INTRODUCTION:  As a result of recent encounters, I am convinced that spiritual forces are at play and our vision and ministries as a church are being challenged like I have never experienced before. As we enter 2017, we as a church have to reaffirm our vision, reassess our ministries, and renew our commitment to tell others about Jesus and his saving grace. We will need the power and protection of God to stand against the devil and fulfill God’s purposes for us.
 
THE STRUGGLE IS REAL.
 
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes (Eph. 6:10-11).
 

• We need the power of God and the armor of God to fight the devil.
• The devil has crafty methods and strategies he uses to attack.

 
THE BATTLE IS SPIRITUAL.
 
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Eph. 6:12).
 

• It is easy to be tricked into thinking our battle is against other people. This mistake leads to judgment, anger and hatred toward people we encounter. People do bad things but what is the source of their evil?
• There are invisible forces at work in the world around us. Satan and his demons are actively trying to destroy God’s people and disrupt God’s plans.
• The battle has to be fought spiritually not just physically.

 
GOD’S POWER AND PROTECTION DEFEND FROM EVIL.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand (Eph. 6:13).
 

• We need to put on the armor of God constantly and consistently.
• Evil will come. Be ready to stand up to it and to keep on standing no matter how fierce the battle becomes.

 
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Eph. 6:14-17).
 

• Stand against the enemy wearing the full armor of God:

1. Truth exposes the devil’s lies and deceptions.
2. Righteousness confirms the Christian’s witness.
3. The peace of God makes us ready to share the gospel.
4. Faith shields us from the attacks and fears of the devil.
5. Salvation assures us of God’s love and presence.
6. The word of God brings salvation to those who hear it and are given new life by the Holy Spirit.

 
OUR PERSEVERANCE AND PRAYER DEFEAT THE ENEMY.
 
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should (Eph. 6:18-20).
 

• Pray all kinds of prayers in all kinds of places for all people.
• Pray for boldness to proclaim the good news of salvation.
• The best offense against the devil is winning souls for Jesus.
• Join us for Parkview Dreams and Mission 2017.

   
INTRODUCTION:  We conclude our series, “The Christ of Christmas” today. We have tried over this Advent season to put Christ back into Christmas. So Merry Christmas! Today we look at Christ –the Word. The term logos, translated Word, is used by the Apostle John to introduce Jesus.  John was using a word from Greek philosophy that described “the spiritual principle” that filled the universe.  The Jews used the word to describe God. John took the idea to describe Jesus, the Son of God or the Word of God. Jesus is the final Word from God. No philosophy or person compares to him.
 
JESUS IS THE ULTIMATE EXPRESSION OF GOD.
 
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it...The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world (John 1:1-5, 9).
 
*The Word (the Mind, Logic or Intelligence of God) is

• Pre-existing and Eternal
• Co-existing with God
• God
• Creator
• Revelation (Light)
• Redeemer (Life)

 
“The Logos is God active in creation, revelation, and redemption”
 – Frank Stagg.
 
JESUS IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF HUMANITY.
 
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:10-14).
 
*The Logos became a little baby.  The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood (John 1:14, The Message).
 
*Jesus lived a normal human life yet revealed the fullness of the love and true nature of God.
 
But in these last days he [God] has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven (Hebrews 1:2-3).
 
*The miracle of Christmas is that Almighty God would give up his glory to become like you and me so we could become part of his family.
 
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
 
 Who, being in very nature God,
   did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
 but made himself nothing,
   taking the very nature of a servant,
   being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
   he humbled himself
   and became obedient to death—
      even death on a cross!
                                                - Philippians 2:5-8
 
*Have you believed in Jesus Christ and received him as your Savior?
 
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:11-12).
 

   
INTRODUCTION:  We continue our series “The Christ of Christmas” on this Fourth Sunday of Advent. We need to put Christ back into Christmas. The word peace has always been associated with Christmas. Someone asked me what I want for Christmas this year.  I said, “World peace.” We may joke about that stock answer but deep within all of us we desire peace on earth.  We want the wars and conflicts, the hunger and oppression, the racial clashes and political repression to cease.  We just want a world where peace reigns and everyone just gets along. Matthew shares a story of a visit of the Wise Men after the birth of Jesus. The Magi came to see the King of the Jews. The message of Christmas tells us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
 
CHRISTMAS BRINGS US THE GIFT OF PEACE.
 
*The angels announced to the shepherds that the birth of Jesus was a sign of God’s grace and a blessing of peace. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord... This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:10-12).
 
God wants to bring you peace this Christmas.
 
PEACE CO-EXISTS WITH CONFLICT.
 
*Wise people seek the source of peace.  After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-3)
 
*Evil always tries to destroy what is good.  When King Herod heard
this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him...Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.  (Matthew 2:3-7).
 
No matter how bad it seems, God is always working around us for the good.
 
GOD’S PEACE OVERCOMES THE WORLD’S CRUELTY.
 
*Jesus was born to rule as the Prince of Peace. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).
 
*Wise people bow to the Prince of Peace.  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route (Matthew 2:10-12).
 
*Jesus conquers the world and its evil system and rulers. Jesus told his disciples: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
 
*You can experience the peace of Jesus in your life no matter what your circumstances. 
 
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).
 
Do you have this kind of inner peace? 
 
Do you know the Prince of Peace?
 

   
INTRODUCTION:  We need to rediscover the Christ of Christmas. When we sing the carol “Joy to the World” we recognize that joy is a key part of the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. The angel told the shepherds “do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10). Great joy!  Isn’t that what all of us are looking for?  We want to be happy.  We want to be without pain and sadness and sorrow.  We want life to be good and pleasurable and, well, joyful!
Christmas reminds us that Christ is our joy.  The prophets of old spoke of the life that experiences true joy.  They looked forward to the day when Messiah would bring joy to the world.  Let’s see what the prophet Isaiah had to say about living a life of joy.
 
ONLY GOD PROVIDES JOY THAT SUSTAINS US.
 
*God made us and carries us through life.  “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you” (Isaiah 46:4).
 
*We find joy when we find God.
 
ALTERNATIVES TO GOD’S JOY LET US DOWN.
 
*False gods deceive and disappoint us.  “To whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?” (Isaiah 46:5).
 
*We make our gods and they become a burden (6-7). “Some pour out gold from their bags and weigh out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, and they bow down and worship it” (Isaiah 46:6).
 
*An idol is anything we love more than God.
 
WE FIND TRUE JOY IN GOD AND HIS ETERNAL PURPOSES
 
*True joy comes from being part of something that is bigger than I am and has meaning and purpose.  True joy comes from attaching yourself to God’s plans for your life. “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please” (Isaiah 46:10).
 
*Prophets like Elijah proclaimed that God’s eternal plan was to send the Messiah. “The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).
 
*The birth of Jesus fulfilled the prophecy.  Jesus came to save us from our sins.  That is why the angel called the birth “good news of great joy.”
 
“An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ - which means, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:20-23).

*Do you know this “good news of great joy.”?  Do you know Jesus as your Savior?
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”
(John 3:16)
 

   
INTRODUCTION:  We continue our series “The Christ of Christmas” on this Second Sunday of Advent. We need to put Christ back into Christmas. God’s word gives us some words to live by at this time of year.  Christmas is about the birth of Christ, the coming of God in the flesh.  Jesus lived his whole life in order that we might have life.  He is the way to eternal life, to a personal relationship with the Father, and to life with a purpose here and now.  Christ is the Way to life as God intended. 
 
JESUS IS OUR WAY TO HEAVEN.
 
* Jesus prepared his disciples for his death and prepares a place for us after death. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going” (John 14:1-4).
 
*Thomas was confused and Jesus told him the path to take. Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”  Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:5-6).
The way to Heaven is a person.
JESUS IS OUR WAY TO GOD.
*Philip wanted to know God, the Father.  Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us” (John 14:8).
*Jesus said no one comes to the Father except through him because he and the Father are one. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well...“Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:6-9).
The way to God is a person.
 
JESUS IS OUR WAY TO ABUNDANT LIVING.
 
*Jesus enables us to live in reality (truth) and to experience life as God intended it to be.  Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6).
 
*We can have the same relationship with Jesus that Jesus has with his Father.  He gives us power for living as we put our trust in him.
“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:12-14).
 
The way to fullness of life is through a person.
 
Jesus Christ is our way to Heaven, to God and to abundant life.
 
Do you know for certain that you have eternal life and that you are going to Heaven when you die?
 
Do you have a personal relationship with God?
 
Is there evidence in your life that you are a Christian?
 

   
INTRODUCTION:  Many words can describe Christmas.  God’s word gives us some words to live by at this time of year.  The prophets have a word of hope for those who will listen.  Jeremiah had warned the people of Israel that they would be taken captive by Babylon.  No one believed him until they were suddenly carried away.  Now what?  False prophets told the king and exiles that they would be returning home soon.  Jeremiah told them to prepare for a long exile (1-3). They would be captive seventy years but there was yet hope.  God would bring them home.  Many are exiled from God today and have lost hope.  Christ Jesus provides hope for anyone who turns to him.
 
FALSE HOPE IS NO HOPE AT ALL (29:8-9).
 
*The world offers false dreams and lying schemes.  Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the LORD (8-9).
 
NO MATTER WHAT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES, YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE (29:4-7).
 
*Plant yourself wherever you are and build a life. This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce” (4-5).
 
*Build the family home through marriage and the birth of children. “Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease” (6).
 
*Pray for the city you live in and seek its peace and prosperity. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper” (7).
 
WHERE THERE IS GOD, THERE IS HOPE (29:10-14).
 
*You can depend on the promises of God.  This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place” (10).
 
*God has plans to prosper you and give you hope and a future. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (11).
 
*God wants the best for us and will rescue us when we seek him with all of our being. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity.  I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile” (12-14).
 
God wants to give you hope this Christmas.  He already proved it by sending his Son Jesus.
 
You can be God’s instrument of hope to others this Christmas.  Look for ways to bring hope to others.
 
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”
-  (John 3:16).
 

   
INTRODUCTION:  In The Letter to the Galatians, Paul is trying to defend the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He is trying to save it from those who would return to the Mosaic system of righteousness.  In Chapters 4-6, Paul shows that living the Christian life is not slavish obedience to rules and regulations but a life of freedom walking in the Spirit.  The Spirit gives life and the power to please God.  The Spirit also gives to us the power to carry out our God-given responsibilities. Freedom in the Spirit calls for responsible action in service to others.  Paul describes this as “carrying the load” or “bearing the burden.” He gives four crucial actions in Galatians 6.
 
CARRY THE LOADS OF OTHER BELIVERS.
 
“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (1-2).
 
-Rescue the struggling Christian caught in sin.
 
-Support each other when you are struggling with problems.
 
CARRY YOUR OWN LOAD.
 
“If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load” (3-5).
 
-Do the work that God has given to you.
 
-You have a creative responsibility to develop your own gifts.
 
SUPPORT YOUR SPIRITUAL TEACHERS.
 
“Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor” (6).
 
-The church operates on the gifts of God’s people.
 
-Pastors depend upon the faithful giving of God’s people in response to the faithful instruction in God’s Word.
 
SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY.
 
“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (10).
 
-We need to support the community in which we live.
 
-We need to be active in a local community of believers and encourage and support them like family.
 
PRINCIPLE:  You reap what you sow.  You either serve yourself or you serve others in Jesus’ name.
 
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (7-9).
 
 The privilege of freedom requires us to shoulder responsibility for others.
 
 
 
 
 
 

   
INTRODUCTION:  In The Letter to the Galatians, Paul is trying to defend the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He is trying to save it from those who would return to the Mosaic system of righteousness.  In Chapters 4-6, Paul shows that living the Christian life is not slavish obedience to rules and regulations but a life of freedom walking in the Spirit.  The Spirit gives life and the power to please God.  Paul very clearly says, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25). In other words, if you are a Christian then live like Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit lives in you and his life should be seen in your everyday life-actions. Paul gives us three basic actions that show that we walk in the freedom of the Holy Spirit.
 
STAND IN THE FREEDOM OF CHRIST (1-12)
 
            -Stand firm in faith. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (1).
 
            -Do not submit to outward actions for righteousness.
“But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (5-6).
 
LOVE ONE ANOTHER (13-15)
 
            -Do not use your freedom to pamper your selfish desires.   “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature”(13). 
 
            -Serve one another.  “Rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."  If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other” (13-14).
 
WALK BY THE SPIRIT (16-24)
 
            -Let the Holy Spirit guide your life. Do not yield to the desires of the flesh.  Nail your passions and wrong desires to the Cross.  “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law…Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” (16-18, 24).
 
            -Sinful actions: “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (19-21).
 
            -Spirit actions: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law” (22-23).
 
SELF – EVALUATION: Rate yourself on a scale from 1-10 with 10 being “I am consistently strong in this area” and 1 being “I am consistently weak in this area.”
 
______ I stand firm in the freedom in Christ and do not depend upon rules and regulations to please God and men.
 
______ I always put others above myself in my actions and seek to promote peace in my church.
 
______ I consciously seek to let the Spirit guide my life and show evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in my attitude and my actions.
 
______ How would you rate yourself as a follower of Christ?
             What will you do today to follow Jesus?
          

   
INTRODUCTION:  In The Letter to the Galatians, Paul is trying to defend the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He is trying to save it from those who would return to the Mosaic system of righteousness.  Paul argues that the true child of God is not made that way by outward signs and the keeping of rules and regulations but rather a true child of God is made that way by the grace of God through faith in his son Jesus Christ who perfectly fulfilled all the demands of the law for righteousness.  We are accepted by God when we accept what Christ did for us.  Everyone who believes this becomes one in Christ.  In order to present this truth Paul looks at salvation through Christ through many angles and facets: What is the law?  What is faith?  How are do you become God’s child?  Who is the true son of Abraham?  Why Jesus Christ?  Let’s look at this passage together.
 
The Jailor.
 
“Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed” (Gal. 3:23).
 
The Nanny.
 
“Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith” (3:24).
 
The Child.
 
“But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith” (3:25-26).
 
The Baptized.
 
“As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (3:27-28).
 
The Heir.
 
“And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise” (3:29).
 
 
Are you a child of God?
 
Have you accepted what Jesus Christ did for you in his life, death and resurrection? 
 
Do you believe that God accepts you as his child when you place your faith in Jesus?
 
Do you belong to Christ?
 
You can enter the family of God today by trusting in Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  You do not need to do anything else to please God.
 
 
 
 
 

   
INTRODUCTION: Apologetics is an attempt to defend and explain the gospel of Jesus Christ to critics outside the Christian faith. Polemics is a theological debate within the church to defend the faith from errors in doctrine and belief. Paul begins the Letter to the Galatians with a strong polemical argument to keep the faith from doctrinal error. Paul denounces those who have tried to redefine the gospel of Jesus Christ. He describes the true gospel and then gives a personal testimony that he received the gospel by revelation of Jesus Christ (Gal. 1). Paul now begins to argue that the true gospel has apostolic approval and historical support. He then reaffirms the true meaning of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the difference it makes in a believer’s life. We are not justified by keeping the law but by faith in Jesus Christ (Gal. 2:16).
 
THE TRUE GOSPEL HAS UNIVERSAL ACCEPTANCE.
 
*The gospel Paul preached to the Gentiles was the same as the gospel that the apostles of Jerusalem preached to the Jews. Proof: Titus a Greek was not made to be circumcised (1-5). Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 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 (Gal. 2:1-2).
 
*The gospel was the same but the focus of the ministry was different. Paul was called to preach to the Gentiles and Peter was called to preach to the Jews. Proof: the apostles gave the right hand of fellowship to Paul and Barnabas (6-10). 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 (Gal. 2:9).
 
The first church agreed on the meaning of the true gospel.
 
THE TRUE GOSPEL IS OFTEN COMPROMISED.
 
*The gospel has vocal opponents within the church. They create division by introducing false doctrines and ideas about the gospel. The Judaizers said that Christians had to have faith in Jesus but also keep the Law of Moses. The gospel has to be strongly defended from those who would change its meaning. 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. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you (Gal. 2:4-5).
 
*The church is often undermined by hypocrisy. Hypocrites have to be confronted and corrected. Paul called out Peter for his duplicity. When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. (Gal. 2:11-13).
 
The church must stand against any form of compromise or hypocrisy.
 
THE TRUE GOSPEL IS ALWAYS BY FAITH NOT BY WORKS.
 
*No one is made right with God by observing the Law of Moses. A person is made right with God, justified, by faith in Jesus Christ. We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified (2:15-16).
 
*The Law reveals to us that we are sinners and cannot keep the Law of God. The Law points out that we need a different way of being made right with God. The Law showed me that I am dead to God because my sins have separated me from God. I must turn in faith to Jesus who loved me and died on the Cross in my place.  For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God.  I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Gal. 2:19-20).
 
*Salvation is by God’s grace through faith in his Son Jesus Christ. If we go back to the old system of trying to keep rules and regulations to win God’s favor, then we have made a mockery of the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. When we become Christians, Jesus comes to live inside of us and make us right with God and gives us the power to do what God wants. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! (Gal. 2:20-21).
 
We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ and not by the works of the law.