 00:06:43,059 Let’s say them together. 156 00:06:43,059 –> 00:06:45,320 It’s grace, it’s life, 157 00:06:45,320 –> 00:06:46,880 and it’s for the world. 158 00:06:46,880 –> 00:06:47,880 Okay, one more time. 159 00:06:47,880 –> 00:06:50,500 It’s grace, it’s life, 160 00:06:50,500 –> 00:06:53,019 and it’s for the world. 161 00:06:53,019 –> 00:06:54,579 Now we’ll take these in the order 162 00:06:54,579 –> 00:06:56,119 that they come in this passage, 163 00:06:56,119 –> 00:06:58,899 and we’re going to begin with it’s for the world, 164 00:06:58,899 –> 00:07:02,540 which is really the theme of verses one to 14. 165 00:07:02,540 –> 00:07:04,700 Let’s look at chapter two and verse seven. 166 00:07:05,600 –> 00:07:08,540 I had been entrusted with the task 167 00:07:08,540 –> 00:07:12,500 of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, 168 00:07:12,500 –> 00:07:16,239 just as Peter had been to the Jews. 169 00:07:17,940 –> 00:07:20,859 Now, if you read the New Testament carefully, 170 00:07:20,859 –> 00:07:23,600 you’ll discover that there was a real struggle 171 00:07:23,600 –> 00:07:26,920 going on throughout the early New Testament period 172 00:07:26,920 –> 00:07:29,679 about the mission of the church. 173 00:07:30,679 –> 00:07:35,679 The apostles in Jerusalem maintained a narrow focus 174 00:07:35,859 –> 00:07:39,380 on evangelism among the Jewish people. 175 00:07:40,480 –> 00:07:42,299 And Paul had been commissioned 176 00:07:42,299 –> 00:07:46,260 by the risen Lord Jesus Christ to go to the Gentiles. 177 00:07:47,700 –> 00:07:49,459 Now this word Gentile, as you know, 178 00:07:49,459 –> 00:07:52,540 simply means anyone who is not a Jew. 179 00:07:52,540 –> 00:07:55,019 That’s a whole lot of people in the world, right? 180 00:07:55,959 –> 00:07:59,059 Evangelizing the Jews was hard enough, 181 00:08:00,359 –> 00:08:02,799 evangelizing everyone else in the whole world 182 00:08:02,799 –> 00:08:05,359 must have seemed completely overwhelming 183 00:08:05,359 –> 00:08:07,160 and daunting indeed. 184 00:08:08,559 –> 00:08:11,440 Now I’ve found when I come to the word Gentile 185 00:08:11,440 –> 00:08:13,799 in the Bible that I find it helpful 186 00:08:13,799 –> 00:08:16,399 to read it with this phrase, 187 00:08:16,399 –> 00:08:17,480 the whole world, 188 00:08:17,480 –> 00:08:18,760 because that’s really what it means. 189 00:08:18,760 –> 00:08:20,760 The nations. 190 00:08:20,760 –> 00:08:23,320 Gentile means everybody who is not a Jew. 191 00:08:23,320 –> 00:08:24,760 So it’s really the whole world. 192 00:08:24,760 –> 00:08:26,679 It is all of the cultures of the world 193 00:08:26,679 –> 00:08:29,239 outside of the Jewish nation. 194 00:08:29,279 –> 00:08:30,320 So if you’ll follow, 195 00:08:30,320 –> 00:08:33,080 let me read verses 7 to 9 in this way 196 00:08:33,080 –> 00:08:34,400 so that we get the emphasis. 197 00:08:34,400 –> 00:08:36,359 Chapter 2, verse 7. 198 00:08:36,359 –> 00:08:38,080 These men added nothing to my message. 199 00:08:38,080 –> 00:08:39,919 On the contrary, 200 00:08:39,919 –> 00:08:42,000 they saw that I had been entrusted 201 00:08:42,000 –> 00:08:44,119 with the task of preaching the gospel 202 00:08:44,119 –> 00:08:47,119 to the whole world just as Peter 203 00:08:47,119 –> 00:08:49,119 had been to the Jews. 204 00:08:49,119 –> 00:08:50,840 For God who was at work in the ministry 205 00:08:50,840 –> 00:08:52,840 of Peter to the Jews 206 00:08:52,840 –> 00:08:54,440 was also at work in my ministry 207 00:08:54,440 –> 00:08:56,659 as an apostle to the whole world. 208 00:08:57,760 –> 00:08:58,960 James, Peter, and John, 209 00:08:59,080 –> 00:09:00,260 those reputed to be pillars, 210 00:09:00,260 –> 00:09:02,559 gave me in Barnabas the right hand of fellowship. 211 00:09:02,559 –> 00:09:04,880 When they recognized the grace given to me, 212 00:09:04,880 –> 00:09:06,179 they agreed that we should go 213 00:09:06,179 –> 00:09:07,679 to the whole world 214 00:09:08,619 –> 00:09:11,859 and that they should go to the Jews. 215 00:09:13,000 –> 00:09:15,520 Now, this is a strange division of labor, 216 00:09:15,520 –> 00:09:16,619 don’t you think? 217 00:09:19,599 –> 00:09:22,400 12 apostles in Jerusalem 218 00:09:22,400 –> 00:09:24,820 and all of the resources of the Jerusalem Church, 219 00:09:24,820 –> 00:09:26,400 though interestingly enough, 220 00:09:26,400 –> 00:09:29,099 that inward looking church quickly became poor. 221 00:09:31,239 –> 00:09:34,419 12 apostles in Jerusalem 222 00:09:34,419 –> 00:09:38,260 and all of their focus is on mission to the Jews, 223 00:09:38,260 –> 00:09:41,840 a hugely significant 224 00:09:41,840 –> 00:09:45,400 but proportionally tiny sliver of the world population. 225 00:09:47,940 –> 00:09:50,140 And this one man, Paul, 226 00:09:51,359 –> 00:09:56,359 is responsible for evangelism to everyone else. 227 00:09:57,239 –> 00:10:01,340 That is a strange division of labor. 228 00:10:04,880 –> 00:10:07,280 The vast majority of the resources 229 00:10:07,280 –> 00:10:08,700 of the church of Jesus Christ 230 00:10:08,700 –> 00:10:11,960 focused overwhelmingly on a tiny segment 231 00:10:11,960 –> 00:10:13,659 of the world’s population. 232 00:10:17,640 –> 00:10:19,859 And there isn’t a missionary in the world today 233 00:10:19,859 –> 00:10:23,059 who does not feel that pain and that tension right now. 234 00:10:27,000 –> 00:10:28,500 Well that was their agreement. 235 00:10:29,599 –> 00:10:31,719 They shook hands on it and off they went 236 00:10:31,719 –> 00:10:34,619 to pursue their different ministries. 237 00:10:34,619 –> 00:10:37,719 Peter and the apostles based in Jerusalem to the Jews 238 00:10:39,039 –> 00:10:40,859 and Paul with the overwhelming challenge 239 00:10:40,859 –> 00:10:42,159 of the rest of the world. 240 00:10:44,960 –> 00:10:47,280 And that was fine, we’re told, 241 00:10:47,280 –> 00:10:51,619 until verse 11 when Peter came to Antioch. 242 00:10:53,059 –> 00:10:55,440 And then something went terribly wrong. 243 00:10:57,340 –> 00:10:58,940 Verse 12. 244 00:10:58,940 –> 00:11:02,340 Before certain men came from James 245 00:11:03,580 –> 00:11:06,979 Peter used to eat with the Gentiles. 246 00:11:08,140 –> 00:11:12,760 But when they arrived, he began to draw back. 247 00:11:14,739 –> 00:11:16,200 He’d no longer eat with them. 248 00:11:17,780 –> 00:11:19,640 Now, this business of eating, of course, 249 00:11:19,640 –> 00:11:22,580 eating with the Gentiles, that really meant 250 00:11:22,580 –> 00:11:26,200 recognizing them as authentic believers. 251 00:11:26,260 –> 00:11:28,719 And Peter had done this, he shared fellowship with them, 252 00:11:28,719 –> 00:11:31,200 recognized them as authentic believers 253 00:11:31,200 –> 00:11:34,320 but when certain man from James came he drew back. 254 00:11:35,320 –> 00:11:37,679 Now, why did he draw back from recognizing 255 00:11:37,679 –> 00:11:40,880 these foreign believers, Gentile believers 256 00:11:40,880 –> 00:11:42,260 as authentic Christians? 257 00:11:42,260 –> 00:11:43,979 Well, he began to draw back, verse 12, 258 00:11:43,979 –> 00:11:46,039 and separate himself from these Gentiles 259 00:11:46,039 –> 00:11:51,000 because he was afraid of those who belonged 260 00:11:51,000 –> 00:11:54,520 to the circumcision group. 261 00:11:54,520 –> 00:11:55,619 Here’s trouble. 262 00:11:56,659 –> 00:11:59,099 The circumcision group. 263 00:12:01,900 –> 00:12:03,440 So we’re being told quite clearly 264 00:12:03,440 –> 00:12:06,520 that Peter pulled back from fellowship, 265 00:12:06,520 –> 00:12:10,020 from recognizing the Gentiles as authentic believers 266 00:12:10,020 –> 00:12:12,119 because he was taking the heat 267 00:12:12,119 –> 00:12:14,679 from a powerful group of people 268 00:12:14,679 –> 00:12:17,739 who wanted to impose the distinctives 269 00:12:17,739 –> 00:12:21,780 of their Jewish heritage on other believers. 270 00:12:22,979 –> 00:12:24,739 This was what they were doing in Jerusalem 271 00:12:24,739 –> 00:12:28,239 but now they come onto Paul’s territory in Antioch 272 00:12:28,239 –> 00:12:33,239 and when Gentiles are coming to faith in Jesus Christ, 273 00:12:33,559 –> 00:12:35,419 these folks have come down from James, 274 00:12:35,419 –> 00:12:37,320 the circumcision group, 275 00:12:37,320 –> 00:12:38,979 they go around the churches and they say, 276 00:12:38,979 –> 00:12:40,080 now look it’s great to have you 277 00:12:40,080 –> 00:12:41,659 coming to faith in Jesus Christ 278 00:12:41,659 –> 00:12:44,880 but now you need to adopt the distinctives 279 00:12:44,880 –> 00:12:47,059 that he has given to us, the Jewish people, 280 00:12:47,059 –> 00:12:49,679 and these of course included circumcision, 281 00:12:49,679 –> 00:12:53,659 dietary laws and Old Testament festivals 282 00:12:53,659 –> 00:12:55,239 and so forth and so on. 283 00:12:57,559 –> 00:12:59,400 Now it is very interesting 284 00:13:00,359 –> 00:13:03,599 that this powerful group in the early church, 285 00:13:03,599 –> 00:13:05,840 the circumcision group, 286 00:13:06,719 –> 00:13:09,679 they put the heat on Paul 287 00:13:09,679 –> 00:13:12,719 and they put the heat on Peter 288 00:13:12,719 –> 00:13:15,200 but with completely opposite results. 289 00:13:16,080 –> 00:13:20,200 Look at what happened when they tried to recruit Paul 290 00:13:20,200 –> 00:13:22,520 to advance their cause. 291 00:13:22,580 –> 00:13:27,580 Verse four, some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks 292 00:13:28,580 –> 00:13:33,299 to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus 293 00:13:33,299 –> 00:13:34,859 and to make us slaves. 294 00:13:35,719 –> 00:13:38,500 They’re trying to recruit Paul you see. 295 00:13:38,500 –> 00:13:42,679 We did not give into them for a moment 296 00:13:43,599 –> 00:13:47,440 so that the truth of the gospel might remain in you. 297 00:13:48,859 –> 00:13:50,880 And they turned the heat upon us, Paul says, 298 00:13:50,880 –> 00:13:54,380 they tried to recruit us and to pressurize us 299 00:13:54,380 –> 00:13:58,179 into advancing the imposition of these Jewish distinctives 300 00:13:58,179 –> 00:14:00,859 on everyone else and we didn’t give into them for a moment. 301 00:14:00,859 –> 00:14:03,059 Why, because we stood up to protect 302 00:14:03,059 –> 00:14:05,940 the freedom of the gospel for you. 303 00:14:08,580 –> 00:14:10,659 Then notice what happened when they turned up the heat 304 00:14:10,659 –> 00:14:15,859 on Peter, verse 12, when they arrived 305 00:14:15,859 –> 00:14:18,859 he began to draw back and separate himself 306 00:14:18,940 –> 00:14:22,260 from the Gentiles because he was afraid 307 00:14:23,140 –> 00:14:26,539 of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 308 00:14:26,539 –> 00:14:30,580 So same pressure on the two leading apostles 309 00:14:30,580 –> 00:14:34,000 from this powerful group of people out of Jerusalem 310 00:14:34,000 –> 00:14:36,419 and completely opposite results. 311 00:14:36,419 –> 00:14:38,380 Paul stands firm for the freedom 312 00:14:38,380 –> 00:14:41,799 of the gospel in Jesus Christ and for the authenticity 313 00:14:41,799 –> 00:14:44,580 of these new Gentile believers 314 00:14:44,580 –> 00:14:47,820 and Peter, under pressure, caves in. 315 00:14:47,820 –> 00:14:52,059 And when Peter caves in, Barnabas soon follows 316 00:14:52,059 –> 00:14:54,099 and soon there was a great division. 317 00:14:54,099 –> 00:14:58,380 So we find that Paul, therefore, had to stand up to Peter. 318 00:14:58,380 –> 00:15:00,559 Verse 14, when I saw that they were not 319 00:15:00,559 –> 00:15:02,820 acting in line with the truth of the gospel, 320 00:15:02,820 –> 00:15:04,820 I said to Peter in front of them all, 321 00:15:04,820 –> 00:15:08,760 you are Jew, and you’re living like a Gentile 322 00:15:08,760 –> 00:15:13,239 and not a Jew, how is it then that you force Gentiles 323 00:15:13,239 –> 00:15:14,919 to follow Jewish customs? 324 00:15:14,919 –> 00:15:16,219 You see, he capitulated. 325 00:15:18,419 –> 00:15:23,419 Now I know by 15 minutes in, folks are gonna be saying, 326 00:15:26,140 –> 00:15:27,919 this is all very interesting stuff from the Bible, 327 00:15:27,919 –> 00:15:30,020 what in all the world does it have to do with us? 328 00:15:30,020 –> 00:15:31,159 Is that your question? 329 00:15:33,859 –> 00:15:36,679 Far more to do with us than might first meet the eye. 330 00:15:42,020 –> 00:15:44,659 The circumcision group believed in Jesus, 331 00:15:44,940 –> 00:15:48,739 but they had a narrow ministry 332 00:15:48,739 –> 00:15:51,039 to people who shared that heritage. 333 00:15:53,380 –> 00:15:56,260 They felt that Christian unity depended on everyone else 334 00:15:56,260 –> 00:16:00,140 who came to Christ adopting their treasured distinctives. 335 00:16:03,179 –> 00:16:04,340 Anyone’s welcome, they would say, 336 00:16:04,340 –> 00:16:06,739 but they have to become like us. 337 00:16:09,080 –> 00:16:13,020 And these distinctives became a condition of fellowship. 338 00:16:15,659 –> 00:16:18,979 I hope that you can see that, 339 00:16:18,979 –> 00:16:22,580 if they had prevailed in the early church, 340 00:16:22,580 –> 00:16:24,719 the gospel would have stayed within 341 00:16:24,719 –> 00:16:27,020 the narrow bounds of Jewish culture 342 00:16:27,020 –> 00:16:29,260 and it would never have reached the world, 343 00:16:29,260 –> 00:16:31,900 it would never have come to us today, right? 344 00:16:34,140 –> 00:16:36,940 It would have remained in a backwater, 345 00:16:38,340 –> 00:16:41,739 limited to one cultural expression. 346 00:16:42,299 –> 00:16:46,460 Folks like us and folks who are ready to become like us 347 00:16:46,460 –> 00:16:49,080 and you cannot reach the world on that basis. 348 00:16:50,880 –> 00:16:52,880 That’s what this debate was all about. 349 00:16:54,419 –> 00:16:57,859 It was pivotal to the mission of the early church. 350 00:16:57,859 –> 00:16:59,000 Who are we called to reach? 351 00:16:59,000 –> 00:17:00,039 What is our mission? 352 00:17:03,520 –> 00:17:06,680 Now, if the circumcision group 353 00:17:08,060 –> 00:17:10,540 were to come to our church today, 354 00:17:12,020 –> 00:17:13,180 what would they say? 355 00:17:15,739 –> 00:17:17,939 See, I think they’d say something like this, 356 00:17:20,020 –> 00:17:21,180 oh, brothers and sisters, 357 00:17:21,180 –> 00:17:23,060 it’s great that you have the gospel 358 00:17:24,459 –> 00:17:27,099 and you also have a treasured heritage 359 00:17:28,119 –> 00:17:29,420 and that’s important. 360 00:17:30,900 –> 00:17:34,140 So what you need to do is to focus your ministry 361 00:17:34,140 –> 00:17:35,819 on folks like you 362 00:17:37,939 –> 00:17:41,020 and on folks who will want to become like you. 363 00:17:42,199 –> 00:17:45,060 And I could point you to many books 364 00:17:45,060 –> 00:17:46,780 that argue precisely that. 365 00:17:50,819 –> 00:17:53,439 If Paul came to the church today, 366 00:17:55,199 –> 00:17:56,839 I’m convinced from the depth of my being 367 00:17:56,839 –> 00:17:59,040 that he would say something very different. 368 00:17:59,880 –> 00:18:01,239 He’d say something like this. 369 00:18:01,239 –> 00:18:02,819 Brothers and sisters, 370 00:18:04,420 –> 00:18:06,959 the Lord has brought you to Christ 371 00:18:06,959 –> 00:18:08,939 and he has placed you here. 372 00:18:09,339 –> 00:18:13,939 But there are 81,000 people in Arlington Heights alone 373 00:18:14,880 –> 00:18:18,160 and your calling is to reach them with the gospel. 374 00:18:18,160 –> 00:18:19,380 Some of them are like you 375 00:18:19,380 –> 00:18:21,739 and some of them are very, very different from you. 376 00:18:21,739 –> 00:18:25,900 Whatever you do, don’t limit the horizon of your ministry 377 00:18:25,900 –> 00:18:28,619 to the narrow band of people who are like you. 378 00:18:28,619 –> 00:18:30,699 You have to find ways of reaching people 379 00:18:30,699 –> 00:18:32,099 who are different from you 380 00:18:32,099 –> 00:18:34,180 so that they can hear your message. 381 00:18:34,180 –> 00:18:35,979 That means that you have to adapt. 382 00:18:35,979 –> 00:18:37,420 Don’t adapt the message. 383 00:18:37,500 –> 00:18:38,939 Know there is one gospel, 384 00:18:38,939 –> 00:18:40,540 but find different ways to reach 385 00:18:40,540 –> 00:18:42,640 different groups within your community 386 00:18:42,640 –> 00:18:45,439 for this is the mission that has been entrusted to you. 387 00:18:47,140 –> 00:18:49,979 Now, was that not Paul’s principle of world mission? 388 00:18:49,979 –> 00:18:52,339 Was this not the very foundation of his ministry 389 00:18:52,339 –> 00:18:54,040 in terms of his strategy? 390 00:18:55,339 –> 00:18:59,660 1 Corinthians chapter 9 verses 20 to 22. 391 00:18:59,660 –> 00:19:02,500 To the Jews, I became a Jew. 392 00:19:02,500 –> 00:19:03,500 To win the Jews. 393 00:19:03,780 –> 00:19:07,560 You see, I evangelized them in the most effective way 394 00:19:07,560 –> 00:19:08,900 that I could within that setting 395 00:19:08,900 –> 00:19:10,479 with the gospel given to me. 396 00:19:10,479 –> 00:19:13,000 To those under the law, I became like one under the laws 397 00:19:13,000 –> 00:19:15,020 so as to win those under the law, 398 00:19:15,020 –> 00:19:16,479 but to those not having the law, 399 00:19:16,479 –> 00:19:18,300 I became as one not having the law 400 00:19:18,300 –> 00:19:19,979 so as to win those not having the law. 401 00:19:19,979 –> 00:19:22,859 To the weak I became weak so that I would win the weak. 402 00:19:22,859 –> 00:19:26,079 I have become all things to all men 403 00:19:26,079 –> 00:19:29,579 so that by all possible means I might save some. 404 00:19:30,920 –> 00:19:32,819 That was the principle of his mission. 405 00:19:34,459 –> 00:19:39,459 The Jerusalem apostles are focused on this narrow sliver 406 00:19:40,359 –> 00:19:41,880 of the world population. 407 00:19:44,359 –> 00:19:47,079 I had been given this commission to break the boundaries 408 00:19:47,079 –> 00:19:48,800 and to bring it to the nations of the world. 409 00:19:48,800 –> 00:19:52,619 I have therefore to be someone who learns to adapt 410 00:19:52,619 –> 00:19:54,479 if I’m to fulfill the commission 411 00:19:54,479 –> 00:19:55,939 that Christ has given to me. 412 00:19:56,060 –> 00:19:59,060 Now isn’t it easy to see how what happened to Peter 413 00:20:06,719 –> 00:20:08,880 can happen in any local church? 414 00:20:12,880 –> 00:20:15,800 Every group has its distinctives and we thank God for them. 415 00:20:18,219 –> 00:20:20,160 But it’s easy for a group or church 416 00:20:20,160 –> 00:20:21,880 to become more about the distinctives 417 00:20:21,880 –> 00:20:23,479 than it is about the gospel. 418 00:20:24,359 –> 00:20:27,459 And when that happens, gradually and imperceptibly, 419 00:20:27,459 –> 00:20:30,500 the church becomes a club for people like us. 420 00:20:32,319 –> 00:20:36,060 And that means we’re no longer able to reach the world. 421 00:20:39,140 –> 00:20:41,280 So I thank God from the bottom of my heart 422 00:20:41,280 –> 00:20:45,420 that Paul stood up to Peter when he was wrong. 423 00:20:45,420 –> 00:20:47,020 Don’t you thank God for that? 424 00:20:48,500 –> 00:20:50,280 Don’t you see that otherwise the gospel 425 00:20:50,280 –> 00:20:51,359 would never have come to us 426 00:20:51,359 –> 00:20:52,859 and we wouldn’t be here today? 427 00:20:53,979 –> 00:20:56,760 If Paul had not stood up to Peter 428 00:20:56,760 –> 00:20:58,959 the gospel would never have reached the world 429 00:20:58,959 –> 00:21:01,420 and if we do not stand up for the gospel today 430 00:21:01,420 –> 00:21:03,319 we’ll not reach others but we’ll remain here 431 00:21:03,319 –> 00:21:05,000 within a narrow band of people. 432 00:21:07,800 –> 00:21:12,060 The gospel is worth defending because it’s what? 433 00:21:12,060 –> 00:21:15,560 It’s grace, it’s life, and it’s for the world. 434 00:21:15,560 –> 00:21:17,079 Let’s catch that again, shall we? 435 00:21:17,079 –> 00:21:21,780 It’s grace, it’s life, it’s for the world, 436 00:21:21,939 –> 00:21:24,400 well we’ve thought about for the world. 437 00:21:24,400 –> 00:21:29,060 Let’s move secondly to grace, verses 15 and 16. 438 00:21:30,380 –> 00:21:34,020 Now, one word dominates this paragraph 439 00:21:34,020 –> 00:21:38,859 verses 15 to 16 and it is the word justified. 440 00:21:38,859 –> 00:21:40,699 Let me read these verses for you. 441 00:21:42,900 –> 00:21:47,439 We who are Jews by birth, of course that was Peter and Paul 442 00:21:47,439 –> 00:21:50,260 and not Gentile sinners, that’s said with irony 443 00:21:50,260 –> 00:21:53,760 because that was the way Gentiles were so often described. 444 00:21:54,859 –> 00:21:57,180 We who are Jews by birth and not Gentiles sinners 445 00:21:57,180 –> 00:22:01,319 know that a man is not justified by observing the law 446 00:22:01,319 –> 00:22:03,479 but by faith in Jesus Christ 447 00:22:03,479 –> 00:22:06,060 so we too have put our faith in Christ Jesus 448 00:22:06,060 –> 00:22:09,239 that we may be justified by faith in Christ 449 00:22:09,239 –> 00:22:10,800 and not by observing the law 450 00:22:10,800 –> 00:22:12,140 because by observing the law 451 00:22:12,140 –> 00:22:14,020 no one will be justified. 452 00:22:14,020 –> 00:22:16,479 So, whatever this word means, 453 00:22:16,479 –> 00:22:18,219 these great statements are about 454 00:22:18,839 –> 00:22:21,040 what it means to be justified. 455 00:22:21,040 –> 00:22:24,939 Now justified very simply is a legal word. 456 00:22:24,939 –> 00:22:27,099 It belongs to the law courts 457 00:22:27,099 –> 00:22:30,239 where a person may be pronounced not guilty 458 00:22:30,239 –> 00:22:35,020 and cleared of all charges before the law. 459 00:22:35,020 –> 00:22:39,180 The opposite of justified would be condemned 460 00:22:40,660 –> 00:22:42,420 and so these two words of course 461 00:22:42,420 –> 00:22:44,819 point us forward to the last day 462 00:22:44,819 –> 00:22:47,500 when God, our creator and our judge 463 00:22:47,500 –> 00:22:52,239 will pronounce the final verdict on every one of our lives. 464 00:22:54,040 –> 00:22:59,040 And one day, you will hear, I will hear, 465 00:22:59,060 –> 00:23:00,579 every person who has ever lived 466 00:23:00,579 –> 00:23:02,959 will hear the verdict of God 467 00:23:02,959 –> 00:23:05,219 and that verdict will be summed up in one word. 468 00:23:05,219 –> 00:23:10,219 It will either be justified or it will be condemned. 469 00:23:11,959 –> 00:23:15,079 That’s how it will be on the last day. 470 00:23:15,760 –> 00:23:19,560 Now, nobody wants to be condemned. 471 00:23:19,560 –> 00:23:24,560 So, obviously the question is how can I be justified? 472 00:23:26,479 –> 00:23:30,119 And Paul gives us the clearest possible answer 473 00:23:30,119 –> 00:23:33,119 to this most important question in these verses 474 00:23:33,119 –> 00:23:34,839 and he gives it in two ways, 475 00:23:34,839 –> 00:23:37,479 first, negative and then positive. 476 00:23:37,479 –> 00:23:39,280 He gives the negative three times 477 00:23:39,280 –> 00:23:41,079 and then he gives the positive three times. 478 00:23:41,079 –> 00:23:43,079 Let me read it twice, cause it’s so important. 479 00:23:43,079 –> 00:23:44,660 There isn’t a bigger question than this. 480 00:23:44,660 –> 00:23:46,819 How do I know that on the last day 481 00:23:46,819 –> 00:23:49,339 I will hear the verdict of God justified 482 00:23:49,339 –> 00:23:51,479 and not hear the verdict of God condemned? 483 00:23:51,479 –> 00:23:53,599 Could there be a bigger question than that? 484 00:23:56,199 –> 00:23:57,439 How can I be justified? 485 00:23:57,439 –> 00:24:00,020 Well, here’s the negative answer first, 486 00:24:00,020 –> 00:24:03,540 you cannot be justified by observing the law. 487 00:24:04,579 –> 00:24:05,979 Let me just read these verses again, 488 00:24:05,979 –> 00:24:07,920 see it in your Bible, verse 15 and 16. 489 00:24:07,920 –> 00:24:11,400 We who are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, 490 00:24:11,400 –> 00:24:14,099 we know that a man is not justified 491 00:24:14,160 –> 00:24:17,199 by observing the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. 492 00:24:17,199 –> 00:24:18,680 We too have put our faith in Christ 493 00:24:18,680 –> 00:24:20,699 that we may justified by faith in Christ 494 00:24:20,699 –> 00:24:22,959 and not by observing the law 495 00:24:22,959 –> 00:24:26,020 because by observing the law, no one will be justified. 496 00:24:26,020 –> 00:24:30,540 Three times, you can’t do it by observing the law. 497 00:24:30,540 –> 00:24:32,119 You can’t do it, in other words, 498 00:24:32,119 –> 00:24:35,760 on the basis of the quality of your life, 499 00:24:35,760 –> 00:24:38,400 not even the quality of your Christian life. 500 00:24:41,479 –> 00:24:43,099 How, then, can you be justified? 501 00:24:43,140 –> 00:24:45,520 Let’s read it with the positive emphasis this time. 502 00:24:45,520 –> 00:24:50,420 He says, positively, we are justified by faith in Christ. 503 00:24:51,260 –> 00:24:53,579 We, who are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, 504 00:24:53,579 –> 00:24:57,260 know that a man is not justified by observing the law 505 00:24:57,260 –> 00:25:00,140 but by faith in Jesus Christ. 506 00:25:01,060 –> 00:25:05,280 We, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus 507 00:25:05,280 –> 00:25:09,880 that we may be justified by faith in Christ. 508 00:25:13,739 –> 00:25:16,579 Why, could there be any more important question 509 00:25:16,579 –> 00:25:19,540 in all of the world than the issue we’re on right now? 510 00:25:21,280 –> 00:25:24,939 Let me attempt an illustration to try and encapsulate 511 00:25:26,459 –> 00:25:29,920 what Paul is saying to us here in a way that we can grasp. 512 00:25:32,839 –> 00:25:37,000 Carl and I have been married for 26 years, 513 00:25:37,000 –> 00:25:41,959 and in all of that time, we have only lived in two houses. 514 00:25:42,000 –> 00:25:43,699 We’ve loved them both. 515 00:25:43,699 –> 00:25:48,040 We lived for 16 years on Old Park Avenue 516 00:25:48,040 –> 00:25:50,160 in Enfield, North London, 517 00:25:51,260 –> 00:25:53,560 and for the last 10 years, we have lived 518 00:25:53,560 –> 00:25:57,180 on North Brighton Place here in Arlington Heights. 519 00:25:58,459 –> 00:26:00,500 Now, we have loved living in both of these homes, 520 00:26:00,500 –> 00:26:02,920 but there is one significant difference. 521 00:26:04,420 –> 00:26:09,420 The home that we lived in in England belonged to the church. 522 00:26:10,400 –> 00:26:14,060 The home that we live in here belongs to us, 523 00:26:14,060 –> 00:26:16,939 or at least that’s a kind of euphemism. 524 00:26:16,939 –> 00:26:19,380 We have a mortgage, you understand, 525 00:26:19,380 –> 00:26:22,920 and one day, we hope that it will. 526 00:26:22,920 –> 00:26:23,920 We’re working on it. 527 00:26:24,959 –> 00:26:29,400 Now, there are many differences in these two situations. 528 00:26:29,400 –> 00:26:33,040 One of them involves taxes. 529 00:26:34,660 –> 00:26:36,680 Living in our own home like everyone else, 530 00:26:36,719 –> 00:26:41,719 we are liable to pay the taxes on the property that we own, 531 00:26:42,000 –> 00:26:46,280 and don’t you just love it when twice a year 532 00:26:46,280 –> 00:26:50,719 that personalized communication comes to you 533 00:26:50,719 –> 00:26:54,420 with your very own individual pin number 534 00:26:54,420 –> 00:26:57,119 telling you how much you can pay 535 00:26:57,119 –> 00:26:59,920 for the privilege of living in your own house 536 00:26:59,920 –> 00:27:02,959 for half of one year? 537 00:27:03,000 –> 00:27:07,420 I have to tell you, for 16 years in England, 538 00:27:07,420 –> 00:27:11,599 we didn’t pay a cent or even a penny of property tax. 539 00:27:11,599 –> 00:27:12,800 Why? 540 00:27:13,680 –> 00:27:16,719 Because our home was owned by the church, 541 00:27:17,199 –> 00:27:20,920 and the property tax bill was sent direct to the trustees, 542 00:27:20,920 –> 00:27:22,359 great. 543 00:27:24,319 –> 00:27:25,680 Do you know I honestly looking back 544 00:27:25,680 –> 00:27:29,560 don’t think that I ever saw a property tax bill 545 00:27:29,560 –> 00:27:31,079 for the half of my life. 546 00:27:31,400 –> 00:27:33,239 A property tax bill for the house 57 00:27:33,239 –> 00:27:34,959 we lived in all the years that we were there. 548 00:27:34,959 –> 00:27:36,839 Though I was deeply thankful 549 00:27:36,839 –> 00:27:38,439 for the provision that was made. 550 00:27:41,280 –> 00:27:44,979 Now when it comes to fulfilling God’s demands, 551 00:27:44,979 –> 00:27:47,839 either you pay your own dues 552 00:27:48,680 –> 00:27:51,020 or someone else pays them for you. 553 00:27:53,020 –> 00:27:56,479 And Paul is saying, every attempt 554 00:27:56,479 –> 00:27:58,380 to pay your own dues 555 00:27:58,380 –> 00:28:01,060 before God will ultimately fail. 556 00:28:02,040 –> 00:28:03,140 That’s what he’s saying. 557 00:28:03,140 –> 00:28:06,719 No one will be justified by observing the law. 558 00:28:07,719 –> 00:28:10,560 So if you attempt to build the house 559 00:28:10,560 –> 00:28:13,119 of your own righteousness, 560 00:28:13,119 –> 00:28:15,579 you will be faced in the end with taxes 561 00:28:15,579 –> 00:28:17,119 that you cannot pay, 562 00:28:17,119 –> 00:28:19,300 that are more than your total net worth. 563 00:28:20,880 –> 00:28:22,280 You will find on the last day 564 00:28:22,280 –> 00:28:25,640 that the total value of your entire best efforts 565 00:28:25,640 –> 00:28:28,439 in life fall far short 566 00:28:28,459 –> 00:28:31,619 of the debt that you owe to God. 567 00:28:31,619 –> 00:28:33,839 You will therefore be bankrupt. 568 00:28:33,839 –> 00:28:37,500 The house of your righteousness will be foreclosed 569 00:28:37,500 –> 00:28:41,380 and you will be cast out forever. 570 00:28:42,439 –> 00:28:43,819 Fearful prospect. 571 00:28:46,420 –> 00:28:47,560 Now here’s the gospel. 572 00:28:50,780 –> 00:28:55,459 Recognizing the prospect of that awful ultimate reality, 573 00:28:55,459 –> 00:28:58,819 you can sell the house of your own righteousness 574 00:28:59,920 –> 00:29:02,760 and you can move into the house that was built by 575 00:29:02,760 –> 00:29:04,459 and belongs to Jesus Christ. 576 00:29:04,459 –> 00:29:07,839 It’s his house but he offers it to you 577 00:29:07,839 –> 00:29:09,520 and he invites you to move in. 578 00:29:10,719 –> 00:29:12,680 Since it is his house in which you live, 579 00:29:12,680 –> 00:29:14,699 he is liable for all the taxes 580 00:29:14,699 –> 00:29:18,339 so that when the bill is due on the last day, 581 00:29:18,339 –> 00:29:20,939 it will be presented to him and not to you 582 00:29:20,939 –> 00:29:24,939 and he has already provided for its payment in full. 583 00:29:26,020 –> 00:29:30,459 Now that’s the gospel. 584 00:29:30,459 –> 00:29:33,040 Here’s the problem. 585 00:29:36,780 –> 00:29:40,060 Grace sounds marvelous 586 00:29:41,699 –> 00:29:45,060 but there is something deep within us all 587 00:29:45,060 –> 00:29:48,760 that we’d rather earn than receive. 588 00:29:51,420 –> 00:29:54,180 Now you think about the position that Karen and I 589 00:29:54,180 –> 00:29:58,180 have been in and are in with these two houses. 590 00:30:00,180 –> 00:30:01,579 Now let’s have some honesty. 591 00:30:02,660 –> 00:30:05,319 Do you think we were in a better position 592 00:30:05,319 –> 00:30:07,660 living in the house owned by another 593 00:30:07,660 –> 00:30:11,660 in London or living in the house 594 00:30:11,660 –> 00:30:14,979 that we will come to own here by ourselves? 595 00:30:17,280 –> 00:30:19,260 Oh don’t look like it’s such a hard question. 596 00:30:19,260 –> 00:30:20,180 It’s perfectly obvious to me, 597 00:30:20,180 –> 00:30:22,839 of course we’re in a better situation now. 598 00:30:23,640 –> 00:30:25,800 Got my own house. 599 00:30:25,800 –> 00:30:27,920 There isn’t one of you who would disagree with that, 600 00:30:27,920 –> 00:30:29,579 you’re just trying to be spiritual. 601 00:30:29,579 –> 00:30:31,859 And that’s our problem with the gospel. 602 00:30:41,859 –> 00:30:45,300 It’s against every instinct of nature. 603 00:30:47,260 –> 00:30:51,359 Grace sounds great, but we prefer works. 604 00:30:53,819 –> 00:30:55,900 It makes us feel more secure, 605 00:30:57,260 –> 00:30:59,479 because we find faith very difficult. 606 00:31:01,339 –> 00:31:03,800 You’re really gonna trust the guy who owns the house 607 00:31:04,699 –> 00:31:07,239 and trust your life and your destiny to him? 608 00:31:08,439 –> 00:31:09,800 As opposed to build your own? 609 00:31:12,300 –> 00:31:13,180 Really? 610 00:31:18,280 –> 00:31:20,199 We want to build our own righteousness 611 00:31:20,239 –> 00:31:22,339 just so that we can establish what? 612 00:31:22,339 –> 00:31:25,219 Our independence from God, 613 00:31:28,640 –> 00:31:29,479 which is why the law 614 00:31:29,479 –> 00:31:31,599 is always so attractive to us deep down. 615 00:31:31,599 –> 00:31:33,040 Okay, what does God want for me? 616 00:31:33,040 –> 00:31:36,400 Tell me how much it is, tell me what I have to do. 617 00:31:36,400 –> 00:31:38,839 Lay it on the line, give me the checkbox. 618 00:31:41,000 –> 00:31:43,219 Whatever the list is, I’ll do it. 619 00:31:43,219 –> 00:31:46,420 No matter if I have to do two jobs, I’ll do it. 620 00:31:46,420 –> 00:31:48,000 Just tell me what it is. 621 00:31:48,000 –> 00:31:49,300 What do you require of me? 622 00:31:50,400 –> 00:31:52,739 Make it clear, lay it out. 623 00:31:56,099 –> 00:31:58,280 Believing the gospel goes against 624 00:31:58,280 –> 00:32:01,640 every instinct of your nature and mine. 625 00:32:05,939 –> 00:32:07,439 And the hardest thing about grace 626 00:32:07,439 –> 00:32:10,439 is that at the deepest level of our being, we don’t want it. 627 00:32:13,339 –> 00:32:16,719 And some of us have spent years 628 00:32:17,060 –> 00:32:20,160 trying to pay our dues to God 629 00:32:20,160 –> 00:32:22,880 and finding out that we can’t doesn’t sound to us 630 00:32:22,880 –> 00:32:24,959 the least bit like good news at all. 631 00:32:26,920 –> 00:32:28,479 And you see that is where Paul was 632 00:32:28,479 –> 00:32:30,439 for many years himself, is it not? 633 00:32:31,319 –> 00:32:33,540 He talks about it in Philippians in chapter 3. 634 00:32:33,540 –> 00:32:35,839 If anyone thinks he has reason to put confidence 635 00:32:35,839 –> 00:32:38,079 in the flesh, I’ll tell you, I have much more. 636 00:32:38,079 –> 00:32:40,819 You know, the way I was born of the tribe of Benjamin 637 00:32:40,819 –> 00:32:43,660 and raised as a Pharisee and so forth and so on, 638 00:32:43,660 –> 00:32:45,800 but he says, whatever was to my province. 639 00:32:46,579 –> 00:32:49,020 That whole thing that I tried to build up, 640 00:32:49,020 –> 00:32:52,540 to offer to God, I now realize it was just a loss. 641 00:32:53,920 –> 00:32:56,020 And I’ve discarded it for the sake of Christ 642 00:32:56,020 –> 00:32:58,719 because I want to be found in Christ, 643 00:32:58,719 –> 00:33:01,699 not having a righteousness of my own 644 00:33:01,699 –> 00:33:04,140 that comes from the law, but that which is 645 00:33:04,140 –> 00:33:06,560 through faith in Jesus Christ, 646 00:33:06,560 –> 00:33:10,760 the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 647 00:33:13,280 –> 00:33:14,119 You see this? 648 00:33:16,000 –> 00:33:20,699 The taxes on the house of your own righteousness 649 00:33:20,699 –> 00:33:25,560 are way too high, you cannot pay them on the last day. 650 00:33:28,119 –> 00:33:31,619 You need to move into that other house 651 00:33:31,619 –> 00:33:36,199 which was built by the Savior and belongs to him. 652 00:33:37,439 –> 00:33:39,300 And that involves trust. 653 00:33:41,000 –> 00:33:42,719 It involves faith. 654 00:33:42,719 –> 00:33:47,719 It involves saying, I’m hanging it all on you 655 00:33:48,119 –> 00:33:51,699 and not on me. 656 00:33:53,520 –> 00:33:54,400 That’s radical. 657 00:33:55,959 –> 00:33:59,739 And his house is called grace 658 00:34:01,459 –> 00:34:03,780 and he has built it at the cost 659 00:34:03,780 –> 00:34:05,920 of his own death and his resurrection 660 00:34:05,920 –> 00:34:09,560 and he invites you to come in and to take occupancy 661 00:34:09,560 –> 00:34:14,399 and he offers it to you without price 662 00:34:14,399 –> 00:34:18,659 for time and for eternity. 663 00:34:18,659 –> 00:34:23,199 You will never be evicted from his house. 664 00:34:25,840 –> 00:34:26,699 It’s a gospel. 665 00:34:29,719 –> 00:34:34,719 It’s grace, it’s life and it’s for the world. 666 00:34:36,800 –> 00:34:37,919 We’ve got two out of three now 667 00:34:37,919 –> 00:34:39,199 so let’s have them together. 668 00:34:39,199 –> 00:34:44,199 It’s grace, it’s life and it’s for the world. 669 00:34:45,379 –> 00:34:46,320 Now we’ve only a few minutes 670 00:34:46,320 –> 00:34:49,679 so we’ll just touch very briefly on its life 671 00:34:49,679 –> 00:34:51,439 and then we’ll come back to complete this 672 00:34:51,439 –> 00:34:53,479 God willing next week but look at verse 20 673 00:34:53,479 –> 00:34:55,739 that really focuses in on the theme of life. 674 00:34:58,139 –> 00:34:59,199 By the way, have you ever noticed 675 00:34:59,199 –> 00:35:01,979 that moving house changes your life? 676 00:35:01,979 –> 00:35:03,080 Is there anyone here who thinks 677 00:35:03,080 –> 00:35:04,760 that moving house is a small thing? 678 00:35:04,760 –> 00:35:05,580 It’s real. 679 00:35:07,580 –> 00:35:09,340 You know the idea that becoming a Christian 680 00:35:09,340 –> 00:35:10,939 is saying a pious, little prayer 681 00:35:10,939 –> 00:35:13,600 and then having it all sign sealed and delivered for heaven 682 00:35:13,600 –> 00:35:14,719 that’s all that’s to it 683 00:35:14,719 –> 00:35:16,100 it’s plainly ridiculous. 684 00:35:16,100 –> 00:35:17,800 Anyone whose moved house knows 685 00:35:17,800 –> 00:35:19,899 that moving house is a life changing event. 686 00:35:21,800 –> 00:35:22,959 Everything’s different. 687 00:35:27,959 –> 00:35:29,699 So it’s life 688 00:35:29,699 –> 00:35:33,919 and Galatians chapter two and verse 20 689 00:35:33,939 –> 00:35:36,179 is all about life, the word life or live 690 00:35:36,179 –> 00:35:38,979 is here five times in this one verse 691 00:35:38,979 –> 00:35:41,520 that’s known so well and is so precious 692 00:35:41,520 –> 00:35:43,020 to so many Christian believers. 693 00:35:43,020 –> 00:35:44,639 It’s a wonderful wonderful verse 694 00:35:44,639 –> 00:35:47,540 and we just touch on it, we’ll come back to it next time. 695 00:35:47,540 –> 00:35:49,399 I have been crucified with Christ 696 00:35:49,399 –> 00:35:52,939 and I no longer live but Christ lives in me 697 00:35:52,939 –> 00:35:55,300 and the life I live in the body 698 00:35:55,300 –> 00:35:57,500 I live by faith in the Son of God 699 00:35:57,500 –> 00:35:58,899 who loved me and gave himself for me. 700 00:35:58,899 –> 00:36:01,179 So it’s quite plainly about this whole 701 00:36:01,179 –> 00:36:03,540 marvelous matter of life. 702 00:36:03,540 –> 00:36:04,899 Now I want you to notice these 703 00:36:04,899 –> 00:36:06,580 two dimensions of the gospel 704 00:36:06,580 –> 00:36:08,919 which we picked up for the first time last week. 705 00:36:08,919 –> 00:36:11,540 It is the death of Christ for me 706 00:36:11,540 –> 00:36:14,500 but it is the life of Christ in me as well 707 00:36:14,500 –> 00:36:16,620 and these two things are tied together 708 00:36:16,620 –> 00:36:18,260 as much as the death and resurrection 709 00:36:18,260 –> 00:36:20,080 of Jesus are tied together. 710 00:36:20,080 –> 00:36:22,360 There is no Jesus who rose who did not die 711 00:36:22,360 –> 00:36:24,659 there is no Jesus who died and did not rise. 712 00:36:24,659 –> 00:36:27,580 Jesus is the Savior who died and rose again 713 00:36:27,580 –> 00:36:30,060 and to be a Christian and to belong to him 714 00:36:30,179 –> 00:36:31,899 is to be covered by his death 715 00:36:31,899 –> 00:36:33,760 and to be filled with his life, 716 00:36:33,760 –> 00:36:35,500 that is the gospel. 717 00:36:35,500 –> 00:36:37,360 It’s why you can’t just say it’s grace 718 00:36:37,360 –> 00:36:38,199 and it’s for the world, 719 00:36:38,199 –> 00:36:41,939 this grace, it’s life and it is for the world. 720 00:36:41,939 –> 00:36:43,939 The death of Christ for me 721 00:36:43,939 –> 00:36:46,600 and the life of Christ in me. 722 00:36:48,419 –> 00:36:50,199 And as I say we’ll pursue this next time 723 00:36:50,199 –> 00:36:51,439 but simply to say this 724 00:36:51,439 –> 00:36:54,340 that the gospel brings you into the power 725 00:36:54,340 –> 00:36:55,199 of a new life. 726 00:36:55,199 –> 00:36:57,340 That’s why it cannot be just beginnings 727 00:36:57,340 –> 00:36:58,959 it’s not just A B C 728 00:36:59,000 –> 00:37:01,800 it is the A to Z of the Christian life. 729 00:37:01,800 –> 00:37:03,719 It’s all by grace. 730 00:37:03,719 –> 00:37:04,540 Grace we come in, 731 00:37:04,540 –> 00:37:06,040 grace we stay in. 732 00:37:08,860 –> 00:37:10,040 It’s all about life, 733 00:37:10,040 –> 00:37:12,439 life that is imparted by the power 734 00:37:12,439 –> 00:37:15,199 of the spirit of the living Lord Jesus Christ 735 00:37:15,199 –> 00:37:17,840 for us and in us from here to eternity. 736 00:37:17,840 –> 00:37:20,439 Christ lives in me, 737 00:37:20,439 –> 00:37:21,739 that’s the gospel. 738 00:37:21,739 –> 00:37:26,739 Now you see, 739 00:37:26,739 –> 00:37:31,260 some people have what I like to call 740 00:37:31,260 –> 00:37:33,899 the spit and polish view of the gospel. 741 00:37:33,899 –> 00:37:35,080 You know what that is? 742 00:37:35,080 –> 00:37:38,500 It goes like this. 743 00:37:38,500 –> 00:37:40,080 Well we all have our sins and failures 744 00:37:40,080 –> 00:37:41,780 but we’re basically alright at heart 745 00:37:41,780 –> 00:37:43,800 and obviously none of us is perfect 746 00:37:43,800 –> 00:37:47,100 so each of us needs really basically a good wash 747 00:37:47,100 –> 00:37:49,840 and that’s what Jesus Christ does for us 748 00:37:49,840 –> 00:37:51,139 but when that happens, 749 00:37:51,139 –> 00:37:54,100 we all scrub up pretty nice. 750 00:37:54,100 –> 00:37:58,879 The spit and polish view of the gospel. 751 00:37:58,879 –> 00:38:00,620 The Bible makes it clear that you and I 752 00:38:00,620 –> 00:38:03,879 need a lot more than a good wash. 753 00:38:03,879 –> 00:38:05,620 We need a complete renovation 754 00:38:05,620 –> 00:38:08,860 and the gospel goes far deeper 755 00:38:08,860 –> 00:38:11,459 than a quick lick of paint over the surface as it were 756 00:38:11,459 –> 00:38:13,739 or a quick clean up on the outside. 757 00:38:13,739 –> 00:38:19,260 It is about a complete makeover on the inside. 758 00:38:19,300 –> 00:38:24,439 When Jesus Christ comes to live in, in your life, 759 00:38:24,439 –> 00:38:29,139 your life is like a house that needs everything doing to it, 760 00:38:29,139 –> 00:38:30,280 not just a quick lick of paint. 761 00:38:30,280 –> 00:38:31,100 It needs new plumbing. 762 00:38:31,100 –> 00:38:31,979 It needs new wiring. 763 00:38:31,979 –> 00:38:33,040 It needs new joists. 764 00:38:33,040 –> 00:38:34,139 It needs new fitting. 765 00:38:34,139 –> 00:38:35,040 It needs new siding. 766 00:38:35,040 –> 00:38:36,540 It needs new roofing. 767 00:38:36,540 –> 00:38:38,479 The gospel is more than forgiveness, 768 00:38:38,479 –> 00:38:41,139 more than a wash-up. 769 00:38:41,139 –> 00:38:47,459 It is Christ restoring your mind to love the truth 770 00:38:47,600 –> 00:38:52,300 and your heart to beat for Him and for others 771 00:38:52,300 –> 00:38:55,280 and your spirit to be alive towards Him and worship 772 00:38:55,280 –> 00:38:56,600 not for an hour or two a week, 773 00:38:56,600 –> 00:39:00,179 but for every day and for every hour that you live. 774 00:39:00,179 –> 00:39:02,520 And to direct the desires of your heart. 775 00:39:02,520 –> 00:39:05,520 It’s about Christ touching and healing painful memories 776 00:39:05,520 –> 00:39:08,379 and redirecting self-centered dreams. 777 00:39:10,860 –> 00:39:11,919 It’s about Jesus Christ 778 00:39:11,919 –> 00:39:14,100 making you what God intended you to be. 779 00:39:14,100 –> 00:39:15,899 Jesus Christ is not interested 780 00:39:16,000 –> 00:39:18,540 putting a quick lick of paint on the house of your life. 781 00:39:18,540 –> 00:39:21,979 He is the master builder, He is the loving restorer. 782 00:39:21,979 –> 00:39:24,479 And when he comes to live within you, 783 00:39:24,479 –> 00:39:26,899 as you come as it were to live within Him 784 00:39:26,899 –> 00:39:29,060 both of these are biblical pictures. 785 00:39:30,479 –> 00:39:33,419 He undertakes a complete restoration 786 00:39:35,080 –> 00:39:37,439 so that He can make His home in and with you 787 00:39:37,439 –> 00:39:39,219 for all eternity. 788 00:39:40,860 –> 00:39:43,780 Christ lives in me 789 00:39:43,780 –> 00:39:45,379 and it’s the presence of the life 790 00:39:45,500 –> 00:39:47,199 and therefore the power of Jesus Christ 791 00:39:47,199 –> 00:39:50,399 that puts you in an entirely different position 792 00:39:52,199 –> 00:39:55,479 to face all the challenges of life in this world. 793 00:39:56,639 –> 00:39:58,540 So what’s the Gospel, 794 00:39:58,540 –> 00:40:02,060 it’s grace, it’s life and it’s for the world. 795 00:40:02,060 –> 00:40:03,459 We’re getting it one more time. 796 00:40:03,459 –> 00:40:07,560 It is grace, it’s life and it’s for the world. 797 00:40:07,560 –> 00:40:10,379 If we can grasp these things, 798 00:40:10,379 –> 00:40:11,419 they will be transforming. 799 00:40:11,419 –> 00:40:14,540 Have you grasped the Gospel of grace? 800 00:40:16,139 –> 00:40:20,080 Or are you still trying to earn favor with God? 801 00:40:23,780 –> 00:40:26,760 Are you ready today to trust yourself 802 00:40:26,760 –> 00:40:28,379 this difficult thing to do 803 00:40:29,500 –> 00:40:32,899 into the hands of Jesus Christ 804 00:40:35,479 –> 00:40:38,219 and move into the house of His righteousness 805 00:40:38,219 –> 00:40:42,479 and trust yourself, your hopes, your dreams, 806 00:40:42,479 –> 00:40:45,300 your family, eternity. 807 00:40:46,179 –> 00:40:48,820 Everything to Him? 808 00:40:53,000 –> 00:40:55,040 Have you grasped the gospel of life? 809 00:40:57,580 –> 00:40:58,840 Or are you really just holding on 810 00:40:58,840 –> 00:41:00,399 to a few religious traditions 811 00:41:00,399 –> 00:41:03,260 that make little difference to who you really are? 812 00:41:06,120 –> 00:41:08,719 Have you grasped that the gospel is for the world? 813 00:41:10,679 –> 00:41:12,439 Or are you thinking that our calling 814 00:41:12,439 –> 00:41:14,979 is that we gather together with a few people 815 00:41:14,979 –> 00:41:16,459 who are basically like ourselves 816 00:41:16,459 –> 00:41:19,300 and enjoy the warmth of our fellowship together? 817 00:41:22,780 –> 00:41:25,500 Now grasping the gospel will change your life 818 00:41:27,139 –> 00:41:29,260 and it will transform the church. 819 00:41:31,219 –> 00:41:32,919 So let’s pray together, shall we. 820 00:41:35,860 –> 00:41:37,139 Father, we need 821 00:41:39,540 –> 00:41:40,939 in our own lives 822 00:41:42,340 –> 00:41:43,560 to grasp the gospel 823 00:41:45,320 –> 00:41:46,899 and the faith of Christ. 824 00:41:52,219 –> 00:41:54,100 And this nation, our community 825 00:41:55,459 –> 00:41:57,260 and the world needs churches 826 00:42:00,260 –> 00:42:01,659 that have grasped the gospel. 827 00:42:05,500 –> 00:42:07,179 So make me that kind of person 828 00:42:09,419 –> 00:42:11,179 and make us that kind of church 829 00:42:12,979 –> 00:42:14,300 by your grace 830 00:42:14,979 –> 00:42:16,459 even in this world. 831 00:42:20,300 –> 00:42:22,260 For we ask it in Jesus name and God’s people 832 00:42:22,300 –> 00:42:23,500 who agreed with that, said Amen.