Sound Doctrine

Guest (Male): Tough economic times are taking a toll on all of us, but how can we persevere? Here's Pastor Jeff.

Jeff Johnson: We're in a economic area that's basically really low when you look at it overall. And Christians have always sort of been that place of you know, not having too much where you forget the Lord and too little where you start stealing. You know what I mean? And there's a proverb about that. Just give me that which is sufficient for me today, Lord, and keep watch on me. Amen? And be with me as I deal with this thing of finances. Give me wisdom.

Guest (Male): Calvary Chapel Downey presents Sound Doctrine with Pastor Jeff Johnson. Today we continue Jeff's verse by verse study in Galatians with the stop in chapter two, verses 11 through 16. What we see here is a confrontation between Peter and Paul. Peter was the guy at fault here. He was guilty of being a hypocrite. If we kicked all of the hypocrites out of the church, there'd be nothing but empty chairs. But let's let Pastor Jeff tell the story. Again, our scripture reference is Galatians chapter two, verses 11 through 16.

Jeff Johnson: We're going to continue our study in this incredible gospel of grace by Paul. Galatians chapter two. Remember, our backup chapter or the history of this chapter is in Acts 15. So take that and take it home as homework and read it this afternoon. Acts chapter 15. I want to read one verse before we jump into Galatians two, and that is Acts 15 verse two. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, I mean, there was a time where they gathered together in Jerusalem, and there was a huge argument. I mean, there there I mean, it just hit the fan, so to speak.

I mean, it was everybody was uptight. Everybody was shook up, especially Paul, because he knew he knew that what he was fighting for was worth it. And so Paul struggled for grace. And it started right there in Acts 15. Paul first gave us his amazing story of God's grace in his own life. Remember that? And it's definitely amazing grace as this man went and killed people and threw them in prison. All Christians, you know, that love the Lord. God poured his grace out on this man. And then he shared about the Gentiles that had received Christ.

And then he warns them. He warns them that don't allow anything to rob you from grace. You see, these Judaizers that came from Jerusalem and and are were in Jerusalem and were arguing with Paul, they said, no, wait a minute. You know, yeah, it's great these Gentiles are believing in Jesus, okay? That's great. But we want you to know that they're not saved yet, not until they get circumcised. And then they can come into this conversion experience, not until then, which is totally bizarre. Paul got with the elders there in Jerusalem. And and all the guys there, they they had tasted and seen the Lord is good.

They all understood that grace plus nothing brings conversion. That that that's salvation. And they were all in one accord, the elders, against this whole salvation plus works trip. It's only by and through grace. What is grace but God's unearned, undeserved, unmerited favor. We're not going to earn it. We're not going to merit it. There's nothing we can do to get it. It's a free gift of God, isn't it? So Paul becomes this freedom fighter fighter towards just grace and grace alone. So far, he's privately and publicly stood up against this works trip, this salvation plus do this then salvation.

You know, I mean, then you're truly saved if you have grace plus something else. So he fought against it. He was passionate. And religion, I think the best way to describe it or define religion is a thing of rules, regulations, and rituals. Anybody say amen to that? That we've been delivered from. I can wear anything I want up here. I don't have to wear a robe or a little deal or whatever. I can wear anything I want. I'm free. And hopefully I I you know, I don't stumble anybody. You know, I don't want to stumble anybody, but I mean, the the liberty we have in Christ is amazing.

It's not about rules and regulations and all that. It's about a relationship. Now, we left off in verse 11, verse 11 of Galatians chapter two. Now this really gets interesting as we start out here, because Paul now is standing before Peter personally struggling with Peter about grace. Let's look at it. Verse 11. But when Peter was come to Antioch, Paul says, I withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed. I said enough, you know. Now, let's look at it for a moment. Antioch, okay? That 's a Gentile city. That's where Paul's ministry was.

Paul's ministry wasn't in Jerusalem. He didn't even hang out there for a number of years or anything. He just visited there. It didn't have an effect on him. Remember, Jerusalem was the Jewish church at that time. Paul's out in the Gentile world really seeing some success and things are happening. So Peter, probably James sent said, Peter, go up there and see what Paul's doing. Barnabas, you know, came up there and and then Peter eventually made his way up there. So Paul's ministry was in the Gentile territory. When Paul came to this situation that he came into the midst of, he said, I got into Peter's face.

Now that's just the way we would say it, right? Got into his face. For what he was doing. He used to be blamed. Why? What did he do? It's hard to get in the Pope's face, you know? But he wasn't the Pope, okay? You say, well, how how how come you can say that? Well, he he was never the first Pope because Peter was infallible. He was infallible, not infallible. He was infallible. He was infallible in doctrine and practice, whereas the Pope today is supposedly infallible in doctrine and practice. So this very instance proves that he wasn't the first Pope, because here Peter Peter's out.

And he loses it. He blows it. You know, Peter was the type of guy that you open your mouth and put foot into it. He blew it and when he blew it, he blew it big, okay? Peter made drastic decisions and and got in trouble many times as we see through the scriptures. So what's going on here? Verse 12. For before that certain came from James. So James sent others, evidently heard about what Peter was doing and and couldn't believe what he was hearing. You mean, what? What else is he doing? You're kidding. Oh no.

And so I need to send up some guys and and to find out exactly what's going on. Because remember, James is the heavy in Jerusalem, Jewish. But you know, not believing what he 's hearing sends these guys. So these guys sent from James, the heavy hitter there in Jerusalem, the leader, the elder, that what did he hear? He did eat with the Gentiles. I don't believe it, you know? Well, we'll go find out. Let's go up there and check it out. But when they were come, notice it says Peter withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

Peter came into a situation like if somebody would come into us and like what we're doing here and like the fellowship and join, you know, join this church, you you you're you're added by the Lord because you're getting fed, because you really believe that this is where God wants you to to invest your time and your energy and and and your life. And you want to, you know, hang around and get fed and and enjoy the fellowship we have with one another, enjoy all the things that are going on through the week with the different pollux and fellowship together and just enjoy the becoming one with one another, big family, okay?

Cuz that's really what we are. As you go through the week, you can see that. They would partake of the what they called it, the love feast. In other words, they they they were poor. We we're not rich. We're poor here. I mean, and when you look at the rich that are out there, Christians are usually just making it, okay? Because they give unto the Lord. They know they know what's going on. They watch their finances, but they they still You know, we're in we're in a economic area that's that's basically really low when you look at it at overall.

And Christians have always sort of been that place of you know, not having too much where you forget the Lord and too little where you start stealing. You know what I mean? And there's a proverb about that. Just give me that which is sufficient for me today, Lord, and keep watch on me. Amen? And be with me as I deal with this thing of finances. Give me wisdom. That's why we have the financial class. Take advantage of that. It's awesome. But they pooled their resources together because when we do that, and I think I've talked about this with you guys before, that when we pool our resources together about certain things, maybe somebody's You know, there's a missionary that's hurting, someone in our fellowship is hurt, and we come together and we make a decision to do this or do that, and they help them.

It's always a a blessing. They feasted together. They brought all their their their foods together. They had communion together. The problem though here was that the dietary law of the Jews was a problem to the Gentiles, big problem. The Gentiles come to find out and they didn't know it for sure. They didn't go out of their way to buy the the meat that was sacrificed to to idols. But they were in the meat market and they bought that which was they looked good to them and they bought it and they brought it home and they ate it.

But that was a stumbling block for a lot of people, because they said, you Gentiles, you you buy that meat and you it's been sacrificed to idols and then you eat it, then you're becoming a part of that idol. You know, it's just weird. But that's what they believed. Now, and they they were raised that way. Remember that Paul rebuked those in Corinth, and they were having a feast, a love feast, and they were taking communion, but they weren't doing it right. He said, you're not discerning the Lord's body. You're not getting into this thing called communion for what it is.

And we do that the last Wednesday of every month. It's a very special time where we really discern his body. What do you mean, Jeff? Well, we we remember the cross, definitely. We remember his blood was shed, but we remember also the broken bread and what it meant. It's his broken body given for us. Do this in remembrance of him. What does Isaiah say about the broken bread? He says, and by his stripes what he took on his back, we are healed. Interesting, over in 1 Corinthians, just jot it down in your notes. 1 Corinthians 11 verse 29.

1 Corinthians 11 29. For he And here's Paul coming down on these Corinthians. For he that drinks unworthily unworthily, in other words, in an unworthy manner, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. If you're just coming together to eat and have a potluck and then some of them are even drinking and and getting a little tipsy, you know, you have a few drinks, you're going to get loose. And that's what was going on. He said, you guys, you think you're going to get anything out of this? And there's a lot of people that take communion, poop pop pop and done.

What was that all about? I don't know. That's all what we always do. What did it mean? I don't know. What was it for? I don't know. God wants us to know. It's important. Then he says in verse 30, for this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many have died. He calls it sleep. Many are just fell asleep. Many You're losing a whole lot of people and there's a lot of people sick. Why? Because you're not discerning the Lord's body. You're not looking at that bread and that cup as a as a healing, not only for our souls and and our spirit, but emotionally and physically.

God heals. And so those who discern the Lord's body doing it in a right way and don't just carry on and and and do it the way that they've always done it. They do it biblically are going to be blessed. But here to appease the Jews, I want you to see this that there were two tables there in Antioch. They had a table that was kosher for the Jews that lived in Antioch, and they had another table for the Gentiles. Interesting, huh? Where you could eat. One was kosher, one was definitely not kosher. Peter's with the Gentiles eating hamburgers with cheese on it.

Now, what's all wrong about that? Kosher. What does it mean? Kosher is interesting. It means that they they went back in the Old Testament. They found a scripture that it says you're not supposed to cook a kid in the in the in its mother's milk. Sounds gross, right? Cook a kid or take a young sheep and cook it in the in his mother's milk. You don't mix meat and milk together or so the cheeses, the eggs, and all that stuff you you have on one meal and then you have all your meat on another meal.

You have two sets of dishes in the home. And this is kosher. Where they got that scripture and how they came to that, I'll never know. I don't know. So but it was law, okay? To eat the right meats at the right time and the right milk at the right time and it it just became law. It became are you a are you a good Jew? Then you're kosher, right? If you're not kosher, man, you're not following the law. Shame on you, right? Okay? So Peter's kicking back with McRibs. He's he's going He's just loving it.

Got shrimp. He he's got sausage links, the good ones. He is sitting there, you know, he's just chewing on them. He's got lobster. He he's just enjoying himself, eating with the Gentiles, excited, enjoying all these things. He pigged out. He just went for it. He believed though when he was doing this that meat would not condemn him. He was convinced of that, that him eating with the Gentiles and eating the stuff that the Gentiles ate would not condemn him. Oh, the liberty that Peter was experiencing all his life eating kosher and then finding out, Lord, thank you.

And he got a chair and joined the Gentiles. This bacon is awesome. I missed this all my life. Oh oh. This is great. So the Jewish law was you don't eat with or what the Gentiles eat. You don't eat with them and you don't eat what they eat. That was the law. They were taking communion. They were breaking bread. Now, Jesus taught us that he says, you know, I'm knocking on your heart's door. If you will open, I will come into you and you with me cuz I want to sup with you. I want to walk with you.

I want to be intimate with you. When he said I want to sup with you, I mean, I want to eat with you. The more one of the most intimate close things you could do with someone, and even today, when you break bread with them, when you eat, when you even go out to the restaurant today and eat with your family and your friends, it it you become one with them. You're at the table. You're eating together, man. You're discussing things. And to Jesus, it was very serious. I mean, I want to come into you and you with me and I want to eat with you.

I want to have intimate fellowship with you. I want to walk with you and talk with you through life's narrow ways. I want to be with you and you with me. I'm going to show you things and I'm going to lead you places and I'm going to take care of you. I'm the good shepherd and I'll make sure that pestilences and and all the things of this world the those things that are trying to destroy us will keep away from you all, anoint your head with oil and keep the parasites off, you know? I will be with you.

I will encourage you and restore you and be be intimate. So breaking bread, that communion, communing with somebody, being close with them. Now, actually becoming one with them. Now, remember in Joppa, Peter went came down from Jerusalem, went to Joppa. The Lord met him there. When he went up on the top of a of a of a house that they were cooking lunch, they weren't ready yet. So he went up there just to pray. And as he began to pray, a sheet came down from heaven. This is what it records there in Acts. And the sheep sheep came down and it was full of uncleaned things.

There was a pig, lobster, bacon, you know, whatever. There was all the unclean stuff that you're not supposed to eat. And God said to Peter, Peter, yes, Lord. I want you to take these take these, kill them, and eat them. Peter said, Lord, you know me. I'm a good Jew. I'm kosher all the way. No, thank you. Very proud of that. Lord says, Peter, yes. Take it, kill it and eat it. Lord, you didn't hear me. I'm kosher. I'm a good Jew. Peter You see, Peter had to do it three times. He's a three-time guy.

I hope you're not. You know, just get it done, man. Don't be three-time, but anyhow, he used three-time. Lord. And he said, you take it and kill it and eat it. Why was God doing that to Peter? To mess him up? No, he's preparing him. Why? Because he's going to go 20 miles north from Joppa. You check it out on the map up to Caesarea. Caesarea is Gentile city. Caesarea was a place where this guy was seeking the Lord and the Lord said, Peter, you go. He's going to send two guys to come to the door.

You go with those guys. So he went. He was obedient. And he when he got there, he found out this a whole house of Gentiles he goes, oh, hi guys. I'm really not supposed to be here with you guys right now. But I do have something exciting and great to share with you. And then he just started sharing the gospel with them and told them about Jesus. And that's where we as Gentiles were first heard the good news and received it there in Caesarea. It was just an incredible event. And Peter saw the Lord fall upon this group of Gentiles and this centurion who was seeking God but didn't know who he was or what was going on.

And the spirit of God fell upon this family and this this Bible study that they had. And Peter was amazed that on the Gentiles that which the Jews had received, the Gentiles now have received. Just like it. He was amazed. So he came back and told it to Jerusalem. I mean, he was excited. So here Peter, Paul and Mary No, I don't know if Mary was there. I love those guys. They were good. But anyhow, Peter and Paul enjoyed pork chops together. This is good stuff. Cleaning the bones together. Over in 1 Timothy, turn with me to 1 Timothy just ways ways back in your Bibles to 1 Timothy chapter four.

And let's look at something very interesting about this type of food. First of all, in chapter four of 1 Timothy, Paul talks about this spirit that in the latter days is going to you know, people are going to give a heed to the spirit, seducing spirits, doctrines of devils. You know, be careful. He's warning them. And then he says and they're going to just tell you to do certain things. And in verse three of 1 Timothy four, he says they're going to tell you to forbid you to marry. You can't marry. If you're going to be holy, if you're going to be used of God, you cannot marry.

And commanding them to abstain from meats, certain meats, which notice God has created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. You will know the truth and what? The truth was that you're free.

Guest (Male): If you pay any attention to secular media these days, you might conclude that absolute truth doesn't exist. But don't be fooled. Right is right and wrong is still wrong. This is Sound Doctrine with Pastor Jeff. And we just heard a study in Galatians chapter two. It's our sincere hope that you've been blessed by the word spoken today by Pastor Jeff as we continue verse by verse through the book of Galatians. This great New Testament epistle contains some of the most challenging lessons we can learn about being a believer in Jesus Christ in the 21st century.

If you'd like to hear this study again, there are several options. First, go online to sounddoctrinradio.org. We have a massive archive of Jeff's messages right there waiting for you at sounddoctrinradio.org. That's also the place to go to download our free app. Take Sound Doctrine with you wherever you go through the Sound Doctrine podcast app. Download it today from sounddoctrinradio.org. We're also on oneplace.com and you can find us on most of the podcast platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts. If you appreciate the teaching you're hearing on Sound Doctrine, you can show your support through a financial gift.

Simply head over to sounddoctrinradio.org and click give in the top right hand corner. And thank you in advance. Again, we're at sounddoctrinradio.org. Join us for another study in Galatians next time we meet for Sound Doctrine with Pastor Jeff. This program is brought to you by Calvary Chapel Downey.