Audio Transcript
So lots of our emails ask about learn how to overcome the fears of life and learn how to overcome private insecurities as properly. All of us need to reside with a fearless confidence in God. And for many people, that fearless confidence is difficult to search out. On this theme, I discovered the next sermon clip from Pastor John, again in 1983, wanting on the ministry of the apostle Peter and his fears and insecurities recorded in Scripture.
The apostle Peter was Jewish, in fact — and Christ modified his life. Peter skilled a radical transformation in his fascinated with God’s plan. He got here to find that the Messiah had come not just for Israel, however for all of the peoples, all of the nations. That’s mainly the purpose of his imaginative and prescient through which a tablecloth filled with unclean animals descends from the heavens (in Acts 10:9–48). The gospel was for the Gentiles too. That was the purpose of the imaginative and prescient. So Peter ought to have recognized higher than to fall right into a fearful insecurity when he met others who contradicted this level. Galatians 2:12 explains what occurred, the place we learn that, “earlier than sure males got here from James, he [Peter] was consuming with the Gentiles [non-Jews]; however after they got here he drew again and separated himself, fearing the circumcision get together [the Jews]” (Galatians 2:12). This context units the stage for an vital life lesson about overcoming worry and insecurity. Right here’s Pastor John.
In different phrases, God has proven me that redemptive historical past teaches that there are not any preconditions for the receiving of the Holy Spirit however one: listening to the gospel with religion. Isn’t that what Paul stated in Galatians 3:2, when he stated, “Did you obtain the Spirit by works of the regulation or by listening to with religion?” That’s the gospel. That’s the excellent news. And that signifies that when Peter in Antioch was consuming with Gentiles in all freedom, he was strolling in sync with the gospel, and Paul was blissful. “Method to go, Peter. You’ve come a great distance, brother.”
Concern and Hypocrisy
Then one thing occurred. Though he was honoring the all-sufficiency of Christ, strolling in love, trusting the Lord — free — right here come the lads from James. Now we are able to solely speculate as to what was their relationship to James. Was James endorsing what they have been going to say? We don’t even know what they have been going to say for positive. We don’t know why they got here, however one factor is made very specific. Peter was afraid of them.
Why? Possibly they have been able to violence. He had actually offended the conservative get together in Jerusalem. Possibly it was merely that he could be referred to as upon to offer a theological justification of how he might neglect Leviticus 11 — it’s the phrase of God! — and he would come off poorly earlier than the Christians in Antioch, and he doesn’t need to. Or possibly — and this appears to me possibly extra seemingly — if he will get in unhealthy with the conservatives in Jerusalem, he’s going to lose his standing and his respect because the chief in that church, which he nonetheless possessed. (And in reality, that occurred, as a result of James, by the tip of the e-book of Acts, is the chief of the church in Jerusalem.) We’re not advised. However he was afraid, and in a second of weak point, he minimize himself off from these Gentile believers.
This can be a nice lesson in management right here. You see what occurs when a frontrunner goes unsuitable: all people goes unsuitable. The entire Jewish contingent within the church fell into line with Peter and Barnabas — son of encouragement, lover of Paul on his first missionary journey among the many Gentiles (Galatians 2:13). The stress was so robust he went with him and left all of the Gentiles alone.
Drumbeat of the Gospel
Now, put your self within the place of a Gentile believer in Antioch. What would which have meant to you? Based on Galatians 2:14, Paul says that Peter and Barnabas and the others are, to make use of the phrases of the RSV, not strolling “simple concerning the fact of the gospel” (Galatians 2:14). A greater means of claiming it might be this: “They’re not strolling proper with the reality of the gospel.” They’re out of sync with the gospel.
Now, do you see what meaning? That signifies that it’s true that the advantages of the gospel come on one situation alone, listening to it with religion. However when the gospel comes, it modifications your life, so that there’s a life in sync with the gospel and there’s a life out of sync with the gospel. That’s why Paul, despite the fact that he was standing up for the whole freedom in grace of the gospel, might say, “You’re out of line. You’re out of sync with the gospel.”
You don’t attain the advantages of the gospel by doing a bit of ethical cleanup job in your life. You acquire it — forgiveness, cleaning, pleasure, peace, energy — by religion within the gospel. However when the gospel so grips you, once you start to listen to and consider the drumbeat of the gospel, the rhythm of your steps modifications.
And so, Paul took Peter to process, and we have to see three issues that have been out of sync with the gospel right here, in closing. I used to be educating a Bible research on this textual content to a bunch of males yesterday. And I requested them, “What are the three issues out of sync with the gospel right here?” And so they nailed each one in all them proper on the top: (1) worry, (2) hypocrisy, (3) legalism. Let’s have a look at these collectively, as a result of we don’t need to be out of sync with the gospel after we go away this church, will we?
Gospel Removes Concern
Concern is out of step with the gospel. The gospel doesn’t beget worry. Paul stated in 2 Timothy 1:7, “God gave us a spirit not of worry however of energy and love and self-control.” In case you come this morning afraid (and I’m positive in a crowd like this, there are a lot of), possibly of one thing very particular that’s on the best way, or possibly (as typically occurs to me) only a cloud of hysteria — you may’t put your finger on what on this planet it’s. You simply really feel tense and anxious and that one thing’s going to go unhealthy immediately. In case you come like that this morning, what you want greater than something on this planet? It is advisable see the gospel.
It is advisable see that the gospel says one thing about God’s intentions towards you this week. Once you have a look at the demise of Jesus on the cross in your sins, what that claims about God’s intentions for you? It says, “I’m for you and never towards you with all my may this week.” Paul put it like this:
What then let’s say to those issues? If God is for us, who might be towards us? He who didn’t spare his personal Son however gave him up for us all, how will he not additionally with him graciously give us all issues? Who shall carry any cost towards God’s elect? It’s God who justifies. Who’s to sentence? Christ Jesus is the one who died — greater than that, who was raised — who’s on the proper hand of God, who certainly is interceding for us. (Romans 8:31–34)
“In case you see and consider the gospel, what your coronary heart cries out? ‘The Lord is my helper; I can’t worry.’”
In case you see the gospel and consider the gospel, what your coronary heart cries out? “The Lord is my helper; I can’t worry; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6; see additionally Psalm 27:1; 54:4; 56:11; 118:6). So I hope that if you’re burdened with worry this morning, the Lord will grant the eyes of your hearts to be opened to see the gospel.
Gospel Eliminates Hypocrisy
Second, hypocrisy is out of step with the gospel. Galatians 2:13 says, “The remainder of the Jews acted hypocritically . . . in order that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.” Peter and Barnabas and the Jews have been being two-faced. They have been saying, “On the one hand, in my coronary heart, I actually consider that I’m free to reside just like the Gentiles and never preserve the ceremonial dietary legal guidelines anymore. However with my habits, I’ll say, to keep away from the censure of the Judaizers, ‘Effectively, I’m actually dwelling like a Jew up right here in Antioch. I’m retaining the regulation.’”
Why have been they doing that? As a result of they have been so extremely scared of the persecution or criticism or censure or one thing they have been going to get from these individuals. Isn’t it true? Take a look at your personal expertise and what you’ve seen in others. Isn’t it true that each one hypocrisy is rooted in worry or insecurity? And that’s out of step of the gospel. Insecurity is inconsistent with the gospel.
I don’t know what number of on this room are insecure this morning, simply actually insecure — no root and stability and firmness and power in your life, in order that you haven’t any confidence and boldness as you stroll via your days in God. Have you learnt the battle that you’re combating when some individuals or circumstances strategy you? They demand, when you have integrity, that you simply get up in your rules. However as a substitute of standing up in your rules, you set up a entrance; you commit hypocrisy to keep away from their censure.
“Each day, the stroll of religion is a battle to consider the gospel, that God is for you and never towards you.”
Have you learnt what battle you’re combating at that second? A battle to consider the gospel. A few of us type of divide our lives up and we are saying, “Effectively, the gospel was what I had dealings with once I was a bit of little one and walked the aisle or once I was humbled by the Lord and transformed, and now my battles are one thing else.” That’s not true. It’s all within the gospel, and daily the stroll of religion is a battle to consider the gospel — that God is for you and never towards you, as was declared in Jesus Christ when he died on the cross.
And there’s a second means, in addition to that nice assertion of God being for us, that the gospel helps me keep away from hypocrisy. I image Jesus within the gospel, dealing with the cross (a worse risk than I’ve ever confronted or ever will face), having the choice to play the hypocrite. He might have denied earlier than Caiaphas that he was the Son of God and saved his pores and skin, as Peter and the Jews denied their rules and saved their noses. And he didn’t for me and also you. He laid himself down on that cross, with out taking part in the hypocrite, that I might need life. And right here comes a temptation for me to play the hypocrite and keep away from some little criticism or persecution, and shall I not be shamed by the cross, the gospel, if I play that sport? Middle your life on Jesus Christ and his gospel, and the basis of hypocrisy shall be severed.
