PAUL'S TESTIMONY

 

Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2 I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain. 3 Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.

 

Today we are looking at some principles and truth from the life of Paul about why he held his position on salvation by faith alone. 

 

1.      In Vs 1-3. After fourteen years he went up with Barnabus and Titus which the background for their coming is covered in Acts 15.  Tis is in response to the revelation he had been given by the Lord.  He meets with the leaders of the church.  Paul wanted them to either confirm or correct his version of the gospel.  Paul knew that the message we preach must be willing to stand the test of the scripture and the confirmation of others.  When you preach the literal truth of the Bible it can’t be attacked because you are staying with thus says the word of the Lord.

2.      Paul’s message is summed up in Roman 10:9-10, you believe in your heart, and you confess with you mouth.  Salvation is by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

3.      Paul also knew that the good news he was presenting to the gentiles had to be in line with what the apostles were teaching because they had been personally instructed by Jesus and had first hand knowledge of what He taught and how he lived.   They were the gatekeepers of the truth.

4.      He knew that he didn’t want to run his race in vain.  He wanted to make sure he was on the right track.  He had already been sincerely wrong, and he did not want to make the same mistake.  Paul points out that Titus felted compelled to be circumcised even though he was a Greek.  This was to satisfy the Judaizers in the church.  Sometimes you make little accommodations to keep the unity of the faith but never on the essentials of the gospel. 

 

This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. 5 We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.

 

1.      Paul says you must be careful about false believers they can infiltrate the ranks of the church and if not exposed they can cause people to become slaves to false doctrine, practices and belief systems.  They may not be agents of satan but they cause confusion, doubt, and cannot save.  

2.      False gospel takes away the freedom, victory, the benefits, promises and truths of the gospel.  It will put you under the bondage of satan, religion or man.  It always undermines what Jesus did on the cross through His broken body, shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection.  People can sincere but sincerely wrong.

3.      Paul says he did not give in to them a moment so the gospel might be preserved for you.  Know what you believe and absolutely refuse to compromise. The gospel is to precious, powerful and important to water down.  It would lead to what the Laodicean church would face a generation later.  Prosperity without faith and spiritually that was wretched, pitiful, blind, lame and poor.

4.      Remember how you react and proceed in the immediate does have an effect, on the long term.  Make sure you do it with thoughtfulness, wisdom, knowledge, understanding and discernment.

 

As for those who were held in high esteem—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism—they added nothing to my message. 7 On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised 8 For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles.

 

1.      Paul points out here that those who were held in high esteem should not really matter to us.  As soon as you set someone up as a hero, icon or important you are setting them and yourself for a major disappointment.  People fail, fall, say and do wrong things. 

2.      Remember when God chooses to bless someone it is not because they are special or have done something special it is the grace of God alone.   God doesn’t show favouritism and he is no respecter of persons.   Another important lesson is that we all have seasons of growth, stagnation, fruitfulness, pruning, blessing and barrenness.  Seasons of life all have their purpose and you must never fully judge of person by what their going through it is a part of their story but not their whole story.

3.      What happened is they recognized that Paul had a ministry to the gentiles as Peter had a ministry to the Jews.  We all do.  We are all called to bring Christ in our world and love those He brings to us.  No two ministries look the same because of the call, personality, giftings, abilities, talents and focus.  Also never judge by visible immediate results it takes time to reap a harvest.

 

9 James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. 10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.

 

1.      James, Peter and John, the esteemed leaders and the ones who have leadership in the church at Jerusalem have him the right hand of fellowship.  The confirmed, recognized and approved of what Paul and Barnabas were teaching and the grace that had been given to Paul.  The persecutor now preacher was fully commissioned, approved and recognized to continue their mission and ministry to the gentiles and they were to go to the circumcised. 

2.      They saw that they had two paths both were important in the ministry of God.  No two ministries are the same.  One is not important than another for example an apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher or evangelist is not important than another.  They have their functions and responsibilities in the church structure.  Just like a singer, worship leader, Sunday School teacher, children’s worker, greeter or kitchen setup is not valued or important.  All have their function of importance.  I have been a pastor for decades but I have never shied away from doing the little things and never will. 

3.      All they asked of Paul was that he remember to work with the poor the very thing he wanted to do all along.  They recognised Paul’s natural bents and giftings and they encouraged it.  That is what leadership does.   

 

Conclusions

 

               What are the lessons we can learn today?

 

1.      Make sure what your belief lines up with the word and stand the scrutiny and examination oof others.

2.      Never allow your faith to become, cold, indifferent or compromised. 

3.      When dealing with criticism be wise, thoughtful, forgiving, patient, willing to be corrected, humble and listen. 

4.      Never put someone on a pedestal because they will disappoint you.  God doesn’t show favouritism and you should not.  Remember people are also in different stages of life and we are all growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

5.      No two ministries look alike but both are important to the function and importance to the universal and local church.  Never judge a ministry on the immediate it takes time to grow and mature a fruitful ministries and never despise small beginnings. 

6.      Never be to proud to do the small things.  David started as a shepherd, Joseph a slave and prisoner, Jacob a keeper of animals and Jesus as a carpenter.